The New Trail of Tears

How Washington Is Destroying American Indians

By: Naomi Schaefer Riley

Narrated by: Christa Lewis

If you want to know why American Indians have the highest rates of poverty of any racial group, why suicide is the second leading cause of death among Indian men, why native women are two and a half times more likely to be raped than the national average, and why gang violence affects American Indian youth more than any other group, do not look to history.

There is no doubt that white settlers devastated Indian communities in the 19th, and early 20th centuries. But it is our policies today - denying Indians ownership of their land, refusing them access to the free market, and failing to provide the police and legal protections due to them as American citizens - that have turned reservations into small third-world countries in the middle of the richest and freest nation on earth.

The tragedy of our Indian policies demands reexamination immediately - not only because they make the lives of millions of American citizens harder and more dangerous - but also because they represent a microcosm of everything that has gone wrong with modern liberalism. They are the result of decades of politicians and bureaucrats showering a victimized people with money and cultural sensitivity instead of what they truly need-the education, the legal protections, and the autonomy to improve their own situation.

©2016 Naomi Schaefer Riley (P)2017 Tantor

Interesting

I liked this book. It gave me a broad perspective on where natives are in society.

The only thing I wish there was more of was a focus on the horrible health care system offered to natives.

Heartbreaking

A heartbreaking but accurate look into the problems my people face. If only we weren’t so tired to stand up against the messes!

We are our own worse enemy

The author did an amazing job describing how things are on reservations. I liked how she did did not sugar coat anything. As a native that grew up on a reservation, but currently living off the reservation because I am married to a non-native. Prior to the Covid pandemic, we use to be able to visit often, but because I refused to follow "leadership" mandates, we currently are not allowed. I am certain that since the pandemic, things have only gotten worse on reservations. I pray that one day my people will have the courage to be more independent of the handouts.

Fantastic!

Eye-opening indeed! This book tackles a heavy subject that many Americans acknowledge but refuse to research and truly understand. Allocating more money is not the answer, despite our government’s never-ending “attempt” at addressing this issue. This book is a thoughtful and factual account with tangible suggestions for positive impact.

Enlightening to say the least!

One never hears of the squalor in which the native people live. Sad to see that-like in the black community, it is brought on by their so-called political leaders.

Incredible book on a tough topic.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about this very difficult, complex topic.

eye opening

i had no idea how much the US government and BIA continues to screw over natives.

From a Native American

Excellent book because it exposed adversities that have lead to so many problems present on the “Rez.” I am Navajo, born & raised on the Navajo Reservation. I was lucky being brought up with strict Christian parents & grand parents who supported my educational goals. Currently working on the Navajo reservation as a physician, the poverty abounds affecting healthcare. But WE Natives must own this problem as Ms Riley divulges in her book. This should be required reading in high schools across each reservation. Excellent reading but so sad. But I can make a difference.

Loved it!!!

It's a beautiful but sad story. It makes me want to run to a reservation and help. But what could I do. I wouldn't want to be just another white man trying to tell Natives what to do. I actually worked on a Native reserve in Canada at the mission there. We mistered to the few older natives who had invest. But it was hard to reach out to anyone new. There was a cycle of drugs and alcohol. There was a family next to the mission that I came to know a little. The boy was I guess in his early teens. But he was already mixed up with drugs. It's a sad story, all we can do is pray.

An insightful analysis of today’s reservations

Having not only grown up next to a reservation, and attended k-12 in a school dominated by native Americans I also taught in a school with 85% native students. I witnessed the issues described first hand. This book is one of the best analytical breakdowns of the issues plaguing reservations and their citizens I’ve ever seen. The issues are complex and will not be easily solved. This book is certainly worth the time and will create a better understanding.