Feds decline to prosecute half of major Native American crimes
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comInfant's death sparks call for justice on tribal lands
Seeded on Tue May 31, 2011 6:10 PM EDT (msnbc.com)
- msnbc.com sites & shows:
- TODAY
- Rock Center
- Nightly News
- Meet the Press
- Dateline
- Morning Joe
- Hardball
- Ed
- Maddow
- Last Word
- msnbc tv
Leave a Comment:
this makes me sick!! how can our government turn their back on these victims?? this poor little girl deserves justice!!!!!
Its not our goverment that is turn its back. Its the Native americans doing it. They would prefer the guity to go free than to allow regular law enforcement to investigate the case. The tribes thru neglet or a over work tribal police force screw the case up long before they turn the case over to the FBI or Federal DA. If the edivance is tanited tha they is no case for the Federal DA to take to court.
Reservations are sovereign lands - why even ask US Fed anything to come. It is obvious the Native population needs to increase their police force, like yesterday. It's terrible, but they have to fix it.
article ...."The large number of declined sex assault cases, both in the national study and in the AP's Arizona survey, are particularly problematic because the victim and suspect often know one another, making the victim reluctant to pursue charges .... "
"I hate to see that our Native women here seek help, cry for help, but no one helps them," said Doreen Gatewood, a victims' advocate for the White Mountain Apache Tribe.".... But in the same breath, the article says the victims are reluctant to press charges. Native governments need to fix this as suits their people's wishes.
Well, know I will be hated for this, but it is pricey to run everything through the federal level, courts and enforcement. Local governements are able to control costs based on the areas they serve. So the choice, hire more at federal level to enforce local laws, ignor the problem, or have the tribe submit to state level enforment, which has it's risks due to the fact treaties were written years ago to adviod that, where do you win???
From my understanding, American Indian tribes have sovereign nation status. As such, it should really be up to these tribal councils to request federal assistance into any criminal case which falls under their jurisdiction, unless it involves persons whose nationality is from outside their jurisdiction. Please correct me if I am wrong. - RC
i agree with RC. the indian tribes / nations are sovereign unto themselves. they want to determine how their future lies with no help from the feds UNLESS there is free money in it for them (just like other countries around the world). as callous as it may sound, let them sink or swim on their own finally. stop funding their existance with taxpayer monies.
I agree w/ Brad, i live in an area very close to the reservations, they take all they want from our government because of what happened in the past, they want every thing free and treat everyone like we owe them and their people. they treat each other worse. Our government should stop supporting them and let them be.
Nicki really? Are you that uneducated about the native culture. That there is treaties in place because of white people taking our land and sending us to tick infested lands, leach infested waters.. I think our government should stop supporting folks like yourself and force you to get a reality and education.
I am a registered Native American (turtle mountain reservation) and i get no federal help or government help. WOW what a bunch of idiotic cows to come on this vine and spout stupidity..
Okay lets say for instance, if i was too scalp Nicki and run to my tribal lands, federal could only touch me, think they would?
As far as this article that mother needs to be put to sleep! What the child suffered was horrendous. Their tribe needs to get it together and get the feds involved but strange how the article mentions they tried/wanted it prosecuted but it was declined for reasons not stated. Hey white man look at your government and ask them why they didn't take the charges.
Natives are not known for treating their own kind that way, she must have been part white.. Look i can say stupid things too..!
I fully agree that the person responsible for killing this little girl needs to be prosecuted. But the indians nations consider themselves sovereign nations. They can create their own laws and do not pay taxes. That is fine, however, they can't have it both ways. One can't enjoy all the benefits that the tax paying citizens have AND not pay taxes. I know that we invaded their land but one can't be separate in most everything else and still want to be included in the good stuff. If a person wants all the good stuff that our citizens have then they need to take the bad stuff also (taxes).
I cannot abide this idea of two classes of citizens in our country. Either you are a citizen of the US and subject to all the laws or you are not. If their nations are islands in the midst of our great nation, they can come and go by helicopter (except they cannot violate our air space). I could get benefits but hate welfare states and the reservation mentality. These casinos they pollute our country with are another disgusting example of you and me paying for their "sovereign nations". Our local indians brag that the casinos buy each high school grad a new car and full college tuition. What nerve. I have seen the indians break laws and literally dash into the "zone" to escape the officer in pursuit. Historically all lands were invaded and all people enslaved. Get over it, already. Either you live here or not. Don't like our laws then move and good luck getting another govt to pay you for being born.
That makes it okay?? Because everyone invades peoples lands? People should just "get over" having foreign invaders control their entire continent?? That sounds really dumb.
42 - you were born too late, apparently. And looks like your relatives were too slow on the draw to suit you?
Try reading just a couple of things about the raw deals the Native population got with contracts made with European gov'ts in good faith - to try for peace - only to just get shoved out West to arid lands. Maybe not so bad for the Navaho, they were generally there, but for the migrating tribes like the Sioux , pretty bad. And wonder why an Eastern tribe, Cherokee, is in bfe Oklahoma? Oh right, my bad, you don't care. It's all good, you don't have to care, because finally, legally, the reservations stand as sovereign lands and will NOT be taken away, again. And they will get special treatment in various ways. And they do need to increase their own policing forces, social services, and education services.
If reading is too hard, at least watch Kevin Costner and Graham Greene in "Dances With Wolves" - Hollywood, but nicely done. If you can't rustle up some sympathy at least, just keep on being an "Ugly American" ethnocentric beep. Whatever.
Cassandra thanks for the reasonable posts. People constantly seem to forget there is treaties in place for our land. What was it like 2.1 centers per every acre.
The white people have proved threw the year they will kill for what they want by any means, small pox, booze, wars. I mean seriously they lack any respect that our ancestors were here first, they don't care because that was sooo long ago, screw you and your family my family killed.. Oh that's right i said it, your ancestors more then likely screwed up our way of living and killed our people for your ancestors greed.
Put down the hoods and the pitch forks, but now i see why the government is so eager to not prosecute.. Double punishment, screw us and stick us on crap land the US didn't want but then to not offer us assistance when we have to conform to the white ways and live on crap with crap.
Spelling correction* 2.1 cents.
4am posting and really pissed about the backwards mentality people have.
I live in an area very close to the Navajo Nation reservation. They treat everyone like we owe them for what happened to their people, my ancestors came from Sweden. they treat each other rudely, treat whites even worse. they get away with everything because the are the "minority". you walk/drive around my town and all you see is natives, i am the minority. Our government gives them the monthly stipend that should have ended in the 60's. they get free cell phones, homes, money, anything they want and OMG you cant get them mad because they are the minority and that would be bad. They are drunks drinking mouth wash and the liquid from aqua net hair spray. NOt all are bad but a good portion are. i might sound racist but try and live and work here and see how well you like them.
Why do you stay? I mean, it seems like you find this area quite intolerable. In all fairness, if you went to the backwater midwestern town where my dad lives, the skin color may change - but not the actions. I call it the "rural ghetto" - meth, alcohol, the kids are bored, unemployment is rampant. The big fun is many of the kids get hammered after the big football game on Friday night. Some will get an education and get out - and never look back. Not many. They don't want to leave their families, some there since the 1800s when the many-greats grandparents first came to farm. Kind of sounds familiar.... except these people came by choice, and remain, - complaining about it - by choice.
Where is the tribe's accountability? The federal government is the second line of defense; necessary but not sufficient. The tribes have to make justice a top priority.
THERE IS NEVER a REASON not to pursue a MURDERER!!! Or else quit pursuing any of them!!! Especially a child's tortured death!!! over 122 Murders in Arizona alone all involving children - and WE ARE NOT a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY?????
So....you can brutally beat your child to death and get away with it if you are part of a Native American tribe? This is apalling. How the Federal Government can refuse to do their job is frightening. I know if I refused to do my job I would't have a job. I am just about fed up with the Federal Government's priorities. Funding is cut everywhere in our society so we can send 11 Billion Dollars to Egypt- how can you fail this little girl after her death just the same as she was failed in life? Is no American life worth anything more than a tax deposit to continue to satisfy the Federal agenda?
This problem is not just in this area ! The problem is everywhere !! I live south of Oklahoma City in caddo county, The native americans get away with everything. It is so hard to try the natives because they have their own laws !! we pay city taxes to have police officers but they have to cal Indian burour of investigations and by then they are running free again !! We have an retarted native Indian that live in our town who sets fire to homes and open fields and they didn't do a thing !! An officer here is on trial for shooting a native american. he showed up on a call of a woman with a domestic problem , the woman came at the officer with a knife so to protect himself shoot her in leg , she still came at him , he shot again this time in shoulder she still came at him . The last shot killed her. So to protect people and himself he could go to prison for doing his job. That is'nt right. native americain indians live in the United State and should respect the laws like everyone else.
You know what you sound like. LOL hold on hold on, let this native help you out a bit..
That I assume is "call Indian bureau"
"We have a retarded Native American that lives in our town"
"shot her in her leg"
"in her shoulder"
"That isn't right" or "that is not right"
All I have to say is LoL. Really, going to put natives on blast "for getting everything" I want my everything, damn you all, damn you all to hell.. Bet anyone 10 whole American dollars if this guy fell down in his neighbors yard he would sue the state and everyone else around him because of his self righteous entitlement..
I shouldn't have used such big words, hope you can understand them Earl.