Native American Politics Today
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Education, Poverty and Health
Native Americans and Alaska Natives living below the poverty level in 1999 _________was more than twice that of the total population._________ -U.S. Census Bureau
Education
___While education for Native American (including Eskimo and Aleut) populations improved during the 1980's, their education levels remain well below the total population. In 1990, "66 percent of the American Indians 25 years old and over were high school graduates or higher" compared with the total population, which was 75 percent. In the same year, about twenty percent of the total population completed a bachelor's degree or higher, while only 9 percent of Native Americans achieved the same standing. The percentage of Native Americans with bachelor degrees increased by only one percent from 1980 to 1990. And in 1990 only "54 percent of Native American adults living on all reservations and trust lands were high school graduates or higher" (We, the First Americans, U.S. Census Bureau). And in the 2000 census, the U.S. Census Bureau found that "American Indians and Alaska Natives were less likely than the total population to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations.
Poverty
___According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Native Americans and Alaska Natives living below the poverty level in 1999 was more than twice that of the total population (We, the First Americans). This is not a recent problem, however. Ten years before that the ten largest reservations each had between 50-67 percent poverty rates. The level of poverty in the Native American communities does not only effect education, but their lifestyle, professions, and their future. They are not only exempt from luxuries, but much of what we consider to be critical, everyday items are inaccessible to Native Americans. "In 1990, more than...20 percent of American Indian housing units on reservations and trust lands lacked complete plumbing facilities compared with 6 percent of all American Indian households in the United States." The two reservations with the highest percentage, almost 50 percent, lacking complete plumbing facilities were the Navajo and Hopi (We, the First Americans, U.S. Census Bureau).
Health and Violence
___Because the level of poverty is so high and so persistent among Native American communities, serious conditions such as alcoholism and depression have become prevalent within these communities. It is inaccurate to accuse the poor of being drunkards or lazy people, but it is necessary to recognize the situation of the Native American communities. The CDC reported in one of its Violence Surveillance Summaries Series that "From 1979-1992...suicide rates [for Native Americans] were about 1.5 times higher, than U.S. National rates." Statistics such as these prove the depth of poverty's effects on various communities.
___The solution to these issues will not be simple, nor will it be consistent between different Native American nations. It is important to note that "given community differences and the multiple and complex causes of homicide and suicide, a simple and uniform approach is inappropriate. Success will come only through a variety of interventions, tailored to the specific local settings and problems" (The Violence Surveillance Summary Series, CDC).
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