Third-World America. That is what you could call the American Indian reservations. Often, no running water, no electricity, and substandard housing.
It is said unemployment runs between 40 and 80 percent. Often, parents leave their children with grandparents to go off the reservation so they can earn money to support those children.
Back in the day, these First Americans lived off the land. They fished and hunted and lived on what the land gave them. Then, we rounded them up and placed them on reservations. Could they still make their way fishing and shooting deer on the reservation? I do not know. But, I think it time we provide employment opportunities that will bring them into the Twenty-First Century. This is not so much a call for government to do more to provide them employment as it is a call to private industry to bring work stations to the First Americans. Some ventures might not require large bases of employment, so the sparsely-populated reservations might yet be able to serve them. So, perhaps we can place some small manufacturing ventures on the reservations. But, perhaps more importantly, we live in a day when many are working out of their homes. This should be a shot-in-the-arm for our ability to provide First Americans with employment. This could open up employment for First Americans. With this opening, we should encourage benevolent to hire those on the reservations to do work that can be done from home.
Let government perhaps do more to provide utilities, to improve the housing, and such. But, more than anything, bring those on the reservations to the attention of those who are potential employers. If you desire to open a farm to grow organic whatever, why not put it on the reservation and let the First Americans be your workers? If you want someone to work from home, consider those on the reservation.
This is my Christmas wish.
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