_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 04, ISSUE 051 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 21 December 1996 O o O KANOHEDA ANIYVWIYA Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin O o O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse Aunchemokauhettittea O ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N N E W S ) This issue contains articles from Triballaw, NATIVELIT FN-WK & NATIVE-L listservers; UUCP & genie email; Newsgroups: alt.native,can.politics,soc.culture.native, apc.indig.info,igc.indig.canada 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. "I have only one heart, one tongue. Although you say, "Go to another country", my heart is not that way. I do not want money for my land. I am here, and here is where I am going to be. I will not part with the lands, and if you come again I will say the same thing. I will not part with my lands." __ Umatilla Chief to commission sent out by Commissioner Brunot in 1871 +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! The Interior Department states, in their report to Congress, they are considering options for settling tribal claims including an economic development fund that tribes could use to start new businesses. A similar option is to give $300 million directly to tribes and another $300 million to a federal development bank for Indians. The BIA admits they cannot document $2.4 billion in transactions involving fund over the past 20 years. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt states a settlement is the "most effective, expeditious, economical and equitable way to go" and will make final recommendations in April. Another option being considered is to provide money to buy and consolidate Indian lands that have been divided by inheritance into small parcels over the past 100 years. One parcel cited in a congressional report is the equivalent of about 50 square INCHES. This amounts to original allottee lands being reclaimed by the United States Government and loss of these lands to heirs currently living on them. First Nations must awake to the fact that there is movement underway to take back original tribal lands. For far too long the people of the First nations have been silent, and this "settlement" is the reward for that silence. The BIA is hoping that the silence will continue. They can then proceed to supply the "final" answer to the "Indian Question". 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 - Leonard Needs Help Again - Conferences and Powwows - online - Clinton/Peltier - Keweenaw Bay Red Alert - BIA Justice or Fraud? - Help for Skokomish Tribe - No More - Chiapas Northern Zone - Chippewas of Saugee - We Have No Word for Art - FBI Covers Up Killing - Native America Calling - Canada's Shame - California Burial Decision - First Nations Will Oppose Indian Act - Indian Country in Alaska - Minute for Peace Day - UNATBC File Facts - Mayans Attacked by Army - Natural Feelings - Law of the Seven Fires - About Healing - Poem: An Indian Prayer Christmas Day - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Leonard Needs Help Again" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 15:06:32 -0600 (CST) From: Freedom Heart Rising Subj: URGENT!!! Leonard needs help again! And still: UUCP email O'siyo: I just talked to the LPDC. Leonard is being hassled again. He is having a lot of pain, with his jaw problems, and his eyes watering because of it. The pain is sever, and the job he has at the prison is not "light duty" - he is in the factory. The pain was so severe, that he went to the prison doctor this morning, and the doctor put him on work leave. This afternoon, the prison rescinded that, and said Leonard is "faking the pain". The LPDC feels that he is continuing to be unduly harassed, to try to get him to react, and therefore mess up his Clemency hearing, etc. Plus, he just got phone privileges back, after having them stopped for a whole month. And his paralegal, who has been seeing him for 2 years now, is no longer allowed to see him. The prison is asking for his "credentials". He has been asked by Leonard's attorney's to act as Leonard's paralegal, he is well informed, and apparently, that is all he needs. He is authorized to act as Leonard's paralegal, and by denying him visitation with Leonard, they are denying Leonard legal counsel. As well as harassing him. He still does not have the medical records, which belong to _him_ anyway, that he has requested for so long. Please call the prison, the warden, and the president. Let the warden know that they are responsible for Leonard's safety and well-being, and they will be _held_ responsible. Let them know you object to his treatment. I know it seems like this never ends. Imagine how Leonard feels. Please act, and spread the word. Much thanks for your caring and your work! (all needed info. below) In the Spirit: Freedom Heart Warden Page True Leavenworth Prison 913-682-8700 Kathleen Hawk at the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) 202-514-2000 AND: Attorney General Janet Reno 202-514-4371 President Clinton The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, DC 20500 Comment line: 202-456-1111 (F) 202-456-2461 Email: President@Whitehouse.gov Please remember also the Clemency Campaign...and please remember Leonard himself, during this holiday season. You can send soft cover books, postal money orders, letters and cards to him at: Leonard Peltier #89637-132 Box 1000 Leavenworth, Kansas 66048 Thanks! --------- "RE: Clinton/Peltier" --------- Date: 12 Dec 1996 17:31:21 GMT From: givers@badlands.NoDak.edu (David R. Givers) Subj: Clinton Peltier (2) Newsgroup: alt.native December 8, 1996 205 6th Ave South Moorhead MN 56560 President Bill Clinton The White House Washington DC Dear Mr. President, Releasing Leonard Peltier from prison will require an act of courage and conscience. Mr. Peltier has demonstrated his own courage. He has endured nearly 20 years of imprisonment stemming from a conviction in which there was government misconduct as admitted by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. However, even that Court, after stating that the government withheld important information from the defense lawyers, could not find the courage to at least order a retrial. Mr. Peltier has a much larger burden to bear than I. None the less, I too carry the self imposed responsibility of conscience, for life, or until Mr. Peltier is released. I have been writing letters to you and to your predecessors, as well as other elected officials, asking that this blight on our standards of justice be removed. I observed much of the trial. I became suspicious of the government during the trial. I now know beyond a shadow of doubt, from the Freedom of Information Act, that Mr. Peltier was wrongfully convicted of the charges he faced. We are considered the premier protector of human rights and human dignity. Until Mr. Peltier is released, our reputation is tarnished in the eyes of the world. The United Nations has dedicated this to be the decade of Indigenous People. At a meeting in Geneva, here is what was said: WHEREAS Leonard Peltier is known worldwide as one of the longest held political prisoners and is supported internationally by: 55 members of the US-Congress, 60 members of the Canadian Parliament, 67 members of the Italian Parliament, 48 members of the Parliament of the Netherlands, 312 French municipalities and communities, 165 presidents of Tribal Councils in the US, US-Senator Daniel Inouye, Senator Paul Wellstone, former Appellant Court Judge Gerald Heaney, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Nobel Peace Prize Winners: Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Amnesty International and more than 26 million people in North America, totaling nearly 50 million people worldwide; THEREFORE we, the participants of the 10th European Meeting of Support Groups of North American Indigenous Peoples gathered in Les Geneveyes sur Coffrane near Neuchatel, Switzerland, from July 30th to August 1st, 1995, including 14 Indigenous representatives and 25 organizations from Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, United States of America and Canada, urge in the name of justice and human rights the granting of executive clemency for Leonard Peltier by President Clinton, or at the very least, the granting of a new and fair trial. The Canadian delegation presented information on the false extradition of Leonard Peltier as follows: WHEREAS Peltier was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta, Canada on Feb. 6th, 1976; WHEREAS Peltier was offered political asylum by the Kwakuitl Nation on their sovereign territory; WHEREAS Canada refused this right of the Kwakuitl Nation; WHEREAS Leonard Peltier was extradited from Canada on false testimonies and fabricated evidence presented by US officials and the FBI; WHEREAS the FBI today admits to this misconduct; WHEREAS this fraudulent aberration of standard of procedure between two friendly nations presents a violation of International Law; WHEREAS 60 members of the Canadian House of Commons, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, Judge Rene Dussault of the Quebec Court of Appeals, Canadian Lawyers Caucus and numerous organizations have shown their support for Leonard Peltier concerning the illegal extradition from Canada to the United States; WHEREAS the Canadian Justice Minister Allan Rock authorized a review of Leonard Peltier's case March 7th, 1994; WHEREAS this is the first time the Canadian Government has agreed to re-evaluate their position concerning the extradition of Leonard Peltier; WHEREAS the Liberal Member of the Parliament Warren Almand (chairperson of Canadian Parliament Justice Committee) , a former Solicitor General, made strong recommendations that an independent review be granted; THEREFORE we, the participants of the 10th European Meeting of Support Groups of North American Indigenous Peoples gathered in Les Geneveyes sur Coffrane near Neuchatel, Switzerland, from July 30th to August 1st, 1995, including 14 Indigenous representatives and 25 organizations from Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, United States of America and Canada, demand that Minister Allan Rock authorize an independent review by an external commission and grant a fair and neutral inquiry concerning the misconduct of US officials and FBI personnel in Leonard Peltier's extradition. The above declarations illustrate that the Mr. Peltier's imprisonment is a diplomatic and moral embarrassment to our country. Please, Mr. President, grant clemency to Mr. Peltier. Best wishes and sincerely yours, David R. Givers --------- "RE: BIA Justice or Fraud?" --------- Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 01:42:13 -0500 From: Ishgooda Subj: BIA Justice or Fraud? BACKGROUND UUCP email AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM? Holding the BIA Accountable It has been reported that: * Information fed into the BIA's computer system is disorganized and erroneous. * An estimated $5.8 billion has not been collected (since 1979) from companies that pump oil and gas from reservation lands, thus robbing Indians. * In some cases, money that belonged to individual Indians and tribes was deposited in slush funds through accounts set up under phony names. * There are thirty recent incidents in which federal employees were allegedly involved in theft, embezzlement and fraud on Indian reservations, yet few were prosecuted. * BIA sponsored Indian programs failed to improve the economies of reservations, and the BIA failed to provide quality education for Indian children. * Housing programs are riddled with scandal, and housing in many areas is shockingly substandard. * Indian health remains poor, with diabetes reaching epidemic proportions on some reservations. * The BIA cannot manage its own money, or account for millions in equipment and supplies." Stealing From Indians - Inside the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an Expose of Corruption, Massive Fraud and Justice Denied... by David L. Henry Federal employees are in a unique position to see what really goes on inside our bureaus and agencies and, in situations where ethical standards demand it, have a responsibility to point out fraud and corruption. So it was with Dave Henry, a CPA employed by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), who in his internal audit reports sounded a clear alarm about huge cash shortages in the Trust Funds held for our Native Americans by the BIA, along with other similar BIA frauds. You may have heard about that issue recently, or other disturbing news about the BIA. U.S. News & World Report magazine (11/28/94) described the BIA as "The Worst Federal Agency," bar none. At a congressional hearing (House Report - 499), the Inspector General of (Interior) described the BIA as "a multifaceted monster" and "an organizational nightmare," and further stated that "the BIA is a tinder box simply waiting for a spark." Dave Henry is this "spark" who has for ten years been trying to get this fraud exposed to the public and he demands reform in the agency that controls so much of the lives of our Native American citizens. He was fired by BIA for speaking honest words, and went through years of fruitless appeals with an alphabet-soup of federal agencies, none of which would grant a hearing on the merits of his case. This is a common pattern for federal whistleblowers; the chance of a hearing is less than one in a thousand. Still, his raised voice has produced some results. The Arizona Republic (a Phoenix newspaper) did a front page story on his case (11/22/87) and their investigative series inspired the U.S. Senate to conduct a two year investigation (Senate Report 101-216) of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In April, 1992 Senator Daniel K. Inouye wrote Henry and said: "It appears that your work was among the early efforts that revealed the greater problem with Indian Trust Fund Management and accounting that is now recognized to pertain to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The accuracy of your findings was later confirmed and acknowledged... Despite the laws we have enacted ... injustices still do occur and may have well occurred in your case... I do believe you have performed a valuable service ..." Henry continued his appeals through the federal court system, including the U.S. Supreme Court, without legal help, and still his case was never heard. He wrote a book on the subject, and at a Billings Town Meeting in June, 1995 managed to hand President Clinton a copy of the book. The President said he would "look into it" and that he would "get back to" Henry, but nothing of substance resulted. Henry wrote to many news organizations. Perhaps as a result, columnist Jack Anderson issued a story (8/02/93) describing the trust fund problem "BIA misplaces tribes money." And, the Associated Press described the " billion dollar mess" at BIA. The Billings Gazette (10/22/95) printed a two page story titled "BIA Whistleblower." All of these reports that direct attention to a very real and serious problem requiring national attention can be traced directly to the efforts of Dave Henry, who without funds or assistance has "followed his star" for over a decade. He has shown devotion to duty, and has honored the mission he took on as a BIA employee to serve the needs of Native Americans. Restoring him to office (in accordance with the federal whistleblower laws) is more than simple justice. It would also encourage other federal employees to report fraud and abuse when they encounter it, and it gives the message that freedom of speech is a right of all citizens. If you agree that this injustice should be corrected and that the BIA fraud should be exposed, please sign this petition. Information provided will go directly to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Secretary of the Interior and President Clinton. By My Signature I Support Dave Henry In This Crusade My name: My e-mail address: City of Residence: State of Residence: Date of Signature: Comments to President Clinton, the BIA, and the Secretary of the Interior: Dave Henry's book Stealing From Indians describes the many problems within the BIA and calls for freedom and justice for our much abused American Indians. You can order this book online from the First Nations site for $10, or read the free browse file. The Cherokee Observer reviewed it and said that it was "RECOMMENDED READING!!!" -------------------------------------- Bureau of Indian Affairs Page Wounded Knee Home Page First Nations ------------------- This page is administered by JS Dill. Please provide an opinion as to this site... --------- "RE: No More" --------- Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 00:40:17 -0500 (EST) From: Wolf McSherry Subj: A few more thoughts... Mailing List: FN-WK Greetings, all my relations in this village and elsewhere. Humbly once again I write to share a voice. Much has been said in the last few days to provoke thought and emotion in my heart, and I would ask to speak on a few things. I have been very grateful for the support and love I have felt from members of this community. Between being a college student, and a manager for an internet service provider, I am on a great deal of email lists. Only a very, very few have the sense of community that I have found here. For that, I thank you all. I am especially encouraged by the recent number of people that have spoken up with humble pride in their respective heritages. Eric Lame Cougar, you have every right to be proud of your combined heritages. The Scottish people have a very proud history, and were among the first victims of the British Empire's invasion efforts. I have recently begun researching my own Scottish ancestry, for though in my heart I will always follow the Native lifeways, I feel a respectful need to understand all of my roots. Thank you for speaking out. I think what your words, and the words of so many others, are helping us to say is that **all peoples** have a right to be proud of their heritages. Not boastful pride, but that wonderful sense of belonging that some call "humble pride." As I continue to read the words and thoughts that have been shared by so many, the one thing I continue to notice is a rise in unity. I believe this is a good thing. Over the years I have known many people who had been downtrodden by the eurocentric system in this country. A few of them admitted to feeling "conquered", but most of them were people of strong spirit and strong will. Those people all had one voice, and that voice said one thing: "NO MORE." My relatives, we must stand together and say those words. "NO MORE." When the Great White Fathers try to tell us that it is now a crime to share ideas and information around the world, NO MORE. When they are going to use that new law as an excuse to spy on, wiretap, monitor, and harass innocent people, NO MORE. When they lie to us and try to weasel out of monetary obligations with slick settlements, NO MORE. When they try to divide us by mandating blood quotas, CDIBs, and BIA cards, NO MORE! NO MORE! We are ONE people. We come from many different nations, even many different races. But we are ONE PEOPLE: we are the PEOPLE OF THE EARTH. We are REAL HUMAN BEINGS, and we have a right -- yes, even a duty -- to stand up against a tyrannical system and say, collectively, NO MORE. Brothers, sisters, all my relations: We must say those words. But before that, we must first say NO MORE to our own prejudices and our own infighting. My heart weeps with every word that is spoken in anger against a child of our Creator, a Child of our Mother Earth! We are the ones who must stand together to wipe out oppression. There are elders living in cardboard boxes, people! Why in the name of all that is Sacred are the Children of Mother Earth fighting amongst ourselves, over petty differences? By these words I am meaning ALL of our Peoples. I am young, and I mean no disrespect to any of our Elders or any of our relations; but I am also filled with a passionate sadness that there is so much bickering going on. When I go to powwows, there is often some small little faction that wants to stir things up. On lists like this, there will be someone who stirs things up. On reservations, there will be such people. In fact, anywhere human beings interact, there will be opposing opinions and the clash of ideas. It's how we learn to deal with each others' opposing opinions that tells us if we, as Human Beings, have gained any wisdom. My relatives, forgive me if my words have run too long. I only want to say that we have to continue working together, pulling for a common goal. The governments of Western Society can do what they want, but they can not stop the changes that are coming. Our elders, and their elders before them, spoke of the days of change. They spoke of the seventh generation. They spoke of all of the sufferings that would come to our Peoples. But they also spoke that there would be some who would rise up out of the chaos and take a stand, people who would lead Mother's true children back to a way of life that is in Balance with all of Creation. Governments will come and go, for they are fickle productions of mankind's own ego. But real people will be here for as long as the the winds kiss the face of our Mother Earth. I am grateful that I have been able to share these words from my heart. The acceptance and love of so many has helped me to gather the resolve to once again take a stand, renewing my vows to the People. For all of you in this village, be you heard or unspoken, I am honored that we are in this Circle together. Let us all take the inspiration and unity that is developing here and take it as a seed into our own communities. Tended with patience, the seeds of understanding will grow into peace. Aho, mitakuye oyasin. Pilamiya yelo. Mountain Wolf - --------------------------------------------------------- Wolf McSherry wolf@wolfsden.org *********** The people who say you cannot change the world do not understand the power of a single seed. --------- "RE: Chippewas of Saugee" --------- Date: 9:00 AM Dec 17, 1996 From: adixon@igc.apc.org Subj: PBI-NAP report: Chippewas of Saugee Newsgroup: igc.indig.canada Peace Brigades International (PBI) is an international volunteer organization that offers services of unarmed protective accompaniment, nonpartisan international observers, and nonviolence training to organizations, individuals and communities threatened with violence. This article may be freely copied or reprinted. For photos or more information about PBI-NAP, please contact "adixon@web.net." For more information about PBI, see our home page at http://www.igc.apc.org/pbi/index.html [these articles reprinted with updates from the PBI November Project Bulletin] ... Peace Brigades Team visits the Chippewas of Saugeen December, 1996 Two PBI volunteers recently acted as observers during a meeting involving the Chippewas of Saugeen. The Saugeen are the sister band of the Chippewas of Nawash, with whom NAP has been involved for several years. The Saugeen live on a reserve on the shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada, near the small town of Port Elgin. Like the Nawash, the Saugeen are involved in a conflict over their right to fish commercially in what they regard as their traditional waters. The Saugeen surrendered two million acres of land through questionable treaties in 1836 and 1854, but never surrendered their fishery, which was regarded at that time by the government as "belonging exclusively to the Indians." However this recognition of Saugeen ownership of the fishery slowly disappeared, and over time their rights eroded, along with the state of fish stocks. Now the Saugeen, who view fishing as an essential part of their survival - cultural and spiritual as well as economic - are reclaiming their right to their traditional fishery. On September 23, 1995, at a meeting of the International Joint Commission, the Saugeen put forward the Duluth Declaration, which affirms their jurisdiction over their traditional waters. In practice this means that they will recognize their own, and not the federal or provincial, regulations concerning their fishery. At present the Saugeen are negotiating with the different federal and provincial authorities involved to try to establish a protocol governing their interactions with the Saugeen. Despite a 1993 federal court decision declaring that the Chippewas' right to fish commercially takes precedence over any other activity, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) have attempted to impose an Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licence on the Saugeen. The MNR argues that it has to regulate the Saugeen fishery because it has to manage and conserve fish stocks; the Saugeen counter that they have a conservation plan in place and that they have practiced stewardship of the lake for centuries, while under provincial regulation there has been overfishing and pollution of the waters. The Saugeen have asked NAP to be present during their negotiations with the various levels of government and police, to monitor the situation, to do an ongoing analysis and to report on the situation. The early November meeting NAP attended was between the band council, the native police force, the Ontario Provincial Police and MNR; further meetings are to follow at which NAP plans to be present. The date at which the Saugeen plan to put the declaration into effect is January 1, 1997, and there is a possibility that there could be confrontations between the Saugeen and the various enforcement agencies or local non-native anglers. At the same time the suspension of the fishery during the winter months may mean that there is minimal initial impact of the Saugeen decision at first. Update, Dec 1996 After an initial visit in early November, a PBI team has begun work on a report to document the situation. We are planning this report to come out in January. We will also maintain an observer team to respond to potential confrontations in the new year. ... Other North America Project News Project Review PBI's North America Project (NAP) was first initiated in 1990, and was approved as an international project in April 1991. Five years later, the political situation in North America has evolved, and the project has also changed. At our October NAP committee meeting, we carried out a review of the project. The major results of this review were: - a sense of renewal and vision for the future - prioritization of more publicity work - changes in the delegation of responsibilities between staff, committee, and team volunteers We were fortunate that several of the initiators of NAP were able to come to the meeting, as well as a number of people who were new to the project. Alaine Hawkins, who has been chair of the NAP committee for its life so far, Steve Molnar, who was co-chair and then served as the first NAP coordinator, and Phyllis Fischer, who has been part of the project from before PBI adopted it, were all present. Some of the ideas put forward at the meeting included: - regionalizing our field work - creating new opportunities for people to be involved in the project, such as delegations - making our work better know through more publications like the report of the Labrador team in 1995 - continuing our efforts at broadening participation in the project - using volunteer field coordinators to reduce the work load of the central coordinator Volunteer Training In September, four new NAP field volunteer applicants attended a one-week PBI training near Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. All four have been accepted for service with NAP, and we welcome them! The new volunteers are all based in the US, which we hope will allow us to take on more work there. A volunteer training scheduled in Europe at the end of October was postponed because of lack of registration. Our pool of active field volunteers is now at about 25. We are planning a second annual gathering of volunteers for early next year. --------- "RE: FBI Covers Up Killing" --------- Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 18:48:13 -0700 From: Brian Hauk Subj: FBI covers up killing in Iowa UUCP email from the Militant, vol.59/no.42 November 13, 1995 BY ROXANNE GOULD SIOUX CITY, Iowa - After the FBI investigated and cleared the Sioux City police of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of her 29-year-old daughter Kimberly, Louisa Frazier called for a sunrise prayer service on October 21 at the grave site of Dakota Chief War Eagle. Kimberly Frazier was killed on March 1 after a 911 call to police reported that she had allegedly kidnapped and assaulted another woman. Six police officers were dispatched, and within 32 seconds after arriving at the Frazier residence, a cop shot Kimberly. Louisa Frazier, who was only a few feet away from her daughter, was not allowed to go to her as she lay dying. A nurse visiting in the neighborhood volunteered medical assistance, but was not allowed to help either. The allegations made in the 911 call were later found to be false, and, therefore, according to Louisa, Kimberly had not committed a crime. The police and FBI justified the shooting by claiming that Kimberly lunged at them with a knife. Louisa said that her daughter displayed the knife at the request of the police, and when she did so, she was shot. In April more than 400 community members and Native American leaders, including American Indian Movement leader Vernon Bellecourt, participated in a March for Truth in downtown Sioux City. Immediately following the demonstration, the FBI agreed to investigate. According to Louisa Frazier, however, the FBI report was merely a rubber stamp on the Sioux City police report. None of the witnesses, including Frazier, were ever contacted in the FBI investigation. After the October 21 prayer service, Frazier issued a press statement. "We need justice for my daughter," she told the crowd of 50. "Do they think I am naive enough to think they don't cover up for one another? Am I to close my eyes to what is happening to law enforcement in this country? I won't do that. "I, like other Native people, am offended that anyone would insult our intelligence by slapping our faces, telling us to heal ourselves and expecting us to quietly go do that. Maybe we aren't the ones who need healing. Maybe we aren't the ones who are sick. My daughter did not have to die, and I am not the only one in this town who knows that." Frazier said that she found the FBI report "totally unacceptable." Several of the community leaders and individuals in attendance vowed their continuing support until justice is found. Upcoming efforts to bring attention to this injustice are a march, which will take place here on March 1, 1996, on the anniversary of Kimberly's death, as well as a forum in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Frazier is also pursuing civil action. For more information on any of the above activities contact Frank LaMere at (402) 878-2242. To get an introductory 12-week subscription to the Militant in the U.S., send $10 US to: The Militant, 410 West Street, New York, NY 10014. For subscription rates to other countries, send e-mail to themilitant@igc.apc.org or write to the above address. --------- "RE: Canada's Shame" --------- Date: 9:31 AM Nov 20, 1996 Subj: Canada's Shame (part 3) From: jwalenci@acc.jbu.edu Newsgroup: igc.indig.education Part 1 of this series appeared in issue 04.049, Part 2 in issue 04.050 Dear Mr. Smith, You have the Ottawa Sun's permission to include "Canada's Shame" in a future issue of your Internet publication, Wotanging Ikche; all we require is that you credit it to us. Thanks. Yours, Andrew Carver editorial assistant The Ottawa Sun | "The Little Paper That Grew" 380 Hunt Club Rd., | e-mail ottsun@ottawa.net Ottawa, Ontario, | 613-739-7000- main switchboard Canada. K1G 5H7 | 613-739-7200- for home delivery | 613-739-3333- advertising [This article has been excerpted.] Canada's Shame By JACKI LEROUX MISHKEEGOGAMANG RESERVE, Ontario, 25 Oct. 1996 (Ottawa Sun): 25 Oct. 1996 (Ottawa Sun): Although Janet Masakeyash's grandmother tries to keep her home as clean as possible, it's difficult to avoid disease with such overcrowding. "Certainly, disease is a reflection of Mishkeegogamang's infrastructure problems, their lack of sanitation and water facilities," Whitehead says. In the past three years, the band... received only enough funding to equip six homes with water and sewage systems. Ten more will be added this winter, followed by the rest of the reserve next year. In the meantime, the government has forwarded about $50,000 to the reserve to give every home a new, government-approved outhouse. Gaping holes dot the landscape of Mishkeegogamang as residents prepare for the arrival of the new toilets. "I've been working in first nations communities for 22 years, and, in 1996, for us to be talking about what type of outhouses are better for Native communities -- wooden or plastic -- I just can't believe," says an outraged Dr. Pete Sarsfield, medical officer of health for the Northwestern Health Unit, the provincial health authority for northwestern Ontario. "If we were anywhere else discussing what type of outhouses, it... wouldn't be tolerated," he says. But on the reserve, Janet and her siblings take such things in stride, using the new, still-empty holes as places to play. When visitors come to their home, the children crowd around, the braver ones even offering spontaneous hugs. The small girls in particular are clingy, seeking attention even from strangers. "Kids here are really needy," says Connie Gray. "They're very huggy." As the girls get older...that craving for contact and affection often results in pregnancy. Nearly 10% of Native girls under 18 in Canada are mothers, compared to just 1% of non-Native teens. "We have 14-year-olds who are having kids," says Gray. "Kids end up suffering. People with addictions, you can't blame them because they were raised that way. So the kids end up being angry, thinking nobody cares. They get in relationships so young because they're looking for love. "Kids know about sex, about changing diapers -- things they seem too young to know about," she says. The house...Janet lives in actually belongs to her aunt Susan. Susan, Daisy's oldest daughter and a mother of five, is currently undergoing detox treatment. Three of her children were taken away from her years ago and placed in foster homes, while the other two are with child welfare authorities until Susan is better. Last year, more than 5,000 Native children living on reserves -- about 4% --were in the care of Ontario's child welfare authorities. The proportion of children in care in the overall Canadian population is estimated to be 0.8%. As of about three months ago, there were 105 Mishkeegogamang children in foster care. "Another 9 to 95 are considered at risk and could be removed (from their homes) at any time," says Tom Hawke, executive director of the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority. "Of course it's a crisis situation. A good 80% to 90% of people (on Mishkeegogamang)are either alcoholic or are affected by alcohol. The main victims are the children. Parents go drinking and the kids are left alone, sometimes for days at a time. Kids are not being fed or cared for properly. "Or they're abused -- physically, sexually, emotionally, psychologically." But even in the face of such grim facts, Hawke is careful not to point fingers or lay blame. "These problems are historical. They've been handed down from one generation to the next," he says. The substance abuse prevalent in so many Native communities is, experts say, a product of a bleak existence which offers few means of escape. Many from Gray's and Jean Masakeyash's generation had parents who were shipped off-reserve to white residential schools in the 1950s and '60s. As former students have recently revealed, racist abuse at these schools was epidemic. Ultimately, the students returned home with their self-esteem obliterated, with no knowledge of traditional Indian lifestyle. Today, the current generation of parents on Mishkeegogamang is no better off. A full 95% are unemployed. Some adults, like Connie Gray, have avoided inheriting their parents' defeatism and guilt -- she chose to attend high school, for instance -- but they are in the minority. Most of Gray's peers, who have only known the despair and destruction of their parents, have continued the cycle, passing the malaise along to their kids. A campaign to educate residents about the damaging effects of substance abuse started a few years ago and it has helped somewhat. "We're starting to have sober families," says Gray, adding that keeping people that way is difficult. "They go away for treatment. They come back and they're trying to stay sober, but they get...frustrated because they're so crowded. There's nothing in place for support," she says. Children on Mishkeegogamang learn early...they must fend for themselves, or follow their parents' cycle. Quincy Loon is...19, but for as long as he can remember, he has taken care of his four younger brothers and sisters in his mother's house. His father lives in Cat Lake, just to the north, but he's not sure where his mother lives. She "usually camps," but stops by the house about once a day, he says. Loon, who also has two toddlers of his own with his girlfriend Adrianne, manages to keep them all together in a clean, orderly house, but admits it's sometimes hard. "They don't really listen to me," he says, referring to his younger siblings --his 14-year- old sister Melanie in particular. She is not home. She rarely is these days, Quincy confides. Melanie's "out in the woods" somewhere, sniffing gasoline. "I try to tell her not to but she doesn't listen," he says. "She. ..starts laughing. Too many kids sniff. That's why she does." According to the Addiction Research Foundation, one in five Native youths sniffs solvent or gas to get high. One-third are under 15, and more than half began using solvents before the age of 11. And chances are, once Quincy's sister gets older, she'll simply switch from sniffing to drinking, since more than three-quarters of Natives who used solvents eventually turned to alcohol, according to the ARF. First Nations Const. Chris Bennett sees young Mishkeegogamang kids sniffing gas almost on a daily basis. "There were three small kids sniffing along the road today," he says. "You try to stop them and they...run away." Bennett, who is originally from Mississauga, says he can understand why any teenager here might get into trouble. "There's nothing to do," he says. "Sniffing is boredom. What does a kid do here on a day-to-day basis?" This reserve has no such thing as a playground, no sports teams or ballet classes. There's no community swimming pool to visit, or gymnasium for basketball or floor hockey. The school has no choir, no band, nor any of the myriad of recreational options most Canadians take for granted. "There are a lot of good kids on this reserve," says Bennett. "You can talk to them all you want about sniffing, but they're just bored." Part 4 will be included in next week's issue. My sincere thanks to the Ottawa Sun for granting permission for this article to be shared. --------- "RE: California Burial Decision" --------- Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 12:07:07 -0800 (PST) From: Alan Mandell Subj: Cal.Ct.of App. Dec.in Burial Ground case (fwd) Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu) **** Original Sender: cholguin@sprynet.com **** ----------------------------------------------------------------------- On December 12, 1996, the California Court of Appeal issued its decision in Native American Heritage Commission, et al., v. Board of Trustees of the California State University, No. B093693. The court held that the Board lacks standing to assert the Establishment Clause as a defense to the enforcement of state sacred site protection statutes. The underlying case centers around the Gabrielino village of Puvungna, a major indigenous population center and birthplace of the deity, Chinigchinich. The last remaining undisturbed portion of site is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. When the University announced plans to build a strip mall over the site, the NAHC and tribal leaders sued under California's sacred site statute, Pub.Res.Code s.5097 et seq. After granting the plaintiffs a TRO and preliminary injunction, the Los Angeles County Superior Court declared s.5097 an unconstitutional establishment of religion, and the plaintiffs appealed. In its December 12th opinion, the court held that the Establishment Clause is "not designed to be used as leverage by one state agency in a dispute with another agency about the use of state-owned land." The University also argued that the outer boundaries of Puvungna are imprecise and that this undercut plaintiffs' assertion as to the importance of the specific land at issue. Further, the University argued, the plaintiffs admitted to having other sites where they could practice their religion, so that the disputed portions of the campus could be developed without impairing the plaintiffs' free exercise of religion. The court rejected both arguments. The opinion has been certified for publication. Persons wishing a copy of the slip opinion may direct their requests to Carlos Holguin, Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law, 256 S. Occidental Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90012; 213/388-8693 ext.109 (voice); 213/386-9484 (fax); cholguin@sprynet.com. --------- "RE: First Nations Will Oppose Indian Act" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 11:48:07 -0800 From: Steven Radulovich Subj: FIRST NATIONS WILL OPPOSE INDIAN ACT - Press Release Newsgroups: alt.native,can.politics,soc.culture.native DECEMBER 12, 1996 FIRST NATIONS WILL OPPOSE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION ON INDIAN ACT The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Ovide Mercredi, says the First Nations will oppose the legislation tabled today by the Minister of Indian Affairs, Ron Irwin. Chief Mercredi says that the mandate given to him by all Chiefs is to stop any such tinkering with the Indian Act. "The Minister is acting in a more paternalistic and demeaning fashion than any minister in recent memory", said Chief Mercredi. "He is trying to ensure that native culture and tradition are quickly destroyed and assimilated". The National Chief mocked the Minister's feeble attempts at placating First Nations by inserting an opting-in clause. "The Minister is offering us a clothesline with two pair of dirty underwear and telling us to choose one" said the National Chief. "This is what he calls a choice?" It is apparent that the proposed amendments are a sloppy attempt by the minister to save his proposal in the face of growing opposition. To date, 550 bands and communities, out of a total of 633 in Canada have formally rejected the minister's process and the content of the proposed amendments. The minister has yet to present the result of his consultation which he claims has given him a mandate to act. The Assembly of First Nations will hold an emergency meeting in Winnipeg on December 19 to present to all Chiefs the content of the proposed legislation and set the stage for the removal of this odious piece of legislation. "We will stop this legislation before it is enacted into law. The myopic view of First Nations that this government holds will not be the basis for future emaciation of our people. This bill will never be enacted, we must see to that" concluded the National Chief. For additional information, contact either Jean LaRose (613-241-6789, ext. 251) or Russell Diabo (613-241-6789, ext. 270). --------- "RE: Indian Country in Alaska" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 07:21:44 -0800 (PST) From: "James Grijalva" Subj: Indian Country in Alaska Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu) On November 20, 1996, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit announced its decision in the case _State Of Alaska v. Native Village Of Venetie Tribal Government_. The Court held that "Indian country" exists in the State of Alaska. The case involved a dispute between the Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government and the State of Alaska regarding whether the Tribal government possessed the sovereign power to tax a non-Native building contractor hired by the State to construct a school in the Village. The primary legal issue in the case was whether the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, in which Alaska Natives relinquished their claims to lands in exchange for money payments and fee title to 44 million acres of land, extinguished "Indian country" in Alaska. If it did, then tribal governments like the Venetie Tribal Government would not have the sovereign power (like Indian tribes in the lower 48 states) to regulate activities undertaken on their lands. Because the vast majority of native villages in Alaska do not have "reservations," the Ninth Circuit court used the test of "dependent Indian community" (found in a criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. 1151(b)), to answer the question. The Court said deciding that a particular location is a "dependent Indian community" (and thus is Indian country) requires a showing that the land is a "federal set aside" and that there is "federal superintendence" over the persons on that land. The Court explained that finding these two elements comes from a consideration of six factors: (1) the nature of the area; (2) the relationship of the area inhabitants to Indian tribes and the federal government; (3) the established practice of government agencies toward that area; (4) the degree of federal ownership of and control over the area; (5) the degree of cohesiveness of the area inhabitants; and (6) the extent to which the area was set aside for the use, occupancy, and protection of dependent Indian peoples. On the basis of these factors, the Court concluded (1) that the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act did _not_ extinguish Indian country in Alaska, and (2) that the land the Village of Venetie occupies is Indian country. The Court remanded the case to the lower court to decide, in light of the Ninth Circuit's decision that the Village is Indian country, whether the Tribal government possessed the power to tax a non Native company doing business within the Village's territory. The full text of the case can be found on Westlaw at 1996 WL 668441 (9th Cir. (Alaska). The University at Villanova also maintains a home page on the world wide web with Ninth Circuit decisions at http://www.law.vill. edu/Fed Ct/ca09.html. As of December 11, the Venetie case was not on-line, but it may be in the near future. Peace, Jim Grijalva --------------------------------------------- James M. Grijalva Director, Tribal Environmental Law Project http://www.law.und.nodak.edu/telp/home.html Asst. Professor of Law University of North Dakota School of Law Grand Forks, ND 58202-9003 (701) 777-2961 (701) 777-2217 (fax) james.grijalva@thor.law.und.nodak.edu --------- "RE: Minute for Peace Day" --------- Date: 15 Dec 96 17:03:42 EST From: Ann Stewart <75361.1143@CompuServe.COM> Subj: Minute for Peace Day UUCP email MINUTE FOR PEACE DAY December 22, 1996 Please take time out for a minute for peace on December 22 at 2pm EST -- 1900 GMT all over the world. Pearl Harbor Day (December 7) reminds us of the terrible tragedy that occurred to most of the world when modern weapons were used to settle differences between powerful nations. Pearl Harbor was followed by World War II and Hiroshima. In this season of peace and good will we are again shown vivid horrible images on TV depicting what happened. Today we know that "Hatred does not cease by hatred. Hatred ceases only by love." Martin Luther King described the power of love in his book "Strength To Love." He and Gandhi demonstrated that love can right wrongs better than guns. Let's reverse Pearl Harbor and build a future without wars. Actions good or bad begin in the mind. Here is a way to reverse the damage done to our thinking by what happened at Pearl Harbor. December not only marks Pearl Harbor, it also marks Christmas, Muslims Day, Hanukkah and the Solstice. With the approaching new millennium this holy season is of increasing importance, with its message of "Peace and Good Will." The first Minute for Peace Day occurred on December 22, 1963, when we ended the period of mourning for President John F. Kennedy with a global minute of silent prayer for peace on our planet. That special minute (1 p. m. in Dallas, 1900 GMT worldwide) affected people all over the world and inspired efforts that later resulted in Earth Day with its emphasis on peace, justice and the care of Earth. Let's turn the tables on Pearl Harbor by joining worldwide in a Minute for Peace -- at 1900 GMT, December 22 -- Christmas Sunday, a time for joyous music and thoughts about the wonder of life. Christmas can then be a turning toward peace, with our neighbor and our world. A new idea that came from Minute for Peace and Earth Day, is the idea that we now think of ourselves as Trustees of Earth. In an age of Space exploration we know -- more than former generations -- that we are one human family and have only one Earth. With care and use of new technology we can now eliminate poverty, pollution and violence. A new Earth Trustee sense of identity can provide a clear vision of our goal and a course of action which will appeal to the most people and do the most good. As solutions and success are reported on Internet a new spirit of cooperation will engulf the world. With half the money we spend on wars we can make our planet a Garden of Eden. We see all around us the waste of wealth and its unfair monopolization by those in power. The solution is not to condemn the few in positions of power, but to demonstrate solutions and win their support by the power of truth, of good ideas and good will. With the power of the words "Love one another" we will reverse Pearl Harbor, reject war's legacy and welcome an era of peaceful progress in the new millennium. By John McConnell Founder of Earth Day Trusteeone@aol.com www.earthsite.org --------- "RE: UNATBC File Facts" --------- Date: 16 Dec 96 17:33:42 EST From: aconcert@carroll.com (UNATBC-via carroll.com) Subj: UNATBC File Facts Newsgroups: apc.indig.info,soc.culture.native,alt.native After April 21, 1995 following a visit to the East by Chief Adalbert Zephier, [Chief Black Spotted Horse (direct descendant of Chief Struck By The Ree)] the UNAT(tm) project plan being promoted by United Native Culture and Language Exchange began procedures to work for a way to gain exposure to work toward promoting public attention toward the wish of Chief Zephier and other Yankton and other Sioux elders to use petitions circulated in New Jersey under his acknowledgement and support for return of the Pipestone Quarries of Minnesota to the Indian People. The petitions were circulated from 1991 until the demand for the return of the Black Hills was added in 1992, and later Bear Butte as a joint petition. The Governor of New Jersey issued a proclamation supporting the efforts of Chief Adalbert Zephier and in support of the Lakota Language Recovery Project which was plan "a" of the United Native American Television Project (tm) in production and programming. According to Chief Adalbert Zephier ans the one person who is still alive today who remembers the issue, the Yankton Sioux have never fully acknowledged that the pipestone quarries were ever sold. The sale was not valid according to tribal laws. And that legally (US/State/any Laws) the "sale" became void for non-payment. For further Pipestone Information Contact: Adalbert Zephier by letter at address in signature below. to contact (UNATBC): United Native American Television (tm) Broadcasting Council Locations across South Dakota Helmina Makes Him First, PO Box 53,Little Eagle, SD 57639 Suella High Elk, PO Box 1266, Eagle Butte SD 57625 Adalbert Zephier, PO Box 30, Flandreau, SD 57028 Vivian High Elk, PO Box 363, Eagle Butte SD (605) Ben One Feather, General Delivery, Little Eagle, SD 57639 Reginald Cedar Face, PO Box 311, Pine Ridge, SD 57770 Lyman Red Cloud Ray Uses The Knife, Director, PO Box 590, Eagle Butte, SD 57625 Becky Red Earth (Montgomery), Box 54, Flandreau, SD 57028 Lorenzo Thin Elk, Box 266, Flandreea, SD 57028, ------------------------------------------------------ (Internet Volunteer) voice 201-489-5057 Joe Campagna --------- "RE: Mayans Attacked by Army" --------- Date: 4:40 PM Dec 13, 1996 From: saiic-info@igc.apc.org Subj: Urgent Action: Mayans Attacked by Army Newsgroup: igc.indig.info ***RAPID RESPONSE ALERT*** DECEMBER 4, 1996 MAYAN CAMPESINOS ATTACKED BY ARMY AND CIVIL PATROL ONE DEAD, THREE WOUNDED AND FOUR KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED Background: In spite of the approaching signing a final peace accord, the Guatemalan Army and Civil Patrollers attacked a group of Mayans occupying lands on the La Perla plantation in the department of Quiche on November 23. At 4:00 pm in the Sotzil village of Chajul, Quiche, members of the nearby army detachment dressed in civilian clothing, along with civil patrollers from the La Perla plantation, fired upon community members who were peacefully occupying lands on that plantation. Francisco Escobar, 28 years old, was killed in the attack, and Pedro Hu Pacheco, Pedro del Barrio, and Santos Lopez Terrasa were wounded. In addition, Gaspar Ortega Xinic (the auxiliary mayor of Chajul) and three other peasants (Juan Sanchez, Juan Mateo Ramires Bid, and Felipe Lopez Gomez) were illegally taken prisoner by members of the Civil Patrol. According to a statement by Defensoria Maya (Mayan Defense League), the prisoners have been subjected to beatings and death threats by the Civil Patrollers. Requests by the Chajul Justice of the Peace to transfer the captured Ixiles to the municipal courthouse have been ignored by estate owner Francisco Arenas Menes. This act, which recalls the worst of Guatemala's most violent period, is inexcusable. The human rights group Defensoria Maya and the Maya Ixil people have several demands in relation to this incident. 1. That the Guatemalan government immediately investigate the act and detain and try those responsible. 2. That the government become involved in resolving the land conflict at the plantation. 3. That the army be withdrawn from the Ixil area. 4. That Civil Patrols be immediately dismantled. ++++++++++++++++++++++ Action Request: Fax messages of concern to Guatemalan President Alvaro Arzu and to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State John Hamilton. Sr. Alvaro Arzu Presidente de la Republica FAX: 011-502-232-9968 Message in Spanish: Excelentisimo Senor Presidente: Le escribo de manera urgente para condenar los hechos en la aldea Sotzil en Chajul, El Quich, que sucedieron el 23 del noviembre. Soldados del destacamento de Vijomistan y patrulleros de la finca La Perla atacaron con armas de fuego a un grupo de campesinos que ocupaban terrenos en la finca. Salio muerto el senor Francisco Escobar, heridos Pedro Hu Pacheco, Pedro del Barrio, y Santos Lopez Terrasa y ademas fueron detenidos, (y segun reportes golpeados y amenazados) el alcalde auxiliar Gaspar Ortega Xinic y Juan Sanchez, Juan Mateo Ramires Bid, and Felipe Lopez Gomez. En visperas de la firma de la paz, este hecho es repudiable, y significa un paso atras para todos que quieren ver la paz en Guatemala. Por eso, apoyo las demandas de la Defensoria Maya y el Pueblo Maya Ixil, que son las siguientes: 1. Que el gobierno de Guatemala investigue el hecho y detenga y enjuicie a los responsables. 2. Que el gobierno se involucre en la resolucion del conflicto sobre tierras en la plantacion. 3. Que se retire el ejercito del area Ixil. 4. Que se desmantele todas las Patrullas Civiles inmediatamente. He manifestado mi preocupacion al Departamento de Estado en Washington, D.C. Respectuosamente, English Translation: Esteemed President Arzu: I write you in an urgent manner to condemn the events at the Sotzil village in Chajul, El Quiche, which occurred on the 23rd of November. Soldiers of the Vijomistan detachment and civil patrollers from the La Perla plantation attacked with firearms a group of peasants occupying plantation lands. Mr. Francisco Escobar was killed, Pedro Hu Pacheco, Pedro del Barrio, and Santos Lopez Terrasa were injured and Gaspar Ortega Xinic, the auxiliary mayor of Chajul, Juan Sanchez, Juan Mateo Ramires Bid, and Felipe Lopez Gomez were detained, and reportedly beaten and threatened. As the signing of a peace accord draws near, this incident can only be repudiated, and signifies a step backwards for all those who wish to see peace in Guatemala. Thus, I support the demands of the Defensoria Maya and the Maya Ixil People which are the following: 1. That the Guatemalan government immediately investigate the act and detain and try those responsible. 2. That the government become involved in resolving the land conflict at the plantation. 3. That the army be withdrawn from the Ixil area. 4. That civil patrols be immediately dismantled. I have expressed my concern to the State Department in Washington, D.C. Respectfully, Message to Hamilton: Assistant Secretary of State John Hamilton FAX: (202) 647-0791 Dear Mr. Hamilton, It has come to my attention that despite positive movement towards the signing of a final peace agreement in Guatemala, the Guatemalan Army and Civil Patrols continue to act against the population with violence and unjustified repression. At 4:00 pm in the Sotzil village of Chajul, Quiche, members of the nearby army detachment dressed in civilian clothing, along with civil patrollers from the La Perla plantation, fired upon community members who were occupying lands on that plantation. Francisco Escobar, 28 years old, was killed, and Pedro Hu Pacheco, Pedro del Barrio, and Santos Lopez Terrasa were injured. In addition, auxiliary mayor Gaspar Ortega Xinic, Juan Sanchez, Juan Mateo Ramires Bid, and Felipe Lopez Gomez were illegally detained by the Civil Patrollers and have reportedly been subjected to beatings and death threats. This act, which recalls the worst of Guatemala's most violent period, is inexcusable. The human rights group Defensoria Maya and the Maya Ixil people have several demands in relation to this incident. 1. That the Guatemalan government immediately investigate the act and detain and try those responsible. 2. That the government become involved in resolving the land conflict at the plantation. 3. That the army be withdrawn from the Ixil area. 4. That civil patrols be immediately dismantled. I strongly urge you to pressure the Guatemalan government to comply with these demands and to insure that members of the U.S. Congress are informed of this incident before entertaining thoughts of renewing military aid to Guatemala. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ------------- South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 28703 Oakland CA, 94604 Phone: (510)834-4263 Fax: (510)834-4264 Email: saiic@igc.apc.org Office: 1714 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor, Oakland Home Page: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/nativeweb/abyayala/orgs/saiic/ For more information about SAIIC, send an empty email message to: saiic-info@igc.apc.org --------- "RE: Natural Feelings" --------- Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 07:50:38 -0600 (CST) From: Larry Kibbey Subj: Natural Feelings Mailing List: NATIVELIT So long ago, standing amongst a grove of pines, I stood listening to the many sounds of life that stirred emotions of gladness and of sadness within, for I could feel the times of yesterday as I listened to a soft breeze dance in and out of the tree tops. Distance sounds whirled about me, they came from the land, often they echoed of drums, songs, laughter, but the loudness was that of pain, crying, screaming, of a people who struggled to maintain the solidarity and sovereign respects of their people, who were the care takers of this our Mother Earth. Across a semi-blue sky flies a bald eagle, in search of life or death, and in the far off distance howls the wolf or coyote, sending their messages upon the winds to be carried upon the four directions to all those who may care to listen or understand the voices of life. Before me I build a small fire of twigs and small branches, placing four stones in their respect of life and pull a blanket short of me so that I may reach about with a free hand, which I slightly warm above the little blaze, before dropping a small cluster of cedar and sage on the flame. As the smoke rises above, I stand and offer my medicine to the four directions, to Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, to Mother Earth, to all my relations and I ask Grandfather to hear my heart, for my words are for my people and all of life. Facing East, I squat down in front of the fire, and carefully pour my medicine upon the flame, and as I slowly glance skyward, I can now see four eagles above, flying in a circle, waiting to take my words to grandfather. In the flame, I see myself with a tear rolling down my cheek and of sudden I realize, my heart is sad, but smiles with wonder of times gone by, when a people were once full of life and carried forth with great respect the ways of the medicine, as I now do. Slowly a small wind builds character, causing sparks to dance within the smoke and the sounds of far away drums appear with a song of life and death, and I hear a people dancing, some seem to dance ever so quietly, like blades of grass swaying back and forth in the grass, whiles other's seem to dance with a force of celebration, yet other's dance as if their heart is bleeding from wounds with questions. I look away from my fire, but the sounds of life bring before me an open heart that speaks to grandfather, softly, slowly and with question, and another tear rolls down my cheek and in the flame I see my heart crying, not in shame, but in pain and I see my people moving away from me, as if leaving on a journey, never looking back, never trying to wave me forward, but some how telling me to follow in their foot- steps. I ask grandfather, "Where are my people?" And I hear an Eagle cry, as if to tell me, "They have gone before you, and you must follow in like manner, to be as they were, to be as they are." I ask grandfather again, "What have they done to my land?" And I hear another eagle cry, as if to tell me, "They tear at Mother Earth, the river's, the streams, the mountains, the valleys, the plains, for and in a manner of greed, for their belief is of value, not of respect." I glance once more to the flame, and deep within my fire, burns a rage, but when I look up, all around me stand the wolf, the coyote, the deer, the elk and other four-legged and winged-ones, who seem to all be saying, "you must be our voice, speak for us and your life, you will know of a time before long ago, when your relation once took care of Mother Earth and all her relations." The flame grows as if slashing out, flickering in anger, and the crackle of burning twigs and branches awakens a silent forest, and a rumble rolls across the sky, and as I peer into the flame I can see my people reaching out to me and I look towards the sky and in the middle of the circle of flying eagles, I see my medicine people looking down upon me. As I look to my medicine people, a flash of lighting seems to engulf my small fire and a slight breeze swirls the smoke upward as a loud clash of thunder echos across the mountains tops near by, and from my medicine people I see them appear to tell me, "Live and die as your people have done before you and know that what you hear and see is of life and death, for your people are a great people, all of them who now show you the way, who speak to you now, whose pain you feel deep within your heart, soul and mind, and know, that as each one goes before you, whether they be old, young, or new born, that their blood is of your life, and you shall not miss them, for they will always be within you, for they are of your blood, of your heart, and in you they will always live. Know that as you do with belief, the medicine of your people will always be your life and in that you can always talk with your people no matter what is your manner of living and forever, shall the solidarity and sovereignty of your nations be unique and full of life. You shall be Indian forever and your heart will always carry your people in life and of death. Be free and know that your words are heard always." As I glance towards the sky, I see specks now, where once they were so close, now they flew ever so high and I look down to my fire and I see the last spark die away and as I turn to leave, from the four directions come the sounds of many, who seem to say, "Yes! The Indian Nation will Live forever!" --------- "RE: Law of the Seven Fires" --------- Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 11:23:25 -0500 From: Standing Bear Subj: Seven Fires (Short) UUCP email -===============================================- - /\ /\ /\ /\\ /\ /\ /\ - - / \ / \ / \ // \\ / \ / \ / \ - - \ / \ / \ / \\ // \ / \ / \ / - - \/ \/ \/ \\/ \/ \/ \/ - -===============================================- THE LAW OF THE SEVEN FIRES In a time long, long ago, seven prophecies came to the Anishnabe. Each prophecy or fire came from a different prophet who foretold of events that would shape the future of the Anishnabe. Each of these fires referred to a particular period of time. The first fire tells us that the Anishnabe would rise and follow the ways of the sacred shell of Midewiwin. The Midewiwin religion, to the Anishnabe, would be the focal point for clean living and a source of strength for all Anishnabe. The second fire tells that the nation would be camped by a large body of water. In this time, the direction of the sacred shell would be lost and the ways of the Midewiwin would become weak. It was prophesied that a small boy would return and point the way back to the traditional ways. The boy pointed to the sacred island of Manitoulin as the way to revitalize the ways of the Midewiwin. The third fire tells that the Anishnabe would find the path to the chosen land on Manitoulin. This was the place where the Anishnabe must move their families. The fourth fire tells of the coming of the light skinned race. The fifth fire tells of a great struggle to come. The sixth fire prophesied that during the time of the great struggle grandsons and granddaughters would turn against their elders and that the spiritual ways of the Midewiwin would almost disappear. The seventh fire tells of the emergence of a new people, a people who would retrace their history to find the sacred ways that had been left behind. The waterdrum would once again sound, its voice signalling the rebirth of the Anishnabe and a rekindling of life's fire. During the time of the seventh fire, the light skinned race would be given a choice. If they chose the right road, then the seventh fire would light the eighth and final fire... a fire of peace, love and brotherhood. If the light skinned race made the wrong choice, then the destruction which they brought with them to this great turtle island would come back to them, causing much suffering, death and destruction. And that is how the story is told. --------- "RE: About Healing" --------- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 17:37:38 -0500 From: gastonl@ireseau.com (Gaston Lavoie) Subj: More wisdom UUCP email ABOUT HEALING When an offence is committed, there are two victims: the aggressor and the victim. In order to achieve healing, both must deal with the offence and its consequences. Revenge is not an acceptable option because it simply extends violence into a new group of people. The objective of the Healing process is to: 1.- Prevent further acts of violence. 2.- Allow the victim of the offence to come to terms with the emotions related to the event and to forgive the aggressor. 3.- To prevent further acts of violence, the aggressor must admit an offence has been committed, seek the counsel of a healer in approaching the victim of the offence, and, when conditions permit, ask the victim to be forgiven. When forgiveness is given without being asked for, only the victim is healed and nothing changes. When forgiveness is refused when asked for, only the aggressor is healed. When forgiveness is given when asked for, both the aggressor and the victim are healed and the cycle of violence is broken. When revenge is exercised by the victim, the cycle of violence is extended to new people and continues to grow. Its the worst possible thing that can happen, and in some cases it damages entire communities. When forgiveness is asked for, the victim must remember that violence is learned by being a victim of violence. This is specially true if a child is raised in a violent environment. Having been a victim in childhood, the chances are good that the child will grow to be a violent adult if he is male and a victim if female. This is because adrenaline is an addictive substance and is also the reason why so many women end up in violent relationships which they leave, and most of the time end up with even more violent mates in their new ones. People with a violent disposition need help to deal with their problems. Patience and compassion will go a long way in helping those caught up in the cycle of violence. STONES IN THE CIRCLES There was an old man trying to help his people. When he performed ceremonies to help someone, he found that some of the people were falling back to their problems. He was concerned that the people were not listening to his wisdom and wanted to find out why. He put Tobacco on the ground and asked the Great Spirit to guide him. He tanked Mother Earth for all the good things she was giving him and all his Relations. That night, the old man had a dream. In this dream, he saw two circles drawn on the ground. Around the circles, there were small holes with words written near each one of them. Around the circle nearest to him, he could read the words Love, Caring, Sharing and respect. Around the other circle, he could read the words Hatred, Fear, Confusion, Anger. That circle was filled with smaller ones, all intertwined one with the other. The scene of the dream was in the woods, the old man was sitting near a fire. The circle with all the good things was next to him to his right, the one with the bad things was directly in front of him and the fire was to his left. When the old man woke up, he wanted to find out what the dream was all about. He drew the two circles on the ground like he saw them in his dream, he made the fire and he asked each one of his people to come visit him one at a time. He sat there and asked them to talk about anything they wanted. As he listened to their words he dropped stones in the circles that corresponded to what they were talking about. When the person was finished talking, he looked at the stones in the circles and soon found out that the people that were coming to the ceremonies and not getting better were people that were still caught up with the bad circle. He realized that forgiveness was the most important thing to do in order to walk on the right path. But he could not tell them what was wrong because they would fell bad and get angry at him and if they got angry at him, they would not listen to him. So he told them about his dream and he showed them the stones in the circles. A PRAYER O, Great Spirit whose voice I hear in the winds, And whose breath gives life to the universe,hear me. I am your child of light. I need to know your love. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things your have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you are teaching me. Let me learn the lessons you are hiding under every leaf and rock. I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to overcome my greatest enemy , myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my Spirit may come to you without shame. I live to make the world a better place to live. It starts when I make myself a better person. It spreads trough example. It moves me to tears when someone finds the courage to do the same. --------- "RE: Poem: An Indian Prayer Christmas Day" --------- Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 11:46:36 -0600 (CST) From: Larry Kibbey Subj: Note: A Re-Post UUCP email In case some of you may not have seen this or did not keep it, I am re-posting it. Please, note, that if you wish to pass it on, or copy it and display it, please, I only ask that you not change any of the wording. Thank you. "AN INDIAN PRAYER CHRISTMAS DAY" December 25, 1995 by: Larry Kibby, Wiyot(Weott) Nation, California Great Spirit Grandfather, I send these words to you, To Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, To all my relations, To Mother Earth, And to the Four Winds The sacred seasons of life. Grandfather, Today you gave The breath of life To an Indian child, In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child Will walk amongst his people, With his head held high, With dignity and pride, In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child Will stand before his people, With honor and respect, In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child Will be strong with Wisdom, knowledge and understanding, That will come from The heart, soul and mind, In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child Will come before A humble nation of people, And like his relations, The Eagle and the buffalo, Will be their strength In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child, You gave to us in a sacred way, And with his eyes He will see all that is good, And with his ears, He will hear all that is good, And the words he will speak Will be strong and powerful, In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child That you have brought before us, Your Native American Indian people, Will be like his ancestors, That have gone before him On their journey, He will always travel Within the sacred circle of life, In a most sacred way. Grandfather, This Indian Child, He will use His Eagle Staff, His Sacred Pipe, His Sacred Cedar, His Sacred Sage, His Sacred Sweetgrass, His Drum and Songs, In his sacred Ceremonies, In his Sacred Sun Dance, In his Sacred Sweat Lodge, In a most Sacred Way. Grandfather, This Indian Child will be strong within, His culture and religion, An intricate Heritage from his past. In a most sacred way. Grandfather, Thank you for each breath of life That you have given to our New Born, For tomorrow, Another Indian Child Will Be born the "Indian Way." by: Larry Kibby, Program Director Western Shoshone Historic Preservation Society Elko Indian Colony 1581 Pinenut Circle Elko, Nevada 89801 --------- "RE: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/12/09 23:06 From: Debra F. Sanders (dfsanders@genie.geis.com) Subj: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days genie email A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of December 22-28 KEKEMAPA (December) (Makalii) 22 Cherish my hopes and dreams, Beloved, and I will cherish yours. 23 Pursue happiness; capture it now, and never let it go. 24 Sleep passes a mist of forgetfulness over our sorrows. 25 In peace I go forth to greet each day. 26 Snow clothes the fiery heart of the volcano. 27 Hold fast to friends, for they are the greatest of treasures. 28 May all your days be remembered in gladness. (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, 19 December 96 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (evestar@juno.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows not previously posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L UUCP email Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 14:14:23 -0800 From: John Berry Subj: R.E.T.A.I.N. 1997 To all, partial info... --------------------------------------------------------------- CALL TO CONFERENCE R.E.T.A.I.N. 1997 Sharing the Vision Retention in Education for Today's American Indian Nations March 8-11, 1997 Memorial Union Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Cosponsored by: Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona Mission: The mission of the R.E.T.A.I.N. (Retention in Education for Today's American Indian Nations) Conference is to coordinate the resources of the three major higher education institutions in the state of Arizona in a "long term commitment to address the retention issues of American Indian and Native Alaskan students at the national level." Vision: The vision of the R.E.T.A.I.N. Conference is to "inspire unity for national action" on the issues of American Indian and Native Alaskan student retention in higher education by involving tribal leaders, students, retention researchers and practitioners, college administrators, state boards of governing regents and administrators of tribal colleges. "Keeping the Vision" The first R.E.T.A.I.N. Conference was held in 1996 at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. This was the beginning of the national effort to address the retention issues of American Indian and Native Alaskan students in higher education. The theme "Keeping the Vision" was inspired by an excerpt from a text by Vine Deloria, Jr. which reminded us that together, we can create a vision for a better tomorrow: "Visions, in the Indian context, require action and this action manifests itself in the community, enabling the people to go forward in confidence and obedience. The vision is complete, it is comprehensive, it includes and covers everything, and there is no mistaking its applicability." "Sharing the Vision" The 1997 R.E.T.A.I.N. Conference's overall focus continues to be retention and graduation strategies that successfully affect American Indian and Alaskan Native students in higher education. However, the 1997 theme "Sharing the Vision" reflects the intention to expand the scope to include strategies at the "Community and Tribal College" level which emphasize collaboration efforts with universities to create a seamless post-secondary education (e.g. university partnerships with community and tribal colleges). Goal The goal of the conference is to facilitate an exchange of ideas and methods through interactive forum sessions, panels and poster sessions. This is a unique conference since all participants (audience and presenters) are expected to express their views, opinions and recommendations in the forum sessions. During R.E.T.A.I.N. 1996, researchers, practitioners, administrators, directors, students, tribal leaders and community members were brought together in a process where they could learn from one another, identify model approaches and programs, develop strategies, and recommend action that will help the national community move American Indian and Alaskan Native students in higher education toward success through graduation. Time lines: December 31, 1996 Deadline for proposals January 31, 1997 Notice of Selection February 7, 1997 Pre-registration due Proposals: All presenters are required to register for the conference. Presenters will give a 20 minute overview of their research or program, followed by a facilitated discussion. For further information on submission contact: Dellina Bergen, Conference Coordinator American Indian Institute Arizona State U. Box 879909 Tempe, AZ 85287-9909 Phone (602)965-8044 FAX (602)965-7201 E-Mail: Bergen@oir.arizona.edu Registration fees: $225.00 Pre-registration (must be postmarked by Feb. 7, 1997) $250.00 Registration (after Feb. 7, 1997) $75.00 One Day Registration $100.00 Student Registration*(requires photocopy of valid student ID) $20.00 One Day Student Registration* * Scholarships are available for students. Students should contact us directly for alternative low-cost conference housing. Payment should be sent to: Dellina Bergen, Conference Coordinator, American Indian Institute, Arizona State U., Box 879909, Tempe, AZ 85287-9909 Phone (602)965-8044 FAX (602)965-7201 E-Mail: Bergen@oir.arizona.edu Registration will be limited to 300 participants due to constraints of facilities. This conference has received tremendous preliminary interest and registration is expected to reach the maximum limit prior to Dec. 31, 1996. For further information contact: Dellina Bergen, Conference Coordinator, American Indian Institute, Arizona State U., Box 879909, Tempe, AZ 85287-9909 Phone (602)965-8044 FAX (602)965-7201 E-Mail: Bergen@oir.arizona.edu ====================================================================== Best, John Berry ----------------------------------- Holiday Powwows******************** From News From Indian Country: Dec 26-Jan 1, Miccosukee Art Fest, Miccosukee Indian Reservation Miami, FL. 305-223-8380 Dec 27-29, Amigos New Year, Amigos Complex, Tucson, AZ 602-622-4900 Dec 31-Jan 1, On the Red Road New Years Celebration of Sobriety, MAIC, Minneapolis, MN 612-724-3129 Dec 31-Jan 1, New Year's Pow Wow, Cherry Creek, SD 605-538-4221 Dec 31, The Good Medicine Society Pow Wow, Oklahoma City, OK 405-943-7935 Dec 31, Menominee New Years Eve, Neopit, WI 715-756-2354 From The Spike Dec. 28, Wounded Knee Memorial Dinner, Staffordville, CT 860-945-0495 Dec. 31, New Year's Powwow, Sault Ste. Marie, WI 906-635-6074 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Freedom Heart Rising, David R. Givers, Brian Hauk, Debra F. Sanders, Jacki Leroux, Carlos Holguin via Alan Mandell, Ishgooda, Steven Radulovich, Gaston Lavoie, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, Janet Smith, Larry Kibby, John McConnell via Ann Stewart, Standing Bear, Wolf McSherry, Joe Campagna, James M. Grijalva, Bernadette Chato, Gary S. Trujillo, Laurie Anne Whitt, South and Meso American Indian Rights Center(SAIIC), Alan Dixon, Serena -//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Part B of this newsletter has already been distributed via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 19 December 96 08:00 -0500 From: Janet Smith (evestar@juno.com) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows already posted to Mailing Lists NATCHAT or NATIVE-L UUCP email Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 22:45:27 -0700 From: denglish@ecst.csuchico.edu (denglish) Subj: Leonard Peltier Clemency: campaign tour now on the road Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Correction to Peltier Christmas Clemency Tour I was in error I believe when my previous post stated this tour was ending in Kansas. My humble apologies. Please be advised that the Christmas Clemency Tour does not end in Kansas but will as far as I know continue on to Chicago and the other destinations as noted below. It is a good program and I hope you will have the opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie which I experienced at the Chico event and support the Clemency effort if that is your wish. Call the contacts listed for more information. Anyone having an update may want to add/correct this report with the latest information. The show is on the road... All the best, dorette quintana english chico, CA THE TOUR Tour Date Site Contact Person Contact Phone # Dec. 17th Bemidji, MN. TBA TBA Dec. 19-20th Mpls/St. Paul TBA TBA Dec. 22nd Oneida, WS. D. Powless 414-869-2641 Dec. 23rd Chicago, IL. Ed 2 Rivers 312-728-6756 Dorette Quintana English P.O. Box 4889 Chico, CA 95927 ----------------------------------- Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 23:53:59 -0500 From: ishgooda@tdi.net (Ishgooda) Subj: fourth annual sobriety pow wow (Columbus, Ohio, 31 Dec.) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ANNOUNCING THE FOURTH ANNUAL SOBRIETY POW WOW WHERE: JESSE OWENS RECREATIONAL CENTER SO. 175 W. 11th. AVE. COLUMBUS, OHIO WHEN: NEW YEAR'S EVE Tuesday December 31, 1996 Doors Open to public 10:00 AM GRAND ENTRY: 1:00 PM Closes 2:00 AM NEW YEAR'S DAY Wednesday January 1, 1997 Doors Open to public 10:00 AM GRAND ENTRY: NOON Closes 5:00PM <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> Enjoy Native American Culture Traders, Food, Dances and Music. Talking Circles and AA Meetings on site Special Midnight Ceremony on New Year's Eve Limited Seating so Bring your own chair <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> PUBLIC INVITED Adults $5.00 Elders 3.00 NO ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR WEAPONS PERMITTED Students 3.00 ages 6-12 3.00 under 5 FREE <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> Master of Ceremonies: Dennis Banks Arena Director: Kenny Irwin Head Man Dancer: TBA Head Woman Dancer: TBA Head Veteran Dancer: TBA <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> TRADER INFORMATION: Call Dan or Betty Jaeger 614- 879-8469 Native American Traders Only (by invitation) Pre-registration Required <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> SPONSORED BY: Host Organization: Ohio Center for Native American Affairs 614-226-0460 Co-Host: Sacred Run Foundation 606-431-2346 Endorsed by: American Indian Movement Ohio and Kentucky Chapters American Indian council c/o Native American Student Programs 614-292-7521 <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> --------- "RE: Keweenaw Bay Red Alert" --------- Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 01:40:42 -0500 From: lawhitt@mtu.edu (Laurie Anne Whitt) Subj: Keweenaw Bay RED ALERT! Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, 17 December Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police in full riot gear broke down the door of the rectory of the Holy Name of Jesus Church, maced the occupants, and forcibly entered Father John Hascall's bedroom. Colin Vann, a member of the protest group Fight For Justice (which has been granted sanctuary by the Catholic Church for the past 16 months) was badly beaten and arrested. Another member, Paul Halverson - who was guarding Father John - was also arrested, after Padre urged him to go peaceably. (Padre himself was not arrested, although there is a warrant out for his arrest.) The police also broke into the convent where elders and children were sleeping. All of this is taking place on the eve of Tribal Elections, scheduled for 21 December. Both AIM and the Witnesses For Non-Violence have been called in, and we are urging all those who support this struggle to come to the Holy Name of Jesus Church and help prevent further violence. The Church is located several miles to the north and west of Baraga, Michigan on Route 41. If you are unable to come, PLEASE fax the following numbers, urging negotiations and a peaceful resolution to this dangerous situation! Representative Bart Stupak Fax: 202-225-4744 Senator Carl Levin Fax: 202-224-1388 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Chair, Fred Dakota Fax: 906-353-7540 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police Fax: 906-353-6838 For background on this situation, please consult earlier postings to this list. Detailed information, including a chronology of events, can be found at http://www.edwards1.com/rose/native/ffj/ffj.htm --------- "RE: Help for Skokomish Tribe" --------- Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 10:24:57 -0700 From: serena@digisys.net (serena) Subj: Urgent Help for Skokomish Tribe Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) We have an urgent request. The City of Tacoma is putting out misinformation and clouding the issue of their taking and destroying the Skokomish River and salmon runs on the North Fork and the people have always depended on the river for food. Could you please send out a request for letters and faxes to FERC and the City of Tacoma, thanks Serena Federal Agency Gives Skokomish River to the City of Tacoma by Marsha Shaiman "The City of Tacoma built the dam and we lost the River," states Jeanne Evernden, Skokomish Tribal Elder. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has just released its final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the City of Tacoma's license application to continue to illegally divert the North Fork Skokomish River. For over 65 years Tacoma's unlicensed Cushman hydroelectric project, on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, has diverted the River to their Hood Canal power plant, with disastrous effects to the watershed. The contents of the FEIS indicate FERC has decided that the River, which for thousands of years provided cultural, economic, and spiritual sustenance for the Skokomish Indian Tribe, belongs to the City of Tacoma to continue to do with as they wish for the next 30 years. "This is a fishing community. Fishing in the River was their whole living," according to Skokomish Elder Helen Rudy. To the Tribe, Tacoma's taking of the River "would be like taking away your livelihood." In the early 1920's the Washington Department of Fisheries considered the North Fork and mainstem Skokomish "among the most important and valuable food salmon spawning streams in the State of Washington." Illegally built without fish passage, the dams block salmon from 84% of the North Fork, and flow of the River below the lower dam is reduced by 96%. Some North Fork salmon runs, once among the richest in the Pacific Northwest, are now extinct and others nearly so. Tacoma's Cushman project has done more than destroy the salmon runs. Tribal Councilmember Gale Longshore says, "I've seen tribal people lose their homes. I've seen tribal people forced to move because the flooding is so bad. I've seen tribal members' homes get damaged, as well as our neighbors'. I've seen tribal members having to raise their homes to accommodate floods." Diversion of the North Fork has dewatered the mainstem Skokomish by 40%, drastically reducing its sediment carrying ability, causing it to silt up. During the heavy winter rains severe overbank flooding now occurs both on and off the reservation. "In the end, if our interests aren't looked at, we will no longer be the People of the River, we will be the people of the swamp," states Gale Longshore. Past Skokomish Tribal Chairman Joseph Pavel told Tacoma, "You're producing power that we're paying for. You act like it's cheap, but it's not cheap." In their efforts to restore the watershed, the Skokomish Tribe has been forced to quantify the harm the project has done to them and the general public; the Tribe estimates damage upwards of $2 billion. This includes destruction of the salmon fisheries, loss of shellfish and marine fish in the Skokomish estuary, loss of wildlife, loss of the Tribes treaty protected usual and accustomed fishing, hunting, and gathering sites, loss of their cultural sites, and damage to the Skokomish Reservation located at the mouth of the mainstem Skokomish River on Hood Canal. Ignoring harm to the public from the project and their legal mandate to protect the public interest, FERC's economic analysis in the FEIS discusses only purported costs to Tacoma should the flows be returned to the North Fork. They also ignore the City's "excess revenues" (profit) from 70 years of Cushman operation, valued today at $1 billion. When asked to address the true economic cost of the project, FERC wrote, "This exceeds the scope of our analysis of project economics." Absent from the FEIS is an analysis of restoring full flows to the River. Although they admit this would benefit the fisheries, FERC is unwilling to consider this alternative which is supported by the Tribe, federal, state, and local resource agencies, and conservation organizations for the benefit of all. Instead they recommend, in violation of state law banning out of basin diversion, that Tacoma be allowed to divert 2/3 of the North Fork and return only 1/3 to the river-bed. The Cushman project produces 4% of Tacoma's power sales and the FEIS fails to disclose the low cost to Tacoma residents of returning the River to its bed. The City has admitted that shutting the Cushman project down would cause, at most, a slight increase of Tacoma residential electricity rates, according to a Seattle news program. The Tribe's estimate is an average rate increase of $1.29 per month to each Tacoma residence to return the flows and pay minimal mitigation costs. Tacoma can restore the river and retain their low power rates - half the national average and 15% below the Pacific Northwest. In partnership with resource agencies, conservation groups, and local residents, the Tribe is now completing a plan for restoring the Skokomish watershed. Return of substantial flows to the North Fork is a critical component. This will wash out accumulated sediment and provide needed water and habitat for salmon. Cushman project construction, operation, and maintenance were not licensed by the federal government; the only license the project has is to flood 8.8 acres of federal land. Lack of licensing means the federal government failed to provide required environmental oversight. They share responsibility with Tacoma for project related damages. The Tribe asks that the federal government also share the responsibility to resolve the problems caused by allowing Tacoma's irresponsible operation of the Cushman project. Since Tacoma refuses to return the water to the North Fork and FERC refuses to require them to do so, the Tribe is proposing a legislative solution to this dilemma. They want federal involvement in the Cushman Project: Tacoma would retain the upper dam and generating plant but be bought out of the lower dam (which diverts the North Fork) and the Hood Canal power plant. Project damage mitigation would be split between Tacoma and the federal government. Skokomish Tribal Elder, Joe Andrews, Sr. remembers the watershed before the Cushman dams and knows how to restore it: "This River of ours has provided a lot of fish, trout, and enjoyment. I miss my enjoyment of pulling up there in my canoe and camping. The game was plenty and the berries. It was a paradise. If I had my way, I'd say, 'Put that water right back where she belongs and leave it alone.'" To help the Skokomish Tribe restore the Skokomish River and watershed please write to the people listed below, cite FERC Project #460 (send a copy of your letter to the Tribe, address below). These are some of the major points: 1) The federal government should play a major role in restoring the North Fork Skokomish River since it is responsible for allowing Tacoma to operate the environmentally unsound Cushman project for 70 years. 2) Dewatering of the North Fork has ruined the fisheries, degraded the Skokomish estuary, and increased flooding. Support the plan developed by the Tribe and others to return the water to the North Fork, resolving these problems for everyone's benefit. 3) Tacoma residents currently pay about half the national average and 15% below the rest of the Pacific Northwest for power. According to Tacoma, shutting the project down would cause, at most, a slight rate increase. The Skokomish Tribe agrees. 4) The Cushman project violates the Skokomish Tribe's treaty rights including their right to the salmon, and to fishing, hunting, gathering and cultural sites. The federal government is suing Tacoma for illegally taking Reservation land. Write the following: Governor Gary Locke, Legislative Bldg, Olympia WA 98504; Senator Patty Murray, U.S. Senate, Washington DC 20510; Hon. Norm Dicks, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515; Tacoma Mayor Brian Ebersole, 747 Market St., Suite 1200, Tacoma WA 98402; Chair Elizabeth Moler, F.E.R.C., 825 N. Capitol St. NE, Washington DC 20426. For more information or for a showing of the Skokomish Tribe's video about the watershed and plans for restoration, contact Victor Martino, Skokomish Tribe Project Manager, 8424 NE Beck Road, Bainbridge Island WA 98110. Phone: (206) 842-5386, fax: (206) 780-5332, email: martino@interserv.com. Visit our web pages at: http://conbio.bio.uci.edu/nae/skokomish.html, http://conbio.bio.uci.edu/nae/skokomish2.html, and http://conbio.bio.uci.edu/nae/skokomish3.html. --------- "RE: Chiapas Northern Zone" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 10:48:03 -0800 From: saiic@igc.apc.org (SAIIC) Subj: Urgent Action: Chiapas Northern Zone (Mexico) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 10:13:35 -0800 (PST) From: Global Exchange ESTACION NORTE para la Distensio'n y Reconciliaci'on CEDIAC - CDHFBC - SIPAZ - CONPAZ - GLOBAL EXCHANGE URGENT ACTION December 9, 1996 On the morning of December 5, 1996 a delegation representing Estacion Norte, a group made up of five national and international non-governmental organizations working in Chiapas, was detained for three hours, robbed and threatened in the northern zone of the state by the paramilitary organization called 'Paz y Justicia' ('Peace and Justice'). The delegation of 12 people, which included Mexican nationals and international volunteers, was carrying approximately two tons of humanitarian aid destined for Chol indigenous communities which have been displaced from their villages within the last year by paramilitary violence in the region. At 9:00 a.m., at the turnoff of the road leading to the community of Miguel Aleman, approximately 200 members of 'Paz y Justicia' armed with machetes detained the delegation. The men threatened and insulted the delegation members while unloading humanitarian aid and loading it into trucks to take to Miguel Aleman. The leader of 'Paz y Justicia' obligated members of the delegation to identify themselves, took down their names and took photographs of them. They searched the vehicles and the bags of all the delegation members, stealing personal objects: cameras, recorders, documents, etc. They declared that they would not allow the group to continue down the road or turn back, threatening to keep them hostage for weeks. The 'Paz y Justicia' members threatened to rape women in the group, and as well as to 'desnucarles' (slash their throats). Three vehicles of the Mexican Federal Army passed by several times during the three hours the group was detained. The delegation also noted members of the army and the state police force observing them from a hill approximately 200 meters away. These groups witnessed the events without intervening, despite the fact that the previous day the state government had promised to provide police protection for the group while they were in transit through the zone. After three hours, the Mexican Federal Army at last intervened and the delegation was released, though none of their belongings were recovered. As they left, the 'Paz y Justicia' members threatened to 'darles un plomazo' ('shoot them') if they returned to the zone. For these reasons, the Estacion Norte expresses its serious concern regarding: -The growing climate of violence in the northern zone of the state, including efforts by 'Paz y Justicia' to impede the return of the displaced residents; -The lack of security for the displaced people once they are able to return to their communities; -The lack of security for the free passage of people and humanitarian organizations that visit the region; -The apparent complicity of the state police force and the federal military, who have not demonstrated a willingness to maintain order and control paramilitary groups in the zone. Estacion Norte also expresses its determination to continue its humanitarian work in the region, and appeals to the national and international civil society, as well as all groups involved in the peace process in Chiapas, to stay informed of further developments in this region. We also request that you send faxes to the authorities (listed below) calling for the following: 1. Respect for the human rights and free transit of Estacion Norte team members, the delegations of observers that accompany them, and humanitarian organizations that enter the region; 2. Security guarantees for the displaced peoples in the process of returning to their communities and afterwards; 3. Immediate and effective measures to end the violent actions of the paramilitary group 'Paz y Justicia' so that a real process of peace and reconciliation can begin in the Chol communities in the north of Chiapas. Please send your faxes to: Lic. Julio Cesa'r Rui'z Ferro Governor, Chiapas Fax. 011-52 (961) 2 09 17 C. Eraclio Zepeda Ramos Secretary of State, Chiapas Fax 011-52 (961) 6 53 74 / 6 53 76 Lic. Mario Arturo Coutino Director of Government, Chiapas Fax 011-52 (961) 3 34 42 Jorge Madrazo Cuellar Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico Fax 011-52 (5) 626-4419 Dr. Ernesto Zedillo President of the Republic of Mexico Fax 011-52 (5) 515-1794 webadmon@op.presidencia.gob.mx ------------- South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) P.O. Box 28703 Oakland CA, 94604 Phone: (510)834-4263 Fax: (510)834-4264 Email: saiic@igc.apc.org Office: 1714 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor, Oakland Home Page: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/nativeweb/abyayala/orgs/saiic/ For more information about SAIIC, send an empty email message to: saiic-info@igc.apc.org --------- "RE: We Have No Word for Art" --------- Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 17:17:13 GMT From: gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo) Subj: "We Have No Word for Art" / "Columbus Day Blockade" (videos) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) I have just gotten a call from Rogulja Wolf, who produced a 55 minute video called "We Have No Word for Art," which is being shown this week, along with "Columbus Day Blockade" as part of a series called "On This Land: Indigenous Legacies in the Americas," which is being carried by cable TV systems across the United States. Mr. Wolf called me because I had suggested to the contact person for Free Speech TV, which is the distributor of the series, that it might be possible to set up some mailing list based conversations with the artists responsible for doing the features in the series. I tried to do so with a couple of features a couple of weeks ago with the NATCHAT list after the producers of two videos that were being shown that week contacted me - but nothing ever came of the suggestion, for whatever reason. Here are brief descriptions of the two videos being carried this week. I believe each is just under an hour. "We Have No Word for Art" (Rogulja Wolf) Focuses on the essence of American Indian painting: the unbroken tradition of creative expression that reaches the roots of Indian culture. "Columbus Day Blockade" (Lori Windle) An account of the successful efforts of American Indian Movement (AIM) leaders Russell Means, Ward Churchill, Cohuilla Red Elk, and Glen Morris to stop the 1991 Columbus Day Parade in Denver, Colorado. You can see this video if it is carried by your local cable company some time this week. For more information, please see the Free Speech TV Web page at "http://www.freespeech.org/tier12graph.htm" You will need to get in touch with your local station cable company to get information on the date and time this series is being shown, or call Giselle Pellikan at Free Speech TV (303-442-5693). Mr. Wolf (who goes by the name "Wolf" as if it were his first name) would be willing to be in touch with anyone who might care to comment on or discuss his video. I said that I might be able to set up a special-purpose mailing list for the purpose if enough people seem interested. His address is "wolf@stonecircle.com" I have asked him to send me the addresses of anyone who would like to be part of a group discussion. Gary -- Gary S. Trujillo gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us Somerville, Massachusetts {bu.edu,spdcc,cdp}!gnosys!gst --------- "RE: Native America Calling" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 12:23:29 -0700 (MST) From: Bernadette Chato Subj: Schedule for Native America Calling Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Here's the latest schedule for *Native America Calling.* Since we produce a new show every day, we are always looking for knowledgeable people (preferably Native Americans) to be guests on our show. If you have a recommendation for a guest after reading the topics for upcoming shows, please e-mail our producer directly at harlan@unm.edu. Your help is appreciated. A list of stations follows the schedule. If you want to find out more about coverage in your area, please follow instructions given. Thanks. BC ========================================================================== To: NEWS DIRECTORS, PROGRAM DIRECTORS, GENERAL MANAGERS Fr: NATIVE AMERICA CALLING Dt: DECEMBER 13, 1996 Re: SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER 16-20, 1996 Native America Calling, the first national call-in radio program to focus on Native issues, began daily one-hour feeds on 6/5/95. Feed Time: M - F, 1300 - 1359 ET Channel Info: Digital Frequency B68.2 Galaxy 4, Transponder B Broadcast Rights: Each program is designed for live use. The fee to carry NATIVE AMERICA CALLING is determined on whether the station is a member of AIROS. There is a set fee for AIROS members; if not a member, fee is based on station's annual revenue. Questions: Programming, Harlan McKosato, NAC Producer 505-277-5201 Distribution/Promotion, John Gregg, AIROS 402-472-0941 ---------------------------------------------------------------- **** P R O G R A M S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E **** Watch the DACS or your FAX for updates!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Host: Tom Beaver Wellness Host: Sharon McConnell PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR 12/16 - 12/20: Mon - 12/16: Canada's First Nations: The Musqueam Indians of British Columbia have their sights set on regaining a portion of their ancestral lands - all of downtown Vancouver. The Canadian government is willing to negotiate a new treaty. Is it time for all tribes to renegotiate their treaties? Guests include Canadian Minister of Indian Affairs Ron Irwin and Musqueam Chief Joe Becker. Tues - 12/17: Nepotism: The extended family is important to native people. We tend to trust our relatives, but should we draw the line when it comes to hiring and making political appointments? Just how bad is nepotism in Indian Country? Perry Beaver, Principal Chief of the Creek Nation and cousin of NAC host Tom Beaver, is the guest. Wed - 12/18: Housing in Indian Country: Recent stories of housing fraud are making the headlines. How can fraud be eliminated? Is it a sign of inefficiency or just plain dishonesty? Thurs - 12/19: Combating Agricultural Pollution: The runoff from farming pesticides and insecticides is causing concern among environmentalists. But farming is big business, for tribes as well. Will the two sides reach a middle ground? Or are there viable alternatives? Special report by Tanya Ott. Fri - 12/20: Wellness Edition> Home for the Holiday's: Many native communities celebrate the Christmas season with community events. This helps to create a healthier sense of community for both families and individuals? What community activities are you involved in during the holidays? *Native America Calling* is produced and directed by Harlan McKosato (Sac and Fox from Oklahoma). Tom Beaver (Muscogee Creek from Minnesota) is Host/Associate Producer, and Features Producer/Editor is Bernadette Chato (Navajo from New Mexico). *NAC* is a production of Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. Offices for *Native America Calling* are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The program is produced at the studios of KUNM at the University of New Mexico. The staff of *Native America Calling* can be reached at 505-277-5201 or by fax at 505-277-4286. Address correspondence to PO Box 40164, Albuquerque, NM 87196, or e-mail to native@unm.edu. For information on how your local public radio station can carry the program, call John Belindo, AIROS at 1-800-571-6885 or e- mail to his attention to jbelindo@unlinfo.unl.edu. <<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>> RADIO STATIONS AIRING *NATIVE AMERICA CALLING* Produced in Albuquerque, NM KABR 1500 AM Alamo, New Mexico KBRW 680 AM Barrow, Alaska KBSU 730 AM Boise, Idaho KCIE 90.5 FM Dulce, New Mexico KCUK 88.1 FM Chevak, Alaska KEYA 88.5 FM Belcourt, North Dakota KGHR 91.5 FM Tuba City, Arizona KGLP 91.7 FM Gallup, New Mexico KGVA 88.1 FM Fort Belknap, Montana KIDE 91.3 FM Hoopa, California KILI 90.1 FM Porcupine, South Dakota KNBA 90.3 FM Anchorage, Alaska KNSA 930 AM Unalakleet, Alaska KOTZ 720 AM Kotzebue, Alaska KRCL 90.9 FM Salt Lake City, Utah KSKA 91.1 FM Anchorage, Alaska KSKO 870 AM McGrath, Alaska KSUT 91.3 FM Ignacio, Colorado KTDB 89.7 FM Pinehill, New Mexico KUNM 89.9 FM Albuquerque, New Mexico KWSO 91.9 FM Warm Springs, Oregon KYUK 640 AM Bethel, Alaska WYRU 1160 AM Red Springs, North Carolina Most stations carry *Native America Calling* live at 1300-1359 Eastern Time. However some stations opt to air the program on tape delay. Call the particular station for broadcast time. If you do not see a station listed for your area, consider calling your local public radio station to ask if they could carry it. The rates are VERY reasonable. Information, including rates and a demo tape, on *Native America Calling* can be obtained by calling John Belindo, manager, American Indian Radio on Satellite Network (AIROS) at 1-800-571-6885. # # # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bernadette Chato, Features Producer Snail Mail: PO Box 40164 NATIVE AMERICA CALLING Albuquerque, NM 87196 The Nation's 1st Electronic Talking Circle 505-277-5354/FAX 505-277-4286 Heard on public radio stations! E-mail: chato@unm.edu