Native American Reservation Life Essay

There are 5.2 million Native Americans living in the United States and of that 5.2 million 22% live on reservations scattered around the country. Life on the reservation has been compared to living in a third world. It’s impossible to truly understand the conditions of life on the reservation unless you are the one living it but through facts and statistics we’ll get a glimmer of their reality. It’s our duty to protect these people and their land that they’ve lived on for hundreds of years. A major issue of reservation life is Native American’s health. Native American Health Care meets only about 60% of medical needs leaving Native Americans to fend for themselves with whatever isn’t covered. Pharmacies and doctor’s offices for some reservations aren’t available outside of hospitals. Native Americans are 36% more likely to die from heart disease by the age of 68 compared to the 16% of caucasians. The infant death is also the highest of any group, being 60%. They also have the highest rate of diabetes which ties into the issue of poverty and having limited access to healthy foods. Not only does physical disease greatly affect these people but mental illness does as well. Suicide rates …show more content…
90,000 people are either homeless or under housed while 30% of housing is overcrowded. There’s a waiting list for tribal housing, the average time being 3 years. Even once these people do finally get a home, the conditions are tough. It’s not uncommon to see 3 generations of a family living in a 2 bedroom house. Less than 50% of homes are connected to a sewage system. The over crowdedness and lacking of sewage makes it easier for disease to spread. Everyday Americans take utilities such as running water, electricity, heat, etc, for granted while most reservation housing is without these things. The lack of funding the government gives Native Americans causes them to live in harsh