I like to think elected officials for the most part are not stupid people. That leaves the sobering truth that they propose stuff like this for a reason.
I can’t believe anyone would actually think that a group of people race or other wise could build up over eons a immunity to cold water immersion or the ability to swim in cold water better than any other group of people. Especially in the face of no science saying so. That only then leaves what could be the reason for this action?
I stand by opinion.
BOB
She’s Korean-American.
I stand by my opinion.
BOB
Not that I’m defending the policy of excluding a group of people from a law like this based on their origin I do have an interesting story I witnessed about 35 years ago surrounding Native Americans.
We were X-country skiing at Allegany State Park at Red House in NY state and it was bitter cold. We had to be a good five miles from civilization and we hear all this laughter off in the distance so we went that way to check it out. We came up on a group of Native American males laughing and betting on a strange game they were playing where they had built a ramp in the snow that went downhill thru the woods a couple hundred yards and they were throwing a polished stick down a groove they had made in the ramp with a log and then had it smooth and iced over. They were betting dollars and then taking turns chucking the stick and seeing how far it would go. We started talking to them and they told us the game was called Snow Snake. I asked them how they got out there and they said they walked from close to where we started. The strange part was none of them had a coat or gloves or hat and had just jeans and tee shirts on and no sign of bringing anything to stay warm except a few bottles of alcohol. We were getting cold watching them and dressed for skiing.
At the time I told a bunch of people the story and couldn’t find anything on the game those of us that saw it often mentioned it and we were equally amazed at the game and where they were playing as how they didn’t freeze to death being out there. Now with the internet and google I find there are some videos even of what I saw. Except it seems they are now wearing warm stuff.
Gawasa, the snow snake. The Boy Scouts in the Central NY region play the game that the local Iroquois played in times past. A smooth stick thrown downhill in a narrow icy track. The competition and winter campout weekend is called Gawasa-Ookpik, oopik being the native name for the snowy owl.
Thanks for the information. I’m glad I had the chance to see it played and experience that.
I’d like to point out there is a possibility that state water safety regs don’t apply to tribes due to treaties signed long ago. For example, state laws don’t apply on tribal land. Another; native Americans have extensive commercial fishing rights on the Great Lakes due to a treaty signed in 1835. So it may be that the ordinance cannot by treaty apply to native Americans, and the clause just acknowledges that.
State laws may not apply on tribal lands, but among other laws to be obeyed, a triibal member cannot legally speed at 100mph on state public roads. So they are held the same laws as everyone else when off the “rez”.
If they are somehow grandfathered in to not having to obey boating laws that is fine I guess. If that is the case I would hope the person making the bill would just say that rather than claiming they have eons of natural abilities making it so.
I lived very close to the Nez Pierce for a decade
I would recommend you read “The American Holocaust” before you have any more opinions on how the First Nations can be helped by the USA, it’s government, and it’s ideology.