From gars@netcom.com Tue Apr 20 21:55:31 1999 Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 18:41:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews07.017 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ O ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) O o O / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ O o O (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O o o o o O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ VOLUME 07, ISSUE 017 O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' April 24, 1999 O o O / /-< / /--/ /-- Ho-Chunk planting corn moon O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, Assiniboine Tabehatawi (frog moon) KANOHEDA ANIYVWIYA Ha-Sah-Sliltha Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin Un Chota Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min Aunchemokauhettittea Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N N E W S ) This issue contains articles from Innu-L, Triballaw, Big Mountain & Nat-Film Lists; Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty; On Indian Land; UUCP email; Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native http://www.nativeweb.org//pages/legal/wampanoag/index.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/calreport/calrep_story.cgi?N27.HTML http://www.spokane.net:80/news-story-body.asp?Date=041199&ID=s560087&cat= 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 ++ There is also a hyperlinked version of the Current Issue at http://bearvisions.com/NativeNews/NEWS.html Borries Demeler advises AISESnet doesn't exist anymore, instead there is now NativeNet where people can search for archives of Wotanging Ikche issues: _ All past AISESnet archives (1992-1998) can now be found in: http://aises.uthscsa.edu/discussion/ _ All new messages will be archived in: http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nn-dialogue/archive.html The mailing address for AISESnet/NativeNet the lists have changed. Please make a note of the new address. The old address aisesnet_discussion@listserv.umt.edu should *NOT* be used any longer. Instead please use: nn-dialogue@nativenet.uthscsa.edu 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. "We are in danger of having our sacred spiritual ways stolen from us, the key to our survival. We must raise a united voice of protest against those who steal our spiritual traditions and tell them, 'YOU CANNOT HAVE THEM, NOT TODAY, NOT TOMORROW....NEVER!'" __ Darrell Standing Elk Sicangu 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 +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Journey | In the summer and early fall | The Bloodline | of 1998 the Treaty Unity Riders | | rode a thousand miles on horse- | For all that live and live by law | back, carrying a staff and | We Stand, we Call, We Ride | praying each step of the way. | For All that fear and fear by sight | | We Hear, we Listen, we Ride | These prayers were offered for | For all that pray and pray by strength| each of us, and that the Unity | We Feel, we Move, we Ride | of all Peoples might happen. | For all that die and die by greed | | We Hurt, we Cry, we Ride | Tatanka Cante forwarded this | For all that birth and birth by right | poem on behalf of all the Unity | We Smile, we Hold, we Ride | Riders that we might stop and | For all that need and need by heart | ask if the next words we say, the | We Came, we Went, we Rode. | next act we make is for the good | | of the People or is it from ego | Treaty Unity Riders | for self. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 19:23:14 -0500 From: Barbara MorningStar "David Swallow Sr and Jr. had a house fire 2 days ago. They are all alright and the house is still livable but they lost everything else. They are in desperate need of towels, sheets, blankets, pillows, clothes... socks, underwear, t shirts, jeans, etc. skirts and dresses for Nyla and Vanessa clothes sizes: Ully and Quintan, xlarge and xxlarge Vanessa mostly mediums Nyla mostly large David shirts large, jeans 33 x34... Address is: David Swallow, Jr Box 286 Porcupine, SD 57772 " =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= The lead story in this issue says so much about the dominant society. The Department of Interior has mismanaged nearly everything that falls under its purview. It has certainly mismanaged millions of Indian Trust funds, and the fact that it has zero control over the Montana Department of Livestock's continued slaughter of Yellowstone Buffalo proves it has few teeth to support its pitiful barks. So, if a person or entity can't do anything it has been assigned to manage with any credibility, what-so-ever, what do you do with it? The Department of Interior thinks it should have more money to mismanage in an effort to improve its accounting procedures. Foxes and henhouses, undrained swamps and alligators all come to mind when I hear the wasicu want more money to finish screwing up what is left of the last nasty helping of greed and arrogance. Peace! Night Owl , , Gary Night Owl gars@netcom.com (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@nanews.org (`-') Marietta, GA 30177, U.S.A. gars@igc.apc.org ===w=w== Fax: 770-528-9643 ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Interior Department - Religious Intolerance Seeks More Money and Native People - $1.2B Needed for Indian Schools - 94 Buffalo Killed This Year by DOL - Chickasaw Lt. Governor to - From Chief Arvol Looking Horse Seek Governor Post - Nisga'a Treaty - Oklahoma Choctaws - Tsawwassen Treaty Need Fair Elections Faces Residency Challenge - Cherokee Chief - Inuit Reaction to Panel Report Seeks Judge's Removal - Toronto Sun on Leonard Peltier - Mashpee Wampanoag Fishing Rights - Peltier Sign-On Letter - Smokeshop Manager - Spiritual Victory for Accused of Embezzlement Condemned Pima Prisoner - California Governor - Native Prisoner Promises Cooperation - Pieces of Pottery - Water cry: Share It - A Hundred Years Ago - Bones Could Sink - Poem: Gathering Land Bridge Theory - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - SOL Caravan - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Interior Department Seeks More Money" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 13:34:52 -0700 From: Tom Schlosser Subj: Interior seeks more money to finance accounting duties Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu) The Oregonian Tribal trust funds a mess, official says A conference speaker says the Department of Interior hopes reforms will enable it to account for the approximately $3 billion Wednesday April 14, 1999 -------------------------------------------- By Gordon Gregory, Correspondent, The Oregonian KAH-NEE-TAH -- If Congress approves a $100 million budget boost for the Department of Interior next year, the federal government will be better able to account for approximately $3 billion it holds in trust for hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. That was part of the message a Department of Interior official tried to impart Tuesday morning to several hundred people attending the weeklong Annual National Indian Timber Symposium at this resort on the Warm Springs reservation. It was an appropriate topic for the symposium, which focuses mainly on timber management issues. Many tribes, including those at Warm Springs, have timber holdings that generate trust-fund revenue. Because of poor record-keeping, antiquated accounting systems and other problems that date back decades, no one today knows where all the money in the trust funds came from or how all disbursements should be made. "Historically, the Interior Department has not done a good job with trust management," said Thomas M. Thompson, of the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians at the department. "They're not doing a good job today, but we are working on plans to improve that." That special trustee's office was created in 1994 to straighten out two categories of trust funds: about $2.5 billion held by about 320 tribes and another $500 million belonging to about 300,000 individual tribal members. Thompson said that records are so poor it's impossible to tell individuals how much money they personally have in the trust account. "We can't say if they have $1, $100 or $1,000," he said. The improvements Thompson touted Tuesday would incorporate the kinds of trust-fund accounting systems that large, private-sector trust managers use. Modernizing the agency's systems is a huge task to get the right software, computers and other hardware throughout the nation, as well as retraining thousands of people, he said. Congress appropriated $53 million for this year and is being asked for almost double that amount for fiscal 1999, said Thompson. More than two years ago, individual tribal members filed a class-action lawsuit, charging the government with mismanaging the trust funds. The inability or unwillingness of the Interior Department to produce documents in that suit led to a contempt-of-court citation against Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt earlier this year. The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in June, and Thompson doesn't expect the government to prevail. "It's very difficult to prove you've done a good job as a trustee with the records in the shape that we find them in today," he said. Some at the symposium were dubious about the promise, even as they were hopeful it was true. Wayne L. Knife, a Colville tribal member who said he had to fight to get simple records on timber harvests from his own allotment -- tribal land he and his brother hold title on -- suspects change will come slowly. "I have reservations about it," he said. But he said that if better accounting systems are put in place, land management would improve because more tribal members could see the tie between resource management and revenue. -------------------------------------------- You can reach Gordon Gregory at 541-504-9106 or by e-mail at ggg@bendnet.com. --------- "RE: $1.2B Needed for Indian Schools" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 08:03:06 -0500 From: berryj@okstate.edu Subj: (FWD)Indian News 04-16-99 Roger Iron Cloud FirstNations Listserv 202.358.3252 rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov US: $1.2B Needed for Indian Schools By PHILIP BRASHER .c The Associated Press 4/14/99 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Interior Department soon will propose a $1.2 billion plan to replace or repair 170 federal Indian schools, agency officials said Wednesday. The plan, which was requested by Congress, will recommend replacing 60 of the schools in the worst condition, Bureau of Indian Affairs officials told a Senate appropriations subcommittee. "Our schools no longer represent, in many cases, an effective learning environment," said Kevin Gover, assistant secretary for Indian affairs. The BIA operates 187 schools in 23 states serving 50,000 students on the nation's poorest reservations. The backlog to repair schools now tops $800 millions, the BIA estimates. The department's five-year plan would require nearly $250 million annually on school buildings, four times what the BIA is spending this year. The Clinton administration wants to spend $108 million in 2000. But $30 million of that total would go toward underwriting tribal bond issues, a controversial idea among Republicans. The budget request would replace as many as six schools if Congress approved the bonding authority. It is uncertain whether the building program will receive White House or congressional support. The issue has limited political appeal because the BIA's schools are concentrated in a handful of states: Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington. Gover himself expressed frustration with the lack of attention paid to the schools. "I would love to have a conversation with the president about this, because I know he wouldn't stand for it," Gover said. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said the administration was more concerned about aiding inner-city public schools, which are the responsibility of local governments, than making sure federal facilities are adequate. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said Congress deserves criticism for putting defense programs ahead of the Indian school system. --------- "RE: Chickasaw Lt. Governor to Seek Governor Post" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 08:03:06 -0500 From: berryj@okstate.edu Subj: (FWD)Indian News 04-16-99 Roger Iron Cloud FirstNations Listserv 202.358.3252 rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov Chickasaw Nation's No. 2 man to seek governor's post c. Tulsa World 4/15/99 ADA -- David Brown, lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation, has announced that he will seek the office of tribal governor. Gov. Bill Anoatubby, who is finishing his third four-year term, hasn't announced his plans but is expected to seek re-election, a tribal spokesman said. Brown, who is in his second term as lieutenant governor, said: "There comes a time when change must be made, especially in a government bureaucracy. Leaders burn out and lose sight of the real purpose of their office." He said he would select a lieutenant governor running mate who is "well informed and a viable individual in administering the governmental functions." --------- "RE: Oklahoma Choctaws Need Fair Elections" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 22:40:06 -0700 From: "Michael" Subj: Oklahoma Choctaws Need Fair Elections Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native Oklahoma Choctaws Need Fair Elections Vote for Glenn Johnson for Choctaw Chief It is election year in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and yet again we must witness an unfair election. The old saying that information is power proves true, for like so many elections before, only the current chief has access to the names and address of the Choctaw voters. Through self- promoting letters sent to Choctaw voters, and through the of the tribal newspaper, which is also sent to all Choctaw voters, the current chief Greg Pyle has a blatantly unfair advantage in the upcoming election on July 10, 1999. In a December 23, 1998 editorial, the Daily Oklahoman (the largest newspaper in Oklahoma) says: "Perhaps it is wishful thinking to believe an atmosphere of freedom would prevail in the Choctaw Nation after the ouster of long-time tribal chief Hollis Roberts. Now comes the word that Roberts' successor, Greg Pyle, may have learned a thing or two from Roberts. At Pyle's urging, the tribal council has kept in place a system in which the chief has special access to the names of tribal members who make up the electorate when the choice of chief is decided." The Pyle administration's response to repeated requests for reform is to send out a survey asking Choctaw voters for their names, addresses, birth dates, social security numbers, and phone numbers. The survey (which does not include a stamped return envelope) says name and addresses may be given out to candidates for Chief or Tribal Council, but may also be given to the GENERAL PUBLIC. In an April 10, 1999 article, the Daily Oklahoman offers this view from a Choctaw Tribal member: "`That phrase [to the general public] was added for ulterior motives,' said Edwards, a Bureau of Indian Affairs retiree who is one-quarter Choctaw. He said most people will interpret that their names will be given to junk-mail distributors." The Daily Oklahoman article goes on to say: "One of his challengers, tribal Councilman Glenn Johnson, tried to pass a `fair-election bill' in December that would have prohibited the voter list from going to anyone but candidates for tribal office. Pyle urged the council to defeat it. It failed on a vote of 4 to 7." A December 21, 1999 article in the Daily Oklahoman tells us that Glenn Johnson offers other ideas for fair elections: "Johnson also wants the tribal newspaper, the Bishinik, to give equal time to challenger candidates rather than focusing only on incumbents and their pet projects. Finally, he wants an outside company to handle absentee election ballots. At the last chief's election in 1994, a large majority of votes were cast by absentee ballot." As an elected councilman for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Glenn Johnson has been committed to promoting bills for fair elections. As Chief of the Choctaws, Johnson will ensure fair elections for Choctaw people. All Oklahoma Choctaws, especially those voting with absentee ballots, please take the time to support the Johnson candidacy on your absentee ballots and mail them in. Every vote counts. This is a chance for Oklahoma Choctaws all over the county to become part of a historical election which will give the Choctaw government back to its members. For more information, see Glenn Johnson's web page: http://www.glennjohnson.org Or mail the Johnson campaign at: Glenn Johnson for Chief P.O. Box 1133 Antlers, OK 74523 --------- "RE: Cherokee Chief Seeks Judge's Removal" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 08:35:33 -0500 From: berryj@okstate.edu Subj: (FWD)Indian News 04-18-99 Roger Iron Cloud FirstNations Listserv 202.358.3252 rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov Chief seeks judge's removal from case By ROD WALTON c. Tulsa World 4/17/99 TAHLEQUAH -- The question of whether Cherokee Chief Joe Byrd and his general counsel should be held in contempt of court gave way Friday to a debate over whether a tribal supreme court justice who has been critical of Byrd should be allowed to hear the case. Byrd and his attorney, Rex Earl Starr, were scheduled to appear Friday afternoon for a contempt-of-court hearing on whether they violated tribal law by continuing to favor payments to two district court judges even after the judges were suspended by the Judicial Appeals Tribunal, the tribe's high court. Instead of that expected hearing, tribunal Chief Justice Philip Viles Jr. met with Tim Baker and Lloyd Cole, two attorneys representing Byrd and Starr, for more than an hour. The three, as well as fellow Justice Darrell Dowty, were discussing a motion to have Viles disqualify himself from the hearing process. Byrd and Starr contend that Viles cannot be unbiased in a case involving Byrd because he has been critical of the chief's job performance in newspaper interviews. Viles said Friday that he refused to step down, and he set an April 30 hearing date on the disqualification matter. "I have been critical of the chief and his performance," Viles admitted, but said he could be fair in any judicial process involving Byrd. Both Baker and Cole said Byrd and Starr were not compelled to attend Friday's court session because they never were personally served the summons. Court papers detailing Friday's session were only left on a secretary's desk at tribal headquarters, Baker said. Viles said he had no problem with Byrd's and Starr's absences Friday. Viles and Dowty are the only two current members of the Judicial Appeals Tribunal. Dowty is a Byrd appointee. Asked which way Dowty might rule on the motion for disqualification, Viles said, "You'll have to ask him that." Dowty later said he had no comment on the matter. "I don't give statements as a justice," said Dowty, who is also a Cherokee County prosecutor. "Mr. Viles, he gives statements every once in a while." Friday's battle over the disqualification question obscured the original intention of the court session: to decide whether Byrd and Starr were in contempt of court for ignoring the tribunal's ruling that they not pay two district court justices who had been suspended. Viles has said former judges DeWayne Littlejohn and Tina Jordan weren't authorized to be judges and shouldn't be paid. Dan Howard, the Cherokees' accounting director, later produced records showing Jordan and Littlejohn received $36,000 in payments despite the high court's contention. Byrd never challenged the suspension orders in court but went ahead in authorizing the payments. --------- "RE: Mashpee Wampanoag Fishing Rights" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 10:47:58 -0400 From: LISN Subj: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in favor of Mashpee Wampanoag fishing rights! Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decided April 7 in favor of Mashpee Wampanoag fishing rights! All the information is online: http://www.nativeweb.org//pages/legal/wampanoag/index.html Wampanoag Convictions Overturned Source: http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/archives/1999/apr/4_8/fish8.htm By SEAN GONSALVES and DAVID McPHERSON STAFF WRITERS The state Supreme Judicial Court handed the Mashpee Wampanoag a victory yesterday in their ongoing effort to defend aboriginal shellfishing rights. The court overturned the convictions of two tribe members who had been charged with illegally shellfishing in Bourne in 1995. Michael Maxim and David Greene had been convicted of taking shellfish without a permit and taking soft-shell clams on a day recreational shellfishing was prohibited by local regulation. "What a wonderful decision," responded Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council member Glenn Marshall. Marshall attributed the ruling to the spirit of Vernon Pocknett, the Wampanoag chief who died last week and who had championed aboriginal hunting and shellfishing rights. "That is a gift from and for Vernon Pocknett," Marshall said. The court ruled in favor of Maxim and Greene on the grounds Bourne's shellfishing regulation is ambiguous. A Cape and islands prosecutor said the decision is a narrow one and does not clarify broader questions about the shellfishing rights of Native Americans. First Assistant District Attorney Michael O'Keefe said the ruling fails to address the questions of whether the shellfishing of Native Americans can be restricted for conservation reasons and if two pre-Revolutionary War treaties on the issue apply to the Mashpee Wampanoag. "We need a final and complete resolution to this question," O'Keefe said. It would help all sides, he argued. The SJC's eight-page decision acknowledges it declined to address the conservation and treaty issues. [ http://www.nativeweb.org//pages/legal/wampanoag/sjc.html ] The ruling says the Bourne regulation applies specifically to recreational and commercial shellfishing. "There is no definition of recreational shellfishing contained in the regulation and a strong argument can be made that the defendants were engaged in sustenance rather than recreational shellfishing," the decision says. The tribe argues state law has long recognized the right of Native Americans to shellfish for sustenance. Maxim and Greene were found guilty of the shellfishing violations in Barnstable District Court in 1996, but they appealed the rulings. The state Appeals Court unanimously sided with them, but the district attorney's office appealed that ruling to the Supreme Judicial Court. "I hope now that the DA will cease and desist any further appeals and any future prosecutions," tribal council member Marshall said. But O'Keefe said the district attorney's office will ask the attorney general's office to consider pursuing the issue further by seeking a "declaratory judgment" on the outstanding issues. A declaratory judgment would come from a civil case in which a judge would be asked to provide a ruling on the conservation and treaty issues without criminal charges being brought against anyone. Any parties interested in the issue would be able to join in the case. "It would, in our judgment, settle some of these questions that are invariably left unresolved in a criminal case," O'Keefe said. Regardless, Marshall said, the Wampanoag will continue to assert their aboriginal rights. "We are going to continue to hunt and fish the aboriginal waters as we have since time immemorial." Copyright c. 1999 Cape Cod Times. All rights reserved. ================================================================ In Memory of Chief Vernon Sly Fox Pocknett, Mashpee Wampanoag Nation Memorial Page: http://www.lisn.net/wampanoag.htm#vernonpocknett URLS with Colombian Situation Statements and Updates at: http://www.hookele.com/hepohakualoha Big Mountain Updates at: http://www.lisn.net/home.htm#roberta and http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations of the Western Hemisphere E-mail: lisn2000@lisn.net LISN Web Site | http://www.lisn.net To subscribe to the League Mailing List, e-mail: league-subscribe@lisn.net For additional commands, e-mail: league-help@lisn.net "This we know: the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth ... Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." -Chief Seattle to the President of the United States, 1854 --------- "RE: Smokeshop Manager Accused of Embezzlement" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 08:03:06 -0500 From: berryj@okstate.edu Subj: (FWD)Indian News 04-16-99 Roger Iron Cloud FirstNations Listserv 202.358.3252 rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov Smokeshop manager accused of embezzlement c. Tulsa World 4/15/99 MUSKOGEE -- The manager of the Chickasaw Nation's smokeshop in Madill was accused Wednesday of embezzling more than $27,000 from the tribal business. A six-count federal indictment said Pamela Gail Jones, 39, of Kingston kept funds from the Madill Tobacco Store instead of making a week's worth of bank deposits. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. --------- "RE: California Governor Promises Cooperation" --------- Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 11:19:25 EDT From: MarthaET@aol.com Subj: California Governor Promises Cooperation with Tribes Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu) >From Victor's pechanga.net Governor meets with tribal leaders on gambling By LOUINN LOTA Associated Press Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gov. Gray Davis and his special counsel for tribal affairs met with representatives from most of California's 107 tribes Friday, promising cooperation as state and Indians leaders begin negotiating new gambling compacts. The meeting, which started with traditional blessings and songs, stood in contrast to former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson's sometimes icy and often difficult relationship with the tribes over gambling. "This is the first time a governor of California has met with virtually all its sovereign nations ... in mutual respect and mutual dignity to advance the interests of all the people you represent and I represent," said Davis, a Democrat. Newly appointed tribal affairs counsel William A. Norris, a retired appellate judge, said he agreed with the governor's approach. "It's critical we face the joint responsibility to face the effects on tribal and neighboring communities, and to weigh long-term policy and consequences," he said. The gambling compacts negotiated between the governor and the tribes are required by federal law. It prohibits forms of gambling on reservations that are not allowed in the state. Wilson argued video slot machines on the reservations are illegal. Davis, however, did not say the state's opposition to the machines would be relaxed. Instead, he promised cooperation and understanding during the negotiations. "Let us begin those negotiations between those sovereign nations that want to enter into such pacts with seriousness and a sense of purpose," he said. "Let us be working partners and not sparring partners." In November, voters approved Proposition 5, which eases many of the restrictions on Indian gambling. The Supreme Court has blocked enforcement of the proposition until it rules on its constitutionality. Several tribes also are pushing a ballot measure to nullify the gambling machine-limiting agreements Wilson eventually reached with 11 tribes. More than 40 tribes run casinos in California. Indian leaders say casino revenue has helped halt poverty on reservations. Davis said the casinos generate about $4.4 billion annually in economic activity -- goods, services and jobs for 16,000 people. Many of the tribal leaders who attended the meeting at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building said they were in step with Davis. "You have brought fresh winds of change," said Anthony R. Pico, chairman of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. "A finalization of tribal-state compacts will not only put an end to the situation for gaming tribes, but provide much needed relief to many of our brothers and sisters who, today, still live in conditions usually associated with third world countries," Pico said. "Today, let the Indian Wars be over in California." Davis was presented with acorns and a walking stick made from a palm tree at the close of the ceremony. Later, the governor, Norris and Attorney General Bill Lockyer met with tribal leaders to discuss the compacts. Davis said he was confident his administration would have the first compacts signed in about three months. http://www.sacbee.com/news/calreport/calrep_story.cgi?N27.HTML --------- "RE: Water cry: Share It" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 08:39:11 -0500 From: berryj@okstate.edu Subj: (FWD) Water cry: Share it........ >From a NAJA member...JDB Water cry: 'Share it,' not 'Take it' http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/trah_19990418.html Mark Trahant Times Staff Columnist The eeriest place in the West may be Owens Lake in California. I once stood by an old boat dock near a little town called Keeler. It's a ghost town now, but you can still see fragments of what was once a recreational haven. Shortly after the turn of the century, farmers started draining water from the lake, and then the city of Los Angeles pumped every single drop to its growing urban center. This is where 20th-century technology stole a river system and redesigned it to flow through city faucets. "There it is. Take it," Los Angeles water master William Mulholland said in 1913 when the liquid disappeared from the lake and was sucked into the 223-mile-long Los Angeles Aqueduct. I thought of Owens Valley last week when a conservation group, American Rivers, placed the Cedar River on its top 10 list for the nation's most-endangered rivers. The Cedar River has been Seattle's primary source of water for nearly 100 years. The idea was first proposed to the City Council in 1881 to create "an endless supply of pure mountain water." So much of our history in the last century was about creating "endless" supplies. There were no limits, only the engineering challenge to serve a growing city. The inventors were marvelous: We figured out how to put water in every home. And, even better, we let every citizen think water was free. The Cedar River became this region's public fountain. Even literally: Renton's public library building straddles the stream as if it's supposed to be a decorative tribute to our mastery over the natural world. But demands on the river go beyond the thirst of a growing metropolis or inspiration for architects. We now live in a generation rethinking our commitment to rivers by including salmon and other beings; and the task is to manage the resource better. One day soon we might even pay enough for water to reflect its true cost. I suppose that's the test of the Cedar River. We have either learned from the past century or, if not, we're doomed. We can balance the natural world with urban needs or declare the Cedar River an urban sacrifice area just like the Owens Valley. The city of Seattle, so far, hasn't done enough to move away from the last century. The proposed Habitat Conservation Plan, the city's formula for doing business for the next 50 years, wants the right to take twice as much water from the river as the city pipes home now. A growing city and suburbs are always thirsty. But fish need water, too. And that's a balance we need to strike if salmon are to survive. In some ways, the Cedar is a funny stream for the American Rivers list. The river has already been altered by human intervention: It once flowed into the long-gone Black River instead of into Lake Washington. Even though it should be impossible, salmon still run in this river. Yet, the Cedar is on the list because this river can be saved. This battle is winnable. All we have to do is take the same ingenuity and zeal that were used a century ago to divert rivers and find a way to manage water for the use of both fish and people. We need an engineer to cry out: "There it is. Share it." Posted at 10:33 p.m. PDT; Sunday, April 18, 1999 E-mail Comments to Editor : Opinion@seatimes.com --------- "RE: Bones Could Sink Land Bridge Theory" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 17:10:55 -0700 From: Tom Schlosser Subj: [Fwd: Will archeology end run NAGPRA?] http://www.spokane.net:80/news-story-body.asp?Date=041199&ID=s560087&cat= Human bones rattle prehistory Remains off California coast could sink land bridge theory Gary Polakovic - Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES _ In a discovery that sheds new light on the human conquest of the New World, a team of scientists says that bones from an ancient woman who lived on the Channel Islands off Ventura County in Southern California might be the oldest human remains ever found in North America. The extraordinary discovery provides important clues to a critical yet mysterious period in human history -- the end of the last major ice age -- when nomadic people began populating the Americas but left little evidence about who they were or where they came from. The woman's bones, subjected to recent re-examination after spending the better part of four decades in storage, join a growing body of ancient skeletal remains that challenge traditional theories that the first visitors came here from northern Asia by way of a land bridge to Alaska. The new evidence suggests that the first settlers could have been Polynesians or southern Asians who arrived by boat. Some of the recent remains have features more typical of Europeans, scientists say. "Bottom line is she may be the earliest inhabitant of North America we have discovered. It's a find of national significance," said John Johnson, curator of anthropology at the Santa Barbara museum, part of the team involved in the research. The skeletal remains consist of two thigh bones scooped from a gully at Arlington Canyon on Santa Rosa Island 40 years ago. They were tested in the 1960s and kept in their original soil before being encased in plaster and stored in the basement of the Santa Barbara museum. Researchers at the museum and Channel Islands National Park recently decided to subject the bones to sophisticated DNA and radiocarbon testing methods that were not available when the bones were discovered. The results showed that the bones are probably 13,000 years old, 1,400 years older than previously thought. That would make the so-called Arlington Springs woman slightly older than the oldest known human skeletons in North America, which came from Montana, Idaho and Texas, scientists say. Other members of the research team included scientists from the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Radiocarbon Laboratory, and the National Park Service. Results of the investigation have not been submitted to peers for critical review and have not been published in scientific journals. But a paper describing the experiment presented March 30 at the fifth California Islands Symposium at the Santa Barbara museum has fueled excitement among leading scholars in the field. The bones from Santa Rosa Island join an exclusive group of skeletons from the very earliest people to arrive in the Western Hemisphere. In those days, the colonizers would have seen continent-sized glaciers and woolly mammoths. The sea level was 360 feet lower than it is today. The northern Channel Islands near Ventura and Santa Barbara counties were joined in a contiguous land mass that scientists refer to as Santa Rosae. The bones were found in a canyon on the island that ancient peoples have inhabited on and off for thousands of years. Until a couple of years ago, most scientists thought the earliest people to reach the New World arrived about 11,500 years ago, probably by walking across a land bridge where the Bering Strait now separates Alaska from Siberia. History books describe them and their descendants as the Clovis peoples, big game hunters who left stylized spear points that enabled archaeologists to track their migration south through parting glaciers along the Rocky Mountains into the present-day United States and Latin America. But recent discoveries point to an earlier colonization of the Western Hemisphere. A campsite known as Monte Verde in southern Chile was occupied 12,500 years ago. At the Cactus Hill site in Virginia, scientists found stone tools and charcoal that may date back 15,500 years. These discoveries challenge the theory that the first migrants slogged overland through passages in receding glaciers. Travel along that route would have been slow and perilous and does not account for widespread distribution of humans at such an early date, the experts said. Scientists increasingly postulate that the original colonizers of the New World might have taken a coastal route. Where glaciers stopped at the water's edge, protein-rich seafood was abundant and the visitors could travel by boats. The bones from the island woman bolster that hypothesis, said archaeologist Rob Bonnichsen, director of the Center for the Study of First Americans at Oregon State University in Corvallis. The new discovery is likely to be controversial in part because many scientists say that the old skeletons found in the past few years around the western United States do not resemble modern American Indians. Detailed examinations of the skulls reveal slender faces, narrower brain cavities, high foreheads and slightly protruding chins that are more typical of Caucasoid peoples. Some of them bear striking resemblance to a very ancient race called the Ainu, a maritime people who were forerunners of Polynesians and long ago occupied Japan and China, said Douglas Owsley, head of the physical anthropology department at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. In contrast, American Indians and their ancestors have features common to Eskimos and people of northern Asia, including round, flatter faces and pronounced cheekbones, Owsley said. Many American Indian groups strongly object to the theory that others got here first. In some cases, including one major one in the Northwest, tribes successfully have invoked the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to force researchers to return old skeletons for reburial before they can be tested. --------- "RE: SOL Caravan" --------- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 10:27:31 -0800 From: "Robert Dorman" Subj: FWD: SOL Caravan Mailing List: Big Mountain List Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 00:36:20 -0800 From: "mauro deoliveira" The SOL caravan to Big Mountain delivered 1000 pounds of food, 400 pounds of dog food and some clothes last weekend. We had 6 vehicles and 12 people. The caravan divided, 1/2 worked on a project with Black Mesa Indigenous Support out of Flagstaff and the other 1/2 traveled with the food drops. Two reporters from Los Angeles were with us and both stories seem to be a go with the editors. I will let the list know when they come out. The interviews that the reporters got were from Bonnie and Pauline Whitesinger and Jo Benally. Sarah Begay's image is being taken out of Vanishing Prayer at the request of her son William. The next run of tapes will have another image in her place, though really her courage and strength will never be replaced. The caravan was blessed with incredible weather. We also stopped by and visited our Hopi friends. We brought back 13 rattles for the exhibit that the Harmony Keepers are having in Los Angeles. Incidentally we had a permit. The Hopi Tribal permit people refused to add on the extra people that signed on last minute saying that there were too many of us. So much for permits. Mauro --------- "RE: Religious Intolerance and Native People" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 10:22:46 -0800 From: "Robert Dorman" Subj: United Methodist Church Press Release-Dineh in Geneva Mailing List: Big Mountain List Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 10:45:25 MST From: "Marsha Monestersky" NEWS RELEASE United Methodist UN Representative Presents Testimony on Religious Intolerance and Native People April 14, 1999 Contact: Shanta M. Bryant (202) 488-5630 A United Methodist representative to the United Nations and a Native American representative submitted April 13 oral testimony on indigenous people and religious intolerance in the United States to delegates of the 55th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. *The United Methodist Church prays for a rule of law for all peoples based on respect for justice, human rights, religious freedom and tolerance,* said Liberato Bautista, General Board of Church and Society*s assistant general secretary of the United Nations Office. Bautista gave the testimony with Peggy Francis Scott of the Dineh Nation (Navajo) in Arizona, following a report from Abelfattah Amor, an UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance. Amor, a Tunisian national, presented the commission with a report linking human rights violations and religious intolerance in the United States, China, Pakistan, Iran, Greece, Sudan, India, Australia and Germany. Several countries and non-governmental (NGO) delegations, including the World Council of Churches, spoke from the floor. In early- February 1998, Amor investigated charges of religious and human rights violations by the US government against the Dineh people in Black Mesa, located in the northeastern region of Arizona. The special rapporteur is an independent expert that reports only to the Commission and the UN General Assembly. The complaint, filed by several members of traditional Dineh people to the UN Human Rights Commission, accused the United States of destroying 4,000 ancient Anasazi ruins and sacred burial sites. Additionally, the complaint charged that US federal laws have denied them access to water, legalized the confiscation of their livestock, prevented the gathering of firewood to heat their homes and prohibited any housing improvements. Thom White Wolf Fassett, general secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, led an interfaith delegation of non-governmental organizations, which included Bautista, to meet with Amor during the Feb. visit to Black Mesa, the Dineh tribal land. United Methodist Bishop William Dew (Phoenix Area) and Thomas Butcher of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference joined Fassett. The NGO representatives were invited by the traditional Dineh to witness the onsite visit of Amor. *[Amor*s] visit in Black Mesa is historic and symbolic in that, at a low point in the struggle of our people, he lifted our hopes, awakened our dreams, and lent an understanding ear to our prophecies,* said Scott. *But more remains to be said about the Dineh situation.* US Public laws 93-531 and 104-391, also known as *relocation laws,* have forced the traditional Dineh off their ancestral lands, relocating more than 12,000 Dineh since 1974. Today, only 3,000 remain in the area. In the commission report, Amor observed that the US Supreme Court*s jurisprudence points to "no enforceable safeguards for worship at sacred sites." Scott noted that the Dineh*s ancestral land has also been threatened by the coal mining practices of multinational corporations and urged US government to enforce laws protecting their land, including the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the Antiquities Act. *The unsustainable environmental practices of runaway multinational mining corporations inflict environmental racism upon us,* said Scott. *The US government must recognize that no territorial settlement should ever deprive Indigenous Peoples of their right to remain on their traditional land or to practice their religion thereupon,* Scott asserted. *Our land is sacred and we do not believe it should be expropriated from us. The US government cannot and must not subordinate our survival as a people to economic interests whose dividends we do not partake from.* Asserting the United Methodist policy supporting the *needs and aspirations* of America*s native peoples as they struggle for their survival, Bautista indicated that the denomination supports the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance. He also urged the Human Rights Commission to extend the mandate of the investigation of religious intolerance in the United States. Scott and several Dineh members were part of the general board*s delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights. The General Board of Church and Society is registered at the United Nations as an international NGO in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. --------- "RE: 94 Buffalo Killed This Year by DOL" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 21:03:12 -0600 From: buffalo@wildrockies.org (Buffalo Field Campaign) (by way of Buffalo Folks) Subj: 94 BUFFALO KILLED THIS YEAR BY DOL please sign on to the petition at http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet _______________________________________________________ 94 BUFFALO KILLED THIS YEAR BY DOL FOREST SERVICE COULD PREVENT FURTHER SLAUGHTER FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 1999 Media Contact: Sarah K. Chalmers, Michael S. Mease (406) 646-0070 West Yellowstone, MT - The Montana Department of Livestock sent 45 buffalo to slaughter yesterday, bringing the total sent to slaughter this year to 90. The Department of Livestock captured 69 buffalo at Horse Butte and transported them to the Duck Creek Capture facility where they were put in with 2 others already captured. As a result of DOL operations Wednesday and yesterday 4 buffalo died before reaching the slaughterhouse, which brings the total to 49 buffalo killed this week. Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers monitored the hazing, capture and transport of buffalo from West Yellowstone. Volunteers were able to document injuries sustained by the buffalo during capture and transport. These injuries included large gore wounds from the horns of other captured buffalo and large patches of skin missing from their hind quarters and heads. "The buffalo that make it to Horse Butte at the end of the winter would be able to survive, if not for the tortuous hazing tactics of the DOL. Many calves have lost their mothers to the DOL and have not been able to get food for themselves. These displaced calves now live on the side of highway 191 alone. I have seen first hand the gores and injuries and it is amazing more did not die. When 71 buffalo are crammed into a tiny capture facility injuries and death will always occur," spokesperson Michael S. Mease said. A new development this year is that the Gallatin National Forest has the ability to prevent more slaughter by imposing a requirement that cattle be kept from public lands outside of West Yellowstone until 30-60 days after the last bison has left the area. This is a reversal of the previous management policy allowing the DOL to haze and kill buffalo from Horse Butte in that period. "Why does the DOL persist in going against all science, sense and compassion, in order to fulfill their sick belief that success is to be measured by how many wild buffalo they can kill in one year?" asked Sarah K. Chalmers, Buffalo Field Campaign spokesperson. "There would be no loss of face for them to end it now, and if they don't, the Forest Service should do its job by upholding the laws laid down for the use of public lands." Chalmers said. Activist Remains in Jail Jeremy O'Day, arrested Wednesday for obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest, has refused to pay bond or adhere to restrictions, sits in the Bozeman jail awaiting release. O'Day pled not guilty to all charges. "It's ironic that the DOL can kill 4 buffalo in their trap and pay no consequences, while I sit in jail for trying to document these atrocities," O'Day stated. "The brucellosis-free status of Montana is not threatened, however the future of our last wild free roaming buffalo herd is," Chalmers said. Video Footage Available upon Request. Buffalo Field Campaign (formerly Buffalo Nations) PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 406-646-0070 phone 406-646-0071 fax buffalo@wildrockies.org List-Subscribe: mailto:Stop-the-Slaughter-on@vortex.wildrockies.org List-Unsubscribe: mailto:Stop-the-Slaughter-off@vortex.wildrockies.org News Submissions or Problems: mailto:Stop-the-Slaughter@wildrockies.org --------- "RE: From Chief Arvol Looking Horse" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 13:44:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Susanna Shreeve Subj: 2 Messages, Sacred Peace Pipe Keeper, Prayers for World Peace (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 18:23:45 -0700 From: David Crockett Williams April, 1999 From Chief Arvol Looking Horse: IMPORTANT STATEMENT ON YUGOSLAVIA My name is Chief Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation, I would like to share a viewpoint about the "Ethnic Cleansing", mass killing of innocent people in Yugoslavia. I am the Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe of Peace, a gift of a sacred bundle given nineteen generations ago to my people providing guidance of teachings for assurance of Peace within our lives. The White Buffalo Calf Woman gave this gift of the Sacred Pipe providing guidance of teachings for assurance of Peace within our lives. Along with these teachings of this Sacred Pipe of Peace, has been prophecies passed down from significant people who walked their harmony. They based their lives on teachings given from sacred bundles, such as the Sacred Buffalo Calf Pipe or many other gifts of bundles and teachings from the Creator. They foretold of these times of great change, which coincide with many other Nations' archives recording their own Prophecies. The reality of the accuracy of these Prophecies which has predicted events upon Mother Earth, as well as the history of our own people, have come to pass, so we have learned to pay attention. There are foretold Prophecies of a very dark time, more significant than any other times in History. We will be at a crossroads in which a dark cloud will envelop the earth, chaos and diseases will erupt and we will witness blood from our relatives' eyes. Humankind has to make a decision and have courage to make a stand for Peace, even when their relatives' minds are restrained from spiritual awareness of healing the mind. We still have a chance to choose to make a change. Mother Earth is a living spirit that clothes, feeds and nourishes all walks of life, but when fighting erupts, the land and life cease to flourish, as well as the spirit of humankind. Mother Earth needs our help! I call upon the World to Pray at once for Peace, to make your stand spiritually, you must see the ignorance of this situation in Yugoslavia will only make us blinder to our own empowerment of making a positive change for our next generations to come. Pray with me every day at 10:00 AM Central Time for a peaceful resolution to this continuing destruction of the World. You must realize this "disease of the mind" will spread even faster, if we don't take control of our behavior. I have been initiating an event called "World Peace and Prayer Day" to bring awareness of these times by uniting the world spiritually on June 21st, praying at the sacred sites, for Global Healing, this being the fourth year to the South in Costa Rica. When this day arrives, please pilgrimage to your local sacred site and continue the daily praying that has been done at the time of 10:00 AM Central Time. This is an invitation to the Serbian and Yugoslavian representatives to participate, whether it be in Costa Rica or at your own sacred place of prayer. Please begin to learn to understand the meaning of "Walking in Harmony and Peace" in having the courage to transform our spiritual consciousness to love and compassion! This is the real challenge and courage in life. As one of our spiritual leaders, Black Elk once said: "One who walks a dark road is distracted, who is ruled by his senses and who lives for himself, rather than for his people". Please "Look upon your children, with their children in their arms, that they may face the winds and walk to the day of quiet." From which there is no beginning and no ending in the Sacred Hoop of Life, I am sending you this message of Peace from my heart and the sacred altar, may our prayers for Peace be heard, may peace with you all... Hetcetuyelo! Mitakuye Oyasin (all my relations), Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe of Peace ----------------------------------- COMPLETION CIRCLE OF THE FOURTH YEAR OF WORLD PEACE AND PRAYER DAY June 21, 1999 As keeper of the 19th generation Sacred White Buffalo Pipe of Peace, I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Nation, would like to invite the world to recognize June 21st as a day of prayer for global healing. Our traditional indigenous ways are the way to strengthen our bonds and healing for our Mother Earth. We are the "root nation", Hutkan Oyate, with responsibility to turn the life of our Mother Earth around. It is now evident, with even the scientific findings, that our course is leading to the endangerment of our tired Mother Earth. We are now in the midst of what is prophesied as the crossroads, faced with either disaster, chaos, diseases, with tears from our relatives' (Mitakuye Oyasin) eyes, or uniting spiritually with all nations upon Mother Earth. This is a calling for the world to seek out the sacred sites and bring awareness to the energy and connection that exists there to our Mother Earth. In the past, there has been clear research findings of people coming together spiritually, praying for a healing, and our Mother Earth responded with a visible positive energy shift. This year we are completing the circle to the South direction in Costa Rica. This journey started in 1996 at Gray Horn Butte, Wyoming and circled to the North in 1997, to the Cree Nation of the Joseph Big Head Reservation, and then to the East at the Sacred Pipestone Quarries in 1998. Costa Rica has been chosen as the Southern site to complete the circle because of the need to support what is already established there with the efforts of the University of Peace and its non-military existence. We are inviting the surrounding Indigenous Peoples of the South and all Indigenous people of the world to either join us or go to their sacred site if it is not possible to journey to Costa Rica. According to our star knowledge, June 21st is a time to pray. We have this only chance to unite spiritually. In our way there is no beginning and no ending to continue to work toward peace and harmony for our Mother Earth so there is much healing for our nations of future generations. May peace be with you, all life upon Mother Earth. Mitakuye oyasin, (All my relations) Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe +~*~+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*+~*~+~*~+*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+~*~+ World Peace and Prayer Day is the fulfillment of prophecy from our ancestors, not only Lakota, but that of other Peoples' of Earth. Chief Looking Horse is the catalyst for the vision he keeps, an inherited responsibility of what the White Buffalo Calf Pipe stands for - Peace - with the ancestral vision of obtaining Peace through the help of the spirituality of all Peoples! The vision and endeavor is for all people from all cultures and beliefs to come together and pray for Global Healing. If we view our ways with ethnocentricity we destroy the very empowerment through which we fully obtain the connection with the Creator. May peace be with you, WPPD '99 Staff +~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~ Website for World Peace and Prayer Day '99: http://www.worldpeaceday.com/1999/ E-mail contact: mosa@rapidnet.com --------- "RE: Nisga'a Treaty" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:58:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Marsha E Shaiman Subj: Nisga'a Treaty Marsha, On Indian Land The Nisga'a Treaty: Victory for Native Rights or Threat to Native Sovereignty? By Peter Murney Last November, members of the Nisga'a nation of the lower Nass river valley in northwestern British Columbia voted in favor of a landmark treaty that would both expand their land base and change their relationship with the rest of Canada. Negotiators from both the Nisga'a tribal council and the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) have hailed the agreement as a great victory for Native rights in British Columbia. The treaty has also generated a great amount of controversy throughout B.C. and Canada. Opposition to the agreement has come from many divergent groups, ranging from supporters of Native sovereignty, to treaty opponents attempting to manipulate anti-Indian public opinion in B.C. The 252-page treaty is the first negotiated in British Columbia since the province entered Confederation with other Canadian provinces in 1871. British Columbia is the only province in Canada where the vast majority of tribes were forced onto reserves without treaties. This means that land claims by B.C. Natives are significantly different than disputes in other parts of Canada because most of the province is not subject to any treaties. The provincial and federal governments are currently involved in treaty negotiations with representatives of about 75 per cent of the province's 102,000 Indians. The controversial B.C. Treaty Commission (BTC) is in charge of the treaty process in the province. After many years of negotiation the Nisga'a and the Provincial and Federal governments signed an agreement-in-principle on the treaty in 1996. It took another two years before the three parties initialed the full treaty in August of 1998. Following the initialing of the treaty the ruling New Democratic Party government of Premier Glen Clark made the passage of the treaty by Nisga'a voters and its acceptance by the general public one of its key political priorities. While the results of this effort by the NDP showed uncertain results in gaining general acceptance for the treaty, the tribal referendum did show a strong amount of support for the treaty among the Nisga'a. Nisga'a living both on and off their reserves cast ballots during two days of polling in mid-November. Voting took place at the four Nisga'a villages on reserve land and in the urban areas of Prince Rupert, Terrace and Vancouver. The largest voter registration actually took place in Prince Rupert, indicating the strength of economic forces that drive the Nisga'a and other Indians away from their homes to find work. Out of 2,376 eligible voters, 1451 (61% of eligible voters) voted for ratification, 558 (23%) voted against and 356(15%) did not cast ballots. Another 11 ballots were listed as "spoiled." Now that the Nisga'a, have approved the treaty it must be ratified by the federal and B.C. governments. The B.C. legislature is currently debating the treaty in a special session, and the Canadian Parliament is scheduled to address the treaty early in 1999. The treaty grants the Nisga'a title to nearly 2,000 square kilometers of land along the Nass River watershed, a vast increase from the 61 square kilometers they now occupy on reserves. In addition, they would maintain a share of the B.C. fishery, along with subsistence hunting rights in a "management area" to be determined. They also obtain control of forestry on their lands and would receive some $250 million from the Canadian Government, with some additional economic development assistance. These changes could represent a significant step forward for the Nisga'a people who, like most tribes in Canada, suffer extreme poverty and marginalization. Since the original expropriation of their land without treaty agreement, the Nisga'a and other B.C. tribes have been governed by the federal Indian Act, which has controlled almost every aspect of native life across Canada for decades. Even government bureaucrats and politicians now commonly characterize the management of Indian Reserves through the Act as a complete failure, with most Indian reserves suffering from high rates of poverty and unemployment, along with the concomitant social problems such as widespread alcohol and drug abuse. According to Nisga'a negotiator Chief Joseph Gosnell the removal of the restrictions imposed by the Indian Act, along with the economic opportunities provided by the treaty, will allow the Nisga'a to "stand on their own two feet again." As the referendum vote results indicated, many tribal members are excited by the prospect of a future with greater economic opportunities and political autonomy for their people. Some Nisga'a, however, believe the tribe has given up too much of their ancestral land in the treaty negotiations. Much of the opposition to the treaty came from Kincolith, at the western edge of the Nass Valley region, where people felt a disproportionate amount of their lands were given away to satisfy the needs of other Nass valley communities. Mercy Thomas of Kincolith questioned the authority of the Nisga'a negotiators to do so: "They (the Nisga'a negotiators) really don't have the right to surrender, extinguish, modify or release 93 percent of our ancestral lands. This means the Kincolith Chiefs will no longer have lands or Aboriginal Title. That's what really bothers me - that they have released the Aboriginal Title. Aboriginal Title is to the land. I've always been an advocate of self-determination and to be away from the Department of Indian Affairs, who have suppressed us all these years. But giving away 93 percent of our lands is not the answer." Thomas' arguments against the treaty are consistent with other Native groups, such as the Union of B.C. Chiefs, who see the treaty as another attempt by the Canadian government to "solve" the "Indian problem" by extinguishing any future claims of aboriginal title and sovereignty through the negotiation process. While the Nisga'a treaty guarantees certain rights for the tribe, in exchange the Nisga'a will surrender all past, present and future claims based on any aboriginal status. It is only through such an agreement , however, that Chief Gosnell argues the Nisga'a people can "join Canada and British Columbia as free citizens--full and equal participants in the social, economic and political life of this province, of this country." BC Premier Glen Clark describes the form of self-government that will achieve this integration into the Canadian legal and political system: "The Nisga'a government will be comparable to a municipal government with some extra powers relating to public services, cultural affairs and resource management. Non-Nisga'a can own private property within the boundaries of Nisga'a lands. Private land within these boundaries that is owned by non-Nisga'a will remain private; the owners will not be subject to Nisga'a laws on their property. The Nisga'a are free to sell parts of their land to non-Nisga'a, if they so wish. Non-Nisga'a who do own such lands will have more rights than any non-aboriginal person has on Indian Reserves today." This hardly sounds like a situation that might lead to the Balkanization of British Columbia, but you wouldn't know it by listening to opposition party politicians in B.C. Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm of the right wing Reform Party envisions the treaty process leading to "another Yugoslavia being developed." Not wanting to concede the anti-treaty low ground to Vander Zalm, Liberal Party Leader Gordon Campbell claims the Nisga'a treaty will set a precedent that "will carve up our province into 50 or more 'gated communities'." Campbell and other treaty opponents unsuccessfully contested the validity of the Nisga'a referendum in court, and he has now moved on to join those calling for a province-wide general election referendum on the treaty. Given the general hostility towards Indian land claims in B.C., such a referendum would almost certainly kill the treaty, and set a precedent that would make passage of almost any treaty impossible in B.C. Chief Gosnell accurately refers to these opponents of the treaty as those "who say Canada and B.C. are 'giving' us too much, and a few who want to re-open negotiations in order to 'give' us less." Bad Faith Negotiations? The amount of land the Nisga'a are receiving through the treaty has also raised opposition from neighboring tribes, though for different reasons. The Gitanyow and Gitxsan nations of the Nass Valley area are both pursuing legal challenges to the treaty, seeking a court declaration that the federal and B.C. governments are not negotiating the Nisga'a treaty in good faith. The Gitanyow began their challenge of the treaty in court on January 18, charging that the Nisga'a treaty encompasses about 84 per cent of Gitanyow traditional territory, and that the federal and provincial governments violated the treaty process by excluding them from land claim negotiations. The Gitanyow and Gitxsan challenge to the Nisga'a treaty is based on two fundamental issues of modern treaty claims - the amount of land claimed, and whether the claim is exclusive of other claims. The two tribes contend that the Nisga'a have claimed three times the amount of territory they were entitled to, and could therefore obtain land, rights and title over aboriginal territories that rightfully belong to their neighbors. The Tahltan Nation as well as the Gitxsan and the Gitanyow claim territories within the Nisga'a treaty area. These claims are based on the historic written and oral statements of Nisga'a leaders regarding traditional tribal territories, which were corroborated by their neighbors. The failure of the federal and provincial governments to sever the lands with overlapping claims from the Nisga'a negotiations is the basis of charge that the negotiations have been carried out in bad faith. Opponents of the treaty point out that after the initialing of the final treaty agreement last August the Nisga'a were praised by both governments for standing by their 1996 agreement-in-principle, despite the potential advantage they may have gained from the landmark Supreme Court Delguumwk ruling of December 1997. In that decision the court extended the definition of aboriginal rights and aboriginal land title in areas where treaties have not yet been signed. In regard to land title, the Supreme Court ruled that "aboriginal title encompasses an exclusive right to the use and occupation of land...to the exclusion of both non-aboriginals and members of other aboriginal nations." Where there are competing claims the court ruled that treaty negotiations "should also include other aboriginal nations which have a stake in the territory claimed." The Gitanyow and Gitxsan contend that since they have not been included in negotiations the Nisga'a treaty does not meet the standards set Supreme Court in Delguumwk, and should therefore be renegotiated. The Supreme Court decision in Delguumwk overturned an earlier B.C. Court decision that dismissed claims from the Gitxsan and their neighbors the Wet'suwet'en to ownership of a 58, 000 square kilometer area of land in northwest B.C. along the Skeena, Buckley and Babine watersheds. The court ruled that the trial judge erred by discounting the oral histories the tribes presented to the court to establish their occupation and use of the land. Along with recognizing the legitimacy of tribal oral histories, the court also said that the Constitution protects native land title and no province may extinguish that constitutional property right. The native right to title means that their lands are inalienable-they cannot be sold, except to the Crown; they are communally owned; natives have the exclusive right to use the lands; and the land can be used for all modern purposes. To assist future treaty negotiations the court for the first time also spelled out the framework for determining Native title, and stated that compensation would normally be required when Native title is infringed upon. The B.C. Treaty Process, "Self-government" and Sovereignty The Delguumwk decision was welcomed by most Indian Nations that have yet to sign treaties with Canada, since it promised a greater recognition of the legitimacy of their land claims and status as sovereign nations. Delguumwk was seen as particularly significant to both Indian and because of its potential impact on decisions regarding economic development and extractive resource industry in B.C. Chief Joe Mathis said the decision meant that "Aboriginal Title must be taken into consideration when any form of development takes place in B.C., and in treaty talks the Crown cannot ignore our rights to lands and resources and deliver them to others. " The real promise of Delguumwk to Indian people was seen as an equally real threat to the politicians, corporate leaders and others dependent on the profits gained by logging, mining and otherwise developing Indigenous lands in B.C. Thus far the real impacts of Delguumwk have been neither as promising nor threatening, depending on your point of view, as originally anticipated. Canadian treaty negotiations, including those of the B.C. Treaty Commission, have instead remained consistent with historical federal policy that recognizes Native Rights only in order to extinguish them. The rhetoric surrounding treaty negotiations has changed, so that, rather than directly being referred to as extinguishment of Aboriginal Rights, this process is now euphemistically called an exchange, since some rights are recognized by Canadian law, while all others are terminated. What hasn't changed is that the myth of the legitimacy of Canada's colonial (and current) appropriation of Indigenous land and resources continues to be the basis of all treaty negotiations carried out by the federal and provincial governments. This remains unchanged despite the strong and increasingly influential evidence of prior claims by Indian Nations, as the Canadian Supreme Court at least began to recognize in Delguumwk. The result of Canada's refusal to recognize that Indian Nations have land claims and sovereign status that do indeed set them apart from other Canadians can be seen in the government's insistence that all Aboriginal Rights not specifically recognized by treaty be terminated. In addition, the form of tribal self-government the Nisga'a and similar treaties set up also fail to establish any significant degree of sovereignty for Aboriginal Nations in their relation to the federal and provincial governments. As part of their campaign to pass the Nisga'a treaty the B.C. government published the following description of the future relationships between the tribal, and settler state governments. "The land will be held in fee simple for the Nisga'a - The same kind of land ownership enjoyed by other landowners. The Nisga'a government will function under the umbrella of federal and provincial legislation, just like other governments. Generally, if there is a conflict between Nisga'a laws and those of Canada and British Columbia, the federal or provincial legislation will prevail....There is no vagueness about the Nisga'a Final Agreement. The final Agreement is a full and final settlement of Nisga'a Aboriginal Rights." This description makes it clear why Indian leaders and Nations who consider themselves sovereigntist object to the Nisga'a treaty and have no interest in entering into treaty negotiations that take this agreement as their model. The system promoted by the BCTC in the Nisga'a treaty fits into the framework of self-government for Indian people rather than even a partial recognition of Native sovereignty or nationhood. In a 1994 report to the United Nations The Sovereignty Peoples Information Network summarized the implications of this approach: "Canada has adopted a policy based solely on 'extinguishment' of underlying aboriginal rights, in lands which have not been ceded properly, while occupying and extracting billions in resources off those same lands and using those same resources to control public opinion and subjugate the Aboriginal owners. It has devised a history of legislated theft which is still open to serious legal question at both the domestic and international levels..... The work of the BC Treaty Commission currently under mandate by both the federal and provincial governments is trying to negotiate land claims settlements in BC, within a pseudo framework of 'Treaty Negotiations' which start from the premise that the 'First Nations' are not Sovereign Nations but special rights Canadian citizens needing redress for past wrongs and therefore cannot negotiate for sovereignty but for compensations..." As long as this is the case, even the Delguumwk ruling is not going to encourage tribes refusing to participate in the B.C. treaty process to join in. These First Nations oppose the BCTC in part because it involves too many outside parties in the negotiations - tribal councils, some individual bands, economic interests, municipalities and the federal and provincial governments. They note that treaty negotiations by definition involve nation to nation talks limited to the governments involved - in this case the federal government and the tribal council. Chief Joe Mathis summarizes this view: "Those that choose to not participate in the negotiation process, have their own reasons. One of them, as I understand, is being sovereigntist - that the only government that can treaty with a First Nation would be the Government of Canada. If it's not the Government of Canada then it's the United Nations as a whole. They take a very clear political position on that ground." The opposition to the Nisga'a treaty and the BCTC among Indian Nations in BC and Canada clearly indicates the significant differences between self-government and sovereignty. It is worth quoting Lakota scholar Vine Deloria, from the book "The Nations Within: The Past and Future of American Indian Sovereignty," at length on this subject: "When we distinguish between nationhood and self-government, we speak of two entirely different positions in the world. Nationhood implies a process of decision making that is free and uninhibited within the community... Self-government, on the other hand, implies a recognition by the superior political power that some measure of local decision making is necessary but that this process must be monitored carefully so that its products are compatible with the goals and policies of the larger political power. Self-government implies that the people were previously incapable of making any decisions for themselves and are now ready to assume some, but not all, of the responsibilities of a municipality. Under self-government, however, the larger moral issues that affect a people's relationship with other people are presumed to be included within the responsibilities of the larger nation." Self-government is not an Indian idea, Deloria continues, but rather "originates in the minds of non-Indians who have reduced the traditional ways to dust, or believe they have, and now wish to give, as a gift, a limited measure of local control and responsibility." Despite this, Deloria emphasizes that self-government is not wrong, but simply inadequate. In the US the establishment of tribal self-government, he says "has represented a step forward from the absolute prostration the tribes suffered when the federal bureaucracy preempted all social and political functions on the reservation after the passage of the General Allotment Act (1887)." Self-government therefore, can in practice provide a step forward for colonized people, but it remains limited in a fundamental way because it circumscribes the ways in which their aspirations can be expressed. This description of both the usefulness and limitations of self-government for Indian Nations can be applied to the complex political battles surrounding the Nisga'a treaty. The treaty clearly does present new opportunities for the Nisga'a and a step forward from the "absolute prostration" they have suffered under the Department of Indian Affairs and the Indian Act. Nonetheless, while the need to overhaul the reserve system and the Indian Department is clear, the provincial and federal government's focus on this as a solution to the "Indian problem" also neatly avoids considering the more central role of colonial land theft in creating these conditions. The current treaty process, therefore, addresses the "Indian problem" solely within the confines of how the settler government defines it, and the economic, political and military power of the state insures that the treaty process will be limited in this way. Tribes who wish to pursue negotiations based on their sovereignty as n and aboriginal land claims that are equivalent to, rather than subsidiary to those of Canada are simply locked out of the negotiation process. Far too frequently it is the First Nations who refuse to participate in such treaty negotiations who are painted by the media and politicians in B. C. as being unreasonable or taking an unrealistically hard line on treaty negotiations. Saul Terry of the Union of B.C. Chiefs response to such criticism indicates clearly why he and other tribal leaders will continue to take this stand: "Some people say we are taking too hard a line. My God, if our future is in jeopardy, we must state that and stop the dangers in the treaty process and other government initiatives now offered to us. We must always be wary of these different strategies that all have the same agenda - to disinherit us from our separate us from our homelands. All of these processes have the same intent, which is to take away our lands and resources forever. Indigenous people cannot continue to exist if the processes of termination continue to be practiced." For more information visit the Settlers in Support for Indigenous Sovereignty (SISIS) website at http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS - email: The website has a vast collection of background material and collected news clipings on this issue and many other important Canadian indigenous issues. For non-cybernetic contact with SISIS write to: PO Box 8673, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8X S32. Nuxalk RECEIVE SUSPENDED SENTENCES FOR DEFENDING ANCIENT FORESTS (VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA) Friday, February 12, 1999 ---A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has given six members of the Nuxalk First Nation suspended jail sentences and two years probation for their efforts in preventing International Forest Products from clearcutting an ancient rainforest valley in the Great Bear Rainforest. The defendants, including Hereditary Chief Qwatsinas (Ed Moody), stood on a logging road for 19 days along with members of Greenpeace, the Forest Action Network and other environmental groups during a 1997 protest which stopped logging crews from entering the Nuxalk's sacred valley of Ista. Both Qwatsinas and Head Hereditary Chief Nuximlayc (Lawrence Pootlas) spoke at the sentencing hearing. Qwatsinas talked about his struggle, about Ista, about having no choice but to protect Ista in any way possible. Nuximlayc translated for an elder who told the story of Ista and then talked about the struggle of the Nuxalk against the clear-cutting of their lands. Everybody stood as he finished speaking. After hearing the story of Ista, British Columbia Supreme Court Justice David Vickers stated, "Perhaps the tragedy of all our lives is that we haven't shared these stories except in courtrooms." Justice Vickers sentenced Chief Qwatsinas to 45 days, suspended. The other Nuxalkmc, Warren Snow, Harry Schooner, Emily Johnny, Collette Schooner and Ernie Tallio were sentenced to 21 day, suspended. All defendants received two years probation and must sign an undertaking to keep the peace. The sentences come at time when the government of BC has seriously weakened environmental protection regulations in the Provincial Forest Practices Code and has failed to enact Endangered Species Legislation even though the government's own scientists admit one in ten plant and animal species in B.C. are at risk of extinction. "I am charged with contempt of court," Chief Qwatsinas told Justice Vickers. "Yet there is continuous contempt of our culture, our heritage, our lands and our rights. Logging companies coming to our land without our consent show contempt of our laws, our land, our people." The six Nuxalk Nation members sentenced today are part of a group of 24 who participated in the June, 1997 Ista protest. In April of 1998 a trial was held for 18 non-Nuxalk activists who helped to stop the clearcutting of Ista at the invitation of the Nuxalk Hereditary Chiefs. Four of those individuals from Germany, Ireland, Belgium and Canada received 21 days in jail and the remaining 14 were given suspended sentences. Ista, located on King Island near the central coast community of Bella Coola, is sacred to the Nuxalk people who believe it is the place from which all life began. Despite repeated protests by the Nuxalk First Nation and the environmental community, Ista continues to be clearcut by the logging corporation, International Forest Products. Because 80 per cent of BC's rainforest valleys have already been impacted by logging, Greenpeace is campaigning in B.C. and internationally for a moratorium on the remaining intact rainforest valleys on the central mainland coast. Two logging companies hold the majority of licenses to log the last valleys of the Great Bear Rainforest ; Interfor and Western Forest Products. "Someday the world will look back and wonder why people had to risk arrest and face jail terms for trying to protect these rare, ancient and endangered places, " said Greenpeace forest specialist Catherine Stewart. "Until that day, Greenpeace will stand with the Nuxalk people and the ancient forests they have never relinquished." Forest Action Network spokesperson Gavin Edwards noted that "It is outrageous that as we approach the end of the millennium the B.C. Government and the logging industry are still attempting to criminalize First Nations people for fulfilling their responsibilities to protect their lands and forests." For more information contact Nuxalk Nation, House of Smayusta, PO Box 8, Bella Coola, British Columbia V0T 1C0 Canada. Phone: (250) 799-5376. Or Forest Action Network, Box 625, Bella Coola, British Columbia V0T 1C0. Phone: (250) 799-5800. Or Greenpeace, 1726 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia V5N 4A3 Canada. Phone: (604) 253-7701. Reprinted, with permission of the author, from the Spring 1999 edition of On Indian Land, PO Box 2104, Seattle WA 98111. Phone: (206) 525-5086 --------- "RE: Tsawwassen Treaty Faces Residency Challenge" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 14:58:30 -0700 From: "S.I.S.I.S." Subj: BC trick or treaty process: Tsawwassen :-:-:-:-:-:-:-Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty-:-:-:-:-:-:-: TSAWWASSEN TREATY FACES RESIDENCY CHALLENGE Vancouver Sun, April 5, 1999 by Gerry Bellettn [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.] Later this year, treaty negotiations involving the Tsawwassen First Nation will boldly go where no one has gone before. Federal, provincial and aboriginal negotiators will be trying to find ways to protect the democratic rights of non-natives who live on First Nations' property. "It's a fundamental principle of ours that people who live on land controlled by a First Nation won't have to park their democratic rights at the entrance," said Tom Issac, the province's chief treaty negotiator for the B.C. southern region. "We're not going to agree to anything that takes away people's democratic rights," said Issac. "How could we?" But how such a principle can be achieved and still allow aboriginals the right to self-government and control of their own affairs remains a conundrum. Issac admitted he knows of no system anywhere in the world that balances both needs. "No, we don't have any model to base it on. It's something we're going to have to resolve," he said. The issue of democratic rights hasn't been paramount in treaty discussions with First Nations in remote or rural areas because the size of their non-native population is small. But it will take the spotlight when talks begin in earnest this summer with the Tsawwassen First Nation and other First Nations whose properties are in urban areas and contain significant numbers of non-band residents. The Tsawwassen negotiations are ahead of most other Lower Mainland treaties, and the band is expected to file a comprehensive treaty proposal by July marking the opening of substantive negotiations with Canada and B.C. The need to solve the dilemma of democratic rights is already apparent from the bitter dispute between Vancouver's Musqueam Band and a number of non-native homeowners leasing property on the reserve, admits Issac. These homeowners have been hit with massive rent hikes that they claim are discriminatory as they haven't been applied to band members. In Tsawwassen, the non-native population living in condominiums or on property leased from the band outnumber the 200 or so registered band members. These residents have no voting rights in band elections such as last month's election that resulted in a new chief and council taking office. Meanwhile, development plans proposed by the band for the 260-hectare (640-acre) reserve could add an additional 5,000 non-aboriginal residents over the next 25 years -- a scenario that raises as many problems for band government as it does for Delta's municipal government. Delta Mayor Beth Johnson said if changes weren't made to the political relationship between Delta and the Tsawwassen First Nation, any large-scale development of band property could create an intolerable situation. "For non-band residents living on TFN property it's a case of taxation without representation. But these people can vote in Delta's civic election, which is a case of representation without taxation because they don't pay us any taxes," she said. This could mean that thousands of voters living on TFN property and paying no taxes to Delta could influence the outcome of a Delta election or a referendum, say, to spend money on a new recreation centre without ever worrying about paying for it. However, Johnson isn't in favour of diminishing the band's right to control its own affairs. "It would be an abomination if people who were not band members could vote the band out of existence. But I don't have the answers to what should be done -- it's a mess," she said. Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Kim Baird said a formula might be found to give non-native residents some say in issues that affect them but prevent non-natives having the right to vote on matters involving treaty or aboriginal rights. "This hasn't been a problem so far with rural treaties but in an urban context it's going to be a challenge," Baird said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "we're not going to agree to anything that takes away (white) people's democratic rights..." - BC Treaty Negotiator "The purpose of the BC Treaty process is to legitimize the theft of our lands." - Haida elder Lavina White For more information on the BC "Trick-or-Treaty" process, see http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/Clark/BCgovt.html#bctc :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: S.I.S.I.S. Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty P.O. Box 8673, Victoria, "B.C." "Canada" V8X 3S2 EMAIL : WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html --------- "RE: Inuit Reaction to Panel Report" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 06:18:51 -0300 From: Larry Innes Subj: News: Inuit reaction to Panel report Mailing List: Innu People Forum list Resources: Mineral Resources Advisor for the Labrador Inuit Association, Chesley Andersen, says they have done a preliminary review of the panel's report on the Voisey's Bay Project - Interview with "Chesley Andersen". Key Words: Media: CKOK-AM Reporter: Cindy Lyall Date: 4/14/99, 14:30 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Joanna Dicker: Fran Williams will now speak with Chesley Andersen of LIA on the EI Panel Report and William Kalleo will provide translations. Fran Williams: Chesley has the LIA reviewed the panel report and if so what is your reaction to it? Chesley Andersen: Well what I've done so far is I've gone through the panel report on a preliminary analysis. The panel appears to have kept a lot of the recommendations we have made, while they haven't kept them in their entirety and the language that we wanted we feel that they have incorporated many of the concerns we have. Fran Williams: Is there anything they haven't addressed? Chesley Andersen: I don't think so. There are 107 recommendations so they have covered most of the major areas in a fairly comprehensive way. So we think they have incorporated most of what we had put forward at least. Fran Williams: In your opinion what does it say about land claims and impact benefit agreements? Chesley Andersen: Well what the panel has recommended for the land claims process is that there should be land claim agreements in place . . . at least as a minimum there should be an agreement in principle and effective interim measures that would protect the rights of Inuit before the project goes ahead. Fran Williams: What would the panel mean by interim measures? Chesley Andersen: I think you can look at a number of things. For example if there was no land claim agreement in effect and there were things which protected the land rights of the Inuit the Province could put into effect something like the Mineral Lands Act that they have done already in relation to certain lands in northern Labrador. That would be an effective interim measure until the land claim agreement came into effect. Fran Williams: A big concern for the Labrador Inuit was the issue of winter shipping. Is that addressed to LIA's satisfaction and how did the panel address that? Chesley Andersen: Well the panel recommended pretty much precisely what we had asked for which was that there should be an agreement between the company and Inuit before any winter shipping occurs. And they have accepted that recommendation so I think that was very positive from our perspective. Fran Williams: So that agreement would be a special agreement and would have nothing to do with impact benefit agreements? Chesley Andersen: It could be a part of the IBA itself or it could be outside of the IBA depending on the timing of when the agreement was reached and what both parties wanted it to be. But certainly it would be an agreement in of itself either inside an impact and benefit agreement or outside. Fran Williams: Now that the panel report is out and it says that the project can go ahead does that open the door for LIA and the company to go back to IBA negotiations? Chesley Andersen: Certainly there are two or three phases here that we need to probably discuss. One is that following the panel report what the two governments had agreed to as part of the memorandum of understanding that created the environmental assessment was that there would be a consultation process. We hope complete that over the next 60 days and we would be trying to reach consensus on the panel recommendations and the conditions under which the project would proceed. Also what the panel has recommended is that before the project goes ahead that there would impact and benefit agreements in place. So obviously if there is an approval from the four parties that the project can proceed under certain conditions then we would see that an IBA would be part of that discussion prior to project being approved. Fran Williams: In the consultation process you just mentioned does that mean all the MOU signatories will meet together or do you meet separately or how often do you meet within the next say couple of months? Chesley Andersen: Well what they looked at would be that there would be . . . first 30 days would be internal review of the panel's report and putting together respective positions from each party. And the latter part, the next 30 days would be at least one meeting to see whether or not consensus could be reached and then potentially other meetings. We haven't finalized what that would be at this point in time. But the next 30 days would be to try and reach consensus and to put the report forward. Understanding that the Innu and the Inuit would not have the final say, that is left with the two Governments. But we would try and reach consensus on what the recommendations would be prior to the Governments making the decision. Fran Williams: Is this report, which is favorable to the company, is that going to have an impact on activities at the mine site this summer? Chesley Andersen: I think the report is actually pretty balanced. It does give conditional approval but the 107 recommendations do put some pretty strong conditions on the project going ahead. Certainly in terms of the impact of what could happen this year the . . . again we would be looking at provided that there is approvals given by the Government to go ahead and whether or not there has to be certain conditions put in place beforehand makes it very unlikely that there would very much by way of any construction activity this summer. Just given the time frame that it would take for all the processes to be put into place and concluded. Fran Williams: Okay Chesley we will try to keep an eye out on what happens after 30 days or 60 days whether you are reaching consensus or not. Chesley Andersen: Okay if I just might add one thing and that is that even though the panel has come out with its report it's still unclear as to how the company and the Province would resolve the issue around the smelter and refinery in Argentina. That wasn't part of the panel's assessment. So that is a process out there that is still . . . we don't know what is going on there and whether or not the company and the Province will be having further discussions to resolve that issue. So that may have an impact on the project going ahead as well. Fran Williams: Thanks Chesley. Chesley Andersen: Thank you Fran. Joanna Dicker: Chesley Andersen is the Mineral Resources Advisor for the Labrador Inuit Association. --------- "RE: Toronto Sun on Leonard Peltier" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 18:56:47 -0500 From: Freedom Heart Rising Subj: Toronto Sun on Leonard Peltier/ FWD. from LPDC At 05:40 PM 4/19/99 -0500, LPDC wrote: April 18, 1999 A NORTH AMERICAN MANDELA Wrongly imprisoned for murder, Leonard Peltier is now perhaps gravely ill By PETER WORTHINGTON -- Toronto Sun After 23 years in prison and the refusal of authorities to even consider they may have made a mistake, Leonard Peltier, a Sioux-Ojibwa Indian, qualifies as the Nelson Mandela of North America. Just as journalists were thwarted in attempts to visit Mandela in his latter years of imprisonment in South Africa, so has an iron curtain or, rather, a wall of silence, descended around Peltier in the U.S. federal prison at Leavenworth, Kan. Peltier, now in his mid-50s, is serving a double life sentence for the shooting deaths of two FBI agents - Jack Coler and Ron Williams - during a range war at South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee in 1975. Several times in the 1980s I tried to visit Mandela in South Africa. He'd then been in prison for over 20 years. There was always an "official" reason why this was impossible. Pretoria's Afrikaner government wanted no publicity for Mandela who was becoming a symbol of the struggle against apartheid. It's similar with Peltier. He represents the aspirations and frustrations of North American Indians. I've twice visited him at Leavenworth but now, apparently, no one gets to see him. CNN's request for an interview was turned down, as was one from Britain's Guardian newspaper. A telephone interview was the best I could hope for, and that was unacceptable. I wanted to see Peltier. Is his health deteriorating, as has been reported? Are harassments increasing? Is he persecuted - or neglected? - particularly Bob Bennett, executive assistant to Warden J.W. Booker - that I felt it important to have personal contact, like the last two times. He echoed the warden's theme: "A more suitable means for conducting this interview would be via the telephone." "Why the change of policy?" I asked. "It's the warden's decision. You can reapply if you want." Leonard Peltier Defence Committees (LPDC) have sprung up around the world (Toronto's is at 416-439-1893). The LPDC headquarters at Lawrence, Kan., says only Peltier's lawyers, blood relatives and friends dating back five years before his incarceration are eligible to visit. Like many of his close supporters, I think Peltier is in considerable danger - that he may well die if he doesn't get proper medical attention. He avoids trouble, but is often punished for being who he is, and what he represents. Or so it seems. His lawyer, Bob Ellison, says bluntly that he thinks authorities "hope" Peltier will die, thereby letting them, the U.S. justice department and the FBI off the hook. It's become widely accepted that Peltier's trial was a farce. Indians and others know who executed the two FBI agents, but the FBI doesn't care. They've got their man. The last time I saw Peltier, he could barely move his jaw. An untreated injury led to atrophication, fusing jaw bone and muscle - sort of permanent lockjaw. He's had two operations - both botched. One operation put him in a coma. He required a total blood transfusion. His recovery room was the hole. He now has only half-an-inch movement in his jaw. He eats by shoving food through the gap of a missing front tooth, and mashes food with his tongue before swallowing. Wires from his damaged jaw jut into his mouth and make eating excruciating. He has abscessed teeth that can't be treated, recurring headaches and lives in pain. Mayo Clinic doctors have offered to come to Peltier and operate for free. The prison says no. Peltier's sight is also deteriorating - inhibiting reading and his art work which the defence committee sells to raise money for the continuing campaign to win his freedom. Like Mandela, Peltier has become an international cause. On April 30, Danielle Mitterand, former first lady of France and president of the human rights organization France Libertes Assoc., hopes to visit Peltier. She has appealed for clemency. CANADA MAY HOLD KEY Ironically, Canada could hold a key to Peltier's freedom. When the two FBI agents were killed that turbulent summer of 1975, The American Indian Movement (AIM), reservation police,administrators, rival Indians, the FBI, etc., were all embroiled in feuds and shootings - some 300 people were shot during that time. Four Indians were originally charged in the deaths of the agents, but Peltier escaped to Canada. The others were acquitted. Had Peltier stood trial with them, he would in all probability have been acquitted as well. In 1976, Peltier was arrested in Canada and extradited 10 months later on the basis of an affidavit by one Myrtle Poor Bear who claimed to be his girlfriend and said she had seen him shoot the FBI agents. At the time, as editor of the Toronto Sun, I wrote editorials supporting the FBI and criticizing Amnesty International, which questioned the extradition. It subsequently turned out Poor Bear was a mental patient and the FBI had written the affidavits for her, coached her, pressured her. She didn't even know Peltier, had never met him, was nowhere near Pine Ridge at the time of the shooting. But the phony affidavits got Peltier extradited. Peltier later told author Peter Matthiessen, as he told me: "I have no bad thoughts for Myrtle Poor Bear. She is a poor, sick woman ... a pawn for them to use as they've used so many Indian people." The Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau refused to protest the fraud perpetrated on our justice system. Neither did the Tory government of Brian Mulroney care. Mostly it was NDP MPs who protested on behalf of Peltier. Today, the Reform party seems willing to raise hell. We shall see. Reform justice critic John Reynolds says his party will try to convince the government to protest Peltier's fraudulent extradition. He's written both President Bill Clinton and Justice Minister Anne McLellan, urging they act on the case. ALLMAND OFFENDED Warren Allmand was federal solicitor general when Peltier was arrested in Canada and Indian affairs minister when he was extradited. He was the lone Liberal who was offended at the abuse of justice. Over the years he's sought to right the wrong and have the Canadian government protest the extradition. A couple of years ago, before he quit politics to head the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Allmand was asked by then-justice minister Allan Rock to re-examine the Peltier extradition proceedings. Allmand's report has gathered dust. Although his oath of office prevents him from making his report public, Allmand has no hesitation saying that the "only" cause for extradition was Poor Bear's perjured affidavit: "Otherwise, there were no grounds for extradition." Allmand even wrote Mandela, who, before he became president of South Africa, urged clemency for Peltier, asking him to renew his support. No response - a sad irony. If Canada were to react, Peltier's supporters feel it could give impetus to get him freed and encourage the U.S. government to do the right thing. Even assuming guilt, 23 years is enough. Pine Ridge was a mini-war, not a criminal act. The appeal courts in the U.S. over the years have been disappointing, even though it was proved (and admitted) that evidence was fabricated and misused. One appeal judge, Gerald Heaney, has since said that if Peltier's appeal had been better handled (by the late William Kunstler) he'd have freed Peltier. As it was, Heaney rebuked the FBI and filed an official complaint. He also wrote president George Bush, urging clemency. When I spoke to him, Heaney said he thought he knew who had shot the two agents. Leonard Peltier is a good man, a proud man, almost serene. He relishes news of his kids, and grandkids, who he hears about but never sees. Peltier's letters are gentle, sad. I suspect he's dying. The spirit and flesh can take only so much. If Clinton won't exercise his prerogative of executive clemency or pardon - as he promised prior to being elected - America may soon have yet another martyr on its conscience. Evidence is overwhelming that Peltier did not kill those FBI agents. Even though he knows who did, it's a measure of the man that he won't tell. The sorrow is that the Indian who did the deed won't come forward. Maybe some day ... Leonard Peltier Defense Committee PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 785-842-5774 To subscribe, send a blank message to < lpdc-on@mail-list.com > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to < lpdc-off@mail-list.com > To change your email address, send a message to < lpdc-change@mail-list.com with your old address in the Subject line --------- "RE: Peltier Sign-On Letter" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 10:06:48 EDT From: DevHawkWi@aol.com Subj: Peltier Sign-On Letter "IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT GENOCIDE, BE PREPARED TO FIGHT ALL OF IT" please sign this petition and send it to you friends/family. when you reach #30, please send it back to it's origin. -------------------- Date: 99-04-15 09:44:39 EDT From: peltiercampaign@hotmail.com (Dale Allen) PLEASE POST WIDELY If you are interested, please sign onto this letter and take it to your friends as well. Send your signatures to this address: email: peltiercampaign@hotmail.com (this address is operating simply as a mail dump to keep other addresses from being cluttered). The United States is currently engrossed in a supposedly humanitarian war overseas, intervening to put an end to ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, and yet the Unites States continues to wage war against American Indians and other minorities within its own boundaries. A case in point is the treatment of Leonard Peltier, who has been unjustly imprisoned for twenty-three years now. President Clinton recently stated that we take care of our own. A first step in living up to these words would entail sending Leonard to the Mayo Clinic for medical treatment. We call upon the Bureau of Prisons to fulfill their commitment and send Leonard to the Mayo Clinic for treatment by Dr. Keller. We are well aware of Leonard's medical condition, and we know that your own doctors at the Springfield Prison Medical Facility have told you that they cannot treat Leonard. You no longer have any excuse not to send Leonard to the Mayo Clinic. For two years now, he has suffered after a botched maxilla-facial operation at Springfield--an operation in which he almost died and after which he lay in a coma for eighteen hours. For two years he has existed in constant, excruciating pain. For two years he has been unable to eat except by forcing the food through a narrow gap between his teeth and crushing it with his tongue. It is time to end his torture. The United States Constitution guarantees every prisoner the right to medical treatment. We call on you to honor this Constitution or stand in defiance of the republic. Leonard has been offered free treatment at the Mayo Clinic and your own doctors have admitted that they can do nothing for him. Send Leonard Peltier to the Mayo Clinic now. Name Address 1. Dale Allen Pfeiffer - Michigan 2. Elizabeth Anne Pfeiffer - Michigan 3. Ishgooda Tewehshon'on - Michigan 4. Nancy Thomas - Michigan 5. Robert Connors - Michigan 6. Tina Evans - Texas 7. MaryAnn Dark - Texas 8. Jan Conley - Wisconsin 9. Cathie Dever - Michigan 10. Debbie Cope - Colorado 11. Barbara Fortier - Georgia 12. Trudi.... BlueT5 - Virginia 13. Valarie Scott - United Arab Emirates 14. Richard van Schelven - Ireland 15. Shelley van Schelven - Ireland 16. Lois Brooks - Michigan 17. Leslie St.Pierre - Florida 18. Bob Monroe - New York 19. Gary Smith - Georgia 20. Janet Smith - Georgia 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. --------- "RE: Spiritual Victory for Condemned Pima Prisoner" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:59:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Marsha E Shaiman Subj: Interview With Len Foster, Navajo Nation Corrections Project Marsha, On Indian Land Spiritual Victory for Condemned Pima Prisoner Interview by Suky Hutton The following interview took place with Len Foster in March 1999. Mr. Foster, as project director and spiritual advisor for the Navajo Nations Corrections Project, has fought for religious freedom for Indian inmates for the last 19 years. He was raised as a traditional Navajo, and became a sundancer after making a vow at Wounded Knee in 1973 that he would help his people through spiritual practices. In 1981, in the midst of graduate work at Arizona State, Mr. Foster became part of a volunteer group taking the pipe and drum to prison inmates. The experience inspired him to found an Indian spiritual counseling program for correctional facilities. Today his work involves 89 state and federal prisons, ranging from minimum security to Supermax. He has authored or co-authored legislation in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah to ensure that Native American inmates have access to their religious practices. This January, as the result of persistent advocacy, Mr. Foster helped set a precedent: for the first time, a Native American inmate on death row was permitted to use a sweat lodge as part of his last rites. Len Foster: Religious freedom is guaranteed in the first amendment of the United States Constitution, but Native Americans seem to fall outside that protection. We have to seek legislation to bring forth this concern, which is that our spiritual rights are being denied. In 1978, a policy was developed that was supposed to guarantee these rights, called the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Then in 1990-91, the American Indian Religious Freedom Coalition tried to amend the act with legislation called the Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act. This federal legislation was introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. Many, many Indian people were involved; Indian leaders were brought in from all over the country. Testimony was given and documented as to the great need and purpose of providing religious rights for Native Americans in prison. But the legislation didn't pass; it never got out of committee. Through my experience, Native American religious practices are the most important form of therapy for rehabilitation. I've seen individuals change as a result of their participation in a sweat lodge ceremony on a regular basis. Only about seven percent of Indian inmates who participate in traditional ceremonies reoffend, compared to the 30 - 40 percent recidivism rate among those who do not. But prison officials don't recognize our spiritual beliefs as valid. They see our practices as a security threat to the institution. For example, they have stated on numerous occasions that they won't let Indian people grow their hair long because they could hide guns, knives, bullets, contraband in their hair. There hasn't been one documented case of this happening, but it's always given as the reason. It's a control issue. If they can cut your hair, they can control you - spiritually castrate you. When we use the pipe, they make racist remarks, like "You smoking marijuana or peyote in your pipe?" It displays their ignorance of our beautiful culture. The sweat lodge is one of the oldest forms of purification and cleansing of body, mind, and spirit, but prison officials haven't bothered to learn about it. They feel that if our people would go to church, go to AA and NA meetings, we would be saved. But that doesn't work for us. We need our own traditional ceremonies. The sweat lodge is a very profound therapy for insight into behavior, attitudes, responsibility, respect, sobriety. It's a place one comes to pray, sing, and meditate about his problems, or to seek a blessing for family or loved ones. But prison officials think we're plotting and planning when we're in the sweat lodge. We're not inside a prison building and we're hidden from view; we're drumming and singing in a language they can't understand. They see a security threat because of the use of fire and hot stones. We've pursued litigation as well as legislation to obtain the right to pray, to meditate and participate in ancient practices, but that's been very difficult because the courts are not friendly to Native American beliefs. More recently, negotiation has become another avenue. The National Native American Prisoner's Rights Advocacy Coalition, comprised of 44 Indian organizations, tribal governments and Indian activists, has negotiated with the Federal Bureau of Prisons under the U.S. Department of Justice. We've met with them seven times to revise the policy on Native American religious practices. We've also met with the Association of State Correctional Administrators to create a dialogue. It's been a huge effort by the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund, the Navajo Nation, spiritual leaders, tribes, activists and other Indian organizations to obtain the right for our people to practice their spiritual beliefs. The most recent experience I've had was visiting a 38- year-old Pima Indian named Darick Gerlaugh, who was incarcerated 19 years ago on death row in Arizona State Prison. Mr. Gerlaugh was convicted of killing a white person while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol is a very prominent factor in our people's incarceration; it undermines our spiritual values. It's been devastating. Anywhere from 95 to 98 percent of Indians are in prison because of alcohol-related felonies. I'd been visiting Mr. Gerlaugh for the past 15 years. He became a client, a patient, and a friend of mine. In November 1998, he was served his warrant of execution, notifying him that his execution was scheduled for February 3rd, 1999. So I visited him seven times throughout the next three months. About every other weekend I took a pipe into the prison and prayed with him and got him ready for his execution. Prior to this I had sweated with him while he was on death row; he was allowed to use the sweat lodge nine times in 15 years. When his execution date was scheduled, I made the request to use the sweat lodge and perform the ceremony two more times. The prison officials said no, it was a security risk: he was on death watch, being watched 24 hours a day. I had to approach the executive director of the Department of Corrections in Arizona, and was ready to go to the governor of Arizona to make a petition that my client be allowed his last rites as an Indian. Mr. Gerlaugh was a traditional Indian. He didn't want a Catholic priest to come in and perform last rites; he wanted a Native American. He and his family asked that I be allowed to do that through the sweat lodge. After some negotiations with officials, they approved one ceremony, for Saturday, January 30, 1999. We attribute that decision to the prayers we made; the blessing was provided through the Creator. The day of the ceremony, there were three vehicles patrolling the areas outside the gates. There were 11 guards, three chaplains, and two cameras - one hand-held camera they walked around with, and one on top of a building next to the sweat lodge. The lodge was in an area that was isolated from the general population. It was one I had built in 1992; it was used on very rare occasions for Supermax prisoners. I consented to a strip search because I was going to be in close contact with my client. I was completely stripped down and they went through my clothes and my medicine bundles. Then they took me out to the sweat lodge area. Pete Jackson, a Pima Indian from Sacaton, Arizona, was our firekeeper. We heated up the stones for two hours, prayed and made offerings. There was one German shepherd that was just completely hypnotized by the fire. Pretty soon it was laying down. The person leading it was trying to pull it up, but it didn't want to get up, it was so entranced with that fire. The ceremony was held from eight in the morning until 1:00 pm. It began very slow and somber. Only Mr. Gerlaugh, myself and Mr. Jackson were allowed in the lodge. It was a beautiful ceremony. Mr. Gerlaugh's body, mind and spirit were cleansed; he expressed his remorse; he prayed for his victim, for his loved ones. He let go of his pain, his anger, his remorse. It was sad, but it was also a joyous occasion. At the conclusion my client was very happy, relieved - he was ready to go into the next world and meet his Maker. The sweat lodge provided that blessing. It was a very holy event - a very special day for my client, his family, and Indian people across the country. We considered it a victory that he was allowed to have his last rites as a traditional Indian; we demonstrated that the ceremony could be held without any incident. Before, it had never been approved. We made history that day. There's not many people who have actually witnessed an execution. I prepared myself by visiting my own Dine' medicine man for a sweat lodge ceremony and prayer. It's a cultural taboo to view something like that, but I knew one day I would be requested to be a spiritual advisor for an inmate who would be executed. There are a number of Indians on death row at this time. On February 2nd I was allowed to take the pipe in to Mr. Gerlaugh one more time. He and I spent almost two hours together and we prayed with the sacred pipe. On Wednesday, February 3rd, I went in at 12:25 pm to see him until 2:30 pm. Then the guards escorted me to the warden's conference room. There was a stay of execution for four hours while the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on his appeal. About 6:30 that evening they ruled 7 to 2 in favor of execution. But I saw him again for about three hours during the stay of execution. At 7:00 pm we were led into a room where he was strapped to a gurney. He was wearing a new light blue shirt and a brand new pair of blue levis and white socks, no shoes, and a cotton sheet around his waist down to his ankles. He had his arms stretched out on the gurney. There were IV's leading to his elbows. The director of the Arizona State Department of Corrections read a statement that the warrant of execution was being done. He asked Mr. Gerlaugh if he had any last words, and he said no. Then the warden of the central unit read what was to take place. There were perhaps 20 people present as witnesses: wardens, chaplains, government officials. Mr. Gerlaugh was the first Indian executed in Arizona, and there was quite a lot of press there: CNN, NBC, all the different newspapers. My client had requested that his family not be present, so Pete Jackson and I were there. Mr. Gerlaugh was very respectful looking, and showed a lot of courage. He had braided his hair in a traditional Indian fashion. At first they weren't going to let him do it - usually he tied his hair up - but that request was important to him. Once the IV took its course, within two- three minutes he was gone. They pronounced him dead at 7:09. It was very sterile, very calculated, inhumane and barbaric, seeing his neck stiffen. It was like a chess move. It's a very cruel and unusual punishment for any human being to be executed. I'm totally opposed to the death penalty and I hope this country abolishes it. I felt very sad; I had known Mr. Gerlaugh for 15 years. I know the family was full of sorrow, but they were also very brave. The prison released the body to Pete Jackson, who served as the representative for Governor Mary Thomas of the Gila River Indian Nation and for the Gerlaugh family. Mr. Gerlaugh had lived on the Gila River Pima Indian Reservation, and they had ceremonies performed at home - Native American Church prayer services, done in a traditional Indian fashion. The funeral and burial were done within four days of the execution. The denial of our religious practices is very profound. It borders on cultural genocide. There are more Indian people in U.S. prisons than any other nationality, and I find that disturbing. There's a message right here that we need to reach out and provide rehabilitative opportunities. Our Indian people need to take a leadership role. We can't continue to act like we don't have a problem with drugs and alcohol. We need to take on that burden. Each generation of Indians has a responsibility to learn our ancient practices, our songs and prayers, to heal and help our people. It's hard when the non-Indian inhibits our beliefs. But we have to provide these teachings and instructions to future generations. I'd like more Indians to be involved. There are non-Indian wannabes trying to speak for us, and I don't think that's appropriate, or what we're looking for. We can only help ourselves. You can contact Len Foster at Navajo Nation Corrections Project, PO Drawer 709, Window Rock AZ 86515. Reprinted from the Spring 1999 edition of On Indian Land, PO 2104, Seattle WA 98111. Phone: (206) 525-5086 --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Apr 99 0817:10 GMT 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. Kneedler, Jim Ray Lancaster, Jason Lee 2294 Slagle Rd #315-149 Leesville, LA 71446 PO Box 511 Columbus, OH 43216 Lavender, Donald Date of Birth: 5/25/74 #268-231 PO Box 511 Leeper, Everett Columbus, OH 43216 #164-369 Date of Birth: 12/15/53 PO Box 511 Columbus, OH 43216 Leffel, Jack R Date of Birth: 4/8/51 #R149-905 Ancestry: Lakota PO Box 209 (12-E-8) Lindsay, Patrick Orient, OH 43146 #A195-172 Date of Birth: 11/12/66 PO Box 511 Ancestry: Cherokee / Blackfoot Columbus, OH 43216 Mackin, Robert W. Malone, Kenneth #187735 #510357 PO Box 900 Box 900 HU7 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Date of Birth: 6/6/62 Ancestry: Cherokee 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. --------------------------------- Please especially remember - this is the "Year of Leonard". Leonard Peltier #89637-132, Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 66048 --------- "RE: Pieces of Pottery" --------- Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 16:35:03 GMT From: "rustywire" Subj: pieces of pottery.... Newsgroup: alt.native Newcomb, New Mexico, I don't know if any of you have been there it is more or less a wide spot on the road from Shiprock to Gallup, it lies just above Sheepsprings. Most people don't notice it because it is pretty flat, dry barren sort of place but there is a trading post, a couple of schools, teacher housing and a headstart building, a very small community. There was a time when the school bus from Toadlena used to get there by the old bumpy road that goes from there to Two Grey Hills and then to Toadlena. A small short yellow school bus used to drop us off there and we would wait for the bus from Naschitti and get on that one to go to school. It was the same coming from Shiprock, we would get dropped off there. Sometimes it was on time sometimes it would be late. If it was late we used to walk to the trading post, The trading post is white, and is next to a wash, you don't notice it because there is not much water in there and the bridge crosses and people just want to get by there to get where they are going. Anyway the wash is on the north side of the trading post. The trading post is built next to a hill and on top of the hill is a water tank. When we waited for the bus we used to walk to the water tank and just sort of look around. Sometimes the bus would be really late and you just get bored and so we used to sit up there and watch for it. As time went by we used to go up there every once in while and we would see the small pieces of pottery, pottery shards that lay broken like small pieces of a broken bottle on the ground. We used to make a game sort of looking at them because there were a bunch of different designs laying there, some black & white, others with indentations and they were all over the top of the hill. Up the wash a little ways were the remains of an old pueblo which was crumbling and falling into the wash because the stream bank had eroded it away. The site used to lie west of the trading post about a couple of hundred yards facing the north. I sat down one day watching for the late bus and looked at the old pueblo place, I picked up a broken pottery shard, a piece of pottery and realized that this place was pretty old. I closed my eyes and opened them, I could see the flat plain around the wash was more fertile, that a dam of sorts had been made to catch the stream in the wash and there were irrigated cornfields along the wash. The paved road and bridge were gone and in its place a dirt path along the wash for walking going straight east I guess to Chaco Canyon, probably to the Pueblos there. The old Pueblo place was fresh and fixed up, on the roof corn was spread out to dry, there were broken pots put one on top of the other to make a chimney. The trading post and water tank were gone, just the hill remained and there was an Indian woman sitting outside with her back to me, she looked to be grinding corn, she was kneeling down using the corn grinding stones that were now displayed in the trader's case. There was smoke from a outside oven, hornos they are called and I could smell the bread. It was a strange site I thought, when I heard her call out and after a bit, some children ran out of the sage, right past me. One looked at me for a moment, dropping a broken piece of pottery they had been playing with in my hand and ran into the house to eat. The sky was the same and it was peaceful. I thought I wonder what it would be like to go inside and see what they are eating. Faintly, I could hear the sound of a hoe in the ground in the distant cornfield and there was their father. He looked to be working hard, not unlike my own having to haul water from the stream bed by the bucket to each plant as in dry farming. I could understand this because that is how we watered our own cornfield. I was visiting this home, a pueblo in this spot. I wanted to go over and visit, it was a nice day. Just then my cousin touched me on the shoulder and said, the bus is here. I looked and it was pulling up in front of the trading post. I turned to the west and everything was as it was before. I dropped the pottery shard and ran for the bus. I went home that day and played around our house, carving my name in the rocks there.... I find myself thinking about what I would leave behind for those who would come later. Would they see me like that child, I don't know, maybe that is our legacy to live without leaving much behind, to be one with the land, to use it for a short while and have it bless us with it's bounty. I don't know, but as I looked back on the pueblo and trading post in the late afternoon light, I could see we just sort of pass through here and it isn't what we have, or what we leave behind, it is the life we live, family and home that are important. I hope that I would do as well and provide my family like that man so many years ago.... --------- "RE: A Hundred Years Ago" --------- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 08:45:06 -0400 From: Landis Subj: History: A Hundred Years Ago - Carlisle - week 102 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. XIV. FRIDAY, April 7, 1899 NUMBER 24 ================================================ WAKING. ------ THE warm rain with its rap, tap, tap. Knocks at my crystal door; It wakes me from my winter's nap, And out I peep once more; Then leap, with silver melody. From rocky cleft and hill; I know the earth has need of me, Though I am but a rill. The soft wind whispers, "Wake my dear!" Warm in my bed below. I waited long that call to hear: Up to the light I go. Then, as a star peeps from the sky, When glooms of twilight lower, I shine, to glad the passer by, Though but a tiny flower. I know 'tis time for me to sing; Gone is the snow and sleet; O'er meadows brown I flash my wing The dear old nest to greet. The happy message of my song In some sad heart will fall: And so I sing the whole day long-- A little bird, that's all. My heart is waking with the rill, And bounds with pure delight; The joyous day, oh, may I fill With deeds, like blossoms bright! May I too sing a song of cheer, Though fair or dark the sky, Content to do God's mission here. Though but a child am I. -GEORGE COOPER in Sunday School Times. ================================= A PERSONALLY CONDUCTED CONTINENTAL TOUR BY MR. GEORGE VAUX. --------------- The trip was better in some respects than a Raymond excursion, for the affable conductor explained more as he went along than the usual man in charge; then, the big crowd of travellers was very orderly and quiet, and there were no tooting of steam engines, rumbling of car-wheels, ringing of bells or disagreeable smoke and cinders to annoy and interfere. It was an enthusiastic and expectant company of travellers, numbering over 700, who gathered in Assembly Hall station, last Thursday evening. The band accompanied the excursion and gave an exhilarating piece as a starter. We even had a taste of the warwhoop which we might expect to meet on the plains before we should return. Conductor, Mr. George Vaux, of Philadelphia, mounted the rear platform of the observation car and with long pointer in hand explained how he found himself in a scrape. He was interested in a school near Philadelphia, and he had asked Major Pratt to go there and take to his boys about the Indians, whereupon the Major made him promise to come to Carlisle and bring his slides to show the Indian boys and girls pictures along his travels to California and return. As there was no way to "slide" out of it, the lights soon disappeared, except the strong head light of the locomotive engineered by Assistant Superintendent A.J. Standing, with Mr. Kensler, as fireman. Our lantern is an up-to-date calcium light instrument, and the pictures were thrown on canvas 20 feet square. First a comprehensive view of the entire United States was brought vividly out, then followed the pictures. We went through the famous Royal Gore of the Arkansas River; beheld rocks 3000 feet high, and saw that wonderful stone known as Balance Rock which looks as though it would topple over on the diminutive man who stood beside it. The Mount of the Holy Cross was a curious sight. The snow in great seams makes a gigantic cross on the side of a mountain 14,000 feet high. The visit to the oldest town in America - Santa Fe, was full of interest, and the mans of "rapid transit" used by the people of New Mexico brought a laugh. The ancient "vehicle" with which the natives of New Mexico are blessed, is called the "burro." Here the story was told of how two of these little donkeys were sent east billed as burros. At the end of the route the freight agent said he had received two donkeys which were not. ------------------------------- (continued on page 4.) ================================================ (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 p e r y e a r ================================================ Entered in the P.O. at Carlisle as second class mail matter. ================================================ Address INDIAN HELPER, Carlisle, Pa. Miss Marianna Burgess, Supt. of Printing. ================================================ 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. ================================================ (page 2) The announcement this week, that Miss Shaffner is to be married was a cyclone of surprise from a clear sky. Before the HELPER is printed next week, Miss Ruth Shaffner, in charge of girls, will become Mrs. Ruth Shaffner-Etnier. Mr. Charles S. Etnier, of Philadelphia, wins the prize. On next Wednesday, Miss Shaffner leaves Carlisle for Ponce, Porto Rico. En route, she will be married Thursday afternoon, at the house of a friend in the City of Brotherly Love. From there, at two o'clock the wedded couple will take the train for New York, and the next day, Friday, the 14th, will sail from New York. Mr. Etnier has charge of the books of the Porto Rico and Ponce Improvement Company, recently organized on a large scale. Miss Shaffner as a World's Organizer of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union will find plenty of work in the diamond of the Antilles. Ponce is a city of some forty thousand inhabitants, and the climate of the island is charming and salubrious. The affair is nearly as sudden for the contracting parties as for their friends, for not until a few days ago did Mr. Etnier expect to leave Philadelphia so soon. Miss Shaffner's place at the school has been one of prominence and good works, and she will be greatly missed by the girls whom she has mothered so efficiently for seven years, and by the school in general, which will loose a faithful, energetic and loyal worker for all good causes. -------------------- Lavant Mason Penfield, of Jamestown, N.Y. likes his little HELPER so much that he takes most excellent care of it. The other day his sister got her celluloid comb too near the fire, and it burned. Little Mason promptly said: "Now Eunice, you must not do that again, for if the house should burn down my little HELPERS would all be burned." Then when one of the children was making up a birthday package for an aunt in New York he got one of his HELPERS and painted the border all around, and brought that as his best gift for one he thinks much of. Wonder if little Masno wonders how the Man-on-the-band-stand can see so far; but he can. If your paper does not reach you or is delayed, report at once by card, and we shall use every means to discover the trouble. Mr. James Wheelock, foreman of the printing department has gone on the annual Easter vacation tour with the Dickinson College Glee club a member of which he has been for some time. John Garrick's portrait of President McKinley that hangs in No. 11 school rooms, is greatly improved in appearance by a beautiful new frame, the gift of the Senior class. The Juniors wish to express their cordial thanks for the kindly act, and so voted at their meeting held Monday evening. Notwithstanding the fact that Miss Ely is fond of chess and is able to check the parties she plays with frequently, she had quite enough of "check" this week in getting ready the 84 girls for country homes. Railroad tickets and trunk checks filled her office desks for a day or two and if she and Mrs. Butler and Miss Annie Morton should dream "checks" for a week they should be excused. Henry Standingbear and Thomas Blackbear, who stopped off on their way home to South Dakota from Washington, D.C., where they have been attending to tribal business, were Miss Cutter's guests for dinner, on Sunday. Both of these ex-pupils are representative young men of the Sioux tribe, making honorable records for themselves as they work into responsible positions of trust for their people. Four new photographs, 3x4 feet have been received from the Northern Pacific Railroad, to hang in the students' dining hall. They are handsomely framed and make a valuable acquisition to the pictures from other railroads which already decorate the walls of the spacious room. These last are photographs of the Mammoth Paint Pots in the Yellow stone Park, Old Faithful Geyser and The Great Falls of the same National Park. We see by the last Chemawa American that Miss Florence Wells, '94 Carlisle, has been transferred to Warm Springs; that thirty of the young men have organized a lyceum, with Assistant Superintendent Campbell as manager and instructor; and that the school has been passing through a siege of measles. Mr. W.H. Lewis, editor of the Merchantville Review, N.J., was a recent visitor at the school, and in an article which has since appeared in the columns of his paper we see that he was well pleased with all that he saw, mentioning specially the singing and academic work which compares favorable, he says, with the public schools of the present day. There were numerous "fools" on all fools' day last Saturday. Ask Mr. Snyder how he likes salt in his coffee, and Mr. Kensler how he enjoys cotton ice cream. Miss Burgess was seen to stoop and try to pick up a bright penny, but alas, it was glued tightly to the step; then Mrs. Given called and called one of her hopefuls, to get up and dress for breakfast, when half a dozen giggling boys behind the door revealed to her that something was wrong, and she discovered a pillow boy in bed. Very business-like notes were opened to find they contained nothing but April fool. Due respect was shown to all in authority yet these funny little things did happen, much to the amusement of lookers on. ================================================ (page 3) Arbor Day, and a holiday. There are more whispers of wedding, soon to come off. The weather was too cold for Easter bonnets last Sunday. Miss Flautt, of Wilson College, is a guest of Miss Senseney. Bessie Gotholda believes that she has the best place in Morristown. Mr. Sowerby, No. 2. school, has been spending a few days in Philadelphia, for eye treatment. Wonder if the trolley car is going to get a new Easter dress of paint! She needs it. A recent photograph of James Flannery, now of the Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Indian School force, is a speaking picture. Dr. and Mrs. MacIntire of Dickinson College, were out Wednesday going over familiar grounds with a friend from a distance. Miss Rosa M. Lintz, of Media Academy, Pa., was among the visitors on Wednesday, and was escorted through the departments of the school by Miss Paull. Lewis LeRoy, of Stockbridge, Wisconsin, has joined the forces at Carlisle as a student. He is a baseball player and a lover of athletic sports in general. He starts in No. 9. Miss Luckenbach and Miss Sarah Smith are delegated to attend the Invincibles, this evening; Misses Miles and Peter, the Standards; Misses Paull and Robertson, the Susans. Good news comes from Coogidlore and Koklilook, the two little Alaskan girls who recently went to live with Miss Elizabeth D. Edge, of Downingtown. They are well and happy. Major and Miss Nana Pratt returned this week, the former from Washington, where he had been for a day, and the latter from Philadelphia where she had been visiting friends, both quite ill. At this wiring they are up and out. This Easter week our students have been revelling in eggs, thanks to the hens at the farms. Between Friday and Sunday noon 2200 were eaten by the student body, each having two colored eggs for Sunday morning breakfast. Oscar Davis has entered the typo class, and is already able to tell a slug from a lead, a hair-space from an em-quad, and to set type with the nicks out, feet down, face up and beard to the front. He will learn about the tympan, the grippers, the platen and place where all bad type go, later on. Eighty-four girls left for country homes yesterday. Trunks galore, and beaming faces expectant in hopes for a happy, healthy and prosperous summer, made up the wagon loads from school to station in the early part of the day. Some went by the Reading others by Pennsylvania, and nearly all go to homes in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Annie Parker seems happy and specially grateful for opportunities in her country home at Wyncote. She feels that she has learned a thing I am proud of," she writes, "I got the highest mid-winter test mark in spelling of any one in the Grammar school-room; I also got very good marks in my other studies." Consciousness of power comes from conquering obstacles. Hindrances are our opportunities. - RODERICK STEBBINS. The HELPER comes out of the school on Thursday evenings, and the girls and small boys have the reading of it then. The large boys have to wait till Friday morning, and they wonder if it must be so. Oh, the littleness and meanness of that sickly appetite for sympathy which will not let us keep our tiny Lilliputian sorrows to ourselves! - FABER. Substantial progress has been made during the winter by the boys who have been under instruction in plastering and brick-laying. Several are able to do good work at both trades but as yet lack speed. Seichu Atsye, class '99, has gone to her home in New Mexico. Seichu numbers her friends by the score at Carlisle and in the East, all of whom wish her the very best of success in everything she undertakes. The pupil teachers each drilled a little speaker for an entertainment on Monday evening in No. 13, to which a few guests were invited. The whole thing passed off very creditably to the teachers and the children never sang better. Two very telling photographs grace the Major's office mantle piece. One is the Chilocco Football team, with Charles Dagenett, class '91 as center piece and manager, and the other is a school room presided over by his wife Esther Miller Dagenett, '89. The Invincibles have elected John Warren for President; John Lufkins for Vice-President; Artie Miller, Secretary; Adam Spring, Treasurer; Martin Wheelock, Reporter; Ed. Rogers Critic; James E. Johnson, Assistant Critic; and R.E. Crowe, Sergeant-at-arms. James Johnson fooled his foolers more than they fooled him, when they sent for him to come to work, last Saturday, during his off hours. He came in pleasantly and worked nearly all the morning as though he would rather do it than to play ball, and they could not get him to quit. On Saturday, hon. Levi Morrison, of Mercer Col, Hon. Thomas K. Brown, of Calrion Col, Hon. James McAnlis, Lawrence Col, Hon. John H. smith, Greene Co., all members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, visited the school and were greatly interested in the work of the Indian boys and girls. Every Spring for many years Mr. Lavant Mason, of Jamestown, N.Y., brother of Mrs. Pratt has sent us more than a generous taste of the delicious maple syrup they make up in that section. No wonder his friends down this way are "sweet." They are very grateful, to say the least, to be thus remembered. The sermon by Dr. Wile on Sunday afternoon was beautiful and impressive, and the students listened with marked attention. The choir made the best effort of the winter on an Anthem by Marshall, accompanied by violin and flute. The hymns were all Easter selections and were accompanied by an orchestra of ten pieces. Miss Flautt, of Wilson College, in splendid voice sang Dudley Buck's "My Redeemer and My Lord," which was a great treat. There were special services by the Sunday School in the morning. ================================================ (page 4) From 1st page. ------------------------------------------------- billed, but that the "bureaus" had not come. The oldest house in the United States, and the one in which Coronada slept was seen and the low adobe houses, narrow streets and queer looking people about the store doors made us very content with our present surroundings. Nobody fell in love with the "belle" of a Pueblo village, and Mr. Vaux ventured the assertion that she had not been to Carlisle. Nothing elicited more applause than the first peep into California. We have a number of pupils from the golden State, and they had been carried home in the twinkling of an eye, as it were. No wonder they were happy. The orange groves, the bee ranches, the parks and gardens in which the semi-tropical plants were exuberant, the very fragrance from which seemed wafted to us through the perfection of those pictures, nearly roused an epidemic of California fever. The Yosemite with its mighty waterfalls, gigantic trees, thick forests, lofty mountain peaks, great rocks and fathomless precipices inspired us with overwhelming awe and admiration. El Capitan, 3,300 feet high, the Bridal veil Fall of 700 feet, the wind-driven mists from which fanned our very faces; the three noble mountain brothers, Finally we reached San Francisco. We landed right in the heart of the business thoroughfare where Montgomery Street meets Market. We could almost hear the clang of the cable-car bells and the rumblings of the teams over the cobble stones. We were glad to get out from beneath those high houses and Palace Hotels before an earthquake came along to topple them down on our heads. Then we visited Portland and Tacoma and went on up into Victoria, and from there turned East over the Canadian Pacific, down through the glacier regions. The views that were taken from the train, some from a distance of several miles, were the grandest that most of the travellers ever saw. We know better now than ever before that a glacier is - a solid river of ice moving slowly down a deep mountain pass, at the rate of not more than 10 inches a day. The most thrilling story of the evening and one that held the audience breathless from start to finish was the experience related of a man who had fallen down one of the crevasses in a glacier, and how another of the party who was roped to his comrades risked his life by being lowered to save the man who had fallen. The scene in which there was a mound of dried buffalo bones piled ready for shipment produced a perceptible tinge of sadness among those present, for had not many a one in the audience been told of the wonderful exploits enacted by their fathers on the buffalo hunt? And has not the pursuit of the wild bison as a means of support long ago been taken from the Indian by the grasping white man, who killed the animals by thousands for the hides alone, of for sport? And have not the vast herds, which but thirty years ago roamed the plains, now entirely disappeared, with naught but bleached bones strewn over the vast prairies or piled high in heaps for commercial purposes left to tell the tale of the existence of a once powerful and almost deified creature? At the close of the lecture, Major Pratt echoed the sentiments of all, when he said that Mr. Vaux has a high ideal of art in nature, as was portrayed by his selection of views; that he was a charming traveler and a delightful narrator of his travels. And the school with one voice would say: "Come again, Mr. Vaux, we are always ready for a trip." ========================= THE Y.M.C.A.'S GIVE A "SEND-OFF." ---------------- Last Friday's party of over a hundred who went to country homes contained a number of our Young Men's Christian Association members. On Thursday evening after Mr. Vaux's lecture the members of the Y.M.C.A. gathered in Association Hall and talked, advised, counseled, gave experiences and chatted in social conversation until about ten o'clock. President Isaac Seneca occupied the chair, discharging his duties with dignity, and those who spoke were Professor Bakeless, Mr. Standing and Thomas Marshall. Mrs. Standing, Mrs. Cook, who presided at the organ, Mr. Vaux and ye reporter were the guests of the occasion. Refreshments of cocoa and crackers were served, and when the time came to depart, the stay-at-home arranged themselves in two lines for the young farmers to pass through to receive the cordial handshakes and well wishes of their fellow members. There was a fraternal feeling of good fellowship throughout the entire evening, which brought out the sentiment from several: "We must have more of this sort of thing." ======================== Enigma. I am made of 8 letters. My 1, 5, 6, 3 is a part of one's leg. My 4, 2, 7 is quite bright. My 5, 8, 7 1 must have been busy about Easter time. My whole is what Carlisle people enjoy more than any one thing, perhaps, at this season of the year, and of which we have had an abundance this week. -------------------- ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S ENIGMA: Endurance. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Transcribed every week from the Carlisle Indian School newspaper collection of the Cumberland County Historical Society by Barbara Landis, Carlisle Indian School Research - http://www.epix.net/~landis. --------- "RE: Poem: Gathering" --------- Date: 27 Jan 1998 10:42:26 -0800 From: "Cindi Page" Subj: For your consideration Gathering This council comes together To start this year anew Preserving our traditions In everything we do Many nations gather here Apache, Choctaw, Sioux Navajo, Mohawk and Cherokee Just to name a few Some nations are very close And some are very far What we have in common is The pride in who we are Let us share our heritage The lessons we can teach Remember , One Earth, One people It's all within our reach Cindy Page ,AIAG member, 1/27/97 --------- "RE: Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Apr 99 04:26:00 GMT From: dfsanders@genie.com Subj: Hawaiian Book of Days A HAWAIIAN BOOK OF DAYS, week of April 27-May 3 APELILA (April) (Welo) 27 Morning sunlight flees -- how brief my contemplation of life's mysteries. 28 Be strong when others are weak, and they will support you in your time of need. 29 The wind and the ocean sing a lullaby at night. 30 Nothing ever truly ends. In the memories we preserve and in the traditions we perpetuate, there is always something new beginning somewhere. MEI (May) (Ikiiki) May was the first month of the Kau season, which ran from May through October. May was the time when the Na Huihui, or Pleiades, set at sunrise. The Pleiades are also known as the Makali'i stars. 1 Be reborn in the beauty of spring. 2 The past teaches; the present motivates; the future inspires. 3 True peace lives within the wondering heart. (c) Copyright 1991 by D. F. Sanders Me ke aloha i ka nani, ... Moe'uhanekeanuenue (With love and beauty, ... Rainbow Dream) --------- "RE: Upcoming Events" --------- Date: Mon, 19 April 1999 15:39:14 -0400 From: Janet Smith (evestar@juno.com) Subj: Upcoming Events UUCP email Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 07:54:43 -0400 From: Biah Yazzie Seminole Subj: psa... updated pow wow info thanks gary..here is some updated information.....biah ------------------------------------------------------------------- INFO POW WOW POW WOW POW WOW POW WOW INFO ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Native American Student Association of Colorado State University is sponsoring their 18th Annual Powwow on April 24, 1999. The Powwow will take place at Moby Arena on the CSU Campus, in Fort Collins, Colorado. There will be a dance and drum contest. Vendor Spaces are available. Grand Entry begins at 12 noon and 7:00 pm. Additional sponsors are the American Indian Science & Engineering Society and the Native American Student Services of CSU. For more info. call 970-491-1332. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Meherrin Spring Festival Saturday May 1st....Tribal Grounds, Winton Head Male Dancer: Keith Anderson, Cherokee Head Lady Dancer: Biah Seminole, Cherokee MC: Michael Butler,Ojibwe Host Drum : RedWolf Dancers raffle and giveaway Vendors contact: Meherrin Tribal Office (252) 398-3320 Grand Entry 11:00 am dancers must be in full regalia to dance ....and must dance in order to be eligible for raffle ......... ------------------------------------------------------------------- The American Indian Society of Washington D.C. Mothers Day Traditional Pow Wow May 8 & 9,99 at Indian Pines Sat May 8,10 am to 6 pm Sun, May 9, 10 am to 4 pm Grounds open at 10 am Grand Entry at 12 Noon for more information call 301-877-9616-vendors by invitation only ------------------------------------------------------------------- 23rd Annual Odawa Pow Wow, Ottawa Ontario Canada. May 28-30th Dance Competition all Categories Grand Entry Friday 6:00 pm (no points taken) Saturday 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm Drum Contest No phone in registrations Gates Open Friday at 4:00 pm Saturday at 9:00 am Sunday at 9:00 am Ottawa-Nepean Tent and Trailer Park 411 Cordstown Road. Rain Out Location: 50 Cedarview Road Nepean, Ontario. Camping available first come first serve $15.00 per day. Showers available for campers. For more information, call and ask for a Pow wow committee member: Odawa Native Friendship Centre 12 Stirling Ave Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1Y 1P8 Telephone (613) 722-3811 or Fax (613) 722-4667 Odawa Native Friendship Centre is not responsible for Personal loss, Injury or Damages. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cathedral Lakes May-Day Celebration (Pow Wow) will be held May 21, 22 & 23, 1999, Keremeos, Southern B.C. Canada, in the beautiful Ashnola Valley where you will be surrounded by cliffs and there is plenty of camping along the Ashnola River. HOST DRUM: 1995/96/98 World Class singing Champions - High Noon, Hobbema, Alberta, Canada MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Jerry Meninick - Yakama - Toppenish, Wa. U.S.A. ARENA DIRECTORS: Alex O. Shepherd - Paiute/Navajo - St. George, Ut. U.S.A. HONORARY DRUM: Dine' Nation Jr.'s - Tuba City, Arizona, U.S.A. SPECIAL GUEST : LITEFOOT - Concert Saturday evening. GRAND ENTRIES: Fri. -7:00 pm. Saturday & Sunday - 1:00 pm. & 7:00 pm. HAND DRUM CONTEST - Northern style JUNIOR JAMES SPECIAL - Boys 5 years old and under ADULT CATEGORIES: Mens:- Traditional, Grass & Fancy Womens:- Traditional, Jingle & Fancy TEEN CATEGORIES: Boys:- Traditional, Grass & Fancy Girls:- Traditional, Jingle & Fancy JUNIOR CATEGORIES: 7 - 12: Boys:- Traditional, Grass & Fancy Girls:- Traditional, Jingle & Fancy ADULT GOLDEN AGE: Mens: - Combined Womens:- Combined STICKGAME TOURNAMENT Starting Saturday, May 22/99 at noon. HORSE RACING 99 Sat & Sun, May 22 & 23/99 at 4:00 pm. And MUCH MUCH MORE. ARTS & CRAFTS VENDORS $100. per day or $275. for the weekend FOOD CONCESSIONS $100. per day or $275. for the weekend Please pay before set up - provide your own generators FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL OR FAX - JAY BEGAYE AT 1-250-499-7056 NO COLLECT CALLS -PLEASE! ------------------------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN INDIAN FESTIVAL at Chesapeake City Park Saturday,May 29 10am - 6pm Grand Entry 12 Noon Sunday,May 30 10 am - 6pm Grand Entry 1 pm Storytelling, Traditional dancing, Demonstrations, Arts/Crafts, Food and more..... Co-Sponsored by Nansemond Indian Tribal Association & Chesapeake Parks & Recreation..for more information call (757) 382-6411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FIRST ANNUAL "Bishigendan Akii" AMERICAN INDIAN FESTIVAL sponsored by Norfolk Festevents and na-va'-kee August 28th Saturday....10:00 AM-6:00PM Townpoint Park.....Norfolk Va Head Lady Dancer: HELENE FORTUNE, Rappahannock Head Male: VINNIE KITCHEYAN, Winnebago/Apache Host Drum: TONE PAH HOTE Invited Drum: REDWOLF Arena Director: MAX LITTLE, Seminole ***VIVITA COLOR GUARD*** MCs: JOHN JEFFERIES, Occaneechi MICHAEL BUTLER, LCO Ojibwe vendors for more information contact biah seminole..757-425-7992 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Help Protect America's Heritage Forests at http://www.ourforests.org =================================== Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 08:37:40 -0500 From: berryj@okstate.edu Subj: Harvard University Powwow 5th Annual H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y P O W W O W Saturday, May 1, 1999 Grand Entry at Noon. Ends at 7:00 p.m. Sever Quad, Harvard Yard (Quincy Street) Cambridge, MA Rain Location: Radcliffe Quadrangle Athletic Facility, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA Host Drum: Three Winds Drum Head Man Dancer Aaron Terrance Mohawk Head Woman Dancer Ursula Dillard, '00 Navajo Arena Director Brian Anderson, '00 Southern Ute Emcee Leroy Little Bear Blackfeet Honor Guard: The Wichita Intertribal Warrior Society Honor Guard Featuring the dance troop The Keepers of the Eastern Door (Mohawk) Free and open to the public. Wheelchair accessible. For more information, call Kasy Wood at the Harvard University Native American Program at (617) 495-9058 or kay_wood@harvard.edu. Sponsors: Harvard University Native American Program - Native Americans at Harvard-Radcliffe - Student Association Cabinet (GSE) - HGSE Student Affairs Office - Native American Law Students' Association - Harvard Indigenous Peoples n(HGSE) P Native American Health Organization (HMS) - Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology -------------------------------------------------------------------- Harvard University Native American Program Read House, Appian Way Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 495-4923 fax (617) 496-3312 WWW site: http://hugse1.harvard.edu/~nap/ =================================== 6th Annual Warrior Society Powwow Kapiolani Park Honolulu, Hawaii The Intertribal Council of Hawaii is sponsoring its 6th Annual Warrior Society Powwow, May 22nd & 23rd at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii (island of Oahu). All tribal leaders, veterans, drums, dancers, vendors (NA owned and operated), and Royalty are invited. Our Maui chapter is sponsoring its 3rd Annual Maui Powwow the previous weekend (May 15th & 16th) at the Eddie Tam Memorial Park in Makawao (island of Maui). Both of these powwows are non-competitive, social powwows. Our Special Guests this year will be Charlotte Black Elk (visit this website for more information on Ms. Black Elk: and Chief Oliver Red Cloud, great-grandson of Chief Red Cloud, Oglala and Steve Reubens, great great grandson of Chief Joseph, Nez Perce. Powwow Staff Head Man Dancer - Randy LaBatte, Dakota Head Woman Dancer - Naomi Stevens, Cherokee M.C. - Leo Shepard, Paiute Arena Director - Tom Roland, Lakota Drums - Standing Horse and Red Nation Jrs. Our Color Guard this year will be the Native American Veterans Color Guard from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This is a great opportunity to visit Hawaii and learn about the indigenous cultures of the Pacific along with attending a great powwow. If you are interested in attending or have any questions, please contact Bill Tiger at (808) 947-3206 or Ron Neal at (808) 242-9217 for the Maui powwow. For vendor fees and information please call Bill Tiger. For travel info. contact Mary Tiger at (808) 941-5033. Intertribal Council of Hawaii 1307 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 Fax (808) 951-5019 Visit our powwow website: http://members.aol.com/cactussun/ich.htm = = = = = = = = The Intertribal Council of Hawaii (ICH) is seeking Native organizations, businesses, Nations and individuals to advertise in our Powwow Program(s). For the price of one ad you get exposure in both the Maui AND the Oahu Powwow Programs! Below are the ad rates. Business card size (2 x 3 1/2) - $50 Quarter page (4 3/4 x 3 3/4) - $75 Half page (7 1/2 x 4 3/4) - $100 Full Page (7 1/2 x 10) - $200 If you have any questions or would be interested in receiving an Advertising Packet, please give me a call at (808) 523-9765 or send me an email with your address. You may also mail your check or money order to me at: Kent Gearhiser, 1655 Makaloa Street, Suite 813, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814. The deadline is May 1st. Below is additional information on our powwow. Kent Gearhiser ICH Program Committee =================================== Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 09:20:00 EDT From: Wanige@aol.com Subj: Alabama, Kentucky, & Tennessee More Spring Events of Native American Interest for Alabama, Kentucky, & Tennessee Note: the following abbreviations may be used in the accompanying text: AD - Arena Director, HD - Host Drum, HM - Head Man, HG - Head Gourd Dancer, HL - Head Lady, HS - Head Singer, HH - Host Motel, ND - Northern Drum, SD - Southern Drum, FP - Flute Player, ST - Story Teller, MC - Master of Ceremonies, GE - Grand Entry. Also Note: some events are not strictly of Native American origin, but may be of interest to enough readers to include their listing in these pages. Such events will be prefaced with the following symbol: (**). Some events are subject to cancellation or postponement, so be sure to call ahead before you go. Apr. 22-24: (**) Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN. 101 programs offered over 3 days, with the focus being on the 1,500 species of flowering plants in the Great Smoky Mountains. Other highlights include: a Salamander Motorcade led by John Byrd at 1:15pm Thursday & 1:00pm Friday; a Bat Walk, led by Gary McCracken, at 7:30pm on Friday; and a Bear Walk, conducted by Mike Pelton, at 8:30am on Thursday. For more info: (423) 436-1290. Apr. 23-25: Lone Eagle's Legacy Pow Wow, Wind Creek State Park, Alexander City, AL. Info: Sandy Faulk, (334) 541-2505. Apr. 23-25: United Cherokee Intertribal Pow Wow, Camp Cha-La-Kee, Guntersville, AL. Info: Gina Williamson (256) 582-0114. Apr. 23-25: All Nations Intertribal Traditional Pow Wow, Simpsonville, Ky. Located at the Shelby County Flea Market, 12 miles east of Louisville, at I-64, exit 28. Info: (502) 231-2341. Apr. 24: (**) Polk County Ramp Tramp Festival, Greasy Creek, TN. Festivities will be held at the old CCC Camp (also known as Camp McCroy & 4H Camp) located on TN Hwy. 30 in Greasy Creek. For $6.00 ($3.00 if you're under 12), you get a lunch with local ramps fried in eggs, fried potatoes, white beans, streaked meat & cornbread. For those of you who were wondering: a ramp is a wild onion indiginous to this area, whose use was passed on from the Cherokees to the early settlers. Prior to the big event on Saturday, there will be a hike to the 4H Camp ramp patch on Thursday, April 22, to dig the ramps. The diggers will meet at the Polk Co. Courthouse in Benton, TN, at 8:00am. It will be an all day trip. On Friday, April 23, there will be a ramp cleaning party, 10am-3pm, with live Bluegrass music following at 7pm. At this time, you may purchase a bowl of white beans, cornbread & raw ramps for $2.00. All proceeds benefit the 4H Camp. Info: (423) 338-4503. Apr. 24-25: (**) National Cornbread Festival, Main St., South Pittsburgh, TN. Arts & crafts, entertainment, Southern cooking, children's activities, 5K road race & National Cornbread Cookoff! Info: Tina Hewgley (423) 837- 7931 or Marion Co. CC (423) 943-5103. Apr. 29-May 1: (**) Native American Gathering & Welcome, Tellico Plains, TN. Sponsored by the Tellico Plains Area Chamber of Commerce, this event is aimed at welcoming the Cherokee & other displaced First Nations people back to their homelands. There will be arts & crafts vendors on hand, and all downtown merchants will be open. Hours are 11am-8:30pm Thursday & Friday; 9am-9pm, Saturday. Saturday's scheduled events include: Demonstration Dancing by Bo Taylor of the Eastern Band Cherokees at 9am, noon & 4:30pm; The Jody Brown Family, a Native American Gospel group, will perform at 10:30am; Storytelling by Freeman Owle of the Eastern Band Cherokee at 1:30 & 3pm; Music from local entertainer, David G, at 6pm; and at 7:30pm, Wolf Patterson, a Native entertainer of the Ditadaht Nation in Canada, will be performing. The Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual out of Cherokee, NC, will also have a booth set up. More info: (423) 253-9246, (888) 924-6687, http://ns.tellico.net/~tellicoplainscc/, or tellicoplainscc@tellico.net. Apr. 30-May 2: Native American Pow Wow, Calhoun Co. Fairgrounds, Anniston, AL. HM: Anthony Waters, HL: Donna Dulaney, AD: D.R. Tucker, MC: Gary Smith, HD: Southwind; Honor Guard provided by Native American Warrior Society; Special Entertainment by Ditadaht singer/entertainer, Wolf Patterson. Vendor spaces still available. On-site camping for vendors only. Schedule: Friday, 9am-3pm, Students Day/5pm-9pm, general admission; Saturday, 10am-8pm (GE: 11am); Sunday, 10am-5pm (GE: noon). HH: Ramada Inn Anniston (256) 237-9777. Info: Mark & Ruth Davis (256) 820-7814. May 1-2: Creek Removal Commemorative Motorcycle Ride & Festival, begins at 7am at Ft. Toulouse, near Wetumpka, AL, and follows the 188-mile route of the Mitchell Trace to the Oakville Indian Mound Park in Oakville, AL. All riders are welcome to join for all or part of the ride that commemorates the Creek people who were forcibly removed from their Alabama homeland in 1835 & 1836. The Festival, at Oakville Indian Mound Park, will be 9:30am-6:30pm on Saturday, & 10am-5pm Sunday. There will be Traditional Creek Dancing, Fancy Dancing, Story Telling, Flint Knapping, Basket Weaving, Native American Food & Craft Vendors. Drums include Caney Creek Singers & White Horse Singers. Native American Warrior Society Color Guard will be on hand, and there will be Gourd Dancing to honor all veterans. Honored guests include: Jimmy Sanders, master artist & tanner; Dan Townsend, renowned Native American shell carver; outstanding flute player & recording artist, Larry Campbell; Johnny Hawk's traditional Creek Dance Team; & ALLVETS, national veterans organization. Camping is available, along with hot showers & restrooms. Info: Larry Smith (877) 818-3120, (256) 773-7611, or (256) 350-9162 or SoColors@aol.com. Vendor spaces may still be available. May 1-2: Bridgeport Native American Day, at Russell Cave National Monument, Bridgeport, AL. Info: Jan Newman (205) 495-2672. May 1-2: (**) Cosby Ramp Festival, Kinnevista Hill, Cosby, TN. See April 24 entry (above) for description of ramps. Activities include: beauty pageant, entertainment, ramps & eggs, BBQ pork & chicken, pone bread, pinto beans, fried fatback & homemade desserts. Info: Duane Click or Jerry Cody (423) 623-0786 or 623-5725. May 5-7: (**) Poke Sallet Festival, on the Town Square, Gainsboro, TN. Another wild food of the southland! Activities include music, food, contests, arts & crafts. Info: Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 827, Gainesboro, TN 38501 (931) 268-0971. May 6-8: Southeastern Indian Cultural Festival, Anniston Museum of Natural History, Anniston, AL. Speak with Native History enactors in period clothing, visit a Creek hunting camp, listen to story tellers & observe dance demonstrations. There will also be hands-on activities for children, with demonstrations of Native American life skills, etc. Price of admission includes entrance to the museum exhibit hall. Info: Anniston Museum of Natural History, (PO Box 1587) 800 Museum Dr., Anniston, AL 36202 or (256) 237-6766 for Lisa Worsham. Call (800) 489-1087 for a visitor's guide. May 7-9: American Indian Celebration Pow Wow, Knoxville, TN. Sponsored by the East Tennessee Indian League, the event (which was previously held at the World's Fair Site) will take place at the Knoxville Farmers' Market, next to the Knoxville Crossing Mall (formerly known as East Towne Mall). MC: Jo Jo Rice (Oto/Sauk-Fox), HM: Lowery Begay (Navaho), HL: JoAnne Steele (Lakota), Sr. Princess: Kikki Standing Deer (Ponca/Cherokee), HD: Cedar Tree Singers. Over $7,500 in prize money, with Dance, Drum, Hoop, & Tipi competitions. Reserved pow wow seating (bring lawn chairs/blankets). Camping & restrooms onsite. Contact/information: Traders, (423) 687-9675 or rlspi@icx.net; Drums & Dancers, (423) 609-7009, (423) 579-1384 or jrouam@lock-net.com; Tipi Owners, (423) 475-9286 or TWDBear@aol.com. Website: http://www.wisdomkeepers.org/etil/ May 7-9: Mothers Day Weekend Pow Wow, Cahaba Shrine Park, Huntsville, AL. Info: (256) 859-4470 [Park], or (256) 379-4751 [Karen]. May 8: (**) International Migratory Bird Day, Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, TN. Includes interpretive programs & nature hikes, with bird viewing & identification. Info: Teresa Bidez or Sherry Sparks, Ocoee Whitewater Center/Cherokee National Forest, Route 1, Box 285, Copperhill, TN 37317 (423) 496-5197. May 14-16: Lawrence County Schools' Indian Festival, Oakville Indian Museum, Oakville, AL. Info: (256) 905-2494. May 14-16: Sequoyah Caverns Spring Pow Wow, at Sequoyah Caverns, Valley Head, AL. HD: Southeast Sunrise Singers, HM: Gary Thunderwolf, HL: Jacquie Ravenheart Saeger, HH: Quality Inn, Fort Payne (800) 228-5151. Info: Sally Eastman (256) 635-0024. Sponsored by the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama. On-site camping available. May 18-20: Trail of Tears Association Annual Conference, Sweetwater, TN. Includes lectures, workshops, fellowship. Info: (931) 946-7848 or 948-7846. May 22-23: East Hickman County Pow Wow, Wrigley's L.A. Miller Ball Park, Lyles, TN. HD: Bull Run Singers; Guest Drums: Eagle Scouts, and Redhawk; MC: Eddie Nickens; ST: Rogers Clinch; HM: Ken Carpenter; HL: Dorothy Duckepoo; Sr. Princess: Olivia Breeden; Jr. Princess: Bethany Baker; Head Veteran: Clayton Priest. Info: Sheila or Grady Jones (931) 670-5465. May 28-30: All Nations Salt River Pow Wow, Shepherdsville, KY. Info: (502) 331-9792. Ongoing: Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Vonore, TN. Operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and open daily, except for Thanksgiving & Christmas days. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9am-5pm; Sun., noon-5pm. Info: Sequoyah Birthplace museum, Citico Road (PO Box 69), Vonore, TN 37885 (423) 884-6246. For more information on Tennessee events, contact the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, 5th Floor, Rachel Jackson Building, 320 Sixth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information on Alabama events, dial 1-800-ALABAMA. Note: This newsletter is published free of charge to all those seeking information on Native American events in the Southeast. You may feel free to copy or pass this information on to anyone who you feel is interested in such events. To have your e-mail address added to or deleted from this list, simply send a message to wanige@aol.com, stating your wishes. You may also send updates, cancellations or additional pow wow or festival information to this address. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//- Notice of Copyright Clearance by Contributors: The following have granted permission for their original articles to be reposted in order to help mend the Sacred Hoop: Marsha E Shaiman, Robert Dorman, David Crockett Williams via Susanna Shreeve, Janet Smith, Buffalo Field Campaign, Debra Sanders, Larry Innes, Martha E Ture, Michael, Tom Schlosser, Roger IronCloud via John Berry, Johnny Rustywire, League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations of the Western Hemisphere, Barbara Landis, Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty, Cindy Page, Martha E Ture, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee via Freedom Heart Rising --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//-