Message to Native Americans?

[katao]

We have an event coming up centered on Native American issues. Any thoughts of how to tailor RP's message to this group?

[Lord Xar]

very interesting.... where and when?

[katao]

I'm not sure of the exact details - the question was asked by a fellow meetup group member. All I know is that is it this Friday in Utah.

[Lord Xar]

hmmm that is a very good question.. gosh, don't know.. you MUST post this tomorrow or earlier in the evening as I am sure there are others who could give you some very good points.

[john_anderson_ii]

Very interesting indeed. Perhaps you should contact the campaign about this. There is a sticky in this thread I believe on how to contact them.

Two Marines in my old platoon were Native American. I know they have concerns that are very different from the traditional viewpoints of rank and file republicans, democrats, and libertarians.

Either way, the message of individual liberty and a "hands-off" small government really can't be beat. So before you contact the campaign, see if you can come up with a list of likely issues and questions. If you could, please post that list here because I'd like to read them.

[katao]

Here is some info I've gathered so far along with many of their political concerns:

1990 Census - 2 million American Indians
30.9% lived below poverty line
Life expectancy - only 47 yrs compared to U.S. average 78 yrs
Unemployment - 10x national average

1. Distrustful of the U.S. federal government, which has broken nearly every treaty they have made with Native Americans
2. Tribal sovereignty
3. Lack of freedom to practice their religion in Prison
4. Coerced Sterilization of Native American Women
5. Environmental concerns
6. Domestic issues (alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome, domestic violence)
7. Leonard Peltier - convicted for murdor of 2 FBI agents in shootout. Amnesty International considers him to be a political prisoner.
8. use of Indian mascots in American sports
9. Fight for rights to establish gaming industry
10. Rights for religious usage of peyote drug

[john_anderson_ii]

I'm really curious about some of these points, and I just want to make some comments on others.



1990 Census - 2 million American Indians
30.9% lived below poverty line

Is this representative of the American population? I really don't know how many non-tribal citizens are below the poverty line.



Life expectancy - only 47 yrs compared to U.S. average 78 yrs

Any indication on the root cause of this? Lack of medical care? Living conditions? Genetics?



1. Distrustful of the U.S. federal government, which has broken nearly every treaty they have made with Native Americans

LOL! Take a number a get in line ;) This is one area where Native Americans and Americans will find an abundance of common ground. The federal government has also broken it's contract with The People. We could make a joint case for installing a voice of integrity in government.



2. Tribal sovereignty

I was under the impression that reservations were very sovereign. Case in point: I have an Arizona CCW permit, and I carry a pistol with me pretty much everywhere I go. On my drive home from work, I drive a two mile stretch through the Pima Indian Reservation in Arizona. If I exit the freeway and am pulled over while in possession of a firearm, I will be in quite a bit of trouble. If the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply on reservation land, how much more sovereign could the reservation be? Can you offer any more specifics? (P.S. The freeway is a neutral zone negotiated as such by Arizona and the Pima reservation.)



3. Lack of freedom to practice their religion in Prison

The only way I can see this being justifiable is if the practice of said religion requires items considered contraband. Prisoners should all be treated alike. Either way, it normally would be an issue for the states. However, if I remember my government classes correctly, dealing with a tribal government is supposed to be like dealing with a foreign sovereign nation, and as such, shouldn't the states be obligated to uphold treaties forged with the tribes? I mean if the federal government made a pact with the Pima indian reservation to allow incarcerated felons to practice their religion, then shouldn't Arizona be obligated to allow this?



4. Coerced Sterilization of Native American Women

Woah! What? If a case can be made to back up this accusation, then its something a lot more voters need to be made aware of. I don't know the specifics, but if its true, then it's an atrocity.



6. Domestic issues (alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome, domestic violence)

I don't really see how the federal government can help in this area. If anything their involvement would only make matters worse. I think they should stay out of it completely. Budweiser and Jack Daniel's lobbies be damned. If a tribe wants to ban alcohol on their land, then that is the decision of the tribe and it's not open for debate in circles outside the reservation.



9. Fight for rights to establish gaming industry

Another area where I think they will find Ron Paul attractive. I'm pretty sure Ron Paul will agree that the federal government should stay the hell out of this. They have no business dictating policy on tribal lands.



10. Rights for religious usage of peyote drug
Same as above

Actually I think these are some pretty fascinating issues that I haven't really though about. For the most part, tribal issues should fall under the category of a non-interventionist foreign policy. However, there are some areas of overlap in respect to domestic policy. After all, its the states as well as the tribes that ultimately feel any ramifications.

[Politeia]

Can't say much about these issues, but thought I'd mention that there is one prominent Native American (or American Indian) "leader" who understands how the libertarian philosophy meshes with the values of indigenous peoples. In 1988 he sought the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party, which I and many thought would have been very interesting: the first American Indian candidate for president! He had a great slogan: "Russell Means Freedom!" Unfortunately however, that was the same year that Ron Paul also sought the nomination, and the LP couldn't field two candidates for one office.

Russell Means has continued his outspoken political activism, and is "controversial" even among Native Americans -- who like all oppressed indigenous people are badly divided amongst themselves (and not by accident: "divide and rule" is an ancient political strategy).

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Means
Home page: http://www.russellmeans.com
Google search for speeches & other info: http://www.google.com/search?q=Russell%20Means

[Badger Paul]

Tell them Paul will get rid the awful BIA and grant Indian nations full soverignty over their lands.

[Spirit of '76]

Tell them Paul will get rid the awful BIA and grant Indian nations full soverignty over their lands.

Has Ron said he would do so? Let's not make promises on Ron's behalf.

[Badger Paul]

No, you're right but given RP philsophy I think that's what he'll do in my opinion. At least I hope he does.

[SewrRatt]

No, you're right but given RP philsophy I think that's what he'll do in my opinion. At least I hope he does.

The tribes did not ratify the constitution, nor did they apply for and receive statehood, so the federal government has no authority whatsoever to dictate anything to them. The best course now would be to officially recognize all reservations as sovereign nations with unrestricted trade rights. They could then, if they so desired, apply for statehood. I don't think they could apply to be a protectorate, because I believe protectorates are unconstitutional. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the only actual lands constitutionally granted to the federal government are those of Washington, D.C.

[katao]

Thanks for your excellent points. I will be putting together a formal request to the campaign and if I get a response, I'll be sure to post it here.

[BillyDkid]

Here is some info I've gathered so far along with many of their political concerns:

1990 Census - 2 million American Indians
30.9% lived below poverty line
Life expectancy - only 47 yrs compared to U.S. average 78 yrs
Unemployment - 10x national average

1. Distrustful of the U.S. federal government, which has broken nearly every treaty they have made with Native Americans
2. Tribal sovereignty
3. Lack of freedom to practice their religion in Prison
4. Coerced Sterilization of Native American Women
5. Environmental concerns
6. Domestic issues (alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome, domestic violence)
7. Leonard Peltier - convicted for murdor of 2 FBI agents in shootout. Amnesty International considers him to be a political prisoner.
8. use of Indian mascots in American sports
9. Fight for rights to establish gaming industry
10. Rights for religious usage of peyote drugAre you kidding me, there are only two million natives??? Is that pure blooded native Americans? I'm sure there must be a lot more with Native blood.

[hells_unicorn]

The 2 million figure is probably tribal people still living in the reservation, I think those are the only people that the Federal government count as being such. I'm part Lakota-Sioux but I'm not counted, I know because I was not eligible for the scholarships offered to them.

[john_anderson_ii]

I'm part Lakota-Sioux but I'm not counted, I know because I was not eligible for the scholarships offered to them.

You didn't get offered scholarships? Check this out. When I moved to Phoenix, my grandmother registered me in high school before I moved out there so I would be guaranteed to get in. She's kind of blind, and she accidentally checked the Native American box on some of the paperwork. That school year I was automatically a member of Native American clubs, I got invited to all sorts of extra tribal functions, and began to receive scholarship applications. I tried unsuccessfully to get it fixed with the schools administration, but to this day, 10 years later, my grandmother receives Native America mail offers in my name. I wonder how far I could have taken them up on the scholarships. Everyone seemed pretty convinced I was Native American. I never did apply for any them, didn't feel right to me, but it was pretty damned funny.

[leipo]

Can't say much about these issues, but thought I'd mention that there is one prominent Native American (or American Indian) "leader" who understands how the libertarian philosophy meshes with the values of indigenous peoples. In 1988 he sought the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party, which I and many thought would have been very interesting: the first American Indian candidate for president! He had a great slogan: "Russell Means Freedom!" Unfortunately however, that was the same year that Ron Paul also sought the nomination, and the LP couldn't field two candidates for one office.

Russell Means has continued his outspoken political activism, and is "controversial" even among Native Americans -- who like all oppressed indigenous people are badly divided amongst themselves (and not by accident: "divide and rule" is an ancient political strategy).

Check out this Dutch documentary from 1973, about the occupance of Wounded Knee, where Russell Means speaks about his involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM) & Independent Oglala Nation (ION).
He starts speaking at 6:50...

http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/vpro/35890850/windowsmedia.asf

[Santana28]

"Ron Paul...Smoke'm Big Peace Pipe"

LOL..sorry. Couldn't resist. (I'm part Cherokee BTW)

[LibertyEagle]

How about giving them back Geronimo's skull that Bush's granddaddy and his Skull and Bones' buddies dug up and stole from the burial grounds? Indians are ticked!

For overall issues, they just need to be asked. I'm sure they will be quite forthcoming. I have a lot of native Indian blood in me, but I didn't grow up in that environment. So I don't really know.

[MJ777]

I am spending a few weeks near a reservation and have hooked up with the local Ron paul meetup group. There many Native Americans here and I would like to tell them Paul's views on treaties and sovereignty. Is there anywhere we can locate Dr. Paul's views on this? Like some above, I believe he would have views favorable to Native people, but we need hard facts. Can the campaign help us with this? Has Dr. Paul met with the leadership to promote his views to the tribes? This is a group who could help swing the election in Western States and who could benefit greatly under a Paul presidency, IMHO. Thanks!

[bbachtung]

This is a good place to start:

http://www.ncai.org/Policy_Issues.6.0.html

[MJ777]

No mention of Paul's views on that site that I could find. The People know what their concerns are; I need Dr. Paul's views to share with them. I wish the campaign would respond!!!!!!!!!!! I've donated time and money and just want an answer!!!:eek:

[Suzu]

I have called the campaign office to ask for an official statement from Dr. Paul on the BIA and native sovereignty. Also emailed Russell Means who ran against him in 1988 and asked him to contact the campaign.

When there is a response I will post here as well as spreading the word in the moccasin grapevine!