Friday August 14, 2009, 5:09 pm
I feel ashamed that I live in the greatest country in the world and yet it is full of shame.

Saturday August 15, 2009, 1:27 am
if everyone on the planet had a fair deal there wouldn't be enough left over for the killing machine.so the rich rulers choose death and poverty for the rest of humanity

Saturday August 15, 2009, 2:45 pm
I am impressed to see that the American government still treats the Native Americans (who actually own much of the land that people live on) worse than the dictators treat their own people. Unless there is oil...

Saturday August 15, 2009, 2:48 pm
What greatest country, Sue? the country founded on the worst genocide in the history of mankind? The American soil is still soaked in the blood of millions of Indigenous People. And the genocide is still going on in many ways. But I agree with you: it is full of shame.

Saturday August 15, 2009, 2:51 pm
The Native Americans are the most disregarded minority in this country and their struggles are invisible to just about all outside of the truth of their existence. While there is a large minority in this nation that has been exploited and discriminated against in violence and visciousness for centuries, even they are unaware of the original 'masacre'and the misery of the Native American peoples and see themselves as the only true victims of the European invasion. When President Obama invoked the names of all races during his campaign and included the Native Americans, I was pleased to hear him included them with the hopes that more attention would be justly sent in their direction. As in the life of Mr. Hale, many Native Americans have served our country proudly in the military. Since the election, I have heard nothing in the general media regarding the plight sf Native Americans with only constant attention upon other segments of the population. It is beyond unfair. They have yet to fine their "voices" to lead them towards the recognition, dignity and standard of living that they deserve. It has always troubled me when Thanksgiving rolls around and the myth of the Pilgrims and the Indians sitting down together for a turkey dinner is perpetuated in grade school and by everyone in general. The truth of the history of the Native Americans has yet to be told or taught. We need to hear and learn.

Saturday August 15, 2009, 2:55 pm
Why are Natives treated like fifth-rate citizens? This poor soul deserves far better. God help humanity, or perhaps it should be, God damn humanity.

Saturday August 15, 2009, 3:27 pm
always find it fasinating,that our countries have truck loads of money to throw at africa and southern american countries etc.but never any to spend on our own peoples! pretty discusting.lets clean up our own back yards before we start trying to do someone elses,who a lot of timesdon't want us there in the first place.oh ya they take the money,but how much lines the pockets of the upper eschelion ,and what goes to the poor folk?come on people look after our country first!!

Saturday August 15, 2009, 8:01 pm
Funny how we can pay for wars, and assistance everywhere in the world but here. Having first hand experience in Indian country, it is worst that most third world countries on many reservations. Every time I hear that America is the greatest country in the world, I have to add except in Indian country.We go into countries who do not want us involved with their country/peoples to "assist them" yet when it comes to the indigenous peoples, we bury under the rug, Americas own greatest humans rights trespass.

This man has earned social security disability in my eyes from the fact he serves in this countries military wars. He earned it and it should be given him. And his medical too!

In Texas (where all the crazy political people come from apparently), illegals were crossing the border into a tiny town in Texas once a month to collect their welfare checks from the American government and return to Mexico to spend it all. When the politicians who were allowing this to happen were confronted, his comment to the news reporter(this happened when we still had them)was that "well if they need the money, they have a right to it and we have to give it to them ." The fact that they were not citizens of this country meant nothing to the PTB that let this happen. I appreciated the news network-I think it was CBS, who exposed the abuse.

Not every Indian gets money from the stolen land or casino money. But this government gets its share of casino money. instead, it should be given back to those who truly need it.

In the 1980's, my late husband and I worked with our local Indian center, at that time unemployment for the Native population was well over 90%. It has improved somewhat, but not much. My spouse was born in Michigan and people always told him, well you get money from the government for the land-not true- and you get all that casino money. No again. His parents both came from different reservations in Wisconsin and even though he was born in Michigan, in the eyes of Uncle Sam, he was a Wisconsin Indian and not entitled to any Michigan casino money. Well you may say he would get land/casino money from Wisconsin, wrong again as he wasn't born there. It always has been and no doubt will continue to be a Catch-22 when it comes to the Indians.

Polly Pagan: Perhaps it is time to get rid of the rich, as they have led this country very poorly and instead get people who are closer to the norm of the real people in this country to assist in running America. We have seen the old(GOP)way and it does not work. Time to do things differently and we well them get different results, hopefully.

Sunday August 16, 2009, 12:27 am
why can they not have the proper trust grants for organic agriculture , planting trees, animal welfare , indigenous gardens , culture & healing & especially large water - spiritual rights & so on , to bring back the spirit & water & help the people plus animals concerned ? why do they have to have poisonous tobacco & western money corruption ideals ?

Sunday August 16, 2009, 2:43 am
I am shocked... been a non US resident.. at the amount of poverty creeping up in the nation... And yes the way the indigenous people are treated is awful... we are all equal and should be treated the same... IfSouth Africa can get their political act together, us being a third world nation surely the US can...

Sunday August 16, 2009, 3:08 am
Incredible to think Natives are still struggling, still being treat like this - sickening!!!

Sunday August 16, 2009, 3:11 am
sue w:

I think you need to turn of Faux TV and stop listening to all those rightwingnuts amd PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE spend some quality time traveling the backroads, reservations, ghettos and wherever poverty exists within this country because you don't have clue 1 about this nation...it is not the greatest anything, it is not nearly great at anything and in fact its at the bottom of the barrel. If it was indeed geat, it wouldn't need to invade other nations to steal their oil, gas, water and minerals and other resources, or perform coup de etats, assassinations, or put corrupt sockpuppets in charge of their countries to do the bidding of the US Corporatocracy, or drop DU or Agent Orange or nuclear bombs on unsuspecting aborigines, or conduct covert operations to undermine another country's sovereignity, or sell the most weapons of any nation on the planet, or kidnap a democratically elected president of Haiti, et al. No, a greatest nation would be a civilized one, which would eradicate poverty and injustice within its borders; honor all of its commitments; would strive for 100% literacy of its citizens; use its resources prudently and wisely; would not allow its laws to be abrogated by Big Pharma, Defense Industries, or Insurance corporations, for example.

Monday August 17, 2009, 12:05 pm
For shame America. Here in India, a poor country in comparison, all tribals have special facilities re. schooling, college, jobs etc. Maybe you could come and learn from us !

Monday August 17, 2009, 12:44 pm
Thanks Cal for bringing this to light, the story speaks for itself.I better stop before I'm feel with Rage..

Monday August 17, 2009, 8:59 pm
The Lakota at one point lived well and were self sufficient. Their culture and the way they lived provided all that they required. They Honored our Earth Mother and realized that living in Harmony and balance with the environment would assure that year after year they would have plenty to eat, raise their children, and keep warm. They had loving families, they took care of each other, there were no jails, and they had a respect of the natural way of living.
Then the invaders came and stole all they had, murdered many in their families, starved them by nearly bringing the bison to extintion. The invaders rounded them up, made fun of their ways, forced their children to go to boarding schools where the family could not see them for years, forced these children to dress in ways that were not comfortable to them, abused them, cut their hair, forbide them to speak their language. The adults were forbidden to practice their religious beliefs, their travel restricted...even to find food, and everything they ever knew was torn away from them.
For their land, for their surrender of weapons that enabled them to kill food, for their total loss of all they knew, for them being good "Indians" they were promised they would be cared for. They were given rotten meat, too little food to go around, they froze from lack of proper shelter and lack of enough blankets. Advance 100 plus years and little has changed. This Government completely destroyed EVERYTHING that these people knew and introduced alcohol to them.
This is more than a shame, this is a complete and utter disgrace!!! Each and every person in this Country needs to start writing and calling their Reps and DEMAND better. If you continue to do NOTHING you are allowing this to continue on and on and on...IN YOUR NAME AND WITH YOUR BLESSING....after all you are WE THE PEOPLE. So what are you waiting for? Another 100 years!
The tragedy of the Native Americans and what was done to them, has not stopped! As this article shows. Is one story of the countless horror stories that happen on the reservation every day. Why should this Veteran have to live like this? Why should any Veteran of this Country have to live like this? This Country destroyed all his ancestors embraced, today they still are little better off than the 1800's, yet he still fought for this Country...and this is his thanks.
And know what people? Because this Country has allowed this to go on with the Native Americans the Theives that are in Power, the Corporate Theives have learned well from this. When we allow this type of treatment to happen to any people who live upon this soil, then it can happen to anyone. What you are seeing and getting so upset about in this Country is nothing new to the Native Americans....your just starting to have it happen to you. Being thrown out of your homes from these Financial Institutions and Speculators playing their dice games with the Housing markets and other markets, the wheeling and dealing, the stealing of your properties, the decline in your educational systems, your jobs going anywhere there is cheaper labor, lack of health care....how much health care does this Veteran get miles away from anything. Maybe the Government could send at least a mobile van around to offer aid or a ride to a clinic.
When the Heart of this Country was ripped out from this genocide, and year after year it has been allowed to continue until this day in one form or another, then you get the Heartless actions that continue on in this Country....only now it is spreading everywhere. So stand up for the Native Americans and you stand up for yourself. Think about it. As Russell Means has said, "Welcome to the Reservation."
You might also want to watch this video done by George Carlin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYIC0eZYEtI
WAKE UP

Monday August 17, 2009, 9:27 pm
This is so terribly sad and pathetic! May God forgive this so called great nation!

Monday August 17, 2009, 10:11 pm
This man is a light. What a crime has been committed against him and everyone else whose heritage and freedom and belief has been ripped away from them-then and now.

I'm going to my profile and list Herbert Hale as who I would most like to meet. It would be quite an honor....indeed.

Tuesday August 18, 2009, 1:07 am
Dandelion is right!

It is not enough to be sorry for what happened to the Indigenous nations. The last thing they want is pity!

Most Americans of Euro descent are so self-centered that they do not care about anything else than their own lives and needs. The African Americans usually have their own struggles to fight. No wonder the "Native Americans" are the forgotten nations in the USA. Sometimes in questionnaires they are not even mentioned, except as "Others".

Is it mostly ignorance, is it mostly guilt?

How come people in Europe are often much more supportive of the Native Americans,more active and show more solidarity?

Why do Native teenagers still have one of the highest suicide rates in the world? Why is the unemployment rate the highest on the "Indian reservations"? Why are Native American men and women the largest incarcerated population in many states? Why are Native women victims of rape more than any other race? Why do so many murders of Native people go uninvestigated and unpunished?

Why have the rest of the American population remained indifferent for the most part?

Tuesday August 18, 2009, 8:12 am
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Tuesday August 18, 2009, 11:02 am
Resolution of the Fifth Annual Meetings of the Traditional Elders Circle, 1980

"There are many things to be shared with the Four Colors of humanity in our common destiny as one with our Mother the Earth. It is this sharing that must be considered with great care by the Elders and the medicine people who carry the Sacred Trusts, so that no harm may come to people through ignorance and misuse of these powerful forces."

Tuesday August 18, 2009, 9:29 pm
sitting here looking at this man just looking for a long time and I can feel this huge lump in my throath. I do daily clicks every day that come to my email and petitions on them I sign them and petions here all kinds. I have never been so discussed and angry at my self for turning a blind eye is what I call the stinking goverment on our own people. Its time for our hua!! goverment to step it up for our people give them clothes, food, water, homes, for winter is comming soon. I am ashamed. I too am going to stop for I'm very angry right now. Thanks Cal. Thank you Dandelion

Wednesday August 19, 2009, 6:13 am
Thank you Cal.
Noted.
It is so very hard to not get angry when our country fails to give back to a culture that has given up so much, and lost way too much.
That the people of this nation have no care, concern or even the compassion to look beyond their own individual little worlds has become a crime against humanity.
I see a culture, rich in knowledge, insight and history of of survival ignored instead of appreciated and embraced as it should be.
That we have become a nation of greed, selfishness and self-centeredness has become the norm is a shame we all must bare. Evidently we have learned nothing from our nations past mistakes, but have instead remain to wear the blinders, and to live in ignorance and greed. Our brothers and sisters have lost so much, continue to suffer, and our government expects us to continue along the same lines as we have in the past.
Our brothers and sisters are a resource that could teach us so much and that we can learn from, yet our own country fails to see it. We are a country without compassion, and we still live in our own little boxes, and fail to appreciate what we have within our own here and now.
Shame on us....for repeating the mistakes not learned from.

Wednesday August 19, 2009, 10:47 am
This is "all kinds of wrong" here! It should never have gotten to this level for these people. Yes, they are a proud peoples, but they can't even get back 1/2 of what the white man "STOLE" from them. I have so much coming out of my head right now I can't even say it correctly because this kind of crap really pisses me off! Sorry folks, but it's just wrong and it should be the white man in that chair and in that shack.

Thursday August 20, 2009, 10:11 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Rafael because you have done so within the last week.

HAIL FRIEND...FOR I TOO WOULD WALK BESIDE MY BROTHER, FOR i HANG MY HEAD WITH SAHME AS WHAT THIS NATION HAS BECOME.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You cannot currently send a star to Lightfoot because you have done so within the last week.


THIS I SO AGREE WITH. I AM ANGRY WITH A NATION SO SELF ABSORBED THAT THEY SEE NOTHING BUT BEYOND THEIR OWN FRONT DOOR.
WE ALL HAVE TO PULL TOGETHER...ACKNOWLEDGE OUR NATIVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THEY ARE THE PAST WHO CAN BE THE BEST TO TEACH US HOW TO APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE SO LOST.
PEOPLE IN THE UNTIED STATES HAVE BECOME SO ARROGANT IN THEIR BELIEF THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THIS & THAT THEY HAVE NEVER LEARNED ABOUT GOING WITHOUT.
THEY HAVE NEVER LEARNED TO MAKE DUE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE AND IF NOT...LEARN TO MAKE BETTER WITH WHAT YOU HAVE IN KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE BETTER.
THE ART OF SURVIVING HAS BEEN FOREVER LOST BECAUSE OF THE GREED AND SELFISHNESS OF AMERICAN CULTURE.
SHAME ON THE UNITED STATES FOR NOT EMBRACING THE PAST TO IMPROVE THE FUTURE.

Saturday August 22, 2009, 12:48 pm
It's about time we as a Nation (we call it that-even when it was the Am. Indians country) listened to the ongoing story of our Natives. it is definately an "ongoing story". Many tribes are getting better, esp. the one's who went Sovern Nation. What does that say for the BIA!!! Yes, the BIA can do bunches better and should be. And, they should free Peltier!
Some of the tribes have pretty good healthcare programs that are FREE to the People. We as non-natives should take a look at that. We cannot take care of our White Tribes when you come right down to it. THE Corps. and the Pharmaceuticals and the Gas/Oil conglomerates are bleeding us all dry. We are right behind you Natives. I hope you like compqany!