So the municipal election was pretty yawn-worthy - and pretty much what everyone thought would happen did happen. Sullivan vs. Croft in a runoff. Anchorage-ites determined they don't want to spend a dime on anything except fire safety (and possibly public transit.) Even after attending a candidate forum, I could only eliminate candidates, not get excited about them. Would you believe I was more invested in the school board elections?
But there are some interesting bits of Native political news, big and small.
U.S. Supreme Court rules against Native Hawaiian's land claims
I don't think this shocked anyone, this is sort of history as usual, but some important notes to "bring it home."
1. I would love for Palin's AG pick to reassess his view that OUR Native land claims (ANCSA) had no benefit for Native or non-Native Alaskans. The struggle to get land claims settled in Hawaii and the Lower 48 is a good example of just what benefits both Alaskan parties continue to receive from this.
2. The supreme court ruling that the official apology by Hawaii for their actions had no standing in this case SHOULD open the doors for official apologies from many other entities. Without fear of legal ramifications, it could pry out some official apologies.
Native people in Alaskan political news
Joe Nelson
Palin's second pick for the open dem seat in Juneau, after her first pick got soundly rejected. From all accounts, Nelson's a good guy - who is not involved in the general democratic political scene. Meaning... no experience. I mean NO experience. He's a board member of Sealaska and Sealaska Heritage Institute - the Southeast Alaska Native regional for-profit corp and nonprofit corp, works at the U of A Southeast - as well as being a Tlingit (Alaska Native) man and husband of former representative Mary Nelson.
Board membership and a good job is one thing - but why is Palin selecting someone who has never voluntarily run for anything except board membership? If he really wanted to be in office... why hasn't he ever tried to do so? I'll lob my views from the side here - I think it's the people of Juneau, the ones he'll be representing, that should have the bigger voice on this. But I do find it all very strange.
Jeannie Mackie
An Athabascan (?) self-described stay-at-home-home mom married to former Senate Majority Leader Jerry Mackie. She was chosen to fill the school board vacancy and this is her first time running for anything. There is "less than a percentage point" separating her and Mia Costello as of midnight. I've heard it said that she part of why she wants to run is to help the Native student situation out in Anchorage, but can't find material/news bits about that either on her site or in the news.
James Labelle
Here's a guy I'm hoping will keep it up. The seat will go to Kathleen Plunkett, but Labelle got a pretty respectable 17-18% for a first run at something. Young guy, and son of Jim Labelle, a big ANCSA name. He comes from a pretty political family, not to mention a family I respect quite a bit, so I hope he'll step out and define himself really well, and keep at it.
Walt Monegan
His name was famous as the top cop who got the boot from Palin in the whole "Troopergate" issue, though it looks pretty definite he's not going to be mayor this time around. He's a guy who could really make a difference, and was trying to do just that, for rural Alaska and Native issues. He was already working on it when he got the axe. He's lived both rural and urban, is of mixed-Native heritage (Tlingit and I THINK Yup'ik... but don't quote me on the Yup'ik) and a decent, smart man. This was his first run for elected office, and I'm hoping he's really going to find his niche in the world soon. We could use him.
And in case you missed it...
The Alaska Federation of Natives,
Association of Village Council Presidents and
the Alaska Native Brotherhood/Alaska Native Sisterhood Grand Camp #70 (Glacier Valley - Juneau)
These are three Native organizations that have voted to oppose Sarah Palin's attorney general pick, Wayne Anthony Ross. Check out my previous posts for details. Suffice it to say that they are my organizational heroes right now. And please let me know if you see any other organizations - Native or non-Native - taking a stand on this issue!
In all - and I feel as if I'm repeating myself here - this can be a really exciting time for Alaska Native politics.
Showing posts with label alaska natives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alaska natives. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I knew I knew that cowboy
Okay, so I FINALLY figured out where I "knew" Ken Salazar from.Okay, no I never met the new Secretary of the Interior. But as I was trying to track down confirmation for the rumor I heard that he was going to be heading to Alaska soon, and saw a pic of him in his hat, I had the lightbulb ding.
When Celtic Diva and I were in Denver, Salazar was everywhere. I remember THAT. But he first caught my attention when he did what I thought was a very respectful and poignant welcome for the convention week by honoring First Americans. The pic is of the "official" welcome for the convention, just after a parade led by these Native dignitaries of the area. My post of the day remarked on this cowboy and Indian presentation: The senator reminded the audience that Native Americans have been at the forefront of America for centuries, including more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Yes, that's me quoting myself.) I had remarked at the time that it was pretty cool Native culture was being honored so prominently - the Native American touches were quite noticeable in Denver the whole time - but this opening was the most traditional, and Salazar's words the most respectful. For those that don't know the Sec. of the Interior oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs - how this guy has treated Native people/culture/issues in the past is of great importance! Although I'm sure Salazar's main reason for trekking up to the Great North is oil-based, I'm sure he will be finding time (read: he BETTER find time! :) ) to look into the BIA activities up here, and Native issues in general.
Mystery solved. All I had to do was read my own blog!
Wierdly enough, it was the UK Guardian that I finally found confirmation that Salazar would (soon?) be heading to Alaska:
He promised to hold four regional meetings - in Alaska, near the Gulf, along the west coast and the east coast - to gather opinions from governors, environmentalists and energy industry experts.
While I was hunting, however, I came across several interesting articles regarding Native issues and/or Alaska. My brain was fried today from work (actually, a coworker!) so my contributions are meager, you can check out some of the very exciting happenings in Native issues lately!
Bit from an older Alaska Dispatch article about Mark Begich being a "breath of fresh air." Although kinnd of an article about conservation and environment, the Alaska Native implications are pretty clear in the contrast of Stevens and Begich.
A Huffington Post story that humanizes some subsistence and oil issues - by Ricki Ott.
New York Times article about remembering the Indian nations. From the National Congress of American Indians President''s state of Indian nations address:
“When the President says that Indian nations are a priority for his new Administration, I take him at his word,” Mr. Garcia said. “With all my heart, I believe this is the true and right thing to do. I hope that, as the President says, the waiting is over, because Indians have been waiting a long, long time for the government’s actions to meet our own.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Alaska village "non-emergency" emergency
"I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me. Yet, I assure myself and others that I am sorry for him and wish to lighten his load by all possible means — except by getting off his back."
That quote will become more clear at the bottom of this post.
Just a few of the dozens and dozens of reports, articles, letters and highlights just this year about the certainty that a Rural energy crisis was going to happen. Although it truly is an emergency right now, you might call it the slowest building emergency ever. This was not the result of earthquakes or natural disasters - people saw this coming ten miles away.
From late December, a story in Indian Country Today. The article itself is about the impending energy crisis in Rural Alaska and the people who have spoken out about it, including Begich, Comeau, Murkowski and... oh yeah - the entire Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) convention! The reporter notes that:
AND
The mayor's office they are referring to here is (now) Sen. Begich, not the current, acting mayor.
The Anchorage Daily News on AFN wanting a Rural energy emergency declared back in October, as well as an article from last summer, in which Native leaders are urging the state to action on the (already present) energy problems. The solutions offered by the leadership in the summer article were, quite obviously, ignored. I can only hope they don't continue to be. Sen. Murkowski held a hearing in Bethel to discuss the outmigration because of the Rural energy crisis back in August:
The Bristol Bay Times reported on these "rural residents" calling for help - they wanted the state to declare an energy emergency back in May:
The "energy solution" they mention Palin announing in the article was the $1200 Palin pushed for Alaskans - already being called too little, too late for Rural residents when it was first introduced. Of course, we now know how true the detractors were now.
Even USA Today got in on the news, reporting on the oncoming fuel shortage, as barges weren't making it in:
That quote will become more clear at the bottom of this post.
Just a few of the dozens and dozens of reports, articles, letters and highlights just this year about the certainty that a Rural energy crisis was going to happen. Although it truly is an emergency right now, you might call it the slowest building emergency ever. This was not the result of earthquakes or natural disasters - people saw this coming ten miles away.
From late December, a story in Indian Country Today. The article itself is about the impending energy crisis in Rural Alaska and the people who have spoken out about it, including Begich, Comeau, Murkowski and... oh yeah - the entire Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) convention! The reporter notes that:
The Rural Subcabinet formed by Governor Sarah Palin in response to what many consider a crisis in rural Alaska has reportedly met, but specific information about their activities has been difficult to find.
AND
By late October, the AFN and the mayor’s office had already voiced strong disappointment at the governor’s response to their concerns about the need for culturally vibrant and healthy rural communities. The mayor and AFN both felt that a subcabinet was a less than adequate response to the immediate
crisis.
The mayor's office they are referring to here is (now) Sen. Begich, not the current, acting mayor.
The Anchorage Daily News on AFN wanting a Rural energy emergency declared back in October, as well as an article from last summer, in which Native leaders are urging the state to action on the (already present) energy problems. The solutions offered by the leadership in the summer article were, quite obviously, ignored. I can only hope they don't continue to be. Sen. Murkowski held a hearing in Bethel to discuss the outmigration because of the Rural energy crisis back in August:
"This has reached a critical point to where we will now have decide if we are going to feed our young or keep them warm," said Ron Hoffman president and CEO of the Association of Village Council Presidents Regional Housing Authority.
The Bristol Bay Times reported on these "rural residents" calling for help - they wanted the state to declare an energy emergency back in May:
The state needs to declare an energy disaster in rural Alaska, he wrote.
“Our disaster has been ongoing for at least five years and will continue without drastic intervention from our state.”
The "energy solution" they mention Palin announing in the article was the $1200 Palin pushed for Alaskans - already being called too little, too late for Rural residents when it was first introduced. Of course, we now know how true the detractors were now.
Even USA Today got in on the news, reporting on the oncoming fuel shortage, as barges weren't making it in:
Alaskans in rural areas will spend 40% of their annual income on energy this winter compared with 4% for the average Alaska household, according to a University of Alaska Anchorage study published in May.
I think the disparity in "where the money goes" could sink in for the people talking about how Rural folk wasted all the money. Mudflats had an excellent post on a Rural shopping trip, in the same light.
I think this is the third or fourth time I've put this out there, but the Alaska Natives Commission Report, published back in the '90s, reports on conditions of Alaska Native people, from economy to social and cultural implications, results of the loss of self-reliance and subsistence... and on, and on. It is a HUGE report, but fairly comprehensive, and, most importantly, it presents a multitude of solutions. One little bit from it, talking about Rural economy:
Beyond the limitations of little (or no) infrastructure, high costs, restricted transportation access, and the many other factors that constitute barriers to economic development (as discussed in the introductory section of this Report), if fuel were not readily available, practically any sort of market economy would be prohibited.
The report includes a quote from Leo Tolstoy I find interesting:
What the federal and state governments can do is offer mutual respect and assistance. They must be willing to give control of local issues back to Alaska Natives. They must step aside in many areas so that Alaska Natives can attempt to reconstruct honorable and dignified lives for themselves.
This will not be an easy task. People who have become accustomed to living without power tend to avoid the obligations that accompany it. Likewise, the external forces that take power — even with the best intentions — generally resist giving it back. In that regard, the following words from the works of Leo Tolstoy are appropriate to consider:
"I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me.Yet, I assure myself and others that I am sorry for him and wish to lighten his load by all possible means — except by getting off his back."
Many people - and administrations - have dropped the ball on this. The immediate solutions mean people need aid, but the long-term solutions have more to do with letting people live and build an infrastructure for themselves. Though the problems are many, so are the solutions.
But in light of this past year, in light of the urgent voices in the news, in the villages, in conferences speaking out about the impending crisis, the absolute certainty that fuel shortages, economic crisis and EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING was going to happen, I just want to know one thing:
Why is our governor just finding out about this?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Honey Do List from Alaska for Obama
I've tried very hard to put to words the emotion of the last few days, but I give up. Maybe in the following days, but really, I haven't seen anyone that has put it to words yet, so I'm thinking it's impossible. Anything I've attempted just doesn't seem big enough.
Instead, I'm going to follow my future president's lead and knuckle down to work. Well, I'm going to get to work doing all the things that have gone to the side in my own neck of the woods (and for the non-Alaskans watching national news, you'll see our election isn't over yet) and I think his mind is on other matters.
But while he's making all his plans, I'm stealing a bit from Rachel Maddow and doing up my own "honey do" list. I'm not putting the obvious, like "health care" and "please stop the economic apocalypse." Some of these have been touched on, some of these haven't, some have only become really apparent in the last few days. There's a few local, mostly national, but I hope that in four years, most of these have been accomplished.
1. Pass the Indian Health Care Reauthorization Act
This Act has been stalled for 11 years - going on twelve! It is not an act many know - or really care - about, except for those it addresses. This act finally passed the senate this spring, but Bush has been threatening to veto it for awhile. It has to go through congress, and my hope is that President Obama will see it safely through. Native people across this country have truly horrible health care conditions, and they are in need of modern policies and laws.
2. Fix Head Start
I want to see No Child Left Behind abolished and general preschool/early childhood policies bettered, but I think fixing so much of what Bush did to Head Starts (hugely impacting to Indian Head Starts) is something that hasn't gotten quite as much attention. Head Start is proven to work (and we can argue that later, if you are so inclined) and it is in trouble.
3. Continue the grass roots candidacy to the grass roots presidency
Part of what Obama had going for him was this amazing organization of ordinary (and extraordinary) people. One of the things that impressed me so much when I went into the Obama campaign headquarters here was the organization and community of such huge things. I hope he'll keep his Web site, the interactiveness of it, the organization of the campaign, and develop new ways to keep people involved. My mother commented that this made her want to work for the government in some capacity - can you imagine that comment just three days ago? Although we can't (and shouldn't) all work for the government, in a country created "by the people, for the people, and of the people," we can all be involved. Meaning - don't let this just be a presidency of Washington D.C. - make it of the United States.
4. Keep the promises about Native American policy
This includes the top advisor appointments, really sitting down to talk with Native leaders and communities - and not just the superficial kind that so many predeccessors have tried. Talking frequently and about real issues. This is an easily ignored population because of the small numbers, but the hope and promises of the campaign MUST translate to action in the White House. This is the deal breaker - and the only thing that will keep me up at night until I see movement. I know, I know, it's only been about five seconds, but Native people across the country have only hopes to go on with this. There has never been a president that truly sought and achieved the best for the Native people, and Obama could make a first for this to. He already gave us a "shout out" in the acceptance speech, now some good appointments and policy!Which brings me to number five...
5. Appoint Gov. Tony Knowles to the Secretary of the Interior!!
Okay, this isn't really a deal breaker for me, but really guys, give Alaskans a chance to show the world that we don't only elect corruption and ineptitude. Gov. Knowles was a twice-elected democratic governor in an extremely republican state. He was very popular - still is - and as Secretary of the Interior (for Natives, this translates "overseeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs") he could have a major impact on Native issues. There was some division in his Native support at the end of his career (strong support for most of it), but I believe this was less because he "betrayed" anyone, and more because he was never a single-issue politician. He would make and EXCELLENT choice - trust me on this guys! As much of an embarassment as Palin was for Alaska, Knowles was and is a source of pride, as well as a smart and capable candidate for this position. The released short list for this position is excellent, but Knowles would be GREAT. PLEASE Mr. President, I beg you as an Alaskan wanting to redeem our state, give us this chance!
6. Get the puppy from a pound
Okay, not exactly a deal breaker either, but I heard this was an idea, and I hope it is true. In one fell swoop, you've made a statement for animal rescue and you've made your daughters happy! Two-fer! This actually underscores some hints at environment and animal policies Obama already made, something I hope he'll be a real leader on. Leading in both big and small ways will go a long way.
7. Be a leader in true care for our veteran's
Again, address the big and the small. I'm counting on Obama to end the Iraq war, but I'd also like to see more than just words about how good veteran's are. President Obama can be a leader in how they should be treated before deportment (their families, their education, their training), while they're serving a tour (big - funding for what they need, choosing quality defense leaders, seemingly smaller - encouraging "small" things like care packages and caring for families while they serve), and after they get back (health care - including behavioral health care, transition care)
8. Make healthy living for children not just a good idea, but a priority
This means making healthy food for schools affordable and popular, getting physical education pumped up, getting creative ideas to encourage "fun" again (including things like the WiiFit for kids, etc.), getting parents involved - basically help to make being active and healthy popular. Junk food marketing outspends government health education by something like 20 to 1 - the answer isn't always spend more, but clearly we can do something here.
9. Take a look at the Alaskan rural energy crisis
I know, this is something the state is supposed to look at, but our governor is NOT looking at it. She may be forced to soon, but we need some more pressure from the federal government, or rural Alaska is going to go down, and I don't mean in twenty years. There is already a village in Alaska in which all the resident were encouraged to move out due to them not being able to pay for the city energy bill - and our governor did nothing. Although this will probably mean something more in policies about energy all around, I encourage you to visit some of these places and get a real look at it. And that brings me to my number ten...
10. Come take a REAL look at Alaska!
Don't take Sarah Palin's word for it. Come and spend more than the few minutes most presidents have spent on their way to Japan or something. Take a look at ANWR for yourself, take a look at our villages, spend a good amount of time here. It is the only state Obama has not visited, and to be president of the whole country, I hope he remedies this soon. Palin has pumped herself up as an energy expert, yet has touted only the oil and gas part of it. Alaska has teh capabilities to address so many alternative energy options, we could be a leader in this. Unfortunately, we are not. Maybe we just need a presidential nudge?
Instead, I'm going to follow my future president's lead and knuckle down to work. Well, I'm going to get to work doing all the things that have gone to the side in my own neck of the woods (and for the non-Alaskans watching national news, you'll see our election isn't over yet) and I think his mind is on other matters.
But while he's making all his plans, I'm stealing a bit from Rachel Maddow and doing up my own "honey do" list. I'm not putting the obvious, like "health care" and "please stop the economic apocalypse." Some of these have been touched on, some of these haven't, some have only become really apparent in the last few days. There's a few local, mostly national, but I hope that in four years, most of these have been accomplished.
1. Pass the Indian Health Care Reauthorization Act
This Act has been stalled for 11 years - going on twelve! It is not an act many know - or really care - about, except for those it addresses. This act finally passed the senate this spring, but Bush has been threatening to veto it for awhile. It has to go through congress, and my hope is that President Obama will see it safely through. Native people across this country have truly horrible health care conditions, and they are in need of modern policies and laws.
2. Fix Head Start
I want to see No Child Left Behind abolished and general preschool/early childhood policies bettered, but I think fixing so much of what Bush did to Head Starts (hugely impacting to Indian Head Starts) is something that hasn't gotten quite as much attention. Head Start is proven to work (and we can argue that later, if you are so inclined) and it is in trouble.
3. Continue the grass roots candidacy to the grass roots presidency
Part of what Obama had going for him was this amazing organization of ordinary (and extraordinary) people. One of the things that impressed me so much when I went into the Obama campaign headquarters here was the organization and community of such huge things. I hope he'll keep his Web site, the interactiveness of it, the organization of the campaign, and develop new ways to keep people involved. My mother commented that this made her want to work for the government in some capacity - can you imagine that comment just three days ago? Although we can't (and shouldn't) all work for the government, in a country created "by the people, for the people, and of the people," we can all be involved. Meaning - don't let this just be a presidency of Washington D.C. - make it of the United States.
4. Keep the promises about Native American policy
This includes the top advisor appointments, really sitting down to talk with Native leaders and communities - and not just the superficial kind that so many predeccessors have tried. Talking frequently and about real issues. This is an easily ignored population because of the small numbers, but the hope and promises of the campaign MUST translate to action in the White House. This is the deal breaker - and the only thing that will keep me up at night until I see movement. I know, I know, it's only been about five seconds, but Native people across the country have only hopes to go on with this. There has never been a president that truly sought and achieved the best for the Native people, and Obama could make a first for this to. He already gave us a "shout out" in the acceptance speech, now some good appointments and policy!Which brings me to number five...
5. Appoint Gov. Tony Knowles to the Secretary of the Interior!!
Okay, this isn't really a deal breaker for me, but really guys, give Alaskans a chance to show the world that we don't only elect corruption and ineptitude. Gov. Knowles was a twice-elected democratic governor in an extremely republican state. He was very popular - still is - and as Secretary of the Interior (for Natives, this translates "overseeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs") he could have a major impact on Native issues. There was some division in his Native support at the end of his career (strong support for most of it), but I believe this was less because he "betrayed" anyone, and more because he was never a single-issue politician. He would make and EXCELLENT choice - trust me on this guys! As much of an embarassment as Palin was for Alaska, Knowles was and is a source of pride, as well as a smart and capable candidate for this position. The released short list for this position is excellent, but Knowles would be GREAT. PLEASE Mr. President, I beg you as an Alaskan wanting to redeem our state, give us this chance!
6. Get the puppy from a pound
Okay, not exactly a deal breaker either, but I heard this was an idea, and I hope it is true. In one fell swoop, you've made a statement for animal rescue and you've made your daughters happy! Two-fer! This actually underscores some hints at environment and animal policies Obama already made, something I hope he'll be a real leader on. Leading in both big and small ways will go a long way.
7. Be a leader in true care for our veteran's
Again, address the big and the small. I'm counting on Obama to end the Iraq war, but I'd also like to see more than just words about how good veteran's are. President Obama can be a leader in how they should be treated before deportment (their families, their education, their training), while they're serving a tour (big - funding for what they need, choosing quality defense leaders, seemingly smaller - encouraging "small" things like care packages and caring for families while they serve), and after they get back (health care - including behavioral health care, transition care)
8. Make healthy living for children not just a good idea, but a priority
This means making healthy food for schools affordable and popular, getting physical education pumped up, getting creative ideas to encourage "fun" again (including things like the WiiFit for kids, etc.), getting parents involved - basically help to make being active and healthy popular. Junk food marketing outspends government health education by something like 20 to 1 - the answer isn't always spend more, but clearly we can do something here.
9. Take a look at the Alaskan rural energy crisis
I know, this is something the state is supposed to look at, but our governor is NOT looking at it. She may be forced to soon, but we need some more pressure from the federal government, or rural Alaska is going to go down, and I don't mean in twenty years. There is already a village in Alaska in which all the resident were encouraged to move out due to them not being able to pay for the city energy bill - and our governor did nothing. Although this will probably mean something more in policies about energy all around, I encourage you to visit some of these places and get a real look at it. And that brings me to my number ten...
10. Come take a REAL look at Alaska!
Don't take Sarah Palin's word for it. Come and spend more than the few minutes most presidents have spent on their way to Japan or something. Take a look at ANWR for yourself, take a look at our villages, spend a good amount of time here. It is the only state Obama has not visited, and to be president of the whole country, I hope he remedies this soon. Palin has pumped herself up as an energy expert, yet has touted only the oil and gas part of it. Alaska has teh capabilities to address so many alternative energy options, we could be a leader in this. Unfortunately, we are not. Maybe we just need a presidential nudge?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Make sure you take a second look
A friend from Akiachak sent me a story recently published in New York Times about the place, "Remote and Struggling, but Still a Bit of America." I could identify with my friends' feelings about the article - proud that her hometown was highlighted, yet disturbed about the way the village was portrayed.
It is a line I myself struggle with. There are real problems to address, in the villages as well as, well, pretty much every where else. But these villages are not cesspools - they are not without great warmth and beauty.
My dad recently asked me, "What do you say when people ask you where you're from?"
Because of my dad's job, I grew up all over Alaska. Although born in in "Rural" Alaska, by the time I was twelve I had moved twelve times, between both Rural and urban. I spent only nine months of my life away from Alaska - my first year of college - and that was about all I needed to know I would never leave the state. But I still don't quite know how to answer the question - except to say where I was born and, "I'm from Alaska."
As both insider and outsider to Rural Alaskan life, I can't say I have quite the same connection to village life as some of my "village to city" friends do. Yet I was a preteen when we finally made the move to the "big city" - Anchorage. (Don't laugh - it's big when you spent all your life previous "off the road system!")
I can say, without hesitancy or shame, that my absolute best memories from my youth are from playing in the shores and rivers of Southeast Alaska and Kodiak Island, eating herring eggs until I was stuffed at my grandparent's house, and getting any number of scrapes, bruises and muddy skirts from the "no playground" backyards of relatives.
We have major, major problems, yes. I think few Americans are unaware now that we have the highest rates of... everything. Suicide, sexual abuse, child abuse, domestic violence... and on... and on... Things are serious - but I am sad to think that this is the only view we might leave.
This came up again when I read a post by Mudflats about "Another Alaska."
Yes, the facts are there, and there is concern, but things are not ONLY bad. The New York Times article brushed by children speaking in Yup'ik in kindergarten. In kindergarten! A serious judge of how strong a language is are the number of children in the culture speaking the language. In this extremely important piece of rebuilding cultures and lives, Akiachak is a leader.I wish the communities I come from could boast the same.
The post in Mudflats has some of the bad, but it is not always. Not having a playground is not the worst thing that could happen. My fondest memories of childhood were not on the playground - they were in the wilds (and sometimes backyard wilds) of the most beautiful land in the country.
The problem with stating this is that then people sometimes go, "See! They are happier living exactly as they are!"
No community in the world is perfect, and a community that can't save itself from a fire, or prevent a girl drowning in raw sewage had serious problems indeed. But the answer is so many times, "If you want to change one thing, you have to change everything."
You see, Native people who do not live in the villages of Alaska do not enjoy remarkably better rates of the social problems that plague the villages. In fact, many of the rates go up. It is not an entirely "infrastructure" problem. It is not even an entirely energy problem. The problems go back far into the past, and crop up now not because people have dirt roads and no plumbing - the problem is deep and rooted too far for that.
Many well-meaning people call only for the infrastructure - and are then frustrated when it does not work. "We got these people good plumbing, and they're still in trouble." The problems are not as simple as that. Yes, we need to get to a healthy standard of living - one that all agree should happen.
But a Native child in Alaska has a better chance of being sexually assaulted before he or she is grown than attending college after he or she is grown. A MUCH better chance - about four times more likely (visit the State of Alaska's Web site for much more grim facts.) The chances of this happening to a non-Native child in Alaska are not much better.
But it is happening in the cities as well as the villages. The indoor plumbing and access to fire stations is not the underlying problem.
The problems and solutions are much too big to describe in all detail - I will once again cite an excellent resource, the Alaska Natives Commission Report.
But the beauty of the cultures, the people, the land - those are all too big to describe in all detail as well.
It is a line I myself struggle with. There are real problems to address, in the villages as well as, well, pretty much every where else. But these villages are not cesspools - they are not without great warmth and beauty.
My dad recently asked me, "What do you say when people ask you where you're from?"
Because of my dad's job, I grew up all over Alaska. Although born in in "Rural" Alaska, by the time I was twelve I had moved twelve times, between both Rural and urban. I spent only nine months of my life away from Alaska - my first year of college - and that was about all I needed to know I would never leave the state. But I still don't quite know how to answer the question - except to say where I was born and, "I'm from Alaska."
As both insider and outsider to Rural Alaskan life, I can't say I have quite the same connection to village life as some of my "village to city" friends do. Yet I was a preteen when we finally made the move to the "big city" - Anchorage. (Don't laugh - it's big when you spent all your life previous "off the road system!")
I can say, without hesitancy or shame, that my absolute best memories from my youth are from playing in the shores and rivers of Southeast Alaska and Kodiak Island, eating herring eggs until I was stuffed at my grandparent's house, and getting any number of scrapes, bruises and muddy skirts from the "no playground" backyards of relatives.
We have major, major problems, yes. I think few Americans are unaware now that we have the highest rates of... everything. Suicide, sexual abuse, child abuse, domestic violence... and on... and on... Things are serious - but I am sad to think that this is the only view we might leave.
This came up again when I read a post by Mudflats about "Another Alaska."
Yes, the facts are there, and there is concern, but things are not ONLY bad. The New York Times article brushed by children speaking in Yup'ik in kindergarten. In kindergarten! A serious judge of how strong a language is are the number of children in the culture speaking the language. In this extremely important piece of rebuilding cultures and lives, Akiachak is a leader.I wish the communities I come from could boast the same.
The post in Mudflats has some of the bad, but it is not always. Not having a playground is not the worst thing that could happen. My fondest memories of childhood were not on the playground - they were in the wilds (and sometimes backyard wilds) of the most beautiful land in the country.
The problem with stating this is that then people sometimes go, "See! They are happier living exactly as they are!"
No community in the world is perfect, and a community that can't save itself from a fire, or prevent a girl drowning in raw sewage had serious problems indeed. But the answer is so many times, "If you want to change one thing, you have to change everything."
You see, Native people who do not live in the villages of Alaska do not enjoy remarkably better rates of the social problems that plague the villages. In fact, many of the rates go up. It is not an entirely "infrastructure" problem. It is not even an entirely energy problem. The problems go back far into the past, and crop up now not because people have dirt roads and no plumbing - the problem is deep and rooted too far for that.
Many well-meaning people call only for the infrastructure - and are then frustrated when it does not work. "We got these people good plumbing, and they're still in trouble." The problems are not as simple as that. Yes, we need to get to a healthy standard of living - one that all agree should happen.
But a Native child in Alaska has a better chance of being sexually assaulted before he or she is grown than attending college after he or she is grown. A MUCH better chance - about four times more likely (visit the State of Alaska's Web site for much more grim facts.) The chances of this happening to a non-Native child in Alaska are not much better.
But it is happening in the cities as well as the villages. The indoor plumbing and access to fire stations is not the underlying problem.
The problems and solutions are much too big to describe in all detail - I will once again cite an excellent resource, the Alaska Natives Commission Report.
But the beauty of the cultures, the people, the land - those are all too big to describe in all detail as well.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Real Native Myths and Legends #5 - Free money for Natives from Uncle Sam
I've heard this one again and again - tons of money from the U.S. government being thrown at Natives for "all their problems." But this kind of comment (from a comment thread) is what keeps cropping up:
Really? Nobody told me about this program (and where can I sign up?)
I think this is a combination of confusion about land held in trust by the government, Native corporations and... well, not knowing what they're talking about. Unfortunately, most of the argument on the other side is, "The government treated them so bad, so don't they deserve it?" It's not about giving one group money because they were treated poorly. At all. There is little understanding of the complex issues here.
Some tribes in the Lower 48 do receive trust money from land agreements between the U.S. government and their individual tribe. This is not the government giving money to the poor, victimized Indians because of past misconduct on behalf of the U.S. It is NOT reparations. It is NOT welfare. I believe some groups in Alaska do as well, though in a different sort of set up.
I must be honest in saying that I do not have first-hand knowledge of land trust/trust fund agreements between the U.S. and tribal governments, simply because it is not at all a part of my life. As far as I can tell, it is not a part of most Alaska Native people's lives either. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act made things very different in Alaska. If the confusion is about Alaska Native corporation money, I responded to that here. In any case, the government is not just handing out money to Native people for no reason.
When it comes to land trust issues, there is still quite a bit wrong with the system. Okay, so that's an understatement. There has been a bit in the news recently about land trusts - mismanagement on the part of the U.S. Nearly 30 years ago, the Saginaw Chippewaw wanted to see about changing their investments, and brought in the president of the First Nations Institute, Rebecca Adamson, to look at it. A memorable quote from when she started looking at their land trust situation:
Now, the ruling 26 years later was that the U.S. government mismanaged the land (Gee, didn't see that one coming...) After various numbers were thrown around in the decades long court battle, a federal judge decided that 121 years of mismangement amounted to an award of $455.6 million. This is where, I think, people hear the numbers, and go, "Wow, they're getting a lot of money from the government!" - discounting that it's not the governments money in the first place.
But there were 500,000 plaintiffs. So 121 years of mismanagement means $455.6 million goes to 500,000 plaintiffs. You do the math on that.
The other assumption of that is that the Indians don't "deserve" the money. It's past - it's history. But pushing aside the fact that this is one of the few cases that the U.S. government is holding to (with fingernails) the treaties agreed upon (read - lawful contracts,) the length of time that has passed isn't (or shouldn't be) a factor in deciding whether it's "really still their land/money" to have a say in. It's not about deserving it or not - it is rightfully theirs. I don't think Paris Hilton "deserves" all her money just because she's a Hilton - but I won't dispute the fact that she lawfully has a right to it.
Using the logic that it's ancient history, can we discount the government's claim to the White House? I mean, they claimed that land hundreds of years ago, and the clearly nomadic lifestyle that the family that lives there every four to eight years means they can't sustain that area, right? Unless the residents can prove they have a right to live there, I'm all for going in and claiming it. Or at least the West Wing.
Yes, it's absurd. It's just as absurd to think that just because something is an historic agreement means it is less valid today. The times I've heard something like, "Just because my ancestor killed your ancestor doesn't mean you should get something better than me."
Well, I've never gotten anything out of that deal, and I would like one person to point out the time that the U.S. government has EVER awarded a profit to a Native person because of the acts of the U.S. government hundreds of years ago. The government hasn't even conceded anything wrong was done in the first place - it isn't ready to start handing out money to make everyone feel better.
The U.S. government did not pay for my car. Or my college education. Or my groceries. In fact, in the awkward relationship between the U.S. government and myself, I've given it a pretty good portion of the money I earn, every paycheck. In return, the government paved the roads and built some schools.
It's an ok deal - I do enjoy being able to drive places, and though public schools are demonized, I thought my experience was pretty good. All I ask is that the government remember the agreements made for the land those roads and schools were built on - and the people the agreements were made with. Then we'll get along just fine.
"...if you fill out some forms, prove you are an indian to a certain degree,
each year you get a certain ammount of money from the government."
Really? Nobody told me about this program (and where can I sign up?)
I think this is a combination of confusion about land held in trust by the government, Native corporations and... well, not knowing what they're talking about. Unfortunately, most of the argument on the other side is, "The government treated them so bad, so don't they deserve it?" It's not about giving one group money because they were treated poorly. At all. There is little understanding of the complex issues here.
Some tribes in the Lower 48 do receive trust money from land agreements between the U.S. government and their individual tribe. This is not the government giving money to the poor, victimized Indians because of past misconduct on behalf of the U.S. It is NOT reparations. It is NOT welfare. I believe some groups in Alaska do as well, though in a different sort of set up.
I must be honest in saying that I do not have first-hand knowledge of land trust/trust fund agreements between the U.S. and tribal governments, simply because it is not at all a part of my life. As far as I can tell, it is not a part of most Alaska Native people's lives either. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act made things very different in Alaska. If the confusion is about Alaska Native corporation money, I responded to that here. In any case, the government is not just handing out money to Native people for no reason.
When it comes to land trust issues, there is still quite a bit wrong with the system. Okay, so that's an understatement. There has been a bit in the news recently about land trusts - mismanagement on the part of the U.S. Nearly 30 years ago, the Saginaw Chippewaw wanted to see about changing their investments, and brought in the president of the First Nations Institute, Rebecca Adamson, to look at it. A memorable quote from when she started looking at their land trust situation:
At a council meeting, she reported back to the tribe as follows: ''I have
good news and bad news. The good news is, you can do better than the BIA at
investing your trust funds. The bad news is, so could a chimpanzee.''
Now, the ruling 26 years later was that the U.S. government mismanaged the land (Gee, didn't see that one coming...) After various numbers were thrown around in the decades long court battle, a federal judge decided that 121 years of mismangement amounted to an award of $455.6 million. This is where, I think, people hear the numbers, and go, "Wow, they're getting a lot of money from the government!" - discounting that it's not the governments money in the first place.
But there were 500,000 plaintiffs. So 121 years of mismanagement means $455.6 million goes to 500,000 plaintiffs. You do the math on that.
The other assumption of that is that the Indians don't "deserve" the money. It's past - it's history. But pushing aside the fact that this is one of the few cases that the U.S. government is holding to (with fingernails) the treaties agreed upon (read - lawful contracts,) the length of time that has passed isn't (or shouldn't be) a factor in deciding whether it's "really still their land/money" to have a say in. It's not about deserving it or not - it is rightfully theirs. I don't think Paris Hilton "deserves" all her money just because she's a Hilton - but I won't dispute the fact that she lawfully has a right to it.
Using the logic that it's ancient history, can we discount the government's claim to the White House? I mean, they claimed that land hundreds of years ago, and the clearly nomadic lifestyle that the family that lives there every four to eight years means they can't sustain that area, right? Unless the residents can prove they have a right to live there, I'm all for going in and claiming it. Or at least the West Wing.
Yes, it's absurd. It's just as absurd to think that just because something is an historic agreement means it is less valid today. The times I've heard something like, "Just because my ancestor killed your ancestor doesn't mean you should get something better than me."
Well, I've never gotten anything out of that deal, and I would like one person to point out the time that the U.S. government has EVER awarded a profit to a Native person because of the acts of the U.S. government hundreds of years ago. The government hasn't even conceded anything wrong was done in the first place - it isn't ready to start handing out money to make everyone feel better.
The U.S. government did not pay for my car. Or my college education. Or my groceries. In fact, in the awkward relationship between the U.S. government and myself, I've given it a pretty good portion of the money I earn, every paycheck. In return, the government paved the roads and built some schools.
It's an ok deal - I do enjoy being able to drive places, and though public schools are demonized, I thought my experience was pretty good. All I ask is that the government remember the agreements made for the land those roads and schools were built on - and the people the agreements were made with. Then we'll get along just fine.
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