Oppresive Government?

Title: Tribal Governments Were Modeled After the U.S. Government Created by Rich White Land-Owning Men to Keep Their Control

Introduction:

Throughout history, governments have often been perceived as vehicles of power and control. While tribal governments emerged as a means of self-governance for indigenous communities, it becomes imperative to hold up a mirror to these entities and acknowledge the oppressive aspects nestled within. In this blog post, we delve into the origins of tribal governments, particularly those influenced by white settlers like the U.S. government, shedding light on how power dynamics perpetuate within them.

1. The Confluence of White Settlers and Tribal Governments:

Tribal governments were initially supposed to empower indigenous communities in their respective lands. However, with the influence of white settlers and their own format of governance, these structures often mirrored oppressive models reminiscent of colonial powers. The hierarchical system introduced by white landowning men was copied and pasted onto some tribal governments, perpetuating power imbalances that prevail even today.The creation of Tribal Governments modeled after the U.S. government was a way to covertly colonize the minds of Indigenous peoples. The internalization of power imbalances would eventually lead to the support of a structure of power that kept the same elites in power.

2. Power Dynamics Within Tribal Governments:

The consolidation of power within tribal governments has inadvertently worked against some of their primary objectives - enabling community representation and ensuring collective decision-making. The elitist tendencies ingrained in these systems marginalize certain voices and reinforce disparities between different groups within indigenous communities.

When Indigenous groups internalize the new power structures, they would inadvertently uphold the elitist view of governance in which the few holds power over the many. This is in opposition to the traditional indigenous societies.

3. Land Ownership and Resource Exploitation:

The appropriation of land by white settlers during colonial times had far-reaching impacts on indigenous communities' socio-economic conditions. Today, similar patterns emerge within tribal jurisdictions as government-sanctioned exploitation occurs under the guise of economic development or resource extraction projects that disproportionately harm marginalized groups without proper consultation or consent.

As Tribal governments try to reclaim stolen land, they also inadvertently consolidate land-ownership practices under an elitist prerogative like the original white land-owning men who created the U.S. government.

4. Lack of Transparency and Accountability:

Transparency and accountability are essential pillars in any functional democracy; however, obstacles arise when examining tribal governments influenced by oppressive structures. The concentration of power within a select few limits genuine democratic processes, hindering the ability to hold leaders and decision-makers accountable for their actions.

The U.S. government is only two centuries after its inception starting to become more visible. This is because the power of government was meant to keep the elite in control. The elite made sure that their practices, whether right or wrong, weren’t privy to the larger population. In tribal governments the elected few, like in the U.S. government, hold all the power behind a screen that only operates under the honor system. This becomes an issue when an individual comes into power that abuses this honor system.

The first step in trying to address ingrained power imbalances would be to increase visibility. Having spending & budget documents, meeting minutes, quarterly schedules, etc. available to the public would build better trust among the public, and perhaps increase civic engagement. A code of ethics or oversight committee that holds public officials accountable with the power to enforce the code of ethics. This creates a system that doesn’t solely rely on an honor system in which the public just has to trust public officials to keep their best interests at heart. History has shown us that public officials can’t be trusted to do the right thing; they must be held accountable.

Conclusion:

Recognizing the oppressive aspects within tribal governments is not intended to negate or undermine the rich historical and cultural significance they encompass. Instead, it aims to facilitate an honest dialogue that encourages self-reflection and the reformation of these systems towards more inclusive, egalitarian principles.

Traditional governance structures had the ultimate visibility in that we lived communally and held people accountable to their word. In the modern age, we can decolonize our own government by trying to take steps back towards that visibility and accountability.

By holding up a mirror to tribal governments, we can collectively strive towards dismantling oppressive structures and fostering true empowerment within our communities.