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Re: Amerind an offensive term (was: Early Amerind assimilation
William R. Belcher (wbelcher@students.wisc.edu)
5 Aug 1996 14:45:35 GMT
"Stephen W. Russell" <srussell@lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu> wrote:
Various stuff clipped:
>
>There is a quote from Justice Hugo Black that always appears in dissenting
>opinions in Indian law cases, as a signal that the Indians are about to
>get screwed again: "Great nations, like great men, should keep their
>word..."
Treaties that were made with Native American groups were (supposed to
be) on the same level as treaties that the U.S. made with other sovereign
nations. This policy changed after the Civil War and tribal entities
were no longer treated as sovereign nations. This was the major reason
they were not granted citizenship until 1924, the tribal entities were
considered sovereign nations and wards of the state (federal) government.
I'm not saying that this is right, but I think that a more recent danger
is the fact that States are trying to either renegotiate treaty rights -
something that they certainly do not have the rights to do. About ten
years ago, Washington State citizens voted to repeal treaty rights
granted by the Federal government in the 1850s. Even though the measure
succeeded, these dangerous efforts failed as they U.S. Feds wouldn't
allow it. Currently, the Republication party is trying to give the States
more and more power, perhaps to deal with these kinds of issues.
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