Reservation Lives Matter In Ian Frazier's On The Rez

Reservation Lives Matter The Indian reservations and communities discussed in Ian Frazier’s book, On The Rez, are not being aided like they should be. Poverty and alcoholism are consuming the reservation like a plague. The United States government is not supporting the reservation as it should. People are dying or living in sufferable conditions while everyone turns a blind eye. These Indians are just as American and deserve the same equality. If they can die for our country, they should receive the benefits of our country. Chapter five of On The Rez switches from following Le War Lance’s stories and goes to a more statistical chapter that enlightens the reader to some unknown truths about Indians and the reservation. Frazier states that “Ninety thousand or more Indian families are homeless” (72). He paints some even more grim picture with facts such as “Indians are about twice as likely to be murdered than non-indians,” “their death rate from alcoholism is four times the

It made me understand Le War Lances lifestyle more and not be so quick to judge him for his mistakes. I was able to comprehend that these people have grown up with these worldviews and were raised to copy the same pattern. It also showed me that something needs to done to fix this. As Americans, we hold on to the ideal of equality. These Indian children are just as much, if not more, American than the rest of us. The deserve to be given a chance at life that has been denied the generations before them. These facts show that something needs to change. Right now everyone is worried about Black Lives Matter, when another issue, Reservation poverty, is in need of just as much attention and help from the government. Suanne Big Crow was a remarkable example of what can come from the reservation. She showed that change starts from inside the reservation and how just one person can make a lasting impact on a