Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews04.015 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 015 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 13 April 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 NATCHAT, MINN-IND, NATIVE-L, AISESNet & NATIVELIT listservers; Transcribed snail mail; UUCP & Genie email; Newsgroup: alt.native Articles appearing have been previously posted for public dissemination and/or permission for inclusion has been secured. Letters of authorization are on file. A list of those granting permission to repost their words in this issue are listed at the end of part A. I thank each of you for allowing your words to be shared with the people. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. 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 "There is no 'better' or 'worse' only different. That difference has to be respected whether it's skin color, way of life, or ideas. The Chumash have a story about this. It begins with a worm who is eaten by a bird. The bird is eaten by a cat whose self satisfaction is disrupted by a mean looking dog." "After devouring the cat, the dog is killed by a grizzly bear who congratulates himself for being the strongest of all. About that time comes a man who kills the bear and climbs a mountain to proclaim his ultimate superiority. He ran so hard up the mountain that he died at the top. Before long the worm crawled out ot his body." __ Kote Kotah, Chumash +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! There continues to be a great deal of discussion about blood quantum, status and non-status, mixed-blood and full-blood. I am not going to tell anyone how to believe, but I am going to ask who is served by such divisiveness? I believe we all know in our hearts who is served and who is damaged. I will tell all to consider what you ask if you are among those who condemn others for one of the above reasons, then ask them to support you when you find your rights abridged. Someone you have already welcomed into your Circle will be far more interested in helping protect that same Circle. 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 - Running for Peace and Dignity - Conferences and Powwows - online - Summary: First Nations Court - Update: Round Valley Murder Case - Rough Surface's Family - Need to Get This Off My Chest - Sacred Fire Challenged - Abenaki Unity Meeting - Wal-Mart & Native Nations - Ohio Inmate Crisis - Saving Our Tongues - Blue Jacket & Blood Quantum - Huron Cemetery Threatened - Native American Studies - Poem: Juniper's Embrace - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Running for Peace and Dignity" --------- Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 22:18:42 -0400 From: XXXRoberto@aol.com Subj: Running for Peace and Dignity UUCP email LATINO SPECTRUM by Roberto Rodriguez & Patrisia Gonzales As runners from throughout the Americas entered the holy city of Teotihuacan Mexico, we stood at the base of the Pyramid of the Sun and exchanged rings. And for a moment, our world stood still. We were there on Oct. 11, 1992 to celebrate both our own union as a couple and the 500th anniversary of the last day before Europeans arrived in the Americas. The runners, some of whom had begun the "Peace and Dignity" spiritual journey from South America, and others in Alaska, had finally arrived. Indian prophecy had been fulfilled: the eagle and the condor, the symbol of North and South America, had united in the ancient MesoAmerican city. The prayer run throughout the Americas was spiritual, yet it was also political. The very presence of hundreds of thousands of indigenous peoples from throughout the Americas, including hundreds of Chicanos, made the event political. People did not come to speak of the past; they came to speak of now. The gathering was not about Columbus, but about seeking peace and dignity in lands that gave us neither. They came to honor the elders, the medicine people, the children and the future generations and to share the spiritual ceremonies of the different peoples. Together we shared an indigenous consciousness that had been discouraged eve since the building of the first missions, ever since the first boarding schools, where Indian children were sent to be "Christianized" and "Americanized." "In 1992, we made a commitment to make the run to Teotihuacan every four years," says Gustavo Gutierrez, an elder from Mesa, Ariz., and coordinator of the Peace and Dignity event. The purpose was to help heal the world, and th world is still in need of healing, he says. Thus, the run will be repeated this year. As before, its goal is to bring to light the current political plight of the original peoples of the Americas. Since 1992, in addition to the Chiapas rebellion, there have been intense struggles regarding Indian rights and sovereignty throughout the hemisphere, particularly in southern Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Ecuador. In 1992, the runners collected the ceremonial wooden staffs of 43 Indian nations, sacred feathered walking sticks that represent authority and symbolically contain the prayers of many peoples. Alfonso Perez carried one of the principal staffs. He took part in the run through North America across the desert, sometimes covering 50 miles a day. There, the runners traversed sacred places of resistance, such as Wounded Knee, South Dakota. In Minnesota, a child runner was hit by a car; miraculously unscratched, he later continued. In small Mexican villages, the participants were greeted by hundreds of children and blessed by elders. In some places they saw how the land has been desecrated; they saw poisoned, and in some cases, dry rivers. They noticed that the deer that had once roamed in large numbers were now scarce. A year later, on the eve of the Chiapas insurrection, we found ourselves in Temoaya, Mexico, at an intercontinental indigenous spiritual gathering, in a circle in front of a great sacred fire. There, we saw many of the same runners, including Perez, who had been chosen as a caretaker of the staffs. Then, two months later, he was arrested in Michoacan, Mexico, for the possession of peyote, which he was taking to ceremonies with the Huichol Indians. Perez, who practices the Lakota spiritual tradition, was accused o possessing and trafficking in drugs that are only authorized for indigenous religious ceremonies. The Mexican government ruled that the Mexican-born Perez, who was a resident of Laredo, Texas, was not Indian. So, despite his racial background and spiritual beliefs, the government did not consider him indigenous and thus, not allowed to possess peyote. Eventually, the government reversed its decision. However, it did not release Perez until last month, after he had spent two years behind bars. "A lot of things contributed to his release, says Gutierrez, "but it was mainly faith." The irony of his imprisonment is that the very thing he was arrested for, he was allowed to do in prison--perform spiritual healing ceremonies. Dorinda Moreno, an elder from northern California, who was at Teotihucan in 1992 and who worked diligently for Perez's release, says that the government's reversal of its decision on his identity reaffirms the belief o most indigenous people that it is people themselves who determine their own identity, not governments. Today, Perez remains in Mexico, organizing tributary Peace and Dignity runs that will enter Teotihuacan on Oct. 12 this year. His victory in court has given him high visibility at a time when it is courageous to be highly visible in Mexico. "He will put the run on the front pages," says Moreno. When runners arrive in Teotihucan, their prayers will be for the future generations and for the healing of the earth's four sacred colors--red, black, yellow and white--which represent all the peoples of the world. "So that we all live in harmony," says Gutierrez. "That's the commitment." (Copyright Chronicle Features, 1996) + Latino Spectrum is a nationally syndicated column, distributed by Chronicle Features. Rodriguez/Gonzales can be reached at (915) 593-2387, P.O. Box 370394, El Paso, Texas 79937 or at XXXROBERTO@AOL.COM or PATRISIAX@AOL.COM + For Information regarding the Peace and Dignity Journeys, call 602-966-772 or 602-254-5320 --------- "RE: Summary: First Nations Court" --------- Date: Thu, 4 Apr 96 13:00:00 UTC 0000 From: lross@ccs.carleton.ca Subj: Summary: First Nations Court UUCP email Status: R Night Owl: You requested some general information on the court. I'll give you a summary of everything to date and if you have any questions feel free. We are in the last day today. The following information comes directly from the package of material I was given as a volunteer. FIRST NATIONS INTERNATIONAL COURT Seven Indigenous judges from the four directions including Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia will hear testimony on the indictments filed against Canada September 1995 for its violation of international human rights, treaty and aboriginal rights. Canada (Ca) is charged with unlawfully interfering with the internal affairs of sovereign First Nations (FN), unlawfully imposing its laws on FN peoples and territories, and unlawful seizure of FN lands and resources and tax revenues. The FN International Court of Justice is an expression of our sovereignty and jurisdiction. A second sitting in the fall will allow the Canadian Government to respond to the allegations and evidence which has been brought to the court by the witnesses. The establishment of the FN International Court of Justice is based on our right to self-determination. The sovereignty of FN has never been surrendered or relinquished to any other nation or power. Treaties of co-existence with settler nations were entered into protected the sovereignty of the FN. Ca, has recognized and affirmed these treaties in its constitution and their courts have confirmed that they are legally enforceable. The FN Court will operate consistent with the traditions and cultural values of the FN. There are three stages to this session: 1) Preliminary - introduce the court, the judges and other participants. - the judges will be sworn in - the prosecutor will present its case, supported by preliminary evidence that will be presented by the several witnesses - the judges will then adjourn the court and call for evidence. 2) second stage - the judges will receive evidence through written, oral and video-taped submissions. 3) Full Hearing - Judges will hear arguments from both sides over a period of 4-5 days and present their summary findings. -the final decisions and written reasons will be released at a later date. Seizing the Agenda What happened to our nations? How did the relationship between FN and the Crown become so unbalanced that we are dominated by these governments in our own homelands? External gov. have taken us farther and farther from our connection to the land. The continuity of our nation to nation relationship has been severed by governments who have attempted to dis-empower us by framing our rights as subordinate to their jurisdiction and have attempted to domesticate our treaties. Today many of our FN peoples think they can only resolve our issues through negotiations with Ca consent or through the Ca court system. Somewhere in Ca, everyday the rights aboriginal peoples are being violated every day and the rights of FN gov., the Fn citizens are being violated by the imposition of Ca. laws. Although most of Nations have treaty relationships with the Crown, recognized in Ca, constitution, enforcement agencies continue their assault on our peoples. As a consequence FN are being dragged into the Ca court systems to defend ourselves for carrying on traditions which are thousands of years old. We have to ask ourselves and Ca. where did the Crown get the authority or right to even include us in section 91(24) of the BNA Act? Who are we? Across the continent many different nations exist, each has their own spirituality, territory, language and culture. Despite these fundamental differences however, we share many similarities, particularly in terms of how we view our original relationship with Ca. For example, when Euro. settlers arrived on our lands, we acted in accordance and agreed to live with each other in peace and friendship. We acknowledged each other as sov. nations and many nations entered into agreements or treaties with the Europeans in order to establish and define our relationship more clearly. It is important to remember however, that none of our treaties stated that we are relinquishing or diminishing or extinguishing our inherent rights to govern ourselves and our futures. Our original nation to nation relationships have never been repealed, abandoned or forgotten. All parties to the treaties, with the Creator as witness, continue to exist. The full extent of the treaties continues to today. Any assertions by Ca. to the court that state otherwise can only be based upon a systemic process of false and racist assumptions. We need to remind ourselves of this fact and state it clearly whenever Ca attempts to block FN in the implementation of our inherent rights. WE ALREADY POSSESS FULL POWERS AND CONTROL OVER OURSELVES, OUR LANDS AND OUR RESOURCES - IT IS TIME THAT WE TOOK ACTION TO ENSURE THAT THIS REALITY IS REFLECTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. Political - Legal Collusion Over time FN have come to learn that there are weaknesses in our treaties, that there was no process provided to update or renew the relationship in contemporary terms. Instead Ca manipulated their legal system to interpret the treaty relationship to their sole benefit and to place in their domestic legislation such as the Indian Act. These external legal systems were used to validate the theft of our lands based on case-precedent. Since the earliest decisions of the British courts dealing with our rights FN were not present to defend ourselves or our rights. In fact until 1951, it was illegal under Ca law for Indians to hire lawyers to defend their land rights issues and conflicts. As well at this same early time this system of common law revived an outdated concept which is known as a "usufructuary" right This concept is a mere "right to take the fruit of the land" but to does not allow ownership of the land. This doctrine has been the basis of their wholesale seizure of our lands. Case precedent has also condoned doctrines of discovery, cession, and extinguishment. The federal positions are based on these outdated and erroneous concepts. We must acknowledge the federal government has no intention of honouring its treaty obligations or living up to the relationship recognized by the treaties. Meanwhile the court system continues to grind out decisions which are still consistent with their earliest views. Yet, Ca has not explained or justified their assertion of jurisdiction over us or shown us how they legitimate title over our lands and sov. over our people. Our peoples know that they can never do this. We continue to resist Ca. domination and interference over FN people and territories. Failure of the Court System: The court have continually and consistently denied our rights or recognized them in watered down version. Ca courts cannot by their very nature ever begin to comprehend FN concepts of law or justice. They are based on their own cultures. ......................... So far we have heard the witnesses speak from the east the south and from the west, we are hearing the witness from the north today. The process was designed to reflect our beliefs. This resulted in four witnesses being called to the stand to speak from their direction to the court and to respond to the indictment against Canada. I will give relatively full notes on the first witness. As I said I will have transcripts and will make them available ASAP. FIRST WITNESS: (East) Oren Lyons: Faith Keeper Community He said that the laws of the longhouse still exist and are practised. He said that there are natural laws which are a collective history by the people and take a long time to form. He says it is the women's responsibility to teach our histories. The laws are natural and cannot be changed or given away. The difference between our rules and the white mans' rules are that they can change their laws or write them for their own benefit, they can even break them. Ours are the natural laws, they cannot be given away, they cannot be broken and they can not be given up. It is impossible that we could have given up our law as it comes from the Creator. Fundamental Principles inform our law, that is respect. This has been the underlying principle on which our (the east) laws have been formed. The words before all words were of thanksgiving to mother earth for her medicines. We must respect the water, and everything in the water. We must respect the birds, and all things that fly. We must respect the Thundering Voices of the Grandfathers for bringing the rain. We must respect our Brother the Sun for his light and for bringing forth the seeds. Seeds are our law. Stars are important, as we all know the importance of dew. The spiritual voices of the indigenous peoples all around the earth have common values, they also have the same problems. Democracy, freedom and jurisdiction, had been given by the Creator. These laws come from the ultimate jurisdiction. (There was a question from the panel of judges here about what jurisdiction their laws had) In Canada it has been parted with jurisdiction continually, ie. Upper and Lower Canada and on and on... Says the old way is really the only way. Creator gave aboriginal people the right of existence. That we can exist in which ever way we like, their is ultimate jurisdiction. The second great law, is based on consent. The whole process is based on concenus and consent of the people. Empowerment, comes from consensus. All indigenous peoples around the world operate from a process of consensus. This common to all indigenous people, each has their own process but it is fundamentally democratic. We have the great ceremonies to celebrate, these are specific to location. these were always inclusive and included all people. This continued past the arrival of Colombus. This is very different than the European ways where only one person was free, the king. When the Catholic priests came they called us heathens. The International laws that were developed decided that since we were without their religion and because we were free we were without laws. They decided then that the land was vacant, Terra Nullus and this gave them the right to take our lands. The decree of Terra Nullus was given by the Church. In 1763 the Royal Proclamation gave aboriginal people some recognition. 1784 and 1789 the treaties written in the states were recognized. This treaty was the Two Row Wampum, the grandfather of all treaties. The problem is that the treat was understood differently by both people. There are three beads between the boats representing people from each nation. these three beads separate the nations. They (Europeans) were to gov. their people in their boat and vice versa. There was weak interest in maintaining the laws. Elders warned that there are four things that can destroy the people, strong drink, the bible, fiddle and gambling. The laws of the white people proceeded to disengage the people from their land. This a violation of the Two Row Wampum. Teachings taught that the people must be together fro strength. If you hold up a stick it can be snapped but if you hold up several together you cannot break it. Strength is in unity. We have other responsibilities to took out after. When we speak about what is right we are not speaking from an interest in what we might gain but we speak fro seven generations. The real laws were always relegated to the cultural perspective of seven generations. This is not a phrase and requires compassion. Group rights are indigenous, and require that the group thinks as a group, while non-native people thin of human or their own rights as individuals. Short Questions and Answers: Did aboriginal people have authority to write treaties? Aboriginal people had the right to make treaties with whom ever they wished. Was it possible to give away, or change the laws? There was a process which was ingrained, It was not written down as it was different for each matter. For instance, there was no law about not stealing, It was known, yet if someone stole food when they were hungry then that was alright. People's word, were their law. Do the laws still exist? Yes, and when the elders were asked how this has been so with the Euro. gov. they said it is because we have good leaders. Once a decision is made by this court can the Haudenosaunee (sp) (H) ratify it? The procedure would be to bring to the council. The nations clans would discuss it then if it was acceptable then it would passed to the second branch If it was big problem it would have to be ratified by the people. How are chiefs appointed? The women choose. It is a matrilineal (SP) society. How have you been Affected by the DIAND? They imposed and elective system of government which is a direct violation of our treaty. What are your territorial boundaries? We respect the contemporary boundaries. Who's laws exist on territories? We respect the laws of the territory? Does any other law apply? Not under (H) law. What do you think about treaty making authority? This is the law of the colonizer. Sovereignty (sov.) was only recognized for the purpose of giving it away. What is your opinion of sov.? First Nations (FN) would never and could not give up sov. Sov. not compromised at all. How does your law continue? Within the (H) creation stories is the continuance of our laws. We hold our ceremonies, we maintain our values. Respect sharing honesty. Have you noticed other peoples continuing there practices? Yes. I have always admired the Pueblos' for the continuing farming practises and how much is still there. You say an example of law is respect, how has this law been abrogated by the European's. That's easy, the boarding schools are one example. We were stopped from speaking our languages. The Euro impact on Aboriginal people has been a weakening what is an example. The impact of technology, video's, radio, etc... Is there anything in the teachings that says that extinguishment of right could occur? Cannot change the principles or the laws. Do you have jurisdiction? I give and example that our jurisdiction was recognized. Red Cloud demanded that every fort be burned before he would discuss treaty. They were burned. Can you give an example of the gov.. denying the treaties. There is fraud where the treaties are concerned and the true meanings that is why this court is needed. .................................. The witnesses from all four directions spoke of the problems which have occurred. The south spoke of the atrocities which are occurring today in Mexico, the west where no treaties exist talked of the wholesale rape of the lands, the North talked of the plundering and poisoning of the lands when mining operations rip the earth apart. ............................ Ward Churchill took the stand and showed the impact of alienation from the lands he talked of the genocide the fact that human loss of aboriginal people by the Europeans is ten times more devastating then the holocaust. Our numbers have been decimated to extents farther and more serious then any other people in world history. ...................................... ikkinaa' pssi LM --------- "RE: Rough Surface's Family" --------- Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 14:25:16 -0400 From: Aaron Osterby Subj: Rough Surface's family at the University... Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs It wasn't the labored conscience of James E. Stroh that brought South Dakota investigators to Eagle River, Wisconsin, to hear his confession. They came to the crass little town, where during the height of the tourist season, the children from Minneapolis and Chicago come to buy plastic tomahawks, feather headdresses and Indian dolls in plastic papooses from the stores that line the main street, because after Stroh's marriage got messy, his divorce got worse. During one of his fights with his wife, Stroh's mother-in-law decided she could no longer stand to keep the dark secret that he is a rapist and accomplice to murder. She called the police and set in motion the events that revived a long-dead murder case. After his secret became known to authorities, Stroh confessed that 15 years ago he raped and helped Nicholas A. Scherr murder Candace Rough Surface, a young Lakota woman from the Standing Rock Reservation. In exchange for Stroh's further cooperation and testimony against Scherr, the South Dakota authorities dropped the rape charges and plan to ask for a conviction of manslaughter. As it now stands the 30-year-old Stroh faces no more than 25 years in prison. Scherr continues to insist on his innocence and is not taking questions from reporters. If convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison or the death penalty. The first day of court in the 15-year-old murder case is scheduled for May 6 in Selby, South Dakota. The family and friends of Candace Rough Surface are not idly waiting for the trial to begin. Instead, Candace's 71-year-old mother Alberta and many of her cousins are actively pursuing justice for the slain woman. On Monday, the family brought their story to the Minnesota Women's Center on the University of Minnesota's East Bank campus. For them, justice will not begin for the Lakota people of South Dakota unless both men are sent to prison for life. Faith Iron Cloud, a niece to Alberta and co-organizer of the Justice for Candi committee, said to this day the South Dakota authorities don't take the murder seriously. She said her family had to learn of Stroh's confession and the indictments against Scherr from the newspaper and not the investigators, as they would have preferred. "It just floored the entire family," Iron Cloud said. "In the State of South Dakota, Indian people don't get fair and equal justice. That's why were going from town to town, state to state to draw awareness to the fact that we've lost one of our own and all we want is . . . justice." Candi's mother Alberta Rough Surface has chosen not to attend the trial, because she doesn't want to again hear the gruesome details of her daughter's murder. But she did attended a ceremonial ride last Dec. 15, timed to mark the anniversary of the death of Sitting Bull, another Lakota buried on the Standing Rock Reservation. Iron Cloud said the ride was timed to coincide with the holy man's death because he is a victim whose murderers never met justice for his death. Alberta will also ride again in May to the courthouse, along with members of many other Indian nations and the governor of Nebraska, who according to Iron Cloud asked that a horse be found for him to ride in the procession. They plan to hold ceremonies near the courthouse. Committee members say they have commitments from the Oglala Sioux tribe, the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, the Crow Creek Sioux tribe, Lower Brule, the three affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold, Bellcourt Chippewa, and Fort Totten Sioux tribe to attend an encampment, scheduled to begin on May 3 on Standing Rock. Organizers plan to move the camp off the reservation on May 6 so that the trial can be more closely monitored. According to Stroh's version of events, Candi Rough Surface left a party, which was in the trailer home of ranch hand Steve Sheldon, with he and Scherr in a pick-up truck. Stroh said that Rough Surface began threatening Scherr and hitting Stroh. He said Scherr drove into a nearby pasture and stopped the truck. Then, Stroh said, Scherr dragged her outside and began beating her. Stroh said he an Scherr both raped Candace before they shot her repeatedly with a small-caliber weapon. Then to prevent blood evidence from getting on the truck, Stroh said they chained Rough Surface behind it and dragged her through a farm field to the Missouri River, where they dumped her body in shallow water on the east bank. Iron Cloud said of the field where Candi was killed: "It's a lonely, lonely desolate place north of Mobridge on a hilltop overlooking the Missouri River." Nearly ten months later, the same ranch hand who hosted the party where Candace was last seen discovered her decomposing remains and alerted the police. After that, Iron Cloud maintains that Walworth County authorities bungled the investigation because they weren't motivated to solve the murder. And Walworth County Sheriff James Spiry has admitted Scherr's name came up early in investigation because he was at Sheldon's party. But the sheriff said they never followed up on Scherr after they got sidetracked by a rumor that Mike Left Hand, a Lakota man, may have killed Rough Surface. "We don't think this investigation would have been let go had it been a white person killed and brutalized in this way," Iron Cloud said. "Sheriff Spivey was friendly enough, but to him it was no big deal. It was just another Indian. It was like he was talking about something other than a human being that had been killed there." So beginning on May 6, the fate of the two accused men and Candi's family will rest in the hands of what will likely be an all-white jury, drawn from drivers licensed in Walworth County. And Iron Cloud hopes to have the eyes of America focused on the courthouse in Selby South Dakota. "We're calling on the highest power available to mankind, and that's our creator, to gain us our justice," she said. "She died like an animal. And we're not going to stand for this second- class treatment any longer. By bringing people to our encampment to pray with us and socialize with us and sing with us and eat with us and come with us to that trial hopefully by the hundreds we feel Candi will get her justice. And with that will start justice for all Lakota people in South Dakota." -Aaron Osterby is mostly of Finnish heritage and lived for several years in both North and South Dakota. Donations to the Justice for Candi Committee can be sent to Germaine Demery, Box 164 McLaughlin SD, 57642 The family will be in town until at least the 22nd. They will be speaking: (forgive the shorthand) 4-10 4:30 Weyerhauser Chp. Mac. 4-12 Noon, U of M St.P StCent. 4-14 6-10 p.m. New Riverside Cafe 4-22 7 p.m. Day of Remembrance call 331-3552 or 5-6512 FMI. 317 17th Ave. SE. If this is worthy, please circulate it freely... Aaron Osterby, PioneerPlanet Weekend Editor -- the Online service of the Pioneer Press osterby@pioneerplanet.infi.net -- http://www.pioneerplanet.com --------- "RE: Sacred Fire Challenged" --------- Date: 96/04/06 20:47 From: Lorraine A. Milo Subj: Sacred Fire Challenged Genie email O'siyo Night Owl We hold Inipi Ceremony on private property every month on the full moon and today we held one. During the ceremony it was interrupted by a neighbor who was supposedly concerned because of the Sacred Fire. We assured this neighbor that there was no problem and he left. After leaving he called the police department and they came to investigate the matter. We were told at that time that we could not have a Sacred Fire without a fire permit. We were told in November of last year, by the Fire Chief that the rules for fire permits are very strict. These are a few. 1) No one shall have a fire without a permit granted by the fire chief on the day of the fire. 2) The fire chief can and will refuse or revoke a fire permit if he feels the conditions are not adequate. 3) No one, even with a permit, may have a fire before 5:00 pm. 4) There may be times when no fire permits will be granted for long periods. I have serious concerns with these rules, In No. 1 it is not always possible for us to contact a person from the fire department on the day we intend to have a ceremony. There have been times we began as early as 5:00 am. It is our opinion, as well as that of the 95th Congress that no one has the legal right to refuse or revoke our right to practice our religion anywhere and at anytime without interference or intrusion. In rule no. 3 my concern is as I stated before, most of our ceremonies are run through the day, not at night. These ceremonies have been in effect for over 20,000 years and we at the Bear Council do not intend to change the way they are done at this time. We have had these problems for many years and do not intend to continue having them and we will not change the way ceremonies are kept because they do not conform with the fire codes of my town. We need letters written defending our right to hold ceremonies and letting the powers that be know that we will continue to do so. We have agreed that we would sign a written document stating our commitment to maintaining safety precautions if this would appease the fire chief. They are not willing to do this. We were warned today by the police department "not to get caught doing this again" and they were told we would not stop. We would like to find a peaceful resolution to this fragile situation as we will not tolerate ceremonies being disrupted or interrupted again. This commitment made by us could lead to some of us being hurt, I am sure you remember what we went through at Hawkfeather and people shooting at us during the Inipi ceremony at the Fall gathering and we would like to avoid a similar situation. Anyone willing to help, please send your concerns to Van Macleod Commissioner for Dept of Cultural Affairs State Library 20 Park Street Concord, N.H. 03301 Chief Whittle Hinsdale Police Department Hinsdale, N.H. 03451 Thank you for any help you can give us at this time, Walks Softly --------- "RE: Wal-Mart & Native Nations" --------- Date: Sat, 6 Apr 1996 07:48:34 -0500 From: DEANDFS@aol.com Subj: Wal-Mart & Native Nations UUCP email To Whomever is Concerned: The Wal-Mart Stores, for all of their advertising of the family-oriented stores as being so pro-American, have decided to build on Native American burial grounds in Cherokee County, Georgia! Please, for not only those of us with Cherokee blood, but for any of us who know and understand the injustices that have been done to ALL of the Native American nations for over five hundred years, help us with this campaign. You can write to Carl Crowe (of Wal-Mart's) at 701 South Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, Arkansas 72716, or call him at (701) 273-4000 and ask for "Construction". Let him know that such desecration of our ancestors has gone on for FAR TOO LONG and WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! (And, for complete irony -- "Crowe" is an Indian name!) If you don't care or can't afford the phone call or postage, PLEASE PASS THIS ON. If you care and want to help, please make copies and send them to your family and friends. Thank you very much and take care! Charlotte Colley, 5898 Tiffany Place, West Palm Beach, Florida 33417. --------- "RE: Ohio Inmate Crisis" --------- Date: Feb 17, 1996 From: Gentle Winds, Hokshichankiya Farm Subj: Ohio Inmate Crisis Transcribed snail mail The state of Ohio has deemed it necessary for inmates to prove their racial heritage to worship God! Those who desire to follow the Good Red Road, the Native American spiritual path, must present proof of their Indian ancestry. There are many of us of mixed blood who wish to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors. The prison system in the State of Ohio requires a birth certificate stating that your race is Indian, a B.I.A. card or a tribal membership card which includes picture ID, roll number, tribe, clan, name, and appropriate signatures. Many of our people have none of the above, and are therefore denied their first amendment rights to the Freedom of Religion. The Constitution of the United States set forth certain inexorable rights: the right to life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- Freedom of speech, press, assembly and freedom of Religion. How many people have died over the last 200 years to see that this Constitution remains valid? And the State of Ohio has the authority to override this? Granted, if our brothers and sisters are doing time in the Iron houses, there was some crime committed. But it is REHABILITATION and corrections. How can they ever hope to rehabilitate anyone if they refuse to let them pray. You don't have to have a card or a picture ID to be a Catholic, Methodist, Baptist or even a Muslim. You don't have to have a card to prove you are Italian or Irish. Why are our people any different? My brothers and sisters are denied their sage, their sweetgrass, their pipes, their medicine bags; and, yes, even their hair. Please help put a stop to this Religious oppression. Write to your congressman, your senator, write to the President of the United States! Make our voices heard! We are no less human because we pray in a different manner. I am quite sure that Ohio is not the only state guilty of the atrocities. It is simply one we are aware of. May you always walk in Peace and Beauty! Gentle Winds --------- "RE: Saving Our Tongues" --------- Date: Fri, 5 Apr 1996 16:22:34 -0700 From: Lu Ella Terry Subj: Saving Our Tongues Mailing List: NATIVELIT [Copyright 1996: The University of Montana-Missoula, Montanan Magazine January 1996; and is posted with permission. May reprint with permission.] Direct any inquiries to: davidpur@selway.umt.edu or snowy@selway.umt.edu +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Culture Saving Our Tongues Preserving Indian Languages by Peter Stark Tony Mattina wishes we'd pay as much attention to saving Native American languages as we do to preserving plant and animal species like the spotted owl. "These languages deserve special attention," he said. "They were here long before Europeans. They are the native languages, period. We should preserve them as special treasures. Once a language is extinct, it's just words on paper, just like a stuffed animal in a museum." Mattina, a native of Italy and linguistics professor at The University of Montana-Missoula, brings this passion to his work to preserve Okanagan. Stephen Greymorning and Victor Montejo, two UM assistant professors of anthropology and Native American studies, likewise work to preserve the Arapaho and Mayan languages. Their efforts are part of a growing awareness of the cultural value of American Indian languages and the growing fear that, unless they are taught to younger generations, many of these languages will soon die. "Language and culture cannot be separated," says Montejo, a Mayan Indian from Guatemala. "If the culture is not expressed through the language, then the culture ceases to exist." Many of the strategies for reviving American Indian languages center on teaching it to schoolchildren, but it's here also that some of the biggest obstacles lie. "The explanation given by school officials for not letting the language in the classroom is that there are not written materials, there are no certified teachers," Mattina says. Mattina has addressed those issues in his work with Okanagan. Mattina came to the language circuitously. He discovered a love for linguistics at Drury College. Later, influenced by M. Dale Kinkade, his mentor at the University of Kansas graduate school and a scholar of the Salish family of languages of the Northwest, Mattina began studying Okanagan. One of the twenty-two Salish languages, it is now spoken by less than half the 10,000 Okanagan people, whose traditional lands include the area north of Spokane and part of southern British Columbia. Mattina has written numerous scholarly articles about Okanagan, but in recent years he has shifted his focus to ensure that the language doesn't die. "Instead of sticking with linguistics for linguists, I reached less for the scholarly and more towards the lay person, to get these materials out," he says. Working with the En'owkin Centre in Penticton, B.C., he trained teachers in the language and developed grammar primers, coloring books, videos and other teaching aids. But Mattina admits progress has been very slow because it is difficult to teach using written materials when the entire Okanagan tradition is an oral one. "The best way to learn it is to speak it, be immersed in it, but that's difficult," he says. In response, he has designed interactive computer games and lessons to introduce schoolchildren to Okanagan. On his computer screen, Mattina clicks his mouse on a program that teaches children what to call their various relatives in Okanagan. There are more than fifty basic words for kin. Stick figures and a kinship diagram of a family flash up and a woman's voice on a small speaker beside the computer explains in Okanagan: "This is my (paternal uncle)." "I am his niece." "He is my father's brother (or cousin)." Another game throws colored pictures of wild animals on the screen and the student must match the correct Okanagan word to the picture. Such as: bald eagle, grizzly, lynx. (Note: The Okanagan words are displayed in the International Phonetic Association alphabet in the printed version of this published article.) Though they may look like alphabet soup to the unaccustomed eye, the letters belong to the International Phonetic Association alphabet, which is used to commit to writing many languages that have no alphabet of their own. According to Mattina, the IPA alphabet is a more logical system of representation than English orthography. The IPA alphabet assigns only one symbol to describe one particular sound, where English often assigns many letter combinations. Thus, for the sound "sh" in English, we use martian, pension, patrician, sugar, mission, chevy, fascism and shoe, while the IPA alphabet, or Okanagan, uses only one letter symbol (an "s" with a curved line over it). Mattina, who has compiled a dictionary of Okanagan, says the work of committing an oral language to a written one is no great linguistic trick. The more difficult problem is to convince people to learn the language and to speak it, to keep it alive, to prevent it from becoming, as he puts it, simply "words on a page." "What I'd really like to see is the elders paid for their knowledge so they'd be invited to the centers to talk to the kids," Mattina says when asked what more needs to be done. "Until now they've been shy, partly because many don't have a formal education. I'd like to see the elders rewarded for knowing their language, just the opposite of the way it used to be, when they were punished for using it." "People have no idea of the magnitude of the loss of these languages," says Stephen Greymorning, a Southern Arapaho. "It's like a beast that can't be stopped. A global culture is emerging that grabs at youth and aligns them to it. It's beamed in on satellite dishes, on the Internet, on television, and distracts from the native language of the home." Greymorning mentions the example of the Navajo, where the children know their native language, yet when the adults address them in it, they often respond in English. Greymorning took yet another approach to bring American Indian language to children. Inspired by his young daughter's attraction to Disney films, he assembled a team to translate the classic animated film, "Bambi", into Arapaho. He recruited and coached residents of Wyoming's Wind River Reservation to speak the parts, convinced the Walt Disney Company to produce the translation as a home video and distributed 2,000 cassettes to the Arapaho Nation. He is currently working on translations of the animated films "The Little Fox" and "Willie the Sparrow". "If you want the language to survive, it has to be everywhere that English is," he says. "It has to infiltrate every medium -- music, books, television, even the street signs on the reservation. Every time they turn around, the kids should bump into the language. That was part of the strategy behind these videos." Greymorning cites the success the Hawaiians have had since the mid-1980s in reviving their language through "immersion schools" based on those developed by the Maori in New Zealand. Young children who speak English at home begin preschool in which only Hawaiian is spoken. The immersion schools continue throughout kindergarten. Students begin to learn English reading and writing in the fifth grade, but teachers still use the Hawaiian language as the medium of instruction. The earliest group of students bilingual in Hawaiian and English is now in about the 10th grade, Greymorning says, and the Hawaiians now plan to build an immersion college. "Anything short of immersion, and the children will revert back to English," says Greymorning, who has started preschool and kindergarten classes in Arapaho on the Wind River Reservation. "The Hawaiians have taken their language, and put it everywhere." Another success story has been the sudden and surprising revival of the Mayan languages in recent years, after centuries of suppression by Guatemala's ruling class of Spanish descent. Traditionally, Mayans recorded their history and legends in books and stone carvings using an elaborate system of hieroglyphics. In the wake of the Spanish Conquest of the early 1500s, Diego de Landa, the bishop of Yucatan, ordered the library of Mayan books burned because he believed it "contained the works of the Devil," Montejo says. The written Mayan language essentially disappeared, although the Mayan Indians who make up the majority of the Guatemalan population continued to use the twenty-one spoken languages. In the 1980s, the Mayan people themselves came under violent attack by a Guatemalan government and army intent on rooting out what it believed were guerrillas and communists in the upland villages. The soldiers destroyed communities and killed thousands of people, Montejo says. At the same time, Mayan intellectuals established the Academy for Mayan Languages, which has taught schoolchildren to write in their native tongues and has standardized the written versions of the Mayan languages. It has been cited by the United Nations as a model for indigenous groups whose languages are threatened. "When you're under great stress, you go back to your roots to make your life more meaningful within the context of your culture," says Montejo, drawing a parallel to the Ghost Dance revival of North American Indian culture on the Great Plains during the late 19th century. "There was terrible violence, and everybody responded by working to ensure the survival of the Mayan culture." Montejo witnessed that violence firsthand when in 1982 soldiers took him at gunpoint from the classroom where he was teaching. After torturing him for a night, they released him because he was a schoolteacher. But Montejo's brother, also a teacher, was shot and killed by drunken soldiers in the village plaza. Montejo escaped his country soon after when he received an invitation from an American writer to visit the United States. He has worked and studied here since, in 1993 receiving a doctorate in anthropology at the University of Connecticut. He assumed his teaching post at UM in fall 1995, bringing his wife, Mercedes, and their children to Missoula. In order to help ensure the survival of Mayan culture, he has written books on Mayan myth and legend and a book of poetry. He has also worked with the Academy for Mayan Languages on the definitive dictionary for his native Jakaltek, also called Popti', which translates into English as "the language of power." In Montana, eleven languages are spoken by American Indians. They range from languages still spoken by only a few elders to Crow, which is very much alive. Widely spoken by adults and children alike, the Crow language is still, significantly, serving as the language of ceremony and politics. Efforts to keep American Indian languages alive in Montana are taking place at Salish-Kootenai College in Pablo, at Blackfeet Community College and the Piegan Institute in Browning, on the Crow Reservation, and elsewhere. Around 400 people have taken the native language classes through Salish- Kootenai College, says Joyce Silverthorne, director of bilingual education. The course offerings have included Salish, Kootenai, Cree, Northern Cheyenne and Assiniboine. At the elementary and high school levels, Arlee School offers Salish classes and Two Eagle River School offers both Salish and Kootenai classes. Silverthorne estimates that about one percent of tribal members are fluent in the native languages. Pikanii, spoken by the Blackfeet, is in "extremely critical condition" and may be lost, says John Murray, acting chair of Blackfeet Studies at Blackfeet Community College. The demand to learn the language has grown so much the college has had to hire speakers from Canadian bands to meet the need for teachers, he says. The program continues to look for resources to hire more. The college offers nine different levels of the language, supported by teachings in Blackfeet philosophy, myth and ceremony. Without these other teachings, the language is "just a set of symbols," Murray says. "We could just as well learn Spanish or French." As part of their continuing effort to revive the American Indian languages in Montana, the tribes recently asked the Board of Education to approve a certification system for teachers of the languages. On November 30, 1995, the board unanimously approved the creation of a special license for those who teach Indian language in reservation schools. This Class 7 certificate, which will be in place by May 15, 1996, does not require the teacher of an Indian language to have a four-year college degree. Tribes hope this will help them overcome the difficulties they have had getting native-language instructors into public schools. It will also put "tribal language on an equal footing with other languages taught in school," says Kevin Howlett, education director of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. In order to preserve Indian languages that are in serious danger of extinction, he added, "we want to ensure that our children, or any children who participate in the language classes, have access to the very best instructors." --------- "RE: Blue Jacket & Blood Quantum" --------- Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 16:38:04 -0400 (EDT) From: rickr@VFL.Paramax.COM Subj: Blue Jacket & Blood Quantum Mailing List: NATIVELIT With all due respect for your study of the history of blood quanta.... It is amazing to me that we persist in acknowledging any importance of blood quanta. I keep thinking about people like Wehyahpihehrsehnwah which was "Blue Jacket's" name in Shawnee. He certainly has to be counted as one of the greatest Shawnee war chiefs. No Shawnee, including the incomparable Tecumseh, thought of him as anything other than Shawnee. Yet his blood quantum was zero, when he was taken in 6-5-1771 and gave up his birth name which was Marmaduke van Swearingen. Because "Blue Jacket" was adopted into an appropriate part of the nation, he was able to become chief of his band and principal war chief of all the Shawnee nation. In those days the Nations did not allow the folks in Washington decide who was in the tribe and who was not. It was decided by the tribe and each person. A Shawnee was a Shawnee because his/her heart said so and the other Shawnees could accept that. That is the way it should be. That is the way it will be one day again. rickr --------- "RE: Huron Cemetery Threatened" --------- Date: 4 Apr 1996 22:31:53 GMT From: DZE Subj: Huron Indian Cemetery threatened by CA$INO Newsgroups: alt.native Indian Burial Site $acred Land The latest attempt at development of Huron Indian Cemetery was by the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma. They now intend for the BIA to change the status of the land next to the cemetery into trust and then build a casino next to the cemetery. Two years ago they threatened to dig up the graves and move them to Oklahoma and build a casino in their place. Please help us keep our cemetery the sacred site that it is. In addition to the latest proposal of a casino, commercial interests have used the Federally recognized status of the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma to try to turn our sacred burial ground, protected by the Treaty of 1855 as a burying ground, into a parking lot and a department store site. The battle to defend Huron Indian Cemetery from commercial development has been ongoing for the past 130 years. The Wyandot Nation of Kansas has always and will always defend the Huron Indian Cemetery from any threats and desecration. The Wyandot Nation of Kansas is dedicated to the PRESERVATION, RESTORATION and MAINTENANCE of the Huron Indian Cemetery in Kansas City Kansas. The cemetery was established in 1843 and is held in trust for the WYANDOT PEOPLE (not one tribal branch or band!!!). Please send us your opinions on this matter. Please write your public officials to protest this misuse of indian law and desecration of our sacred land. I don't like my family's graves being used as some bargaining chip for a casino development. It seems extremely disrespectful and I am embarrassed to have to be public with this matter. I am however in good company in opposing this plan, and any other misuse of our burial land. In the early 1900's my cousin Lyda became the first indian woman lawyer to be heard in the Supreme Court in defense of the Huron Indian Cemetery. It has not always been popular to defend our gravesites, but we always have and we always will. thank you Niaweh Darren English Wyandot Nation of Kansas Wyandot Nation of Kansas P.O. Box 171755 Kansas City Ks 66117-0755 --------- "RE: Native American Studies" --------- Date: Sat, 6 Apr 1996 11:16:01 -0700 From: sowy@selway.umt.edu (Lu Ella Terry) Subj: BA - Native American Studies Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) March 28-29, 1996 Approval of Proposal to Offer a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a Major in Native American Studies: The University of Montana-Missoula THAT: The Board of Regents of Higher Education authorizes The University of Montana-Missoula to offer a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Native American Studies. EXPLANATION: The Native American Studies Program was founded at The University of Montana-Missoula in 1970. In 1984 The Program began offering a minor in Native American Studies. The Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Native American Studies will provide the first degree program in Montana, a State with seven distinct Indian communities representing about six percent of the population. The Native American Studies baccalaureate program is designed to engage the student in a broad liberal arts experience in tribal and Native American cultures, history, literature, philosophy, and government. Students complete 30 credits in the interdisciplinary core curriculum in Native American Studies and nine additional credits in anthropology, history, or sociology. Regionally, only the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Duluth, the University of North Dakota, and Montana State University- Northern have majors or concentrations with a major in Native American Studies. The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Native American Studies will provide a strong contribution to the academic excellence of higher education in the State of Montana. --------- "RE: Poem: Juniper's Embrace" --------- From: Lightbear@aol.com(Lightbear/Christiana V.L. Christie) Date: Wed Mar 20 20:56:27 1996 ] Subj: Wotanging Ikche/Kanoheda Aniyvwiya THE JUNIPER'S EMBRACE Love - nothing exists without it. It's the core, the glue of the universe. If something exists, it has perforce been touched and nurtured by love. It may not look like what was expected, but love has been there and still is. Love is the branches of the juniper that reach down to touch the grasses and the earth. The branch is embraced by the grass and the soil and returns the embrace. It is a natural exchange - because they are there; they exist. In all things that touch each other, however briefly, there is love, the glue that ties all together and makes all exist. It is no accident that something touches everything. Nothing exists that is not touched by a least one other thing, gluing it to the universe with love. My foot embraces the earth and the embrace is returned. Lightbear/Christiana V.L. Christie --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/04/06 13:54 From: Debra F. Sanders (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days Genie email A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of April 14-20 APELILA (April) (Welo) 14 In your time upon this earth, remember to walk with dignity. 15 Whale song calls me in my dreams. 16 The luminescence of the ocean at night glows like Pele's fire upon the sands. 17 The land is perpetuated in life. 18 Whisper to the wind your secret longings. 19 The blossoms of the shower tree form a golden lace upon the green grass. 20 Cherish the fragile beauty of nature -- it is ours to borrow, not to keep. (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, 11 Apr 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: cit@interlog.com (Centre for Indigenous Theatre) Subj: Toronto International SkyDome Pow Wow/Festival The Centre for Indigenous Theatre will be at the SkyDome International Pow Wow/Festival. We thought you may like to see a little about the event Date: May 18 & 19, 1996 Place: Toronto SkyDome (home of the Toronto Blue Jays) Time: 10:30 am each day Contact for more information: Ron Robert 10 Woodway Trail Brantford, Ontario N3R 5Z6 Tel: (519) 751-0040 Fax: (519) 751-2790 --------------------------------------------- From: Bob Parker Subject: 8th Annual Night for Night Walker It is time once again for the 8th Annual Night for Night Walker Sculpture and Crafts show, April 26 - 28, 1996 at the University Park Holiday Inn, 426 West Prospect, Fort Collins, Colorado. WE would be greatly honored if you planned to participate with us in this culturally diverse celebration of Native American Heritage. This year our format has changed. The Night For Night Walker show will focus on three dimensional art only and traditional Native American crafts. This year we will not be taking any paintings for display as we want to encourage all artists who specialize in 2 dimensional work to enter our first of its kind national juried art show this fall. (For more information on the fall show, visit the Night Walker Home Page at http://users.aol.com/fvinfo/nw/). The Night for Night Walker Show remains to be our most significant fundraiser as we not only provide a show that appeals to a broad segment of the population, but we are also able to impact the lives of many Native students who come from reservations to bring their artwork for display. This show allows some of these children to venture off the reservation for the first time in their life. The opportunity to participate in the show is an uplifting and educational experience that gives them a chance to explore and expand their horizons. Night Walker Enterprises, Inc. is a non-profit, all volunteer organization serving the needs of children and families on Native American Reservations. Since 1986, we have worked with twenty-five reservations in ten states. Approximately 5 million pounds of clothing and over 250,000 individual children's Christmas gifts have been delivered, as well as medical supplies, household goods and other necessities. We hope that many of our artist patrons can participate in this year's show. However, whether you can participate or not we would like to encourage you to assist us by donating crafts or three dimensional art to our show this year. The sale of these precious goods help us to provide more of life's necessities to those reservations in dire need. For more information on the arts and crafts show in general and, more significantly, how you can participate as an exhibitor, visit the Night Walker Home Page at http://users.aol.com/fvinfo/nw, and choose the link for A Night For Night Walker. Please note that any items shipped for donation or exhibition must be received by April 23, at 144 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. Reservations for exhibit space must be made no later than Friday, April 19th as space is limited this year. Don't forget to join us for the Artists Reception, Friday evening, April 26th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, colleagues and family to view the wonderful demonstrations, beautiful art and craft works and help us to help those in need. We look forward to hearing from you and enjoy your unique contribution to this exciting art event. Sincerely, Lewis Trujillo, Executive Director Night Walker Enterprises, Inc. ============================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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, Roberto Rodriguez & Patrisia Gonzales, Linda Manyguns, Aaron Osterby, Lorraine Milo, Rick Rudolph, Nicholas Wilson, Gentle Winds, Charlotte Colley via Laura Carrol via Distant Eagle, Lu Ella Terry, Darren English, Lightbear/Christiana V.L. Christie, Pablo/Lonesome Wolf, Frosty Deere --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 11 Apr 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 Original Sender: john.farrington@psl-online.com (John Farrington) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Apr 26-27: Texas Gulf Coast Tiah-Piah Annual Pow-Wow, at Albert Sallas County Park Arena, New Caney TX. Go 25 miles north on Hwy 59 from the Loop 610 intersection on Houston's north side to the New Caney exit, u-turn left under 59, go south on the feeder 1 mile to McCleskey Rd, go right 1 mile on McCleskey to the park. Covered arena, free admission and parking. Dancers from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and other regions. Friday Apr. 26: Gourd dancing begins at 7 PM Saturday Apr. 27: Gourd dancing 2 - 5 PM Supper break 5 - 7 PM Gourd dancing resumes 7 PM For information call Grant Gaumer at 713-448-8435. Traders by invitation only - call Dale Adams, 713-475-0221. or Grant Gaumer, 713-448-8435. --------------------------------------------- Original Sender: john.farrington@psl-online.com (John Farrington) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) May 3 & 4: Texas Kiowa Tiah-Piah Society Annual Pow Wow, Crowley TX, about 10 miles south of Fort Worth. Located 1/2 mile southwest of Crowley on State Hwy 1157: take Crowley exit off US Interstate-35W, then take FM 1187 west through Crowley until you go about 1/2 mile past the middle school. Look for Pow-Wow signs on the right hand side of the road. Turn right and follow signs to the Pow-Wow. In case of rain, the dance will be at the Crowley High School Gym. Friday May 3rd: Gourd dancing 6:30 - 7:30 PM, War dancing 8 - 11 PM. Saturday May 4th: Gourd dancing 2:30 - 5:00 PM, 6:30 - 7:30 PM, War Dancing 8:00 - 11:00 PM All Dancers, Singers, Arts & Crafts, and General Public are invited. Arts & Crafts must register in advance. For information contact Cliff Queton 817-297-3438, or Hilton Queton 817-263-6131, or George Tahbone 405-347-2115. -------------------------------------------------------- Original Sender: cedarface@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu (Mary Jane Cedar-Face) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Southern Oregon State College Native American Month - April 1996 April 11, Noon Gordon Bettles (Klamath Tribes) SU RRR, free "Klamath Cultural History" April 13, Noon ANNUAL SPRING POWWOW! McNeal Hall, free Grand Entries 1PM & 6:30PM April 14, 8PM Carlos Nakai, Acclaimed Navaho Flutist Music Recital Hall Benefit Concert April 15, Noon Inez Talanantez SU RRR, free Guest Lecturer April 16, 11-2 Story Telling! by Brent Florendo (Wasco SU RRR, free Warm Springs) & Art Exhibition April 26 & 27, 8PM Naa Kahidi Theater Music Recital Hall Native Alaskan Dramatic Anthology Every Tuesday, 7PM Native American Film Festival SU 330, free Weekly Feature Presentations Sponsored by SOSC Native American Student Union 541-552-6463 for information ------------------------------------------------------------ Original Sender: drexler@ksuvm.ksu.edu (Clyde Henderson) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The Native American Student Body at KSU extends an invitation to all to join us in the month-long celebration of events. Native American Heritage Month at Kansas State University APRIL 1996 "Uniting our Nations through education" APRIL 11 10-11 a.m., K-State Union, Room 208 Dr. Harald Prins, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Kansas State University. Lecture entitled "The Condor and the Eagle: native rights issues in the Americas." APRIL 14 4-7 p.m., ECM Building (1021 Denison) Indian Taco Dinner APRIL 17 12-1 p.m., K-State Union, Union Station. Flute Performance by Robert Hyatt, Title V Regional Rep. Of Kansas for Native Americans and Education, Educator, Traditional Flute Artist, and Dancer. 2-3 p.m., K-State Union, Room 207 Lecture by Robert Hyatt APRIL 20 - 7TH ANNUAL K-STATE POWWOW - Ahearn Field House, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., FREE ADMISSION Grand Entry at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. All drums and vendors welcomed. For more info., please call Travis at 913/587-9754, Clyde at 913/532-7453 (work) or E-mail: drexler@ksuvm.ksu.edu. APRIL 22 10-11 a.m., K-State Union, Room 206 Bea Peters, Director of the Native American Center at Lake Superior State University, Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Lecture entitled: "Problems dealing with university aspects from the Native American perspective." 2-5 p.m., K-State Union, Room 206 Bea Peters Women's talking circle APRIL 23 10-11 a.m., K-State Union, Council Chambers Bea Peters Native Story telling APRIL 26 10-11 a.m., K-State Union, Room 208 Dr. Karen Baird-Olsen, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Kansas State University. Lecture entitled: "Contemporary issues facing the modern American Indian woman in education today." Sponsored by the Native American Student Body, American Ethnic Studies Program; Office of Multicultural Affairs and Office of Multicultural Student Organizations. --------------------------------------- Original Sender: oglesby@pc2.pc.maricopa.edu (Oglesby) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The Maricopa Community College District and Phoenix College Native American Student Association are sponsoring: MCCD Honoring Ceremony/Spring Competition Pow Wow Phoenix College May 4, 1996 For Information - (602) 285-7392 ask for NASA You may also send e-mail to: William Oglesby NASA President ------------------------------------------- Original Sender: cedarface@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu (Mary Jane Cedar-Face) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) SOSC 4th Annual Spring Powwow 1996 "Standing Behind Our Students: Promoting Native Americans in Higher Education" Sponsored by SOSC Native American Student Union Saturday, April 13, 1996 McNeal Gymnasium, Southern Oregon State College, Ashland, OR Grand Entries - 1 PM & 6:30 PM. All singers and dancers welcome. Call 541-552-6463 for information NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL -------------------------------------------- Original Sender: travisj@mail.ca2.so-net.or.jp (Travis Johnson) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) To anyone who is interested: We are in the beginning stages of starting a long over-due Native American Intertribal Club for the many Native Americans who are stationed overseas here in Japan. What we are wanting to do is bring dancers and speakers over here to Japan for a week or so. We are in the beginning stages of planning, and are looking for any dancers and speakers who would be willing to come over here to Japan for a large Powwow. We will be opening the post on one day, so there will be a few thousand people here then. Is there anyone who can e-mail me back about information? To date, we are approved to provide airfare, lodging and meals. There will probably be more, if any are interested in coming over or know of any one who is, please e-mail me at . Thank you, Anni Johnson --------- "RE: Update: Round Valley Murder Case" --------- Date: Wed, 3 Apr 1996 18:24:15 -0800 From: nwilson@mcn.org (Nicholas Wilson) Subj: Round Valley murder case update Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ROUND VALLEY MURDER CASE UPDATE (includes the March 16, 1996 update plus new information) Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty Against Bear Lincoln Defense Charges Prosecution Racial Bias Against Indians Gag Order Limits Statements to Press Defense Seeks Change of Venue Editor Defies Subpoena; Ordered to Jail by Nicholas Wilson April 3, 1996 Prosecutors announced they are seeking the death penalty against Eugene "Bear" Lincoln, the Wailaki Indian man accused of killing a Mendocino deputy sheriff on the Round Valley Indian Reservation April 14, 1995. The defense charged prosecutors with racial bias and filed change of venue motion in the case. The judge issued a gag order limiting attorney statements to the media and ordered a newspaper editor jailed for refusing to turn over to the prosecution a letter to the editor from Lincoln. An intense manhunt for Lincoln on the remote reservation last spring resulted in a lawsuit alleging police misconduct and civil rights violations against Native Americans. Lincoln avoided capture for four months despite a $100,000 reward and coverage on the America's Most Wanted TV program. He turned himself over to authorities at attorney J. Tony Serra's San Francisco law office last August. DEATH PENALTY SOUGHT The prosecution announced in February it will seek the death penalty. Lincoln is charged with first degree murder of Mendocino Deputy Sheriff George "Bob" Davis, with special allegations of killing a police officer and lying in wait. He is also charged with second degree murder of his friend Leonard "Acorn" Peters, who was killed by deputy Davis minutes before Davis was shot. The prosecution says it was Lincoln who fired the first shot, setting off a gun battle in which first Peters, then Davis died. Initial statements by the prosecution's star witness, Deputy Sheriff Dennis Miller, were that Peters fired the first shot, and that Miller was not even aware that there might be another person present until after Peters had been killed. The two deputies were parked on a fire trail just off a winding mountain road watching for a suspect in another killing a few hours earlier. Lincoln says that he and Peters were ambushed in the dark while walking on rural Little Valley Road, and that Peters was killed right in front of him for no reason and with no warning. Lincoln's lead defense attorney, J. Tony Serra, says that the defense will be primarily one of self defense. The defense has filed a motion alleging racial discrimination in the seeking of the death penalty, citing a disproportionate number of cases in the past two decades in which Mendocino County prosecutors have sought the death penalty against Native Americans accused of killing Whites. In cases of Whites accused of killing Native Americans, the death penalty was never sought. A defense motion for discovery of evidence from the prosecution about charging practices will be heard May 8. GAG ORDER On March 20, the judge granted a prosecution request for a gag order limiting statements to the media by both prosecution and defense. The order prohibits making statements which a reasonable person would believe might prejudice potential jurors. (A dictionary definition of prejudice is 1) an unfavorable opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge; 2) hatred or dislike directed against a racial, religious, or national group.) The gag order is based on a new California State Bar rule passed in reaction to the O. J. Simpson case, but is stricter. The judge said he was leaving so-called "safe harbor" provisions (allowing attorneys to make statements countering recent bad publicity from the other side) because he considered them too vague to allow enforcement. The order requires the attorneys to get prior permission from the judge before making a potentially prejudicial statement to the media. Attorneys must direct their staffs, including investigators, paralegals, secretaries, and police officers not to talk to reporters about the case. The justification for the order is to avoid prejudicing the pool of potential jurors, making it impossible to provide a fair trial in the county. In giving the background for his order the judge wrote: "Rather than an obvious need to protect their client from prejudicial pretrial publicity, it appears that defendant's attorneys are motivated by a desire to add to that publicity to win a change of venue...." The judge noted that in early March, the defense had polled 468 county residents about the case. He said several of the questions contained highly prejudicial and inflammatory information about the defendant that would not be admissible in the guilt phase of the trial, and would possibly trigger a successful change of venue if they had been asked in a poll by the prosecution. Both of these questions had to do with Lincoln's past criminal record, in particular whether the person being polled had heard that Lincoln had been convicted of beating a two year old child to death (as was incorrectly reported in the Ukiah Daily Journal). In fact, Lincoln pleaded guilty in the late '70s to beating the child (who did not die), and served a prison sentence for it. This was reported in the press soon after the shootings. Mendocino County Sheriff Jim Tuso went on America's Most Wanted, calling Lincoln "a convicted felon who should be considered armed and dangerous." However, Lincoln family sources say that Lincoln did not beat the child, but took the rap for it to protect the child's mother, his girlfriend, because she was emotionally and mentally disturbed. Her children were later taken from her by the courts in another state for abusing them, the sources said. CHANGE OF VENUE Lincoln is not likely to get a fair and impartial trial in Mendocino County, Lincoln's court appointed attorney Philip DeJong said in papers supporting the change of venue motion. A preliminary report from a jury expert found that pretrial publicity was "extremely high" and prejudicial, with 142 newspaper articles in just the first 90 days following the shootings on April 14, 1995. The venue motion cited a recent survey showing that 92.7 percent of Mendocino County residents polled recognized the case, and that 45.4 percent of them believe Lincoln is "definitely" or "probably" guilty. The papers alleged bias and prejudice against Native Americans in Mendocino County, where they make up only 4 percent of the population of 80,345, while 84 percent are White, 10 percent Hispanic, and 1 percent Black. Judge James Luther ordered the supporting documents sealed to prevent their release to the media. A hearing on the venue motion will be on May 8. EDITOR DEFIES SUBPOENA At a March 15 court hearing on the case, Anderson Valley Advertiser editor Bruce Anderson fought a prosecution subpoena to produce the original of a letter to the editor from Lincoln, and the envelope that contained it. Anderson appeared without the letter, but with an attorney, who invoked the California Reporter's Shield Law. Anderson declared in an editorial two days before the hearing: "I have the letter and I have the envelope. The DA is not getting them." He vowed to go to jail rather than produce the letter. Deputy District Attorney Aaron Williams told Judge Luther he wanted the letter examined by a handwriting expert to establish that it really was written by Lincoln so it can be used as evidence against him. Williams considers the letter incriminating, placing Lincoln at the scene of the shootings. He said it also could be used to attack Lincoln's credibility because of statements made in the letter. Lincoln wrote that he and Peters were ambushed, and that it sounded like five or six M-16s firing simultaneously. Referring to Peters, Lincoln wrote: "He broke no laws, he had no warrants for his arrest, there was no roadblock, no lights, no warning, only darkness, and then a blaze of gunfire." [link to letter] Anderson's attorney, Carl Shapiro, cited the shield law's clear protection against newspersons being forced to produce information which has not been published. On that basis the judge ruled Anderson did not have to produce the envelope. Shapiro said case law provides a number of hurdles that must be met before a newsperson can be forced to produce information protected by the shield law. The first test is that the information must be so vital that the outcome of the case would be changed without it. The prosecution already has an earlier letter Lincoln wrote to his girlfriend that places him at the scene and contains many of the same allegations. A second test is that the information can be had in no other way. Shapiro pointed out that the letter was published, and that a copy can be admitted as evidence when the original can not be had after reasonable effort. Shapiro's main argument was that the letter to the editor is the last bastion of the freedom of speech constitutionally guaranteed by the U.S. and California constitutions. He called it "as vital a part of free speech as exists in our culture today." If the editor is forced to produce the letter, other writers would lose confidence in the paper as a safe place to write their opinion, chilling free expression. Judge Luther said the shield law does not protect the letter because it was published in the paper. Shapiro countered that only a copy of the letter was published, not the handwriting; that the published version may have been edited, and that the unpublished information must be protected unless there was a showing that it was vitally needed. However the judge failed to make a distinction between the words of the letter, which were published, and those aspects of it which were not published. He ruled that Anderson must obey the subpoena and produce the letter. When Anderson still refused to give up the original letter, the judge found him in contempt of court and ordered him jailed until he produces the letter. Anderson has until April 22 to produce the letter, file an appeal or go to jail. Shapiro said he will appeal to a higher court. District Attorney Susan Massini (who just lost an election bid to fill Judge Luther's position when he retires at the end of the year) was in court for the Anderson hearing, sitting in for Deputy D. A. Aaron Williams, the lead prosecutor in the Lincoln case. Williams was reportedly in a Redwood City courtroom watching Lincoln's lead attorney Tony Serra argue another murder case. ------------------------------- INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE ANDERSON In an interview outside the courthouse, the outspoken editor freely commented on the letter-to-the-editor matter and the Lincoln murder case in general. "I'm not looking forward to jail. It complicates my life enormously. I have three dependent people at home, including my 80 year old mother. But this is where you have to draw the line. If the government can just rummage through my files, people will cease communicating with my paper, and with papers, period. I think it's a very important issue, and I think the appeals court will recognize that." "That letter is not relevant to this case. It's a statement from Bear Lincoln about those events, but they're very vague. It does not incriminate him in any way, and if the D.A. is depending on that letter to convict Bear Lincoln -- to kill him, really, which is what Mendocino County wants to do -- they really don't have a case. I think it's evidence of the weakness of their case." Asked whether he thought Lincoln could get a fair trial in the county, Anderson responded: "I think there is a built in bias against a whole variety of people, and certainly against Native Americans. The paramilitary invasion of Round Valley (after the shootings) certainly established that. They would certainly not have tried that in Deerwood (an affluent Ukiah neighborhood), but they felt free to do it in Covelo. There's bias aplenty in this county." ------------------------------- LETTER TO THE EDITOR Anderson Valley Advertiser January 17, 1995 Editor, On the night of April 14, 1995, on top of "Little Valley Ridge" is a night I'll never forget. It was a night that I lost one of my best friends, Leonard Acorn Peters. He was a man who was respectful of everyone, he was very easy to get along with. He was a non-violent man, well-loved and respected among the Indian community on the "Round Valley Reservation." He loved the hills in Hull's Valley where he lived with his wife, Cyndi and his children. He was happy living the simple life with the family he loved very much. April 14th was a dark dark night, it was very hard to see anything. On top of Little Valley Ridge the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department laid in wait, and ambushed and murdered our brother Acorn. He broke no laws, he had no warrants for his arrest, there was no roadblock, no lights, no warning, only darkness, and then a blaze of gunfire. Acorn died quickly, I believe he was dead before he hit the ground. The M-16s were still going off even after he was down, there sounded like five or six weapons going off all at the same time. I believe that the Sheriff's Department was only interested in getting a body count. I believe it was their plan to kill as many Indians as they could. After the shooting was over and it was still very dark, no one could see 20 feet in front of themselves. It is my opinion that the police fired approximately 200 to 250 rounds of ammunition, and there was definitely more than just one M-16. We the native people on the "Round Valley Indian Reservation" are a sovereign nation, or at least on paper anyway. What the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department did on the night of April 14th, to any other sovereign nation would be considered an act of war! "Shoot to Kill," Bear Lincoln was the order of the day. Don't give him no chances; blow him away, guilty or innocent, he must die. So "shoot to kill," was the order of the day in Mendocino County, with a $100,000 bounty for my scalp, just to make the hunt more interesting. So I must send a warning to all my Indian brothers to be wise and be strong, because your lives are in danger in northern California. Especially in Mendocino County, Sheriff Tuso has declared war on the whole Indian population. They could not catch me in the hills and execute me like they wanted. But they will settle for someone else for now, they still want their revenge, and they still want their body count of Indians! Signed: Pissed off, but still a "Peaceful Organic Vegetable Farmer" Bear Lincoln Ukiah ------------------------------------- A different version of this article appeared in the Albion Monitor, a progressive twice monthly electronic newspaper on the World Wide Web. If you have WWW access, see the Sept. 2, 1996, issue of the Albion Monitor for comprehensive background on the Round Valley Case at: http://www.monitor.net/monitor/9-2-95/rv.html (or leave off all after "monitor/" for the current issue) For an extensive archive of articles and internet dispatches about the Round Valley case, check out the PlanetPeace web page at: http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/ --------- "RE: Need to Get This Off My Chest" --------- Date: Sun, 7 Apr 1996 23:14:37 -0500 From: frosty.deere@igloo.magicnet.com (FROSTY DEERE) Subj: Need to Get This Off My Chest Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) I think this will cause some feathers to fly but after reading this and a few other Native areas and some E-mail, I have to get this off my chest. Please post any place if you like. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WE ARE PEOPLE TOO ! We native people are humans and would like to be treated as such. We are people not to be used as a hobby or to be confused as a coin or a painting you show off to others as a prize or a museum piece. We are a culture, one that we are trying to keep among our people and regain before the will of the government comes true and we are no more. We are a living language that has been crushed and almost lost off the face of Mother Earth but still its alive. We are a history that has beauty, love and war, but much of it is fiction as written by those not of our kind. We are not patients that you need to probe deep into our hearts in search of whats missing in your lives. We are not here to give you life, we are trying to save ours that many have work hard to destroy. We have a spirituality which has no HELL or HEAVEN, and yet you demand to learn about it, but we will go HELL if do not accept yours. We have customs that we want to keep because they make us happy and we are not willing to change them so people can become sad with tears. We are many things and its time that people leave us to be what the Creator put us here for. Meaning we are not to be studied or looked at as a hobby so people can search to full fill their religious, or philosophical needs. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Why did I say these things ? When I get E-mail asking me for a Indian name for a persons dog, or someone that claims to be native but has never set foot or wants to be near a native, but asks can you give me a Mohawk name. Or then we have how do you say this, I want to use it as name. Anyone that knows anything knows we don't just give out names or make them up. Or I see things like "I am in school doing a paper on the life and times of Indian and can you help me. When I refuse, one should see the messages. We don't go digging, probing and thrusting in to anyone's lives. Why do people have to do this to our people? Walk into any museum, they seem to think they can preserve us and even hold much of our culture from us. Its as if we can not be trusted to protect what is ours. Look at our graves and watch as they remove the bones of our people. No care about what we think, only what they think and care about is what matters. Sorry but I just had to say this and it can be crossed over anyplace anyone see fit or just removed like everything else we have ever done or said. Sken:nen Peace --------- "RE: Abenaki Unity Meeting" --------- Date: Thu, 4 Apr 1996 08:07:33 -0500 From: pablo@abenaki.tribal.org Subj: Abenaki Unity Meeting Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) In an effort to help mend the sacred hoop, the Southern New England Council of the National Federation of the Republic of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation held a meeting of the Congress of the Councils of the Federated Tribes of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation and a unity meeting for all interested peoples. The meeting, held March 30th in South Attleboro, Massachusetts, attracted over 300 people from all the New England States, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Florida and Odanak, Canada. A Unity March was held, a Sacred Circle and Council Fire, Welcoming and Honoring songs, several addresses and a potluck. Following the Meal the group was addressed by Steven McFadden, author of many books of native wisdom and thought and participant in the Sunbow 5 walk for peace and unity. McFadden went into detail regarding the prophecies of the elders and the Seven Fires Prophecy in particular. He explained the need to unify now as a people and with all peoples to save the planet and the future. Chief Looking Glass was host. Pablo Lonesome Wolf Cowasuck Band of the Abenaki ÿÿÿ