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Brayan Duran

Ms. Dewey

English 101

25 October 2018

Native American Poverty

Living in a land that little by little is taken away isn’t the best situation to be in but that’s

what happened to Native Americans since the beginning of history. Native Americans have been

mistreated many times in United States History. Since the 15th century in United States history

they've had to deal with Europeans come into their land and take over their land. Over centuries

they’ve had to fight for their rights and still get mistreated by the US government because of

promises they didn't fulfill. Some of the effects of Native American poverty that comes from the

past and present in United States history is the lack of funding by the government in the

reservations, the lack of attention in legislation and Native Americans dependence on the US

government, that the government created themselves due to their mistreatment of Native

Americans.

In the past and present Native Americans can be seen being neglected by the US

government. For example in “1862, the American government refused to honor treaty obligations

to the Dakota Sioux Indians during a time of widespread starvation”(Rodgers, par. 3). The treaty

involved the US government giving the tribe money, but when the government didn’t give them

the money the tribes instead asked for food in return. The US Government did not give them
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food and just let the Native americans starve because they did not care. A lesson to be learned

from this in a current point of view is to not neglect the Native Americans because it led Native

Americans to die due to starvation from the government's neglect. It has been over 100 years

since that event and Native Americans are still treated the same in the present. As in 1996 they

failed to reauthorize a Health Care Improvement Act in 1992 that was passed in 1976 (Rodgers,

par. 16). Due to the act not being reauthorized the Native Americans healthcare in 1996 was

worse than prisons. The neglect of Native Americans by the US government in the past and

present. Shows that as they continue to neglect the Native Americans, it results in Native

Americans poverty

In addition to Native American being neglected in legislation, they’re dealing with a high

unemployment rate. In 2012, the Blackfeet people deal with an unemployment rate at 69 percent

and compared to the national unemployment rate during the Great Depression was at 25 percent

(Rodgers, par. 10). The Great Depression is one of the worst times in US history because it was a

time, where no one could find a job and money was just worthless. If the Blackfeet people are

dealing with a situation that is three times worse than the Great Depression then they should be

assisting them. In 1996 Native Americans had “the highest unemployment and poverty rates of

any group in the United States but also the nation's worst disease rate.” (Cooper, par. 5).

Comparing the data from 1996 to 2012 shows that not much has changed in 16 years. In 2013

data was shown that Native Americans doubled the unemployment rate of White Americans.

Native American poverty should be a top priority for the US government in 1996 but it's been
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over 20 years so as it gets worse for the Native Americans it can be seen as being dueto the

neglect of the US government assisting them.

The causes of Native American poverty comes from the neglect of funding by the

government in the reservations, the lack of attention in legislation and the mistreatment from the

United States. Few policy maker give Native Americans attention and in addition “ few even

know that November was Native American Heritage Month” (Rodgers, par.12). Native

Americans poverty is the result of policy makers not being given attention and this can also be

seen in the month of November not being known as Native American Heritage month in the

nation. Another example of the lack of attention on Native Americans that was brought up in

paragraph 2 is that the US government in 1996 failed to reauthorize the Indian Health Care

Improvement Act since 1992. Initially passed in 1976, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act

was designed to bring the waning health of Native American communities up to the standard

enjoyed by all Americans (Rodgers, par. 16). The article was written in 1996, so that meant for 4

years the US government neglected to give better healthcare to Native Americans. Native

Americans were in a situation that they are healthcare was worse than prisons for 4 years. These

2 examples demonstrate that Native American Poverty is a consequence of the US government's

mistreatment and neglect.

In addition, Native Americans are dependent of the US government. Native Americans

are dependent of the US government because “Many tribes on remote reservations with no

tourist attractions or other economic enterprises depend almost entirely on government assistance
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to run their schools, health clinics, tribal governments and other institutions. These reservations

are often the most severely afflicted with unemployment, alcoholism, crime and a pervasive

sense of hopelessness” (Cooper, par. 16). So if no money comes from the US government to

reservations with nothing to gain money then they won't have enough food, hospitals or money

to buy essentials this can be seen as the result of “more than 1 of 3 live in poverty”(Karaim, par.

1). So when “Congress cut funding for Indian programs by $160 million in fiscal 1996” (Cooper,

par. 4). It can be seen as a result of why Native American poverty has gotten worse over the 20

years. With not much assistance Native Americans cannot do much if they are in areas people

would not come too. The US government chose these places for the Native Americans to be their

reservations. The blame cannot be placed on the Native Americans but the US government for

the mistreatment they have caused.

In conclusion Native American poverty comes from the past and present in United States

history is the lack of funding by the government in the reservations, the lack of attention in

legislation and Native Americans dependence on the US government, that the government

created themselves due to their mistreatment of Native Americans. As far back as the 1600’s

Europeans would come in and take over Native Americans lands. When Lois and Clark wanted

to travel around America, Native Americans helped but in return they got kicked out and moved

around. US history has seen Americans force Native Americans to leave their land and caused

many to die. Instead of the US government mistreating the Native Americans again they can stop

neglecting them and help out the 5 million Native Americans that live in the the US.
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Works Cited

Cooper, Mary H. "Native Americans' Future." CQ Researcher, 12 July 1996, pp. 601-24,

library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1996071200

Karaim, Reed. "Native American Youths." CQ Researcher, 24 Apr. 2015, pp. 361-84,

library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2015042400.
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Rodgers, Tom. "Additional Government Assistance Is Urgently Needed to Address Native

American Poverty." Native Americans, edited by Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2012.

Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010825225/OVIC?u=mcc_glendale&sid=OVIC&

xid=4dcf663f. Accessed 15 Oct. 2018. Originally published as "Native American

Poverty," Spotlight on