Related ContentNatives need change, not apology
By
Kevin Abourezk, Guest editorial
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| The Native American Apology Resolution has been introduced in previous Congresses, and passed the Senate in 2008, but was not signed into law. |
You can say that last part five times.
While the senators who sponsored the resolution see it as a major step for Indian and government relations, I can’t help but see it as merely an effort by remorseful politicians to assuage their red guilt.
So what does the resolution do exactly? And what do the senators hope to get out of it, other than a pat on the back?
The Native American Apology Resolution has been introduced in previous Congresses, and passed the Senate in 2008, but was not signed into law.
Meanwhile, Congress played political football with the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in fall 2008, stalling it by attaching amendments to it that would have enacted restrictions for federal abortion funding that went beyond restrictions for similar funding in non-Indian health care facilities.
Now the Senate wants congratulations for passing a meatless, ephemeral resolution that calls for nothing more than an expression of regret over past wrongs committed by the government against Native people?
What about the wrongs committed by the government last year, or this year for that matter? What about getting up and doing something about these problems?
As for congratulations, I don’t think so. Pass the Indian health bill, and then we’ll talk.
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Monday, Oct 12 at 10:02 AM Anonymous wrote ...
Let them go to the California Department of Parks and Recreation and apologize the the 230 Konkow human remains that they refuse to allow us to repatriate in violation of state law. And let them go to Sherry Hutt program manager of National NAGPRA and have her remove the lie that she has posted on the internet under frequently asked questions that says that non-BIA acknowledged tribes can repatriate under NAGPRA. Stop lying before you apologize or how can we believe your apology?
30461206Sunday, Oct 11 at 9:35 PM Anonymous wrote ...
IHS hospitals get medi-aide from children and medi-care from elders. So if non natives choose to take their kids to IHS the hospital is actually getting reimbursed from the gov't and it does not come out of the IHS budget. Just to set the record straight any child or elder seen uses the medicare or mediaide from the gov't.
30445601Sunday, Oct 11 at 12:51 PM Tlingit1 wrote ...
IF natives could make some positive decisions and support using at least a 1/8th or 1/4 blood quantum to get health care; there would be no shortages. I'm sick of seeing other races drag their kids into our clinics and hearing them ask things like "Why are we at the Indian clinic"? It isn't exerting sovereignty to throw away our own health dollars, it's sheer stupidity.
30431562Sunday, Oct 11 at 3:29 AM GP wrote ...
Related to Sen. J. Abourezk, I presume? Until America gets over "her" christian vs pagan, heathen superiority complex, what good is an apology? Anyone can say "I'm sorry for molesting your child". But until they acknowledge their illness, which may be incurable, how can their apology be accepted?
30420069Saturday, Oct 10 at 3:24 AM Allen L. Lee wrote ...
The apology to me is more a sovereign apology then a racial one. The U.S. admitting that heinous acts helped it become the greatest nation of modern times. It can't condemn terrorist beheadings when it's history reveals state sponsored genocide. It can’t sentence people to prison for slavery (see CIW's Anti-Slavery Campaign ) without admitting that it's economy was founded on slavery. They are the same sovereign of July 4, 1776, accountable for it's actions, regardless of the race at the helm.
30386559Friday, Oct 9 at 9:57 PM gojjos wrote ...
means nothing, because I never expected anything to begin with.... just like expecting here is your land back... it means nothing in the sense like were supposed to get our land back, really! it wont happen. A follow up cartoon should unmoved, stoic, "just be sorry because it means nothing, how low can you take the word sorry"
30380592Friday, Oct 9 at 8:12 PM just wondering about truth wrote ...
Apology for what? Is the government saying there sorry that they told the Native Peoples they could not be Native? Outlawed their language, traditions, told them they had to be white? The day was not to long ago when a now ex-president by the name of George Bush Sr was head of a committee to help put chemicals in government commodities of food that would make Native women sterile and if this is the land of the free, then why is Leonard Peltier a political prisoner in his own land? hmmmm......
30377354Friday, Oct 9 at 7:48 PM Longwind wrote ...
If you notice they apology with their hand still close. and they don't make it public or broad so the whole world can see. they apologize cause they know their time is up like i said the meek shall inherit the earth
30376577Friday, Oct 9 at 6:46 PM johnny wrote ...
I see natives and every other non-white person is still facing the same monsters of 4 centuries ago.
30374789Friday, Oct 9 at 6:34 PM just me wrote ...
Wow,this is so meaningless, a resolution to say i'm sorry, the senate sounds just like the Bureau of Land Management and the Ruby Pipeline people who dug up thousands of our artifacts, and have now stored them in a motel room in Winnemucca, Nevada. Then we were told by Tom Burke so I don't care it belongs to the United States, Wrong, my ancestors do not belong to the United States....The descrimination never stops agains the Native Americans.
30374377Friday, Oct 9 at 2:10 PM Dyaz wrote ...
What will happen with this apology is that native college students trying to point out the atrocities committed against native ppl will be met with statements from non-native, white students is "WE ALREADY APOLOGIZED! GEEZ GET OVER IT!" That's what will be heard across this shameful country. We already here those words, now to have a bill that states an insincere apology is blasphemous. It is not worth it. An apology should be also coming from France, Spain, England, etc...
30361774Friday, Oct 9 at 1:58 PM Allen L. Lee wrote ...
Senate Resolution 26 apologizing for slavery and racial segregation of African-Americans was passed in June of this year. The Indian apology comes as a "what about us" action from some of the same lawmakers who are vehemently oppossed to any actions by Congress on behalf of Cherokee Freedmen Descendants in the CNO citizenship dispute. Reps. Dan Boren and Tom Cole of Oklahoma will lead the Congressional move for an apology. There is more to it than "White guilt."
30361074Friday, Oct 9 at 1:57 PM fort peck assiniboine wrote ...
My people don't want any apology. Just provide adequate health care for the people as provided in the treaties. We are doing enough damage to ourself as is the case with our elected leaders who currently control everything. We are in need of change. This "ruling majority" who is in charge needs to go. They are putting non-tribal members and crooked people in charge of everything from Tribal Law Enforcement to The TERO Director. I think the people finally see this and change is coming!
30361029Friday, Oct 9 at 12:13 PM EPStolarion wrote ...
The irony of these so-far empty words being attached to a defense appropiations bill is humanly immeasurable. Give back the original treaty-lands (it's not 'impossible' pay the tribes fair rent for them and recognize their other landlord-use rights such as contemporary and back-owed fees for use & abuse, as well as justly-owed revenue cuts of the pie for those mines, dams, etc. Immerse der Gubernator in Oahe (history) and then have him explain 'ze Indiants must pay zere fayhr shayhr!'.
30355171Friday, Oct 9 at 12:12 PM Maukwa wrote ...
The U.S. and the world in general already know what was done here...and to many other indigenous populations in the world. My take on all of this is that unless Natives are going to get their own country within the U.S. borders, and unless, natives stop the genocide of themselves with their use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and hatred towards a long dead enemy, indigenous Americans will continue to die off. In my humble opinion most of true nativeness has died off already.
30354991Friday, Oct 9 at 11:22 AM a matter of war paint wrote ...
once again its nonindians deciding what indians want, like a reconciliation. i seriously doubt if a fullblood would want such a thing. no one has asked me what I want.i want rights of indigenous peoples recognized, to that point that the state of arizona's existence is legally questioned, and realized its an illegal entity.
30352134Thursday, Oct 8 at 3:39 PM Steve Dragswolf wrote ...
I don't fully understand what an apology from the U.S. will do to profit Indians. There doesn't appear to be any talk of restitution's so that can't be it. We've heard it before that the majority of people are unrepentant towards native's for what their ancestors did. So an apology from a few is nice, but profits us nothing. Instead of waiting for an apology, we should collectively choose to forgive the U.S. for it's past atrocities against us so we may move forward with our own lives.
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