Oppression

The Role of Privilege

Privilege can be defined as an undeserved right or advantage granted to a specific group of people. Many types of privilege exist including privileges granted to those of a certain race, sex, gender, sexuality, class, religion, etc. In the provided definition, the world "undeserved" should catch your eye. Why is it undeserved? Privilege is undeserved because it is something granted to someone when they are born for something out of one's control. It offers opportunities that people of "lesser" privilege could never access without working twice as hard or could never be accessed at all. Oppression is caused by the feeling and ideology of superiority over a group that is not as privileged as another's. In this case, white supremacy over the Native American race. As soon as Christopher Columbus stepped foot on the American mainland in 1492, and when the first settlers invaded Native spaces in the name of "Manifest Destiny", Native Americans have fallen victim to the issue of white privilege. Natives were seen as barbaric and blasphemous due to their lifestyle of women leaders and their "pagan" beliefs. Native women were forcible sterilized and slaughtered as to stop the reproduction of Native people. Children were murdered for the same reasons. The modern issues of the unjust rapes and murders of Native American women are rooted in the original white supremacy ideology. Native women are seen as lesser to the white race for both their born race and sex and are disregarded for that reason. Left to be kidnapped, trafficked, and killed, Native women still face the historical trauma instilled in them by the white people who did the same to their ancestors.

Implicit Bias and the Role of White People

Implicit bias is the unconscious bias within all of us that stems from stereotypes and portrayals of certain groups of people in the media, as well as a historical component. Due to the historic and systemic mistreatment of Native people, especially women, many white non-Natives have an implicit bias instilled in them. This leads to the mistreatment of Natives in the justice system at the hands of judges or police officers. Racial profiling works hand-in-hand with implicit bias, essentially damning Native people into the stereotype that they are barbaraic, pagan alcoholics who abuse women. This, however, is known to be untrue. But because of implicit bias and racial profiling, Native people when faced with crimes against them or being wrongly accused of crimes often do not get fair trial due to their race. This is similar to the lives of black people in America, who are faced with similar issues and are one of the most likely victims of police bruality and other abuse of powers by government figures. Negative stereotypes and unconscious biases like these directly affect Native women who have been abused, raped, kidnapped, and murdered and their likeliness to recieve justice. The group of people most likely to assault a Native woman is a white male. This, compounded with the fact that about 66% of police officers are white non-Hispanics, works against Native women as one is more likely to be sympathetic toward someone of their own race due to these implicit biases and sense of superiorty. This also births another group of people, "white saviors". White saviors can be defined as white people who basically deify themselves for caring about non-white issues, speaking over the voices of POC rather than uplifting them. Both sides of the spectrum, white supremacists and white saviors, ruin any chances of Native women getting justice and sharing their own stories as to spread awareness of the abuse Native women face daily.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is the compounding of multiple social groups, creating a complex view of oppression and privilege. For example, a white woman is less privileged than a white man because she is a woman, but more privileged than a Native woman because she is white. Native women are a vulnerable group due to being racial minorities and the "fairer" sex. Intersectionality especially plays a huge role in the media. When a white woman is missing or murdered, you will definitely see it on CNN, Fox News, or any other main news broadcasting systems as well as all over social media. White women have always been viewed with the lense of purity and innocence, as a group that must be preserved and protected by the white male. Native women, however, do not have this privilege even though they are also women. This is due to the complex relationship between their race and sex. Yes, women are often viewed by men as weaker and in need of protection. But Native women fall victim to the white supremacy ideology and are viewed with the same stereotypes as Native men are. There is no soft spot for Native women in the heart of a white man like there is for a white woman due to their implicit biases. Therefore, the kidnapping or murder of a Native woman will not make major news like it would for a white woman.

Why You, a Non-Native, Should Care

I believe non-Native people should care about the MMIWG movement because of the role non-Natives play in the abuse of Native women. Silence is compliance, so spreading misinformation, carrying racist views, or saying nothing at all are on the same level as worsening the systemic issues. Use your privilege as someone who is not Native to uplift the voices of Native women sharing their own stories. Share any information you have, any articles you see, any events or vigils happening in the name of dead Native women, or anything similar to people you know as to spread the word of the worsening abuse of Native women. Privilege is exactly that, a privilege. It is undeserved and unfair, but it can be used for good by supporting someone or a group of people who are not granted the same privilege.

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