Kerry Pledges to Honor Indian Treaties

[Khephra]

John Kerry pledged at an intertribal Indian powwow Sunday evening to honor treaties and consult on national issues like health care.

``When I take the oath of office as president of the United States,'' he told an estimated 5,000 people at Red Rock State Park, ``I will uphold the law of the land, and that includes treaties and the special relationship that exists between the United States and the Indian nations.''

Kerry, standing in the center of a circular outdoor amphitheater surrounded on three sides by the majestic red rocks, pledged to arrange a posting in the White House for an American Indian to ``advise me on how we can respect the (Indian) nations.''

``It is a sad fact that one-third of native Americans lack health insurance, and it's a sad fact the life expectancy of native Americans is lower than other groups,'' he said. ``We spend more money on the health care of federal prisoners than we do on the health care of native Americans.''

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Kerry.html

[powergirl]

1. I guess Kerry actually understands what "sovereignity" is

[recon54]

17. Yes, and in case folks missed it, here's what W had to say....

...on the subject.

http://www.majorityreportradio.com/weblog/archives/Bush%20-%20Tribal%20Sovereignty.mp3

[newyawker99]

28. Hi recon54!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[AngryAmish]

He has no choice

Indian treaties are treaties. They are enforceable in US courts, and have been for a long time. Treaties trump statutes and case law, second only to the Constitution.

[lapfog_1]

5. What you say is true... but

I think what he means is that the Federal Government, through the
office of Attorney General, will not actively attempt to either
bypass, weaken, or outright abrogate the existing treaties.

And that's a big difference.

[AngryAmish]

14. true true true

Just the headline is a bit inane - not your fault.

[JohnKleeb]

2. thanks khep thats great to hear

He's totally dead on, thanks John K, continuingly impressing me with your depth on the issues.

[Khephra]

6. Anything to help!

:hi:

[JohnKleeb]

9. really they deserve better

I think Johnny's been reading Flags of Our Fathers lately, poor Ira Hayes :(.

[King of New Orleans]

3. Oh, like Native Americans haven't heard that one before

it just had to be said :)

I'm sure he be a better President for Native-Americans than GeeW.

[King Coal]

11. Well, they sure love hearing it.

[2Design]

4. It would be nice to have a pres that DID honor the treaties

When I was in conn, I went to foxwoods and they had a small area of display about the conn indians and showed the treaties and each time the government had taken more and more land....Now they are buying it all back with white mans money...

They have a very unique way of helping each other.

They have community lands. They buy the houses with hud loans. But when someone goes to resell, they can only sell it for the original cost. They have community day care, and schools. It is a planned community where everyone will be taken care of. They are working together to help each other.

The people of the area are not happy with them. They pay low for jobs but better than Wal Mart. They hired everyone who got laid off from the boat yards. But they paid like they have gotten paid. The white people are out front, dealers, bar tenders, bathroom cleaner. The jobs that run the place are filled with Indians.

They have reversed everything. And some people are not happy with that.

They are taking care of their own.

[hughee99]

27. Speaking of casinos

it bothers me that there is a tribe in Rhode Island that is trying to build a casino. The state, somehow, and I'm not sure how, has managed to pass a law that requires a referrendum of the people of RI before the casino can be built. Now they are trying to do a land swap as part of this deal (they will give up certain tribal land to get a piece of land closer to infrastructure to reduce the overall cost), and this is fine to argue over, but the tribe is willing to build this on their own land if necessary, and the law even prevents them from this. If this is truly tribal land, then the state should have no say in whether a casino is there or not, and yet somehow, this law has survived all court challenges to date. The state leaders contend (and have for almost 8 years since the initial proposal) that this type of gambling would be detrimental to the state. Sure it would, because the state subsidizes 2 other venues (one is dog racing, the other jai-alai, both with slot machines but no table games) that it has maneuvered into paying 60% taxes while the proposed casino would only pay about 25-35 percent. The other issue is that many RI politicians who could help to resolve this are currently receiving campaign $$ from Foxwoods and Mohican Sun (Conn. Casinos) who have a big interest in there not being a casino between the Boston area and themselves. The state has interjected itself in this to protect it's own financial interest, and screwed the tribe in the process.

Edited for Spelling

[TahitiNut]

7. Simple. Appoint a Native American as Secretary of the Interior.

... and then send Gail Norton to live on the reservation. :evilgrin:

[Maddy McCall]

8. Yeah, let her spend a little time at Yucca Mountain.

:evilgrin:

[JohnKleeb]

10. or late Gale live in poverty for the rest of her life

in a polluted area, or just hypontize Gale to get her to believe she's done terrible things and she can apologize.

[Pachamama]

12. He said in a speech to Journalists the other day that he intends on having

a native american in his cabinet....Can't think of a better position than that one TahitiNut!

Ya think they might scalp ole' Gail if she was sent to live on the reservation? Hmmmm :evilgrin:

[sofa king]

15. Not a bad idea.

I wonder if Kerry is playing around with the idea of creating a cabinet-level Department of Indian Affairs, as suggested by several tribal groups in recent years?

[Zhade]

13. My ancestors would approve of your plan!

And so do I!

[TahitiNut]

16. Well, I think it's about time a Native American was in charge ...

... of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, too. Perhaps there's be a better chance that the billions of "lost" funds would be "found" and the oil and gas royalties that haven't been paid for over 25 years might get caught up. Under the Repugnants, the DoI is the most corrupt of the cabinet departments. It's time to put Native Americans in charge of the Interior (again).

[Zhade]

18. Here's one thing that pisses me off.

The Koch Brothers, the huge oil-and-gas guys, who steal oil from Native wells.

And they just happen to be connected to - wait for it -

The DLC.

[Hawkeye-X]

20. As long as it's not...

Ben "Nightmare" Campbell.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

19. I'm surprised the US government still uses the term "Indian".

You don't hear that in Canada anymore.

[rastignac5]

22. Indians still use the term "Indian"

American Indians don't refer to themselves as "Native Americans."

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

25. Strange... and a bit pathetic.

I mean, the whole "Indian" thing started because Christopher Columbus assumed he'd landed near Asia. (You'd think someone who was so dedicated to the controversial "Round Earth" theory would take the time to make a rough estimate of the planet's circumference; the Egyptians did it with high-school trigonometry.) If I were a native, I wouldn't want anything to do with perpetuating such a blunder.

[Maddy McCall]

26. Your right.

And most prefer to be identified by tribal affiliation instead of the lump "American Indians" label. Much diversity in American Indian groups.

Ward Churchill and other activist writers have made the sentiments (tribal identity preference) VERY clear.

[kwolf68]

21. You can not go far enough in concern of the Natives

We butchered them, then herded them onto reservations on land we couldn't or didn't want, then funneled gambling and alcohol onto reservations to render what few remained impotent.

You think African-Americans have a beef? Bullshit...The first "insignificant tragedy" (a song i wrote) was what was done to the Natives.

We must begin mending those fences as well.

[rastignac5]

23. Kerry needs to pledge to discover the stolen royalty funds.

[Reciprocity]

24. One more news item.

Kerry courts American Indians in northern Arizona

Facing a tight race in a state that usually favors Republican presidential candidates, Democrat John Kerry courted American Indian voters in northern Arizona by promising them better health care.
<snip>
While at a rally late Sunday in Flagstaff, Kerry picked up an endorsement from Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., whose tribe is one of the nation's largest.
<snip>
Pollsters say Kerry faces a close race in Arizona, a battleground state where Republicans hold a 5 percent voter registration advantage over Democrats.
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=2150694
---------------------------

Maybe this well help us get over the 5% advantage that the repugs have.

[bhunt70]

29. Sorry, hollow promise, and I don't think things will ever be righted.

signed Ben Hunt - Lumbee Indian