Steven Lotz Source 1

Question: Are government programs actually helping Native American kids get into college, or are they going widely unnoticed, leaving the Native Americans no better off than they already are?

Karaim, Reed. "Native American Youths." CQ Researcher 24 Apr. 2015: 1053-76. Web. 1 Mar. 2016

1.)  The article opens with an anecdote about on of the Native American youth of today, and her battle with thoughts of suicide hinders her ability to perform at her best. Many other Native American youth, however, are also struggling with drugs, alcohol, and suicide. Karaim adds the steps Obama has tried to take to reduce these rates of poverty and drug abuse in Native American tribes. These problems, says Karaim, stem from the abuse of the United States government toward Native Americans. The other solution to this is to improve Native American schools. The organization that aids these schools is called the Bureau of Indian Education. President Obama's goal for this dilemma is to shift these schools into a more public light, improving funding and "providing technical assistance on curriculum and other matters" (Karaim).

2.) For me, this article does a great job illuminating some of the struggles Native Americans face on a day to day basis. Especially with the anecdote from the Native American teenager and her struggle with suicide shows to me that this is a real issue, and the fact of the matter is these teenagers are falling into a spiral that will cause their downfall. President Obama, it seems to me, has certainly tried to improve the conditions for these teens through the invitation of some Native American youth to the White House to discuss some of the issues they face on the reservations and how the government can provide assistance to their schools and society. This article does not quite show me how the Native Americans have lower access to higher education, but it does show me some of the other struggles that are causing a lower rate of graduation for Native Americans. This article brings out the discussion of are Native American schools up to the same standard as other schools in the are, and frankly this article shows me that Native American schools are not preparing students for success due to the lack of funding. This sort of answers my research question, but I need to find more information on the specific federal programs that are trying to assist Native American students to earn their degree.

3.) First Source

4.) Do suicide rates on Native American reservations appear to be lower than the national average? How much of an impact did the US Government have on the increase in suicide rates and drug abuse rates on reservations? So far, I have some answers, such as the fact that Native American kids face an epidemic of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and suicide rates. Now, I need to find some steps that the government is trying to take to rectify the issue.