ABSTRACT
Indigenous people are victims of crime and violence at higher rates than non-Indigenous persons. Moreover, Indigenous persons who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, or two-spirit (LGBTQ2S) experience higher levels of discrimination, including violence, than non-Indigenous persons from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community. Thus, Indigenous LGBTQ2S persons are doubly victimized in that they are targeted for victimization based on both their Indigenous and LGBTQ2S identities.
Much of the violence within Indigenous communities have derived from colonial oppression and systemic racism. Colonization severed the dynamics of Indigenous traditional matriarchal societies and created ongoing trauma that endured throughout generations. The discrimination that targets Indigenous people and LGBTQ2S individuals is also rooted in colonization and exists in modern-day Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Understanding the history of violence against Indigenous people and the role of colonization creates a framework for better understanding the contemporary victimization of Indigenous people, including those who identify as LGBTQ2S. This chapter will advance the field of criminology and criminal justice by reviewing the historical and current context of victimization against Indigenous persons who identify as LGBTQ2S and will provide culturally relevant recommendations to respond to victims and prevent further victimization.
