Sarah Nawotny
11/24/2012
ENG 101-I

NATIVE AMERICANS: the trail of tears, the indian removal act of 1830, reservation opression

I have decided to dive into the depths of the American Indians and the reasoning behind all of the poverty and the oppression of the “white man.” In doing so I came across a couple of questions that I would like to answer. A). How did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 affect Native American culture, financial status, health, and B). Identity and how is life on the reservation oppressive for the Native Americans? In the 1830’s, Native Americans still lived in their native lands for the most part, however, white men considered them to be a threat to their peace. So in 1838, the Federal government had what
Consider these sobering statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Indian Health Service:

2.2 times higher — Likelihood of American Indians and Alaska Natives to have diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites
68% — Percent increase in diabetes from 1994 to 2004 in American Indian and Alaska Native youth aged 15-19 years
95% — Percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives with diabetes who have type 2 diabetes (as opposed to type 1 diabetes)
30% — Estimated percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives who have pre-diabetes
American Indians and Alaska Natives are clearly at greater risk (Living with Diabetes).
Native American Stats: * 50-85% Unemployment * 30% Live below the federal poverty line * 15-20% Don’t have running water or electricity * Suicide and cancer rate three times national average * Infant mortality rate three times national average * Life expectancy 40-55 years old
(Native American poverty continues under Obama).
American Indians and Native Americans number 4.5 million. Of these numbers, according to the Census Bureau, earn a median annual income $33,627. One in every four lives in poverty and nearly a third are without health insurance. Congress had failed to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act since 1992. Initially passed in 1976, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act was designed to bring the