Ken Salazar - New Reservation Dictator: Bad Choice for Natives in America!

Regular readers of this blog know that I often use this forum to discuss issues affecting Native Americans, Reservation Indians, and the status of the Lakotah Sioux struggle. As well, you should know that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the non-elected government responsible for dictating land use laws, Reservation education, public moneys, law enforcement on tribes, etc... and the Dictator of the Reservations is none other than the Secretary of the Interior.

My initial reaction to a Salazar appointment was "What role will this play in Indian Relations?"

The Rocky Mountain News Commenter HopiMedicineMan had this to say:

This appointment will not go down well in the Indian community. Salazar bragged
a couple weeks ago his family was involved with the founding of Santa Fe in
1608. That means he’s associating himself with the genocidal Juan Martinez de
Montoya and Hernando Cortez. The Interior secretary is the dictator of the
reservations. And Salazar has shown he’s Mussolini in a cowboy hat, closing
77,000 acres of natural gas development. Indians want to drill on their lands.
Interior says, yeh or neh. Turning them down, as we expect from an ecomentalist,
would be seen as more genocide. It never ends. And it would have that effect,
fewer Indians going to college, fewer Chevy Silverados. Indian culture is
conservative. Salazar’s liberal pal, Phil Doe is attempting to acquire Ute water
rights in court. These rights would be used in the production of oil shale.
Liberals care about urban minorities, not Indians.

Phil Doe and Ute Water Rights - True. Phil Doe is associated with the Animas-La-Plata Project, near Durango, which is a plan to dam a river whose sole water rights belong to the Ute Indians based on a treaty dating back to 1868 - for the purpose of providing water to oil shale production in that part of the state. A search of the website for the project indicates that the project is being coordinated through the Ute tribes, and that artifacts in the valley to be flooded are being preserved at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Delores, CO. The Salazar family has a history of vested interest in this project. The project is nearly complete, and was dedicated in October of this year - in attendance was Ken Salazar. Currently, the project is in support of the Ute water rights, and will provide water to the Ute tribes and the Navajo tribes. Phil Doe has tried to question the Ute's water rights, but has been turned down and the treaties upheld... could this change under Salazar?

Salazar, a supporter of La Raza, seems more concerned with the blending of Mexico and the United States than preserving the cultures already existing within this land.

IndianZ.com posted the small amount of information regarding Salazar's past interaction with Indians in Colorado:

Salazar hasn't emerged as a major player on Indian issues since taking office.
But he has co-sponsored legislation like the National American Indian and Alaska
Native Heritage Month Act, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Sand
Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act, the Code Talkers bill and bills
to extend methamphetamine funding to tribes...

Salazar recently questioned the $2.5 billion coal power plant sought by
the Navajo Nation, citing concerns about the impact on the environment in
Colorado and New Mexico.

All signs point to the appointment of Salazar for reasons relating to Green Energy, and unrelated to Indian Affairs. In the cases where Indian Sovereignty was questioned over Environmental Issues, Salazar is against Native Sovereignty every time... making him a perfect fot for Obama's Environmental Machine, but absolutely WRONG for Department of Interior where Indian Affairs is concerned.

Though Obama has appointed a Rosebud Sioux to head his First Americans Public Liaison transition post, it appears that Indian Affairs is at the bottom of his list of priorities - and a Ken Salazar appointment is evident to that fact.

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update - the following letter was sent to Sen Salazar this afternoon. I will add any response:

Dear Sen. Salazar, and future Sec. of Interior -

I am a local political activist, blogger, and Indian Affairs activist. Let me start by congratulating you on your new post with the Obama administration, and directing a question regarding your new post.

In December 2007, Russell Means and a group of Lakotah Sioux, in their continued struggle to reclaim land promised to them through the 1851 and 1868 Fort Laramie Treaties, declared an intent to withdraw from said treaties. There was no official response from the Bush Administration - which is representative of the largely failed policies towards the Sioux. As the Secretary of the Interior, your position will oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and will require attention to the situation on the Sioux reservations.

My question is this: What is your stance on Russell Means' declaration for a free and sovereign Laktoah Nation on the lands promised in the Laramie Treaties, and what is your position on the century old land battle over the Black Hills and other territories promised in the above noted treaties? As well, are you willing to support investment in Green Energy production in wind corridors on lands belonging to the Sioux, and under what liberties do you feel the Sioux should build/operate/and distribute this energy?

I appreciate your feedback on these issues. It is important to establish and continue comprehensive and constructive dialogue, and I look forward to having the opportunity to discuss these issues with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Steven M Nielson
Secretary, Douglas County Republican Party
Grassroots Activist for Indian Affairs
Blogger

Salazar, Obama, Pelosi, and Democrats - WRONG for America!

The Democrats have a vision for America... an America that is free from oil, free from carbon emissions, free from pollution of any kind. As I tend to agree that it should be our goal to explore alternative means of producing energy in the United States, there is no way that it can be done entirely before 15-20 years.

Attempting to force a change in the source of energy by purposefully limiting the supply of oil, by restricting access to oil exploration - shale or offshore reserves - is directly responsible for high gas prices, high oil prices, and increased speculation in the oil market.

Based on a recent study, the US will empty all currently tapped wells in the next 40-60 years... Imagine the sound of the last well sucking up the last drop of oil - like a kid sucking at a straw in an empty cup... slurp - and the oil era is over.

But what the democrats fail to realize is that the average citizen cannot continue to be self sufficient, cannot support their family or their way of life, cannot live freely without allowing the market to explore and provide a need. The Democrat plan is to cause an economic tragedy in America in order to move their Green agenda forward - progress at all costs! But while standing at the edge of a cliff, a step forward is NOT progress! It is suicide.

And suicide is exactly what the "citizens of the word" party are hoping that America commits. They believe it is our destiny... and only the worthy Prius-ites and wealthy elites deserve to come out on the other side.

The United States holds more oil in Shale Oil than the entire Saudi Oil Reserve... We have untold masses of the black gold in offshore reserves... We can have a dual agenda - sustain our economy while planning for the future... however, democrats are unwilling to save our economy.

How unwilling? Watch this short clip between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Colorado Democratic Senator Ken Salazar. Republican Senator McConnell is attempting to add a trigger to an offshore exploration bill - attempting to define an Economic Emergency.

He states $4.50 a gallon is an economic emergency... Salazar objects...
He states $5.00 is therefore an economic emergency... Salazar objects, suggesting that drilling for oil supply is a phantom solution to oil shortage...
He states $7.50 must, then, be considered an economic emergency... Salazar objects...
He states $10.00 HAS to be considered an economic emergency, allowing drilling exploration to occur in order to provide supply to the citizens of the United States in need of relief... Salazar objects...


Salazar, representing the unity voice of the Democratic Party, their ideals and beliefs going into the 2008 election, states clearly that drilling for oil is a phantom solution to meeting demand for oil. They believe that increasing supply is not the means to meet demand...

The democrats would rather see Americans poor and penniless, unable to even drive to work, than add any longevity to the oil era in the US.

Democratic Senator Ken Salazar suggests that the best option for Americans is to suffer through $10 a gallon gasoline in order to realize his vision. No duality. No parallel development... only obscene poverty and economic destruction.

Watch this video two or three times. Listen to the words used by Salazar and the "We know better than you" elitist Democrats... Do nothing, even at $10 a gallon. This is the party that we MUST defeat in 2008.

Mark Udall is MORE LIBERAL than Salazar. Udall would have possibly suggested objections at $20 or $25 a gallon gasoline. Mark Udall must lose to Bob Schaffer.

Barack Obama is MORE LIBERAL than Mark Udall. Barack Obama would suggest checking the air pressure in your tires as a solution - stating that it would save as much oil as these oil exploration plans are suggesting they would bring in (watch this video) - ignorant and false - but not discussed by the MSM swooners.


The win in 2008 is going to come to the GOP if they can clearly get the message out. Stick the oil prices where they rightly belong - on the shoulders of the Democrats. Democrats are obstructing the ability for the free market to increase supply, homeland supply, and are directly responsible for two things:

1. $4.00 a gallon (or higher if they get their way) gasoline
2. Trillions of dollars being shipped to the middle east, where they are not afraid to supply - or to fund radical ideology aimed at the destruction of the US.

This final video is the message that needs to be seen in every household, shown at every polling place, seen by every voter... The GOP attempting to make it stick - the Pelosi Premium.


The three videos here are enough to clearly show the intent and will of the Democratic party. They clearly intend to do irreparable damage to the US economy in order to push their agenda. There is never compromise... there is never good will towards the citizens. It is simply there way or the highway... er... bike-lane?

Heartbreak and Chaos in the Rocky Mountains

The Colorado Rockies... the fluke that brought hope and heart-ache to the Mile-High city... After an amazing streak to come from 4 1/2 games back in the wildcard, going 21 of 22 to make it to the world series, the Rockies fell to the baseball Juggernaut called the Boston Red Sox.

For better or for worse, I saw a football city become a baseball town overnight, and I loved every minute of it. Originally from Seattle, which is a baseball town indeed, it was odd to see a half filled stadium and fans that did not know how to cheer... enter the winning streak, and viola! It was like being in baseball heaven...

But baseball comes with high AND low points... and getting swept in the World Series is a very low point!

However, there is hope for the Rockies... the increased name recognition and appeal will bring more money to the ball club, and maybe, just maybe, we can afford some solid pitchers!

And now the chaos... Tom Tancredo has announced that he will not seek re-election in the Colorado House District CD-6... my district. This brings chaos because every state senator in the district is jockeying for this seat, which will leave a number of state senate seats up for grabs... This means that a number of state representatives are looking for that promotion and will surely put their names in the hat, leaving state representative seats in question.

As if 2008 wasn't going to be hectic enough, now Douglas county (and other south of Denver counties) are going to be scrambling to not lose any more seats to the liberal democrats.

Tom Tancredo has been a beacon of conservative hope in Colorado, and his absence will surely be felt nationally and locally.

My hope is that he throws his name in the hat for the Colorado Senate seat and challenges Bob Schaffer in the primaries. This could be the key to beating Mark Udall, and maintaining a 1-1 Democrat/Republican split in the Colorado US Senate. Or perhaps, due to his extended bid for the White House, he will hold off on a Senate run in an attempt to unseat liberal Ken Salazar in 2010. Either way, I say "RUN TOM RUN!"