Native Americans

Native Americans are a group of people who were the original inhabitants of the United States. Archaeologists believe the first native people arrived in North America more than fifteen thousand years ago. For thousands of years, native cultures grew and flourished on the continent until the arrival of European explorers in the sixteenth century. In the ensuing centuries, many native people were forced from their lands and many more died from disease and warfare. During the nineteenth century, most Native Americans were moved to federally managed lands called reservations.

While native people gained considerable rights by the twenty-first century, many continue to struggle with issues such as racism and poverty. Others have found economic opportunities in the casino and gambling...