« There are many ways for tribes to survive the Trump era, but we need to think differently now. » (Photo: Peg Hunter /flickr/cc)
How does Indian Country survive the Donald Trump era? The new administration is only a few days old, and already the chaos of the times has upset business as usual—and possibly the very structure of federal Indian law.
And it’s not just Washington. The North Dakota Legislature in Bismarck acts as if it has permission to ignore the Constitution and legal precedent in its relationship with tribes. House Concurrent Resolution 3017 calls on Congress to “modify” the reservation system and put the state in charge.
This resolution will last about 15 minutes if and when legislators put a pencil to what it would actually cost its taxpayers. Right now, for example, the federal government picks up the entire tab for Medicaid for American Indian tribal members. Add to that the operation of the Indian Health Service. For North Dakota, we’re already talking millions of dollars with only one program: health. (It’s $870 million total for all states.)
What’s really driving this is that North Dakota legislators are angry about Standing Rock and greedy for more oil and gas money from the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and its oil production at Fort Berthold. So North Dakota is ready to assume government expenses for Indian Country across the state? Silly rabbits.
But Indian Country is now a target, and too many Trump supporters are emboldened by an administration that does not know how to say no to those who would trample on constitutional rights. This will be true for many who run federal agencies, state governments, oil, gas, and coal producers, and the Congress. In their mind: Indian Country has had it too good for too long. Imagine that.
So what’s Indian Country’s response to the nonsense? Consider these five ideas:
First. Don’t count out the bureaucracy.
I first started covering federal Indian policy during the late 1970s. I was in Washington, D. C., and was interviewing someone about a reform project at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a plan that I thought made a lot of sense. But my source smiled and responded, “I have seen them come. I have seen them go.” There are ways to tie up initiatives — even good ones — through the process of government. President Donald J. Trump’s memoranda might fit into this category. Usually an executive order or a memorandum has a legal framework as part of the document, including citing the statutory authority for the presidential action. On Dakota Access and Keystone, that reference has been replaced by the logic of “because I said so.” We shall see.
Second. Find new allies.
Ronald Reagan famously said government is not the solution, but the problem. This era might flip that idea around because the federal government’s inaction on such issues as global warming will make it less relevant. The rest of the world, even conservative allies of the Trump White House, are moving ahead on climate action. To pretend that oil, gas, and coal are the future is only a fantasy. There may be a temporary uptick in fossil fuels, but that cannot last. This is an opportunity for tribes to look for new allies outside of the federal government, even globally. The America First policy signals uncertainty in global governance so perhaps the counter should be, First Americans First.
Tribes should work closer with cities, states, private companies, and any global government that’s open to help. The federal government is going to be close to useless for the next four years (unless the Trump infrastructure program happens and happens to include Indian Country, but there is no evidence of that yet). The modern city state—think a Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, or a Phoenix—is the real engine of growth in this country. What’s the best way for tribes to become partners?
Third: Trust that young people aren’t playing by the old rules , either.
If the president wants change he should look at what young people are already doing — and that direction is very different than his. Take driving: The data shows that both Millennials and Gen-Xers have less interest in driving than any generation in modern history. A recent report published by Time found a “huge drop of 47 percentage points in 16-year-olds with drivers’ licenses from 1983 to 2014. For people ages 20 to 24, there’s been a 16-percentage-point decrease over the same time span. And for those ages 30 to 34, the decrease has been about 10 percentage points.” Young people say they are too busy. Driving is too expensive. And it’s easy to catch a ride.
Since Millennials are now the largest generation in America, that disinterest in driving — and fossil fuel consumption — is a powerful trend. Of course this is not always the case in rural areas, including reservations. But it’s key to less fossil fuel consumption—and a shrinking demand for pipelines.
Indian Country’s greatest advantage right now is its young people, more than 40 percent of our total population (compared to about a third for the country as a whole.) We have numbers working in our favor and should look for more ways to leverage that.
Fourth. Don’t count out Republican vs. Republican.
Right now Republicans in Congress are giving President Trump the benefit of the doubt. They are willing to reverse long-held positions (such as free trade) because he’s the leader of their party and claims to lead a populist movement. But as the decisions get harder and the act of governing becomes more complex, this support will evaporate.
There is already evidence of this in the debate about repealing the Affordable Care Act. While the idea of getting rid of Obamacare was a unifying force, there is no consensus about what’s next. Republican governors fear that their state budgets will collapse if Medicaid becomes a block grant with less funding. Insurance CEOs fear their future if the mandate to buy insurance goes away while they are still forced to cover pre-existing conditions. And many Republicans in Congress cling to the idea that health care should be left up to families, and government should not be involved in funding it. And Republicans who want to win the election know that stripping heath insurance from millions of people is not a winning hand.
Fifth. Document everything and be transparent.
The Trump era is already being defined by the wacky claim of “alternative facts.” The antidote is to respond with hard evidence. We know that zealots are eager to reshape the federal government by shrinking it, so let’s document what that really means. What jobs will be lost and how will those be replaced? I’ve started a spreadsheet and will update it regularly. This president has promised a new era of jobs, so lost work in Indian Country ought not be acceptable.
There are many ways for tribes to survive the Trump era, but we need to think differently now. Usually a new presidential term starts with a president trying to bridge gaps and bring the country together. That’s not been the case with President Trump, so we should expect more of the same in the years ahead. It’s more important than ever to have a strategy for eventually winning. What will it take? Who are potential allies? And what are alternatives that might work?
And, of course, we must start getting ready for the next election.
This article was written for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas and practical actions. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Mark Trahant holds the Atwood Chair at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. He is an independent journalist and a member of The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
We’ll See You in Court: Why Trump’s Executive Order on Refugees Violates the Establishment Clause
‘Hope Trump Enjoys Losing’: ACLU Celebrates as Court Blocks Deportations
Protesters Descend on JFK as Immigration Officials Detain Refugees
Dear Beloved Resistance: We Are Stronger Together
© Source: http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/01/29/5-ways-indian-country-can-resist-trumps-chaos
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.
【ソウル時事】韓国最大野党「共に民主党」所属で次期大統領選への出馬を表明している李在明・城南市長は旧正月の２８日、ソウルの日本大使館前に設置された慰安婦を象徴する少女像を訪れた。過激な発言で知られ「韓国のトランプ」とも呼ばれる李氏は、記者団に対し、日韓両政府間の慰安婦合意について「新たな解決策を必ず見いださなければならない」と述べ、再交渉を行うべきだという考えを強調した。 さらに、南東部・釜山の日本総領事館前に新たに少女像が設置されたことに関しても「望ましいことだと考えている」と支持する立場を示した。 大統領候補の各種支持率調査では、「共に民主党」元代表の文在寅氏が首位で、潘基文・前国連事務総長が２位、李氏は３位に付けている。（2017/01/28-17:12）
【メルボルン時事】テニスの全豪オープン第１３日は２８日、メルボルン・パークで女子シングルス決勝が行われ、第２シードのセリーナ・ウィリアムズが、第１３シードの姉、ビーナス・ウィリアムズ（ともに米国）を６－４、６－４で下し、２年ぶり７度目の優勝を果たした。優勝賞金は３７０万豪ドル（約３億２０００万円）。 
【ニューヨーク共同】米ＩＴ大手グーグルは、イスラム教国７カ国からの一般市民を９０日間入国禁止にするトランプ政権の大統領令を受け、米国への入国が危ぶまれる７カ国出身社員の入国を支援する方針を明らかにした。米紙ウォールストリート・ジャーナル電子版などが２８日、報じた。 グーグルのピチャイ最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）が社員に宛てた電子メールで「もしあなたが米国外にいて、助けが必要なら社内の担当部署に連絡してください」と呼び掛けた。７カ国出身の社員は少なくとも１８７人いるという。
【ルシュノフ（ルーマニア）時事】ノルディックスキーのワールドカップ（Ｗ杯）ジャンプ女子は２８日、ルーマニアのルシュノフで個人第１１戦（ＨＳ１００メートル、Ｋ点９０メートル）が行われ、総合得点首位の高梨沙羅（クラレ）は２位にとどまり、Ｗ杯通算５０勝目を逃した。１回目に９３メートルを飛んで２位につけ、２回目には９８メートルをマークしたが、２４９．８点で逆転できなかった。第６戦で今季５勝目を挙げ通算４９勝とした高梨は、節目の優勝へ５戦続けて足踏みとなった。 １回目にトップに立ったマーレン・ルンビー（ノルウェー）が２回目に最長不倒の９９メートルを記録し、２５９．０点で快勝。今季、通算とも３勝目を挙げた。伊藤有希（土屋ホーム）は９１メートル、９３．５メートルの２３８．５点で３位。山形・蔵王大会に続く３連勝はならなかったが、表彰台は５戦連続で今季８度目となった。 勢藤優花（北海道メディカルスポーツ専門学校）は１０位、岩渕香里（北野建設）は２１位だった。 （2017/01/28-21:55）
【ワシントン＝河浪武史】ホワイトハウスは28日、トランプ米大統領と安倍晋三首相との電話会談後に「両国首脳は２国間の貿易と投資の関係を深めることを約束した」とする声明を発表した。米国側は日米２国間の通商協議に改めて意欲をにじませており、２月10日に決まったワシントンでの首脳会談でも貿易問題が議題になりそうだ。 
アメリカのトランプ大統領とロシアのプーチン大統領が電話で会談し、過激派組織ＩＳ＝イスラミックステートなどテロ組織の壊滅に向けて、米ロ両国が協力して具体的な対応をとることで一致したほか、直接会談の実現に向けて準備を始めることで合意しました。 トランプ大統領とプーチン大統領は２８日、トランプ氏の就任後初めて、電話で会談しました。 ホワイトハウスは、内容を明らかにしていませんが、ロシア大統領府は、両首脳がテロとの戦いに向けた協力が優先課題だとして、シリアでの過激派組織ＩＳなどテロ組織の壊滅に向け、米ロが協力して具体的な対応をとることで一致したとしています。 また、ウクライナ情勢やイランの核開発問題、それに朝鮮半島の問題などでも協力するとしています。 そのうえで、両首脳は直接会談の実現に向け、時期や場所の選定などの準備を始めることで合意したということです。 アメリカ国内では、去年の大統領選挙にロシアが干渉したとされる問題を受けて、共和党や閣僚候補から警戒感が示されていて、トランプ大統領がかねてから意欲を見せていた米ロ関係の改善が進むのかが焦点となっています。
Памятник Героям Крут, архивное фото 
Напомним, что 90 красавиц со всего мира уже три недели находятся в столице Филиппин Маниле, где активно готовятся к финалу конкурса. Девушки прошли уже через много испытаний, участвовали в конкурсе бикини и конкурсе талантов. А намедни на конкурсе красоты « Мисс Вселенная » в помещении Asia Arena состоялось презентационное шоу национальных костюмов всех участниц конкурса. По многолетней традиции самый красивый костюм получает специальный приз от оргкомитета « Мисс Вселенная ». 
Около 05:00 29 января силы « ДНР » начали штурм позиций украинских военных в районе Авдеевской промзоны, шел интенсивный обстрел из стрелкового оружия и минометов. 
