Alaskan Native Tribal Reservations

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the reasons for the poverty on the Alaskan Native tribal reservations are related to (1) the culture, (2) the geography, (3) educational problems, (4) the exploitation of the natives by governments and large corporations and (5) substance abuse. The author points out that substance abuse is the single most important debilitating force among Alaska Natives, which have a higher rate of substance abuse than other cultures: 80% of all Native deaths are alcohol and the rate of fetal alcohol syndrome among Alaska Natives is the highest for any population. The paper stresses that, because solutions, which have been imposed from outside, will most likely be ineffective, there is a growing awareness that solutions to those problems must be generated at the community level and come through a re-commitment to traditional Indian values and beliefs.

From the Paper:

"There are ever shrinking resources for subsistance hunting and fishing. That brings us to the next topic which is exploitation of the Native. The oil companies have upset the delicate balance between the native and his land. Those companies have damaged the land through drilling and oil spills. For example, some natives think that a partial answer to their poverty is an Native-owned and operated fishing Co-op, made up of fisherman living on an average income of about $500 a year. Last year they contracted with a Japanese firm that agreed to buy their entire catch at an excellent price. After the Japanese ship had been cleared by Customs, Immigrations, Agriculture, and Public Health agencies and U.S. Consular authorities in Japan, the governor intervened to force the Japanese to cancel their agreement on the grounds that the contract violated the North Pacific Fisheries."

More papers on Alaskan Native Tribal Reservations:

• Research Paper # 113627 : "Reservation Poverty Among Native Americans"
• Essay # 55099 : "Native American Gambling Revenues"
• Analytical Essay # 144075 : "Indian Reservations and American Law"

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