Opinion

Harjo: Abramoffs still at work in Indian Country

Friday, September 7, 2007

"It's time for tribal leaders to stop taking the legal and political advice of the Abramoffs currently in Indian country. Team Abramoff only got $80-plus million of Indian monies. Others in the same league are getting much more today for similarly poor advice and service.

A good start would be to stop paying anyone who is trying to scare you with the specter of non-Indian labor union manipulators attempting to take over tribal casinos. Don't look now, but non-Indian manipulators are already running a lot of tribal casinos. Sadly, some of them also are trying to run tribal politics.

Even though some Indian people are mega-rich, most Indian people are poor. If they're lucky enough to have a job, they could use a union to stand up for them.

And here's a news flash: many Indian people already are union members - ironworkers, dockworkers, mineworkers, maids, waiters, truckers, bus drivers, federal employees, teachers, actors.

This would be a good time to take a hard look at those who are invested in picking fights and keeping them going with long-time allies of Native peoples, and to ask why. "

Get the Story:
Suzan Shown Harjo: Summer's over for the GOP (Indian Country Today 9/7)