Our sisters are being murdered by the state -Justice for Andrea and Sarah Circle Bear by Morning Star Gali & Krea Gomez
In the past week, major media outlets have reported on the first incarcerated female to die in federal custody. The death of Andrea "Andi" Circle Bear, Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member, is what many are describing as a very preventable and unjust killing of our sister. Andrea was transferred to a federal medical facility, FMC Carswell in Fort Worth Texas on March 20th. By April 1, Andrea gave birth by cesarean section a month prematurely while on a ventilator. After testing positive for COVID-19 on April 4th, Andrea died 3 weeks later on April 28th.
Native women are admitted to prison 6 times more than white counterparts. In many states across the country, such as South Dakota where Circle Bear called home, we are a large enough demographic to count us yet we are still considered as “other” on reports. Data collected by the Vera Institute on incarceration trends shows that states such as South Dakota, report no or very little data to the government on their incarceration rates of Indigenous populations. Native peoples are incarcerated at 10x the rate of white people in Circle Bear’s home state and are half of all jail populations, while making up only 8.7 percent of the state’s population. Statistics show we receive harsher sentences for nonviolent offenses as Andrea was charged. Andrea received a death sentence for pleading to a minor, non-violent offense
An undercover federal agent was involved in Andrea's charges and being charged on reservation lands, she received a federal sentence that was much higher than similar offenses. Had Andrea Circle Bear been off reservation, the charges would not have warranted a twenty six month sentence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Murder is the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women, AP News reported that 70% of people currently incarcerated in federal detention, show that out of 2,700 tests systemwide, nearly 2,000 have come back positive, strongly suggesting there are far more COVID-19 cases left uncovered. At the same time, the Bureau of Prisons communication policies are leaving families in the dark about their loved ones’ potentially life-threatening condition.
Andrea's grandmother Clara Lebeau stated that, "She was going to school with a full-time job, but she couldn't work schedules out so she let her job go and her school go and just became a full-time mom,” in a recent Vice article “She was a real good cook. She cooked for her kids and kept them clean and really loved them."
While the current pandemic has hit many low income communities of color, the current impacts of COVID-19 on Indian Country seem unrecoverable. Unfortunately, only federally recognized tribes are reporting. Indian Health Services has shared that as of yesterday, there are more than 2,373 confirmed covid cases within the Navajo Nation, being hit especially hard. In addition, the already high rates of violence that Indigenous women are facing, is now being greatly impacted with shelter in place orders.
We must acknowledge how a system deems legal to incarcerate, and transport over 1000 miles, a high risk 7 ½ month pregnant woman without allowing her proper clothing to keep her warm. The U.S. Marshalls gave a statement that Andrea received clearance from her health care providers, nurses at the Winner City Jail to fly, yet Andrea had communicated to the health care providers of her high risk pregnancy.
As Andrea was killed by a system that did not value her life, and the life of her unborn child, we have also witnessed the death of Andrea's sister in law, Sarah. Sarah also died while in custody in 2015, while repeatedly asking for medical attention before she passed. Sarah was also pregnant, and made multiple pleas for medical treatment. Her jailors responded by telling her to "knock it off" and to "stop faking."
Pandemics on Turtle Island started with the theft of our lands in exchange for our bodies, perpetrated by acts of sexual violence. If we are going to address the historical roots of sexual violence, we must acknowledge that hundreds of years later, sexual violence of Indigenous women continues to be invisible and criminalizes us in our own lands, and that the exotification of our bodies and our culture has contributed to erasing our voices and bodies.
The erasure of Indigenous peoples as reported in the media is reduced to issues involving drug and alcohol use. It dehumanizes us as indigenous peoples, and the impacts of colonial violence that have been waged against native peoples, lands and communities. Making it almost impossible to get the type of attention we need from the government.
According to the Department of Justice, Native American women, per capita, experienced more rape and sexual assault than any other racial group in the United States. Authorities were made aware by Andrea Circle Bear that she had a high risk pregnancy, along with pre-existing medical conditions while she was incarcerated.
Andrea's sisters Ronni Ann & Megan died months apart in 2017. Andrea's Sister in law died in custody in July 2015. Andrea just turned 30 on February 12, 2020 and has five children ages 2-10. The HeSapa Birth Circle is currently accepting donations for Andreas children. The collective and family trauma in losing multiple family members, is a crippling reality that we all must figure out how to continue to support.
We don't know an Indigenous woman that does not have an MMIW & #MeToo story to share. Violence inflicted on our bodies and across our lands has been an intergenerational and pervasive issue that has spread like an epidemic.
How are we individually and collectively supporting the safety and dignity of Indigenous women? We don't know how many more sisters will pass in state and federal detention. What we do know is that the state is holding no responsibility for the death of Andrea, Sarah and the many relatives that have died at the hands of the state.
We support the following demands from the March 4, 2020 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19: and the Beyond Prisons List of Demands for our incarcerated relatives.
We support the need for federal legislation so that we do not have another death that could have been prevented, as Andrea Circle Bears was.
Krea Gomez is the Education Director at the Young Women’s Freedom Center and an advocate for Indigenous women worldwide.
Morning Star Gali is Project Director for Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples, and advocates for Indigenous Justice across all Indigenous lands.
