Turtle Talk

From cnn.com:

Shoutout

AZUZ: Time for the Shoutout! From which Native American tribe was the leader Geronimo? If you think you know it, shout it out! Was it: A) Apache, B) Blackfoot, C) Cherokee or D) Dakota? You’ve got three seconds — GO! Geronimo was an Apache leader known for his courage and determination.

Saying Sorry

LLOYD: All of those tribes, along with the rest of the Native American community, are getting an apology from the U.S. government. Now, you guys know that saying “I’m sorry” isn’t always an easy thing to do. But it’s important, especially when you’re apologizing for wrongs that took place over hundreds of years. Kate Bolduan fills us in on the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHMN. FRANK ETTAWAGESHIK, OTTAWA INDIAN TRIBE LEADER: There’s about 4,300 members in my tribe.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN REPORTER: Tribal leader Frank Ettawageshik says his Ottawa Indian tribe in Michigan fought for a hundred years before finally being recognized by the federal government in the 1990s.

ETTAWAGESHIK: We also had generations of people that were taken away from their families, and they were losing their language, losing their cultural practices.

BOLDUAN: The government-tribal relationship has been marked by a history of broken treaties and forgotten promises, but it’s one that may be on the mend after a historic move in Congress.

SENATOR SAM BROWNBACK, (R) KANSAS: An official apology from the United States to the Native American community for the abuses that were done, whether it’s broken treaties, whether there were massacres.

BOLDUAN: Senator Sam Brownback sponsored the resolution that apologizes for “the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect” inflicted on Native Americans. It passed the Senate. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House. Brownback says this apology is a giant step forward.

BROWNBACK: If we’re going to have a long-term, better relationship, you gotta acknowledge these things that did happen in the past and take ownership of them.

BOLDUAN: Chairman Ettawageshik says the American Indian community has mixed feelings toward the resolution. They applaud the apology.

ETTAWAGESHIK: We’re at the same time, realizing that these are just words on paper, and that there are actions we think that could be taken to follow up on this.

BOLDUAN: There are no reparations attached to the apology, but the Senate also passed major funding for Native American healthcare, which the chairman says is crucial.

ETTAWAGESHIK: If you’re a prisoner in the federal prison system, you have much, much better healthcare than you do if you’re a client of Indian healthcare services of the federal government.

BOLDUAN: The federal government has previously apologized to Japanese-Americans after World War II and to Native Hawaiians for the overthrow of their kingdom. But one high-profile issue not included in this group is an apology for slavery and segregation. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.