State and Local Relationships ( Jesus Saenz)

This chapter talks about the state and local relationships between natives. It starts by the 1887 Supreme Court Noting that tribes are communities dependent on the United States: dependent largely for their daily food: dependent for their political rights. They owe no allegiance to the States, and receive no protection. However, because Indians, as US Citizens, have constitutionally mandated rights to state and county services, states cannot ignore Indian needs (quoted from book by Kathy Graves and Elizabeth Ebbot). It also talks about how many states say supporting Native is a purely Federal function and this still holds true to this very day which is very unfortunate since it is 2009 and you would think that ignorance would go away. However there is light because in the 1928 Meriam Report found that a few states like Minnesota were concerned with the Native Population and help set things in place to help them out. The chapter also talks about the the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council which became the first legislated state body to focus on just Indians. It is the official Liaison between state and tribal government. (Indians in Minnesota). The state helped set programs up for the Native Communities like a joint tribal community college at Fond du Lac and higher education scholarships. Native Americans still have the most problems with local community because of ignorance or just not understanding their way of life, but some places like Prior Lake really are making an effort to help mend things and become a whole community. Private giving’s and foundations are really helping Native American Communities to send their children to college and earn degrees.
The chapter gave a positive outlook on those things that are happening and how communities and states are trying to work together with the Native Nations. However it still raises the question of why is there still such poor cooperation in this time and age.