Opinion | Recognition

Letter: Equal rights for Little Shell Chippewa Tribe

Monday, January 28, 2008

"We, the Little Shell Indians of Montana, would like to know when we of these United States are going to get our equal rights, as all other races of the U.S. people are supposed to have?

There has been prejudice and discrimination against our race of people ever since the United States government declared our ancestors to be Indians. Why? Is it because our race of people are half Indian and half white? Our race of people started in these United States when the Louisiana Purchase lands belonged to France.

When the United States took over the Louisiana Purchase lands, they found many of our ancestors had already homesteaded in these lands. The United States government made its own laws to suit its wants, not its needs, as it still does to this day. One of its laws was that Indians could not own land. So our ancestors were then declared to be Indians.

Our ancestors were never given lands as all other Indian tribes in these U.S. were given. Why? The government has been lying to our people ever since, making promises that we are going to get the same as other Indian tribes have, but when?"

Get the Story:
Henry Gladeau: Federal government lies to Little Shell Indians (The Billings Gazette 1/27)

Relevant Links:
Little Shell Tribe - http://www.littleshelltribe.com
Montana Office of Indian Affairs - http://tribalnations.mt.gov