Native American Tribal Problems

Many years before Christopher Columbus stumbled upon America, there were Indians who declared America their home. Indians had originated tribal areas, similar to states and they resided under their own laws and government. Native Americans fought a long and bloody battle to protect their land and defend their families. Some Indians were also captured as slaves by Europeans and some Indians also fought in American wars to defend America, but it took decades for them to receive any type of recognition or equality. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson was the first president to acknowledge tribal governments. Native American Casus stated, “The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized tribal sovereignty in court decisions for more than 150 years. In 1831, the Supreme Court agreed, in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, that Indian …show more content…
Many face problems such as poverty, alcohol abuse, and heart disease.” Alcoholism and other substance abuse issues haunt the Native Americans tribe. These addictions do not target an age or gender; a countless number of deaths have been caused by alcohol poison or drug overdoses within the Indian culture. According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “18.3 percent of American Indians/Alaskan Natives age 12 or older are current users of illicit drugs. Native American and Alaskan Native populations also show high percentages of lifetime (64.8 percent), past year (27.1 percent) illicit drug use, and current non-medical use of prescription drugs (6.2 percent).” Consuming alcohol and participating in any illegal activities could result in incarceration or death if rehabilitation isn’t a goal for addicts. Statistics show the tribal communities across the U.S are having difficulty tackling this problem. Indian reservations do not allow outsiders to come into their community; they are notorious for keeping to