When Columbus got lost in America, he found healthy, thriving native peoples. Within 100 years, the civilizations he first met were decimated. In North America, north of Mexico, the pre-Columbian population has been estimated at 18 million people. By the time of the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, there were barely 250,000 Native Americans left alive.
The United States Constitution recognizes our Native Nations as sovereigns, and our Native peoples as self-governing. In 1825, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Tribes first signed Treaties with United States promising protection and creating a trust relationship. In 1851 our leaders traveled 800 miles and joined with 10,000 other Indian leaders at Fort Laramie to take part in the largest treaty council ever held. The 1851 Treaty recognized the right to peace and protection in our homelands. In 1866 our tribes negotiated further promises of farming, ranching and engineering assistance, education, health care, along with a promise that “perpetual peace, friendship, and amity shall hereafter exist” between the United States and our Tribes. But our lands, which encompassed 12 million acres in the 1851 Treaty, were reduced to eight million acres by President Grant’s 1870 Executive Order, and to under one million acres by President Hayes in 1880.
Then in 1947, the Army Corps of Engineers began construction on the Missouri of the Fort Garrison Dam, submerging a quarter of our remaining lands, destroying our capital and our best farming lands, devastating our economy, forcing 80 percent of our families to relocate and dividing our people into five water-blocked segments.
Our story is not at all unique. Throughout this Nation’s history, the First Peoples have suffered relentless military campaigns against our people, the theft of our lands, generations of poverty and deprivation—all in violation of our treaties with the United States.
Recently, Senator Sam Brownback—now Governor of Kansas—worked with Senator Daniel Inouye and with the support of Indian Country to pass the Apology to Native Peoples Resolution. In 2009, they finally succeeded when the Apology was included in 2010 the Department of Defense Appropriations bill. That was somehow appropriate, given how much violence, suffering and injustice the military inflicted upon our people. The Apology reads:
“The United States, acting through Congress … apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States for the many instances of violence, maltreatment and neglect inflicted on Native Peoples by citizens of the United States [and] expresses its regret….”
Senator Inouye addressed the Senate with these words:
“In our early days as a nation, we entered into treaties with Native Americans pursuant to the … Constitution that recognizes them as sovereigns. But later we abandoned the path of honorable dealings, and turned to war. Thousands lost their lives through these battles and horrific massacres. The native population everywhere was decimated.”
Importantly, Congress urged the President to “acknowledge the wrongs of the United States against Indian tribes … in order to bring healing to this land.”
In December 2009, Senators Brownback, Inouye, Dorgan, Akaka, Harkin, Baucus, and Tester wrote to President Obama requesting that he host a White House Ceremony announcing the Apology to Native Peoples on behalf of the United States. Unfortunately, he has not done so, and that’s why many of you have not heard of this Apology.
It is time to officially announce the United States’ apology and give it real meaning.
Mr. President, Indian County asks, if not now, when? If not you, who? JFK stopped the Termination Policy. LBJ signed the Indian Civil Rights Law. President Nixon gave us the Indian Self-Determination Act and President Carter signed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act into law. President Reagan announced the Federal-tribal government-to-government policy and President Clinton met with tribal leaders on the White House lawn and went to visit the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation himself.
Mr. President, please join the ranks of these great Presidents—our Indian nations urge you to publicly proclaim the Apology to Native Peoples that Congress called upon you to proclaim. Please make the proclamation at a White House Ceremony so that our Native Peoples will hear it and the American Public will finally acknowledge it.
While some may say, “Let’s forget the past,” the truth is that only through remembrance can our nation’s conscience heal, and only though amends can we truly move forward in strength, hope and justice.
Tex G. Hall is the Chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation and Chairman of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association.
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The apology by President Obama should be completed.
In turn, it is now time for the Cherokee Nation and other slaveholder Indian nations of the past to apologize to their Freedman descendants. African slaves joined their Cherokee and other tribal masters on the great Trail of Tears in the 1830s. It was because of slavery that the Cherokee Nation was able to proper in Indian Territory. Even though a minority of Cherokees were slaveholders, all Cherokees prospered to some extent because of the practice of slavery.
How many would agree to this?
I think Duwayne Smith ought to do his homework more and research the issue’s of the Cherokee. It was Andrew Johnson who forced the issue of the Freedmen on the Cherokee not the Cherokee. Mr. Smith read the 1866 treaty with the Cherokee, go to Wikipedia and read about Johnson decided for yourself about Andrew Johnson. Perhaps, Mr. Smith ought to read about Dianne Watson and her ambition to deal with the Cherokee. I thought King’s dream was for Black people to get along with all people. Did he forget about Indians?
Wisgriz
Good article, Tex.
What difference is an apology going to make to the average Indian on the rez? To me it is just another way for Scamming Tribal leaders to get another free trip to a White House Ceremony. They can come back rub their fat greedy bellys from the free meals and say “Yeah we got the President to say sorry to Indian Country”. Now I got to pick up my pay check cause I did something for my people. Dont make one damb bit of difference in my life. I’m full of Tribal leaders ripping their own people off worse then anyone ever could.
Thank you Tex, I agree; acknowledge this apology and have it mean something. It was sad and galling to see that in Jan 2010 this apology was made…sort of…only they publicized almost not at all and forgot to share this event….for political reasons? Shame on these “leaders”.
My Mother’s family came to the Hudson River Valley in 1657. I can only speak for myself. I am sorry. This year I did not “do” thanksgiving with the family. I told people of The Day of Mourning instead. Myths are hard to defeat.
Why? I think we just need to dust ourselves off and continue the fight to make things better for ourselves. An apology is not going to erase all the bad that took place and for me, it will be an empty acknowledgement. We need to concentrate on getting educated and use that to get a step in this world…and kudos, MAJOR kudos to those who and are doing that.
If the “Apology” is going to mean anything at all, make ‘em include a fat check to go with it, like they gave to the Japanese and Jews! Get real and stop your professional NDN politician posturing! If Tribal Leaders were really doing anything worthwhile there wouldn’t be the horrific unempolyment numbers and all the murder , suicide , rape statistics that exist on most Reservations, Be for Real!