My favorite quote

"Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today, that I shall be tomorrow. The wish, however, must be implemented by deeds." Louis L'Amour The Walking Drum

Starbits

One time I started a grass fire here in the spring. All the neighbors showed up and we put it out carrying 5 gallon buckets of water and chainsawing trees and connecting up a trash pump and dowsing everything real good. We called in the State boys just to be safe. There wasn't much for them to do when they showed up. One of the firefighters complemented us on doing such a good job. He said usually when they get called to put out a fire in a village the people are just standing around and watching things burn.

Sad!

Wow, that’s cool. A bash the Indians post. I am a very proud Lakota Sioux. English is my second language. I am the third generation to get my masters degree in my family, my sister and mom have their phd’s. We have owned and operated a successful cattle business since 1897. This “they” and “the Indians” nonsense really doesn’t hold much water. It’s not a symptom of race or being “Indian”. It is a symptom of poverty. Period. Your trailer courts carry the same problems as out reservations. And until you have lived as a Native, on the reservation, surrounded by people that despise you because of your race, then you have no business passing judgement. Minority’s are Born with a leg up eh? Lol that’s the best joke I’ve heard all day. Try living on The Rez sometime and tell me what a huge leg up it is.

And I realize that I’m gonna get absolutely shredded. It’s fine. A whole you know what pot full of white people telling me and mine about all our problems and how it’s our fault and we don’t have responsibility, we’re lazy, we’re dumb, we’re drunks, we’re beggars, theives, and liars. Ain’t none of this new. Even had someone spray paint “prairie n*ggers and half breeds go back to the rez” on the walls of my college dorm. Btw that’s kind of what happens when we do get the “(This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) off the reservation”.

Pretty sure I'm bashing the government.

native trapper if you think handouts are a good thing then what do you see behind all the addiction, theft, assault and sex crimes on reservations?

Did he say he thinks hand outs are a good thing? Sorry if I missed it.

pike river whats your take on high crime areas? all those jokes about trailer parks are because they are high crime high addiction communities. at least a lot of them are. same with inner city black neighborhoods. common denominator in my mind is welfare.

reactions like native trapper is having are why no one can talk about it.

I worked with a Native last summer. He was good natured and a hard worker. He left his reservation when he turned 18. He told me of his experiences and all the bad things that go on the reservation. It's hard to believe some of thing that go on there. He told me the reason a lot of the crimes and bad things that go on there are kept quite because the tribal law don't want the government to think they can't take care of their own problems. They fear the government will try to step in and take over again.

In all honesty no human government can solve the complicated problems of mankind no matter what nation or tribe you are a part of.

I didn’t say handouts are a good thing. Not once. I got hostile when it degenerated and just turned into a bunch of folks talking about general problems with “Indians”. You wanna talk about the economic factors that’s fine. Just seemed like half of the posters were focused on race. But I don’t think welfare is the problem. Or the commodity program. Or Naha. Nor are they the solution. People are right when they say that the solution to our issues lies with us, but they’re wrong as to the why. Our problems don’t stem from laziness or ungratefulness or a sense of entitlement. Our problems are because native people struggle with reconsiling who we are, where we came from, and our culture with the world we live in. Part of it is rebellion. Many find it galling that after 80% of our race was wiped out, without mercy, that we should bend to the whims of the government that so happily murdered us, and not so long ago. The goal was assimilation. “Kill the Indian, save the man”. That was the mantra. So if we go to college, get a degree, live off the reservation next to white folks, work with white folks, talk like white folks, live like white people, then we have assimilated. And many would see that as us losing our identity. It’s a hard line to walk. Believe me, it’s one i toe everyday.

That I can understand.

I can't help but think that giving people handouts takes their pride. they start off thinking its a lifesaver. after weeks months years and generations it is IMO a soul killer

And Danny Clifton....would the more common common denominator be poverty, rather than welfare?

Blame whitey!,..pale face pr##ks,...always putting the herd down! 150 yrs.....no end in sight!
Tribal corruption,..not my fault!

I am sure there is some racism against Native Americans in parts of the US. Here in Ohio people will proudly tell you they are of Native American blood, often people who have blonde hair, blue eyes and lily white skin. People in Ohio are proud to have Native American heritage, especially if they hunt, trap or fish. When I met my new neighbor, he told me he was of Cherokee blood within minutes of meeting. People here tell you because they are proud and know most people here think it is good to be Native American.

Successful whites generally have guilt. Unsuccessful whites generally don't think about things enough to have any guilt at all. Race does not matter much in our society anymore, which is overall a good thing.

The biggest problem facing society is that irregardless of race, the wrong people have most of the children. I think this is why all human societies eventually fall. Our government makes it worse by paying the wrong people to breed with money taken from the people who should breed.

Keith

It takes time. People forget how recent it really was. I still have to drive across the wagon tracks to check my cows from when we were first put on the reservations. When we walk outside and see the squalor we live in, it is a constant and unceasing reminder of what happened. Imagine if some foreign nation overtook the us. (It would never happen I know but just bare with me here). Murder 80% of our nation. Packed us into little concentration camps and then said “live like us or else”. How long do you think it would take for people to be on board? You would teach your children what the American way of life was. What Americans stand for, and to never give in to the oppressors. And they would teach their children the same. I cannot speak for black folks. Or white folks in trailer parks. I know nothing about their lives. We have to figure out how to be proud of who we are, and still be successful. Gotta play the hand your dealt i know, but you gotta know the game first.

I probably live in worse poverty than most natives, but I have to do stuff to feed myself , heat the house, maintain the equipment and property, If the government was providing all these things with no effort by me, it wouldn't be much of a life. This would lead to apathy. Apathy is the problem.

21% do not have a kitchen or basic plumbing. Median per capita income is 4800$ a year. Those are hard stats to beat there my friend. Average household income is 9,000$ a year. A lot of the ideas people have are wrong too. Unless the tribe owns a successful casino (mine doesnt) there is no monthly check. I still have water and electric bills because the tribes don’t have their own power plants. It comes from off reservation. Still gotta pay the bill. I had to pay my own way through college, it most certainly was not free. Growing up the only handouts we got were commodities. Food. Food which kept me alive and healthy enough to grow up and go to school.

Driving down 83 off of 90 some years back in my semi, when I made that little jog in Mission, some little boys were throwing rocks at my truck. Some adults were watching and laughing. I was just hauling a load to NE. Didn't even stop there. I still don't get that. Adults condoning little boys damaging private property that way. Something aint right in that part of the world. Blaming me for something my ancestors did isn't going to benefit anyone.

FWIW I don't feel any guilt over a wilderness being turned into the country we all benefit from today. I see more opportunity today than probably anytime in our nations history. I cant feel sorry for people who choose to sit around feeling sorry for themselves.

Native Trapper
In one of ur posts u stated "it's a symptom of poverty". I think ultimately the million dollar question is what does it take to break the cycle of generational poverty. You would think with all the wisdom this world has accumulated we would have a understanding of what it truly takes but by the results of this society it seems we don't. Personally I think it's a morals and values thing and money being thrown at it isn't going to fix it.

P.S. I live 45 minutes from Haskell university. my kids couldn't even pay to go there let alone go free