Oklahoma Ping!
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Posted on 09/17/2004 9:58:48 AM PDT by eveningrain
Who is Coburn to say who is a "real" Cherokee and who isn't? As a Cherokee woman I take great umbrage to the statements he made againt our nations' people. The Cherokee people have always had the "one drop" rule, but then again, as indigenous nations throughout this land we call home, we are the only people to be described in fractions or who have to prove "who we are" with a us governmental card - it's easier to be a terrorist and be more welcomed into this country, than to be an Indian, who were here long before the Europeans set sail.
He has no right to determine who is or who isn't Cherokee, no more than he has a right to determine who is or who isn't black, Asian, etc. If he is elected to represent all the people of Oklahoma, his statements certainly prove that this is not true at all. Seems to me, he's probably more involved with One Nation - which has proven to be a racist organization with one motivation only - to destroy native nations and soverign rights. If anything, perhaps Mr. Coburn is somewhat envious of the Great Cherokee Nation and our people.
Like it or not - get use to it. We are here, we have always been here and we are not going anywhere in spite of all the attempts made in the past and in the present, to wipe us from our own native land.
http://www.cherokee.org/NewsArchives/announcements/2004-Coburn-Altus.asp
Remarks at Altus Town Hall (August 21, 2004)
*****
http://64.62.196.98/News/2004/004263.asp
GOP candidate says Cherokees aren't real Indians Friday, September 17, 2004
A conservative Republican in a highly competitive race with a Cherokee Nation tribal member is coming under fire for claiming that Cherokees "aren't Indians" and for suggesting that tribal sovereignty is a "joke."
Tom Coburn, a former Congressman who won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate over rivals who had the backing of party leaders, told a town hall meeting in Altus, Oklahoma, recently that the Cherokee Nation wants to enroll more members in order to receive more federal funds. He questioned the legitimacy of the tribe's heritage and said "the average Cherokee [blood] quantum is 1/512."
"Alright, listen, I know the tribal issues," he said on August 21. "I was a congressman where most of the Indians are in this state. The problem is, most of them aren't Indians."
Coburn went on to criticize attempts by several Oklahoma tribes to assert environmental authority over their lands. He then blasted opponent Rep. Brad Carson (D), a Cherokee member, for sponsoring a bill that would prevent land owned by Cherokee and other citizens of the Five Civilized Nations from falling out of trust.
"I mean this is a joke," Coburn told the audience. "It is one thing for us to keep our obligations to recognize Native Americans, but it's a totally different thing for us to allow a primitive agreement with the Native Americans to undermine Oklahoma's future and that's what they're talking about doing and it's big money."
The remarks largely went unnoticed until the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is making a big push on behalf of Carson, began circulating them. Previously, only Coburn's characterization of the race against Carson as "the battle of good versus evil," also made at the Altus meeting, ended up in the mainstream press.
But now, tribal leaders who are firing back at Coburn for his "divisive" comments. Even though some are registered Republicans, they say they aren't going to support him.
"I'm a Republican and it is hard to understand why Tom Coburn takes pride in dividing Oklahoma and ridiculing people," said Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. "If you disagree with him, you are evil. There's no discussion, no room for understanding."
"I've been a Republican all my life and Tom Coburn is an embarrassment to the Republican party," added Bill Johnson, a tribal council member.
The battle between Coburn and Carson is a significant one for several reasons. Carson would be the only Native American in the Senate since Republican Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, is retiring.
The outcome of the race also will help determine which party controls the Senate. Democrats and Republicans are hoping to pick up seats in order to shift the balance of power in what is now a one-member Republican majority.
Polls currently show the two candidates neck-and-neck. A television poll released this week put Carson in the lead but only by two points. Nearly one in five voters was undecided. The Senate seat up for grabs is being vacated by Republican Don Nickels, who is retiring.
Smith has said in the past that the Cherokee Nation does not endorse candidates for public office. But he has actively encouraged tribal members to vote. The tribe counts more than 200,000 members.
Former principal chief Wilma Mankiller is supporting Democratic candidates, including the presidential ticket of Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards. She characterized Coburn as a radical who is out of touch with America.
"Tom Coburn's extremist views on the basic rights of women and outrageous views of tribal citizens and their governments are shocking and simply too far out of the mainstream for him to serve as our United States Senator," she said.
Carson won his party's nomination in July with 80 percent of the vote. He was elected twice to the U.S. House, serving the 2nd Congressional district, which has the highest percentage of Native Americans anywhere in the country.
Even tho Tom may be right, does he really need to fight this one?
Welcome to FR.
I really dont understand why Coburn would say such a thing. I hope you dont think all republican are like him. Or that you are a troll.
I'm wondering how many folks, especially in states that had large Indian populations at one time (or were moved there) claim to be Indians, while having a tenuous connection at best. I guess I could be considered Indian as my paternal Great Grandmother had some Indian blood, and my Daddy's profile looked for all the world like the one of the Indian on the back of the Buffalo nickel! I don't consider myself Indian, except when describing the mixture from both my parents. Some folks want to be considered part of a group, for whatever reason, and don't like that being questioned by anyone.
I think that Coburn is just saying that the tribes need to have some standards, that they try to draw anyone with a single drop of Indian blood to the tribal reservation for financial purposes, that they've turned tribal sovereignty into a welfare program. (Maybe that is one of the reasons they're poorer than most.)
I'm part American Indian myself (1/124.) but I certainly don't think of myself in those terms. I suppose I could if I chose to.
We should do something to increase the rights, responsibilities, and authority of the Indians, as well as their standard of living. I don't know what it is, but handing out money on the basis of tribal membership isn't working. It turns tribal sovereignty into the school lunch program: "Please sign up! Pleeeeeeease!"
We are neck-and-neck and the Repub goes and sticks his foot in his mouth. His silliness that the average Cherokee is only 1/512 is garbage. I'm 1/32 and I consider myself "British-American" of which I'm about 1/2. But then the focus should be on the bill, not the ignorance of the politicians.
The one-drop rule, for generations after the Civil War, was excoriated as a remnant of slavery and racism. Consequently, laws enforcing race and blood percentages were all struck down in the 1960s. These moves were heralded among people of color and all people of good will.
Of course, in this era where all people (except white men) are part of some disadvantaged and preferred group, receiving special treatment by governmental and even private entities, it is advantageous to claim you are 1/256th Eskimo, for example.
Coburn was absolutely right...though it is not always wise, politically, to speak the truth.
Carson is a fractional; he is also an extreme liberal who would be a disaster as a Senator.
(My great-grandmother was a full-blooded Cherokee)
Now Carson allies are playing the race card against Dr Coburn. Soon we will hear how many senior citizens, Dr Coburn put death. RAT rhetoric is getting tiresome.
I'm from Oklahoma and am well aware of some of the issues here.
Do we think we might be a tad sensitive here? Are we trying to play the Political Correctness Card?
This is part of the Negative Campaigning begun last week by Democrat Brad Carson who is slightly behind in the polls and is totally worthless.
Oklahoma Ping!
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Alas, he did say it apparently. It's all over our local news. Hubby asked me this morning, What's going on ? Doesn't he really want to win this? It does seem strange, but whatever, it's most unfortunate. The liberal is already ahead in the polls.
I'm not sure of the demographics of OK, but perhaps a little TRUTH, frankness, and non-PCness will energize the good people of the state.
Actually, he does. You see, tribes have benefits to those they issue CDIB cards (certificate of degree of Indian Blood). If you have a CDIB card, you get free medical care at the IHS clinics etc.
Now, because the Cherokee are intermarried, those with one 16th cherokee blood will have a card, whereas most tribes make the cut off of services as 1 eighth, so that those who are truely living as an Indian will get the poorly funded government services.
Some in Oklahoma think that the Cherokees did this to "inflate" their numbers, to outnumber, for example, the truely larger Navajo tribe in getting government contracts.
Personally, since I am white, I don't care. But if you are an Arapaho or a Cheyenne with 3/4 indian blood, living on the verge of poverty, you might get upset that a one 16th yuppie from Broken Arrow gets free medical care and uses contract health funds...
I wish that were true. I don't believe it is, however. Carson is going to jump on this one, as he has with other remarks. There are a lot of Democrats in Oklahoma, even though a lot of them vote Republican in the presidential elections.
BTTT!!!!!!!
http://www.cherokee.org/Phoenix/2004/PhoenixPage.asp?ID=661
http://www.cherokeeheritage.org/genealogy/gen_cdibtm.html
Indian humor. If you don't think this is funny, you probably are a twinkie
http://members.tripod.com/TopCat4/twinkie.htm
My grandma is Choctaw Indian, she has pretty much said the same things about her people. She has said that she couldnt possibly continue to dwell on the past and wait for the government to give to her what she could go out and create on her own, she literally left the reservation over 50 years ago. Plus she is mad that so many choctaws of european blood are given tribal rights.
But saying that, I cant understand why a politician would say this, especially in Oklahoma, its what I would call career suicide.
Glad to hear about this, that makes me a Cherokee. Maybe I can get some kind of affirmative action?
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