[statecom] Re: Re: FW: native rights & casinos in M

Fri Nov 2 14:21:11 EST 2007

The most positive aspect of the manner in which Eli chose to bring up 
the matter --
communication with the parties concerned -- is being ignored.  Every 
serious
opportunity for party building must be engaged positively.  The 
response was an
invitation to contact Shaun Hendricks:  The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal 
Council.
I suggest that a delegation led by the co-chairs of the GRP request a 
conference
with the Wampanoag, and travel to Mashpee to discuss their wishes in 
the matter.
Especially addressing questions about their concerns without emphasis 
on ours.
This should be done carefully and only by people who are serious about 
the ability
of indigenous peoples to manage their affairs.

Games of chance are a substitution for theft.  Money moves from one 
place to another
in an absence of exchange or production of goods.  Money leaves the 
pocket of one
person and enters that of another with nothing being exchanged.  The 
idea of this as
a confrontation of the economic problems of employment to rebuild the 
infrastructure
from tax money, is not easily understood by the practitioners of 
"disaster economics."
But this is an issue for the people who properly are us.  Not for the 
Wampanoag except
as they wish to address a number of other concerns.  And perhaps they 
would be happy
at the idea of making their casino a unique instance in Commonwealth.
Elie Yarden

On Friday, November 2, 2007, at 12:44  PM, Mike Heichman wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I have been concerned with the casino issue and was hoping that the 
> party would take a stand against this. I must admit that my opposition 
> did not take into consideration all of the ramifications of this 
> issue. I applaud Eli's efforts to take the initiative and thank him 
> for being sensitive to the racial complexities of this issue.
>
> While supporting those who are raising concerns, I do object to 
> behavior which I want to describe as bullying.
>
> I urge Eli and others to move forward with their exploration. I hope 
> that the GRP will take a principled stand on this issue.
>
> Mike Heichman
>
> PS Please forward this to Adcom. I do not have posting privileges. I 
> also have sent this to statecom-discuss and request that further 
> discussion take place on this list.
>
>
> Eli Beckerman wrote:
>
>> Clarification -- the Green-Rainbow Party has not even been approached 
>> with
>> this issue.
>> "Might soon be taking positions" meant my intent to propose something 
>> for
>> the next State Committee meeting. Before proposing anything I wanted 
>> to see
>> what some indigenous perspectives might be.
>>
>> If I thought casinos were a sound way of lifting native populations 
>> out of
>> poverty and pain I wouldn't
>> object. I do have concerns about tribal sovereignty which is why I 
>> wrote to
>> Jamie. And I hope you are
>> not characterizing my concerns about casino gambling as concerns about
>> native people controlling their
>> own destiny or the morality/mental health impact on white folks. I am
>> concerned from the perspective of
>> the commonwealth -- the common well-being of ALL the people in this 
>> state.
>> This is garbage policy for us to depend on the regressive tax revenue 
>> of
>> gambling -- whether it's dog-racing, the lottery, or casinos.
>>
>> I do not see the Green-Rainbow Party as a typical left Party, but as 
>> an
>> ecological party -- meaning that my well-being is dependent on the
>> well-being of all the people in this state, and that true 
>> sustainability
>> is not about solar panels and priuses but about justice and equality 
>> as much
>> as it is about the environment and the earth's finite resources.
>>
>> Are you asking that I not propose anything, or that the Party not 
>> adopt
>> anything?
>>
>> Another reason this party isn't going anywhere -- the contempt we all 
>> seem
>> to express towards each other!
>> And I'm not kidding.
>>
>> In hope,
>> Eli
>>
>> On 11/2/07, gary hicks <gooberthink06 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> dear colleagues:
>>>
>>> do NOT speak to me again of building a green-rainbow party in this 
>>> state
>>> if this party signs on to the anti-casino coalition.
>>>
>>> gary hicks
>>>
>>> *gary hicks <watermelongreen2003 at yahoo.com>* wrote:
>>>
>>> Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 09:22:11 -0700 (PDT)
>>> From: gary hicks <watermelongreen2003 at yahoo.com>
>>> Subject: Re: FW: native rights & casinos in MA
>>> To: Eli Beckerman <elibeck at gmail.com>
>>> CC: Jamie Bissonette <jbissonette at afsc.org>,
>>> Chuck Turner <chuck.turner at cityofboston.gov>,
>>> gary hicks <watermelongreen2003 at yahoo.com>,
>>> David Ebony Barkley <blackindian_art at verizon.net>,
>>> gary hicks <gooberthink06 at yahoo.com>, mel king <mhking at mit.edu>,
>>> grace ross <graccross at aol.com>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *eli:*
>>> **
>>> *by what process was this decision arrived at? *
>>> **
>>> *this is a decision that involves the lives and livelihoods of a 
>>> people
>>> who have been here long before the white man with his concerns about 
>>> the
>>> morality of gambling, etc. -------- concerns by the way which never 
>>> saw
>>> zipshit the light of day as long as it was the white man controlling 
>>> the
>>> lottery, bingo, and other gambling arrangements. *
>>> **
>>> *it was only when a native people took control of their own economic
>>> destiny that white people suddenly became concerned about the 
>>> morality and
>>> mental health and addictive behavior, etc. this is called racist 
>>> hypocrisy.
>>> it is one of many reasons that the green-rainbow party is one of 
>>> many left
>>> parties that remains unable to engage with people of color in a 
>>> qualitative
>>> fashion that might actually lead to building something.*
>>> **
>>> *as for the linkage with massachusetts coalition for healthy 
>>> communities,
>>> i have yet to see any document or commentary where they discuss 
>>> anything
>>> concerning native peoples, and indeed their definition of public 
>>> lands seems
>>> to be something along the lines of fighting corporations in order to 
>>> keep
>>> the land ecologically healthy for white people.*
>>> **
>>> *in short, the green-rainbow party needs to NOT get involved with any
>>> anti-casino politics before talking to ALL OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED.*
>>> **
>>> *gary hicks*
>>> *south boston MA, suffolk county representative to the steering 
>>> committee*
>>> **
>>> **
>>> *Jamie Bissonette <jbissonette at afsc.org>* wrote:
>>>
>>> Can we talk about this. It is really upsetting that the GRP would 
>>> make
>>> this kind of move.
>>>
>>>
>>> ------ Forwarded Message
>>> *From: *Jamie  Bissonette <jbissonette at afsc.org>
>>> *Date: *Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:03:45 -0400
>>> *To: *Eli Beckerman <elibeck at gmail.com>
>>> *Conversation: *native rights & casinos in MA
>>> *Subject: *Re: native rights & casinos in MA
>>>
>>> Dear Eli Beckerman
>>>
>>> I do have thoughts on this issue—as a Native person (who is also a 
>>> Green
>>> Rainbow Party member) I have a well-developed perspective and would 
>>> like to
>>> talk with you. Many Native people in Massachusetts joined this party 
>>> when
>>> Winona was running for vice-president and I think the GRP should do 
>>> some
>>> outreach to its own constituency before they take a position.
>>>
>>> But, for starters, you should talk with Shaun Hendricks who is the 
>>> Tribal
>>> Chair of the Wampanoags. They will be most impacted by the Patrick 
>>> proposal.
>>>
>>> The issue is not Patrick's proposal or gambling in general it *is* 
>>> Tribal
>>> sovereignty. It would not be right or respectful for the GRP to take 
>>> any
>>> position without consultation and direction from the Tribe.
>>>
>>> Contact Info for Shaun Hendricks:
>>>
>>> The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council Building is located at:
>>>
>>> 483 Great Neck Road, South
>>>
>>> Mashpee, MA 02649
>>>
>>> Mailing Address
>>>
>>> P. O. Box 1048
>>>
>>> Mashpee, MA 02649
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Phone and Fax:
>>>
>>> (508) 477-0208     Fax (508) 477-1218
>>>
>>> Jamie
>>>
>>>
>>> Jamie Bissonette
>>> Criminal Justice Program
>>> American Friends Service Committee
>>> New England Regional Office
>>> 2161 Massachusetts Ave.
>>> Cambridge, MA 02140
>>>
>>> jbissonette at afsc.org
>>>
>>> 617 661 6130 x 120
>>> www.raisethewire.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/31/07 4:24 PM, "Eli Beckerman" <elibeck at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear Jamie,
>>>
>>> I don't know if you remember me from the D7 roundtable on Mondragon 
>>> --
>>> I was working on Jill Stein's campaign for Sec. of State. I am 
>>> currently
>>> working with Jill's non-profit called the Massachusetts Coalition for
>>> Healthy
>>> Communities (MCHC), and have also gotten more involved in the state 
>>> level
>>> of the
>>> Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) (I'm the new communications director).
>>>
>>> Both organizations might soon be taking positions on Patrick's casino
>>> proposals,
>>> and considering joining the emerging coalition opposing casinos in 
>>> the
>>> Commonwealth
>>> (www.casinofreemass.org 
>>> <http://www.casinofreemass.org><http://www.casinofreemass.org/>).
>>>
>>> Seems tricky to separate the policy stance from the rights of 
>>> indigenous
>>> tribes on this
>>> issue, and I wonder if you might be able to point me to an 
>>> organization or
>>> individual who
>>> is grappling with this dilemma. If you have any thoughts on the 
>>> issue I'd
>>> be very curious
>>> to hear them.
>>>
>>> Many thanks,
>>> Eli
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------ End of Forwarded Message
>>>
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Do You Yahoo!?
>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>>> http://mail.yahoo.com
>>>
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Do You Yahoo!?
>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>>> http://mail.yahoo.com
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> StateCom mailing list
>> StateCom at green-rainbow.org
>> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> StateCom mailing list
> StateCom at green-rainbow.org
> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom
>