Has anyone ever spent time at an Indian Reservation?

I dont mean taking a tour through one and checking out the teepee or anything, i mean like actually spent a few days in a row and seen how they live on a regular basis. I love to travel but i have no experience with indians or indian reservations so i am curious as to what goes on there. I have heard that they drink a lot.? So what is the bar scene like on them? Do they even have bars? Are white people generally allowed to go there or is that frowned upon? What is the scene like?

Please, dont tell me anything about indian reservation CASINOS, i dont gamble and that is not what i am interested in.

Thanks in advance

 

I'm sure they'd love that.

 

Fuck no.

 

wanna see how Native American Indians live? Head down to your local ghetto and you'll have a fair idea. Generally they are impoverished and disadvantaged, have lower literacy rates and lower life expectancies. This is a pic of a home on the Pine Ridge res which is Sioux I think:

 

lovely generalizations there bud.

but by all means whitey - go to a rez.

 

Someones gonna do Ayahuasca.

 

They are much the same as the area around then in general, yes white people are allowed.

They paint there houses strange colors, but they all speak english.

They do drink alot but its not a lively bar scene.

Its all pretty typical small town America, on the poor side.

The picture above is not real representative, Im sure there are reservations where they are living like that, but walk 5 miles down the road and the white people are living like that too.

There are no fences, checkpoints, or Nazis asking for papers, no one is forced to live on the reservation.

 

well if i am wrong can you just tell me? are white people not supposed to go? i am a city boy i have zero first or secondhand knowledge of this

 

Lots of poverty, lots of struggle.

 

I know sherdog folks from the Rez.

I've been on one but have never stayed. From what I understand many are in unfortunate situations

 

sure the hood can be dangerous depending on where you go, but i also have fun in the hood. there are partys,bars,clubs,outdoor events, ect ect. Also and people are typically nicer than the stereotype leads you to believe. Not everyone is a gang banger or a mugger. So what i am gathering is that indian reservations are not fun in any way shape or form? they all just drink at home, even the young people?

 

I've been to many reservations along the West Coast, SW, and Alaska.

My experiences have been positive. The Native women I spent time with were usually college grads and so were their siblings. Because of this it was rare to find myself in an impoverished area on the reservation.

Bar scene is a lot of fun. Smiles and laughter. Usually the bars were filled with smoke so be ready for that. Native people are very happy to welcome anyone who is ready to have a good time.

 

God no. Murderous incestous Shit holes. In Alberta anyways

 

lol Maybe it's just me, but i have never in all my time of being alive, ever heard of someone suggesting an Indian Reservation as a place to go party. Where the fuck did you come upon this idea?

"Dude, you wanna go to Vegas this weekend? Hit up some day parties and shit?"

"Naw man, let's go to an Indian reservation, bro. That's where it's at."

 

Federal law bans the sale of alcohol on Native American reservations unless the tribal council allows it.

Unless you are a member of the tribe, you have no legal right to be on the reservation. So, who and how you can visit a reservation varies.
Some offer tours that will take you to wilderness sites - lakes, waterfalls, canyons, etc. -, monuments, historical sites.
Some allow outdoor activities: camping, hiking, backcountry, boating, fishing, hunting. (Generally need to get a permit)


There is a lot of poverty on reservations and limited services like water & electricity. Also some have very remote wilderness land and that is part of the reason some areas don't have services like the above.

If you really are interested you should contact a reservation for more information.
And don't act like you are at a zoo.

Here is some information from the Navajo Nation, you can apply this to most other reservations.
http://www.explorenavajo.com/go2/travel_tips.cfm

 

I've been to plenty of parties on the res, they were always sketchy. I distinctly remember a big Indian dude coming out with a shotgun and telling everyone to get the fuck off his land before he starts shooting. It was scary. They had a nice buffet before that went down though.

I was also at a party with some dudes and this big Indian guy got in an argument with my friend, pushed him in the pool and then kicked him in the face with boots as he tried to get out. Idk if they were steel toed, but my friend still has a scar between his eyebrows.

 

No, but I buried my pet goldfish at an Indian burial ground one time and it came back to haunt me.

 

All of these descriptions are likely true, lots of different reservations all over the country, but again you just drive down the road and there you, not much different that where you were 5 minutes ago.

A lot of the laws are somewhat different, in my state you would go to the rez to buy illegal fireworks for holidays, and if you lived close you could get cigarettes and booze tax free.

Saying they drink a lot isnt really a generalization, alcoholism is high amongst the natives, Ive heard as high as 100% in some places (dont know how that could be true but w/e)

For the most part they are just regular Americans except for those interested in keeping to the old ways.

Lots of hunting and fishing and stuff, but again 5 miles down the road there is a small town full of poor white people who also hunt and fish.

Poverty isnt really the same in the USA as it is in most places worldwide, I would guess 100% of Natives that want it have power and indoor plumbing and most have cable TV. No one is starving.

You might hear a lot about starving kids on TV but that is pretty much 100% bullshyt, Ive been all over this country(except the rich parts) and havent seen any starving children yet.

I dont know if yu live in the city here or in another country but if you are really hungry and dont have any money you go to the food bank or the local church. Im my town there is a free dinner for those who need it every night of the week at the local churches. All the native kids have shoes too.

 

I grew up on the rez. I'm not sure what riddleofsteeel is talking about, though. Non-native people are allowed to be on the reservation; you don't need to set up any tours or anything. I think he might be basing is statements solely on his experience with a particular subset of reservations (perhaps, only southern ones). If you do insist on going to the bars, I recommend you don't go around asking a bunch of stereotypical questions about what it's like to be native. Also, I would recommend staying away from most house parties (mainly, those with a younger crowd).

I see that you live in Chicago. Were there any reservations you had in mind? I'm from a reservation in northern Wisconsin, and I'm familiar with most Wisconsin reservations.

 

I once woke up after a bender in a trailer on the nearby Indian reservation with a fat girl literally feeding me peanut butter flavored pancakes.