I have two young sons to go along with my older kids, who are 40, 35, 33. Yeah, that’s another post! Anyway, My 16-year old comes from school and says ,”I got in an argument with my teacher at school because of you!”
“What was that about?” I asked.
“Well it seems that Indians got the right to vote in 1924 and you said it wasn’t until the 70’s.”
“That right!” I said , “because in the southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, and some other states, we couldn’t be citizens of our tribes or vote as citizens of the U.S. It wasn’t settled until the late 40’s and early 50’s , but if you read the congressional document, it stripped us of all our eligibility and treaty rights as native people until the late 70’s. ”
“You had to cut your hair , give up religious ceremonies, and all treaty rights. It really wasn’t until 1978 when the Indian Freedom of Religion Act was passed along with the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 that we could go to our own ceremonies and be counted as real citizens.”
Funny, the difference between the reality of the academics and the reality of every day life. It wasn’t good to be Indian until recent times, ask a native or mexican person who is over fifty. Lots of us didn’t even have birth certificates that came from the United States. Many of us we born at home and recieved a Certificate of Birth, sometimes issued by a court or judge. No one tells you that in the history books. Maybe thats why they call it HIS STORY!
