To the editor:
I find it ironic that Mr. Lauppe writes about the wetlands. ("'Bottoms' history shouldn't halt trafficway," Journal-World, Aug. 8)
Never once did he mention that Haskell students helped convert the wetlands to barely sustainable farmland by laying down the tiles and building the draining ditches in the early 1900s.
He doesn't mention that the Haskell lands, of which there were over 1,100 acres, were paid for with Indian money. This makes the land "Indian Country" under Title 18, section 1151, parts a, b, or c.
Mr. Lauppe didn't acknowledge that in the 1950s, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was mostly comprised of white people. Talk about the fox guarding the chicken house. Native voices were silenced then. Since 1970, laws have been enacted to allow native self-determination. The opposition to this road has always been there. In the last 17 years, the opposition has had faces and voices behind it. This country has started to acknowledge the theft and deception toward indigenous peoples that allowed this country the land base it has now and the capacity to deny cultural atrocities.
I wonder where Mr. Lauppe was when the Kansas Parks and Wildlife people and Baker University "laundered" the wetlands down from federal status? I wonder if he knows that Baker received over 11 times the amount of land allowed in the Indian School Surplus Lands Act of 1962. Treaties and laws can be broken, even if they're the highest law of the land in the U.S. Constitution, right?
Mike Ford,
Bonner Springs
Comments
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blue73harley (anonymous) says…
Great. Another history lesson from Mr. Ford. What we need is a way to get across town. A completed SLT, not a lecture.
craigers (anonymous) says…
Right on blue73harley. I am so tired of the who paid for this and we all know who obviously is taking care of the wetlands now... Baker, not Haskell. But it's Indian land! Who cares? If they can displace any other families for new highways, then they should be able to put up the SLT and get this issue done and over with. Finish the SLT and let's move on.
kcwarpony (anonymous) says…
"But it's Indian land! Who cares?"
Nice attitude. Do you actually spit on Indians as you walk past them or do you just think about it?
craigers (anonymous) says…
What I am saying is that the county and city can displace everybody else that is in the way of production. They are no better people than those that aren't Indians. No disrespect, but they don't take care of the land, so why are the so bent out of shape about it?
kcwarpony, you can get off of your high horse. Like I said above, I am just tired of everybody being a special interest group and they want a bunch of special rights that other citizens don't even get. If my house or land can be pulled from me simply because I was in the way of construction, then they can too.
kansaskev61 (anonymous) says…
I don't spit on Indians as I walk past them...only Liberals. Their easier targets in Lawrence cuz there's more of 'em!
jimincountry (anonymous) says…
craigers, you're absolutely correct. SLT has been stalled long enough.
Grammaton (anonymous) says…
I'm trying to stay as neutral as can be when I remind everyone that the wetlands we're talking about are not natural. The wetlands were artificially built.
ryanjasondesch (anonymous) says…
three words: emminent f*****g domain
kcwarpony (anonymous) says…
craigers, Right or wrong, emotions are involved.
My father attended Haskell back in the early 1950's and he heard the stories of runaway students who had committed suicide and were buried out there and the graves of students who died but were NOT (for unknown reasons??)buried in the school graveyard (so as to keep quiet about their deaths??). Oral tradition is a habit for us.
I know studies have shown no evidence of graves but how can one really know for sure? Yes, I know you are thinking "But they're just stories." Who knows...
What happens if, during construction, bodies are found?
This is why some of us are "so bent out of shape about it?" It may be a small group of us who feel this way but we can't help it. Wetlands, not wetlands, not an issue for us.
I agree with you about special interest groups but Indians are not suppose to be special interest group people! We are suppose to be sovereign! So says the US Constitution but the courts keep taking our rights away!
I don't believe anyone should have their home or land taken away. Everyone should be dealt with in a fair, honest, and respectable manner. Unfortunately that doesn't happen as often as it should.
craigers (anonymous) says…
And I understand that. Stories for you are history and the same is for us. It seems that yours is more verbally passed down rather than written down and there is nothing wrong with that. I wish there was a way that if bodies were discovered during the building process that they would be dealt with respectfully but like you said it doesn't happen very often anymore. I mean seriously, some people don't even pull over for a funeral procession anymore. How sad is that? What are your obligations when bodies are found, according to your heritage and "guidelines"? I know guidelines isn't a very good word for it but that's all I could think of.
kcwarpony (anonymous) says…
craigers,
Please excuse the cut and paste.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Discovery of bones halts road project near Arlington
By larry lange
seattle post-intelligencer reporter
Work was halted yesterday on a highway expansion project near Arlington after construction crews unearthed what were initially deemed "ancient" human bones on the north side of state Route 530, near Arlington Heights Road.
It was the latest in a string of discoveries of human remains and ancient artifacts that have halted highway or construction work around the state.
Stillaguamish Tribe reburies ancestors in ceremony
monday, august 1, 2005
Indianz.com
The Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington led a ceremony on Friday to rebury 15 ancestors that were uncovered at a state work site.
The tribe was joined by other Pacific Northwest tribes in marking the return of the remains to the land. The tribes held a celebration after a burial and spiritual burn.
The discovery of the remains and artifacts halted work at the site. Construction has resumed after an agreement was reached with the state.
Many more article on Indianz.com that will link you to the newspaper with the article. (LJW has been a link every now and then about the SLT and other stories.) This seemed to have been worked out smoothly but that is not always the case.
I wouldn't want to see this situation occur here. Emotions would no doubt run high and no one would be in the mood to negotiate and as talks stand still the cost of the project goes up and hard feelings appear. Heck, we have that already.
With careful consideration and hard work these issues can be avoided but I'm afraid it might too late. I don't look forward to the day when this project resumes.
craigers (anonymous) says…
Thanks.