From gars@netcom.com Wed Dec 3 06:32:02 1997 Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 19:44:26 -0800 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews05.049 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 05, ISSUE 049 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 6 December 1997 O o O KANOHEDA ANIYVWIYA Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin O o O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min 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 NAT-FILM, BIGMT, Triballaw & FoL-L lists; Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty; UUCP email; Blue Eagle Newsletter; NASC News; Newsgroups:alt.native,soc.culture.native Articles appearing have been previously posted for public dissemination and/or permission for inclusion has been secured. Letters of authorization are on file. A list of those granting permission to repost their words in this issue are listed at the end of part A. I thank each of you for allowing your words to be shared with the people. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@netcom.com ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org 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://aises.uthscsa.edu/94_dis.html 1995: http://aises.uthscsa.edu/95_dis.html 1996: http://aises.uthscsa.edu/96_dis.html 1997: http://aises.uthscsa.edu/97_dis.html This is a searchable index to the AISESnet Discussion mailing list database archive, and the keyword "Wotanging" will retrieve all issues for that year. "I heard that long ago there was a time when there were no people in this country except Indians. After that the people began to hear of men that had white skins; they had been seen far to the east. Before I was born they came out to our country and visited us. The man who came was from the Government. He wanted to make a treaty with us, and to give us presents, blankets, and guns, and flint and steel and knives." "The Head Chief told him that we needed none of these things. He said, 'We have our buffalo and our corn. These things the Ruler gave us, and they are all we need. See this robe. This keeps me warm in the winter. I need no blanket.'" "The white men had with them some cattle, and the Pawnee Chief said, 'Lead out a heifer here on the prarie!' They led her out, and the Chief, stepping up to her, shot her through behind the shoulder with his arrow, and she fell down and died. Then the Chief said, 'Will not my arrow kill? I do not need your guns.' Then he took his stone knife and skinned the heifer, and cut off a piece of fat meat. When he had done this he said, 'Why should I take your knives? The Ruler has given me something to cut with.'" "Then taking the fire sticks, he kindled a fire to roast the meat, and while it was cooking, he spoke again and said, 'You see, my brother, The Ruler has given us all we need for killing meat, or for cultivating the ground. Now go back to the country from whence you came. We do not want your presents, and do not want you to come to our country.'" __ Curly Chief, Pawnee +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! I want to thank each and every one of you who have stood for the People, have sent help to the list below, or spoken out against racist stereotyping of our People. If you open the eyes of just one person you to his or her bigotry (intentional and unintentional) you make a better tomorrow for our children. If you send one can of soup or one blanket, and it helps an elder survive you have helped mend the Circle. I apologize for not sending thanks to those who have helped. In my anxiety to urge others to follow your lead I singled out a few individuals; but failed to acknowledge and honor the gifts of others. I meant no disrespect. I ask your forgiveness, and send thanks for all you do, whoever you are, wherever you are. For some interesting reading point your web browser to www.1stbooks.com and download Colville Tribal Member, Gary Joseph's new book, "Quest for Dignity: Synthesizing in Indian Recovery" which can be either read on screen or printed out. =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= The tragic plight of our elders on the various reservations is so great, their peril so real, their walk so close to the edge that I will continue to feature contact addresses where you can send donations of clothing, food, blankets, money to purchase fuel and repair throughout the winter. As new contacts are received they will be added to the list. PLEASE help the elders. PLEASE help grow this list and help ALL the elders. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I am very pleased to share the following exchange: Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 21:11:54 -0500 (EST) From: HVIDEO885@aol.com Subj: donations of coats, sweaters, shoes After reading the conditions out there I spoke with a friend of mine who is NA. She knew of a truck a few hours from here who was loading things for the reservations. We got together with a few friends and collected clothing, shoes, purses for the women, blue jeans, coats and sweaters. Many of these things are like new, some just need cleaning. I spoke with another friend of mine who works with the needy in my home town. She is the most giving and caring woman I have ever met. After telling her what I wanted, she said she would give me a call. Well, she called me a few days later and her garage is full of coats, sweaters, shoes, etc. It is too much to ship through the mail. She also has furniture, dishes, bed linens, blankets, and almost anything anyone could need. When you share these things with the people, would you please give credit where credit is due. The person who helps me in understanding the Native American Culture is of the First Nations people. Her name is Little Sunshine and she is MiqMac. Her words of wisdom and knowledge have taught me much. Also, the person who has allowed me to collect these things (with more to come) is Barb Swartz. I am just a vehicle the Creator has chosen to connect these two people to do what needs to be done to help those in need. May the Creator help us in our efforts, Sharon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Here is a new entry From BIGMTLIST The Dineh could use some blankets to help with the cold winters. I guess a good place to send them would be Bonnie Whitesinger's place. Although she is spending the weekdays in Tuba City so she can get her dialysis treatments, she is home weekends, and her husband, Bob, is there all week. I am sure she or Bob would see that they got spread around. Her address is Box 1073, Hotevilla, AZ 86030. Since UPS doesn't deliver to PO boxes, you would have to use parcel post. For the Red Shirt Community: Marvin Helper P.O. Box 312 Hermosa, SD 57744 For Porcupine, Oglala and Wounded Knee: David Swallow or Gerald Ice % Gerald ice P.O. Box 199 Wounded Knee, SD 57794 Or... Joe Chasing Horse % P.O. Box 8392 Rapid City, S.D. 57709 For Truck loads & UPS Shipments: Joe Chasing Horse 714 Paha Sapa Drive Rapid City, SD 57701 From: Lora Czarnowsky Adi Defender Project New Dawn PO Box 616 McLaughlin, SD 57642 This is for the various communities on the Standing Rock Reservation. Another contact is actually two projects: One is Santa's Workshop and the other is called Wakanheja Tipi. They are both run by Liam Paterson and his wife. Liam Paterson 1434 Creek Road Manheim, PA 17545 717-665-2727 From: tusweca Darlene Cross PO Box 52 Kyle SD 577075 From: yona@infi.net Toy drive going on for the Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte If you would like to donate a toy or more information, you may contact me by email: yona@infi.net or phone me 757-425-7992..you may also drop off a toy if you are in the vicinity of our store Na-va'kee 618 Hilltop West. biah yazzie From: DORSEY.THOMAS_J+@ALBANY.VA.GOV Norma Grassrope Lower Brule Reservation Lower Brule, South Dakota 57028 (605) 473-5594 She is the chair of a charitable group called the Womens Support Group. From: Pioquark@aol.com Clay Watson Pioneer Industries 1100 E. 24th St. Cheyenne, Wy. 82001 (307)778-7860 pioquark@aol.com These donations will be gifted to the Rose Bud and Pine Ridge Reservations in South Dakota and the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. I'm on the road a lot, out back loading the truck etc. PLEASE leave a message if there is no answer.. From: ALBERT SUN BUTLER Ti Ospaye PO Box 200 Wanblee SD 57577 Supporting the elders through personal contact: Adopt A Grandparent Mountain Light Center PO Box 241 Taos NM 87571 TEL: 505 776 8474 FAX: 505 776 8050 For information call 800 291-8474. email: agpmlc@aol.com For the Cherokee, NC Rez and South FL (Now taking one load/week): From: "lonewolf" Lone Wolf -or- Bob and Linda Crowe 1060 N. Bee St. 2800 West Highway 5 Deland, Fl 32720 Bowden, GA 30108 From: Susanna Shreeve Direct Relief International provides medical-related items, but requires paperwork/assessment well in advance of the emergency. Tribes can call: Laura Carlos 805-730-8610 or voice message 964-4767; fax 681-4838. From: The Stones Another organization you might consider adding to your list is: Lakota Link http://rtt.colorado.edu/~cameron/LakxotaKxoyag.html Ellen Stone The following snailmail addresses are included for help to the Cherry Creek and Bridger communities on the Cheyenne River Rez: Craig and Ruth Cameron LakxotaKxoyag P O Box 176 Jamestown, CO 80455-0176 Lakxota Kxoyag c/o Marvin and Veronica Holy Town of Bridger Representatives P.O. Box 172 Howes, SD 57748 Lakxota Kxoyag c/o Keeler and Freidan Condon Town of Cherry Creek Representatives P.O. Box 181 Cherry Creek, SD 57622 UPS ADDRESS: Lakxota Kxoyag c/o Keeler Condon Town of Cherry Creek Representatives House #11 Cherry Creek, SD 57622. From: FNAIC@aol.com Walking Shield in Southern California regularly send truck loads of food, clothing and needed items to many reservations. They are located at 2472 Chambers Rd. Tustin, CA. 922680 telephone 714-573-1434 Hugh Stevens is the boss. they will only take fairly new and clean used items - any new items - and donations form large corps. They seem to be on the up and up and have helped many local reservations and native organizations. Carol - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If any of you have addresses/contacts to add to this list for other Rez's PLEASE email me with them soon. Include some name/info for me to verify where gifts will be sent and how. Winter winds have already brought snow. I am especially concerned about the lack of contacts for the Montana Rez's. email to gars@netcom.com =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= Peace! Night Owl , , Gary Night Owl gars@netcom.com (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@nanews.org (`-') Marietta, GA 30067, U.S.A. gars@igc.apc.org ===w=w=== gars@bellsouth.net Fax: 770-528-9643 gars@juno.com ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Elders Beaten at Plymouth - Kyoto: Black Mesa & the Dineh - Letter of Plymouth Protest - Chiefs Expose BC Treaty Process - Plymouth Rocked by Police Violence - This Is Where We're From - More on Plymouth Travesty - Extinct Natives Fight for Status - Plymouth Issue Help - On Leadership - Still No Dudley George Inquiry - Thanksgiving Message - Onondaga Nation Longhouse - Let's Not Celebrate Thanksgiving Press Release - Native Prisoner - Why is ADM Out of Kahnawake - A Hundred Years Ago - Aboriginal Radio Proposal Loses - Which Government - Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Land Scam - The Invitation - Byrd's Inauguration Videos - Poem: Life In A Dumpster - Where the Yellowstone Buffalo Roam - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Vaccines for Buffalo - Conferences and Powwows --------- "RE: Elders Beaten at Plymouth" --------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 09:27:04 -0800 From: TxRose8018 Subj: Thurs Nov 27, 1997 Blue Eagle Newsletter~URGENT NEWS RELEASE BLUE EAGLE NEWSLETTER SPECIAL EDITION November 27, 1997 <>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<> yigaquu osaniyu adanvto adadoligi nigohilvi nasquv utloyasdi nihi (May the Great Spirits Blessings Always Be With You) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONTENTS: URGENT NEWS RELEASE Elders Beaten at Plymouth <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Editor: TxRose8018@aol.com/Blue Eagle Wm Sagonigei Awohali <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> My Friends, Today we received a variety of AP and UP reports....here is a sample one: Annual Indian Rally Sparks Violence .c The Associated Press PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) - An annual American Indian gathering in this town where Thanksgiving began turned violent Thursday when police confronted a group of Indians trying to march through the center of town. About 20 protesters from the United American Indians of New England were arrested by police and charged with disorderly conduct. Police refused to release any information about the event and declined to comment on the arrests. Witnesses said the disturbance began when Indian protesters and hundreds of supporters tried to march through the historic center of Plymouth. Chris Groden, an American Indian, said police sprayed mace directly into several people's eyes. Earlier in the day a group re-enacting the first Thanksgiving marched down the same road dressed in traditional Pilgrim costumes in an annual event called the Pilgrim Progress walk. Groden said he objected to that walk because the people portraying Pilgrims show up "with a bible in one hand and a musket in the other. And guess who the musket was aimed at?" Members of the Plymouth Historical Alliance said earlier this week that they have tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a compromise with the Indians. No Historical Alliance members could be reached after the disturbance. <<>><<>><<>> That is the same way we have been treated these many years on Thanksgiving... today our Grandmothers & Grandfathers were beaten and our Mothers and our children......... there are some among us who were there to witness the following is a letter from a child Subj: Plymouth. Date: 97-11-27 20:27:34 EST From: KiKiTa13 This afternoon, there was a gathering of native americans from many different tribes to reflect on this day as a day of mourning. Grieving the loss of our land to the new comers that we trusted and fed and sheltered. A short distance away there was a parade celebrating Thanksgiving. The Plymouth Police issued a statement yesterday to the newspapers that if the Indians got together on the hill for their ceremony at the statue of Massasoit,they would be dispersed by whatever means necessary. While the news media were present,the police were peaceful and did not interrupt. As soon as the cameras were gone, the police moved in aggressively with tear gas and billyclubs. The young men present( Our warriors) tried to protect our elders, including my grandmother, Firewoman Emerton( Age 70), who is the clan mother of the Abenaki Nation, and Grandfather Oak,( Age 97 in December ), but many of them were injured by the billyclubs and tear gas. One of the elders was taken to a hospital with very serious injuries. All our people are free now on bail. They will be in court tomorrow and monday. My grandmother is a very well educated native woman and, in her opinion, the civil rights of our people were violated. Please let the public know what happened in Plymouth Mass today when the cameras were turned away. Thankyou! Ki-Ki-Ta ( Little Rabbit ) --------- "RE: Letter of Plymouth Protest" --------- Date: 97-11-27 22:05:52 EST From: Naupaka1 Subj: letter of Plymouth Protest <><><><><><><>NASC NEWS<><><><><><><> Kwai Swan ~ Today I received word from my sister in Massachusetts that our step mother had been a part of a quiet protest at Plymouth Rock today. She tells me that among the many tribes that were present, Elders, my step mother Firewoman who is in her 70's and is an asthmatic, and Grandfather Oak who will be 97 were attacked with tear gas and clubbed for their part in the protest....My family is looking into civil and human rights violations and at this time are asking to get the word out to the people that this senseless act of violence is intolerable. How much trouble and violence can a 70 year old woman and a 97 year old man stir up to cause such physical abuse?.....If there is anyone who can help them or is interested in this event, we would appreciate hearing from you..... Thank you very much from my family and all of our relations... --------- "RE: Plymouth Rocked by Police Violence" --------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 19:29:28 -0500 (EST) From: Mahtowin Munro & Moonanum James Subj: Plymouth Rocked by Police Violence UUCP email We would appreciate your disseminating this. The AP and other stories are not very accurate. We also would appreciate your relaying this to Grandpa Bear if you are still in touch with him. Thank you. [Sisters and brothers: We are the organizers of National Day of Mourning in Plymouth. This is the statement that we gave at a press conference today following the arraignment of some of us who were arrested following a police attack on us in Plymouth on "Thanksgiving" day. The balance of the people who were arrested will be arraigned on Tuesday morning. As far as we know, although there were some injuries on our side, no one was seriously harmed. Please share our statement with others so that they may know how the cops assaulted Indian people in Plymouth on Thanksgiving day. We will keep folks updated.] United American Indians of New England P.O. Box 7501; Quincy, MA 02269 Telephone 617-773-0406; e-mail: uaine19@idt.net UAINE STATEMENT November 28, 1997 This year, we chose to let the Pilgrim Progress parade march without interference from us. We were not even in town when they marched. Our leaving them alone made no difference to the cops and to the town fathers of Plymouth. Clearly, the only ones with a right to march in Plymouth are the descendants of the Pilgrims. Clearly, the only ones with a right to speak in Plymouth are the descendants of the Pilgrims. Every inch of this land is Indian land. We do not need a permit to march on this land. We do not need a permit to assemble on this land. We do not need a permit to raise our voices in protest. Plymouth was turned into an armed camp of cops yesterday. The racism and cruelty of "America's Home Town" were on display for the world to see. Yesterday, the cops conducted a carefully orchestrated campaign of harassment and brutality. As supporters began to arrive for National Day of Mourning, cops were videotaping them. They had police informers planted in the crowd. Our negotiators made every effort to speak to the cops about our marching peacefully. The cops refused to talk with them. They gave no warning before they charged into the crowd and began making arrests. We had women and children grouped at the front of the march to make it clear that we did not want a confrontation. The cops did not care. The cop assault was completely unprovoked. They arrested 25 of us. They knocked people to the ground and forced pepper spray into their mouths and eyes. They even put pepper spray into the eyes of an 8-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy. They arrested a Penobscot elder and medicine person, Sam Sapiel. They arrested people who had stepped to the sidewalk and tried to get away. They knocked people to the ground and then charged them with assault and battery. Clearly the town of Plymouth, the Plymouth police, Massachusetts state troopers and other police forces have declared war on Native Americans and those who support our struggle. We will not be intimidated by these police terror tactics. We have all of this on videotape. There is no doubt but that we are telling the truth about what happened. Every single person arrested yesterday was guilty of only one thing: daring to stand up and support the Native struggle. We want to thank all of the people -- from the four directions -- who were arrested yesterday for staying strong. We want the press to know that the cops were particularly brutal to our Black sisters and brothers who stood with us. We would also like to thank those who stood by us by raising bail money and rallying outside of the Plymouth Police station until each of us was released. Word has spread quickly about the police riot in Plymouth yesterday. We have phone calls and e-mails pouring in from Native people and non-Native supporters everywhere, asking what they can do to help us. If the powers that be think that we are going to be intimidated by their police terror tactics, they are wrong. It will only strengthen the resolve of United American Indians of New England and many others to fight back against racism and police brutality. We have come to Plymouth every year since 1970 for National Day of Mourning. We will not stop coming to Plymouth. We will continue to raise our voices in protest. We are not vanishing. We are not conquered. We are as strong as ever. --------- "RE: More on Plymouth Travesty" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 09:11:22 -0500 (EST) From: FirehairSS@aol.com Subj: More on Plymouth Travesty UUCP email As I keep mentioning---these People are known to me personally--which is no pat on my back, but, having worked with, danced and talked with, sat at the campfire with--- please know, these are good People who do the best they can ---are not rabble rousers or out for trouble. What has happened at Plymouth is mind boggling---there has been nothing on the news down here--two personal posts to me have stated the coverage was not all that big, is dwindling---what does that tell us? We saw Rodney King how many thousand times in CA, and the Long Island incident? ------- FORWARD, Original message follows ------- Date: Fri, Nov 28, 1997 7:35 PM EDT From: Seaspirit5 My dear friends, My name is Mishanagqus and I am the youngest daughter of Firewoman Emerton, one of the elders attacked yesterday in Plymouth MA. I would first of all like to thank you for your thoughts and prayers, as well as your ear last evening when my youngest son was so very distraught over the assault on our people, including his grandmother. My understanding from my mother today is that this was an unprovoked, "let's get rid of them", type of attack, which was planned. The small town of Plymouth, MA is not in any position to have readily available to them approximately 150 police officers armed with pepper gas, mace, tear gas, and billy clubs. The previous day there was an article in the Plymouth paper which was meant to scare our people into staying away from our day of mourning ceremonies, (which include prayers and words of wisdom from our elders about what we must do to protect our children from having their culture wiped out). The article said that the authorities would take what ever steps were necessary to keep the "indians" from interfering with their thanksgiving day parade.....but interference was not the purpose nor the intention of our gathering. This is always a peaceful time for gathering and reflecting on the betrayal of trust which our ancestors suffered, and a time for helping our children to understand the significance of education to preserve and protect what little remains of our Nation. We always get together after the gathering at the statue of Massasoit and our elders and leaders have spoken, and we have a feast of thanksgiving.....not so unlike the thanksgiving feast which is celebrated by the new comers to our land. This attack was much worse than any media have shown you.....in fact it was more like a Police riot against our people. We have members of our Nation who video recorded this attack as well as the gathering prior to the assault. It is clearly and concisely a racial attack which not only violated our civil rights as human beings, but also caused much physical harm to our people. Some elders were taken to the hospital on stretchers....the extent of their injuries is unknown to me at this time, however I beg you please do not let this attack go un-noticed. It is not my intent to fuel any fires, but please let every tribe within every Nation know that this is REAL, it happened, it happens more than many are aware of. The question of how can anyone help is being presented as I write. This is a tough time of the year financially for everyone, however, there will be a "victim" fund established to help with legal fees and medical bills. If it will not take away from your own family, and you would like to help in that way, please contact Firewoman at: Menahan@AOL.com She will be happy to provide interviews to any and all organizations as well as media. The local television stations in MA will be given an opportunity to hear the reality of what happened in Plymouth and there has been some response from reporters for those stations which we feel is positive. We simply need to let the U.S. government know that we are still being abused and our civil rights are still being violated and now this has gone a step further. ....we could easily have lost lives in this attack. Our young warriors sheltered those who could not withstand this attack, with their own bodies. Many of them are beaten badly. Please feel free to contact Firewoman at the above address for further factual information. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you once again. Mishanagqus --------- "RE: Plymouth Issue Help" --------- Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 08:17:33 -0500 (EST) From: FirehairSS@aol.com Subj: How to help, where to send--Plymouth issue UUCP email Kwai Firehair and All Who Are Concerned - At this time, I am receiving word from Firewoman, who has instructed me and all those who are concerned to continue in a phone call campaign to the representatives listed below and also let (those who are able) know that a fund for the victims has been set up at the Inter-Tribal Council of Tolba Menahan and the address for that is: I.C.T.M. P.O. BOX 440384 West Somerville, MA 02144 This contribution campaign is strictly to benefit those people who were assaulted in the Plymouth incident for medical expenses, legal fees and other related attack costs. These contributions are not intended to cause any hardship or financial burden to others at a time when we are all struggling to pay for heat, etc. To anyone contributing it should clearly say: Plymouth Victims Fund on the envelope. There are ways to help without a contribution, and that is the phone call campaign to voice opinions about the civil rights violations and our outrage at the excessive force used . All that you do is greatly appreciated, I will be thankful for your help. Peace and be well, Naupaka (Athenia Williams) CNN - Feedback (Keyword to: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/) Massachusetts Government (Keyword to: aol://4344:341.ag4govt.1399183.518881189) SENATOR THERESE MURRAY (Keyword to: http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/legis/member/t_m0.htm) http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/legis/member/t_m0.htm SENATOR THERESE MURRAY Room 511-C State House Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: (617) 722-1330 Fax No.: (617) 722-1072 Murray@senate.state.ma.us State House E-Mail Address: TMurray@senate.state.ma.us District Office 225 South Water Street Plymouth, MA 02360 Telephone: (508) 746-9332 Party Affiliation - DEMOCRAT DISTRICT REPRESENTED: PLYMOUTH AND BARNSTABLE. - Hanson, Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton and Wareham, in the county of Plymouth; and Bourne, Falmouth, precincts numbered one, two, three, five, six and eight, and Sandwich, in the county of Barnstable. EDUCATION: Midwest Academy, '74; Northeastern University; El Camino College. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPH R. GALLITANO (Keyword to: http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/legis/member/jrg1.htm) http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/legis/member/jrg1.htm Room 39 State House Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: (617) 722-2240 Party Affiliation - DEMOCRAT E-Mail Address: Rep.JosephGallitano@state.ma.us DISTRICT REPRESENTED: precincts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and twelve, of the town of Plymouth, in the county of Plymouth. EDUCATION: Boston University, B.S. '68; New England School of Law, J.D. '74. PROFESSION: Attorney. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS J. O'BRIEN (Keyword to: http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/legis/member/tjo1.htm) http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/legis/member/tjo1.htm Room 33 State House Boston, MA 02133 Telephone: (617) 722-2060 Party Affiliation - DEMOCRAT E-Mail Address: Rep.ThomasO'Brien@state.ma.us America's Homepage!! Plymouth,MA (Keyword to: http://media3.com/plymouth/) http://media3.com/plymouth/ Mass Governors E-Mail Address (Keyword to: wweld@state.ma.us) --------- "RE: Still No Dudley George Inquiry" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 22:48:55 -0800 From: SISIS@envirolink.org (S.I.S.I.S.) Subj: Still no inquiry into death of Dudley George :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:Forwarded message:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 21:03:09 -0400 (EDT) From: thassan@trentu.ca Subject: Still no inquiry into death of Dudley George Ontario: Still no commitment for an Inquiry into the death of Dudley George by Jen Metcalfe Evidence of the Ontario government's involvement in the shooting death of Dudley George continues to emerge despite denials of any connection by Premier Mike Harris. It has been over two years since Dudley George was shot and killed by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sergeant Kenneth Deane. Calls for a public inquiry into his death continue to be ignored by Queen's Park. In early September 1995, Aazhoodenaang (Stoney Point First Nation) members moved into a part of their original reserve that contains a burial ground. This land was made into Ipperwash Provincial Park by the Ontario government in 1936. The remaining reserve land was appropriated by the federal government in 1942 in an abuse of the War Measures Act. Stoney Point members were displaced across Ontario. Some were able to purchase low-quality land at the neighbouring Kettle Points reserve. Some Stoney Point members returned to their reserve in 1992. A year earlier, an elder had been buried at Stoney Point which emphasized the importance of Stoney Point members being able to return to their reserve. Also 1992 marked the 50th anniversary of expulsion of Stoney Point members which further inspired thoughts of returning home. Since 1992, Stoney Point members have been living on their reserve. The OPP did not take large-scale action against the Stoney Point members' return home until September 1995. The OPP called on the Canadian army for military equipment which included two Huey helicopters, armoured personnel carriers, gas masks, night vision goggles and equipment for intercepting cellular telephone calls. Two hundred and fifty OPP officers were sent to Stoney Point to confront about 35 Stoney Point members, including children. "My brother Dudley died for the struggle for the self-determination of Stoney Point and the protection of our sacred burial grounds. And just because Sergeant Deane has [been charged with] pulling the trigger and killing Dudley...this doesn't mean it's over," said Pierre George, Dudley George's brother, at a demonstration in Toronto last May. "Mike Harris's press secretary said 'Mike Harris has been very upfront and open and honest about his own position.' Well Mike Harris, let's be honest and upfront. Give us a commitment for a date for a public inquiry," George said. According to opposition MPP Gerry Phillips, evidence contradicts Harris's claim that he had no involvement in what happened on September 6, 1995 at Stoney Point. On May 29, 1996 the Toronto Star reported that they had obtained evidence of a secret meeting held the day before Dudley George was killed. Participants of the meeting included: Deb Hutton, a key advisor to Mike Harris; MPP Dan Newman, assistant to Attorney General and Minister of Indian Affairs Charles Harnick; and OPP Superintendent Ron Fox. Representatives from the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat and the Ministry of Natural Resources are also reported to have been present. Notes to this meeting were leaked to the public in July 1997. The notes state that "public safety and removing the trespassers from the park are the key objectives." The former chief of Kettle Point, Tom Bressette, said that he was informed that the order to "get those fucking Indians out of the park, even if you have to draw guns" was given at the meeting. Memos were faxed between Lambton County MPP Marcel Beaubien's office and Queen's Park regarding their intentions about the people at Stoney Point. A September 5, 1995 fax from Marcel Beaubien's office says: "We are not dealing with your decent native citizen, we are dealing with thugs....Enough is enough. Where is the leadership from not only the provincial officials, but the federal officials....We must come to our senses and take back control before something irreparable happens." The next day Dudley George was killed. Even Brian Adkin, president of the Ontario Police Association (OPA), would like to see an inquiry take place. "I hope that the resources that would be attached to an inquiry would be used to deal with this issue and solve the problems," he said after Deane was convicted of killing Dudley George. "There's problems with all levels of government here in looking after these situations....Our members are in the middle of it," Adkin said. The OPA is supporting Deane in an appeal of his conviction. Harris still refuses to hold a public inquiry because, he says, there are still matters before the courts. However, the precedent exists to hold an inquiry while court hearings proceed. Still, opposition members, Stoney Point members, Kettle Point members and human rights activists say they would settle for Harris to commit to a public inquiry after the completion of court cases. Included in the organizations calling for a public inquiry are the Canadian Alliance in Solidarity with Native Peoples, the Chiefs of Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Labour, the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, Amnesty International and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Members of Dudley George's family from Kettle Point are holding a demonstration to call for an inquiry in Toronto on Saturday, November 18 at 11:00 a.m. at Queen's Park. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:End forwarded message:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: The petition demanding a public inquiry into Dudley George's death is posted at: To sign by email: send a message to with "petition in the subject header and "I support the Stoney Point petition" along with your name and your city/province of residence in the body of your message. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: S.I.S.I.S. Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty P.O. Box 8673, Victoria, "B.C." "Canada" V8X 3S2 EMAIL: SISIS@envirolink.org WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html SOVERNET-L is a news-only listserv concerned with indigenous sovereigntist struggles around the world. To subscribe, send "subscribe sovernet-l" in the body of an email message to For more information on sovernet-l, contact S.I.S.I.S. --------- "RE: Aboriginal Radio Proposal Loses" --------- Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 17:30:14 -0500 From: ishgooda Subj: Aboriginal radio proposal loses out December, 1997 Aboriginal radio proposal loses out By Paul Barnsley Windspeaker Staff Writer TORONTO An Ontario radio station owner tried to invest almost $2 million towards establishing a national Aboriginal radio network but he couldn't get a broadcasting license from the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission. Doug Bingley, controlling shareholder of Barrie's Rock 95 FM, said he learned a lot about the frustrations that Aboriginal people encounter when they deal with the federal government after he attempted to obtain a space on the FM dial for a joint venture with Aboriginal Voices, an Aboriginal-owned quarterly magazine that is based in Toronto. "The Broadcasting Act and CRTC policy encourages Aboriginal participation," Bingley said. "Based on that, the frequency should have been awarded to our proposal. But it wasn't. I see Aboriginal broadcasting as a big issue. I read the policy and interpreted it to mean that if we were willing to assist Aboriginal broadcasting then the CRTC would give us a license. But they gave the frequency to the CBC. That decision makes the policy look like so much lip service paid to Aboriginal interests. My attitude is: if you're not going to do it, say you're not going to do it. Don't make some dopey policy and then ignore it." Bingley's proposal received the least attention during the high-profile, much reported process that led to the decision to give the vacant 99.1 FM frequency to the CBC. The decision was announced last July. The change-over will take place in March. The media in Toronto focused on the CBC and on another proposal that would have established a station to serve the black community in the Ontario capital region. Bingley feels his proposal was the best when considered in the light of written legislation and policy. He suspects that the decision was influenced by political considerations. After several years of drastic federal funding cuts, there was public pressure on Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps to help CBC Radio. Some observers feel the decision indicates the commissioners felt that pressure. "That's what I sensed," Bingley said. Gary Farmer, the publisher of Aboriginal Voices, has no doubt that political issues were played out in the CRTC decision, but he believes the project will soon become a reality anyway. The actor, with several Hollywood motion picture credits on his resume, is from the Six Nations reserve in southern Ontario. When contacted for his comments, he was making plans for a live broadcast during the annual Toronto SkyDome Powwow in late November. He said that there are two other vacant radio frequencies that could be obtained in the near future. Either could be used to broadcast from a transmitter on top of Toronto's CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing structure. That would ensure wide distribution of the signal in the huge southern Ontario market. Bingley and Farmer said their long-term goal is to use satellite technology to spread the signal across the entire country, creating a national Aboriginal radio network. "The decision put us back by a year," Farmer said. "We should be there, at the most, two years from now." For Bingley, a non-Aboriginal businessman, this process has been a revelation. "It's the first time I've wandered down the Aboriginal path and the impression I got from the bureaucrats was 'We'll get around to you.' That's always the case, it seems. They put it off for a year, then 10 years go by, then 100 years go by and nothing happens," he said. "In the mainstream, you get a vague understanding of Aboriginal issues as you watch them from the periphery. But I saw it first hand." Bingley believes the CBC could have fixed the problems they were having with the AM 740 spot on the dial, a channel the public broadcaster has used for more than 60 years. They should not have been in the running for the FM frequency, he believes. He said he believes in the system. He is a part of the broadcasting system and believes it has treated him fairly for the most part. That just makes it more puzzling for him that, after he allied himself with an Aboriginal group, the system seemed to stop working the way it should. "It appears Native people have once again been betrayed by the system," he wrote in a letter to the editor that was published in the Globe & Mail on Oct. 14. "I hope that's not the case. An appeal to the minister for a review of the CRTC decision by Bingley (and several other groups) met with no response. CRTC sources insist there was no political influence behind the decision. Ian Morrison, spokesman for the Friends of Public Broadcasting, a group that watches CRTC decisions and other developments in the Canadian broadcasting business, said the CBC needed to make the change because the AM 740 frequency was unreliable. "Our position is if CBC programming is available on Baffin Island and every other remote part of this country then it should be available clearly in downtown Toronto or Hamilton," he said. "There were five million people affected by this. They wanted a strong CBC signal in the Toronto market." <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{FREE LEONARD PELTIER}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> END RACIAL BIGOTRY NOW: HURON/WENDAT newsletter AIM - DETROIT Tsonkwadiyonrat (Now we are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton <<<<=-=-=-=-=-{{{{FREE LEONARD PELTIER}}}}-=-=-=-=-=>>>> --------- "RE: Onondaga Nation Longhouse Press Release" --------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 18:53:49 -0500 (EST) From: Onkwe@aol.com Subj: Onondaga Nation Longhouse Press Release UUCP email This press release is to correct an erroneous report in the Sunday Herald American on November 16, 1997. The Metro page featured a picture of Kenneth Papineau (banished from the Onondaga Nation, June 1994) moving a cement block from his former premises. The caption "Lifting Blockade" is incorrect. The blockade remains in effect until it is lifted by the Onondaga Council of Chiefs. The rules and regulations, developed by Clan meetings and participated in by these individuals, was passed into law in 1991. The regulations require a license from the Onondaga Council of Chiefs in order to sell cigarettes or open any business. It's the law of the Land. Veronica Papineau, Kenneth's wife, quoted in the article, was also banished at the same time as Kenneth. The couple were banished for trying to over throw the traditional government and refusing to pay millions of dollars owed in back payments to the Onondaga Nation for a period of over six years. Their agenda remains the same today. The Papineaus and their children Kent and Michelle have continually tried to disrupt and obstruct the Onondaga Nation's efforts to regulate commerce on its territory. Their present activity is a reactivation of several years of turmoil on the territory. The community, led by the determined women of Onondaga, closed the three businesses that refused to contribute to the nation. We ask the public at large to stay away from this new attempt to usurp the lawful process of regulating commerce on the Onondaga Nation territory. There is only one authorized cigarette business, Freems Place, run by Kevin Bucktooth and sanctioned by the nation. The attempts to force open three businesses, one run by the Papineaus and one run by Gary Shenandoah and one by Andrew Jones will challenge the peace in the surrounding areas. Their actions and lack of respect for one of the last standing traditional governments in North America indicates how little they regard their heritage and government. This is not the first time they have interfered in the lawful process of government, Veronica and Kenneth Papineau figured prominently in the defeat of Leigh Hunt's run for Onondaga County Sheriff in 1994. Veronica Papineau gave Leigh Hunt $50,000.00 in cash in a brown bag late at night in a Burger King parking lot. This illegal transaction came to light several days before the Sheriff of Onondaga County election and resulted in Leigh Hunt being defeated in the election. This widely published event certainly contributed to the outcome of this election. Now again, these individuals attempt to overthrow the Way of Life of the Great Law of Peace. They betray the people and themselves. They bring strife and turmoil without vision to their children. They bring greed as their primary principle. We close with a repeat of our request for the people at large to stay away from this attempt to usurp the Onondaga Nation's lawful process of regulating the trade and commerce within our territory. Dawnaytoh Onondaga Council of Chiefs and Clan Mothers From Indian Time Akwesasne Mohawk Nation Territory P.O. Box 196, Rooseveltown, New York 13683-0196 Volume 15 #44 November 21, 1997 --------- "RE: Why is ADM Out of Kahnawake" --------- Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 14:12:35 -0700 From: mnation@axcess.net Subj: WHY ADM IS OUT OF KAHNAWAKE MNN. MOHAWK NATION NEWS. 22 Nov 97. The following is a reprint from the "Mohawk Times", Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, Tuesday, November 11, 1997 issue. The statements expressed are those of the 'Times' which were placed in all the mailboxes in Kahnawake. WHY DID MCK PUT ADM PROJECT 'ON HOLD'? Why ADM is out: * Kahnawakeronon fought very hard protecting th land and future of Kahnawake Survival School. * Imminent shortage of Kahnawake land. * ADM: a very rich, big company with a bad reputation. * No community consultation, secrecy of project details, little trust in MCK. * Poor environmental report. * No guarantee of construction, custodial, secretarial or managerial jobs. * The relationship between Earth's economic globalization, multinational corporations, Royal Commission on Aboriginal People and self-Government. Joe Norton, Kahnawake head MCK Band Councillor, signed a permit last April leasing 24 acres of waterfront to multinational food giant, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), to build a 4-wilo, 100 foot high, grain-storage facility. This proposed facility was to be be built 300 feet from the Kahnawake Survival School, at the north-eastern edge of the community. It is strongly felt that such an agreement would have begun the corporate occupation of Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. This view is supported by ADM's questionable business and environmental record, the people who are on ADM's Board of Directors, and the documented effects of multinational corporations in other countries. Since the Self-Government agreement was signed, forcing Native communities to become more like municipalities, the Band Council has been committed to finding ways for Kahnawake to become 'economically self-sufficient'. Unfortunately, the self-Government deal stresses that self-sufficiency be found rather quickly, putting the Band Council in a position to find quick and easy economic solutions. The ADM project was one such solution, and our fight to stop the project has brought many people 'to one mind', and uncovered some very interesting facts indeed. Late this past September, the students, staff, and parents of the Kahnawake Survival School marched from the school to the band Council Office and presented Norton with a petition against the project. When this petition was ignored, they began to research the project, visited gain storage facilities in Sorel and Trois Rivieres in Quebec, and launched a community awareness project, citing that ADM would pollute the school with grain dust and pesticides, invite hordes of rats and sea gulls, and put them in danger of possible explosion and heavy truck traffic. An aggressive media and Internet campaign, a second march to the ADM site, and the occupation of the site's entrance, resulted late last week in the temporary suspension of the project and the removal of the ADM trailers and staff from the site last Monday. The MCK officially told Kahnawakeronon last week that the ADM project is on hold. Before it resurfaces, there are matters which we should all be aware of. FIRST, the Band Council did not adequately consult the community of the details of the ADM project. Communal consent, called a 'plebiscite', was also not obtained. Perhaps this secrecy is due, in part, to an alleged section in the Indian Act which states that Band Councils do not need permission of the people to develop lands that are zoned as 'commercial lands'. Since the land behind the school is commercial land, the Band Council did not need our consent to bring ADM here. MCK Consultant, Pat Apikan, described and answered questions about the project on behalf of the Council. Pat Apikan is neither from nor grew up in Kahnawake. Though he is married to a Kahnawakeronon, he has no children here. Why does the MCK seem to rely more on the advice of someone who possibly has no vested interest in the community, rather than listening to the advice of the people, especially the women who are the title-holders of the land? Finally, in the Eastern Door, Pat Apikan is quoted, "We had heard of the opposition to the project but we never received any petition or documentation of that opposition". What, exactly, is the 'proper' way that we are supposed to voice our opposition? SECOND, having read the environmental assessment, the Kahnawake Environment Office gave its unqualified support to the ADM project. Despite this, there was a lot of environmental opposition to this project. Having head this opposition, the Band Council, if they are as community-spirited as they claim, could have at the very least drawn up similar environmental regulations as those of the provincial and federal governments. Who would have enforced these regulations under the present policing agreement is another matter. An environmental engineer who taught at Boston University reviewed the ADM environmental impact study. Mainly, he found that: 1) the environmental study deals only with the first phase of the project, and not the second or third phases that have been proposed in the long-term; 2) the section on pesticides is "grossly inefficient", given the possibility of long-term effects on the contamination of ground-water, wells, and Seaway fish and aquaculture; 3) the section on dust particles is not specific enough; and 4) the impact of increased truck traffic and noise to the school has not been considered at all because the land is considered commercial. Inspec-Sol, the company that did the environmental assessment, was hired by ADM and is therefore biased. Unfortunately, this is the usual practice and means of doing an environmental assessment, which means that we should always be critical of these reports and get an impartial, qualified, second opinion. THIRD, the Band Council is constantly stating that this project will bring about 8 to 12 permanent jobs to the community, as well as many temporary jobs during the silos' construction. So far, there has been no guarantee for these jobs. In light of the firing of a security guard for allowing a Kahnawakeronon into the site who got hold of the permit, the firing of a secretary who asked too many questions, and the present secretarial employment of a non-Indian woman, raises questions as to who will be given these jobs. Interestingly, ADM employees stated that the Kahnawakeronon sub-contractor who repaired the site hired non-Native workers and received approximately $100,000 from the Department of Indian Affairs. Finally, it should be stated that if a large company like general Foods needs to pick up grain or grain products from the ADM facility, they will likely contract a hugh specialized trucking company like Kenworth or Kingsway. it is unlikely that a Kahnawake trucking business will be contracted as they would find it hard to get the amount of money needed to be part of this competitive business. FOURTH, in a KRK 103.7 radio interview, when asked about the integrity of ADM, Head Band Councillor Joe Norton said that ADM in the united States is not the same company as ADM in Canada, and that these companies, in fact, compete with each other. Soo, what is the integrity of ADM in the U.S.? WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT ADM, A MULTINATIONAL? ADM recently agreed to plead guilty to two criminal charges and pay $100 million dollars in penalties relating to price fixing of agricultural products. This plea bargain was arranged by an ADM Director, Brian Mulroney (Remember him?). ADM also recently agreed to pay $90 million to settle shareholder and anti-trust lawsuits. ADM can afford to pay out this kind of money because it is one of the world's four largest food cartels. Also, the U.S. government subsidizes everything from corn to ethanol. One ethanol subsidy alone gives ADM #2.1 billion. Being a food cartel means that ADM is a multinational corporation. A series of agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), spearheaded by Brian Mulroney, and its related agreement, the Multi-lateral Agreement on Investment (MIA), have allowed multinational corporations to set up shop in most countries without having to pay tariffs or follow environmental or labour laws. These multinational corporations are not answerable to any governments, only to themselves. Public pressure aimed at their shareholders is the general way in which these multinational corporations are kept in line. Agreements like NAFTA and MAI have made it easier for these multinational corporations to directly come into Native communities across the Americas. CAN WE TRUST THE MCK WITH OUT FUTURE? ADM wants to come to Kahnawake because there are neither environmental regulations nor ways to enforce them, Kahnawake has tax-free status, and the proposed site has easy railway, road, and water links to world-wide destinations. We should be worried about ADM trying to set up here because of their public record. Though ADM has many TV commercials in the United States showing their humanitarian efforts to give food to famine victims in developing countries, they are putting small farmers in Canada and the United States out of business. Singers Willie Nelson, Neil Young and others have put on FARM-AID concerts against ADM. Do we really want such a large, powerful and corrupt corporation in our community? The question remains, is long-term pollution, eventual expansion, no guarantee of jobs in construction, custodial, secretarial, or managerial positions, health risks to our children, and the gradual disappearance of Kahnawake's lands, worth $220,000 a year? The MCK's secrecy about their past, present and future operations have touched a deep nerve in Kahnawake. Many Kahnawakeronon are becoming alarmed with the continuous presence of the shady groups and secret deals in the community. Bringing in ADM is not the first of these episodes. In 1994 the MCK tried to bring in a shifty casino group from the United States until a referendum stopped the project. Last fall, in 1996, the MCK brought in another casino run by people with links to organized crime. After pressure from the People, surrounding governments, and media, this Casino closed down. Finally, background checks in the united States of Aviation Resources Incorporated and possible affiliated companies, in which the MCK will be investing $4 million in band funds, have come up with nothing. In other words, this company is not known by legitimate aviation companies in the field. It seems to be contradictory to be both in charge of administering band funds as well as developing businesses. It is the STRUCTURE of the band council system, and the practice of secrecy and NON-ACCOUNTABILITY which makes it easy for people to accuse band councilors of corruption and abuses of power. Perhaps it is time for all Kahnawakeronon to work together to put into force the 1979 Kahnawake Referendum to return to the Kaianerekowa, the traditional government of the Iroquois Confederacy. PEACE, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND POWER PEACE: If we all carried out the Small Condolence Ceremony, and allowed ourselves to sit with one another and discuss the future of the Kanienkehaka, we could make and keep the Peace in our communities. RIGHTEOUSNESS: Let's concentrate on doing things in a morally correct way, working together until we find jobs for men, women and young people in Kanawake, in the spirit of the Seven Generations. POWER: Let's learn about the Globalization of the Earth, and our role in preserving her and our existence. We need to learn about these things, because, more than ever, if we are to survive and carry out our original instructions, we have to accept the fact that Knowledge is Power. The Big Picture: Earth's Economic Globalization There is a non-official effort to take and sell the last of the world's natural resources, most of which are found on Indigenous lands. In Canada, the main recommendation of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People is to replace the Royal Proclamation of 1763 with a new treaty under the Canadian Constitution. The Proclamation confirms our sovereignty, nationhood and ownership of North America. The new treaty will set up Super Band Councils under the guise of self-Government. These Councils will negotiate the land claims settlements; the money will be put into banks, and our land can be used as collateral for Band Council initiated ventures. When these ventures fail, our lands and resources will belong to the banks and multinational corporations, like in developing countries. Also, since Indigenous people in the Americas have become skeptical of big businesses coming into their territories, large companies and government agencies like NGO's are hiring brown faces to bring their businesses into these unsuspecting communities. For example, Apikan Indigenous Network (AIN) is a company that acts as a liaison between big business and Indigenous communities. Though AIN claims that their motives are well-meaning, it is the opinion that they are helping big businesses open up the lands and resources of Indigenous communities. AIN allegedly receives money from the Inter-American Development Bank, which is a division of the World Bank. The World Bank lends money to underdeveloped countries. Then the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sets the terms of this loan and has a role in setting the value of the country's currency and interest rates. When a country cannot repay its loan, their resources are seized, and they are pressured to open their borders to multinational corporations. AIN has admitted to facilitating many projects in Canada and Latin America. Two such projects are 1) the Belize Highway Seven construction project through Mayan lands, funded by Kuwait, Taiwan, and the UK. When completed, this road will be a vital artery for the transportation of goods out of the area to foreign markets, and will allow the army to enter into once forbidden territory; 2)since the late 1980's Indigenous groups like the Ngobes have been protesting the Panamanian government who are giving up their lands to foreign interests. These protests have been met with jail land sometimes death at the hands of the police. Here, AIN proposed to Canadian-owned Rio Tinto Zinc, to develop "a good working relationship with indigenous groups", who are "costing the mining industry millions of dollars". In Canada, when a forestry company owned by the Meadow Lake Tribal Council in Saskatchewan was stopped from clear cutting reserve lands by the traditional people, it is believed that AIN helped them move their operations to Nicaragua. This company is now clear cutting the land of the Miskito Indians. So, here we have big business evading tariffs and environmental and labour laws, coming into Indigenous territories partly made possible through consultants like AIN. For clarification, the president of AIN is Simon Brascoupe, who is the brother of Pat Apikan, formerly Pat Brascoupe, the MCK economic Development consultant. Though both brothers are in the same line of work, Pat Apikan apparently does not work, nor every worked for AIN. SO WHY IS THIS IN YOUR MAIL? There is no forum in which people may express or debate their concerns in Kahnawake. As soon as we say anything critical of MCK,w e are censored from the KRK radio station, our letters and articles are edited from the Eastern Door newspaper, and we are publicly and personally ridiculed. Outside of Kahnawake, the media dilutes the emphasis of our words, and our voices remain silent. History, according to European society, is based on paper and documented proof. Anything that they do not want us to find out is simply not documented. Our history is oral, therefore, it is easy for them to dismiss it because there is no proof. Similarly, due to the secrecy surrounding the ADM and other projects, we only have pieces of information which we have to string together to make sense of what is going on. If we say one incorrect thing among many correct things, we are not considered credible. The system protects people who are in the wrong by limiting access to their documents. KAHNAWAKE: ANOTHER QUEBECOIS MUNICIPALITY? Early last week, Head MCK Councillor Joe Norton was the guest speaker at the McGill University Faculty Club. In his speech he mentioned, in effect, his concern "about the encroachment of multinational corporations on our reserves", and stated, "that Natives do not want compensation for past wrongs of the Canadian government - that all we want is an apology so that we can start our healing". An apology?! Wouldn't the TRUTH be better? If all we want is an apology, why don't we just forget about the seigneury Land Claim and the 9 million acres in new York State that belongs to Mohawks? Why don't we just stop calling ourselves Kanienkehaka, and let ourselves become another Quebecois municipality? Because that's all an apology will get us. When a Kahnawakeronon politely asked a question about the oppression people experience in Kahnawake, the chairman told him that he was "out of line" and that the Faculty Club is not the place for debate. The kahnawakeronon then stated that being told to be quiet was usual, and that it happened all the time at home. After this censoring by the chairman, the five Kahnawakeronon in the audience stood up and left the room together. After the meeting, Kahnawakeronon stayed and answered questions for over an hour. Many members of the audience expressed support, having read a brief outline for the ADM project and its controversies, then listening to the contradictory statements in Norton's speech. As there are no public forums where we can talk and listen to each other, this article has been put in your mail. If you have read this far you must be truly concerned about our future. For your time and attention, NIA:WEN KOWA --------- "RE: Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Land Scam" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Jan 1980 10:56:22 -0600 From: Bill Lawrence Subj: URGENT MCT land scam UUCP email Vote fraud suspected in land referendum By Jeff Armstrong For more than a year, the members of the six-reservation Minnesota Chippewa Tribe have soundly and repeatedly rejected a proposed final settlement of tribal claims to 800,000 acres of reservation lands. On Oct. 22, the Tribal Executive Committee formally turned it down, a fact which, like the previous votes, was brought to the attention of U.S. Justice Department attorney Pamela West. But the Justice Department apparently has as much trouble taking no for an answer as the TEC has refusing money. Five days after voting down the settlement for public consumption, the TEC "met" secretly by telephone and voted 7-1 with two abstentions to hold a mail order ballot administered by an accountant hired by the tribe. Four former TEC members are already serving federal prison sentences for corruption in office, including vote fraud. A TEC meeting on the claims is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1 at Grand Casino, Mille Lacs. After several months of refusing to schedule a legal referendum, the TEC at the last minute sent ballots to tribal members in mid-November and set a deadline of Nov. 24 for their return. MCT executive director Gary Frazer called it a "non-constitutional, binding referendum." Tribal members, many of whom never received the ballots, call it another betrayal of Anishinabe national interests through a fraudulent, illegal vote. "How many times do you gotta say no?" asked Tom Jones at a Nov. 24 Leech Lake general assembly. "It's not our land to sell. It belongs to our children and our grandchildren." Pointing to the fact that article XIV of the MCT Constitution requires 8 votes from the TEC to call a referendum, Dale Hanks registered a complaint with Frazer and called on the motion's sponsor to uphold the constitution. "Eli [Hunt] is the secretary of the TEC. Let's have another meeting with the TEC and hash this out. This referendum is totally illegal in terms of how they drew it," Hanks said. "All these things that were done under Wadena's regime are still being done. There's been no corrections." Many complained of irregularities in the mailing of ballots and in the process itself. The ballots came on a single page folded over and sent on mailing labels including enrollment numbers. With a box for yes or no, the votes could be easily viewed from the sides or when held up to the light. There is also no requirement for the ballots to be notarized or otherwise confirmed as to the identity of the voter. Judging by accounts of those who received no ballot at all, insufficient ballots, or extra ballots, the mailing list was at least 8 years old. Frank Reese said his adult family members regularly receive the MCT tribal newspaper, yet less than half of them were mailed a ballot. "All five of us got the paper, but only two of us got the ballots." Harold Monroe said the same thing happened in his family, and Leech Lake chairman Eli Hunt said even he did not receive a ballot. Several tribal members urged Hunt to apply the same standards of documentation to the land balloting as to his recall petition led by three RBC members under federal fraud investigation. In the latter case, Hunt denounced the use of a non- Indian CPA to validate unnotarized signatures, which he termed "insulting. " Very similar procedures are being followed on the land issue, but Hunt said he had no intention of violating the constitution in sponsoring the referendum motion. He agreed to meet with concerned tribal members later this week towards resolving the dispute at the TEC level. Frazer said the tribe did not closely monitor the ballots, but that "25-26,000" were sent out. The tribal administrator said "only about 7,500" came back for incorrect address. As for confidentiality, Frazer said the mailing labels were detachable. The ballots were collected and tabulated by Gonvick CPA Carol Peterson, who refused to reveal the results or to disclose whether she had turned them over to the tribe when contacted Tuesday afternoon. "Where did you get my name?" demanded Peterson in response to a question from the Press. Asked what assurances she could provide that there was no fraud in the vote-counting, Peterson said, "I think you better talk to the tribe." Tribal members charged that the federal claims court, the U.S. Justice Department and the BIA are in effect conspiring with corrupt tribal officials and their attorneys to deprive the people of their civil and inherent rights. "The Nelson Act was a totally illegal document that was forced upon us," Hanks said. "Now it's through the bureaucracy that they're waging the war," he said. "If they approve it, it still acts as a piece of evidence that the corruption in the MCT continues." Numerous attempts have been made by tribal members to discuss the issue directly with the federal government. In a letter dated July 30, Anishinabe Advocates spokesperson Roxanne LaRose informed U.S. Attorney David Lillehaug, the local representative of the Justice Department, that the people rejected the settlement. "Yet it appears," LaRose wrote, "that both the state and federal governments are attempting to capitalize on the current political instability by pushing through land claims settlements and jurisdictional agreements which we feel could potentially harm us for years, if not generations, to come. The people have unanimously rejected the proposed settlement every time they've been able to get it on the agenda. "If you have any doubt about this statement, I encourage you to also hold a public hearing on this issue, as it is clear the RBC/TEC has no intention of doing so. The mere fact that the Justice Department keeps extending its deadline indicates that the settlement serves the interests of the federal government, not the Tribe," said LaRose. Lillehaug has yet to respond. --------- "RE: Byrd's Inauguration Videos" --------- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 18:35:59 -0600 From: Summerfield/Marvin&Linda Subj: Housing Authority Paid For Byrd's Inauguration Videos Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native The following article was published 11/24/97 in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix. It is posted courtesy of your only independent Cherokee newspaper, THE CHEROKEE OBSERVER. http://www.cherokeeobserver.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HOUSING AUTHORITY PAID FOR BYRD'S INAUGURATION VIDEOS But The Tribal Government Has Repaid Less Than One-Fourth Of The Cost By Donna Hales, Phoenix Staff Writer The Cherokee Nation Housing Authority paid $55,433 to produce 2,500 copies of a video of Chief Joe Byrd's 1995 inauguration, records show. But the tribal government has repaid less than one-fourth of the amount, accountants found. Some Tribal Council members say the chief planned to sell the videotapes but there hasn't been a market for them. Many have been given to schools, said Councilor Barbara Starr Scott. The revelation comes as the FBI is investigating whether Housing Authority funds were used in Byrd's campaign. Byrd has denied wrongdoing. The cost of the video is considered a government transition expense, rather than a campaign expense. Documents indicate the Housing authority picked up the total tab originally. The Cherokee Nation reimbursed the authority $13,340 in September 1996, more than a year after the video was produced. Accountants could find no records of other payments. Byrd was out of the state and couldn't be reached for comments Friday. The Tribal Council commissioned the Oklahoma City office of Peat Marwick, an accounting firm, to investigate who paid what for the video, along with details of other specific tribal expenses between October1995 and May 1997. Records show the tribe received only one invoice from the Housing Authority - for the $13,240. A draft report that Peat Marwick presented to councilors in October states the purchase order attached to a check request for the reimbursement was stamped :After the Fact." Accountants reported the purchase order was processed more than a year after the work was performed. The report also questioned why only one company, a Tulsa business, was considered to do the video work, saying the purchase order "implied there were no alternatives available in the selection of the vendor." Peak Marwick recommended: - Establishment of tribal policies addressing the correct method to select vendors. - Requiring purchase orders be prepared and authorized signature be documented before an item or service is purchased. Documents indicate Cherokee Nation Secretary-Treasurer Jennie Battles authorized the $13,340 payment to the Housing Authority. She is chief financial officer of the tribe and the former chief financial officer of the Housing Authority. Housing Authority documents say the Cherokee Nation Communications Department asked for help to defray some of the cost of making the video. The authority's check request indicated the "costs are reimbursable." The check request describes the cost as "Corporate sponsorship for inaugural activities." Joel Thompson, executive director of the Housing Authority, said Friday night that as far as he knows, the tribe doesn't owe the authority anything on the video. But he said he would be unable to go into details until he looked at authority records today. The tribe paid the $13,340 toward the video costs with a Sept. 25, 1996, check. The total of the check was $24,166.07 Records indicate the balance was reimbursement of $9,990 in salary for a housing authority employee who worked on Sequoyah High School and $826.07 in other chapel expenses as provided by the authority. The high school is operated by the Cherokee Nation, but is not connected to the Cherokee Nation Housing Authority which is a state agency. --------- "RE: Where the Yellowstone Buffalo Roam" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 97 12:05:48 -0500 From: "J.D.K. Chipps " Subj: Battle Grows UUCP email [Editorial Comment: Read this article with care. It is written by a mainstream newspaper that does not note The Church Universal and Triumphant is the same group that permitted bounty hunting of Bison on their property, then had Lakota Elder, Rosalie Little Thunder, arrested for praying for the Buffalo carcasses on church property. Neither does the article include the truth about brucellosis testing in then 1997 slaughter. Nor does it mention there is still no known transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle.] The Washington Post - Saturday, November 29, 1997; Page A16 Battle Grows Over Where the Yellowstone Buffalo Roam Activists Try to Halt Montana's Slaughter of Diseased Bison Despite Danger to Livestock By Mark Matthews Special to The Washington Post WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont.-The young men and women quietly trudge through the snowy woods just beyond the western boundary of Yellowstone National Park, shadowing bison that have wandered outside the park. Last year more than 1,100 bison were killed by Montana Department of Livestock officials after they left the park, either being trapped and shipped to slaughter or shot. The bison carry brucellosis, a disease that can be transmitted to cattle. The activists, who call themselves Buffalo Nation, intend to disrupt any slaughter this year with civil disobedience. "We have got people here who are willing to step in front of the guns," said Jeremy Lynch, a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe from Rapid City, S.D. "This is the last wild bison herd in the United States, and we want to keep them wild." They aren't the only ones. The Montana Wildlife Federation recently submitted a plan to state and federal officials that would allow the bison to roam out of the park like any other species of wildlife, then be managed with a licensed hunt. "We want to insure that any management plan treats the bison as wildlife," said the federation's Jim Richard. Federal and state officials who have been working on a draft environmental study due out this January seem to be leaning toward managing the bison as livestock. A copy of their preferred alternative so far, obtained by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, shows herd levels would be maintained at 1, 800 to 2,500, mostly by trapping excess animals in corrals. Those with brucellosis would be slaughtered, while uninfected animals would be put in quarantine and later given to Indian tribes or sent off to other public herds. As the herd dropped to the 1,800 level, only bison that tested positive would be sent to slaughter. Others would be marked and released back into the park. Officials are also discussing plans to vaccinate the herd against brucellosis. Richard contends there will be too much handling of the animals. "It would be easier to manage cattle that aren't even on that range in winter," Richard said. "We've got to let the bison have some room to roam outside the park." There is a chance to give the bison more breathing space at the park's northern entrance near Gardiner, Mont., said Jeanne-Marie Souvigney, head of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The Church Universal and Triumphant is willing to trade 6,000 acres of private land that borders the park for 1,000 Forest Service acres. Church officials say they will also put 1,850 neighboring acres into conservation easements dedicated to wildlife. "We hate to see the bison hunted," said spokeswoman Christina Sarlo. "It's horrible for us." The land swap would fill in holdings amidst church property, making it more valuable, Sarlo said. The Yellowstone Coalition is also negotiating with local ranchers to give up some grazing leases on National Forest land that abuts the park. "This area is important wildlife habitat," Souvigney said. "It is also home to elk, deer, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep." As it stands, government officials are ready to trap or shoot again this winter. However, one proposed plan may cut down on the number of wandering animals if another brutal winter forces them to lower elevations. That proposal, the preferred alternative of a draft Environmental Assessment on the effects of winter use of the park, would restrict snowmobile use on a 14-mile stretch of trail in the park's interior. Some biologists contend that grooming snowmobile trails makes it easier for the bison to migrate out of the park. Plus, the easy movement that the winter trails provide has also allowed more bison to survive rough winters, leading to overpopulation of the herds. Last winter, about 114,000 people zoomed around the park on snowmobiles. The port is a multimillion-dollar industry for gateway towns like West Yellowstone. Park officials estimate the trail closure could cost neighboring towns from $107,000 to $3.5 million. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) reacted to the threat against the tourism industry by submitting a bill to the Senate that would require the National Park Service to allow snowmobiling in the park and extend the winter season at Yellowstone. But in West Yellowstone, despite some early panic over erroneous reports that the entire park would be closed this winter, business owners seemed to be keeping an open mind. "I believe the best decision will be made," said Viki Eggers, director of the local Chamber of Commerce. "I'm optimistic because the draft EA states that they don't know yet how winter use affects the bison. I just don't want to see any closure of the park without the science to back it up." Local merchants are caught in the middle. They don't want to lose business, but they want the killing stopped. The ongoing slaughter has emotionally affected many of them. Two winters ago, gift shop owner Vickie Dyar, was stopped at a roadblock as sharpshooters leaned their guns across the hoods of vehicles to aim at bison that struggled through the snow. "If there wasn't anybody there to skin them and save the meat, they just dragged them off to the dump," she said. "It was pretty horrifying." Last winter, when a wayward bison sought refuge in a small barn on her property about nine miles outside the park, Dyar never thought of calling the authorities. Instead, she fed the animal for two months until the snow melted and it left on its own. Dyar says she wasn't the only member of the buffalo underground. "You'd see little clusters of bison in the areas where people threw out hay," she said. This winter, the buffalo underground could expand even more as Buffalo Nation organizers expect more human shields to arrive as winter progresses. "People are coming here from across the country," co-founder Michael Mease said. "Some will stay for a week. Some for a month. We're just starting to build our numbers." As of this week, about eight bull bison had left the park's sanctuary. So far, Department of Livestock officials have left them alone. On the day officials came to inspect the bison, the activists confronted them. After taking photographs, the officials left without accosting the bison. --------- "RE: Vaccines for Buffalo" --------- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 21:34:06 -0700 From: Phil Taylor Subj: Vaccines for Buffalo UUCP email There have been vaccines used on Buffalo, specifically Moise in Montana, that are and continue to be effective. But if you ask the administration and workers they will tell you that their program, in effect, is experimental and that there is no vaccine that works or that has been approved for Buffalo. Well my friends....the same vaccine used on cattle is effective against Buffalo and if APHIS, the Montana Veterinarian and all the others involved in this ridiculous effort to keep buffalo from grazing on federal lands ever tell the public the truth, the Buffalo will have a chance. There have been many discussions and reports about the efficacy of RB-19, the presently used brucellosis vaccine. Effectiveness rates of 65% have been thrown around as well as it is not effective in Buffalo. But when the smoke clears, some day you and the rest of the citizens of this country are going to know that Buffalo can be effectively vaccinated with RB-19. The real issue is money and politics. The ranchers (not all of them) have a lot of political power and the politicians of the western states yield to that power. In Montana, the governor yields to the pressures of ranchers whose cows graze on federal lands. It's as simple as that! Out of the entire number of cattle ranchers in the United States, about 13% have federal grazing allotments. They pay about $1.85 a month to graze a cow and calf (AUM). If you were to lease private land to graze the same cow and calf the cost would be $12.00 per month (low) to $17.00 per month (the high side). And when you have these federal leases they run for at least 10 years. When they are up for bid, any rancher can bid but of they bid higher than the rancher who has held the lease, that rancher has the right to match the new bid and retain the lease. THESE LEASES SELDOM IF EVER CHANGE HANDS! So, winter is here and these so called professional people, biologists, veterinarians, administrative directors and all the other players in this magic show have done nothing, absolutely nothing, that will elevate the plight of the yellowstone buffalo. Though we the taxpayers pay all of these people, and pay them well, we receive incompetence in return for providing a living for all of them. We'd be better off firing them all. We could save an immense amount of money and the buffalo would be no worse off. But just remember, regardless of which vet or politician says there is no effective vaccine for Buffalo, some day if truth prevails, you will know what I know, RB-19 is the answer to brucellosis in Buffalo! Phil in Montana --------- "RE: Kyoto: Black Mesa & the Dineh" --------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 15:26:46 -0800 From: "Robert Dorman" Subj: Kyoto: Black Mesa & the Dineh Mailing List: Big Mountain List Forwarded message follows. Please note that this is from the Dineh support group in New York, and NOT the organization formerly calling itself SDN located in Arizona or the group calling itself Dineh Alliance/Sovereign Dineh Nation-- also in Arizona. Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 14:01:36 -0800 (PST) From: sdnation@earthlink.net Robert, This is the Kyoto Campaign. It calls for Agenda 21 and Human Rights to be implemented on Black Mesa. With less than a fourth of the world's population, the US produces some 23% of all greenhouse gases. The severe human rights violations the Dineh are facing and the environmental devastation of Black Mesa illustrates the need for our energy needs to be met with substainable practices and renewable sources. Please share the following info with your networks. Thanks Pamela ================================= UNREGULATED U.S. POWER PLANTS: Threaten Global Climate and Human Rights An Urgent Call To President Clinton for the Kyoto Energy Summit ================================= The United States is the largest generator of greenhouse gases, responsible for global warming, changing global climate patterns and sea level rise. The largest point source of greenhouse gases in North America is the coal-fired power plants in the Four Corners region located in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Other nations of the world have recognized the seriousness of this threat and are uniting in an unprecedented attempt to combat this global menace. But the government of the United States, influenced by the financial clout of energy industries which generate these gases, is opposing these efforts. The coal-fired power generating industry in the Four Corners region supplies much of the electricity used in the Southwest - from Southern California through Las Vegas, Nevada, and other states. The nations of the world must take notice of this industry - not just for its impact upon the global environment, but also for its impact on the human rights of the Dine (Navajo) and Hopi people who live in the area. The coal-fired power plants are unregulated and have no controls for SO2 or other greenhouse gases - emitting 350 tons of sulfur compounds and 250 tons of nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere each day. The incredible volume of these pollutants is enough to reduce visibility in an area involving thousands of square miles, specifically tied to a 50% reduction of visibility at the Grand Canyon. Most of the power plants do not even have scrubbers to remove particulates which are tied to numerous health issues impacting the people in the region. The original agreements in the 1960's between the power plants and the U.S. government permanently exempted the plants from most environmental regulations. While world leaders meet to discuss the threats created by global warming, these plants - unchecked by any government regulations - continue to pour out the gases causing the problem. Four thousand economists including eight Nobel Laureates have said that reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would not harm American living standards and these measures may in fact improve U.S. productivity in the longer run. In fall 1997, the Union of Concerned Scientists initiated the World Scientists' call for Action at the Kyoto Climate Summit, 1,535 world scientists from 63 countries signed on. They call for the U.S. to act immediately to prevent the potentially devastating consequences of human-induced global warming. A vast majority of climate scientists believe that human action - principally the release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels - is affecting global climate. The U.S. must set measurable goals and make a real commitment in Kyoto that will heed the sounding alarm for global emissions reductions. What is less well known is the interconnection of this industry with the abuse of the human rights of the Dineh and Hopi communities living 50 miles east of the Grand Canyon. The industry is responsible for installing tribal governments in the region totally subservient to its needs. Local economies were transformed causing a helpless dependence on this unsustainable development. The industry is responsible for the forcible relocation of 12,000 Dineh from their ancestral lands and for the dehumanizing and sometimes fatal consequences of this ongoing relocation. The industry is currently destroying the sole-source aquifer on which these communities depend for their survival. The industry has almost destroyed a traditional matriarchal, indigenous culture that was based on a physical and spiritual stewardship of the land. We call for the international community to hold the U.S. responsible for the impacts of its energy policy not only upon the global environment, but also upon the indigenous people whose societies are being devastated so that the rest of the country can satisfy its need for energy and the coal- fired power industry can satisfy its need for profits. ============================== KEY POINTS OF THE ISSUE: ============================== The Dineh and Hopi people were denied participation in the decisions leading to the coal mining The current tribal governments on the Hopi and Navajo Reservations were created and largely run until the 1970's not by the people on the reservation nor by U.S. government agencies, but rather by attorneys with strong ties to the mining and power industries. During the crucial period in the 1960's when the coal leases were signed that determined the destiny of the reservations, these attorneys handled all major negotiations on behalf of the tribes. The local communities strongly opposed coal mining because mining violated their traditional religion filed a lawsuit opposing the mineral leases. The U.S. courts ruled that the industry- created governments were sovereign powers, and that the people in the communities did not have legal standing in U.S. courts to contest the actions. The U.S. had given sovereign authority on the reservations to a government established and run by the coal-fired power industry. While the original attorneys no longer play a role in the management of the tribal governments, existing governments have been left in a position of helpless dependence on the coal-fired power industry. Over 80% of the revenues of the governments come directly from the leases, and the economies of the tribes are totally dependent on these unsustainable industries. The tribal governments are dominated by a small minority who profit from the relationships with the industry and the people in the communities who bear the human and environmental costs are allowed no participation in the decisions which affect their lives. The Dineh and Hopi people were denied participation in the decisions leading to the coal mining Thousands more still face relocation. In 1974, the mining and utility companies proposed and engineered passage in the U.S. Congress of a law which clarified land titles so as to simplify the signing of coal leases. The law also mandated the forced relocation of 12,000 Dineh from the mining areas. The law pretended to be a settlement to a Hopi-Navajo land dispute, but in fact was designed only to serve the needs of the coal- fired power industry. Through out the process and up to the present day, the people in the communities affected by this legislation were denied all participation in the process. These families were from one of the most traditional areas in the country: they did not speak English, much less read or write, and survived by traditional herding and dry-crop farming. Most who were relocated to cities were quickly stripped of the possessions given to them to start a new life. Starting in 1980, primary homesites for relocation became an area known as "New Lands" along the Rio Puerco River. "New Lands"is a EPA superfund site contaminated by the nation's largest nuclear spill. The Dineh traditional religion is based on ties to their ancestral homesites - their umbilical cords are buried there at birth to symbolize these ties to the land. They were stripped not just of property, but of their religion, their health, and their way of life. ============= The mining threatens the sole-source aquifer for Black Mesa communities The epitome of the industry's disregard of future generations and the local community is the destruction of the aquifer upon which the local communities depend for survival. The coal from the Black Mesa mine is used to power the Mojave Generating Station. Mixed with equal parts of water, the coal is transported to the Mohave, 275 miles away, via the only existing slurry pipeline in the US. The slurry line obtains its water by pumping 3 millions of water each day from the Navajo aquifer, which is the sole-source aquifer for the Hopi and western Dineh. A report prepared by the U.S. Geological survey concluded that 90% of the water in the N- aquifer is 10,000 to 35,000 years old -collected during the ice age. The draining of the aquifer to drive the slurry line is threatening the water supplies of many communities in the region - some have only a few years left. The slurry line operates without any permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). In a region where water is extremely scarce, the use of such a precious resource just to transport coal is a tragic waste. ========== A culture endangered The land was turned over to the coal companies without making any provisions to protect the burial sites or sacred sites that were to be destroyed by the mines. Over 4,000 Anasazi cliff houses, archaeological, sacred and burial sites in the region have been bulldozed. Local water sources have been poisoned and water wells capped, fenced off and dismantled, resulting in the deaths of livestock. Homes near the mine suffer from blasting damage. ========= The human cost The human cost is the destruction of the environment and the traditional Dineh and Hopi people. Over 12,000 Dineh have been relocated from the Black Mesa region. Thousands of traditional people unable to adapt have died from relocation effects or lost their homes, called "the home loss phenomena". Thousands remain, resisting relocation by Peabody Coal and/or the US government. Thousands were never counted in any estimates and have no rights. For 31 years, throughout the region, Dineh families have been denied the ability to fix their homes due to a US government imposed construction freeze. People living in a desert environment, without running water, have been denied all services and infrastructure development, including access to water and maintenance of dirt roads used as school bus routes. Their burial sites, homes and property are bulldozed. Medicinal and indigenous plants and animals destroyed. Coal dust is pervasive, as well as smoke and fumes from frequent fires in the coal seams and stockpiles. The people in the region are suffering from an unusually high incidence of kidney, respiratory disease and other health problems. Elderly women are harassed and threatened by Peabody Coal and/or the US government. Some are served trespass notices. Their few remaining livestock confiscated and sold at public auction if they cannot pay the money for their release. The situation on Black Mesa is best demonstrated by an incident that occurred on October 15, 1997 to Ataid Y. Lake, an 84- year old Dineh grandmother that lives a traditional, subsistence lifestyle and does not speak, read or write English. For over twenty years she has resisted efforts to relocate her from her land by the U.S. government and Peabody Coal. She recently confronted Peabody bulldozers she found on her land. Peabody officials threatened her with jail. She told them that this area must not be disturbed, that it contained sacred shrines. The bulldozers continued, they unearthed 2 human skeletons, 1 Anasazi and 1 Dineh. Another instance occurred in June, when the family of Mabel Benally was imprisoned for protesting Peabody's expansion of a coal stockpile about 100 yards away from their home. Mabel's daughter was denied epilepsy medicine and had a seizure in the jail cell, at which time she and her family were released. INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL SUPPORT: Over 250 Non Governmental Organizations of the United Nations condemn relocation of the Dineh people and affirm their right to their land above any consideration for private, national or multinational economic activities. This support includes: Earth Council; the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church; World Council of Churches; National Council of Churches; Quaker Office to the United Nations; Lutheran World Federation; United Church of Christ, Commission of Churches; Council of Churches of NY; Women and Environment, Peace and Indigenous Peoples Working Groups of the United Nations; the NGO Committee on the Status of Women; the Women's Environment and Development Organization; the NGO International Decade Committee of the World's Indigenous Peoples; Natural Heritage Institute; Greenpeace; Friends of the Earth; Earth Island Institute; Gray Panthers; the National Education Association; the World Humanist Movement and other organizations, representing millions of people worldwide. =============================== Please support the call for: * Revocation of the agreements which exempts the Four Corners power plants from environmental regulations * Shut down of the slurry-line that threatens the N-aquifer * Cessation of all forcible and coerced relocation of Dineh families * An end to all forms of harassment. threats of violence against Dineh elders, women and children. An end to all livestock impoundment's and bulldozing of Dineh homes and property * Lifting of the 31-year old US government imposed construction freeze * All governments and NGOs to demand that the US government formulate a new energy policy that places the need for protection of the global environment and the rights of indigenous people ahead of the desire of the coal-fired power industry for profits at any expense * Formulation of an internationally-based investigative commission which would review the history of the Black Mesa region and the US policies that have led up to the current situation and conduct an investigation of human rights violations against the Dineh and Hopi people. ============================= CALL,FAX AND WRITE: ============================= PRESIDENT CLINTON'S ADVISORS Mark A. Spitzer Executive Director and Members president's Council on Sustainable Development Address: 730 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20503 Telephone: (202) 408-5296 Fax: (202) 408-6839 PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE Telephone: (202)456-2326 Fax: ( 202) 456-2461 or 202-456-2883 Address: The White House, Washington, DC 20500 Even a brief three-minute handwritten note can be very effective. Always give your name and address WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS LINE: (202) 456-1111 You should only call the White House telephone comments line only to register your "vote". (The Comments Line is answered by volunteers who are just there to take a count whether the caller is for or against the issue and what state you're from.) YOUR U.S. SENATORS Address: U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510 CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD: 800-972-3524 or (202) 224-3121 Tell them the US government has to take the lead, leading the world in the production of greenhouse gases. OR You can call the 800 number and ask for your Senator's office. Voice your opinion briefly and send him or her a more detailed letter by fax. Most Senators have staff members working late and on weekends, so don't hesitate to call whenever you can. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, RADIO AND TV STATIONS. This may be just as important as writing to the President and Senators. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS, FAMILY AND NETWORKS. =============================== For further information please contact: Sovereign Dineh Nation (SDN), New York Support Group 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2767 NY, NY 10001-7604 E-mail: sdnation@earthlink.net Please send copies of all support letters & articles to addresses listed above. ************************************************** You are on the BIGMTLIST, a moderated mailing list of Big Mountain relocation resistance information (not discussion or debate). To unsubscribe, email redorman@plix.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject header. For non-list members receiving this post as a forwarded message, you may subscribe by emailing redorman@plix.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject header. For Big Mountain and other activist internet resources, visit "The Activist Page" at http://www.plix.com/~users/redorman/index.htm --------- "RE: Chiefs Expose BC Treaty Process" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 23:29:36 -0800 From: SISIS@envirolink.org (S.I.S.I.S.) Subj: UBCIC exposes BC Treaty process: "Genocide!" :-:-:-:-:-:-:-Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty-:-:-:-:-:-:-: UNION CHIEFS MEET Raven's Eye, November 1997, Page 1, by Paul Barnsley Fort Rupert BC. The 29th annual gathering of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs began with a speech from President Saul Terry that set the mood for the entire three-day affair. In opening the UBCIC Annual General Assembly, the man who speaks for the First Nations in the Province who do not support the treaty negotiation process took shot after shot at both the process and those chiefs who are participating in it. "Many of our people are living well on borrowed money. Some of our leaders have the arrogance to think they can negotiate their way around extinguishment and genocide," Terry said. He was referring to the fact that First Nations which participate in the treaty process will eventually have to pay back 80% of the money spent to negotiate their treaties. He also referred to the increasingly apparent trend - seen in both the Nisga'a and Sechelt offers, the only government offers to date - of including the extinguishment of Aboriginal rights in all modern-day treaties that are being negotiated in the province. "We must always be wary of these different strategies that all have the same agenda - to disinherit us and separate us from our homelands," Terry added. "All of these processes have the same intent, which is to take away our lands and our resources forever." Chiefs who oppose the treaty process believe the negotiated end of Aboriginal rights in modern-day treaties is just the latest version of a long history of attempts to eliminate Aboriginal people as a political problem for the mainstream governments. They call it genocide. "Genocide is being perpetrated against Indian people," Terry said. "Indigenous people cannot continue to exist if the processes of termination continues to be practiced." The UBCIC position has been criticized as extreme and inflexible. "Some people say we are taking too hard a line," Terry said, dealing with his critics. "My God, if our future is in jeopardy, we must state that and stop the dangers in the treaty process and other government initiatives now offered to us." Letters to Raven's Eye: edraven@ammsa.com :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: More information on the BC Treaty Process: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/Clark/BCgovt.html --==(+)==--SOVEREIGNTY IS THE ANSWER: CANADA IS THE PROBLEM!--==(+)==-- :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: S.I.S.I.S. Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty P.O. Box 8673, Victoria, "B.C." "Canada" V8X 3S2 EMAIL: SISIS@envirolink.org WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html SOVERNET-L is a news-only listserv concerned with indigenous sovereigntist struggles around the world. To subscribe, send "subscribe sovernet-l" in the body of an email message to For more information on sovernet-l, contact S.I.S.I.S. --------- "RE: This Is Where We're From" --------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 01:49:01 -0500 From: fol@tao.ca Subj: Day 20 of Daishowa v. Friends of the Lubicon trial Mailing List: FOL-L Friends of the Lubicon 485 Ridelle Avenue, Toronto, ON M6B 1K6 phone (416) 763-7500, fax (416) 603-2715, e-mail: fol @tao.ca Court Update: Day 20; Tuesday, November 25, 1997 Chief Ominayak, "This Is Where We're From" Justice James MacPherson stated that his decision to not to allow the motion for dismissal of trial based on conflict of interest was essentially the same as his September ruling: timeliness and standing. Justice MacPherson dismissed the submission that the situation had radically changed when DMI counsel, John Hunter, conducted cross examination of two FoL witnesses, Fred Lennarson and Archbishop Ted Scott, thereby acting on behalf of the plaintiff, Daishowa Inc.. His reasons will be available shortly and will be sent to Lubicon supporters at that time, rather than being paraphrased here. Mr. Owen Young, counsel for the Lubicon Nation and acting for the Friends of the Lubicon in this action, began the testimony of Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak by asking him about his background. Chief Ominayak was born in 1950 at Lubicon Lake and was brought up in the Lubicon Cree traditions through teachings of elders. He was taught in Cree by his parents and was sent to help the elders, learning at the same time how things were done in the past. Through the elders Chief Ominayak learned the traditional history of the Lubicon Cree. He discussed how during the spring and fall ceremonies people shared information about which families would be where in the coming months, where hunting would be good, and people were made aware of those who needed help. Elderly people spoke about hunting and trapping experiences, teaching how to do things and how to provide for the rest of the people. Chief Ominayak said that the stories of his people went back to the late 1700s and the Lubicon people hadn't come form anyplace else. Pointing to a map that showed the Lubicon traditional territory, Chief Ominayak said, "This is where we're from." The Lubicon had few problems where they needed outside help, said Chief Ominayak, and the only way to the town of Peace River, about 100 km. northwest, was by horseback or cart. Hunting provided the main food source and the people gathering medicines in the surrounding territory. Chief Ominayak said that the Lubicon "had no laws to say how things should be done" and the people came together when help was needed. Cree is the first language of the Lubicon, Chief Ominayak explained, but he gets by in English but can't claim to be fluent. He has to use English to communicate outside of the community, including this trial, indicating the courtroom. Mr. Young asked Chief Ominayak to discuss the differences between native and non-native communities. Chief Ominayak said that he was brought up to respect all people but in dealing with the Federal Government, the Lubicon began to see that not all people were the same. He said that he encountered an atmosphere of mistrust. It was found that people wanted to come onto Lubicon land and exploit the resources without regard to the people and the environment. Year after year the land was eroded and the people had to protect the land for the future. Chief Ominayak said there was a lot of regulations that should have been abided by but it seemed "the bigger the company, the more they get away with." Chief Ominayak said the Lubicon would be wiped out if there was large scale cutting of trees after suffering a lot of destruction already due to continued oil and gas development. He said logging would "finish our people off." It was very important to have an agreement in place before sitting down and talking with Daishowa. Special areas need to be protected to save special trees and medicines, some of which they have to travel farther and farther to collect now. However, Chief Ominayak said that companies had no regard or respect for the people's interest. It is not a situation where the Lubicon can survive. Chief Ominayak said the Federal Government and Alberta Government have tried to tell the Lubicon who belongs to the Lubicon Lake Nation but the Lubicon people don't need either government to tell them who is Lubicon. Attempts were made to remove people from the membership list and people were transferred from one band's list to another. Pointing to the government-created Woodland Cree, who have three different kinds of members, Chief Ominayak said what the Lubicon needed was an agreement that would benefit all the community, where all the people were equal and not subject to government categories. There was tension in the community when oil and gas companies moved to exploit the resources on Lubicon land after a road was built in the late 1970s, Chief Ominayak related. Seismic lines and other intrusions cut across traplines without respect for the Lubicon livelihood, creating animosity for the oil and gas companies. The Lubicon have gotten the companies to sit and talk about the people's concerns and Chief Ominayak has noted a change of attitude with the companies showing more understanding. The impacts affected the people, however, and the Lubicon have suffered greatly. The health of the community has been affected and the economy has been severely restricted. Hunting is more difficult now and has meant a change in social and cultural values explained Chief Ominayak. The whole structure of the Lubicon community began to fall apart. The Alberta Government has made efforts to assert authority on the Lubicon through coercion and threats, said Chief Ominayak. In the early 70s The Lubicon attempted to file a Caveat in Alberta court that would protect their lands but the Alberta Government introduced retroactive legislation that invalidated the Caveat while it was still before the court. Chief Ominayak said the Federal Government has undermined the Lubicon by creating the Woodland Cree band to attempt to take away membership through a divide and conquer strategy. This new group doesn't have historical roots in the area and is an attempt to weaken the Lubicon's position in negotiations with the Federal Government. Mr. Young asked Chief Ominayak about logging that the Lubicon had experienced. He answered that prior to 1988 there was some small-scale logging from time to time. In 1988, Daishowa announced construction of a pulp mill in Peace River, Chief Ominayak said the Lubicon felt they couldn't afford to let clearcut logging take place after experiencing the damage from oil and gas companies. He said the Lubicon still feel this way. On March 7, 1989 Chief Ominayak met with Daishowa representatives to explain Lubicon concerns. The Lubicon tried to get them to understand that logging couldn't take place before the land claim had been settled. Chief Ominayak said Daishowa agreed and he left the meeting with the assurance that Daishowa would not be logging on Lubicon land until the land rights were settled. Chief Ominayak said that traditional courtesy meant that Lubicon made an effort to be pleasant in a letter to Daishowa and didn't mention the agreement overtly but stated that there was a failure to communicate. Chief Ominayak said the Lubicon were pleased that Daishowa has, in a sense, honoured the agreement because the company has not logged in Lubicon traditional territory, but they needed a lot of help to do that, especially the boycott.He said it is still uncertain that Daishowa won't come onto Lubicon land and the people were uncertain "when all hell's going to break loose." He said that the people were prepared to stand up and protect themselves. Chief Ominayak hoped that Daishowa would honour their commitment and not waste time, gesturing toward the court. Chief Ominayak said that Lubicon attempts to protect their rights in court have not been good. A report by E. Davie Fulton in the mid-80s recommended to that one way the Lubicon could achieve a land title was by a direct reference to the Supreme Court of Canada. but the Federal Government was not interested in the report. Chief Ominayak said the Federal Government's position has been consistent: it does not want achieve a fair and equitable settlement. Instead the Federal Government has put forth a take it or leave it offer which wouldn't provide what the Lubicons need. Mr. John Hunter, counsel for DMI (and, apparently, for Daishowa Inc.), cross examined Chief Ominayak for the plaintiffs. Mr. Hunter asked Chief Ominayak to comment on two letters regarding typical agreements with oil and gas companies. The Lubicon have had approximately 200 similar agreements that say the the Lubicons won't oppose a particular development. Those letters, he said, were required by the Energy Resources Conservation Board because of their policies. Chief Ominayak said it wasn't Lubicon policy to issue a press release and it depended on the situation. Cross examination of Chief Ominayak will continue Wednesday in courtroom 4-10, 361 University Ave. at 10 a.m. FoL gratefully acknowledges Greenpeace for providing lunch for Chief Ominayak, Paul George, FoL, and supporters. The Church of the Holy Trinity has continued to provide facilities for lunch and a respite from court; a very special note of gratitude! For more background information visit the Lubicon supporter web page at: http://kafta.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/Lubicon/main.html Complete Court Updates are available at http://www.tao.ca/~fol/ --------- "RE: Extinct Natives Fight for Status" --------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 01:54:04 -0800 From: William Spearson Subj: "Extinct" Natives fighting for status Newsgroup: alt.native The Sinixt Nation, natives of interior B.C., are battling for recognition after being declared extinct for the convenience of the Canadian Government in 1956. This was the final blow after their population was systematically decimated by the seemingly deliberate spread of smallpox through the distribution of infected blankets. There are several thousand Sinixt, also known as Arrow Lakes Peoples, still alive today. But only a few dozen remain in the traditional territory surrounding the Arrow and Slocan Lakes. The rest have moved to reservations around the province, or to lands in the United States, where their existence is not yet contested. Robert Watt, the appointed guardian of the Sinixt peaceful occupation of the Vallican Burial Grounds, has been deported by the B.C. government three times. His transborder case is before the United Nations and the Federal Court of Appeal. A website has been established to help raise public awareness regarding the plight of the Sinixt Peoples. http://www.tinmen.org/sinixt/ Please help get the word out - "Just because the federal government declared us extinct, this did not mean that we became extinct, and declaring us extinct did not quieten our voice or take away our responsibility to our land and environment. We are now more committed than ever to voice our interest and maintain our responsibility to the land." (Dec. 10, 1994 - Robert Watt) Thanks, William --------- "RE: On Leadership" --------- Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 17:45:13 -0800 From: James BlueWolf Subj: On Leadership UUCP email Speech on Youth Leadership 1971 Haaah- Today I've been asked to talk about Leadership. First, I want to thank the Creator for bringing all of us here safely, and that all our needs have been met. Second I want to say that I am not a spokesman for, or official representative of, any Tribe or Nation. I speak for myself and my Warrior Society only. Lets look at a general history of Traditional leadership. I'm going to make some sweeping generalizations. I don't mean to imply that all traditional leaders were perfect or morally superior to anyone else. Also I know that different Nation's did have different Ways of choosing leaders. But still there were examples of superior leadership in every Nation. In days past we looked first to our survival. We had to have hunters and warriors and decision-makers and clowns. All the elements of a society and culture. In each of those honorable pursuits there were those who excelled, those who were the best. Hunters, fights, scouts, planners, speakers. They were recognized by the People for their abilities, and were often followed by others because of those abilities. They were natural leaders. Given their Power by their natural abilities, they were easily recognized and honored. If they lost those abilities or dishonored their positions people simply refused to follow them any further. Also there was room for more than one. Often we governed ourselves by consensus or agreement in councils of men deciding as a group rather than as individuals. When pressed for time we knew who to look to but no one was bound to follow, everyone had a choice. All important positions of leadership dealt with issues related to the physical or social survival of the People as a group. Individual problems always took a backseat to those faced by the Nation. Everyone understood that and agreed that that was the way it should be. And we survived. European leadership, at least in democratic America, has different roots and values at its core. The Americans were not Tribal. They never believed that the People came before the individual. The individual was king. So those that put themselves up to be 'chosen' as leaders were often not the most qualified or the most honorable, or even the most trustworthy. Since the Americans had no Tribal system they could not evaluate an individuals' worth by his deeds, they had to settle for his words. Words cannot hold honor, or demand loyalty, or serve on their own the needs of the People. Without common goals, the american standards for leadership came to be judged by how well a person served the enrichment of his neighbors and their individual fortunes. The Native Leader might be respected and Honored, but much was expected from, and of, him personally. In a number of Nations he was expected to embrace poverty or to hold himself apart from others by observing a higher standard or morality and ethics. His was a position of sacrifice, which he fulfilled due to his commitment to the Nation. (Of course this wasn't always true!) The American leader, is often paid for his service, able to accept gifts and even expected to increase his personal wealth and stature, providing it be done discreetly. Though it is publicly proclaimed that the leaders should have high moral and ethical standards, the opposite is the rule rather than the exception. Despite the great words and promises made - the deeds of american politicians, with a few notable exceptions, have been a tribute to greed, lust and individual self gratification. (It is also true that many Indian leaders were wealthy as well.) Today we have come to a middle ground. The old physical ways of survival have passed. But the challenge to survive as a People is still with us. There will always be Apaches, and Pomos, and Mohawks. Always People who can say they are racially Indian but there may not always be an Apache Language, A Pomo Culture, or a Mohawk Tribe. These can be lost! Some of our People in the last two generations became convinced that the Indian Way was dead and that to survive they had to become Americans. For these People the belief that 'the Tribe comes first' died. Today they live and think only of themselves and of their immediate families. That way of thinking is the true threat to the survival of the Native American Nations. If the Tribal Way of thinking dies, the Tribes will die. Fortunately there are enough who did not give up, who did not give in - true survivors! Today they point the Way - not backward - but forward!! They look to make connections between the old ways and today. They know that the Ceremonies and Dances are not just things done for Tourists during Indian Days but are the 'life' of the People. These ways must be 'brought to life' in a way that young people can feel the connection to the world they live in! The Dance of the hunt becomes the Dance to hunt for a job or start a new business. The War Dance becomes a Dance to prepare to challenge the BIA or the Government with the Educational weapons they have forced into our hands! The Honor Dance seeks to sustain our pride by honoring those who get a job, or graduate school, or enter rehab, or quit drinking. Social dances, powwows, sings and contests reaffirm our social bonds to each other and foster pride in our cultural differences. Of course our Spiritual Ceremonies continue to have meaning only if the People truly believe in the Creator. So the challenge to our leadership today is not to sit back but to step forward in service, to organize Councils that really do represent all of the People's voices, to put Tribal needs in front, with less thought for personal gain or recognition, and finally- to transform words into deeds so that all of the People can see who you are by what you do! These are the goals we should look to. Do they seem unreasonable or unattainable? We'll see! If every decision we make is regarded as an important one affecting the People's survival- the right decisions will be made. If those who lead, continue to lead for themselves, everyone's survival is threatened. As Ceremony is the soul of the People, and Relationships are the Heart of the People, so Leadership is the Mind of the People. Without it, the Tribal Way cannot survive, and Indians--generations from now--will be just like the Americans. Irish, Italian, English, French, Polish, German, Japanese, Chinese- without their language and culture-lost, Spiritless, and alone! Step forward - it is a risk, it is a hard Way. It can be painful to the mind and to the Soul. But suffer up for your People. Show what you can do and do it! Thank you for listening. --------- "RE: Thanksgiving Message" --------- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 22:59:56 -0800 From: James Duncan Subj: Thanksgiving Message from The Gathering of Mother Earths' Children UUCP email O SI YO'(Greetings), to all My Relations I write to you today in a very humble and loving way, to share a little of the joy in my heart. Some of you know me and some know of me, and some may not. Each of you and I have in one way or another crossed each others' path, and by such are connected. I wish to share with you our thanks and appreciation for all the kind and loving acts that each of you have bestowed upon my family and myself either directly or indirectly, as we have journeyed along the Trail of Joy over the past few years. There have been those who have turned their backs shut their doors in our faces. These we thank most, for had they not done this, we would not have met many other kind and loving people. Last November the 28th we planted the eighth Cedar Tree in Bradenton, FL. This was the last of eight trees that were planted along the path of Hernando DeSoto, one in each of what are now the States of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. This was the path of what has been called by some a journey of discovery, yet in truth it was a path of genocide and destruction. Desoto's journey marked the beginning of the end of a way of life for a people that had lasted for many thousands of years, a way of life that knew how to live in harmony and balance, and understood how and why we honored all that we shared it with. A way of life that knew that we had to give in order to receive. November 28, 1996 marked the half-way point for us in our journeys. There were four journeys given to me in vision. Thanksgiving of last year marked the end of the second of the four. This second journey was as all four, a journey back, for our future is in the past, for it tells us how we have gotten to where we are at. If we do not know or understand how we arrived at a point in time, we will never truly understand where we are going. Once, WE were one... and we will be one again, this I have seen. Each of the two journeys completed, brought full circle many of the things that have happened in the past, the inhumanities done by one people to another. The two journeys completed have been done to help bring about healing and forgiveness. While these inhumanities have happened here in North America, they have also happened all over the world. These have been done by mankind in the name of many things, mostly in the name of heredity of their people or their God. It has and will continue until mankind ceases to believe he and only he has the right of dominion, where any group believes that they are the chosen people and has God given rights of a manifest destiny, with divine rights to a land or place. No matter the genocide to human life of those who happened to be there, first. This is and has been the case as recorded in the history of man, and continues today. It was fitting that the Trail of Joy the Return, from DeSoto's path ended on Thanksgiving for it is now one year later and as we look back to the planting of the last Cedar Tree, and we remember. What is Thanksgiving? For it is many things to different people. To some it is a reminder to give thanks for what we have. To some it is a reminder of a people who a long time ago came here on a few boats, and a meal that they had. To some it is a reminder of a time long ago and the people who met those boats, and a meal that they didn't have. So, my Relations I ask that when you sit down to your feast on this Thanksgiving day that you remember not only what was found here, even more importantly what was lost here, in the Americas. Genocide has happened not only here but also around the world. No people have a divine right to any place on earth, any promise land, at the expense of another, for any reason. For we are all just branches of the tree, each traveling back to a single trunk in the tree of humanity, tied completely to the root of all life, and we only exist because of our Mother Earth. In your prayers, your meditations, no matter what your beliefs, your religion, I ask that you pray for all o