Here’s the full text of a story in today’s Rapid City (S.D.) Journal, by staff writer Kevin Woster, that bears reprinting here. We’d sure like to hear more of this.

South Dakota Sens. Tim Johnson and John Thune agree that a resolution of apology to Native Americans approved Tuesday by the U.S. Senate is a valuable gesture from the federal government to Native people.

But a day after the Senate approved the apology as part of a military spending bill, Johnson and Thune also said that an apology isn’t enough.

“The Native Americans deserve an apology, but they deserve much more than that,” Johnson, a Democrat, said during a conference call with reporters. “They deserve full funding for the treaty responsibilities that the federal government has taken on. And that includes health care, housing, education and jobs, especially.”

Thune said during a separate conference call that the resolution was a valuable symbol in acknowledging “the wrongs of the past.” But Native people need more than meaningful symbols, Thune said.

“The real issue, I think, is what we are doing in terms of improving conditions on the reservations,” the Republican said.

That work must focus on controlling crime, improving infrastructure and creating a safe-and-secure environment for education, business development and better health care, Thune said.

Gwen Florio

PS – Since we posted this story, two more senators – Sam Brownback of Kansas and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota – have added their voices praising the resolution. You can read their comments here.

Tags: Apology to tribes, buffalo post, Native American news, Sen. John Thune, U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson