By David Atteberry, Public Safety Manager
Each January, communities across the nation observe Human Trafficking Awareness Month. This is a time to bring attention to an issue that affects people everywhere, including right here in Interior Alaska. While trafficking is often portrayed as something that happens far away or only in major cities, the truth is that Alaska Native people, particularly women and youth, experience higher rates of vulnerability to exploitation than many other groups. Understanding the issue is an important step in preventing harm and protecting our communities.
Human trafficking includes both sex trafficking and labor trafficking. It occurs when a person is forced, coerced, or manipulated into providing labor or commercial sex against their will. In Alaska, traffickers often take advantage of people who are experiencing economic hardship, isolation, lack of transportation, unstable housing, or past trauma. These risk factors are found more frequently in rural and village communities due to historic injustices, limited resources, and the ongoing impacts of generational trauma.
In the Interior, trafficking does not always look like it does in movies or news stories. It may involve someone being pressured to exchange sexual acts for food, shelter, drugs, or transportation. It may involve teenagers being groomed online by adults who promise love, opportunities, or safety. It may involve labor exploitation, where someone is brought into Fairbanks for work and then controlled through intimidation, withheld pay, or threats. Trafficking often happens quietly and is frequently hidden within relationships, families, or trusted circles.
Alaska Native women and girls are especially targeted. Information from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) movement shows that individuals who go missing or are murdered often face the same vulnerabilities that traffickers seek out. Geographic isolation, limited access to services, and the absence of local law enforcement in some communities can increase the risk even further.
Although the issue is serious, our communities are not powerless. Awareness and vigilance save lives.
Some signs that a person may be experiencing trafficking include:
- Sudden changes in behavior, isolation, or withdrawal
- Signs of physical abuse or malnourishment
- Someone else controlling their movements, phone, or money
- A young person with an older partner who appears controlling
- Fearful or evasive behavior when asked about their situation
Protecting our people begins with watching out for one another and speaking up when something does not feel right. Increasing access to safe housing, mental health support, cultural healing programs, and trusted local responders also reduces the conditions that allow trafficking to occur.
This month and every month, Tanana Chiefs Conference Public Safety remains committed to supporting Tribal communities, assisting survivors, and working with our local, Tribal, state, and federal partners to promote safety across the Interior.
If you or someone you know is in danger, contact your local VPSO, Tribal Peace Officer, law enforcement agency, or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
By staying informed and supporting one another, we can strengthen our communities and work toward a future where trafficking has no place in Alaska.