Subject: nanews02.034 From: gars@netcom.com (Gary Night Owl) To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Message-ID: _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 02, ISSUE 034 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 20 August 1994 O o O O o O K A N O H E D A A N I Y V W I Y A O ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N N E W S ) This issue contains articles from FidoNet Indian Affairs Conference, UseNet alt.native Newsgroup, NATIVE-L and NATCHAT Mailing Lists, and by members of the Invisible Band. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters 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. "A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky" __ Crazy Horse, Oglala +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! A thing has come to a brother that gives me worry. It reminds me that before we can mend any circle our own must be in balance. Look close at your path. Make sure your steps fall where you think they do. Dohiyi Oginalii Night Owl , , (*,*) Gary Night Owl gars@genie.geis.com (`-') P. O. Box 672168 gars@netcom.com ===w=w=== Marietta, GA 30067, U.S.A. gars@igc.apc.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- Part A: FidoNet, Usenet and e-mail Part B: NATCHAT and NATIVE-L lists - Economic Ideas - Conferences and Powwows - online - Some Things Are Worth Fighting For - Stealing - NativeNet News Briefs - Teach v. Proselytize - Great Serpent Mound - Chickahominy Indian School - Ancient Sooners - Hands Off - White Earth Timber Fight - Navajo-Hopi Update - Alaska Wolf Kill Update - Poem: Fingers Wet with Water - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline ------------------ clip here for news feature -- 8< ------------ --------- "RE: Economic Ideas" --------- Date: Aug-06-94 10:00:00 From: Frosty Deere (frosty.deere@f502.n167.z1.fidonet.org) Subj: Economic Ideas FidoNet Indian Affairs I am looking for ideas that could help create employment on the the REZ's. So looking for a way to open up trade with other REZ's. 90% of ever dollar spent by native people goes off the rez's. What some of us are trying to to do is stop that drain by inter-rez buying. I myself have been doing this since 1991 with my business. Driving after those that purchase off the reservations to buy from native business and employ native men and women. It not easy to get people to change but its one of the only ways to give native people jobs in areas that don't have Casino's. But these Casino's can help to set up buying things from other reservations and give them employment other than just their local area. So they have to wait an extra day but it will give need jobs to others at the next near by rez or the next state. Now in Canada its province to province and among the Mohawk we are starting to look into Nation to Nation sales. Yes the cost might be a few cents higher but one has to think about the social impact it can make on their's and other native people. So if you have any ideas on the subject of economic development I would like to hear about and share with as many native people I can.... They don't have to be major projects, but something that will begin to employ members of any nation. If you are a native business and can supply a product that you feel can be sold to other band, nations or person's. I would also like to hear about it. Also looking for information of anything like the Blackfoot Pencil Company. Well that is all I have to say and will be waiting to hear from a lot of you on this topic... Peace ... via DeltaMail v2.20 for SL (#216378) --- SLMAIL v4.0 (#1349) Origin: Igloo Station (514) 632-5556 (1:167/502) --------- "RE: Some Things Are Worth Fighting For" --------- Date: 12 Aug 94 17:36:49 GMT From: milo@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Michele Lord) Subj: Some Things Are Worth Fighting For Newsgroup: alt.native Sender: Minnesota Indian Affairs From: Jean Kelley Subject: Some things are worth fighting for... Jim Northrup's essay appeared recently in the Minneapolis Star-Trib. (I think--don't have the cite) Sent out for everyone's info-- all typos are my own. SOME THINGS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR - LIKE MY EAGLE FEATHER By Jim Northrup Sawyer, Minn. I went trolling for game wardens in Burnette County, Wis. I had an eagle feather hanging from my car's rear-view mirror. The trolling for game wardens started when they took an eagle feather away from an enrolled Winnebago named John Gauthier Toborshak. He was followed from his home to his job at the Hole in the Wall Casino where he was stopped by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wardens. Once they had him stopped, they took his eagle feather and wrote him a receipt. They told him he would be hearing from the feds. According to warden manager David Zeug, they are holding the feather until the Winnebago man can prove that he is an Indian. Both the feds and the state of Wisconsin say that we can possess eagle feathers. More importantly, our elders say we can. Game warden Zeug says there is extra sensitivity towards eagles since 18 of them were found poisoned in northern Wisconsin in April. The poisoned eagles apparently had all their feathers when they were found. Zeug told newspapers that his department "fully recognized the rights of Indians to possess eagle feathers. But it's in everyone's best interest that the possession be monitored, to protect the eagles and the tribal members' access to them." Just what we need, more "monitoring." 1984 was 10 years ago and Big Brother is here in the form of state game wardens. The boat-landing protests are behind us and now we have to prove our identity so we can practice our religion. Does anyone else have to prove their identity to practice their religion? Does the priest carry an ID card issued by the pope? Who certifies the Protestants? What about the thousands of other religions? If the game wardens are so intent on confiscating eagle feathers, come to a powwow. Stand right where the dancers come in for grand entry. The game wardens would see more feathers than they could count. It wouldn't be a good idea to confiscate feathers there because of the danger of someone resisting. I know I would resist. I earned the feather for my service as a grunt in Vietnam. The feather is dressed with the colors of the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon. It doesn't matter if they are armed men with a two-way radio. It doesn't bother me that the game wardens can call for backup. Someone once said if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. Makes sense to me. I will stand for the feather and everything it represents. There are some things worth fighting for, and for me it is that eagle feather. I see the taking of that feather as a direct attack on our spirituality. Now, is there a way to resolve this religious issue short of a physical confrontation? I think so. First, the game wardens must stop taking eagle feathers from Indian people. Second, they should return the eagle feather and apologize to the Winnebago man. Third, spend more time trying to find out who poisoned the eagles instead of harassing Indians. President Clinton has an eagle feather, so does Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii. I saw the senator presented with one during the hearings held in Minneapolis last year. Would the game wardens try to confiscate those feathers? I don't think so. So, what is this? A stupid mistake made by armed men acting under color of their badge, or is this the opening round of a new religious war? In the meantime, I drive a gray Ford Taurus with Minnesota plates. I am unarmed except for that eagle feather and my belief about the importance of eagle feathers to the Indian people. It's part of our religion. You can't buy it or deny it. ______________ Jim Northrup, a member of the Fond du Lac Reservation, lives in Sawyer, Minn. ~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*+ "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: NativeNet News Briefs" --------- Date: Aug-06-94 20:57:00 From: Frosty Deere (frosty.deere@f502.n167.z1.fidonet.org) Subj: News Briefs FidoNet Indian Affairs Canada..... The Assembly of First Nations as re-elected as Chief Oivide Mercedi. On his speech following election he gave Canada and Quebec a very clear message. To Canada, I say the Chiefs are coming and we will hold them accountable for promises that they have made in the Red Book. To Quebec, I say the Chiefs are coming and we will hold them accountable for the First Nations have and will be treated in the future. "But my greatest pride that I have at the present is to tell Canadian People that not only are the Chiefs coming but they are coming UNITED...to present to the Canadian government, not only our grievances but our vision for change....to demand that change....to insist on it and not let up till we have what we want." North America..... The All Indian Indoor Rodeo... December 14 - 18. 1994 To be held at the Arizona Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona, was announced by the new formed North American Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association. Let's hope it gets on TV. Canada.... Tallest totem pole in the world carved by Richard Krentz will be raised on August 17, at the Commonwealth Games at Songhee Point in Victoria, B.C. Canada. Kanesatake.... Ron Irwin has appointed Michel Roberts as the chief negotiator for Kanestake ( Oka ). He will start work on the cemetery and try to resolve that first. Well that is all I have time for today..From the news desk of NativeNet.... --- SLMAIL v4.0 (#1349) Origin: Igloo Station (514) 632-5556 (1:167/502) --------- "RE: Great Serpent Mound" --------- Date: 94/08/13 22:32 From: Ben Siepmann (siepmann@genie.geis.com) Subj: Great Serpent Mound GE Electronic Mail Night Owl-- Found the following item on the environment thread on OneNet (a network composed of computers running First Class Software's BBS software for the Macintosh): Friday, August 5, 1994 7:23:24 PM Environment Item From: Dusty L. Miller,Great Lakes Free-Net Michael R. Bigley,Productivity Online Subject: Fwd: Serpent Mound, Ohio To: Environment To any and all concerned: If protecting sacred sites is important to you, please note: developers are planning to build a 1,000 acre lake around the multi-millennium-old Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio. Because the mound itself technically will not be submerged, the hands of Historical Society officials are legally tied. However, there is question about diking problems that could eventually cause the giant effigy to erode into the lake, not to mention (developers certainly aren't) the covering of burial mounds in lower elevations. Currently the serpent overlooks miles of serene Ohio Brush Creek valley. The lake will also upset that serenity with use of power boats, and well-intentioned, but unaware tourists. This is paramount to diking around and turning the Great Pyramids or Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC into a resort community. Everyone is trying to squeak this silently and quickly through the legal processes. But if a few people from throughout the U.S. respond against it, results could be shifted. There are also several endangered species of crustaceans in the Brush Creek that would probably become extinct with the development of this lake. If you want to take action, a postcard or fax to your local U.S. representatives and to the U.S. EPA is a good start. For more info, inquire here or e-mail to wakinyan@AOL.com Thanks, Mike --------- "RE: Ancient Sooners" --------- Date: Aug-11-94 09:55:34 From: Ait-Dau-Been-Gau (ait-dau-been-gau@f59.n147.z1.fidonet.org) Subj: Ancient Sooners FidoNet Indian Affairs NORMAN, OKLAHOMA (Associated Press) Archaeologist excavating a site in northwestern Oklahoma found what could be the oldest painted art in North America - a zigzag line of red pigment on the skill of an Ice Age bison, scientists say. The artwork, about 10,500 years old, come from an area known as the Cooper site, near Fort Supply, said Lee Bement, an archaeologist with the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey at the University of Oklahoma. Texas cave paintings previously thought to be the continents oldest are about 4,000 years younger, he said. The site represents the oldest and largest Folsom-era bison kill in Oklahoma and is five times older than a similar site uncovered in 1993 farther south near Elk City, Bement said. The Folsom people are believed to have been sophisticated hunters who drove their quarry into gullies and other natural traps before slaughtering them. They were highly mobile and may have traveled in groups of 40 to 100 people, Bement said. The Cooper site allowed hunters to kill large numbers of game quickly and efficiently, he said. "When the animals got in there, they couldn't get out, and the people would spear them," he said. The remains of 40 bison were found at the site. Many of the bones, including the painted skull, bear hoof marks of animals who trampled on the bones of previous victims before being killed themselves. When Bement and the group reached the bottom layer of bones, they found a crushed skull with what looked like a thin, red thunderbolt painted in its center. The skull probably was taken from a bison killed during the first hunt and used in subsequent hunting rituals to attract game, Bement said. The paint likely was composed of animal fat and red iron ore, or hematite, he said. Bement said University of Texas rock expert Solvieg Turpin, who was invited to evaluate the painted skull, concurred with his theory. The painting remains at the site, encased in insulation material. "It's part of Oklahoma's heritage," Bement said. "This sight ranks right up there as one of the most significant finds in the Southern Plains." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=- [CyberZone]: NATIVE AMERICANS SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL! --- VFIDO 6.20.00 Gamma Candidate 10 Origin: -=} CyberZone {=- (1:147/59) --------- "RE: White Earth Timber Fight" --------- Date: 11 Aug 94 22:53 PDT From: Indigenous Environmental Network Subj: NEWS WHITE EARTH TIMBER FIGHT Newsgroup: alt.native FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WHITE EARTH LAND RECOVERY PROJECT WHITE EARTH, MN. 56591 (218) 473-3110 Local Native Americans from the White Earth Reservation are blockading a road that goes across White Earth Land Recovery Projects (WELRP) land. The reason for this blockade is to stop Potlatch Timber trucks from hauling logs, which they are clear cutting on the north side of the property that WELRP owns, off the reservation. Becker County has apparently issued a timber permit to Potlatch and assumed that the road that WELRP owns could be used by the logging trucks. WELRP was not informed about this. Mino Aki (the good land) is the site where WELRP has been reforesting with white pine and cedar. It is also a site that has been used for wildlife habitat, educational programs, medical plant gathering, and sustainable agriculture. Cheryl Jackson, WELRP Information Officer, states: It is such a shame that it has come to this, we are trying to rebuild our forests and companies like Potlatch come in and clearcut without feeling any shame. Bob Shimek, WELRP Community Organizer, states: There is a significant problem when private land holders are not notified of the use of their roads. Becker County is out of line assuming that our road can be used by logging trucks that are clearcutting on the reservation. Winona LaDuke, Campaign Director, adds: Leave our trees standing. People can recycle or use other sources for paper. I believe our trees should remain standing. Potlatch Timber Company is responsible for tens of thousands of acres being clearcut on our reservation, and we say that enough is enough. If need be WELRP will seek an injunction to stop the trucks from hauling. The White Earth Land Recovery Project is an Indigenous peoples organization made up of membership from the White Earth Indian Reservation and surrounding area. It is the goal of the organization to recover one-third of the original land base within the reservation boundaries. While doing this, we will strive to educate our membership and others to develop culturally based, ecologically sound land stewardship practices to ensure a sustainable community to live in. By utilizing the wisdom and strengths within our communities we will network and share all information to meet this desired result. FOR MORE INFO: OR: WHITE EARTH LAND RECOVERY PROJECT IEN NATIONAL OFFICE (218) 473-3110 FAX (218) 473-3178 (218) 751-4967 FAX (218) 751-0561 --------- "RE: Alaska Wolf Kill Update" --------- Date: Aug-08-94 18:53:20 From: Sean Price (sean.price@f46.n205.z1.fidonet.org) Subj: Alaska Wolf Kill Update FidoNet Indian Affairs Alaska Wolf Kill Update by Stephen Wells On April 7, 1994 the State of Alaska concluded its first season of a three-year State-funded wolf kill by dumping 98 headless, skinless wolf carcasses into the Fairbanks North Star Borough landfill. This slaughter is the result of a plan approved by the Alaska Board of Game (BOG) last summer. The plan calls for the killing of about 80% of the wolves in 4,000-square-mile Game Management Unit (GMU) 20A, an area which lies between Fairbanks and Denali National Park, every year for three years. The goal is to inflate caribou and moose numbers in the area to accommodate the demands of Fairbanks-area sport hunters who want more prey in a convenient location. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) killed the wolves by using aircraft to place bait in known wolf habitat, then saturating the area surrounding the bait with traps and snares. Predictably, these curtains of death netted more than just the 98 wolves (the intended victims). The State also managed to kill 13 fox, 12 moose, six coyotes, two caribou, one snowshoe hare, one wolverine, and at least four golden eagles. In addition four moose and one wolverine were immobilized and released from snares; three moose, one caribou, and two grizzly bears broke loose from the snares (perhaps now dragging a snare through the wilderness); and two wolves, four moose, and five caribou escaped from the snares via a break away mechanism. Due to the protected status of some of the birds caught, ADF&G is technically committing felonies. With typical convoluted logic, ADF&G blames the "incidental" killing of non-target species on wildlife activists. Their theory is that if wildlife activists hadn't raised such a fuss about their plans to gun wolves from helicopters, they could have killed wolves more efficiently. "If we had removed the wolves by aerial shooting, we wouldn't have the incidental take...," said Chris Smith of ADF&G's Division of Wildlife Conservation. Never mind that "wildlife activists" weren't just protesting aerial shooting, but the very concept of killing predators to inflate prey populations for human hunting. So, what now? The public wolf trapping season in Alaska ended April 30 1994. This includes the practice of land-and-shoot, or "same-day-airborne" (SDA) wolf hunting as ADF&G prefers to call it. SDA allows anyone with $15 trapping license to track wolves from the air, land, and shoot them - provided they move 300 feet from their plane (wink, nod). The wolves now gain a respite during the summer months - at least from legal hunting and trapping. Then next fall it starts all over with airplanes, snowmobiles, assault rifles, and State-paid wolf killers. To make matters worse, the wizards in the Alaska Legislature decided that ADF&G and the BOG weren't doing enough to kill predators so they passed a bill to kill predators (See "Sportsmen's Dream Come True" page 1). The law, which takes effect July 11, will not be implemented until after the BOG meets next winter. Fortunately, there is a gubernatorial election this November which holds the hope of a governor more sympathetic to wildlife. Alaska's governor appoints members of the BOG, as well as key positions in ADF&G. In the meantime, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service are moving ahead with regulations that would ban SDA wolf hunting on national wildlife refuges and national parks. The Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, and Wolf Haven International have filed suit in Alaska District Court to stop SDA wolf hunting state-wide. That case is still pending. Loud public presence is needed to get the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to adopt a SDA ban on all BLM lands in Alaska. The BLM is by far the largest land manager in Alaska, and would be the only Interior Department agency without such a regulation if the Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service regulations are implemented. Write to Mike Dombeck, the current BLM acting director. Also, pressure is needed on your representative in the U.S. House to cosponsor HR 1391, the Airborne Hunting Act amendment. The bill, which would make it more difficult for a state to take advantage of loopholes in the Act to kill predators, currently has only 37 cosponsors. It shouldn't be a difficult piece of legislation to cosponsor for most legislators. It is a long overdue common-sense bill. Make sure your representative in the U.S. House is a cosponsor. Currently, Representative Gerry Studds, the chairman of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the subcommittee on Natural Resources and the Environment, where the bill has been referred, is sitting on the bill. If you are in his district, be especially sure to encourage him to schedule the bill for consideration in committee. --- Maximus/2 2.01wb Origin: Sanctuary from The Law BBS (1:205/46) --------- "RE: Poem: Fingers Wet with Water" --------- Date: 15 Aug 1994 13:13:37 -0500 From: turtle@aicap.s21.com (Turtle Heart) Subj: Fingers Wet with Water Newsgroup: alt.native I was there a place where corn was growing Old Antelope Man put water in his fingers and dripped it onto my heart and fed me cedar and made me look inside an old old pot all night I slept singing and watched my feet on his earth his heart was there open all around me open in all directions Old Antelope Man holding an old pot in his hands later I went and wept into the river my heart Tobacco Indian -- Turtle Heart turtle@soft21.s21.com (Ahnishinabeg) American Indian Computer Art Project BBS 619-374-2100 Land of Kaw-ii-su ancestor: Land of Light -- --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 94/08/13 16:49 From: Kepola (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of August 21-27 GE Electronic Mail A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of August 21-27 AUKAKE (August) (Mahoe-mua) 21 Nature can provide healing for many ills. 22 Deep forest of the ancient days -- sustain my spirit. 23 There are many diverse traditions in this land. 24 My dreams are shaped in the ever-changing clouds. 25 Love is a golden bird singing in a green valley. 26 For the patient spirit, life holds many rewards. 27 Listen always for the answers to questions you have never asked. (c) Copyright 1991 by D. F. Sanders Me ke aloha i ka nani, ... Moe'uhanekeanuenue (With love and beauty, ... Rainbow Dream) --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - offline" --------- Date: Thu, 11 August 94 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (Evening Star) (jans@genie.geis.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows not previously posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L GE Electronic Mail =POWWOWS= Sub: Prayer Vigil Update From: milo@scicom.alphacdc.com (Michele Lord) ONE MIND, ONE VOICE, ONE HEART, ONE PRAYER 1994 Prayer Vigil for Future Generations Sunrise, October 1 - Noon, October 2 HEALING GLOBAL WOUNDS POW WOW September 30 & October 1 (Sponsored by Native Youth Alliance) On The Mall in Washington, D.C. (next to the Washington Monument) From The Circle is collaborating with Native American Youth Alliance of Washington, D.C. and other organizations to create a living prayer for the healing of ourselves, our community, and our relationship with Mother Earth. Activities begin with Grand Entry for "Healing Global Wounds Pow Wow" on Friday evening, Sept. 30. On Sat., Oct. 1, we start with a Sunrise Pipe Ceremony on the Mall followed by continuous prayer for the next 30 hours. As part of the vigil, we will hold a special ceremony, "Bless The Eagle-Prayers Around Congress", on Sat., Oct. 1 at 10 AM. Everyone is invited to create this Sacred Hoop. Guests of the Pow Wow and Vigil: Arvol Looking Horse Carole Anne Looking Horse Grace Smith Tommy Porter Thomas Banyacya Burton Pretty-On-Top Joe Chasing Horse Roberta Black Goat Harry Byrd Corbin Harney Sequoyah Trueblood Mazatl Galindo Elijah Harper William Commanda Tom Little Bear Phil Lane, Jr. Leon Shenandoah Nathan Chasing Horse Partial Schedule: Fri. Sept. 30 - 7 PM Grand Entry, Pow Wow Sat. Oct. 1 & Sun. Oct. 2 Sunrise Ceremonies & Prayer Vigil Sat. Oct. 1 - 11 AM Bless The Eagle-Hands Around Congress Sat. Oct. 1 - 1-7 PM Pow Wow Sun. Oct. 2 - 9 AM Planting of the Tree of Peace As we mark symbols along the path to the next decade, the next century, the next millennium, we are called on to mark yet another turning point: to prepare for the period of the Seventh Generation. In Native American culture this is a time of healing, when the dreams of the people are returning, when health and happiness for all people can be restored. It is a time of forgiveness and renewal. One Mind, One Voice, One Heart, One Prayer is a vigil that brings Native elders and diverse spiritual leaders together so that all people can share in this forgiveness and renewal, and participate in the creation of One World. We are asking all our friends and neighbors to be part of these events and to tell others about them. It is in our hearts that elders and youth from all walks of life participate in Saturday's "Bless The Eagle" ceremony. We need (1) prayers, (2) presence, and (3) financial support. Please keep the events and their intention, to be One People in Prayer, in your prayers and thoughts. If possible, plan to come to Washington, D.C. Finally we ask for whatever financial support you can provide. Funds are needed for: Air Fares for Traditionalists & Holy People $450/person or donate coupons to Suzanne, University Travel, Berkeley CA (Ph: 1-800-654-1130) Tree of Peace (White Pine - Mohawk Tradition) $200 Transportation of Teepees & poles from NC $1500 Food for our Guests, prepared by Juanita Neconie's Native Group $1000 Transportation (van rental) in D.C. for Guests $600 Communication Services $2500 Air Fare for 2 Drum Circles $4500 Lodging - does anyone have links for donated hotel rooms (block of 30-40 rooms) in downtown Washington, D.C.? We appreciate whatever you can afford. Donations will be used for specific items if indicated. Please make checks out to 'From The Circle' and place our non-profit number - 94-3133148 - on your check. From The Circle, 56 Joaquin Miller Ct., Oakland CA 94611 For more information: Alpha Institute, CO 303-343-4114 Wittenberg Center, NY 914-679-9764 Sacred Life Assoc., WA 206-432-5412 New Futures, MD 301-468-9431 Native Youth Alliance, D.C. 202-234-8631 North American Coalition on Religion & Ecology, D.C. 202-462-2591 International Computer Users Group, D.C. 202-269-3347 From the Circle, CA 510-531-7427 ============================================================ Keywords: Schemitzun, Pequot, Hartfort, Powwow, Entertainers X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] In a recent post (4 Aug) Debbie Winchell asked if Native Entertainers would be available at Schemitzun '94. Like the way of the Mashantucket Pequot peoples, everything will be bigger and better this year. This year Schemitzun will share with those attend: Joanne Shenandoah Mixashawn Trudie Richmond-lamb Shingoose Floyd Westerman The Aztec Tllacopan Dancers Buddy Big Mountain and his puppets Charlie Hill And Laughing Woman & Eagle Wing, Mashantucket Pequot/Chippewa, our "Home Town" favorite, from the Mashantucket Pequot Nation, reviving the traditions through their eloquent words and music. All this along with world class music and dance competition from over 250 tribes from throughout North America, More than 100 Native American arts & crafts vendors, authentic Native American cuisine demonstrations of tribal culture and over 30 drums from throughout North America. Dates: Thursday Sept. 15 thru Sunday Sept 18 Time: 10:00am - 11:00pm Colorful Grand Entry daily at Noon and 6:30pm (Noon only Sun.) All Day Tickets: Adults $5.00 Seniors $3.00 Children $2.00 4 day pass $10.00 For more information: 1-800-203-CORN =================================================================== Aug 25-28 118th Ponca Powwow, Ponca City, OK Info: 405-762-8104 Aug 26-28 21st St. Croix Wild Rice Festival Hertel, WI Info: 715-349-2195 Aug 26-28 20th Baltimore, Baltimore, MD Info: 410-675-3535 Aug 26-28 10th Connecticut River, Farmington, CT Info: 203-684-6964 Aug 26-28 Rosebud Celebration, Rosebud, SD Info: 605-747-2381 Aug 26-28 5th Anishinabe Momweh, Rapid River, MI Info: 906-786-0556 Aug 26-28 Oil Discovery Celebration, Poplar, MT Info: 406-448-2546 Aug 26-28 Makah Days, Neah Bay, WA Info: 206-645-2201 Aug 26-28 Ni-Mi-Win, Duluth MN Info: 218-726-0130 Aug 26-27 Native American Festival, Berne, IN Info: 219-589-8007 Aug 27 American Indian Festival, Alexandria, VA Info: 703-820-3397 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, Jay Brummett, via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 11 August 94 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (Evening Star) (jans@genie.geis.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows already posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L = Powwows and Gatherings From the Internet listserv groups= From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: NA dance/drama auditions Original Sender: aol.com!NBOBKOFF Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) WANTED: Native American dancers, 1-2 male, 1-2 female, preferably trained in modern or ballet, for tour to Wisconsin Oct.14-31, and possible European tour. Rehearsals to begin early Sept. in Santa Fe at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Pow-wow dancers or those with athletic or gymnastic ability encouraged to apply. Will train in modern dance technique. Rehearsals begin mid-September at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Send resume, photo, videotape (if possible). Or contact Rosalie Jones/DAYSTAR at 505-471-4822 or mail resume to 2471 Camino Capitan, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Fax: 505-986-5542 (IAIA) I can also be reached in Boulder CO at 303-545-5108 until August 16. Or through the Internet at nbobkoff@aol.com. Quick response requested. ============================================================ Original Sender: "John Berry (301)443-1538" Mailing List: NATIVE-L 1994 AMERICAN INDIAN FESTIVAL Sat., August 27, 12:00-6:00 Raindate Aug. 28 Market Square, 301 King St., Old Town Alexandria, VA ARTS & CRAFTS, FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT Co-Sponsored by Alexandria Dept. of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities and the American Indian Cultural Exchange For Information call Events Hotline (703) 883-4686 Accommodation for Americans with Disabilities (703)998-5229 TDD 931-2815. Parking can be a problem in Old Town Alexandria, they love to ticket or tow, so, be careful where you park or use Metro Rail and Shanks-Mare. ============================================================= Original Sender: Rio Lara-Bellon Mailing List: NATIVE-L The Longhouse Education and Cultural Center Ground Breaking Ceremony Saturday, Aug. 20, 1994 4:00 pm Where: The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington Traditional Feast to Follow Well Folks: Looks like we will finally get a Long House on the campus of The Evergreen State College. The effort to build a Long House started about 20 years ago. That was when Mary Ellen Hillaire (Lummi) worked at the College. She envisioned a cultural center; a place for American Indian students, staff, and faculty; a place built on the values of Northwest Coast Tribal - hospitality, respect, and understanding. It took many years and many people working together to finally get to this occasion. Please plan to join us in a Traditional dinner of salmon and berries as we honor the Land and the Ancestors. Your presence and prayers will aid us along the path as construction begins. ============================================================= --------- "RE: Stealing" --------- Date: Fri, 12 Aug 1994 07:34:13 EDT From: Jackie Brown Subj: Stealing Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) He all! I very much agree with what Faith Spotted Eagle has said about selling spirituality. I do not have her experiences or knowledge but it makes me angry too. Here in Florida there has been Medicine Wheel Gatherings and other such workshops charging big money. My family is of Lenape descent. My grandfather and his sister were the last to speak the language and to be named. When my grandfather finished Indian school and his tour of duty in the Navy (WWI) he returned to allotment land in Ocheleta, Okla. and was a line walker for Shell Oil. He married white, had eight children and assimilated. Later he sold his land to his sister and moved to Meeker, Okla. which is about 30 miles from Okla. City. When I was a child we would travel to Okla. every summer and occasionally we would attend a powwow as spectators. That was all we could be but it meant a lot to me anyway. Then we would visit my Auntie in Ocheleta. She lived without running water or electricity and made the most beautiful quilts I have ever seen. I loved her way and her sense of humor and she and Grandpa were very big influences in my life. Later in the early 70's we were getting money from the government for land in the Ohio river valley. I didn't want money, I wanted land and for all of us to return to tribal living. My family said I was a dreamer so I like everyone else excepted the $1,300.00 and bought myself a brand new top of the line sewing machine and paid bills with the rest. In 1990 I started worrying about family disintegration. My great aunt had died in the late 1980's at age 92 and my grandfather was 94 years old. They seemed to be the cement that kept us all together and I didn't want to lose that. Before my Auntie died she took us to Matoka (Indian cemetery) and told us about her Mother and Grandmother who are buried there. I did research and provided my family with a little bibliography and story of Lenape history. I went to the Lenape powwow in Copan, Okla. and visited at the home of Touching Leaves who had already passed away. I spoke with Jim Rementer who has done so much to preserve language and history. He told me about the Health Doll being found and showed me a picture. It's in a museum in Canada because there is no longer anyone pure enough to hold it. I guess what I am trying to say is that there is so much everyone needs to do with their own families and communities and running off in search of vision quests and sweat lodges is not going to change the ills we face. My daughter recently visited Amish country and brought me back a calendar. There is a letter from the maker of the calendar, Doyle Yoder, and the last paragraph says "Ye are the light of the world...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven" While admiring the Amish for their good works they would not want you to forget the last part of this quotation. They do not live as they do to be a guidepost to others (though it may also be that) They do not farm as they do to preserve horse farming technology (though it may also do that). Many of you would like to live more like the Amish, but do not have that opportunity. We also need to realize that they are not what they are, because of the way they live, but rather they live as they do because of what they are. So if you admire their faith -- strengthen yours. If you admire their sense of commitment -- deepen yours. If you admire their sense of community spirit -- build one. If you admire quality merchandise and land stewardship -- then make quality. If you admire deep character and enduring values -- live them." Sincerely and with respect, Jackie Brown --------- "RE: Teach v. Proselytize" --------- Date: Sat, 13 Aug 1994 12:47:06 -0600 From: Jay Brummett Subj: Re: "Teach v. Proselytize" Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ********** Moderation Note***************** The following post is from myself, I have not entered into much of the recent discussions since I became moderator. I have done this because I have seen on other lists where, when the moderator speaks it is taken as a statement of the "official position of the list" and also of the idea that other positions are not welcome or needed. I feel that all positions and opinions on issues are important and needed. Those I disagree with are for myself sometimes the most important. So, as a way of disclaimer: Anything posted with the original sender line from Jay Brummett is my own ideas and in no way have anything to do with the list's positions or policies. If I have some request or policy statement it will have an original sender line that clearly states that it is from the list moderator. I want to make sure that my participation in the list in no way effects the participation of other people. If at anytime either myself or any list subscriber feels that a personal post on my part is effecting the list, I will not make personal posts. In closing thanks for all the support and coop that people have shown towards me as moderator. Warmest regards to all of you. Jay Brummett, Cecala Ptehincalaska -Calf ************************************************************** > InforMNS.k12.mn.us!0001hote (Paula Giese, HOTESS) says: My question: > how much of the WestCiv cultural baggage comes with math/sci? > I was discussing this by phone with a math educator from White Earth rez > up here, she mentioned "dissections aren't necessary, we can do it in > cultural context, have them watch/butcher a deer...." Humma! > > Am I (by this) proseletizing for WestCiv, the materiality, the endless > greed, the built-in expansionism, & against Native culture? Paula's question seems to me a very important post. IMHO, our children are the most important of all Native issues. My grandfather told me that our old people and our children are all that matter. He said that are old people are our link to the past, our traditions, who we are. Our children our our future, what we will become. This has always played an important role in all of my thinking. Teachers of our children, it seems to me, our people who take on a very difficult role. As they must as teachers of Native children honor our traditions and cause them to be continued, at the same time they must help our children to gain all the knowledge and the thinking skills required to see that Native people continue. I have much respect for people like Paula who take on this important job. As a mixed blood native, who tries to follow his traditional way of life and a person with a PhD; I like Paula think it is important that Native children have a good "science" education. Understanding the way that the bodies of living creatures work is very important. How to teach this in a way that will benefit Native children both within their culture and as they compete as part of the dominate culture is a difficult issue. I have thought a lot about Paula and her frogs, the dissection trays, needles, and the like. I have thought about what I have learned from my elders and how these topics might interact. I have thought about explaining the worth of Native methods to "outsiders" who are judging by skills and experiences. I thought about the person who suggested to Paula that the students butcher a deer. All in all I come to this. My elders teach me to kill in two cases: 1) to eat and 2) to protect my family from enemies. In all other cases killing is not justified ever. This is what I have been taught. I remember as a boy, I was a boy scout. I wanted to earn the Paul Bunyon Axman award. To do this I had to fell a tree, cut & split it into firewood, and make a "brush pile" with the branches. In the wood lot off of my back porch, I selected a tree. My grandfather sat on the porch and watched me while I worked. It took me most of the day, but I did it. When I finished, my Grandfather asked me if I was proud of my accomplishment. I told him, yes. He then said, now grandson, put the tree back up. Of course I could not. He told me that only a woman was sacred enough to create life where now there is none. I learned that my elders only took dead wood to burn. In my life, this tree I killed has weighed heavy on me. Each year, I participate in a ritual where a tree chooses to sacrifice its life so that its relatives continue to live. The Sundance Tree dies so that its relatives (all of Creation) continue. I think that perhaps my elders have given me so knowledge here that might be applied to modern education. To kill simply to understand how and animal lives is IMHO not acceptable. Thus if Native children dissect frogs, they should then cook and eat them. To dissect(butcher) a deer or other large animal then to make dry meat or perhaps wasna seems to me a better option. Paula pointed out that some of these children wish to be "doctors", and that Med school entrance boards may not accept this type of "science" education. But I think it is all in how we package the method of training we use. Is not a deer closer to a human being in structure than is a frog. One of my "scientific heros" is William James. In the forward to his 1890 book the _Principles of Psychology_ he states something to the effect that expects that the reader is familiar with the brain of the mammal. He footnotes this with a very good IMHO note: something to the effect, if not go to the butcher and buy a sheep's brain and then take an good anatomical guide and proceed to cut the brain up. Seems to me a mammal life a deer is a good substitute here for a sheep. The brain then could be taken and used to tan the deer hide (a process involving Chemistry and PE). The making of dry meat and or wasna is a process on food preservation and in again involves Chemistry, Home Ecom, Biology (micro and macro). It is all in how it presented. The sharing of a meal between students and with their tribal elders is a lesson in Civics and Community (Social Studies). Explaining the worth of what was learned and the value of this kind of education could be the subject of language arts and debate. Students can learn that how they explain themselves and their experiences is important to success both within their Native community and with the Med school admissions board. I recently watched a science discussion occur within a group of people in a Sundance camp. People doing what people do discuss the weather. The question was whether or not it was going to rain. Several people discussed the type and other details of the cloud formations, one other discussed how storms move around the Little White River and that storms that looked like this one generally miss us. The Heyoka with us, got up and opened his tipi smoke flaps. At this point I got up and closed mine (it rained hard 10 minutes later). The lesson for me was that the science of weather was useful but the Heyoka (a TV weatherman by trade) opened his flaps to let the rain in. Was it his science training or was he just told it was going to rain. It really is not important, nor does it matter. In the environment that I was in it was how it was packaged. To me the Heyoka was the one who would know. If I was in the city, my TV weather man friend might be the one I trust. In this case they were one in the same. We must teach science to our children in a meaningful manner, one that has a relationship with their traditions (who they are, where they came from --their elders) AND it must prepare them for their future (what they and our People) shall become. Mitakuye Oyasin Jay Cecala Ptehincalaska -Calf --------- "RE: Chickahominy Indian School" --------- Date: Thu, 11 Aug 1994 15:43:19 EST From: Troy Subj: Chickahominy Indian School Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Hello everyone. I know this may not be the proper use of the list, but I feel I need to get this out to as many people as possible. The Chickahominy people are in dire need of support and funds to save their Indian school. The Chickahominy are one of the indigenous tribes to the state of Virginia. I'll try to give a brief, but thorough explanation of what is going on. The Charles City County Board of Supervisors agreed to put the property up for public auction on Aug. 20, 1994. The county has built a new school complex, therefore making the existing school properties expendable. The old Indian school is one of them. In the 1940's, wheels were put in motion to build an Indian school for the Chickahominy and other Indian children of the state of Virginia. This was a historical event. The first school built by the state for Native Americans. Up until that time, the Chickahominy students who wanted to further their education to the high school level, were paid $200, by the county, to send them to Bacone School in Oklahoma. The big "kicker" is, it was a one way ticket! There were 2 other schools in the county that had high school education. One for the Whites and one for the Blacks, but not one for the Indians. Understand that this was the time of segregation. We had a 2-story, wooden school that was falling down, with no high school grades. I remember my father saying he only attended up to the 6th grade, because that was all we had! After further meetings and discussions with county officials, the State Board of Education, and Chickahominy leaders, the state agreed to build a school, with the stipulation that we provide the land. A member of the Chickahominy gave 8 acres of land to the tribe. The state provided funds and had the school built. The gray area of the situation is that the Chickahominy deeded the property to the county. We do have one statement from a non-Indian citizen of the county stating that she remembers in one of the school board meetings there was a verbal agreement by the school board that if the county did not ever have a need for the school property that it would be given back to the Chickahominy. The sad part is that it was not put in writing. In 1971, the county decided to integrate the schools. The Indian school was used as the kindergarten and 1st grade and the other schools were used as middle and high school. Now the property is no longer needed by the county. It has 2 buildings on the 8 acres. It has asbestos in the ceilings and floor tile. The cost of asbestos removal is around $40,000. The value of the land is around $25,000. The county had the property appraised and the appraisal value is $81,000. The county Board of Supervisors voted to se the minimum bid at the appraised value. Folks, that's $81,000. We were stunned! Who has ever heard of auction property, minimum bid, set at the value of the property. This shows what kind of board we are dealing with! We thought they would take into consideration that the land was given for the school and also the cost of asbestos removal. Our leaders have had meetings with the state delegates and they were in favor of the property being returned to us. Our leaders met with the county board, but this was a whole new ball game. It didn't seem to faze them! We've attended 3-4 meetings, had private meetings, had members speak on behalf of the tribe, but it hasn't changed a thing. It has seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Now we need help. We are considering filing an injunction to stop the auction. We need legal help. That's why I come to the list. Does anyone know of organizations that will help us in the way of financial help for legal costs and legal help? We have people making calls to NARF and some other organizations that deal with Native American issues. What ever we do, we have to do quickly. If you would like to send letters, here are the addresses on officials to contact. Again I want to apologize for using the list in this manner, but deep in my heart, I feel I have to do this to help my people regain something that is rightfully ours. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Addresses: Charles City County Board of Supervisors The Honorable John Warner Russell Senate Office Building Gilbert A. Smith, Chairman Washington, DC 20510 Floyd H. Miles, Sr., Vice-Chairman Rudolph V. Jones, Member The Honorable Senator Henry Marsh P.O. Box 27363 P.O. Box 128 Richmond, VA 23261-7363 Charles City, VA 23030 The Honorable Chuck Robb The Honorable Governor George Allen 1001 East Broad St. Governor State of Virginia Suite 150 State Capitol Richmond, VA 23219 Richmond, VA 23219 The Honorable Delegate George Robert Ball P.O. Box 9487 Richmond, VA 23228 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Troy Adkins J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Phone: (804) 371-3243 Computer Center Fax: (804) 371-3398 EMAIL: SRADKIT@VCCSCENT.BITNET --------- "RE: Hands Off" --------- Date: Thu, 11 Aug 1994 13:29:26 PDT From: Phil Duran Subj: Hands Off Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) [The following article appeared on the Perspective page, Spokesman- Review, Spokane, WA on July 31, 1994. Address: The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615. Submitted to native-l with the author's permission.] -------------------------------------------------- HANDS OFF by Faith Spotted Eagle Let us say that one day I walk into a Catholic church and I watch the priests give out communion and baptize a baby. Maybe I go back two or three times. Then, I start imitating what I saw. I hand out communion and baptize babies and I advertise my services on fliers that read: "Baptism and Communion Workshop Sunday, conducted by Sister Faith Margaret Mary O'Malley, Cost: $100." Sounds sacrilegious, doesn't it? Well, that's exactly what some New Agers are doing to our beliefs, our teachings. I am a Dakota Indian woman, born and raised on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I speak my language fluently and I was raised in the way of my people, schooled in our sacred rights. This is why it bothers me so much to see people take the beliefs I was raised with, twist them into their own rituals and make money off of them. The Indians known as the Sioux are trendy now. We are the Bury-My- Heart-at-Wounded-Knee Indians and the Indians in the popular movie "Dances with Wolves." We have neat names. I'm Faith Spotted Eagle, and my friends have last names such as White Hat and Black Bear. There is really no polite way to state this truth: The New Agers are stealing from us, stealing our names, our traditions and rituals. Stealing and then selling. It's happening all over the country. White men and women proclaim themselves healers and offer sweats, drumming, and rites of passage using pipes and vision quests. They often give themselves Indian-sounding names. This New Age stealing has now infiltrated the world of computer bulletin boards. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribal newspaper reported recently that men and women sign on to their computers and give themselves Indian "handles" and then form talk groups where people wishing to join are given Indian names, such as White Wolf. This cultural stealing is also happening in the Inland Northwest. Recently, Indian people in the Spokane community called me up to tell me about a white woman who was offering a "medicine shield" workshop. They sent me her flier. It read: "In the first workshop, each person creates their own medicine shield. These are made with red willow and deerskin. All creativity comes from within each individual as to what their heart speaks. This is not a craft class." In my tradition, our rawhide shields are covered with symbols of our families and our dreams. You don't usually make your shield until your late teens, when you can understand the significance. So here is this white woman, charging $60 a workshop, to teach people about shields. This one had a new twist. She said she would teach about the "flip side of the shield." I've never heard of a flip side. This all made me very angry. True healers among my people never sell their spirituality, which is considered a gift. Medicine men (and women) don't advertise. If they did, they wouldn't be true healers. And women in my culture are rarely spiritual leaders until menopause, because we believe that a woman's menstrual period has powerful creative energy and can draw from healing inadvertently. I told my friends in the Indian community that I would talk with the woman. I needed to calm down first. I knew if I got angry, she would pull away from me and not listen. So I settled down and called her up. I told her my name, my tribe's name and then I said: "I saw your flier. People from the Indian community were concerned and I'm concerned because it sounds like your are selling our spirituality." The woman replied that the money she collected for the workshops would pay for materials only. I didn't say this, but I thought: If I did a workshop on communion, I could say the $100 was to cover the cost of the communion hosts. It still would be sacrilegious. This woman also said she never meant to harm anyone and she appreciated me teaching her this lesson. But she didn't say she'd cancel the workshops and I don't know if she went ahead with them or not. I feel like I did my part. That's enough -- for now. My people are beginning to fight back. Some tribal elders living in South Dakota heard that a healing workshop, based on their believes, was to be taught in Colorado, by a white woman, for an outrageous sum of money. They traveled there and asked to be admitted free to the workshop. "I'm sorry, you didn't pay," one of the organizers told them. The elders replied: "If this woman is a true healer, she would take care of her relatives. She never would turn us away, refuse to share her gifts with us." The white woman canceled the workshop. Some of the New Agers stealing our rituals defend it by saying they were "adopted" by an Indian family and taught the rites. And they just want to share with others what they've learned. But if the person were truly adopted, he or she would never sell the rituals passed on in the family. This would be a tremendous breach of honor. In the old days, tribes requested permission to use parts of another tribe's ceremonies. In the late 1800s, when the Omaha tribes visited my people in South Dakota, my ancestors exchanged horses for the use of the Omaha's beautiful songs and dances. Some New Agers try to legitimize their workshops by asking an Indian to sign on as a consultant. So you might see an authentic Indian person associated with an event, but it still doesn't make it right. Our rituals cannot be sold, or bought, at any price. I know this selling of our rituals by the New Agers comes from a deep emptiness and hunger inside them. A hunger for something more spiritual in their lives. Our rites are connected to the earth and this appeals to people lost and disillusioned in this material world. I recommend, however, that instead of stealing from us, go deep into your background, be it Catholic or Protestant or Jewish or Italian or Norwegian, and find some meaning there. Go back to your roots and leave ours alone, please. (Faith Spotted Eagle of Spokane is a private consultant who does workshops throughout the country on diversity and conflict resolution.) --------- "RE: Navajo-Hopi Update: 8/9/94" --------- Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 11:27:00 PDT From: Navajo Nation Subj: NAVAJO-HOPI UPDATE: 8/9/94 Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) NAVAJO-HOPI "LAND DISPUTE" UPDATE: AUGUST 9, 1994 Sorry 'bout that! It's been almost 8 weeks since I posted anything, how time flies when you're working like a slave! I will try to catch up here, now that things are slowing down a bit. Where is the Mediation? Those of you who read the July 19 AP article may wonder: it was titled "Negotiations End in Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute" and was written by Bill Rawson out of the Phoenix AP office. The article says that Judge McCue ordered the implementation of the Hopi lease and the Agreement in Principle. That's what he did, too. This is not the understanding the Dine' families had when they signed the "ratification forms." As a result a lot of the families who "voted" yes feel betrayed, while those who responded with a no or by abstaining are looking like the smart ones. What "implementation" means is that the Dine' families and communities will be given an opportunity to work out details of their lease arrangements with the Hopi Tribe. We have started working with Jeddito and Low Mountain, two communities where there was a 100% yes "vote", developing land use and community plans. We will have to see how the Hopis treat those communities. Meanwhile, there are meetings on HPL scheduled. Tomorrow, Dine' Bikeya Committee is meeting to discuss the latest developments. It is possible that the community may wish to review its decision to ratify. They had invited the Hopi Tribe to meet with them, but were turned down. Apparently Chairman Secakuku feels there is nothing left to discuss. My own feeling is that what happens tomorrow at Teesto will set the pattern for the other communities. If Teesto decides to continue working with the Hopis, then the settlement process will continue. But if Teesto pulls out, the whole settlement is in trouble. What Benefits Have the Dine' Seen So Far? On July 15, the mediator said he wanted to see some benefits going to the people. The Hopi Tribe has approved some housing repairs, but since then has behaved a little erratically, for instance posting Jack Hatathlie's hogan with a cease and desist order after earlier approving it. One problem is the lack of funding for materials. Our office has about $72,000 to use for materials, plus we can supply some labor. The need is tremendous. Regular funding sources can not be used on the HPL. We administer a special fund (the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund) to address the impacts of P.L. 93-531, but the Secretary of Interior, prompted by Hopi lobbying, has denied us permission to use it for home repairs on the HPL. Other funding sources may not become available until the federal fiscal year 1995 begins in October. These sources come with paperwork from hell, and typically take 6 to 8 months of frustrating meetings before you can spend them. But people need convincing NOW, if the mediation is going to proceed. Frances Bahe Busted On July 12 Frances Bahe and her son Calvin took their pickup over to a big heap of cinders that the Arizona Department of Transportation dumped on their customary use area, along Arizona Rte. 87. This heap is out in the open and people come from all over, mainly Navajos and Hopis, to get cinders for their yards, driveways, etc, especially in the winter when you might need them. So this time the cops were waiting. Apparently the State had complained about the communities using their cinder heap. Rather than putting up a sign, or fencing it, or even moving it onto state-leased right of way, the State demanded a bust. As luck would have it the Bahes were the ones busted, by Hopi Agency BIA police, and they were taken away to the jail at Keams Canyon. Elmer Clark and Irene Begay ran over to Keams Canyon with a $300 check for the Bahes' bail. As it turned out the judge released them on their own recognizance, and they went home the same evening. The Teesto Community had planed a demonstration for Wednesday, but canceled it. An arraignment was set, then postponed. Finally the State said it did not want to proceed with the case and the Hopi Court dismissed the charges. I have seen Mrs. Bahe and Calvin one time since then, he was driving her around Window Rock so she could sell the beautiful bunch skirts she makes. Frances doesn't let the small stuff bother her. On July 15 the Gallup Independent ran an editorial ("Theft is Wrong") calling attention to the moral rot in the U.S. and sort of implying that the next thing you know, the Bahes would be robbing banks and doing drive-bys. I guess Ted Rushton (the editor) was hoping to see them pull some hard time, like a year or two. The Confrontation at Big Mountain last March The confrontation over livestock impoundment which took place in March, and in which Anna Rondon was injured and Earl Tulley's new pickup smashed up by the BIA, is no longer an item of interest to the U.S. I was told by someone who should know, that the BIA - meaning Dan Jackson - was calling for a thorough investigation, and federal indictments. The U.S. Attorney's Office took a good look at the case and decided there was nothing to gain by busting people. Accordingly the case is still officially under investigation, but nobody is working on it. Len Foster gets Married Saturday we all drove out to Taos for the wedding of Len Foster and Julie Coates. Julie has ties to the Cherokee Tribe and works for Tonantzin Land Institute in Albuquerque. We got there just as it started, a big Cherokee man said a Cherokee ceremony for the couple, then a Navajo judge married them, then they had a Navajo medicine man do the job, too. So I guess they are about as married as you can get. They both looked great, the bride wore a beautiful white dress, there were speeches, etc. It was at Julia's parents' place in Taos, a big adobe out on the prairie with the Sangres as background. It was too windy for a sweat, I guess they have a fire code in Taos. The food was good too. Len has been batching it mostly, and I always got the impression he missed having a family life. I hope it works out for them now.