This thread is a continuation from the PYT of the conditions of the modern Native American. As a curious outsider, my main interest in the issue is the modern Native American, and how this issue can be treated with empathy on the public American stage, though all discussion on the topic is welcome.
My thoughts on Native Americans. I believe "everyone" is equal no matter what race, gender, or color. My Grand Parent's have never stolen land, nor have I. Native Americans seem to believe they should have more rights than the rest of us, because the Government stole thier land. I feel a little jealous about this. As I mentioned earlier, I never stole any land. Basically what I'm saying is, what's done is done. We should "all" have the same rights.... Just my opinion, what do you think ???
My only hope is that natives participate in and lead the discussions but considering how they are only 1% of the U.S. population, im sure there are only a few on GC and out of those, they probably arent active users. It's a shame, really.
I've encountered this quite often when I've raised the issue: We're all equally fucked. It sucks for all of us. It's all shit so who cares. I'm interested in solutions, and ways forward just as much as I am in establishing that it 'sucks' right now. There is a gap of empathy between the modern non-Native American and the modern Native American. How can this gap of empathy most efficiently be bridged?
A lot of native Americans up here in norcal. Let's Smoke About It..... -Adam Demamp My majestic grow journal http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1357687-Sade's-Solar-Adventures
getting passed each others differences shutting up and working together towards something better. Cultures need not mix by force because it will be done anyway, thats life.
I'm sure the "native" American stole the land from whatever was habitating the land before them, they didn't just pop up like maize.
Yes, yes, anyone can say catch-all statements like this. With the utmost respect, Bluwonton, you are right, I absolutely don't mean to speak down to you when I say this - but I find it to be an empty statement to say 'we should all work together'. What needs to be done concretely? How can the American public be made aware of the plight of the indiginous tribes? How can more funds be allocated to reservations? Can it be done? Is there will in the average American to reach out this empathetic hand? Is there a brighter future ahead, and if so, how can this be achieved? A new political party? Attention through medias such as television shows (this arguably had a degree of success with Americans defeating longstanding homophobic traditions)? Speeches by politicians? Corporate interests? How do we go from where we are now - with widespread poverty and misery in native America - to a more egalitarian future United States of America? Do you start talking about the issue with your friends? Do you discuss it with your parents, and hope they bring it on to their coworkers and soforth? How did gay American get not only civic rights by law - but public empathy? How was the same thing done with the African American civil rights movement, which is arguably still ongoing? I'm interested in the details, sir!
This may be as is, but it has no relevance to the modern Native American, just as modern Americans have no relevance to the genocide done against Natives when Europeans first settled here. I am not interested in this. I am interested in recognizing that in modern, "1st world" America, there is a serious issue with Native America. I am interested in the here, and the now. Is it acceptable for a portion of Americans to be treated with contempt? Is this patriotism, in America?
Suggested solutions from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Child welfare Governments should work to reduce the number of aboriginal children in care and set national standards for those that are in care. They should also fully implement Jordan's Principle to help resolve jurisdictional disputes. This would mean that for services that are only available off-reserve, any government department first contacted would pay for it first and seek reimbursement from the responsible department later. Education Repeal Section 43 of the Criminal Code, which allows corporal punishment, even by schoolteachers, implement new federal legislation on aboriginal education and eliminate discrepancy in federal funding for First Nations children going to school on reserves and those educated outside their communities. Language and Culture The federal government should acknowledge that aboriginal rights include language rights. Post-secondary institutions should develop programs in aboriginal languages and survivors who had their names changed by residential schools should have fees waived if they wish to change their government-issued identification back to their birth names. Health Establish measurable goals to close the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians and report on their progress, provide sustainable funding for aboriginal healing centres and recognition of aboriginal healing practices within the health-care system. Justice The federal government should work with aboriginal organizations to call a public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, review and amend statues of limitation for historical abuse against aboriginal people, work to eliminate the overrepresentation of aboriginal people in custody, allow trial judges to deviate from mandatory minimum sentences, and work to settle claims from those residential school survivors who were excluded from the settlement agreement, such as the Métis, those who attended day schools and those who went to residential schools in Newfoundland and Labrador. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/06/02/high... The original Report is also online.
I have exclusively been studying the situation south of the Canadian border and am completely ignorant of Natives ("First Nations?") in Canada. Is it comparable to the USA?
This is something I'd love to hear earnest and genuine responses from the Americans in the thread: Is the history between European settlers and eventual American expansion and all the bad things that come with it - in addition to the current state of native American tribes - so shameful that it's best ignored, or treated with contempt? Is it a painful subject? For comparison, in Europe, Germany entered several decades of shame after the first and second world war. As a nation, they invested a lot into education of why things went so historically wrong, and they examined their roots and tendencies of behaviour as a nation very well. German literature around the first and second world war is severly underrated on the international stage. The modern German is the noblest and most well-reflected human in all of Europe, Scandinavia included. Germany merits great respect on the modern European political scene. Is a similar pathway - of deep education of problems in a national past - a way to a better, stronger, nobler future? <span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span> <span class="redactor-invisible-space"> </span> <span class="redactor-invisible-space"> </span>
What are they asking for that they are not getting? As far as I know in southern california the ones with casinos are getting rich and doing their own thing. If that's false then I've been misinformed along the way.
Yeah. I'm not going to invest myself in this thread. I know how it's going to turn out and I don't want to be embroiled in yet another discourse of ignorance.
Whenever Hawaiians talk about the evil white man stealing the islands, I just think about king Kamehameha throwing the babies of rival tribes off cliffs. No race/culture/people have ancestors who's hands are clean. We should all put the past behind us and unite as earthlings -Yuri