Divided Allegiance?

[Diane Merkel]

Food for thought:

Elected officials of municipal, county and state governments swear an oath of allegiance to the government to which they are elected. Enrolled tribal members who are also full U.S. citizens have a divided loyalty, a pre-existing allegiance to a separate government, and an ominous opportunity. Tribal members as elected officials in municipal, county or state elected office may enact laws, regulations, and impose taxes, for which they and their tribal government are exempt or immune. Tribal members in non- tribal elected office may impose and govern under laws they do not have to obey themselves.

Full article: releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=75730

[Tricia]

Diane--

I tend to think what you've presented is more of a worst case scenario; most of my family on the Rez are law-abiding Americans first, and Navajos second. The only such idiot I can think of at this time is Russell Means, who apparently beat the crap out of his Navajo girlfriend and when arrested by Tribal police, claimed Navajo law didn't apply to him because he was Lakota. I think he (and his hot shot lawyer) managed to finagle his way out of it, but that kind of blatant reliance on technicality is, hopefully, the exception and not the rule. Whatever admiration I might have felt for the fellow went in the toilet. When I watched Into The West, I felt anger everytime that dude was on the screen. I can't believe such a jerk could find work after that fiasco.

I have a couple of kissing cousins on the Tribal Council and I could ask them about the finer points between Anglo and Indian law. But this entire mess is simply another problem caused by how the US government totally erred when making Indian policy in the 19th Century ...

It's kind of strange how many of the same challenges Custer and Grant faced in the 1870s continue to linger today.

Regards,
Leyton Mc Lean