Maybe renegotiate hunt, fish pacts too

The preceding letter appeared in the Bemidji Pioneer on Monday, March 15, 2004.).

      Dale Anderson’s Feb. 25 letter entitled “Renegotiate gaming compacts with tribes” addresses a very interesting topic. In the 21st century the attitudes that were prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are no longer acceptable. Contrary to Mr. Anderson’s statement, the state has not let Indian tribes “weasel out of paying” for their monopoly. Indian tribes have paid dearly for their very existence over the years.

      Educated and knowledgeable people understand that federal Indian policy has been detrimental to Indian interests even though tribes have been declared under the “protection” of the United States of America, in numerous treaties. This is even more so when it comes to the states and their Indian policies. Settler mentality will proclaim that those treaties are old and outdated and ought to be renegotiated. In reality they were often broken even before the ink was dry. The U.S. Constitution is old, but that doesn’t make it outdated. Witness the controversy over same-sex marriage and the need for an amendment. An integral part of this controversy centers on state’s rights.

      Treaties that expropriated the land in present-day Minnesota were supposedly intended to be in the best interests of the Indians. They were to teach us to farm and to civilize us. They legitimized the seizure of millions of acres for pitiful compensation. The same for legislation passed at state and federal levels to benefit the Indian tribes. Witness the 1887 Dawes Act and its little sister act, sponsored by Minnesota Sen. Knute Nelson, in 1889. This act was entitled “An Act for the relief and civilization of the Chippewa Indians in the State of Minnesota.” Looking back it is plain to see that these treaties and acts were meant to relieve the tribes of their timber and, once that was clear-cut, to relieve them of their land through homesteading. Coming from Pine River, I’m sure Mr. Anderson understands.

      Well we have been relieved, but we’re still waiting for civilization. Many of our people live in substandard housing, receive lousy educations, suffer horrible health care, and if not in our casinos, probably couldn’t find employment unless they leave home.

      At Leech Lake we are $51 million in debt, we own 5 percent of the land within our reservation and are still paying for the honor of being protected by the United States through treaties that are proclaimed in the Constitution to be the supreme law of the land.

      If we renegotiate gaming compacts, then maybe we ought to renegotiate our hunting and fishing and our tax agreements. Yes, Mr. Anderson, within our territorial jurisdiction we have the authority to regulate these matters. Perhaps we should test the validity of the 1855 treaty, not only within our reservation, but in the ceded territory. Does anybody know of any old railroad rights of way that are not being used for their original purpose? Do any of them connect our present-day non-contiguous reservations?

WALLACE W. STORBAKKEN

Cass Lake