From: Peshewegunzh <beaver.cs.washington.edu!gnosys!mthvax.cs.miami.edu!mamia!peshe>
Subject: Re: Environment and native issues
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 20:21:31 GMT

Original-Sender: Peshewegunzh <mthvax.cs.miami.edu!mamia!peshe>

Alan McGowen <hpindbu.cup.hp.com!alanm> has made the following statements,
without answering the questions that were raised in good faith.

> As I had feared from seeing frequent code phrases of the far right (and now
> of the religious right), Peshe has found a great way to get the agenda of
> those people down as "the Indian View". Anyone who disagrees with that
> agenda is (if a non-Indian) the European oppressor at work, or (if an
> Indian) insufficiently aware of how he or she is being had by European
> oppressors at work.

I really don't understand this reference to secret "code phrases" which
seem to point to hidden conspiracies by unnamed powerful interests which
the correspondent fears we are in imminent danger from.

None of the above, I must assure him, is true. Certainly I haven't noticed
any rebukes at all or responses to or from other Indians which he seems
to refer to.

It does seem that it would be better for communication if others would
take what I say at face value rather than reading hidden meanings into
it which the original author cannot fathom. Certainly what I say is not
meant to further anyone's hidden agendas.

> But there is more than one way to be had.

This leaves me completely baffled.

> In the libertarian utopia of those people, with its private armies and
> "minimal state", Indians would indeed have sovereignty -- all the
> sovereignty they could produce for themselves by force of arms. Of course,
> the multinational corporations would have their armies too.
> Who do you think would be able to afford the most guns?

Libertarians are mostly materialists interested in no restraint on their
individual appetites, and are almost completely unknown among Indian
communities; certainly I've never encountered any. Thus, it seems a
most fundamental misunderstanding to ascribe such a position to myself -
I've never expressed it, nor will I.

However, it does occur to me that what Peter D'Errico (an Indian, by the
way) said should be echoed here. The multinationals already have their
armies, most of it from the states where they are major forces. Thus, we
already know who can afford the most guns. The firepower was almost all
on one side at Wounded Knee and Oka, without resorting to any new
political or economic structures on the part of the Europeans.

[ Actually, Peter d'Errico is not an Indian.  He's an American of Italian
  ancestory (and a professor of Legal Studies at the University of Massa-
  chusetts at Amherst).  --Gary ]

> If all that you care about is undermining and weakening the US govt by
> attacking the public sector in all its forms, no matter what might replace
> it, then by all means side with that crowd as Peshe does. But be aware that
> you are doing so, that you are being used for their purposes.

This does seem to be an argument for advancing the power of the European
governments, which have historically neither met their treaty obligations
nor served Indian people, but rather expanded themselves at our expense. Can
anyone seriously disagree with this fundamental reality? If so, I would
seriously question whether that person has Indian interests at heart. How
can the further encroachment of eurogovernmental bureaucracy over our affairs
possibly benefit us? This is why genuine self-government and sovereignty
issues for Indian nations are of such critical importance right now -
to begin to reestablish control of our own destinies by establishing
responsibility and sovereignty for our own communities, rather than
see ourselves continually diminished.

I think in regard to government and just who it represents and what
purposes are being served that Peter D'Errico and Danny Ammon have
made some valuable points in the posts that I've just received. Rather
than repeating what they've said, I would refer those interested to their
exchanges.


--
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Peshewegunzh

peshe%mamia.UUCP@mthvax.cs.miami.edu
mthvax.cs.miami.edu!mamia.UUCP!peshe
peshe@mamia.UUCP
mthvax!mamia!peshe

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