Tasks and activities

Some facts about the Native Americans

1.) About 50% of the Native Indian population lives on federal reservations. The majority of the reservations are situated west of the Mississippi River, and the Indians continue to live there to maintain their traditions

2.) Some of the social challenges the Native Americans face are unemployment, poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse. High rates of diabetes and heart disease are also a concern. Some of the possible causes of this is that since they live in reservations they are “cut off” from the rest of the world, one of the reasons for their high alcohol problem is that many of them have had a rough childhood, neither does it help that Native Americans have a very low tolerance for alcohol.

3.) Limitations on tribal powers of self-government include the same limitations applicable to states; for example, neither tribes nor states have the power to make war, engage in foreign relations, or coin money (this includes paper currency).

4.) Native Americans rights point out that the US Federal Government's claim to recognize the "sovereignty" of Native American peoples falls short.

5.) The BIA states that its responsibility when it comes to Indian lands, is for the “administration and management of 55,700,000 acres (225,000 km2) of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaskan Natives.”