Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews03.046 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 046 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 18 November 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, Chiapas-L, NATCHAT & NATIVE-L listservers; Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native; People's Weekly World; UUCP & Genie (General Electric) email 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. Thanks to Don Rayment ,don.rayment@uptowne.com, Wotanging Ikche/ Kanoheda Aniyvwiya is being redistributed via a listserver. If you would like to receive Wotanging Ikche via the listserver, you can send a message to listserv@uptowne.com and include, in the body of your message "sub wotanging.ikche " Thanks to Marc Becker and David Cole issues of Wotanging Ikche/ Kanoheda Aniyvwiya are being archived at a World-Wide-Web site. The URL is http://web.maxwell.syr.edu/nativeweb/journals/nanews 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 "Times change but principles don't. Times change but lands do not. Times change but our cultures and our language remain the same. And that's what you have to keep intact. It's not what you wear - it's what's in your heart. And that makes the difference... Don't forget your home! __ Oren Lyons, Onandaga +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! In the issue 43 I included a call from Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, for a day of Prayer. In this issue Abenaki Elder, Looking Glass asks for all to join that call for Prayer. The quote in this issue is from Oren Lyons, Onandaga Elder. It reminds us who we are, and to Honor our homes and our ways. Many prophesies are coming to be. Many nations are being reminded to come back to the original ways... the traditions our Ancestors kept for us, often suffering greatly to do so. Listen to the winds. Listen with your hearts. Pray for The People. 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=== ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- Part A: Usenet and e-mail Part B: NATCHAT and NATIVE-L lists - We All Belong to a - Conferences and Powwows - online "Circle of Nations" - World Peace And Prayer Day - Big Mountain Update - Contract on America takes - URGENT! Hopi Peace Initiative Aim at American Indians - NCAI Elects Officers - Little Victories & - EZLN Communique Regarding Christopher Columbus Cecilia Rodriguez - Internships at the - White Man's Dilemma Dene Cultural Institute - World Vigil to End - Looking for Pen Type Pals Nuclear Testing - NA Commandments - Prayer for Us - A Lesson From the Geese - Prayer Of Thanksgiving - Poem: Sovereignty - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: We All Belong to a "Circle of Nations"" --------- Date: Wed, 08 Nov 95 17:02:15 EST From: gwelker@mail.lmi.org (Glenn Welker) Subj: We All Belong to a "Circle of Nations" UUCP email "Euro-Americans desperately try to deny what has already begun, that inexorable force which has already been set loose in the Americas. Hopi, Aztec, Maya, Inca -- these are the people who will not die, the people who do not change because they are always changing. Long before the Europeans arrived, the cultures of the Americas had vast networks of trade and commerce; during times of famine, trading partners sent food. Guatemalan macaw feathers went to Taos, and Minnesota pipestones to Honduras. Native Americans are not truly part of modern American society. Non- native people have a need to believe that all indigenous peoples and cultures which have been destroyed were somehow less than human. The time is coming when native peoples will rise up and retake their land. Like all human beings they are concerned with their continued survival as the people, 'they believe themselves to be'. They continue to tell one another who they are, who they have been, and who they will become. Like the slaughter of the buffalo, the removal of Native children to boarding schools was a calculated act of cultural genocide. How could they remember there what Native Americans for thousands of years had known and remembered together? When they were finally reunited with their families, they were once again with what continues and what will always continue to be in their collected memories. Each moment in life is complete unto itself, distinct from any other. The energy felt among indigenous peoples crackles, like the energy needed to shift continental plates or that which propels a child into the new world, to start all over again. This is what holds together the power of the legend, a power that calls all things into existence and assures respect for life everywhere. Indians may be called the 'invisible people', but their wondrous and beautiful words, like the eons of Earth's life they have seen, will not fade or be swallowed by time. They belong to a people who have always cherished the land, who listen to it; in the sound of water or the sheen of a river stone. Nature's song is pervasive and faithful. It has a memory in its own language, as well as a story to tell. A vision quest only comes when a person is ready to receive it, from a view that is introspective and whole. This is something that can never be taken away from someone; a guiding force and anchor in one's life, where a spiritual topography emerges. It is the knowledge of following a well- worn path, where connections become clear, and things make sense; thus acquiring some certainty of arriving at the proper destination. Indigenous peoples struggle with the clash of systems just as they battle the whirlwinds of troubled families and history that can never be left behind. It is the way we perceive and express the meaning of our lives, the way we know ourselves as a strong and enduring people. For this reason it is sacred. Our culture, our identity, is conveyed by language, by the oral tradition. It will take courage and determined effort to acquire fully the justice we demand. Anyone with a sense of compassion and responsibility must realize the necessity of a more hopeful vision. This can only be achieved by a faith in the way Indian people have lived with our Mother Earth and the Creator from the Beginning. This vision is held in the traditions and philosophy of a people who believe in continuance for themselves and for all life. Like the old redwood forests, when a mother tree falls, a young one springs from its death. Many of us have fallen into material poverty, but we are rich in relatives, songs and beauty. Words are like gifts, our grandparents say. By our hand, through their memory, the house is more than form. To thrive is to learn how to respect others and how to act with courage, humility, generosity, and compassion. The spirit blooms and we must remember our source of nourishment, or we will starve forever. It is small wonder how we can ever have a planet where people live in peace, if people don't seek out their place in the Great Mystery." ----------------------------------- "We are the invisible ones, The People of the Sky, The people of dreams whose voices Cannot be bound by pain. We are the people of prayers, Who stand small before the Creator, Who entreat him, so that the strand Of time that holds us to eternity Might not be cut and our words Slip into silence." Debra Calling Thunder ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- They give us many words so that we will remain a nation, a circle of people." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRIENDS, WE ARE ALL INDIANS! ---------------------------- AHE'HEE Glenn Reference Source: "A Circle of Nations: Voices and Visions of American Indians" --------- "RE: Big Mountain Update" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 From: dineh@primenet.com (Dineh Alliance) Subj: BIG MOUNTAIN UPDATE: November 1995 Dineh Alliance E-mail: dineh@primenet.com Web Page: http://www.primenet.com/~dineh/index.html BIG MOUNTAIN UPDATE: November 1995 Thank you for your prayers and support. We have been very busy lately preparing legal documentation and acquiring evidence to support our case. Because we are devoting so much time to this urgent project, we are not able to answer all e-mail inquiries right away. Please be patient. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW COURT PROCEEDING: Dineh Alliance vs. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) and statutory party Peabody Western Coal Company (PWCC), Administrative Law Court, Judge Ramon M. Child presiding. Dineh Alliance legal briefs are due November 27 and response is due December 18. A decision will be made sometime in January, 1996. Black Mesa residents now have legal representation: Mick Harrison of GreenLaw, noted for his success in other major environmental suits, is heading the legal team. If there is one way more than any other that you can help, it is with funding. THIS IS OUR BEST CHANCE YET TO WIN. WE NEED FUNDS to pay for legal expenses, court transcripts, xeroxing, and faxes. Tax deductible contributions can be sent to Dineh Alliance's fiscal agent, Don't Waste Arizona, Inc. Please address checks: Don't Waste Arizona Inc., on memo portion of check note: for Black Mesa Legal Fund. Don't Waste Arizona, Inc., 6205 S. 12th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85040. PROPOSAL TO NAVAJO NATION TO SUPPORT SOLAR CONVERSION: We have been very busy lately, deciding our strategies and conducting meetings. We are proposing solar conversion for the Navajo Nation. The Black Mesa region is one of the best sites for solar in the country. This would create more jobs, not ravage the earth, provide more funds for the Navajo Nation, and provide longer term job security. Coal from Peabody's Black Mesa/Kayenta mining complex powers Las Vegas and southern California. Presently, Peabody pays the Hopi and Navajo a fraction in royalties from the profits they make. By having a massive solar project on Black Mesa, the Navajo Nation would make more money than they will lose in Washington, DC budget cuts, that at best will only return funding to prior subsistence levels. Presently, most of the profits from Peabody go to Hanson Holding Company, London, England, a multi-national corporation while environmental devastation remains on Black Mesa. CALL FOR A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT ALBERT HALE, THE NAVAJO NATION: Please tell President Hale to meet with the people of Black Mesa. He has been cancelling meetings with us since October 5. Tell him to meet with us and seriously consider our environmental concerns. Tell him to schedule a special session of the Navajo Tribal Council so that we can meet with him and the Navajo Tribal Council. It is imperative that Dineh Alliance present our environmental concerns and host a solar presentation that was presented recently at Hardrock Chapter House. Please call and write: President Albert Hale, The Navajo Nation Box 9000 Window Rock, AZ 86515 Phone: (520) 871-4941 RECENT LIVESTOCK CONFISCATION: On October 16, 1995, some our livestock were confiscated. Hopi Rangers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have been confiscating our livestock at will with complete disregard for the law. However, we just had a victory and recently some of our confiscated livestock have been returned at the government's expense. We secured their release minutes before a Public Auction where most of them were going to be sold. The Hopi Rangers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have been confiscating our livestock without giving us adequate notice and without posting legal notices as required by law prior to their confiscation. We hope to stop all livestock, wood and wood cutting tool confiscation, especially with winter approaching. Please call and write to them to stop confiscating our livestock, wood and wood cutting tools. We have a right to live on our ancestral land and graze our livestock. We do not accept that we or our livestock are "trespassing". Violations of our civil and constitutional rights will not be tolerated and are viewed as harassment and a nuisance perpetuated by the Hopi Rangers, the BIA and the U.S. government in an attempt to force us off our sacred ancestral land, rich in coal deposits, for expanded mining activities by Peabody Western Coal Company. Livestock that used to cost $100.00 to release now costs $1,000.00. This is an increase of 10X the previous rate and a deviation of general BIA policy (this was stated by past Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah in a letter to Ada Deer, Bureau of Indian Affairs). And since this increase, the Navajo Hopi Land Commission says that they do not have the money to pay for the release of our impounded livestock. We believe that such actions by the Hopi Rangers, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. government is continuing in an effort to force, coerce and starve us off our land. We will not accept forced or coerced relocation by the Hopi Tribal Council or by Peabody Western Coal Company. Please call and write: Robert Carolin, Superintendent U.S. Department of the Interior Hopi Indian Agency P.O. Box 158 Keams Canyon, AZ 86034 Phone: (520) 738-2249 Re: Hopi and Navajo Partition Lands TOXIC SPILL REPORTED BY DINEH ALLIANCE TO EPA: A toxic spill occurred in our community on October 3, 1995, when a truck containing two trailers had one trailer overturn. For the previous two weeks, over 120 trucks, as many as 20 a day, from morning to late at night, were travelling on local dirt roads, carrying toxic waste from seepages in oil, diesel, and gasoline underground storage tanks at the Peabody mine site. The dirt roads are narrow and cannot handle that volume of traffic without severe degradation. Some horses were hit with no attempt at investigation or recompense. Thanks to petitions signed by residents and rapidly submitted by Dineh Alliance to the EPA, truck traffic was halted. PROPOSED THIRD AGREEMENT: We are resisting the third proposed Agreement by the Hopi Tribal Council. This agreement is the same agreement that we rejected two times before. And the same agreement that the Navajo Nation Tribal Council overwhelmingly rejected before. All proposed "changes" still do not address our religious concerns, even though the Mediation process arose from the Manybeads lawsuit filed for Religious Freedom. We still are not allowed to bury our dead. There is still no provision for future generations. Now we are being offered two terms of 25 years, not even the 75 years we were offered before. We want a permanent resolution to remain on our land and do not accept living under Hopi Tribal Council jurisdiction. The Hopi Tribal Council during the Mediation process has consistently said they will not consider stopping nocturnal visits to our elders homes, will not consider stopping the livestock and wood confiscation, and will not consider our religious concerns. We have been denied housing improvement for over twenty years and have notices posted on our homes if we try to fix them, even in preparation for winter. Our elders have been denied housing improvement even in cases of demonstrated need. We are religious prisoners on our own sacred land. We believe that in order to practice freedom of religion, we must achieve a permanent resolution, not a 75 or 50-year time limit. We cannot expect justice from the Hopi Tribal Council many years from now, when we cannot get justice now. We believe that this Agreement presents a legal way, that if signed will force us off our land. And because we have been abandoned and neglected by the Navajo Nation and abused and harassed by the Hopi Tribal Council, we believe that in order for us to continue to preserve our traditional way of life, on our ancestral land, we must live by home rule in our Sovereign communities. Please write and call President Albert Hale. Tell him to honor his pledge and the Navajo Nation Tribal Council Resolution to stand by residents of Hopi Partition Land and support repeal/amendment of Public Law 93-531, the Relocation Act. Please visit the Dineh Alliance Web page (address above) for an Overview of the crisis. Also ask President Hale to honor his promise to the people to pay for a lawyer of OUR CHOICE for the Land. Now that we have a lawyer working in our interests, it is President Hale's duty to provide funding. We pray for justice; please pray for us. Thank you for your support. We will write more soon. ===================================== The Sunbow Walk will be in Albuquerque on November 26, on their way to Big Mountain. A strong turnout of supporters would be greatly appreciated. Check out their Web Page at: http://www.sunbow5walk.org/sunbow5/ --------- "RE: URGENT! Hopi Peace Initiative" --------- Date: Tue, 07 Nov 95 09:13:15 EST From: ott@mack.rt66.com Subj: URGENT! Hopi Peace Initiative AN URGENT HOPI PEACE INITIATIVE How a small effort by you can turn a hundred years of war into a thousand years of peace. If you had the chance to expose a great crime and stop it, and tip the balance in favor of world peace, would you do it? If so, please consider this carefully, then ACT WITHOUT DELAY! --------------------------------- For a full century, the United States Government has waged a silent war against the People of Peace known as Hopi. In fact, it is a war against the universe. No one with full knowledge would let it continue. This war proceeds on such a perfect lie that a widespread presentation of facts could end it with the touch of a feather. The most basic facts are presented here. Study and proof are needed, and study and proof are what we call for in the action we describe. IF ENOUGH PEOPLE TAKE A SHORT TIME TO PROMOTE FULL AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE, THE WAR AGAINST THE HOPI PEOPLE WILL END! This action accords with both the Hopi Way and the original American Way. Since both cultures are "defined" by the recognition of "self-evident, unalienable rights" that no one can take away, Hopi and America cannot be enemies. It is the Federal Government -- of whose dangers the Founders of America warned -- that tramples the liberty and life of the Hopi People, at the risk of life on earth. Tradition tells the Hopis not to take up weapons, but rather increase their adversaries' awareness. Since human beings are part of a larger team of intelligent natural forces, the effect of this strategy is stronger than all the armies in the world. We are nearing the climax of the global purification the Hopis call "Powateoni". According to their prophetic tradition, if the Hopi People mange to remain "free from foreign control" through this critical time, an unseen natural influence will promote freedom for all Peoples, and humanity will emerge into a new era of lasting peace. If the Hopis lose their natural autonomy, world problems will multiply beyond control, and life on earth will end in disaster. Every culture has this hidden influence, but the Hopi People play a unique role due to their migration to meet the Creator at the highly sensitive spiritual center of the continent presently called North America. It is no accident that their aboriginal title remains uncompromised by war or treaty, and that they are one of the last vestiges of the living, ancient, spirit-based world. The true Hopi life is Heaven. One elder speculates that Christ must have come from Hopiland, since the Bible says he came from Heaven. But now Heaven turns cold. Today, ALL RIGHTS ARE SUSPENDED for the Hopi People and their guests. Farms are being stolen. Guests are being searched and evicted at any hour without warrants. Private dwellings are searched, and even removed, without due process. Guests must have permission from an administrative agency of the executive branch of the U.S. Government operating under the corporate name "Hopi Tribe". Hopi Tribe administrators pretend to represent the aboriginal jurisdiction of the Hopi People -- the "Hopi Sinom" -- yet they deny GOVERNMENT BY CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED, FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, AND THE RIGHT TO ASSIGN AND INHERIT PROPERTY. Through the agency of the Hopi Tribal Government, the United States has effectively outlawed the Hopi Way of Life. Now, Hopis are even forbidden to gather stones to build a house without a permit from "the Tribe". The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 is the so-called legal basis on which the Hopi Tribe was formed in 1936. This act of the United States Congress has set Hopi fighting against Hopi, while international exploiters take everything they have. It has caused them to be robbed of their entire economy, and taught to demand handouts from the United States Government, or jobs from their new land owners, as the only means of prosperity. Hopi Tribe personnel have been tricked into acting as armed thugs, stealing land for their new masters and destroying their true inheritance as a sovereign people. If you dare to live as a Hopi, the secretive rulers of "the Tribe" will want your land; short-haired modernized Hopis in Federal uniforms may show up with a telephoto video camera to "monitor" your land; and they'll say you can't farm there without a permit from the Hopi Tribe. This happened to one Hopi farmer on June 5, 1995. On June 20, twelve police vehicles invaded his farm and drove over his corn. A swarm of armed officers abducted the farmer's unarmed guest who had planted most of the corn. The guest's presence was an obstacle to hidden plans to take over the Hopi farmer's land, so Hopi Tribe administrators built a paper case against him. Their only semblance of legal grounds was the fact that this guest of the Hopi Sinom ignored the corporate Hopi Tribe's eviction deadline. The Hopi Tribe administrators ignore the perfect aboriginal title of the Hopi Sinom. They ignore the last will of the Hopi farmer, who now lies buried on the land. He had cleared his field and planted corn years before the Hopi Tribe Government even existed. As a true Hopi, he wanted the land held only under the Creator-given title that is the Root Law of the aboriginal Hopi Sinom. These administrators claim the Hopi Tribe owns the land, including the deceased farmer's grave. At the same time, they say the United States Government owns it. This contradicts their false claim that the Hopi Tribe is sovereign. Sovereign means "not subject" to any higher authority. The Hopi Sinom is sovereign. In contrast, the Hopi Tribe is subject to the corporate United States, and is, therefore, not sovereign. To put it simply, the Hopi Tribe officials have been deceived. Agents of the U.S. Government have trained them to think "the law" is handed to the Hopi People from Washington, D.C. When the Government also hands them money and police powers, this lie seems credible. Yet, when challenged under oath to prove their alleged jurisdiction over Hopi Sinom land, which remains uncompromised by war or treaty, the governing members of the Hopi Tribe have confessed BY THEIR SILENCE that they have no jurisdiction, and that aboriginal Hopi Sinom jurisdiction prevails. The most poisonous outside influence in Hopi life today is the Big Lie that the Hopi Tribe is the Hopi Sinom. It pits federal police power against peaceful Hopi customs, causing severe social breakdown in an ancient society that never had jails, police or crime. Death threats against traditional Hopis, who prefer to live by honest work rather than sell their land and their liberty for handouts, are now a common occurrence. Unless this trend is reversed, there will be killings. This Big Lie promotes disinformation in the news media that hides a MANIPULATED SHIFT OF POLITICAL STATUS, from that of independent aboriginal sovereigns to that of easily exploited federal subjects. The legal term for depriving a People of its inherent political status is GENOCIDE. Yet, the mass media dismiss this act as "inevitable progress" that the Hopi Sinom elders are too "old-fashioned" to accept. The Hopi Tribe's constitution creates no connection with the Hopi Sinom aboriginal jurisdiction. It bears the seal of the United States Department of the Interior. It can only extend District of Columbia municipal jurisdiction into the personal lives of the Hopi People. It does this with a simple declaration that the Hopi Tribe jurisdiction includes Hopi land and villages. The purported adoption of the Hopi Tribe constitution -- by a small minority of Hopi-born defectors -- allows the executive branch of the United States Government to overrule the entire Hopi Sinom without their consent. The Big Lie that "the Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation" is endlessly repeated, as defectors from the aboriginal jurisdiction lead their people into servitude. Hopi springs are drying up, as millions of gallons of their water are used daily to slurry billions of dollars worth of their coal from the Hopi Sinom trust into the world market. The cutting edge of the hundred year war against the Hopi Sinom is a federally-funded utilities project, promoted by the agents of the United States Government over the past thirty years, through defectors from the Sinom who have no legal authority. This project is designed to crush the last stronghold of Hopi sovereignty by placing the community at Hotvela in debt to the United States, wrecking the spiritual foundation of the Hopi Sinom by desecrating this sacred site. Hotvela is not a "village" as the word is used in the Indian Reorganization Act and the Hopi Tribe constitution. It is a traditional "kitsoki", a shrine where spirits visit, a place for geophysical spiritual harmony. Hovel-kitsoki was built in 1906 to perpetuate sovereign Hopi Sinom jurisdiction. Its very presence is a direct and intentional refusal of United States jurisdiction. Over the years, and under great pressure, all the other Hopi kitsokis have accepted government programs, which their prophets warned would cost them their sovereignty. From the start, government agents attacked the stronghold at Hotvel-kitsoki with a vengeance. Without a trial, the founders of Hotvel-kitsoki were put in prison and forced to work on chain gangs, while agents of the federal government kidnapped their children, taking them to distant schools that softened their minds to accept the Big Lie. The result of this "forced acculturation", is that Hotvel-kitsoki is now in danger of dying by the hands of its own people. Fooled into thinking the U.S. Government is the source of the "good things" of modern life, defectors have signed contracts for a federally-funded utilities project that violates the founding Covenant of Hotvel-kitsoki. Today, a corn field is being dug out for a sewage lagoon, and earth movers are cutting up the cliffs at the edge of the mesa to install sewer pipe. The entire kitsoki is about to be dug up for sewer and water lines, NOT AS THE INITIATIVE OF A FREE SOCIETY, but as a "welfare" project designed to put the last stronghold of Hopi Sinom sovereignty in debt to the United States Government. In 1968, the women of Hotvela repulsed the installation of electric lines by standing in the holes dug for the poles. When the Hopi Tribe finally installed some of the poles in 1994, an earthquake leveled the Japanese city of Kobe, Japan, killing thousands. The elders of Hotvela see this as a natural result of injuring the sensitive web of aboriginal jurisdictions that holds the world together. More evident to "western minds" may be the fact that federal funding invokes federal jurisdiction, REPLACING ANCIENT CUSTOM WITH FOREIGN RULE OVER PRIVATE LIVES. When imposed by deception and force, once again, this is genocide. Dan Evehema, a sovereign Hopi 104 years of age and a founding member of Hotvel-kitsoki, has challenged several promoters of the utilities project within Hotvela, as well as the governing members of the Hopi Tribe, under oath, by affidavit. BY SILENCE, they all confessed that they have no authority to promote this project. Now, the defectors rush to force the project in before loyal kitsoki members have time to find remedies -- in a legal system designed by a federal government opposed to aboriginal sovereignty from the top down. Although the Hopi Tribe pretends to be the Hopi Sinom government, and presumes absolute police power over the Sinom, it refuses open communication with Hopi people. Despite three requests by certified post from Mr. Evehema, the Chairman of the Hopi Tribal Council refuses to reveal the words of his oath of office, which should be public knowledge. Even the Secretary of the Interior, who is the supreme authority over the Hopi Tribe, has ignored his request. On August 23, 1995, eight Hopi Sinom elders stood in the path of earth- moving machines used in the construction of the utility project. They acted in order to give verbal notice that the construction of the project is a discretion that violates the purpose of Hotvel-kitsoki. An agreement was reached to stop work pending a village-wide discussion, but the next morning the machines were rolling again. Their operators would only say that they had "orders". Government agents refuse information to Hopi Sinom members who oppose the Hotvela utility project, yet they spend the earnings of United States citizens on the project, on the false claim that the initiative comes from Hotvela. The United States Secretary of the Interior could easily prevent this crime, but it is more expedient for him to pretend the Hopi Tribe is "sovereign" and wash his hands like Pontius Pilate. The question is not whether Hotvel-kitsoki should modernize, but whether its inhabitants should have a Federal welfare project forced upon them by deceptive means in a scheme to deprive them of their sovereignty and their heritage. Suppose the secrecy were to end. Suppose the Hopi Tribe officials were to finally learn how they have been tricked into fighting their own people and losing everything. What if the everyone knew the suffering these officials cause as they use federal police force to steal farms? What if these officials should feel the pain, and decide to expose the lawyers who tricked them? What if the Big Lie was stripped bare and everyone learned that the Hopi Tribe is not the Hopi Sinom jurisdiction -- which existed long before the United States was formed -- but merely an administrative agency of the executive branch of the United States government, created at the urging of global mineral corporations in 1936? What if everyone concerned were to realize that the unalienable right to liberty cannot be denied without creating Hell on Earth? And what if they were to discover that there is a beautiful alternative to this nightmare? Would it be worth the effort to bring this awareness about? The hundred year war against the People of Peace was begun before any of us were born. But if we want a future worth living, it is up to us to end it. We could have heaven on Earth again, but we must make an effort. Friends of the Hopi Sinom aboriginal jurisdiction have launched a World Wide Web site to support a process of discovery that will reveal the truth about the hundred year war against the Hopi People. The Web site -- http://www.lablinks.com/hopi/ -- includes a history of Hotvel-kitsoki and other information and news relating to the misguided affairs described in this message. All parties involved will be invited to present their views, unedited and in their own words. If any official of the Hopi Tribe, or any other government agency, believes even one word of this message is untrue, we invite them, and hereby legally challenge them, to prove their case in public. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE DESECRATION OF HOTVEL-KITSOKI BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY! A small effort on your part is urgently needed to help stop this desecration. We urge you to take immediate action by joining a mass letter-writing campaign: 1. Simply copy this entire message and send it to at least seven friends, acquaintances or people you think will respond. 2.SEND A MESSAGE -- by email, fax, snailmail, or telephone -- to the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR and all members of the HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL (addresses follow below). Express your support for the immediate suspension of all construction activity on the Hotvela utilities project and urge them to join an open, honest and public discussion of the sovereign rights of the Hopi Sinom. If enough people are informed, and the Hopi Tribe and the Department of the Interior learn that we are serious about lifting their spell of deception, the earth movers will stop. The founding principles of America and the Hopi Sinom require that the United States Government and its agency known as the Hopi Tribe: + Stop all federally-funded utilities installations at Hotvel-kitsoki + End their policy of secrecy toward keepers of Hotvel-Kitsoki sovereignty + Reveal the words of the Oath of Office of the Chairman of the Hopi Tribal Council + Stop dictating the use of unrelinquished aboriginal Hopi Sinom land, including the freedom to have guests, and + Stop claiming that the Hopi Tribe existed prior to the formation of the United States. Please keep sending this message to the recipients listed below until these peaceful and lawful requirements are met. Spread the word! Help end of the silent war of the Corporate United States Government against the People of Peace. Act Now! The earth-moving machines are causing permanent damage as these words are being written! SEND THIS MESSAGE TO: ++ Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior ++ 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. Near Postal Zone "20240" EMAIL: cnethawa@usgs.gov FAX: (202) 208-6956 VOICE: (202) 208-3171 ++ All governing members of the Hopi Tribe ++ Post Office Box 123 Kykotsmovi, Arizona Near Postal Zone "86030" You can also express your support for the Hopi Sinom by contacting: ++ Hopi Sinom at Hotvel-kitsoki ++ Post Office Box 753 Hotvela, Arizona Near Postal Zone "86030" EMAIL: hopi@lablinks.com HOPI SINOM: >>> http://www.lablinks.com/hopi/ <<< SUMERIA: WWW Virtual Library -- Alternative Health, Science and Politics http://www.lablinks.com/sumeria/ --------- "RE: NCAI Elects Officers" --------- Date: Wed, 08 Nov 1995 17:31:58 -0500 (EST) From: jdossett@ichange.com (John Dossett) Subj: NCAI Elects Officers for 1996-97 Term UUCP email NOVEMBER 7, 1995 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JOANN K. CHASE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS ELECTS OFFICERS FOR 1996-97 TERM" Washington, D.C. - Over 200 Tribes met last week at the National Congress of American Indians 52nd Annual Convention, held at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego, to determine national policy for Indian Country and to elect new officers and members of the NCAI Executive Committee for the organization. W. Ron Allen, was elected NCAI President on Thursday, November 2, to serve a 2-year term. President Allen is Chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of Sequim, Washington. "My vision for the future is of a strengthened NCAI, with greater capacity to serve its member Tribes on issues that threaten tribal sovereignty and the future of our people. We will act methodically to protect the sovereign rights of tribes, our treaty rights, and trust assets, as we make NCAI a strong advocacy organization dreamed of 51 years ago by its founders," stated the new President. In other balloting, Ernie Stevens, Jr., Oneida of Wisconsin, was elected First Vice President, Diane Kelley, Cherokee of Oklahoma, was elected Recording Secretary, and Gerry Hope, President of the Ketchikan Tribal Council, was elected Treasurer. Area Vice Presidents who represent constituent tribes on the NCAI Executive Committee were elected from their area caucuses. They are: Aberdeen Area, Russell "Bud" Mason, Three Affiliated Tribes; Albuquerque Area, Joe Garcia, San Juan Pueblo; Anadarko Area, Merle Boyd, Sac & Fox Tribe; Billings Area, John Sunchild, Sr., Chippewa-Cree Tribe; Juneau Area, Edward K. Thomas, Tlingit & Haida Tribes of Alaska; Minneapolis Area, Marge Anderson, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; Muskogee Area, Rena Duncan, Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma; Northeast Area, Ken Phillips, Oneida of New York; Phoenix Area, Arlan D. Melendez, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony; Portland Area, Bruce Wynne, Spokane Tribe; Sacramento Area, Juana Majel, Pauma Band of San Luiseno; and Southeast Area, James Hardin, Lumbee. One of the most successful NCAI membership meetings in recent years, the convention drew over 1,500 participants from throughout the United States and Canada. The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, was organized as a representative congress of consensus on national priority issues, the need for unity and cooperation among Indian governments and people, for the security and protection of treaty and sovereign rights for the betterment of the quality of life for Indian people. --------- "RE: EZLN Communique Regarding Cecilia Rodriguez" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 07:51:55 +0000 From: "CECILIA RODRIGUEZ" Subj: EZLN Communique regarding Cecilia Rodriguez Mailing List: Chiapas-L (chiapas-l@profmexis.dgsca.unam.mx) La Jornada, November 13 Communique from the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee, General Command of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation, Mexico November 4, 1995 To the people of Mexico: To the peoples and governments of the world: Brothers and sisters: The Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee, General Command of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation declares the following: First. On October 26, 1995 the companera Cecilia Rodriguez, United States citizen and legal representative of the EZLN in the United States by means of the National Commission for Democracy in Mexico, was attacked by a band of criminals who serve the evil government in its politics of intimidating honest people who are helping the EZLN in the achievement of a just and dignified peace. Second. The cowardly aggression against the Zapatista Cecilia Rodriguez makes up part of a campaign of intimidation and threats against women who struggle for democracy in Mexico and which includes crimes against indigenous and non-indigenous women in the territory of Chiapas. Third. The evil government is incapable of guaranteeing the security of any person in Chiapas despite maintaining dozens of thousands of soldiers, whose only goal is to assure the impunity of the powerful. Fourth. In view of the fact that the laws of the evil government do not do anything to address these situations, the EZLN has initiated the work of finding and taking prisoner those responsible for this and other similar aggressions against women in Chiapas in order to judge them according to Zapatista laws. Fifth. The EZLN adds its voice and its action to that of the thousands of human beings who carry forward the demand for justice in all cases of aggression against women. We call upon all the men and women who in Mexico and the world struggle for democracy, liberty and justice, in order that we mobilize with regard to this fundamental demand for all human beings: respect for women. Democracy! Liberty! Justice! >From the mountains of the Mexican southeast. Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee, General Command of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation Mexico November, 1995 Signed by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos Translated by Cindy Arnold, National Center for Democracy, Liberty and Justice --------- "RE: White Man's Dilemma" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 11:32:06 -0500 From: Mark Fennell Subj: This is a FLAME!!! Newsgroup: soc.culture.native Forgive me, for this IS a flame. This is the result of reading some 400 articles from the past month of soc.culture.native. If you don't like flames, skip this article. If you need fuel for your fire, read on. White Man's Dilemma The White Man's Dilemma is what he once took to be his pride and joy. Now he is like an old star imploding under the pressure of his own weight. He has for too long conquered other people and assimilated them into his hodge-podge of politics, power, and psychosis. Sadly he has reached out and poisoned every atom of the world. Now the world dies around him and he refuses to change. America chooses, through this will of the white man, to police the world as if to be God. White man has raped every culture, denied and punished everything different. Native North Americans have no name except Indian or Native American. The white man refuses to see the diversity of Nations, tribes, bands, and clans. The white man sees everything as he sees himself; with no identity, as one large colorless, tasteless, cultureless mass, consuming all within its path. Heritage? Many Natives claim that white men should stop being wannabes and look to his own heritage. But we are trying to escape that heritage. We are trying to escape the heritage of Hitler and Caesar. Tecumseh so well noted that we even took the liberty to kill Christ -- or so we thought we could be so powerful. It is the mentality of white men that will drill for oil in pristine land, name sports teams after cultural figures without considering how others will feel, overlook the validity of treaties and declare entire nations not federally recognized and thereby strip away what few rights they originally had. To go so far as to have Pres. Clinton declare November National Native American month is hypocrisy and nothing but a spit in the face of hundreds of years of oppression in their home land. Ah, let's not forget who's homeland this really is! This is not an isolated incident. This has happened everywhere white men have gone. Africa. Asia. Australia. India. South America. North America. Antarctica. Who says idiocy is not genetic? Who no longer understands the Braves-Indians question? Who no longer understands that drilling is bad for the environment? Who no longer understands that we are but visitors upon the fragile back of the turtle? White men. Solution: communication and rational compromise. i.e. not washington style. sorry about all that. but i had to let it out. thanks for listening. mf --------- "RE: World Vigil to End Nuclear Testing" --------- Date: 95/11/11 16:46 From: Debra F. Sanders (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: World Vigil to End Nuclear Testing GE Electronic Mail WORLD VIGIL TO END NUCLEAR TESTING Most of you are aware of the nuclear testing which France has been conducting in the South Pacific. There has been a worldwide protest, thus far with no visible results. This testing devastates the environment, not just for those who live in and around the Pacific Basin, but ultimately for all living things upon the earth. France is not the only government violating the earth in this way, but it is the most visible at the present time. The people of the Hawaiian Islands have taken the initiative of carrying the appeal to stop the nuclear testing one step further. They are planning a World Vigil to be held on December 25, 1995, from 1:00pm to 1:30pm Hawai'i time. This effort is being coordinated by the Inward Healing Center of Honolulu. The plan is to gather groups of people together (at least 114 in each location) to meditate and chant with the emphasis being on stopping the testing and healing the earth. Information has been given that if at least 114 people gather and chant the phrase "Om" in the key of F-Sharp above Middle C, then the vibrations can indeed help bring about a healing. Inward would like to have similar groups from all over the world join them in this effort, particularly from places such as Sedona, Arizona and Australia. For groups in other areas, it would be necessary to coordinate your time zone with the time of the Vigil in Hawai'i. This is a concern which transcends cultural or spiritual background. It is an effort which will allow all people everywhere to open their hearts and show that they care about the earth and every form of life which exists upon the earth. If you live in Honolulu, you are invited to join with the people at the Inward Healing Center, 258 N. Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96817. We also encourage you to form your own groups to hold a similar vigil at your church, your temple, your onikare, your kiva, your school, your community center, or in a nature setting with Father Sky and Mother Earth. If you would like to call for more information on the Vigil, please contact the Healing Center at (808) 521-HEAL -- (808) 521-4325. --------- "RE: NA Commandments" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 15:55:53 -0800 (PST) From: cherokee@wolfenet.com Subj: NA Commandments UUCP email Native American Commandments (by Glenn H. Welker) Native American Commandments Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect. Remain close to the Great Spirit. Show great respect for your fellow beings. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed. Do what you know to be right. Look after the well being of mind and body. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good. Be truthful and honest at all times. Take full responsibility for your actions +++++++++++++++++ Great Spirit, give us hearts to understand; never to take from creation's beauty more than we give; never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed; never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty; never to take from her what we cannot use. Give us hearts to understand that to destroy earth's music is to create confusion; that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; that to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench; that as we care for her she will care for us. We have forgotten who we are. We have sought only our own security. We have exploited simply for our own ends. We have distorted our knowledge. We have abused our power. Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst, help us to find the way to refresh your lands. Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution, help us to find the way to cleanse your waters. Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse, help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed, help us to find a way to replenish them. Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption, help us to find the way to restore our humanity. --------- "RE: Prayer for Us" --------- Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 00:32:05 -0500 From: GriszBear@aol.com Subj: Prayers-Prayer for Us UUCP email O' Great Creator who as the wind may speak to those that listed; whose gentle warmth lets life spring forth of the earth. - Listen to my cry, for I need your strength and knowledge to guide me through the sunrises and sunsets that show me why you made me, - May the spirit beings of the forest be there to provide for me and help me learn from them all the knowledge that the forest holds. - Give me the strength to face the challenges that are before me and the wisdom to learn the great paths followed by my elders. - Make me strong in spirit and in body as the four directions, to protect my family, my brothers and my sisters from darkness. - I will always honor you with my being, as with the sweet smoke, so that when we at last meet, you will know me to be yours. Author GriszBear --------- "RE: A Lesson From the Geese" --------- Date: 11/12/95 12:31.00 From: icabu@ix.netcom.com Subj: A Lesson From the Geese UUCP email A Lesson From the Geese 1. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they are traveling on the thrust of one another. 2. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back in formation to take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediately in front. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go. 3. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership - interdependent with each other. 4. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, not something less helpful. 5. When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation or to catch up with the flock. Lesson: If we have as much sense as the geese, we'll stand by each other like that. Let us be gentle with everything on the earth Let us count as friends the earth and sky, the waters, And all the creatures that live. Project NatureConnect Integrating Ecology & Psychology http://www.pacificrim.net/~nature --------- "RE: Prayer Of Thanksgiving" --------- Date: Sat, 11 Nov 1995 16:37:53 -0800 (PST) From: Larry Kibbey Subj: "A Prayer Of Thanksgiving" Mailing List: IND-NET A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Grandfather, These words are for you, For father Sun, Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth, For all my relations, To the Four Winds That bring us The seasons of life. Grandfather, Thank you For the breath of life You gave us So that we may live Upon this Mother Earth To respect and protect All that you have created For us Your Native People. Grandfather, Thank you For the sacred ways That you put before us To use with great respect Within the Circle of Life, That is the Way of Life For us, Your Native People. Grandfather, Thank you For my Brother The Eagle Whose Feather's We use In a most honored and sacred way. Grandfather, Thank you For our sacred pipe, Our drums,Our dances, Our sweat lodges, Our songs of life That belong to us Your Native People. Grandfather, Thank you for our People, Those whom have gone before us, Those that are here now Learning to travel upon The sacred path you put us upon, Us, your Native American Indian People. by Larry Kibby Larry kibby, Consultant/Director Western Shoshone Historic Preservation Society Elko Indian Colony 1581 Pinenut Circle Elko, Nevada 89801 --------- "RE: Poem: Sovereignty" --------- Date: 95/11/09 19:05 From: Art Horovitch (a.horovitch@genie.geis.com) Subj: Sovereignty GE Electronic Mail [Editorial note: If you would welcome more poems from this gifted youth please send a email note of encouragement to her c/o Art (a.horovitch@genie.geis.com) Gary, one of my Cree students is into writing poetry and she has made the following contribution, written a few days before the Quebec referendum on sovereignty. She would welcome feedback from readers and if it is positive , would contribute more. SOVEREIGNTY I see only dignity It's such a pity To see one unity To me It sounds scary and fishy What do they have for me? What do they have planned for me? Will I be free? The only thing I could see Bigotry Linda G. --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 95/11/09 23:51 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 November 19-25 NOWEMAPA (November) (Welehu) 19 Wishes made by starlight are wishes born of the heart. 20 The fairy terns are pale ghosts against the night sky. 21 The pueo's haunting call invokes the spirit of the wind. 22 The full moon is rosy with the glow of the setting sun, and the clouds surrounding it are royal purple. 23 Heed well the cycles of your life. 24 Let your dreams be a source of inspiration. 25 Be grateful for the ancestors who helped shape your life. (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, 16 Nov 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 Subject: Natural Resources Symposium From: duranp@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu INDIGENOUS ISSUES IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT One-Day Symposium, Washington State University November 14, 1995, 9:00 AM until 4:40 PM The Department of Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University will be holding an all-day symposium on INDIGENOUS ISSUES IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT on Tuesday, November 14, 1995. The event will be concurrent with a poster board display on conservation biology. The symposium will be held in the Compton Union Building (CUB) Cascade Room (back of first floor). The conservation biology posters will be in the CUB first floor lobby. Topics include natural resource use pertaining to current issues and environmental law relating to Indigenous peoples. The symposium will use a multi-disciplinary approach. The public is encouraged to attend. There is no registration fee. For more information, contact Dr. Linda Hardesty, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6410, phone 509/335-6632 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Chris Milda Subj: NIEA Health and Fitness Fun Run/Walk `.__________________________________.' :| |: :| * NIEA-AZ-`95 * |: :| |: :| Health and Fitness |: :| 2-Mile Fun Run/Walk |: :| |: :| Date - Sunday, Nov. 12, 1995 |: :| Time - 7:00 A.M. |: :| Course - Santa Cruz River Path |: :| (Tucson, AZ) |: :| Fee - $20.00 |: :| (Includes Fun Run/Walk T-shirt) |: :| On-site Registration |: :| |: :|__________________________________|: For more information about this Fun Run/Walk, contact Lee Cook, NIEA-AZ-`95 Coordinator, at 520\294 5875. --------------------------------------------------------------- From: CORRIGAN@cl.uh.edu Subj: Call for Participants To: AMLIT-L@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU University of Houston-Clear Lake Cultural Arts Presents Gulf Coast Writers Conference - "Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Cultures" March 14-16, 1996 The Cultural Arts of the University of Houston-Clear Lake invites participants to submit in the following categories: 1.Readings of original poetry, fiction, or non-fiction. Please send up to ten(10) pages of material for a maximum reading time of fifteen (15) minutes. Participants will be selected based on material submitted. 2. Individuals or panels are invited to share one-hour presentations which will address this year's theme, "Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Cultures." These sessions could include extended readings of newly-published works, staged readings of original drama, meditations on the art of writing, or critical essays. New and creative session ideas are welcome. Please send a short proposal describing the session, listing all participants, specifying the amount of time required, and requesting facilities or arrangements. 3. Two-hour workshops which focus on any aspect of creative writing, on the writer's voice, on personal storytelling, or on any other related topics. Proposals for workshops and presentations must be mailed by Dec. 15, 1995 Submissions for readings must be mailed by January 12, 1996 to: Gulf Coast Writers Conference Cultural Arts University of Houston-Clear Lake 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Box 198 Houston, TX 77058 Attn: Joanie Glendenning For more information call (713) 283-2560 or email Glendenning@CL4.CL.UH.EDU --------------------------------------------------------------- New Native American Stamp Series Issued by Post Office The Postal Service is proud to honor Native Americans across the country with the issue next year of the American Indian Dances stamps. The Denver Post Office is particularly pleased and honored to unveil these stamps here FIRST. Please join us for an exciting unveiling and a beautiful, colorful dance by a local Native American dance group. For the first time in history, a select few stamp designs for next year will be unveiled in cities other than Washington, D.C. Denver has been selected as one of only 11 cities in the country who will locally unveil upcoming stamps. The American Indian Dances stamps artwork will be seen on November 8, the day following the unveiling of most of the upcoming stamps in Washington, D.C. Denver Postmaster Michael Flores said the unveiling of stamps in other cities in the United States is a clear statement by the Postal Service to the American public that the stamp program belongs to the people. "We are quite honored to be able to show Denver area customers the stamps first," said Flores. "And we are particularly proud that the stamps we will unveil pay tribute to our rich cultural heritage." Postal Clerk, Arlin Humeyumptewa, himself a full-blooded Native American of the Hopi Nation, will participate in a special ceremony to be held at the Denver Place Mall atrium, 999 18th St., Denver. Humeyumptewa and Flores will unveil the stamp designs during a brief ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. After the unveiling, the audience will be entertained by the Northern and Southern Plains Indian Dancers and Singers. Native Americans from the Denver area will be honored guests at the ceremony. A special postmark commemorating the regional unveiling will be available all day on November 8 at the Downtown Station, 951 20th Street, a short walk from the Denver Place Mall. Persons wishing to obtain the cancellation by mail may do so for a period of 30 days only by sending their self-addressed, stamped envelopes to: American Indian Dances Cancellation, 951 20th Street, Denver, CO 80202-9998. "The American Indian Dances stamps will be issued in 1996 at a location yet to be determined. But the first look at these beautiful, cultural stamps will happen right here in Denver, Colorado," Flores said. WHAT: The unveiling of the American Indian Dances stamps -- a l996 stamp issue. Historically, designs are unveiled in Washington, D.C. by the Postmaster General. This year, for the first time, eleven cities were selected to unveil certain stamp designs. Denver is honored to have been selected to show Colorado customers FIRST the design for the upcoming American Indian Dances stamps. WHERE: Denver Place Mail (atrium), 999 18th St., Denver, CO WHEN: Wednesday, November 8, 1995, 10 a.m. CONTACT: Joyce Vanni, 303-391-5092, or Renee Terrell, 303-391-5129, both of the USPS. SPECIAL NOTE: Following the unveiling of the stamps, the Northern and Southern Plains Indian Dancers and Singers will perform a special Indian dance for the audience. ---------------------------------------------------------------- From "News From Indian Country" Nov 23-25 Thanksgiving Gathering, Orange Springs, FL Info: 904-625-2279 Nov 24-26 7th National Native American Cultural Arts Festival Catonsville, MD Info: 410-675-3535 Nov 24-25 5th Texas Red Nation, Dallas, TX Info: 817-924-1488 Nov 24-26 Thanksgiving Powwow, Fort Duchesne, UT Info: 801-722-5141 Nov 24-26 Indian America, South Tucson, AZ Info: 602-622-4900 Nov 24-26 Oyate Wokik'suye Wacipi, Indio, CA Info: 619-342-2593 ext 3017 Nov 24-25 Louisiana N.A. Heritage, Folsom, LA Info: 504-641-4491 ========================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: John Dossett, Janet Smith, Debra F. Sanders, G R Dancer, Mark Fennell, Cecilia Rodriguez(Update), Brooke Craig, Larry Kibby, Dineh Alliance(Update), Rose Shaw(via Carol Liu), Linda G.(via Art Horovitch), Glenn Welker, G T Atkins, Virginia Howell, Petr Cizek, Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Part B of this newsletter (not included) has already been distributed via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 16 Nov 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 = Original Sender: fletchej@gvsu.edu (JUNE FLETCHER) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 01 Nov 1995 08:43:12 -0500 (EST) From:APAYMENT@lakers.lssu.edu * * * CALL FOR PAPERS * * * TRADITIONS: LEADING THE WAY Lake Superior State University 5th Biennial International NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES CONFERENCE Friday & Saturday, April 12 & 13 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Conference InfoLine: (906) 635-2185 or (800) 682-4800 ext. 2185 (MI) Email Address: APAYMENT@LAKERS.LSSU.EDU Keynote Speakers: WARD CHURCHILL "American Indians Sovereignty: A Prospectus" Professor and coordinator of American Indian studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, writer, activist, & Co-Director of the Colorado Chapter of AIM. JOHN MOHAWK "Indian Sovereignty in the Context of Economic Development" Professor of Social Philosophy/ American Studies at SUNY at Buffalo, writer, activist, Negotiator for Indian Claims and former Editor of Akwesasne Notes (the newsletter of the American Indian Movement). Special Conference Panels this year: "Creating Sacred Places for Indian Children" Dr. Rick St. Germaine Dr. St. Germaine will lead a panel of local/regional Anishinabe educators in a discussion of educating Indian children, youth, and college students. Panelists will include Indian teachers from the local tribal school, an Anishinabe Quay Community College VP, Indian Education Directors from two tribes, and a BIA education representative. Dr. St. Germaine is Professor of Education/History at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and former chairman of the Lac Courte Oreille Tribe. "Images of American Indians in Written Form" Dr. George Cornell Dr. George Cornell, will lead a discussion among fellow Anishinabe faculty of how Native people are depicted in the written form. What stereotypes exist? What romanticized depictions? and How these written images have shaped our perception of history and how we perceive contemporary Indians. Dr. Cornell is Professor in American Studies at Michigan State University. His colleagues will include 3 fellow tenure track Native American faculty. PAPER SUBMISSION INFORMATION: + You are invited to submit two copies of a 250-500 word program proposal + Half-hour individual and one hour group presentations or workshops + Variable presentation formats (professional journal, lit works, student papers, etc.) Suggested areas include but are not limited to: Indian Spirituality/ Traditions; Indian Education; Legal Issues; Sovereignty; Governance; History, Anthropology; Archeology; Science and Technology; Literature; Music; Dance; Art; Repatriation; Health; Language Revival; Economic Development; Gaming; Contemporary Socio-political Issues. A $500 Competitive Student Presentation Scholarship will be Awarded. Selected papers/abstracts will be provided to presenters in a published journal style conference proceedings (5th edition). SUBMIT ABSTRACTS/ PROPOSALS TO: Aaron A. Payment, MPA Native American Studies Conference Lake Superior State University Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 Email: APAYMENT@LAKERS.LSSU.EDU ABSTRACT/PROPOSAL DEADLINE: DECEMBER 30, 1995 PRESENTATION OUTLINE DUE: MARCH 1, 1995 CONFERENCE VARIA: This years marks the 5th Biennial Native American studies conference for Lake Superior State University. We are smack in the heart of Anishinabe Country, "Home of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians". Our community has a great history with many ancient assemblies of Anishinabe meeting at BahWeting (Ojibwe for Rapids). The presence of the local tribes, the Sault Tribe, and the Bay Mills Indian Community make this part of the country unique with a Tribally controlled community college in our region and with the first tenure tract Native American faculty hired at Lake State. The climate for educating Indian children is at a peak with one tribe having established a tribal school, and the other local tribe in the process of charting a school. No Promises - but we are tentatively planning an Anishinabe Art Exhibit, a Mini-Pow Wow Social, and a concurrent Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) language session. Hospitality wise, each tribe has a hotel and gaming complex to round out your stay. Both hotels are four star quality and include free gaming packets. If you would like more information about submitting a paper or would like to register to attend, please contact me - Aaron Payment (Sault Tribe) by phone or Email. Baampii, Chi-MeGwitch Negee! Aaron A. Payment BiiWaagajig --------- "RE: World Peace And Prayer Day " --------- Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 22:48:58 -0500 From: looking.glass@abenaki.tribal.org (Ray (Looking Glass) Lussier) Subj: World Peace And Prayer Day Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) I, Pipinawjakwgan, (Looking Glass) Speaker for the Southern New England Abenaki Council, the Kdinna Pobatamwogan Medicine Society, Abenaquis, Nouvelle Terre. Signer of the Abenaki Federation Alliance Agreement, On this date, November 15th, 1995, ask that all peoples join us as we Honor the request of Arvol Looking Horse, Carrier of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe for the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nations, in declaring June 21st, 1996 as World Peace and Prayer Day. According to the Spiritual Leaders and Elders who gathered at the United Nations, and again at Six Nations Canada, to present their Prophesies, it was noted that the "signs" of the Indigenous people's prophesies have shown themselves. The prophesies tell us that it is time; that we must mend the Sacred Hoop and begin global healing by working toward world peace and harmony. There once was a time when we all were one people. We were able to live in peace and harmony with each other. And the only differences many of us had to contend with was the infringement on our hunting and fishing grounds by others. Even then the people usually were able settle the differences in Council. Yes, we have been a strong people. And the ways of our grandfathers and grandmothers have often prevailed. No one can be allowed to take away what is rightfully ours or yours. The culture, the spirits and the traditions must remain intact. We have all attuned ourselves to the words of our prophets, our elders. They have spoken of the time when peace and harmony will prevail among the people of all colors, All Nations. The people will again be given a chance to walk in balance with the Universe. The time has come, as it did before, when the white buffalo as prophesied, has appeared to again try and teach peace among all people. People of all faiths have waited and waited, their Spiritual Leaders and Medicine people, urging them to believe, to keep the faith; telling them that they would see peace and unity among all people. we must now be ready, and prepare for the cleansing, before the rebirth of our many nations and the peace to come. In Evansville, Vermont on August 20th 1994, many representatives of the Abenaki Nation, from the United States and Canada gathered for the signing and ratification of a formal peace and unity agreement between the many bands and tribal groups of the Wabanaki peoples for the first time since 1713. You will see the importance of this as I go on. There are many traditions that are universal amongst the people and nations here on Tolba Menehan (Turtle Island). They serve to bind us together in spirit. Our traditions are the ties that bind us together, a sense of belonging, of strength, of support and comfort. The White Buffalo is often referred to as the Spirit of the North, as represented by the four directions. The appearance of the White Buffalo in the spiritual realm is a sign that prayers are being heard, a sign that Prophesies are being fulfilled. It speaks to us of a new beginning, a life to be shared with all people, all races, all Nations and all creatures. It speaks to us of the value of acceptance of all things in Harmony with and among all people. White Buffalo Woman, it is said, gave the pipe to human beings so that we could learn the value of prayer. Prayer is the most often used weapon in the search for peace. Why do we, the Wabanaki people feel that the White Buffalo is of any consequence ot us? Why do we strongly believe that it is an answer to our prayers? The birth of the White Buffalo Calf in Janesville, Wisc., a suburb of Evansville, Wisc. was between the hours of 7:15 and 8 PM on August 20th. This coincides with the signing of the Peace, Unity and Alliance Council that was ceremoniously being conducted in Evansville, Vermont at 8:00 PM on August 20th 1994. A miracle was being asked for and a Miracle was being delivered, literally. This lets us, the Native Peoples know that we must unite with the others at this time, when we, as a people, are at a crossroads where we must return to balance upon Mother Earth or we will face a global disaster. It is our duty to return back to Sacred Places and pray for world peace. If we do not do this, our children, and the seven generations yet to come, will suffer greatly for our failure. The Abenaki people are in awe of the events as they unfolded, and the gift that has been sent to ALL Indigenous and Spiritual people everywhere. This is a gift that serves to bring people of all Nations and all Faiths closer to the quest pf Peace, HArmony and Understanding. This is the time when families, friends and people of all Societies should sit in fireside circles and listen while the Elders tell us all of the tales of the Great Mystery. It has been decided according to the Star Knowledge, June 21st is the time to pray. Indigenous people of Turtle Island will begin their spiritual journey on horseback from Wahpeton, Saskatchewan, Canada to Grey Horn Butte, in the Black Hills of Wyoming. There at 10 a.m. (Mountain time) the ceremony will begin. We of the Southern New England Abenaki Council will be organizing ceremonies in a Sacred Center, so that we will be praying at the same time as those in the Wyoming and Dakota Hills. We ask all people, of all faiths, to respond, join us and support our efforts toward world peace and harmony - Our circle of life where there is no ending and no beginning. May peace be with all Ray (Looking Glass) Lussier Southern New England Council National Federation of the Republic of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation --------- "RE: Contract on America takes Aim at American Indians" --------- Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 17:20:14 -0500 From: cliu@queens.lib.ny.us ( Subj: Contract on America takes aim at American Indians Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 05:21:53 GMT Reply-To: People's Weekly World Sender: Activists Mailing List From: People's Weekly World Organization: PWW Subject: Contract on America takes aim at American Indians To: Multiple recipients of list ACTIV-L Contract on America takes aim at American Indians (Reprinted from the November 4, 1995 issue of the People's Weekly World. Maybe reprinted or reposted with PWW credit. For subscription information see below) By Rose Shaw In early September the House passed legislation to cut funds for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) by a staggering 25 percent. This is part of the ongoing juggernaut known as the "Contract With America" against the poorest sections of the population. The BIA service programs impact every aspect of life for Native American Indians. They include law enforcement, fire fighting, housing, social services, education, construction, protection of natural resources, water, roads, and the administration of these and other programs. It is estimated that New Mexico would be the state most affected by the cuts, followed by Arizona and Oklahoma, but the cuts will be felt all across the U.S. "The children will be hurt the most," said Harry Early, chairman of the All-Indian Pueblo Council, at a news conference in Albuquerque. "If you can't operate to help the children, you might as well close up shop." Among other things, he was referring to a BIA day school for kindergarten through sixth grade at Zia Pueblo which might have to close, as well as the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque which has 750 graduate students. Indian leaders from across the country, including many from the New Mexico pueblos, went to Washington in early September for a hastily organized protest and lobby. Before the cuts could take effect, they had to go to a House-Senate conference committee to complete negotiations on a spending bill for the Interior Department. Ironically, Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M), who was one of the chief architects of the Contract on America, sought to get some of the funds restored (making him the "good guy"). The outcome of the joint negotiations was to restore $86 million, bringing the final cuts to 18 percent below what President Clinton had requested. Department of Interior officials have warned that the cuts will devastate the tribal governments. Ada Deer, the assistant U.S. Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs, said that the proposed cuts amount to "economic and cultural genocide," wreaking devastation upon those Americans most in need. "I would remind the American people," she said, "that the wealth of this country was built on the land and resources ceded away by the Indian people in the last century." As a result of the House-Senate agreement, 185 BIA workers in the Albuquerque area and central offices have already received or are receiving layoff notices, expected to take place in December. Nationally about 1,600 BIA employees are expected to get layoff notices. A court suit to block the layoffs was jointly presented by the Jicarilla Apache Tribe and the Pueblos of Laguna and Acoma, but Federal U.S. District Court Chief Judge John E. Conway refused the request. The suit charged that the cuts violate the decades-old treaties signed between their tribes and the government, and that the BIA failed to consult the tribes before making decisions about layoffs. "Morale is in the pits," said Laurie R. Vallo, a federal employees union representative who works in the BIA. "It's not knowing if you're one of the affected employees." After the Department of Interior spending bill is voted on by both houses, it will go to President Clinton who told Congress he will veto it because it would shortchange American Indians, and because the bill also has provisions that weaken environmental protection. Clinton's message was delivered by Vice President Al Gore who said, "This bill takes dead aim at the nation's most cherished natural resources ... and unfairly and inappropriately targets programs for Native Americans. " Other aspects of the bill agreed on by the conference committee were: to place a moratorium on new endangered species, eliminate the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and reduce the Office of Surface Mining's budget (the Office of Surface Mining is responsible for cleaning up the land after a mine closes down). There is still time to fight these cuts. Has your organization taken a stand against the BIA and other cuts forced by the "Contract?" Organize, form coalitions and let President Clinton and your congresspeople know this bill must be defeated and the funds restored. -- Rose Shaw lives near Albuquerque, New Mexico. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ + Read the Peoples Weekly World + +++++++++ ++++ + Sub info: pww@igc.apc.org + ++++ + ++++ 235 W. 23rd St. NYC 10011 +++ + ++ +++++ + $20/yr - $1-2 mos trial sub + ++++ + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ --------- "RE: Little Victories & Christopher Columbus" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 09:37:00 -500 From: nactvch@gwgate.bas.ncsu.edu (Virginia Howell) Subj: Little Victories & Christopher Columbus Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Regarding good ol' Christopher Columbus, the following is a true story that happened just this past week, as told to me, first hand. The child is five years old, and is kindergarten. The mother is one of my best friends. Schools, as they do at this time of year, study Chris Columbus, Thanksgiving, etc. The child brought home a note from her teacher to the mother, apologizing profusely about having stepped on the child's toes (so to speak).........the child had asked the mother but one question.... "Isn't this man (Chris Columbus) the one who started everyone taking our land and was bad to us?"........... and quite taken by surprise, the mother called the teacher to find out what had happened. The teacher explained what they were studying and how the child had told the teacher of the evils of this man. And during this time, the children had colored pictures of dear old Chris. When the teacher handed back the pictures to the children to take home to the parents, this child quietly arose from her seat, tore the picture up, and, as she placed the destroyed artwork into the trash, she stated, "I just don't like this man!" Out of the mouths of babes.............little victories. Virginia Ho. "......... a cold wind blew the day the last buffalo fell....... .....a Death Wind for my people." -Sitting Bull --------- "RE: Internships at the Dene Cultural Institute" --------- Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 16:48:37 MST From: denecul@internorth.com (Joanne Barnaby or Petr Cizek) Subj: Internships at the Dene Cultural Institute Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) STUDENT INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT THE DENE CULTURAL INSTITUTE Now in its third year, the Internship Program of the Dene Cultural Institute is accepting applications from post-secondary students. We are seeking students who have a demonstrated commitment to practical work with aboriginal communities. We would expect a minimum one month commitment, but are certainly open to longer time periods. Over the past two summers, the Dene Cultural Institute has hosted students who have been involved in the following projects: - a Native Studies student from Trent University formatted DCI's information for the Internet and helped write a Traditional Health and Wellness research proposal - an International Development Studies student from the University of Guelph tested darkroom equipment, helped design the darkroom in our new facility, and produced a slide show - a Canadian Studies/Environmental Studies student from Trent University edited interpretive materials for a Nature Trail based on Traditional Knowledge and edited a report on Dene Teaching Methods - a Native Studies student from Trent University, who is a former Mining Geologist, reviewed and analyzed the environmental impact statement for the proposed BHP Diamond Mine Although the Institute is unable to provide any financial support for interns, limited funding is available to upper year undergraduate and graduate Canadian students through the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) to pay for travel to and from the north, as well as modest living expenses. This program is administered by the Northern Studies Committee at most Canadian universities. The deadline is around mid-November, so applications must be submitted very soon. Availability of rental accommodation is limited in Hay River, but we may be able to arrange billets on the reserve. We estimate that about $1000/month is required ($300/month room + $700 food/other expenses). The excursion return airfare between Edmonton, Alberta and Hay River, NWT is about $450 . If the student is under 25, he/she can fly student standby between Edmonton and Hay River for about $125 one way. The bus costs $160 return but takes 16 hours. If you are interested in this opportunity please contact Petr Cizek, Research Director, or send us a resume and cover letter outlining: - your expectations and learning objectives - how your skills could assist the Dene Cultural Institute - any experience you may have had working with aboriginal organizations and/or in community-based development Organizational Profile During its first five years of operation, the Institute was largely a research organization focusing on documenting traditional knowledge. Drawing on its 1993-1998 Five Year Plan, the Dene Cultural Institute has expanded to include the following program areas and permanent staff: Administration: Joanne Barnaby (Executive Director); Wilma Schreder (Administrative Assistant); Ernie Abel (Finance Manager); Delores Moores (Secretary/Clerk) Traditional Knowledge Research and Documentation: Petr Cizek (Research Director) Information Resources and Communications: To be staffed with a Librarian/Archivist/Network Specialist (currently staffed and managed on a part-time basis from other program areas) Healing: Phyllis Nault (Interim Healing Director); Norman Yakelaya (Healing Director Trainee); Nancy Yakelaya (Healing Scheduler); Marc Brazeau (Senior Healing Instructor) Traditional Economy Program: Patrick Hough (Director); Cynthia Cardinal (Trainee); Flory Lawrence, (Seasonal Visitor Program Manager) Additional staff are hired on a contract or consulting basis, most often for community-based projects throughout Denendeh (western NWT). For further information about DCI, consult our Internet Gopher site as noted in the signature. Petr Cizek, Research Director, DENE CULTURAL INSTITUTE Box 570, Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada, X0E 0R0 Tel 403-874-8480 Fax 403-874-3867 BBS 403-874-3965/3195 Gopher gopher.ucalgary.ca/University Library/ Polar Information Sources/Polar Research and Other Institutes --------- "RE: Looking for Pen Type Pals" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 15:37:19 -0600 From: sicc@harrier.sasknet.sk.ca (Sask. Indian Cultural Centre) Subj: Looking for pen type pals Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Tanisi (Cree for Hello), We are a group of employees at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, learning about the Internet. It is cold here, about -15 Celcius today. Snow has been heavy overnight, perhaps 10 inches of the stuff. Not a good day to travel. The Cultural Centre has a library, television studio, languages department, graphic arts, elders department, and cross-cultural awareness. We also have our very own computer guru here helping everyone (Eric Tang). The crew would be very interested in any hello letters you might like to send, especially if you work in an aboriginal organization. Megwac (thank-you in saulteaux) Mary-Jane Eley (Graphic Artist) Linda Ramsay (Graphic Assistant) Eric Tang (Computer Consultant) Jim Bruce (Director of Library Services) ÿÿÿ