Indian scenes from a renaissance: countering
centuries of oppression and neglect, American
Indians Travel the road to renewal
By Joseph Bruchac
Presented by Derick Schneibel
10 Largest Native American Groups
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Cherokee – 729,533: Oklahoma, California,
Texas, North Carolina
Navajo – 298,197: Arizona, Utah, New Mexico
Latin American – 180,940: Spread throughout
U.S. with highest concentration in California
Choctaw – 158,774: Oklahoma
Sioux – 153,360: Scattered throughout the
northern great plains
10 Largest Native American Groups
Chippewa – 149,669: Concentrated in
the upper Midwest
 Apache – 96,833: Arizona, New Mexico
 Blackfeet – 85,750: Montana
 Iroquois – 80,822: New York, Wisconsin
 Pueblo – 74,085: Arizona, New Mexico
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U.S. Indian Reservations
Background
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American Indians make up 1.5% of the
total U.S. population
2000 Census total: 4,119,300
 1900 Census total:
240,000
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Only 13% of American Indians live on
reservations
 43% of people living on reservations and
trust lands are not Indian
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Comparisons
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Per Capita Income
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Living below the poverty line
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General Pop.:12.4%
American Indian Pop.: 22%
Unemployment
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General Population: $21,587
American Indian Population: $14,267
General Pop.: 3.7%
American Indian Pop.: 6.6%
High school graduate or higher
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General Pop.: 80.4%
American Indian Pop.: 74.7%
Sioux; Cheyenne River Reservation
South Dakota
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Goal: Reestablish
buffalo culture on
reservation
Largest tribally owned
buffalo herd in America
with over 3,000 animals
Seeking a federal loan
to buy back 22,140
acres of land taken by
the government between
1887 and 1934
The “New Buffalo”
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224 federally recognized tribes have
gaming operations ranging from bingo to
casinos
Generate about 15 billion dollars annually
The Foxwoods in Connecticut operated by
the Mashantucket Pequot will gross over
1billion
Accounts for only 3% of Cherokee income
Oneida Nation; Wisconsin
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Directed casino profits to tribal development
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Buying new land, paving roads, and building a
new elementary school
Founded Four Fires, a business consortium,
with three other tribes
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$43 million hotel near the National Museum of
the American Indian in Washington D.C.
Chippewa; Bois Forte reservation
Minnesota
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During the 70’s and 80’s
wild rice production fell
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Pressure from outside
growers
Nett Lake became
overgrown with aquatic
vegetation
2003 $500,000 of casino
profit was invested
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Motorized barges and
cutters cleared the lake
Mohawk Nation; New York
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By 1997 only 5% spoke their native language
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Mostly in their 70’s and 80’s
Formation of Kanatsiohareke meaning “place
of clean pot”
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“Carlisle School in reverse”
Graduates now teach other Mohawk
Cherokee Nation; Oklahoma
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Well established
language schools
 Effecting political
change
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Dynamic Lobbying
program
Use of large
numbers to
influence politics
Discussion Questions
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In what ways will returning to a buffalo
culture help the Sioux?
Do you think it is important to preserve
American Indian culture, including language?
Why or why not?
Do you think American Indian history should
be a greater part of American History?
What do you think should be done about
lands promised to the American Indians and
then expropriated by the Federal
Government?
Picture sources
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Cheyenne River reservation map,
http://daschlevthune.typepad.com/daschle_v_thune/mapEB.bmp ,
accessed 11/25/06
Lakota Sioux Flag, http://www.american-nativeart.com/publication/oglala-lakota-sioux/foto/Oglala-flag.jpg, accessed
11/25/06
Oneida Flag,
http://www.crazyhorse.org/museum/flags/OneidaNationOfWisconsin.jpg ,
accessed 11/25/06
Chippewa Flag,
ttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Bandera_Chippewa_
Minnesota.png , accessed 11/25/06
Bois Forte reservation, http://www.maquah.net/general_MN/Bois_Fortemap.jpg , accessed 11/25/06
Mohawk Flag, http://www.the-flag-center.com/store/images/Mohawk.jpg ,
accessed 11/25/06
Cherokee Flag, http://www.atlasgeo.net/fotw/images/u/us-cher2.gif ,
accessed 11/25/06