October 27, 2011
Melissa Farley, Nicole Matthews, Sarah Deer, Guadalupe Lopez, Christine Stark, Eileen Hudon

A research study about the prostitution and trafficking of 105 Native Women produced by Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition and Prostitution Research & Education has found that:

• The women were prostituted and trafficked in multiple locations including indoor (strip cubs, private homes, hotels, bars, escort) and street prostitution.


• About half of the women had been trafficked, almost all engaged in prostitution in order to survive, often under pimp or gang control.


• Extreme and frequent violence was committed against these women over the course of their lives. 79% had been sexually assaulted by an average of 4 perpetrators. 92% had been raped. 84% had been physically assaulted in prostitution. 72% had suffered traumatic brain injuries from violence in prostitution.


• Racism was linked to sexism in prostitution and caused the women great emotional distress.


• A majority of the women had symptoms of PTSD and dissociation as a result of sexual violence.


• 98% of the women were currently or previously homeless; 92% wanted to escape prostitution but did not have other options.


• Many women expressed a need for counseling, health care, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, homeless shelters, and substance abuse treatment centers that


• Incorporated Native cultural traditions into the healing services provided.


• The authors of the study stress that the women's strengths as well as their vulnerabilities must be seen in the context of a history of colonial harm on Native people, racism, poverty, and a lack of housing, lack of equitable healthcare, and lack of job/educational opportunities.

Download full report (in pdf)