Living conditions on many reservations are inferior to what many of us take for granted. Society is dysfunctional, with high divorce rates, domestic abuse, substance abuse, and crime. The economy is very bad, with few job opportunities, and low wages. Decent education is also hard to find, with an astounding number of children not graduating high school.
On many reservations alcoholism is uncontrolled. Social workers in the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota estimate that between 60 percent and 80 percent of babies on the reservation are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcoholism affects nearly every family and often starts early in life. Those people who do not abuse alcohol experience difficulty functioning in an environment so dramatically affected by alcohol abuse. One effect of the alcohol is increased crime rates. …
