Somewhere out in the Midwestern United States, a family of five is living in a run-down trailer home in the middle of a barren landscape. In order to support their family, the mother and father both make homemade jewelry to sell. This, along with the very minimal financial support they receive from the government, provides them with just enough to get by, with little room to spend on any kind of luxuries. It doesn't help that the land they live on is not good farming land. The father is now in a wheelchair, but fears using the ramp designed to get him into his home, as it is close to falling apart. Unfortunately, the family does not have the money to fix it. Both parents are hoping that their three kids - all in high school - will graduate, although the odds aren't in their favor. More than half of the kids in their school end up dropping out. A few miles from their trailer, Mount Rushmore hovers over the land which was taken form their ancestors over a century ago, with some of its faces representing men who held a deep dislike of Native Americans. Sometimes the family wonders if anyone will help them or if anyone even knows that their reservation exists.
This is not the story of one particular family, but of countless people living on Native American reservations throughout the United States. Of course, not all reservations are the same - some are better off financially than others. However, the majority of them do not have very suitable living conditions. These are the places where Native Americans were forced to move to as white settlers stole away their old land for their own selfish interests.
In particular, The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota is a place of extreme poverty. As one of the most impoverished communities in the United States, the average income is just $4,000 and the unemployment rate on the reservation is a staggering 80-90%. While some people unfamiliar with this lifestyle may question why the residents can't just get jobs, it is not that simple. On poorer reservations like Pine Ridge, there is nearly no infrastructure or economic stability, which therefore makes it impossible for many to get any kind of a job. Many of the residents on these reservations who are employed are self-employed. They may make their living off of selling homemade crafts and jewelry or by running a small general store. However, there is not enough money to be made that way due to the lack of highly populated areas. On many of the midwest and western reservations, homes are spread far apart. If someone is operating their own store, it can be difficult to bring in large numbers of customers when the area is so sparsely populated. On top of it all, federal agencies control most of the economic development on reservations.
Poverty is just one of the problems Native Americans face today. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, the rate of alcoholism is around 80% and the teen suicide rate is four times that of the national rate. Among all Native Americans, the average lifespan is five years less than the rest of the population and the suicide rate 82% higher.
A sad but necessary question to be asked here is whether or not our government even cares. As you might know, the United States government has a rather embarrassing history regarding relations with Native Americans. Its history is one of selfishness, abuse, and broken promises. There have been massacres and outright lies committed hundreds of years ago for which the government has yet to apologize for to this day.
Sadly, the Native American community has long been ignored in this country. In addition to the aforementioned history, little is being done to support these impoverished communities around the nation. In many American schools, the horrible atrocities committed against native people is glanced over. And if you think our government is willing to learn from and acknowledge past mistakes, guess again. This is a country where Christopher Columbus is honored with his own federal holiday and Andrew Jackson stares back at us whenever we pull out a twenty dollar bill. Try asking yourself why? These two men displayed an utter disregard for humanity and presided over two of the biggest genocides in American history through their abuses towards Native American people. The fact that people like this are still idolized today is representative of the ignorance and refusal of the government to own up to previous mistakes or do much of anything to fix the multitude of current problems.
The silver lining is that this situation is not hopeless. Native Americans have shown to be incredibly resilient. After all, they have survived centuries of abuse and mistreatment. Many Native American nations in the U.S. still maintain a strong sense of history and culture. Plus, realistic steps can taken to boost reservation economies. As I mentioned earlier, the federal government controls most aspects of economic growth on reservations. Energy and resources are also regulated by the government. Basically, the government has created a system where these residents are forced to rely on government assistance, but they do not provide anywhere near adequate support. This is not impossible to fix, but it does require the federal government to wake up and recognize the problem they have created.
If you were previously unaware of the problems that Native Americans still face today, I can't blame you. Little is ever reported about it nor is it taught enough in our schools. However, I encourage you to educate yourself on this topic and tell your friends about it. Solving these problems will not happen overnight, but that doesn't mean you are helpless. Even simply raising awareness is a much-needed step in the right direction.
I myself was unaware of many of the issues dealt with by Native Americans a few years ago, but after studying it and actually visiting the Pine Ridge Reservation, I was able to open my eyes. I have since informed a lot of people I know about what I learned and what needs to be done, and many of my friends have been able to support the cause.
It's time to stop ignoring the Native American people who have been ignored here for hundreds of years. With the right support and awareness, our generation can be the one to finally help.
