Rosebud Sioux Tribe member and Representative Shawn Bordeaux (D-26A/Mission) recognizes the obvious: South Dakota lawmakers don’t know enough about Lakota culture. To address his oppressors’ ignorance, he proposes House Bill 1106, which would require the Legislative Research Council to “provide two hours of training on Native American law to each new member of the Legislature and Legislative Research Council staff.” HB 1106 directs the LRC to “make the training available to current legislators.”
That second line suggests that HB 1106 intends to grandfather sitting legislators (read: don’t rile sitting legislators by asking them to vote for a requirement they’d have to follow) and mandate Lakota law lessons only for future new legislators.
However, my experience with petition law, which requires ballot question petition circulators to provide a circulator form to each signer, says that “provide” means “make available to.” Petition law does not require anyone to take the form circulators offer; we circulators have to offer the form, but signers are free to decline to take the form.
Thus, as written, HB 1106 would require the LRC to prepare and offer training in Native American law, but it would seem not to require any legislator or LRC staffer, present or future, to take such training.
Do you think that Rep. Bordeaux considers South Dakota lawmakers to be his oppressors? Or do you mean “oppressor / oppressed” are hereditary? Maybe both…?
I don’t think our lawmakers (regardless of heritage) know enough about the law, either. There should be mandatory training for all of them regarding the several applicable legal authorities in SD, including US Constitution and code, SD constitution and code, and Native American law. Most of them seem barely able to formulate sentences, so I don’t have high hopes for the results… but it’s worth a shot.
Another good bill that should be effected but obviously won’t – because
“We already KNOW what this state needs! That’s why we’re in office don’tcha know!”
I think this would be a great opportunity for EVERYONE in the state to learn more about the Lakota heritage. If this was on youtube, I’d totally watch it!
This bill is timely and hope it passes.