Enough already!

Now the Seneca Indians are saying that we're trespassing on their land when we drive part of the state thruway.

This is how utterly absurd our dealings with Indian tribes has become. I have a solution to this whole mess which we'll discuss in a minute. But first let's review some of the highlights of how our brilliant politicians got us here. Back in 1997 the Indians pulled this same deal by blocking the thruway. Governor Pataki was forced to mobilize the state police, which resulted in violent confrontations with the Indians and set the tone for the rest of Pataki's administration.

Namely, whenever there was a conflict between New York and Indian tribes you could always count on Pataki to buckle under. Anything to prevent a repeat of the thruway violence. And the Indians have played that trump card over and over again, using it as a threat against the people of New York.

Either we go along with whatever they want or things could get nasty again, has been the message. Has it worked for them? You bet. In 2003, they sold almost $350 million in cut-rate tobacco products without paying a red cent in taxes.

But now Gov. Eliot Spitzer has started talks to explore the possibility of Indians paying taxes so they (the Indians) are once again threatening us. And the last time they threatened us they started burning cars. I think the people of New York have had enough of this nonsense. It's finally time for a grassroots movement to rescind all treaties with Indian tribes.

Indian tribes have the right to celebrate and share their culture, even live in organized communities if they choose to, but they should be treated under the law like every other American citizen.

All Indians should become ordinary tax-paying citizens like the rest of us. This idea of having independent nations existing within American borders is stupid. And when we say they should be paying taxes on cigarette sales, guess what? They better pay up like all other citizens. Otherwise, it gives them an unfair advantage over other merchants. You know, like it says in the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. We're all supposed to be treated equally as citizens of the U.S.

But as George Orwell once said, it appears that some of us are more equal than others. This has got to stop. The land belongs to us now and we aim to keep it. Spitzer needs our support in his battle against the tribes. And a good place to start is to organize a growing movement to end all treaties and shut down all reservations.

Ducayne's column appears

Tuesdays in The Citizen, and she can be reached at

sacredheart6005@hotmail.com