Current Event 10/28 - Cassia Landry

My current event was about the new bill that Florida's State Representative William Snyder has proposed to congress. This bill is similar to Arizona's anti-immigration law, SB 1070 that was passed over the summer. The new law allowed police men to stop people if they have reasonable suspicion that they are an illegal immigrant. The federal government is trying to sue Arizona, because immigration is not a state issue and Arizona did not have the right to make such a law.
Controversy strikes between both the government and the people. Many argue that this law is racist and wrong. This law gives police to ask anyone on the spot if they have their papers (passport, visa, license, or some form of identification) and if they fail to show them the identification, they are arrested. The government does not approve of this law because it is their job to make immigration laws, not the states. Now other states are trying to replicate the law, and even trying to take it to the next level.
The main idea of this article was to expose Snyder’s new bill and the similarities to Arizona’s law. The bill is similar to Arizona’s law, but it goes even further in racial profiling. On the third page of Snyder’s bill it states that if an officer has, “reasonable suspicion” on a person then that person will be “presumed to be legally in the United States,” as long as he or she provides a Canadian passport or a passport from any other visa waiver country. These wavering countries include four Asian nations, but the other thirty-two are Western Europe (France to Germany).
Snyder’s bill has had only a few people notice the wavering countries that would be excluded from the police’s “reasonable suspicion.” It seems as though this bill in the process of being passed is more extreme than Arizona’s. Arizona’s law never said anything about targeting one specific group, and even though Snyder's bill does not, Snyder’s bill still acts in favor of the “wavering nations.” These wavering nations are also white majority. Since large number of Florida’s immigrants are Canadians.
It has raised suspicion that the bill will be even more racist than Arizona’s and it will be more relaxed when it comes to white immigrants. When Snyder was asked about this hidden element he said, “What we’re doing there is trying to be sensitive to Canadians. We have an enormous amount of…Canadians wintering here in Florida. That language is the comfort language.” This discriminates all the other races, and gives the white people an unfair advantage.
Clarifying Questions:
"What kind of papers will the policemen be asking for?"
The policemen will be asking for any form of identification such as a passport, visa, or license.
"How can they tell if a Canadian is here illegally?"
Snyder's bill will exclude Canadians as well as other European countries, they will be known as "wavering countries" and police will have to have more than reasonable suspicion to ask for their papers.
"How is the law in Arizona racist?"
The affects of the law are racist, and the reasonable suspicion that the police have on these potential illegal immigrants is morally based on stereotypes. To clarify with this bill, most white races are not going to be stopped and asked for their papers due to reasonable suspicion.

Probing Question:
How could this bill being passed affect Florida's tourist rates?


Title of Article: “A free pass in Florida if you’re white”
Source:http://socialistworker.org/print/blog/coulnt-make-it-up/2010/10/27/free-pass-if-you-are-white

Immigration Patterns Activity

Here are some helpful links that will aid you in your research of the assigned immigrant group. Remember that not all links will prove applicable. Be prepared to conduct research beyond these suggested sites.

Ellis Island
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Immigration History and Research Center
The Chinese in California
Mexican Migration Project
Harvard University
Educational Videos
username: vivirito password: Hudson#1
German Roots
Best History Websites
The Latina/o History Project
Spartacus International
Think Quest
Immigration Patterns Map
The New Americans
The Library of Congress
PBS "The Border" (Mexican Immigration)
Asian Immigration Timeline
Angel Island
HHS Library Databases
Noodle Tools

Current Event

My current event article is called "Expansive Native American exhibit opening in NYC". My article was about expansive artifacts about the Native Americans, in which there is a museum opening in NYC displaying these artifacts. What is very interesting is that the artifacts are from 1400's. This is significant because the white man wasn't in America in the 1400's. By finding these artifacts we learn how the native Americans lived before the white man interrupted their world. Also we get a different look on Native Americans, we don't receive the stereotypical, feather and cross bow view on Indians.

Questions asked in class:
What are the connections between this exhibit and the Smithsonian?
The connections between this exhibit and the Smithsonian is that the artifacts were actually held by the Smithsonian in the moving process of the exhibit. The man that owns the artifacts moved a small NYC exhibit to the Smithsonian but received the artifacts back.

Probing Question:
Do you believe the Native Americans could have survived and have been strongly populated without the white man's invasion?

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/10/22/1392347/expansive-native-american-exhibit.html

ASSIGNMENT: ALEXIE OPTION #2

Here's option two. Remember, you need only complete one of the Alexie Assignment blog posts.

We did an author study on Sherman Alexie. It's awesome that we had enough time to look at multiple texts by this one talented writer. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same opportunities we do.

Imagine that you could recommend only one Alexie text to someone who's interested in learning about Sherman Alexie as a writer. Which, of the texts we read in class, would you recommend, and why?

ASSIGNMENT: ALEXIE OPTION #1

By Wednesday, you need to respond EITHER to this post OR the other Alexie post.

Here's your first option:

The sequel to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is The Magic and Tragic Year of my Broken Thumb. Hmmmm....

What are your hopes for this new book? What do you think it will be about? What are your predictions for it?

Proper Letter Format: An Example and Some Resources

Here's a great source to help you format your letter to President Obama.

And, you can click here for a visual of what a properly formatted letter should look like. (Use the first example of the Block format).

Also, if you need help with MLA format, please use the Purdue Writing Center site to help you.

Current Event Presentation

For my current event I had done an article called "Native American Farmers Agree to Settle decade-old Discrimination case". In this article there were many things that were important. This article was about a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture that has been going on for more then a decade. In this lawsuit the USDA is now agreeing to give Native American farmers $760 million dollar settlement. This settlement is because in the past the USDA had overlooked many loans that Native American farmers have wanted, they have always given the loans to the white American farmers. In the article there was one woman who was very happy to have this lawsuit. She had said that she was so glad for the native America children who are going to become farmers, because now they are going to have a better system for loans. The lawsuit will be put into affect after the final approval by the U.S District Court next year.

Some of the questions that were asked in class:

Does this lawsuit apply to all tribes in the U.S?

The Choctaw tribe and the Sioux are some of the many tribes that are affected by this lawsuit. These are the only tribes that were mentioned in the articles that I had found.

How much does each tribe get from the lawsuit?

In the article it says "that uniform farmers will receive $50,000 after presenting evidence of bias to an impartial adjudicator" And farmers who have had major damages from not getting the loans that they have wanted by discrimination will receive $250,000 for all the damages.

Probing Question:

Why do you think the Native Americans were discriminated for so long?

Websites:

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020277225?Native%20American%20Farmers%20Agree%20To%20Settle%20Decade-Old%20Discrimination%20Case

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1010/101310cdpm1.htm

Current Event

My current about was about an article I read, "Census Bureau Tackles Undercount of Native Americans." It explains that the bureau has been trying to get more Native Americans to fill out the census. Native Americans were first added onto the census in 1870; although before then some Indians were counted if they gave up their cultures and followed assimilation. In 2000, a little more than half of the Tulilip Reservation residents took part in the census. Since then people like Roberta Belinich, a resident of the tribe, have been going door to door around the reservation. She found that one person was ill and didn't want to be troubled, but everyone else was very cooperative about filling it out. Most people didn't even know what the census was, or they just didn't realize it's importance. Getting an accurate population count helps tribes to recieve their fair share of federal funds. This helps with infrastructure. Other ways of getting people to do their census is by putting up fliers and having census parties to spread the word. This year 72% of households mailed in their census forms, so these efforts have been working. Some Native Americans are skeptical when it comes to working with the government because there are still issues with trust. The Tulalip chairman says, "We do not forget our history, but we're looking forward with optimism."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011962971_nativecensus27m.html

PROBING QUESTION: How is the census related to power in America?

DUE: Debrief Learning Stations

Before completing this blog post ASSIGNMENT, read the transcript excerpt from the Tribal Nations Conference that President Obama held on November 5, 2009. Using the information from the learning stations and the Obama transcript, what issues or policies does this have you thinking about? In a comment on this blog post, generate ideas and resources for your letter and to help support your classmates with their letters.Also, if you'd rather watch the video of the Tribal Nations Conference, you can do that here. It's the whole thing, while the transcript we gave you is a reduced version.

Hoh Tribe Additions

My current event was about the Hoh Native American tribe of Washington State. In 1856, they lost their land to the government. In 1893, an executive order relocated them once again. Currently, the Hoh tribe resides near the ocean, locked between Olympic National Park, the Hoh River, and the Pacific. Their land is considered a flood plane and a tsunami zone. In addition, the Hoh River is creeping ever closer due to erosion. As it stood, it appeared that the reservation may disappear in a decade. However, U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell had a plan. Together, they helped to settle 425 acres of surrounding land and 37 acres of Olympic National Park as an addition to the reservation. In doing so, the tribe can move farther from the flood plain and live in a more open space. However, as a side note, a National Park was not meant to be land for people to live on. It is also government land. It is significant to note that the government is giving a piece, no matter how small, of their national park to the Hoh tribe. Long ago, the Hoh tribe's lands were cheated from them, now they're beginning to get it back.

Questions from Class: Which Senate ran the legislation through? Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are U.S. Senators.

Would the river keep expanding? Yes, erosion would keep the river growing.

Probing Question: Should the government give back more land as compensation?

Links: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2013041342_apwahohreservation.html

http://www.seattlepi.com/
local/177885_hoh15.asp

http://www.house.gov/list/speech/
wa06_dicks/morenews1/hohbill.shtml

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1554.html

http://www.ohwy.com/wa/h/hohrintr.htm

Current Events Follow-Up: Appeals court rules Cherokee Nation can't join poultry suit

****sorry every one, I couldn't figure out how to fix the formating***

In Oklahoma, the Cherokee nation has been having issues with the polluted Illinois River.

Eleven poultry companies from Arkansas have been accused of polluting the water with chicken

feces and parts. The state of Oklahoma is suing the poultry companies for $600 million for

damages to the water. The state was told that they could not sue for the large amount of money

they were asking for because the river runs through Native American land, and the state failed

to add the Cherokee nation as a primary plaintiff. The Cherokee nation was denied by the court

to join the lawsuit because they were tardy in filing their name. The Cherokee Nation has now

has signed an agreement with the state of Oklahoma allowing the state to claim for the Cherokee

nation. The Cherokee nation is now questioning: who really owns the stretch of the Illinois River

that cuts through the Cherokee nation. The Cherokee nation is now fighting for rights to the Illinois

River, a right that they thought they always had.

Link to article: http://www.nativetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=9&Itemid=4

Probing Question: Why are the rules so unclear on who has the right to bodies of water that are shared with multiple states and Native American land?

Navajo Water Rights

The Navajo Nation had some recent controvery over the water rights of the Dine people. The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement (NAIWRSA) is a Legislation that was created in an attempt to resolve the water rights claims from the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe. This Legislation would only give the Navajo Nation 31,000 acre-feet per year of 4th Priority Colorado River water. This water would not be accessable during droughts and would cost an extra $500 million of federal funding to install a pipeline that would deliver the water to needy communities, which would be given from the U.S. Congress. The water would also go directly to the reservation, but the Nation does not accept this as something that would be good for the people of the Dine and Hopi Tribes.Non-native Stanley Pollack was one of the lawyers that created the Legislation, and many of the Najaho Nation believe that this was a bad idea.

The Dine believe that water is sacred to their way of life, giving them means to live, perform ceremonies and keep their animals alive. They strongly believe that if this Legislation went through, it would most likely disrupt their way of life and make their living conditions even worse than they are now. The council of the Navajo Nation heard these please and decided to give the Legislation another week to decide whether to activate it or leave it be.

Some questions that were asked during my presentaion were:

Where did I find my information?
My information was found on the Census News website. This sight has updated events about the Navajo Nation, and some public addresses made concerning their environment, water rights, and other topics about their reservation and way of life.

Does the water go directly to the reservation?
Yes the water goes directly to the reservation. If the pipeline were to be made it would carry water from the Little Colorado River to the reservation.

Is the Legislation going to be reviewed?
The Legislation is going to be reviewed a week from October 8, so this date will decide if the Legislation is going to be active in the Navajo Nation or not.

Probing Question:
Can water rights make a difference on a reservation?

Massacre at Wounded Knee

Custer's Last Stand

Native Americans and Healthcare Reform

My current event was on how Indians were effected with the new health care bill that Obama just made. Before Obama made the Indians Health Care Improvement Act permanent that Act had to constanly be reauthorized by congress every couple of years. The issue with this lately was that in 2000 when it expired yet again congress was taking their time deciding on what needed to be changed with the bill and so on, this process has been going on since this Act was first established on September 30, 1976. With this bill it will ensure that all Indians will be treated equally when it comes to Healthcare.



A few things have changed on the bill from the 1976 original

• Enhancement of the authorities of the IHS (Indian Healthcare Service) director, including the responsibility to facilitate advocacy and promote consultation on matters relating to Indian health within the Department of Health and Human Services


• Provides authorization for hospice, assisted living, long-term and home-and community-based care


• Extends the ability to recover costs from third parties to tribally operated facilities


• Updates current law regarding collection of reinbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP (Childern's Health Insurance Program) by Indian health facilities


• Allows tribes and tribal organizations to purchase health benefits coverage for IHS beneficiaries


• Authorizes IHS to enter into arrangements with the Departments of Veteran Affairs and Defense to share medical facilities and services


• Allows a tribe or tribal organization carrying out a program under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and an urban Indian organization carrying out a program under the title V of IHCIA to purchase coverage for its employees from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program


• Authorizes the establishment of a Community Health Representative program for urban indian organizations to train and employ Indians to provide healthcare services


• Directs the IHS to establish comprehensive behavioral health, prevention and treatment programs for Indians


• If an Indian does not wish to get private insurance they will not be pentalized for it

Questions my classmates had "Does the Indian healthcare act have to be done by each individual reservation?" The answer is no, because with this bill in place it will cover all native people from America and Alaska.

PROBING QUESTION: Why do you think it took so long for the Indians to get this bill made permanent?