Historical factors Reservation poverty

1 historical factors

1.1 development
1.2 dawes act era
1.3 contemporary policy
1.4 concentration effects

historical factors
early development

following american revolution, united states strategy native relations purchase native american land treaties. united states sought assimilate native americans. reservation system created following expansion of united states tribal lands. white settlers considered unable live alongside native peoples, , various treaties continually limited lands native people “allowed” inhabit. effort started indian removal act of 1830, created first reservations. forced relocation progressed, many tribes lost traditional lifestyles, centered around community living , hunting , gathering.

in stage, tribes forced move geographic areas unfamiliar them, commonly eastern states western states. reservations created on lands deemed worthless white settlers, meaning uncultivatable, resource deficient, , isolated urban centers , transportation networks. goal of politicians during era remove tribes areas populated or desirable white population. during nineteenth century, there many multiple conflicts, known american indian wars, between american settlers or united states government , native americans, culminating in massacre @ wounded knee of 1890, during military forces killed more 150 lakota men, women, , children.

dawes act era

as white population began moving west, land formerly assigned tribes, government policy underwent transformation. in 1887, dawes act passed. dawes act represented shift in federal policy towards american indians. legislation divided tribal lands individual parcels assigned individual tribal members. net result more land available non-native settlers, , less land held american indians. policies starting , following dawes act attempted eliminate native practices, cultures, , communities. political leaders asserted forcing american indians hold private property assimilate them country. facilitate assimilation, given food, housing, , clothing. aim of these policies “kill indian, save man,” meaning forcibly eliminate traditional cultures.

during era, children of native families removed home , sent boarding schools, given western clothes, foods, , educations. allowed little no communication families, siblings separated. boarding school students prohibited practicing traditional native culture or speaking indigenous languages. in instances, physically abused such practices.

these practices took away livelihoods of many native people, without providing in place. tribal members prohibited making living through hunting, fishing, , arts. furthermore, native people provided educational, religious, medical, , culinary services communities replaced non-native, government , christian-sponsored individuals. no employment opportunities replace lost provided. in twentieth century, tribes further hindered indian reorganization act, imposed particular forms of governance , organization tribal leadership. traditional systems of social , political organization replaced forced constitutional forms.

the forced assimilation policies tried forcibly strip native people of identities , livelihoods. because land on reservations created tended barren, resource deficient land, there little chance of developing economically viable agricultural enterprises, , because of remote locations of reservations, there few opportunities economic interaction white settlements.

contemporary policy

in last half-century, principle guiding federal american indian policy became self-determination. logic of principle let tribes set own policies, set own visions, , determine own futures. largely inspired american indian activists since 1970s. self-determination recognizes reservations sovereign nations within boundaries, meaning able make , enforce own laws , regulations, independent states laws , regulations, , must abide federal laws.

almost boarding schools eliminated , replaced combination of federally , locally managed day schools. assistance programs aimed @ forcing cultural change on tribal members replaced general assistance programs comparable available general population. however, time these changes occurred, traditional cultures had been severely , violently reduced, local economies had not been developed, families had been broken apart, , stage persistent poverty set. self-determination represented important ideological shift in government policy, did not change conditions of poverty , limited opportunities.

the large expanses of land on reservations used garbage dumps metropolitan areas.

in addition, explicitly exploitative policies towards native communities persist. reservations in relatively close proximity urban areas have become site of garbage landfills, adding landscape of poverty in these areas. in perhaps negative use of native lands, government has used reservations nuclear testing , disposal. uranium mining , milling, uranium conversion , enrichment, , nuclear weapons testing have occurred on reservation lands in past century. after creating nevada test site on western shoshone lands in nevada, government tested weapons there between 1951 , 1991. western shoshone people call “most bombed nation on planet.” similar activities happened on pauite shoshone lands well.

concentration effects

the history of reservation system has resulted in concentrated poverty. regardless of urbanicity, areas of concentrated poverty tend have higher crime rates, underperforming schools, poor housing, poor health conditions, limited private services, , few job opportunities. in addition, residents of these areas must contend geographic separation areas of opportunity. sociologist gary sandefur has called reservations first underclass areas because of concentrated poverty, high unemployment, , low educational attainment levels. sociologist loic wacquant has described reservations areas of socio-spatial seclusion, residents corralled , isolated, , reservations created immobilize native peoples.