Subject: nanews02.052 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 052 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 24 December 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 Indigenous Knowledge Systems List, NATIVE-L & NATCHAT Mailing Lists, Genie (General Electric) & UUCP 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. Thanks to Marc Becker, mbecker@uclink2.berkeley.edu, issues of Wotanging Ikche/Kanoheda Aniyvwiya are now being archived at a World-Wide-Web site. The URL is http://ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu/~marc/journals/nanews/ This is a test site, and at some point in the future the location of these files will change. "No tribe has the right to sell, even to each other, much less to strangers.... Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Didn't the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children?" __ Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Associated Press carried an article in the December 20, 1994 edition of the Atlanta Constitution about the conviction of Richard P. Maniscalco of Rappahannock Academy, Virginia for stealing from the graves of our ancestors and selling the items, including bones of the dead. This is the first person convicted under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. One is better than none, but I pray this will be but the first of many who are punished for disturbing the resting place of our grandmothers and grandfathers. Even more, let us all pray this sends a message to those who would rob from graves this will not be tolerated. Lakota: Chippewa: Le Wanikiya Tonpi Anpetu Nahan omaka Les' Mitchief Joyeaux Noel teca wan u kin hena un, Merry Christmas iyuha cante wasteya nape uniyuzab, na wopila unkene ceyab! Lummi: A very Merry Christmas to All and to All, Xwhi-stse Si'slh Si'am a Safe and Happy new Year, Merry Christmas my friend. with a warm hand-shake from the heart! Siksika: Iitaamomahkattoyiiksistsiko! Merry Christmas! 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 - Reviews: Books of Interest to - Conferences and Powwows - online Native Americans - SEDAR Collection in Virginia - Quebec Update - Native Friendship Centre - The Environment Includes The Air Budget Cut - The Story of Mount Graham - Stereotypes - Moccasin Bend Amphitheatre Halted - Hate Crime Against American - Poem: Moon/Solstice Indians Under-Reported - Verse: Survival of the Spirit - Sinkyone Alert - Poem: Navajo Wind Prayer - Poem: Blue Heart (A Stone) - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Reviews: Books of Interest to Native Americans" --------- Date: 29 Oct 1994 22:17:45 GMT From: brock@ucsub.Colorado.EDU (BROCK STEVEN GARY) Subj: Review of Brules by Harry Combs (historical fiction) Review of The Whipping Boy by Speer Morgan Review of Ancient Land: Sacred Whale by Tom Lowenstein Review of The Road On Which We Came by Steven Crum (History) Review of The American Indian Parfleche (Art/History) Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native Subj: Review of Brules by Harry Combs (historical fiction) BRULES by Harry Combs. Delacorte Press, 1540 Broadway, N.Y., NY 10036, (800) 223-6834, (212) 492-9862 FAX. Map. 597 pp., $22.95 cloth. 0-385-31195-8 REVIEW Eighty-one-year-old Combs, an aviation industry mogul and Colorado resident, has written a wide-ranging but graphically violent story of one man's personal war against the Comanche Indian nation, in retaliation for their killing of his best friend and a girl companion. Grizzled Cat Brules, now in his latter years, tells his story to a young neighbor who visits Brules against his mother's wishes. "...that man is a thief and a murderer," she says. "He has a terrible criminal record and lives like a savage. I don't want you to go anywhere near him." On several occasions, though, he rides up to a small cabin on Lone Cone Peak, near Durango, Colorado, and, transfixed, he listens to the "legend of the old man they called Brules." Beginning in Hays City, Kansas, in 1867, Brules kills his former boss for beating a prostitute and flees with her into the countryside. Shortly thereafter, they are captured by Comanches and the girl is burned alive, while Brules is tortured. Narrowly escaping a similar fate, Brules escapes, and runs into Pedro, an old friend, near Taos. The two assemble a buffalo hunting party, and, returning to town with a load of hides, Pedro is murdered by another Comanche band. Brules vows revenge for both killings, and spends six years tracking and slaughtering whole villages and leaving a "Cat Sign" at each site. There is a brief spell of domestic tranquility when Brules marries a Shoshone girl who saves his life after an encounter with a grizzly, but Combs' concentration on piling up huge stacks of Comanche bodies, combined with the overwhelming length of the book, make "Brules" an irritation that does not live up to its asserted personification of Old West attitudes, no matter how stridently Combs points to his exhaustive research. Grade: C "Brules" is available on audio (BDD Audio, $24.95), read by Stacey Keach. Also by Combs: "Kill Devil Hill" (1979). Subj: Review of The Whipping Boy by Speer Morgan THE WHIPPING BOY by Speer Morgan. Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company, 222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116. Map. 326 pp., $21.95 cloth. 0-395-67725-4 REVIEW Oklahoma Territory in the 1890s is the setting of Morgan's fourth novel, and it's his best, involving a flood, a hanging performed in front of a group of orphans, land grabbing, issues of Indian sovereignty, and corruption and desperation at every turn. The central character is sixteen-year-old Tom Freshour, a mixed-blood Choctaw Indian from the Presbyterian-administered Armstrong Academy, who is sent to work for the Dekker Hardware Company. He is assigned to Jake Jaycox, a salesman who travels the territory collecting the mortgages of small hardware stores for defaulting on their sales of Dekker stock. Freshour and Jaycox, along with Samantha King, a woman from St. Louis with a questionable past, uncover a plot to swindle land from farmers that has its greedy roots in the Dawes Commission. "The Whipping Boy" is a superb story, rich in plot and characterization, and the whippings endured by Freshour at the Academy are a fitting symbol for those suffered by the Choctaw and other tribes in losing their land to the U.S. Government. Grade: A-. Morgan is a writing instructor at the University of Missouri (Columbia) and is the editor of "The Missouri Review." Subj: Review of Ancient Land: Sacred Whale by Tom Lowenstein ANCIENT LAND: SACRED WHALE: THE INUIT HUNT AND ITS RITUALS by Tom Lowenstein. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003, (800) 631-8571, (212) 633-9385 FAX. Illustrated, maps, notes, bibliography, glossary, sources. 192 pp., $20.00 cloth. 0-374-10497-2 REVIEW Lowenstein, a longtime Inuit ethnographer and poet from England, accompanied the tribe on their whale hunts in skin boats for three years in the 1970s. "Ancient Land" combines seasonal stories of the hunts with Lowenstein's original poems, and myths told by Asatchaq, a storyteller and Inuit elder. Each hunt is the culmination of a cycle of legends, and Lowenstein successfully summons the hope that with a good harvest, "the ice will float north again." This is a masterful work of beauty and respect, in a tightly woven liturgy, of interest to both poets and anthropologists. Grade: A Subj: Review of The Road On Which We Came by Steven Crum (History) THE ROAD ON WHICH WE CAME: A HISTORY OF THE WESTERN SHOSHONE by Steven J. Crum. University of Utah Press, 101 University Services Bldg., Salt Lake City, Ut 84112, (800) 444-8638 (Ext. 6771), (801) 581-3365 FAX. Illustrated, index, notes, maps, bibliography. 252 pp., $29.95 cloth. 0-87480-434-5 REVIEW Those following the Dann plight on alt.native or soc.culture.native will be interested in reading a comprehensive history of the Western Shoshone, from ancient times to 1990, but focusing on the events of the twentieth century. Crum paints a picture of a resolute people, "an active force in shaping their own history," forcing the U.S. government, in several cases, to modify its policies to accommodate Shoshone demands. The value of this history is enlarged by noting that Crum is a Shoshone, and he presents the chronicle from a tribal perspective. When one reads about the Dann sisters asserting their grazing rights, with this book they will be able to understand that the conflict is over thirty years old and has its roots in a 1962 Indian Claims Commission ruling. "The Road On Which We Came" is destined to become the definitive history of the Western Shoshone. Grade: A- Subj: Review of The American Indian Parfleche (Art/History) THE AMERICAN INDIAN PARFLECHE: A TRADITION OF ABSTRACT PAINTING by Gaylord Torrence. University of Washington Press in association with the Des Moines Art Center, P.O. Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096, (800) 441-4115, (206) 543-3932 FAX. Illustrated (148 total, 103 in color), index, bibliography, notes, map. 272 pp., $60.00 cloth (0-295-97332-3), $35.00 paper (0-295-97333-1). REVIEW When members of Great Plains tribes moved their lodges, they packed their food and personal belongings in folded or sewn and brightly painted rawhide containers (rectangular or tubular in shape) called parfleches. The containers, each bearing its own distinctive pattern, were created primarily by women during the period 1750- 1880. Torrence photographed 127 of these receptacles from over forty tribes for this catalog, as a component of a travelling art exhibition bearing the same name. "The American Indian Parfleche" is a grand celebration of the nomadic way of life, as well as a commemoration of an outstanding artform. Sadly, most of the information that Torrence has gathered on each piece has more to do with its collector rather than who created it. This is not a reflection on Torrence, but on the method of record-keeping that predominates among art collectors. The exhibit will appear at the Miami Center for the Fine Arts from November 19, 1994 through January 8, 1995. Grade: B+ --------- "RE: Quebec Update" --------- Date: 94/12/17 21:04 From: Art Horovitch (a.horovitch@genie.geis.com) Subj: Quebec Update Dec 11-18 GE Electronic Mail Quebec Offer to Montagnais/Attikamek rejected --------------------------------------------- The Chiefs of the Montagnais and Attikamek Nations have rejected Quebec's offer of a land settlement and cash compensation. At present the two nations have land claims totalling 550,000 square Km. For purposes of comparison, Quebec's total land mass is about 3,500,000 sq. Km. The two native groups are claiming about 1/6 of Quebec's territory. The government package , by contrast, proposes giving the Montagnais/Attiikamek groups 4,000 sq. Km outright over which they would exercise full sovereignty, another 40,000 sq. Km for exclusive hunting, trapping and fishing rights, but co-managed with the government as far as natural resources. An additional 10,000 sq. Km would be set aside as conservation activities where some Native activities would be permitted, but control over the area would be maintained by the government. The government has also offered a cash settlement of a figure which varies between $340-$400 million over a number of years. In exchange the government is demanding that the two nations give up all rights acquired under the federal Indian Act. Presumably this would have the effect of extinguishing all land claims currently on the table. Government spokesmen have denied that the deal is an attempt to present to the international community a signed agreement with Native groups on the eve of the independence referendum, thereby increasing the likelihood of Quebec's recognition as a sovereign state in the international community. The government negotiator, Guy Coulombe, said they had been working on a deal for the last 15 years, and the timing was merely coincidental. Montagnais chief Remy Kurtness, flanked by several other chiefs, announced at a press conference that they are rejecting the deal, because it does not give them a large enough land base to survive as distinct nations, and to preserve their cultural heritage. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohawks Occupy Revenue Canada offices in Toronto ------------------------------------------------ About 2 dozen Natives, mostly Mohawks, have occupied the offices of the Canadian tax collector located on a main street in downtown Toronto. The protest began on Thursday, Dec 15, after the government announced that henceforth, aboriginals living on the reserve or those that work for a company on the reserve would no longer be exempt from paying income tax. This stems from a ruling by the supreme court that refutes the understanding that Natives be exempt from paying income tax, unless they live and work off the reserve. The Mohawks flew Warrior flags from the windows of the offices they were occupying while others were drumming and singing on the street below the office windows. Police arrived at the offices, but did not force the protestors to leave. The protest is continuing over the weekend, and the protestors say they will not move until the government rescinds its decision. They claim that this is an abrogation of treaties signed long ago with the Canadian government. The Assembly of First Nations has come out in favor of the protest and is trying to organize a protest whereby all Natives working off the reserve will refuse to pay income tax as a sign of civil disobedience and to support the protestors. It is estimated that the tax department ruling could affect as many as 10,000 people who are currently not paying tax. Frosty Deere of the Kahnewake Mohawk reserve near Montreal reports: The protesters have vowed to stay in the offices of the tax department until the new "policy" is dropped. Police are not allowing any food in to the protesters and water and power has been cut off. The proposed new policy of the tax department states that Natives will have to pay income tax even if they live on the reserve and work for a company that has a business office on the reserve. Up to now, these two conditions being met were sufficient grounds for not being liable for income taxes. This policy seems to be aimed at, among others, construction companies that build homes or commercial buildings off the reserve. Frosty quotes a Supreme Court case, Nowegijick vs. The Queen (1983), in which Justice Dickson said, "Treaties and statutes relating to the Indians should be liberally construed, and doubtful expressions be resolved in favor of the Indian." Another ruling, Jones vs Meehan 175 US 1 states that , "Indian treaties must be construed, not according to the technical meaning of their words, but in the sense in which they would naturally be understood by the Indian." In another development, Sanienionkwa of Kahnewake reports that Mohawks are holding a peaceful demonstration by blocking one lane of the Mercier bridge into Montreal on Dec 17 to hand out flyers explaining the Native protest against the tax department. The demonstration is organized by the Mohawk traditional council led by Stuart Miyow of Kahnewake. --------- "RE: The Environment Includes The Air" --------- Date: 7:13 PM Dec 19, 1994 From: Paul Bristol Subj: The Environment Includes The Air Indigenous Knowledge Systems List (at pcnet.com) In an effort to improve the air quality of the area, and in support of the Clean City Program of the US Department of Energy, The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation plans to spend up to $2 million this year to buy alternative-fuel buses. The Tribes' Foxwoods Casino uses 22 transit style buses and 4 smaller types daily to shuttle patrons from the parking lots and to bring employees from their parking lots and from satellite parking lots some distance away. 10 of the buses are rented. Speaking at a ceremony at the Norwich (CT) City Hall, tribal councilor Michael Thomas exclaimed, "We plan to do our part to improve the air quality to the extent that we can through the purchase of these buses. Senior vice-president for administration at Foxwoods Casino, Bruce Kirchner explained that the buses will be far better than the diesel powered buses currently in use, regardless of the substitute fuel used. The Tribes' commitment to maintaining the Earth with as little disturbance as possible is reflected in the Casino and the surrounding grounds. Foxwoods Casino, a showcase now, was one of the top five destinations requested through The American Automobile Association this last summer. Who knows that will happen when the theme park is completed in 1996. Paul Bristol (Pablo) --------- "RE: The Story of Mount Graham" --------- Date: 94/12/16 21:07 From: Adria D. Crum (a.crum@genie.geis.com) Subj: The Story of Mount Graham GE Electronic Mail I tried to do this article for weeks. I'm stumped. Can you pleasesee your way to editing this article in an appropriate manner. It is too much of an emotional subject for someone as I to handle. Here is the article as it appears word for word. I hope you can use this. NATIVE AMERICAN CAUCUS FOCUS: INDIAN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The Story of Mount Graham The Catholic church is co-sponsoring a project with the University of Arizona to build a series of telescopes on Mount Graham. The Apache feel that their people originated from Mt. Graham, and consequently it is very sacred to them. Originally, this project was known as the "Columbus Project" although it has since been renamed. In a study of 38 potential telescope sites across the North American continent, Mt. Graham ranked worst because of poor visibility. It is blocked by clouds 50 percent of the time. Of all the possible sites, Mt. Graham is the only one considered sacred. Nevertheless, the Catholic church decided to build the observatory on this mountain. When Apache traditional leaders protested the construction on their sacred mountain, Catholic church leaders responded that Native religions were not legitimate religions. Jesuit Father George Coyne, Vatican Observatory Director, claimed that Apache beliefs are "a kind of religiosity to which I cannot subscribe and which must be suppressed with all the force we can muster." Father Charles Polzer of the Tucson archdiocese claimed that opposition to the observatory was really just "part of a Jewish conspiracy" which "comes out of the Jewish lawyers of the ACLU to undermine and destroy the Catholic church." At the same time, the church officials are asserting that Mt. Graham is not sacred to the Apache, as if they are in a position to know this. In addition, the San Carlos Apache tribal council has passed three resolutions denouncing the observatory. This project will also cause mass environmental damage as there is a species of the red squirrel that exists only on Mount Graham. This project should never have been approved under the Endangered Species Act, but it was anyway. In fact, the head of the US Fish and Wildlife Service--Molly Beattie- - made a statement that her agency may have erred in approving the site of the largest of the telescopes on Mount Graham. The Apache Survival Coalition sued the University of Arizona on the basis that the project violates the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. The case lost on appeal. The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals did not rule on whether or not Mount Graham is sacred to the Apache. Instead, it ruled that the Apache Survival Coalition waited until construction was well underway to site and the San Carlos Apache Tribe ignored the governments planning process of six years. The court ignored the fact that the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council issued its first resolution opposing the telescope project on July 10, 1990 before the project began. Also, federal guidelines require the Forest Service to consult with religious practitioners who may be affected before approval is granted. The Forest Service claims to have sought the input from the Apache in 1985, and no one opposed the project. There is however, no evidence that the US Forest actually did this. The Apache have filed a petition for a rehearing. A new lawsuit had been filed by a coalition of environmental groups. This lawsuit claims that the site where the project is being built is outside the area approved by Congress in 1988. The courts have ordered a stay on construction while the case is being considered. Meanwhile, business interests in nearby Safford, Arizona are promoting a "Museum of Discovery." This museum's literature exalts this desecration of Mount Graham as the "second stage of discovery." WHAT CAN YOU DO? against the project and send letters of support to the Apache Survival Coalition, PO Box 11814, Tucson, AZ 85734. Cacciavillan, Apostolic Nuncia Ture, 339 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 or University of Arizona, Dr. Manual Pacheco, President, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, 202-621-1514. Also, send letters of protest to your local bishop. Send copies of these letters to the Apache Survival Coalition. Good luck. Wandering Eagle --------- "RE: Moccasin Bend Amphitheatre Halted" --------- Date: Sun Dec 18, 1994 at 23:57 EST From: Standing Bear (w.lehr@genie.geis.com) Subj: Moccasin Bend Amphitheatre Halted GE Electronic Mail Those building an amphitheatre on Moccasin Bend, Hamilton County decided to back out of the plans to have the amphitheatre built there due mostly to the very strong opposition and concern of the destruction of ancient Native American Burial Grounds,of the Native American community in the surrounding area of Hamilton County and recommended to the EDA (Economic Development Assoc. that if an amphitheatre IS built, that they should look into another location away from the Bend. That decisions amounts to a major coups for the Native American Community in general and the Chattanooga Inter- Tribal Assoc. in particular, no more reason to fear on that aspect of development of the Sacred Areas on Moccasin Bend, in Chattanooga. Aho! Wado, Great Spirit! >>>--Standing Bear--> --------- "RE: Poem: Moon/Solstice" --------- Date: 17 Dec 94 20:56:45 GMT From: andrea@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Andrea Lord) Subj: moon/solstice Newsgroup: alt.native slowly unfolding an abundance of footprints like heartprints leaving tracks that can be followed... a depth that flows with a law of humanness and humility... a speed so slow even in its breath not even a whisper is felt... but leaves a trace of simplicity that wraps a heart in a sigh..... like i..... a solstice wish written at full moon --------- "RE: Verse: Survival of the Spirit" --------- Date: thu, 15 dec 94 22:33 est From: "Steven C. Schiavi" <0005408096@mcimail.com> Subj: Survival of the Spirit UUCP email Out there, there is a culture of greed. Out there, the living dead walk; their spirits have fled their homes or walked quietly, sadly away. If the spirit cannot grow, and move, and change, and rejoice in the life it has been given, it leaves, or it dies. Out there, there is a culture of soul eaters. They suck out the life and leave the empty shell. But like a cancer, when the host dies...so dies the soul eater. Survival is dancing with our faces warmed by the Sacred fire. We know what lies outside, beyond the living wheel we shape with our bodies, our spirits, joined in prayer and gladness. We need not fear it. We need to be aware; we need to be careful. But we must beware of dancing with our backs to the Sacred fire. Our strength is in unity with that central fire. Creator will keep us strong as long as the light of his fire glints in our eyes...but not if it bounces off of our backs. Beware of dancing with your back to the fire. Rainbow Walker --------- "RE: Poem: Navajo Wind Prayer" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 23:50:43 -0500 From: "OHKWA'HO AKA'RA" Subj: Navajo Wind Prayer UUCP email ------------------------------------------ | DISCLAIMER: | | | | I am not Dine' and I dont want to offend | | any of the Dine' people who may subscribe| | to this list. I am a Mohawk and this poem| | came to me in my sleep so what ever came | | I was obligated to write it. --Wolfeyes | ------------------------------------------ Navajo wind prayer Oh, Great Spirit, Oh Grandfathers, How lucky can one be to know such beauty? One can search the world over and not find this much loveliness. Her heart is pure, and radiates love and warmth. Oh, Mother Earth, It is from your womb that she does come. It has to be, for she reflects your beauty that I see all around me. Oh, Navajo Wind, blow softly upon this desert rose. Embrace her always with your warm gentle breezes. Fill her heart with the pride and happiness from a proud and noble people that she does come. Whisper soft reminders in her ear, "Never forget... Never forget." Oh, Father, the Navajo Sun, Shine brightly down upon here path, Allow her to see the beauty in herself as well as in others. Protect her and keep her warm. Hide her in your absence from the despares of this life. Allow here always to walk in beauty. Oh, Woman who walks in beauty like the night, I am a friend who is distant and silent. I will care for you always. poem by Ohkwa'ho Oka'ra "Wolfeyes" Nia':wen Wolfeyes Karnut08@snybufaa.cs.snybuf.edu --------- "RE: Poem: Blue Heart (A Stone)" --------- Date: 13 Dec 1994 14:34:11 -0600 From: turtle@aicap.s21.com (Turtle Heart) Subj: Blue Heart (A Stone) Newsgroup: alt.native Black Ravens eat the hearts of Turtles in the desert and sleep in the trash at the edge of town dreaming I found myself on my belly whispering to the earth pressed into a cave outside the light was blowing with the wild winds and old feet were dancing out there dancing in the golden dust when i went outside i found a blue stone where his toes had been i tied it to a Raven's black feather I wear it in my hair when I go to town. Tobacco Indian AICAP -- _________________________________________________________________ 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: 94/12/17 20:17 From: Kepola (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of December 25-31 GE Electronic Mail A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of December 25-31 KEKEMAPA (December) (Makalii) 25 In peace I go forth to greet each day. 26 Snow clothes the fiery heart of the volcano. 27 Hold fast to friends, for they are the greatest of treasures. 28 May all your days be remembered in gladness. 29 The stars tonight are bright-etched in magic. 30 Sleep soundly when the year has run its course, for you will awake to new life. 31 Greet the dawn of the new year with flowers, song, and dance by the ocean, where all life begins. OCEAN SONGS (Images of Hawai'i) By D. F. Sanders I have heard your ocean songs at dusk In the trees that sway with the sighing wind, And seen, in the soft glimmering of starlight, The iridescent waves caressing the shore. Sometimes, a voice calls to me in the silence, Bringing me memories of the land, ka aina. It is the voice of the sea that I hear, The murmur of the surf in a shell, Or the laughter of children as they play, All sounds repeating to me, in the vast chant of life, "Hawai'i, Hawai'i." You ask much: love of your heritage, Love of the land, with its sacred places, Yet you give of your bounty in return, And your splendor is a feast for all to behold. You have many moods, from the fiery wrath of a volcano To the gentle rain that falls, like a blessing, on the land, Graced by the fragile luminescence of a rainbow. If I were to ask you, "Where does your heart lie?" You might answer, "In the children and in the land, And in the everlasting melee of the wind and the sea." I have heard the beauty of your ocean songs, And I know, in the bright rhapsody of the morning, Hawai'i. (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, 22 December 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= From: EIRP News Subject: SWIAA Announcement & EIRP 1995 Conf. Plans ================================================= Thanks to Howard Jones * for providing the following information. * Part 1 - SWIAA Conference * Part 2 - EIRP 1995 Conference * ================================================= Part 1: ***** SWIAA CONFERENCE ***** 7TH ANNUAL SOUTHWEST INDIAN AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION (SWIAA) DATE: January 25, 26, 27, 1995 PLACE: Laughlin, Nevada. Conference Theme: MANAGEMENT AND DECISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR LAND AND WATER RESOURCES Registration Fee: $50.00 per person prior to January 14, 1995 after January 14, 1995 registration fee will be $75.00 per person. Hotel Location: GOLD RIVER RESORT & CASINO - Laughlin, Nevada (800)835-7903. For more information contact: Mrs. Ramona Ruiz, Conference Coordinator - Gila River Indian Community - P.O. Box 747 Sacaton, AZ 85247 Phone: (602) 836-2671 FAX: (602)-315-3775. The 2nd Southwest Indian Livestock Field Days to be held April 25 and 26, 1995 in Gallup, New Mexico at the Red Rock State Park. The Southwest Indian Agricultural Association, The University of Arizona and New Mexico State University are sponsoring the 1995 Southwest Indian Livestock Field Days and The Navajo Nation, through their Department of Agriculture, will host this event. As plans for this event is firmed up, additional information will be forth coming. Contact Person: Glenda Davis, Chair, Extension Agent III Window Rock Vet Clinic Department of Agriculture THE NAVAJO NATION P. O. Box 308 Window Rock, Arizona 86515 Phone: (602) 871-6615 - FAX: (602) 871-5493 =========================================================================== =========================================================================== Part 2: --> EXTENSION INDIAN RESERVATION PROGRAMS AGENTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE <-- Date for the 1995 Extension Indian Reservation Program Agents Annual Conference has been set for November 5, 6, 7 and 8, 1995 in Phoenix, Arizona at Grace Inn Ahwatukee, Phoenix, Arizona. The Conference Theme: **SUSTAINING INDIAN LAND THROUGH YOUTH AND AGRICULTURE/NATURAL RESOURCES ** The Southwest Indian Agricultural Association (SWIAA) and The University of Arizona will host this event. Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) will sponsor activities at the conference. As plans for this event firm up, additional information will become available. Contact Person: Matthew Livingston, Chair, Extension Agent, ANR/4-H Youth Development Cooperative Extension HOPI RESERVATION P.O. Box 1203 Keams Canyon, Arizona 86034 Phone: (602) 734-2441 - FAX: (602) 734-2331. Be sure to mark your calendars for all conferences. Hope to see as many of you as possible at those events that you feel will be beneficial to you and your programs. ========================================================================= ========================================================================= This information provided courtesy of the EIRP Telecommunication Project: pablob@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Powwows for the Christmas and New Year's Holiday weekends: -as listed in _The Spike_ and _News From Indian Country_ Dec 26-Jan 1 20th Annual Miccosukee Arts Festival Miccosukee Reservation, 25 mi. W of Miami, FL Info: 305-223-8380 Dec 30-Jan 1 Second Annual Traditional Sobriety Powwow Covington, KY Info: 606-581-9456 Dec 31 Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa New Year's Powwow Sault Ste Marie, MI Info: 906-635-6075 Dec 31-Jan 3 The Inter-tribal Osh Kwi Keenonawin Thunder Bay, Ontario Info: 807-623-6789 Dec 29-Jan 1 White Swan New Years' Powwow, White Swan, WA Info: 509-865-5121 Dec 30-Jan 1 Amigos New Year, Tucson AZ Info: 602-622-4900 Dec 31-Jan 2 On the Red Road New Years Celebration of Sobriety Minneapolis, MN Info: 612-724-3129 ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Steve Brock, Art Horovitch, Kepola, Janet Smith, Paul Bristol, Adria Crum, William Lehr "Standing Bear",Ohkwa'ho Oka'ra "Wolfeyes", Steven C. Schiavi, Andrea Lord, Turtle Heart (mending the Sacred Hoop with songs) Harold P. Koehler, Klanwatch via Arthur R. McGee, Dale McMillen, Joe Quickle, Robert J. Paton --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 22 December 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 = Original Sender: office@motherearth.knooppunt.be Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) STEPS TO A NUCLEAR FREE WORLD Seminar and kick-off Walk across Europe Brussels January 11-12th 1995 On Thursday morning, January 12th 1995, at 10 am the first steps of the 5.500 km Walk across Europe for a Nuclear-Free World will be taken in Brussels. An average of 150 walkers plan to end this journey in Moscow on October 12th 1995, the International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People. The walkers call for a Treaty to stop nuclear testing (CTBT), dismantling of all nuclear weapons and phase-out of nuclear energy production. The walkers ask for a review of the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Special attention will go to educate the people about nuclear developments and how they affected Indigenous People. Sustainable Energy Tour On January 9th the Sustainable Energy Tour starts with 4 days exhibition in the centre of Brussels. This 50m2 exhibition trailer on renewable energy and energy efficiency will follow the Walk across Europe. The tour will promote the environmentally friendly alternatives to nuclear energy and fossil fuels, that are already fully developed. Seminar - Steps to a Nuclear-Free World On January 11th our first public seminar will take place in Brussels. This seminar will draw special attention to the role of the European Union (EU). Members of the Walks advisory council are invited as key-speakers. In the morning there will be lectures on nuclear testing and nuclear weapons. In the afternoon energy policy will be on the agenda. Opening ceremony Walkers and sympathizers will gather at 8 am on January 12th at the European Union for the opening ceremony led by Dorothy Ackerman, a Dakota Sioux (American Indian Movement and Earthbridge). A meeting with EU-officials, a news conference, a rally, street-theatre, music ... and a warm cup of coffee and tea will mark the start of this remarkable journey across Europe. So far participants from Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Rumania, Russia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and the USA have registered for the walk. The route goes over Paris, London, Frankfurt, Prague, Vienna, Kiev, Chernobyl and Minsk. ======================================================================= Original Sender: tlink.ness.com!1-1 (Deanna #1 @1) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The American Indian Movement will be holding a candlelight prayer vigil at Capitol Square, at the Bell Tower Richmond, Virginia December 29, 1994, 7:00 PM This gathering is to protest the abuse, discrimination and denial of religious freedom to the Native Americans incarcerated in in Virginia. The right of each individual to practice his religion is guaranteed to all, by the U.S. Constitution, but is being denied to our people. We will be gathering at the Chesterfield County Library on Lori Road, off Route 10, at 6:00 PM, to caravan to Capitol Square in downtown Richmond. We hope you will join us. If you cannot join the caravan, meet us at Capitol Square at the Bell Tower at 7:00 PM. Bring a candle for the prayer vigil. For further information, please call 804-222-8429. Submitted by Deanna 1-5068@wwvnet.tweekco.ness.com --------- "RE: SEDAR Collection in Virginia" --------- Date: Fri, 2 Dec 1994 14:09:50 -0800 From: Dale McMillen Subj: SEDAR Collection in Virginia Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The SEDAR Foundation is collecting clothing, boots and wood cutting tools to donate to the people at the Black Mesa Navajo Reservation (also known as "Big Mountain"). They are also seeking food money and gas money to help defray the cost of transporting the donations. The SEDAR Foundation is four year old organization whose primary purpose is to bring forth the truth of indigenous reality and to work towards positive change for those in extremely life-threatening conditions. To make a donation or get more involved contact: in Stauton, VA contact Nia Zalamea at (703) 887-8841 in Lexington, VA contact Harmony Periman at (703) 464-8441 in Charlottesville, VA contact Carolyn at (804) 978-1199 in Four Winds, VA contact Christine at (703) 951-5260 --------- "RE: Native Friendship Centre Budget Cut" --------- Date: Sat, 17 Dec 1994 07:03:58 -0600 From: hkoehler@web.UUCP Subj: Native Friendship Centre Budget Cut Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) NATIVE FRIENDSHIP CENTRE BUDGET CUTS THREATENED (URGENT ACTION) The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) has received reports that Heritage Canada plans to cut NAFC funding by 25% in each of the next three years. Mr Marvin Connor, Community Development Worker at the N'Amerind (London) Friendship Centre Inc has prepared the following letter in response and asks friends of the Native peoples to use it to lobby their federal members of parliament and cabinet ministers to continue funding NAFC at the present levels. The letter explains the importance of the Friendship Centres. ----------------------//---------------------------- Nov 9, 1994 Dear Sir or Madam: Greetings. Friendship Centres provide a wide range of services to Aboriginal people living in Canada's towns and cities. These services touch on a wide range of areas from health to justice to employment and training. Aboriginal people living off-reserve or away from Metis and Inuit communities represent approximately 3/4 of the total Aboriginal population in Canada. A growing concern has been expressed not only by Aboriginal organizations but also by the federal and provincial governments that these populations have legitimate and growing concerns regarding their governance and the services which are provided to them. Clearly, service delivery is a cornerstone of self-government, and efficient and effective service delivery is a goal of all governments. Friendship Centres have proven through their 35 year history that services are best provided to urban Aboriginal communities by urban Aboriginal organizations. Friendship Centres have picked up where existing levels of government have left off, and have been providing the services for which the urban aboriginal communities have expressed a need. In the present economic climate of deficit reduction through expenditure reduction, Friendship Centres have proven that a small investment in community-based services goes a long way towards solving the problems that urban Aboriginal people face. Services provided through Friendship Centres lessen the demand on government services, which are provided at a premium cost and at reduced levels of effectiveness and accountability. Friendship Centres have already been hit hard by cutbacks to funding for the Department of Canadian Heritage which provides core funding through the Aboriginal Friendship programme. The impact of further cuts on Friendship Centres will be devastating. The question then becomes can the government afford to jeopardize such an effective operation? I think not! I hope that once you recognize the valuable contributions made by Friendship Centres across Canada to the growth and well-being of our Nations First People that you will make the protection of Core funding to Centres a priority and that Friendship Centres can be assured that there will be no further cuts to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre programme. It is important to understand that Friendship Centres are culturally, linguistically, morally and spiritually a necessity from a community development point of view. Friendship Centres are a non-reserve base for 75% of the total aboriginal population in Canada. In friendship, -------------------------------//---------------------- Please send copies of this letter (or better still your own letter based on the facts in it) to your local MP, and to: The Hon. Michel Dupuy, Minister of Canadian Heritage The Hon. Paul Martin, Minister of Finance The Right Hon. Jean Chretien, Prime Minister and to all the Native MPs: The Hon. Ethel Blondin-Andrew, M.P. Western Arctic; Secretary of State for Youth and Planning Mr Jack Anawak, M.P. Nunatsiaq Mr Elijah Harper, M.P. Churchill All can be sent postage free to: House of Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 ----------------------//------------------------------ For further information contact: Mr Marvin Connor, Community Development Worker N'Amerind London Friendship Centre Inc 260 Colborne Street, LONDON ON N6B 2S6 Tel: (519)672-0131, Fax 672-0717 -----------------------//---------------------- Posted by Harold P. Koehler hkoehler@web.apc.org --------- "RE: Stereotypes" --------- Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 16:29:18 EST From: Joe Quickle Subj: Stereotypes Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) I agree with Jim Shupe - we need to educate people on what exactly is wrong with the use of Indians as mascots and the use of other stereo- types. Here's what I came up with; please add to it if you can... 1. No one wants to be depicted as savages or as idiots (e.g., "Florida Seminoles," "Atlanta Braves," and "Cleveland Indians" mascots, respectively). Look at the pictures closely, and the spirit in which they were done is clear (Atlanta's screaming head, Cleveland's idiot grin and huge nose, Florida's painted savage). 2. When such ridiculous images (e.g., "Chief Wahoo") are used to portray Indians, how can we not see that we are being ridiculed? 3. It is absurd to claim to honor someone with something that they have repeatedly told you is insulting. One more time: the use of Indians as mascots is insulting. 4. The more often and the more thoroughly Indians are portrayed as few, as savages, as primitives, as extinct, as historical, as less than human, as jokes, as sideshow attractions or as pets, the easier it is to to hide what has been done and - more importantly - is still being done to Indians (desecration of cemeteries, waste dumping on Indian lands, unequal justice, denial of legal rights to sovereignty, land grabs... the list goes on and on). 5. These prevalent images of Indians - as idiotic, as savage, as strange and foreign - are important symbols used in maintaining the myth of Indians as a historical tragedy, as a people who are valued by the mainstream only as pets. These are the myths that are used to keep us marginal and deny our modern existence. They undermine our current, legitimate struggles. 6. "Redskins" is a derogatory term - look it up. 7. Indians are not pets or good luck charms; we are people, not mascots. Mitakuye Oyasin, Joe Quickle Two Crows --------- "RE: Hate Crime Against American Indians Under-Reported" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Dec 1994 16:55:50 -0800 From: "Arthur R. McGee" Subj:[KLANWATCH] HATE CRIMES AGAINST NATIVE-AMERICANS (fwd) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) From: Ray Kinserlow [KLANWATCH] THE HIDDEN VICTIMS Hate Crime Against American Indians Under-Reported American Indians are the longest standing class of hate victims in the United States. Historic incidents of brutal exploitations and victimization of Native Peoples have been portrayed in numerous books and films. Unfortunately, such occurrences are not confined to America's distant past. American Indians continue to bear racist assaults, harassment, intimidation and even murder. Yet racist crimes perpetrated against Indians are the least likely to appear in the news media. In 1992 the FBI Hate Crime Report tallied only 31 offenses against American Indians and Alaskan Natives. However, these numbers are highly suspect as law enforcement agencies in Alaska, Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico--states with high concentrations of Native Americans--did not participate in the report. Only one agency responded from North Dakota. A year later the FBI 1993 report showed a slight increase in anti-American Indian hate crimes, but again the response was almost negligible. Despite this lack of official participation, recent reports from human rights groups in the Western states show an alarming increase in anti-Indian activism over the last decade. In a 1992 report issued by the Center For World Indigenous Studies titled "Anit-Indian Movement on the Tribal Frontier," author Rudolph Ryser observed that "the more militantly bigoted individuals and (anti-Indian) groups chose direct confrontation with Indian using hate mail, harassment, vandalism and violence to instill fear and instability in Indian communities." The Montana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights supported Ryser in their 1994 report on white supremacy in that state, observing that "Indian nations located in the Pacific Northwest have been the target of increased hostility from right-wing and extremist groups. They have had to contend with racial attacks, organized efforts at political de-stabilization, and increasing incidents of individual harassment, destruction of property and public misinformation." The formation of organized anti-Indian groups in the 1970's marked the first such movement since the late 19th century. Interstate Congress for Equal Rights and Responsibilities (ICERR) led the way for a proliferation of other 'white civil rights' alignments that sprang up in Wisconsin, Washington and Montana. These groups were peppered with Identity followers, members of the Invisible Empire, Aryan Nations and Posse Comitatus. An organization calling itself Wisconsin Alliance for Rights and Resources (WARR) gathered in 1984 to battle against the fishing rights of the Chippewa. The rights were established in 1842 by U.S. treaties. Events soon escalated and, by fall 1984, Chippewa officials requested the FBI to investigate threats of violence against their people. There were threats to kill Indians if they came on certain lakes. Hate mail, intimidation assaults and gunfire became widespread. Fliers advising to "Save a deer, Shoot an Indian" were distributed, along with others that gave a 'point system' for murdered Indians. The result of such organized hatred gave rise to an atmosphere in which racist violence thrived. In 1988, Arch Edwards, a member of the National Alliance and spokesman for the League of Pace Amendment Advocates, began recruiting members in western Montana for an anti-Indian group called All Citizens Equal (ACE). Edwards said at the time that "blacks, indians, and others have no right to be U.S. citizens, even if they are born in this country. Those people have been misled...and never should have expected to retain their citizenship, and they should be asked to leave so the United States can provide a peaceful place for the whites to live by themselves." The Montana civil rights commission went on to warn that "lack of cooperation due to the tension between law enforcement agencies both on and off the reservation, adds to the problem. It is critical for Native American tribes to be covered by hate crime reporting and malicious harassment statutes in order to address and report incidents of this nature on reservations. Without this, a true picture of what is going on cannot be provided." These hate crimes are sometimes organized events, sometimes random outbreaks perpetrated by individuals. They are most prevalent where white communities border large American Indian reservations; where water, hunting and fishing rights conflict with white interests. But they are by no means limited to the rural West. --In Lansing, Michigan a cross was burned on the front lawn of a Native American mother with two children of mixed heritage. Her six year old sons witnessed the fiery threat with fear and anger. --In Sioux City, Iowa an American Indian family was harassed and threatened. Racist graffiti was sprayed on the outside wall of their home. The suspected perpetrators yelled at the mother and grandmother, "You Indian trash!" --In Billings, Montana, vandals sprayed a young couple's home with swastikas and racial epithets. The man is white, his companion, a Native American woman said, "People have the right to have their own opinion, but they don't have the right to paint it on your house." --In a suburb of Seattle, Washington, two young white men approached an Indian man standing in front of the Muckleshoot Tribal Center, and began yelling racial slurs before beating him with baseball bats. The victim was left with multiple head injuries. --In Farmington, New Mexico three white assailants used baseball bats on Navajo man, who was left with permanent brain damage. U.S. Attorney for Montana, Sherry Scheel Matteucci supports mandatory reporting of hate crimes by law enforcement agencies, but far too many neglect to do so, either through indifference or lack of personnel. Matteucci said many crimes against Indians go unreported because Indians fear making complaints against whites to white law enforcement officials. "What good would it do going to the white system? That is the attitude." Avis Little Eagle, managing editor of _Indian Country TODAY_, the nation's largest American Indian newspaper, said "There are many incidents of hate crime. I've done stories on them. There were murders down on the Rosebud (reservation in North Dakota) where they'd pick up Indians and beat them to death. They were non-Indians who did it and then the prosecutors would file manslaughter charges. No murder, nothing intentional. They would get two or three years and a slap on the wrist. And it's not just the killings and the beatings. It's on-going discrimination, like when people go in and sit down at restaurants. We report on that all the time." "It's always been there," Little Eagle continued. "It's just that nobody's ever done anything about it. But now people are speaking out. They're saying it's not right. No. We don't have to put up with it. It was always there but people just didn't say anything." Little Eagle said legal advocacy groups are coming together to deal with the problem of off-reservation hate crimes and discrimination. "Indian people need something with central clout, like the NAACP. Something that would be able to speak for the little guys." In the meantime, it is necessary that law enforcement and the criminal justice system become more aware of this neglected segment of hate victims and respond more vigorously. It will entail rethinking and a more pro-active policy on the part of police and prosecutors, given the historic reluctance of American Indian peoples to come forward with reports of such incidents. Without these, racist violence against Native Americans will go unchecked, continuing a shameful history that should have been buried generations ago. [This article is taken from the _Intelligence Report_ compiled by the Klanwatch staff of the Southern Poverty Law Center, P.O. Box 548, Montgomery, AL 36101-0548. Permission to reprint articles is freely granted when credited to Klanwatch.] --------- "RE: Sinkyone Alert" --------- Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 00:18:45 -0800 From: Robert J Paton Subj: Sinkyone Alert Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council 190 Ford Rd., #333 Ukaih, CA 94582 (707) 485-8744 (707) 485-1247 (fax) RETURN SINKYONE LANDS TO INDIAN HANDS! INTERTRIBAL SINKYONE PARK PLANS THREATENED BY PROPOSED TIMBER INDUSTRY BUYOUT November, 1994 The InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council (ITSWC) recently has learned that North Coast timber interests are now willing and able to purchase the 3,800 acre Sinkyone Upland Parcel adjoining the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park in northwest Mendocino County. This land is owned by Trust for Public Land, and through a contract with the California State Coastal Conservancy, is scheduled to be sold by December 31, 1994. This is the land proposed by ITSWC for the InterTribal Sinkyone Park that will provide restoration and preservation of Sinkyone's many natural and cultural resources, largely destroyed by clearcut logging that was finally halted in 1985 through the "Sally Bell Lawsuit" (EPIC vs. Johnson). Since its founding in 1986, ITSWC has diligently continued its work at Sinkyone to protect and preserve sacred Indian sites and other cultural resources of our People. This is tour Ancestral Homeland and we must preserve our Sinkyone cultural heritage for our children. ITSWC is conducting many successful projects on both the TPL Sinkyone Upland Parcel, and the adjoining Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. These include salmon stream improvement, tree planting and brush removal, endangered species protection and native plant nursery, removal of old logging roads, watershed and forestry stewardship planning, cultural resource monitoring, ethnohistorical studies, cultural/ educational programs and events, and university research projects. ITSWC must raise $1.2 minion for the purchase of the 3,800 acre TPL Sinkyone Upland Parcel. To date, ITSWC's Sinkyone Land Fund has only $62,000. By December 31, 1994, a total of at least $300,000 is needed to secure a down payment. If we cannot raise this money, Sinkyone lands will likely be destroyed again by logging. Then all our work to save and heal our Homelands will have been for naught. We cannot allow the Sinkyone to be lost. Your help is needed to establish the InterTribal Park. The Park will be open to all, and will assure that Sinkyone's irreplaceable natural and cultural resources are protected in perpetuity. It will be the living model of California Indian Land Stewardship that our ancestors practiced here for thousands of years. As Original People of this land, we believe we have a responsibility to help keep the land in balance, and to ensure that future generations will take care of the land, as the land takes care of us. Become a Friend of Sinkyone by donating $100 or more to the Sinkyone Land Fund. Help us to re- establish the California Indian presence at Sinkyone. Your tax-deductible donation may be made to: InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council 190 Ford Road #333 Ukiah, CA 95482 Phone: (707) 485-8744 Letters of support for the InterTribal Park should be sent to: Penny Allen, Chairperson California State Coastal Conservancy 1300 Broadway, Suite 1100 Oakland, CA 94612-2530 Chair of the Board Mendocino County Board Of Supervisors 301 South State Street Ukiah, CA 95482 ITSWC presentations about the Sinkyone land struggle can be arranged upon request. Sinkyone logo shirts ($15.00 ea, available in turquoise, white and grey; adult sizes: medium, large, Xlg, XXlg) and a 46 minute documentary Sinkyone video entitled "The Run to Save Sinkyone" ($30.00 ea) are available. To order send only money orders payable to "ITSWC" and mail to the above address. Above prices include sales tax, postage and handling. Allow three to four weeks for delivery. For the Earth, robert paton (robertjp) [ I saw the video mentioned above a few weeks ago in San Jose, California, and found it to be very well done. --Gary (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ] ted this region for at least 8,000 years. The area's unique, dramatic landscape is due to its terrain and old-growth Redwood forests, which have been largely destroyed by the timber industry. Additionally, Sinkyone contains many sacred sites that remain culturally significant to our people. Native peoples are still connected to this land where they gather food, medicine and spiritual sustenance. We seek to preserve and restore this formerly pristine wilderness area, and to nurture it for our animal, bird, fish, and plant relations, as well as for the future human generations. In establishing the InterTribal Park, our dream is that all people can enjoy the Sinkyone wilderness area through the California Indian perspective. Some people and public entities are of the opinion that the Sinkyone, Wailaki-speaking peoples have vanished. In the first half of the 19th century the U.S. and California State governments paid their citizens to kill Indians. The Sinkyone peoples were victims of this genocide. They were wantonly massacred, and survivors were removed to other areas where they died of exposure, starvation, foreign diseases, and despair. The land's natural resources were exploited without restraint. Some of the Sinkyone were forced to live in the hills like hunted animals until they were no longer perceived as a threat. However, we are honored and proud to say that, contrary to popular belief, Sinkyone descendants are among us today. Through the concerted efforts of Indians and non-Indians, much of the Sinkyone ancestral land has been protected from further destruction by the timber industry. In the lawsuit that saved Sinkyone, known as EPIC vs. Johnson (1985) the Appellate Court held that the California Department of Forestry (CDF) had failed, on several counts, to adhere to its own procedural guidelines necessary for the approval of Timber Harvest Plans. The case set a legal precedent, and CDF had to revamp the mandated procedures for timber harvesting. While our efforts were successful in saving 7,100 Sinkyone acres (later purchased by the State and non-profit corporations), less than half of the land (3,300 acres) was added to the State Park System, with the remainder subject to be sold in the near future. Currently, we are negotiating with the State Coastal Conservancy for the ultimate transfer of title to our Council of the remaining 3,800 acres, now owned by the Trust for Public Lands (TPL). We are investigating how the InterTribal Park will address economic and land use concerns of the State and County, and at the same time re-establish the Native American land stewardship ethic on the TPL 3,800 acre parcel. For more information on the InterTribal Park, and on getting involved with support efforts in the Bay Area, call Bay Area Friends of Sinkyone at (510) 486-8939. InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council 190 Ford Rd., #333 Ukaih, CA 94582 (707) 485-8744 (707) 485-1247 (fax) INTERTRIBAL SINKYONE WILDERNESS COUNCIL GOALS 1. Acquire 3,800 acres of ancestral Sinkyone land on the Lost Coast of California in northern Mendocino County. 2. Create the InterTribal Park at Sinkyone, where visitors can learn about California Indian traditional land stewardship. 3. Implement a sustainable land stewardship plan based on indigenous knowledge of the area and emphasizing traditional Indian uses. 4. Provide access for Indian people to sacred sites and traditional food sources. Benefit Indian people by providing employment opportunities in land restoration and presentation. 5. Protect and preserve Sinkyone cultural and natural resources. HISTORY OF THE LAND AND PEOPLE The Sinkyone Wilderness is located in the Northwest corner of Mendocino County, California. Before European settlement, this area was inhabited by communities of Sinkyone people who lived on the abundant fish, game, and plant life found in this mild climate. In the 19th century, settlers massacred the Sinkyone people in a state-supported land grab, leaving local tribes decimated. In the century that followed virtually all of old growth redwoods in the region were logged, devastating Sinkyone ecosystems. Today, descendants of the Sinkyone and other California Coastal peoples have joined forces to reclaim a portion of the Sinkyone lands. RECENT HISTORY The ITSWC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit consortium formed in 1986, now includes ten tribes: Coyote Valley, Hopland, Pinoleville, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Round Valley, Robinson, Sherwood Valley, Hoopa, and Trinidad. The 3,800 acres sought by the Council were saved from Georgia-Pacific's chainsaws in the mid-eighties; and are now owned by the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and managed by the California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC). The Council has received grants and contracts for tree-planting, creek restoration, brush clearing, Native American forest stewardship planning, and cultural site protection on the land from numerous public and private funding sources, proving its commitment to stewarding this land. As a result, the Council has won the respect and support of the SCC, but one more barrier remains: $1.2 million must be raised by December 31, 1994, to recoup the SCCs costs. If this deadline is not met in one of the ways outlined below, timber interests may again rear their heads in the guise of "sustainable" logging and attempt to buy the land. Bay Area Friends of Sinkyone BAFS is a support group for the ITSWC which formed in 1991 at UC Berkeley and has been involved in a number of fundraising, public awareness, educational, and academic projects. These include: East Bay benefit concerts at Ashkenaz and La Pena; three student-initiated classes at UCB on the Sinkyone issue; student projects on GIS computer mapping, forest growth monitoring, and other issues to assist the Council; a Bike-A-thon from San Francisco to Sinkyone; an exhibit in local cafes of photos taken by Berkeley High School students at Sinkyone; an herbarium, which will include preserved specimens of plant species at Sinkyone; and tabling and letter-writing campaigns at events and on Sproul Plaza at UCB. Current projects include: + the herbarium, collecting, identifying, and preserving Sinkyone flora + the second annual Sinkyone Bike-A-thon + Student-initiated (D-cal class on Sinkyone at Cal (Restoring Native Californian Land and Culture) + Sinkyone youth Outings, trips for Native American youth to Sinkyone + tabling and letter-writing + Berkeley High Sinkyone Photo Show (Looking for a home) To got involved, please call (510) 486-8939 for info on meeting times and dates.