Just received this from my friend in Canada... Trudy ==================================================== Resolution would end tribal sovereignty If Indians don't like it, send in troops, GOP delegate says <http://www.spokane.net/covers/people/staff.asp?ID=bio145 * by Julie Titone - Staff writer The Washington state Republican Party has passed a resolution calling for the abolition of tribal governments. "We do not recognize them as sovereign nations, as governments," said John Fleming, the Skagit County delegate who was a main author of the resolution. It calls on the federal government to "immediately take whatever steps necessary to terminate all such non-republican forms of government on Indian reservations." "We think it can be done peacefully," Fleming said. But if tribes were to fight the effort, "then the U.S. Army and the Air Force and the Marines and the National Guard are going to have to battle back." The action comes at a time of growing discontent over reservation rules that affect non-Indians, ranging from hunting privileges to liquor sales. The backlash against tribal governments has become so strong that human-rights activists have labeled it "racist." Tribal leaders call the GOP resolution outrageous and an affront to their rights under treaties signed by Congress. "It's absolutely the reverse of what Republican principles stand for_ to protect all rights and to uphold the integrity and honor of this nation and all of the commitments it makes," said Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. Allen is vice president of the National Congress of American Indians. A Republican, he was surprised to hear about the resolution approved June 17 during the Republican state convention in Spokane. "The Republican Party nationally has been making some effort to improve its image with regards to its relationship with the Indian nations," Allen said. "This is polarizing. It's the opposite of what they should be doing." Beth Jensen, chairwoman of the GOP platform committee, said she had no idea how the writers of the resolution intend for termination to be carried out. Her committee sent seven resolutions to the 1,300 delegates with a "do pass" recommendation. Among other resolutions were ones calling on the federal government to preserve hydropower dams and to drop its lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. Although some resolutions were heavily debated, the one dealing with tribal governments was barely discussed, Jensen said. "I was so unfamiliar with the issue that I wasn't totally focused on what the debate was. It seems like what was being said was, there were acts by the tribal governments that weren't the way we do government in America," she said. "A couple of people gave examples to people who didn't have a clue, and it passed." The committee considered 29 resolutions in two hours' time, she said. "I wish we had the luxury, the time to discuss them." Fleming lives within the Swinomish Reservation. He refers to tribal governments as "non-republican" because non-Indian reservation residents can't vote in tribal elections. That makes them illegal under the U.S. and state constitutions, he contends. In 1994, Fleming began trying to persuade the Republican Party in Skagit County to pass a resolution. This year he succeeded. "Out of 250 delegates, only two people said no. They were tribal members or the mother of tribal members," he said. The Skagit delegates to the state convention championed the cause in Spokane. Now, Fleming wants Washington's delegates to work the idea into the national GOP platform. Supporters of the cause hope that a class action eventually will find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court and that the court then would rule tribal governments illegal. "The key to this is making people aware," Fleming said. Fleming has written many essays attacking tribal sovereignty. He is active in regional and national organizations that oppose treaty rights. Asked if he is anti-Indian, he replied: "Oh my God, no." The Northwest Coalition for Human Dignity has concluded that efforts to abolish tribal government are racist. Coalition researcher Robert Crawford called the GOP resolution "disturbing." "I wouldn't say it's a majority view. It's in line with the hard core of anti-Indian folks within the party such as (Sen.) Slade Gorton and (Rep.) Jack Metcalf," he said. Termination was the focus of the government's Indian policy in the mid-20th century, he noted. "In the 1950s and '60s we rampantly violated the rights of tribes," Crawford said. "We can do better than this." The resolution Terminate tribal councils Here is the resolution passed at the Washington state Republican Party convention June 17: Whereas Article IV, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution guarantees every state a republican form of government, and this guarantee to each state is a warrantee to protect the citizens of that state; and Whereas the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs is currently aiding and abetting Indian tribes to regulate and collect taxes, injure property rights, withhold due process and grant unequal protection under the laws to some citizens, for the benefit and advantage of other citizens; and Whereas these same Indian tribes, with the support and advice of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, organize and operate tribal governments that are not republican in form, and in fact prohibit certain citizens from voting for the representatives who enact such measures and laws and injure the citizens being denied representation; Therefore be it resolved that the executive and legislative branches of the federal government immediately take whatever steps necessary to terminate all such non-republican forms of government on Indian reservations, and compensate those citizens who have wrongly suffered loss due to denial of their constitutionally guaranteed rights to be governed by a republican form of government. http://www.spokane.net/news-story.asp?date=070300&ID=s821704&cat=section.Tribal_news * Julie Titone works as staff writer for The Spokesman-Review. In that position, Titone primarily covers issues of interest to rural North Idaho, including tribal issues. She can be reached by email at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and by phone at (208)765-7126or800-344-6718x7126. You can send mail to her at: Julie Titone, Staff writer The Spokesman-Review 608 Northwest Blvd. #200 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
