Many of the same
social/economic
problems and civil rights abuses by Indian reservation tribal
governments brought to world attention by the well-known political
challenges at Wounded Knee in the 1970’s, have not changed--at least
not for many of the Anishinabe of people of the Leech Lake, White Earth
and Red Lake Indian reservations surrounding Bemidji, Minnesota.
In 1968, Congress passed the
Indian Civil Rights
Act (ICRA) to provide
the same
Bill of
Rights protections from federal and state governments’
intrusions and abuses, to all U.S. citizens (Indian and non-Indian)
from Indian Reservations’ exercise of tribal governmental powers.
The ICRA expects that those who have a grievance against reservation
tribal government acts or omissions, to seek redress or remedies in
tribal courts. However, ICRA’s remedies are limited to injunctive
or declaratory relief, not money damages or penalties from the wrongs
committed by tribal officials and government actors because of tribal
governments’
quasi-sovereign
immunity. Unfortunately, for the Anishinabe People of the Leech
Lake Reservation tribal government continues to treat all employment in
governmental/tribal jobs
as being political patronage. Anyone is subject to termination,
without the minimum due process of notice and opportunity to be
heard.
In President Bush’s 2005 Inaugural address he announced that
“Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world: All who live
in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore
your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your
liberty, we will stand with you.” Sadly, to date, the United
States has ignored our oppression, like on many other reservations.
Few of the successes of the Black Civil Rights movement have reached
Indian country in any meaningful way. The some of the legal
issues and struggles for Civil Rights and Liberties for the Anishinabe
people follow.
