This is a picture from 1948, when tribal chairman George Gillette wept after signing away the best of the reservation lands to the Corps of Engineers. They were paid a paltry sum for the land, denied mineral and shoreline rights, and promised a health care center that never materialized. Sounds consistent with our track record of keeping promises made with indigenous peoples, doesn’t it?

This picture has always stuck in my mind because it illustrates an important point: when we think of treaties broken before the ink was dry, or other consistent mistreatment of the Native American people, we tend to think of the US Cavalry dealing with people still living in tipis or earth lodges. As you can see, that isn’t so. My parents were alive when this last one happened…maybe some of you were as well.

I got the opportunity to work with Tex Hall again this week, who’s the chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes. I asked him about this health care center that was supposed to be built, and he indicated that Senator Dorgan actually pulled some appropriations strings to get the ball rolling. Like Chairman Hall told Senator Dorgan, this isn’t an appopriations priority…this is a promise. A promise made almost sixty years ago.

I can only think of a few ways in which I’m not proud of my country, and its broken promises are one of them. This is one that hopefully will be rectified in the near future. A promise should be kept.