Topic 2: Native American Victimization and Community-Based Public Safety

Research has shown that American Indians experience two times the rate of violence compared to Black and White Americans (Riley, 2016). The former director of the Behavioral Health Unit of the Indian Health Services, Dr. Jon Perez, noted:

The intergenerational trauma, compounded by extreme poverty, lack of economic opportunity and widespread substance abuse has shattered these communities. Suicide is a single response to a multiplicity of problems. If you have these things going on, and you don't see any hope for the future, suicide seems like an option. (Meyers, 2007, para.10)

In what ways is violence an expression of internalized oppression among Native American communities? What promising practices can be used to enhance community-based policing in tribal communities and improve relations between public safety officials and Native Americans?

References

Meyers, L. (2007, February). A struggle for hope. Monitor on Psychology, 38(2), 30. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb07/astrug-gle.aspx

Riley, A. R. (2016, August). Crime and governance in Indian Country. UCLA Law Review, 63(6). http://www.uclalawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Riley-63-6.pdf