Running Head: SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
Social Harm Issues
Kyle Reynolds
Rasmussen College
1
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
2
ROOT CAUSE OF CHEROKEE SOCIAL HARMS
Among the Five Civilized Tribes with assimilated American settler culture, the Cherokee
have assisted officially and unofficially since 1866. It is recognized as the largest and
independent tribal nations in America although the community has struggled with social issues to
settle in the country. Natively, the nation settled in the southeast before being forced out their
land during president Jackson’s era. Although the community exists independently today in
Oklahoma where it celebrates its culture and heritage, the nation heavily struggles with social
harm issues such as drug abuse and poverty (Yarbrough, 2013). To be specific, the root cause of
all these challenges is the crisis of Cherokees tribal constitution since 1874’s single body
consisting of Bureau of Indian affairs and our department of interior. This has made it difficult to
unify the people under the tribe. For instance, some adopted European clothing, others spoke
English, others Christianity, and others owned slaves among other issues.
According to the reporter’s committee report on American Indian law, 2.4 million of
Indian Americans live within the territorial boundaries on the American states although the
statistics are not clear because data varies in between the clans (Verhovek, 2018). The tribe men
and women today face numerous challenges such as median wages below the national average.
Most of them live in obsolete poverty 18.1 on average according to 2000 census. There is also
rampant drug abuse among the tribes destroying the Indian country.
The issue involving Cherokee national tribal constitution started simmering a few months
before Sam Howe archived his article in July 1997. Tribal police began investigating chief
principles of the nation’s finances, Joe Byrd following improper diversion of federal Cherokee
money to pay a tribal employee lent to the national democratic committee in 1996. Soon after the
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
3
chief dismissed 15 marshals who came in search in his office, the tribe’s highest court issued an
arrest warrant accusing him of obstruction of justice. The chief got a bare majority of 15
members tribal council and impeached all the three justices. In a prepaid raid by the new
principles hired a security force, the team dismissed marshals camped in the courthouse and
guarded their financial statements. This shows the tribe faces infamous ‘trail of tears’ with
thousands dying of diseases, poverty and simple exhaustion.
Away from the modern crisis in the tribe’s constitution, the Indian removal act of 1830
authorized president a. Jackson to accelerate the movement to unsettled land towards Mississippi
river. During the forced removal, the tribe used the American federal court against the state of
Georgia to put through the complaint. The court ruled in favor of Cherokee tribes but the state
ignored the decision (Five Civilized Tribes | Facts, Maps, & Significance. 2018). Now that the
government refused to obey property rights enforced by its own court, the tribe was left with few
options before entering the costly guerrilla war. Finally, survivors settled in adjoining land tracks
on the eastern part of Indian Territory. States were devastated and under populated after the war;
the government began reorganization with rapid and educational progress. They infused to
Indian territories between 1893 and 1907 building railroads adjoining the states. Soon afterward,
Oklahoma became a state and the government started allotment of tribal lands to individuals
including freedmen and slaves enrolled as members. Oklahoma State with no reservation state
put in place.
Most recently in February 2007, Frank Morris covered a story about court decisions
concerning Cherokee freedmen who claim there is a 140-year-old treaty that protects the rights
of the Cherokee nation. Toomer, one of the freedmen urged in support of photocopied documents
that his relationship with his tribe (OPINION: Pressing issues to face Cherokee Nation in this
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
4
historic election. 2018). According to Tommer, regaining their membership stake will bring back
lost fairness and rights while receiving benefits.
In my position, there is more to describe the tribe’s epidemic experience away from just
poverty and drug abuse. Tracing back in 1841 to highlight the tragic that the tribes capital existed
in Tahlequah, most people of the Indian background point fingers towards their federal officials
for failing to uphold the nation’s constitutional mandates.
5
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
References
Yarbrough, F. A. (2013). Race and the Cherokee Nation: Sovereignty in the Nineteenth Century.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc
Challenges facing American Indians | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. (2018).
Retrieved from https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-guide-american-indian-law/challengesfacing-american-indians
Five Civilized Tribes | Facts, Maps, & Significance. (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Five-Civilized-Tribes
Challenges facing American Indians | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. (2018).
Retrieved from https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-guide-american-indian-law/challengesfacing-american-indians
Verhovek, S. (2018). Cherokee Nation Facing a Crisis Involving Its Tribal Constitution.
Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/06/us/cherokee-nation-facing-a-crisisinvolving-its-tribal-constitution.html
OPINION: Pressing issues face Cherokee Nation in this historic election. (2018). Retrieved from
https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/index/9227
Running Head: SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
1
Social Harm Issues
Institution Affiliation
Date:
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
2
The Cherokee nation is one of the numerous communities settled in the USA that struggle
with social issues. It is recognized as the largest self-governing and independent tribal nation in
America. Initially, the Cherokee nation considered the Southeast as their native land. On the
contrary, gold discovery in this area had led to the Cherokee nation being forced out of their
lands. The president of that time Andrew Jackson had pushed the people of this community out
of their lands. During this time about 4000 individuals had died from starvation and disease.
Although this community had been pushed out of the lands their deemed native, they
survived. The Cherokee nation exists today as an independent community. It is currently situated
in Oklahoma where it celebrates its culture and heritage. The Cherokee nation comprises of the
American Indians. In the US, there are approximately 2.4 million of the American individuals
settled in the territorial boundaries ("Challenges facing American Indians | Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press," n.d.). Although this community has managed to remain a sovereign
nation within the US boundaries, it struggles with various social harms such as poverty and drug
abuse.
Poverty is primary social harm affected a majority of the American Indians in the US
(Royce, 2018). It is believed that the median wage for the individuals in this community is below
the national average. The men and women from Cherokee nation receive pay that is below the
national average. As such, the poverty rate for the community is high. Cherokee’s poverty rate is
measured to be approximately 18.1%. Therefore, the community suffers from the social harm
due to the low wages paid for their work.
Additionally, drug abuse is another issue that contributes to the poverty of the American
Indians in the nation. The use of methamphetamine by individuals in the Cherokee community is
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
3
destroying the lives of many people. This drug is destroying the lives of the young and old adults
in the community. Furthermore, drug abuse is a primary factor in increasing poverty levels in the
Cherokee nation.
According to the tribal leaders in the community, it comes out that the lives of many
young people will be lost due to drug abuse. Furthermore, the lives of the young children will
also be destroyed as a result of parents abusing drugs. When the parents result in drug abuse,
they tend to neglect their kids. Parents addicted to drugs expose their children to other problems
include violence, child abuse, rape, homicides, and assaults ("Challenges facing American
Indians | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press," n.d.). As such, drug abuse destroys the
physical body as well as the emotional state of individuals.
Also, it is imperative to recognize the fact that as more people engage in drug abuse, the
community will continue to struggle with poverty. It is evident that parents are unable to cater
for the well-being of their children due to drugs. Furthermore, the young individuals will be lost
due to drug abuse thus they will not be available to help the community overcome its social
harm. On the other hand, the neglected children will continue to struggle in the future as a result
of the impact the neglect from their parents causes to their physical and mental state.
The Cherokee nation has faced numerous hardships during their stay in the US. Some of
these hardships include the loss of their native lands and deaths of their people. However, despite
these hardships, the community has tried its best to remain strong and sovereign. On the
contrary, drug abuse and poverty remain a social harm issue that threatens the sovereignty of this
community. These social harms should be addressed to help improve the community and its
people as well as avoid the deterioration of their well-being in the US.
SOCIAL HARM ISSUES
4
References
Challenges facing American Indians | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-guide-american-indian-law/challengesfacing-american-indians
Royce, C. C. (2018). The Cherokee Nation of Indians. BoD–Books on Demand.
Yarbrough, F. A. (2013). Race and the Cherokee Nation: Sovereignty in the Nineteenth Century.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment