I reviewed the tribal consultation link within the online resources
page. It was created by the GSA (General services administration) and gives an
overview of recent changes in U.S. tribal acts and policies. I believe the
purpose of this link is to detail some of the strides recent Presidents have
made in recognizing native sovereignty within the United States. The most
recent policy discussed was a 2004 act that President Bush passed; “Executive
Memorandum Government-to-Government Relationship with Tribal Governments
recommitting the federal government to work with federally-recognized Native
American tribal governments on a government-to-government basis and strongly
supporting and respecting tribal sovereignty and self-determination. (GSA.gov).
What catches my eye in all of these policies outlined by the website is
that it is attended to make the U.S. Government look as though it is headed in
the right direction regarding Indian law. All summaries seem vague and have
loopholes, the one I used as an example only states that the government will
strongly support and respect tribal sovereignty, but does not state it will
honor their laws within the geographical area. So does this mean the U.S. could
enter a reservation and dig a hole as long as they are respectful to the dirt? Another
question I asked is why was this information found in the General services
agency page and not the agency of tribal affairs? These summaries should be on
that page where it actually fits into a topic other than General Service.
Tribal Consultation. (2016, January 13). Retrieved April 01,
2016, from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105007
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ReplyDeleteI found the Tribal Consultation link very interesting as well. There certainly has been a lot of work done to improve Native American tribal government to United States federal government relations. It was enlightening reading through the various executive orders.
ReplyDeleteThe 1996 Executive Order 13007 related to protection and preservation of religious practices was particularly interesting, in light of all the land that U.S. federal government took possession of over the generations. These were sacred burial grounds with spiritual meaning and tradition. It is good to see that even while many of these sites will remain in government holdings, at least they are taking steps to preserve the sites. Based on the above mentioned executive order, each executive branch is held to (1) allowing or accommodating access for ceremonial use to Indian practitioners and (2) avoid adversely affecting the physical integrity of these sites.
To ensure that this order was carried out as intended, the president also included a responsibility for each executive branch to develop procedures necessary to carry out this order within a one year time-frame. While this may not seem like a lot, to Native American tribes, this is significant. If we reflect back on Anton Treuer and his description of the prohibition of religious practices and ceremonies that was executed by the federal government in 1883, this is a giant step for all mankind (51).
References:
Treuer, Anton. What is Indian time? Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask. Minnesota Historical Society (2012).
Tribal Consultation. (2016, January 13). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105007
As sad as all of this history is regarding our two conflicting nations, I'm glad our resources are showing examples of how we have worked together in the past and that we continue to work together in the future. This module really sent the idea home to me that we need to work together on an even playing field and have respect for one another's values and way of life.
ReplyDelete