By Thomas Dahlheimer
Introduction: In response to my recent Mille Lacs Messenger letter “Apology needed” the Messenger published Cheryl Anderson’s letter “A response to Mr. Dahlheimer“. And this week the Messenger published my response letter to Anderson’s response letter. Its title is “Sovereign nation status is insufficient”. It’s this week’s “letter of the week”. It’s presented below.
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Mille Lacs Messenger letter – Wednesday, September 23, 2009:
Cheryl Anderson, I’ll try to answer the questions you asked me in your Sept. 20 Messenger letter.
I am glad we are in agreement in respect to the Doctrine of Discovery. It’s “outdated and discriminatoryâ€.
In your letter you mentioned that “the federal dollars that were/are distributed to the American Indians on a monthly basis†are for “restitution for the wrongs of the pastâ€. I believe that that is incorrect.
The federal recognition of “sovereign nation status†for Indian tribes is insufficient because U.S. tribes were fully independent sovereign nations and were not subjugated by any other nation, as they are today.
To offer impoverished tribes “opportunities” to establish gambling casino businesses in order to “help them†prosper economically is a terrible scandal to our nation and state. Casinos are the anti-theses of sacred traditional Indian cultures. Indian tribes’ freedom and lands are more important to them than anything else our government can offer or give them.
Your second question is, “How can one liken the current situation of the American Indian to that of the subjugation of the African slaves of the past? †You mentioned a number of equal rights that Indians share with other U.S. citizens. Indians did not welcome Europeans and latter Americans into their homelands so that they could be forcefully subjugated into a position of being “wards of the stateâ€. They were free. They had full independent sovereign nations status and rights like the African slaves had in African before they were kidnapped and forced to live in a subjugated state of existence in America. Indian tribes would like to be free again.
You also wrote: “So, what I am seeing in this draft is basically another attempt to return all land previously occupied by the aboriginal natives 200-plus years ago to the current tribe members. †The draft is not attempting to do that. The draft states: “Redress can include restitution of traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used lands and resources. Or if return of original lands is not possible, compensation shall take the form of lands, territories and resources equal in quality, size and legal status,…†This wording in the draft comes from a United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples document that calls on nations with indigenous peoples, including the United States, to implement the declaration.
Thomas Dahlheimer – Wahkon
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