There was an article over the AP wires a few days ago titled, "Black lawmakers against recognition of Va. tribe." Now, most of you will most likely say, "Yeah? So what? Who cares if some Indians get federal recognition?"
I care. Very deeply. Especially in this time of heightened racial tensions. Everyone should at least pay passing attention to this rather extreme example of Black on Red racism that only benefits Whites by splitting minority groups apart, not allowing us to form any sense of solidarity to demand equality in our society.
Racism here in the US is a very interesting beast. It started out by trying to suppress the indigenous peoples but has been expanded to encompass anyone not deemed "White" by the powers that be. Even people of Hispanic descent, whose ancestors invariably came from Europe, are not considered "White" enough and are used to scare the bejeebus out of fearful racists across the country.
What this article went on to explain is that the Pamunkey people of southeastern Virginia had an old, antiquated law on the books that spells out no intermarriage between Indians and Blacks. Okay, but if you go far enough back into laws throughout the country, you'll find that Whites don't want anyone marrying anyone, unless they were White . . . and, they certainly don't want anyone procreating unless they were White.
So, the Black lawmakers have an objection to an old law that has been taken off the books already. What is not discussed by either the Black lawmakers or anywhere in the article is WHY the law was written down in the first place. There was an old tradition among the many First Nations' peoples on the East Coast to help any Africans who wanted to escape to do so and seek shelter within the tribes. First Nations' types have a long history of undermining White laws and White wants by simply daring to exist, but this intermarriage thing needs additional examination and discussion.
In order to be allowed to remain on ancestral lands, the First Nations' types had to capitulate to these White wants and White laws in some very disgusting ways. It was not a complete assurance that the Whites would keep their promises, just look at how the Cherokee were treated, as a mild example. But, by capitulating and showing these Whites what they wanted to see, these Pamunkey were able to continue living where they had in more or less the fashion to which they were accustomed. It did not mean that they would necessarily always abide by these laws, but it gave them cover in case any White person went looking to cause any trouble.
Soooooooo . . . okay, got a little understanding of White pressures on Red Laws?
Now, off the historical context and into modern application of racism by using broad generalizations for the sake of brevity and not for argument's sake: The best way to subjugate minorities and keep them from ganging up on the poor, scared White people is to constantly drive wedges between them, encourage hatred and distrust between the minorities -- divide and conquer in practical application. That is why Black lawmakers blocking federal recognition of the Pamunkey tribe is so insidious.
This tribe has waited how long for federal recognition? Considering Virginia was first settled by White people in 1607, it far predates the African slave trade to the same region. The Commonwealth of Virginia was formed around 1776. So, to be fair, let's say that the Pamunkey have been waiting since 1776 for federal recognition of their tribe's existence. That's, like, practically prehistoric in American terms!
For Black lawmakers in this day and age to completely forget that the first Underground Railroads out of slavery were formed and run by neighboring First Nations' peoples is just another example of how incredibly whitewashed our educational teaching of history is. It saddens me and it also angers me greatly that our history has been so incredibly perverted to preserve a power structure that has nothing to do with the American ideal of equality and liberty. And, to deny a people the recognition they have been working at garnering for such a long time on so petty a stance as an antiquated law? Simply unfathomable.
Why is federal recognition so important for the Pamunkey? It ensures that federal monies will be used to send Pamunkey members into higher education. It would provide for federally funded housing assistance. And, it would also allow the Pamunkey access to federally funded healthcare. After all the genocide, subjugation of cultures, pillaging of land, denial of rights, and general denial of humanity by very brutal means, federal recognition is the least the federal government can provide to First Nations' peoples.
Stop fighting between who was the bigger victim! Injustices were distributed evenly by Whites to anyone they did not deem "White," so why can we not move past all this rubbish of denying another group of people their rights to be? Why use an old, outdated, invalid, obsolete law to stand between Black people and Red people? Where is the logic? Where is the justice in playing into the old racist lines that have been used to keep Black and Red so firmly segregated for so long?
Those traditional First Nations' types who helped African slaves escape deserve to have their descendents' rights recognized.
Getting off my soapbox now . . .