Post by Okwes on Sept 10, 2006 19:58:03 GMT -5
Tribal warfare
www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/editorials/editorial0\
4.txt
<http://www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/editorials/editorial\
04.txt> We don't pretend to know all that drives the Tuscarora Tribe
to so vehemently oppose federal recognition for the Lumbee Indians, but
we do understand a bottom line - from $77 million to $100 million a
year. That is the amount of money - roughly equivalent to all the
dollars tourists leave behind each year in Robeson County - that the
Tuscarora leadership would deny their neighbors and fellow American
Indians, money that would enhance education, economic development and
health care for about 50,000 Lumbees with a history of discrimination
and having to settle for less. But the Lumbees aren't the only ones who
would benefit. All of us would, including Tuscaroras, because the money
would fuel a stagnant local economy, creating jobs and opportunities. In
recent weeks, Tuscarora leaders, perhaps fearful that the Lumbees are
nearing recognition, have stepped up their opposition effort. There has
been an attempt to enlist The Robesonian as their ally, one that has
been rebuffed, prompting the charge that we are “soft” on
Lumbee recognition. If being soft is a willingness to allow the Lumbee
recognition process to play out on Capitol Hill, we plead guilty. We
have no desire to tell the Tuscaroras' story now, although we have
invited their leadership to send us a letter to the editor, and today's
Our View almost guarantees our invitation will be accepted. In private
conversations, we have learned that Tuscaroras oppose Lumbee recognition
for reasons that include: n The charge the Lumbees hijacked the
Tuscaroras' heritage. n Lumbee is a government-issued name. n Lumbees
have not retreated to a reservation, where they could devolve like other
American Indian tribes in this country, but do so while keeping pure
their blood-line. As we said, we are quite willing to allow Congress to
sort it all out, but we also know that ultimately politics will be the
deciding factor, and not the merits of the Lumbees' case. The Tuscaroras
clearly want to be a part of that political process. The Tuscaroras
should remember the greater good, and redirect their efforts on
recognition for their own tribe so they could have a piece of the pie -
and at the same time abandon efforts to deny the Lumbees theirs.
www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/editorials/editorial0\
4.txt
<http://www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/09/03/news/editorials/editorial\
04.txt> We don't pretend to know all that drives the Tuscarora Tribe
to so vehemently oppose federal recognition for the Lumbee Indians, but
we do understand a bottom line - from $77 million to $100 million a
year. That is the amount of money - roughly equivalent to all the
dollars tourists leave behind each year in Robeson County - that the
Tuscarora leadership would deny their neighbors and fellow American
Indians, money that would enhance education, economic development and
health care for about 50,000 Lumbees with a history of discrimination
and having to settle for less. But the Lumbees aren't the only ones who
would benefit. All of us would, including Tuscaroras, because the money
would fuel a stagnant local economy, creating jobs and opportunities. In
recent weeks, Tuscarora leaders, perhaps fearful that the Lumbees are
nearing recognition, have stepped up their opposition effort. There has
been an attempt to enlist The Robesonian as their ally, one that has
been rebuffed, prompting the charge that we are “soft” on
Lumbee recognition. If being soft is a willingness to allow the Lumbee
recognition process to play out on Capitol Hill, we plead guilty. We
have no desire to tell the Tuscaroras' story now, although we have
invited their leadership to send us a letter to the editor, and today's
Our View almost guarantees our invitation will be accepted. In private
conversations, we have learned that Tuscaroras oppose Lumbee recognition
for reasons that include: n The charge the Lumbees hijacked the
Tuscaroras' heritage. n Lumbee is a government-issued name. n Lumbees
have not retreated to a reservation, where they could devolve like other
American Indian tribes in this country, but do so while keeping pure
their blood-line. As we said, we are quite willing to allow Congress to
sort it all out, but we also know that ultimately politics will be the
deciding factor, and not the merits of the Lumbees' case. The Tuscaroras
clearly want to be a part of that political process. The Tuscaroras
should remember the greater good, and redirect their efforts on
recognition for their own tribe so they could have a piece of the pie -
and at the same time abandon efforts to deny the Lumbees theirs.