What is a current issue between the Indians and teh federal government?

Question

DO you know the legislation taht is link to the issue? If so what is it. I have a report do on why the govt feels as if they can defraud native americans, any information will help. thanks in advance

Answer 1

The buying of the hard rock casino chain.Many feel that the Indians had an unfair advantage in the purchase of the casinos including many high ranking Government officials.I think for once it is a good thing the Indians have the upper hand.

Answer 2

The deadline for tribes to file suit against the federal government for mismanagement of the funds that the government was supposed to be holding in trust for them just passed. A number of tribes filed just in time to meet the deadline. This is a complicated and contentious issue. It has its roots in the bad old days when the government regarded Native Americans as dull children or non-human. The funds have been mismanaged for so many years that its practically impossible to straighten this out.

Answer 3

I suggest you look at the Narragansett Tribe and there attempts to build a casino in RI. Under Federal Law the Narragansett tribe needs to get the approval of the State of RI at a higher standard then any other tribe in the nation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narragansett_%28tribe%29

Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

This question is very much in the along the lines of..

"Hello, I'd like to sue you, can you please oblige me by admitting you've done something wrong and provide me with evidence to that effect ?"

History can't be changed. Today's tribes are raking in cash from everything from tax-free tobacco sales to bingo to Tribal Casino gambling. They're writing checks several times a year to all registered members spreading their profit around.

It looks to me like they're getting a he** of a lot better deal from the Federal Government than I am.

Answer 5

There are several in the mix. All dealing with the issue of the sovereignty of the tribes and nations. Without that one issue, none of the other treaty issues will have effect, the treaty law is part of the constitution and deals with how the US honors pacts made with National Governments.

One issue that GW has had in the fire since he was governor of Texas is the rights of Native Americans with their own jurisdiction, Federal mandated, to make and enforce their own laws in accordance with the Constitution and Federal statutes, and without the need to comply with State laws, as long as the Federal requirements are met. The issue was the lawsuit filed by the attorney general of The State of Texas against the Pima,Tigua and Alabama Coushatta tribes of Anthony,Ysleta del Sur and Houston, the first two in El Paso County and the third in Harris County, over plans to enhance Tribal welfare funds with Casino Gaming.

The State of Texas has sued because in Texas the only form of legal gaming is the Lottery. And seeks to nullify the Federal treaties with these tribes regarding sovereignty on the grounds of States Rights,

The Tribal Welfare funds in question are leases granted by the tribes to the Bureau of Land Management, (here I have to add, under duress and threats of violence and actual violence committed by the Federal Government over more than a century) in many cases for 1 dollar per acre per year. A very sweet deal for the government indeed. Adjuncts to these treaties are assignments of mineral and water rights by the tribes, which are paid a percentage, depending on the tribes and the separate treaties, NONE of it standardized or uniform, of the payments to the BLM for leases on Native lands.

The term Welfare is often misused to portray the Natives as refusing to work for the system that so generously pays them a dollar per acre per year.

When the equivalent would be if your grandparents had left you a parcel of land, and if you manage to lease that land for enough money to meet your needs, and the tenants demand that you work for them and demand that you not be paid any rent for your land holdings.

The arrogance in it all is unbelievable.

The "Welfare" payments are meted out by Native Chairmen for each respective tribe, and even if the people of the tribe choose to elect the Chairman they are only allowed to vote for somebody approved by the Federal Government.

As for a good link, there was a report in USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, about 3 years ago, about the amount of the monies paid to individual Tribal members. In nearly half the cases the amount paid per month per capita was less than $1.60 cents.

Why that figure is significant is that is the cost to the Treasury to print and distribute each check.

I would say find that article, it was reprinted in other syndicates as well, I read it in the Dallas Morning News. Then follow the links.

The Tigua and Pima and Alabama - Couchatta tribes have their own websites as well, with links to the status of their lawsuits.

There is another lawsuit brought by the State of Tennessee against the East Band of the Cherokee Nation, headquartered in Chattanooga. Over Cherokee religious sites which have been taken by the state, allegedly as park land, but some has been given to mining companies, excuse me i mean "leased to" them, and the park land is an enhanced value to nearby housing developments.

The newspapers in Chattanooga have some very good stories on this issue, and plenty of web links.

Just following the links from those will uncover a massive effort to take in court what the Army took on the battle field oops i mean the Slaughter fields.

Of course most of what I said could be construed to be biased (it is, but that doesn't make it wrong) and defamation, as if the reputation of the Federal Government in these issues had been spotless before.

Tread a little carefully, but the facts and controversies can be found starting at those points.

Another one before I sign it and send it, the Pike National Forest has been re-opened to logging, and to shale oil development. The land in question is Medicine land, the tribe acknowledged as the stewards of it are the Utes, it is supposed to be open to anybody regardless of race or tribe as sacred land and reaffirmed by the Native American Religious Freedom Act in the early 70s. The fact that it took an Act of Congress to recognize that Natives have as much religious first amendment rights as everybody else is significant in its own right.

With the timber industry and the energy coalitions given special protections, under Homeland Security and the PATRIOT ACT, means they can keep the people off the people's land. And use the Army once again to enforce for their unlawful deeds.

Anti-logging groups have been designated as Terrorists. Any act deemed disruptive to their business including peaceful demonstrations, civil disobedience or even "trespassing" on public lands can be prosecuted as terrorism.

Walking across a logging road from one open area of the forest to another open area can be deemed Criminal Trespass.

Answer 6

taxes on the casinos, taxes on cigarette sales, property tax