THE OPPRESSION OF THE CHUMASH PEOPLE; U.S. IS MORALLY OBLIGATED TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS

The oppression of the Chumash people; U.S. is morally obligated to bring Justice to the Native Americans



Conclusion

Chumash museum with artifacts, exhibits and drawings that portray all the facts of the native people live. When the Spaniards came here, the Chumash inhabited about 200 miles of the Southern California coast from Estero Bay to Malibu Canyon, including the Channel Islands. The Chumash was successful sailors, using canoes to get around. Though the Chumash have political support, they remain at odds with the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The sovereignty issue is at the heart of the dispute, mainly because it is a murky area of the law. Leading experts on Indian law say the general rule is that tribes are subject to federal law but not state law. “We are still advocating that the governor bring our tribe to the negotiating table," said Supervisor Gail Marshall, whose district includes the Santa Ynez Valley. "They have ignored us on a lot of important issues, and it may be quite simply that the tribe does not understand how to run a government (Bremans, 2005).”I have heard they are not viewed favorably in Sacramento, that they seen as one of the scofflaw tribes that have not taken a truly serious attempt to be a decent neighbor," Marshall said. Armenta's view is the opposite. People in Sacramento are using us as an example of how to get along with local communities," he said. Marshall's suspicions about a lack of interest by the tribe in renegotiating its agreement may be right, however. The tribe has said it has no interest in gaining rights to more than the 2,000 slot machines it already has, which is one bargaining incentive the state could offer. The Chumash Indians today represent 1% of the population they once were, and according to Graywolf the future is about education (Gore, 2006). The museum's Director, Alfred Panther hopes visitors will experience an understanding of how the California indigenous populations, such as how the Chumash, once lived. There were specialized craftsman and traders with a strong work ethic and a complex social structure, not animalistic savages, as history has Americans believe. The museum, in an attempt not to alienate the public, prides itself in educating the public through guided tours disclosing the myths about the ...