Without a doubt, Indian reservations are one of the poorest communities in the nation. But what exactly contributes to such low employment, poor healthcare, and education? Since the birth of this nation the United States has inquired trillions of dollars from Native Americans; giving Native Americans reparations is our moral way of repaying them for what we stole. The employment rate on reservations is alarming. Most jobs are sourced from the local tribe and the federal government. Most people are forced to leave the reservation the find better paying jobs. Overall, opportunity is low on reservations. Some reservations report that the job market is close to completely diminishing, 85%-95% unemployed. Businesses aren’t booming, or let alone growing. One …show more content…
For example, a few tribes found coal on their land. According to tribes’ leaders, the government made it nearly impossible to capitalize on their newly found resource. This could have been a potentially a major break in their poor economy. “It’s our right. We say yes or no. I don’t think the outside world should come out here and dictate to us what we should do with our properties.” Said Ron Crossguns of the Blackfeet Tribe pleaded. This could have likely been a perfect opportunity for tribes to stand on their own two feet, creating a skilled trade and plenty of jobs. Since the government has established strict regulations, this has prevented investors from wanting to do business on reservation land. It has been estimated that there is roughly 1.5 trillion dollars worth of natural resources sitting idly on Indian land. The resources vary, but they have remained untouched because of such strict restrictions. I’m not an economist, but I can say the equation is simple: as long as Native Americans do not have full control of their resources they are perpetually foredoomed for