Racism in Small Town Minnesota

This was written on October 26th, obviously before the elections, but everything is still pertinent.

I just read an "Advertisement" in the Bemidji Pioneer newspaper today, dated Wednesday, October 25, 2006. I'm so pissed off that I can't even write the multitudes of essays that need to be written, until I get this off my chest. I'm so pissed I can't even see straight, and that's pretty bad considering how much crap I put up with until I get pissed off. It takes a lot.

The point of the advertisement is racial hate stirring up communities for political means. Everyone knows the Republican party is in control, and it's no secret that they've had their hands caught in the cookie jar more than once. So they have to get people stirred up to take the heat off them, and they (the Republican party) does this the only way they know how - mud slinging. Listen to the news and the radio. And I mean REALLY listen. Repubs do it all the time to cover up their misdeeds. When the Dems take a stab at it, you hear the Repubs condemn the Dems until hell freezes over. The incident could be 8-10 years old, but the Dems still get blamed and spat upon. Now what happens when the Repubs do it? Nothing. Why? Because that would be uncivilized! How dare you throw stones!

Getting back to the advertisement. This all started this past spring when Red Lake reopened to walleye fishing. A few greedy people decided that the Indians shouldn't have access to all that good walleye, while the non-native people are limited to the portions of Upper Red Lake that belong to the state. Damn indians shouldn't be able to feed their families all the fish they want! And while we're at it, why should they have access to all that great hunting land anytime they want? That's just not right. Let them fend for themselves, like everyone else. And why should the state pay a dime to them or their schools? Let them stay ignorant. What about all that money they got for the "self-imposed terrorism." That's not right either. But it's okay for the indians to die for us while serving in the military. That's not right.

Now let's go to Bemidji. We have to go to there for supplies, and other services unavailable on the reservation. Non-natives yell epithets at couples of mixed races, sales people turn their backs and refuse to help, and cashiers stare numbly ahead without so much as a word. Wait a minute - what year is this? 1886? Or 2006? They'll take the indians money, but clearly want nothing to do with them. My husband (a native)and I sit down at a nice restaurant. We are ignored until I, a non-native, complain to the management. Our orders are taken without comment, and our plates thrown on the table without even a follow-up "How is everything?"

If these scenarios were played out with Black people being discriminated against, the ACLU and every other black politician and Oprah would be screaming bloody murder. We aren't discriminated against in any other part of the country. That's just not right.

So why is the public so tolerant of stripping Native Americans of their heritage, their dignity, beliefs (not everyone believes in christianity), their homes, and their land? Is it going to take an uprising for people to see this is so very wrong??? Hitler was condemned for killing millions of Jews (and rightly so). Nobody thinks anything of the U. S. government killing millions of Native Americans for their land. Different circumstances? No.

Oh yes, I've heard the comments - that was hundreds of years ago, get over it. Okay, no problem. Just as soon as the current residents start treating the Native people with the same respect they give one another.

Cultural diversity? Don't get me started. The only cultural diversity in this area are a few token mentions of NA contributions, and an Indian Studies program. When is Native American History month? Do they get a parade and speakers like other races do? Or does one have to be of Scandanavian origin to get a little respect around here?

I'm not Native American. I'm of English, Scottish, and French Canadian descent. I'm almost positive my ancestors cheated someone out of their land, and for that I apologize. However, where I come from it is considered very desirable to be Indian (or what the politically correct call Native American). On the school yards you hear kids bragging about how much Indian blood they have, and in adult circles, one is treated with the utmost respect and admiration when someone is of Indian blood.

So to those of you who resort to rabble rousing to get votes, get your priorities straight. We need to be helping one another, instead of trying to get something that the Supreme Court has decided doesn't belong to you!