Indigenous People Face More Fatal Police Violence Near Reservations

73% of fatal police violence against Indigenous people happens on or within 10 miles of reservations, even though fewer live there. This is a big difference compared to where they live.
By Newsroom | Social Justice, Indigenous Affairs |

A significant majority of fatal police violence involving American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) individuals occurs on or within a ten-mile radius of reservations. This finding emerges despite AIAN populations comprising a smaller percentage of residents in these immediate areas. The research further indicates differences in policing practices and justifications for stops on tribal lands compared to off-reservation encounters.

Federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies are linked to the majority of these on-reservation deaths, while municipal and county police are more frequently involved in incidents occurring more than ten miles from reservations. An alarming observation from the data reveals that police provided no reason for stopping one in five individuals killed on reservations.

Geographic Disparities and Policing Patterns

The concentration of fatal police violence near reservations is striking. Roughly three out of four deaths (73%) involving AIAN people occurred on or within 10 miles of reservations, even though only about 40% of AIAN people live in these areas. This percentage increases to 50% when individuals identifying as multiracial AIAN are included.

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This geographic clustering suggests a complex interplay of jurisdictional issues and policing strategies. While on-reservation incidents often involve federal, state, or tribal police, off-reservation fatal encounters (>10 miles away) are predominantly attributed to municipal and county police forces.

U.S. Indigenous peoples experience higher rates of fatal police violence in and around reservations - 1

Underlying Factors and Future Inquiry

Researchers posit that "entrenched patterns of disinvestment in Indigenous communities, coupled with complex jurisdictional policing models and routine police harassment on tribal lands," may contribute to these heightened fatality rates. The study also notes a lack of transparency regarding fatal encounters, with law enforcement agencies sometimes denying requests for documents related to these incidents.

Future research is called for to explore the specific drivers behind this geographic disparity in deaths. Additionally, investigations are needed into the psychological and physical health impacts of fatal police violence on Indigenous communities. The potential effects of alternative approaches, such as Indigenous-led healing and wellness initiatives as substitutes for traditional policing in addressing crime and poverty, warrant examination.

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Data and Methodology

The findings are based on analyses of data from the 'Mapping Police Violence' database and the U.S. Census Bureau. The research aims to highlight extreme racial and ethnic inequities in fatal police violence rates and understand how "structural racism shapes police violence risk."

The study's methodology specifically examined whether AIAN people living on or near reservations face elevated rates of fatal police violence compared to those residing further away. While the data focused on the U.S. mainland, it noted the absence of reported AIAN police violence deaths in Hawai'i during the study period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do Indigenous people face more fatal police violence near reservations?
Most fatal police violence against Indigenous people happens on or within 10 miles of reservations. This happens even though fewer Indigenous people live in these areas. It suggests problems with policing and where these events occur.
Q: Which police forces are involved in these fatal encounters near reservations?
Federal, state, and tribal police are often involved in deaths on reservations. When deaths happen more than 10 miles away, city and county police are more often the ones involved.
Q: What reasons do police give for stopping people who are later killed near reservations?
In one out of five cases where Indigenous people were killed on reservations, police did not give a reason for the stop. This lack of clear reason is a serious concern.
Q: What might be causing these problems for Indigenous communities?
Experts think that long-term lack of investment in Indigenous communities, complex police rules, and regular police stops on tribal lands could lead to more deaths. Lack of openness about these events also makes it hard to understand.
Q: What is needed to understand and fix this issue?
More research is needed to find out why these deaths happen more often near reservations. It's also important to study how these deaths affect the health of Indigenous communities and if different approaches, like community healing programs, could help.