Indian Reservations in the US - Term Paper Example

?Indian Reservations in the US Your “Indian Reservations in the United s: a look into the history andLifestyle” The history and cultural background of the Native Americans and the varying political attitudes towards them during the course of the development of the United States as the modern economy it is today form an important part of the overall studies of American History. The initial reaction of the European population who settled in the lands to the natives was one of scorn, isolation and containment- both so that there would be less competition for valuable resources which were needed to develop and maintain their hold on the economy but also so that the tribes could learn to be more ‘civilized’ and adapt the European sensibilities among themselves. The official start of the segregation of the native Indians began with the Indian Removal of 1830 which forced the migration of many of the tribes living east of the Mississippi river to the west side of the river1. In doing so the US government gained control of the best farming lands needed for the expansion of the European population and started off a trend of isolating the tribes and impinging on their basic rights in their own homeland which would lead on to have negative percussions for those people and tribes for the centuries to come. The treaties and forceful migration of the tribes was propagated as a means to provide them with their sovereignty and right to their lifestyle within the specified reservations. Even if one ignores the fact that many of the tribes did not regard these measures as anything of benefit for themselves and that military confrontations were often involved in ensuring their compliance with the legislations, there is still the question of the quality of the land that was allotted to them and the lifestyle options available to them in the reservations. Lands kept for Indian use were commonly considered as the least desirable by whites and were almost always located far from major population centers, trails, and transportation routes- all necessary elements for economic growth and communication with the mainland cities. The result was that the Indians were unable to find sufficient means to find sustainable livelihoods and find the resources to use towards social development for their communities. The appalling social conditions of the reservations were widely acknowledged by the end of 19th century but government initiatives of ‘forced assimilation’ (1887) and then nearly a century later the Termination legislation (1953)2 failed to bring about any major impact in the opportunities available to the Indians or the reservations as a whole. The Termination legislation put forward idea of disbanding the communities as independent political entities but that proved to be unpopular and was abandoned. Even though the Termination legislation was put into practice along with a wide scale relocation and employment program to provide financial and social assistance to the Indian youth who would be losing the close knit community atmosphere of the reservations, the low participation rate provided the government with one key insight to the lives of the natives. Despite the rampant social problems including unemployment, high crime rates, poor housing, lack of adequate child support and crime- the reservations are still thought of as a common cultural base for the Indians. The tight knit families and extended families live in close proximity and the cultural heritage is passed through one generation to the other. Languages, customs and traditions are protected in the circle of community; this wouldn’t be possible if the individual members were scattered as they are in urban settings3. Reservations have now become a part of the Indian identity and one they are not willing to part with easily- in some cases there isolation from the mainstream population actually makes them unfit for a life outside of the reservations and any opportunities available to them in urban or rural centers would be offset by the psychological difficulties in adjustment. The answer to their problems lies not in disbanding their lifestyle but providing them with the means to make this lifestyle a sustainable and dignified one. “Critics of conditions in the United States often point to American Indian reservations as exam- ples of the hypocrisy of a system that purports to provide liberty and justice for all”4. The basic problem of the reservations lies in the original intent of the government- “isolation”. Cut off from the economic development which took place in America and without natural resources the reservations are still finding it difficult to catch up to the rest of the country. It is difficult to interest private businesses into their areas as the different political environment increases the risk and uncertainty for business owners and decades of dealing with the poverty cycle have taken away the necessary motivation and skills for the Indians to introduce viable local business models. The dependence on welfare is a norm of life; the basic necessities like healthcare are provided through free services like the Indian Health clinics. This state of dependency has resulted in a society where alcohol consumption, suicide rates and crime are on a rise- leading to a sense of hopelessness and desperation which has severe consequences for any chance of positive development. The country’s 310 Indian reservations have violent crime rates that are more than two and a half times higher than the national average, according to data compiled by the Justice Department5. The occurrences of rape and child abuse are also much higher in the reservations even though prosecution of these crimes is not always easy or possible. Even as the government has taken a positive stand towards helping these people grow socially and economically, reorganization of their sovereign rights as a people is what is, ironically, hindering the involvement of federal prosecutors in the process of curtailing the crime rate and handling out punishments. Federal prosecutors in 2011 declined to file charges in 52 percent of cases involving the most serious crimes committed on Indian reservations. Taking the example of Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, the unemployment rate is 80%, the average wage is ?4,400 – and life expectancy is 506. Teenage suicide is becoming a serious concern as broken, unstable households cannot provide these vulnerable, economically deprived young people with the support they need and tribal governance has been unable to provide them with social structure. In her article for National geographic, Alexandra Fuller talks to two natives from Pine ridge about their experiences and expectations living in the reservation. The article brings to light the sense of injustice they feel and have been feeling for a long time over the infringement of their ‘sovereign’ rights “They tried extermination, they tried assimilation, they broke every single treaty they ever made with us,” White Plume said. “They took away our horses. They outlawed our language. Our ceremonies were forbidden.”7  Wounded Knee creek is a reverent place for these people, the site of the 1890 massacre in a standoff between the government military and natives and in 1973 the site of occupation by the pro-activist group American Indian Movement (AIM) who were protesting against broken treaties and corrupt tribal governance. These incidents remind the natives of the grievances of the past generations and of the problems that have to be solved if they need to prosper and cater to their young. Componding all these problems is the paradox of the ‘myth of prosperity’8. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, many people in the general population hold the perception that the Indians are contewnt with their coinditions as they get to avail the benefits of welfare checks and different governmental priorities. Examples of sucesful gambling and casino enterprises owned by Indians are cited to support this claim but that ignores the fact that these ‘prosperous’ Indians are those who had the advantage of being located near urban centers an d as such were not isolated from economic development, for example, the Seminoles in Florida. For most Indians who live in over crowded houses, filled with an average of 15 people a welfare check of few hundred dollars is not close to even covering their basic needs. Yet the lack of jobs or proper education means that their ways of earning are limited and many are stuck with the poverty. For these people, who were robed of their lands and property and had to defend their culture, traditions and lifestyle for nearly two centuries the current conditions of their society are nothing short of dismal. In order to prosper they need the support of federal government and state programs which will help to curb their dependency on welfare and introduce long term economic prospects for them. All this has to be accompalished while respecting the rights of independence and culture of the American Indians and making sure they are not forced to lose their identity they have managed to hold on to for so long. This is a difficult task, but it is no less than what the people deserve for the injustices and atrocities that have been committed against them. WORKS CITED: D. Sandefur, Gary. American Indian reservations: The first underclass areas?  Focus 12 (Summer, No. 1, 1989): 37-41. Fuller, Alexandra. In the Shadow of Wounded Knee. National Geographic, August 2012. Accessed on 2nd October 2012. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/08/pine-ridge/fuller-text McGreal, Chris. Obama’s Indian Problem. The Guardian, January 11 2010. Accessed on 2nd October 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2010/jan/11/native-americans-reservations-poverty-obama Williams, Timothy. Higher Crime, Fewer Charges on Indian Land, The New York Times, Feburary 20, 2012. Accessed on 2nd October 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/us/on-indian-reservations-higher-crime-and-fewer-prosecutions.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all Read More