Socrates should have been a Chief

On Socrates:

Now to sum up what has happened so far, let's look at what we do know. We do know that BLM, BIA, DOI (interior), OST, and farmers (yes farmers too) are operating under the colors of Federal regulation. Whether farmers avoid contact with land owners until their 90 day negotiation period is up so that BIA will sign for them, or whether BLM leaves wide open the qualifications for people who will be exposed to sensitive information, it is all done under a Federal regulation, policy, memorandum, or just because "we've always done it that way."

That doesn't mean it is in the best interest of anybody; it doesn't mean it's done with malice aforethought; it just means that the result is what is so disastrous to Native People. And "results is what counts."

So before you jump all over me for opining on the state of affairs in Indian Land Resources, know this: I don't care who you are; I don't pretend to know why anyone would make such disastrous policy; I only know this: I can ask you these same things written in these previous entries (plenty more coming too) and you will offer me explanations, opposing views, "excuses", but no where will you tell me how the Native American populace feels about this.

You will tell me what your Tribal-member-employee will tell you, but where does your employee live? How much profit from the land does your tribal employee depend on for school clothes? (what are they a GS-07/09/11?) Tell me how many layers you as a policy-maker have to wade through to get to the real meat and bones literally living off the land? How many of you know tribal members who live without electricity, without running water, and still sweat every morning with fire from wood cut on their land? I know someone like that; don't call him naïve', for he is just as Socrates would describe himself. Socrates and this tribal elder, each would claim that a truly wise man would decide that which he didn't know, he wouldn't foolishly think he knew. In other words, if you don't know what the end result really is, is it really in everybody’s best interest to tell other people what you think the end result is?

Socrates made a claim that the greatest endeavor was to constantly question oneself. It was vividly illustrated when several of his young students began questioning statesmen in public forums. The stately men claimed to be very wise, as they were at the top of the political ladder, the art display, the agenda for rhetoric in the squares. Yet, when the politicians were asked what they knew of virtue, beauty and the common good (true politiks), they were left speechless. They claimed wisdom based on what they thought wisdom was. It may be true that if you have an answer already to a question, unless someone can read your mind, it is very likely that they may get the answer wrong. But, that is where true beauty lies. If we question our positions in relation to the questions posed of us before answering, we may see the common good. That is what politiks started out as--the search for what the common good was so that you could effect actions that supported the common good.

Beauty, virtue, and the common good come about as a result of our daily actions in our professions. So how do we affect a beautiful, virtuous, outcome for the common good of the lives of the people affected by our "professions?" That is the 64 million dollar question (split 1/3, 2/3 to be fair).

Now listen to this: how much action does a tribal land owner have to take to have his land surveyed? How much action does a tribal land owner have to take to have his land appraised? How much action does a tribal land owner have to take to effect an agricultural lease on his or her land?

The answers: None. None. And None, but the BIA will sign for them anyway if they don't sign. Doesn't that strike you as odd? Rather than uphold your integrity, BIA will sign an agricultural lease for you to get ripped off by an over-zealous farmer?

Now who else doesn't question the common good in that scenario? Only because it is obvious does not preclude any other programs from scrutiny. Your failure to grant the common good is no less obvious to the tribal people.

Do I question myself? Yes I do. I did ask myself, what am I doing to promote the common good for tribal people? Now you know the answer.

Next question is yours.


Hadji’s Cliff Notes: Don’t tell Tribal members you followed the rules, regulations, or policies. Instead, listen to them when they tell you the results are affecting them negatively. We don’t care what the rules say; we only know how your actions are negatively affecting our well-being. This blog is the result of my questions to tribal members, council members, land owners, and even federal employees in the BIA, BLM, OST, EPA, and FSA.