_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 04, ISSUE 052 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 28 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 NATIVE-L listserver; UUCP & genie email; Newsgroups: apc.indig.info,soc.culture.native,alt.native Articles appearing have been previously posted for public dissemination and/or permission for inclusion has been secured. Letters of authorization are on file. A list of those granting permission to repost their words in this issue are listed at the end of part A. I thank each of you for allowing your words to be shared with the people. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@netcom.com 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. "You whites assumed we were savages. You didn't understand our prayers. You didn't _try_ to understand. When we sang our praises to the Sun or Moon or to the Wind, you said we were worshiping idols. Without understanding, you condemned us as lost souls, just because our form of worship was different from yours" "We saw the Great Spirit's work in almost everything - Sun, Moon, trees, wind and mountains. Sometimes we approached Him through these things. Was that so bad?" __ Walking Buffalo, Stony +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Those of you who think too much is being said about the way the dominant society answered, and continues to answer the "Indian Question" need to consider this. Associate Director of the Center for Disease Control, Dixie Snider admitted today that secret experimental drug tests for development of Hepatitis A vaccine, were conducted on children on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in S.D. "They were using our kids as guinea pigs," states Ella-Mae White Tail whose daughter, Sacheen White Tail, received the shots in 1991. I thought the FDA had approved the shots, but then I found out later they hadn't." A four part series in the Cleveland Ohio Plain Dealer found that the Indian Health Service did not inform the Indian patients of over Sixty Three per cent of government sponsored drug experimental programs from 1977 through 1995. The four part series states that at least 1,000 Americans in 23 states have not been informed that medical treatment being provided through the Indian Health Service was experimental with risks and that research is still being conducted on people who are unaware. Those of you who question the truth of whether the State of South Dakota was victimized by messages on the internet or if their plan was intercepted, and thus thwarted will be given more to consider in this issue. Part A includes articles submitted by those who are convinced South Dakota and Governor Janklow operated from a position of treachery. Part B contains the view expressed in the 12/16-12/23/1996 issue of _Indian Country Today_. As has been done in the past, all possibilities are presented here and you must then decide for yourself where the truth is. It has never been the way of this newsletter to tell readers what they should or should not believe; and that policy is not about to change over this issue. I am reminded of the words of a friend and Elder. "You are what the People make you." The People must decide where the truth is in South Dakota. 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 - Wounded Knee - Conferences and Powwows - online - Response to Hopi Chairman - Indian Country Today on Prohibition - Lost Child - Rock Creek Saved For Now - South Dakota - History of Western Shoshone - Janklow & the ACLU - FZLN Asks for Signatures - Janklow and the Ban on Gathering - RCAP Access Project - Regarding Bear Butte - Canada's Shame - Byrd's Choice Pivotal - Cherokee Health Boss Put on Leave - Oro drills Near Dann Home - Tenneco and American Indians - Emergency Shelter Grants Program - NASA-OAI Collaborative Internship - Public Charter School Job - Poem: Winter Solstice - Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days - Conferences and Powwows - offline --------- "RE: Wounded Knee" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 10:55:07, -0500 From: Joe Chasing Horses via Gary Night Owl Smith (gars@netcom.com) Subj: Wounded Knee I have been granted the honor of passing on this message from Joe Chasing Horses, Lakota Elder. On December 29, 1996, at Wounded Knee Massacre site, at Wounded Knee Creek, located on the Oglala Lakota Reservation, Lakota Traditional leaders will be gathering in remembrance and the honoring of those elders, spiritual leaders, men, women and children, who were slaughtered for their Spiritual beliefs in religious freedom of conducting the Sacred Ghost Dance Ceremony and other ceremonial rites which were vital to the spiritual well being of the Lakota Nation, and other Nations. Traditional leaders of the Lakota Nation call for a Day of Prayer and Ceremony in remembrance of those who died and to remind the U.S. Government again, of once again untold and irreparable damages that were committed against the Lakota People, in this Genocidal act of Annihilation of the Lakota People. Accountable records of historic events speak for themselves. The U.S. Government must be held accountable for it's atrocities committed against First American Nations so history does not repeat itself. Traditional leaders call for the establishment of a commission of First Nation Americans to study the social, economic, and educational goals by the founding of a North American Indian Holocaust Memorial Tribute to Indian Nations that no longer exist because of genocidal acts committed by the U.S. government. Traditional leaders will reaffirm their allegiance to the Sacred Pipe, the Sacred Black Hills and, as citizens of the Lakota Nation for our religious freedom DEMAND an official apology for atrocities committed there, at Wounded Knee. --------- "RE: Response to Hopi Chairman" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 10:54:59, -0500 From: Joe Chasing Horses via Gary Night Owl Smith (gars@netcom.com) Subj: Response to Hopi Chairman I have been granted the honor of passing on this message from Joe Chasing Horses, Lakota Elder. Joe Chasing Horses received word Sunday night the "deadline" for the People to get off of Big Mountain was extended, by the government, from Dec. 31st until March 3st, thus avoiding a direct confrontation. The following is a letter being sent to the Hopi Chairman and releasing to the public via this newsletter. Both Joe Chasing Horses and Leonard Crow Dog were there this summer at the request of Hopi Tribal Members to conduct a Sun Dance for the Hopi People. Letter of Response to the Hopi Tribal Chairman's letter to the Tribal Council concerning the Big Mountain Sundance at Camp #2 (Anna Mae Camp). My name is Joseph Chasing Horse and my position as Traditional leader of the Sun Dance ceremony at Camp # 2 (Anna Mae Camp) has inspired me to write this letter and a call for Spiritual unity among all Indigenous People. The Sun Dance is one of seven sacred ceremonies of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe of the Lakota Nation. This ancient ceremonial rite goes back thousands of years before any tribal, state or federal laws were written. This ancient rite was traditionally unwritten, customary law. This traditional spiritual way of life is shared and followed by many Indigenous Nations throughout North America. At different times throughout the centuries, Indigenous Nations have come together in peace and ceremony to remind themselves and each other, of the respect they should have for the Earth and the responsibilities they have to the delicate web of life which connects all living things. The Sun Dance ceremony teaches those original instructions of how nations of people can come together in spiritual unity and understanding. On the second week of August moon, 1986, the Lakota Nation was conducting it's annual traditional gathering of traditional leaders and Pipe Carriers in Green Grass, in Lakota Territory. The ceremony was being conducted by the Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, Mr. Arvol Looking HOrse, Ceremonial Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Lakota Nation. Many Indigenous People were in attendance of the gathering, including Hopi, Dene. Elders, led by Traditional Healer and Spiritual Leader, Joe Benally of the Dene Nation, from the Big Mountain area, addressed the traditional gathering. Offering a pipe filled with sacred tobacco to Mr. Looking HOrse and the Lakota People, the Elder, through an interpreter expressed his concern for the earth and the environment and his People's suffering of relocation and invited Lakota Traditional leaders to come and share the Traditional teachings of the Seven Ceremonial Rites of the Sacred Pipe with many many Nations who will gather to pray for spiritual unity on ancestral sacred ground, located on Joe Bennally's residence (Camp #2, Anna Mae), Big Mountain. The Sundance ceremonial ground was dedicated as a ceremonial spiritual site by traditional leaders of the Dene Hopi, Lakota and other nations. A blessing off Sun Dance ground was done for the preservation, protection and perpetual use of, and in behalf of, Dene, Hopi and other People who are Traditional practitioners and Pipe Carriers of this spiritual nation, who, filed accordingly with officials, a special request for ceremonial use which was approved and by the exercising of their rights to Religious freedom guaranteed by ancestral traditional inherited law, and reaffirmed by treaty and supposedly reinstated by tribal, state and U.S. Constitutions. The sacred Sun Dance ceremony, as was the Ghost Dance of the 1890's, was outlawed by the U.S. government. It wasn't until 1969 that the first Sun Dance was allowed to be conducted in public. In 1978 the Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed by Congress and yet, Indian religious rights are not protected under the First Amendment in this country. No other race or nation of people have been subjected and persecuted for their spiritual beliefs than First American Nations, misspelled, Indian Tribes. As the President calls for pressure on Afro-American churches being burnt in America, Indigenous Peoples ceremonial sites continue to be desecrated and destroyed by multi-million dollar corporations. Religious freedom and protection and preservation of these sites continue to be violated by government sponsored agencies. Is this a matter of religious rights or playing politics? --------- "RE: Lost Child" --------- Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 12:35:12, -0500 From: Joe Chasing Horses via Gary Night Owl Smith (gars@netcom.com) Subj: Lost Child I have been granted the honor of passing on this message from Joe Chasing Horses, Lakota Elder. This story was written by Joseph Chasing Horses, Jr (Joey), who is Joe's 12 year old son. Lost Children A long time ago there were Six children who were brothers. Their Mother and Father were dead. They had no home and no family to look after them. They slept and ate in one place today, and another tomorrow and were always hungry. Their only clothes were what people had discarded. Although the children had no family, the camp dogs loved them and they loved the dogs. They played and wandered around happily together all day long. They helped to look after each other in many ways and when night came they often shared the same bed. Nobody was kind to the brothers. Nobody wanted them. Other children chased them and tangled their hair. Each year it was the custom for families to honor their children by giving them little yellow calf robes after the early summer buffalo hunt, but nobody gave new robes to the brothers. The other children flaunted their new robes and fine clothes and teased the brothers in their ragged clothes, "shabby old BULLS!", they called them. The children were sad. They wanted to find another home. They did not even wish to be people any longer as so argued among themselves about what they should be. Let's be flowers! No, the buffalo will eat us. Then, lets be stones! Stones break into small stones. Well, let's be water! No, animals and people will drink us. Let's be trees! Trees are cut down for firewood. In the end, they agreed to be stars. Stars remain forever. We will always be beautiful. People will watch us and they will know when the seasons are changing. One of the children led the way to the sky... Shut your eyes! Do not look back, he warned! He blew a feather into the air and they were all lifted toward the Above World. One of them did look back. He is now Smoking Star, the comet. When the children opened their eyes they were standing on a beautiful prairie in front of Sun Man's tipi. THey entered the tipi and the inside was as big as the sky. Sun Man was at home with Moon Woman, his wife. He asked the children why they had come. People were unkind to us, they answered. Nobody gave us new yellow calf robes. We only have old clothes. We want to live where people will be kind to us. We want to live here. Moon Woman wept and clasped them in her arms. My poor, lost children, she called them. Sun Man was angry! I will PUNISH the people who have not looked after these little children, he said - and he shone down on the earth with terrible heat. The grass died, forests burned, and ponds dried up. The earth cracked open and hot winds blew clouds of dust. People and every bird and animal as well suffered dreadful thirst. One morning, before the sun rose, the dogs began to howl...first one and then all looked up into the sky and howled and even the wolves and coyotes joined them. The wise men told the People the dogs are sad and lonely because their friends, the lost children, have gone to the Above world. They are telling us you never looked after them. You only gave them what you did not want. Now they're stars. The old leader of the dogs looked up and prayed, "LISTEN TO ME!!" Have pity on me, Dog People. THey are hot and thirsty! Everyone cries with thirst. The buffalo walk all day long, searching for grass. The Butterflies are looking for flowers, and the birds are flying away because there is nothing for them to eat. We are dying! We want to live! Give us rain! Sun Man looked down and saw how the birds and animals suffered. He was sorry he had only meant to punish The People because they had not been kind to the children. He covered the sky with dark thunderclouds. Swift flying swallows danced with the lightning and brought the rain. New life came once again to the thirsty earth. You can see the lost children in the Above World. We call them the Pleiades, or the bunched stars because they are close together just as they always were when they were on earth. How beautiful the children look! ANd yet...how very far away they are now. If only the People had remembered that all the little children are gifts from Creator. You see many small stars close to the Lost Children. Astronomers say they have seen more than four hundred. These are the camp dogs who found their friends, the children, at last. --------- "RE: South Dakota" --------- Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 13:14:22 -0500 From: "Jordan S. Dill" Subj: South Dakota UUCP email Good day... You are aware of the "flap" recently encountered with South Dakota (see ). "They" said there was no cause for alarm. "They" said "They" had nothing planned. "They" said our email call-to-arms was pointless..."They" in violation of the First Amendment blocked email. "They" alleged as to our "credibility..." Yesterday we were advised that the ACLU () is formally questioning the House of Janklow re its' activity... Now, today, I refer you to the following statement which WAS the basis for the recent "call-to-arms." What you will find below is at the First Nations site () along with an input form provided so that, once again, we can swamp the House of Janklow with data. Please visit this site and respond with support for the First Nations of South Dakota... "The following has just been released by The Dakota Territorial Chairman's Council: "Don Cetrulo [an investigator for the ACLU in the Dakotas working out of the Bismark office] researched and found the rider attached to House Bill # 385. As a result of a syllabus written by Diane Schafer Fleming [and sent] to the State Attorney General's Office on March 6, 1996 [regarding] this rider entitled Certification of Pastoral Counselors, the State Attorney General wrote an opinion OAG96-15 on March 5, 1996 (Atty. Gen. A.B. Chandler) [stating that] this legislation fails to state it has nonsecular application only [hence] conflicts with First Amendment Rights. [The rider] is currently under investigation by the ACLU. "This rider would permit the governor to appoint a panel of five people who would set the standards for determining who can practice as a social worker, counselor, pastor or Medicine Man. They would review all applications for certification, handle removal of certification and renewals, charging a fee for this service. This rider also sets restrictions on the number of people who can gather for public safety, sanitation and historic site preservation purposes. "In an earlier ruling the Eighth Circuit Court FOOLS CROW v. GULLET [706 F.2d 856] determined that the Sacred Hills (including Bear Butte) does not qualify for sacred site status and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and the State forest people, and the state transportation department. "The preceding documentation is [provided] courtesy of the Dakota Territorial Chairman's Council and the basis for the earlier URGENT request that was released over the internet requesting support for the free religious exercise on Bear Butte. Dakota Territorial Chairman's Council Arvol Looking Horse Joe Chasing Horses Russel Eagle Bear" Ayatohihi... First Nations/First Peoples Issues Of Consequence PGP public key available upon request... --------- "RE: Janklow & the ACLU" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 18:26:33 -0500 From: "Jordan S. Dill" Subj: Janklow & the ACLU Newsgroup: alt.native This is a forwarded message. The issue which generated the ACLU letter can be found at . Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 18:17:58 -0500 To: ishgooda@tdi.net From: Ishgooda Subject: Re: Is silence Golden? Your Call (CLARIFICATION:I received the messages from the First nations site for forwarding. This site is located in Vermont and is NOT my website, but managed by Jordan S. Dill). Below is a copy of the fax sent to Governor Janklow by the ACLU: Dear Governor Janklow: We are writing on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of the Dakotas, and the ACLU of Michigan to inquire about reports that your office has instituted a block on all electronic mail (e-mail) messages coming from an Internet Service Provider, Technology Dimensions, Inc. (TDI), located in Michigan. Press reports suggest that you instituted the block to stop e-mail messages being generated from a World Wide Web site established by a Michigan resident named Linda LeMonde for the American Indian Movement (AIM). Ms. LeMonde's site, which is located on TDI's server, includes a form that allows any Internet user to sent e-mail messages directly to your office. She established the form as a means to petition the government to oppose restrictions on Native American land use. Our information regarding this matter comes from various sources, >including articles in The New York Times and C\NET, and from TDI. See >Pamela Mendels, "Misinformed Petitioner Cries Censorship Over Blocked E-Mail" in The New York Times, at http:\\www.nytimes.com (December 6, 1996); Janet Kornblum, "Email Block Called Illegal" in C\NET, at http:\\www.cnet.com (December 6, 1996). Before proceeding further, we thought it best to communicate with you directly and allow you an opportunity to clarify our understanding of the facts and to confirm whether the block is currently in place. For many individuals, the Internet offers the most effective and efficient way to communicate with government officials. It is an extraordinary and powerful tool in the hands of a democracy's citizens. As one federal court has recognized, "the Internet. . .[is] the most participatory marketplace of mass speech that this country -- and indeed the world -- has yet seen. . .[where] individual citizens of limited means can speak to a worldwide audience on issues of concern to them." _American Civil Liberties Union v. Reno_, 929 F.Supp. 881 (E.D. Pa. 1996). As you know, there are no rights more fundamental to American democracy than those in the First Amendment that protect the right of free speech and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. The Supreme Court has held that "[a]t the heart of the First Amendment is the recognition of the fundamental importance of the free flow of ideas and opinions on matters of public interest and concern." _Hustler Magazine v. Falwell_, 485 U.S. 46, 50 (1988) Your actions, if accurately reported, implicate both the right to free speech and the right to petition the government. In its most recent examination of an individual's right to petition, the Supreme Court noted that "[t]he right to petition is cut from the same cloth as the other guarantees of [the First] Amendment, and is an assurance of a particular freedom of expression." _McDonald v. Smith_, 472 U.S. 482 (1985). The Court went on to find that "the values in the right to petition as an important aspect of self-government are beyond question." 472 U.S. at 483. In _Hoffman v. Mayor, Councilman & Citizens of Liberty_, 905 F.2d 229 (8th Cir. 1990), the court held that the Petition and Speech Clauses of the First Amendment provide equal guarantees of free expression and are subject to the same First Amendment analysis. 905 F.2d at 233. If your office is in fact blocking e-mail messages addressed to the Governor, these actions may constitute two distinct violations of the First Amendment rights of Ms. LeMonde, users of her web site, and other TDI customers. First, to the extent that you have blocked e-mail from Ms. LeMonde's web site on the basis of its inaccuracy, you have engaged in the content-based discrimination that is at the core of what the First Amendment prohibits. As the Court has repeatedly held, the government may not censor speech solely because it believes the speech to be inaccurate. See _Pickering v. Board of Education_, 391 U.S. 563 (1968); _New York Times v. Sullivan_, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). In addition, the alleged inaccuracy of the information on Ms. LeMonde's web site would fail to justify the blocking of messages on other subjects that originate form the site. Second, to the extent that you have blocked messages from other TDI customers, whether they were part of Ms. LeMonde's petition drive or not, the block constitutes an impermissible restriction on speech which neither serves a compelling state interest nor is narrowly tailored. It would therefore also violate the free speech and petition rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. We sympathize with the fact that you may have been deluged with e-mail. However, for obvious reasons, the government may not censor speech unless the speech is "shown likely to produce a clear and present danger of a serious substantive evil that rises far above public inconvenience, annoyance, or unrest." _Terminillo v. Chicago_, 337 U.S. 1, 4 (1949). For these reasons, we strongly urge you to lift any block on messages from TDI, and to provide full access to all citizens who seek to communicate with your office by e-mail. We look forward to your early reply. Sincerely, Ann Beeson, Staff Attorney Stephen Pevar, Staff Attorney American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Department Keith Elston, Executive Director American Civil Liberties Union of the Dakotas Paul Denenfeld, Legal Director American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan Ayatohihi... First Nations/First Peoples Issues Of Consequence PGP public key available upon request... --------- "RE: Janklow and the Ban on Gathering" --------- Date: Sat, 21 Dec 96 09:54:15 -0600 Subj: Janklow and the Ban on Gathering From: "J.D.K. Chipps" UUCP email Hau Mitakuyapi, I have just finished reading yet another report on the "alleged banning on Public land" fiasco, and don't feel that I can, in good conscience, remain silent any longer. You see I have been through similar incidents in the past and can speak with some authority on what I say. The main thing that I can see here is the fact that there is nothing "substantial" or any "hard copy" proof of the allegations that there was going to be a ban on gathering, and a committee to license who could and could not perform ceremonies. Now to those of us that have been through this sort of thing before, this is no surprise. It is a very familiar "political tactic". It is also called "firing one for effect" in military parlance. What Janklow did, (and there is not doubt in my ex-military mind that he did) was "unofficially" release a "rumor" that there was going to be a ban, to see what would happen. (It's cheaper than doing the demographics). Because now all he has to do is sit back and see what kind of reaction it gets. If it doesn't get any reaction, then they go ahead with "phase two" of the "rumor". But, on the other hand, if it gets the kind of reaction that it did, (outrage) then they disavow any knowledge of it and in fact accuse those who responded of starting rumors. In other words point the finger at those that stopped them from proceeding. Gary Trujillo on his "over-moderated' list has advised that no action be taken until these things have been substantiated. All I can say to that is if that had happened as Good Old Boy Gary advised, we would be facing a law right now banning more than 40 from gathering. DO NOT!!!, I repeat, DO NOT listen to Gary Trujillo. He does not represent the native people, nor is he a native person himself. In spite of his lists purporting support, if you will look further into his lists you will see that he serves the same function as Lakota Times aka Indian Country Today's Tim Giago does, he is a proponent of the "official U.S. Government" policy, and he "moderates" his lists, (translation: censors and edits) to make sure that it supports U.S. Government policy. Don't fall for any of it, either the Indian Country Today, or Any of the Native-L lists censored by Gary Trujillo. Our own Jordan Dill, and Ishgooda, are the ones that stopped this from going any further than it did, by their quick action in response to this threat. Even Arvol's statement has been turned around and twisted to make it seem like a "hoax". He said that he was asked to attend a meeting and when he got there he was told that there was no such meeting. Like I say, this is so typical, and absolutely no surprise. If he hadn't been there for the meeting, you can bet your boots that there would have been a meeting and this whole thing would have gone into "phase two" of making it happen. As it was, because of the warning we received from Jordan and Ishgooda, we were able to warn the necessary people, Arvol included, to stop it. Now Jordan and Ishgooda are being attacked by many different people. And if you will take note of who is attacking them you will know who is on our side and trying to keep us free, and who is the enemy and trying to impose restrictions and enslave us. Hard words yes, but true words. Do I have proof? Hell yes I do, look at 500 years of history for your proof. In this particular instance there is no "proof" except "knowledge of the enemy" and how they operate. And I tell you relatives, this is classic text book tactics. So for those of you that are still confused about this, here is the way it is: 1. The Government tried once more to limit our freedom and restrict us as an independent people. 2. Due to the quick action of Jordan and Ishgooda, and those that responded, this was thwarted. 3. Now they are taking the "heat" from those that tried to implement these restrictions. 4. Look at those applying the "heat" and you will know who the real enemy is. This is what I have to say and it is true. Hecetu welo. (Please repost this to other lists that have been fed the propaganda about "unfounded reports") -- (\######/) J.D.K. Chipps \ ~ o / "Wokiksuye Canpe Opi" (^ ^) (Remember Wounded Knee) \*/ http://www.onr.com/user/jdc ~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~ Help recall the Medals of disHonor ~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~ --------- "RE: Regarding Bear Butte" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 00:53:32 -0500 From: Ishgooda Subj: Regarding Bear Butte UUCP email The following is released by: The Dakota Territorial Chairman's Council Don Cetrulo researched and found the rider attached to House Bill # 385 introduced by Diane Schafer Fleming on March 6, 1996 called Certification of Pastoral Counselors. As this legislation fails to state it has nonsecular application only, conflicts with First Amendment Rights is under investigation by the ACLU. This rider would permit the governor to appoint a panel of five people who would set the standards for determining who can practice as a social worker, counselor, pastor or Medicine Man. They would review all applications for certification, handle removal of certification and renewals, charging a fee for this service. They would also set the standards for credentials. This rider also sets restrictions on the number of people who can gather citing public safety, sanitation and historic site preservation purposes. In an earlier ruling the Eighth Circuit Court FOOLS CROW v. GULLET [706 F.2d 856] the full review can be found at http://www.hamline.edu/law/sacred/bearb.html determined that the Sacred Hills (including Bear Butte) does not qualify for sacred site status and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and the State forest people, and the state transportation department. The Preceding Documentation is courtesy of the Dakota Territorial Chairman's Council and the basis for the earlier URGENT request that was released over the internet requesting support for the free religious exercise on Bear Butte. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Ishgooda Dakota Territorial Chairman's Council Arvol Looking Horse Joe Chasing Horses Russel Eagle Bear --------- "RE: Canada's Shame" --------- Date: 9:31 AM Nov 20, 1996 Subj: Canada's Shame (part 4) 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, Part 3 in issue 04.051 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): A month earlier, Ian Muckuck could very well have been in those woods with Quincy's sister. That's when the 16-year-old was forced to give up a five-year habit after being picked up by police. Ian blames "family problems" for his gasoline addiction, which began when he was only 11. He wanted to escape the arguing, the alcoholism, the abuse. ...when his sniffing friends -- they all did it -- put the plastic bag before him, he felt compelled to try it. "They said 'Try it. It feels good, '" he says. "At first, it did." Soon, though, it became an essential part of his day. And, unlike alcohol, gas was easy for a kid to get. They'd steal it from neighbors, buy it from whoever would sell it, siphon it out of vehicles. Just a small amount in the corner of a plastic bag was all they needed to get high. Ian admits he comes from a line of sniffers. His older brothers, ages 18 and 20, still do it, and his younger 13-year-old brother has recently begun. James Hunter, now 20, first tried sniffing when he was five. When he was six, his father was shot to death. When he was 10, his mother died from alcohol poisoning. Like so many kids here, he went to live with his grandparents. "I couldn't understand why they left me," he says of his mom and dad, explaining he...wanted to forget everything. He still feels that way. "At times it's hard. You get depressed," he says. "I just doubt myself. I'm stuck. I don't have enough belief in myself." Ian and James' friend Jason Wesley is, at 23, older, but his story is almost identical. He starting sniffing when he was seven. He began drinking at six. He, too, lived with his grandparents. He speaks bitterly of his parents, saying only...they were "never there for me. "They don't love you enough. It was like throwing me in the garbage," he says. Two winters ago, Jason sniffed so much gas...his legs became completely paralysed. "I couldn't feel them at all. And everyone (I was with) was just staring at me," he says. Recognizing they were trapped by their addiction, these three young men are taking steps to free themselves. They have just returned from a traditional healing place, known as a sweatlodge, in northern Manitoba. Following years of unsuccessful attempts using what they consider the "white man's" approach to fighting addiction, Natives across North America are turning increasingly to traditional ceremonial healing methods like sweatlodges. "We talked to our elders about our culture," explains Ian, who had been on his third day of a sniffing binge when he was picked up by police in the bush and asked if he wanted to try a sweatlodge to fight his addiction. Combining intellectual and spiritual healing within the context of the Ojibwa culture, the three young men say the treatment taught them about their history, their ancestors, the land around them. "I felt I had more confidence in myself," says James. "I had...respect for the animals and the trees and my people. For once in my life, I felt like I could do something. "The first day I got back, I felt like (sniffing). I had the gas in my hand. But just thinking about it I felt guilty," he says. They hope their personal progress will set an example for the reserve's many younger children. "There's lots of kids doing it -- lots," says James. "I'd like to help whatever way I can, but I have to help myself. My first goal is to try to be sober for at least a year." "It's gotten worse, not better," Jason says of the incidence of sniffing among Mishkeegogamang children. "I...hope the kids don't grow up like I did. Maybe we can tell them how we felt when we got paralysed. Hopefully, they'll listen to us and we can tell them a traditional story to think about." On a rocky field next to a lake on Mishkeegogamang sits a row of seven white crosses, each crudely marked with the deceased's name, date of birth and date of death. The last dates are all the same: October 21, 1983. The eldest of the dead was only 13 years old. The youngest was seven. "They... died in a cabin fire while their parents were out drinking," explains Tom Wassaykeesic. The brothers, sisters, cousins and friends were asleep in their one-room shack that cold fall night when the crude wood stove got so hot, the cardboard that had been used as insulation caught fire. "There's no fire walls around people's wood stoves," says Wassaykeesic. "People always live in danger of catching fire in their sleep. ...we have no fire department. We're pretty much helpless. "If this tragedy happened down south there would have been some kind of inquest. It probably would have exposed the conditions they were living under," he says. The cemetery, with its preponderance of children's graves, provides a grim picture of Mishkeegogamang's sad reality. "A lot of people buried here died from alcohol-related deaths," says Wassaykeesic. There's Julie Lawson, a teenager who froze to death after passing out drunk in the middle of winter. Marcel Fox...also passed out drunk in his girlfriend's house when something caught fire and the blaze killed him. Then there's Dino Spade, a 12-year-old who had gone missing in October 1983. When his body was recovered a couple of days later, the autopsy showed he had the highest level of alcohol in his system ever recorded in North America to that date. "He was just a kid. How did that happen?" Wassaykeesic asks wearily. There have been only five recorded suicides on Mishkeegogamang in the past decade, but officials who deal with troubled youths here say that figure is deceiving. "A lot of alcohol- related or violent deaths are (recorded as) being unknown circumstances," says Arnold Devlin of the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority. "The coroner doesn't rule it as suicide, but it's self-destructive behavior." According to the Canadian Institute of Child Health, the youth suicide rate amongst Natives is five times higher than the average for all Canadian kids. ...the infant death rate for Natives across Canada is almost twice that of non-Native babies. The leading causes of death are birth defects and sudden unexplained death, followed closely by prematurity and low birth weight, usually as a result of FAS or FAE. Aboriginal children here are at an even greater risk of death by injury, the CICH says. The injury death rate for Native preschoolers is five times higher than the national rate; for infants it is nearly four times higher, and for teens, three times. For Mishkeegogamang kids, one of the most obvious dangers of this sort is the major highway that runs right through the middle of the reserve --the only paved road here. Traffic, mainly industrial, flows steadily along Hwy. 599, but that does not keep children away. The latest fatality was a three-year-old girl, hit by an undercover police officer who claimed to be blinded by the sun. "She didn't stand a chance," says Wassaykeesic. "You can't entirely blame him though. (Her grandmother) had so many grandchildren she couldn't take care of them all. ...there's no playground, so the kids play along the highway." More accidents are expected on the highway, as Placer Dome Canada nears completion of a $240-million gold mine to the north of the reserve, expected to open next spring. The power lines running from the nearest town, Pickle Lake, to the 25-hectare site run through traditional Ojibwa territory. Although the mine has generated about 35 construction jobs for Mishkeegogamang residents, they are only temporary. The highway traffic is not. "We've lost five people on the highway," says Connie Gray. On the plus side, Wassaykeesic says the rate of funerals he's attended has slowed down in the last two years. "It used to be one a month," he says. Part 5 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: Byrd's Choice Pivotal" --------- Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 11:11:32 -0600 From: Cherokee Observer Subj: Byrd's Choice for tribal court called pivotal Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native The following article was published on 12-14-96 in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix. It was written by Phoenix staff writer, Donna Hales BYRD'S CHOICE FOR TRIBAL COURT CALLED PIVOTAL Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Joe Byrd will make an appointment Monday night that will influence the course of the tribe's highest court for the next six years. The selection also could set the course for Byrd's political future, many Cherokees predict. The Phoenix has received copies of numerous letters to Byrd supporting Chief Justice Dwight Birdwell's renomination to the Cherokee nation Judicial Appeals Tribunal. Many of the letters laud Birdwell as a war hero whose commendations while serving in Vietnam include two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Even more of the letters laud Birdwell for courage on the bench. Justice Philip H. Viles, Jr., wrote how people talked to him of Birdwell's "great vision, integrity and dedication in office," adding that he admired Birdwell's courage when making difficult decisions. The prestigious Cherokee Elder Council unanimously endorsed Birdwell's reappointment. Justice Ralph Keen wrote Byrd that Birdwell "has been instrumental in restoring a sense of pride, justice and fairness in the minds of Cherokees toward their government." A letter from 10 to 15 tribal council members to Byrd states Birdwell will leave a "legacy" for his dedication and character are unquestionable, they wrote. Many Cherokees complain about tribal members who ignore their Indian heritage for years and then come seeking positions with the tribe. Birdwell "has been an Indian all of his life and is recognized in his community as such," wrote councilors William Smoke, Barbara Conness, Harold Jiggs Phillips, Mary Flute Cooksey, Dora mae Watie, Barbara Starr Scott, Harley Terrell, Nick Lay and Sam Ed Bush. Lay also wrote a separate letter to Byrd "on behalf of the 10,000 plus Cherokees" he said he represents in Tulsa and Washington counties. He wrote that the courage Birdwell showed in war still can be seen today citing the Tribunal's "right decisions" during the election in which Byrd gained office. Keen wrote he was pleased when Byrd recently told him he intended to renominate Birdwell. But Byrd refuses to publicly discuss the upcoming nomination. "He said the appointment is his to make," and that he won't discuss it before Monday night, Byrd spokeswoman Lisa Finley said. Finley confirmed she asked employees to pull a story about Birdwell set for publication in the tribal newspaper, the Cherokee Advocate. She said she did so because she considered the timing bad. She said the article will be published at some future time. Any appointment Byrd makes in the 6 p.m. Monday meeting must be confirmed by the council. Birdwell said he has no political ambition whatsoever. "My only goal is to get the judicial functioning so it can serve the Cherokee people." Posted courtesy of your only independent Cherokee newspaper, THE CHEROKEE OBSERVER. [Note: the article withheld from the December issue of the tribal newspaper, the Cherokee Advocate, was about the Cherokee Elders Council honoring Chief Justice Birdwell. The Cherokee Observer ran the story in our November 1996 issue.] Reminder.....if you need to contact the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, to let Chief Byrd know your support of Chief Justice Birdwell, their phone number is: (918) 456-0671. Their toll free number is: (800) 256-0671, however it only works in Oklahoma. Their address is: P.O. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK. 74465-0948. --------- "RE: Cherokee Health Boss Put on Leave" --------- Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 08:03:19 -0600 From: Cherokee Observer Subj: Cherokee Health Boss Put on Leave Newsgroups: soc.culture.native,alt.native The following article was published 12-12-96 in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix. It was written by Phoenix Staff Writer, Donna Hales. CHEROKEE HEALTH BOSS PUT ON LEAVE The Cherokee Nation has placed its health director on leave because of unspecified questions about him and because of an upcoming trial over assault charges that he brought, officials said Wednesday. Dr. David Kingfisher was placed on administrative leave with pay starting Tuesday afternoon and will not return to work until after Feb. 10, tribal spokeswoman Lisa Finley said. Finley said the action was taken because "questions that have been raised" about kingfisher. When asked to elaborate she described them as "several accusations from several different sources." Another reason for the leave, she said, is an upcoming trial over Kingfhisher's accusation that Deputy Chief Garland Eagle assaulted him June 19. The trial is scheduled to begin in tribal court Tuesday. Kingfisher could not be reached for comment. He has repeatedly refused to be interviewed over the past few months and referred reporters to Finley. Finley said Kingfisher agreed that he should be on administrative leave but did not wish to be interviewed. The tribe is negotiating for an audit of the billing and financial operations of the tribal health department while Kingfisher is out of the office, Finley said. "We want to ensure everything is running like it should and if there are any problems, we want to correct them," she said. "We want to make sure we have an unbiased result both for Dr. Kingfisher and the tribe. She confirmed some of the accusations against kingfisher were in a letter to Principal Chief Joe Byrd from a former director of the tribe's behavioral health services, Dr. Wayne Nickens, now of Las Vegas. In that letter, Nickens alleges that Kingfisher, in a July dinner meeting, said the two could "be millionaires" as physician managers of the Cherokee health care system. Nickens alleged that Kingfisher told him that "contract health money was his and that the community physicians were now going to have to come to him and do things his way." Nickens wrote that his experience in diagnosing and treating mental illness and chemical dependence "led me to conclude that Dr. Kingfisher is impaired, and professional intervention and assessment would be in his best interest and provide for the safety of co-workers and members of the Cherokee community." Finley said the administration considers Nickens a disgruntled former employee. But because of Nickens' accusations and other allegations, including some from unnamed sources in a recent story in the Tahlequah Daily Press, the administration wants an independent audit," Finley said. "Hallelujah," Nickens said Wednesday upon being told Kingfisher had been placed on administrative leave. He said he had been afraid the administration would not act on the complaints. Cherokee Nation tribal member Marvin Summerfield of Jay, a reporter for the Cherokee Observer newspaper, filed a complaint Monday with the Tulsa Police Department, alleging Kingfisher assaulted him Nov.24 at Tulsa International Airport. Summerfield said Kingfisher approached him from behind and hit him in the back with a fist and then walked away, shouting, "you better have plenty of money. I'm going to sue you for libel." Summerfield said Kingfisher was upset about inquiries Summerfield made about Nickens' letter about Kingfisher. Posted courtesy of your only independent Cherokee newspaper, THE CHEROKEE OBSERVER. --------- "RE: Oro drills Near Dann Home" --------- Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 16:55:59 GMT From: scottrobertladd@juno.com (Scott Robert Ladd) Subj: Western Shoshone Defense Project: Oro drills near Dann home Newsgroups: apc.indig.info,soc.culture.native,alt.native From: WSDP ORO NEVADA MINING COMPANY BEGINS DRILLING FOR GOLD NEAR DANN FAMILY HOME DECEMBER 10,1996 BACKGROUND... Starting this spring, Oro Nevada Mining Company, a Canadian gold mining firm, began posting mining claims throughout Crescent Valley, Nevada, the traditional lands of Western Shoshone grandmothers, Mary and Carrie Dann. Since the outset, the Dann family and the Western Shoshone National Council have repeatedly asked Oro Nevada not to disturb particular areas that hold cultural importance. In August, Oro Nevada told the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) they were planning to conduct exploratory drilling in Section 10, T28N, R49E. Within this Section (one-square mile), is a hot spring that has been used by the Dann family for generations. Hot springs hold a very important place in Western Shoshone traditions. The mining company's plan to drill near the spring creates the potential to disturb not only this fragile water source, but also the oral history and traditional knowledge associated with it. In response to Oro's planned activities, the Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP) mailed an "Action Alert" to our network of supporters from around the world, calling for letters, faxes and phone calls protesting the company's disturbance of this sacred place and their disregard for Western Shoshone land rights. The response was immediate. Scores of letters, statements and resolutions came from individuals, organizations and governments, including the International Indian Treaty Council and the Ely Shoshone Tribal Council. As a result of the pressure people placed on Oro Nevada, the company retracted its initial plan to drill in Section 10 containing the hot water. But that was not the end of the matter. Oro still has a broad exploration program ahead, including drilling thousand-feet holes in the section immediately adjacent to the hot spring, Section 3. (For more info see Update, October 1, 1996). THE CURRENT SITUATION... For months the WSDP has awaited the arrival of Oro Nevada's drilling equipment. Finally, on November 19th, 1996, the Oro Nevada Mining Company rolled its machinery up to the edge of the Cortez Mountain range, along Dewey Dann Creek. The creek, the namesake of Mary and Carrie's father, is a perennial that flows from the top of the Cortez range down to the Dann's homestead. The drilling rig has been a permanent fixture since its arrival, including a night-watchman that guards the machinery. To date, Oro has completed at least four of the planned sixteen, thousand-feet-deep holes near Dewey Dann. The same day the drilling began, 3 federal BLM agents visited the WSDP base camp and office. They wanted to ensure the safety of the drilling rig and its operators. WSDP staff volunteers assured the federal agents of our adherence to non-violence. We also made very clear to them that the Dann lands are under Western Shoshone jurisdiction. By late December, Oro Nevada intends to begin drilling in Section 3. This section is between Section 10 (containing the hot spring) and Section 4, where the WSDP base camp is located. Given the depth of the drill holes, and the close proximity of the hot spring to the section boundary line, there is still a strong threat to the hot water. Research on Oro Nevada has revealed that the company is not directly connected to any of the major transnational mining corporations. Yet, the WSDP believes that if Oro's exploratory drilling program is successful in locating a profitable gold deposit, Oro will either form a joint-venture with- or be bought-out by a larger gold mining corporation. Destructive mining practices in Newe Sogobia occur without any control or input from Western Shoshone people. It is critical that we voice concern over Oro Nevada's activities because, like the other mines in the area, Oro continues to disregard the Danns' traditional lands, Western Shoshone land rights and responsibilities. HOW YOU CAN HELP: 1. The so-called "negotiations" process that began in 1994 between Western Shoshone IRA governments (federally funded tribal entities) and the U.S. Department of Interior has allowed only for the discussion on how to distribute the Claims money with the U.S. government refusing to discuss the Treaty of Ruby Valley or land rights. The Federal government is pushing for the money distribution because this result would "officially" close the argument of Western Shoshone title over their lands. Tell Bill Clinton and Bruce Babbitt that it is their responsibility to 1) open nation to nation negotiations with the Western Shoshone regarding land rights and the Treaty of Ruby Valley and 2) stop the destruction of Western Shoshone sacred sites. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, US Department of Interior, 18th & C St. NW, Washington, DC 20240 ph: 202-208-7351, Email: Bbabbitt@ois.doi.gov US President Bill Clinton, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20500 ph: 202-456-1111, fax: 202-456-2461, Email: president@whitehouse.gov 2. The phone calls, letters and faxes to Oro officials and the BLM have been effective. The BLM needs to know that as representatives of the Federal government they need to push for meaningful negotiations with the Western Shoshone. Keep up the pressure and continue to state to Oro Nevada that they must respect the wishes of the Dann family and the Western Shoshone Nation. Anne Morgan , BLM State Director, 850 Harvard Way, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006 ph: 702-785-6400, fax:702-785-6411 Helen Hankins, District Manager, Elko BLM , P.O. Box 831, Elko, Nevada 89803 ph: 702-753-0200, fax: 702- 753- 0255 Robert Allen Jones, President, Oro Nevada Mining Company, 6490 South McCarran Blvd., Bldg D-1, Suite 34, Reno, Nevada 89509 ph: 702-825-7499, fax: 702-825-5277 Michael Farrugia, Oro Nevada Resources Inc., 20 Adelaide St. East, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2T6 3. The Western Shoshone Defense Project is one of the only organizations that addresses the environmental and cultural impacts of mining in Newe Sogobia. Much needed contributions of money and office supplies will help us continue our work. For More Background Information: See the September 8th, Action Alert! and the October 1st Update. Or Contact the WSDP at POB 211106, Crescent Valley, Nevada 89821 ph 702-468-0230, fax 702-468-0237, email wsdp@igc.org --------- "RE: Tenneco and American Indians" --------- Date: Tue, 24 Dec 1996 08:56:30 -0500 (EST) From: Gayle Swanson Subj: Tenneco and Amer. Indians UUCP email 64315 24-DEC 01:27 Business News Tenneco and Amer. Indians From: GEAATL To: ALL Tenneco reaches $3.5 mln settlement with natives WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuter) - Tenneco Oil Co reached a $3.5 million agreement with the Sac and Fox native Americans in Oklahoma to resolve allegations that the company's oil drilling had polluted the nation's groundwater, the Justice Department said Monday. Under the settlement, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City, Tenneco agreed to pay $1.16 million in compensation for contaminating the land. El Paso Energy Corp's El Paso Natural Gas Co, which recently merged with Tenneco, will carry out the agreement. It will provide a permanent supply of drinking water to the nation by building water systems on at least 120 acres of land that the company will buy for the Sac and Fox people. It will also install a water recovery system on the Deep Fork River to irrigate the nation's lands, reforest a pecan grove, and restore tribal land that was damaged by years of oil and gas production. The nation said the new water supply and money from the settlement would help it develop its reservation. The U.S. government brought the lawsuit against Tenneco last January, alleging that the company's drilling process and failure to plug and abandon wells had polluted the land and destroyed the nation's water supply. Glen| Forum Manager DIXIE (go tra dix), SOUTHERN STATES (go tra sou), & LAW (go ref law) -Delphi- Home Page:http://people.delphi.com/geaatl/ An ounce of example is worth a ton of advice. --------- "RE: Emergency Shelter Grants Program" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 10:07:51 -0800 From: berryj@okway.okstate.edu (John Berry) Subj: FWD: Emergency Shelter Grants Program UUCP email AGENCY: Housing and Urban Development TITLE: Final Rule DEADLINE: 9/30/97 DESCRIPTION: Emergency Shelter Grants Program extended to Indian Tribes SUMMARY: This final rule amends HUD's regulations for the Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) Program. In an effort to comply with the President's regulatory reform initiatives, this rule will streamline the regulations by eliminating provisions that are redundant of statutes or are otherwise unnecessary. This final rule will make the ESG regulations clearer and more concise. In addition, this rule will reflect provisions implementing legislation that has amended the program since the last general rule amending the ESG regulations. The legislation has, among other changes to the program: Extended program entitlements to Indian tribes; established new limits on expenditures for specified purposes, including administrative costs, services, and prevention activities; reduced the amount required to be matched by grantees and recipients, especially those non-State recipients that are least capable of meeting matching funds requirements; and mandated habitability standards and required the implementation of procedures to ensure confidentiality of records relating to family violence services. EFFECTIVE DATE: November 1, 1996. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Johnston, Director, Program Coordination and Analysis Division, Office of Community Planning and Development, Room 7262, telephone (202) 708-1226. For questions on program requirements for Indian tribes, contact: Bruce Knott, Director, Housing and Community Development Division, Office of Native American Programs, Room B-133, telephone (202) 755-0068. (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.) For hearing and speech-impaired persons, these numbers may be accessed via TTY (text telephone) by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. The address for both of these persons is: Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410. --------- "RE: NASA-OAI Collaborative Internship" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 10:11:25 -0800 From: berryj@okway.okstate.edu (John Berry) Subj: NASA-OAI Collaborative Internship and Fellowship Program - NA UUCP email ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Subject: NASA-OAI Collaborative Internship and Fellowship Program - NASA http://web.fie.com/htdoc/fed/nas/any/k12/prog/any/naspgana.htm NASA-OAI Collaborative Internship and Fellowship Program - NASA Submission Date: January 31, 1997 _________________________________________________________________ PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The program is a collaborative undertaking between NASA Lewis Research Center and the Ohio Aerospace Institute. Application deadlines are January 31st each year. Twelve or 14-week internship are provided for students in good academic standing pursuing a baccalaureate or higher degree in a field of science or engineering. College-bound high school graduates are also eligible. Designed to provide students with introductory professional experiences to compliment their academic programs, assignments are given in research and development projects which are commensurate with the academic level and field of study. A ten week Summer Fellowship Program is offered to secondary teachers. This program allows an educator to work with a NASA scientist or engineer on a specific task and expand his/her knowledge about the aerospace program. CONTACT ADDRESS: Name: Sylvia Merritt Phone: (216) 433-5574 Title: Office: NASA Lewis Research Center Address: 21000 Brookpark Road MS 7-4 Cleveland, OH 44135 Email: sylvia.a.merritt@lerc.nasa.gov _________________________________________________________________ KEYWORDS: Keycode Keyword 0000000 Programs 0000022 Fellowships 0000034 Research 0000044 Training, Traineeships, Apprenticeships, Internships 0502031 Science Education 0502042 Engineering Education 0505002 College Students 0505005 Junior & Community Colleges 050500A All Higher Education 0600000 Engineering 1015000 Space Sciences A000400 National Aeronautics and Space Administration _________________________________________________________________ Copyright(C)1996 Federal Information Exchange, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Permission granted for personal and non-commercial uses only. nasa-m@fie.com --------- "RE: Public Charter School Job" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 10:05:53 -0800 From: berryj@okway.okstate.edu (John Berry) Subj: FWD American Indian Public Charter School (Calif.) seek UUCP email From: nat-edu@gnosys.svle.ma.us Original Sender: sahtu@aol.com Mailing List: NAT-EDU (nat-edu@gnosys.svle.ma.us) FYI. Please forward as you think appropriate. Note deadline (12/20/96). ------------------ JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Background Information The American Indian Public Charter School (AIPCS) received its Charter Status from the State of California in February, 1996. The school opened its doors in Oakland, California in the fall of the same year and currently serves 45 students in grades 6,7, and 8. Grade 9 will be added in 1997 and the school will expand each year to grade 12. The purpose of the school is to meet the academic, social and cultural needs of American Indian other disadvantaged students. The AIPCS is a non-profit corporation within the state of California and is fiscally managed by The Tides Center. The goal of AIPCS is to utilize a site-based management system with parents, students and teachers as partners in the on-going planning, implementation and evaluation of school practices and outcomes. POSITION OPEN: DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL The AIPCS is seeking a full-time School Director to be the on-site Chief Administrator and Supervisor for school operations. Director is responsible for implementation of the AIPCS Charter and meeting the State of California and Oakland Public School District's credit criteria and requirements. Director must possess strong leadership abilities, fiscal management and plan development skills. Duties and responsibilities include: hiring, supervising and evaluation of staff, development and implementation of organizational procedures, programs and curriculum. The Director must carry out the policies set forth by the Governance Board as stated in the Charter and must engage in fundraising and public relations work on behalf of the school. Director must have experience and knowledge of American Indian educational theory, practice and current school reform issues. Teaching experience is a plus. Director must posses excellent communication skills and a strong desire to work with parents and the community. SALARY STARTING AT $40,000 W/BENEFITS CLOSING DATE: DECEMBER 20. 1996 Please send letter of interest and resume to: Governance Board c/o AIPCS 3637 Magee Ave. Oakland, CA 94619 For further information contact Duane Big Eagle, (707) 778-3170 or Bridget Wilson, (510)223-7269. The AIPCS does not discriminate in hiring on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, or disability. --------- "RE: Poem: Winter Solstice" --------- Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 15:20:34 -0500 From: gastonl@ireseau.com (Gaston Lavoie) Subj: Winter solstice tomorrow at 09.16 UUCP email We are children of the same light. A prayer O Great Spirit Who s light I beheld before I began my journey And who s light I will find again at the end of my journey On this the shortest daylight day of the people of the North I ask as the light returns to our hearts That the hearts of all human open to the ancient wisdom That was always with us but so often ignored That they find that light within themselves And build a better world for those yet to come And those in need of healing Gaston 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: Verse: Hawai'ian Book of Days" --------- Date: 96/12/16 22:43 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 29-January 4 KEKEMAPA (December) (Makalii) 29 The stars tonight are bright-etched in magic. 30 Sleep soundly when the year has run its course, for you will awake to new life. 31 Greet the dawn of the new year with flowers, song, and dance by the ocean, where all life begins. OCEAN SONGS (Images of Hawai'i) By D. F. Sanders I have heard your ocean songs at dusk In the trees that sway with the sighing wind, And seen, in the soft glimmering of starlight, The iridescent waves caressing the shore. Sometimes, a voice calls to me in the silence, Bringing me memories of the land, ka aina. It is the voice of the sea that I hear, The murmur of the surf in a shell, Or the laughter of children as they play, All sounds repeating to me, in the vast chant of life, "Hawai'i, Hawai'i." You ask much: love of your heritage, Love of the land, with its sacred places, Yet you give of your bounty in return, And your splendor is a feast for all to behold. You have many moods, from the fiery wrath of a volcano To the gentle rain that falls, like a blessing, on the land, Graced by the fragile luminescence of a rainbow. If I were to ask you, "Where does your heart lie?" You might answer, "In the children and in the land, And in the everlasting melee of the wind and the sea." I have heard the beauty of your ocean songs, And I know, in the bright rhapsody of the morning, Hawai'i. IANUALI (January) (Kaelo) Ancient Hawaiians knew that January was the time of year when the enuhe, a worm very destructive to vegetation, appeared, and also when the vines began to put forth fresh leaves. 1 In the sound of the ocean, I can hear my ancestors calling. 2 A ho'okupu, a gift from the heart, enriches the giver. 3 In the family, ohana, lies the renewal of the past. 4 I am the child of many cultures -- in me grows the hope of the future. (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, 26 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: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 10:35:58 -0800 From: berryj@okway.okstate.edu (John Berry) Subj: (FWD) New Years Competition POW-WOW and Indian Craft Market December 27, 28, 29, 1996 New Years Competition POW-WOW and Indian Craft Market Rillito Raceway Park River Road & 1st Ave. Tucson, Arizona $1500.+ Contest Money 40 Authentic Indian Crafts Booths Traditional Indian Foods Drum Contest (520) 622-4900 ----------------------------------- From _News From Indian Country_ Dec 26-28 Wapato Longhouse Pow Wow, Wapato, WA Info: 509-865-5121, ext 304 or 318 Dec 28-31 White Swan New Year's Pow Wow, Pavilion, White Swan, WA Info: 509-865-5121, ext 304 or 318 Dec 31-Jan 1 4th New Year's Sobriety Pow Wow, Jesse Owens Rec. Center So., Columbus, OH Info: 614-228-0460 Dec 31-Jan 1 3rd Siletz Recovery Pow Wow, Chemawa Indian School, Salem, OR Info: 503-390-9494 Jan 4 Mason School Pow Wow, Mason Middle School, Tacoma, WA Info: 205-596-1139 Jan 17-19 Indian River Native Amer. Fest., The Municipal Stadium, New Smyrna, FL Info: 904-424-0860 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- 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: Joe Chasing Horses via Gary Smith, Brian Hauk, Debra F. Sanders, Ishgooda, Jordan S. Dill, Joe Don Chipps, Jacki Leroux, Gaston Lavoie, Janet Smith, Donna Hales/Muskogee Daily Phoenix via Marvin & Linda Summerfield/ Cherokee Observer, Scott Robert Ladd, John Berry, Larry Kibby, Glen Ashman via Gayle Swanson, National Commission for Democracy in Mexico, USA, David Melmer/Indian Country Today via Gary Trujillo -//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Part B of this newsletter has already been distributed via the NATIVE-L or NATCHAT mailing lists. --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows - online" --------- Date: Thu, 26 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: 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: Indian Country Today on Prohibition" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 13:32:40 -0500 From: gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo) Subj: URGENT: South Dakota prohibition against Native ceremonies Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Thanks to David Melmer, _Indian Country Today_, for permission to redistribute this article, originally released only to Gary Trujillo, list manager of Native-L. The following article was published on the front page of the issue of 12/16-12/23 of _Indian Country Today_. It is being transmitted via the NATIVE-L mailing list and Usenet's "soc.culture.native," "alt.native," and the APC "indig.info" conference with permission from David Melmer ("david@indiancountry.com"), who wrote the story. Thanks to Joseph Uher ("mhunter@erols.com") for typing the text of this article from the printed edition of the newspaper. For information about subscriptions to _Indian Country Today_, please contact: Indian Country Today P.O. Box 2180 Rapid City, SD 57709-2180 Phone 1-605-341-0011 FAX 1-605-341-6940 Title: Internet posting stirs up trouble in S.D. cyberspace by David Melmer -- Indian Country Today PIERRE, S.D. -- Internet surfers and chat room junkies who thrive on American Indian issues were duped Dec. 3 by an internet message that was false and misleading. The message instilled fear and anguish in many tribal leaders, elders and tribal organization officials. Hundreds of people joined in what was labeled a hoax through an e-mail campaign designed to bombard South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow and the state capitol with messages that would change his mind on something that, as it turned out, he never knew or thought about in the first place. E-mail messages, some using scurrilous language, came from all parts of the country and from Europe. At Indian Country Today nearly 300 messages were received over a period of four days. The governor's office put a block on the messages, and the sender cried censorship. Someone, who may never be identified, started a rumor that accused Gov. Janklow of calling a meeting to work out details that would prohibit American Indian ceremonies on state park and state forest lands. Bear Butte, the most sacred of sites for the Lakota and Cheyenne people, would have been included because Bear Butte is a state park. According to Gov. Janklow no such hearing or meeting was planned, nor was there ever any proposal that would prohibit any ceremonies on state land. Gov. Janklow repeated the phrase "Whoever does this there should be a special place in hell for preying on peoples' fears" twice in five minutes. Gov. Janklow emphasized that he would never do such a thing. In fact he emphasized that he proposed Bear Butte be given American Indian priority for use in ceremonies. He also made a point of saying that he recently acted against state statute by not allowing a suit to be filed against persons who let a ceremonial fire get out of hand, burning Bear Butte. Under South Dakota law, the person responsible for a forest fire pays for the damage. The internet message also falsely stated that a state court decision "limited the number of Native Americans to 40 or under in any gathering." The information did not identify any judge by name. The South Dakota state's Attorney General's Office and two other attorneys could not verify that any state level judge made such a ruling. "This is reckless misrepresentation," said Larry Long of the state Attorney General's office. Inquiries from the state to area counties turned up no information on such a ruling. "Isn't that against the First Amendment?" asked a Pennington County official. The moral? Check your sources and be skeptical of information coming across the internet, say frequent users and public officials. The message was distributed by Linda J. Hineline-Lemonde of Monroe, Mich., partner in a graphic arts company. She is better known as Ishgooda to her cyber friends. The web page for First Nations Promotions (http://www.dickshovel.com/sd.html) contains the message and petition information that is sent through Ishgooda's site. The site offers information about the American Indian Movement's national field office. [ As of several days ago, the petition is no longer on the Web page authored by Jordan Dill ("jsd@dickshovel.com") referred to above. It has been replaced by a page containing a statement about related subjects. --Gary ] The source of the original rumor is not known, and all attempts to uncover the source of the information were stonewalled. This is not the first time First Nations and Ishgooda have been involved with false and misleading information, according to tribal officials. On Nov. 20, a message was sent by Jordon S. Dill, web site monitor for First Nations. That message implicated Philip Under Baggage and Christine Dunham, Oglala Lakota, and Burdell Bluearm and Sebastian "Bronco" LeBeau, Miniconjou Lakota. All are NAGPRA representatives for their respective nations. The message, instigated by Wanbli Sapa, real name unknown, on the First Nations' web site said that an elder asked him to put out an alert to prevent any of the four people mentioned from receiving personal items that belonged to and were taken from the body of Chief Spotted Elk, aka Chief Bigfoot. The message said the four were claiming the items for themselves under the pretense of acting for the descendants of Chief Bigfoot. "I was notified by a lady working in a museum on the East Coast. She said she read this message. I think, OK, fine, whoever this person is doesn't have the guts to come forward to identify himself," said Mr. LeBeau. "I look at it as a bunch of b.s. Obviously this comes from someone who doesn't know what they are talking about, someone with a small mind, and small, almost infinitesimal self-esteem. You are too chicken to say who you are when you accuse someone of something. "I ignored it. It doesn't hurt me. My character speaks for itself," Mr. LeBeau said. Mr. LeBeau said the NAGPRA committees receive information about artifacts and then notify the families that they have the right to repatriate the items. The NAGPRA committee only negotiates on behalf of the families upon the family's request. The person who sent the original message referred to him or herself as Wanbli Sapa, a Lakota name. "If you are going to represent yourself as Lakota, you must stand up and publicly proclaim that you are a warrior and this is your name. Otherwise you are not Lakota. You are a mean-spirited little man. A true Lakota warrior is never afraid to declare his name or identity," Mr. LeBeau said. Mr. LeBeau's Lakota name is Wanbli Sapa U Welo (Black Eagle's Coming). "He did a disservice to three special people. He hurt Christine, Uncle Philip and Uncle Burdell. They have done a lot for their people." Mr. LeBeau said, adding, "To have a lot of wannabes taking a potshot at our people, that's chicken." The internet alert from Ishgooda labeled "URGENT" on Dec. 2, stirred up more than just a few people. In that respect it may have been effective, some state officials said. The message reported that Arvol Looking Horse, Lakota, 19th generation keeper of the Sacred Pipe, was invited to attend the hearing. The message indicated that a Joe Chases Horse, believed to be from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, was also invited. He purportedly provided authentication to Ishgooda, according to her messages. Mr. Chases Horses (sic) could not be reached for comment. Mr. Looking Horse told Indian Country Today that he was called about the meeting by some friends who saw it on the internet. "I got a lot of calls from all over the country. When I got up there (Pierre) they told me that was false information, and I turned around and came back. I was very skeptical. Before, all the meetings I was invited to, I got a letter," Mr. Looking Horse said. He and many other elders and concerned tribal members traveled hundreds of miles to offer prayers and information that could stop the suspected prohibition of spiritual activity on state park land, based solely on the information in the message from Ishgooda. When the first e-mail message arrived at Indian Country Today offices, a call was made to the governor's office. Jim Soyer, the governor's press secretary, knew of no hearing or meeting or any proposal of the kind. Next, Indian Affairs Director Webster Two Hawk said he knew nothing of the ruling or proposal and knew nothing of any restrictions about numbers of people at gatherings. Information given also stated that the hearing was being sponsored by two state legislators. Ishgooda referred to "the representative from the Rosebud Reservation and Rep. Volsky." At another time Ishgooda said the representative was from the Pine Ridge Reservation. She may have been referring to Rep. Ron Volesky, one of three American Indian legislators, and Sen. Paul Valandra of Rosebud. Mr. Volesky said he knew nothing of the hearing. He was in the capital to attend an economic development meeting with author and professor Terry L. Anderson of Montana State University. Sen. Valandra could not be reached. Reginald Cedar Face, an Oglala from Pine Ridge, said he intended to attend the hearing to find out what was going on, but when he arrived in Pierre he was told there was no such hearing. So, he said, he attended the economic development meeting and said he was very impressed, which made the trip worthwhile. If a proposal to limit ceremonial use of state parks was proposed the state park service would probably know about it, but Warren Jackson, director of field operations for the park service said he knew nothing about any prohibition. He also said the director of the park service, Doug Hofer, knew nothing about any proposal. To add authentication to the false statements, Ishgooda and First Nations alleged that their information was verified by two people who were friends of Dennis Banks, national field director for the American Indian Movement. Mr. Banks' office denied any knowledge of the incident. First Nations does use the AIM logo on its web page and disburses AIM- related information. The source of the rumor has not been uncovered; the case may have to go to "Unsolved Mysteries." Information from the AIM national field office indicated that an article that appeared in the Rapid City Journal on either Dec. 1 or 2 may be the source. That article referred to the economic development meeting that was held. Ishgooda began the day on Dec. 4 by taking credit for stopping a meeting that was never scheduled. She wrote to her hundreds of addresses that Gov. Janklow cut his day short to straighten the situation out and appeared on the six o'clock news. According to the governor's office he was interviewed by five television stations following his annual budget address. Mr. Soyer, who didn't attend the interview session, couldn't verify what the governor discussed. When Gov. Janklow spoke with Indian Country Today in the afternoon, he didn't indicate that he would be having to do any damage control, and he said he had received only two messages. The capital internet server screened and blocked the messages. Mr. Soyer said the governor's office was not treating the incident as being of any degree of importance. On the other hand, Ishgooda and her followers are. Messages indicate reveling in the aftermath of more false information about Gov. Janklow's altered actions and schedule. They also charge the governor's office with censorship for blocking the messages sent through Ishgooda. The governor's office treated the messages as junk mail and asked their server to screen them out. Anyone with e-mail has that option. Editor's Note: At Indian Country Today, we use internet sources as potential leads for stories. We carefully check and authenticate information. We do not consider much of the internet as a factual source. Indian Country Today will no longer visit the web sides of Ishgooda and the First Nations Promotions because of their continued proliferation of gossip, rumor and innuendo in their misguided attempt to support American Indian issues. Their misleading and misinformed sources may harm innocent people and cause others unnecessary anguish. --------- "RE: Rock Creek Saved For Now" --------- Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 08:56:33 PST From: scottrobertladd@juno.com (Scott Robert Ladd) Subj: WSDP: Rock Creek Saved!...For Now (Western Shoshone territory) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) From: WSDP Subject: Rock Creek Saved!...For Now Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 17:04:30 -0800 (PST) Rock Creek Saved!...For Now December 10, 1996 "On November 6th, the results were posted... Rock Creek was overwhelmingly voted down with a 1,522 to 647 margin!" In the spring of 1995, Lander County Commissioners appointed new members to the Rock Creek Advisory Board. They were given the assignment that many others before them had failed to complete: construct a recreational dam and reservoir at Rock Creek. For the past year and a half, the Board members have been active and vocal in promoting the dam project. Contracted firms have prepared initial engineering studies, the Bureau of Land Management archaeologists and anthropologists combed the area, water rights negotiations and land acquisition deals were pursued. Each monthly Advisory Board meeting was followed by newspaper articles, chronicling their progress. Yet, there was always one agenda item the Board reluctantly approached--public comments. Rock Creek has been a gathering and religious place for Western Shoshone for thousands of years. This is confirmed by oral traditions and archaeological evidence. Rock Creek continues to be valued and used by Western Shoshone families and communities, reinforcing strong cultural traditions. It contains spring waters used for healing. It is also the burial grounds for Western Shoshone ancestors, some of whom are remembered by name. Because of this long, rich history that is still unfolding, Rock Creek has become a strong rallying point for all Western Shoshone communities. Letters from Western Shoshone governments, organizations and individuals produced a constant stream of opposition. In March 1996, a press conference was held in Reno, Nevada, announcing the Battle Mountain Tribal Council's intent to bring the dam project into costly litigation. The event was attended by over eleven Western Shoshone and Washoe government and organization representatives. Faced with growing and widespread opposition, the Lander County Commissioners turned back to their electorate. On the November 5th ballot, Lander County voters were asked whether the Rock Creek dam project should continue to be pursued, or if it should be abandoned. Local organizations, including the Western Shoshone Defense Project, Citizen Alert Native American Program, the Battle Mountain Band Council and the Nevada Indian Environmental Coalition circulated fliers and purchased newspaper ads to let the County voters know the importance of Rock Creek to the Western Shoshone Nation. On November 6th, the results were posted... Rock Creek was overwhelmingly voted down with a 1,522 to 647 margin! As Battle Mountain Chairman, Gelford Jim stated, "(the vote demonstrated)...the protection (of) the right of Indian people to continue to practice their religion in the places we hold sacred as our ancestors did for over seven thousand years." Although we celebrate this victory, the fact remains that Rock Creek is still vulnerable to future devastation. Rock Creek lies next to what is called the "Carlin Trend," a world-renown gold deposit that is currently mined by several transnational gold corporations. No more than a mere eighteen miles east of Rock Creek lies one of the larger mines in northeastern Nevada. The mine is pumping over 70,000 gallons per minute from the water table to access microscopic gold particles found thousands of feet deep. These mines are constantly exploring new areas and expanding their operations. We must now work to protect Rock Creek for the long-term. The WSDP is researching avenues to return all or critical portions of Rock Creek to Western Shoshone management. We welcome suggestions on this matter. Article by Jennifer Allen, WSDP Volunteer. For more information, please contact: Western Shoshone Defense Project, PO Box 211106, Crescent Valley, Nevada, 89821 Ph 702-468-0230, Fax 702-468-0237, Email wsdp@igc.org --------- "RE: History of Western Shoshone" --------- Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 10:16:26 -0800 From: kibbey@sierra.net (Larry Kibbey) Subj: History of Western Shoshone (Nevada) Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) The following explains historical respects about the Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada..... Traditional Chief - Gordon Temoke, Ruby Valley, Nevada. Became Traditional Chief in 1995, replacing his father the late Frank Temoke Sr. Currently, there are four non-profit organizations that are political factions that use the title of the Western Shoshone. (1) The Western Shoshone National Council(WSNC) - Non-Profit Established: 1984 Jerry Millet of the Duck Water Indian Reservation was the Chairman for the WSNC until 1988. During the '80's most of the tribes and the Te-Moak Tribal Council were under the umbrella of the WSNC. In 1988, Raymond Yowell of the South Fork Indian Reservation became the Chairman for the WSNC, who is also the Chairman for the Cattleman's Association and enrolled under the Te-Moak Tribe. During this time, most of the Te-Moak Bands pulled out from the WSNC, leaving Duck Water, Ely, Battle Mountain and the WSDP. To date, the Western Shoshone National Council, operates out of Las Vegas or in that area and is a political organization. (2) Western Shoshone Defense Project is operated out of Crescent Valley on the Dann's Ranch, is also a Non-Profit Organization. (3) Citizens Alert - Nonprofit - Reno, Nevada. Political organization. Addresses Western Shoshone issues. (4) Western Shoshone Historic Preservation Society Non-Profit - Established: May, 1993 Endorsed by the Te-Moak Tribal Council June 8, 1993. Program Director, Larry Kibby. Established to preserve and protect the ceremonial and burial areas, as well as other issues of cultural and religious regards of the Native American Indian In 1934, Congress endorsed the Indian Reorganization Act. In 1938, the Te-Moak Tribal Council was established. The Te-Moak Tribal Council is the oldest and largest representative of, and Executive Governing Body of the Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada and is located on the Elko Indian Colony, Elko, Nevada. The Te-Moak Tribal Council is made up of Band Council Members from the following Bands: (1) Elko Band Council(IRA), Elko Indian Colony, Elko, Nevada. Established as reservation 1918. (2) South Fork Band Council(IRA), South Fork Indian Reservation, Lee, Nevada. Established as reservation 1941. Also represents, Odger's Indian Ranch, Butte Valley, Nevada, and Ruby Valley Allotments, Ruby Valley, Nevada. (3) Wells Band Council(IRA), Wells Indian Colony, Wells, Nevada. Established as reservation 1976. (4) Battle Mountain Band Council(IRA), Battle Mountain Indian Colony, Battle Mountain, Nevada. Established as reservation 1917. Other Western Shoshone Indian Reservations in Nevada, having their own Tribal Council and are not a part of the Te-Moak Tribal Council are: (1) Duck Water Indian Reservation, Duck Water, Nevada. Established as reservation 1940. IRA Tribal Government (2) Yomba Indian Reservation, Reese River, Nevada. Established as reservation 1937. IRA Tribal Government (3) Ely Indian Colony, Ely, Nevada. Established 1931. IRA Tribal Government (4) Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Owhyee, Nevada. First established as Western Shoshone Reservation in 1877. In May of 1886 became Shoshone-Paiute Reservation. IRA Tribal Government (5) Goshute Reservation, Utah/Nevada Border. Established 1914. IRA Tribal Government This historical data should provide an insight of when, how and what the Western Shoshone Nation is made up of. The Traditional Lands of the Western Shoshone, per se the 1863 Ruby Valley Treaty encompasses most of Northeastern Nevada. This is a historical view of the Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada. Larry Kibby - kibbey@sierra.net --------- "RE: FZLN Asks for Signatures" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 19:31:39 -0800 From: moonlight@igc.apc.org(National Commission for Democracy in Mexico,USA) Subj: FZLN asks for signatures on solidarity letter Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) From: The International commission of the Zapatista Front for National Liberation To: Political and social organizations and individuals in solidarity with the struggles of the indigenous people in Mexico Companeros: As you know, almost a year ago, on February 16, 1996, the negotiations between the Mexican government and the Zapatista Army for National Liberation achieved the signing of the Agreements of San Andres regarding Indigenous Rights and Culture, which were to be incorporated as reforms of the Mexican Constitution, as federal laws, and regulations within diverse institutions. However, 10 months later, the government has retreated from fulfilling these agreements, putting in crisis the negotiation process and the possibility of advancing towards peace. The most recent examples of this crisis in the San Andres Dialogue caused the EZLN to suspend its participation in the Dialogue until there existed guarantees of a serious commitment on the part of the government to fulfill the agreements already signed. This was a decision that was made at the beginning of last September. Since that date the mediation commissions in the negotiations, the National Commission of Mediation (CONAI) and the Commission for Harmony and Pacification (COCOPA) have waged an important effort so that the conditions sought by the EZLN be fulfilled by the federal government and so that the dialogue could continue. For this reason, the COCOPA has presented to both parts an initiative of constitutional reforms that take in the fundamental aspects of the San Andres agreements signed on February 16. This initiative has already been accepted by the EZLN. On the part of the Mexican government, by means of Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon, has asked for 15 days, which will end December 23, with the intent of analyzing the content of COCOPA's legal initiative. Therefore, we now live in a critical moment in the dialogue and in the search for peace in Mexico; a critical moment also in the struggle of the Mexican indigenous people for the conquest of their full rights. It is for these reasons that the International Commission of the Zapatista Front for National Liberation appeals again to the international solidarity community for its support, by means of public pronouncements which demand that the Mexican government fulfill the San Andres Agreements on Indigenous Rights and Culture, by means of the approval of the constitutional reform initiatives which COCOPA has presented. Specifically we ask for your signature on the following text which we want to publish December 20 in the Mexican national press: WE DEMAND THAT THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT FULFILL THE AGREEMENTS SIGNED WITH THE EZLN ON FEBRUARY 16, 1996 AND THAT THE INDIGENOUS RIGHTS BE GUARANTEED IN THE CONSTITUTION. Please send your signature to any of the following; Telephone/fax: 525-515-8525 or 525-584-3489 Electronic mail: 74174.1671@compuserve.com That's all for now. We send an embrace of solidarity. Ulises Martinez Flores Paulina Fernandez C. for the International Commission of the Zapatista Front for National Liberation --------- "RE: RCAP Access Project" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 08:18:58 EST From: paul_antone@pch.gc.ca (Paul Antone) Subj: Institute of Indigenous Government: RCAP Access Project Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) Hi all: The following press release was in mail box this morning. Paul =================================== PRESS RELEASE Institute of Indigenous Government to Make Royal Commission Report Internet Accessible 18 December 1996 (VANCOUVER) Grand Chief, Bernard Charles, President of the Institute of Indigenous Government, announced today that the Institute will make the full English and French texts of the Final Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples accessible on the Internet as of Wednesday, December 18th. The IIG Web Site [http://www.indigenous.bc.ca/] will provide a down- loadable interface for persons with Internet access. It is Canada's only on-line point-of-access to the Royal Commission's Final Report. There will be no user cost associated with this form of access. President Charles described the project as a "major shift in the relation- ship between Indigenous populations and information that relates to their historical and future development as nations. The Web Site is a community tool that will broaden participation in the work that the Royal Commission has begun. In this sense, we are responding to widespread demand for access to the Final Report. As an educational institution we are also very aware of how this intellectual property can contribute to the ways and means that Indigenous peoples participate in the learning process. The Web Site is a way for communities to interact with an otherwise static document." The Web Site anticipates what the Royal Commission calls an Indigenous electronic clearinghouse, a highly decentralized network to 'promote the exchange of information among agencies and communities doing similar kinds of work.' For the time being, the Web Site will make basic electronic RCAP access a reality. Over the next few months features will be added to increase its utility. In September, IIG will launch a searchable RCAP index that includes the Final Report and the background reports. The longer term objective is to use this base of data as a way to engage students and educators in Canada and around the world in the development and design of Indigenous learning resources. The Institute of Indigenous Government is Canada's first independent degree-granting First Nation public institution. The Institute's mission is to provide an accredited specialized program of post-secondary education, skills-training, and research opportunities dedicated to empowering Indigenous Peoples to exercise their right to self- determination in their territories in ways which fully reflect indigenous philosophy, values and experience throughout the world. IIG campuses are located in Vancouver, Lillooet, and Saanich. For more information contact: Lisa Sullivan at 604 602 9555 or e-mail iig@cyberstore.ca