_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N ) O o O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o o o o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 01, ISSUE 027 O o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 25 September 1993 O o O ( N E W S ) O This issue contains articles from NATIVE_L/NATCHAT Lists and by members of the Invisible Band. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters of the Invisible Band and those who share our spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. It is hoped that our presence will be rewarded with a Native American RoundTable on GEnie. It is archived at the Native American FTP site ftp.cit.cornell.edu in the directory /pub/special/NativeProfs/newsletter; and is being sent to gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo) should he wish to include it in his NATIVE_L or NATCHAT lists. "I would much more glory in this birthplace, with the broad canopy of heaven above me and the giant arms of the forest trees for my shelter, than to be born in palaces of marble studded with pillars of gold! Nature will be Nature still, while palaces shall decay and fall in ruins." -- George Copway (Kahgegagahbowh), Ojibway O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! This weekend Janet and I will venture the five hour drive to Asheville to share in the activities of the KITUWAH Powwow, the largest intertribal gathering in the Southeast. Here we hope to learn more of ourselves and our people. Two weeks later a much more momentous gathering for those of us who are enrolled in non-BIA Cherokee tribes will take place in nearby Jasper, Tennessee. The chiefs of all Cherokee Tribes are invited to a council at this time and place to reach out in brotherhood to discuss the hopes and dreams of their people and problems common to the non-BIA Cherokee. Our prayers for strength and wisdom go to Principal Chief Sings-Alone and those who gather with him. Aho! Mitaquye Oyasin! Night Owl ------------------ clip here for news feature -- 8< ----------- --------- "RE: Best Canadian Feature Film Award" --------- From: A.HOROVITCH Art Horovitch Subj: Best Canadian Feature Film Award GE Electronic Mail ALANIS OBOMSAWIN: BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD A powerful documentary about a centuries-old Canadian conflict has won the first prize in the Toronto film festival. The documentary, KANESATAKE: 200 YEARS OF RESISTANCE, won the top prize of $25,000. It was produced by Alanis Obomsawin, an Abenaki film maker who spent much of the summer of 1990 behind the barricades at Oka. The documentary chronicles the standoff between the Mohawks and the Surete de Quebec, and later the Canadian army. An emotional Obomsawin, who was overcome by emotion several times during the presentation ceremony, said, " The way I was welcomed here, especially the night of the premiere showing gave me a message. That message is that there can be social cooperation, that a lot of people care and they want to see justice done to our people". --------- "RE: U.S. Response to U.N. Indig. Rights" --------- From: WSC.COLORADO.EDU!FAC_TODD Subj: U.S. Response to U.N. Indig. Rights Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) U.S. OPPOSES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS by Mark Todd and Kym O'Connell-Todd This month, indigenous representatives to the United Nations, including the Teton Sioux, Apache and Haudenosaunee delegates, submitted to Geneva the final report of their work to help formulate standards of protection for indigenous peoples. The document soon goes before the General Assembly for approval and is still opposed by the U.S. Government. The 11th session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which met July 19-31, concentrated mostly on drafting the Universal Declaration on Indigenous Rights. According to the final report, the Working Group hopes the United Nations will adopt this document, which goes to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights next February in a final draft form. Present at the Working Group was U.S. delegate Kathy Skipper, who stated that the U.S. Government was not ready to endorse the Declaration because of excessive use of the word "rights," which required more definition. She also commented that the United States has concerns about current property rights of other citizens. Of particular concern to Teton Sioux Nation representatives Tony Black Feather and Burdell Blue Arm was the addition of wording in the Declaration that allowed the U.S. Government to refuse the conditions of arbitration over treaty disputes. Shipper stated formally at the Working Group that the United States must give precedence to the "collective rights" of its citizenry over the demands of special interest groups such as those asserted by the Native American delegation at the session. In a prepared rebuttal, the Teton Sioux representatives responded: "Historically, language which has been unclear and open to interpretation has provided the United States with a way to violate our legal treaties with them. The addition of this language will continue this unjust system and maintain nation-state violations of the sacredness of treaties with the Lakota nation and all Indigenous nations." Chief Oren Lyons of the Haudenosaunee also responded to the U.S. position: "It was with surprise and regret that we listened to the statement of the United States of America. President Clinton assumed office with the promise of change toward a heightened commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. "The statement, however, is best characterized by its continuity with past administrations. It restates in an abridged form many of the previous positions hostile to Indigenous interests and viewpoints." During the session, Black Feather made clear the Teton Sioux position: "We demand the unfettered opportunity to exercise our inherent right to be a self-determining people once again; and to form and establish a national government and body of law which is exclusively of our own design and free from any interference or influence by the U.S. Government or any of its agents." Black Feather's statement also announced the Teton Sioux Nation's intentions to renounce U.S. citizenship, reestablish the legally agreed upon territorial boundaries of the Lakota Nation (as defined by the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty) and to completely disengage from further control or supervision by the U.S. Government. Native American delegates plan to attend the February 1994 gathering of the Commission on Human Rights. According to the report, "this meeting will be at least as important as the Working Group, especially where the future for Indigenous Peoples within an international forum is concerned." The delegates currently seek support and funds to attend this February meeting. --------- "RE: American Indians decry marketing of Mayan skulls" --------- From: S.FISHER2 Sharon D Fisher Subj: American Indians decry marketing of Mayan skulls GE Electronic Mail O'siyo, Night Owl! Here's another article from the Atlanta Journal/Constitution. This one's about a store that was trying to sell Mayan skulls. American Indians decry marketing of Mayan skulls By Christy Harrison Staff Writer Nestled in a glass case, just below a shrunken Pygmy head, two Mayan skulls were priced at nearly $4,000 in an Underground Atlanta shop. The shop's name is Art by God, but American Indian activists upset by the skulls' presence last week said there's nothing artistic or holy about retailing human remains. Furthermore, they contend, state and federal laws protecting American Indians should apply to those from Central and South America as well. "We were indigenous before they drew lines and made Canada and Mexico," said Cleto Montelongo, a Cherokee Indian and chairman of Echos of the People, an organization that educates people about American Indian issues. "We are the only race of people that this happens to." Although the skulls were removed after a reporter's inquiries, store manager Fred Peace would not say Monday what had become of the Mayan bones, believed to be 1,000 years old. Georgia law makes importing or selling American Indian burial objects a misdemeanor and displaying American Indian remains a felony, but that law does not apply to Mayan remains. Another law makes buying or selling human body parts a felony punishable by up to five years in prison - but store employees and a state official were uncertain whether that law would apply. "That's a good question," said George Escoto, another manager at the store. "I tend to believe that (the store owner) researched that before he opened the store." Store owner Gene Harris said he didn't know about that law. He added that he thought it probably applies to modern body pieces, not to artifacts such as the skulls, which an employee said came from a fund-raising auction at a South American museum. Mark Cohen, an assistant state attorney general, said there is a list of exceptions to the law concerning the sale of body parts, but bones are not on it. He said further research would be needed to determine whether the law applies to Mayan skulls. Before the skulls were removed, Harris, who described himself as half Choctaw Indian, defended the display as "the preservation of beauty" and "respect for the dead". Other articles for sale at the store include animal bones, rock formations, precious stones, and stuffed animal heads. But Mike Curry, a Native American, said the display is disrespectful. "It just saddens me that we have a culture and an educational system based on grave robbing," he said. --------- "RE: _Exterminate All The Brutes_" --------- From: Jacqueline.F.Keeler@Dartmouth.edu (Jake) Subj: Re: _Exterminate All The Brutes_ (was: re: Heart of Darkness) Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) In article jmc@SAIL.Stanford.EDU (John McCarthy) writes: > My remark was that living off the land is not very feasible except at > a standard of living that is very low by *present-day* standards. I think that what is being referred to here, once again, misses the point. What was described by others and articulated by most Indians on the rez is a desire for self-determination. A desire to chart their own destiny as Indian people--whatever that may be, whether a Western job or a traditional life. When the wasicu's came to Lakota territory the people required no assistance and were self-supporting. The U.S. government paid them no monies, because NO LAND HAD BEEN TAKEN, nor had any SOVEREIGNTY been usurped. I find it amusing and yet sad that a sweet, old wasicu woman I spoke to could not understand why the Indians in her area were poor. Well, I told her, you see, everything that your community owns once supported them very well. I asked her to think of what would happen if some foreign people came and took all her community's resources away--how would she be living right now? She gave me a sly smile and said: that's something I'd rather not think about, my dear. Yet, the Lakota people must, because we have to live with it. As I noted earlier, the "purchasing" of the land that most American's inhabit, enjoy and "own" is paid for through annuities and health care and other services provided by their Treaties with the Native Nations in this land. These agreements were made with the assumption on the U.S. Government's part that Native people would shortly disappear from the face of the earth. They thought that they would only have to deliver these services for probably 50 years at the most when the last tribal member a la "Ishi" would step forward an old man and receive the last payment, health care service, what have you. Towns like Salamanca in New York State made agreements with the Seneca Nation (of the Six Nations Confederacy) to rent land for a dollar per year for one hundred years, on the assumption that there would be no Seneca Nation to renegotiate with today. Now they have to and they are upset because they have been ordered by the courts to pay a substantial increase in their rent! There were many attempts to limit the growth of Native American populations. When it became apparent in the early 1920's that the Indigenous population was INCREASING not disappearing like they hoped (and the Dawes Act assumed) citizenship was bestowed as a way of alienating "half-breeds" from the rest and to write away and confuse the nationhood and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples in the country. In the 1950's and 1960's there was an attempt to disperse the Indian population into the majority. This was called the Relocation Act and basically, provided a one-way bus ticket to the nearest big city. Today, half of the Indian population lives off the reservation, most in inner-city ghettos and a few in suburbia. In the mid-1960's to the early 1970's, (when the practice was exposed by a WARN (Women of All Red Nations) study) it was common BIA policy to STERILIZE Native American women without their consent when they came in for health services at the Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals in their communities. My own mother and 40% of the Indian women of her generation were sterilized in this manner. In my mother's case, it occurred after she had given birth to my sister Charlene at Wagner Indian Hospital on my dad's reservation. Following this outrage, the U.S. Congress removed the IHS hospitals from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to the Health Services division. In addition to this, during this period in South Dakota nearly 40% of all Indian children of my generation were removed from Indian homes and placed with wasicu families. Thereby also destroying the cultural integrity of the people. Every week in both _Indian Country Today/Lakota Times_ and the _Navajo Times_ some of these adopted children come back knowing maybe just one clue, a name, a town about who they are and who their people are. TO be Native American and choose to remain so, in whatever terms that may mean to the individual, is not an easy thing. We are an unwanted people. I am lucky that I am even here. My parents have the income to support many children (and have taken in poorer relative's children to give them a better chance, education, and stable home life), they are educated, have a beautiful home, have raised four children of their own who have proven to be extraordinarily gifted and are attending some of the best colleges in the country and succeeding--yet they were not regarded as being capable of deciding for themselves at what point they should stop having children, because they were Indian. My baby doctor, Dr. Unger in Lakewood, Ohio wanted my mother to sue them. He was one of the most respected in his field in the country and when he examined the job they had done and the lack of need for it he was absolutely flabbergasted. This is a small portion of what is being discussed here. --Jake --- Jacqueline.F.Keeler@Dartmouth.edu --------- "RE: USA: Clemency for Leonard Peltier" --------- From: DEBRA@oln.comlink.apc.org Subj: USA: Clemency for Leonard Peltier Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) /* Written 12:39 pm Sep 21, 1993 by maraw@fs-gate.uchicago.edu in misc.activism. */ EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY for LEONARD PELTIER *^*^*^* MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR LEONARD PELTIER *^*^*^* On November 21, 1993 there will be a march and demonstration for jailed Indian leader Leonard Peltier, a man who has spent over seventeen years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. Evidence was fabricated, witnesses coerced, and evidence of his innocence withheld. The prosecuting attorney has admitted three time in a court of law "we don't know who killed those agents." Yet, there seems to be little hope for justice in the judicial system. On July 7th, 1993, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, once again, rejected Leonard's claims, not because they were invalid, but because they had not been filed in a timely fashion. Now we must join together to request from our elected officials that a political remedy be initiated. Leonard is too good a man to languish in prison. He needs to rejoin his children and grandchildren, and work hands-on for his (and all) people. Please write to your local Congresspeople. Ask them to look into the case and voice their support. Suggest that they contact Senators Daniel Inouye, Paul Wellstone, or Congressmen Ronald Dellums or Don Edwards. We urge you to try to attend this important event. Without you physically being there for Leonard, there's a chance we will not be taken seriously. We will literally need thousands of supporters to join us that day. By keeping in touch with us we will be able to give you updates and information to help make this less of a burden to you. Local Support Groups will be organizing caravans and bus rentals and arrangements will be made for food and shelter. Leonard Peltier has given up one third of his life. The least we can do is sacrifice one weekend for him. More information is available from Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044 (913-842-5774). --------- "RE: Affirmative Action Officer Position Available" --------- From: rjsalvad@iastate.edu (Ricardo J Salvador) Subj: Affirmative Action Officer Position Available Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Affirmative Action Officer Iowa State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Affirmative Action Officer. The position reports to the President with routine reporting through the Executive Assistant to the President. Iowa State University is a comprehensive, land-grant research university located in Ames, a community of 50,000 people known for its exceptional quality of life. Iowa State has 25,000 students, 1,700 faculty members, 3,700 support staff, and an annual budget of approximately $565 million. The University offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees through its nine colleges. The Affirmative Action Officer develops and monitors effective equal opportunity and affirmative action policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state, and Board of Regents mandates; advises the administration, faculty and staff, investigates complaints of discrimination filed internally; and acts as liaison with federal and state enforcement agencies on compliance reviews and on discrimination complaints filed externally. The position requires significant experience in and understanding of civil rights law, administration of a comprehensive equal opportunity/affirmative action program, and experience in university administration. An advanced degree is required. The successful applicant will have a demonstrated commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action, a commitment to the land-grant philosophy, and the ability to represent the University effectively to internal and external constituencies. Salary and benefits will be competitive. Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should submit a letter of application, a curriculum vita, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least five references. The Search Committee will begin its review October 15, 1993 . Questions should be addressed to Dr. Edwin C. Lewis, Associate Provost, by telephone at 515-294-5882. The position will be available on January 1, 1994. Send nominations or applications to: Affirmative Action Officer Search Committee Office of the Provost 204 Lab of Mechanics Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011 Iowa State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages the nomination and application of women and minority candidates. --------- "RE: What makes an Indian" --------- From: JANS Janet McNeely Subj: What makes an Indian GE Electronic Mail "What makes an Indian" I have encountered the question, "who's an Indian?" and variations along those lines, like "who can participate in Native American ceremonies?" in every on-line group I've read. I spoken to others who have seen similar remarks elsewhere. I've seen people attacked verbally for commenting or inquiring about Native American spiritual or social matters once it was revealed they were not officially enrolled in a reservation-tribe. The controversy apparently boils on the reservations as well.In _Indian Country Today's_ Sept. 15 issue, a letter writer, Kelly Begay, makes a case for recognizing that anyone who states he or she is Indian or descended from Indian people should be socially recognized as Indian. She also believes that galleries and museums should be allowed to judge the authenticity of claimed Indian crafts and arts, rather than depending on the vagaries of tribal recognition, which rules out many talented and traditional Native artists and artisans. Further, she writes, people not asking for services from the BIA should not be persecuted because of their claimed lineage by either white or Indian. Most importantly, she states "Religious and spiritual freedoms should extend to all people whether they are Indian or Non-Indian." Ms. Begay reasons that measures taken by Native Americans toward limiting the definition of "Indian" will, in a few generations, destroy Indian people by increasingly ruling out those who can be included in the Indian population. The limitations, particularly in spiritual affairs, are self-defeating. As she points out, more than 77 percent of Indian people live and work off the reservation and over 60 percent of Indian women marry non-Indian men. These people and their children may well come to be disenfranchised from their family and tribal traditions by those who insist on strict limitations of who should be considered Indian, and "entitled" to participate in Native American practices. "In other words," Ms. Begay writes, "they want to limit the freedoms of the very people who most strongly need freedoms in order to continue to live as a distinct group." She finally concludes that if the tribal councils made an effort to include all possible members, another million certifiable Indian people could be added to the rolls of Native Americans, plus another fifteen million who have some degree of Indian blood, thus giving the Native American cause many times more its current strength and political power. Certainly, this much larger group, were it guided toward the Red Road in spirit, as well as politics, could make a vast positive difference in the way our Mother Earth, and all our brothers and sisters, two and four legged, winged and swimming, fared. --------- "RE: Spiritual Tribal Unity" --------- From: maraw@fs-gate.uchicago.edu (mara whitney) Subj: Spiritual Tribal Unity Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) This is exerted from the Summer 1993 issue of Shaman's Drum Tribal Elders Encourage Spiritual Unity Ancient prophecies from many indigenous religions have warned of a time when Earth would undergo severe changes because humans would have turned away from spiritual teachings and values. Many spiritual leaders believe that those prophesies are being fulfilled today, as virtually every part of the planet suffers from an unprecedented increase in pollution, warfare, natural disasters, and diseases. Four years ago, Jim Walton (Tlingit), Harvey Ironeagle (Pasqua Indian), and other indigenous elders from Canada and the United States began organizing a series of spiritual gatherings to address concerns about the world's plight and future. Citing prophecies from long ago that indigenous peoples from around the world must unite and work together to bring healing to the Earth, these elders are calling for a return to traditional spiritual values as a solution for solving the problems facing all peoples. Under the elders' guidance, the first Spiritual Unity of Tribes Gathering was held in 1989 on the Pasqua reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada. Since then, other gatherings have taken place at the Nambe Pueblo in New Mexico, among the Lakota in South Dakota's Black Hills, at the village of Tanacross, Alaska, and in Mexican Springs, New Mexico. Future gatherings are tentatively scheduled for indigenous lands in New York and Russia -- and wherever else people feel called to meet. The gatherings are grassroots efforts coordinated through a strictly voluntary network. No one receives any material compensation for their many hours of planning, coordinating, or on-site work. The elders want to avoid commercialism of their efforts, so participants are not charged any fees -- for anything. In order to help defray costs, coordinators conduct fund raisers and accept donations of food and money. The gatherings have drawn thousands of people of all races and religions, fostering a respect for all. "Traditional Native Americans, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Ba'hais, Buddhists, Mormons, devotees of Sai Baba and other Masters of the East have all come together at the gatherings with honor, respect, and love," say the elders. "The deepest roots of Native American spirituality are the same as all the great religions: Love, Honor, Respect, Compassion, Peace, Truth, Right Action and Non-Violence. This is the ancient highway to God, shared by all mankind, open to all who are willing to do the work." Each meeting follows a format similar to traditional Native spiritual gatherings. Participants camp together in isolated areas for a week to nine days, leaving behind the conveniences of the modern world. A sacred fire in the camp's center draws participants together, where elders pass on their knowledge and wisdom, and other participants share their own thoughts and feelings. Each day offers designated speakers, workshops usually follow a general theme of the day. and evening activities include talking circles, prayer, cultural dances, and songs. Gatherings also include activities such as storytelling, craft-making, sweatlodges, and traditional dances. Although the gatherings have no formalized agenda -- the intent is to let the Spirit lead -- they follow basic themes such as community building; honoring grandparents and youth; racial and spiritual unity; and "taking it all home." A special focus has been to honor the grandmothers and their spiritual teachings because grandmothers are the image of Mother Earth, the foundation of their families, and give life, strength, and understanding. "The spiritual elders believe that once the grandmothers begin to share their knowledge, wisdom, love, and compassion, this will catalyze a renewed, revitalized healing process for those touched spiritually," said Mary Stachelrodt (Yupik), a gathering organizer. The gatherings also focus on helping to reestablish communication between the youth and grandparents. As communications and relationships between the old and young begin to flourish, many Native youths are less inclined to turn to alcoholism and other self-abusive behaviors that are rampant in many indigenous communities. Freeda Hart (Cree), who helped organize a youth and elder's program, said, "I want the youth to be strong in their identity, to know themselves mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally and to gain inner strength to carry on their life path." It's not only the youth who can benefit from better communication with the grandparents. Melvin Gamble, a 44-year-old Tlingit and Vietnam vet said, "The healing we are going through here is a purifying of the soul. A lot of my brothers and sisters across the whole nation haven't made it. Some are still struggling with drugs, alcohol and the pain of Vietnam. I hope they will join the circle and realize that the war is over, that this is the way to deal with the pains of war, and that alcohol and drugs don't have to be there any more. If my grandmothers were here -- but they are here in spirit -- they would be happy with seeing people humble themselves and turn to a higher power, whatever they choose to call it." He added, "I talk to the elders now and I don't have to go through a lot of garbage in my life because I am listening to them. I'm learning to pray, be honest and communicate, how to reach out to another person no matter what color they may be. That's what I'm learning is the meaning of spirituality." The elders and gathering organizers believe that the gatherings are fulfilling the vision of Lakota holy man Black Elk (see Black Elk Speaks by John G. Niehardt). As a child, Black Elk fell into a visionary coma, during which spirit beings revealed to him some of the changes that were to come, not only to his people, but to all peoples. They foretold of a time of disharmony, to be followed by a time peace and unity among all people. "I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world," said Black Elk. "...And I saw the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle ... and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy." As Black Elk grew older, he witnessed the dissolution of his people's unity as foretold in his vision. In deep sadness, he saw his nation's hoop was broken, its tree withered. During his last days, he prayed, "Here, old, I stand, and the tree is withered, Grandfather, my Grandfather! ... Again, perhaps for the last time on this earth, I recall the great vision You sent me. It may be that some root of the sacred Tree still lives. Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds. Hear me, that they may once more go back to the sacred hoop and the good red road, the shielding Tree!" Spiritual of Unity of Tribes steering committee members believe that the gatherings are a living prayer fulfilling Black Elk's vision. For more information send email to maraw@fs-gate.uchicago.edu --------- "RE: Navajo Origins" --------- From: jur@mail.sas.upenn.edu (Jason Ur) Subj: Navajo Origins Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Anyone who's been to Chaco Canyon and one of the Pueblo Indian reservations will conclude that the Anasazi are the ancestors of modern Pueblo Indians. The room blocks at Old Oraibi at Hopi show perfect continuity. The Navaho and Apache, however, are now related; this can be established both archaeologically and linguistically. As for some metal object in the "basement" of Pueblo Bonito, the site has been known by the West for almost 150 years; does it surprise anyone that there's some traces of our material culture there? Richard Wetherill, the original excavator, ran a general store out of the back wall of Pueblo Bonito and also stored finds within a converted room block before sending them back east. For the most part, the stabilization and reconstruction of Chaco Canyon is pretty good; New Alto is an exception. At the time Bonito was being reconstructed, I doubt that the Indian (Navajo, not Pueblo) workers cared much about whether the archaeologists thought the pueblos were built by their ancestors or not. It is definitely wrong to assume that those Indians had the same motivations as modern Indians. Besides, the Indians involved with the reconstruction were Navajo, not Pueblo, Indians; most likely they didn't know of Pueblo Indian cosmology to make a fake sipapu. Jason Ur jur@mail.sas.upenn.edu --------- "RE: Cherokee high court judges hold court" --------- From: S.FISHER2 Sharon D Fisher Subj: American Indians decry marketing of Mayan skulls GE Electronic Mail O'siyo, Night Owl! Here's another Atlanta Journal/Constitution article I thought you might find of interest. Cherokee high court judges hold court By Bill Torpy Staff Writer It was at once solemn, yet festive: The seven members of the Georgia Supreme Court huddled together Thursday on wooden benches at New Echota State Park with two Cherokee Indian judges, there for a special session of court. The court heard two cases - a real estate dispute and a case involving deer hunting - and justices put on their game faces as lawyers presented their arguments. But the specks of mud on a couple of justices' shoes and a cool autumn breeze blowing through the windows of the crowded clapboard courthouse certainly made the court seem more approachable. The courthouse is a replica of the Cherokee Supreme Court at the former capital of the Cherokee Nation and a monument to a sad irony in American history. It is where the Cherokees tried to emulate the Untied States in a last-ditch effort to survive. The short-lived nation was uprooted in 1838 during the Trail of Tears. Justice Robert Benham, who helped put together the unique session, said he wanted the court to "pay respect to the state's Native American heritage" while "bringing the court to the people." The six school buses parked near the courthouse and the 300-plus participants watching the proceedings on live television outside attested to that. "Georgia wasn't dealing with savages; the Cherokee people had a long history of dealing with the law," said Philip Viles, a Tulsa lawyer and Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. Viles, who sat with the Georgia court Thursday, now heads a three-person court that hears misdemeanors and civil cases on land owned by the descendants of the Eastern tribe. Viles, with reddish hair, smiles, saying he is 3/128ths Cherokee. "Like a lot of others, I wish there was more," he said, adding that the tribe was assimilating into the white culture long before the 1820's. "John Ross, one of our greatest chiefs, was one-eighth Cherokee and mostly Scottish." In the early 1800s the Cherokees realized they would be pushed from their lands if they didn't somehow fit in with the settlers. They formed a system of government modeled after the U.S. government, complete with executive, legislative and judicial branches. It included a Supreme Court, which existed from 1822 to 1835 and heard 246 cases - mostly civil. According to old court records, the estate of Dragging Canoe sued Peggy Pathkiller to recover slaves names Simon and Pheby, some horses, hogs, cattle and a set of blacksmith tools. The court returned to the estate Simon, four head of cattle and the tools. Another case pitted the Cherokee Nation versus a horse thief named John C. Bird. Bird lost and was administered 100 lashes. "Must have been his second offense, they usually gave horse thieves 50," said park ranger Jeff Stancil. "Or maybe it was a judge's horse." In 1828, gold was discovered near Dahlonega, giving Georgia impetus to drive the Cherokees from their suddenly valuable mountain land. The Cherokees fought the white man not with weapons but with their own laws, going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. "Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in favor of the Cherokees, saying they had a `distinct community,' that this was their territory and Georgia had no right to displace them," said Stancil. "But [President] Andrew Jackson, an old Indian fighter himself, said: "Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." Leon Jones, chief magistrate with the Eastern Band of Cherokees in North Carolina, who also sat in with the Georgia Supreme Court, told the crowd that he's glad the different cultures are getting a better understanding of each other. "We want to be members of the white society and be members of the black society," he said. "We want to be members of all society. We're all Americans." --------- "RE: clayoquot blockade" --------- From: MAILER-DAEMON@web.apc.org Subj: clayoquot blockade Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 21, '93 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRIENDS The Friends of Clayoquot Sound are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their struggle to protect the biggest coastal lowland temperate rain- forest left on Earth. Formed in 1978 by a handful of concerned Tofino residents, the "Friends" - as they are known throughout B.C. - became a prominent force for sane logging during their blockades at Meares Island and Sulphur Pass during the 1980s. Tofino artist Adrian Dorst remembers standing on a Tofino street corner in 1975 when Darlene Chaquette relayed a report that TFL 44 was about to be logged. "We've got to get together to stop this," Darlene told the group. The first Friends meeting was held at Happy Harry's gas station under the banner: Keep Meares Green. "We used to be so excited when a dozen people came to stand in front of the logging trucks," veteran director Valerie Langer recalls. This summer more than 8,000 people from around the globe have come to blockade the Kennedy River bridge. Years of tireless organizing and educating by Friends volunteers have intersected growing public awareness of worldwide deforestation to create the biggest political protest ever seen in Canada. As the Clayoquot blockade enters its 11th week, more than 660 people from all walks of life have registered their displeasure with the Harcourt give-away by offered themselves for arrest. The Friends of Clayoquot Sound are marking their 15th birthday by opening a legal coordination office in Victoria. Located at 1314 Broad St. above the Rising Star Bakery, the Clayoquot Resource Center will focus support for hundreds of Clayoquot arrestees. Services offered by the center will include legal counseling and coordination for court appearances. There were three arrests this morning at the Kennedy River blockade. Blockade numbers continue to hold steady at 150 protesters, with more support arriving from Denman, Cortes, Hornby and Salt Spring Islands. In court action yesterday, frantic Crown objections led judge Bouck to interrupt the testimony of Ray Travers. The former consultant to the Clayoquot Sound Sustainable Development Steering Committee wanted to expose how that "community process" was rigged to allow only the logging industry viewpoint. Though Judge Bouck permitted the Crown to present its case as it saw fit, he has disallowed all further expert witnesses as "irrelevant" to an attempted defense of necessity. Editors' Alert: Ray Travers will present his revealing testimony at a mock court this Thursday morning at 9:00 am courthouse steps. For more information call 725-4218 --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows" --------- From: sosc1.sosc.osshe.edu!cedarface Subj: Cultural Preservation Workshop Announcement (Oct 9-10, So. Oregon) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) (I am passing on the following announcement from the AICC in Talent, OR) ======================================================================== PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: George Fence Sept. 13, 1993 American Indian Cultural Center will host a Cultural Preservation Workshop October 9-10, 1993 As American Indians, the legacy from our ancestors and our past is our cultural heritage. This subject encompasses a vast range of both physical and non-physical elements, ranging from sites of habitation to those infrequently visited; material culture elements, including both articles of industrial use and sacred items; objects of cultural patrimony; and hunting and gathering management practices and ethics. Generally speaking, the form and content of American Indian life ways constitutes the basis of our cultural heritage. Clearly we are speaking of a nonrenewable resource and the development of a resource management system that provides native people the oversight role due them. Unfortunately, this has seldom been the case. Many federal and state laws that are meant to safeguard or protect our cultural heritage have repeatedly gone un enforced for a variety of reasons, due in large part to the ignorance of these laws, and the perceived value of public interest regarding public and private lands, as well as the monetary value placed on Indian artifacts. The workshop will provide opportunities to share information concerning legal process; acquaint us all to efforts currently under way to provide greater protection; and allow us to learn through shared experience of those working on these issues. This will be an opportunity to develop strategies and networking to deal with this complex situation. We are inviting agencies, Tribes, individuals, and others to attend our two day workshop to be held on October 9-10 at the American Indian Cultural Center in Talent, Oregon. We are soliciting any information, representation, or support for this important workshop that you may be able to provide. For more information, call: (503) 535-6031. We encourage attendees to be familiar with the subject as the complexities may be somewhat overwhelming to the uninformed. For information contact: American Indian Cultural Center 2122 S. Pacific Highway Talent, Oregon (503) 535-6031 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ From: JANS Janet McNeely Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows GE Electronic Mail =Gatherings and Powwows= Thank you to Little Eagle for providing a terrific list of West Coast Powwows for the month of October! Third Annual Snow Dance Festival Oct. 2 - Incline Village, NV 1-800-468-2463 StillWater Pow Wow and Cultural Exchange Oct 8-10, Shasta College, Redding CA (916) 275-6728 Ninth CA. Indian Conference Oct 14-17, Santa Barbara Museum of Nat. Hist Santa Barbara, CA (805) 682-4711 ext 339 or 307 Pow Wow of the Four Winds Oct. 15-17 Nevada State Museum, Lorenzi Park Las Vegas, NV (702) 486-5205 Second Annual American Indian Pow Wow Oct 15-17, San Diego Mesa College (619) 627-2706 Third Annual Chukchansi Pow Wow Oct 15-17, Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds Coarsegold, CA (209) 683-6633 Wa She Shu Pow Wow Oct 29-31, Carson Indian Colony Carson City, NV (702) 883-6431 Also, don't forget that the Snake Band of the Free Cherokee will host the Annual Fall Gathering of Free Cherokees/Good Medicine Society at Hawkfeather (Watertown, CT.) October 21-24, 1993 Send notices of forthcoming powwows, conferences and gatherings to: jans@genie.geis.com jans%glsdk@wolves.durham.nc.us ....duke!wolves!glsdk!jans