“The 2008 Data Book from Montana Kids Count, which just hit the
shelves, is boring and bland, but its informative sections on
juvenile justice and the data snapshots of Native American women and children sound alarm bells.Here’s an example. On page 9, in the middle of a chart, is this
shocking bit of news: Native women in Montana have an average life expectancy of 64 years, compared to 81 for the general population.”
Sixty-four years!
This reminds me of a great article from the Missoulean last year that detailed the reality of violence against Native women, in particular rape, and how much that affects our life longevity. Living our lives under these horrendous conditions certainly does not bode an equal chance of a long, healthy life.
Unfortunately, this is no surprise to me.









