Opinion of Shannon County, South Dakota

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Obama's best county in America.

Beautiful area, but sadly in squalid poverty. I'll vote FC thanks to its excellent voting habits.

[Ban my account ffs!]

A very very sad story indeed.

[SPC]

Pathetic victim of Stockholm syndrome.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Pathetic victim of Stockholm syndrome.

Yes, the long, sad, and varied history of the Sioux in southern South Dakota can all be wrapped up by a contemptuous quip about how their victimization is really their fault... were they not just so pathetic. 
Somehow I don't doubt you've thought a lot about this subject, but your head is still so far up your @$$ that you've successfully burnt your hair off with stomach acid.

[SPC]

Pathetic victim of Stockholm syndrome.

Yes, the long, sad, and varied history of the Sioux in southern South Dakota can all be wrapped up by a contemptuous quip about how their victimization is really their fault... were they not just so pathetic. 
Somehow I don't doubt you've thought a lot about this subject, but your head is still so far up your @$$ that you've successfully burnt your hair off with stomach acid.

I meant pathetic as in deserving of sympathy, any contempt in that statement was not intentional. I don't believe that they are responsible for their condition, but clearly they support the very policies that lead to their continued impoverishment.

[Alcon]

Pathetic victim of Stockholm syndrome.

Yes, the long, sad, and varied history of the Sioux in southern South Dakota can all be wrapped up by a contemptuous quip about how their victimization is really their fault... were they not just so pathetic. 
Somehow I don't doubt you've thought a lot about this subject, but your head is still so far up your @$$ that you've successfully burnt your hair off with stomach acid.

I meant pathetic as in deserving of sympathy, any contempt in that statement was not intentional. I don't believe that they are responsible for their condition, but clearly they support the very policies that lead to their continued impoverishment.

I don't know if you realize how condescendingly this is coming across.  These are extremely poor people with very limited access to political information.  And, seriously, what policies don't lead to continued impoverishment?  The plight of reservations like Pine Ridge is probably among the most complicated political issues in existence...even the "Stockholm Syndrome" part of your post is reductionist and sounds a little mean-spirited.

[minionofmidas]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

[Leftbehind]

Pathetic victim of Stockholm syndrome.

Yes, the long, sad, and varied history of the Sioux in southern South Dakota can all be wrapped up by a contemptuous quip about how their victimization is really their fault... were they not just so pathetic. 
Somehow I don't doubt you've thought a lot about this subject, but your head is still so far up your @$$ that you've successfully burnt your hair off with stomach acid.

I meant pathetic as in deserving of sympathy, any contempt in that statement was not intentional. I don't believe that they are responsible for their condition, but clearly they support the very policies that lead to their continued impoverishment.

Ah yes, that ridiculous argument. If only they were to give the capitalists more wealth and power they could be sure to escape impoverishment(!). 

[Franzl]

Pathetic victim of Stockholm syndrome.

Yes, the long, sad, and varied history of the Sioux in southern South Dakota can all be wrapped up by a contemptuous quip about how their victimization is really their fault... were they not just so pathetic. 
Somehow I don't doubt you've thought a lot about this subject, but your head is still so far up your @$$ that you've successfully burnt your hair off with stomach acid.

I meant pathetic as in deserving of sympathy, any contempt in that statement was not intentional. I don't believe that they are responsible for their condition, but clearly they support the very policies that lead to their continued impoverishment.

Ah yes, that ridiculous argument. If only they were to give the capitalists more wealth and power they could be sure to escape impoverishment(!). 

It will obviously all trickle down to them.

[SPC]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

I don't think they ought to try active assimilation policies. I believe that the Bureau of Indian Affairs should be scrapped and the tribes left free to govern themselves without the intrusion of the federal government.

[memphis]

I drove through just to check it out when I was in the neighborhood, touring the Badlands. It was quite desolate and depressing, like most rural areas. What was notably different was that many Natives were out walking around along the Highway, something no non-Native rural would be caught dead doing in their neck of the woods. FWIW, the tour guide at Rushmore said the gov't has given the tribe a bazillion dollars (precisely) in compensation for screwing them over back in the day regarding the Black Hills. But the Injuns won't take the money, so it just sits in an account somewhere getting bigger day after day. And yet they all live in squalor. Go figure out a Native.

[Alcon]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

I don't think they ought to try active assimilation policies. I believe that the Bureau of Indian Affairs should be scrapped and the tribes left free to govern themselves without the intrusion of the federal government.

Right, which would solve reservation poverty how?  Seriously, you're being a completely stereotypical teenage libertarian right now.

[Modernity has failed us]

FC I suppose.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I feel sorry for them, but one of the most Horrible Counties in America due to having some of the worst voting patterns anywhere.  Ironic that one of America's most Democrat-leaning counties is in one of the most Republican-leaning states.

[k-onmmunist]

I feel sorry for them, but one of the most Horrible Counties in America due to having some of the worst voting patterns anywhere.  Ironic that one of America's most Democrat-leaning counties is in one of the most Republican-leaning states.

why would native americans want to vote for the republikkkans?

fc, though voting obama won't fix their problems.

[AndrewTX]

Voted for Obama? HC

[minionofmidas]

I drove through just to check it out when I was in the neighborhood, touring the Badlands. It was quite desolate and depressing, like most rural areas. What was notably different was that many Natives were out walking around along the Highway, something no non-Native rural would be caught dead doing in their neck of the woods. FWIW, the tour guide at Rushmore said the gov't has given the tribe a bazillion dollars (precisely) in compensation for screwing them over back in the day regarding the Black Hills. But the Injuns won't take the money, so it just sits in an account somewhere getting bigger day after day. And yet they all live in squalor. Go figure out a Native.

Yes, two cents an acre plus 5% p.a. for the past 105 years (it was then; 135 now) for the entire southwest corner of the state, all of which is land the U.S. Government recognizes it had no title whatsoever to when it started offering it to settlers after Little Big Horn.
Not that the Government offered any of that of course -  they fought it tooth and nail - unless you use a technical definition of "Government" that includes the judicial branch.

[minionofmidas]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

I don't think they ought to try active assimilation policies. I believe that the Bureau of Indian Affairs should be scrapped and the tribes left free to govern themselves without the intrusion of the federal government.

Right, which would solve reservation poverty how?

Some BIA intrusions certainly deserve to go. I'd love to see citizenship reformed to where it would be possible to have variable blood quantum requirements depending on whether somebody actually lives at or near the community or not, for instance.

[Хahar 🤔]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

Could you elaborate? I'm not familiar with this.

[opebo]

I drove through just to check it out when I was in the neighborhood, touring the Badlands. It was quite desolate and depressing, like most rural areas. What was notably different was that many Natives were out walking around along the Highway, something no non-Native rural would be caught dead doing in their neck of the woods. FWIW, the tour guide at Rushmore said the gov't has given the tribe a bazillion dollars (precisely) in compensation for screwing them over back in the day regarding the Black Hills. But the Injuns won't take the money, so it just sits in an account somewhere getting bigger day after day. And yet they all live in squalor. Go figure out a Native.

Yes, they're hard to understand - having honor and pride and so forth..

[memphis]

I drove through just to check it out when I was in the neighborhood, touring the Badlands. It was quite desolate and depressing, like most rural areas. What was notably different was that many Natives were out walking around along the Highway, something no non-Native rural would be caught dead doing in their neck of the woods. FWIW, the tour guide at Rushmore said the gov't has given the tribe a bazillion dollars (precisely) in compensation for screwing them over back in the day regarding the Black Hills. But the Injuns won't take the money, so it just sits in an account somewhere getting bigger day after day. And yet they all live in squalor. Go figure out a Native.

Yes, they're hard to understand - having honor and pride and so forth..

I didn't see a lot of honor or pride. I saw a lot of drunk Indians living in squalor with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Dignity wasn't on the menu.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

I don't think they ought to try active assimilation policies. I believe that the Bureau of Indian Affairs should be scrapped and the tribes left free to govern themselves without the intrusion of the federal government.

Right, which would solve reservation poverty how?

Some BIA intrusions certainly deserve to go. I'd love to see citizenship reformed to where it would be possible to have variable blood quantum requirements depending on whether somebody actually lives at or near the community or not, for instance.

I find it hard to believe we're in the 21st century and people are still being classified by blood quantum at all.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Well the primary reason for it being that it allows them to include people that are often just 1/32 or 1/64 that specific tribe and thus boost their membership numbers, and with it federal aid money. Lewis' proposal sounds like a reasonable fix for it.

Anyone remember that Family Guy where the local news captioned Peter as a "local black man"?

[minionofmidas]

The last time a US Government tried active assimilation policies, it led to actual acute starvation conditions at Menominee and Turtle Mountain, two of the three large communities chosen as a pilot project (Klamath was a qualified success, actually, and the numerous tiny communities pressganged into the project were much more assimilated into mainstream America before, and thus suffered far less). And that was in the 1950s. "Stockholm Syndrome" indeed.

Could you elaborate? I'm not familiar with this.

I don't feel like writing something; so I'll copy and paste from the BIA's own rundown of its history:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/bureau-of-indian-affairs#ixzz2EMLkXiUw

1961 is really wrong; the official change in policy was in 1962 IIRC (but it's quite possible I'm wrong and they're right on this point) but actual change was very slow in coming, certainly didn't begin to hint at the possibility of a difference until Lee Harvey Oswald put competent management into the White House (and caused a bit of a revolution of rising expectations that would lead down to the leaden AIM-Nixon years... of course Leonard Peltier grew up on Turtle Mtn during the time the BIA illegally withdrew services to get the council to agree to termination.)


The BIA needs to approve all changes to tribal constitutions; kind of like preclearance except without the threat to its constitutionality and with most Nations not having the funds to entertain, or realistically threaten, legal action to get their way. Most of them thus for practical purposes take their constitutions as givens they cannot change.

[CountryRoads]

HC because of voting habits, and because the people here have to go through this type of poverty