Kaitlyn Mostoller

5.6.2017

Solutions to the Sex Trafficking of Native American/Alaskan Native Women

Too often, Alaskan Natives and American Indians (AI/AN) are excluded from statistical
analyses of larger populations, with our smaller population size cited as an excuse. As a result,
we see barriers from discussions about poverty, health, social change, climate change, and
much more. Before embarking on my research for this paper, I assumed indigenous people
were left out of the human trafficking discussion as well. However, it has become clear to me
that there is extensive data and research on human trafficking in AI/AN communities, which
point to several solutions and pathways to reduce this issue. Using the historical genesis of
human trafficking in Native communities, contemporary data on this specific issue, and modern
collaborative anti-slavery techniques, I have analyzed and critiqued current efforts of native-
focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs). For the purpose of this paper, I will focus
exclusively on the commercial sexual exploitation of women and girls in Native communities.
Although multiple forms of human trafficking play a role within Indian Country, the most
extensive research I have seen has focused on the commercial sexual exploitation of women
and girls. As a result, my confidence in providing recommendations for NGOs is restricted to
human trafficking in the form of sex trafficking.
A History of Native Women and Sex Trafficking
Native women are disproportionately represented as victims of domestic sex trafficking
compared to the number of total Native women in regions within close proximity to tribal lands
(1,2). Take Minneapolis, where we see that Native women comprise 2% of the overall
population of Minneapolis, but 24% of women on probation for prostitution (those involved
with anti sex trafficking efforts are familiar with the concept that most women engaged in
prostitution do not willingly choose so, qualifying them as victims of sex trafficking) (1). In
Anchorage, Native women comprise 8% of the total population, but 33% of prostituted and
trafficked women in the area (1). In order to understand the issue of human trafficking as it
pertains to AI/AN communities, we must first understand why this crime is so prevalent in this
specific population, and why Native women are particularly vulnerable to traffickers. What
makes a person vulnerable to being trafficked? According to the National Human Trafficking
Hotline, poverty, social discrimination, and a history of sexual abuse and domestic violence all
represent significant risk factors (3). With the current knowledge we have about the
pervasiveness of these risk factors in Native communities, we can begin to understand human
trafficking in tribal territory (2). Within social justice movements, organizations, and rallies for
Native women, this harrowing statement is ubiquitous: one in three Native women will be
sexually assaulted in their lifetime, which is 2.5 times more likely than women in the United
States in general (1). With such a significant portion of the AI/AN population victimized by
sexual assault, we can conclude that a signification portion is at risk to being trafficked for sex.
Sex trafficking of Native women can occur in endless geographical schemes, but the most
common are intratribal, intertribal, reservation to urban areas, and reservation to oil fields (1).
Near the Bakken oil patch specifically, man camps of temporary housing for oil workers
appear and disappear suddenly (4). This creates a relatively unpatrolled space and source of
demand for trafficked Native women.
The process and continuing harm done by the colonization of AI/AN peoples has
intensified violence against Native women as a cultural phenomenon perpetuated by both
Native and non-Native men (1). Previous victimization through sexual assault and domestic
abuse primes women for forced prostitution, so we must unpack the prevalence of this violence
in order to effectively stop sex trafficking in Indian Country (3). Before the advent of
colonization, Native people in North America did not have a history of tolerance for violence
against women or prostitution (1). In some tribes, violence against women was considered a
capital offense (1). When colonial powers forcefully came to rise, Native women found
themselves in conflict zones, which are associated with racist verbal, physical, and sexual abuse
(1). This was the first introduction of normalized abuse of Native women to AI/AN
communities (1). The era of forced assimilation also created vulnerabilities within tribes that
modern traffickers can manipulate (1). During this era, the federal government implemented a
policy that required most Native children to attend boarding schools that disconnected them
from their culture, traditions, and families (1). Within these schools, children were frequently
physically abused and sexually assaulted (1). Those children are the grandparents and parents
of todays Native women that are at risk of being trafficked. With a firm grasp on cycles of
abuse, we can understand how devastating subjecting the majority of a generation to child
abuse is, and what the implications are for future generations as victims perpetuate and
normalize childhood trauma as adults. As we can see, the pervasive effects of colonization set
AI/AN women apart from other populations as particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking.
Because of this distinction, NGOs must develop anti-trafficking efforts which incorporate
indigenous practices for rehabilitation and community engagement while addressing larger
American communities and movements that are contributing to the sexual exploitation of
Native women.
An Overview of Current anti-trafficking NGOs in Tribal Communities
The two NGOs I will be addressing in this paper are Wiconi Wawokiya and the National
Indigenous Womens Resource Center. The former is a South Dakota based nonprofit
organization that runs a shelter for victims of sex trafficking. They are focused on the long-term
care and rehabilitation of survivors. The NIWRC serves to enhance the ability of AI/AN
communities to respond to domestic violence by supporting grassroots efforts, standing as a
national intertribal leader, and developing educational materials.
General Suggestions For NGOs
In this portion of this paper, I will discuss several recommendations developed for
Native-centered anti-trafficking NGOs. These recommendations were constructed with the
incorporation and acknowledgement of current anti-trafficking efforts made in other
communities, resources specific to AI/AN communities, and the unique historical and cultural
identity of being AI/AN. My suggestions can be applied to all of the aforementioned NGOs, and
lay out clear objectives that each NGO can pursue in their own way.
The first objective that must be addressed by NGOs is increased visibility of services and
efforts to raise public awareness of human trafficking as it relates to AI/AN women. While there
are services currently available to victims, many women do not know that they are victims of
human trafficking. We can see why AI/AN victims of sex trafficking might not identify as victims,
as they carry stories that do not reflect the sensationalized depiction of human trafficking
presented by the media. One AI/AN survivor observed I wouldnt say there are pimps
anymore. Now theyre all boyfriends. (1) From this statement, we can see that normalized
relationships between traffickers and victims can make it very difficult for a victim to identify
that they have been trafficked. NGOs can combat this lack of identification within Native
communities by creating space for education at Native cultural events. For example, NGOs can
sponsor dances at powwows that are a tribute to indigenous victims of human trafficking. This
method has already been proven as effective, as it was used to draw attention to the crisis of
missing and murdered Native women during the 2017 Gathering of Nations Powwow (this is the
largest current powwow in the United States). Tia Woods, the 2017 head young lady dancer,
sponsored a red jingle dance, and preceded the dance with a speech pertaining to missing
indigenous women (5). NGOs interested in raising awareness for sex trafficking should contact
the organizations hosting regional powwows, request time to speak to the audience and hold
their dance, and present their own crowns for dancers that participated in the dance. Crowns
are commonly awarded for the best dancers in each category, and providing them for the
sponsored dance will increase the likelihood of people participating. Specifically, NGOs should
sponsor a jingle dance (this is a womens dance that all ages may participate in, where dancers
wear dresses covered in metallic cones, and circle the floor in short, bouncing steps). The origin
story for jingle dancing tells of a sick girl who became healed after she donned the regalia and
performed the dance. Jingle dancing is a strong cultural reference to the strength of indigenous
women, which makes it an appropriate dance for an anti-sex trafficking NGO to sponsor.
Additionally, this is the simplest of plains powwow dances and can thus gain the greatest
participation. Aside from powwows, NGOs can table at indigenous markets and art shows,
providing pamphlets containing information about the issue of sex trafficking in AI/AN
communities and what services are available to victims. Art markets are frequented by both
Natives and non-Natives, which creates space for allyship and collaboration outside of Indian
Country. Because we see that johns buying sex from Native women are typically non-Native, it
is important for anti-trafficking NGOs to engage non-Native communities in a joint effort that
utilizes both their privilege and connection to demand to end trafficking (1). NGOs can also
engage non-native communities by piggybacking on the current Native social/environmental
justice movement to end oil drilling in Indian Country, which has already been adopted by
multicultural communities. By adding information about how drilling is connected to the
trafficking of Native women into speeches already presented at events about the Dakota Access
Pipeline and other projects, both the arguments made by environmentalists and those seeking
greater indigenous sovereignty are strengthened.
The second objective to be tackled by NGOs is engaging Indian health organizations and
service providers in ending sex trafficking in a manner that holds equal respect for both
indigenous and western medicine. In order for an NGO to connect a survivor to culturally
competent health care, there must be open coordination and communication between
traditional healers and western doctors. This way, those providing medicine can be aware and
address if any of their practices conflict with each other, or put the patient at risk of receiving
an unsafe combination of treatments/medicines. This relationship can be established by NGOs
hosting biannual meetings with local western doctors and traditional healers or representatives
of traditional healers, where methods of medicine are discussed and reported, along with
efficient ways to inform patients of indigenous and western services that can be provided. In
addition, NGOs should provide clinicians with pamphlets that address victims of sex trafficking,
making sure to include both the National Human Trafficking Hotline and the StrongHearts
Native Helpline (this is a culturally informed hotline for Native victims of domestic abuse and
dating violence). Because emergency room nurses and doctors as well as tribal clinicians are
likely to come in contact with victims of sex trafficking, it would be wise for NGOs to invest in
sponsoring training for these personnel to recognize signs of victimization. By the completion of
these trainings, health service providers should be informed of the protocol for reporting
human trafficking, serving victims of human trafficking in a trauma-informed and culturally-
informed way, and providing victims with information on resources that may help them exit
the life. Lastly, each tribal member of the NGOs should recognize their capacity to be social
connectors, and actively look for healers willing to work with survivors. With this healer-NGO
relationship established, survivors should have access to sweats, smudges, womens circles, and
other tribally appropriate forms of care.
The third objective that NGOs should try to achieve is the inclusion and engagement of
both Native women and men in eradicating sex trafficking in AI/AN communities. There is an
apparent gendering of sex trafficking as a womens issue, so NGOs must be intentional in their
anti-trafficking efforts to include all genders that contribute to or are victimized by sex
trafficking. In order to address mens roles in the perpetuation of sex trafficking, NGOs should
look into connecting resources and possible collaborators in an effort to create john schools.
John schools educate convicted buyers of sex on the exploitative nature of the crime, toxic
masculinity, and the root causes of buying sex. There have been successful john schools
established in both Washington and North Dakota, which can be useful resources for NGOs
looking to fund their own or collaborate (6,7). I have had the pleasure of listening to Peter
Qualliotine, the facilitator of Seattles own john school, and I believe he could be a very
informative partner in developing curriculum for john schools in tribal territories. I would like to
note, however, that Qualliotine focused on the role of gender in sex buying rather than race.
Because Native women are often subjected to racist remarks from johns (in one survey of 105
Native survivors of sex trafficking, 42% reported being racially insulted by sex buyers), it is
absolutely necessary for john school instructors to unpack the role race plays in buying sex, and
to take steps for students to conceptualize Native women in a way that reflects their equal
status as humans (1). NGOs may be able to expedite the process of connecting mandatory john
school attendance to sex buying charges through tribal codes before they do so with state or
federal law. To do this, NGO leaders can reach out to the Indian Law Resource Center, the Tribal
Law and Policy Institute, and Pipestem Law. Each of these organizations have previous
experience working with tribal codes centered around domestic violence and sexual assault,
and could provide the legal expertise needed to draft new tribal codes regarding sex-trafficking
(8). John schools are a western concept, and AI/AN peoples have a painful history with western
educational institutions, but there are options for NGOs that prefer traditional methods of
indigenous community engagement. Elder-lead mens sweats, preceded by discussions on
mens roles within the tribe, can be a useful way to engage men in issues that they may be
perpetuating. For tribes that do not participate in sweats, it is possible for tribal NGOs to
organize mens circles for discussions instead. In many tribes, it is customary for a hunter or
fisherman to give away a portion of their kill to other tribal members. I suggest that NGOs
engage hunters and fishermen in giving their portions to tribal shelters for victims of sex
trafficking. This act fulfills the concept held across AI/AN communities that all tribesmen are
involved in the rehabilitation of ill or distressed tribal members, while bringing awareness to
the issue and proximity of sex trafficking.
Suggestions Tailored to Specific NGOs
In this portion of the paper, I will address each NGO previously mentioned, and provide
detailed recommendations based on their current projects, partners, and resources.
As a whole, I recommend that Wiconi Wawokiya reaches out to other sectors in the
anti-trafficking world, forging relationships that may lead to future funding partnerships while
showcasing the current efforts being made and the resources needed to strengthen and
diversify those efforts. The Pathfinder Shelter, which is designated specifically for victims of
trafficking, is funded entirely by the Office of Victim Services through a grant of $750,00 (2).
With the 2017 change in administration, along with the current political climate that further
disenfranchises marginalized groups, I think it would be wise for Wiconi Wawokiya to seek
alternative resources for funding. I suggest that they allocate a portion of the grant they
currently have to partner with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the federal government to hold
a Sex Trafficking in Indian Country conference. A similar conference was held by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs in May 2016 in New Mexico, which resulted in the formation of the first tribal
trafficking task force (9,10). For a detailed outline of the objectives of the conference and
contact information for possible collaborators, search the website listed in reference 9 of the
works cited page. Although the primary focus of this conference should be to enhance
attendees understanding of the complexities of sex trafficking in Indian Country and what anti-
trafficking efforts are being made, it will also strengthen the relationship between Wiconi
Wawokiya and their funders. If the NGO utilizes this conference as a platform to highlight the
importance of their work, and the success theyve had with the Pathfinder Shelter, I believe it
will positively impact their chances of obtaining long term funding from the OVC while opening
doors to other potential funders. On a different, but equally important note, this conference
will create a unique space free of high-pressure circumstances for representatives of tribal,
state, and federal governments to discuss tricky jurisdiction issues regarding the prosecution of
traffickers, johns, and women convicted of prostitution.
As for the National Indigenous Womens Resource Center, my overarching suggestions is
to focus more explicitly on trafficking as opposed to sexual assault and domestic violence,
although there is significant intermixing of these crimes. A direct address of human trafficking
should involve increased information to the public, services provided specifically for trafficking
victims, and lobbying for the inclusion of human trafficking in tribal codes. Because the NIWRC
has previously established partnerships with several Native law firms and organizations, I
suggest they advocate and collaborate to include anti-trafficking specific laws in tribal codes.
One of the biggest strengths of the NIWRC is their capacity facilitate intertribal communication,
as they do not serve one territory exclusively. This intertribal network of communication was
established previously to pass a resolution to create a National Day of Awareness for Missing
and Murdered Native Women and Girls, and can be further used to discuss trafficking (11). The
NIWRC must be commended for their incredibly thorough website (http://www.niwrc.org),
which provides links to helpful articles, resources, and an excellent series of webinars on
trafficking of Native women. Because these webinars are so comprehensive and easy to access,
I suggest the NIWRC contact smaller native womens groups and tribal faith-based
organizations to facilitate screenings of these webinars in their cultural centers or places of
worship.
 Works Cited
1.Farley, Melissa, Nicole Matthews, Sarah Deer, Guadalupe Lopez, Christine Stark, and Eileen
Hudon. "Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota."
(n.d.): n. pag. National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. NIWRC, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 5
June 2017. <http://www.niwrc.org/sites/default/files/documents/Resources/Garden-of-
Truth.pdf>.
2. Lynch, Loretta E. "National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking." U.S. Department of
Justice, Jan. 2017. Web. 5 June 2017.
<https://www.justice.gov/humantrafficking/page/file/922791/download>.
3. "The Victims." National Human Trafficking Hotline. Polaris, 07 Oct. 2014. Web. 05 June 2017.
<https://humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-trafficking/human-trafficking/victims>.
4. Dalrymple, Amy. "Day 3 Law Enforcement Overwhelmed by Oil Patch Calls." Trafficked
Report. Forum News Service, 06 Dec. 2014. Web. 05 June 2017.
<http://www.traffickedreport.com/?p=209>.
5.* Pratt, Stacy. "This Cree Dancer Organized a Red Dress Jingle Dance to Remember Missing
and Murdered Indigenous Women." HelloGiggles. XoXo, 01 May 2017. Web. 05 June 2017.
<http://hellogiggles.com/cree-dancer-organized-beautiful-remember-missing-murdered-
indigenous-women/>.
6. Lerner, Sara. "Seattle "John School" Educates Men Who Pay For Sex." KUOW News and
Information. KUOW, 4 June 2013. Web. 05 June 2017. <http://kuow.org/post/seattle-john-
school-educates-men-who-pay-sex>.
7. Campbell, Brandon. "Work Begins on North Dakota "John School"." Public News Service -
News in the Public Interest. N.p., 4 Jan. 2016. Web. 05 June 2017.
<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-01-04/human-rights-racial-justice/work-begins-on-
north-dakota-john-school/a49663-1>.
8. "Tribal Partners." Tribal Partners | National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. NIWRC, 01
Aug. 1970. Web. 05 June 2017. <http://www.niwrc.org/tribalpartners>.
9. Benally, Kim. "Sex Trafficking in Indian Country ." Sex Trafficking in Indian Country. N.p., n.d.
Web. 05 June 2017.
<http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ecllg7c48461cbac&llr=4kyz7
buab>.
10. Nathanson, Rick. "Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking." NewsOK.com. The Oklahoman,
14 May 2016. Web. 05 June 2017. <http://newsok.com/article/feed/1012792>.
11. "May 5th as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and
Girls." National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. NIWRC, 03 May 2017. Web. 05 June
2017. <http://www.niwrc.org/news/may-5th-national-day-awareness-missing-and-murdered-
native-women-and-girls>.