[Keltik]

I've felt this way for years. If all Indian (No, NOT "Native American" -- INDIAN) reservations are good for are casinos, then close them down

[FastCoyote]

"Eliminate poverty on Indian reservations by eliminating Indian reservations "

OR you could just eliminate the Indians and keep the casinos and reservations. That's what we would have done in the good old days:)

[King Moonracer]

<=Isn't it a shame how Jack Abramoff bilked naïve tribal councils?

I agree, but if somebody has access to big money and can throw it around via Abramoff, their naïvete is not my problem. Amway pimps have more common sense.

[aruanan]

We can eliminate poverty on Indian reservations by eliminating Indian reservations.

There are more Indians alive in the US now than there were when Columbus arrived, according to an anthropology professor of mine who was himself Indian.

[Just mythoughts]

Doesn't MacCain run Indian Affairs???

[hildy123]

Are there any resources to find out what Indian tribes gave to Ambraoff?

[G.Mason]

"Eliminate poverty on Indian reservations by eliminating Indian reservations"

Only if they apologize for Custer, and promise not to attack any more settlers.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I don't know if I like that reasoning. Native Americans finally find a way to support themselves, and now it's time to kick them off their land? Btw, it IS their land. Indian reservations are sovereign nations within in our country. Sure, for the most part, the government gave them the worst godforsaken pieces of property, but we still gave it to them. Mighty white of us, yeah?

As for Jack Abramoff, if he's been strong arming Indian casinos for cash, throw his ass in jail.

[cyborg]

I do not agree with this. Eliminating them would cause more poverty.

[pageonetoo]

I've felt this way for years...

So, in other words, you feel we should break treaties with sovereign nations, and lay claim to lands which do not belong to us?

Maybe I missed something in my history and civics classes...

[sockhead]

The US tried getting rid of Indian reservations in the 1950s with the Indian Assimilation Act. It didn't take long for the reversal of that program and the government re-establishing the few reservations that had been spun off into private ownership.

Indian tribes are not soverign nations within the usual meaning of that term. They are wards of the US and their lands are held by the government in trust for them.

[norwaypinesavage]

I grew up in a mostly white city surrounded by three large Indian reservations. I visited, and saw the dire poverty on these reservations. In my view, this poverty exists because poverty is the prevalent life in all socialist environments. These reservations were all run under socialist rules. Land was owned by the community. Families were given (a little) money just for existing. One could exist without working. The solution is the same as it is for all socialist societies: capitalism.

[tiki]

Indians are the great welfare societies largest (liberals) success, (conservatives) failure. "From the womb to the tomb", they are supported by the government.

[Jack Black]

I don't think this is the way to go. For one thing Indian Reservations are one of the more free parts of our increasingly authoritarian country. Why destroy the freedom outposts? Not only do they have gambling, but in Washington State the only public spaces (like a bar for instance) that you can smoke in are on tribal lands. Tax free tabacco is another plus.

As the Democrats complete their takeover of many states via methods like those used here in Washington (naked vote fraud, forced unionization of all state workers to fund Dem candidates, etc.) these little outposts of freedom will become a quality of life issue for many of us. In fact I think MORE not LESS Indian reservations might be in order.