"Recently on the Fox News Channel, contributor John Stossel offered up this gem of ignorance:

“Why is there a Bureau of Indian Affairs?” he said. “There is no Bureau of Puerto Rican Affairs or Black Affairs or Irish Affairs. And no group in America has been more helped by the government than the American Indians, because we have the treaties, we stole their land. But 200 years later, no group does worse.”

Stossel’s stubborn ignorance of American history is profound. Even by cable TV standards.

He wonders why there is Bureau of Indian Affairs? Perhaps if he had cracked a history book back in high school, he would have learned that the BIA was established in 1824 as part of the United States Department of War.

Right, the Department of War. That wouldn’t have been our first choice either. I’m pretty sure the Puerto Rican, Black, or Irish would have enthusiastically turned down the rights to their own bureau in the Department of War under similar circumstances.

But it is Stossel’s foolish use of the word “helped” that unintentionally (and unfortunately) reminds us of our history."

Get the Story:
Tex Hall: Stossel’s No Apostle (Indian Country Today 4/15)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Educating John Stossel about tribal sovereignty (4/14)
Dan Jones: US not always the strong one in Indian relations (4/13)
Column: Fox News bloviator short on facts about tribal nations (4/4)
Jefferson Keel: John Stossel tries to pull an old April Fool's Joke (4/1)
Steve Russell: Just how much has government helped Indians? (4/1)
Coeur d'Alene Tribe wants Fox News to apologize for segment (3/30)
John Stossel: Freeloading doesn't help the freeloader Indians (3/30)
Opinion: Lumbee Tribe does better without federal assistance (3/30)