Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:44:39 -0700
Reply-To: Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Cross Country Travel Tips Wanted
In-Reply-To: <D42A6F5D-3055-47C5-B7BC-D2470CB430C3@mac.com>
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dear potential camper on his way
camping on an indian reservation may or may not be a good idea ...
although this is a canadian perspective ... i think there may be some cross
over thoughts
let me start by saying this is one hundred percent my own opinion ...
i am also a half breed with no "official indian status"
where i live i am surrounded by reservation land ...
for instance did you know that every river mouth opening onto the ocean on
the coast of BC is indian reservation land
all except on which is lang creek ... (no idea why)
indian reservations often cover huge amounts of territory and are often
denoted by a sign on the periphery that says
welcome to the traditional lands of the XXMISS ... there are then some
general rules of conduct
This is so for lands which are both remote from dwellings and those right in
the downtown ... like Sechelt,
in most of canada there are treaties governing how the indians are to behave
toward white folk and how white folk are to treat indians
in alberta and bc this process seems to have come off the rails and in bc
especially there are only one or two signed treaties
poverty on a reserve can be absolutly astronomical /// ussually because the
indain as a person is non grata ...
only the band has a say on the lands etc...
and that is only at the will of the indian agent who is most often white
there is a great deal of centuries old anomosity amung bands and between
whites and indians (you may want to keep that in mind when approaching the
elders)
by camping on a reservation do you mean in the dwelling portion .. which are
often located on very beautiful places
or do you mean on the remote parts of the reservation
Just yesterday i was at work ... boat access only
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=theodosia+inlet&vps=1&jsv=153e&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=52.539105,135.351563&ie=UTF8&latlng=50069481,-124673195,12659011388996090325&ei=RNPgSaKKBKiejgP0r5HHDw&cd=1
and as you can see there in what is seemingly the middle of nowhere ... the
Toquana Indain Reserve #4 ... and until i saw that sign welcoming me to
their traditional lands i had no idea there was even a one two or three
the plot thickens ... there is access to this area by logging road ... (read
this as check your van tires will they work on rocks ... my michiliens say
No Rocks in large friendly letters )
and almost finnally ...
you may already be camping on indian reservation land ...
some parks may exist on the soverign territory of particular bands --
in some places they are very fancy and extreamly modern .. (these are called
casinos)
Contatc your local indian affairs office ..
request a map of the areas you are thinking of wanting to go ..
make sure the map you request details the reservations and what the name of
the reservation is
ask what the political structure is at that reservation ...
self government ... idian agent .... ???
mostly remember that indais are not savage unsmart people
they are a people disposessed --
there are even some who would go further (wounded knee , marlin brando ??)
Indian reservations are soverign territories of the band they are occupied
by as such they are not part of the USA or Canada
you are for all intensive purposes entering a forgign counrty and have few
if any rights ...
the speed limit may be set by the band council ...
the entire population of a reservation may be as little as 10 or 20 persons
and they may govern tens of thousands of acres
(i know of one rez in ontario that has less than 12 persons ... the rail
tracks pass through and they use the train like a taxi ...
flag it down ... go shopping etc ...
all residents but the one i met are elders or children ...
for some reason at that moment there were no 19 to 50 year olds /.. go
figure ???
good luck
--
roger w
From Proverbs:
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
servant who becomes king ...
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