Jordyn EthingtonSOC 235Section: History of Native American ReservationsFor many years, Native Americans faced horrible social and political mistreatment and discrimination at the hands of white Americans. Many Native Americans still face discrimination in the United States today. This section of the article will describe and explain the general history of Native American reservations. When settlers arrived in America from Europe, there were more than 1,000 Native American tribes. This number is now reduced by half as several tribes have been decimated over the years due to disease and lack of recognition from the government. The article Facts about Indian Reservations states that although there are approximately 565 Native American tribes in existence today, there are only 310 reservations (About.com). Indeed, some tribes simply do not have reservations and some tribes share land. Most of the reservations are west of the Mississippi River and are found in the northwest region of the United States. The natives felt independent and separate from the white settlers. Relations between natives and whites deteriorated as settlers moved farther west. In 1851, the Indian Appropriations Act legalized the creation of land reservations, specifically for Native Americans, in what is now Oklahoma. Then, in the 1860s, President Grant proposed a "peace policy" that forced Native people to settle in places where they had no historical connection (reservations). The natives, against their will, had to sign these peace treaties and leave their homes. Many tribes tried to break the law and not move, but the U.S. military made sure everyone would cooperate. Many wars started because of this, including the Sioux War which took place between 1876...... middle of paper......saise. Historically, crime in Indian Country has been somewhat ignored by the federal government and incidents are subject to limited investigation. Gangs and numerous cases of rape are also common problems on reservations. This could be attributed to the fact that when Native Americans were relocated, hostile tribes were sometimes placed to live with each other. Alcoholism is probably the worst problem there is. The number of alcohol-related deaths among Native Americans is much higher than among the rest of the U.S. population. Alcoholism among natives may be linked to the diagnosis of other illnesses. The history of Native American reservations is devastating, and many Native Americans are still bitter about the mistreatment of their people. People of Native American descent still face discrimination in some parts of the country.