Native Americans and Minnesota (Minneapolis, Duluth: crime, homes, unemployment rate)

[amgor863]

Hi,

I have family in your state, so I've had the opportunity to spend time in the region.

While studying this forum, I've read a few threads about the open minded, liberal views which are prevalent in this state. (Most of my family is pretty much middle of the road.)

How far do these views extend to the Native American population? In other words, what do Minnesotans think of the Native population? Are they as tolerant towards them, as other groups?

I've had a few conversations with residents and have found some hostility toward the native population, especially regarding profits made from the casinos.

For some reason, I sense a double standard and human need to find a group to detest.

Thanks.

[rcsteiner]

There is no generic "Minnesotan" attitude towards Native Americans (or anything else, really), just as there is no generic "American" attitude towards such things. In the case of Minnesota, you're talking about millions of people living in an area with several different regions and subcultures.

I think you'll tend to find more hostility in fairly small towns, though. I know I encountered some of that in both small town MN and SD in the past ... there was a certain amount of jealousy directed at Native Americans because of the tax breaks and other federal benefits they were receiving while "normal folks" (mainly farmers and folks running smaller businesses in town) were struggling at the time to make ends meet.

I think a lot of people forget (or just didn't know) just how bad it was to live on a typical Minnesota reservation not all that long ago. Life can sometimes be tough in small town America, but not to the same extent that many Native Americans have seen...

[marmac]

It still is tough living on some reservations.

The reservations whose location doesn't make a casino a big money maker.

[uptown_urbanist]

Like rcsteiner notes, there is no one Minnesota attitude. In the Twin Cities I don't think people think about the casinos very often, unless they're planning on visiting one. That tension on that front is, I assume, greater in the smaller towns.

It's interesting that you bring this up now because just recently on an email list dedicated to Minneapolis city issues there were some posters talking about the "warrior" heritage of Minnesotan Native Americans, with a racist (to me) view that overly romanticizes Native American people in sort of a "noble savage" sort of way. And those people are, I think, people who consider themselves very liberal and open-minded; I think they're just swinging way too far the other direction from negative stereotypes. Stereotypes are stereotypes.

In the Twin Cities, anyway, those who are looking for an ethnic or racial group to detest, Native Americans probably aren't the number one target.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by marmac

It still is tough living on some reservations.

The reservations whose location doesn't make a casino a big money maker.

Exactly, just look at Little Earth in South Minneapolis.

[lazlaz]

I don't really experience hostility but hear about others that say they do. At times I wonder if they are just being overly sensitive or looking for attitude in others towards them. That may not be the case the other person may just be having a bad day. I have bad days and treat workers less than respectful myself which I look back and wish I hadn't.

As for casinos and profits, if people are getting mad about something so petty than they don't know anything at all. If the tribal members " all several hundred or thousand of them" received huge benefits from one than why do they still live in crappy homes, rent, walk rather than drive, or drive a junky car? The most I've seen from my casino this year is a check for $200 to buy my kids school clothes, that with teenagers buys what? One really good set of shoes! Like they will want to wear walmart jeans when everone elses kids are wearing abercrombie or holister however that is spelled.
People need to stop crying like Natives live so much better, most are jobless like everyone else and are usually the last person a business will hire over another or some may feel. They live in extended family homes because they can't and probably never will be able to purchase their own home like everyone else. They are broke and for the most part have always been. They haven't for the most part experience the current economic drop in the same way others have who lost their $500,000 home or $40,000 car, lost a job that paid 60K, 100K + year, yeah right. They are living as usual, broke working crappy hours at a casino for minimum wage or just smidge over. They are lucky to have that job because no one else will hire them I'm sure, specially now with the high unemployment rates. And why is it high because everyone else is to good to take a minimum wage job and know how it is to be forced to live for less and accept it.

[RangerDanger]

I have some opinions on the Native American population but I would like to say that those opinions do not spread to every tribe or band in the state of Minnesota. I have nothing against Natives that I meet but the I do not know many. There are some reservations that I do not like to drive through and I do not like the acts and rights that some Natives have.
Example: The Natives on the Red Lake Reservation get to build scaffold trucks with spotlights and everything and shoot deer out of a moving vehicle. Also the fact that if you cross there line on the lake you can have your everything stripped from you. I feel bad that I think less of the whole tribe for stripping all of lower Red Lake a while ago of all the walleyes by overnetting/overcatching, because I have not talked to many of the tribes people, but as they say actions are louder than words.

Besides a few isolated incidents such as the described I have no problem with the Natives and the rest of the population of non-natives as both do stupid and regrettable things.

[lazlaz]

Example: The Natives on the Red Lake Reservation get to build scaffold trucks with spotlights and everything and shoot deer out of a moving vehicle. Also the fact that if you cross there line on the lake you can have your everything stripped from you. I feel bad that I think less of the whole tribe for stripping all of lower Red Lake a while ago of all the walleyes by overnetting/overcatching, because I have not talked to many of the tribes people, but as they say actions are louder than words.



I agree I feel they are abusing the land and rights in general by over fishing and shining. As for taking people's things if you enter their lake that is wrong. They should just create a park entry fee like the state does with state parks and land. That is uncalled for.

[knke0204]

FACT:

RED LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION IS THE BIGGEST 'Ghetto' or bad neighborhood in Minnesota... Say what you will about North Minneapolis, or South Minneapolis, but Red Lake Inidan Reservation has more crime and poverty than anywhere else in MN.

Duluth is the only mid major city (pop. over 75,000) to have it's largest minortiy be Native Americans. In fact, it's the largest city of it's size in the US to have Native Americans as it's largest minority. That's kind of unique

[Double]

People's hostility toward Natives is mainly because of ignorance.

Tribes and reservations are recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as sovereign nations, entitled to operate their own law enforcement and judicial systems with regulations that may vary from state or federal laws.

Natives are exercising rights agreed upon in treaties with the U.S. government. This applies to land use, hunting and gaming. There is no requirement that tribal laws match Minnesota laws.

Regarding the casino issue, it's important to remember that the U.S. government isn't giving special financial aid to Natives that would otherwise go to more needy people. Native gaming is a completely self-sufficient business venture, similar to what the states of Nevada and New Jersey have built. If people want non-tribal casinos in Minnesota, the issue should be brought up with the Minnesota legislature instead of misdirecting hostility toward others.