NDN Country

We know from the 1990 Census where Native Americans live. Of the 1.9 million, about 637,000 are living on reservations or Trust Lands. However, 46,000 live in the New York/Long Island/New Jersey/Connecticut Combined Metro Area (CMA); 87,000 in the Los Angeles CMA; 15,000 in the Chicago CMA; and 40,000 in the San Francisco CMA; just to name the largest. A minimum of 252,000 Native Americans lived in cities in 1990.

More than half of the Native American population in 1990 lived in the following six states: Oklahoma (252,000), California (242,000), Arizona (204,000), New Mexico (134,000), Alaska (86,000), and Washington state (81,000). In growth from 1980-1990, Oklahoma led with an 83,000 person increase. Arizona’s population was up 51,000 and California’s was up 41,000. One reservation dominates all others in population–the Navajo reservation that occupies parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah has 143,000 residents. The next largest reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) people, is Pine Ridge located in South Dakota, with 11,000. Of the 500 tribes and bands in the nation, 10 made up half of the Indian population in 1980. This fact means there is a large number of very small tribes; many of these small tribes have few young people, which makes their futures uncertain. (The word “endangered” comes to mind.)

FERTILITY AND HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS
American Indians have a fertility rate about twice that of other Americans, partly because they are, on average, about 7 years younger than the U.S. average. Actually, the birth rate is not increasing. Rather, infant deaths are decreasing, resulting in a large increase of young Natives. Indeed, the Census reports that from 1980 to 1990, Natives increased their numbers by 54 percent. The Indian Health Service has played a role in reducing infant mortality, from 60 deaths per 1,000 births from 1955 to 10 in 1985.

Unfortunately, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Native Americans in the United States is 12.2% for those over 19 years of age. One tribe in Arizona has the highest rate of diabetes in the world. About 50% of the tribe between the ages of 30 and 64 have diabetes.

Native Americans that want a middle class job will likely have to leave the reservation. This circumstance may account, in part, for the movement of Indians to metro areas. One way to increase the availability of jobs in rural areas and on reservations is to start new businesses. Many Natives are engaged in this strategy. In 1987, Indians owned 17,000 businesses with cash receipts of $800 million; Eskimos owned 2,300; and Aleuts owned 1,100. Most of these businesses employ small numbers of workers, and not all are located on reservations. A larger proportion of the 4,000 Native-owned businesses in Alaska are located in Native villages compared to the proportion of Native-owned businesses in California (numbering 3,200) that are located on reservations.

There has been a major increase in college attendance, indicated by the increase in the numbers of Natives taking the SAT–from 2,662 in 1976 to 18,000 in 1989. Of the 103,000 Natives who were in college in 1990, about half were in two-year colleges and half in four-year. The states with highest enrollments are California with 21,000 native students; Oklahoma with 9,600; Arizona with 8,800; and New Mexico with 4,500. The 24 Tribal Colleges, most of which offer two-year programs, have rapidly increasing enrollments. In addition, several associations currently encourage Indian youth to aspire to higher education. The American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering are just two of a growing number or such associations.

Cherokee Nation, and Cherokee Freemen.
A can of emotional worms!!!!!!!!!

Rep.Watson’s bill threatens Tribal Sovereignty
Tribal Sovereignty is tantamount to Native American survival. We can never let anything undermine it. For that reason I could never support Rep.Watson.

However I do not accept what and how the Cherokee Nation is going about dealing with the Cherokee Freemen.

The ancestors of present day Cherokees did a terrible and amoral thing. They engaged in slavery. That was racist and wrong. NO way around it. Yes it was only a small segment of the Cherokee Nation that were slave owner. At the same time we are all victims of the wrong doing of our ancestors. Because people lived a long time ago that did not make all of them saints, or extremely wise.

To just terminate “citizenship” for the Freemen is not the right way to go. I think the should have met with the Freemen and had a dialog. Because of the unique relationship between the two.

Any tribe has the right to determine who is and who is not a member of that tribe. A sovereign nation has the right to say who shall be a citizen of that nation.

Lets look at “Sovereignty” what it is and how it is determined as it relates to Native Americans. I am not a lawyer so I can only express how I understand it.

The lynch pin of sovereignty is TREATIES!!
The reason I say this is a government does not sign treaties with it’s own people. A government signs treaties with other governments. So when the US signs a treaty with a tribe, it is saying by it’s action you are a nation, a people separate from us.

So for that reason all treaties sign by Native tribes must be held in the highest esteem. Too use the argument that because the US broke the treaty in some way it is alright for the tribe to break it too, does not wash. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Lets have a look at the treaty of 1866:Article 9
ARTICLE 9.
The Cherokee Nation having, voluntarily, in February, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, by an act of the national council, forever abolished slavery, hereby covenant and agree that never hereafter shall either slavery or involuntary servitude exist in their nation otherwise than in the punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, in accordance with laws applicable to all the members of said tribe alike. They further agree that all freedmen who have been liberated by voluntary act of their former owners or by law, as well as all free colored persons who were in the country at the commencement of the rebellion, and are now residents therein, or who may return within six months, and their descendants, shall have all the rights of native Cherokees: Provided, That owners of slaves so emancipated in the Cherokee Nation shall never receive any compensation or pay for the slaves so emancipated.

“….. and their descendants, shall have all the rights of native Cherokees…..”

To my way of thinking “rights” and “tribal membership” is two different things.
The treaty does not make Freemen nor their decedents Cherokees, nor was it intended to.

By the terms of the treaty Freemen should have access to health care, and all those things that the Cherokee Nation is entitled to from the US Gov. “rights of native Cherokees”. The operative word is “Rights”

Are Freemen entitled to citizenship in the Cherokee Nation, if they cannot prove a blood connection?

Before the question is answered, maybe the wording should be changed. Change “citizenship” to “tribal member”.
If you say, should a Freemen entitled to “tribal member” in the Cherokee Nation, if they cannot prove a blood connection? (NO) it is up to the Nation

Now if you ask the question, Should a Freemen be entitled to citizenship in the Cherokee Nation, if they cannot prove a blood connection? Yes!

Tribal membership is determined by the tribe. Citizenship is determined by law, “all the rights of native Cherokees…..”
according to the Treaty of 1866.

All those born in this country are American citizens. All those born in this country are not tribal members.

I think somehow this needs to be addressed and worked out. This should be between the Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee Freemen. The US congress should stay out of it, because without understanding the whole process more harm than good is the results.

Rep.Watson’s bill threatens Tribal Sovereignty, and cannot be allowed to pass no matter what. That is the reason I have taken the time to write this. I dearly love my African American relatives, and I dearly love my Native American relatives. I would not like to see any one of them hurt. But I have to make a stand for the greater good. Tribal Sovereignty.

In the past when Native people wanted to get along with another tribe or people they agreed to sit down and talk with the other people. They did certain thing to assure that their hearts were pure and that the talks would bring about something good. This is not something that cannot be worked out. All it takes is honesty and willingness on both sides.

Some of the comments I have read about this subject contains flawed logic. Suggesting that because the US Gov did not honor it treaty agreements the Cherokee Nation does not have a responsibility to honor the treaties. WRONG!!
Emotions can cloud the real issues in a NY minute!!!!!

Bill Edwards
African/Native American
Lumbee Nation

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