asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol

3/3/2007 7:15:36 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
skydaddy Covington, LA age: 72	are not being given Federal Recognition{/quote] Hey Justice, I would like to add the Houmas in Louisiana to that list.
3/3/2007 7:55:41 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Yeah, I heard about Houma Indian settlements in lower Plaquemines, lower St. Bernard, and lower Jefferson parishes. Some 3500 tribal citizens. They were hit hard by the storm Katrina. Do you know if things are getting any better there?
3/3/2007 2:28:25 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
skydaddy Covington, LA age: 72	Yes, things are slowly getting better. Lower Terrebonne was also hit hard.....(more by Rita than Katrina)a lot of Houmas around Dulac, Cocodrie, etc. in Terrebonne. Up here north of Lake Ponchartrain we had mainly Choctaw and Blackfoot. There's a big Pow Wow here every year.
3/3/2007 3:27:38 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Well, I hope things do get better for them. I know it takes time. It is very, very hard for people to come back after such devastation. Homes lost, relocation, no money, no food, friends and family lost...yes, it's very hard. I feel for them. About Pow Wows, yes, it will be that time of year again soon. Looking forward to it!
3/3/2007 3:58:19 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
wolfy9459 Dayton, OH age: 45	OK I got to say this Chucky Id like to see you find a Miami, a Wyandot, a Powell, a Hopewell (hope I spelled that last one right), or any of the mound builder natives and tell them how good they have it. Kenny [Edited 3/3/2007 3:58:56 PM]
3/3/2007 7:02:08 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
whitehawk Eugene, OR age: 53	LOL Wolf..good answer....
3/3/2007 8:13:16 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
chetan1017 Copperas Cove, TX age: 64	This is for my sister Whitehawk in defense for your honored words of enlightenment. It never ceases to amaze me how some people get on bandwagons and soap boxes about something in particular that they really know nothing about, and they argue relentlessly with someone who attempts to explain the real truth. Instead of admitting they just might be wrong in their assumptions, they continue to disagree, refusing to admit they are wrong. Some long-winded, misinformed, disrespectful wasichu (white man), professes to know more than Whitehawk about the conditions that the Native Americans are still facing today, and she is directly involved in the long-suffering and plight of our brothers and sisters and works for the cause of many. She knows the entire perspective, as she has lived it and sees it; not through a wasichu’s eyes either. She is a Native American who has taken it upon herself to walk the walk and she does not try to distort the truth, but is attempting to educate and open the eyes of a very misinformed public. On the other hand, some people see the sugar-coated side of the coin and they try to influence others to believe that the Native Americans today are treated with respect, consideration, and those so-called bigots attempt to lead others to believe that the Indians are being treated with dignity and honor. I recently met a Lakota woman and she complained about the terrible living conditions on the reservation where she lived in North Dakota. She said her people there are depressed and oppressed on a daily basis, and that many of them cannot rise from the degradation that they have been subjected to. Many have also succumbed to the imprisonment they have been forced into by giving into alcoholism and drugs, which gives them some sense of escape to another realm, which places them in yet another ‘catch 22' scenario. There is no doubt that some of the Native American people are faring well, especially those who are receiving their share from the casinos, but the majority are not. That majority lives in below standard housing and are suppressed into being made to feel less than human. Every day they struggle for survival from a people that has attempted to strip them of their traditions, beliefs, spirituality and of their very identity as members of the rest of society. I suggest if anyone has any question about how the native people have suffered from the hands of the wasichus that they read more history. Even though so many people claim to know so much, you might need to go to the direct source. In fact, the history that most people know is based on misconception and myth, especially about what happened with Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, or at the Greasy Grass, which Crazy Horse called it. The same is still true today with the plight of the Native American people, they are still mistreated and are still being made to suffer. We can forgive past transgressions, but we cannot forget. We will not forget. If you claim to be Native American; even a small amount of blood, and want to get on your native 'wagon', you need to put aside what history has taught and how this government has tried to justify their injustices yesterday......and now. Che Tan
3/3/2007 8:30:26 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
whitehawk Eugene, OR age: 53	Thank you Che Tan.... You are correct..these people are misguided,,and ill informed -based on their comebacks,,not by any real association with Rez life.. I was talking with my brother,who lives on the Pototawami Rez in Kansas... He agree's with me.. Ifn ya a "white" man and you are not on the rez unless its for business or with someone who has invited ya,,, ya don't get very damn far... We ..he and I ..after I told him of my encounters here with Chucky,,,, agrees,,this is one misguided individual who has a need to put down a Native American woman.....is ok though... because Chucky by his own words,,has further shown Native America,,what the "white" man way of thinking is... Walk well my sister,,,, Whitehawk
3/3/2007 11:06:16 PM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
chucky_t Akron, IN age: 59	We make our own life, the evil white man is not your problem. You can blame him, you can think you are a failure because of him, but in the end the problem is yours. Who continues to this day to exploit the Indians of the Americas? Who first exploited the Indians of the southwest? Does anyone know? I am the evil white man that does have a history of Indian or Native American. We do honor that, unlike some that wants to exploit it to their own advantage. We do attend the meetings and try to make the world better instead of trying to keep the hate and dishonor alive...that only keeps you, as a person, a failure... The hate and discontent some of you preach is the reason things can not be settled in your own mind. You want someone to give you what you did not earn? You are the present, not the past. You want a free ride, but you want a great free ride, not just a free ride? What are you looking for? Just for a history fact, the mound builders disappeared way before the white man came around....
3/4/2007 2:21:19 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Hidden away, out of sight but dotting the landscape of America, are the little known or forgotten Reservations of the Indigenous People of our land. Sadly, the average U.S. mainstream resident knows almost nothing about the people of the Native American reservations other than what romanticized or caricaturized versions they see on film or as the print media stereotypes of oil or casino-rich Indians. Most assume that whatever poverty exists on a reservation is most certainly comparable to that which they might experience themselves. Further, they assume it is curable by the same means they would use. But that is the arrogance of ignorance. Our dominant society is accustomed to being exposed to poverty. It’s nearly invisible because it is everywhere. We drive through our cities with a blind eye, numb to the suffering on the streets, or we shake our heads and turn away, assuming help is on the way. After all, it’s known that the government and the big charities are helping the needy in nearly every corner of the world. But the question begs: What about the sovereign nations on America’s own soil, within this country, a part and yet apart from mainstream society? What about these Reservations that few people ever see? Oddly enough, the case could be made that more Europeans and Australians know and understand the cultures and conditions of our Indigenous people better Americans do.
3/4/2007 2:23:13 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	The Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian Reservation sits in Bennett, Jackson, and Shannon Counties and is located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, fifty miles east of the Wyoming border. § The 11,000-square mile (approximately 2,700,000 acres) Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American Reservation within the United States. It is roughly the size of the State of Connecticut. According to the Oglala Sioux tribal statistics, approximately 1,700,000 acres of this land are owned by the Tribe or by tribal members. § The Reservation is divided into eight districts: Eagle Nest, Pass Creek, Wakpamni, LaCreek, Pine Ridge, White Clay, Medicine Root, Porcupine, and Wounded Knee. § The topography of the Pine Ridge Reservation includes the barren Badlands, rolling grassland hills, dryland prairie, and areas dotted with pine trees. § The Pine Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35% of which are under the age of 18. The latest Federal Census shows the median age to be 20.6 years. Approximately half the residents of the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Nation. § According to the most recent Federal Census, 58.7% of the grandparents on the Reservation are responsible for raising their own grandchildren. § The population is slowly but steadily rising, despite the severe conditions on the Reservation, as more and more Oglala Lakota return home from far-away cities to live within their societal values, be with their families, and assist with the revitalization of their culture and their Nation.
3/4/2007 2:26:08 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Recent reports vary but many point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year. § The unemployment rate on Pine Ridge is said to be approximately 83-85% and can be higher during the winter months when travel is difficult or often impossible. § According to 2006 resources, about 97% of the population lives below Federal poverty levels. * There is little industry, technology, or commercial infrastructure on the Reservation to provide employment. § Rapid City, South Dakota is the nearest town of size (population approximately 57,700) for those who can travel to find work. It is located 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado located some 350 miles away. Life Expectancy and Health Conditions § Some figures state that the life expectancy on the Reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state that the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old. These statistics are far from the 77.5 years of age life expectancy average found in the United States as a whole. According to current USDA Rural Development documents, the Lakota have the lowest life expectancy of any group in America. § Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150% higher than the U.S. national average for this age group. § The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average. § More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition are pervasive. § The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be 800% higher than the U.S. national average. § Recent reports indicate that almost 50% of the adults on the Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes. § As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the Reservation, diabetic-related blindness, amputations, and kidney failure are common. § The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average. § Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national average. § It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys. This infestation causes an often-fatal condition with infants, children, elderly, those with damaged immune systems, and those with lung and pulmonary conditions at the highest risk. Exposure to this mold can cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and brain as well as cancer. § A Federal Commodity Food Program is active but supplies mostly inappropriate foods (high in carbohydrate and/or sugar) for the largely diabetic population of the Reservation. § A small non-profit Food Co-op is in operation on the Reservation but is available only for those with funds to participate.
3/4/2007 2:27:49 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Health Care § Many Reservation residents live without health care due to vast travel distances involved in accessing that care. Additional factors include under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities and outdated or non-existent medical equipment. § Preventive healthcare programs are rare. § In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian Nations, the U.S. government agreed to provide adequate medical care for Indians in return for vast quantities of land. The Indian Health Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for Indians under these treaties and receives an appropriation each year to fund Indian health care. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very small compared to the need and there is little hope for increased funding from Congress. The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped and can’t possibly address the needs of Indian communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Education Issues § School drop-out rate is over 70%. § According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) report, the Pine Ridge Reservation schools are in the bottom 10% of school funding by U.S. Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. § Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average
3/4/2007 2:30:10 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Housing Conditions and Homelessness § The small BIA/Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are overcrowded and scarce, resulting in many homeless families who often use tents or cars for shelter. Many families live in old cabins or dilapidated mobile homes and trailers. § According to a 2003 report from South Dakota State University, the majority of the current Tribal Housing Authority homes were built from 1970-1979. The report brings to light that a great percentage of that original construction by the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) was “shoddy and substandard.” The report also states that 26% of the housing units on the Reservation are mobile homes, often purchased or obtained (through donations) as used, low-value units with negative-value equity. § Even though there is a large homeless population on the Reservation, most families never turn away a relative no matter how distant the blood relation. Consequently, many homes often have large numbers of people living in them. § In a recent case study, the Tribal Council estimated a need for at least 4,000 new homes in order to combat the homeless situation. § There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms). Some larger homes, built for 6 to 8 people, have up to 30 people living in them. § Over-all, 59% of the Reservation homes are substandard. § Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage systems as well as electricity. § Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the local rivers daily for their personal needs. § Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors. § Without basic insulation or central heating in their homes, many residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their ovens to heat their homes. § Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. Even more homes lack central heating. § Periodically, Reservation residents are found dead from hypothermia (freezing). § It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation need to be burned to the ground and replaced with new housing due to infestation of the potentially-fatal Black Mold, Stachybotrys. There is no insurance or government program to assist families in replacing their homes. § 39% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation have no electricity. § The most common form of heating fuel is propane. Wood-burning is the second most common form of heating a home although wood supplies are often expensive or difficult to obtain. § Many Reservation homes lack basic furniture and appliances such as beds, refrigerators, and stoves. § 60% of Reservation families have no land-line telephone. The Tribe has recently issued basic cell phones to the residents. However, these cell phones (commonly called commodity phones) do not operate off the Reservation at all and are often inoperable in the rural areas on the Reservation or during storms or wind. § Computers and internet connections are very rare. § Federal and tribal heat assistance programs (such as LLEAP) are limited by their funding. In the winter of 2005-2006, the average one-time only payment to a family was said to be approximately $250-$300 to cover the entire winter. For many, that amount did not even fill their propane heating tanks one time.
3/4/2007 2:32:05 AM	asians at the bottom of the totem pole lol
aiming4justice Mount Pleasant, PA age: 44	Life on the Reservation § Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated areas. § The largest town on the Reservation is the village of Pine Ridge which has a population of approximately 5,720 people and is the administrative center for the Reservation. § There are few improved (paved) roads on the Reservation and most of the rural homes are inaccessible during times of rain or snow. § Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over 110°F and winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach - 50°F or worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always a risk. § The Pine Ridge Reservation still has no banks, discount stores, or movie theaters. It has only one grocery store of any moderate size and it is located in the village of Pine Ridge on the Reservation. A motel just opened in 2006 near the Oglala Lakota College at Kyle, South Dakota. There are said to be about 8 Bed and Breakfast or campsite locations found across the Reservation but that number varies from time to time since most are part of a private home. § Several of the banks and lending institutions nearest to the Reservation have been targeted for investigation of fraudulent or predatory lending practices, with the citizens of the Pine Ridge Reservation as their victims. § There are no public libraries except one at the Oglala Lakota College. § There is 1 radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation. KILI 90.1FM is located near the town of Porcupine on the Reservation. Transportation § There is no public transportation available on the Reservation. § Only a minority of Reservation residents own an operable automobile. § Predominant form of travel for all ages on the Reservation is walking or hitchhiking. § There is one very small airport on the Reservation servicing both the Pine Ridge Reservation and Shannon County. It's longest, paved runway extends 4,969 feet. There are no commercial flights available. The majority of flights using the airport are Federal, State, or County Government-related. § The nearest commercial airport and/or commercial bus line is located in Rapid City, South Dakota (approximately 120 miles away).

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