he juvenile justice system is failing Native American youth. That’s what a series of recent reports have shown. In June the Tribal Law and Policy Institute reported that state courts are twice as likely to incarcerate Native teens for minor crimes like truancy and alcohol use, than any other racial and ethnic group. All three recent reports call for reform.

The law values human life by punishing people who take it. Against this landscape, self-defense — or the law of justifiable homicide — carves out a narrow exception.

They experience more violence and can have post-traumatic stress disorder akin to Afghanistan War vets.