At approximately 10:12 p.m. last night, MSNBC covered Native American issues. “It’s high time we started covering these critical concerns affecting American Indians that are in our own back yard, at least as much as we cover what happens across the ocean in other countries,” one MSNBC commentator said. “History is repeating, because ‘Indian courts had no civil or criminal jurisdiction over nonmembers of the tribes,’ and in this case — that’s amazingly a foreign company.”
I couldn’t believe my ears as to what they reported next.
Indian Affairs Head Makes Apology
By Matt KelleyAssociated Press WriterFriday, Sept. 8, 2000; 3:30 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON –– The head of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs apologized Friday for the agency's "legacy of racism and inhumanity" that included massacres, forced relocations of tribes and attempts to wipe out Indian languages and cultures.
"By accepting this legacy, we accept also the moral responsibility of putting things right," Kevin Gover, a Pawnee Indian, said in an emotional speech marking the agency's 175th anniversary.
Gover said he was apologizing on behalf of the BIA, not the federal government as a whole. Still, he is the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to make such a statement regarding the treatment of American Indians.
The commenter continued, “since the Head of BIA Apologized for Genocide in 2000, why does (the)Governor aim(s) to stifle Keystone XL dissent?”
EAGLE BUTTE – Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chair Harold Frazier had an immediate thumbs-down response March 4 to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s announcement of two bills to kneecap dissent over the proposed construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline.
“I am disappointed again with the leader of South Dakota. The governor has not discussed any proposed legislation with the Sioux Nation or Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe,” Frazier said in a written statement.
“This proposed legislation is designed to further an agenda of shoving this pipeline down our throats,” he said. “She is putting the economic needs of the foreign company TransCanada ahead of the future of South Dakota.”
“Not much of an apology, notwithstanding Gover’s sincerity.” “Yeah, ‘the federal government as a whole’ just doesn’t seem to care, do they?” My mouth hung wide open as the commenter said, “and if the head of the BIA apologized for genocide 19 years ago, why does the ACLU still need to say It is clear that Noem is taking aim at protests that could occur around the pipeline?” “That’s a good question” another commentator said, adding that DAPL Company Ordered Cultural Genocide, Wants "rogue eco-terrorist groups” Muffled.
I started yelling “Yes! Yes! Yes!” at the top of my lungs; I just couldn’t help myself. Then, I felt a strong tug on my shoulder. My wife was staring at me, “The television service was interrupted at 10:12 for some reason, what were you dreaming about?”