Tapio Calls for End of Reservation System, “Soul Sucking Welfare Dependence” Destroying Tribes
(Wednesday, May 30, 2018) With all eyes on the KELOLand television U.S. House debate Wednesday night, South Dakota GOP Congressional candidate Neal Tapio saved a bombshell for his post-debate commentary, issuing a direct call for an end to the Indian Reservation system in the United States that he blames for creating fatal dependence, destroying the lives of multiple generations of proud native peoples in America. Following his highlighting of EB-5, Gear UP and Refugee Resettlement Programs in South Dakota, Tapio continues in his quest to talk about tough issues in frank terms that the other two candidates don’t dare touch.
“The current system has destroyed the futures of four generations of Indian children,” Tapio said.
“I cannot stand and watch as career politicians promise to work with tribal leaders to fix the current system. The truth is the reservation system is the cause of the problem. Four generations of Native Americans have had their pride, their dignities and their souls sucked out, with devastating effects,” Tapio said.
“Dusty Johnson and Shantel Krebs are involved in failed programs and corrupt systems such as Gear UP that has used the plight of native peoples to do nothing more than line the pockets of current and former state employees and as a ploy for grant writing and bureaucratic enrichment, while the deepest social problems of native Americans go unmet,” Tapio said.
Tapio instead proposes a breakup of the tribal reservation system in favor of block granting of Federal benefits to give native Americans a chance at striving and achieving on their own merits.
“What we’re doing now is completely broken,” Tapio said. “Tribal leadership is corrupt. The majority of people living on Indian Reservations are victims of incest and molestation that are destroying a second and third generation of people living on Indian Reservations, leading to suicide, violence and self-destructive patterns of addiction and hopelessness” Tapio said.
“When dozens of native leaders tell me that the ultimate goal of grade schoolers when they reach adulthood is simply to ‘be alive,’ it’s clear we need to declare an immediate state of emergency and find solutions to these problems,” Tapio said. “And anyone opposing reform and supporting the current system is racist. Because the outcomes are absolutely destructive and demotivating.”
He feels tribal leaders are corrupt, so his solution is to give them block grants? Even while complaining about Gear Up, which came from a block grant to the state of South Dakota. He complains about “soul suckng welfare dependence” yet his solution is to give them block grants, which are welfare without strings attached. More blah, blah, blah.
I may disagree with his policy prescription but the rest is 100% spot on. Our current reservation system is broken. If you want to see systematic oppression look at the reservation system. Over a hundred years ago we said “Go sit on these barren pieces of land and enjoy what crumbs us white people will give you.” Natives are suffering because they were never fully assimilated with the rest of society. The reservation system needs to end.
Reggie are you going to decide for our Native populations or include them in this monumental decision?
I agree100%. Get rid of the reservation and separate nation system. Native Americans should be part of America like the rest of the citizens, not a separate people. Maybe there was a reason to set it up this way at first, but the results are massive failure, loss of self-respect,poverty and all its attendant ills. At one time native Americans near Gregory were given the option of staying on the res or being given some land of their own off the res. These ones who took the land did well. Of course! Self-reliance, self respect, working land they own.
Well said, Reggie.
it was a pleasure watching cecilia fire thunder lead the oglala sioux tribe for her brief time in office. she showed that the right attitude and plan will make local government work, she undertook big plans to address chronic issues, and unfortunately was defeated by virtue of the fact that things couldn’t improve far enough fast enough. it’s a question of leadership and vision, just like any government. de-franchization without representation isn’t an option. this is a non issue in this race.
Absolutely. Give the Native Americans back the Black Hills and the East river land stolen from them and set up little acreages for white people to do some business that’s accepted by tribal voters. Then the reservations will no longer be needed as payment for debts owed by whites. Brilliant!!
Very few people deny the situation of our Indian neighbors is desperate and will take bold thought and courage.
However, we can’t abrogate one side of a treaty and expect not to lose the other end of the treaty. Ralph is right. We abrogate and ownership of the land West River will become tribal. You can’t have it both ways in a nation of laws and a Constitutionally-legitimate Treaty approved by Congress.
What Tapio proposed may be bold and courageous but it is not thought out. A solution of this huge issue requires thought.
Wow, just wow!
There is some truth to what Mr. Tapio is saying. The Government as failed the Native Americans, and has caused more damage than good.
The reservations were set up because there were increased tensions between the Native American and settlers moving west. The major part of the treaties basically stated the Government would take care of them, if they stayed on the reservation and didn’t cause any trouble with the settlers.
The heart of the problems appears to be the original treaties. The Federal Government made promises that for some reason wouldn’t or couldn’t keep. We can say, epic fail.
Mr. Tapio’s ideas are worth considering. Make no mistake, the process will be painful. Scraping the treaties will mean scraping the idea of sovereign nations and number of other ideas. To start, we need to have a conversation with the people of the tribes, not just the leadership. In the end, I can see were this idea would be good for the tribes and the nation as a whole.
MC, Trump loves to negotiate so maybe that would be his next negotiation.
That sounds like a great idea. Let’s be sure to include the states involved in these negotiations.
Trump….the so-called amazing deal maker who has yet to make a single deal. On the other hand, he has broken many while alienating our allies.
I’m tired of this speak first, ask second, think third crap being construed as anything other than the mindless ramblings of a massive twit. Any reform of US-tribal relations needs to come from the tribes, not some self-aggrandizing interlopers who only act concerned when it’s politically convenient.
I’m tired of supercilious moralizing from idiot observers who feel their pedantic edicts carry the weight of universal truth when they’ve obviously failed the first premise of facile comprehension. It’s tiresome hearing people who have’t even understood the originating premise making commentary about the efficacy of it. The reservation system is absolutely broken. The people who live there know it, those who escape it know it and those who observe the struggles of people living under the oppression and slavery of dependence know it. Neal’s willingness to take on big issues and undertake uncomfortable conversations in ways that transcend the normal “talking point, smile and nod” bologna of modern political stupidity is something that should be encouraged and appreciated, not ridiculed. There are many who who agree.
Shad, Neal’s race was over long ago.