Hardly the same thing. As a for instance, the Civilized Tribes that were forcibly removed by Jackson from their lands along the Mississippi and eastward made legally binding treaties entitling them to purchase and lease payments as well as mineral and access royalties. The government, being what it is, lost all track and no doubt embezzled billions. Whether the people being screwed have dark skins or white (and many of the ‘Indian’ land owners were in fact, of mixed race and were well to do land owners, makes no difference. We aren’t talking reparations for ‘wrongs’ committed, we are talking about honoring contracts. The US government couldn’t begin to make reparations for the wrongs committed against most tribes, even those committed in the last century, forget about the ‘ancient’ past.
Isn’t it funny how the idea of ‘honoring contracts’ is still met with complete incredulousness and hatred by so many people. The Government did so wrong by the Indians that no amount of money could make it right and we all know $3.4 Billion doesn’t begin to cover actual monetary amounts owed.
And just a word to those that like to talk about how the Indians live on welfare on the reservations and get free healthcare and blah blah blah. 150 years ago Indians still lived completely off the land. They didn’t want anything but to be able to stay where they were, hunt and fend for themselves. Europeans came over, totally decimated them and then forced the small population left onto reservations and yet people somehow blame the Indian for staying on the reservation and trying to maintain something of his or her own culture?? The insanity of man never ceases to amaze me.
Try to take the 10 commandments out of a court house and watch the Christians explode with fiery indignation yet the Indians are expected to somehow navigate the near total decimation of their culture, their religion - their very existence - and do it in a way that PLEASES the very people who decimated them?? Will the insanity never cease?
Complete immorality, fear, greed and heartlessness caused this situation yet none of the above are in short supply even today.
This settlement will do very little to improve the lives of Indians. The amount of money received by each individual is laughable.
As to reparations. If this WERE reparations (which it is not) what would be wrong with that unless you are completely immoral. Reparations is a word that exists for a reason.