Opinion: Indian Country left out of nation's economic recovery

In many ways, the U.S. economy is showing signs of recovery — a slow recovery at the very least. The Native American population, however, has largely been left in the dust. The 5.2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives made up just 2% of the population in 2013, and just 1% of the labor force, so this population is often ignored in national policy discussions. Native populations were also hit harder than most by the recession. Already facing high rates of poverty and unemployment, a 2007 report published by the First Nations Development Institute found that Native Americans are disproportionately targeted by predatory lenders.

There have been some positive steps for Native Americans in recent years, according to a 2013 report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Tribes gained more control over their natural resources and food systems and got involved in the country’s energy sector, for example. President Obama has also taken political steps in support of Native populations, including founding the White House Council on Native American Affairs and making the third-ever presidential visit to an American Indian reservation in 2014.

Nevertheless, Native Americans remain one of the most economically disadvantaged populations in the country. About one in four American Indians and Alaska Natives were living in poverty in 2012, while just one in 10 non-Hispanic whites were living in poverty in 2013.