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Trail Of Tears Essay

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Sarah Nawotny 11/24/2012 ENG 101-I NATIVE AMERICANS: the trail of tears, the indian removal act of 1830, reservation opression I have decided to dive into the depths of the American Indians and the reasoning behind all of the poverty and the oppression of the “white man.” In doing so I came across a couple of questions that I would like to answer. A). How did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 affect Native American culture, financial status, health, and B). Identity and how is life on the reservation oppressive for the Native Americans? In the 1830’s, Native Americans still lived in their native lands for the most part, however, white men considered them to be a threat to their peace. So in 1838, the Federal government had what …show more content…

I want to really get a grasp on this whole Native American stereotype. Why they drink so heavily, why they are so poor and hungry, with little to no education, alarming suicide rates, and diabetes and other health problems. After my research I have come across several things. The most important of which is, the Trail of Tears, where everything began. The Indian Removal Act was signed by Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830, authorizing the president to grant any unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands with existing state borders. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy. During the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, the Cherokees were moved west forcibly by the United States government. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this march, which became known as the “Trail of Tears” (History and Culture: Indian Removal Act). Native American resevations are constantly plagued by alcoholism, domestic violence, and teen suicide. Apparently living in poverty that is bad like this with all of the stress and lack of proper food, links Native Americans to diabetes as well. According to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, “the ‘thrifty gene’ theory proposes that Aferican Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans inherited a gene from their ancestors which enabled them to use food more efficiently

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