--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (Speaking of epidemics, one of three…" description: "\"“(Speaking of epidemics, one of three Native American women will be raped, and on the reservations 88 percent of those rapes are by non-Native men who ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/rebecca-solnit-569_american-women_speaking-of-epidemics-one-of-three-nativ_3126242.jpg" --- # (Speaking of epidemics, one of three Native American women… ![“(Speaking of epidemics, one of three Native American women will be raped, and on the reservations 88 percent of those rapes are by non-Native men who know tribal governments can’t prosecute them. So much for rape as a crime of passion—these are crimes of calculation and opportunism.)” quote by Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/rebecca-solnit-569_american-women_speaking-of-epidemics-one-of-three-nativ_3126242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/rebecca-solnit-569_american-women_speaking-of-epidemics-one-of-three-nativ_3126242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/rebecca-solnit-569_american-women_speaking-of-epidemics-one-of-three-nativ_3126242.jpg) > ““(Speaking of epidemics, one of three Native American women will be raped, and on the reservations 88 percent of those rapes are by non-Native men who know tribal governments can’t prosecute them. So much for rape as a crime of passion—these are crimes of calculation and opportunism.)”” [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rape on reservations is often ignored, reflecting systemic oppression and legal gaps that enable violence. **In simple terms:** Systemic neglect lets violence continue. Key Takeaway Advocate for legal reforms and community protection. Themes justice systemic oppression violence Mood urgent somber Type activist analytical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - community education - support services Key Concepts Legal inequality tribal sovereignty Questions to Reflect On - What legal changes could protect victims? - How can allies support tribal justice? A Different Perspective Changing laws can be slow and contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-women/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“Congressional Republicans refused to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act because they objected to the protection it gave immigrants, transgender women, and Native American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/congressional-republicans-refused-to-reauthorize-the-violence-against/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“We have far more than eighty-seven thousand rapes in this country every year, but each of them is invariably portrayed as an isolated incident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/we-have-far-more-than-eighty-seven-thousand-rapes-in-this-country/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“And though rapes are often investigated lackadaisically—there is a backlog of about four hundred thousand untested rape kits in this country—rapists who impregnate their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/and-though-rapes-are-often-investigated-lackadaisically-there-is-a/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“rapes your wife but perfectly legal to kill a total stranger”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-salaman/rapes-your-wife-but-perfectly-legal-to-kill-a-total-stranger/) Clara Salaman > [“Every planet will take on the corporate identity of whoever rapes it first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/every-planet-will-take-on-the-corporate-identity-of-whoever-rapes-it/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Meanwhile, every eighteen seconds a man beats a woman, every three minutes a man rapes a woman, and every day two men will murder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/meanwhile-every-eighteen-seconds-a-man-beats-a-woman-every-three/) [Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/) > [Women are afraid of walking at night, that someone pulls them into an alley and rapes them. 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I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/women-it-seemed-were-obliged-to-be-thick-skinned-about-their-own/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) ## More by Rebecca Solnit > [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. 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It’s for all of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/marriage-equality-is-a-threat-to-inequality-it-s-a-boon-to-everyone/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Mountaineering is always spoken of as though summiting is conquest, but as you get higher, the world gets bigger, and you feel smaller in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/mountaineering-is-always-spoken-of-as-though-summiting-is-conquest/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“A procession is a participants' journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/a-procession-is-a-participants-journey-while-a-parade-is-a/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) [Explore all 469 Rebecca Solnit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## More American women quotes > [The work-family divide is the biggest issue for American women. 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