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Arizona Electronic Atlas Learning Module
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| RESERVATION NAME | 1999 PER CAPITA INCOME |
|---|---|
| FT MCDOWELL | |
| SALT RIVER | |
| MARICOPA (AK CHIN) | |
| GILA RIVER |
15. Close out the show data screen and return to the map. Notice that there are several other reservations nearby, and that they all fall into a lower income bracket.
16. Use the process described in steps 14-15 to obtain information on these reservations. Record it in the table above.
17. As you can see from the table, there are striking differences in per capita income between these reservations. This especially true for Fort McDowell, with a per capita income much higher than any of the other nearby reservations.
18. But what is per capita income? Check the definition in the glossary
19. Per capita income, then, is an average measure that includes the entire population. Non-employed persons such as stay at home mothers, children, and retired people are factored into this measure. How might a large number of non-employed people affect a per capita income statistic? Would a large number of non employed people raise or lower the per capita income?
20. Taking this and any other factors into account, brainstorm causes for discrepancies in per capita income across the reservations studied.
1. Now we will look at the median household income, a slightly different income measure, of the same reservations that we studied in Part I. Begin by going to the glossary at http://atlas.library.arizona.edu/glossaryk_p.htm to define "median income."
2. How is median household income different than per capita income? Make a prediction as to whether the patterns you discovered with per capita income will hold true for median household income. In other words, do you think Ft McDowell, which the highest per capita income will also have the highest median household income? Do you think a high per capita income necessarily means a high median household income? Why or why not?
3. Return to your map and click Refresh to reset it.
4. On the legend, find the "People by American Indian Area" and click on it.
5. Scroll down, find " 1999 Median Household Income ($) by American Indian Area. Click on the box in front of it. (Make sure only 2000 Census Places, 2000 County Boundaries, and 1999 Median Household Income ($) by American Indian Area are clicked on before proceeding).
6. Click Redraw Map.
7. Use the legend to interpret the map. Notice that median income varies widely among American Indian reservations in Arizona.
8. Zoom in to Maricopa County, as you did in Part I. Look for the Indian Reservations you studied in Part I.
9. As in Part I, use the Show Data tool to obtain exact figures for each reservation. Record the data in the table below
RESERVATION |
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME (1999) |
|---|---|
| FT MCDOWELL | |
| SALT RIVER | |
| MARICOPA (AK CHIN) | |
| GILA RIVER |
10. Did your prediction from step 2 hold true? What about the predictions of other students (if applicable)? If this is a whole class activity, discuss your results.
11. Returning to the central question: why are there such vast income disparities between adjacent Indian reservations at all? What are some possible causes? What unanswered questions have been raised by this activity?
FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION
1. Research the economic base of each reservation, to better understand income differences. The following resources may be helpful:
Economic Profiles for each Reservation from AZ Dept of Commerce: http://www.azcommerce.com/Communities/indian%20profile.asp
Find economic information about each tribe from the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona http://www.itcaonline.com/tribes.html
2. Further investigate economic development issues on American Indian Reservations.
Murray, Steve and Luther Tweeten. Culture, Education and Economic Progress on Federal Indian Reservations. Growth & Change Apr81, Vol. 12 Issue 2, p10, 7p. An older article, but it provides a set of predictors for per capita income on Indian reservations. Available full text from Academic Search Premier.
Vinje, David L. Income and Labor Participation on Indian Reservations. Growth & Change Jul77, Vol. 8 Issue 3, p38, 4p. Another old but valuable article. Available full text from Academic Search Premier.
An Analysis of the Economic Impacts of Indian Gaming in the State of Arizona http://www.udallcenter.arizona.edu/nativenations/pubs/indian_gaming.pdf
Reloading the Dice: Improving the chance for economic development on American Indian Reservations http://www.jopna.net/pubs/JOPNA02_Dice.pdf
3. Complete Part II of "Exploring Unemployment Rates by Gender" module, to explore differences in unemployment across reservations.
4. There are two other reservations in Arizona with relatively high per capita income: Fort Mohave and Colorado River Indian Tribes (both in the far western part of the state). Use the Atlas to explore this.
