It's a long, long trail still ahead for full Native rights

The signal victory in the Canadian Federal Court recognizing Métis and Non-Status Indians as "Indian" is, as I and others have noted, genuinely historic.  It's a great big social justice stride -- but not the millennium.  At this point, it doesn't embrace all of the Métis, or Non-Status people, though it obviously opens the door for a great many others as matters proceed.

And, whatever -- the struggle for full Native rights continues for Métis, Indians, and Inuit in Canada as it most certainly does for American Indians and Alaskan Natives involved with the United States,

The issues are many for Native people everywhere in this Hemisphere.  But, in the welcome glow of this just emerged victory in Canada, let us remember that there are many bona fide Native Americans in this country -- the United States -- who are certainly deprived of full official -- official -- Native status.

There are a number of Native tribes and communities, legitimately so, who are still not Federally recognized by the U.S. government.  Some may have "state recognition" but the tangible benefits of that are minimal.  Some have no official recognition at all.  But they are indeed Real Native American Indians.  Same with many individuals who are as Métis as their Canadian brothers and sisters.

A non-Federally recognized tribal case in point, but, again, certainly not the only one, involves the Lumbee Nation of North Carolina.  I'm quite familiar with that and our extensive website Lumbee page continues to be very well visited.  Sadly, despite high expectations a few years ago, there have been as yet no positive official recognition developments in the Lumbee situation.  Here's our page:  http://www.hunterbear.org/lumbee_indians_of_north_carolina.htm

Hunter (Hunter Bear)

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

I have always lived and worked in the Borderlands.

See my extensive Movement Life Interview, done by Bruce
Hartford of Civil Rights Movement Veterans:
http://hunterbear.org/HUNTER%20BEAR%20INTERVIEW%20CRMV.htm
And see my reflection ON BEING A MILITANT AND RADICAL
ORGANIZER -- AND AN EFFECTIVE ONE:
http://crmvet.org/comm/hunter1.htm

The Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
(Expanded in Fall 2012. Photos. Material on our Native
background.)  And see Personal Background Narrative: 
http://hunterbear.org/narrative.htm  (Updated into 2012) 

For the new (11/2011) and expanded/updated
edition of my "Organizer's Book," JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- 
with a new and substantial introduction by me.
 http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm