Looking at NARF and what it has accomplished over the past 37 years, has national Indian activism been a sccuess?
Born of the dream to serve an entire population, the Native American Rights Fund has overcome adversity to serve as a beacon of political activism. Using the law as its weapon of choice, NARF works to ensure that every Native American is represented. NARF is the personification of the principals of the American government--the protection of the minority from the tyranny of the majority. NARF has stood for rights of Native Americans as a cultural group while at the same time encouraging their participation in non-Indian society. They do not mean to separate, or marginalize, Indians from the greater American nation. While NARF has worked to further the status of Native Americans, they have also been active at promoting the historical and cultural preservation of the United States--Native Americans, after all, are an integral part of the American historical tapestry. It is in the spirit of diversity that NARF is celebrated for what it has achieved. From an organization staffed by three volunteer attorneys with limited resources to a full time national movement with a legal staff of 40 , NARF has helped lead Native Americans into a new era of peace and security.
