Civil Rights Commission to examine racial profiling of Native Americans

Evidence shows a persistent pattern of Indians being punished more harshly than white people who commit the same crimes, of white people not being punished when the victim is Indian and of an atmosphere in which Indians are regularly stopped and harassed by law enforcement officials. U.S. Civil Rights Commission testimony from other areas of the country shows a similar pattern in reservation border towns, with differences and bias revealed in political representation, loan and mortgage rates to Indians, education disparities in quality and success, and predatory sales and lending techniques practiced on Indian customers. [more]