American Indians rights, sovereignty, gaming and property are under assault. A few weeks ago the Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation called on all American Indian leaders to support each other. We have a ruling that Osage County can no longer be considered a reservation and thus the Osage businesses located within their own boundaries are taxable by the State. The State of Oklahoma seize $100000 worth of tobacco from the Muscogee Creek Nation and a judge rules in favor of the State. And the list goes on and on across the United States and indeed across the globe. Indigenous people represent a very small percentage and there is strength in numbers, there are some organizations that have the purpose of promoting cohesion but that banding together is not visible.
It may be hard to relate to others outside of our own cultural boundaries. For the upbringing I experienced growing up on my family’s allotment out in the country of Oklahoma is far removed from that experienced by the Makah people who live on a peninsula in the north east part of Washington. And neither our cultures are the same as the Chiricahua that live in New Mexico and Arizona. But while there are differences in culture, language, traditions, customs and so on, the single most important issue that binds us all together is that of preservation. We must care enough about our Indigenous brethren in order to fight to preserve any portion of what it is to be an American Indian. Far too long tunnel vision to only focus on those parts of our own tribal nation or community that affect us have gone on. We must do better; we must reach out and speak out against the wrongs being perpetuated against ALL Indigenous people.
The appeals court ruled against the Blackfeet Nation on a trust issue,
but I am not Blackfeet so I say nothing;
The Osage are in jeopardy of losing their reservation they have held since 1872,
but I am not Osage so I say nothing;
The border wall in Arizona is encroaching on and dividing the Tohono O’odham nation,
but I am not Tohono O’odham so I say nothing;
The Ponca Nation’s lands are destroyed by Continental Carbon through pollution,
but I am not Ponca so I say nothing;
The Internal Revenue Service is attempting to enforce payment of millions of dollars of payroll taxes against Alaska Natives,
but I am not Alaskan so I say nothing;
The residents of Crow Creek reservation are among the poorest in the nation,
but I am not from Crow Creek so I say nothing;
Pollution from a hog farm is disputed by the inhabitants of the land, the Yankton Sioux,
but I am not Yankton Sioux, so I say nothing;
The City of Tulsa passes a resolution in an attempt to stop the Muscogee Creek Nation from putting any more land into trust within Tulsa City Limits,
but I am not Muscogee (Creek) so I say nothing;
And the list goes on and on, assault after assault…………….
Until all that is ours is coming to an end, they have taken it all -
And when there is nothing left to call our own, no American Indian rights, culture, tradition, customs, lands, or property;
Then there is nothing left to speak up about at all.
(Based on the famous poem of Pastor Martin Niemöller)
So become knowledgeable, stay on top of current issues, check out some of the major Indian websites for news stories, and subscribe to get updates sent directly to you. (Indianz.com, Native Web, American Indian Law Review, Native American Rights Fund, Native American Net Roots, etc) Then take a pro active stance, and do something, anything to help those in a struggle. Obviously a person is limited in how many issues they can tackle, so prioritize those that mean more to you than others, find out how you can help and do it. Please, before it is too late.
Mvto
This is from THE EXAMINER. Go to the article on their website HERE.
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