Reservation Dogs

Life on a Zuni Indian Reservation....

My friend is a High School teacher on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico.
The link below describes his experiences during this first year on the job.
He's been telling me about his students, their lifestyles, the suicide rate, the alcohol problems; I had no idea just how bleak their future really is.

I thought some of you may be interested in reading it, and I posted the link below.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Reservation-Dogs

an excerpt which raises some valid points....

"Obama got rid of Camp X-ray at Guantanamo Bay. If I had access to him, I’d try to convince him to get rid of the reservation system next. This is the twenty-first century. A system devised to accommodate westward migration by white settlers during the last third of the nineteenth century hardly seems viable or worth perpetuating now. Blacks don’t live huddled in former slave quarters across the South. Hispanics don’t remain cloistered in rural sections of the Sunbelt picking fruit as in decades of yore. Consequently, these groups are visible to mainstream America and have made strides via their voting strength, increasing economic clout, and by generally assimilating into society. Meanwhile, Native Americans basically remain invisible to mainstream America, safely tucked away-often by their own choice-in the economic and aesthetic cesspool that is the Rez."
 
Life on a Zuni Indian Reservation....

My friend is a High School teacher on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico.
The link below describes his experiences during this first year on the job.
He's been telling me about his students, their lifestyles, the suicide rate, the alcohol problems; I had no idea just how bleak their future really is.

I thought some of you may be interested in reading it, and I posted the link below.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Reservation-Dogs
I'll give it a look after I clean my room and get off here :o
however, just wondering

an excerpt which raises some valid points....

"Obama got rid of Camp X-ray at Guantanamo Bay. If I had access to him, I’d try to convince him to get rid of the reservation system next. This is the twenty-first century. A system devised to accommodate westward migration by white settlers during the last third of the nineteenth century hardly seems viable or worth perpetuating now. Blacks don’t live huddled in former slave quarters across the South. Hispanics don’t remain cloistered in rural sections of the Sunbelt picking fruit as in decades of yore. Consequently, these groups are visible to mainstream America and have made strides via their voting strength, increasing economic clout, and by generally assimilating into society. Meanwhile, Native Americans basically remain invisible to mainstream America, safely tucked away-often by their own choice-in the economic and aesthetic cesspool that is the Rez."
what alternative system are we talking about replacing the current f***ed up system with?
 
The United States gave $20,000 each to Japanese-American citizens that were unconstitutionally placed in camps during World War II. There is no way to pay them back. Many were taken from university, and all had their lives interrupted through no fault of their own. Many committed suicide. Very few were still alive when the United States gave them the money.

If the United States tried to make reparations to the indigenous peoples of this land we now occupy, where would we even start?

I agree that the treatment of Native Americans (a messed up term. I'm a Native American, right? Am I disqualified for having some European ancestors?) is totally shameful and a stain on the history of out country, which, without the atrocities committed on the Native Americans, would not even exist, but I imagine it's an issue that most presidents have always avoided because it does expose the evil of the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.

The world is like that. It's not really fair. The powers that be would probably prefer that all the Native Americans die out quietly and as quickly as possible.
 
I don't think reparations are the answer. It would probably be best for them long term, if they tried to assimilate.

The students don't seem to have a whole lot of drive or ambition, and I suppose the reservation "system" has a lot to do with it.
 
Not surprising, given that our forefathers forced them into dry inhospitable land with no jobs or economy or ladder up to speak of, and they for their part refuse to leave.

One thing, I think it's more possible for Latinos to assimilate into the US without losing their culture. With native Americans, I think arguably their way of life is very different and only parts of it would survive assimilation.

Also, while assimilation seems like the best way to go, I'd imagine it could also be a sore point for them, since our forefathers have been alternately dicking them around and trying to get them to assimilate for quite a long time.

I'm not sure there is a great answer.
 
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The United States gave $20,000 each to Japanese-American citizens that were unconstitutionally placed in camps during World War II. There is no way to pay them back. Many were taken from university, and all had their lives interrupted through no fault of their own. Many committed suicide. Very few were still alive when the United States gave them the money.

If the United States tried to make reparations to the indigenous peoples of this land we now occupy, where would we even start?

I agree that the treatment of Native Americans (a messed up term. I'm a Native American, right? Am I disqualified for having some European ancestors?) is totally shameful and a stain on the history of out country, which, without the atrocities committed on the Native Americans, would not even exist, but I imagine it's an issue that most presidents have always avoided because it does expose the evil of the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.

The world is like that. It's not really fair. The powers that be would probably prefer that all the Native Americans die out quietly and as quickly as possible.

Beautifully put. As always.:)
 
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