_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' 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 009 O o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 26 February 1994 O o O ( N E W S ) O This issue contains articles from NATIVE_L/NATCHAT Lists FidoNet Indian Affairs Conference 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. "They have killed the buffalo, the holy food of the Indian, the buffalo, our brother, who gave his flesh so the people could live." -- Pete Catches, Oglala Medicine Man O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! Winter nears an end and soon it will be spring. The time of rebirth nears and the first round for many new beings will begin. Do not forget the Grandfathers and Grandmothers who made it through another harsh winter still have needs. Please take a moment to look into helping an elder who may now have a chronic illness or may need help preparing a small garden. It is a joy to touch Mother Earth, no matter your age; but it is very difficult to turn over winter hardened soil if your bones and muscles are also tired and worn. Mitaquye Oyasin! Night Owl ------------------ clip here for news feature -- 8< ----------- --------- "RE: EDB Contamination on Ft. Hall Reservation" --------- From: mbb6090@u.cc.utah.edu (Maha Blanchard) Subj: EDB contamination on Ft. Hall reservation A friend on the Fort Hall Shoshone/Bannock Res. Just told me that Uncle Sam & the National Guard just rolled into town and informed them that ALL well water is off limits for ANY kind of use due to EDB (ethylene di-bromide ?) contamination. This includes any bathing washing and even flushing the toilet, since the chemical can diffuse into the air. The problem is (besides the obvious lack of water ) that this chemical doesn't just show up over-night so the people have probably been exposed to this for sometime now. They have received VERY little information on the health risks that they are exposed to and I would appreciate (as would my friend) any info that anyone may have regarding this. He would like to disseminate info to his people and their local paper. If you have any connections to EPA or other environmental science info sources please hook me up. Thanks. -- |~~~~|_ More Coffee Anyone? | |O) _______________________________________________________________ |____| ____ The Sleeping Beagle Tavern, Dano Blanchard proprietor --------- "RE: News Distribution" --------- From: chris.brown@devcan.ca (Chris Brown) Subj: News Distribution Cree language Native run radio station on west coast of James Bay wants your news releases and articles. News Director Mike Metatawabin at CKFA in Fort Albany Ontario is preparing a Native-related newscast for network. Eventual audience - all natives in northwestern Ontario (Nishnawbe Aksi Nation) HALF PAGE MAXIMUM PLEASE! RIP AND READ PREFERRED. NO SPEECHES PLEASE! Preference to articles originating above imaginary line drawn through St Lawrence River, Great Lakes, and 49th parallel. Please FAX native related stories or releases to "Metatawabin/Nyannen Keeshegow" (705) 278 3326. Mike would like to hear from native journalists and video producers, as well. Voice line is (705) 278 3357 part-time. --- WinQwk 2.0b#0 --------- "RE: Day of Action for Innu and the Earth" --------- From: chernos@web.apc.org Subj: 26 March Int'l Day of Action for Innu and the Earth Mailing List: NATIVE-L CALL TO ACTION Saturday, March 26 is the second Annual International day of Action for the Innu and the Earth. The Innu, aboriginal people who live in a portion of the Quebec- Labrador peninsula known as Nitassinan, have endured low-level military flight training since 1980. The flights, which number more than 8,000 yearly, harm the environment and seriously disrupt the Innu as they attempt to pursue their traditional way of life. By means of a series of bilateral agreements, Canada allows the British, Dutch and German air forces to conduct these exercises. The Innu were never consulted, and the training continues despite their protests. The Innu are arrested when they non-violently occupy Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, where the flights originate. We are asking people worldwide to hold some kind of event on or around March 26 to help raise awareness and bring attention to the fact that these flights continue. Of course, we are demanding and immediate end to all low-level flying. The newly-elected Canadian government is reviewing all aspects of our defence policy this year, including low-level military flight training. Make sure the federal Liberal Party knows that you support the Innu and the Earth. Help encourage them to cancel flight training and send the British, Dutch and German Air Forces home. We encourage you to send a letter from your organization to Prime Minister Jean Chretien, 309 S Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0A6. His office can be faxed at (613) 941-6900 or telephoned at (613) 992-4122. Tell him that you support the International Campaign for the Innu and the Earth. Send a copy of any correspondence to International Campaign for the Innu and the Earth at 736 Bathurst St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2R4, and also to the Innu Nation, attention Daniel Ashini, PO Box 119, Sheshatshit, Nitassinan (Labrador), Canada A0P 1M0, phone (709) 497-8398, fax (709) 497-8396. A more direct approach would include organizing a demonstration at a Canadian Consulate or Embassy or arranging a meeting with those Canadian officials to share your concerns. Collect signatures on our petition (we will send a copy on request, and would appreciate a donation to help cover postage and other costs). Organize a video screening of Hunters and Bombers to educate people on the issue. Get the Innu onto radio by telephone from Nitassinan. Let your local media know about the urgency of this issue. The Innu have asked Canadians and people from around the world to join them in resisting the invasion of their homeland. There are so many ways to help make the difference for the Innu and the Earth. Please give the time, however little or great, to doing something for this vital campaign. Thank you. The International Campaign for the Innu and the Earth (ICIE) is an independent network of organizations and individuals dedicated to working with the Innu Nation in support of its goals. ICIE's co-sponsors in Canada are the Innu Nation, ACT for Disarmament, Centre de resources sur la non-violence, HANDS (Helping Activists Network During Strife), Oakville Community Centre for peace, ecology and human rights, and the Ontario Voice of Women/La voix des femmes. Internationally, ICIE is co-sponsored by the International Peace Bureau (IPB, Switzerland), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND, United Kingdom), Society for Threatened Peoples (Germany), and the Foundation Innu Support Group (the Netherlands). ICIE, 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2R4. phone (416) 531 6154, fax (416) 531-5850. E-mail to: chernos@web.apc.org --------- "RE: Leonard Peltier Day" --------- From: L.HELLWIG1 (Lisa Hellwig, Coordinator, LPSG/McHenry County, IL) Subj: Leonard Peltier Day, June 25-26, 1994 GE Electronic Mail The LPDC/LPSGs are putting together a 'sponsor' book for Leonard Peltier Day, which will be held June 25-26, 1994, in Washington, DC. If you would like to be a contributor, or place an ad in the book, please contact me via EMAIL at lhellwi@delphi.com. I will be happy to forward more information to you. The book will contain an overview of Leonard's story, plus lists of supporters (both individual and companies). The donations received will go toward producing the book (note: this will be done 'in house' with LPSG volunteers in order to keep the costs low.) The bulk of the donations will be sent on to LPDC in order to help with Leonard's defense, and to help cover the cost of the event. I hope I've not offended anyone by posting this; I realize that it's tacky to solicit on the 'Net, but we need to get the word out to everyone who might want to participate. If I have offended anyone, please accept my apology now. Thank you, Lisa Hellwig, Coordinator, LPSG/Lake in the Hills --------- "RE: Secwepemc FN - Smuggling Charges" --------- From: susanodo@web.UUCP in igc:web.native Subj: Secwepemc FN - Smuggling Charges The Independent State of Qwa-Ba-Diwa Information Office wishes to pass on the following information. [***PLEASE PUBLICIZE THIS STORY!***CFUV Radio--and, indirectly, the Martlet--is uploading this to computer networks--please pass it along to wherever you can. CFUV is at the University of Victoria, PO Box 3035, Victoria, B.C., V8W 3P3, phone: (604) 721- 8702; fax: (604) 721-8728; e-mail cfuv@sol.uvic.ca] Re: Ken Dennis, SECWEPEMC NATION-SMUGGLING CHARGES On February 4th, 1994 Ken Dennis, a member of the Secwepemc Nation, was arrested and charged on the Osoyoos pipeline under the Canadian Excise Act for smuggling cigarettes from the United States. Mr. Dennis is presently incarcerated at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre (KRCC) for traffic violations. In this instance, it is alleged that Ken Dennis and Raymond Jensen, also a member of the Secwepemc Nation, smuggled $150,000 (street value) worth of cigarettes from the U.S. Bail has been set at $7,500.00, $15,000.00 for surety. Ken Dennis has always supported the traditional system. He is a Pipe carrier and Sundancer for over 17 years. He has stood behind every Sovereignty Movement from Alcatraz to Oka. Again, we would like to take the Sovereignty stand. In that, the only borders for Natives are the traditional boundaries as set out by the Creator and recognized by the Secwepemc and Okanagan Peoples since time immemorial. The borders Ken Dennis crossed are within the traditional territories of the Okanagan Nation. Mr. Dennis therefore asserts that, if any traditional laws were broken, then it is the jurisdiction of the Okanagan and Secwepemc Nations to deal with this matter. Please note, there are two Hereditary Chiefs already in support of Ken and his assertion that, if there is a case to be made, the Sovereign jurisdiction rests solely with the Secwepemc and Okanagan Nations.[Peter Knighton, Speaker for the Office of the Hereditary Chief, INdependent State of Qwa-Ba-Diwa, announced that ISQ supports this position.] On behalf of Ken Dennis, I respectfully request the support of all Hereditary Chiefs and the First Nations Peoples, as caretakers of this Turtle Island, that hold the Sovereign Title and therefore the jurisdiction within our traditional territories. Any assistance in the form of monies, local and media support you could offer would be appreciated. For more information or donations please contact Hayley Bowe/Dennis at telephone (604) 251-1195 Vancouver BC. Yours in Unity, Hayley Bowe/Dennis. ............................................................ Qwa-Ba-Diwa Information Office (Canada): P.O. Box 35015 Victoria, B.C., Canada, V8T 5G2; Fax(604) 629-3815 --------- "RE: Working Together: Exploring Ancient Worlds" --------- From: um.cc.umich.edu!Tristine.Lee.Smart Subj: Working Together: Exploring Ancient Worlds Mailing List: NATIVE-L Working Together: Exploring Ancient Worlds (Part 1- Article) Postings under the subject line "Re: Anthropologists and Native Americans" have discussed the past reluctance of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) to support repatriation and more recent efforts by the SAA to work for the passage of NAGPRA and to promote communication, understanding and cooperation between archaeologists and Native American communities. It is in this context that the SAA Bulletin created a new column last year entitled "Working Together: Exploring avenues for cooperation between archaeologists and Native American peoples." Roger Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) wrote the inaugural column for this new series, which included a critique of current relations between archaeologists and Native Americans and a call for the use of both archaeology and oral history in the study of the Native American past. I am posting this entire article separately (with minor editorial corrections made at the request of the author). Roger Echo-Hawk also asked me to announce the publication of a new book he coauthored with his brother, Walter Echo-Hawk, dealing with the protection of Native American graves. This book is aimed at younger readers (around 6 grade to Junior High or High School students). Here is the reference: Echo-Hawk, Roger C. and Walter R. Echo-Hawk 1994 Battlefields and Burial Grounds: The Indian Struggle to Protect Ancestral Graves in the U.S. Lerner Publications. Any comments for Roger Echo-Hawk can be sent to him at the following mailing address: Roger Echo-Hawk Department of History University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309 Tristine Lee Smart Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan Tristine.Lee.Smart@um.cc.umich.edu Working Together: Exploring Ancient Worlds (Part 2- Article) This article was written for the SAA Bulletin (Volume 11, Number 4, pp.5-6, 1993) to launch a new column entitled "Working Together: Exploring avenues for cooperation between archaeologists and Native American peoples." ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 1993 by the Society for American Archaeology (Posted with permission of Roger C. Echo-Hawk and the SAA) Working Together Exploring Ancient Worlds by Roger C. Echo-Hawk When Vine Deloria, Jr. characterized the Society for American Archaeology as "anti-Indian" in a 1989 issue of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) *Legal Review*, the Chair of the SAA's Public Relations Committee demanded a retraction. But noting the SAA's opposition to Indian- supported repatriation legislation, NARF promised instead to keep a vigilant eye on the SAA. This incident highlights the state of relations between Indians and archaeologists in the United States--relations shaped by a powerful legacy of what historian James Riding In has aptly termed "imperial archaeology." For SAA members who do not see themselves as anti-Indian or as conqueror archaeologists, it is important to develop appropriate forums for reviewing relations between Indians and archaeologists, and for discussing projects which have brought both communities together as partners rather than as opponents. The American archaeological community has proven beyond doubt that it can study Indian history in North America without involving any living Native Americans, and Indian historians have managed to preserve a vast array of oral traditions about the past without any assistance from archaeology. But what would happen if archaeologists, as a matter of course, began to work in full partnership with Indians? This is a question which the SAA *must* investigate if it is uncomfortable being viewed as "anti- Indian" by Indian intellectuals. Substantial areas of disagreement exist between archaeologists and Indians, and while many disputes will not be easy to address or resolve, this should not deter our quest to understand the past, and it should not prohibit the development of better relations between Indians and archaeologists. Even though archaeologists ought to work in partnership with Native Americans, not all Indians want to make friends with "arkies" and "anthros". American archaeologists have not typically sought to cultivate good relations with Indian tribes, and many archaeologists have felt justified in purposefully ignoring Indian sensibilities in conducting archaeological research, particularly in the treatment of Indian graves and human remains. University anthropology departments have shown little interest in recruiting Native American archaeology students (or professors), and consequently, very few Indians have become professional archaeologists in this country. Under these conditions, it is easy for some Indians to reject archaeology as an unacceptable form of inquiry. For those few Indians who may develop a serious interest in the profession, the barriers are considerable. The term "prehistory" conveys to all people the deliberate impression that Indian historians have failed to create and hand down any form of legitimate record about human events dating back more than three or four centuries. From the perspective of popular attitudes, this has contributed to the devaluation of Native American intellectual traditions, and archaeologists have happily displaced Indian historians as experts on the ancient past. Physical anthropologists-- close colleagues of archaeologists--have exacerbated this situation by devoting great energy (up to World War II) in an embarrassing quest to develop scientific proof for Indian intellectual inferiority. This racist history cannot be ignored by Native Americans. Examining archaeological journals, Indian authors are rare-- even as co-authors--and it would be surprising to find a major journal which has had a Native American editor during its life span. In the *Plains Anthropologist*, for example, one finds that during the 1980's at least 80% of the papers concerned Native America as a primary focus of study, but substantially less than 1% of the authors were Indians, and far more dead Indians appeared in the pages of this journal than living Indians. It would be fair to observe that the journal's audience has had more opportunity to learn about Native Americans from Indian skeletons than from Indian historians and Indian archaeologists. In spite of these conditions, many Native Americans are curious about archaeology, and a growing number of archaeologists have worked in partnership with tribal historians. The reconciliation of archaeology and Indian oral traditions could bring important changes to our understanding of the past, and perhaps "prehistory" can some day be replaced with "ancient Indian history". For Indians and archaeologists who believe that archaeology *and* oral traditions ought to be acknowledged as necessary components of ancient Indian history, it is vital that the SAA provide real leadership in encouraging its members to develop meaningful dialogue and mutually rewarding interaction with Indian tribes. It is time for the SAA to explore in earnest the frontiers of cooperative archaeology. These explorations will ultimately help to shape the character of American archaeology as a new generation of archaeologists enters the 21st century. Some archaeologists may wonder: what exactly can Indians offer to the study of the "prehistoric" past? This question can never be answered until both Indians and archaeologists cultivate a sense of mutual respect for the unique contributions of each group. The entire academic community displays little regard for the historicity of oral traditions as a class, whether told by Indians, Norse chroniclers, or any other group of people. Archaeologists who specialize in the study of Indian origins, for example, do not typically consult Indian creation stories, though Native American historians have preserved and handed down such traditions as historical documents. Many Indians, for their part, refuse to embrace archaeologically-based explanations for Indian origins. A committee of leading Colorado Indians expressed some reluctance to accept my "Ancient Worlds" (presented in full below) as a contribution to a Denver art project honoring the history of Native Americans associated with the state. They objected to my reliance on anthropology, and I withdrew the essay after they suggested that all the discussion of archaeology and science be removed from the text. It seems doubtful that "Ancient Worlds" would have met with greater approval from a committee of archaeologists--but the objections would have centered on my use of oral literature. Until a new climate is introduced into relations between Indians and archaeologists, the integrative approach featured in "Ancient Worlds" will find little acceptance anywhere, and the various stories told about Indian origins can never be reconciled, and we can never share a common history. What role will the SAA play in bringing us all together as partners in exploring the past? Ancient Worlds The first people dwelt in a land of lingering darkness. In some Native American origin stories, humans emerged from this region to witness the sun's creation or the ordering of night and day. Thousands of years later, many Indians said that their ancestors entered the world from a dark place located underground. Other oral traditions, however--told in both Asia and America--describe the creation of earth from a watery world, and these stories do not typically associate darkness with the first people. Many archaeologists believe that humans from Asia entered North America more than 11,000 years ago. As Ice Age glaciers absorbed water, sea levels fell hundreds of feet and "Beringia" appeared in the far north, linking Asia to Alaska. Some of the oldest human sites in eastern Beringia can be found above the Arctic Circle, where darkness lingers over the earth. Other scholars believe that humans followed the coastlines of Beringia by boat into the Americas--a route which does not pass through the Arctic Circle. Climatologists believe that the Ice Ages were swept by windstorms of much greater power than present-day hurricanes and tornadoes, and in one Indian tradition, the first people were created in the heavens and placed on earth by tornadoes. Other Indian stories say that the climate underwent a swift change when the animals (who reigned over the earth) caused summer to appear. Paleoclimatologists have found that a very sudden global warming event may have occurred 11,700 years ago at the end of the Ice Age. This date coincides with the earliest accepted archaeological evidence for the presence of humans in Alaska. Many Native American oral traditions refer to the existence of dangerous "monsters" and giant animals in ancient times, and other stories are set in a period when animals and birds ruled the world. Paleontologists describe Ice Age America as a realm dominated by giant animals, or "megafauna". Mammoths, mastodons, and giant sloths towered over human hunters; and fearsome short-faced bears, great cats, and other creatures could have made the New World a dangerous place for unwary people. In many Indian traditions, a great flood covered the earth in ancient times, and some stories associate this event with the end of the age of monsters. Traditions of a mighty deluge can be found in oral and written literatures from around the world. The end of the most recent Ice Age, some 12,000 years ago, could have involved cataclysmic flooding. As the glaciers slowly melted, for example, the sudden release of a massive ice sheet into the ocean would have brought worldwide flooding. The end of the Ice Age also coincides with the extinction of many species of megafauna around the world. The first Americans made artifacts and left sites which archaeologists can study for insights into the distant past. The ancient ancestors of modern Native Americans also created verbal documents about their experiences, and successive generations of Indians heard these stories as accounts of actual, not fictional, historical events. If Native American origin traditions shed light on the life ways of people who settled in North America during the last Ice Age, then Indian literature preserves a remarkable legacy of documents about ancient human history in the New World. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please send comments to: Roger C. Echo-Hawk Department of History University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309 --------- "RE: Akwesasne Chief Quits" --------- From: Frosty Deere Subj: Akwesasne Chief Quits FidoNet Indian Affairs Conference The Grand Chief Mike Micheal of Akwesasne has stepped [down]as Chief. He handed over a letter, letting the Council know of his planned action in the next 30 days. The Council have the 30 days to reject or accept this letter. I don't have all the details as this came over the Radio of CKRK Mohawk Radio last night. The only thing that was added was that the Chief was fed up with some member of his council that were getting paid $700 per week and never showing up for any meetings. Also in this last week he has been busy in defending the right of his home land with the Canadian government when word was spreading around about a Canadian Army, SQ Police, RCMP and Ontario Police raids on the three Mohawk Territories. These seem to be something that was started by one of the Provincial parties. Last night also many elders were moved as they got the feeling this was an advance notice of the Army attacking the Island. Also the Canadian Army have been training hard as reported by a Mohawk who's brother just so happens to be stationed at the base that was told would be the invading force. All in all its could be a lot of hype or it could still be the truth. I would like to thank everyone for spreading the news, as I hear it has really gotten around. I guess we can thank Native Net. Peace. --- SLMAIL v3.0 (#1349) Origin: Igloo Station (514) 632-5556 (1:167/502) --------- "RE: Indigenous Response-Executive Order" --------- From: milo@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Michele Lord) Subj: Indigenous Response-Executive Order Indigenous Caucus Response to the Executive Order: Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-income Populations 12 February 1994 The Indigenous Caucus at the Symposium on Health Research and Needs to Ensure Environmental Justice, February 10-12, 1994, Washington D.C., is comprised of grassroots representatives from Native Peoples throughout the United States. We acknowledge the Commitment of the administration to environmental justice as demonstrated by the executive order issued February 11, 1994, however, the disclaimer added at the end of the document makes clear that the Order does not create any legally enforceable rights. We will endeavor to assist you in every way possible to achieve the participation of the public in the design and implementation of the policies as outlined in the executive order. We realize that it will take the administration some time to develop policies to ensure environmental justice and the full participation of the public. However, in the time that it takes to involve the participation of the public, hundreds of human lives will be lost, species of plants and animals will become endangered and extinct, due to the contamination of the land and water on which indigenous people depend for their survival. History has proven that policies developed by the U.S. have a disproportionate negative impact on the health of indigenous people, their land, air and water. We affirm our traditional teachings that ensure our spiritual and cultural ways of preserving our natural resources. Concerns: 1. That the public be defined to include all credible Indigenous grassroots organizations and community members with emphasis on traditional spiritual and cultural practices. 2. That the implementation of environmental justice not become another layer of impersonal bureaucracy. 3. That credible and viable Indigenous grassroots organizations and community members be considered when all government agencies seek the participation of the public. And that this information gathered will determine where the affected communities are. 4. That the sovereign people be involved in all facets of the vision and implementation in regard to environmental concerns. 5. That sovereignty be protected at all costs. 6. That respect and support of a continued government to government relationship be honored. 7. That our cultural and spiritual ways be recognized as valid and part of the development and implementation of policy design. 8. That hazards affecting Indigenous people's health and environment be recognized as disproportionate to the same hazards in the general population. 9. That there is no acceptable level of risk to the health of Indigenous people and their environment. 10. That rather than understanding and accepting risk, Indigenous communities be advised in non-technical language of the hazards they may face. 11. That Indigenous communities prefer elimination of hazards at the source rather than understanding and acceptance of the risk. 12. How it gets determined where the affected communities are and whom they speak with. 13. That meetings be coordinated to ensure greater local resident participation. And that this be done in the affected communities with emphasis on the impacts to Indigenous health and their resultant effects in our environment. Signatories of Indigenous Organizations Individuals Tom Goldtooth, Patricia Bellanger, National Spokesperson Board Member Indigenous Environmental Network International Indian Treaty Council Katsi Cook, Dave Arquette, Project Director Environmental Health First Environment Project Specialist, Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment John Benally, Earl Tully, Member President Dine'/Hopi Alliance Dine' Citizens Against Ruining our Environment Danny Zapata, Mary Fadden, Member Toxicologist Peabody Watch Cornell University, American Indian Program Joseph J. Hill, Shelley McKosato, Native American Law Student Environmental Director Association, University at Native Lands Institute Buffalo, Law School ----------------------------------------------------------------- The above groups ask that we contact the President and express the concerns above. Address: President Clinton The Whitehouse 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC 20500 [The disclaimer at the end of the executive order (draft copy), referred to in paragraph 2 above, reads: 6-606 Miscellaneous This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the Executive branch and is not intended to, nor does it create any right, benefit, trust or responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any person. This Order shall not be construed to create any right to judicial review involving the compliance or noncompliance of the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any other person with this Order. The Executive Order, Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice In Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 2/11/94, is seven pages long. I only have the "Draft Copy- Not For Distribution, 2/7/94." If anyone's interested, copies should be available through the Whitehouse Press Office or from your Congressperson. -Michele] ~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*+ "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 ~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~* milo@scicom.alphacdc.com Michele Lord Alpha Institute +*+ +*+ +*+ +*+ +*+ +*+ --------- "RE: Boy or Boy" --------- From: Frosty Deere Subj: Boy or Boy FidoNet Indian Affairs Conference Now if this don't cause one's blood to boil. ======================================================= This is an item written by a William Martin and can be found in todays Montreal Gazette, B Section page 5. I will post the whole thing and then have fun with it. I also intend to send my reply to his comments to the newspaper. ======================================================= Ottawa... Here's another helpful suggestion for Paul Martin's Budget next Tuesday: he would save the country a lot of future grief if he announced the governments intention to amend Section 87 of the Indian Act. Section 87 is an innocuous-sounding remnant of the era of colonialism towards Indians. It made a lot of sense at the time. Now, it promises a pack of trouble. "Notwithstanding any other Act of Parliament of Canada or any Act of legislature of a province, the following property is exempt from taxation, namely: the interest of an Indian or band in reserve or surrendered lands; and the personal property of an Indian or Band situated on a reserve." The intent of the act was clearly to protect reserves from fragmentation. Since most Indians were outside the usual market economy when the law was passed, allowing their property to be taxed would have meant that the property eventually could be lost. But in time and with court decisions the application became broader; it now cover, not just the land, housing and furnishings on the reserve but also the Indian's Income that is earned on the reserve. So Indians do not pay income tax if they earn the income on the reserve. And the concept of income on the reserve has also been broadened by court decisions, so that in some circumstances even income earned off the reserve can be exempt from taxation. The tax exemption also allies for instance to goods and services tax, if the purchase is made on a reserve by an Indian, or purchased in made off the reserve, by the goods are delivered to the reserve. What is wrong with Section 87 ? In the first place it is discriminatory even among status Indians. Those who live and work on reserves are exempt from taxation. Those who leave the reserve or work outside the reserve are taxed. Its estimated that about half of all native people now live in cities, so Section 87 discriminates sharply between roughly two halves of the Indian population. There are other draw backs. Most reserves offer little economic opportunity and many breed acute social problems, such as gasoline sniffing, alcoholism and abused women and children. But the tax exemption limited to the reserves discourages Indians from leaving the reserve. Those are serious perverse effects of Section 87. And, for the future, is likely to lead to growing confrontations between status Indian and other Canadians. The recent upheaval over cigarette smuggling shows that a nations' crisis can be precipitated by the tax exempt status of Indians, either the tax-exemption recognized by the Indian Act, or the future tax exemption which Indians claim and exercise under the 1774 Jay Treaty. When cigarettes are to be exported, the normal excise tax is collected by manufacturer does not apply. So some Indians have been able to buy exported Canadian cigarettes into the United States without paying the Canadian excise tax, and reintroduce them into Canada, then sell them on the reserves at cut-rate prices. Because of the recognized tax exemption on reserve, it is difficult to police what is sold legally and what is sold illegally on reserves. Competitors forced to pay taxes were understandably resentful at the unfair competition of those who did not pay taxes. What happened with cigarettes could happen again in other areas. There are about 2,300 reserves in Canada. Any one of them could become the location for entrepreneurial activity by status Indians or by Non-status Indians using status Indian as a front. A whole range of goods could be sold at cut-rate prices because the Indians avoid the taxes which others have to pay. The tax exemption, except for reserve land and housing is archaic. It should be replaced by other ways od encouraging economic activity by Indians. --- SLMAIL v3.0 (#1349) Origin: Igloo Station (514) 632-5556 (1:167/502) --------- "RE: Books of Interest to Native Americans" --------- From: sbrock@teal.csn.org (Steve Brock) Subj: Review of Robert Davidson: Eagle of the Dawn (Haida Art) Reviews of two new books on collecting & archaeology Subj: Review of Robert Davidson: Eagle of the Dawn (Haida Art) ROBERT DAVIDSON: EAGLE OF THE DAWN, edited by Ian M. Thom. University of Washington Press, P.O. Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145- 5096, (800) 441-4115, (206) 543-3932 FAX. Illustrated (150 total, 40 in color), index, notes, bibliography, chronology, list of exhibitions. 192 pp., $50.00 cloth. 0-295-97260-2 REVIEW "The art is no longer simply a collection of objects, but symbols of a surviving heritage handed down through the ages." -- Robert Davidson Davidson, a multi-talented Haida mask and totem carver, print- maker, painter, and creator of jewelry, is celebrated in this first significant catalogue of the celebrated artist's works, in collaboration with a thirty-year retrospective exhibition originat- ing last year at the Vancouver Art Gallery. "Eagle of the Dawn," with a biographical essay by Vancouver Art Gallery's senior curator Ian Thom and overview of Davidson's contribution to Haida art, celebrates the resurgence of Haida art in the face of attempts to extinguish it in the late 1800s, when missionaries and government officials abolished the potlatch. Davidson's carving talent in both argillite and wood is most evident in the many large totem poles he has carved with his father, grandfather, and as an apprentice to Bill Reid, the first craftsman to renew traditional the Haida artforms that had been carted off to museums. A totem, carved by Davidson with the help of his grandfather, was erected in their hometown of Massett, Queen Charlotte Islands, the first in more than 80 years. Davidson is also learning the Haida language, songs, and dances. "Eagle of the Dawn" is a powerful evocation of a tradition that was almost wiped out. Davidson now says that he no longer feels like a foreigner in his own land. The declaration is a giant step for Haida art. Highly recommended. The exhibition, without the totems, is now at Toronto's Museum of Civilization through September 11, 1994. Subj: Reviews of two new books on collecting & archaeology NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN ARTIFACTS: A COLLECTOR'S IDENTIFICATION AND VALUE GUIDE, 5TH EDITION, by Lar Hothem. Books Americana, P.O. Box 2326, Florence, AL 35630, (205) 757-9966, (205) 757-9119 FAX. Illustrated, directory of dealers and galleries. 368 pp., $22.95 paper. 0-89689-101-1 NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE SOUTHWEST: A DISCOVERY KIT, book by Tito Naranjo. Running Press Book Publishers, 125 S. 22nd St., Philadel- phia, PA 19103, (800) 345-5359, (800) 453-2884 FAX. Illustrated book (63 pp., paper), replica pot shards in a clay block, excava- tion tool, paint disc and paintbrush. $17.95. 1-56138-241-8 REVIEW Twenty years ago, these two items would have been greeted with delight and glowing reviews. Today, in an era of repatriation, they stand out as reminders that the education of those interested in collecting Native American artifacts and art objects is as important as ever. "North American Indian Artifacts" is a general guide to the value of Native American objects such as arrowheads, bone tools, axes, ornaments of stone, metal or organic material, ceramics, baskets, pipes, clothing, ceremonial items, blankets and rugs, and jewelry. Each entry contains a black-and-white photograph of a representative sample, commentary, and a range of fair market values obtained from dealers, galleries, and collectors. This would be an acceptable source if it did not attempt to put a value on prehistoric artifacts, thereby encouraging their collection. While Hothem does mention stealing from ancient sites, he is much more interested in making sure that non-Indian objects are not misrepresented as bring Indian. The discovery kit, for ages 8 and up, is an encouragement for children to act out being an archaeologist. The cover of the box, however, portrays a boy digging through the rocks of an Anasazi cliff dwelling. This is illegal, if not utterly unethical. The kit comes with a block of clay containing pot shards that the child "excavates," assembles, and paints. Also included is an instruc- tion book with Tewa legends, and looks at ancient and modern Pueblo life. While instructive in fine arts, the set also gives the message that it's OK to be a pot hunter. Both of the items have commendable features. Hothem wants collectors to buy authentic Native American arts and crafts, but he doesn't make the distinction between celebrating a culture and desecrating it. The discovery kit wants children to learn about the Pueblo people, but it also wants us to steal from its heritage. There is a critical need for dialogue and a concerted educational effort to insure collectors and their children what is right to collect and what is illegal and disrespectful. The point was made clear to me on a visit to Mesa Verde National Park. I took a hike off the main trail, into a deep canyon, and found a dwelling. Out of curiosity, I began to dig in an area where trash was thrown a thousand years ago. As I dug, I heard a scream as my dog hit the ground after sliding off a thirty-foot cliff. A coincidence? I don't believe so. We are all familiar with the phrase "bury the hatchet." If one truly wants to do so with Native Americans, they will bury the hatchet (or other artifact) deep in the ground, and leave it there. --------- "RE: Rush Limbaugh Calls Native Americans Savages! " --------- From: deane@netcom.com (Dean Edwards) Subj: Rush Limbaugh Calls Native Americans Savages! This is a copy of a feature article from THE TALON, The student newspaper of Los Altos High School (in California). Feb. 18, 1994, page 10. It is from a regular feature entitled 'Heap of the Week'. The man whose on top of the Heap. By Talli Somekh, feature editor Whose on top of the heap in the world? Well, its fat, lout does nothing does nothing constructive and berates and insults all things that are different. Its name is Rush Limbaugh. Obnoxious to the most arrogant degree, Limbaugh excels in sticking his ugly foot in his foul mouth. For example, take a recent exchange between His Swineness and a radio caller: Caller: Look at Native Americans and how they were selectively destroyed because of their beliefs. Fathead: The Native Americans were, they, they themselves, we took this up when Dances with Wolves came out. The Native Americans were meaner to themselves then anybody was ever mean to them. These people were savages. Its true, they damn well were...These people out there were destroying timber. They were out conquering land. Killing each other. Scalping people. Rush, you're a flaming idiot. As an influential voice in America, Rush has advocated a dogma of hate and conjecture. He has begun a war against the Liberal, a term that has gone from symbolizing progressiveness to some sort of stigma to be avoided like the plague. Oh, gee, does Rush deserve the Heap. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My comment (Dean Edwards deane@netcom.com): A friend gave me a copy of this article and I was shocked to find that there are still people out there who honestly believe that "the only good Indian, is a dead Indian!" That kind of genocidal philosophy is sick. I am not Native American, but I am half Armenian. I was raised by people who were expelled from their lands with such violence that at least two-thirds died in a bloody genocide earlier in this century. I had a cousin who bore deep scars from a Turkish axe in her back all her life. When I see someone justifying the slaughter of an entire people, of women, children and their culture it saddens and angers me. The Talon, deserves credit for exposing the darling of the lost right wing in the United States as a racist and as one who condones the murder of Native Americans. I am going to telephone my local TV station that carries his show and tell them that I will be watching the programs they carry on an alternative channel. I think that others should do this also. Rush Limbaugh may have thought he was being funny and entertaining. No Rush, just perverted and sick, sick, sick. BTW, least you think that this is a liberal student newspaper. They also had an feature describing the Clinton administration as incompetent. --------- "RE: Bloc's Agenda" --------- From: Frosty Deere Subj: Bloc's Agenda FidoNet Indian Affairs Conference First off what is the Bloc ? The Bloc are a federal party that has its members all coming from Quebec and are for the separation from Canada. In the past few months they have been enjoying bashing the Mohawk people and todays paper I found the following article. To those that get NA- CANABRK I will insert my views on this article. ========================================================================== Montreal Gazette Ottawa Bureau Terrance Wills Feb,18,94 Ottawa.... The Bloc Quebecois has a hidden agenda in its stream of questions about the the links between the Mohawk Warriors and the dope- smuggling net works of organized crime, Reform Party leader Preston manning charged yesterday. The Bloc wants Ottawa to set a precedent for a police invasion on the Mohawk reserves near Montreal so that a future separatist provincial government could do the same to advance sovereignty, Manning said. The Mohawks oppose political independence for Quebec. Manning said that Bloc MPs are trying to provoke Ottawa into a confrontation with the Mohawks and accusation also voiced by Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin. Prime Minister Jean Chretien flirted with the same charge in an exchange over the smuggling issue that a time has turned snarly and personal. "If he really wants to solve this problem, he will ask his member not to play this game of dragging the problem of the Mohawks all the time into their questions," Chretien told Bloc leader Lucien Bouchard. "The impression the Mohawks are having is it is a campaign by the BQ to tarnish their reputation." Manning later told reporters the Bloc has two motives in asking, almost everyday in recent weeks about the Mohawks involvement in smuggling cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, in the alleged money laundering at Kahnawake, Kanestake and Akwesasne. "There are two reasons behind them ( the Bloc questions ) and one has nothing to do with smuggling," Manning said. "I think it is a long term concern that the Bloc knows that the Mohawks will oppose any sovereignty for Quebec and that some future Quebec government is going to have to deal with that, probably through police action, and I think they would like to encourage the federal government and the federal police authority to move on the Mohawks to establish a precedent for that type of action. I think there are two agendas going on." Bloc House Leader Michel Gauthier rejected any comparison between the sovereignist goals of Quebec and the Mohawks: "You can't compare a society using democratic means to attain its aspiration with a number of people working with organized crime to smuggle contraband and evade the law with impunity." Gauthier also rejected any suggestion his party is anti-Mohawk. "We are very very open to the Mohawk cause and we have defend them always with ardor." he told reporters. We think that the Mohawks are victims of a certain number of armed persons who are terrorist and make threats." With Citizens in and near the biggest city in the province concerned for their security, the official opposition has a responsibility to ask questions about the role of the Mohawk Warriors and organized crime in smuggling and money laundering, Gauthier said. In the House of Commons, Bouchard accused the Liberal government of failing to back the RCMP in countering crime on the reserves. " In this case the RCMP does not have that support, that is quite clear," he said. But Chretien asserted: " We have given a clear mandate to the RCMP to do this job to eradicate contraband throughout Canada as well as on Indian reserves." But the PM said that police actions were complicated because Mohawk peacekeepers and provincial police are also involved. He said the Mounties have been talking to U.S. police authorities. The Akwasasne reserve near Cornwall, though which 70$ of contraband cigarettes were coming before the government initiated its anti-smuggling program this month, takes in hand in New York, Quebec and Ontario. Bouchard said the PM's answers were "equivalent to abdicating the authority of the law." Solicitor General Herb Gray said "the Mounties are investigating a CBC report that Canadian custom officers took bribes to pass contraband liquor across the border. Bloc MPs also took exception to charges by Liberal MP Ethel Blondin Andrews that separatists are pursuing a vendetta against the Mohawks. "Quebecers more than anyone else have always shown great respect for aboriginals," Bloc MP Madeleine Dalphond Guiral ( Laval Center ) told the Commons. " Parti Quebecois government was the first to recognize the principe of self-government for aboriginals." ----------------- --- 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 =POWWOWS= Mar 6 Annual Honoring the Elders Social Middleboro, MA Info: (617) 884-4227 Mar 5-6 "A Celebration of Contemporary & Traditional Native American Arts, Chico, CA Info: (916) 343-0696 Mar 11-13 "Education of the Next Generation" Norcross, GA Info: (404) 215-0604 Mar 12-13 Powwow, Shoal Lake, ONT CANADA Info: (807) 226-5411 Mar 17-20 12th Annual Great Falls Native American Art Assoc. Exhibit and Sale, MT Info: (505) 552-6654 Mar 18 Native American Awareness Day Ashland, WI Info: (715) 682-4531 Send notices of forthcoming powwows, conferences and gatherings to: jans@genie.geis.com janet.mcneely@f1706.n133.z1.fidonet.org gars@netcom.com