Articles
For Tribes, Prosecuting Non-Native Abusers Still a Challenge by Sarah Childress
Federal Officials Outline Efforts to Combat Abuse on N.D. Reservation by Sarah Childress
What’s Changed Since the BIA Took Over at Spirit Lake? by Sarah Childress
Will the Violence Against Women Act Close a Tribal Justice “Loophole”? by Sarah Childress
Child Abuse Concerns Spur Federal Takeover at North Dakota Indian Reservation by Sarah Childress
Resources For Victims Of Abuse
Nearly one in four women in the U.S. has experienced abuse at the hands of an intimate partner or former partner. The rate is even higher for Native American women. We’ve gathered a list of resources for victims of abuse, including hotlines for immediate help, and organizations that provide advocacy.
In a special two-part series, acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland (“The Farmer’s Wife,” “Country Boys”) creates an unforgettable portrait of Robin Charboneau, a 32-year-old divorced single mother and Oglala Sioux woman living on North Dakota’s Spirit Lake Reservation.
Sutherland follows Robin over three years as she struggles to raise her two children, further her education and heal herself from the wounds of sexual abuse she suffered as a child.
Robin’s battles in tribal court with her ex-husband for custody of the children, even after he is convicted of abusive sexual contact with his daughter, illuminates how serious this problem is on the reservation.
Her quest to heal her family, find a man worthy of her love, build a career and fulfill her goal of returning to her reservation to help prevent the abuse of women and children, takes her on an intimate and inspiring journey full of heartbreak, discovery and redemption.
“As in my other films profiling rural poverty,” says Sutherland, “I was trying to reach out to another forgotten corner of the American landscape, this time to put a face on a Native family so that we could see them close-up with all the detail that illuminates the rich reality of their lives.”
"Kind Hearted Woman" is a special co-presentation of FRONTLINE and INDEPENDENT LENS.
Part One airs Monday, April 1 from 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. - The series chronicles a young Oglala Sioux woman as she struggles between saving her family and risking it all to help end domestic and child abuse on her Native American reservation. Robin Charboneau negotiates single motherhood, tenuous sobriety, and a complicated tribal justice system.
Part Two airs Tuesday, April 2 from 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. - Robin’s battles in tribal court with her ex-husband for custody of the children, even after he is convicted of abusive sexual contact with his daughter, illuminates how serious this problem is on the reservation. Robin’s intimate journey is one of heartbreak, discovery, and redemption.
Filmmaker David Sutherland is on Facebook, and you follow @SutherlandFilms on Twitter. FRONTLINE is on Facebook, and follow @frontlinepbs on Twitter. INDEPENDENT LENS is on Facebook, and you can follow @IndependentLens on Twitter.
Watch Kind Hearted Woman - Long Preview on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
Watch David Sutherland, Filmmaker on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
