And, as I said, I understand how the reservation works...I know they have their own tribal police and courts. My point is simple, if they start to blatantly violate US Federal law, the US Federal government WILL intervene. Let them shut down one Interstate Highway, let them try and harbor one federal fugitive, even if it is one of their own, and you will see how far their "soveriegnty" extends.
The entire reservation system is corrupt IMHO, despite some individual contradictions to that rule.
Any Indian who wants off the reservation can get off it, but the tribal councils and the US taxpayers through the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal and Reservation "welfare" system perpetated by scheming and self-serving politicians, give these people housing and allowances and have enslaved them and removed incintive from them to engraft themselves into the American system and improve themselves. Very similar to the overall welfare system...in fact, in many ways the overall system has been modeled after this...and both are abject failures.
Many, many who leave the reservation (and that is their choice) do improve their lot and it is because of the American system.
It is long past time to end this farce and engraft the indigenous people as a whole into the American system IMHO.
But that's all it is, is my opinion.
Fact is, there was a war, it lasted for a couple of hundred years against all of the Indian cultures who resisted the American expansion. There were depredations and lying and tragedy on both sides...but the Indian nations lost. And given the history that played itself out thereafter in the World Wars...thank God they did lose.
As far as the res system goes I could not agree with you more. I have asked many times why more NA's do not leave; mostly it is the "free" stuff.
Did you ever get the Forrestal and Saratoga pics I pinged you about in August or so?