Ten Things to Know About Current Indian Reservations Saanvi Kunisetty

 Ten Things to Know About Current Indian Reservations

Saanvi Kunisetty

1. Due to issues Native Americans face very often, such as poverty, unemployment, sexual assault, and more, the number of suicides of young indigenous people in some Indian reservations is up to ten times greater than the national average (1). 

2. Approximately 3 out of every 4 people living on Native American reservations in America are non-Indian (1). 

3. Indigenous women are frequently abused by non-Native Americans on tribal land, and hence have the highest rates of assault in comparison to other ethnic groups in the United States (1).

4. Over half of the Native American population does not live on Indian reservations. They instead leave to seek education and employment, returning back to their home on the reservation for family gatherings, celebrations, rituals, cultural activities, tribal elections, burials, retirement, and more (2).

5. Local economy is hitting a low for many Native American reservations, so many tribes have been building casinos on the reservation as a tourist destination in order to improve the economy (3).

6. Since 2013, a protest movement called “Idle No More” has been working to raise awareness about the situation of Native Americans on reservations, and voicing the importance of the government’s need to protect the environment on reservations (4).

7. Approximately 90,000 of indigenous families are under-sheltered or are completely homeless, as a lot of the housing on the reservation is not up to par (5).

8. Access to employment is very limited on Indian reservations, and hence, almost 50% of Native Americans are jobless (5).

9. Since getting contracts implemented and enforced under tribal law can become very difficult or unreliable, companies are reluctant to do business on Indian reservations, further worsening the economic situation of the indigenous community (6).

10. Many Native Americans are unable to invest in their home to further improve its condition, since a vast amount of land on reservations is held communally, so they technically don’t even own their own land and home (6).

Resource #1: 

https://www.factretriever.com/native-american-facts

Resource #2: 

https://www.bia.gov/frequently-asked-questions

Resource #3: https://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/indian_reservations.php#:~:text=Interesting%20Facts%20about%20Native%20American%20Reservations&text=There%20are%20566%20federally%20recognized,the%20most%20reservations%20with%20121.

Resource #4:

https://www.coolkidfacts.com/native-american-reservations/

Resource #5: 

http://www.nativepartnership.org/site/DocServer/RESERVATION_FACTS.pdf?docID=1241

Resource #6:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoppisch/2011/12/13/why-are-indian-reservations-so-poor-a-look-at-the-bottom-1/?sh=bace3de3c079