What happened to Native Americans?

Currently, there are approximately 2.8 million Native Americans in the US, which is probably more than there were at the time of the first European settlers.

They represent 562 federally-recognized tribes, the best known to be the Navajo, the Apache, the Cherokee, the Cheyenne and the Sioux (the Lakota).

 

 

Almost half of the Native Americans live in large cities and rural areas, whereas the other half live on federal reservations. Most of the tribes have their own tribal laws and are not subject to state laws. The majority of the reservations are situated west of the Mississippi River, and the Indians continue to live there to maintain their traditions.

There is a growing self-awareness in the American Indian population today. Native Americans are becoming increasingly conscious and proud of their values, traditions and culture.

 

 

According to a study, roughly 22% of Native Americans currently live on tribal lands or reservations. What most people do not know living conditions on Native American reservations resemble that of third world conditions or more recently referred to as a fourth world.

The term fourth world came into use in 1974 and is used to refer to Indigenous or cultural entities living within or across the boundaries of a state. There are many factors that contribute to the poor living conditions of Native Americans on tribal lands such as, economics, health and housing. 

 

Sovereignty “held in trust”

 

 

Many Native Americans and advocates of Native American rights point out that the US Federal Government's claim to recognize the "sovereignty" of Native American peoples falls short. The US still wishes to govern Native American peoples and treat them as subject to US law.

True respect for Native American sovereignty, according to such advocates, would require the US Federal Government to deal with Native American peoples in the same manner as with any other sovereign nation. This would include handling matters concerning relations with Native Americans through the Secretary of State rather than the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

 

Employment

 

 

Typically, tribal and federal governments are the largest source of employment among Native Americans living on tribal lands. However, these jobs are coveted and hard to come by. Many households succumb to over-crowding and most families typically rely on social security. The scarcity of jobs along with harsh economic conditions means that between four to eight out of ten Native Americans are unemployed.

For those who are fortunate enough to have a job are usually underemployed. According to the Bureau of labour and statistics, the percentage of Native Americans living below the poverty line is 28.2%. However, when it comes to Native Americans living on tribal lands that number increases to 38% for smaller reservations to 68% for larger reservations. 

Economically, Native Americans have attained an uneven level of success across the nation. Some reservations exist in states with lax gaming laws, which has provided an opening for some native casinos to thrive. In Alaska, native peoples were not approached with the "reservation" mentality as was the case in the lower 48 states.

There, natives are in control of "native corporations", which control immense tracts of land throughout the state. This land is essentially part of the state of Alaska, however, these native corporations retain monies earned through the development of the resources of that land. These earnings are then distributed amongst the Native Americans that are part of the corporation. In other parts of the country, Native American communities have not been so fortunate.

 

Social Challenges

 

Nevertheless, there are severe social problems on many of the reservations, such as unemployment, poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse. High rates of diabetes and heart disease are also a concern. Agencies working with Native American communities are trying better to respect their traditions and integrate benefits of Western medicine into their own cultural practices.

Government efforts to alleviate the problems have sometimes done more harm than good. National policy on this matter wavers somewhere between integration of Native Americans and isolation on reservations. It is important to note that Indians were not made full US citizens until 1924.

 

The future of Native Americans is precarious. With much of their cultural heritage destroyed forever, many have completely abandoned their historical roots and have assimilated completely into American society. The population of Native Americans is steadily declining, with their numbers dwindling on every census taken over the past fifty years.

Young Native Americans move out of reservations in larger numbers every year. These young natives are the minority in any community they enter outside of a reservation, and they often marry non-native people.