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Box 2574 :: :: Olympia, Wa Fido Net 1:352/333 :: :: 98507-2574 206-786-9629 :: :: USA The Quarto Mundista BBS :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPERIALISM A Position Paper Prepared by the National Congress of American Indian for the World Council of Indigenous Peoples General Assembly III Canberra, Australia - 27 April to 2 May, 1981 The history and struggles of the indigenous peoples within the United States of America is inseparable from the story of European imperialism. From genocide to cultural assimilation, the modern tactics of imperialism were developed from the blood of indigenous peoples. Many tribal peoples within the U.S. survived the expansionist policies of the British, Spanish and later the American empires. The history of these policies is embodied within the laws and attitudes that face this generation of indigenous peoples in lower North America. Each policy, be it extermination, termination or assimilation, was created to fulfill the needs of a growing empire. Through treaties and agreements with the U.S. tribes gave up control over what is now most of the United States of America and agreed to retain much smaller tracts of land. In return the U.S. government promised protection, education, health care and other compensation for lost tribal lands and resources. The sovereign and separate character of indigenous nations and groups was recognized by the signing of these international treaties and agreements. The U.S. government promises became known as the 'U.S. trust responsibility.' Indigenous lands or reservations were to be held in 'trust' for the tribes and protected by the U.S. As 'trust territories,' tribal lands are recognized by the United States government as separate from U.S. domestic lands. Only the U.S. Congress has legislative power over disputes concerning these lands. Over the years, a huge body of U.S. law has developed to deal with indigenous reserved territories. These U.S. laws and the bureaucracy surrounding them place the indigenous peoples in a situation that is both beneficial and detrimental to their continued existence. Political Exploitation During the 1950's the U.S. actively sought to end their special relationship with tribal people by politically manipulating indigenous peoples in their families and communities. A massive relocation project seduced many tribal members from their economically depressed reservations into American cities with the promise of jobs and opportunity. Once in the city, tribal members found themselves without the promised prosperity or the security of tribal life. Many returned home and many were lost in city slums. The U.S. termination policy offered indigenous peoples another answer to poverty. A huge sum of cash was available to each tribal member if the tribes would agree to sell their lands and terminate their treaties and agreements with the U.S. With the selling of lands an indigenous group was to give up the protections insured by their treaties. A few tribes did choose to sell their territory. Their choice has proven catastrophic to their peoples. Some terminated tribes have since petitioned Congress for re-instatement of U.S. trust protection. The threat of termination or liquidation of indigenous nations has not passed. Severe poverty could potentially force any indigenous nation to sell their birthright. An unstated termination policy is also implied in the U.S. Trusteeship over indigenous nations. It is that once an indigenous nation is politically and economically stable the U.S. is no longer under any obligation to continue supplying services. The indigenous nation is politically and economically urged to dissolve and absorb into the U.S. system. Indigenous governments are placed under direct political and economic pressure to adopt U.S. governmental policies regarding civil and criminal law, natural resource use and indigenous community institutions. Lacking a viable alternative the indigenous governments are forced to adopt and implement U.S. government laws within indigenous territories even if such laws violate the customs and practices of the indigenous community. Such direct political influence with indigenous communities has reached into indigenous schools, and cultural practices of many indigenous populations. Despite these influences traditional indigenous political and cultural institutions have continued to oppose such externally motivated political imperialism within indigenous territories. Since the signing of the treaties, cultural and political assimilation has been the dominant policy of the U.S. government toward indigenous peoples. Indigenous religious practices became illegal, indigenous children were removed from their homes to be 'educated' and U.S. government administrators took power over indigenous actions and people. U.S. Indian policy became as stated by the Director of the Carlisle Indian School in the 1800's. "We accept the watchword. There is no good Indian but a dead Indian. Let us by education and patient effort kill the Indian in him and save the man." U.S. assimilation policy was more than just a means by which the U.S. could destroy indigenous culture. Shortly after indigenous reserves were recognized abundant natural resources were found to exist upon these lands. Oklahoma, where many indigenous peoples were sent, was abundant in oil, the Black Hills (sacred Lakota lands) had gold, and everywhere more land and water was needed (and continues to be needed) for the growing number of colonists. Changing indigenous peoples into American individualists would assure that tribal lands were exploited to their fullest. Economic Imperialism The principle motivation of U.S. political imperialism has been to gain direct access and control over the remaining indigenous natural resources, including: land, timber, minerals, petroleum, wildlife and water. To gain access the U.S. has practiced subterfuge, manipulation and direct confiscation in conjunction with national and multinational corporations. Indigenous territories have been used to locate hydroelectric dams, mines for uranium, coal, copper and other metals essential to U.S. industry and military needs; petroleum wells and pipelines and other energy producing facilities. Except in only rare instances have these business efforts directly benefitted indigenous populations. Indeed, these efforts of production and business development have forced indigenous populations to depend on the U.S. cash economy while their traditional economies have collapsed. In an effort to control this form of exploitation of indigenous labor and raw materials, indigenous leaders have moved to assume control over the process of dealing with the U.S. government and corporations. Even with this effort the tide of economic exploitation has continued even though under increasing control by indigenous governments. Corporations have discovered that many indigenous governments are easily swayed to agree on contracts, but more importantly they have discovered that indigenous governments are inadequately prepared to nationalize industries or terminate agreements. The advantages fall to the corporations. Influenced and often controlled by U.S. laws indigenous governments have been forced to accept corporate exploitation as a replacement for U.S. government exploitation. Indigenous nations have few alternatives for avoiding economic exploitation. These alternatives may be considered: 1. Close indigenous territories to external development by legal means, blockades or by force. 2. Establish inter-tribal economic linkages for the production and distribution of goods and services to replace U.S. imposed economic support. 3. Replace the U.S. currency system with an internal indigenous currency system based on indigenous labor and indigenous raw material potential. 4. Institute nationalization laws over production and raw materials to directly control corporate activities within indigenous territories. Indigenous territories are particularly exposed to development activities centered on the industrial goals of nation-states and multinational corporations. To prevent the economic exploitation of indigenous labor and indigenous natural resources for the benefit of multinationals and nation-states indigenous nations must systematically work toward the establishment of an alternative indigenous economic system. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To have a current Center For World Indigenous Studies Publication Catalogue sent to you via e-mail, send a request to jburrows@halcyon.com Center For World Indigenous Studies P.O. Box 2574 Olympia, WA U.S.A. 98507-2574 Fax: 206-956-1087 BBS: 206-786-9629