Sharing Our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence

(Paperback)

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Description

A general introduction to the social and legal issues involved in acts of violence against Native women, this book's contributors are lawyers, social workers, social scientists, writers, poets, and victims. In the U.S. Native women are more likely than women from any other group to suffer violence, from rape and battery to more subtle forms of abuse, and Sharing Our Stories of Survival explores the causes and consequences of such behavior. The stories and case-studies presented here are often painful and raw, and the statistics are overwhelmingly grim; but a countervailing theme also runs through this extremely informative volume: Many of the women who appear in these pages are survivors, often strengthened by their travails, and the violence examined here is human violence, meaning that it can be changed, if only with much effort and education. The first step is to lay out the truth for all to see, and that is the purpose accomplished by this book.

Reviews

This book is a must for anyone dealing with issues relating to women, Native Americans, or violence. The ethnographic discussion of violence in Native American cultures as a result of historical influences, including colonization and Christianization, is an important and often-overlooked element in understanding and eliminating violence in these communities. The text offers a unique discussion of violence, advocacy, and legal systems in the context of cultural and historical elements. The personal survival stories offer insights into the violence as well as into existing coping mechanisms in Native communities. The practical information, including how to talk to women involved in violence, tribal legal systems, and issues of custody and the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), is invaluable to anyone working in these or related fields. Firmly imbedded in Native traditions of holistic existence, this book offers information that will be transferable to other ethnicities dealing with violence. Valuable for students of all levels, professors, advocates, and practitioners. *Summing Up:* Essential. All levels/libraries. -- . * Choice Reviews *
This textbook can educate society about violence against Native women. It is unique....I highly recommend this textbook... -- 2007 * Tribal College Journal *
The book gives ample statistics on conditions today and confronts both violence by non-Native perpetrators and by Native people in the home.... This collection offers many good tools for teachers and students, making it a strong choice for the classroom. -- 2008 * The Canadian Journal Of Native Studies *
Sharing our Stories of Survival is a heartbreaking and compelling presentation of Native women surviving violence. The text is a timely collaborative offering of essays and poetry, given the international attention on human rights and violence plaguing Indigenous women . . . An invaluable resource useful within academe and a must read for everyone new or inexperienced with tribal community issues. Given how few texts truly deal comprehensively with this topic, it should be required reading for students studying Indigenous issues in any college setting. * Great Plains Research *
Sharing Our Stories of Survival is a comprehensive and compelling look at the issue of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women. Anybody reading this book will have a clear understanding of the complexities facing Native women today, and I commend the editors and contributors for bringing this issue to light. -- Nicole Matthews, Anishinabe, Executive Director, Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition

Author Bio

Sarah Deer is staff attorney and Victim Advocacy Legal Specialist for the Tribal Law & Policy Institute in Saint Paul, Minnesota; she is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma. Bonnie Clairmont, a citizen of the HoChunk Nation of Wisconsin, works for the Tribal Law & Policy Institute; she has worked for 20 years as a counselor and advocate for victims of sexual and domestic abuse. Carrie Martell is a law student at the University of New Mexico.Maureen L. White Eagle has practiced law in various tribal jurisdictions in North Dakota and Minnesota.