Governor hopes to keep culture alive, GOP has concerns
“Language is probably the most important thing that identifies us as Menominee people, and if we lose it we would lose a lot,” Grignon said. “This money will help us preserve who we are.”
Grignon said language education is already taught in Menominee schools and colleges, but language programs are still needed for those tribal members who do not attend either institution.
“There is more that has to be done as far as teaching tribal members who are not in college or school,” Grignon said. “We need to perpetuate the language.”
The proposal sparked criticism from Republican lawmakers concerned about the $5.9 billion budget shortfall the state is expected to face over the next two years.
Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, called the program “goofy and crazy” given the state’s current financial atmosphere and the loss of so many jobs throughout Wisconsin.
“The governor should concentrate more on using our tax money to preserve jobs rather than preserving dead languages,” Suder said.
Suder also said the taxpayers should not be forced to pay for this program because most tribes make enough revenue from their casinos to pay for it. He added he is sorry for the situation but jobs are definitely more important than dead language preservation.
Natives make up roughly 2% of Wisconsin's population. Do their concerns make up 2% of Wisconsin's budget? If not, then what's the big deal about spending 0.00001% of the budget on their languages?
Spending money to hire teachers is creating jobs, of course. But not the kind of Wall Street/country club jobs Suder is used to, I suspect.
For more on the subject, see my Pictographs blog.
2 comments:
"Suder also said the taxpayers should not be forced to pay for this program because most tribes make enough revenue from their casinos to pay for it."
Maybe he has a point on this part. Looking up that particular casino, I see references to a a $80 million expansion of the building last year. (I find another reference to a $1 billion dollar casino effort by the Menominee in Wisconsin, but am not sure it is the same tribe of them). It sounds like a high-roller operation. Perhaps they have the $250,000 to cut free for this?
Then, this money could be used more cost-effectively for the language program as prioritized for the Menominee and other natives... with much more control over it by the tribe(s). Instead, as a state government issue, it is likely to be diluted and altered and end up being just another payback to the teachers' union or to serve some other agenda.
A tribally-funded effort could be more effective, be much more controlled controlled by the tribes (who would determine what strings would or would not be attached), and not get altered by a mostly-non-Native legislature to serve other political priorities.
I think the same Menominee tribe is trying to open an off-reservation casino in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Presumably that's because its existing casino isn't doing that well in "the beautiful woodlands of Northeastern Wisconsin." So far the Kenosha effort hasn't succeeded.
More to the point, the Menominee Tribe was just an example. The language program helps all of Wisconsin's tribes, including the ones with little or no gaming.
You could make a case for a tribe-by-tribe cost-benefit analysis based on gaming revenues. But that isn't what Suder wants. He's used the vanishing Indians and rich Indians stereotypes to advocate eliminating the program.
I think most tribes want as much control of government funding as possible. The fact that a government-run program may be wasteful isn't exactly a compelling reason to cancel it. Red tape and bureaucracy are the white man's fault, not the tribes'.
Sure, every government program should be as efficient as possible. But again, Suder isn't calling for restructuring or reforming the language program. He wants to end it.
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