Two especially informative good comments on indigenous children

My post yesterday on the frequently attacked and always critically needed National Indian Child Welfare Act drew a number of good comments.  Here are two that are especially informative.  Veteran activist Ms.Terry Binnersley conveys a Link to a very full account of the committed work of Ms Cindy Blackstock on behalf of Native children in Canada -- and a signal initial victory in that context.  Matthew McDaniel is a long and most experienced advocate on behalf of the Akha people of Thailand and he speaks from hard-earned personal experience.

In addition to the extremely important Indian Child Welfare Act, continued and increased and constant vigilance by tribal nations is crucial in the protection of children (and other resources).  Full Federal honoring of formal treaty obligations to the Native nations -- e.g., economic, education, health, welfare, criminal justice -- is always all around crucial to every Indian and certainly children on and around Native reservations. The 1975 Indian Self-Determination Act provides the means by which Federal monies can be directly channeled into tribally-controlled services. In the urban areas, there should be significantly increased funding via public and private sources to Native community centers for much needed social services on all human fronts.  [H]


TERRY BINNERSLEY -- long time social justice advocate, originally from the Sudbury Ontario hardrock mining area:

So glad to hear from you -- assume you are in place and the fires have all been fought back?  

Here is news from Canada that echoes your news re the double bind native families are placed in, and a very caring, creative and courageous woman having some success battling against all the same old recalcitrance .. the thing is, after awhile, you can see'em coming, eh? ... through human rights legislation.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/04/19/f-aboriginal-cindy-blackstock.html


MATTHEW MCDANIEL -- long time and effective advocate for the tribal Akha people of Thailand, now in Oregon:

Hunter: 


I do not believe in being so kind as saying these families that adopt these children are well intended or have good intentions. 


This is the same thing the white missionaries are doing in Thailand to the Akha, white from America and australia. It is like a genetic disposition to take other people's children of the brown or black races based on centuries of assuming they as white people are superior to these tribes. 


I don't know how one describes this arrogant, "so innocent, mental mind and soul state.


There is a couple. She is from Salem, Oregon where I live nearby and her husband is from Denver, colorado. They are missionaries of the  four square church and work to take over the Akha in Thailand. They work with a mission supported by a church in Idaho. Twin Falls. I have monitored this family aggressively for their work in covering up the abuse of the Akha while making out like good and stupid churchy white folk grabbing off the natives. 


So I and my son are in South Salem selling Akha vegetables from the  http://akhafarm.com/  
I leave to get a hamburger for us for lunch. When I get back my son is talking to a woman, I assume a customer. She is buying a couple vegetables. When I get there, she says she has been talking to my son and then she says off handedly as she points to the banner that has my wife's akha head dress picture, "I know ALL ABOUT the Akha. My daughter is a missionary to the Akha and I've been to many villages." She obviously didn't connect me in my cowboy outfit, battered hat, to the same guy who picketed her church over her daughter's activities. And it was with the arrogant and blind lack of knowledge that she said so confidently that her wonderful daughter was doing all this good. That was the only story she knew and the only one she wanted to know. Even to the fact that her daughter's biggest critic was standing smack dab in front of her. I'm sure she nearly died when she wrote an email to her daughter and/or it occurred to her who I was. See  http://vernonjournal.com/  for their blog which totally lacks in content about the true life of the Akha, but looks sort of Akha.


Anyway, from her tone, I could not place her in the category of having good intentions. It was like she was saying "Yes, we have the right, us missionary military people, 231 Divsion, to do what we want to these people."


It was that presumptuous. 


So since it still goes on, the taking of native children by whites, how does it end, how does it come to an end?


Hope you are staying well, and you seem to be.


I still haven't given up on the Sail for Freedom even though our 3 acre farm to which we added five more acres is still pumping out a tremendous quantity of food from one Akha woman, far more than we are able to sell, all without the help of a single missionary.


The planning of the purchase of the ship, raising investors, organizing it all, is far more work and skill than actually the dollar number itself.


Matthew


HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis 
Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk 
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´ 
and Ohkwari' 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
www.hunterbear.org 
(much social justice material)

See Witch Hunt Continues: (challenges faced by a successful
organizer and teacher --with new comment, new photo
http://www.hunterbear.org/witch_hunt_continuesthe_southern.htm

And see the Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
(Expanded and with more photos in June, 2012.)
 
For the new, just out (11/2011) and expanded/updated
edition of my "Organizer's Book," JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- 
with a new and substantial introduction by me.  We are now at 
the 50th Anniversary of the massive Jackson Movement of
1962-63.
http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm