From gars@netcom.com Thu Oct 15 22:45:38 1998 Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 19:18:29 -0700 (PDT) From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews06.042 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 06, ISSUE 042 O o o o o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, October 17, 1998 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 Minn-Ind, Innu-L, Taino-L, Paths-L & Nat-Film Lists; Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty; UUCP email; Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.native,alt.native, alt.culture.hawaii,alt.fan.jai-maharaj,hawaii.nortle 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. IMPORTANT!! ----------- To all who send copywrite protected articles, make very sure you have permission from the copywrite holder (a newspaper, the AP, a magazine, an author) because a new law is now in effect that says you can be prosecuted even if there is no monetary gain. Just because a newspaper has a website where it posts some or all of its editions does not grant permission for their redistribution. Be careful and be sure you pass on the items you do with full permission. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <----<<<< >>>>----> 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. Downloading Wotanging Ikche on AOL From: MAANG1419@aol.com Just thought I would share some info. I could not download on to a .txt because I kept getting the message (when I tried to retrieve it) that the text editor could not handle the volume. This time I downloaded it on to a .doc and when I retrieved it out of file manager, IT WORKED. "Hear me, four quarters of the world-a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds. __ Black Elk, Lakota +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! How many times does the obvious have to be said? Until it is obvious to all. For some reason some the most obvious truths to most continue to be ignored by others. Truth one: Native Americans, Indians, First Nations will never, ever be more than a minor irritation to the dominant society as long as we remain a divided People. This full blood vs mixed blood, urban vs rez, enrolled vs unenrolled infighting continues to serve only the needs of those of the dominant society who want us to vanish altogether, and a few egos that get stroked by pretending to false superiority. Truth two: Hand wringing and whining will not help Leonard Peltier. Sit down and write a letter to the warden of Leavenworth, your congressional representative, and the Parole Commission now and every week from now until he is free. Truth three: The Yellowstone Buffalo are dead, every damn one of them, if we don't make very sure the Montana Livestock Commission and anyone else we can think of are not constantly reminded their every move made is being watched and chronicled. Truth four: We, as Indian People, are dead if we don't help each other thrive, instead of looking for a handout from the Federal Government, even if that handout is a promised one in some otherwise broken treaty. The land trusts and BIA allotments are simply velvet handcuffs that serve "them", not "us". =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= There are some thoughts on Columbus in this issue that I hope reach you in time for you to share their teachings. There is an item in the event listings regarding the last hearing before the Bear Butte Commission. PLEASE read it and write to the Commission before it is too late, and you again must live with the consequences of your silence. =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 16:05:09 +0000 From: tkeats@sfotusa.org Subj: Help with a paper I was wondering if you could help me. I am working on a paper for my degree that deals with racism but my focus is on Native Americans and how Racism affects us. I am looking for any articles, stories, information from your readers who could help me with this. Could you please publish this letter in your next news letter. Any help I receive would be greatly welcomed. Sincerely, Tracy e-mail: tkeats@sfotusa.org =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= Without language a culture dies. What is said in any language seldom translates literally to another. It, at best, approximates the meaning. Our languages are dying. Our cultures will not linger long without our own words to describe the events in our lives, the ways passed down by our ancestors and our prophecies. Another hands(voices)-on opportunity arrived this week. If you live in the Twin Cities area this is a chance to learn Ojibwe you should grab. Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 13:55:59 -0500 From: "Vikki M. Howard" Subj: Ojibwe Language Society Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs Are you interested in learning the Ojibwe language or have the chance to speak with others that are fluent? Ojibwemowin Zagaswe'iding The Ojibwe Language table will begin meeting weekly at the Office of Indian Ministries 3045 Park Avenue South Minneapolis, Mn. (Old DIW) Every Monday Night Meeting begins at 4:30P.M. and go until 6:30p.m. Bring food if you can! The Ojibwe Language Society is a non-profit student organization based at the University of Minnesota, dedicated to the revitalization of the Ojibwe Language. Membership is free and is not limited to University students. Everyone that wants to learn and share the Ojibwe Language is welcome to join the Language table. AMBE, DAGA ANISHINAABEMODAA. Questions about involvement with Ojibwemowin Zagaswe'iding can be answered at 624-5738. REMINDER: THE 1999 PHRASE A DAY IN OJIBWE CALENDARS WILL BE COMING SOON!! I am collecting language resource information. Please send me all information each of you have regarding language resources. This should include all written teachings including dictionaries, grammar books and stories. Include all audio and video resources. Include the source, how it is distributed, the publisher, ISBN or other catalogue information that might be known. Include cost and current availability if you have it. Finally, include _your_ opinion. Is it good, bad, indifferent? I will keep this information, by language/nation and make what I have available to any who request it. Send what you can via email to gars@netcom.com You may also send info via snail mail to P O Box 672168. Marietta GA 30006. 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 ---------- - Who Has Told the Big Lie - IMLS Awards to Native Americans - A Day of Infamy - BC NDP to Lift Oil-Gas Ban - More on Columbus Day - Waseskun Healing & - The Last Columbus Day Development Centre - Papal Bulls Burning - Native Prisoner - Ward Valley Protest Action - Poem: A Muse - Protest to Free Leonard Peltier - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Amnesty International - A Hundred Years Ago Report Blasts US - What Carlisle Published - Treaty Rights Runners Needed Just after Wounded Knee - SILLA Newsletter - Conferences and Powwows --------- "RE: Who Has Told the Big Lie" --------- Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 19:53:59 -0500 From: hdqrs@worldnet.att.net Subj: Kansas Congressman claims lobbyist tried to influence casino vote: "Who has told the "Big Lie" or Who is attempting to get elected? UUCP email More on Indian v. non-Indian / non-Indian v. Indian in the state of Kansas. Who has told the "Big Lie" or Who is attempting to get elected? I wonder what the woman's name is? Is she Indian or non-Indian? Note: The Woodlands is located in Kansas (Wyandotte County) and is down the tubes due to the "non-Indian Casino River Boats" in Missouri! I wonder if the casino river boats have a hand in all this???? It may be time for an investigation (casinos, women, money, river boats, power, greed, oppression, continued colonization, abuse of power and social injustice) right here in Kansas!!!! Let it all hang out! United Tribe of Shawnee Indians Shawnee Reserve 206 De Soto, Kansas 66018 http://home.att.net/~hdqrs As posted on the Internet by KC STAR. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ By RICK ALM and JIM SULLINGER - Staff Writers Date: 10/05/98 23:40 U.S. Rep. Vince Snowbarger and a Washington lobbyist argued Monday over whether papers faxed to the congressman's office last month were a veiled attempt to buy his vote. At a news conference Monday, Snowbarger charged that the documents -- the property of lobbyists for an Oklahoma Indian tribe -- represented a "brazenly illegal" offer for campaign contributions in exchange for his vote on legislation that could pave the way for casino gambling at The Woodlands. Snowbarger said the incident amounted to "bribery" and reported it to federal election authorities. Not so fast, said the lobbyist. "If he's attributing any bribe or illegal activity to me and my firm, it's a lie," said C.J. Zane, a partner in the Washington lobbying firm of Baker, Zane, Edmonds & O'Malley, LLC, who work for the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma. The tribe has long sought to use its historic Huron Cemetery land in downtown Kansas City, Kan., for legalized gambling or other commercial activities. Legislation pending in Congress and opposed by Snowbarger would allow that to happen. Wyandotte Chief Leaford Bearskin, at the tribe's reservation near Miami, Okla., and the tribe's lawyer in Oklahoma City could not be reached Monday for comments. At the news conference, Snowbarger said: "While I cannot discuss all of the details, I can tell you that my campaign office received a fax on Sept. 10 that expressly linked campaign assistance, in the form of substantial independent expenditures, to my vote. "This was beyond a mere condition of support," Snowbarger said. "Clearly, it was a quid pro quo." Snowbarger is running for re-election on Nov. 3 against Democrat and former Johnson County District Attorney Dennis Moore. Zane, however, said it appears the documents that Snowbarger received were internal memos from a polling firm that the tribe hired to assess Third District public opinion on casino gambling at The Woodlands. The memos also assessed various elected officials' chances this fall -- Snowbarger's among them. Zane said he wants to know how Snowbarger got them. "It wasn't me," he said. "If somebody offered him a bribe, name that person." But Snowbarger refused to do so, saying innocent intermediaries could be harmed. When told late Monday of Zane's comments, Kevin Yowell, Snowbarger's campaign manager, and Snowbarger congressional aide Phil LaCerte confirmed that the Sept. 10 documents were indeed strategy memos written by the polling firm to Zane and the tribe. "If Zane is saying he never communicated this directly to the congressman, he's probably accurate," LaCerte said. "(But) somebody authorized the release of this document to us." Yowell said an apparently innocent intermediary, whom he knows personally, was contacted by someone in the tribe's camp to fax the memos to Snowbarger with no cover letter or other correspondence. "It wasn't like, `Hey, Vince,' we've got this offer for you,' " said Yowell. The intermediary, a woman, called Yowell and told him, " `They want you to see this,' " he said. Yowell said the incident has been reported to the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Attorney for Kansas and the state attorney general's office. Yowell said he met Monday with the FBI to discuss the allegations. Zane said the poll results "showed the issue (of gambling at the track) is hugely popular out there. And it showed the demographics of the issue could work for Snowbarger, if he wanted it to." Zane confirmed that documents also spell out a strategy detailing how the tribe would help Snowbarger's campaign committee with independently produced mailings and phone banks, "should the congressman end up supporting this proposal." Independent expenditures are permitted under federal election law if a candidate and the campaign committee remain unaware and uninvolved beforehand. "The problem is they deliberately made certain we knew about" plans to assist Snowbarger's campaign, Yowell said. "When they made sure we knew...that's where it looks like bribery." But Zane insists the strategy to aid Snowbarger was simply a hypothetical option. "I think he's doing this now to cloud the issue...to turn all this into an accusation of wrongdoing to mask his opposition to a plan that is popular in his district." If Snowbarger persists in calling the documents a bribe offer, Zane added, "I will sue him for libel." Snowbarger was an opponent of gambling while a member of the Kansas Legislature. In Congress, he has been working to keep the Woodlands' gambling measure from coming to the House floor. He said Monday that the measure could make it easier for tribes in other states to also open casinos off their historic reservation lands. Snowbarger said the House Resources Committee, led by committee Chairman Don Young, an Alaska Republican, approved the measure Sept. 9. Young is the chief sponsor of the measure. Zane is a former member of Young's congressional staff and the lobbying firm also maintains an office in Anchorage, Alaska. A spokesman for Young said Monday the congressman had no comment on Snowbarger's allegations. He also declined to respond to questions why Young had sponsored a bill that affected only one tribe in Kansas. The bill would circumvent normal state and federal governmental approval processes by exclusively allowing the Wyandotte Tribe to purchase the financially troubled Woodlands horse- and dog-racing track, or other land in Wyandotte County, for the purpose of casino-style gambling. Federal law allows tribal gaming on reservation land or other land that the federal government agrees to hold in trust. Young's House Resolution 3797 instructs the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to accept in trust "other land located with Wyandotte County, Kansas...for gaming purposes." Snowbarger said he expressed his opposition to the bill to Young the night before the committee was to vote on the measure and said he requested that his staff be allowed to present information to the committee before the vote. When a committee staffer arrived at the meeting the next day, Snowbarger said, a voice vote already had been taken. All content (c) 1998 The Kansas City Star --------- "RE: A Day of Infamy" --------- Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 18:17:32 GMT From: address.below.or@web.site (Dr. Jai Maharaj) Subj: Columbus Day: 'A Day of Infamy' Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.native,alt.native, alt.culture.hawaii,alt.fan.jai-maharaj,hawaii.nortle Columbus Day: "A Day of Infamy" Why AIM (American Indian Movement) opposes Columbus Day By Glenn Morris and Russell Means When Taino Indians saved Christopher Columbus from certain death on the fateful morning of Oct. 12, 1492, a glorious opportunity presented itself. The cultures Europe and the Americas could have merged, and the beauty of both races could have flourished. Unfortunately, what occurred was neither beautiful nor heroic. Just as Columbus could not, and did not, "discover" a hemisphere that was already inhabited by nearly 100 million people, his arrival cannot, and will not, be recognized as a heroic and celebratory event by indigenous peoples. Unlike the Western tradition, which presumes some absolute concept of objective truth, and consequently, one "factual" depiction of history, the indigenous view recognizes that there exist many truths in the world and many legitimate recollections of any given historical event, depending on one's perspective and experiences. >From an indigenous vantage point, Columbus' arrival was a disaster from the beginning. Although his own diaries indicated that he was greeted by the Taino Indians with the most generous hospitality he had ever known, he immediately began the enslavement and slaughter of the Indian peoples of the Caribbean islands. As the eminent Columbus biographer Samuel Eliot Morison admits in his book, Admiral of the Ocean Sea, Columbus was personally responsible for enslavement and murder of indigenous peoples. He was personally responsible for the design and operation of the encomienda system that tied Indians as slaves to the lands stolen from them by the European invaders. As detailed in the American Heritage Magazine (October,1976), Columbus personally oversaw the genocide of the Taino Indian nation of what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Consequently, this murderer, despite his historical notoriety, deserves no recognition or accolades as a hero; he deserves no respect as a visionary; and he is not worthy of a state or national holiday in his honor. Defenders of Columbus and his holiday argue that indigenous peoples unfairly judge Columbus, a 15th century actor, by the moral and legal standards of the late 20th century. Such a defense implies that no moral or legal constraints applied to individuals such as Columbus, or countries, in 1492. As Roger Williams details in his book, The American Indian in Western Legal Thought, not only were there European moral and legal principles in 1492, but they largely favored the rights of indigenous peoples to be free from unjustified invasion and pillage by Europeans. Unfortunately, the issue of Columbus and Columbus Day is not easily resolvable with a disposition of Columbus, the man. Columbus Day as a national, and international, phenomenon reflects a much larger dynamic that promotes myriad myths and historical lies that have been used through the ages to dehumanize Indians, justifying the theft of our lands, the attempted destruction of our nations, and the genocide against our people. Since the 15th Century, the myth of Columbus' discovery has been used in the development of laws and policies that reek of Orwell's doublespeak: theft equals the righteous spread of civilization, genocide is God's deliverance of the wilderness from the savages, and the destruction of Indian societies implies the superiority of European values and institutions over indigenous ones. Columbus Day is a perpetuation of racist assumptions that the Western Hemisphere was a wasteland cluttered with savages awaiting the blessings of Western "civilization." Throughout the hemisphere, educational systems perpetuate these myths - suggesting that indigenous peoples have contributed nothing to the world, and, consequently, should be grateful for their colonization and their microwave ovens. As Alfred Crosby, Kirkpatrick Sale, and Jack Weatherford have illustrated in their books, not only was the Western Hemisphere a virtual ecological and health paradise prior to 1492, but the Indians of the Americas have been responsible for such revolutionary global contributions as the model for U.S. constitutional government, agricultural advances that currently provide 60 percent of the world's daily diet, and hundreds of medical and medicinal techniques still in use today. If you find it difficult to believe that Indians had developed highly complex and sophisticated societies, then you have been victimized by an educational and social system that has given you a retarded, distorted view of history. The operation of this view has also enabled every country in this hemisphere, including the U.S., to continue its destruction of Indian peoples. From the jungles of Brazil to the highlands of Guatemala, from the Chaco of Paraguay to the Supreme Court of the United States, Indian people remain in a perpetual state of danger from the systems that Christopher Columbus began in 1492. Throughout the Americas, Indian people remain at the bottom of every socioeconomic indicator, we are under continuing physical attack, and are afforded the least access to economic, political, or legal redress. Despite these constant and unbridled assaults, we have resisted, we have survived, and we refuse to surrender any more of our homeland or to disappear into the romantic sunset. To dignify Columbus and his legacy with parades, holidays and other celebrations is intolerable to us. As the original peoples of this land, we cannot, and will not, countenance social and political festivities that celebrate our genocide. We are embarking on a two- pronged campaign in the quincentenary year to confront the continuing racism against Indian people. First, we are advocating that the divisive Columbus Day holiday should be replaced by a celebration that is much more inclusive and more accurately reflective of the cultural and racial richness of the Americas. Such a holiday will provide respect and acknowledgement to every group and individual of the importance and value of their heritage, and will allow a more honest and accurate portrayal of the evolution of the hemisphere. It will also provide an opportunity for greater understanding and respect as our societies move ahead into the next 500 years. Opponents to this suggestion react as though this proposal is an attack on ancient time-honored holiday, but Columbus Day has been a national holiday only since 1971 - and in 1991, hopefully, we can correct the errors of the past, moving forward in an atmosphere of mutual respect and inclusiveness. Second, and related to the first, is the advancement of an active militant campaign to demand that federal, state, and local authorities begin the removal of anti-Indian icons throughout the country. Beginning with Columbus, we are insisting on the removal of statues, street names, public parks, and any other public object that seeks to celebrate or honor devastators of Indian peoples. We will take an active role of opposition to public displays, parades, and celebrations that champion Indian haters. We encourage others, in every community in the land, to educate themselves and to take responsibility for the removal of anti-Indian vestiges among them. For people of goodwill, there is no better time for the re- examination of the past, and a rectification of the historical record for future generations, than the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival. There is no better place for this re-examination to begin than in Colorado, the birthplace of the Columbus Day holiday. ------------------------------------------------------------- Russell Means and Glenn Morris wrote this position statement on behalf of the American Indian Movement of Colorado, 1574 South Pennsylvania St., Denver, CO Unit I: The Colonial Era (1607-1763) Source - http://www.orangeschools.org/OHS/TeacherPGs/TJordan/Pages/columbusday.html End of forwarded article. Jai Maharaj Latest world news at: http://www.flex.com/~jai/topnews.html Om Shanti --------- "RE: More on Columbus Day" --------- Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 22:39:46 -0700 From: Debra Krol Subj: More on Columbus Day UUCP email Aquish! My name is Debra Utacia Krol, and I am an enrolled member of the Salinan Nation of central California. I am also a free-lance writer and a participant in the Bridges to Biomedical Careers for Under represented Minorities Program at ASU West. I just finished a column about the hypocrisy of celebrating the day that one of the most brutal butchers of the European invasion, Christopher Columbus, literally ran into the island of Hispaniola. I write columns for the Progressive Media Project, an alternative editorial syndicate. These columns are distributed over the Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service wire, and so get nationwide exposure. Hopefully you out there will see it appear in your paper. If you do, please write the paper and express your opinion about this despicable 'holiday.' Perhaps, if there is enough feedback, we can raise the consciousness of our non-Native neighbors and send this so-called 'holiday' to where it belongs--the trash can. And if any of those of you in Indian Country have a burning issue, please bring it to my attention. I am vitally interested in promoting the cause of Indian rights, especially with regards to recognition, social justice, and sovereignty. Debra Utacia Krol 17433 N. 16th Lane Phoenix, Arizona 85023 (602) 866-2786 --------- "RE: The Last Columbus Day" --------- Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 20:48:50 -0400 From: "Michael Fortson" Subj: the last Columbus Day Mailing List: Paths-L Please forward this; it clearly needs to be heard. ++++++ (from Carol M) "A friend is a teacher in one of our suburban schools. Come Columbus Day (or Italian Invasion Day if you will) an actor was hired to play the part of Columbus. The children were delighted to see this fully costumed actor, but were shocked at what he did. He announced that he had just discovered that classroom and proceeded to rummage through desks taking whatever appealed to him. Students protested saying "you can't have that, it's mine" to which he replied "no, I just discovered this place, so what's here is mine." He then left the room with his booty and went on to the next classroom and did the same thing. Needless to say those students learned a lot about the difference between "discovery" and "invasion" and came away with a whole new respect for the many Native Peoples who were here then and who are here now. They also were bewildered as to why a day should be set aside to *honor* such a man. " my two cents: The history books have been wrong about the true legacy of this day for far too long. It is time to change them. Now. Columbus day will continue; it is the meaning of the day that must be fixed. To borrow a concept from Bill Clinton, which he directed at the Chinese leader while debating the meaning of Tiananmen Square: We're on the wrong side of history on this one. Columbus day is not for simple celebration. It should be many things: + Mourning. For the People whose lives and civilizations were shattered and scattered to the winds. + Vigilance. That no such occurrence should happen again in this world. + Determination. To help those People to rebuild. The First Nations still exist, and the People are strong. But the injustices continue, threatening the liberty and sovereignty of those who remain. They remain "wards" of the U.S., but corruption and incompetence among runs high among those tasked with "managing" their affairs. It is time for the US government to step aside and return the control of these Peoples lives to the People themselves, as truly independent Nations. + Celebration. Of the spirit of these People, who have survived every attempt at extermination, keeping the fires of their People burning still. -- mlf --------- "RE: Papal Bulls Burning" --------- Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 03:11:55 -1000 From: Tony Castanha Subj: Papal Bulls Burning! (Part I) - Please forward Mailing List: Taino-L Taino interest forum PLEASE FORWARD "This conclusion [examining the process as to how historical entities are produced rather than taking for granted and assuming their production via "divine" creation] led me to understand that the basic concept for the historian is that of "invention," because the concept of "creation," which assumes that something is produced EX NIHILO, can have meaning only within the sphere of religious faith. Thus I came to suspect that the clue to the problem of the historical appearance of America lay in considering the event as the result of an inspired invention of Western thought and not as the result of a purely physical discovery, brought about, furthermore, by accident. But in order to test this theory it was necessary to undertake a critical inquiry aimed at retracing the whole history, not of the "discovery of America," but of the IDEA THAT AMERICA HAD BEEN DISCOVERED. The result of this investigation, published in 1951, allowed me to see that, when carried to its logical conclusion, that idea implies a REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM, and therefore, that it is an inadequate way to understand the historical reality which it attempts to explain" (Edmundo O'Gorman, The Invention of America, 1961). Aloha y Guaitiao, E komo mai - welcome! This message is broken into two separate email messages: Part I announces the papal bulls burning event, particularly the Honolulu event, and provides some background on the historical and contemporary meaning of these decrees and the movement to revoke them. Steve Newcomb's article, "Five Hundred Years of Injustice," critiques the basis of the "Doctrine of Discovery" and is a must read in order to see how Christian dogma still forms the basis of international law with regard to indigenous peoples today. Part II provides a historical introduction to the "Inter Caetera" bull of May 4, 1493, and the words of the bull in its entirety, for your printing and burning pleasure. *COME and PARTICIPATE at the annual global Papal Bulls burning on Monday October 12, 5pm, so-called "Columbus" or "Discoverer's Day." The event in Honolulu will take place at the Catholic Diocese Office of the Bishop, 1184 Bishop St. (Fort St. Mall right off Beretania). INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SUPPORTERS CALL UPON PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY TO PERSUADE THE VATICAN AND POPE JOHN PAUL II TO FORMALLY REVOKE THESE DOCUMENTS. Speakers include Kaleo Patterson, Hawai'i Ecumenical Coalition; Nalani Minton, Indigenous Law Institute; Hank Raymond, Okanogan San Poil people; Ralph Summy, Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace; Tony Castanha, Caribe/Boricua descendant. Sponsoring organizations in Hawai'i include the Hawai'i Ecumenical Coalition, Matsunaga Institute for Peace, Ka Pakaukau, Ahupua'a Action Alliance, Indigenous Law Institute, and the Pro-Kanaka Maoli Independence Working Group. For more information contact: Nalani (nalanima@aol.com), Tony (castanha@hawaii.edu), Francis (fboyle@law.uiuc.edu) or Josh (joshua@hawaii.edu). *What are the "Papal Bulls"? The papal bulls were decrees issued by the Vatican hierarchy which essentially sanctioned the fifteenth century Portuguese and Spanish invasions and genocide campaigns into Africa and the Amerikas. Though many bulls had been historically handed down, we are primarily con-cerned with two decrees: the 1452 bull issued by Pope Nicolas V to Portuguese King Alfonso and the May 4, 1493 Inter Cetera bull issued to the king and queen of Spain by Pope Alexander VI. Both decrees established Christian dominion and subjugation of non-Christian "heathen" peoples and their lands. The 1493 bull had divided the world in half, everything 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands went to Spain, everything east to Portugal. *Why is revoking the papal bulls important today? This action would help restore the fundamental human rights of indigenous peoples. The Christian/heathen ideology of the bulls forms the basis of the Doctrine of Discovery and the Law of "Christian" Nations (see Newcomb below) and, subsequently, forms the core of U.S. Federal Indian law today. These documents continue to be used by Nation-States to subjugate and deny the rights of indigenous peoples. A movement to revoke the papal bulls has been ongoing for a number of years. At the Parliament of World Religions in 1994 over 60 indigenous delegates drafted a Declaration of Vision. It reads, in part: We call upon the people of conscience in the Roman Catholic hierarchy to persuade Pope John II to formally revoke the Inter Cetera Bull of May 4, 1493, which will restore our fundamental human rights. That Papal document called for our Nations and Peoples to be subjugated so the Christian Empire and its doctrines would be propagated. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling Johnson v. McIntosh 8 Wheat 543 (in 1823) adopted the same principle of subjugation expressed in the Inter Cetera Bull. This Papal Bull has been, and continues to be, devastating to our religions, our cultures, and the survival of our populations. ********** FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OF INJUSTICE: The Legacy of Fifteenth Century Religious Prejudice 1992 by Steve Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape Legal Scholar) When Christopher Columbus first set foot on the white sands of Guanahani island, he performed a ceremony to "take possession" of the land for the king and queen of Spain, acting under the inter-national laws of Western Christendom. Although the story of Columbus' "discovery" has taken on mythological proprtions in most of the Western world, few people are aware that his act of "possession" was based on a religious doctrine now known as the Doctrine of Discovery. Even fewer people realize that today--five centuries later--the United States government stil uses this archaic Judeo-Christian doctrine to deny the rights of Native American Indians. Origins of the Doctrine of Discovery To understand the connection between Christendom's principle of discovery and the laws of the United States, we need to begin by examining a papal document issued forty years before Columbus' historic voyage. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued to King Alfonso V of Portugal the bull Romanus Pontifex, declaring war against all non-Christians throughout the world, and specifically sanc-tioning and promoting the conquest, colonization, and exploitation of non-Christian nations and their territories. Under various theological and legal doctrines formulated during and after the Crusades, non-Christians were considered enemies of the Catholic faith and, as such, less than human. Accordingly, in the bull of 1452, Pope Nicholas directed King Alfonso to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." [Davenport: 20-26] Acting on this papal privilege, Portugal continued to traffic in African slaves, and expanded its royal dominions by making "discoveries" along the western coast of Africa, claiming those lands as Portuguese territory. Thus, when Columbus sailed west across the Sea of Darkness in 1492-- with the express understanding that he was authorized to "take possession" of any lands he "discovered" that were "not under the dominion of any Christian rulers"--he and the Spanish sovereigns of Aragon and Castile were following an already well-established tradi-tion of "discovery" and conquest. [Thacher: 96] Indeed, after Columbus returned to Europe, Pope Alexander VI issued a papal document, the bull Inter Cetera of May 3, 1493, "granting" to Spain--at the request of Ferdinand and Isabella--the right to conquer the lands which Columbus had already found, as well as any lands which Spain might "discover" in the future. In the Inter Cetera document, Pope Alexander stated his desire that the "discovered" people be "subjugated and brought to the faith itself." [Davenport: 61] By this means, said the pope, the "Christian Empire" would be propagated. [Thatcher: 127] When Portugal protested this concession to Spain, Pope Alexander stipulated in a subsequent bull--issued May 4, 1493- -that Spain must not attempt to establish its dominion over lands which had already "come into the possession of any Christian lords." [Daven- port: 68] Then, to placate the two rival monarchs, the pope drew a line of demarcation between the two poles, giving Spain rights of conquest and dominion over one side of the globe, and Portugal over the other. During this quincentennial of Columbus' jouney to the Americas, it is important to recognize that the grim acts of genocide and conquest by Columbus and his men against the peaceful Native people of the Caribbean were sanctioned by the above mentioned documents of the Catholic church. Indeed, these papal documents were frequently used by Christian European conquerors in the Americas to justify an incredibly brutal system of colonization-- which dehumanized the indigenous people by regarding their territories as being "inhabited only by brute animals." [Story: 135-6] The lesson to be learned is that the papal bulls of 1452 and 1493 are but two clear examples of how the "Christian Powers," or "dif-ferent States of Christendom," viewed indigenous peoples as "the lawful spoil and prey of their civilized conquerors." [Wheaton: 270-1] In fact, the Christian "Law of Nations" asserted that Christian nations had a divine right, based on the Bible, to claim absolute title to and ultimate authority over any newly "discovered" Non-Christian inhabitants and their lands. Over the next several centuries, these beliefs gave rise to the Doctrine of Discovery used by Spain, Portugal, England, France, and Holland--all Christian nations. The Doctrine of Discovery in U.S. Law In 1823, the Christian Doctrine of Discovery was quietly adopted into U. S. law by the Supreme Court in the celebrated case, JOHNSON v. McINTOSH (8 Wheat., 543). Writing for the unanimous court, Chief Justice John Marshall observed that Christian European nations had assumed "ultimate dominion" over the lands of America during the Age of Discovery, and that--upon "discovery"--the Indians had lost "their rights to complete sovereignty, as independent nations," and only retained a right of "occupancy" in their lands. In other words, Indian nations were subject to the ultimate authority of the first nation of Christendom to claim possession of a given region of Indian lands. [Johnson: 574; Wheaton: 270-1] According to Marshall, the United States--upon winning its indepen- dence in 1776--became a successor nation to the right of "discovery" and acquired the power of "dominion" from Great Britain. [Johnson: 587-9] Of course, when Marshall first defined the principle of "discovery," he used language phrased in such a way that it drew attention away from its religious bias, stating that "discovery gave title to the government, by whose subject, or by whose author-ity, the discovery was made, against all other European governments." [Johnson: 573-4] However, when discussing legal precedent to support the court's findings, Marshall specifically cited the English charter issued to the explorer John Cabot, in order to document England's "complete recognition" of the Doctrine of Discovery. [Johnson: 576] Then, paraphrasing the language of the charter, Marshall noted that Cabot was authorized to take possession of lands, "notwithstanding the occupancy of the natives, who were heathens, and, at the same time, admitting the prior title of any Christian people who may have made a previous discovery." [Johnson: 577] In other words, the Court affirmed that United States law was based on a fundamental rule of the "Law of Nations"--that it was permissible to virtually ignore the most basic rights of indigenous "heathens," and to claim that the "unoccupied lands" of America rightfully be-longed to discovering Christian European nations. Of course, it's important to understand that, as Benjamin Munn Ziegler pointed out in The International Law of John Marshall, the term "unoccupied lands" referred to "the land in America which, when discovered, were `occupied by Indians' but `unoccupied' by Christians." [Ziegler: 46] Ironically, the same year that the JOHNSON v. McINTOSH decision was handed down, founding father James Madison wrote: "Religion is not in the purview of human government. Religion is essentially distinct from civil government, and exempt from its cognizance; a connection between them is injurious to both." Most of us have been brought up to believe that the United States Constitution was designed to keep church and state apart. Unfortunate-ly, with the Johnson decision, the Christian Doctrine of Discovery was not only written into U.S. law but also became the cornerstone of U.S. Indian policy over the next century. From Doctrine of Discovery to Domestic Dependent Nations Using the principle of "discovery" as its premise, the Supreme Court stated in 1831 that the Cherokee Nation (and, by implication, all Indian nations) was not fully sovereign, but "may, perhaps," be deemed a "domestic dependent nation." [Cherokee Nation v. Georgia] The federal government took this to mean that treaties made with Indian nations did not recognize Indian nations as free of U.S. control. According to the U.S. government, Indian nations were "domestic dependent nations" subject to the federal government's absolute legislative authority--known in the law as "plenary power." Thus, the ancient doctrine of Christian discovery and its subjuga- tion of "heathen" Indians were extended by the federal government into a mythical doctrine that the U.S. Constitution allows for governmental authority over Indian nations and their lands. [Savage: 59-60] The myth of U.S. "plenary power" over Indians--a power, by the way, that was never intended by the authors of the Constitution [Savage: 115-17]--has been used by the United States to: a) Circumvent the terms of solemn treaties that the U.S. entered into with Indian nations, despite the fact that all such treaties are "supreme Law of the Land, anything in the Constitution notwith- standing." b) Steal the homelands of Indian peoples living east of the Mississippi River, by removing them from their traditional ancestral homelands through the Indian Removal Act of 1835. c) Use a congressional statute, known as the General Allotment Act of 1887, to divest Indian people of some 90 million acres of their lands. This act, explained John Collier (Commissioner of Indian Affairs) was "an indirect method--peaceful under the forms of law--of taking away the land that we were determined to take away but did not want to take it openly by breaking treaties." d) Steal the sacred Black Hills from the Great Sioux nation in viola- tion of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie which recognized the Sioux Nation's exclusive and absolute possession of their lands. e) Pay the Secretary of the Interior $26 million for 24 million acres of Western Shoshone lands, because the Western Shoshone people have steadfastly refused to sell the land and refused to accept the money. Although the Western Shoshone Nation's sovereignty and territorial boundaries were clearly recognized by the federal government in the 1863 Ruby Valley Treaty, the government now claims that paying itself on behalf of the Western Shoshone has extinguished the Western Shoshone's title to their lands. The above cases are just a few examples of how the United States government has used the JOHNSON v. McINTOSH and Cherokee Nation v. Georgia decisions to callously disregard the human rights of Native peoples. Indeed, countless U.S. Indian policies have been based on the underlying, hidden rationale of "Christian discovery"--a rationale which holds that the "heathen" indigenous peoples of the Americas are "subordinate to the first Christian discoverer," or its successor. [Wheaten: 271] As Thomas Jefferson once observed, when the state uses church doctrine as a coercive tool, the result is "hypocrisy and meanness." Unfortunate- ly, the United States Supreme Court's use of the ancient Christian Doctrine of Discovery--to circumvent the Constitution as a means of taking Indian lands and placing Indian nations under U.S. control-- has proven Madison and Jefferson right. Bringing an End to Five Hundred Years of Injustice to Indigenous Peoples In a country set up to maintain a strict separation of church and state, the Doctrine of Discovery should have long ago been declared unconstitutional because it is based on a prejudicial treatment of Native American people simply because they were not Christians at the time of European arrival. By penalizing Native people on the basis of their non-Christian religious beliefs and ceremonial practices, strip- ping them of most of their lands and most of their sovereignty, the JOHNSON v. McINTOSH ruling stands as a monumental violation of the "natural rights" of humankind, as well as the most fundamental human rights of indigenous peoples. As we move beyond the quincentennial of Columbus' invasion of the Americas, it is high time to formally renounce and put an end to the religious prejudice that was written into U.S. law by Chief Justice John Marshall. Whether or not the American people--especially the Christian right--prove willing to assist Native people in getting the Johnson ruling overturned will say a lot to the world community about just how seriously the United States takes its own foundational prin- ciples of liberty, justice, and religious freedom. As we approach the 500th anniversary of the Inter Cetera bulls on May 3 and 4 of 1993, it is important to keep in mind that the Doctrine of Discovery is still being used by countries throughout the Americas to deny the rights of indigenous peoples, and to perpetuate colonization throughout the Western Hemisphere. To begin to bring that system of colonization to an end, and to move away from a cultural and spirtual tradition of subjugation, we must overturn the doctrine at its roots. Therefore, I propose that non-Native people--especially Christians-- unite in solidarity with indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere to impress upon Pope John Paul II how important it is for him to revoke, in a formal ceremony with indigenous people, the Inter Cetera bulls of 1493. Revoking those papal documents and overturning the JOHNSON v. McINTOSH decision are two important first steps toward correcting the injustices that have been inflicted on indigenous peoples over the past five hun- dred years. They are also spiritually significant steps toward creating a way of life that is no longer based on greed and subjugation. Perhaps then we will be able to use our newfound solidarity to begin to create a lifestyle based on the first indigenous principle: * RESPECT THE EARTH AND HAVE A SACRED REGARD FOR ALL LIVING THINGS * --------- "RE: Ward Valley Protest Action" --------- Date: Friday, October 9, 1998 From: Colorado River Native Nations Alliance Fort Mojave, Chemehuevi, Cocopah, Quechan, Colorado River Indian Tribes 500 Merriman, Needles, California 92363 Subj: Ward Valley Protest Action at EPA Contact: Steve Lopez, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (520) 715-3864, Philip Klasky, BAN Waste Coalition (415) 752-8678, Bradley Angel, Greenaction (415) 566-3475. NATIVE AMERICAN LEADERS TRAVEL TO SAN FRANCISCO TO CHALLENGE THE U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO TAKE ACTION TO STOP THE PROPOSED WARD VALLEY NUCLEAR DUMP RALLY AND PROTEST ACTION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 AT 12 NOON at EPA HEADQUARTERS 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco. 1:00 pm march to the Department of the Interior. 11:45 Traditional Native American Singers and Dancers (San Francisco, CA) -- Native American leaders and dozens of tribal members will travel from their reservations along the Colorado River to San Francisco to demand that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) act now to stop the proposed nuclear waste dump at Ward Valley. Tribal leaders are responding to the unprecedented action by the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (NEJAC) directing the federal agency take action to halt the proposed nuclear dump. At 11:45 Native Americans will present traditional song and dance on the front steps of the EPA headquarters. At 12 noon tribal representatives will report the results of their meeting with EPA officials and participate in a rally followed by a 1:00 pm march to the offices of the Department of the Interior. "The EPA has clear direction from its own environmental justice council to act now to uphold environmental justice and stop the nuclear waste dump proposed for our sacred lands," said Steve Lopez, spokesman for the Colorado River Native Nations Alliance, a consortium of the five lower Colorado River Indian tribes. For the last eight years, Native American tribes have asserted that the controversial nuclear waste dump would violate environmental justice laws and mandates. The EPA has been designated by the Presidential Order on Environmental Justice as the federal government's lead agency on the effects of toxic contamination on minority communities. The tribes have informed the EPA that Ward Valley is sacred land with significant cultural resources and that the proposed dump project would violate the federal government's trust responsibility to protect Native American sacred sites, cultural resources and economic future. The tribal delegation will be joined by Bay Area community, cancer support and environmental organizations. Governor Peter Wilson and the nuclear power industry have promoted the construction of the Ward Valley dump which would bury long-lived and highly dangerous radioactive wastes, mostly from nuclear power reactors, in shallow unlined trenches, above an aquifer, eighteen miles from the Colorado River, in critical habitat for an endangered species and on sacred Indian land. --------- "RE: Protest to Free Leonard Peltier" --------- Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 14:18:57 -0500 (CDT) From: Freedom Heart Rising Subj: FWD. from LPDC: Update on December 19th protest to free Leonard Peltier UUCP email Plans for the Saturday, December 19th Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to Free Leonard Peltier are going well. Many people are contacting us about the protest. Please call us if you would like to organize an action in your community or if you would like to join a protest that is already being planned. Here is a sample of the correspondence that we have received so far. greetings LPDC, I mentioned recently that i would help coordinate a Leonard Peltier Non Violent Civil Disobedience on Saturday December 19 in Melbourne, Australia. The Anarchist Black Cross Melbourne (of which i am a part) has agreed to support the action. The event will occur all day from 10am at the American Consulate which is situated at 553 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne. Feel free to advertise the Melbourne solidarity action (protest) and the Anarchist Black Cross Melbourne support (endorsement) for the action. Feel free to contact me (i will be off to the desert to help with some public meetings with indigenous Australians in a little out back town called Cooper Peedy to help stop a radioactive waste dump near their homes). I will be back by October 4 however to read my accumulated emails. In solidarity. Go SIcK mATE ciao....madwog and eddie spadougle madwog@xchange.anarki.net The anarchist black cross can be contacted at abc@xchange.anarki.net PO BOX 199 BRUNSWICK EAST VICTORIA AUSTRALIA 3057 To the Persons of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, Hello. My name is Jeremy Boyd. I am a student at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. I have known of the plight of Leonard Peltier for some time now, and have always at least indirectly supported the cause. However, I am now more interested in a more direct support of your cause. I learned via the internet of the national day of civil disobedience on Dec. 19th. I was wondering if you had any information of planned events in the Memphis area, and if not, if you could send me information regarding the organization of one. Also, I would like to request a poster and flyers if possible for the upcoming Leonard Peltier poster day to be put up on my campus. I hope I can be of help. Thank you. -Jeremy S. Boyd Memphis, TN 38112 E-mail: boyjs@rhodes.edu LPDC; For some time I have been wondering about the Lenard Peltier case. I don't know who he is, but have an idea about the situation now. I have heard of people talking about this case as a young girl. I have read your report on the web in regards to free Lenard by the holiday season. We live in Gold River, British Columbia, Canada, & would like some posters to put up to help support Leonards freedom. Thank you, Susan L. Peters Gold River, B.C. You may add us as endorsers (as individuals, & as Nuclear Resister Editors only for ID purposes) We will publicize the plans in the upcoming issue (8/28) of the Nuclear Resister! Thank you. Jack & Felice Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa the Nuclear Resister P.O. Box 43383 Tucson AZ 85733 (520)323-8697 PLEASE E-MAIL MORE INFO FOR THE CLEVELAND/AKRON OHIO AREA. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. E-MAIL:KILRBEE7@AOL.COM Hello. My name is Marq Spencer. I have long followed the unfortunate story of Leonard Peltier. In the past, I have done what I can to help with letter writing, and spreading the word to others, urging them to do the same. I was wondering if I can get info on flyers/posters etc for the Oct 12 poster distribution day. I am a musician in the Chicago area. I could distribute flyers for the Dec 19th non-violent civil disobedience action. I would be able to distribute them at out shows, and just by going out to the clubs in town when I'm not playing. I'd really like to do what I can to help spread the word about the actions, and of course encourage many more to call for clemency. I'm adding a link to your page on the bands website also so people who do not know the full history can read the details on Leonard's plight. If you could send me any info about the flyers, I would be much appreciative for your time. Thank you. Marq Spencer cherokee@snugcove.com Elmwood Park, Il 60707 I'd like to help spread the news of the non-violent campaign at my school. Could you please send as many posters as you'd like to: Chaz McHale Taberg, NY Thank you comrades. FREE LEONARD PELTIER, FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL, FREE SYLVIA BARALDINI FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS. --------- "RE: Amnesty International Report Blasts US" --------- Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 21:28:11 -0500 From: Breeze Luetke-Stahlman Subj: Amnesty International Report blasts US UUCP email Included in the Amnesty International Report, and further brought to light at an additional press confrernce on October 15, 1998, is the issue of United States Political Prisoner, Leonard Peltier. On October 15, 1998 at 10:00 AM at Amnesty International, located at 600 Pennsylvania Ave, SE- fifth floor, will be an AI press conference calling for the review of Leonard Peltier's case to be concluded and Executive Clemency be granted by Christmas 1998. Present will be Amnesty International, Jean Bordioux- a native woman from the Dakotas who was at the 1975 firefight, Cyrus Peltier- Leonard's thirteen year-old grandson, who will be making a personal plea to Clinton, Jim Leonard- Peltier's medical lawyer, Carl Nadler- Peltier's Parole lawyer, and hopefully former Attorney General Ramsey Clark- Peltier's Clemency Request lawyer. Also at the conference will be former senior editor of National Geographic, Harvey Arden- who will be reading from he and Leonard's new book: "My Life is My Sundance: Prison Journals & Writings" set to release nation-wide in May of '99 on St. Martin's Press. For more information, please contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee at PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-5774. For direct details of the press conference contact me here in Washignton, DC. Please feel free to reproduce this advisory, and invite any media that would be interested in documenting this event. They can get all necessary information from me. One more day until freedom... Breeze Luetke-Stahlman Leonard Peltier Defense Committee National Lobbyist, Washington, DC 202-543-0445 FAX 202-543-3814 --------- "RE: Treaty Rights Runners Needed" --------- Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 03:42:08 -0700 From: Nancy Thomas Subj: Treaty rights runners needed--Wisconsin-D.C. Mailing List: NativeWeb MIDWEST TREATY NETWORK "An alliance of Indian and non-Indian groups supporting Native American sovereignty." >From: Sue Erickson Please circulate Dear Friends, The date for the Supreme Court of Appeals hearing on the Mille Lacs treaty rights case has been set for December 2 in Washington, D.C. This is in regard to the Minnesota Ojibwe, but the findings could potentially impact the treaty rights of Wisconsin tribes and tribes nationally, so we are very concerned about the outcome. A spiritual run is being organized to take the Treaty Staff from Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. in time for the Dec. 2 hearing. We are in need of core team runners (ten) to commit to the entire relay run from Nov. 11-Nov.29th, and also invite any support runners that could join for segments along the way. Roughly, the route will run near to Wausau and Madison in Wisconsin then on to Rockford, Ill - Ohio - West Virginia - Virginia - D.C. If you could put out the word, we would appreciate it. We are also looking for housing/food along the way; financial contributions; a small camper/RV with stove, refrig. with or without a driver to use as a support vehicle/office. We are hoping to have a Sacred Fire lit in Washington four days in advance of the case and Drum/Pipe Ceremonies outside the Court Building on Dec. 2. If you can help in anyway or would like more info, contact us at the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) office at (715) 682-6619. serikson@win.bright.net Midwest Treaty Network http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/content.html For background, see: Treaty Fishing Around Mille Lacs in Minnesota http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/content.html#ojibwe --------- "RE: SILLA Newsletter" --------- Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 10:26:29 -0500 From: "David O. Born" Subj: SILLA Newsletter Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF THE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF THE AMERICAS *** SSILA BULLETIN *** An Information Service for SSILA Members Editor - Victor Golla (gollav@axe.humboldt.edu) Associate Editor - Scott DeLancey (delancey@darkwing.uoregon.edu) -->> --Correspondence should be directed to the Editor-- <<-- __________________________________________________________________________ Number 75: October 8, 1998 __________________________________________________________________________ 75.0 SSILA BUSINESS * 1998 Elections 75.1 CORRESPONDENCE (Literature series cancelled) 75.2 POSITIONS OPEN * CSU-Chico (2 positions) * UC-Santa Barbara 75.3 AN INVITATION TO JOIN ASLIP 75.4 UPCOMING MEETINGS * Celebration of Indian Language and Culture (Norman, OK, Oct. 23) * California Indian Conference (San Luis Obispo, Oct. 1999) 75.5 THE ENDANGERED LANGUAGE FUND: CALL FOR 1999 PROPOSALS 75.6 E-MAIL ADDRESS UPDATES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.0 SSILA BUSINESS * 1998 Elections ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The SSILA Nominating Committee (Douglas Parks, Laurel Watkins, and Pat Shaw) have submitted the following slate of candidates for the 1998 elections: Vice President, 1999/President-elect for 2000: Sally Thomason Member-at-large of the Executive Committee, 1999-2001: Randolph Graczyk Secretary-Treasurer, 1999: Victor Golla Member of the Nominating Committee, 1999-2001: John Nichols, Pam Bunte Mail ballots will be distributed with the October SSILA Newsletter, and must be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer by December 1 in order to be counted. Results will be announced at the Annual Business Meeting, in Philadelphia, Saturday, December 5. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.1 CORRESPONDENCE Literature series cancelled ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Brian Swann (swann@cooper.edu) 30 Sept 1998: SSILA members might like to know that the Smithsonian Institution Press has summarily cancelled the Series in Native American Literatures which I have been editing for several years, and for which a number of SSILA members have prepared "Readers" in various languages and/or literatures. This has left stranded half a dozen completed manuscripts that have been on the SIP desk for months if not years, and a number of other projects with contracts are now homeless. Among the many excellent manuscripts caught in this situation is Herb Luthin's "California Reader", which has been complete for quite a while. Although I'm sure it will eventually find a new publisher, it will be significantly delayed. --Brian Swann Cooper Union, New York City >From Terry Thompson (terryt@pacifier.com) 4 Oct 1998: Did you know that the new director of the Smithsonian Institution Press has CANCELLED the 4- or 5-year-old series "American Indian Literatures?" Steve Egesdal and I had been asked to do a volume on Salishan myths and legends (all in English), and the press has had the completed ms. since February. Some other mss. they have had for over two years. Can you please let the members of SSILA know about this? We are all seriously concerned about this, having spent several years on collecting and editing this material. Quite a few SSILA members are involved, as you can imagine. We are seeking a new publisher for the series--or for individual volumes. --Terry Thompson (and Steve Egesdal) Honolulu, Hawai'i -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.2 POSITIONS OPEN * CSU-Chico: (1) Discourse, cognitive/functional syntax; (2) TESOL ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Sara Trechter (strechter@csuchico.edu) 2 Oct 1998: The English Department at California State University, Chico announces two tenure-track (Assistant Professor) positions. The position in linguistics requires a Ph.D. in linguistics with research/training in discourse and cognitive/functional approaches to syntax and semantics; experience in teaching core-area linguistics courses as well as introduction to Second Language Acquisition. A research interest in non-Indo-European languages(s) is desirable. Tenure-track faculty are required to pursue research and publication and provide service to the university community. The teaching load is 4 courses per semester, and teaching responsibilities will include introduction to linguistics, introduction to syntax, introduction to second language acquisition: theory and methods, and graduate seminars in linguistics (as needed). The applied linguistics/TESOL position requires a Ph.D. in applied linguistics or TESOL (with a strong linguistics background); teaching experience in English for Academic Purposes programs in the US and ESL in a non-US setting, or ESL/bilingual programs in K-12 schools in the US. The position also involves advising ESL students, pursuing research and publication, and service to the university community. The teaching load is 4 courses per semester, including ESL, introduction to second language acquisition theories and methods, and a graduate seminar in second language acquisition. As a university that educates students of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, we value a diverse faculty and staff and seek to create as diverse a pool of candidates as possible. Starting date for both positions is August 1999. Salary ranges from $37,956-40,692. Deadline for applications is December 3, 1998 (and continue as necessary). Please mail letter of application, current CV, and recommendations to: Karen C. Hatch Department of English California State University, Chico Chico, CA 95929-0830 * UC-Santa Barbara: Phonetics or Phonology ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Susanna Cumming (cumming@humanitas.ucsb.edu) 7 Oct 1998: The Linguistics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, seeks a linguist for an Assistant Professor, tenure-track position in phonetics or phonology, to take effect July 1, 1999. Ability to teach courses in both fields is preferred. Active research on a variety of languages, and in one or more of the following areas, will be considered a plus: competing theories in phonology or phonetics; phonetics-phono- logy interactions; natural discourse prosody; instrumental phonetic analysis; cross-linguistic, typological, developmental, or historical- comparative studies of phonological-phonetic systems. The Ph.D. is required at the time of appointment. Applications must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and repre- sentative publications. Candidates should arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent by application date. Preliminary interviews will be held in January, 1999 at the LSA meeting in Los Angeles. For full consideration, applications must be received by December 11, 1998. Address inquiries and applications to: Search Committee Dept. of Linguistics UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106 e-mail: lingsearch@humanitas.ucsb.edu Fax: 805/893-7769 UCSB is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.3 AN INVITATION TO JOIN ASLIP >From John Bengtson (john.bengtson@co.hennepin.mn.us) 5 Oct 1998: The Association for the Study of Language in Prehistory (ASLIP) is an international society of scholars interested in linguistic reconstruc- tion at depths greater than those at which most Indo-Europeanists and Semitists cease probing. Its members, formally known as paleolinguists and informally as "Long Rangers", question the linguistic isolationism that insists on treating Sumerian and Basque as permanent linguistic islands and attributing all correspondences between language families to borrowing or to coincidence. Paleolinguistics is a key component of the emerging synthesis between linguistics, archaeology, paleoanthropology and genetics, which seeks to trace the origins and development of modern humans. ASLIP, while emphasizing the linguistic side, has many members from other disciplines, who are working together to understand the larger picture of prehistory. ASLIP publishes an annual journal, Mother Tongue, as well as a quarterly newsletter and invites subscriptions and contributions from linguists, archeologists, anthropologists, biologists, and generalists who believe that a sense of intellectual adventure is not incompatible with scholarly rigor. Annual membership is $25, which entitles each member to our journal and newsletter and provides voting rights in the Association. For further information, contact ASLIP's president, John D. Bengtson, 156 15th Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 (tel: 612/782-9009 or 612/348- 5910; e-mail: john.bengtson@co.hennepin.mn.us). The most recent issue of Mother Tongue (III, December 1997) contains: --a Hardware Symposium, discussing the origin of language, with articles by Terrence Deacon, Philip Lieberman, Stephen Zegura, W. Tecumseh Fitch, and Merlin Donald. This explores in breadth and depth the variant theories that have made language evolution such a lively subject both in popular books and in academics. --a special section on Nihali and Kusunda (continued from MT II), two language isolates in India. Included are essays by Paul Whitehouse, Roger Williams Wescott, and Harold Fleming, analyzing the languages and their possible relationships to Austric or other language macro-families. --a section exploring the theories of the relationships of Sumerian, another language isolate and a famously controversial topic, presenting possible connections to Austroasiatic (Igor Diakonoff), Dene-Caucasian (John Bengston), and Nostratic (Allan Bomhard). --several other articles on topics of interest to Long Rangers and language evolutionists, including book reviews by Ken Hale (on Lyle Campbell), Vaclav Blazhek (on Merritt Ruhlen), and Sergei Starotsin (on Viacheslav Chirikba), as well as recommendations for Long Rangers by the late "elder statesman" Paul K. Benedict. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.4 UPCOMING MEETINGS * Celebration of Indian Language and Culture (Norman, OK, October 23) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Intertribal Wordpath Society invites all interested people in the Norman, Oklahoma, area (and beyond) to an evening of education and entertainment, Friday October 23, 6:30-11 pm, at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E. Robinson. Admission is free. This "Celebration of Indian Language and Culture" will feature tradi- tional singers and storytellers performing in their native languages. Each performance will be accompanied by an English translation and an explanation of the cultural importance of the language to the art. Margaret Mauldin (Creek), Board Chair of the Intertribal Wordpath Society, will also give a demonstration of different styles of speaking in the Creek language. Surrounding the performance area will be a series of booths where various Indian language organizations will be selling language tapes, music, books, t-shirts, and other items relating to Oklahoma Indian language and culture. Indian tacos and other food will be available for purchase. The event is being made possible with the assistance of the Norman Arts and Humanities Council Grant Program. The Intertribal Wordpath Society is a non-profit educational corporation founded in 1997 to promote the teaching, awareness, use, and status of Oklahoma Indian languages. For further information about its activities contact Alice Anderton, Executive Director, 1506 Barkley St., Norman, OK 73071 (tel: 405/447-6103). * California Indian Conference (San Luis Obispo, October 1999) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From Lee Davis (davislee@sfsu.edu) 6 Oct 1998: The next California Indian Conference will be held on October 15-16, 1999 (next year) at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA. Information about the conference, including the Call for Papers, will appear in upcoming issues of _News from Native California_. The CIC conference coordinator is William Fairbanks, Social Sciences Division, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106 (tel: 805/546-3163; fax: 805/546-3904). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.5 THE ENDANGERED LANGUAGE FUND: CALL FOR 1999 PROPOSALS >From (elf@lenny.haskins.yale.edu) 8 Oct 1998: The Endangered Language Fund is now accepting proposals for its 1999 round of grants. The ELF provides grants for language maintenance and linguistic field work for the endangered languages of the world. The work most likely to be funded is that which serves both the native community and the field of linguistics. Work which has immediate applicability to one group and more distant application to the other will also be considered. Publishing subventions are a low priority, although they will be considered. The language involved must be in danger of disappearing within a generation or two. Endangerment is a continuum, and the location on the continuum is one factor in ELF's funding decisions. Eligible expenses include travel, tapes, films, consultant fees, etc. Grants are normally for one year periods, though extensions may be applied for. Grants in this round are expected to be less than $2,000 in size. There is no application form, but specific information in a standard format is required from applicants. An outline may be obtained from the ELF at the address below, and can also be found at the ELF website: http://sapir.ling.yale.edu/~elf/index.html Also at the website is a list of recipients of the first round of grant awards (1997-98), with descriptions of their projects. Applications must be received by April 20th, 1999. Decisions will be delivered by the end of May, 1999. Address inquiries to: The Endangered Language Fund Dept. of Linguistics Yale University P. O. Box 208236 New Haven, CT 06520-8236, USA (elf@haskins.yale.edu) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.6 E-MAIL ADDRESS UPDATES Altman, Heidi ..................haltman@bulldog.unca.edu Gray, John .....................jgray@wolfden.com Haspelmath, Martin .............haspelmath@eva.mpg.de Johnson, John ..................jjohnson@sbnature2.org Laury, Ritva ...................ritval@csufresno.edu Silverthorne, Joyce.............dxn3224@montana.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF THE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF THE AMERICAS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Victor Golla, Secretary-Treasurer & Editor Native American Studies Dept. of Anthropology Humboldt State Univ. OR: Univ. of California, Davis Arcata, CA 95521 USA Davis, CA 95616 USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 707/826-4324 - fax: 707/826-4418 - e-mail: gollav @ axe.humboldt.edu Website: http://trc2.ucdavis.edu/ssila --------- "RE: IMLS Awards to Native Americans" --------- Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 08:17:28 -0600 From: "John Berry" Subj: (FWD) IMLS awards to native americans ------- FORWARD, Original message follows ------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 1998 Press Contacts: Giuliana Bullard (202) 606-8339 Mamie Bittner (202) 606-8339 Federal Funds Improve Library Service to Native Americans, Native Hawaiians - Washington, DC - The Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services announced today $2,560,950 in grants for library service to Native Americans and Native Hawaiians. The Native American Library Service program provides new opportunities for improved library services for an important, but often undeserved, part of the nation's community of library users. The Native Hawaiian Library Services grant is a single grant to support services to the Native Hawaiian community Diane Frankel, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, said, "We applaud the recipients of the Native American Library Services Grants and Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants. They are using the power of technology to connect people to critical information they want and need." The Native American program offers three types of support: basic, technical assistance and enhancement support to established libraries serving the needs of Indian tribal communities and Alaska Native villages. The basic and technical grants are non-competitive grants awarded in amounts of up to $4,000 and $2,000, respectively. The competitive enhancement grants assist libraries with both traditional and innovative library practices. Of the 49 applications for the enhancement grants 12 were funded for a total of $1,139,100. (See attached lists of Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants or call press contacts for lists.) The Native Hawaiian Library Services Grant was awarded to Alu Like, Inc. of Honolulu, Hawaii, a private non-profit organization serving the Native Hawaiian community, in the amount of $365,850. Created by the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, IMLS is an independent Federal grant making agency that fosters leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learning by supporting museums and libraries. For more information, including grant guidelines, contact: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20506, (202) 606-8536, or http://www.imls.fed.us/. ### 1998 Native American Library Services Enhancement Grant Awards Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska $100,947 for a two-year project to convert an existing borough-wide online catalog to a system supported by a statewide consortium and to train library staff in eight villages to optimize the new system's features. Nenana Native Village, Nenana, Alaska $10,000 for a one year project to plan how the public library can best access the Internet, the state network and other electronic resources, and train both the staff and the community to effectively use electronic resources. Pilot Station Native Village, Pilot Station, Alaska $56,000 for a one year project to support a conference convening representatives from 56 native villages to introduce them to electronic resources and to create a plan for providing ongoing technical assistance to those villages in utilizing electronic resources. Pala Band of Mission Indians, Pala, California $44,820 for a one year project to expand the collection with print and electronic resources, purchase furnishings for a newly constructed library, and support library and educational services. Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder, Montana $134,000 for a two-year project to electronically link to the state online consortium, expand library service hours, upgrade computer resources, and create a new children's section. Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Lame Deer, Montana $127,574 for a two-year project to develop a procedural manual for converting tribal archives to a digital format and enhance Internet and intranet tribal services. Winnebago Tribe, Winnebago, Nebraska $128,842 for a two-year project to automate card catalog records, create a web site highlighting the tribe's collection of Native American materials, and increase access to that collection through conversion of some materials to electronic formats. Pueblo of Jemez , Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico $134,000 for a two-year project to support various aspects of a tribal intergenerational learning initiative, increase computer literacy for both library staff and tribal members, and plan a local library consortium. Pueblo of Santa Clara, Espanola, New Mexico $134,000 for a two-year project to create a multi-media resource center of tribal archives including a mobile exhibit of cultural materials, provide computer training courses, and increase collections for targeted community members. Three Affiliated Tribes, New Town, North Dakota $128,067 for a two-year project to create a consortium of eight reservation libraries for the purposes of sharing of electronic and print resources, training library staff, and coordinating collection development. Nisqually Tribe, Olympia, Washington $77,060 for a one-year project to increase access to health and community information by establishing a "Health Information Station," to enhance print and electronic health resources, and employ tribal youth pages to expand library hours. Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe, Hayward, Wisconsin $63,790 for a one-year project to develop web access to their online catalog and library-produced databases, provide outreach services to Headstart and senior centers, and focus resources on developing a collection of tribal materials. --------- "RE: BC NDP to Lift Oil-Gas Ban" --------- Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 01:04:54 -0800 From: SISIS@envirolink.org (S.I.S.I.S.) Subj: Ecocide! BC NDP to lift oil-gas ban on Haida-Gwaii :-:-:-:-:-:-:-Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty-:-:-:-:-:-:-: NDP OPEN TO LIFTING OIL-SEARCH BAN The Province, Sept.29, 1998, by Alan Ferguson [S.I.S.I.S. note: The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.] Plagued by flagging revenues from fisheries and forests, the B.C. government appears ready to take drastic steps to raise cash. Mines and Energy Minister Dan Miller has indicated that the New Democrats may consider lifting a 17-year-old ban on oil and gas exploration off the B.C. Coast. He reportedly told journalists in the Queen Charlotte Islands this month: "If there is a possibility of economic activity and jobs and it can be done safely, the government should lift the moratorium." The minister was unavailable for comment yesterday, but a spokeswoman confirmed that this is consistent with his view. "He's also made it clear that it would have to be in the context of the environment and the wishes and desires of the people in that area," Kerry Readshaw said. The Geological Survey of Canada has estimated oil reserves in the area at 9.8 billion barrels, of which 2.6 billion are recoverable. Shell Oil began test-drilling in the 1960s, but exploration ended when the federal government imposed a moratorium in 1972. The province applied its own "indefinite moratorium" in 1981. An independent task force says that the NDP government is turning its back on a potential bonanza that could fuel a return to prosperity in the province. "The government could be earning royalties in the tens of billions of dollars," said Dave McGuigan of Prince Rupert, chairman of the North Coast Oil and Gas Task Force. "We don't understand why they can't get a handle on this." McGuigan says Ottawa would end the moratorium if B.C. agrees. Charlie Stewart, manager of external affairs for Chevron, which has a deal with Shell to do more exploration in the area, said: "If the moratorium was lifted, sure, we'd be interested." Exploration ended after the Exxon Valdez oil tanker disaster. McGuigan says his task force was formed 18 months ago to get the work restarted: "The government argues that we don't have the support of coastal communities. That's not true. We have the support of most of them." Laura Jones, director of environmental studies at the Fraser Institute, a Vancouver-based think-tank, dismissed the idea of a quick cash bonanza from oil and gas, but added: "There is certainly the possibility we could do it without environmental degradation." :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: NO OIL/GAS EXPLORATION WITHOUT JURISDICTION OR CONSENT! NO TO ECOCIDE! Letters to The Province - mailto:provedpg@pacpress.southam.ca, Letters to BC Premier Glen Clark - mailto:premier@gov.bc.ca In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: 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 --------- "RE: Waseskun Healing & Development Centre" --------- Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 10:33:31 +0000 From: wn Subj: Waseskun Healing & Development Centre UUCP email WASESKUN HEALING & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE: OUR VISION Our Elders teach us that life is a process of constant flux and change, like a great and joyful dance which calls us into partnership with all the elements and beings in the created universe. For Aboriginal people everywhere the approach to the millennium is an exciting and hopeful time. Voices all around us are telling of a great transition that is about to take place. Many circles are uniting under the branches of the Sacred Tree in celebration of shared values and teachings, especially in the area of the many broken relationships we desire to heal with one another and with our Sacred Mother the Earth. We at Waseskun House have a special circle of responsibility in this process because we have been called to assist those individuals who's ability to relate has been so wounded that they have been legally isolated from the possibility of nearly all healthy relationships. They have been placed behind stone walls and iron bars in institutions whose inmates espouse the very values their communities of origin are seeking to eradicate. It has been our calling to respond constructively to this counter-productive situation, as well as to recall and re-direct many of these brothers back to the "Good Red Road" that our Creator has laid out for us. Our unique branch of the Sacred Tree is now coming into blossom. Our Vision, inspired by roots sunk deep in the soil of our ancestors, supported and fed by a strong trunk of sympathetic communities, Elders, leaders, and caregivers, now spreads ever-widening branches from which to view a new horizon of possibilities and challenges in our on-going journey towards wholeness. Since our inception in July of 1988, we have accomplished much, for although we were afforded very few material resources, we have been blessed with a strong spirit. In a few cramped rooms in downtown Montreal, and surviving on donations, a small group of volunteers set out to give a handful of Native, male offenders a chance to work towards fulfillment of a brighter future. Thus Waseskun House became Quebec's first and only, non-profit, Native-owned and operated healing residence for Aboriginal offenders. During this early period we were able to obtain official recognition by Correctional Services Canada as a Community Residential Centre (CRC), and, by way of compensating for our limited physical environment, we negotiated with the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal for the use of a summer camp facility in a natural setting. Here we began the process of retrieving our lost identity as a people rooted in a living relationship with our Sacred Mother the Earth. These and other related events heralded our official Grand Opening on July 28, 1988. The success of our preliminary efforts gradually created the necessity of moving into a larger and more functional facility. This was accomplished in June of 1994 through the selfless energy characteristic of our staff members, the support of our many friends, and the organizational skills of our Directorship. The service capacity in this, our present location, having increased to include eighteen residents and a growing body of trained staff members, we now directed our focus to the development and delivery of an intensive, holistic, culture-specific rehabilitation program. During this period our vision took on new dimensions as we began to see more clearly our role as a trend setter in the movement responding to the challenging issue of Aboriginal Justice in general. When our program was originally implemented, a typical resident would focus on his personal issues for the duration of the program cycle, and then direct his attention to the many challenges involved in returning to his community of origin. It soon became evident however, that the issues related to community re-integration were not only a matter of organizing transportation, support systems, and followup, but were, in fact, the essence, and most demanding phase of the healing process itself. This was the time in which the skills and self-knowledge gained during the individual's experience at Waseskun House would be put to the test as he engaged in the active, face-to-face encounter essential to restoring right relationship with his victim(s), family, community, and Nation. As Native people, our understanding of "crime" as a breakdown of the healthy relationships that bind a community together, necessitates an active, hands-on, reparation of the damage between offenders and victims, not punishment and further alienation from these relationships which represent the greatest potential for the growth of all concerned. Inherent in this process is the willful assuming of responsibility by offenders for the restoration of losses incurred as a result of their actions. Thus the fundamental nature of this holistic approach becomes even more clear as our vision of healing reveals roots and branches which extended and connect us to all areas and levels of the justice process including: community workers, families, Elders, police, leaders, judges, other organizations devoted to Aboriginal healing, Social Service agencies, educators, religious congregations, health and welfare organizations, researchers, and government. In responding to this growing awareness, Waseskun House organized, hosted and co-hosted a number of large-scale provincial and national conferences in order to facilitate the networking involved in bringing together these diverse elements in a new and productive way. We were also eager to create a forum in which to share the knowledge and expertise we had gained thus far on our healing journey. Over the years these conferences have included: Family Violence Regional - December, 1990; Communities in Crisis: Healing Ourselves - June, 1991; Legacy of the Elders: Conflict Resolution - May, 1992; The National Forum: Reintegration of Aboriginal Offenders - November, 1994; and Widening the Circle - September, 1997. Two special healing camp sessions were held for community workers, as well as one attended by RCMP, SQ, representatives from the Nicolet Institute, and Aboriginal Peacekeepers. The response to these camps and conferences from the many Nations we serve, which include fifty-seven Aboriginal communities in the province of Quebec, as well as various Aboriginal communities in Ontario and the Maritime provinces, was supportive, participatory, and encouraging - numbers ranging as high as 500 participants. Now the vision of Waseskun House as a healing community steadily took on greater and greater significance to all those involved. We were confronted with the necessity of developing a symbolic structure that would include everyone in the healing process, workers and residents alike. It was at this time that we ceremoniously ignited the Sacred Fire at the center of our community, thereby placing our future firmly in the hands of the Creator. The tri-weekly Waseskun Community Circle thus became the central expression of our life together, and of the healthy relationships we are seeking to build. Although the hub of this circle exists within the walls of Waseskun House itself, its healing spirit extends outward like spokes in a great wheel to strengthen all our relationships with the communities, agencies, and individuals involved in bringing our work to fruition. Evidence of this expansion of energy came in the form of requests for our workers to travel to various communities in Quebec and Ontario to facilitate training workshops for front-line workers in the Social Services, as well as requests from individual community workers to spend time in training at Waseskun House in Montreal. We also found ourselves called upon as a site for the training and supervision of students from the McGill University departments of social work and counselling psychology. Since we first opened our doors almost ten years ago, approximately 400 men have found a place of acceptance and growth in the Waseskun Community Circle. Our statistics indicate that eight out of every ten men who complete our program do not repeat their offence. We are encouraged by these results as they lend credence to the vision that guides us, as well as motivating us to share our skills, knowledge, expertise, and inspiration with other partners in our interdependent healing network. Today it has become obvious that our widening circle of influence has outgrown its present parameters, and it has once again become necessary to acquire a physical environment compatible with our on-going growth and evolution. Our vision brings a number of factors into focus: Firstly, we have come to see the present prison system as antithetic to the healing experience as we define it. We see prisons as angry, violent places, full of drugs and the people who supply them. We see prisons as places where people learn about crime, build unhealthy relationships, and endure their "punishment" by numbing the very feelings through which the healing spirit expresses itself. Isolated from the relationships that need to be healed, offenders return to their communities even more angry and better equipped to vent that anger on those around them. Even so-called "Native prisons", by their very nature, remain isolated from the communities and the relationships that are in need of healing, and can only condone an already escalating industry of crime and punishment by offering employment to members of a culture which is rapidly becoming the primary "raw material" in this vicious cycle. Secondly, we see more clearly the "ecological" nature of the social challenge that a holistic approach to this problem demands. From a Native perspective, healing simply means a way of life that acknowledges the interrelatedness and balance of all aspects of the natural environment. A respectful relationship with all forms of life, whether vegetable, animal, or mineral, indicates an understanding of the basic truth that they are no more or no less an expression of the same life force that animates our own existence. Aboriginal teaching includes the traditional means of bringing wayward individuals into harmony with these truths, and although we have been temporarily separated from our culture, inherent in its return is the absolute necessity of following the healing path which our vision prescribes. Our Elders have gone so far as to say that "culture is healing". If this is so, then healing can only be accomplished by total subjective immersion in the healing experience which culture provides, not by distancing individuals from the very soil in which their identity seeks to take root. Our vision includes two complementary perspectives encountered on the healing journey. One is the focus of attention inward during times of self-examination, purification or when questing for a personal life vision. The other is the focus of attention outward during the healing and building of healthy relationships. Thus, in order to walk this path, it is not only necessary to find a peaceful, solitary spot in a location rich in natural, balanced life energy, but also a safe place where one can enter into active communication with a variety of life-forms including fellow seekers on the healing journey. Both these perspectives meet in the Waseskun experience of creating a sustainable, functional community which reflects healthy interpersonal relationships, as well as contributing to the health of the greater surrounding environment. The temporary, ideal, and protected environment of the healing community is complimented by the "real-life" challenge encountered during the home-coming phase of the healing journey. Thirdly, it has long been evident to us that the steel and concrete "jungle" of a hyperactive metropolis is not supportive of the healing experience we seek to provide. Not only is the life energy itself tense and disturbing, but the availability of drugs and alcohol often proves disastrous to those in the early, fragile stages of addiction recovery. We know that individuals from remote communities risk being captivated by the "bright lights" and excitement of the city, with the possibility of ending up as homeless vagrants subject once again to the cycle of crime and punishment that brought them to us in the first place. Finally, it is a well-documented fact that the traditional Aboriginal method of teaching and learning is by example, modeling, and by hands-on, concrete, experiential interaction in the relationships one seeks to understand. Our two-month summer camp program offers us a frustratingly minimal glimpse of this essential element missing from our otherwise holistic program cycle, which was described by one observer as being on the "cutting edge" of the global Aboriginal healing movement. It has indeed been our challenge to provide an effective growth experience in an environment where only abstract mental constructs can be called upon as substitutes for authentic relationships with living natural principles. These necessities now bring us to the more material aspects of the vision we share. In responding to our vision of a widening circle, we have pooled our resources in order to facilitate more effective communication in all our relationships. In October of 1997 we published the first in an on-going series of monthly newsletters entitled THE WASESKUN CIRCLE . This publication is designed to keep all concerned individuals and communities in tune with the day-to-day experience of our holistic healing enterprise, as well as to make visible our plans and goals for future development. In addition, we have incorporated state-of-the-art computer technology as a tool to render less daunting the factors of time, expense, and distance inherent in the nature of the expanding circle of relationships we have described. On April 15, 1998 we will officially launch the WASESKUN NETWORK which is a secure intranet communication vehicle that will facilitate discussions on Aboriginal corrections, justice, issues related to community health, caring for the caregivers, and many other concerns of Aboriginal people. Six permanent discussion rooms, with password access through security firewalls, will soon be ready. These will include a justice room for members in Aboriginal law enforcement or involved in discussions concerning Aboriginal corrections, as well as other rooms focusing on healing and related issues. Databases containing relevant materials and information to support discussions will be completed in the early part of this year, following testing of the technical aspects of the site. Shortly, the addition of audio and real-time video capabilities will complement this service. The concept of this Network was derived from a national meeting of community development people based on the need for networking across Canada for purposes of sharing ideas, information, and rapid, cost-effective communication. The initial steps in establishing the Waseskun Network were funded through a small grant supplied by the Aboriginal Workforce Association of Montreal. The training and research made possible through the grant helped to launch what will become a North American communication and support network. We have successfully moved closer toward our five year goal to finance the development of the entire Network. Patrons, funders, and partners in this Network include: CANARIE, Solicitor General Canada, Justice Canada, Indian & Northern Affairs Canada,, Health Canada, The Royal Bank of Canada, Hydro Quebec, Pandora Productions, CiteNet Telecom, Byers-Casgrain, Anglican Church of Canada, foundations and various Aboriginal funding agencies. For us, the focal point of our vision culminates in the acquisition of an actual geographical location suitable to our purpose of establishing what will be the WASESKUN HEALING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE. "Healing", because that is the focus of our mission, and "Development", because the training and maintenance of healthy community workers is essential to our task. The recently published Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal peoples indicates the necessity of training 10,000 Native community workers over the next 20 years. As has been said, we can clearly see the budding blossoms on the branch of the Sacred Tree that has been entrusted to us. Soon there will be fruit and seeds appearing, and we must find fertile ground in which to plant those seeds so that future generations will also be nourished and sheltered by its boughs. We have been prayerfully directed to land that is welcoming and available, and which our Elders and spiritual people have told us is ours for the asking. We have already performed ceremonies on this land and have felt that our Sacred Mother has healing gifts awaiting us in this place. It only remains for us to do what is required by the laws of humankind in order to establish ourselves here, and to continue our work of healing and development on a larger scale, with renewed energy and effectiveness. This land is located in the Laurentian foothills, approximately 90 kilometers from Montreal. The location provides easy access to Montreal, yet offers the seclusion and natural beauty appropriate to the healing process we have described. The energy here is warm, sparkling, and alive, with apparently no significant sources of atomic or electromagnetic disturbance in the vicinity. Climatically, all four seasons are encountered, which allows us to provide the full experience of traditional Native spirituality upon which our program is based. The elevation affords an emotionally uplifting view of the surrounding mountains, valley, and lake, while the structural capacity includes four main buildings, an inground pool, tennis courts and a sauna. This central area would provide enough accommodations for some staff, visiting families, and approximately forty residents (male & female) at any given time. Waseskun House, in conjunction with the Native Mental Health Research Team of the Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital, is in the process of conducting a feasibility study which has already received letters of support from more than half of Quebec's Aboriginal communities. This study is designed to determine whether a solid majority of Native people in this province would support the concept of a Healing and Development Center such as the one we have described, or if, indeed, sentiment rests with the present system of prisons and punishment so alien to our traditional values and way of life. We took possession our new location on September 21, 1998. This welcome transition gives scope to our developing vision for the future. We see ourselves "walking our talk" by establishing a healthy and sustainable community in which our transient clientele may participate in a living experience of relationships and activities based on traditional Aboriginal values and a holistic way of life. Our plans and actions are founded on our deepest understanding of the principles that describe how the universe is ordered and how healing and development unfold. We therefore see ourselves as striving toward a level of financial functioning which would ensure a consistent relationship with these natural principles, and are exploring a variety of possibilities leading in this direction. We envision a place where individuals can complement their healing journey by developing marketable skills and knowledge which will increase the potential of securing fulfilling roles as productive members in their communities of origin. We see our worker population as including workers-in-training from the many communities which will be seeking to implement our vision of holistic re-integration and the specialized expertise this process demands. We see our Centre as a location in which to host ceremonies, pow wows, craft and cultural exchanges, healing camps, and conferences, including the already proposed gathering of community workers and Elders in the summer of 1999. Future developments on Waseskun Net include partnership with such institutions as Concordia University in the delivery of a Distance Education Program to remote communities as a move towards Aboriginal crime prevention, training and community empowerment. Recent discussions in the Waseskun boardroom revolved around the possible inclusion of female offenders in our program, as well as responding to the challenge of AIDS and its relationship to Aboriginal Justice. As Elder Art Solomon said, "There is timing to everything ...We are doing what we are doing here because it is the time for it". Recently, Federal Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart stated that the Canadian government is now looking to embark upon a new era of "healing" and "partnership" with Native peoples. The "wounds" in need of healing to which the minister referred are those resulting from the 150 year history of "displacement and assimilation" in which Native children were separated from their culture, languages, and families, and placed in distant institutions in an effort to re-socialize them into a more "civilized" way of life. According to the recent Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples, "the basic premise of re-socializing, of the great transformation from 'savage' to 'civilized', was violent ...In the vision of residential education, discipline was curriculum and punishment an essential pedagogical technique." The Royal Commission goes on to say that, "there was no consideration that the system itself constituted a 'crime'". Rather, the focus has always been placed on individual acts which violated the Criminal Code. The Commission further states that "the government has refused to apologize or to institute a special public inquiry and instead wishes to concentrate on the 'now' of the problem", that is the "savage" who is sick and "in need of psychological salvation". One Royal Commission report submitted by Native researchers Roland D. Chrisjohn and Sherri Young, has this to say on the subject of "healing": "if it is sickness you seek, don't look for it in the [wounded] victims of genocide; it resides in the minds and hearts of the people who planned, designed, implemented, and operated the machinery of genocide, and who now seek to cover it up. The 'meaning' of Indian Residential Schooling is not the pathology it may have created in some Aboriginal Peoples; it is the pathology it reveals in the 'system or order' giving rise to it." How much longer can we ignore the obvious similarities in the re-socialization of Native peoples provided by both the Residential School system and the present system of crime and punishment in which prisons play a central role? We hope that, with a little foresight, the Canadian image of "a just society" will not be tarnished by some future Royal Commission leveling accusations which reflect sentiments similar to the following: "the importance of the civilizing mission of the schools far outweighed issues of justice for the children." We at Waseskun are acutely aware that that these "issues of justice for the children" are not simply confined to the generation of youngsters who directly experienced the Residential School era, but extend, through a legacy of inherited violence and abuse, into third and fourth generation offenders who now populate the prison system in ever-growing numbers. In conclusion, let us take a closer look at the word "waseskun", which is a Cree descriptive referring to that time just after a storm, when the dark clouds begin to part, and the first rays of sunlight peep through. It is our prayer that these first rays will illuminate this Waseskun Vision clearly and brightly for All Our Relations. We are honored to be part of the great web of life that connects us all in our journey towards wholeness. We hope this "wholeness" will soon be reflected in a paradigm of justice that unites and heals all the relationships upon which its effective functioning depends. We see the proposed Waseskun Healing and Development Center as essential to the realization of this hope. --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Mon, 12 October 1998 23:14:49 -0400 From: Janet Smith (evestar@juno.com) Subj: Contacting those in the Ironhouse UUCP email Tell a Native American Prisoner someone cares! The following is a portion of the list of Native American Prisoners incarcerated in prisons throughout the United States. The full list is found at the Native Prisoners Pen Pal list the following web site: http://www.brooks.simplenet.com/penpal.html. The list is compiled from contributions by Wotanging Ikche readers, other friends and from Laura Brooks' research on Native American Spiritual Freedom in Prison. If you know of a Native prisoner who would like to be included here, please e-mail Janet Smith at jans@atlcom.net. My thanks to Laura Brooks for giving this list a home on the web. In this week's mail I received a request for correspondence for a death row inmate, and, in addition, a reference to another penpal site for death row inmates. From: ccadp@home.com Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 19:51:50 -0700 Subject: Re friend Raymond Gurule, death row California Hello, I am writing in the hopes that you will add our friends name to your listing. He is on death row in San Quentin and he doesn't have any penpals but us, and he would much appreciate hearing from the native community. He has expressed to us his sorrow that links with his family and those in his community have been severed. He is from the White Mountain Apaches. Raymond has no means of support, no family, no radio, no tv, and no penpals but the two of us. He would really appreciate some new friends and even financial assistance if possible, though friendship is much more important to him. Raymond Gurule (nickname Apache) po box D 48677 2 EY 6 San Quentin CA 94974 USA Please let us know whether you are able to include Raymond in your listings. In return, we offer free listings to all death row inmates on our penpals site at: http://members.tripod.com/~ccadp/penpals.htm homepage http://www.ccadp.org Thanks Tracy Lamourie and Dave Parkinson Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty Reminder and Caution: It is common for prisoners to be moved abruptly. If your correspondent suddenly quits writing, don't assume it's by choice. Inquire about his location and situation -- often the prison chaplain can help you with this. If you know a prisoner on our list has been moved, please let me know. If your correspondent requests that you send him anything, particularly ceremonial items, check the prison to ensure the requested items are not contraband. Sometimes items of religious significance that are ordinarily banned may be given to the prisoner by the chaplain. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From Free the Wolverine Campaign: Wolverine (William Jones Ignace) "OJ" Pitawanakwat Political Prisoner Political Prisoner Box 4000 Box 4000 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford, BC V2S 5X8 V2S 5X8 For more information, please contact the Free the Wolverine Campaign: Box 13-2147 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5N 4B3 Spokespeople: Splitting the Sky - Phone/Fax: (604) 543-9661 Bill Lightbown - Phone: (604) 251-4949 or see the SISIS pages at http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/gustmain.html Also we have a listing of native political prisoners around the world, at http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/links/POW.html --------------------------------- Please especially remember - this is the "Year of Leonard". Leonard Peltier #89637-132, Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 66048 --------- "RE: Poem: A Muse" --------- Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 08:26:28 -0600 From: "John Berry" Subj: New Poem: A Muse... UUCP email A Muse ============================= How does it get written, this poetry, this prose, this writing, this stream of words? I'd say the best, is in the beating heart, in life itself, as you live. If it did not come, from those things, from where, and what, would it be worth. A mere technical exercise, a dry run, like the desert, before rain. Some say you should, write and revise, and rewrite, how could that be? I prefer to write it, and fuss, just a little, but get it said, straight out. Some say there should be, classes and exercises, of rhyme and scansion, timber and tempo. Before that happens to me, I'd hope that someone shoots me, for my heart will be dead, already. John Berry Oklahoma 1998 --------- "RE: Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days" --------- Date: Wed, 7 Oct 98 03:35:00 GMT From: dfsanders@genie.com Subj: Hawaiian Book of Days UUCP email A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of October 19-25 OKAKOPA (October) (Ikuwa) 19 We bless the earth ... and are blessed by it. 20 If you would see all the world, climb to the mountain's pinnacle. 21 The solitude of the wilderness helps me find myself. 22 Pele builds and re-builds the land until she is satisfied with her creation. 23 Teach me the magic of the night. 24 Those we love are near to us in spirit. 25 Tread gently upon the dew-pearled grass of morning. (c) Copyright 1991 by D. F. Sanders Me ke aloha i ka nani, ... Moe'uhanekeanuenue (With love and beauty, ... Rainbow Dream) --------- "RE: A Hundred Years Ago" --------- Date: Sun, 04 Oct 1998 23:14:55 -0400 From: Landis Subj: History: A Hundred Years Ago - Carlisle - week 74 Mailing List: NAT-FILM [Editorial Note: These reprints are being included in this newsletter so that you might know the mind of those who ran institutions like Carlisle.] THE INDIAN HELPER ~%^%~ A WEEKLY LETTER -FROM THE- Indian Industrial School, Carlisle, Pa. ================================================ VOL. XIII. FRIDAY, September 30, 1898 NUMBER 50 ================================================ THE TONGUE. -------- The boneless tongue, so small and weak, Can crush and kill, declares the Greek. "The tongue destroys a greater horde." The Turk asserts, "than does the sword." The Persian proverb wisely saith, "A lengthy tongue, an early death;" Or sometimes takes this form instead, "Don't let your tongue cut off your head." "The tongue can speak a word whose speed," Say the Chinese, "Outstrips the steed;" While Arab sages this impart, "The tongue's great storehouse is the heart." From Hebrew wit the maxim sprung, "Though feet should slip, ne'er let the tongue." "The sacred writer crowns the whole, "Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul." ========================== THE COST OF ONE DRINK. -------------- Some men are so made that the mere taste of liquor will kindle in them a raging thirst for more. A doctor and his friend were once talking together in front of a saloon when a master mechanic, a man of amiable and excellent character, a first-class workman, full of business, with an interesting family, respected by everybody, and bidding fair to be one of the leading men of the city, came up to them and laughingly said: "Well, I have just done what I never did before in my life." "Ah, what was that?" "Why, Mr. _____ has owed me a bill for work for a long time and I dunned him for the money till I was tired, but a minute ago I caught him out there, and asked him for the money. 'Well,' he said, 'I'll pay for it to you if you'll step in here and get a drink with me.' 'No,' said I, 'I never drink-never drank in my life.' 'Well' he replied, 'do as you please. If you won't drink with me, I won't pay your bill-that's all!' "But I told him I could not do that. However, finding he would not pay the bill, rather than lose the money, I just went in and got the drink." And he laughed at the strange occurrence as he concluded. As soon as he had finished the story, the physician's companion, an old, discreet, shrewd man, turned to him and in a most impressive manner said: "Sir, that was the dearest drink that ever crossed your lips, and the worst bill you ever collected." And terribly did time verify that prediction. In less than twelve months he was a confirmed, disgraced sot, a vagabond in society, a curse to those who loved him, a loathing and a shame wherever he went. At last he died a horrible death in an infirmary from a disease produced solely by intoxication. -[The Sacred Heart Review. ======================== "STEER STRAIGHT FOR ME." -------------- A fisherman, who drank liquor used to sail from a small cove on the Scotch coast to the fishing grounds, several miles out in the ocean. There was no lighthouse to guide him. When the fisherman had taken a drop too much it was dangerous work entering that cove. His little son used to watch for his father's coming, and as soon as he saw him he would cry out: "Steer straight for me, father, and you'll get safe home!" The boy died; and one evening the father was sitting at his lonely fireside. His conscience troubled him, and he thought he heard the voice of his boy ring out through the darkness: "Steer straight for me, father, and you'll get safe home!" Springing to his feet, he called out: "You're right this time, my son!" From that moment he was a changed man and stopped drinking strong drink. ================================================ (page 2) THE INDIAN HELPER ------------------------------------------------ PRINTED EVERY FRIDAY --AT THE-- Indian Industrial School, Carlisle, Pa., BY INDIAN BOYS. ---> THE INDIAN HELPER is PRINTED by Indian boys, but EDITED by The man-on-the-band-stand who is NOT an Indian. ------------------------------------------------ P R I C E: --10 C E N T S A Y E A R ================================================ Entered in the PO at Carlisle as second class mail matter. ================================================ Address INDIAN HELPER, Carlisle, Pa. Miss Marianna Burgess, Manager. ================================================ Do not hesitate to take the HELPER from the Post Office for if you have not paid for it some one else has. It is paid for in advance. ================================================ Purcell Powless is in Concord, Massachusetts, and in sending his subscription for the HELPER, says "I like to keep track of my old schoolmates." At the last meeting of the Invincible Debating Society the following officers were elected for the ensuing term: President, John Lemieux; Vice President, James E. Johnson; Secretary, Edwin Moore; Treasurer, John B. Warren; Reporter, Guy Brown; Segt.-at-Arms, Thomas Mason; Critic, Edward Rogers; Assist. Critic, David Abraham. The sociable on Saturday night seemed like old times. It was the first of the season and there were many happy comings-together of brothers and sisters, and sisters of other peoples' brothers with brothers of other peoples' sisters. The band played its best pieces, while the throng promenaded or played games. It was a good time for the new students to get acquainted. There were very few "wall flowers," for the entertainment committee kept things lively. The Susan Longstreth Literary Society held its first meeting last Friday evening, and had election of new officers for the ensuing year, which are as follows: President, Minnie H. Finley; Vice President, Sara E. Smith; Recording Secretary, Annie M. Morton; Corresponding Secretary, Pasaquala Anderson; Treasurer, Rose Duvernay; Reporter, Fannie Harris; Marshal, Dollie Wheelock; Critic, Mary Moon; Assistant Critic, Ella Sturm; Pianist, Jennie Brown. New regulations to govern the society work of the school will be published next week. Teachers and officers by twos will hereafter be detailed to visit the meetings regularly. This has long been needed, and will be greatly appreciated by the active members of the societies who are anxious to learn the best forms of conducting business and who enjoy appreciative listeners. Mr. Standing and Mr. Thompson, will vist the Invincibles; Prof. Bakeless and Dennison Wheelock the Standards; Misses Hill and Bowersox, the Susans, tonight. Soldiers of the second West Virginia Volunteers visited us in small detachments during the latter part of the week. The habits of reckless living were stamped upon the faces of many thoughtful, promising-looking young men. The bleared and heavy eye, flushed face and staggering gait told a sad story. There were gentlemen among them who gave no evidence of strong drink, but who wore the tan and brawn of rough and ready service for their country, but several in every group carried heavy breaths and bore faces flushed with intoxicants. It is said that the saloons in town reaped a rich harvest, and extra wagon-loads of beer and liquors were laid in to supply the soldiers. Think of it! Wagon-loads of fire-water to burn out the hearts and brains of our country's best. A very interesting letter has been received from Annie Thomas Lillibridge, whose husband is one of the corps of workers of the Genoa Nebraska School, and who is editor of the News published at the school. We all remember Annie Thomas when a pupil with us. She recently attended the Omaha Exposition and found there a number of our old pupils. Among others, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Davis, White Buffalo, Jesse Bent, Frank Everett, Joe Stewart, Elsie Springer Baxter, all in attendance upon the Indian Congress, and most of them as interpreters. She missed by only a few hours seeing Nellie Carey. Mrs. Lillibridge says that the Genoa brass band played for a few weeks at the Exposition, and won the admiration of the people. Captain Mercer who is in charge of the Indian Congress spoke of them in the highest terms. Mr. John Martin of East North Street called to renew some subscriptions, and while in the office reminisced on war times, when General FitzHugh Lee shelled our town and burned these barracks. Mr. Martin thoroughly believes in the Carlisle way of making true men and women of the American Indian youth. He says the HELPER is one of the first papers read that comes to his house, and he thinks it contains more in a nutshell than many papers of larger pretentions. We are thankful for such words of encouragement. The football game of last Saturday with Bloomsburg on our grounds was a victory for the Indians; score 43 to 0. Two fifteen minute halves were played. The most noticeable feature of the game was the spirit and dash with which our boys played. The game was free from any objectionable features. Bloomsburg played a strong game. Great credit is due to Mr. Hall, our coach, for the skill shown by the Indians. ---------------------- Football Schedule. Oct. 1, Susquehanna at Carlisle. Oct. 8, Cornell at Ithaca. Oct. 15, Williams at Albany. Oct. 22, Yale at New Haven. Oct. 29, Harvard at Cambridge. Nov. 5, Dickinson at Carlisle. Nov. 12, University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia. Nov. 19, University of Illinois at Chicago. Nov. 24, University of Cincinnati at Cincinnati. Game with Bloomsburg, Sept. 24th, WON by a score of 43-0. ================================================= (page 3) Fair Week and hosts of visitors. What is a sociable wall-flower? ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S ENIGMA: Enigmas. We play Susquehanna tomorrow on our athletic field. Mr. Jack Standing has a new Reading Standard. What looks worse from the outside than a window curtain tied up in a knot? Do the Indians learn to make furniture? No, but each boy and girl at our school makes a bed every day. Mr. Thompson has gone to Trenton, N.J., on business connected with the school. Supt. Campbell, of Shoshone, we learn has been transferred to Warm Springs, Oregon. Have you more boys than girls at the Carlisle Indian school? Yes, 75 more boys. POPULATION: On our roll, 866; in country homes, 317 - 152 boys, 164 girls; present, 549. Supervisor Wright has been made an honorary member of the Standard Literary Society. A large company of boys was sent to the lower farm on Saturday morning last, to cut the corn. Orderlies were in demand on Wednesday and Thursday to conduct Fair visitors around the grounds. On Saturday a number of boys were hired by Mr. Corn-man two or three miles south of Carlisle to help husk his corn. The painters are finishing a wagon made by our wagon-makers for Supt. Campbell, for the Shoshone Agency, Wyoming. Mrs. Cook returned from the West on Friday, bringing with her two pupils. Others, the outcome of her trip have also come. All pupils from Number 9 to Number 12 are expected to join one of the three literary societies and take an active part. The teachers in their weekly meetings are still at work upon Froebel's Education of Man. They are expecting to take up chemistry later. Mrs. Mason Pratt and son Dick of Steel