The question of diversity has been raised many times throughout American history. The topics have ranged from desegregation to fair opportunities in the educational spheres. While the University has had a tendency of relying on diversity to uphold a certain reputation, one group has been a minority among minorities, and that is the Native American.
In recent news, the ever-popular President Barack Obama has addressed the issue of Native American underrepresentation. This focus on American Indians was made a priority on Thursday at the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of the Interior in Washington. According to USA Today, this meeting, a first since 1994, aimed to redeem broken promises made to certain tribes. Along with these broken promises, the meeting attempted to correct the agenda of a very busy man. The president’s compassionate talks of Native American struggle seemed to foolishly make a comparison between his childhood and the lives of people who for years have been maliciously targeted by the new settlers.
While this meeting of seemingly immediate importance might have been for the morality of the matter, there are underlying motives for action. Truly, the Native American matter had to be addressed at some point, considering that many tribes do not have running water or have insufficient educational facilities, but the time was chosen more for its political importance rather than social.
This initiative serves to raise awareness of issues stretching back to the founding of this nation. The reality of things, however, might be much deeper than apportioning $1 billion for Native American tribes. If one were to look away from the limelight in which Obama stands, he would find that a majority of our president’s actions are carried out in a very public way. This year’s Nobel Prize winner brings about an image of himself that is undoubtedly liked. In this continuous race for re-election, Obama has traveled more than any other president in American history, visited many countries, spoken with many world leaders and has recently taken it upon his image to face another potentially beneficial situation. According to the chief executive, his administration has already aided Native Americans through the $787 billion stimulus, of which the funds for Indians were allocated accordingly: $100 million for job creation within tribal communities, $500 million for the Indian Health Service and nearly $500 million for various education, college and school construction programs.
The question that arises from this situation is, why now? In this economically unstable time, how does this benefit the economic system? Those $1.1 billion dollars given to closed communities and non-consumer tribes do not circulate in the system as they are meant to, thus are not an integral part of the financial reconstruction of the nation. The sad truth is that this money given to the Native Americans serves no purpose other than a medium for the president’s fluctuating rating. This financial help could have come in several months or several years ago, but it has come now as it serves its purpose in presenting Obama in a certain humanitarian way. An aid of these proportions may have been needed, but it was certainly another vehicle for Obama’s re-election.
The president said at this meeting, “I know what it means to feel ignored and forgotten, and what it means to struggle.” He also referred to himself as an “outsider” as he attempted to appeal to these truly overlooked peoples. Obama’s attempt at comparison between himself and an impoverished minority shows the true colors of this meeting. While this grouping of our president and Native Americans make light of Obama’s childhood struggle, it seems to be a bit far-fetched. A compassionate talk of struggle and historical underrepresentation brought a certain feeling of amiability between the president and tribe leaders. This underlying sense of humanitarian success puts another merit on Obama’s resume.
The ultimate result of this tribal meeting was an executive order by the president. He signed an order requiring all cabinet members to provide plans for consulting Native American tribes. In addition, he pledged to consider their needs in instances of moving forward on education and health care programs. About a decade ago, President Bill Clinton issued a similar order, but Indian leaders believe that it has done very little. Their optimism about Obama, however, stays. Perhaps it is their unbreakable will to believe in any executive of the United States who is willing to make any plans of aiding Indian tribes. Why would Obama’s word mean more than the one of Clinton? Do racial segregation and difficulties during his childhood make Obama a trustworthy vessel of much-needed reform when it comes to Native Americans?
Undoubtedly, President Obama’s election was of epic proportions and his acts seem to aid the bourgeois population of the United States. The face of diversity and acceptance has done little, however, when it comes to social reform and international affairs. His steps toward benefiting another important group of American history may be methods for future political campaigns. It is doubtful that these talks of education and health improvement of these closed societies will do anything but bring certain people to certain places. Perhaps a Nobel Prize will do just that.
Executive recognition or undeserved merit
Editorial
Published: Monday, November 9, 2009
Updated: Monday, November 9, 2009
16 comments
In fact, you would have a hard time finding an Indian community that wasn't mixed-race anymore. I have half black cousins, Asian cousins, and white cousins. If that's a "closed society," then I'm missing your point.
We are, as Native people, entitled to Federal dollars that will help us combat the ills of a crippled American economy. We deserve to be treated equally, just like any American community. Do you think we are not Americans? Native people have been fighting in the military since before we were even American citizens. As a race, we have the highest percentage of volunteers in the armed forces. Our Navajo Code Talkers helped win World War 2. Stop being racist. Your views are frivolous, and uneducated. It sounds like you've been watching too many Hollywood Indian movies, and let that propaganda define your view of the world. You do not know our real story. Do your homework before you write about us. When money is provided for our Indigenous communities, it ALWAYS helps everyone in the area. Not just Indians. The money is circulated through contracts to non-Indian companies, local Law enforcement, fire departments, and many other under funded programs.Shame on you. I can't believe some of my cousins actually died in Iraq, so you could have the freedom of speech to write this garbage.
Happy Veterans Day to us, I guess. Right?