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Danielle Miller
Dr. Leap
SLA 150 03
12 November 2016
The Truth Behind Tribal Tears
The sad and unfortunate truth is that violence has become part of our daily lives. It seems
to plague every aspect of society. Each day, there seems to be a new story about a life being cut
short due to crime. Media shows us the tears of minorities, the hate, and the injustice that exists
in our world. With no clear solution for all parties, it is difficult to reach a resolution. As we
struggle to progress, some find it difficult to change their mindset to become more
compassionate and understanding of the beauty in our increasingly diverse world. Today, we
should be celebrating what makes us unique, not using it as an excuse to divide ourselves from
each other. Unfortunately, it appears as though the attributes which give us our strength as a
diverse nation also illustrate the hate proliferating from the lack of respect regarding diversity.
In recent years and more noticeably the last few months, violence has erupted across the
country during the fight for the legalization of gay marriage, the support of the LGBTQ
community, equal pay and minimum wage, the gender gap, and the concept of color. Aggravated
assault was the cause of 63% of crime in 2015 (UCR). Estimates regarding crime for this year
are incorrect and showed an unexpected increase of 3.9% in crime (UCR). From 2015 to 2016,
the crime rate in general is expected to increase 1.3 %. Violent crimes are projected to occur at
an increase of 5.5% and murder is expected to grow exponentially at 13.1% (Brennan Center for
Justice). In 2014, there were 5,462 acts of hate expressed. Almost half of these violent acts were
due to race, while 30% occurred due to religious or ethnic differences (UCR). These statistics
illustrate the explosive, malicious power of crime in America. “Inequality eventually engenders
a violence which recourse to arms cannot and never will be able to resolve. It serves only to
offer false hopes to those clamoring for heightened security, even though nowadays we know
that weapons and violence, rather than providing solutions, create new and more serious
conflicts” (Gaudium).
The Black Lives Matter movement has aimed to illustrate the still existent divide between
white and black. Proponents of the movement have said the black citizens are more likely to be
accused or questioned for crime, especially in the presence of white law enforcement. Protesters
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argue that people of color experience police brutality and death by cop at an unprecedented rate.
An extension of this movement has gathered attention for the preciousness of human life as a
whole. The fact is that all lives matter. “…Our response to crime in the United States is a moral
test for our nation and a challenge for our Church. Although the FBI reports that the crime rate
is falling, crime and fear of crime still touch many lives and polarize many communities. Putting
more people in prison and, sadly, more people to death has not given Americans the security we
seek” (USCCB).
My aim is to turn the attention to a group of people that consistently fall out of the realm
of thought of most Americans. This group resided here long before the white settlers emigrated
from England and even predate Columbus and the discovery of America. The indigenous
peoples of America, most commonly known as American Indian or Native Americans have lived
through the trials and turmoil of our country for hundreds of years. However, their struggle has
only been exasperated in modern times. While society remains largely ignorant of their
difficulties that does not detract from the reality of the situation.
American Indians are often depicted as horse-riding, bow-shooting, pipe-smoking,
moccasin and feather wearing, tribal warriors that dance around a fire with painted faces. In a
negative light, they are shown a violent group, who slaughter and skin animals and impale
people with handmade arrows. Perhaps the popular image we hold about them is based on the
popular media’s depiction of a seemingly uncivilized “tribal people”. In actuality, tribal culture
is one of rich tradition and ritual, drenched in history and surrounded with respect and purpose.
American Indians have their own language, social hierarchy and family structure. They are a
group with extreme talents and devout spirituality. Their practices follow those before them and
embody their longstanding tradition and culture.
At the core of their belief system is respect for nature. Their gods take the forms of the
earth in the ground and animals, the wind in the air, the water in rivers and streams, and the sun
in the sky. American Indians believe in taking only what they need from the earth. They have
great respect for the resources provided to them by their gods and view them as spiritual forms of
their ancestors. As the “circle of life” goes, an animal gives its life and its spirit to the human so
that the human can survive, prosper and give spirit to the earth.
The First Nation people do not believe in unscripted violence and do not support it in any
shape or form. Generally, they are a very peaceful people. In the times when they are not, it is
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due to the outright disregard for their principle beliefs. Historically, violence has erupted
between tribes and the white man. Rightfully so, considering the European invasion of Indian
territory. Imagine generations upon generations of your family living and prospering in a
beautiful land only to have strange foreigners invade your land, desecrate your crops, disrespect,
rape and murder your women and children and infect you with illness. Those in your family or
tribe that survive are consistently scrutinized for the way they look, dress, speak, and worship.
These foreigners force upon you a new culture, where everything you have been taught is simply
voided. On too many occasions to name, including President Andrew Jackson’s infamous order
to remove by any means necessary, Indians residing in key areas of the country, called the Trail
of Tears has the white man perpetrated crime against tribal societies. Even today, Indian
Americans are the group that singlehandedly experiences the most crime.
When Native Americans are compared to other races, the instances of violence are
staggering. For example, the probability of violent crime increases two and a half times while
sexual assault increases at a rate of two times (NCAI 2). Specifically, crimes against women
occur with a disturbingly high divide between races. American Indian women have a 10%
higher subjection to violent intimate relationships, assault, stalking, and rape than any other race.
(NCAI 3). In 63% of Native American assault cases, the perpetrator is non-Native, this number
increases to 67% in cases of rape (NCAI 4). Unfortunately, crimes against First Nation people
are committed by non-Natives over 70% of the time. In comparison, interracial violent
victimizations occur to whites in only 30% of cases (BJS vi). During the commission of these
crimes, the native population is 1.5 times more likely to be injured, 1.8 times more likely to need
healthcare services, 1.9 times more likely to miss school or work, and 2.5 times more likely to
lack access to appropriate victim services. As a group, 38% of victims could not get the services
they needed. This startling statistic is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the vast
injustice and inequality experienced by tribal nations.
The abuse of Indian women and children extends back in time to the introduction of
unnatural cultural practices into their existing society. Domination and oppression of natives
increased economic deprivation and dependency by crushing tribal rights and sovereignty.
Consequently, American Indians continue to suffer from internalized depression and the
normalization of violence. The connection between American Indians and alcohol abuse or
dependence, suicide rates, and mental distress has been studied and is shown to occur more
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frequently. In a 2009 study that examined the prevalence of anxiety, PTSD, mood and mental
disorder showed an overlap in the increase of violence and drug or alcohol abuse. Based on
victim testimony, native offenders were under the influence of drugs alcohol or both during 68%
of violent victimizations (BJS 9). Due to the present risks in the tribal community, PTSD occurs
at a higher frequency than in the general population. “It is likely that higher rates of exposure to
traumatic events coupled with the overarching cultural, historical, and intergenerational traumas
make the population more vulnerable to PTSD” (BJS 3).
Another division that increases the commission of crime is the rate and level of poverty
experienced by the victims and the perpetrator. Studies have shown time and time again that
desperate people do desperate things in desperate times. When poverty is at its worst, it pushes
people to their limits and causes them to act rationally and illegally. American Indians with an
annual household income of less than $10,000 a year have the highest rate of victimization as
compared to every other race and socioeconomic status (BJS 9). American Indians live in
poverty 26% of the time as compared to only 13% of the general population. Crime rates,
poverty and education are all interlinked. It can be said that a decrease in education and an
increase in poverty causes the acceleration of crime. Without noticeable legislative changes
addressing the lack of funding and infrastructure, the problem only continues to be perpetuated.
The key issue dividing American Indian victims from the justice they deserve are the
jurisdictional complexities and limitations of the tribal justice system. As previous legislation
states, each tribal community has the ability to appoint a tribal police system and implement
judgment and punishment of crimes. However, problems in law enforcement arise due to
insufficient funding and inadequate training of law enforcement personnel. The tribal justice
system experiences corruptions much like any other legal system. The local and state
governments of the area have no real authority when a crime is committed. In this case, the
tribal police are tasked with investigating the crime. But, they are unable to do so on a proficient
level, due to lack of funding from the United States government. Another caveat to the tribal
justice system, is the fact that there is no authority given to the governing body to arrest anyone
who does not live on the reservation or who is part of the tribe. For example, if a white man
were to enter the reservation, commit a crime and leave, he would not be held responsible for the
crime. This is commonly the case in the commission of crime on the reservations. Tribal
authority is not able to prosecute because they are not given power by the government to do this.
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Even if tribal government was allowed, they lack the funding, personnel and prison system that
is seen in the United States legal system.
The stark differences exhibited in our society and that I have highlighted in this essay,
only go to show how much work we have to do to make our country, our home, a better place to
live. The key discrepancies in society that I have shown go against the tenants of Catholic social
teaching and The Triangle of Justice. The nine themes of Catholic social teaching include peace
and disarmament, the role of the government, the dignity and rights of every human, and options
for the poor and vulnerable. These themes are explicitly related to the issue of crime in
America. In the struggle for peace and discernment comes the discussion of gun control. We
are at a turning point in our society when it is important for government to reconsider the laws
and legislation that govern the way we arm and defend ourselves. It is time to reassess whether
the possible benefits of protection outweigh the seemingly more common tragedies. With the
passion that is involved in these debates, comes the need to understand that one basic human
right is the right to peaceful protest. However, when this right is exercised in an improper way,
it is necessary to determine the role of the government in stopping violent protests from
becoming the catalyst to crime. More legislation is desperately needed in order to govern the
force necessary and allowed by police officers in the pursuit of an accused criminal. It is
important to look at where funding is currently being dispersed in order to make technological
advances like body cameras available to police officers. The role of the government is also to
determine how much funding and assistance is needed to provide on the most basic of levels.
With the studies that I have cited in my paper, it is evident that poverty, lack of education, lack
of infrastructure, and unemployment only further contribute to crime. It is part of the rights each
person to hold a sense of dignity in themselves that comes from being able to provide for
themselves and their family. Basic human rights include the right to clean and accessible
drinking water, healthy and affordable food, a quality education, safety and security, and above
all overall happiness. When someone is unable to attain these rights on their own, some
assistance should be provided. Assistance can come from agents of common good such as the
government or non-profit organizations. In the Triangle of Justice, individuals contribute to the
common good through education and work, taxes, and citizenship. In exchange, they need peace
and safety. We expect to be given good military, safety, security and civil rights as a product of
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distributive justice. It is important to exercise the rights and responsibilities to participate to the
common good through social justice in civil rights.
The nine key themes of Catholic social teaching are used to establish a standard to be
followed to ensure the fair and equal treatment of all human beings. According to the Catholic
Church, human life is scared and the dignity of each person is the foundation for the moral vision
of a society. All other principles build like pillars upon this belief in the sanctity of human life
and the inherent dignity of a person (Catholic Charities, n.p.). “One important aspect of human
dignity is the notion of equality”, Massaro states. He also says, “When Catholic social teaching
calls for a more equal sharing of political power, social status, and economic resources, it is
merely extending the Christian doctrine of equal human dignity to the concrete realm of social
existence” (Massaro 116-117). In response to this, Massaro later says, “There are certain things
that all children of God deserve, and when vast inequalities prevent people from attaining what
they need to preserve their lives and develop their potential, people of faith must speak out
against these injustices” (Massaro 117). This quote specifically addresses the need for a course
of action to combat the increasing rates of crime amongst the Native population. These crime
rates affect us all, we see it on T.V. and hear about it on the news, we know about unemployment
and poverty rates, we see these people all around us, but yet, we do not act. As the Triangle of
Justice states, the love we give in response to a separation in peoples engenders the same love in
return. Any value given to your neighbor is also given to yourself because it is a participated
glory. “Moral values make us what we are as persons; they make us human. Failure here is
drastic and not just unfortunate” (Maguire 28). Through the moral values that we hold, there can
be justice. Justice is said to be the smallest form of a foundational moral experience and the
minimal manifestation of other-love. At the least, justice is what we can do in response to the
value of a person. The three forms of justice include individual, distributive and social justices.
“Individual justice renders what is due in relationships between individual persons, or between
discernibly individual social entities such as nation-states or corporations” (Maguire 29).
Individual justice is equal and free and there is cooperative, but peaceful bargaining to be had.
As an individual, we owe others the decency of respect and equality, and as the saying goes,
“treat others the way you want to be treated”. The treatment they received is perpetuated, for
better or for worse, outward into society. A respect for self further evokes a respect for others
and vice versa. In social justice, we realize each person holds debts to the common good of their
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society. In the most basic sense, this includes respect and hope for all including our
surroundings. However, social justice is not free choice. It involves what is necessary for the
basic functioning of society (Maguire 30). Distributive justice takes what is needed from
society, or the specific demands of social justice, and directs the fair distribution of these
demands and their byproducts. Entities such as charities, churches, or nonprofits may facilitate
this, but they fall under the large governing body of the government. In the case of Native crime,
there stands a sharp divide in distributive justice. While these people fulfill the other forms of
justice, the triangle cannot be complete without the fair distribution of what they have
contributed to the common good.
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Works Cited
"Catholic Social Teaching." Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. N.p., n.d. Web.
Nov. 2016.
"Crime in 2016: A Preliminary Analysis." Brennan Center for Justice. New York University,
Sept. 2016. Web. Nov. 2016.
Greenfeld, Lawrence A., and Steven K. Smith. American Indians and Crime. N.p.: Bureau of
Justice Statistics, 1999. U.S.Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Feb.
1999. Web. Nov. 2016.
"Key Principles of Catholic Social Teaching." Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
Maguire, Daniel C., and A. Nicholas. Fargnoli. On Moral Grounds: The Art, Science of Ethics.
New York: Crossroad, 1991. Print.
Massaro, Thomas. "Nine Key Themes of Catholic Social Teaching." Living Justice: Catholic
Social Teaching in Action. Franklin, WI: Sheed & Ward, 2000. 113-66. Print.
Rosas, Andre B. "Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men."
National Institute of Justice. N.p., June 2016. Web. Nov. 2016.
"Statistics on Violence Against Native Women." National Congress of American Indians
(NCAI). NCAI Policy Research Center, Feb. 2013. Web. Nov. 2016.
"The Facts on Violence Against American Indian/Alaskan Native Women." PsycEXTRA Dataset
(n.d.): n. pag. Futures Without Violence. 2016. Web. Nov. 2016.
"Violent Crime." Uniform Crime Reporting. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Aug. 2016. Web.
Nov. 2016.

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