"Ironically, the very young, very blonde, blue-eyed [Rep. Brad] Carson claims to be Cherokee Indian. In fact, he�s counting on the Indian vote in Oklahoma to win him a U.S. Senate seat this November. He says his mother�s ancestors came to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. (Half the people of Oklahoma say the same thing, and their great-grandmothers were always Cherokee princesses.) Brad says he�s Vice-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus (but he isn�t listed or designated as such) and claims to be a strong advocate of Indian rights.

Which Indians? Only the Cherokee, of eastern Oklahoma? Republican Tom Coburn, Carson�s opponent, says Carson is using the larger tribes to crush the smaller ones like the plains tribes, whose land is in western Oklahoma.

Indeed, Brad sees no Indian sovereignty issues in Oklahoma whatsoever. I brought this subject up with him in Washington, D.C., last May, after I spoke at the National Press Club. I was with Marla Peek, Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau (part of One Nation).

Brad feels that lobbyists like Citizens for Equal Rights Alliance and One Nation were alarmists, concerned about Indian sovereignty (or losing the same) without cause. He cautioned Marla, �I think you really should wait until you have an actual problem before you raise this public concern.� He said we were weakening our credibility to raise issues before they existed. Like John Kerry says, respond after you�re attacked."

Get the Story:
Oklahoma Socialism, Indian-Style (Front Page Magazine 10/28)

Relevant Links:
Bad Eagle - http://www.badeagle.com

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