Native Americans In Sherman Alexie's Superman And Me
A minority is a group differing, especially in race, religion, or ethnic background, from the majority of a population. Native Americans are seen as a minority in the United States because they have a different ethnic background than the majority of the population. Present day Native Americans face the hardships of poverty, and difficulties of financial stability. Numerous reservations are treated unfairly, and don’t meet educational requirements nor housing. The poverty filled environment on Indian reservations had a powerful influence on the Native Americans’ expectations of their future, giving them hope of a better life after childhood. In Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” it illustrates the harsh living conditions and lifestyle
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However, the Lakota tribe lived on much more tight budget with scarce food and there homes took place in disastrous slums. Aaron Huey is well acquainted with the tribe and is treated like family and known as their “brother.” “I will always be what is called "wasichu," and "wasichu" is a Lakota word that means "non-Indian," but another version of this word means "the one who takes the best meat for himself" (Huey). This exemplifies how the whites are greedy and always take the best part of everything for themselves, and save the lousy scraps for the minorities of America, the Lakota tribe included. The Lakota tribe is constantly being forced to give up the little that they have to Americans even though they had been promised their share in the past. The reservation the Lakota’s live on is deeper in poverty than Detroit or Flint, Michigan. Alexie makes sure to address this, “Unemployment on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation fluctuates between 85 and 90 percent…. 39 percent of homes on Pine Ridge have no electricity. At least 60 percent of the homes on the reservation are infested with black mold. More than 90 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty line… School dropout rate is up to 70 percent” (Huey). These statistics obviously show how hazardous the Lakota’s housing is. The houses are minuet and discombobulated with their possessions
However, the Lakota tribe lived on much more tight budget with scarce food and there homes took place in disastrous slums. Aaron Huey is well acquainted with the tribe and is treated like family and known as their “brother.” “I will always be what is called "wasichu," and "wasichu" is a Lakota word that means "non-Indian," but another version of this word means "the one who takes the best meat for himself" (Huey). This exemplifies how the whites are greedy and always take the best part of everything for themselves, and save the lousy scraps for the minorities of America, the Lakota tribe included. The Lakota tribe is constantly being forced to give up the little that they have to Americans even though they had been promised their share in the past. The reservation the Lakota’s live on is deeper in poverty than Detroit or Flint, Michigan. Alexie makes sure to address this, “Unemployment on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation fluctuates between 85 and 90 percent…. 39 percent of homes on Pine Ridge have no electricity. At least 60 percent of the homes on the reservation are infested with black mold. More than 90 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty line… School dropout rate is up to 70 percent” (Huey). These statistics obviously show how hazardous the Lakota’s housing is. The houses are minuet and discombobulated with their possessions