The Rights of Native Americans and First Nations

[Timihendrix91]

I don't feel like reading three pages, so I apologize if this has been mentioned before.

 

Everyone born in america is a "native american". The first peoples to arrive in North America were not Native Americans obviously, as they weren't born there. Just because someone is a descendant of an Aboriginal Amerian (In my opinion, the "correct" term) doesn't make them more of a native. Also, the treatment of the Aboriginals was horrific, but that was also many centuries ago. I personally think that it is unfair for the descendants of those victims to get benefits or land just because of that. The Aboriginal Americans did not own the land moreso than any other country owns its land. Why don't we give the southwest back to Mexico? We took the land from them. Hell, the US used to be a part of England, so why don't we become a colony of them again?

[Ethre]

I'm not going to write an excruciatingly long essay outlining my point. I will simply say that Native Americans and First Nations of Canada are not treated as equally as everyone thinks or is led to believe. Firstly, we live a small plots of land (called "Reservations", or simply "reserves"), much smaller than what we originally had before Europeans settled here. Most of the time, we can't develop our land the way people can off our reserves, either because the land is unsuitable for any kind of development, or because we live in welfare systems. the welfare system ends up creating what I refer to as "Reserve mentality", since we become so dependent upon the funding we receive through welfare that we simply become lazy to find work. Alcoholism sets in because we can't cope.

 

This creates the problem of "every Indian is just a drunken bum". Our problems are too complicated for even me to explain here. I only want to make this a discussion about what people think of us Natives.

 

I'll continue in Kendo 2's footsteps here.

 

First though, realize that I will not use the term "Native American," and will use "Indian" instead. I grew up with and around Indians, and everyone I knew felt "Native American" was being forced down their throat, and took it as an insult to be called "Native American." In their minds, they were Indian. I mean no offense by using Indian, but realize that I will continue to do so out of respect for their views.

 

But anyway, here's what I have to say:

I'm a college student now, and am in a bit of a different world (all the way across the US as a matter of fact :rolleyes: ), but I grew up in a rural (and I mean really rural, as in 100 kids in school k-12) part of the midwest. I lived about 20 miles from a reservation, and exactly half my class was Indian. I lived on a farm, and was by no means rich growing up, although I also wasn't dirt poor. Everyone else was about the same, with a little bit of leeway up and down.

 

The reservation though had some issues. It has the highest per-capita murder rate in the country, although because its not a city it doesn't get included in the usual national rankings. I don't know the exact numbers now, but when New Orleans was at the top of the charts for cities, the rate on the rez was 2X that. If you drive down main street in the biggest town, every single window has bars over it. You get what I'm talking about?

 

But the problems aren't because people are Indian, its because of the money. Wherever people are poor there are problems, and economic problems are self perpetuating (although with the recent oil exploration more money is coming in and you can see a little bit of change already). When there's no money the "environment" (economic, social, etc) falls apart.

 

This environment certainly got to some people, and there were plenty of drunken bums to be found. But do you know what? If you looked at the white population and the Indian population, and looked at the ratio of drunk whites to drunk Indians, they were almost exactly the same.

Of my class of 6, there are 4 in college right now: 2 Indians and 2 whites. One Indian had major family issues and ended up elsewhere in the country, and one white kid (who also had family issues) is off drinking his mind away. But of the 4 of us who are in college, each one had to work to get there. I had it a bit easier than some, because my family was supportive. I had no chance for need based loans because of my family situation (farming gives you a high portfolio value, and the govt ignores the fact that it doesn't actually make you much money). However I've been lucky, and I'm on a full ride merit scholarship to be where I am. Of the other 3, two are on loans (1 white, 1 Indian) and the other Indian is on scholarship for being Indian. Everyone of them worked hard to get where they are, and I have a great deal of respect for all 3.

 

I guess what I'm getting at though, is that everyone who's not at the top of the pile gets screwed over. You can't blame it all on being Indian. That's just going to lead to more problems. So NO, I don't agree one bit with you about Indians getting the short end of the stick.

 

edit: fixed typo

[Lord Barkmann]

@rob_b

 

Im a white english born Candian and i agree 100% with anything you posted.

The Canadian Gov't inst doinng everything they can to help the First Nations of Canada, and its sad too.

The gov't helps out all these new comers but they dont help the ones that where here first.

History in school of this great country is a joke, they dont tell much about Canada well only

what they want you to know and not the truth.

[gandalftw]

This topic has been such an extraordinary read for me.To my mind,the seed of a solution lies within the very comments of these posts.The open and honest sharing of ones perspective on what is needed to bring about healing,not just for one individual or culture but for all is a step in the right direction.Of course it needs to be done on a much larger scale but the answer is right here.A coming together,an understanding of one another,without debate,a sharing between all walks of life,all races and cultures,of where we are NOW and where we want HUMANITY to go.Sharing our pain and our disappointments,our cultural past and our hopes and wishes for our future.I know,an imposable dream,or is it?Perhaps someday.I certainly don't know,given our history as actors on this planetary stage one wonders whether true enlightenment is even a possibility.By,'true enlightenment',i mean an awakening,a realization of what we really are and of what we've done to one another in the name of survival,of dominion,of self interest.We are all part of the human struggle and i believe that by accepting at least a modicum of responsibility for the present condition of all of humanity we can arrive at a point where empathy is not shelved in favor of indifference.We could arrive at a point where we realize that the solution isn't solely in the hands of a government but in a new inner reality.

The present condition of the world is archaic.We are divided by illusory lines drawn on a map.It is an us against

them mentality that rules all of us,that still endures regardless of all the wisdom that has been written against it.

I so want to believe that one day,all humanity will become inspired to collectively shout,THAT'S ENOUGH no more WAR,no more separation and become one.As John Lennon sang,"sharing all the world."

An evolution of mind,i believe, is what is needed for humanity to begin to heal from centuries of atrocities committed on humanity by humanity.Our better nature has to defeat our instinctual need to dominate.Our paranoid instinct that difference is something to fear,to expunge in order to survive has to be educated out of us.What wondrous event is finally going to bring about this evolution?I don't know but it is sorely needed.

 

I'm going to shut up now.If this old fool has offended anyone,it wasn't my intention.

I actually thought i had given up on idealism yet,again, another personal illusion has perished.

I must confess that,generally,i am not one to share anything about my beliefs or about myself for that matter.

There never seemed to be any point in it.That is,until of late.Don't get it.Now i sit here wondering whether i should actually post this.....

 

Originally i was only going to thank everyone for such a fascinating topic and to share something i learned a couple years ago that i found very interesting and sad as well.Anyway,here it is...

My Aunt Rosie started doing our family tree and in her research she found that we are related to a Comanche by the name of Quanah Parker.Parker was his mothers maiden name.The story is that she was abducted by a Comanche war party as a youngster and adopted into the tribe by a Comanche leader.She learned the language and came to believe she was Comanche.She eventually married into the tribe and had two children. One day some soldiers happened to get a glimpse of her and her daughter and knew right away by their light skin that they were not Indian.They didn't know about her son because he did share the physical traits of the Comanche.

They left but came back with a larger force with the intentions of rescuing her.They succeeded,they even found

some of her family that still lived in the area.However they must have had a time with her and her daughter for

the story goes that the daughter wanted to go back to her adopted family.They kept her a virtual prisoner in order

to keep her from running away.She ended up committing suicide.Her mother during her,grief ritual,accidentally,or so the story goes,bled to death.Quanah eventually became leader of his tribe.In fact he was the last Comanche Chieftain and there is a book about him.I'm quite proud that i have,at least,a little of his blood running through my veins,just as much as i am proud of my German ancestry.I have great empathy for all those that have suffered at

the hands of their own kind.I feel ashamed as if i had a part in it for to my mind,their own kind is humankind.

Thanks everyone.Peace..

[Ethre]

Our paranoid instinct that difference is something to fear,to expunge in order to survive has to be educated out of us

 

The problem is (and it would be nice if I was misinformed on this) that I believe they've done some research that indicated that this is not a simple instinct, but in some way hard wired in.

 

Now i sit here wondering whether i should actually post this.....

 

Quite happy you did. :)

 

I feel ashamed as if i had a part in it

 

If you'll take the advice of a "youngun," I'm interested by lots of various things, and have done some pretty extensive reading (although admittedly I don't remember all of it) on various religions, philosophies, etc. One thing I have learned though, is that it never does any good to worry or feel ashamed about the past. The past is set and should not be forgotten, but we can only change the present and the future.

 

If you have a chance, I would recommend looking up "Kiktayo Wajin" ("The Way of the Modern-Day Warrio"). Its an interesting philosophy founded on a reservation in the late 1940s/1950s. Good luck finding information on it though, its pretty scarce unless you are near to the rez or know some who follow it.

[gandalftw]

The problem is (and it would be nice if I was misinformed on this) that I believe they've done some research that indicated that this is not a simple instinct, but in some way hard wired in.

 

I've read that our instinctual behavior is,as you say,"hardwired".I've read that base instincts

reside in the lower brainstem so it seems to follow that an education that targets the

information psychology currently has on instinctual behavior could,perhaps,through learning

more about ourselves and how the base instincts(survival instincts)still effect us today in

ways that are no longer useful and even socially destructive may make a difference in the way we view and respond to others that are unlike ourselves.If we,early in our education,learn what discrimination,for instance,is and why it is,that information may cause some to reevaluate their behavioral legacy.The tendency toward responding in a base instinctual way would be replaced by a response we choose based on our higher understanding.Behavioral legacy seems to be the way we obtain many of our opinions about the world around us.This conditioned information,based on the survival instinct of the past

and handed down from our ancestors to our parents to us has become an erroneous way to

deal with this new world we find ourselves in.

 

If you'll take the advice of a "youngun," I'm interested by lots of various things, and have done some pretty extensive reading (although admittedly I don't remember all of it) on various religions, philosophies, etc. One thing I have learned though, is that it never does any good to worry or feel ashamed about the past. The past is set and should not be forgotten, but we can only change the present and the future.

 

Yes.i see what you're saying.What i meant by i feel shame is that as a present day individual my choice of feeling shame allows me a more empathic view and taking responsibility,to my mind,is needed to ensure that i keep what happened in the past significant today because as you said,it shouldn't be forgotten.I know i wasn't responsible

for these acts but i am part of humanity and i'm a silly old man that thinks in odd ways.lol

Also i have no problems taking advice from a"youngun": )

 

If you have a chance, I would recommend looking up "Kiktayo Wajin" ("The Way of the Modern-Day Warrio"). Its an interesting philosophy founded on a reservation in the late 1940s/1950s. Good luck finding information on it though, its pretty scarce unless you are near to the rez or know some who follow it.

Thanks,Ethre i'll see if i can find it.

[Varus Torvyn]

There is Cherokee blood in my family's heritage. It makes me appreciate my ancestry. Yet I hold no ill feelings toward anyone. I love my country, and I served in its armed forces for many years.