**Trigger Warning**
Because of racism + sexism, women of color often face really vile and frequent harassment on the street and the rates of sexual assault are higher overall for women of color than they are for white women.
This story, published by Indian Country Today, is a very, very upsetting example. Please read with care.
“In a telephone interview, Christi Belcourt, representing the victim’s family, elaborated on the police report and a statement issued by the family. She said the attack began at around 9 p.m. on December 27, when the victim was walking to a store in the north end of the city [Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada]. Two Caucasian men in their mid-30s pulled up alongside her in a green two-door sedan and began yelling at her, allegedly calling her a ‘dirty squaw’ and other racially tinged profanities.
When she ignored them and walked faster, they reportedly began throwing things at her, including trash. She says the passenger then jumped out of the car and grabbed her by her hair—pulling her so violently she lost clumps of hair—and shoved her into back seat, where he sat on her and began beating her.
She tried to fight back, but was unable to escape as she was driven to a nearby wooded area, where she says she was brutally sexually assaulted, strangled and beaten.
During the attack the men allegedly told the victim it wasn’t the first time they had committed this type of crime and ‘it wouldn’t be the last.’ She told police they also told her, ‘You Indians deserve to lose your treaty rights,’ making a reference to the recent Idle No More events in Thunder Bay.
Left for dead in the woods in freezing temperatures, the victim walked for nearly four hours to get back to her home. From there, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment and forensic tests. ‘The only thoughts that came to my mind were my children,’ the victim later said in a statement. ‘I thought I would never see them again.'”
Heartbreaking. Maddening. Brave. I’m glad she lived.
The Thunder Bay City Police are investigating the harassment and assault as a possible hate crime (which it clearly is – a hate crime against Native women), and no suspects have been found so far.
The woman and her family bravely came forward with the painful story to show what kind of racism and misogyny exists in their community and to make sure the perpetrators are held accountable.
“First Nations leaders want police to know the public is watching. ‘These cases often are not taken seriously enough and we don’t want this to get swept aside,’ said Chief Peter Collins of the Fort William First Nation, who noted there have been many cases of missing First Nations women that remain unresolved.”
The Native Youth Sexual Health Network issued a statement after the attack: “Violence against indigenous women and girls has been, and continues to be used as a weapon of colonialism and a way to undermine the strength of our leadership. NYSHN sees raising our voices together against sexual violence and making change for violence against women to stop as an integral part of any movement.” You can help support their work here.
I hope the two perpetrators are found and prosecuted quickly, before they hurt anyone else.
