Twenty-seven of the 132 tribal law enforcement agencies that responded to the survey reported initiating investigations involving human trafficking from 2014 to 2016 and six of 61 major city law enforcement agencies reported initiating human trafficking investigations that involved at least one Native victim during the same time period.16 Survey respondents identified lack of training on identifying and responding appropriately to victims, victim shame and reluctance to come forward, and lack of service provider resources as barriers to investigating cases and serving victims.

In September 2017, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled ‘‘Human Trafficking: Investigations in Indian Country or Involving Native Americans and Actions Needed to Better Report on Victims Served.’’ GAO surveyed tribal and major city law enforcement agencies and victim service providers on human trafficking investigations, victim services, and barriers to identifying and serving Native victims. 1 in 7 non-Hispanic AI/AN males (14.4%) were made to penetrate someone during their lifetime. Homicide was in the top ten leading causes of death for AI/AN males 1 to 54 years old in the year 2020. Non-Hispanic AI/AN males had the second highest rate of homicide compared with males in all other racial and ethnic groups.More than 2 in 5 non-Hispanic AI/AN women (43.7%) were raped in their lifetime. Additionally, in 2020 homicide was in the top 10 leading causes of death for AI/AN females aged 1-45. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) females experienced the second highest rate of homicide in 2020.When looking at missing and murdered cases, data shows that Native American and Alaska Native women make up a significant portion of missing and murdered individuals. Native American and Alaska Native rates of murder, rape, and violent crime are all higher than the national averages.

Notable people 2020