Anglos and Hispanics have a long and bad history of mistreating Native American people. Sometimes, the reverse was true. Still, the civil rights commitment of today's tribes is not inspirational. As residents thrown off of pueblo lands learn, the First Amendment doesn't protect religious minorities from tribal governments. Nor does the Bill of Rights limit powers of Native American governments.
Tribes can discriminate as they please.
Perhaps those seeking Native American equality will look to transparency in tribal governments, purposes of sovereignty, fairness of judicial systems and respect for their own and the civil rights of others. If they won't, perhaps Means is right. In the final analysis, it just shows you that tribal governments are obsolete. Unless Native Americans, themselves, make something more of sovereignty than a system for running casinos, perhaps Means is right. Martin B. Paskind is a retired Albuquerque lawyer.