In 1942, after hundreds of years of persecution and abuse, the US government
legally defined the “federal Indian trust responsibility.”
It was a pivotal time in history
when the US Government, building upon previous court rulings, officially took moral
responsibility for the plight of Native Americans.
Since then there have been many other
acts intended to improve conditions for indigenous populations.
The question is what
has the US done and is it working?
For the most part, Native Americans have access to free medical care.
There are
also scholarships and loans specifically for them and unique financial opportunities.
In the 1980’s, the Supreme Court ruled that in states where some form of gambling
is legal, be it something minimal like Bingo or horse racing, tribes in those states can
operate casino like halls and gaming activities on their reservations.
According to
the National Indian Gaming Commission, casinos now gross about 28 billion dollars
annually and have stimulated job creation and population growth.
The US Justice
Department is also now allowing some tribes to grow and sell marijuana.
These policies are intended to help combat poverty and other socio-economic
problems.
But as of yet there is little proof that they’re working.
In 2012, those who identified exclusively as Native American or Alaska Native, had
a poverty rate of almost 30 percent.And Native American and Alaska Natives are more
at risk for substance abuse, gang-involvement, mental-health issues, child-victimization
and suicide.
Before Obamacare, many free clinics for Native Americans did not provide a full
array of services, and 30 percent of Native Americans remained uninsured.
Casinos also have a spotty record.
According to the Native American Rights Fund,
“Gaming on Indian reservations has not appreciably lowered the high levels of poverty
on Indian lands nationwide.”
Some even argue that casinos have created a false
perception that Native American communities are getting rich, which can be detrimental
to fundraising efforts for much needed relief services and community development
projects.
Tribal leaders are also hesitant about the new policies surrounding the growth and
sale of marijuana.
According to one representative, “Indian tribes have been decimated
by drug use.
Tribal regulations of pot are going to have to dovetail with tribal values,
making sure marijuana isn’t a scourge like alcohol or tobacco.”
Native American communities are still among the poorest in the United States.
This is
largely the residual effect of hundreds of years of persecution at the hands of the Government,
including some mistreatment that is still on-going.
And many see it as a problem that cannot be
solved through more lenient gaming or narcotic laws.