What Life On A Native American Reservation Is Really Like

In 1851, the US government passed the Indian Appropriations Act, creating reservation lands for Native Americans. For decades prior, the US government had forcefully moved and abused Native American tribes, most notably through the Indian Removal Act and subsequent Trail of Tears under President Andrew Jackson.

In placing them on reservations, the US government often forced Native Americans to live on subpar lands under harsh conditions. Reservation rules were also oppressive and unfamiliar. By 1887, the government took further action with the Dawes Act. President Grover Cleveland signed the act, which aimed to assimilate Native Americans into white culture and improve their lives. It did the opposite. By taking more land away from Native Americans, splitting up land they already held, depriving them of productive and profitable farmland, and sending them into abject poverty, the US government only made matters worse.

#nativeamerican #indianreservations #weirdhistory

[CarterLeigh]

I was raised on the Navajo reservation by my grandparents. I was raised without running water or electricity, we were entirely self sufficient, we raised livestock, made firewood, hauled water from a mountain spring & built everything by hand. Some people will look at the way I grew up as poor or that the work was hard, which it was but those are some of my best memories! To this day, my grandparents still live on the reservation, they still tend livestock & they are happy despite not having electricity or running water.
That life taught me alot about work ethic & being independent as I currently have my own business, while also pursuing my BS in business as a fulltime student & single mom. That way of life can teach someone alot.

[SinCityRaider]

I live on the Navajo Rez and this presentation is spot on. Ahe'hee' for bringing more awareness to Indigenous Americans. Yá’át’ééh Abiní from The Wild SouthWest.

[audreyd]

I wrote a paper in my Bachelor of Science in Nursing program about at-risk populations and I chose the topic of Native Americans on Reservations. I specifically researched the Pine Ridge Reservation population and was able to communicate with two people who have family living on Reservation Land. It truly broke my heart to hear the stories and realize the stories are reality! Not only that, but those things are happening in 2022! We all need to do something to make a difference to our fellow Americans!

[veggieboyultimate]

I may not be a Native American I can agree that you guys certainly didn’t deserve the cruelty you had in your history, and you should all deserve the same rights.

[thehangmansdaughter]

How can this be allowed to happen in a modern country? How is it okay for a certain group of people to live under such conditions? Everyone deserves clean water, access to education and protection under the law. This is just sickening.

[theresareynolds]

I grew up on a reservation in Southern California, it was hard we didn’t have a lot as far as toys went, as kids we had acres to run and play on, we didn’t have a park or playground to play on, but we had caves to explore, my brothers and I lived with my grandparents, we were better off as far as food and meat went and my grandparents always shared with other family members, grandpa had a huge garden and everyone was welcome to take what they needed. You showed a picture of Russell Means and Dennis Banks, two of the founders of AIM, which is American Indian Movement. Sad fact is another founder of AIM, Leonard Peltier is still in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he’s been there since the 1070’s. You failed to mention Native Americans weren’t actually recognized by the government until June 2, 1924 that’s when they decided we were citizens

[hambone]

My babysitter/occasional guardian lived on a reservation in Idaho while my usual guardians lived just outside of it. Rez life was wild but the community helped make everything feel comforting and like home. It'd often be me and 9 others in a one bedroom trailer with no plumbing but on the reservation we'd live in an actual house with running water but there'd be 17 of us and we'd often have to deal with the dogs running around. A lot of years were spent with just us kids making it through the day with only one meal in the evening but whenever someone was around we'd listen to lots of stories, learn skills, and have some actual support

[tarabasran]

Over 10k children’s bodies have been found in the last year or so collectively on Canada residential schools’ sites. Canadian history of the treatment of Indigenous peoples is heartbreaking. I love the layout of your guys’ videos, and as a Canadian teacher, I’d love to have a video on that topic.

[MH-jseg]

THANK YOU!!! Living on the rez IS like living in a 3rd world country, at least what’s I’ve lived through and seen on the Navajo rez. No one seems to wanna talk about this. Although brief, I appreciate Weird History for even attempting to broach the subject and for bringing attention to this aspect of American history and the resulting/continuing disparities.

[laurafloyd]

How nice of the government to let them live on the land that belonged to the indigenous in the first place. They have been so wronged since day one. Many are still without electricity or running water to this day.

[gregorythomassr]

This is truly sad. The US have committed some terrible crimes all out of greed and conquest 🙏🏾🙏🏾 Prayers going up

[seysey]

Im from the Salish tribe in Montana and this is super accurate! So many facts in here. I moved off the rez because I wanted a better life and I couldn't find one on the rez. Now I deal with Tribal and State jurisdiction issues because I'm a member of the rez. I'm pretty much a person without a country or citizenship. My tribe can't help because I live off the rez and the state won't help because I'm a tribal member haha... Im referring to law, health, stuff not financial help... But if I asked for that I'd have the same problem 😣 I'm stuck in Jurisdiction Purgatory

[cuddlebuddymc]

Hit the nail right on the head. I'm from the navajo nation and I moved to Florida. Only twice in my life did my tribe give me "free" money and that was due to C19. I want to go home but there's really nothing out there.

[foxqueen]

I grew up on the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Reservation in South Dakota, and it was such a depressing state. People would talk about escaping the rez but very few do, most get stuck by teenage pregnancy, discrimination in the workforce sends them back home, and poor education makes it extremely difficult to pursue a higher education. I remember alot of people say "It's bad but at least we're not Pine Ridge" Another reservation worth talking about is Rosebud. The sex and drug trafficking through there is horrendous. I doubt you could find a woman there who hasn't either been sexually assaulted or knows a close family member who has. It's so tragic, and on top of all that, in my experience, the council that runs the rez is very corrupt and full of nepotism and "skimming" of funds

[Platero]

In the 1970s, I grew up on the Eastern Navajo Reservation. I guess we were more fortunate than many families around us. They look to us for help. Money, community events, elder contributions, livestock, ranch, etc. We had sports events, summer fun for kids, swimming lessons, crafts, meals, and much more for kids. I visited my old community 2yrs ago, it has slowly deteriorated over time. The old 6 bedroom house gone. Dust blown. Sad. Unfamiliar faces replace. Remembering the families once were. 😢

[jennoury]

This is so heartbreaking, Ronald Reagan said it best-
“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.”
I don’t know why Native Americans would choose live on a reservation, Federal government does not care one bit about the people they’ve placed there.

[mcain]

I’m honestly shocked to learn they live such a shoddy existence. That’s pretty bad when people who commit crimes get better care and treatment than Native Americans.

[CadetRedShirt]

Thank you for bringing attention to all this!!
I grew up on the Navajo Reservation as a half-navajo kid, I remember moving to a “”regular”” neighborhood off-rez when i was 11 and shocked by people having actual running water in the house.

I’ve even met people that think natives aren’t really around anymore (ie “ancient” indian burial ground nonsense). So, thank you for helping educate people!

[AccordionJoe]

If any group deserves reparations for past and current injustices, it is the native American. I visited an Indian reservation in northern Wisconsin and saw firsthand the deplorable conditions these people are living under. The native people have been put out of sight and out of mind for 150 years.

[gwenwilliams]

Very important fact you briefly mentioned. The Dakota Access Pipeline was "rerouted" through native lands. It originally was routed close to Bismarck. The white population in the city objected to its location so the line was rerouted through native lands. To me, this is most important fact. The white population was able to object and the line was moved. Native people objected to the new route and the their wishes are ignored. It is like being kicked to the ground and than spat upon.