Showing posts with label tribe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tribe. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

That is that... America has a New President - but, what did he say about tribes?

Listening to the Obama speech after his (late) inauguration, it is clear that he is a smooth talker - though evident that he heavily relies on the teleprompter... I listened very carefully to each and every word - and though I agreed with some and not with others - there was one comment in particular which should stand out as a warning to states, Indian tribes, and territories of America who pride themselves on their individual differences... Obama said:

"The lines of Tribe shall dissolve"

This is the fundamental problem with Obama and the Democrats - they believe that Central Government trumps State, Local, and Tribal governments... there is no lower level sovereignty - only cogs in the machine that make the federal government work.

Let me tell you why it is important that the line of tribe NOT dissolve.

* We are a nation of free individuals who CHOOSE to support a common goal - freedom, peace and prosperity.
* We are a nation who has a government - NOT a government who has a nation.
* We are a collective of individuals representing local differences - regional defining factors - specific needs and wants as a resident of our region and community - not a collective of drones.

The "melting pot" signifies the importance of commonalities as a nation, but it does not indicate the need to dissolve ties to regional needs, regional norms, regional values. To expect rural Kansas to accept the norms of San Francisco is absurd - though we should be able to come together in peace and debate our differences... THAT is the real intent of the government.


I would assume that Obama picked his words very carefully - so why would he specifically mention "tribes" if not for a warning to the Indian Nations that their differences will not be resolved under his administration - and almost as a threat that their nations will be dissolved, and the reservations - the last of the lands promised to their sovereign governments - will vanish like the rest of the once great nations that inhabited these lands.

Let us hope that his words are not "just words" - and that this is not an affront to the Indian Tribes of this land.