In February of this year I sent a letter to Mayor Blad, and copies to each member of the City Council and each member of the Human Rights Advisory Committee resigning from the Human Rights Activity Committee and I quote from my letter relevant to the subject of the article in a recent edition of the Journal concerning the Tribes, our neighbors.

“The minutes of HRAC indicate that a member or members have been approaching the city for almost ten years, seeking a better relationship with our neighbors, the Shoshone/Bannock Tribes. Other towns in our state and throughout the country have been successful in changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.

My partner, Shannon Ansley and I went to the Fort Hall Business Council to ask their approval to approach our city officials about changing the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. The Fort Hall Council passed a resolution in support of this. Of course, Mayor Blad you were our contact person. After several meetings with you, you said that to change the name of Columbus Day would not work at “this time”. However, you did promise to declare the Fridays after Thanksgivings as Indigenous Peoples Day. This did not happen! I still have hundreds of signatures of Pocatello citizens who wanted to drop Columbus Day. As a member of NAACP I know we voted for a change. My partner and I heard nothing more from you. I have heard two rumors, or reasons, why you dropped this promise: It is not the right time and Pocatello is in contentious suits with the Tribes. Two questions: When will it be the right time? Would friends that trusted each be better able to find a just solution in these legal suits or must it remain the powerful against the less powerful?

In order to honor the Tribes, “Too Great For Hate” adopted a simple statement which is read at meetings..

“We acknowledge the land on which we sit on and occupy today as the traditional and and ancestral home of the Bannock and Shoshone Tribes. Without them we would not have access to this gathering and to this dialogue. We take this opportunity to thank and honor the original caretakers of this land”.

Even a simple, similar statement read at the council meetings would be a positive stance.” Only one member of the Council responded to my letter out of more than twenty that I mailed out to many.

Following my letter came the debacle with Roger Bray and that he was to be censored. I sent a letter to one of the Council members suggesting the censorship be postponed until a professional psychologist gives all Council members and Mayor Blad, a racist test to see if Roger was the only one that should be censored. This was ignored. The censorship happened which I believe was an obvious need to find a scapegoat to cover the ineffectiveness of the City leadership. The one became three scapegoats. Next came their resignations.

The article in a recent paper says it all. The Tribes know very well that they have not been included to solve the many problems that exist. The Tribes noted the statement made by the council is ironic. The City Council passed a resolution stating that Pocatello is a welcoming and inclusive community and the Tribes have not experienced that inclusiveness. If we want a relationship with our neighbors would dialogue be a first step to unity? Is the property in dispute worth the gulf between us?