1ºKaren Abbott Maybe educate yourself and see how some Native Americans are doing after government help. Oregon has a few tribe's that, thanks to the government MANY, MANY years ago, that are now thriving! One, even a multibillion dollar tribe, thanks to what they did with their money. They now have a THRIVING casino, bingo hall, convention center, rv park, farms, ranches, unfathomable amount of business & residential property. But ya, please do your research. You see, the Cow Creek Tribe, in part, pooled their money and started with just a dream and a bingo hall. Now google them. Just one example of "team" work and how their "dream" worked! Anywho, here's an article on the Navajo. But ya, definitely spend a few minutes educating yourself...that's all it really takes these days. https://navajotimes.com/5...apita-payments/
2ºMeredith Hicks I understand, believe me, I do have a heart. Most American tribes were force by democrat president Andrew Jackson after signing the Indian Removal Act. Only a handful fought and stayed. Here where I live in Florida we have the Seminole Tribe. Their Chief Osceola fought to the end of his life, three wars. He killed Army Mayor Francis Dade in charged of the American army. He eventually was captured and died in prison but his people kept fighting and won the war and today the Seminole tribe live among us, they own land all over Florida, they have cities, schools , casinos etc etc.
3ºThe Federal Government holds title and ownership to all reservation lands. You heard that right, it's not owned by the tribes. The government is purposely and with forethought holding them under poverty, hunger, and now thirst. The government is denying AMERICAN CITIZENS the right to water, the right to thrive & survive. A federal Native American reservation "is an area of land reserved for a tribe or tribes under treaty or other agreement with the United States, executive order, or federal statute or administrative action as permanent tribal homelands, and where the federal government holds title to the land in trust on behalf of the tribe." Say that last part again...really slow....the federal government holds title to the reservation land.
4ºThe Indian Removal Act in name alone was clearly an unjust action. Indians used to be confined to reservations and that is no longer the case. So I see no reason why this legislation can't be updated in the 21st century with a basic understanding of human rights.
More than likely, the government wants to force native peoples off the reservations in order to make the land available for broader use, and while I do think that Native Americans should be welcomed fully as members of American society, the horror and betrayal of native peoples deserves to be acknowledged and honored.
Native peoples were given a choice to relocate or die, which is not the kind of choice that is acceptable under human rights or democracy. Consistently, land which is important and sacred to native peoples is knowingly abused and disrespected, and it's not right. So the need for set aside land and space for native peoples continues to be very important. Reservations deserve reasonable access to amenities, and water isn't something they can just make appear out of thin air.
And with our continued focus on renewable energy, and care for the earth, it only makes sense to honor the stewards who try to make that their focus. Native American methods for preservation and protection of natural resources are a vital source of inspiration and ideas. They care for the land they're on, and they should receive the basic means to care for that land, as well as the people on it!