Complex issues -- Whites treasure hunters

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Date Posted: 12:44:43 06/27/01 Wed
Author: Keely
Subject: Complex issues
In reply to: charlie KY 's message, "Keely doesn't seem to harbor a grudge, but..." on 06:17:49 06/27/01 Wed

This issue is a very complicated one upon rez Indians. Upon Pine Ridge, poverty is high, suicide with youth is high, alcoholisim is high... it is a very sad situation once a person actually gets to see the full weight of what is really going on. One does not get to see the fights for equal rights.

Some say "Get a job and work out of poverty" Which would be great, but the reality of the situation is jobs are hard to come by when most of them are over a hundred miles away and if you have no car... how do you get a job and get to work?

Many of the rez Indians rely upon their art and crafts for a living, most have a income of 4 thousand dollars a year.. there are federal laws to protect Indian arts and crafts, but the law is broken all the time... the law is that one cannot produce, sell, display or promote any art or craft as Indian made unless that person is a enrolled member of a recognized tribe... federal offense which can carry ten thousand dollar fine and or ten years in a federal prison.. the reality is (example) there are three recognized Cherokee tribes, and over three hundred fake tribes which issue bogus ID cards..

Alcohol is not allowed on the rez, but then, liquor stores are all over outside of a rez.

Recently a issue of murdered Oglala Sioux made the National spotlight... members of the Oglala Nation of Pine Ridge were being murdered, it is believed they were being murdered and their bodies dumped upon the rez. The tribe could not get these crimes investigated.. Whiteclay, Nebraska has a lot of liquor stores. It is within walking distance of Pine Ridge... Whiteclay was originally part of Pine Ridge, but they do not have that land, and the liquor stores are still open for business... and it is believed that this is where the murders are actually taking place. There is no help for murdered Indians. No investigation into crimes against Indians... specially if you are a rez Indian...

Leonard Peltier sits in prison, I do not know if he is guilty of killing two FBI agents thirty years ago... I was just a kid.. and yet, I was also suspect though I lived in Kansas and the agents were killed in South Dakota. Leonard sits in prison, evidence has been with held. I do not know if he is innocent or guilty, but I do know that people who rape and murder children spend less time in prison than Leonard has. I know the FBI has a history of false evidence, with holding evidence... and once upon a hearing of parole one person on the parole panel said Leonard was refused parole, refused because it was two FBI agents, and they did not care if Leonard was guilty or not, "any ole Indian would do"

About 14 years ago, murders were taking place around Lawrence, Kansas. Indians, most were students from Haskell Indian Nations University. These crimes were not being investigated... the Wichita news announced the problem, and a warning was issued to Indians in Kansas, "Do not go out a night alone"

Then little Jordan Sagger... a Oglala Sioux who was in Texas... a year old baby... murdered... she had been babysitted by a woman with (unknown to the parents) a former charge of aggravated battery against a child, that charge was dropped, and Jordan was murdered in her care... the woman was white.. Jordan is Indian... the woman still walks free, never charged in the crime thought the evidence is very strong against her.

It is not a issue of hate for white people on the rez, it is a issue of distrust... one has to work hard to gain trust...

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