Journal Title
The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Minority Issues
Volume
27
Issue
1
First Page
1
Document Type
Article
Publication Information
2025
Abstract
Trafficking and slavery have probably existed as long as humanity has existed. Despite efforts on many fronts, it will likely not be eradicated in our lifetimes. Bondage and abuse impose unthinkable suffering upon the immediate victims caught in the clutches of trafficking. Yet Native people and communities suffer unique, multi-generational, and almost permanent trauma, often referred to as susto. Our domestic law and policies have even resulted in the extinguishing of the formal legal Indian identity of Native victims and the destruction of their tribal connections. There is hope that the application of traditional prayer and ceremonies can provide some individual healing of psychological suffering. There is also the hope that our legal system will recognize this double injustice and provide remedies more consistent with our own Constitution, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Recommended Citation
Bill Piatt , Karagan Carson, Meghan Monahan & Makayla Perez, Indigenous Communities Suffer Multi-Generational Trauma ("Susto") from the Trafficking and Slavery of Native Women and Children, 27 Scholar 1 (2025).