Apolgies are nice. But Rudd is wise not to go beyond that.

Here in Oregon the Federal goverment bought out the Klamath Indian reservation in 1954. Before it happened it was put to a vote by the tribe. They voted for it and members that didn’t want to take the buyout were allowed land and a continuation of their payments from timber sales.

Now, in 2008, the Federal government is providing the funds for the tribe to purchase back their former reservation.

So we paid them for their land in 1954 and in 2008 we are, in effect, buying that same land back for them.

1954, we paid; 2008 we pay again.

Don’t make deals like this. When I was a kid it was called “Indian giving”.

When the someone starts planning to atone for past “mistakes” just point out that they’ve had their apology. What do they want?