Feminist blog Jezebel designates South Dakota one of the worst places in America for women:
South Dakota is the seventh [worst] state on the list for a variety of reasons. First, health services for women are few and far between. There are only two abortion providers in the state which makes worst case scenarios even worse, and its remoteness makes it difficult for many South Dakota women to access emergency medical care. Last year, lawmakers passed a measure that would have imposed a 72 hour waiting period on abortion (the law was eventually struck down for placing an undue burden on women) [Erin Gloria Ryan, "The Ten Scariest Places to Have Ladyparts in America," Jezebel, 2012.04.18].
They find health and public safety for women on the Pine Ridge Reservation particularly egregious:
But on the Pine Ridge reservation, things are so bad for women that it should be a crime.
The infant mortality rate here is five times the national average, and due to high rates of alcoholism and few services available to addicts needing treatment, a larger than average percentage of babies born here suffer from Fetal Alcohol spectrum disorders. Rape of Native women who reside here is shamefully common, and often goes unprosecuted [Ryan 2012.04.18].
Don't expect our fetus-fetishizing GOP Governor and Legislature to do anything to make safe and legal abortion more accessible to South Dakota women. But Governor Daugaard has given some attention to infant mortality and may have some policy solutions in the works.
Or maybe South Dakota should just keep hoping for the Bakken oil boom to seep south. Then we wouldn't need women; we could just have a bunch of man camps like North Dakota.
Awesome post, CAH: exactly.
Some numbers, here.
The United States already has a disgustingly high infant mortality rate of 5.98 per thousand, putting us at 49 on the list (Monaco, #1, only has a rate of 1.8). Five times that is 29.9, putting the Pine Ridge Reservation between Guyana and Trinidad, and giving it #150 on the list, out of 223.
I was shaken by this revelation until I checked the blog site for clarification on parameters and found more information that only raised more questions in my mind.
“The Ten Scariest Places to Have Ladyparts in America
With states governments from coast to coast working tirelessly to make sure no woman has sex for pleasure without suffering the consequences of blessed, precious motherhood, it may be tempting to believe that if you have a uterus, the entire country has become hostile territory.
Well, we've got good news and bad news: The good news is that wherever you are, things could probably be much worse for your ladyparts. Unless, that is, you live in one of the ten scariest places to have ladyparts. The bad news is that these ten places exist.
In order to come up with this list of Down There Horrorscapes, we took a look at several factors, relying heavily on services a woman might need in a worst case scenario. We compared laws restricting access to abortion, including waiting periods, parental consent laws, and bans on late term procedures. A few states have trigger laws on the books that would immediately outlaw abortion in all cases except to save the mother's life in the event that Roe is ever overturned. We looked at laws that allow doctors and pharmacists to refuse to provide care or fill prescriptions for abortifacients, emergency contraception, or birth control, even in cases of medical emergency. We examined factors that would endanger pregnancy or adoption prospects as well — maternal mortality rates, inaccessibility of hospitals or , as well as regions with especially overloaded foster care systems that may make the idea of giving a child up for adoption seem less rosy. Domestic violence and spousal homicide rates were considered. And, of course, it wouldn't be a list of places that are unfriendly to ladies if we didn't include rape statistics. Points were assigned to each scary statistic, totals were compiled, and here's what we found.â€
Next I decided to ask Wikipedia just what exactly defines an “indian reservation†and am now edified to learn
“Because tribes possess tribal sovereignty, even though it is limited, laws on tribal lands vary from the surrounding area.[3] These laws can permit legal casinos on reservations, for example, which attract tourists. The tribal council, not the local or federal government, generally has jurisdiction over reservations. Different reservations have different systems of government, which may or may not replicate the forms of government found outside the reservation. Most Indian reservations were established by the federal government; a limited number, mainly in the East, owe their origin to state recognition.[4]
The name "reservation" comes from the conception of the Indian tribes as independent sovereigns at the time the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Thus, the early peace treaties (often signed underduress) in which Indian tribes surrendered large portions of land to the U.S. also designated parcels which the tribes, as sovereigns, "reserved" to themselves, and those parcels came to be called "reservations."[5] The term remained in use even after the federal government began to forcibly relocate tribes to parcels of land to which they had no historical connection.â€
Next I wanted to learn what the word “fetus fetishizing†meant and top URL search revealed something about Australian Health Minister so I read that and gave up and just decided to ask you what it means because I do not understand.
I have broken out my box of crayons and am prepared to connect the dots and color the picture if you could please explain to me how a “sovereign†area established by federal government quantifies South Dakota as “the seventh shittiest state on the list� Better yet, if you could clarify to me how South Dakota state health services, judiciary process and law enforcement work on Pine Ridge Reservation, or with tribal council, I will be more knowledgeable to address future discussions. Pro-Choice and Pro-Life encompass the entire state of South Dakota so I am looking at these things.
Thank you.
Blaming the victim: how South Dakotan of you.
I'm no expert on reservations my self, so I won't get into that.
Bu I would venture to guess that by "fetus fetishizing" Cory was referring to the GOP's constant talk about abortion being reprehensible, regardless of the context. In Arizona, it's so bad that fetuses apparently exist before they exist (try to make sense of that).
Yet another earth hater running for legislator:
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Jay_B.K._Slater
*sigh*
Lemme guess: white gen-x-er born with a silver foot in his mouth who believes that South Dakota's best days are when the tribes are all dead.
So, Slater: from where in the South have you fled?
Larry,
Yes I am caucasian but don't bother with ethnicity of any relatives...think diversity. Not much silver in my life more like pennies from heaven and hard work. I would like to see SD tribes continue to grow native pride with internal changes to succeed globally. I am still amazed that Big Bend is not the Columbia Gorge of the midwest. Think anyone would let me start a sailing program there? I am not from the South and not much into fleeing either. I am simply asking for clarification of a big issue citing one SD reservation as basis. Is Standing Rock Reservation doing something different that is working? By the way, I am offended at your use of "victim", the women described in segment on Pine Ridge are Survivors and should be recognized as such. I am kind of slow so don't understand the earth hater comment. You do not seem very approachable in your responses.
You poor sap.
Larry that is either mean or sympathy. Got anything of substance to offer me? Just like to know if you are worth discussing things with. Sure I am naive on a lot of the "issues" and new to politics but that is why I am here and I like it here because I am learning things.
Run as a Democrat and i'll be your guardian angel. Otherwise, you're my enemy.
Jay, good job with the questions. The answer on tribal issues, especially health issues is very complicated (sadly). If you want a good overview I have a few recommendations. Start with the South Dakota Department of Health. Then the Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Health Board and the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health (see BHCAIH link below). You can also check out the recent history of the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service. (IHS) There, you'll start to see what the real problems have been lately. Good luck in your studies. It is important for us all to understand as much of this as possible.
http://www.bhcaih.org/research.html
Carter, the numerical perspective is appalling. Jay, as long as the reservation is physically within South Dakota, the Lakota people are citizens of our state as well as members of a sovereign nation. Confusing, yes, but it means that Pine Ridge's status as a third-world nation stains our reputation as a community (I feel I should have a stronger phrase there).
Fetus-fetishizing: Carter gets it! The remoteness, poverty, health and safety issues on Pine Ridge throw into brightest relief the problems faced by a much broader population of South Dakota women subjected to oppressive policies and attitudes on women's health care.