Indian unification a pipe dream?

[AngelFeather]

Our people can't unite when we sit and blame everybody for the dysfunction. The government doing all of this to us doesn't help but we need to teach our young to aim for higher goals and expectations.

I totally agree with those statements. Agreed that the government has done alot to our people but unforunately we continue to allow it it to happen. and YES money is very often used by the government as a a divide and conquer method but is the government soley to blame for that or do our leaders that get suked into the greed and lust of such $$ have some accountability? So when we have leaders that contribute to the dysfunction than who are we to trust? It is WE the People under both rules of tribal laws and federal white man laws that get stuk in the middle and have the hard time of breaking such cycles. How much longer do we think that this can go on without consequences? We have already begun to see consequences of such actions and behaviors, but i mean Unification to its fullest? Hmmm not until our leaders take a stance for the people without being bought by lame promises that they know isnt going to benefit anyone but themsleves and the people in thier councils.

We say we have many social issues... which is true. take housing for example. Where I come from we had our own plant to build houses for tribal members. I Have had realatives complain and cry about how they need a house and the waiting lists and then when they are given one ... what do they do? they trash the house and expect the band to pay for it, not thinking of the long term effects that this will have (less $$ for housing in the future). I can drive through my reserve townsite and tell you that the majority have broken windows, busted doors, unkept yards ect, but whos fault is that, the federal Governements? Hmmm.. I dont think so. I have seen houses less than a year old, beautiful homes, given to people and then months later the house in need of major repair because it was unkept and abused. This is just an example of how things work both ways and that BM had a good point, that we cant sit an continue to blame everyone for our own dysfunctions and expect unification between our own people let alone unification with other governments. It is our leaders and we as Native people that have been given the right to vote for them so we ALL have a part to play in the process and cannot just keep pointing fingers at a single party. This is Just My humble opinion.

[Kiwehnzii]

Your idea is nothing new in Canada. The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is the largest native organization.

Then there are the provincial organizations. Sometimes there are more than one Provincial group.

Then there are the local community governments with elected Chiefs & Councils. Sometimes there are local traditional governments who try to work together with the elected governments. It doesn't always work as the trad. are the way that has been done for eons while the elected are relatively new and were developed by the Canadian government.

The elected governments are recognized by the Government of Canada and are funded while the traditional Chiefs are not. This too is a divide and conquer tactic. The feds always have ways to divide people and money is used quite often.

Anyways, I could ramble on & on but I get too lazy to type and today is no exception.

[badmaninc]

The government has been using divide and conquer techniques for over 500 years, they don't need to change cause it still works. We are so concerned with our own little piece of territory that we neglect to help our other tribes during times of difficulty. So many of our youth feel disenfranchised by the hoplessness in our communities. I work with many men and a few women who are our worst examples of the tragedy of our communities. On most reserves, reservations, villages, rez's whatever you want to call them the biggest problem is the lack of housing. This is a very large social problem. As we grow up in our communities we soon realize that we must live with our parents due to inadequate housing in the community. We aren't, at least in Canada, put on the housing list until you have at least one child. The Band Council has to make a priority list and single men or women are always at the bottom. I have been doing a lot of thinking on this topic. I believe that is one of the reasons why many of our youth begin having children of their own when they are so young. Otherwise they would have to live with their parents forever. It is sad but that is how it works in our communities. Then after they have a child by the time they are 15-16, they get put on a housing list. In one of our communities, I know a young lady who has 5 children with three different partners and she is only 22 years old. She has a grade 8 education. I have traveled to many communities with my job over the last few years and all of the social problems and dysfunctional issues are the same in every last one of them. I bet you I could travel to many of the communities in various states and provinces and it would be the same. Sometimes it is so hard not to sit and cry when you witness all of this. Our people can't unite when we sit and blame everybody for the dysfunction. The government doing all of this to us doesn't help but we need to teach our young to aim for higher goals and expectations. I asked my mother what she wanted to do when she was young and she said she wanted to get married and have children. Her mother and father were the same, as was my father and their parents. One of our biggest problems is that when we look around, Indian kids don't have dreams because they don't have any heros. If they know heros, they can know dreams. When this happens then we can be united. My humble opinion.

[crazywolf]

the tribes unified?

Boozhoo niji,

Ok I got a really cool comparison on how this may work. Before there ever was a "United States" there was this land full of native peoples, most of which lived in harmony with their environment without too much grief from neighboring tribes. Yes there were wars and feathers ruffled, but was it really all that bad?

Now we live in a country made up of states, which are made up of counties, which are made up of cities, blocks, and households. The country as a whole has laws. Then each state adds some of its own rules, followed by county, city and so on. The laws vary from state to state, from county to county, and so on. The same thing could also be said about other elements of society, such as religion, entertainment, and other things. There were times in history when some states took up arms against other states, as in the Civil war where the issue of slavery was the issue at hand, supposedly.

Also each individual state has its own government, so does each county, and city and so on. These governement officials and councils are voted upon by those individual states, counties and cities populations.

So now we, as NDNs are full of tribes, Lakota, Cherokee, Ojibwe, etc, each tribe with its own rules and elected officials and all the other good stuff I mentioned above. So then why cant we be a United Tribes of Native America?

Every state has elected officials that meet often in the main body of this country, call them the House of Representives and also the Senate. Why can we not have council officials that meet in a House of Tribal Council Members?

The structure of the American Democracy was based on the early colonists observations of Native American council meetings. Then they took it a step, or a few further. So why cant we take back what they took from us, and build on it the way they did?

We are survivors. We are still here, different slightly but still here. If people like me were taught and raised white and we come out of the woodwork acknowledging that we are NDN, then the American governments plan to stamp us out is set back one step further. My boss and I had a discussion this morning, on how we fought against the whites throughout the history of this country. He says sooner or later one side or the other must stop, and that will end the confrontation. I said that NDNs will never let it go. The only way the government would stop its battle against us is if they wiped out every single one of us, and then they would probably still dig up the bones and start arguements.

Its reasons like that we should unite, become as strong as possible to build the pillar that holds up the overwhelming weight of the battles against us. That more than anything is reason enough.

Derek

[Gache]

[OLChemist]

I agree with K and old chemist ...

So, I'm an OLD Chemist now, LOL.

[Gache]

I agree with K and old chemist being united on specific issues and fronts that affect all indigenous communities is something that should be but also being tsitsistas, dine, lakota is something that we should see ourselves as not as pan indians otherwise we really are just brown white men.

[geronimo]

a "revolution" could occur among ndns, but it's doubtful- one thing's for sure, we'll band together as soon as anyone from an outside race/group tries to put their 2 cents in - wish the trend could continue past that

i agree w/ a lot of what OLChemist brought up..........
and i think it's much harder for us to unify, considering all the government's done (and continues to do) in pitting us(tribes) against each other

it's all a hoax - the elite continue to exploit & make themselves richer while at the same time actively keeping our country's bottom 90% unorganized, subservient, and basically poor

[quicksilverwade]

Growing up an urban ndn I just want to point out that blacks are not as unified as people (even blacks themselves ) like to think they are. Gang violence is a prime example of the epidemic of black on black crime. I would also like to point out that from every thing I have ever heard there has always been intertribal warfare on this continent. Ndn's have never been unified, to me it is a pipe dream to think that ndn unity could ever come to pass. Human nature is in direct opposition to ndn unity. There will always be envy and greed and pride and dishonesty in the ndn (and other races too ) community. These are all obstacles that we as humans (as well as ndns) face. America itself is not united, the whole premise of this country is to get rich and enjoy the good life. An underclass is needed to support the upper class. Who do you think the intended under class might be? We are worrying about the wrong issues.

If I would've said that we are worrying about the wrong issues, I bet you that The Others (Blackbear, Coyote in the House and Snowbird) would've hounded me into submission until I became part of their collective, lol.

[Menomineegirl]

Growing up an urban ndn I just want to point out that blacks are not as unified as people (even blacks themselves ) like to think they are. Gang violence is a prime example of the epidemic of black on black crime. I would also like to point out that from every thing I have ever heard there has always been intertribal warfare on this continent. Ndn's have never been unified, to me it is a pipe dream to think that ndn unity could ever come to pass. Human nature is in direct opposition to ndn unity. There will always be envy and greed and pride and dishonesty in the ndn (and other races too ) community. These are all obstacles that we as humans (as well as ndns) face. America itself is not united, the whole premise of this country is to get rich and enjoy the good life. An underclass is needed to support the upper class. Who do you think the intended under class might be? We are worrying about the wrong issues.

[AngelFeather]

I just have to say I'm impressed by the number of educated, intelligent people who post on this site.

Agreed.. alot of good insights from good minds.

[Singerdad]

Further, should we conform to the dominant culture's unified "Indian" identity, are we not allowing them to reduce us for political gain? Do we not come one step closer to being defined and ultimately constrained by non-Indian conceptions of Indian identity? Already it is difficult to tell our history outside the framework of European contact and conflict. What happens when our children can't tell their tribal ways from pan-Indian ways?

Thanks for letting me prattle.

This is exactly what I was trying to get at in my original post - that tribal identiy and pride are what makes an Indian an Indian, but it is also what keeps "Indian" people from unifying. Some tribes do get together on certain issues - mainly gaming these days - but there is very seldom an all-out concerted effort to unify for a common cause.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing. Many do, and I know many Indian activists who will go to their graves frustrated, but I see individual identity as more important than the whole.

I just have to say I'm impressed by the number of educated, intelligent people who post on this site.

[quicksilverwade]

Oh....ok, ok. lol now I get it. Yeah, sorry but I don't think I know her, if she's an older women then I probably don't. (lol I'm probably related to her too)

Segregation of tha tribes during Crow Fair isn't meant to be that way (of course). You see, I grew up all my life with Crow Fair because it means so much to us Apsaalooke. So, it's kind of hard for me to see the segregation of tha tribes. If people look at Crow Fair as segregation then I'm sorry, it's not meant to be that way. Then again, I haven't seen anything like that, but if it's what people say then you can be the judge. Crow Fair, the way I've been knowing it and continue to know it, has been about family and friends coming together. When the old ones can say to their children "let your kids go and play". Without any worries from the parents, children can ride their bikes and their horses and be back before grand entry. Where families from different parts of tha rez can come together and put up camps together, and have supper ready before invited guests and anticipated friends arrive. I could go on and on about Crow Fair, but I think you get the idea of it. You know, all the GOOT stuff of pow-wows. I guess what I'm tryin' ta say is even though the undertone seems to be "segregated", the point of it all is to strengthen the bond between friends and family. And the way I see it, if we could all jus' recognize each other as friends and forget old conflicts of tribes, then we might be able to be unified. But that might be askin' too much.

Hey, we should ask the question of why we can be unified at DC, and "Gathering" and not for the forward movement of all Indians.
lol sorry for blabbin' away

One day I will go to the Crow Fair and enjoy what you've experienced. But, since the Crow Fair conflicts with my rez powwow in Fort Thompson, SD, I'll have to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

[Kiwehnzii]

Being unified on specific occasions is truly a sight to see. I've been to many demonstrations, protests, roadblocks, takeovers (some peaceful, some not so peaceful) where our native rights are threatened. It didn't matter what nation. People came together for one common purpose - to help each other.

I can see this happening in the near future around the Great Lakes as the future of the lakes is at risk. It has already begun with a series of meetings. Look for this in the media and websites like this.

[crow_reza]

Sure, by the way do you know Deanne Milda from Crow Agency? I've never been to the Crow Fair but from what everybody says is that they segregate each and every tribe at the tipi campground. Now if there wasn't any worry about separating each tribe then that would be the point of harmony, right?

Oh....ok, ok. lol now I get it. Yeah, sorry but I don't think I know her, if she's an older women then I probably don't. (lol I'm probably related to her too)

Segregation of tha tribes during Crow Fair isn't meant to be that way (of course). You see, I grew up all my life with Crow Fair because it means so much to us Apsaalooke. So, it's kind of hard for me to see the segregation of tha tribes. If people look at Crow Fair as segregation then I'm sorry, it's not meant to be that way. Then again, I haven't seen anything like that, but if it's what people say then you can be the judge. Crow Fair, the way I've been knowing it and continue to know it, has been about family and friends coming together. When the old ones can say to their children "let your kids go and play". Without any worries from the parents, children can ride their bikes and their horses and be back before grand entry. Where families from different parts of tha rez can come together and put up camps together, and have supper ready before invited guests and anticipated friends arrive. I could go on and on about Crow Fair, but I think you get the idea of it. You know, all the GOOT stuff of pow-wows. I guess what I'm tryin' ta say is even though the undertone seems to be "segregated", the point of it all is to strengthen the bond between friends and family. And the way I see it, if we could all jus' recognize each other as friends and forget old conflicts of tribes, then we might be able to be unified. But that might be askin' too much.

Hey, we should ask the question of why we can be unified at DC, and "Gathering" and not for the forward movement of all Indians.
lol sorry for blabbin' away