Diarist's note- This was originally published at DailyKos and is my first diary here...if I have gotten anything wrong, leave me a comment and I will correct it.
Under American law, the various tribes of the Native Americans are supposed to be sovereign nations. The reality however, is something far less. The Nations are only entitled to govern themselves. This may sound like a trivial distinction, but other sovereign nations can enforce their laws against citizens of other countries. The Tribal Nations are not given this power. So, the Nations must rely on state and local governments to prosecute crimes committed on their land.
The local response to crimes on reservations is, at best, neglect. This lack of cooperation has led to Native American women being twice as likely to be raped as American women as a whole. Generally, 1 in 6 American women have been the victim ofrape. So, 1 in 3 Native American women has experienced rape. If you are as angry about this as I am right now, follow me over the jump.
I have been blogging about NJ's Sand Hill tribe for almost two years now and was fortunate to be at the Healing Turtle Island event that will be discussed today from 1pm to 2 pm today on Native America Calling. The story will also be carried on NPR. At that event in November 2009, 400 years after Henry Hudson floated up the river that now bears his name, Ron Holloway accepted the apology in lower Manhattan on behalf of all four Lenape tribes left:
The Delaware
The Munsee
the Shinnecock
and the Sand Hill Band of Lenape and Cherokee - the only Lenape tribe left in NJ.
Acting Principal Chief Ron Yonaguska Holloway will be on the show with Robert Chase of the Collegiate Church as well as Carmen Ketcher of the Delaware tribe who was also present at the Healing Turtle Island Ceremony. It should be a really enlightening program which discusses the relationship between the Church and the indigenous tribes of NY and NJ over the centuries and where we go from here. Reverend Chase is actually descended from one of the very first Dutch families in what is now New York City. Acting Principle Chief Ron Yonaguska Holloway is directly descended from the oldest indigenous Lenape tribe still left in NJ.
In 1928 the Army Corps of Engineers began to survey the Seneca's Allegheny Reservation for the building of a large reservoir to reduce flooding on the Allegheny River and to provide recreation for the people of Pennsylvania and New York. This was done without the knowledge or approval of the Seneca.
Questions: Is there any reasonable argument against the idea that a strong societal need exists for a child to grow up with the ability to function in the broader society? Is there any reasonable argument against the idea that a strong individual need exists in every person to develop one's own sense of being in childhood? Is there any reasonable argument against the idea that these and other diverse childhood needs require time, adult guidance, opportunities for societal interaction, and a place to occur? Is there any reasonable argument against the idea that the public/private school system has a responsibility to address these and other similar questions?
Welcome to the first edition of News from Native American Netroots, a weekly series focused on indigenous tribes primarily in the United States and Canada, but inclusive of international peoples also.
Our format will be evolving and our focus of coverage will broaden as the series develops.
News from Native American Netroots is unique as a news digest in the fact that this it is based on community contributions. Articles can be submitted in the commment thread or posted at Native American Netroots each week.
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Subject: Letter adressing Encouragement for Lakota Youth
Anpetu Was`te Friends and Relatives
Today i am going to express myself to you. About the call in to the white house. I and many others wanted to do this for our Youth. It's them who are suffering the most because they are still innocent and should not have carry the pain of Genocide and it's drystructuion that the U.S left. I see alot of negativity out there about the call in. Such as: Lost cause, Hopeless, There never gonna listen, They don't care, beating on the same ol' drum, ect....
Regarding life, conditions, and hope on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Reservation of South Dakota
This is an article of facts about the lives of modern-day American Indians, a topic most mainstream American news organizations will not discuss. It is not a plea for charity. It is not a promotion for non-profit organizations. It is not aimed for pity. It is not even an effort to detail cause and effect. It is, however, an effort to dispel ignorance.... a massive, pervasive, societal ignorance filled with illusions and caricatures which, ultimately, serve only to corrupt the intelligence and decent intent of the average mainstream citizen. Only through knowledge and understanding can solutions be found. But facts must be known first. Then, it is the reader's choice what to do with those facts.
During the twentieth century, economic progress in the United States was symbolized by dams. Great dams which tamed the wild waters of the western rivers were seen as a way of providing economic development throughout the region. Supporters often touted the advantages which the electrical power and water storage would bring. Often lost in the cheerleading for dams were the voices of American Indians. Little concern was given to any potential spiritual value of the water and the land. "Dam, baby, dam" seemed to be the mantra echoed by the government.
In this diary, I'm going to look at the damming of the Colorado River and the Indian nations of the Colorado Plateau area.
The sterilizations of indigenous women were covert means of the continuation of the extermination policy against the Indian Nations. At least three indigenous generations from 3,406 women are not in existence now as the result. The sterilizations were not unintentional or negligible. They were genocide. What would the indigenous culture and political landscape be now? One can only imagine, but the sterilizations like the relocations - were forced.
PINE RIDGE -- Oglala Sioux Tribe President Theresa Two Bulls will declare a suicide state of emergency for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation during a news conference at 1 p.m. today.
This is the second in a three-part series on the Dark Ages of American Indian Religious Freedom.
For the past five centuries, American Indians have had their religions suppressed (sometimes brutally and violently) and denied. With the formation of the United States and the adoption of the Bill of Rights which speaks of freedom of religion, this freedom has been denied to American Indians based on the notion that they were not citizens and therefore this freedom did not apply to them. The period of time from 1870 to 1934 can be considered the Dark Ages for American Indian Religious Freedom. During this time, the active suppression of American Indian religions reached its peak.
In this diary, we are going to look at how the United States outlawed American Indian religions.
Since the very beginning of the United States, the idea of American citizenship for Indians has been a controversial subject. American government is based on Native American models. American democracy was inspired in part by the Indian democracies which the European colonists saw around them. After independence from England, the newly formed United States wrote a constitution which was inspired by the Iroquois Confederacy.
This is the first in a three-part series on the Dark Ages of American Indian Religious Freedom.
For the past five centuries, American Indians have had their religions suppressed (sometimes brutally and violently) and denied. With the formation of the United States and the adoption of the Bill of Rights which speaks of freedom of religion, this freedom has been denied to American Indians based on the notion that they were not citizens and therefore this freedom did not apply to them. The period of time from 1870 to 1934 can be considered the Dark Ages for American Indian Religious Freedom. During this time, the active suppression of American Indian religions reached its peak.
In this first part, we are going to look the faith-based administration of Indian reservations which sometimes resulted in theocracies.
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