Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews04.001 From: gars@netcom.com (Gary Night Owl) To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Message-ID: _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 04, ISSUE 001 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 6 January 1996 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 TRIBALLAW, NATCHAT & NATIVE-L listservers; Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native,alt.activism; 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 "Many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners and your customs. We would be better pleased with beholding the good effects of these doctrines in your own practices, than with hearing you talk about them." __ Chief Old Tassel, Tsalagi (Cherokee) +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! If you accept the words of the dominant society, this is a time of renewal. It is a time to wipe the slate clean, repair old injuries, and start a new year with full grace and good intentions. I know there is much about myself that could benefit from such a renewed spirit. Let us believe for just this moment the words are sincere. Let us for just this moment believe the intention is real. In this moment may I suggest some things the dominant society might consider worth cleaning up? - Free Leonard Peltier. He has served a longer sentence for "possibly abetting" a crime than most do for committing the actual crime. - Get the BLM away from the Hopi and Dine, and let these good Nations come back into balance with one another. - Get the Park Service away from Wounded Knee. The Lakota know full well how to keep that which is Sacred to them. - Send Peabody Mining back to England. They have holes to dig in their own backyard. Maybe some of them are not Sacred. - Consider doing something with deadly nuclear waste other than dumping it on the Mescalero. There are many, many more I might suggest; but if just one or two of those I have listed come to be this will be a better year. 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 - Silent Thunder - Another letter for Leonard Peltier - Native Prison Guard Harassed - Chiapas: Important Meeting - Peltier Thanks Supporters - Elem Indian Colony - Leonard Peltier: Feb 6 Action - Wounded Knee: - Parole Commission Letter for Peltier Francis Jansen Sculpture - Nez Perce Struggle to Retain Artifacts- Crazy Horse: - Arvol Looking Horse MCLU Opposes Minnesota Ban - Poem: Silenced Hearts - Response to: Last of my Clans - Hawai'ian Book of Days - Hi ge se s di(Selu Dream) - Conferences and Powwows - offline - There Is This Dream --------- "RE: Silent Thunder" --------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 14:18:14 -0500 From: Hairfire@aol.com Subj: Silent Thunder (Drum) Chautauqua Newsletter Thought you would like to read the following: SILENT THUNDER to be heard in Court I will go to court again on December 20th for playing my drum too loud on my own front yard. On Oct. 28 at 1:30pm, Silent Thunder - the group I drum with - was preparing for the Ridgecrest PowWow, tuning out PA system. After about 45 minutes, a Kern County Sheriff officer arrived, walked up on the front lawn and asked for the owner. I told him I was, and he told me he would have to cite me for disturbing the peace. I explained to him that I am American Indian and asked him if he understood what we were doing. He said yes, and told me that his wife and children are American Indian, but he had to do his job. I asked him if we could get a warning, but he explained that the person complaining about the drum music had called the police three times before, which I don't believe. I had to go down to the sheriff's station to get fingerprinted. The officer never gave me my Miranda rights. I appeared in court on Nov. 29 in Mojave, before Commissioner John Dean. He offered me a $405. fine and two years' probation if I would plead guilty. I pleaded not guilty; we did nothing wrong. The Four-Winds Inter-tribal Council of the Indian Wells Valley, chaired by Juanita Ratliff is helping to pay for my attorney, Mark Cheuvront of Santa Barbara. My case has brought television news crews from Los Angeles and has been reported in the Antelope Valley press and the Mojave News. Supporters will gather at 9:30am on Dec. 20 in front of the courthouse, 1775 Highway 58, in Mojave, prior to my second hearing. We will sing and drum and say a prayer. +++++++++++++++UPDATE+++++++++++++++++++++ Update from Pete Trevino, Jr. of Silent Thunder Drumming Group. I'd like to thank the more than 60 people who came to support me in Mojave on December 20th when I appeared before Commissioner John Dean at the East Kern Municipal Court in Mojave. Nancy Edwards, an Ojibway spiritual leader, led us in a prayer ceremony after the arraignment. The misdemeanor charges against me for drumming in my front yard were reduced to an infraction for noise violation, with a penalty of $250 to $675. I pleaded not guilty and I will go to trial before a judge on Jan 25th at 9am in Mojave (1775 Highway 58). I received a lot of support during this time, and I appreciate it very much. The Four Winds Inter-Tribal Council of Indian Wells Valley, chaired by Juanita Ratliff is helping to pay my legal expenses. My number is (805) 822-5799. Again, thanks. We're ready to take this all the way. --------- "RE: Native Prison Guard Harassed" --------- Date: Mon, 1 Jan 1996 07:33:08 -0800 From: cdm Subj: Native Prison Guard Harassed Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu) Here's a request for help I received that someone may be able to work with... I am also bouncing a copy to Robert Williams at Tucson... Peter ================================== Allen Gainey, a friend, is currently in the midst of an 8 year battle first of all to stop harassment by prison officials for his participation in sweat lodge ceremonies (he's a prison guard who also happens to be Apache/Seminole), and second of all to receive compensation for the failure of the feds to give him any promotions or pay raises since he protested. He remains at a very low step on the salary rung, has been suspended on trumped up charges without pay several times--this led to his having to file for bankruptcy--and has just recently been put on a kind of "whenever we need you, haul your butt over here" work schedule. He was barred from sweats, and filed suit 8 years ago after the usual channels for grievances failed. The more he pursued this case, the more the harassment heated up. At this point, letters have been sent around the country and even to judges, attempting to prove that Gainey isn't an "enrolled" Native American, etc. This case has consumed Allen for 8 years, and I think it's time he found real representation. We're in Tucson, and if you know of any lawyers or organizations that might be interested in this case or if you have any suggestions as to how he should proceed, please contact me ASAP! Cynthia M. Dagnal-Myron cdm@azstarnet.com --------- "RE: Peltier Thanks Supporters" --------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 95 21:07:31 GMT From: lpdc@idir.net (Lisa Faruolo) Subj: Peltier Thanks Supporters Newsgroups: alt.native Leonard Peltier has phoned the LPDC National Office to ask that we post a message from him to his wonderful supporters. He wants to say thank you to everyone who helped to prevent his transfer to the USP in Atlanta, GA and diverted the move to Springfield. He insists that together we saved his life. He adds that he is being treated very well at the facility. He does not want supporters and friends phoning the medical facility because he does NOT want to jeopardize his situation. However, he appreciates letters, photos and cards which can be sent to: Leonard Peltier, 89637-132, Springfield Medical Facility, 1900 W. Sunshine, Box 4000, Springfield, MO 65808 --------- "RE: Leonard Peltier: Feb 6 Action" --------- Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 00:04:59 -0500 From: lpdc@idir.net Subject: LEONARD PELTIER-FEB 6 ACTION IMPORTANT INFO FROM THE LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE COMMITTEE: There has been some confusion about the two separate events that are being planned on Leonard's behalf. The first event will take place on February 6, 1996 (which marks the twentieth anniversary of Leonards capture in Canada). We will be organizing outside of the local FBI field offices, and will be distributing fliers on Leonard's case and the FBI misconduct which surrounds it. This WILL NOT be a civil disobedience action. The February 6th Action is too closely timed near the decision of the parole commission, therefore Leonard and his attorneys have requested for his supporters to just use this day to educate the people and not to outrage them. If you are interested in the February 6th Action please contact us. The second action is planned for March 20, 1996. This WILL be a civil disobedience action! It is being organized by The National Committee for Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to Free Leonard Peltier. You can contact them at: "Free Peltier Now", P.O. Box 76609, Wash., DC, 20013-6609. Please spread the word as to the agenda of these two separate events to ensure the best chances for Leonards parole. The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee P.O. Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 913-842-5774 --------- "RE: Parole Commission Letter for Peltier" --------- Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 10:15:44 -0500 From: R2JSQ@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU Subj: Parole Commission Letter for Peltier United States Parole Commission 5550 Friendship Blvd. Suite 420 Chevy Chase, MD. 20815 FAX: (301) 492-6694 Dear Commissioner, Although the format of the following letter may be unorthodox, it's message is striking, even for a long-time supporter of Mr. Peltier's such as myself. Please read the quotations presented below, and consider their sources. TOP TEN REASONS LEONARD PELTIER SHOULD BE FREED, IN THE WORDS OF THE GOVERNMENT... 10. "The United States government must share in the responsibility for the June 26 firefight... It appeared that the FBI was equally to blame for the shootout..." - Gerald Heaney, Senior Judge in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a letter supporting clemency for Leonard Peltier. 9. "We can't prove who shot those agents... Aiding and abetting whoever did the final shooting. Perhaps aiding and abetting himself. And hopefully the jury would believe that in effect he had done it all. But aiding and abetting nevertheless." - Prosecutor Lynn Crooks in Court of Appeals, October 15, 1985. 8. "But can't you see... that what happened happened in such a way that it gives some credence to the claim... that the United States is willing to resort to any tactic in order to bring somebody back to the United States from Canada. And if they are willing to do that, they must be willing to fabricate evidence as well." -Judge Donald Ross, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, referring to the coerced and perjured affidavits used to extradite Leonard Peltier from Canada. Transcript of the proceedings (oral arguments) in US v. Peltier, CR C77-3003 "Motion to Vacate Judgement and for a New Trial," at 7326-7. 7. Federal Bureau of Investigation teletype dated October 2, 1975, indicating that (FBI ballistics expert) Evan Hodge had performed a firing pin test on the Wichita AR-15 (claimed by the government to have been Leonard Peltier's) immediately after he received it and compared it to the cartridges found at the scene. Contrary to his trial testimony that the test was inconclusive, this memo conclusively stated that the rifle contained "a different firing pin" from the weapon used in the firefight. This exculpatory evidence was withheld from the defense, and only discovered years after the trial with the release of documents via the Freedom of Information Act. 6. "There are only two alternatives... to the government's contention that the .223 casing was ejected into the trunk of Coler's car when the Wichita AR-15 was fired at the agents. One alternative is that the .223 casing was planted in the trunk of Coler's car either before its discovery by the investigating agents or by the agents who reported the discovery. The other alternative is that a non-matching casing was originally found in the trunk and sent to the FBI laboratory, only to be replaced by a matching casing when the importance of a match to the Wichita AR-15 became evident." - Judges of the Appeals panel, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, "Appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota," op. cit., p. 16. The Court recognized that key evidence against Leonard Peltier could only have been fabricated, but went on to say "We recognize that there is evidence in this record of improper conduct on the part of some FBI agents, but we are reluctant to impute even further improprieties to them." 5. "The jury agreed with the defense contention that an atmosphere of fear and violence exists on the reservation, and that the defendants arguably could have been shooting in self-defense. While it was shown that the defendants [Dino Butler and Bob Robideau] were firing guns in the direction of the agents, it was held that this was not excessive in the heat of passion." - Jury Foreman Robert Bolin, after the acquittal of Butler and Robideau for their roles in the firefight. 4. Leonard Peltier was targeted for "neutralization" by the FBI years before the firefight; in 1972 two off-duty Milwaukee police officers beat Peltier and then had him charged with attempted murder. This occurred after one of the officers had shown a picture of Peltier to his girlfriend and boasted of "catching a big one for the FBI." (U.S. v. Peltier, CR 77-3003-1, U.S. Court for the District of North Dakota, November, 1990, p. 12). Both incidents were entirely consistent with the FBI's COINTEL program, which targeted any individuals or groups with political voices. 3. "...[L]ittle has been done to solve numerous murders on the reservation, but when two white men are killed 'troops' are brought in from all over the country at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars." - Civil Rights Commission Chairman Arthur J. Flemming on the reaction to the FBI agents' deaths in (his words again), "an extreme over-reaction which takes on aspects of a vendetta...a full scale military type invasion" of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 2. "... the FBI [was] determined to get the AIM movement and completely destroy it." - Judge Fred Nichol, after presiding over the "Wounded Knee Leadership Trial," quoted in NY Times, Sept. 17, 1974. 1. "We don't know who shot those agents" - Prosecutor Lynn Crooks in Court of Appeals, Nov. 9, 1992, p. 12 of oral arguments transcript. I urge you to rededicate the continuance of this longstanding injustice rather than embrace and support the corruption from which it grew. I urge you to free Leonard Peltier as soon as humanly possible. -------------------------------- A copy of this letter is being sent to the Parole Commission at the above address via regular mail. Feel free to mail or fax a copy of it with your own signature, or your own letter in support of Leonard Peltier. Also, I am still collecting e-mail to print and send to the Parole Commission as well. Feel free to sign and send me a copy of this letter, any others I've posted, your own letter, or the sample letter from the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. --------- "RE: Nez Perce Tribe Struggles to Retain Artifacts" --------- Date: Mon, 01 Jan 1996 14:52:48 -0800 From: amt@teleport.com (Planet Peace) Subj: Nez Perce Tribe Struggles to Retain Artifacts Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native,alt.activism [Posted on behalf of Douglas Nash, Chief Legal Council for the Nez Perce Tribe] Nez Perce Tribal Committee P.O. Box 305 Lapwai, Idaho 83540-0305 Nez Perce Tribe Struggles to Retain Artifacts Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Chairman, Samuel N. Penney, said that the Nez Perce Tribe "Will make every possible effort" to insure that a valuable collection of Nez Perce artifacts remains on the Nez Perce Reservation very near the location where they were acquired from tribal members almost 150 years ago. In 1836, Reverend Henry H. Spalding established a mission at the confluence of Lapwai Creek and the Clearwater River in the territory of the Nez Perce Tribe. Spaulding began acquiring items of Nez Perce clothing, horse gear and other items he termed "curiosities" and sent them to his friend, Dudley Allen in Ohio. Historical records make it clear that Spalding and other missionaries used acquisitions like these to help finance the operation of their missions through the sale of items in the eastern United States and Europe. A collection of some 19 artifacts now known as the Spalding-Allen collection, came to be possessed by the Ohio Historical Society. In 1979, some 140 years after they were obtained by Spalding, they were returned to Nez Perce country pursuant to a loan agreement with the Nez Perce National Historical Park. Nez Perce National Historical Park is headquartered on the Nez Perce Reservation at a site that includes the original location of Spalding's mission which is presumably where Spalding acquired the items. Pursuant to an annual agreement between the Ohio Historical Society and the Park, the loan was extended on an annual basis since that time. Earlier this year, the Ohio Historical Society indicated that it wanted the collection returned by December 31, 1995, pursuant to the agreement. This means that the collection will have to be specially prepared and shipped by December 15, 1995, for it to reach Ohio by the end of the year. The nineteen items in the collection include two women's dresses, a pair of men's leggings, a childs cradle, six pairs of moccasins, three women's hats, a quirt, three hemp bags, two men's shirts, a women's saddle and two horse or buffalo hair cords. Spalding "documented" the price paid for the items at a total of $57.90 although it is almost certain this did not reflect an actual cash transaction, but at most, the trading of some goods. The collection was appraised as having a value of $583,100.00 in 1993. Among the Nez Perce people it is said that Spalding acquired traditional Nez Perce articles of clothing and other items by teaching that the use and wearing of them was evil and the work of the devil. Stories about his cruelty including the administration of whippings to Nez Perce people are contained in the book by Alvin M. Josephy, "The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest." On November 27th, 1995, a tribal farewell ceremony was held at the Nez Perce National Historical Park visitor's center where the collection had been on display. After the ceremony which was attended by many tribal members and elders, the collection was removed from public display. Tribal elder Roy White said, "It is like losing a relative." Nez Perce National Historical Park Superintendent, Frank Walker, characterized it as "A sad day for the Nez Perce." The Nez Perce Tribe has attempted to secure a commitment from the Ohio Historical Society that would allow retention of the artifacts with the Nez Perce National Historical Park or some means of acquisition of the collection by the Nez Perce Tribe. Thus far, the Ohio Historical Society has not provided any definitive response. Tribal officials are hoping to meet with representatives of the Historical Society this month to discuss the retention or acquisition further. Representatives of the Ohio Historical Society have indicated that they want the collection returned for inspection and any needed restoration. Officials of the Park Service have said that the collection was inspected by a professional several years ago who certified that the entire collection was being properly maintained and cared for. Tribal members are universally concerned that if the collection is returned to Ohio it will never be returned to Idaho and that Ohio may will sell the collection to other parties or overseas. Tribal members, Park officials and many others feel that the collection belongs in the Nez Perce National Historical Park display at a location where Spalding acquired the artifacts. Individuals wishing to support the efforts of the Nez Perce Tribe in acquiring the Spalding-Allen collection are urged to contact: Ohio Governor George V. Voinovich 77 S. Hight Street, 30th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43266-0601 Telephone (614) 466-3555, Fax (614) 466-9354 and Dr. Gary C. Ness Director, Ohio Historical Society 1982 Velma Avenue Columbus, Ohio, 43211-2497 Telephone (614) 297-2350, Fax (614) 297-2352. The Nez Perce National Historical Park can be contacted at (208) 843-2261 or by Fax at (208) 843-2001. The Nez Perce Tribe can be contacted at (208) 843-2253 or by Fax at (208) 843-7354. Additional information regarding this matter will be provided at this site, Planet Peace URL: http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/, as it becomes available. -- \Planet Peace http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/ /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\ Nothing Real Can be Threatened. Nothing Unreal Exists. \-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ --------- "RE: Arvol Looking Horse" --------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 14:18:14 -0500 From: Susqueh@aol.com Subj: Arvol Looking Horse--Keeper of Original Lakota Sacred Pipe Chautauqua Newsletter Arvol Tells How He Started on His Path, Announces Prayer Ceremony June 21, 1996 Following Arvol's personal recollection is the announcement he has circulated of a world-wide prayer ceremony at sacred sites, to be held June 21, 1996. Further info and updates will follow that. When I was young, a black widow spider bit me. The venom started spreading and eating away at my skin. I remember my grandmother praying that I would live, and it was the prayer that pulled me through. But it left a bad scar on my face, which made me very shy when I was growing up. I stayed away from people because I was ashamed of the scar. I rode my horse, and spent time sitting on the hill in Green Grass, looking at the beauty of the land and thinking about how it must have been a long time ago. I'd feel secure and at peace. I'd find my center. Another time, my brother died, I decided I wanted to do something to honor him because he was so good at everything he did. At that time, I was just the opposite, I had no confidence. The day he was buried, I thought about how he was so natural with horses and that he would have been the best rodeo rider. So I made a commitment to ride rodeo for him, in saddle bronco riding that he loved. I went to the rodeo in Deadwood, but my body didn't feel quite up to it. I got ready anyway because there were a lot of friends from the reservation who had come to see me. I saddled my horse, and was feeling good. I looked up at the grandstand. I got on the horse, he bucked and went straight up in the air. Then he spun around and fell backwards--right on top of me. I heard a crack in my backbone, there, shaking. I couldn't feel my body. The ambulance came and then I was lying there in the hospital. The doctor was telling me that I'd never walk again, that I was paralyzed from the neck down. I had broken three vertebrae, cracked one, and had a concussion. I remembered my grandmother once saying to me that when a person is getting ready to go into the spirit world, their relatives come to them. At different times I would open my eyes and see them standing there. Then the phone rang, and the voice on the line said "I'm your grandmother and the people need you." This grandmother chewed me out about the rodeo and said I had done this to myself. I felt my mother and father entering the room, but I kept my eyes closed because I didn't know if they were real or not. My dad started talking to me about the Sun Dance they were having. In my mind I kept thinking about my grandmother saying that it didn't matter how many people prayed for you, if you didn't pray for yourself the prayers wouldn't be effective. So I was trying to relax my mind. I kept picturing the Sun Dance and all the people circling around the Tree of Life in the center. I prayed so much, humbly, from my heart. When the Sun Dance was over, my bones healed back together. The doctors couldn't believe it. A week later I walked out of the hospital. I knew deep down in my heart that my prayers had been answered. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLD PEACE AND PRAYER DAY - GLOBAL HEALING: JUNE 21st, 1996 I, Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe for the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation ask that all Nations upon Mother Earth declare June 21st, 1996 World Peace and Prayer Day. According to spiritual leaders and Elders who gathered at the United Nations to present their prophesies - and again at Six Nations, Canada - the signs of Indigenous people's prophesies have shown themselves. The prophesies tell us it is time to begin mending the Sacred Hoop and begin global healing by working towards world peace and harmony. The birth of the White Buffalo Calf lets us know we are at a crossroads - either return to balance or face 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 will suffer. At Grey Horn Butte, before the White Buffalo Woman brought the Sacred Pipe to our ancestors, a Seer was traveling in the Sacred Black Hills - PaHa Sapa, "heart of everything that is." The Seer came upon a large tipi. When he went in the tipi, he saw the Sacred Pipe in the North and the Sacred Bundle of Bows and Arrows in the South. According to the Star Knowledge there are six stars which designated six sacred sites within the Black Hills - these places are sacred places to pray. We are told there is a sacred site every hundred miles around Mother Earth. We ask all people to return to these places and pray from their hearts with us. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. South Dakota (Mountain) time. It has been decided, according to the Star Knowledge, that 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 (known as Devil's Tower) in the Black Hills of Wyoming. There, Indigenous peoples will pray with the Sacred Bundle Keepers to begin the restoration of peace and balance. We ask all Peoples to begin organizing their ceremonies at their sacred sites or in the manner which they pray so that they will be praying at the same time as we are from their sacred center. So far, we have spoken to leaders from around the world and each has committed to work towards supporting June 21st, 1996. We ask all people of all faiths to respond and support our efforts towards world peace and harmony - our circle of life where there is no ending and no beginning. May peace be with you all. 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Arvol Looking Horse 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 Circulated by: --[Image]--Michele Lord, mosa@netcom.com Since I posted the original story of Miracle's birth, some Native artists have been inspired by the event, even though the particular prophecies represented are in the traditions of another Native Nation (Lakota). As Arvol expresses above, it seems to speak a sign of hope for everyone. + A picture that Cherokee artist Donald Vann was inspired by Miracle's birth and the old stories to paint. He calls it The Blessing. + A Canadian Onondaga artist, Arnold Aron Jacobs, was also inspired by Miracle's birth. Here are --Two prints of paintings inspired by the recent birth of Miracle They show Petsanwin with the Pipe and the form of the white calf. BigFoot Riders Arvol is one of the founders of the BigFoot riders, hundreds of whom made a cold ride in 1990 to memorialize the massacre of BigFoot's band at Wounded Knee, around Christmas, in 1890 on what's now the Pine Ridge Reservation. A video -- "Wiping the Tears of 7 Generations" -- of this was made that won the 1991 American Indian film festival "best video" award. It's available ($29.95 for schools and private use; $85 if you plan to give public-for-pay showings) from the makers, Kifaru Productions, 800/400-8433. They have a commercial web page which is a catalog describing this and other videos, books, tapes. Kifaru also maintains a non-profit corporation that donates from its revenues to many Indian causes; they have a web page too, called Dream Catchers. Right now, their order info doesn't work. You can call for a catalog (or orders) to 800/400-84336 The BigFoot Riders (often accompanied by Arvol, carrying the Pipe for them) have become a permanent spiritual organization. Over Labor Day, they came from Canada with 7 horses (and Arlo) to a Wiping of Tears ceremony sponsored by the Lower Sioux tribe (and Dakota Open School) memorializing the 38 Dakota who were hanged as a result of a rebellion caused by losing most of their land and being cheated of treaty payments and food, in 1862. There was a 70-mile run from Mankato, where the hangings took place at Christmas, 1862, to Birch Coulee Park, site of a victory by the Dakota forces on September 2, 1862. The BigFoot Riders met the runners at midnight, halfway, and escorted them back to the campsite and powwow ground. The runners ran all night and arrived before dawn Saturday for a purification sweat and a ceremony. The Tribe furnished food for the runners -- who included several women, and elder Emmet Eastman (Yanktonnais Dakota), who has run the equivalent of twice round the world in the cause of peace and justice, and several big feeds for those who attended the "Gathering of the Kin" powwow after the ceremony. There was a pretty good crowd for a Labor Day weekend doings with no prize money. People attended this one for other reasons. The very movingly Saturday at the powwow about the spiritual education that is taking place among the BigFoot Riders, who include a number of youths who take part for a short while, as well as those with long-term commitments. Saturday night, it was hot, humid and there were zillions of mosquitos from the wooded park and nearby stream. Low clouds made us fear rain. When it was fully dark, one of the Drums began to play a beautiful, sad song honoring both the Riders and those who have perished. Silver edged ragged clouds, and a fat crescent moon showed herself, dancing among them. In an amazing optical phenomenon, fuzzy circles from the Jackpot Junction Casino, miles away, somehow swung around and circled the moon, dancing (this wasn't done by moving the spotlights, which were on automatic, the air, moisture, moon, or song did it,) The ground lights were turned off. The clouds went away. So did most of the mosquitoes. There was dancing by moonlight, then; that very fat crescent moon, different from how I've ever seen it, gave a lot of golden, warm light, not silvery like a high-up moon light usually is. The BigFoot Riders and their horses returned to Saskatchewan; I'm not sure what they're memorializing there, because of my ignorance of Canadian First Nations history. I will try to keep this page updated with news about the June 21 world-wide prayer ceremonial, and would appreciate receiving email about it from those involved in preparing for it. As Arvol says in his announcement The White Buffalo painting by Cherokee artist Jack Vance is running along with a gallery of other paintings by this artist and other Native artists at Power source Native American Art & Education Center Jacbos' Two Turtles web gallery had only the 2 Ptesanwin prints when I saw it. He may be adding more of his work, too. --------- "RE: Poem: Silenced Hearts" --------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 16:54:08 EST From: cherokee@wolfenet.com Subj: To Dream UUCP email We were taught to believe that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything, and that he never Forgets; that here after he will give every man a spirit-home according to his deserts...This I believe, and all my people believe the same. Chief Joseph, Nez Perce The Dream Ah, great it is to believe the Dream As we stand in youth by starry stream; But a greater thing it is to fight life through, And say at the end, "The Dream is true!" -Edwin Markham * + |||||||||||+ + + '||||*|||||||*|||, * + * ||||||||+||||||||||||+ '||||||||||*||||||||. + * '+|*||||||||||||| * + '||||||| + * * .+|.*|||||| * .+|+|||.+|||| * + * .|||||||||||||+ || + * ..|||+||||||+|||*|||' +||||+||||||||+ + * +||||+|| + _/^\\_ .||||++ /^^\\ / \#\+/\\_ /^\\_ _/ \#\_ /^\\ _/ \##\ \#\_ / \#\ / \##\_/ |#\ _/ |###\ \#\ / /#\_ / \/ \##\_ / \####\/##\ / \###\ / / /####\ Listen to the winds....with your heart.. they whisper the sacredness of all Dreams... Brooke --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 95/12/29 22:26 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 January 7-13 IANUALI (January) (Kaelo) 7 I am reborn in the image of my fathers and mothers. 8 The spirit of the land guides me in every choice that I must make. 9 This land is born of fire and ocean and wind. In my mind is the fire of knowledge; in my blood run the currents of the ocean; in the wind do I hear the song of my spirit. 10 The rumble of the volcano is like the beating of a great heart. 11 The gift of knowledge is never diminished. 12 In the neverending cycles of the land is my spirit renewed. 13 This is the place where rainbows are born. (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, 4 Jan 96 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 Wow, folks. Couldn't find but one event listed online over the holidays. That one was a great-sounding workshop led by John Around Him, which I (having heard some of his ceremonial song tapes) would have loved to have been able to attend. Unfortunately, it was last weekend and more than half a continent away ::sigh::. Luckily, new copies of Spike and News from Indian Country -- my two best resources, were waiting in my mailbox today, so we have some offerings from the print media. From The Spike: (First, I'd like to make something clear here -- I don't and can't republish every listing in the Spike here, don't include more than a fraction of the information about events it contains, nor would I want to. Jimmy Boy Dial goes to a LOT of effort and expense to make this information available in this newsletter, and it wouldn't be fair for me to make subscribing unnecessary. I encourage those of you on the East Coast who enjoy powwows to subscribe to The Spike. Subscription is $36/year for 12 issues. Send to The Spike, P.O. Box 368, Milltown, NJ 08850. Phone: 1-908-656-0074) Jan 13-14 Brooklyn, NY. Manhattan Indian Council Festival. Info: 718-832-4484 Jan 14 Braintree, MA. Mass Center for Native American Awareness, Inc. Mid Winter Papsaqoho Powwow. Info: 617-884-4227 Jan 5-7 Okeechobee, FL. American Indian Cultural Festival and Dance. Info: 800-999-6710 From News from Indian Country: Jan 20-21 Milwaukee, WI. 4th Fund Raising Info: 414-643-0650 Jan 20-21 Ashville, NC. 1st Smokey Mountain Info: 704-628-0003 Jan 26-28 -- 4th Annual Conference of Traditional/Professional American Indian Women - Sacramento CA. For more info, contact American Indian Women's Association, P.O. Box 607, Auberry, CA, 93602 (Orie Medicinebull). Phone 207-855-2705 or fax 209-955-2695 ========================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Janet Smith, Debra F. Sanders, Joe Quickle, Brooke Craig, Lisa Faruolo, Cynthia M. Dagnal-Myron, Pete Trevino, Jr.(via Hairfire), Michelle Lord, Douglas Nash(via Andrea Thein, Web-Diva, Planet Peace), Jordan Dill, Tony Cohen, Robert Gough(Release), Ted Burton, Susqueh, Julia White, saiic@igc.apc.org (South and Meso American Indian Rights Center), --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Part B of this newsletter (not included) has already been distributed via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Another letter for Leonard Peltier" --------- Date: Sun, 24 Dec 1995 01:54:49 EST From: r2jsq@vm1.cc.uakron.edu (Joe Quickle) Subj: DEC 24 - Another letter for Leonard Peltier Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) United States Parole Commission 5550 Friendship Blvd. Suite 420 Chevy Chase, MD. 20815 FAX: (301) 492-6694 Dear Commissioner, I am writing to urge you to parole Leonard Peltier as soon as humanly possible. Never has a case of government misconduct been so thoroughly documented yet this misconduct at the same time been so thoroughly ignored. The actions of the government - the FBI in particular - on Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1972- 1976 period make L.A. Detective Mark Fuhrman look like a boy scout earning his citizenship badge. Examples of the government misconduct cited above (but far from a comprehensive list) include: + Leonard Peltier was extradited from Canada based on a perjured affidavit which had been coerced by FBI agents. + The judge barred most of the overwhelming amount of evidence in Peltier's defense. + The judge allowed FBI agents to perjure themselves by giving statements that contradicted their own written reports and their own testimony at the earlier trial of two other men who were acquitted. + An FBI agent testified about key ballistics evidence while his own memos - suppressed until well after Peltier's conviction - showed his testimony to be untrue. Leonard Peltier was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, without ever having a fair trial. Despite FBI documents demonstrating that the original evidence against him was falsified, he has been denied all appeals. The prosecutor has admitted in court on several occasions that he does not know who shot the agents. Yet Leonard Peltier remains in prison. Leonard Peltier has widespread support from around the world: over 25 million people have signed petitions for his release: he has the support of over 50 members of the US Congress, 50 members of the Canadian Parliament, Amnesty International, the National Association of Christians and Jews, Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Nelson Mandela. Also, the Canadian Justice Ministry is currently investigating the circumstances of Peltier's extradition. I urge and beseech you to immediately remove this blight on justice in the U.S. by releasing Leonard Peltier. Thank you for your time. I pray you'll make a choice for justice rather than support prejudice, racism, and abuse of power. Sincerely, --------- "RE: Chiapas: Important Meeting" --------- Date: 29 Dec 1995 09:09:20 +0100 From: saiic@igc.apc.org (South and Meso American Indian Rights Center) Subj: Chiapas: important meeting to take place 4-8 January Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) EXTRAORDINARY AND URGENT MEETING IN MEXICO. ALL INDIGENOUS BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ALL INTERESTED PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, CHIAPAS JANUARY 4-8, 1996 SPONSORED BY National Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy,ANIPA, in conjunction with the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) The future of indigenous communities in Mexico is to be outlined in the next several days. The EZLN is presently involved in negotiating the rights of the indigenous communities of our country through panel discussions with the Mexican government. The fundamental program of ANIPA has been to establish the right of indigenous communities for Self Determination. ANIPA itself was established on April 10, 1995 with the goal of elaborating on a proposal to change the Mexican Constitution to incorporate the rights of indigenous peoples for autonomy. The issue of autonomy is a point in which ANIPA and the EZLN agree. The EZLN has considers the issue of self-determination and autonomy peremptory within its panel of discussions. As a result, the EZLN is co-coordinating the Fifth National Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy to be held January 4-8 1995 in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas at the National Indigenous Forum. More than two hundred organizations and indigenous communities will participate in this meeting. Our fourth assembly which took place the 7 & 8 of December 1995, also in San Cristobal de las Casas, included more than 500 delegates and numerous invites. Presently, the Fifth National Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy this January 4-8, 1996 includes the following agenda: 1. Indigenous Peoples Rights for Autonomy 2. Guarantees of Justice towards Indigenous Peoples 3. The Political Participation and Representation of Indigenous Peoples 4. The Present Situation and Rights of Indigenous Women 5. Access to the Different Mediums of Communication 6. The Promotion and Development of Indigenous Cultures and Tradition. Interested parties in this extraordinary forum, contact: FIP/ANIPA (5) 783-8002, telfax: FIPI/Regiones Autonomas Plurietnicas de Chiapas (967) 869-98, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. For interested parties in the Mexico City vicinity, contact: Adriana Lopez at (5) 655-0463; Teresa Rendon (5) 606-9750; Paz Carmona (5) 563-7313; Javier Nunez (5) 674-0803; Rodrigo Medellin (5) 208-2118, (5) 533-2491 Airline Mexicana de Aviacion flies to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas from Mexico City. Collective Taxis outside of the Tuxtla airport charge US$7 to San Cristobal de las Casas. Once in San Cristobal the office's headquarters (Regiones Autonomas, formerly the offices of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista) are located proximate to the Santo Domingo Cathedral. Please be aware that San Cristobal's climate is cool with frequent rains. Summarized with ANIPA's permission by SAIIC. Information about the above assembly is also available from SAIIC tel: (510) 834-4263, fax: (510) 834-4264. --------- "RE: Elem Indian Colony" --------- Date: Tue, 26 Dec 1995 12:17:34 -0800 From: acohen@cfk.com (Tony Cohen) Subj: Elem Indian Colony; Ruling on Motion to Dismiss Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Elem Indian Colony [A Federally Recognized Indian Tribe] >>> Federal Court Affirms Tribe's Right <<< >>> To Enforce Its Laws Against Its Chairman <<< December 26, 1995 On December 15, 1995, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California affirmed the right of plaintiff Elem Indian Colony to use the federal court to enforce its Constitution, Bylaws, and Gaming Ordinance against its Tribal Chair, Thomas Brown; a CPA who purported to be its casino manager; and persons claiming to be Tribal Gaming Commissioners. The Court rejected defendants' claims that they were protected by sovereign immunity; that the matter was a mere "internal tribal dispute;" that the plaintiff was just a "faction" and not the Tribe itself; that an October meeting had mooted the lawsuit; and that the Tribe had to first exhaust administrative remedies before the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the National Indian Gaming Commission. Among other things, the Court's order specifically found that: ". . . this litigation was properly authorized by the tribe." Page 8. "The October 7 meeting [purporting to elect a new Executive Committee, dismiss the litigation, and fire the tribal attorney] does not accurately reflect the true sentiments of the tribe and provides no basis for dismissal." Page 8. ". . . [T]he Tribe is not asking a court to mediate an internal dispute, but rather, to enforce its resolution of that dispute over property held pursuant to IGRA." Page 11. ". . . because the proceeds from gaming operations are conferred and protected by a federal statute, IGRA, these causes of action arise under federal law and jurisdiction is proper . . ." Page 12. "Plaintiff alleges that Brown unlawfully received, retained and disbursed money and other things of value which belong to the Tribe; actions clearly outside the scope of Brown's authority and contrary to the constitution." Page 13. "Plaintiff has exercised its regulatory authority over a gaming establishment within its jurisdiction and initiated a judicial action seeking to compel compliance of its exercise of regulatory authority." Page 15. Refusing to dismiss the case, as had been requested by defendants, the Court scheduled a hearing for March 1, 1996 for the setting of a trial date. The Tribe still hopes to resolve this matter through any form of dispute resolution which will eliminate its need to continue using the assistance of another sovereign, the United States. It took the drastic and generally disfavored step of filing this litigation in an outside forum only after exhausting its own internal procedures (through General Council and Executive Committee resolutions) and failing to get compliance from defendants. The Elem Indian Colony, like most tribes in California, has no tribal court and no tribal police department. --------- "RE: Wounded Knee: Francis Jansen Sculpture" --------- Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 14:15:51 -0500 From: jsd@dickshovel.com (Jordan S. Dill) Subj: Wounded Knee: Francis Jansen sculpture Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) O'siyo. The US Government is proposing that a sculpture by Francis Jansen be part of the proposed Wounded Knee Tribal Park. This, over the objection of the Wounded Knee Landowners Association: "...the Lakota people do not wish to have the Francis Jansen sculpture as part of this Bill. The people were not consulted about this sculpture and no one connected with the Wounded Knee community or actual landowners authorized such a sculpture. Should the Park Service insist on locating the sculpture on Wounded Knee lands, the Lakota Nation now and forever disavows any obligation to maintain, protect, and/or preserve such sculpture." Can anyone provide specifics re this sculpture? If so, will appreciate replies to me directly (jsd@dickshovel.com). Nvwhtohiyada... pobox.com/~jsd (Best viewed w/Netscape) --------- "RE: Crazy Horse: MCLU Opposes Minnesota Ban" --------- Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 04:15:21 GMT From: rpgough@aol.com Subj: Crazy Horse: MCLU Opposes Minnesota Ban Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) CRAZY HORSE: Minnesota Civil Liberties Union Appeals MN Ban for the Beer Companies. 1996 WILL BE A VERY APPEALING YEAR!! On December 27, 1995, the Estate of Tasunke Witko filed its appeal brief to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Supreme Court to obtain jurisdiction over the beer companies for their misappropriation of the Crazy Horse name. On December 28, 1995, the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union (MCLU) announced that it is filing an appeal and constitutional challenge on behalf of the beer makers against the Minnesota law which prohibits the false and misleading use of an American Indian leaders name on malt beverages (such as "The Original Crazy Horse Malt Liquor" and "Chief OshKosh Beer"). The MCLU is bringing its well funded legal strength to protect the multi-million dollar brewing interests of G. Heileman Brewing Company, and the Brooklyn N.Y. based Hornell Brewing Company and Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons against the State of Minnesota and the Lakota Estate of Tasunke Witko (Crazy Horse). Apparently, the MCLU will attempt to overturn the revocation of brand label registration issued by the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety, Michael Jordan, on November 28, 1995, by claiming that the 1st Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the beverage companies of a right of "commercial free speech." They will likely claim that the beer companies' right of "commercial free speech" allows their use of Indian names on alcohol products, even if the families, who hold the legal rights to control the use of their ancestors' names object to such use and have refused any authorization. The Minnesota law does not prohibit the use of Indian names, only the "false and misleading" use of such names. If a company has permission, then the brand label registration is allowed. No permission, no brand registration. Historically, the property of Indian people has been seen as part of the "public domain," that is, "simply free for the taking." The State of Minnesota is a Public Law 280 state, which means that the federal government has delegated certain rights and responsibilities to the state with regard to legal jurisdiction. This is one occasion where the state has acted affirmatively to protect the property rights of Indian people within its borders. Minnesota is an alcohol control state, and this state action occurred in the highly regulated area of alcohol control. To register your automobile with the state, you must show proof that you own it, and that have the legal property right to the vehicle. Now the state requires that when you register your beer label, and it has an Indian name on it, you must show proof that you own the rights to the Indian name, and that the rights to the name belongs to you. Their applications for federal trademark registration have been refused twice. The beer companies have offered no proof of ownership to the name. They are reported to have thought it up after seeing "Dances With Wolves." They apparently improved on the advice of Kevin Costner from another of his films, "Field Of Dreams": "Name it after an Indian and profits will come!!" Don Vultaggio is the co-owner of Hornell Brewing and of Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons, which maker "AriZona Iced Tea" products, which also use Indian designs to market non-alcoholic beverages. Mr. Vultaggio testified at the hearing in Minnesota in April, and contradicted his own previous testimony submitted in a federal court action, regarding his company's intention in selecting and using the name of "Crazy Horse" on the label. In federal court, he gave sworn testimony that: "We selected the name to celebrate a great Native American Chieftain." Yet, in the legal proceedings in Minnesota, under oath, the following exchange took place on March 14, 1995, in St. Paul, Minnesota (Deposition of Dominick J. Vultaggio 3/14/95 pp 107-109, 133): Attorney for the Estate of Tasunke Witko, Robert Gough reading off the back label of the bottle of malt liquor, questioned Mr. Don Vultaggio: Q. Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Custer are three names mentioned in that text? A. Yes, they are, sir. Q. Crazy Horse is named between Sitting Bull and Custer? A. Yes, that name is. Q. Are these names that you refer to earlier as all participating to your knowledge -- in at least the Hollywood version of the Little Big Horn Battle? A. I don't know if Sitting Bull was portrayed. I know Anthony Quinn was portrayed as Crazy Horse and Errol Flynn was Custer and his wife was Maureen O'Hara. But other than that, I don't know who Sitting Bull was in that movie, or it he was. Q. Do you have in any other Crazy Horse you might have been making reference to, other than the one that you testified to was involved in the Battle of the Little Big Horn? A. The people who you claim are the people -- and they certainly are people -- they are what I've conjured up as to who they are and where they are. My knowledge of the West was of a person called Crazy Horse and a Sitting Bull and a Custer, no doubt about it. Is my knowledge of the West accurate? Based on Hollywood, I don't know how accurate that is. So if I am describing a particular Indian on a Sioux reservation, no. I didn't know that he existed. I didn't know where that Crazy Horse that I knew of, where he lived. Or whether he really lived, other than Hollywood. I had never read any novels about him. I don't know where he grew up, when he was born, when he died, who he led. So, I think in fairness, it's only what we know and how we to ourselves describe the West. It doesn't mean it's accurate. And to my knowledge, there's no place called Dakota Hills. Q. Are there any other inaccuracies? A. I don't call them inaccuracies. They're just like anything any artist has. That we are marketing a product and we are creating an image accurate in our own mind. It is accurate in our own mind. Accurate in the sense of historically accurate? I don't know. I doubt it. A Happy New Year to ALL!! --------- "RE: Response to: Last of my Clans" --------- Date: Tue, 26 Dec 1995 14:37:58 -0700 From: tedbrtn@cyberhighway.net (Ted Burton) Subj: Response to: Last of my Clans.... Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) MaDonna Marie Hughes Snyder whose family called her Ree, feeling affinity with the Bear and Crane Clans of the White Oak Point Bands, feeling alone in her loss, shared with us her sorrow. I have heard her words. Her sorrow is great and touches our hearts. Our own sense of helplessness in the face of this sorrow mirrors our own sorrow. So much is gone forever. So much that in its day was a source of wonder, delight, solemnity, sacred life. The creation and sacredness of life, the rising and setting of Father Sun upon Mother Earth amid the song of life. May someday our vision of the sacredness and joined-togetherness of all life and earth infect the inert mass of the whites as their smallpox and influenza and alcohol infected the People. Possibly we may subvert them yet ;-). Our own culture and tradition may be lost, where our clans and bands are gone, be it MaDonna's tomorrow or yesterday, or my three hundred twenty years ago. Something vital in the tradition keeps popping up all over the place. You may kill my people, but you cannot kill their ideas! I hear those ideas coming out of all sorts of mouths, all over North America/Turtle Island. The Red Road is walked by many, and I believe the Creator knows who walk in a sacred manner, and who walk with greed in their heart. If in any way I have offended you, MaDonna, please accept my apology. Your heartfelt feelings triggered some of my own. Thank you for listening. Ted who is netAddressed for, personal use, as: tedbrtn@cyberhighway.net and for business use as: ciatty@cyberhighway.net --------- "RE: Hi ge se s di(Selu Dream)" --------- Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 07:47:29 -0800 (PST) From: cherokee@wolfenet.com Subj: Hi ge se s di Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) "The Corn will not grow unless you plant with a good mind" Our Honorable Brothers the Pueblo O'siyo and gentle winds... On this, the last day of this Creator gifted year...I sat in the Sacred Mountains of the Spirits and think of each of you...and wish to share something from my heart. Yesterday, I went to the Cherokee Reservation....drove along part of the Blue Ridge Parkway...stopped along the trail and walked...and I sat...reflecting in the warmth of the sun...and my heart wishes to speak to you of these gifts. Today...we prepare to close a door...and symbolically it will end much in our lives...but we also prepare to open another...and I hope that the words I share with you today will help you to open it as wide as you can. Yesterday...I walked the reservation...the mountains...listening to the leaves sing under my feet...and I met a fellow traveler in those mountains. A Park Ranger...full of dreams..on the trail with me...and he asked me if I minded his walking with me for awhile...and so, we walked the trail...talking and sharing. I had been given some seeds of the sacred blood red seed corn...and he saw me carrying them and asked me what they meant...and so...as he and I walked, I told him of Selu...The Corn Mother...the First Woman....our "Eve". She was given by Creator when man realized he did not wish to be alone. "The Law is the corn...the people of the southwest say this...to be there with the morning star in that sacred time...to talk to the corn...to hear it talk in the wind in the language of movement...what to do. OUt here at the Eastern Door, we say it is in the Original Instructions...This is called Democracy. It is the land...it is in the seed." Alex Jabobs... Karoniaktatie. Wilma Mankiller once said.."We will survive because we've kept dancing...We've held the Center...We've maintained Connection." It is so. The Tsalagi have survived because they have had the same strategy for three centuries: Persistence, Courage and they live the beliefs. They have tried to take the best from both cultures and create a new balance...harmony...We have tried to Hi ge se s di....Making Peace for the Earth....and we have handed out the blood red seed corn..symbolic of life.. Corn...Selu....These tiny kernels...protected outside by a hard shell from life...yet, inside full of life...ready to burst forth...and grow to sustain all. Our sacred corn births in many shades from the blood red seed...to remind of of all nations...all peoples who wish to live...to ripen and we must nourish them..plant them in care...nourish them... We dance...in a Sacred Circle...the connection of the Mystery, Nature and Humanity...We tell the stories...our roots connect then...and we become in harmony with those who come to hear them...our webs weave together...we are as One...and it is good.... I walk...and tell him this...and this man who is from another culture..listens..nods respectfully....We sit, and rest a bit on the mountain and listen to the Crows sing to us. He asks me about the sacred number of our People...Seven...I tell him it signified renewal and return...universal harmony...the seven clans...and I laughingly tell him that my birthday is 7/7 which I always thought a wonderful gift. We sit..and feel the breezes caress us..warm sun shining down...and I remark on how strange it is today in the mountains...to have warmth...instead of the cold north winds...He looks at me and says.."Perhaps today is a planting day for the corn." Of course..... I ask him....would you like to plant the corn with me? His smile eagerly answers....He feels we must find "just the right place for this" and goes in search of a place he feels the corn will have the best chance to grow. I stand...smelling the history of a Nation in the corn...touching the seeds of hope...renewal...and I began to silently weep for joy...as I know that I was on this trail today...for purpose....for purpose... He runs back...excited...telling me he thinks he has found the right spot...in the sun...where the seeds can feel the warmth best...and so, grow tallest...I prepare the ground...He kneels with me...I hand him 7 kernels...He asks, "Do I need to say anything special?" I smile..and say..."Just the words in your heart will do nicely." He shakes his head.."No..It needs to be special." I remember Marilou Awiakta ..... Our Mother Corn >From the corn we gather the pollen. The pollen that is like gold, reminds us of the color of anointment of the ancient ones. Grinding the corn it reminds us of heaven and it reminds us of earth. It reminds us that Father Sky and Mother will unite forever. >From the corn we learn to live, we learn the life that is ours, by grinding the corn we learn the footsteps of life. We go through a purification, until we are like dust. The corn came from the dust, from Mother Earth, and it gives life, life from Father Sky. We are like the kernel that comes from the corn. WIth it we bring life, like the seed of the corn.... Corn is the fruit of the gods, it was brought to us by the Creator that we may remember him. Our lives, we must remember that they are holy. The corn is sacred. We are sacred. We hold the seeds of the gods to the future. He listens...nods...digs....and as he drops each kernel...I tell him the name of the clan...and sing out to ask for blessing on this tiny seed of life..... And as he finishes...this stranger I will probably never meet again...speaks from his heart... "Creator...My lesson today is that my blood is the same color as these seeds...and so I ask you to accept my lifeblood with each one...as I hope that I have given something sacred back...which will grow and give others a gift." I nod...it is a good prayer. We begin to walk down the mountain...he to his Ranger car...me to mine. He is joking about the two of us being modern day Johnny Cornseed persons..I catch his deeper meaning...he is sad we are parting....as am I... He pauses...hesitant to lose this moment...and says to me.."I shall not forget today." I say..."Nor I." For we...of two worlds have planted together a hope...7 hopes...and suddenly I think, I have forgotten something...and I reach into the bag and give him seven more seeds...and tell him...In your Journey in these mountains where you work...you might run into sacred places that need these seeds...or others in their journey...to give them hope...Tell them the story..." He nods.... And so....I drive down from that mountain...through the commercial shops...taunting low prices on Indian blankets...screaming out to come spend your money here...casinos promising instant wealth....and as I drive back..through soco...past the ceremonial grounds...which has a sign "New Years Eve Party here"...I try to remember that this place is still sacred...although you cannot see it on the surface... And my heart tells me....to tell each of you...I wish to send you seven sacred blood seeds to plant...and if you shall send me your address I will send them to you...as my gift for the new year you face...a gift to help nourish...to continue life...to tell the story to others you might meet in your Journey this new year...Write me...I shall send you 7 Sacred Dreams... I stop...before I turn that last curve and see the sign that says.."Leaving the Cherokee Reservation"...and take one last look as the sun is setting....and I yell....as loud as I can...over that valley...SELU!!! SELU!!! And the echos come back...SELU! SELU! She is smiling...She has heard....and we shall survive...all of us...after all..... Gentle winds in your Journey.....Dance well...... ----------------------- Addendum via UUCP email O'siyo Forgive please, my double letter to you today...but the most spectacular thing has been happening and I wanted to give you this message and ask each of you to pass it on...to your circles..your friends.. After I wrote the story of Selu...I began to get letters trickling in..requesting the corn..and then..more came....and more...and each of them shall be sent the corn...but what was most moving to me was a letter I received from a woman who said this to me: I have some corn left over from last years planting...Tomorrow is my Woman's Circle and I have taking it and giving each woman 7 kernels to take into the New Year. I thought of this for a moment...and then..my heart felt this... It has always been the lifegivers who have kept the hearts of First Nations alive...We, the Women, have kept families together..saved Nations...given Dreams...I would like to see each Woman in the World given 7 corn seeds, each New Years Day...to symbolically plant new life...hold the heart of all Nations in honor and peace. I would like to see each man give these seeds..in faith and belief...that one day we shall all live as Selu taught us...in love...together... Let your hearts hear.... --------- "RE: There Is This Dream" --------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 16:40:30 -0800 From: meyna@ix.netcom.com (Julia White ) Subj: There Is This Dream Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) There is this dream..... Of a Native American village of many Nations, similar to "re-enactment" villages, where representatives of many Nations would come together to live, work and teach. This would be a Native theme part of sorts where the public could go to truly learn and understand the ways, and walk among longhouses, wickiups, hogans, tipis, chickees and lodges; where the people would be going about their daily lives as they did pre-contact; where visitors could watch weavers, basketmakers, potters, silversmiths and crafts people creating their wonders; where adults and children alike could drop into a hogan to hear storytellers spin the old myths and legends, or could stop by a lodge to learn about ceremony and sacred ways, or visit tipis for lessons in the old languages; where all can hear spoken history and learn about the great ones of our Nations, or go to the courtyard to see the ancient games played, the foot races and horse races; where a longhouse would become a concert hall at night to give the indigenous people of the world a place to showcase their talents; of an art gallery filled with the work of Native artists; of an arena for dancing and celebration every weekend; of a glorious place where the world can learn about the First Peoples; a true gathering place for all. There is this dream, and I know where to put it. Somewhere out there is someone to make it happen. Where are you? ��