On Current Injustice

Absorbing Native American history is a process that is comparable to the dark diffusion of tea leaves in hot water: the longer you look, the murkier the water becomes. Since the greedy settler's first step onto American soil, American Indians have seldom encountered sympathy or justice; throughout the centuries, they have been made to fight for land that was theirs to begin with. However, past battles are not enough to grant them freedom from participation in today's wars. Despite the fact that it has "been trying to kill Indians since the very beginning", America's government still finds it just to draft them to fight its battles, happy to ignore past differences and overlook the damaged state in which they find themselves at present (Alexie 29).

How is it that Native Americans, whose descendants came here thousands of years before those of today's average citizen, find themselves confined to reservations that resemble small third-world countries as punishment for desiring to continue tradition that has been in place since before Christ was said to have walked the earth? How is it that, in ignorance of reservation poverty and rampant disease of both body and mind, America's main focus remains hypocritically rooted in preservation of the past? Historical artifacts which, today, gain more attention than the people they represent should serve as a reminder of the attrocities American Indians have suffered for this country. Instead of directing public attention to the discovery of an ancient Native American relic, the news should center itself on the people alive now. More healthcare must be provided, more jobs must be created, more homes must be built, and more government resources must be allocated to aid; after all, isn't it every nation's goal to improve the quality of life as much as possible? This issue must not be forgotten; by turning away from their plight we do these people a great injustice. Only constant awareness can initiate change.