Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews04.016 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 016 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 20 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 Innu Peoples', NATCHAT, MINN-IND, TRIBALLAW & NATIVE-L listservers; UUCP & Genie email; Newsgroups: apc.indig.health,soc.culture.native,alt.native,rec.arts.books, alt.books.reviews,alt.native,soc.culture.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 "We, the members of the Indian Tribes of the United States of America invoking the divine guidance of Almighty God in order to secure to ourselves -- The Indians of the United States and the Natives of Alaska -- and our descendants the rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws of the United States, and the several states thereof, to enlighten the public toward the better understanding of the Indian people, to, preserve rights under Indian treaties or agreements with the United States; to promote the common welfare of the American Indian and to foster the loyalty and allegiance of American Indians to the flag of the United States do establish this organization and adopt the following Constitution and By-laws." __ Preamble to National Congress of American Indians Constitution (1944) +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Let us for a moment consider something. In 1832 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled for the Cherokee Nation that their lands were theirs by right of discovery, and could not be removed. President Andrew Jackson refused to honor this landmark decree, and took the matter to congress even as Georgia held an illegal lottery for the Cherokee lands. The Indian Removal Act passed by one (1) vote. This Act, though never challenged, was in fact, unconstitutional. This means that any other lands of any Nation removed under the Indian Removal Act were done so unconstitutionally, by prior decree. What if... The People filed a class action suit for return of lands unlawfully removed? 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 - Words of Leonard Peltier - Conferences and Powwows - online - James Bay Project: 25th Anniversary - Reading Materials Needed - Huron Indian Cemetery - Marcos' Speech to Encuentro - Big Mountain Update - Children Day of Prayer - NA Prisoners at the Stillwater State - Innu Supporters Win Court Case - Cree Win Hunting Rights - Good Medicine - Reviews: Books by and About NAs - Poem: Demolition Derby - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Words of Leonard Peltier" --------- Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:23:12 -0500 (CDT) From: freedom@prairienet.org (Freedom Heart Rising) Subj: Words of Leonard Peltier!!! UUCP email O'siyo, friends. Following is the letter from Leonard, from the new issue of "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse", the LPDC newsletter. I always love to read _his_ words! ++++++++ Statement of Leonard Peltier: Greetings, my friends, I cannot express to you the anxiety and frustration I have been dealing with, first with the sudden transfer, then with the surgery, and now as we wait for a decision from the United States Parole Commission. I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who sent postal money orders, soft cover books, cards and letters. Your generous and compassionate thoughts are truly helping me to recover. I am proud of everyone who took part in the February 6th Day of Action. It was not easy to take time from work, and brave the cold winds blowing in so many places. My heart goes out to everyone for that wonderful sacrifice. It keeps me strong, knowing that on the outside, beyond these terrible walls, stand so many good people. In prison, I often meet those whose faith in humankind has been defeated, mutilated beyond recognition. I thank the Creator every day that my support system is so strong, vibrant, courageous, and caring. We must reach out to those who are standing so alone, whether they be young or old, regardless of race or religion. Here at the medical facility I see sick and lonely men, desperate to hear from friends or family. I am sorry for them. It makes me wonder about kids in foster care, and elders in nursing homes. It's so easy to make someone's day a little brighter. For example, on the cover of this newsletter are several very happy children. They are happy because kind-hearted people decided to sponsor them for Christmas. In all, we had nearly fifty children in the Christmas program, which I am hoping to start year-round. Why make these beautiful kids happy only one day a year? For those interested in becoming a bigger part of childrens' lives, please contact Lisa at the LPDC and she will place you on a list of individuals interested in getting such a program started. Remember, this is an election year, and while I am deeply and consistently touched with this ceaseless call for my freedom, also use this opportunity to voice our shared concerns about prison rights, judicial inequities, human rights, and hardship for children and elders living on our reservations and in our inner cities. These are the issues that should concern our leadership; not whether a same-sex couple should marry! I am appalled by some of the rhetoric and mudslinging. Do they expect us to care about the private lives of individuals, where we have no business, or about kids having kids and dropping out of school? Or grandparents freezing in their apartments? Or babies born to single mothers, their father's denying their responsibilities? Or the blatantly disproportionate number of minorities in prisons? Please, my friends, be loud, be heard! In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, Leonard Peltier ++++++++ To contact Leonard: You can write, send softcover books, photographs (excluding Polaroids) and Postal Money Orders (he needs the money for phone calls, stamps, paper, etc.) to: Leonard Peltier #89637-132 Springfield Medical Facility 1900 W. Sunshine P.O. Box 4000 Springfield, MO 65808 ++++++ To contact the LPDC: Leonard Peltier Defense Committee P.O. Box 583 Lawrence, Kansas 66044 USA 1-913-842-5774 +++++ Please continue calls to the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111 (hit 0 for an operator to avoid the survey) to urge Executive Clemency. Also, President email address: make sure you put the name "Peltier", in the subject heading: clinton@whitehouse.gov ++++++ Many thanks! Freedom Heart Rising Freedom/LPSG --------- "RE: James Bay Project: 25th Anniversary" --------- Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 22:34:40 -0400 From: Cree@world.std.com (MA Save James Bay Foundation) Subj: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the James Bay Project UUCP email Dear People - We are circulating this message to remind Hydro-Quebec that we have not forgotten their actions of the last twenty-five years. Since we are posting to a number of lists, Websites and individuals, please excuse any repetitions but feel free to extend the message if you are moved to do so. Thanks for your support in this effort. Massachusetts Save James Bay Foundation _______________________________________________________ Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Announcement of the Hydro-Quebec James Bay Projects April 30, 1996 On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the announcement of the destruction of large sections of northern Quebec by Hydro-Quebec, Quebec's state-owned and regulated utility, the Massachusetts Save James Bay Foundation asks all concerned citizens to aid in the continuing struggle for survival of the Grand Council of the Crees (of Quebec) by emailing your support to . Since the inaugural announcement in April of 1971, Hydro-Quebec has been developing massive hydro-electric projects along many rivers in the James and Hudson Bay region of northern Quebec. These projects have extensive ecological and socioeconomic impacts on the bioregion and its inhabitants, including the nearly 18,000 indigenous peoples (Cree and Inuit) who have lived in the area for over 5,000 years. A significant portion of the electricity produced by this project is sold to New York and New England. James Bay I, the first phase of the proposed projects, has already: + flooded 4,000 square miles of forest, tundra and taiga (an area equal to half the size of New Hampshire) + released vast quantities of greenhouse gases from drowned peat beds, wetlands and forests into the atmosphere + converted naturally-occurring inorganic mercury to highly toxic and rapidly bioaccumulating methyl mercury, resulting in the poisoning of the aquatic food chain and, in turn, the native peoples + adversely impacted the habitat of many species of migratory birds, beluga whales, caribou, wolverines, and the other species who inhabit this fragile ecosystem + threatens to destroy what is left of the traditional indigenous cultures whose identity and way of life are inextricably tied to the land There has never been an environmental review for the James Bay project. In November 1994, the next phase of development was postponed indefinitely by the Quebec government, although the project could be reinstated at any time. Recently, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard announced in March 95 that the Quebec government would study building dam on the Eastmain River, reviving part of the James Bay project. The factors which complicate the postponement include: (1) the political climate of uncertainty in Quebec as the province grapples with the issue of formal separation from Canada, and (2) the coming deregulation of the electric utility industry in New England and New York which could lead to increased demand for electricity from James Bay. Massachusetts ratepayers spend over $70 million annually for electricity from the James Bay hydro-projects (approximately 2.45 billion kilowatt-hours, 5.4% of its annual state-wide demand). Cheaper in-state alternatives exist[add comma after exist] including energy efficiency programs that experts estimate could save 5 to 10 billion kilowatt-hours per year. Join Massachusetts Save James Bay Foundation in sending a message of support to the indigenous peoples of Quebec to recognize their twenty-five year struggle to protect their lands and way of life. If you are in Boston, Massachusetts on Saturday, April 27, please sign the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Banner at Boston's Earth Day Concert at the Hatch Shell, Storrow Drive at the James Bay booth. If you can't join us there, please set up a banner and booth at your own local Earth Day event or send us your message via email at . All messages will be sent to the Cree and Inuit Nations to show that people around the world support their struggle to preserve their cultures and ways of life. For more information: MA Save James Bay Foundation 75 Bailey Street Dorchester, MA 02124 USA 1-617-265-6263 Cree@world.std.com --------- "RE: Huron Indian Cemetery" --------- Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 18:25:03 -0700 (PDT) From: "D.Z. English" Subj: Huron Indian Cemetery Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu) I appologise for having to bring this up again. I wish I didn't have to air our tribal laundry in public like this, but I really don't have much recourse at this point. I have received word from the BIA that a decision will be made within the next week whether or not they will put the land next to the Huron Indian Cemetery into trust. I have put together a web site with as much information as I could find, including a BIA ruling in the case of Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma v. Muskogee Area Director BIA Could someone please take a look at it and let me know what this decision means? I understand people are on all sides of this gambling issue, but should I take the silence I'm receiving about this issue to mean that people condone this kind of maneuvering to use a cemetery for a casino? It seems to me I read somewhere that Indian burial sites were sacred. Maybe they're only sacred until they've got a price tag, or does the price tag make it all the more sacred? Whatever your position about gambling, please write to Bruce Babbitt and Ada Deer and ask them to please NOT put the land next to the Huron Indian Cemetery into trust for a Casino. The Wyandot Nation of Kansas, a state recognized indian nation (formerly known as "absentee" or "citizen" Wyandots) has for the past 130 years defended the Huron Indian Cemetery from desecration, sale and commercial development by the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma. We have continued to use the Huron Indian Cemetery as a burial ground reserved for the Wyandot people as stipulated in the Treaty of 1855 and are the direct lineal descendants of those buried in the Huron Indian Cemetery. Further documentation about the attempts at sale and our efforts to preserve the cemetery can be found on the internet at http://www.sfo.com/~denglish/huron cemetery The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma announced recently that approval has been given by the BIA to transfer the status of the property located next to the Huron Indian Cemetery to trust status for the purpose of building a casino. A preliminary opinion in favor the Wyandottes of Oklahoma's proposal has been made by the solicitor's office. I am told by the BIA that this matter is currently under review in their offices and that a decision will be rendered in two weeks. We have received indication from not only members of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas, but from people nationwide that there is a very strong opposition to the establishment of any commercial or gaming venture which might encroach upon the sanctity of Huron Cemetery, the hallowed burial place of our ancestors. We believe that the cemetery, held in trust by the Department of the Interior for the use of the Wyandot Nation as a burial ground, belongs to the Wyandot Nation. At a minimum, we are joint owners with our cousins of the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma. However, since we have continued to use the cemetery both to bury our loved ones and to continually show respect, we believe that we have a superior claim in equity. Thank you for your time and concern in this matter. Darren English Wyandot Nation of Kansas Cultural Coordinator denglish@sfo.com http://www.sfo.com/~denglish/huron cemetery www.sfo.com/~denglish/huron cemetery Information about the attempt to build a casino on Huron Indian Cemetery www.sfo.com/~denglish/quindaro Quindaro Town History Site www.sfo.com/~denglish/relations Jesuit Relations --------- "RE: Big Mountain Update" --------- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 20:41:21 GMT From: mosa@netcom.com (Michele Lord) Subj: Big Mountain Update -Part 1 Newsgroup: alt.native Statement to the Public on Behalf of the Traditional Dine'h Elders of the Disputed Lands on the Former Joint Use Area Recognizing our religious obligation to steward the sacred ancestral land on which we currently reside, the Traditional Dine'h will not sign the "Accommodation Agreement" in its present state. Our allegiance is vested in the land and our Creator and we will not compromise our religious freedoms in order to facilitate a politically expeditious agreement. The U.S. government and the Navajo Tribal Council have sought to keep us and the public out of the settlement process and now expect us to condone a completely unacceptable agreement. We will seek new legal counsel and continue to pursue our religious freedoms and human rights. Our families have suffered 20 years of poverty and harassment at the hands of the U.S. government. Even amidst the five years of mediation, the BIA has continued to impound our livestock and intimidate Elders in an effort to relocate us. Our health, family life, and culture have suffered irreparable damage. The current agreement provides us with no security from future eviction and provides us with no means by which we can economically sustain ourselves. Our families will not be able to afford to live as full time residents on the land and therefore we will not be able to pass this sacred land on to our future generations. This agreement violates every principle of our religion, culture and sovereignty. This settlement does not address the needs of thousands of refugees who have already been relocated. We cannot dismiss their concerns and those of family members and part time residents who will have no rights under the proposed agreement. Representatives of the Navajo Nation and our former attorney, Lee Brooke Phillips, have counseled us to sign leases with the Hopi Tribal Council as the only way we can avoid eviction. We have been warned to expect violence from U.S. Marshalls if we do not sign this agreement by December of 1996. The U.S. government is threatening to cut-off relocation benefits after years, adding further duress as we are being asked to consider this settlement. This settlement is a product of a United States Department of Justice policy designed to pit the Hopi and Navajo against each other in an attempt to escape their own responsibility to the Indian people of both tribes. We will not accept an agreement without protection from eviction and freedom to sustain ourselves through our traditional lifestyle. We are undeniably attached to our sacred homelands and will not compromise our obligation to continue to steward this land so that we can pass it and our culture on to our future generations. _______________________________________________________________________ Statement to the Public on Behalf of the Traditional Dine'h Elders of the Disputed Lands on the Former Joint Use Area Recognizing our religious obligation to steward the sacred ancestral land on which we currently reside, the Traditional Dine'h will not sign the "Accommodation Agreement" in its present state. Our allegiance is vested in the land and our Creator and we will not compromise our religious freedoms in order to facilitate a politically expeditious agreement. The U.S. government and the Navajo Tribal Council have sought to keep us and the public out of the settlement process and now expect us to condone a completely unacceptable agreement. We will seek new legal counsel and continue to pursue our religious freedoms and human rights. Our families have suffered 20 years of poverty and harassment at the hands of the U.S. government. Even amidst the five years of mediation, the BIA has continued to impound our livestock and intimidate Elders in an effort to relocate us. Our health, family life, and culture have suffered irreparable damage. The current agreement provides us with no security from future eviction and provides us with no means by which we can economically sustain ourselves. Our families will not be able to afford to live as full time residents on the land and therefore we will not be able to pass this sacred land on to our future generations. This agreement violates every principle of our religion, culture and sovereignty. This settlement does not address the needs of thousands of refugees who have already been relocated. We cannot dismiss their concerns and those of family members and part time residents who will have no rights under the proposed agreement. Representatives of the Navajo Nation and our former attorney, Lee Brooke Phillips, have counseled us to sign leases with the Hopi Tribal Council as the only way we can avoid eviction. We have been warned to expect violence from U.S. Marshalls if we do not sign this agreement by December of 1996. The U.S. government is threatening to cut-off relocation benefits after years, adding further duress as we are being asked to consider this settlement. This settlement is a product of a United States Department of Justice policy designed to pit the Hopi and Navajo against each other in an attempt to escape their own responsibility to the Indian people of both tribes. We will not accept an agreement without protection from eviction and freedom to sustain ourselves through our traditional lifestyle. We are undeniably attached to our sacred homelands and will not compromise our obligation to continue to steward this land so that we can pass it and our culture on to our future generations. _______________________________________________________________________ Lee Brooke Phillips Attorney at Law 224 East Birch Flagstaff AZ 86001 Tel: 520-779-1580 Fax: 520-779-2909 March 18, 1996 PROCESS FOR PRESENTING PROPOSED ACCOMMODATION AGREEMENT TO NAVAJO FAMILIES AND THEIR DECISION TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THE AGREEMENT 1. Accommodation Agreement (A.G.) approved by family representatives. (Nov. 1995) 2. Various documents put together into one document with one cover sheet. (Jan 1996) 3. Update meetings with family representatives and HPL communities. (Feb. 1996) 4. Mapping of HPL homesites. (Jan., Feb. & Mar. 1996) 5. Mediation meeting with David Lombardi. (March 14, 1996) 6. Update meeting with family representatives. (March 18, 1996) 7. Update meetings with HPL communities. (March 19 & 20, 1996) 8. Senate Hearing to review A. G. and Hopi/U.S. Agreement. (March 28, 1996) 9. Educational meetings with HPL communities. (April, May 1996) 10. Written notice to all full-time residents on HPL about proposed A.G. (June, July 1996) 11. Families who wish to stay on HPL can begin to sign A.G. (June 1996) 12. Families who oppose A.G. can file written objections with the Federal Court and request a hearing on their objections. (June, July 1996) 13. Families who sign A.G. will work with Navajo Nation to set up new grazing program and begin new construction of homes, etc. (June, July, Aug. 1996) 14. Federal Court hearing on objections to proposed A.G. Court will either approve or reject proposed A.G. 15. Court will issue its decision either accepting or rejecting the proposed A.G. (August, Sept. 1996) 16. Families will continue to consider the proposed A.G. (Sept., Oct., Nov. 1996) 17. Final deadline to sign A.G. (Dec. 1996) 18. Families who accept and sign Agreement have three (3) years to live with Agreement and remain eligible for relocation assistance. 19. Families who reject the Agreement will be subject to eviction once relocation homes are built for them on New Lands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + If you have come here to help me, Michele Lord + you are wasting your time..... LoomWork + But if you have come because http://www.ratical.com/ + your liberation is bound up with mine, mosa@netcom.com + then let us work together. Aboriginal Woman ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ --------- "RE: NA Prisoners at the Stillwater State" --------- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 10:58:52 -0500 From: Chris Spotted Eagle Subj: Indian prisoners Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs Are your spiritual and religious beliefs a sacred right (rite) to practice? The Circle newspaper April 1996 issue did a cover story, Native Rites, by Mark Anthony Rolo. "Native American Prisoners at the Stillwater State Correctional Facility say their spiritual rights are being locked out. They are taking the prison system to court to get those rights back." The Indian American Folklore Group filed a class action federal lawsuit against the Minnesota State Corrections Department, last fall. Attorney, Jordan Kushner, is representing IAFG. Audrey Jackson, an elder of the White Earth reservation, has started a raffle to help pay legal costs. Tickets are six for $5 or $1 each. Some of the prizes are beadwork, wildrice, paintings, posters, and more. Make checks payable to the Indian American Folklore Group (IAFG) and mail them with a SASE to Kathy Zachery, 529 South 7th St., Sexton Bldg., #636, Mpls, MN 55115. IAFG is a 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax deductible. Drawings will be held at the American Indian Student Association Pow Wow, UofM, May 11 & 12 and at the Powderhorn Park Pow Wow, May 18 & 19, in Minneapolis. FFI call Zachery 612/288-0545 daytime. PS: See cover story, Cracking Down, April 3, 1996 City Pages, by Jennifer Vogel. "Rising repression means escalating tensions at Oak Park Heights, the state's only maximum-security prison." Is there a similar environment at Stillwater. Chris Spotted Eagle cseagle@maroon.tc.umn.edu Voi: 612/377-4212 Fax: 612/377-7020 --------- "RE: Cree Win Hunting Rights" --------- Date: Sat, 6 Apr 96 23:37:00 UTC 0000 From: Brave Star Subj: Cree Win Hunting Rights UUCP email According to an article in the Southam Chain of newspapers on Apr. 4 the Supreme court of Canada has upheld the right of Northern Prairie Crees to hunt on private land that isn't settled or being used for commercial purposes. The decision though flowing from Alberta cases, could apply to aboriginal across the Prairies with treaties similar to the one signed by the Crees. The matter began with the prosecution of three Indians under provincial wildlife laws for hunting out of season or without a license. All three men were convicted in the provincial court and their subsequent appeals failed. An 1899 treaty, involving vast land tracts in what is now northern Alberta, northeaster BC and part of the Northwest territories extended hunting, fishing and trapping rights to Indians. It said the right would not apply on land taken up for settlement, mining, lumbering, trading or other purposes. The high court said the right to hunt should be decided on a case by case basis. "If the lands are occupied , put to visible use which is incompatible with hunting, Indians will not have a right to access." The high court said reasonable licensing regulations aimed at ensuring safety do not infringe aboriginal treaty rights to hunt for food. But the portion of the law that sets out hunting seasons does infringe those rights, which say no limits can be imposed on when the band members hunt. Although this was not a complete victory for native hunting rights, it is a good step in the right direction. Brave Star --------- "RE: Good Medicine" --------- Date: 3:21 PM Apr 5, 1996 From: snowy@selway.umt.edu Subj: Good Medicine Newsgroup: apc.indig.health [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 Good Medicine Combining Modern Medicine and Native Healing by Marga Lincoln "When I first learned I had cancer, it was just absolutely devastating," says Jerry Slater, vice president of academic affairs at Salish-Kootenai College and an enrolled tribal member. Diagnosed with bone cancer in July 1994, Slater was told by doctors that the disease would run its course. Slater, who describes himself as a "fix-it" type of person, was suddenly faced with "something that couldn't be fixed." "Immediately I went into a deep depression," he recalls. "I could wake up and it was like something black was sitting on my chest and face, almost smothering me." His brother-in-law, a Blackfeet medicine man, approached Slater and offered to help. Slater accepted because he "had nothing to lose." He had not sought out a native healer on his own, he says, because he was not raised practicing tribal traditions. "I'm thankful I found this way, otherwise I would have been treating this one little part of me," he says. Like an increasing number of American Indians and non-Indians, Slater decided to use both a doctor and a native healer to treat his bone cancer. He regularly consulted with a cancer specialist and received six chemotherapy treatments. With his native healer, he took part in five healing ceremonies that involved medicine bundles, prayer, song and sweats. "Together they seem quite powerful," Slater says of the combined medical practices. "That's why I am working with both." Modern allopathic medicine focuses on the physical aspects of illness or injury. Using research-based treatments, physicians approach medical conditions by treating symptoms. While native healing varies by tribe, it generally treats illness as a disruption of the mind, body and spirit. Healing seeks to restore balance and harmony, whether the problem is physical, emotional or spiritual. As soon as Slater began working with a healer, his depression began to lift. "I just seemed to relax, to calm down. I developed a different attitude about myself," he says. He changed to a healthier diet and began to exercise regularly. "I began to take better care of myself. If you truly respect yourself, it's much easier to take care of yourself." Slater also developed a different attitude about his illness. He has learned to be thankful for what he has. "Everything that happens, there's a reason," he says. "I had to re-examine my life and relationships. My family and health became a higher priority for me than work. There's almost a gift within the illness. My life is so much richer now. My life is this particular day." He gestures out his office window to the Mission Mountains, lit with a golden autumn light. "I think of the phenomenal beauty of this world. There are cycles of life that are deep and profound. I am just a part of the rhythm and cycle. I am finding that place of harmony." If modern medicine treated a person's spirit as well as the body, Slater believes it could reduce a patient's anxiety and fear. Slater found native healing eased his fears and helped him become more involved in his own treatment. "You're told by Western medicine there's nothing you can do. There's mechanical intervention," he says. "In Native American medicine, you have to participate. If you don't do anything, nothing's going to happen." Doctors are kept too busy staying abreast of the latest medical developments to explore alternative types of healing, he says. "In the Western way of medicine, they try to hard to be honest," he says. "They're very careful not to deceive you. What they don't understand is they don't give you enough hope - the kinds of things you need. They're cold and factual. Their vision of us is too narrow." Native Healing and Hospitals Bonnie Craig, director of UM Native American Studies, reached the same conclusion during treatment of ovarian cancer. Her experiences as a Blackfeet Indian in a Seattle hospital were the impetus for a conference on American Indian health care issues that was held at UM in April 1995. The conference featured American Indian physicians and practitioners who find traditional healing complements their medical practice. "When I was diagnosed with cancer, I felt schizophrenic," Craig says. "I felt pulled to my personal roots, yet part of me was pulled to modern technology. I made a personal choice to bring together doctors, nurses and tribal healers." Fear was at the root of her decision to use both modern medicine and traditional healing, she says. "I needed a foot in both worlds in order to feel comfortable." Unlike modern medicine, native healing treats the mind, body and the spirit, Craig says. "It places you in the middle of your family or your tribal members, who surround you and give you their support and their love. There's a continuum of prayer that goes on constantly." In the course of her treatment, Craig took part in numerous healing ceremonies. She also had a hysterectomy, follow-up surgery, taxol treatments and high-dose chemotherapy. The chemotherapy took an incredible physical toll. "A couple of times I felt near death," she says. Craig's hospital experiences varied widely. One of her specialists took an interest in getting to know her and learning about her cultural practices. He urged her to treat her cancer like a boxing match, to strike the first blow and always get back up. This was in sharp contrast to a later trip Craig made to the same hospital. Each day a team of a dozen specialists entered Craig's room to examine her. There was no conversation. "They didn't know who I am," Craig says. "They were not relating to me as a person." At one point she became so frustrated that she stopped them as they were leaving. "There is more to healing than just putting medicine in a body," she told them. "You are not treating my mind. You are not allowing my spirit to heal." The hospital also interfered with her praying, Craig says. "My prayer involves smudging" - burning sweetgrasses to ground her spirit and communicate with the Creator. "The fire marshal was called in. I was pointedly asked "do not do this.' I couldn't rely on who I am as a spirit person." Combining Traditions A Mohawk physician who spoke at the April conference says, "people really fall back on their traditional ways, particularly in times of stress." Dr. Theresa Maresca works with traditional healers to help her patients and honors such patient requests as allowing an Indian grandmother to witness the birth of her grandson so she could greet him with a gifting ceremony. Maresca suggests that medical professionals learn to greet Indian patients in their native language and make their medical offices more welcoming. Receptionists need to be understanding about appointment times, she says, because many Indians on reservations lack reliable transportation. She also advises medical professionals to look at the pictures and messages on waiting room walls and ask themselves, "What's there that greets people and says this is a place of healing?" It is sometimes difficult to translate Western medical terminology into native languages, Maresca says. One of her older patients laughed heartily when the radiologist told him about a diagnosis in his native tongue. When asked, he replied that he had just been told, "You have a large lightning bolt coming out of your face." "The Indian Health Service is long overdue in utilizing traditional medicine people," says Gordon Belcourt, who organized UM's American Indian health care conference. "In the past, the Indian Health Service has excluded traditional medicine." Traditional healers provide invaluable counsel and support to people who are sick, says Belcourt, a former executive director of National Indian Health and a tribal health director on the Blackfeet Reservation. "I've seen people with heart problems, cancer and tremendous mental problems have miraculous recoveries," he says. "Medicine people also help those who are dying. They come in and clean your body, and sing, and pray with you, encouraging you to leave without fighting." Currently there are several crises facing traditional healing. One is that medicine bundles used in healing ceremonies are locked in museums. For example, Belcourt says, a Blackfeet beaver bundle that has tremendous power to help alcoholics and drug addicts is locked in an Canadian museum vault. If it is not returned soon, he fears that the elders who know how to use the bundle will be gone. "Medicine bundles are living entities with powers from the Creator," Belcourt says. "They need to be cared for like a baby. There are songs and rituals that are done to care for the bundle properly and preserve its powers." Another problem is that native language and ceremonies are dying with tribal elders. In the Blackfeet tribe, there were 300 elders in 1968; today there are sixty-five. Merle Yellow Kidney, a Blackfeet medicine lodge keeper and a drug abuse counselor for the Salish and Kootenai Tribes, says native language is the root of all ceremonies. He is saddened that some of those who lead ceremonies are not fluent in Blackfeet. "When you call an eagle, it has to be called by the correct name," he says. "There are seven different eagles. You can't just say eagle." Yellow Kidney knows that the Western-trained mind may be skeptical of traditional healing. That's not his concern. "Spiritually, to make everything all right, we have to stop being what everyone else wants us to be," he says. Healers do not claim to be able to cure every illness every time, he says, nor do they boast of their power. "I observe the spirit world. As much as they allow, I am a guest there," Yellow Kidney says. "If I am in luck, they will come to me in a sweat lodge. They'll tell me this person needs this root. We manipulate the plants and the spirit of the other side. If everything is right, it will work." To heal the body and heal the spirit, many Indians are combining the power of both medical traditions. "I wouldn't be here without one or the other," Craig says. "I'm here because of the choices I've made to survive." While one practice offers the latest scientific knowledge and technology, the other provides strength and solace. "Traditional healers never say, 'We can't help you,'" says Craig. "There's endless hope till the last breath." --------- "RE: Reviews: Books by and About NAs" --------- Date: 3 Apr 1996 23:47:53 GMT From: brock@ucsub.Colorado.EDU (Steve Brock) Subj: Short reviews of books by and about Native Americans Newsgroups: rec.arts.books,alt.books.reviews,alt.native,soc.culture.native Here are several short reviews of new and recent books by and about Native Americans. All reviews are written by Steve Brock: SACRED WATER and LAGUNA WOMAN by Leslie Marmon Silko. Flood Plain Press, 8000 West Camino Del Cerro, Tucson, AZ 85745, FAX: (520) 743-9572. Illustrated. "Sacred Water" is 88 pp., $12.00 paper, 0-9636554-4-21 and "Laguna Woman" is 48 pp., $12.00 paper, 0-9636554-4-22. These two well-received books of poetry, photography, and narratives are now available in second editions, offset printed with Silko's photographs and drawings reproduced on a copy machine ("so they won't get in the way of the words," she says). The run of each is limited to 2,500 copies. Grade for each: A. Also available: limited editions of "Sacred Water," hand-sewn and glued by Silko (I bet Gus helps her) and bound in hand-made paper created by Stephen Watson in Albuquerque. The Blue Corn edition (with bits of blue corn in the paper) is $35.00 plus $3.00 shipping, and the Volcanic Ash edition (with volcanic ash from Albuquerque volcanoes), is $100.00 plus $3.00 shipping. Blue Corn is limited to 750 copies and Volcanic Ash is limited to 250 copies. Both versions are numbered and signed by the author and make grand gifts. Flood Plain Press is owned by Silko. Grade for both: A+. TALES FROM THE DENA: INDIAN STORIES FROM THE TANANA, KOYUKUK, AND YUKON RIVERS, edited by Frederica de Laguna, illustrated by Dale DeArmond. University of Washington Press, P.O. Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145-5096, (800) 441-4115, (206) 543-3932 FAX. Illustrated, index, commentary, list of sources, maps. 372 pp., $29.95 cloth. 0-295-97429-X The forty-one stories in this volume were collected by de Laguna from Alaska's Yukon Valley in 1935 as part of a small archaeological reconnaissance. Meant to entertain as well as instruct, the stories, many of a time long-ago when animals and humans could communicate (and occasionally trade shapes), are accompanied by 73 woodcuts by DeArmond, as well as (a bit too much) commentary on their cultural and religious use by Alaska Natives. Grade: A-. THE GIFT OF THE SACRED PIPE, edited and illustrated by Vera Louise Drysdale. University of Oklahoma Press, 1005 Asp Ave., Norman, OK 73019, (800) 627-7377, (405) 325-5000 FAX. Illustrated, index. 118 pp., $29.95 paper. 0-8061-2311-7 Based on the seven rites of the Oglala Sioux as related by Black Elk, Drysdale has added luminous and inspiring illustrations (8 color paintings and 28 charcoal drawings), that add an extra dimension to the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman and her gift of spiritual power. Grade: A. PATHS TO CENTRAL AMERICAN PREHISTORY, edited by Frederick W. Lange. University Press of Colorado, Box 849, Niwot, CO 80544, (303) 530-5337, FAX: (303) 530-5306. Illustrated, index, references, notes, maps. 399 pp. $45.00 cloth. 0-87081-402-8 These are the collected papers of the conference "Paths Through Central American Prehistory," which Lange and Doris Z. Stone organized in 1991, exploring topics such as ceramic varieties, stemmed and notched points, investigations of the Tivives mangrove and Lake Managua regions, and isotopes of human bones. The volume contributes needed information on areas in which even rudimentary information is lacking. Grade: B+. BEYOND THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD: A NAVAJO WOMAN'S JOURNEY by Emily Benedek. Alfred A. Knopf, 201 E. 50th St., N.Y., NY 10022, (800) 638- 6460, FAX: (212) 572-2593. Illustrated, notes, two appendices. 363 pp., $25.00 cloth. 0-679-42143-2 Benedek relates the story of Ella Bedonie, who was adopted into a Mormon family as a child but returned to the Navajo way of life to live with her extended family after she grew up. While the book is a well-written portrayal of a strong young woman caught between cultures (when she discovers that she has breast cancer, Ella undergoes chemotherapy as well as traditional Navajo healing ceremonies), the author goes over much of the same ground as that of her previous book: "The Wind Won't Know Me: A History of the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute." Grade: B. THE SPIRAL OF MEMORY: INTERVIEWS by Joy Harjo, edited by Laura Coltelli. University of Michigan Press, 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1104, (313) 764-4388, FAX: (313) 936-0456. On the WWW the University of Michigan Press home page is at http://www.press.umich.edu, and their e- mail address for orders is etrager@umich.edu. 142 pp., $39.50 cloth (0- 472-09581-1), $13.95 paper (0-472-06581-5). This volume in the acclaimed "Poets On Poetry" series contains eleven interviews of Harjo by Joseph Bruchac, Bill Moyers, Helen Jaskoski, Carol H. Grimes, Donelle R. Ruwe, and others, examining such themes as the oral tradition, writing as a means of survival, the healing capacity of language, the multiple messages of Harjo's much-praised poem, "She Had Some Horses," and the constant claiming of self. Coltelli's editing makes Harjo's distinct experiences and perceptions abundantly clear. Perfect for undergraduate classes in poetry and Native American literature. Grade: A-. HISTORIC CONTACT: INDIAN PEOPLE AND COLONISTS IN TODAY'S NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES IN THE SIXTEENTH THROUGH EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES by Robert S. Grumet. University of Oklahoma Press, 1005 Asp Ave., Norman, OK 73019, (800) 627-7377, (405) 325-5000 FAX. Illustrated, index, bibliography, maps. 544 pp., $47.50 cloth. 0-8061-2700-7 Part of a National Historic Landmark Theme Study on historic contact, "Historic Contact" concentrates on thirty-four subregions called "Indian Countries," focusing on sites of intercultural contact. The result is an authoritative reference that will guide archaeological preservation efforts in the years to come. Grade: A. PRAYER TO THE GREAT MYSTERY: THE UNCOLLECTED WRITINGS AND PHOTOGRA-PHY OF EDWARD S. CURTIS, edited by Gerald Hausman and Bob Kapoun. St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Ave, N.Y., NY 10010, (800) 221-7945, FAX: (212) 420-9314. Illustrated, index, selected bibliography, notes, maps, two appendices, chronology. 258 pp., $27.50 cloth. 0-312-13591-2 Published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the launch of Curtis's photographic career, Kapoun and Hausman have extracted photographs and text (primarily myths and stories) from his rare 20-volume "The North American Indian," along with many other photographs (from the Library of Congress) never before published. This is an exceptional and elegant offering. Grade: A. TRADING POST GUIDEBOOK: WHERE TO FIND THE TRADING POSTS, GALLERIES, AUCTIONS, ARTISTS, AND MUSEUMS OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION by Patrick Eddington and Susan Makov. Northland Publishing, P.O. Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86002-1389, (800) 346-3257, (800) 257-9082 FAX. Northland also has a line of southwestern design T-shirts and other gifts. Illustrated (260 total, 115 in color), index, references, glossary, maps. 264 pp., $17.95 cloth. 0-87358-612-3 Modern and archival photographs decorate this celebration of one of the few positive effects of railroads on Native Americans. Eddington and Makov provide a rich mixture of information, not just about where to find Indian arts and crafts (both on and off the reservation), but also lists of specialties, background information on the artists, and proper etiquette, though there is no mention of where to get the magnificent pottery of Dextra Nampeyo. Required reading for collectors and anyone traveling to the Southwest. Grade: A-. IN SEARCH OF THE OLD ONES: EXPLORING THE ANASAZI WORLD OF THE SOUTHWEST by David Roberts. Simon and Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, N.Y., NY 10020, (800) 223-2336, FAX: (212) 698-7007. Illustrated, index, selected bibliography, chronology, glossary, map. 271 pp., $24.00 cloth. 0-684- 81078-6 Roberts furnishes a historical guide to the Anasazi cliff dwellings and ruins in the southwestern United States and speculates on why the ancient people apparently fled the area, leaving many sites in pristine condition, leaning toward the spread of the Pueblo Katchina faith, into which the Anasazi may have been integrated. Also investigated is the ethics of taking artifacts, and Roberts walks the tightrope between archaeologists advocating removal and those in favor of creating outdoor museums. I say "Leave 'Em There!" An enthusiastic and adventure-filled presentation, perfect for preparing a trip to the region; definitely not a substitute. Grade: B+. THE RETURN OF CULTURAL TREASURES, SECOND EDITION, by Jeannette Greenfield. Cambridge University Press, 40 W. 20th St., New York, N.Y. 10011-4211, (800) 872-7423, FAX: (212) 691-3239. Illustrated, index, select bibliography, notes, maps. 373 pp., $80.00 cloth (0-521-47170-2), $29.95 paper (0-521-47746-8). "It is not seemly nor of good report That thieves at home must hang, but he that puts Into his overgorged and bloated purse The wealth of Indian nations, escapes" -- William Cowper Around the world, the looting of cultural treasures continues, but in this second edition of the 1989 original investigation of repatriation efforts, Greenfield sees a renewed reappraisal of the rights of indigenous peoples. Of interest to those in the U.S. are the reburial of Indian remains in 18 states, the return of artifacts to tribes by the Smithsonian Institution, and the Passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA; the Smithsonian and funerary artifacts are exempt from this law). Though she sees a clear trend in cultural return, Greenfield, an anthropologist, unsuccessfully tries to produce balance in a lopsided controversy driven by greed and oppression. Grade: B. THE WIND IS MY MOTHER: THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF A NATIVE AMERICAN SHAMAN by Bear Heart with Molly Larkin. Clarkson Potter Publish-ers, 201 E. 50th St., N.Y., NY 10022, (800) 638-6460, (212) 572-2593 FAX. 272 pp., $24.00 cloth. 0-517-70283-5 Bear Heart Williams, a Muskogee Creek, relates the ceremonies that made him a shaman and dispenses grandfatherly advice on living a life of prosperity. The legends he tells are age-old and his defense of the Native American Church is commendable, but he crosses the line into questionable territory when providing confidential information on the Sacred Pipe Ceremony, and others, that I don't believe should be in the hands of the uninitiated. Grade: B-. ON BEHALF OF THE WOLF AND THE FIRST PEOPLES, essays by Joseph Marshall III. Red Crane Books, 2008 Rosina St., Suite B, Santa Fe, NM 87505, (800) 922- 3392, (505) 989-7476 FAX. 253 pp., $13.95 paper. 1-878610-45-7 Marshall's eleven essays explore Native American history and culture, provide meaningful commentary on contemporary issues, and search for the hidden purposes of everyday events. Whether starring in a movie (becoming a member of the cinema tribe), explaining why not all Indians dance, or providing a personal interpretation of history, Marshall's words accommodate many levels of meaning and should be read with care. This is Marshall's first book of nonfiction, he has also written "Winter of the Holy Iron." Grade: A. ON SECOND THOUGHT: A COMPILATION by Maurice Kenny. University of Oklahoma Press, 1005 Asp Ave., Norman, OK 73019, (800) 627-7377, (405) 325-5000 FAX. 283 pp., $24.95 cloth. 0-8061-2766-X With a short autobiography as an introduction, this collection of poetry, essays, criticism, and short fiction (most are excerpted from previous works) is Kenny at his best - a gleaming reflection that spans physical and psychological expanses from the canyons of Navajoland to the canyons of New York City. Highly recommended for classes in Native American literature. Grade: A. Short Mentions: BUFFALO WOMAN by Dorothy M. Johnson. University of Nebraska Press/Bison Books, 901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0520, (800) 755-1105, FAX: (402) 472-6214. The University of Nebraska Press WWW home page is at http://www. unl.edu/up/home.htm, and their email address is press@unlinfo.unl.edu. 254 pp., $10.00 paper. 0-8032-7583-8. A fact-based story of strength and tragedy as a young Oglala Sioux woman struggles to survive during the Indian wars of the mid-1800s. Originally published in 1977. Grade: B+. CADDO INDIANS: WHERE WE COME FROM by Cecile Elkins Carter. University of Oklahoma Press, 1005 Asp Ave., Norman, OK 73019, (800) 627-7377, (405) 325-5000 FAX. Illustrated, index, bibliogra-phy, notes, maps. 432 pp., $38.95 cloth. 0-8061-2747-3. A history of the Caddo Indians (of the Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma area), based on oral and written histories and anthropological studies. Grade: A-. TALES OF THE BARK LODGES by Bertrand N. O. Walker (Hen-Toh). University Press of Mississippi, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MI 39211-6492, (601) 982-6205, FAX: (601) 982-6217. Illustrated. 160 pp., $35.00 cloth (0- 87805-794-3), $14.95 paper (0-87805-795-1). A reprint of twelve Wyandot animal stories, originally published in 1919. Written in a regional dialect and perfect for reading aloud. Grade: A-. CORTES AND THE DOWNFALL OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE by John Manchip White. Carrol and Graf, 260 Fifth Avenue, N.Y., NY 10001 (212) 889-8772, FAX: (212) 545- 7909. Illustrated, index, bibliography, maps. 352 pp., $12.95 paper. 0- 7867-0271-0. White's chronicle of Cortes's decimation of the Aztec culture in the 16th century. A reprint of the 1971 edition with no new material. Of minor importance. Grade: B. WARRIORS: WARFARE AND THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN by Norman Bancroft-Hunt. Salamander/Random House Publishing, 201 E. 50th St., N.Y., NY 10022, (800) 638-6460, (212) 572-2593 FAX. Illustrated, index, bibliography, references. pp., $17.00 cloth. 0-679-871 A detailed analysis of Indian warfare (both pre-and post-contact) accompanied by George Catlin's paintings and many photographs of costumes and weapons. Recommended for both homes and libraries. Grade: A-. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANCIENT MESOAMERICA by Margaret Bunson and Stephen M. Bunson. Facts on File, Inc., 460 Park Avenue South, N.Y., NY 10016, (800) 322-8755, FAX: (212) 213-4578. Illustrated, index, bibliography, chronology, glossary. 336 pp., $40.00 cloth. 0-8160-2402-2. An A to Z guide to the general area of Mexico and Central America from 11,000 B.C. through the Spanish Conquest. Recommended for libraries, but only in conjunction with an atlas, as this volume has no maps. Grade: B. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Steve Brock Reviews are Book Reviews on the Internet available for Copyright c1996 syndication 2323 Mapleton Boulder, CO 80304 E-mail for (303) 786-7375 more info. brock@ucsub.colorado.edu Member: National Book Critic's Circle ------------------------------------------------------------------ --------- "RE: Poem: Demolition Derby" --------- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:48:12 +0000 From: zmakdoom@kootenay.awinc.com (Zahid Makhdoom) Subj: "Demolition Derby" Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Here is one of my poems for the "reading pleasure" of friends on the natchat. Thank you for being there. ________________________________________________________________ Demolition Derby Here O Painter take this painting back and put a DIA shack in place of that tipi make the land around res bare (By the way, those clouds in the background look like smoke billowing from a pulp mill....) The woman in the corner who is 18 and a mom of two.. its okay if you'll put a wedding dress on her and give her kids a father (it looks so "mainstream," isn't it?) but don't forget her black eye and those broken friendship bracelets on her wrist that I have become so used to seeing. And can you make my nephew a FAS child? That smile on my niece's lips is really cute broaden it enough to make your painting giggle! Ah the darkness around her the shadows creeping and vociferously slurping her childhood.. Darkness whispers tip toes treaties caresses smacks The dreaded beast I wish I can shoot the bastard Darkness..... The guy in torn blue jeans is my Dad stuff in his pocket a SA cheque and five Loonies he received as Treaty payment... Put a Stetson and a toothless grin on him He is our proud Res Rodeo King... My mom, tanning moosehide Put a Green Peace button on her torn lapel! Be sure to show rosary around her neck. Fill some fear of god and fear of dad in her eyes... And in the backyard of my mind and the yard of my shack park some rusted old cars delicious dreams That I've so painstakingly amassed (the three in the far corner were bought by dad) Like my father I too am hoping... That one day I'll ease collective idleness of these rusted cars! I'll Put one of them together Paint a number on its hood and sides Cash my SA cheque at Montana's eatery and Enter a Demolition Derby................ Zahid Makhdoom (October 19, 1989 @Moberley Lake) -- Peace and Love Zahid Makhdoom email : zmakdoom@kootenay.awinc.com phone work: (604) 489-2464 home: (604) 489-5476 voice/fax cell: (604) 489-8981 fax: (604) 489-5760 "self-determination is a primary human right...subjugation of people in the hands of other people is an act of war crime..." --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/04/10 00:48 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 21-27 APELILA (April) (Welo) 21 Sail the ocean by moonlight, and you may find the secret island of the ancients. 22 To know true power, capture the wind in your sails and journey to the place which no one has ever seen before. 23 Three things sustain life -- food, hope, and an abiding sense of wonder. 24 Give me the beauty of nature to restore my spirit, where the morning dew glistens in the sunlight, and the wind is the only sound that I hear. 25 A wave upon the sand takes only a little of the land and gives the blessings of the sea in return. 26 The family, ohana, goes on from generation to generation: the seeds of tradition we plant bear fruit in a thousand different ways. 27 Morning sunlight flees -- how brief my contemplation of life's mysteries. (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, 18 Apr 96 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (Evening Star) (jans@genie.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows not previously posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L genie email From: AISESnet General List From: cedarface@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu (Mary Jane Cedar-Face) Subj: Native American Month programs at SOSC, Ashland, OR Southern Oregon State College Native American Month - April 1996 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 ------------------------------------------ From: feather eaglerock Subj: warroad pow wow To: Multiple recipients of list MINN-IND WARROAD "KAH-BAY-KAH-NONG" 3rd Annual Traditional Pow Wow Warroad Minnesota June 1,2, 1996 emcees Vince Beyl Alan Manitowabe arena director Al "Wishy" Thunder Host Drum Whitefish Bay Singers Friday May 31---Camp Day Sat. June 1-----Grand Entry 1 pm; Feast 5:30 pm; Grand Entry 7 pm Sun. June 2----Grand Entry 1 pm, Robert KaKay Geesick Grass Dance Special; Feast 5:50 pm; Grand Entry 7 pm 24 Hour Security NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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, Massachusetts Save James Bay Foundation, Freedom Heart Rising, Darren English, Michele Lord, Chris Spotted Eagle, Brave Star, Lu Ella Terry, Steve Brock, Zahid Makhdoom, Feather Eaglerock, Accion Zapatista de Austin, Larry Innes, --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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, 4 Apr 96 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (Evening Star) (jans@genie.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows already posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L genie email Original Sender: khunt@hawaii.edu (Ken Hunt) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The InterTribal Council of Hawai`i is pleased to announce The Third Annual Powwow May 18-19, 1996 at Kapi`olani Park-Waikiki Headman Dancer Head Woman Dancer Ben Lovejoy Della Lovejoy Emcee Host Drums Shawn Arnold Bear Springs and First Nation Special Guest: Chief Oliver Red Cloud of the Oglala Nation Frybread Booth and American Indian Arts & Crafts Booths All Drums and Dancers Welcome For more information on Vendors Booths or Travel-Hotel arrangements Intertribal Council of Hawai`i Inc. 1541 S. Beretania St., Suite 303 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96826 808-947-3306 Mary and Carol Travel 1541 S. Beretania St., Suite 302 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96826 808-941-5033 fax 808-951-5019 ------------------------------------------------------- Original Sender: drf1@axe.humboldt.edu (HSU Native American Studies Homepage) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Siyo, Just wanted to pass this message along to everyone. Brian Gill ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 06 Apr 1996 12:19:42 -0700 Subj: HSU POW WOW Original Sender: La Nina This is a reminder that there is a pow wow at: HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY 6TH ANNUAL POW WOW & SOCIAL GATHERING April 20-21, 1996 HOST DRUM: Cathedral Lakes HEAD STAFF: Master of Ceremonies - David Brown Eagle, Spokane Tribe of Indians Arena Director - Art Martinez, Chumash Head Man Dancer - Monte Williams, Shoshone Head Woman Dancer - Rosanne Abrahamson, Shoshone-Bannock Head Teen Boy - Russell Boham, Little Shell Band of Chippewa Head Teen Girl - Willow Abrahamson, Shoshone-Bannock Location: Arcata CA at Humboldt State University Forbes Complex, West Gym Saturday, Grand Entry 12noon (competition) Sunday, Grand Entry 11 am (competition) ALL DRUMS WELCOME CRAFT BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE For more information, call the HSU Pow Wow Committee @ 707-826-4994 ----------------------------------------------- Original Sender: n9510986@gonzo.cc.wwu.edu (kristine donahue) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Western Washington University Powwow in Bellingham, Wa will be held April 20 & 21. For further information: (360) 650-7273. --------- "RE: Reading Materials Needed" --------- Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:55:20 -0500 From: eaglerok@northernnet.com (feather eaglerock) Subj: reading materials needed for Native women's shelter Mailing List: NATCHAT (natchat@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The women of nations' eagles's nest shelter from domestic violence needs culturally sensitive and relevant reading materials for their shelter library. Residents come from many different native tribes - many are second and third generation victims of federal relocation policies, who are seeking information about their people. Women of Nations P.O. Box 40309 St. Paul, Minnesota 55404 612-222-5830 612-222-1207 (fax) wa do di-ka-ne'-tsv a'-qua-tse'-li ha-htv-gi, wa-do' do-da-da-go'-hv feather eaglerock, leech lake rez --------- "RE: Marcos' Speech to Encuentro" --------- Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 17:06:42 -0500 From: hmcleave@eco.utexas.edu (Harry M. Cleaver) Subj: EZLN Communique (To Continental Encounter) Apr 6 Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) This posting has been forwarded to you as a service of Accion Zapatista de Austin. From: Malicia To: hmcleave@mundo.eco.utexas.edu Subject: Marcos' Speech to Encuentro La Jornada, April 6, 1996 MESSAGE OF THE EZLN DURING THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE AMERICAN PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL ENCOUNTER FOR HUMANITY AND AGAINST NEOLIBERALISM THE REALITY, America. April 4th, 1996 A journalist and video producer who had covered the Zapatista rebellion since January of 1994, Javier Elorriaga Berdegue, came to see me one day as a volunteer seeking a political and peaceful solution to the conflict. I listened to him. He gave me all the arguments in favor of peace and those against the war. At that time he seemed to be one of those men who believes in what he says, one of those who is accountable to his ideas. I told him we would lose nothing by trying. On September 16, 1994, the anniversary of Mexican independence, he arrived with the first of many letters from Mister Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon. After the 1st of December of 1994, Javier came and went with messages from then Governance Secretary, Esteban Moctezuma Barragan. His role as a messenger of peace went on for 6 months. The last time I saw him was on February 8th of 1995. I told him I saw no sign of any willingness to dialogue on behalf of the government. He insisted on seeking a new encounter for peace. As he was leaving the Lacandon Jungle during the morning of February 9th, 1995, Javier Elorriaga was detained and accused of "terrorism". The government began an offensive against the indigenous communities of the Lacandon Jungle and it detained dozens of Mexicans in different parts of the country. It accused them of "terrorism" and exhibited as proof a "terrible" arsenal: paper bombs and some old guns. While the government congratulated itself in the press because they had supposedly recuperated the "sovereignty of the nation", in the Lacandon Jungle Swiss airplanes bombed the surrounding communities, North American helicopters machine gunned the mountains, French tanks of war occupied the houses of the indigenous people who fled to the jungle, Spanish policemen interrogated the suspects, and the North american military advisors reviewed with great care an artifact that perhaps had a dangerous military intention. The artifact traveled all the way to the Pentagon and was examined with the best and most modern military technology. After a few days, the experts handed over their report to Washington and from there it was turned over to the offices of the Mexican military, the political police and the Presidential residence. The report said that everything seemed to indicate that the artifact in question, had been snatched from the forces of the transgressors of the law, it had all the appearance of..a toy car made of plastic and metal. The report said that they had also found a tiny inscription made with a black pen which said: "This car belongs to Heriberto.." 420 days have passed since then. Mister Zedillo sits in the presidential chair, Heriberto lives in the mountains, the army lives in Heriberto's house, and Javier Elorriaga and another 17 Mexicans are still in jail accused of "terrorism". One of the 17, Joel Martinez has developed respiratory problems caused by the torture to which he was subjected. His serious condition has sent him to the hospital. Now they have chains on his hands and feet, as though he were a rabid animal, as though dignity could be chained. Today 420 days after the facts have defined the true terrorist, we want to dedicate the following words, Vale. To Javier Elorriaga Berdegu and, through him, to all the prisoners accused of being Zapatistas. In the definition of your future, Much more is defined than can be contained by your jailers. Through my voice speaks the voice of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Brothers and sisters of America: Welcome to THE REALITY. We extend special thanks to the men, women children and elderly of THE REALITY, because it is they who have given us permission and have supported us in order to hold this preparatory meeting in their community. I want to ask all who are present, to salute our indigenous brothers and sisters of THE REALITY. Welcome to the brothers and sisters of the Canadian delegation, of the delegation from the United States of America, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. Welcome to the observers who attend from France, Germany and Spain. Welcome to the Mexican brothers and sisters of the Organizing Commission. Our acknowledgement and salute for the effort which today is realized. We want to thank all of you who have accepted our invitation to this preparatory meeting for your effort in traveling from your countries to the Lacandon Jungle. Headquarters of the transgressors of the law and dignified corner of America, the Lacandon Jungle has been visited by different representatives of the governments of your countries. The bombing planes, and artillery helicopters, war tanks, surveillance satellites, military advisors, and agents, some secret and some not so secret of all the spy agencies of various countries have visited us. All of these visitors had a common goal; assassination and theft. Different governments of the world have allied themselves with the Mexican government in order to combat us. The most modern and sophisticated technology of war is launched against weapons of wood, torn feet and the ancestral thought of the Zapatistas who declare without shame or fear that the place of knowledge, the source of the word and the truth is in the heart. Modern death versus ancestral life. Neoliberalism against neozapatismo. Why do they fear us? Why so much death for those so small and so few? Because we have challenged them, and the worst thing about a challenge is that it tends to become an example. On April 3, 1911, those citizens of America with the names of Ricardo and Enrique Flores Magon wrote: "Brothers and sisters, think well, continue to advance and to labor, without losing time, else your help may be too late. Try to understand the danger which we have had to confront from all the governments of the world, those who see in this Mexican movement the appearance of a social revolution, the only thing feared by the powerful of the world." Today, 85 years later, history repeats itself. Death which once visited us dressed only as sickness and misery, now appears to us dressed in an olive-green uniform, decked out in lead and war machinery. All of these things announce destruction. A true multinational force pursues us and tries to destroy our example. The powerful of the world are disturbed by our existence and they honor us with their threat. They accurately perceive the Zapatista challenge as a global challenge. We never thought this possible, much less did we seek it. But since we have been placed in this role, we will be as disturbing as possible as long as it is possible. A global system has made the crime called government in Mexico possible. A national system makes it possible for crime to rule in Chiapas. Fighting in the mountains of the Mexican Southeast we fight for Mexico, for humanity and against neoliberalism. That is why the global Power persecutes us, that is why they jail us, assassinate us and want to destroy us. After the visit of these precursors of death, it is an honor for us to receive a visit from all of you, those who struggle for life, those who struggle for humanity in the American continent. We are sure that your trip to THE REALITY has not been easy. THE REALITY has never been easy, but it's worth arriving here. The trip to REALITY is a journey to pain, but also to hope. Diverse thoughts arising from the different nations of America are found today in THE REALITY. You find yourself gathered here today, not because of your nationality or your color, your gender, your culture or your language. Only one thing has gathered you here today, the struggle, the struggle for humanity and against neoliberalism. 80 years ago in 1916, General Emiliano Zapata dreamed that life and the thought could be free if a new reality could be constructed. The Power dreamed then of its destruction. Today, on the desks of the great generals of Mexico and the United States, there are different plans, complicated military operations, 77 varieties of murder plots, one for each year which has passed since the assassination of Emiliano Zapata. And all these plans have the objective of destruction of REALITY. Why? Because they have discovered that human beings live in REALITY, in other words dignity and the Power cannot tolerate continued life. This is the enemy which confronts us, which persecutes us, which assassinates us, which jails us, which rapes us, which humiliates us. A Power which seeks the absurd destruction of REALITY. This is what they propose...They, those in whom the Power concentrates crime and wealth, and converts them into siamese twins in order to procure the latter with the former. Those who monopolize tomorrow in the Power and declare it exclusive of all those who do not become accomplices or victims. Those who forget, that when Power accumulates power it also accumulates fear. They want to destroy REALITY because in THE REALITY today there are human beings and the mere existence of human beings is a challenge which may become an example. We, those who feed our hearts and our word with the bitter bread of hope. We, those who see in the past a lesson and not a nuisance, those who turn to yesterday in order to learn and not to regret. We, those who see a future as something constructed on today, those who aspire to a tomorrow with everyone. We, those who balance fear against shame, prudence with valor, and indifference with memory. We, those human beings who exist and thus challenge the Power. We who want to transform REALITY, convert it into something better, something new, something good. This is the nature of THE DISPUTE FOR REALITY. On one side are those who would destroy it, and on the other are those who would construct it. They fight for the absurdity of denial through amnesia, destruction and death. We fight for the absurdity of constructing the new through the strength of history, creativity and life. This is the dilemma which we come to ponder and begin to decide, the dilemma of REALITY. This is the fundamental and definitive theme for humanity and against neoliberalism. THE REALITY: the dilemma of its transformation or its destruction. In order to resolve this dilemma we must confront a powerful enemy, the Power which comes dressed as Neoliberalism. Its crimes go beyond borders, they represent the globalization of hopelessness. Neoliberalism offers a new global doctrine; surrender and indifference as the only forms of inclusion, death and amnesia as the only future for the excluded, e.g., for the majority. Stupidity and arrogance are made governments in the nations of the world. Crime and impunity exist as the primordial law. Theft and corruption are the major industry. Assassination is the fountain of legitimacy. The lie is the supreme god. Prison and a tomb are for those who refuse to be accomplices. The international of death. The war for eternity. This is neoliberalism. But its power is also derived from our shortcomings. To the vacuum of alternative proposals from us, they offer the continuity of the nightmare. We must go beyond the laments and propose new paths. We did not invite you so you could add up your complaints. We did not call you here to give voice to our misfortune. We did not call you here to give a new dimension to our nightmare. We called you here in order to multiply aspirations. We called you here to subtract penalties. We called you here to give a continental dimension to hope. May the grotesque and terrible image of the enemy which confronts us, not dim the mirror we need in order to see our own path. May procrastination and whim not hide from us the daily crime of a global system which pulverizes history, nations and individuals. May we not offer a different nightmare of a different species. May the location of the ever-more political geometry which multiplies mainstreams and extremes to infinity, not represent impunity for errors or solace for the dogmas of our thoughts. We are not gathered here today in order to change the world. We are here today with a more modest proposal. The one which proposes to make a new world, We. Today. Here. In America. Continent of legends, America is a piece of land which has appointments with all the races of the world. People without land, in other words, people without a home, the immigrant in America dreams he can work and live in peace and dignity on any floor, regardless of the border above or below. The immigrant does not find work or life in American lands, only war and humiliation is found in those lands for those who steal nothing and give everything. The immigrant of American is a stranger of America. He becomes one, not just when he crosses an international border and enters a xenophobic nightmare, but upon trespassing, if only momentarily, one of those multiple borders of culture, politics, races, religions, sexualities which pulverize the skies of America and make it so that collective thought does not include more than one. The immigrant of America is a solitary figure made up of millions searching. The immigrant of America is the eternal struggle, the legend... Among many, this legend becomes a ballad and survives the lack of books, press, television and radio. The ballad of Gregorio Cortez, persecuted by the "rinches"(Texas Rangers) but never captured, is the legend of history persecuted by abandonment, history forever escaping and made collective memory. The legend arrives in THE REALITY and represents there all the immigrants who have ever ventured onto American lands and attempted to become part of a new culture without losing its own. Like the legend, the Powerful persecutes the immigrants because they continue to be what they are, because they attempt to construct something new but different, something which does not destroy the past or the present and which can have a secure place in North american future, a future of dignity, a future which does not have the bars of a jail or the stone of a tomb on the horizon. Like the ballad of Gregorio Cortez, the American immigrant escapes forever and continues to construct the collective memory which the Power insists upon destroying in all America especially in... A country which synthesizes like no other the great contradictions which compress the American continent. A nation built by the labor of immigrants from all over the world, the United States of America rises up as a symbol of power and modernity. The arrogance of the Power and its foreign policy which prefers to keep its headquarters in the lands of North America, has won global contempt and this, in turn, often contaminates the noble people of North America. But the arrogance of the Power is possible only at a high cost for the people of the United States of America. This is so not only for the so-called Latino, African, Asian and indigenous minorities, but is so as well for those who are white, a crisis elevated to a global economic system, neoliberalism collects a high quota of pain in the lands north of the Rio Bravo. In the United States 5.7% of its economically active population is unemployed, while in Canada the rate is 9.5% according to statistics of the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development. The people of the United States of America, that complex amalgam of British, Irish, Spanish, Mexican, European, African, Asian, Latin American and Indigenous is American always. The people of the United States of America, the people who are forgotten when the time for solidarity arrives, the people who are remembered when the time for grievances arrives. The people of the United States of America, the people who, in spite of their government, know how to turn their gaze downward and find there, not a victim, but a brother. Not as victims, or as taskmasters, but as what we are, as brothers we salute today the people of the United States of America, who are represented here with dignity in THE REALITY. Brothers and Sisters of America; Here, today, in THE REALITY, we must give a place to memory, to history, to that mirror which reminds us of what we were, which demonstrates to us what we are and which promises us what we can be... Today, 30 years ago, in 1966, after having been nowhere, a man prepared memory and hope so that life could return to America. Ramon was his name of war at that time. In one of the many corners of THE REALITY of America, this man remembered and in his memories renewed those of all men and women who lived and died for the life of America. His name and his memory were buried by the gravediggers of history. For some his first name was Ernesto and his last name was Guevara de la Serna. For us his name was CHE. In Punto del Este he denounces the politics of the Power which, from the offices of the World Bank, proposes the construction of latrines as a solution to the grave conditions of misery lived by the countries of America. Even then the poverty of America had developed in the same proportion as its wealth had been pillaged by the rich of forever. The "latrine-ocracy" has evolved only by name. In one of the countries of America it took on the paradoxical name of "Solidarity". Nevertheless, in spite of the nominal reflections, the basic functions of "latrine-ocracy" remains the same: today, like yesterday, the poor can still remain at the bottom of the latrine, and the rich can sit on it. His criticism of the forms in which Power is exercised did not translate into the justification of his own shortcomings as he had taken it or in an apology for having taken it. Criticizing forms which apply the same logic to any exertion of power which is merely cosmetized with a new name, he wrote in 1964: "I do not pretend to have finished this theme much less to have established a papal amen in regards to these and other contradictions. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the majority of our peoples and in my own, there are more apologies for the ways in which power is exerted than scientific analyses of these ways." Citizen of the world, Che remembers what we have known since Spartacus and which we sometimes forget: humanity finds in the struggle against injustice a step which elevates it, which makes it better, which converts it into something more human. Some time afterward, memory and hope took his hand in order to write his farewell letter: "One day we spent asking everyone who should be notified in case of death and the real possibility of that fact hit all of us. Later we knew it was true, that in a revolution there is victory or death (if the revolution is real). (...) Other lands of the earth claim the sum of my modest efforts" So Che continued his path. In his farewells instead of saying "see you soon," Che would sign off with "Forever Until Victory" as though this were the same as "see you later." 30 years later, during one of those dawns in which the moon recovers pieces of light which it grabs from the monthly bite of time and a comet disguised as a light carries out a useless vigil at the beginning of the night, I have looked for some text upon which to base the inauguration words of this meeting. I have looked through the works of Pablo Neruda and Julio Cortazar, Walt Whitman and Juan Rulfo. But it was pointless. Once and again the image of Che dreaming in the school of La Higuera reclaimed its place in my hands. From Bolivia the half-closed eyes and the ironic smile which spoke of what was and promised what would be arrived. Have I said "dreaming"? Should I have said "dead"? For some he died, for others he slept. Who was wrong? 30 years ago Che prepared the transformation of the American REALITY and the Power prepared its destruction. 29 years ago, the Power told us that history had ended in the canyon of El Yuro. They said the possibility of a different REALITY, a better one, had been destroyed, they said that rebellion had ended. Has it ended? A quick review of the press of these days can help us to respond: In the last days of March different demonstrations against the actual political economy of privatization which rule in all the continent are reported. Neoliberalism encounters resistance ad rebellion. There are millions who do not seem to know that history and with it, rebellion has ended. On the 28th of March the international news agencies of AFP (France Presse), DPA (Deutsche Presse Agentur, Alemania), EFE (Spanish news agency), and ANSA , informed us that in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz in Bolivia, thousands of people had demonstrated in demand of salary increases and against the project of privatization of the Fiscal Oil Deposits of Bolivia. In Cochabamba the police detained 250 hunger strikers, the majority of them elderly, who protested for the same reason. Old rebels. Long live America! That same day, but in Paraguay, the workers began a general strike in demand of a salary increase of 31% and called for a referendum about privatization. The democratization of decisions opposes the imposition of economic measures...and measures which impact education as well... In these days more than 5000 Brazilian students suffer repression by the police when they protest the educational policies of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. In Chile, thousands of farmers blocked the highways of the southern part of the country, protesting their imminent entry into the Southern Common European Market (Mercosur), an event which would mean the unemployment of more than 800,000 farmers. The severe economic adjustment which approaches in Venezuela, now motivates a populist "housewives" movement and a growing social discontent. Economic globalization, that modern crime finds resistance among the clients to whom it sells death. Hundreds of ambulatory salespeople confront the Peruvian police when they attempt to expel them from the historic center of Lima. More than 20 people were wounded. In order not to become criminals some of the poor of America make a stab at mini-micro-business. It is futile, for neoliberalism all income which does not come from theft and displacement is "illegal". In America, the innocent fill the jails and the guilty, the seats of government. Anti-riot police forces repressed thousands of Costa Ricans in the city of Santa Ana against the establishment of a garbage dump. More than a thousand tons of the daily garbage of neoliberalism are dumped upon the people of Costa Rica, but they will not continue to do so without consequences. The womb of America protests as well. At the same time as a sales tax was announced, a tremor of 5.7 on the Richter scale shook the city of Quito, Ecuador. All this in a mere two days. 30 years later. Has rebellion come to an end? 30 years ago Che dreamed and repeated the dream of a transformative reality, a new one, a better one. The dream of rebellion. That dream traverses time and the mountains and is repeated anew, the same but different, in the mountains of the Mexican Southeast. The dream which gathers us today is a rupture and a continuation of the dream of Che Guevara, as well as the dream which was a rupture and a continuation of that other sleepless dreamer named Simon Boliver and Manuelita Saenz. In 1826, Simon Bolivar and Manuelita Saenz dreamt the desire of a united America. The history sold by the Power teaches us that the fertile insomnia which liberated Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia was truncated by the borders which fragmented the Bolivian dream. Was it truncated? In 1826, Bolivar convened the first hemispheric conference of America, The Congress of Panama. Today 170 years later in the American REALITY, the postponed dream of Bolivar is renewed. Crystal and mirror, the dream of a better America comes to rest in the best place for dreaming, in THE REALITY. And the intellectual authors of delirium who convene us, the lunatics who dared to dream this desire before us were : Manuelita Saenz, Simon Bolivar, Ricardo and Enrique Flores Magon, Emiliano Zapata and Ernesto CHE Guevara. 180 years, 85 years, 80 years, 30 years later, we are and we are not the same. We are the end, the continuation and the beginning. We are the mirror which is a crystal which is a mirror which is a crystal. We are rebellion. We are the stubborn history which is repeated in order not to repeat itself, the looking back in order to walk forward We are the maximum challenge to neoliberalism, the most beautiful absurdity, the most irreverent delirium, the most humane insanity. We are human beings making what should be made in REALITY, in other words dreaming. It occurs to me now that the most important thing to be dreamt in THE REALITY is to know that what ends, is what continues, and above all what begins... 180 years after the sleeplessness of Bolivar and Manuelita Saenz, 85 years after the prophesy of the Flores Magon, 80 years after the dream of Emiliano Zapata, 30 years after the dream of Che dreaming the sleeplessness of all honest and true Americans, today the 4th of April of 1996 in the American REALITY, in the name of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation I formally declare and inaugurate the preparatory American meeting for the Intercontinental Encounter for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism, time now being 10:33 p.m. southeastern time. Brothers and sisters of America; The great global power has not yet found the weapon capable of destroying dreams. As long as it does not find it, we will continue to dream, in other words, we will continue to triumph... Welcome, brothers and sisters of America. Here in THE REALITY we end, we continue, we begin..the dream. And this is our dream.. FOR ALL THE AMERICAS! Democracy! Liberty! Justice! >From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos The American REALITY, April of 1996 --------- "RE: Children Day of Prayer" --------- Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 22:23:38 -0500 From: eaglerok@northernnet.com (feather eaglerock) Subj: NICWA protecting our children day of prayer Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Source: National Indian Child Welfare Association Quarterly Newsletter National Day of Prayer Called For National Day of Prayer for Protecting Our Children is being set aside for Sunday, April 21st. Sponsored by the National Indian child Welfare Association, this day is receiving recognition as a time for people from all tribes to focus on ways to protect Indian children. Through prayers, songs, dance, sweats, and local ceremonies, tribes are being encouraged to take time to petition our Creator for wisdom and protection in raising our children. The day was conceived by Don Mulligan, of NICWA's Board of directors, as a traditional way that native peoples prepared themselves against threats and crisis. The unifying spirit of these traditional ceremonies would be protection against the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, victory over bills that negatively impact the Indian Child Welfare Act. (i.e., HR 1448 and S 764) and success of all Indian Families For Kids Initiatives all across the country," Mulligan said. On April 22nd, at the opening session of the 14th annual "Protecting Our children conference" in Albuquerque, New Mexico, there will be a special ceremony and prayer. Tribal councils have been encouraged to adopt a resolution making the third Sunday of April a day of prayer for protection our children, and using the day for special ceremonies or activities, such as prayer, singing, dancing, and sweats. A resolution has been circulated to tribes by NICWA for their councils to consider and adopt. Following is the resolution advanced to the tribes: Protecting Our Children Day of Prayer Proclamation WHEREAS, Children are our most valued resource; and WHEREAS, our children have a right to be raised in an environment that nurtures them and helps them grow up safe, healthy and spiritually strong; and WHEREAS, our children have a right to be free of physical or mental abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, or the damaging affect of substance abuse; and WHEREAS, raising our children is a parental, extended family, community, and tribal responsibility; and WHEREAS,child abuse and neglect escalates each year and is a violation of Creator's design in placing children in our care; and WHEREAS, certain federal, state, and local laws, regulations and practices serve as contrary influences on our family, community and tribe's ability to properly care for our children, now BE IT RESOLVED, that -(Tribe)- declares the third Sunday of April, 1996, and the third Sunday of April each succeeding years, as a Day of Prayer for Protecting Our Children. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a special focus will be placed on that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, such as prayers, singing, dancing and sweats, to invoke Creator's wisdom and protection for our people in raising our children. Feather Eaglerock, Leech Lake Rez English is a foreign language. Reclaim the language of your People and send it to the future as your gift to your grandchildren's grandchildren. di-ka-ne'-tsv a'-qua-tse'-li ha-htv-gi, wa-do' do-da-da-go'-hv --------- "RE: Innu Supporters Win Court Case" --------- Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 04:13:02 -0300 From: es051322@orion.yorku.ca (Larry Innes) Subj: Innu Supporters Win Court Case Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| || T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L C A M P A I G N || || F O R T H E I N N U A N D T H E E A R T H || || c/o occpehr * 148 Kerr Street * Oakville * L6K 3A7 || || Tel (905) 849-5501 * Fax (905) 849-5501 * icie@web.apc.org || ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| For Immediate Release April 8, 1996 INNU SUPPORTERS CLEARED OF CHARGES: LEGAL DOORS NOW OPEN TO FURTHER CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, SAY PROTESTORS TORONTO: Nine Innu supporters who were charged with trespassing during a peaceful protest have been ruled innocent in a court decision which declares that extreme actions are justified in order to prevent further destruction to the Innu by low-level military flights over their lands. "I am prepared to hold that the defendants broke the letter of the law by non-compliance to prevent a greater evil, that is, to prevent the destruction of the Innu people and their basic human rights," said Justice of the Peace Robert Phillips, in making his ruling yesterday. After years of lobbying and campaigning through conventional channels, Innu supporters staged a dramatic civil disobedience action at the British and Dutch consulates in November in an effort to dissuade NATO countries from renewing an agreement that would allow, over the next 10 years, up to 18,000 military flights annually over Innu lands. The new Multinational Memorandum of Understanding (MMOU), the agreement between Canada and NATO partners to continue the flights, was signed with little fanfare at the end of February 1996. Over three days of moving testimony before a full to overflowing court, evidence was given of the environmental destruction caused by low-level military flight training over Innu lands in Labrador, and of the cultural assimilation and systemic discrimination faced by the Innu and their fierce resistance to cultural genocide. Innu witnesses at the trial testified to the grave threat caused to their communities' health, culture, and land by the low-level flights as well as by the more recent development of the proposed Voisey's Bay nickel mine on their traditional territories. After hearing evidence from the nine defendants as well as numerous experts witnesses, including Innu Nation President Peter Penashue, former Member of Parliament Dan Heap, economist Mel Watkins, legal expert John Olthuis and others, the presiding Justice of the Peace ruled that the November civil disobedience action was justified given the grave and immediate threat to the Innu. Defense lawyer Peter Rosenthal said that the decision clears the way for similar protests, an assessment affirmed by defendant Carolyn Langdon, who maintains, "This is a very important ruling for the Innu, but also for the many of us who work for justice. Here is a positive ruling that others can use in their defense, for example, when resisting in this way to the Harris government in Ontario and its policies which critically harm vulnerable people." Defendant Lorraine Land, also one of the nine acquitted by the judge, says "I am ecstatic about this decision. We intend to ask the Canadian and NATO governments what they will do, now that the courts have ruled that the risk these flights cause to the Innu is imminent and Canadians are justified in taking extreme steps such as civil disobedience in order to stop them." For more information contact: Carolyn Langdon Tel: (416) 531-5101 or Peter Penashue, President of the Innu Nation Tel: (709) 497-8398 ÿ