2. SOCIAL ISSUES
Even though native peoples of America have
experienced considerable improvement in their
status and conditions when compared to
indigenous communities across the world, many
social issues continue unsettled within individual
Native American groups.
Although Native Americans have regained many
rights and independence, there are many economic
and social issues within indigenous communities
that remain unresolved such as poverty, drug
abuse, and insufficient funds for education.
3. HOW BAD IS IT?
According to Mark Q. Sutton,
Emeritus Professor of
Anthropology at CSUB:
Compared to the United States
national average, Indians earn
about 25 percent less, have
double the poverty rate, almost
double the unemployment rate,
are 2.5 times more likely to be a
victim of a violent crime
(including hate crimes [see Perry
2008]), have a homicide rate 32
percent higher, an infant mortality
rate 25 percent higher, 2.4 years
lower life expectancy, 510
percent higher rate of death by
alcohol, 62 percent higher
suicide rate, a 50.6 percent
higher drop out rate from high
school, and about 50 percent
less likely to have a bachelor’s
degree (339).
4. INTERVIEW WITH DOLORES CAVANAUGH
Tulalip tribe member Dolores
Cavanaugh, administrative assistant to
Legacy of Healing Children’s Advocacy
Center disclosed in a personal interview
that:
“I think that solving the problems of
drug abuse, poverty and lack of
education among the Native
American people in general would
partly help to improve the social
status and help the native people to
reach beyond life among a
reservation. Then again I also think
that there's always going to be that
social stigma about Native
American people. That we're drunks
and live off the government. I've
heard them all. There are
successful native Americans out
there but they’re never seen the
only thing seen is the negative side
of native Americans.”
5. INTERVIEW WITH DOLORES CAVANAUGH
“Life as part of the tribe has gave me alot of opportunities to
succeed, they offer so much like paid college and gave me job
experience. I have got Hippa certificates from them, they give
per capitas that have help with expenses. On the other hand
life on the reservation has led me down paths with drugs and
alcohol at a young age along with other friends on the
reservation. I have also had to use the resources from the
tribes family services. Having an older brother who battled
with addiction and losing him to an accident while drinking.. all
of these things have brought me up and down. After being
through everything and witnessing so much I realized that I
didn't want that Rez way of life. I plan on going to college to
get a degree in social work and to some day go back and help
the children of Tulalip, whether its through social work or just
providing a child a safe loving home.”
6. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP NATIVE NORTH
AMERICANS IN NEED?
Providing families and communities with support
and giving them opportunities to gather with one
another
Creating awareness of these issues and tolerance
among the general public, most of whom are
ignorant of the situations Native Americans face on
a daily basis
Educating tribal members (and their families) of the
importance of higher education to prevent the
proliferation of demoralizing views of Native
peoples as drug addicts whom live off the
government
7. WHERE DO WE START?
Encourage higher
education first by
emphasizing these 5
factors on collegiate
campuses
Skill development
Family and peer support
Appropriate role-models
awareness
Use of financial aid
Culturally sensitive school
environment.
8. CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
Culturally responsive
teaching involves using
knowledge, prior
experiences, and
performance style of
diverse students to
make learning more
appropriate and
effective for them
9. TOLERANCE IS KEY
Promoting tolerance in
the general pubic will
also facilitate the
incorporation of Native
American youth into
the world outside of
their Reservations,
which can be quite
isolated from non-
native peoples.
10. HOW WILL THIS ALL HELP?
Bringing awareness to these problems will not only
alleviate the aforementioned concerns but it will
also dispel common misconceptions about
indigenous communities
If knowledge is power, than empowering Native
Americans with the importance of higher education
would be the first step to solving the issues of
poverty and drug abuse on indigenous
reservations.
11. REFERENCES
Cavanaugh, Dolores. Personal Interview. 15 May,
2013.
Sutton, Mark. An Introduction To Native North
America. Pearson: New Jersey, 2012.
