"The Economic Basis of Indian Life" by William H. Kelly discusses the economic standing of the Native Americans and some of the reasons why, despite their economic condition, they refuse to leave the reservation. In his article, Kelly states the following:
"Many Indians are solving their economic problems by turning to off-reservation wage work in industry and business. However, most Indians continue to live on reservations where, for a number of reasons, agricultural income must be supplemented with wages from seasonal and periodic off-reservation wage work. The result is an income for Indian families generally lower than among neighboring non-Indians, with some localities suffering severe economic depression. The Indian attachment to reservation life is strong and hinders the normal absorption of Indians into the general population. Federal assistance programs include both an effort to develop reservation resources and to encourage Indians to relocate in industrial centers."
While Native Americans are suffering economically, the majority proves unwilling to relocate off the reservation. Instead they decide to supplement their income by working both the lands the federal government provided for them as well as extra off-reservation style jobs. Even the Navajo Indians, the richest tribe after leasing oil fields on the reservation in 1957, are still having trouble economically.
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7162%28195705%29311%3C71%3ATEBOIL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7
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