Facebook Twitter Email
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2003

"After teaching my "Remedies" class at the UND law school Monday, I returned to my office to read the Grand Forks Herald editorial page. You can imagine my relief when, upon reading Lloyd Omdahl's column, "Time for a Native billionaire" , I was reassured that there are Native Americans who have as much stamina, imagination and genius as blacks.

I had to check the date of the newspaper to make sure it said 2003 and not 1953.

I mean no disrespect to Omdahl. I am sure he is a nice man who means no intentional harm to the Indian community. However, his instructions to reservation leaders that they "let go of their youth" and "encourage them to rise to new levels of achievement" is misplaced, uninformed and at best, paternalistic.

He insightfully instructs us, as if the opposite is occurring, that "Native American children ought to be encouraged to aspire to excellence." I know of no community that has tried harder than the American Indian community to encourage success among its existing and future generations. Perhaps the real difference is how we measure that success."

Get the Story:
Stacy Leeds, UND Professor, Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice: Omdahl should reassess measures of success (The Grand Forks Herald 4/3)
MAILBAG: Native American achievers span the national horizon (The Grand Forks Herald 4/3)

Lloyd Omdahl Column:
Opinion: Don't confine Indian youth to reservation (3/31)

Related Stories:
Yellow Bird: Columnist 'put his foot in his mouth' (4/1)