American Treatise

The chapters on America's debt to Indigenous peoples and Auntie Kie talking about American policy regarding indian relations was especially interesting to me. The fact that the U.S. Government has done little to address the issue of repayment of Indigenous peoples for their land may have a light at the end of the tunnel. In 2009 the Oboma administration alloted nearly $4 Billion to tribes to make up for mismanagement of Indigenous money. "The commission will begin reviewing the Interior Department’s management and administration of nearly $4 billion the federal government holds in trust for Native Americans and native peoples."(Associated Press). The admission of abuse of the system is a large step for a Government that has so far given very little consideration to the plight of the people who were forcibly removed from their lands after signing treatise that would allow them to keep their land. Aunt Kie was quoted saying that all President's just appear to be putting on a show, but the promise of $3.4 Billion by the administration is a good start in gaining trust in a community full of skeptics that have been let down too many times. 
Auntie Kie also touches upon partisanship and how the problem of Indigenous treatment spreads beyond either party. Reznetnews.org reports on the battle in the senate over the repayment. "The House gave its approval in May. But the settlement authorization is tucked into the Democrats' jobs-agenda legislation that fell three votes short of breaking a Republican filibuster in the Senate on Thursday, and now the future of the hard-fought agreement is in doubt." (Matt Volz). The money has been tied a budget proposal that is labeled as "Aid" and so a battle in senate is ensuing over the entirety of the budget not specifically the repayment. So the battle is seen as a partisan issue when really the solution seems obvious, the repayment of Indigenous peoples should not be tied to a general aid budget. The proposal is much larger than the $3.4 Billion and unless we can separate the issue of Aid in general and repayment for abused funds there seems to little hope to gain the trust of these scorned tribes. 

http://www.reznetnews.org/article/34b-indian-settlement-stuck-senate-filibuster
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-reform-commission-on-indian-trust-lands-managed-by-federal-government-to-begin-work/2012/02/29/gIQAtdleiR_story.html