Wampum

Tonto in New York

One thing I missed was anyone blogging at the Native American Caucus at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. One of those natural consequences of the DNC not offering to credential an Indian blogger, of which the woods are rife. At the Ad Hoc Native American Caucus at the Republican National Convention we have this -- the drafters of the Republican Party Platform forgot to mention tribal sovereignty and government-to-government relations in its Native Americans section. Dennis Hastert caught the error (remember, as odd as it seems, our best structural relationship with the US was when that country was lead by Nixon) and the new language reads (at page 83):

We will strengthen Native American self-determination by respecting tribal sovereignty, encouraging economic development on reservations, and working with them to reorganize the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service.

We uphold the unique government-to-government relationship between the tribes and the United States and honor our nation's trust obligations to them.

The draft also listed four "guiding principles" to replace "decades of mismanagement from Washington":

1. Tribal governments are best situated to gauge the needs of their communities and members.

2. Political self-determination and economic self-sufficiency are twin pillars of an effective Indian policy.

3. Private sector initiatives, rather than public assistance, can best improve material conditions in Indian communities.

4. High taxes and unreasonable regulations stifle new and expanded businesses and thwart the creation of job opportunities and prosperity."
   

Not as good as I provided the Clark campaign, but I'm impressed that the Speaker, having visited tribes in Oklahoma and meeting with Chairman Maurice Lyons of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, caught the gaffe, and that John Gonzales, president of the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico and a delegate to the convention, is there to sort-of-blog.

Posted by EBW at August 31, 2004 04:41 PM | TrackBack