Here in Minnesota, redistricting has become a major and important topic of discussion and concern. The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party held a racist "Summit" for Congressional Districts 6, 7 and 8. The purpose of this "Summit" was to assure that a small group of anti-reform, anti-labor, racist white people maintain control of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and these Congressional Districts along with the State House and Senate Districts in Congressional Districts 6, 7 and 8.
Previously, in a letter to the Editor of the Bemidji Pioneer Press, I suggested a northern Minnesota congressional district created in order to provide Native American Indians--- the Ojibwe (Chippewa)--- a more equal opportunity to be elected to Congress and the Minnesota House and Senate Districts.
The Republican Bemidji Pioneer Press which represents the views of some the most powerful big-business interests in the State of Minnesota controlling valuable natural resources from big-agribusiness to forests and a huge freshwater aquifer not to mention mining--- in short, rich natural resources stolen from the Ojibwe (Chippewa) responded without haste to my proposal for ending racist redistricting.
Control and ownership of all this wealth was not really discussed when "Treaties" were "negotiated." Just as participation in state and federal government was not broached.
All working people should have the common sense to understand how these treaties were negotiated given how these same governments negotiate with workers--- the idea of "negotiation" by these governments has been clearly demonstrated by Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker.
I think most people would agree the idea of "negotiation" is more like dictatorially telling people what they will get: shit.
Well, the United States and Minnesota governments "negotiated" Treaties with Indians in much the same dictatorial manner... of course these "negotiated" Treaties were always in favor of wealthy white people designed to take control everything from water to land and everything on top of, and under, the land's topsoil.
Of course, no one saw fit to negotiate anything related to the air we breathe--- nothing about restricting the movement of dangerous dioxins and mercury.
But, for some reason the more wealthy a few people became off the forests and iron ore, the more poverty stricken Indians became. Surprise, surprise; you don't suppose the Treaties were "negotiated" with this in mind; do you? No; such "honest" and "upright" citizens of the business community would never do something like this (hope everyone understands my sarcasm here although I am sure there will be those who will object and pretend to be offended by my sarcasm).
But, in these Treaties what was never "negotiated" was a voice for Indians in the political process; again, need we wonder why this is?
Why would someone use the process of "negotiating" Treaties---Treaties are not unlike collectively bargained agreements on rights for workers, eh?--- to provide those being stolen from a seat at the decision-making table because the obvious outcome would be the people would then use the political process to gain back what was stolen from them once they figured out they were "negotiated" out of their rights and wealth---natural resources--- and lost complete control over the land, water, air, plants and animals.
These big-business dominated governments fine-tuned and honed their "negotiating skills" on the Indians and today all workers are the victims of this same kind of "negotiating process."
I'm sorry; I have wondered away from the issue of redistricting, haven't I--- or have I?
In fact, the right to FULLY participate in the political process was NEVER negotiated as part of these "Treaties" enabling the stealing of tremendous wealth.
So, I am wondering how it is that the tribal governments have never attempted to reopen these Treaties based upon Indian people being intentionally excluded from a political process that has established tribal government for the sole purpose of controlling Indian people to make sure they stay on the reservations out of sight and out of mind in a way Indian peoples have no control over the poverty imposed through these "negotiated" Treaties? Come on, really; isn't this what we are talking about because if you steal the wealth of a Nation you KNOW you are imposing poverty on these Nations?
Some years later after "negotiating" these "Treaties" designed and intended to steal wealth, along came another form of "negotiations" intended to accomplish further theft from the Indian Nations... this time these white racist government officials were very careful not to say these "negotiated" agreements were called "Treaties" because someone might get the idea that swindled--- not only once--- through "Treaties" it might offer an opportunity to the victims to reopen these Treaties trying to obtain a fairer deal so they decided to call the new "negotiated" deals "Compacts;" call it "Treaty" or "Compact," it's really the same old SWINDLE.
And what a swindle the "Compacts" have provided.
Isn't it nice--- and a little more than coincidental--- that the profits from "Indian" gaming are going to racist white politicians TO THE COMPLETE AND TOTAL EXCLUSION of Native American Indians.
Wow!
Surprise, surprise--- another "negotiated" agreement designed to make a small group of rich white people even richer while leaving Indians in deeper poverty all the while designed--- just like the previous "Treaties" (SWINDLES)--- to leave Indians without a seat at any of the real decision-making tables.
And here Indian people are languishing in poverty amidst such fantastic wealth with inadequate education, poor housing and children going hungry to inadequate schools and coming home and going to bed hungry as tens of millions of dollars are doled back out to the SWINDLERS in the form of campaign contributions while John McCarthy and his sidekick Stanley Crooks go around handing out philanthropic contributions everywhere while "loaning" the Indian Nations money to build them more casinos.
Anyone can drive out to John McCarthy's house to observe how well this set-up has worked for the SWINDLERS and then take a drive through the Red Lake, Leech Lake, Net Lake or White Earth reservations to see how well these "negotiations" have worked out for Indian people.
Ok, I have wondered off topic again; or have I?
Anyways, back to "redistricting."
Wouldn't it be a novel idea to designate just one Minnesota Congressional District and at least six State House seats and 3 State Senate Districts to the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Nation as part of the redistricting process? I wonder if a federal court would agree?
Let's find out what the Republican Bemidji Pioneer Press and all those nice white DFL advocates of Affirmative Action who snicker and get their noses all bent and twisted out of shape when my name is mentioned, feel about giving the people--- Ojibwe (Chippewa)--- who they have SWINDLED out of everything--- except for a life of poverty--- a full voice in the decision-making process.
Is Jeffersonian democracy something legitimate; or, is it still just as hypocritical as when slaves and women were denied the right to vote? Oh, yes--- Indians were denied the right to vote, too, weren't they?
Let's also hear what the tribal governments owned by John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association have to say about my idea, too.
Gees, John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association own the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, don't they; now, isn't this a strange coincidence?
Maybe, on second thought, Indians already own and control too much and they don't need to have any seats at the decision-making tables in Congress or the State Capitol? After all, isn't this the argument we are going to hear from the racist Republicans like the Carlson's and Lehmann's--- or as MNDFL activist, Mike Simkin, who assures us he isn't a racist bigot even though he doesn't support Affirmative Action in hiring on public works projects as he says he is for Affirmative Action inside the DFL if only some qualified Indians could be found, likes to say: "Let the Indians work and live on their own reservations where they have their own government."
I find it interesting that all the racist bigots from the Blandin Foundation to the Bemidji Pioneer press to the Democrats and Republicans to the crooked and corrupt thieves like Floyd Jourdain to Archie LaRose and Mike Bongo attack me and my ideas when it comes to making sure Native American Indians have seats in places of power where decisions are made have yet to offer any ideas as to how this "Indian problem" is going to be solved---
--- maybe they think poverty will solve the "Indian problem".. after all, this would be a much more "benign" solution than Custer or Hitler had in mind.
Where are the voices for equality and democracy in Minnesota when it comes to redistricting?