Our Legislature doesn’t care much for Indians, either. The Capitol Club couldn’t agree on toothless language acknowledging the pain we inflicted on generations of Native American children in our boarding schools. The resolution brought for that purpose, House Concurrent Resolution 6014, drew 17 Republican nays in the House (led by Speaker Spencer Gosch, who we know prefers to have fewer Indians around) before failing 9–25 in the Senate.
But even if that resolution had passed, Oglala Lakota writer Tim Giago says HCR 6014 would have been an empty gesture against our state’s refusal to allow the victims of our systemic racism to pursue real relief in court:
…the Legislature in 2010 passed a law that does not allow childhood sexual abuse survivors over age 40 to sue Churches or organizations. Marci Hamilton, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who runs an organization advocating for removing the statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse, told lawmakers that South Dakota is the only state since 2002 to put restrictions on the statute of limitations. The bill to undo that was once again defeated by lawmakers who did not want to open churches and organizations up to lawsuits for past abuse.
The only way the South Dakota legislators can “honor” the survivors of boarding schools is to rescind this racist and ridiculous law that blocks former boarding school children who were abused from suing the schools that allowed that abuse [Tim Giago, “When Is an Honor Not an Honor? Here’s a Lesson for the South Dakota Legislature,” South Dakota Standard, 2021.03.13].
The South Dakota Legislature can’t even agree on words of solace to Giago and other victims of the genocidal boarding school system; there’s even less chance this Legislature will do real right by those whom we continue to oppress.
Come on, Repubs wish that system had never gone away and they would never allow Native Americans to sue the churches that they attend so photographically.
Slightly off topic, but, https://www.npr.org/2021/03/15/977558590/deb-haaland-confirmed-as-first-native-american-interior-secretary?ft=nprml&f=977558590
As near as I can tell she is not anti-environmental and is particularly suited by heritage to manage the Interior Department.
Kind of on topic MFI. Have you noticed the white power structure of the repubs are fighting the people of color nominations. Haalands vote was 51 -40. The worst vote conformation yet and fighting Becerra, Gupta and shooting down Tandens’ nomination over some bad tweets. Seems to me the white privilege repubs don’t want to share power with those who have earned their place in society in spite of being held back.