_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 04, ISSUE 035 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 31 August 1996 O o O K A N O H E D A A N I Y V W I Y A O o O Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin O ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N N E W S ) This issue contains articles from Taino-L, NativeLit-L, AisesNet, Minn-Ind & NATIVE-L listservers; UUCP & genie email; Newsgroups: apc.indig.info,soc.culture.native,alt.native Articles appearing have been previously posted for public dissemination and/or permission for inclusion has been secured. Letters of authorization are on file. A list of those granting permission to repost their words in this issue are listed at the end of part A. I thank each of you for allowing your words to be shared with the people. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. Thanks to Don Rayment ,don.rayment@uptowne.com, Wotanging Ikche/ Kanoheda Aniyvwiya is being redistributed via a listserver. If you would like to receive Wotanging Ikche via the listserver, you can send a message to listserv@uptowne.com and include, in the body of your message "sub wotanging.ikche " Thanks to Marc Becker and David Cole issues of Wotanging Ikche/ Kanoheda Aniyvwiya are being archived at a World-Wide-Web site. - The URL is http://web.maxwell.syr.edu/nativeweb/journals/nanews Thanks to Borries Demeler all _Wotanging_Ikche_ (part a) submissions to AISESnet are archived under AISESnet and can be accessed easily by World Wide Web: 1994: http://bioc02.uthscsa.edu/94_dis.html 1995: http://bioc02.uthscsa.edu/95_dis.html 1996: http://bioc02.uthscsa.edu/96_dis.html This is a searchable index to the AISESnet Discussion mailing list database archive, and the keyword "Wotanging" will retrieve all issues for that year. "Your God seems to us to be partial. He came to the white man. We never saw Him; never even heard his voice; He gave the white man laws, but He had no word for His red children whose teeming millions filled this vast continent as the stars fill the firmament..." __ Chief Seattle, Nee-Mee-Poo +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Longtime readers of Wotanging Ikche may recall almost exactly two years ago when my wife, Evening Star, posted a digest of an article she found in the August 24, 1994 issue of _Indian Country Today_, telling of a U.S. General Accounting Office study that estimated roughly one quarter of all Native American women of childbearing age were sterilized between 1973 and 1976. The horror of that story, of the tales of fear and manipulation told to Dr. Constance Redbird Uri, a Choctaw-Cherokee physician who interviewed some of victims, remained with us, along with the fear that it might still be happening, albeit more covertly. Recently we found that a neighbor in our community and a physician/teacher at a well known known university was Cherokee from the Qualla Boundary. While chatting with him about Native affairs over the years, we recounted the story to him. He was outraged, and vowed to investigate the story, and if it were true, to bring those responsible to account for their actions, and to insure this never again be tolerated. He's consulted attorneys and he's prepared to do battle for the women of all Native People. But he needs help -- not with money, he has pledged his resources to this fight, but with information. In order to pursue his case, he must have victims, many victims, willing to testify about what was done to them. We know this is a painful story to tell, one that will be hard to tell to a stranger, and especially a strange man. The doctor's not online, but we are. Evening Star has agreed to act as a go-between for initial contact between the doctor and any victims. Ultimately, yes, any who come forward will have to tell their stories, probably in public and embarrassing circumstances. A woman who would risk this for her sisters and their children is a warrior for her people. Have we warriors out there? Warriors who have suffered but who are willing to stand and say "no more!" Write to Evening Star at jans@genie.com and tell her your story. She will protect your identity until you feel secure and certain you want to go forward. Peace! Night Owl , , Gary Night Owl gars@netcom.com (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@juno.com (`-') Marietta, GA 30006, U .S.A. gars@igc.apc.org ===w=w=== gars@genie.com ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- Part A: Usenet and e-mail Part B: NATCHAT and NATIVE-L lists - Indian Lawyer - Conferences and Powwows - online - Leonard for President - Tiller's Guide - Cherokee Court Rules Against Nepotism - Crazy Horse Defense Project - SDN: The Truth About S. 1973 - Dutch Innu Campaign 96 - Shades of Mother Earth - Leech Lake Update - Who Really Loves Man Named Columbus - FAN: 4th Day Interfor Blockade - No Need for Confusion - Oneidas and the Birth of America - Return to the Old Ways - Odawa Native Friendship Centre - EPA Job in Seattle for Elders - New Extension Courses - Poem: Morning Water - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Indian Lawyer" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 10:45:49 -0500 (CDT) From: mary dog soldier Subj: Indian Lawyer Mailing List: NATIVELIT After absence from the net for a summer, I find myself on a similar topic from spring! While everyone else doubtless has moved on! Apologies. A portion of my summer was spent in South Dakota in relation to the the prison system and the rez. My experiences cause more reflection on James Welch's Indian Lawyer. In particular, I conclude he has stereotyped Native American character in the Montana prison system: among those who get brief mention are Paco Morsette, spiritual leader who saves Jack from rape; the "Indians" Old Bull and Walker who beat Jack and stab him in the library, and manage to get a gun inside of the prison; and Fitzgerald--who uses some magic to seduce Peters and help blackmail Sylvester. All in all, except for Paco who is mentioned briefly, Native Americans in prisons come off as rough and violent, abusive in power and control. Any uninformed person of any race could have drawn these characters--the token spiritual leader, and "the Indians" who insure prison life is hell for Jack. Here are three recent real life cases that make me wonder why James Welch, who served on the Montana State Board of Pardons and so had access to the life stories of Native Americans in prison, chose to reduce Native Americans in prisons to stereotypes. Case 1: Late this spring, a Native American in Administrative Segregation (restricted to his cell 22 hours a day) was sprayed with chemicals, beaten, and shot with rubber pellets during a confrontation with a "disturbance control team" in a restricted exercise area. (The inmate had been charge in a 1993 prison riot.) It was reported that the inmate had been drunk--with a blood alcohol level of .215. These questions were not asked in the newspaper: How does an inmate under close confinement gain access to alcohol? Was he set up? Was the inmate taunted before the confrontation? Why have family members (including a respected elder I have met who runs traditional sweats in the Dakotas) been refused access to this inmate since 1993? Case 2: In the early winter of 1994, a Native American inmate was transferred to the main prison. While this man's criminal record is filled with third degree burglary charges (he chose prison to homelessness), he fought with someone in a minimum-security prison and, as could be predicted by anyone who know the Lakota traditionals, refused to say if it was in self-defense as a result of gang rape. At the main prison, he quickly feared a riot would be pinned on him because of an upside down American flag on his watchband and on a painting drawn for him by another inmate. Late this spring, News from Indian Country printed an article on increased tensions in the prison due to new, restrictive prison policies and substantiated allegations that the officials were creating conditions for a riot: Jeanne Koster, director of the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center (Watertown), claimed "the main thing preventing a riot is the inmates' refusal to give prison officials the satisfaction of pushing them into violent reactions." Any riot would doubtless be blamed again on "the Indians," who took the blame for the last two. (And in one they were blamed for hanging the flag upside down on the exterior prison walls. [Remember those old Wagon Train movies where the white men disguised themselves as Indians and used bows and arrows to attack the train? and Thunderheart where federal agents used ARM symbols at a murder site to pin the murder on ARM?]) Case 3: Last week a Native American waiting to serve a murder sentence escaped a jail in a South Dakota town. The family who spent the day with him was arrested, even though they were not in the cell during the escape and the jail officials themselves had left the cell and building doors unlocked (despite the mother's questioning them hours before the escape as to the wisdom of the lack of security). The family believes they were set up so the entire family would be punished, and so their son's sentence would be lengthened and his confinement increased upon transfer to the main prison. The point of these recent case studies is to suggest that prison is too often a dangerous place for Native Americans, and their victimization within the system continues to be as great as outside the system. If a famous Native American author like James Welch does not present us with a clear, accurate picture of what Native Americans are experiencing in prison, who will? Some of you readers have reported that your white students have enjoyed Indian Lawyer more than other texts, such as House Made of Dawn or The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight In Heaven. Since they can read it to feed their stereotypes about the rare, good, assimilated Native American and the dangerous "Indians" who should be imprisoned and who will be violent and prey on others even there, I am not surprised. Mary Dog Soldier --------- "RE: Leonard for President" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 20:40:50 GMT From: swillett@hiwaay.net (Nokwisa Yona) Subj: Leonard for President Newsgroups: apc.indig.info,soc.culture.native,alt.native Greetings All Due to frustration with the potential Presidential candidates and the continuing disregard by the government of Leonard Peltier's plight, as well as the plight of the Indigenous Nations, it has been proposed to and concurred by the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, that Leonard be considered as a write-in Candidate for the Presidency of the United States. His running mate will be announced at a later date. All parties currently planning on casting their ballots are asked to consider this write-in candidate. All are asked to forward this to any and all lists, organizations and personal addresses. Any local activities or actions to bring this to the media and government forefront will be appreciated. For those with Web Pages please find a spot for "Leonard for President". Please visit the LPDC web pages for current or background information regarding Leonard Peltier. http://www.unicom.net/peltier/ Direct correspondence for LPDC to: lpdc@idir.net Thank you for your continuing support of Leonard and Native issues. In Spirit Nokwisa Yona --------- "RE: Cherokee Court Rules Against Nepotism" --------- Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 10:11:51 +0000 From: Cherokee Observer Subj: Cherokee Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Councilwoman Barbara Starr Scott Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native TRIBAL COURT WON'T ALLOW EMPLOYEE'S MOTHER ON COUNCIL by Donna Hale staff writer Muskogee Phoenix published Friday --August 23, 1996 -Cherokee High Court cites Tribe's Nepotism Law A mother serving on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council while her daughter served as tribal district judge would violate TRIBAL LAW, the Tribe's highest Court ruled Thursday. (Aug.22, 1996) Councilor Barbara Starr Scott had asked the Judicial Appeals Tribunal [Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation] to declare that if Tina Glory of Tahlequah were appointed to fill the council seat vacated by the death of her husband, Mige, that her daughter Tina Jordan must be removed as district judge. Tribal Law prohibits a person related in the first degree to a council member from being "employed in any capacity by the Cherokee Nation," the ruling said. The high Court rejected an argument by tribal attorney Jim Wilcoxen that Jordan could be "grandfathered in" or that because that she wasn't a tribal employee. The tribal NEPOTISM LAW doesn't apply just to council members but to "ALL PERSONS HOLDING ELECTIVE OFFICE, APPOINTIVE OFFICE, OR EMPLOYED POSITIONS WITH THE CHEROKEE NATION." the ruling said. Scott also had sued Principal Chief Joe Byrd and Chief of Staff George Thomas because they had refused to show her Jordan's contract, which was supposed to have bee approved by the council. The ruling said the court was "surprised" that CONTRACTS SIGNED BY THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF HAD NOT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE for inspection and copying by Council members CONTRACT A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD, CHEROKEE COURT RULES "How are council members to verify that their wishes have been fulfilled if they are denied access to such documents?" the ruling asks. All contracts entered into by the Cherokee Nation, except for "legitimate, good faith, claim of privilege (to protect trade secrets)" are available to anyone, not just council members, the ruling said. Jordan's contracts, filed with the court just before its hearing in the case, were made a part of the court file and a matter of public record, the ruling said. "It's like a breath of fresh air when our Constitution, and our laws are upheld," Scott said. "The decision reflects that we have three separate and distinct branches of government and I think they can take us into the 21st Century with decisions like this." The order admonished Wilcoxen for representing "all sides in this matter" and pulling off what it termed a "trifecta" by representing the executive branch, (Byrd), judicial branch (Jordan) and legislative branch by representing one council member (Harold DeMoss) who had asked to intervene in the suit at the same time another council member (Scott) had hired private counsel. The ruling said the court had informed Wilcoxen in chambers after the Aug 15 court hearing that his "continued attempts" to represent the three branches "amounts to a conflict of interest and should cease." The ruling gives Wilcoxen 72 hours to report to the court in writing, "precisely what steps he has taken to purge himself of the conflict." Wilcoxen said his situation had been difficult. "I was concerned about the situation", he said. "But, what do you do? I'm the (tribe's) general counsel and there was a serious dispute between the legislative branch and the judicial branch." DeMoss had wanted a ruling as to whether council members and others were employees and, if so, about whether they were entitled to health insurance and other fringe benefits. The court made his request a separate case and said answers to his questions might be in Thursday's ruling. That ruling said that it is the duty of the council and the executive branch to determine, within legal limits, what benefits, if any are available to differing categories of employees. But the tribe's health insurer might argue for a narrower definition of what an employee is for health insurance purposes than what tribal law considers as an employee, the court said. This article posted courtesy of your only independent Cherokee newspaper, THE CHEROKEE OBSERVER. --------- "RE: SDN: The Truth About S. 1973" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 22:52:46 -0700 (MST) From: sdn@primenet.com (Sovereign Dineh Nation) Subj: Sovereign Dineh Nation "The Truth About S. 1973 Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996" and Target list to help UUCP email SOVEREIGN DINEH NATION UPDATE August 22, 1996 A delegation from Big Mountain and all the resisting communities just returned from San Francisco. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit Court was attempting to hold the final Mediation meeting for a proposed Accommodation Agreement, 75-year lease that no one wants in San Francisco, over a thousand miles from where the Dineh resisters live. Navajo family representatives resisting the Agreement were given no notice for this meeting and were provided no way to attend. When the delegation met with David E. Lombardi, Jr. Chief Settlement officer, U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit Court, we were able to block the final Mediation meeting. At the meeting, David E. Lombardi said that a Mediation meeting at Rocky Ridge School would be the #1 priority item on the agenda on a tele-conference call on August 29th between Ninth Circuit Court, U.S. Department of Justice, Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation. We have asked for this Mediation meeting to be held at Rocky Ridge School. This is where we defeated the Agreement's predecessor, the Agreement-In-Principle, June, 1994 by a vote of 250 against, 1 for. In the meanwhile, when it is well known that the Agreement is being disputed, the Senate must not approve passage of S. 1973 "The Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996". We need you to call your home state Senators and Congresspeople and the people on the Target list that follows. Tell them you vote and pay taxes and you don't want your tax dollars funding relocation. Tell them NO vote on S. 1973. This bill if passed would provide 2.5 million dollars from the U.S. government, the full cost of lawsuits filed by the Hopi tribe. This would give the Hopi tribe a monetary reason to coerce signatures from all eligible head of households by whatever means necessary, offering from $118,000-$250,000.00 for each signature obtained. This bill if passed would seal the fate for the Dineh resisters, giving title to their land to the Hopi and grant a Congressional stamp of approval prior to the peoples case being heard by Ninth Circuit Court. The Mediation is not over. The Dineh resisters are waiting to overwhelmingly reject this Agreement at Rocky Ridge. The Dineh peoples' Human, Civil, Religious and Constitutional rights are being violated. There has been no attempt to fix the Agreement, rather the U.S. government and the Hopi tribe are trying to railroad passage of S. 1973 in an attempt to finish the relocation of the Dineh people. Dineh resisters are being told that if they do not accept this Agreement that they do not want by December 31, 1996 they will face forced eviction. It is now well-known to Ninth Circuit Court that the Agreement is being disputed by everyone affected. Please help ensure that Congress does not repeat the travesty of justice against the Dineh people perpetuated in 1974 when they passed the Relocation Act without input from the people directly affected and without a public hearing. What the people want is a chance to participate in a Congressional Oversight hearing in Washington, DC that investigates S. 1973, Public Law 93-531, the Relocation Act and Peabody Coal Company. Ninth Circuit Court and Arizona District Court, the Court they want to remand the peoples' case to do not have jurisdiction to fix what Congress committed as a mistake in the first place. Over the years, numerous Senators and Congresspeople have called P.L. 93-531, the Relocation Act 'a great mistake'. A delegation of Dineh elders and residents will be traveling to Washington, DC early September to lobby Congress. We need to make sure that there is NO vote on S. 1973 in the 104th Session of Congress. We have no lobbyists and watchdogs on Capitol hill. Please help us keep the pressure on the Senate when they return home from recess. There will also be a special session at the United Nations on September 12th concerning human rights violations against the Dineh people. We are asking the United Nations to cite the U.S. government for human rights violations against the Dineh people. Thank you for your support. Check out our home page for more information. http://www.primenet.com/~sdn/ Target list follows The Truth About S. 1973 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE TRUTH ABOUT S. 1973 Why are supporters of S. 1973 so anxious to "settle" the Navajo-Hopi issue at this time ? On March 11, 1996, a federal judge ordered the cancellation of Peabody Coal's mining permit to operate the largest strip mine in North America, the Black Mesa/Kayenta mines. In this landmark ruling (Docket #DV 95-3PR), the judge pinpointed the cozy relationship between the mining companies, the tribal councils, the OSM, and the BIA, and the complete disregard of the human and environmental rights of the local residents. He ruled that the mine must have the consent of the local residents in order to operate: "Here the consent of the surface holder Native Americans on their traditional home sites must be had as a condition precedent to issuing a permit or engaging in surface mining activities. Such was not done in this case. OSM has no authority to adjudicate the property rights disputes, and here the property rights of the land holders are, at minimum, in dispute with those of Peabody Coal and possibly those of the Navajo Nation". "Only after Peabody is able to accompany an application to mine with written consents from Petitioner Kescoli and all other like situated petitioners may OSM consider such application in the future. This will remain so long as Petitioner Kescoli and similarly situated petitioners shall remain in the proposed mining area as occupants of their customary use areas." The local residents believe that the land of Black Mesa is sacred and a coal mine is a rape of the Earth. The supporters of the coal mine know that these residents will never consent to the mine, and the only way that the mines can continue is to forcibly relocate these people. The parties whose "dispute" is apparently being resolved by S. 1973, are in fact on the same side of the issue: the coal mines finance both the Navajo & Hopi Tribal Councils. Peabody pays $45,000,000 per year in royalties to the Navajo Council and funds 65% of the total budget of the Hopi Council. The survival of both these institutions depends on the forcible relocation of the residents of the mining areas of Black Mesa. The mine remains open while attorneys for the mine continue to appeal the judges decision. But even if they overturn the ruling on technical issues, the fundamental problem does not go away. The federal judiciary is committed to giving Native Americans the same protection under SMCRA that is given other US citizens. The operation of the mine depends upon the denial of those rights. Peabody Coal and the Tribal Councils have to get these people out of the area immediately. How does S. 1973 help evict the local residents ? The residents in the mining area are Dine' (Navajo) families, but the jurisdiction over the area was given to the Hopi Tribal Council by the earlier Relocation Act of 1974. But the federal government in recent years has served as an intervenor in the region, protecting some of the human and constitutional rights of these families. Without such protection, the Hopi Rangers have the power and desire to harass and intimidate the families into leaving the area. The key impact of the act is stated mostly clearly in Sen. McCain's statement introducing the legislation: "The Agreement recognizes the Hopi Tribe's right to exercise jurisdiction over the Hopi Partitioned Lands where Navajo families are residing". A key issue is grazing rights. The few remaining Dine' residents are subsistence sheep herders, living as their families have done on these ancestral homesites for hundreds of years - without electricity, phone, or running water. In order to survive, they need to have access to their traditional grazing areas which have sustained their families for hundreds of years. The Hopi Tribal Council does not recognize the rights of the residents to use these areas, and has mandated a grazing policy which would deny these families a means of survival. The federal government has prevented the Hopi from full enforcement of this policy, which prompted the major lawsuit being "settled" by S. 1973. By restoring the Hopi Rangers' rights to enforce this policy, the Senate is giving them the power to confiscate all of the livestock of these families. If denied their means of survival, the families would have no alternative but to accept relocation. The issue has nothing to do with responsible range management: these families have lived in balance with the local environment for hundreds of years without assistance from the Hopi Rangers. The goal is solely to force these families out of the area. The use of intimidation and harassment to force relocation extends to many other areas besides grazing. The Hopi Tribal Council formed a specially trained and armed police force expressly aimed at the Dine' residents, and these rangers refer to themselves as the SWAT team. These rangers routinely approach residents houses in military fashion, enforcing regulations with respect to everything from gathering firewood, to building sheds, and to restrict the visitors who may visit the residents. The message is clearly delivered in each case: the harassment and intimidation will increase until the family relocates. The Hopi Tribal Council has no desire or intention to serve as a responsible landlord: their goal is to clear the land so that the mining can continue and expand. Why are Dine' families living on Hopi land ? In 1974, a group of mining and utility companies wanted the Black Mesa cleared for mining. What happened next was documented in an article in the Washington Post on July 21, 1974. The article describes how these companies stage-managed a faked range war to convince Congress that a Hopi-Navajo dispute existed that required a Congressional solution. The solution was to have areas that had been inhabited by Dine' families for hundreds of years turned over to the Hopi, and for Congress to finance the relocation of these people. Not surprisingly, the main area from which these evictions were to occur were the areas that the companies were interested in mining. The people affected by the legislation were never informed of the legislation, never allowed to testify in any Congressional hearing, and never allowed to be represented in any way through the process. Their religion, intimately tied to their ancestral land, was never taken into consideration. Their sacred sites and graveyards were turned over to bulldozers. They were stripped of all land title, and over 10,000 people were forced to relocate. Congress picked up the tab for over $350 million, and Peabody Coal built the largest strip mine in North America. A few hundred families, called the Resisters, still remain on the land despite efforts for 22 years to evict them. Some of these families can trace their ancestors on these sites back 18 generations - to before the Spaniards arrived. The artificial land boundaries between Hopi and Navajo devised by the US government and the mining companies have nothing to do with traditional tribal lands. The Traditionalists within the Hopi have long supported the rights of the Dine' to remain on their ancestral land. s stated by Roberta Blackgoat, who was born and has lived for 76 years in Thin Rock Mesa, and who is Chairperson of Sovereign Dineh Nation: We remember our honored friend and Traditional Hopi Elder, Grandfather David Monongye. He often told why many Traditional Hopi knew it was the Creator's idea for Dineh to live here. He was taught the Dineh were brought to surround the Mesa by the Holy Ones so as to provide a protective buffer from the forces of greed and destruction. If, and when, the Traditional Dineh were removed from these lands, his people would fall in turn, and the Earth would be destroyed. He knew from ancient teachings that Dineh and Hopi were physically and spiritually bound together. He realized, as do the current Resisters to relocation, that if the Dineh Church and Altar can be destroyed, so could everyone else's. The plan to confiscate the land and homes of the traditional Dine' did not arise from an ancient Hopi-Dine' conflict. The plan was developed by the mining companies and served their interests alone. How do the people subject to S. 1973 feel about it ? The law legitimizes a lease Agreement which was rejected in a community meeting at Rocky Ridge by a 250-1 margin. The opposition is just as strong in the other communities (Mosquito Springs, Cactus Valley, etc.). Sovereign Dine' Nation has obtained written statements from 240 people testifying to their total opposition to the Agreement. More statements will be obtained as Sovereign Dine' Nation continues the difficult task of reaching people who have no telephones and who reside in remote areas that in some cases can not even be reached by vehicle. The mining company and Tribal Council advocates of the Agreement can not demonstrate more than a handful of supporters among the people in these communities. How was the Lease Agreement embraced in S. 1973 drafted ? The Agreement arose from a lawsuit in the 9th circuit called the Manybeads case in which several Dine' families claimed their religious rights under the US Constitution were being violated by the evictions. This led to the mediation process which attempted to work out a solution to the issue which would respect the constitutional religious rights of the families in the area. As part of this process, the attorney who represented these families in the original lawsuit began receiving payments from the Navajo Tribal Council. Shortly afterward, he cut himself off from all contact with the families he was supposed to represent - not informing them of the negotiations or soliciting their opinions. He participated in the drafting of the Agreement and strongly advocated it, even though the families he originally represented are strongly opposed to it. When it became clear to the Court that the only interest he represented in the case was his own interest in the paychecks, the Navajo Tribal Council quit paying him. The families who brought the original lawsuit and the other families in the area have had no other opportunity to participate in the process. The deal was largely brokered between the Navajo and Hopi Tribal Councils, who share a common interest in the continuation and expansion of the Black Mesa mines and thus in evicting the Dine' families from the area. Why is S. 1973 a fraud ? The bill mandates that the Hopi Tribal Council will receive $25.1 million if it gets 85% of the families to sign the Lease Agreement. At least 90% of these families are firmly opposed to this agreement and would never voluntarily sign it. The US government is essentially paying a $120,000 bounty to the Hopi Rangers for every signature they can coerce from the 250 families subject to the Agreement. The bill ostensibly settles lawsuits filed by the Hopi Tribal Council against the US for interfering with their jurisdiction in the area. The role of the federal government has been to provide a minimal protection of the constitutional rights of these people. No state or tribe has the right under the US Constitution to violate the fundamental rights of US citizens. The US government does not have to pay $50.2 million in damages to the Hopi Tribal council for protecting the human and environmental rights of these citizens. Supporters of the bill have been dishonest in their promotions of the bill. For example, the Navajo President listed names of people in the community who supported the Agreement. In fact, almost all those people totally oppose it. Katherine Smith, a grandmother resident of the area, has recently filed a complaint with the Court that she saw her name forged on an official court document supporting the Agreement. The supporters of the bill have concealed the existence of the federal court judgment which shuts down the Black Mesa mines unless they can evict these families. As in 1974, the real motivation of a bill is being hidden from Congress. What should Congress do about S. 1973 ? Respect the Human and Constitutional Rights of the Families of Black Mesa: The people deserve the same protection of their religious, environmental, and human rights given to other citizens. The fact that they are Native American does not give any state or tribe the right to abuse these rights. - Re-Examine the Relocation Act of 1974: Congress recently recognized its error in relocating Japanese families during W.W.II. Congress should recognize that the same racism led to an even greater tragedy in this case. Congress should reopen the old case and do whatever is possible to heal the wounds caused by this legislation. - Oversee the Closing of the Black Mesa Mines: These mines violate the environmental rights of the residents of Black Mesa. These mines are also pumping billions of gallons of precious N-aquifer groundwater to operate a slurry line which threatens the water supply for the entire region. A federal judge has ordered the mine to close. S. 1973 is an example of the extreme measures and deception which will be perpetrated by supporters of these mines. Congress should exercise an overseers role to make sure that the judicial process is not circumvented or corrupted. When the mining companies are no longer allowed to operate in the region, Congress will find that there no longer is a Hopi-Navajo dispute. As stated by federal Judge Ramon Child, who in reviewing the Black Mesa mine permit listened to more testimony than Congress did before it ordered the forced relocation of 10,000 people: "If there was no mine, would there be a land dispute ? I think not." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TARGET LIST Please call and fax your home state Senators and the following people. Tell them you vote and pay taxes and you don't want your tax dollars funding relocation. Write: The Honorable (full name) U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 Capitol switchboard to find out phone numbers for every Senator phone # 202/224-3121 Vice-President Gore is by title also the President of the Senate. phone # 202/224-2424 e-mail # Vice.President@whitehouse.gov President Clinton phone # 202/456-1414 e-mail # President@whitehouse.gov Phil Bakersenk and Steve Healey Aides to Senator John McCain, AZ, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs phone # 202/224-2235 fax # 202/228-2862 e-mail # senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov Joe Trujillo, Legislative Assistant and Kay Davies, Indian Affairs Aide to Senator Pete V. Domenici, NM phone # 202/224-6621 fax # 202/224-7371 e-mail # senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov Tim Glazewski Aide to Senator Jon Kyl, AZ phone # 202/224-4521 fax # 202/228-1239 e-mail # info@kyl.senate.gov Patricia Zell Aide to Senator Daniel K. Inouye, HI phone # 202/224-3934 fax # 202/224-6747 e-mail # senator@inouye.senate.gov Gary Bohnee Aide to Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, CO phone # 202/224-5852 fax # 202/224-1933 Mia Ellis Aide to Senator Dianne Feinstein, CA phone # 202/224-3841 fax # 202/228-3954 e-mail # senator@feinstein.senate.gov Diane Hill Aide to Senator J. Robert Kerrey, NE phone # 202/224-6551 fax # 202/224-7645 e-mail # bob@kerrey.senate.gov Mike Queenan Aide to Senator John F. Kerry, MA phone # 202/224-2742 fax # 202/224-8525 e-mail # john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov Chris Miller Aide to Senator Carl Levin, MI phone # 202/224-6221 fax # 202/224-1388 e-mail # senator@levin.senate.gov Andrea Fishman Aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, MA phone # 202/224-4543 fax # 202/224-2417 e-mail # senator@kennedy.senate.gov Senator Barbara Boxer, CA phone # 202/224-3553 fax # 415/956-6701 e-mail # senator@boxer.senate.gov Senator Daniel K Akaka, HI phone # 202/224-6361 fax # 202/224-2126 --------- "RE: Shades of Mother Earth" --------- Date: Sat, 24 Aug 1996 15:21:13 -0400 From: afn11933@afn.org (S. R. Smith) Subj: S.O.M.E. UUCP email Shades of Mother Earth August 23, 1996 Shades of Mother Earth (S.O.M.E.) is committed to exploring the complex web of life which covers this fragile planet that is our home. S.O.M.E.'s approach is directed by Native American traditions and beliefs emphasizing the spiritual kinship between all life including mankind, plants and animals. S.O.M.E. respects all life and believes in a "life force" which permeates and joins all objects, both inanimate and animate, throughout the universe. By combining up-to-date rehabilitative strategies, modern veterinarian science and traditional Native American approaches to healing the spirit, S.O.M.E. provides complete care for all creatures. Specific goals include: Rescue, care, and, if possible, rehabilitation and release back into the wild, of injured wildlife. Native American beliefs demand we have full commitment to returning our wild brothers back to their natural habitat whenever possible. Provide the highest quality of life for permanently disabled wildlife who cannot survive on their own in the wild. This includes adequate shelter, proper medical care, carefully monitored nutrition and social interaction. Native American beliefs respect all life as brothers and sisters who deserve the absolute best care possible when unable to provide for themselves. Provide quality education concerning the preservation of wildlife and habitat, the rehabilitation of injured wildlife, the behavior and biology of permanently injured wildlife and the traditional Native American way of life with emphasis on the special relationship between Native Americans and wildlife. Towards these ends, S.O.M.E. continues to rescue and treat injured wildlife, provide recovery care and return them to the wild when possible. Non-releasable wildlife are allowed to live out their natural lives at rehabilitator/educational facilities. Education continues to be a main emphasis. S.O.M.E.'s wildlife educators go to schools, clubs or groups, and also attend conventions, fairs and Native American gatherings as "Wildlife Ambassadors" providing direct and personal contact found nowhere else. To the extent of availability of resources, there is no charge for such exhibitions. History: In 1993, Sallye and Willie Meeks started the organization which has become S.O.M.E. Sallye has over 20 years of rehabilitation experience including 9 years at the Maitland Bird of Prey Center located in Maitland, FL. She is licensed by the Federal and State of Florida governments and has applied for her license in Tennessee. She currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board of S.O.M.E., as well as continuing as an active rehabilitator. S.O.M.E. currently has facilities in Tennessee. S.O.M.E. has been certified as a non-profit organization by the Federal government, and is undergoing the process for incorporating as a non-profit corporation in Tennessee. Volunteer Program: Shades of Mother Earth is in constant need of volunteer assistance and materials. Volunteers do NOT need experience. You can volunteer at the times and on the days which are best for you. We can use any talent or skill you possess. Caring for wildlife is a continuous, extensive and very expensive undertaking. S.O.M.E. currently receives no government money or assistance. Our main source of funding comes from our own jobs, the contributions of enlightened individuals and concerned corporations. Your support helps us to save lives. For more information about how you can help, request exhibitions, or make contributions, please contact: Shades of Mother Earth 120 Oldham Road Hartsville, TN 37074 (615) 374-2247 or 374-9036 E-Mail address: some@isdn.net (S. Meeks) OR in Florida: Steven Smith and Cheryl Johnson PO BOX 5235 Gainesville, FL 32602 (352)373-4353 or 371-7661 E-Mail address: afn11933@afn.org (Steven Smith) afn45183@afn.org (Cheryl Johnson) PLEASE feel free to contact us for any information. (Especially if you have questions about an injured Wild creature you have found.) Tsau, Steven Smith & Cheryl Johnson White Hawk & Passion Willow --------- "RE: Who Really Loves the Man Named Columbus" --------- Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 12:32:56 -0700 From: Chief Peter Guanikeyu Torres Subj: Who Really Loves the Man Named Columbus Mailing List: Taino-L Tau Taino Natiao-na, Hello Taino Sister, Christina Bautista LM wrote: > Tau all, > Columbus Day is an insult to our people. It is an instance of how western > civilization continues to covertly colonize our minds and hearts. > We must be strong, raise our voices and stand up and be counted. > Taino-Ti. > Christina Rodriguez Bautista Many Taino and non-native people of the Caribbean live the colonized Spanish mentality. We must learn that this man named Columbus or what ever name people claim he was called was a Spanish colonial symbol of mass destruction, ever since he first step foot on our sacred Taino Native American soil on Oct 12, 1492. The Taino people must stand up in protest to the Kings, Queens and Catholic Church, we must never forget as do the Jews with the Germans, that the Spanish leadership is guilty in our eyes of mass genocide, pillage and rape of our gentle Taino ancestors. The past TAINO INDIAN WARS are not over yet, until the Catholic Church and Spain, is brought before an International court to pay for their War crimes, committed against the Taino Nation! WE TAINO PEOPLE MUST NEVER FORGET THIS MONSTER NAMED COLUMBUS! We are not Spanish people, we are the Taino people, the victims of an inhuman Spanish brutality! Can you still hear the Cries of the the 6 Million Taino victims? Respectfully yours Chief Ciba Guanikeyu Tribal Council Chief of Jatibonuco -- The Taino Inter-Tribal Council, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/taino/ Taino Nation Forum, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/taino/docs/list.html THE NJ COUNCIL OFFICE Tel: 609-825-7776 FAX & TAINO BBS: 609-825-7922 We Are Still Here! Taino Indigenous Nation of the Caribbean & Florida --------- "RE: No Need for Confusion" --------- Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 11:21:14 -0400 From: FirehairSS@aol.com Subj: No need for confusion UUCP email You refer to yourself as a "breed". I find that sad, and will share with you what a very Honored Elder, of whom you may know - told me some years ago. I had been attending various Native gatherings, Pow Wows, etc. with my then VERY small children, who "look" Indian. At this particular event, I was working hard, helping Eagle Wing Press, and also selling raffle tickets with my little "apron". As usual, there were many who approached me for advice, etc., on matters of genealogy, research, tribes, whatever (it's what I do to earn a living). I noticed an Elder watching me, and he motioned for me to come to him. He then said, "Daughter, I want to speak with you". I was petrified, asked "Have I offended someone?" He said, "Only yourself. I have watched you. We see how you are with the People, with the Children, and how you act, speak, with the Elders. We know you. You have an Indian heart, an Indian Spirit. You must stop apologizing that you are only "part" Indian, that you can only "prove" so much. You are all Indian - never apologize again." And I never have, and take exception to anyone who will challenge that. I am an Indian - I was born acting as I do - and did so in a "white" household who denied me eery time I asked, repeated what my Gt.Grandma had told me - that we were Indians. I tell the children, and everywhere I speak - I am an Indian who has white and black ancestors. I Honor them all - but - I am an Indian. I was born this way, and will so die. Now, I never knew who the Elder was - until jan. of 1995, when at my first White House meeting, there he was. elegant, silver haired, in a business suit. At meetings, and on the dais in the White House. I learned who he was, and followed him when he came down off the dais, we talked, I reminded him of our talk long ago. I told him - you just "apologized" for your Nation letting in the Pilgrims - now, because of you, and my own family who support me , I am here today, in this White House, fighting for our People - you may end up apologizing for me!! We both got a little teary, and hugged. Who is he? John "Slow Turtle" Peters, Leader, Supreme Medicine Man, of the Mashpee/Wampanoags, and long time activist, nationally known Elder. I told him I pass on this story a lot, so that others will stop accepting the guilt others try to hand out due not being "full blood". Geneticists, biologists, anthropologists, and the Honest among us all admit/agree, there is no longer any such thing as a full blood Indian. to be sure, many have a higher "blood quantum" than others - but, East of the Mississippi, there have been no full bloods since the 1860s. Except in the Pacific Islands, remote Alaska, there is little chance of being "pure" Indian. Gene pool is a crap shoot, we get what we get. Being an Indian has little to do with how much blood you got. We are all too well aware of Tribal People. leaders, who are selling their own down the tubes, for $$$. Wilma Mankiller is about 1/3 by blood quantum. The original Chief John Ross was 1/4 to 1/8th - Chief Joseph Brant - about 1/2. Eli parker? Ditto. Quanah Parker - 1/2. Anyone call them not Indian? I DON'T THINK SO!! YOU ARE AN INDIAN, how you were raised, what you know how to do in the old way, has little to do with it. The Ancestors who have chosen you to go forward with are all Indians, and it is their voices who call you to your path. You Honor them, they know who and what you are. Cross this burden off your travois!! Hugs and love, Firehair --------- "RE: Return to the Old Ways" --------- Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1996 15:05:00 -0400 From: Ishgooda Subj: Return to the Old Ways In this modern social order, a "Return to the Old Ways" is not really possible, but a return to the ideals of the old ways is. The corruptive influence of "Ruling" others is exactly like Heroin addiction. Once the taste of the power to rule has bee acquired, only the most drastic actions can curb it. Even the kindest and most progressive Ruler is a despot, and should be reviled, especially by the NA people. One drastic restriction to curb such appetite is to constitutionally bind all resolutions to a referendums of ratification for them to become law, and require a 2/3rds or more majority. Another is to provide repeal or reconsideration upon presentation of opposition by any significant percentage of the members of the band. An absolute interpretation to the "Necessity" of the legislation, not whim for consideration. Laws to guarantee conformity or to reproach those who simply walk to a different drum, but do no real harm to their brothers are against the heritage of the NA people in most areas of the countries, and this concept of arbitrary laws to Protect individuals against themselves, or the public against persons who just do not walk the line prescribed by 15% of the nation is a European "Control" exercise. Infatuation with the power to "Rule" is a progressive disease, and it feeds upon the success of it's own potence. I like trimmed hedges, so all must grow hedges to make the Reserve more presentable, and on and on without end. Only the most urgent and most important "Public" areas of human occupation come within the purview of a free state legislative body, Red or White. All rule making, and decision making should be very hard, very slow and very deliberate, not like the US governing systems, where use of fear and pandering to whim allow wrongful power of all to the few. Greed is not only for money, it also is for power over others. No man has any right to act against another unless it is absolutely necessary. The English, i.e. Canadian and US variations, is imperial rule for the sake of control and power over the masses, not the good of anyone but those who make the rules. The greatest tradition of the NA people in general is that of loose associations of "Free Equals" and the aristocratic pomp or trappings of power over all "for the people" is European and should remain European. The American Declaration of Independence was dedicated to the and inspired by the founding fathers limited view of NA traditions and any tribal or other NA governing unit should be doubly aware of the words thereof. Governing is a limited, very limited exercise of power, under the most strict conditions, and for the most limited purposes, and only with the undivided support of all. Once there begins a changing of rules or rights of members, it comes under the European models of Rule for control purposes, as has happened with the Central US and Canadian Governments. --------- "RE: Odawa Native Friendship Centre" --------- Date: 28 Aug 1996 00:50:05 GMT From: br975@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (John S. Brack) Subj: Odawa Native Friendship Centre. Please help spread the word. Newsgroups: soc.culture.native To: All Re: Please help spread the word of the Odawa Native Friendship Centre and its new address, phone and fax no., and its office hours. Odawa Native Friendship Centre Welcome to Odawa The Odawa Native Friendship Centre is a nonprofit organization serving the Aboriginal Community in the Ottawa Hull area. We are an organization which offers various programs and services to people of all ages and where everyone is welcome! Culture: * Annual Odawa Pow Wow held on the last weekend in May * Native Veterans' Dinner * Annual Odawa Winter Traditional Pow Wow * Traditional Drumming and Dancing * Dances, Socials, and Family Events Community Services * Odawa Sweetgrass Home Daycare Agency * Li'l Beavers for children ages 5 to 13 (Unfortunately, this program has been cut because of the current Ontario Government) * Youth Support for young adults 14 to 24 years * Employment Training & Referral * Family Support Services * Counselling Referrals Sports and Recreation * Odawa's Three Pitch League * Odawa's Volleyball League * Annual Golf and Hockey Tournaments * Bowling, Euchre, Billiard Tournaments * Bingo Nights * And More! If you would like to become a member, a volunteer or if you would like to make a contribution to any of the areas mentioned above, please contact us at: Odawa Native Friendship Centre 12 Stirling Avenue Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1Y 1P8 Tel.:(613)722-3811 Fax:(613)722-4667 Office Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday -- John S. Brack (613)526-2482 reply to here and/or to davidb@ftn.net Turtle Island, Mother Earth (Ottawa, Ont.,Canada) --------- "RE: EPA Job in Seattle for Elders" --------- Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 19:45:04 -0600 From: ALAN MOOMAW Subj: EPA job in Seattle (for ages 55 & over only) Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) FYI & please pass this on to elders (everything being relative) you may know that might be interested in work in the Seattle area. Thanks ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION TITLE: Information Specialist LOCATION: Environmental Protection Agency - Downtown Seattle DESCRIPTION: Provide administrative support to the federal facilities compliance program. Duties to include: tracking system database management, budget data tracking, compliance/enforcement action data up-dates, preparing compliance and inspection status reports. QUALIFICATIONS: ? Must be 55 years or older to participate in this employment program (PL 98-313) ? Five years experience with IBM or compatible PC data entry and database organization ? Knowledge and experience in providing general office/ clerical support ? Skill in using computer work processor (WordPerfect a plus), and operating general office equipment ? Excellent oral and written communication skills ? Able to travel locally for one day trips in greater Puget Sound area RESPONSIBILITIES: ? Review and edit existing Federal Facilities compliance and enforcement data; ? Distribute and compile information related to federal facilities pollution budget reports; ? Communicate and query compliance data from federal installation point of contact and compile data in federal facilities tracking system. SALARY: $10.50/hour HOURS: 40 hours/week TO APPLY: Send resume and cover letter specifying position title by September 9, 1996 to: NAPCA 1511 Third Ave. Suite 914 Seattle, WA. 98101-1626 or FAX: (206) 624-1023 --------- "RE: New Extension Courses" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 15:56:07 -0500 From: Helen Rieger Subj: NEW Extension Courses Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota would like to draw your attention to two new courses being offered for the first time this fall. American Indians and Anthropology: Conflict and/or Co-operation,3960 Wednesdays, 6:20 to 8:50, 121 Smith Hall, Bob Danforth, Ph.D. The purpose of this course is to identify and study historic, recent and potential relationships between American Indians and cultural anthropologists and, to a lesser extent, American Indian Studies and cultural anthropology. Anthropology, like other scientific and interpretive disciplines that take American Indians as subjects for study, remains suspect within many Indian intellectual circles and communities. More than a few American Indians challenge, deride or ignore anthropological interpretations of American Indian lives. Certain anthropologists, arguably and in retrospect, have exploited relationships with American Indian informants and violated personal impressions of individual and community trust. Yet, to slight the positive and satisfying relationships between American Indians and other anthropologists or the many contributions anthropologists have made, again, arguably, to American Indian studies, would be inaccurate and misleading. What is cultural anthropology as it pertains to American Indians? What to cultural anthropologists do that may be detrimental, irrelevant, useful or beneficial to American Indians and within American Indian communities, American Indian studies and, more generally, intercultural education pertaining to American Indians? What ethical considerations are involved within this intellectual territory? Are positive, mutually beneficial collaborations between American Indians and cultural anthropologists possible? Why or why not? The course facilitator, Bob Danforth, holds a B.A. and M.A. degrees in Anthropology, an M.S. in Continuing and Adult Education and a Ph.D. in Continuing and Adult Education with a Minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has taught in the Department of Anthropology and the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin and the Department of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota for a combined total of seven years. American Indians and Autobiography, 3960 Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., David Treuer This course will examine a diverse sampling of indigenous autobiographies - texts which have often been marginalized or neglected by the traditional disciplines. In addition to autobiographical writings, some theoretical and critical writings will also be examined, including several written by non-American Indians. Lenses from history, literature, anthropology, memoir, and American Indian Studies will be used to view these works and the ways their creators have dealt with issues of authenticity and identity, geography and Self, history versus tradition, and the tension between individuality and community. You'll gain insight into your own views of the Self and your place in the world as well as learning how indigenous perspectives have treated the same fundamental issues of the individual's place in time, space, and culture. David Treuer is Ojibwe from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He was graduated with honors from Princeton University with a BA in anthropology and a concentration on Creative Writing. He received his MA in anthropology from the University of Michigan in the Spring of 1996. His first novel, Little, was published by Graywolf Press in the Fall of 1995. To sign up for one or both of these classes contact Continuing Education and Extension at 625-3333 or contact the Department of American Indian Studies at 624-1338. --------- "RE: Poem: Morning Water" --------- Date: Thu, 23 May 96 13:30 PDT From: turtle@aicap.s21.com (Turtle Heart) Subj: Morning Water Newsgroups: alt.native Morning Water in the light of the morning the water flows sweetly and cool finding its way into a belly made warm from the dreaming tied like a feather to a stone the taste of the water in the morning was soft drifting me but holding me close to the waking of the earth (Morning Song) (c)Copyright 1995,AICAP Turtle Heart. Ahnishinabeg Artist. turtle@aicap.s21.com http://aicap.s21.com American Indian Computer Art Project (AICAP) 619-374-2208 PO Box 111, Johannesburg California 93528-0111 Land of Kaw-ii-Su Ancestor. Land of Light. --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/08/20 23:47 From: Debra F. Sanders (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days genie email A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of September 1-7 KEPAKEMAPA (September) (Mahoe Hope) September was the time when the plume of the sugar-cane began to unsheathe itself. 1 If your heart tells you that you can soar with your dreams, let no one persuade you otherwise! 2 In even the tiniest seeds are found all the secrets of life. 3 The coral reef is a home to many creatures. 4 In our hearts, we are all children. 5 Know all there is to know, ... and cherish what you learn. 6 Never make excuses to avoid doing the things you truly love. 7 Time will not stand still for our convenience -- we must make the time we need to build our dreams. (c) Copyright 1991 by D. F. Sanders Me ke aloha i ka nani, ... Moe'uhanekeanuenue (With love and beauty, ... Rainbow Dream) --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - offline" --------- Date: Thu, 29 August 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 Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 19:43:50 -0600 From: Oktimpi@aol.com Subj: Halito Innakfish Humma! Mailing List: AISESnet Discussion List (aisesnet@victor.umt.edu) Halito Red Brothers! The Native Community of North Texas convey the following information for events in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Area: August 29 ASA National Men's Fastpitch Softball Tournament, College Station, TX August 30-Sept 2 Choctaw Labor Day Festival, Tuskahoma, Ok. August 30-Sept 2 Cherokee Nation Celebration, Tahlequah, Ok September 11 THUNDER ALLIANCE Membership Meeting, Richland College Cafeteria, Dallas, Tx September 13 Traders Village Pow Wow, Grand Prairie, TX September 18 All Nations American Indian Vendor Days @ Richland College 11:00-4:00pm October 9 THUNDER ALLIANCE membership meeting.7-9:30 Richland College Cafeteria, Dallas, TX October 18-19 AIREC & AIEP State Conference and Stomp Dance. Townview Magnet School, Dallas, TX October 19 American Indian Center Pow Wow, Euless, TX October 26-27 AIAC Market Festival and Pow Wow. Addison, TX November 3 NASA-UTA 2nd Annual Student Scholarship Benefit Inter-Tribal Dance, Bluebonnet Ballroom @ 2-11:00 PM. Arlington, TX. In conjunction with the University of Texas at Arlington, the students of NASA are proud to bring the University its 2nd Annual Pow Wow. We are pleased that we are able to once again share our rich culture with the campus and surrounding communities. All proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for the Native American Students of UTA. 1996 recipient will be announced at Pow Wow. November 8-9 North American Indian Veterans Society Memorial Inter-Tribal Dance. Dallas, TX November 13 THUNDER ALLIANCE meeting. Richland College Cafeteria, Dallas, Tx. November 16 Texas Woman's University- Native Pride Inter-Tribal Dance, Denton, TX The THUNDER Alliance is a Coalition of American Indian Student Organizations and Concerned Community leaders whose aim is to address and resolve the issues of educating American Indian Students in Texas. Started in the Fall of 1995 by Joe Bohanon, THUNDER Alliance counts on the participation of many universities, including Richland College, Mountainview College, University of North Texas and Texas Women's University. For any questions regarding any of these events, E-mail inquiries to Oktimpi@AOL.COM. May the Great Spirit keep you until we meet. ------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 15:06:20 GMT From: negagnon@mtu.edu (Nancy Gagnon) Subj: Harvest Gathering & PowWow (Houghton, Michigan, 11-13 October) PRESS RELEASE August 26, 1996 The FIRST ANNUAL SPIRIT OF THE HARVEST GATHERING AND POWWOW is scheduled to be held October 11-13, 1996, at the Dee Stadium, Houghton, Michigan, located on the Portage Lake canal waterfront, gateway to majestic Lake Superior and Michigan's colorful Keweenaw Peninsula. This educational and cultural event is sponsored by Michigan Technological University's Department of Educational Opportunity, MTU's Native American Student Association, AISES Student Organization, and the Michigan College and University Partnership Grant from the Office of Equity. We welcome you to join us in this celebration of native presenters, speakers, dancers, singers, traders and artists. Topics for speakers will include (but will not be limited to): native men's and women's issues, environmental issues, technological issues, indigenous people's issues, self-determination, sovereignty, assimilation vs. accommodation, traditional values and practices, and traditional medicines in the western world. Registration will begin on Friday, October 11, at 8:00am, on the campus of Michigan Technological University. Friday afternoon will be devoted to featured speakers and presentations. Powwow activities will take place on Saturday, at the Dee Stadium, with a Grand Entry at 12:00pm and also at 7:00pm. A Grand Entry will also take place on Sunday at 12:00pm followed by a Give-Away at 4:00pm. Dancers, singers, drum groups, vendors, and traders, will be on site at Dee Stadium throughout the weekend. If you would like to participate in this First Annual Spirit of the Harvest Gathering and Powwow as a speaker, presenter, dancer, trader, or artist, or if you would like further information on attending, please contact Carole LaPointe, Coordinator N.A. Outreach, Department of Educational Opportunity- MTU, at 906/487-2920, by fax at 906/487-3101, or through e-mail at cllapoin@mtu.edu Nancy Gagnon Registrar's Office Michigan Technological University 1400 Townsend Drive Houghton, MI 49931-1295 (906) 487-3323 (906) 487-3343 (FAX) email: negagnon@mtu.edu ================================================================== Neat stuff from Char-Koosta News: Sept. 6-8 Doug Allard's world championship stickgame tourney. Substantial winners' purses. Special category for youth under 14. Call 406-745-2951 or 406-726-3115 for details. Games played at the pow wow grounds in Arlee, MT. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Also from Char-Koosta News: Sept. 5-8 27th Annual Internation Pow Wow, Bismarck, ND 701-255-3285 Sept 27-29 2nd Annual Council Tree Pow Wow, Delta, CO 800-874-1741 Sept 28 Northern Plains Pow Wow and Art Show, Sioux Falls, SD 800-658-4797 Oct 12 6th Annual All-Children's Pow Wow, Santa Fe, NM 800-607-4636 Nov 2 Univ. of Idaho Falls Pow Wow, Moscow, ID 208-885-7716 Nov 8-10 Yakama Nation Veterans Powwow, White Swan, WA 509-877-6121 ================================================================ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Mary Dog Soldier, Nokwisa Yona, Sovereign Dineh Nation, Steven Smith, Donna Hale via Marvin and Linda Summerfield (Cherokee Observer), Turtle Heart (Mending the Sacred Hoop with Song Poems), Debra Sanders, Alan Moomaw, Janet Smith, Firehair, Chief Peter Guanikeyu Torres, Ishgooda, Helen Rieger, Susanna Shreeve, Dan Umstead, Susan Odonnel, Robert Gough, Bernard J. Rock, Sr., John S. Brack -//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Part B of this newsletter has already been distributed via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 29 August 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 Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1996 16:43:35 -0400 From: abenaki@xtdl.com Subj: First Annual Re-Discovery Pow Wow (Hooksett, NH, 12-13 October) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) October 12-13, 1996 will be the day of celebration for the Native American Community in NH. The Pow Wow will be held in Hooksett NH off Interstate 93 Exit 11. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $2.50 for children under 10 and seniors. All proceeds benefit the Abenaki Indian Center, Inc. There will be dancing, drumming, singing, and Native American crafts for sale and on display. We want to increase awareness and educate the general public about the presence of Native Americans in NH and invite them to join in our celebration. Contact Information: abenaki@xtdl.com or 1-888-NATIVES Marci Martel, Executive Director Abenaki Indian Center, Inc --------- "RE: Tiller's Guide" --------- Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1996 10:07:11 -0700 From: susanna@rain.org (Susanna Shreeve) Subj: Tiller's Guide Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) [Editorial Note: PLEASE read the added note at the end of the original post.] Dear Friends, For those of you who wish to receive a free copy of Tiller's Guide, call Economic Development Admin's Indian Planning Office: 202 482-2873. You can also request a dept. info packet. I'm interested in netting with those of you already working in, or interested in assisting reservation long-range sustainable development. Thanks, to those of you who've shared this info. Please include me in future postings on this topic. I recommend: _Planning for Balanced Development_- A Guide for Native Americans and Rural Communities by Susan Guyette with forward by Dave Warren....sponsored by the Pueblo of Pojoaque. Clear Light Publishers, 1996. 823 Don Diego. Sante Fe, New Mexico 87501 ISBN O-940666-64-2 (pbk) $14.95 _State of Native America_ edited by M. Annette Jaimes, South End Press, Boston (If I remember correctly) is another book I recommend. I haven't seen either of these mentioned lately. QUESTIONS: What one, or several sources would you suggest as most currently complete directory (ies) of Native American organizations, resources, etc. The technology exists. Is anyone attempting a 'global' guide to Native America? A global interest in this. Are we ready? IF this is a do-able project, who's interested in contemplating constructing something for the approaching wave of interest that's coming our way? Charts and lists under one cover. How many of us are gearing up to assist including reservations in getting wired for computers during the fast approaching October Net Day? Let's net! Info Contact: Kenneth Wyrick, Lazarus Foundation Western Regional Director, kmw@rain.org Since immediate needs, as well as long-range economic development, can get a technological jump-start......let's collaborate, network with netters & non-netters to each do what we can in our own regions. Kenneth can direct you to websites, and answer questions about recycling computers to reservations, and urban programs, mobile units, etc. All the best............ Susanna Shreeve ... note 1 .......................................................... Hello, again, I received a call from Mr. Luis Bueso, Director of Planning. He informs us: The name of the book now available free upon request: _American Indian Reservations and Trust Areas. He prefers you call 202-482-3027 because you may leave your request & info on voice mail. They are glad to include information about the Planning Office (Economic Development) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He'd be glad to include information about 61 ongoing economic development grants. There is no 'Indian' office as I'd previously understood....through my several calls, which referred me to his assistant. As to 'missing pages:' Pine Ridge is covered on pages 150 & 151 only. This is a new title, not necessarily new information. Over and out, Susanna --------- "RE: Crazy Horse Defense Project" --------- Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 12:30:09 -0400 From: rpwgough@aol.com Subj: Crazy Horse Defense Project Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) CRAZY HORSE UPDATE: AUGUST 1996 CRAZY HORSE DEFENSE PROJECT ALERT!! ATTENTION ALL TRIBAL LEADERS AND INTERESTED PERSONS: Crazy Horse was never defeated. He resisted all forms of domination, including alcohol. Once again, Crazy Horse warns: Protect the people, the land and the culture! The Indian wars of past centuries continue today, now in the form of non-Indian exploitation of Indigenous rights and resources, including land, water and even our cultures! Today, mainstream society freely appropriates and commercially exploits many aspects of tribal cultures without permission or compensation, and without respect for the rights of tribes or Indian peoples. The disregard of our treaties, the exploitation of our resources, the sale of sacred objects, the abuse of ceremonies, the commercialization of names, designs and images, the use of racist stereotypes, and even the appropriation of personal names of respected Indian leaders have gone too far. Such exploitation and appropriation must stop! The name of the revered Lakota leader Crazy Horse (Tasunke Witko) brings to mind strength, courage, integrity and honor. When we think of Crazy Horse, we remember his brave deeds in the protection of Indian people, land and culture. We stand a little taller -- proud to be American Indians. A century after his death, the spirit of Crazy Horse is once again in the forefront of the ongoing battle for the protection of Indian rights. Since March 1992, this powerful name has been wrongly associated with an alcohol product called "The Original Crazy Horse Malt Liquor." Crazy Horse never drank and repeatedly warned about the devastation alcohol would bring to Indian people. Nevertheless, the Heileman and Hornell brewing companies, and Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons, the makers of "Arizona Iced Tea", have stolen his name and slapped it on a cheap 40 oz. malt liquor bottle. Despite repeated protests from Tribes and the initiation of legal action by the Crazy Horse family, Ferolito and Vultaggio continue to market this malt liquor, along with their other sugar-water products, packaged in Indian designs. Indian people must unite in the defense of the Crazy Horse name. He symbolizes our never-ending struggle to protect the things we hold sacred. If they can put his name on a liquor bottle, then nothing in Indian country is safe or sacred. The Crazy Horse Defense Project (CHDP) was organized at the request of the Crazy Horse family to generate financial support and grassroots commitment for the protection of indigenous cultural rights. The CHDP is coordinating the ongoing national effort in the areas of public education, state and federal legislation, grassroots action and fund raising. Please fill out the attached questionnaire and fax it back to us today for updates on the Estate's legal actions in the Rosebud Tribal Court, for model resolutions on legislative and regulatory protections, and for additional information on how you can participate in this struggle for cultural rights. Thank you for joining us in the battle to protect the name of Crazy Horse. Your help and support are critical in this struggle. Pilamaya!! In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, Phyllis Tousey Frederick, Esq. National Coordinator August 1996 * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 21, 1996 BREWERS SUE CRAZY HORSE ESTATE AND ROSEBUD TRIBE IN FEDERAL COURT TO HALT LAWSUIT. Rosebud, SD -- Tribal Court defendants, the G. Heileman and Hornell brewing companies, and Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons, are now suing the Rosebud Tribal Court, a special tribal judge, and Seth H. Big Crow, Sr., Administrator for the Estate of Tasunke Witko, in federal district court in Pierre, SD. The brewing companies seek a federal injunction to stop the Tribal Court from hearing the suit brought by the Estate of Tasunke Witko. Robert Gough, attorney for the Estate, called this latest action an untimely but expensive delaying tactic. "Federal review is premature because the Tribal Court has yet to develop a full record on the case," said Gough. "These defendants have failed to exhaust their tribal court remedies and this federal lawsuit will only result in an expensive delay," Gough added. On July 24, 1996, the brewing companies, which produce "The Original Crazy Horse Malt Liquor" and "AriZona Iced Tea," filed in federal district court for judicial review of the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Rosebud Sioux Tribe. The Rosebud Supreme Court determined that the Tribal Court does have proper legal authority to hear the lawsuit brought against the beer makers by Big Crow and the Estate based upon the actions of the beer companies and their contacts with the Rosebud Reservation. Mick Grossenburg, a Winner attorney representing the malt liquor companies, served the federal complaint on the Rosebud Tribal Court and on attorney Stanley Whiting, who presided as special tribal judge over the initial hearing in 1994, in which the Estate's suit was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction and standing under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. Estate Administrator Big Crow, who apparently has not yet been served in the federal action, had appealed special judge Whiting's dismissal to the Rosebud Supreme Court. On June 14, 1996, the Tribal Supreme Court affirmed the Estate's right to protect the name and found that the Estate had presented sufficient prima facie jurisdiction evidence to survive a motion to dismiss. The Supreme Court overturned Whiting's dismissal, and order "a prompt trial on the merits." The brewers' federal action seeks to block a tribal court trial on the merits and to permanently halt all tribal court proceedings against them. According to the federal complaint, the brewers seek "(1) a judgment declaring that the Tribal Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over the Estate's action against...or personal jurisdiction over (the brewers); (2) an injunction against Seth H. Big Crow, Sr. preventing him from proceeding against (the brewers) in the Tribal Court; and (3) an injunction against the Tribal Court preventing it from asserting jurisdiction over (the brewers)." "This really comes as no surprise," said Gough, attorney for the Estate. "These marketers will apparently do anything to avoid being held accountable to the Lakota people for their appropriation and abuse of the Crazy Horse name. When we first filed our lawsuit, Heileman, Hornell, Ferolito and Vultaggio sought to avoid being served with tribal court papers for almost six months. The Estate opposes any further delay in having 'a prompt trial on the merits' of our case," Gough said. "The brewers have failed to exhaust their tribal court remedies, as required by federal law, and the Tribal Court should be able to develop a full record before any federal review is appropriate. Otherwise, it is simply a waste of time and resources for both tribal and federal courts," Gough added. In the Estate's Tribal Court lawsuit, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe moved to join with Big Crow on June 26, 1996, to protect certain claims raised by the Crazy Horse family. In its motion, the Tribe brings claims under the Treaty of 1868 and under the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act on behalf of itself and on behalf of tribal members of the family. In its decision, the Rosebud Supreme Court had determined that the language of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act expressly allowed Indian tribes and the U.S. Attorney General to sue under the law, but denied the Estate's standing to bring its claims to court on its own behalf. "The Tribe has a clear right to stand up and protect its interests and those of tribal members under the law," said Rosebud Sioux tribal attorney Eric Antoine. At an August 6th hearing on the Tribe's motion, Antoine argued that "because the Tribe and the Estate share questions of law and fact in this case and both seek relief against the same defendants, the Tribe should be allowed to stand with the Estate against the malt liquor makers." The defendant beer makers oppose the addition of the Tribe as a plaintiff, and in a separate motion to stay, defendants have also requested that the Rosebud Tribal Court halt its own proceedings pending the outcome of their federal court lawsuit. Opposing the brewers' motion for a tribal court stay, tribal attorney Antoine stated, "Both courts have concurrent jurisdiction in this matter, and the federal court should stay its hand pending the outcome of the Tribal Court trial to avoid a jurisdictional nightmare." "This is simply another attempt to further delay their day of reckoning, but they will not succeed," said Big Crow. "In their minds they are dragging this out hoping that we will give up and go away like some mythical 'vanishing' Indians. We have waited almost three years for our day in court on a matter of great importance to Indian people all over the country. We will not be denied," Big Crow added. Tribal Civil Court Judge Virgil Hauff has requested the parties to brief their arguments on joinder of the Tribe and the request for a stay, and a decision on these motions is expected from the Rosebud Court with early September. Anyone interested in obtaining more information, or who is able to contribute to the financial support of this effort now in litigation in both tribal and federal courts, is urged to contact: The Crazy Horse Defense Project 2306 Rockwood Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 612/690-3332 FAX: 612/690-4828 or phone: Phyllis Tousey Frederick CHDP National Coordinator at 715/425-0004 --------- "RE: Dutch Innu Campaign 96" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Aug 1996 09:41:41 -0500 From: susanodo@web.apc.org Subj: Dutch Innu Campaign 96 Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) /* Written 6:36 AM Aug 14, 1996 by debra@oln.comlink.apc.org */ ## author : es051322@ORION.YORKU.CA ## date : 11.08.96 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Hague NL, August 7, 1996 Re: Dutch activities for the international week for the Innu and the Earth 1996. Dear Supporters of the Innu, Probably you got the news already that the 1996 International Week of Action for the Innu and the Earth is scheduled for October 12 to 19, 1996. The Innu Nation has asked us to "pull out all the stops" in a last bid attempt to end low-level military flight training above their land. This means that we all have much work to do over the next three months to prepare. Please commence organizing now. The Dutch have not yet confirmed their continued participation for the next ten years. We expect the parliamental debate about the renewal of the agreement will take place in December. Please focus on protesting the Netherlands. Remember that the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) has stated that it requires 18,000 flights a year to make Air Force Base Goose Bay in Labrador "economical" (or in other words, not cost the Canadian tax payer, but the tax payer of the participating countries). This is why DND is in a frenzy to get other NATO countries to join in. Without Dutch involvement, the project may be doomed. However, we also understand that DND now is pursuing the air forces of Portugal and Spain to join in. In Summer 1995, Italian and Belgian air forces conducted low-level flights from Goose Bay. In the fall of 1995, France's air force also checked it out, but they are no longer interested. Besides that The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada, Italy continues to be pursued. The Belgian air force will be combined with the Dutch air force within two years' time. The Belgians are now practicing under the Dutch agreement. The International Campaign for the Innu and the Earth (ICIE) want to build on the major campaign success regarding the nonviolent occupation of the Dutch Consulate in Toronto, Canada last November and subsequent acquittal this past April. Dutch Parliament On February 14 we had a parliamental debate about the MMOU. In May the Defence Commission of the parliament visited Goose Bay. We traveled to Nitassinan and before the visit of the MPs we were in the unique occasion to stay in the hunting camp of Innu Nation president Peter Penashue. In their three days program, the MPs had a one hour meeting with the Innu Nation. Two MPs changed their program and visited the camp of Peter for a small hour. They were overflown but not impressed. It was German Tornados, not Dutch F16s. Protest letters can be sent to: The chairman of the Defence commission of the Second Chamber of Parliament PO Box 20018 NL - 2500 EA The Hague fax: + 31 70 3183440 Defense minister of state drs. J.C. Gmelich Meijling PO Box 20701 NL - 2500 ES The Hague fax: +31 70 318 6575. Minister of Foreign Affairs mr. H.A.F.M.O. van Mierlo PO Box 20061 NL - 2500 EB The Hague fax: + 31 70 3484848. or the Dutch embassy in your country. "Hunting camp" After the successful camp in front of the Canadian embassy in The Hague in November 1995, we will hold our "hunting camp" this year from October 11 to 14. This time near the Dutch air force base Volkel in the south of the Netherlands near Eindhoven. We hope to collect enough funds to ask the Innu Nation to send representatives to the Netherlands in the week before to go to the European Parliament and join us in the camp. We invited Elizabeth and Jack Penashue during our stay in their hunting camp. Canadian and European citizens are welcome to join us as well. The area of the camp is owned by the peace group Atoomvrijstaat. Ombudsman In July we got the draft report regarding the complaint of the lawsuit proceeding on January 24, 1995 by, among others, Penote Michel and the Innu Support Group to the National Ombudsman. The report gives a good overview regarding the proceeding by the court regarding the occupation of the airstrip of Volkel, NL on October 12, 1992. We are curious what the final decision will be by the Ombudsman. The main point is if the cost made for the lawsuit on January 24, 1995 will be paid back. Let's see what innovative and helpful actions we can cook up in 1996! Keep us informed of your activities please. Govert de Groot co-ordinator Innu Support Group NL PO Box 13670 2501 ER The Hague NL ph: + 31 70 3888553 fax: + 31 70 3887900 e-mail: innusuppnl@gn.apc.org Canadian address: ICIE 148 Kerr Street Oakville Canada ON L6K 3A7 + 1 905 849 5501 for phone and fax e-mail: icie@web.apc.org --------- "RE: Leech Lake Update" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 22:07:12 -0500 From: eaglerok@northernnet.com (feather eaglerock) Subj: Leech Lake Update 8/26/96 Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) PRESS RELEASE: North Central Minnesota Native American Veterans Outreach and Resource Center Aaniin Indian Country, We have just returned from our journey to Mount Adams for the Camp Chaparral "Healing of Veterans." Because of the refusal of Leech Lake District Representative Jack Seeyle to discuss our traveling needs, and the standoff that has been ongoing here on the Leech Lake Reservation by the sitting council (a council made up of convicted felons, practicing alcoholics and a cocaine abuser) against the newly elected chairman Eli Hunt, we were able to take only one veteran and spouse to the program at the Yakama Nation. We learned much from our week's participation in the program and the traditional ceremonies held for the healing of Native American Veterans and the cross-cultural understanding by the VA employees, counselors, and service reps who are called upon to work with the Indian Vets throughout the country. As we left Cass Lake on August 16th, the Cass Lake Band and Teals Super Market were refusing to cash the paychecks of Leech Lake employees whose checks had been signed by Chairman Hunt. Upon the federal felony convictions of the former chairman Alfred Pemberton and sec/treas Danial Brown, the federal judge told these two that they could no longer do any 'business/money' dealings for the tribe. At that time, Jack Seeyle and Alfred Fairbanks (who totes a sidearm to work and flashes it around) were given TEMPORARY authorization to sign checks for the Leech Lake Band. The BIA and the TEC (Tribal Executive Committee of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe) have both recognized Eli Hunt as the duly elected chairman of the Leech Lake Band. The constitution of the MCT clearly states that the duly elected chairman HAS THE AUTHORITY to sign checks for the Leech Lake Band, but the Cass Lake Bank is refusing to recognize our Chairman until they receive 'authorization/permission' from the convicted felons, practicing alcoholics and cocaine abuser. The day we left we also learned that the sitting council of convicted felons, practicing alcoholics and cocaine abuser (also still 'recognized' by the BIA and TEC) had called in the National Indian Gaming Commission to tell them that Chairman Hunt had dismissed 'their' licensed Gaming Officials and tried to get the casinos at Leech Lake shut down. A disparate effort to get the Leech Lake people to side with them through economic extortion. We also learned that the council had met in secret AGAIN and had passed another (illegal) resolution. This one to close the Twin Cities Leech Lake Office in retaliation for the support shown by the Twin Cities enrollees for Chairman Hunt. We learned too, that the BIA has turned over petitions calling for the removal of council members to the council to 'verify the signatures.' (In reality, for the council to retaliate against petition signers.) Throughout the power struggle here at Leech Lake, Chairman Eli Hunt has proven himself to be a true Anishnaabe Leader, looking out for the best interests of the band members. He continues to model true leadership and appropriate adult behavior to the sitting council. They continue to get their 'advice' from non-indian lawyers. On Friday, August 23, the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa took matters into their own hands to solve the ongoing power struggle between the tribe's councilors and the chairman by forming a General Council consisting of the chairmen from the 12 local Indian councils that represent the communities of the Leech Lake Reservation, including the Twin Cities. The General Council voted to assume the legislative authority over the band and designated the existing five-man Tribal Council as the body to carry out approved legislation. The Tribal Council will continue to carry out all duties pertaining to money and business but will no longer be allowed to pass any legislation governing the tribe. The General Council and tribal members took action because the tribal constitution makes the Tribal Council accountable only to itself. Under the constitution, council members can only be removed by a two-thirds vote of the rest of the council -- and they will never act to remove council members because they are protecting each other, with the blessing and cooperation of the BIA and the TEC. Hear the voices of the Leech Lake People: Guy Greene of the Sugar Point Council: "Everybody comes to the meetings and says what they know about government. To hell with the government. Listen to the Leech Lake people. Go up to the tribal office and throw those hood out. If the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Tribal Executive Committee don't recognize you, to hell with them. They've never helped us. The BIA has been kicking the people in the face for years." Martin Jennings, General Council member: "As the people, we are poor. We don't have the lawyers the councilmen do or their ear of the TEC either. We have to take some drastic steps, but they have to be legal steps. We don't want the 'feds' coming in." (Council members high priced non-indian lawyers are being paid with tribal funds.) Hartley White, Chairman of the General Council: "You mean to tell me that four people are going to whip us to death. There should be 4,000 of us against them. I am doing this for my grandchildren's future. I don't care about it for me. I have a pension. I'LL live. The tribe is like a truck that is spinning its tires because there is no weight in the pickup bed. You people are the weight we need. You people need to support this council." Dee Fairbanks, Tribal Press Secretary (regarding attempts by the council to have the casinos shut down): "These four guys (Tribal Council Members) are trying to shoot us in the foot. As a sovereign nation, you don't want to involve the feds in your affairs. Our guys (newly appointed gaming administrators) were issued temporary licenses. But the licensing procedure was sabotaged by the band's gaming personnel director and gaming compliance officer, who are both related to Tribal Council members and who sat on the paperwork to instigate an investigation by federal authorities. You can kind of see how this was set up." So the struggle continues at here in Minnesota Chippewa Country. The non-indian bank president at the Cass Lake Bank, has joined the high priced non-indian lawyers to interpret the tribal constitution and make the calls for the people of Leech Lake to the tune of "Turkeys in the Straw" in step with the BIA and the TEC. (Did you see that coyote just run by laughing?) Please note that the Vets' Outreach will be taking a gift to the Tribal Council: a bag of apples from the Yakama Nation. We will keep you posted. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bernard J. Rock, Sr. Leech Lake Pillager Band Spotted Eagle Warrior Society North Central Minnesota Native American Veterans Outreach and Resource Center --------- "RE: FAN: 4th Day Interfor Blockade" --------- Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 10:38:41 -0500 From: odonnels@ccmail.dcu.ie Subj: Forest Action Network: 4th Day Interfor Blockade Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) From fan@alternatives.com Sun Aug 11 19:00:02 1996 Date: Sun, 11 Aug 1996 18:21:38 -0700 INTERFOR SERVES INJUNCTION TO PROTESTERS IN DAY 4 OF LOG-EXPORT BLOCKADE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Diana Wilson or Greg Higgs Saturday, August 10, 1996 604-799-5800 BELLA COOLA, BC -- Interfor process servers arrived at 5:00 pm last night to read a court order to 25 FAN protesters who have been shutting down operations at Interfor's Taleomey log sorting area since last Wednesday morning. All the logging feeding this operation is being carried out on unceded Nuxalk territory. Before the process servers arrived, FAN activist David Damstrom, 50, moved from his previous position, locked by the neck inside the claws of a front end loader, to perch atop a 40-foot pole imbedded in the road through the body of the the same machine, which is used to dump logs into the ocean. This completely shuts down the entire log sorting operation and is preventing Interfor from loading the logs onto a barge to ship them out of the local area. A second activist, 30-year old Alicia Alfonso, remains locked by her neck to the axle underneath one of Interfor's pick-up trucks for her 4th day, preventing any further logs from being hauled down from the logging sites. A third protester is suspended on a line between two trees with a banner that reads "LOG EXPORTS EQUAL JOB EXPORTS". Other activists have set up their tents directly on the log sorting area. "These jobs being shipped out of the area translate directly into lost employment and revenue in the local economy," said FAN spokesperson Diana Wilson. "Big companies like Interfor are making huge profits clearcutting the last of B.C.'s old-growth forests, while locally- controlled small business loggers and value-added operators are shut down because they can't get access to wood. What we want to see is ecologically sustainable forestry that is locally-controlled and locally processed, so that we can have both a healthy local economy and preserve the long-term ecological integrity of the coastal temperate rainforest." Interfor received the court order prohibiting interference with their Taleomey operations yesterday from the Supreme Court of B.C. The protesters were advised that they were now liable for arrest if they continued to defy the court order, and the police are expected to attempt to remove the protesters on Sunday or Monday. According to an affidavit from Hans Grenander, Operations Forester for Interfor's mid-coast operation, the logs being blockaded contain 6000 cubic meters of timber valued at $730,000. The logs were scheduled to be barged out of the area on August 11 or 12th. Practically none of value of this timber stays in the local Bella Coola region. Over 95% of the trees cut in the Mid-Coast Forest District are exported out of the region, with no local processing. None of Interfor's 9 mills are located within the district, so all the logs, and processing jobs, are transported 400 kilometers south to Vancouver. Interfor ships approximately 50 fully laden barges per year from the region. ___ ____ / / / /| / /-- /---/ / | / ***** / . / /. / |/. F O R E S T A C T I O N N E T W O R K ***** * * * Vancouver: Box 155, 1895 Commercial, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5N 4A6 * * (604)739-4782, (604)736-7115 fax * * * * Bella Coola: Box 625, Bella Coola, BC, Canada V0T 1CO * * (604)799-5800, (604)799-5830 fax * * * * http://www.alternatives.com/fan/index.html * * * ************ CAMPAIGNING TO SAVE THE GREAT COAST RAINFOREST --------- "RE: Oneidas and the Birth of America" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 09:59:39 +0000 From: umstead@oneida-nation.org (Dan Umstead) Subj: The Oneidas and the Birth of the American Nation Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) FEATURE STORY For Immediate Release 1777: The Oneidas and the Birth of the American Nation (The following was compiled from the research of Tony Wonderley, Oneida Nation historian) ONEIDA NATION TERRITORY, via Oneida, NY -- Fighting for the cause of American liberty and independence, Oneida Nation warriors fought and died on battlegrounds ranging from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to the Canadian border of New York during the Revolutionary War. The alliance forged with the fledgling United States was of the Oneidas' choosing. It was one they honored throughout the war and still honor today. The price paid by the Oneida Nation for this stand is almost beyond comprehension. They lost their homes and property; they endured starvation, disease, and the sometimes violent bigotry of their allies; and they lost the lives of at least a third of their people. The Oneida Nation helped the American cause in several ways throughout the war. However, at the most crucial moment of the conflict, in the decisive year of the war, the Oneidas played a strategically significant role in the American Revolution and changed the course of history. For generations, Oneida Members have kept alive the tradition of the timely help they offered to the United States and the terrible suffering they endured in the American cause. William Rockwell, an Oneida leader early in this century, recorded a remark made by an elderly Oneida in 1909: "If all the skulls of the Oneida Indians killed by British forces in fighting to help the colonials get their freedom were piled together, the pile would be larger than the capital building in Albany." (Rockwell Papers) 1777: Decisive Year of the War Great Britain's war strategy was to isolate New England from the other colonies. New England, considered the hotbed of the colonist rebellion, was to be treated as a localized cancer which could be separated from the American provinces. The British believed that without New England, anti-British sentiment would die down in the colonies. The physical separation of New England was to be accomplished by two British armies invading south from Canada. The larger, under Gen. Burgoyne, would proceed down the natural corridor formed by the Richelieu River, Lake George, and Lake Champlain to the Hudson River. Around Albany, this army would link up with the second army which would have followed the Mohawk Valley east to the Hudson. This smaller force under St. Leger would first secure the Oneida Carrying Place -- a tremendously vital node for communication and transportation throughout the entire Northeast -- guarded by Fort Stanwix (called Schuyler by the Americans) at Rome. St. Leger's army also would take the Mohawk Valley, important to both sides as a key agricultural district and a pesky region of patriot sentiment in its own right. These movements would be supported by a third army in New York City commanded by Gen. Howe. Both invasions were defeated (St. Leger at Fort Stanwix and Burgoyne at Saratoga). Largely as a result of these battles, France declared war on Great Britain and rendered invaluable aid to the American cause. Spain also joined the war and Great Britain was suddenly faced with a world war. After 1777, British resources were committed to the most strategically important theaters of this global conflict. To the British government, the American colonies became a sideshow, a backwater in a larger war (Piers Mackesy, The War for America, 1775-1783; 1964, Cambridge: Harvard University Press). Taking Sides Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) tradition holds that the council fire at Onondaga, the central meeting place for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, was covered during the Revolution. Each nation was free to follow its own course in the war (Morgan:113-14; Tehanetorens). Most Haudenosaunee were drawn into the struggle; most ended up fighting on the British side. The Oneidas say they chose to fight with the Americans because they believed in the cause of American liberty. They were well informed on these issues. On several occasions, groups of Oneida leaders toured eastern cities to determine, as they put it, the merits of the case (Penrose 1981:55; Graymount: 92, 100; Simms 1883:13-15; Fort Stanwix typescript 784). Their discussion on the merits of the case was ongoing. In 1779, for example the American commander of Fort Stanwix reported how the Oneidas: "sat in council and every individual desired to declare his final resolution as to the part to be taken in the present seeming crisis of their affairs." At the same time should any choose to join the enemy, free liberty was given to withdraw from their tribe...the result of their meeting was a unanimous resolution to stand by each other in defence of their lives and liberty against any enemy that might be disposed to attack them...[T]hey would never violate their alliance with the American States, and though they would not be the aggressor or wantonly provoke any tribe to war, yet they should be henceforth on their guard against any enemy whatsoever" (Clinton Papers 4:492-3). Oriskany, Fort Stanwix, Saratoga A number of Oneidas were in Fort Stanwix during the 1777 siege and according to testimony given in 1877, "aided in driving off the British and Indians trying to undermine and blow up Fort Stanwix." American volunteers of the Mohawk Valley (Tryon County Militia) rushing to relieve the siege ran into an ambush just west of the Oriskany village. A tremendous slaughter of Americans occurred during the opening minutes of the Battle of Oriskany. Those who remained alive, and had not run, gathered into a circle around the commander Herkimer where they fought heroically the rest of the day. That is where Oneidas were. That day they joined the war, fighting beside Herkimer's band. Perhaps the most famous was Te-haw-en-ga-rag-wen (Man with Snow Shoes, called Hanyerry or John Jury by English speakers), a leader of the Oneida village at Oriskany. A contemporaneous newspaper reference to this battle describes him as: "a friendly Indian, with his wife and son, who distinguished themselves remarkably on that occasion. The Indian killed nine of the enemy, when, having received a ball through his wrists that disabled him from using his gun, fought with his tomahawk. His son killed two and his wife, on horseback, fought by his side with pistols during the whole action" (Scott 1927:224). That this was Tehawengaragwen and his wife, Tyonajanegen, is confirmed by an account which originated with that lady: "Hon Yerry was shot through the right wrist so as to disable him from loading his gun (he on horseback), when his wife repeatedly loaded it for him, and he managed to aim its content at the enemy. He had a sword hanging by his side, indicative of his rank as a captain or war leader. His wife had a gun also and used it too in the fight. So she related and added that there was a good deal of close intermixing between Americans and British, and American and British Indians, and she could see the British all around" (Draper 11:196-7). The British drew off from Fort Stanwix on August 21. A month later, Oneida warriors gathered in Albany to take up the hatchet in the American cause; that is, to formally declare war. Immediately, they were asked to join the American army battling Burgoyne around Saratoga. They did this, according to an American account, "with great alacrity, and with such dispatch as to reach General Gates before noon next day, and by night the remainder arrived at the camp, making in all near one hundred and fifty. They have already taken about 30 prisoners and intercepted some dispatches from General Burgoyne to Gen. Powel, commander at Ticonderoga" (NY Hist. Soc. 1880:190-1). According to the testimony of a local man whose father fought at Saratoga, the Oneidas were "brave men who fought like bulldogs til Burgoyne surrendered" (Draper 11:264-5). After Oriskany and Fort Stanwix, the State of New York expressed its appreciation of the Oneidas: "Resolved, that the Oneyda Nation are the allies of this State and that we shall consider any attack upon them as an attack upon our own People" (Public Papers of Clinton 2:272). In December, the American Congress gratefully addressed the Oneidas in these terms: "We have experienced your love, strong as the oak, and your fidelity, unchangeable as truth. You have kept fast hold of the ancient covenant chain and preserved it free from rust and decay, and bright as silver. Like brave men, for glory you despised danger. You stood forth in the cause of your friends and ventured your lives in our battles. While the sun and moon continue to give light to the world, we shall love and respect you. As our trusty friends, we shall protect; and shall at all times consider your welfare as our own" (Journals of the Continental Congress 9:996). ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Daniel Umstead The Oneida Indian Nation Internet Coordinator "A Sovereign Nation Oneida Indian Nation in http://one-web.org/oneida/ Cyber-space!" 315-361-6300 http://one-web.org/oneida/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++