While I was away for a few days I read the book "On the Rez" by Ian Frazier, a great book about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that I recommend. His book contains many colorful stories of many different people on the Pine Ridge reservation. Here are some stats that were not really new to me but thought were of interest.
- 30.9% of Indians have incomes below the national poverty line, more than any other race or ethnic group.
- 90,000 or more Indians are homeless.
- 40% of Indian households are overcrowded - compared to about 6% of the population at large.
- Indians are about twice as likely as non-indians to be murdered.
- Their death rate from alcoholism is about 4 times the national average.
- The rate of fetal alcohol syndrome among their children is 33 times higher than that for whites.
- Indian babies are 3 times as likely as white babies to die of SIDS.
- One in 5 Indian girls and one is 8 boys attempts suicide by the end of high school.
- Indians are twice as likely as non-indians to live in a moblie home. The reason for this has partly to do with laws against repossesion of tribal land: banks will loan money on reservations only for property which, in the event of default, can be towed away.
