Old dogs can learn

How interesting to read U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens’ comments recently about his visit to Iraq saying, “I really didn’t realize how important the tribe concepts are here in Iraq, but the tribes are really enormous families, long-standing families.”

Maybe after all these years he’s finally getting it. In the summer of 2000, Stevens tried to terminate self-government funding to small Natives tribes in Alaska. His comment during a press conference to reporters was, “They are no more tribes than this group seated around this table in this room.” And how many times did Stevens try to tack on riders to make CIRI a tribe, even though we told him repeatedly that CIRI is a corporation, much different than a tribe, which is family?

I guess it just goes to show you it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.

Patricia Wade

Palmer