28 October 2010: Page 426 #1

Native American Economy

When many people in America hear the words “Native American,” often times, there is a predictable myriad of assumptions and stereotypes that come into their minds. These are things such as lazy, living off the government, drunks, and several other words that generally all carry negative connotations. Many assume that the Native people live off the government by allowing them to put casinos onto reservations. Interestingly, however, Native Americans have a large impact on the American economy-and overall, it is quite a good and valuable impact.

A Harvard Project study came to find that “. . . no matter whether a tribe has undertaken gambling operations, its economy has grown at about three times the rate of the U.S. since the late 1980s” (“Economy growth faster for Native Americans”). This here exemplifies that regardless of whether a tribe builds a casino or not, their economic growth is continually rising, and has superseded that of the United States overall. Native Americans have begun to start rebuilding their governments and communities, and this is having an overall positive effect, “In recent years, tribes have been setting their sights on other lucrative opportunities from retail to banking to pharmaceuticals. And it's having a positive effect on state economies” (“Native American tribes contribute to state economies”).

 With the building up of these aspects, it is having a beneficial effect on the state’s economy where these tribes are located. When states are benefiting, this causes the overall American economy to benefit. In the state of Washington, the tribes there “contribute $1 billion annually to the state’s economy” (1). Furthermore, many tribes “are seeking to develop sustainable economies” (1). Here in Arizona, the Hopi tribe just purchased a shopping center in Flagstaff to contribute to the economy there (1). The Native American people are not living off the government; they are positively contributing to it.

I am half Native American and have seen some of the positive influences Native Americans have had on the economy. There are many stereotypes of this people, and in some cases they may be true, but not in a majority of cases. Native American tribes are taking it one step at a time, by starting to build up their own communities and this is having a national effect. If all communities would begin by building there, there would be an overall positive effect on the American economy.

Works Cited

“Economy growth faster for Native Americans.” The Arizona Republic. 26 June 2007.

“Native American tribes contribute to state economies.” State Legislatures. 26, 5. 31 May 2000. Web. 28 October 2010.