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WHAT DO NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE IN COMMON WITH TURKEY?
by Al Kamen
The Washington Post
July 25, 2012 Wednesday
Regional Edition
History is littered with odd couples: Oscar and Felix, Anna Nicole
Smithand that old guy, etc. Add to that list Native Americans and . .
. Turkey?
That unlikely pairing was the star of a perplexing bill that failed
on the House floor Monday night. The measure would have made it easier
for American Indian tribes to do business with Turkey.
Why Turkey, one might ask? An excellent question. Rep. Tom Cole
(R-Okla.), the bill's sponsor, explains the ties that bind the
disparate populations that live half a globe apart: "There's a deep
interest," he said on the House floor last night. "There has been
for hundreds of years."
Turkey, he noted, was the only country to send a delegation to a
recent Native American economic development conference, and there
are scholarships for Native Americans at Turkish schools.
Well, then. Mystery solved - sort of.
And what kind of business might the Turks want to do with the tribes?
Well, that's also a good question, but getting a precise answer proved
rather difficult.
In news releases, Lincoln McCurdy, president of the Turkish Coalition,
said it's all about "new commercial activity." And John Berrey,
chairman of Oklahoma's Quapaw tribe, hailed "new global partnerships."
Such as?
The bill makes mention of leasing land for "grazing" or farming or
other, unnamed commercial purposes. Cole's office referred us to
the Turkish Coalition to provide specific examples, and a spokesman
suggested that a Turkish solar-energy company was interested in leasing
tribal land for a plant and that a construction company wanted to
build infrastructure.
The legislation failed to get the two-thirds vote needed to pass a
bill under suspension of House rules, after it got caught up in some
skirmishing from various ethnic lobby efforts. The Armenian Caucus
didn't like it. The Hellenic Caucus didn't either. Seems the idea of
a single country being given the fast track to opportunities with
the tribes didn't sit well with them - although Cole pointed out
that though the purpose of the bill was to encourage Turkey-Native
American business, he had added language including all World Trade
Organization countries.
And it seemed that the tribes were already getting the sovereignty
they've been seeking in a bill adopted by both the House and Senate
giving tribes greater control over leasing and development on their
lands.
The bill left many folks on the Hill scratching their heads, and it
looks as though they can keep on scratching.
by Al Kamen
The Washington Post
July 25, 2012 Wednesday
Regional Edition
History is littered with odd couples: Oscar and Felix, Anna Nicole
Smithand that old guy, etc. Add to that list Native Americans and . .
. Turkey?
That unlikely pairing was the star of a perplexing bill that failed
on the House floor Monday night. The measure would have made it easier
for American Indian tribes to do business with Turkey.
Why Turkey, one might ask? An excellent question. Rep. Tom Cole
(R-Okla.), the bill's sponsor, explains the ties that bind the
disparate populations that live half a globe apart: "There's a deep
interest," he said on the House floor last night. "There has been
for hundreds of years."
Turkey, he noted, was the only country to send a delegation to a
recent Native American economic development conference, and there
are scholarships for Native Americans at Turkish schools.
Well, then. Mystery solved - sort of.
And what kind of business might the Turks want to do with the tribes?
Well, that's also a good question, but getting a precise answer proved
rather difficult.
In news releases, Lincoln McCurdy, president of the Turkish Coalition,
said it's all about "new commercial activity." And John Berrey,
chairman of Oklahoma's Quapaw tribe, hailed "new global partnerships."
Such as?
The bill makes mention of leasing land for "grazing" or farming or
other, unnamed commercial purposes. Cole's office referred us to
the Turkish Coalition to provide specific examples, and a spokesman
suggested that a Turkish solar-energy company was interested in leasing
tribal land for a plant and that a construction company wanted to
build infrastructure.
The legislation failed to get the two-thirds vote needed to pass a
bill under suspension of House rules, after it got caught up in some
skirmishing from various ethnic lobby efforts. The Armenian Caucus
didn't like it. The Hellenic Caucus didn't either. Seems the idea of
a single country being given the fast track to opportunities with
the tribes didn't sit well with them - although Cole pointed out
that though the purpose of the bill was to encourage Turkey-Native
American business, he had added language including all World Trade
Organization countries.
And it seemed that the tribes were already getting the sovereignty
they've been seeking in a bill adopted by both the House and Senate
giving tribes greater control over leasing and development on their
lands.
The bill left many folks on the Hill scratching their heads, and it
looks as though they can keep on scratching.