Stalking in Indian country: Enhancing tribal sovereignty through culturally appropriate remedies

Abstract

Stalking is a complex social problem that pervades all levels of American society. Statistics established by the National Violence Against Women Survey show that Native American women are stalked at a rate at least twice that of any other racial group. A widely held belief exists that prior to colonization, stalking and domestic violence were uncommon in Native cultures. Regardless of the rates of incidence, tribal nations and families once successfully regulated issues of intimate violence in culturally specific ways. The imposition of hierarchical legal and social structures ties the hands of tribes to do what is right for their people. An approach to this problem is the empowerment of tribal entities to create and enforce culturally appropriate modes of resolution. Once tribes set about creatively utilizing the Violence Against Women Act there will be a multitude of tactics will address stalking crimes on the reservation and further tribal sovereignty.