Posted on 05/18/2009 9:05:16 AM PDT by posterchild
TONALEA, Ariz. – Talk at the community center in this small Navajo town isn't as focused on the economy as it is in many places off the reservation.
That's because the people living on the largest American Indian reservation have been largely unscathed by the recession.
Most Navajos own their own homes, tend not to invest in the stock market and have long had difficulties borrowing money, distinguishing them from millions of other Americans who've suffered from rising mortgage payments, sinking 401(k) retirement accounts and stricter terms from lenders.
And with half of the Navajo Nation's work force unemployed long before this latest recession hit, there's not much fear the job situation could get much worse on the reservation.
"They're freaking out out there, but to us, we've always had 50 percent unemployment," said John C. Whiterock, a Navajo youth pastor. "To us, that's just part of life."
That's not to say the 200,000 people who live on the largest American Indian reservation, which extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, have escaped untouched. Tribal officials are wrangling over how to address a $25 million budget shortfall and requests for social services have prompted newspaper ads for more employees to handle them.
The key has been the ability of Navajos who maintain traditional beliefs to cope, and the attitude that allows them to persevere. The culture teaches that wealth isn't measured by dollars and that the language, the land and kinship are the greatest survival tools.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The only people who can get rid of the corrupt leaders are the Indians themselves. The federal government has absolutely no say in the matter. Just try sticking your nose into tribal business and see what happens.
You are 100% correct. I’m surprised that the Elders recognize this, actually. It is in their best interests (fiscally) to perpetuate this situation.
If I were King, I’d simply set a timeline for them to assimulate, no longer do they get Federal Assistance, special treatment or allotments- - they would be treated like everyone else. Now, doing everything on a particular date would be unfair; cultures do not change over-night. But, I would lay the pavement for a 10 year assimilation plan. Tribal assets to be equally divided to tribal members, dissolve tribal councils and set up local coucils (just like our HOA, city goverments, ect). No longer can a murderer, rapist or thief run to tribal land and hide from the law. They get to follow the same sets of laws that every other member of the US follows. No more, no less.
As long as there is ‘no reason’ to change, there will be no change. Remove the reasons, remove the excuses, and they too can join society, contribute and build. This will benefit not only America as a whole, it will benefit their people and their culture.
But, this won’t happen in my lifetime.
The BIA and the feds were in bed with the corrupt tribal leaders for decades and looked the other way and often even supported them. Basically, it would take the feds preventing intimidation and corruption leading up to elections - when tribal leaders control your allotment of benefits and their authoritarianism prevents job creation on the rez, you're screwed.
You are better informed than I, I was taking a more ‘literal’ implication as to the ‘Termination’ policy. Somehow, I don’t see that as a ligitimate policy today....
Or in other words, "be just like us."
As I've said before, they have no interest in being just like us, and are content to remain where they are, and to continue with the "old ways." Our way of thinking that can not be imposed on them. Any change will have to come from within the tribes.
That’s exactly right. But again, its up to the Indians themselves to rid the tribal governments of corruption. Uncle Sam can’t do it, and any attempt to do so would be met by a solid wall of Indian resistance based on principle.
I guess, from the non-PC point of view, if you want to live ‘the old ways’ then quit whining about how poor you are, and that the only way you an have happiness is to take money from the US taxpayer. If you are poor, then this is your personal choice. “Man Up” and take some personal responsibility for your sitation.
I get tired of seeing the Native Americans whine about how poor and down-trodden they are, when the fact is that they are simply too lazy and unmotivated to improve their lot in life. It’s easier to steal, than to build something yourself.
If we can’t retreat from our treaties, then we should honor them to the letter of the law, and not once cent more.
And please don't take my posts as criticism of your points. I've worked very closely with the tribes from inside the cognizant federal agencies and have years of experience in dealing with Indian law and tribal issues. It's all very complicated, and very few folks have a detailed understanding of the tribes and the issues and laws that affect them. In short there are now about 562 sovereign tribal governments inside the U.S. today, each with its own leaders, laws, and customs, the federal government is required to interact with them on a government-to-government basis. Needless to say, it gets really tricky.
Quite the contray, I've found you to be informed, polite and very considerate. I've learned from our little discourse, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I am not an expert in BIA and Indian treaties.
I fully accept your claim as having worked in this field, and as such am delighted to have this discourse with you. Bluntly, it's not very often that I am graced with an exchange with someone as suscint, respectful and informed as you have been. For that, you sincerely have my thanks.
Even as a registered Republican (with Libertarian leanings) I have to say that I am dissappointed in the 'Termination' approach that was sponsored by the Democrats in the 50's. If those attempts had been successful, I think everyone would be better off today.
It really is a lot more complicated than that. A lot depends upon the tribal leadership and whether they have embraced any kind of free enterprise. In the Navajo rez, it is desolation until you pull into Kayenta, which is a political sub-unit of the Navajo Nation with an elected counsil and an appointed manager - and it has thriving business that are clean and well-kept. It's amazing what profit can do for motivation - in other words, if you work, you get to keep most of what you earn instead of owing most of it to corrupt officials.
Most other people I worked with before retiring live in nice homes, own modern vehicles, own boats, 4 wheelers, and other toys. It is the reservation system that teaches them to suck the gubmint teat and stay under the income standard that would upset the gravy train they are on. So they inter marry within the tribe to qualify for the housing, to qualify for the maximum government money, and generally wallow in self pity for your whole life. This is DESTROYING their culture, not saving it. Soon, they will all be retarded or cripples with all the cousins marrying cousins, and the mental weight of communism will crush their spirits into dust.
I don't disagree with anything you say, and quite frankly, the reservation system IS working EXACTLY the way that the 19th century U.S. government wanted it to work.
I am not trying to be argumentative, or insulting. But if you are poor because your land is unworkable, and there is no private or public industry going on around you because it is too far from a transportation factor, or because the people are “unemployable”—what are we supposed to do?
(I know this is going to send some through the roof) If there are treaties, then there is due process. If the treaties were/or are still being violated there must be tons of pro bono legal work to dedicate to getting the wrongs right.
I know this will sound ignorant, but aren’t these people American Citizens? There is no reason why they cannot maintain their land ownership and move to a city to get work, is there? I own property in one state, yet work and reside in another.
Help me to understand what I am missing? Honest...i think there is something that I a missing because it doesnt make a lot of sense to me.
Yep, complete cultural and familial obliteration. I can't begin to imagine the extent of the impact of the turn-of-the-century boarding schools on two generations of Indians.
The most “traditional” thing about the Navajo is the utter corruptness of the tribal government!!
So sad, considering they live on the most beautiful land... in my humble opinion.... on the face of the earth.
Maybe that’s the payoff.
Actually, the treaties are NOT being violated anymore, but are being enforced to the letter by the tribes, which demand all of the goodies and money that Uncle Sam promised them when those treaties were first negotiated.
The tribes have become quite sophisticated legally, with some real aggressive tribal lawyers, courtesy of the 1975 Indian Education and Self-determination Act, which sent them through law school on Uncle Sam's dime.
Land ownership in the tribes, like everything else, is complicated. Typically, the land is owned by the tribe as a whole, and individual properties are parceled out and regulated by the tribal councils. How this is done is different from tribe to tribe, and can be quite corrupt. As the old adage goes, the tribe can give and the tribe can take away, based on who you know and who you have pissed off.
Concerning whether or not individual Indians can leave the reservation and maintain their homes and status, again it is complicated and varies from tribe to tribe. BUT, generally speaking, if an Indian leaves the reservation and takes up work and a residence outside of the tribe, then he or she loses all federal benefits and direct services, including health care, arising from the treaty governing the respective reservation. This caused a big problem during the 1950s Indian relocation program, where large masses of Indians were in fact encouraged to move to the cities and work and live there by the federal government. Those that took up the offer were given a single one-way bus ticket to a designated city and set-up with an apartment, and then turned completely loose, without any of their former services provided by the government. More often than not, the urbanized Indians failed, and reverted back into poverty and alcoholism.
Needless to say, the incentives to leave the reservation for greener pastures collapsed on the failure of urban relocation, and that's why most reservation Indians are wholly content to remain where they are and get what federal direct services they can from their treaties.
Well, that's the $64,000 question...how do you do that when the Indians won't cooperate.
It's been tried twice, and it has failed twice...
Well, I generally make a rum and coke and sit on the patio thinking of other things. I learned a long time ago some things I can't fix. Trying to keep dopers from killing themselves, keeping alcoholics from another drink, and keeping clothes on teenagers is just about impossible. The Indians have been programed that they were happy till we came and they could still be happy if we just made things "right" for them. They see no need for themselves to change a bit. I used to have conversations with Democrats that hunt, have guns, love babies hate homo's, go to church every Sunday, wave the flag in their front yard, hate taxes, eat meat, fight in the wars, respect the military, and on and on and on. Then they vote for Obama.
Some people can't be fixed.
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