pine ridge
[S]kepticism of campaign pledges runs deep in Indian country, given the government's history of broken promises. The federal government has acknowledged that it has grossly mishandled money it began collecting in the late 1880s, when it leased reservation land to oil, mining and timber interests and held the proceeds in trust for Indians.
The government owes Native Americans billions, but a class-action lawsuit filed eight years ago on behalf of nearly 500,000 Indians is still unresolved.
Meanwhile, on Pine Ridge, three and four families live in single-family houses, eight to nine out of 10 people are out of work, and more than half the population, helpless against disconnect notices, has no phone in any given month.
Washington Post: On Pine Ridge, a String of Broken Promises.
Comments
I worked with tribal activists on Pine Ridge reservation for twelve months, 1997-1998, and I can definitely vouch for the deep scepticism for the US Government that has run deep for over 100 years there. Pine Ridge people are disillusioned with the Government and their broken promises but fortunately there is a sizable minority of politically-active and educated Oglalas who have been exploring every avenue of redress - mainly through the courts, but also on a grassroots level. Planethalder.
Posted by: Planethalder | October 30, 2004 7:47 PM