[WikiEN-l] [repost] Native American Tribes Policy

[Gabe Johnson]

On 5/15/07, K P <kpbotany at gmail.com> wrote:
> Wow, ain't that the ultimate, an American Indian is now someone who is
> recognized as such by the American government--on the other hand, now that
> the US government has taken all their land, their wasn't much left to take,
> so why not their ethnicity?  Someone can claim they are of German ancestry,
> but claiming you are of Indian tribal ancestry of any sort is more akin to
> claiming citizenship?  How does that go?  You're either descended from
> Germans or not.  You're either descended from Indians or not.  You aren't
> NOT descended from your ancestors because the US government does not
> recognize the sovereignity of your tribe, they can't unborn you, or
> disappear you.
>
> The US government's proclamation that a tribe is federally recognized or not
> does not change or delegitimize your ancestry. North American Indians are in
> no way a homongeneous group of peoples with a unified outlook towards the US
> federal government--they spoke hundreds of languages, had vastly different
> forms of government, marriage rites, and religions.
>
> And politically they are all over the specturm also--I have friends who want
> others to say "Indian" because it recognizes they are  a member of a
> federally recognized tribe and have certain rights as such that others do
> not have (the right to collect basketry materials, and to declare spraying
> certain areas of native plants off-limits for road crews spraying
> pesticides).  I have other friends who belong to federally recognized tribes
> and don't pay taxes, don't register as a tribal member, don't acknowledge
> the US government's right to have any impact in their lives whatsoever--the
> Fight terrorism in America since 1492 t-shirt is big with this group.
>
> This is about Indian gaming rights.  Wikipedia should have no part in this
> political issue of recognizing tribes.  However, articles should accurately
> reflect this dichotomy in the United States for recognition of Indians, the
> association with gaming, the practice of removing members from tribal
> rosters to consolidate the profits in fewer hands, and all other documented,
> reported, and notable issues concerning this.  But, no, Wikipedia does not
> have to support the gaming Indians political power plays.  That's not what
> an encyclopedia is for, I agree with that.
>
> KP


Thank you for that. ~~~~