Than 4 years ago?
How about 8, 16, 20…??
You might be better off if you happen to be the recipient of a fat no-bid state contract. You might be better off if you get your “share” of the state’s nearly 5 Billion dollar budget.
You are NOT better off if you happen to live on a South Dakota reservation. You are CERTAINLY not better off if you are a teenager on the Res. Teen suicide is off the charts high. The grip of poverty, alcohol, drugs, sexual and physical abuse and dysfunctional families holds the reservation population captive.
Even with the resources in the hands of the political class, things have not gotten any better. Perhaps worse.
It’s not just a money issue. Simply throwing more money at problem won’t solve anything. Part of the problem is a result of socialism on the Reservations. It didn’t work any better for the early Pilgrims, who nearly starved to death until they embraced free enterprise.
It would take a significant team effort to change life in the poorest counties in America. To this date, no team is in sight. Admittedly, its a big problem.
Isn’t it time to tackle the problem?
***Gordon Howie is an author and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***
“It’s not about right or left, it’s about Right or Wrong.”
Will you help?
Pray
If you appreciate our work, please click the “donate” button
“friend” me on facebook for daily updates
Local tribes elect representatives every year. Elections are modeled after state and federal elections which suggest that tribes elect representative having the best interest for their communities. That’s as far it goes. Nearly every council representative, most being well intended people, have no idea about functions of tribal government. Reservation grade schools and high schools do not offer much for civics and government classes and revealing that tribal governments are subjects to the Department of Interior and fully programmatic in nature. Gordon Howie and Bob Ellis, it would be great to meet to gain a comprehensive view of this failed experiment called Indian Reservations.
The Native people along with our elected officials know the Tribal Councils are corrupt. But our elected officials will never address the corruption because who do you think the Tribal councils learned it from.
Yes, it’s long past time to tackle the problem. Unfortunately, virtually no one in a position to get the ball rolling wants to do what it will take. What it will take is a fundamental shift in political, economic and moral thinking. Few people on or off the Res are willing to do that.