Subject: nanews02.048 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 048 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 26 November 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 AISESnet, IND-NET, NATIVE-L & NATCHAT Mailing Lists, Genie (General Electric) e-mail, UseNet newsgroups alt.native & soc.culture.native. Articles appearing have been previously posted for public dissemination and/or permission for inclusion has been secured. Letters of authorization are on file. A list of those granting permission to repost their words in this issue are listed at the end of part A. I thank each of you for allowing your words to be shared with the people. <----<<<< >>>>----> 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. "The Creator above is the Great Spirit and the Great Mystery, His gifts are plentiful therefore you want not. He holds out a branch of love and protection and He draws you to where the ground is undisturbed, where the air is pure and the water is clear and clean enough to give life. You walk, you breathe, you feed, for you are pleasured. The times when your heart is weak, your circle is out of balance, He lifts you up again and draws you to the good Menominee road, for He is strength and wisdom." (part of The Menominee Version of the 23rd Psalm) __ Wae Wae Non Ne Mot, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Turtle Mt Chippewa: Meegwich Lakota: Pilamaya Delaware or Lenape: Wanishi Muscogee(Creek): MVTO (ma-DOEH) Tsalagi: Wado Tewa: kuunda Mohican: "o-NE-o-we" Keres: khuu'a Dakota: Pidamaya Okanogan(interior Salish): Lim Limt Abenaki: Oleyani Dine(navajo):aHEhee' Choctaw: ya ko kee Thank you for all you have given. I am grateful to each of you for who you are. I also thank the little ones I was honored to speak to this week. It made my heart sing to see these beautiful children, open and unpoisoned by lies and empty hate. Dohiyi Oginalii! Night Owl , , Gary Night Owl gars@genie.geis.com (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@netcom.com (`-') Marietta, GA 30067, U.S.A. gars@igc.apc.org ===w=w=== NativeNet Node 90:133/2501 FidoNet 1:133/2501 ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- Part A: Usenet and e-mail Part B: NATCHAT and NATIVE-L lists - Conferences and Powwows - online - Great Whale Project Shelved - Request from Prison - Great Whale Resurfaces - Leonard Peltier: Request for Action - Thanksgiving - FWDP: Ryser "On Place" - AISES Conference Discussion - Great Coast Wild-Bella Coola - Summer Research Opportunity - Southwest Indian Foundation - Wampum, Potlatch & Origins of Money - Reflection on "Thoughts on Columbus Day" - Poem: Snake Dancing - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline ----------------- clip here for news feature -- 8< ------------ --------- "RE: Great Whale Project Shelved" --------- Date: 94/11/19 07:54 From: James D. Audlin (j.audlin@genie.geis.com) Subj: Great Whale Project Shelved GE Electronic Mail GREAT WHALE PROJECT SHELVED --Distant Eagle -- 19 November 1994 Newly elected Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau announced yesterday, 18 November 1994, the indefinite postponement of the completion of the Great Whale Project, which would have flooded 3,400 square kilometers of dry land to produce 3,000 megawatts of electric power a year. Environmentalists have long opposed the project because of the anticipated disastrous effect it would have on the caribou populations. Economists have also opposed it, pointing out that the power is unneeded, since most factories and businesses are relocating away from the expensive northeastern U.S., and there would have been no more than 200 permanent jobs created by the project. Many people joined together to oppose it because of the likelihood it would damage and even destroy the traditional culture of the Cree Nation. Parizeau said in a news conference that "We're not saying never, but that the project is on ice for quite a while." Parizeau represents the Parti Quebecois, which beat the Liberal Party in recent elections. He said, "This government has not made it a priority because we don't need [the power]." Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come, who had been delivering a speech in Washington, D.C., received the news as he was flying home to Cree Land. "We're just rejoicing. There's just jubilation in our hearts. We certainly couldn't have done it without the support of many American grass roots organizations [and] members of Congress. Without them, this would not have been possible." Cree Poet Margaret Cromartie, who spoke this week in Springfield, Vermont, said on Friday night, "The new dam is so close to our home. We greet this news with much delight." The status of the Sainte-Marguerite III project, which will flood the traditional lands of the Innu Nation in eastern Quebec, Nitassinan, remains unclear this morning. It is to be hoped that pressure will continue to be exerted on the Quebecois government to encourage them to cancel that project as well. Addendum: Date: 94/11/20 12:04 I have ascertained since sending the article this morning (I wrote it within minutes of my hearing the news) that this does not change the Innu situation (vis-a-vis the Sainte-Marguerite III project). But general opinion is that the Great Whale project is permanently dead, and that Parizeau only said "on ice indefinitely" in order to protect his political backside, and that the government is going to push even harder on the S-M III project, not wanting to lose the other big one, and that the environmentalists/economists/human rights activists are going to push equally harder to \stop\ the project, emboldened as they are now by succeeding against the Great Whale project. --------- "RE: Great Whale Resurfaces" --------- Date: 94/11/21 18:52 From: Suzan Horovitch (a.horovitch@genie.geis.com) Subj: Great Whale Resurfaces GE Electronic Mail Hi... thought I'd just let you all know what the "talk" around Quebec is this morning. My information comes mainly from a call in show held on CBC radio Montreal. First, it is clear that the project is not cancelled, but simply put on ice. And, as Mathew Coom Come said : "Ice can melt". Second Parizeau has not DONE anything except make a public announcement. What would I like to see him do? Well , first, I'd like to see him call Hydro Quebec and tell them that Great Whale 2 is not going ahead.... that they should cancel their feasibility studies. The studies, which have cost Quebecers an estimated 200 million dollars so far and have come up with sadly useless information are, at the moment, not cancelled and not postponed. It is widely believed that Parizeau made the announcement, on the eve of a talk in Washington by Coom Come, to show how Not racist Quebecers are... how well the PQ can manage the province ( future country of Quebec). If he thought it might help him with his relationship with native groups in Quebec, I am afraid he is mistaken. Actually, the fact that he did not call Coom Come to discus this and other issues with him before going to the press probably made things worse. Also, there is more need seen in the province now for Ste. Marguerite to go ahead " to show those natives that we will do whatever we want on their land". .. and incidentally for the unneeded power it will produce. It was also said by several people that they think the temperatures will go up ( the ice will melt) immediately after the referendum , still set for some time next year. Brave Star.... not nearly has excited and happy as when I first heard the announcement. --------- "RE: Thanksgiving" --------- Date: Mon, 21 Nov 1994 13:29:45 -0400 (EDT) From: "Thomas A. Ferguson" Subj: Thanksgiving Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) What do you think of, when asked about Thanksgiving? We learned from the wisdom of our elders to thank the Creator for; Mother Earth... Father Sky... Grandfather Moon... our Uncles the Four Winds... our Cousins the Stars, and... our Brothers and Sisters the animals. The Algonquins believed that humans were not distinct from or superior to nature, but rather part of nature. We also believe that animals could take human form. Moreover, we believed that a long time ago, humans and animals spoke the same language. Then there was a cataclysm that upset the universe and only a few shaman retained the ability to speak with the animals. We thank the Creator for all our relatives, for what is good in the world, and for all our harvest, not just one crop, but all. We give thanks for the strawberry, it is the first berry of the new spring, we give thanks to the tree spirit, for the warmth it provides in our fires and the saps that flow in the fall, we honor the animal spirit, who laid down its life in order for the people to go on. Subsequently we give thanks for each harvest year round. It is said, when the Creator created the Universe, "He placed his hand on the Whole thing... so everything is spiritual." He never told us to separate anything... but to look upon everything that he has made us as holy and sacred and act accordingly with respect. The Thanksgiving the greater society celebrates, occurs during a beautiful time of the year; thus, Thanksgiving time means, as Joyce Sequichie Hifler so eloquently writes, ... the first hard freeze, the first spitting ice to rattle the dry autumn leaves. Early morning frost crystallizes grasses in rods of light. The last bit of bright color is gone from the woods... thus; a time of great solitude and for giving thanks for all the gifts provided for us by the Creator, especially for our families health and well being. Thanksgiving traditionally denotes a harmonious time in the cycle of seasons; further examination of the times suggest otherwise. For Algonquins, the beheading of King Philip, son of Chief Massasoyt, and the sale of the Wampanoags into slavery has a different connotation then being harmonious. During the time of the Puritans; every Church, every Synagogue, and every Quaker Meeting House was built on money generated from Indian slavery. (Professor Robert Venables) Not many of our young understand the true history behind this most sacred celebration. Traditionally the many indigenous cultures that inhabited North America gave thanks to the Creator, not once a year, but after every harvest, be it agriculture or game. These celebrations would last for several days. One such celebration happened at Patuxet, alias New Plimmoth, now known as Plymouth Rock, in November of 1621. It is this celebration that many of us were taught to picture as the "First Thanksgiving." This view is based on the mythological concept and approach Western minds have when dealing with the various Native Populations . There are interesting events leading up to what is termed "Thanksgiving." What is being celebrated in the USA and Canada is based on a mythological concept that must be addressed. To create an example of this myth, I decided to do some research. I asked middle school, and university students: what comes to your mind, when I ask you about Thanksgiving? Most then gladly answered, in sort of the same fashion: "Some Pilgrims, who arrived at Plymouth, were fed by some Indians," and most of these students had the opinion that the Pilgrims were very religious and both the Native and the Pilgrim lived in harmony. The myth is perpetuated and evolves from the lack of understanding the true history - ninety-nine percent of North America's history is before contact. November 11, 1620, a cold, and windy night, the Mayflower forced to anchor in the Bay of Paomet, alias Cape Cod. The Pilgrims were traveling to Jamestown, Virginia. As their precursor, Columbus, they too were lost. Running low on supplies, they anchored in the Bay of Cape Cod. On November 15, 1620, religious leaders such as William Bradford and Edward Winslow following a guide book published in Europe by Richard Hakluyt titled Virginia Richly Valued, lead these God-fearing Pilgrims to raid graves.(Mourt's Relation 1622) In the midst of this sacrilegious act they were discovered by the Nausets, the local indigenous band of Algonquins who subsequently chased the Pilgrims off the Cape. This is when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The Algonquin band of Wampanoags, openly welcomed the Pilgrims, taught them how to farm thus, providing them with food and saving them from starvation. The first Native American to encounter the Pilgrims was Samoset, who was a sagamore or chief of a distant band of Algonquins - the Morattiggons, he was on an extended fishing trip visiting the Wampanoags, when he boldly walked into the Pilgrims camp saluting them in English, bidding them welcome. The Englishman noted, that on Friday February 16, 1621, that Samoset by himself entered boldly into their camp saying "hello Englishman," and bidding them welcome. They also noted "he was a man of free speech, as far as he could express his mind." Samoset spent that first night with the Pilgrims describing to them the whole Country side, and of every Province, and of every sagamore, and their number of men, and strengths. Samoset stayed the night, leaving the Pilgrims the next morning. Samoset returned, March 22, 1621, with Squanto, who is most popularized by American schools. He was the only surviving native of the Patuxet, known to the Pilgrims as New Plimmoth. Squanto had just returned from London (he was one of the first twenty captives sold by Hunt, a Master of a ship, who then sold them to Master Slanie who took them to Cornehill, England) and found, upon his return, that his people who had inhabited Patuxet had succumbed to an extraordinary plague. (this is the same village the Pilgrims are calling New Plimmoth) It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn, and to fertilize earthen mounds with fish i.e., herrings or shads. The following fall, after hunting fowl, the Pilgrims harvested 20 acres of corn, six acres of barley and peas all according to the manner of the Algonquin agriculturist, they invited the Sachem Woosamaquin otherwise known as Chief Massasoyt, (the Wampanoags chief who first welcomed the Pilgrims to share the land) to celebrate their harvest. Accepting, Chief Massasoyt brought five deer, and ninety of his men with him to the feast. So now we can sort of figure what was feasted on at the "First Thanksgiving:" a bird, corn, peas, roasted venison, and beer. This feast lasted five days and was celebrated as a treaty, which was supposed to benefit both Algonquins and Pilgrims. Whether Massasoyt would have welcomed, let alone enter into an agreement with these Pilgrims had he known that the past November when the Mayflower crew were lost, hungry, and cold, they had blasphemously raided Indian graves in search for corn - to eat, and the personal artifacts of the dead - to reduce their enormous debt, no one will ever know. But within a generation of that treaty, the children of the Pilgrims who were at the first Thanksgiving, children not even born at the time of the feast, beheaded King Philip, son of Chief Massasoyt. They placed his head on a pole and left it in the fort for 25 years, as in a celebration. These children of the "First Thanksgiving," then sold the Wampanoag's and other Algonquin bands of people, without whom their parents would have almost certainly starved to death, into slavery in the Mediterranean and the West Indies. The events over the years leading up to this betrayal paint a clearer picture of how this turn of events could of happened. Chief Massasoyt had fathered two girls and three boys, and before his death he asked the General Court in Plymouth to give English names to his two sons. The Pilgrims subsequently named the former "Alexander" and the latter "Philip." After Alexander died, probably of poisoning, Philip became chief, and became known as "King Philip." According to Josephy, (The Patriot Chiefs, 1976) King Philip was as racially proud as an Indian ever was. He saw clearly what the colonists were doing to his people, and from the beginning recognized them as enemies who would have to be stopped. Despite the friendship between Massasoyt and the colonial authorities, and although, he was out numbered two to one, King Philip went to war. The interracial friction that resulted in this conflict had actually begun to spread years before his father's death. This was mostly because of trespassing issues, in which the natives had no such laws or understanding of such laws. Anger, mixed with anxiety, lead to an explosive situation. Anxiety with the continuing and regularly numbers of Englishmen who were arriving more and more often and who were providing material attractions that lured natives to them. Anger that Christianity was undermining the authority of the chiefs, and dividing the people. Time and again the Indians patriotic attempts to maintain life and freedom were undermined and defeated by ancient animosities between the various tribes who were forced to deal with new European influence. The whites readily recognized the hostilities that existed among the various tribes they met, and from the beginning were quick to use these native rivalries, jealousies, enmities, and ambitions to their own advantage. They followed the "divide and conquer" policy and played ancient foes against one another for the benefit of themselves. This attitude, stemmed in part from the Aristotelian theory that some persons were by nature meant to be masters and others slaves, it combined with the divide and conquer tactics that worked so well for Columbus in the Caribbean and in Mexico for Cortes. Both of these pitting native against native. It is no wonder these divide and conquer tactics worked so well, with King Philip's War, in the treachery committed by the traitor Alderman. To the God-fearing Puritans of New England, Philip was a satanic agent, "a hellhound, fiend, serpent, caitiff, and dog." Somehow, in their panic and wrath, they conceived of him as a rebel, leading a conspiracy and an uprising against established authority. It was as if invading Indians had landed on the coast of England and had then considered rebels and Englishmen who might have risen to throw them out. On August 12, 1676, the English, guided by Alderman who surrounded King Philip, and Annawon, Philip's war chief, while they slept. In the morning Philip was shot by Alderman, a traitor against his people. We also learn from reading Josephy that when it was discovered that it was indeed Philip who was assassinated, the English broke into a cheer and exultantly decapitated and quartered the sachem's body and carried his head back to Plymouth, where in celebration, it was stuck on a pole and remained on public display for twenty-five years. These are the actions of the people who considered themselves to be "civilized," and the Native American to be "Savages." In the end, my question: (what comes to your mind, when I ask about Thanksgiving?) turns out not to be so simple especially when one takes a closer look at the true history of this holiday which we are celebrating this week. What we should consider is that the Thanksgiving Celebration can actually be divided into three distinct celebrations; (1) traditional celebrations of thanksgiving to the Creator by the indigenous population, (2) the thanksgiving celebrated between Massasoyt, the Algonquin Chief of the Wampanoags, and the thankful pilgrims for the knowledge received by the natives; and, (3) the beheading of King Philip and the selling into slavery the offsprings of the natives of the first thanksgiving. Migwech. I like to acknowledge Professor Robert Venables, Warrior, for guiding us to the proper books and for taking on the challenges of enlightening the young minds who will be the leaders of tomorrow. I also would like to acknowledge Jon Gelbard, my Jewish friend. Through our conversation I find encouragement and laughter. Because of his editing, my paper is more presentable. Most of all I would like to acknowledge my wife Jody, who just loves to proof read not one, but all the drafts. To Alderman, the traitor, he was given Philip's scarred hand. It was the Indian's reward for betraying his leader, and for months Alderman made it pay by exhibiting it in a pail of rum "to such gentleman as would bestow gratuities on him." --------- "RE: AISES Conference Discussion" --------- Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 08:34:51 -0700 From: Deborah Clark Subj: AISES Conference Discussion Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) Ya'at'eeh, I would like to thank all those who sponsored our Oregon State University American Indian Science & Engineering Society chapter. Our chapter attended the 1994 AISES National Conference in San Jose, CA with the theme of "Weaving Tradition & Technology". For some of us it was a new experience and for others a time of renewal. The conference gave us a chance to see how technology can be used as a tool to help American Indian people and to see technology on the cutting edge: robotics, tele-conference via computer, and high tech computer graphics. Yet, on the other side of the spectrum technology has also affected our reservations for the worst: chemical contamination, nuclear power plants and toxic waste dumps. As two elders said,"Today, we want to weave a very special rug that is two rugs in one. One side of the rug depicts an old time chieftain blanket. The other side of the rug depicts many colorful designs; it is a rug of technology. The weaving of the rug is done simultaneously, with tradition and technology together. This is how the future generation should look at tradition and technology. Bringing harmony an balance between them. We know how destructive technology has been and can be. We must be careful. The future generation has to protect our environment. We need to understand nature and technology in a good way that helps bring about a successful life." Strong questions come to mind that we will have to face now and into the future. Also, the conference gave us a chance to be with our Indian brothers and sisters, meet new ones, and get reacquainted with old ones. Indian people need ceremony and the elders provided that for our spiritual side. We gained knowledge from scientists, Indian leaders, elders from different Indian nations; these are the people who are leading us into the future. They are the ones who have hopes and dreams of seeing Indian students succeed. It is also you who think in that way for the students of Oregon State University. The OSU AISES chapter graciously accepted the 1994 Zanin Runner-Up Chapter of the Year. This shows that our chapter is well know for excellence and continues to be that way. You are appreciated and I hope that you will continue to support of our chapter. With deepest gratitude, thank you. Deborah Clark (Navajo) Oregon State University AISES chapter President --------- "RE: Summer Research Opportunity" --------- Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 10:58:27 -0700 From: MARYJO@neu.edu Subj: summer research opportunity for college students Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS I just received information about a summer program for undergraduates at the Univ. of Minnesota: RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES Center for Interfacial Engineering This is an interdisciplinary program, of interest to people majoring in: Chemistry, Physics, Biological Sciences, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, or Materials Science This is an opportunity to participate in one of the Center's research projects. Students receive a stipend of $2500., plus transportation expenses, plus partial room and board for those who live in the dorm. Eligibility: 1) Must have a 3.0 or better GPA. 2) Sophomore, juniors and seniors are eligible; preference is given to juniors. 3) Must have completed basic courses in your area. For more information: Contact: hschulze@maroon.tc.umn.edu or write: Center for Interfacial Engineering 187 Shepard Laboratories 100 Union St. S.E. Univ. of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 I also have the materials, so you can contact me: Mary Jo Ondrechen Dept. of Chemistry Northeastern University Boston, MA 02115 e-mail: ondrechen@neu.edu I hope that Indian talent will be well represented at this NSF-sponsored program. Regards, Mary Jo --------- "RE: Southwest Indian Foundation" --------- Date: Thu, 17 Nov 1994 12:19:33 -0800 From: Rio Lara-Bellon Subj: Southwest Indian Foundation Mailing List: IND-NET Hello Folks: Several people asked me to check around for information about the following organization. Please share any information you might have. Organization: Southwest Indian Foundation Address: P.O. Box 86 Gallup, New Mexico 87302-0001 Southwest Indian Foundation puts out a catalog of Indian handcrafted gifts and states: "... the profits from these gifts go back directly to the Indians themselves - in the form of education, home repair, food, emergency shelter, homes for battered women and children and alcohol rehabilitation centers." The brochure specifically states that the Southwest Indian Foundation: + actively supports 17 mission schools in and around the Navajo Reservation. + supports 2 homes fro battered women and 2 orphanages for Indian children. + delivers over 1.300 food baskets every Christmas to needy Indian families. + sponsors 4 alcohol counseling centers + distributes clothing and shoes to needy Indian families year-round. + has a 5-man Navajo work crew doing home repairs and wood stove installation. Items in the catalog look high-quality so that is not the question. It more about it's legitimacy. The people here who asked about the Foundation would like to purchase their Christmas gifts from organizations that support Indian endeavors, so if you have any thoughts on this foundation, or suggestions, please post. Thanks. Best regards: Rio ======================================================================== --------- "RE: Wampum, Potlatch & Origins of Money" --------- Date: Sat, 19 Nov 1994 14:03:16 GMT From: RDavies@exeter.ac.uk (Roy.Davies) Subj: Wampum, Potlatch & Origins of Money Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native The influence of the Native Americans on the early financial history of the United States is one of the topics covered in a recent book on the history of money. (I should point out that I am related to the author - he is my father). The reference is: Davies, Glyn _A history of money from ancient times to the present day._ Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1994. 696 pages ISBN 0 7083 1246 2. Price #39.95 (Pounds). A summary of the native American influence is given below. The best known form of money among the native Americans was wampum, made out of the shells of a type of clam. However its use was not confined to the coastal states but spread far inland, e.g. the powerful Iroquois amassed large quantities by way of tribute. Wampum's use as money undoubtedly came about as an extension of its desirability for ornamentation. Beads of it were strung together in short lengths of about 18 inches or much longer ones of about 6 feet. Wampum came to be used extensively for trade by the colonists as well as the natives, e.g. in 1664 Stuyvesant arranged a loan in wampum worth over 5,000 guilders for paying the wages of workers constructing the New York citadel (page 458). Like more modern forms of money, wampum could be affected by inflation. Some tribes such as the Narragansetts specialized in manufacturing wampum (by drilling holes in the shells so that the beads could be strung together) but their original craft skills were made redundant when the spread of steel drills enabled unskilled workers, including the colonists themselves, to increase the supply of wampum a hundredfold thus causing a massive decrease in its value. A factory for drilling and assembling wampum was started by J.W. Campbell in New Jersey in 1760 and remained in production for a hundred years. Forms of Money in use in the American Colonies The British colonies in north America suffered a chronic shortage of official coins with which to carry out their normal, everyday commercial activities. An indication of the severity of this shortage and of the resultant wide variety of substitutes is given by the fact that during 1775 in North Carolina alone as many as seventeen different forms of money were declared to be legal tender. However, it should be remembered that all these numerous forms of means of payment had a common accounting basis in the pounds, shillings and pence of the imperial system. The main sources which provided the colonists with their essential money supplies fall into five groups. 1. Traditional native currencies such as furs and wampum which were essential for frontier trading with the indigenous population but thereafter were widely adopted by the colonists themselves, e.g. in 1637 Massachusetts declared white wampum legal tender for sums up to one shilling, a limit raised substantially in 1643. 2. The so-called "Country Pay" or "Country Money" such as tobacco, rice, indigo, wheat, maize, etc. - "cash crops" in more than one sense. Like the traditional Indian currencies these were mostly natural commodities. Tobacco was used as money in and around Virginia for nearly 200 years, so lasting about twice as long as the US gold standard. 3. Unofficial coinages, mostly foreign, and especially Spanish and Portuguese coins. These played an important role in distant as well as local trade. Not all the unofficial coins were foreign. John Hall set up a private mint in Massachusetts in 1652 and his popular "pine-tree" shillings and other coins circulated widely until the mint was forced to close down in 1684. 4. The scarce but official British coinage. 5. Paper currency of various kinds, particularly in the colonies later years. The first State issue of notes (in north America) was made in 1690 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. These notes, or "bills of credit". were issued to pay soldiers returning from an expedition to Quebec. The notes promised eventual redemption in gold or silver and could be used immediately to pay taxes and were accepted as legal tender. Another early form of paper money used in north America was "tobacco notes". These were certificates attesting to the quality and quantity of tobacco deposited in public warehouses. These certificates circulated much more conveniently than the actual leaf and were authorized as legal tender in Virginia in 1727 and regularly accepted as such throughout most of the eighteenth century. Origins of Money Since the use of primitive forms of money in North America (as in the Third World) is more recent and better documented than in Europe, the American experience sheds light on the problem of the origins of money. In his preface the author writes: "Money originated very largely from non-economic causes: from tribute as well as from trade, from blood-money and bride-money as well as from barter, from ceremonial and religious rites as well as from commerce, from ostentatious ornamentation..." To the extent that the disadvantages of barter provided an impetus for the development of money that impetus was purely economic but archaeological, literary and linguistic evidence of the ancient world, and the tangible evidence of actual types of primitive money from many countries demonstrate that barter was NOT the main factor in the origins and earliest development of money. The Potlatch, Gift Exchange and Barter Money is often, mistakenly, thought to have been invented simply because of the inconvenience of barter. In fact the development of money was due to many causes and even barter itself often had important social functions in addition to its purely economic purposes. The potlatch ceremonies of Native Americans were a form of barter that had social and ceremonial functions that were at least as important as its economic functions. Consequently when the potlatch was outlawed in Canada (by an act that was later repealed) some of the most powerful work incentives were removed - to the detriment of the younger sections of the Indian communities. This form of barter was not unique to North America. Glyn Davies points out that the most celebrated example of competitive gift exchange was the encounter, around 950 BC, of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. "Extravagant ostentation, the attempt to outdo each other in the splendour of the exchanges, and above all, the obligations of reciprocity, were just as typical in this celebrated encounter, though at a fittingly princely level, as with the more mundane types of barter in other parts of the world." (page 13). Many societies had laws requiring compensation in some form for crimes of violence, instead of the Old Testament approach of "an eye for an eye". The author notes that the word to "pay" is derived from the Latin "pacare" meaning originally to pacify, appease, or make peace with - through the appropriate unit of value customarily acceptable to both sides. A similarly widespread custom was payment for brides in order to compensate the head of the family for the loss of a daughter's services. Objects originally accepted for one purpose were often found to be useful for others and, because of their growing acceptability began to be used for general trading also, supplementing or replacing barter. Thus the use of money evolved out of deeply rooted customs; the clumsiness of barter provided an economic impulse but that was not the primary factor. Manillas were ornamental metallic objects worn as jewelry in west Africa. They were an ostentatious form of ornamentation, their value in that role being a prime reason for their acceptability as money. In Fijian society gifts of whales teeth were (and in certain cases still are) a significant feature of certain ceremonies. One of their uses was as bride-money, with a symbolic meaning similar to that of the engagement ring in Western society. Whales teeth were "tambua" (from which our word "taboo" comes) meaning that they had religious significance, as did the fei stones of Yap which were still being used as money as recently as the mid 60s. Cattle are described by the author as mankind's "first working capital asset" (page 41). The religious use of cattle for sacrifices probably preceded their adoption for more general monetary purposes. For sacrifice quality - "without spot or blemish" - was important but for monetary purposes quantity was of more significance since cattle, like coins, can be counted. Obviously there were very practical reasons for the association between cattle and wealth but anthropological evidence from Africa earlier this century shows that when cattle are regarded as a form of money, not only health cattle but also scrawny ones will be valued to the detriment of the environment supporting them and their owners. Glyn Davies quotes linguistic evidence to show how ancient and widespread the association between cattle and money was. The English words "capital", "chattels" and "cattle" have a common root. Similarly "pecuniary" comes from the Latin word for cattle "pecus" while in Welsh (the author's mother tongue) the word "da" used as an adjective means "good" but used as a noun means both "cattle" and "goods". The author also cautions that "one should not confuse the abstract concept of an ox as a unit of account or standard of value, which is its essential but not only monetary function, with its admittedly cumbersome physical form. Once that is realized (a position quickly reached by primitive man if not yet by all economists or anthropologists), the inclusion of cattle as money is easily accepted, in practice and logic." (Page 41). He also points out that until well into the present century the Kirghiz of the Russian steppes used horses as their main monetary unit with sheep as a subsidiary unit. Small change was given in lambskins. One of the most widespread early forms of money was cowrie shells. The were used in much of Asia and Africa and played an important role in China's history. "So important a role did the cowrie play as money in ancient China that its pictograph was adopted in their written language for 'money'." (page 36) Thus it is not surprising that the earliest countable metallic money or "coins" were imitation "cowries" made of bronze or copper. These metal "cowries" were followed by "coins" in the form of other objects that had long been accepted by the Chinese as money e.g. spades, hoes, and knives. Although there is some dispute over exactly when these developments first took place the Chinese tool coins were in general use around the end of the second millennium BC. Later on the use of tool coins developed (presumably independently) in the West. The ancient Greeks used iron nails as coins, while Julius Caesar regarded the fact that the ancient Britons used sword blades as coins as a sign of their backwardness. (However the Britons did also mint true coins before they were conquered by the Romans). Cowries were used as money in parts of Africa until after the 2nd World War. Unusual forms of money can be subject to some of the same problems as modern forms e.g. there was a five-hundredfold depreciation in the value of the cowrie shells in Uganda following the wholesale importation of such shells in the mid-nineteenth century and, as mentioned earlier in this message, there was a similar although not quite so drastic fall in the value of wampum in America following the introduction of mechanized drilling and factory assembly of wampum in New Jersey in 1760. These are just a few examples of the unusual forms of money used in many countries at different times and they show how it is possible to find parallels in the customs of many different cultures. Roy Davies University of Exeter --------- "RE: Reflection on "Thoughts on Columbus Day."" --------- Date: Mon, 21 Nov 1994 13:29:45 -0400 (EDT) From: "Thomas A. Ferguson" Subj: Reflection on "Thoughts on Columbus Day." Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) Reflection on "Thoughts on Columbus Day." Ithaca Journal's viewpoints on the American Indian, published under the heading "Thoughts of 'Columbus'" on October 10, 1994, was an atrocity. It is an outrage that, in 1994, it has to repeated that Columbus was not a man to be honored. Most Native American were giving thanks, for this years harvest, by celebrating Thanksgiving on October 10, 1994. Giving thanks for what we have received, not for what has been stolen. The celebrating of Columbus Day, is based on the mythological concept that Columbus was a hero. Celebrating Columbus is perpetuating the mythological concept that Columbus was a man to be admired. He was not! He was a vicious, unholy, and greedy man, not a man to be emulated by our children. Children who will pattern their lives on heros they look up to with admiration. Discussions of history, in classrooms across the United States, tend to leave out certain information, regarding early American history. Leading the greater white society to view, in a mythological way, early American history. It must be remembered that 95% of this continent's history was before Columbus. Columbus, who acted in the name of the lord, destroyed the Tainos (Arawaks) people of Hispaniola, the native population which inhabited the islands of so called - discovery. The conquest was brutal and unimaginable. Mastiff dogs were set loose against Indian villages. Indian leaders were burned, women were debauched, men and children were slaughtered or maimed in the name of the Vatican and of the Lord Kings of Europe. All to satisfy a lust for gold. Rodrico Borgia, otherwise known as Pope Alexander VI, "donated" the America's to Spain. He wrote the "Requirement" a document intended to remove the stain of innocent blood from the Spanish King's immortal soul. This document which was read to the natives either in Spanish or in Latin stated: "..., servant of the high and mighty kings of Castile and Leon, conquers of barbarian peoples, and being their messenger and Captain, hereby notify and inform you...that God Our Lord, One and Eternal, created Heaven and Earth and a man and a women from whom you and I and all the people of the would are descended... Because of the great multitude begotten from these over the past five thousand and some years since the world was made...God placed one called Saint Peter in charge over all these people. And so I request and require you...to recognize the Church as your Mistress and as Governess of the World and Universe, and the High Priest, called the Pope, in Her Name, and His Majesty [king of Spain] in Her place, as Ruler and Lord King...And If you do not do this...with the help of God I shall come mightily against you, and I shall make war on you everywhere and in every way that I can, and I shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and His Majesty, and I shall seize your women and children, and I shall make them slaves, to sell and dispose of as His Majesty commands, and I shall do all the evil and damage to you that I am able. And I insist that the deaths and destruction that result from this will be your fault." This act of terrorism, which emerged from the European doctrine "right of discovery", is what the United States uses as bases for the "right of conquest," which is the foundation of all United States laws. In Johnson and Graham's Lessee v. M'intosh (1823) the Supreme Court ruled that "right of conquest" is the law of the land. It is absurd that in 1994, the Supreme Court continues to abide by this decision. In conclusion. If you honor Columbus, should you not than honor Hitler? Was the holocaust or the so called "cultural contact" of 1492, any different than the slaughter of the Jewish population? In 500 years will the Jewish holocaust be celebrated, as a cultural contact? What was actually thought of Columbus, by his own people, in his own time? It was October 1500. After his final voyage. Charges of mismanagement and lack of Gold but not for the killings of Native People. Columbus returns to Spain disgraced and in chains. Where he died while still in prison, with syphilis. These are the words of Tennyson: "Chains for the admiral of the ocean. Chains for him who gave a new heaven a new earth. Chains for him who pushed his plows into the setting sun and made West...East, and sailed the dragons mouth and came upon the mountains of the world and saw the rivers roll from paradise." Finally, it is not only the observance of the Columbus Day holiday, that we in Indian Country considered to be derived from a mythological view of history. Many of the greater white societies heros were conspicuous land speculators, who stole land from the Natives, under the guise of public officials. --------- "RE: Poem: Snake Dancing" --------- Date: 17 Nov 1994 11:26:36 -0600 From: turtle@aicap.s21.com (Turtle Heart) Subj: Snake Dancing Newsgroup: alt.native she was there watching me as i snake danced on her warm belly around us the wild winds blowed across the red sky and i went up and down inside myself it felt like i was dreaming it felt like i was a feather at the edge of a hot fire shaking my toes in the golden dust where the full moon was rising (Moon Dance Song) Tobacco Indian -- _________________________________________________________________ AICAP Pages copyright 1994 (c)AICAP http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/aises/aicap/archive/aicap.html Turtle Heart turtle@soft21.s21.com (Ahnishinabeg) American Indian Computer Art Project BBS 619-374-2100 PO Box 111 Johannesburg CA 93528-0111 Land of Kaw-ii-su ancestor: Land of Light --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 94/11/19 20:15 From: Kepola (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj:A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of November 27-December 3 GE Electronic Mail A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of November 27-December 3 NOWEMAPA (November) (Welehu) 27 The pearl is a wondrous creation of the sea. 28 We become what we feel. 29 Time is merciful to those who do not worship it. 30 Be as young as you feel in your dreams. KEKEMAPA (December) (Makalii) December was the time when the trailing plants died down and the south wind, the Kona, prevailed. 1 May your spirit be filled with song and laughter. 2 The stars shine more brightly at this time of year. 3 Weave the pattern of life into your every creation. (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, 24 November 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= Sender: American Indian Discussions From: Rio Lara-Bellon Subject: Hoop Dance Contest ************************************************ * ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HOOP DANCE CONTEST * ************************************************ It's that time of year again. Time to travel to Phoenix, Arizona, with all your young, aspiring hoop dancers to watch the best. Hey, maybe some on this list are hoop dancers themselves! EIRP agents traveling to the Intertribal Agriculture Symposium in Albuquerque on Dec. 5th, should plan to swing by Phoenix and cheer on their favorite hoop dancer. Time: December 3 and 4, 1994 Place: Heard Museum 22 East Monte Vista Road Phoenix, Arizona 85004 602.252.8840 x 512 or 283 Judges: Bill Crouse (Seneca) Darrell Wildcat (Pawnee/Euchee) Freddie Ike (Yakima/Warm Springs) Oliver "Schoot" Janis (Oglala Lakota) Gerald Sitting Eagle (Siksika) Master of Ceremonies: Dennis Bowen Sr. (Seneca) Northern Singers: Terry Paskemin (Cree), Randy Paskemin (Cree), Kenny Scabbyrobe (Blackfeet), Elgin Scabbyrobe (Blackfeet), Moontee Sinqua (Hopi/Choctaw), Michael Spotted Wolf (Seminole/Hidatsa), Tahlee Redbird (Sac and Fox/Kiowa). Southern Singers: Joe Fish Dupoint (Kiowa), DuWayne Tofpi (Kiowa, Northern Ute), Glen Ahhaity (Kiowa/Comanche). Four Prize Categories: Senior Division (40 years and older) - 1st: $750. & division plaque, 2nd: $500., and 3rd; $250. Adult Division (18 years and older) - 1st: $2,000. & division plaque, 2nd: $1,000., 3rd: $750., 4th: $500., 5th: $300., and 6th: $200. Teen Division (9 to 17 years) - 1st: $500. & division plaque, 2nd: $250., 3rd: $100. Youth Division (8 years and younger) - $200. cash prize to be split among all contestants in this division. ******************************************************* * All Native American dancers are welcome. Proof of * * tribe/band enrollment or CIB may be requested for * * registration. * ******************************************************* Current World Champion: DERRICK R. DAVIS (HOPI/CHOCTAW) ============================================================================ Sender: Extension Indian Reservation Programs From: Indian Agriculture <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> IAC'S 8TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM December 6-9, 1994 Holiday Inn Pyramid Albuquerque, New Mexico ============================================================= * Cultivating New Growth in The Gateway to Enchantment * The magic of Albuquerque - a city of dramatic contrasts, a place that will excite your imagination, a place where centuries of civilizations live around you is host to the Eighth Annual Indian Agriculture Symposium. This year's Symposium will focus on cultivating and nurturing our youth ... one of our most valuable natural resources. "Indian Agriculture ... Cultivating for a New Growth," is this year's theme and reinforces the importance of garnering and supporting our youth's involvement. * Meeting, Workshop, and Banquet Highlights * General sessions and workshops during the 1994 IAC Symposium will feature an array of topics that impact Indian farmers, ranchers, and people involved in various aspects of agriculture. *** USDA's Reorganization and 1995 Farm Bill *** ** Indian Ag Bill and the Regulations Governing It ** *** Financial Resources *** To ensure that youth involvement in agriculture is the foundation of our meeting, the IAC Symposium committee arranged for some of our youngsters involved in 4-H and FFA to design and coordinate workshops for the youth participants. Prior to these workshops, ten enthusiastic young people will address the general assembly during Thursday morning's general session. IAC workshops and an expanded exhibit session and market will offer exciting opportunities to acquire valuable, current information. This year, the Symposium will also offer an introduction to Internet and federally- sponsored information systems. You will also have an opportunity to purchase authentic Indian arts and crafts from across the country. At the annual awards banquet, IAC and its member Tribes will recognize deserving recipients involved in agriculture from across the country. A silent and live auction will be held in conjunction with the banquet. Proceeds will go to the IAC Scholarship Fund that has been set-up to assist our youth with their education in a natural resource or agriculture-related field. Vincent Craig, Navajo cowboy poet, song writer and singer, will entertain you with his songs and cowboy humor following dinner. Be sure you bring your dancing boots. Midnight Sun, a band from Pueblo of Zuni, will play your favorite country-western dance music 'til the early morning hours. See you there! <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> For more information contact IAC at: indianag@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu or by conventional mail at: 100 North 27th St. Suite 500 Billings, Montana 59101 ======================================================================== Sender: owner-NATIVELIT-L@cornell.edu From: "LISA A. MITTEN" Subject: FROM PLAINS TO PUEBLOS Following is a notice and schedule for the touring production FROM PLAINS AND PUEBLOS, presented by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) as part of the USIA's "Arts in America" program. ================================================================= FROM PLAINS AND PUEBLOS presents the Native American music and dance traditions of the Zuni of the SOuthwest, the Lakota of the Great Plains and the songs and dances of the Yup'ik Eskimos of southwestern Alaska. Featured are The Cellicion Traditional Zuni SIngers from Zuni, New Mexico, the Locke family from Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, and Chuna McIntyre from the village of Eek on the Bering Sea. Acting as master of ceremonies is Cherokee storyteller, Gayle Ross. As part of the tour package, NCTA provides beautifully designed 16-page educational program books (free to all audience members), full-color posters, a professional sound engineer and a state-of-the-art sound system. We welcome the opportunity to present educational workshops, community outreach activities, and specially designed hour-long K-12 school programs in conjunction with this tour. If you are interested in presenting FROM PLAINS TO PUEBLOS, call the National Council for the Traditional Arts at 301-565-0654. FROM PLAINS TO PUEBLOS will be available only during the 1994-95 season and we anticipate heavy demand for performances. ============================================================== CURRENT SCHEDULE March 16, 1995 - Buena Vista College - Storm Lake, Iowa March 17, 1995 - Open March 18, 1995 - Old Town Music - Chicago March 19, 1995 - Open March 20, 1995 - Open March 21, 1995 - Notre Dame University - Notre Dame, Indiana March 22,23,24, 1995 - Victory Theatre, Dayton, Ohio March 25, 1995 - Open March 26, 1995 - POSSIBLY Worthington Arts - Worthington, Ohio March 27, 1995 - Open March 28, 1995 - Open March 29, 1995 - Open March 30, 1995 - POSSIBLY Philadelphia, PA March 31, 1995 - Grand Opera House - Wilmington, Delaware APril 1, 1995 - WOrld Music - CAmbridge, Massachusetts APril 2, 1995 - New Hampshire Performing Arts Center - Manchester, NH APril 3, 1995 - Open APril 4, 1995 - University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center - Amherst, MA April 5, 1995 - POSSIBLY Geneva, NY APril 6, 1995 - Imagination Celebration - Huntington, Long Island, NYC APril 7, 1995 - World Music Institute - New York, NY April 8, 1995 - Open April 9, 1995 - Travel Home =============================================================== NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTS, 1320 Fenwick Lane, Suite 200, SIlver SPring, MD 20910 301-565-0654 Sender: American Indian Discussions From: John Berry 301-443-5988 FAX t- Subject: Art Exhibit To all, The Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, Ok - Sept. 30-Jan.31 Continuity and Change - exhibit on the effects of removal and relocation on the culture and art of the Southeastern Tribes of Oklahoma. Museum hrs. are Tue.-Sat. 10am-5pm, until 8pm Thurs. and Sat. 11am-5pm $4 for adults, $2 for students (918)749-7941 John Berry ======================================================================== Found in _News From Indian Country_, and _The Spike_ Dec 2-4 Native American Indian Festival Melbourne, FL Info: 407-253-6149 Dec 3 Lakota Powwow, Arlington Heights, IL Info: 708-882-1644 Dec 3 NA Long Moon, Middleboro, MA Info: 617-884-4227 Dec 3 Mason School, Tacoma, WA Info: 206-596-1139 Dec 3-4 7th University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN Info: 612-962-5950 Dec 1-4 Native American Cultural Festival, Miami, FL Info: 305-758-6131 Dec 4 Native American Christmas Crafts Fair, Mahwah, NJ Info: 914-357-8424 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- Notice of Copyright Clearance by Contributors: The following have granted permission for their original articles to be reposted in order to help mend the Sacred Hoop: James D. Audlin, Deborah Clark, Roy Davies, Borries Demeler, Thomas A. Ferguson, Suzan Horovitch, Kepola, Rio Lara-Bellon, Janet Smith, Turtle Heart (mending the Sacred Hoop with Song) John Burrows (Center For World Indigenous Studies), Lisa Hellwig, Bob Schapiro, Charlie Nelson via David Goldman, Mary Jo Ondrechen --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 24 November 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 = Subject: Lat. Amer. Indian Lit. Symposium Original Sender: sanac.usiu.edu!randerso Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) CALL FOR PAPERS 12th International Symposium on Latin American Indian Literatures 19-23 June 1995 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City Topics/Presentation Time The development of topics may be from the perspective of anthropology, art, astronomy, architecture, bibliography, codices, history, ethnohistory, indigenista literature, linguistics, literary studies, medicine, religion, rock art, etc., and must be clearly and directly related to indigenous literatures. Delivery time shall be 30 minutes followed by 10 minutes for questions. Abstracts/Deadline To be considered, four copies (typewritten, double spaced) of a 150-200 word abstract in English or Spanish should be sent to: Monica Barnes, Program Chair, 377 Rector Place, Apt. 11J, New York, NY 10280. Please include your name, complete address, phone number, and fax (if you have one) on the abstract. 1995 dues of $25.00 ($5.00 for students or retirees) must be paid to LAILA/ALILA or accompany the abstract along with the symposium fee of $45.00 ($12.00 for students or retirees). (If this presents difficulties, contact the Program Chair.) Please make check payable to LAILA/ALILA. The Absolute deadline for the receipt of abstracts is Jan. 31, 1995. Since many individuals must have confirmation at an earlier date in order to secure funding from their institutions, each abstract will be evaluated by referees and notification will be mailed to the submitter within six weeks after receipt. Excursions: 16-18 June 1995 to Teotihuacan, Cacaxtla, Tlaxcala, and museums in Mexico City. Publication of Selected Symposium Papers Papers will be evaluated by three referees and chosen for quality and development of the topic. For information about LAILA/ALILA membership, contact Dr. Mary H. Preuss President, LAILA/ALILA The Pennsylvania State University, McKeesport University Drive McKeesport, PA 15132-7698 E-mail contact: Ron Anderson United States International University San Diego, CA 92131 randerso@sanac.usiu.edu =================================================================== Subject: Conference-UCLA Original Sender: John Berry 301-443-5988 FAX t- Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The Future of American Indian Studies Conference to be held on Dec. 2 & 3, 1994 -- 9:00 am to 5:00pm on Sat. PowWow 5:00-11:00 Sat. Fri. speakers: LaNada Boyer, Edward Castillo, Jack Forbes, John Garvey, Troy Johnson, Indian Joe Morris, Joane Nagel, Dagmar Thorpe, Grace Thorpe, John Trudell. Sat. speakers: Ward Churchill, Donald Grinde, Charlotte Heth, Mary Jacobs, Wilbur Jacobs, Marie Ann Jaimes, Carol Lujan, James Riding In, Cliff Trafzer. New UCLA AISC publication: "Alcatraz: Indian Land Forever" is now available. Free registration, $5.00 parking per entry. Call Roselle @ 310/ 825-7315 for info. UCLA American Indian Studies Center celebrates 25th Anniversary. --------- "RE: Request from Prison" --------- Date: Sat, 19 Nov 1994 10:47:59 -0500 From: Bob Schapiro Subj: Request from Prison Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Dear Brothers and Sisters, I'm passing this request along in the hope that many can respond to our incarcerated Brothers. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To whom it may concern: I am writing to tell you a little about our circle and to request your assistance where that is possible. Presently I am the Vice Chairman of the "Native American Spiritual Cultural Council" at the Indiana State Prison. There are 38 men in this institution who are striving to follow the Red Path. As you can well imagine, the path is hard to follow in a Maximum Security Prison. We, the brothers, represent different nations such as Lakota Sioux, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Creek, Arapahoe, Aztec, Apache, Iroquois, etc. We are trying to learn the culture of our people, and gain some knowledge from all the nations that represent our group. If it is within your power, we request that you consider helping us learn more about our traditional ways. We are in need of Native American material such as books on beadwork, cultural books on history and religion of the many different tribes. All material may be new or used. We, the inmates at the Indiana State Prison, feel that in helping us meet our needs would be a blessing from the creator, and it would help us become a more self-sufficient people. Our traditions teach us that we are a people that share with those who are less fortunate. It is in this spirit that I write this letter in hope that you may find it in your heart to help us in any way that you can. All incoming material to the "Native American Spiritual Cultural Council" must be routed through the Chaplain's Office to meet security regulations. If you are in a position to help us with a donation of Native American books, pleased send them addressed to the institutional Chaplain's Office in care of: Native American Spiritual Cultural Council C/O Chaplain's Office Indiana State Prison P.O. Box 41 Michigan City, IN 46361 Thank you for whatever assistance you might be able to offer us. We ask the Creator to protect you along your way. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Your help would be very gratefully appreciated, and it would be a blessing to our group. Respectfully Yours, Enrique Thunder Eagle #3146 --------- "RE: Leonard Peltier: Request for Action" --------- Date: Sun, 20 Nov 1994 03:24:20 -0500 From: delphi.com!LHELLWI Subj: Leonard Peltier - Request for Action Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The day that Walk for Justice arrived in Washington DC, the Washington Post printed a full page advertisement from a group called "The Federal Bureau of Investigative Agents Association". This ad repeated many of the now discredited/disproven accusations used during Leonard's initial trial (such as the claim that Leonard was the *only* person at the Jumping Bull property that day who had a .223 caliber weapon, what Leonard was known to the FBI at the time as a "violent man with a violent past"; that Leonard "shot his way" out of Lompoc during his escape attempt; that Leonard "assaulted" a rancher while a fugitive, too much garbage to put here). While the it's not surprising that the Washington Post would accept such an advertisement, you can imagine the shock of many readers when they opened up their October 26th issue of "Indian Country Today" and found THE SAME ADVERTISEMENT printed there. There was no commentary or editorials associated with the ad; nothing to indicate that perhaps Indian Country Today intended for its readers to see that the US Government is still relying on lies to keep Leonard in prison. Nothing. Just this three-column ad, with a huge headline reading "Dear Mr. President: Leonard Peltier Murdered Two FBI Agents. He Deserves No Clemency." I realize that many publications will accept any ad as a matter of economic necessity. Many more publications, however, will judge advertisements against their editorial policy to determine whether accepting an ad is appropriate. I can't imagine that Indian Country Today is so hard-up for cash that they would accept this ad, so I can only assume that the editor, Tim Giago, truly believes the content of this ad. LPDC is asking that those people who feel it was inappropriate (or who are just pissed off about this) for Indian Country Today to write or call and make their feelings known. The address is: Indian Country Today, PO Box 2180, Rapid City, SD 57709, ATTN: Tim Giago, Editor. The Phone number is 605-341-0011. I have the advertisement; if anyone would care to read it in it's entirety, I'll be happy to forward it via EMAIL. Just let me know! Thanks, Lisa Hellwig, LPSG/McHenry County, IL --------- "RE: FWDP: Ryser "On Place"" --------- Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 20:08:48 -0800 From: Center For World Indigenous Studies Subj: FWDP: Ryser "On Place" Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: This file has been created under the loving care of :: :: -= THE FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT =- :: :: :: :: Questions and comments on FWDP may be addressed to: :: :: :: :: John Burrows jburrows@halcyon.com :: :: P.O. Box 2574 :: :: Olympia, Wa Fido Net 1:352/333 :: :: 98507-2574 206-786-9629 :: :: USA The Quarto Mundista BBS :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: O N P L A C E Remarks by Rudolph C. Ryser, Chairman, Center for World Indigenous Studies National Grant-Makers' Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. Edgewater INN, October 27-30, 1994 For all beings on our planet there is no greater pull on the body and the soul than the attraction felt for the earth itself. It is in this place that each precious being develops its community, its way of consuming and producing, its spiritual life. This intimate relationship between being and place, the evolving oneness, that each community of beings has is what we all know as culture--the worship of land, of place. The bear and the salmon alike draw sustenance, spiritual and material, from the great power of this place. The salmon must use speed, stealth and its knowledge of the waters in which it swims to return to its place of birth--at the beginning of a stream. It spends most of its life swimming, living and eating from the ocean, but it always returns to its first place. The bear roams far from its place of birth, yet when it must seek security, sustenance and salmon it returns to the place it knows. Like our brothers and sisters among the bear, Cedar Tree, salmon, the elk, the Vine Maple, the raven, the Alder Tree, the eagle and the beaver, and all the others, we humans must have our place too. The drama of our quest for place has been playing out for thousands of years and is continuing as the central theme of our politics, society and economy even now. Everywhere you look, when human beings are in grave conflict, you can recognize land as the most common first issue of dispute; politics, economics, religion and social differences come after. So powerful is the drive to have land, to have a place, we humans will fight to the death to have it. In the United States there are lots of "haves" and "have-nots." There are those who have good health care, and there are those who have not. There are those who have wealth, and there are those who have not. There are those who have a life without violence, and there are those who have not. All of these divisions signal a grave sickness in the wider society that threatens to break to pieces the social, economic and political fabric of the United States. Underlying all of this division is the greatest division of all: Those who have land, a place, and those who have not. In the State of Washington, when I was a boy, most of the nearly one million citizens owned their place, their land. Now more than half of the state's nearly five million people rent the place where they live and do not own their land. Across the United States this is more or less the case. The more people do not have their place, the more they feel insecure. They feel unable to control their lives. They are increasingly dependent on faceless officials, abstract powers like business and government, and their fears of real and imagined threats grow. They become ripe for deceitful pretenders to power who offer themselves as leaders. The people become tools for tyrants. All people must feel secure in their place lest they become fearful for themselves and a threat to others. Everyone must be guaranteed the right to live freely in their place. They must have a place to which they can return when they have been away; a place to labor, a place to commune and a place to worship. But saying that everyone must have a place is simpler than organizing a way for everyone to have a place. It is to the subject of arranging human affairs for the common good, establishing new methods and applying intellectual and material resources in support of assuring security of place that we must turn our attention. We must open new channels of communications between our different groups and find new approaches to mediating differences. And in all of this we must recognize the importance of individual self-interest as an underlying reality that determines how or whether differences are mediated. It is from Adrian Esquino, the great leader of the Pipil Indians of El Salvador that I draw a final thought for you. Fifteen years ago at a meeting in Australia, a meeting of Indian leaders from the western hemisphere and other leaders of indigenous peoples from around the world, my friend Adrian Esquino grew impatient with the long speeches that seemed to float in the air but failed to rest in the heart. He stood up, all five feet of him, and asked for the floor, careful not to interrupt the last speaker--a great orator from the Quechua peoples of Bolivia. When he won the attention of the chief spokesperson he then made a simple request: "Would it be possible for the speakers to bring their heads out of the clouds and plant their feet on the ground? For it is on the ground that all of our peoples live, and it is from the ground that we are enriched and nourished. We are more likely to make good decisions if we plant ourselves where the people live and leave the clouds to the wind." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To have a current Center For World Indigenous Studies Publication Catalogue sent to you via e-mail, send a request to jburrows@halcyon.com FTP ftp.halcyon.com /pub/FWDP/CWIS Center For World Indigenous Studies P.O. Box 2574 Olympia, WA U.S.A. 98507-2574 BBS: 206-786-9629 FAX: 206-956-1087 OCR Provided by Caere Corporation's OmniPage Professional //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// John Burrows, Executive Director jburrows@halcyon.com Center For World Indigenous Studies The Quarto Mundista BBS http://www.halcyon.com/FWDP/cwisinfo.html FidoNet 1:352/333 206-786-9629 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ --------- "RE: Great Coast Wild-Bella Coola (fwd)" --------- Date: Sun, 20 Nov 1994 17:13:07 -0800 From: David Goldman Subj: Great Coast Wild- Bella Coola (fwd) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) I am passing on this information as a member of NorthwestSEAC. If you would like more information please e-mail me at dgoldman@u.washington.edu and I will relay your message. Yaw Smatmc! Hello my friends! First of all I would like to acknowledge Tatau, the Creator, through Manakays, the Great Spirit, for all that he has provided since the beginning of time and still provides today. My name is Charlie Nelson of Nuxalk Territory or what is known as the area of Bella Coola, British Columbia in Canada. In my home I am a hereditary Chief for my family. I will carry this Chieftainship till I hand it down to a child of mine. My real name is "Slicxwliqw'" which means "One Who Moves The People". I am making contact in this computer system to inform people like yourselves to know what sort of destruction is happening within our Nuxalk Traditional Territory. I feel it is important that I keep all of you within this system to be informed because sometime soon we will need your assistance to help stop the destruction within Nuxalk Territory. At the moment we have many logging companies within our territory clear cutting and destroying our mountain sides. In the past it was very rare to see any wildlife at the village. Since most of their homes have been destroyed by logging we see them quite frequently. Our salmon has been dwindling drastically because the young have been suffocated by the erosion caused by logging. The salmon is still today a main part of our traditional diet. This is just a brief message but I will keep you posted of what is happening in our Territory. For the future of our Children, Grandchildren and Children yet unborn..... Way! Nuxalk Strong-Nuxalk Forever Slicxwliqw' Hereditary Chief Charlie Nelson