Congressional Record—House H6350
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H6350 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 8, 2013 If they wish to do away with snow-buried cattle and those that had very offensive, and clearly, the Na- ObamaCare, they should go through been pushed miles by winds that gusted tional Football League and NFL Com- the legislative process and repeal it; over 70 miles per hour on Friday night. missioner Roger Goodell cannot and but no, they are holding us hostage on An emergency management director should not disclaim responsibility. the budget. in Butte County said that the trail of Again, let’s review the history. The f carcasses is a gruesome sight across origin of the term ‘‘redskin’’ is com- the region. They’re in the fence line. monly attributed to the colonial prac- BLIZZARD IN SOUTH DAKOTA They’re laying along the roads. It’s tice of trading Native American Indian The SPEAKER pro tempore. The really sickening. scalps and body parts as bounties and Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from And none of the ranchers that I have trophies. For example, in 1755, settlers South Dakota (Mrs. NOEM) for 5 min- talked to can remember anything like of the Massachusetts Bay Province utes. it. Not only will this be devastating for were paid out of the public treasury for Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, last week- this year’s business, but also it will the killing and scalping of people of end, a record blizzard hit my State of take years to rebuild what has been the Penobscot tribe. The bounty for a South Dakota. Some places in the lost. male Penobscot Indian above the age of Black Hills saw almost 4 feet of snow Yet another rancher, near Scenic, 12 was 50 pounds, and his scalp was in just 2 days. Thousands were without couldn’t find his cattle over the week- worth 40 pounds. The bounty for a fe- power. Thousands are still without end, and said he nearly killed a horse male Penobscot Indian of any age and power. Emergency vehicles were trying to get through the snow while for males under the age of 12 was 25 stranded along with the people that searching for his cattle. He turned pounds while their scalps were worth 20 they were trying to rescue. back, and yesterday, with the help of a pounds. These scalps, I submit, Mr. The damage from the downed trees, pilot friend, flew over land south of the Speaker, were called ‘‘redskins.’’ the downed power lines covered with Badlands. The current chairman and chief of heavy, wet snow is monumental. On He found what he called the ‘‘trail of the Penobscot Nation, Chief Kirk top of that, with warm weather ex- death.’’ About 200 of his 600 cows were Francis, recently declared that the pected this week, we expect to see mas- dead, leading up to and throughout a word ‘‘redskin’’ is ‘‘not just a racial sive flooding that could bring even draw. The calves that were still alive slur or a derogatory term,’’ but a pain- more damage. were standing by their mothers. The ful ‘‘reminder of one of the most grue- On the plains in western South Da- rest of his cows and calves are alive, some acts of . ethnic cleansing ever kota, ranchers are still trying to re- but he can’t get to them. committed against the Penobscot peo- cover from losing cattle in the drought Those are just many of the tragic ple.’’ last summer, which was the worst stories that we’ve heard. Our lack of a Mr. Speaker, again, I ask my col- drought that we had seen since the comprehensive farm bill leaves these leagues and the 181 million football Great Depression. ranchers without the protection of a fans throughout this great Nation of b 1045 livestock disaster program that would ours—suppose that that redskins scalp come in in these situations and blunt that was brought in for payment was We’ve heard now that they’ve lost just a small portion of the loss. the scalp of your mother, your daugh- tens of thousands of cattle in this fall I fought hard to include livestock ter, or your wife or your son? Again, blizzard. We’ve heard that tens of thou- disaster programs in the farm bill, Mr. Speaker, Native American Indians sands of cattle have been lost in the which would cover these producers are also human beings and God’s chil- snow. They’re being found frozen, retroactively. dren. They are not animals. smothered by the high drifts and in- It’s time we finish our work on the Our colleague, TOM COLE, from Okla- jured from wandering in zero visibility farm bill. It’s time we go to conference, homa, the cochair of our Congressional in 70-mile-per-hour winds. have a negotiation on the most reform- Native American Indian Caucus and a We talked with one rancher near minded farm bill that has been put to- member of the Chickasaw Nation, White River, South Dakota, who found gether for decades. Getting the farm states: over 50 cattle who had died in one spot bill done could give those in western This is the 21st century. This is the capital near a dam. South Dakota more certainty during of political correctness on the planet. It is Another rancher north of New Under- this very, very difficult time. very, very, very offensive. This isn’t like wood was finally able to locate his en- f warriors or chiefs. It’s not a term of respect, tire herd of 63 cows who’d taken refuge and it’s needlessly offensive to a large part in a shed for protection, but none of THE ISSUE THAT WILL NOT GO of our population. They just don’t happen to them survived. AWAY live around Washington, D.C. Another story is from a rancher near The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Also, our colleague BETTY MCCOLLUM Union Center who said, ‘‘It’s bad. It’s Chair recognizes the gentleman from from Minnesota, as cochair of the Con- really bad. I’m the eternal optimist, American Samoa (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) gressional Native American Indian but this is really bad. The livestock for 5 minutes. Caucus, says this ‘‘is another attempt loss is catastrophic. It’s pretty unbe- Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, to justify a racial slur on behalf of Mr. lievable.’’ I do not want to detract our attention Dan Snyder,’’ the owner of the Wash- He said cattle were soaked by 12 from the current national debate on ington franchise, ‘‘and other NFL own- hours of rain early in the storm, so the government shutdown and the debt ers who appear to be only concerned many were unable to survive an addi- ceiling issue, but I do want to share with earning even larger profits, even tional 48 hours of snow and winds up to with my colleagues an issue that will if it means exploiting a racist stereo- 60 miles per hour. not go away. type of Native Americans. For the head See, this blizzard came so early, cat- What is it that the National Football of a multibillion dollar sports league to tle hadn’t even had time to grow their League, the 32 football club owners, embrace the twisted logic that ‘red- winter coats. ‘‘It’s the worst early sea- and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell skin’ actually ‘stands for strength, son snowstorm I’ve seen in my life- have yet to understand why the word courage, pride, and respect,’ is a state- time,’’ he said, and he’s 60 years old. ‘‘redskin’’ is considered a very offen- ment of absurdity.’’ Another rancher said, ‘‘This is abso- sive racial and derogatory term that My dear friend and colleague, ELEA- lutely, totally devastating.’’ He’s 52 describes Native American Indians? NOR HOLMES NORTON, representing the years old. He’s from Caputa, South Da- My apologies, Mr. Speaker, for I have District of Columbia, states that the kota. ‘‘This is horrendous. I mean the yet to master the English language. owner of the Washington football fran- death loss of these cows in this country But I want to share again and again chise, Mr. Dan Snyder, ‘‘is a man who is unbelievable.’’ with my colleagues and some 181 mil- has shown sensibilities based on his This man said he estimated he had lion football fans all over America why own ethnic identity, yet who refuses to lost half of his herd, but it could be far our Native American Indian commu- recognize the sensibilities of American more. He was still struggling to find nity considers the word ‘‘redskin’’ as Indians.’’ VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:13 Oct 09, 2013 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K08OC7.012 H08OCPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE October 8, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6351 Ms. NORTON also said: Our colleague TOM COLE from Oklahoma, the name of my team—even if they’ve had a As an African American woman and third- Co-Chair of the Congressional Native Amer- storied history—was offending a sizable group generation Washingtonian, I want to say to ican Indian Caucus, and a member of the of people, I’d think about changing it.’’ Presi- Redskin fans, no one blames you for using a Chikasaw Nation, states: ‘‘This is the 21st dent Obama further said: ‘‘Native Americans name that has always been used . but I century. This is the capital of political correct- feel pretty strongly about it . I don’t know can think of no argument for retaining a name that degrades our first Americans.