What The Indian Removal Act Did to the Indians?
The white Americans had a problem with the Indians because they wanted the Indians’ land. The white Americans thought the Indians were savages and were lesser than human. Americans believed that the best way to solve the problem is to make them as close to white Americans as possible by converting them to Christianity, teaching them English, making them dress like white Americans etc. They basically took everything away from Native American culture. When the Indian Removal Act was in effect the 5 Indian tribes (The Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and the Seminole) were forced to move west of the Mississippi River to current day Oklahoma by walking in lines chained to each other. This was called the Trail of Tears. By 1840 tens of thousands of Indians were driven off their land.
Native American Living Conditions Since The Indian Removal Act was Passed -
About 22% of our country’s 5.2 million Native Americans live on tribal lands. 90,000 Indians are homeless. Houses on Indian reservations don’t contain basic utilities such as plumbing or electricity. Most homes on Indian reservations are crowded. You might find 3 generations of a family living in a 2 bedroom house.For employment most American Indians start businesses to increase the availability of jobs in reservations. A lot of Indian children are enrolled in schools which mainly concentrate on tribal views. All in all the Native American reservations are not a good place to live, a lack of utilities and and overcrowding are a major health risk.
