American Indans, what do you know about them and their claims on America??

Self and the American Indian Movement Org site ^ | April 21, 2002 | Ice Flyer

[ICE-FLYER]

I would love for fellow freepers to click on the above link about the demands this group is making of the United States and to tell me what you think or know of it.

For a long while now I have said that what I see happening over in Israel will some day happen here with the Indians who are still claiming lands and rights and that there are broken treaties and such. I can easily see how they will rise up and make the same demands, after all, we are oppressors, right? and we STOLE their lands, right? I at the same time I must confess that I do not fully know about many of these claims or their validity so I am putting this up in an effort to educate myself with the thoughts of Free Republic.

Please let me know what you do about this subject and what information might be out there on this that is definitive.

[yooper]

I'm still waiting for some fancy-pants lawyer to bring a class action suit against the various casino-enriched tribes for being responsible for all of the tobacco related deaths in this country...

[Chad Fairbanks]

You raise valid points...

The looting of the BIA trust was one of the more sickening things to occur during the Clintoon years... And your point about the treaties is, of course, valid as well. However, A.I.M represents only those Indians who follow the Liberal Leftist agenda - the rest of us are treated with derision and scorn... THAT is part of my problem with them - the underlying leftist agenda.

I make the "mistake" (according to the race-baiters) of considering myself an American first, an Indian second - I love this country, and it's still my land regardless of what "race" makes up the majority...

If someone nows of an organization for Conservative Indians, then THAT is who I'd support...

[Grut]

... I though that all men had certain inalienable God-given rights...

That was before 9/11: now they're just another bunch of nonwhites with no papers to show they immigrated legally.... ;>)

[Arkinsaw]

I was going to say that they should 'put some ice on it', but that would be rude.

Actually, its pretty much the right sentiment seemingly. Personally I'd be ashamed to compare my actions to those referred to by the quote and be happy about it. But to each his own.

[blam]

KENNEWICK MAN (Died: Age 40-55, Kennewick, Washington, 9,300 years ago)

[Chad Fairbanks]

They have no rights except what the white government has given them

Well, gee... thanks. I'm glad all that crap in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution (some concepts of which came from those heathen indians, such as the Iroquios, btw) doesn't cloud your thinking in any way - wouldn't want you to get all confused on us...

[Chad Fairbanks]

What does Captain Picard have to do with this????

[blam]

LUZIA (Died: At age 24, Lapa Vermelha, Brazil, 11,500 years ago. The oldest dated human skeleton ever found in the Americas.)

[Don Myers]

Who was living in the Americas before the Indians arrived here? How did the Indians occupy the land? But anyway, the right of conquest counts for a lot.

[Arkinsaw]

However, A.I.M represents only those Indians who follow the Liberal Leftist agenda - the rest of us are treated with derision and scorn... THAT is part of my problem with them - the underlying leftist agenda.

Of course, its the same with another group that yells "Uncle Tom" when someone has an unsanctioned non-party line political view. Its designed to shout down dissenting views and keep the whole group on the Democratic/Liberal plantation.

However the attitude that I see here is going to do nothing but increase the power of AIM and make the Indians see that Republican/Conservatives have no interest in fulfilling the obligations either. "Put some ice on it" is not going to help form an Indian conservative group or provide an alternative political path for Native Americans is it? The message to them is, - you aren't worth the trouble, have no rights, should have no expectation of us keeping our treaty obligations, will not go after those who steal your money, so just go ahead and stay on the liberal plantation and sink into dependence and victimhood, resort to gambling or whatever to make a living because we are don't care and consider you all to be leftist hatemongers like the worst among you.

Ten to one they'll go to the scuzzy lawyers, the Al Sharpton's, and AIM given no other alternate political path. Then maybe we'll have that "Palestinian" problem after all. Can't say we didn't ask for it.

[blam]

"What does Captain Picard have to do with this????"

There are no skeletons of 'today's' American Indians that date back further the 6,000 years ago. Before them, there were a lot of other folks.

[JimVT]

I am a NATIVE AMERICAN.

I was born here.

The so-called 'native americans' who are making such a big stink about their 'land' and their 'rights' came here from Asia across the area of the Bering Strait when it was landlocked to what is now Alaska.

They deserve no more than my Irish ancestors got when they arrived.......A CHANCE FOR A BETTER LIFE.

[Arkinsaw]

They deserve no more than my Irish ancestors got when they arrived.......A CHANCE FOR A BETTER LIFE.

Actually, they also deserve for us to honorably fulfill the treaty obligations that we swore to and that our representatives signed. That is unless we are liars and oathbreakers.

[Chad Fairbanks]

You summed it up well. Thanks. :0)

[Chad Fairbanks]

I was being sarcastic - you have to admit, he DOES look like Patrick Stewart, though... :0)

And just as an aside, my people have been roaming northern New York and it's surrounding areas for over 10,000 years...

[Chad Fairbanks]

Actually, what we deserve is for the "superior white christians" (as one poster put it) to honor their agreements with us - doesn't honor, and keeping one's word mean anything anymore???? Did it ever???? While I personally don't feel I am owed anything, and have never asked for anything, I would like to see us (and I say 'us' because I AM an American, too ya know) live up to our word, and honor the treaties we have taken part in. It's not much to ask, really, is it????

[Alternate_Heaven]

All I have to say is that we owe the American Indians so much. We did steal their land, and we also murdered their women and children, even forced the women who werent killed to have hysterectomies (sp?) and gave them blankets infected with small pocks to keep them warm as they died along the Trail of Tears.

[max61]

my people have been roaming northern New York and it's surrounding areas for over 10,000 years...

If I were assuming that you are Mohawk, would I be correct?.

---max

[petuniasevan]

Know what's interesting? A lot of people - whites, mostly - don't even realize the "Indians" were, and are, not all one group, and vary widely in culture AND appearance. A Northern California tribe, the Hupa, still live in their ancestral homeland. This is a war chief from the 1920s.