Why Treaties Matter | NPR

The U.S. has ratified more than 370 treaties with American Indian nations. Yet many Americans know little about the these legally binding treaties, that shaped, and continue to impact, the country today.
"They're not rights given to native nations, they're native nations by and large giving rights to the United States," says Jill Doerfler, an associate professor of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
NPR’s Story Lab project Inter(Nation)al traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to the National Congress of American Indians to talk with tribal leaders, scholars and people in the legal field about these foundational, living documents.
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[@at330606]

I just experienced a shift in my perception of the world I live in.

[@GrantSimons2]

You're not going to go back. It's something very emotional you just sit with for the remaining existence.

[@Dallas4433]

YAS 🔥🔥🔥

[@jillfredenburg]

This was an important and informative reminder to keep these issues at the forefront of my mind

[@thorisbc]

I love the comment, "If you don't like the treaty, then give us our land back." Any non-native person that complains about native American's attempts to hold the government accountable to its treaty obligations, needs go back to where their ancestors came from. Drop off the deed to any land holdings you might have and don't let the door smack you in the ass on the way out.

[@ThePooper3000]

Good luck taking it back. Treaty or no treaty, indigenous or non-indigenous, if you don't have the force of arms to claim land, then you have no claim.

[@derekbedard909]

@@ThePooper3000 The UN actually enforces these kinds of laws now so they obviously can not get rid of non-indigenous but can enforce treaty especially if the US government gets sued

[@ThePooper3000]

@@derekbedard909 Perhaps. But I doubt that the American government would care about what the United Nations has to say about Native treaty rights. However, the American government respects the word of its Supreme Court. And it would seem that it has taken a more favorable bend towards Native treaty rights due to the influence of Neil Gorsuch. Gorsuch worked in the Tenth Circuit before being nominated to the Supreme Court, and its jurisdiction covers a lot of Indian country, so he has had more exposure to Native issues. Most of his colleagues are from east coast, where there is comparatively less Indian country than in the West.

[@hcn6708]

@@ThePooper3000 Breaking the Constitution is cool to you ig

[@ThePooper3000]

@@hcn6708 Cite me the specific sections and passages of the Constitution that I'm breaking, and explain to me how I am breaking it.

[@melissafreeman7416]

The US needs to renegotiate treaties seeing as how they don’t actually have most lands of this nation because they broke and/or violated all from their ends.

[@RSKLove]

The Third Reconstruction is coming. Let’s make it happen. Spread the word.

[@troywest7045]

Are the natives going to pay back all those people who lost money in the illegal native casinos? Are natives going to start living under the same laws as everyone else? I'm all for ending all treaties and everyone treated equally, how about that?

[@fiikahlo]

Enjoyed being educated, helps to understand better even though I'm outside the situation in Europe. Thank you ❤ strength and love to the people fighting ❤❤❤

[@RSKLove]

I appreciate that you acknowledge that it is in fact a fight for absolute sovereignty.

[@ellynlandreth1396]

Wonderful resource!

[@jamesgrant3832]

SURE IS! 4 THE INDIGENOUS PPL

[@johnhenare2409]

Beautiful and heart felt.... 'continue to remember the promises'..a great end

[@Dano19901000]

Canada and the USA are nations for everyone unlike the racist native nations.

[@bigpicturemediacompany2412]

Great video!

[@andy118111]

Love this video. At my community college (Chabot) they have an Ethnic studies class on Native culture and history. But unfortunately no instructors to teach it. I really want to take it!

[@kortswork2755]

Nicely done!

[@umbrah]

I always used to think... what was the point of "treaties" when people just turn around and go against their word. And to hear about how groups that have a true interest in the agreements are the ones who breathe life into these words and send these reminders of what these words mean, even if other parties have ulterior motives and mal intentions; even superpowers would want to uphold maintain some kind of reliable reputation. Even then, I still feel like honor is a bit of a facade to some.

[@tarriegibson1193]

My Ancestors were treaty signers and I feel very strongly about what that means and the fact that I shouldn't have to ever be forced out or priced out or gentrifide out of the same lands as my ancestors for thousands of years have lived and died for. Yes died for! And I won't forget and neither should others...😊

[@kiss1421]

Is there a treaty that America has not broken

[@levikylie]

The Antarctic treaty !! I think ? Lol

[@mrgoomy299]

I had to watch this in school today

[@jrewing5886]

The key words here are: Manifest Destiny. Locally known as Eminent Domain. Taking that which does not belong to you for the supposed reasons of bettering or enriching another culture. Yeah, whites pretty much thought this was a slam dunk. Sign this. Sign that. Yet, in the hundreds of years since, no single treaty has ever been shown to be true....... Or honest....... 🌾

[@jrewing5886]

@Jay Ocq Your statement is bullshit

[@tijaanimayers5605]

Sis, got they ass together real quick! “ if the treaties, don’t matter, give us the land back” 😳😳 😂🤣😭

[@nateundersin6186]

The treaties need to be fought for forever 👍

[@Dano19901000]

Yes what a great way to divide people.

[@biboonnang]

👍🏼💯

[@Azishome]

I have preached since the 1970s, when the so-called concept of Pan-Indian slid into the concept of Native American, that our peoples and our tribes need to continue to use the language of the U.S. Constitution, that we are in fact Indians. If we do not continue to push the concept of being Indian people and go by the designation Natives, then the U.S. government could unilaterally ignore or cancel the Indian-related programs, services, regulations, and legislation by saying, "Well, there are no more Indian people." If I recall, the Pan-Indian concept was also pushed by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii in the hopes of somehow including Hawaii natives in federal Indian legislation, a move that could well dilute the funds, purposes, and intents of federal obligations to Indian people and tribes. Were we to lose our distinct designation as Indian people, then we could lose our special relationship to the U.S. government. In the 1970s, the Australian Aborigines of Queensland lost an Australian court case in which they could never recover their lands. I visited with an Aborigine man who was devastated by that court decision. They can't even re-visit the matter in the courts of the land because they, in certain matters, apparently have no standing to do so. The concept spoken of in this video, that in fact treaties are not intended to give comfort to Indian people, but are in fact instruments that give comfort from the tribes to the federal government, could collapse if the feds were ever to say, "Hey, you Native Americans have no Constitutional standing before us."

[@May-o21]

Thank you so much. I'm going to use this info for my California Indians class!

[@abdulrahmanraheem423]

What is a treat if only one party upholds it?

[@sciencetoymaker]

Wow. Everybody involved--well done!

[@yekceuewa2236]

Half the people was white and thats not okay if your skin color is white than you are white my people is red full blood

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

@@yekceuewa2236 No, that is not true at all. There is not one of the 573 tribes that go by skin coloration. Unfortunatly some still use blood measurement as was forced upon us by the US and the same as they did in Nazi Germany. We're not dogs or horses that can be bred out.

[@celinak5062]

And now there's another pipeline scandal, starting in Canada

[@chenydeniz3594]

Treaties go both ways ..

[@bearhandle81]

Ancestors

[@purebludmericans]

Where are the brown people...

[@55millionmonkeys20]

Presidential archer running light all clear

[@queentalktv9805]

I think this is wonderful I just wonder when will Descendants of Slaves also get documents treaties and rights to what was stolen from them?

[@jamesgrant3832]

We Are Those Indigenous people They Enslaved With The Africans... That's Where The Mixing Began!

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

Black people are not from here and have never established Nations of their own. You are citizens of the US, not Inherit Sovereign Nations of Turtle Island (American continent.) Your fight and our fight do align in that we are both mistreated and oppressed and seen by the "American" collective society as 2nd and 3rd rate people. However, you have to understand before the whites came in ships from Europe and before they brought you good black folks over from Africa to enslave, our governments were here for thousands of years previously and they remain today, however our governments are oppressed and belittled along with all the Indian citizens. Our fight is two fold, the restoration of our lands. Enough to actually build societies that can thrive and live good life's along with your fight, to be seen and treated as just as equal and important to other people who now reside with us on Turtle Island. Since you have no sovereign Nation here and only belong to the US Nation, there would be no treaties to be signed because treaties are only documents between Nations, not citizens. This in no way, belittles the oppression and disregard for honorable black citizens life's that we see in so called America. Black life's matter.

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

@@Dano19901000 Please don't ignore MY citizenship too. MY citizenship is one that pre-dates my FORCED US citizenship. It too is a sovereign Nation and I belong to the Mi'kmaq Nation that my ancestors belonged to since time immemorial. Your post excluded me and all other 573 tribal Nations that reside along with the US nation you are speaking of. The US nor any of it's citizens will EVER be able to take our nations that are thousands of years old away from us. The US would not be, if it were not by Indian treaties granted them their sovereignty. This is why we are Inherit Soverign Nations and the US is a granted sovereign nation (with "granted" being a lose term, as all treaties were forced upon us, or else we would killed) They knew that then, that's why they forced them upon us, and they know this now, and that's why treaties remain the supreme law of the land today. Our Nations will be here long, long after the US has fallen. Forcing US citizenship upon Indian Nation citizens into dual citizenship with them, was a direct act of genocide. It will one day be corrected and we will have a choice! On that day, I will become Mi'kmaq belonging only as my ancestors before me. No man has the right to deny me, MY nation.

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

@@Dano19901000 Welcome to my ancestral territory! No arguments are required my friend. I speak only in truth and fact. Nothing you just stated nullified anything I posted above and every word above, I provide proof and sources for if you would like them? Just let me know, I'd be MORE than happy to help you see all my words spoken were absolute truth. Even if some of them, you didn't like. There's no need to argue about who is native either. I have that already all detailed out in my discussions tab if your interested to read it? In case your not, the summary is simple: You and I don't get to decide that. Like a Mexican can't self identify as a US citizen, no one can self belong to an Indian tribe. That is up to the sovereign Nation. Only they can decide. YES! I am all for working together my brother, from across the seas! I am you're friend and I am your host. Welcome, welcome, welcome!

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

@@Dano19901000 Did you know states are sovereign Nations within the US nation, Maverick? Do think California has these "special rights" you speak of that other states do not, or does someone who lives in Florida have these "special rights"? We are not just 1 Nation here, Maverick. There is the US and the states and the tribal governments. This is the foundation and this was the agreement the US formed itself on. Do you not wish the US should continue being? Do you not understand that the US can only be because the original nations that are still and will always be here, grants it permission? The US and the founding fathers, agreed to these terms. These terms cannot ever be terminated. What are these "special rights" that you feel I have a Mi'kmaq citizen and a US citizen that you do not have as just a US citizen? If Russia invaded the US and forced the US to sign treaty that granted it permission to be sovereign here, and you kept it's citizenship, would you feel good if the Russian citizens demanded that you renounce your US citizenship and told you, you can't be who you are anymore,even if your governments made the agreements, and that you have to be Russian because they felt you had these "special rights"? How would that make you feel, Maverick?

[@lasha4585]

You guys need to start telling the TRUTH about your TRUE ANCESTORS!!!

[@codygeewin5166]

NATIVE INDEPENDENCE!!!!!!

[@N1nj4Sk1llz420]

I have a question. Were the British Settlers allowed to take our Keep Itemry and Keepsakes as well as the land? I swear some of these items they are producing may have been the items that the Native Americans owned.

[@jrewing5886]

Very good question. Under British Law, it would appear that their people were indeed confiscating and removing that which did not belong to them. You see, the British brought their law(s) with them, but forgot that our Native Peoples were not subject to them. Basically it was forced upon the people. Then of course, when the people ignored those laws, they were arrested, murdered, butchered, raped and driven forcibly off lands they had resided on hundreds of years before the supposed civilized British showed up. First it was the Spaniards. Then it was the Mexicans. Then the whites came. First, by the hundreds. Then by the thousands. Backed up by a military bent on killing all of us. Such was the time when our people were very nearly wiped off the face of the earth. .

[@Mark-ej4uf]

Andrea Carmen will give us legal cocaine again.

[@CryptoTruthAngel]

I heard somewhere that the native people negotiated rights for all people to have access to health care and schools, thats why Canada has a better welfare system than the USA I don't know if this is true, I tried to research, id like to know I get so angry by how many candians are so defensive about indigenous people of canda, they say oh they came from somewhere else etc... These people have been there for 10,000s of years, they were the first people to come to the americas and live on harmony with the land, that makes them native!

[@suesmothers4225]

I am a child of darkness treatie tribe baby on both sides tried to kill me very much grateful to survive through such trafficing

[@Merlin-ur1dz]

Treaty right what about If tribal authority has been use people permits as their resources what do about that and it belongs to the people that what going with us ?

[@joannchamness3194]

There should always exist a group of chiefs in the white house whilst the daily issues are brought to the attention of this Government. This Government should not be allowed to Ostracize the Indigenous Native American TRIBES. Especially since they have Treaties with Them.🕊️YaH, Elohim Adonai 🕊️ YHVHSHI 🕯️ Hallelujah Amen Amen 🕊️YHVH Yeshua 🕊️ Hallelujah Amen 🕊️💖🕯️💕🇺🇲

[@nativegrl77dances67]

my mom said every treaty ever known has been gifted by white men ... as we all know ... Broken Promises - and as some or most know, some Indigenous did the same to those they love, enslaved and mistreated... Black Indians

[@atpeace420]

Amazing how people think laws of other nations pertain to lands of other peoples- ridiculous

[@tclark2311]

Treaty is simply divisional racism ? you bang on about equality live it and learn to like it it’s as good as ur gonna get !

[@codygeewin5166]

NATIVE NATION'S!! NOT AMERICAN INDIAN NATION'S!! WE'RE NOT FROM INDIA!!! NOR OR WE "INDIANS" !! NATIVE PEOPLE AREN'T FROM INDIA!!!

[@yekceuewa2236]

@Logan Tracy Im full blood mvskoke and i dont think we should be focused on that small shit we is indians we have to deal with it mvto

[@D0nnyy]

Stfu nobody cares

[@jxwhit8]

uh ... no.... a lot of misinfo here. As a native... the reservation treaties are not the permissions given by the Natives to the US for land use to preserve the people and culture of Native Americans. It is the other way around. Reservation land is federal land and tribal government is not a sovereign. Tribal government is an incorporation... much like a city or State government with a few extra considerations (ie water and mineral rights, casinos, etc). Right now... there is a well documented criminal effort to traffic drugs and people through the reservation land... specifically in the SW. Keep in mind that the reservation system is unique to the USA. Although Canada, Australia, etc have First People reserves... they are not reservations as sophisticated or protective as the US. Mexico, Central and South America don't have Native reservations that remotely resemble what are in the USA or Aus,, Canada.

[@marlycemiller3191]

not one person talking looks Indian all I see are the ones that paid $5 to become Indian

[@odddity]

You're an idiot.

[@kylehagertybanana]

why is she laughing at the beginning? camera make a funny face?

[@tammiebroggins]

I'm a Native American I'm homeless and need somewhere to be

[@yekceuewa2236]

@Logan Tracy is you serious?

[@yekceuewa2236]

@Logan Tracy Are you full blood? if you not you really should have no say

[@yekceuewa2236]

@Logan Tracy Are you full blood though btw im full blood mvskoke creek

[@yekceuewa2236]

@Logan Tracy then my do care so much nobody listens to us we wanted the Washington Redskins to change their name did not happen neither getting Andrew Jackson off the 20 dollar bill its fucked how we treated on our own land

[@theresahickey3197]

Let me stand corrected if I'm hearing right what you're saying is a treaty is a Native American are Indian people's Constitution so another words we are the original landholders and these treaties gave the colonists the right to have their to formed there colonists correctly and when they didn't honor these treaties which was our constitution wouldn't that make that a crime if colonists built thier up and coming origina Society off our original first treaty that was signed with us wouldn't that make it a crime of the colonists Constitution and as of a our constitution couldn't tribal laws be applied yet old way laws ????????

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

Of course. The US is guilty of many crimes when it comes to Indian Nations. Not just not by honoring the treaties but the way they forced and tricked the tribes to sign them. If I took and locked you in my closet and starved you out and told you that I'd let you out if you let me have sex with you and keep you in a larger room, would that make it ok just because I had you sign a paper with you saying it was ok? Of course not! I'd be guilty of kidnapping and rape. No matter what papers you signed. That's what the US gov did with the treaties. Non of our tribes said, yeah sure, you want all that land and we'll keep a tiny spec over here, sure, here ya go hahaha. They starved us, outright killed us. Payed their citizens to take our scalps and many other forced removal efforts. They are all fraudulent based on crimes against humanity. The US list of crimes against us would be very, very, very long with the greatest of them all, mass genocide. "America" itself (along with all other nations founded on colonialism) is a crime. It's a fraudulent Nation. This is why it has no morals or ethics and why it just promotes itself to be something it will never actually be capable of being....ever. It's a literally a country founded on white supremacy and mass genocide and slavery. It will never be great. It can't even hope to be subpar one day. It is and forever will be a hindrance and a drag down on humanities state of being. It's cost us thousands of years of human moral progress and an elevated state of humanity.

[@jackdawson4600]

Jewish people? Egypt is their holy Land. Mohammed’s people? Palestine and wherever Else Saudi’s approve

[@D0nnyy]

Nobody cares about the Middle East what does that have do with anything

[@Dano19901000]

Truly sad that Canada and USA are nations for everyone in the world who lives here while the Indians so called nations are for them alone. Its time for everyone to live and work together and stop this foolishness. Especially hilarious that you have people whiter than a ghost claiming to be native to get "extra rights"

[@robertleemayo6535]

In the children of Cain and The Offspring of ham teach us the word became flesh meaning the Holy Spirit soul and body

[@BaraJFDA]

That's a trash dogma that justifies white supremacy, culture genocide, land theft, and slavery. Keep that shit to yourself. Indigenous People don't need your foreign influence.

[@bgrzesiak5996]

This proves the saying, "Freedom isn't free." It's not just about those who fought in our wars. These treaties must either be honored or paid back. Native peoples are owed it, just as reparations are due to: Japanese who's land and businesses were taken away when sending them to concentration camps all around the country, descendants of slaves who lost over a century of generational wealth from Jim Crow and general prejudice, from Chinese descendants who built much of the country and were then subject to the Exclusion Act, Central and South Americans who come here at the behest of farmers and businesses to toil in their fields and factories, etc, etc, etc. Not to mention the prejudice against Poles, Irish, Italian and other nationalities who were treated as 2nd class citizens.

[@jackdawson4600]

If you are born a water drink? That’s Saudi water!

[@tammiebroggins]

I'm a Native American I'm homeless and need somewhere to be

[@zayax.]

come over