Reader comments
In our opinion: The president goes native

Dave | 7:17 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

How much is he going to raise their taxes?

Roland Kayser | 7:38 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

We never honored any treaty we made with the Native Americans, if we started now we'd have to give them half of the country. Maybe we could start by restoring all of the oil and mineral royalties that were stolen from them, that the government has never been able to account for.

You agree... | 8:08 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

that treaties and promises should be respected?

No doubt the Native Americans were badly treated, but if all treaties and promises had been kept a good number of us, including the family and friends of this story's author would have to go find somewhere else to live.

My question is, not withstanding the "First Americans" claim, who did the ancestors of the Native Americans take the land from?

Who has the moral high ground and can with 100% certainty validly claim to be direct descendents of the first Americans?

Comments continue below

KM | 9:43 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

Its always race with this president. As long as he can "get whitey" he feels like he is accomplishing his goals taught to him by his mentor and pastor, The honorable reverend Wright. (black liberation theology) is not good for the American experience. We are all Americans, and as soon as the left get the message the sooner we can move past the vote-getting, country-dividing issue.

Jack Lewis | 10:04 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

Interesting enough, It will raise "their" taxes equal to any American in this country. The fallacy that Native don't pay taxes is absurd. As a full-blood Native (Navajo) I pay my share of all taxes since I've worked in my country. So, my taxes will be equal to any "other" American.

@Roland Kayser | 10:12 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

Yeah, give them anything that is not yours. That's the liberal way.

Cosmo | 10:16 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

More bla bla bla;When the bleeding hearts decide to read history, and quit watching Oprah, they will find out that with some exceptions, the vast majority of problems were created as they have always been, at Washington D.C. Remember the driving out the Cherokee from Georgia because gold was found, on their land? That was done by Andy Jackson. The Battle of the Little Bighorn, was the culmination of a failed D.C. policy, that violated the treaty over, the Black Hills. Most normal people would rather live lives of order, peace, and respect. But mix money, power, and the political machine together, and one id sure to get a mess.
So now "His Obamaness" is going to fix everything; stop I can't stand the laughter, it's killing me!
He will do the same thing that has always been done;more money will go to pay off big shots, government will get bigger, everyone else will be blamed, except those that are truly accountable, and the band will play louder music.

Liberty Man | 11:47 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

No doubt the American Indian has been treated badly by our government and it's shameful; there are wrongs that need to be righted.

That being said, if you want to know what Socialism is going to be like, especially if this so-called "healthcare reform" bill is allowed to get past the House unchecked, look at the plight of the American Indians.

The American Indians have been royally shafted; so will "we the people" if we allow it.

America, we are at a cross-roads; a critical juncture in our history in which decisions are being made by politicians who have nothing to lose; they have their own healthcare plan and you will have yours.

Your healthcare plan will be rationed; you will get only what government says you get. Your "fearless leaders" will have 100-percent healthcare coverage, you will not.

Once the Socialist genie is let out of the bottle and the government takes over every facet of our lives, there will be no turning back; "poof," our constitutional Republic vaporized!

"Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."--John Adams

Empty Wallet | 2:50 p.m. Nov. 7, 2009

Obama has an empty wallet. Maybe he should give out IOUs to all the victims of this disgusting American country. The lines seem to be endless. If all those victims had to opportunity to live elsewhere in the world, they might fall on their knees in gratitude to be here in the USA. The vast majority of the world lives in misery with no escape.

the truth | 4:41 p.m. Nov. 7, 2009

All Obama is doing is:

is campaigning, vote buying,

speech giving,

that all he does, that is all he good at.

everything he does and says is all about him,

IF tries to do something for the Indians, it will be for the worse.

Just see:

bailouts,
stimulus
cash for clunkers,
energy policy, climate change
and of course, health care

all change for the worse.

things that drive up the debt
increase taxes for all,
and increase the cost of living FOR ALL.

Roland Kayser | 7:39 p.m. Nov. 7, 2009

To @Roland Kayser 10:12:
What in the world are you talking about?

Call Me a Cracker | 8:27 p.m. Nov. 7, 2009

As a certified red-neck whose ancestors go back to the Mayflower and then on beyond into jolly-old England, I would just like to say to ALL of the ethnic minorities out there who feel like their ancestors have been abused by a small minority of a powerful and wealthy few who have exploited your labor and driven you from your homelands with oppressive rules and an obstinate disregard for either you or your posterity other than how you and yours might profit THEM; to you, the oppressed, I say: WELCOME TO THE CLUB!

I don't know what kind of personal family history you think I and my forbears have had as "white europeans", but if you studied anybody else's history other than that narrow list of your own grievances, then MAYBE, JUST MAYBE you'll see that you are pretty far from owning the title of "oppressed". WE just aren't as comfortable with whining about it as YOU seem to be.

Obama is a politician | 11:15 p.m. Nov. 7, 2009

He'll end up changing the phrase: "White man speaks with forked tongue!" to one that better suits him.

PR | 10:16 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

The DMN seems to have gotten excited over a what was clearly a PR photo-op.

You can't possibly accomplish anything by a one-time meeting with 564 different entities that have everything in common, let alone with all of the various American Indian tribes, whose individual needs are as diverse as the different geographical areas that the tribes call home.

I am reminded of former Idaho governor Batt who met monthly with the half-dozen or so Idaho tribes. It is only under such conditions that any real progress can be made in solving problems.

AK | 12:29 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Wow! These are comments from readers of your newspaper. I thought that people in Utah were more understanding or mercyful; since their ancestry has been one of discrimination. Change your practices, if you want to join the Union. being forced to move out West.

Sounds, to me, like Republicans--who dislike anything minority in America.

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.