Tribal Governments, Sovereignty, and Relations with the U.S. Government (Sade Kelly)

This chapter was difficult to understand, but after speaking with Professor Dass my knowledge of Native Americans and the truth behind the stereotypes and the myths came to light. Growing up in north Minneapolis and going to public schools there weren't very many Native Americans that I had the chance to interact with. There is quite a large community of Native Americans in south Minneapolis, but I'd only passed it by on the bus or in the car. Because of the little interaction I had with the culture and the lack of information I was taught in school I knew nothing about Native American geovernment and how there tribes worked. I was ignorant, I thought Natives had it all I thought a large number of Native Americans and there tribes received money from the U.S. government and form casinos and did nothing productive with it. I was wrong and now looking back I feel disgusted with myself and with my ignorance. Considering I didn't learn much about Native Americans in school I went off of what I heard from other ignorant people. I think a class like the one we all are in now should be mandatory in all high schools across the U.S, especially in states that have Indian reservations.
After speaking with Professor Dass I learned that yes some money from the profits of casinos is distributed throughout the tribe. But BEFORE that happens the money is distributed to the things that the government or the BIA doesn't leave enough money for, like the schools, the garbage and sewage system, the hospitals, the court system and community centers. The community center in a Native community I knew of in south Minneapolis is funded by these casinos, and also the Native American alternative high school down the street from my house is funded by these casinos. Most people dont know this because of the lack of knowledge in our society.
The BIA is funded by Native American land trust, the trust holds the money from the profit of land being sold that was owned by Native Americans. The BIA is the only ones who can distribute the money from the trust used for housing, health care and education. But of course the Native Americans always get the short end of the stick, because eighty percent of this money held in the trust goes to the administration of the BIA and twenty percent goes to the actual needs of the Indian reservations. When I found this out I was baffled!!! The Native Americans land is sold and only TWENTY PERCENT actually goes to there health care, housing and education, and if they don't have private funding like casinos there is no other way for the reservations to receive extra funding. That's outrageous, that's not enough it should be one hundred percent, because it there land that was sold in the first place. Health care, education and housing are extremely important, and its truly sad that these things aren't properly funded on Indian reservations. These things aren't properly funded because after all these years the Native Americans still aren't receiveing righful justice.

Tribal governments,sovereignty, and the US government ( Stephanie Gronewold)

When reading this chapter my eyes were opened to how badly the US government treated the Native Americans. The US government gave the Native Americans the right to govern their own people and yet as time went on they have to interfere. When reading this do all tribes and communities have their own laws? Would it not be better if they all came together to form one supreme law? That way when dealing with the US government they would have more power. I feel that the things that happen on the reservations should be handled by the laws of the Native Americans. When laws are broken outside of the reservations they should be handed by local authorities. I feel the same is true if we break laws on the reservations. I have an issue with people getting taxed twice for the same thing and being charged twice for the same or similar offense.
I believe that the US government should let the Native American people govern their own people without the government stepping in. When the government interferes they always seem to benefit from the Native Americans. Some Native American tribes are trying to use casino profits to support themselves but there just is not enough income. I don't know what the answer is but somehow we need to find a solution.

Searching for Independence (Jill Docter)

The topic of sovereignty and Native American government is very interesting to me. There are so many different aspects to the governing system. On one hand, the tribes are sovereign meaning the individual tribes have their own government. However, on the other hand, the state governments have major control as well. What upsets me is how unreasonable the state governments can be. How they can try people in court twice for the same crime seems ridiculous. I also don’t understand why the state government wants control over the police force. Why can’t the Native Americans handle that? I don’t see why they government can’t simply just intercede when necessary. The Native Americans have never broken a treaty without proper reasoning, and yet the government still doesn’t trust them?

They have also highly decreased their financial support for the tribes which means decreased education, social service systems, and health care. What is frustrating is that Native Americans are citizens too. Many services are continually to low-income non-Natives like health care, welfare, and multiple social systems. As the chapter noted, gambling is a source of income, however the income isn’t profitable enough to provided for the whole tribe without other financial aid. The government can’t simply stop the funding for their citizens.

I completely support the Native’s ongoing battle to maintain and regain control. I think they are making headway to stopping these ridiculous restrictions put on their people and I hope they can continue to make strides towards sovereignty.

Tribal Governments,Sovereignty, and Relations with the U.S. Government( Jesus Saenz)

This chapter deals with Native American sovereignty and the complex laws that are placed on them by the U.S. Government. This chapter also goes into detail on how far Native Americans can run their own land as in laws and regulations or when the U.S. Government has to step in. The relationship between the U.S. Government and the Native Americans is a long and rocky relationship starting when the fur traders started coming and choosing “Fur Chiefs” in which they could talk to and in most cases manipulate. Also according to our notes from class the Dawes act which has been referred to the worst piece of legislation made was introduced in 1887 which was made to register Native Americans. It would grant them 160 acres of land, however rarely did that land get to them it was usually taken away or never given. There are still many people fighting land allotments from thirty years back. The sovereignty issues are a long and complex issue. Sovereignty is a nation within a nation with limited powers. Currently there are 400 active treaties in effect acknowledging the tribal sovereign protecting their land and recourses. The U.S. Government holds the right to step in or a Plenary Power which in turn has huge control over tribes and has diminished their form of government.
This chapter really is disturbing because it shows how badly they were treated. I thought I had an idea of how they were treated but this chapter has opened my eyes to how badly it really was and as far as we know it could have been worst. They have been cheated and no one has paid for it. I once thought that they were free to run their land on the reservations but now that I read this chapter it really isn’t like that the government really has both hand deep in their way of life and how things go.

US-Dakota War (Chris Schroeder)

1861-1865 is a time period that resonates with American history as a dark period of civil unrest in our early years in the form of the Civil War. What gets forcefully overshadowed by this war is another just as influential, horrible, and politically driven war between the Dakota peoples of Minnesota and the surrounding area and the US Government. Much of how the United States came to be is revolved heavily on the institution of treaties, and the events following institution/misuse of these treaties is what has shaped the nation. Events leading to one of the darkest periods in American history is no different. The US Govt. had entered into treaties with many Native Nations, and more specifically the Dakota in and around the Minnesota territory. The US-Dakota War began essentially from strained relations and unfulfilled promises brought about through the abuse of the treaties. Late annuity payments, or non-payments, as much of the annuities went to traders who over-extended credit to many Indians, coupled with a food shortage brought about by drought, lead to the initial conflict and eventually war (US). Following the surrender of the Dakota on Sept. 26th, 1862 at Camp Release, 321 Dakota men were convicted of "war crimes" with all but 18 sentenced to death (US). A petition from Bishop Whipple to President Abraham Lincoln brought the conviction total down to 39: eventually 38 following a mistrial finding (Lecture). Those 38 men were executed by hanging on Dec 26th, 1862 in Mankato, MN and eventually lead to further conflicts between Dakota, as well as other nations, and the US Govt and the eventual more recognized Battle of Little Big Horn. These events helped forever etch a bloody stain on the relations between Native Nations and the US Govt, and helped pave the way for future relations with other countries. If you look at events from the present, you will continue to see the act of implementing treaties and the bloodshed following, as well as the mistreating of peoples (example Bernie Madoff and the credit unions). You cannot help but wonder if we as Americans cannot or will not learn from our past discretion, if we are doomed to forever be caught in the cycle.


(US) The US-Dakota War. EMuseum at Minnesota State University. (2007). Retrieved from: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/mnstatehistory/thedakotaconflict.html

(Notes) Class Lecture. American Indians of Minnesota, AIS 230. Dr. Rhonda Dass. September 16,2009.

week four websites (by Jesus Saenz)

These websites talked about how the Dakota Conflict started and what were the reasons behind it. The story goes that the first strike was from a Dakota Hunting group who killed five white settlers. The websites continue to talk about how the war unfolded and how the Dakota had one major victory and after years of fighting surrendered. 394 Dakota are tried however 323 are convicted to murder and 303 are sentenced to hang. However a good man by the name of Bishop Whipple petitioned in behalf of the Natives and Abraham Lincoln looked at the trials and separated who were the warriors and who were just the bystanders. So in the end the biggest mass execution was done right here in Mankato with the hanging of 38 Dakota. The articles were really interesting because I didn't know any of this happened here, so it was nice to learn more history. The article shows the sad truth of how the Natives were treated and how everything seemed to be swept under the rug. The crazy thing about the this all is that the money they were suppose to receive came a day to late and this all could of been prevented.

Week Four Websites

These websites talked about how the Dakota Conflict started and what were the reasons behind it. The story goes that the first strike was from a Dakota Hunting group who killed five white settlers. The websites continue to talk about how the war unfolded and how the Dakota had one major victory and after years of fighting surrendered. 394 Dakota are tried however 323 are convicted to murder and 303 are sentenced to hang. However a good man by the name of Bishop Whipple petitioned in behalf of the Natives and Abraham Lincoln looked at the trials and separated who were the warriors and who were just the bystanders. So in the end the biggest mass execution was done right here in Mankato with the hanging of 38 Dakota. The articles were really interesting because I didn't know any of this happened here, so it was nice to learn more history. The article shows the sad truth of how the Natives were treated and how everything seemed to be swept under the rug. The crazy thing about the this all is that the money they were suppose to receive came a day to late and this all could of been prevented.

Shifting Governmental Relationships-Chaper 2

After reading Chapter two-Shifting Governmental Relationships form our "Indians of Minnesota" book its obvious that the Natives were treated horribly, to say the least. They were treated as if they had no opinion or say in the way things went at all. There fate and the fate of there families and there tribes were left up to Congress, and in my opinion still is. Treaties were the Europeans way of taking land from the Indians and giving very little back of what wasn't there's to govern in the first place. I find it funny how the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 started with "The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent..." This was obviously a lie, and the United States didn't hold up to there end of the bargain.
The U.S. Constitution gave Congress the "exclusive rights and power of regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians". The Europeans came to this land and took what wasn't there's and made the Natives there business when that wasn't needed. Affairs didn't need to be managed they should of left the Natives be and at peace, but instead they tried to destroy there culture. Its amazing that still to this very day the Native Americans are still being mistreated by the United States, after everything they have already been through. And its even more crazy that the fate of the Native Americans and there families and there tribes is still left up to the United States Government.
Sade Kelly

Shifting Governmental Relationships: Assimilation (Nic Liebl)

The U.S. Federal Government put many policies into place meant to assimilate Indian peoples into the “civilized” Euro-American way of life. Among whites, many viewed Christianity as synonymous with civilization and in 1869 the task of running the reservations was put into the hands of religious groups. One can imagine the intensity at which these groups went about their work to convert the Indian people to Christianity and force them into a “civilized” existence. In extension, Indian children were taken from their families and old way of life and sent to boarding schools where they were conditioned to be “civilized” members of society. What these groups viewed as holy and patriotic was more an arrogant attack on the cultural identity of the Indian people. As a part of the Federal Government’s assimilation policies, this serves as an illustration of the government mentality in its relations with the Indian people.

Shifting Governmental Relationships: The BIA (Lexy Becker)

In this chapter, we read about the unsteady relationship between the Native Americans and Government. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was briefly mentioned only in regards to mistreatment. Briefly, the BIA offers services and interacts with the Native Americans to resolve political and social issues (treaties, grants, etc.). Obviously since 1849, they’ve fallen short of their goals and mission statement. Although, a lot of American Indians feel that the administration and program all together should just be demolished, there is some hope. Currently, Larry EchoHawk, a member the Pawnee nation, was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in 2009. Do you think this will help (in some way) end tensions between Native Americans and the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

Graves, Kathy Davis, and Ebbot, Elizabeth. Fifth Edition: Indians in Minnesota.

Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2006.

Shifting Governmental Relationships-Chaper 2

Fictions of American Prehistory: The origins of Native Americans (Lexy Becker)

I’m assuming that everyone read the article and instead of recapping, I would like to introduce some new ideas and focus more on origins. The article hints that perhaps the predecessors of the current day Native Americans traveled from Asia to North America when the land was still connected. It’s more then likely that other civilizations throughout the ages brought their customs and intelligence over to share before the Euro-Americans. However, Asia was one of the earliest and most scholarly civilizations. Since the beginning, everything in Asian (especially Chinese) culture has meaning especially their writing formation. They write in symbols and their words take on specific depictions, similar to that of the hieroglyphics.

Mongolia is right next to China. Try to compare and contrast some traditional Chinese beliefs with those of the 18^th century Native. They match up far more then any other faith of other civilizations. It’s possible before the culture could be written down, they parted with similar ideas to different places. Some examples include: in a traditional Chinese text, Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu refers to the Tao (“way” in English) as being brought by Mother of the universe. Sounds a lot like “Mother earth”, doesn’t it? In china, the force with the natural environment and the spirit within is called “Chi.” You must align yourself with nature to experience it and must not try to fight against it. Doesn’t it start to sound familiar?

My questions for you if you choose to post on this are:

1. Can you list an example from any one culture that you think the Native Americans derived from?

2. What do you think about Asian culture and do you think there are any similarties?

Kolodny, Annette. (2003). Fictions of American Prehistory: Indians, Archeology, and National Origin Myths. Project Muse. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.eduDass, Dr. Rhonda. (2009). AIS 230 American Indians in Minnesota. Class Lecture. Sept 2, 2009

Fictions of American Prehistory: Kolodny ( Stephanie Gronewold)

After reading the article Fictions of American Prehistory: Indians, Archeology and National Origin Myth in my opinion I feel that the Native Americans were in North America first. I feel that the Native Americans may have been direct descendants of an advanced civilization. I believe that the artifacts found at the burial mounds and the burial mounds themselves some how are an important past to the Native Americans (Kolodny 704-705 ). From my point of view the white people were looking for an excuse for what they were doing to the Native Americans. Some of the Native American beliefs were things white people implemented into daily life. If other cultures visited the lands of the Native Americans those cultures might have had some impact on the Indians way of life but I still believe that the Native Americans were here first.

Why was it so important for historians to doubt the Native Americans and their artifacts?
Why is it that throughout history one race thinks that they are more superior than another?

Kolodny Annette.(2003). Fictions of American Prehistory:Indians Archeology and National Origin Myths. Project Muse Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu

Fictions of American Prehistory; Kolodny (Tracey Weitzel)

The article Fictions of American Prehistory: Indians, Archeology, and National Origin Myths by Annette Kolodny discusses the prehistory of America. It is widely accepted that American prehistory is the time before Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World, but agreement about prehistory ends there (Kolodny 2003, p.693). The article discusses the two dominating theories about America’s prehistory, one being that before Columbus’s discovery, the continent had been visited by many other civilizations, and the other being that Columbus’s discovery was the first (Kolodny 2003, p. 694). The article continues to state that some individuals tried to rewrite the prehistory of America, and erase American Indians from it, which in turn caused historians to overthrow the oral histories of the Native Americans (Kolodny 2003, p. 703-704). In every cultures history, there are commonalities, such as a Great Flood, and Native Americans are no exception to that (Dass 2009). However, their oral histories are considered illegitimate. Why are historians so quick to doubt the Native Americans history, but not others?

Kolodny, Annette. (2003). Fictions of American Prehistory: Indians, Archeology, and National Origin Myths. Project Muse. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.eduDass, Dr. Rhonda. (2009). AIS 230 American Indians in Minnesota. Class Lecture. Sept 2, 2009

Fictions of Prehistory; Kolondy (Chris Schroeder)

Upon reading Fictions of American Prehistory: Indians, Archeology, and National Origin Myths by Annette Kolodny, it calls to mind the idea of what is accepted as prehistory. While much of the scientific world considers prehistory anything prior to Columbus' "discovery" of the New World, the agreement tends to end there (Kolodny 2003, p.693). Kolodny speaks to Americans desire to create a history (Kolodny 2003, pgs. 698-704) in what I view as an attempt to legitimize themselves, early on in the country's roots, among the elite nations of the world. In doing so, many historians and amateurs invalidated the oral histories of American Indians. While these histories may not be viewed as legitimate in the academic world, there are common threads of creation and parallels in events such as a Great Flood (Dass 2009). So how is it that we can accept some prehistories while dismissing others, when much of their histories are intertwined?

Kolodny, Annette. (2003). Fictions of American Prehistory: Indians, Archeology, and National Origin Myths. Project Muse. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu

Dass, Dr. Rhonda. (2009). AIS 230 American Indians in Minnesota. Class Lecture. Sept 2, 2009.

My name is Jasmine. I am a social work major but I really like studying history and anthropology. It will be interesting to learn more about local people and their history in this region.