History books and Hollywood westerns have created stereotypes of both the Indians and their white
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．
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, Indians have been portrayed as ignorant, murdering
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; the whites, on the other hand, have been
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as brave adventurers, struggling to make homes in a new and hostile land. It is not surprising that
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the years the Indians have developed a sense of personal and cultural
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and the whites a sense of superiority. These feelings are
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evident
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the reservations. Government reservations have fostered a "paternalistic" attitude of whites toward Indians,
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Indians have been encouraged to be dependent upon whites for food and survival. It should come as no surprise
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Indians, after years of isolation and dependency on reservations, often
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motivation and self-esteem.
In an attempt to
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from a life of poverty and unemployment, many Indians
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to alcohol. Alcoholism is a major health problem on reservations and in some way
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approximately 80 percent of the families. As one Sioux Indian explained, "When you"ve got no job, no money, and a house with a dirt roof, you"ve got good reason to want to get drunk."
Despair has even harsher consequences. The suicide
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among Indian teenagers is four times the national average. Traditionally, Indian schools have tried to force children to forget their Indian language and
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in favor of white customs and
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. As a result, many young people feel inferior to the
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white American and are ashamed of their Indian heritage.
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, however, this deplorable situation has begun to change
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the efforts of sensitive teachers and school administrators.