New Memo Explores Gun Violence in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Washington DC — Ahead of Indigenous Peoples Day, Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released a memo underscoring gun violence in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. More than half of all American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) homicides are firearm homicides, and the AI/AN firearm homicide rate is 2.2 times higher than the gun homicide rate for non-Hispanic white people. Suicides, in part fueled by guns, are a leading cause of death for AI/AN people of every age. 

“American Indian and Alaska Native communities are disproportionately affected by gun violence,” said Kelly Drane, Giffords Research Director. “These tragic deaths are preventable and the sad reality is that gun deaths among American Indian and Alaska Natives are substantially underreported. These findings show there is a crisis and that our leaders must take meaningful steps to reduce gun violence.”

Gun violence is a devastating and all-too-frequent event in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Historically, guns have been a part of Native and Indigenous life on the North American continent since European colonizers first arrived in the 1600s. For tens of thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of people belonging to a multitude of tribes lived across what is now known as the US. But, the arrival of European colonizers and their firearms ushered in centuries of violence and death. 

Research shows that gun deaths in AI/AN communities are often unreported or misreported. Recently, a Two-Spirit member of the Lakota tribe was shot to death and initial news coverage misgendered the victim. Furthermore, In recent years, many tribes have declared states of emergency amid a rise in suicides, particularly among youth. The memo gives insight into trends in gun violence in American Indian and Alaska Native communities such as firearm suicide and homicides and police shootings. Some key takeaways from the memo include:

• From 2016 to 2020, more American Indian and Alaska Native people ages 10 to 34 died by suicide than by any other cause, including car crashes and opioid use. In AI/AN communities, firearms are used in 36% of all suicide deaths.

• More than half of all AI/AN homicides are firearm homicides, and the AI/AN firearm homicide rate is 2.2 times higher than the gun homicide rate for non-Hispanic white people.

• Recent survey data shows that more than half of all AI/AN women have experienced physical intimate partner violence, and more than two-thirds have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner.

• The fatal police shooting rate for AI/AN people is 1.6 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic white people.

There are many steps that can be taken to prevent gun violence in AI/AN communities. One path forward includes culturally sensitive and community-led interventions. These programs rely on community and tribal members to lead efforts to prevent gun suicides and other forms of gun violence, and engage with the many strengths of AI/AN communities including their strong sense of community, cultural identification, and spirituality. These interventions—coupled with proven gun safety laws—can help reduce the toll of gun violence and keep AI/AN communities safe.

Find the full memo HERE

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