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The Positive And Negative Effects Of The Native American Reservation System

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The reservation system was created in 1851 to “manage” the Native Americans. Even though the reservation system was created so long ago, it is still being practiced today with less harsh conditions but conditions nonetheless. However, the reservations provide the Natives with their own government and other freedoms alongside the stereotypes and colonialism they face.

Life for Native Americans in the 1800s was far from luxurious. The Native American reservation system was established in the late 1800s by the American government to subdue Indigenous people and take claim over their ancestral lands. The reservations from back then have been compared to prisoner-of-war camps in the sense that the Natives were forced there under federal guidance …show more content…

Even though these numbers continue to grow as the years pass by, the tribes are still suffering from the negative effects of colonialism. Some of the most affected are the Natives who were forced onto reservations when the white settlers took their land. Areas have bad soil and sparse natural resources were given to these specific tribes so their communities couldn’t thrive. Even today, very few Americans can fully grasp the conditions indigenous families must endure every day. There are only 500 recognized tribes and 318 reservations in the United States. That is still leaving out 248 unrecognized tribes. Even with federal recognition, these tribes have to face plenty of issues. In reality, indigenous people are just like any other people out there. “We have an outhouse out back and we go to the school’s gym to take showers when we need to,” says a person from the Navajo Nation. This is not uncommon on reservations as up to 40% of households on the Navajo Nation don’t have access to clean running water at home. Instead, many families are forced to haul water from remote locations. There are many other big problems excluding housing and running water.

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