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Dave: This is “In Our Time” on MQR News, and I’m Dave Chapman. Today, I’ve invited Marlene Greycloud to talk to us about her latest book Native Americans Today. Marlene, welcome to the program.
Marlene: Thank you. Dave: First of all, could you tell us a little bit about the history of Native Americans?
Marlene: Basically, we can say that when Europeans arrived on the continent, it was bad news for the Native American tribes. European colonists wanted land, and so, little by little, they took it away from the native people. Dave: How did they do that?
Marlene: Sometimes they fought for the land, or they made unfair treaties, or they simply forced the Native Americans to leave. During the 19th century, the United States government removed many tribes from their lands and made them live in areas called reservations. Another way the government tried to destroy their traditional way of life was by forcing them to adopt the European-American customs and putting their children in European-style boarding schools away from their families.
Dave: What is the situation today?
Marlene: Unfortunately, life on the reservations is still very difficult. Thousands of Native Americans live in poverty today. And, of course, poverty can lead to other problems such as alcoholism and drug addiction. But since the 1960s, Native Americans have been more and more active in fighting for their rights and fighting to save their culture.
Dave: What are they doing?
Marlene: Tribes are making efforts to improve education and job training to raise their standards of living. Community schools on the reservations teach native customs and the tribal languages. They are fighting to preserve their culture.
Dave: Marlene Greycloud, thank you for sharing with us today.
Marlene: It has been my pleasure.
Dave: Please, join us next week when we invite speaker...
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