Representative Shawn Bordeaux (D-26A/Mission) prime-sponsored 28 bills and one resolution this Session, almost all directly advancing American Indian interests. Only one, House Bill 1185, made it to the Governor, who must now decide whether she supports amending the state’s protection of Native American students’ rights to specify that they may wear an eagle feather, eagle plume, or beaded cap to graduation. HB 1198 doesn’t seem to expand any rights and certainly doesn’t provide our Lakota neighbors with additional resources; it just modifies (and, arguably, narrows) one legal protection enjoyed by one group of kids on one day a year.
Representative Bordeaux withdrew a couple of his bills, but none of his other proposals made it out of their first committee hearings.
Bills to direct forest revenues to tribes; help American Indian students pay for college in South Dakota; promote Native representation and reconciliation in state government; exempt tribal members from fees for hunting, fishing, and camping; ban the use of cyanide for mining for gold, silver, and uranium in the sacred Paha Sapa; protect American Indians from violent cops—all got killed in House committees. Even a mere resolution (HR 7001) asking the federal government to revoke the Medals of Honor given to the white murderers of the Wounded Knee Massacre remains a step too far toward Native justice for South Dakota’s Republican Legislature.
Now if Representative Bordeaux were just hitting the buzzsaw of one or two balky, racist committees, the House leadership could salvage some of his bills via smokeout and give the full House a chance to advance Native justice. But Bordeaux’s proposals get no such respect. The 2022 Session demonstrates that, if a bill advances the cause of the Lakota people, Republicans are almost certain to flush it down the toilet.
Bury my existence at Wounded Kne….er…Pierre.
The history of disrespect of Native Americans in South Dakota continues. Disrespect is an understatement considering all the treaties that were broken, the Wounded Knee massacre and the awful conditions on our reservations. Why would anyone think bills brought to the state legislature would be considered when they address NA issues? The dominant GOP representatives do not deserve any respect when their priorities are just stupid. Just one example is the approval of a shooting range in Meade county.
Unlikely these trumpist turds will ever support Native Americans as they could not even support their white counterparts by wearing a mask to keep from spreading covid. Voting republican in SD makes about as much sense as trying to pick up a dog poop by the clean end.
All hail the one true and lasting culture of what the Wasi’chu calls South Dakota.
The white guilt of those whose ancestors committed theft and atrocities is worn like a subconscious millstone.
Pennington County has flouted ICWA for decades and it looks like SCOTUS is going to review a lower court ruling on the law so we’ll see if Justice Gorsuch sides with the sane wing like he did on McGirt.
https://lawandcrime.com/supreme-court/a-white-christian-couple-claims-native-american-adoption-law-discriminates-against-them-the-supreme-court-just-agreed-to-hear-their-case/
The stool needs to be golden.
What can we expect from a Legislature dedicated to protecting our college age youth from the idea of Critical Race Theory. They are “protecting” us from the reality of our past by denying any future for the Native people of South Dakota. It is just more racial cleansing.
From 1889 to 1982 Natives had no voice in South Dakota state government. South Dakota, in 1982, was forced to create Legislative District 27 as previous gerrymandering had kept Native American representation out of Pierre. Since 1982 Native Legislators have kept state government from being too stupid and harmful to Native as they once had been.
Since 1982 voting battle after voting battle was necessary to allow the Native voice in the voting booth. Today, with the inept inbred republican government running the show in Pierre there is still stupidity running out of control more so then ever, but damage is held to a minimum against Natives.
The introduction of bills by Native Lawmakers, although rejected are keeping the gaggle of fools from doing damage to the Native citizens. But things are getting dangerous close to pre 1982. Dangerously close.
The cartoon showing the stuffing of Native Legislator’s sponsored bills in the poop bin brings to mind the discovery of the republican leader, 45, stuff important government documents down his poop bin in the White House. The poop throne and republican leadership seem to go almost like hand in hand… almost like…haha. They are both full of you know what.
Native voters need to keep sending Natives to the hell-hole doom in Pierre. Native Legislators need to try to keep state government at bay. I would say thanks to all the Natives who served since 1982. No telling what the stupid inept inbred republican fools would been done or tried had Native not been there ready to act.
The South Dakota GOP legislators need to find a mirror that isn’t broken, “put on a pair of moccasins”, and look in the mirror….. if it were them who were having their rights continually taken away…. HOW WOULD THEY FEEL? Our Natives have suffered from too many really stupid, self-centered individuals who look right through them… have not allowed them equal rights across the board forever… it is time. It is now. We all walk a difficult world that is moving forward. There are problems that ALL OF US face. We need to all stand shoulder to shoulder and deal with life together. Respecting all those around us is imperative. Protecting our world’s environment and peoples is imperative going forward. Standing together we all can hopefully make it better. Those who close their minds to others… need to wake up. Respect of all others’ communities is imperative because… we’re all in a community of humankind that faces very dire issues in the future. We need each other!
I got yo back like a chiroprac, Mr. Meyer, et al!
I truly felt disgusted when they also voted nay to raise the tribe’s flags in our state capital where they have the outdoor display of flags flying. And when they shot down the bill to play Flag Song at graduation?!
Whose ‘traditions’ and ‘heritage’ is superior to the first peoples? There is no supremacy! Might as well wear pointy hoods, ya grand wizard, Taffy n the rest who obviously do not comprehend that South Dakotans are not all sick weirdos still salty over having our turn to subjugate other races denied after losing the Civil War. If the Union would have just dropped all southern racist traitors after they lost their little rebellion, instead of letting them continue breeding hate and evil, we wouldn’t still be dealing with their twisted sick confederate legacy.
Next time, we can’t tell them it is wrong and hope they stop doing that. Feed the ground. Only a hate breed sob wants to trod all over another culture. The more they hang on to their racist values, the angrier they get when freedom lovers get together and have a good time enjoying identical opportunity and pay and liberty.
The Flag Song might remind them the thumping bloody orb in their chest is same as those pounding the drum.
South Duhkota is also far down the list as a good place for women of all stripes. #25 I believe. Debbo sent me this about Scotus taking up case for adoption of Native kids. https://bit.ly/3IGRG2w
Biden’s outfit depends on precedence and we know what magats think of precedence. Does not bode well for Native rights.
OT by this much – https://www.rawstory.com/169-potential-graves-found-at-canada-indigenous-school-site/
More of the same old same old.