To the editor:
In reading Mr. Stussie's letter to the editor, I felt like there was a lot he needed to know. So I'll take this time to give him a little history/government lesson.
First, Lawrence is not a host city for Haskell. Haskell is the byproduct of treaty promises that the U.S. government made to sovereign nations/tribes. Native youth were given "education" by the government as "payment" for the land that was stolen/defrauded/purchased from these children's families and tribes. And the main reason many lands were treatied away for education promises and other provisions was the inability of Euro-American settlers to respect tribal boundaries. So land was ceded by some tribes to avoid warfare or genocide at the hands of Euro-Americans. So maybe support isn't deserved to those who aren't willing to acknowledge the cultural and physical genocide that Native American people suffered at the hands of Euro-Americans so that this country could exist.
Secondly, if you have an accident on 23rd Street, it's your fault. I saw this bumper sticker that said, "Hate driving in traffic? You are TRAFFIC." That sums up Lawrence's problem. And besides, there is public transportation. Beyond that, how would you like to be held accountable for smallpox, cholera, measles, tuberculosis, influenza, diphtheria, and typhus, all of which were brought here by Europeans. These diseases led to at least 85 percent of the Native American population's deaths from 1492 on in this country.
Lastly, Congress and the Department of the Interior operate Haskell through trust responsibilities established via treaties. And unlike you, Native Americans never consented power to the U.S. government. They simply negotiated through treaties. As for Non-Indians, they have consented to the U.S. government, and they must respect the authority given to it via the "Supremacy Clause." States and tribes are equals according to the Constitution, unless a Republican is in office. And many federally recognized tribes already have funds set aside for post-secondary education. All the U.S. government and Congress are doing is honoring their trust responsibilities so that you could live on Kaw, Shawnee or Delaware lands.
Mike Ford,
Lawrence
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