Marry Out, Stay Out!

[dudalb]

Good for them seeking to preserve their genetic and cultural heritage.

You do know, of course ,that equating genetics and culture is unscientific hogwash of the worst kind?

And then of course there is the example of a nation that made that philosophy the mainstay of their government policy...you know,Germany between 1933 and 1945.

 

[Pianoro]

Honestly I think we are about 100 years past the time to have reservations AT ALL. Just give everybody a lump sum reparations payment and give them title to the land as a beneficial corporation, and then be done with it. (And I would not claim my share; that side of my family hasn't lived on a reservation since the 1800s.)

This was the policy in the US between the 1940s and 1960s. It was called “Indian Termination”. It was only partially effective in removing the special status of Native Americans and tribes. After the policy ended, some of its results were reverted. For example, the status of some tribes was reinstated.

In Canada, a similar policy was discussed in the so called “1969 White Paper”, but it was never implemented.

 

[Susheel]

In Canada, where Kahnawake is located, “Status Indians” enjoy various privileges, such as access to certain government programs not open to others, exemption from taxation or shares of money paid by the government to certain bands. Not every Canadian of native heritage is a “Status Indian” though. Who holds status is defined by a piece of legislation called the Indian Act and sometimes also by individual bands. Bands can set their own rules on who is a member and thus also a Status Indian. I am not sure though to what degree the Indian Act allows for bands to set up rules that would deprive people of their status.....the band may wish to restrict this privilege to members who marry within the band.

Thank you.

 

[Border Reiver]

Wonder what the Ghost of Joseph Brant thinks of all of this.

Probably something along the lines of " We played the game so well for so long that we stopped paying attention to the rule changes and forgot that adapting to the situation was what made us a strong player. "

 

[jimbob]

Honestly I think we are about 100 years past the time to have reservations AT ALL. Just give everybody a lump sum reparations payment and give them title to the land as a beneficial corporation, and then be done with it. (And I would not claim my share; that side of my family hasn't lived on a reservation since the 1800s.)

Wouldn't that require renegotiation of the treaties?

 

[quadraginta]

Probably something along the lines of " We played the game so well for so long that we stopped paying attention to the rule changes and forgot that adapting to the situation was what made us a strong player. "

This didn't work out so well for John Ross, who played by all the rules, paid close attention to all the changes, and still saw thousands of his people die during forced relocations across the U.S. after their legally owned (by U.S. law) property was simply taken from them (illegally, under U.S. law) by force.

Interestingly, among the primary reasons for this travesty was not only the simple theft of Native American land and property, but also fear among the White community that those Native Americans were becoming too successful at assimilating into the European American culture and economy. They were moving from being second class citizens to being prosperous plantation owners and slaveholders.

This potential social equality with Whites was as irksome as the existence of Native American owned land.