Summary
Sex work (commonly known as "prostitution" in historical documents) emerged in the West in the early 1880s as a survival strategy on reserve communities for many women after the disappearance of the bison and the resulting food crisis. The DIA agents in particular often traded food for sex leading to a national scandal in 1886 regarding the trafficking and exploitation of Indigenous women among DIA agents.
Implications
With these changes on reserve communities, the Plains saw a jump in the number of reports of sexually transmitted diseases. This also changed the ways in which women were treated within and outside their communities due to the dehumanization and sexual violence perpetuated by colonial governments and settlers against Indigenous women.
Sub Event
Increase in the Reports of Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections
Date
1880-00-00