I live in South Dakota. The Lakota/Dakota reservations are a disgrace, mostly because of their high rate of alcoholism and and reliance on government largess. The suicide rate is off the charts. They feel trapped, and the government hasn’t helped with the reservation system. Russell Means has always been a loud-mouthed instigator.....he just wants more freebies and handouts for the “Nation”. Means drives a Mercedes when in Rapid City (and lives in a pretty upscale apartment...I know because I was his neighbor for a few months), but has a rusted out Ford pickup when he goes to the “Rez”.
I don’t know the solution to the problem, but government handouts are not the answer. The handouts just enable them to continue with their lifestyle of poverty and need.
Most of us here no longer feel sorry for them. They handle that well enough on their own.
Rant off/
I still think, however, he has some decency left in him based on his public statements against Obama plus conversations we had years ago about his dreams to unite independent minded white men and red men to win our country back from the Washington politicians who robbed us both.
I have driven through the Ft. Belknap Reservation in Montana a couple of times. It's a sorry, lonely place from what I saw.
I have for some time been struggling with an idea, which unfortunately is presently winning. :)
The Lakota and all other nomadic “horse Indians” were by definition absolutely dirt poor when they were banging around the Plains. Nomads by definition don’t and can’t have much “stuff.”
Yet they were free and proud. The men took pride in their defense of their tribe, attacks on their enemies, and hunting to provide food for their people. The women were proud of their support to the men and raising of children.
When they were moved onto reservations, by any rational standard their life became materially richer. They certainly had a great deal more “stuff.” Yet anybody who looks at what happens recognizes a profound demoralization. While they were materially much richer, spiritually they were disintegrating.
Seems to me there are parallels here to the experiences of blacks on plantations as slaves and then as absolutely dirt-poor sharecroppers maintaining their pride and self-respect, but disintegrating morally and spiritually on welfare. Same with white Appalachians.
Seems to me we internalize a lot of our self-worth based on how others see us. Modern society is almost entirely based on economics. As more and more people in our society lose any real economic role, their personal sense of self-worth appears to deteriorate proportionally.
IOW, each year a larger part of our society is in a very real sense economically parasistic. If it were to disappear overnight, it would only improve the economy. This seems to me to produce a profound demoralization in those so marginalized, with resultant crime, drug use, etc.
As I said, I’m struggling with these ideas. Would appreciate input.