Tyler's Current Event: Alabama immigration law is working, Rep. Mo Brooks says

The article I read was about a Representative of Alabama talking about the new law that was put into affect there. The new law was passed on September 28 and has been called the toughest immigration law in the country. It was largely based on the Arizona State immigration law that was passed on the 23 of April. There is a lot of controversy surrounding these two laws by people who see both sides of the issue. On one side you have people who wanted everyone to be equal and to have the same rights. While the other side sees illegal immigrants poorly because they cheated the system and are reaping all of our benefits that could be going to someone who is legal. After the Alabama law was passed into law people brought it to the district courts for being unconstitutional among other reasons. A United States District Judge Sharon Blackburn ruled on the law and cut certain points out of it. What is left is as follows, Schools must check every student’s and parent’s immigration status and report it to the state, police officers must ask anyone who they believe is undocumented to prove they are legal, it is now a state crime to be illegal and undocumented, contracts entered into with an illegal immigrant are now null and void, and illegal immigrants can be detained for as long as necessary.

People are making a big deal about these laws because of how long our country has had an issue with immigrants. We can see from the packet that our teachers gave us that all the way back to 1790, when the first law was passed about immigration there have been people with different opinions about this issue. There have been periods when people welcomed immigrants in because the economy was strong and during periods when they didn’t, they had exclusion acts that shut certain races out. Currently everybody is starting to realize that the more illegal immigrants coming into the country and taking legal American’s jobs the more people cannot make a living. The main reason why this law is significant is because people are unhappy with people coming illegally to the country at this time.

There are two deeply divided sides of this issue. One consists of the people who brought the law to court and believe it should be removed. Here are some of the reasons why people believe the law should not exist. The children with illegal parents will not go to school for fear of never seeing their parents again. Parents will be afraid to go to work. Bad cops who like harassing people will stop potential people just for the fun of it. There is a fear that the cops will be seen more as immigration agents then as police officers. Also they believe people will start talking about ethnic cleansing going on in the state.

The other side consists of people who believe that it will help out the states with jobs and money. Representative Mo Brookes of Alabama is on this side. This is his response to the critics of this new law. “Those are the intended consequences of Alabama’s legislation with respect to illegal aliens,” Brooks said. “We don’t have the money in America to keep paying for the education of everybody else’s children from around the world. We simply don’t have the financial resources to do that. Second, with respect to illegal aliens who are now leaving jobs in Alabama, that’s exactly what we want.” The fact that the law is doing what it was designed to do means that it is working. This is the overall message of all the supporters of this new law. After it was passed thousands of kids did not show up for school and thousands of parents did not show up to work. When the illegal immigrants do not show up to school or work it opens up resources that would otherwise be used up. People also believe that this will deter illegal immigrants from coming into Alabama.

Links: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/65351.html

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/10/alabama_law_quotes.html/#r1

If you had to take a side on this issue and state your case on why this was the right choice, which side would it be and what are your reasons for choosing it?

The Promise of America

Using the three primary sources shared over the last two days (Crevecouer, Lazarus, and Obama), explain what the promise of America to immigrants has historically been.  Be sure you use SPA format pulling your proof from at least one of the sources discussed.

Melissa's Current Event- American Indian Fund Elouise Cobell

On Sunday October 16, 2011, Blackfeet Native American Elouise Cobell had died. Elouise Cobell was an important woman in our countries history for representing a 16-year battle with the United States government for Indian Funds. Elouise was one Native American woman who spoke out when she heard that the United States government was not fulfilling its promise to allowing equal opportunities for education to Native Americans. One thing that caught her attention was when she saw that the Interior Department had failed to account for billions of dollars that they were supposed to collect on behalf of more than 300,000 of her fellow Native Americans. Because she did so, President Barak Obama was able to sign into law a piece of legislation that provided a measure of justice to those who were affected. The law, The American Indian College Fund creates a scholarship fund that gives Native Americans access to higher education and gives tribes more control over their own lands. Elouise was an important woman because she helped strengthen the government to government relationship with Indian Country and our nation’s promise of justice and opportunity for all.

As we have been learning in class about Native Americans and their history in our country, we know that education was a main issue that needed to be acknowledged and solved by our government. Throughout our country in the past 100 years, Native Americans have not had it very easy. The government came in and tried to change the ways of the Native Americans to better our country. In doing so they tried an issue called assimilation, which was proposed to take Native American children and force them into boarding schools which would result in civilizing them and removing the Indian. When they first thought of this idea they believed that it would be very successful and the Native American children would become well educated civilized Americans, but what actually happened was that they were destroying their culture and the education standards were not meeting up to their full potential. In later years, the United States government tried self-determination which allowed much more freedom for the Native Americans and gave them schools on the reservations; the only problem was that since they had their own communities on the reservations, they were now on their own. Even though the government was supposed to be funding for these schools and making sure they met the standards, this was not the case. This is what Elouise Cobell had noticed.

Cobell was an amzing woman in our history and by many she is kown as an inspiring leader. Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs stated, “She was tireless in her efforts to reach a respectable resolution to the long-standing Cobell litigation. The Claims Resolution Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama, will forever remain a testament to her colossal feat. Through her legacy, individual Indians will have more control over their lands and many American Indian and Alaska Natives will be able to pursue higher education through the scholarship component of the settlement.” This shows us how dedicated and how strongly Elouise committed her life to strengthening Indian country. Because of her efforts for this issue she also was responsible for the start of the American Indian College Fund that transforms Indians higher education by funding and creating awareness of the unique, community-based accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities, offering students access to knowledge, skills, and cultural values which enhance their communities and the country as a whole. The Fund disburses approximately 6,000 scholarships annually for American Indian students seeking to better their lives through higher education. This was such a big deal and is greatly appreciated by the American government and especially by Cobell’s Blackfeet Native American tribe in Montana, because it finally gives Native Americans the opportunity for a better education so they can succeed in life. Elouise Cobell is noticed and honored by many in our country today for being a Native American woman who had a voice and used it to say what was on her mind when she knew no one else would speak up. Many are truly upset about the loss, but know that what she had fought for over the years was well worth it because of such the impact she has had on society and everything she has done for her Native American people in bettering their lives. President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, Richard B. Williams was one person who was especially sadden by the passing of Elouise Cobell and believed she was a warrior that embodied the Indian value of decision-making that considered seven generations into the future. He states that “The American Indian College Fund will be honoring Ms.Cobell this Thursday at the American Indian College Fund’s Flame of Hope Gala in Denver, Colorado, for ensuring that $60 million of the class action settlement she led be set aside for Native students to attend college and vocational school, bringing hope through education to American Indian people.” The work that Cobell had done was well known throughout the United States and was such a great accomplishment and really brought together the relationship between the government and the Indian country. What she had done has solved many of the problems this country has had over many years with Native Americans, but now they can be proud and thankful to finally be granted the same opportunities as everyone else and will have a better education. Elouise’s work will never be forgotten and she will always be known to our government as a hero; the woman who spoke up.

Question: Do you think that becuase of what Elouise Cobell has done, and by starting the American Indain College Fund, that Native Americans will now have all the opportunities they deserve? Will all Native Americans use this to their advantage and work for a better education?

My current event focuses on the conflict between the Navajo National Government and a popular clothing store known as Urban Outfitters. The Navajo tribe is recognized as the largest Native American tribe that resides in North America. This tribe consists of over 140,000 residents. Urban Outfitters has received allegations from the tribe, which states, the store has disrespected and violated the Navajo Nation by making Navajo branded clothing and accessories. Native American prints have been showing up on runways for years but the Navajo government says that the issue with Urban Outfitters is that they use “Navajos” as the brand name for the clothing line. The tribes Department of Justice sent the store a detailed letter back in June demanding the store remove their tribe name from the clothing line, the tribe has yet to hear a response. The Navajo tribe believes that this store using their tribes name as a brand for their new clothing line is sending off a signal to customers that the Navajo tribe is the real designers of this product, but yet the Navajo tribe is receiving no profit. Other tribe members believe the store is disrespecting their culture, most of the cloths go against the tribes spiritual beliefs of modesty that has been in their culture for centuries, like the “Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask”,Dwayne Clauschee, a designer from the Navajo town of Chinle in Arizona says “A “Navajo” flask is“extremely offensive” considering the history of alcohol abuse among native tribes, many of which ban the sale and consumption of alcohol on their reservations.” Alcoholism is a stereotype that is put on many Native Americans; Alcohol was introduced to the Native Americans during the early contact between them and European Settlers. And it is said that European traders gained the upper hand in the deal by introducing alcohol because of the effects it had on Native thoughts and reasoning. Thus, sending the Native American in a downward spiral and Native Americans were from then on out considered alcoholics. Some Native Americans are alcoholics, but it is estimated that 17.6 million people are alcoholics in the U.S, there are only 2 million Native Americans in this country. And alcohol has been banned from some reservations, like the Navajo tribe, which is the largest reservation in the U.S, so not all Native Americans are alcoholics. So the fact the Urban Outfitters is offending the Native Americans past by using a liquor flask on some of the clothes under the name of“Navajos’ is extremely offensive. However, Urban Outfitters is not alone by using the “Navajo” name to represent one of their products, Fermin Navar and his business partner, Phil Brader, signed a 75-year licensing agreement with the Navajo Nation in 2007 that allows them to sell skin care products and clothing under the Navajo name in exchange for a share of the profits. But the difference here is that Urban Outfitters’ asked for no approval from the Navajo government and they are not receiving any profits from the store. The tribe appeals to most clothing stores because they are one of the most well known tribes in North America, and with their assistance in WW11, in WW11 the Navajo’s help to develop a secret code that baffled the Japanese and help lead the U.S to victory; also with their cultural beliefs of beauty and harmony. "The design doesn't matter; it's the use of the name Navajo," said Navar of Austin, Texas. "They can say it looks like this, but if it has the name Navajo — it's being branded and sold as Navajo — it's a violation." If the tribe does not hear any news from Urban Outfitters and sees no signs of Urban Outfitters removing the “Navajos” name from the clothing line then the Navajo National Government will consider taking legal action.


Question: Do you think Urban Outfitters should remove the Navajo name from their clothing line? Why/why not?

Jeff's Current Event

The city of Farmington, New Mexico has a wide history of racism within its
community, specifically toward Native American individuals. Beginning in 1974, with the murder of three Navajo men by white teenagers, hate crimes and other race related incidents have been recurrent. More recent events include the beating of Navajo man Fran Blacky, the shooting of Navajo man Clint Jones, the beating of a 47 year old Navajo man by white teens, and other racially motivated beatings. In the most recent major Farmington hate crime, a 22 year old cognitively impaired Navajo man was branded by a hot swastika shaped wire hanger, had a swastika shaved onto the back of his head, had offensive words and phrases written on his back, and was then persuaded to record a cell phone video giving consent to the branding. The three white teenagers who committed this unthinkable hate crime worked at a local McDonald’s and came in contact with this man as a customer. These offenders could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, and were the first in the country to be charged of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which was passed in October 2009.

However, in the eyes of different citizens, Farmington is or isn’t as dangerous of a community as these events make it appear. According to Navajo Tim Bates, the first words he is asked when pulled over by a local police officer are “Have you been drinking?" or "How much have you had?" "The color of your skin dictates the question the officer will ask…to them there is no such thing as a sober law-abiding Native American”, Bates told the Navajo Human Rights Commission during a 2008 inspection into racial issues in border towns. Farmington Police Chief Kyle Westall had a complete different view on the issue. "I think we had a total of two racial profiling complaints last year." Westall stated. "That's out of almost 70,000 calls, about 25,000 traffic citations and 7,000 arrests." To be precise, there were four racial profiling complaints to the Farmington Police Department in 2010, and none have yet to come in the year of 2011.

The city of Farmington is taking measures to eliminate this racial tension felt by its citizens. Farmington Mayor Roberts believes that “the city is being aggressive at creating an atmosphere in which people are welcomed and feel valued regardless of their ethnicity or racial background."The city government has worked to provide Farmington with a public library, parks, the Farmington Indian Center, and the Totah Behavioral Health Authority. "I think that the reason Farmington would be seen as having a high quality of life is because of the services provided by the city," Roberts stated. "Take parks for example, if you drive by Brookside on the weekend, it is highly populated and mostly by members of minority groups." I believe that despite its dark and violent past, the city authorities of Farmington are doing all they can to eliminate this racial profiling and hatred.

City authorities seem to think racial issues are now under control, but some citizens such as Navajo Tim Bates believe that is not the case. Do you think that the issue is under control? Or do you think that Farmington needs to work more toward peace in their community? Why?

Cassandra's Current Event

My current event was about Native American tribal leaders as well as environmentalists attempting to convince federal judge Larry Hicks to keep the two-year old court rule that prohibited a gold mine expansion. The Western Shoshone Indians enabled the restriction of the gold mine expansion in December 2009. The gold mine expansion would take place on Mount Tenabo which in fact is about 250 miles east of Reno, Nevada. Many tribes consider this mountain sacred and disapprove of mining for gold on it. The Cortez Mountains are located in North Central Nevada and the highest point of the Cortez Mountains is Mount Tenabo. The Western Shoshone consider Mount Tenabo land to be sacred as a site of local creations stories. The Western Shoshone have been using Mount Tenabo for seasonal ceremonies and religious purposes as well as gathering pine nuts, medicinal plants as well as other seeds and plants for nourishment. The Western Shoshone community believes that the mine will create irreplaceable harm as well as prevent them from accessing the land they consider to be sacred. Bryan Cassadore, chairman of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone states that “The spring water and natural resources of rural Nevada has always been important to the Western Shoshone Indians for thousands of years and continues to be.” Throughout history, Native Americans have viewed the land as sacred where as white perceive the land as a source of mineral.
On the other hand, the lawyers for the U.S. Bureau of Land management yearn for Judge Larry Hicks to allow gold mining expansion involving part of the Toronto-based Barrick Gold Cooperation’s Cortez Hills project. The Cortez Joint Venture has been mining around Mount Tenabo since 1967. The Cortez gold mine is a joint venture between Rio Tinto Kennecott Explorations (Australia) and Barrick Cortez, cooperation. The Barrick Gold Cooperation has the largest reserves in the gold industry and contains 26 operating mines as well as having advanced exploration as well as development projects across five continents. The most recent completion of building a mine for the Barrick Gold Cooperation was the Cortez Hills in Nevada which was finished in early 2010. On September 7, 2011 it was announced that the Barrick Gold Cooperation made two gold discoveries on the Company’s Cortez property in Nevada which is under their complete ownership. The two discoveries are identified as Red Hill and Gold Rush. These discoveries are located six kilometers southeast of the Cortez Hills mine as well as 24 kilometers southeast of the Pipeline mine. These two new findings are geographically similar to Barrick’s Cortez Hills and Goldstrike mines.
The mining may pollute the air as well as dry up the limited water resources in northeast Nevada’s high desert and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stated that the Bureau of Land Management failed to evaluate the possibilities. In support of the Bureau of Land Management the Justice Department lawyers stated that the bureau created a new and improved analysis that they believe to meet the terms of all state as well as federal environmental laws. With an opposing view, the lawyers for the tribes as well as the Reno-based Great Basin Resource watch believe that there are no precise protections for the environment within the mining plans but rather a monitoring schedule of the groundwater supplies that is suppose to discover any possible pollutants. The appellate judges ruled that the Bureau of Land Management’s review was insufficient under the National Environmental Act which states it’s necessary to carefully examine large-scale projects on federal land. The appellate judges stated that the bureau didn’t take into consideration the impact of air quality from transferring ore from an off site processing facility 70 miles away. They also said that pumping water out of the pit would then cause a decrease in the groundwater level and could possible dry up over twelve streams and springs.

Although the Western Shoshone tribes don't own the land but consider it to be sacred,do you think this is a valid reason to stop the mining for gold on Mount Tenabo? Why do you believe this to be true?

Paige's Current Event

My current event focused on the new Native American Television broadcasting station. On Sunday September 25 the first Native American television channel went live in Los Angeles California. First Nations Experience Television broadcasts all Native American shows twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. FNX is the result of the San Manuel Band of Indians and KVCR an Inland Empire Public Broadcasting Service working together for almost seven years. The new multimedia plans to show entirely Native American authentic shows including news, storytellings, dramas, and childrens shows, according to their website fnx.org. According to one FNX spokesman the station will be "featuring authentic voices and stories reflecting the reality of the Native American experience and that of indigenous peoples worldwide" Within a year the station plans to expand to a producer of many genres which may include sports, feature films, and comedy. San Manuel Chairman James Ramos said in a statement. "Becoming a partner with KVCR supports the tribe's mission of eradicating stereotypes that often stem from inaccurate depictions of American Indians in commercial television.

Question: Other than eradicating many stereotypes that whites have against Native Americans, what do you think is the biggest change that this broadcasting station will bring to the San Manuel Band of Indians.

Maddie Current Event

My article was about a lawsuit against the Cherokee Indians that was turned down.
-In 2004, lawsuit from a Freedmen descendent filed against Cherokee Indians saying acts ignoring freedmen decedents from Tribal membership were unconstitutional to the Cherokee constitution.
-Freedmen: descendents from the black slaves the Cherokee owned before slavery was abolished in 1865.
-After slavery was abolished, a treaty called the Treaty of 1866 was made between the Cherokees and their former slaves saying that the Cherokee will grant citizenship into the Cherokee tribe to all now free black slaves and their descendents and they will be set aside Cherokee land and voting rights, among other things as well
-In 2004 this lawsuit was filed to the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court by a Freedmen descendent saying the Cherokee weren’t upholding their end and that they weren’t being given their citizenship
-The court ruled in favor of this then and said the Freedmen should not be denied citizenship.
-Chief of the Cherokee tribe at the time, Chief Chad Smith opposed this ruling, and proposed that the Cherokee constitution should be amended to restrict tribal membership
-In 2006 the Cherokee Tribal Council voted to make the amendment saying that only direct Cherokee descendents could be considered Cherokee citizens
-Protest was filed against this to the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, but Judge Henry Kennedy, a district judge in Washington said that the Cherokees had a right to vote on whether or not to make the amendment.
-The final vote said that Freedmen descendents could not be considered citizens.
-This was upheld this past August, and 2,800 Freedmen descendents lost their status as Cherokee citizens, including right to food aid and medical services provided for being Cherokee.

About Cherokee:
-A part of the five civilized tribes considered to have adapted to European ways, explaining why they took up black slaves in the first place
-Seminole, Choctaw, Creek also signed treaty after slavery was abolished to make them citizens
-They faced much persecution….
-Trail of Tears, 1838, part of removal, moved from homes in southeast to what is now Oklahoma, ¼ of their population died
-put in boarding school trying to get rid of the Indian in them and have their culture stamped out.
-Put through persecution like other Indians, put on reservations, living in poverty, etc.
-Now are supposed to be their own self-determined nation, but U.S. government still shadowing over them.

What determines Cherokee:
To be Cherokee you have to have at least a certain percentage of Cherokee blood in you. They have members who are as little as 1/2048 Cherokee, but the freedmen descendents have no Cherokee blood.

Reaction to court ruling:
-Cherokee getting “bullied” for this denying Freedmen descendents Cherokee citizenship by U.S. federal government
-Freedmen requesting withdrawal of funds given to Cherokee by federal govt. that helps pay for the food distribution to more than 35,000 Cherokee households
-Causing problems for Cherokee as defining themselves as a self-determined nation that should be able to make its own decisions. They make a decision but then US govt. interferes and comments on their decisions.
-Tough spot b/c freedmen descendents are fighting for their right to be considered Cherokee and Cherokee are denying it, and Cherokee are trying to make its own decisions and independently run their people, but US govt. is butting in trying to take control of their decisions

Question: What do you think should determine whether or not you can be allowed membership to the Cherokee tribe? Do you think the freedmen descendents should be allowed to be members? Why/ why not?

READING ASSIGNMENT DUE TUESDAY 10/11/11: TRUE DIARY!

Hey Y'All!
I would like to ask you to read up to PAGE 215 in True Diary over this gorgeous long weekend.
Then, on Tuesday, I am going to take some time to finish the novel with you. I will try not to cry, but I just LOVE the end of this book. I think you will too.
Enjoy!

The End of Indian Removal

Watch the following videos before you write your one-pager and be prepared to discuss the end of this era of US policy-making in class on Friday.

Racism at the University of Montana

My current event was about a pro-white bumper sticker that was found affixed to the Payne Family Native American Center at the University of Montana. Historically, Lakota (or Sioux) and Northern Cheyenne Native Americans have been persecuted in Montana. The Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes fought against the United States and defeated General Custer at Little Big Horn. The U.S. reaction was to massacre them. The United States then enacted it's policies of removal, attempting to move the Norther Cheyenne to Oklahoma. Many of those who made it tried to return and were decimated. Montana Indians were eventually put on reservations. Montana has long been a location were Native Americans were persecuted, harassed, and confined.
So when a bumper sticker displaying a racist slogan was found on September 19th at the Native American Center at the University, historically tense relations between the local tribes and white people suffered a blow. The bumper sticker declared: "Save the White Race, Earth's most endangered species". It asserts that we, the invading "species", deserve to be here, or alive even, more than the people who inhabited this land long before we arrived.
The center was built in April of 2010 and has become a cultural symbol. Local tribal leaders appeared at the grand opening which shows that the relationship has come a long way between the people of the State of Montana and Montana's Native tribes. This racism puts a strain on that relationship, and this wasnt the first time. Soon after the center was built, a rock was thrown through the window. The Director of American Indian Student Services, Fredricka Hunter said in the article "We will not tolerate racism." But do they have a choice? Investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Question to classmates: How do you think racism affects Indian and white relationships, and do you think that racism will continue?