Analytic, Current Events

Although Native Americans have a history reaching back before the beginning of colonial America, there are also numerous current events about the topic. The recent Native American current events tend to describe hardships faced by Native Americans today. The wrongs preformed by Americans in the past towards Native Americans are catching up to them quickly as our countries Natives are beginning to speak out more and more towards the unjustness to the way they’ve been treated. For example, the United States government promised Native Americans reserves, or pieces of land which are for the use of Native Americans exclusively, and further promised to make sure Native Americans were treated fairly and given health care supplied by the government if they could not afford it. The concept of Native American health care supplied by the government has been a much talked about current event. A health care specialist commented, "We can’t make all these adjustments for (the Native Americans)", alluding to the natives how it is unfair for them to demand Americans to make changes in their health care system. To this, a Native American replied, "Make us pay for health care, then the deal is off. Give us our land back, and we're good." The Native Americans reply to the specialists comment by explaining they will gladly pay for health care when they are given back the land which belongs to them, the United States. Native Americans still have not forgotten how their land was cruelly taken away from them. Hearing this argument, one is inclined to ask themselves if the natives have a solid point, should they be given their land back? As an American, one can’t possibly say yes for it would mean dismissing their home life so our countries natives could once again obtain their residence. On the other hand, if one was looking at this issue from the perspective of one who isn’t a citizen of the United States, they might be inclined to side with the Native Americans. The question that must be asked is if one should do what is right, or if one should ignore the hardships of others to keep themselves absorbed in homeostasis. Although healthcare and the moral questions we must ask ourselves about our natives are a “hot topic” in current events, another modern Native American issue is that of the generalization of the idea of the, “rich Indian”. Because Native Americans have faced such hardships throughout their lives, they have rightfully taken the unjustness of Americans to court, and usually have won. Because of this, Native Americans have accumulated money from settlements of cases won. The Sioux tribe alone has approximately 430 million dollars from pressing charges on the United States for the counties cruelty. As a result of their accumulated fortune, many Americans assume that all Native Americans are wealthy. What they fail to realize is, “"roughly 20 percent of tribal casinos are generating 80 percent of the revenues" (Jacob Coin). Because only a small percentage of Sioux natives live off of the majority of the tribes funds, the perception of all Native Americans being wealthy is an extreme stereotype. The current event of the untrue perception of the wealth of all Native Americans is a false assumption which has gained the Natives a poor imagine, especially when they ask for money from the government for necessities like food. Just because one tribe is wealthy does not mean all Native Americans are rich. Native Americans come from an intriguing history, but unlike their past, their future looks bright and hopeful.