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Showing posts from September, 2008

Just Shaking my head!

And now they're going to start pressuring the BIA on behalf of the Freedmen - we need some transparancy on this Congressional Black Caucus! CBC is wrong on Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac and they're WRONG on the Freedmen issue!

Non Indian Freedmen can access this

if they are Tribal Citizens: The program also offers free help to in making contacts to sell goods and in bookkeeping, she said. Participants must be a citizen of a federally recognized American Indian tribe, live within the 14-county jurisdictional area of the Cherokee Nation, be at least 13 years old and meet low-income guidelines (but we're going to bailout folks in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that didn't have to prove any income!) as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080930_11_A11_Asbank132707 But Cherokee Citizens outside the 14 county area can't access these funds! More funding going to non Indians than Indians!

More Rescue News

Regulators To Offer Guidelines For Fair-value Accounting http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/regulators-offer-guidelines-fair-value-accounting/ Now how about those antiqued regulations, think we can get a start on those before Thurs? Hey, the Free Market may just bring us into the 21st Century after all! More voices on what's going on here! http://glickreport.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2008/09/30/if-no-bailout-what-should-we-do/

FDIC can raise limits

Well, this would sure stop some bleeding....and give some protection.... http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/government/report-fdic-wants-boost-deposit-insurance-limit/ Let's just see what happens if credit doesn't get a boost...oh...you may have to live within your means...you may have to *save up* some funds to buy that $30,000.00 car, that use to cost $10,000.00 a few years ago...and if sellers couldn't sell their cars or products, you might find that prices will come down... Deflation...hardly....just a market correction for the average American who is expected to keep the world economy afloat! Just say no, to market manipulation! Congress and Wall Street want this *bailout* put in place before the Jobs Report comes out...isn't that interesting....so now we'll have fewer people paying for that credit for higher priced products and the price will probably go up even more.... then when they tax business, we'll have more of them going out of the

Both Houses of Congress recognize Citizenship is an Internal Tribal Affair

Cherokee Nation News Release (918) 453-5378 FAX (918) 458-6181 Cherokee Nation Director of Communications@cherokee.org © Cherokee Nation - All Rights Reserved September 29, 2008 Both Houses of Congress Vote to Let Courts Decide Freedmen Issue Washington, D.C.— Both the United States Senate and House of Representatives have passed measures preserving Cherokee Nation’s federal funding for housing services, as long as a court order allowing citizenship for non-Indian Freedmen descendants remains in place throughout the tribal court case that will determine their eligibility for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation. “The language in the bill is a sign that Congress recognizes the sovereignty and authority of tribal courts to settle internal disputes, which should be considered a victory for not only the Cherokee Nation but all tribes,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The provision was included in the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act reauthorization

Freedmen Shame their Ancestors by Disrepecting the Cherokee People

Actor Danny Glover and Rep. Watson Highlight CBC Panel on Cherokee Freedmen Calibre MacroWorld 09/29/2008 Congressman Diane E. Watson - Representing California's 33rd Congressional District (she voted for the Bailout Bill by the way) September 27, 2008 Actor Danny Glover and Congresswoman Diane Watson Highlight Congressional Black Caucus Panel on Cherokee Freedmen Washington, DC- 'It is past time for Congress to act,' said Diane Watson, addressing the Congressional Black Caucus's (CBC) Annual Legislative Conference yesterday in Washington, D.C. 'The D.C. Court of Appeals has ruled that Cherokee officials cannot discriminate against the Freedmen in violation of the Treaty of 1866 and 13th Amendment (Supreme Court has ruled the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to Indian Tribes, so I guess this will end up in the Supreme Court if they continue this train of thought), ' Watson said. 'Congress must step in to enforce the treaty rights of the Freedmen.' And Co

More info on Marked to Market and Short Selling

Ok, marked to market better explained...apparently this is a valuation to a market that doesn't exist - I'd say that means the value is *zero*...also for short selling - *they neglect to borrow stock before selling it short* - wow, this is a venture into a whole *new world*.... http://glickreport.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2008/09/30/three-fixes-for-the-economy/

Wow - melt down jitters

I'm always leery of folks that say *you must* or *you have to* or the *house must* in this case. It's been painful for some folks for quite some time! http://www.smartmoney.com/breaking-news/index.cfm?story=20080930090002& cid =1034 Any moron can see that if you want a bill to pass, they're going to have to put Pelosi and Frank in the hall on chairs, til the bill gets passed...their reckless *comments* sent the first bill south. http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/economy/bush-economic-damage-painful-lasting-rescue-package/ You play the market, you take the risk...is that a new concept to those that lost this $1 trillion on Monday? http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/economy/money-market-freee-ignites-rate-cut-speculation/ And after all this, they're going to tell us, *it's a win-win deal* - yeah right, like anyone on main street is going to see any of that $700 Billion. http://www.smartmoney.com/tradecraft/index.cfm?story=Ultimate-Cost-of-Bailout-Co

Ok, Bad to Worse

The more I learn about this economic crisis the less I know.....whew.... Mark to Market - apparently an accounting procedure for valuing *things* in this case *paper*...this accounting procedure is said to *under value* *things* as bad gets worse, akin to a *fire sale* and over value things when bad goes to better... then sandwiched in all this is some sort of ratio of bad debt to assets...so as the value of the debt gets larger, they have to raise more capital or assets to keep that ratio in place...I think... thus the bubble that just keeps growing and which now has apparently popped. Good grief, what happened to the value of something was, what a willing buy would pay for something a seller had or a willing seller would sell to a willing buyer....that sounds like what the thing is worth to me.... Apparently because of this mark to marketing thing...the fed is going to pay over, 2 or 3 times, what the *paper* is currently valued at...I think... I suspect the politicians don't hav

Interesting observation

Dems are having a news conference and the more they talk the further down the Dow goes... This is their conference on why the Bailout Bill didn't pass...they are the majority and not even enough Dems voted for this bill to pass it... Pelosi and Frank are just sinking any solution further and further into the ground with all their blaming of the Republicans on this matter... Let the Free Market work! Keep government out of it...this might even bring the costs of life down... They all need to take a visit to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and see how American Indians survive! Americans get it, we can do it and we'll have a better America for it! Let the Free Market work! NO SOCIALISM! John McCain had warned at least a year ago this was going to happen and like this passed week - Congress did nothing! The Dems can't get passed the politics of it. Yep, a good ole modern day Boston Tea Party....:)

The Plan

Everyone's calling this something different but this is a link to what is suppose to help the fincancial markets: http://financialservices.house.gov/

Taxes on Wall Street

You all realize when the Dems talk about taxing wall street or the wealthy corporations, those *taxes* are passed on to the consumer? So if you tax banks, your fees for doing business at the bank are going to go up, is that what we really want? Higher fees on loans, accounts and other products and services that banks offer. Oh, it may take awhile for that to happen, sure, but in the end we know who really pays for all this! When they tax corporations, of any size, small businesses go OUT of business and large corporations start moving out of the U.S. taking needed American Jobs with them, is that what we want? So how does that hold the irresponsible who got us into this mess, responsible and that includes Congresspeople who pressured lenders to make all these bogus loans!!

lol...

Some things are just WORTH reading...lol He ventured forth to bring light to the world The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers for the entire story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article4392846.ece

No Native American Should be Without Adequate Housing!!

Native American Loans If you are Native American and have a roll card to prove it or know someone who does you need to inquire about this mortgage loan as soon as possible. The government has set back millions of dollars for you and you need to take advantage of it. The rates are as good or even better than conventional loans but they blow conventional loans out of the water because they require no monthly mortgage insurance. Refinancing or purchasing? It doesn't matter, no other type of loan can compete. Whether you have perfect credit or little to no credit we can help. Plus there is no income limits and loan amounts go over $300,000. for more information: http://www.sierrams.com/nativeamerican

Senator Murkowski on Palin

Murkowski also spoke a bit on McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has been something of a political foe to the Murkowski family ever since she defeated Lisa Murkowski’s father, Frank Murkowski, in his bid for re-election as governor of Alaska in 2006. The senator said it’s tough to say how Palin has performed on Indian issues in Alaska, since almost every broad issue – energy, the environment, education, health – connects in some substantial way with Alaska Natives. She said that Palin’s appointment of an energy czar and the implementation of a subcommittee on climate change are both gubernatorial developments that could be viewed as positive developments for large numbers of Alaska Natives. “Keep in mind that Gov. Palin is married to a man who is part Native from out in the Bristol Bay area.” The senator also said she would never hesitate to pick up the phone to talk Indian shop with Palin. “I think she’s a little bit busy right now, so probably not right at the moment

McCain and Indian Gaming

Campbell sheds light on McCain gaming bill from 2006 By Jerry Reynolds Story Published: Sep 26, 2008 Story Updated: Sep 26, 2008 http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/29791359.html WASHINGTON – Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Northern Cheyenne former senator and unabashed backer of Sen. John McCain in his bid for the presidency, shed light on a McCain legislative initiative that has come back to haunt him among tribes – his bill in 2005 and 2006, when he chaired the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, to change the rules on off-reservation gaming. The anti-gaming bill has come up regularly in conversation during campaign season as a counter against McCain among Indian leaders and individuals alike. Though McCain’s bill never came close to becoming law, and ultimately provided a “grandfather” clause that would have exempted would-be gaming tribes that had gone along with the old rules from full compliance with the new ones, many tribes took it as part and parcel of an anti-gaming move

Indian Housing Bill OK'd

Indian housing bill OK'd after change By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau 9/28/2008 Last Modified: 9/28/2008 2:58 AM WASHINGTON — The U.S. House gave final approval Saturday to an Indian housing bill that was endangered by efforts to punish the Cherokee Nation for trying to bar descendants of former slaves from tribal citizenship. Approved by a voice vote, the bill now includes a provision that allows the Cherokees to receive housing benefits as long as a tribal court order allowing the so-called freedmen citizenship remains in place pending a final decision. An earlier version passed by the House last year would have denied benefits to the tribe until it recognized the freedmen descendants as citizens. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., expressed approval of the amended provision. "We can all agree that this has been a very contentious issue at times,'' said Boren, whose congressional district is home to the Cherokee Nation and 16 other federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma.

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - ACORN

(Some talk about 20% of any returns in the bailout plan goes to Acorn): Cuyahoga board probes ACORN voter registration drive Posted by Joe Guillen August 27, 2008 23:55PM http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/08/cuyahoga_board_probes_voter_re.html CLEVELAND -- A national organization that conducts voter registration drives for low-income people has curtailed its push in Cuyahoga County after the Board of Elections accused its workers of submitting fraudulent registration cards. The board is investigating the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now . Results of the inquiry could be turned over to the county prosecutor. Board employees said ACORN workers often handed in the same name on a number of voter registration cards, but showing that person living at different addresses. Other times, cards had the same name listed, but a different date of birth. Still another sign of possible fraud showed a number of people living at an address that turned out to be a restaurant. &quo

Economics 101

If this goes as a straight bailout it means the Government takes assets i.e. the toxic mortgages at what 23 to 50 cents on the dollar and then holds them until the market rises to a level where they can sell them again for what 50 cents to a dollar on the dollar. This in effect manipulates at least the housing market by keeping prices on housing high. So why should the government benefit from this, in effect we know some of these houses are going to probably go to *government cronies* at reduced prices, much like the Dawes Commission and their political cronies took Indian land from individual Indians. The public will never know about this. An insurance plan, way better than a bailout, although not perfect, paid for by the Wall Streeters and Bankers who started this whole mess, even if pressured by Congress to make these bad loans, should have just said no, but at least they will pay for it and Congress equally as guilty of this whole mess will not be the only one to benefit. You thin

Congressional Black Caucus not looking for a solution, just spewing more of their bigotry

Associated Press - September 26, 2008 11:55 PM ET TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Actor Danny Glover says other American Indian tribes will follow the example of the Cherokee Nation if it succeeds in blocking tribal citizenship for freedmen descendants. (see how little they understand, not all Tribes are a one size fits all! Freedmen in Oklahoma are the only ones claiming they have *treaty right membership*, when the treaty states no such thing and has been modified and litigated in the courts for a good 100 years now - precedents do not support their position) Speaking at a forum hosted by members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, Glover called on the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to allow freedmen descendants into the tribe with full citizenship rights. (so how come he's not calling on the Congressional Black Caucus to also allow other than Black congressional members into their caucus) A March 2007 vote by Cherokee Nation voters to remove freedmen descendants from tribal rolls

McCain wins 1st Debate

Yep, McCain and Palin are well on the road to the WH! He's real, authentic, experienced and tested! She's real, authentic and experienced! Both good for America and Americans! (Pssst, Obama, book learnin' is good but doesn't hold a candle to life learnin')

Good News

Cherokee Nation News Release (918) 207-3896 Fax (918) 458-6181 E-mail: srusco@cherokee.org September 25, 2008 U.S. Senate Agrees to Let Courts Decide Freedmen Issue Washington, D.C.— The United States Senate passed a measure today preserving Cherokee Nation’s federal funding for housing services as long as a tribal court order allowing citizenship for non-Indian Freedmen descendants remains in place throughout the tribal court case that will determine their eligibility for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation. “The language in the bill is a sign that Congress recognizes the sovereignty and authority of tribal courts to settle internal disputes, which should be considered a victory for not only the Cherokee Nation but all tribes,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The provision was included in the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act reauthorization passed by the Senate today. Currently, more than 300 non-Indian descendants of Freedmen are suing the Ch

I suspect some of those claiming Cherokee ancestry will find their roots in these Tribes

Virginia Tribes Get Senate Hearing By NEIL H. SIMON, Media General News Service September 25 2008 http://www.mgwashington.com/index.php/news/article/virginia-tribes-get-senate-hearing/1772/ WASHINGTON—Calling the treatment of Virginia’s American Indian tribes “criminal by today’s standards,” the top U.S. senator on Indian affairs said Virginia tribes could see action within six months on a bill to grant them federal recognition. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, made the announcement at a hearing on the bill that included testimony from Gov. Timothy Kaine, D-Va. Despite coming on the eve of Congress’ planned adjournment, Virginia chiefs said it gave them new optimism for a bill they’ve been lobbying for since 1999. “I leave here with hope” said Chief Stephen Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe after the hearing. “I’m very optimistic the right thing is going to happen.” Federal recognition would make the six tribes eligible for federal funds for housi

Let the Free Market (Capitalism) work this out!

It seems to me if left alone the market would work out it's own problems. Apparently there are a lot of illegals that took out loans, defaulted and now Congress wants us to pay for those as well. This keeps housing prices up, the borders *open* and we'll start a new round as soon as this one is over. Lenders need to understand, if they make a bad loan, they get to keep the *paper*. If they can't sell all that bad paper, they go out of business. Not to mention the foreign investors, I mean do we really have to help those folks? We've given them our jobs and now our tax money!

Wahoo!!!

JP Morgan Chase is buying Washington Mutual....!! See those smart folks on Wall Street know what to do....:) The crisis will probably be over before Congress can agree on anything...:) Oh, I hope they let the branches stay and the name WaMu....:) Good show JP Morgan !! http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/jp-morgan-buy-wamus-operations-report/

Save Washington Mutual if you have to save any of them!

Never thought in a 2000 years I'd ever agree with Newt Gingrich however, free market says let these folks go...credit is going to tighten either way for the average person... If you have to go with this rescue, please save Washington Mutual...couldn't have been mismanaged any worse than the rest, however, they are the most customer and Internet friendly of all the banks, with some real old time customer relation values!

Palin's money to the people seems to be catching on

Gov. Sarah Palin taxes big oil and then sent the surplus tax back to the people of Alaska and apparently this idea of sending out *surplus* or *stimulus* money to folks in the lower 48 is catching on as well, as Nancy Palosi is going to intro legislation to do the same thing...problem is, is this money *borrowed* from China? I guess this is the only way to keep the economy going *give folks money to spend*....something wrong with this picture...how long can this go on??

More Palin distortions

Call of the Wild September 24, 2008 A wildlife group's ad attacks Palin for supporting the shooting of wolves from airplanes. She does, but there's more to it than that. Palin and the Wolf There's a lot of emotional huffing and puffing in the ad. It says "Sarah Palin actively promotes the brutal and unethical aerial hunting of wolves and other wildlife" and says she encourages "cruelty" and "champions ... savagery." But strip away the emotional characterization and we're left with a description of Palin's position that is essentially factually correct, though incomplete. (I think there's just a lot of huffing and puffing by Obama supporters all around up there in Alaska) Subsistence hunters are a major priority in wildlife management in Alaska, although a subsistence hunter is hard to define. Clarke offered some statistics: About 20 percent of Alaska's population, or roughly 135,000 people, is classified as rural. About 92 perc

I really find this hard to believe - I'm inclined to believe these are *partisan* folks trying to get Obama elected

A dismal record Story Published: Sep 24, 2008 Story Updated: Sep 24, 2008 http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/opinion/letters/29691979.html Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin “has cited her husband’s and children’s Alaska Native heritage as signs that she is committed to and well-versed on Native issues” [“Native ‘first dude’ holds power,” Vol. 28, Iss . 14]. Other Indian Country Today reporting has included the claim of W. Ron Allen, a member of the American Indians for McCain Coalition and chairman of the Jamestown S’ Klallam Tribe, that “if she and Sen. McCain are elected, it would provide a basis for a stronger Indian policy” [“Republican Natives react favorably to Palin VP selection,” Vol. 28, Iss . 14]. The trouble with both of these comments is that she has been a vociferous opponent of Native rights in Alaska, according to Native rights attorney Lloyd Miller of Anchorage and other leaders in the Alaska Native community. (say what? a Native Alaskan against subsistence rights - must be r

I find it hard to believe Palin would ignore Native Alaskans

(many of the problems in Native Alaskan country is also the same that is suffered by all Native Americans - and those who do these things are generally not of one party or the other - there are usually some other self interest involved - and these cases were all started before she was ever governor - I seriously doubt any governor would just step in and request that all claims started by a prior administration would or should be dismissed - when there are differences of opinion, those are the cases that go to the courts for a decision - whether or not she could even have had them dismissed is also another matter - sometimes, it's better to have the courts *finally* decide an issue rather than to have it linger on and on for ever ending conflicts they create) Alaska governor loses subsistence rights appeal Wednesday, September 24, 2008 http://indianz.com/News/2008/011017.asp An Alaska Native subsistence rights case that Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, app

It really is amazing how Non Indians think they should be part of the Cherokee Nation

Published September 24, 2008 05:01 pm - THE PEOPLE SPEAK: Chief fights to preserve sovereignty and rights http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_268170134.html A response to William Austin and Jack Johnson message written on signs they were holding at the non-Indian freedmen protest in front of the BIA: It appears from what their signs said that Austin and Johnson would like for the Cherokee people to lie down, shut up and give up their sovereign rights to the U.S. government. We thank the Creator that we have a principal chief who is fighting to preserve the historical sovereign rights of Cherokee people to determine their own citizenship criteria. Like our ancestors who fought and sacrificed for the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation, our chief has continued the struggle today. Chief Chad Smith’s efforts have benefited the Cherokee Nation and all Native American nations in this country. He honored his sworn oath and our ancestors when he fought for the Cherokee citizens a

Truth is...

(they *the United Cherokee Nation* consider us *outlanders* as traitors, since we do not live in or have moved from the 14 county area of the Cherokee Nation located in Oklahoma - the Freedmen even those living in Oklahoma outside this area will be subject to the same rules as the rest of us *outlanders*....) If participation were as it should be, where those of us who live under the governance of the CNO and must tolerate the corruption and abuse, we would be out-voting the Cherokees who live far beyond our borders and reach of these crimes. Again, I would not be having this conversation with you. However, outlanders tend to vote in greater numbers and in greater ignorance of the plight of we who live under the governance of corrupt leadership. They, joining with the disconnected residents here and the hangers-on who benefit from the corruption, those Cherokees who bear the burden are grossly outnumbered to point where they continue to vote in fewer and fewer numbers. As an outlander,

Ah, dissension amount the Black Indians

What's with all this whining about who is and isn't on the Congressional Black Caucus panel on the Freedmen? I was scheduled to speak last year and couldn't make it. I'm going this year and am not scheduled. So what? At least there is a panel and the issue remains before Congress and the American people. It seems to me what is going on is an effort to regain a voice by those who have been shut out of the process by their OWN choice to create dissension and division in the Freedmen movement. Eleanor "Gypsy" Wyatt and her gang of so called chiefs, Angela Molette and her so called Freedmen Nations and anyone else who is not behind the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Tribes just want their name in the limelight. Get over yourselves. (they're all descendants of slaves of former Indian families apparently) Wyatt's group wants federal recognition for the Freedmen separate from their tribal nations. She wants a casino. Molette is no different, although she

5 Civilized Tribe Freedmen advocate for only themselves

I’m a firm believer, when talking about injustices in the Indian Nations, you must speak about all the Freedmen of the respective tribes in the same breath. If you just speak of one Tribe, then people won’t know that four other Tribes are practicing the same injustices toward their Freedmen. At the same event where I talked to Dan Boren, my state representative, Kenneth Corn, approached me, and, asked, if the Choctaw Nation was doing the same thing to their Freedmen as the Cherokees. He appeared to not know because all he has been hearing about is the Cherokee Freedmen. I don’t like the way this whole Freedmen issue has been handled from the beginning. I thought when Congress found out how taxpayers monies were been used by the Five Tribes to discriminate, they would prosecute all of them at the same time. It should not have mattered if Marilyn Vann had an ongoing lawsuit in the Cherokee Nation. I think Congress should have branded the issue as Freedmen issues of the five Tribes instea

Black Indians

( hmmmm , Black Indians apparently already have their own tribe - they just need federal recognition - the Congressional Black Caucus should address this issue as well or are they going to blend them all into the Tribe each group is located near? The simpler solution would be to just grant these folks their own recognition and let all the freedmen, regardless of where they are located, join them as well. They're on the road apparently with a State Recognition here as well according to their web site. This issue is really much much larger than just a Freedmen issue of the Five Civilized Tribes - so would we dare suggest that the Congressional Black Caucus should address all these folks as well or would that be opening a *can of worms*) http://www.blackindians.com/ Who they are: The Word Binay means Strong Stone. The Word is also the pronunciation for BlackIndians & Intertribal Native American Association The Word was adopted by this tribe to express who we are. A Native Amer

Choices

We don’t need government to make our choices (look what's going on in Wall Street and the Feds now - economic collapse) Joe Martin • published September 18, 2008 12:15 am http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880917051 Tribal government needs to abandon the practice of paternalism. Tribal members, not tribal government, are the best ones to make certain decisions that affect them individually, but that’s a concept tribal government continuously fails to grasp. We saw a proposal from Wolfetown Rep. Susan Toineeta which would make serving alcohol illegal (currently only the sale of alcohol is banned on tribal land). That didn’t work during Prohibition, and it won’t work now. Most recently Principal Chief Michell Hicks vetoed a referendum to allow the sale of alcohol in the casino, based upon his own personal disapproval of alcohol use. Where does it end? To these elected officials: Why stop there? How many children are born out of wedlock? How many tribal members

Whatever happened to the Black Hills money?

A Story Dying to Be Told By Tim Giago ( Nanwica Kciji ) © 2008 Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. September 22, 2008 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-giago/a-story-dying-to-be-told_b_128073.html When Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch took a shellacking in the world of high finances last week many leaders of Indian tribes were hot on the phone lines to their brokers and money managers. I wonder how many of them will relay the information of their financial losses to their tribal members? Because of extreme secrecy it's hard to determine how much money was lost by the Indian nations particularly to those tribes with rich casino operations, but you can place one sure bet on this fiasco; if they played the market they lost. On July 31, 2008 the money in the interest bearing accounts of the tribes involved in Black Hills Settlement Claim, Docket 74B, was at $815,616,678.20 and the money invested in the Docket 74A account was at $113,193,512.73. If you combine

we haven't learned anything in eighty years

Will Rogers on Banking and Wall Street: "I guess there is no two races of people in worse repute with everybody than the international bankers, and the folks that put all those pins in new shirts." Aug. 26, 1932 "The bankers just got a good cussing by everybody for loaning too much money. Well, they got some awful nice buildings. So when a banker fails, he fails in splendor." DT #2345, Feb. 7, 1934 "If a bank fails in China, they behead the men at the top of it that was responsible...If we beheaded all of ours that were responsible for bank failures, we wouldn't have enough people left to bury the heads." Feb. 6, 1927 "You can't break a man that don't borrow; he may not have anything, but Boy! he can look the World in the face and say, "I don't owe you Birds a nickel." You will say, (if everyone stops borrowing) what will all the Bankers do? I don't care what they do. Let 'em go to work, if there is any job any of the