Post by Okwes on Aug 6, 2006 19:19:47 GMT -5
'American Indian Homelands: Matters of Truth, Honor and Dignity
Immemorial;' A review of a new documentary
by David Melmer
Indian Country Today
www.indiantrust.com/index.cfm?FuseActionfiltered=Articles.ViewDet\
ail&Article_id=357&Month=7&Year=2006
<http://www.indiantrust.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Articles.ViewDetail&Art\
icle_id=357&Month=7&Year=2006>
LITTLE CANADA, Minn. - The importance of land - including its value to
and spiritual relationship with people - has not changed for centuries
and the battle for land continues, whether for economic development or
for cultural reasons.
The ''Great Land Grab'' of the 19th century devastated Indian country.
While some of it was intentional and some well-meaning, the result was a
negative impact on people and homelands.
A new documentary film, ''American Indian Homelands: Matters of Truth,
Honor and Dignity Immemorial,'' explains in some detail how the land
grab by the federal government, sleazy government officials and
non-Native individuals, nearly destroyed the indigenous peoples of North
America.
''American Indian Homelands'' does not preach, nor does it whine about
past atrocities: it matter-of-factly unfolds the events of the past 150
years on land issues. If someone is confused over the reasons for the
Cobell v. Kempthorne litigation, Individual Indian Money accounts and
tribal trust land, this documentary will help explain.
Fractionation, or land held in common, was decreed by federal act; and
of all the acts that helped to bilk the land from the American Indians,
the Dawes Act dealt a devastating blow to future families and to the
victims of the act.
April 4, 1878, the day the Dawes Act was signed into law, is a day that
will live in infamy for Indian country, to play on the words of
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
The Dawes Act, or Allotment Act, allotted acreages on reservations to
American Indian families and the rest was offered to settlers.
Right on the heels of that devastating act came the Burke Act that
caused many allotments to be moved into fee, and therefore taxable,
status; and if the owner did not realize this, he could lose the land
for nonpayment of taxes or for other debt.
The documentary provides overall reasons why land was and is important
to individuals and to the tribes. Even though the viewer will not be
able to pass a test on Native law, or detailed history, the general idea
is present.
The film, narrated by famed news broadcaster Sam Donaldson, is lovely to
look at visually, but hard to listen to with emotional detachment. For
the liberal-minded, as is stated in the film, it does not dredge up the
need to take up a banner of protest against the government's actions (or
lack thereof). The film does not offer suggestions for alternatives to
alleviate the continuing problems; it lays out a well-organized history
of land takings and the aftereffects of that policy.
In the film, Millie Tapedo, Oklahoma Apache, relates the story of her
family when they at one time received $1,200 per month in oil royalties,
which suddenly dropped to $150 per month. She and a relative went to the
BIA realty office, confronted the officer, asked when a check would
arrive and received no satisfaction until she noticed her check on his
desk. She was then told it had been on the desk for about a week.
The people who offer information in the documentary are mostly tribal
officials, educators or attorneys, and their information comes strictly
from a legal or educated point of view. This film is about historical
reality and the reality of today.
After the Allotment Act ended, as a result of the Indian Reorganization
Act of 1934, more than 90 million acres had gone out of tribally or
individually owned hands.
There are many anecdotal incidents of land grabbing documented in the
film, land taken from families and tribes. The film also deals with the
difficulties and impact on families that probate can have in Indian
country. Some probate took more than 40 years to finalize. Probate was
handled by the BIA. Probate reform is currently an issue between the
federal government and the tribes.
This is a documentary that should be mandatory viewing for congressional
staff and state administration officials where reservations are located,
and should be included in every curriculum of every public school in
Indian country, for non-Indian and American Indian students alike.
This film not only tells the history but also the contemporary land
situation, and will leave the viewer wondering why this process is still
taking place.
''American Indian Homelands'' is a Vanbar Productions film, in
association with the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. Executive producer
is Barry ZeVan; co-producers are Chris Stainbrook and Barry ZeVan;
editor and director of photography is Brad Johnson; and the director,
writer and production designer is Barry ZeVan.
Immemorial;' A review of a new documentary
by David Melmer
Indian Country Today
www.indiantrust.com/index.cfm?FuseActionfiltered=Articles.ViewDet\
ail&Article_id=357&Month=7&Year=2006
<http://www.indiantrust.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Articles.ViewDetail&Art\
icle_id=357&Month=7&Year=2006>
LITTLE CANADA, Minn. - The importance of land - including its value to
and spiritual relationship with people - has not changed for centuries
and the battle for land continues, whether for economic development or
for cultural reasons.
The ''Great Land Grab'' of the 19th century devastated Indian country.
While some of it was intentional and some well-meaning, the result was a
negative impact on people and homelands.
A new documentary film, ''American Indian Homelands: Matters of Truth,
Honor and Dignity Immemorial,'' explains in some detail how the land
grab by the federal government, sleazy government officials and
non-Native individuals, nearly destroyed the indigenous peoples of North
America.
''American Indian Homelands'' does not preach, nor does it whine about
past atrocities: it matter-of-factly unfolds the events of the past 150
years on land issues. If someone is confused over the reasons for the
Cobell v. Kempthorne litigation, Individual Indian Money accounts and
tribal trust land, this documentary will help explain.
Fractionation, or land held in common, was decreed by federal act; and
of all the acts that helped to bilk the land from the American Indians,
the Dawes Act dealt a devastating blow to future families and to the
victims of the act.
April 4, 1878, the day the Dawes Act was signed into law, is a day that
will live in infamy for Indian country, to play on the words of
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
The Dawes Act, or Allotment Act, allotted acreages on reservations to
American Indian families and the rest was offered to settlers.
Right on the heels of that devastating act came the Burke Act that
caused many allotments to be moved into fee, and therefore taxable,
status; and if the owner did not realize this, he could lose the land
for nonpayment of taxes or for other debt.
The documentary provides overall reasons why land was and is important
to individuals and to the tribes. Even though the viewer will not be
able to pass a test on Native law, or detailed history, the general idea
is present.
The film, narrated by famed news broadcaster Sam Donaldson, is lovely to
look at visually, but hard to listen to with emotional detachment. For
the liberal-minded, as is stated in the film, it does not dredge up the
need to take up a banner of protest against the government's actions (or
lack thereof). The film does not offer suggestions for alternatives to
alleviate the continuing problems; it lays out a well-organized history
of land takings and the aftereffects of that policy.
In the film, Millie Tapedo, Oklahoma Apache, relates the story of her
family when they at one time received $1,200 per month in oil royalties,
which suddenly dropped to $150 per month. She and a relative went to the
BIA realty office, confronted the officer, asked when a check would
arrive and received no satisfaction until she noticed her check on his
desk. She was then told it had been on the desk for about a week.
The people who offer information in the documentary are mostly tribal
officials, educators or attorneys, and their information comes strictly
from a legal or educated point of view. This film is about historical
reality and the reality of today.
After the Allotment Act ended, as a result of the Indian Reorganization
Act of 1934, more than 90 million acres had gone out of tribally or
individually owned hands.
There are many anecdotal incidents of land grabbing documented in the
film, land taken from families and tribes. The film also deals with the
difficulties and impact on families that probate can have in Indian
country. Some probate took more than 40 years to finalize. Probate was
handled by the BIA. Probate reform is currently an issue between the
federal government and the tribes.
This is a documentary that should be mandatory viewing for congressional
staff and state administration officials where reservations are located,
and should be included in every curriculum of every public school in
Indian country, for non-Indian and American Indian students alike.
This film not only tells the history but also the contemporary land
situation, and will leave the viewer wondering why this process is still
taking place.
''American Indian Homelands'' is a Vanbar Productions film, in
association with the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. Executive producer
is Barry ZeVan; co-producers are Chris Stainbrook and Barry ZeVan;
editor and director of photography is Brad Johnson; and the director,
writer and production designer is Barry ZeVan.