[chuckles]

The big problem with fixing the problem is political. Just try to imagine a “do gooder” trying to help the tribes by dissolving the reservation system and integrating them into American society. We would be at war immediately and half the Democrats would take up arms against the government. It is a mess, and as long as tribal leaders hang on to some fiction of the past, it will continue to murder a race of people. They won't use the resources they have on the reservation for whatever “Great Spirit” reason they can make up and continue to dole out bennies by the tribal system. It's right out of Das Kapital. Our reservation is on prime forest land and they won't cut trees. The only income is from the tribal stores and a theme park type affair. If they would “manage” their forests, they could most likely live more comfortably. (Until they discovered the chief skimming a little off the top.) If they had a gold mine they wouldn't mine it.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Just try to imagine a “do gooder” trying to help the tribes by dissolving the reservation system and integrating them into American society.

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...

The Dawes General Allotment Act

Indian termination policy