_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' 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 017 O o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 23 April 1994 O o O ( N E W S ) O This issue contains articles from NATIVE-L and NATCHAT Mailing 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 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. "We know our lands have now become more valuable. The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone." __ Canassatego +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ Lunar Reminder: April 25 will be the next full moon. O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! Let us pause and reflect on what we really are as we enter a new season, and the gatherings and powwows that join us to one another. There are a great many events tearing at the fiber of what being a Native American is and should be. We are not the first who must decide what is right. It is certainly no more difficult than it was for those who walked before us. Remember to ask yourself what will be said of this time when it is looked at seven generations from now. If we each try to close the hoop I believe they will say we were good people who did a good thing for all the people. If we do not try I think it will not matter. I think there will be none to care. Mitaquye Oyasin! Night Owl ------------------ clip here for news feature -- 8< ----------- --------- "RE: Visit to the Mohawk River Valley Project" --------- Date: Wed Apr 20, 1994 18:48 EDT From: A.HOROVITCH Suzan Horovitch (Sosa;n) Subj: Visit to the Mohawk River Valley Project GE Electronic Mail We had a wonderful weekend... despite weather that was not totally cooperative. After seeing the article in Wotanging about Kanatsiohareke , The Mohawk Valley Community several weeks ago we decided that the three bottom plow which we have not used for several years could be offered to them. An inquiry via E mail at the address listed, brought us a phone call in return from Tom Porter, the spiritual leader of the traditional community. Yes... they would greatly appreciate the plow. We made plans to bring it down the following weekend. The border crossing worried us. The usual question of do you have anything that you will be leaving in the US, was answered with a gesture towards the big red plow overpowering the open back of our pickup and "Yes, the plow." The look on the officers face was bewilderment. " A plow??" "Yes, a plow". I was sure that at this point we were going to be told to pull over and would have a several hour delay trying to sort things out... however, his next comment was " OK have a good day!" And we were on our way! Five hours driving took us down into the Mohawk Valley of New York State and the directions to the community were easy to follow ( even though we decided to come off the interstate at a different place and travel the back roads a bit more). We found Tom & Jimmy Little Turtle ( community elder and financial advisor) in the barn. The plow ( weighs about 1000 lbs.) took quite a bit of work unloading. Holes were drilled in a barn ceiling and ropes strung around the beams, a come-along hooked to that and then around the plow and with some maneuvering, we managed to lift the plow clear of the truck and drive the truck out from under... however, that left the plow hanging in the air with no obvious way of getting it down. It took some discussion, a broken pulley, but we finally managed to gently lower the plow using the truck for power and new ropes. While we were working on the plow we were joined twice by different people from the surrounding community who came by to talk to Tom. The Mohawk people have been welcomed warmly back to their valley and the relationship developing between them and their neighbors is very cooperative. With the plow safely stored, Art installed the hardware and helped Tom hang a sliding door in the barn while I brushed and exercised the two Belgium workhorses while their stalls were cleaned by Tom"s son. Super was an informal affair... as people came in from work you picked up the food sitting in pots on the stove or on the table and ate. It was somewhat rushed as Tom and others were expected in Albany at 7:30 for an evening of song and legend celebrating the new Mohawk re-settlement and welcoming the return of the Mohawks back to their Ancestral site along their namesake river. It was after 6pm when Art and Tom finished with the door and came in from the barn but somehow, everyone was able to shower quickly, eat and the kitchen was more or less cleared by the time we left for the hour drive to Albany at 6:45. The evening was put on by "The Eighth Step Upstairs" a folk group straight out of the '70's and was a benefit for the Mohawk community. Both Art and I enjoyed the message Tom gave, the stomp dance led by a couple of singers and drummers from Akwasasne, as well as the other folk singers: Steve Strauss, George and Vaughn Ward, Betty & the Baby Boomers. It did make for a long day though. It was well past 1 am by the time we were back at the community. While Art and I crashed, Tom and his son went out to do barn chores. The next morning we woke to rain. When the clouds broke during breakfast, Kartoom invited us for a hike up the mountain to the source of their water. Tom was off to talk at one of the churches in the area. Art took one step outside and decided the weather was too threatening but Kartoom and I took off up the mountain path. About half way up the mountain, we decided that the stream was too angry and fast flowing, and the banks too muddy for a crossing today so we turned up another smaller stream. We got so involved in finding crystals in the water, and worked stones that we didn't notice the very darkening sky. Shortly it began to hail... then snow, and hail again. We sheltered under some trees for the worst of it, and then walked back down in a light rain. The property is gorgeous and is the site of an old Mohawk settlement. It should do very well for their hopes of creating a traditional agricultural settlement.... but at the moment any help they can get is most appreciated. The buying of the property left with almost no extra money and the old buildings ( a turn of the century old people's home , huge enough to get lost in) though solid and huge are in need of a lot of work. Most recently the country had run the home, and then when it was abandoned 6 months before the Viola White Water Foundation bought it for the Mohawks. They had drained the water pipes by drilling holes in them, the insulation was almost non existent , the hot water heaters on their last legs and just keeping the families warm for the winter cost many thousands of dollars more than expected. Now that spring is here, they hope to have put the worst behind them. The Viola White Water Foundation was started in 1977 by Jimmy Little Turtle , son of Viola White Water ( Shawnee) to further the work that his mother started. The Foundation is a registered non profit organization and donations are tax exempt. It has NO paid employees , nor any big office building. Everyone who helps is a volunteer. Projects involved in prior to this date have been helping elders and students in college or young children in need, and the helping of the Mohawk school in Akwasasne . Their major project at this time is Kanatsiohareke or the Mohawk Valley Project near Fonda . New York. Donations of time (labour), supplies or money would be appreciated. Contact the Viola White Water Foundation, 4225 Concord St., Harrisburg, PA 17109 --------- "RE: Indians Don't Count" --------- Date: Apr-12-94 21:16:10 From: Wanda Pettigrew Subj: Indians Don't Count??? FidoNet: Indian_Affairs I have always been proud of my heritage and love listening to the stories from my family. I have always blessed my house and used herbs instead of store medicines. I have always treated nature and animals with respect and have taught my children that also. I also believe in the Mother Earth and her presence and her love and also her anger. What bothers me though is the way Indians have been abused and ignored to this day. You hear about a museum for the Holocaust being put up in Washington DC and yet that happened in Europe. You hear how the blacks are being treated and how we owe them for all those years of slavery. Yet my blood boils because WHAT ABOUT THE NATIVES OF THIS COUNTRY????? I feel sorry for the people of the Holocaust and the ways the blacks are treated, but they don't hold the cornerstone on pain and suffering. My grandmother tells me how the Indians were pure and didn't have diseases until the Europeans came over. Our bodies couldn't fight off the illnesses due to the fact that we had no immunity to them. Everyone screams about teen suicide....but did they know that Indian teens are the majority of those suicides? Alcoholism is the number one disease among us....and yet if it's a disease to others why don't they help us? I'll tell you why because we don't holler loud enough. With all this on our plate we are still proud. Our pride is the only thing that can't be taken away from us. They steal our ceremonies and our land, our health and our future and yet we don't cause trouble to them. They name teams after us and yet I don't see any Chicago Catholics or Indiana Italians. Why???? Because to this day we are treated as lowly persons. It hurts to see that in a place that they call the United States, we are all united only by pain. ___ X SLMR 2.1a X This tagline is umop apisdn --- Maximus/2 2.01wb Origin: Access BBS * Ballston Spa, NY * 518-885-4192 (1:267/136) --------- "RE: Meeting with Gilbert Pilot" --------- Date: Wed Apr 20, 1994 17:56 EDT From: J.AUDLIN James D. Audlin (Distant Eagle) Subj: Meeting with Gilbert Pilot GE Electronic Mail O'siyo, folks! Last night I had dinner with Gilbert Pilot (zhee-BARE pee-YO) and his family, and then went with him as he presented a speech in Springfield on the subject of the attempts by Hydro-Quebec to build the Sainte-Marguerite III (SMIII) Dam in the Innu traditional land of Nitassinan. Monsieur Pilot is the "Speaker" of the Innu people. They have a tribal structure like a circle, in which all are equal, and everyone has a particular responsibility within that circle. It is a similar structure to that of many traditional Native nations, including those who accept the Law of the Great Peace. There are 10,000 Innu people, mostly in two reserves. One, surrounded by the city of Sept Isles, largely favors the H-Q dam projects, and the other, out near the bush, largely does not. There are already 484 hydroelectric dams in the Province of Quebec, 13 in Nitassinan, none built with permission of the Innu. There are also problems with unauthorized mining and clear cutting. Since the traditional tribal leadership did not and does not support these incursions, a pro-government Band Council was established simply to enable the government to say permission was granted. The Band Council is given $15 million annually as a payment to those who accept the Indian Act. The traditional tribal structure of Nitassinan, the Coalition for Nitassinan, the circle mentioned above, agrees to stand opposed to H-Q, and calls upon all peoples everywhere, saying this is an international issue. The Coalition has agreed the struggle will be nonviolent, out of respect for all living things and the law of sharing; it considers these two things the Natural Laws by which humans, like all living creatures, should live. Innu people are being repressed by the provincial and federal governments. Pressure has resulted in many losing their jobs, being threatened by the Band Council, being investigated by the government e.g. for child abuse (because they teach their children at home instead of the government schools). M. Pilot says the government has used money and drugs to try to corrupt the people. The government has outlawed any gatherings or demonstrations. M. Pilot quoted the Nitassinan elders as saying: "You have made the right choice to give up everything, and to be free." M. Pilot added: "This is the kind of strength we have. This is a survival issue for us. Our culture is our connection with the earth. Our language is the land. If they go ahead with this, they will kill the people. If we don't stop this, how can we stop the next project? This project is an international issue because there have been human rights violations. What the dominant society is doing is destroying the earth, which is the main basis of all life. The earth is our mother; we must stop our brothers and sisters from hurting our mother." He also said: "My children do not attend school. I want to teach my kids how to be a human being: to breathe, to fish, to respect the earth: not just for my people but for your people too. In their greed for money, your people have forgotten how to be human beings, and have even forgotten that they \are\ human beings." --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - offline" --------- Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 22:00 -0500 From: JANS Janet Smith (Evening Star) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows not previously posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L GE Electronic Mail =Powwows= 4th weekend Apr 13th Annual NASA Powwow, Loy Student Center Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins CO Info: (303) 491-8946 4th weekend Apr 3rd Annual Spring Traditional Powwow UAW 933 Hall, Indianapolis IN Info: (307) 545-5057 Apr 24-25 5th Annual New England NAI Powwow, Boxboro MA Info: (508) 791-5007 Apr 30 Sacred Circle Tribal Council Powwow Salinas, CA Info: (408) 449-4169 Send notices of forthcoming powwows, conferences and gatherings to: jans@genie.geis.com gars@netcom.com ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ all items below this line have already been distributed by our brother, Gary Trujillo, via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 22:00 -0500 From: JANS Janet Smith (Evening Star) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows already posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L GE Electronic Mail =Powwows= Mailing List: NATIVE-L April 22-23 The Second Annual Spirit of Unity Gathering at Yale New Haven, Connecticut Sponsored by the Association of Native Americans at Yale College P.O. Box 206138, New Haven CT 06520 fax 203.432.7369 contacts: Brian Klopotek, Chair tel. 203.436.1852 Delphine Red Shirt Shaw, Advisor tel 203.458.0821 CONFERENCE AND POWWOW, APRIL 22-23 Theme for conference: Representations of Native Americans in the Media All events are free, except where otherwise noted. PUBLIC WELCOME. T-Shirts and mugs available for $10 and $5, respectively. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= May 7: Dartmouth College 22nd annual Pow-wow Host drum: Gray Horse Singers, Tulsa Oklahoma Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover,NH on the BEMA (rain location is Thompson Arena) Contest categories: Men's traditional and Grass Women's Traditional Women's Jingle and Fancy Shawl Men's Fancy Grand Entry is at noon Info: Native American Program at (603) 646-2110 All dancers and drums invited No alcohol or drugs on the pow-wow grounds. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= --------- "RE: Class and Race in North America" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Apr 94 17:01:25 EST From: mail.lmi.org!gwelker Subj: Class and Race in North America Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Prentice Hall is pleased to announce the publication of a timely new book that provides vital background information for understanding NAFTA, the rebellion in Chiapas, and other on-going events in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. AFTER THE FIFTH SUN Class and Race in North America by James W. Russell 254 pp. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. $26 ISBN 0-13-036237-9. Race first became an issue in the class structuring of North American societies in 1521 when Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztecs, fell to Spanish invaders. For the first time conquerors and conquered were racially different. After the end of the Aztec era--the fifth sun in Aztec thought--Spanish and later European colonizers built new societies in which they occupied the dominant class positions and forced Indians, Africans, and Asians into subordinate positions. The close association of class and race in North America thus began during the colonial past, but it developed in different ways in the areas that would become the United States, Mexico, and Canada. In this far-reaching study, James W. Russell comparatively explores how patterns of class and racial inequality developed in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from the colonial pasts to the present. What is revealed is a continent of diverse historical experiences, class systems and ways of thinking about race. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Ending of the Fifth Sun 3. Class, Race, and Colonial Reconstruction 4. Three Societies, Two Worlds of Development 5. Contemporary Classes 6. Race and Pigmentocracy 7. Euro-North Americans 8. Indians after the Fifth Sun 9. Afro-North Americans 10. Original and New Asian Communities 11. The Fifth Race 12. The New North American Division of Labor "JAMES W. RUSSELL, SOCIOLOGY" --------- "RE: AIM Fracas - Confused Reports" --------- Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 18:41:57 GMT From: babylon.montreal.qc.ca!Alex_Roslin (Alex Roslin) Subj: AIM fracas -confused reports Mailing List: NATIVE-L >Can anyone explain or suggest a source for information about the >organizational splits in AIM. I find the different group names somewhat >confusing. It's not surprising you're confused. Most of the reports about the dispute are not very clear or enlightening. The dispute is between something called AIM and something called National-AIM. AIM is a very loose federation with autonomous chapters in many states. National-AIM is a much smaller centralized organization centred around the Bellecourts. The first grouping, AIM, is the heir of the legacy of the struggles in South Dakota in the 1970s. The second grouping, National-AIM, is led by people who profess to be leaders of the entire movement, but who've pretty much appointed themselves to that post since AIM hasn't had any national conventions or meetings to choose such a national leadership. Most of its members have always preferred to be a decentralized movement. Tensions have been brewing for years, but they've come into the open recently because of a tribunal organized by AIM to try National-AIM leaders for various transgressions against native peoples. The tribunal's necessity became urgent, AIM members felt, because National-AIM had stepped up its attempts to discredit certain AIM leaders it considered to be too "radical", like Ward Churchill, whom National-AIM accuses of not really being Indian - a preposterous claim. Churchill, a co-director of AIM's Colorado chapter, is Creek/Cherokee Metis and a professor at the University of Colorado. His numerous books include a landmark study of FBI subversion of the AIM movement in the 70s, and he writes a lot for Z magazine and other publications. He is a highly effective writer who in a vivid way popularizes complex ideas. That is why he is being discredited. Those attempting have suspicious backgrounds of their own. The National-AIM leaders have been advocates of links with Libya. Also, there is a great deal of suspicion that some of them are FBI agents. Be skeptical of what you read on this topic! --------- "RE: Native Leaders Meeting with Clinton" --------- Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 15:47:44 -0500 (EST) From: vms.cis.pitt.edu!LMITTEN Subj: Native Leaders Meeting with Clinton Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Here is a copy of an article from the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE of March 22, 1994, attributed to the Associated Press. It is reprinted here in its entirety without permission. ================================================================== CLINTON INVITES LEADERS OF 545 TRIBES FOR SPRING TALKS Associated Press Washington, D.C. Leaders of 545 federally recognized Indian tribes are being invited to meetings with President Clinton and administration officials this spring, the Justice Department said Monday. Ada Deer, assistant interior secretary for Indian affairs, said the administration "will begin to fulfill long-held promises and to address long-overdue injustices in Indian country." "There are a lot of tribal leaders who are a little bit dismayed over the fact that the administration has basically not lived up to certain expectations," said Gregg Bourland, chairman of South Dakota's Cheyenne River Sioux tribe. "It's got to be more than a photo session. If there is good dialogue, that's good." Indians got special attention from Clinton during the 1992 campaign, getting invited to meetings in Little Rock and winning a plank in the Democratic platform. Tribal leaders responded with strong endorsements of Clinton. The administration has since been criticized for a proposed 13 percent cut in the 1995 budget for the indian Health Service. The agency provides medical care to 1.3 million Indians as required by treaties with the federal government. The administration also ordered a staff reduction that critics say is out of proportion to the agency's size. The Indian Health Service is taking nearly 40 percent of the personnel reduction in the Department of Health and Human Services, although the health service has fewer than 12 percent of the department's employees. Marge Anderson, chairwoman of the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa in Minnesota, said one of the things she wanted to bring up was the health service budget. "I'm sure a lot of leaders will want the same thing." Health issues were not mentioned, however, in the two-page news release announcing the meetings -- with CLinton at the White House in late APril; with Attorney General Janet Reno, and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt May 5-6 in Albuquerque, N.M. The Albuquerque conference will focus on issues involving the Justice and INterior Departments, including tribal jurisdiction, Indian gaming, religious freedom and tribal courts, said Gerald Torres, counsel to Reno. Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, who oversees Indian housing programs, may also attend the conference, Torres said. ========================================================================= +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lisa A. Mitten 207 Hillman Library Social Sciences Bibliographer University of Pittsburgh FAX: 412-648-1245 Pittsburgh, PA 15260 Internet: lmitten@vms.cis.pitt.edu 412-648-7723 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Human beings were invented by water as a device for transporting itself from one place to another." (from THE PITT NEWS, student paper at the University of Pittsburgh) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ --------- "RE: Thunder and Clouds" --------- Date: 15 Apr 94 20:35:46 GMT From: otter@manido.alphai.org (Turtle Heart) Subj: Thunder and Clouds Newsgroups: alt.native I am a native american man from a specific tribal background and also in universal suffrage in my spiritual bond with all other native peoples. Each day I must begin freshly and from the beginning to locate my humanity and seek always to cultivate positive energy and move forward, as is my personal belief, along a path of "no blame". The songlines which are offered here by this writer are the consequences of my search for a positive outcome; and they are offered as positive expressions and most of them are my efforts to transform the intrusions of destruction, humiliation, and degradation which faces nearly every native person nearly everyday. My elders always taught me that there is a positive response available for most situations, and I have always tried to implement this in my life. I do not always succeed. Sometimes in the face of the suffering of the natural world I am amazed at the shallow pointless-ness of much of what is posted here. I am continually astonished at the selfishness and laziness which prevents many of the people who post here from dealing with issues in substance. It is almost as shallow as television, and just as non-committal as the paper press...yet within the tribal families of this world at this time there are amazing and powerful developments, and even solutions, which are crying out to be discovered, to be shared. So, as I review and post to this group and its related groups I am reminded of how easy it is to be disappointed at how important it is that the process continues in the most positive way possible. Most native people do not feel entirely safe in the so-called open world. Of course, much of what I have said here is also appropriate in terms of the general suffering and human condition of all kinds of people everywhere. However, my search for humanity in myself begins each day...and each day I hope the way of beauty will begin in the air I breathe in the morning and that it will lead me along in good relationship to whatever events will unfold. Because I feel this way, events are constantly unfolding and the challenge to remain open but somehow safe presents itself. At this time in my life, this little type-face universe is most of my contact with the world outside my lodge, and so I constantly think of it in collective rather than individual terms. This is a hoop no matter how stretched or electronic the circle we are all looking for is right here at this time. Turtle Heart Ahnishinabeg. American Indian Computer Art Project Turtle Heart otter@manido.alphai.org scicom!manido!otter The Oxen is slow, but the earth is patience. --------- "RE: Big Mountain Relocation" --------- Date: 16 Nov 1993 02:39:31 GMT From: shane@.arizona.edu (E. Shane Jimerfield) Subj: Big Mountain Relocation Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) STOP FORCED RELOCATION!!! In the Black Mesa... The Dispute -- Traditional People vs. Peabody Coal and $-makers The traditional Hopi and Dineh (Navajo) people have been the "caretakers" and inhabitants of the sacred land in the four corners region for hundreds of years. Today, these peoples in the Black Mesa of northern Arizona are living under the shadow of mining blasts by Peabody Coal Company, a subsidiary of Britain's Hanson PLC. They are facing the threat of further relocation by tribal and Federal officials who are accommodating the corporate mining interests. The native peoples of this land were granted legal ownership by the US government in 1882 and the Hopi and the Dineh have been peacefully co-existing there ever since. In the 1950's, Peabody Coal Company orchestrated a plan to pry their way in to strip- mine. Through the US government, John Boyden (representing both Peabody Coal Company and the Hopi Tribal Council) reorganized the tribal councils into groups that he could manipulate. He set them up to falsely represent the native people so that they would negotiate away the land, and to create the illusion of a land dispute between the Hopi and the Dineh. In response to this bogus land dispute, in 1974 the US government divided land that was jointly shared by the Dineh and Hopi people and established Hopi Partition Land (HPL) and Navajo Partition Land (NPL). This law further divided the native people and forced the relocation of those people who were living on the wrong side of this imposed line. It is widely suspected that this action was taken to move Dineh people off of land that Peabody wanted to mine for coal. To this day, the traditional people of both nations say that there is no conflict between the Hopi and Dineh nations. The traditional people have historically boycotted the tribal council elections as this form of government is a form of imposed assimilation to European ways. The true conflict exists between the people who want to maintain their traditional way of living and those who aim to reap money profits through destruction of the land. Stolen Birthright This past August, Dineh people living in Big Mountain on HPL were threatened with an Agreement in Principle (AIP). This document (drawn up by mediations among federally appointed mediator Judge McCue, lawyers representing the Hopi and Navajo tribal councils, the Justice and Interior Departments, and a lawyer representing the traditional Dineh people resisting relocation) contains a seventy-five year lease of the Big Mountain area which would be paid for by the Navajo Tribal Council to the Hopi Tribal Council so that resisters could remain on the land. Lease payments would cover homestead and farming rights of thirteen acres per Dineh family, plus designated grazing areas. The people would agree not to live away from the land for more than two years, not to sign off or sublet the land to others, not to run a business or use the land for mining, not to commit a felony, and to remove trash (including old cars for salvage), or else face relocation. Under the lease, the Dineh traditional people would have to agree that no land within their territory is sacred or will ever be sacred under federal law, and they would agree not to bury their deceased on that land. Currently, sacred and burial sites are holding up mining activities by Peabody Coal Company in other areas in the region. Hence, a motive arises behind the AIP: forfeit of recognition of sacred and burial sites will lead to easier mining operations and faster profits by corporations such as Peabody in the future. The US government has agreed to back up the lease by giving the Hopi Tribal Council up to 500,000 acres of land elsewhere and approximately 21.3 million dollars. The Hopi Tribal Council would maintain jurisdiction over the land and the US government has agreed to help enforce the lease provisions. After the seventy-five year lease would end, the same lease would be reconsidered for renewal. The people living on the land now had the land passed to them from their relatives. Traditionally, the Dineh pass on their land matrilinealy. The lease of the AIP threatens their ability to carry on this fundamental part of their culture. Signing the agreement would be signing away their ancestral heritage. Accepting the provisions of the lease would be to invite in a landlord and to self-inflict restrictions on their way of life. The Dineh community in Big Mountain rejected the AIP by a vote of 206-1. Traditional people tell us that as of November 1, officials from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the US Justice Department have been visiting them in their homes, pressuring them to change their votes and threatening to confiscate their sheep. Head of the Justice Department's mediation team on relocation, Attorney Steenland chastised the Navajo Tribal Council and the lawyer representing the traditional Dineh people for not pressuring the resisters hard enough to sign the AIP. In a letter last summer, he implied that forced relocation would be the only alternative. Illegal Mining on The Black Mesa Indian Land Meanwhile, the people in the nearby areas of Forest Lake, Cactus Valley, and Red Willow have been tormented by the mining activities of Peabody Coal Company since 1966. Their livestock, their medicinal herbs, their air, their water, their land, their sacred sites, and their burial grounds have been contaminated by the process of the coal extraction. In mid-October, almost 200 people of the area sent citizen's complaints to the Office of Surface Mining to notify the government of illegal nighttime blasts, home frames cracking, windows breaking, and people and livestock effected by the airborne coal dust. Further, Peabody has been operating wells, a road, a railroad, and a slurry line, outside of the permit area. Their mining pits have damaged the scarce water supply of the native people. Peabody has neglected their legal requirement minimize environmental damage and to restore the land to its pre-mined state. Youth Support of Traditional People in the Black Mesa Area A Big Mountain Support Group is starting up at the University of Arizona, working closely with other support groups and with the regional SEAC chapters. Big Mountain Support Groups exist all over the US and in Europe. These groups focus on sending support in the form of money, non-perishable food drives, gardening supplies, and other physical aids directly to the people on the land. They maintain political pressure on government officials through letter-writing campaigns, phone/fax-in's, and meetings. They also work to spread awareness of the situation in the Black Mesa in their communities. They bring representatives from the land to speak in their region. As well as local activities, these groups can strengthen the circle by networking with other indigenous support groups and holding joint events such as rallies, conferences, and fundraisers. Consider starting up a Big Mountain/Indigenous Support Group or Committee in your area. Every year the people in Big Mountain hold a spring gathering, welcoming supporters to the land. At this event, people take part in activities such as tree-planting, setting up perma- culture projects, and building structures. The 1994 spring gathering is scheduled to take place the weekend after Earth Day. SEAC college groups are in a special position as most of our schools hold stock in major corporations such as Hanson PLC, of which Peabody Coal Company is a subsidiary. Look into your school's holdings and demand that the administration to invest your money productively. This sort of pressure on corporations could collectively lead to some policy changes. Take Action: Request that the following government officials take action against forced relocation of the Dineh people in Big Mountain. Ask them to see to it that Peabody Coal Company be held to US mining laws and that the people of Forest Lake, Cactus Valley, and Red Willow be protected from the mining activities. Send letters to: Attorney General Janet Reno 10th and Constitution Ave, Room 4400 Washington, DC 20530 Representative Bill Richardson Native American Affairs Subcommittee House of Representatives 2349 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt Interior Building 1800 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 For more information on supporting the Big Mountain resistance, contact the Big Mountain Support Group/UA, PO Box 1891, Tucson, AZ, 85702-1891, or email: jimerfie@gas.uug.arizona.edu. --------- "RE: Thunderbird Enterprises" --------- Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 12:06:00 -0400 (EDT) From: Jordan Dill Subj: Thunderbird Enterprises Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Some time ago H.Hiner@mtu.edu posted advice re material published by Thunderbird Enterprises, Native American Marketing, 8821 N. First Street, Phoenix, Arizona. Helen (?) mentioned a "American Indian Digest and maps. Thunderbird Enterprises is owned and run by George Russell, a Chippewa-Ottawa Indian. He is enrolled as a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe. The maps and digest have just arrived at my home and I'd like to pass some information along... The Digest index covers Global Perspective, Racism, Digest, 500 Year Chronology, Myth and Misconception, America's Holocaust, Groundless Treaties, Vanquished Indians, Demographic Guidelines, Population, Tribes, Reservations, Map of American Nations, Indian Nations Roster, American Indians Today, American Indian Reality, Divide & Conquer, and a Summation. The bibliography covers a Material Reference List, Catalogs Listing Indian Publications, Genealogy Resources, and BIA Area Offices. There are two maps...The Map of American Indian Nations is laminated, 24" x 36" in size, shows the geographic location of all federal and state reservations and tribes, has a roster which lists the size and acreage and population of each reservation, has graphics showing the diminishment in size of the Indian land base as they were forced westward, population graphics from the first census in 1890 to 1990, and is based on extensive research into historical archives, maps and government records... The second map, which is not mentioned in the Digest, is a Map of American Indian History. This one I like the best. Same size as the other, laminated also, it has a North American Indian population graph, noted locations of forts and dates of activity thereat, major battle locations and dates, current Indian lands, and much, much more. Both the maps and the Digest are fantastic...perfect for teaching and the education of youngsters (not to mention adults). Thunderbird Enterprises has a toll free number, 1-800-835-7220 and I know they can be reached on Saturday cause that's when I called. The Digest is $10 + $2 for handling and the Map(s) is/are $22. Both (all?) can be had for $22 + $4 for handling. Sounds like quite a bit of money, I know, however, once you see what is involved, you'll be thrilled...as am I and my children. Peace...Jordan (jsd@infi.net) --------- "RE: Temagami, Province Eager to Lift Land Caution" --------- Date: 10 Apr 94 09:04 PDT From: hkoehler@web.UUCP Subj: Temagami, Prov. Eager to Lift Land Caution Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Northern Daily News Mon., Mar. 7, 1994 New Liskeard, Ont. Posted without permission HEADLINE: STAKING TREATY CLAIM: PROVINCE EAGER TO LIFT LAND CAUTION BYLINE: By Joe O'Grady, Staff Writer DATELINE: NEW LISKEARD Uncertainty continues to swirl in the wake of a failed Native treaty settlement, but Ontario negotiator Grant Wedge says one thing is sure--the province is committed to removing the land caution. Mr. Wedge told the Northern Daily News an overwhelming vote against the proposed treaty overturned by Temagami Indian Band members last week may not be a true reflection of how people feel about the contents of the deal itself. "I still have no real sense of how much of this is an internal problem in the Native community," he said, noting the bitter rift between the Teme-Augama-Anishnabai treaty negotiators and traditionalist Natives lead by the Ma-Komin-Ising Ansishnawbeg. Since early last summer, the traditionalists have been lobbying vigorously against the treaty negotiations, claiming the TAA was attempting to sell the Natives out. During last week's vote, the traditionalists mounted a concerted campaign to bring out-of-town members home from as far away as Toronto to ensure the proposed treaty settlement was defeated. This was actually the second time the deal was rejected in a Native assembly. Last November, the TAA--which represents both status and non-status Native--held its own vote, where the deal was shot down by a two ballot margin. To be ratified, the deal would require majority approval by both the TAA and Temagami Indian Band, which represents only status Natives who live in the area. Although the agreement would now appear dead, Mr. Wedge said he has been informed that the TAA plans to proceed with its own second vote March 19. Even if that vote is successful, Mr. Wedge notes the deal cannot proceed without the Temagami Indian Band's endorsement. There has been no suggestion that the band will call a new vote, but the question could arise at an upcoming community meeting on Thursday. - 30 - 336 words Posted by Harold P. Koehler, London ON hkoehler@web.apc.org --------- "RE: Elko, Nevada - Public Lands" --------- Date: Mon, 18 Apr 1994 14:21:10 GMT From: kibby@news.unr.edu (Larry Kibby) Subj: "Public Lands" On April 6, 1994, the Elko County Commissioner's of Elko Nevada, held a meeting at the Elko City Hall. In part of the agenda they were to vote on two resolutions. One was to designate all federal public lands as owned by the state in which Elko County had the duty to manage those lands. The second resolution was to declare all roads as Elko County roads. In order to better understand what Elko County was proposing, Dale Malotte, Te-Moak Tribal Chairman; Davis Gonzales, Te-Moak Tribal Administrator; Edna Ferguson, Vice-Chairperson of Te-Moak Tribal Council; and Paula Brady, Kathleen Holley, Faye Jackson, Larry Kibby, all from the Western Shoshone Historic Preservation Society, attended this meeting of the Elko County Commissioner's in order to allow the Commissioner's, that there was an interest in the land by the Western Shoshone and that there would be direction of opposition regarding the two resolution's. To date, the Elko Band Council and Te-Moak Tribal Council have adopted resolutions opposing the action of Elko County with cc's to 6 U.S. Senator's, Ada Deer and Babbitt. Copies will also be directed to the County Commissioner's, so that there will be an understanding that the Western Shoshone territory will be safe-guarded. The recent intent by the Elko County Commissioner's is a proven fact that they are stepping-up their agenda to promote the Sage-Brush Rebellion Part Two, which is being directed by sources related to the "Anti-Indian Movement". Larry Kibby, Consultant/Director, attended the Nevada Indian Commission meeting which was held April 16, in Reno, Nevada, to request that the Commission provide some open doors for the Native American Indian Community, so that the State of Nevada would understand the concerns of not only the Western Shoshone, but all of the tribes that are affected by this attack on their traditional territory. Nevada State Attorney General, Frankie Sue Del Papa, was in attendance at the Indian Commission meeting to speak on various Indian issues that the state was involved in. Deputy Attorney General C.Wayne Howle was directed to work with Kibby and to provide him with material relating to the state findings regarding the current attempt by several counties to have the public lands turned into state lands. Most people have not directly understood the protest by the Native American Indian Community, regarding the so-called public lands, but already due to a lack of understanding over the years, many of the ceremonial and burial sites have been destroyed and no effort made to preserve and or protect them. Regarding, so-called traditional leader's and or those individuals using traditional and cultural issues for political, personal, and monetary gain, are the reason that these issues must be addressed in the manner they are. People should not promote Western Shoshone issues, if they are going to abuse the tradition and culture. Already, the political works of certain people have been given direction to the press over and over again. It can not continue in this manner, mainly because there are important issues that the support of all. Recently, Larry Kibby was contacted by several Archaeologist who informed him that certain religious sites in Arizona were being hit by so-called "New Age Groupie's", who were mainly hitting the Kiva's. This alone is one of the reason's that an all out effort must be made to promote the preservation and protection of our Sacred Sites. Of course, it is understood that there are many non-Indian people who support the plight of the Native American Indian, but to think that our Belief is not unique enough, that they can go upon our Sacred Sites and just tear them up. No, I think people should understand, that first, there are people going around and saying how traditional they are and telling non-Indians that once they learn about the tradition they can use it for what-ever reason and that it is not how it works. The traditional belief, is a very Sacred matter, you must understand that traditional people do not promote the tradition for personal or monetary gain. I think, peace demonstrator's and new age groupies should stop and try to learn a little more about the tradition and traditional belief, because right at this time, to many people are using the tradition and culture for no justifiable reason and when we must approach people such as the Elko County Commissioner's, they seem to think that we are nothing more then a bunch of rebel-rouser's with no serious relation to the land. Hopefully, in time, the Native American people can get a grip on this issue, to where the Sacred Grounds will be preserved and protected, they will not be made into state lands, and thats a fact. --------- "RE: Navajo Story: Thunder" --------- Date: Tue, 22 Feb 94 17:56:35 EST From: mail.lmi.org!gwelker Subj: Navajo Story: "Thunder" Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) THE BEGINNING OF THUNDER [Miwok indians of Tuolumne county] Bear's sister-in-law, Deer, had two beautiful daughters, called Fawns. Bear was a horrible, wicked woman, and she wanted the Fawns for herself. So this is what she did. One day she invited Deer to accompany her when she went to pick clover. The two Fawns remained at home. While resting during the day, after having picked much clover, Bear offered to pick out lice from Deer's head. While doing so she watched her chance, took Deer unaware, and bit her neck so hard that she killed her. Then she devoured her, all excepting the liver. This she placed in the bottom of a basket filled with clover, and took it home. She gave the basket of clover to the Fawns to eat. When they asked where their mother was, she replied, "She will come soon. You know she is always slow and takes her time in coming home." So the Fawns ate the clover, but when they reached the bottom of the basket, they discovered the liver. Then they knew that their aunt had killed their mother. "We had better watch out, or she will kill us too," they said to one another. They decided to leave without saying anything and go to their grandfather. So the next day when Bear was away they got together all the baskets and awls which belonged to Deer and departed. They left one basket, however, in the house. When Bear returned and found the Fawns missing she hunted for their tracks and set out after them. After she had tracked them a short distance, the basket, left at home, whistled. Bear ran back to the house, thinking the Fawns had returned. But she could not find them and so set out again, following their tracks. The Fawns, meanwhile, had proceeded on their journey, throwing awls and baskets in different directions. These awls and baskets whistled. Each time Bear thought that the Fawns were whistling, and left the trail in search of them. And each time that Bear was fooled in this manner, she became angrier and angrier. She shouted in her anger. "Those girls are making a fool of me. When I capture them I'll eat them." The awls only whistled in response and Bear ran toward the sound. There was no one there. Finally, the Fawns, far ahead of Bear, came to the river. On the opposite side they saw Daddy Longlegs. They asked him to stretch his leg across the river so that they might cross safely. They told him that Bear had killed their mother and they were fleeing from her. So when Bear at last came to the river, Daddy Longlegs stretched his leg over again, but when the wicked aunt of the two Fawns, walking on his leg, reached the middle of the river, Daddy Longlegs gave a sudden jump and threw her into the river. But Bear did not drown. She managed to swim to the shore, where she again started in pursuit of the Fawns. But the Fawns were far ahead of their aunt, and soon reached their grandfather's house. Their grandfather was Lizard. They told him of the terrible fate which had overtaken their mother. "Where is Bear?" he asked them. "She is following us and will soon be here," they replied. Upon hearing this Lizard threw two large white stones into the fire and heated them. When Bear arrived outside of Lizard's house she could not find an entrance. She asked Lizard how she should enter, and he told her that the only entrance was through the smokehole, so she must climb on the roof and enter that way. He also told her that when she entered she must close her eyes tightly and open wide her mouth. Bear did as she was instructed, for she was very anxious to get the two Fawns, whom Lizard had told her were in his house. But as Bear entered, eyes closed and mouth open, Lizard took the red hot stones from the fire and thrust them down her throat. Bear rolled from the top of Lizard's house dead. Lizard then skinned her and dressed her hide, after which he cut it in two pieces, one large and one small. The larger piece he gave to the older Fawn, the smaller piece to the younger. Then Lizard instructed the girls to run about and see what kind of noise was made by Bear's skin. The girls proceeded to run around, the skins making all kinds of loud noises. Lizard, watching them, laughed and said to himself, "The girls are all right. They are Thunders. I think I had better send them up to the sky." When the Fawns came to Lizard to tell him that they were going to return home, he said, "Do not go home. I have a good place for you. I shall send you to the sky." So the girls went up to the sky. There Lizard could hear them running about. Their aunt's skin, which they had kept, makes the loud noises, that we call thunder. When the Fawn girls ran around in the sky Rain and Hail fell. So now whenever the girls (Thunders, as Lizard called them) run around above, rain begins to fall.