Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

October 26, 2009

MNN: How Stupid are Tribal Councils?

HOW STUPID ARE TRIBAL COUNCILS?

Mohawk Nation News
http://www.mohawknationnews.com

MNN. Oct. 25, 2009. Native Pride has asked if tribal, state and federal officials are really so stupid? MNN wonders too. US Senator Charles "Chuck" Schumer (D-NY) misinforms the public about how Indians have no right to sell our products to non-Indians and estimates that the state is losing billions? in taxes. There’s also the misinterpreted 1994 US Supreme Court ruling that New York State could illegally collect taxes without our consent. [http//:letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/ edited by MNN]

Shumer says that his people can sell to us but we can't sell to them. NYS knows they may tax purchases but can't tax our sales. NYS says the consumer is supposed to remit the tax back to them. (Form CG-15). How likely?


We are born sovereign. It’s an individual birthright. We didn’t win it in an election. It can’t be granted by foreign federal or state governments. Every business on our land is a Nation business. Every Native retailer is sovereign.


New York State Governor David Paterson allows everyone to buy up to 2 cartons of untaxed and unstamped native made cigarettes, which, we presume, can only be smoked in NYS. He allows anybody to buy 2 cartons from anywhere but but not from the Indians.


In Department of Taxation & Finance of New York et al. v. Milhelm Attea & Bros., non-native wholesaler, Attea, lost his challenge. He got his license to do business with Indians from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He argued that it supersedes NYS law. Weak rulings in other states were used against Attea to imply somehow they beat us, but in fact they didn’t.


NYS always wants to take in billions of dollars every way they can. Any attempt to shut us down will never get a net gain for the state.


It’s not money. Control through threats and force is the end game. Shumer mentioned that many "tribes" elsewhere have entered into illegal agreements with the states. Why? The States have no rights. Otherwise why do they have to enter into compacts with us? We don’t need agreements to exercise our sovereign trade and commerce rights anywhere.


The state promises casinos to sell-out tribal leaders that will assert illegitimate authority over us, our territory and our businesses. They want to disperse our internationally recognized distinction as Rotino’shonni:onwe.


The state is legitimately powerless and has to resort to coercion. Colonial tribal officials are puppets of their masters in Ottawa, Washington and Albany. To defend ourselves from their attacks, we have shut down the Thruway, blocked bridges and stood toe to toe with the police.


Mohawk and Seneca will always resist colonial lawlessness and human rights violation. Regrettably many tribal puppets are forced to enter into illegal compacts because they know we have a right to maintain a strong private sector economy. These tribal councils help the state to arrest, criminalize and extort huge fines against almost half of our youth.


The Mohawk and Seneca don’t have any legal tax compacts with any foreigners. We never gave our consent to anyone to sell us out. NYS can only use state criminality and force on us. Are these tribal puppets so stupid as to not know what they are doing is wrong? So Senator Shumer and Governor David Paterson, why don’t you stop your colonial racist nonsense! [See www.letstalknativepride.blogspot.com
for original article.]

Kahentinetha MNN Mohawk Nation News, www.mohawknationnews.com kahentinetha2@yahoo.com Note: Your financial help is needed and appreciated. Please send your donations by check or money order to “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Or go to PayPal on MNN website. Nia:wen thank you very much. Go to MNN AKWESASNE category for more stories; New MNN Books Available now!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

By restricting trade in this way, what is termed in effect an "embargo", the government of the United States of America, and it's proxy, the state of New York, are engaged in what is under international law an "act of war".

As such, this is something that requires Nation-to-Nation mediation, and if necessary, through the International Court of Justice in the Hague. It is not an issue the state of NY or even the United States government can impose it's will on.