Date of Award
Spring 4-26-2024
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Major
American Studies
First Advisor
Christina Heatherton
Abstract
Native communities are plagued by violence against Native women, often violence committed by non-Native people; in Alaska, Native women are overrepresented among domestic violence victims by 250%. Recent expansions to Tribal court jurisdiction have reauthorized Tribal courts to try non-Native defendants who commit crimes against Native people, a huge step in securing the safety of Native communities. There are, however, challenges to implementing this jurisdiction, challenges that are expounded by the geographical landscape in Alaska. This thesis aims to explore violence against Alaska Native women and the jurisdictional expansions granted to Tribal courts in an attempt to mitigate this violence through an examination of legislation like the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2013 and 2022, Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ), and Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ), ultimately arguing that the framing of the problem, the discussion of solutions, and the issues in implementation must be guided by Alaska Native voices and working towards Indigenous jurisprudence.
Recommended Citation
Simons, Molly, "The End of the Road: Violence Against Alaska Native Women and Indigenous Jurisprudence". Senior Theses, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 2024.
Trinity College Digital Repository, https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses/1119
