Native Americans are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than any other race, and one in three American Indian women reports having been raped during her lifetime.1 Although they suffer some of the highest abuse rates of any group in the United States, Native Americans remain significantly underrepresented in the victim services community. Cultural and linguistic obstacles, as well as a lack of physical access to services, keep many from reporting crimes, while a deep-seated mistrust of the justice system and unclear legal jurisdiction2 prevent others from coming forward.
In an effort to reshape this status quo, passionate advocates like Mary Thompson, Domestic Violence Advocate and Cultural Coordinator at the Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC), are working hard to reach out to underserved Native American communities in Northern California. The Sacramento Native American Health Center is a comprehensive clinic that provides wraparound services to improve the health and well-being of Native American Indians. As the only Native American clinic in the greater Sacramento region with a cultural component, the SNAHC works with women, men, and families to promote a holistic approach to victim healing and recovery.
When a domestic violence survivor arrives at the SNAHC, victim advocates conduct an intense screening with the purpose of understanding not only her current situation, but also the history and circumstances that may have led to it. How was she raised? Was her mother abused? Advocates will then educate the victim on the historical aspect of this abuse pattern – more often than not, it stems from the cultural genocide that occurred in the 1970’s. During that time, Native American children were removed from reservations and relocated to boarding schools, where they were deprived of their tribal language, clothing, food, and heritage and verbally and emotionally abused by those attempting to “assimilate” them into the larger Euro-American society. Thompson reiterates the importance of understanding this intergenerational cycle of trauma and communicating to abuse victims that they are not at fault.
Following their screening, the SNAHC develops a personalized treatment plan to address the victim’s essential needs. The first priority is to ensure she is safe and sound and to provide basics like medications and clothing. The next step is to address core issues; for example, attending to legal matters such as restraining orders or child custody, obtaining birth certificates or social security cards, or referring victims to shelters or counseling.
But the journey doesn’t end there. Even after a victim’s initial needs are met, the SNAHC encourages survivors to continue participating in the program’s many services. Recognizing that education and change must take place in the family unit as a whole, the center administers counseling, couples therapy, and parenting groups with the goal of building healthy relationships. The health center also offers survivors groups, anger management classes, a twelve-step program, a home visitation program, and a batterers program for men going back into community. Children can meet with therapists and/or receive medical and dental care.
The SNAHC’s holistic approach to healing relies heavily on a collaborative approach to victim services. The clinic works closely with Child Protective Services (CPS) to help mothers get their children back and keep them. The program also provides outreach to reservations and works directly with tribes on a victim’s behalf regarding court custody issues. Ending the cycle of abuse is a team effort, so community partnerships play a vital role as well. The SNAHC connects victims with local assistance, providing references to organizations like WEAVE, tapping into resources like the California Victim Compensation Program, and bringing awareness to programs like Covered California.
Ultimately, the SNAHC aims to break the cycle of abuse so that future generations can grow up in a healthy environment. “We are helping to mend the broken hoop while also teaching them to honor their heritage and be proud of the beauty in their culture,” says Thompson. The goal is not just to bandage the wounds, but to educate, encourage, and develop a long-term, culturally-sensitive solution that allows victims to heal all the way around.
To find out more about the Native American Health Center, visit http://www.snahc.org/.
[1] Steven W Perry, American Indians and Crime- A BJS Statistical Profile 1992-2002, Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, December 2004. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=386
[2] Prior to the passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, tribal courts did not have the authority to arrest or prosecute non-native criminal offenders on reservations.
