Amid the celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, the Indigenous peoples of the Americas have welcomed their 28th Native Heritage Month. On November 24, 2022, while most people in the United States enjoyed their turkey dinner, Native Americans came together to mourn their predecessors and history as they, even now, still live in reservations with limited resources. Despite Native Americans’ dire living conditions, there is rarely any open discussion in the public media to talk about the challenges and therefore solutions of those people. The lack of recognition further exacerbates the challenges for Native Americans.

Despite the government’s efforts and policies on equality in the past 60 years, such as Executive Order 10925 in 1961, the condition has not been improved much. Now, it is critical to recognize and understand the reasons behind challenges in front of Native Americans, so that going forward, there is a better chance to provide the support they really need.

Limited Equal Rights Progress Over The Past Century

Recently, the United States government has implemented a series of policies to protect Indigenous people, aiming to improve their economic and educational conditions. For economic development, the government set business incentives to increase income from tourism and casinos at reservations. As of 2011, 240 tribes have operated a total of 460 gaming operations with a gross annual revenue of US$27 billion. Besides government programs, there are non-profit organizations actively raising funds for reservations.

Given all the protection policies, the culture of Native Americans continues to fade away as fewer people live in reservations now. Currently, among the 3.7 million Native Americans, only 1.2 million still live in reservations to keep their cultural customs. The majority of Native Americans now choose to live in modern cities, within mainstream American cultures. The limited living condition of reservations is the key reason driving those people away from their homeland. Due to the Westward Movement that began in 18 century, most reservations are in remote and barren areas,
some even near the previous nuclear test sites. Water, electricity, crops, road, and many other necessities are rare for Native Americans in reservations.

The consequences of poor infrastructure in reservations is the prevailing health issues of Native Americans. The life expectancy of American Indians is 5.5 years lower than the average American life expectancy, while the incidence rates of diabetes are three times more than the American average. Furthermore, the living condition of Native Americans has deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic period as the US government has devoted most funding to the emergency needs such as healthcare and food subsidies for the majority of the United States residents. Now in the post- pandemic era, with a limited government budget, there is a decreasing aid in helping Native Americans.

Higher education is another key area to support Native Americans. Harvard University, for example, has designated protection rules to accept more Indigenous American students with scholarships to cover their tuition. Currently, there is only 9.3 percent of Native Americans hold a bachelor's degree or above. In the past century, while some minority groups in the United States, such as African Americans, women, and people with disabilities, achieved major equal rights milestones including same- sex marriage and suffrage, there is still room for improvement for Native Americans in the society. Some argue that the key reason contributing to such neglect is the small population of Native Americans, which only represents one percent of the United States population.

The Importance Of Preserving A Culture

Even as a marginalized group, Native Americans play an important role in modern society for their contributions to the diversity of American culture and consist of an essential part of American history. That is why there is a need for more research and voice for those people. Since Geoffrey Barraclough has introduced the concept of “the world history” in 1956, areas outside Europe and Asia have attracted increasing attention. Despite the increasing recognition of Native Americans, there is still a lack of historical education on those people and their culture in the US textbooks. Any
culture cannot thrive without its own people, the living history. As the very first people of Indigenous American culture, Native Americans suffer from a diminishing culture and even heritage due to the lack of voices and presence in today’s society.

Looking Forward

It is imperative to ensure the appropriate protection of Native Americans. For the US government, even though they may not able to offer maximum financial support, they can design incentives and subsidies to motivate economic growth and technology advancement within the community of Native Americans. Even though Native American reservations attract tourism, such a business model is subject to external volatility, especially during the pandemic period. The real effort should focus on creating a robust ecosystem for Native Americans, attracting capital investments and job opportunities to establish economic strength for their own. For example, besides tourism, there could be incentives and subsidies for small-to-mid businesses. With economic advancement, the problem of poor living conditions can be alleviated, as well as foster a stronger voice in the mainstream culture of Native Americans. Moreover, there should be a collective effort to promote higher education opportunities for Native Americans. Although ivy league universities such as Harvard are increasing diversity acceptance rates, such efforts can create a more significant impact with more universities, public or private, to join. On top of academic institutions, the government and social organizations can provide educational resources and funding to support better academic growth for any Native American individual. College Board, on the other side, should take the lead to set up more test sites in reservations, as transportation represents a huge expense for Native Americans living in reservations.

Collective Efforts From The Global Community

In our history, humans have made tremendous mistakes such as wars, pollution, and cultural genocide. However, there is no planet B for us to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. To make the only planet a place fit for people from all
backgrounds and cultures, the first step is to recognize the challenges. It is evident that Native Americans deserve more attention on their current and forward challenges. In collaboration, the global community stands a chance to make our only planet a better world for Native Americans and all other minority communities across the world.