US department of Interior on Indian affairs

Hello everyone i know alot of the information i am going to provide on this blog is somewhat review at this point but i once again glanced upon it in our online resources. Firstly what are Indian treaty rights today? Between 1778 and 1871 relations between Natives and the US government was confined to a treaty making process. These contracts gave native tribes unique sets of rights, conditions, if they gave up millions of acres of their homeland to the US government in exchange to protections. The US government saw this agreement as Supreme rulings such as any other major federal law.

An example of a law would be the Federal Indian Trust Responsibility in which the government was strapped with high obligations of protection of Indian nations. This law has been the center of numerous landmark cases such as Cherokee v Georgia when the tribe tried to life laws created by the state limiting what they do within their boundaries. This case occurred in 1831.

Historically while Indian tribes earned recognition through treaties, presidential executive orders, or court decisions recent actions such as Federal recognized Indian Tribe list act requires a secretary of the interior to publish and renew the list of registered Indian nations under treaty with the government.This law expressed three different ways the Indian tribe can be recognized by the US government.This is either by act of congress, by administrative procedure, or court decision.

There is also examples of ''other'' Tribal lands such as allotted land which was land taken out of trust by the government and broken apart and placed into the hands of tribal chiefs.This resulted in tribes losing even more land over time.Natives living on allotted lands were also subject to taxation at local and state levels.

Us Department Of Interior And Indian Affairs
http://www.bia.gov/FAQs/index.htm

M1 Academic Journal Blog

The online web resource that I will be writing about is "The Six Nations, oldest living Participatory Democracy on Earth". The Six Nations was also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The meaning of the nation was "People Building a Long House". The people were located in the Northeastern region of North America. In the beginning the six nations began with five the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayuga’s, and Seneca’s. The final and sixth nation was the Tuscarora’s. All together this was oldest living participatory democracy on earth. During this time in 1776 American independence was debated. The continental Congress invited the Iroquois chiefs into the town hall meeting. The Americans looked at the Chiefs as there brothers and had a friendship with them, and wanted the relationship to continue. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson gained most of their information from the Six Nations. The speech given on June 11, 1776 from the Americans and the Iroquois Act was about “as one people, and have but one heart”. From this speech a Chief requested permission to give Hanocock an Indian name. The congress agreed and consented. The president was renamed “Karanduawn, or the Great Tree.

Resources:

 http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/

http://www.nativevillage.org/Archives/2011%20Archives/NOV%20News/Six%20Nations%20The%20Oldest%20Living%20Participatory%20Democracy%20on%20Earth.htm

Oren Lyons is the Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Council of Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee 

For this post i decided to continue following the Haudenosaunee people because I find their philosophies very interesting and I think they are an exemplary tribe. I read about the Tree of Peace and significance of the natural world in Haudenosaunee worldview in the 1991 Bill Moyers interview with Faithkeeper Oren Lyons. I believe this source was created to educate people on the views of the Haudenosaunee people and for people to know how important it is to be able to break down the barriers created by discrimination and prejudice. It  reflects on how important it is to remain unified in order to survive and prosper. and finally, the importance of peace. I think this source is a great academic source because besides being the faith keeper of the  Onondaga Nation Oren Lyons  was a professor of American Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo where he directed the Native American Studies Program and reached undergraduate courses in Surveys of Native American History and a Native American Studies Colloquium. Which is very related to our class. Oren as a leader,professor and faithkeeper for his people is an excellent person to study due to all his achievements through the years.

Oren Lyons begins the interview with powerful words of wisdom :

“We can't afford, now, to have these national borders. We can't afford to have racism. We can't afford apartheid. We cannot -- it's one of those luxuries that we can't have anymore as human beings. We've got to think now, in real terms, for that seventh generation. And we've got to move in concert. We've got to sing the same song. We've got to have the same ceremony. We've got to get back to spiritual law if we are to survive.”

This source was very educational and inspiring for me. Just like all the knowledge I have gained through this course. It has solidified my perspective on native culture and most importantly it has reminded me how important is to be connected to my spirit and the great spirit that guides my days.

http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OL070391.html

American Indian Film Institute

I checked out a couple of the other websites listed in Module 3, but I found myself revisiting this particular site time and time again. There was and still is so much to learn from this site. I found the AIFI Tribal Touring Program that was developed in 2001 to be amazing. The program works with at risk and hard to reach Native Americans by allowing them to experience technology and work with different types of media tools. In addition, the technology and media tools are to be utilized in such a manner that allows the youth to portray how they feel in regards to their own lives. The training that they receive can actually be used to help these youngsters find jobs and careers within the media or technology field.

2012 Tribal Touring Program, Lummi Nation



The American Indian film festival that takes place in San Francisco annually is definitely an event that I hope to attend at some point in my lifetime, even if I have to travel from one side of the country to the other. The films that are played depict different concepts and ideas associated with Native Americans, exploring such topics as stereotypes that still exist, the healing of wounds from what the white man has done, the manner in which the Native Americans have persevered, and the fact that they have still found a way to shine through it all. I feel riveted and inspired by the words used to describe the films, I can only imagine the emotions that I will feel once I actually attend the festival.

The poster collection on the site is also really neat as it takes the shape of a quilt with square and rectangular shapes of artwork. You can take a look at and compare and contrast works created as far back as 1975 and as modern as 2004. It is really interesting to see how different Native Americans portray their culture in artistic form.



Roger Fernandes (1975), John Garlow (1977), Wible/Rampton Advertising (1978), Fritz Scholder (1979), Fritz Scholder (1980), Roger Fernandes (1981), Will Sampson (1982), Mike Dixon (1983), Harry Fonseca (1984), Harry Fonseca (1985), Rance Hood (1986), Rance Hood (1987), T.C. Cannon (1988), Rance Hood (1989), RC Gorman (1990), George Littlechild (1991), Frank Howell (1992), Frank Howell (1992), Rance Hood (1993), Ron Toahani Jackson (1994), John Balloue (1995), Michael Horse (1996), Michael Horse (1997), Kevin Red star (1998), Kevin Red star (1999), Noah Billie (2000), Brian Larney (2001), Brian Larney (2002), Michael Horse (2003), Rabbit Strickland (2004), Rebecca Burns (2005), Rabbit Strickland (2006), Rebecca Burns (2007), Kevin Red star (2008), Terrance Guardipee (2009), Terrance Guardipee (2010), Bunky Echo-Hawk (2011), Bunky Echo-Hawk (2012), Steven Paul Judd (2013), Steven Paul Judd (2014), Steven Paul Judd (2015)

 

 

Federal Indian Policy

I chose to look into the education system that was provided to the Indian children at this time.  I say provided, however; I don't feel that word is actually fitting for the situation they faced during the 1800-1900s.  After reading the online article provided in module 3, Assimilation through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northeast, I was able to get a more in depth "view" of how the education system was set up for Indian children. 

I will say that it really put me off and part of me shouldn't be surprised about that based on what we have learned so far in this course, especially regarding the unfair and terrible treatment that they faced on a daily basis.  One sentence that really stood out to me in the article was "reformers believed that with proper education and treatment Indians could become just like other citizens...it would turn them into patriotic and productive members of society" (Marr).  I kept saying to myself, "but they are citizens, they were the first 'citizens' in this country, they are productive, do they believe that American farmers are not productive too? or are they considered productive because they are American and not Indian? What is the difference between productivity/farming? Skin color? Culture?" That small sentence really got me going for a little while and it just goes to show how simple minded we as a society were during that time period.

I don't believe that providing education was a bad thing but I do believe what was bad was how they went about it. In Nabokov it was stated that Indian children were ripped from their families and forced to attend these schools.  The children did not want to leave and their parents did not want them to go either.  The missionary schools taught religion to the children but the way I see it is they already knew and practiced religion so I don't really see where there was a benefit there.

In the article it mentioned that children would attempt to run away from the boarding schools.  If they got caught they were punished. "Two girls were caught and tied up by their legs and arms and forced to stand in the hallway.  If they were caught laying on the floor they were whipped and forced to continue standing" (Marr).  That's not really providing proper education which is why I mentioned earlier it is hard to say "provide" when I don't feel there was anything productive being done.  All that they were teaching the Indian children was to fear the 'white man' even more and that their culture was not respected. However, some things that the Indian children claimed that they enjoyed were the sports and mostly outdoor activities. 

Thankfully, schools are not like this anymore.  All because the Native's practiced and lived in a different cultural society they felt they could force them into learning the "White American" way. 

http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/marr.html#positives

Land Rights Cases Still Being Brought

          For this modules blog entry, I have decided to highlight the online report by Thomas P. Schlosser entitled “2008-2011 Case Law on American Indians”. I decided to highlight this report because I found it interesting that in only four years, the author was able to compile so many court cases involving Native Americans. I was surprised to see how many cases are being brought for and against Native Americans to this very day. I was particularly surprised by how many of them pertained to land claims. In just four years alone, there were 22 highlighted cases involving disputes to land rights of Native American tribes. Many of these cases focused heavily on whether or not the lands in question were considered disestablished reservations, such as the case of Yankton Sioux Tribe v. Podhradsky. In this case, the Yankton Sioux Tribe wanted an injunction relief against the State of South Dakota as they believed the state encroached on their reservation boundaries. This current case relied heavily on cessions that the tribe agreed to in 1894. The argument before the judge was whether the cessions that took place in 1894 diminished or disestablished the reservation. The court ruled that these cessions diminished but did not disestablish the reservation. This finding was crucial to the case as by recognizing the reservation as diminished rather than disestablished, it allowed for the Yankton Sioux Tribe to keep claim to most of the land in question. This case and similar cases brought up in Thomas P. Schlosser’s report prove that land rights of Native American tribes continue to be threatened and these cases must be watched carefully by all Native American Nations to ensure that their sovereignty and land rights remain intact.

Schlosser, T. 2008-2011 Case Law on Native American Indians. http://www.schlosserlawfiles.com/Indianlawseminar0310.pdf

Module 3 Blog Post - United South & Eastern Tribes

I would like to share with you my findings after reviewing the United South & Eastern Tribes Website.  Prior to being exposed to this Website in this course, I had no knowledge that the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) organization even existed.  According to the Website, the organization itself was established in 1968 with four original founding tribes including Eastern Band of Cherokees, Mississippi Band of Choctaws, Miccosukee Tribe of Florida, and Seminole Tribe of Florida, and they recognized the necessity to unite as a means of having a stronger voice east of the Mississippi River.  To me, this was interesting, as everything that we have learned thus far about Native American Tribes, has been more about individual differences between nations, with diverse cultures and heritage.

 

Given the title of the organization “United South & Eastern Tribes,” it seemed evident to me that this was a conglomerate of tribes, each with their own distinct tribal heritage and culture, coming together, or uniting as a means to establish greater leverage as a regional group.  After reading further, I discovered that USET is comprised of membership from over twenty five different tribes throughout the southeastern region of the United States and was established for the purpose of enhancing the growth and evolution of federally recognized Indian Tribes, while advancing their Tribal government capabilities, and providing aid to members and their governments in navigating public policy issues.  The overarching purpose of USET is to serve the broad spectrum of needs of Indian people.  This organization is truly committed to promoting the welfare and benefit of all tribal members and has outlined a number of objectives to help them accomplish this.  For example, a few of the many objectives are to “promote Indian leadership in order to move forward in the ultimate, desirable goal of completing Indian involvement and responsibility at all levels in Indian affairs; To promote a forum for exchange of ideas; and to combine voices so as to be heard clearly by local, state, federal, and international governments.”  The group’s slogan is “Because there is Strength in Unity.”

To give you a better idea of the shear size of membership, USET consists of member tribal nations spanning the entire eastern seaboard, and extending westward in the south as far as the eastern portion of Texas.  USET represents the interests of its members through functional working groups involved through committee work in culture and heritage, economic development, education, health, housing, veteran affairs, natural resources, social services, transportation, tribal administration, as well as tribal emergency services and tribal justice. 

I really got the feel through the information available on their Website that this organization is quite established, committed, and involved in many areas.  It was also interesting to learn about their intense focus on younger generations, and the recognition of these individuals as critical resources.  The organization has established a Youth Leadership Council as a means to educate and provide exposure to American Indian youth on Tribal cultures, and the legislative and policy making process in Washington, D.C., As stated on USET’s Website, “Youth and younger generations are a critical resource to Tribal Nations to rebuild and thrive.”

USTE is very involved with governmental affairs and closely engages in and monitors key legislative as well as policy activities as related to Indian Affairs.  There is a plethora of testimonies delivered by USET representatives on a number of different legislative and policy issues such as Tribal Recognition Act; trust modernization and reform for Indian land; the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act, and much more.  There are also links to congressional calendars and contacts in this area of the Website.  There is an abundance of information and support links for environmental resource management.  This office was established in 2004 as a means of assisting members in areas such as Solid waste; Technical Assistance  & training; USET Exchange Network, Mutual Aid; Agriculture, and other environmental programs.

References:

United South & Eastern Tribes.  Accessed at http://www.usetinc.org/ on 25 March, 2016.

M3 blog, BIA FAQ website

           I chose to review Bureau of Indian Affairs- Native American and Law Frequent Questions online resource for the M3 academic blog. This site was created by and is maintained by the United States Department of Interior-Bureau of Indian Affairs. This site is written to inform the reader of the legal basis of the relationship between the U.S. Government and the federally recognized Native American tribes. The website is intended to answer the questions that are commonly encountered in regard to policies and rights of Native Americans. An example of the legal viewpoint of this website is references such as Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution that requires Congress, the Executive and Judicial branches the power to establish relationships with the various Native American tribes.

            I believe that this online resource was selected for use in this course because it is operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that is responsible for providing services to Native Americans as well as information to Congress and the entire population as to the status of the relationship between the U.S. Government and Native American tribes. This website is operated by the federal government and therefore subject to legal review for accuracy. I feel that a quality academic website is truthful, verifiable and unbiased. This BIA operated website is a quality academic website because it repeatedly lists references to rights and policies and provides multiple ways to contact the agency for additional information. This website provides mailing addresses, phone numbers, email links and the ability to request a meeting with BIA officials demonstrating the legitimacy of this site for academic use.

            I was unaware of what the Federal Indian Trust was before reviewing the BIA FAQ site. I had heard this term before but assumed that it was a fund managed by the federal government for use by Native Americans. From reviewing this site I have learned that the trust is actually a legal obligation for ethical treatment of Native Americans by the federal government. I also was unaware that the smallest federally recognized reservation is the 1.32-acre Pit River Tribe’s cemetery in California.  

                                                                        Work Cited

            Frequently Asked Questions. US Department of Interior Indian Affairs, 23 March 16.                              Web. 28 March 2016.