Some time ago, during a conversation with a non-Indian friend about corruption on Indian reservations, he said something to the effect, "We have corruption too, but you guys (Indians) are much more open about it." When I thought how brazen some tribal employees (staff, supervisors, administrators, and tribal officials) were (are) when committing unethical acts during working hours (and after), I had to agree with him.
Here is what one tribal member said about corruption on his reservation after returning home to work:
"... well after working on the reservation for a while, I found out differently. Instead, wherever I worked in [a] key position, I found corruption, nepotism, and contempt for authority and out right theft. I've always believed when a person even steals one penny from a tribal program, that person steals not from the program, but from each and every member of the tribe. Nothing is being done to correct the problems. Corruption, nepotism, and outright theft still exist. Our 'tribe' does nothing to protect the whistle-blowers. People still live in fear, and the outspoken people on this reservation are marginalized and blacklisted." (Turtle Mountain Times, June 25, 2007)
In her weekly column, Dorreen Yellow Bird had this to say about tribal members and tribal councils:
"Just before each election of a new tribal governing body, I have hope. I'm optimistic about our tribal leaders. After a few years, however, the ruts made by the previous councils turn out to be too deep, and the new council slips and slides for a while, then drops right back into those old ways again. We also need to look at ourselves as tribal members when we point the blame finger. We are as responsible for the successes and failures of the tribal government as is the government itself. After all, we voted them into office." (Grand Forks Herald 09/23/2006 Tribes, tribal councils need reform)
As Native Americans, we have strayed far from our traditional values, and have not fully accepted Christian beliefs either. This is why some of us may participate in traditional ceremonies, but not actually practice our traditional values of courage, honesty, perseverance, and generosity. Many of us who proclaim to be Christian practice Christianity like some non-Indian Christians do -- go to church once a week, and forget about Christ's teachings the rest of the week.
Actually, Christ's teachings and Native American values are remarkably similar. According to Charles Alexander Eastman, Dakota spirituality and Christianity was one and the same. From 1858 - 1874, Eastman, a Woodland Sioux, was raised by his grandmother until he was 15. He had first-hand knowledge of the life, language, culture, and oral history of the Dakota. He was then educated at Dartmouth and Boston University medical schools. This is what he said: "It is my personal belief, after thirty-five year's experience of it, that there is no such thing as 'Christian civilization.' I believe that Christianity and modern civilization are opposed and irreconcilable, and that the spirit of Christianity and our ancient religion is essentially the same." (p. 24, 2008, Eastman)
The biggest consequence of not practicing our traditional value of self-honesty is we cannot tell the difference between ethical and unethical behavior in ourselves. All our problems stem from this malady.
I will devote the next issue of our newsletter to this subject. If you are not on our mailing list and wish to be, contact us and we will put you on.
