Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews04.009 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 009 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 2 March 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 NativeLit-L, Chiapas-L, INNU-L, NATCHAT & NATIVE-L listservers; Native Forest Network; Newsgroups: alt.native, soc.culture.native; UUCP & Genie 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 "The true Indian sets no price upon either his property or his labor. His generosity is limited only by his strength and ability. He regards it as an honor to be selected for difficult or dangerous service and would think it shameful to ask for any reward, saying rather: "Let the person I serve express his thanks according to his own bringing up and his sense of honor." __ Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa), Santee Sioux +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 human beings, and all human beings are a mixed bag of learned and given traits. We owe much of who we are and how we walk to our ancestors. Their blood is ours. Their genetic remembrance is ours. These gifts most of us are grateful for, and it is a good thing because they are things we have no choice but to accept, and work to make better and stronger so the next generation will have much to give thanks for. We are also carrying around seeds of truth and lies we gather in our own walk. These we do have a choice about, and depending on what we accept and reject we are a better person for them - or worse. There are a lot of lies. There are a lot of lessons in greed and tricks to hurt others. Some of these are taught in schools. Some are taught in life. All will draw us away from who we are. Before a lesson is taken we should examine what it does to each of us as a human being. Remember well what some of the ways that are not traditional do to society and to individuals in it, and be careful what is kept to carry within. 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 - Mt. Hood/Another View - Conferences and Powwows - online - New Mexico Casino Update - Assault on the Rex - Wasichu's Continuing Gall - Abenaki Band Searches for Families - Fort Reno Update - Adopted Kids - Warm Springs Flood Damage - More Adopted Kids - Innu Review of Voisey Bay - Native Blood Quantum and Other Stuff - ALERT! Lubicon Lake - Zapatista Art Project - Tobacco Seed Bank - New Cherokee Table for Freeware Font - Poem: The Lost Warrior - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Day - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Mt. Hood/Another View" --------- Date: Sat Feb 24, 1996 at 09:51 EST From: Jim Casto (j.casto@genie.com) Subj: Mt. Hood/Another View Genie email I talked briefly with someone who is very familiar with Indian legal affairs about the article that appeared in the latest Wotanging Ikche Volume 4 Issue 8 about the Sun Dance grounds on Mt. Hood. It seems that there is another side to this story. The two vehicles are literally abandoned "junkers". The encampment official were asked to remove them. The article implies that requests by the Forest Service were always complied with in a timely manner. Apparently, in this case, the request to remove the vehicles was ignored. As for the sixteen "desecrating digs", I am still checking, but it would be HIGHLY unusual for the Forest Service to do any "desecrating" digging. They _will_ do site _survey_ digs, but the reports on those are generally public information and would not require someone to "threaten" invocation of the FOIA. BTW, these site surveys _are_ required by federal law to _protect_ areas, not to desecrate them. Any proposed development (including any proposal by this encampment to do something like dig another hole for an outhouse) requires these surveys. Personally, if I was a member of _any_ organization that was NOT familiar with the area, I would _want_ to know what was where. Normally, the Forest Service would only do the digging _with_ the consensus of the nearest tribe, in this case, the Tenino (aka Warm Springs) not necessarily those (who seem to be "outsiders") simply occupying the land. This is particularly important if _anything_ significant is found. It is Forest Service regulations. I found it disturbing that the article implied desecration when it states early in the article that the organization running the encampment doesn't KNOW what was found and that is why they are invoking the FOIA. Also, the digging was done in 1995. Just how quickly do they think these reports can be made available? Also, if the digging was done in the middle of the camp, didn't they _know_ what was or was not being found? The individual I spoke with also _implied_ (or at least that's how I interpreted the remarks) that since Devere Eastman turned over leadership in the organization in 1985 and died in 1987, the organization has gone downhill and isn't being run in the same manner as when he was alive. I find it interesting that this organization is apparently Lakota tradition in the area of the Tenino Indians (aka the Warm Springs, Tygh Band). The article is unclear as to who is leading this organization now. Lakota? The Tygh Band? Certainly the sundance is not traditional to any tribe in this area. I would really be interested in what the leaders of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs have to say about this. Perhaps they might say that the current organization _has_ violated the essence of proper stewardship of the land and that the Forest Service permit _should_ be revoked. It wouldn't be much for the Warm Springs to allow the encampment to move to the Warm Springs reservation if they wanted the encampment on their land. In fact, it is pretty difficult to find a spot in the Mount Hood National Forest within the boundaries of Wasco County and NOT be on the reservation anyway. I don't know the precise location of this encampment. JimC (who wishes he knew someone from the Warm Springs reservation and doesn't like _anyone_ messing up "THE" Mountain with junk vehicles) --------- "RE: New Mexico Casino Update" --------- Date: Sun Feb 18, 1996 at 22:51 EST From: David Flint (fw.david@genie.com) Subj: New Mexico Casino Update Genie email Since gaming on the reservations is a hot topic here right now, I was browsing and see some information on the past events here uptopic and thought some updates might be of interest. This information is based on news accounts, I'm not a gambler and the one time I went to one of these establishments was back when they offered Bingo rather than casino games. The smoke-filled atmosphere was more than I could deal with. This isn't a knock against them in particular. I avoid most any establishment with similar conditions. U.S. Attorney John Kelly had notified the tribes that if they didn't agree to cease the illegal portions of their gaming by Jan. 15, he would file an action to confiscate all the equipment used (primarily video slot-like machines.) The tribes filed a counter suit and continued threats by some to close roads that pass through reservations, possibly including I-25. In closed-door negotiations Kelly agreed to forgo filing against the casinos and most of the tribes agreed they would close the casinos within 15 days if the federal courts ruled the gaming was illegal, and that they would not block any highways. A district judge expects to hold hearings in July. Kelly expected that a forfeiture action would require about the same amount of time. The New Mexico Legislature just completed a 30 day session. Governor Gary Johnson had encouraged them to pass legislation allowing gaming for fraternal and charitable organizations (they lost this revenue raising methods with the court rulings), and to then ratify the compacts he had passed with the tribes. There was such heavy lobbying and differing opinions on the subject that at one point one session degenerated into pandemonium. Governor John announced that there would not be a special session called unless there was an overwhelming consensus on what is to be done, at some future date. That doesn't seem likely to happen. So class III gaming remains illegal, despite apparent public support for ratifying the compacts. It seems to be up to the federal courts. David Flint-Albuquerque,New Mexico. --------- "RE: Wasichu's Continuing Gall" --------- Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 16:02:05 -0500 From: Uwasa Wahya Subj: Wasichu's Continuing Gall Newsgroups: soc.culture.native,alt.native O'siyo... Indulge me, just a bit. Gall...impudence, effrontery, rudeness, cheek, boldness, discourtesy, insolence, impertinence...enough, you get the drift. "There was war between the buffalo and the white man. The white man built forts in the Kiowa country, and the woolly-headed buffalo soldiers [the Ninth and Tenth Calvaries, made up of black troops] shot the buffalo as fast as they could, but the buffalo kept coming on, coming on, even into the post cemetery at Fort Sill. Soldiers were not enough to hold them back. "Then the white men hired hunters to do nothing but kill the buffalo. Up and down the plains those men ranged, shooting sometimes as many as a hundred buffalo a day. Behind them came the skinners and with their wagons. They piled the hides and bones into the wagons until they were full, and then took their loads to the new railroad stations that were being built, to be shipped east to the market. Sometime there would be a pile of bone as high as a man, stretching a mile along the railroad track. "The buffalo saw that their day was over..." Old Lady Horse, Kiowa This is old news to most and is not dredged up now by me so as to "beat a dead horse." What prompts the reiteration is discovery today of Wasichu's latest political prompt marinated in gall...the "United States Buffalo Nickel Act of 1995," proposed in the Senate of the United States on May 15, 1995. If you'd like a copy, just say so... First we had the February 6, 1995 House of Representatives ridiculous proposal to establish a Wounded Knee National Tribal Park so as to allow a shallow atonement for "those who were so tragically slain at Wounded Knee which could inform the American public of the historic significance of the events at Wounded Knee and accurately portray the heroic and courageous campaign waged by the Sioux people to preserve and protect their lands and their way of life during this period..." That no thought of rescinding the twenty medals of dis-Honor awarded the valiant massacring boys in blue has occurred to any in the Colonizing Force is an oversight of no consequence to Wasichu. If you need a frame of reference here, go to the Wounded Knee Home Page at . And, now, we have the dear old Buffalo Nickel Act concocted to commemorate "Native American history and culture." This is awesome! Unbelievable! Beyond belief! "...The whites saw what was happening...In destroying the buffalo herds, the hide hunters were wiping out the Indian's food supply. To avoid starvation, the bands would have to go onto the reservations and accept government-issued rations. The government and the army gave encouragement to the hide hunters. "They have done...more to settle the vexed Indian question than the entire regular ,' General Sheridan told a joint session of the Texas legislature. 'They are destroying the Indian's commissary...For the sake of a lasting peace, let them kill, skin and sell until the buffaloes are exterminated.'" 500 Nations, An Illustrated History 1,000,000 5-cent coins, 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper..."depicting on the obverse side a profile of a Native American, and on the reverse side a buffalo." And the proceeds? Wherefore to go? To be turned-over to the First Nations as compensation for the $434.5 million slashed from the 1996 Bureau of Indian Affairs budget? Oh, no... Rather the proceeds will go to the National Park Service Maintenance and Upkeep Fund. And, the proceeds "shall not be considered a basis for offset of appropriations which would otherwise be made to the National Park Service." How about that for having your cake and eating it too? And some more old news: "...Native Americans must sacrifice like other Americans." "The Indians are taking it in the neck." "To give more to the BIA would bluntly, have required us to give less to the national parks and cultural institutions which are our national heritage for everyone." ..."a third of the country's 2 million Native Americans live below the poverty line. On the reservations, where per capita incomes averages $4,500. half of all children under age six live below the line; 1 out of every 5 Indian homes lacks both a telephone and an indoor toilet." "...the government spends $2,600 a year for the average American's health, but the average for Indians is only $1,300." "With only 1,500 units for the reservation's [Pine Ridge] 26,000 people, tribal officials estimate that an average of 17 people are crammed into each dwelling." "1,800 families have been officially designated as 'in need of housing.' Yet the only money available for building is $285,000 derived from federal Tribal Priority Allocation accounts, which probably will not even stretch to cover this year's 700 requests for weatherproofing." When will it end? -- Nvwhtohiyada... First Nations/First People Issues http://www.pobox.com/~jsd/firstnations.html http://www.pobox.com/~jsd (Sites are enhanced for viewing with Netscape 2.0.) --------- "RE: Fort Reno Update" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 23:56:48 -0500 From: DAKKASWAN@aol.com Subj: Fort Reno (the short version) UUCP email Haleto Moma, Okay gang, here we go again! We are going to send mail to the white house again on Ft. Reno. I ask that everyone send the mail on March 1, 1996. I contacted the Cheyenne-Arapaho email address, and let them know about us, and that we are supporting them. I received an answer from a gentleman named Joseph Thompson, who informed me that the tribes are not on line, but for the time being he is handling email for them. He has become friends with Alton and Frank Harrison. Frank is the man who wrote the letter to the president that was forwarded to us in the original. Joseph sent me a shortened version of the original, and I give it to you here. He asked that we send cc's to him of all the letters we write on Ft. Reno. So, please do that for him! I hope that each and everyone of you will be emailing letters on March 1. Joseph also told me that the unemployment rate for the reservation there is 70%. That is really awful, so lets really push on this one. I plan to send at least 3 or 4 emails that day! Please title each one you send "Ft. Reno." Thanks Gang! And lets keep up the good work! Peace, Mary --------------------- Forwarded message: From: cheyarap@mind.net (Joseph Thompson) To: DAKKASWAN@aol.com Date: 96-02-21 21:23:43 EST Dear Friends of the Native American Community, The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma seek your support on an issue which is now of critical importance to our people. We are seeking the return of tribal lands which were taken by the United States government in 1883 through an Executive order from President Ulysses S. Grant. These lands were originally taken for the purpose of building a military fort for the protection of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people. In 1908, the War Department declared the lands surplus. It is our contention that the lands should have reverted back to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes at that time. Over the past 67 years, we have exhausted all of the judicial and legislative remedies available, to no avail. We now seek the return of our land through an Executive order from the President of the United States. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma need you to voice your support at this critical juncture by e-mailing the following message to the White House: Copy and Paste the Following --------------------------------------------------------------- The Honorable William J. Clinton The President of the United States The White House 1600 PennsylvAnia Avenue, NW Washington D. C. 20500 Dear Mr. President, I strongly support the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma in their efforts to regain possession of the Fort Reno lands through an Executive order. Sincerely, (Place your name here) ---------------------------------------------------------------- End Copy and Paste HOW TO REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT To e-mail this letter of support to the President, please follow these steps: 1.) Type your name into the space provided in the above letter of support. 2.) "Copy" and "paste" this letter of support into your e-mail program as a "new message" (Please copy only the material between the dotted lines above. ) 3.) Add any additional words of support or leave as is. 4.) Write in the subject "Return Fort Reno" 5.) Write in the President's e-mail address which is: president@whitehouse.gov 6.) Please include the following e-mail address as a "Cc". This will help us gauge the volume of support letters going to the White House. cheyarap@mind.net 7.) "Send" the message to the President. My Friends, We have an opportunity today, to test the power of the internet as a tool for focusing the "Voice of the People". We have an opportunity to directly shape the human rights policy of our nation through democratic action. Please help us in our appeal to the heart and conscience of our President. If you would like more background information on the Cheyenne Arapaho/Fort Reno Petition, visit the "First Nations/First People Issues" Website at: http://www.sover.net/~jsd/firstnations.html Joseph Thompson(thompson@mind.net) --------- "RE: Warm Springs Flood Damage" --------- Date: Sat Feb 24, 1996 at 09:51 EST From: Jim Casto (j.casto@genie.com) Subj: Warm Springs Flood Damage Genie email BIG article (with colored photo and map) about the flood damage on the Warm Springs Reservation. Total estimates so far: $14.3 million. The Village (with the hot springs, baths, etc.) at the Kah-Nee-Ta Resort was hit hard and the resort was closed for about two weeks. The 18 hole golf course is a 14 hole golf course for awhile. There was no damage to the Lodge, RV and teepee (sic) areas. The total at the Resort was $10 million (of the $14.3 million). The other $4.3 million was to roads, bridges, lumber mill, homes, etc. The largest portion of that was $500 thousand in damage to the lumber mill. There was only $6,892 damage to the Museum (parking area and pumps). $72,150 damage to seven homes. So the major damage was to businesses, not personal property. The tribe is very upbeat. Just to give you an idea of the general attitude (and why I say that if we hear little or nothing about the Oregon Indians it is NOT a "racial thing"), I'm going to quote from the article: "People are optimistic and pulling together really good here," said Bobby Brunoe, a tribal official designated as public spokesman on the flooding. "The entire community has responded real well, and so did Central Oregon, too. We've had a lot of help offered." As for the damage to the resort, insurance apparently will cover most of it with federal assistance expected to help cover the rest. In the meantime (with damage to the main hot pools at the Village), the big pool at the lodge has been cranked up to 96 degrees. The casino is operating, but on shorter hours until all the road repairs are complete. Thousands of dollars in business were lost but there were several conferences booked to lessen the blow to the local economy. Another quote from the article: "We have much to be thankful for," Brunoe said. "No one here was hurt or killed." Information in the above post came from an article in "The Oregonian" (Portland, Oregon) for February 23, 1996. JimC --------- "RE: Innu Review of Voisey Bay Infrastructure" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 21:35:19 -0400 From: Larry Innes Subj: Innu Nation Review of Voisey's Bay Infrastructure Mailing List: Innu People Forum list FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19 February 1996 INNU NATION REVIEW OF INFRASTRUCTURE REJECTS PIECEMEAL APPROACH SINGLE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF VOISEY'S BAY PROJECT REQUIRED SHESHATSHIU - The Innu Nation's review of the "Advanced Exploration Infrastructure" registered by the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company under the Newfoundland Environmental Assessment Act clearly identifies the need for a single, comprehensive environmental review of the entire Voisey's Bay Project. In comments filed on Friday with the federal and provincial Ministers of the Environment and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Innu Nation rejected the piecemeal approach being pursued by the company and called for a temporary moratorium on further mineral development until Innu and Inuit land rights are resolved and a full environmental review of the Project is complete. In their submission, the Innu Nation argued that the company has misrepresented the purpose of the proposed road, dock and airstrip. "These things are not required for "advanced exploration" at all", stated Daniel Ashini, Director of Innu Rights and Environment. "The company knows that they have a mine. They know how much ore is in the ovoid, and they know how they are going to mine it, at least for the first 12 years. Nobody needs any further proof that there is a mine there. What needs to happen now is a freeze on further development of the site until our land rights are settled. During that time, there needs to be a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment of the Project so that we can start to assess the impacts of not only the infrastructure, but the mine, mill and tailings disposal options before they start to put in roads that they might have to rip up and redo later." "The pace of this project is being determined by the company", continued Ashini, "and it is moving too fast for the people who it is affecting most. We don't believe that the company has enough baseline data or has a clear enough picture of how the whole project will proceed to ensure that fish and wildlife will not be negatively affected by the proposed infrastructure. In fact, we believe that the proposed road and airstrip will result in significant harm to fish and fish habitat, and because of this, we argue that this proposal should trigger the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act." "It is clear to us that the proposed infrastructure was designed to get the mine off the ground as soon as possible with as little interference from government as possible. For instance, their proposed airstrip is shorter than what they will need for the mine, but because of the impacts that the larger airstrip will have on fish habitat, they made it a bit smaller in an attempt to avoid triggering the federal process. We reject this approach, and we call on the Ministers to do the same." "Government has a clear responsibility here. It cannot just sit on its hands and let the company decide what is going to be assessed and how it is going to proceed. For our part, the Innu Nation is prepared through the courts or by other means to make sure that the proposed infrastructure is properly assessed as part of a single project." Larry Innes Visit the Innu Nation WWW site: Environmental Advisor http://www.web.apc.org/~innu Innu Nation P.O. Box 119, Sheshatshiu, Labrador, Canada A0P 1M0 phone: (709) 497-8398 es051322@orion.yorku.ca fax: (709) 497-8396 --------- "RE: ALERT! Lubicon Lake" --------- Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 07:33:44 -0800 (PST) From: Native Forest Network-ENA Subj: ALERT! Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Newsgroups: alt.native From: Native Forest Network-ENA "I hope people will understand we're trying to survive from day to day and need all the help we can get from the general public. It's a battle against time. We realize that and the other side knows that." - Bernard Ominiyak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Chief GRAction #1/96 Cultural and Environmental Destruction / Canada February 29, 1996 Global Response Quick ResponseNetwork members are asked to write letters to help stop the destruction of an indigenous culture and the exploitation of its natural resources by multinational corporations. For more than 60 years the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation has been struggling for official recognition of its aboriginal land rights in northern Alberta, Canada. Because of the remoteness of their lands the Lubicon never signed away or lost their lands in war and were able, until 1979, to peacefully pursue their traditional hunting and trapping way of life. In 1979 an all-weather road was built into Lubicon territory. Massive oil and gas reserves had been discovered in the area and, armed with provincial government leases, major oil companies moved onto Lubicon homelands, drilling more than 400 oil-wells within a fifteen-mile radius of the Lubicon community. Industrial development devastated Lubicon society and its subsistence economy. Moose, the staple of the Lubicon's diet, fled the area, along with most of the smaller animals which formed the basis of the trapping trade. Alcoholism, birth defects, suicides, a tuberculosis epidemic and other medical problems have since been experienced by the Lubicon. Meanwhile the gas and oil companies realized more than $8 billion in revenues from their operations on Lubicon land. The Lubicon have received no royalties from the oil and gas operations. Daishowa, a Japanese-based multinational paper manufacturer was granted leases in 1989 to clear-cut almost the entire traditional Lubicon territory. Despite objections from the Lubicon, Daishowa and its subsidiaries began logging operations in 1990. In 1991 Lubicon supporters began a nationwide consumer boycott of businesses carrying Daishowa paper products. Daishowa responded with legal action, seeking and obtaining an injunction to stop the boycott. Daishowa remains poised to begin clear-cutting the rich stands of easily accessible hardwoods on Lubicon lands. In yet another challenge to the Lubicon and their environment, Unocal, a United States-based oil and gas corporation, has built a sour gas processing plant within three miles of a proposed Lubicon reserve. The sour gas plant processes hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, chemicals associated with cancer and respiratory and skin disease. The Lubicon have asked that Unocal relocate its plant away from the reserve. Unocal has refused and the plant continues to operate directly upwind of the reserve site. Requested Action - letters/phone/fax to: {} Jean Chretien / Canadian Prime Minister -Remind Mr. Chretien that, while $8 billion in oil and gas revenues have been extracted from Lubicon lands, the Lubicon live in poverty; -Express concern that since the arrival of industrial development on their lands the Lubicon's traditional way of life has been plagued with alcoholism, suicides, still-births, birth defects and tuberculosis; -Demand that the Canadian government negotiate fairly with the Lubicon Nation to ensure that its legitimate land rights are guaranteed; and, -Stress that, until the Lubicon have achieved a fair settlement of their land rights, multinational companies such as Unocal and Daishowa must immediately cease their exploitation of the Lubicon's natural resources. Background: * Canadian Courts and the Lubicon: Public pressure resulting from the consumer boycott has forced Daishowa to cancel its planned logging on Lubicon lands since 1991. Daishowa claims that the boycott has cost it $5 million (Canadian dollars.) Early in 1996 a Canadian court ruled that the boycott, because it was "causing economic harm" to the corporation, was illegal. Lubicon supporters are now forbidden to peacefully picket stores that carry Daishowa products. In prior decisions Canadian courts have dismissed suits by the Lubicon that challenged the right of the Province of Alberta and the Canadian government to offer oil, gas, and timber leases on Lubicon homelands. Economic destruction of the Lubicon: The Lubicon report that before 1979 the moose harvest averaged 200 per year. The current harvest is less than 20 per year. During the same time period the annual income per trapper from trapping has dropped from $5,000 to under $400. Canada's Supreme Court has ruled that aboriginal rights are based on a people's ability to pursue their traditional livelihoods. Given that the oil, gas, and timber industries are encouraged to invade and develop on Lubicon lands, the Lubicon feel that both the Alberta and Ottawa governments are intentionally driving the Lubicon to become dependent on welfare. Addresses: Global Response Quick Response Network members are asked to send faxes/letters to the Prime Minister of Canada. Please send a copy of your letter to the Global Response office. We have been asked to forward copies of your letters to the Lubicon Nation and to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. We have also been asked to provide you with addresses for the Canadian offices of both Daishowa and Unocal. Please send copies of your letters to the Daishowa and Unocal official whose addresses are listed below. A one-page airmail letter from the United States to Canada costs 46 cents. Jean Chretien Prime Minister of Canada Langevin Block 80 Wellington St. 2nd Floor Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 CANADA Fax: 613 957-5556 (Dear Prime Minister) copies to: copies to: Tom Cochran Fritz Perschon Jr. Director/Corporate Development President Daishowa Forest Products Ltd. Unocal Canada Ltd. 161 Bay St Suite 2110 150 6th Ave SW Box 999 Toronto, ON M5J 2S1 Calgary, AB T2P 2K6 CANADA CANADA Fax: 416 862-7514 Fax: 403 268-0153 This Global Response Action was issued in support of and with information provided by Lubicon Lake Indian Nation, 3536 106 St. Edmonton AB T6J 1A4, Canada and The Friends of the Lubicon, 485 Ridelle Ave, Toronto ON, M6B 1K6, Canada Thank you for you prompt attention to this action. We have no e-mail addresses for these official. ------------------------------------------------------------ Information transferred via: NATIVE FOREST NETWORK Eastern North American Resource Center POB 57 Burlington, VT 05402 USA (802)863-0571 (802)863-2532 Fax email: nfnena@igc.apc.org --------- "RE: Zapatista Art Project" --------- From: "Julia Sanchez" Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 00:36:06 +0000 Subj: Zapatista Art Project Mailing List: Chiapas-L (chiapas-l@profmexis.dgsca.unam.mx) PLEASE FORWARD WHEREVER APPROPRIATE! THANKS! 1 January 1996 Dear Friends, As we pass into the New Year, many North Americans are also entering a third year of support work for the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) and the indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico. Due to the success of The Bank Job Poster Project with the Vermont Coalition of the 50 Years Is Enough Campaign, a new collective of artists and activists are embarking on a project in support of the struggles in Chiapas and around the world. Enclosed you will find a call to artists (in English and Spanish) for this new project, "Resistant Strains/Cepas Resistentes." Phase I of the project is a poster series due for release on Cinco de Mayo, 1996. It is described more fully in the artists call. Phase II will be a high-quality tabloid (roughly 70% visual, 30% textual) incorporating artistic thought on resistance struggles throughout the world. This piece will be distributed prior to the November elections, and is intended in part as an antidote to that model of political participation. The tabloid is likely to include work on the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the battle against Shell Oil, human rights violations at the Freeport/McMoran gold mine in Indonesia, activism against the Sardar Sarovar Dam in India, union organizing against NAFTA and GATT in the United States and social unrest in France. We hope you will pass on the enclosed information to artists and designers in your networks. We are particularly interested in speaking to persons with expertise or contacts for fundraising. If you would like more information, feel free to contact us: David Thorne Box 153b Glover, VT 05839 USA (802) 525-8853 e-mail: baseline@igc.apc.org Sincerely, Cheryl Brown cmbrown@igc.apc.org Graciela Monteagudo Christopher Myott wb50years@igc.apc.org David Thorne baseline@igc.apc.org Karen Topper vters4nica@igc.apc.org Resistant Strains / Cepas Resistentes January 1, 1996 Call to artists: Zapatista Poster Series January 1, 1996 marks the second anniversary of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico and the start of a third visible year of EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) resistance. A small group of artists and activists working with Vermont Chiapas Action Network and the Vermont Coalition of 50 Years Is Enough is coordinating a year-long project called "Resistant Strains," the first phase of which is a series of 10 posters focusing on the Zapatista response to ongoing economic oppression, political exclusion, and genocide in Mexico. We would like you to submit a design proposal for this poster series by February 16, 1996. The intent of the posters is to provide an aggressive and informative visual expression of solidarity with the Zapatistas in the context of a mainstream media wash of the Mexican dictatorships' continued occupation of Chiapas, and of the U.S. government, corporate, and institutional underwriting that helps make this occupation possible. The posters will examine the implications and inspirations of the Zapatista rebellion, and stress the necessity of such resistances in light of economic globalization, conservative political climates, and bogus notions of democratic participation. We will select 10 poster designs from the proposal submissions and oversee production, printing, and distribution in time for Cinco de Mayo, 1996. Posters will be distributed through activist organizations, community groups, and independent bookstores and galleries, and are intended to be used for activism, education, postering, and exhibition. Artists will receive $100 if their proposal is selected for production, as well as 30 copies of their poster and 3 of the complete sets of 10. Guidelines for Submissions Non-"English-Only" works are encouraged. Collaborative works are also encouraged, particularly collaborations between artists and community or activist groups organizing around the EZLN, U.S. policy in Mexico, migrant workers, NAFTA, and other relevant issues. Proposals should include a clearly written description of visual and textual elements, a short statement on what the piece is about, a scale or actual size mock-up (drawing, B&W laser print, etc.), and contact information. If you send any items you need returned, please enclose a SASE. Proposals should be sent to: David Thorne, Box 153b, Glover, VT 05839. (802-525-8853; call to arrange fax or modem transmission) THE DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 16, 1996. Some Things to Keep in Mind The posters will be printed in two colors (black and PMS color, or two PMS colors) on an uncoated 19x25 inch press sheet. Final trim size is 18x24 inches. Please note that we will use two inches across the bottom of each poster for purposes of text translations and incorporation of project information identifying each poster as part of the set. The actual live area is 18x22 inches. Artwork can bleed on all sides. Central Themes Works should address any of the following issues: - U.S. role in funding, arming, training of Mexican military. - Human rights issues in the occupied zones and beyond; parallels with violence occurring to U.S. communities (genocide, racist violence, hired guns [guardia blanca, cops, etc.]). - Legacies of indigenous resistance to U.S. imperialism, in Mexico and the U.S. - Women in the Zapatista movement. - Relevance of the Zapatista rejection of neo-liberal economic policies (NAFTA, GATT, structural adjustment) to ruling class concerns about the peso crisis (threat of domino effect, immigrant "invasions," etc.), and to the current economic restructuring in U.S. ("Contract on America"). - Role of institutional (World Bank, IMF, USAID) and corporate (oil, agribusiness) interests in Mexican politics and in the Chiapas region; environmental destruction in the Lacandon rainforest. - Characteristics of democracy and dictatorship. - Zapatista politics and strategies (non-vanguardism, anti-statism, use of the consulta, formation of the Zapatista Front of National Liberation, etc.); successes and failures in the context of political and media systems which assert the irrelevance of resistance. (Note: this is not intended as an exhaustive list of topics but as an indication of some of the things we've been talking about in formulating this project. Any and all proposals are welcome.) We believe it is important to continue to support the EZLN and the struggle for democracy, liberty, and justice in Mexico, and to draw inspiration from the Zapatistas for similar struggles elsewhere, particularly in the U.S., where political participation is diluted into electoral submission. This poster series will link the Zapatista uprising to other lines of resistance which actively refuse present conditions of democracy and seek to expand the possibilities for meaningful political action. If you have questions or would like more information, please call David at the number above. We look forward to hearing from you. --------- "RE: Tobacco Seed Bank" --------- Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 19:47:11 -0700 (MST) From: joseph c winter Subj: Tobacco Seed Bank UUCP email Gary: I subscribe to AISENET, so I just received your most recent newsletter. Then I pulled up NativeWeb, and found the earlier one, with the announcement of the tobacco seed bank. Thanks to this announcement and others like it, we are receiving almost daily requests, and have added on a tobacco education program, aimed at Native American youth who use (or may want to use) commercial tobacco products. The intent is to help them stop, and prevent others from starting, by teaching them the real story about tobacco, how it was created by and for Native Americans, how it was stolen and is now being sold back in a poisoned form, how it can be used carefully in traditional contexts, and so on. The overall program is now called the Traditional Native American Tobacco Seed Bank and Education Program, which you might already know, if we sent you the info with your seeds. Anything you can do to get the word out about our seed bank and tobacco education programs would be appreciated. So far we have two education sessions scheduled - a week long series of classroom presentations at the Tyendinaga Mohawk Reserve in Ontario, in March, and a week-long tobacco "camp" among the Yurok and Karok on the Klamath River in northern California, in July. The latter will include the participation of tribal elders, local biology teachers, students, and anyone else who is interested, and will focus on finding and recognizing wild tobacco, stories about it, appropriate ceremonies using it, education about avoiding the abuse of it (and of commercial tobacco), and so on. --------- "RE: New Cherokee Table for Freeware Font" --------- Date: 19 Feb 1996 04:17:03 GMT From: jolo@ece.cmu.edu Subj: New Cherokee Table for Freeware Font Newsgroup: soc.culture.native Osiyo friends! I would like to announce an incremental update to my Cherokee Freeware Font, v1.03, and a new web page designed to help people get more acquainted with the font and the syllabary. Version 1.03 fixes a width problem with the character "we" and returns it to the greater than key (>) where it belongs. This problem only affected the Adobe Type 1 version of the font, so if you are using the TrueType version, there's no need for you to download the update. You can access the font at: http://joyce.eng.yale.edu/~jolo/Cherokee.html Note the capitalization of "Cherokee.html". Or, ftp to joyce.eng.yale.edu, and look in the /pub/Cherokee directory. Full download instructions are available on the web page. Also, I have set up a brand new web page which contains the Cherokee syllabary in tabular format, along with their associated keys in my font. This is great for printing out and keeping by your computer as a quick reference sheet. It also contains a pronunciation guide, for those new to the language. Point WebExplorer, Mosaic, Lynx, Netscape, or other web browser to: http://joyce.eng.yale.edu/~jolo/CherTabl.html Note the capitalization of "CherTabl.html". I hope that this helps out those of you out there who continue to download and use my font. Thank you all for your kind emails and continued support. Once again, if someone could copy this posting to NATCHAT, I'd greatly appreciate it (since I do not have access to it at this time.) Wado, Joseph LoCicero --- - Joseph LoCicero, IV | Grey is not the color I expected - - jolo@ece.cmu.edu | On someone who's so often touched by grace - - Think smarter, not harder | The eyes that hold the promise of perfection - - Team OS/2 Use Warp! | Will find the flaw that no one can erase... - --------- "RE: Poem: The Lost Warrior" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 19:09:21 -0700 From: pduran@wsu.edu (Phil Duran 509/335-0445) Subj: The Lost Warrior UUCP email Dear sisters and brothers: The Lost Warrior (c)1996 by Phil Duran [Permission granted for redistribution in Wotanging Ikche/Kanoheda Aniyvwiya. Wado Phil! gary] in the warmth of home they called him "Pito" short for Felipito, the affectionate form of Felipe, the name of a colonizer for his Indian name was lost after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 he was conceived in the womb of a loving mother in his ancestral land but poverty drove them away and he was born on the day of arrival after a hard three-day journey in another land still far from Mom's father who died without her presence and in that strange land on the first day of public school his name was changed to English by English-speaking schools where other languages were forbidden and in that strange land urbanized dark-skinned people like him could use the public swimming pools only on Wednesdays when the dirty water was drained and clean water filled the pool again for use by whites but one day the family returned to the land of the ancestors where he learned white man's ways well but was ashamed of his dark skin as he was taught that all of America's heros were white and he played "cowboys and Indians" never wanting to be the Indian then fifty years later a Tribal cousin finds him and says her father was a full-blood but didn't tell his daughters for it was hard to be Indian in those days when they were growing up she says "come home, Primo/cousin" your mother should be enrolled for you are Indians like us and I am now learning our language so he studies day and night to learn everything he can about the ugly and neglected side of American history and is traumatized, sometimes wanting to die because of the lies in the first chapter of his life he now tries to re-write the other chapters but oh how hard to fit new knowledge into old paradigms to forgive the many betrayals to hear the voices in Indian Country: "you're not Indian" and now be judged by his own kin after being excluded by others all his life despite many college degrees yes, there is still pain on both sides of the frontier a frontier that never vanished, the pain of exclusion and the pain of inclusion, both are right and both are wrong, but oh what a feeling to hear healing voices to be accepted for who he is: a warrior once lost, finally coming home after finding the path again he wants to be a good warrior as his spirit endures and is fighting hard, real hard and is praying hard, real hard for the rights of all his relatives he wants to sing his last song some day, among his people as he follows the Great Spirit all the way to the end of a hard journey in the cycle of life to "that place that Indians talk about" will he succeed? --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/02/23 23:05 From: Debra F. Sanders (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days Genie email A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of March 3-9 MALAKI (March) (Nana) 3 Imitate nature in your art. 4 Give one blessing for every two you receive. 5 Never refuse a gift of the land. 6 Heed well the voice of your heart. 7 Give to the land more than you take. 8 The song of the sea is neverending. 9 On any great journey, be guided by the stars, na hoku. (c) Copyright 1991 by D. F. Sanders Me ke aloha i ka nani, ... Moe'uhanekeanuenue (With love and beauty, ... Rainbow Dream) --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - offline" --------- Date: Thu, 29 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 Genie email From: desouza@wg53.eglin.af.mil Eglin Air Force Base has allowed our organization, the Thunderbird Intertribal Council, to organize and host a Pow Wow for the past 8 years. This year will be our ninth year of sharing Native culture with the community. Our Pow Wow is only a moderate size, and we like it that way for several reasons. #1, our Pow Wow is called Thunderbird Traditional Pow Wow. I emphasize "traditional." We do not charge admission to celebrate Native American ways. We do not even charge our dancers a registration fee to dance. In fact, we pay them from a draw pot that we have from the fund-raising we have worked at all year. We are not about making money or making a name for our Pow Wow. My purpose in advertising on the net is to get the word out into the Southeastern U.S. that the Pow Wow at Eglin welcomes those people who want to come celebrate our ways with drumming, singing, and dance! We want to attract those people who want to experience the healing medicine of the heart-beat of the drum, who want to make life-long friends, who care about keeping traditions alive for future generations. We have plenty of vendors who are interested from all over, but I am hoping to connect with the real "grass-roots" people in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, etc., who are not familiar with the Pow Wow here. The following information is what I would like to have posted: Thunderbird Traditional Pow Wow October 25-27, 1996 Children's Day Activities, 24-25 October Eglin Air Force Base Florida Host Drum: Blazing Saddles from Duluth MN M.C.: Chiefie Roy from Cherokee NC Traders by invitation only. (Limited to 40 vendors) For more information, call Glenn Farmer at 904-678-7714 or Debra DeSouza at 904-654-1535. Or write: Thunderbird Intertribal Council P.O. Box 1387 Eglin Air Force Base, FL 32542 Come help us keep our traditions alive! All are welcome. No admission charge. No drugs or alcohol. ------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jean_Kelley@nps.gov (Jean Kelley) Subj: NAGPRA Course-- Washington, DC The University of Nevada offers a program of continuing education short courses in cultural resource management. This program is conducted in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Park Service. Coming up this spring: NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION ACT: IMPLICATIONS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION. One graduate credit is available. Dates: April 14 - 16, 1996 New Orleans, Louisiana May 2 - 4, 1996 Minneapolis, Minnesota Time: 9am - 4:30 pm 9am - noon on the last day From the brochure: The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) statute has brought to light the long-burning question of ownership of Native American human remains and cultural items. The impact of the law reaches federal and land managers, tribal and museum officials, as well as any agency that holds a collection and receives federal funds. The time limits imposed for compliance with summary lists and inventory deadlines create an immediate need for working knowledge of the law. There are numerous issues and questions being raised as to how to apply the law, what items are covered, and the process of compliance. This course is designed to help those affected by the law to comply in a timely and meaningful manner. The instructors will discuss practical methods of compiling summaries and inventories and communicating with claimants. They will also discuss the regulations and the decisions of the NAGPRA Review Committee and look at the future ramifications of decisions and any court actions. The course will consist of lectures, case studies, and participant involvement in discussions. Instructors: The Honorable Sherry Hutt Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, AZ former US Attorney prosecuting ARPA cases co-author of Archaeological Resource Protection (1992) C. Timothy McKeown NAGPRA Program Leader National Park Service Cost: $375 Please call The University of Nevada, Reno Dept. of Continuing Education at (800) 233-8928 to register or for further information. ----------------------------------------------------- From: stz@garlic.com (Steven T. Zwaska) Subject: 12th Annual American Indian & World Cultures Festival San Juan Intertribal American Indian Council is pleased to announce: 12th Annual American Indian & World Cultures Festival Historic Mission San Juan Bautista - San Juan Bautista, California May 4 & 5, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Mission Lot on Second Street (See our WEB page at http://www.garlic.com/~stz/native2.htm) Call for Vendors: North & South American Indian, Western, Wildlife, Americana, & Global Cultures Artists, Authors, Dance, Groups, Singers, Story Tellers and Special Guests, Ethnic Fashions and Foods. HONORED GUEST: Medicine Song Woman, Bernice Torrez. FOR KID'S SAKE: Bluebird's Children Handprint Teepee Dance. FOR FAMILY: Xipe Totec Aztec Dancer's Cinco De Mayo Honoring & World Peace Friendship Dance. Admission $3- Kids under 12 free. Advance Tickets - Seniors - Group Rates are $2.00 each and may be purchased through May 1 @ Reyna's Free Parking. No alcohol or drugs allowed on premises. Sponsors & Volunteers: Please contact Sonne Reyna at Reyna's Gallerias 311 Third Street, P.O. Box 1388 San Juan Bautista, CA 95045 (408) 623-2379 Co-Sponsor: San Juan American Indian Council & One Earth One People Peace Vision Foundation ---------------------------------------------------------- Subj: Pow-Wows upcoming From: john.farrington@psl-online.com (John Farrington) Support your people! Here are some upcoming Texas & Louisiana pow-wows for your calendar: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb. 24, 1996: American Indian Veterans Society Benefit Pow-Wow Kidd Springs Recreation Center 711 Canty, Dallas, TX From Houston take Interstate 45 north, exit to Hwy 287 just south of Dallas, take 287 west to Interstate 35E, then 35E north to Dallas exit 12, then turn left under 35E & go to Tyler St, then right on Tyler 3 blocks across Davis St., turn right on Canty. The complex is on the left. Head Singer: Roland Tsatoke (Huntinghorse), Kiowa Gourd dancing 6 - 8:30 PM, processional at 8:30 PM, Inter-tribal dancing at 9 PM. Please bring your own chairs. For info call Frank Tongkeamha, 214-333-3908 POB 4387, Dallas, TX 75208. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Feb. 24, 1996: Texas Kiowa Tia-Piah Society Benefit Pow-Wow, at the Crowley High School gym, 705 W. Main, Crowley, TX (about 10 miles south of Ft. Worth). Head Singer: George Tahbone, Sr. Gourd dancing 2:30 - 5 PM, 6:30 - 8 PM. War dancing 8 - 11 PM. For info call Cliff Queton 817-297-3438, or Hilton Queton 817-263-6131, or George Tahbone 405-347-2115. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mar. 2, 1996: Alabama-Coushatta Benefit Pow-Wow, at the Indian Village Gym on the A/C Reservation. Go 90 miles north of Houston TX on Hwy 59 to Livingston, then 16 miles east on Hwy 190. Head Singer: Obrey Alec, Alabama-Coushatta. Pot-luck supper at 5:30 PM. Gourd dancing at 6:30 PM, Grand Entry at 7:45 PM. For info call Sharon Miller or Bryan Williams at 409-563-4391. Next benefit Pow-Wows: April 6, May 4, May 18 (mini). 28th Annual Pow-Wow May 31 & June 1 1996. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mar. 2, 1996: Benefit Pow-Wow for the Dallas Indian United Methodist Church, at the Elmwood United Methodist Church gym, 1315 Berkeley Ave., Dallas, TX. Head Singer: Johnny Lee Kimble. For info call Eve Williams at 214-262-1651, or Lance Carney at 214-262-3292. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mar. 9, 1996: Intertribal Council Of Houston Pow-Wow at Saint Mary's Seminary 9845 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX (West side of town, outside of Loop 610.) Host Drum: White Wind. Drums welcomed. Please bring a covered dish to the pot luck supper at 5 PM. Gourd dancing begins at 6:30 PM, Grand Entry at 8 PM. For info call 713-920-1251 (please do not call St. Mary's). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mar. 16, 1996: Texas Gulf Coast Tia-Piah Benefit Dance at St. Pius V Catholic Church Gym 824 S. Main, Pasadena, TX (10 miles SE of Houston on Hwy 225). Open drum. Head Singer: Billy Badoka, Caddo. Members business meeting at 4 PM. Pot Luck dinner at 5 PM, please bring a covered dish. Gourd dancing begins at 7 PM, Grand Entry at 8:30 PM. For info call Ron Reel at 409-532-5406. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - March 16 & 17, 1996: McNeese State University Pow-Wow, on campus, Lake Charles, Louisiana Drums: Rose Hill (Stroud, OK), Little Hawk (Elton, LA). Grand Entry Parade at 11 AM from the parking lot of the corner of Sale and Common streets on the campus, followed by dance competitions. Other events: crafts, food,lectures, storytelling discussions, and exhibits, from Feb 24 to Mar. 29. For info call Mary Richardson, McNeese State University Pow-Wow, 318-475-5123, or Barry Langley, 318-738-5226. For RV/camper hookups ($6/night) call 318-478-9010. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - March 23, 1996: Southern Cherokee Intertribal Benefit Pow-Wow, at Albert Sallas County Park Arena, New Caney, TX. Go 25 miles north of Houston on Hwy 59 to New Caney exit Hwy 1485, make a u-turn under 59, go south 1 mile on feeder to McClesky Rd, turn right and go 1 mile to the end of the road, park is on the right. Covered pavilion/arena, free parking & admission. Head Singer: Obrey Alec. Drum: A/C Woodland Singers. Arts & Crafts Show opens 1 PM. Bring a covered dish dinner at 5 PM. Gourd dancing at 6:30 PM, Grand Entry at 8 PM. For info call Dan Crosby 713-354-1163, Bill Busby 713-429-9991, or Jerry Ann De Leon 713-477-1570. Bring your lawn chairs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mar. 23, 1996: The Native American Students Association Pow-Wow, at Baylor University, Waco, TX (75 miles south of Dallas/Fort Worth on Interstate 35). Details unknown at present. For info contact Baylor at 817-755-1813 and ask for the N.A. Student Assoc., or email Brian H. Zygo at b.zygo@mail.utexas.edu - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - April 12-13: City of Plano Pow-wow, at the Convention Center, Plano, TX (15 miles north of Dallas on Hwy 75). Sponsored by the City of Plano, with $8000 in prizes. Details unknown at present. For info call Larry Sampson at 713-550-2604 (Houston). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ========================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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, Jim Casto, Joseph Thompson (via Dakkaswan), David Flint, Phil Duran, Uwasa Wahya, Joseph C. Winter, Joseph LoCicero, Michael Wilson, Larry Innes, A.I.M.(American Indian Movement), Feather Eaglerock, Lea Ann(Press Release), Shawn Bluejacket, --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 29 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 Genie email Subj: Native youth killed (Sioux City, Iowa - 3/95) From: eaglerok@northernnet.com (feather eaglerock) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Notice from The Militant Labor Forum Native American youth killed by Sioux City Cops Kimberly Frazier, a young Native American, was slain by Sioux City, Iowa police in March of last year within moments after they arrived at her home to intervene in an alleged conflict there. The cops claim that they shot her when she lunged at them with a knife; eyewitnesses say Kimberly displayed it when asked to do so from a distance by the police, while never offering resistance. Protests forced an investigation, but the FBI refused to call any of the eyewitnesses, and cleared the cops of wrongdoing. But Kimberly's family and opponents of police violence continue to struggle. They and Twin Cities supporters will report on developments over the last year and the current stage of the fight in Sioux City. Public forum to be held 7:30 PM on Saturday, February 24th at the Pathfinder Bookstore, 2490 University Ave., St Paul 612/644-6325 Speakers: Louisa Fraizer, mother of Kimberly and eyewitness to the shooting. Frank LaMere, Sioux City protest leader and Winnebago Indian leader. Chris Spotted Eagle, Twin Cities filmmaker and human rights activist. Representative American Indian Movement and others. feather eaglerock leech lake rez (a sovereign anishinabe nation surrounded by the state of minnesota) english is a foreign language! reclaim your language. reclaim your heritage and send it to the future with your grandchildren as your gift to their grandchildren. di-ka-ne'-tsv a'-qua-tse'-li ha-htv-gi, wa-do' do-da-da-go'-hv ------------------------------------ From: native-l@GNOSYS.SVLE.MA.US Subj: Schedule for the 1996 Unity Ride Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) WORLD PEACE AND PRAYER DAY - GLOBAL HEALING: JUNE 21ST, 1996 and Unity Ride '96 Unity Ride '96 will start at Wahpeton Dakota Reservation, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada on May 3rd, 1996 for ceremonies. The ride ends on June 21st, 1996 at Grey Buffalo Horn Butte (PTE SAN HE PA HA), Devil's Tower, Wyoming, U.S.A. First of all we would like to welcome all riders. Everyone is welcome to join us in a very spiritual journey. These rides began with the Chief Sitting Bull - Chief Bigfoot Memorial Rides held on December 15th through December 29, 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 and the WIPING OF TEARS/MENDING THE SACRED HOOP RIDE in 1990. These rides were foretold through visions and dreams of several Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Men who dreamed that the mending of the Sacred Hoop of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nations was at hand and it was time to prepare the Sacred Seventh Generation for their part in fulfilling the Prophecies of the Medicine People of the past. A Wopila Ride was held in 1992 to thank the spirits for giving safe passage for the Sitting Bull - Bigfoot Riders when they rode the Sacred Spirit Trails from the site of the Sitting Bull's murder to the site of the massacre at Wounded Knee. The Sacred Hoop of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota was broken at the time of the massacre on December 29, 1890. The prophecies of the Elders was that it would take seven (7) generations before that Sacred Hoop would be mended and that time is near. Our children and grandchildren will be a part of that Seventh Generation. We must ride/run to show them the way to spirituality and sobriety for the future of our nations. The Sitting Bull-Bigfoot riders completed their sacred rides with the Wopila Ride held in December of 1992. At that time members of the Seventh Generation of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota were given the vision to ride into Canada to meet their relatives who have been living there for the past hundred years or more. The purpose of this ride was to fulfill the prophecies of the Elders and to reunite the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nations. These spiritual rides became known as the "Unity Rides". The first "Unity Ride" started in 1993 at the Medicine Rock located on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota and proceeded north four hundred miles to the Birdtail Dakota Reserve in Manitoba, Canada. This spiritual ride was the first time in over a hundred years that Lakota/Dakota/Nakota rode united into Canada since the return of Chief Sitting Bull in 1881. The second "Unity Ride" in 1994 started at the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota and proceeded north eight hundred miles to the Pheasant Rump Nakota Reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada. Riders from the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota were joined by riders from the Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara and Chippewa/Ojibway Nations. This was the first time in hundreds of years that these nations have united and rode together as foretold through dreams/prophecies. The third "Unity Ride" in 1995 started at Pheasant Rump Nakota and ended approximately 450 miles later at Wahpeton Dakota Reservation in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The riders camped on 15 different First Nations Reservations during this ride. The tribes united were Nakota, Ojibway, Cree, Dakota with sweats and other ceremonies held throughout. The schedule for the 1996 "Unity Ride" is attached --- The entire ride will be held in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, Montana and ending in Wyoming, U.S.A. (Grey Buffalo Horn Butte, Devil's Tower). These spiritual rides are being done to prepare the nations for the 1996 "Unity Ride" to start at the Wahpeton Dakota Reserve near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada and proceed south through Chief Sitting Bull's camp site at Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan south through Montana to the site of Big Horn Medicine Wheel and east to the Sacred Grey Buffalo Horn Butte (Devil's Tower). A gathering of Nations is planned at this site on June 21, 1996 to set a direction for the Seventh Generations and to fulfill the prophecies of the Elders. Having the greatest respect for this spiritual ride and feeling honoured to participate in the prayers and ceremonies the Elders will be holding along the way. We are ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDING any alcohol, drugs or firearms. Each day on this spiritual journey is filled with prayers and songs, and should be thought of as a ceremony in itself. All along this journey we are going to be riding through Sacred sites, old camp sites, etc., so keep your thoughts good ones, and be aware that the person riding next to you may be in Prayer. The road may be hard at times but keep an open mind and good heart. Try to sacrifice without complaint and remember that humor is contagious. MITAKUYE OYASIN --Everyone must have their own Horse For More Information or Donations Towards The 1996 Unity Ride - June 21st World Peace and Prayer Day, Please Contact: Bonnie Freeman:McMaster University Indigenous Studies Chester New Hall 228/A Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1 (905) 525 -9140 ext. 27426 or Gladys Looking Horse:Box 687 Eagle Butte, South Dakota 57625 (605)964-8439 ----------------------------- Subj: The Woodland Pow Wow From: nlclark1@aol.com Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Greetings and best wishes to all NATCHAT Subscribers. I would like to provide information about The Woodland Pow Wow, which will occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 17, 18, and 19, 1996. This will be a very special concert and pow wow, because it is the first event taking place as a part of the new Prophetstown Native American Cultural Center near Lafayette, Indiana. Located on the original site of Prophetstown, Native People and others will build a great center to honor the thousands of years the ancestors have lived on Turtle Island near the Great Lakes. This is the place where The Prophet, Tecumseh and followers from 13 tribes tried valiantly to prevent further European settlement north of the Wabash River. This ended with the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. However, today's Indian People are again gathering at Prophetstown to remember honor and enjoy their traditions. This pow wow will be the first of many events in years to come and you are welcome. The following will describe the events and those helping: May 17 - 7:30pm - Flute Concert and Storytelling by R. Carlos Nakai - Tippecanoe Amphitheater Park, on St. Hwy. 43, one mile south of Interstate 65 and the Brookston/Battle Ground Exit. There are 1,500 seats in this beautiful new, professionally designed amphitheater. Seats are $10 for adults, $8.00 for seniors and under 12 free. There are no reserved seats but advance tickets will be sold at Lafayette Savings Bank's three locations in Lafayette, Indiana. If rained out, the concert will be rescheduled for Saturday evening at the same time. May 18 - 9:00am - The First Annual Woodland Pow Wow will be held on the beautiful grounds of the Tippecanoe Amphitheater Park. The pow wow grounds will be located just in front of the amphitheater. There is primitive camping available at no cost, but no RV's or trailers. There is paved parking for 500 cars. 9:00am - Dancer Registration. Native American Dancers Only. Mr. Paul Syrette, Ojibwa, will handle registration from 9am to 12noon. 10:00am - Grounds and vendors will open to the public. There will be a $3 charge for adults, $1 for seniors and under 12 free. Prophetstown will observe the 1991 Native American Arts and Crafts Act, and will allow Native American Vendors only. If you wish to be a vendor please call Mr. Clarence Syrette at 616-684-5606 or Nick Clark at 317-423-4617. 12:00pm - Pow Wow Grand Entry - Native American Dancers Only The Head Staff is as follows: Mr. Frank Bush, Potawatomi, Head Veteran Dancer; Mr. Eddie Benton Banai, Ojibwa, Master of Ceremonies; George and Sid Martin, Ojibwa, Head Dancers; White Thunder Drum, Potawatomi, Host Drum; The Shawnee Singers, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; the Northern Miami Singers, Indiana and Illinois; Clarence Syrette, Ojibwa, Pow Wow Chairman; and Greg Ballew, Potawatomi, Arena Director. We are greatly honored by the participation of these respected elders and participants. It is the wish of the Pow Wow Committee, that this pow wow be a gathering of Great Lakes People, who will come together to remember their ancestors and their traditions and to let the public visiting the pow wow know that the Indian People of the Great Lakes are alive and well, and that they remember and honor their traditions. We will be honored and glad to have you with us for a weekend of the best music, singing, dancing, friendship, food, arts and crafts. For more information, call Clarence Syrette at 616-684-5606 or Nick Clark at Prophetstown State Park Foundation, Lafayette, 317-243-4617. We thank the Creator for giving us the opportunity to hold this event and to meet and greet old and new friends. Aho! ----Message 2--- An addition to the previous message concerning the Woodland Pow Wow, the Sunday, May 18, 1996 Woodland Pow Wow Schedule will be as follows: Sunday, May 18 - Grounds open at 10:00am ----Message 3--- An addition to the previous e-mail concerning the Woodland Pow Wow at Tippecanoe Amphitheater Park near Lafayette, Indiana: The Sunday, May 19, 1996 schedule will be as follows: Sunday, May 19 - 10:00am - Pow Wow Grounds open to the public. Vendors will be Open. 12:00pm - Grand Entry - Native American Dancers Only 5:00pm - Pow Wow Ends - Grounds Close to Public Throughout the weekend, the Ke-Shook-Co-To-Qua Miami Living Historical Village will be set up near the Pow Wow grounds. The group is a part of the Miami Indians of Indiana and was invited to go to Washington for the 1995 Native American Earth Day Celebration at the U. S. Capitol. They were the only Great Lakes group invited. Included are grass mat wigwams, where visitors learn about the way the Miami lived at the beginning of the 1800s. The village is included in the price of admission. --------- "RE: Assault on the Rez" --------- Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 22:06:24 -0800 From: aimca@igc.apc.org (American Indian Movement) Subj: assault on the rez Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ELM INDIAN COLONY P.O. Box1968 Clearlake Oaks, Ca. 95423 707-998-3931 or 998-4750 Elem Indian Colony Band of Pomos near Clearlake Oaks, California do hereby declare a state of emergency, due to the recent violence of shootings, vandalism and houses being burned on the Elem Indian Colony tribal land. Since October of 1995, no health services, fire department services, food assistance services, transportation for education of our school children and no law enforcement protection. Elem Indian Colony residents are requesting your emergency assistance to restore human rights and needs to the parents and children residing at Elem Indian Colony. Volunteers of all skills and abilities are needed and welcome to join together with our residents and rebuild our destroyed community to enhance the betterment of our children. The Elem Indian Colony residents are forced to take whatever precautions and steps to create a safe environment to the Elem community, until professional services can be restored. Your assistance is needed with food, clothing, medical supplies, legal assistance, counseling, large trucks, tools, maintenance supplies or any cash donations. We welcome all agencies to provide any surplus or materials to re-build Elem Indian Colony. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Brown, Delbert Thomas, Jr., Bonnie Moranda, or Cecil Brown at 707-998-3536, 707-998-1570, or 707-998-1976. LEGAL DEFENSE FUND JOHN LEONARD SANCHEZ On behalf of the Traditional leaders and Tribal Community members of the Elem Indian Colony near the town of Clearlake Oaks, in the county of Lake in Northern California. We are in dire need of your support and financial assistance to help defend John Leonard Sanchez, a Native American brother who has been unjustly and falsely accused, arrested and denied proper medical attention by the Lake County Sheriff's Department. Most appalling was that John's civil rights have been violated and the Sovereignty of the tribe denied. The Sheriff's Department SWAT team illegally detained the entire Indian community to arrest one man. They also denied personal liberty of each Indian parent from leaving the reservation to pick up their children from the Konocti School bus a mile outside of the reservation. Mr. Sanchez is in immediate need of funds to assist with his legal defense and provide him adequate medical care, as he is suffering from injuries that occurred when an unmarked vehicle rammed into his car, who were later identified as an undercover Law Enforcement vehicle driven by a Drug Enforcement Agent, his partner, who are from San Francisco with only one Lake County Sheriff officer, who were reported to be checking on barricades on the Elem Indian Colony Pomo Reservation. Mr. Sanchez's bail was first set at one million dollars, then reduced to two hundred fifty thousand dollars or 10% which equals to $25,000. On January 26, 1996 his attorney Mr. Dan Lipmenson (707-644-4004) who has agreed to take the case pro-bono, will ask for a further reduction in the bail. However we are in need of funds to pay for John's bail, court expenses, investigators, and medical services. We have seven witnesses that will attest that John did not have a gun or any weapon. Mr. Sanchez is charged with four counts under the California Penal Code, in layman's terms, basically state that he was: 1. Brandishing a firearm. 2. Threatening the life of officers. 3. Committing an assault on the officers, 4. Willfully and unlawfully threatening to commit a crime which would result in death and great bodily injury. ARREST BACKGROUND Mr. Sanchez has seven witnesses from two households that will attest to the fact and truth that he did not have any gun or weapon. In fact the third vehicle whose occupants displayed weapons only after the three unidentified persons displayed their weapons, were never positively identified or arrested by the Sheriff's department. The officers have resorted to outright lies to protect their officers unlawful actions and display of aggression toward the Elem residents as they have fabricated a story that placed a gun in John's hands and threatened to arrest any witnesses that would come forward to verify John's innocence, they want to make an example of John. The truth is that they over reacted and harassed the tribe with aggressive behavior and placed themselves above the law as they ran the tribal stop sign, and would not stop for community members, committed a hit and run on John's car and left the scene of an accident with an injured person. Sheriff Mitchell seems to be orchestrating a campaign to discredit the remaining people of Elem reservation in order to create and project a one sided view that every man, woman, and child are armed and dangerous renegades, and that it is such a volatile and lawless atmosphere on the reservation, that all citizens and public agencies should stay away. He has spearheaded a County social and economic embargo that has segregated and denied the tribe basic civil rights and public services because of their race. Until Sheriff Mitchell feels it is 100% safe on the Elem reservation, no services will be reinstated. Services currently denied to the tribe: A. After 25 years of service the Konocti Unified School District will not provide school bus services to our children on the reservation. B. 911 Ambulance will only meet us one mile away on the highway; we must drive our injured people to them. C. Local Fire Protection will no longer provide services without police protection. D. Sheriff's Department will not provide services without a SWAT team for backup. E. The sheriff does not recognize the tribe as a Sovereign Nation. The sheriff's department officers have endangered the departments oath and integrity by fabrication of the story to protect their unlawful actions on the reservation and the continued racial remarks to non-Indians like, "It is little Bosnia", and statements like, "The state of California, the County of Lake, and the Sheriff's Department does not recognize the tribe's sovereignty" It appears that the department has placed themselves above the powers of the United States Congress. Historical Background Elem Conflict The Elem Tribe/Southeastern Pomo of Clearlake, a Sovereign Nation, in October, 1995, erupted into civil war, and was propelled into the national media limelight that projected only a narrow view of the conflict to be blamed on greed over control of Indian gaming proceeds that played directly into the hands of the State of California campaign to control Indian gaming or destroy it completely by using Elem as the worst example. The Elem Tribe was the first to establish a Casino in Lake County and the smallest of the Casinos in the state, and was the only 100% operated and controlled by the tribe. There were many accusations and rumors within a few minority members of the tribe about the distribution of revenues the minority who lost support by its members due to their greed, envy, and out of control, dysfunctional behaviors, resulting from generations of acculturation's, assimilation state of hopelessness brought on by alcohol and drug abuse. These non-traditional adults have controlled their immediate family members through generations of co-dependency, allowing dysfunctional relationships and violent, abusive behaviors within their immediate families, unwilling to take responsibilities and in complete denial. This unhealthy behavior was escalated to attack their Traditional extended family members, and posed a direct threat to the health and safety of the tribal elders, children, and families of the tribe. The BIA has been a major problem due to its lack of support and recognition of Indian self-determination and Sovereignty of the tribe. The BIA has only continued to provide excuses and has not allowed the tribe to conduct business affairs and elections as prescribed and mandated by the Elem tribal constitution. For more information and assistance, please call (707) 998-3536 or (707) 998-1976 or write to Jim Brown P.O. Box 610, Clearlake Oaks, Ca., 95423 --------- "RE: Abenaki Band Searches for Families" --------- Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 23:53:58 -0800 From: leaann@mail.wsu.edu Subj: Abenaki band searches for families Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ABENAKI BAND SEARCHES FOR FAMILIES News Release from-Alnobak News To: All News Services From: Cowasuck Band-Pennacook/Abenaki People COWASS North America, Inc. P.O. Box 554 Franklin, MA 02038-0554 Contact:Paul or Linda Pouliot-Telephone (508)528-7629 ABENAKI BAND SEARCHES FOR FAMILIES Franklin, Massachusetts- The Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook/Abenaki People are an organized tribe representing Indian peoples in New England; specifically Abenaki, Pennacook, Cowasuck, and related groups. The Band is actively pursuing recognition as a Native American government through the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Since membership enrollment remains open at this time, the Band is seeking baseline families (not individuals) to be recognized as members of the Band. Due to the fact that there were numerous tribal names given to our People through history, the Band will respond to all legitimate inquiries. We are currently working on cultural projects to bring back the traditions and language of our people. We have established a network of self-help social and cultural services for Native Americans including a regional food pantry. Our Band is not pursuing casino gambling. If you think that you are of Native American descent as stated above and your family records and oral traditions support your beliefs, please contact the Band at the following address for more information. Cowasuck Band-Pennacook/Abenaki People Family Research Project P.O. Box 554 Franklin, MA 02038-0554 Telephone: (508) 528-7629 This is a public service story to be used freely by all news, Native American, governmental, and public information organizations. For additional details please contact the above address. The Alnobak News is an international news publication published by COWASS North America, Inc. a non-profit social/cultural services company of the Cowasuck Band- Pennacook/Abenaki People. --------- "RE: Adopted Kids" --------- Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 19:24:51 -0800 From: blue11@wtp.net (Shawn Bluejacket) Subj: adopted kids Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) In order for native people to preserve the integrity of the ICWA and our cultures, we need to encourage one another to adopt native children who are desperate for homes. A few years ago my husband and I checked into adoption of a special needs (older) child.Since I am Indian, we decided to look into the possibility of adopting an Indian child and sad to say there are more Indian kids out there than there are homes available.Many of these kids came from neglected or abused homes where parental rights had been terminated and most of the stories were tragic and you knew these "lost birds" would fall through the cracks of an uncaring system.(one that prefers to keep them institutionalized rather than adopted into good homes) We have not yet adopted a child into our home but it is our belief that being a parent involves more than just biology. It is my hope and prayer that these children will be adopted into loving homes where preferably at least one adoptive parent is Native American. As Indian people all of us must take on the responsibility to care about and for our children and teach them about their heritage. We must remember the teachings of our wolf brothers and sisters where there is no such thing as an orphan in their society instead the entire pack rears the young. Shawn Bluejacket --------- "RE: More Adopted Kids" --------- Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 02:18:53 -0500 From: eaglerok@northernnet.com (feather eaglerock) Subj: adopted kids Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) O'siyo, I wish to take issue with the use of the term 'dysfunctional Native American family' -- dysfunctional means abnormal or impaired. It is just a new way of calling Indian people heathen pagan savages. The 'dysfunctions' of our families are the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Generational p.t.s.d. caused by the American holocaust and by federal policies that have been and are still being implemented for the sole purpose of destroying our extended family structures/circles. Much of the alcoholism in Indian country began when the children as young sometimes as 3 years old, were removed from the families and sent away to residential schools. These children were not allowed to visit their families for three to five years. Many many children died in those schools, of diseases and of broken hearts. Alcohol deadened the pain of the loss of the little ones. Please do not refer to us as dysfunctional. We are families and we are nations in various stages of healing from the holocaust, coping with the legacy of colonization: the imperialism and the ethnic cleansing of America. Wa Do Feather Eaglerock Leech Lake Rez (a sovereign Anishinabe Nation surrounded by the state of Minnesota) English is a foreign language! Reclaim your language. Reclaim your heritage and send it to the future with your grandchildren as your gift to their grandchildren. di-ka-ne'-tsv a'-qua-tse'-li ha-htv-gi, wa-do' do-da-da-go'-hv --------- "RE: Native Blood Quantum and Other Stuff" --------- Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 15:34:53 -0500 From: summits50@aol.com Subj: Native blood quantum and other stuff Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) My comment about how does someone at a powwow automatically assume a dancer is white was based on my experiences at powwows throughout New England...dancers from other parts of the US often make sneering jibes ("buncha wannabes here" and that sort of thing) when they come to this region and see people of mixed heritage in the circle. Sometimes the jibes are flat-out racial slurs. I understand why some, especially in the West, would see an Indian here and call them a wannabe. I go to powwows out there and see people who are fortunate to have the choice of being traditional or not. But I also know that tribes here were practically annihilated 200 years before the Lakota even saw a white man, 200 years before Crazy Horse was even born, 200 years before Geronimo fought to save the Apache. That invasion began here in the 1600s, before the Mayflower. I can tell you that one tribe, the Mashantucket Pequots, numbered about 15,000 before whites came here -- and numbered 500 or so just 30 years later. Those who survived here were forced to slave on whaling ships, to serve as domestics in white households, or sent to live with tribes that were formerly their enemies. Other tribes in the northeast had it even worse, as the English king offered bounties for their scalps be they man, woman or child. Later, as the Colonial and then the US & state governments were established, laws were passed that specifically prohibited Indians from conducting any economic business on their reservations, from selling, buying or even owning land, from building houses on the reservations without state approval and proof of adequate financing, things like that. Until relatively recently the states would routinely send indigent people to live on the reservations. "Stick 'em in prison or stick 'em with the Indians"...many of these were people of African heritage. Intermixing naturally occurred between two peoples suffering oppression, poverty and despair, and living together on small plots of land "outcast" from the dominant society. This is not something to be ashamed of. So, too, did intermingling occur off the reservation, as Indians forced to find jobs and housing to survive were not "allowed" to do so on their own homeland. I'm not talking about trying to hide one's identity, I'm talking about not starving to death. It's not shameful to want to live. You can't preserve your culture if you're dead. The people here tried to maintain their self-sufficiency, by hunting and fishing, raising crops and livestock, and heating their homes with wood felled on their own land. But that proved impossible, because surrounding white farmers would burn their crops, deplete all the game, physically harm anyone trying to fish off the reservation. These farmers would graze their own livestock on tribal land with impunity. Despite many,many complaints to the state government, nothing was done to put a stop to this. Add to all this the consistent theft of tribal land under the "overseer" system, people appointed by the state to "manage tribal affairs," and the pattern is clearly one of cultural genocide. The overseers (most of them, anyway) systematically sold tribal land without the tribe's knowledge or consent, often pocketing the proceeds to boot. Here in Connecticut it is no coincidence that Indian affairs were supervised by the state's welfare department and, later, the Parks department - - according to state law, as soon as a reservation was left unoccupied the state could take it for development as a park. Under these circumstances I think it is amazing and admirable that any culture has survived at all. But it has. People are coming back here from cities and suburbs across America to rediscover their heritage and it is not their fault, nor even the fault of their ancestors, that they were not born and raised on a reservation or among a community of Native people. They are thankful, though, that there was always a handful of stubborn fighters who held on to the land, so they had something to come home to. Just 35 years ago a teacher in a local school told her class that the Mashantucket Pequots were "extinct." She said this to a girl who lived on the reservation with her grandmother, who would soon get on a school bus and go home to the reservation about 2 1/2 miles away. This is the sort of thing people here have fought against -- everybody telling you you're dead. It's not an easy thing to do, either, to come back to a community of which you know little. Some have given up good jobs, interrupted their educations, left friends and relatives, to come back here and join in rebuilding a nation. I don't know anyone who plays with crystals or holds pretend sun dances or walks around with feathered war bonnets. I don't know anyone who wears plastic fringe who isn't sneered at. There are plenty of real "wannabes" and "princesses" around -- everywhere -- and they are recognized as such. But, I would hope you too take the trouble to talk to "white" or "black" people at powwows, about their lives, and then decide whether the term "wannabe" applies. The chief of a nearby tribe has light hair, skin and blue eyes. The former chief of another nearby tribe was blond and blue-eyed. Leaders of other tribes around here could easily be mistaken for African Americans by casual onlookers. These are the same people called "wannabes" and worse, yet they have all struggled hard for their people's survival and fought for their sovereign rights. They are not doing this to get rich, to be P.C, or because they're posers. They're doing it because their ancestors did it for almost four centuries and it's the right, the only thing to do. ÿÿÿ