NationStates Jolt Archive

Canadians were pretty unanimous in their support of Obama, whatever that's worth (though yes, there were some sad McCain supporters here, believe it or not). However, since Obama started campaigning, the moccasin telegraph was working overtime as he started visiting Indian country in the US. Support for Obama among aboriginal peoples here, and in the US has been very, very strong.

This (http://obama.3cdn.net/97fc9b7e4879a0eba6_3ew7mv85i.pdf) is the platform Obama presented to Native Americans. Interestingly, Obama doesn't often use the term 'Native American'...he says First Americans, or First Peoples. Most significant to aboriginal people of course is support for self-determination, as well as health and education in Indian country.

Obama has good advisers, and a good grasp of protocol. Here (http://tribes.barackobama.com/page/content/firstamshome) are excerpts from a speech he gave on Reserve. His recognition at the end of the importance of family bonds is impressive, even if he doesn't fully grasp the significance in our context.

So, what have you to say on how this administration may impact aboriginal people in the US? Keep in mind that while aboriginal people are a small percentage of the US population, they hold a unique constitutional place. So while it might not impact you directly if you don't live near a Reserve, a shift in policy towards the "First Americans" would nonetheless have widespread legal ramifications.

Didn't the aboriginals and Native Americans came over here from Russia on the land bridge though? j/w

Didn't the aboriginals and Native Americans came over here from Russia on the land bridge though? j/w

:rolleyes:

I noticed that in several speeches when he said there is no "white" America or "black" America or "Latino" America etc. he included Native Americans. They're not a group often mentioned, so it was a pleasant surprise. I think that being a non-white citizen himself (and a liberal, of course) he may, hopefully, be more sensitive to and concerned for the needs and rights of other minorities.

I also think that, while he may not understand the importance of family in Native cultures, he may have a better grasp than many because African-American cultures also put a lot of value on extended family connections, and he himself was raised by extended family.

Didn't the aboriginals and Native Americans came over here from Russia on the land bridge though? j/w

Damned commies.

Didn't the aboriginals and Native Americans came over here from Russia on the land bridge though? j/w

it's a theory, eskimos especially from the northern fringes of Alaska have strong asian features, but when you're talking about ice age immigrations and the results, it's quite difficult to say where any group of people "came" from.

as i recall, the campaign stop in that video was one of only two or three campaign events ever held on a reservation up until that point. normally candidates more or less ignore native peoples (like most everybody else does) because they don't represent a large enough voting block to matter. so doing an event like that only make sense as part of an actual commitment towards improving relations with the first nations - and, presumably, playing up for sympathizers like myself as a side benefit.

Damned commies.

Nah, they were bourgeois traitors to the revolution! That's why the came over to America, so they could set up exploitative casino's!

Nah, they were bourgeois traitors to the revolution! That's why the came over to America, so they could set up exploitative casino's!

casinos that use godless probability as a means to redistribute the wealth!!!!

it's a theory, eskimos especially from the northern fringes of Alaska have strong asian features, but when you're talking about ice age immigrations and the results, it's quite difficult to say where any group of people "came" from.

There are any number of 'theories' out there, but no hard certainties...and if you ask any aboriginal person, and suggest they originated in Africa or Asia, they'll laugh at you.

as i recall, the campaign stop in that video was one of only two or three campaign events ever held on a reservation up until that point. normally candidates more or less ignore native peoples (like most everybody else does) because they don't represent a large enough voting block to matter. so doing an event like that only make sense as part of an actual commitment towards improving relations with the first nations - and, presumably, playing up for sympathizers like myself as a side benefit.

Agreed. There isn't massive political currency in currying favour with the tribes, so I'm impressed despite my cynicism.

casinos that use godless probability as a means to redistribute the wealth!!!!

Greedy bourgeois commies!? This could only mean one thing, they're secretly Jews in disguise!

Greedy bourgeois commies!? This could only mean one thing, they're secretly Jews in disguise!

Well the Dene languages SORT of sound like Yiddish...

There are any number of 'theories' out there, but no hard certainties...and if you ask any aboriginal person, and suggest they originated in Africa or Asia, they'll laugh at you.

if you trace it back far enough it's fairly probably that we all "originated" in Africa, however how far back you have to go before such a claim becomes a meaningless distinction is up to our own personal definitions.

if you trace it back far enough it's fairly probably that we all "originated" in Africa, however how far back you have to go before such a claim becomes a meaningless distinction is up to our own personal definitions.

Pretty much.

There are any number of 'theories' out there, but no hard certainties...and if you ask any aboriginal person, and suggest they originated in Africa or Asia, they'll laugh at you.

yeah, the idea that "oh yeah? well where were your ancestors 30k+ years ago, huh?" means anything is fucking silly.

interesting to note is that the current genetic evidence seems to suggest a population that spent like five thousand years mostly isolated in beringia is the ancestor population of all (well, most, as far as we know) native americans. so the place they 'came from' literally no longer even exists.

yeah, the idea that "oh yeah? well where were your ancestors 30k+ years ago, huh?" means anything is fucking silly.

interesting to note is that the current genetic evidence seems to suggest a population that spent like five thousand years mostly isolated in beringia is the ancestor population of all (well, most, as far as we know) native americans. so the place they 'came from' literally no longer even exists.

We believe we originated here. Of course 'here' has changed drastically, and the Athapaskans for example ranged from the Arctic down to freaking South America, so we know there has been a lot of movement.

Whatever new theory comes out, we have maintained this belief...and it's amusing that eventually the theories will catch up. Just like western medicine is slowly catching up to traditional medicine :P

Didn't the aboriginals and Native Americans came over here from Russia on the land bridge though? j/w

Irrelevent, and a hijack one post in. Some kind of record?

We believe we originated here. Of course 'here' has changed drastically, and the Athapaskans for example ranged from the Arctic down to freaking South America, so we know there has been a lot of movement.

Whatever new theory comes out, we have maintained this belief...and it's amusing that eventually the theories will catch up. Just like western medicine is slowly catching up to traditional medicine :P

bah, everyone knows you're all just the degenerate lost tribes of israel

It literally took me about 3 seconds to realize that this was probably not a thread about Tribes of Longton.

That would have been awesome.

It literally took me about 3 seconds to realize that this was probably not a thread about Tribes of Longton.

That would have been awesome.

Bahahahahahaahhaahhahahahahahahhha....

Obama skivvies. That's how he'd be for Obama.

bah, everyone knows you're all just the degenerate lost tribes of israel

Just because I'm degenerate doesn't mean we all are :D

Besides, isn't 'degenerate Jew' sort of redundant?

I like it. It shows a commitment to social fairness issues. It shows an awareness of history and a willingness to bring that awareness into policy and, hopefully as a result, raise public awareness of that history and how it affects society. I sincerely hope that, beyond making nice, it will also signal some policies that will remove obstacles to aborginal people in the US improving their economic conditions through more than just the gambling industry. That would be nice.