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The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America
Winner of the Labriola Center American Indian National Book Award
Despite what major media sources say, violence against Native women is not an epidemic. An epidemic is biological and blameless. Violence against Native women is historical and political, bounded by oppression and colonial violence. This book, like all of Sarah Deer’s work, is aimed at engaging the problem head-on—and ending it.
The Beginning and End of Rape collects and expands the powerful writings in which Deer, who played a crucial role in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013, has advocated for cultural and legal reforms to protect Native women from endemic sexual violence and abuse. Deer provides a clear historical overview of rape and sex trafficking in North America, paying particular attention to the gendered legacy of colonialism in tribal nations—a truth largely overlooked or minimized by Native and non-Native observers. She faces this legacy directly, articulating strategies for Native communities and tribal nations seeking redress. In a damning critique of federal law that has accommodated rape by destroying tribal legal systems, she describes how tribal self-determination efforts of the twenty-first century can be leveraged to eradicate violence against women. Her work bridges the gap between Indian law and feminist thinking by explaining how intersectional approaches are vital to addressing the rape of Native women.
Grounded in historical, cultural, and legal realities, both Native and non-Native, these essays point to the possibility of actual and positive change in a world where Native women are systematically undervalued, left unprotected, and hurt. Deer draws on her extensive experiences in advocacy and activism to present specific, practical recommendations and plans of action for making the world safer for all.
Despite what major media sources say, violence against Native women is not an epidemic. An epidemic is biological and blameless. Violence against Native women is historical and political, bounded by oppression and colonial violence. This book, like all of Sarah Deer’s work, is aimed at engaging the problem head-on—and ending it.
The Beginning and End of Rape collects and expands the powerful writings in which Deer, who played a crucial role in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013, has advocated for cultural and legal reforms to protect Native women from endemic sexual violence and abuse. Deer provides a clear historical overview of rape and sex trafficking in North America, paying particular attention to the gendered legacy of colonialism in tribal nations—a truth largely overlooked or minimized by Native and non-Native observers. She faces this legacy directly, articulating strategies for Native communities and tribal nations seeking redress. In a damning critique of federal law that has accommodated rape by destroying tribal legal systems, she describes how tribal self-determination efforts of the twenty-first century can be leveraged to eradicate violence against women. Her work bridges the gap between Indian law and feminist thinking by explaining how intersectional approaches are vital to addressing the rape of Native women.
Grounded in historical, cultural, and legal realities, both Native and non-Native, these essays point to the possibility of actual and positive change in a world where Native women are systematically undervalued, left unprotected, and hurt. Deer draws on her extensive experiences in advocacy and activism to present specific, practical recommendations and plans of action for making the world safer for all.
232 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2015
50 people are currently reading
2031 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Deer
13 books41 followersSarah Deer (born November 9, 1972) is an American lawyer, professor of law at William Mitchell College, and 2014 MacArthur fellow.She advocates for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in Native American communities. She has been credited for her "instrumental role" in the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, as well as for testimony which is credited with the 2010 passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act. Deer coauthored, with Bonnie Claremont, Amnesty International's 2007 report Maze of Injustice, documenting sexual assault against Native American women.
Deer received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Kansas.
She is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
(from Wikipedia)
Deer received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Kansas.
She is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 19, 2024
“I don’t know any woman in my community who has not been raped.”
The stories and statistics discussed within this book are heart-breaking and shocking. It’s truly an eye-opening look into rape culture and the effects of colonization over Native communities.
Deer not only sheds light on the issues, but also provides information on current legislation, tribal law, and offers insight into possible ways to reform a broken system.
A very important book that deserves to be read everywhere.
The stories and statistics discussed within this book are heart-breaking and shocking. It’s truly an eye-opening look into rape culture and the effects of colonization over Native communities.
Deer not only sheds light on the issues, but also provides information on current legislation, tribal law, and offers insight into possible ways to reform a broken system.
A very important book that deserves to be read everywhere.
July 15, 2023
This book was difficult to read due to the heavy topics it discussed, but I’m glad to read it. It was very informative, eye-opening, and a huge step for advocacy and support.
Reading it felt like reading Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men and White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color but with it's own identity/voice and dedication to indigenous and native women, which was both great and painful. It combines data and statistics with personal stories and things that happened to the Native American community while providing information about the current justice and legislation system.
This book is very important to read, and I highly recommend reading it.
Reading it felt like reading Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men and White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color but with it's own identity/voice and dedication to indigenous and native women, which was both great and painful. It combines data and statistics with personal stories and things that happened to the Native American community while providing information about the current justice and legislation system.
This book is very important to read, and I highly recommend reading it.
January 24, 2016
Wow. At the intersection of rape culture and colonialization is The Beginning and End of Rape.
My intent in this book is to explore the interconnectedness of surviving colonization and surviving rape.
Life is really all about education. If you're not growing your mind, you're dying. And it's this kind of book that needs more exposure of only to understand what really goes on in the world so we can make a difference.
This book really brings up the issue of tribal law and how we've treated it, how non-native Americans should be subject to it, and the impact we've had in its changing over the years. It covers tribal rape law, what the data shows, the culpability of the federal government, where we need to go in the future.
Indeed, the crisis of rape in tribal communities is inextricably linked to the way in which the United States developed and sustained a legal system that has usurped the sovereign authority of tribal nations. This colonial legal system has failed Native women by supplanting women-centered societies with patriarchal, oppressive structures that condone and thrive on violence as a way to control and oppress members of marginalized communities. These oppressive structures are predicated on hundreds of policies, regulations, and philosophies that underpin American justice.
The thing is, this book says as much about colonialization and Native American rights as it does about rape - the two are tied together.
It is irrefutable that, based on the available data, violent crime is experienced by Native women at per capita higher rates than almost all other groups in the United States.
I am not aware of a single study (federal, state, or tribal) containing a statistically significant group of AI/AN [American Indian / Alaska Native] in which the data do not suggest that Native people suffer the highest rates of victimization in the United States.
I’ve noticed that some skeptical politicians will try to claim the statistics are being manipulated to further tribal sovereignty interests, but these same politicians usually don’t provide alternative data. Perhaps they are too uncomfortable with the fact that white men are still raping Native women with impunity.
The sad thing is that these "savages" were much less barbaric in their thinking than the white colonizers.
Patriarchy is largely a European import. Native women had spiritual, political, and economic power that European women did not enjoy. That power was based on a simple principle: women and children are not the property of men.
Europeans were often fascinated by the anti-rape cultures they encountered, particularly when they discovered that Native men did not rape women war prisoners.
Even Europeans who wrote disparagingly about Native people noted that Native people abhorred sexual violence. Brigadier General James Clinton of the Continental Army told his troops in 1779, “Bad as the savages are, they never violate the chastity of any women, their prisoners.”
And their law at the time even surpasses ours today when looking at the crime of rape.
When compared to the European and early American laws on rape, which often punished women for the actions of rapists, the tribal response to sexual assault was comparatively victim-centric and respectful of survivors.
Not only is the idea of colonialization bad enough, but raping of the females of the indigenous peoples was something that naturally came along with it.
At the same time, the colonial mind-set could not conceive of a legal wrong in raping a Native woman. As a result, Native women were devalued and debased, and their abuse was seen as being outside the law.
Historian Albert L. Hurtado notes of the nineteenth-century California gold rush, “Part of the invading population was imbued with a conquest mentality, fear and hatred of Indians that in their minds justified the rape of Indian women.”
Native women who are raped in the United States today face a legacy of laws that historically have protected perpetrators, allowing them to commit rape with impunity. Rape is more than a metaphor for colonization, however; it is integral to colonization.
I didn't realize that the US government had issued official apologies to the Indigenous people of this land. Unfortunately, they're more symbolic than anything, expressing regret but not taking any responsibility. I guess that's the way we do things.
One apology was given at the end of the Clinton administration and posted on the BIA website. It was taken down when Bush took office.
Relations between Native Americans and the federal government have never been good - but it's even worse when it's the actual Federal Officials committing rape.
Before forced relocation, Native American women had no rights, could be raped by white settlers, and would have no recourse. After moving to reservations (or even being forcibly marched to them), where they relied on the military and traders to live, they often succumbed to rape by these same soldiers and traders.
Changes in laws have been made in the last few years, but these changes barely scratch the surface of what needs to be done.
The bottom line is that we have done a really shitty job in protecting women and responding to survivors of rape, especially with regard to indigenous women. Reform still needs to happen.
It is clear that federal laws and policies are insufficient to address the fundamental needs of Native women living in tribal communities, who have not been able to trust the federal or state systems to respond to their experience. That is why deliberate restoration of tribal authority is crucial for long-term change. Decision-making authority and control over violent crime should be restored to indigenous nations to provide full accountability and justice to the victims. Even as systemic federal agency reform is taking place, there will always be the foundation of wide gaps created by a system originally designed to destroy, not heal. Tribal jurisdiction (both civil and criminal) must be completely restored without restriction. Nothing less will do.
Thanks to NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for a copy in return for an honest review.
My intent in this book is to explore the interconnectedness of surviving colonization and surviving rape.
Life is really all about education. If you're not growing your mind, you're dying. And it's this kind of book that needs more exposure of only to understand what really goes on in the world so we can make a difference.
This book really brings up the issue of tribal law and how we've treated it, how non-native Americans should be subject to it, and the impact we've had in its changing over the years. It covers tribal rape law, what the data shows, the culpability of the federal government, where we need to go in the future.
Indeed, the crisis of rape in tribal communities is inextricably linked to the way in which the United States developed and sustained a legal system that has usurped the sovereign authority of tribal nations. This colonial legal system has failed Native women by supplanting women-centered societies with patriarchal, oppressive structures that condone and thrive on violence as a way to control and oppress members of marginalized communities. These oppressive structures are predicated on hundreds of policies, regulations, and philosophies that underpin American justice.
The thing is, this book says as much about colonialization and Native American rights as it does about rape - the two are tied together.
It is irrefutable that, based on the available data, violent crime is experienced by Native women at per capita higher rates than almost all other groups in the United States.
I am not aware of a single study (federal, state, or tribal) containing a statistically significant group of AI/AN [American Indian / Alaska Native] in which the data do not suggest that Native people suffer the highest rates of victimization in the United States.
I’ve noticed that some skeptical politicians will try to claim the statistics are being manipulated to further tribal sovereignty interests, but these same politicians usually don’t provide alternative data. Perhaps they are too uncomfortable with the fact that white men are still raping Native women with impunity.
The sad thing is that these "savages" were much less barbaric in their thinking than the white colonizers.
Patriarchy is largely a European import. Native women had spiritual, political, and economic power that European women did not enjoy. That power was based on a simple principle: women and children are not the property of men.
Europeans were often fascinated by the anti-rape cultures they encountered, particularly when they discovered that Native men did not rape women war prisoners.
Even Europeans who wrote disparagingly about Native people noted that Native people abhorred sexual violence. Brigadier General James Clinton of the Continental Army told his troops in 1779, “Bad as the savages are, they never violate the chastity of any women, their prisoners.”
And their law at the time even surpasses ours today when looking at the crime of rape.
When compared to the European and early American laws on rape, which often punished women for the actions of rapists, the tribal response to sexual assault was comparatively victim-centric and respectful of survivors.
Not only is the idea of colonialization bad enough, but raping of the females of the indigenous peoples was something that naturally came along with it.
At the same time, the colonial mind-set could not conceive of a legal wrong in raping a Native woman. As a result, Native women were devalued and debased, and their abuse was seen as being outside the law.
Historian Albert L. Hurtado notes of the nineteenth-century California gold rush, “Part of the invading population was imbued with a conquest mentality, fear and hatred of Indians that in their minds justified the rape of Indian women.”
Native women who are raped in the United States today face a legacy of laws that historically have protected perpetrators, allowing them to commit rape with impunity. Rape is more than a metaphor for colonization, however; it is integral to colonization.
I didn't realize that the US government had issued official apologies to the Indigenous people of this land. Unfortunately, they're more symbolic than anything, expressing regret but not taking any responsibility. I guess that's the way we do things.
One apology was given at the end of the Clinton administration and posted on the BIA website. It was taken down when Bush took office.
Relations between Native Americans and the federal government have never been good - but it's even worse when it's the actual Federal Officials committing rape.
Before forced relocation, Native American women had no rights, could be raped by white settlers, and would have no recourse. After moving to reservations (or even being forcibly marched to them), where they relied on the military and traders to live, they often succumbed to rape by these same soldiers and traders.
Changes in laws have been made in the last few years, but these changes barely scratch the surface of what needs to be done.
The bottom line is that we have done a really shitty job in protecting women and responding to survivors of rape, especially with regard to indigenous women. Reform still needs to happen.
It is clear that federal laws and policies are insufficient to address the fundamental needs of Native women living in tribal communities, who have not been able to trust the federal or state systems to respond to their experience. That is why deliberate restoration of tribal authority is crucial for long-term change. Decision-making authority and control over violent crime should be restored to indigenous nations to provide full accountability and justice to the victims. Even as systemic federal agency reform is taking place, there will always be the foundation of wide gaps created by a system originally designed to destroy, not heal. Tribal jurisdiction (both civil and criminal) must be completely restored without restriction. Nothing less will do.
Thanks to NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for a copy in return for an honest review.
April 30, 2025
Pretty solid. I feel a little complicated by this book. Deer does a great job showing how rape is genocide and is very intrenched in settler colonial structures. For some reason this book's discussion on reform feels like a false hope to me (not to doom or wtv). Rape and sexual violence are the utmost of importance and I wish this book gave more space to survivors. Overall, this book is very good and I highly recommend.
October 24, 2015
The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America was such an emotional read for me. I live in a state with a Native population, and have spent some time in Native communities. But that not withstanding, I found the treatment of Native people described in this book appalling. Rape of women and molestation of children is shameful under any circumstances, but especially so when we make it that much more difficult for Native people in so many respects. I encourage everyone to read this eye-opening book. I am grateful to the author for focusing more attention on this problem, and also for offering constructive and workable suggestions for real solutions as well.
This book is extremely informative, well thought out and educational. Though it was difficult to read in terms of the subject matter, I am so glad I did so. In my opinion, this work is another huge step forward in advocacy for change.
I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book is extremely informative, well thought out and educational. Though it was difficult to read in terms of the subject matter, I am so glad I did so. In my opinion, this work is another huge step forward in advocacy for change.
I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2017
The Beginning and the End of Rape is an excellent overview of sexual violence perpetuated against American Indigenous women. Deer uses colonization as a lens to understand why this violence occurs, and what it represents to women and their communities. It is a challenging book that isn't afraid to engage with heavy issues and complex problems. In particular, I appreciated her take on restorative justice and lateral violence in Indigenous communities, particularly people's tendency to romanticize pre-colonial cultures. She is seeking answers to how to undermine and halt violence against women, and she leaves nothing unexplored as she sorts through the causes and potential reforms available in this area. Overall, it's a fantastic resource, academic, yet still accessible. I wouldn't have minded a few more footnotes though for my own research...
October 7, 2018
Can it be true that rape as a crime was so much less common in indigenous American tribes before colonization that they had no conceptual framework for dealing with it? After reading this book, I believe it is a credible claim. I think whether or not that is true, that many indigenous people believe this is their history is significant. It speaks to the current and recent native experience of sexual violence.
Deer, a law professor, devotes a significant part of this book to suggesting ways that tribes could deal with rape. She believes, and draws on other sources that assert, that rape was not a large enough social problem before colonialism for there to be a legal framework to address it in native societies. Rape was and remains a tool of colonial domination, and the Common Law history of rape works against all victims. Deer outlines the history of the legal framework in US law and problems with jurisdiction. She also gives some history of how native activists in the 19th century spoke up against rape, including the memoir of Sarah Winnemucca, Life Among the Piutes.
February 26, 2023
Read this one for school. I really liked it. The author is a lawyer and professor, and the book tends toward the academic side, but it is really clear and concise. It doesn't get bogged down in jargon, rather explaining things in a straightforward way. It's more interestingly and accessibly written than other academic/academic-adjacent books and brings a great perspective to the thinking on rape, especially as experienced by indigenous women in the US. Her writing is powerful and it's impossible to dismiss her points because she makes them in such a plain and intelligible way, backed up with the weight of her research, wisdom, and legal training.
Favorite chapters were Chapter 2, "What She Say It Be Law: Tribal Rape Law and Indigenous Feminisms" and Chapter 9, "The Trouble with Peacemaking: False Dichotomies and the Politics of Restorative Justice," although the whole thing was good and I appreciated the inclusion of Chapter 6, "Punishing the Victim: Dana's Story."
Favorite chapters were Chapter 2, "What She Say It Be Law: Tribal Rape Law and Indigenous Feminisms" and Chapter 9, "The Trouble with Peacemaking: False Dichotomies and the Politics of Restorative Justice," although the whole thing was good and I appreciated the inclusion of Chapter 6, "Punishing the Victim: Dana's Story."
Read
December 24, 2022soci 312 : read the parts necessary for certain assignments & sarah deer is such a powerful writer
August 10, 2020
Since the beginning, this book hooked me real bad, real bad! To describe it in abstract adjectives I have to say I have been so excited reading the contents that I can call it an absolutely wonderful research and analysis work. Deer is brilliant, intelligent and highly experienced. She is honest in her research and does not force her research results to meet a certain desired goal.
Lots of people might have experience working as a social worker and lawyer, but not many have the brilliance of mind to write like this. Not even one of her sentences are redundant, off-topic or deliberately complex to understand. The humanely and justly emotional aspects of her writing manifest her experience in social work and her empathic spirit. The legal aspects of her writing manifest her experience in handling complicated legal language and practice. You understand this when an author paraphrases a legal term into layman term in parenthesis!!
She writes about laws and histories behind the way tribal sovereignty has been lost to federal laws and orders. She writes, "federal laws have supplanted effective tribal legal
systems with dysfunctional foreign legal systems" (77). Deer brings highly relevant examples, legal cases and excerpts to clarify her points. Moreover, she connects how history of rape under colonization connects it to the current lives of Native American women.
Rape on and off Native American reservations is a horrible occurrence that I as an Iranian never knew about. I have always watched media depictions of Natives. I enjoyed the wisdom, stories, and their interconnectedness to nature. However, I never knew these tribes used to be matrilineal, but colonization disrupted their whole lives. Rape, as a demoralizing apparatus of imposing power, not only deeply scars victims psychologically and physically but also disrupts the gender balance in communities. Turning women and children into male chattel, colonization razed tribal sovereignty and turned already established women's rights and autonomy into patriarchal chaos of laws.
Lots of people might have experience working as a social worker and lawyer, but not many have the brilliance of mind to write like this. Not even one of her sentences are redundant, off-topic or deliberately complex to understand. The humanely and justly emotional aspects of her writing manifest her experience in social work and her empathic spirit. The legal aspects of her writing manifest her experience in handling complicated legal language and practice. You understand this when an author paraphrases a legal term into layman term in parenthesis!!
She writes about laws and histories behind the way tribal sovereignty has been lost to federal laws and orders. She writes, "federal laws have supplanted effective tribal legal
systems with dysfunctional foreign legal systems" (77). Deer brings highly relevant examples, legal cases and excerpts to clarify her points. Moreover, she connects how history of rape under colonization connects it to the current lives of Native American women.
Rape on and off Native American reservations is a horrible occurrence that I as an Iranian never knew about. I have always watched media depictions of Natives. I enjoyed the wisdom, stories, and their interconnectedness to nature. However, I never knew these tribes used to be matrilineal, but colonization disrupted their whole lives. Rape, as a demoralizing apparatus of imposing power, not only deeply scars victims psychologically and physically but also disrupts the gender balance in communities. Turning women and children into male chattel, colonization razed tribal sovereignty and turned already established women's rights and autonomy into patriarchal chaos of laws.
April 15, 2019
The Beginning and End of Rape was one of the most challenging books I've read in a while. From the beginning, author Sarah Deer doesn't pull any punches when discussing sexual assault in Native communities, and it's this firm, educated, backed-up point of view that makes the book an extremely powerful book, one that anyone in fields relating to criminal justice should read. This is a book that touches on so many topics that I would guess the majority of Americans have no idea about—even I, who has read a decent amount about tribal law—was blown away by Deer's meticulous understanding and insightful approaches to eradicating sexual assault, or at least change how sexual assault is viewed and prosecuted on a federal scale.
But given the complexity and the sensitivity of such a subject, Deer's writing was a bit too academic and disconnected for me to really feel moved by such a book on sexual violence against Native women, a topic I feel very strongly about. Granted, I am not the target audience to begin with, and I certainly have to give Deer major credit for bringing up some controversial ideas about how to reform the crimainl justice system so it better helps rape victims. I think the legal aspects that Deer discussed could be a bit heavy at times, understandably, but that's what made the book difficult to get through. A very important topic, for sure, but I found the delivery of it unfortunately lacking for an accessible read.
But given the complexity and the sensitivity of such a subject, Deer's writing was a bit too academic and disconnected for me to really feel moved by such a book on sexual violence against Native women, a topic I feel very strongly about. Granted, I am not the target audience to begin with, and I certainly have to give Deer major credit for bringing up some controversial ideas about how to reform the crimainl justice system so it better helps rape victims. I think the legal aspects that Deer discussed could be a bit heavy at times, understandably, but that's what made the book difficult to get through. A very important topic, for sure, but I found the delivery of it unfortunately lacking for an accessible read.
February 9, 2017
The first couple chapters are a little dense and academic, but the rest flows much quicker. The set up is essential for the discussion and analysis in the bulk of the book. I thought it was both engaging and enraging, an excellent combination to get us fired up and ready for activism. It is a difficult read, but well worth it.
December 14, 2021
Deer offers a clear and compassionate analysis of why and how sexual violence is so rampant in Indigenous communities. The solutions offered throughout are also steeped in experience, but concise for anyone working in policy, law, or advocacy. That said, it is a difficult to broach and I found myself taking weeks or months in between readings. Excellent book.
September 12, 2023
“Change can occur only when colonization is brought ‘front and center and named as the root cause’ of Indigenous overrepresentation, both as victims and offenders”
- Chris Cunneen and Simone Rowe
Sarah Deer is a rape crisis advocate and an Indigenous Law professor who has authored multiple works to continue fighting for victims of rape and sexual violence. Nearly one in three Native women have been raped. Yes, you read that statistic correctly. To say that this is a problem, would be a huge understatement. Deer critically examines the role colonization has played in the dehumanization and exploitation of Indigenous peoples, contributing to the oppressive acts of rape and sexual violence.
Deer begins her historical investigation with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in North America in 1492. She argues that Columbus’s arrival initiated the destruction of Indigenous cultures and identity and the moment when European men introduced rape as a major tool for that destruction. The fact that Western society still celebrates the legacy of a rapist and murderer is appalling and only further contributes to the erasure of indigeniety. Deer advocates for the promotion of Indigenous feminism to tackle colonialism and its role in rape and sexual violence. The Anglo version of feminism is inadequate as it primarily focuses on the patriarchy, and doesn’t get to the core of the problem.
Deer argues for tribal sovereignty as a remedy for the disproportionately affected victims of rape in Indigenous communities. She highlights four key legislative pieces that have affect Native rape survivors. These include:
• the Major Crimes Act
• Public Law 280 (PL280)
• the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA)
• and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Oliphant v. Suquamish
All of these limited and hurt tribal sovereignty, further contributing to the abuse of Indigenous communities.
Deer also addresses the legacy of boarding schools and how they have contributed to the erasure of Indigenous identity and their implication in genocide and sexual violence of children. She also poses the question: why is rape wrong? Not only does it affect the body, mind, and spirit of the victim, but it also impacts the community through generational trauma.
This book is well researched and Deer’s experience and knowledge of anti-rape advocacy is extensive. She not only provides the much needed history behind rape and sexual violence in Indigenous communities, but she also does an excellent job in providing solutions and tools necessary in the context of tribal sovereignty.
“Rape has been used - is still used - as a weapon to control and colonize Native peoples… Many so called Native rebellions, outbreaks, or uprisings have been linked to the rape of Native women, thus linking resistance of rape to the exercise of tribal sovereignty.”
Some would say that this topic is too sad or depressing to read about, and I say that’s totally valid. However, we can’t deflect sad and depressing topics in the hopes that it will simply be addressed independently. It’s up to us as colonizers to understand how the legacy of colonialism and imperialism have contributed to rape and sexual violence of Indigenous peoples. It is up to us to dismantle the institutions that our ancestors have created that continue to suppress and oppress marginalized communities through awareness and empathy. Indigenous peoples have been resisting for far too long.
- Chris Cunneen and Simone Rowe
Sarah Deer is a rape crisis advocate and an Indigenous Law professor who has authored multiple works to continue fighting for victims of rape and sexual violence. Nearly one in three Native women have been raped. Yes, you read that statistic correctly. To say that this is a problem, would be a huge understatement. Deer critically examines the role colonization has played in the dehumanization and exploitation of Indigenous peoples, contributing to the oppressive acts of rape and sexual violence.
Deer begins her historical investigation with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in North America in 1492. She argues that Columbus’s arrival initiated the destruction of Indigenous cultures and identity and the moment when European men introduced rape as a major tool for that destruction. The fact that Western society still celebrates the legacy of a rapist and murderer is appalling and only further contributes to the erasure of indigeniety. Deer advocates for the promotion of Indigenous feminism to tackle colonialism and its role in rape and sexual violence. The Anglo version of feminism is inadequate as it primarily focuses on the patriarchy, and doesn’t get to the core of the problem.
Deer argues for tribal sovereignty as a remedy for the disproportionately affected victims of rape in Indigenous communities. She highlights four key legislative pieces that have affect Native rape survivors. These include:
• the Major Crimes Act
• Public Law 280 (PL280)
• the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA)
• and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Oliphant v. Suquamish
All of these limited and hurt tribal sovereignty, further contributing to the abuse of Indigenous communities.
Deer also addresses the legacy of boarding schools and how they have contributed to the erasure of Indigenous identity and their implication in genocide and sexual violence of children. She also poses the question: why is rape wrong? Not only does it affect the body, mind, and spirit of the victim, but it also impacts the community through generational trauma.
This book is well researched and Deer’s experience and knowledge of anti-rape advocacy is extensive. She not only provides the much needed history behind rape and sexual violence in Indigenous communities, but she also does an excellent job in providing solutions and tools necessary in the context of tribal sovereignty.
“Rape has been used - is still used - as a weapon to control and colonize Native peoples… Many so called Native rebellions, outbreaks, or uprisings have been linked to the rape of Native women, thus linking resistance of rape to the exercise of tribal sovereignty.”
Some would say that this topic is too sad or depressing to read about, and I say that’s totally valid. However, we can’t deflect sad and depressing topics in the hopes that it will simply be addressed independently. It’s up to us as colonizers to understand how the legacy of colonialism and imperialism have contributed to rape and sexual violence of Indigenous peoples. It is up to us to dismantle the institutions that our ancestors have created that continue to suppress and oppress marginalized communities through awareness and empathy. Indigenous peoples have been resisting for far too long.
February 22, 2022
My Booktube
This is very heavy in legal/academic language so if you struggle with reading that, here is your warning. Even as someone who has read a decent amount of academic stuff for college, this was pretty dry. And so it was hard to stay fully engaged because of just the depth the author went into each topic. Which isn't a bad thing, but when its all very dry language it can be hard to stay fully focused.
And another issue is towards the end the author defines rape as something a man does to a woman/child, and I am not a fan of that. Given it excludes women as potential rapists, and men as rape victims. She does go back and say men can be rape victims in the next chapter, but then it just made it feel very contradictory. It isn't about Indigenous men and their rape so I don't expect a focus on them (though it would have been nice to see that mentioned/talked about). But idk simplifying rape down to something only men do to women/children feels eh.
She is incredibly thorough tho so she has that going for her. She sets out to explore this topic and she does that.
This is very heavy in legal/academic language so if you struggle with reading that, here is your warning. Even as someone who has read a decent amount of academic stuff for college, this was pretty dry. And so it was hard to stay fully engaged because of just the depth the author went into each topic. Which isn't a bad thing, but when its all very dry language it can be hard to stay fully focused.
And another issue is towards the end the author defines rape as something a man does to a woman/child, and I am not a fan of that. Given it excludes women as potential rapists, and men as rape victims. She does go back and say men can be rape victims in the next chapter, but then it just made it feel very contradictory. It isn't about Indigenous men and their rape so I don't expect a focus on them (though it would have been nice to see that mentioned/talked about). But idk simplifying rape down to something only men do to women/children feels eh.
She is incredibly thorough tho so she has that going for her. She sets out to explore this topic and she does that.
March 9, 2018
I'm perhaps not as well-read in this area as I might be (further complicated by how much of the scholarship is done by a person whose credentials have been called into question,) but I'm not sure this book was doing much that was wildly new? It was presented to our class, I assume, as an alternative to that other work that has been done, and I think it sort of does that but less theoretically rigorously (unfortunately,) though her interventions in the specifically legal world are super interesting. The strongest chapter to me was her critique of restorative justice. The suggestions section felt weak but I think that has to do with how broad the book had to be; there was very little specificity, which makes sense but also felt like it didn't require an entire chapter to explain that each tribe has to come up with what works best for them?
Overall, a decent primer on the legal situation regarding rape and Native women in the US, so good for folks who are looking to start somewhere.
Overall, a decent primer on the legal situation regarding rape and Native women in the US, so good for folks who are looking to start somewhere.
January 17, 2024
This book discusses how colonialism and the violence against Native women are interconnected and continue to affect Native women today. Deer argues for the prioritization of addressing sexual violence to create a trickle-down effect for other sovereignty struggles tribal nations face. Her research is thorough, her arguments are compelling, and her writing is both concise and accessible.
Her compassion is evident and she continually points toward where progress has been made. She highlights the grass-roots efforts of Native women and weaves a thread of hope and resilience throughout.
As a non-Native reader, I came away from this book with a much deeper understanding of colonialism's role in the justification of violence against Native women and how that has affected Native men. I see hope and imagination in her proposals for enacting change and appreciate what this book does to educate readers and advocate for survivor-focused, tribal-centric approaches to reform.
Her compassion is evident and she continually points toward where progress has been made. She highlights the grass-roots efforts of Native women and weaves a thread of hope and resilience throughout.
As a non-Native reader, I came away from this book with a much deeper understanding of colonialism's role in the justification of violence against Native women and how that has affected Native men. I see hope and imagination in her proposals for enacting change and appreciate what this book does to educate readers and advocate for survivor-focused, tribal-centric approaches to reform.
June 14, 2020
Really powerful book about a tragically under-discussed topic. Deer's writing is compassionate, unrelenting, and accessible. The US legal history and Dana Deegan's story were particularly strong parts. At times I found the analysis a bit cursory. True, it's a difficult balance - Deer understandably seems to want to avoid the book being trauma porn - but I really wanted more detail on different tribal perspectives, whether about language, culture, past/present laws and advocacy methods, etc. Deer convincingly argues the deep and lasting damage of colonialism, yet in my opinion she under-emphasizes Native ways of knowing. Still, glad I read this book.
February 19, 2021
Read it for women studies class but definitely something that everyone should read. I don’t know how else to put it but this is such a tragic topic to read/talk about but we need to open this discussion up to help Native American women. Sarah Deer was great at showing the reader stats but also leaving certain topics open for a discussion amongst others. She talks about how harmful the word epidemic can be, she talks about how the word rape is being downplayed to biological terms, she informs the readers how federal laws and policies have left this to perpetuate through Native communities and she talks about methods to address the traumatic experience(s) that Native American women face.
January 23, 2021
Wow - what an informative, eye-opening, and thorough look into the prevalence of rape in Native America, the role of colonialism in the perpetration of the legacy of rape, and the intricacies of addressing legal hurdles associated with properly advocating for and honoring rape survivors in tribal communities and beyond. This was a tough and sometimes dense read, but I feel much more knowledgeable about the state of sexual violence in Native community and empowered to be an advocate for Native women in the future.
December 14, 2020
Sarah Deer’s The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America (2015) presents a powerful analysis of the impact of rape upon Native women and their communities, and what steps can be taken to towards healing and the eventual “end of rape” in Native America. Throughout the text, Deer invokes legal precedent and the narrative accounts of women to frame and prove her arguments – ultimately stating that it is only when Native women have sovereignty over their own bodies can indigenous nations have sovereignty, and it is through tribal law and courts alone that Native women can seek and gain justice for the crimes inflicted upon them. Deer begins her book by clarifying why rape is such a central issue to be addressed, calling it a “crime against humanity” and a violation that displaces women from their own bodies and further from their community. Seen as a continuation of the historic displacement of Native peoples, Deer makes clear that “rape is more than a metaphor for colonization, however; it is integral to colonization” (51). Rape, through this lens, can be seen as a tool to oppress and control Native bodies, that without tribal jurisdiction, can never be remedied. The U.S. legal system has (as the data and personal accounts attest) has underserved (and incorrectly served, as Dana’s story illustrates) indigenous communities, in which so much of the population suffers from domestic or sexual violence without adequate resources to help them to heal and gain justice. Deer’s overarching case in this text is for setting up tribal courts with firm laws and practices to help Native women and men dealing with domestic violence and rape – to offer mediation, protection, and just recourse in accordance with individual tribal traditions.
Deer’s arguments (and the text itself) engage with many other indigenous feminist writers and scholars, invoking and celebrating the legacy of Native women who have helped to bring these issues to light, even in a time (as it was for Sarah Winnemucca) when narratives including details of rape were never discussed. Giving credit to those who came before her, Deer looks to past but critically does not recommend basing contemporary practice on pre-colonial traditions, but rather finding solutions that speak to the contemporary moment. She points out that since many tribal governments don’t have their own strict laws around rape (many have laws adopted in haste to mirror the colonial model), that they are at a pivotal moment to create new laws, with input from survivors, without having to amend outdated or adjust dysfunctional regulations.
September 23, 2022
Such a difficult subject! The research was remarkable. This should have been confronted long ago. I have often heard that Native Americans were weak spirited. As I read this book I realized, once again, it was the whites that were wrong. In our fear and unparalleled narcissism we belittled, humiliated, and drugged others into submission. I wonder if we will ever learn? I just don't know if we can?
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November 26, 2022Excellent resource! Ended up being more academic than what I really wanted for my own purposes, but still very interesting and I did learn a lot. I’d like to find somewhere to pass this on to that could actually have a practical use for it, rather than just selling it.
May 15, 2024
Difficult subject matter, but very well written book. The first half is about the problems and the second half is about solutions. This was one of the textbooks for my MSW class on Indigenous Peoples.
June 2, 2024
Definitely a challenging read, due to both content and structure. Thought provoking and educational, this book was a fascinating mix of historical analysis and future speculation - a call to action as well as a call to thought.
January 17, 2019
Very academic. A slow read, but absolutely necessary.
April 23, 2019
Informative
A great outlook that many might not know of or even understand. Activism at its simplest. A good educational read.
A great outlook that many might not know of or even understand. Activism at its simplest. A good educational read.
July 4, 2019
I’m very glad to have read this important book about the overlap between physical and cultural rape and the apparatus of tribal & federal law.
December 16, 2019
Wow wow wow. I read this book as a source for a paper I was writing but wow I never expected it to be shocking and overwhelming. You’ll learn so much from this book, a lot of harsh realities.
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May 14, 2020This was a very heavy read, but is worthwhile for anyone. I'll try to come up with a meaningful review one of these days. Just read it.
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