From gars@speakeasy.org Wed Jun 6 00:12:27 2001 Date: 5 Jun 2001 23:50:53 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews09.023 W O T A N G I N G I K C H E Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin KANOHEDA ANIYVWIYA O It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le Ha-Sah-Sliltha O o O ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min Un Chota O o O Aunchemokauhettittea O o o o o O VOLUME 09, ISSUE 023 O o O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse June 2, 2001 O o O Ximopanolti tehuatzin, Cherokee green corn moon O inin Mexika tlahtolli Tewa Pueblo moon when leaves are dark green ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N N E W S ) ==>If you want your Nation represented in the banner of this newsletter<== email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation +-----------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates check | | http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm - also events | +-----------------------------------------------------------+ This issue contains articles from www.pechanga.net; www.owlstar.com; indianz.com; ndn-aim, KOLA Newslist, Big Mountain, Triballaw, Innu-L, KOLA Newslist, Native Rights, Red Road Newsletter and LPDC Mail Lists; Native Americas Journal; UUCP email; newsgroup: alt.native IMPORTANT!! ----------- 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@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org As historian Patricia Nelson Limerick summarized in The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West, "Set the blood quantum at one-quarter, hold to it as a rigid definition of Indians, let intermarriage proceed as it had for centuries, and eventually Indians will be defined out of existence. When that happens, the federal government will be freed of its persistent 'Indian problem.'" "That petroleum is actually the blood of Mother Earth, and you can't live without blood. If you take the blood, you are taking it from the earth. None of us can live without blood." __ Kuwaru'wa, U'wa ... to Occidental Petroleum shareholders +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! This week the U. S. Supreme Court decreed that the Navajo Nation could not tax a hotel on their reservation. Republican Representative Earnest Istook has tried to force Tribes to pay U. S. sales taxes for products sold on their reservations or through their rez outlet stores. That fight is now being carried by the Petroleum Marketers of America, The National Association of Truck Stop Operators and the National Association of Convenience Stores under the banner of "The Coalition against Sales and Excise Tax Evasion" with legislation authored by Don Young (Rep. Alaska). The bill would allow states to force tax collection for fuel and tobacco sales to non-Indians. Industrial hemp is a crop that could well prove to be the cash crop the Lakota need to derive a profit from lands the U. S. believed were worthless when the Lakota were sent there. In fact, ungrown crops are already sold at a decent profit ... if the DEA will let the Lakota grow and sell crops of their choice on their lands. In the meantime, a hog farm is being crammed down the collective throats of the Rosebud Lakota, in spite of the health threat the EPA says the farm will represent. There is a common thread to all of these events and many others like them. They are all direct attacks on Tribal Sovereignty. They are all efforts to deny the existence of Indian Nations. They are still trying to answer "The Indian Question" by eliminating the Indian. Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Night Owl gars@nanews.org (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@speakeasy.org (`-') Marietta, GA 30006, U.S.A. gars@olagrande.net ===w=w=== gars@sdf.lonestar.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Stephen Laurent - Lumbees Financial Troubles Champion of his Language - Native Occupation near Sun Peaks - Born Indian, Dying White - Ex-Haskell Foundation Director - Hemp planted again on Pine Ridge pleads Guilty - Camp Sovereignty Solidarity Message - Innu challenge proposed - Historic Designation looms Phase III of Trans Lab over Land Struggle - Trail of Tears Threat - Sign-on Support Letter - Supreme Court to rule on for the Gwich'in Nation Tribal Court Challenge - Pipeline to pay Penalties - Peltier Awareness Month Totaling $128,000 - Native Prisoner - Turning off Big Mountain Water -- Juvenile Advisory Group - CNO to ask for $50 Million - John Rustywire: Housing Loan Go Ahead and Turn It Up - Poarch Creeks pick Five Novices - Poem: Chahta Hapia - Yurok Tribe Turns - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days Reservation Dumps Green - Graffiti Man's Thoughts - Modified Uintah Unit Revived - Tribal Leaders say - Seminole Nation gets Fire Truck Summit will shape Future - Drought hits Wind River Basin - Teens push for - Peruvians elect Indian President Tlingit Curriculum - Ecuador under siege again - Dakotas Rank High in - Government won't appeal Indian-Owned Businesses Trust-fund Ruling - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Stephen Laurent, Champion of his Language" --------- Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 08:01:48 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="STEPHEN LAURENT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm Keeper of Abenaki tradition dies at age 92 The Associated Press 5/31/01 11:42 PM CONWAY, N.H. (AP) -- Stephen Laurent, Abenaki Indian elder and champion of his language, has died at age 92. He leaves the traditional Abenaki encampment in the Intervale neighborhood to be maintained by his nephew, Deny Obomsawin, an Abenaki living in Quebec. "He was a great resource for Abenakis and the Abenaki past. It's a sad day," Obomsawin said. Laurent, who died Sunday, was one of the few remaining Abenakis in New Hampshire. Born in 1909 on Odanack Abenaki settlement near the St. Francis River in Quebec, Laurent moved to New Hampshire in 1940. He was Jackson postmaster from 1945 to 1975, and played cello and violin in local chamber music groups. Laurent was known and widely respected for his translation into English of the French-Abenaki dictionary, credited to Father Aubery, a Jesuit priest who died in 1755. Laurent worked for 30 years translating Aubery's dictionary into English. In 1995, 500 copies of Laurent's translation were printed. Laurent also recorded the book onto tape to preserve the pronunciation of the language. Laurent maintained a gift shop and cabins in Intervale. Laurent's father, Abenaki Chief Joseph Laurent, brought his people from Quebec to Intervale in 1884, and the Abenaki returned every summer for years. The Abenakis once populated land across New England and up to the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Today, about 400 Abenakis live at Odanack settlement. Copyright c. 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2001 New Jersey On-line. --------- "RE: Born Indian, Dying White" --------- Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 08:01:48 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DYING WHITE" www.pechanga.net Born Indian, Dying White By Liz Gray Miscoding of death certificates and other hospital reporting of Indian people is a problem in Indian Country and is effecting important decisions regarding funding for disease control or important decisions made by the Indian Health Service (I.H.S.) and tribes. Several studies published over the last 10 years, including one from I2EH.S. indicate that the race of American Indian/ Alaskan Native (AI/AN) descendants is frequently identified inconsistently on State death certificates when the race for the same individuals is obtained from other sources. Staff from hospitals (not of the I.H.S.) and/or funeral homes have a tendency to use "personal observation" plus the descendent's last name rather than definitions of race used by the I.H.S. according to the I. H.S. study titled, Adjusting for Miscoding of Indian Race on State Death Certificates. According to the study, Texas is ranked at the top for miscoding at a rate 47.1%. Arkansas follows at a rate of 43.6 %, close behind is Oklahoma at a rate of 26.3%. Other highly AI/AN populated states such as Alaska was at 4.3%, New Mexico at 2.5% and the lowest was South Dakota at 1.9%. Mistakes were less likely to be made if the Indian person died within their reservation boundaries or in an I.H.S. facility. Other determining factors are levels of blood-quantum, although this is not always the case. Personal frustration from family members may arise when realizing their relative was "miscoded" but other adverse effects from miscoding can effect all of Indian country. Speakers at the Cherokee Nation Diabetes Summit held last month spoke of how the miscoding can effect research funding. "Research for intervention is based on morbidity statistics skewed by race which is relatively a factor," said Robert D. Vincent, deputy commissioner of Special Projects for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. "If the problem isn't proven [through statistics], you skew the availability of funds which actually provide research for intervention." Dean Seneca, Director of Office of Tribal Affairs for the Center for Disease Control agrees. "If your surveillance is poor, funding is poor," said Seneca. "That's one of the big, big problems that I have regarding resources to tribes." The Center for Disease Control publication on health statistics, according to Seneca, shows the racial misclassifications among American Indians, overall, is 22%. "The next racial group is 3 or 4 %," said Seneca. "That's what senators, and several agencies are using as the reporting of mortality and morbidity among Native people." One of the solutions to correct the miscoding is inter-tribal cooperation and a funding pool. An example is the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board who designed the Northwest Tribal Registry Project to combat miscoding problems in their area. The board is made up of the area's tribal delegates who oversee the project which covers 41 tribes in the Idaho, Oregon and Washington area. Total population for the tribes includes approximately 180,000 people. The tribes work together to provide information regarding their tribal members in a confidential, momentarily shared, information database which can be compared to various offices such as the State Cancer Registry. The corrections are being made regarding the numbers for Indian people suffering from the disease, which eliminates the need for the Tribal Registry to release names or identifying markers, such as social security numbers to be given out. "It has helped us to have a better understanding of true rates, although we can never know exactly, at least you get a better estimate of conditions including mortality patterns and cancer patterns, which are the two things we've done at this point," said Dr. Dee Robertson, supervisor of the Registry Project . This also helps with morbidity patterns, which determines not who has passed away but those who are ill from a disease. "Potentially, if you have this tool available to you that we use, for anything that a good data exists, you can link and get more correct information about the rate for Indian people," said Robertson. "It is limitless depending on the state's available data." In Oklahoma, the Department of Health and Human Services is beginning to work closer with the Funeral Home Association to educate Oklahoma's funeral home directors to become more specific when asking the informant, such as a loved one of the deceased, for the race to be specified on death certificates. "We want things coded correctly," said John Burks, who is director for the Center for Health Information and state registrar. According to Burks, fifty percent of physicians are not coding correctly. "We are putting together a staff which includes a medical doctor so we can make sure all information is coded correctly, including the manner of death." Burks admits there are changes needed to be made, and problems with birth certificates are already being corrected. Now, says Burks, his department plans to focus on death certificates. "We are going to use the funeral directors to help clean up the problem." said Burks. "They are responsible for all the information other than the cause of death." Burks suggests tribes to call the health department and talk to the field representatives to begin to work together on the problem. Tribes are also advised by the Department of Health to work with their local funeral directors regarding tribal identity issues. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2000-2001 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Hemp planted again on Pine Ridge" --------- Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 13:51:34 -0700 (PDT) From: Paul Pureau Subj: ict: Hemp planted again on Pine Ridge Mailing List: ndn-aim MANDERSON, S.D. - Last month, shortly before Earth Day, more than two dozen members of the White Plume tiospaye or extended family, toddlers to adults, gathered on a high plateau on family land for a planting. Industrial hemp was returning to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They traveled long distances to attend a ceremony to bless the field and efforts to establish industrial hemp as a reservation cash crop. "To me it was really a sense of pride to see them all there," said an emotionally touched family patriarch, Alex White Plume. "Some of the relatives that came are really down on drugs ... because of people they have lost to drugs. But they came to a decision ... that hemp is not a drug and, finally, that hemp is nothing to be ashamed of." Oglala Lakota tribal ordinance makes it legal for tribal members who are part of land use associations or extended family groups to plant and cultivate hemp on tribal land as long as the THC (tetrahydrocannibol) content measures less than 1 percent. THC is the chemical component that creates a "high" and is found at much higher levels in hemp's notorious cousin, marijuana. Last year the White Plumes planted a 1.5-acre field of industrial hemp from seeds that qualified. Subsequent testing consistently showed plants, that flourished to a height of more than 12 feet, were well below the 1 percent threshold. Despite that, federal agents of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Marshals and BIA's Criminal Investigations division executed an early morning raid on the field in August, cutting down and confiscating the crop that represented the family's hopes and dreams. There were harsh financial consequences. Every stalk in the field had been pre-sold to a consortium and loss of anticipated income meant the White Plumes had to sell off some prized horses to make payments due on their land. Recently they were down to only one functioning motor vehicle. "I get scared that my dad and uncle might go to jail. But I believe in what we're doing and I believe that sometimes you have to make certain sacrifices in order to achieve certain goals that you believe in. That's the way I was raised," said Vic White Plume, Alex's nephew, a leader in the second generation of the White Plume tiospaye. Alex asserts that everything was done openly last year, even to allowing tribal police to pull a sample plant for the federal government to test. He insists that if federal representatives had told him their objections and consulted with him as a member of a sovereign nation, he would have respected their concern. "The Drug Enforcement Agency took it upon themselves to interpret our treaty and they violated our laws by coming onto our land and doing what they did," said White Plume. "We're not criminals, in my family we are not criminals. We are a gentle, peaceful people and we just wanted to do something that was good for our tribe and our family." He said this year's planting is not an act of defiance but an act of faith with environmental, spiritual, moral and cultural motivation "that spring in part from the family's deep commitment to the heritage of their nation and band. "In Lakota, Oglala is 'to return to the sacred,' to return to the ground from which we came out of, which is Wind Cave," Alex said. "We are the guardians of the Black Hills. Our role is to protect the hole that we came out of." The White Plumes belong to the Crazy Horse band of the Oglala. Crazy Horse never signed a treaty, never gave up stewardship of the land. "We have that attitude," Alex said. "It's a dream that's still there, we've got to always maintain the dream that the Black Hills is still ours - we never signed it away - or we lose our identity as a people. And there's a day coming that we'll get that back and be able to use it." Four days of ceremony preceded this year's planting, imbuing the White Plumes with a sense of sacred determination and renewed hope. "Last year we said a few words of prayer and made an offering to Mother Earth with tobacco. This year we loaded a pipe and went through a whole ritual ... got a live tree to bring it back and use it for a staff. It was a real elaborate ceremony ... because we needed to charge the spirit of that staff to guard our hemp plants ... we planted it into the earth with a tobacco prayer bundle and an eagle plume, a white plume. "It means a lot more to us this year and it's also going to hurt us more if they come and they cut those plants down and they cut that staff down. It will be just like cutting my leg off or something," White Plume said. Ironically, last year's confiscated field is again awash in hemp plants, but not from the White Plumes' doing. "These are planted by the FBI, the U.S. Marshal's service and the Drug Enforcement Agency," White Plume said. "When they cut them down they used weed eaters and they shook the plants so much the seeds fell and they replanted. We've closed our gates and we're not going to let anyone into this field. We don't want to touch this stuff, it wasn't of our making." He jokes that they could have quite a tourist attraction on their hands. "I guess in America this is the first field grown by U.S. Marshals, DEA and the FBI. This is their field and if anybody wants to come here to look at a federally grown industrial hemp field we'll invite you down here and you can look at these plants." There are clear signs hemp cultivation on American Indian reservations is an idea whose time has come. Alex and his daughter, Rosebud, went to Germany in November at the invitation of a consortium of hemp interests. They learned a great deal about the array of products made from hemp and the extent of the industry in Europe. "My family members from Cheyenne River called after they got home and told me that 'Next year when some of your seeds come up' they want some because they're going to start their own field," White Plume said. "People from Rosebud, the Three Affiliated Tribes, Winnebago and Santee have all expressed interest in moving forward and getting seeds, so many I've lost track of them all." Tribal government fully supports the White Plume family's continuing efforts to establish hemp as an agricultural crop on the reservation. "Our tribal president, John Steele, wants to prove that we are a sovereign nation so this is a real exciting case for him," Alex said. "In his opinion what the feds did last year was totally against all laws of the tribe. They just jumped over the tribe's head like they are insignificant." The White Plume family offered no resistance to the raid, a choice they don't regret although others have second-guessed them. A number of people on Pine Ridge are talking about forming a group to establish checkpoints at all entries to the reservation. "Other men are getting together to protect us because they don't want to see that happen to us again," Alex said. "That's out of our control. We can't tell them 'don't do this' or 'leave us alone.' They're doing this on their own. I don't know how to deal with that." The White Plumes do not plan to let this year's crop be seized, but aren't planning an armed resistance. "We're adamant that we're not going to let them take the hemp plants but we're not going to be violent about it," Alex said. Vic strongly concurred. "We're not going to let them take our stuff, that's for sure." Now that the crop is planted, there is hope. But a certain amount of stress and tension is inescapable. "It kind of keeps me on edge. It makes me feel like a criminal, wondering if and when they're going to come in again," Vic said. It also deprives them of the ability to make any solid plans for the future, he said. Alex said there was a time when he wished his family had never set out on this path. "Late last fall, when I couldn't pay my loans, I was ready to lose my lease and we had to sell some of our prime horses, it was about then that I said, 'Oh I wish we'd never planted this hemp.' Especially when we sold our fastest horse. But, at the same time, every day we live, we have to sacrifice something to get something better in the end. So we got over that hump." "My family has been sacrificing for so many years, all the way back to the American Indian Movement, so to me it's just a way of life," Vic said. If Alex and his brother were sent to jail, the family would continue the project "all the way down to the young kids. We'll keep planting and keep fighting for what we believe in, we can't stop," Vic White Plume said. The entire new crop is spoken for and a good profit is expected. The family intends to keep the seeds. Part of the original plan was to stockpile seeds for what they see as a large future demand as hemp cultivation and the popularity of hemp products in this country increases. White Plume said he is convinced that demand for and acceptance of industrial hemp will grow as people come to realize hemp constitutes no drug threat despite its relationship with marijuana. "Industrial hemp shouldn't be demonized like it has been. Hemp needs to be separated from the controversy over marijuana." White Plume keeps a sense of humor and balance while recognizing the risks, partly because of assurances of a spiritual leader who predicted a good harvest, that everything will be well. "That why we're continuing on so happily. Otherwise we would have fear or doubt or remorse." Seeing themselves as the 'Standing Silent Nation,' the White Plumes have come to peace with what they are trying to do. "Now we're really proud of what we're doing. Everybody looks at us as the hemp growers. Ten years from now we're going to be known as the hemp grandfathers. So it's a good thing." Copyright c. 2001 Indian Country Today ===== Paul Pureau to subscribe to ndn-aim send a blank mail to: ndn-aim-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.com ndn-aim is now archived on line at Http://www.escribe.com/life/ndn-aim/ FREE PELTIER NOW! STOP ETHNIC CLEANSING OF THE LAKOTA! --------- "RE: Camp Sovereignty Solidarity Message" --------- Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 16:44:17 From: SD Peace and Justice Subj: #1--Camp Sovereignty >To: sdpjc@dailypost.com Rosebud Sioux Tribe members have established Camp Sovereignty to protestBell Farms' expansion of an environmentally unjust confinement hog operation on tribal trust land in Mellette County. Bell Farms is expanding in defiance of a tribal court restraining order. For more information, check Camp Sovereignty website www.pathshop.com/camp_ sovereignty/index.htm. ************************************************************ SOLIDARITY MESSAGE FROM SD PEACE & JUSTICE CENTER, May 20, 2001 (Camp Contact and Action ideas after this message) ************************************************************* We wish to affirm and encourage the Sicangu Oyate in the stand they make at Camp Sovereignty. Bell Farms essentially was swindling Rosebud Sioux Tribe when it convinced them to allow the Sun Prairie project to proceed without a full environmental impact statement. They painted a rosy picture of an environmentally benign agricultural engineering marvel that would yield prosperity and would respect culturally significant places. NEVER MIND that Bell Farms planned to produce nearly a million pigs yearly on a scant 1200 acres, a good half of which would be covered in waste pits. NEVER MIND that credible engineers predicted the waste handling system would malfunction -- a prediction which experience has borne out. NEVER MIND that in their sales talk and their shoddy environmental assessment Bell Farms neglected to inform the tribe that the full project would require the waste system to cope with much more excrement on those limited acres than would be produced by the entire human population of the entire state of South Dakota. NEVER MIND that they expected the tribe to commit, essentially, the tribe's entire Mni Wiconi industrial water allocation to this single ill-conceived project. NEVER MIND the apparent cynicism of their tender to sell the project physical plant back to the tribe in 15 years at a "mere" half the original price, when, judging by industry experience, after 15 years the entire works would be past its useful life, well into the zone of financial liability. NEVER MIND that they planned to desecrate land that respected elders identify as spiritually significant. NEVER MIND that after Concerned Rosebud Area Citizens and other groups, including Peace & Justice Center, took the matter to federal court, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was obliged to admit that the lease allowing the above swindle was an invalid lease that could not be legally justified on the basis of the shoddy environmental assessment. NEVER MIND that the BIA agreed with us that a full, honest environmental impact statement was an OBVIOUS prerequisite for a valid lease since a federal go-ahead for the third largest hog operation in the universe was OBVIOUSLY likely to have a major environmental impact. NEVER MIND that this OBVIOUS reality of lease invalidity can not be changed by Judge Kornmann's later insistence on declaring a swindle to be a respectable business dealing, a nonsensical ruling which we are confident will not withstand our appeal. NEVER MIND that activist tribal members have done a magnificent job of educating tribal leaders and a critical mass of the grassroots people to repudiate the swindle. Notwithstanding the PATENTLY OUTRAGEOUS nature of their position,Bell Farms is demanding to continue building more hog barns, compounding the damage they have already done with their first site. OR ELSE, their lawyer has threatened, they will sue the tribe for 100 million dollars. When the council got a tribal court order to enjoin Bell Farms from building Site #2 till the company would submit construction plans to a proper tribal review, Bell Farms contemned the tribal court order and got a federal court hearing in Pierre on May 11 of their claim that they should be allowed to continue construction on Site 2. Their claim in court was morally equivalent to saying: "Hey we swindled this tribe fair and square; and, by golly, they've got to stay swindled." SD Peace & Justice Center considers it to be a privilege to stand as a justice ally with the alert activist tribal members who recognized from the first that Bell Farms was, essentially, swindling the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. We feel the more privileged to be allied now with the entire tribal government, the informed majority of tribal members, and the courageous people at Camp Sovereignty in their stand against Bell Farms and for sovereignty, justice, and Unci Maka. Jeanne Koster, Director South Dakota Peace & Justice Center on behalf of the board of directors and members PO Box 405 Watertown, SD 57201 (605)882-2822 sdpjc@dailypost.com ********************************** CAMP CONTACT and SOLIDARITY ACTION ********************************** PRAY for a just outcome on this issue. It seems that hearts must be changed and the opponent must turn from drive for money to a better way. Such change is beyond our power to accomplish. It is the work of the Spirit. So pray, please. SEND SOLIDARITY MESSAGES You can email messages to the camp via the camp website or campsovern@hotmail.com Send paper messages c/o camp coordinator Carter Camp, PO Box 1012, Rosebud, SD 57570 Send COPIES of your message to: 1)your local daily and weekly newspaper. (Word limit for these publications is usually 200-250 words.) 2)Rosebud Sioux Tribe President William Kindle, PO Box 430, Rosebud, SD 57570. 3)Mr. Rich Bell,CEO of Bell Farms 509 Dakota Avenue, Wahpeton, ND 58075-4414 Phone (701)642-4021 (701)642-9237 DONATE to support the camp. Donations are tax deductible, due to patronage of Seventh Generation Fund, a non-profit 501(c)3 charity. Send your check to Camp Sovereignty/7th Generation, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, 112 North Main, Mission, SD 57555. VISIT the camp, a totally non-violent site where alcohol, drugs, and weapons of any kind are banned. Just south of White River, head west 10 miles on Hwy 44. You will see and smell the hog farm Site #1 to the north. Just beyond that you will see the two tipis of Camp Sovereignty. --------- "RE: Historic Designation looms over Land Struggle" --------- Date : Fri, 1 Jun 2001 07:43:24 -0500 Subj: (FWD)Indian News 06-01-2001 From: John D Berry/grad/res/Okstate ----- Forwarded by John D Berry/grad/res/Okstate on 06/01/2001 07:43 AM Historic designation looms over land struggle By CAROL BRADLEY Great Falls Tribune www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20010531/topstories/628061.html May 31, 2001 "Blackfeet tribal member Mary Ground had a foolproof recipe for cleansing her soul: She would disappear into the steep-sloped thickets of the Badger-Two Medicine area to fast and pray. For other Blackfeet, the B-Two Med provided a setting for sun dances and vision quests. It was the home of Wind-Maker, Cold-Maker and Snow- Shrinker, Native American parlance for the chinook winds that whistled down the peaks. The Badger-Two Medicine is so renowned as an Indian cultural retreat, in fact, that the National Register of Historic Places is contemplating whether to formally recognize it as a historic site. If that happens, it could alter the fate of the Badger-Two Med. Developers are anxious once again to explore for oil and gas in the 133,000-acre Badger-Two Medicine, a part of the Lewis and Clark National Forest sandwiched between Glacier National Park to the north, the Blackfeet Indian reservation to the northeast and the Bob Marshall Wilderness to the southwest. A historic designation wouldn't necessarily block exploration. It would, however, give the federal government pause about opening the door to oil and gas rigs. It also would add to the arsenal of emotional tools that have been used successfully so far to keep oil and gas exploration at bay. The landmarks of the Badger-Two Medicine "are still important to the (Blackfeet) people because they represent the stories from their past and they identify with them," said Sandi French, archaeologist with the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The keeper of the register was expected to announce last Friday whether to deem the B-2Med eligible for historic recognition. As late as Wednesday, however, officials of the Lewis and Clark National Forest had not yet received any news. The Badger-Two Medicine already is considered a traditional use site under the National Historic Preservation Act, but a nod from the National Register would carry more weight. Although oil and gas development is permitted in national forests, the federal government has for years blocked exploration in the Badger-Two Med. Despite the delays, and despite Forest Service estimates that the odds of finding oil and gas beneath the Badger-Two Med are less than one half of 1 percent, a Houston-based the oil and gas company, Ocean Energy, would like to move in. Ocean Energy acquired Chevron's leases in the Badger-Two Med some time ago, said Janice Aston White, a spokeswoman for Ocean Energy. At one point, 10 companies held leases to 114,000 acres, almost all of the Badger-Two Med. "We would certainly be very interested in exploring the areas if given the opportunity," Aston White said. "We believe it offers some excellent potential. We believe, we do not know, because we have not been able to pursue that." Interest in gas exploration had dwindled in recent years because demand was flat and prices had fallen, Aston White said. But the economic boom combined with greater demand for natural gas as a source of electrical power generation has galvanized interest in developing even areas once considered uneconomical, she said. Archived information doesn't clearly define what role the Badger-Two Medicine played in the lives of the Blackfeet, forest service archaeologist Jacqueline Beidl wrote in a 1992 report. The reason for that could be that the area wasn't used often, or that the people who retreated to it did so for such highly personal reasons that they kept it to themselves. Even among her 14 children, Mary Ground kept secret the details of her sacred journeys, son Eugene Ground recalled. When she died in 1990 at the age of 107, her knowledge of the Badger-Two Med was buried with her. There's evidence, though, that at least one band of Blackfeet ancestors, the Piegans, lived exclusively in the eastern Rockies foothills during the early 1800s, Beidl said. There's also evidence that the traditional Blackfeet used the mountains and forests for area for hunting elk and other game, gathering plants and collecting lodgepoles, according to Beidl. Remains of pishkun sites and stone rings from tepee encampments have been found along the Badger-Two Med's ridges and high banks. Beidl said there's no question the Blackfeet also relied on the natural defense barrier offered by the eastern slope of the Rockies during battles with rival tribes. Equally important was the seclusion the area offered to Blackfeet in search of supernatural power. Indian men would climb a remote peak in the Badger-Two Med to fast, pray and wait for a vision that would communicate power to them, which was considered a major step toward achieving success in life. The Badger-Two Medicine is the last such area where the Blackfeet are allowed to hunt, fish and log timber. In a sale whose terms are disputed even to this day, the Blackfeet sold the federal government in 1895 a "ceded strip" running north of Badger Creek to the Canadian border. Some Blackfeet contend their ancestors never sold the Badger-Two Medicine but instead leased it for 50 years. They maintain the mountainous terrain really belongs to y own the area. The tribe was supposed to retain the rights to cut wood, hunt and fish on the land, but the creation of Glacier National Park in 1910 blocked off a major portion of the strip. In 23 short years Blackfeet territory was reduced from about 27,500 square miles to just 2,400 square miles, the size of the current Blackfeet reservation. In addition to the National Historic Preservation Act, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act directs federal agencies to evaluate the effects of their policies and procedures on Native American religions. That law also says it's the policy of the United States "to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right for freedom to believe, express and exercise traditional religions ... including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects and the freedom to worship through ceremonies and traditional rites." Today, few people venture into the mythical Badger-Two Med. "It's a spooky place," Eugene Ground said. "When you go up there it seems like there's always something hanging around." --------- "RE: Sign-on Support Letter for the Gwich'in Nation" --------- Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 16:44:06 From: KOLA Subj: Sign-on Support Letter for the Gwich'in Nation <+>=<+>KOLA Newslist<+>=<+> Note: Please send your endorsement of this letter by email to: and NOT to Kola. Thank you. <+>=<+>=<+>=<+>=<+> Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 21:40:21 EDT From: "Ian Thomas" *********************************************************************** **Urgent Action Alert ** Urgent Action Alert ** Urgent Action Alert *** *********************************************************************** STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE GWICH'IN PEOPLE NO OIL DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Dear friends, Please distribute this far and wide! The Indigenous Environmental Network, the International Indian Treaty Council and Greenaction issue this call to action to stop the plan to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Oil drilling in this beautiful area would violate the human rights of the Gwich'in Native Peoples, would pollute the pristine wilderness of the Arctic Refuge, and would threaten the survival of the porcupine caribou and the Gwich'in. We ask everybody from all walks of life to sign the Statement of Support (below) for the Gwich'in in their fight against the proposed oil drilling. Please send your endorsement of this letter by email to *********************************************************************** **Urgent Action Alert ** Urgent Action Alert ** Urgent Action Alert *** *********************************************************************** STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE GWICH'IN PEOPLE NO OIL DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE We the undersigned declare our support for the Gwich'in People in opposition to the proposal to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We pledge to help stop the proposed oil drilling which would pollute the Arctic Refuge, desecrate sacred land, and threaten the survival of the porcupine caribou herd and the Gwich'in People. For tens of thousands of years the Gwich'in - the Caribou People - have lived in harmony with the caribou. The plan to drill for oil in the Arctic Refuge is an unacceptable violation of the human rights of the Gwich'in. The oil companies and the Bush Administration have no right to destroy the way of life, culture, environment and economic subsistence of the Gwich'in People. We raise our voices in protest as President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and their oil company friends attempt to promote this oil drilling plan. We stand united with the Gwich'in in defense of human rights, wildlife, and the beautiful wilderness in the Arctic Refuge. Name email and/or regular address 1) Ian Thomas ian_thomas@maptricks.com http://www.peer.org/maps.html 2) Elsie Herten - Van Boeckel St. 20; 1140 Brussels; Belgium kolahq@skynet.be http://users.skynet.be/kola/ 3) Donna Smith http://windthruherhair.tripod.com/powwow.html 4) Gary Smith http://www.nanews.org 5) Janet Smith http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24) 25) Please send endorsed email back to Many, many thanks! INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE <+>=<+>=<+>=<+>=<+> KOLA Information: http://users.skynet.be/kola/ <+>=<+>=<+>=<+>=<+> FREE LEONARD PELTIER!!! NO TELESCOPES ON MOUNT GRAHAM!!! NO DUNBAR RESORT IN THE BLACK HILLS!!! --------- "RE: Pipeline to pay Penalties Totaling $128,000" --------- Date: Wed, 30-May-2001 05:38:44 GMT From: Robert Dorman Subj: PIPELINE TO PAY $128,000 FINE >From: "Marsha Monestersky" Mailing List: Big Mountain List Dear Big Mountain Supporters, This came in today from the Environmental News Service. 485,000 gallons of coal slurry from the Black Mesa pipeline into the environment for a two and one half year period due to corrosion in the pipeline. A settlement at what cost! I'll keep you posted as more news develops. Yours sincerely, Marsha Subj: BLACK MESA PIPELINE TO PAY $128,000 FINE SAN FRANCISCO, California, May 28, 2001 (ENS) - Black Mesa Pipeline Inc. will pay penalties totaling $128,000 for discharging almost 485,000 gallons of coal slurry into the environment over a two and a half year period. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced the settlement with Black Mesa last week. The violations were discovered by the ADEQ through a series of inspections of Black Mesa's facilities. "Had the pipeline been properly maintained, these spills would not have occurred," said Alexis Strauss, the water division director for the EPA's Pacific Southwest office. "Desert ecosystems are quite fragile and filling arroyos with crushed coal is unnecessary and unacceptable." "Black Mesa has accepted its responsibility to maintain its pipeline to prevent violations of state and federal law and to protect Arizona's environment," said ADEQ water quality division director Karen Smith. "The preventative maintenance program to be conducted by Black Mesa is a major commitment on the part of the company and should work well to prevent future spills." The 273 mile pipeline runs from the Peabody's Western Coal Company's Black Mesa Mine near Kayenta, Arizona to the Southern California Edison Company's Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin, Nevada. Black Mesa has agreed to pay $49,000 to the state of Arizona and $79,000 to the U.S. Treasury to settle charges of violations of state law and the federal Clean Water Act. The company has also committed to increased maintenance of its pipeline over the next three years, and will pay penalties in increasing amounts for any future spills. Coal is pulverized at the mine and mixed with water, which then flows to the generating station. Corrosion of the pipeline can cause ruptures, releasing the coal slurry into the environment. The coal can be transported to waterways, which can harm the local wildlife. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION & ENFORCEMENT For Release November 24, 1993 Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719 OSM SETTLES $900,000 RECLAMATION FEE CLAIM WITH PEABODY COAL CO. The Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) today announced it has signed an agreement with the Peabody Western Coal Company which settles a reclamation fee claim in excess of $900,000. Under the agreement, Peabody has paid $900,000 of a government claim for $949,923, which includes $517,650 for overdue reclamation fees, $262,080 for interest, and $170,144 for late payment penalties. The claim for delinquent reclamation fees resulted from an OSM audit of Peabody surface coal raining operations at sites in Arizona, Montana, and Colorado, during the period January 1, 1983, through June 30, 1992. Based on the audit report, OSM concluded that during tiffs period Peabody Western did not properly report tonnage and pay reclamation fees owed. Peabody Western disputed the conclusion and maintains that it correctly reported and paid reclamation fees. "Since both OSM and Peabody Western recognize that settlement of their differences through judicial proceedings would be costly and time consuming, an agreement was reached whereby OSM will accept $120,269 as a late penalty charge and will waive administrative fees," said OSM acting Director Anne H. Shields. The audit report covered Peabody Western operations at the Seneca Strip Mine in Colorado, the Big Sky Mine in Montana, and the Black Mesa and Kayenta Mines on Navajo and Hopi Indian lands in Arizona. OSM officials said that half of the fees collected for operations at the Navajo and Hopi sites will be allocated to the tribes' share of the national Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund -- $205,162 to the Navajo and $52,314 to the Hopi. Under the 1977 surface mining law, coal producers are required to pay 35 cents per ton of surface-mined coal into the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. Underground coal mines pay 15 cents per ton. The money pays for state, federal, and tribal projects to restore abandoned coal mine lands that were left unreclaimed, or inadequately reclaimed, before the surface mining law was enacted. OSM conducts audits of coal producers to make sure all tonnage is reported and all reclamation fees are paid. -DOI- ========================================= Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm for more background on the Big Mountain relocation issue. To post to the list, email your message to redorman@theofficenet.com. To subscribe, send an email to: BIGMTLIST-subscribe@topica.com. --------- "RE: Turning off Big Mountain Water" --------- Date: Wed, 30-May-2001 05:37:52 GMT From: Robert Dorman Subj: BIGMTLIST 2 Statements from Dine' and text of 2 news articles >From: "Marsha Monestersky" Mailing List: Big Mountain List Dear Big Mountain Supporters, I wish to share with you some words from Caroline Tohannie of Tonalea and Leta O'Daniel of Big Mountain. My question upon reading these statements is how can the US government Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) justify turning off working windmills to deprive people the right of access to water? I believe as Caroline Tohannie says, this invades the Dine' peoples dignity and self-worth. I believe furthermore it is immoral and contrary to the practice of common decency, the US Constitution and international law. FOLLOWING THIS are 2 articles published in the NAVAJO HOPI OBSERVER on May 9, 2001. The US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is denying Hopi Partition Land (HPL) Dine' residents access to water by capping off, fencing off and dismantling local water sources WHILE Peabody Coal Company is wasting 3.3. million gallons of pristine water each day from the sole source drinking water aquifer of the Hopi and western Navajo just to slurry coal. In addition to the BIA denying HPL residents access to water, the BIA is continuing to deny HPL residents the right to a livelihood and the right to food. I wonder how the BIA can justify these actions when they are currently embroiled in a lawsuit involving their mis-management and loss of millions of dollars of Indian Tribes Trust funds. Is the BIA so in need of additional fund that agency personnel sit around in Washington, DC examining the names of HPL residents so they can decide how many sheep, goats, horses and cows each HPL resident will be allocated in their grazing permit, if any is issued and how much these permits should cost? Please put pressure on the BIA, Hopi Agency (520) 738-2249 and Secretary Gale Norton, US Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary (202) 208-7351 to fix the water wells and stop denying HPL residents access to water and livelihood. The BIA must exercise their Trust Responsibility to the Dine' people. Without water and food no one can survive. Further news and contact information will follow. Yours sincerely, Marsha Monestersky __________________________________________________________________________ Caroline Tohannie of Tonalea writes, Dear Marsha Monestersky, May 10, 2001 Once again, my spouse and I are looking for your assistance in restoring our water resource. We live within the community of Tonalea Chapter. Unfortunately, our home is on the Hopi Partitioned Land on an isolated and remote part of Black Mesa. We have faced ongoing problems with the Hopi Rangers and Hopi Tribal Water Resource turning off our only water resource (windmill). We rely on the windmill for water for our livestock and ourselves. As of last year, they started sealing off the windmills, which made it impossible to access the water so we can haul water back to our homes. Recently, they have begun to turn off the water underground. To my understanding, the windmills were erected for the use of livestock and anyone who wishes to drink water from there. Presently, we have to haul water approximately seventeen miles from Tonalea Chapter through rough terrain. This puts a severe strain on our livelihood and our sense of security. Furthermore, it invades and robs us of our dignity and self worth. We want to have a good humble life just like anyone else. We do our best to live in harmony with the creator everyday. This is why we want to have the windmills restored to full use. Your assistance is the only hope we have to keep our self-worth and pride. I hope you can once again join efforts with others to resolve this matter for us. Thank you for your continued support and efforts on our behalf. Sincerely, Caroline Tohannie ____________________________________________________________________ Leta O'Daniel from Big Mountain writes, May 8, 2001 Dear sister Marsha, Thanks for your support, boy do I need your help as usual. I am sending you what is happening with us now. Please help us again. My question to this letter is How do a family make a living with only a few animals? Please put this in the paper and Internet. Also see what ever you can do. Thank you sis, Leta O'Daniel United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs HOPI AGENCY P.O. Box 158 Keams Canyon, Arizona 86034 Hopi Partitioned Lands (520) 738-2249 CERTIFIED NUMBER: _______________________ CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Dear Leta O'Daniel Census No. ___________ Our records show that your grazing permit is for _____ Sheep, 7 Cows, and ____ Horse(s), for a total of 28 SUYL's. During the Accommodation Agreement negotiations you may have increased your livestock numbers in the expectation that you might receive an increase in the number of livestock you would be authorized to graze. All Accommodation Agreements have now been signed and all Accommodation Agreement permits have been issued. Due to the drought conditions and the fact that the number of animals being grazed is in excess of the number authorized in the Accommodation Agreement, we will be diligently enforcing the Hopi Partitioned Lands Grazing Regulations, 25 CFR 168. The animals described int he following paragraph are in excess of your permitted numbers and in accordance with Part 168.14(e), Title 25, Code of Federal Regulations are in trespass. If these excess livestock are not removed within (5) days from the date of receipt of this notice, these animals will be impounded. Violation of permit provisions may cause your permit to be cancelled. The following livestock 24 Sheep, 4 Cow(s), and ___Horse(s), bearing brand _____were observed grazing at large in Range Unit ______ and have been determined to be in excess of your permitted numbers. According to the Navajo Brand Book and/or our records, this brand is registered to you. Your cooperation in this matter will be appreciated. Sincerely, Wendel Honannie Superintendent _____________________________________________________________________ What follows are two articles dealing with the water issue and contamination and diminution of the sole source aquifer for the Hopi and western Navajo. They were published in the Navajo Hopi Observer, May 9, 2001. In a desert environment in Black Mesa where every drop of water is precious, Peabody Coal pumps 3.3 million gallons a day, just to slurry coal! ________________________________________________________________________ "Lower Moenkopi struggles to keep its water By Debra Moon THE OBSERVER Elliot Selestewa, born in 1935, has been a member of the Lower Moenkopi Water Association for over 30 years. As a boy, he used to swim in the Moenkopi Wash, impressing girls from Second and Third Mesa with his swimming skills. He and his friends used to stand under the bridge on Highway 264, under a waterfall of dirty water which flooded over the top of the bridge, fed by seepage from the water-logged soil which flowed freely out of the ground right by that bridge. They would stand there just to cool off on summer days. "Moenkopi" means flowing waters, but the waters don't flow as much as they used to. In fact, Elliot says, he has watched that spot where the water seepage used to flow over the bridge, and he has seen it dwindle over the years. In the last two years, he has seen no water there at all. The Moenkopi Wash used to run all year round. Now, the wash dries up in late April or early May. For the past few years, the farmers in Moenkopi have not been able to irrigate their crops later in the season, when water is crucial to the success of the crop. Elliott's son, Leonard Selestewa, age 38, was also born and raised in Lower Moenkopi. Selestewa is the President of a new organization called Black Mesa Trust, formed to protect and preserve Hopi water. Selestewa has also seen many changes in the water quality and availability level. Leonard Selestewa notes that the drinking water of the community does not come from the wash, but from another source-artesian wells. When his father was a child, these wells yielded 30 gallons per minute, and in Leonard's memory they were still running at 15 gallons per minute. Now the artesian wells yield 3 to 7 gallons per minute. "The springs are pretty much dried up here, and others are dwindling," Leonard says. "This is water that has been deposited there for millions of years and it's disappearing. The biggest impact of what Peabody Coal Company has done is seen right here in Lower Moenkopi." "Water is precious," Leonard continues, "we have been distracted by land issues over the past 50 years, so much that we have only begun to take notice of the damage done to our water more recently." URANIUM MILLING ON THE NORTHERN HOPI RESERVATION People of Lower Moenkopi are plagued with contamination of their water supply from uranium tailings, or residue from the milling. The uranium was mined in the Grand Canyon area and milled in Tuba City, only a few miles from Lower Moenkopi. Substances which are now illegal to dump were once placed in the old BIA dumpsite, which sits dangerously close to the top of the aquifer, and levels of uranium have been detected. The BIA says that this is not due to milling, but to naturally occurring background levels of uranium. According to the BIA, Hopi must be exempt from the Superfund Monies for clean up because there is no proof that the uranium leeching from the old dumpsite will affect people adversely. While the Hopi villages voted unanimously for the clean closure of the old BIA dumpsite-all traces of the uranium contaminated soil would be removed, dug up and trucked away to a safe disposal following federal regulation-that never happened. Instead, earth was dug up around the area and used to cover the existing dump. A fence was then put up and a sign posted saying that no further dumping would be allowed. But it isn't the further dumping that bothers people in Lower Moenkopi; it is the past dumping that worries them. GASOLINE CONTAMINATION AND CLEAN-UP In the summer of 1988, residents of Moenkopi noticed gasoline discharging into a wash that crosses U.S. Highway 160 about 500 feet southwest of the Sunwest gas stations. During a subsequent investigation by BIA personnel, "free product" or un contained gasoline was found in an auger hole on the property of Thriftway, across Highway 264 from the Sunwest Station. Later investigations revealed serious gasoline leaks at both the Sunwest and Thriftway gas stations. In 1997, six of fourteen springs sampled by the Thriftway Station in Moenkopi showed evidence of gasoline contamination. Samples collected by the Hopi Tribe and EPA in August, September, and October of 1998 also showed low levels of gasoline from some of the springs. In 1988, at the request of EPA, Thriftway reported an inventory loss of 13,000 gallons of gasoline over the previous year. Thriftway estimated that 75 gallons per day had leaked from the tanks, and that additional leaks had occurred in the years before 1987. The leaks have also contaminated the soil in the area. A clean-up process agreed upon by the Hopi Tribe, the Bureau of Reclamation and the EPA is called SVVS. It works with the "free product" or particles of gasoline, in the ground. Air is forced into the soil and the gas vapors rise. These vapors are burned off in a controlled process. Selestewa believes that this may be successful on some of the Navajo land, but doubts the favorable result for the Hopi. He notes that this method cannot work where the soil is water logged and points out that the land where the gas has permeated on the Hopi side are areas where the water table is very close to the top of the soil. He feels also that it has been detected too late, and that gasoline has already seeped into the water supply at Moenkopi. He also points out that over a period of years, the gas in the soil will naturally convert to a sludge-type element which cannot be forced out of the soil as a vapor, and will eventually have to be dug out. The truth is that no one knows exactly how long the leaks have been occurring and how many gallons of gas have actually leaked onto Hopi land. The Hopi Tribe estimates the amount of gasoline leaked by both stations to be 100,000 gallons over an unknown period of time. PEABODY COAL COMPANY Leonard says, "I remember going to my grandfather's ranch when I was small. The wind would blow the sand off the top of those pipes that Peabody Coal Company put through there, and those pipes were big! I would put my ear to the pipe and I would hear the whisper of movement. Something was moving in there and my grandfather would tell me that there was coal in there, and that it was mixed with water and being carried away from us. I didn't understand how that could be then, but now I really do. I see the effects of it." Leonard believes that the Peabody Coal Company needs to solve the problem of how to transport coal without using precious Hopi water, and that they need to cover the cost of it themselves. "They are a corporate enterprise," Leonard points out, "They can use their own money to get the coal to the power plant. Discussions on using an alternative water source have been ongoing for years. According to Peabody Coal Company, they are committed to discussions regarding an alternate water source through the Little Colorado Water adjudication process. They say that the Navajo, Hopi and Federal Government have to decide. On March 22nd, the Peabody Coal Company issued a press release announcing the release of a study, "which reaffirms 30 years of research and concludes that using aquifer water to convey coal from the Black Mesa Mine to a Nevada power plant will not significantly affect the integrity of the 7,500 square mile aquifer or surrounding community water supplies." They say that impacts that may be observed are too small to be measured and that the aquifer will recover once the pumping and mining stops. The company also points out that the study is the 11th major investigation done on the pumping since 1970, and that it uses sophisticated computer software and 10 more years of data, than is available to other groups to conclude that no significant damage is occurring. In a recent conversation, Beth Sutton, spokesperson for the Peabody Western Office in Kayenta, said that the recent study confirms previous studies, Peabody claims, mathematically, based on all previous studies, to be taking such a small percentage, 1/10th of 1% from the whole aquifer, that it cannot do lasting or permanent damage. However, a recent study of government reports conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, showed that there were significant losses of water footage from the aquifer. The NRDC arrived at this conclusion by taking data from the government reports and analyzing and comparing them. Their findings were not in agreement with the claims from the Peabody report released this last month. The Peabody press release also explains, in detail, that the aquifer is topped with porous sandstone which filters the water and allows water to be replaced as it is removed. Some of the aquifer is capped, as well as holding water captive, making replacement slower or impossible many areas. THE HOPI VIEWPOINT Hopi belief is not always the same as western science. They believe that there is a relation between the surface water, the underground water, and the rain. They believe that there is a critical balance, with much at stake. Tribal Hydrologist, Ron Morgan, a western scientist agrees that the hydrology of the water situation in the aquifer is extremely complex. The plume of gas contaminate extends over a large area, expanding and behaving as though it were alive. Since the water is a sole-source aquifer, he advises that extra consideration must be taken in evaluating the depletion or contamination of the water. Living on the fringes of the aquifer, many Hopi believe that even a 1/10th of 1% loss is too much. Harris Polelonema, Administrative Manager for the Village of Lower Moenkopi, says that if the water were to disappear and not be available for farming, then, of course, no one would plant. "Planting is what Hopi culture is based on. It is our way of life. Everything revolves around corn. This was especially true before Europeans came to this land. Our customs are that at certain times every year, the men get together to clean ditches that carry the water. Planting harvesting and roasting corn are all times for getting together too." The Hopis forsee a time in the not too distant future when reservoir water will not have the capacity to provide Moenkopi farmers with a big enough water supply to do their farming. Polelonema compares the Black Mesa Area to an arm and a hand. "If a person extends their hand and looks at the life in that hand, likening their fingers to the Hopi Mesa, you can see the effect it would have to begin extracting blood from the arm above that hand," he explains. "The impact will be, eventually, if the blood keeps getting pumped out before it reaches the hand, that it will either kill or disable that hand." _______________________________________________________________________ "Hopi must rely on their own observation and reason for water use" OPINION PAGE, Navajo Hopi Observer, May 9, 2001 Editor: "Water under the ground has much to do with rain clouds. Everything depends upon the proper balance being maintained. The water under the ground acts like a magnet attracting rain from the clouds, and terrain in the clouds also acts as a magnet raising the water table under ground to the roots of our crops and plants. Drawing huge amounts of water from beneath Black Mesa in connecting with strip-mining will destroy the harmony, throw everything we have strived to maintain out of kilter. Should this happen, our lands will shake like the Hopi rattle, land will sink, land will dry up. Rains will be barred by unseen forces because we Hopis have failed to protect the land given to us as we were instructed. Plants will not grow, corn will not yield and animals will die. When corn will not grow, we will die, not only Hopis, but all will disintegrate to nothing." Hopi elders and religious leaders Unlike the Peabody Coal Co., Hopi people do not have $2,000,000 to pay for studies and hire scientists to deny the obvious. Hopi people have only eyes to see, minds to remember, brains to reason. We must rely on one another, on the public voice of the American people, and in the trust responsibility of the U.S. government to protect our land, our life ways, our being. Peabody scientists study their charts; they crunch their data; then they decide that their company's mining of the N-Aquifer is causing no damage, that they will take only one cup from a vast ocean of water. Hopi elders remember swimming in Moenkopi Wash; today, they see it is dry; they reason that damage is being done. Observation and reason, the roots of all science, ours and theirs. One billion gallons of potable water per year-one billion gallons of pristine water that Peabody mines from our enclosed aquifer-can not be taken from these dry lands without impact. One billion gallons of our ancient, sacred waters-water upon which we have survived for millennia, upon which we depend today-mined to slurry coal, fouled beyond reclamation, evaporates each year in Nevada's desert skies. One billion gallons of living water, enough to provide for Hopi for 100 years, dies on a dry wind. And the Moenkopi Wash is dry. Observation and reason. An enclosed aquifer in a land that in good year receives less than 10 inches of rain, one billion gallons pumped to slurry pulverized coal to a power plant in a Nevada desert, a wash once filled and fresh, now dry. How much clearer, how much simpler could it be? Even the Western science of the Natural Resources Defense Council and other public interest organizations affirm what Hopi know. Significant damage is being done to the N-Aquifer, the only source of water for the Hopi and their Navajo neighbors. As Peabody extracts its 3.3 million gallons of water per day, water levels within the N-Aquifer drop-over 100 feet in monitored wells-and pressure needed to preserve the aquifer's integrity is lost. When the aquifer collapses, the water will be lost forever. Peabody will mine elsewhere. Hopi people have nowhere to go. We will be driven-like the dust of our fields in the wind-driven from this land. Without land, there can be no Hopi. We will cease to be-an extinction in this fourth world, a terrible price to be paid in transition to the next. We cannot let this happen. American people cannot let this happen. If the federal government which bears a trust responsibility to Hopi stands idly by while multi-national corporations suck life from our only source of water, our only source of life on our ancestral lands, who among us-what sacred lands-are truly safe? We are all in this together. And together we must act. Do not be fooled by those hired to hide the obvious. Please write your Congressional representative, your Senators, and Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton to demand the federal protection Hopi people are guaranteed. Vernon Masayesva Director, Black Mesa Trust --- Marsha Monestersky --- sdn57@earthlink.net --- EarthLink: It's your Internet. ========================================= Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm for more background on the Big Mountain relocation issue. To post to the list, email your message to redorman@theofficenet.com. To subscribe, send an email to: BIGMTLIST-subscribe@topica.com. --------- "RE: CNO to ask for $50 Million Housing Loan" --------- Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 07:57:38 -0500 From: John D Berry/grad/res/Okstate Subj: (FWD)Indian News 05-31-2001 ----- Forwarded by John D Berry/grad/res/Okstate on 05/31/2001 07:57 AM Tribe asks for $50 million loan backing Tulsa World 5/30/2001 TAHLEQUAH -- The Cherokee Nation is seeking a federal loan guarantee of $50 million to construct or acquire 600 homes for tribal members. Families on the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation waiting list would be the first to move into the homes, a move which could take six to eight years to complete, Chief Chad Smith said. The application was approved by the Cherokee Nation tribal council and will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior. The homes would be allocated by counties in the tribe's 14-county jurisdictional area in northeast Oklahoma. The tribe said it also was seeking a grant to help several Indian communities construct their own community buildings. --------- "RE: Poarch Creeks pick Five Novices" --------- Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 07:4:23 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="POARCH ELECTION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm Poarch Creeks pick 5 novices 06/03/01 By KAREN TOLKKINEN Staff Reporter POARCH - Tribal members - adults and children - shrieked and clapped Saturday night, after hearing that they'd swept five existing Poarch Creek tribal council members out of office and five new ones in. "See what family can do?" a gray-haired woman said, hugging John McGhee, newly elected to the nine-member council with the second-most votes: 326. McGhee, known as the "Corn Man" for selling ears of corn, was so moved that he could hardly respond to a reporter's questions. "We've got problems in houses," he said, then paused. "I'm so happy now, I can't ...," and he stopped. Others moved forward to hug him and shake his hand. Ousted officials included Chairman Fred L. McGhee, a former tugboat operator who had served as chairman for one year. Prior to hearing the results, Fred McGhee said he would be disappointed to lose, but if he did, he would take it as a statement from voters that he hadn't done a good enough job. Other newly elected officials were Mal Dewayne McGhee, the top vote getter with 335 votes, Carolyn Rackard with 318 votes, Amy Bryan with 214 votes and Tim Ramer, who won fifth place with 209 votes and the flip of a coin. Ramer had tied with former council member Peggy Couch, who also is a member of the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission. Tribal rules called for a coin toss in the event of a tie. It landed on tails, giving Ramer the victory. He kept the quarter. Voting was an all-day event. The Poarch Creeks need a 30 percent voter turnout for the vote to be valid, and they created an environment that felt like a family barbecue in order to bring in the voters. They rented a dunk tank and a moon walk for the kids, had gospel singing inside the tribal gym, and gave away hundreds of plates of chicken and fish dinners. Candidates and other tribal members waited throughout the afternoon to see whether the vote would be valid. Some families of council members were said to have discouraged voting so their relatives could keep their seats, said Brian Wicker, 28, who returned home late last year after a decade in the Navy. Wicker said he disapproved of such a move: "It's kind of taking away from the democratic process." "I hadn't asked anybody not to vote," Fred McGhee said prior to the results being read. At 6:05 p.m., the tribe was still 28 votes shy of the 582 needed for a valid election. But by 6:45, women in jumpers and ponytails, men in denim shorts and sunglasses and others were queuing up outside the door waiting for a chance to cast ballots before the polls closed at 7 p.m. Some tribal members said they were related to tribal council members and had waited to see if the election would be considered valid before deciding to come out and vote for their relative. In the end, 615 people voted. "They stress us out and then line up," Susan Wicker said as she and another election official checked in tribal voters for the annual Tribal Council election. New council members will be sworn in June 10, and the new council will elect a full-time chairman, who will earn $43,000 a year. The other council members receive a $50-per-meeting stipend. Copyright c. 2001 Mobile Register. Used with permission. --------- "RE: Yurok Tribe Turns Reservation Dumps Green" --------- Date: Sat, 26 May 2001 09:07:23 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YUROK" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm California's Yurok Tribe Turns Reservation Dumps Green http://www.brownfields.com/newsletters/BF_052401.cfm#story5 After decades of unchecked open dumping on lands within the Yurok Reservation, the Yurok Tribe cleaned up 20 illegal dump sites and virtually eliminated illegal dumping, starting with the massive and symbolic cleanup effort at the Weitchpec dump site. When the Yurok Tribal Council formed in 1994, the Weitchpec dump site had existed for 40 years and had defied the best efforts of the Tribe and the County to eliminate it. Used year-round by residents of the entire region, the dump had grown to approximately 1,200 cubic yards in size - so large that it spilled onto the state highway and covered one lane. With the support and cooperation of the entire community and assistance from the State of California, Humboldt County, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Yuroks cleaned up the large dump site and changed the attitudes and behaviors of community members. The Weitchpec site had long been considered the worst illegal dump site in Northern California. To remove the site's waste would have been an insurmountable task for the Tribe to undertake alone. With the advent of the new tribal government, however, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) notified the Tribe and Humboldt County that the site was eligible for California cleanup funds because it was located on privately owned `fee' land. Tired of driving through garbage and distressed with the dump as the first impression of the Reservation, Yurok Tribal staff and on-reservation communities worked together with the Humboldt County Department of Public Health to convince the state to make the Weitchpec site a priority for cleanup funding. CIWMB awarded $600,000 for the effort, and Weitchpec became the `poster' site for the state clean-up project. Once the money became available, the cooperative project sped into action with the full support of the Tribal Council and the community. Sef Murguia, Planning Director for the Yurok and its environmental programs, coordinated task forces and played a lead role in obtaining training for tribal cleanup crews. He also worked with staff from the EPA Region 9 Office to publicize the campaign. EPA's primary role was to provide technical assistance for the project. EPA Solid Waste Circuit Rider Bob Shelnutt helped the Yuroks define technical issues, seek out resources, and facilitate solutions. One problem they addressed was devising a system for the legal disposal of the region's solid waste. Murguia helped lay the groundwork with IHS to establish the severity of the dumping problem on the reservation, and Beth Godfrey, the EPA solid waste project officer for California Tribes and for the California Area Inter-Agency Solid Waste Work Group, was instrumental in obtaining IHS' financial assistance. As a result, IHS put up $150,000 to build a transfer station to contain the waste before it is hauled to a county landfill. The state supplied lands previously used by the California Department of Transportation for the transfer station, and Humboldt County took responsibility for hauling and disposing of the refuse. "The Weitchpec cleanup was truly a joint effort involving the Tribe, the community, the county and the state," Murguia emphasized, "We couldn't have done it without everyone's support, and the funding really made it possible." Once the cleanup was complete, the Yuroks began to educate the community on waste reduction and proper disposal methods in order to abate illegal dumping on the Reservation and reduce the cost of operating the transfer station. With funding assistance from IHS, the Tribe hired a private contractor to help develop a recycling and source reduction education program, which was presented in local elementary schools and at community and Tribal Council meetings. Concurrently, the Center for Indian Development at Humboldt University sought and received funding and assistance from EPA to develop a household hazardous and solid waste education curriculum, which Humboldt County elementary schools implemented in 1995. The Weitchpec cleanup bore many benefits, both short and long-term. The immediate result was the removal of a huge eyesore and public nuisance: school buses and automobiles no longer had to drive through garbage on their way into the Yurok Reservation. Periodic burning to reduce the refuse heap was no longer necessary, increasing air quality. Vectors such as rats and other vermin quickly diminished, and, slowly, wildlife returned to the area. The impressive cleanup also reflected well upon the new Tribal government. Pride in the Reservation grew, and the collective sentiment that illegal dumping would not be tolerated increased the sense of community. Spurred by the success at Weitchpec, the Yurok Tribal Council officially declared dumping illegal by Tribal law. In the years since the Weitchpec cleanup, illegal dumping on the Reservation has been greatly reduced, and almost all of the 24 sites originally identified have been cleaned up. According to Murguia, "The removal of such a large, visible site has had a clearly beneficial effect on abating illegal dumping and cleaning up other nearby illegal sites." The Tribe followed up that success two years later with the cleanup of another large, less visible dump near the small community of Cappell. The Tribe's new Environmental Programs Manager, Bessie Lee, coordinated a task force of state and tribal staff to successfully effect the second cleanup. For further background on the Weitchpec cleanup, e-mail Sef Murguia at: zmurguia@yuroktribe.nsn.us Copyright c. 2001, Brownfields.com, All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Modified Uintah Unit Revived" --------- Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 08:40:44 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="UINTAH" Modified Uintah Unit revived JOSEPHINE ZIMMERMAN The Daily Herald on Wednesday, May 30 OREM -- A unit of the Central Utah Project that was long feared defunct has been revived in part by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The Uintah Unit was approved by Congress, with less-costly and less- environmentally damaging features than originally envisioned.It was planned to develop flows of the Uintah and Whiterocks rivers. It and the Upalco Unit (one of the original four units planned in 1956) involved developments on Ute Indian tribal lands. The Upalco Unit was designed to develop flows of the Lake Fork and Yellowstone rivers for supplemental irrigation water. Negotiations have continued for decades between the tribal members and non-tribal water users in the Uintah Basin without any resolution. Last year the tribe informed the Central Utah Water Conservancy District that it wanted no developments on tribal lands. Now the CUWCD has revived a portion of the Uintah Unit, without the involvement of tribal lands. Lee Wimmer, project manager of the Central Utah Project Completion, indicated that the project will involve primarily an enlargement of the Big Sand Wash Reservoir, construction of a new Big Sand Wash feeder diversion dam and a feeder pipeline, plus stabilization of three high mountain lakes. The stabilization is expected to enhance fish and wildlife in the area. The city of Roosevelt is experiencing moderate, steady growth, and city officials have asked CUWCD to provide additional water for municipal and industrial purposes. An analysis of this growth showed that the city has developed all its groundwater resources, and water shortages could occur in the summer months in the near future. Wimmer said the district is now working on preliminary environmental studies to comply with the National Environmental Protection Act. He indicated that it will be many months before cost estimates can be made and bids called for. This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A9. Copyright c. 2001 by HarkTheHerald.com HarkTheHerald.com is a product of Pulitzer Newspapers, Inc. --------- "RE: Seminole Nation gets Fire Truck" --------- Date : Fri, 1 Jun 2001 07:43:24 -0500 Subj: (FWD)Indian News 06-01-2001 From: John D Berry/grad/res/Okstate ----- Forwarded by John D Berry/grad/res/Okstate on 06/01/2001 07:43 AM Seminole gets fire truck with help of tribal funds By Don Diehl The Oklahoman 2001-05-31 SEMINOLE - A $50,000 grant from the Seminole Nation is providing a new water tank truck for the Seminole Fire Department. In return, firefighters will be better equipped to handle fires outside the city limits where the tribe owns several buildings, including its gaming operation and truck stop. The money was presented to the city Wednesday. City Manager Steve Saxon said the grant improves the partnership between the city and the tribe. The truck will be built and put into service in about 90 days. It will hold 2,500 gallons of water. Saxon said water shortages have been a city concern with out-of-town fire calls. Having more water available also could help insurance rates for local homeowners, businesses and the tribe. Saxon said the city fire department responds to calls within 18 miles of Seminole, which has two fire stations and 19 firefighters. The grant money was provided by the Seminole Nation Development Authority. As part of the agreement, the city will provide five years of free fire protection for the tribe's buildings and to tribal members who live within Seminole County. About 2,000 of the tribe's 13,000 members live in the county. "This will be a mutual benefit to both the nation and the city," authority board member Luci Deere-Harjo said. "We hope we will be able to continue to work together on future endeavors." "This is a unique attempt by a municipal government and an Indian tribe to show how two sovereigns can work together," said Qazi Alam, the authority's executive director. "We expect this to become a model for others." He said the tribe wants to work with the city on other projects including industrial and economic development. The tribe employs 365 people. Half are Seminoles and the other half are non-Indian. --------- "RE: Drought hits Wind River Basin" --------- Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 08:36:36 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WIND RIVER" Drought hits Wind River Basin By The Associated Press RIVERTON - Drought conditions have prompted restrictions on water use in the Wind River Basin. On the Wind River Indian Reservation, water is limited to a cubic feet per second per 70 acres, according to the Wind River Water Resource Control Board. At the Midvale Irrigation District in Pavillion, water is limited to an acre-foot, compared to 1.5 acre-feet at about this time last year, district manager Lee Arrington said. Moisture content in the Wind River Mountains was 14 percent of normal as of last Friday, officials said. The Fremont County Road and Bridge Department has been unable to use water from streams to dust the roads because of the shortage. The State Engineer's Office has declined to grant temporary water use permits for road maintenance because other water right holders have priority, said Water Division 3 Superintendent Craig Cooper. "It's hard to say what will happen later this spring. The conditions don't lend themselves to speculation, so we'll take what we can get," he said. Copyright c. 2001, Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Peruvians elect Indian President" --------- Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 01:30:49 -0700 (PDT) From: Paul Pureau Subj: Peruvians elect Indian President Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.indianz.com/SmokeSignals/Headlines/showfull.asp?ID=intl/642001 Peruvians elect Indian President JUNE 4, 2001 In what international observers have described as Peru's cleanest election ever, Alejandro Toledo on Sunday defeated former President Alan Garcia to become the nation's first democratically elected leader of Indian descent. With 73.68 percent of the ballots counted, Peru's elections board had Toledo with 51.58 percent of the valid votes while rival Garcia had 48.42 percent. Some 12.84 percent of the total counted were blank or invalid, far less than what had been predicted as the run-off race entered its final weeks. Garcia, 52, who drove the country into financial peril during the late 1980s, graciously conceded defeat. "Its time to extend my regards and congratulations to Dr. Toledo for being the winner on this democratic day," he said, promising to help the rebuild a nation racked by a number of political scandals in the past two years. Emerging from his hotel in Lima, the capitol city, late last night, Toledo spoke to a crowd of tens of thousands as he gave his victory speech. Accompanied by his wife Eliane Karp and daughter Chantal, 18, he promised a government "for every Peruvian" and "of every blood." "Brothers and sisters, tonight is the beginning of the future," said Toledo. "Tonight, all Peruvians celebrate the triumph of democracy." For Toledo, a 55-year old world-class economist who rose from poverty to obtain two degrees from Stanford University, the victory is the culmination of nearly two years of endless campaigning. He entered the race to unseat Alberto Fujimori, who led the country for more than a decade. But the election was plagued with widespread allegations of fraud and abuse as Fujimori mysteriously edged towards victory last April. Widespread protests followed in Lima. Eventually, a run-off was called but Toledo dropped out, citing uncorrected problems in the election system. The move gave Fujimori a guaranteed win yet troubles soon befell his administration as both he and spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos fled the country amid scandal. The outlook didn't get any better for Toledo, though. In a move which worried international investors, the controversial Garcia returned to Peru in January after nine years of exile --- just as charges of corruption against him expired. But the black marks didn't particularly sway voters. Entering the race as a dark horse, Garcia's strong speaking style won him widespread appeal and enough votes to prevent Toledo from prevailing in April. The run-off race then turned into a virtual war of words as both candidates attacked one another for their proven and alleged failures. Garcia was hit on his past performance as President while Toledo was racked with charges of cocaine use, marital infidelity, fathering a child out of wedlock, and spousal abuse. And while Toledo banked heavily on his indigenous roots, taking part in traditional ceremonies and promising a special inaugural celebration at the Inca city of Machu Picchu, he wasn't guaranteed support among the 82 percent of Peruvians who are of Indian or mixed heritage. Garcia was able to gain support among some of the nation's poor indigenous, many of whom had favored Fujimori in elections of the past. Still, Toledo reveled in his heritage, calling himself "The Rebel Indian" and the "Indian with a cause" as supporters compared him to the Inca ruler Pachacutec. Yet it was only his wife -- a naturalized American citizen born in Belgium -- who could speak Quechua, the language of the Incan people. Fujimori now lives in Japan, where his parents were born. He has been granted citizenship and although Peru's Attorney General has filed human rights abuses charges against him, it is unlikely he will face them since the two countries have no extradition agreement. Copyright c. Indianz.Com 2000-2001. ===== FREE LEONARD PELTIER NOW STOP THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO SUBSCRIBE TO NDN-AIM SEND A BLANK EMAIL TO: NDN-AIM-SUBSCRIBE@YAHOOGROUPS.COM --------- "RE: Ecuador under siege again" --------- Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 14:44:02 -0700 From: Native Americas Journal Subj: Native Americas Update--May 29, 2001 http://www.nativeamericas.com (800) 9-NATIVE The following is made available by Native Americas Journal, published by Akwe:kon Press at Cornell University's American Indian Program. For information on issues and events that impact Native peoples visit our website at http://www.nativeamericas.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ECUADOR UNDER SIEGE AGAIN By Bill Weinberg Copyright c. 2001 Native Americas Journal A year after an alliance of Ecuador's Indians, labor unions and elements of the military brought down President Jamil Mahuad in a nationwide uprising, the Andean nation is back to the brink. President Gustavo Noboa, who took office in January 2000, has continued his predecessor's policies, and-as vowed-Indians have returned to militant protest across much of the country. Indian protesters are demanding repeal of new economic austerity measures announced by the Ecuadoran government in late December as part of an ongoing "structural adjustment program" by the International Monetary Fund. The measures include the removal of subsidies on cooking fuel and gasoline, causing steep price hikes in food and transportation. In January 2001, the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of Ecuador (CONAIE) started blockading roads in half of the country's 22 provinces. Farm workers, students and others have joined in the protests, and the government has sent military forces to break up the blockades with tear gas and firearms, resulting in several Indian casualties and several hundred arrests. In response to the repression, indigenous organizations called for a national march on the nation's capital, Quito. The army patrolled the streets as some 10,000 Indians arrived in Quito to march over the span of several days. After gathering on the grounds of the Polytechnic University, the marchers were surrounded by troops-who cut off water and electricity, intermittently stopped food and medicine from being brought in and prevented protesters from leaving. Attempts at dialogue between protesters and the government have failed to deescalate the crisis. Indian leaders have presented a series of demands, including an end to the repression and an open dialogue on economic policy, and insist on meeting directly with President Noboa. When the government declared a state of national emergency on February 2, suspending civil rights, several dozen Indians responded by beginning a hunger strike. With Quito under siege, blockades and marches have nearly paralyzed 12 provinces. At least two Indians were killed when 300 troops opened fire to break up the blockade of a bridge in the Amazon region on February 5. One of the dead was a 14-year-old. Some 20 others were wounded. Despite the attack, 5,000 indigenous people returned the next day to retake the bridge. According to a report by Project Underground, an indigenous-rights group based in California: "Media censorship has made it difficult to ascertain the extent of the mobilization and protest, particularly outside the capital, and to be certain of the number of people killed or wounded by military gunfire or the number arrested." Human rights activists in Ecuador say they have not seen this level of repression in their country in more than 20 years. Bill Weinberg is author of Homage to Chiapas: The New Indigenous Struggles in Mexico (Verso 2000). --30-- HOW TO SUBSCRIBE To begin your subscription to Native Americas Journal call (800) 9-NATIVE, or use our secure subscription order form at http://formsite.com/akwekonpress/akwekonpress WARNING!!! NATIVE AMERICAS NEEDS YOUR HELP. PLEASE REQUEST THAT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES SUBSCRIBE --------- "RE: Government won't appeal Trust-fund Ruling" --------- Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 08:01:48 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRUST FUND CASE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm Government won't appeal ruling in Native American trust-fund case By ROBERT GEHRKE, Associated Press WASHINGTON (May 30, 2001 04:48 p.m. EDT) - The government won't appeal a ruling ordering it to reform a mismanaged multibillion-dollar trust fund for Indians, but what changes the government makes and a dollar amount that may be paid to Indians still must be determined. More than 300,000 Indians are included in a class-action suit filed in 1996 over a century's worth of problems with the system that handles about $500 million a year in proceeds from oil wells and other uses of Indian land. The Indians say they are owed at least $10 billion due to mismanagement. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth sided with the Indians in late 1999 and ordered the Interior and Justice departments to reform the fund. The ruling was upheld in February by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. A deadline for government attorneys to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case passed on Friday. "Every time they've fought, they've lost. Every loss has made their position worse. Maybe the message is getting through," Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff, said in a statement issued Wednesday. Lamberth has appointed two people to monitor the reform efforts on the court's behalf and file regular progress reports with the judge. "We're comfortable with the arrangement that we have," Interior spokeswoman Stephanie Hanna said. "We intend to move forward (with trust fund reform) in a serious manner." A separate trial to determine how much the Indians lost because of the mismanagement is expected later this year. The trust accounts came from an 1887 federal law that divided some reservation land into smaller plots for individual Indians. The federal government holds that land in trust for the Indians, meaning it cannot be taxed or sold. Many of the tracts are leased for grazing, logging, mining or oil drilling. Proceeds are supposed to be deposited in government accounts and then paid to Indian landholders. Since the beginning, however, those accounts have been mismanaged, the government acknowledges. Records for many were never kept, and documentation for others was lost or destroyed. Some of the money was stolen or used for other federal programs. Some lease proceeds were never collected. Thousands of the accounts have money but no names attached. Earlier this month, lawyers for the Indians asked Lamberth to hold Interior Secretary Gale Norton in contempt of court for failing to stop the destruction of documents related to the case. The Indians hope to use documents in the case to reconstruct how much money is missing from the trust fund accounts. "They are breaching the trust, they have committed malfeasance and they are continuing to commit malfeasance," said Dennis Gingold, attorney for the plaintiffs. Copyright C. 2001 Nando Media --------- "RE: Lumbees Financial Troubles" --------- Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 08:40:44 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LUMBEE" Tue, May 29, 2001 Lumbees say financial troubles make self-government difficult Additional money, nonprofit status sought by council THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PEMBROKE Lumbee tribal leaders say that financial troubles are making it difficult to establish the Lumbee government, but they say that the lack of money won't prevent them from moving forward. The Tribal Council of the Lumbee Nation has about $33,000. The money is part of an allotment from the General Assembly to the Lumbee Self- Determination Commission. The commission has also received a grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and donations from individuals. "The only thing the council needs is money to fall out of the sky to help things along," said Lonnie Revels, the transition committee chairman and a member of the Tribal Council of the Lumbee Nation. "It's almost like trying to take over a company and having to hire new staff and write new policies and procedures without any money." The self-determination commission has not been formally dissolved and is helping the tribal government by allowing it to use office space and leftover election money. Aside from the commission's financing, the council has no other sources of revenue. The tribal council has sought additional money and nonprofit status, created committees to deal with the needs of the Lumbee and agreed to establish a for-profit corporation to generate revenue. The group has also held several public hearings to gather input for a tribal constitution, Revels said. "We realize that the needs of our people are great," tribal chairman Milton Hunthe said. "If it appears that things are moving slowly, that is not the case. We don't want to rush into things. We want to make sure we get the grants secured and programs properly in place for the Lumbee people." During the transition, the tribal council will work closely with the development association, which has served as the tribe's interim government since 1986. The association will turn over administration of several programs - including an $8 million housing program - once the tribal government is in place. The association also oversees a Head Start program and three day- care centers, as well as programs for low-income energy assistance and economic development. The association also owns the Lumbee Model Poultry Farm, a 20-acre operation near Rennert. The programs bring in more than $2.9 million for the tribe. A tribal chairman and 23 representatives took office in January after a nationwide election. The election ended a dispute between the Lumbee Regional Development Association and the Tribal Council of the Lumbee Tribe of Cheraw Indians over which group would govern the tribe. The tribe has more than 45,000 members, with most of them in Robeson County. Copyright c. 2001 Winston-Salem Journal. The Winston-Salem Journal is a Media General newspaper. --------- "RE: Native Occupation near Sun Peaks" --------- Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 16:42:28 EDT From: sumerwcree1@aol.com Subj: Native occupation Mailing List: Red Road Newsletter from frosty Native occupation VANCOUVER(CKNW/AM980)--A militant group of natives is occupying land near the Sun Peaks ski resort. it is the same group that was responsible for the occupation of a government building in Kamloops last month. Spokesperson Niki Manuel says they have set up three camps in the area and will not move from their traditional lands from now on. Manuel says she has told one business owner he'll have to look for somewhere else to set up shop. VANCOUVER -A militant group of natives is occupying land near the Sun Peaks ski resort. it is the same group that was responsible for the occupation of a government building in Kamloops last month. Spokesperson Niki Manuel says they have set up three camps in the area and will not move from their traditional lands from now on. Manuel says she has told one business owner he'll have to look for somewhere else to set up shop. ===== Subscribe to The Red Road Newsletter by sending an email to: TheRedRoadNewsletter-subscribe@egroups.com The Red Road Newsletter is a free publication. Copywrite c. 2000 Contents may not be reprinted without permission --------- "RE: Ex-Haskell Foundation Director pleads Guilty" --------- Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 15:55:36 -0400 (EDT) From: IndigenousNews@webtv.net Subj: Ex-Haskell Foundation director pleads guilty Mailing List: Native Rights From IndianCountryToday online +++++++ Ex-Haskell Foundation director pleads guilty to embezzlement By Mary Pierpoint Today staff TOPEKA, Kan. - Gerald T. Burd of Mission, Kan., entered a guilty plea May 17 before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Rogers to one count of embezzling from the Haskell Foundation. Burd admitted that from Jan. 2, 1998, through Dec. 10, 1999, he embezzled approximately $103,979.47 in property from the foundation, which is a separate entity and not a part of Haskell Indian Nations University. Although Burd's plea answers some questions, an audit of the troubled foundation's books in March 2000 reported the foundation was more than $1.5 million in debt. Many are questioning what happened to the other $900,000 supposedly entrusted to the foundation. Following a yearlong investigation by the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI, Gerald T. Burd was charged with embezzling funds from the foundation. He faces a possible 10 years in prison at his sentencing Aug. 24. At his May 17 hearing, Burd was charged with: wiring himself $22,084 from foundation accounts; cashing $4,000 in checks which had been intended for activities related to scholarships at Haskell; falsifying expense vouchers and then writing checks totaling $10,517 to himself; paying a $7,000 bonus to himself; earning a master's degree from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., using foundation money to finance his tuition; writing double paychecks to himself; using the foundation's credit card; giving himself advances in pay, and paying personal bills using foundation funds. Burd, no stranger to financial and legal trouble, had already lost his CPA license 1997 in New Mexico and surrendered his CPA license in Kansas in 1997 and his Missouri CPA license in 1998. He filed for bankruptcy in 1997 and was accused of stealing $40,000 from his former business partner, and allegedly misappropriating $300,000 from a relative's estate. It has also been reported that Burd received nearly $120,000 by telling friends and members of his church that he needed money to cure a rare kidney disorder. Trouble started for the Haskell Foundation with rumors of checks bouncing and failure to complete a 1998 audit requested by the Haskell Indian Nations University Board of Regents. Reports of unpaid bills and bouncing checks caused concern for both the university and the regents. By December 1999, Burd had told university officials, regents and foundation trustees that an anonymous donor was providing funds to take care of the foundation's financial problems. Burd's refusal to name the anonymous donor and his refusal to release financial information to the board of regents was unacceptable to the board. Mamie Rupnicki, then president of the regents, wasn't getting the answers she wanted from Burd and made an unannounced visit to the foundation office. Following that visit, the regents made an ultimatum - return control of the foundation to the regents or cut all ties with the university. Burd resigned his position the next day. As the foundation and the university attempted to work through the debts incurred by the foundation and make sense of the records, they also tried to find where grant and donation money meant for students and university programs had gone. The Prairie Band Potawatomi attempted to lend a hand to the foundation by loaning it $47,000 to pay salaries and administrative costs. By March of 2000, Certified Public Accountant Mike Scanlan had been hired. He specializes in helping troubled businesses. His examination of the foundation's books showed that more than $1.5 million was needed to put the foundation in the black again. The sum included not only unpaid bills, but also a $100,000 lien by the IRS. In the aftermath, what troubles many close to the university is the fact that not only did the Haskell Foundation hire Burd, but also never bothered to check out his background. Burd had originally been hired as a temporary employee by former director Fran Day and then put onboard as a permanent employee, (eventually becoming the foundation's director) without his questionable past ever being brought up. Officials say it appears he simply fell through the cracks. Earlier this year the Haskell National Alumni Chapter announced it was cutting all ties with the foundation because of the financial mess. Martha Houle, president of the national chapter said she was relieved to hear about Burd's plea, but added all of the Haskell Alumni Chapters, except for those in Oklahoma, were going to stand their ground and would no longer have any ties or donations going to the Haskell Foundation. Haskell Regents have given the foundation another chance. The consensus was that if the foundation were eliminated, a whole new tax status and various other legal documents would have to be filed and a new not-for profit organization set up to handle private donations and government grants for the university. No group has stepped forward saying it was ready to take on the responsibility of a new foundation. The time it would take to get a new foundation up and running could cost the school numerous grants and private donations. The Haskell Foundation can receive grants and private donations the school cannot accept and distributed them to students and various departments on the HINU campus. As a new board of trustees for the embattled foundation struggle to get the organization back in working order, new rumors are circulating about members of the former foundation board who may be under investigation in regard to the other $900,000. A source close to Haskell questioned purchase of a $65,000 dishwasher. "There was a big deal about a dishwasher that somehow the foundation paid for," the source said. "Haskell ended up with it, how come that never got in the restitution stuff? How did that stay out of the papers and out of the information stuff? That's a lot of money still missing, $900,000." Another source close to Haskell was unable to answer questions because the FBI told them the investigation is ongoing. Calls from Indian Country Today to the FBI office in Kansas City to confirm status of the investigation were referred to the U.S. attorney's office in Wichita. Asked about an on-going investigation, spokeswoman Kena Rice had "No comment." She did offer to forward the message to the attorneys to see if they had any comment. None was received. Attempts to contact both Burd and members of the foundation were unsuccessful. Printed for educational purposes only: The news that is reported is not necessarily the viewpoint of IndigenousNews --------- "RE: Innu challenge proposed Phase III of Trans Lab" --------- Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 14:50:01 -0300 From: Larry Innes Subj: News: Innu challenge proposed Phase III of TLH Mailing List: Innu People Forum list It looks like the Innu and the province are on a collision course over phase three of the Trans Labrador Highway. Yesterday the government announced a $1 million feasibility study for the proposed road link between Cartwright and Happy Valley - Goose Bay. It's a 200 kilometer stretch through the pristine wilderness of the Mealey Mountains. The government says it will consult with native groups but the Innu aren't so sure - Interview with "Peter Penashue", president of the Innu Nation. Program: LABRADOR MORNING -2 Media: CFGB-FM Reporter: Don Lockhart, Cindy Wall Air Date: Wed, May 30 Anchor: Don Lockhart, Cindy Wall Air Time: 7:40 AM Duration: 6:30 Cindy Wall: It looks like the Innu and the province are on a collision course over phase three of the Trans Labrador Highway. Yesterday the government announced a $1 million feasibility study for the proposed road link between Cartwright and Happy Valley - Goose Bay. It's a 200 kilometer stretch through the pristine wilderness of the Mealey Mountains. The government says it will consult with native groups but the Innu aren't so sure. Peter Penashue is president of the Innu Nation, he's actually in Ottawa today and he's on the line right now. Good morning Mr. Penashue. Peter Penashue: Good morning Cindy. Cindy Wall: So tell us what is your reaction to this plan to study the road link between Happy Valley - Goose Bay and Cartwright. Peter Penashue: Well I have a couple of problems with it. One is that we haven't been consulted at this point. Ernie McLean, Minister of Labrador Affairs, did tell me that there was going to be an announcement regarding this road on his way to the airport at the hangar in St. John's. Cindy Wall: So when Mr. McLean said to CBC Radio yesterday that he had consulted with the Innu Nation, you mean that was the extent of those consultations. Peter Penashue: That was the extent. He was on his way out to the airport, he told me look, there is going to be an announcement on this road next Tuesday and documents will be sent over to you. And that was the extent of the consultations. So I don't consider that a consultation at all. Cindy Wall: So besides having a problem with that area what about the road itself? What about the plan to have some kind of a link through the Mealey Mountains between Happy Valley - Goose Bay and Cartwright? Peter Penashue: Well let me say this, that you know, as far as we are concerned the road is not going to take place until the land claims between the Innu Nation and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is complete. Because you know, given that the . . . you know, we see this road as a resource access road. Which means it's not designed for people on the street to take a trip down to Corner Brook to go shopping, it's a road for access to resources and that includes forestry and other resources that government is wanting to take down to Newfoundland. And so that's one problem we have with it, the other problem is that . . . that part of the country is very pristine and very much untouched in terms of development and population and everything else. And that's why we fought so hard on the ptarmigan trail. And that's why for us it's very important that the land remain as it is. And that's why for example we agreed to the national park, because we didn't want that land to be destroyed by development and huge populations of accessing in terms of that kind of development. So there are a number of concerns, there is the national park issue, there is the land claims issue that needs to be addressed and then there is the issue of non-Innu accessing the hunting and fishing territories of the Innu population. Cindy Wall: Well that's a few heavy things there to actually work out. So I'm just wondering is it a firm 'No' or is the Innu Nation willing to sit down and have some serious consultations to try and find some solutions to these problems and somehow get this road link? Peter Penashue: Well a couple of things need to happen. We need to know . . . we need to sit down with government first of all. We need to find out exactly what they are thinking in terms of the road routes. We need to establish an environmental assessment that's going to be something similar to the Voisey's Bay Project Environmental Assessment which is a full environmental assessment and that's the agreement that we had with government previously when we discussed the phase two. And out of . . . all of these issues will obviously be discussed at the table if we can ever get to a table and have a discussion on these issues. Cindy Wall: Well how close are we when you talk about settling land claims? This is not something that is just directly around the corner is it? Peter Penashue: Well I wouldn't say that. I mean I would say that land claims is probably much closer than people think. And I would venture to say that land claims with the Innu will probably be resolved once people get back to the table and all the issues have been discussed far sooner than people think. Cindy Wall: Okay so it's getting to the table. Just let me bring this into the conversation here and that's alternate routes for this road. I remember the ptarmigan trail for instance. The Innu agreed to a route north of Lake Melville. I'm just wondering could something similar be worked out with this road proposal? Peter Penashue: Well as I said we have had previous discussions with government regarding phase two and the impacts it will have on phase three and we do have a commitment with government that we would be part of the discussions in terms of the routing of this road. From our point of view obviously there are some key, very important areas that we would like to stay away from in terms of the Mealey Mountains. And obviously I'm not sure how feasible the northern route would be. But certainly I think you know staying as far south as possible would be you know, obviously our option if the road were to be developed. Cindy Wall: Okay. Just wondering as well, you talk there about the whole reason why this road is going through and you believe it is to harvest resources and ship them out of Labrador. But there have been benefits to local people with having a road let's say to Western Labrador, people are using it for different things. And so would your people be using the Trans Labrador road system. I mean is there any pressure from, you know, people from Sheshatshiu or otherwise to use a connection I should say to Cartwright, you know for purposes that would put them closer to hunting grounds and things like that? Peter Penashue: Well I mean there is no question everyone uses the road including the Innu but you will never see the Innu advocating for the road. I mean if the road is there perhaps people will use it. But the important thing is that you know, we shouldn't get mixed up with people thinking that this road is being built for the public to get access to Corner Brook or St. John's or other big shopping markets. The road is an access road for resources and you have to keep in mind that Kruger and Abitibi Price are running out of wood on the island they need fresh stock. And where are they looking for this wood, they are looking at Labrador and that's the reason why this road would be built at this time. Cindy Wall: Okay we are out of time because we are getting other reaction from the south coast and some other initiatives that were announced. I want to thank you very much. I'm sure we will hear more on this. Peter Penashue: Thank you very much. Cindy Wall: Bye, bye. And that's Peter Penashue, President of the Innu Nation. -- Larry Innes Advisor, Innu Nation Sheshatshiu, Labrador --------- "RE: Trail of Tears Threat" --------- Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 15:54:14 -0500 From: "D. Mitchell" Subj: Fwd:Trail of Tears Threat >From: CIRCL Due to the pending sale of a large tract of land in Van Buren County, Tennessee by Huber Corporation, some very significant segments of the Trail of Tears are in danger of being lost or destroyed. One site, the old Fleming Farm where B. B. Cannon with 365 Cherokees camped on October 20th., 1837, is located along the east side of state Hwy.#111 approximately 1/4 miles south of mile marker #3. There is a State historical marker at this site. State Hwy.#111 is a major road and this an excellent site for an Interpretive Park with high exposure to visitation. The County Executive and the Historical Society have submitted a proposal to Huber Corporation asking that approx. 10 acres be donated to the county for this purpose. There is approximately 400 ft. of original roadbed included in this site. The road continues eastward approximately one mile across some strip pits, old highway #111 along bud Boyd Road, across some more strip pits and back to the original road bed. The original road continues eastward for apr. 1-1/2 miles around Smart Mountain and intersects Brockdell road just west of the Bledsoe / Van Buren County line. The entire segments is shown on the Smart Mountain Quad, USGS Map dated 1946. Anyone interested in preserving these very valuable historical sites are encourage to write: Mr. Dan Johnson, c/o J. M. Huber Corporation, PO Box 938, Middlesboro, KY 40965. Please include your reasoning why these sites should be preserved and what impact this might have on this area. Best regards, Bill & Agnes Jones --------- "RE: Supreme Court to rule on Tribal Court Challenge" --------- Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 08:40:44 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL COURTS" http://www.indianz.com Supreme Court set to rule on tribal court challenge MAY 29, 2001 The Supreme Court is set to rule on another one of its Indian law cases - this one testing the authority of tribal courts over state officials. In oral arguments in March, the Court heard the state of Nevada's challenge to the jurisdiction of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe. The state opposes the tribe having the ability to try any of its officials in tribal court, seeking the reversal of a 9th Circuit decision. Floyd Hicks, a tribal member, brought a lawsuit case against Nevada game wardens alleging violations of his civil rights under federal and tribal law. The game wardens were investigating crimes alleged to have occurred on state land, but since Hicks lives on tribal land, the game wardens sought the approval of the tribal court to search his home. After receiving approval, the wardens searched the home on two separate occasions but no evidence was found. The Court's oral hearing was peppered with Nevada's repeated assertion that state officials cannot be tried in tribal court under any condition, even if a police officer, for example, beat up a tribal member while on duty. The state says it didn't need permission to search Hicks' home, even when one Justice argued it was a "given" that the tribe needed to authorize it. Citing a Nevada Attorney General opinion and a case in the 9th Circuit, Hicks and the tribe together argued that the state does need permission. And even if the state didn't like the outcome of a tribal court case, it could always seek some an appeal to federal court. At least one Justice questioned that position, however. The Department of Justice also presented the same argument in support of the tribe. The case is Nevada et al. v. Hicks et al. Indianz.Com is a product of Noble Savage Media, LLC and Ho-Chunk, Inc. --------- "RE: Peltier Awareness Month" --------- Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 17:07:02 -0500 From: "LPDC" Subj: PELTIER AWARENESS MONTH STARTS FRIDAY! Mailing List: LPDC REMINDER: PELTIER AWARNESS MONTH BEGINS FRIDAY, JUNE 1ST! June is a significant month in both the history of the Peltier case and the history of the Lakota People. On June 26, 1975 the tragic shoot-out which, led to Leonard Peltier's unjust imprisonment occurred. Two years later, on June 1, 1977 Peltier was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Almost a century prior to the shoot-out, on June 25, 1876, the Lakota People defeated Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Over a decade later, on June 15, 1889, the Ghost Dance was inaugurated on the Pine Ridge Reservation. We want to dedicate this June to raising awareness about Leonard Peltier in our own communities. The activities will begin on Peltier's sentencing date - June 1st and conclude on June 26, the 26th anniversary of the shoot-out: June 1 - 8 Congressional Outreach Week (letter drives, visits to district offices, and phone bank planning)http://www.freepeltier.org/congressional_ outreach.htm#top June 9 - 15 Letters to the Editor Week (send letters to your local news papers) (new sample letter to be released this week) June 16-26 Community Outreach Week (organize video showings, literature tables, book readings, and leafleting). Some suggestions: * Set up literature tables at events/public places *Organize summer school teach-ins * Host speaking engagements with LPDC spokespeople * Plan video showings * Leafleting * Encourage community radio stations to highlight the case * Gather names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses from Peltier supporters for our data base and list serve * Hold book readings featuring My Life Is My Sun Dance by Peltier Initiate Peltier Awareness Month in your community. Contact us for more resources and organizing tips. Please let us know at the earliest possible date if you are organizing activities so that we can publicize them through our network, and let people in your area know what you are doing, should they ask. Also, your ideas and plans may help inspire others to take action. NOTE: We will be releasing a list of some planned activities tomorrow. If you are planning something, but have not given us the details yet, please do so asap so that we can include it. Thank you! Solidarity, LPDC Leonard Peltier Defense Committee PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 785-842-5774 www.freepeltier.org To subscribe, send a blank message to < lpdc-on@mail-list.com > --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Sat, 2 June 2001 08:31:45 -0400 From: "Janet Smith" Subj: Native Prisoner News Tell a Native American Prisoner someone cares! -- - - - Peltier, Leonard #89637-132 Box 1000 Leavenworth, KS 66053 Birthday: 9/12/44 Ancestry: Ojibwa-Lakota -- - - - Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 10:07:54 -0700 (PDT) From: angela green Subj: letter to the editor Concerned American Indians, I am looking to establish an Advisory Group to explore risk and preventative factors for juvenile delinquency.If you have knowledge of the justice system, strong opinions about delinquency or juvenile justice, or a desire to share your cultural and historical expertise, you can help. The Advisory Group will guide advocates and governmental entities on culturally appropriate and effective interventions for Indian youth at risk of delinquency. Duties would include completing surveys, participating in conference calls with other members of the Advisory Group and Director, conducting interviews, or writing letters. The group is not expected to travel, but if travel should be necessary, you will be reimbursed for your expenses. The Group's primary priority is to put the management of risk and preventative factors of juvenile delinquency back in the hands of the tribal entities. If you can help, please contact me at a_k_green@yahoo.com. Thank you, Angela Green Sulphur, OK After I received this letter, Angela and I have corresponded. I hope some readers with an interest in steering our youngsters off the road to the Iron House will help with this effort. I'm particularly glad to see the focus and responsibility for this effort being returned to the tribal community. Janet --------------------------------- Please especially remember Leonard. Leonard Peltier #89637-132, Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 66053 --------------------------------- Standing Deer's new address: Robert H. Wilson #640539, Estelle Unit, 264 FM 3478, Huntsville, TX 77320-3322 ---------------------------------- If you know of a Native American inmate who would like to correspond with brothers or sisters on the outside - please drop me a line with whatever information about them they'd like shared. Janet owlstar@speakeasy.org Janet Smith Owlstar Trading Post http://www.owlstar.com --------- "RE: John Rustywire: Go Ahead and Turn It Up" --------- Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 06:25:00 GMT From: "rustywire" Subj: Go Ahead and Turn It Up... Newsgroup: alt.native What's the matter, don't you feel right, go on reach over and turn up that knob, yeah just a little bit, oh yeah...... Hey.... Hey.... Come and Get your love....Oh yeah Pah pah pah pah pum pum ...rum pum....oh, yeah let it all slide away; the hell with everybody, I am gonna turn it up loud and then the floor pounds, the music fills my soul oh, yeah....turn up the tunes.....it lifts me and takes me away....to a better day to a place where words make no sound where cares fall away and the mood is mellow oh, what a beautiful sound if it could always be this way this old song lifts my soul, cares melt away, let them talk who cares, I am one with myself and find the days of goodness, and it's sweet taste Who can touch me, no one...it feels so good let that music carry me away. ....the days it brings...lift my spirit and my soul Some days are tough, and the sun beats down hard the screech of voices and the loudness of their sound are hard to listen to sometimes, but the song, a sweet song of life, of love, of a simpler time takes everything back to a place ...a sweet spot where I am all that I can be..... Oh, yeah let them talk, who cares, let them see, it is only me, dancing ....just myself, all alone and in this I find the strength to face the day ....all because of a song....go ahead put it on and turn it up...close your eyes and let it carry you away....take me with you and let my heart go free..... Remember the time when we were