Have you ever heard of a half breed tract? Well while it
sounds kind of racist, it was actually an idea from the early days of America
to give land to those who were half Native American. Allow me to explain.
What was it: It was an idea to give people who
were half Native American their own land in the same way they gave land to
those Native Americans on reservations. Though this was done more out of
sympathy rather than racism like with the reservations. In short, it was
to give them a place to live. Here, the land given was meant to be
exclusive to people who were half Native American with the right to self-governing.
So they essentially answered to no one but themselves. It failed in
the fact that the restrictions on who could live there were not really enforced
and eventually so many none half people moved in that the lands were absorbed
into the States.
Modern thought: As a libertarian, I am always
looking for an excuse for people to get out from under the thumb of the Federal
Government. Essentially, revive the concept to create new reservations to
kick the Federal government out of people’s lives and reinforce
self-governance. Of course this would require people who are even part Native
American, or even part other ethnicities that are protected to join hands to
create these modern half-breed tracts. Also, it would need money and
lobbying efforts in Washington to force the issue. The result could be
libertarian paradises where people rule themselves with the smallest amount of
government possible.
Conclusion: Well, it was a nice idea at the
time, but in truth separating based on race or ethnicity is a really bad idea
as it reinforces divisions between peoples. So I personally see these
modern half breed tracts as an excuse to be used (means to an end) to gain more
freedoms. But again this is a thought experiment, and not wholly practical
for modern America in my opinion.
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