Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Shawn's Story: Living on a Reservation
Shawn lives in the United States. He is one of over three million Native Americans in the country. His ancestors once roamed the land looking for buffalo. Now Shawn lives on a reservation in South Dakota. He's not alone. About half of all Native Americans live on reservations.
What is a reservation? Some people think of it like a campground. They think Shawn and his family camp and hike, having fun all the time on some open land. Shawn knows this isn't right. He knows that the reservation is where he lives with many other Native Americans. However, he knows his life is not an easy one. His life is hard. In general, life on the reservation seems behind the rest of the country.
Shawn lives in one of the poorest areas of the country. About half the people who live there are below the federal poverty line. The U.S. government pays for many things, such as food and school supplies. However, families and even schools don't usually have all the money they need.
