An interesting article from the blog The Bear growls, discussing the need to end tribal sovereignty.
The various pacts setting up tribal sovereignty were made long before anyone entering into them considered that one day the Indians would be building large casinos and soliciting non-tribal members to come onto “their” land.
The folly of “tribal sovereignty” was enacted long before it was considered that tribal members and their employees will routinely commit violent crimes against non-tribal members of the public, but have no legitimate law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute the casino employee perpetrators. Or run these casinos with no legitimate regulatory oversight, with most of the Indian “gaming commissions” mere puppets for the casinos themselves, sometimes using the same people in conflicting positions.
These Indian “gaming commissions” almost make the Nevada Gaming Control Board look as if it legitimately acts to protect the public from casino wrongdoing.
There are also some good links to sources. The issue is tribal governments wielding sovereignty like a club, harming as many Indians as they are helping.
2 comments:
tribes need to do the right thing.
the indian way.
respect their own.
look at tradition.
act with respect to the great spirit above.
The fact that persons have been able to justify their mis-deed in the name of a just cause, in this case inherent Native sovereignty, should give no reason to end the just cause.
How many times have humans known of people blaspeming and mis-appropraiting a just cause for their own ill endeavors.
Tribal sovereignty is self determination. Self determination/decision making by human nature will involves mistakes.
Recognize and correct the mistakes and build from there. Tribal sovereignty at this point is a lot like the frail neigbor with the rough lawn.
You can complain about the eyesore to the neighbothood and hope that the frail neigbor somehow disappears, or you can get your lawnmower out and go help the frail neigbhor retain his/her dignity and remain a part of the neighborhood. As for the neighbor being tribal sovereignty, I prefer to help the neighbor, the tribe, by correcting the errors of dis-enrollment.
Allen L. Lee
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