Live data from Hacker News

U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

reuters.com

321–330 of 1001 posts

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#321

The numbers should really be 100% instead of 25% and 10%. Much has been stolen from them.

You have a distinctly queer idea of what happens after a war. This isn't an American idea to take land after conquest, it's how it's always worked throughout human history, even with the Indians that warred amongst themselves prior to the American government becoming the ultimate victor against them.

You may disagree with the foundations of the conflict, and you can argue on those merits if you choose, but the results are the results all the same, and it's not theft when you win.

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#322
post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just so you know, we are a republic. Not quite as easy as a democracy, That's very peculiar specially American internet thing to say. In 1787 the terminology was still unsettled but it's not so today. In both political science and in the common use outside the United States democracy and republic are not excluding each other. United States is democracy (the source of power) and republic (the structure of the democr…

It's a democratic republic. This means that the individuals holding the positions of authority in the republic have more concentrated power than the citizens in the democracy. For example, SCOTUS has the power to turn down appeals, even when the circuit decisions are split. Logically, this means that they are denying the rights of one of those two (or more) plaintiffs.

[deleted]

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not 'why', that's 'how'. I'm not American, so don't know the topic in details. I have found this online: " The main goals of Indian reservations were to bring Native Americans under U.S. government control, minimize conflict between Indians and settlers and encourage Native Americans to take on the ways of the white man. " [1] [1] https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/india...

Arguably, the treaties are not only "how" but also "why" us modern Americans, detached from the times in which those reservations were established, should uphold them, as they are lawful. We could certainly look at why the treaties were signed, but the original comment basically asked why we, modernly, should care.

The treaties, as legal instruments, partly explain why reservations still exist, yes, but a treaty only survives if it isn't an impediment. I think it's key to understand why they were created in the first place because that also explains why they still exist: IMHO they still serve their purpose.

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#324
post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean if we're getting into it, "white man" basically genocided their whole population with disease. The Native Americans never did anything nearly so heinous.

I'm not sure I understand your comment. If the genocide happened due to diseases imported from the Old World, how is it "heinous"? It happened at a time where people had no clue what diseases and immune systems were.

I dispute your characterization that people had no clue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Pitt#Biological_...

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#325
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Native Americans had wars and conquered each other for millennia before white man came. It wasn't some unified utopia in the Americas like Pocahontas leads you to believe. It was a huge cycle of tribalism, conquering each other, and bloodshed. So... because they were conquering each other first, a technologically superior entity isn't allowed to conquer them?

I mean if we're getting into it, "white man" basically genocided their whole population with disease. The Native Americans never did anything nearly so heinous.

I don't think accidental genocide is a thing.

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except this is demonstrably untrue. The 115th (2017-2018)[1] Congress had both a Republican House and Senate and it got extremely little done. Our Congress is completely ineffective. [1]:Fixed.

Because they knew most things they wanted to do would be vetoed. As such, the bills that went forward had Obama's support from the get go. This is separation of powers at work and is a good thing. Edit: the comment above was edited to change the congress and dates in question

In 2017, Trump was President...They didn't get voted out in the House until 2018.

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#327

"We reject that thinking. If Congress wishes to withdraw its promises, it must say so." As with so many controversial court rulings like the ACA mandate case, our courts keep getting put into the decision because of the massive failure that congress is. Congress should either fulfill the promise or not, or whatever. instead the judicial bodies end up making legal judgements with big ramifcations that largely should b…

> because of the massive failure that congress is This is a conclusion I'm coming to more and more. It's easy to blame Presidential overreach or Supreme Court overreach, but the Congress seems to be steadily abdicating responsibility while still managing to get very little of substance accomplished. They are supposed to be the most powerful branch of government, but instead they have deadlocked themselves into useles…

Weirdly, Mazars actually shrinks what I believed was the scope of Congressional power, where in the one instance the House actually attempted to exert equal balance, there now exists a four-part test for validity of presidential subpeonas. Congressional power is squeezed from all sides whenever exerted.

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#328
This country is dead, killed by progressive forces and political correctness.

It was good till it lasted but now we have to pay the price of our weakness.

Let be sure the next empire will have learned the lesson of what it costs to have a conscience, and won't repeat the same mistake.

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#329
Being part Sami I think it's fascinating to read about the system of reservations in the USA. I'm not sure about minority rule, but I'm clearly in favour of saving the unique cultures and ethnicities from dying out.

After many years of persecution in Northeren Europe—including forced assimilation often called "Norwegianization" or "Swedification," and near extinction in Russia—we've finally gotten some recognition as a nation of our own, at least in the Nordics. We have our own parliament (Sámediggi) and flag, for instance, and enjoy semi-autonomous leadership in "our" historical regions (called Sápmi) in close cooperation with the governments of Finland, Norway and Sweden. As such it acts more like a subset of the respective governments of the Nordics.

Now, both the finnic and germanic populations are also indigenous to the Nordics together with the finno-ugric Samis, so in that sense it's a bit different from the native population of the USA, where the other nations are almost all of immigrant descent. On the other hand, just like the Native Americans, Samis are in the clear minority in Northeren Europe, with only about 100.000 members, some of whom can't even speak their own language due to the assimilation policies (like me, although I do know a few words). Thus our culture and unique way of life is indeed in danger of extinction. For that reason alone I think it's important to at least recognize the ethnicity, and perhaps save it from the "tooth of time" as it were. Perhaps especially since most Samis today enjoy a modern lifestyle, and only very few live the traditional nomadic lifestyle of reindeer herding. If I'm not mistaken, the same is true for the Native Americans. In any case I'm happy we can finally enjoy peace and democracy with one another.

All the best, from Norway! <3

Re: U.S. Supreme Court deems half of Oklahoma a Native American reservation

#330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except this is demonstrably untrue. The 115th (2017-2018)[1] Congress had both a Republican House and Senate and it got extremely little done. Our Congress is completely ineffective. [1]:Fixed.

How much activity do you expect from a party whose organizing principle is to shrink government small enough to be drowned in a bathtub?

Maybe shrink government?

You might not agree with the principle, but given they haven't done much shrinking you cannot call it their principle.

Post reply on HN