Congressional apology

Coulter on the Apology Resolution

Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

From the Indian Law Resource Center:

‘No Thanks’ to Congressional Apology

The Senate has just passed a resolution that apologizes to American Indians and other Native Americans for the wrongs done by citizens of this country. But a genuine apology means you won’t do it again, and this resolution does nothing at all to stop or correct the on-going wrongs that the federal government inflicts on Indian and Alaska Native nations.

Unfortunately our government still takes Indian land without paying for it, still refuses to account for the Indian money it holds, still violates its treaties with Indian nations without making amends, and still maintains a body of policy and law that is so discriminatory and racist that it should have been discarded generations ago.

To make a real apology, Congress needs to stop doing the things that it is apologizing to Indian nations and other Native peoples for. Americans generally do not know that the federal government continues to treat tribes and Alaska Native nations this way, and the evidence is that the public does not support or condone this mistreatment.

It is astonishing to most Americans that the federal government is still taking Indian land and resources – without due process of law and without fair market compensation, sometimes with no compensation at all. Of course, the Constitution says that Congress may not take anyone’s property except with due process of law and with fair
market compensation. But these rules are not applied to most land and resources owned by Indian tribes, and the government takes the land and resources at will. Obviously, this is wrong. Today, the government is trying to drive Western Shoshone Indians off their homelands in Nevada without a semblance of due process and with a payment of about 15 cents per acre. This is gold mining land, but that doesn’t make it alright to take it from its Indian owners. There are other present day cases. A few years ago, Congress confiscated part of the reservation that was shared by the Yurok Nation in California and turned it over to another tribe. Congress gloated at the time that it could do this without paying compensation because of Congress’ so-called “Plenary Power” over Indians and their property.

Continue reading →

Apology Means You Won’t Do It Again

Kirsten Matoy Carlson

From SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER:

ROBERT T. COULTER
GUEST COLUMNIST

Congress is considering an apology to Indians and other native people for the wrongs done by this country — forced relocations, takings of lands, violating treaties, destruction of sacred sites and outlawing native religions and languages, to name a few. But a real apology means you won’t do it again, and there is the problem. Congress needs to stop doing the things for which it is apologizing.

Congress insists it may freely violate treaties made with Indian nations, and, sad to say, it does this regularly without making amends. Indeed, Congress maintains a range of laws and practices that are so discriminatory and racist that they should have been discarded generations ago.

The federal government still takes Indian land without paying for it. The Constitution says Congress may not take anyone’s property for a public purpose, except with due process of law and with fair market compensation. But these rules are not applied to most land and resources owned by Indian tribes, and the government takes the land and resources at will.

The Interior Department still does not account for billions in Indian funds that it holds. The United States still insists that Indian tribes are in a state of permanent, involuntary trusteeship, with the federal government as trustee. No one else in the United States is subject to such unaccountable “trusteeship.”

Continue reading →