Among the more 'mild' incidents, one Superintendant grabbed an American Indian student's ears and said "See how RED 'IT' is getting?" (no child should ever be called an it, nor humiliated based on their ethnicity or religion.) Yet, it happens every day and is promoted and accepted through out the nation. I say, prove where it isn't happening.
The more I have broken my silence about how I was mentally abused by fellow classmates who used ubiquitous racial slurs (like redskin & squaw) and images (like caricatures/cartoons of American Indians), the more tragic stories I have heard. It ranges in age and tribal Nation, but one common factor is prevalent. No one stopped the mental abuse and discrimination from happening. Those who try are told "go back to the reservation" & "your political correctness has run amuck" and other things too despicable to repeat. Despite epidemic numbers of American Indian children who commit suicide every day. Nor, heart shattering, the more numbers of Native children that cut themselves. How dumb can you be not to see the correlation?
The poverty angle people use to explain the suicides only goes so far, because extreme instances of poverty have been historic. Currently, 50% of children live in poverty in the USA. Still, Indian Country is riddled with higher percentages. Where then do the epidemic suicide numbers among children and youth come from? I can tell you when they started being seen. It was during the residential school era. If you are unfamiliar with that, well I am not surprised. It's stomach churning grotesque. It's successor, government and more frightening Private agency removals of Native American children for placements in Non-Indian homes is still present.
For many American Indian parents the days when US government officials and US Marshalls show up at the door, in most cases, not to arrest the parents but to remove babies and children has never ended. You may well wonder, how is that possible? It's because the law created in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), is totally ignored. No one goes to jail for not following it. No one gets fined for skirting around it.
Babies are sold to strangers and sold with no input from a tribal Nation who should have say in it's citizens removal. Tribes are not notified and when the parents ask for the help of their tribal Nation, the Anti-Indian forces and extremist US government officials try to shut them down. Only look at South Dakota and the case of the Mettes (also a link at the end). The Mettes, Caucasians, who got five American Indian kids and sexually exploited them. South Dakota knew about it and made them sign a contract to promise to stop, but didn't remove the children. Of course, the abuse continued unchecked for years. South Dakota certainly didn't call their tribal Nation. ICWA was there to stop that, you see the children would never have been with the Mettes to begin with, but no one bothered with following the law. Haven't heard about them?
The Anti-Indian groups made sure that the only ICWA case heard about by turning on a TV nationally was of Baby Veronica. A case they could manipulate and profit from. See my blog-Another Blog About Veronica. Troy Dunn just got a new TNT show out of it. The Capobiancos, the adoptive parents, are suing for 1 million dollars to go along with funds raised on the web and their Veronica perfume sales.
What has changed from the massive forced removal of children from their homes by US government officials that happened from 1900's - 1978 ? There is good reason more tales exist in Indian Country of the ways families hid children than there are versions of Grimms fairytales. The horrors that happened behind the gates of the residential "schools" are so terrible that it is unbearable to listen to. Now, we must add the modern day stories.
You may well wonder how no one ever says anything in your news about these things or what is going on presently. It's called Native Blackout and all major media outlets are found guilty. We call it Indian Country, because it is treated as another country. Don't mistake me, I don't want them to take up our stories with their colonial spin - shiver. I would like to see our news treated more like we are at least on the same planet. Seriously, you can easily read more about problems, well anywhere else, besides Indian Country. Yet for urban Native families, we live right next to you and there is a clear division perpetrated. We can be in the same neighborhood and our news is Blackedout. Our kids go to school with your kids and our artists Blacklisted.
Congress meets a lot about trying to "solve" the problems, but let's be honest they are all talk. The real Heros are small time advocates and the kids that survive the nationally sanctioned mental abuse and removals. I don't care what Congress says, they are systematically programmed to see us exterminated. However, they only operate policies within what is socially acceptable or policies they can hide. Click over to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs sometime and watch the peacock parade.
For those of you who know that what I say is the truth, we are met with bristling resentment and contempt. Lately, I have seen the membrane of seperation start dissolving as good-hearted Americans become more aware of what is being done in their name. Which is in stark contrast to what legislators hell bent on keeping the status quo and vocal Anti-Indian extremists happy are doing.
Wisconsin Govenor Scott Walker calls his legislature's AB297 bill "Free Speech". I say it's not free, because it costs children and families something. AB297 is a page right next to Jim Crow. Please read it if you get the chance. AB297 ensures that no American Indian parent or child can fight against discrimination. Not to mention, we aren't talking about the public arena; this is government stamped discrimination. Surely each and every parent has the right to ensure that discrimination at school is kept to a minimum. Walker doesn't agree, unless your Christian, Muslim, Jewish, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, or anything really. However, if you are a Native American parent or child in Wisconsin you don't have the same rights. Congratulations Wisconsin, AB297 and your legislature has helped you sink to a new low.
I know the American reading this is probably stretched thin by working long hours and living life pay check to pay check. Does that mean the human dignity we should extended to our neighbors becomes ignored, Blackedout and gets tossed out the window: just so some scumbag can bully kids and wear gaudy feathers to make his own pathetic existence better? Or just so some pedophile can get some kids to abuse by playing the system? Or just so some 13 billion dollar Adoption "industry" backers get better access to more babies that "blend" in better than other races? Or just so some privileged sect can keep things "their traditional way"? Because if that's how you want to be, I don't really want to know you America.
To my American neighbors that care, in 2014 please help by reading a national and local Indian Country newspaper or magazine once in awhile this year. Give support to the Indian Child Welfare Act (#ICWA), Ending Native Mascotry (2-2-14 is #EndMascotryDay), Honoring the Treaties and Idle No More (#INM or #IdleNoMore).
Link for Federal suit against Two California Schools:
Links for Mette Case:
Link to Wiscinsin AB297:
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