Friday, June 08, 2007
Rail of Fears
There's usually a lesson to be learned from human adversity, and I suspect this will, in time, be true with the current conflict between the Cherokee Nation and the US Congress over terms of their treaty and constitution. For now, suffice to say that with so many politicians and emotions involved, we will probably get more heat than light on the subject, and would probably do well to educate ourselves on how this situation arose, and how it might best be resolved.
But like I say, few with the ability to influence the outcome are presently ready to receive reconciliatory ideas, so researching and creating a record to prevent this sovereignty train from going off the rails is perhaps the only thing indigenous scholars can do. As usual, there is bound to be more than meets the eye involved, and who else is likely to compose an analytical narrative without the hyperbole?
Common sense, reason, the rights of man will never, of course, be enough for those looking for opportunities to exterminate aboriginal culture, but I believe there is another audience waiting for someone other than pols and pundits to make sense of it all. Maybe some of us can help.
But like I say, few with the ability to influence the outcome are presently ready to receive reconciliatory ideas, so researching and creating a record to prevent this sovereignty train from going off the rails is perhaps the only thing indigenous scholars can do. As usual, there is bound to be more than meets the eye involved, and who else is likely to compose an analytical narrative without the hyperbole?
Common sense, reason, the rights of man will never, of course, be enough for those looking for opportunities to exterminate aboriginal culture, but I believe there is another audience waiting for someone other than pols and pundits to make sense of it all. Maybe some of us can help.
