Introduction & Chapter 1

American Indian Politics and the American Political System

5 Representative Issues of Contemporary American Indian Life in the U.S.

1. whaling

2. the trust fund debacle

3. human remains conflicts

4. religious freedom

5. lobbying scandal

1. Whaling by the Makah Nationin Washington State

1999 first legal killing of a gray whale since the 1937 ban

1855 land cession treaty with the U.S. gave them express right to whale

Despite US/international permission, 3 kinds of non-Indian protests: broad environmentalists concerned with extinction animal rights groups concern with methods anti-Indian groups resenting their rights

court defeats in 2000-03 led to stopping by the Makah, while they seek federal redress

2. Trust Relationship Between US Gov. & American Indians US pledged a protectorate role for tribal

peoples, their lands and resources, in early republican treaties.

1887 General Allotment Act sought to absorb and extinguish Indians as tribes by parcelling out individual plots of 160, 80, and 40 acres and took complete control over Indian lands.

2. Trust Relationship Between US Gov. & American Indians

Dept. of Interior leased Indian lands to oil, gas, timber, grazing, and mining interests, for a fee. But BIA & Dept. of Treasury mismanaged, stole this money.

2000 TTFs for 200 tribes, worth $2.3 bil. 500,000 IIM accounts receiving $300 million

annually 1994 Am. Indian Trust Management Act 1996 NARF lawsuit asks $137.5 billion for 1/2

million trust beneficiaries.

2. Trust Relationship Between US Gov. & American Indians

1999 US District Court held Sec. Interior & Sec. Treasury in civil contempt for not turning in documents, etc. and ruled Fed. Gov. had engaged in “fiscal and governmental

irresponsibility in its purest form” and ordered to repair problems in 5 years.

Also found various energy co.s’ had “routinely underpaid Indians on royalties from oil, gas, timber and other leases.”

Larger quote on p. 6. The Dept. of Interior, under Ken Salazar, announced Dec. 8

that it had negotiated a settlement to the litigation, a $1.4 billion payback to Indian plaintiffs involved in the case, plus another $2 billion to buy back fractured trust interests.

3. Who Controls Ancient American History?

1996 discovery of ancient human remains by the Columbia River in Washington S.

debate as to his Caucasoid vs. Paleo-Indian vs. Ainu-Japanese vs. Asatruan-Nordic origins ensued

Dept. of interior intended to “repatriate” bones to 5 northwestern tribes for reinternment, under 1990 NAGPRA, but court rulings in 2002-04 granted scientists inspection of the bones

In 2005 Senator John McCain tried - but was held - to expand NAGPRA to cover such ancient remains

4. Sacred Sites and the Religious Rights of American Indians

1996 Clinton executive order to promote accommodation of access and protect sacred Indian sites vs. Court ruling forbidding NPS temporary bans to rock climbers in Devils Tower, Wyo. (affirmed by US-S.C.)

1994 Clinton exec. order to accommodate ceremonial Indian use of eagle feathers

quote on p. 9

5. Political Scandals & American Indians In the 2000s, 6 Indian Tribes were swindled

$66 million by a Republican lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, and an aid to House majority leader Tom DeLay - both jailed later. They were also led to squander millions more funding GOP groups.

Lobbyists interfered in tribal elections to get further contracts.

See quote by McCain in p. 11

All five issues show:1. The preexisting status of indigenous

communities as separate and sovereign peoples

2. Unique political, legal, economic, cultural, and moral rights and powers excercised by tribal nations

3. The fundamental ambivalence on the part of the federal government and American people in the history and contemporary treatment of U.S. Indian nations.

Federally Recognized Tribes U.S. Federal Government now recognizes 562

American Indian Tribes 332 in the 48 contiguous states 230 in Alaska (Native Villages/Corp.s) Hundreds more (including Native Hawaiians) are

unrecognized and very few ever get through (15 in 1978-2004)

Between 1953-1965 federal Government try to implement a “termination” policy, reversed beginning in 1973

There are also 50 State-recognized tribes.

Individual Indian Recognition There are over 30 legal definitions of

“Who is an Indian” Each tribe has enrollment/membership

lists, many based on “blood count” Fed. Gov. used blood count in 20th

century too, for eligibility issues. See 6 types of definitions on pp. 30-31

Indian Lands 100 million acres, 4% of U.S.

56 million acres in contiguous 48 states 44 million acres in Alaska

BIA manages 10 million acres involving 314 reservations established by Congress or the President.

Indian Country include areas where Indian Laws have primacy (Pueblos, OK, etc.)

The 2000 Census Race Question

Year

Population

2000197519501925190018751850

4000000

3000000

2000000

1000000

0

Native American Population

As of July 2008, the Native American Population was 4.9 million

Other N. Am. Statistics (2008) Median Age = 29.7 Largest N.Am. pop per state =

California with ~ 740,000 155,000 in LA County OK ~ 407,000 and AZ ~ 360,000

11 states have > 100,000 N.Am.’s N.Am.’s are the largest ethnic minority

group in 5 states: Al., Mon., ND, SD, OK

Other Statistics (2008) Number of N.Am. Families: ~ 545,000 Ave. N. Am. family size = 3.64 55% of households owned their own

homes N.Am.-owned businesses had total

receipts = $26.9 billion 38,125 N.Am.-owned businesses in CA,

most in LA-LB-Riverside area

Other Statistics (2008) Median household income = $37,815 Poverty rate = 24.2% Lacked health insurance = 31.7% 160,471 N. Am. Veterans alive