> ...An editorial in the same issue states that the tax free sales "have
> made a few Iroquois millionaires" but clarifies that most Iroquois are
> either "mired in poverty or leading lower middle class lives" and that
> Iroquois leadership is continuing to negotiate in terms of the sovereignty
> issue...
Sandy-
I don't know any millionaires from "selling" cigarettes on our
reservation...but I do know that a number of business people on our
reservation have donated large portions into the elementary schools with
computers-playground equipment, and have given generously to other causes.
Please don't depict a few entrepreneurs as taking food out of the
Confederacy's mouth......It's the stuff that you aren't hearing about-the
good -that should be mentioned. And those that give and support and help
are often not doing so for any prestige or glory, but by a more basic
principle CARING.
Sovereignty isn't about selling a pack of cigarettes-it's about the RIGHT
to sell them as well as toilet paper. Sandy, if the Indians back home were
selling baby formula and making a profit, and NY's local groceries said hey
wait a minute, we're losing a trillion dollars a week, help us NY State -
would you also be sounding the same trumpet? Any time Native People seem
to get ahead, right away there must be something wrong-and the systems of
governments-local, state, federal try to FIX it. Most Native folk just
want to be left alone and follow their own governments without any
interferences.
Is it not a form of COMMUNISM if all the entrepreneuism was TRIBALLY
RUN?-There are some good businesses trying to crop up-and a lot of nervous
pre-entrepreneurs too. They are confused with the way success is viewed.
Right away people think they must have stolen, or broken some laws.....A
continuation of denigrating people again.
As for the size of the rally, a friend of mine was physically there and
said there were about 1000 people.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Comments from NativeNet listowner, Gary Trujillo (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us):
Once again, I have relayed this article only to re-establish that there are
no easy analyses of complex questions. However, if anyone wants to discuss
this issue, please do so on the NATCHAT list or wait for the Web-based
conference that I hope to be able to establish soon. (People reading this
article in Usenet-land are free, of course, to do as they wish.)