Protecting our Sovereignty and Human Rights
Why does anyone vote? To have a say in their government, to have representation in their government, to influence their government, to speak out for or against their government are some that come to mind. It seems that really to vote is to stand up for sovereignty and human rights.
Oklahoma is second in the nation in Native American population with 482,760 citizens according to the 2010 US Census or roughly 13% of the total. The turnout at the polls in Oklahoma are low for both parties around 36% for state and federal elections, with turnout among Native Americans even drastically lower. Fairly understandable given there is still an air of distrust among our people when it comes to government anything. Some do not want themselves counted as citizens of the state or federal government for their loyalty lies with their tribal nation. Others could generally care less about voting because they don’t think their vote matters and it wouldn’t change anything if they did vote.
We American Indians have to live among the colonizers and those that would oppress us within the borders and confines of their construction. We are home. Although a tiny minority, approximately 1% of the US population, we are blessed in Oklahoma to have 13% or 482,760 Native Americans. We must recognize that the dominant society of countries, states, counties, and districts do and act in ways that affect us every day. Participating in that dominant society happens so routinely and habitually, we live in a world constructed of policies, laws, customs, regulations, ordinances and social norms. Our dominant society believes in this thing called democracy which relies on a voting process as participation in the government’s decisions.
For instance Oklahoma Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe effectively blocked the nomination of Arvo Mikkanen to the federal bench here in Oklahoma for no specific reason. Just because. There are currently no Native Americans holding a federal judgeship in the United States and Mikkanen would have been only the third tribally enrolled judge in US History. What an amazing inspiration for our youth this could have been. Federal judges have power to influence federal policies and interpret federal regulations among other things, what does that say about our elected Senators? No hearing on the matter, no due diligence, and no explanation at all, a total lack of respect for Mr. Mikkanen and President Barack Obama. If these Senators belie the racist attitudes of their constituency then what does that say about us?
The state of Oklahoma refuses to acknowledge the sovereignty of our tribal nations given the lack of respect shown to tribes in general and toward the Choctaw and Chickasaw water rights law suit. Neither Governor Fallin nor Attorney General Pruitt is treating our Native American/American Indian statuses as they should and neither apparently is acting in good faith either. Governor Fallin tells the tribes just to settle while she’s padding the Attorney General’s budget with two additional attorneys specializing in water law. And now the Attorney General calls on the state Supreme Court to settle a federal jurisdiction matter. No respect on a government to government level from either of them. The Governor has yet to consider filling the Tribal Liaison position supposedly due to the 1/4th blood quantum requirement. One has to believe that the drafters of that law consulted with tribal leaders on that language in 2010. There are plenty of qualified American Indians possessing 1/4th blood degree of Indian blood. Yet in hindsight Governor Fallin decides not to follow a law that might help foster communications with Indian tribes in Oklahoma. Gaming, jobs, housing, compacts, education, and health are just a few areas where the state and the tribes must agree to co-exist. Its going to take a lot of resources from both to continue fighting instead of focusing on working together.
Our tribes and American Indian people need to see action from those in state leadership roles instilling trust in our governments and relations. What we see instead are attempts to tear what little progress we have made, down.
Your vote matters. Your vote is counted. Your vote can put people in office and it can take them out; people who make decisions that affect our daily lives, people who make decisions that affect our human rights and our sovereignty. From the smallest possible decision about school boards and city councils to the larger issues concerning federal/country wide living, you should know the hate groups, the KKK, the anti-Indian groups, the Tea Party and on and on, are out there. They are out there running for office, supporting those who think like them, getting their likeminded friends, family, and community members out to vote – so THEY can get THEIR agendas pushed through with no problem. And believe you me; those agendas definitely are not working in American Indians’ favor.
We can’t rely on the judicial system to protect us or stand up for us as you well know, minorities and poor people go to prison at a much higher rate than any other people. And concerning sovereignty issues before the High Court Walter Echo Hawk stated on Red Town Radio, “Prisoners fare better at the Supreme Court level than American Indian issues in the last 20 years.” So we must be proactive with the only means available to us in the present within the confines of the dominant society’s construction.
Get out and vote. Vote with your conscience, vote with your heart. If you are like me, together we will make a difference in protecting our sovereignty and human rights.
Mvto
P.S. And take your neighbors, friends, loved ones with you!
http://www.nativetelecom.org/election_coverage
Interesting Reading here: http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=98611.0
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