Sexual Assault Awareness

Each April, the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC) joins advocates across the country to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), amplifying the voices of Native survivors. This month and every month, we stand in solidarity with Tribal Nations, Native-led domestic and sexual violence programs, advocates, rape crisis centers, and community leaders, all of whom work tirelessly to support survivors and prevent sexual violence in Tribal communities.

 

Sexual assault is a crisis that disproportionately impacts Native communities, with more than half of Native women (56%) experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. Native women are 2.5 times more likely than non-Native women to experience rape or sexual assault, and at least 86% of perpetrators are non-Native men. This violence is a direct result of systemic failures, the erosion of Tribal jurisdiction, and the federal government's failure to protect Native women. Perpetrators act with near-total impunity due to legal loopholes and the chronic underfunding of Tribal justice systems.

 

For survivors, the trauma caused by sexual assault is immeasurable and cannot be undone. However, through culturally grounded healing, trauma-informed advocacy, and community-led solutions, survivors can begin to reclaim their strength, dignity, and safety. We must work together to ensure that all Native relatives are safe, in every community and in every circumstance.

Sexual assault includes any unwanted sexual contact—such as harassment, coercion, or rape—that occurs without consent. It is often used as a tool of power and control, deeply intertwined with the ongoing crisis of violence against Native women.

 

Forms of Sexual Assault:

  • Harassment, stalking, or unwanted sexual advances

  • Unwanted touching, fondling, or groping

  • Coercion or threats to engage in sexual activity

  • Rape, including forced oral, anal, or vaginal penetration

  • Drug-facilitated sexual assault

  • Sexual abuse within intimate partner relationships

 

The impact of a sexual attack on one’s spirit, emotional well-being, and physical health can last a lifetime, especially when safety, support, and healing resources are limited—an all-too-common reality in Tribal communities. Native survivors face additional barriers, such as a lack of culturally relevant support services, inadequate medical care, and complex legal obstacles that make reporting even more difficult.

 

Jurisdictional challenges allow sexual violence crimes to fall through the cracks as federal, state, and Tribal authorities fail to act. Many survivors do not report sexual assault due to shame, fear of retaliation, or distrust in the justice system. It is extremely important to be clear that rape and sexual assault are never the victim’s fault.

The first Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) was observed in 2001, twenty-four years ago. However, the call for sexual assault prevention began much earlier, as early as the 1940s and 1950s, during the movements for social change and equality that emerged during the civil rights era. Awareness of sexual assault continued to grow throughout the 1970s women's movement, ushering in a new era of support for survivors of violence. For decades, Native advocates, many of whom are survivors themselves, have fought to remove barriers, policies, and laws that allow sexual violence, working tirelessly to make our communities safer.

 

While many reforms have been achieved since the first SAAM was recognized, the progress has been slow, and most reforms have not reached Indian Country. A primary focus of awareness and reform regarding sexual violence has largely centered on the criminal justice system, with only minimal success. Between 2013 and 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute 64% of sexual assault cases across all Tribal reservations, revealing the gaps in response to this crisis.

 

To change this lack of response, Tribal leaders and advocates working toward the safety of Native women emphasize that the solution lies in the recognition and support for Native-led responses based in Tribal communities and governments. This would ensure that responses to sexual violence are culturally grounded and community-led, providing the necessary space for Tribal Nations to take control of their own safety and healing. Supporting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination is critical in the fight to end sexual violence in Indian Country and beyond.

 
  • 1 in 3 Native women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
  • Native women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual violence than other women in the U.S.
  • On average, American Indians ages 12 and older experience 5,900 sexual assaults per year.
  • American Indians are twice as likely to experience a rape or sexual assault compared to all other races.
  • 41% of sexual assaults against American Indians are committed by a stranger, 34% by an acquaintance, and 25% by an intimate or family member.
  • 86% of perpetrators of sexual violence against Native women are non-Native men.

1. National Institute of Justice, Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men: 2010 Findings from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)

2. National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), The Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Girls: A Crisis in Need of a Response

3. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), Sexual Violence in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

  • StrongHearts Native Helpline: Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) for a confidential and anonymous helpline available 24/7. Designed for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, StrongHearts Native Helpline provides safe support and advocacy for domestic, dating, and sexual violence. To connect with a live advocate, visit strongheartshelpline.org and click the “Chat Now” icon.
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: Chat online at online.rainn.org or call 800-656-4673 for confidential 24/7 support.