[LachlanMinnesota]

Though I cannot calim to speak for them, I believe the Lakota people would like that kind of self respect, but they need to get some assistance to get them there. The reservation was the most barren land possible, with no productivity taht the white people would want. They are living on virtual desert land, and there are no jobs.

Yet they are subject to control by the whites in many ways.

I believe there are ways in which they could be helped which would allow them to regain some sense of pride in their community.

However, as long as we are blind to ttheir plight, they will receive nothing from the US, except our ridicule and bad indian jokes.

[af_vet_rr]

The reservation was the most barren land possible, with no productivity taht the white people would want. They are living on virtual desert land, and there are no jobs.

Having been stationed in North Dakota, and driven through areas like you are talking about, I agree completely. Most people here and elsewhere have no concept of what some of these reservations are like. When these reservations were setup, they were selected because, as you said, nobody else wanted the land. The language I would use to describe them would not be appropriate for her, but suffice to say, a lot of reservations in that part of the country are more like something out of some piss-ant third world country than the United States.

It's easy to see why these people are pissed off. I cannot blame that at all - if I were in their situation, I think I would decide that I was much better off without the help of the US government (even if I weren't a conservative, I would still think that).

[swain_forkbeard]

I might tend to agree with you generally, but this recent manifestation of “ridicule and bad indian jokes” results directly from the big chief’s preposterous claim.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

On a human-being to human-being level, my heart goes out to the American Indians. There’s so much bad history between them and the whites. I wish I knew what to do to help them, but I fear anything we try is going to be viewed with suspicion and distrust, and I can’t blame the people for their lack of trust in what we say.

I suppose the sad truth is that the American Indians really can’t live the ways of their ancestors ever again. But then none of us can. We have to pick up and move on. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks the problems on the reservation have many, many small incremental solutions and not one big one-size-fits-all program or project.

[sam_paine]

They are living on virtual desert land, and there are no jobs.

Even Mexicans know how to fix this. It's called a Maquiladora.