Conservative GOP Senator Wants
U.S. to Apologize to Indians

shamed of his country and his people, right-wing conservative Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas wants the U.S. government to apologize to America's Indians.

In May, he introduced S.J. Res. 37 that "apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native Peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on Native Peoples by citizens of the United States."

In remarks appearing in the Congressional Record, Brownback said that America's Indians deserve an apology because of the "poor and painful choices our government sometimes made."

Brownback said the purpose is to begin the process of reconciliation between the U.S. and Indians "by recognizing the past wrongs and repenting for them."

The resolution warmly describes America's Indians as spiritual, devoted, religious people, who honor and protect the land in contrast to the early arriving Europeans and subsequent Americans who are guilty of treaty violations, violence, ill-conceived policies, theft, extermination, and destruction. The resolution condemns Americans for maltreatment of Indians, and gratefully acknowledges all the help that Indians provided to the early white settlers of Jamestown and Plymouth, and for the aid to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

The resolution says an apology is needed because "officials of the United States Government and private United States citizens harmed Native Peoples by the unlawful acquisition of recognized Tribal land," and because U.S. policies toward Indians "have contributed to the severe social ills and economic troubles" among Indian communities.

In addition, the resolution says that America's "Native Peoples" suffer "continuing maltreatment" by the United States.

But many Indian leaders say the apology isn't good enough.

"An apology is just where you start," said Deana Jackson, spokeswoman for the Navajo Nation. "Now let's see you step to the plate and do what you promised you would do." She said that recent funding cuts for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service amounted to "an abandonment of treaty obligations," reported the Kansas City Star.

Dennis Hastings, of the Omaha Tribe in Nebraska, said the apology is inadequate. "It's a little late and too far gone," he said. "We want to resolve the issues before they put their 'sorry' on the board. I'd rather have them [white Americans] go home and read about our history and have their children read about our history, and then come and talk with us about it with a little meaning."

The final clause of the resolution leaves open the question of its sincerity, however. Section 2 states, "Nothing in this joint resolution authorizes any claim against the United States..."