Native Americans have a unique and tragic history. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that they were able to survive the period of the continent's settlement by Europeans. The tragedy is connected with the conflict between the Indians and the white population. Despite all this, the history of the Indian people is full of optimism, because, having lost the lion's share of the ancestral lands, they survived and retained their identity. Today they are full citizens of the United States.
The main question of the article: where do the Indians live? Traces of this population can be traced on two continents. Many names in the USA are associated with this people. For example, Massachusetts, Michigan, Kansas and the like.
A little history, or who is called the Indians
In order to understand where the Indians live, you need to decide who they are. For the first time, Europeans learned about them at the end of the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus, in search of the coveted India, reached the coast of America. The sailor immediately called the locals Indians, although it was a completely different continent. So the name was fixed and became common to many peoples who inhabited the two continents.
If for Europeans the open continent was the New World, then hundreds of Indian tribes lived here for about 30 thousand years. Newly arriving Europeans began to oust the indigenous people inland, occupying habitable territories. Gradually, the tribes were expelled closer to the mountains.
Reservation system
By the end of the 19th century, America was so populated by Europeans that there was no free land for the Indians. In order to understand where the Indians live, you should find out what reservations are. These are lands poorly suitable for farming, where the Indians were forced out. Living in this territory under agreements with white people, they were supposed to receive supplies. However, often it was only in words.
The situation became even worse when the government allocated 160 acres of land to each native. The Indians were not ready to farm, moreover, on land unsuitable for this. All this led to the fact that by 1934 the Indians lost a third of their lands.
New course
In the first half of the last century, the US Congress made Indians citizens of the country. This was a big push forward towards reconciliation between peoples, albeit rather belated.
Places where American Indians live, like themselves, began to interest Americans not from the point of view of profit, but from the point of view of the cultural heritage of their state. The United States has developed a spirit of pride in the diversity of its people. Many had the desire to compensate the descendants of the Indians for the unjust attitude to which their ancestors were exposed.
Where do the Indians live?
Indians live in two main geographical areas. These are North America and Latin America. To avoid confusion, it is worth noting that Latin America is not only South America, but Mexico and a number of islands.
Further places of residence will be presented separately in each of the geographical areas.
Settlement Territory in North America
Where do Indians live in North America? This geographical area consists of two large states - the USA and Canada.
Regions of residence of the Indians:
- subtropical regions;
- coastal areas of the northwestern part of the continent;
- California is a popular state where Indians live;
- southeastern United States;
- territory of the Great Plains.
Now it’s clear where the Indians live, photos of which are presented in the article. It remains to indicate that all of them are engaged in fishing, hunting, gathering, and making valuable fur on their lands.
Half of the modern Indians live in large cities and rural areas throughout the United States. The other part lives on federal reserves.
Indians in California
When you hear the question of where cowboys and Indians live, California comes to mind first. This is due not only to westerns, but also to statistics. At least in relation to the Indians.
The largest Native American population lives in California. This was also confirmed by the census of the past decades. Of course, the descendants of the Indians of this region are of mixed origin.
How do the native people of the mainland live in California? Over the years, most of them have lost knowledge of their native language. So, more than 70% do not speak any language other than English. Only 18% speak the language of their people well, as well as the state language.
California Indians have exemptions for admission to higher education. However, most of them do not use them. About 70% of children from Native American families receive secondary education, and only 11% receive a bachelor's degree. Most often, representatives of the indigenous population are employed in service labor or agriculture. Among them, there is also a large percentage of unemployment in relation to the average.
A quarter of California Indians live below the poverty line. Their homes often lack plumbing and sewage systems; many are forced to live in very cramped conditions. Although more than 50% still have their own housing.
Exist in California and Indian Reservations. In 1998, a court in them allowed indigenous people to engage in gambling. This permission from the authorities was a significant victory. But it was not connected with highlighting a favorable attitude towards the Indians, but because it was impossible to engage in customary crafts on the reservation territory. The government took this step to give people the opportunity to earn money for their livelihoods by doing gambling.
In addition to such concessions, reservations in California have their own self-government, courts, and law enforcement agencies. They are not repaired by the laws of the state of California, while they receive government subsidies and grants.
