Speaking of Wounded Knee, a recent article and editorial in the New York Times highlight that our sequestration, the product of a stalemated Congress that forgets its mandate in favor of partisan bickering, is taking a hard toll on the Oglala Sioux and other tribes. Truth is, no Indians expect much out of the federal government. There aren’t many millionaires, CEO magnates, or robber barons amongst today’s Natives of the Southwest. Some Indians have managed to achieve a measure of prosperity, but the majority live at modest income levels. Law enforcement officials will tell you that domestic and gang violence are at their highest on the reservations and in border towns and cities. Yet Indians have always understood that money is a slippery commodity, and the fed works hard to keep it away. There’s been an uptick in sales of the famous T-shirts with Sitting Bull’s image: above him it reads, “Sure You Can Trust the Government,” and on the bottom it says, “Just ask an Indian.”

A different version of the T-shirt, with another photo but the same message.