Chris Hicks

Chris Hicks

JE: How’s the politician biz?

CH: Keeping busy, Tribal Politics is a little bit more tricky. Hoping for a big run at the Chairman seat this coming year. How about yourself?

JE: Just trying to listen to lone libertarians. What tribe, may I ask?

CH: Red cliff band of lake superior Chippewa Indians

JE: On a scale of 1-10 how libertarian are they?

CH: I think 7 out of 10 people have libertarian views. I’m not sure they stand by the name libertarian. It comes off as soft, and there hasn’t been a winner in the party. I am voting for Jo Jorgensen for President if that means anything.

JE: I agree… 99% agree it is wrong to kill, to kidnap, to steal… life, liberty, property. How did you become libertarian Chris?

CH: I’m not libertarian. My ethics are based more on a utilitarian viewpoint. I don’t believe in any party specifically. I believe in good people and bad people. At the end of the day, I just vote for who is good and try to remove who is bad.

JE: You are utilitarian voting for JO?

CH: Yes, I’m voting for Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen. I believe they are the best for the people.

JE: There was a libertarian candidate, Adam Kokesh, who wanted to declare bankruptcy and dissolve the US.

CH: Doesn’t stand a chance. Good views, but no backing. Jo Jorgensen could win the popular vote in each state.

JE: How do you and your tribe feel about self-governance, would you like to be more independent?

CH: I am strong about self-governance. The problem is the States and Federal governments act like pimp lords and subsidize reservations. Little socialist nations more or less that are co-dependent on grant funding. 

It’s depressing, I’m big for creating our own businesses. Using all of our lands up, and then expanding. I think tribes like the Chippewa should take back their Title names “Ojibwe” and rescind the Chippewa name to start. 

Chippewa doesn’t exist in our language, many tribes had this done to them. Trying to get people off subsidized living is the next step and creating tax within the ceded territories. Establishing what ceded territory rights are is another aspect. 

Also, using the jade tree treaty and working between Canada and the United States as well as centralizing a government within all of the bands of the Tribe is important. Many things can be done for Tribes to lift themselves up, but it starts with getting off the government-subsidized living.