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- By Levi Rickert
Opinion. During the spring of 2016 as Donald Trump kept winning Republican primaries and it became clear he would be the nominee, a former Ottawa tribal chairman told me at an Indigenous food sovereignty camp that America deserves Donald Trump. He referenced the mistreatment throughout the history of our people. He said America deserves Donald Trump.
Of course, Trump went on to become president that year.
During his administration, Indian Country did not fare well. His budgets year after year proposed reduction for the Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), among other programs.Trump proposed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid Expansion which provides health insurance coverage to American Indians and Alaska Natives no matter where they live. And, of course, Native Americans had to continuously hear him refer to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as “Pocahontas.” Most Native Americans I know found this insulting and inappropriate.
To all of America, he was twice impeached and demonstrated ineptness when dealing with Covid-19 pandemic that led to over one-million American deaths. He kept telling Americans, it would just go away. Before leaving office, he wanted his vice president to invalidate the election won by Joe Biden. Then he encouraged thousands to go to the Capitol where an insurrection against the United States occurred. When told his vice president was in danger, he said “so what?”, according to court documents.
This past week, this same Donald Trump won a second term.
After his victory this past Tuesday, political pundits were quick to say the Democrats need a complete overhaul. They need to perform an autopsy. Some of these same pundits were praising Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, the day before Election Day for conducting a brilliant campaign. Had she won on Tuesday, she would have been their hero.
For someone who only had 103 days to mount a presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris should be complimented for assembling a team that had her in the race — and even leading nationally — up until Election Day.
I give high marks to her, a highly educated Black/Asian woman, for her class and dignity of not responding when Trump called her retarded and desecrated her worthiness to be a candidate. Throughout the fall campaign, the rhetoric used against her was downright shameful. Some on the Christian right called her the antiChrist, as they did to Barack Obama back in 2008. Some of those so-called Christians even claimed she had the Jezebel spirit.
Yet, the vice president remained steadfast and seemingly ignored such insults. She kept her head up and campaigned with all of her heart.
The election produced the next president, who is undeniably a convicted felon who was given a “get out of jail” pass. Americans apparently don’t realize our lives are not a big Monopoly game.
For a man who knowingly defied the federal government by taking classified documents to Florida and created an insurrection against the United States, among many other charges that were not given the time of day because of Trump’s legal maneuvering will not ever be addressed in a court of law. Americans deserved better. This was justice ill served.
To be clear, I don’t think the charges against him were merely political. Just as I don’t think the charges against former Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) who was convicted for taking bribe money with a foreign nation. Wrong is wrong; criminality is criminality regardless of political party affiliation.
Even with all of his fallacies in moral character, Trump was legitimized by the media.
I’ll let the pundits unpack why a man who would not be given a second interview in corporate America could be elected president. I will allow pundits to figure out why 50.5 percent of Americans chose Trump.
As Native Americans, we have to deal with the reality of having Trump in office for a second term.
Frankly, the prospect of another Trump administration makes me very nervous given the Biden-Harris administration was the best presidential administration for Indian Country in history. From Biden’s selection of Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) to be the secretary of the Interior, to Biden nominating six Native Americans to be federal judges, among having more Native Americans in the federal government in key positions, to the unprecedented $46 billion-plus allocated to Indian Country, Native Americans benefited.
Just over two weeks ago, Biden issued an apology for the U.S. government’s role in Indian boarding schools. He acknowledged the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse our ancestors were subjected to during this dark history in American history.
While Native News Online recorded the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments for Indian Country, we as a publication will provide a watchful eye over how the second Trump administration performs in Indian Country.
Indian Country deserves a president who respects Indian Country.
Thayék gde nwéndëmen - We are all related.
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