Sterilization of Native American Women in the 1970s

Presenter: Chanthida Yim

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Department: Native American Studies

Funding Source/Sponsor: SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1VzptI6EuZHQMr5uZNbTiLJJwN9skV0N0

Abstract:
Native Americans have always been a target of the federal government since they have been discovered. There were many different ways to try and subtly get rid of them and for women, it was a procedure of nonconsensual sterilization. Many people would say that the sterilization of Native American women in the 1970s were an act of genocide by the U.S. government. Women would be told that they are going into a surgery for one procedure such as an appendectomy and then would become bombarded with papers to sign right before going in. Without even knowing it, they come to find out that they have also been sterilized during their procedure. There were two different forms of this procedure of sterilization, tubal implants or tubal ligation. Even though no women would want these procedures performed on them, they would still have to pay because they signed legal papers that were given to them prior to their surgery they specifically went in for. Many of these women were coerced into having these procedures done to them. A lot of these women suffer mentally after finding out what has happened to them and some began to drink excessively or distance themselves from their family. It was believed that Native American women were targeted because they seemed to be the easiest to kill off. After not being able to take any more of the nonconsensual sterilization happening to these women, the National Organization for Women started to speak up about taking back the control of their own fertility. Alongside them were the Women of all Red Nations, whose goals were to improve educational opportunities and reproductive rights for American women and end stereotyping against women.  Unfortunately, Native Americans have always been targeted since they were discovered in Americas and continue to face problems to this day. There are so many different methods that are used to try and subtly get rid of the Native American population. The form of sterilization is definitely a tactic that has made a large impact on their decrease of population. Nonconsensual sterilization is something these women have dealt with since the 1970s and it is important to bring up this topic to try and put an end to this.