'Native Americans Issue Strong Warning To Federal Gov'
Public letter to Senator McCain & House Rep. Richard Pombo
The federal government committed the world's longest holocaust against the American Indian people! The federal government signed treaties with Indian nations, and made it a point to break every one of them! The federal government enslaved Indian men, women and children on reservations!
Now you're saying that Indians are reservation shopping? Before you try to write more laws against Indians' economic well being and advancement, you'd better honor all treaties made with Indian nations! You'd better start dealing with all the billions of dollars missing from the Indian trust fund!! Stop looking for a cheap way out! Pay up NOW!
Treaties made with the federal government are the supreme law of the land! The Native American community demands that you make these issues your top priority! Stop giving in to special interest groups that hate Indians. They are funding lobbyists to get your support. We see it happening!
These "Hate Indians" groups and their lobbyists with tons of cash are generating a false "Hate crisis" toward the American Indian community! No matter how much money they put in front of you, you'd better not buy into their Jack Abramoff scam! These same Indian hate groups are using the national media to advance their hate propaganda using words like Indian reservation shopping, Land encroachment, Indians don't pay taxes, and Indian governments out of control. The list goes on and on!
Nor have you discussed this so called "Reservation shopping" issue before the American Indian community! You would not treat the Jewish or Black American community in this manner! You need to get out of the back rooms of congress, put down the cigar, and address these issues before the American Indian community with respect as to any new legislation! Your actions affect tens of thousands of innocent people in the American Indian community!
The American Indian community is fed up with the political and economic deck being stacked against them by our own federal government! So far the only thing you have not required for an Indian to open a business in this country is proof from God that he approves of the deal!
You should be using your time to find out why corporate America is not doing their part to end the high rate of poverty in the American Indian community! If corporate America would support the American Indian community as they do communist China, Indian casinos would become a thing of the past as to Indians economic well being! As it is that's about the only way they have to make a living on their reservation! That's because you and the federal government are not calling corporate America in on the carpet and demanding answers! I hope you get the point by now, honorable representatives.
Our Indian sons and daughters serving in the U.S. Armed forces today are being killed in other countries. They're giving their life so others can live free and have a better way of life and future. While here in their true home land politicians like yourself are looking for ways to obstruct and block their family's economic well being!
If you move forward (as it looks like you are preparing to do) and ram more anti-Indian legislation through congress, without any thought or action toward real Indian community issues. The Native American community is prepared to instruct our sons, daughters and grand kids not to join the U.S. Armed forces! At this time there are around 35,000 Native Americans serving in the U.S. Armed forces. This message will be sent to them as well.
This action will not be coming from an Indian government but from Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Veterans, Indian organizations and Indian groups all over America. This action will only come about if you and congress turn your backs on the Native American community again! All we ask is that you deal with our real economic issues, not what others are telling you they are!
Last week in Geneva before the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) the Western Shoshone people won a very important victory in their ongoing battle with the United States government over ancestral land rights.
In a strongly worded finding, CERD called on the United States to halt the destructive land-use practices it has allowed on some of the 60 million acres the Western Shoshone claim until a settlement is reached on the status of that land. The area stretches across most of Nevada and parts of Idaho, Utah, and California.
The CERD decision instructs the US to start a dialogue with the Western Shoshone people to find a solution to the land-use issues that complies with their rights. It asks the US to provide an update by July 15 on the steps it has taken to meet CERD's requests.
The Native American community will no longer be quiet or stand by and let Indian hate groups dictate our issues or policies! Nor will we stand by and let our land be taken away and sold for pennies on the dollar to corporate America so they can make billions!
We are fed up with state governments and governors acting like dictators over us and our tribal governments! No state government should have the power or right to close an Indian tribal business without due process and federal oversight, to include that tribal government!
Our tribal governments should only work on a government to government level with the federal government! States should have to come before an Indian affairs committee concerning any "legal" problems they may have with a Native American government! This action would stop states from filing thousands of frivolous law suit's each year!
It is our hope that you, our elected federal representatives, give your full attention to these thoughts and words.
Mike Graham is a citizen of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation, a retired service connected disabled Army veteran. Founded United Native America in 1993 to form a national group to take action on American Indian issues. The groups main issue is to bring about a federal national holiday for Native Americans. United Native America's motto is, "Standing up for America and the American Indian community."
Graham has been a guest speaker on national and international radio talk shows to include television programs concerning Indian community issues, his reports on Indian issues have been published in newspapers all over America. He has traveled across the country discussing issues with Indian nation leaders, he has presented Indian issues at college's and high schools.
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