"some reserves have major problems which they need to fix themselves"
The reserve in itself is a problem for native people. They were convinced to go there and give up huge tracts of traditional land on the premise that their needs would be looked after. How does a tradition of hunter/gatherer do in a concentration camp. Go visit one sometime and see the poverty, depression, suicide, hopelessness. to the many who are getting an education and become successful on saw mills, trucking companies or whatever my hat is off to them for they have risen above the odds and made success from what could be more trajedy.
My grandparents were native and made a decent living from guiding trapping and hunted and fished when they needed food to feed 9 children. they never took a handout and were not affiiated with any reserve. Although poor by comparison to the white expectation they were very happy on their homesteaded little piece of land.
A televison education on aboriginal culture (the savages) was written by white folks and is not an accurate depiction of the true culture.
Get an education if you would like to make an informed statement. Start by listening to many of the informed elders on the culture and history.
One i heard thought it was hilarious Columbus is given credit for discovering America "as we were not lost, he was" the natives offered cohabitation to their new "friends". Some and not all of the settlers viewed natives as savages or pagans despite having their own culture, goverment and religion. This from a white culture that was still hunting down heretics and witchs and burning them at the stake. That is civilized.
the natives did not bring a knife to a gun fight but rather welcomed the settlers and assisted them in many ways in acquiring food and shelter in what was considered a harsh climate. The reward was the taking of all land and being set up in concentration camps where speaking their language, practicing their religion or even passing the native ways education on to their childeren was declared illegal. A once proud society has many problems which some members can't overcome but many are doing well. I think it was Mark Twain who said "if the definition of a ni**er is a shiftless lazy person we have a few white ones as well". As has been mentioned there are lazy folks in all cultures. Some as well aspire to greater things but removing treaty rights is just breaking more promises and widening the gap between have and have not. Just as some homeless people are just unlucky in their circumstances that put them on the street some natives just can't seem to catch a break to get out of the rut. the so called "reverse discrimination" laws gives them some advantages to correct past injustices from a largely prejudiced society. Look around many don't fit the sterotype that was typical twenty years ago, and in twenty more years more progress will be made. 200 years can't be overcome in a short period of time.
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