Native Americans To Soon Receive Settlement Checks - Polidicks

[quote] [img]http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/11/29/cobell_wide-6f1a47133663d36eafa26d53c479a53d488f1cfa-s4.jpg[/img] Federal officials are working to send out $1,000 checks in the next few weeks to hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. The money stems from a settlement of the Cobell case, a landmark $3.4 billion settlement over mismanagement of federal lands held in trust for Native American people. The case was brought by Elouise Cobell, a member of Montana's Blackfeet Tribe, and four other Native Americans in 1996. On South Dakota's Native American reservations, reactions are mixed. The checks will help Native Americans deal with the challenges of intense poverty during the cold winter months, but some say the government is still shortchanging those who were cheated out of royalties for decades. Ben Good Buffalo of Red Shirt, S.D., an isolated community nestled in the Badlands of the Pine Ridge Reservation, is one of thousands of Native American trust landowners who could get a check before Christmas. Good Buffalo says many will spend their share of the Cobell settlement to heat their homes. "This house has so many cold winds coming in the winter; the propane that we use is just gone," says Good Buffalo. This case is rooted in the fact that land owned by tribal residents isn't theirs alone — Native American lands are held in trust by the federal government. So any royalties — from, say, an oil well, gold mine or even livestock grazing — are managed by the government. But for more than a century, Washington wasn't paying Native Americans the money they were owed. Our trustee has over and over spent our money and stolen our land. This settlement changes nothing about that. - Crow Creek tribe member Elizabeth Cook-Lynn Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is heralding this first payment of the settlement money. "This brings to an end years of contentious litigation that cast a dark cloud on the United States Department of Interior and on the nation-to-nation relationship with Indian Country," Salazar said. Of the $3.4 billion settlement, $60 million goes into a school scholarship fund for Native Americans. This week, Interior officials also announced broad reforms that make it easier to build a home or business on trust land. Donald Laverdure with the Bureau of Indian Affairs says that while the reforms will increase tribal self-determination, he knows there is still much to do. "We've had 200-plus years of federal laws, statutes and regulations governing many aspects of how Indians govern their own lives," says Laverdure. Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, a Crow Creek tribe member, will receive $1,000 now and maybe more money later. But Cook-Lynn argues this settlement does nothing to fix a system she considers corrupt. "Our trustee has over and over spent our money and stolen our land. This settlement changes nothing about that," Cook-Lynn says. Back in Red Shirt, Suzanna Two Bulls says her share of the money will go toward buying a cheap car so she can drive to the Indian Health Service 60 miles away when her grandchildren get sick. "It's just that dire need to at least upgrade your life a little bit momentarily," she says. After this first disbursement to about 350,000 people, a second phase could bring more money to Native trust landowners. But for many struggling through another winter here on this hard-pressed reservation, the money won't last long. [/quote] Source: [url]http://www.npr.org/2012/11/30/166185774/native-americans-to-soon-receive-settlement-checks[/url]

If there's ever a topic that starts a shitstorm it's this. Guarantee there will be some political flamewar over this in the next two weeks. The only question is how big it gets.

Get ready for drug and alcohol abuse to shoot through the ceiling.

[QUOTE=MIPS;38656888]Get ready for drug and alcohol abuse to shoot through the ceiling.[/QUOTE] how classy

19th century US fucked them sideways just for "getting in the way" so they deserve the money probably a little more too but ehh

[QUOTE=MIPS;38656888]Get ready for drug and alcohol abuse to shoot through the ceiling.[/QUOTE] I doubt it, 60 mil is going to scholarship funds so hopefully allowing people to get proper educations and not resort to alcohol and drugs.

To be honest, I have enough Apache in my blood to claim government checks every month. No reason to though. I've visited a few reservations, they're absolute shitholes, maybe this money will hopefully go to helping improve them?

[QUOTE=Winters;38657028]I doubt it, 60 mil is going to scholarship funds so hopefully allowing people to get proper educations and not resort to alcohol and drugs.[/QUOTE] If this rolls out in any way that looks similar to how we did it, it's not going to be pretty.

And then suddenly hundreds of thousands of Native American's drop dead from mysterious anthrax poisoning.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOxh-dHOL7c[/media] Also, there is some tension between Indians and white people in south Dakota in a couple places. For example, cousin was beat up by Indians for being white I heard at school. Though, mount Rushmore is right there on the black hills, so I'd be pissed too at THAT part. But I disagree with reparations.

[QUOTE=thelurker1234;38657115][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOxh-dHOL7c[/media] Also, there is some tension between Indians and white people in south Dakota in a couple places. For example, cousin was beat up by Indians for being white I heard at school. Though, mount Rushmore is right there on the black hills, so I'd be pissed too at THAT part. But I disagree with reparations.[/QUOTE] Europeans had the decency to kill all of us off so why not give us the money for it? Not to mention all the grief. When you take a whole bunch of people and forcibly move them somewhere you better give them money for it.

[QUOTE=Winters;38657028]I doubt it, 60 mil is going to scholarship funds so hopefully allowing people to get proper educations and not resort to alcohol and drugs.[/QUOTE] They can already get into most universities for free. Fun fact.

[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;38657808]They can already get into most universities for free. Fun fact.[/QUOTE]Do you realize where the money to pay for those comes from? (Hint: It starts with s and ends with cholarships.)

[QUOTE=galenmarek;38657548]Europeans had the decency to kill all of us off so why not give us the money for it? Not to mention all the grief. When you take a whole bunch of people and forcibly move them somewhere you better give them money for it.[/QUOTE] Because no one alive today actually endured any of the suffering, perhaps? Boo hoo my ancestor Phil had his family eaten by a lion now the government owes me a gazelle each week.

[QUOTE=galenmarek;38657548]Europeans had the decency to kill all of us off so why not give us the money for it? Not to mention all the grief. When you take a whole bunch of people and forcibly move them somewhere you better give them money for it.[/QUOTE] I didn't fucking do it and just because I was born White doesn't mean I owe anyone anything.

[QUOTE=MIPS;38656888]Get ready for drug and alcohol abuse to shoot through the ceiling.[/QUOTE] Wow, looks like you get "Insensitive Asshole Of The Year" award. Congratu-fucking-lations.

[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;38657875]Wow, looks like you get "Insensitive Asshole Of The Year" award. Congratu-fucking-lations.[/QUOTE]That's not insensitive, its racist.

[QUOTE=sambooo;38657856]Because no one alive today actually endured any of the suffering, perhaps? Boo hoo my ancestor Phil had his family eaten by a lion now the government owes me a gazelle each week.[/QUOTE] Having a single person eaten is not the same as having dozens of entire cultures completely destroyed is it? Many people ARE alive that have suffered through some of the things the government has done. I can bring up the eugenics program if you want. Also you act like this just happened out of no where. People have been arguing about this for almost 17 years now. People have been arguing for so long that the original person who was doing much of the arguing died.

[QUOTE=Strider*;38657859]I didn't fucking do it and just because I was born White doesn't mean I owe anyone anything.[/QUOTE] Agreed. Hell while the whole colonization thing was going on, my ancestors were busting their balls off in Germany, Italy, and Ireland. [editline]1st December 2012[/editline] Even if I was born into a family who had a long history of native killing and slavery or something, it's not my fault. I didn't do jack shit.

[QUOTE=Strider*;38657859]I didn't fucking do it and just because I was born White doesn't mean I owe anyone anything.[/QUOTE] I never claimed all the Europeans were on some sort of colonization spree killing everything that moved. However most of the time when that happened, it was under direct orders of the American government itself. It's pretty fair that they pay people for that.

[QUOTE=galenmarek;38658168]I never claimed all the Europeans were on some sort of colonization spree killing everything that moved. However most of the time when that happened, it was under direct orders of the American government itself. It's pretty fair that they pay people for that.[/QUOTE] not really no it takes away from the point of what we should be doing which is creating a society that is economically and politically fair for minorities. you dont do that by simply signing a check for every native american, or every black, or every latino in the usa.

I don't understand why Indian reservations still exist. Indian tribes have been westernized and gone far beyond their origins of being an actual tribe. Now it just exists as small, poverty stricken communities that only exist as an excuse to evade taxes. No sense in being sorry for what our ancestors did to their ancestors when no one alive today even took part in the colonization or had their lad taken.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;38658344]not really no it takes away from the point of what we should be doing which is creating a society that is economically and politically fair for minorities. you dont do that by simply signing a check for every native american, or every black, or every latino in the usa.[/QUOTE] if i were a native american, i would rather the money went into solving problems that i were having on a societal level rather than just recieving a cheque flat out. this wont do anything good and it wont do anything bad for the native american population, its a waste of time and money

[QUOTE=galenmarek;38658168]I never claimed all the Europeans were on some sort of colonization spree killing everything that moved. However most of the time when that happened, it was under direct orders of the American government itself. It's pretty fair that they pay people for that.[/QUOTE] Which they have, cough cough affirmative action.. Indian reservations. The people who really suffered from those injustices are long gone, people like you are just leeches looking to garner a quick buck off of the suffering of your ancestors. It's disgusting. [editline]30th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=galenmarek;38658168]I never claimed all the Europeans were on some sort of colonization spree killing everything that move.[/QUOTE] oh, really? [quote=galenmarek;3865168]Europeans had the decency to kill all of us off so why not give us the money for it?[/quote]

[QUOTE=Bobie;38658391]if i were a native american, i would rather the money went into solving problems that i were having on a societal level rather than just recieving a cheque flat out. this wont do anything good and it wont do anything bad for the native american population, its a waste of time and money[/QUOTE] it's obviously not been incredibly effective so far. i mean most tribal citizens receive over a grand a year simply for citizenship, depending on the wealth of the tribe. yet most native americans on tribal land still live in poverty. there is something else that needs to be done besides giving native americans money

[QUOTE=yawmwen;38658344]not really no it takes away from the point of what we should be doing which is creating a society that is economically and politically fair for minorities. you dont do that by simply signing a check for every native american, or every black, or every latino in the usa.[/QUOTE] This is my biggest problem with this stuff. If the money was being appropriated in such a fashion as to attempt to pull them out of the shithole they got placed in, I'd be all for it, but it's basically a straight check with no restrictions from what I know. This doesn't actually help get people out of the hole in the long run, even if the intentions are good (which seems to vary depending on the party involved). The whole thing is a clusterfuck to end clusterfucks, and I have a lot of mixed feelings about it.

[QUOTE=galenmarek;38657548]Europeans had the decency to kill all of us off so why not give us the money for it? Not to mention all the grief. When you take a whole bunch of people and forcibly move them somewhere you better give them money for it.[/QUOTE] Were your people who got killed a mere commodity that can be bought back with currency? I find that quite disturbing.

This is Socialism!

maybe you's should read the article. this is about paying them what they're owed for the land that the government held 'in trust' for the native americans. not just giving them a cheque cause whitey murked their ancestors

[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;38657896]That's not insensitive, its racist.[/QUOTE] He's enforcing a stereotype.