Native American Reservations

[Fire 0ak]

I don't know a whole lot about reservations . I had a classmate while back though, and he was Navajo . He told me that they can actually shoot trespassers. I don't know if that's true or not but it sounds a little extreme. My first thought was, what if someone gets lost and wonders in by accident. Doesn't seem right if they shoot without due reason. If someone knows whether or not that is true, I would be interested in finding out.

[Prometheia]

As someone who is of Native heritage (specifically Cherokee and Shawnee, and nearly 90% of my family is Native), I feel very strongly on this subject. Did you know nearly 40% of today's American Indian population live on reservations?

On one hand, I feel forcing natives to assimilate into American society, at least by the method of renouncing their traditions and ways of life, is wrong. That's not American in any sense, since this country was built off the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

However, I feel that forcing those who refuse onto reservations, is wrong as well. To begin with, they were here before the European settlers were. And ever since the Europeans settled here, they've been oppressing the natives. We continue to do it. The conditions on reservations TODAY, are comparable to that of third world countries. These people are living in run down shacks and trailers, often don't have the amenities that we take for granted such as running water, telephones, and electricity.

The conditions on these reservations health wise: American Indians are 600% more likely to die from heart disease, 226% more likely to die from diabetes, and 600% more likely to die from tuberculosis, than other Americans. Why is this? To start with, there is a huge gap in adequate and preventative medical care on reservations. Pharmacies and doctor's offices outside of hospitals are nearly non-existent in some areas.

On one hand, the competition between native peoples that has existed since before European colonisation, continues to interfere with their ability to stand together today and fight for better living conditions. On the other, many Americans don't know, and those who do either have little power to change it and those who do have the power, don't care to listen.

This is really all I know on the subject.

[Koalalion]

We Are Organisms

Sounds like a middle school project assignment this 'discussion'.

Anyways the native americans should have reservations except for the alcohol problems. But its their reservation to drink their life away I suppose, for the ones that do anyways. Howabout we actually google something and see if it needs reforming or not before giving our half-uneducated opinions?

I’ll go to that by tomorow, however probably more autonomy and more land couldn't hurt to make an understatement.
giving native americans less autonomy would be pretty bad by a long shot and most certainly shouldn't take more land from them.
Addendum:I can vouch for the words in the above, right now, don't see why they should change to something I can't vouch for.

deadroosters

We Are Organisms

Sounds like a middle school project assignment this 'discussion'.

Anyways the native americans should have reservations except for the alcohol problems. But its their reservation to drink their life away I suppose, for the ones that do anyways. Howabout we actually google something and see if it needs reforming or not before giving our half-uneducated opinions?

Damn near everything needs reforming.

yup it does.
(OT:I think it might be better if one had to accept tips before one received the gold.
edit a bit sleepy ‘might be’ is very different from would be.)

[Telor II]

If I were native I would find the whole thing insulting.
"Here you go, you can have this small piece of land we don't want anyway and live in squalor with no prospects or future. Enjoy your ghetto."
All we've done is dig them a hole to quietly finish dying in.

[FickleWulf]

I think it is horrible and cruel what we did/do to native americans. They have just as much right, if not more, as we do to this land. They called it their home before we ever set foot or settled here. We give them so little when it was all theirs to begin with. Its bullshit scream stressed

[Feminism and Frybread]

Savethefails

Native American reservations.

Discussion.

What say you?

I say that the U.S. gov't screwed us once again by giving us s**t land your capitalist bullshit couldnt use. I'm for de-colonizing and letting US decide what bits of turtle island we wanna live on and which bits y'all can stay on.

[langland07]

I don't have a favorable views of American Indians or First People. I don't like using Native American because I'm technically a Native American because I was born here,

I understand the whole land stealing but stealing land has been happening through the whole human history. England was an island stolen from the Celtic people. Mongolia invaded and 1 time own Russia.

So I really believe these tribal people need to get over this part of history because I never stole anyone's land and I'm tired of being told I should be guilty of it. And you know what, I had no control of being white, I should not feel guilty because of it.

I lived by a Reservation and I don't like what it has done. It's made a Ethnic group into pretty much a bunch of drunks and drug attics that are courtesy of us the Tax payers.

So sorry I don't have a favorable view of that ethnic group. I have gotten more indifferent with them but I still don't view them positively.

[fierce frivolity]

Fire 0ak

I don't know a whole lot about reservations . I had a classmate while back though, and he was Navajo . He told me that they can actually shoot trespassers. I don't know if that's true or not but it sounds a little extreme. My first thought was, what if someone gets lost and wonders in by accident. Doesn't seem right if they shoot without due reason. If someone knows whether or not that is true, I would be interested in finding out.

He was messing with you. The Navajo Nation's laws re: trespassing are pretty standard; you might get shot if you're trespassing on private property and behaving in a threatening manner, as is legal in many places, but you're not going to get shot just for setting foot on reservation land without permission. I used to live right alongside part of it, and non-Navajo are perfectly free to use reservation public lands so long as they follow the rules.

I don't even know how they would manage to shoot all trespassers. The Navajo Nation is A) bigger than some states, B) not totally contiguous, and C) the Hopi have their reservation right in the middle of it, and keeping track of whether you're on Navajo or Hopi or federal land can be a pain. (Especially if you're in the Arizona part, because Arizona and the Hopi reservation don't do daylight savings but the Navajo DO, and the clocks keep changing, and oh god it's a headache.)

langland07

Has it ever occurred to you that it's not a 'you personally did this' situation and more 'you personally are benefiting from what other white people have done whether you consciously chose it or not, and maybe you should put some thought into how you can avoid making the situation worse than it already is'?

I have zero tolerance for whiny white kids who get the vapors over being reminded of how privileged their racial status makes them.

(Also, since you mentioned English history as precedent, I feel obliged to note all of those conquered Celtic peoples have nursed mild-to-intense grudges against the English for... oh, over half a millennium? So, yeah, there's plenty of precedent for conquest - and there's plenty of precedent for later generations of conquered peoples harboring a grudge!)

[Feminism and Frybread]

langland07

I don't have a favorable views of American Indians or First People. I don't like using Native American because I'm technically a Native American because I was born here,

I am sick and tired of this bullshit white people pull to try to delegitimize our claim to our home land "Oh, I'm native too since I was born here. hurrr semantics in my favor" bull ******** s**t. no, you are still an invader, I dont care how many generations removed you are from whatever ancestor came over here without our permission. you're a settler, NOT native.

Quote:

I understand the whole land stealing but stealing land has been happening through the whole human history. England was an island stolen from the Celtic people. Mongolia invaded and 1 time own Russia.

ok? and that still doesnt make it right.

Quote:

So I really believe these tribal people need to get over this part of history because I never stole anyone's land and I'm tired of being told I should be guilty of it. And you know what, I had no control of being white, I should not feel guilty because of it.

Yeah, telling a minority group to "get over" genocide and oppression? especially that still goes on to this day? no, ******** you. You live on turtle island, you are just as guilty of stealing the land. you are benefiting from genocide, you are living on stolen land. You might not have been able to choose to be born white, but you benefit from it. you could work to disassemble the status quo from the inside. but you won't, because you're a racist who enjoys the spoils of your ancestors lies and murder.

Quote:

I lived by a Reservation and I don't like what it has done. It's made a Ethnic group into pretty much a bunch of drunks and drug attics that are courtesy of us the Tax payers.

So sorry I don't have a favorable view of that ethnic group. I have gotten more indifferent with them but I still don't view them positively.

Wow way to stereotype and bring your racism right out in the open. Any problems we may have as a community are caused by ALL the bullshit Columbuses like you and your ancestors have done and continue to do today. Give us back suitable land to be able to self-determine. We don't want your ******** tax-dollars. We want to be able to live on our own with our own cultures again, we don't want monetary reparations, we want USABLE LAND and SOVEREIGNTY and RECOGNITION. You owe us that. ******** you and the boat you sailed in on.




(And before anyone comes in here trying to tone-police me, I don't hate white people. ********, my life partner is white. but I do hate racists and white people who wont take responsibility for s**t)

[langland07]

fierce frivolity

I have zero tolerance for whiny white kids who get the vapors over being reminded of how privileged their racial status makes them.

I'm sorry I stated how I feel about reservations and as what they become. I've been trying to get over it but I still don't see it positively.

I don't care how good I had it being white. Quite frankly I'm still white trash so you won't understand how I feel. I actually get along with everyone if I can. I have a lot of friends from all racial backgrounds however the one group I had to most trouble with was tribal people and that's why I don't have a favorable views.

Why don't you live as the minority and then get called racial slurs and being told your existence is a sin by Native Americans. I have been there and I've been trying to reconcile it but that pain has been there for a long time I'm not going to argue with you I'm done.

[Feminism and Frybread]

heh, he blocked me. I think I hit the nail right on the head then. won't deal with his own racist s**t.