Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - Gipp speaks at convention

Gipp speaks at convention

Aug 27, 2008 - 04:06:22 CDT

By SARA KINCAID
Bismarck Tribune

In Confluence Park in Denver, two rivers merge.

The park is down the street, toward the mountains, from the Pepsi Center where the Democratic National Convention is in progress.

At this point, it is possible to see Cherry Creek flow into the relatively calm waters of the South Platte, causing the waters to churn where they meet.

The United States and American Indian relations are like Confluence Park. UnitedTribes Technical College President David Gipp explained these relations in an address Tuesday afternoon at the convention.

"Every step you take across this great nation, every vista you admire, every city you call by its tribal name, was once Indian Country," he said in his speech. "We paid for our place in advance, with land and blood."

The South Platte continues flowing through the Platte Valley, accepting the water from Cherry Creek. But what water has done so easily, people have not.

Gipp urged people to remember the special status of American Indians in the country and all that it entails.

"Our rights as tribal nations to determine our destiny within our great United States should be protected and honored by our government." he said in the speech. "Our treaties with the U.S. are the 'supreme law of the land.' We are not just another special interest group trying to claim a share of the American pie."

Gipp is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. He has served as president of United Tribes since 1977. He spoke after Rep. Mike Honda of California and before Rep. Linda Sanchez of California in the afternoon. He reminded people that more support is needed for education, healthcare and law enforcement. In its existing state, it is substandard, he said.

"Our health care is a disaster," he said in his speech. "Our public schools need repair. Our law enforcement officers lack the resources to guarantee safety. People in the Green Zone in Bagdad may indeed be safer than citizens in Indian Country."

Recent Tribune stories illustrate some of these problems.

On reservations, it can be difficult to recruit qualified applicants to fill health care positions. Some Indian Health Services units started internship programs to recruit potential applicants. On Standing Rock, for instance, there are three psychology interns who started in August. They will help the two psychologists already covering the reservation.

Partnerships with reservations, tribal colleges and other educational institutions are providing more opportunities for American Indians to earn advanced degrees to take on administrative roles in public schools and provide graduates for hard-to-fill positions, like special education. These programs offer stipends and other financial aid through a federal grant program.

On or off reservation, communities are concerned about the academic progress of American Indian students on standards-based tests, which are used for the federal No Child Left Behind Law. In some communities in the country, American Indian students perform below average on these tests.

At Fort Yates Public Schools, for example, about a third of students are proficient in reading and slightly more than a quarter of students are proficient in math. In Bismarck, about two-thirds of the American Indian students are proficient in reading and slightly more than half of American Indian students are proficient in math.

There's a promise of more law enforcement officers on the Standing Rock Reservation as part of Operation Dakota Peacekeeper, which stepped up law enforcement four months ago. It is a federal program run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Gipp is a proponent of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Act, which provides federal funding for the tribal colleges. This law recently changed to include United Tribes and Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, N.M.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)

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Comments

to Jayhawk wrote on Sep 3, 2008 4:50 PM:

" It takes more than money to fix a problem, it takes common sense as well. And MANY would argue that there is a much higher "Supreme Law" of the land than a treaty. "

disappointed wrote on Sep 3, 2008 8:19 AM:

" If anyone has heard Mr. Gipp speak before, its pretty much the same ole song and dance! Mr. Gipp took this opportunity to tell america what is wrong with native tribes but offered no solutions or recommendations to get the native vote. "

University Of Kansas Jay Hawk wrote on Sep 3, 2008 7:35 AM:

" Hats Off to you President Gipp! You told the story like it is, very true! People hate to hear the real truth, but you quickly reminded them. Even the U.S. government is finally coming around stating they will fix some of those wrongs by giving us millions of the owed billions. Money will never fix everything, but if it will expand education and provide necessary services, then by all means we will use the money!

We can use some of that money to integrate race relations in the small town of Bis/Man. I have never known a town to have so much bitterness and hatred for Native Americans.

Ironically, these are the same people who benefit financially from the "Indians" during the International Pow-Wow, conventions, etc. They happily take our money as they have for years, but they continue to belittle and degrade our race.

Dr. Gipp your words are "Right On", the Treaties are the Supreme Law of the Land! Awesome Speech, way to go! Keep up the fight for Native Education! We, the UTTC Alumni have your back! "

Rita wrote on Sep 1, 2008 3:17 PM:

" Dr. David Gipp-Salute!! Your speech at the national Democratic convention only skimmed the surface of what is reality across this GREAT nation where Natives are assigned to reside. with the taking of lands with promises and treaties on parchment paper. How far would this go, If this same kind of deals were asked of
a NON-indian land ower, the buyer would be told to go, where there are no sno-balls right? All your hard work with Education being your passion and members of my family being alumni from UTTC, we are behind you 100%. kudos! word!! right on!! I do own land, I am dubbing it Obamaland!! "

da-trickster wrote on Aug 28, 2008 6:33 AM:

" o.m.g.........boy we do have alot of hatred among the human race......jus like the republiclicans to line their own pockets and not see the a simple answer the everyone problems. the republican party should be backing mr. obama.....another j..f.k. in the works and the whole world is waitin for this moment to happen..for the democrats do have a leader! and a leader besides a another(rolls eyes) horse blinded republican that does nothing in the house or senate! in fact...we do have noth dakota senators that take the floor with ease and people of your nature(halatibis) that are too smart for your own good! i dont think you could ever put yourself in someones shoes or fill someones shoes either that besides making comments to the world of how life and politics should be? hahahaha. you life must have a good story or you have a good excuse!......so please....stop reading and pray for soe common sense! "

Yo wrote on Aug 28, 2008 1:28 AM:

" Dr. Gipp being radical as ever... "

Halatbis wrote on Aug 27, 2008 10:38 PM:

" To Mamma Mia: Let me understand what are you are asking: what have the Republicans done to court the Indian vote/ support/ friendship? There are many ways to take this question. Is the Indian vote for sale? Their vote seems to be very heavily to Democrat politicians--do the Democrats offer something for that block of votes?
The Republcans offer free enterprise and individual freedom to succeed according to their talent and effort without government interferrence. The Democrat party believes in government running people's lives--they will decide who are favored--who win and who does not. They are he giver of all gifts.
Is this the discourse you wish to have? "

MamaMia wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:00 PM:

" Halatbis: You did not answer my question, and, as a former non-Indian UTTC teacher, meaning no disrespect, what, if anything, have the Republicans done to court the Indian vote? I'm looking for discourse here, not anger. "

To Halatbis wrote on Aug 27, 2008 7:22 PM:

" As a spouse of a former UTTC employee, I can say that Mr. Gipp is a very big Bush hater. Every college event that I went to (XMas party, etc) he spent time during his "feel good" speeches to the staff bashing Bush. "

Halatbis wrote on Aug 27, 2008 6:37 PM:

" To MammaMia: Gipp had 5 minutes whic is plenty of time to tell what Indian people need to better their lives; he took his opportunity before a national audience to tell America that they stole the Indian land. Way to go Gipp, lay the guilt trip on them-- again. But it can be fixed---just send money.
It should be abundantly clear by now that there are not jobs for all on the Rez---that means people need to go to where the jobs are---if they plan to work. This is the way it works. "

MamaMia wrote on Aug 27, 2008 3:44 PM:

" Halatbis: Mr. Gipp only had 5 minutes to give his speech. That is hardly enough time to lay out any kind of plan. What have the Republicans done to court the Indian vote? "

hugo wrote on Aug 27, 2008 10:06 AM:

" Halatbis;

i'm sure, should the republicans give Mr. Gipp the opportunity to address their party, he would seized the moment. giving American Natives a voice in the National Platform is completely unheard of, wow a first, and maybe were going to have a president with real VISION! "

Halatbis wrote on Aug 27, 2008 8:24 AM:

" Will UTTC Pres. Gipp address the Republican Convention also? I get the distinct impression that Gipp is a liberal Democrat and that the Indian people are a block vote for the Dems. As I read the text and analysis of the news article about Gipp's speech I see nothing but the same litany of problems we have heard for the past several decades. Gipp had the opportunity to lay a plan of action before the Convention to fix some of these problems--he failed to do that. "

Grumpy Old Republican wrote on Aug 27, 2008 8:14 AM:

" Big deal. Gipp has turned into a politician instead of being a true leader, just like all the other talking heads that make their speeches at the party conventions. Thank God for cable TV...I've been able to avoid watching the Democrat convention, and will also be able to avoid the Republican one that's coming up. Career politicians don't impress me. LEADERS do. And when a true leader turns into a career politician it's like that person dies and comes back as a lower life form. "

preserve wrote on Aug 27, 2008 7:25 AM:

" Treaty's ( law of the land) can be nixed, changed if needed to preserve the country ( USA). "

da_trickster wrote on Aug 27, 2008 5:02 AM:

" I think Mr. Gipp had hit the nail on the head with alot of native american problems concerning...just the native american people, in general. Reality always sets in as people do not understand that living on the reservation is very hard. Limited everything! Only working with what you have also has its share of problems. Obama is the right choice for native americans and Native americans support Obama, as the right choice for our people. David Gipp naturally said , what clearly needed to be said! We are proud that his individual could stand up before thousands and speak his mind. Native americans tribes should be very proud that we do have a voice and that it was heard! "

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