Campaign donation lawsuit challenges Indian sovereignty

Holland Sentinel ^ | January 7, 2003 | Associated Press

[Chad Fairbanks]

I agree with that. I've never heard of a push for statehood, and I don't know if it would fly as an idea, no matter how fair and rational it would be... especially with the left-wing constantly stirring up trouble...

I spent a week this summer on a few of the local rez' and worked to try and get more indians looking at conservatism as a way of improving their lot in life, but its hard to get past the years and year and years of resentment, broken promises, etc...

Maybe the next time I go there, I'll put out some feelers on that idea...

[ellery]

I would be extremely interested in hearing reaction to the idea. I'm curious whether it would be seen negatively, as a further intrustion on sovereignty...or positively, as belated recognition of sovereignty. Maybe it could be an option -- each tribe could vote on whether they wanted to continue the status quo or become a state?

[Chad Fairbanks]

I think you'll find that they will reject it outright (I just got a few emails from lurking indian friends of mine) because the purpose of the reservation/sovereignty concept was because of the belief that indian tribes should be able to continue with their own forms of government, and that to impose "the white man's" system on them would destroy our culture...

[hotpotato]

Your quote:

"I am an American Citizen. If people have a problem with that, it's too bad. :0)">/i>

Please show me a post where the poster declares he/she has a problem with Indians being American Citizens. Whether you like me saying it or not, I think you have a chip on your shoulder. Maybe you've earned it. I don't know. I haven't walked a mile in your shoes.

[ellery]

Well, given the past several hundred years, I can understand that. :-( What about a situation where reservations became true sovereign nations, and Indians were officially dual citizens? Do US citizens with, say, dual Canadian citizenship enjoy full US rights, including votes? If yes, then maybe that's another solution?

Pardon my rambling -- I just think this limbo situation is terrible.

[Chad Fairbanks]

YEs, being in limbo sucks... especially when everyone thinks you are gaining in some way from it that they are not...

[Chad Fairbanks]

Number 27 was a pretty good indicator...

[hotpotato]

Number 27 was a pretty good indicator...

I don't see it the same way you do. I'll remain open minded about it however and ask the poster if his/her post means that he/she has a problem with American Indians being American Citizens. What say you, Kittymyrib?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, one of the most important rights and responsibilities of citizenship is the right and responsibility to vote.

So, if I am not allowed to vote, how can I honestly be a citizen? That's how I saw it. Maybe I'm wrong...

[hotpotato]

What I got from the comment is that the writer thinks there are no taxes paid (many of us including myself are ignorant about the laws governing Indian sovereignity). The standard does not seem to be consistent when there are voting laws that must be followed by the citizens of a state yet a group can protest they have immunity from those laws because they reside in a sovereign entity which separates them from non-Indian citizens. I may be wrong about my perception of the post, too :-)

btw, it's difficult to take you seriously with regard to equal treatment and respect when reading your tagline

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, you know, I can still be serious - even with a tagline such as this :0)

[Chad Fairbanks]

By teh way - take a look at this, and tell me the indians aren't paying enough (keeping in mind that in addition to this, we also pay federal income taxes, and if they are like me and not living on the res we pay all other taxes, too)

http://www.monitor.net/monitor/free/biatrustfund.html

[hotpotato]

Didn't say you couldn't be. Just said it's difficult to view you that way. We don't have much to go on when attempting to read someone online. You've already shown yourself how difficult that is. We use clues. Your tagline is a clue.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Nah. It's not a clue. It's just... there...

[hotpotato]

I never said Indians weren't paying enough. I personally think most Indians are being screwed by the non-Indian (and some Indian) gaming thugs that don't give a rat's patootie about making life better for those that live on reservations.

[Chad Fairbanks]

You raise a good point, but if you examine the compact agreed to between the state of California and the various tribes that agreed to the compact, you will notice that a lot of the money will go to tribes that don't have casinos and are too far off the beaten path to enjoy any economic ability... so, a lot of money IS going to a good purpose, such as to create or repair vital infrastructure on tribal land.

Up here in Washington, some of the tribes have done amazing things with the money they have made form Casinos, and I'm personally glad to see it knowing that no federal money is being used to do it... :0)

[ellery]

I've read enough to know that Indians are not living the high life with free government money -- but I'm ashamed to say that I did not know that the Bill of Rights does not apply on reservations, or that people were shipped off to boarding schools and forcibly "re-educated." I need to learn more.

Thank you very much for the information and good discussion. If you're ever inclined to start a ping list on these issues, please include me.

[Chad Fairbanks]

It's been good talking to you, too... I may start a ping list on this one of these days...