American Indian Culture and Research Journal

INTRODUCTION In 1999, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released a benchmark study about crime and victimization in the American Indian community. The study examined five years (1992–97) of American Indian criminal justice concerns, with a particular focus on violent crime victimization and criminal activity. Although it is widely read and cited, this research may not have captured the full picture suggested by its name, “American Indians and Crime.” According to the BJS report, approximately 150,000 American Indians are victimized each year, amounting to 1.4 percent of violent victimizations per year in the United States. The 2000 census indicated that American Indians constitute 0.9 percent of the population, amounting to a 50 percent overrepresentation of crime victimization according to the BJS study. Further, the BJS research maintains that American Indians have a higher per capita rate of violent crime victimization than the other racial minorities studied. Although the study did not attempt to explain these disparities, the overrepresentation and comparative per capita victimization rates give cause for further, more comprehensive inquiry.