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Economic Challenges In American Indian Communities

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Many American Indian communities are impoverished, with some tribes reporting unemployment as high as 85%. Existing jobs are found mainly within the tribal government, Bureau of Indian Affairs, state social services, the school systems, and the Indian Health Service (IHS) Hospital. Additionally, years of failed government policies have left reservation economies with limited economic opportunity. The government placed reservations in areas away from fertile land, population centers, water supplies and other vital resources, compounding economic challenges with geographic isolation. While it is important to know these economic challenges, it is also important to know that tribes are dynamic, open to new ideas, and committed to improving their communities and their children’s future.

Poverty-related statistics:

Employment:

Native Americans have the lowest employment rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012).
In …show more content…
Tribal policy makers work hard to ensure that new government policies and consultations respect tribal sovereignty, tribal nations’ unique government-to-government status. The emergence of tribal colleges and universities located on reservation lands has improved educational prospects, and the number of tribal owned and operated businesses has increased in recent decades. Congressional passage of the 2013 Violence Against Women Act authorized tribal judicial systems to prosecute native and non-native perpetrators in their communities, strengthening public safety and infrastructure. American-Indian led charities like Running Strong also have an impact on reservation life working in the communities themselves, meeting basic needs, building homes, and planting gardens, as well as supporting youth programs to encourage increased leadership skills and education for the next

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