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Monday, November 17, 2003

"My great-uncle used to travel around the Northwest and peddle democratic institutions.

During the '30s and '40s, the Roosevelt administration launched a campaign to bring "self-determination" or democracy to American Indian tribal governments across the country. It was considered the next step in "progress" and was authorized by an act of Congress.

George P. Lavatta was given the job of promoting tribal constitutions. He would travel to a reservation in Washington, Idaho or Oregon. Once there he'd reveal a model constitution and try to sell folks on this "better" form of government."

Get the Story:
Mark Trahant: Democracy given a test run (The Seattle Post Intelligencer 11/16)

More Mark Trahant:
Trahant: Can't trust Uncle Sam with Indian money (11/10)
Mark Trahant: Bush needs to note success and failure (10/20)
Mark Trahant: Technology and the news world (09/29)
Mark Trahant: Preparing for the unthinkable (09/22)
Trahant: When tribes succeed, someone changes rules (09/01)


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