"North Dakota is lucky to have two groups that are interested in the human rights of our citizens. In Fargo, the Human Rights Coalition - a private organization founded in 2001 - seems to have its wings clipped because of financial constraints and, perhaps, a lack of authority. The state Human Right Division, located in Bismarck, is restricted by legislative laws and boundaries. It concentrates on only five areas.

A human rights commission shouldn't be necessary in any state, anywhere, at any time. But it is necessary. Our propensity to discriminate, an old medicine man once told me, leaves us like children arguing over our toys, jealous of who gets the big prize, punching the underdog and fighting over turf."

Get the Story:
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Wanted -- A single, active human-rights organization (The Grand Forks Herald 3/13)

More Dorreen Yellow Bird:
Yellow Bird: Hard to find Indian like Martha Stewart (3/9)
Yellow Bird: Is Big Foot wandering reservation? (3/8)
Yellow Bird: Sound of birds heralds arrival of spring (3/2)
Yellow Bird: Big market for 'isms' in the media (3/1)
Yellow Bird: Tribal justice program to bring good (2/24)
Yellow Bird: Indian perspective on Lewis & Clark (2/23)
Yellow Bird: In large family, sisters are special (2/18)
Yellow Bird: Atkins diet worked for Indian friends (2/16)
Yellow Bird: Big-city ballet in a Northern Plains town (2/10)
Yellow Bird: 'Fighting Sioux' is poor sportsmanship (2/9)
Yellow Bird: Lake outlet a tough sell for many (2/3)
Yellow Bird: The magic of the Spirit of the North (2/2)
Yellow Bird: Providing Indian education to public (1/26)
Yellow Bird: Long hair can be hazardous sometimes (1/20)
Yellow Bird: Remembering Grandmother Philomene (1/19)
Yellow Bird: Wild animals have a right to exist too (01/13)
Yellow Bird: Tribe has made incredible journey (1/12)
Yellow Bird: 'DreamKeepers' breaks stereotypes (01/07)
Yellow Bird: Who is Indian? Who is really Indian? (12/16)
Yellow Bird: Changing roles with my daughter (12/15)
Yellow Bird: Sitting Bull's death on Dec. 15, 1890 (12/9)
Yellow Bird: Kidnapping tragedy affects us all (12/8)
Yellow Bird: Giving thanks to the elders (12/02)
Yellow Bird: Embrace the new but don't toss the past (11/24)
Yellow Bird: Spirit of the North brings wonders (11/17)
Yellow Bird: Native Americans proud to serve country (11/10)
Yellow Bird: Let's get serious about global warming (11/03)
Yellow Bird: The truth is scarier than fiction (10/28)
Yellow Bird: The spirit of the ancient Rainy River (10/21)
Yellow Bird: This year, I'm rooting for the hunters (10/20)
Yellow Bird: Introducing foreigner to Indians (10/14)
Yellow Bird: Enjoying another Indian Summer (10/13)
Yellow Bird: Sex and violence usually sells (10/6)
Yellow Bird: Don't upset natural flow of lake (09/30)
Yellow Bird: Hog farm not as bad as I thought (9/29)
Yellow Bird: Indian pageants not judged on looks (09/23)
Yellow Bird: It was a good year for canning (09/16)
Yellow Bird: 9-11 affected us 'to the very bone' (09/09)
Yellow Bird: Why are Indian students falling behind? (9/8)
Yellow Bird: Owning a home becomes more difficult (08/26)
Yellow Bird: Preserving culture through language (08/25)
Yellow Bird: Plants, planets and pies, oh my (08/19)
Yellow Bird: Time for gay rights has come (8/18)
Yellow Bird: Ushering in a new phase of life (8/13)
Yellow Bird: Healing through ceremony (8/11)
Yellow Bird: Going fishing with good friends (8/5)
Yellow Bird: My mother, the great recycler (8/4)
Yellow Bird: Skin color doesn't matter for group (7/28)
Yellow Bird: Those really long Indian names (06/30)
Yellow Bird: Children's stories getting better (6/24)
Yellow Bird: Not your average bear adventure (6/17)
Yellow Bird: Preserving tribal medicine (6/16)
Yellow Bird: Nature's wonders in own back yard (6/10)
Yellow Bird: Public school teachers deserve praise (6/9)
Yellow Bird: Where the land and wind heal the soul (6/3)
Yellow Bird: Women should be allowed to fight (6/2)
Yellow Bird: Rebate forms difficult but addictive (5/27)
Yellow Bird: Indian Country tourism could work (5/27)
Yellow Bird: Dragonflies important to Natives (5/20)
Yellow Bird: This year, a sad Mother's Day (05/12)
Yellow Bird: Crazy Horse monument worthy task (5/6)
Yellow Bird: The good SPAM and the bad spam (5/5)
Yellow Bird: Black Hills hurt by urban sprawl (5/1)
Yellow Bird: My mother, at the final chapter (04/22)
Yellow Bird: Taxes, bills and orange peels (4/21)
Yellow Bird: Sacred ceremonies are not a business (4/15)
Yellow Bird: Indian child welfare act a necessity (4/14)
Yellow Bird: Pow-wow crosses cultural lines (4/8)
Yellow Bird: An Indian guide to Lewis and Clark (4/7)
Yellow Bird: Columnist 'put his foot in his mouth' (4/1)
Yellow Bird: Events help teach about Native culture (3/31)
Yellow Bird: Native people are never unpatriotic (3/25)
Yellow Bird: All is still not equal for women (03/17)
Yellow Bird: Enough of the cold already! (3/11)
Yellow Bird: Don't cut funds for the elderly (3/10)
Yellow Bird: Mister Rogers was like an elder (3/3)
Yellow Bird: Worries have changed in U.S. capitol (2/25)
Yellow Bird: Great-grandfather Little Sioux (2/24)
Yellow Bird: Unity needed in journalism too (2/18)
Yellow Bird: Finding peace in uncertain times (2/17)
Yellow Bird: Astronauts were elite, courageous (02/04)
Yellow Bird: Through diversity comes unity (2/3)
Yellow Bird: We're cold and proud of it (1/28)
Yellow Bird: It could have been anyone (01/14)
Yellow Bird: Deer encounters, Part 2 (1/13)
Yellow Bird: Listen up roaming deer! (1/7)
Yellow Bird: Looking past stereotypes (1/6)