Delgadillo 1

Alex Delgadillo
Mr. Davis
Government
18 October 2016
Native American Act 2015
Native americans, the indigenous people of this land, have inhabited the americas for
more than twelve thousand years. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his trans atlantic voyage and
discovered the americas. Columbus not only brought new diseases and forced the conversion of
the Native Americans into christianity but also enslaved many Native Americans and committed
mass genocides. From this point on in history all the way to today ,conditions for Native
Americans have worsened. Native Americans are continuously being pushed off their
reservations, being denied equal educational and healthcare opportunities, living in poverty,
being criminally victimized, discriminated against etc

The native american population went

from 10 million to less than three hundred thousand and the sad truth is that the population of
Native Americans in this country will continue decreasing if conditions for Native Americans
are not improved. The Native American act of 2015 should be passed to provide equal
educational opportunity, healthcare and to honor treaty rights/tribal sovereignty.
Having a good education and educational opportunities paves the way for success to
people in this nation and it is important and only fair that all racial and ethnic groups have equal
opportunities. Specifically Native Americans because not only do they have the lowest
performance scores but are also not given the same opportunities that other students are given.
Native students are the only student population that did not improve their reading and math
testing scores in grades 4 and 8 from 2005-2011 (The Education Trust,2013) . According to the
Education of Trust, after five years of education these students did not improve their test scores
one bit. The absence of improvement in these students shows the quality of education they are
given. High school graduation rates are also among the lowest of any population. In the states
with the most American Indian and Alaska Native students, less than 50% of Native students
graduate, on average (The Civil Rights Project, 2010). In addition the Civil Rights Project
stated that on average less than 50 percent of native students graduate which is nearly half the

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national graduation average and also the lowest among all ethnic/racial groups. The steady
decline of graduation, standardized test scores, and inability to proficiently read and do math all
show that Native American education needs reform. Not only is poor education not fair but it
may also be the root to other problems Native Americans face.
Medical attention is another aspect where Native Americans are treated unequally.
Without the healthcare they need, Native Americans are unaware of their physical and mental
health issues. Across the board, the rate of health problems related to tobacco, illicit drugs,
alcohol, obesity, diabetes,tuberculosis and suicide for Indians and Alaska Natives are far greater
than similar rates for the rest of the population. According to Contemporary Native American
Issues, Native Americans lead in some of the most basic health issues such as drug and alcohol
addiction which implies that drugs and alcohol are big parts of their lives and that there is limited
health options. Youth suicide has become an epidemic in Indian country. Young Native
Americans are more likely to kill themselves than any other group. Native American teens and
young adults are ending their own lives at triple the rate of their peers...young Native women in
Alaska were 19 times more likely to kill themselves than other women their same age. (Claire
Gordan). According to government data, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium ,
Native Americans lead in suicide rates which shows us that in addition to physical health they
also suffer from severe mental issues. Inequality is seen not only in education but in medical
attention and it is obvious that Native Americans need better healthcare, especially when they
lead in major health issues.
Lastly, tribal sovereignty and treaty rights should be respected to a greater degree.
Although many people think that Native Americans have their own reservations where they can
do what they desire, this is not necessarily true because all indian lands are actually owned and
managed by the federal government which gives them the power to do what they want.
According to Associate Professor of Philosophy and Community Sustainability/ Timnick Chair
in the Humanities at Michigan State University, Kyle Powys Whyte, The pipelines construction
has already destroyed some of the tribes sacred burial grounds. During protests, the protectors
as many gatherers prefer to be called have endured violence, including being pepper-sprayed,

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attacked by dogs, denied nourishment and threatened by lawsuits.The pipeline being built in
North Dakota is a perfect example of why tribes should be given tribal sovereignty. The federal
government is destroying their homes out of self interest for a pipeline. In addition, the brutality
towards peaceful protestors of the pipeline shows the federal government clearly does not care
about the Native Americans but about the exploitation of natural resources. The construction of a
telescope in kanaka Maoli is another example of violation of treaty rights. According to Julian
Brave Noisecat, The Kanaka Maoli in Hawaii are fighting to protect their sacred mountain
Mauna Kea from the construction of a 30-meter, $1.4 billion telescope. Many Hawaiians are now
questioning the legality of the states annexation, which took place after a group of business
interests, most of them American, overthrew of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893(13 Issues
Facing Native People Beyond Mascots And Casinos) . This once again shows that the federal
government doesn't respect the agreement they made with Native Americans and that the
interests of the government are prioritized. Dispossession of Native American land and violation
of treaty rights is constantly happening and if it continues occurring not only will we lose
diversity and culture but the Native Americans themselves.
In order for these reforms to take place, large amounts of money will be needed to put
the bill into action. However many people argue that the United States has no money to spend
due to the fact that the country is 19.7 trillion dollars in debt, according to the national debt
clock. The country's debt is still rapidly growing however if this country really believes in justice
and equality for all we will find a way to ensure equality. In addition, the bill proposes to deduct
money from the military budget however people argue that the defense budget is used for
important military matters, allocation

for emergency and supplemental spending, deterring

foreign threats, making military preparation efficient, supporting peace in foreign regions,
preventing recruitment and retention issues, keeping defense factories operational, and spending
to ensure national security (/13-key-pros-and-cons-of-military-spending). The pros to this large
military budget may be true however the cons outweigh them.Though the USs military
spending has declined since 1989, its share of total worldwide military spending has increased
greatly. In fact, the countrys military spending and its allies account for more than half of the
total amount worldwide. Moreover, the US spends 18 times the combined military budgets of the

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rogue nations. It is used to fund unrealistic wars, support the rhetoric about readiness that may
not reflect reality accurately, balanced foreign aid and diplomacy and is used irresponsibly.
(13-key-pros-and-cons-of-military-spending). The military budget is nearly 600 billion which
accounted for more than 50% of discretionary spending in 2015, according to the National
Priorities Project. The defense budget would not need all this money for foreign affairs if they
stopped interfering and trying to exploit foreign countries. The deduction of money from the
military budget would not only open windows for new reform but for equality.
The Native American act of 2015 should be passed to ensure equal education, healthcare
and abide treaty rights/tribal sovereignty. Native Americans have been battling for equality since
the arrival of Columbus whether it's to keep their land that was stolen or for their lives, and it is
time we treat them with respect and equality. We have already stolen the majority of their land
and rights, the least we can do is ensure equality and better living conditions. The Native
American act of 2015 will use money from the military budget to provide more funding for
Tribal Education agencies, update the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and will force the
federal government to abide by treaty rights

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Noisecat, Julian Brave. "13 Issues Facing Native People Beyond Mascots And
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Month, By. "Eight Tribes Receive Nearly $2.5 Million in Grants; Funds Help Tribes Take
Control of Own Educational Programs." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
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