Violence against women and children
Approximately 46% of all Native American women have suffered physical abuse, such as rape, stalking, dating, or domestic violence. It is also expected that one in every three Native women would be subjected to physical trauma at some time in their lives. Native American women are murdered at a ten times higher rate than the national average on some reservations (Baumgartner & Alice, 2021). According to a Department of Justice report from 1990, non-native Americans are responsible for 80 percent of the physical abuse and rape suffered by Native American women (Lee et al., 2017).
Climate Crisis
Native Americans are constantly exploited for natural resources, but they are also caught in the centre of the world’s climate problem. Some Native American reserves, such as the Ute tribe, have natural resources such as lumber, oil, and gas, which may be exploited. American Indian areas in the West contain gold and have previously been at odds with gold miners. These locations have been used for their natural resources for commercial purposes, putting the region at risk from climate change (Lee et al., 2017). Communities have made efforts to maintain natural resources and protect the environment.