Poll: Americans Want Native American on Supreme Court

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I believe that the whole Supreme Court should be Native American.

Juanita Castillo of NV 12:15AM May 19, 2010

National Native American Bar Association's (NNABA) letter to President Obama calling on the appointment of a Native American to the Supreme Court.
www.nativeamericanbar.org/NNABA.pdf

Heather Dawn Thompson of DC 5:56PM April 20, 2010

With the Supreme Court becoming activist (with a Conservative leaning), we need to have a strong balance of ethnicity and background. We have a Latino, women, African-American. We currently do not have one of the peoples who were here long before the Europeans arrived. I believe it is time for them to begin to direct their own future. Having a Native American is right.

Jules Ohrin-Greipp of AZ 5:42PM April 19, 2010

I believe the appointment of a Native American to the U. S. Supreme Court would provide the court with a balance in legal perspectives. Our highest court makes decisions that affect the lives of the American people, Native Americans abide by these laws and thus are affected by these laws. However, the concern is that there is rarely a Native presece when those decisions are finalized. The President of the U.S. can right this wrong and make a CHANGE so that a Native perspective can finally be included in the decision making process of the highest court.

Fatima! of CT 12:58AM April 15, 2010

We have a Latino, Germans, Irish, why not Native American. We were here first & know more about this country & what is wrong or right than the ones mentioned above. In fact i think we should also have a Native American President.

Lloyd Johnsen Jr. of OR 11:37AM February 01, 2010

Jody Gillette or Kimberly Teehee?
I have an important question regarding Native American Veterans and the taxes that were illegally deducted from their military pay.
The SSCRA of 1940 stated Native American military were exempt and not to have taxes deducted from military pay. However this went on untill 2001!
In July 2002 the department of defense issued DD 2058-2 which is a form specifically for Native Americans to request tax exemption of military pay.
The government finally admitted to and stopped this illegal taxation in 2001 but Native Americans serving from 1940-2001 were unjustly taxed.
I want Jody Gillette or Kimberly Teehee to bring this matter to the attention of the President.

Richard of KS 8:35AM August 22, 2009

June 15, 2009; Kim Teehee, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, has been named as senior policy advisor for Native American affairs at the White House. President Barack Obama, who promised to create the position during the campaign, announced Teehee's selection in a video message to the National Congress of American Indians. "She is rightly recognized as an outstanding advocate for Indian Country, and she will provide a direct interface at the highest level of my Administration, assuring a voice for Native Americans during policy making decisions," said Obama, who also told tribal leaders he will hold his first Indian summit later this fall.
Teehee is well known for her work on Capitol Hill. She has served as senior advisor to Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Michigan), the co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus.
Teehee joins Jodi Gillette, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as the Native American staffers at the White House. Other Native appointees to the Obama administration include: Larry EchoHawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Yvette Roubideaux, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, as director of the Indian Health Service; and Mary Smith, a member of the Cherokee Nation, as assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice.
Hilary Tompkins, a member of the Navajo Nation, has been nominated as Solicitor of the Department of the Interior but has not yet been confirmed. (As of this date she has been confirmed.)
This is just an example.
Again, I ask you, should he seat a Native American on the court? If not, why not? If so, who?

Agate Eyes of CO 12:52PM August 06, 2009

"Whites think that's what they've done but all they did was engage in preference. The proof of that is Harriet Myers."
Her nomination is a perfect example of preference trumping jurist prudence. For whatever reason her status as a "conservative female" held more weight than her ability to interpet law. If she had been native, african, male, or asian she still would have been a lousy pick.
Assuming "most qualified" is code for "white male" is foolish and only feeds into the divisiveness that dominates meaningful political discourse.

P.D. Pasternak of NY 9:36PM August 05, 2009

I thought he said he was african american first? I know alot of natives DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM! What has he done the native community ant way?

kappa of CA 8:44PM August 05, 2009

His people would include Native Americans, as there is at least one in his family tree, not to mention that he was adopted by the Black Eagle family of Crow. Are we not acknowledging tribal adoptions now?
However, I doubt he would do it out of "favor(ites)" - I beleive he does not think that he owes any particular group for his election. The majority of people voting for him were non-black (and non-Indian). Although the majority of Indians DID vote for him. That argument just doesn't hold water.
Question is, do you think that a Native should be seated on the Supreme Court - why, why not, and who?

Agate Eyes of CO 5:43PM August 05, 2009