History of American Indians and the United States

Health & Sovereignty

Dr. Kane

mkane2@albany.edu Humanities 109 | MWF 9:20 - 10:15 AM

Office Hrs: M 10:20 - 11:20 & F 1:30 - 3:30

Social Science 60S

Friday, September 15

coming up

• Policy piece due Monday Sept 18 (BB)
• EC: Sept 28 11:30 Hum 290 Charlottesville roundtable
• think about a short (one sentence!) summary of your paper

today's class

• writing advice
• violence against women
• health & environment

writing advice

• yes: Native, Native American, American Indian, Indian, Native people
• no: the natives, native American, American Native, Indian females/males
• "from time immemorial," "whites have always," "Indians have always"
• watch out for ten dollar words!
• how and why, not who, what, where

LaDuke, Akwasasne & Seminole

• how has poverty & gaming affected life for the Seminole?
• how has industry upstream on the St. Lawrence affected the Akwasasne Mohawk? how has General Motors responded?
• why did the Navajo or other groups agree to let energy companies strip mine the Black Mesa Plateau or begin other industrial projects on reservations?

Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

• ~70% of Native women physically abused
• ~45% of Native women sexually assulted
• off-reservation women seen as sex workers or "asking for it"
• disappearances not investigated because of unclear jurisdiction

Violence Against Women Act - 2013

• tribal jurisdiction over non-Native/Native crime in domestic violence and sexual assault cases
• only applies if accused lives, works, or has family relationships on reservation
• tribal courts must pay for defendent's attorney through appeals process
• tribal courts must provide trial by jury including non-Native jury members
• why are so many reservation residents non-Native? ~75%

Indian Health Services

• provisioned as part of treaty relationship annuities
• large service areas
• $3k per patient / $8k non-Native average / $6k Medicaid

culture & health

• cultural perceptions of pain
• 1 in 4 Native women sterilized 1950-1990
• economic pressure: loss of aid off-reservation
• unfit to parent: high rates of mental health diagnoses
• practice for residents, IHS pay by procedure

Indian Gaming Act - 1988

• Bryan v Itasca County 1972 & PL280
• Reagan-era "self-sufficiency": self-determination & trust reduction
• FBI jurisdiction
• 10% of reservations generate 70% of revenue

economic sovereignty

• ~30% unemployment, ~30% below poverty line
• marginal lands vs. development rights
• environmental impact on traditional support & self-sufficiency
• jurisdiction & size of resources