Do you find this to be wrong?

Question

That native americans, especially ones from wealthy tribes, pay absolutely no income taxes, if they have anything delivered to them on native land, say a car, they pay no sales taxes. Yet the state will use our tax money to pay for a new road to go to their casino! I know a couple of natives personally that get $17,000 a MONTH no exaggeration at all seriously $17,000 a month! Just for being native! There are 16 and 17 yr olds driving around in $70,000 vehicles! Then they whine how they are treated unfairly! What?!!! Unfair! A native's girlfriend I work with just turned 18 and bought a $375,000 house, $34,000 worth of furniture, his girlfriend a $60,000 car and also has a hummer valued around $75,000. What is wrong with this country to just let a certain ethnic people live here extremely wealthy and for free! Their only arguement is that we "Stole there land from them." News flash thousands of countries throughout time were founded by conquest not just the US.

True we did, but that was generations ago! How many lands did the British Empire conquer? Many, you don't see them catering to the ones conquered! The sins of the father should not be paid for by the son!

If you don't believe they have that much money, then come to Red Wing, MN and see for yourself!

Answer 1

I wish we were rich like that....

Answer 2

It is true that reservations have their own governments and do receive money from the government. It is very rare that any Indian would receive the amount of money that you are describing. The majority of people living on reservations are in extreme poverty often without running water. The reservations that have casinos are taking the profit and splitting it among their people. But with the reservations come a huge risk of alcoholism, drunk driving, and a further deterioration of our culture.
As for the arugment that our land was taken, yes it was done years ago. But, as recent as the 1970's the government was still oppressing our people. It wasn't untill the 1970's that practicing our religion was no longer illegal. As for the money that is being recieved, that was part of the treaties that the government signed in exchange for our land. Every single treaty that was ever signed was violated- not one promise was kept entirely. So, as for the money that the indians are earning by working the casinos- it is theirs, they've earned it, and have been promised it.

Here a few websites on the Indian Gaming Association and a little information on the conflicts going into the 70's.

Answer 3

I don't know what Native Americans you are talking about on the Reservation where I am that is not the case. American Indians are Indigenous to America, it is their land, they just got discovered with it. They deserve what ever they can get, they have suffered greatly at the hands of the rest of the world and still are, the most racist people I have ever come across are the white people living on Reservation land. They also have to constantly contend with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and bigots of just about every other race.

Answer 4

Well actually 'we' didn't steal their land, our ancestors stole the land from their ancestors. To further confuse the issue, the native culture doesn't even include the concept of private land ownership the way European based culture does.

The real important issue is that we all need to get along right now. Personally I think that we need to walk that delicate line between respecting their culture and having one set of laws for everybody.

Answer 5

the only " real " treaty the Europeans kept to the Indigenous People was when they told them " we see what you have. we want it and we are going to take it. " in my experience there has never been such wealth as you describe and perhaps what we need is to turn the running of the country to the Indigenous People Elders who have more wisdom and knowledge than those in the political arena now.
whatever they get they deserve in my opinion.

Answer 6

We did steal their land! Why won't people just admit it???