--- In
BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com, Ernst Stavro Blofeld <
blofeld_es@y...> wrote:
> Peers,
>
> This may be slightly off topic
off what topic
, and if you find it to
> be just please ignore.
of course it is just
& ok
if i do
but why
> I am curious of the status of certain native-american
> communities. Could someone in our group clarify and/or
> comment on the matter?
yes
> For example, what is the legal status of some
> communities?
i believe about 560 tribes have been legally recognized as sovereign
with new ones still being added
but all the rest arent
> Is it correct to use the term "nation"?
usually the terms tribe & nation are practically interchangeable
depending perhaps on the size of the tribe &or on who is speaking
> Are there examples of stand-alone legislation in some
> cases?
if you mean
are any indian nations legally recognized as such in american law
as distinct from indian tribes
then i am not aware of any
> How much self-government is implemented?
they implement as much as they can get & handle
sort of like kurds
> Do all
> native-american societies enjoy the same rights and
> responsibilities, or is this a matter of negotiation
> between the federal (or state?) government and the
> society in question?
partly answered above
but of course it is a huge patchwork
complicated especially by the gambling laws of perhaps as many as 40
different states
while tribal governments too are notoriously chaotic & idiosyncratic
> And how is membership in and/or
> affiliation with a certain nation/community/society
> determined?
by percentage of alcohol in blood
er
i mean
by percentage of indian blood
which varies
but is typically as low as 25 percent
> Is this a question of the bloodline,
> territorial heritage or something else?
genealogical usually
& sometimes a minimum residence requirement on the rezzie
but of course it is a mess
>
> Thank you,
> M
you are most welcome
& tho you dont ask directly
of course the question of what real sovereignty really means keeps
coming up in this connection too
just as it does in kurdistan
& all iraq
& indeed it seems everywhere lately
but i believe sovereignty is really just divinity
which every individual human being has equally
while in the illusion of physical reality
sovereignty of course just boils down to
a localized monopoly on violence
strange conundrum indeed