In modern day America, the United States Federal government officially recognises approximately 565 Native American* tribes within their borders and within each tribes they have their own distinct language, history and culture and law regulation system. In 2007, Native rights were affirmed within the United Nations declaration. Due to each tribe being recognised by the U.S. Federal government, they are seen as a self-governing and self-determining state within America. A short visual representation of changes that occurred over landscape for Native Americans to the present day can be located here (excludes Alaska.) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZCvUroBpaE
(*Native Americans includes the following: Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan and American Natives).
Standard of Living
The standard of living for Native Americans is significantly sub-standard compared to Americans in other areas. Native Americans alone accumulate to just 0.9% of the population according to the 2010 Census. The high rates of poverty and unemployment have had a substantial impact on Native Americans as a whole. 17% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and 27% of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives live in poverty and overall only 16% have access to indoor plumbing.
Due to the poor standard in living, the deprivation of satisfactory standards contributes to the higher rates of crime, suicide, alcoholism, gang membership and drug abuse. Although standards of living potentially contributes to the other factors it does not necessarily mean that it is the causation of such high rates.
22% of Native children suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – a rate that is deemed equal to those who have been deployed from Iran and Afghanistan. Alongside this, a Native women is 3.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than any other nationality within America.
But the statistical reports on Native Americans also shows a significance within other areas of society as they are affected by mass incarceration. Native Americans contribute to South Dakota’s population by 9% but are also 29% of the prison population. In Alaska, the outcome is higher, with 15% contributing to the total population but 38% of prison population. Why is this? What is the causation of this correlation?
It can be argued that it is potentially due to the following complications below:
The judicial system is overlapped yet restricted to Native Americans.
- Due to unresolved conflicts, the tribes of America have difficulty in outlining their tribal courts alongside the federal and state jurisdictions.
- Cases of domestic violence within tribal courts is unlawful due to the Major Crimes Act.
- Although cases of domestic violence is unlawful within tribal courts, any criminal who has committed a different offence can be prosecuted twice for the same offence; once under federal jurisdiction and again in tribal court.
- However, earlier this year, tribes had won the right to prosecute non-Native men who committed crimes that violated the orders of protection against Native women on Indian reservations.
Reservations are held in trust by the government not the tribes themselves.
- Due to the government withholding the power of reservations, Native Americans cannot afford to build a home and are unable to get a mortgage from the government. This is due to the banks being unable to foreclose on a property accommodated by Native Americans on reservation land as a bank cannot repossess reservation land.
- Therefore, without a sufficient lifestyle Native Americans can potentially be subjected to harsh conditions and resort to other means.
The government are continuously stripping land away from the Native Americans
- Native Hawaiians, specifically the Kanaka Maoli’s are fighting to protect their sacred mountain Mauna Kea. The U.S. Government wish to construct a $1.4 billion telescope upon the mountain which has led to protests on the islands.
- On the mainland, members of San Carlos Apache Nation are fighting the sale of their Oak Flat site to foreign business owners who wish to use it for mining.
- One of the most famous monuments known throughout America is Mount Rushmore. The government’s illegal seizure of the Great Sioux Nation’s sacred Black Hill in South Dakota in 1877 has led to anger and discontent among the tribe as the faces of the ‘Founding Fathers’; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are etched into the side of the Black Hill mountain.
So this leads to a complicated cycle of Native Americans being withheld in the poor standard of living conditions, unable to increase their wealth and lifestyle which ultimately has an impact on physical and mental health and the growing discontent between tribes and the government.
Education
Another factor that impacts the Native Americans in today’s society is their education.
The majority of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan Natives and Native Americans are unable to cast their vote due to no polling places instituted near to their residence. Such problems are highlighted in communities such as Duck Valley Reservation in Nevada and the Goshute Reservation in Utah where the nearest polling station is located more than 100 miles from their reservation.
Not only has distance impacted the Native’s American right to vote but also the high rates of “illiteracy” in some rural communities. Tribes such as Yup’ik in Alaska primarily speak and read in their native language due to the unavailability of public education until the 1980s.
Following this, not only were the tribes viewed as ‘illiterate’ due to not speaking, reading and writing primarily in English, the Native languages within America are dying. According to UNESCO, 130 native languages are ‘at risk’ with another 74 ‘critically endangered’.
Those who do have the access to such education still perform less than the national average as only 51% of Native American graduated in the class of 2010. Although they do not currently achieve the same outcome as other Americans, they are still subjected to the crimes committed within their society. The school shooting of Red Lake High School, Minnesota in 2005 did not impact the communication held between tribe and state successfully. The aftermath of the school shooting left 9 victims dead and 7 injured. Due to the procedures that federal police took upon after the event, it increased tensions between the right of tribe to sovereignty and desire of reporters from around the world to gain access of information.
So why has America’s government consistently and continuously failed the Native Americans through education, standard of living and ignoring their plea for improvements within their communities? Potentially the only significant support that the Native Americans have had recently is due to Bernie Sanders and the protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline.
A Voice for the Native Americans
Bernie Sanders presidential campaign for 2016 contained diverse and potentially unpopular views held within America. Bernie voiced his opinion on such views that the Native Americans had not been protected by the government due to broken promises, treaties and sovereign rights by the government and promised that if elected president, he would promote restoring sacred lands, building homes, voting rights and improve healthcare and education.
During his time not only as a presidential candidate but also a senator within the government, Bernie has backed multiple protests against fracking, introduced the Save Oak Flat Act and voted in 2008 to formally apologise to Native Americans for the “many instances of violences, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on Native Peoples by citizens of the U.S.”
Although Bernie Sanders did not successfully become the 45th president, he still continues to protest against fracking and the use of non-renewable resources in the hopes of converting to renewable sources such as solar and wind power.
A prime example of this would be the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) which has been a key role in conflict between government forces and the Native Americans within modern society.
Dakota Access Pipeline and it’s significance.
The Dakota Access Pipeline – a 1,172 mile long pipe which would carry 570,000 barrels of crude oil a day through four states from North Dakota to Iowa will cost the United States $3.8 billion. The proposal for this Pipeline originally began in 2014 and is nearing completion (set date January 1st, 2017).
However, the outline of the pipeline extends through the reservations sacred land of Standing Rock Sioux whose reservation extends between North and South Dakota. As early as April this year, the Native Americans have been consistently protesting at the site of construction expressing their views that this violates their treaties, damages the landscape and also the environment as a whole. The protests outlined by the people of America (the construction of the pipeline does not solely impact the Native Americans) led to Brian Cladoosby – President of the National Congress of American Indians asking President Obama’s advisors to support the Standing Rock Sioux in September 2016.
Protests continued and in some cases effectively led to approximately 140 protestors being arrested after lighting hay bails and construction equipment on fire in October. These events led to the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers delaying construction until they had consulted with the tribes (by doing so they are respecting the treaty between tribes and state) in November. Protests were still ongoing and Bernie Sanders continued to protest outside the White House on November 15th.
The uncertainty of the outcome of protesting decreased as the Army ordered the protesters to vacate the camp they had made throughout protesting, however the protestors continued to stay throughout December with relief aid from approximately 2,000 US Veterans who participate in ‘Veterans Stand for Standing Rock’.
At this moment in time however, work on the pipeline has effectively been halted as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied an easement which allowed the pipeline to cross Lake Oahe. Although this effectively results to a halt in construction, it does not outline a successful conclusion of the Dakota Access Pipeline being removed, only a temporary win. The construction has almost been completed, however it is not only the sacred land that is potentially threatened, environmentalists are concerned that not only will it impact climate change but also the water supply that many Americans depend on.
In review, it is undetermined how current day affairs will impact Native Americans in the future. By reviewing not only the impact of immigration during the first wave of immigration (the colonial settlements) but also how Americans impact them today explores the continuous conflict, restrictions and unfairness placed upon Native Americans. With the government inadequately supporting the Native Americans, how can they outline foundations to prosper and thrive within modern day society? The continuous unfulfilled promises through treaties and rights to land and sacred grounds leaves the Native American people in a fragile situation.
And so how can a nation founded on the beliefs of every man is equal with inalienable rights continue to restrict the movement and freedom of the Native Americans, the very first immigrants of America within today’s society? The right to freedom of religion and yet their own myths, legends and beliefs were stripped of them, reducing their dynamic culture and individuality among other tribes. The right to have their own communal powers and yet be restricted as to who they can and cannot prosecute due to the crime that has been committed within their own reservations?
While struggling due to lack of knowledge, understanding, value and support from the media, local communities and the government, the Native Americans are a minor but also a diverse culture within society who strive forward to enforce their laws, their rights through treaties and are continuously empowered by their individual tribalisms. Therefore, the exploration of Native Americans and their impact on today’s society and culture would be extremely valuable to this module’s examination of the United States.
#NativeLivesMatter
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/13-native-american-issues_us_55b7d801e4b0074ba5a6869c
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZCvUroBpaE
http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-10.pdf
https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-guide-american-indian-law/timeline-american-indian-history-affecting-reporters-access-land
http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/march-22-2005-red-lake-hs-massacre-9727188
https://berniesanders.com/issues/empower-tribal-nations/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OT8F3oD2KLQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_mAcm92vuQ
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/12/02/timeline-dakota-access-pipeline-and-protests/94800796/
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