Issues Facing Native Americans Today

ETHS 2440
Marc Hanson
For this class we were asked to choose an issue currently facing Native Americans and
then attempt to put forth a plan that might help fix the problem. The Native Americans face
several problems including; worse than normal economic conditions; drug use and incarceration;
poor access to medical services; poor education; and ineffective governing structures. These on
top of discrimination from both whites and inter-tribal marginalization.

While there are several factors to consider when it comes to the cause of these conditions,
my focus will be on what I consider a substantial factor: Cultural Pressures.

Cultural Preservation: Is it causing more harm than good?

This is a loaded question. And theory that I would be terribly uncomfortable floating out
there if this were anywhere other than a place where the exchange of ideas -- no matter how
absurd -- can be considered. If there is anything that was a strong thread running through this
class, it was one of cultural preservation. Each lesson, each guest speaker, each film -- all had a
very strong message of preserving the culture at all costs. Unfortunately, I believe the cost might
be the well being of the Native Americans themselves.
The internal and external pressure that is placed on Native Americans to preserve the
culture and stay true to their race is enormous. Preserving the cultural at all costs might be a
noble cause, and one that gives those advocating for it (especially white activists trying to

assuage their guilt) a sense of pride and diversity street cred, it nonetheless might be one of the
reasons they struggle so hard.

How it does Harm

Its true that people tend to gravitate and prefer the company of others that share similar
traits. However, just as strong, is the human condition that craves their own individual identity.
An identity that can exist outside of the culture that, through no choice of their own, they have
been born into. To place such strict cultural expectations on an individual such as: tribal
affiliation, language, ritual, art, and geographic location can have the inverse of a liberating
effect. These often unrealistic expectations can become chains instead. Much in the same way
one might feel being raised under strict fundamentalist religion, so is the same under a form of
cultural fundamentalism.
What might be considered benign encouragement by well meaning advocates of cultural
preservation, could actually be doubling down on the already historical oppression that Native
Americans are -- to this day -- trying to distance themselves from. Should one venture off the
reservation and assimilate into western culture, hes faced with tremendous guilt for abandoning
the culture . If one chooses cultural allegiance instead, theyre left feeling stuck, and often
resenting the culture thats trying to be preserved. This damned if you do, damned if you dont
scenario can be a catalyst for severe depression. This depression, of course, can lead to a host of
issues like drugs, crime, and economic despair. One which needs to be a focus.
Exploring this Theory
I would propose assembling a team of Psychologists, Historians and Anthropologists to
conduct studies and survey the populations of certain tribal areas to confirm whether the high

expectations of cultural integrity are causing emotional stagnation among the tribe members. The
common approach would be to use members of the same tribe to conduct these studies.
Recommended with that would be a gradual introduction of non-tribal researchers as a phase of
acclimation.

Assimilate and Preserve

The difficult and most controversial of this proposal is the balancing act of preserving
culture, and assimilation into western society. To strike that balance, some difficult questions
have to be asked.
1. Can, or will, the cultural allow itself to modify some of its more
strict aspects?
2. What aspects are necessary to preserve?
3. Who is the preservation helping? Who is it hurting?
4. Can the culture maneuver fluidly among other cultures?
These questions among others need to be honestly discussed among the members themselves -as well as historians and tribal leadership. The goal is to come up with a process that allows for
cultural preservation, but offers individuals who would like to opt out an opportunity to do so
without punishment or ostracisation from their own tribe.
In addition to that, anyone who opts out is free to return to the tribe and receive the
entitlements they have enjoyed before venturing off on their own.

Individuals first, Tribe second

For this to work, the tribe must adopt a mindset that the individual supersedes the tribe.
That free agency and an allegiance to ones own interest first and to the tribe second is best for

both in the long run. When the expectations of cultural preservation are lifted off the individual
and offered as an option that one can, without punishment from the tribe, choose to participate in
or not -- the likelihood of preservation efforts will increase. When the stigma of tribal desertion
is removed and combined with the self esteem one gets from recognizing their worth as an
individual first before culture comes into play, the more willing one will be in participating in
cultural preservation efforts. Guilt, compulsion and coercion have proven over and over as
ineffective ways to achieve results.
Of course implementation of this type of solution is extremely unlikely -- even in a
hypothetical scenario such as this. Still, I do believe that counseling towards an emphasis on
identity based on individualism vs. tribalism is a key step to raising the overall self esteem of a
group that has gotten the raw deal more than any marginalized group in the US.