James Clifton, a trained anthropologist, spent many years studying various
Indian tribes. His expertise and experiences slowly led him to some
uncomfortable conclusions. He discovered that the "Indian industry" operates
from an unspoken Eleventh Commandment that reads "Thou Shall Not Say No to an
Indian." This "industry" includes many scholarly organizations, commercial and
academic presses, private and public foundations and universities, independent
research institutes, the profession of Indian law, the mass media, state and
federal governments and numerous advocacy organizations. For example, he
observed highly skilled lawyers selectively using and suppressing judicial
evidence. By systematically distorting facts, they carefully manipulated both
judicial and public sentiments. One of these lawyers explained to Clifton that
the aim was not truth but winning at any cost.
Clifton
concluded that much of what we "know" about Indian Americans has been carefully
invented for the purpose of obtaining temporary power and money for tribal
clients irregardless of the social consequences. One of the biggest of these
public relations campaigns can be labeled, "The Massive Debts the Whiteman Owes
the Indian." This campaign consists of at least two parts including, "I - The
Good Things the Indian Has Given the Whiteman; and II - The Bad Things the
Whiteman Has Done to the Indian."
Much
of this book is devoted to exploding some of these myths and therefore their
power to pervert our values, Constitution and system of government. How many
things do you "know" about Indian Americans that are really only carefully
marketed myths designed to politically manipulate you and the rest of us?