Rape Data for Indian Country Has Failed to Capture Complete Picture

"How we talk about rape and how we count it, makes a difference in how we view it,” said Lynn Rosenthal, the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. “If we don’t know the extent of a problem, it’s difficult to find solutions to that problem.” (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images)

By Rob Capriccioso: January 9, 2012

The national crime statistics already indicate that 1 in 3 American Indian women will be raped in their lifetime. I find this statistic to be completely unacceptable. No woman should have that much of a chance to be raped. Something should be done to help the women more than what is being done currently.

"Native American women suffer from violent crimes at a rate three and a half times greater than the national average."

I don't understand why Native women are the most attacked or under so much duress. I feel terrible for the Native people. The way they are taken advantage of it completely depressing. The definition of rape has changed under President Obama to include, 'rape towards women that were done by an object or mouth on the vagina or anus without consent, and it would begin counting rapes of children and men.' They believe that the number of rapes is going to increase in the Native population as well in the U.S. population as a whole. I'm glad that the definition had changed, in general. Rape is a horrible things that no one should have to experience. People should be protected as much as they possibility can to stop this from accruing.

Congress recently cut millions of dollar to the programs that would aid Indian rape survivors. They have cut over $90 million from the funds. These women have no way to pay for the help they need or the prosecution they deserve to take against their attackers. I find this completely disgusting that these women have to deal with being raped and receive little to no help/justice. This is completely wrong and unfair, yet the general public will never learn about what is happening.

"The only thing that will present violence against Indian women is local control of law enforcement and prosecution" (Ryan Dreveskracht: lawyer).

Sadly the TOLA (Tribal Law and Order Act) is currently underfunded and primarily affects these programs that are local in nature. I hope that things chance in the future for the Native women that are suffering from being attacked. I hope that the efforts to help the victims of rape are restored. I'm slightly embarrassed by what congress did. It makes the Native women almost seem not important, like no one cares about their hardships or problems.