Addressing crime on Indian reservations has been big news lately. Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman, Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said,
"We are seeing crime levels on some Indian reservations reach epidemic proportions. Studies predict that more than one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes, and two in five will be victims of physical abuse. Drug traffickers are targeting Indian reservations as safe havens because of the lack of police presence and the disjointed system of justice that is in place."
At the United Tribes Tribal Leaders Summit (September 3-4, 2008, which I attended), a session on Law Enforcement and Jurisdictional Issues was held. I listened to tribal leaders talk about the crime issue, and I heard a young Native American representing the BIA talk eloquently of his efforts to fight crime on Indian Reservations.
It was heartening to know there are attempts being made to restore law and order on Indian reservations. However, what is never mentioned is the lawlessness that exists in some non-typical areas. Let me explain.
As a member of our Law and Order Committee for three years, I became familiar with the most common types of crime on our reservation; public intoxication, assaults, DUI's, etc. I also became acquainted with issues that are not commonly classified under Law and Order; policies and procedures not being followed, court orders not being obeyed, no follow-up on complaints, school concerns not addressed by social services or Tribal Court, nepotism, favoritism, abuse of authority - the list goes on. In fact, most of the "law and order" issues we dealt with on our Law and Order Committee were of these non-classified type infractions. This led me to realize how little law and order we have on our reservation. When I was asked to speak as a member of the Law and Order Committee at the monthly meeting of the General Assembly, this realization led me to say, "We don't have law and order on our reservation."
In my opinion, the lawlessness that exists in these non-typical areas contributes to the root causes of common types of crime in the news today. Here is an example of one non-typical type of lawlessness that adds to more common types of crime rate on Indian Reservations; the unfair selection of homes for people on the waiting list. Most reservations are in desperate need of housing. It is not uncommon for a reservation to have a need for 300 - 500 additional homes. While there are good housing administrators out there, politics often influences who will receive a home. Many times a member of the tribal council or his/her relative will receive a house even though the individual is not on the waiting list (or way down on the waiting list). This type of unethical selection for homes is really disheartening for our young people, some who have been on the waiting list for years. Many of these young people are still idealistic and look up to tribal leaders and expect them to be fair. What kind of message does it give these young people when the "official list" is ignored in favor of a person with political influence? Unethical and cowardly decisions make them realize that if they want to get ahead, they also must be willing to be unethical. Alas, another courageous and ethical young tribal member will be lost to the "dark side" of reservation politics.
