Just as the title says.. a lot of people have never met an indigenous person, let alone been on a reservation or even heard of one.
EDIT: sorry guys I’m back to work now. Thank you for all the questions and sorry for the ones I didn’t get the chance to answer! Signing off
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What is life like there? Any cool/ crazy stories that happened there ?
Reservations vary by region. Some are very poor while others are thriving nations.
How do you see your particular Rez compared to others?
which tribe / nation are you a part of?
What parts of indigenous history are scrubbed/removed from education? What do most non-natives not know because its been covered up?
What’s your favorite thing about your culture and living on a reservation? And alternatively, what do you dislike about your culture and wish would change, and what’s your least favorite thing about living on a reservation?
Edit: this question is really dark, but is there a serious problem of MMIWGs where you live?
How do you feel about the level of non Indian governmental oversight in regards to reserves? Including but not limited to the requirements for recognition at all?
Is there a casino on your reservation?
Do you know if you are impacted by tariffs on imported goods? I read somewhere that Indian tribes are exempt from trade wars.
Some of the most memorable people I’ve ever met were during my visit to a rez local to where I used to live. I learned so much from them and will never forget them!
HeyHowareya
As a fellow indigenous person from Europe I just want to say hello
Are other ethnicities allowed to move to the reservation? If so, how does it work?
Also do you pay rent or money for a place to live?
Waachiya🙂
How do you feel about very white blue eyed blond people calling themselves Native American? If they are registered with a tribe and not?
Do you speak your indigenous language? Is it spoken at all, and if so, then how widely? Also, do you consider yourself happy?
I’ve been on a few reservations and they have all been exceedingly poor and honestly felt like a third world country. I’m sure some are better than others but I definitely noticed a trend.
With that said, why do you think that is?
What do people do for work?
Do you have to pay rent to someone (I guess the tribe) to live there?
I have a few questions:
How do you feel about sports mascots being named after Native Americans?
Do you prefer to be referred to as a Native American, Indian, indigenous person, or something else?
I am a white person who lives on a Reservation in Montana. Does your rez allow non tribal members to buy property and live there?
Do you have a casino and do you get a monthly payment as a result of it?
Do you folks live outside of the reach of the federal government?
U mentioned that the reserve ur on is very rural. Partaked in any farming? If so, your favorite part?
I always wondered what a Native Americans vies on Mexicans are. Arguably, they are Native Americans as well
How do you feel about blood quantum deciding who is eligible for benefits and who isn’t?
I’m a kiwi and our indigenous people, the Māori, determine membership by whakapapa (ancestry). If you whakapapa Māori to any degree, you are Māori.
Are there any aspects of government-indigenous relations present in other countries that you would like to see adopted in the US? Conversely, are there any aspects of US government-indigenous relations that you think other countries would benefit from adopting?
[deleted]
Sovereign citizens say this all the time……
J/K
Hi OP.
Why are Native Americans referred to as Indians ?
You guys didn’t originate from India, so why is this name used.
Looking forward to your answer
Is it true that a non-native person cant be prosecuted for murder that happened on native land?
As in the reservation has no authority to prosecute a non-native, and the state and federal government don’t prosecute crimes that happen outside of their legal jurisdiction.
The mascot thing never bothered me personally, but I see why it does bother a lot of native people. Some native people will get mad if you refer to them as the wrong thing, especially in most recent years. I don’t have a preference. I am a Native American, Indian, indigenous woman and I am proud!
Do you work inside the reservation? Are McDonald’s and other fast food allowed inside? How about non Indian owned businesses?
How do you view these names: Native American, indigenous people, and Indian?
As an American with European descent I don’t want to perpetuate any racism that has come from pushing names onto other people. But from your title on this post, and other people I’ve seen, it seems like you embrace some of these names for yourself.
A friend in grad school was Diné; his research was in ways to improve access to education and overcoming biases against education that lingered from the “re-education” programs of generations past (apologies for my lack of nuance).
Is this still a big concern, and are there particular programs or Nations that are addressing it better?
What is healthcare like? I am finishing nursing school this year and think it would feel much more fulfilling to serve a community without being subservient to for profit healthcare systems.
Any good spooky stories? I listen to a lot of cryptic podcasts and it seems like there’s always activity on reservations.
Thanks for asking and answering about the casino. I’ve heard there are some tribes in Minnesota and Wisconsin that make “bank“ just for being a member of that particular tribe.
I live in a city that is sandwiched between 2 reservations. One is very nice and the neighborhoods are very well maintained. The other looks like a war zone. Not really a question but more an observation.
Do you have public services on the reservation like 911, fire, police or do those come in from other communities? Are you except from any taxes? Is reservation life a lot different now than it was for your grandparents?
Hey, just want to say tansi from a Canadian Cree cousin 🪶
Do you have a Cree name or an English name? 🙂
Also thanks for the ama. I am a European who’s never ventured outside of Europe and I’ve learnt a lot from this post.
You mentioned college. Is there a particular university that’s seen like the “Harvard” for indigenous people, like maybe Haskell University?
Are there major retail chains on the reservation, like Walmart, CVS, etc, or are they not allowed to operate on tribal land?
Can you buy alcohol on the reservation? Are you allowed to possess it (like if you bought it elsewhere)?
Montana isn’t where Cree nor Chippewa started. Would you say that there’s a strong community connection to the land where you are now, or is it more of a well we got pushed here and we’re doing our best? How are relations with people for whom that is their ancestral lands?
What are the biggest problems in your rez?
In order to keep the lineage alive we need to have babies with our own people. That gets hard though because eventually you will be distantly related to everyone lol. Some choose to marry other natives from other tribes while some go a completely different race. Me personally, I have a child with someone from my tribe and a Mexican from California 😂
Who do yall hate more- white Americans or Mexican Americans? I’ve been on a res and yall really seem to hate Hispanics.
What tribe ?
How many people actually use US government pay and welfare programs?
If you were president what would you change?
What’s your favorite local food?
Is basketball really popular on your Rez?
Do people in your tine practice Christianity or dispise it? I have a coworker that’s native and he and his wife (also native) argue about the “white man religion” so I’ve been curious if it’s a normal outlook or just him being jaded.
Hi! I have a question, not necessarily reservation related but I used to teach at a middle/high school and a lot of our indigenous students wore all black and often also black face masks to school. I always wondered if this was cultural or even related to a specific nation (I believe many of our students are Diné). Do you find this is the case for youth in your tribe/nation too?
Hello from the other kind of Indian!
What are your views on the release of Leonard Peltier and his troubling background relating to Anna Mae Aquash?
Do you think a non-US citizen from Mexico or another South American country could get registered with a tribe to prevent deportation? I understand that several southern US tribes share some history with Mexican tribes, but maybe I’m wrong.
I’m so sorry for how your families have been treated through the centuries. Deeply sorry.
You say your father is black? How did he meet your mom? What are your plans for the future? Is there a way to directly donate to your tribe?
What state do you live in? Is it a consolidated tribe? Do enrolled members get a per capita?
What percentage Native is the enrollment cut-off point?
Thank you so much for your kindness! My mom moved to Washington after college and met my dad who was there living with his brother in the Air Force. My plans for the future are to finish my bachelors degree (I have 1.5 years left) and go from there. There is no direct way to donate to our tribe (I don’t think) but even if you did, we probably wouldn’t know where the money went to directly. It would be better to donate to the college or one of the k-12 schools.
Thank you everyone for asking questions! I have to get back to work now. I hope you all have a blessed day
Did your reserve have horses? What is your tribes relationship with horses?
Just a mad horse girl wanting to hear all about any equine friends 🙂
How do you feel about opening up BQ requirements? My parent is enrolled but I’m a descendent and it’s a touchy subject for our tribe
How do you (or other Native folks you know) feel about the United States as a political/culture entity? Like do you consider yourselves part of it? Or do you see the US more as a foreign occupier?
I know some (white) folks who do volunteer work on reservations. It’s a thing that I would do, but I dont want it to be disrespectful or patronizing. What is the best way to get involved and help impoverished native communities without being too patronizing?
Thanks for doing an AMA, have always been fascinated by First Nations culture.
So a few questions ..
First Nation ? By your specific Tribal name ? Indigenous?
What can we do as other nations to help your people ?
What are some myths and legends outsiders may not have heard of ?
Do you believe the white Buffalo Lakota prophecy has come to pass with the birth of Wakan Gli ? If so how are the Nations feeling ? Hopeful ?
Do you as a Nation have any ceremonies where you live like you did 100s of years ago ? Close to the earth, hunting, sleeping under the stars .. away from the modern world ?
What is your opinion on the integration of tribes into the United States. Do you believe that the reservation system should continue? If so, what changes would you make?
Curious as the state of Native tribes is sort of really weird as they are both sort of quasi governments while also seeming to act like community or ethnic organizations.
Do you feel like the reservations were a way to isolate and is a form of segregation? We had to study reservations in our law class and it seemed like a disadvantage. What’s your take on this? In Hawaii, we wanted sovereignty similar to native Americans under the Akaka Bill. Do you think it benefits natives? Sorry, so many questions.
Seeing this post on my feed was interesting to me. I’ve lived in the central midwest all my life, and so grew up semi-frequently interacting with people from different tribes in the area. It never occurred to me that people would have never met a Native person.
My old best friend was native, I used to wish I was too cause he would get paid like every month I think, and then a big payout when turned 18. Plus my dad would always tell me stories about their history growing up so I thought they were cool. The crazy thing is I went to a neighborhood with him that I guess was a rez place, and damn I ain’t ever been as scared in my life. They did not like having a white boy there and pretty much everyone in the dead end complex made it known. The bloods and crips like joined forces to come and punk me haha. Luckily I got out unharmed, but it was a tense situation for a good 20 mins or so and I was sure I was going to get jumped possibly stabbed and thrown in the woods. But other then that I’ve had good experiences. Met some from Montana and they were all cool as hell. Right now I live somewhat close to a rez and my next door neighbor is an older native dude. He is crazy, but we get along good enough. Guess my question would be do you got any crazy stories about spirits or anything super natural like that?