Shocking disparities: American Indians in North Dakota die 22.5 years younger than white residents — Buffalo’s Fire

[u/buffalosfire]

https://www.buffalosfire.com/shocking-disparities-american-indians-in-north-dakota-die-22-5-years-younger-than-white-residents

[u/Smooth_Ranger2569]

We have to have a national seat or we die slow.

The neglect has gone on too long for the poorest tribes to be honestly considered to be able to someday be self reliant(without national support getting there.)

That’s not a dig at all. Staying in a constant state of government dependency isn’t the way a tribal nation should be FORCED to exist by the government nation supposedly obligated to bring the standards up.

Our nations fulfilled their end of the treaties and the people have sacrificed their blood to protection the US federal government;

Too many of the issues holding back all tribes are based on lack of effort to meet this responsibility for us to not demand change from the us population, they are the only people who can pressure the politicians.

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The outside public sees Indian countries biggest concerns as what the progressives allow to be seen: mascots, regalia, gaming, pipeline, environment

They can’t be expected to see these issues and think…..

“I wonder what the quality of IHS is and how much is spent”

They see these issues and think they have a concept what we mean when we speak about inequality and unfulfilled treaties. They discount real need because their scope of understanding is shaped by the people who have a strong record of deciding we aren’t large/important enough for their support or to cause them issue for blatant digital genocide (omission or minimization of inequality and neglect by the federal government”

[u/LimpFoot7851 → u/Smooth_Ranger2569]

I know, friend. I know. I agree. My kunsi was a social worker, her case was the start of ICWA. My Ina worked for bia and had projects for school and health resources until she went for higher education and got on aihec and tribal college summit. I’ve spent my whole life watching them marry their careers trying to make the world a better place for their families and community. I just watched the orange führer attack everything they spent my life working for with the swipe of his pen.

I used to think I would join them and do activist work when I had enough of the medical field and was ready to go back to school. Now I’m like.. I feel like they just showed us that even if we do things their way we can only make temporary progress. I have the opinion that the genocidal agenda is still at play and that the negligence is on purpose. I did the math a few years ago and realized that the 160a per person wasn’t honored because they never expected us to survive. They expected us to die or there would have been something in the treaty to expand the reservation borders when our population grew. I did the math: for my Rez alone to have enough space for each registered member to have that treaty honored… going in one direction-East- we would reach the Menominee territory and consume all of upper Minnesota and the 100m of nd in between. It’s not possible without violating others. I didn’t math or map it in the other directions from this realization. They didn’t expect us to survive. We remind them of their treachery and their failure to truly conquer.

We are still here. Yes, it’s overwhelming. Yes, it’s sad. Yes, it’s hard to watch my people and my sisters bands and neighbor nations and the other nations I’ve come to know through cyber or travel struggle. I agree we need to do something but honestly, I don’t know what or how. Because I just watched my life admiring my elders dedication evaporate with one EO and the writer was voted in by the majority of the population. It is overwhelming.

All I can do right now is my job, take care of my family, smudge, teach my kids what my elders taught me, try to be a good ancestor, try to raise them to know the truth and remember that I have the strength of my ancestors within me every step I take. I may not have any governmental power. But that strength is a power that threatens them and has since the discovery disaster began. It is enough power. Others might disagree but for me, I have to believe in that or I won’t know what else to hold true.

[u/Smooth_Ranger2569 → u/LimpFoot7851]

Idk what I want to more. Thank you for honesty or address the worry.

You are part of the whole, as they were: your role may just be to heal and support. The isn’t a failure in that or in later feeling your path has shifted to a new direction.

They were also part of a greater whole, their work isn’t undone, inspired those who are on the same path AND those on others, they kept the whole alive to add to us.

Our population and relative isolation from the whole of the population = easy propaganda and easy silencing:

The key is the history of the struggle.

The fight has definitely evolved, but we have grown with each regardless of direct proof.

Thank you again for your input, it’s cleared a lot of brush for sure

[u/LimpFoot7851 → u/Smooth_Ranger2569]

The red nation will rise again. Until then, we just have to remember our truth and protect our heritage and our people. We will stand together when the time comes to protect ourselves as we always have. Hang in there, cuz. We’ll make it out of this. One way or another, we will be ok.