[brushcop]

Right on, you beat me by a hair. I was raised in the Four Corners during the 50s, nothing's changed. I used to write the Navajo "Nation" in Chinle, AZ and challenge them to right-thinking policies addressing alcoholism, living in squalor, etc. My wife and I would stop by the HQ in Chinle and speak of these things, willing to try something--nope, although several Navajo Tribal police officers gave us some ideas. I had Navajo buddies brainstorming with me on this issue, one said that he was going to get his degree in Engineering and return to "help his people".

He got his degree in Education instead God bless him, his wife also became a teacher; maybe he missed the mark on his Engineering dream but by golly he walked the walk. He said it still didn't work! This goes back to your original premise of "nations", business on the reservations and corrupt tribal governments. Perhaps H. Yazzie planted a lot of seeds though...

[Arizona Carolyn]

I have a friend who teaches on the Reservation. She can tell stories that makes you hair stand on end.... like they encourage theft from white people, lying to white people, etc... racism is alive and well on the Navajo Reservation, which is a shame... and I agree, we should have never agreed to a reservation system for Native American's, the only cure is assimilation.