The only reason it hasn’t been successfully pursued, IMHO, is that there has been a passage of time, and the Lakota people had no resources to fight the political pressure the courts would be under if they ruled in favor of them.
In tribes in which there are casinos, such as in Minnesota, there is little if any, welfare paid, because the profits are distributed among the tribe members.
I knew a tribe member that was serving time in prison that was still earning his $30,000.00 per year as a tribe member.
The reservations without casinos suffer mightily and are extremely poverty stricken, having been left with no productive land on which to live.
While I agree there are some radical elements in the tribe, including Russell Means, before one criticizes the attitude, it would be good to see the living conditions on some of the reservations. Many people live in the run-down facilities, and there are no jobs for those who want them. There is a liquor store just across the line out of one reservation that supplies alcohol and thus promotes the rampant alcoholism. There are poor medical facilities and schools, and most of all, no hope for the future.
IMHO, the poverty on the Lakota lands is an issue that needs to be addressed — it is a difficult problem with no easy solutions, but it is a travesty how we allow this to exist.
It would be more helpful than any of you know to offer help to these tribes, in a spirit of friendship.
We should walk the red road together.
Having driven through Pine Ridge a number of times, I agree with your statement-that Res is a third world country..
Those darn casinos are teaching us the “noble indians” are just as greedy, money motivated, selfish, self centered, crooked, and troublesome as they accused us white guys of being all these years........
My Great-Grandfather was a hell-raisin Cherokee, who said never trust or DEPEND on the Government. You never saw him living in self-pity and squalor on some reservation. He took control of his own life and was successful without Government handouts. That’s the American thing to do, which conservatives understand much better than others.
If he can speak for them, perhaps we can get Congress to build this fence. We can say it is to keep the greedy white man out of their territory. With no productive land and no communication with the outside, how long would they last? This seems to be what they want.
All cultures are NOT equal and these people are perfect examples. They chose not to become part of the dynamo that is the United States economy and bitch about what happened hundreds of years ago just like another minority that suffers the same victim mentality. Well sorry you losers, there is no one alive that was a party to your plight and you can chose to bitch or get with the program and the opportunities offered to those who wish to advance.
The rest of us white folks have all sorts of time restrictions on our legal rights to redress wrongs but there are different rules for loser minorities.
The Lakota didn’t accepted the treaty is because they would be destroyed if they didn't.
ALL tribes receive millions and millions of dollars each year for education, welfare and medical support. But the Indians and the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) are allowed BY LAW to discriminate against non-indians. AND they do! This is the reason why the indians fail so terribly in educating their children in their indian run schools. They fail in health care in their indian run health care facilities. They fail in housing because of their indian and communistic run housing programs.
The LAkota are located on Pine Ridge Reservation. This vast area is some of the most productive agricultural land in South Dakota. BUT the Lakota refuse to farm the land! They also refuse to use the land as range land for buffalo and cattle. This is the same land across the Nebraska state line that is very productive with a great school system, health system, etc.
The poverty conditions found on the reservation Lakota are caused by their corrupt tribal system. The US government has given the Lakota billions of dollars over the years. By law the Lakota and other Indian groups ARE NOT required to maintain financial records and the US government cannot audit the financial records to determine if the tax dollars GIVEN to the Lakota are actually used to help the Lakota!
Money down a rat hole!
Why should we walk a red road together. Why not a black road or a white road? How about a non-racist road? Are you calling the Lakota red men? The you agree with the Washington Redskins name tag?
Unless all those members are owners and/or employees of the tribe, that IS welfare.
There is no easy solution, really.
The honest truth is that, economically speaking, many of those on reservations would be best off to move off the reservation and join “regular” (pardon the term) American society.
” IMHO, the poverty on the Lakota lands is an issue that needs to be addressed — it is a difficult problem with no easy solutions, but it is a travesty how we allow this to exist.
It would be more helpful than any of you know to offer help to these tribes, in a spirit of friendship.
We should walk the red road together.”
Look, every tribe in this country had bad treaties. It’s time these people became responsible for themselves. It’s that ‘we’re entitled’ mentality that keeps them in poverty and ignorance. The sad fact is these whiners would have NEVER survived during the time of their ancestors. In fact their ancestors would have laughed at them for their silliness.
No productive land as determined by pale face standards but highly suited for people wishing to go back to living the old ways as hunter gatherers.
Finally, how refreshing to see some one write a meaningful, sensible post about this subject. Thank you.
Well, I don’t think it’s ‘we’ who allow this situation to continue to exist.
I know of tribes which, because they are tribes, and need the approval of everyone in the tribe before they do anything, never get anything done. The money they get from their casinos sits in the banks in ordinary savings accounts drawing 1% interest, because they can never all agree on how to invest it.
Living ‘tribally’ means living ‘communally’, or in a socialist sort of ‘grand village’. Add just a dash of federal welfare to that—but not ever enough—and you will get extreme poverty and lack of industry as a result.
Break up the reservations, give every tribal member his own land, plus a cash settlement, and set the people free to be masters of their own destiny. (The Cherokee, who had this happen to them, are doing probably the best of any tribe in America—at least, before casinos arrived.)
Neither the Lakota nor any other people should be forced to be relegated to being exhibits in an ethnic exhibit for the sake of guilty white liberals.
This is not intended only for LachlanMinnesota and the comment made.
You can offer help all day long, but unless someone takes advantage of it…what good is it? Though I believe it is discriminatory…the United States Government helps in the way of free college education yet very few of the Tribes people take advantage of the offering. I know one Pine Ridge tribe member who did take the offer, and he went into archeology in Laramie. That is one of the lowest paid professions available. Why didn’t he go into business? He wanted to study his ancestor’s bones…looking at fire rings and deciding from which direction the hunters traveled. Not exactly a helpful activity to further the current state of ‘his’ people.
The members who still live on the reservations should have taken initiative a long time ago to better their living conditions and way of life instead of sitting and doing nothing...waiting for a miracle to happen. Collecting welfare is no way to support a family, which comes from the US Government who collects it from American taxpayers.
This is a worthless publicity stunt. The people in the alleged newly created Lakota nation would die from the elements, as the power plants in the area that are owned by private citizens of the United States would destroy the plants before handing over the keys. The refineries in the area would be set ablaze and destroyed, thus importing gasoline would be unbelievably expensive.
Russell Means states there will be no taxes for the citizens of the Lakota nation. The road systems would fail miserably and quickly as the weather plays havoc on the black top/concrete roadways in that region. I know…I’m from Nebraska. Roads fall apart within 1.5 – 2 years and need to be repaired constantly. Who owns the Department of Roads? Oh yeah, it’s a branch of the US Government. Every piece of equipment would be relocated out of that region. Graders and black top equipment are not cheap pieces of equipment. Without taxes how do they intend to maintain the up keep?
I think the members of the tribes should take inventory and realize what it truly takes to make a society thrive in today’s technological age. Education is everything. Welfare is nothing.
“While I agree there are some radical elements in the tribe, including Russell Means, before one criticizes the attitude, it would be good to see the living conditions on some of the reservations. Many people live in the run-down facilities, and there are no jobs for those who want them. There is a liquor store just across the line out of one reservation that supplies alcohol and thus promotes the rampant alcoholism. There are poor medical facilities and schools, and most of all, no hope for the future.”
I believe because of both alcohol and diabetes, the average life expectancy of a plains indian make is about 40 years. Something definitely needs to be done - I couldn’t tell you what it should be though.
However, these “radical” leaders need to be arrested for sedition and treason.
So, unlike all the land around them, the reservations in Minnesota, N&S Dakota, Wyoming and Montana just happen to be on the land that you can't raise cattle on, corn won't grow, wheat won't grow, trees don't grow and the ultra-lucrative ginseng (which naturalized immigrant Korean-Americans make millions on in Minnesota) won't grow? BS!
There is a liquor store just across the line out of one reservation that supplies alcohol and thus promotes the rampant alcoholism.
The liquor store promotes alcoholism? Only in the Marxist view of things where actions have no consequences and demand has nothing to do with supply. If you want to see a modern day Indian uprising just outlaw sales of liquor to Native Americans. The ACLU will lead the charge waving the biggest Race Card you've ever seen. And for once they would be right.
If liquor stores cause alcoholism then Rosie's spoon causes fat!
Are they not free to move to where the jobs are?