Goodbye Motel 6, Hello Beantown Jailhouse

Just when you thought it was safe to go on your summer vacation.

While Spearfish, South Dakota may have repudiated their law about shooting three or more Indians walking down the street together, Boston still has a little anti-Indian law on the books that is endangering their bid to host a big journalism conference. Turns out Boston has a law dating from 1675 that declares that any Indian entering the city is to be arrested.

Now no one really believes Boston will enforce this law. But as Dan Lewerenz, president of the Native American Journalists Association and member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska said, "We're considering what it means for us to endorse a city that officially and effectively bans Native Americans. We know it's not going to be enforced, but in theory, the police could arrest us when we arrive at the airport."

Two Democrats in the state congress are working to repeal the law, but until that happens, Boston's official lawbooks say that Indians are "not to be suffered to lodge in Town, unless in Prison." Guess I better cancel my reservation at the Motel 6.