Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou2d.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!houxm!hou2d!hammy
From: hammy@hou2d.UUCP (P.HAMILTON)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics
Subject: Re: Native Americans
Message-ID: <210@hou2d.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Feb-84 17:09:52 EST
Article-I.D.: hou2d.210
Posted: Thu Feb  9 17:09:52 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Feb-84 05:31:37 EST
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 40


Steve Aldrich states the native American indians are "kept from society,
quality education, jobs, and professional occupations".  I really disagree
with such a statement.

First of all, the federal government gives a great amount of financial
aid to indians living on reservation land.  I believe that this aid includes
free housing, free medical services, and free education in addition to an
annual income.  Secondly, I believe that native American indians who want
to get a college education or professional job off of the reservation land
are actually aided by their ethnic background.  In this regard, minority
status is an advantage.

However, many indians decide to remain on reservation land.  One might
argue that this is because they would lose their federal aid, and I'm
sure in many cases this is a primary factor.  But, I think that the most
important factor is that most indian communities are very ethnocentric.
Most of the indians would rather remain in their own cultural environment.
Those that do leave to get an education often return to the reservation
to apply their skills to their community.

Also, to the argument that indian tribes were put on land from which they
could earn no living, I say "Not always, buffalo-breathe!"  In Arizona, 
the Apache tribe has the best land in the state, with large amounts of
income from recreation (skiing, hunting, fishing, and camping), mining,
and livestock grazing.  Most of the other tribes' reservation land is
on anciant tribal grounds also.

Anyway, I try not to speak with forked tongue, unlike Steve, who I think
was just blowing smoke signals out his *ss with that statement.

                                 I can't wait to get home
                                 and smoke my PEACEpipe,

                                 Pat Hamilton (hou2d!hammy)

P.S. A joke in case I haven't offended anybody yet:  What did Geronimo's
Jewish American Princess squaw make for dinner??.....

     ........reservations, of course!!!!