Life On Native American Reservations

Indian reservations are designations of land that are allotted to each recognized Native American tribe by the U.S. government. Life on reservations is not easy. Living conditions on Native American reservations are some of the worst in our country today. According to the 2010 census, one in four native americans is living below the poverty line. This needs to change: native people cannot keep living in conditions that have been described by many as “third world”.
The physical condition of reservations themselves is low in quality and standards. Housing is cramped and overcrowded, with up to three generations of family living together in one small house. Less than half of these houses have access to basic utilities. In addition, reservations

have a very high unemployment rate. Four out of ten adults living on reservations are unemployed, which leaves them living in poverty.
Social conditions, as well, are difficult on reservations. Racism, a great amount of it being
internalized, is present almost everywhere in the life of a Native American person. This, among many other poor social conditions, leads to alcoholism, high rates of suicide and child abuse. Social drinking combined with the limited physical conditions of reservations can also lead to dangerous situations, putting the lives of everyone involved at risk. Rates of death are astronomically higher on reservations than those of the rest of America.
So what might be reasons for this? There are many, but a key reason is isolation from the rest of
the world. There are generally a few stores and other amenities on reservations, but access to necessary services, such as doctor’s offices, decent transportation and workplaces is scarce on reservations. Because most reservations are in sparsely populated areas, they are cut off from these services. This, in turn, creates poor physical and social living conditions. In addition, it is difficult to leave the reservations in search. Those who do leave are often seen as traitors to Native culture.
In conclusion, the quality of life on native reservations needs to change. People are dying and
living in squalor because of the severed contact between reservations and the rest of America. The government is not taking any of this into account, while thousands die of diseases and accidents that, if they had access to proper healthcare and treatment, would have survived. These gaps between reservation life and life in the rest of America must be closed, before more people suffer and lose their lives because they were born on a reservation.