Is the number of Native Americans involved in gang activity disproportionate within their population group?
• Are certain aspects of Native American gang activity unique, to the exclusion of other gang groups? • Are there unique sociological or historical considerations that contribute to Native American gang involvement? These questions will be considered individually in the remainder of this paper. Question 1: Is the number of Native Americans involved in gang activity disproportionate within their population group? The answer to this question is a qualified “no.” Although it does not appear that the Native American population is over-represented in the gang subculture, one of the significant problems in dealing with the issue is the lack of clear and definitive statistical information regarding the number of Native Americans involved in this behavior. While it is clear that some reservations struggle with high numbers of gang-involved youth, others appear to have little trouble in this area. However, the picture of the extent of the activity remains unclear, despite efforts to clarify the
