Transcript Student/Faculty Research Day

Unemployment in Native American Communities
Kristina Malec  Faculty Mentor – Dr. Heather Ann Moody  Social Work/American Indian Studies  University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Purpose of Research
Santa Rosa Indian Community, CA (3,976)
Navajo Nation, UT-NM-AZ (199,963)
63%
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, OK (68,879)
Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizonia, AZ (9,278)
Navajo Nation, UT-AZ-NM (199,963)
Pine Ridge, SD (32,152)
Two or more races
13.6
63%
61%
Pine Ridge, SD (16,906)
61%
Gila River Indian Community, AZ (11,251)
61%
San Carlos Apache Tribe, AZ (9,901)
61%
37%
53%
White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, AZ (13,014)
14.6
64%
40%
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, WA (16,172)
American Indian and Alaska Native
67%
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ (4,692)
Chickasaw Nation, OK (32,372)
15.9
"Indigenous communities are their own strongest asset. Ultimately,
indigenous peoples must look inward to themselves for leaders,
institutions, innovation, and community consensus for taking on the
task of developing healthy, sustainable, culturally grounded
indigenous communities that will be satisfying and sustainable into
the indefinite future" - (Duane Champagne 2011)
68%
50%
Lytton Rancheria of California, CA (17,327)
Black or African American, non-Hispanic
69%
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, MN (1,293)
41%
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, OK (47,649)
Unemployment rate
Self – Determination
Highest Unemployment Rates in Native American Communities
Highest Populated
Native American Reservations
In 2011 the Native American unemployment rate in the United
States was 14.6%. The purpose of this research was to
determine the factors that cause the high unemployment rates
in Native American communities.
Unemployment rate by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity,
2011 annual averages Race or ethnicity
Suggestions
Quantitative Data
58%
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, OK (12,481)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, ND - SD (1,757)
41%
Arapaho Tribe of Wind River Reservation, WY (11,624)
Rosebud Reservation, SD (11,158)
39%
0%
10%
20%
30%
60%
40%
50%
60%
57%
0%
70%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
"When Indian tribes make money selling cigarettes, a suit is filed
(Moe v. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Flathead
Indian Reservation, 425 U.S. 463 (1976), 96 S. Ct 1634, 48
L.Ed.2d, 96 (1976)). If bingo prospers, Congressmen write new
laws and limit such initiatives. If tribal coal, gas, oil is developed,
the surrounding states move quickly to impose taxes on resources
they do not own" (Morris, 1988).
Lowest Unemployment Rates in Native American Communities
11.5
Hispanic or Latino
Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, TX (1,169)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
10.4
White, non-Hispanic
7.2
Asian, non-Hispanic
7.0
15%
Catawba Indian Nation, SC (1,847)
These data are featured in the TED article, Racial and ethnic characteristics of the U.S. labor force, 2011.
Unemployment has potential to lead to extreme poverty, health
concerns, depression, alcoholism, and suicide and
understanding the factors which cause high unemployment
rates in Native American communities could lead to resolutions
to those causation factors
12%
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, SD (2,025)
28%
Sitka Tribe, AK (2,184)
29%
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, MA (2,813)
29%
Lac Du Flambeau, WI (2,056)
34%
Cowlitz Indian Tribe, WA (3,678)
34%
Oneida Tribe of Indians, WI (6,946)
34%
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, MS (9,199)
33%
Pueblo of Santa Clara, NM (1,547)
33%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Correlations/Findings
35%
Qualitative Data
4 major causation factors found
Research Questions
1. What are the causation factors for the high
unemployment rates in Native American
communities?
2. Is there a correlation between the population size
and unemployment rates of reservations?
Methodology
A mixed methods approach of both quantitative
and qualitative data was used for this research
Quantitative Data
Looking for a correlation between the 10 highest
populated Native American reservations and the
reservations with the highest unemployment rates
Qualitative Data
Looking at online articles and scholarly articles that
have been written about unemployment in Native
American communities
Less Government Influence
Lack of Property Rights
In 1887, the Dawes Act split Native American land into allotments with the purpose of
trying to assimilate Native Americans into the Euro-American civilization. It was
thought that Native Americans who were given the task of owning their own chunk of
land would get one step closer to assimilating. The Dawes Act did not have the effect
it was supposed to and was overturned in 1934 by John Collier with the Indian
Reorganization Act after it was decided that the Dawes Act created nothing but
disarray in the lives of Native Americans.
After the Dawes Act was overturned, Native American land was never returned to its
original state before the allotment process; the land that Native Americans lived on
became a communal land. It was not for individual use and when a resident of a
reservation wants to build on their land they are forced to live by BIA laws and have to
get special permission.
Seclusion
The majority of reservations were purposely created to be secluded from other
reservations and non-native communities. The purpose of secluding reservations was
to create a feeling of loneliness with the intention of making Native Americans feel as
though they have no choice but to assimilate into the mainstream Euro-American
society. Whether the Euro-Americans expected it or not; however, the geographical
location has also stifled viable economic activity in Native American communities.
Lack of Labor Market
The idea that casinos provide Native American communities with vast amounts of
money is false. Many casinos do not bring in a lot of money because they are too
secluded and do not get enough business. If reservation is not rich in resources
(timber, coal, agriculture, etc.…) and is too far secluded from other communities there
is no opportunity for a labor market.
Government Dependency
Because of the treaty rights, the United States government created reservations and
provided everything that the residents needed: food, clothing, shelter, and land for the
Native Americans to live on. Native Americans became wards of the United States
government. However, as the treaty rights of Native Americans eventually faded away
so did the resources that were being provided to the reservations. As populations on
Native American reservations increased, so did the demand for these resources but
the United States government was unwilling to provide proper resources for the
reservations as they believe that Native Americans should be equal to non-Native
Americans in engaging in a capitalist society.
40%
No clear correlation between high population and high
unemployment rates
More correlations between property rights and land seclusion
with high unemployment rates than any others
Future Research
Further research will be to compare and contrast economies on
reservations with highest and lowest unemployment rates
Conclusion
The idea of self-determination
among enrolled tribal members
can only work if the federal and
state governments discontinue
their interference in tribal
matters.
References
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Austin, A. (2010, November 18). Different race, different recession: American Indian
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L. Benson, & T. E. Flanagan (Authors), Self-Determination: The other path for Native Americans (pp. 29-36).
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The printing of this poster was funded by Differential Tuition.