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Garry Blankenship's avatar

Allowing sovereign lands within a sovereign land is without logic and more importantly without equality. I am fatigued from repeating myself but those historically abused and their abusers no longer live. If those claiming indigenous heritage are entitled to rights and privileges above all other occupants of the land via sovereignty, they should be treated the same as all sovereign lands. Why is it that there is no acknowledgement in this country for Caucasian heritage ? Why is it that heritage, real or claimed, matters ? I happen to be an admirer of was is wrongly termed Native American art. I am a native born American, but have no claim to indigenous ancestry.

The local coastal tribes in particular with their inspiring double images of a real image coupled with it's spirit image. Federal grants paid for by all those without any claim to indigenous ancestry are gifted to those with that claim indigenous status and then the non-indigenous must pay more taxes to provide the infrastructure used by the indigenous who do not equally pay their share. The altruistic image of a "Native American" using spears and bark woven fishing nets for sustenance is shattered when they use motor powered boats and equipment and nylon monofilament gill nets . This incongruence must be addressed. Native or non-native ? Why is one's ancestry rewarded, while another's is not in a society built on equality ? Sovereign is sovereign. In or out. Not both and.

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Jennifer's avatar

The younger generations of Native Americans do not speak the language of their ancestors (much to the dismay of the Elders) The younger generations gives lip service to, but do not practice the cultural values of their ancestors (much to the dismay of the Elders)

Slowly, everything Native is being assimilated into the modern world with little left of why the treaties were created. Everything changes and so should the treaties.

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MK's avatar
6dEdited

That's an interesting perspective I've seen mirrored in so many ethnicities. The elders tend to want to retain and teach culture, but the younger generation see it as not being hip because they want to fit in. The ostracization for not fitting in is powerful.

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Eric Fehrmann's avatar

One nation.

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Ixodes's avatar

No, many Sovereign nations, actually. Jeff's envy is growing. I talk about it here, with a suggestion for the City of PA or the County to take a lesson from the Tribe's businesses and buy the Mill: https://open.substack.com/pub/ixodes/p/the-contrarian-candidate?r=5b9x9x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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MK's avatar
6dEdited

In the early '80s I worked alongside and lived with the Yupik in Alaska. Aside from getting the same permafund checks every other Alaskan received they were the closest thing to living off the land I'd ever experienced.

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Jennifer's avatar

MK, go back to Yupik in Alaska now, even in that far reaching area, with more planes flying in goods on a regular basis, there is assimilation to modern times and conveniences. The younger generation has modernized as has the colonizers from our past.

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Robert's avatar

Even Nepal now has The Big Box crap foisted onto them.😱💰🎭

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veronica's avatar

100% in agreement. It has to stop

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Jennifer's avatar

What most people don't have, but can't live without is the cost of health insurance. Most have high deductibles with many areas of health care either not covered, or partially covered. Most live in fear that they are one injury or illness away from losing their assets.

Native Americans don't have health care concerns looming over the heads. WE cover that cost too.

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Robert's avatar

Unhealthiest modern nation on Earth...biggest expenditures...we don't have 'Health Care'...we have 'Sick and Getting Sicker (S)care'😱

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John Worthington's avatar

The BIA bill....

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Ixodes's avatar

I don't want health insurance; I want guarantee, affordable healthcare. Insurance is a corporate scam making all of healthcare more expensive. Jennifer, have you ever googled the health stats of Native Americans? They have plenty of health care concerns, unfortunately.

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Kathy's avatar

And if that's not enough this is from a 4/12/25 PDN article about the capital budget, which was unanimously approved and is now in the House.

"A $28 million line item is dedicated to the Jamestown S’Klallam Behavioral Health Center."

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Robert's avatar

Get our your 'fiddles'...Rome is burning!🔥😱🥸

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jeff swegle's avatar

The only way to keep clallam county affordable is to oust all incompetent commissioners.

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Eric Fehrmann's avatar

WA State Senate has prioritized $28,000,000.00 tax dollars to Jamestown Behavior Health. Our county hospital is underwater, partially due to poor management, so lets give our tax dollars to another nation. I'm flabbergasted.

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Lloyd's avatar

Wow. The corruption gets worse every year. Just paid my home taxes for the year. Its a comfort to know that they being spent wisely. They say if you cant beat em, join em. Think I will identify as a Jamestown Indian.

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jeff swegle's avatar

The only way in is to marry one,then you will be set for internity.

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Jennifer's avatar

My nephew did in Alaska. His kids are covered, he's not. If a woman marries a Native, she is covered for anything related to pregnancy, outside of that, she's not.

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Timothy Weller's avatar

No so, Jeff. You knew my brother, he spoke highly of you. You know his fate.

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jeff swegle's avatar

There is sarcasm in some of my comments like a lot of others.

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Timothy Weller's avatar

I understand, Jeff. I over-reacted; but marrying-in doesn't work for the odd-man out, even if he is from a different tribe. I am fine with your sarcasm.

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Jennifer's avatar

Sorry Lloyd, they won't take you. They like to keep their membership enrollment low so they can concentrate the wealth.

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Kathy's avatar

But if it gets too low they lose standing as a tribe, which is why they want to change their blood quantum rules. So maybe Lloyd will eventually be able to join up.

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Lloyd's avatar

I can say ey yi yi yi.

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Jennifer's avatar

Congratulations Lloyd, you have a chance at the monopoly, maybe in your lifetime.

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Nancy F Guinn's avatar

Everything seems to look rosey for Jamestown et al but how does that help Clallam County? It reads like great management but I didn’t see anything that improved Clallam County management. They just rely on increasing real estate costs to cover all shortfalls. The only other option they have is to cut down timber to bridge the gap which Trump is already trying to do in California?

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John Worthington's avatar

And at the gas pump, they tap in there too. Trump could really hurt them bad by stopping federal funding and opening the PX gas stations.

DALLAS – To improve the quality of life for military communities, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is introducing TOP TIER™ certified branded fuel at more than 180 gas stations on Army and Air Force installations in CONUS.

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Denise Lapio's avatar

Again readers, save and print this article. Jeff has laid out a step-by-step analysis of disparity in our community. I applaud success, and JKT is successful. BUT it took preferential treatment to attain that success. JKT's efforts have only been deemed successful because of taxpayer funded grants, obsequious favoritism from politicians, and unreprimanded rule/law breaking. If JKT had to abide by the same tax laws, fishing laws, federal, state, and local laws, then I would have more respect for the Tribe and its success. Thank you again, Jeff.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

You're welcome, Denise.

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Robert's avatar

Can anyone say 'Coup'?😱🎭🥸

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John Worthington's avatar

Not that clever. They are now busted. Their Charter with ICLEI to "build and serve", their website "oaths," ongoing NODC ,SERN, NOPLE and EDC action plans to create "compensation mechanisms' to punish "colonizers" to "heal a broken relationship" , and verbal declarations to the tribe have left a huge trail for Perry Masonite to attack in federal court.

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Mick Fearson's avatar

Great article Jeff... I've gotta say the one thing that sticks in my craw and has for many years is the tribe should either hand over to the state it's taxes they collect in it's name or stop collecting the tax. As shown by the numbers in your article, the tribe is not exactly hurting for the money. I wish I could say the same for our county.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

Thanks!

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Pepai Whipple's avatar

Too bad our county couldn’t do as well with our tax dollars. Oh that is because our tax dollars have to pay the tribe & the infrastructure they use for their growth & prosperity.

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CWeber's avatar

Wow......in the past 12 or so years they have given over 600k in political "donations". That alone says a lot.

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Jennifer's avatar

I said Wow too! And that's the ones we know about. Thank you MK ; )

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John Worthington's avatar

No wonder I am a #$%^%ing guest now...

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Jennifer's avatar

And not even allowed to sit at the table..you have to eat with the help

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John Worthington's avatar

They all should be $%$&&ing guests too. In a federal prison.

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John Worthington's avatar

They have this map showing this area for little or no use. What use there has been has been by the Tribe. It was quite cleaver of them to turn this place into a tribal park ,under the guise of a environmental pursuit all the while with a plan to create a "compensation mechanism" to punish "colonizers" for "heal bad relationship." Its a good thing they are self sufficient. They obviously don't need tax payer dollars from the BIA anymore.

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Robert's avatar

The commies are very clever...lots of practice. Shut up and pay Ceasar what is Ceasar's!😱🤫👀🤔

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John Worthington's avatar

Without me even given a chance to smoke on the matter, I have lost a treaty and opportunities here for racial and for ancestral purposes for issues that were supposed to be addressed by said treaty and federal agency we sunk trillions into in our lifetimes.

Thanks Jeff,

Good rundown on their second place finish and our third.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

Anytime!

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No One Important's avatar

Excellent revelations and research, Jeff. Thank you. In the seafood category, I noticed that their wanton salmon decimation wasn't listed, so I asked ChatGPT about how much salmon is caught by the Tribe. The answer: "The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe does not publicly disclose specific annual salmon catch figures. " Gee, I wonder why. It would not only be an embarrassment to them, but it would piss off people even beyond Washington's boundaries, as this is being subsidized by federal tax money.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

You're welcome, NOI.

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Alan's avatar

I thought it was the FEDERAL government that has Constitutional power to sign treaties and work with non-US sovereign governments governments.

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Robert's avatar

What Constitution?

In case we haven't yet smelled the coffee...'they' don't care because 'they' don't have to.😱🤪💰🎭😳🔥

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