21 Ways to Scalp an Indian
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DOCUMENT: SCALP.TXT
"TWENTY-ONE WAYS TO 'SCALP' AN INDIAN"
by
Jerry Gambill
("Akwesasne Notes", vol I, No. 7. July 1979)
Methods must coincide with the type of problem and, in the
case of human rights, the reception or resistance which the
majority have toward your aims. The Indian has problems peculiar
to *Indians alone* and deals with a very receptive society.
The Indian's problem in solution has much of its roots in a
lack of communication. As soon as the Indians become articulate
enough as a people, and signs indicate they are fast becoming that
way, their aims will become clear and society will become
receptive to our wants.
One fact is clear to the Indian. He does not go where he is
not wanted. You can't force people to accept you. Nothing is
ever gained by anything destructive. At least, if acceptance is
what you are seeking.
The Indian's interests are locked within himself, his proud
past, his country, and his own destiny as shaped by himself.
Being other than white isn't common cause enough to justify
civil disobedience.
The art of denying Indians their human rights has been refined
to a science. The following list of commonly used techniques will
be helpful in "burglar-proofing" your reserves and *your rights*.
GAIN THE INDIANS' CO-OPERATION -- It is much easier to steal
someone's human rights if you can do it with his OWN co-
operation, SO....
1. Make him a non-person. Human rights are for people.
Convince Indians their ancestors were savages, that they were
pagans, that Indians are drunkards. Make them wards of the
government. Make a legal distinction, as in the Indian Act,
between Indians and persons. Write history books that tell half
the story.
2. Convince the Indian that he should be patient, that these
things take time. Tell him that we are making progress, and that
progress takes time.
3. Make him believe that things are being done for his own
good. Tell him that you're sure that after he has experienced your
laws and actions that he will realize how good they have been.
Tell the Indian he has to take a little of the bad in order to
enjoy the benefits you are conferring on him.
4. Get some Indian people to do the dirty work. There are
always those who will act for you to the disadvantage of their
own people. Just give them a little honor and praise. This is
generally the function of band councils, chiefs, and advisory
councils: They have little legal power, but can handle the tough
decisions such as welfare, allocation of housing, etc.
5. Consult the Indian, but do not act on the basis of what
you hear. Tell the Indian he has a voice and go through the
motions of listening. Then interpret what you have heard to suit
your own needs.
6. Insist that the Indian "GOES THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS".
Make the channels and the procedures so difficult that he won't
bother to do anything.
7. Make the Indian believe that you are working hard for him,
putting in much overtime and at a great sacrifice, and imply that
he should be appreciative. This is the ultimate in skills in
stealing human rights: When you obtain the thanks of your victim.
8. Allow a few individuals to "MAKE THE GRADE" and then point
to them as examples. Say that the "Hardworkers" and the "good"
Indians have made it, and that therefore it is a person's own
fault if he doesn't succeed.
9. Appeal to the Indian's sense of fairness, and tell him
that, even though things are pretty bad, it is not right for him
to make strong protests. Keep the argument going on his form of
protest and avoid talking about the real issue. Refuse to deal
with him while he is protesting. Take all the fire out of his
efforts.
10. Encourage the Indian to take his case to court. This is
very expensive, takes lots of time and energy, and is very safe
because the laws are stacked against him. the court's ruling will
defeat the Indian's cause, but makes him think he has obtained
justice.
11. Make the Indian believe that things could be worse, and
that, instead of complaining about the loss of human rights, to be
grateful for the human rights we do have. In fact, convince him
that to attempt to regain a right he has lost is likely to
jeopardize the rights that he still has.
12. Set yourself up as the protector of the Indian's human
rights, and then you can choose to act on only those violations
you wish to act upon. By getting successful action on a few minor
violations of human rights, you can point to these as examples of
your devotion to his cause. The burglar who is also the doorman
is the perfect combination.
13. Pretend that the reason for the loss of human rights is
for some other reason than that the person is an Indian. Tell him
some of your best friends are Indians, and that his loss of rights
is because of his housekeeping, his drinking, his clothing. If he
improves in these areas, it will be necessary for you to adopt
another technique of stealing his rights.
14. Make the situation more complicated than is necessary.
Tell the Indian you will have to take a survey to find out just
how many other Indians are being discriminated against. Hire a
group of professors to make a year-long research project.
15. Insist on unanimity. Let the Indian know that when all
the Indians in Canada can make up their minds about just what they
want as a group, then you will act. Play one group's special
situation against another group's wishes.
16. Select very limited alternatives, neither of which has
much merit, and tell the Indian that he indeed has a choice. Ask,
for instance, if he could or would rather have council elections
in June or December, instead of asking if he wants them at all.
17. Convince the Indian that the leaders who are the most
beneficial and powerful are dangerous and not to be trusted. Or
simply lock them up on some charge like driving with no lights. Or
refuse to listen to the real leaders and spend much time with the
weak ones. Keep the people split from their leaders by sowing
rumor. Attempt to get the best leaders into high-paying jobs
where they have to keep quiet to keep their paycheck coming in.
18. Speak of the common good. Tell the Indian that you can't
consider yourselves when there is the whole nation to think of.
Tell him that he can't think only of himself. For instance, in
regard to hunting rights, tell him we have to think of all the
hunters, or the sporting-goods industry.
19. Remove rights so gradually that people don't realize what
has happened until it is too late. Again, in regard to hunting
rights, first restrict the geographical area where hunting is
permitted, then cut the season to certain times of the year, then
cut the limits down gradually, then insist on licensing, and then
Indians will be on the same grounds as white sportsmen.
20. Rely on reason and logic (your reason and logic) instead
of rightness and morality. Give thousands of reasons for things,
but do not get trapped into arguments about what is right.
21. Hold a conference on HUMAN RIGHTS, have everyone blow off
steam and tension, and go home feeling that things are well in
hand.
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