BIA ties violence against women to meth abuse

Thursday, April 26, 2007  

The Bureau of Indian Affairs says violence against Native women is on the rise due to methamphetamine use.

Citing the meth problem, the Bush administration is proposing to spend $16 million to beef up law enforcement in Indian Country. The money would be used to hire and train new police officers, increase staffing at detention center staff and provide drug enforcement training and public awareness campaigns.

"Domestic violence is up because of methamphetamine use on Indian lands," Chris Chaney, the BIA's head of law enforcement services, told The Washington Post.

On Tuesday, Amnesty International released "Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA." The report details the extremely high rates of sexual assault against Native women.

The report say the federal government fails to protect Native women by perpetuating a confusing system of criminal jurisdiction, failing to adequately fund tribal law enforcement and mishandling rape cases.

Get the Story:
Native American Women Face High Rape Rate, Report Says (The Washington Post 4/26)
pwpwd

Get the Report:
Full Report | Press Release

Online Discussion:
Violence against Native American and Alaska Native Women (April 24, 2007)

Relevant Links:
Join Voices with Native American and Alaska Native Women and Take Action to Stop the Violence - http://www.amnestyusa.org/maze

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