_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' 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 02, ISSUE 002 O o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 8 January 1994 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/newsletters; 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. "When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them." -- Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! As the lead article in this issue I have chosen one that proves a Native American can win in the washichu courts. Does this mean the pendulum has begun to swing away from overt injustice? Hardly, when Leonard Peltier and Clifford Dann remain behind bars in spite of great evidence they do not belong there. I think it means the blue men of this world can not assume the "good old boy" system will hide their covert lies and treachery. We must remain ever vigilant. We are the first people, but we are not the dominant society; and we must win these battles in the washichu courts. Still, there is hope. One victory is better than none. To have two victories, you must first have one. Mitaquye Oyasin! Night Owl ------------------ clip here for news feature -- 8< ----------- --------- "RE: Justice at Hawk Feather" --------- From: J.AUDLIN James D. Audlin (Chief Distant Eagle) Subj: Justice at Hawk Feather O'siyo, everyone! Folks: BIG NEWS!!!! I just got off the phone with the core of the Snake Band. They were all lined up to talk with me! I talked with Singing Waters, Night Raven, Elizabeth Elk Thunder, and Dark Star, and even goo-gooed with Elk Thunder's baby, Butterfly Moon! Anyway, the big news is that WE WON THE COURT CASE!!! A court mediator sat down with us and Ralph Barilla (the crook who tried to cheat us out of Hawk Feather), and declared that the property is once again ours, on a lease with option to buy basis. But the mediator told Ralph that if it goes to trial (and it still may), we have a strong case for fraud and he has no case, and the court would almost definitely \give\ us the property. So the mediator awarded us Hawk Feather at lease with option to buy basis, but the price on the land is now $100,000 less than before, and our monthly lease payment is about half what it was previously. Barilla is now legally enjoined to fulfill his contract with us and rebuild the burned building to \our\ satisfaction. Barilla is also now legally enjoined to remove immediately from the property that Jim person, the one who sells drugs, who beat his girlfriend into a pulp, and who was shooting his gun during the National Gathering. Furthermore, we do not owe the monthly lease payments for the times when the property was sealed by the Fire Marshall (as Barilla had claimed, making that his basis for evicting us). As a result of this, the Snake Band is immediately retaking possession of the property. The Jim person is being evicted immediately. Singing Waters has a bank loan, arranged by Dewey Fagerburg, which will cover all costs easily. She plans very soon to move her day care center, The Learning Circle, onto the property, and expand her enrollment, so Hawk Feather will become financially self-supporting. Before that, I plan to come down and join the Snake Band leadership in smudging and cleansing the land thoroughly. Furthermore, the Snake Band is seriously considering initiating a fraud suit against Ralph Barilla, since the court has basically told us we have every likelihood of winning. I am sending this e-letter to everyone on-line who has been aware of and concerned about the situation at Hawk Feather. All of you should have read about the situation in the most recent \New Phoenix\, or saw first-hand the situation when you attended the National Gathering. Please feel free to broadcast this good news far and wide, especially to your local bands, and tell everyone that the Snake Band and I give them a huge WADO!!!! for all prayers and efforts. Love and Wado to all! --Chief Distant Eagle --------- "RE: Tribal Religious Freedom Under Attack" --------- From: L.HELLWIG1 Louisa A. Hellwig Subj: Tribal Religious Freedom Under Attack Night Owl: Attached is an article from my local paper re the meeting last month in Reno of the National Congress of American Indians. I was very surprised (but pleased) to see an article about Native American religious freedom in my paper. In the Spirit...Lisa in LITH -------- TRIBAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER ATTACK COLEMAN MCCARTHY - REPRINTED FROM NORTHWEST HERALD (Illinois, 1/5/94) WASHINGTON - In Reno, Nevada, last month more than 1500 representatives of about 300 tribal governments were brought together by the National Congress of American Indians. A startling, as well as politically revealing, moment occurred when a unanimous resolution was passed stating the group's top legislative priority. For some of America's sickest, poorest and most disposed people, it wasn't health-care reform, nor al call for more food assistance or job training programs, nor demands for land rights. The priority was spiritual: passage of federal legislation to protect tribal religious freedom. Constitutionally, it would appear that the religion clause of the First Amendment guarantees the worship and sacramental liberties of Indians. It does, if, say, a Seminole is a Catholic, or a Chippewa is a Baptist. but if the tribal member belongs ot non of those imported immigrant religions and instead is in a congregation of the Native American Church - with as many as a quarter-million members and a history of devoutness going back 10,000 years - then the First Amendment has all the power of a smoke signal on a windy day. Supreme Court decisions in 1988 and 1990 were major defeats for tribal spirituality. The 1988 case - Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association - found that it was legal for the U.S. Forest Service to destroy a sacred ancient Indian site on federal property. Bulldozers defeated beliefs. The decision kept alive a 500 year pattern of discrimination. In "Native American Testimony: An Anthology of Indian and White Relations:, Peter Nabakoc writes: "When white men first witness Indians impersonating animal spirits in costume and dance, and worshiping rocks and rainbows, they failed to see this as a deep form of religious worship. To their Christian minds, these were deplorable pagan rites. Worship of more than one deity, and sacrificial offerings directed at the natural world, stamped Indians as a misguided, lesser form of mankind. Here were Christless heathens crying to be rescued from eternal damnation." In the 1990 case, rescuing the heathens from drug abuse was on the mind of the court. In Employment Division of Oregon v. Smith, it was ruled that the sacramental use of peyote in religious service was not constitutionally protected and states could outlaw it. In 29 stats, peyote - a cactus plan eaten or taken as tea during prayers - is legal while in 22 states it isn't. the court said that if Indians wanted uniform legal protection they should seek it in federal legislation. They took the suggestion. Since 1990, such groups as the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians have been working to build congressional support of the Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act. The legislation would protect sacramental peyote use in all states, as well as offer protections for sacred sites. Another part of the proposed bill - introduced last May by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - would require federal and state prisons to provide Id=Indian inmates the same freedom to worship as Christian and Jewish prisoners enjoy. More than 7,000 tribal members are imprisoned. Students of tribal religion know that its rites, beliefs and sacraments throb with all the vibrancies found in other faiths. The Ghost Dance in Sioux country has as much liturgical legitimacy as the Stations of the Cross in Catholic worship. The Great Spirit of which Aseenewub, a Red Lake Ojibwa, wrote is as theologically relevant to Indians as the Holy Spirit is to Christians or Allah to Muslims. Now to bring the law in line with belief. --------- "RE: Religious Tradition" --------- From: timb@unssun.scs.unr.edu (Tim Brogan) Subj: Religious Tradition Distribution: soc.culture.native, alt.native Tue Dec 28, 1993 RELIGIOUS TRADITION On August 11, 1978 Congress approved what is known as the "Joint Resolution American Indian Religious Freedom".(42 U.S.C. 1996) This bill was to preserve and protect the inherent right of any Native American Indian to believe, express, and exercise his or her traditional religion, including, but not limited to, access to any Native American religious site, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites. Surviving through beatings, torture and death the Native American Indian people have finally succeeded in obtaining an avenue towards having their tradition belief and ceremonies fully recognized as a part of their Way of Life. Over the years, the assimilation machine was carrying a propaganda and its tool's in order to secure the Indian people completely into society and to severe their ties to the land so that progress could continue to tear at Mother Earth. Historians and theologians have documented what they have felt to be accurate facts in relation to the traditional properties and scholars of Indian tribes have even had a hand in promoting the tradition and culture to some extent. Question is, how much of it is truth and how much of it was done for monetary and personal gain ? People of all walks of life know how important it is to make money in order to put food on the table. And of course you can picture people making-up material that sounded good and had a purpose, but, did it have facts ? Archaeological and anthropology people have continued to advocate various statements that reflected against the Traditional Belief in which was handed down to us by our Elder's. Within the traditional belief, our Elder's have told us for over 500 years that we have been here within these lands for time immemorial. We are not the kind of people that go around calling the people who brought us into this life, liar's and we won't go against their word. It is true that some people will go against their Elder's Belief, but for money or if they can get some popularity out of it. Of course there are those people who will over-night become immediately experts in their tribes history, and again for money or personal gain will make statements that have no relationship to an issue or to the Tradition. People who have contended to be knowledgeable of Indian Tradition and culture have either learned it from a book or heard it from a t.v. show or from their best army buddy who was of course a full blood Indian, and knew everything. There are people who have lived on reservations and have seen ceremonies taking place, but whether the ceremony was for show or not that is a different matter. Indian people have always been cautious when it came to performing their ceremonies over the years, mainly to keep it intact and away from money hungry individuals or from those groups of people such as the Wise Age Movement, that would only abuse it and make a mockery of it. There have been a few non- Indians who took it upon their self to flaunt the Traditional Belief, but again people just need to abuse something in order to get rich. There are of course many people who understand that the Native American has a Traditional Belief and are entitled to practice it in the manner in which it was handed down to them over the years. Other people seem to think that it is tied into satanism, Black Magic or the occult, because it was put before them by theologians years ago as being such and that was very wrong. When people become prisoner's of War, it is the governing people who accomplished this feat to make sure that their prisoner's come to believe that they must conform to their rules and regulations in order to stay alive. Brainwashing is a tool that is commonly used for this activity. Just like spreading lies and deceit to get a person to hate another because they don't believe the way you do. What is really sad are the Indian people who use the tradition for monetary gain. The way some of our people have adapted to society is ugly because a few of them have lost all respect for the traditional belief and would really not understand any of it. Then again you have those people who will interpret a matter in their own way just to get someone to believe in them. There are many such people springing-up all over and these people must be watched very closely. They may seem to mean well but their heart is not in the proper perspective nor do they care how they are looked at. What is even just as bad are the people who claim to be traditional and will go out of their way to destroy a Native American Indian program or organization that is making accomplishments or is receiving attention for their work. When General Philip Sheridan of the Union Army statement was proclaimed across the country that: "the only good Indian is a dead Indian," it makes you wonder if they really did try to accomplish that and whether or not our own people try to live up to that because today it seems that there are a bunch of them that think that way. People must slow down and understand that through the years, as America's Prisoner's of War the Native American Indian lost more then what they should have. That a people went out of their way to destroy their way of life and their traditional belief. In this modern day and age where technology has become a way of living the Indian people are still searching for the answer's as to why they can not practice their tradition, when the rest of the Euro-American Society does. The American Government has open it's door's to all walks of life and these people have come upon our land and they are allowed to practice in the manner they chose and for many of them they have turned their own back on their OWN COUNTRY AND PEOPLE! The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act(P.L. 101-601) section 7, is allowing Indian groups, tribal governments and non-profit organizations, such as this one, to retrieve funerary objects from museums across the country so that proper burial can be performed and many of our ancestor's who were removed from their final resting place can be free at last. This token project comes about at a time when the Indian people are beginning to finally realize that there is freedom and government policies may change yet, but when the religious bill is finally endorsed then I think we can start to think about the change being to our advantage. For now, the Native American Indian people should look about them and make what changes they can in their tribal ordinances so that their traditional ways will be safe-guarded from money hungry individuals or those groups, and organizations just out to promote trouble by using the tradition in a wrongful manner. We must be careful so that our Traditional Belief is not taken away from us again. We must make sure that proper use is installed away from the public for much of it is not for show and tell and hopefully people will began to realize that our Traditional Belief is very Sacred and relates to all that is around us. What matter's here is that we are all human beings, and it does not matter what we are labeled as, but how we use our wisdom, knowledge and understanding within our hearts, souls, and minds. The Native American Indian is stepping into a time period to where finally we will achieve the freedom that we have sought after for so long. Our goals and objectives have been in place for a long time and now we have the opportunity to travel within the Circle of Life once again with respect and dignity the way our Ancestor's intended for us before the invasion. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act is not set out to destroy any form of thinking, nor is it set to promote people to join in on the tradition, nor is it set to hinder the efforts of modern progress as we have come to know it, all this Freedom Act does is give back to us, the ones who believe in it and use it, the true manner of Life that belongs to us. No-One is going to say you have to practice it or use it because you are Indian, it will be there for proper use when the times is right for those who will want of it. So look proud my people, for the Great Spirit Grandfather guides us within the Circle of Life and our Ancestor's bid us well on our journey towards the year of the Native American Indian, 1994, which is upon us ! by LARRY KIBBY CONSULTANT/DIRECTOR WESTERN SHOSHONE HISTORIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY --------- "RE: Hantavirus: Of Mice & Mistrust" --------- From: aol.com!mesa Subj: Hantavirus: Of Mice & Mistrust Mailing List: NATIVE-L OF MICE AND MISTRUST Many Navajos are skeptical that deer mice carry Hantavirus by Leslie Linthicum - appearing here by kind permission of the Albuquerque Journal: 12/19/93. In the six months since scientists found a name and a cause for the Four Corners "mystery illness," federal, state and tribal officials have mounted a massive health education campaign to warn people away from the identified carrier of the deadly disease - the deer mouse. The U.S. Public Health Service describes the effort involving hundreds of employees, thousands of brochures and posters and countless miles driven over dirt back roads to bring prevention tips and free mousetraps door to door as one of the quickest and most comprehensive health education campaigns in the country's history. But here in Littlewater, where the illness struck most ferociously, and in other communities scattered across the Navajo reservation, the campaign has been met with distrust, disbelief and sometimes anger. The reason is simple: many people don't believe the scientists' basic premise that people died from an infectious disease carried by mice. And mice, they say, are creatures to be respected from a distance, not killed in baited traps. Deer mice have been the target of prevention measures since they were identified as the carrier of the strain of Hantavirus that swept through the Four Corners last spring and has killed 27 people to date. In a box in a corner of the Littlewater chapter house, dozens of plastic bags containing mousetraps, disposable gloves and disinfectant sit unused. A presentation to explain the Hantavirus here last month drew only 10 people. "They're not calling it a disease," says Louise Nez, an employee of the Navajo tribal government who works with elders in the community. "They say it's not true that the mouse is the cause of it. If it's the mouse, then everybody would get sick." Kee Tapaha, coordinator of the Littlewater chapter, received 300 of the mousetrap packets to distribute and has been left with more than 100. At his house in the nearby community of Casamero Lake, Tapaha has two cats who sometimes kill mice. He picks up the dead rodents and throws them in the trash can - no bleach, no gloves. "We live with the mouse," Tapaha says. "We don't bother them and they don't bother us." This is the community, 10 miles down dirt roads and more than 20 miles from Crownpoint, the nearest town, where the Hantavirus struck in its only cluster. Five people here became ill with the virulent lung disease; two died. It was those sudden deaths, a young couple about to be married, that called scientists' attention to the disease and everyone's attention to these rolling plains. With no trading post, no cafe, barely a sign announcing the community meeting hall, Littlewater is unused to attention from prying journalists or doctors. And six months after the epidemic, no one is willing to talk of the past. "This was a bad year," is all chapter vice president Thomas Barbone will say. "We hope next year will be better." And some residents here still don't believe the scientists know what caused the illness. Chemical warfare agents tested by the U.S. government, radiation from World War II, the eclipse of the sun or simple fate are more likely causes of the illness than mice, some people believe. Disbelief, and the reluctance of many residents to talk about what was a traumatic episode for Navajos, has left health educators stymied. "It's really hard to tell them to get rid of the mouse if that's what they're saying," says Nez, who has been turned away by elders who believe talking about the illness might cause it to return. While accidents remain the greatest killer of Navajos, the Navajo Nation and the Public Health Service have focused unprecedented attention on the Hantavirus. The entire 45-person staff of the U.S. Public Health Service's Navajo-area office has been involved in some aspect of education about the illness. All 130 of the Navajo Nation's community health representatives have spent months holding meetings and going door to door with prevention tips. And thousands of brochures and posters and dozens of radio and TV spots have blanketed the Navajo reservation. Public Health Service staff have produced education materials in Navajo and English and have even commissioned a rap song warning of the deer mouse to appeal to younger Navajos. Patrick Bohan has coordinated the Public Health Service's campaign from his office in St. Michael's, Ariz., about a mile from the Navajo Nation capital of Window Rock. "I don't know anywhere in the country that has taken on a health education effort of this size and done it this quickly," Bohan says. "We have gone to the remote parts of the reservation, which are really the most remote parts of the United States, and given them the opportunity to learn about this." The toughest job has been persuading people they should take complicated precautions against an illness that has sickened only a couple dozen people in a nation of more than 200,000 members. "In some chapters there haven't been any cases, so people don't consider it a threat," says Bob Bialas, the Public Health Service sanitarian for the Fort Defiance, Ariz., unit. In the Gallup-Crownpoint service unit, Hantavirus seminars were ignored, so health educators took to the back roads. "We got in a couple of 4-by-4s and we literally started going door to door and sitting around kitchen tables and answering questions," says sanitarian Chuck Freeman. In Dinnehotso, Ariz., near Monument Valley, about 30 administrators, teachers and staffers gathered in the library recently at a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school to hear about the Hantavirus. Marita Jones, a health educator for the Navajo Nation, came prepared with handouts, maps, pictures of deer mice and a videotape, but she wasn't prepared for the questions and skepticism. Where did the deer mice get this? Why do they have it all of a sudden? Exactly how did the people who got sick come in contact with mouse urine? Are you sure it isn't related to biological warfare agents stored at Fort Wingate? Jones smiles and says, "There's a lot of theories people have. The information we get says it's in the deer mice." Even though the virus has been identified in rodents, scientists themselves haven't been able to say where it came from or why it appeared so suddenly here. Some Navajos in the audience shudder at Jones' suggestion of burning dead mice, and nearly everyone groans and laughs at the suggestion of wrapping mice in two layers of plastic and burying them two feet deep. There is no precedent in Navajo custom for trapping and killing mice, although mice and people traditionally have been encouraged to stay apart. Nancy Bill helped develop educational materials for the Public Health Service, and her brother, epidemiologist Dr. Ben Muneta, was instrumental in linking scientists' precautions regarding mice to Navajo tradition that warns that humans and mice should live in separate worlds. Precautions recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Service, including keeping food covered and houses secured against rodent invasions, are similar to traditional stories about the mouse, and that has helped health educators spread their message. "If you come in and say to do this in relation to the illness, it doesn't make sense," Bill says. "If you apply it to culture, it makes sense." --------- "RE: Indians" --------- From: timb@unssun.scs.unr.edu (Tim Brogan) Subj: Indians Distribution: soc.culture.native, alt.native "WHO SAID THEY WERE INDIAN ?" "There is no traditional belief!" "There are no sacred ceremonies!" "There are no sacred burial grounds!" "These Indians are just full of hot air and most of them are lazy!" "Who cares to hunt and fish anymore!" "We don't need anymore land, let the mines, farmer's and rancher's have it, none of these Indians around here don't know nothing about the land, it's not sacred!" "Who cares about pow-wow's it's not traditional, all these kids want is to be left alone to play their video games and listen to their music!" "What we need is more money so we can keep up with the times, alcohol and cigarettes cost a lot now days!" "When the white-man found us, we were a starving people, we need to be thankful for the white-man saving us!" "Most of these long hair loud mouth Indians just like shootin' off their mouth, they don't know what their talkin' about, if they were smart they'd get a hair cut and a decent job!" "All this talk about tradition and eagle feather's is just a waste of time!" "The Indian ways are gone that's why I'm married to a non-Indian, we don't need to live in the past and it sure doesn't put food on the table or pay the bills!" Deplorable as it may seem, these are the statements that are often heard by a people who have forgotten or want to forget what has happened to their nation. These statements reflect a people who would whether see the reservations, and colonies turned into small or big cities. "Forget the past and live for tomorrow for that is the only way we are going to survive!" Some of these people have been left or kept in the dark or would whether believe that the scholars, historians and theologians have formulated the truth in their writings. But how can that be when today there are several hundred thousand Native American Indian people who are voicing a very serious concern towards the preservation and protection of their tradition, ceremony and burial grounds.? What is even more deplorable is that the so-called intelligent people who profess to be Indian experts, and or are Indians have gone along with the past documentation, only they have either added to it or smoothed it over with more propaganda, to make it appear to be the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What has done the most damage is the allowance of non-Indian people to flaunt the Indian tradition and culture in their own way and over the years people excepted those ways as to being very factual. So closely related they were to the real facts that the historians and theologians just took it upon theirself to insert their own terminology and view points, and presented it to a society that was willing to promote it as facts. Theory and propaganda is what history is made-up from. Speculation and probable cause is more then enough evidence to contribute to the writer's of history and theology. These people spent a lot of time and research to make sure that their facts were accurate and that no-one would dare to call down scientific technology or its intent. People would often use bribery as a source of means to retrieve information for their research. Tactic's like; "You tell me the truth or you will get a beaten!"; or "Tell me something good that I can use and I'll make sure you get something good to eat!"; or "If you show me how your medicine men do their ceremonies, I'll make sure you get all the good stuff; or "If you show me this or that, I'll make sure that you get special treatment"! With these kind of tactic's most of the people found that they could say almost anything and it was excepted as the truth because most of the time these writer's of history were looking for popularity and they were making their selves rich, so it didn't really matter if what they wrote was factual or not, just as long as they got paid. Of course you had those people who knew that if they acted like an Indian they would get their picture taken and written about, but most of all they knew they would get a reward of some kind and they would go away content. Sort of like some of our modern day tribal leader's and representatives ! Today it is really no different, you still have those people, whom for the longest time didn't want to be Indian because they didn't like dealing with the prejudice or discrimination, who will stick an Eagle Feather in their hat and go around saying; "Yeah I'm an Indian, I know everything about being Indian and about my Ancestor's, pay me, I'm a Traditionalist"! Even more humorous are some of the breeds who want to do away with everything, tradition and culture. This way they can continue to live in their cities and their social standings won't get hurt, poor things, we don't want to hurt their feelings now do we? Seems to me that if breeds want good social standings then there really is no need for them to be enrolled or receive tribal assistance. People who don't like being Indian should not be enrolled. If they can not except the fact that we are a very special people then by all means become something else that doesn't have a tradition or culture, because all your doing is wasting our time and hindering our efforts. Then you have people who knew they were Indian but didn't want to talk about it because they knew other people would laugh at them or start to call them Chief or squaw, so they tried to avoid being Indian, up until something happened to them or they were accused of doing something illegal then they were Indian forever and wanted everything Indian! What sense is that? Well, they say if it will help the cause, go ahead and let them be Indian, what can they hurt? Well, the truth of the matter is, that first of all, some of our so-called tribal representatives will look for any excuse they can to call somebody down or make them look bad. Most of all they hope that someone will make a mistake so that they can jump out there and show the government and their non-Indian friends that they are a good civilized Indian! I always thought that the "Only Good Indian Was A Dead Indian"! At least that's what General Sheridan said back when they were killing all of us and the buffalo. Give someone some popularity or put them into a job position and the first thing they want to do is open the door for every tom, dick and harry to come in and look around. What's wrong with that is, you get a whole tribe of non-Indians that want everything Indian but don't want to be Indian or hope that all the tradition and culture will soon be just shown on t.v. Free education assistance, free medical assistance, free housing, no taxes, what more could a non-Indian want? No Indians! I just say! But the truth in that is, that some of the non-Indians want better service or nothing at all! Makes sense! Of course then you have those people who want to look good for their non-Indian spouse, so the first order of business is to make sure that the Indians don't make you look bad, so they run for tribal council and like the federal government, make all kinds of promises and wine and dine you for your vote. Then your stuck until the next election! People will do anything to make theirselves not look too Indian, believe me. Two tons of make-up or a three-piece suite and presto, you have an almost human. Nothing wrong in trying to look good only some people get carried away I think. People will go out of their way to impress their non-Indian friends or spouse and you don't have to get close to them because you can smell their cologne or perfume a block away, around a corner! I just Say! But it's almost factual. Anyway, these kind of people don't want to rock the boat or have the boat rocked because they have a lot of non-Indian friends that will look down on them or so they think, but they will do what they can to make everything look good, FOR THEIRSELVES or THEIR FAMILY and what Indian friends they may have. This is about the time you look into the tribes financial situation with a request for a federal audit, especially if you see that nothing is being done to make your reservation look good, but you see the tribal officer you elected with everything new and their pay is the same as before the election. It can get worse, because if you begin to complain that nothing is going right for the tribe or that you think the tribe should question the fishing, hunting and gathering rights or better the education, medical and housing programs, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is: "We are looking in to it and we have requested more funds for research, we are looking for someone who is qualified and educated to handle all these issues!" Maybe they should hire a rocket scientist, get just as much done. Of course they always say that if they get too demanding that the federal government will take away their federal funds and they don't want to look bad, so they must not hire an Indian, because what does an Indian know about hunting and fishing and so forth? By all means, don't hire us, you could have a problem. "I like Indians, some of my best friends are Indian, why when I was in the army my best buddy was an Indian and you know my great-great grandmother was a cherokee princess and I think you Indian people got a raw deal from the government and just the other day I helped this Indian boy buy a bottle of booze and then I got him a hair cut and sent him down the road with a dollar to get something to eat and I think I'm just the best friend you Indians have!" GET A GRIP! Sad thing about that, is there are Indian people who say those kind of things, I kid you not! Some of our best tribal rep's make statements like: "Well just the other day I let those long hair Indians use the gym to have their pow-wow and I deserve to be re-elected for that, I mean if it hadn't been for me, these Indians wouldn't have anything, I've worked hard to get all this for them!" AND THE TRIBAL GYM WAS BUILT IN THE 1800'S! Hey, I just say! But for the most part, some tribal leader's are about like that and they make sure they get all the credit, unless something goes wrong and then they'll blame everyone under the sun. All in all, times are changing. Tomorrow, the Traditional Movement will have gotten stronger and the Tribes will have gained a foot-hold inside a door that they have never been able to get into. Many of our people, through higher education and vocational training have entered into a way of life that they have excepted in these modern times, but they have not forgotten their people or their Way of Life. They have stood for a long time at the door and knocked at opportunity and it was opened before them and they stepped inside and grasped what they could and have used it to help their people. If these people would have turned their back on us, like so many other's have, we would not be looking at the National Historic Preservation Act; the American Indian Freedom of Religion Act; or the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the rest of the legislation that has been endorsed to our advantage and to up-grade our living conditions. We the Native American Indians, America's first prisoner's of War, who were placed within America's first Prisoner's of War Camps, the reservations, have come along way in this modern day and age. We still maintain our tradition and culture is a Way of Life and despite the fact that it can't put food on the table or pay the bills, it is still very Sacred to us and we still believe in its worth, for it comes from wisdom, knowledge and understanding through the heart, soul and mind that was handed down to us by our Ancestor's whose blood does cover this Our Mother Earth. The re-growth of our Nation over the years has allowed us to secure our Traditional Belief and Ceremonial Ways. Much of what we have not given out is very Sacred and belongs to us, it is not for sell or personal gain, it is not to be exploited. Mother Earth is Sacred, for the blood of our Ancestor's does cover her, because many of our people were just left to die anywhere during the Euro-American invasion and occupation of our lands. Our people suffered and endured much, but today because of their faith within the Circle of Life, we are able to portray the pride and dignity of a Nation of People in which some of us will never turn our back on. 1994 WILL BE THE YEAR OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN ! RETURN OF THE TRADITION, RETURN OF THE SACRED GROUNDS ! I am Eel River and Bear River Mattole, like my Ancestor's, I am of Mother Earth, I am Little Bear, also known as Larry Kibby. BY: LARRY KIBBY CONSULTANT/DIRECTOR WESTERN SHOSHONE HISTORIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY 1545 SILVER EAGLE DRIVE ELKO, NEVADA 89801 (702) 738 - 7070 Wed Dec 29, 1993 --------- "RE: Indigenous/Native/Aboriginal Info" --------- From: "Arthur R. McGee" Subj: Indigenous/Native/Aboriginal Info Mailing List: NATIVE-L The latest versions of the following lists are now available: (1) Internet/BITnet mailing lists and news services that focus on Indigenous, Native, or Aboriginal people, culture, and issues. (Up to date as of JANUARY 02, 1994) (2) Usenet newsgroups that focus on Indigenous, Native, or Aboriginal people, culture, and issues. (Up to date as of JANUARY 02, 1994) (3) Indigenous/Native run or Indigenous/Native oriented Bulletin Board Systems/Services(BBS) in North America. (Up to date as of JANUARY 02, 1994) (4) Indigenous/Native oriented online info sites (Dialup/FTP/Gopher/Telnet). (Up to date as of JANUARY 02, 1994) (5) Conferences and news services available via the APC networks (PeaceNet, EcoNet, etc.), that focus on Indigenous, Native, or Aboriginal people, culture, and issues. (Up to date as of JANUARY 02, 1994) Please let me know of any updates, additions, corrections or suggestions that you might have. Thank you very much. Peace. The absolute latest versions of all my Indigenous/Native/Aboriginal related lists and pointers are always available via anonymous FTP from ftp.netcom.com in directory: pub/amcgee/indigenous/my_indigenous_related_lists If you only have access to email, then you can use FTPmail to do essentially the same thing. Send a message to this address: ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com With these specifications: ~Subject: Body of Message: help quit Or to this address: bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu With these specifications: Body of Message: help In either case a help file will be returned to you explaining how to use the FTPmail or bitFTP facility. The absolute latest versions of all my Indigenous/Native related lists are also always available by sending email to or fingering the following: NativInfo: [amcgee@nyx.cs.du.edu] Warning: all of the lists will come back to you as one concatenated file (approximately 25K in size). Remember: the above address is NOT for correspondence. If you want anything other than a list sent back to you, use the email addresses in my signature. The absolute latest versions of all my Indigenous/Native related lists are also always available on the BDPA BAC BBS(1-707-552-3314) and on the Data Bits Online BBS(1-213-295-6094) in the following files: NATVAPC.MSG = APC Conference List (not included in NativInfo mail file) NATVBBS.MSG = BBS List NATVMAIL.MSG = Internet/BITnet Mailing Lists NATVNEWS.MSG = Usenet Newsgroups NATVSITE.MSG = Online Information Sites (Dialup/FTP/Gopher/Telnet) Note: These naming conventions also hold true for the FTP archive. Note: The lists may also be available as bulletin items, so check the bulletin menu on each system for descriptive listings. Art "Rambo" McGee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- COINTELPRO | lserv@psg.com |Rambo's "Outside" Information (Note: For the distribution of news and information that I find) (particularly "interesting." I must warn you though that it may) (be a high volume list, so stay away if your mail isn't "free.") ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NETCOM: [amcgee@netcom.com] (ftp.netcom.com in pub/amcgee for my "stuff") CTP/CORE: [amcgee@ctp.org] or [amcgee@eis.calstate.edu] (CA Ed/Tech project) PeaceNet: [igc:amcgee] (Best place for Development & Activism related info) WELL: [amcgee] (What can I say about this system? It's definitely unique) AfriInfo: [mcgee@epsilon.eecs.nwu.edu] (Email/Finger for Black/African Info) NativInfo: [amcgee@nyx.cs.du.edu] (Email/Finger for Indigenous/Native Info) BDPA BAC: [1-707-552-3314] to [Arthur McGee] (Co-Sysop. Lists are also here) DataBits: [1-213-295-6094] to [Arthur McGee] (Co-Sysop. Lists are here too) Voice: [1-310-320-BYTE] (Cool, eh dude? :-D That's 1-310-320-2983) "The revolution will not be televised, but the proceedings will be available online." (c)1993 Arthur R. McGee & Associates --------- "RE: Davis Inlet - Peace Brigades International" --------- From: jcramer@nyx.cs.du.edu (James Cramer) Subj: Davis Inlet - Peace Brigades International -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This message posted at request of: Steve Molnar, Peace Brigades International Do not reply to sender, REPLY TO: pbinap@web.apc.org -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Innu Nation P.O. Box 119 Sheshatshiu, Labrador A0P 1M0 Bus: (709) 497-8759 Fax: (709) 497-8396 PRESS RELEASE UTSHIMASSITS (Davis Inlet), December 23, 1993 The Mushuau Innu reacted today with deep disappointment to today's Press Release of Newfoundland Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Hon. Edward Roberts, regarding events in Davis Inlet. Following the last set of hearings of the Circuit Court of the Provincial Court in Davis Inlet last week, The Chief and Council members of Utshimassits last week asked the Judge and members of the RCMP to leave the community without delay. "There was little else I could do under the circumstances. This was the last straw for my people." said Chief Katie Rich. "I sat in the Circuit Court hearings last week. We saw the 'justice' system at work on our people. We saw a judge behaving offensively and with contempt for my people, laughing at the witnesses and the accused. We saw the accuseds' lawyer prevented by the court from properly doing his job. And in a mockery of the concept of healing, we saw this judge from another culture handing out extremely harsh sentences, even to our young." "It is ironic that Minister Roberts talks about the rule of law," said Peter Penashue, President of the Innu Nation. "For most of this century, the Innu have suffered the consequences of repeated violations of the law and our human rights by the governments of Newfoundland and Canada." Last summer, the Canadian Human Rights Commission issued a scathing report regarding ongoing discrimination against the Mushuau Innu and other violations by governments of national and International human rights standards. the Human Rights Commission reported that these violations dated from before Newfoundland joined Confederation and extended to the present day. The Innu were relocated without their consent, for the third time, to Davis Inlet in 1967, where they have lived without sewage or running water, in ill health and in inadequate shelter, ever since. "What right has this government of Mr. Roberts' to talk of 'justice' or the rule of law when it continues to defy the findings of Canada's highest human rights commission?", asked Chief Rich. The Innu have released the text of a Protocol Regarding Policing I Davis Inlet that they are negotiating with the RCMP. We are still hoping to involve the Minister of Indian Affairs and the government of Newfoundland in this peaceful approach," Chief Rich said. She stated that both the Innu and senior officers of the RCMP in Newfoundland wish to avoid confrontation in Davis Inlet. "This protocol would open the door to a justice arrangement that does not harm us more, and that might lead us to real solutions," Said Chief Rich. "But as with our relocation back to the mainland, Mr. Roberts' government seems to have other plans for us, and a more confrontational agenda for the Christmas season." Chief Rich also indicated that she has instructed her lawyers to examine court tapes and records, and a recent statement issued by the Provincial Court, with a view to determining recourses for bias against the Innu people, and the possibility of disciplinary proceeding against the judge involved in last week's events. Further Information: Chief Katie Rich 709-478-8986 Peter Penashue 709-497-8548 709-497-8398 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL - NATIVE AMERICAN PROJECT URGENT ACTION REQUEST Innu President Peter Penashue has requested Peace Brigades to bring in an observer team. Plans are being made to assemble a team, but funding help is needed. Lack of funding may impair --------- "RE: Native Net BBS locations" --------- From: Frosty Deere Subj: Native Net BBS locations Many people have asked where is the nearest NativeNet BBS or HUB. Well this is a list as of Jan 1st, 1994. If your a Sysop, and would like to join the Net contact me and I will froward your request for information to Ronald McGill. Or just contact anyone of the many numbers list below. O F F I C I A L L I S T O F BBS's NativeNet The NA-NET NODELIST, a listing of all systems within NativeNet *************************************************************** World_Hub_NativeNet,Kahnawake_Quebec,Frosty_Deere, 1-514-632-5556 Echo_Coordinator,St_Petersburg_FL,Eagle_Eyes, 1-813-528-8256 Nodelist_Coordinator,Brossard_PQ,Ronald_McGill, 1-514-656-1533 North_Western_USA,Olympia_WA,John_Burrows, 1-206-786-9629 Eastern_Canada_PQ_ON_NB_NS_NF_PEI,Kahnawake_PQ,Ronald_Deere, 1-514-632-5556 NORTHWEST_AB_AK_BC_ID_NWT_SK_YK,Calgary_AB_Canada,Fred_Towner,1-403-286-7545 EASTERN_USA,West_Haven_CT,Bob_Morris, 1-203-932-6236 SOUTH_WESTERN_USA,Austin_Texas,Two_Braids, 1-512-458-9311 North_Western_USA,Olympia_WA,John_Burrows, 1-206-786-9629 Com-Dat_BBS,Hillsboro_OR,Mike_Jordan, 1-503-681-8324 The_Landing_Zone_-_VETLink_#7,Portland_OR,Ed_Brant, 1-503-775-1554 Mike_Jordan,Hillsboro_OR,Mike_Jordan, 1-503-681-0543 The_Aftermath,Oregon_City_OR,Rich_Grimek, 1-503-656-7934 N_I_G_H_T__S_H_I_F_T,Portland_OR,Gramps_Kiersarge, 1-503-774-5604 Vernon's_Place,College_Place_WA,Vernon_Jordan, 1-509-525-9188 The_Sacred_Scribe,Madison_WI,Robert_Pearson, 1-608-277-9955 Out_Front,Eugene_Oregon,Gordon_Roberts, 1-503-342-1285 Buffalo_Chips_BBS,Jamestown_ND,Bill_Skinner, 1-701-251-1903 Dakota_BBS,Rapid_City_SD,Anne_Fallis, 1-605-393-0468 Rocky_Mountain_Rendezvous,Cheyenne_WY,Jim_Taylor, 1-307-638-8506 Clear_Water_BBS,Eau_Claire_WI,Elmer_Wold, 1-715-832-1217 Freedom/NCC-1701_BBS,Altoona_WI,Steve_Oliver, 1-715-839-9842 Edge_of_Sanity,Dearborn_MI,Tom_Smith, 1-313-584-1253 The_Third_Moon_of_Neptune,detroit_mi,Elbert_Johnson, 1-313-843-1837 Rigel_BBS,VLS_MO,Rick_MacDougal, 1-514-748-5673 Infodoc-Montreal,Montreal_Qc,Jean-Pierre_Isore, 1-514-343-5350 Igloo_Station,Kahnawake_PQ,Ronald_Deere, 1-514-632-5556 Rockets_BBS,Brossard_PQ,Ronald_McGill, 1-514-656-1533 B_Cubed_Genealogy_BBS,Thamesville_On,Gord_Reid, 1-519-692-5836 Bonfire_BBS,Waterloo_ON,Dusty_Lane, 1-519-884-7375 The_Broken_Lands_BBS,Dartmouth_NS,Richard_Moore, 1-902-463-6908 The_Phone_Connection,Lr._Sackville_NS,Jim_Pickett, 1-902-865-6221 Cool_World,Unknown,Sean_Kearney, 1-902-864-9164 The_Gamma_Quandrant,Welland_ON,Ken_Pulford, 1-905-714-0337 The_Rip_in_Time_BBS,Mississauga_ON,Ernest_Loiselle, 1-905-567-5768 The_Geomatics_BBS,Whitehorse_YK,Matthew_Wilkie, 1-403-633-2124 Yukon_Mail_System,Whitehourse_YK,Steve_Horn, 1-403-668-6147 Connections_BBS,Calgary_AB,Matthew_Lewis, 1-403-234-7169 Western_Canada_DATA_LINK!,Stavely_AB,Ted_Kyte, 1-403-549-2284 The_Sign_Post,Calgary_AB,Shane_Owen, 1-403-240-3972 NATIVE_WAVES,Calgary_AB,David_Gauld, 1-403-238-0449 Starship_Heart_of_Gold,Edmonton_AB,Jim_Whitelaw, 1-403-489-1735 The_Meaning_of_Life,Edmonton_AB,Marc_Slemko, 1-403-487-2175 Sisie's_CraftRoom,Greenbelt_MD,Susie_Jimeniz, 1-301-345-8932 #1_BigBoard_,Nashville_TN,Kevin, 1-615-385-4268 Ascii_Tipi,West_Haven_CT,R_Morris, 1-203-934-9852 Jerry's_BBS,Matamoras_Pa,Al_Baldwin, 1-717-491-5113 The_PlayWorld,Virginia_Beach_VA,Mark_McKay, 1-804-473-2217 The_Skeleton_Closet,Virginia_Beach_VA,Debbi_McKay, 1-804-499-5150 Jammie_Party_BBS,Hampton_VA,Veronica_Maynard, 1-804-851-1384 The_Thieves_World,Middletown_RI,Gary_Littlefield, 1-401-841-0788 The_Cherokee_Nation,Lowell_Ma,Harold_Miles, 1-508-452-2082 New_Cherokee_Phoenix_BBS,Cherokee_NC,Hugh_Lambert, 1-704-497-5898 RainDance,Richmond_Dale_OH,Jared_Swaney, 1-614-884-4350 Scholars_Corner_BBS_Node_1,Morristown_NJ,Kent_Manno, 1-201-538-6087 Green_Wave_BBS,Morristown_NJ,Delbarton_School, 1-201-538-8829 BLACKSTAR!,Boonton_NJ,Ernie_Soter, 1-201-335-6132 Starlight,Caldwell_NJ,Santo_Commarato, 1-201-228-9632 Florida_Net,St._Petersburg_FL,Eagle_Eyes, 1-813-526-4602 NPIE,ST_Petersburg_Fl,David_Goyette, 1-813-823-3534 Morton's_Barn,Ft._Lauderdale_FL,Tom_Morrow 1-305-776-2007 The_Hot_South_BBS,Valdasta_GA,Aulton_H._White, 1-912-242-0496 SOUTH_WESTERN_USA,Austin_Texas,Two_Braids, 1-512-458-9311 Wagon_Trails,Allen_Tx,Bryan_Speed, 1-214-727-2610 Smoke_Signal,Garland_Tx,Lee_Young, 1-214-276-0321 The_Domestic_Engineer,Colorado_Springs_CO,Tia_Darrow, 1-719-596-8964 Ubik,Citrus_Heights_CA,Jim_Gifford, 1-916-723-4296 Spirit_Knife_BBS,Las_Vegas_NV,Michael_T._Swift, 1-702-656-7654 Maine-Frame_SH&B,Henderson_NV,Mike_Stevenson, 1-702-564-9735 GeneSplicers_BBS,Las_Vegas_NV,John_Le_Duc, 1-702-731-9453 Turtle_Island,Austin_Texas,Two_Braids, 1-512-458-9311 Dingle_Delaware,Austin_Texas,Cathy_Keller, 1-512-442-8145 Casa_De_La_Luz,Austin_Texas,Pat_and_Chuck_Haynes, 1-512-219-9853 ... via DeltaMail v2.20 for SL (#216378) --- SLMAIL v3.0 (#1349) * Origin: Igloo Station (514) 632-5556 (1:167/502) --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows" --------- From: JANS Janet McNeely (Evening Star) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows GE Electronic Mail =Exhibits, Special Events= Every weekend through the end of February: Traditional Native American Dances Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Albuquerque, NM (505) 843-7270 Through March 6, 1994 Chiefly Feasts, Kwakiutl Potlatch Exhibit, National Museum of Natural History Washington DC Coming March 16 in _Indian Country Today_ "Hitting the Pow Wow Circuit" an Indian Country Today Special Edition Comprehensive listing for the 1994 season Copies will be available at the Denver March Pow Wow or write Indian Country Today, P.O. Box 2180, Rapid City, SD 57709 =Powwows= Feb 4-6 "Come Dance With Wolves" Indian Festival and Powwow Georgia National Fairgrounds, Reeves Arena, Perry, GA Info: 404-735-6275 Feb 5 N.A.A.P. Winter Social Newington, CT Info: 203-720-1685 Feb 10-13 23rd Annual Seminole Tribal Festival/Powwow Hollywood, FL Info: 305-584-0400 Feb 12 Iron River Singers Winter Social N. Dartmouth, MA Info: 508-993-2117 Feb 12 Intertribal Social Providence, RI Info: 401-421-0888 Send notices of forthcoming powwows, conferences and gatherings to: jans@genie.geis.com