I sometimes hear a misinformed
characterization of CERA as "anti-Indian." This label is
used to attack our
organization and its individual members, some of whom are Indians themselves. I
suspect disparaging labels are used against CERA and its individual board
members in an effort to avoid discussions of the real issues we are raising.
The
board of CERA includes a group of knowledgeable Indians. Our related foundation
- the Citizens Equal Rights Foundation has a majority of Indians on its
governing board. We have an Indian lawyer as president and a former Tribal Judge
as vice-president. Personally, I am excited to be working together with these
capable and sincere people.
CERA is dedicated to the proposition that as we enter the
twenty-first century, it is time to think about treating all American citizens
equally. We believe the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing "the equal protection
of the laws" requires equal treatment for all American citizens. In contrast,
racism is defined by the dictionary as prejudice or discrimination based on
race. We really have only two options. We can treat races the same or
differently. Treating races differently is the definition of racism. One of the
most serious negative consequences of legalized racism (i.e. federal Indian
policy) is that it tends to incite individual racism.
CERA's mission statement says, "Federal policies currently
deny millions of people living on or near Indian reservations their full constitutional rights. It is therefore CERA's mission to advocate
equal protection of the law so that this nation of many cultures may be one
people, living under one system of laws. Our first objective is to "guarantee
constitutional and civil rights for Indian Americans living on reservations."
Our second objective is to "protect all who live on or near Indian reservations
from discrimination by United States, State and Tribal laws and policies."
I find it hard to understand why advocating equal
constitutional and civil rights for reservation residents is sometimes
considered anti-Indian by individuals when they wouldn't consider protecting the
same rights for themselves anti-White. Although it may be difficult to believe,
one of the problems seems to be that these individuals can't seem to distinguish
the interests of individual Indians from Indian governments. Unable to make this
distinction when it affects Indians, they assume a pro-Indian government
position is automatically a pro-Indian position and the opposite. Almost
everyone understands that local, state or federal governments may have different
interests than individual American citizens. Few would belittle the need for
constitutional protections from these governments for American citizens. Why can't
they see the same need for reservation residents? It appears to me that they
have a basic problem instead of us.
CERA believes the damage federal Indian policy causes is
obvious and overwhelming. Investigate CERA for yourself by visiting our web site
at www.citizensalliance.org. If you agree with us, CERA would appreciate
your support.