DoSomething.org

While researching my topic I came across the website DoSomething.org. This website brings young people together to rally against various social problems like discrimination, violence, bullying, homelessness,and other abuses. They ave a specific page for racism against Native Americans. On this page, they give a brief history of Native American discrimination. They explain the long list of injustices against Native Americans including, massacres, the well-known Trail of Tears, forcing off of land and onto reservations, etc. This website also explains how racism against Native Americans is still present today, stating, "To this day, Native Americans are the most harshly affected by institutional racism." They provide examples such as how Native Americans are one of the most "economically disadvantaged groups in the country, and suffer form high levels of alcoholism and suicide." Native American women are also at a higher risk of sexual and physical abuse, three and half times greater that the national average (and this estimate is even lower than expected because 70% of these cases go unreported).A cycle of violence is starting because the police are apathetic toward the prosecution of crimes against Native Americans.  

Overall, I like this website. I think it can help young people make a difference in America today. I think it is good that they give a little bit of history but I especially like how they explained some of the effects of racism still prevalent in today's society. I think many people forget that Native Americans are still discriminated against in some ways. Many people tend to forget about it now and idealize the situation. People tend to think that all the injustice is in the past, but it is still going on today.

My only issue with this website is the picture that they used (above). I think this picture (the only picture on the page) reinforces stereotypes of Native Americans. I think they should have also included some modern day pictures of Native Americans. I think that showing that Native Americans today do not all dress this way and do look the same as everyone else could go a long way. If more people saw that Native Americans were just normal, regular people, there might be less discrimination.