I recently received through the mail a brochure describing the plight of the Native Americans on reservations.

The cartoon in the Feb. 1 New Haven Register reminded me of it. 

More than two-thirds live below the poverty line. Suicide rates are 20 percent among the children in some reservations. When native people were forced to give up their land more than 100 years ago and forced to live on reservations, they were forced to give up their native customs, clothing and  language. Many were abused. 

At this time in some areas as many as 85 percent are unemployed. Now many would say. "Why don't they get a job instead of sitting around drinking all day?" Most of the reservations are located away from big cities and businesses can't afford to move to the reservations and commuting is almost impossible because of distance.

There are missionaries working on the reservations providing schools, food and clothing.  However this isn't nearly enough.

It is hard to believe that this is happening in the United States, "the land of the free." Just as hard to believe is the fact that we seldom hear or read about it. At least I don't.  If I'm missing something, forgive me.

I believe that this requires as much attention as many of the other disasters we read about daily. 

Gail Schuler

Hamden