It blows my mind that while other campaigns are out there doing the usual smear bullshit, Obama continues to address issues that matter to people, even us forgotten few. I can't get over this. 8 years will not be enough for this man.

I'm very impressed with how Obama seems to stay a few steps ahead of McCain. To me the difference between the two is the difference between a designer and a manager...

He even recognizes the importance of language preservation and education. If those are his ideas that he's pushing, then good on him. If he's just got some smart people working for him, then even better.

Great clip.

i wish i could vote for obama

What''s the context for this video? Was it just a video on the site? Has his campaign suddenly been pushing this issue?

This is so lol funny, is there anything Obama Bin Laden ISN'T going to do if he gets elected?

Obama is going to be a busy man as President, but he's been a busy man his entire life.

"I wish I could vote for Obama"

Here here

That sunrise logo.. musta cost a small fortune.

"What we did in the 1960s and early 1970s was raise the consciousness of white America that this government has a responsibility to Indian people. That there are treaties; that textbooks in every school in America have a responsibility to tell the truth. An awareness reached across America that if Native American people had to resort to arms at Wounded Knee, there must really be something wrong. And Americans realized that native people are still here, that they have a moral standing, a legal standing. From that, our own people began to sense the pride." - Dennis Banks

This was in 1996. Still a lot to work on...

Let me start by saying I like that he didn't talk about adding more casinos and instead actually talked about real problems. I lived on a reservation for 6 months and spent that time being among the people and observing their culture. I tend to have a unique view because of that experience. It has made me opposed to indian gaming and even, in some cases, to maintaining reservation sovereignty. I feel that for most of those I had contact with, being a sovereign nation and receiving free handouts created more problems for these people then it helped.

On an unrelated topic, this is not exactly a hot topic and most voters won't care about it. Those who do will like this message, I'm sure. I also want to say I mean no disrespect with my views, it's just what experience has taught me.

fuck casinos

And you wonder why the election is almost assuredly going to be a landslide.

You hear Barrack talking in depth about his plans for Native American tribes and his goals while in office. While you of course have to take everything with a grain of salt, at least he goes into detail.

Then you hear the other guy saying 'I know what it's like in the west. I know about the water and the earth my friends. I know these things.'


Is it any wonder?

It's about time US politicians remember that First Nations people still exist. Bravo.

Bravo Aemaeth, You hit the nail on the head.

The man knows the importance of native language and culture, he even recognizes our sovereignty, man i envy you folks to the south. We're still stuck with the bloody conversative party. Still, the man's a politician, could be political positioning lets hope the man stays true to his word.

Wait wasn't 700 billion dollars granted to bail out failing banks, won't taxes go up from here on and Won't the next President have less money to fund any new programs?

Certainly beats this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdimK1onR4o

^If the next president can wind down existing military quagmires and avoid future quagmires there will be significantly less pressure on the federal budget.

>> ^uzema:
Wait wasn't 700 billion dollars granted to bail out failing banks, won't taxes go up from here on and Won't the next President have less money to fund any new programs?


On paper, the government has a chance of actually making money on the deal. In reality, it won't, but it won't be as bad as people think. Paying for the wars will be worse.

No offense but that's the biggest bunch of PR bull I've seen him do in addressing minorities yet. (I'm all for helping my Sioux people and all other nations but this...) He's just like the rest who really doesn't give a darn on what's happening on American Indian lands...

Here's a man who is trying to win votes and can't even solve his own problems. Go to youtube and check out a man named Philip J. Berg, Esquire, [Berg is a former Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania; former candidate for Governor and U.S. Senate in Democratic Primaries; former Chair of the Democratic Party in Montgomery County; former member of Democratic State Committee; an attorney with offices in Montgomery County, PA and an active practice in Philadelphia, PA.

Beyond that... the democratic candidate is in favor of putting a hold on development of agricultural lands and production, natural resource developments, extractions and implementation and a so called reduction on the "US's importation of foreign gas and oil"?? Anyone who looks at the statistics can see for themselves that the largest exporter to the US on oil and gas is Alberta, Canada... so what's going to happen to all those employed in Alberta if he puts a "pause" to it so he can re-evaluate and lean more towards "middle eastern oils" because they are "cheaper", or has he already made promises he's not sure he can keep to other foreign leaders?

What about Crow Agency, Montana wanting to develop their own coal mine and profit from their mineral rights to improve education, healthcare and tribal lands?...


Thanks for reading;
From: An American Indian Female Who worked her ass off for scholarships and has her Bacherlors of Science in Agriculture and Natural Resouces. I'd rather write the name JOE WURZELBACHER or JOHN MCCAIN in on my ballot than OBAMA HUSSEIN BARACK

*quality

Boosting this quality contribution up in the Hot Listing - declared quality by MrFisk.

I remember this was one of the better parts of the '08 campaign. Anything happen with the promises here yet?

This may have been important to him before he became P o USA, as was his health care portfolio. Looks like hes gonna pussy outta the latter which is sad. He has to realize he is the man of the hour, stick his neck out and speak passionately to the public about his direction and beliefs. Hopefully the government and people can and will follow. I think all that is very unlikely now. So much positive potential for the world wasted.

Don't count him out yet, but I am wary as well.

I hadn't seen this before, great sift.

Looks like Obama has already appointed an American Indian Advisor. Here is a video of her addressing Health Care for American Indians.

Burdturgler, I had no idea you were Indian. Good stuff.

I'm a white guy, but I have enough Cherokee in me to be classified as Native American if the tribes would accept me. Which they won't. My girlfriend is mostly Native American, and her tribe won't even recognize her.

But, I look really white. Cracker white. Drywall white. I can tan like the dickens, but then it just turns back to pale honkey white as fast as the day is short.

The life on reservations is no picnic. My gf's nephews and her sister-in-law live on a Canadian reservation, and it's abject poverty. It's not that they don't have money, it's that they tend to value education as a lower priority and alcoholism and drug abuse is rampant. Theft is huge up there, too. None of her nephews can have nice things without them being stolen. Also, with the alcoholism and drug use there's a decent amount of violence. Also, the Canadians around the reservations tend to treat the Native Americans as lesser beings. My gf, who is American and part white and black and East Indian and everything else under the sun (but mostly Native American), experienced the Canadian racism first hand. Most of the local white vendors would be extremely rude to her because they assumed she was from the local tribe.

Now comes the part where I put my Libertarian hat on and sound like a complete racist. I disagree with reparations or any special funding given to the Native Americans by tax dollars. Hey, at least I'm consistent. The reason I believe this is because none of the people paying into the taxes are responsible for running the Natives off their land. It would make as much sense as us holding the entire Democratic party responsible for paying reparations because their party founder signed the Indian Removal Act which lead to the Trail of Tears (fact!). NetRunner had nothing to do with his party's racist founder, so it wouldn't be fair to blame NetRunner, right?

In order to make amends the people directly victimized and the people directly responsible for victimizing them would need to be held accountable. But, they're all dead. Now, let the comment downvotes begin.

So by that logic, disaster relief is just Uncle Sugar handing my money out to all the idiots that built their homes too close to a burning forest, or a rising river, or a hurricane-prone stretch of ocean-front property, right?

I didn't cause the hurricanes, or floods, or fires, but my tax-dollars are being spent to put roof's over heads that I shouldn't be responsible for.

Following this to its logical conclusion, why do you pay any taxes at all? Most of what you put into the system it is not spent directly on you, so why put any money in? Seems like your liber-topia would be a derelict oil-rig, 2+ miles off the coast, outside of any gov. jurisdiction. Then you can finally be free!

>> ^blankfist:
Also, the Canadians around the reservations tend to treat the Native Americans as lesser beings. My gf, who is American and part white and black and East Indian and everything else under the sun (but mostly Native American), experienced the Canadian racism first hand. Most of the local white vendors would be extremely rude to her because they assumed she was from the local tribe.


Which province? If it's Quebec, you have to remember that they treat everybody like that. Furthermore, Quebeccers aren't Canadian, they're French-Canadian. The second part doesn't really apply at street level. I'm in British Columbia, but none of us claim to be British (those who aren't born in Britain, that is).

From what I have seen, many of the Cherokee could pass as white. In fact, on a visit to the Native American museum in the smithsonian, I was struck at how many tribal groups have a significant amount of members who could easily pass for white.

Why wouldn't they accept you? Was it because you were not on the Dawes Roll?: http://law.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7231&context=expresso

Noone living today may has run those peoples off their lands. But people with property, homes, resources and businesses on such land have certainly benefited from that long ago theft.

I'm 1/8th Cherokee. You have to be 1/16th or greater for the Federal government to recognize you, so I could be taking some of those sweet, sweet gub'ment handouts if I could prove it, which I cannot because when my great grandmother married a white man she was removed from the Cherokee register. I seriously am about as Native American as I am an astronaut, so it would be silly for me to take any Federal money.

@Payback. It's not Quebec. I'm pretty sure their tribal band is near Edmonton, Alberta Canada.

@KnivesOut. You're so smart. You have a firm grasp on "logical" things. I marvel at your mental prowess. Reparations for dead people is EXACTLY like disaster relief for the living. You nailed it. Bravo.

Also, payback, it's not that I mean to paint Canadians as racists. A person's nationality or geographical position has nothing to do with whether they're a racist or not. Sorry if that's what it sounded like.

Funny this should come up now. The Indians have "free" government health care already! Here's a sneak preview of Obamacare!

>> ^blankfist:
NetRunner had nothing to do with his party's racist founder, so it wouldn't be fair to blame NetRunner, right?
In order to make amends the people directly victimized and the people directly responsible for victimizing them would need to be held accountable. But, they're all dead.


It's true, I had nothing to do with Jefferson's orders to remove many of the Native Americans in the Louisiana Purchase, or his owning slaves, or any of that stuff.

But it doesn't mean that the damage done to Native Americans ended when the people who perpetrated genocide died. It doesn't mean that there isn't an obligation for the culture that descended from the one that perpetrated the wrongdoing has no moral imperative to attempt to make some sort of effort to make restitution to the descendants of the culture that was so savaged.

Maybe if there was never a transfer of wealth or the benefits thereof from parent to child, your idea would make sense. In that scenario, the slate truly would be wiped clean when one generation gives way to the next. That's not how things work, though.

Damage like that tends to stick. It can last for generations, especially if racial discrimination places limits on your opportunities across a long span of time.

>> ^NetRunner:
But it doesn't mean that the damage done to Native Americans ended when the people who perpetrated genocide died. It doesn't mean that there isn't an obligation for the culture that descended from the one that perpetrated the wrongdoing has no moral imperative to attempt to make some sort of effort to make restitution to the descendants of the culture that was so savaged.
Maybe if there was never a transfer of wealth or the benefits thereof from parent to child, your idea would make sense. In that scenario, the slate truly would be wiped clean when one generation gives way to the next. That's not how things work, though.


You're effectively saying you should be responsible for your father's actions. If he murdered someone, should you also be held accountable for his crime? No. I'm sure the murder victim's family still feel the damage of that incident, even if your father passed away directly after it.

One man cannot be held accountable for another man's wrongdoings. It's insanity to propose otherwise.

The transfer of wealth (or rather the inheritance of an estate) is an interesting conundrum. I think the money (or portion of the estate) directly owed a victim should be paid before an estate can be inherited. That's the current system for money owed to a bank or any loans. Let's say your father owed money to a bank. Would it be fair for the bank to go out of business and the owner of that bank open an entirely new bank and still lay claim to the loans of your father from the previous bank? I don't believe so.

There were great atrocities done to minorities in this country. All done by dead men to dead men. Those directly affected are dead. There's no one to be held accountable. And certainly the entire nation shouldn't have to pay for the crimes of men generations ago.

Blankfist - first of all, I concur on the Canadian racism towards aboriginals. I've experienced it many times first hand. Small things like women overtly holding their purses a little tighter when I walk by them on the sidewalk. Big things like a crowd of white folks refusing to get on the same elevator as me and my friend - even though we were in a fancy hotel dressed in suits, even though the elevator could ONLY go up from the bottom floor where we got on, even though we all waited for 10 minutes for the elevator, even though there was room for 12 more people in the elevator, even though we were wearing the same conference passes around our necks that they were.

However, too-bad-so-sad is not an acceptable response. When you say those directly affected are dead, you completely ignore the impacts felt today. "The life on reservations is no picnic. My gf's nephews and her sister-in-law live on a Canadian reservation, and it's abject poverty." This is completely true - is it because Indians are unable to operate and function in today's world? Or is it at least partly a result of what was done to their ancestors?

blankfist - do you support Israel's right to exist? Even if it means the land Israel currently exists on was taken form the Palestinians? Some say it's ok because the land once belonged to the jews. What's your take on these things? Do you see the parallel?

Pay up, or give us our land back. Simple and plain.

^All great points. I am torn on the issue, to be honest. I do believe the Natives received an unfair shake from white settlers. Though, once something is set into motion, how can you properly reverse it without hurting those who were born into a situation that had nothing to do with their ancestors' involvement in the past? The Mesopotamian wars ruined many sovereign cultures, and I don't think we could ever go back and reinstate them.

Generations of people come and go, and I don't think one generation should be slave to another of the past - and certainly they shouldn't be slave to their ancestors' past mistakes. Therefore, I certainly do not think Israel has a right to their land today, and I think the US is terribly wrong for supporting them.

War is wrong and immoral, but it's also a natural way of things for our species. One day the USA and Canada will no longer exist, and should those future inhabitants born into that new Nation be held accountable to reinstate our sovereignty? I think not. You cannot help where you are born. Each generation should be held unaccountable.

>> ^blankfist @KnivesOut. You're so smart. You have a firm grasp on "logical" things. I marvel at your mental prowess. Reparations for dead people is EXACTLY like disaster relief for the living. You nailed it. Bravo.


Hey Blankfist, let's watch the personal attacks.

Disaster relief does relate, because we're talking about people who have been put into a disadvantaged position through no fault of their own. Maybe it was our ancestors, maybe it was god, but something has happened that's now holding these people back from reaching their potential, and as a civilized society, we should help them.

But I totally agree with you, we shouldn't give any money to dead people. We should give it to their living ancestors.

YOU ARE SO SMART.

^Gay.

>> ^blankfist:
I'm a white guy, but I have enough Cherokee in me (...)

And don't we all know exactly where in you this Cherokee part is?

>> ^blankfist:
^Gay.


Hey Blankfist, lets watch the personal attacks.

^Gay.

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