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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

Posted on 04/21/2002 6:04:39 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: americanindians; government; indians; treaties
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To: petuniasevan
And here's Weitchpec George, a Yurok (another coastal tribe).


41 posted on 04/21/2002 7:45:56 PM PDT by petuniasevan
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To: ICE-FLYER
I am no expert in this time perior or area of study, but if you look at the historical time period, there are several things going on.

1)Cultures that have surpassed other cultures are conquering them by different means throughout the entire world.

2) Some Natives took sides in Wars against the eventual victors (French&Indian against Brits/Colonials, American Revolution against Americans)

3)despite PC propaganda the Natives barbarity in warfare (mutilation, killing women and children, kidnapping/raping/but keeping women while killing others in a family of settlers) brought harsh reaction from colonials and eventually the US government

Now having said these things, despite the disease factor it is obvious that Natives were not treated fairly and treaties are consistently broken over time.

These things cant be denied but the general historical period sees these things happening to many cultures all over the world - stated simply the world was in a period of transition with strong cultures dominating weaker cultures in terms of power.

42 posted on 04/21/2002 7:46:17 PM PDT by rbmillerjr
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Please do not misunderstand me. I have great sorrow for what happened to to American Indian but under the constitutional interptretation of that day the rights of the American Indians were not respected. Nor were the rights of the Africans for that matter.

Are you American Indians asking for retroactive rights? You know that is not right and you blacks are asking for the same thing and you know that is not right either.

Are the African-Americans and the American Indians both willing to destroy their great country for the sake of a very short period of gratification from the "White Man"?

43 posted on 04/21/2002 7:48:51 PM PDT by Bloody Reaper
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To: Chad Fairbanks
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. If someone nows of an organization for Conservative Indians, then THAT is who I'd support...

Exactly. Many Americans today don't realize that there are two groups of American Indians.

#1 are the (mostly) poor Natives living on the reservations. They tend to be fairly leftist (looking for more handouts) and are the source of most of the pro-Native protest we hear in the news.

#2 are the native Americans who have moved off the reservations, assimilated to society, and hold down solid jobs just like any other American. These Native Americans fall all over the political spectrum, but a huge percentage are God fearing conservative Americans.

The problem is that Group #2 is far larger than Group #1, but there's no political activism by Group #2. Because we only hear about Group #1, most Americans erroneously believe that ALL Indians belong to reactionary, leftist groups like AIM. What's the solution? I don't know. I am white, but my wife is 50% Osage (her mother was reservation born) and is a professional, conservative AMERICAN. We've had this discussion a thousand times, and have never come up with a satisfactory solution.
44 posted on 04/21/2002 8:01:31 PM PDT by Arthalion
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To: Tacis
It isn't blacks peeing in the pool over reparations and it isn't Indians demanding New York State back. It is their scum sucking lawyers!! Those who'll get one third to one half if they win. We'll get the same claims for Mexicans wanting Texas and California back. Probably, Spain, wanting Florida back. And, I wouldn't be surpised find, probably claims against Mexico and the US, maybe Spain, for damages done to the native Mexicans, the Aztecs, etc

Maybe we ought to just get out a map of the world circa 1600 A.D. and redraw the boundaries of all countries based on who owned or claimed what territories at that point in world history. As a result, several of today's countries would cease to exist, but maybe that would put an end to all of this "reparations" nonsense and having certain groups of people making "claims" against certain governments because of supposed land thefts and other past wrongs. /sarcasm off

45 posted on 04/21/2002 8:04:56 PM PDT by usadave
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To: usadave
The difference is that our representatives ratified treaties with the Indians and we are Constitutionally bound to fulfill them. Likwise we are bound by law to hold their money in trust and not let the Clinton administration or previous administrations steal it. Thats quite a bit different than reparations. Not even a subtle distinction.
46 posted on 04/21/2002 8:15:04 PM PDT by Arkinsaw
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Hey Chad - I too am Native - Cherokee. Along with Irish and German. I grew up in Rapid City (which someone mentioned in this thread), where the entire AIM movement was born. AIM was founded by Russel Means and Dennis Banks along with some serious financial help from the extreme left fringe lawyers that the Twin Cities had to offer. The movement turned into a bad Billy Jack flick - kinda like Billy Jack on acid.

Back in '72-'73 timeframe when AIM decided to take Wounded Knee and Pine Ridge back from the US government (and Peltier murdered the FBI agents), western South Dakota became an armed camp. One of my better friend's parents owned the gerneral store there at Pine Ridge - only to have the AIM terrorists (yes, that's what they were) burn them out of there. AIM also took control of a former US Air Force recreation area in the Black Hills (Victoria Lake originally), which became a long-term encampment and garbage pit. AIM kept an armed perimeter there in the Hills at this camp - and said that they were going to take back all of the Hills - another friend of mine was killed by the perimeter guards. (.357 shot upwards from below the ear point blank, never to appear in the news.) In Rapid City it was common during the takeover to see groups of three or four ranchers walking around downtown carrying shotguns - in the hopes of finding a large enough group of Sioux to qualify as a "war party". (Groups of six or more Sioux males were considered a war party by the law at that time - still.) This was only 1 year after a huge flood had swept through town killing 240 people, and the town was still rebuilding physically and mentally.

The entire takeover was finally resolved in a manner that was NEVER disclosed to the public. In the final days, the US Government granted the wishes of AIM (and supposedly those of the tribe) and allowed their secession from the USA. AIM then declared war - over the radio. Bad calculation. Ellsworth Air Force Base just outside of Rapid City then dispatched 6 B-52s to fly a simulated Arc-Light strike over Pine Ridge - with the center mass alignment of the run over the barricaded AIM group. Flight level 500' AGL. End of secession, end of occupation, as evidently some of the AIM members had seen the results of Arc-Lights over in 'Nam. News reports showed that AIM "negotiated" an end to the takeover - not that they were shown their future by the Air Force.

Aim was then, and is now nothing but a group of race-baiting, whining, self appointed "victims" that have failed miserably at assimilation. I could fill hundreds of pages with examples from the twenty years + that I lived there with them. They made me ashamed of my heritage, and affirmed in me why the rest of our people in this land have always hated the Sioux. They are the lowest of our people - prairie hyenas - without honor.

47 posted on 04/21/2002 8:22:35 PM PDT by 11B3
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To: ICE-FLYER
They need to get over it, they LOST, And who cares what they think or say?
48 posted on 04/21/2002 8:25:30 PM PDT by vladog
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To: vladog
They need to get over it, they LOST, And who cares what they think or say?

The Constitution, the Law, and the Treaties that our representatives signed with them, and me too.
49 posted on 04/21/2002 8:46:32 PM PDT by Arkinsaw
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To: Arthalion
... native Americans who have moved off the reservations, assimilated to society, and hold down solid jobs just like any other American.

LOL. In my last job I got to make copies and file the I-9 IDs for new employees. One lady used a tribal membership card - the first I had ever seen. Perfectly acceptable ID, and a wonderful co-worker. With two college degrees, she was certainly able to "hold down a solid job."

50 posted on 04/21/2002 8:50:28 PM PDT by serinde
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To: ICE-FLYER
The largest tribe, at least in the lower 48 States, is the Navajo. Somewhere in the range of 300,000 in population. Anthropologists have confirmed that they came from the Athebaskin (spelling) peoples out of Alaska relatively recently (300 to 400 years ago). They in turn displaced (by war or assimilation) or replaced (because the prior population had left; for various speculated reasons) prior 'natives'. Those prior 'native' tribes, in the current 4 Corners region of the US, are often called the Anasazi. Navajo stories sometimes call them the Ancient Ones. I've never read or heard a clear, non-speculative account of where the Anasazi came from. Some "scholars" believe the Pueblo Indians of NM are descendants of the Anasazi.

The history of the Navajo is not unlike that of other cultures and peoples in many ways. They came into contact with and sometimes had conflict with, other peoples. The Spanish ruled much of the Southwest before the Americans came. There are plenty of verified reports of conflicts between the Spanish and the Navajo during this time. Also the Navajo and the Ute tribes have a history of conflicts. It is safe to say that the "Native" tribes have a history of conflict among themselves. In other words, they have not always agreed on who owned the land or at least who could use the land and resources.... who should live where etc. Such disputes were not invented by the Americans. Certainly multiplied, but not invented. Undoubtedly some 'expert', or romantic, who reads this will say, (at least to themselves), "he does not know what he is talking about because "Native Americans" are the true environmentalists who don't believe anyone "owns" the land. Well, try telling the Native Americans that their Reservations are not really theirs. The byword today in Indian country is that "We are Sovereign". They do not want any encroachment on their sovereign rights. In the 4 Corners area, there are sections commonly referred to as the "Checker Board". The checkerboard is made up of non-reservation lands intermixed with reservation land. During the past several decades, many of these non-reservation lands have been bought up the Tribe. Nothing wrong with that. That is just capitalism. And that land is certainly "owned" by them. But then, in some funny way, it seems such land comes under the autonomy of the Reservation. What does bothers me is that my tax dollars are being spent to prop up the infrastructure of this 'sovereign nation' while they use their money to purchase land. Land that then goes out of the Public Domain. By most American standards of living, this largest of all reservations has a low standard of living. During my short life, I've observed many well intentioned (I'll give them the benefit of doubt) romantics come to this area convinced that the problem is that the Native Americans just don't "understand" how to be 'successful'. And the romantics are convinced they have the answer. Many of the Navajo will admit to laughing at them. They blow in with fire in their eyes, "rushing around" with the air of changing the world. They are going to save the Indians from the evils around them. Even so, such romantics can be useful, and may be tolerated, even cultivated, and hang on for several years before becoming too disillusioned or they go rushing off to save some other piece of the world. As a whole, I believe Native Americans do “understand”. Part of that understanding is that they can leverage their past to get special privileges…, be that the right to operate Casinos (multi-million dollar enterprises) while others may not, or to be excluded from certain taxes.

The history of the world is pretty consistent in some respects. The dominance of cultures and people ebb and flow throughout the land, throughout time. I personally do not believe someone should have to give up their cultural heritage to become an American. I certainly haven't and I'm not Native American. But there is something fundamentally wrong with the idea that one can enjoy all of the benefits of being an American, even enjoy 'special benefits' e.g. Title 8 Johnson-O’Malley, yet be sovereign and special unto the law. The 1964 Civil Rights Act, actually allows for discrimination. In Indian Country, businesses can discriminate in FAVOR of Native Americans. You can not theoretically do that for Blacks, Hispanics, those who have white skin or any number of other factors. But you CAN discriminate in favor of Native Americans. Such legal discrimination can unfortunately result in resentment and even hatred. And, sometimes this is only a cover for more deep-rooted problems and issues. But even so, come to the 4 Corners region and see diversity and multi-cultural existence in action. It can and does work. AIM came in the 1960’s and early 1970’s in Shiprock, NM and was successful in causing a major employer of Native Americans to leave town. A lot of Native American people lost their jobs. AIM’s influence is still around, and they still show up. The Native American Church is still active and there are Native American gangs and Native American Biker gangs. Many of the Tribes members are just like members of other cultures, seeking legitimacy and meaning in life. And sometimes finding it in nationalistic, superior themed support groups. AIM and the ‘their just misunderstood’ romantics of the world have the answers, of course. We sometimes refer to them as the proverbial seagulls. They fly in and crap over everything and fly out. Unfortunately, some of their crap sticks. And that, undoubtedly, is part of their goal.

51 posted on 04/21/2002 9:30:00 PM PDT by Mizpah
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To: AdA$tra
Problem is, most I know are similar lineages...face it, any of us who have been Americans for longer than 11 generations tend to be MUTTS....mixture of many. I have Cherokee blood, but you will not find my name amongst their rolls.
52 posted on 04/22/2002 1:55:23 AM PDT by RasterMaster
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To: max61
That would be a good assumption - but only half - the other half is Mic Mac - though as I stated, I'm American First, Indian Second :0)
53 posted on 04/22/2002 6:10:21 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: Bloody Reaper
I'm not asking for ANY retroactive rights - Personally, I'd settle for a return to a Constitutional Republic, but that's just me :0)
54 posted on 04/22/2002 6:12:45 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: vladog
One can only hope you are referring to AIM, and not us in general :0)
55 posted on 04/22/2002 6:16:14 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: 11B3
Great post, and good solid info... thanks :0)
56 posted on 04/22/2002 6:17:18 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: Arthalion
I've had this discussion with my wife several times, as well... no, no easy solution, but I can say that the Clinton Administration did us no favours by enhancing the problems...
57 posted on 04/22/2002 6:32:54 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: tubebender;arkinsaw
tubebender, thanks for the ping. It is very interesting to me to read what white people say about this subject. So far Arkinsaw makes the most sense. The Indians are not going to get America back any more than the Hawaiians are going to get back the Islands. Yet , the U.S. does need to fulfill the promises and treaties that they have reneged on. The Babbitt fiasco and the loss of billions (yes Billions) of dollars missing from the BIA is sickening. So Babbitt leaves office and gets fined about 750,000 dollars and guess who pays his fine...the American Tax Payers.

The two things I think important in my tribe is getting our fishing rights back and the building of the Indian Health Clinics. Both of these have helped the tribe economically etc. I dont think this is too much to ask of America. And I do agree that A.I.M. is bad for the Indians. They are outlaws and disrupters of the general population of Indians. Aloha from Maui

58 posted on 04/22/2002 6:38:27 AM PDT by fish hawk
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To: Chad Fairbanks
#22, Forget it if you think you will find an organization of conservative Indians. If you do please contact me. Why dont we start one and use F.R. as our base.

In my tribe (Yuroks of N.Calif.) the only conservatives I know of are my family. I mean NONE. I have gone on some of the Native American sites and they make me sick. They support the Demos who like to "give" them the dole outs, which keeps them from getting off their butts and finding a life. Even in the 1800s they had what the free Indians called the ,"hang around the fort Indians" just hanging around waiting for the government handouts.

Well thanks for letting get my 2 wampums in. Aloha

59 posted on 04/22/2002 6:47:42 AM PDT by fish hawk
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To: vladog
#48 Gee, thanks for your opinion, you really added to this thread, now, go back into your cave.
60 posted on 04/22/2002 6:59:39 AM PDT by fish hawk
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