Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

This letter was written in response to statements quoted in an article published in the Spokane Review, Monday, 3 Jul 2000. Immediately following are excerpts from the article, the path to the article is found in related paths, below.

Quote John Fleming: The Washington state Republican Party has passed a resolution calling for the abolition of tribal governments.

"We do not recognize them as sovereign nations, as governments," said John Fleming, the Skagit County delegate who was a main author of the resolution. It calls on the federal government to "immediately take whatever steps necessary to terminate all such non-republican forms of government on Indian reservations."

"We think it can be done peacefully," Fleming said. But if tribes were to fight the effort, "then the U.S. Army and the Air Force and the Marines and the National Guard are going to have to battle back."
Unquote

Quote Ron Allen:
"It's absolutely the reverse of what Republican principles stand for_ to protect all rights and to uphold the integrity and honor of this nation and all of the commitments it makes," said Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.

Allen is vice president of the National Congress of American Indians. A Republican, he was surprised to hear about the resolution approved June 17 during the Republican state convention in Spokane.
Unquote

To Delegate John Fleming,

        In regard to the resolution you authored calling on the American Government to abolish tribal governments, by whatever steps necessary to terminate all such non-republican forms of government on Indian reservations.

        A news story has you stating ..."then the U.S. Army and the Air Force and the Marines and the National Guard are going to have to battle back."

        What you have said and what you intend to do is going to be reported around the world. You clearly have plans for the native people of Washington state and those plans are for the destruction of even more human beings.

        You are a Republican party delegate and so you speak for that party in this matter. It appears plain to me and to many others who have read the news story concerning this concept that you would try to unleash American military force upon the citizens of Washington state.

        John Fleming, you underestimate the American Indian. You can not threaten humans with extinction without having it exposed to the world.

        Are you prepared to order in the military ? I bet you are. You willing to set Americans against Americans ? You clearly are.

        Why is that? How can a person holding such a position in the Republican party have such a racist mind-set? How did you come to have that position?

        This attempt by you to tear down the Indian Nations will just stir up a big mess for you. That is the certain result.

        I will do everything in my power to assure your comments about using the American military against American Indians is broadcast around the world.

James R. Burnes
Cherokee
Marina, California
E-mail: turtleheart@cs.com