Native American Land Essay

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Recommended: The treatment of Native Americans on reservations

The United States is famous for its coal reserves, approximately 4 trillion tons of coal is found in American soil. That’s 10 percent more than any other country in the world, (Bonogofsky, 2012) however, out of those 4 trillion tons, nearly 30 percent is found within Native American land. After colonization, displacement, and relocation, the government assigned Native Americans to reservations. Little did they know that those lands are now estimated to include nearly 50 percent of the nation’s uranium, 20 percent of the natural gas and oil reserves, and as mentioned before around 30 percent of the nation’s coal (Grogan et. al., 2011, p. 3-4). The council of Energy Resource on Native American tribes estimates that Native American resources are worth as much as $1.5 trillion, making them the richest minorities in the United States. However, as of today Native Americans are among the poorest factions in the country with unemployment ranging at about 50 percent on reservations, including high rates of homelessness, crime, and unsuitable housing (Regan, 2014). My research will focus on why some Native American tribes have a low socioeconomic status even though their lands are rich in resources? Do they want to exploit their resources? What’s the government’s role on Native American land? Keywords: natural resources, reservations, minorities, exploit, government Natural Resources on Native American Land Governmental Policies and Mismanagement Today most natural resources within Native American land are managed in trust by the federal government meaning that in order to explore or develop resources on Indigenous land; tribe members must face a long and costly process to take advantage of the resources they own. (Regan, 2014). For ... ... middle of paper ... ...killing many due to lung cancer, and posing birth defects on the new generations due to the exposure of radiation. Today many tribes see the development of their land as a way out of poverty but many others wish to preserve their natural environment. The U.S. government should recognize the sovereignty of Native American land and give them full rights over their land. Indigenous people have greatly suffered at the hands of the government; it’s time to let them make their own decisions, to stop taking advantage of their land and resources. Their land is full of resources; resources that belong to them and the people of their tribe. The government has already stripped them from what was once their territory. Native Americans should be the owners of their land and resources and they should decide whether they want to develop their land or preserve it the way it is.

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