Call #9: The Autrey National Center for the American West
I was unable to find out why the Autry National Center for the American West in Los Angeles needed a whole $167,00 which in comparison to the bailout or the war in Iraq is penny candy, but at least I placed a call which is more than what Maureen Dowd did, I’ll bet.
But i can understand why her twitter buddy John McCain might not want to question their funding. Autrey has a whole subsection dedicated to the Indians of the Southwest, which McCain happens to know a lot about: you see, he’s deeply involved in the forced relocation of Navajo peoples to make way for a mine expansion.
Not that long ago, the United Nations performed a Human Rights Investigation of the forced Navajo resettlement from Arizona to Nevada, under Special Rapporteur A. Amor. A law revised and submitted to Congress by Senator John McCain and others before him was determined to be the root cause of violations, which after ratification by President Clinton in 1999 during a globally publicized sit in by Songstress Julia Butterfly Hill at Big Mountain, Arizona….
U.S. Sen. John McCain sponsored S1003, which was concluded to be “another step in the relocation process” of the Navajo. S 1103 passed the Senate, but it never made it to the House. However, P.L. 104-301, which McCain was actively involved with, passed both houses in 1996 and included a clause for condemnation and monies to the State of Arizona. Section 6 of P.L. 104-301 states, “Secretary shall take those lands into trust for the Tribe in accordance with this Act and the Settlement Agreement.” When the recent television show ‘30 Days’ showed “Americas dirty little secret,” it became obvious that trust duties from P.L. 104-301 have not been being honored.
Is that why McCain disdains this pittance for the Autrey center? I don’t know: I haven’t done that research. Maureen Dowd doesn’t even ask any questions, she just takes McCain at his word. Or tweet as it were. Here at brendancalling, I’ll post any updates i get from the Autrey Center.
