U.S. Sen. John Barrasso is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. (Twitter: @IndianCommittee and @SenJohnBarrasso)
The Wyoming Republican says he looks forward to working with others to pass legislation that helps improve the lives of people across Indian country.
Barrasso has already held field hearings in Wyoming and SOON Alaska. We NEED him to have hearings in California on the abuses of Native Americans, BY Native Americans.
Here is a letter than you could send the chairman:
Senator John Barrasso
30y Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Tollfree: 866-235-9553
Dear Chairman Barrasso,
A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) referenced the fact that internal tribal disputes “seem to be occurring more and more frequently”.
Such disputes have resulted in the disenrollment, which is the loss of citizenship in one's own tribe, banishment, denial of membership, stripping of voting rights, and/or denial of health/medical benefits of thousands of Indians.
In response to the growing number of these types of disputes, the GAO felt it was necessary and appropriate that nominees to the Secretary of Interior be asked how they would address such issues. Since most of the civil and human rights abuses have occurred under Democratic leadership , I believe it is also important to know how your committee will work with individual Indians in trying to resolve or prevent such disputes.
Your role as Chairman should be to help facilitate (1) internal tribal disputes that harm Native Americans and (2) the protection and preservation of individual Indians’ basic rights in internal disputes. The BIA has abdicated responsibility and are leaving it to the IBIA to overturn their decisions.
In addition, do you believe that tribal sovereignty and the protection of basic individual rights are mutually exclusive of each other? Should sovereignty be wielded like a club to beat the weak and defenseless?
I eagerly await your response to the questions raised above, and look forward to you setting hearings for California.
Respectfully submitted,
4 comments:
It upsets me when I read statements like "the growing number of", when even one person is way too many.
very true...even ONE person suffering the theft of their very birthright as an indian IS too many....ALL violations of tribal, civil, and human rights in indian country must stop!!!
Everyone everywhere needs rights and for others to think and act like they deserve more is sad for ALL our people.
Until you learn that NON tribal members were enrolled fraudulently i.e. faked documents- in order to rig the elections coming up. Then a reputable, non-indian, non-tribal 3rd party did the full investigation and found that a corrupt tribal council member had done this to gerimander the next elections so that 2 of them would have council seats forever. So, you have to look at the real reasons behind why there are dissenrollments. It is not what it seems. Ask clarifying questions before you jump to conclusions.
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