October 7, 2025
By Julianne Will and Beatrice Johnson
Traffickers often seek vulnerable individuals, and these communities disproportionately experience financial hardship, homelessness and language or cultural barriers compared with other citizens.
“Worldwide, indigenous persons are often economically and politically marginalized and are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and armed conflict. They may lack citizenship and access to basic services, sometimes including education,” the U.N. reports. 1
When they do fall prey to traffickers, members of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities in the United States face steep barriers to support and justice. Tribal law enforcement agencies identify a “lack of training on identifying and responding appropriately to victims, victim shame and reluctance to come forward, and lack of service provider resources as barriers to investigating cases and serving victims.” 2
According to the United Nations, there are more than 370 million Indigenous people worldwide, 3 and the United States is home to 9.7 million individuals identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native plus another race. 4
At LifeWay Network, we seek to advocate for marginalized populations and to amplify the experiences of Native people — especially on Indigenous Peoples Day. This is not only a time to celebrate Indigenous culture but also to raise awareness of the prevalence of trafficking in AIAN communities.
Oppression in Context
The vulnerabilities experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native people are rooted in the United States’ complicated history with Indigenous communities. When European settlers arrived, Native populations suffered the effects of colonization — contracting deadly diseases such as smallpox, losing their homelands, or being subjugated and left without agency.
One such example is the Indian Removal Act passed under President Andrew Jackson, which displaced more than 60,000 American Indians in the 1830s. Further, many Native children were forced into boarding schools designed to “civilize” them. These schools stripped children of their names, language, clothing and culture. Speaking their Native dialect often resulted in punishment or abuse; some never returned home.
These systemic efforts sought to erase Native identity, and their effects are still felt today.
Elevated Risk
While all Indigenous peoples have been affected, some remain more vulnerable than others. Numerous studies have pointed to the outsized exploitation of American Indian and Alaska Native women 5 — and these figures are most certainly underreported.
A 2019 Guardian article about trafficking in New Mexico reported that while Native Americans make up about 11 percent of New Mexico’s population, “nearly a quarter of New Mexico’s trafficking victims are Native American — and women and girls are the least protected as the state struggles to address the problem.” 6
When considering the force, fraud or coercion that defines human trafficking, it becomes evident that sex trafficking of contemporary Indigenous women is “almost indistinguishable from the colonial tactics of enslavement, exploitation, exportation and relocation,” as noted by Sarah Deer, professor of law at Kansas University and author of The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America. 7
Barriers to Justice
American Indian and Alaska Native communities are beset by particular challenges to identifying trafficking and seeking justice.
When exploitation becomes common or normalized, as it often is among Indigenous communities, it’s difficult for trafficking victims to self-identify. They may have been groomed online to believe exploitation is a form of relationship or love.
Lack of training and awareness among law enforcement and confusion over jurisdiction also contribute to an inadequate tracking of or response to trafficking incidents.
The historical distrust of authorities based on decades of abuse and oppression furthers a culture of silence and a lack of reporting among victims of human trafficking. 8
A lack of protocols, mandated training and coordination among law enforcement and medical institutions also leaves victims vulnerable to repeated exploitation. 9
Impacts of Trafficking in Indigenous Communities
The consequences of trafficking are devastating — not only for individuals but for families and entire communities. Survivors often experience post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and long-term safety concerns. Many also face significant barriers when reintegrating into society, including limited education and job skills, making it difficult to gain employment and rebuild their lives.
When trafficking becomes endemic and generational, it can further addiction, poverty and other vulnerabilities that can, in turn, lead to more trafficking and destroy an Indigenous community. 10
Calls to Action
Disproportionately impacted communities, such as Indigenous populations, require targeted support and advocacy. LifeWay Network urges individuals to stay informed about what trafficking is, how to identify it and who it affects most.
You can help by supporting Indigenous-led organizations such as StrongHearts Native Helpline and Pathfinder Center. These organizations provide critical services to American Indian communities affected by trafficking.
Some states have implemented Turquoise Alerts, similar to Amber Alerts for missing children and Silver Alerts for missing seniors, to better draw attention to missing Indigenous women. You can seek to establish Turquoise Alerts in your state by reaching out to your legislators.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign offers resources to better understand the issue. Important facts to note:
- Sex trafficking affects boys and men as well. It is a misconception that only individuals who identify as women are at risk. Indigenous men and boys can also be victims.
- Labor trafficking is a significant issue in Indigenous communities as well. It can be found in the agriculture, fishing, ranching and construction industries, casinos, domestic servitude, factories and at cultural or sporting events.
Crucially, you can hear directly from American Indian and Alaska Native representatives in a discussion of trafficking among Indigenous people: See the webinar “Exploring the Intersections Between Human Trafficking and Missing or Murdered Indigenous People” hosted by the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center within the National Center for Victims of Crime.
At LifeWay Network, we’re committed to raising awareness, advocating for systemic change and supporting survivors. We provide safe housing for women who have experienced human trafficking, offering trauma-informed safe house programs.
1 https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/233942.pdf
2 www.bia.gov/service/mmu/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-crisis
3 www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/5session_factsheet1.pdf
4 https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/node/8/revisions/8/view
5 www.justice.gov/archives/ovw/page/file/998081/dl
6 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/18/native-american-women-trafficked-searchlight-new-mexico
7 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/18/native-american-women-trafficked-searchlight-new-mexico
8 https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=ailr
9 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/18/native-american-women-trafficked-searchlight-new-mexico
10 https://commons.stmarytx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1426&context=thescholar