From gars@speakeasy.org Sat Sep 8 00:55:34 2001 Date: 5 Sep 2001 00:26:47 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews09.036 + 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 + + Sho-da-ku-we + O o O + Aunchemokauhettittea + + Un Chota + O o o o o O VOLUME 09, ISSUE 036 O o O + Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse + September 8, 2001 O o O + Ximopanolti tehuatzin, Lakota moon of drying grass O inin Mexika tlahtolli + Blackfeet iitaomatapapittssko/moon when leaves change ( 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.easterndoor.com; www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; Tennessee Indian Affairs, Native Truth, First Nations, Innu-L, ndn-aim, LPDC, INDIAN Heritage and Rez Life mailing Lists; UUCP email 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.'" "The worship of the Great Mystery is silent, solitary, free from all self-seeking..." "We first Americans mingle with our pride an exceptional humility. Spiritual arrogance is foreign to our nature and our teaching. We never claimed that the power of articulate speech is proof of superiority over `dumb creation'; on the other hand, it is to us a perilous gift..." "There are to be found here and there superficial accounts of strange customs and ceremonies, of which the symbolism or inner meaning was largely hidden from the observer; and there has been a great deal of material collected in recent years which is without value because it is modern and hybrid, inextricably mixed with Biblical legend and Caucasian philosophy. Some of it has even been invented for commercial purposes. Find an Indian who is more concerned with profit than his heritage, and he will possibly provide you with sacred songs, a mythology, and folklore to order!" __ Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa), Santee Dakota +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 society that has been visited on Turtle Island is doing what any self respecting dog will not. It is literally crapping in its own nest. Millions of tons of raw sewage bloat the Great Lakes with filth and vermin. If you ever lived in Minnesota, Michigan or other areas lining the Great Lakes you know what a treat a plate full of Great Lakes perch or trout was. Was... Fish from a septic tank, no matter how huge, is not my idea of appetizing. We joined many other local brothers and sisters for a weekend gathering at McIntosh Reserve, named after the Creek Chief, to socialize before we get back into the fall half of Powwow season. The park is along the Chattahootchie River south of Atlanta. The odor of raw sewage being dumped into the river by Atlanta was overwhelming at times. Biloxi was once one of my favorite places to play in the Gulf. It is so polluted with human waste now, it is a wonder anyone survives even a few moments in the water. Other lakes, rivers and bays are just as trashed. The mountains are no better off for their "development" and "civilization". Damn, we savages are lucky they came here to save us from pristine forests, clear waters and living "outside the boxes". 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 ---------- - Crossings - Innu Concern - Bush Administration about Harvesting in Labrador looks to Delay Payments - Davis Inlet Chief - Focus on Eagle Feathers threatens to Shut School - Killing Us Slowly - When Religion is a Weapon - Hopi Tribe disputes - Jicarilla Apaches Peabody Water Study want Majority District - Red Clay in Mound - Coeur d'Alene puzzles Archaeologists oppose Cleanup Settlement - Osage Nation files Tax Suit - Anza Panelists against Oklahoma present Comanche Viewpoint - Guest Column: - Mitchell Case cited at Border Impediments to Nationhood - Five Tribes win COPS Funding - Details on Aboriginal Agenda Scant - Cincinnati Peltier BD Event - Coon Come: - Eugene Oregon Peltier BD Event White Mobs Beat My People - Native Prisoner - Canadian Apartheid -- Pen Pals Wanted - Indian Affairs Minister -- Update: Texas Hunger Strike admonishes Chief - History: Carlisle Indian School - Quebec Cree speak out - Rustywire: Quiet Times on Human Rights - Poem: To a Kansas Grandfather - Ottawa extends - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days Burnt Church Lobster Licence - Accohannock Tribe - Burnt Church Natives Angered - Final Indian School - Burnt Church Lobster Fishermen Hooked Up to Internet defy Ottawa - Choctaw Head Start gets the Grade - More Lobster Traps - Conference focuses seized at Burnt Church on Native American Children --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 08:52:08 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/obits/ August 29 Randy Nelson Spotted Owl RAPID CITY - Randy Nelson Spotted Owl, 32, Rapid City, died Saturday, Aug. 25, 2001, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Arrangements are pending with Kirk Funeral Home of Rapid City. Nettie A. 'Choppy' Oldson PINE RIDGE - Nettie A. "Choppy" Oldson, 58, Pine Ridge, died Sunday, Aug. 26, 2001, in Pine Ridge. Survivors include her mother, Rita Tapio, Pine Ridge; two sons, Leslie Oldson, Pine Ridge, and Charles Oldson, Ord, Neb.; one daughter, Dwanna Oldson, Pine Ridge; four brothers, Charles Richards, Robert Richards, Lonnie Bettelyoun and Kenneth Dubray, all of Pine Ridge; four sisters, Phyllis Kocer, Rockyford, and Francine Whalen, Valeria Richards and Shirley Bradford, all of Pine Ridge; 13 grandchildren; and one great- grandchild. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. August 30 Randy Nelson Spotted Owl RAPID CITY - Randy Nelson Spotted Owl, 32, Rapid City, died Saturday, Aug. 25, 2001, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Survivors include his guardian, Renee Kewley, Custer. A memorial service will be held at a later date by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Kirk Funeral Home of Rapid City is in charge of arrangements. August 31 Clifford J. 'Iron Gourd' Young Bear POPLAR, Mont. - Clifford J. "Iron Gourd" Young Bear, 68, Poplar, died Monday, Aug. 27, 2001, at Roosevelt Community Hospital in Culbertson. Survivors include his companion, Vida Walking Eagle, Poplar; four daughters, Dorine Young Bear, Marva Three Stars, and Lynette Boyd, all of Fort Kipp, and Trivian Nault, Grapeview, Wash.; seven grandchildren; one sister, Vivian Bullhead, Bismarck, N.D.; and one adopted grandson. A wake was Thursday, Aug. 30, at Red Butte Community Center in Mandaree, N.D. Services will be at 10 a.m. today at the community center, with the Rev. Stephen Kranz officiating. Burial will be at St. Anthony's Cemetery in Mandaree. Fulkerson Funeral Home of Watford City, N.D., is in charge of arrangements. September 1 Robin T. Higheagle RAPID CITY - Robin T. Higheagle, born November 24, 1951, died August 30, 2001. He was born to Betty E. (Haubert) Higheagle and Raymond R. Higheagle Jr., Los Angeles, California. He is survived by two sons, Jeremiah and Chris, by his first marriage, both sons currently residing in Los Angeles, California; his widow, Jean Higheagle, Rapid City, S.D.; and his stepsons, Ben and Blake Karp. Robin has two sisters living in California, Renee Dunlap and husband Dan, and niece Alexandria and nephew Andrew, living in Newport Beach, and Rhonda Goerisch and husband Mark, niece Mercy Garner, husband Craig and their daughter, Monet, and nephew Scott, living in Granada Hills. Robin's brother Raymond and his father live in Rapid City. His mother, Betty, lives in Northridge, California, site of the big earthquake. South Dakota is the home of many, many cousins, aunts and uncles from his father's side of the family, who are not forgotten but are certainly numerous. Southern California is the home of one aunt and two cousins. Robin was very active in Little League baseball, Junior Soccer and Junior Bowling. Robin was a remarkable athlete, excelling in Little League baseball while making the All-star team twice and advancing to the West Finals two years in a row. Robin also excelled in baseball and basketball at the high school level. God has taken Rob at an early age in order to forego any more suffering on Rob's part. His family and friends are praying for him and will certainly miss him. There will be a wake Sunday starting at 5 p.m. at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church. Funeral services will be Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church, with Father Pat McCorkel officiating. --------- "RE: Bush Administration looks to Delay Payments" --------- Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 08:19:36 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="URANIUM DELAY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.standard.net/standard/news/print_story.html Bush administration looks to delay payments to miners Wed, Aug 29, 2001 The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration wants to remove some people from a compensation program for workers who contracted illnesses after working in Cold War-era nuclear weapons programs. The administration says more study is needed to determine if some workers who helped mine uranium actually qualify for compensation. Critics say further delay means more eligible workers will die before getting any money. "They"ve been stonewalling and it"s a crying shame," said Ed Brickey, president of the Colorado Uranium Workers Council. "We have people who are dying because of where they worked." The administration wants to delay the payments until the completion of three ongoing studies, said Chris Ullman, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget. William Lambert, an epidemiologist at the University of Oregon working with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said the studies are looking at whether exposure to uranium and silica dust in the mines caused the illnesses. It could be six months to a year before the studies are finished, Lambert said. "The administration is shirking its moral and legal responsibility to a segment of society that is powerless because they"re old and sick. It"s a total disgrace," said Lori Goodman, spokeswoman for Dine CARE, which represents Navajo Indians who worked in the uranium mines. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was passed by Congress in 1990 to compensate below-ground uranium miners and people exposed to radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons tests. Aboveground uranium miners, ore-haulers and millers were added to the program last year and could begin applying for $100,000 payments in January. At least 141 ore-haulers and millers applied for compensation, but none have been paid. Now the administration wants to remove those workers from the program until the studies are finished. OMB officials met with staffers from several senators earlier this month, briefing them on the administration"s position. Copyright c. 2001, Ogden Publishing Corporation --------- "RE: Focus on Eagle Feathers" --------- Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001 08:24:10 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EAGLE FEATHERS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.pioneerplanet.com/news/mtc_docs/114071.htm Powwow puts focus on eagle feathers BY MARA H. GOTTFRIED Pioneer Press Smiley Shepherd Jr. is a warrior, and he has the eagle feathers to prove it. He wore 22 feathers on his back in the shape of wings and carried an eagle wing during a powwow Saturday at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. "The eagle is sacred for us because of its fierceness, its strength and its power," said Shepherd, a Vietnam veteran and member of the Sisseton- Wahpeton Sioux tribe in South Dakota. "Our warriors used to earn them in battle and veterans wear them today in the tradition of those warriors." For most American Indians, there is no higher honor than receiving an eagle feather. They view eagles as majestic creatures that fly high enough to carry messages to their creator. American Indians earn feathers from each other in naming ceremonies and for doing good deeds. But the feathers are a precious commodity in more ways than one. United States law made it illegal to kill eagles in 1940. It is also against the law to possess a bald or golden eagle, whether it is alive or dead. The government allows American Indian tribes to obtain eagle feathers for ceremonies, but they have to come from a repository for eagle parts in Colorado. An American Indian must be a member of a tribe that is formally recognized by the government to secure a permit that allows them to carry eagle parts. And while American Indians can apply for a permit to carry eagle parts into Canada, U.S. customs law prevents Canadian Indians from carrying eagle parts into the United States. Some American Indians at Saturday's powwow said the U.S. regulations are unfair. "We've been using eagle feathers for thousands of years, and for the white man to come in and say we can't do this anymore without regulations -- I don't think so," said Clint Greene, a Mohawk Indian who lives in Memphis. "I don't carry a permit because the feathers are a symbol of honor for me and I don't need the white man's permission to have them." Greene, who grew up on the Grand River Six Nations Reserve in Ohsweken, Ontario, said the regulations that prevent Canadian Indians from carrying eagle parts into the United States are unjustified. "There is no border between Canada and the United States from our perspective," he said. "It's a concept that was created by the white man." But Shepherd said many American Indians have no problem with the regulations. "We work very closely with the government and they seem to respect us on this issue," he said. "Sure, there are a small amount of people who feel angry because they look at the government as restricting their freedom, but I don't think that's the case at all." Many American Indians don't like to get embroiled in the controversy. Instead, people like Jerry Dearly, a Lakota Indian who lives in St. Paul, focuses on why eagle feathers are so important to him. "Eagles live between heaven and earth so their feathers are everything to us," Dearly said. "Receiving an eagle feather is the highest honor -- it's like getting a doctorate degree for the white man. But we don't need a piece of paper to be honored; the eagle feathers bring us blessings." Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at mgottfried@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5262. Copyright c. 2001 PioneerPlanet/St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press --------- "RE: Killing Us Slowly" --------- Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:55:10 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ALCOHOLISM" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.okit.com/news/2001/june/alcoholism.html Killing Us Slowly:The Relationship Between Type II Diabetes and Alcoholism Ann Dapice, Ph.D., Clark Inkanish, ICADC, Barbara Martin, B.S., and Elizama Montalvo, M.D. Onyx Mooney, a Choctaw, was heard to say recently, "Practically everyone in my family is either diabetic or alcoholic. I'm 38 years old and I'm not alcoholic so I wonder when the diabetes will hit." He didn't realize at the time how true his statement was, nor the physiological relationship between the two diseases. His observations are accurately demonstrated in the statistics. American Indians have had the highest incidence of Type II Diabetes of any racial group resulting in related cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and high amputation rates. American Indians also have the highest incidence of alcoholism, nicotine addiction and suicide of any racial group. Physiologically, these are all interrelated. Conquest by Europeans resulted in genocide, great poverty and oppression for all Indians across the Americas, but until recently, diabetes and alcoholism were mainly seen as problems among Indians north of the US- Mexican border. This was true even for tribes divided by the border. Why? How is the present incidence of alcoholism and diabetes among Indians the continuing result of earlier European and US policy towards Indians from the beginning? There has been found a physiological relationship between alcoholism and Type II Diabetes. Both are related to problems in blood sugar regulation. An elevated insulin response to carbohydrates exists in both the pre-diabetic and the alcoholic. Most people are unaware that between 75% and 95% of alcoholics are hypoglycemic. (It should be noted that not all people who are hypoglycemic are or will become alcoholic or diabetic.) Dr. Joan Larson author of Seven Weeks to Sobriety has written that Native Americans are particularly vulnerable to adult-onset diabetes when associated with drinking. Although long considered a moral weakness and still treated as an emotional problem, alcoholism, like diabetes, is a physical disease. There are mental, emotional and spiritual components to all illnesses, but at base, alcoholism is a physical disease. Alcoholism in Native Americans is partly related to an allergic response. American Indians are allergic to a number of the foods brought by Europeans and especially to grains (e.g., wheat, barley, oats, etc.) Food allergy symptoms include fatigue, mental confusion, depression, physical aggression and suicide attempts. After repeated exposure, intense cravings for the allergen and physical addiction resulting in withdrawal symptoms are the maladaptive responses. This allergy was demonstrated by the initial reaction of Indians to grain alcohols described in historical accounts. Alcoholism is lowest in countries where these grains originated thousands of years ago (e.g., Africa, Italy, Greece, etc.) and highest in countries that received these grains more recently (e.g., Russia and northern European countries.) Indians in the US are a prime example of people most recently exposed to these grains and therefore most acutely affected by allergic symptoms. Corn is the grain indigenous to what is now called the Americas. However, traditionally Indians processed corn in a variety of ways using lye or lime. Science has since discovered that this process was required to release complete amino acids and the niacin required to regulate blood sugar. Different tribes had different recipes for treating corn using this method (e.g., softkey, hominy, etc.) Some tribes still have official "corn lyers." Mexican tortillas purchased in the US have this process listed on their labels presently. In the US, governmental policy demanded re-socialization of Indians to European ways--the English language, European dress, how to cook their foods, etc. The policy was known as "Kill the Indian, save the man." South of the border, oppressive but distinctly different policies allowed Indians to continue to cook in traditional ways. Meanwhile in the US, corn was purposefully engineered to achieve the sweetness found most desirable. In addition to the proper processing of corn, traditional diets of buffalo, fish, turkey, deer along with roots, vegetables, nuts and wild fruits are now seen as important to the treatment of both diabetes and alcoholism for Indians and non-Indians alike. The key is a diet high in protein and fiber, low in carbohydrates, grains and refined foods. Unlike modern life, obtaining these foods once involved considerable exercise as well. Cokes, candy, fast food, cakes and pies were of course not traditional. Fry bread--made from refined wheat flour--was not traditional either. Many dishes now considered to be "Indian" are the result of Indians losing their lands and cultural ways. Forced to live on commodity rations, Indians made recipes from what they had in order to survive. Unfortunately, these wheat-based, sugared, refined foods keep us sick. Meanwhile, indigenous peoples are suffering increased problems with diabetes and alcoholism worldwide. For example, the Tarajamara Indians in Mexico, long known for their superior foot races, have also been recognized for their ability to drink corn beer without suffering from alcoholism. Until recently this tribe shunned European and industrials ways and lived in a close and strongly moral community. Now forced off their native lands and into factories for work, and with the adoption of refined western foods, they too are beginning to suffer problems with alcohol and diabetes. So the genocide continues. Yet, the effects of modern, refined foods are no longer limited to indigenous people. Related illnesses and addiction are a problem for all people worldwide. The need and effectiveness for addiction treatment that promotes physical healing and repair of physiologic damage has been studied for decades. Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, first established the link between alcoholism and hypoglycemia and the need for biochemical treatment using niacin and B vitamins. His own experience suffering depression long after he'd been sober caused him to research the need for niacin in treating alcoholism. For some reason this information was never incorporated into present AA practice. Wilson's work has been supported in recent studies by considerable scientific research demonstrating that the physiological effects of sugar, caffeine and tobacco (up to 75% sugar cured) are the major causes of alcoholic relapse. Unfortunately, once thought to be appropriate substitutes for alcohol, these substances remain the mainstay of 12 step and drug rehab programs whose present success rates are only 7% after four years. Even after sobriety, hypoglycemia and maladaptive allergic responses continue unless treated. New technologies enabling scientists to view changes inside the brain have shown alterations in brain pathways after prolonged exposure to alcohol. After years of sobriety many sober alcoholics not treated for hypoglycemia remain depressed, irritable and anxious, often hostile and paranoid as well. These are what often have been referred to as "dry drunk" symptoms. They are the symptoms of hypoglycemia as well. This is related to a statistic showing that one in four deaths among sober alcoholics is due to suicide. Allergic response to grains and chemicals continue to cause intense cravings, trigger "addictive memory", and lead to relapse. These sustained effects often make the thought of sustained sobriety and wellness seem unattainable. Decades of research by others--and the research and practice at T. K. Wolf & Associates--show that cranial electrical stimulation and correct nutrition achieve healing. They provide the necessary electrical impulses to the brain cells along with the proteins and amino acids needed for neurotransmitter production allowing manageable withdrawal, prevention of cravings (sugar, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol), repair of the damaged brain and other organs, and prevention of relapse. They also respond to the related depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia of alcoholism. Unlike attempts at pharmacological solutions, there are no side effects. Curiously, well documented research using these methods to control withdrawal and promote biochemical repair have been published in major scientific journals for decades, yet have been implemented in only a few treatment facilities in the US. Fortunately, here in Oklahoma, as well as in California, Alaska and Canada, Indians are leading the way. References and research are available upon request by contacting Ann Daupice at TKWOLF7@aol.com ===== "Return to your Roots" Diabetes Conference will include speakers who specialize in treating alcoholics with nutrition. The carbohydrate connection to alcoholism and diabetes will be discussed.... "Return to your Roots" Diabetes Conference Curing Diabetes Naturally A ground breaking conference on alternative methods for curing diabetes. A growing number of medical professionals are breaking ranks with the "status quo" on dealing with diabetes, heart disease and alcoholism. Because carbohydrates are various sugar molecules, medical professionals are regulating carbohydrates and having a phenomenal success rate for reducing insulin resistance in Type I diabetics and eliminating the need for insulin therapy completely for Type II; as well as, reducing alcohol addiction symptoms. Because the modern diet is very high in simple carbohydrates, studies have revealed that rates of these diseases among Native Americans sky- rocket when introduced to the western diet. Further studies have proven reversing these diseases can be maintained through returning to natural food choices similar to the traditional diet while adding nutritional supplements. Return to your Roots Diabetes Conference will have professionals in this field who will speak of diet guidelines and how reducing high levels of insulin leads to a decline of atherosclerosis symptoms, a drop in cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lower-density lipids (LDL-the bad fats); and how it causes higher-density lipids (HDL-the good cholesterol) to rise. Historians will also be speaking on what traditional foods Native American's ate and how they prepared them in a healthier fashion than today's fast food preparations. Professionals will speak on the relationship to sugar addiction and its connection to alcoholism among Native Americans and how success rates rise dramatically in treating alcoholism through carbohydrate and protein awareness. Planning for the conference is currently underway. Please stay in tune with our website for future updates. "Return to your Roots" Diabetes Conference Curing Diabetes Naturally Sheraton Hotel (Tentative) Tulsa, Oklahoma October 15-16, 2001 For more information, call 918-438-6548 or e-mail: liz@okit.com. Native Times is currently seeking sponsorships from tribes and businesses Native American Times is c. Copyright 2000-2001 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: Hopi Tribe disputes Peabody Water Study" --------- Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 10:40:12 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HOPI/PEABODY" http://www.indianz.com/SmokeSignals/Headlines/showfull.asp?ID=env/8302001 Hopi Tribe disputes Peabody water study THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2001 For a number of years, Peabody Energy -- overseers of the world's largest coal company -- has tried to assure critics that its 30-year old strip mine operation in the Black Mesa region of northeastern Arizona hasn't been detrimental to the environment. The effort appears to have had little success. That hasn't stopped the company from trying, though. In yet another look into a drinking supply used by members of the Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation, Peabody this week released the results of a study it says proves the system isn't being affected. By comparing a three-dimensional model that was devised two years ago with actual data taken over a four-year period, Peabody says it has come up with an accurate picture of its water usage. According to Peabody, the amount it takes from the Navajo Aquifer -- a huge water supply the size of Delaware -- is comparable to taking a sip out of a fire hose. Except the fire hose is bad analogy in this case. And so is the sip. Although the aquifer holds more than 200 million acre-feet of water, Peabody takes out more water per year -- 3,800 acre-feet -- than goes into the system -- an average of 3,000 acre-feet -- through rainfall and snow melt ... And, the company admits, it uses more water per year to transport coal from the Black Mesa mines to a Nevada generating station 270 miles away than the Hopi and Navajo tribes use combined. That has left the Hopi Tribe, for one, skeptical of Peabody's latest claims. "We've had so many people go to springs for water supplies and ceremonial purposes," said spokesperson Clare Heywood. "For years, they've been saying: 'There's something wrong, there's something wrong.'" Their complaints, however, didn't get much response. "Nobody tends to listen to non-scientific observations," said Heywood. Validation for the tribe came with a study by the National Resources Defense Council. Released last year, the study found water levels at number of wells and springs have decreased and that the "recharge" rate of the aquifer is not enough to keep up with the demands placed on it. Coupled with growing populations in both Hopi and Navajo communities, the study helped put into concrete terms the tribe's worries. "The NRDC study has merely quantified what elders and religious societies have been saying for years," said Heywood. Not surprisingly, Peabody doesn't think highly of the rival study which casts doubts on its own claims. "We believe the NRDC paper uses selective information and has misinterpreted data," said Peabody spokesperson Beth Sutton. "And we would respectfully disagree with the conclusions of that paper." The NRDC defends its study, which was supported by former tribal chairman Vernon Masayesva. Andrew Wetzler, an attorney for the council, said the conclusions were based on real, not theorized, data. "It's a theoretical computer model," said Wetzler of Peabody's efforts. "That's the difference between the study we performed. Our report was based on the government's own monitoring data . . . of wells and springs throughout the Hopi and Navajo reservations." Added Heywood: "Hydrology is rather a dubious science. Modeling is based on what you put in. We question the data that they [Peabody] use to put into the model." Despite the disputes, however, there is some movement to find a solution to the issue. In what chairman Wayne Taylor is calling an "unprecedented step," the two tribes, Peabody and other energy companies have been discussing ways to find alternative water sources, both for drinking water and for the company's coal mine. "We have worked for nearly a decade to achieve this objective," said Taylor, whom Heywood says deserves the credit for bringing the parties together. Yet while many would like to see Peabody abandon its use of the aquifer altogether, the water problem won't necessarily be solved, say tribal officials. Hopi village leaders predict that fast-growing populations who place increased demands on their ancient water system will cause wells to dry up as early as 15 years from now. But the tribe believes the new discussions are "a major step in the right direction," said Heywood. Peabody pays the tribes $900 per acre-foot of water it takes from the aquifer. By the company's own figures, their mining operation adds about $2 million each week to the tribes' economies, whether it be royalties, taxes, wages or benefits. Peabody also says its revenues make up about 80 percent of the Hopi Tribe's annual budget and about 40 percent of the Navajo Nation's general budget. Copyright c. Indianz.Com 2000-2001. --------- "RE: Red Clay in Mound puzzles Archaeologists" --------- Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:38:37 -0500 From: "D. Mitchell" Subj: Fwd: [tn-ind] Shiloh: Red clay in mound puzzles archaeologists ------- FORWARD, Original message follows ------- From: iktomi@sunday.net Mailing List: Tennessee Indian Affairs http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/08/08042182.shtml The Tennessean - Nashville Tuesday, 08/28/01 Red clay in Shiloh mound puzzles archaeologists SHILOH, Tenn. (AP) - While Native American artifacts are neat, archaeologists working this summer at Shiloh National Military Park are more interested in the dirt they're buried in. David Anderson and John Cornelison, both archaeologists for the National Park Service, are directing a dig at a cluster of mounds they believe were part of a community that served as a trading center more than 1,000 years ago. Their studies have focused on a mound overlooking the Tennessee River that is the biggest and probably served as the religious and political center of the community. "The different soils represent different episodes of construction," Anderson said. "It's clear with some of the soils, such as the red clay, that they went to a lot of trouble to find a source. There are no known local sources of red clay like that." The archaeologists at Shiloh, about 100 miles east of Memphis near the border with Alabama and Mississippi, are digging trenches into the sides and top of the mound with picks and shovels and then removing soil to be sifted for pieces of pottery and other artifacts. Trowels then are used to smooth the sides and bottom of the trenches to reveal the layers of soil. Native Americans might cover their mounds with red clay to serve as a warning during times of war, or they might use white limestone pebbles during times of peace. "We know from historic period Indians that the colors of red and white were very important," Cornelison said. "If you can imagine coming down the Tennessee River and seeing a mound covered with red, you would be quite impressed." Anderson said the red clay may have been carried 30 miles or more to the mound in baskets. Archaeologists hope to determine the origin of the red clay by comparing it with deposits in southern Tennessee and northern Alabama. Cornelison said this study of the mound might be the last before it is gobbled up by the Tennessee River. Erosion is eating away at the riverbank beneath the mound. "We expect about 25 feet of this mound to fall off into the river during the next 40 years," Anderson said. "That's why it's so important for us to be conducting this research so we can find out how this mound was built before it is gone." The study began in July and will conclude next week. Cornelison said he hopes to return to Shiloh next summer to continue the study. _______________________________________________ TN Indian Affairs (tn-ind) mailing list tn-ind@mail.highertech.net http://mail.highertech.net/mailman/listinfo/tn-ind News, information & discussion of Native Americans in Tennessee. --------- "RE: Osage Nation files Tax Suit against Oklahoma" --------- Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 17:35:13 +0100 From: anne.bates Subj: Osage Nation files suit against Oklahoma to refund State Taxes Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.okit.com/news/2001/Sept/osagetaxes.html Osage Nation files suit against Oklahoma to refund State Taxes By Jamie Wickliffe- Ary The Osage Nation has recently filed suit in U.S. District Court in Tulsa against the state of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Tax Commission. According to Gary Pitchlynn, the Tribe's attorney, Osage land was never taken off reservation status, and as such tribal employees residing in Osage county have been unlawfully required to pay taxes. "People have been assuming things that aren't necessarily true," said Pitchlynn. "Somehow, either by lobbying effort or by mistake, or a combination of those things, the Osage Nation was apparently not distinguished like most of the others. The tribe never agreed to dissolve the reservation and it was never forced upon them. After getting a federal judge to affirm that fact, it will change the way the state of Oklahoma has to deal with the Osage Nation and it's tribal members." Pitchlynn says that because the state has refused to deal with Native American tribes as real governmental entities and authorities, he thinks the lawsuit has taken them by surprise. "A number of tribal members started asking about why they were still being taxed by the state when they had always heard the Osage Nation was reservation land, so the tribe called upon a University of Tulsa Law professor to review federal laws and treaties. It was a tracking of a number of treaties and statutes-if you look at those, there is language that either exempts or excludes the Osage from the dissolution of tribal reservations in Oklahoma." "We realize that the courts have prohibited, in certain instances tribal members' wages from being taxed, so we abide by that, but we only abide by it when they actually do reside in Indian country," said Paula Ross, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Tax Commission. "Years ago we thought Native Americans on reservation land should be taxed, but the Supreme Court ruled that that we cannot do so. If the court says that all of Osage County is Indian country, then we'll probably go with what the court says and defend that, but at this time we don't think it is." Pichlynn says there are several other issues that will spin out of this case and have to be addressed. "The Osage probably aren't going to be the last tribe to make an argument about the relationship of tribes and their territories within the boundaries of this state. There are a lot more issues that will pop up over the next ten to twenty years that have to do with the presumption that tribes have no authority or claims to lands in Oklahoma." Howard Barnett, Chief of Staff for Governor Frank Keating's office, said that they have not looked at the issue enough to form a position on the matter. "We certainly think litigation is unfortunate, but the Osage Nation brings up an interesting point in something that we will allow the courts to decide." ------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe to this group,send an email to: ndn-aim-subscribe@egroups.com Archived on line at: http://www.eScribe.com FREE LEONARD PELTIER --------- "RE: Guest Column: Impediments to Nationhood" --------- Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:55:10 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GUEST/INJUSTICE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thenavajotimes.com/Opinion/GuestCol/GuestCol7/guestcol7.html Guest column A message to the feds: impediments to nationhood By Duane H. Yazzie We understand that amendments to the Endangered Species Act are being contemplated. We support amendments that would allow flexibility in situations where the protection of wildlife and plants currently supercede the rights of human beings to make a livelihood. There are times when Navajo subsistence farmers along the San Juan River have had to sacrifice crops for the sake of protection of endangered fish that were once called "trash fish." The federal government tried to poison the fish to eradicate the species. Also the protected plant, Mesa Verde Cacti, effectively impedes community and economic development around the Shiprock community. I will impart to you a concern that I ask to be conveyed to the Department of Justice. This matter of injustice stems from the so-called turmoil of 1989, a sad time in our recent Navajo history, a period of political upheaval and a time of volatile division between the people. This turmoil of 1989 culminated in the death of two Navajo people and the imprisonment of former Chairman Peter MacDonald and several of his supporters. Mr. MacDonald's sentence was commuted by by President Clinton and (he) is home free. The injustice I speak of is in the continued imprisonment of Mr. Donald Benally, Mr. Ned McKensley and Mr. Earl Roy Lee. Our people talk about a healing process, but there can be no healing so long as these three individuals remain in prison. In one respect, by keeping them imprisoned, the federal government is preventing - at least delaying - this healing process to commence. Their expeditious release is necessary. I also wish to comment on the continued unjust and illegal political imprisonment of our native brother Leonard Peltier. Th Bush Administration needs to know that this travesty of justice also must be rectified. I have been a lifelong Democrat, one reason for this political affiliation is my belief that the Democratic Party has been responsive to the needs of the native community. I would implore of the Bush Administration to be cognizant of and responsive to the human rights issues of the indigenous peoples, not only in America, but throughout the hemisphere. Lastly, the Navajo Nation prides itself on being the largest and one of the most progressive tribes across the land. Yes, we have excelled at many times, we have a government that has been developed to a commendable level of sophistication and continues to be refined. We are steadily and aggressively testing the realms of self- determination, self-reliance and self-sufficiency, as we determine what our self-governance should be like. However in this day and age of the 21st century and with all these lofty ideals, we remain wards of the federal government. We are told to not claim our land as ours, that we are merely being permitted to live on the land. The federal government remains the so-called trustee of our land. Some of us believe that we as the Navajo Nation are grown up and have progressed to the point where we can manage our own affairs, including our land. On behalf of those who would stand with me, I declare that the Navajo Nation and federal government must begin the dialogue to determine how we the Dine' people will regain title to our land. Only then can there be real economic development, true self-governance, self-determination and true exercise of our sovereignty. Editor's note: This statement was delivered to the"Tribal Land and People Summit Listening Session" held in Window Rock on August 22, 2001. Yazzie is president of Shiprock Chapter. Copyright c. 1999-2001 Navajo Times/Navajo Nation --------- "RE: Details on Aboriginal Agenda Scant" --------- Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 08:19:36 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="AGENDA" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSPolitics0108/29_details-cp.html Details on aboriginal agenda scant By SUE BAILEY-- The Canadian Press OTTAWA (CP) -- Seven months after the Liberals delivered a throne speech that made sweeping promises to aboriginals, few in government want to talk about how they'll be delivered. Prime Minister Jean Chretien has repeatedly touted plans for a fall parliamentary session that will highlight efforts to improve life for Canada's First Peoples. "It is a very difficult problem . . . that needs a lot of attention at this moment," Chretien said last week as his caucus gathered in Edmonton. But calls to the federal departments of Indian Affairs, Health, Industry and others expected to contribute to the so-called aboriginal agenda yield few details. With Commons business set to resume Sept. 17, many bureaucrats are still referring to vague works-in-progress or past programs. "I wish we knew more," said Jeff Moore, executive director of Aboriginal Business Canada, an Industry Canada program. "I know it's one of the prime minister's top priorities these days. But other than that, we haven't heard anything specific." Industry Minister Brian Tobin is one of several ministers who will make up a newly formed cabinet committee to be led by Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, sources said Wednesday. Other confirmed committee members include Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault, Human Resources Minister Jane Stewart and Justice Minister Anne McLellan. The committee's purpose is to pull together the government-wide effort to deliver on last January's throne speech promises. These include: -- Working to ensure basic needs for jobs, health, education, housing and infrastructure are met. -- Expanding early childhood development and Aboriginal Head Start programs. -- Lowering rates of fetal alcohol syndrome in 10 years. -- Dramatically cutting aboriginal incarceration rates to reflect Canadian averages "within a generation." -- More effective, transparent administrative practices on reserves. -- Connecting more aboriginal communities to the Internet. -- Strengthening business and entrepreneurial skills of aboriginals. "I don't think the government's going to speak too loudly on this until the fall," said one source close to the agenda talks who did not want to be named. "This is the sort of thing you want to get right the first time. The throne speech lays out the road map. And from that, departments lay out policy to meet those goals. And that simply takes time." Total federal spending of about $7 billion a year on aboriginal programs has not eased crippling poverty, rampant unemployment and high suicide rates. "Too many kids are being born with (fetal alcohol syndrome)," McLellan said in an interview. "There are very high suicide rates, high rates of domestic violence, a low rate of completion of high school, high jobless rates." McLellan's task is to start lowering aboriginal incarceration rates that were chastised by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1999. Citing 1997 statistics, the high court said aboriginals make up three per cent of the population but 12 per cent of federal inmates. In the Prairie provinces, aboriginals make up even higher percentages of prisoners, especially in youth facilities. "This is unsustainable," McLellan said. "Think of the waste of young peoples' lives ... and the pain of their victims." "How do you keep (crime rates) down? You prevent crime in the first place." The Justice Department will need help from other federal sectors, the provinces and aboriginal communities, McLellan said. "We want to ... develop programs that make sense for aboriginal communities and the people who live in them." These will complement an aboriginal justice strategy that has funded various grassroots projects in recent years, McLellan said. The cabinet committee on aboriginal issues is not expected to have its first meeting until Sept. 13. Copyright c. 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Coon Come: White Mobs Beat My People" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 07:43:40 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COON COME DURBAN SPEECH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/news/story.asp?809B1006-72B4-4646-AC58-DAD1264DBA8D NEWS STORY 'White mobs' beat my people: Coon Come Corinna Schuler, National Post Friday, August 31, 2001 DURBAN - Matthew Coon Come, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, told a world conference against racism yesterday that an uncaring government and "white mobs" have robbed his people of their livelihood and forced them on to marginal reserves. An international audience of almost 1,000 activists was gathered under the largest conference tent in Durban's cricket field when an emotional Mr. Coon Come complained that Canada's indigenous peoples endure everything from substandard housing to state violence. He shocked many in the crowd with his version of the fishing dispute that unfolded last year at Burnt Church, N.B. "When our people tried to obtain a moderate livelihood from the sea, white mobs burned our boats and beat our people," said Mr. Coon Come, leader of the Assembly of First Nations. "The Canadian government intervened only to ram our boats at sea," Mr. Coon Come said. Violence erupted in Burnt Church last year after native traps were set illegally and fisheries officers began pulling them out. A fisheries officer had his cheekbone crushed by a flying rock in August and several days later natives accused officers of sinking two boats and ramming a skiff. There were several clashes between officers and natives. In September, fisheries officers said they were forced to abandon a pre- dawn raid on native lobster traps after two gunshots were fired from the Burnt Church reserve. "Right across Canada," Mr. Coon Come said yesterday, "we have been assigned to tiny, marginal areas of land called Indian reserves -- less than a few per cent of our traditional lands. The Canadian state has retained for itself the resource rights, even under our feet." One black South African student seated in the crowd gasped at the description. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed. "Is it true? That happens in Canada?" When Mr. Coon Come left Ottawa this week vowing to expose Canada's "racist" treatment of native peoples, he could not have imagined such a large, sympathetic crowd would turn out in Durban to cheer him. The non-governmental conference on racism is a prelude to the official United Nations racism conference that begins today, and many of the disparate NGO forums have attracted a handful of people. But Mr. Coon Come was paired on a panel with Angela Davis, the African- American activist who was once imprisoned on charges of murder and kidnapping. Hundreds rushed to snap pictures and get autographs from Ms. Davis, and the crowd grew larger when word got around that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the controversial former wife of Nelson Mandela, had made a surprise appearance on the panel. She greeted Mr. Coon Come with a bear hug, and his speech was delayed for several minutes as the audience cheered for Ms. Madikizela-Mandela. Activists hollered their approval when Ms. Davis called for the abolition of prisons and they cheered as another panelist proclaimed the American stars and stripes "the most hated flag in the world." Mr. Coon Come was applauded repeatedly during his 20-minute speech and Ms. Madikizela-Mandela nodded while he compared the plight of his Cree people to that of black South Africans under apartheid. "We also recognized the racist and colonial syndrome of dispossession and discrimination that was taking place in South Africa from our own experience. My own people, the James Bay Crees, have been virtually completely dispossessed of our lands and resources," he said. "We have been deprived of our means of subsistence and our lands, and are being denied our right to benefit fully from our natural wealth and resources." Mr. Coon Come said the feelings of hopelessness and despair among aboriginal youth have led to shocking rates of suicide and prison incarceration. He noted that Canada's reserves are often overcrowded and lacking in adequate sanitation or clean drinking water -- and he appeared to lay full blame on the government. "I realize this may be surprising news for some of you. Canadians, and the government of Canada, present themselves around the world as upholders and protectors of human rights." He acknowledged that, "in many ways" the reputation is well deserved, as Canada was a key opponent of apartheid and provides development assistance around the world. "However, at home in Canada, the oppression, marginalization and dispossession of indigenous people continue." He said the situation facing natives in Canada "has correctly been referred to as 'Canada's hidden shame.' " In an interview later, Mr. Coon Come insisted much of the $7-billion Ottawa spends on social programs for aboriginals each year is wasted on government bureaucracy and never trickles down to the people on reserves. "If we could revenue-share from the natural resources attached to our lands, we wouldn't have to rely on government handouts. I hate government handouts. I feel like a beggar in my own country, always asking the federal government for money." COON COME SAYS: - "We also recognized the racist and colonial syndrome of dispossession and discrimination that was taking place in South Africa from our own experience." - "At home in Canada, the oppression, marginalization and dispossession of indigenous people continue." - "We have been deprived of our means of subsistence and our lands, and are being denied our right to benefit fully from our natural wealth and resources." Copyright c. 2001 National Post --------- "RE: Canadian Apartheid" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 07:43:40 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CANADIAN APARTHEID" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/news/story.asp?3D4467F6-CCA0-4874-851B-2BE61962B546 'Canadian apartheid' grabs local headlines Corinna Schuler, National Post Friday, August 31, 2001 DURBAN - The plight of natives in Canada is under the spotlight in South Africa. Although aboriginals from Australia, the United States, South America and Scandinavia are in Durban to complain about discrimination they face at home, it is native Canadians who are receiving the most attention. Among the books and pamphlets making the rounds at the conference, the glossiest is a colour brochure titled Pushed to the Edge of Extinction -- Racism Against Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The 23-page booklet, produced by the Grand Council of the Crees, includes pictures designed to shock. One is of a native woman and child being pulled to the ground by an armed soldier at Oka in 1990. Another shows children in filthy housing. On Wednesday, South African newspapers carried a lengthy article by two aboriginal-rights lawyers from Hamilton, Ont., Joanna Birenbaum and Andrew Orkin, under headlines such as "Canadian apartheid shuts out aboriginals." "In Canada, one of the richest countries in the world, indigenous peoples live in a state of apartheid," the article states. "They have been pushed onto tiny reserves, marginalized and forced into poverty and dependency." The United Nations has also come under attack because natives say its draft declaration does not treat aboriginals with the same status accorded women or blacks. Mary Robinson, the UN's Human Rights Commissioner, met yesterday with Matthew Coon Come, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, to discuss the document, which says native people must continue negotiations with state governments for land and self-determination. "How would the world react if the United Nations declared that 'all women' or 'all blacks' have no fundamental human rights, except as determined in 'negotiations' with state parties?" Mr. Coon Come asked. There are at least 15 other Canadian natives at the Durban conference, but not all blame the federal government for their situation. Jason Knockwood, the 31-year-old leader of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, grew up on a troubled reserve but says he does not blame the government. "I think in the past ... that was one of our faults," he said in an interview. "We stood and took what was given to us and pointed the finger. I'm not going to point a finger at the federal government. Ignorance is what is hurting our people now. It is society in general, and our own populations as well." Copyright c. 2001 National Post --------- "RE: Indian Affairs Minister admonishes Chief" --------- Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 09:07:06 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAULT/COON COME" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSTopNews/indian_aug28-cp.html Tuesday, August 28, 2001 Indian affairs minister admonishes chief OTTAWA (CP) -- Indian Affairs Minister Bob Nault has admonished the national aboriginal chief for saying Canada discriminates against its native people. Assembly of First Nations Chief Matthew Coon Come, who left last weekend for a United Nations summit on racism, said there is ample evidence that "discrimination and systemic racism" is directed at Canada's aboriginals. Nault said Tuesday the comments were neither helpful nor acceptable. "We have a $7-billion budget that goes to First Nations people; we have a very progressive agenda to improve the lives of First Nations citizens," he said following a cabinet meeting. "I don't think it's helpful to make those kinds of generalizations... I would say that Canadians are very supportive of the Aboriginal People and our unique relationship that we have with them." Coon Come also said that racism contributes to the lower life expectancy, poor health and rampant unemployment among aboriginals. The UN world conference against racism begins Friday in Durban, South Africa. Copyright c. 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. --------- "RE: Quebec Cree speak out on Human Rights" --------- Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:55:10 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CREE/HUMAN RIGHTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://montreal.cbc.ca/editorServlets/View?filename=cree010830 Quebec cree speak out on human rights Montreal - Quebec's Cree are condemnimg Canada's record with its indigenous people at the conference on racism in Durban, South Africa. The Grand Council of the Crees is handing out a report entitled Pushed to the Edge of Extinction . The Cree say their leaders have been raked over the editorial coals for claiming Canada's aboriginal peoples have been pushed to the edge of social, economic and political extinction. To fight back, they've released a 24-page glossy report that draws heavily on the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal People . "We want to highlight the reality of race relations in Canada," says Bill Namagoose, executive director of the Grand Council of the Cree. The report is a look at the condition of native peoples across the country. It includes poverty and high suicide rates. It also details confrontations between natives and the government, from Oka to Burnt Church. Namagoose hopes that by handing out 12, 000 copies of the report at the international conference on racism, Canada will be forced to acknowledge what he calls the deplorable living conditions natives face. "The conditions we find our people in, a lot of it comes from racism. We see it everyday," Namagoose says. "Otherwise where would it come from?" Namagoose stops short however, of calling Canada a racist nation. He says the people of Canada don't make the decisions that affect his people. The federal government does. Copyright c. 2001 CBC All Rights Reserved --------- "RE: Ottawa extends Burnt Church Lobster Licence" --------- Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 09:08:09 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EXTEND LICENCE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/08/27/burntchurch010827 Ottawa extends Burnt Church lobster licence WebPosted Tue Aug 28 11:59:40 2001 BURNT CHURCH, N.B. - Ottawa has decided to allow the Burnt Church Band in New Brunswick to catch lobster in Miramichi Bay for another eight weeks. This came after a temporary licence expired at midnight Monday. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans proposed a two-month fall fishery for the band, confining native fishermen to 900 lobster traps and small boats, using the catch only for food and ceremonial purposes. The band rejected this proposal, so Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal announced the temporary licence would be extended until Oct. 20. Chief Wilbur Dedam said Ottawa's offer was too limited and it did not take into account aboriginal treaty rights to fish. "It remains the position of Burnt Church not to enter into an interim agreement as proposed by the federal government, but to fish under our own fisheries management plan," he said The chief said he is not opposed to continued negotiations, but is opposed to any deal that doesn't respect aboriginal treaty rights. Non-native fishermen are opposed to the fall lobster fishery because they claim the area cannot support two fishing seasons - one in the spring and the other in the fall. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has tried for the past three years to find a resolution to the dispute. Written by CBC News Online staff Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Burnt Church Natives Angered" --------- Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 09:08:09 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BURNT CHURCH ANGERED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSTopNews/burnt_aug27-cp.html Burnt Church natives angered By CHRIS MORRIS-- The Canadian Press BURNT CHURCH, N.B. (CP) -- Non-native fishermen cruised into Miramichi Bay to remind authorities of their stake in the outcome of the conflict between native fishermen and Ottawa, says the operator of a family fishing business. Lucie Breau, who runs the business in nearby Neguac, N.B., said the commercial fishermen organized the flotilla Sunday night to draw attention to their situation. "They touched nothing at all," Breau said Monday of the non-native fishermen. "They went on the water just to say, 'We are here. We're not dead.' This is a traditional fishery for us as well." But Mi'kmaq fishermen at the Burnt Church reserve reacted angrily Monday to the show of force by about 20 non-native who moved into the waters as darkness fell. Native fishermen insisted a number of traps were cut, but the RCMP said they didn't see any damage being done. "Well, what do the cops think those fishermen were doing out there on a Sunday night, less than a kilometre from our shore -- chasing herring?" said an angry James Ward, an architect of the band's own fisheries management plan. "How can anything good come from what those fishermen did? This is really setting the tone for future conflict." Ward, a Mi'kmaq warrior, said the band put up barricades at its two main entrances on Sunday after it appeared the RCMP was sending in extra officers to surround the reserve. "We were basically under siege," he said. The barricades were no longer being enforced by late Monday afternoon. The RCMP maintained a heavy presence around Burnt Church, but did not go into the reserve. The non-native commercial fishermen want the federal Fisheries Department to step in and end the native fall fishery once and for all. Breau said Miramichi Bay can't support two commercial fisheries: the authorized season in the spring and the unauthorized native fishery in the fall. "For three years we have been waiting for this to be settled," she said. "It's not just that we're frustrated. We feel like we have nowhere to turn." The Burnt Church fishery is legal up until Tuesday morning, when a federal licence expires that allowed the trapping of lobsters for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Ottawa has offered to extend the licence for another eight weeks. The proposal would allow the Mi'kmaq community to fish up to 900 traps in the waters of the bay directly in front of the reserve. The federal Fisheries Department maintains it has the right and an obligation to manage the fishery for everyone involved, but the natives believe federal authorities are trying to usurp their treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood. In 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Donald Marshall Jr., a Mi'kmaq from Nova Scotia, had a treaty right to fish eels. It also said the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy bands can hunt, fish and gather to earn a moderate livelihood, within rules set by Ottawa. Federal negotiators have been trying ever since to set parameters acceptable to First Nations, non-native fishermen and other interests. Copyright c. 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. --------- "RE: Burnt Church Lobster Fishermen defy Ottawa" --------- Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:55:10 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BURNT CHURCH DEFY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/08/31/burnt_church010831 Burnt Church lobster fishermen defy Ottawa WebPosted Fri Aug 31 22:44:17 2001 BURNT CHURCH, N.B. - Native fishermen fought back overnight in their longstanding dispute with Ottawa over lobster fishing rights in the Miramichi, replacing traps removed by fisheries officials Thursday. The fishermen began replacing traps after dark Thursday night, putting at least 14 in the water. They plan to set more traps Friday and say they will guard them closely. Department of Fisheries and Oceans official Bob Allain couldn't confirm the new traps have been set, but said new buoys have been spotted. He said it's not clear whether the flags are for lobster or for the commercial rock crab fishery in the area under way right now. Allain said the traps will be checked sometime later today. FROM AUG 30, 2001: Fisheries officials seize native lobster traps Fisheries officials said they seized the 86 traps Thursday because they were outside approved fishing boundaries. Mi'kmaq fishermen reject Ottawa's regulations, saying that treaty rights allow them to manage the fishery as they see fit. The federal government licensed the band to fish in a limited area until Oct. 20. The band says that area doesn't contain adequate supplies of lobster. "I'm going to follow the lobster," said native fisherman Jason Ward. "I have to. I've got to make a moderate livelihood somehow and in this little area here you can't." Written by CBC News Online staff Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: More Lobster Traps seized at Burnt Church" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 08:52:08 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRAPS SEIZED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/09/01/burntchurch_010901 More lobster traps seized at Burnt Church WebPosted Sun Sep 2 00:14:53 2001 BURNT CHURCH, N.B. - Native fishermen remained defiant Saturday as federal officials moved in and hauled another 40 lobster traps out of Miramichi Bay in northeastern New Brunswick. Members of the Burnt Church reserve vowed to continue setting cages as far from shore as they want, despite orders from Ottawa that they not fish beyond a certain zone. "As far as we're concerned, there is no boundary," said Leo Bartibogue, a member of the band's police force. Non-native fishermen are not allowed to catch lobster out of season without a permit, according to Ottawa. The federal government has issued a temporary licence to the Burnt Church reserve. But the licence, which expires Oct. 20, limits the number of cages allowed in the water, and imposes restrictions on where the equipment can be set. Burnt Church leaders, however, have rejected Ottawa's terms. They argue that the Mi'kmaq have treaty rights to manage their own fishery all year round. Heavy rain forced members of the reserve back to shore Saturday afternoon, but they vowed to set more lobster traps in the bay as soon as the weather cleared. Federal fisheries officers have seized more than 120 lobster traps from Miramichi Bay since Thursday. They reported no trouble during routine patrols Saturday. FROM AUG 31, 2001: Burnt Church lobster fishermen defy Ottawa Tension has been high in the area because some non-native fishermen don't think Ottawa should permit anybody to set lobster traps out of season. They want one set of rules to apply to everyone. In the past few years, Mi'kmaq fishermen have clashed with DFO officers, as well as non-native fishermen. Written by CBC News Online staff Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Innu Concern about Harvesting in Labrador" --------- Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 21:58:23 -0230 From: Larry Innes Subj: News: Innu concern about harvesting in Labrador Mailing List: Innu People Forum list RESOURCES: The Innu say loggers are cutting down too many trees in Labrador's forests. [ "Peter Penashue", president Innu Nation; "Rick Woodford", Forestry Minister ] Program: CBC MORNING NEWS (08:00) Media: CBN-AM Reporter: PAUL PIGOTT Air Date: Tue, Aug 28 Word Count: 229 John Soper: The Innu say loggers are cutting down too many trees in Labrador's forests. The province already permits substantial logging in the Upper Lake Melville District but native leaders in Sheshatshiu say the logging companies are taking more than they are allowed to. Paul Pigott reports. Peter Penashue: They are used to having full reign to cut in however they like . . . Paul Pigott: Peter Penashue has sharp words for Labrador's logging companies, the president of the Innu Nation says Innu forest monitors are reporting clear cuts in sensitive ecological areas. Peter Penashue: Our foresters and the junior foresters all agree that the rules and regulations were not being followed and were being bent to reflect the needs of the local harvester. Paul Pigott: Penashue says companies are cutting beyond boundaries, encroaching on things like rivers and offsprey nesting areas. Last week he took those concerns to the Minister of Forest, Resources and Agrifoods. Rick Woodford admits there may be a problem. Rick Woodford: There might have been say for instance an extension of a road that was probably started prematurely. So they were supposed to check those things out to see if there was anything to it or not, if there was well then they take appropriate action. Paul Pigott: Woodford says his department is still investigating the alleged infractions. Paul Pigott, CBC News, Happy Valley - Goose Bay. RESOURCES: Innu are criticizing the forest practices of Labrador's largest logging company. Hickey Construction cuts 50,000 cubic meters of timber annually along the Grand Lake logging road. The operation creates about 60 jobs, but the Innu say it's also creating too many clear cuts - Interview with "Peter Penashue", president of Innu Nation. Program: LABRADOR MORNING -2 Media: CFGB-FM Reporter: PAUL PIGOTT Air Date: Tue, Aug 28 Word Count: 1223 Anchor: Mike Power Air Time: 7:40:00 AM Duration: 7:00 Mike Power: Innu are criticizing the forest practices of Labrador's largest logging company. Hickey Construction cuts 50,000 cubic meters of timber annually along the Grand Lake logging road. The operation creates about 60 jobs, but the Innu say it's also creating too many clear cuts. Peter Penashue is president of the Innu Nation, he spoke with Paul Pigott. Paul Pigott: Peter Penashue what do you think when you see a barge load of wood on it's way down to Newfoundland? Peter Penashue: From the Innu Nation point of view we don't agree with that and we've said that in the past. And certainly at our meeting with the Minister Rick Woodford we certainly told him that. And he agrees that you know, the wood should not be going out to the island. The wood should remain here for processing for the benefit of Labradorians. So because of that agreement now we have to make sure that the next round none of the wood goes out to the island. So the Minister and ourselves agree that's going to be, sort of the plan that we are going to be putting forward. Paul Pigott: Talk to me about the discussions you had. Did you get any commitments from Minister Woodford when you spoke with him? Peter Penashue: Well what we did was we reviewed the forestry process agreement we have with the department and we've assessed the situation as to what's working and what's not. And one area that's become contentious I guess is the area of the logging operation this year. We've hired foresters, qualified foresters to review the rules and regulations of the Department. And then we brought those rules and regulations to the site and made sure they were being followed. And what we found out is that the forester itself, Hickey Construction, was not following the provincial rules and regulations. So we made sure the Department knew about that and the company knew about it. Paul Pigott: Can I just ask you specific examples of that? Can you give me examples of where they weren't meeting the provincial guidelines? Peter Penashue: Well there are certain areas that allow for protection of osprey and when we brought that to the construction company they were very upset because they were used to . . . they were used to operating under the . . . having full reign to cut however they like in the areas of which they were allocated the lot. Paul Pigott: Okay so when you took that information to the forestry department what did they say? Peter Penashue: What they said is that, the local director here was making a case that you know this is something that they have been working with and they would send people in their periodically. But what we've found is that our foresters and the junior foresters all agree that the rules and regulations were not being followed and were being bent to reflect the needs of the local harvester. So that's you know, obviously put our case in a very strong position because we raised that with the minister. So I mean obviously . . . I think it was a very difficult meeting for the Department mainly because they were trying to appear to be in unison as a government. At the same time I think the Minister clearly was sensing that the boys hadn't been following their own established rules and guidelines. So it was clear that they were very uncomfortable with that. Paul Pigott: I understand that Minister Woodford actually got firsthand, he got to see the barge with the wood going down to the island. What did he think of that? Did you see any reaction or get any reaction from him? Peter Penashue: Well I did talk to him afterwards, I talked to him before he went down to the dock and I talked to him afterwards and clearly he's of the view that the wood that's cut here should stay here and be processed here locally so that there could be a maximum benefit for the local people. And we agree with that. We don't agree with the wood being shipped out to the island. We don't see any benefit in that. Paul Pigott: And how would you ensure, what are your ideas for the forest plan that would ensure that would does stay in Labrador? Peter Penashue: What we encourage is a local operation or a local operator taking and sawing the wood here locally. And perhaps even further to establish a further processing here. Paul Pigott: I'm just wondering how you make them do it, how do you make them follow those rules? Is that something that's going to be part of the management plant? Peter Penashue: Well this is what we are doing, we are sitting down with the department and we are developing a management plan and then we will be putting together an operational plan and throughout that process we are going to be insisting that the wood that's cut here and be cut on a sustainable basis. Paul Pigott: I think to be fair from the forestry industry perspective they are trying to develop the sawmill industry here. So how do you think that plays into this forest plan? Peter Penashue: Well what we've been saying is that look we are prepared to work with the local harvesters here and the sawmill operators and the Department. We've sat down with the Department now to work out a management plan and an operational plan. So we are not saying that we are out to destroy the industry. We are there to improve the industry so that it's sustainable on a long-term basis. But we have a lot of problem when we see for example this year, the local harvester had an allocation of wood, the sawmill operators had an allocation, which they all sold or gave to the Hickey Construction for export. So all of the wood now that was assigned last year is now for the benefit of Newfoundland. And now the sawmill operators are coming forward and telling us and complaining that there isn't enough wood for them to cut for their mills. And we are saying there is something wrong with the picture here, you just gave all your wood to Mike Hickey who sold it to Newfoundland and now you are coming back and complaining to us saying there is a shortage of wood. And we've told that to the Minister and clearly the Minister sees that there is a concern here and that we need to deal with the situation. And what we are saying is that the wood that is cut here in Labrador should stay here in Labrador and process here in Labrador. If it can't be done economically then it shouldn't be done at all. Because there will be a point in future when it can be done economically if it can't be done now. So why should we be exporting our wood, like we've done in the past, for the benefit of Newfoundland. We should not be exporting wood. The wood should, in our view, stay here in Labrador for the benefit of all Labradorians. Paul Pigott: Peter Penashue thanks very much for speaking with us. Peter Penashue: Thank you. Mike Power: That's the president of the Innu Nation, Peter Penashue. RESOURCES: Innu are criticizing the forest practices of Labrador's largest logging company. Hickey Construction cuts 50,000 cubic meters of timber annually along the Grand Lake logging road. The operation creates about 60 jobs, but the Innu say it's also creating too many clear cuts. Last week Innu Nation president Peter Penashue met with the province's forestry minister - Interview with "Rick Woodford", Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods. Program: LABRADOR MORNING -2 Media: CFGB-FM Reporter: PAUL PIGOTT Air Date: Tue, Aug 28 Word Count: 896 Anchor: Mike Power Air Time: 7:47:00 AM Duration: 4:10 Mike Power: As you heard in the interview last week Penashue met with the Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods. Paul Pigott asked Rick Woodford to respond to the Innu's concerns. Rick Woodford: We addressed those concerns, we talked about it and I talked to our officials about it and made sure that proper policing was done with regards to the provincial regulations. We agreed at the end of the day that this was the approach we would take to make sure that our staff in Goose Bay would work in conjunction with the Innu Nation and the contractors in the area to make sure all provincial regulations are adhered to right now. Paul Pigott: But the Innu are claiming that there were provincial practices that were not followed. What is your Department doing to follow up on that? Rick Woodford: Well our staff will follow up on that. If there are practices that are not being followed well then we will have to take the appropriate action like we do anywhere, on the island or otherwise. But I made it quite clear to our staff there and to the Innu Nation and everybody else there that the practices must be followed, the regulations must be followed and if there are any infractions or anything like that well we will just have to take action where necessary. Paul Pigott: So what did you office here in Goose Bay, the Regional Office, say about any infractions? Were there in fact infractions that happened? Rick Woodford: Well they did say after the fact that when they went in to look there might have been say for instance an extension of a road that was probably started prematurely. But at the end of the day the permit would be given in any case. There is probably, I don't know for sure, they were going to check out the possibility of probably a buffer zone or two like that. So they were supposed to check those things out to see if there was anything to it or not. And like I said if there was well then they would take appropriate action. But I also told them at the time to make sure from now on that everybody work together to adhere to the regulations and that I was not going to put up with any infractions to the forestry regulation. Paul Pigott: What about the wood coming out of Labrador? That's another concern the Innu have. Rick Woodford: Well that's a real concern for everybody. I mean I always said that wherever possible in Labrador then the lumber, you know for instance the wood should go to a saw mill first and so on. But there are a number of things have to be addressed there. One, we must have the integrated in place, which is coming along pretty nicely in Goose Bay. And secondly we must address the problem, what to do with wood chips and how to get it out. Those are two of the things we must address. The other thing in Goose Bay that would be added to the problem is that about 80% of the timber probably end up in chips anyway. There is only about 20% fit for saw logs. It's all overmatured timber and we are having a real problem with it with regards to saw logs. Paul Pigott: When do you think Labrador will see the end of this sort of round wood export? Rick Woodford: Well like I said as soon as we get the management agreement in place, possibly by March or April of next year. There is no reason then if the integrated in Goose Bay, the integrated saw mill system is brought up to capacity, to be able to handle whatever saw logs comes out of there, you know they will do that in conjunction with the Innu Nation and with ourselves and so on. Whether they can put through that mill must be put through the mill in Labrador. It's only the residuals that will go out to the island. Which will amount to pulp wood that's no good for logs or wood in the form of chips that are left over from the residuals from the saw mills. Paul Pigott: What about the demand here in Happy Valley - Goose Bay and Upper Lake Melville Labrador, how much demand is there for that timber, for the lumber I should say? Rick Woodford: Yes, we were talking to some people there and they figured they could probably handle, the local market could handle probably two and half to three million board feet a year right now. But there is also, they may be able to export it. That's one of the things that got to be looked at, they will probably be able to export lumber out of there. They may be able to use some other form of value added or so on. So that's what got to be looked at and that's what the Innu, in their process, in their management agreement will be looking at also. Total utilization of the resource for the people of Labrador, the residual then will go somewhere else to be utilized otherwise. Paul Pigott: Thanks very much for talking to us. Rick Woodford: You are quite welcome. Mike Power: Rick Woodford is the Minister of Forest, Resources and Agrifoods. --------- "RE: Davis Inlet Chief Threatens to Shut School" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 08:52:08 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item filename="DAVIS INLET SCHOOL" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://stjohns.cbc.ca/editorServlets/View?filename=nfDavid010831 Web Posted Aug 31, 2001 11:16:51 AM EDT Chief threatens to shut school Davis Inlet - The chief of Davis Inlet is threatening to nail shut the doors of the community's school if there are not enough teachers in place on opening day. Simeon Tshakapesh says so far only six teachers have been signed on, but 13 more are needed. There are 300 school-aged children in Davis Inlet. Tshakapesh says the provincial government, the Labrador School Board, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association have not worked hard enough to find teachers. He says the government should have offered more money to prospective teachers. should do more to attract teachers to the community. Tshakapesh says the band council wants the province to temporarily certify Innu teaching assistants as teachers in the classroom. He says in many ways the assistants are more qualified to teach young children because they speak their aboriginal language. Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: When Religion is a Weapon" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 00:20:26 -0500 From: Carol Mattern Subj: Part One: When Religion is a Weapon ... there is no Freedom Mailing List: FN This is quite long and I am sending it in four parts. I thought that some may be interested in this since there was much discussion on the effects of Christianity lately: Note also there is a note at the end of the fourth part that mentions a Twila (sp?) - Is this the same Twila that was discussed awhile ago on the list? Just thought that this was interesting.... Love to You. Carol The Native Truth A column dedicated to historical truth and human rights activism of the American Indian Editor/Historical Activist: Terri Jean Director of The Red Roots Educational Project Contact: the_native_truth@yahoo.com Established year 2000 =============================================================== When Religion is a Weapon of Mass Destruction... there is no Freedom by Terri Jean ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< "[Education] cuts the cord that binds [Indians] to a Pagan life, places the Bible in their hands, substitutes the true God for the false one, Christianity in place of idolatry - cleanliness in place of filth, industry in place of idleness." ~ 1887 Superintendent of Indian Education Annual Report ~ ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< When Religion is a Weapon of Mass Destruction In the United States, the concept of religious freedom has long been a founding creed seemingly uniting all citizens together. But freedom of religion is not the same for all Americans. Prejudices and self-imposed proclamations of cultural superiority have long enabled certain groups to use religion as a weapon AND an excuse/justification for mistreatment of people they deem inferior to themselves. In the last few hundred years, the United States government has done all that it could to force this continents first people to assimilate into "civilized" white culture. Religious persecution was felt time and time again when policy after policy was passed authorizing the taking of children from their families and placed in "white" boarding schools, ceremonial dances and practices were outlawed, leaders were placed in prison for refusing to conform and convert to Christianity, and entire Native nations were placed in dirty, designated confinements - living as wards of the government and of the armed services. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution says that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The original draft, written by Madison, read: ''The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretense, infringed." Yet it wasn't until August 11th of 1978 did the US Congress recognize the Native American peoples freedom to believe, express, and exercise their native traditional religions. This act stated that ...henceforth it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right to freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonial and traditional rites." It is evident that the United States has a catastrophic record of religious suppression and the attempt to eradicate Native culture, religion and communities. Treating indigenous nations as godless pagans in need of conversion - and therefore denying them of their religious freedom - has long been a TRUE founding American creed ... a tragic legacy of Christopher Columbus, the Puritans and others who claimed to be doing their work in the name of God and country. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< " ... [W]e bestow suitable favors and special graces on those Catholic kings and princes,... champions of the Christian faith ... to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all... pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and ... to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate ... possessions, and goods, and to convert them to ... their use and profit ..." ~ Romanus Pontifex, January 8, 1455 ~ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< The Spanish Invasion The attitude of the invading Spanish towards the indigenous people of the western hemisphere in the fifteenth and sixtieth centuries was that of conquest, domination, subjection and slavery."Indians" were considered uncivilized savage beings in need of salvation and conversion to Christianity became a `Do or Die' option. Those who did not comply and pledge their allegiance to Spain and to the Pope would be subjected to forced baptisms, incarceration, beatings,humiliation, torture, the loss of limbs, the waging of war and even death. Christopher Columbus The Taino Indians were generous and hospitable to Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1492. Columbus himself reported that the Tainos were "So tractable, so peaceable, are these people, that I swear to your Majesties there is not in the world a better nation. They love their neighbors as themselves, and their discourse is ever sweet and gentle, and accompanied with a smile..." Though hailed for their unbelievable kindness, Columbus also stated, "I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men, and govern them as I pleased." During his second voyage, Columbus laid out his self-righteous plan for control of the "New World" by stating "I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter into your country and shall make war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and of Their Highnesses. We shall take you and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as Their Highnesses may command. And we shall take your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, as to vassals who do not obey and refuse to receive their lord and resist and contradict him." All of this, Columbus asserted, was done in the name of the Church - and to people who he knew to be peaceful, loving, and kind. What Followed.... Salvation soon became synonymous with cruelty, destructiveness, and callousness. Spanish missionaries raided and collected individuals from distant villages, forcing them to submit to Spanish rule, BRANDING them with religious symbols, and demanding the "converts" to work as slaves physical and even sexual slaves. The Spanish were known for their torturous cruelties. In the name of Christ Our Savior, they hung thirteen Natives just above the ground and tested their swords against their bodies; cutting some completely in two and gutting open others. Some were burned alive, used for target practice, and even babies were hung from trees while hungry dogs ate them piece by piece. A Dominican fryer recorded this event, "Some Christians encounter an Indian woman, who was carrying in her arms a child at suck; and since the dog they had with them was hungry, they tore the child from the mothers arms and flung it still living to the dog, who proceeded to devour it before the mothers eyes." The acts of Columbus and the entourage that soon followed caused the death of over 4 million people. Though many died of disease, others perished either by the hands of the Spanish or from that of their own - since suicide seemed the only option for many. Subj: Part Two ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> "[T]he changing of the language of a barbarous people, into the speech of a more civil and potent nation that have conquered them, hath been an approved experiment, to reduce such a people unto the civility and religion of the prevailing nation." ~ Daniel Gookin~ New England, 1674 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The Pilgrims, the Puritans, and the inhuman Pagans In 1620, the Pilgrims first came to the Americas. 10 years later, the Puritans arrive and lay claim to land in Massachusetts. Both sects came for religious freedom (with the Puritans believing they were on a mission from God to create the perfect Christian society.) The Natives were considered the children of Satan by the Puritans, and they celebrated a smallpox epidemic of 1633-35, which devastated the aboriginal population, by claiming it to be "a remarkable and terrible stroke of God upon the Natives." Using their God as a rationalization for death and the theft of land, the white invaders of the seventeenth century celebrated the murdering of men, women and children - some of which were burnt together while trapped in village homes and buildings. "It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire and the streams of blood quenching the same, and horrible was the stink and scent thereof; but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the praise thereof to God" ~ Governor William Bradford ~ Plymouth The birth of the Plymouth Plantation, the first permanent English colony in the Americas, was the birth of American contradiction and religious racism. Those same people who sought religious freedom in the "New World" denied the right for others to live unlike themselves. ====================================================================== <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< "How inhuman it was in those wretches to come into a country where nature shone in beauty, spreading her wings over the vast continent, sheltering beneath her shades those natural sons of an Almighty Being, that shone in grandeur and lustre like stars of the first magnitude in the heavenly world; whose virtues far surpassed their more enlightened foes, notwithstanding their pretended zeal for religion and virtue. How they could go to work to enslave a free people, and call it religion, is beyond the power of my imagination, and out-strips the revelation of God's world. Oh, thou pretended hypocritical Christian, whoever thou art, to say it was the design of God, that we should murder and slay one another, because we have the power." ~ William Apes (Appes, Apees) ~ January 6, 1836, Pequot Indian. ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Religious Subjugation and Manifest Destiny The first two centuries of European exploration and colonization brought forth manipulation and prejudice to the indigenous people - with no regards to the lives of millions who rightfully inhabited this continent for thousands of years. The Spanish had no regard for the life of the innocent people they were slaughtering, and the Pilgrims and Puritans felt it was their godly right to murder those who thought differently than themselves. Both groups used their religion to achieve what they wanted: total domination of people and of land. Human lives were of no consequence. In the 1700's, Spanish aggressors located land they deemed valuable, built forts to protect their people, laid claims to the property, sought out Natives for conversion, and once the people were herded together where they could be captured and controlled, a work forced was commandeered by the Europeans who then used the Natives as slaves.Those captured were forced to convert to a "civilized" faith and then forbidden to return to their people. Harsh penalties were received if they tried to escape. ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> "The establishment of Christian missions should be encouraged, and their schools fostered - The religion of our blessed Savior is believed to be the most effective agent for the civilization of any people." ~ Board of Indian Commissioners Annual Report ~ 1869 ***** "He is ignoble--base and treacherous, and hateful in every way. Not even imminent death can startle him into a spasm of virtue. The ruling trait of all savages is a greedy and consuming selfishness, and in our Noble Red Man it is found in its amplest development." ~ Mark Twain ~ "The Noble Red Man," 1870 ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Eventually government policy shifted and the sentiment of the growing European settlements pushed towards "taming" the indigenous communities with Christianity. Missionaries set out to "civilize" and assimilate, therefore remaking the Native population in the image of their white dictators. Missionary schools were established and children were forced to leave their families and reside at a military-type school; forbidden to speak their own language or practice their own religion, the Indian children were given civilized names and civilized instructions as how NOT to be an Indian. Parents were kept from their children so their involvement could be kept to a minimum, many children were given difficult, laborious "chores," and hash punishment was dispensed to those who disobeyed. The goal was to erase the "Indian" from the Indians... therefore turning "dirty savages" into presentable civilized people. In 1869 the Board of Indian Commissioners Annual Report concluded that "The legal status of the uncivilized Indians should be that of wards of the government;the duty of the latter being to protect them, to educate them in industry, the arts of civilization, and the principles of Christianity..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " The missionary authorities have an entire race placed under their control, to treat with in accordance with the teachings of our higher Christian civilization." ~ Columbus Delano ~ Secretary of the Interior, late 19th century ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =============================================================== Subj: Part Three ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [T]he great evils in the way of their ultimate civilization lie in these dances. The dark superstitions and unhallowed rites of a heathenish as gross as that of India or Central Africa still infects them with its insidious poison, which, unless replaced by Christian civilization, must sap their very life blood. ~ J.H. Fleming ~ 1882 Commissioner of Indian Affairs Annual Report ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Forbidden Ghost Dance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "[I]f it is the purpose of the Government to civilize the Indians, they must be compelled to desist from the savage and barbarous practices that are calculated to continue them in savagery, no matter what exterior influences are brought to bear on them." ~ Henry Teller ~ , Secretary of the Interior, 1883 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throughout the 19th century, the Natives of the Americas had been hunted, blamed,poisoned by disease, wrongfully accused, and subjugated to the white mans rules and prejudice. By the 1880's the United States government had managed to round up most of the aboriginal population, relocating them to reservations where the conditions for living and growing food were so poor that the whites deemed the land unusable. Promised supplies and food rations were in short supply and if they did arrive, were of poor quality. Then came the Ghost Dance - a prophecy and celebration of hope, rejuvenation, vindication and justice. Leaders of the Ghost Dance preached the rejection of white culture while sensational newspaper reports from the frontier spread panic among whites who feared retaliation and warfare. Reports of crazed Indians dancing wildly in the snow until they collapsed reached Washington and an army was sent to curtail the bizarre ritual. As panic and hysteria grew within the white community, the Ghost Dance, and others such as the Sun Dance, were outlawed and anyone caught doing so would receive imprisonment or worse. The Native people refused to curtail their religious practices. The end result for the Natives disobedience was the death of Sitting Bull and then Big Foot and hundreds of others at the massacre at Wounded Knee. The Ghost Dance and the Sun Dance would remain outlawed until the Religious Freedom Act was passed in 1978. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [The sun dance, and all other similar dances and so-called religious ceremonies, shall be considered] "Indian offenses, and any Indian found guilty of being a participant in any one or more of these offenses shall... be punished by withholding from him his rations for a period of not exceeding ten days; and if found guilty of any subsequent offense under this rule, shall be punished by withholding his rations for a period not less than fifteen days nor more than thirty days, or by incarceration in the agency prison for a period not exceeding thirty days." ~ Secretary of the Interior ~ Regulations of the Indian Office, Effective April 1, 1904 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Five Hundred Years Later The 1970's was a time of self-determination, fighting for civil rights, and of public attention focused on Native people, issues and their losses. Awareness of racism and unjust government actions swept across the Americas as activists and supporters fought for justice. Indian tribes demanded changes in the federal legislation concerning religious rights and freedom, and in 1977 Senator James Abourezk sponsored the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. The law, passed on August 12, 1978 and signed by President Carter, states "In the past Government agencies and departments have... denied Native Americans access to particular sites and interfered with religious practices and customs. It would now be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve the inherent right of American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut,and Native Hawaiian people to believe, express, and exercise their traditional religion." Unfortunately, the act did not allow for certain rights such as the use of peyote in traditional ceremonies, the bones of ancestors returned for proper burial, or for sacred sites and burial grounds to remain untouched. In 1990 the issue of ancestral remains was decided with the passing of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Finally, universities and museums were ordered to return human remains and sacred objects to the appropriate tribes and/or descendants. In 1994, President Clinton signed into law the right for usage of peyote in traditional ceremonies and in 1996 President Clinton issued an order calling for the protection of sacred sites and to provide access to traditional practitioners on such sacred land. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "This agency forbade the peaking of Indian languages, prohibited the conduct of traditional religious activities, outlawed traditional government, and made Indian people ashamed of who they were. Worst of all, the Bureau of Indian Affairs committed these acts against the children entrusted to its boarding schools, brutalizing them emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually... The trauma of shame, fear and anger has passed from one generation to the next, and manifests itself in the rampant alcoholism, drug abuse, and domestic violence that plague Indian country ... So many of the maladies suffered today in Indian country result from the failures of this agency. Poverty, ignorance, and disease have been the product of this agency's work." ~ Kevin Gover ~ Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Department of the Interior, Sept. 8, 2000. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subj: Part Four Admittedly, Native Americans have come a long way since Christopher Columbus and his "Do or Die" ultimatum. Unfortunately, complete religious freedom and restriction of government interference is not yet a reality. Many issues remain unresolved, including the following three: 1. Native Americans in jails and prisons are currently fighting for the same spiritual rights and freedoms granted to those of other religious groups. 2. The Capitalization of Native spirituality and the New Age movement which borrows from what is thought to be true Native American spirituality, but is generally formulated from romanticized concepts gathered from non-Native books and movies whose authors profit from a belief system that is not theirs. They sell crystal "healing" necklaces, give advice from Indian tarot cards, charge for Sweat Lodge participation, and erroneously leading clients through Vision Quests and their own version of the Ghost Dance. "Some people want the medicine man and woman to share their religious belief in the same manner that priests, rabbis, and ministers expound publicly the tenets of their denominations; others feel that Indian ceremonials are remnants of primitive life and should be abandoned." ~ Vine Deloria ~ 3. The third is a subtle form of racism that probably goes unnoticed by most. It is the way Native American is described by people outside of the culture. To better explain this issue, I asked James W. Loewen, author of `Lies My Teacher Told Me' (The New Press, 1995, page 106 and 107) if I may reprint a section of his work that appropriately describes this third point: "...In 1970 the Indian Historian Press produced a critique of our histories, `Textbooks and the American Indian.' One of the press's yardsticks for evaluating books was the question, "Does the textbook describe the religious, philosophies, and contributions to thought of the American Indian?" A quarter-century later the answer must still be no. Consider how textbooks treat Native religions as a unitary whole. `The American Way' describes Native American religion in these words: These Native American [in the Southeast] believed that nature was filled with spirits. Each form of life, such as plants and animals, had a spirit. Earth and air held spirits, too. People were never alone. They shared their lives with the spirits of nature. "'Way' is trying to show respect for Native American religion, but it doesn't work. Stated flatly like this, the beliefs seem like make-believe, not the sophisticated theology or a higher civilization. Let us try a similarly succinct summary of the beliefs of many Christians today. These Americans believed that one great male god ruled the world. Sometimes they divided him into three parts, which they called father, son, and holy ghost. They ate crackers and wine or grape juice, believing that they were eating the son's body and drinking his blood. If they believed strongly enough, they would live on forever after they died. Textbooks never describe Christianity this way. It's offensive. Believers would immediately argue that such a depiction fails to convey the symbolic meaning or the spiritual satisfaction of communion." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Though it is true that religious dissenters came to this continent seeking spiritual and personal freedom, it is equally true that they wanted that freedom only for themselves. Whether they forcibly converted those who disagreed with them, or considered them unworthy of conversion, the United States Constitution followed suit by creating a First Amendment guaranteeing religious freedom while creating policy to deny that same independence to those who followed a different path - or born into a certain culture. This is the epitome of hypocrisy ... and the true foundation of the United States. A foundation NOT built on freedom, bravery and independence - but on control, conquest and forced conversion. =============================================================== Bibliography and sources of additional information: Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. New York: Harper, 1993. Deloria, Vine. "American Indian Religious Freedom." Native American Rights Fund Winter 1997. Http://www.erowid.org/freedom/religious/airfaq.shtml Http://www.erowid.org/plants/peyote/peyote_media5.shtml*. Great Speeches by Native Americans, Bob Blaisdell (Editor). Dover Publications, New York. 2000. (Page 93-115. Willam Apes.) Todorov, Tzvetan. The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other. NY: Harper and Row, 1984. Loewen, James W., Lies My Teacher Told Me, The New Press, New York, 1995 http://www.indians.org/welker/thanksgi.htm. 1-2/ http://pilgrims.net/native_americans/index/htm.1/ http://dickshovel.netgate.net/wampa.html.2-4. http://www.greatpeace.org/Misconceptions.htm http://www.doi.gov/bia/as-ia/175gover.htm) ==================================================================== <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> PLEASE NOTE: CORRECTION: The last issue of The Native Truth listed author, Twylah Hurd Nitsch, as an appropriate representative of American Indian culture. I have since found that this is not true - rather she should be placed in the 'twinkie' category. Please remove her from my recommended book list. Thanks.. Terri ************** Reprinting of this column is permitted as long as you republish the entire column. Be sure to include the author's byline and subscription information to The Native Truth. Also, we would appreciate notice of the articles republication. If you would like to republish SNIPPETS of this piece, contact Terri Jean at the address above. <><<><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> To subscribe to this group send a blank email to: native_truth-subscribe@egroups.com --------- "RE: Jicarilla Apaches want Majority District" --------- Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 09:28:52 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JICARILLA/REDISTRICT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.sfnewmexican.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=2264804&BRD=2144&PAG=461 &dept_id=367954&rfi=6 Jicarilla Apaches want majority district By BARRY MASSEY/The Associated Press August 24, 2001 SANTA ANA PUEBLO - The Jicarilla Apache Nation asked legislators Thursday to place the tribe's large reservation in Northern New Mexico in a House district in which Indians account for a majority of the population. "The Jicarilla Apache Nation will not be able to elect a representative of our choice, or receive the representation we need in Santa Fe, unless we are placed in a majority Native American House district," said Carson Vicenti, legislative counsel for the tribe. In testimony to the Legislature's interim Redistricting Committee, Vicenti warned that failure to make the requested changes in district boundaries could expose the state to a legal challenge for possible violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. Other tribal leaders also urged lawmakers not to dilute the voting strength of Indians when they draw new boundaries for congressional, legislative and other political districts. The committee will recommend redistricting proposals for the full Legislature to consider during a special session that begins Sept. 4. Lawmakers met Thursday at Santa Ana Pueblo in hopes of attracting comments from tribal leaders about redistricting concerns. Indians account for 9.5 percent of the state's population. Currently, the Jicarilla reservation is in House District 3 in northwestern New Mexico, which includes Aztec as well as Bloomfield in the Farmington area. Rep. Sandra Townsend, R-Aztec, represents the district. Indians account for about 17 percent of the district's total population, according to figures from the 2000 census. Nearly three of five people in the district are white, non-Hispanics. Hispanics make up about 23 percent of the population. In the Senate, the Jicarilla Nation currently is in a "majority- minority" district in which Indians account for nearly 60 percent of the population. Sen. Leonard Tsosie, D-Crownpoint, a Navajo, represents that district. "Once the Legislature starts, we know that we can go to Sen. Tsosie with legislation that concerns Native Americans, and he will both introduce it and champion it," Vicenti said. "Unfortunately, we have not received the same support on the House side." During the last session, Vicenti said, Jicarillas turned to an Indian member in the House, Rep. James Roger Madalena, D-Jemez Pueblo, to introduce a tax measure sought by the tribe. Vicenti suggested lawmakers draw boundaries of Madalena's House District 65 to include the Jicarilla Nation. "The voting patterns of Native Americans show that they are politically cohesive," said Vicenti. "They vote for the same candidates - candidates that understand issues of concern to Indian Nations and pueblos." He also said voting patterns show that "when they can, whites bloc-vote against Native American candidates." Townsend, in an interview, said most redistricting proposals before the committee would move the Jicarilla Nation out of her district. She did not object to that. Vicenti opposed one proposal that would shift the Jicarillas into a heavily Hispanic district. Tesuque Pueblo Gov. Charles Dorame asked lawmakers to consolidate pueblos in Northern New Mexico in one Senate district rather than splitting them between districts as occurred during the last redistricting 10 years ago. He also urged placing the northern pueblos together in regional districts for Congress, state Board of Education and the Public Regulation Commission. Dorame, chairman of a council representing eight pueblos in Northern New Mexico, said Indians are becoming a bigger force in elections by increasing their voter registration. "We may not have the numbers, but we do make a difference in elections," Dorame said. Laguna Pueblo Gov. Harry Early said the Legislature should create more House districts in which Indians account for a majority of the population. Currently, there are five such districts, and three Indians serve in the 70-seat House. There are two Indians serving in the 42-member Senate. Copyright c. Santa Fe New Mexican 2001 --------- "RE: Coeur d'Alene oppose Cleanup Settlement" --------- Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 09:08:09 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COEUR D'ALENE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSTopNews/burnt_aug27-cp.html August 27, 2001 Tribe opposes cleanup settlement COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) -- The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is opposing Hecla Mining Co.'s $138 million offer to clean up pollution in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin and other sites over the next 30 years. In a letter this week to Hecla CEO Art Brown, tribal chairman Ernie Stensgar said the tribe is concerned that not enough of the money would be spent cleaning the river basin. Hecla agreed in principle this week to clean mining contamination in the Idaho Panhandle as well as the Grouse Creek Stibnite mines in the central part of the state. The tribe has previously estimated that a comprehensive cleanup would cost $3 billion and said Hecla should pay a third of that. Stensgar said the tribe understands Hecla's financial situation, however, and knows it won't be able to contribute that much. "The tribe has never been interested in bankrupting neighboring industries and could back the current settlement if more of the moneys were to be used in our basin," Stensgar wrote. "The tribe sued to force cleanup in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, not southern Idaho." There was no immediate response from the company. Hecla's settlement, which must still be approved by U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge, calls for the company to spend $5 million a year for the first two years, $6 million a year for the next eight and $4 million a year for the next 20. Copyright c. 2001 Seattle Daily Journal and djc.com. --------- "RE: Anza Panelists present Comanche Viewpoint" --------- Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 10:40:12 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COMANCHE VIEW" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.chieftain.com/sunday/news/index/article/8 Sunday September 02, 2001 Anza panelists present Comanches' viewpoint By GAYLE PEREZ The Pueblo Chieftain Cuerno Verde was a proud and honorable Comanche leader who went into battle with Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza only to protect his land. That's how Jimmy Atterberry, a representative of the Comanche Nation, said his people view the Comanche chief who was killed by Anza and his troops during a battle on Sept. 3-4, 1779. "We see Cuerno Verde (Greenhorn) as being an honorable individual, not an arrogant person at all," Atterberry told a group of nearly 80 people Saturday at the sixth annual Anza World Conference at Pueblo Community College. "All he was doing was what a Comanche leader was supposed to do - he was fighting for his space," he said. "As a Comanche people, what really angers us is that Greenhorn is identified as a horrific killer and a raider." Atterberry was one of four members of a panel discussion on the "Voices of the Native American" in relation to Anza's 1779 Comanche Campaign. The discussion was part of a three-day conference that focuses on the life of Anza. The conference is held to offer information and to learn more about Anza, who is described as one of the Spanish colonial era's greatest trailblazers and military strategists. The conference will conclude today with a tour of several sites Anza traveled in the area. Atterberry said there is some irony in the legend that Cuerno Verde went into battle with Anza seeking revenge for the death of his father in 1768 at the hands of Spanish soldiers. Likewise, there are some who believe that Anza, whose father was killed by an Apache, had set out to a kill a Comanche in revenge for his father's death. While much has been written and discussed about Anza's version of the battle, Atterberry said little has been - or likely will be said -about Cuerno Verde's version. "The Comanches have never developed their own version of the battle," he said. "When people died, they moved on. Nobody ever talked about them again." If an interpretive history of the battle were to be made, Atterberry said, it would need to include the Comanches' version as well as that of Anza. Atterberry said much has been written about the Comanche people being savage and illiterate, but that is not the case. "From our perspective, we are a very intelligent people because we could speak different languages," he said. In addition to Atterberry, Roland McCook, a representative from the Northern Ute tribe, Karen Knight of the Kiowa tribe and Celinda Kaelin, an author and amateur historian, also spoke on behalf of the American Indians. McCook, who lives on a Ute reservation in Utah, said his tribe was among the first to come in contact with the Spaniards when they were settling what is now Colorado, Utah and northern New Mexico. "History has it that we were the first to acquire horses because we were the closest," he said. "We traded our services for the horses." He said the Utes were a nomadic tribe, whose territory bordered the Kiowa and Comanche tribal lands. He said it is a misconception that the Utes were fighters. "Most of the time, warfaring wasn't what we did," he said. "In this area, there were many conflicts with the Spanish people, but mostly the Utes tried to get along." Knight said the Kiowa Indians were known for being warriors but had a great respect for the Ute and Comanche tribes. "There were often some skirmishes in the Ute Pass area, mainly because the Kiowas loved their elk." She said the Kiowa learned many skills from the Spaniards, including silversmithing, but also resented the European invaders. "We resented those who came across the plains." Copyright c. 1996-2001 Pueblo Chieftain. The Star-Journal Publishing Corp. --------- "RE: Hohokam Ruins face Bulldozer in Phoenix" --------- Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 08:19:36 -0500 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HOHOKAM" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/breaking/0830ruins30.html Hohokam ruins face bulldozer in Phoenix Tom Zoellner The Arizona Republic Aug. 30, 2001 12:00:00 An extensive complex of Hohokam ruins on a north Phoenix mountaintop is set to be bulldozed by a gravel-mining company, and government officials missed their only opportunity to stop it. The Fort Mountain complex, which archaeologists think was a sophisticated mirror-signaling station around the year 1130, will be flattened and the underlying rock crushed for sale as roadbed fill and ready-mix concrete. "We're going to take the whole thing down," said Tom Stewart of Alameda Building Components, Inc. "There's nothing taking place on that mountain that isn't permitted by right." The fate of Fort Mountain is a vivid example of how ancient ruins in Arizona can fall through the cracks of laws designed to protect them. Phoenix passed up an opportunity to buy the 31-acre site and turn it into a desert preserve four months ago. "It was a lower priority than properties that were more at risk of development," said Jim Burke, the deputy director of the Parks, Recreation and Library Department. "It's not a good situation, but we don't have enough money to buy everything we want. It's tragic, but I don't have the answer." Phoenix has only $4 million in bond money to buy up to 5,000 acres of north Phoenix property for a Sonoran Desert Preserve, he said. Stewart said he went forward with plans to mine the mountain after city officials told him the property was "insignificant" and declined his offer to sell. "They just didn't want it," Stewart said. The low rock walls at the summit of the 500-foot mountain are the remnants of a multi-chambered complex that could provide many clues into the state of late Hohokam culture, Phoenix City Archaeologist Todd Bostwick said. Fort Mountain was an outlying settlement of the larger Hohokam agricultural villages near the Salt River in what is now downtown Phoenix. The entire tribe is believed to have left the area around 1450 after a deadly drought. There is some evidence to suggest the Indians used the lofty perch of Fort Mountain as a station to signal other villages with smoke or mirrors, he said. The strategic mountaintop location and fortified walls also suggest the Hohokam were preparing for war, either from an outside enemy or from unrest within their own society. A large, oval-shaped room with thick walls also may have been a place of worship, perhaps before battle. A number of petroglyphs carved on the east slope also point to a spiritual purpose for the place, Bostwick said. The site also demonstrates the Hohokam genius for agriculture: Fields at the foot of the mountain appear to have been flooded by ancient farmers, who diverted the seasonal flow of nearby Cave Creek. A 1978 study reported that 11,224 artifacts, including fragments of pots, tools, jars and bones, have been recovered from the area. "The place has a lot of research potential," Bostwick said. "To see these sites destroyed is depressing for an archaeologist." What is happening to Fort Mountain also could foreshadow future plow- overs of ancient Indian ruins. The richest deposits of sand and gravel are found near dry riverbeds - the same spots that the Hohokam Indians found so attractive for irrigation and settlement nearly 2,000 years ago. In 1996, a sand and gravel company accidentally graded about 80 percent of a Hohokam site on state trust land in Cave Creek Wash. Company representatives blamed a misplaced fence. There are few state protections in place against gravel mining at ancient sites on private property. The only thing that would trigger a delay would be a mummified body turning up at a site, which requires the developer to contact the Arizona State Museum before proceeding. "If they're up there bulldozing a walled fortress and petroglyphs, there's not a lot anybody can do to stop it," said Steve Ross, the cultural resources manager for the state Land Department. "It's really unfortunate." The case highlights the long conflict in the West between public preservation agendas and private property rights. There is no evidence that Alameda Mining or its contractors, Insearch Corp. and KSI, are doing anything illegal on their legitimately acquired land at Fort Mountain. "It would be nice if there was more state regulation of cultural resources, but then you have the notion of government intrusion on private land," Ross said. It also raises the question of how many Hohokam sites should be preserved forever. The culture flourished for more than 14 centuries and left abundant remnants all over central Arizona. There are about 700 recognized sites in metro Phoenix, and many buildings - including Bank One Ballpark, Sun Devil Stadium, the Phoenix Civic Plaza and the offices of The Arizona Republic - sit on top of old Hohokam settlements. The Fort Mountain site already has been compromised. A previous landowner had plans to build a dream house on the summit and plowed a road up the western slope. And years ago, the nearby Deer Valley Airport erected a navigational beacon in the heart of the ruins. Fort Mountain still might have been protected had it been within the boundaries of Phoenix, which is one of only a handful of cities in the nation to employ a full-time archaeologist with revi