Subject: nanews03.026 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 026 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 1 July 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 IND-NET, EIRP, AISESnet, NATIVE-L Mailing Lists, UUCP & Genie (General Electric) email, P-NEWS, Usenet Newsgroup: alt.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 part A is being sent to the NATIVE-L mailing list, one of the NativeNet lists managed by Gary Trujillo (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us). It is also 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 "When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them." __ Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! A headline in our Sunday paper read "Running Out of Room - Nuclear Wastes Piling Up". I know, after first rejecting the "cash incentive", the Mescalero have agreed to accept much of this waste. This, in spite of having seen many nearby Dine' die mining uranium. This, in spite of the fact many states are even opposing the waste being transported across their borders. My Dad was driving between Ft. Sumner and Vaughn, New Mexico the early morning the nuclear age was ushered in with that first test blast on White Sands called Trinity. He never forgot the way the calm desert dark fringed to the south with a daylight bright horizon and slowly, slowly faded into darkness. It saddens me that one metal, gold, was responsible for taking much of the land from our people; and now other metals will poison what remains and leave it to slowly, slowly fade into darkness. 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 - Seeking Native Women in Engineering - Conferences and Powwows - online - Who's Who - Women's Conference List - Crazy Horse Malt Liquor - Press Release on Chief Wahoo - House Interior Appropriations - Society for Advancement of - Government Stops Native Chicanos and Native Americans Sovereignty in B. C. - Request, Comments from the - Legend: The First Ohki:we NAGPRA Review Committee - Poem: A Bowl of Silence - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Seeking Native Women in Engineering" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 13:01:30 -0600 From: Kristin Dunkle Subj: Seeking Native Women in Engineering Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) Hello all. I am part of a group of women here at Carnegie Mellon University who are working on a book about women in engineering and science: The Field Guide to Women in the Sciences and Technical Fields, [working title; *very likely* to change] currently funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our book will feature the life stories of a diverse group of professional women engineers and scientists, with the goal of providing inspiration, role models, and practical advice for younger women interested in these areas. Our focus is on diversity, both in terms of careers (area of specialization, employment sector, stage of career) and in terms of the women as people. We aim to include professional women of all ages, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, physical abilities, and sexual orientations. We are currently actively seeking Native American women engineers who might like to be included in our project. We would especially like to hear about: women working in industry; in local, state or federal governments; women who are self-employed or who own their own business, and women who have carved non-traditional career paths for themselves. I will also note that we are looking for professional women, rather than students (although we recognise that the distinction is not always clear-cut. Any woman who selected for our book will be contacted regarding her willingness to participate, and provided with details of the project. If she agrees, we will arrange for an interview, either by phone or in person, during which she can describe the highlights of her research and her life. Using interview material, we will create a brief (5 to 8 page) first person narrative, which we will then return to her for feedback and corrections. If you would like to recommend someone for the book, please send us her name, contact information (snail-mail, phone and e-mail are best), and as much biographical detail as you can *easily* provide. We encourage women to nominate themselves! If you feel you have something to share, please let us know about it. ++++ We need to receive nominations by July 15, 1995. ++++ Please send recommendations to: Kristin Dunkle kd3i+@andrew.cmu.edu kld5@po.cwru.edu (Either will work; some systems have trouble reaching the CMU account.) Phone: (412) 268-6011 FAX: (412) 268-6159 Snail mail: Kristin Dunkle Research Associate Warner Hall, Room 424 Carnegie Mellon University 5000 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 --------- "RE: Who's Who" --------- Date: Wed, 21 Jun 95 21:23 EST From: "Steven C. Schiavi" <0005408096@mcimail.com> Subj: Who's Who UUCP email Who's Who? "They" are those who take. Those who rape the earth in search of treasure. In search of fortune. "They" are those who want, who desire, that which is not theirs, and they do not need. "They" are those for whom the word "respect" can be found only coupled with the word "self". This respect is not of self; it is what "they" consider their due from everyone else. It would not occur to "them" to accord this respect to anyone, or anything else. For "them", life is a play starring themselves. They are the only living being; all else that exists exists for their comfort or pleasure. The best of "them" will admit all of this. The worst will pretend to be philanthropists. "They" do not, and cannot, understand the meaning of "give". "They: "They" live to take, and to take, and to take. They will swell like ticks gorged on blood. They do not understand flow, They live to accumulate. Beware of calling them "white men"; they come in all colors. They are the greedy, and greed is the worst disease imported to this land from Europe. It was here before they came; but never, among any tribe, was it considered a virtue, and rewarded accordingly. "We" are those who have seen these tendencies in ourselves and recognized their evil. "We" are those who have learned something about "giving", about "sharing" - our last crumb if need be - with our relatives. "We are those who understand that there is nothing mystical, airy-fairy or supernatural about the wheel of life and death. It is what it is, which is what the Creator made it to be. "We" are those who have some grasp of the fact that the creation reveals the Creator to those with eyes. "We" are those who seek the power only to help our relatives, and ourselves to be and become true human beings. "We" are those who know that every part of creation is literally related to every other part of creation. We are diverse, but we are connected. Beware of calling "us" Indians. We come in all colors. These are the two camps in the final days of this age. Not Indian against white; not mixed against full. It is the heart, and the spirit, that tell who a person is. We must all open our eyes very wide, and take in this truth. One is either a giver, or a taker. The time of the takers is coming to an end. Know where you stand, and do not disparage a brother or sister because you failed to look past their skin. We must all stand together. We must. Rainbow Walker --------- "RE: Crazy Horse Malt Liquor" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 11:49 CST From: MUNOZP@dnr.state.wi.us (Peter Munoz, PE/5, \(608\) 267-0798) Subj: "Crazy Horse" Malt Liquor Mailing List: IND-NET Mailing List: EIRP Forward from PNEWS-L /* Written by jepeterson in igc:econ.boycotts */ /* ---------- ""CRAZY HORSE" ---------- */ American Indian Movement activist Vernon Bellecourte and and others yesterday renewed their call for a boycott of Crazy Horse Malt Liquor and other products manufactured by G. Heileman Brewing Co. and/or Hornell Brewing Co. The use of the Crazy Horse name on alcoholic beverages is offensive to Native Americans, especially given that the revered spiritual leader Crazy Horse was strongly opposed to the use of intoxicating spirits by his people. This boycott was first called in June of 1992 by the American Indian Movement, the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, the International Indian Treaty Conference, and the Wisconsin Green Party. Products included are: Crazy Horse Malt Liquor, Old Style, Special Export, Red, White & Blue, Carling Black Label, Ranier, Mickey's Malt Liquor, Colt 45, Blatz, Kingsbury, Schmidt, St. Ides's, and Arizona Iced Tea. Crazy Horse brand has been banned in three states due to its offensive name. To register your complaint, call Hornell Brewing Co. (owners of the brand) at 718/284 -1200 or G. Heileman Brewing Co. (bottlers) at 608/ 785-1000. Vernon Bellecourte may be reached at 612/721-3914 or 715/331-3380. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ***** PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS ****** @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ PNEWS CONFERENCES provide "radical" alternative views with an emphasis on justice, humanitarian positions, protests, boycott alerts, activism information, etc. **************** To subscribe, send request to: -- and state in in message: "SUBSCRIBE PNEWS-L --------- "RE: House Interior Appropriations" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 10:25:20 -0400 (EDT) From: Denise Bambi Kraus Subj: House Interior Appropriations UUCP email Not good news coming out of WDC yesterday. Here is the National Indian Education Association's press release that details what happened... +APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE+ NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 121 Oronoco Street Alexandria, VA 22314 ph: 703/838-2870 fax: 703/838-1620 For Immediate Release June 27, 1995 Contact: Lorraine Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock), Executive Director or Jack Jackson, Jr. (Navajo), Legislative Analyst HOUSE COMMITTEE ELIMINATES OFFICE OF INDIAN EDUCATION BIA EDUCATION PROGRAMS ALSO CUT Washington, DC...Following the lead of its Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations, the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Rep. Bob Livingston (R-1st-LA), voted today to eliminate funding for the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Indian Education (OIE) in the FY1996 budget. OIE was reauthorized as Title IX of Public Law 103-382, "Improving America's Schools Act of 1994." Funding for Title IX goes to more than 1,200 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) nationwide and provides formula and discretionary grant funds for American Indian and Alaska Native students. There are more than 410,000 students served by the Title IX formula grant program. Also affected by the Committee's action is the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE), an advisory body to the Education Department established by Congress whose members are appointed by the President. In an effort to restore partial funding to OIE at today's mark-up. Representative David Obey (D-7th-WI), ranking minority member of the Committee, proposed an amendment restoring $60 million to OIE, which is currently funded at $83.3 million. Rep. Obey delivered a well-prepared statement citing the impact of the proposed program elimination on each Committee member's district. Obey's district has a number of Indian tribes, including the Oneida Indian Nation and part of the Menominee tribe. His amendment proposed to take funding from research and development for fossil fuels, but the amendment failed by voice vote. It was reported that 90 percent of the 55-member committee was present for this morning's hearing. Both Congressmen Obey and former Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Sidney Yates (D-9th-IL) called for a recorded vote. A fifth of the Committee was needed for this, but not enough Committee members supported the call for the vote on the Obey amendment to be recorded. OTHER INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMS TARGETED BY THE COMMITTEE WERE: BIA EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS: No funding was provided by the Committee for the Special Higher Education Scholarship Program that currently is administered by the American Indian Graduate Center of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The program funds more than 700 American Indian/Alaska Native graduate students nationwide in all fields of study (funding in FY1995 was at $2.5 million), as well as a summer law scholarship program for pre-law students. If this elimination remains in effect, there will be NO funding for Indian college and graduate students in fields other than health. The Office of Indian Education has provided funding through its fellowship program since 1973. This program would also be eliminated if OIE is not restored. INSTITUTE FOR AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE AND ARTS: The Committee voted to restore $5.5 million to the Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The amendment was offered by Rep. Joe Skeen (R-NM) of that state and was supported by most of the Minority members. FUNDING FOR BIA SCHOOLS: The Committee proposed only a $1.9 million increase in the forward- funded schools operations category for the 187 BIA-funded schools. This increase is $18 million below the Clinton Administration's request. NIEA urged the Committee to consider reinstating the higher amount in view of the cuts that were proposed and approved by the Committee for school transportation (nearly $4 million); Facilities Operation and Maintenance ($4.3 million) and Administrative cost grants ($5.6 million). The net effect of a budget without any increase is estimated to be $2,835 per Weighted Student Unit (WSU). This is below the 1994 level of funding and far below the BIA/Tribal/Congressional Blue Ribbon Task Force Recommendation on ISEF of $3,499 per WSU. According to the BIA, the quality of educational programs will be that of "warehousing" children because of the higher teacher-per- pupil ratio of 35-1, which could result. BIA Education officials predict that transportation problems will also result with only $1.46 per allotted mile. School bus routes will have to be terminated or consolidated. Added to these concerns are unsafe and unhealthy conditions of school buildings and dormitories. Already over $550 million has been documented in safety code violations. Another factor in funding for BIA schools is the proposed House Budget Resolution that would eliminate the Title I set-aside for these schools. This would decrease funding for 21,000 students by at least $850 per student. An estimated 1,068 employees would be without jobs. Students receive assistance in the form of reading programs, language arts and math. Any gains in achievement scores of these students are expected to plummet if funds are cut. The House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education will take up the Title I issue on July 10th after the July 4th congressional recess. The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Interior Appropriations bill on or near July 11th after which it will go to the Senate where it is expected to be referred to the Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations, chaired by Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA). While the Subcommittee would begin work on the bill after the July 4th recess, a mark-up date has not yet been set. For further information, please contact Ms. Lorraine Edmo, executive director, or Jack C. Jackson, Jr., legislative analyst, with the National Indian Education Association. - Press release issued by NIEA - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. Bambi Kraus, Assistant Director National Indian Policy Center ph: 202/994-1446 fax: 202/994-4404 e-mail: bambi@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu (this is a new address, as of 2/10/95) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- "RE: Government Stops Native Sovereignty in B. C." --------- Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 07:51 CST From: Marcel Hatch From: MUNOZP@dnr.state.wi.us (Peter Munoz, PE/5, \(608\) 267-0798) Subj: Government Stops Native Sovereignty in British Columbia Mailing List: IND-NET Mailing List: EIRP Forward from PNEWS-L NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY SIDES WITH CORPORATIONS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CLASH OVER NATIVE LAND RIGHTS by Marcel Hatch, for the 'Freedom Socialist' newspaper THIS SPRING, THE UPPER NICOLA BAND blockaded roads leading to British Columbia's largest cattle spread, Douglas Lake Ranch, which encircles traditional Native fishing sites. The ranch is owned by the Woodward's retailing dynasty. By law, ranch owners are supposed to respect the band's right to fish in its accustomed places. But under NAFTA, beef and milk are being imported from the U.S., flooding the market and bringing down prices. Douglas Lake is therefore moving into tourism with a sports resort on the Upper Nicolas' hunting and fishing grounds; it charges customers as much as $100 a day to fish in Native waters such as Minnie and Salmon lakes. In 1989, ranch managers ordered gates locked and ditches dug across roads to the lakes, blocking Native access. The Upper Nicolas and ranch owners reached an agreement for joint use, but Douglas Lake failed to live up to it, provoking this year's confrontation. Other bands and supporters joined the blockade, just one of many such showdowns. Sixty percent of B.C.'s Aboriginal bands are embroiled in negotiations over land claims with the federal and provincial governments. NDP HOSTILE TO NATIONAL RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. In British Columbia, most Aboriginal claims to territory have never been legally set aside. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 recognized banks as owner of their land. It mandated Crown governments in North America to sign treaties with individual indigenous nations before acquiring land for colonists. But the province of B.C. denied the existence of Indian rights, negotiated only a few isolated treaties in the 1850s, and so never officially gained control over Native lands. Therein lies the problem for business. Corporations want to eradicate claims by First Nations that cloud property titles. In 1992, the New Democratic Party was elected in B.C. over the anti-Indian, long-entrenched Social Credit Party, partly because the NDP promised to settle such claims. In December 1994, talks opened under the auspices of the B.C. Treaty Commission. As a party that bill itself as representing working people, the NDP should support First Nations against big business and take the position that their entire claim to B.C. is valid. Instead, it refuses to recognize Native justice systems, prohibits gambling on indigenous land, and seeks to tax Indian individuals and enterprises. The party expects the bands to accept title to only five percent of the province and to allow non-Native corporations full access to even this paltry area. The NDP is showing that it is hostile to the banks' fundamental right to self-determination -- their sovereignty as nations. BEWARE THE PLUNDERERS. The Indian movements is split on the Treaty Commission's right to settle claims. Sovereignty advocates who question the commission's legitimacy are being excluded from the talks. These traditionalist believe strongly in preserving the political, cultural and economic institutions of their pre-colonization societies -- and that means preserving the rights to the land on which these structures are based. On the commission, the unequal relationship between capital-starved banks and the government is leading some Native negotiators to settle for quick-fix real estate deals renouncing sovereignty, which is exactly what the corporations are after. Howard Adams, a prominent author, educator and activist who is Metis, says of the commission, ''It's not the way to gain sovereignty or self-determination - this can only be realized by a mass political movement which includes labour and other natural allies of First Nations.'' LAND CLAIMS UNQUENCHED. Trade-offs of national rights are especially short-sighted because, in many ways, the banks have the upper hand -- by virtue of their militancy, growing support from allies, and recent court victories recognizing indigenous communities. And their land claims, unextinguished after more than 200 years, remain a huge source of strength. As Chub Pascal, a Lillooet bank member and participant in the Douglas Lake blockade, told the Freedom Socialist, ''As far as we're concerned, we have yet to give up any of our rights, sovereignty, or land by any measure of international law.'' The NDP need to wake up, get out of bed with Douglas Lake Ranch, and start defending Native claims. The 'Freedom Socialist' is published quarterly and covers news and events from around the world. Subscriptions are $5.00 U.S. Write to 'Freedom Socialist' 5018 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98118, or email fsp@wimsey.com for more information. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ***** PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS ****** @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ PNEWS CONFERENCES provide "radical" alternative views with an emphasis on justice, humanitarian positions, protests, boycott alerts, activism information, etc. **************** To subscribe, send request to: -- and state in in message: "SUBSCRIBE PNEWS-L --------- "RE: Legend: The First Ohki:we" --------- Date: Tue Apr 18, 1995 at 19:13 EDT From: Suzan Horovitch (a.horovitch@genie.com) Subj: The Legend of the First Ohki:we GE Electronic Mail The Longhouse Society in Kahnewake has announced the Ohki:we for the year. This is an annual celebration to honor " those who have gone before us" by celebrating the entire night with them. The evening begins before sundown with traditional songs. After giving of gifts, the feasting begins and then social dancing continues until just before dawn when the morning songs conclude. (I as happy to see a note in this article which said that out of respect for those who have health problems, smoking inside the Longhouse is not considered acceptable unless ceremonial in nature.) The Legend of the First Ohki:we There was a time when the earth was still new and was inhabited by great serpents.For a period of time there was peace between the serpents and the humans. there arose among these serpents one who decided that it would be the leader of all life on earth. A battle broke out between the serpents and the humans. Because of their tremendous size and power, the serpents were able to move about, easily destroying the villages of the humans and killing many. As word of this fighting spread to the other villages, the people became afraid for their lives. Some decided to flee to other areas while others set about trying to create defense to protect themselves. as this fighting went on, more and more villages were destroyed and more people were killed. A great panic took hold of the people. Word spread to other villages that the leaders were to gather to council to try to find a way to destroy these serpents. The leaders and their people journeyed to the meeting site and gathered together to see if there was a plan they could devise which could protect them. For days the people met. No one seemed able to come up with a plan to defeat the serpents. It happened one night that a young boy and girl were given a dream in which the spirits of many of the people who had been killed spoke to them. The told the two young ones " We have learned of a way to destroy these serpents. Through our working together there will be enough power to bring them to an end. In the morning when you rise, gather the people together and explain what we are going to tell you. We will show you a ceremony which can be used to bridge the gap between our worlds. When the people gather together they are to burn tobacco; they are to call our attention. When we hear this, we will prepare ourselves to journey back to your world. The only way for us to journey from this place to yours and not get lost in between is if the people sing a song which will guide us to the place you have gathered." They gave this song to the two young people. " It is most important that the women join with the men in singing this song. The women have a voice that is high and of good quality which can guide us to the place you have gathered. The secret in defeating these serpents lies in our joining together again as families to work together to bring about their end." The next morning the two young people approached the people and told them what they had been instructed to do. Together they sang the songs they were given the night before. The people prepared themselves for this ceremony. The young people were told in their dreams that the journey from the other side is long and when the people arrive they will be hungry. They asked that their relatives prepare food for them. They were to join together to partake of this food before they went to battle with the serpent. Over the next few days, the people made their preparations for this ceremony. Those who were singers sat with the young people to learn the music they had been given. The others busied themselves preparing foods and preparing the site for the ceremony to happen. Finally the time came when they were ready. As the sun set the speaker stepped forward. He burned tobacco and called to the ones who had gone ahead of the people to return and join the relatives they left behind because their assistance was greatly needed. When the speaker finished, the singers began the songs and as the voices of the women raised up into the sky, those who had gone ahead could hear this sweet beautiful music of their relatives and they began journeying toward the sound. As those who had gone on before drew nearer, a cold chill covered the area. As the chill moved across the land, fog rose up and the people had to add more wood to the fire to keep warm. They continued to sing. As they sand they realized they were joined by the ones who had gone on before. Here and there people caught glimpses of loved ones who had gone on ahead out of the corner of their eyes. The people could feel the power of those who came to join them. When the music was finished words of acknowledgement were spoken welcoming those who had returned and the feast began. So it was that the man who had been chosen to be the speaker stood up and spoke in a voice that was not his own. " Relatives our time here is short, we can remain with you only until the first light of day. The work we must do must be carried out now. We know the place where the leader of the great serpents lives and we must journey there together. We who have gone on ahead can enter into his body but it is not enough. You must also attack him from outside. In this way we can bring about his end. We must move quickly and we must move now." All who had gathered together journeyed to the place where the leader of the serpents lived. Because of his size he had chosen a place with a large valley so he would have plenty of room to rest when he returned from attacking the villages. When they arrived there, he was sleeping. They approached quietly. As they approached, the people could see other beings had joined them. These other beings had not agreed to the leadership of the serpent. Across the field they saw wolves running, headed to the same place they were going. Above them they could hear the wings of birds flying, headed to this same place. Here and there they caught sight of bears as they moved towards the same place. The people came to understand that his serpent was not solely a threat to them. The serpent's ambition was a threat to all the beings of the earth. As they looked about the valley they could now see that the serpent was surrounded by all the different beings and themselves. It must have been that the serpent sensed the presence of all the beings because he suddenly awoke. As he opened his mouth to speak the people saw a white cloud stream forth into his mouth and the serpent began to thrash about. He howled in pain. The people realized that the ones who had gone before had entered the serpent. They knew this was their signal to attack. All the people together with all the other beings who had gathered there rushed the great serpent. The great serpent continued to fight and thrash about in his own defense. In its thrashing it crushed many humans, animals and birds. Finally, they defeated it. As it breathed its last breath the white cloud reappeared and came out of its mouth. The speaker turned to the people and spoke again in a voice not his own, " We have accomplished a great thing here. Your grandfathers will be coming soon with the daylight and they will attack the remainder of the serpents. With their leader gone their power will be broken and they will be driven underground. We have to leave now and return to the place we now live. Again we need your assistance. We would like one last dance with you while we are here. One last time to hear the songs you were given before we start our journey back. If in the future, such treats should ever arise again, we would be prepared to come again to help you. Many of us now realize how much we have missed you and we know many of you miss us. We think it would be appropriate that at least once a year we visit with each other for at least one night. You have felt and seen the cold we travel on." The people agreed that his would be a good thing. It was true for many of them that they had missed those who had gone on ahead. This would give them something to look forward to. It would ease the pain for the loss of their loved ones knowing there would be a coming together for at least one night each year. All the people gathered together for the final songs. They joined together their spirits and their voices and in this way they helped the ones who had gone before to start their journey on the sky road home. As the eldest brother rose in the east they saw to the west a great gathering of clouds take shape and one of the people said " Look, our grandfathers are gathering to chase the serpents". As they watched, the grandfathers moved across the land sending powerful bolts of lightning, striking the serpents whenever they were. The serpents were hit with such force that they were pushed underground. Even the place where the great serpent lay was covered by the dust of the grandfathers were picking up with their breath. Soon there was no visible sign of the great serpent. All that remained was a huge hill that now filled the valley where he liked to rest. The people returned to their villages, free and content that this terrible time was now over. since that time, just before winter's end , the people gather together and invite those who have gone on ahead to return for one night. This is a night of joy and sorrow. It is a time for us to gather and to honour and to respect those who have gone on ahead of us. In each spring the grandfathers return from the west with their purifying and energizing rains. The power of their lightning still holds the serpents underground so they can never return to the surface and terrorize the earth again. From time to time some of you on earth will be picked to carry on the work of preparing for the feast. Some of you will be chosen to sing, some will be chosen to speak, some will be chosen to be helpers who will carry the duty of remembering the songs and preparing the foods and gathering the people together for this time. --------- "RE: Poem: A Bowl of Silence" --------- Date: 9 Jun 1995 19:29:48 -0500 From: turtle@aicap.s21.com (Turtle Heart) Subj: A Bowl of Silence Newsgroup: alt.native 14 Black pottery bowls passed in 8 directions and filled with silence we sat singing them into a circle bending time around taking the time and bending it closer to the ground (our hands were filled with water) Tobacco Indian Turtle Heart. Ahnishinabeg Artist. turtle@aicap.s21.com American Indian Computer Art Project (AICAP) 619-374-2208 PO Box 111, Johannesburg California 93528-0111 Land of Kaw-ii-Su Ancestor. Land of Light. --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 95/06/22 23:29 From: Debra F. Sanders (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days GE Electronic Mail A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of July 2-8 IULAI (July) (Hinaiaeleele) 2 The beauty of the wilderness renews my spirit. 3 We were all born in the stars. 4 Rejoice with the storms of the earth; shout joy with the voice of the thunders! 5 The wonder of childhood is preserved within. 6 Choose the path taken by only a few, for it leads to wisdom. 7 Dance joyously in the memory of your ancestors, your kupuna. 8 Life is all around us, ... and within. (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, 29 Jun 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 (Editor's Note: I sectioned the following list -- part 1 covers the first two weekends of July, more will follow in coming weeks.) ---------------------------- From: ondamitag@aol.com (Ondamitag) Subject: July, August 95 Pow-wows Pow-wow Schedule for July 1995 (6/24/95) POSTED June 24, 1995 (for adding to the list or amending please email Ondamitag) (mostly from Indian Country Communications _News from Indian Country_ National Pow-wow Directory - ICC, Route 2, Box 2900A, Hayward, WI 54843 (715)634-5226 or fax (715)634-3243) Volume IX Number 12 (Late June 1995) NORTHERN UTE (contest pow-wow) June 29 - July 2, 1995 Tribal Grounds Fort Duchesne, Utah (801)722-9041 ---------------------------------------------------- REDBANK RESERVE (pow-wow) June 29 - July 2, 1995 Oxbow Park Redbank Reserve, New Brunswick (506)836-7529 --------------------------------------------------- 4TH OF JULY ARLEE (traditional pow-wow) June 29 - July 5, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Arlee, Montana (406)745-3525 ----------------------------------------------------- ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION (pow-wow) June 30 - July 2, 1995 Duck Valley Reservation Owyhee, NV (near) 702-757-3161 ----------------------------------------------------- 14TH ANNUAL STRENGTHEN OUR TRADITIONS (traditional pow-wow) June 30 - July 2, 1995 Pow-Wow Grounds across from Kewadin Casinos Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (906)635-6050 ----------------------------------------------------- 23RD ONEIDA (pow-wow) June 30 - July 2, 1995 Norbert Hill Center Oneida, Wisconsin (414)689-2083 ---------------------------------------------------- 17TH ANNUAL RED CLIFF (traditional pow-wow) June 30 - July 2, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Red Cliff, Wisconsin (715)779-5746 or (715)779-3152 ---------------------------------------------------- SISSETON-WAHPETON (pow-wow) June 30, - July 3, 1995 Wacipi Agency Village Sisseton, South Dakota (605)698-3911 ---------------------------------------------------- 30TH NORTHERN CHEYENNE July 1 - 4, 1995 Kenneth Beartusk Memorial Grounds Lame Deer, Montana (406)477-6284 ---------------------------------------------------- 2ND ANNUAL POW-WOW July 1 & 2, 1995 Johnson Sauk Trail Park Kewanee, Illinois (309)699-4844 ---------------------------------------------------- 1995 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE (pow-wow) July 1 & 2, 1995 Sanshawe Conservation Area London, Ontario - Canada (516)672-0131 --------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN INDIAN POW-WOW (contest) July 1 - 3, 1995 County Fair Grounds Upperco, Maryland (717)632-5246 ---------------------------------------------------- MOHAWK TRAIL (traditional pow-wow) July 1 - 3, 1995 Indian Plaza, Mohawk Trail Charlemont, Massachusetts (413)339-4096 ----------------------------------------------------- MASHPEE WAMPANOAG (contest pow-wow) July 1 - 3, 1995 Douglas Pocknett Field Mashpee, Massachusetts (508)477-2080 ----------------------------------------------------- CALICO DANCERS (traditional pow-wow) July 1 - 3, 1995 Moreau Recreation Park South Glens Falls, New York (518)-793-1693 ----------------------------------------------------- TOPPENISH POW-WOW/FAIR (contest pow-wow) July 1 - 4, 1995 Rodeo Grounds Toppenish, Washington (509)865-4033 ---------------------------------------------------- QUAPAW (pow-wow) July 1 - 4, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Quapaw, Oklahoma (918)542-1853 ----------------------------------------------------- LEECH LAKE 4TH OF JULY (traditional pow-wow) July 1 - 3, 1995 Leech Lake Memorial Grounds Cass Lake, Minnesota (218)335-8289 ----------------------------------------------------- RED LAKE (contest pow-wow) July 6 - 9, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Red Lake, Minnesota (218)679-3341 ----------------------------------------------------- 32ND SAC AND FOX (contest pow-wow) July 6 - 9, 1995 Tribal Grounds Stroud, Oklahoma (918)968-3526 ----------------------------------------------------- WHITEFISH BAY (traditional pow-wow) July 6 - 9, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Whitefish Bay, Ontario (807)266-5411 ---------------------------------------------------- ARIKARA CELEBRATION (pow-wow) July 6 - 9, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds White Shield, North Dakota (701)743-4371 (evenings) ---------------------------------------------------- TONKAWA (contest pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Fort Oakland Pow-wow Grounds Tonkawa, Oklahoma (405)628-2561 --------------------------------------------------- 9TH BLACK HILLS (contest pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Mount Rushmore Rapid City, South Dakota (605)341-0925 --------------------------------------------------- PRAIRIE ISLAND (contest pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 15 miles north of Red Wing, Minnesota Prairie Island, Minnesota (800)222-7077 --------------------------------------------------- PIC RIVER (pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Mouth of the Pic River Heron Bay, Ontario (807)229-1749 --------------------------------------------------- TAOS PUEBLO (contest pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Taos, New Mexico (505)758-3883 --------------------------------------------------- ANTELOPE (traditional pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Mission, South Dakota (605)747-2381 --------------------------------------------------- BEAR RIVER ANNIVERSARY (pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Pow-wow Grounds Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin (715)588-2386 --------------------------------------------------- MOHICAN POW-WOW (pow-wow) July 7 - 9, 1995 Loudonville, Ohio (419)994-3103 {8:00 p.m. (419)994-4008} ************not verified************* ---------------------------------------------------- LITTLETON CULTURAL WEEKEND (pow-wow) July 8 & 9, 1995 Remich Park Littleton, New Hampshire (603)444-2329 ---------------------------------------------------- KAHNAWAKE MOHAWK (contest pow-wow) July 8 & 9, 1995 Tekawitha Island Montreal, Quebec (514)632-8667 ---------------------------------------------------- 1ST A.I.M. OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS (social/benefit pow-wow) July 8 & 9, 1995 Henson Robinson Zoo Springfield, Illinois (217)523-0463 ------------------------------------------------------ ANNUAL KETTLE POINT & STONY POINT FIRST NATIONS (pow-wow) July 8 & 9, 1995 Ball Park Kettle Point, Ontario - Canada (519)786-6680 ------------------------------------------------------ NARRAGANSETT (contest pow-wow) July 9 & 10, 1995 Crandell Farm Westerly, Rhode Island (401)364-1100 ------------------------------------------------------ 8TH INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD DAYS (traditonal pow-wow) July 9 - 16, 1995 location to be announced Porcipine, South Dakota (703)764-1953 ------------------------------------------------------ From: Lawlor_Lee@sage.uucp (Lawlor Lee) Newsgroups: soc.culture.native ANISHNAWBE HEALTH TORONTO presents THE JOE SYLVESTER MEMORIAL TRADITIONAL POWWOW SEPTEMBER 2ND & 3RD, 1995 WHERE: MOSS PARK ARMOURY, 130 QUEEN ST. EAST (AT JARVIS ST.) For More Information contact: Joe Hester or Joanne Shawana at (416) 360-0486 - From the Office of Jeffrey M. Lee ============================================================================== From _The Yakama Nation Review_ July 1-4 4th of July Toppenish Powwow and Indian Village. Toppenish, WA. Info: 509-865-4033 July 7-9 5th International Powwow, 30 mi North of Boise, Idaho July 15-17 Columbia River Powwow & Encampment, Roosevelt WA Info: 509-733-7050 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. From my personal flyer file: July 1-4 The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe 25th Annual Pow Wow Tama Tribal Town near Whigham, GA Info: 912-762-3165 From _The Spike_ July 1-3 Cherokee July 4th Powwow, Tribal Ceremonial Grounds, Qualla Boundary, NC Info: 704-497-3028 July 14-16 Tut's Mountain Indian Festival and Powwow. Clayton, GA. =CALL before you go! This one has a way of not happening= (and Spike warns that "They have not decided as yet.") Info: 1-800-621-1768 July 14-16 Charlotte Native American Festival, Charlotte, NC Info: 704-588-5870 ========================================================================= -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Kristin Dunkle, Debra F. Sanders(Kepola), Janet Smith, Steven C. Schiavi, Turtle Heart(Mending the Sacred Hoop with song poems), Suzan Horovitch, J. E. Peterson via P-NEWS via Peter Munoz, Marcel Hatch, Glenn Welker, Vera M. Britto(Press Release), Phil N. Cleve(Press Release), Denise Bambi Kraus(Press Release), --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ all items below this line have already been distributed by our sister, Catherine Lavender, via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 29 Jun 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: indig.canada@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: Pow-wows in Canada (July 1995) Grand River "Champion of Champions" Pow Wow Chiefswood Park Six Nations Reserve Ohsweken, Ontario July 22 & 23, 1995 phone: 519-445-4391 for further information. --------- "RE: Women's Conference List" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 08:56:02 -0400 From: fiatlux@umich.edu (Vera M. Britto) Subj: Women's Conference List (fwd) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 11:24:42 EST From: HeatherD@EDC.ORG To: native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: Women's Conference List PLEASE DISTRIBUTE, POST AND CROSS-POST AS APPROPRIATE Invitation to the Beijing Conference List PURPOSE OF THIS GROUP The Fourth World Conference on Women (WCW) to be convened by the UN General Assembly in Beijing in 1995, will bring together Heads of State to agree on joint action around 11 issues: - The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women - Unequal access to and inadequate educational opportunities - Inequalities in health status and unequal access to and inadequate health care services - Violence against women - Effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women - Inequality in women's access to and participation in the definition of economic structures and policies and the productive process - Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels - Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote women's advancement - Lack of awareness of and commitment to internationally and nationally recognized women's human rights - Insufficient mobilization of the mass media to promote women's positive contributions to society - Lack of adequate recognition and support for women's contribution to managing natural resources and safeguarding the environment In the spirit of the UN charter, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is sponsoring an Internet List, Beijing-Conf, to facilitate broad discussion of the Women's Conference issues. The List offers a forum for the exchange of ideas among all of those interested in the Conference themes. The List currently has 600+ members in 55 countries. We seek wide participation in the discussion, and especially encourage those in developing countries to participate. For those wishing to affect the Conference directly, there are formal channels for having input into the Conference. The List will offer information about those channels, as well as other Conference concerns. Our hope is that the List participants will discuss: - Your proposals for what agreements should be made at the Conference - Specific proposals for how agreements could be implemented and measures for monitoring implementation - Suggestions regarding sources of funding implementation of the agreements - Research findings that should inform the Conference representatives - Examples of gender mainstreaming at work, success stories in actions taken by governments or other organizations - Links between the Social Summit and the Women's Conference The Fourth World Conference on Women will be held in Beijing, People's Republic of China, 4-15 September 1995. The NGO Forum on Women will also be held in Beijing 30 August - 8 September 1995. HOW TO JOIN THE LIST Anyone who has electronic mail with Internet access (e.g., Bitnet, Compuserve, Prodigy, Fidonet, etc.) can subscribe to the Beijing-Conf List. To join please send an e-mail to the LISTSERV host: MAJORDOMO@CONFER.EDC.ORG Do *not* enter a subject. In the body of the message, type the text: SUBSCRIBE BEIJING-CONF Do *not* put your full name after BEIJING-CONF. You will receive a Welcome Letter to the List. At the bottom of this letter you will find a brief questionnaire; your answers will help us understand how the Internet can enhance discussions about complex social issues. OTHER RELEVANT RESOURCES There are many documents on the Women's Conference available on the Internet. Point your Gopher program at the address: GOPHER.UNDP.ORG Gopher will connect you to the UNDP Gopher Main Menu. To access the documents on Fourth World Conference on Women, open the UN Conferences folder; then open the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995 folder inside the Conferences folder. The Sustainable Development Network (SDN), a UNDP initiative to develop connectivity in many developing countries, also provides information on Sustainable Development Issues. LIST ADMINISTRATOR This List is administered and monitored by Education Development Center, a nonprofit organization. EDC is working collaboratively with the UN system and is directly supported by UNDP for the activities in this project. The UNDP Project Officer in charge of this project is Sarah Murison FOR FURTHER INFORMATION For further information about Beijing-Conf, please contact: Janice Brodman EDC JANICEB@EDC.ORG --------- "RE: Press Release on Chief Wahoo" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 23:19:05 -0400 From: philncleve@aol.com Subj: press release on "Chief Wahoo" Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE _________________________________________________________ Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance PO Box 620151 Cleveland, OH 44102 Contact: Juan Reyna 216-631-4767 Phil Althouse 216-692-2230 WAHOO CLUB CO-FOUNDER REVOKES MEMBERSHIP! Wednesday July 5th, 5:30 PM, Ontario St. entrance to Jacobs Field, Cleveland, OH. Saul Isler, co-founder of the Wahoo Club (founded in 1950's) will revoke his membership in the club due to its use of the name "wahoo" and use of "chief wahoo" logo. Still a baseball fan, Mr. Isler realizes that it is not an honor to indigenous peoples to use "wahoo" as the name of a prominent baseball fan club and has attempted to persuade the members of the club to eliminate the name. In a letter to club members, Mr. Isler stated that the "ones who give offense should step aside to those who are offended." His action recognizes opposition expressed by many members of the indigenous community in Cleveland and many First Nation groups across the United States to the use of chief wahoo logo and team name. At a time when Cleveland is gaining popularity due to the success of its baseball team, the city's image is still tarnished by the perpetuation of racist stereotypes through the use of the chief wahoo logo and team name. These stereotypes have existed since the days of Louis Sockalexis, the man is whose honor the team is allegedly named. In May of 1897, the Cleveland Press reported, "War whoops, yells of derision: a chorus of meaningless familiarities greet Sockalexis on every diamond on which he appears. And in many cases these demonstrations border on extreme rudeness." Another Cleveland Press article from May of 1897 describes a baseball game crowd as "guying him (Sockalexis) and advising him to 'get a tomahawk'." The Committee of 500 Years applauds Mr. Isler for his decision. His act sets a standard of decency that the Cleveland Indians ownership should embrace but does not. The Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance is a coalition of indigenous and non-indigenous individuals and organizations dedicated to educating the public about racism, discrimination, and stereotyping in sports and the media against the indigenous peoples of this continent. Our goal is to remove the racist name "Indians" and logo "chief wahoo" of Cleveland's professional baseball team. In this way we will help make Greater Cleveland a community that truly respects all people. -------- "RE: Society for Advancement of Chicanos and NAs" --------- Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 12:54:48 EST From: gwelker@mail.lmi.org (Glen WELKER) Subj: The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science -------------------------------------------- The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was founded in 1973 by science professors. SACNAS is a national organization with most of its members residing in the Southwest. The Society's mission is to encourage Chicano and Native American students to pursue graduate education in order to obtain the advance degrees necessary for research careers and science teaching professions at all levels. Over the past fey years, SACNAS has concentrated on holding national conferences to help carry out its mission. These conferences have been financially supported by the National Institutes of Health and are designed to inspire and encourage Chicano and Native American undergraduate science and engineering students (included also are mathematics, psychology, and grade school/secondary school science teacher majors) to pursue graduate education. SACNAS conferences feature exhibitors primarily from graduate schools of education and from federal and private agencies that offer research careers. With the national organization's mission in mind, the students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign founded the first SACNAS student chapter in January, 1992. Since its foundation, we have invited two Chicano science professors, Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff, neuroscience professor from Harvard Medical School and Dr. William Velez, a mathematics professor at the University of Arizona and who is presently at the National Science Foundation in Washington D.C. We have also worked in attaining summer internships and research positions for Chicano and Native American students. We are currently holding weekly meetings on Thursdays in Rm 284 Student Organizations Complex, Illini Union (2nd floor, South Side). These meetings begin at 7pm. All registered students are invited to join. Contact person: Norma Patino 351-7397, e-mail norma20@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SACNAS PRESIDENT TO VISIT CHICAGO SACNAS The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, held its annual conference on March 24-28,1994, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. SACNAS Conferences are organized to encourage undergraduate students to attend graduate school in order to obtain the degrees necessary for research careers and science teaching careers. The 1993 Conference was held in Albuquerque and had over a thousand participants. SACNAS focuses on Mathematics and Computer Science, the Physical Sciences, the Biological Sciences, the Psychological Sciences, Engineering Research and Math & Science Education. The President, George Castro, will be in Chicago August 24-27 and the Vice- President, Cecilio Barrera, and the two SACNAS staff members, Judith Scollon and Gini Pineda will join him on late Wednesday, August 25. We will be meeting with people from the local Chicago area on August 26,27 to help us with the conference. We have people setting up meetings at the University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago State University, Loyola University, De Paul University and the City Government of Chicago. We are primarily looking for university sponsors who will help recruit and support students to attend the conference and to local governmental and civic organizations to host certain social events. SACNAS will support a few hundred students from the rest of the country to attend the conference, but the primary reason for holding the conference in Chicago is to reach out to students from the Midwest. This is the first National SACNAS Conference that has not been held in the Southwest where most of our members reside. If you or your university are interested in meeting with us during this trip, please contact me at the e-mail address below. Or if you know of any colleges or universities that we should try to include in our conference planning, please send me that information as well with the name of a contact person. SACNAS Conferences are exciting affairs containing many scientific symposia, student and faculty workshops, panel discussions, and mentoring sessions of the undergraduate students by graduate students and professionals. Because we have so few members in the Chicago area, we will probably not have such a large scale K-12 Science Teacher Workshops (450 teachers attended in Albuquerque) and such a large participation on the High School Science Day (2000 Chicano and Native American high school students attended in Albuquerque), but we will have a quality program for local science teachers and high school students interested in science. Dr. George Castro, SACNAS President (Tel. 408-927-2400) Bitnet (castro at almaden); Internet (castro @ almaden.ibm.com) --------- "RE: Request, Comments from the NAGPRA Review Committee" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 16:40:35 -0400 From: sam_ball@nps.gov (Sam Ball) Subj: Request, Comments from the NAGPRA Review Committee Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Draft Recommendations Regarding the Disposition of Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains and Associated Funerary Objects AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments _________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY: The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3007 (c)(5)) requires the Review Committee to recommend specific actions for developing a process for the disposition of culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains. The seven individuals on the committee have given this matter great thought and have developed the enclosed draft outlining their position and several options. The enclosed draft is intended for wide circulation to elicit comments from Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museum, Federal agencies, and national scientific and museum organizations. We are publishing this draft in the Federal Register for broad public comment. DATES: Comments should be received by September 30, 1995 in order for them to receive the committee's full consideration at their next scheduled meeting. For additional information, please contact Dr. C. Timothy McKeown at (202) 343- 4101. Please note that we will not accept any comments in electronic form. ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS: Anyone interested in commenting on the committee's draft recommendations should send written comments to: The NAGPRA Review Committee c/o Archaeological Assistance Division National Park Service Box 37127, Suite 210 Washington DC, 20013-7127 Dated: June 14, 1995 /SIGNED/ Veletta Canouts Acting, Departmental Consulting Archaeologist and Acting, Chief, Archaeological Assistance Division Draft Recommendations By The N.A.G.P.R.A. Review Committee On The Disposition Of Culturally Unidentifiable Native American Remains Under NAGPRA (25 U.S.C. 3007 (c)(5)) the Review Committee is specifically charged with "compiling an inventory of culturally unidentifiable human remains that are in the possession or control of each Federal agency and museum and recommending specific actions for developing a process for disposition of such remains." What follows below is a draft of recommendations from the Review Committee to the Secretary in compliance with the mandate in NAGPRA. This draft is intended for wide circulation to elicit the comments, suggestions and opinions of members of Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, scientific organizations, and museums as described under 25 U.S.C. 3007 (e). We wish to emphasize that these recommendations are preliminary and every element is open to change depending on the comments of the public. In fulfilling their responsibility, the Review Committee makes the following observations and recommendations: 1. Although the disposition of culturally "unidentifiable human remains" is left open in NAGPRA, there is a firmly established principle in the act that assigns responsibility for what happens to human remains and associated funerary objects to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated tribes. This general principle should be followed in determining the disposition of culturally "unidentifiable human remains" that are known to be ancestral Native Americans. It is true that there are remains and associated funerary objects in museums and Federal agencies for which it is not possible to identify specific cultural connections to any particular tribe today. However, such remains and objects, no matter how ancient, are nevertheless Native American, and they should be treated according to the wishes of the Native American community. Ultimately, decisions about what happens to the remains of Native American individuals from anywhere in the United States and associated funerary objects should rest in the hands of Native Americans. These decisions can and should be informed by anthropological, archaeological, historical, folkloric, biological, linguistic and spiritual evidence, and nonNative Americans can and should be consulted when appropriate in the decision making process. However, the final decision should be made entirely by Native American people. 2. Although the Act specifically mentions only "unidentifiable human remains", it is consistent with other aspects of the Act to include in this discussion "associated funerary objects" as well. Therefore all recommendations on the disposition of unidentifiable human remains also apply to any funerary objects that are associated with those remains as those terms are defined in the Act. It may be that additional legislation will be required to insure that Native American groups are provided with the opportunity to repatriate associated funerary objects accompanying unidentified remains. 3. The Committee has heard extensive testimony from physical anthropologists and archaeologists as to the broader scientific, medical, and humanistic values that may be gained from analysis of Native American skeletal remains from both the recent and distant path. While the Committee recognizes there may be potential value in such analyses, such values do not provide or confer a right of control over Native American human remains that supersedes the spiritual and cultural concerns of Native American people who clearly have the closest general affiliation to these remains. The issue is not whether there is positive benefit to be gained from analysis of remains, but who has the right and responsibility to make decisions about whether such analysis should take place. It is the responsibility of archaeologists and physical anthropologists to communicate with Native American tribes and groups to inform them of the potential values of analysis of human remains and associated funerary objects and allow the tribes and groups to use this information as they choose in making their decisions about the treatment and disposition of those remains and objects. 4. The term "unidentifiable human remains" can be applied to three different groups of remains and these should be considered separately. The three categories include: 1. remains for which there is cultural affiliation with Native American groups who are not formally recognized by the BIA; 2. ancient remains for which there is specific information about the original location and circumstances of the burial; and 3. remains which may be Native American but which lack information about their original burial location. 1. Remains for which there is cultural affiliation with Native American groups who are not formally recognized by the BIA There are remains that can be directly traced by a preponderance of the evidence to tribes, villages, communities of Native Americans which may not be formally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as "Tribes". In these cases, the remains are only "unidentifiable" because of the wording of the Act. In the Act, the definition of Indian "Tribe" has been interpreted by the Department of the Interior to mean only those groups that have received formal recognition by the BIA as "tribes". There are, however, many groups in the United States that are "eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians" (25 U.S.C. 3001 (7)), but have not received formal BIA recognition by choice or other circumstances. In cases where such groups are able to establish cultural affiliation with specific remains it is the unequivocal recommendation of the Review Committee that they should be accorded the same rights and responsibilities given to BIA recognized Tribes for the repatriation of those specific remains. Cultural affiliation in these cases should follow the guidelines of the Act and be determined by a preponderance of the evidence based upon geographical, kinship, biological, archaeological, anthropological, linguistic, folkloric, oral traditional, historical, or other relevant information or expert opinion (25 U.S.C. 3006. (a)(4)). The Review Committee would appreciate suggestions on how to identify and recognize those Native American groups who should be eligible to claim remains for repatriation but are not on the Bureau of Indian Affairs list of federally recognized "tribes". 2. Ancient remains for which there is specific information about the original location and circumstances of the burial There is a very large number of remains from across the United States which come from earlier time periods and it is not possible to trace directly ancestry to any known contemporary tribe or group. Remains coming from archaeological excavations at sites that were occupied before the arrival of Europeans will most commonly fall into this category. From available evidence, it is often possible to determine that several groups or tribes may have historical or deeper ancestral ties to the area. In these cases, it may or may not be possible to establish direct links between the ancient remains and any specific contemporary groups or tribes. In these cases, responsibility for what happens to such remains rests with those tribes and groups who are able to show an affinity both to the territory and to the general time period from which the remains came. Tribes or groups will demonstrate such geographic and temporal affinity through evidence based on biological, archaeological, linguistic, folkloric, oral traditional or other relevant information or expert opinion. Tribes or groups who are able to demonstrate geographical and temporal affinity to ancient remains will decide on what happens to those remains based on consensual agreement. It is the responsibility of the tribes who claim affiliation to come forward and state their claim and present their evidence of affiliation. Based on information in the inventories received from museums and Federal agencies, the Review Committee will take responsibility for notifying all tribes who may be potentially affiliated with particular remains . The Act anticipates the circumstances of more ancient remains to some extent in Sec. 7 (e), "Competing Claims". This section deals with situations in which there are multiple claims for remains or objects and advises that museums and Federal agencies retain those remains and objects until the "requesting parties agree upon its disposition or the dispute is otherwise resolved pursuant to the provisions of this Act or by a court of competent jurisdiction." Although the case of "unidentified" remains may well not involve a dispute, the same general principles should apply. Specifically, a museum or Federal agency should retain "culturally unidentified" remains and associated funerary objects until such time as all potentially affiliated tribes and groups reach consensual agreement on disposition of the remains and associated objects. 3. Remains which are likely to be Native American but which lack information about their original burial location There are remains in museums and Federal agencies which are known or appear to be Native American through museum records or simple visual examination but which lack sufficient information to identify more specific cultural or geographical affinities. There are two broad types of remains that may fall in this group. First, there are remains for which there may be some indication that they are culturally affiliated with one federally recognized Tribe or Native Hawaiian group, but there is insufficient independent evidence to confirm the affiliation. It is possible, for example, to have remains in museums which are labeled as belonging to one tribe or group, but with no supporting evidence of any kind to support that identification. In such cases the remains may be affiliated with one or more additional groups of Native Americans or with non-Native Americans. In these cases, however, the museum or Federal Agency should not have to bear the responsibility of determining whether the remains should be returned to a specific group. The Act actually does speak to this situation to some extent in Sec. 7(a)(4). In this section there are guidelines for when a museum or federal agency is unable to establish cultural affiliation of remains in the inventory process. In these cases, the burden of responsibility goes to the Tribe to "show cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence". In cases such as this, when the museum or Federal agency is unable to reasonably confirm the cultural affiliation of specific Native American human remains, the inventory of these remains should be provided to the Review Committee, along with a summary made by the museum or Federal agency of whatever limited information is available that might relate to the identity of the individuals involved. The Review Committee then has the opportunity to review available information. The Committee can either decide there is sufficient evidence to reasonably determine cultural affiliation or that the remains should continue to be treated as "unidentifiable." Another group of remains with limited cultural or geographical information remains are those for which there is no available information about their origins or any possible contemporary descendent Tribes or groups. There are, for example, remains in museums which are simply identified as "Native American" or "Indian", with no information about where they came from. In these cases, there is insufficient evidence to reasonably identify tribal affiliation either culturally, biologically or geographically. Although this is likely to be a relatively small number of individuals, they are no less important than the other remains held by museums and Federal agencies today. If it has been determined that these remains are Native American, then broad regional associations of Native American tribes and groups may take responsibility for determining the ultimate disposition of such remains. One possibility that has been raised is a series of regional cemeteries or mausoleums can be established on protected lands where these unidentified individuals can be reburied and protected forever. Other alternatives to regional cemeteries for the disposition of unidentifiable Native American remains may also be worked out by the regional associations. 5. Several groups have stepped forward and made explicit claims for all those Native American remains for which there are no identifiable cultural descendants. The sentiment of these groups expressed in this public commentary is that such remains should not be left unattended in museums, but should be returned for reconsecration in the earth. The exact cultural affiliation of these individuals is not as important as the fact that they were removed from their final resting places without consent. There is diverse opinion in the Native American community about the treatment of individuals without cultural affiliation. The conditions outlined above for individuals without specific tribal affiliations should be applied for all so-called "unidentifiable" individuals. 6. The continuance of a Review Committee is integral to the long- term resolution of issues and problems related to the ultimate disposition of culturally unidentified human remains and associated funerary objects. 7. The Review Committee recognizes that many Native American tribes and groups have already developed regional and cultural associations to address the issue of culturally unidentified remains. These existing associations provide good models for repatriating and caring for culturally "unidentified" remains (as defined by the Act) in an expeditious and respectful manner. The guidelines outlined above are explicitly intended to facilitate and encourage the efforts of these existing associations. 8. As a means of stimulating discussion, the Review Committee would like to offer some suggestions about possible alternative procedures for repatriating unidentifiable human remains. These are suggestions only and not intended in any way as proposed regulations. The Committee offers more than one option for resolving several procedural issues and would like to solicit comments about the relative desirability of these or other options. DRAFT FOR COMMENT ONLY Possible procedures for deciding the disposition of unidentified remains Procedures for identification of potential claimants Option 1 (1) NPS compiles map of groups and tribes who may be related to all lands across time in the United States. (2) NPS sends inventories of unidentifiable remains to groups with historical or cultural ties to the area from which the remains were taken, or where they currently reside if their original location is unknown. (3) Interested Native American groups determine if there is evidence of a direct biological or cultural affinity between them and the remains. (4) In the absence of such evidence, groups may use geographical and chronological information to establish an affinity to the remains. Option 2 (1) NPS prepares abstracts of the complete national inventories and sends copies of these abstracts to every tribe and potentially descendant Native American group in the United States. (2) Interested Native American groups review information on remains from areas where they maintain cultural and historical affinities. (3) Interested groups determine if there is evidence of a direct biological or cultural affinity between them and the remains. (4) In the absence of such evidence, groups may use geographical and chronological information to establish an affinity to the remains. Procedures for reviewing claims Option 1 (1) Tribe(s) or group(s) make a request for repatriation by providing NPS evidence of their affinity to the remains. (2) NPS reviews claims for remains and, in consultation with the NAGPRA review committee, makes determinations of cultural affinity. (3) The museum or requesting group may appeal the NPS decision to the NAGPRA review committee or appropriate courts. Option 2 (1) Tribe(s) or group(s) requests repatriation by presenting evidence of an affinity with the collection to the museum or Federal agency holding the remains. (2) Museum or Federal agency reviews request for repatriation and makes determinations of cultural affinity. (3) If the museum or Federal agency decides an affinity does not exist, the requesting group may appeal the decision to the NAGPRA review committee or appropriate courts. Procedures for making repatriations to Native American groups without BIA recognition (1) If it is determined that a Native American group has an affinity with the remains, a notice of intent to repatriate is published in the federal register with an appropriate waiting period to allow other tribes enough time to file additional claims. (2) If additional claims for specific remains are filed after this publication, the NPS will review the case for each additional request. (3) If it is determined based on this review that the additional requesting tribe or group does have an affinity with the remains no repatriation will occur until all claimants reach a consensual agreement on the disposition of the remains. (4) If agreement is reached, the remains will be repatriated to the requesting groups. (5) If agreement cannot be resolved through consensual agreement, the claimants can ask the NAGPRA review committee to mediate the dispute or appeal to the appropriate courts.