Black People Politics : America was never great response

I want to comment but when I try to it says I can't post links despite my not posting links.


25 messages (posts) are required before you can post links. As far as not being able to post, how did you post that reply?

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John McCoy: Disenrollment efforts and blood quantum policies are not our way
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

I oppose disenrollment.

I oppose disenrollment because our heritage is our heritage. Our lineage is our lineage. Our heritage and lineage define us as Indians—not residence, blood quantum, or other failed federal Indian assimilation practice. I oppose disenrollment because it undermines an Indian’s—and in fact all of our—heritage and lineage.

We as tribal governments should establish our citizenship by relying on Indian heritage and lineage. There are reliable modern tools to establish that criteria, like DNA testing. I appreciate that science as a determinant of Indian citizenship may pose challenges to tribal communities traditionally speaking—that is for each tribe to decide—but it is preferable to blood quantum.

There are also culture-based ways to establish tribal citizenship criteria—ways that are tied to heritage and lineage, like tribal participation and cultural involvement. These alternatives to blood quantum may also prove challenging to implement, but nothing important to tribes comes easy. Tribal citizenship law and policy is one of the most important aspects of being a tribal sovereign.

Blood quantum originated as one of the many federal Indian policies designed to control us, to assimilate us, and, ultimately, to extinguish us. Those federal policies were designed to not allow us a future as Indian people.

Blood quantum is the dominant society’s method for measuring who is Indian and how Indian we are. It is not our way. It does not in any way reflect our culture. It does not respect our heritage or lineage. It will not give us a future.

I refuse to allow blood quantum to identify me. I am Tulalip. I get asked all the time, “How much Indian are you? What’s your blood quantum?” I tell people: “I am Tulalip.” That’s it. I refuse to self-identify by my degree of blood. Disenrollment is also a federal policy designed to terminate us. It, too, is not our way. It too, does not reflect our culture. It, too, does not respect our heritage or lineage. It, too, will not give us a future.

Disenrollment unfortunately is becoming the way that too many tribal councils determine who belongs—meaning by determining who does not belong. I fully respect each tribe’s right to determine its own citizenship criteria. But I cannot accept disenrollment, especially when it involves blood quantum, residential requirements, United States Indian rolls or censuses, or other federal ways towards Indian assimilation and tribal termination.

I also especially oppose disenrollment when it involves depriving Indians of the right to vote or otherwise participate in tribal democratic processes. Disenrollment is fueled by greed—pure and simple. It is no coincidence that we have seen a spike in disenrollment along with the rise of Indian gaming and the tribal political power and dollars that tribal casinos generate. We know better. We must move away from blood quantum. We must stop disenrollment. We must instead honor our heritage and lineage—to ensure our future.

John McCoy is a Washington State Senator for the 38th District. He is a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes.
 
Yeah White Man's America has never been great but it was before Europeans came here. If they had listened to our ancestors we would have less pollution, less crime and more unity. We never were a racist people. As a matter of fact some of my ancestors bought slaves. The difference is that they treated them like family. They didn't beat them or work them to death. Many were adopted into the families. I don't know if you have heard of the Freedmen. They were slaves to the Cherokee and were treated very well. The reason many were bought is because they knew how The European slave owners treated their slaves. Our women decided what the Freedmen did and like I said they treated them well saving them from being tortured by Euro-Americans (The same ones that destroyed this once great country.

Slavery, in general, was never as cruel as when caucasians took slaves. All others throughout the world, as you mention, would even at times adopt their slaves as family members and treat them very well, though they were technically counted as a step below servants.

Whites in america truly changed everyone's perception of what it meant to be a slave because they were so vicious; so much so, that now when anyone mentions someone of the past owning slaves they automatically think they(the slaves) were treated like less than a human being, even when they weren't.

I've heard many stories, as a child, of Natives having bought slaves, saving them from torments and even starting families, and that made me really happy. I've also heard of how some were being kicked out of their tribes, which confused me, but now that you've explained, I understand. Everyone's people, tribe, and nation in this land has in some form taken on the ways of white men, so I don't fault Natives. Black people do the same, sell out their own blood to feed their greed, so I won't pitch stones, but instead hope for the ones who fall prey to this "American way" of life.

Thanks for the enlightenment.
 
America (so named by an Italian cartagropher for this continent) was a great place to live, before the Yurugus got here.
The Britt's colonies and the U.S. have always been a very difficult place to survive in. It has Never been Great.
It is funny you use the word Yurugus. I am assuming that means Whites. We Cherokee call the White People Yonega's which sounds similar to your word. Is my assumption correct?
 

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