The Indian Welfare State Dilemma

Wow...it is hit the wall time for me. I must first tell you, that I do not have contempt for the Indian People at Standing Rock. I feel bad that their lives have been diminished so much as a civilization of people. I recognize that their environment has such a huge influence on them. They have no idea that outside of the reservation people are productive. Maybe even on the Reservation it could be so much better....if only a leader would rise up among them and lead them out of this huge abyss. I know there has already been such a person....Jesus Christ ....as the Redeemer of all mankind. Yet, not all who have been taught of Christ want to accept Him as the living water. He already appeared to their ancestors and taught them the way, the truth, and the life. They have turned away from this knowledge.

It seems that the people on the reservation have become comfortable in their misery and loss of hope. In fact, that has become their way of life. Most do not have a desire to improve their lives with any conviction or self destiny. They hate life on the Reservation...so they say! They are stuck in a cycle of drugs, alcohol, immorality, and poverty. Also, they have no hope for a better life than what they are living now.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE INDIAN FAMILY?

Today the American Indian people dismiss the notion of lack of commitment to the Indian nuclear "family", yet they do not promote and encourage the in-tack family unit of a father, mother and child. They have learned to "work" the welfare system, which does not promote the family unit with its current policies. The majority of men on the reservation do not work, or even support the children they have fathered. Most women have children from multiple partners out of wedlock. The fathers are not even named on the birth certificates of their children in most cases. This is done in order for the women to personally receive all of the benefits financially they can through the child welfare program. This also lets the men off the hook for any responsibility of child support. They have learned how to work the system for sure. Many children on the reservation are under the custodial care of the grandparents due to the lack of soberness of their own parents most of the time. This cycle goes on to repeat itself generation after generation and they cover up for each other all the time.

The tribe members enable each other in this dysfunctional family life and it has become the "Indian Way". They defend the indefensible acts of their family members who take the monthly welfare checks received as benefits for their children's' support and sell their welfare food stamps and other benefits to purchase drugs and alcohol. In many cases leaving them penniless by the 5th of the month, with no money left for food and care of their children. There are some who sell their food stamps valued at $40 and receive only $20 cash in return in order to buy the alcohol and drugs they desire and crave. Some sell "all" of their food stamps and other benefit funds at this type of currency exchange as soon as they get their monthly check.

The level of physical and sexual abuse and neglect of their children is documented, but rarely dealt with in regards to protecting the child by the tribal families themselves. They will cover up, enable, and lie about what is happening. You will seldom read the truth about child welfare services(CWS) and children being taken from homes. It is always portrayed as the "evil" child welfare services people taking the tribes children, but never the truth regarding the neglect, alcohol and drug abuse situations these children are barely surviving.

Last week a young mother of a 8 month and three year old girls left them alone at home in the evening when she went out on a drug and drinking binge. She, herself was left off in a ditch by her acquaintances on the way home from partying late into the early morning. Those close to her know this happened and do not report her. No one dares do that. Why? because they are involved in the same behavior. It is a code among the people to not cause trouble for someone else, but what about the innocent children and their safety? This is not an isolated situation.

SCOURGE OF SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS

Federal, State, and Tribal Welfare programs that do not require any effort from the recipient, becomes a trap for them as individuals. They lose the mental capacity to think outside the box they are in and have become dependent on the free money and support. The reservation system can not be solved by throwing money at it. Welfare payments for those capable of working needs to end before the "Rez" people will ever have the desire to work and change their lives for the better. It is either that or distinction by their own actions.

The individuals who really benefit from social welfare are those who administrate the programs. What they gain from it is not wealth but POWER over someone else. Our modern day politician has perfected this power vs welfare in order to buy a vote. It is truly captivity of a people in order to keep themselves in power. "Promise equality of the world to the impoverished", is their battle cry. Deluding them into thinking they deserve "something for nothing". If they truly cared about even one individual on welfare, they would not throw money at them for a long term to pacify them. But work with them to pull themselves out of the state of poverty they are in. Thus changing the trajectory and mindset of families and generations.

MENTAL STATE OF VICTIMS

Victim-hood also takes away any incentive for an individual to pick themselves up, dust off, and get on with life. Once again, we have a lot of social leaders who love to lead in "defense" of the defenseless. We see them all around us. As long as there are victims there will be those who want to represent them and also keep them believing they are "victims" without a way out. How else are they going to get power and votes?

The lawsuit by the members of the Ogala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation) is tragic. Not tragic only because of the amount of alcohol abuse and consumption on the reservation, but tragic how misguided their tribal leaders are to bring this lawsuit forward as if they as a people, bare no burden of responsibility for their choices. They are suing the beer manufacturing companies for selling alcohol in Nebraska, and their tribes people purchasing the alcohol and "smuggling" in onto the reservation in South Dakota. In the Bismarck Tribune it reported on February 10, 2012 -

Quote: "The lawsuit alleges that the beer makers and stores sold to Pine Ridge residents knowing they would smuggle the alcohol into the reservation to drink or resell. The beer makers supplied the stores with "volumes of beer far in excess of an amount that could be sold in compliance with the laws of the state of Nebraska and the the tribe". According to the supposed state law, they can buy beer but must consume it at the stores.

The tribe has prohibited the use of alcohol on their reservation since 1970, but have failed miserably at enforcing this law. Maybe they forgot to explain this to the people living there on the "Rez". The tribe is rampant with alcohol abuse, diseases, and deaths related to alcohol consumption. Speak nothing of the mental abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse, and violence that is associated with those who consume alcohol.

The tribe wants you to believe that they are the victims of the beer producing companies. It is not like they truly have a gun held to their heads to purchase and consume the alcohol, right? I was thinking maybe there should be a counter suit filed against the reservation on behalf of the American Taxpayers. It could represent the money the American taxpayers have paid for generations to prop them up financially.

Think of the waste of hard earned funds spent on the purchase of alcohol by individuals on the reservation. The money they receive from our government was intended only to be used for purchasing food items, clothing, or the basics of utilities and home related costs. On the reservation, their health care and medicines are provided for them through the Governments - Indian Health Services.

The state of poverty they live in is exacerbated greatly by the abuse of the financial support they receive from the government, and how they use these funds to purchase alcohol and drugs. When the welfare check comes at the first of the month, I would suggest you stay off the roads near reservations. Many of the Indians go on a drinking and drug binge for days and drive intoxicated.

WHERE ARE THE INDIAN LEADERS OF TODAY?

The problem on the reservation is the lack of moral leadership. The Indians have turned away from their teachings of health and well being, and God. It is much easier to not take responsibility and blame someone else, rather than look at the failure of their value system as a people. They talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. They have failed themselves.

Even before the Indians were put on the reservation, their propensity towards consumption of alcohol and drugs have been documented. Yes, they were supposedly introduced to some alcohol when the white man set foot on American soil. But I am not buying it completely. I can not believe they did not have problems with some form of drug use before the white man come to America. Drugs have existed for centuries throughout the world.(Peyote is an example) . It is easier though to blame the white man and be the victim, than take responsibility for the moral decline of your people and their values.

In their history they have often been led by modern day self described "Prophets". These religious leaders have attempted to lead their people to turn away from the use of alcohol since the early 1800's and even before. This guidance always seemed successful when they had a strong religious leader who could persuade them spiritually regarding this matter. In the groups that were able to reduce alcohol consumption, it is recorded that they flourished and were productive during those periods. If they put their minds to it, they are capable of turning away from alcohol and the ills related to the consumption of alcohol .

I truly believe in the agency of the human soul. We are not destined to repeat the past mistakes of our ancestors due to genetics or environment. We can change and make our lives better. The Indians are capable of this also, and have proven this many times over. It is a cop out used by those in leadership on all reservations, that alcohol or drugs for that matter, are to be blamed on those from "with-out", when it is their people from "within" who seek to purchase and consume them.

The leadership of the Indian people is the key for their survival. Take away their entitlements, victim-hood mentality, and the history of the past excuse of the Indians being forced off their lands. Besides, I don't know of many Indians who want to go back to living in bark huts, tee pees, or cave dwellings without electricity, running water and sewer. Tribal leaders, lead your people to health and well being. Teach them to work for their own survival like they did before the white man came. Turn away from blaming, government dependency and victim hood, and be visionary in what your people can be restored to once again.

It takes poor leadership or none at all to keep people in a state of misery. In fact, I believe that the Indian tribal leaders thrive personally on the welfare dependency and power they derive from the status quo of their people in this state of being, while they and their family members always seem to live much better than the majority of those whom they serve. This is not just my perception but also the perception of the people living on the "Rez".

It has been long enough that the white man has been paying for the sins of our fathers that moved the Indians off of their ancestral lands. It has not helped the Indian people at all to continue to throw money at them and have them live as if they are being acted upon instead of taking responsibility and acting for themselves. The only hope they have is to become self sustaining and independent of the United States Governments welfare money. Rise and come forth as the strong warrior people you were destined to be, and get back to the strong, independent, and resourceful people you once were.