Allison Jones

Rogers 3
(Research Paper)
Native American Issues in America
Approximately 40% of our countrys 4.9 million Native Americans live on reservations, that 40%
is living in conditions that are compared to living in a third-world country. Many households are
overcrowded and earn only social security, disability, or veterans income. The overall percentage of
American Indians living below the federal poverty line is 28.2%
(http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=airc_livingconditions). There are roughly three
hundred Native American Reservations in the United States, meaning the geographical area of them all is
56,200,000 acres which is approximately the size of Idaho.(http://www.bia.gov/FAQs/)
To explain the poverty of the reservations people normally point to alcoholism, corruption or
school-dropouts, not to mention the long distances to jobs and the dusty undeveloped land that doesnt
seem good for growing much. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoppisch/2011/12/13/why-are-indianreservations-so-poor-a-look-at-the-bottom-1/) Not only have Native Americans suffered from
discrimination, alcoholism, infant mortality, poverty, and unemployment. They also have suffered from
over-crowded homes, that never really seem to have enough food within them. A lot of reservations are on
land that have little to none good soil for gardening and growing produce, making it difficult for them to
grow their own food. A staggering number of Native American tribal elders are afflicted with diabetes,
and about 58 percent have hypertension. Because these ailments are often caused by a poor diet, gaining
access to healthy food is imperative. (http://www.nativepeoples.com/Reclaiming-Food-Sovereignty-onReservations/)
Many American Indians are living in substandard housing. About 40% of on-reservation housing
is considered inadequate. The waiting list for tribal housing is long; the wait is often three years or more,
and overcrowding is inevitable.(http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=naa_livingconditions)
With the Native American Act of 2016, I shall end home overcrowding by building more up-to-date
homes with indoor plumbing and as well central air. Native American Reservations shall have more space
to live in and as well to working in. Building new homes will get the Native Americans a chance to earn a
little money on the side by helping us build new homes, schools, hospitals, stores, etc. As has long been
the case, many Native American communities are economically depressed, and their jobless rates are
high. Only when Native Americans have a high and steady employment rate will their poverty rate
decline and their wealth begin to grow.(http://www.epi.org/publication/bp370-native-americans-jobs/)
The legal basis of the US' relationship with tribal nations is rooted in the treaty relationship; the
US made approximately 800 treaties with tribes. Of those that were ratified, all of them were violated by
the US in sometimes extreme ways that resulted in massive land theft and the subjection of Indians to the
foreign power of American law.
(http://nativeamericanhistory.about.com/od/nativeconceptsandperspectives/a/How-The-Injustices-Of-ThePast-Are-The-Injustices-Of-Today-In-Indian-Country.htm) There were many promises made and many
that were broken, treaties helped set the stage for a later and more dramatic policy of Indian removal.
Indians who resisted attempts by the whites to obtain Indian land via treaty arrangements found
themselves facing "removal" further westward. (http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/frameset_reset.html?
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/stories/0701_0141.html)

The main focus of the Native American Act of 2016, is to not only rebuild their overcrowded
homes, and create new jobs- but to build new schools, rehab centers, grocery stores, hospitals and so
much more. With this bill I shall give each and every Reservation in America a choice to either have us
fund their renovations and have them do it their self or to have us come in and work on it with them. I
shall get fundings from the US Indian Affairs Bureau, and as well talk with them on fixing treaties that
were previously broken.