Conscious Choice: The State of Progress in Indian Country

June 1999

The State of Progress in Indian Country

by Ana Arias Terry

"No wrong will ever be done to you by our nation." — attributed to Thomas Jefferson, 1804

Assessing the current state of U.S.-Native American relations with keen precision would require tomes at the very least, and personal experience laden with wisdom and uncanny reflection at the very best. The essence of Native Americans and Indian Country can no more be neatly wrapped and tucked into a definitive 2,500-word narrative than one can capture the pure substance of your ethnicity or mine.

What is attainable is a sketch, a dip of the toe into what progress means to an American Indian politically and socially. A humble estimate of how well treaties are being honored and supported. A slice of their views on Indian culture and activism. A glimpse of their varied opinions on their peoples’ level of consensus about how involved in their cultures non-Indians should be. A tiny pocket of insight on how they are treated as individuals.

Social and Political Progress

According to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, "Natives" today total two million in the U.S. and are among the poorest in the nation. Many tribes — there are 575 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. — are diversifying economically, and that means more self-reliance and less welfare. But it’s a tall order.

Dr. Holly Youngbear-Tibbetts, a member of the Sac and Fox Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Dean of Outreach for the College of Nenominee Nation’s Sustainable Development Institute in Keshena, Wisconsin, offers insight on why progress is tough to determine "in the context of contemporary Americana."

Significant attention has been given to the lack of economic, financial, institutional, and physical infrastructure over the past 25 years, says Youngbear-Tibbetts. Thanks to numerous efforts by tribal communities, corporations, governments, and individuals, much has been accomplished "to remedy the deficiencies inherent in the preceding century and a half of wardship and the politics of underdevelopment. Native-controlled school districts, tribal colleges and universities, tribal utility commissions, environmental regulatory measures, and the professional competency of tribal government employees have flourished under the oversight of Native nations — not to mention investment portfolios, management of natural resources, and a host of other [efforts. All of these are] expressions of the notion that self-government is better than good government...and these are not mutually exclusive standards.

"Despite the progress of the past 25 years, much remains to be accomplished and much of that work can only be accomplished in collaboration with other communities, institutions, and communities of interest," she says. "The fact of the matter is simply that the ranks are thin. [We have] two percent of the population of the U.S. to manage four percent of the land base, perpetuate their nations, and attend to the needs of their citizenry."

Youngbear-Tibbetts continues, "Collaboration with other communities can be a valuable resource in Indian Country, provided that folks are willing to do their homework, get their foot off the boat, take this continent truly as their home, and start envisioning the future rather than rectifying the past. Gratefully, many such people are interested in the work of the Sustainable Development Institute, and so we attract a lot of talented, energetic folks who share our commitment to a sustainable future."

To Dr. Pam Jumper Thurman, a Western Cherokee who holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and works as a Research Associate for the Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research at Colorado State University, Natives still aren’t as visible as they could be on political and social fronts. Thurman is concerned about "having a voice or an impact." She notes that casinos help some tribes become less dependent on federal funding, but she believes that more research is required on the pros and cons of gambling and that Native communities need a stronger base. She reminds me that issues people tend to think of as "being in the past" often aren’t. As an example, she notes that "the federal government may return land to us, but they retain mineral rights in many cases and that also removes economic power."

Without delving into the reams of treaties broken by the U.S. government, observers point out that the government’s pattern continues to be problematic. The purpose of treaties is to formalize the tribe-federal government "nation-to-nation" relationship. Tribal sovereignty plays an inherent role in these treaties, yet state and federal governments have consistently passed legislation that has eroded the political rights of tribes and allowed for the further confiscation of Native lands. No wonder Native governments are strongly petitioning the Clinton administration and the 105th Congress to meet their pledges to Native tribes.

Youngbear-Tibbetts sees a large gulf in the balance of national versus local progress. "The‘frontier ideology’ is alive and well in the reservation border towns of the Great Lakes region, especially those of Wisconsin," she says. "This ideology is not racist in the classical context — it is specifically anti-Indian."

A recent trend she finds particularly disconcerting is the "mushrooming political movements that could be described as conservative populism." She agrees that "it’s great fun to see a neighboring state elect Jesse‘The Body’ Ventura as governor," but warns that his anti-Indian, anti-sovereignty stance is alarming.

"One might suppose that gaming revenues, which have enabled much of the economic and institutional progress on reservations, would level the disparities between Indian and non-Indian peoples simply in respect to class status. In this region, that has not been the case, and by most accounts of those who endorse the frontier mentality, the only thing worse than an Indian is an Indian with a dollar in their pocket."

Culture & Activism: A Snapshot

Though Indian Country, like every other community in America, swims with diverse opinions, one quality-of-life issue seems paramount. Whether Indian people are considering the best possible way to combat alcohol and poverty, how best to preserve language, or just how individuals perceive progress, respect appears fundamental.

For non-Indians, does respect require involvement, or does it mean hands off? "There are...an infinite number of suggestions concerning how non-Natives can improve U.S.-Native American relations," say Allen and Rich, "from simply‘butting out’ to being initiated or adopted into the spiritual community in accordance to tribal prophecy. For every perspective, there are positives and negatives and a million nuances in between."

To Jumper Thurman, no one person can address the issue on behalf of other Natives. She can say this: "Culture is a very emotionally loaded issue for many people. Most tribes hold their cultural traditions in high esteem because culture is more than language, dress, songs, and drumming," she adds. "It is the very moral fiber for many of us, it is a way of life, a way of prayer, and a connection to our surroundings." In fact, Youngbear-Tibbetts feels community may be a more "highly valued commodity in Indian Country" than elsewhere.

Yet despite a strong and deeply caring group, unemployment is high in Indian communities, where over 31 percent of Natives live below the poverty level (compared to over 13 percent amongst all U.S. races, according to a 1994 statistic by the Indian Health Service). Nurses and physicians who work in tribal programs across the States provide anecdotal information on the high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and thus the concern for increased HIV/AIDS rates. Alcoholism remains high in Indian communities, and more anecdotes describe significant violence of intimate partners.

But for every sorrow there’s at least one undeniable beacon of light. One of those beams is the optimism, vigor, and a soulful oneness with culture, the land, and people that Indian activists display. "To me, " says Jumper Thurman, "Wilma Mankiller is the spirit of today’s American Indian: a strong woman who is well versed in the issues and yet has strong ties to friends, family, and cultural traditions."

Daily, Native American activists fight for the basic and sovereign rights of their communities locally and nationally. Whether it’s for education, decent health care, or the right to fish and hunt on public land, their commitment knows no limits.

Among the many crusaders for Native American rights is the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee and the countless individuals worldwide who have been involved in this cause for the 23 years that Peltier has been incarcerated. The case brims with complexity and a deep emotional charge, against the backdrop of high tensions and fear between the Lakota Peoples of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota — particularly the American Indian Movement (AIM) members and supporters.

One may say the case began when the U.S. government decided to pursue uranium mining in the area. The FBI, along with the tribal government and police (armed and trained courtesy of Uncle Sam), made it abundantly clear that opposition would be severely addressed. On June 26, 1975, what started out as an alleged search by two FBI agents for an Indian accused of robbing used cowboy boots ended in a shootout. It involved approximately 30 Indian men, women, and children with 150 FBI agents, Bureau of Indian Affairs police, U.S. Marshals, and local police. Two FBI agents and an Indian activist were killed. Leonard Peltier was one of the Indians immersed in this struggle.

Peltier left for Canada at the request of his elders and for fear of not being able to obtain a fair trial. He was later arrested and extradited by falsified papers — the government has since conceded this fact. Of four men accused of the murder of the two FBI agents, all but Peltier were acquitted or had their charges dropped. Peltier maintains his innocence as well. A court of appeals ruled that his trial and previous appeals had been filled with misconduct and impropriety by the FBI, and that the evidence was at best circumstantial, and the government now says it doesn’t know who killed the two FBI agents. Still, Peltier remains incarcerated. Currently, he is serving two consecutive life terms plus seven additional years.

In 1993, a petition was filed for executive clemency. The usual response time for such requests is six to nine months. Into the sixth year, after his request, Peltier has yet to hear anything from President Clinton. He has been sitting at the Leavenworth prison in Kansas in excruciating jaw pain due to complications from a 1996 maxilla-facial surgery. He can’t open his mouth more than a fourth of an inch, much less bite or chew. A Mayo Clinic specialist has agreed to perform the needed reparative surgery for free, but the prison refuses to transfer him there.

To many Indians, this conflict embodied an invasion, a violation, by the U.S. government of the Lakota Peoples’ sacred ground and traditional culture. (Incidentally, no government investigation was ever conducted on who killed the young Native who died during the same conflict.)

This Is Progress?

It’s embarrassing to discover the patchwork progress of our government’s treatment of Native Americans. It’s not exactly pride one feels to learn that, in late March, the U.S. Supreme Court finally put an end to nine years of legal chaos when it upheld the rights of eight Wisconsin and Minnesota Chippewa bands to hunt and fish on public lands in Minnesota, without regulation by the state. The Chippewa catch most of the walleye that they fish with spears and nets.

We can’t exactly crow over $2 million in grant money that was given to 15 Native organizations and tribal bodies to combat substance abuse — back in 1994. And I, for one, am helpless before the groundbreaking news that Crayola recently decided to rename the "Indian red" crayon they launched in 1958.

Those items are better, though, than the other kinds of news regarding Indian affairs. For example, a few months ago, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin were held in contempt by a U.S. district judge because of their inability to account for land and money that the federal government supposedly holds in trust for approximately 500,000 Indians. Shucks, where did we put those pesky dollars and that little tract of ten million acres anyway?

Higher up the ladder, President Clinton proposed a ten percent increase in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to $2.5 billion — and a freeze on Indian housing funds.

Tallying Up

The scales of progress in U.S.-Indigenous relations tip in the wind with no particular rhyme or reason. Sometimes we take leaps of faith and overcome conflict. Other times, out of ignorance, ego, or greed, we heap the grains of sand in favor of destruction.

Like herons perched on the tip of the highest limb, we must learn how to balance the weight of our actions against the environment that surrounds us. We must learn how to spread our wings and seek out opportunities that will allow us to live in harmony and respect with those with whom we share the planet. And we must be able to focus our attention on that which goes beyond our sight.

Youngbear-Tibbetts says, "The fundamental distinction between Indian and non-Indian people is that Indian people can and do experience all the same influences, distractions, frustrations, and accomplishments that any American takes as commonplace. But there is one attribute that they cannot experience — and that is the white privilege."

Of course, the solution remains embedded in the humble Indian requirement for respect. Perhaps it’s not more than we can manage. Perhaps if we share our human similarities and appreciate — rather than fear or regret — our differences, we can move to a level of community that focuses on cooperation, on give as well as — or instead of — take. The Indian spirit is giving and beautiful. It is my hope that we who are non-Indian can honor it better now and in the future.

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