Discrimination Against Native Americans Continues

Jason P wrote:

The current situation of indian reservations seems to support a vicous cycle of life of poverty and violence. Is expanding them really a good and well thought out option?

why are there reservations anyways? why shouldn't the white man who came here have been put on reservations?
indian folk are the real deal. they are being & have been taken advantage of since way back when. sad as shit.

these lands, usa, canada, australia, spain & others have messed over countless millions of people & throughly destroyed their lives & cultures all because of greed & being on a power hungry trip

i'm embarrassed

In Canada ... the money that aboriginals receive in land claim settlements go to the band and usually the band and council decide how the money is spent, a reserve not so far from me just agreed to a land claim settlement and half the money was divided up and given to reserve members and the other half put into trust. The reserves are political for many of these chiefs ... just like anything political it's corrupt, unfortunately average aboriginals are the victims of corruption but the corruption is their own leaders. The reserve system needs to end but never will, the chief and the political elite on these reserve have no interest in seeing that happen. I've often said the government needs to find a way to negotiate a one time settlement with aboriginal people's and have the all aboriginals vote on whats agreed upon and let the average aboriginal have a say. That will never happen because the aboriginal leaders are doing quite well in life.

I have a friend who was invited to have dinner with Spokane American Indian writer Sherman Alexie. He told her that his biggest fans were middle to upper middle-class liberal white women who think they know all about what it is to be an American Indian. Truly understanding what Alexie meant by this, this middle-class liberal white woman friend of mine turned to Alexie and said, "Yeah, people like me!" They both shared a good laugh.

A few years ago I asked a local American Indian bookstore customer what American Indian authors he could recommend. He said, "Well, there are a awful lot of Indian books written by white men who think they know an awful lot about Indians but if you really want to learn something, read books written by American Indians."

This is so racist and I laughed the whole show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bp5BAJfk4Q

lukin2006 wrote:

In Canada ... the money that aboriginals receive in land claim settlements go to the band and usually the band and council decide how the money is spent, a reserve not so far from me just agreed to a land claim settlement and half the money was divided up and given to reserve members and the other half put into trust. The reserves are political for many of these chiefs ... just like anything political it's corrupt, unfortunately average aboriginals are the victims of corruption but the corruption is their own leaders. The reserve system needs to end but never will, the chief and the political elite on these reserve have no interest in seeing that happen. I've often said the government needs to find a way to negotiate a one time settlement with aboriginal people's and have the all aboriginals vote on whats agreed upon and let the average aboriginal have a say. That will never happen because the aboriginal leaders are doing quite well in life.

The reservations I have worked on here in the U.S. really are no different. The politicians are corrupt; it's all about getting in office so you can get your family members and friends installed into certain positions as opposed to those who are actually qualified for those positions. Everything is then poorly run and the average individual pays for it.

Byrnzie wrote:

Sludge Factory wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

In Canada ... the money that aboriginals receive in land claim settlements go to the band and usually the band and council decide how the money is spent, a reserve not so far from me just agreed to a land claim settlement and half the money was divided up and given to reserve members and the other half put into trust. The reserves are political for many of these chiefs ... just like anything political it's corrupt, unfortunately average aboriginals are the victims of corruption but the corruption is their own leaders. The reserve system needs to end but never will, the chief and the political elite on these reserve have no interest in seeing that happen. I've often said the government needs to find a way to negotiate a one time settlement with aboriginal people's and have the all aboriginals vote on whats agreed upon and let the average aboriginal have a say. That will never happen because the aboriginal leaders are doing quite well in life.

The reservations I have worked on here in the U.S. really are no different. The politicians are corrupt; it's all about getting in office so you can get your family members and friends installed into certain positions as opposed to those who are actually qualified for those positions. Everything is then poorly run and the average individual pays for it.

The situation on the reservations in the U.S - at least in the 1970's when all the trouble was flaring - was that the reservations were divided between the traditional Indians and the 'progressives'. The traditionals were always full-bloods, while the 'progressives' were mixed blood. The progressives were basically just functionaries in the pocket of the government and F.B.I, who wanted access to the rich mineral deposits in the black Hills.The leader of the progressives, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A) at that time, Dick Wilson, was knee deep in corruption, involving embezzlement of funds, and intimidation of the traditionals through the use of his goon squads, who were responsible for hundreds of murders of men, women and children. And of course, they had the full support of the government and the F.BI.

I can confidently say that the BIA offices on a local level are still involved in corruption of sorts. It mostly involves the misuse or misappropriation of funds as opposed to murders nowadays, though.