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Life is Just Peachy on the Reservation!

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painted wolf

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
I brought that up on the other thread about reservations... and some of the reasons why.

Technically, cases involving a non-Native American perpetrator and Native American victim fall under federal jurisdiction. According to the Department of Justice, 70% or more of violence experienced by Native American women is committed by persons not of the same race. The problem of violence against Native American women is exacerbated by federal apathy in law enforcement and the courts, and minimal funding for shelters, counseling, and education in Native American communities.
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Native American Women and Violence

Nations need to be given the right to prosecute these crimes and not rely on incompetent and uncaring Federal investigators to do it when they feel like it. And the fed's need to be made to honor their treaties and actually fund the services that are needed to help the people.

wa:do
 
Nashitheki

Nashitheki

Hollawitta
Very peachy. My Uncle Red died on the rez, blood poisoning from a bad tooth and lack of decent dental care.
 
Broken Smoke

Broken Smoke

Member
HerDotness said:
Thank you for those sources, Broken Smoke. I meant to ask for some on another thread and forgot.
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When I post a story I normally give the link to a reliable news source. Anytime you need a link to verify what I'm sayin' please ask me for it. Being late spring, I'm busy with the gardens and sometimes forget. :sorry1:
 
Broken Smoke

Broken Smoke

Member
Na****heki said:
Very peachy. My Uncle Red died on the rez, blood poisoning from a bad tooth and lack of decent dental care.
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Sadly, people of all colors are dying from this sort of thing. There was a 10 year old boy who had an infected tooth, wasn't treated with at least simple and cheap antibiotics, wound up in the emergency room where the tab was over 25,000.00. It had spread into an abcess in his brain. In the end he passed away from it.
The body includes eye, ear, nose, and throat AND teeth. To not cover all parts or not treat all parts is insane. Society has fallen for the "rules". Sad.
 
Nashitheki

Nashitheki

Hollawitta
Broken Smoke said:
Sadly, people of all colors are dying from this sort of thing. There was a 10 year old boy who had an infected tooth, wasn't treated with at least simple and cheap antibiotics, wound up in the emergency room where the tab was over 25,000.00. It had spread into an abcess in his brain. In the end he passed away from it.
The body includes eye, ear, nose, and throat AND teeth. To not cover all parts or not treat all parts is insane. Society has fallen for the "rules". Sad.
Click to expand...

Yet the Shemanese get a bit put off when we speak of such matters as they only want to see us as the happy 'hang around the fort' types, tap dancing in moccasins for their entertainment. They only see the pow wow grounds and not the rez as a whole.
 
painted wolf

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
And some people are only interested in showing the rez as poverty porn....

But the problems don't get solved if we don't talk about them in a mature fashion. There are definitely bad things that need urgent fixing... and there are good things that keep the people from giving up on them.

What do you two propose as solutions? Shall we force everyone to move off the land and buy houses in the suburbs... or into the city slums?

Or do we address the complex sources of these problems and try to fix them? How about getting the federal government to allow the tribal governments to actually enforce the laws they make on everyone on tribal lands.

How about getting the government to actually fund the programs to help women, the sick and the hungry. Rather than just constantly crying about how horrible it is.

What about praising those that are working toward solutions rather than just crying that they aren't doing enough for you. When was the last time you guys volunteered or donated money to help the people on the rez?

If you guys want to wallow in self-pitty and only read poverty porn that's fine... but don't expect that to make anything better for the rest of us. If you want to portray the people as sad victims of the rez that's fine too... but it would be better if you actually did something about it.

Once again, I'll list some organizations that could use help in their work serving the people.
These are all listed as B+ or higher on the charity navigator:
Native American Charities-Native American School Funding | Home | Futures for Children
American Indian College Fund | Native American Scholarships
Native American Heritage Association - Non-Profit Charity Organization.
Home | firstnations.org
There are several more, but this is just a sampling... you can also write to your representatives in the government to take native issues seriously and stop pushing them aside. You can work/support the groups the are trying to get the laws changed and treaties honored.
Native American Rights Fund -- News

wa:do
 
Nashitheki

Nashitheki

Hollawitta
As humans, Indians on reservations tend to make the best of life as well as endure hardships such as low life expectancy, bad medical care, alcoholism, crimes such as domestic violence, rape and now gang activities. There is also over crowdedness, lack of electricity and running water along with the gambling industry that allows only a choice few to reap profits while the majority of people go without. Many of those running the casino business have just enough Indian blood to give them recognition status.

Hardly the picture perfect Indian communities that some describe.

What we need now is a new wave of Indian activism to call attention to our plight. In spite of the good tribal leaders who put the people above all else, there are still many ’Uncle Tomahawks’ working with shady non-Indians and misusing their leadership positions for selfish material gain. That is why my heart will always be with the activists and militants who at least make an effort for the sake of change. Much to the dismay of some, what the activists have to say does not always paint a rosy romanticized picture of Indian life. Certainly not what the trend setters, new age gurus and seekers want to see or experience.

One of the blights we have to contend with in an uneasy way are the many non-Indians as well as the Uncle Tomahawk Indians who misrepresent our culture and spirituality for either material gain or an attempt to quell Indian activism, be it some best selling new age writer/guru, or the occasional European who has never stepped foot in America, but claims to channel some long dead medicine man then goes on to teach others American Indian spirituality based upon some over romanticized delusion.

I cannot speak for all Indian people, but know the hearts of my kin and friends. Some who realize our words will often draw the scrutiny and harsh measures of others.

My intentions are not to berate the people living on reservation, but the conditions this government has inflicted upon them. The truth is somertimes like a slow creeping vine, bare, brown and twisted throughout the winter, but with the coming of spring is leafy green and adorned with sweet scented beautiful blossoms.
 
painted wolf

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
Na****heki said:
As humans, Indians on reservations tend to make the best of life as well as endure hardships such as low life expectancy, bad medical care, alcoholism, crimes such as domestic violence, rape and now gang activities. There is also over crowdedness, lack of electricity and running water along with the gambling industry that allows only a choice few to reap profits while the majority of people go without. Many of those running the casino business have just enough Indian blood to give them recognition status.

Hardly the picture perfect Indian communities that some describe.

What we need now is a new wave of Indian activism to call attention to our plight. In spite of the good tribal leaders who put the people above all else, there are still many ’Uncle Tomahawks’ working with shady non-Indians and misusing their leadership positions for selfish material gain. That is why my heart will always be with the activists and militants who at least make an effort for the sake of change. Much to the dismay of some, what the activists have to say does not always paint a rosy romanticized picture of Indian life. Certainly not what the trend setters, new age gurus and seekers want to see or experience.

One of the blights we have to contend with in an uneasy way are the many non-Indians as well as the Uncle Tomahawk Indians who misrepresent our culture and spirituality for either material gain or an attempt to quell Indian activism, be it some best selling new age writer/guru, or the occasional European who has never stepped foot in America, but claims to channel some long dead medicine man then goes on to teach others American Indian spirituality based upon some over romanticized delusion.

I cannot speak for all Indian people, but know the hearts of my kin and friends. Some who realize our words will often draw the scrutiny and harsh measures of others.

My intentions are not to berate the people living on reservation, but the conditions this government has inflicted upon them. The truth is somertimes like a slow creeping vine, bare, brown and twisted throughout the winter, but with the coming of spring is leafy green and adorned with sweet scented beautiful blossoms.
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I completely agree...

And I for one am glad to see how far some of these tribal governments have come since the 1970's. I'm glad to see that the new generation of activists is opening native run/owned businesses and providing jobs (not casino jobs) and incomes.... I'm glad to see that the new generation of activists teaching children their languages and traditional cultures... providing educational opportunities both through high school and into college.

I'm glad to see tribal lawyers pushing treaty issues not only at the Federal level but all the way to international courts.

Is everything better yet? Heck no (I have never claimed otherwise) and there is still a lot of suffering... but that just means we need to work harder and get more people involved.

But change is happening and it's wrong of people to paint all reservations as nothing more than hell holes.

wa:do

ps... I don't know anyone who has tried to paint reservations as " picture perfect Indian communities". :shrug:
 
Nashitheki

Nashitheki

Hollawitta
Broken Smoke said:
[youtube]gp7Z4eiEuaw[/youtube]
Cherokee Nation: What is a real Indian Nation? What is a fake tribe? - YouTube
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Where the hell do they get these hokey Hollywood Indian names ? You never see translated names like 'Stabber', 'Six Killer', or 'Young Man Afraid of his Horses' used by these types.

Perhaps this this matter warrants it's own thread. After all this is a DIR. We are very concerned about our cultures, spirituality and our being as a whole becoming rubbed out, or reinvented. Some of us see this as an aspect of genocide carried out by the same mindset as that of Lord Jeffrey Amherst, William Henry Harrison, Andrew Jackson, George Armstrong Custer and William Tecumseh Sherman. As for now they cannot ride in and kill men, women and children like the old days, but they can attempt to eradicate our cultures and solidarity.

Cultural genocide.
 
beenherebeforeagain

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
painted wolf said:
I completely agree...

And I for one am glad to see how far some of these tribal governments have come since the 1970's. I'm glad to see that the new generation of activists is opening native run/owned businesses and providing jobs (not casino jobs) and incomes.... I'm glad to see that the new generation of activists teaching children their languages and traditional cultures... providing educational opportunities both through high school and into college.

I'm glad to see tribal lawyers pushing treaty issues not only at the Federal level but all the way to international courts.

Is everything better yet? Heck no (I have never claimed otherwise) and there is still a lot of suffering... but that just means we need to work harder and get more people involved.

But change is happening and it's wrong of people to paint all reservations as nothing more than hell holes.

wa:do

ps... I don't know anyone who has tried to paint reservations as " picture perfect Indian communities". :shrug:
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As someone who teaches public affairs, and has a history of being involved in organizing and movements, I've got to agree that activism is the way to get change. The struggle may be long and at times discouraging, but the end is worth it. Asking politely is rarely enough: you've pretty much got to grab their attention and make them see that the current situation is intolerable, and that the ONLY solution is for the Nations to have the power to self-determine and self-police, instead of having to turn to the federal (or even state) bureaucracy for "solutions."
 
painted wolf

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
beenherebeforeagain said:
As someone who teaches public affairs, and has a history of being involved in organizing and movements, I've got to agree that activism is the way to get change. The struggle may be long and at times discouraging, but the end is worth it. Asking politely is rarely enough: you've pretty much got to grab their attention and make them see that the current situation is intolerable, and that the ONLY solution is for the Nations to have the power to self-determine and self-police, instead of having to turn to the federal (or even state) bureaucracy for "solutions."
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Exactly, and it's the fact that the federal government are the only ones that can prosecute non-native people who commit crimes on tribal lands that needs to change now.

This is why the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act is so important. It finally has a provision to allow tribal governments to prosecute anyone who attacks women on tribal lands!

If people really want to help they need to contact their representatives and make this happen! Put pressure on them so they can't just keep ignoring it.

S.1925 restores concurrent tribal criminal jurisdiction over a very narrow set of crimes that statistics demonstrate are an egregious problem on Indian reservations. Section 904 of the bill recognizes tribes’ inherent authority to investigate and prosecute crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders that occur in Indian country. It does not in any way alter or remove the current criminal jurisdiction of the United States or of any state.
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The Violence Against Women Act reauthorization

If you really want to help American Indian women and make reservations better places to live.... get this bill passed!

wa:do
 
Broken Smoke

Broken Smoke

Member
Na****heki said:
Where the hell do they get these hokey Hollywood Indian names ? You never see translated names like 'Stabber', 'Six Killer', or 'Young Man Afraid of his Horses' used by these types.

Perhaps this this matter warrants it's own thread. After all this is a DIR. We are very concerned about our cultures, spirituality and our being as a whole becoming rubbed out, or reinvented. Some of us see this as an aspect of genocide carried out by the same mindset as that of Lord Jeffrey Amherst, William Henry Harrison, Andrew Jackson, George Armstrong Custer and William Tecumseh Sherman. As for now they cannot ride in and kill men, women and children like the old days, but they can attempt to eradicate our cultures and solidarity.

Cultural genocide.
Click to expand...

I like the "name givers" who know they have a "sparkle indian" and give a joke name. For example the common name for the African Hunting Dog is used for someone so pale yet who wants to live in the land of the tanned.:flirt: Here you go, very powerful name, much wampum required for such a title. Those of the people can only shake their heads when the temptation gets too great.
 
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