Reservations and Some History of Treaties Between Native Americans and the US Government

History of Treaties: Click this link and listen to this four-minute story about the history of treaties between the US Government and Native Americans.

An Indian "reservation" is a piece of land within the United States designated as federal territory and managed by a Native American tribal council. Many Indian reservations are not on the original ancestral land of the tribe that inhabits them, as many tribes were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and placed on undesirable lands throughout the 19th century. There are around 300 Indian Reservations overall, covering approximately 55 million acres total, or about 2.5% of the entire United States. Still, well over 200 of the country's recognized Native American tribes do not have a reservation or ancestral space to call "home."

The quality of life on most Indian reservations is notoriously difficult, with poverty levels among the worst in the entire world. Unemployment, alcoholism and drug use, homelessness and violence are commonplace; however, these realities do not over-shadow the value placed upon tradition and family in these environments. Indeed, Native American reservations remain resiliently rich in culture, pride, and love.

Education and the Assimilation of Native Americans

First, define the following words:

assimilate (verb) -

indigenous (adjective) -

Early education of Native Americans, which began during colonial times, was focused primarily on "civilizing" their native culture. The old epithet, "Kill the Indian to save the man," rang true in their efforts. Although Indians were taught to read and write, they were also forced to give up their culture, their language, even their clothing.

1. Watch this 10-minute SchoolTube video called "Kill the Indian, Save the Man": https://www.schooltube.com/video/d9b5b07cb81e455cae88/%22Kill%20the%20Indian,%20Save%20the%20Man%22%20-%20A%20Turn%20for%20the%20Better%20of%20the%20Worse

1b. Click this link to see the before and after effects on Indian students at the Carlisle school: http://www.radiolab.org/story/photos-before-and-after-carlisle/

Today, education in "Rez" schools is quite different. In many ways, this is the best of the times for Native American schools. Although most are in rural areas, many are technology- and program-rich, thanks to state and federal funding. Curriculum is designed to prepare students academically for life off the reservation while grounding them in native culture.

2. Watch this 17-minute documentary called "Little Dream Catchers": https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/500780/legacy-native-americans-forced-assimilation/?utm_source=atlfb

Read this anecdote, which may be apocryphal, but still speaks truth to this topic: "A white man and an elderly Native man became pretty good friends, so the white guy decided to ask him: 'What do you think about Indian mascots?' The Native elder responded, 'Here’s what you’ve got to understand. When you look at black people, you see ghosts of all the slavery and the rapes and the hangings and the chains. When you look at Jews, you see ghosts of all those bodies piled up in death camps. And those ghosts keep you trying to do the right thing. But when you look at us you don’t see the ghosts of the little babies with their heads smashed in by rifle butts at the Big Hole, or the old folks dying by the side of the trail on the way to Oklahoma while their families cried and tried to make them comfortable, or the dead mothers at Wounded Knee or the little kids at Sand Creek who were shot for target practice. You don’t see any ghosts at all. Instead you see casinos and drunks and junk cars and shacks. Well, we see those ghosts. And they make our hearts sad and they hurt our little children. And when we try to say something, you tell us, ‘Get over it. This is America. Look at the American dream.’ But as long as you’re calling us Redskins and doing tomahawk chops, we can’t look at the American dream, because those things remind us that we are not real human beings to you. And when people aren’t humans, you can turn them into slaves or kill six million of them or shoot them down with Hotchkiss guns and throw them into mass graves at Wounded Knee. No, we’re not looking at the American dream. And why should we? We still haven’t woken up from the American nightmare.'" ~source unknown

"Blood Quantum is the total percentage of your blood that is tribal native due to bloodline. All of the Nations use Blood Quantum as a requirement for membership. Usually this is detailed on a CDIB (Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood) Card issued by the United States Government." Read this article on the history of "Blood Quantum":

Read the NY Times review of "There There" below, and then listen to the radio interview with author, Tommy Orange. What in these sources strikes you as engaging, gets you ready to read the story?

These topics are NOT just history...they persist! See these reports from 2016:

Click the audio to listen to this story: http://www.npr.org/2016/10/27/499479185/in-fight-over-n-d-pipeline-tribe-leader-calls-for-peace-and-prayers

Read this brief article, about a bill introduced in 2016 intended to revoke land from Native Americans: http://www.ecowatch.com/native-american-land-grab-2010250967.html

What attitude do you suspect most American Indians have toward "treaties"?