NATIVE AMERICANS

INDIANS

The African/Americans think they've had it hard, the Native Americans have had it harder and yet no one marches on Washington for their rights. As it is, hundreds of computers are linked to their banking and other information. Over 6,000 government computers have access to the Indian Trust data. Some in the government say that blocking those computers is against public interest. The trust was set up by the Dawes Act of 1887. At that time, the reservations were being broken up and individual lots were being sold, with the proceeds going into the Trust. The money from the Trust was to be paid out to individual trust accounts held by the Indians.

Some of the Indians lived on the lots, others were leased out for grazing, energy and mineral royalties. In 1996, a law suit was filed on behalf of over a half million Indians, claiming that over the past century, the government has squandered over 137 billion dollars from that trust.

So, can anyone blame them if they want to set up casinos on their land and take back some of the money that the "white man" has been taking from them for over 100 years?