What Indians And Palestinians Share

[Violet_Crumble]

by Justine McCabe
May 31, 2005

Controversy over Indian rights in Connecticut recently intensified when the federal government reversed its recognition of Stonington's Eastern Pequots and Kent- based Schaghticoke tribes. Overall, officials and the public appear pleased. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said, “One reason this is so historic is because no positive recognition decision has been reversed before. This is a first for the nation, which makes it all the more significant and satisfying,” according to The Litchfield County Times.

Clearly, it's not satisfying for Connecticut's indigenous peoples as their rights and attachment to the land continue to be challenged even centuries after first contact with European settlers.

Due-process arguments put into high relief the irony experienced by America's native peoples in obtaining recognition: they must prove they exist. They must demonstrate that their people and cultures actually survived government intentions to eradicate them and seize land on which survival depended.

<snip>

Like America's native peoples, Palestinians bear the burden of proof of their existence and right to their ancestral lands.

Possession of keys and deeds, or official registration as refugees with the U.N. haven't succeeded. Neither has international law. In fact, in keeping with several bodies of law, the U.N. explicitly conditioned Israel's 1949 U.N. admittance on its implementation of Resolution 194 affirming Palestinians' inalienable right to return home. Despite this, Israel has refused to allow its native peoples to return. The U.S. has implicitly supported this since the Truman administration.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=7983

[pelsar]

1. heheh.....

They must demonstrate that their people and cultures actually survived government intentions to eradicate them and seize land on which survival depended.....-are we talking about indian, palestenians, jews, gypsies, kurds, bedouin, Taino, Jaradites, harjo, Palaches, Ahantchuyuk, Atfalati,Calapooya, Chelamela, Chepenafa, Luckiamute, Molalla, Santiam, Yamel...exactly to whom is this judgement directed....


i believe the provibial can of worms is now being opened.....actually i belong to a tribe that lived where New York city now is (5th avenue to be exact)..and I would like to stake my claim to my ancestorial homeland (we've got a few given our 2,000 of wandering..which brings us an interesting aspect, how long does one have to be in a place for it to be considered 'home"...ah the lawyers are going to love this one...anyway.....which way to the claims office!