Post by Okwes on Feb 9, 2007 10:56:43 GMT -5
'Conservative Indian' is not an oxymoron
By Ron Toya, Tribal Government Institute Article Launched:12/07/2006
12:00:00 AM MST www.alamogordonews.com/opinion/ci_4792494
<http://www.alamogordonews.com/opinion/ci_4792494>
When it comes to American Indian tribal leadership, you can't be so
partisan that you alienate yourself from sources of power and support.
While liberals and Democrats say they deplore stereotyping, profiling
and generalizing, that is exactly what they do when they vilify
Republicans to justify Democratic viewpoints. Such barrages are usually
against Republicans, but other parties, including the Green Party and
the Libertarian Party, get a taste as well. An activist can write
all they want without regard to facts. As tribal leaders or tribal
members wanting to improve our communities, we don't have the luxury of
being partisan. We have to get away from the extremes of liberal or
conservative or party affiliation. We need to look at the diversity of
ideas and find those that we can use, regardless of where they come
from. The 19 pueblos of New Mexico have recognized the contributions
of two men who happen to be Republicans. They have named two buildings
on their new Albuquerque development center the Pete Domenici Indian
Affairs Building and the Manuel Lujan Jr. Indian Affairs Building.
And if you think this came about because these men got large sums of
public or private money given to the pueblos for these buildings, you're
wrong. These buildings were constructed without one penny of government
money. There are many more American Indian Republicans than Democrats
want to openly acknowledge. "Well, isn't it true that Indians vote the
Democratic Party more than the Republican Party?'' you may ask. Those
conclusions are always drawn from voting records on American Indian
reservations. Only 25 to 30 percent of Indian people live on
reservations. The question becomes, "Where do those other 75 percent of
American Indian people stand on issues, what are their philosophies and
how do they vote?" There is much anecdotal evidence that Republicans get
a good share of those votes and that Republican positions get good
support from off-reservation Indians. The big, bad Republican Party
and their mean leader, George W. Bush have done well for America's
Native people. After 40 years of trying, Indian country finally has a
National American Indian Training Center. The determination and actions
by President Bush and former Interior Department Secretary Gale Norton
made the center a reality. The president supports the American
Indian Self-Determination Act. He believes, as tribal governments do,
that decisions impacting local governments need to be made locally. For
example, education standards under the No Child Left Behind Act are left
to state governments to determine, not the federal government in
Washington. Tribes support this concept as well, preferring to set
standards and curricula at the reservation level and not to be dictated
by Washington, where Democrats want education standards and curricula
set. By the way, President Richard Nixon, a Republican, guided the
self-determination legislation through Congress and signed the original
landmark act. President Bush raised BIA education funding by 25
percent. And not just for one year, but for three straight years
(totaling 74.5 percent). School construction was increased to construct
or replace three times the amount of schools Democrat Bill Clinton spent
over the same period of time. For the first time, BIA-funded schools
(two-thirds of which are run by tribes and tribal organizations) became
eligible for funding under the Reading First initiative. American
Indian people also support many conservative positions on issues, as
opposed to those positions pushed by liberal activists. Take abortion,
for example. Indian people have strong Christian (and other religious)
beliefs that oppose abortion. One would assume tribal governments
are pro-union, right? Wrong. The growth of gaming has enhanced both the
desire of some employees to unionize and the opposition of nearly all
tribes to oppose the establishment of unions on their reservations.
Unfortunately, political corruption always seems to be in the news. But
again, neither party has cornered the market as the clean one or the
dirty one. Enron's chairman met with the president and vice president,
spent 11 nights in the White House and donated $420,000 to Bill Clinton.
In 2000, the Clinton administration shut down offices in Albuquerque,
moving money and people to Washington, D.C. (150 permanent plus about
100 temporary, mostly Indian employees with an operating yearly budget
of $9.5 million). A Republican action to take 250 jobs and almost $10
million a year out of Indian country to Washington, D.C., would be
Democrat activist fodder for years, but Democrats are given a pass.
This is not meant to be a pro-Republican article as much as it is a call
of openness and honesty in trying to deal with reservation issues. Are
we looking out for the good of our Indian reservations or a chance to
make political points? The divisiveness of politics in America does not
have to spill over onto our reservations. Let's deal with reality and
not the myths.
By Ron Toya, Tribal Government Institute Article Launched:12/07/2006
12:00:00 AM MST www.alamogordonews.com/opinion/ci_4792494
<http://www.alamogordonews.com/opinion/ci_4792494>
When it comes to American Indian tribal leadership, you can't be so
partisan that you alienate yourself from sources of power and support.
While liberals and Democrats say they deplore stereotyping, profiling
and generalizing, that is exactly what they do when they vilify
Republicans to justify Democratic viewpoints. Such barrages are usually
against Republicans, but other parties, including the Green Party and
the Libertarian Party, get a taste as well. An activist can write
all they want without regard to facts. As tribal leaders or tribal
members wanting to improve our communities, we don't have the luxury of
being partisan. We have to get away from the extremes of liberal or
conservative or party affiliation. We need to look at the diversity of
ideas and find those that we can use, regardless of where they come
from. The 19 pueblos of New Mexico have recognized the contributions
of two men who happen to be Republicans. They have named two buildings
on their new Albuquerque development center the Pete Domenici Indian
Affairs Building and the Manuel Lujan Jr. Indian Affairs Building.
And if you think this came about because these men got large sums of
public or private money given to the pueblos for these buildings, you're
wrong. These buildings were constructed without one penny of government
money. There are many more American Indian Republicans than Democrats
want to openly acknowledge. "Well, isn't it true that Indians vote the
Democratic Party more than the Republican Party?'' you may ask. Those
conclusions are always drawn from voting records on American Indian
reservations. Only 25 to 30 percent of Indian people live on
reservations. The question becomes, "Where do those other 75 percent of
American Indian people stand on issues, what are their philosophies and
how do they vote?" There is much anecdotal evidence that Republicans get
a good share of those votes and that Republican positions get good
support from off-reservation Indians. The big, bad Republican Party
and their mean leader, George W. Bush have done well for America's
Native people. After 40 years of trying, Indian country finally has a
National American Indian Training Center. The determination and actions
by President Bush and former Interior Department Secretary Gale Norton
made the center a reality. The president supports the American
Indian Self-Determination Act. He believes, as tribal governments do,
that decisions impacting local governments need to be made locally. For
example, education standards under the No Child Left Behind Act are left
to state governments to determine, not the federal government in
Washington. Tribes support this concept as well, preferring to set
standards and curricula at the reservation level and not to be dictated
by Washington, where Democrats want education standards and curricula
set. By the way, President Richard Nixon, a Republican, guided the
self-determination legislation through Congress and signed the original
landmark act. President Bush raised BIA education funding by 25
percent. And not just for one year, but for three straight years
(totaling 74.5 percent). School construction was increased to construct
or replace three times the amount of schools Democrat Bill Clinton spent
over the same period of time. For the first time, BIA-funded schools
(two-thirds of which are run by tribes and tribal organizations) became
eligible for funding under the Reading First initiative. American
Indian people also support many conservative positions on issues, as
opposed to those positions pushed by liberal activists. Take abortion,
for example. Indian people have strong Christian (and other religious)
beliefs that oppose abortion. One would assume tribal governments
are pro-union, right? Wrong. The growth of gaming has enhanced both the
desire of some employees to unionize and the opposition of nearly all
tribes to oppose the establishment of unions on their reservations.
Unfortunately, political corruption always seems to be in the news. But
again, neither party has cornered the market as the clean one or the
dirty one. Enron's chairman met with the president and vice president,
spent 11 nights in the White House and donated $420,000 to Bill Clinton.
In 2000, the Clinton administration shut down offices in Albuquerque,
moving money and people to Washington, D.C. (150 permanent plus about
100 temporary, mostly Indian employees with an operating yearly budget
of $9.5 million). A Republican action to take 250 jobs and almost $10
million a year out of Indian country to Washington, D.C., would be
Democrat activist fodder for years, but Democrats are given a pass.
This is not meant to be a pro-Republican article as much as it is a call
of openness and honesty in trying to deal with reservation issues. Are
we looking out for the good of our Indian reservations or a chance to
make political points? The divisiveness of politics in America does not
have to spill over onto our reservations. Let's deal with reality and
not the myths.