A shocking new report revealed a disturbing number of Native American and Alaska Native women in Seattle who say they’ve been raped or experienced sexual violence.
The survey, conducted by the Urban Indian Health Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had been kept under wraps since 2010. Abigail Echo-Hawk, the director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, discovered the documents stashed in a drawer when she began her job in 2016. For the last two years, she’s worked with the CDC to get the results released.
Of 148 women surveyed, 94 percent reported being raped or coerced into having sex and 69 percent reported being harassed on the street. Eighty-six percent also reported historical trauma, which refers to the idea that suffering through oppression and colonization passes down through generations.
Additionally, 53 percent were homeless at the time of the survey – which can significantly increase the chance of suffering sexual violence or assault.
The survey is considered one of the first reports to look at the experience of Native American women living in cities instead of on reservations. Approximately 71 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives live in areas like Seattle.
