WASHINGTON, D.C., June 26, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The National Native Alliance says the reversal of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision harms Native American women disproportionately.
A statement released Friday by executive director Judith LeBlanc says Native women are much more likely to die in childbirth, and already are subjected to more violence than average women.
“Overturning Roe v. Wade is another blow to the sovereignty of Native women over their own bodies,” LeBlanc’s statement says. “We are just a few decades away from the forced sterilization of Native women by the U.S. government, and today’s decision is another violation of our most sacred right to bodily autonomy.
“Native women are two to three times more likely to die in pregnancy than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Our women are already dying in childbirth. And the Court’s decision today puts even more at risk by forcing at-risk pregnant women to carry a pregnancy to term.
“The decision ignores the humanity and rights of victims of violence. One in three Native women will experience violence, including sexual violence, in their lifetime. They are also more likely to be victims of sex trafficking. The Supreme Court has sentenced these women to a full-term pregnancy that has resulted from sexual violence. It is the ultimate violation of their rights.
“Native Organizers Alliance has seen the power of our people when we unite to defend our rights. The fight isn’t over, and we will do all we can to support tribes and Native organizations in their work to protect and defend reproductive rights.”
Native American tribes in Utah include the Ute, Dine’ (Navajo), Paiute, Goshute, and Shoshone.
