The Reduction of a Self‐Sufficient People to Poverty and Welfare Dependence: An Analysis of the Causes of Cherokee Indian Underdevelopment

Abstract

Abstract. This investigation of American Indian underdevelopment is based on historical data on the Cherokee people which demonstrate how a self‐sufficient people have been reduced to their present state of poverty and welfare dependence. Colonialism and the imposition of White control over Native institutions undermined the Cherokees' ability to innovate effectively. This hypothesis is substantiated by similar experiences of other tribes, as well as those of different indigenous groups, such as Alaska Natives, who have been more successful in preserving their traditional cultures.

Signatures and Thumbprints: Ethnicity among the White Earth, Anishinaabeg, 1889–1920

“…Incorporation of native groups into the world economic system was not a uniform process. The nature and impact of incorporation depended on the structure of the native group, the resources and technologies it utilized, its own position in the world economy, the timing of incorporation attempts, its relations with each specific state government, and the resources being sought after (Hall 1983(Hall , 1985b(Hall , 1986(Hall , 1988a(Hall , 1988bSnipp 1986Snipp , 1988Anders 1977Anders , 1981Anders , 1985. 2 Although native peoples suffered much as a result of colonization, they also confronted new opportunities.…”