Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews04.005 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 005 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 3 February 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, INNU-L, NATCHAT & NATIVE-L listservers; Planet Peace; Chautauqua Newsletter; UUCP & Genie (General Electric) email; Newsgroups:alt.native,soc.culture.native,alt.activism,alt.org.audubon, alt.save.the.earth,alt.org.sierra-club,soc.culture.native,sci.anthropology 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 "What hurts Indians most is our costumes are considered beautiful, but it's as if the person wearing them didn't exist." __ Rigoberta Menchu, Quiche Maya +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! We are entering February, the time of the short moon. Here in Georgia I will erect a house to attract the lead scouts for the northward migrating Purple Martins; and turn under the protective mulch on my garden. Festivals, powwows and gatherings are starting up again in Florida and will also soon occur throughout the remainder of the Southeast woodlands. This is a time to reflect on lessons learned from winter, and a time to look ahead to the renewal of life another Spring will bring. I thank Creator for bringing myself and those I love to this place; and offer prayers for those who were not so fortunate. 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 - Peltier Rally Feb 6th - Conferences and Powwows - online - Mining Threats in Montana - Abenaki Nation Seeking Investors - The Acorns Come Back - Innu Call For Review - The Vatican vs. The Apaches - Aboriginal Elders in US to Protest - Nuxalk Chiefs Challenge Jurisdiction - Tobacco Possession Ordinance - Policing on Native Reserves - Non-recognized - PBI-NAP Updates - Respect and Honor Project - Enola Hill, Oregon - Global Peace Walk - Medicines - Poem: Shadow's Long Song - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Peltier Rally Feb 6th" --------- Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 23:12:49 -0800 (PST) From: American Indian Movement Subj: Peltier Rally Feb 6th Newsgroups: alt.native February 6 rally for Leonard Peltier gains momentum. In San Francisco members of the American Indian Movement, Leonard Peltier Support Group, Earth First, Food Not Bombs, Emergency Committee to stop the War, Pelican Bay Prison Project, Belfast Brigade and more have joined forces to protest the continued imprisonment of Leonard Peltier. February 6th. marks 20 years since the U.S. government imprisoned American Indian Movement Leader Leonard Peltier. The U.S. Justice Department has admitted that they don't know who killed the two FBI agents and they have proven themselves that Leonard's weapon was not the weapon that was used to kill the agents. Why! 20 years for a crime he did not commit? WACO and RUBY RIDGE were minor operations compared to the war against the American Indian Movement, Black Panther Party, MLN. Puerto Rico, MLN. Mexicano and white opposition groups to the United States Government. Demand Freedom for Leonard Peltier Demand a Senate investigation against the FBI into its criminal war against the American Indian Movement and other Political opposition groups. Demand Freedom for Mumia Demand Food not bombs Join us and demand Justice for Leonard Peltier on February 6th, 1996 at the U.S. Federal Building 455 Golden Gate. San Francisco, California. For More information contact (415) 552-1992 Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Region 11 office. If you want to join the Nation wide effort call Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (913) 842-5774 --------- "RE: Mining Threats in Montana" --------- From: MoonCloud@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 09:23:13 -0500 Subj: Mining Threats in Montana Chautauqua Newsletter Blackfoot Gold Mine Update: Montana regulating agencies and the mining industry are periodically reminded of the vigilance and perseverance of those who care about Montana's clean waters. If recent public scoping meetings on the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture's proposed gold mine-which brought out hundreds of alarmed folks from up and down the Blackfoot River corridor-hasn't made regulators and miners take notice, then, certainly a lawsuit filed by the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Coalition, the Montana Environmental Information Network, and Women's Voices for the Earth has. This lawsuit seems to have halted the illegal dumping of over a million gallons a day of arsenic-rich water into the headwaters of the Blackfoot River. The suit challenged a decision by Montana's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to allow the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture (SPJV) to release discharges from their pit dewatering test into the alluvial aquifers of the upper Blackfoot and Landers Fork. This pumped water is high in arsenic, manganese, iron, and zinc. So high, in fact, that the joint venture needed a groundwater "mixing zone" (read, "sacrifice area") nearly a mile long to dilute the pollutants and bring SPJV's discharge into compliance with Montana water quality standards-standards, incidentally, that were dramatically weakened in Montana's 1995 legislative session. It was the DEQ's Hard Rock Bureau that let all this happen. And they let it happen without issuing a discharge permit, without requiring any treatment of the water, and without assessing the test's impacts on struggling bull and west slope cutthroat trout populations in the area. Some specifics on the lawsuit: It challenged the DEQ's amendments to SPJV's exploration license-amendments which gave the joint venture the go-ahead on discharging arsenic-laced water, from the deep bedrock aquifer into the shallow aquifers that sustain the Blackfoot and Landers Fork. And it charged that DEQ's actions broke several laws, among them, the Water Quality Act and Nondegradation Policy, the Environmental Policy Act, and the Montana Constitution. Predictably, the joint venture intervened in the suit, most likely to defend its own actions, DEQ's decisions, and the changes to Montana's water quality laws that the mining industry worked so hard to push through last session. After a preliminary hearing in early October, all three parties began gearing up for a preliminary injunction hearing on November 8. If granted, the preliminary injunction would have halted the tests until these legal issues could be resolved. But the case never got that far. In a suspicious-looking twist that took place only an hour-and-a-half before the scheduled injunction hearing, SPJV shut down the tests. "A coincidence," the joint venture's P.R. man Chuck Rose called it. "Winter is here ... and it's just getting too nasty to continue," he explained. This, from a mining partnership that wants to mine in Blackfoot country year-round, come rain, sleet, or shine. It could be that the prospect of legal scrutiny and a constitutionality test of the new mining-sympathetic water quality laws is what's looking too nasty for SPJV. As expected, DEQ filed a motion to declare the lawsuit moot. The state's thinking is that, because the tests have been discontinued, the legal issues raised in the lawsuit are no longer pertinent. By our thinking, this is not necessarily so. It doesn't matter that the tests have stopped. What does matter is that the DEQ allowed SPJV to pollute high quality waters without treatment or a permit, and that is illegal. In addition, the state approved this water quality degradation without properly assessing environmental impacts and without notifying the public. That is also illegal. Finally, the state justified its actions by citing the recently-adopted exemptions to the Montana Water Quality Act which were passed by the 1995 state legislature. We have argued that these exemptions are clear violations of the state's Nondegradation Policy and the Montana Constitution. Because none of these issues have been resolved, it is clear that the case is not moot. But the judge gets to make that call and is expected to do so in January. Until then, folks need to question DEQ's dedication to protecting the Blackfoot River. The mine SPJV is proposing is huge. Its operational challenges are daunting. Its threats to water quality are real. The DEQ needs to act like they know this and that doesn't mean approving pump tests that pollute the river. Write to DEQ Director Marc Simonich-Cogswell Building, Helena, MT 59620-0901, 406/44-2544-and tell him what you expect out of his department. And you just might mention that the Blackfoot is more precious than gold. --------- "RE: The Acorns Come Back" --------- Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 00:43:40 -0500 From: Taabe21@aol.com Subj: The Acorns Come Back Chautauqua Newsletter Indians get back a revered patch of Northern California the government seized under a drug law. Seized by the government from an alleged marijuana grower, a remote four-acre clearing in Northern California has been returned to an Indian tribe that considers it the spiritual center of the universe. For centuries, Karuk Indians have used the site above a Klamath River waterfall for an annual ceremony "to renew the world and ensure the salmon and acorns come back," Alvis Johnson, tribe chairman said Tuesday. "We're very excited," he said. "We got part of our land back." Johnson spoke after Attorney General Janet Reno announced an agreement between the Justice and Interior departments to return the land to the tribe. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold the Siskiyou County land in trust for the Karuk. The federal government seized the land July 27, 1993 from Bradley Throgmorton, owner of a fishing lodge and cabins built in the 1850's on the site of the ancient Karuk village Katimin. In the off season, Throgmorton cultivated marijuana seedlings for transplanting later in the adjacent Klamath National Forest, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was among officers arresting him said in an affidavit. Facing narcotics and other charges, Throgmorton accepted a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to state weapons charges filed by the Siskiyou County district attorney. Because California has no civil forfeiture statute, U.S. prosecutors used the federal forfeiture law and seized the property based on state conviction. The U.S. attorney offered the land near the Oregon border for sale. The Karuk lacked the money to buy the property. Instead, the tribe asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for it under a federal policy that encourages transfer of forfeited property to further the mission of federal agencies. "I'm very excited about this transfer," Reno said. "Land once used by a criminal who flaunted the law will be returned to those native peoples who hold it sacred. This agreement benefits not only the Karuk but all Indian peoples in the Klamath River basin." The fishing lodge burned down after the seizure. Johnson said the tribe plans to remove some outbuildings and fences and "restore the land to its original state." Johnson said his tribe returned to the site to live and for religious ceremonies year after year - even after gold miners burned the Indian village in 1852 and other whites burned it again in 1883. In the 1950's, the Bureau of Indian Affairs sold some Indian land allotments to non-Indians, one of whom built the Somes Bar Lodge, a fishing camp and resort. Johnson said ceremonial dances still were conducted just outside the lodge fence for many years, and the land now is occupied on by a medicine man who acts as tribal caretaker and his family. The area includes a large hole for the kind of pit house in which the Karuks traditionally lived and a sweat house or cedar-plank sauna used to purify the medicine man before ceremonies, Johnson said. Hundreds of Karuk Indians return annually from throughout California for the summer Brush Dance, a healing ceremony, and usually in September, for the world renewal dance. In summarizing the tribe's ora; literature, Johnson told the government of a colorful cast of mythological figures that explains physical features of the area around the destroyed Indian village: "Katimin was the home of powerful Immortals whose warlike activities gave Katimin and its surroundings strong medicines against enemies. Besides fierce Duck Hawk and his jealous and vengeful wife, Grizzly Woman, there were Scabby Old Man and the Savage Winged One who both performed heroic deeds. Less heroic immortals include Turtle, Coyote, Skunk, Meadow Mouse, the Mice, Girls, Nighthawk Poorwill, Mole, Old Widow Mink and Pacific Salmon." --------- "RE: The Vatican vs. The Apaches" --------- Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 13:36:07 -0800 From: amt@teleport.com (PLANET PEACE) Subj: Mt. Graham Sacred Site-The Vatican vs. The Apaches Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native,alt.activism [To find more information about this issue and others regarding Mt.Graham, visit the Apache Survival Coalition's Home Page at, http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/mt_graham/asc_action.html] Religious Respect: The Vatican vs. The Apaches The shell for the Vatican telescope on Dzil nchaa si an is complete. It is a small (1.3 meter) optical/infrared telescope that could not be built in Italy because of sky pollution. The mirror was provided free by the University of Arizona Mirror Lab to the Vatican in exchange for viewing time. Most astronomers, including the Vatican observatory, state that the telescope could be located on another mountain, if available. His Holiness John Paul II has previously supported native American religion and culture practices (see "Sacred Mountain" ): I encourage you, as native people belonging to different tribes and nations in the East, South, West and North, to preserve and keep alive your cultures, your languages, the values and customs which have served you well in the past and which provide a solid foundation for the future(Speech in Phoenix, l987) But, His Holiness, despite repeated letters and requests for an audience by representatives of the Apache Tribal Council and Apache Survival Coalition (ASC), has refused to consider Apache requests for removal of the telescope or even to meet with the ASC. The Tribal Council passed four resolutions requesting a stop to the project. They have been ignored by the Vatican. In l992, the Tribal Council sent representatives of the San Carlos Apache to Rome to discuss the issue with His Holiness. Their meeting was blocked by the Vatican administration. The US ambassador to the Vatican has not made any effort to resolve this conflict between the Vatican City State, the taxpayer funded University of Arizona and its Mirror Lab, and the San Carlos Apache Nation. The controversy will escalate during the visit of Pope John Paul III to the United States in August 1993. From Galileo to ET The Vatican started its own observatory in Rome after astronomers repeatedly challenged the Church's sacred geography. Both Galileo and Kepler felt the brunt of the Catholic Inquisition because they advocated a new cosmology that conflicted with the Catholic view of the universe. Vatican observatory used to say it hoped to contact God or His works in outer space before new conflicts between astronomers and the Church became difficult to resolve. At the moment, Father George Coyne, the director of the Vatican Observatory in Tucson, has stated the Vatican telescope is needed in order to locate extra-terrestrials and, should they be discovered, question them about Adam and Eve, redemption and the Fall, and their knowledge of the Savior. Should they suffer from Original Sin, the Church would convert them. The Apache (including Apaches who are also practicing Catholics) see these statements as a re-affirmation by the Church of continuing cultural conquest. Weren't they once considered "extra-terrestrials" by the missionaries? Father George Coyne has been most outspoken: We are not convinced...that Mt. Graham possesses a sacred character.... Since no credible argument [for sacrality] has been presented, the Vatican Observatory will continue construction.... He stated that the presence of material artifacts, shrines or the equivalent of church foundations is required proof. He has not accepted oral tradition, testimony of the Apache spiritual leaders, affidavits from the Anglo-European anthropologists who speak Apache and specialize in Apache culture nor even fieldnotes of a famous anthropologist who worked with Apaches in the l930s. In a paper on the Apache, Father Coyne called for the outright suppression of the kind of religious practices presented in petitions by Apache elders, religious practioners, and the ASC. Father Charles Polzer, Curator of Ethnohistory at the University of Arizona, has also filed an affidavit for the University stating he knows of no evidence to demonstrate the sacredness of Mt. Graham. His Assistant Curator (who is also of Catholic heritage) and every academic expert/ anthropologist on the Western Apache have filed affidavits or public letters in strong disagreement. Father Polzer has stated that he believes the Apache struggle to save Mt. Graham is a Jewish conspiracy joined by the American Civil Liberties Union. (The ACLU says it has no involvement in the controversy.) Franklin Stanley, Apache medicine man and spiritual leader, responds in 1992: "We have listened to you tell us Mt. Graham is not sacred. But those who say they do not know, have not talked to the spiritual leaders like myself. ...Any religious person knows that it is a sin to be disrespectful of another religion. So maybe most people, regardless of their own religious beliefs, can show some respect for our religion. Respect, and the rights granted us by certain laws are what we ask for. For us, religion and culture are not separate. I hope you can understand what I say, it is about spiritual things, even if it is called "culture," it is the same...Nowhere else in the world stands another mountain like the mountain you are trying to disturb. On this mountain is a great life giving force.You have no knowledge of the place you are about to destroy...." Dr. Keith Basso, University of New Mexico with 30 years experience in ethnographic studies of Apache groups and fluent speaker of Apache responds: "...It is apparent to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Mt. Graham, or Dzil nchaa si an, occupies a place of enormous importance in Apache religious belief and practice...The evidence presented here establishes clearly and unequivocally that this mountain is a sacred site of profound importance to the San Carlos Apache people...Mt. Graham continues to be a vital part of the people's natural and moral universe. As a cherished feature of their original homeland, as dwelling place of the supernatural ga'an, as home to forms of life required for traditional ceremonial activities, as object of personal prayers, and finally as an ancient burial ground, Mt. Graham stands as a critical component in the Apache way of life." -- \Planet Peace http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/ /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\ Nothing Real Can be Threatened. Nothing Unreal Exists. \-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ --------- "RE: Nuxalk Chiefs Challenge Jurisdiction" --------- Date: 24 Jan 1996 01:37:47 GMT From: gauvreau@unixg.ubc.ca (Gwethalyn Gauvreau) Subj: NUXALK CHIEFS CHALLENGE JURISDICTION Newsgroups: alt.native Nuxalk Nation Government House of Smayusta Tel: (604) 799- 5376 PO Box 8, Bella Coola B.C. V0T 1C0 Fax: (604) 799-5707 Press Release NUXALK NATION UNDER SIEGE !!! Statement by the Nuxalk Hereditary Chiefs "First of all the Nuxalk Nation would like to acknowledge Tatau, the Creator, through Manakays, the Great Spirit, for all that he has provided since the beginning of time and still does today." The Nuxalk Hereditary Chiefs and their 19 supporters did not appear in Court today (January 22, 1996) because they challenge the jurisdiction of the BC Supreme Court over Nuxalk territory. The BC Supreme Court chose to proceed with the trial in absentia. Warrants have been issued for their arrest. The courts are proceeding under the assumption that INTERFOR has full rights to steal and destroy Nuxalkmc resources, rather than addressing the underlying fundamental issue which is Nuxalk jurisdiction over these lands. The court has chosen to criminalize the Nuxalkmc under the pretext of disobeying their injunction so as to legitimize the taking of the trees from Nuxalk territory. This case reveals the British Columbia Government's assumption of jurisdiction in spite of the fact that no treaty has ever been made with the Nuxalk Nation. THE NUXALKMC ARE NOT CRIMINALS! They are implementing their inherent obligation to protect their land for generations to come. This is their traditional law. These inherent rights have never been ceded or extinguished. All domestic avenues have been exhausted because the Governments of BC and Canada refuse to acknowledge Nuxalk jurisdiction. 1. Assumed Jurisdiction -denied position to present sovereignty/jurisdiction 2. Imposition of Foreign Laws -detained from liberty 3. Use of Force as a State -removal from natural territory 4. No Recognition as a "Nation" with sovereign powers and status -denied by federal and BC governments to allow negotiations on a Nation to Nation basis. NUXALK NATION 1 Governed by "Natural Law" -Nuxalkmc are protectors of the land and all its resources -everything flows from the "Smayusta" and practiced through the "potlatch system" -traditional economy; use of natural resources -Live according to Nuxalk customary laws -Apply their decisions within their own territory -Established their own rules of conduct in dealing with disputes & conflicts -Established restorative mechanisms -appointed river guardians, mediators and peacemakers 2 Religious Foundation of Nuxalkmc is their spirituality. Religion and law are one. -song, dance, stories that is "Smayusta" 3 Human Beings a) Cultural, social, political and economic rights. -trade agreements, citizenship/immigration b) Territorial Rights Language, customs, traditional values All Nuxalkmc exist by the "Supreme Law of the Land therefore, all federal matters should be done on a Nation to Nation basis. FOREIGN LAWS 1 The government of Canada has no authority to pass legislation to abolish traditional government. The Indian Act does not apply to the Nuxalk on the basis that their territory is unceded. Nuxalk Nation retain their inherent rights. a) BC supreme court has no jurisdiction on this dispute b) BC government & its courts cannot define the Nuxalk jurisdiction or its territories. The judicial system cannot use a blanket policy to define Nuxalk Sovereignty. MORALITY OF JURISDICTION The BC's Supreme Court's Christian/Heathen distinction is still regarded as the supreme law of the land. Regardless of whether the Nuxalkmc are considered savages or not, they cannot ethically or morally be denied territorial rights (dominion) nor their existence as a whole by coercion or force. Moreover, the fallacy of being regarded as more or less than a human being is rendered in-operative for the purpose of establishing non- Nuxalkmc territorial rights over Nuxalkmc rights of dominion nor is the use of force justifiable to achieve such ends. TERRITORIAL DESTRUCTION A) Natural Law does not destroy resources Example: Namu run by a large fishing corporation abandoned the mid- coast causing economic ruin and massive social disruption as did Ocean Falls run by a large logging corporation. B) Corporate Law today cannot economically sustain three thousand people without destroying resources and natural life (i.e. wildlife) and thus destroys a way of life for the Nuxalkmc. This is cultural genocide under International Law and their Covenants. The BC government is bound by the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and the International Bill of Human Rights. Canada and its' provinces are signatories on both these documents. The Nuxalkmc are a people distinct from others therefore, a Nation with absolute and exclusive territorial integrity. For the future of our children, our grandchildren and children yet to be born.... Way! Nuxalk Strong - Nuxalk Forever! Hereditary Chief Nuximlayc (Lawrence Pootlass) Hereditary Chief Qwatsinas (Edward Moody) Hereditary Chief Slicxwliqw' (Charles Nelson) signed original on file -- I.G. Gauvreau gauvreau@unixg.ubc.ca --------- "RE: Policing on Native Reserves" --------- Date: 26 Jan 1996 11:36:34 From: Peace Brigades International - USA Subj: Policing on Native Reserves/NAP Report 1/96 Newsgroups: alt.native PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL: NORTH AMERICA PROJECT 1/96 Justice and First Nations: Policing on Native Reserves The encounter between Europeans and native peoples has often been called a clash of two cultures. The way that the justice system works on Native reserves is one example of this clash. A 1990 Task Force of the Federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (DIAND) reported that on-reserve crime rates were approximately four times the national average; on-reserve violent crime rates were six times the national average. This article looks at increased native control over on-reserve policing as one part of a solution to these problems. Miskeegogamang is an isolated Ojibway (Chippewa) reserve in northern Ontario. The media have often used Miskeegogamang as an example to point out the social problems facing natives: high levels of poverty, alcoholism, unemployment and crime. Tom is a former economic development officer for his reserve. He has asked that his last name be withheld - many times in the past, he says, he has been misquoted or misunderstood by journalists. He is also tired of talking about the problems - he wants solutions, one of which is to restructure police services. "Nothing will ever change until native people on reserves get their own peacekeepers, someone they can identify with, not these southern, middle-class cops. When you're living below the poverty line, coming from another culture and language, it's almost impossible to establish some kind of connection... Having our own peacekeepers will save money, prevent misunderstandings and stop people from getting hurt," says Tom. As the northernmost outpost of Ontario, the Pickle Lake area north of Kenora was known as a "punishment posting" for young constables who were insubordinate to superiors in the south. Other officers chose to go north to avoid the chaos of life in the cities. Few stayed longer than a few years. "A lot of OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] officers brought their negative attitudes and bigotry with them. Some aren't shy about showing their prejudices in our community," says Tom. Paul Trivett, an OPP officer in the First Nations Policing Section agrees. "The OPP haven't put in the best people in the north _young officers tend to be put there or choose to go there to escape the workload. They are the wrong people, there for the wrong reasons. They don't care about the community's well-being, they only want to distance themselves from the problem," says Trivett. Incidents of police brutality in Tom's community are high. There have been numerous complaints against some officers on charges of harassment and use of excessive force. Because police don't live on the reserve, they have little insight into the daily life of the community. Thirty years ago the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] had jurisdiction over all reserves and almost all communities were policed by non-native officers. In 1972, the RCMP withdrew and power was transferred to the OPP. Under the new system, band constables were given little power - they could carry a gun, wear a uniform but had to work directly under the OPP. By 1985, there was an amendment to the police act which recognized native constables as police officers, with the same responsibilities as any municipal constable. In April, 1992, the (Provincial) Solicitor General's office took control of all native policing matters, both on and off the reserve. The Aboriginal Policing Directorate was created to help communities establish local police services. Differences in wealth and wellness between northern and southern communities are immense. Paul Trivett, who oversees community initiatives, training and staffing for the OPP, is well aware of these differences. "In the north, it is so isolated, police only come when the shit hits the fan, they are always reacting to the problem. They fly in, kick the hell out of the problem, and leave. This way is never going to help the situation. In southern Ontario, the communities are fairly healthy and there is a much better relationship with the police, but in the north it is very difficult to find resource people," Trivett says. "As you go further north, communities aren't as developed, they have less resources and less money." Solutions are difficult for the north; what works well in one community may not serve as a model for all reserves. Trivett says many people look elsewhere to see what services are working, and then try to force people into that same program. "What's going to determine success is when native people solve their own problems, when they start saying there is a better way to do business by integrating their culture to empower the whole community." Each reserve has unique problems and unique strengths; each will have to find unique ways of solving the problems. In Canadian law, jails exist to deter, confine, punish and rehabilitate the criminal. In traditional native practice, rehabilitation and punishment usually took place through banishment or isolation. This is a vital difference between police and the Native Peacekeepers that perform policing in many native communities. Peacekeepers generally keep the peace by requiring more community services rather than using jailing or fines. Many people can't afford fines, and end up going to jail for minor incidents. In such cases, jail often makes the problem worse. A traditional native approach to solving problems would be to consult with elders. Minor misdemeanors would be resolved through community circles, where all parties involved would sit down together to discuss the problems and remedies to the situation. "The word 'police' carries some very bad connotations, because of past experiences," says Tom, "We are looking for a term the community will feel more comfortable with, that is why we use the term 'peacekeeper'." Bill Brant, ex-chief of police for Akwesasne, says that there are strong human resources available in the south, but not so many in the north. He says there is a need for more experienced native police. Those who are trained now are inexperienced, so many communities still prefer to hire more experienced, non-native police. The tendency, especially in remote communities, is for non-natives to leave very quickly and the turnover rate is extremely high. Brant understands why non-natives don't stay around very long - they are isolated, far from home, and outsiders in a community with a different cultural and linguistic base than their own. A system of native-run policing may still be a distant dream in Tom's community, but elsewhere it is already a reality. The Akwesasne reserve has had independent native policing for the past 23-24 years, and the current force has about 23 Mohawk constables. Straddling the borders of Quebec, Ontario and New York, Akwesasne may well be the most confusing territory in the country to police. Police must have a sound knowledge of Mohawk law, as well as provincial, state and federal law. They must also work closely with the RCMP, provincial and US police forces. "Akwesasne is a very unique situation," says Al Bennett, a Cornwall RCMP officer who acts as liaison Akwesasne. "The setup creates difficulties for everyone. You are always crossing border lines." Nevertheless, Bennett says police services have improved since the community assumed control. The RCMP maintains an ongoing presence on the reserve to assist in matters such as drug smuggling across the border, but the on-reserve police have the power to deal with virtually all criminal activity. As self-government becomes a reality on reserves, each will be trying to find unique ways of governing their community. There are no magic formulas, no national models for how this will be achieved. Communities will have to form their own solutions, according to their own culture, needs and problems. "The ability of having one's own police force comes with the ability of communities to handle the concept of self government. Each community is different. Some communities can't handle that yet, couldn't assume control over all services. This control is geared towards the ability of communities to undertake their own governmental administration," says Brant. In the meantime, Tom rests his hopes on an autonomous police force for Miskeegogamang, one where constables have a good relationship and understanding of the community. _ Tavia Grant +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Founded in 1981, Peace Brigades International is a unique NGO exploring nonpartisan approaches to peacemaking and support for basic human rights. Recognized by the UN, PBI has a successful record in a challenging variety of conflicts. Currently, PBI supports teams of international volunteers accompanying activists threatened with political violence in Guatemala, Colombia, Haiti, Sri Lanka, and several Native communities in North America. **** PBI/USA 2642 College Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704 USA **** Tel: 510-540-0749 Fax: 510-849-1247 Email: pbiusa@igc.apc.org http://www.igc.apc.org/pbi/index.html *** Peace Brigades International (USA) *** 2642 College Ave. Berekely CA 94704 USA TEL: 510-540-0749 FAX: 510-849-1247 Email: pbiusa@igc.apc.org http://www.igc.apc.org/pbi/index.html --------- "RE: PBI-NAP Updates" --------- Date: 26 Jan 1996 11:36:34 From: Peace Brigades International - USA Subj: PBI-NAP Report 1/96 Newsgroups: alt.native PBI-NAP Updates As of mid-December, the situation at Ipperwash remains unresolved [See October 1995 bulletin]. The Special Investigations Unit looking into the shooting of Dudley Moore will continue their work into the New Year, well past the 90 days such investigations are supposed to last. The autopsy report has not been released. The federal minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Ronald Irwin, has said he will only negotiate with the Kettle Point Band Council about the return of the land. In Davis Inlet, the community's five peacekeepers have been granted Supernumerary status within the RCMP, as part of the policing agreement achieved in mid-1995. The official swearing-in ceremony is to take place Jan 10. Meanwhile cabinet deliberations about the move of the community to Sango Bay were still continuing as of late December. A PBI-NAP report entitled "Justice and Healing in Sheshatshit and Davis Inlet" is available for $5 from the PBI-NAP office. This report, an overview of the effect of the justice system on the Innu and the alternatives being tried, is the result of the work of Anne Harrison and Muriel Meric in Labrador from April to June of 1995. To order, please contact: PBI North America Project 27 Third Ave. Ottawa, Ontario K1S 2J5 CANADA Phone: (613) 230-4123 Fax: (613) 231-4690 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Founded in 1981, Peace Brigades International is a unique NGO exploring nonpartisan approaches to peacemaking and support for basic human rights. Recognized by the UN, PBI has a successful record in a challenging variety of conflicts. Currently, PBI supports teams of international volunteers accompanying activists threatened with political violence in Guatemala, Colombia, Haiti, Sri Lanka, and several Native communities in North America. **** PBI/USA 2642 College Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704 USA **** Tel: 510-540-0749 Fax: 510-849-1247 Email: pbiusa@igc.apc.org http://www.igc.apc.org/pbi/index.html *** Peace Brigades International (USA) *** 2642 College Ave. Berekely CA 94704 USA TEL: 510-540-0749 FAX: 510-849-1247 Email: pbiusa@igc.apc.org http://www.igc.apc.org/pbi/index.html --------- "RE: Respect and Honor Project" --------- Date: Mon, 29 Jan 96 12:59:05 EST From: gwelker@mail.lmi.org Subj: Respect and Honor Project UUCP email Who is the Respect and Honor Project about? Indigenous peoples around the world have lived in harmony with the earth for thousands of years. Recently, prophetic warnings speak of the need to "mend the sacred hoop" as a number of crises threaten prospects for quality of life in Native American culture. Many issues are similarly felt in the world community as people of all colors reach out to the pool of ancient wisdom in their search for cross-cultural solutions to a world out of balance. Wisdom of the Elders, Inc., a Native American non-profit corporation has developed the Respect and Honor Project. They are gathering a team of award-winning, indigenous producers, filmmakers, photographers, writers and educators to help preserve the teachings and values of traditional elders. This wisdom will be passed on through a series of audio programming, video documentaries, curriculum and workshop materials, and book publications. What does the Respect and Honor Project do? By providing educational materials anchored to a videotape format, the Respect and Honor Project will provide diversified tools for schools, parent education, recovery and reformatory programs and individuals. The teachings of our prized elders lays the foundation for recovery from many of the problems which have plagued Native American families and communities for seven generations. Our people are hungry for a more wholistic way of life, stronger bonds with the extended family and balance with the world of nature. Ancestral ways are conceptually centered around honor and respect for the individual, family and community, and the ability to "listen for wisdom" through the passing on of oral traditions. This exposure to exemplary role models will help our people and future generations develop a healthier self concept, balanced values and deepen our peoples' understanding and respect for their own culture. At the same time, this project is expected to enrich a broad spectrum of today's culturally diverse world community. "The values that Indians hold dear offer something to the rest of the world and to America,." said Richard West, Museum Director for the National Museum of the American Indian. "Indians have always sought a balance with the environment around them. These are values that are not always clearly visible in our Western Culture today." Increasingly, people of all faiths, traditions and colors - red, brown, yellow, black and white - are hungry for understanding of indigenous heritage and seek more meaning in life. They recognize that Native American culture has the perspective to help them live in balance with a fragile ecosystem; search for solutions to contemporary deadly diseases and epidemics; resolve conflict amidst a threat of world war; and overcome human rights and economic injustice and racism among humankind. Is the Respect and Honor Project important? Preservation of our elders' teachings is of paramount importance during this last decade of the Twentieth Century. Values were passed along orally from generation to generation and represent an ancient legacy of knowledge that is becoming just as endangered as many species of our fragile ecosystem. Many of our elders have already taken important teachings with them to the Spirit World without having the opportunity to pass them along. It is for this reason that Wisdom of the Elder's "Respect and Honor" Project make this call to you for help. We are looking for sponsors and supporters for the Respect and Honor Project. We appeal to you to assist us as a Founding Sponsor, Senior Supporter or Respect and Honor Supporter to make this project possible. If you would like to know more about our project please call: Phone number - (503) 775-4014 or write us at: 5518 S.E. Flavel Dr. Portland, OR 97206 Home Page: http://www.3rdplanet.com/wjstroud/home.html Ward Jene Stroud Born in 1958 Ward is a native of the Pacific Northwest having lived there all his life. Although flute playing is his primary focus, he also hand carves. Ward's experience in music comes from his earliest childhood memories of making music with his mother, a full-blooded Yaqui Indian. The flute is an extension of his spirit voice, from that special place where his heart speaks. He enjoys performing live and recording. Ward believes that music is very important, and that it has a healing quality that is very special. He also believes it nourishes both the mind and spirit, bringing beauty to the world. As Ward says- "Music is the kind of magic that all people can believe in. Sharing this music with others is a great honor and joy!" --------- "RE: Enola Hill, Oregon" --------- Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 16:47:27 -0800 From: Loretta Whitebread Subj: Enola Hill, Oregon Newsgroups: alt.native,alt.org.audubon,alt.save.the.earth, alt.org.sierra-club,soc.culture.native,sci.anthropology Enola Hill, a sacred site recognized as such my local Native American tribes as well as by other local individuals and groups, is slated to be clearcut in the coming months. Enola Hill is located on the slopes of Mt. Hood. Many of us have been working for years to prevent this. The US Forest Service is planning to discuss the sale (first item on the agenda) Thursday evening, Feb 1 @ 7:30pm. This would be a good chance for them to realize that we intend to stop them from logging this and the other sites they're discussing that evening: Salmonberry and Still Creek. If you're interested in making a show of support..email me for carpool information, or show up. Directions: Take Highway 26 east up Mt. Hood. Go through Welches to Salmon River. Turn right (south) and the building is 200 yards on the left. I overheard a lumber company representative and the forest service talking and they were saying: "If we can cut Enola Hill, we can cut anywhere." They know how special this spot is to people, and they are not only greedy, but hoping to break our spirit. Let's not let them do it!! Enthusiastically, Loretta --------- "RE: Global Peace Walk" --------- Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 17:18:02 -0800 (PST) From: Susanna Shreeve David Williams sent me this. You have his e-mail address here. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 00:47:26 -0800 (PST) From: David Williams Subj: NEXTWALK info UUCP email \NEXTWALK\ 01-22-96 Spring Schedule for 1996 GLOBAL PEACE WALK To bring out GLOBAL PEACE NOW by the voice of all humanity as One Mind, in support of the call by Mahatma Gandhi's revered teacher (Guruji) for an American Spiritual Revolution led by the American Indian religious and spiritual people, and in support of Western Shoshone spiritual leader Corbin Harney, the 1996 Global Peace Walkers will be joining with other spiritual practitioners for a walk with the Lenten Desert Experience to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site from the Las Vegas office of the US Department of Energy (2753 South Highland), on March 31st (Palm Sunday) after a 9AM prayer ceremony, and arriving at the test site camp on April 6th (Good Friday) for the Spring Gathering of Healing Global Wounds, April 4-8, 1996, with a caravan en route to Taos, New Mexico for the April 22-27 Global Peace Zone Gathering and GLOBAL PEACE WALK to Santa Fe. Concurrent with the Nevada walk will be an international organizers' Nuclear Abolition Summit, April 1-4 in Las Vegas. Buddha's birthday, prayer offered April 8. This project was initiated last year by the United Nations 50th Anniversary GLOBAL PEACE WALK '95 from New York (January 15th MLK birthday) to San Francisco (June 20th). A book containing the messages and many letters of support from this walk was hand delivered to the President of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations in New York in October 1995, witnessed by Corbin Harney. The purpose of the Global Peace Walk is to bring out Global Peace Now as a prayer by all of humanity and to foster the development of a Spiritual United Nations to affect Global Peace Now by establishing, with The Peace Pole Ceremony, Global Peace Zones across the country and around the world. After the Earth Day 1996 Peace Pole Ceremony in Taos, on April 24th the Mayor declared Taos the first GLOBAL PEACE ZONE pursuant to this campaign, and upon the walk's arrival in Santa Fe, the Mayor there declared April 26th Global Peace Walk Day. In respect of this Rev. Yamato has resolved to begin an annual ceremony of commemoration and to further the development of a permanent land based spiritual community in the Taos area to pursue the goals of the Global Peace Walk. Just before our October delivery to the United Nations we got a commitment from Bethlehem's Peace Museum organizers involving the Mayor of Bethlehem and Yassar Arafat's brother, Dr. Arafat, offering a site at this Peace Museum Park (part of the Bethlehem 2000 program) for our construction of a permanent Peace Pole there to help unite the three faiths of Jerusalem in peace. While the above Nevada events are under way, a delegation will be in Israel to further these negotiations and we may possibly obtain an interactive internet video link from Jerusalem to Nevada for this occasion. The success of these events depends on everyone who gets this message to get involved immediately and help in any way they can. WELCOME HOME. Rev. Yamato is the one who first brought the interfaith peace pole ceremony to the annual Rainbow Family Gathering in 1978. He has worked with many native American spiritual leaders over the last 20 years and has developed special international relationships with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The coordinator of the Global Peace Walk, David Crockett Williams Jr., is a personal and financial agent, chemical physicist, spiritual practitioner of Nichidatsu Fujii and Sathya Sai Baba, and has registered as an independent 1996 candidate for United States President to stop nuclear weapons testing, free Leonard Peltier, replace fossil fuel and nuclear power with Free Energy Technologies, and implement the recommercialization of hemp for the overall majority of earth's paper, fiber, food, fuel, medicines, chemical feedstocks, construction materials, to save the ozone layer and stop global warming. CALL Yamato 415-626-9757, Williams 805-822-3309, Corbin Harney and the Nuclear Abolition Summit & Nuclear Abolition Day of Action (April 8th) c/o Shundahai Network 202-588-0912, Healing Global Wounds 408-338-0147, Taos Gathering and Walk organizer Martha Bourke 505-758-2071. Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo --- Unity in Diversity: ALL IS ONE --- Om Sai Ram --------- "RE: Medicines" --------- Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 03:11:57 -0800 (PST) From: cherokee@wolfenet.com Subj: Medicines UUCP email Take Two Spider Webs and Call me in the Morning Native American Medicine men were considered sacred....They held magical powers and healed by working with the spirits.. Many times the Medicine Man's treatments were far superior than that of the 19th century Doctors...who knew little to nothing about disease processes. Even then, wholistic medicine was practiced by the Medicine Man who would seek to cure the whole person...not just a single body part. Often the affected person's family was treated as well. The Cherokee believed that different animals caused different diseases on one as punishment for his practices and that plants healed these diseases. In the Carolinas more than 100 plants were (and are) used for medicinal purposes, some of which were pharmacologically curative. We cured fevers, for example, by the use of willow bark which contains salicin. We use Yaupon tea (Ilex vomitoris) as an emetic and had many uses for tobacco. We use the juice of chewed tobacco as an antiseptic for bites and cuts. We respected the plants and left payment (beads or tobacco buried next to the plant) in return for the leaves taken. We used foxglove (digitalis) for heart disease, bread mold (penicillin) for infection, spider webs as styptics, pine tar for eczema and heat for arthritis and rheumatism. Recently a study showed that traditional medicines were very effective in treatment of a variety of diseases and the medical community is developing a new interest in learning about our traditional medicines. We have always believed that each disease has a cure....that there is a plant given to us for healing it. In this day of cuts in health care by insurance providers and the development of the superbugs...its nice to know that the medical community is beginning to wake up to the fact that perhaps we weren't all merely a bunch of ignorant savages after all..*smiles*... --------- "RE: Shadow's Long Song" --------- Date: 17 Jul 1994 19:41:46 -0500 From: turtle@aicap.s21.com (Turtle Heart) Subj: Shadow's Long Song Newsgroups: alt.native feathers soar into the winds like songs the singing of old ones looking for a heart in which to rest silent morning where the day's first light comes to warm the stones carried upon the belly of a shadow's long song Turtle Heart turtle@soft21.s21.com (Ahnishinabeg) American Indian Computer Art Project BBS 619-374-2100 Land of Kaw-ii-su ancestor: Land of Light -- --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/01/24 22:38 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 February 4-10 PEPELUALI (February) (Kau-lua) 4 My feet walk the paths where kings have gone. 5 For every ending, there is always another beginning. 6 We were not the first in this land: the Gods, ke akua, were here before us. 7 Before you throw a stone, pohaku, ask whose spirit dwells in it. 8 To care for the land is an act of worship. 9 Our seasons are the cycles of the moon, mahina, and the stars, na hoku. 10 Ask the Gods before taking from the land; ask not to take from Pele, for what is hers belongs to no other. (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, 1 Feb 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 From: berryj@Okway.okstate.edu (John Berry) To: Ind-Net@listproc.wsu.edu, NetRez-L@listproc.wsu.edu Subject: First Americans in the Arts Award Ceremony(FWD) ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: First Americans in the Arts Award Ceremony Author: OoLaGiLi@aol.com at SMTP Date: 1/25/96 8:37 PM For any one interested: The Fourth Annual Award Presentation of First Americans in the Arts honoring Native Americans for outstanding achievements in the performing arts will be held Saturday February 24, 1996 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. For further information contact First Americans in the Arts PO Box 17780 Beverly Hills, CA 90209-3780 or phone 310-278-3848. ------------------------------------------------------ From: Brent Michael Davids <75522.3516@compuserve.com> To: Gary Smith/NA/Newsletter Subject: premiere PRESS RELEASE ~ PRESS RELEASE ~ PRESS RELEASE ~ PRESS RELEASE TEMPE, AZ -- It's not often that a Native American is featured at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington DC, but Composer Brent Michael Davids is making his third showing there! In 1992, Davids performed his Moon of the Falling Leaves with the famous Joffrey Ballet, and in 1995, the world-renown Kronos Quartet opened their concerts with his Singing Woods for enthusiastic crowds. Both groups have now performed these works in dozens of major cities around the world. As a result, Davids is busy working on his third commission for the Kronos Quartet to be premiered later this year. This time around, the Kennedy Center will be featuring Davids new work CANYON SUNRISE written especially for the National Symphony Orchestra. CANYON SUNRISE commemorates the 65th Anniversary of the National Symphony Orchestra and the 25th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center. Composed as a fanfare for Native America, SUNRISE is a musical celebration for both the ancient and contemporary residents of a southwestern canyon. From night crickets to morning birds, the music portrays the glow of dawn as it begins to shine into the rocky crevasses. CANYON SUNRISE is a carefully crafted composition that combines the "song" techniques of Native Americans with the "developmental" techniques of Western-European music. With flutes and percussion instruments spaced into three separate groups, the unusual spatial arrangement mimics the sound of echoes in a deep canyon. Brent Michael Davids is widely recognized for his innovative approaches to composing music as well as his self-designed instrument creations. Brent Michael Davids is an enrolled member of the Mohican Nation. CANYON SUNRISE is scheduled for 1996 performances on February 22, 23, 24 & 27, at the Kennedy Center. Contact Angie Gutierrez at the National Symphony Orchestra for details: 202/416-8108. ---------------------------------------------- From: Pablo Bellon To: IND-NET Subject: Council Fires 1996: The Roots of the Circle (Kansas) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 14:55:47 -0600 Original Sender: zzwils@acc.wuacc.edu (wilson mary) Kansas Association for Native American Education (KANAE) Presents Council Fires 1996: The Roots of the Circle A National Celebration of Teaching Native Students March 31 - April 2, 1996 The following information is taken from the Web page at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wilsons/KANAE.htm Kansas Association for Native American Education (KANAE) Presents Council Fires 1996: The Roots of the Circle A National Celebration of Teaching Native Students When: March 31- April 2, 1996 Where: Wichita Airport Hilton - Wichita, Kansas Keynote Speakers: Dr. Cornel Pewewardy Cameron University Dr. Jerry Bread University of Oklahoma Dr. Michael Yellow Bird University of Kansas Carol Ann Heart Technical Assistance Center Bismarck, North Dakota For Additional Information contact: Sharon McClane 12484 126th Road Hoyt, Kansas 66440 Phones: Daytime (913) 966-2255 Evenings/Weekends (913) 986-6564 -------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 08:43:03 -0500 Subject: 21 Annual Federal Indian Law Conference From: LitlThnder@aol.com Chautauqua Newsletter The 21st Annual Federal Indian Law Conference is scheduled for early April in Albuquerque, NM at the Marriott. Many tribes and firms specializing in Indian Law will be there recruiting for interns and associates. Also, the national NALSA chapter (Native American Law Student's Assoc.) has their annual meeting during this two day conference every year. Literally everyone wanting to practice Indian Law, and those of us who already do, will be there. It will be the most efficient way for you to recruit, if you can post with the placement office that will be open and staffed all day both days. You can reach the Federal Bar Assoc. at this address: 1815 H. Street N. W., Suite 408, Washington, D.C., 200006-3697, (202)638-0252. The law schools that offer certificates in Indian Law would also be a good place for you to post. Tulsa School of Law was one of the first to offer a Native Law certificate program. The Universities of New Mexico and Arizona, Arizona particularly also have programs. The University of Kansas is a year into the process of building their program under the auspice of the former AG for the Seneca Nation, and the University of Iowa boasts a strong NALSA chapter and the professor who literally wrote the book on Indian Law. I'm sure the placement offices from all of these institutions would be more than happy to include your opportunity on their posting boards. The University of Arizona publishes the Native American Employment Advocate which lists not only full time employment opportunities but also scholarships, fellowships, and internships. Your opportunity would fit nicely there too. ------------------------------------------- Newsgroups: soc.culture.native From: br975@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (John S. Brack) Subject: Annual General Meeting at Odawa Native Friendship Centre The Odawa Native Friendship Centre will be holding its annual general meeting at its new address-12 Stirling Ave., Ottawa, Ont., Canada on Saturday, January 27,1996 starting at 12:00 p.m. E.S.T. Anyone from the aboriginal or First Nations community and/or a member of the Odawa Native Friendship Centre is encouraged to attend. For further information, please call the Odawa Native Friend- ship Centre at (613)238-8591 or visit the centre's present location at 396 MacLaren Street (just west of Bank St.) in Ottawa, Ontario. -- John S. Brack (br975@freenet.carleton.ca) ========================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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, AIM(American Indian Movement), Turtle Heart(Healing the Sacred Hoop with Song Poems), MoonCloud, Gwethalyn Gauvreau, Peace Brigades International, Loretta Whitebread(Alert), Planet Peace, Terry(Taabe21), David Williams via Susanna Shreeve, Karen Hawkins, Larry Innes, Robert Bropho(Call for Unity), Lyn Dearborn --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 1 Feb 96 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 GE Electronic Mail Date: 28 Jan 1996 04:37:46 +0100 From: mdashner@cic.net (Mike Dashner) Subject: U-MI, Law Day & Pow Wow Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) FYI, some worthy events at the University of Michigan, end of March ____________________________________________________________________ NATIVE AMERICAN LAW DAY FORUM Date: Friday, March 29th, 1:00-4:00 PM Location: Hutchins Hall, University of Michigan Law School 625 S. State St., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Sponsor: Native American Law Student Association Reception: Following the Forum ____________________________________________________________________ 1996 DANCE FOR MOTHER EARTH, ANN ARBOR POW WOW Dates: Fri, March 29th, Social Dances & Specials, 7:00 PM Grand Entry *Darlene Windy Boy Memorial*, Women's Traditional Contest *Friday, Exhibition and Grand Entry points only Sat, March 30th, All Contests Begin, 1:00 & 7:00 PM Grand Entries Sun, March 31st, Contest Awards, 1:00 PM Grand Entry Only *Dancers will receive points for all Grand Entries Trader contact: Shannon Martin, by invitation only (313)763-9044 or (313)936-8073 Drum contact: Andrew Adams, space is limited, invitation only (313)332-0293 or (313)763-9044 Location: Crisler Arena, corner of Stadium Blvd. & Main St. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan Motels: Ask for pow wow rates Clarion $60 (313)665-4444 Comfort $58 (313)973-6100 Fairfield $50 (313)995-5200 Hampton Inn-South $65 (313)665-5000 Holiday Inn-North Campus $66 (313)769-9800 or (800)800-5560 ++ For more information contact ++ Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors Bureau (800)360-3363 or (313)995-7281 _______________________________________________________________________ Michael A. Dashner, Project Director Voice: (313) 998-6103 Great Lakes Regional American Indian Network Fax: (313) 998-6105 2901 Hubbard Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48105 E-mail: mdashner@cic.net URL: http://www.glrain.net/glrain "Sorry, but my karma just ran over your dogma." --Unknown --------------------------------------------------------- From: minkinak@anchor.engr.sgi.com (Lyn Dearborn) Subject: Hawaiian Band to Perform Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Coming up March 8-10, 1996, the umteenth Sonoma County Folk Festival, located at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa, CA. The Schedule, at this time is as follows: FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 7:30 PM: CAJUN DANCE California Acoustic Cajun Trio SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 7:30 PM: Iris Dement Onye Waterside **Kapalakiko Hawaiian Band Ramblin' Jack Elliot SUNDAY, MARCH 10, **6:30** PM Ferron Liz Materson & Sean Blackburn Nightingale Hong Wang & Yang-Qin Zhao **PLUS** a full schedule of daytime events on Saturday and Sunday. (In the past this has included such things as: Jamming, Song Writers Workshops, "Olde timey" banjo techniques, "Those Darned Accordions", Blues workshop, "Clogging", Country Line Dancing (as opposed to REAL line dancing from the Balkan countries), various "how-to" workshops, mini-concerts by local artists, etc. TICKETS: Friday Night Dance: $9 Saturday or Sunday: Day + Concert $29 adults; $15 Youth/Srs Daytime only $9 adults; $5 Youth/Sr. Concert only $17 adults; $13 Youth/Sr. 3 Day Combination Passes: $40 Adults; $25 Youth/Sr. First 800 seats sold for evening concert in Theatre are reserved seating. Children 6 and under: Free all day. Youths: 7-18 yrs. Seniors: 55 & over (YES!) Evening Concerts ASL Interpreted. Tickets can be obtained by writing to the Luther Burbank Ctr (Zip code is 95403). or calling the Box Office: 707/ 546-3600; or call BASS: 707/ 546-BASS or 415/ 762-BASS Co-produced by Luther Burbank Center for the Arts & Sonoma Country Folk Society. Funded, in part, by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+ "We did not weave the web of life. We | Lyn Dearborn are merely a strand in it. Whatever | Naturalist/Person we do to the web, we do to ourselves" | Native Basketry Instruction --"Walk gently on Mother Earth" -- | dearborn@anchor.engr.sgi.com ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+ From: drader@uga.cc.uga.edu (Dean Rader) Subject: Re: NativeNet: reminder on postings / Alberta education conference Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) I will be doing some research in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado from late May to early July, and I am wondering if anyone has information on conferences (similar to the one where Mr. Trujillo will be speaking) involving Native American literature, culture, or education in those states within that time frame. Feel free to respond to me directly at: drader@uga.cc.uga.edu. Thanks very much. Best--dean rader. <<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>> Dean Rader Assistant Professor of English Texas Lutheran College Seguin, TX 78155 210/372-6077 Rader_D@txlutheran.edu - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Comments from NativeNet listowner, Gary Trujillo (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us): I'd just like to encourage anyone having information about any conferences relating to Native peoples anywhere at any time to please feel free to post it to the NATIVE-L mailing list ("native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us"). Thanks. Regarding the conference in Alberta, it was pointed out to me that the announcement I posted did not include the dates. It's being held from Wednesday, 7 February through Friday the 9th. Included at the end of the following announcement are directions for getting there from Edmonton: TREATY 6 EDUCATION CONFERENCE 1996 FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION: MOVING INTO THE 21st CENTURY Hosted by SAMSON CREE NATION, HOBBEMA, Alberta in conjunction with the Louis Bull, Ermineskin and Montana Education Authority THEMES ACTIVITIES Computer Technology in Banquet First Nations School Round Dance Development of Culturally Relevant Fashion Show Curriculum Arts & Craft Sales Colonization and Decolonization Distributors' Displays Classroom Management Strategies Entertainment Curriculum and Healing Pedagogies Awards Presentations Drama as a Learning Tool Elder Sessions Development of Native Libraries Community-Based Education Science & Math FEATURING KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Howard Rainer (Confirmed) National Chief Ovide Mercredi (Tentative) The Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew (Tentative) Dr. David Suzuki (Tentative) Conference Participants The Conference Participants will be Aboriginal leaders, educators, students and community members. Purpose of Conference . to explore all aspects of First Nations education . to provide a forum for First Nations scholars and educators . to explore the integration of First Nations and Alberta Education curricula REGISTRATION FEES General: $100.00 Students: 50.00 Day Fee: 50.00 Send Certified Cheques or Money Orders to: Samson Cree Nation Education c/o Yvonne Buffalo Conference Coordinator Box 658, HOBBEMA, Alberta T0C 1N0 Tel: 403-585-2211/2232 Fax: 403-585-3857 Here are directions to Hobbema, courtesy of Francis Robert (sahtu@aol.com): My AAA atlas does show Hobbema. It is straight south of Edmonton about halfway to Red Deer. If you look on a map there is a Highway 2 which goes from Edmonton to Red Deer. About 33 miles south of central Edmonton is the town of Leduc. Just south of Leduc, Highway 2A splits off from Highway 2 and runs SE for about 35 miles until it crosses Highway 13 (which runs east-west) near the town of Wetaskiwin. At that point Highway 2A is 19 miles east of Highway 2. Highway 2A then runs SW for 50 miles until it rejoins Highway 2 about 35 miles north of Red Deer. Hobbema is on Highway 2A about 20 miles south of Wetaskiwin. It is where Highway 611 (east-west) intersects Highway 2A. According to the atlas legend 2A is a secondary multilane divided highway, 2 is a secondary paved undivided highway, and 611 is a connecting (lower than secondary) paved undivided highway. So I would suggest driving south on Highway 2 all the way to Highway 611 (about 85 miles from central Edmonton) then going east on Highway 611 to Highway 2A (about 15 miles). Hobbema is a few miles south on 2A where Highway 611 heads east. All "about" and other inexact figures are eyeball estimates. Good luck. -Francis Robert --------- "RE: Abenaki Nation Seeking Investors" --------- Date: 26 Jan 1996 23:24:59 +0100 From: 0007069815@mcimail.com (Karen Hawkins) Subj: Abenaki Nation Seeking Investors Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The Abenaki Nation is seeking investors for an economic development project. What follows is a project synopsis. If you are interested in finding out more about this project, please contact Mark Mitchell, executive director of ASHAI at: ASHAI PO Box 276 Swanton, Vt. 05488 802-868-7146 fax: 868-5118 email: mark.mitchell@doleta.sprint.com PROJECT SYNOPSIS The health food and drink market is rapidly growing and diversifying. Consumers are also showing a great interest in Native American culture. The Abenaki Nation of Vermont is in a position to take advantage of both of these trends with it plans to develop and manufacture a beverage. It would join the family of successful Vermont "specialty foods", a manufacturing category described by the Vermont Department of Agriculture, which includes Ben & Jerry's Homemade. An in-depth planning and feasibility study on the proposed product, which includes strategies for production and marketing and projections for financial need, was conducted this year, and the results were very positive. They have provided a framework under which the Abenaki would like to proceed with the venture, if funding can be secured. The largest concentration of the Abenaki population is in Franklin County in northern Vermont. 1990 census data shows that Vermont's Native Americans make up a disproportionate number of those living below the poverty line, receiving special needs school funds, and not completing their education. The company would be owned by the community as a whole; profits that are not reinvested in the business would be directed at provision of community and social services that are severely lacking at present. Strategies for the We believe that this is a unique opportunity to support an entire community through a venture that promises to be self-sustaining, and will finally allow the Abenaki to participate economically in the dominant culture. THE PROPOSING ORGANIZATION The Abenaki Self-Help Association, Inc. (ASHAI) is headquartered in Swanton, Vermont. Incorporated in 1976 to be the service arm of the Abenaki Nation, the agency has grown into a multi-service center that offers programs in education, employment, drug abuse, youth, housing, and economic development. It has been supported through the years by federal, state and private sources. The Abenaki Development Corporation (ADC) was started in 1993 to direct economic development for the Abenaki Nation. ASHAI has a 501c4 designation because it makes a small profit on the low- income housing program it administers; ADC has a 501c3 designation, and the two organizations are able to work together to promote the self sufficiency of the Abenaki community. OUR NEEDS Despite the recent popularity and success of gaming (gambling) as a path to economic development for many "recognized" tribes, the Abenaki community has repeatedly indicated no interested in pursuing it. The Abenaki Nation has sought federal recognition, and the petition is being processed. However, various state agencies and local organizations have been working with the Governor's Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs towards the success of this and other programs in the Abenaki community, in the common interest of social and economic health of Franklin County and the state as a whole. The Abenaki Nation is also excited about the prospects for this venture. Apart from securing funding, we have all the support we need. The Abenaki Nation is seeking funds to cover the projected startup and operating costs of the beverage business. According to the feasibility study, it would be most prudent to concentrate first on product development and marketing, and building a management team. The funds would be managed by the Abenaki Development Corporation, and the Abenaki Self-Help Association management would be responsible for selecting a management team, but once the funds are secured, the beverage company will incorporate as a separate entity. CURRENT INITIATIVES We have applied to foundations for startup funding and we are also preparing a proposal for the Eagle Staff Fund, a collaborative that helps Native economic development initiatives. In addition to funding for the project itself, plans are being made to develop the expertise and human capital that will make this project sustainable as a community venture. We are exploring possibilities for capacity-building with other Vermont businesses and organizations in the areas of production, distribution, and sales and marketing. --------- "RE: Innu Call For Review" --------- Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 11:11:37 -0400 From: Larry Innes Subj: EMISH ALERT: Innu Call For Single Environmental Review EMISH ALERT 24 January 1996 REGISTRATION OF ROAD, AIRSTRIP AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE THREATENS TO FRAGMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF VOISEY BAY PROJECT Innu Nation Calls for Single, Comprehensive Environmental Review =========================================================================== Voisey Bay Nickel Company has registered under the Newfoundland Environmental Assessment Act to build a new camp facility, 12 kilometers of two-lane access road, a dock, and a 1250 meter long airstrip at Emish (Voisey's Bay). According to the company, this infrastructure is intended to support advanced exploration activities by providing improved access and accommodations at the site. The company is seeking permission to begin construction in May of 1996. The Innu Nation believes that the company is attempting to fragment the environmental review process in an effort to meet short-term objectives and to avoid the expensive delays which may result from a full environmental review. By registering only the above infrastructure, Voisey's Bay Nickel Company is asking the Innu and Inuit, governments and the public to review and comment on the infrastructure outside of the context in which it is being built. We are being asked to review only a part of a major project which is going to have major and irreversible effects on our land, rights and way of life. The goal of the Innu Nation is to ensure that there is a single, comprehensive environmental review of the whole project: all of the parts of what may eventually be a large nickel mine on Innu and Inuit land. By registering the project in small parts, the company is failing to respect the serious concerns of the Innu about the effects of the whole project on the land, the wildlife and the culture that has sustained us for thousands of years. There are several important precedents for this approach. BHP's proposed diamond mine in the Northwest Territories is presently undergoing an environmental assessment under guidelines which required them to assess not only the impacts of the mine, but the whole project, including regional access roads. The Cree and Inuit in Northern Quebec went to court in order to stop Hydro Quebec from registering the roads and other infrastructure required for the Great Whale hydroelectric project separately from the dams and reservoirs. They argued that the project could only be understood and assessed as a whole, and Hydro Quebec ultimately agreed. The purpose of an environmental assessment is to predict and evaluate the impacts of a project before irreversible decisions are made. Roads and airstrips are irreversible decisions with real impacts, but many of these impacts can only be appreciated and understood in the context of the mine they are intended to serve. Without an opportunity to review and assess the project as a whole, it is impossible to make responsible decisions about whether or not it should proceed. Without a clear picture of the whole project, it is possible that decisions taken today will have to be changed later as other considerations are taken into account, which will result in impacts which might have been avoided with proper planning and assessment. Fragmenting the project into parts also makes it likely that many of the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of the project will be overlooked during subsequent environmental reviews. The Innu and Inuit will have to live with the consequences. The Innu Nation believes that the whole project must be the subject of a single, objective comprehensive panel review under a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment process according to guidelines that ensure that there will be full consideration of the environmental and cultural impacts of the Voisey Bay mine. The process must provide for a sound, thorough and balanced assessment of the Voisey Bay project. It must also provide for a full and open consultation with the Innu and Inuit to ensure that their concerns are fully incorporated into the guidelines. The process must also ensure preservation of ecosystem integrity, the maintenance of biological diversity, and respect for the right of present and future generations to enjoy the sustainable use of resources and the attainment of lasting social and economic benefits. Support the Innu Nation's call for a single, comprehensive environmental review of the Voisey's Bay project by: 1) Participating in the public review of the registration of Voisey's Bay Nickel Company's "Advanced Exploration Infrastructure" under the Newfoundland Environmental Assessment Act. Call 1-800-563-6181 or (709) 729-2562 and ask to be put on the public mailing list. Submit your comments to the Minister of the Environment before 16 February, 1996. 2) Writing to the Newfoundland Minister of the Environment, Mr. Kevin Alyward, and the Canadian Minister of the Environment, Mr. Sergio Marchi, urging them to support a single, objective and comprehensive panel review of the Voisey Bay project through a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment process with provisions for direct Innu and Inuit participation. Hon. Kevin Aylward Hon. Sergio Marchi Minister of the Environment Minister of the Environment Confederation Building Terrace de la Chaudiere PO Box 8700 10 Wellington St. St. John's, NF A1B 4J6 Hull, PQ K1A 0H3 tel: (709) 729-2574 tel: (819) 997-1441 fax: (709) 729-1930 fax: (819) 953-3457 3) Calling, writing or faxing the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company, Diamond Fields Resources and Inco to express your concerns over the fragmentation of the project. Mr. Rick Gill Mr. Cliff Carson Mr. Michael Sopko Executive Vice-President President President and CEO Voisey's Bay Nickel Co. Diamond Field Resources Inco Limited Suite 940 Cabot Place 9th Floor, 200 Burrard St. 145 King St.W, Ste 1500 100 New Gower St. Vancouver, BC Toronto, ON St. John's NF A1C 6K3 V7X 1T2 MS4 4B7 tel: (709) 758-8888 tel: (604) 682-2113 tel: (416) 361-7511 fax: (709) 758-8899 fax: (604) 682-2060 fax: (416) 361-7782 ________________________________________________________________________ FOR MORE INFORMATION: This alert and additional background information about Innu responses to the Voisey's Bay mineral discovery can be obtained on the Innu Nation WWW site: http://www.web.apc.org/~innu --------- "RE: Aboriginal Elders in US to Protest" --------- Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 22:33:46 -0600 From: mktrecon@iinet.net.au Subj: Australian Aboriginal Elders in US to protest movie deal Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL ELDERS IN THE US TO PROTEST MOVIE DEAL Australian Aboriginal Elders are travelling to the United States on January 26 to meet with film makers who are in the final stages of negotiations for a movie based on the best-selling book - 'Mutant Message'. "We want to block the move by Hollywood executives at United Artists to turn Marlo Morgan's lies and distortions into a major motion picture", says Robert Eggington, an Aboriginal activist spearheading the trip. United Artists has agreed to meet with the Aboriginal Elders at a high level meeting in Los Angeles. Scriptwriter Ann Hamilton Phelan, who wrote the script for "Gorillas in the Mist" is expected to attend. 'Mutant Message' is written by American New Age author Marlo Morgan. It chronicles an alleged four-month "walkabout" that Morgan alleges she took in the Australian Outback in the mid-1980's with an obscure tribe of Aborigines. The book has outraged members of the Aboriginal community for misrepresenting sacred religious and cultural beliefs. 'Mutant Message' appeared on the US best seller list for 25 weeks. Morgan continues to lecture nationally on Aboriginal culture, saying it can teach Westerners about "their inner selves". Eggington, however is not amused. "Marlo Morgan has taken away the right for Aboriginal people to tell their own story as she saturates the American market with a complete fabrication." "As Aboriginal people, we have the right to ownership of our heritage. We are the custodians of the oldest living culture in the most ancient land mass on the face of the Earth." The group of eight elders will arrive at LAX airport on January 26th. They will hold a media conference at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood Blvd on Tuesday, January 30th at 11:00am. For further information, please contact: In Australia: Robert Egginton, Perth's Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation Tel: 011 619 4514977 In the US Patricia Friedel, Tel: (415) 673-9102 Fax: (415) 788-1119 ----------------------------------------------------------- mktrecon@iinet.net.au Perth Australia http://www.iinet.net.au/~mktrecon/index.html ----------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TO THE 11 INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL ELDERS OF THE WORLD who have met together in 1992 1993 1995 at Manu Ariki Marae, Taumaranui, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and who are pledged to look after guide and teach the next seven generations of our youth how to survive and TO ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHERE YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE It is hoped by me as the 12th Spiritual Elder, of Australia, that each and every one of you will receive the information that I will be in America on 26.1.96 to 6.2.96. It is hoped by me that each and every one of you Spiritual Elders will be able to support in whatever way you can. It is to deal with our Indigenous Ancient Living Culture and how this woman, Marlo Morgan of America, a white woman, from Kansas City, is trying to destroy it through her book 'Mutant Message Downunder' and through her lecture tours over the United States, Europe and other parts of the World and now through having a film made. It is through the eruption of Marlo Morgan exploiting our Culture and our Blackfella Religion and our Sense of Belonging that our Elders and People Australia-wide have become deeply concerned with this issue. Marlo Morgan is becoming a rich woman overnight and telling lies about our Beliefs and Culture. Many Aboriginal people have read her book and have heard tapes of her speaking at lecture tours. She is being very racist saying Aboriginal people have made a decision to die out. Her lecturing makes fun of us the Aboriginal People and our Beliefs. It is not a laughing matter. All this has to be corrected by the Indigenous People of this Land. There have been meetings over the last year throughout the Central and Western Desert, South Australia, the Kimberleys, and the South West coordinated by Dumbartung. All are agreed in a united voice of concern that we must speak in America concerning Marlo Morgan's book. Not one individual or group knew or was aware of Marlo Morgan's claimed presence in their areas. It is also asked by me and my community of Nyungah people living on our Sacred Homegrounds on the Dreaming Track of the Sacred Belief of the Waugal Rainbow Serpent in the Swan Valley Western Australia, to the 11 Spiritual Elders and to Indigenous People where you are and who you are, can you support? We are asking for world indigenous support by telegram, letters, faxes, making statements, by contacting the Publishers of that book, Harper Collins to withdraw it, and the film people who have bought the rights, Uniter Artists to stop, and American T.V. radio, newspapers and Oprah Winfrey who put Marlo Morgan on air. We ask the First People, the Native Peoples of the Americas & the World to support strongly as their Ancestors and all the Ancestral People did supporting one another Togetherness is Strength Togetherness is Hope Robert Bropho, Nyungah Elder and Spokesperson, Swan Valley Western Australia --------- "RE: Tobacco Possession Ordinance" --------- Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 18:29:57 -0800 From: minkinak@anchor.engr.sgi.com (Lyn Dearborn) Subj: Tobacco possession ordinance--advice? Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) One thing not mentioned in Jim Postemas information article on Fargo's newly proposed anti-tobacco ordinance for minors.... While I'm all in favor of any community enforcing anti-smoking laws in the form of minors not being able to buy or sell or smoke cigarettes, it does stand the very good chance of being highly discriminatory against Native American youth ... since we seem to be "crippled" with the image of being one of the highest rates of smokers of any ethnic group in America. Maybe you could suggest they change the law to read cigarettes and cig. papers, and European-culture pipes. I've yet to hear of a "native" tobacco ceremony involving pipes of this nature. Many of us, however, do use "tobacco" -- as purchased in loose/bulk form, for "ceremonial" purposes, or for our own spiritual practices -- like leaving an offering when cutting wood for heating our homes, or leaving tobacco as an offering when we go out and cut willow, or dig roots for basketry. Since I detest the addictive characteristics of smoking, & the disgusting smell it leaves on everything & everyone, I had a really hard time leaving offerings of tobacco for anything -- since it seemed ridiculous to leave something I disliked so intensely as an offering for something so dear to me. I used to leave slow-release fertilizer in stead, which seemed much more logical to me -- especially in areas where the long drought years had taken their toll. But the elders convinced me, without too much effort that our tradition says you leave tobacco, that is what I should be doing. Also, as it was pointed out, Cigarettes contain noxious chemicals known to cause serious medical problems (salt peter being one of them -- also can cause impotence ...Ha!). Therefore, offering tobacco in loose form is an honorable tradition, & not the white man's poison. A couple of years ago the Mariposa Indian Counsel had their first PowWow and chose to call it the "Keeping Smoke Sacred" PowWow. I would strongly recommend that the Native community of Fargo work on such an emphasis including anti-smoking education to save their kids not only from police harassment, but also from the hideous problems that smoking causes.. My mother died 3 years ago Sunday from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) caused by smoking for 50 years. The plaque from the tobacco cut down on the oxygen to her brain which caused senility, and a loss of "balance", which made her pretty much an invalid. A couple of months before she died she admitted that if anyone had warned her that her ability to be able to sort out problems, come to conclusions, balance her checkbook, remember to take medication, remember her grandchildrens names, etc., she would never have smoked in the first place. But what distressed her even more was having paramedics come into her house and pick her up off the floor where she had fallen because of equilibrium problems (caused by smoking), and housekeepers having to help her with washing soiled garments because she couldn't get out of her bed. Its a tragic end -- much less advertised than the horrors of lung cancer, but one that young people need to be made aware of. Its ALMOST never too late -- your body will clean out the plaque up to a certain point... like as long as you are really active physically -- after that its just one deterioration after another... And for those angry anti-white sentiments -- why copy the european traditions that harm us the most, if you hate them so much. Declare your independence, get rid of your "addictions" today! (Yeah, o.k., I have my own addictions -- Pepsi ... but I'm working on it since it triggers tachycardia.) Niin sa, lyn ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+ "We did not weave the web of life. We | Lyn Dearborn are merely a strand in it. Whatever | Naturalist/Person we do to the web, we do to ourselves" | Native Basketry Instruction --"Walk gently on Mother Earth" -- | dearborn@anchor.engr.sgi.com ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+ --------- "RE: Non-recognized" --------- Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 22:57:52 -0600 From: nrhodes@mmc.mtmercy.edu (Nancy Rhodes) Subj: Non-recognized Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Donna Dean> I didn't see the blood quantum of 1/4 in the Indian Arts and Crafts Act as a criterion. Could you point out what section that is in, I would appreciate it. And I could have made my point out to be more clear. In the art community, there is much controversy as to what constitutes Indian Art. Is it the Art made by an indian artist and so could be any type of art work that relates the indian artist's experience and reality. Or is it the artwork that carries the stereotyped art promoted as Indian. And is the artwork of one non native who grew up close to Native communities and inspired by their experiences exploitation or seen as a true expression of their life's experience. A good article addressing this is in the winter issue of the magazine _Indian Artist_ (2nd or 3rd issue). But the point I wished to make was Indians need to be allowed the right to decide for themselves what constitutes being indian and not the people who are not. I don't want to have someone tell me what I should or shouldn't be like since I am indian. Especially if that individual is non native. Several indian artists working in totally contemporary mediums have had people say that indians don't do art work that way. Say what?! One lady was told indians don't throw their pots, they hand build them. She replied well this indian does. Indians have a history of adapting and accepting innovations when they make sense to include them. Look at the adoption of the glass beads to replace porcupine quills in the work. There are many examples we could look at but the point is made. Nancy Rhodes ÿÿÿ