How come no American Indian holiday?

[dan wong]

A few week ago, Congress did not meet because of a Jewish holiday. I am thinking: just about all nation, all ethnic group have holiday....but one group seem missing official holiday. 'AMERICAN INDIANS'. How come we don't have an AMERICAN INDIAN HOLIDAY? To me they are theee original American.

[k-fridge]

They just haven't made enough noise yet.

[hvacker]

Out here the Tribes celebrate a lot of holidays. Special dances and feast days. At some all are welcome and others are private.

I'm not sure after what the Tribes have been through that a holiday coming from Washington would seem phony. You'd have to ask them.

[Tool-Slinger]

Isn't thanksgiving sort of an indian holiday? You know, the story about how the settlers and indians all came together and shared a big feast? I can't seem to recall the details, but I was probably too busy stuffing turkey in my face. :o

[acmanko]

Back in the late 60's the Tribes of North America were furious that they were not recognized in the civil rights movement. All the leaders got together and approached Rockwell with the idea to have a painting of one of their most memorial moments in History. Thier speaker said to Rockwell "we want you to paint a portrait of what General Custer said at the Battle of the Little Bighorn".
Rockwell said 'OK' give me a month.
30 days later the leaders showed up for the unveling, Rockwell pulled the canvass and everyone was amazed at what they saw
"How could you possibly do this" they shouted in unison, for on the canvass was a picture of a hugh fish with a halo and dozens of indian couple laying on the ground making whoopie.
Rockwell stated " you said paint what Custer said" and Ifigured he said'Holy Mackerel, were'd all these ______ing Indians come from.

[dan wong]

Isn't thanksgiving sort of an indian holiday? You know, the story about how the settlers and indians all came together and shared a big feast? I can't seem to recall the details, but I was probably too busy stuffing turkey in my face. :o

Well, yes, I suppose that is kind of Indian Holiday. Do they actually celebrate thanksgiving?
On event seem strange. Most of the Casino operated by the American Indians (in tribal land) - they celebrate 4th July.

[Tool-Slinger]

I went to a school with a large indian population, when we were in the early years,.. the [coming together freindly] theme was pushed as I re-call.

But most indians I know pretty much celibrate it like any other holiday, you know just about being thankful... and the coming together and sharing part is basically a family thing nowadays not a community event.

I don't know how indians ''feel'' about thanksgiving though, and I suspect there is going to be some cynisism but the indian theme/concept is certainly part of the idea. Perfectly honest, I think it is more about family/thanks to god/or pigging out depending upon the individual. Indians like turkey too!!!!!

I am part cherokee, not much and did not know until I was late 20-something. So my personal thoughts matter little, I am just basing statements on observation of indian freinds and all. They had their family thing and I had mine. That would be a 4 day weekend so we young-uns kinda got together afterwards and I remember conversation coming up such as ''what did you have for dinner?" Not exactly an indian holiday I guess, but certainly very indian-freindly.

[corny]

There were quite a few "Thanksgivings" back in the early history of the land...many of them giving thanks for the expulsion of the "savages" either thru forcing them to move or outright slaughtering them... and making the land available to the "white man".

As for american indian operated casinos.... take a ride to a nearby reservation and see how the typical native american lives..... Very few indians have gotten rich off the casinos....very very few... Its mostly the white casino operators and politicians who have benefitted....
Not all people with native ancestry get any money and I think the average take is about 5 grand a year.... Not much when you consider what those casinos take in.....

[glennac]

There were quite a few "Thanksgivings" back in the early history of the land...many of them giving thanks for the expulsion of the "savages" either thru forcing them to move or outright slaughtering them... and making the land available to the "white man".

As for american indian operated casinos.... take a ride to a nearby reservation and see how the typical native american lives..... Very few indians have gotten rich off the casinos....very very few... Its mostly the white casino operators and politicians who have benefitted....
Not all people with native ancestry get any money and I think the average take is about 5 grand a year.... Not much when you consider what those casinos take in.....

Keep you in fire water for a while though.:D:D:D Just kidding:)

[Tool-Slinger]

Keep you in fire water for a while though.:D:D:D Just kidding:)
Yeaaaa, them 4-day weekends back in the 80ish :D

Times change, but what we did as kids would land us all in jail for life these days :D

[dan wong]

T
As for american indian operated casinos.... take a ride to a nearby reservation and see how the typical native american lives..... Very few indians have gotten rich off the casinos....very very few... Its mostly the white casino operators and politicians who have benefitted....
Not all people with native ancestry get any money and I think the average take is about 5 grand a year.... Not much when you consider what those casinos take in.....
Very interesting. I didn't know that. I naively believed it is an Indian enterprise.

[ice machine undertaker]

How come we don't have an AMERICAN INDIAN HOLIDAY? To me they are theee original American.

Isn't October 12 remembered as the day that the Indians discovered Columbus?;)

[batdude]

the way the economy is going, once the Bank Holidays begin we will all be living like Native Am.'s of yore. imagine hunting & fishing as daily duty...

[bootlen]

Hey, bat, I could go for some of that.

[whec720]

the way the economy is going, once the Bank Holidays begin we will all be living like Native Am.'s of yore. imagine hunting & fishing as daily duty...

Yeah, I like that. Dump the materialism and just live off the land. Maybe the indians had it right all along. We would leave those Wall Street A-holes and socialist politicians in the dust. We wouldn't need them. Soros could go F himself. I think you're on to something, bat.:D

[ncboston]

Isn't thanksgiving sort of an indian holiday? You know, the story about how the settlers and indians all came together and shared a big feast? I can't seem to recall the details, but I was probably too busy stuffing turkey in my face. :o

Every Thanksgiving the local Indians hold a protest @ Plymouth, Ma. The wife and myself took our girls to Plymouth a couple of years ago and if I remember correctly the plaque at the foot of the Squanto statue recognizes the landing of the Pilgrims as the beginning of the genocide against their people.

[Tool-Slinger]

Every Thanksgiving the local Indians hold a protest @ Plymouth, Ma. The wife and myself took our girls to Plymouth a couple of years ago and if I remember correctly the plaque at the foot of the Squanto statue recognizes the landing of the Pilgrims as the beginning of the genocide against their people.
LOL! Yea,... I thought I would not make a columbus-day remarks. :D

I suppose it will vary from place to place. Plymouth is a long way from far north texas. And there are still reservation indians further west like in new mexico and dakota *i think*.

Same as always, different indian nations and never a united front on anything.

[RoBoTeq]

No doubt about it, American Indians got a raw deal. There is no excuse for their way of life as well as most of their population being destroyed as it was during the colonization of North America. Colonization from the French, Spanish, English, Dutch etc. occured all over the globe, so the American Indians are not alone in their demise. Also, it is not only American Indians in the U.S. that have been so harshly treated, all Indians of the Americas have been treated badly.

So, colonization aside, American Indians in North America made the mistake of mostly siding with the British during the Revolutionary War. That made the American Indians the enemy of the colonists who became citizens of the United States. Besides the guilt of how Europeans treated indigenous Americans, there was now the issue of these people having been the enemy during a war. All in all, American Indians in the U.S were considered outside of the United States and "given" parcels of land that they could call their own.

As for Jewish holidays being observed, there is another connection. Christianity, the largest religion practiced in the U.S., has it's roots in Judaism. Therefore not only are the minor amount of Jews reverent to Jewish holidays, but Christians would have a difficult time denying the holidays that Jesus Christ observed.

[Tool-Slinger]

Great point robo on the war. Before the revolutionary war there were the french-indian war[s]. Wiki lists one event but my sometimes faulty memory thinks there were 3 different periods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Indian_War

But the point still stands, in any case, aggravated by political ongoings and various alliances colonists had suffered much death and destruction at the hands of natives for decades.

But you got here a beginning of a society that would soon put a man on the moon and some [I]stone-age tribes put in the same vicinity. There is no way that was ever going to turn-out well! :D

There is a great book if it is still in print "captured by the indians" it covers that period and is one of the best I ever read. First-hand accounts.

[hvacker]

LOL! Yea,... I thought I would not make a columbus-day remarks. :D

I suppose it will vary from place to place. Plymouth is a long way from far north texas. And there are still reservation indians further west like in new mexico and dakota *i think*.

Same as always, different indian nations and never a united front on anything.

Lots and lots. I think there 19 Pueblos here along with other tribes. Apache, Zuni, Navajo. The Navajo Nation is very large and occupies parts of 2 states.
Natives are some of the proudest Vets I've known. They value their warrior heritage. It wasn't long ago that the Code Talkers were declassified and they were allowed to tell their stories. They were solders in WW2 that used their native language on the radios to confuse the Japanese during combat.

[dan wong]

I need to catch up on American history. This is some interesting stuff. I've learn a lot from reading above posting. thanks.

I understand Indian nation are nation within a nation(USA). I am confuse however; are they treated as sovereign Nation? are they consider protective state? Do they have voting right? Do they have congressional representation - beside secretary of interior. Are they encourage to participate in current presidential election?

I see presidential candidate wooing; the black voter; the Hispanic voter; the Asian voter. I see black rally behind their candidate, I see Hispanic rally behind their candidate. but I don't see much going on between the Current presidential candidate and the Indians.

Am I just naive? I need to read up on current events - badly.

[glennac]

I need to catch up on American history. This is some interesting stuff. I've learn a lot from reading above posting. thanks.

I understand Indian nation are nation within a nation(USA). I am confuse however; are they treated as sovereign Nation? are they consider protective state? Do they have voting right? Do they have congressional representation - beside secretary of interior. Are they encourage to participate in current presidential election?

I see presidential candidate wooing; the black voter; the Hispanic voter; the Asian voter. I see black rally behind their candidate, I see Hispanic rally behind their candidate. but I don't see much going on between the Current presidential candidate and the Indians.

Am I just naive? I need to read up on current events - badly.

They are considered separate nations and even more so untill the Supremes got involved in the late 60's and ruled that they come under US law when their justice system had punished some Indians rather harshly when they broke Indian law. They can not be drafted but do join in record numbers into the military especially the Marines and Army. I don't know if they can vote now. Back in the 50's they could not. It's kind of complicated. I know if one left the reservation then they could vote.

[bootlen]

They are considered separate nations and even more so untill the Supremes got involved in the late 60's and ruled that they come under US law when their justice system had punished some Indians rather harshly when they broke Indian law. They can not be drafted but do join in record numbers into the military especially the Marines and Army. I don't know if they can vote now. Back in the 50's they could not. It's kind of complicated. I know if one left the reservation then they could vote.

I've voted in every election since 1970. But, then again, I don't live on the reservation.

[chillerfreak]

A few week ago, Congress did not meet because of a Jewish holiday. I am thinking: just about all nation, all ethnic group have holiday....but one group seem missing official holiday. 'AMERICAN INDIANS'. How come we don't have an AMERICAN INDIAN HOLIDAY? To me they are theee original American.

They get the whole month of November.....Wish it was a paid holiday...:)

[hvacker]

Yes, the tribes can vote.
Here is the record of Native American senators in congress. Not many but some.

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/minority_senators.htm

They are sort of a soverign nation but the FBI has often gone in to a rez for one reason or other. Sort of soverign with access.
A great historic book dealing with current times (1970) is " Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. "by Dee Brown
Also "In the Sprit of Crazy Hourse"Peter Matthiessen
Before these books little was known about the tribes and the rez .