American Indians to Hold Capitol Protest, Deliver 90-Page with 8,000 Signatures Against OK Governor
OKLAHOMA CITY— On Monday, Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry will take a protest to the Oklahoma state capitol between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and deliver a 90-page petition with some 8,000 signatures to the governor’s office.
The protest will be held at the North Plaza of the State Capitol in downtown Oklahoma City.
Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, a group of Native parents and their allies from across the country are calling on Governor Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma government to recognize the racism and discrimination in Oklahoma and do something about it.
Apologizing for the pain caused by mocking Native American culture is not a solution. We feel attacked by the Oklahoma state government under Fallin’s administration for being American Indian.
“Mary Fallin and her staff are more worried about the way they are perceived by the dominant society of our world at large. By her actions, and those of Christina Fallin, I think that Mary Fallin and her family are clearly apathetic about Native Americans. The Fallins are being cruel in many regards to fellow human beings. Fallin and other legislators ignore our rights as citizens to important governments in the borders of this state by circumventing those rights. My ancestors who survived the Trail of Tears, singing hymnals in Cherokee, also brought our citizenship rights with them. The state government has turned its back on communicating with the Tribal Nations here just like some of the fellow “Christians” did by spitting at my ancestors. Mary Fallin backed the removal of a Cherokee child from the capable and loving family God blessed her with, that’s not Christian behavior. Why didn’t Mary Fallin call attention to Custer County after the killing of a Native teenager? This is a call for reckoning on a dire situation. It is time for us to come together and fix what discrimination is destroying. It is important enough for EONM to get permission to demonstrate on the North Plaza of the Capitol with our many allies on Monday during lunch hours.” – EONM member and Cherokee-Muskogee Creek writer Jennie Stockle.
In just over two weeks, EONM has gathered 8,000 signatures from Oklahomans, Native Americans and Americans nationwide. EONM members will be presenting all the signatures gathered to Governor Fallin’s office. EONM requested a meeting with the Governor on May 9th so they could point out problems face to face, but we were told it would be a few months before she was available to schedule a meeting.
EONM is also calling for an increase in knowledge by adding a Native History and Cultural curriculum mandate. In fact, Oklahoma already financially provides some wonderful Native History and Culture curriculum in their growing home study schools that use Calvert Academy. However, public ally followed projects like the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum are failing due to the apathy of state leadership on such an important collaborative project that involves educating the public about Native Americans. Native American Tribal governments can formally turn to a single person in Oklahoma, a Native American liaison. We find that lack of formal communication avenues in a state that boasts the second highest Native population shameful.
“There has been a breakdown in the relationship between the Oklahoma government and the Indigenous nations since Fallin took office. We’ve seen the end of the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission and as a result we now have local and state government officials trying to attack and ignore the sovereign rights of our native nations. For example, Fallin’s involvement in the Baby Veronica case that clearly violated the sovereign rights of the Cherokee tribe to have a say in the adoption and custody of Veronica Brown. The fact that her daughter, Christina Fallin, continues to disrespect Native people is just a testament of Fallin’s attitude towards Oklahoma’s Indigenous people, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. What Fallin needs to remember is that the Native nations of our state contribute billions to our state’s economy and provide close to 100,000 jobs. We are not as powerless or invisible as she believes we are.” – EONM member and Native Max Magazine Managing Partner, Johnnie Jae.
Our petition calls for big changes, but it is only to return to a less extreme environment politically and to help repair the lines of communication and the relationship between the Oklahoma government and its Indigenous people.
The goal is to build a better future for all the people in the state of Oklahoma and that begins with holding Fallin accountable for the damage that she has allowed and perpetrated.
I believe it is time to unite the many tribes across the land and march on state and federal agencies, to remake the governing of this, our homelands, and once great nation to once again be Of, By, and For The People!!!
There is a saying “Ignorance is bliss?” I think we have allowed this Governor time to bliss, however without this politician, Governor Mary Fallin’s knowledge she and her family have just blown onto an existing glowing amber in allowing the First American Indian/Native American spotlight on the World Center stage for total recognition of the contributions that have been made by we the aboriginals whose inherent rights predates the dawn of civilization. Quoting Felix Cohn “Perhaps the most basic principle of all Indian law, supported by a host of decisions, is that those powers which are lawfully vested in on Indian tribe are not, in general, delegated powers granted by express acts of Congress, but rather inherent powers of a limited sovereignty that has never been extinquished.” This Governor Mary Fallin issue could also bring about Pan-Indianism — a gathering of Nations during the upcoming economic chaos being predicted on Internet. For the past 300 hundred years all tribal nations have been separated and have allowed this to happen, especially now that according to the Last Real Indian website, an article entitled “We want your Land! Obama and the Tribal Nations Conference” by Matt Remle. Governor Fallin may just be one wake-up call to the sleeping First American Indians. Let’s look at the bigger picture e.g. the HEARTH Act and the Protocol Guidelines giving BLM and the American Indian International Office overseeing President Clinton’s Executive Order on Consultation with Tribes. There is a lot of work to be done together perhaps beginning with NCAI.
after all the years of civil rights why cant we get it right im a native im all for equality for all races every race should be proud of who they are lets do away with polictial correctness please