7 Answers

They in my opinion are still treated badly. They have many social issues that they have not been able to overcome. Alcoholism I am told is a major problem. The white man has not been good to the Indians. Blacks too were treated poorly, but compared to the native Indians they treated much much better.

A whole bunch . The land they live on is sovereign,protected. They can have casinos and we can not . They have lots and lots of things ,health care ,special privileges for business.  

They have the right to live off the reservations but if they do, they lose the right to not paying taxes, they lose free health care and free higher education. They will get no free monthly support check. They also can not own and operate a casino as the casino has to be on tribal land and one must live on the tribal land to own and run it.   

I agree with ed. Native Americans are still treated very poorly compared to the general population.

Because many Native Americans live in remote places, only 68 % have phone service, and 50 % have no plumbing.

I dont know about Native tribes in Canada. .

The reservation is sovereign land ,meaning while its in America its as separate as another country . All offences are federal crimes the FBI comes . They have there own courts and if you do something wrong you answer to them . There are events that are for Indians by  Indians and outside vendors are not allowed .When outside vendors are allowed they pay a much higher price than Native people . As a observation from years of watching natives they are there own worst enemy ,with jealousy ,and bickering at the top of the list . The whole thing is a very mixed bag on one hand life is good and on the other they are getting hosed at every turn . They are both protected and ignored at the same time . When trouble comes it will be most likely from one of their own .              Bill

After years of unequal schooling, for reasons from racist schools to insufficiently funded schools, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was formed to fight for equal education for American Indians in 1969.[2] Another right American Indian Activists strove for was media protection: advocates went all the way to the United Nations to seek laws that protected the rights of Native people to own their own media, and for the prosecution of those who persecuted their journalists.[3] Religious rights persecution had a part of American Indian oppression as well. Until 1935, American Indian people could be fined and sent to prison for practicing their traditional religious beliefs.[4] In more recent times, there has been controversy around the use of American Indian symbols such as for school or team mascots. Concerns are that the use of the symbols distort American Indian history and culture and often stereotype in offensive ways, such as when “savages” is used.[5]d

 With the passage of the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA) in 1968, also called the Indian Bill of Rights, Native Americans were guaranteed many civil rights they had been fighting for. The ICRA supports (1) the right to free speech, press, and assembly; (2) protection from unreasonable search and seizure; (3) the right of a criminal defendant to a speedy trial, to be advised of the charges, and to confront any adverse witnesses; (4) the right to hire an attorney in a criminal case; (5) protection against self incrimination; (6) protection against cruel and unusual punishment, excessive bail, incarceration of more than one year and/or a fine in excess of $5,000 for any one offense; (7) protection from double jeopardy or ex post facto laws; (8) the right to a trial by a jury for offenses punishable by imprisonment; and (9) equal protection under the law, and due process.[6]

In modern times, large-scale gaming sponsored by tribal governments started in the early 1980s. As state lotteries began to proliferate, several tribes in Florida and California began raising revenues by operating bingo games offering larger prizes than those allowed under state law. When the states threatened to close the operations, the tribes sued in federal court - Seminole Tribe vs. Butterworth (1979) and California vs. Cabazon Band (1987).

In both rulings, the courts said that if state law criminally prohibits a form of gambling, then the tribes within the state may not engage in that activity. However, if state law civilly regulates a form of gambling, then the tribes within the state may engage in that gaming free of state control. In essence, the courts formally recognized our right to conduct gaming operations on our own land as long as gaming such as bingo or "Las Vegas" nights are not criminally prohibited by the state.

In 1988, Congress formally recognized but limited the right of Native Americans to conduct gaming operations with the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). States lobbied vigorously for IGRA and for the compacting provisions over tribal objections. The IGRA requires tribes to negotiate with states concerning games to be played and regulation while it ensures that tribal governments are the sole owners and primary beneficiaries of gaming, and legislatively recognizes tribal gaming as a way of promoting economic development for tribes.

Since the passage of IGRA, states have continually challenged IGRA, not satisfied with their role in negotiating with Tribes as equal sovereigns and have demanded more regulatory control. Now, just as the Tribes are beginning to build infrastructure, schools, hospitals and roads, states also demand access to the tribes' gaming revenues. Even the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), which regulates specific forms of gaming, can infringe on tribes' rights as it promulgates regulations. Over the years, several tribes have initiated court cases charging states with "bad faith" negotiation under IGRA, as well as to fight NIGC's regulations. Some have won, others lost.

Indian Nations are currently meeting with members of Congress and various state representatives to address concerns and look for ways to continue an economic development tool that benefits Indian and non-Indian people alike. 

Many other civil rights such as sovereignty, hunting and fishing, voting, and traveling have been fought for or are being sought. The fight for American Indian civil rights is a significant part of American History, and continues on today.

Personally, I don't think the "perks" outweigh the discrimination and disadvantages.  Alcoholism is a major problem with the young adult population who live on reservations.  The money the youth receive is too often blown on a vehicle that ends up totaled in a DUI.  There's still a lot of mistrust;   a long, long way to go, but "whitey" needs to stop thinking he can fix everything and everyone. 

Sources:  Santa Inez Chumash Indians and wikipedia 

I've had the opportunity to visit a few reservations and from what I've seen many of them live in poverty. It's a shame to visit on of the richest countries in the world and then suddenly you seem to be in a third world country. Whatever the govt. is doing it's just not enough in my experience.

Colleen

They get a check from the government every month. My sister spent time in different reservations. She said they were lazy drunks who did not want to work for a living because the government provided for them. They would rather live like they were poverty stricken than to give up the easy life and work.