Indians

I was driving through Rapid City, South Dakota during my road trip when I saw an Indian man staggering on the sidewalk, obviously drunk, in the middle of the afternoon.  It was shocking and sad and, yet, all too common on and around the reservations that the U.S. government set up to supposedly ease the lives of the Indians that were so cruelly destroyed so many generations ago.  This lonely individual, however, was exhibit A in the demonstration that the system is simply not working; nay, it's been broken for many years.

Back in the 1820's, the U.S. was feeling pretty high and mighty.  We had just "defeated" the British for the second time in our battle for independence (though the War of 1812 was more like not getting beaten).  We had purchased Louisiana and had sent Lewis and Clark all the way to the Pacific Ocean.  During the course of the journey (1803-1806), they met some Indians (for the sake of clarity, I will be referring to Native Peoples as "Indians" throughout, as that is how they appear in all, admittedly antiquated, government literature) who helped them get to the ocean.  This was the American's first usurption of power, as upon rearrival in Washington they declared the land hospitable and free.  Lewis and Clark had, in what would become a sorry trend, taken advantage of the genorsity and trusting spirit of the Indians in the name of selfish gain.

Fast forward a few years to Jackson's presidency.  The population of the United States was growing at an extremely robust pace.  Land, especially in the south with the propensity for plantation agriculture, was becoming scarce and the people needed some new places to settle.  Enter the Trail of Tears, Jackson's bizarre idea to forcibly uproot all of the Indians in Florida, southern Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama and relocate them west of the Mississippi River.  It seemed like a brilliant plan for the Americans, except that nobody ran it by the Indians.  Instead, the cavalry, fresh off some Indian destruction in the North (Tippecanoe, for example), took their horses and guns and marched the Indians to their new "home."  Many died of disease and starvation on the journey, and those that survived were subject to unforseen hardships in their western habitat.  But Americans were sitting pretty.

More years passed, and the United States, after stealing some land chunks from Mexico, now officially stretched from sea to sea.  This land addition, coupled with the discovery of gold and other precious metals out west, encouraged Americans to once again spread out, Indian territory be damned.  This process continued for some time, until all Indians, regardless of tribe, were appointed a small tract of land in Oklahoma - only to see that taken away as well.

Eventually, there was no more land for the Indians.  The government was faced with a problem.  For some reason, they started to grow something resembling a conscience and wanted to provide for the ancestors of the people they had stolen land from.  The Indians, having nothing else (and nary a tribal identity), gratefully accepted these provisions out of necessity.  Indians were put into reservations near their ancestral lands and were afforded special privileges - cash, gambling/casinos, rations, etc.  The Indians, it may have seemed, had struck it rich.  They didn't have to do any hunting and gathering for themselves anymore.  They were going to be well taken care of.  An overlooked fact, however, is that the Indians are fiercely loyal and steeped in tradition.  They WANTED to hunt and gather and provide for themselves, but the Americans had taken away every avenue in which to do it.  The Americans had eliminated the buffalo, stolen land, killed scores of Indians in battles, spread diseases among the tribes, and wouldn't even accept Indians into mainstream society.  They had been completely ostracized BEFORE the government stepped in; now, after the supposed "assistance," they were becoming even worse off.

This was evident the other day in South Dakota.  Indians have become consumed by gambling - one of the "privileges" afforded them by the government - and alcohol, twin vices that can destroy even the strongest and most vigilant individual.  Reservation schools are among the worst in the nation.  Highly qualified teachers don't want to teach there, leaving students in the hands of the uncertified.  This cycle continues, with each subsequent generation missing out on even more opportunities.  Stripped of their traditions, Indians turned to alcohol to cope.  It doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Indians know the government is going to provide.  Reparations are going to be paid regardless of station.  The once proud Indian no longer has to do anything for himself.  The government, in its eagerness to correct transgressions, went too far and made the Indian almost completely dependent.  It's grossly negligent, thinking that the best way to cure what ails the Indian is to make them more American - adhering to societal norms, handouts/social programs, casinos, etc.  A way of life was stolen, and the American, of course, thinks throwing money at the problem will make things better.  It won't.  It hasn't.

This is not to say that all Indians are at the mercy of the government or that all reservations have no hope.  Rather, I'm speaking from my experience of seeing that one off balance man on the streets and my thought process.  It's a sad commentary, to be sure, but it's certainly not ALL Indians, or even remotely close to all.