Native Americans

Every social group/society has at least common idea in mind that holds them together. For modern day native americans that connection is their ethnicity, and although there are many different native american cultures they are all brought together by the struggles they’ve undergone based on their ethnicity. We have moved them from their homes and spiritual sanctums, put structures that run through their tribes, and did you know that Native American teens have the highest rate of suicide throughout the entire nation. Native Americans have faced so many injustices that have been overshadowed it’s like they don't get basic rights, and we need to do something to change that.

While many think that Native Americans used to experience injustice, and that it was only for a limited and now in the past. This on the surface at least sounds right, right? But there are still plenty of ways our government is prejeciding against Native Americans, like trying to cover up injustice we should have paid for without any consent from anyone. There's also the dakota access pipeline where our government an oil line right next to a tribes water access which has concern to contaminate water for the tribe. There are also good things happening that are good though, like the federal government paying the Quapaw tribe 175 Million for money they took over decades ago.

Throughout all of these stories I notice that being a part of a Native American community has really changed peoples lives in a way that has been beneficial. Whether it be more support/push to do what they love, or more people getting together to help raise awareness about mental issues affecting their community. Even with a good community though Mental illness and suicide is the number 1 problem Native American communities, and young children are familiar with the words “Failure” and “Abuse”. My Roommate is Native American and he said that it is tough growing up on a reserve being in a smaller area with lower education standards, but the feeling of graduating from college after so much work really made the experience amazing for him.