RECENT EVENTS IN INDIAN COUNTRY

This entire document was devoted to history and current experiences of American Indians since the United States Constitution came into effect. The first and last pages consider apologies tendered or not tendered from the United States to Tribal Indian societies and people. Text of the pamphlet itself here. More detailed information about some of the items in the pamphlet below.

More on the poet Laylie Long Soldier — a poet writing about apologies. Many thanks to Aimee Lee, Hanji artist extraordinary, for making this connection for me. An interview with her at On Being.

Worlds Turned Upside Down Yosemite national park brochure

Tribes where and who: In Washington State each tribe has its own website and governing structures, agendas, social contracts etc. In an effort to make access to the different tribes simple I have opted for the link on the website for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. Doing so is itself a dominant culture action because there are tribes in Washington State that are “unrecognized” and therefore excluded from this particular body. However, it’s a great resource for learning more about the recognized tribes because there are live links to all 20 participating tribes, links to treaties and links to the other tribes as well. Tribal Nations across the USA — a national map with associated regional maps serves a limited but similar purpose for the nation as a whole.

Tribes and economic life: Washington State life changed radically after the Boldt ruling to let Natives manage fisheries which is still vastly influential, 40 years later. In our area of southern Puget Sound one man stands out as the instigator of the ruling: Billy Frank. Many describe him the Dr. King for Indians. In his last years he honored us as member of the Board of Trustees for the Evergreen State College. He died in 2014. Billy Frank Jr. remembered as humanitarian, ‘spokesman for the salmon’ Paige Cornwell Seattle Times May 11. See also Thousands pay tribute to Billy Frank Jr. — activist, environmental giant, leader, friend Lisa Pemberton, The Olympian May 11, 2014. 

Tribes and economic life: Montana. Native Americans To Soon Receive Settlement Checks. InObama posthumously awarded Elouise Cobell, Blackfeet Montana, the National Medal of Freedom . To hear President Obama talking about Cobell during the Medal Ceremony,

In Real Life There are No Intermissions: The history of Voting Rights Amendments and Laws in the USA is made very complex by the fact that States govern elections so the systems vary from State to State. The US government’s description of Voting Law (under the Trump Administration) is pretty bland. https://www.usa.gov/voting-laws#item-212489. Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the US Constitution in full: Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 as Amended by the 14th Amendment: Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. American Indian Wars There is too much to say about the whole system of Indian Removals and Wars against Indian tribes, to condense it all into one web page. Assuming you might want to start just with the 100 years of war, that is a hot link to the Wikipedia page from which the list was taken. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_Wars. There is a link to each war in listed. Tribal Sovereignty Scroll down to the very end of this link to see a map of the nations of origin to which Americans attested links in the 2000 census. The largest number in each county determines the national link selected. Dark Maroon/Purple represents African American. Light Yellow signifies American — present only in the former Confederate States, some border states and the occasional county in Ohio, Illinois etc. The map comes after page 7 in the report.

Sarah Vowell, Cherokee, skilled author and deeply in love with American History has written several books about the early centuries in the country.

The Dakota Access Pipeline dispute marks yet another land “grab” challenged by Indians on the grounds of destruction of ancestral sites. The coverage in the US media was extensive, progressive: The Atlantic, Mother Jones,  and conservative Fox News.

The Evergreen State College has an extended and profound program of learning and cultural expression for and by Indians. A symposium on the larger Indian land issues occurred for the second time in 2018 at the Evergreen State College. Faith Spotted Eagle gave the keynote still available online.  Ceremony and Gatherings Git Hoan Dancers from Alaska and the Raven Dance. The dancers appeared during the 2018 Gathering of Indigenous Artists of the Pacific Rim. Meanwhile in the Nisqually Delta nearby, Billy Frank’s ancestral tribe played host to the annual Salish Sea Canoe Paddle.

Ceremonial sites at The Evergreen State College include a Welcome Lady

(prior to refurbishment in 2019.)