Poverty & Native-American Indians

Living conditions on many reservations are inferior to what many of us take for granted. Society is dysfunctional, with high divorce rates, domestic abuse, substance abuse, and crime. The economy is very bad, with few job opportunities, and low wages. Decent education is also hard to find, with an astounding number of children not graduating high school.

On many reservations alcoholism is uncontrolled. Social workers in the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota estimate that between 60 percent and 80 percent of babies on the reservation are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcoholism affects nearly every family and often starts early in life. Those people who do not abuse alcohol experience difficulty functioning in an environment so dramatically affected by alcohol abuse. One effect of the alcohol is increased crime rates. (Lewis 59-62) While it provides new revenue for a reservation, it also causes many disasters, such as drunk driving. Native-American Indian women experience the highest rate of violence of any group in the United States. A report found that Native-American Indian women suffer violent crime at a rate three and a half times greater than the national average. National researchers estimate that this number is actually much higher than has been captured by statistics. According to the Department of Justice over 70% of sexual assaults are never reported. Average life expectancy ranges from a low of 64.3 years of age in the Aberdeen Area to a high of 76.3years in the California Area, a difference of 12 years. Life expectancy for the general Native-American Indian population is 76.9 years.

On a reservation, job opportunities are scarce. Since the market is so small, many employers do not chose to expand into reservations. A Native-American Indian who wants a middle class job will most likely have to leave the reservation. Because of this, many have moved into metropolitan areas. The per capita income of the United States is $13,467. The per capita income for Sioux Native-American Indians is $3,350, less than four times that amount. Thirteen percent of Americans live in poverty, while an incredible 63 percent of Sioux Native-American Indians live in poverty. There is an even greater disparity between the unemployment rates. 4.7 percent of all Americans are unemployed, while 80 percent of Sioux Native-American Indians are unemployed. At the Pine Ridge Reservation, 90 percent of the population is unemployed. (Eduardo 205-38) Most people live without roads in isolated rural villages with no electricity or running water. Because of the vast distances required to reach an occupation, no car usually means no job. One of the professions available is working in a casino. While they provide some new jobs for Native-American Indians, the wealth is not always shared, and only a small amount goes to support the community.

Native-American Indian students, as a group, are the least successful public school students nationwide. The percent of Native-American Indians high school graduates who go on to college is 17 percent, compared to a national average of 62 percent. Most Native-American Indians are ...