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In the chapter Days of the Theft: Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Hedges and Sacco

examine the poverty of Native Americans living on the Pine Ridge reservation. This area is one

of the most destitute in the United States, which, according to Hedges and Sacco, is a direct

result of the governments capitalistic approach to policies and its disregard for human life. They

try to show that the hardships of Native Americans have been caused by violence, a lack of racial

identity, and financial dependence.Native Americans have been brutalized since the beginnings of European conquest. The

potential for land and riches led to killing, raping, and stealing. This trend continued throughout

the advent of the United Stated as a sovereign nation. Treaties were formed and ignored, and

wars were waged upon the people who had most claim to the disputed lands they had inhabited

for centuries. The Native Americans stood little chance against presidents such as Andrew

Jackson, and their numbers soon dwindled. As treaties were broken, the land they were allotted

became meager and desolate. Living in these conditions took power away from the Native

Americans and began the cycle of poverty in which they are still stuck today. It also created the

environment where their heritage could easily be taken away.

A person is defined by the situation they are born into; parents and relatives, social class,and race, along with other factors, all play a part in deciding the traits of a specific person.

Native Americans have a unique culture with traditions and values handed down through the

generations. Belonging to a culture can give a sense of belonging to a person who would

otherwise feel alone and lost. This was proven in the interviews of Hedges and Sacco. One

Native American woman in particular was unable to live a sober life until she reclaimed her

roots. By denying a person their culture, it is easier to oppress them. The United States exploited

this by taking Native American children from their homes and sending them to boarding schools,

where they were retaught how to behave in a more civilized way. When a group is disbanded,

it is harder to fight back against injustices. It also encourages fighting within the group, rather

than directing anger at the one which put them in their terrible situation. This misdirected angercan be seen on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Gangs fight amongst each other, rather than

organizing against the government which has oppressed them. This may be that they simply

cannot risk losing the pitifully small amount of aide they receive, though.

As Native Americans fall deeper into poverty, they become increasingly dependent on the

government for basic needs. Even so, many do not have running water or enough food. Living in

such conditions has had a direct influence on the extraordinary rates of alcoholism, drug

addiction, and crime. The United States government does not adequately fund public services

such as public education or health care at Pine Ridge, even by their own analyses, but it is more

than nothing. Many need this aide to carry on. Thus, they continue to live impoverished with

little hope of becoming independent. There is potential for social change in any situation, but it

requires organization, education, and motivation, all of which have been methodically beaten,

quite literally, from the spirits of most Native Americans living life on the reservation.

Although Sacco and Hedges provide an in-depth account of Native American reservation

life and the hardships they face, I found that it was lacking in a perspective from young people.

Those that were interviewed were generally older, having already experienced the negative

effects of extreme poverty. It left me to wonder whether anything has changed with the younger

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generation, or if they have more hope for their future. It is useful to know the conjectures of

those who have had time to consider their situation, but a communitys youth gives a raw

representation of its workings. Also, I was curious as to ways in which people have been able to

escape this particular cycle of poverty, or if the rate of success is so negligible that it would be

pointless to address. It is difficult to escape from situations such as these, but it is hard for me to

understand why more people would not leave the reservation, whether it be family ties or theimpossibility of affording such a move. However, I believe that overall, Sacco and Hedges give a

comprehensive perspective on Native American life in Pine Ridge.

How big of a role should the government have in providing services to those in need?

At what point does a government overstep its boundaries in its attempts at capital

gain?