"For far too many years, the American Indian has been reduced to talking about geographic boundaries of reservation lands as if these property lines somehow define the Indian experience.

It shouldn’t be that way — not for the Indian people, not for those on the outside who might benefit from learning more about the values and contributions of Indians through the ages.

So it is encouraging to note the great success of the Kickapoo Nation of Northeast Kansas in constructing a new $400,000 judicial and law enforcement center. The facility is due to be completed by June 1, at no cost to the federal government.

The proud Kickapoo understand mortality — that all of the current elders at some point will pass from the scene, and the future of the tribe will rest with the youth of today.

“We want our children to grow up and be wise,” elder Harvey Ross said last week in offering a prayer for the project."

Get the Story:
Kickapoo invest in the future (The St. Joseph News 5/14)

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Kickapoo Tribe dedicates $400K judicial center (5/8)