IndexWho are Indians?ContemporaneityCultural assimilation of Native Americans (Americanization)Native American life todayInfluence of the tourism industryImportance of tourism for Native Americans:Casinos and gamblingCommodificationEffects socialPositive sides: Negative sides: The future of the IndiansWho are the Indians?The indigenous peoples of America, known as Indians, are the most numerous of the three, after the Inuit and the Aleuts, and at the same time the most diverse group of indigenous peoples , inhabiting both Indian continents, tribes and groups of very different character and degree of development. In traditional anthropology they are classified as the yellow race. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The original inhabitants of what is now the United States - the Indians - are believed to have come from Asia across the Bering Strait during the Ice Age. They initially settled in Alaska, and then the rest of America. Contemporaneity Today, with the exception of a handful of small, relatively isolated primary groups in the Amazon and Mesoamerica, Indians are largely (though diverse) assimilated members of multiethnic and multicultural national groups. society. Even the strong diversity of the hundreds of American indigenous tribes and groups is subject to processes: mutual penetration, standardization, globalization. Despite this, stereotypical images - usually simplified and distorted - of abstract and never-existent "Indians" persist in the common consciousness of non-Indian nations and societies. Native American Cultural Assimilation (Americanization) The cultural assimilation of Native Americans continued from 1790 to 1920. George Washington and Henry Knox were the first to propose, in the American context, the cultural assimilation of Native Americans. They formulated a policy to encourage the so-called “civilization process”. As immigration from Europe increased, public support for education also increased which encouraged most citizens to adhere to a standard set of cultural values ​​and practices. Education was seen as the basic method in the acculturation process of minorities. Americanization assumed that every Native American learned about the customs and values ​​of the United States, being able to combine tribal traditions and American culture. However, in the early 20th century, the federal government banned traditional religious ceremonies. The government also established Native American boarding schools that the children attended. In these schools they were forced to speak English, study standard subjects, go to church and abandon tribal traditions. The Dawes Act of 1887, which awarded tribal lands entirely to individuals, was seen as a way to create individual homesteads for Native Americans. Land grants were made in exchange for Native Americans becoming U.S. citizens and giving up some forms of self-government and tribal institutions. Native American Life Today The Indian community is facing great challenges today, such as: Loss of culture and identity, Generational and collective trauma, Little representation or recognition, Common mental and health issues, Ignorance. However, Native Americans, despite many challenges, they still believe in a better future.Influence of the tourism industryIt is generally believed that tourism and prosperity go hand in hand. Rich tourists have a surplus of food, clothing, accommodation, travel and material goods. Tourism brings prosperity to host communities, stimulating the local economy to create jobs and improving facilities and services for natives as they are made available to visitors..