Subject: nanews03.008 From: gars@netcom.com (Gary Night Owl) To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Message-ID: _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 03, ISSUE 008 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 25 February 1995 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 NATIVE-L, NATCHAT & EIRP Mailing Lists, Genie (General Electric) & UUCP email, 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 to include in the NATIVE-L lists.(part A) It is echoed on AISESnet, IND-NET, and EIRP listservers and archived by AISESnet. 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. Thanks to Phil Duran, duranp@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu, issues are now being archived at the Washington State University gopher in the following directory: gopher.wsu.edu /WSU Campuses Info /Public Services /Native Peoples "... all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man ... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports." __ Chief Seattle, Dwamish +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! This issue contains a poem for strength from our Western Shoshone brother, Larry Kibby. The remainder of the articles are primarily about attacks on our people and our way of being. Clearly, that strength is needed. Peace! 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 - Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe Response - Conferences and Powwows - online - Silko's Use of Blue and - Lighting the Seventh Fire the Directions - Newfondland Derails Discussions - Contract on America to Defuse Voisey Bay - Chiapas Action Kit - Kemano, Tobin Tasked - Whitedog's 16 Powwow Rules - Revenue Rez (Sweetgrass Revolution) - NATO to Invade Innu Airspace - Poem: A Prayer of Strength - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe Response" --------- Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 07:28:46 -0800 (EST) From: C. Peggy Venable (forwarded by Janet Smith Subj: Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe Response (Re:Recognized Groups in Georgia) GE Electronic Mail From: C. Peggy Venable Speaker of the House The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe Re: Rep. Dist. 66, House of Representatives Response Concerning Letter regarding State Recognized Groups in Georgia Wdow@igc.agc.org Written testimony for the Council of Churches Hearings on Racism as a Human Right Violation in the United States--Tulsa, OK., Oct. 15, 1994. Submitted by Isabel Catolster, Eastern Band Cherokees This letter is in response to Ms. Isabel Catolster referring to the "three groups of non-Indian people granted state recognition in Georgia" in 1992. The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe East of the Mississippi is one of those three tribes and, on behalf of the Tribe, I would like to respond to Ms. Isabel. First, I would like to address some facts about the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. If Ms. Isabel had done her research before speaking such pernicious words against us, she would have found a rich history of the indigenous Creek people of the State of Georgia, whose ancestors would have rather died or be forced into European culture rather than leave their beloved homes. Even though these genuine people were forced to assimilate and live according to the European society rules, they kept their traditions, culture, and heritage alive surreptitiously. If Ms. Isabel had done investigation into The Lower Muskogee Creeks before making such accusations as she has, she would have had a better understanding of a remnant of a proud people who, as years go by, find more and more written documentation of what they know to be true by oral education brought down through generations. The first treaty made by the Creeks with Great Britain was with Oglethorpe in Savannah, Georgia in 1733 when the colonies were newly settled. Many treaties followed the Oglethorpe Treaty and recognized the Creek Nation as an existing continuous people with the United States Government. If Ms. Isabel had delved into the historic background of the Muskogee Creeks as vehemently as she tried to decimate the truth about our people, she would have found that the first Treaty between the United States and the Creek Nation took place in 1790 as a treaty of peace and friendship. She would have found that this treaty has never been made null and void. The United States guaranteed the Creek Nation a large territory covering most of Georgia and Alabama in this 1790 Treaty. In 1802, the State of Georgia sold all the Creek land to the United States government, and in return, the United States government promised to remove all the Creek people as soon as possible. The boundary line of the Treaty of 1790 changed twice before 1812. In the war of 1812, the Upper Creeks chose to side with the British, while the Lower (or Friendly) Creeks chose the side of the United States. This resulted in a Creek Civil-War on 1813-14. Regardless of the Creek Civil War, the Lower Muskogee Creeks have never born arms against the United States government, but, as history shows, have found alongside them against the enemies of the United States. Many Muskogee Creeks fought in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, The Korean Conflict, Viet Nam, and Desert Storm. If Ms. Isabel had pounced on the evidence that the United States did nothing while the State government made oppressing laws which resulted in the tormenting and suppressing of the Creeks who chose to stay and not leave in the wholesale round-up of their people, in the same manner which she pounced on the honor of our people, she would understand the "submerging" of a people into hiding and fear. She would see how South Georgia because a haven for friendly Creeks in 1832 when the wholesale removal began. These friendly Creeks would join the church and try to adapt to the way of life of the settlers in order to remain near where their ancestors' bones rested. They were called persons of color, black, or mulatto, but were denied the right to be known as what they were-- Muskogee Creek. Ceremonial, tribal, and social rights were taken from the Creeks, as well as the right to publicly speak our language. Therefore, this all went underground and resulted in secret government and ceremonial meetings in the South Swamps of Attapulgus, Georgia. Many displaced Creeks looked to leaders such as William Williams for hope and protection, and many listed themselves as slaves in order to remain. Church records show listings of many Creeks who joined the church to be able to stay in the East. Documents such as wills, debts, marriage records, marks and brands, and Creek meetings were found in South Georgia courthouses. As late as 1856, trainloads of Indians were seen going through Thomasville Georgia being moved West. Rewards were offered for Warriors, women and children. Some Creeks did leave Georgia. In chains. Rounded up like cattle. Some escaped and fled to the South Swamps of Attapulgus, Georgia, the vicinity of Poarch, Alabama, and Holmes Valley, Florida. Many descendants of those who stayed live in these areas today. The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe maintained an economical dependence upon farming, sharecropping, fishing, and agricultural labor. Leadership among the Creeks was from the elders of each community represented. Government was carried on by each family and each clan had their form of government with a national meeting known as "Homecoming." Each family served one another in a spirit of community whether looking after each other's children, support during a death, tending the sick, and sending each other letters, as noted in the Decatur County, Georgia, courthouse. A one hundred year old struggle began in 1854 when a petition was filed for payment on Creek land wrongfully taken. It may interest you to know, Ms. Isabel, that two of our chiefs (Daniel S. Aspberry, died 6/2/1856 and William Brown If'a Imathl, died 12/21/1886) died in Washington, D.C. fighting our cause, and are buried in a private cemetery in Washington, D. C. alongside some of the United States' Presidents. The suit was filed again in the 1940's by Calvin McGhee, a documented descendant of Len McGhee, a known member of the original Creek Nation. Some 800 Georgians were recognized as Creek descendants. McGhee contributed greatly to the survival of the Creek people, as did Neal McCormick, Wesley Thombley, and host of individual members of the Lower Muskogee Creeks. Read the newspapers, search the chronicles, look us up, Ms. Isabel. You'll find us. The price was paid with blood, sweat, and tears. We fought and we won. The struggle was kept alive so our children can perform traditional ceremonies, speak our language, dance our stomps, and tell Creek stories around the fire. We know racism. We know prejudice, and we will not execute this treatment on anyone. We are not soon-to-be Indians, or non-Indians, and these highly inflammatory remarks need to be retracted by Ms. Isabel. Cherokees know struggle, as Creeks do. It is difficult to understand her prejudice towards us, as we are all the same race. We suffer the same diseases, same hardships, the same poverty and lack of education. We do not want to hurt anyone, just help our people. We have maintained a culture, and are rightly given the title as state recognized. We have our own land, purchased by our people, with no little sacrifice. We should all have the "benefit" of a good, warm, clean home, food on the table, and a job. Read our documents. We sometimes grow tired of repeatedly having to prove our history, our heritage, and our existence. But, the point is, Ms. Isabel, we are here to do exactly that. We will continue the struggle to maintain what we have accomplished, and when we are gone, our children will continue, and when they've gone, their children will continue. We survived. Time will not allow us to go into detail of our hundreds of years history, and our accomplishments of this last decade. That is why we would like to extend an invitation to Ms. Isabel, or anyone interested, to come and see. Regards, C. Peggy Venable Speaker of the House --------- "RE: Silko's Use of Blue and the Directions" --------- Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 14:34:58 -0500 From: zzshem@acc.wuacc.edu (sheldon mary) Subj: Silko's Use of Blue and the Directions Mailing List: NATIVELIT Daniel Bonadurer wrote: "Consider blue as an important signifier of geographical direction i.e. blue wind. Is blue for west, white for north, red for east, and yellow for south, in Laguna Pueblo?" Carter Revard wrote: "And one thing to consider is how Silko insists on `changes' as crucial." Susan Brill wrote: "Yes, different colors point to different directions for different tribes, and even within some tribes, the colors might shift their directional referents based on the particular ceremony or story." I, a university professor nonetheless, learned this from a Potawatomie elder when he was alive a few years back: Not only can the colors vary, but the directions are beyond my imagination [and certainly knowledge!] After a sweat, the elder who had directed it motioned me over. He knew who I was, but we had never spoken. He said, "What are the directions?" Wow! Was I relieved he had asked me something I knew! I said: "North, South, East, and West." He held out his hand in which he was already holding something and motioned for me to place mine under his. I did. Four small pieces of yellow glass fell into my hand. Happy, I knew I would always keep them, (proof of how much I knew, after all!) After the next sweat some time later, he motioned me over again and asked me the same question. I responded in the same way. He said, "Is that all?" I answered, "I think so!" He held out his hand in which he was already holding something and motioned for me to place mine under his. I did. As two small pieces of yellow glass fell into my hand, he said, smiling, "There's above and below!" Wow! Did I feel foolish! I put those two with the other four. And I was pleased with this new insight! After the next sweat some time later, he motioned me over again and asked me the same question. I said "Six!" and listed them to prove I could learn. He held out his hand in which he was already holding something and motioned for me to place min under his. I did. As one small piece of yellow glass fell into my hand, he said, sternly, "There's WITHIN!" Wow! Now I was stunned. Of course, that explained visions, for instance! I put this one with the other six. And now, I believed, I, a university professor, DID FINALLY KNOW the directions. Quite a while later, one of my students died and this elder had prayers for her at this time. After the prayers and good words, I headed to my car in the dark night. Out of nowhere, so it seemed stepped this elder in front of me. He held out his hand and motioned for me to place mine under his. I did. A rain of small pieces of yellow glass filled my hand. "And after we die," he whispered, "these are all the directions then." I cried on the way home. So now I wonder if blue is for within, which is where Tayo traveled, in one sense, to find so many things in the heart--starting with that ceremony that led to the rain clouds coming over Mount Taylor. Or is it for yet another direction, one I still have not yet fathomed exists? (Until, maybe, someday, when another piece of yellow glass might fall into my hand?) Just some thoughts. (And if feels good to start the weekend with a story, friends!) Mitakuye Oyasin (Someday, may we all believe it!) Mary Sheldon --------- "RE: Contract on America" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 03:53:33 -0500 From: Tracy.L.Canard@DARTMOUTH.EDU (Tracy L. Canard) Subj: Contract on America UUCP email Hi all, I KNOW THIS IS LONG POST, AND I MAY SPARK SOME DEBATE, BUT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND AFFECTS ALL, I URGE YOU TO READ IT IN ENTIRETY!!!! This past Sunday students at Dartmouth held a rally to protest the proposed education cuts in the GOP's "Contract on America" These cuts scare me as a student on financial aid, who has a mother going to college as well. I will post the cuts with this message, but briefly let me explain a little. If these cuts go through, I will not be able to finish college here or go on to grad. school, I depend on student loans, work study, pell grants, etc. to cover the $27, 000+ a year tuition bill. I do not agree with Newt Gingrich's statement that my generation is filled with apathetic people who are taking a free ride. I don't have the bill number handy to give you all, but the fact that it is even being theorized about scares the hell out of me! and if they pass then they will go into effect next year, the 1995-1996 academic year!!!..... I have e-mailed, and called all my congress reps. in Utah, and New Hampshire, as well as other districts and states to voice my concern. Not only are these cuts going to affect the poor, the minorities, etc. it will affect EVERYONE in this country!.....the proposed cuts not only deal with student loans and financial aid, but the humanities, science research and others. This is a plan which will catapult us back by 50 years!! making the "American Dream", and the "college dream" possible for only the wealthy once again!..... While the "minority" groups on campus organized this event, this is not just a minority issue, although statistically the majority to be affected will be the minority groups, poor, and lower-middle class families. I urge you to call, e-mail, snail mail, your local representatives in congress and ask them to take a stand against these proposed cuts. EDUCATION is a RIGHT we all deserve under the constitution of the United States, it should NOT be a huge political issue. Why the republicans and democrats have to make it so angers me.... I for one want to go on to grad. school, and someday when I have children, I would like to know that education is available to them and not just to the rich elite. I am going into education ultimately, I want to be a teacher, I don't want to have to say to a classroom of bright, young native children that they will never be a doctor, or scientist because they can't afford to go to school!! We need to protect the right for an education for our future generations!!! Like I said I don't have the exact bill number, but from what we do know, there will be a preliminary vote taking place on tuesday(some time today!!) regarding the first of these cuts which are the SEOG's and Perkins Loans I believe. Please call your congress rep. have your family call, and have your friends call. Education is a RIGHT not a privilege!!! I know this post is long but please keep reading!! mvto! Tracy L. Canard ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following are contents of a pamphlet the students distributed, and are included for reference. Calling Congress The US House of Representatives is putting together its version of the FY 1996 Budget. One of the cuts to that budget suggested by the Republican Contract with America and associated documents is that of the student loan interest exemption for Perkins Loans and Stafford Loans, Pell Grants, and SEOG Grants. The interest exemption is that subsidy by the federal government that keeps you from paying interest on the loan while you are in school. Without this exemption, students with loans could experience debt increases of as much as 50%, up to $35,000 for some graduate & professional students. Grants are gifts or awards that do not have to be paid back. Pell Grants help about 91% of families who earn less then 30,000 dollars a year, which totals about 6.2 billion dollars per year. SEOG Grants help with about 583 million dollars per year. Dartmouth receives roughly about 1 million dollars yearly from SEOG Grants. Call your representative directly in Washington, DC. If you don't know the number, call the House Information Switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and give them the name of your Representative and ask to be connected to that office. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Proposed cuts: 1) "Reduce the overhead Rate on Federally Sponsored University Research" 1.6 billion dollars 2) "Reduce Indirect Teaching Adjustment to 3%" Refers to reducing Medicare payments to hospitals for the indirect costs of teaching programs. A medicare reduction that will affect the quality of health care for the poor and the quality of medical education and biomedical research. 13.5 billion dollars 3) "Student Loan Interest Accrual" Would eliminate the subsidy on the Stafford Loan, causing students to pay interest while still in school. Would increase student indebtedness by 15-50 percent depending on length of study. 9.6 billion dollars 4) "Convert campus based aid" Would eliminate The Supplemental Grant, Work Study, and Perkins Loan. Would eliminate an average of $3125 dollars per student for 1.4 million of the nations neediest students 2.9 billion dollars 5) "Limit rate of Growth for the National Science Foundation" The NSF provides grants to universities for fundamental science research, graduate student support and research infrastructure needs. Would harm long term scientific research. 350 million dollars 6) "Eliminate the Advance Technology Program" Provides fundamental support to generic precompetitive technologies through matching grants. 820 million dollars. 7) "Reduce Arts and Humanities" Would eliminate the National Endowment for the Humanities, the primary source of funding for Historical and Humanities research. 531 million ++Total cuts 18.7 billion dollars in education cuts over the next five years. The effects of these cuts would be catastrophic to higher education: 1) Force approximately 2 million students out of school. 2) Increase Student indebtedness 3) Force the closing of many smaller colleges with as yet unmeasured effect on their communities. 4) Force remaining schools to curtail programs. 5) Put the burden of funding education more heavily on the States, forcing tuition to spiral upwards. 6) Flood the work force, devaluing all Americans real wages even further. ****Student Aid Action**** Student Aid Action calls upon students to fight these cuts through direct demonstrations at their local representatives offices, at house budget committee hearings in the field, and wherever else you can make an impact on the national agenda. We have agreed to send information, media support, contacts with other student groups, and speakers, and whatever else is needed to help students on other campuses beat back the Right's attack on education. Student Aid Action c/o Antioch College Student Government 795 Livermore Ave Yellow Springs OH 45387 513 767 9607 smoon@college.antioch.edu WHAT DO I SAY? 1. Give your name and address. 2. Tell that you oppose cuts to the student loan interest exemption. 3. Ask for the Representative's support AND ask the Representative to contact Rep. John Kasich (House Budget Committee) and let him know not to cut the interest exemption in his budget. 4. Ask for a return call or letter identifying your Representative's position. Possible Text: "Hello, my name is Dick/Jane, a student at blank college and I'm calling to make sure that Representative Smith doesn't vote to cut student financial aid. I'm most concerned about the student loan interest exemption. Are you familiar with that program? (IF NOT) The federal government pays interest on my student loan while I am in school. I can't go to school without my loans, but if the interest were to accumulate while I was in school, I would graduate owing thousands and thousands more. I can't afford it! I wouldn't have been able to go to grad school, except for student loans. Some have proposed eliminating the interest exemption as a way to pay for other programs in the Contract with America. I want to make sure that education remains a priority. I hope Representative Smith will call Rep. John Kasich (House Budget Committee Chair) and tell him not to cut the student loan interest exemption in the budget." Call twice. Call the Representative of your home town and call the Representative of the district around your campus. Have Mom and Dad call. Have Grandma and Grandpa call. Have your significant other call. --------- "RE: Chiapas Action Kit" --------- From: gwelker@mail.lmi.org Date: Thu, 16 Feb 95 09:03:14 EST Subj: CHIAPAS ACTION KIT UUCP email Here are 3 letters that came to me via the Chiapas List. They have been sent to several lists. If you think they can help the situation in Chiapas, please forward them to whomever you can think. Thanks. Glenn P.S. - There is a new list called PNEWS, which sent me this too. It is part of the .apc groups I believe. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ From: Erik T. Thompson I am aware that not all of you will be able to carry this, however, I am hoping that at least a few of you will be able to post this or print it. Please try to get this out to as many as possible. There may not be much more time. Thank you, Erik Thompson, NMSU. At the end of last week the Mexican government launched a military attack on the EZLN. There are reports of torture as well as coerced confessions. All press has been excluded from the region. However, Professor Neil Harvey, of New Mexico State University has been in contact with many of the contacts he has made in the course of a decade worth of research. According to Harvey, the Mexican government has trumped phoney reasons to justify breaking the cease fire. For example, the Zedillo administration claim that the Zapatistas have received a shipment of arms from Central America, were planning an imminent offensive and have kidnapped soldiers in Chiapas, none of which, according to Harvey's sources, is true. As of Friday February 10, judicial police had surrounded the offices of Bishop Samuel Ruiz and human rights monitors in San Cristobal. Harvey, co-author of _Party Politics in "an Uncommon Democracy": Political Parties and Elections in Mexico_, speculates that pressure from Wall Street to resolve the Chiapas problem is what encouraged the Zedillo government to act. Americans are encouraged to contact your Senators and Representatives and make it clear that this is not an acceptable course of action. ################################################################ From: Paul Houle Subject: Following Messages Hank, I'm sending you the CHIAPAS ACTION KIT even though I have posted it to a number of groups; although it is on MAP, LEFT-L, CHIAPAS-L and other lists, I think it's very important and timely so you might want to put it on PNEWS, particularly in FIDO country where people might not get MAP. ####################################### From: Paul Houle Subject: CHIAPAS ACTION KIT INFO Subject: **URGENT!** CHIAPAS ACTION KIT INTRO --text follows this line-- [The following is the introduction for the CHIAPAS ACTION KIT, a set of electronic documents designed to help activists quickly respond to the rapidly developing crisis in Chiapas. Three more messages that follow will include two petitions to the Mexican government and a draft letter to President Bill Clinton. ACTIVATE NOW to protect the indigenous people of Chiapas!] On January 1st last year, the first day that NAFTA took effect, a guerilla army seized several cities in the south Mexican provence of Chiapas. Chiapas has a population composed mostly of indigenous people, Mayan indians who have been severely oppressed for centuries since the coming of the Spaniards; today it is one of the poorest parts of mexico, terrorized by government security forces and the "white guards", private armies belonging to rich landowners. The EZLN, or Zapatistas, rose up because NAFTA endangers their already marginal livelihood; although Chiapas is an agricultural region rich in natural resources, it cannot compete with heavily subsidized high- tech corporate agriculture in the US. This last week, as of 2/11/95 the Mexican government has begun a campaign of suppression against the EZLN and the people of Chiapas. The city of San Cristobal has been surrounded by the army and the media has been excluded from the area; attempts have been made to capture Zapatista leaders, including "Subcommandante Marcos" who has been a articulate spokesperson for the EZLN. Because this situation is developing rapidly, we are attempting to use e-mail to rapidly organize both a local and national petition drive. In the next few messages you will find some basic information about the Chiapas situation, two petitions to the Mexican government and a draft e-mail message to President Bill Clinton of the United States. This is an electronic action kit that you can use to help the people of Chiapas survive. The CHIAPAS ACTION KIT helps you and other activists respond to this situation by providing draft petitions and letters that you can use to become part of an international campaign to help the EZLN and people of Chiapas. [1] Print out copies of the two petitions that follow. [2] Distribute them at meetings of organizations where people would be interested in signing. Talk to people in your organization to coordinate these efforts make them available. [3] Mail the petitions to the addresses given or FAX them to the numbers given. [4] Use this information as a nucleus to build you own petition drive to support the EZLN. Because these files contain already-written petitions, all you have to do is print them out (edit them if you wish) get signatures and mail them. [5] Use our draft E-MAIL letter, part 3 of the CHIAPAS ACTION KIT to write an electronic or paper message to President Bill Clinton urging him to talk the Mexican government into a peaceful solution and to respond to the Zapatista's demands. [6] Distribute the CHIAPAS ACTION KIT by E-mail, paper, fax to anybody who might be interested in participating. Please send E-mail to ph18@cornell.edu about your experiences, thoughts and comments with the CHIAPAS ACTION KIT; particularly we're interested in finding out how effective an electronic petition kit can be for rapid organizing. Remember that this situation is developing by the hour, and that what we do can make a difference for the survival of the indigenous people of Chiapas, the EZLN, and perhaps the future of North America. In Struggle, Paul Houle ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: CHIAPAS ACTION KIT (PART 01/03) (cut here)444444 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To: Lic. Ernesto Zedillo, Presidente de la Republica, Palacio Nacional 06067 Mexico D.F. Mexico We recognize that the people of Chiapas, represented by the EZLN have suffered from centuries of repression and risk losing what livelihood they do have to heavily subsidized US agriculture under NAFTA; we recognize that they have legitimate grievances and hope that they can find a peaceful, reasonable and democratic settlement with the Mexican government. We deplore the recent attacks against the EZLN which appear to be related to Mexico's current economic crisis. We protest this act of overt violence and call for an immediate withdrawal of Mexican military personnel from the region. We also call for humane treatment of prisoners and respect for their civil rights, and for compliance with the Geneva Convention. We call on the Mexican government to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation, and to respond to the just demands being issued by the EZLN for peace, liberty and justice Name Address Phone # ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: CHIAPAS ACTION KIT (PART 02/03) (cut here) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To: His Excellency Silva Herzog Embassy of Mexico 1911 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20006 (202) 728-1600 We recognize that the people of Chiapas, represented by the EZLN have suffered from centuries of repression and risk losing what livelihood they do have to heavily subsidized US agriculture under NAFTA; we recognize that they have legitimate grievances and hope that they can find a peaceful, reasonable and democratic settlement with the Mexican government. We deplore the recent attacks against the EZLN which appear to be related to Mexico's current economic crisis. We protest this act of overt violence and call for an immediate withdrawal of Mexican military personnel from the region. We also call for humane treatment of prisoners and respect for their civil rights, and for compliance with the Geneva Convention. We call on the Mexican government to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation, and to respond to the just demands being issued by the EZLN for peace, liberty and justice Name Address Phone # ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Paul Houle Subject: CHIAPAS ACTION KIT (PART 03/03) (cut here) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To: president@whitehouse.gov I recognize that the people of Chiapas, represented by the EZLN have suffered from centuries of repression and risk losing what livelihood they do have to heavily subsidized US agriculture under NAFTA; we recognize that they have legitimate grievances and hope that they can find a peaceful, reasonable and democratic settlement with the Mexican government. I deplore the recent attacks against the EZLN which appear to be related to Mexico's current economic crisis. I protest this act of overt violence and call for an immediate withdrawal of Mexican military personnel from the region. We also call for humane treatment of prisoners and respect for their civil rights, and for compliance with the Geneva Convention. I call on the Mexican government to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation, and to respond to the just demands being issued by the EZLN for peace, liberty and justice. Given the close relationship between the US and Mexico, I implore you to use your influence to help bring about the peaceful resolution of this situation, and to influence the Mexican government to respond to the demands of the Zapatistas. Thank you, --------- "RE: Whitedog's 16 Powwow Rules" --------- Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 22:16:56 GMT From: Charles Phillip Whitedog Subj: Whitedog's 16 Powwow rules Newsgroup: soc.culture.native Since new people join all the time, I have been asked to repost my rules a couple times a year. Here they are: Some people don't want rules, yet others can't function without them. The POWWOW that many of us take for granted can be intimidating for those that are unfamiliar with it. The following are general rules I give to "first timers" when they go to a POWWOW. 1) Listen to the Master of Ceremonies. Each Powwow is different and this is rule number one! All instructions for guests and participants come from the MoC. 2) Do not sit within the arena. The chairs inside the arena are reserved for the dancers or signers. Use the outside circle or bleachers if provided. 3) If you want to take pictures, check with the POWWOW host first, then check with the person you are taking pictures of and ASK THEIR PERMISSION. Under no circumstances may you enter the arena to take photos. Put your camera down for all memorial dances. 4) All tape recording must be done with the permission of the Master of Ceremonies and the Lead (or Head) Singer of EACH drum. When a new drum starts, do not enter the arena to get to the other drum. Don't run. Miss the song and wait for the next one to take your time getting to the drum. Nothing is more rude than "Recorder-runners" ganging around a drum. Many Powwows disallow this anyway (fine by me!). 5) If you are not wearing traditional Regalia, you may dance on social songs (like Two-Step, Blanket Dance, Honoring Songs, Circle, etc..) Sometimes a blanket dance is held to gather money. You may enter the circle to donate and dance. 6) Only those with the permission of the Lead Singer may sit at a drum. (And it's a good idea to know the songs because it's often a habit to ask the "stranger" to lead one.) 7) Stand and men must remove their hat (unless traditional head gear) during the Grand Entry, Flag Songs, Invocation, Memorial, Veterans Songs, and the Closing Song. 8) During the Gourd Dancing, only Gourd Dancers and Gourd Dance Societies are to enter the Dance arena. Owning a gourd rattle does not make one a Gourd Dancer. Check with the local Societies. 9) Please do not permit your children to enter the dance circle unless they are dancing. 10) Do not touch anyone's dance Regalia without their permission. These clothes are not "costumes" and yes we use modern things like safety pins and such because we are a "living" culture, our Regalia is subject to change. Leave your stereotypes at home. (Yes there are some blond tribal enrolled Indians... no ones fault that life goes on!) 11) If you are asked to dance by an elder, do so. It is rude and disrespectful to say, "I don't know how." They know that you don't know how to dance so how can you learn if you turn the elders down? 12) Most all Powwows do not allow Alcoholic beverages, Gold Paint cans, or drugs here. The Powwow is a time of joyful gathering and celebration of life. Alcohol and drugs are destroying our way of life and these "bad" spirits are not welcome. 13) It's funny how much trash we as people drop. Make an extra effort to walk to the trash can. Respect Mother Earth. 14) Remember always: Native American Indian dances are more than the word "dance" can describe. They are a ceremony and a prayer which all life encompasses and produce many emotional and spiritual reactions. Some dances are old, some are brand new... the culture continues to live and evolve. Respect what is sacred to others. 15) Urban Powwows are much more "tense" than Powwows on the rez. As people are away from the comfort of culture, they tend to take things more seriously. Abide by peoples wishes and requests. We as Indian people believe differently. Some dance around clockwise, others counter clockwise. If our host asks, we sometimes voluntarily show our respect by temporarily changing our way(s). When they are in our house they do the same. 16) Have fun. Buy something from the vendors. Donate if you can. And most of all don't be so uptight and relax. The whole universe comes together this day to celebrate. You are invited to join in. Hope this helps. --Charles Phillip Whitedog, Ojibway ++ Many people have asked, so permission is granted for you to use these rules for your Powwow. All I ask is you send me a copy via Email or just let me know. Charles.P.White@JPL.NASA.GOV --------- "RE: Revenue Rez (Sweetgrass Revolution)" --------- Date: Mon Feb 20, 1995 From: Suzan Horovitch (a.horovitch@genie.geis.com) Subj: Revenue Rez (Sweetgrass Revolution) GE Electronic Mail REVENUE REZ The Sweetgrass Revolution has Started On Weds. Feb 8, 1995, a small group of aboriginal people arrived in Ottawa to continue a protest which started with the 39 day occupation of the Revenue Canada building in Toronto. The occupation of the fifth floor of that building, and the support camp which grew outside the building has become known as Revenue Rez. By Wednesday afternoon, three small tents and a tipi containing our groups's sacred fire had been erected on parliament hill, and fifteen to twenty people were on hand to endure the first afternoon of peaceful protest in bitter winds and sub-zero temperatures. With us were men and women of all backgrounds, including two of our grandmothers, women over seventy years of age. Our hearts and spirits were strong together, as our traditions and ceremonies had kept us strong throughout the Toronto occupation. Permission for the protest had been granted us by the Algonquin Nation of Golden Lake, who are the rightful owners of this land. At sundown, our group was attacked by 60 members of the RCMP riot squad, bearing automatic weapons and equipped with shields, helmets, batons, dogs and all the riot gear necessary for their protection from our little band of 16 unarmed people. Our tipi was smashed down, causing damage and breaking poles, our tents were pulled down, our people were shoved, two among us were wrestled to the ground and arrested, and an attempt was made to stomp out our sacred fire. Desecration and violence were, once again, visited upon us. The next day we were back on the hill. There were a few more of us, and in our closing ceremony that afternoon our prayers were stronger, our circler larger, and again, the day after that. By Friday we had created a new camp located on Victory ( Victoria) Island and the sacred fire of Revenue Rez was burning anew. Our tipi is back up, broken but standing firm, and the courage and prayers of our people have kept us warm through the long nights and days or sleeping out and walking the Hill. But our voice is small. Our issues are many: not only is our concern for the unjust changes in the taxation laws which contravene all treaties and agreements between native peoples and the federal government, but also it is time for all to hear the truth of our lives and our communities in which our children are killing themselves because they do not know why they have been given lives that are degraded, devalued, demeaned. Yes, it is that bad for them. Without the support and resources of those of us here in Ottawa who care about the children of the earth, our voice will continue to be unheard, and we will all suffer for it. Donations: We have an ongoing need for the following: Food Water, coffee, tea and non-alcoholic beverages Firewood Cedar and spruce boughs Clothing appropriate to cold weather conditions Flashlights, batteries and candles Billeting shower facilities garbage bags, toilet paper etc. $$$$$$ We can also use tools, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, foam mattresses, sheets, blankets , portable radios, cameras. Services: photocopying, electrical, fund raising and driving & transportation The Sweetgrass Revolution is a people based, grassroots movement. We have no corporate sponsors, no funding and little support from conventional organizations. We are people doing what we have to do because we have nothing else, because 500 years have exhausted all other approaches to establishing our own well being, and because we cannot bear to see what tomorrow will bring to our children if nothing changes. We are a spiritual movement under the guidance of our elders. We speak each day to Creator, offering our tobacco and our tanks for what has been given us, and asking that our hearts and spirits stay strong for a little longer. Your prayers will always help. Donations can be taken directly to Victory Island. More information is available from: Stone Angel Institute 314 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0E2 Fax (613) 235-1791 Tel:(613)236-7826 Come and join us on the Hill where you will find us each day between 12 noon and 4:30 pm. Walk with us an hour or two, bring your friends, your open minds and hearts. visit us at home on Victory Island, the life and work we are sharing, our songs, our sacred fire and our circle. Meegwetch Paul & Ann Paquette, Roger Obonsawin, Bobby Woods Posted with permission from Paul Paquette Posted by Brave Star --------- "RE: NATO to Invade Innu Airspace" --------- Date: 95/02/17 07:29 From: James D. Audlin (j.audlin@genie.geis.com) Subj: NATO to Invade Innu Airspace GE Electronic Mail O'siyo, brother! This is a mailing from the "Friends of Nitassinan", for which, you may recall, I'm one of two New England coordinators. Wado! --D.E. ACTION ALERT: NATO to Invade Nitassinan Airspace in Spring 1995 The United States Air Force has announced plans to conduct low-level training over Innu land this spring. They join the British, German, and Dutch air forces, which currently conduct 7 to 8000 low-level training sorties per season over Innu land, called Nitassinan by the Innu, in eastern Quebec, operating out of Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay. The Innu Nation has just learned that the Belgian, Italian, and French air forces will also be training at Goose Bay this spring. The Canadian Department of National Defence has announced these flights without even waiting for the results of the federal environmental review of the program, suggesting that the military already knows the result and the recommendations, and is moving to implement its objective of bringing in a fourth air force and increasing the number of sorties to 18,000 per season. The following is a sample letter drafted to Dr. William Perry, Secretary of Defense of the United States. Please make a copy, sign it, and send it. Circulate it to friends and colleagues. Similar letters can be sent to the governments of Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., and Canada. The Innu urgently need your help now to stop the flights! --the Friends of Nitassinan Dr. William Perry, Secretary of Defense, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 20301. (703) 697-5737 (703) 695-1219 FAX Dear Dr. Perry: I am writing to express my objections to the USAF low-level flying training proposed for Innu airspace this coming April. It is my understanding that the training will involve F-16 aircraft from the 52nd Fighter Wing based at Spangdahlem, Germany. They will stop at Goose Bay for stepdown training on their way to the Maple Flag exercises at Cold Lake, Alberta. The airspace that the USAF plans to train in has never been ceded to the Canadian government by way of treaty or land rights agreement, and belongs, therefore, to the Innu people. In lieu of treaty, the Canadian government is illegally renting out Innu airspace and certain ground facilities to third parties (i.e., NATO air forces) against the will of the Innu people. Low-level training to the Innu means jets screaming over their land and camps at an altitude of 100 feet. The noise and disruption of overflights cannot be dismissed: however accidental they may be, the impact on the Innu is considerable. Some children now refuse to go back into the country because they are frightened of the jets. There is also evidence that overflights have negative impacts on hearing and health. The Innu are also extremely concerned about the impact of the training on the wildlife they depend on for survival. Scientific studies corroborate what Innu elders have been saying for some time now, that the flights are having a negative effect on the health of caribou, waterfowl, raptors, and other important species. The planned USAF deployment to Goose Bay, should it come to pass, will take place without adequate environmental protection. The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) has attempted to implement an avoidance program that, at least in theory, requires pilots to avoid noise-sensitive areas for wildlife (including two endangered species), outfitter lodges, and Innu camps. However, the avoidance program was proposed by DND before it had done surveys to locate the noise sensitive areas. When the surveys were completed, they indicated that huge areas would be closed to flying. The client air forces claimed that such environmental protections would interfere with their training programs, and, subsequently, DND relaxed the avoidance criteria to the point that they are ineffective. The conclusion is that military pilots cannot both train and avoid people and wildlife, even at the current training levels. A Canadian federal environmental assessment of the low-level training activities was completed last fall, despite a boycott of the public hearings by the Innu and many environmental groups. The results of this review have not been made public, but it is clear that the Canadian military is proceeding as though it has a green light to increase the number of flights per season from 7,000 to 15,000, construct a second bombing range, and "market Goose Bay to the world". Thus, should the USAF commence training at Goose Bay this April, it will do so in the context of unresolved aboriginal rights, a defective environmental mitigation program, and a shoddy and discredited environmental review. For these reasons, I urge you to reconsider the deployment of the USAF to Labrador this spring. I look forward to your reply. --------- "RE: Poem: A Prayer of Strength" --------- Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 07:28:46 -0800 (PST) From: Larry Kibby Subj: A Prayer of Strength A PRAYER OF STRENGTH Great Spirit Grandfather, These words are for you, For Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, For those That You have created as I, To the Four Winds That bring us the Seasons of Life. Great Spirit Grandfather, Hear my words For I am humble Before you. I seek the strength To continue on this path That I travel on before you In a most Sacred manner. Great Spirit Grandfather My words are for you To know and understand That in a most Sacred manner I honor and respect The life you have put before me, I seek the strength To forever continue Upon this Sacred path. Great Spirit Grandfather Upon the four winds Are my words for strength For they come from the Heart, soul and mind Words I send to you In a Sacred manner. Great Spirit Grandfather Let all The wisdom, knowledge and understanding Be my strength To continue on this path That I travel on before you As a Traditional Native American Indian, Now and forever. --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 95/02/19 17:28 From: Kepola (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of February 26-March 4 GE Electronic Mail A HAWAI'IAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of February 26-March 4 PEPELUALI (February) (Kau-lua) 26 What is once found is never truly lost. 27 I return to the earth to find the place of my beginnings. 28 Within me lie the wellsprings of my own renewal. MALAKI (March) (Nana) March was the season when the malolo, the flying fish, swarmed in the ocean. 1 Everywhere I look, I see beauty. 2 Listen if you would hear the music of the land. 3 Imitate nature in your art. 4 Give one blessing for every two you receive. (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, 23 February 95 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 From: Rio Lara-Bellon GATHERING OF NATIONS POWWOW & MISS INDIAN WORLD CONTEST Albuquerque, New Mexico USA April 19, 20, 21, 22, 1995 "Miss Indian World" represents all Indian people of North America, and serves as a Goodwill Ambassador to other Cultures throughout the world. "Miss Indian World 1995" will be crowned April 22, 1995 at the Gathering of Nations Powwow. For more information and an application, call or write to: ***************************************** * GATHERING OF NATIONS * * c/o MISS INDIAN WORLD CONTEST * * P.O. Box 75102 * * Albuquerque, New Mexico 87194 U.S.A. * * 505/836-2910 * * 505/839-0475 Fax * ***************************************** Application Deadline is March 15, 1995 - no exceptions. ========================================================================= From: "Shadiin Garcia (ES 1997)" Re: Upcoming Yale Conference I just wanted to let you all know that our Friday night keynote speaker on April 21 starting off the conference will be Wilma Mankiller. She will also be speaking on one of the panels on Saturday -- If you need me info please let meknow. shadiin@minerva.cis.yale.edu or 203.624.9552 --shadiin ======================================================================== From: Rio Lara-Bellon Subject: Indian Family Preservation <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> Presented by the InterTribal Council of Arizona, Inc. In coordination with: Dept. of Health & Human Services Indian Health Services Dept. of the Interior (BIA) Arizona Dept. of Economic Security Arizona State University ======================================================================== From: EIRP News The 17th Annual Pink & Chum Salmon workshop will be held March 1-3 at the Lakeway Inn, Bellingham, Washington. The workshop is sponsored by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Sessions will include: Stock identification and Evolved Stock Structure; Fisheries Management Case Studies; New Enhancement Technologies/Strategies; and Restoration of At-Risk Populations and Endangered Species Act Considerations. The workshop will begin at 10:30 AM, Wednesday, March 1st, and conclude around noon on Friday, March 3rd. The cost of the workshop is $55. which includes a copy of the proceedings and a banquet dinner on March 2nd. For more information, contact: Gary Graves (NWIFC) 360.438.1180 This information provided courtesy of the Extension Indian Reservation Telecommunication Project and EIRPnews: pablob@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu ============================================================================ From: EIRP News Jack McCloud Sr. Memorial Basketball Tournament March 10, 11, & 12, 1995 -- Nisqually Tribal Gym -- - Nisqually, Washington - FOR FURTHER INFO CALL: Tom McCloud (360) 456-5221 / (360) 491-7323 This information provided courtesy of the Extension Indian Reservation Telecommunication Project and EIRPnews: pablob@coopext.cahe.wsu.edu ============================================================================ From: EIRP News VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV DENVER MARCH POW WOW March 17-19, 1995 Denver Coliseum - Denver, Colorado -- Over $15,000 in Prizes -- sponsored by: Arnetta Hughes; Shayne, B.J., Cree Cree, and Casey Hughes ---------------------------------------------- FOR MORE INFO CONTACT: Denver March Powwow, Inc P.O. Box 19178 Denver, CO 80219 (303) 455-4575 ========================================================================= From: Rio Lara-Bellon Announcement For Native American Women: ** Wellness and Native Women ** - Celebration of Life - Two Wellness & Native Women conferences will be held again this year. The first is slated for *February 20-24 in Mesa/Phoenix, Arizona* and the second in *Portland, Oregon, April 10th through the 14th.* Workshops topics will include: * Personal & Professional Development * * Humor For Healthy Living * * Native Spirituality * * Creative Expression * Participants will also be able to take part in a Health Fair and Well Women's Clinic, Alcoholic Anonymous meetings, wellness and recreational activities, sweat lodge ceremonies, and a social pow-wow. The conferences are sponsored by Health Promotion Programs: A department of Public and Community Service in the College of Continuing Education at the University of Oklahoma. See you there! Riodeluz Lara-Bellon ============================================================================= -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Kepola, Suzan Horovitch, Janet Smith, Larry Kibby, Charles Phillip Whitedog, C. Peggy Venable(via Janet Smith), Mary Sheldon, Tracy L. Canard, Glen Welker, Suzan Horovitch, James D. Audlin, Rob Reuss, Larry Innes, Cheslatta Carrier Nation(posted by request) --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 23 February 95 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (Evening Star) (jans@genie.geis.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows already posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L = Powwows and Gatherings From the Internet listserv groups = From: native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: American Indian Theatre Workshop Original Sender: lwindle@spock.osmre.gov (Lori Windle TIPS) The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the first in an ongoing series of courses for the American Indian seriously interested in the theatre as a career. The weekend workshop will be held March 10, 11, & 12, 1995, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Academy. Gary Farmer and Sheila Tousey will be conducting the acting workshops and Bruce King from the American Indian Arts Institute and Drew Hayden Taylor from Native Earth in Canada will discuss issues related to developing community theatre. We are very pleased to be able to offer such talented and high-caliber individuals to our students as instructors. Tuition for the entire weekend is $35 and the downtown Holiday Inn is offering discounted rooms to our students at $55 per single occupancy. Limited scholarship assistance is available for both. Please contact Tam Dalrymple Fry at 303-446-4892 for more information or enrollment form, or you may email your name and address to me and I will make sure you are sent and enrollment form. Enrollment deadline is March 1, 1995. We look forward to hearing from you! Lori Windle lwindle@spock.osmre.gov DCPA American Indian Theatre Academy Advisory Panel ========================================================================= From: native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: Indian Island Candlelight Vigil Original Sender: seidner@hsuseq.humboldt.edu (seidner cheryl) Greetings to you all from Wiyot Country in northern California. And I mean northern California! We are located about 80 plus miles south of the Oregon border. On February 26, 1860 there was a massacre on a sleeping village after a World Renewal dance at the village called Tuluwat on Indian Island. For the passed three years a few of us have been coming together for a memorial candlelight vigil for those who died there. This will be the fourth vigil and each year it has grown. There is a time of prayer, singing and reading of poetry. The island is in the middle of Humboldt Bay, Eureka to the southeast and Arcata to the north. There is a need of healing in this community and others like it, where there has been similar sadness. The Indian Island Candlelight Vigil will be held When: Saturday, February 25, 1995 Where: Woodley Island, Eureka, CA Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. pst Rain or Moonlight Bring: A candle Be prepared for a cool and wet evening. Questions call: Cheryl Seidner (707) 733-5572 after 6 pm pst Marylee Rohde (707) 442-2762 ========================================================================= From: native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: ONAICS conference cancelled Original Sender: x56t@music.stlawu.edu (X56T) I am sorry to inform all of you that responded to the post about the ONAICS conference that it has been cancelled. The cancelation is due in part to the lack of support that the members of the Native American Student Organization had received in trying to put this event on. Again, I am sincerely sorry to inform you of this news. David L. Shongo President, ONAICS --------- "RE: Lighting the Seventh Fire" --------- Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 10:35:19 -0600 From: rsr@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu (Rob Reuss) (via: Marc Becker) Subj: Lighting the Seventh Fire Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Greetings! This coming summer, the award winning PBS series P.O.V. will be broadcasting "Lighting the Seventh Fire", a film by Sandra Osawa. The film examines how the Chippewa Indians of northern Wisconsin have struggled to restore the centuries-old tradition of spearfishing and the opposition they have encountered. The film moves powerfully between issues of racism, land policy and cultural survival. We at P.O.V. are committed to making our broadcasts a richer experience for viewers by supporting and encouraging various kinds of on-line activity around our films. The idea is to make t.v. a more interactive media by using *existing* technologies, and to enable viewers to access additional resources through telecommunications. I recently visited "NativeNet" website, and in general I've been trying to get a sense of Native American activities on-line; I'm very impressed by your work and the work of others! It would help me tremendously if you could give me your thoughts on how connections can be made between the national broadcast of "Lighting the Seventh Fire", and Native American-related on-line activities. We are interested in building partnerships with existing organizations and groups, and any ideas you can offer, or activities you can sponsor, would be greatly appreciated. If I can give you additional information about P.O.V., the film, our previous activities on-line, or anything else, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you! Regards, Rob Reuss _____________________________________________________________________ | | | PPPPPPP OOOOOOO V V Rob Reuss | | P P O O V V rsr@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu | | P P O O V V | | PPPPP O O V V 220 West 19th Street, 11th Floor | | P O O V V New York, NY 10011 | | P o OOOOOOO o V O | | Tel: (212) 989-8121 | | Television with a Point of View Fax: (212) 989-8230 | |_____________________________________________________________________| --------- "RE: Nfld. Derails Discussions to Defuse Voisey Bay" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 14:08:03 -0400 From: es051322@orion.yorku.ca (Larry Innes) Subj: Nfld. Derails Discussions to Defuse Voisey Bay Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 13 February 1995 Newfoundland Derails Discussions to Defuse Confrontation at Voisey Bay SHESHATSHIU - Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells has derailed discussions between the Innu Nation and the Province intended to resolve the week-long Innu occupation of a mineral exploration camp at Eimish (Voisey Bay). Innu Nation President Peter Penashue stated "I think we were that close to a resolution. Unfortunately, Wells changed his mind at the last minute." Last week, Innu leaders and community members issued an eviction order to the mining companies conducting mineral exploration activities at Eimish. The eviction order cited the failure of Diamond Fields Resources and Archean Resources to obtain the permission of the Innu people or prepare an environmental and cultural protection plan before conducting exploration activities. "The LIA and the Innu Nation both hold the policies and actions of the Province of Newfoundland responsible for the recent events at Eimish", continued Penashue. "The land belongs to the Innu and the Inuit, and our rights need to be respected before development of any kind takes place. Unfortunately, the Province of Newfoundland has refused to deal fairly and openly with the Innu Nation, forcing us to resort to direct action to protect our rights." The Government of Newfoundland suspended negotiations relations with the Innu Nation after an unsuccessful attempt last September to force the return of the courts and police to Davis Inlet. "Our preferred resolution of this situation is to re-open land rights negotiations with Newfoundland and Canada so that we can sit down and work out a framework to deal with developments while land rights are being settled. We were prepared to leave Eimish and start negotiations immediately with the Province, the LIA and the companies to address our respective concerns, but unfortunately, Clyde Wells seems intent on freezing the Innu out.", said Penashue. "This is a completely unacceptable and irresponsible approach for the government to take". Innu and Inuit leaders met over the weekend at the Innu camp at Eimish to discuss issues of mutual concern between the two aboriginal groups. "We are hopeful that there is a reasonable way to resolve this situation. We hope to meet with the company and the LIA over the next few days to work out an arrangement with Diamond Fields to protect Innu and Inuit interests. But I fear that the Province's refusal to deal fairly with Innu concerns on this issue will only create more problems in the future.", concluded Penashue. - 30 - FOR MORE INFORMATION: Peter Penashue (709) 497-8548 Larry Innes internet: es051322@orion.yorku.ca (direct to me) innu@web.apc.org (general to Innu Nation) Environmental Advisor Innu Nation phone: (709) 497-8398 PO Box 119 fax: (709) 497-8396 Sheshatshiu, Nitassinan (Labrador) via Canada A0P 1M0 --------- "RE: Kemano, Tobin Tasked" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 14:26:44 -0500 From: fyre@web.apc.org Subj: Kemano, Tobin tasked Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The following information is transcribed and posted by request. It is very important that readers fax / write the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans at this juncture. Please refer also to previous postings, on this topic, of last few weeks by fyre@web.apc.org in web.native or dams.general. The Honourable Brian Tobin Minister of Fisheries and Oceans fax: (613) 990-7292 copy to: The Right Honourable Jean Chretien Prime Minister fax: (613) 941-6900 The Honourable Ron Irwin Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs fax: (819) 953-4941 The Honourable Sheila Copps Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of the Environment fax: (819) 953-3457 The general mailing address for these politicians is: House of Commons, Parliament Hill Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Canada Also, the Cheslatta would appreciate a copy of your letter as well: Cheslatta Carrier Nation P.O. Box 909 Burns Lake, B.C. V0J 1E0 Phone: (604) 694-3334 Fax: (604) 694-3632 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ February 1,1995 Province of British Columbia Office of the Premier Parliament Buildings Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1X4 Chief Marvin Charlie Cheslatta Carrier Nation P.O. Box 909 Burns Lake, B.C. V0J 1E0 Dear Chief Marvin Charlie: Last week, I announced my government's historic decision to stop the Kemano Completion Project. This decision was a difficult one, reached after one of the most comprehensive public reviews in British Columbia's history. The B.C. Utilities Commission report confirmed what many British Columbians had feared: KCP threatened our important fisheries resource. In reviewing that report, my government was faced with a choice: we could accept a back-room deal that benefited corporate special interests - or we could protect our rivers for all British Columbians. We said no to KCP, yes to the Nechako, and yes to the Fraser River system - the heart and soul of British Columbia. But, there is still an outstanding problem that must be resolved if we are to complete the job and guarantee B.C.'s salmon fishery is protected. You know that in 1987 the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans provided a letter to Alcan guaranteeing them the right to divert 88 percent of the Nechako River. If this letter is not withdrawn and new water flow levels established, Alcan can still divert 88 percent of Nechako waters. That is completely unacceptable. Minister Tobin's job is to protect fish and yet he will not take the important step of withdrawing this letter to ensure the future of our salmon fishery. Who is he protecting? The B.C. fishery and the Fraser River system? Or Alcan? I'll let you decide. But I must ask you for your help in changing his mind. This is not the time to stop fighting for protection of B.C.'s Nechako and Fraser Rivers. This is the time to keep the pressure on until the federal government fulfils its responsibility to protect fish and change the water flow levels. The focus now, for all of us, must be to urge the federal government to revoke the 1987 opinion letter. Withdrawing that letter and replacing it with new water flow levels is crucial. I'm calling on you to help by immediately communicating your request to Mr. Tobin to do this. Brian Tobin was out here last fall, getting a first-hand look at the Fraser's salmon stock shortfalls. He talked about working together to tackle the issues. I believe Brian Tobin understands the federal responsibility in fisheries. I believe that he, as a Newfoundlander, understands the fish crisis. I also think the federal government understands, or should, the cost to fishers and to taxpayers of not acting. The federal government is spending 1.9 billion dollars to pay Newfoundlanders to stay home - because there are no fish. I'm concerned that despite these danger signals in other parts of the country, the federal government still hasn't taken the necessary steps to protect the fish stocks here in B.C. I know you share my belief that we must protect the Nechako and the Fraser River systems for sound economic and environmental reasons. I want to thank you again for your dedication to these rivers - for fish, for agriculture, recreation, and our communities - and look forward to your help in changing Brian Tobin's mind. Sincerely, [signed] Mike Harcourt Premier +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Penned notes on fax original of letter: + Feds were full participants in the BCUC Review. + What's Harcourt going to do if Tobin doesn't change his opinion? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cheslatta Carrier Nation P.O. Box 909 Burns Lake, B.C. V0J 1E0 Phone: (604) 694-3334 Fax: (604) 694-3632 Memorandum To: indig.canada@gnosys.svle.ma.us Fax/Phone #: 604-828-1984 From: Dana Wagg; Writer/Researcher Date: Thursday, 02 February 1995 Thank you for calling yesterday and speaking with John Hummel. He said you'd like a short statement, before today's meeting of the board, dealing with the following: + What Cheslatta sees as unaddressed problems from Kemano 1 and Kemano 2 and + Our suggestions for actions on these problems. To start with, Cheslatta is encouraged by the statement in Premier Harcourt's Jan. 23, 1995 news release in which he referred to the Kenney Dam Release Facility, which would allow for a redirection of flows around Kenney Dam "meaning the Murray / Cheslatta lands - flooded by the construction of Kemano 1 in the early 1950s - could be restored and returned to the Cheslatta Nation." The return and restoration of Cheslatta land in the Murray / Cheslatta Watershed, land that was, and is, being flooded by Kemano 1 and the short-term flows of Kemano 2, is the top priority with Cheslatta and must be addressed immediately. To elaborate, as well as to outline some other outstanding Kemano-related issues, the list includes: + The protection and restoration of Cheslatta cemeteries flooded annually by Kemano 1's heavy flows and the recognition by the B.C. government that Cheslatta Lake is, in fact, a cemetery. It is hoped that a permanent solution to the desecration of Cheslatta graveyards is now at hand since the announcement by Premier Harcourt settled the fate of Kemano 2. A permanent solution lies in having a suitable water release mechanism built at Kenney Dam, which would end high releases of water through the spillway. + The need for a stabilized, healing flow through Skins Lake Spillway of about 400 cubic feet per second - with the actual flow to be determined pending scientific studies acceptable to Cheslatta Nation. As a 1992 Cheslatta position paper noted, if the Cheslatta / Murray system is to be restored, a steady, consistent, undamaging flow must be discharged from the spillway to maintain the Cheslatta system. "Like a wounded animal, extraordinary care must be taken to nurse it back to life. It will die without proper care. The Cheslatta system +cannot+ [underlined] sustain itself without spillway water, because of the extreme Kemano 1 damage to the river channel," noted the position paper. + The construction of a Kenney Dam Release Mechanism, so the heavy, damaging flows of Kemano 1 and Kemano 2 can be rerouted around the Cheslatta system - with the actual design to be determined pending scientific studies acceptable to Cheslatta. The B.C.U.C. report recommended the release mechanism to be built - even if Kemano 2 didn't go ahead. The B.C. government must move quickly to implement this recommendation. Construction of this release mechanism is long, long overdue and planning should get underway immediately, in cooperation with the Cheslatta and downstream communities. The design of the release outlet proposed by Alcan has yet to be reviewed by independent scientists. + The Cheslatta Redevelopment Project. Cheslatta believes its project to restore the Murray / Cheslatta system, in cooperation with B.C. and Canada, is a +mega-project+ [underlined] that will have long-lasting, positive impacts for the Lakes District, the Nechako Valley and British Columbia. Unlike Kemano 2, the restoration project, which includes cleaning the shorelines of the massive amount of debris left by Kemano 1, will build up and repair, rather than further destroy. When considering the economic of Kemano 2, it is only a logical a comparison be made with Cheslatta's Restoration and Redevelopment Project. * Alcan has said Kemano 2 would have created between one to 12 full-time jobs - compared to Cheslatta Redevelopment's 20 to 40 full-time jobs. As well, the redevelopment employees will be residents of the district while Alcan's employees would have been based in an entirely different area. In other words, 100 per cent of the Redevelopment revenue and expenditures will be made in the immediate area and will help sustain the local economy and inject welcome, long-term revenue into the district. * The Redevelopment Project is sustainable development using an enhanced resource over an unlimited time, without resource extraction, for the use and benefit of ALL people forever. It's a wealth-creating industry but Kemano 2 would have been a boom town project, creating specific wealth over a limited period of time (during construction), as a 1992 position paper noted. * The Redevelopment Project can only enhance and increase the tourism infrastructure in the region. Kemano 2 would have inflicted +irreversible, permanent damage+ [underlined] to our tourism base. The public and governments should be seriously considering the Redevelopment Project as a positive mega-project with far-reaching, long-term benefits for all Canadians forever. SOME OF KEMANO 1'S IMPACTS ON THE CHESLATTA WATERSHED: Ruth, I've drawn the following information from the 1992 position paper, which was written by senior Cheslatta researcher Mike Robertson. + It is not widely known, or understood, that the Cheslatta River and Lake system is the headwaters of the Nechako River. Two or three times a year, huge spills are made into this system from the Skins Lake Spillway. These spills are made: * To lower the Nechako Reservoir in the spring to receive the snowpack and spring runoff. This spill is directed by the B.C. Water Comptroller. Or, * To release flows specified by the 1987 Kemano Settlement Agreement to accommodate the annual salmon runs and/or to cool the river during warm weather. + As a result of these large, unnatural spills, many of which have exceeded over 200 times the river's natural capacity, Cheslatta River has experienced, and continues to experience, devastating erosion. Water quality is severely impaired throughout the system because of siltation. While passing through the Cheslatta lake system, a filtering process takes place, which impacts the annual spawn and hatch of freshwater fish. As the water leaves the Cheslatta system, it is remarkably cleaner than when it entered, proving the settling of silt and debris in the lake. + Cheslatta River watershed streams have been all but destroyed along its 40-kilometre route. Stream entrances into the river are simply no longer there. This has destroyed all natural spawning patterns between the river and its watershed lakes. This, in turn, has severely impacted fish stocks in many of these lakes. + The biggest percentage of resident fish stocks in the upper Cheslatta River now enter the system from Ootsa Lake via the Skin Lake Spillway. Prior to spillway releases, the Cheslatta system was unique and totally separate from the Ootsa Lake system. + Absolutely no productive spawning areas now exist in the Cheslatta River. Spawning and hatching coincides with spillway releases. If eggs are spawned, they are either washed away or covered up by silt from the tremendous spring releases. If eggs are hatched, they are severely impaired by the late summer releases. + The gouging of the bed of the Cheslatta River has been responsible for the movement of a conservative estimate of over 40 million cubic metres of material (silt, mud, sand and organic material), most of which has been deposited directly into Cheslatta Lake. This is arrived at multiplying a 10- metre-deep gouge X 100 metres wide X 40 kilometres of river. In many areas the depth is over 40 metres and the width over 200 metres. This amount of material could build over 14 Kenney Dams or pave the Yellowhead Highway (12 metres wide) a distance of 8,000 kilometres! + The deposits at the bottom of Cheslatta Lake have raised the lakebed in some areas as much as 30 metres and has completely filled in two kilometres of its west end. + St. Mary's Lake and a smaller unnamed lake, formerly situated on the Cheslatta River to the west of Cheslatta Lake, no longer exist. They were completely washed away by huge spills in 1957. + Due to large, unnatural spills, the level of Cheslatta Lake fluctuates dramatically. This causes havoc to fish movement and spawning capabilities in all lake tributary entrances. Again, these lake fluctuations consistently coincide with spring spawning patterns of the resident freshwater fish. In other words, when spawners enter tributaries at high water, they are often trapped when returning because of the artificial lowering of Cheslatta Lake. + Waterfowl nesting areas in this system have been severely affected because of the irregular fluctuations of water throughout the nesting season. + Another result of the fluctuating lake levels is the disruption of the insect production cycle, the main source of food for the resident fish population. Insect breed and hatch on and hear the lakeshores. When lake levels fluctuate, this cycle is either drowned or grounded, thus destroying the hatch. + As recently as the summer of 1991, the level of Cheslatta Lake rose 10 to 13 feet between July and August, flooding all recreation areas and making the lake unreliable for most activities. The lake has been known to rise or lower several feet overnight. This floods many hectares of land and make boat landings and campsites undependable and unsafe.