I have always felt that the very fact that Native Americans have " Status" at all is the single most obvious thing that keeps them down.

They are singled out like no other ethnic group on the planet. In some ways its too their advantage, in many more ways its not. In example, can you think of any other group of people that are un-able to buy alcohol where they live ?? why is that ?? well, its because way back when it was decided that as a race of people " they cant handle it" They still can't buy it on the res to this day, so in effect, they are living the stereotype.

In America, a person can be anything they decide they want to be. There are no rules that say Native Americans have to live on a res and subject themselves to the issues that come along with that.

America is a melting pot of ethnic groups. A vast majority of Native Americans are far removed from their roots, not by law but by choice. In alot of ways its their own fault that they have a lower economic status than other groups in the USA. Nobody has ever mandated that this has to be the way it is. They choose to do so. Its 2007.. time to get off the government boob and join the 21st century.

I don't think the ability to sell " cheap smokes, fireworks and gambling " does much to enhance their cultural heritage. It just builds on the Stereotype. Same for fish and game.

Probably not a popular view, but its how I see it.

You are absolutly right on the money B-RUN STEELY. Very well said.

Aunty and B-run
Both in the Mahah treaty
ARTICLE 12
The said tribe agrees to free all slaves now held by its people, and not to purchase or acquire others hereafter
ARTICLE 10
The above tribe is desirous to exclude from its reservation the use of ardent spirits, and to prevent its people from drinking the same, and therefore it is provided that any Indian belonging thereto who shall be guilty of bringing liquor into said reservation, or who drinks liquor, may have his or her proportion of the annuities withheld from him or her for such time as the President may determine

Now I'm beginning to understand how Gary Ridgway gave all white people a bad name.

Gary Ridgway... wow... a little dramatic don't ya think ??

Here's the names:

http://www.kirotv.com/news/14084695/detail.html

Pretty quick to judge Chuck...

Quote from Kiro article:

"If it is found, the carcass would likely be evidence in a case against the rogue hunters.

Coast Guard spokesman Shawn Eggert said buoys were cut from the whale when it sank Saturday, but it still carries a harpoon."

Anyone know who cut the bouys?

"Pretty quick to judge Chuck... "
Just responding to what you posted. I noticed you edited and removed it.

The Coast Guard cut the bouys and prevented any one from doing anything with the whale. The waste blame in this issue belongs to them.

My buddies wife is Japanese. Anyway, she told us one time that they were given whale meat for lunch when she was a girl. Kinda Grey looking, very nasty, nothing a person who had eaten other food in their lifetime would care to eat. Thats just some info from someone who has actually eaten it. Anyone here ever had a taste of it ???

She says its flat nasty.

I'd rather sit between Tipper Gore and my ex-mother-in-law and watch the Billy Graham Crusade.

Now that paints a picture worth 1,000 words

Stam,

I meant no disrespect to the Coast Guard. I only meant to say that it wasn't the intent of the lawbreaking whalers to "waste" the whale. They were arrested and taken into custody in the middle of the hunt, and the Coast Guard cut the lines to the whale and allowed it to suffer until it finally died and sank. While almost no one can condone the acts of the whalers, even if one believes that it was a political act, I personally believe that the fact that the whale was allowed to continue to suffer and wasted cannot be condoned either.

Sad what 5 irresponsible tribe members have done. Federal and state gov't will be all over the Makah's for a LONG time now. Watching their quota's, etc. Now tribe leaders are having to go to Washington DC to try and persuade the federal gov't that they didn't OK this hunt and have nothing to do with it.

On another board, a guy wants the main man of this hunt, "Wayne Johnson" is his name, to be in charge of shooting sealions and seals in the Columbia river.......

Wayne Johnson... Now thats a fine traditional Native American name.

In fact, are any of these guys even native Americans ??? If so, how much. I guess not so much

The Makah Tribe identified the five men accused of killing the whale in an unauthorized hunt. They are Theron Parker, Andy Noel, Billy Secor, Frank Gonzales Junior and Wayne Johnson. They were released from tribal custody.

Hell, I worked with a Frank Gonzales and he was Hispanic.

HAHAH B-Run I said the same thing when I heard that "Wayne Johnson" was a Makah member.

Must be a very cultural hunt when you got 4 guys with flour white names and a hispanic named man out their pulling the trigger on a .50 cal machinegun....

I had whale when I was a kid and it wasn't bad. Mine might have been from a cute little baby Orca though which is probably like veal in the whale industry.

I wish they'd get this upset over 50,000 plus blackmouth harvested a couple winters ago but at least it draws attention to harvest issues for a brief second. Unwanted attention for some.

The biggest problem, in my opinion, with this whole thing is it just gets groups like PETA's attention. With the pressure they bring to end fishing, hunting etc., this sure doesn't help.
A lot of the names were given to tribal members by the missionaries and Indian school people. If the Indian kids used their tribal names, they were punished.

Thats right, "Whale Huggers" are not our friends. We are next. If a court "outlaws" hunting and fishing due to animal rights activists arguments, how many of us are going to just take it because it's the law and not fight back. I for one will probably go to jail for fishing (if the prohibition is not to protect the resource, of course)