The report analyzed the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It notes that the violence discussed in their findings is the direct result of colonization and structural racism.
Among the most striking parallels between national and state data are the high gun suicide rates among Indigenous folks. Out of all 50 states, Oklahoma had the second-highest gun suicide rate among Indigenous people in 2023. Alaska was listed as number one, according to a Johns Hopkins report on gun violence.
Nationally, the Indigenous population has the second-highest suicide rates and firearm suicide rates, with Indigenous men particularly impacted. While those suicide rates remain high, they have lowered in recent years.
"The American Indian/Alaska Native population faces a continuing crisis of lethal gun violence that outside of impacted communities rarely receives the attention it demands," Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, said in a news release. "The goal of this annual report is to support the efforts of advocates, organizations, and policymakers as they work to reduce gun violence in this community."
Public health recommendations from Johns Hopkins to help prevent firearm suicide include safely securing firearms away from those who may be at risk of self-harm and meeting with clinicians to develop healthy coping mechanisms during crisis events.
The report acknowledges the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis, and the information utilized is most likely undercounted due to the high rates of Indigenous women impacted, as well as data misclassifications. The VPC findings showed that "since 2015, the rate of female AI/AN victims killed by males has been the second highest in the nation."
The homicide rate caused by firearms for American Indians and Alaska Natives continues to increase across the country. The study acknowledges the need for ongoing work to address violence.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
