Thread by @PepePierce

The presidential forum on native issues, organized by @4directionsvote is streaming here: vimeo.com/fourdirections…

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson speaks of atonement in her introductory remarks. First question remarks on Ft. Laramie treaty, and the Cheyenne River reservation. How will the US remember?

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson Second question about #MMIW, homelessness, and systemic economic injustices, Williamson uses "intersectionality" to respond. "Problems are symptoms of deeper societal breakdown, which require spiritual healing and renewal."

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson Third question re: healthcare, esp. mental health. Native Youth are 1/3 of suicide deaths; 1/4 suffer from ptsd. How would you address? Williamson responds: we have a crisis of mental healthcare, but we must go deeper. We have to address the insanity of the entire social order.

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson Mentions not just geographical, but "spiritual displacement". When Euro settlers came to this place, what they needed was what they destroyed. Connection to land, higher power and God. Now Euro Whites need to ask NA for guidance in restoring spirituality.

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson Fourth Question, re: criminal justice and policing. NAs are most likely to be killed by police, entanglement of Federal and juridical procedures. How to tackle? Response: proposes unveiling a US Department of Peace.

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson proposes "Ancient modes of healing and repair" rather than white euro mode of repair. To ask how is repair best done for your people.

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson Q: how will you ensure sacred sites are protected? A: we continue to prioritize profit over cultural respect. Their time is over. I will not compromise.

@4directionsvote @marwilliamson Q: reparations for NA, such as returning sacred land, resources, protecting religions, tribes prefer to restore treaties and homelands. How does this fit with plans? A: reparations not the same as Black Americans. NA is more complicated, has to do with treaties broken,

reparative measures are more like "a chain that has a lot of knots, you have to undo it". (LOL metaphor?)

She has no idea what intersectionality is.

Q: equal voting access. tribes lack access. how will you ensure access on reservations w/o litigation? A: references voting rights act, then 2013 supreme court decision and dissent by RBG. (ok this is a mess, but I think she's saying she'll direct attorney general accoringly).

Concludes by calling for "deep and powerful repair work". President's consciousness matters; DT didn't create the deeper problems, the deeper problems created DT. He will be defeated by a phenomenon of equal power, an uprising of consciousness among the American people.

CONTINUING ON THIS THREAD, next up @ewarren

@ewarren Warren introduced by @Deb4CongressNM: references MMIW, @sharicedavids, Native Caucus, allies in congress, Indian Country and education, health care, infrastructure, land and environment, Chaco Canyon, Bears Ears, entrepreneurship, broad band internet...remove the stain act.

@ewarren @Deb4CongressNM @sharicedavids Haaland focuses on MMIW and violence against women act, moving toward self governance (this has taken up more than 10 minutes, and I'm wondering why...) NOW it comes: announcing Warren's Honoring Promises proposal.

@ewarren @Deb4CongressNM @sharicedavids Haaland now going on 20 minutes, asks audience for questions to her. Q: inaudible; A: trying to infringe on rights to protest. when you have voice in public office, you can advocate for our right to protest.

@ewarren @Deb4CongressNM @sharicedavids Haaland's intro was 25 mins, now to @ewarren, who Haaland describes endorsing: "she personally helped get me elected to congress". Beyond policy plans, "we share perspectives on how we see the world". "some media folks asked me if president's questions of ancestry will hurt her"

*No mention of Cherokees who question EW's ancestry. Haaland shifts convo to Warren's plans.

Now to @ewarren. starts with MMIW, suicide, funding for healthcare and housing. businesses on tribal lands, leaders who serve, message from Indian LIKE ANYONE WHO IS BEING HONEST WITH THEMSELVES I AM SORRY FOR HARM I HAVE CAUSED.

@ewarren So that was an apology...

@ewarren We need to honor treaties, this will take "big structural change". Full funding for housing, health care, infrastructure, those are not optional. We need to change the rules. Gov't to gov't relations are not optional.

MMIW. This is a crisis, and tribal sovereignty and funding is not an option. Three times: big structural change.

Q: law enforcement, severely understaffed. what steps will you take? A: two parts: sovereignty and respect; plain old money. We have to put resources in so tribes can keep citizens safe.

Q: criminal justice and MMIW. DOJ says 10 times more likely to be murdered; 4/5 Native women experience violence. And yet invisible. What will you do to seek justice? A: refs Violence Against Women Act, expanding to include NAs. That bill has lapsed. Other part is: invisibility.

"a problem that is not seen is a problem that is not fixed." Fed Gov't needs to collect data and make it public; tribal sovereignty needs to provide first line of defense. Community members need to be there.

Q: If we don't speak for ourselves, no one will speak for us. Coushatta tribe and federal re-recognition. DNC, to have discussions, we hope you take our message. Who will protect, defend, honor, best interest of NA citizens? Ok, now, reconstruction. 2.5 billion is BIA budget.

So...the question is about reconstruction. Ref Iraq and Afghanistan. Sioux wars. Not one dollar to reconstruction to tribal nations. What will you do? A: shifts to budget, as example of values of US. Until US honors treaties, cannot move forward.

"I'd like to start with the US gov't honoring its current trust and treaty obligations in full" and see how far that gets us. Bigger programs that will reach a lot of people in and out of Indian Country. wealth tax, universal pre-k, raising wages for childcare workers.

Q: I asked you about your personal history; scott brown; you told me your story. I urged you to tell your story: From here forward, quotes Michelle Obama, STILL no ref of Cherokees critiquing EW, its as if they think only DT critiques Warren.

Q: Resource extraction.
A: 1) Tribal gov'ts should control what happens on tribal lands. 2) I will revoke the permits for the pipelines. 3) structural change: I want to say on all federal lands near tribal reservation lands, require tribes make informed decisions before feds.

EDITORIAL NOTE: DAMN, YALL, what hero worship. Ask a hard question???

Q: tribal lands are foundations of tribal sovereignty. how will you uphold treaties.
A: Gov't to gov't relationship. Have to work with congress.

Q: Lumbee tribe. Housing, HUD. What can you do to fully fund housing for Natives and Native veterans?
A: Tells family story about military service.

THESE ARE NOT QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRE ANYTHING MORE THAN A YES OR NO. Will you honor a promise? Yes, she says. Ok fine. But, what will you do to eliminate the problem in the first place?

Q: Re voting rights. how will you ensure equal access?
A: stop voter suppression.

AGAIN, THESE ARE SOFTBALL QUESTIONS, allowing EW to express anger without actually spelling out anything concrete.

The tone of some of the questions was laudatory before even being posed, and then, also, dismissive of Cherokee people's critiques of EW. We are the ones who are affected by her claims to Cherokee heritage, and it is an issue of sovereignty for us.

For those of you following along, you may have guessed that I am not pleased with Warren's performance. On the one hand, she apologized--vaguely. But on the other, she did not name the harm she has caused or have to provide detailed answers beyond yes/no.

I'm going to take a break for now. Will be back later. You can follow @justicedanielh, @rebeccanagle and @pollysgdaughter for other Cherokee perspectives.