From gars@speakeasy.org Wed Dec 5 17:48:56 2001 Date: 5 Dec 2001 01:58:49 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews09.049 WOTANGING IKCHE -- Lakota -- Common News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ==>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 O +-----------------------------+ O o O | Much more happens in Indian | O o O VOLUME 09, ISSUE 049 | Country than is reported in | O o o o o O | this weekly newsletter. For | O o O December 8, 2001 | For daily updates & events | O o O | go http://www.owlstar.com/ | O | dailyheadlines.htm | Hochunk big bear's moon +-----------------------------+ Osage waca'ebe wedathabi/moon when black bear gives birth <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.pechanga.net; www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; ndn-aim, Innu-L and LPDC mailing Lists; UUCP email; newsgroup: alt.native IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> As historian Patricia Nelson Limerick summarized in The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West, "Set the blood quantum at one-quarter, hold to it as a rigid definition of Indians, let intermarriage proceed as it had for centuries, and eventually Indians will be defined out of existence. When that happens, the federal government will be freed of its persistent 'Indian problem.'" "In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for the One Above did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beasts and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and the moon should man learn...all things tell of Him." __ Eagle Chief, Pawnee +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 section of the newsletter is reserved, largely, for personal views. Those views are often mine. Among the things I often harp on is the need of you, the reader, to be very careful regarding what you believe of the things you read. This is especially true of things you read on the internet, including this newsletter. I often pray over what is included and what is not, but apologies in the past prove mistakes are made. At least, what you read here is not deliberately skewed or slanted. Never forget, though, much of what is included is from major news sources over which I have no control; and, as is often the case, those sources do have an editorial bias. It is more often than not biased against Indian Country. One beautiful exception is Jodi Rave Lee who writes for the Lincoln Star Journal. The Billings Gazette, also a Lee Enterprises newspaper, runs many of her stories, as well. Her works are from the heart, and her heart is Native. The fact she remains a fixture in mid-America, no matter who owns the publication, is a blessing for those of us who try to shine our meager lights of truth into the dark crevices of dominant journalism. Thank you Lincoln Star Journal. Thank you Lee Enterprises. Thank you Jodi Rave Lee. =================================== If you have names and addresses of trustworthy collectors of food, money and clothing gifts at the various reservations please forward them soon. The winter winds already have come down from the north. -=-=-=- I send thanks to my friend, Crazy Bull, for passing along a contact for those who wish to donate food, clothing or fuel money to elders in need on the Rez's. Wopila Russell. Evelynn Charging P O Box #170 Lower Brule, SD 57548 if no answer call Grandmother Charging at Phone: 605-473-5377 the Golden Buffalo Casino 605-473-5577 -=-=-=- From: "Kay" For those of you who wish to 'Give A Gift,' here is the address: Eastern Cherokee Alliance 5411 Laureltree Place Louisville, Ky. 40229 Marty Soaring Eagle said he would distribute/deliver. 1-502-966-8046 Thank you Kay -=-=-=- From: "Nimchira" I am collecting items for the Rosebud Reservation if anyone is interested. Below is a small list of items needed before first snow fall. The first part of the list is what they need now, they have plenty of clothing so far....however there is a shortage of warm jackets, food is also an important need right now...... again, I thank you.... Nim Toiletries: Bath Soap Shampoo and Conditioner Deodorants Tooth brushes, Paste Feminine products Mens Shaving items Bath Towels and wash cloths Non-perishables Food items: Boxed goods Canned goods Bottled Water Baby foods Warm Clothing: Childrens Winter Wear in good repair Men and Womens Winter coats or jackets Gloves, mittens, scarves, hats [knit or crocheted] Other items of warm outer wear. Baby items, diapers Blankets, lots of blankets. For more information you can call Nimchira Webb at: 1-620-278-3842 Items can be left in care of: J. Porter Selman 217 So. 2nd. St. Sterling, Kansas -=-=-=- From: "Brigitte Thimiakis" Subj: Lame Deer Reservation Greetings Gary, I hope this finds you well. I have just received the address for your list(Lame Deer Reservation). I hope it is not too late!=20 There are a couple of thousand children there, many single mothers too. There is a shelter for children up to 15-16 years old. Ann gives them all the assistance she can. Beside toys, warm clothes like jackets, gloves, hats, socks, coats, etc for children and blankets, would be much appreciated. The toys will be distributed during the Christmas give away but the clothes and blankets will be distributed right away. Address for Truck (only): GPTA Building Cheyenne Ave and Ridgewalker Lame Deer, MT Please ask for Ann Booker Only Monday through Friday 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Someone looking for the building could ask anyone they see where the GPTA Building is and they should be able to direct them. Ann Booker works in the office where they work with assistance, etc. [If needed please contact thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr before the boxes arrive at the office and we can let Ann know in advance.] - Address for shipping items by mail: Ann Booker P.O. Box 1004 LAME DEER MONTANA 59043 Ann's home address is available off list for anyone who would like to send items by UPS (United Parcel Service), at the above email address. -=-=-=- From: dfinstead@setaim.com Elders and children will suffer this winter if they don't receive help. Warm clothing and blankets are needed as well as money for fuel. Also personal needs, soap, toothbrushes, diapers, etc. Please remember to send toys to the children for Christmas. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP AND PASS THIS ON TO OTHER LIST, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. >>>>>>> Bonnie Whitesinger Box 1073 Hotevilla, AZ 86030 Would be able to handle fuel donations for Big Mountain. > >>>>>>>>>>>>> There is a needs list on www.blackmesais.org/needslist.html Black Mesa Indigenous Support P.O Box 23501 Flaggstaff Arizona 86002 >>>>>> New Mexico Southwest Indian Foundation, 100 W. Coal, Gallup, NM 87301. > >>>>>> Eastern Cherokee Alliance 5411 Laureltree Place Louisville, KY 40229 Taking clothing, food, and toys >>>>> PINE RIDGE PTI Propane P,O, Box 1987 PIne Ridge, SD 57770 Ph: 1-605-867-5199 >>>> Bennett County Coop P.O. Box T Pine Ridge,SD 57551 ph: 1-605-685-6711 Fuel >>>> I have several families that I buy fuel for in Wanblee.(Pine Ridge) If you'd like to help out with that, it would be appreciated. The money goes directly to the Co-op in Martin, and they deliver the amount paid for, either by credit card, check or M.O. Contact me off list if you want to be a part of that. jdkc@woptura.com J. D. CHIPPS >>>>>> ROSEBUD RES. Alfred Bone Shirt P.O. Box 283 Mission, S.D. 57555, I can be contacted at this email address or by telephone 605-747-4443, For fuel >>>>>>>>> J. Porter Selman [Nim] 217 So. 2nd. St. Sterling, Ks 67579 All donations go to Rose Bud res. >>>>>>>>> ANGEL HAVEN MISSION C/OF GRACE DEEL RT 1 BOX 433 VANSANT VA >>>>> St. Bridgets Catholic Church General Delivery Rosebud Res., SD >>>>>>>>>>>>> ndn-aim list fund (Erth handles it, reciepts sent and amounts posted) For emergency assistance and fuel fund. ndn-aim fund c/o box 1334 Rapid City, SD 57709 I also have address to send clothing, food, etc, to Pine Ridge and Rose Bud (Carter Camp), I will give out off list. These are individuals who can be trusted to distribute to those with needs. You may contact me at dfinstead@setaim.com for these address. Dodie === To subscribe to this group,send an email to: ndn-aim-subscribe@egroups.com -=-=-=- From: "Carter " Ah-Ho Relations, A couple of weeks ago Dodie asked me if I could help some list members by distributing some gifts they had gathered. I said I could because my wife and I know plenty of needy people. After thirty years as a Sundance society leader it seems like hundreds of people call me 'Uncle' or 'Grampa' around here. Anyway both Maureen and Ken have sent some very nice things up and Linda has distributed them. Yesterday she was happy because she had taken a box of things to a young single mother who said her car was broken down and the baby was on her last diaper(in the box was some pampers). She has three kids, no husband and is trying to go to school so she could use the entire box of assorted kid stuff. It was great for Linda and I too, our kids are grown so making these kids happy feels good. Anyway, yesterday I read an article on some lady who delivered a whole semi-truck load of things to Pine Ridge. Along with it was an article comparing the rez to Afghanistan, with starving malnourished elders and children shivering in their log cabins. That is just not true, we are poor here but we're American poor not Afghanistan poor. There's a big difference, our kids have the basics even if their folks have to scramble for it. Our elders do too though they are often too proud to seek help. Our needs aren't for rice or wheat in bulk or for left-over, used clothing. Our needs are for basics but not THAT basic. The new coats and baby things Maureen sent and the pretty little girls outfit that Ken and his wife sent are the kinds of gifts needed. So far, Linda said, all those we have passed these things on to are single parents. My wife has a gift for befriending young mothers so we serve as emergency babysitters and such. If some of you on this list want us to distribute gifts for you we'll do it if you keep what I said in mind. We can't handle a big truckload but we do know many people who are in need, mostly young and with several children. And most of them are from the circle of traditionals that I know from the Sundance. If you want me to pass your gifts along make sure they're things you would give face to face and it will be fine. Winter clothes and toys for xmas. What we don't give to acquaintances we'll give to the various communities and vets center. Carter 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 - Housing Protesters - Teaming up to help Children start Walk to Window Rock - Native Youths: - Makah Free to A Struggle for Hope, Life resume their Whale Hunt - Indian Youths take Charge - Zunis, Environmentalists, - Protestors Smoke Pipes fight Strip Mine and hope for Communication - Victim Unwilling to join - Norton and McCaleb Cops Sentencing Circle to Stand Trial for Contempt - Priest Acquittal - Judge delays disappoints Innu Norton Contempt Hearing - Nunavut Inmate's Death - Women want to change Indian Act under Investigation - Sovereignty has Deeper Impact - LPDC: Nilak Butler needs Support than just Casinos - High court refuses - BIA Official Appeal to Katie John Case accepts New Crow Charter - Native Prisoner - Tohono O'odham Rez -- URGENT HELP needed for Inmate Favored Illegal Crossing - History: Carlisle Indian School - Bundles returned - Rustywire: Ke' the Binding Tie to Siksika Nation - Poem: Wisdom of Fools - Survivor's Pipe - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days given to Crazy Horse Foundation - Summit: Schools failing Natives - Blackfeet add protest - Radio Talk Show over USDA Office Loss unites Nation's Indian Tribes - Giant Housing Project - Native America Calling begins in Indian Country - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 08:17:59 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" November 27, 2001 Vance H. Jim ALBUQUERQUE - Services for Vance Jim, 25, will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the First Navajo Baptist Church, Crownpoint. Pastors John Lewis and George Jim will officiate. Burial will follow on private family land, Nahodishgish Jim died Nov. 22 in Crownpoint. He was born Aug. 1, 1976 in Crownpoint into the Towering House and Meadow People. Jim attended Crownpoint High School, Heavy Equipment Operator School, San Marcos, Texas, Job Corp in Kentucky and Electrician at C.I.T. He was employeed with Elite Electric Co., Albuquerque. Survivors include his wife Gabrielene Jim; daughters, Vashawn Jim and Abigayle Jim; parents, Harry and Alberta Jim; brothers, Lance Jim; sisters, Bessileta Jim and Chermaine Jim and grandmother, Lenna Morgan. Jim was preceded in death by his brother, Harlan Jim. Pallbearers will be Dewayne Jim, Andy Jim Jr., Gabriel Jim, Edgar Yazzie, Eugene Jim and Curtis Jim. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Nahodishgish Chapter House. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Harlan H. Jim NAHODISHGISH - Services for Harlan H. Jim, 16, will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the First Navajo Baptist Church, Crownpoint. Pastors John Lewis and George Jim will officiate. Burial will follow on private family land, Nahodishgish Jim died Nov. 22 in Albuquerque. He was born Oct. 14, 1985 in Crownpoint into the Towering House for the Meadow People. Jim was attending Crownpoint High School, he was a junior. His hobbies included basketball, football, listening to music, doing art work, riding horses, painting, model cars, ATV and collecting rap CD's. Survivors include his parents, Harry and Alberta Jim; brothers, Lance Jim; sisters, Bessileta Jim and Chermaine Jim and grandmother, Lenna Morgan. Jim was preceded in death by his brother, Vance H. Jim. Pallbearers will be Larry Halona, Adrian Thompson, Lynold Halona, Travis Morgan, Brian Morgan and Nathaniel Morgan. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Nahodishgish Chapter House. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. November 28, 2001 Tona Vee Shirley-Paymella CHINLE, Ariz. - Services for Tona Vee Shirley-Paymella, 29, will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 29 at Chinle Presbyterian Church. Pastor John Rowe and Jimmy Draper will officiate. Burial will follow at Chinle Community Cemetery. Shirley Paymella died Nov. 24 in Tuba City, Ariz. She was born Feb. 12, 1972 in Abilene, Texas into the Tangle People Clan for the Bitter Water People Clan. Survivors include her husband, Dennis Paymella of Chinle; parents, Winnie and Joe Shirley Jr. both of Chinle; sons, Levi Howard and Benjamin Paymella both of Chinle, Ariz.; daughters, Ellen Howard, Nichole Paymella, Sarah Paymella and Stephaine Paymella all of Chinle; brothers, Jerome Hunter, Jonathan Hunter, Jacoby Shirley, Joby Shirley and Josiah Shirley all of Chinle; sisters, Victoria Chee, Jacqueline Hunter, LaVina Hunter, Veronica Hunter, Violet Hunter, Barbara Shirley, Jolan Shirley and Trissi Shirley, all of Chinle; and grandparents, John Henry and Rose Henry of Blackrock, Ariz. both of Blackrock, Ariz. Shirley-Paymella was preceded in death by her sister, Johanna Hunter; brother, Dino Joe Shirley and grandparents, Stella Shirley and Joe Shirley Sr. Pallbearers will be Murphy Chee, Mikki Echikunowoke, Aaron Henry, Donathan Hunter, Joseph Paymella and Kumo. Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Andrew A. Begay PINEDALE - Services for Andrew Begay, 45, will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 29 at Cope Memorial Chapel. Rev. Henry Yazzie will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery. Begay died Nov. 21 in Gallup. He was born Dec. 4, 1955 in Fort Wingate into the Mountain Cove People Clan for the Bitter Water People Clan. Begay attended Day School in Pinedale, Church Rock Elementary School and Wingate High School. He was employed with Union Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Railroad, Rock Island Railroad, Santa Fe Railroad, United Nuclear Mine in Church Rock, Gulf Mine in Mariano Lake and Crown King Western Mine in Phoenix. His hobbies included silversmithing, attending to livestock and participating in rodeo. Survivors include his sons, Eckerson Begay and Austin Begay both of Salt Lake City, Utah; daughters, Mildred Holmes and Romanda Hernandez both of Salt Lake City; mother, Alice Begay of Pinedale; brothers, Edison Begay, Darrell Begay and Rev. Darrellson Jonah Begay; sisters, Margie W. Pichardo of Gallup; Rose Mary Redlegs of Dupree, S.D. and Alta Mae Johnson of Pinedale; and five grandchildren. Begay was preceded in death by his father, Rev. Kenneth A. Begay. Pallbearers will be family members. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Wanda Rose Morgan WOODSPRING, Ariz. - Services for Wanda Morgan, 39, will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 29 at Presbyterian Church, Ganado, Ariz. Burial will follow at Kinlichee Community Cemetery, Kinlichee, Ariz. Morgan died Nov. 18 in Gallup. She was born Jan. 5, 1962 in Ganado into the Bitter Water People Clan for the Salt People Clan. Morgan attended school in Ganado and Navajo, N.M. She served in the U.S. Army and in the reserves. She did beadwork and rug weaving. Survivors include her daughter, Truddie Freeman of Tucson, Ariz., Nikita Freeman and Tajah Freeman both of Fort Defiance, Ariz.; mother, Martha George; brothers, Peterson Morgan, George Morgan and Timothy George all of Woodsprings and Jimmie George Jr. of Burnside, Ariz.; sisters, Mary Ann Baloo of Fort Defiance, Eleanor Morgan of Gallup Dollie Yazzie of Ganado and Coleen George of Woodsprings; grandmother, Dade Morgan and one grandchild. Morgan was preceded in death by her father, Peter Morgan; brothers, Taben and Alexander Morgan and grandparents, Kee Morgan, Taben and Annie Morgan. Pallbearers will be Peterson Morgan, George Morgan, Jimmie George Jr., Timothy George, Shane George and Ambrose Yazzie. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Martha George's residence. Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. November 29, 2001 Mary Bailey CASAMERO LAKE - Services for Mary Bailey, 87, will held at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 30 at Cope Memorial Chapel. Harry D. Largo and Jones Delgarito will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery. Bailey died Nov. 24 in Gallup. She was born Feb. 20, 1914 in Smith Lake. Bailey was a rugweaver and homemaker. Survivors include her niece, Bessie W. Enrico of Littlewater; nephew, Tommy Woody of Smith Lake and aunts, Jenny Bruce and Bessie Charley both of Casamero Lake. Bailey was preceded in death by her husband, Mr. Bailey; brother, Little Tom; and sisters, Mary Bruce and Mary Sanchez. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Leslie Johnson VANDERWAGEN - Services for Leslie Johnson, 28, will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 30 at the Assembly of God Church, Crownpoint. Rev. Carlos Baki will officiate. Burial will follow on family land, Crownpoint. Johnson died Nov. 23 in Crownpoint. He was born Oct. 20, 1973 in Crownpoint into the Towering House People Clan for the Red Running into the Water People. Johnson attented Crownpoint Boarding School, Crownpoint High School and Wingate High School. He was employed with Al-Zuni Hopi, Gallup as a silversmith. Survivors include his wife, Charlene Joe of Vanderwagen; sons, Julian and Julius Johnson of Vanderwagen; daughters, Charmain Johnson of Vanderwagen; parents, Ella Johnson of Crownpoint and Clark R. Teller of Pinedale; brothers, Kevin Teller of Crownpoint; sisters, Cornelia, Cynthia, Carmelita, Crystal, Camelia Teller and Shania Johnson all of Crownpoint. Johnson was preceded in death by his grandparents, Bill and Ada Johnson, Mary and Charley Teller Sr. and Mae J. Nez and great-grandmother, Mary Crawford. Pallbearers will be Tyson Johnson, William Johnson, Dennison Beyal, Jonah Toledo, Luther Joe and Benson Beyal. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Willard L. Arthur CRYSTAL - Services for Willard L. Arthur, 35, will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 30 at the Navajo Baptist Church, Navajo. Pastor Roscoe D. Smith will officiate. Burial will follow on family land, Crystal. Arthur died Nov. 24 in Tucson, Ariz. He was born Jan. 16, 1966 in Shiprock into the Salt People for the Towering House People. Arthur attended Window Rock High School. He was a laborer and carpenter for various construction companies. His hobbies include basketball, football, fishing and camping. Survivors include his daughter, Ashleigh Rene Arthur; brothers, Samuel Arthur of Lander, Wyo., Leonard Arthur Jr. of Farmington and Manuel Arthur of Crystal; sisters, Phyllis Aguilera of Apache Junction, Ariz., Janielle Arthur and Landra Benally both of Fruitland, Virginia Benally and Delores Hunt both of Crystal. Arthur was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard Arthur and Mary Agnes Hobbs and sister, Rita Arthur. Pallbearers will be Leonard Arthur Jr., Edison James Jr., Myron Gould, Marvin Mose, Ross Begay Jr. and Basilio Tsebetsaye. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Crystal Chapter House. Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. December 1-2, 2001 Dinah M. Yazza SAWMILL, Ariz. - Services for Dinah Yazza, 61, will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3 at the Good Shepherd Church, Fort Defiance, Ariz. Rev. David Clark will officiate. Burial will follow at a family cemetery, Sawmill. Yazza died Nov. 29 in Fort Defiance. She was born Aug. 18, 1940 in Sawmill into the Edge of Water for the Tobacco People Red Running into the Water. Yazza attended Sawmill Day School Primary and Elementary, Fort Wingate Junior High, high school in Anadarko, Okla. and St. Joseph College, Albuquerque. She was employed as Dorm Attendent at the Tohatchi BIA School and as a Community Development worker for Sawmill, Ariz. She worked for General Dynamics and later as a telephone operator for Navajo Communications, where she retired from. She was a council member for the ECN Council for the Episcopal Church, Navajoland. Her hobbies included sewing, baking and puzzles. Survivors include her son, Melvin S. Yazza of Tempe, Ariz.; daughters, Lynnette R. Etsitty of Fort Defiance, Ariz., Lisa H. Yazza of Sawmill, and Elaine H. Yazza of Window Rock; mother, Madge W. Segodi of Sawmill; brothers, Donald R. Segodi and Wilbert Segodi both of Sawmill; sisters, Diane J. Kanuho of Sawmill, Doris J. Segodi and Delphine A. Segodi both of Fort Defiance and nine grandchildren. Yazza was preceded in death by her father, Marshall H. Segodi and brothers, Ronald Segodi and Wallace Segodi. Pallbearers will be June Marshall, Rydell Segodi, Stanley Tilden, Wilbert Segodi, Gilbert Tilden and Gilbert L. Bahe. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at family residence, Sawmill. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Ernest Dale Sr. TWIN LAKES - Services for Ernest Dale Sr., 58, will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 3 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Tohatchi. John Middlestat will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park. Dale died Nov. 27 in Albuquerque. He was born Sept. 12, 1943 in Naschitti into the Tangle People for the Bitter Water Clan. Dale graduated from Wingate High School and attended Haskell Jr. College. He worked for the railroad and at Gallup High School. His hobbies included silversmithing and playing the guitar and piano. Survivors include his wife, Marie Dale of Twin Lakes; sons, Delvin L. Dale and Orville Dale both of Gallup, Ernest Dale Jr., Arnold J. Dale both of Twin Lakes and Johnny Tsosie of San Diego, Calif.; daughters, Victoria A. Livingston of Mexican Springs and Yolanda L. Britton of Mayport, Fla.; mother, Laurel Dale of Naschitti; brothers, James Dale of Phoenix, Wallace Dale of Gallup, Bobby Dale, Ronald Dale, and Albert Dale all of Naschitti; sisters, Harrietti Becenti, Kathryn Borunda and Karen Dale all of Naschitti, Martha Daw of Tuba City, Ariz. Marie Maloney of Shonto, Ariz. Anita Brown of Twin Lakes, Lula Walters of Fort Defiance, Ariz. and Eva Willoughby of Mexican Springs; 12 grandchildren. Dale was preceded in death by her father, Hoskie Dale and five children. Pallbearers will be Delvin L. Dale, Arnold J. Dale, Orville E. Dale, Robert Livingston Jr., Christopher Britton and Johnny Tsosie. The family will receive friends and relatives after the burial services at Twin Lakes Chapter House. Tommy Jay Dixon REHOBOTH - Services for Tommy Dixon, 50, will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 3 at the Cope Memorial Chapel. Jake Yazzie will officiate. Burial will follow at City Cemetery. Dixon died Nov. 28 in Albuqueruque. He was born May 17, 1951 in Gallup into the Meadow People for the Black Streak Ends People. Dixon attended Church Rock Elementary School and JFK School. He was a self-employed carpenter, sheephearder and artist. His hobbies included playing guitar and cooking. Survivors include his sons, Jerry Dixon, Thompson Dixon and Gerald J. Dixon all of Gallup; Jennifer Dixon of Gallup; brothers, Frank Dixon Jr. of Rehoboth, Kenneth J. Dixon of Grants, Albert J. Dixon Sr. and Gibon Dixon Sr. both of Gallup; sisters, Rosemary W. Yazzie of Gallup, Victoria Dixon of Sundance, Lucille D. Herrera of Provo, Utah, Alice J. White, Fannie D. White and Betty J. Dixon all of Rehoboth; and five gandchildren. Dixon was preceded in death by his wife, Lillie W. Dixon; parents, Nellie J. and Frank Dixon Sr.; brother, Robert Jeff Dixon and sister, Elizabeth J. Dixon. Pallbearers will be Jerry Y. Dixon, Gerald J. Dixon, Gilbert Smith, Jerald Vandever, James Begay, Jackerson Howe, Albert Dixon Jr. and Merle Dixon. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Tommy Jay Dixon REHOBOTH - Services for Tommy Dixon, 50, will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 3 at the Cope Memorial Chapel. Jake Yazzie will officiate. Burial will follow at City Cemetery. Dixon died Nov. 28 in Albuqueruque. He was born May 17, 1951 in Gallup into the Meadow People for the Black Streak Ends People. Dixon attended Church Rock Elementary School and JFK School. He was a self-employed carpenter, sheephearder and artist. His hobbies included playing guitar and cooking. Survivors include his sons, Jerry Dixon, Thompson Dixon and Gerald J. Dixon all of Gallup; Jennifer Dixon of Gallup; brothers, Frank Dixon Jr. of Rehoboth, Kenneth J. Dixon of Grants, Albert J. Dixon Sr. and Gibon Dixon Sr. both of Gallup; sisters, Rosemary W. Yazzie of Gallup, Victoria Dixon of Sundance, Lucille D. Herrera of Provo, Utah, Alice J. White, Fannie D. White and Betty J. Dixon all of Rehoboth; and five gandchildren. Dixon was preceded in death by his wife, Lillie W. Dixon; parents, Nellie J. and Frank Dixon Sr.; brother, Robert Jeff Dixon and sister, Elizabeth J. Dixon. Pallbearers will be Jerry Y. Dixon, Gerald J. Dixon, Gilbert Smith, Jerald Vandever, James Begay, Jackerson Howe, Albert Dixon Jr. and Merle Dixon. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2001 the Gallup Independent. -=-=-=- November 28, 2001 Vincent Virgil Martin PINE RIDGE - Vincent Virgil Martin, 56, Pine Ridge, died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2001, in Rapid City. Survivors include six sons, David Martin and Vincent Martin, both of Slim Buttes, Robert Martin, Manderson, and Dale Martin, Louis Martin and Lawrence Martin, all of Pine Ridge; two daughters, Lisa Martin and Julia Martin, both of Pine Ridge; eight brothers, Samuel Martin Jr. and Francis Martin, both of Slim Buttes, Kenneth Returns and Darrell Martin, both of Pine Ridge, Tony Martin, Porcupine, Chris Martin, Post Falls, Idaho, Manuel Martin, Oglala, and David Martin, Buffalo Gap; two sisters, Marilyn Martin, Buffalo Gap, and Geralyn Martin, Rapid City; and 16 grandchildren. One-night wake begins at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at Billy Mills Hall, with the Rev. Steve Sanford and the Rev. Leon Matthews officiating. Burial will be at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Cemetery in Slim Buttes. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Rose Red Hair PINE RIDGE - Rose Red Hair, 91, Pine Ridge, died Monday, Nov. 26, 2001, in Hot Springs. Survivors include one daughter, Dorothy Freeman, Pine Ridge, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One-night wake begins at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at Brother Rene Catholic Hall in Oglala. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at the hall, with the Rev. Bill Pauly and the Rev. Ben Tyon officiating. Floyd Hand will officiate at traditional services. Burial will be at Holy Rosary Mission Catholic Cemetery in Pine Ridge. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. November 30, 2001 Leona M. Belt PINE RIDGE - Leona M. Belt, 53, Pine Ridge, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001, in Pine Ridge. Survivors include three daughters, Delpha Two Bulls and Tamera Two Bulls, both of Pine Ridge, and Leslie Two Bulls, Sioux Falls; four sisters, Vurge Yankton, Pine Ridge, Christine Provost, Oglala, Marge Spider, Manderson, and Sarah Spoon Hunter, Riverton, Wyo.; and 14 grandchildren. Two-night wake begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Brother Rene Catholic Hall in Oglala. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3, at Brother Rene Catholic Hall, with the Rev. Asa Wilson officiating. Burial will be at Makasan Presbyterian Cemetery in Oglala. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Manson L. Brings Plenty PINE RIDGE - Manson L. Brings Plenty, 41, Pine Ridge, died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2001, in Pine Ridge. Survivors include his parents, Mary Jane Broken Nose and Leroy Brings Plenty, both of Pine Ridge; three sisters, Charlotte Frogg, Charlene Brings Plenty and Barbara Brings Plenty, all of Pine Ridge; and two brothers, Marvin Brings Plenty and Bervin Brings Plenty, both of Pine Ridge. Two-night wake begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3, at Billy Mills Hall, with the Rev. Ben Tyon officiating. Burial will be at Holy Rosary Mission Cemetery in Pine Ridge. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2001 The Rapid City Journal. -=-=-=- November 27, 2001 Jimmy C. Benally Jimmy C. Benally, 76, of Teec Nos Pos, Ariz., died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2001. He is survived by his wife, Bessie Benally; one son, Larry Benally of Teec Nos Pos; and eight daughters, Irene White of Mexican Water, Ariz., Roselyn Jim of Shiprock, Juanita Benally, Julia Boyd, Lula Benally, Susan Benally and Selena Benally, all of Teec Nos Pos, and Lucinda Boyd of Cortez, Colo.; and two brothers, Lester Roy and Posey McRoy, both of Sweetwater, Ariz. He was blessed with 17 grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren. Jimmy was a faithful member of the Teec Nos Pos Southern Baptist Church, and was serving his church in the capacity of deacon at the time of his death. Funeral services will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001, at Deeper Faith Ministries of Kirtland, with the Rev. Tena R. Yazzie officiating. Burial will follow at Kirtland Community Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Sheldon Boyd, Nelson Boyd Jr., Reynold Begay, Alfred McRoy, Timothy Benally and Emerson McRoy. Alternate pallbearers will be Delbert Saltwater and Calvin Hadley. Funeral arrangements are with Chapel of Memories Funeral Home in Kirtland, (505) 598-9636. December 02, 2001 Gilbert H. Yazzie Sr. Gilbert H. Yazzie Sr. of Sanostee died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001. He is survived by his wife, Bessie M. Yazzie. Surviving children are Loretta Foster, Lolita Yazzie, Delta Yazzie and Gilbert H. Yazzie Jr.; and 10 grandchildren. Brothers include Don Yazzie, Thomas Yazzie and the late Charles Yazzie of Sanostee. Funeral services will be held at the Shiprock Catholic Church at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001, followed by a reception for relatives and friends. Copyright c. 1999-2001 MediaNews Group, Inc/Farmington Daily Times. --------- "RE: Teaming up to help Children" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 08:10:19 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HELP CHILDREN" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_id=119&date= Teaming up to help children BY JODI RAVE LEE Lincoln Journal Star Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001 "Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." - Sitting Bull BISMARCK, N.D. - She knows this: The Creator made every child sacred. But Deborah Painte is puzzled. "If children are sacred, why is it we're sending them away? Would we push sacred objects away, like a pipe or drum?" she asked. "If they're sacred, we need to treat them like they're sacred." Painte oversees the Sacred Child Project, based at the United Tribes Technical College. The 5-year-old program created mental health service centers for Native children living on North Dakota's reservations. Dismal statistics prompted the need. Native youth represented just 7 percent of the state's population, but made up more than 30 percent of children in the state mental health hospital, group homes, foster care and correctional centers. "The whole idea about Sacred Child is to keep the child in the home, and at the very least to keep the child in the community," said Joe Walker, Sacred Child development specialist. The project provides a bridge between professional services and traditional healing practices. Youths ages 1 to 22 participate through referral or private placement. "By the time we get them, many don't have any hope left," Painte said. "Some are suicidal. Some are self-destructive. Some have assaultive behavior toward others." The project helps families develop a team to help youths "grow positively in mind, body, spirit and emotions." In concept, the child is at the center of the team, surrounded by the family. It also includes an important outer ring of spiritual people who can help them heal. "What kept us alive all these years? Why are we still here after all that has happened to us?" asked Painte. "It was those things." While conventional clinical services call for therapists, psychologists, and counselors, Sacred Child emphasizes using traditional healers, clans, extended family, churches and ceremonies. "We're saying, how do you change your clinical services to fit our culture, to fit how we are? Our culture has been here long before your clinical services," she said. Since the project's inception, tribes in other states have developed models similar to Sacred Child, which itself was modeled after a nationally known "wraparound" approach. Painte credits the project's success to a spirit of cooperation. While many relationships between states and tribes tend to be strained, Sacred Child and North Dakota's children and family agency have built a bridge between two cultures. Sacred Child affiliates will soon help train state workers, and the state is supporting computer systems for project sites on the reservations. Said Paul Ronningen, director of the state Children and Family Services: "We have deep respect for what each other is doing. As long as we can maintain it, so much the better." Copyright c. 2001, Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Native Youths: A Struggle for Hope, Life" --------- Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 08:37:42 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HOPE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_id=117&date Native youths: A struggle for hope, life BY JODI RAVE LEE Lincoln Journal Star Physically, spiritually and mentally, Wakinyan Thomas lives a well- adjusted life on Nebraska's Santee Sioux Reservation. He plays basketball, boxes, hunts and like to fish. He's free from drugs and alcohol and he's on track to graduate from high school in 2003. He has completed five Sun Dance ceremonies. He can sing the traditional songs. But on another level, the 17-year-old is harboring painful memories - of relatives he's never met, of violence he's never witnessed, memories rooted in the tragic history of his Dakota ancestors. As U.S. indigenous people step into the 21st century, "historical unresolved grief" - stemming from past loss of land, lives and culture - is like a fire that won't die, rekindling itself in each new generation, according to experts versed in trauma and healing in Native communities. "Our trauma that we experienced during the European days, six generations of youth are still feeling it today," said Rick Thomas, Wakinyan's father and a consultant with the Red Road Approach in Vermillion, S.D. This trauma can be devastating, surfacing as depression, anxiety, health problems and alcoholism, said Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, director of the Takini Network in Rapid City, S.D. "Some people are doing research on memory and whether it can be inherited," she said. "For our people, we would also think about the spiritual connection to ancestors and ancestors' spirits, without proper ceremonies to wipe the tears of survivors, people might be carrying some of the grief from the ancestors." And the tangled effects of that ancestral grief - the depression, the anxiety, the alcoholism, the pain of so many generations - can be deadly. In many cases, experts say, historical grief can lead to suicide. ===== Bonnie Davis was a girl on North Dakota's Turtle Mountain Reservation, when her mother tried to kill herself. It was the first of several attempts her mother made. In the end, though, her father killed her mother before turning the gun on himself - an act she blames on her parents' drinking. "I knew if there wouldn't been no alcohol, my folks would be alive," she said. "I know they'd still be here. They were good people, it was just when they started drinking." But it was a lesson she didn't immediately learn. Two years ago this month, Davis tried taking her own life. This, too, she blames on alcohol. "I realized I had to change something about my lifestyle," she said, "otherwise I would end up dead." She's been alcohol-free since the day she nearly drove into a river in Colorado. Today, she is a student at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., majoring in social work with an emphasis on chemical dependency in Native communities. "I hate alcohol," she said. "I hate what it's done to our people. Yet, it's so preventable." Kenneth James Buckley, a injury prevention student at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, N.D., is also aware of alcohol's deadly connection to suicide. Buckley has known 10 people from 10 families who have committed suicide on South Dakota and North Dakota reservations. He knew six personally. Most of them, he said, were killed by alcohol. "When they were sober, they didn't have that attitude to go that far." He counts a nephew in his early 20s among the victims. "One day I was driving with him," Buckley said. "He shared with me that no one cares. One of the things he mentioned is, 'I'm going to kill myself.' At the time I didn't take him seriously. "In his own way he was probably reaching out to me. I didn't consider the seriousness, the yearning of his call. At the time, I gave my heart to him. I did tell him, 'Hey, I care for you. I love you.' That's automatic. That's how you respond." It wasn't enough. "I've learned you have to go further." ===== The roots of historical trauma can be centuries old, dating to the violent struggles stemming from white settlement. Or it can be more recent and less bloody - the legacy of the decades- long effort to assimilate Natives in government boarding schools. "It separated families and pulled children out of cultural environments. It disempowered parents," Brave Heart said. "It was a message that something was wrong with our culture that we weren't able to raise our own kids, plus it imposed a foreign culture on us, which was often the opposite of our own." Youths often spent their entire education in boarding schools that could be rife with spiritual, sexual and physical abuse, she said. The result? A cycle that started when generations of Native parents experienced such abuses at boarding schools and passed those abuses to their children. But even Native youth who live otherwise normal lives - free from direct abuse, free from government boarding schools - can carry the burden of a tragic history. Rick Thomas, of the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, always has been involved in his son's life. So he was surprised when Wakinyan recently shared the pain he felt from his Isanti Dakota ancestry. Wakinyans's knowledge of the tragedies and abuses that led to the relocation of the Santee from Minnesota to Nebraska caused tears to well, making it hard for the young man to speak. "You can just about bet, there's a lot of grief," his father said. "As soon as he started talking, he got emotional." But he's glad is son was open. "Feelings are critical," he said. "We need to teach our children how to express it or they will suppress it." Even though the young man didn't live the trauma, he knows the history and shares the collective memory, the father said. Upon European arrival to North America, Isanti history has been shrouded in blood and survival. Thomas quickly recounted the tribe's forced relocations, battles and massacres: ". . . marched from Santee . . . baby taken out of the mother's hands and hit against the house . . . put scalding water on us in the freezing winter . . . women and children . . . made them watch their men being killed . . ." All of this can weigh as heavily on young man now as it did then. "I see in my son a lot of anger," Thomas said. Youths ask: "'Why us? At that time, they say, 'Why us?'" ===== Trauma must be acknowledged before healing can take place, say those involved with Native communities. "If they're not aware, they're not coping with it," Brave Heart said. "I think they attempt to cope by erecting different types of defenses, things like psychic numbing, depression, self-destructive behavior, anxiety, trying to make up for the past by sacrificing self." In Nebraska, the Santee is acknowledging death among their people. The community has started to memorialize 37 Santee hanged in Mankato, Minn., the day after Christmas 1862. Those who died were accused of participating in the Minnesota Uprising of 1862, in which white settlers died over land disputes. While communities need to grieve, the healing process starts with individuals, said Don Coyhis, director of the White Bison Society in Colorado Springs, Colo. From there, individuals can help heal families, and families can help communities. Individuals can begin healing through spirituality and daily prayers, Buckley said. "Prayer should be a constant, not something triggered by trauma." As for groups, Coyhis suggests creating a "talking circle," or gathering, so people can talk about issues. "It's important (that) people start talking in places where it's safe," he said. Thomas agrees. Twenty years ago, he and Gene Thin Elk of Vermillion, S.D., organized the Red Road Approach, which promotes holistic healing through a cultural perspective. Clayton Small, a Native community wellness trainer with Accessing Native American Training (ANAT!) in Albuquerque, N.M., does his part for communities by presenting healing workshops for youth and adults. Hundreds of young people attended a workshop he staged last month at the annual National Indian Education Association conference in Billings, Mont. Small engages youth with humor and activities while addressing such serious issues as alcoholism, drug addictions and multigenerational trauma. But he always delivers an underlying message. "The heart of this healing work is spirituality and ceremonies," he said. It begins by asking for help. "Whatever form of higher power you believe in, you can't do this work alone." And the work is getting done. Janine Pease Pretty On Top, a tribal educator from Montana's Crow Reservation, said healing efforts are helping Native people acknowledge their history, and not be burdened by it. "That time has arrived," she said. "We're really coming away from the injury and damage." She added: "As individuals, the young people will look into their family history, but they won't have to bear the pain, they don't have to have a damaged spirit." Jodi Rave Lee covers Native issues for Lee Newspapers. She can be reached at (402) 473-7240 or jrave@journalstar.com. Copyright c. 2001, Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Indian Youths take Charge" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 08:10:19 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YOUTH LEADERSHIP" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php Indian youths take charge By JODI RAVE LEE For The Gazette Kenneth "Tuffy" Helgeson had lost enough classmates. Suicide took two of them. An alcohol-related accident claimed a third. So the 17-year-old helped create a youth council on Montana's Fort Belknap Reservation. "We started this council to see what we could do to prevent suicide," Helgeson said. "We helped make the statewide suicide prevention plan, which puts out information and tells people how to cope with suicidal people." Helgeson is among a growing population of Native teens to signal a positive shift in the way they live their lives. They are lives free of alcohol, lives bolstered through spiritual connections to their traditions and cultures, lives spent trying to make a difference. "A lot of our youth, in their own families, they've broken some of those cycles of dysfunction," said Clayton Small, a national consultant for ANAT!, a New Mexico organization that focuses on youth, wellness and healing. "They're embracing language, culture and ceremonies. "In essence, they're proud of their Indian identity." This is their story, and of the adults who work to empower them. It's a story of a generation with opportunities unavailable to past generations. ------- "There is tremendous promise in this generation," said tribal educator Janine Pease Pretty On Top, former president of the Little Big Horn Tribal College on Montana's Crow Reservation. "Our people have never had the privilege of being truly educated on our terms. That process is taking place right now in many of our communities." She attributes part of that success to the 30-year history of tribal colleges, which have been able to educate and move hundreds of Native teachers into the school system, allowing Native youth to be educated on their communities' terms, she said. Native leaders say other opportunities - including youths' ability to travel, step into mainstream society and return to their communities with new appreciation - give youth a new perspective. It gives the young generation some leadership that moves beyond what they call "survivor mode." Said Kateri Tuttle, 19, a student at the Fond du Lac Tribal Community College in Minneapolis: "We have more opportunities and we have to realize our opportunities. The thing now is for Indian students to know they're as good as anyone." Helgeson does. And he's not reluctant to work with peers and adults alike. "He gets right in there and organizes events and activities," said his aunt, Joan Racine. "What sets him apart is he doesn't care what people think. He just makes his own way." And that's a world away from Racine's generation. "When I was that age, I didn't care about things like that," she said of his community activities. "That's the difference between them and us. They can see beyond." That could pose a problem. The number of future Native leaders is growing faster than adults can find opportunities for them. "The challenge for adults is to create opportunities and access for youth leadership, what we really need in Indian Country is a comprehensive leadership program." Jonathan Windy Boy, a tribal councilman for Montana's Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boys Reservation, is trying to tackle that challenge. In Indian Country, 65 percent of the population is 25 and younger - statistics he finds alarming. "If we don't pay attention to those numbers," he said, "we'll be in a crisis situation, we'll be faced with another dilemma." That problem: A lack of role models and prospective leaders. For those reasons, Windy Boy, also chairman of the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council, has organized a youth leadership council that mirrors the one he chairs. "Growing up, I had nobody to look up to as far as Native role models, even today there's hardly any, they're few and far between," he said. "I figure by empowering youth, they can recognize leadership among themselves and help each other." ------- Despite the bright future for Native youth, the dark cloud of alcohol, a leading contributor to suicide, still looms. Paulee Small of Montana's Northern Cheyenne Reservation comes from a traditional family. The 13-year-old participates in ceremonies and doesn't drink or smoke. But she does try to support "the kids that have parents who drink and do drugs." It's not easy, she said. "I feel bad because most of them are my friends." She was among a group of students attending the National Indian Education Association conference in Billings last month. When an adult asked how grownups could empower youth, she responded: "Ask the kids first." The Lame Deer Junior High support group at her school is a good remedy to keep youths busy and out of trouble, she said. Sharon Bear Comes Out, the Lame Deer Junior High guidance counselor and youth support group adviser, keeps kids busy by helping them learn life skills. They cook for elders. They garden. They participate in the sweat lodge. They need someone to teach them, she said. "I believe in what I do. We need to empower them, the community, the youth, the full circle. It has to be everybody working together." The youths also need to set examples for one another. So if they want to participate in the support group, they must agree to be role models, meaning that they must be free of drugs and alcohol. Some have been tempted by alcohol but have learned to let go. Tuttle, of Minnesota, said she quit drinking four months ago. "My life has been completely different since I've been sober," she said. "I didn't want to drink anymore. It makes things so much harder." It was also hard to keep away even after growing up in a home with parents who didn't drink. Said her mother, Michelle Thompson Tuttle: "Even if you raise them in a sober lifestyle, they can still go that way. It's one of the most difficult things for Indians to talk about, how at risk we are." ------- The presence of alcohol in Helgeson's family moved him in the other direction. "I turned to the old ways," he said. "And basically, that's what set the mode for what I try to do in Indian Country." Sporting pressed Wranglers, cowboy boots and a black Stetson, Helgeson comes from a ranching family, but has equally embraced his tribal heritage. For the good of future Native generations, said Clayton Small, Indian Country needs more teens like Helgeson. "Part of our challenge is how do we get younger kids to be aware and heal?" he asked. "Our schools need to recognize that there needs to be a sacred place in our schools. For starters, he suggested schools hire wellness coordinators, create Talking Circles, and teach kids how to tap their spirituality by giving them access to ceremonies. "The school has to reach out and work with parents, the community and tribal programs," Clayton Small said. Getting involved means getting to know people in the community. Bear Comes Out, the junior high counselor in Lame Deer, also believes in giving youth access to ceremonies. Through her school's support group, teens have the opportunity to go into a sweat lodge about four times a week. Typically, 20 to 25 show up. ------- Back on the Fort Belknap Reservation, Helgeson participates in ceremonies, learns his language and lives a spiritually connected life. He's not alone. "One thing I noticed is there's a lot of young people going back to the old ways," he said. He has organized a drum and singing group and helped other youth get involved in Sun Dance and sweat lodge ceremonies. Next, he plans to work with peers on language preservation on a reservation where about 19 fluent speakers exist. The community - from little kids to elders - view him as an emerging leader, said Jennifer Perez, 24. Her brother was one of Helgeson's classmates whose death was ruled a suicide, although her family believes his death was accidental. Still, she credits Helgeson for bringing the community together. "It had affected the youth so deeply," she said. "They realized they needed to be reached out to and their issues heard on a community level." Jodi Rave Lee covers Native issues for The Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star. She can be reached at (402) 473-7240 or jrave@journalstar.com Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Protestors Smoke Pipes and hope for Communication" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 08:10:19 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CUTS IN CHILDREN PROGRAMS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.edmonton.cbc.ca/ Protestors smoke pipes and hope for communication Nov 27 2001 06:30 PM EST EDMONTON - People upset with cuts to programs for aboriginal children smoked pipes on the steps of the Alberta legislature Tuesday. Aaron Lee, one of the protestors, hopes the ceremony will open lines of communication with the government. "To maybe open the eyes of our people in our government," says Lee, who's program of teaching native dance and art at Ben Calf Robe Elementary School, in north Edmonton, is being chopped. "To maybe have them have a little understanding, to give them some strength and possibly some wisdom." Lee says he hopes the government will decide to keep paying for early intervention programs for high risk children. Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Norton and McCaleb to Stand Trial for Contempt" --------- Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:43:07 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NORTON/MCCALEB:CONTEMPT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.indiantrust.com/releases.cfm?press_id=36 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2001 Contact: Philip Smith (202-661-6350) JUDGE ORDERS NORTON, McCALEB TO STAND TRIAL FOR CONTEMPT Proceedings Scheduled to Start December 3 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A federal judge today ordered Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb, head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to stand trial for contempt of court, citing their failure to reform the Individual Indian Monies (IIM) trust as ordered by the court and accusing them of committing a fraud on the court by misleading the judge about their misconduct. The trial is scheduled to start Monday, December 3, in Washington, D.C. If held in contempt, Norton would become the third Cabinet officer sanctioned by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth in the class action (Cobell v. Norton) brought by IIM trust beneficiaries against the Secretaries of Interior and Treasury to force an accounting of billions of dollars in revenues from Indian-owned lands. McCaleb's predecessor, Kevin Gover, also was held in contempt by Lamberth. In a three-page order, Lamberth cited Norton and McCaleb for violating his Dec. 21, 1999 order to clean up the trust and provide an historical accounting, and for lying to the court about their lack of progress on trust reform in false quarterly reports to the judge. Lamberth also singled out their failure to disclose the "true status" of TAAMS - a severely troubled new computer system on which Interior has spent $30 million - and of clean-up of accounting data essential to trust reform. "Here we go again," said Elouise Cobell, who is the lead plaintiff in the case. "It is unbelievable that Norton and McCaleb wouldn't have learned their lesson from Babbitt and Rubin. This is proof positive that the IIM trust must be taken away from Interior and placed in the hands of a receiver before true trust reform will ever have a chance." Lamberth based much of today's order on a series of scathing reports submitted by a court monitor, Joseph S. Kieffer III, who was appointed by the judge in May to assess Interior's compliance with the court's trust reform orders. Kieffer's reports documented repeated falsehoods in what Interior was telling the judge about the accounting, TAAMS and data clean-up. The Cobell plaintiffs have asked that approximately 50 Interior and Justice Department officials, including attorneys, be held in contempt for violating court orders and/or misleading the judge. Lamberth said in today's order that he was deferring action on all but Norton and McCaleb for the time being. Copyright c. 2001 Blackfeet Reservation Development Fund, Inc. --------- "RE: Judge delays Norton Contempt Hearing" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 14:18:34 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HEARING DELAYED" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011130/pl/indian_money_1.html Judge Delays Norton Contempt Hearing Friday November 30 6:51 PM ET WASHINGTON (AP) - A judge on Friday postponed a hearing to determine whether Interior Secretary Gale Norton misled the court about efforts to correct a century of mismanagement of Indian royalties. Government attorneys had sought to delay the contempt hearing for a month, but U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth scolded them for stalling and set the hearing for Dec. 10. Lamberth asked government attorneys how they could argue the court wasn't misled, citing two directly contradictory reports about an accounting system being created to track the money. One report from Norton's office said the computerized accounting system was progressing on schedule. The other, from a consultant hired by the department, suggested the $40 million accounting system should be scrapped entirely. "What are we going to try?" Lamberth asked. "Did she lie to me the first time or did she lie the second time?" The second report remains under seal due to security issues it raised. Lamberth suggested it may be released next week. Lamberth is presiding in a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of 300,000 Indians. They claim the government squandered more than $10 billion of royalties from reservation lands. Lamberth has ordered the Interior Department to piece together how much the Indians are owed and is keeping close watch over Interior's reform efforts. Copyright c. 2001 Yahoo! Inc., and The Associated Press. --------- "RE: Women want to change Indian Act" --------- Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2001 09:08:12 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WOMEN/INDIAN ACT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/11/24/native_wmn011124 Women want to change Indian Act Last Updated: Sat Nov 24 14:55:58 2001 MONTREAL - Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault has the support of one segment of the aboriginal population on his side in his effort to rewrite the Indian Act - native women. In Montreal on Friday to report on the results of 400 consultation meetings in native communities, Nault said he was told many aboriginal women despise the 125-year-old law. They blame the law for imposing a sexist, patriarchal form of government on their communities. "For example, matrimonial property rights," said Terry Brown, speaker of the Native Women's Association of Canada, "the woman doesn't have any under the Indian Act, so that when there's a family breakdown the woman is the one to leave." The NWAC represents women on and off reserves. Brown says the Indian Act perpetuates a system that's so male-dominated that 72 per cent of aboriginal woman choose not to live on a reserve. Nault has vowed to rewrite the act, and says women will have to have a central role in doing it. The Indian Affairs Department is facing more than 200 court cases challenging one or another part of the Indian Act, and most of them from women, he said. "We need to understand the importance of a minister of the Crown having a piece of legislation that is being contested in the courts daily because of its ineptness," he said. But while Nault describes the act as archaic, his efforts to have it replaced have been opposed by the Assembly of First Nations. At the annual meeting of the AFN chiefs last July in Halifax, the AFN leaders demanded to be able to set their own process for changing the act. Written by CBC News Online staff Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Sovereignty has Deeper Impact than just Casinos" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 18:52:16 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOVEREIGNTY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.theday.com/news/ts-re.asp Sovereignty Has Deeper Impact Than Just Casinos Published on 12/02/2001 By Debra Utacia Krol Imagine holding Mass without communion wafers, or attending synagogue without the Talmud present. Envision the Vatican, or the Wailing Wall, or Mecca used by the military for war games. Or watching helplessly while the state tears your children or grandchildren away. As a member of the Salinan Tribe, an unrecognized Indian tribe whose traditional lands lie in the Coast Ranges and the Salinas Valley of California, I face these barriers daily. A federal law prohibiting the possession of eagle feathers except by federally recognized tribes prevents me from fully practicing my religious beliefs. If my daughter were to get into trouble, my community can't use the Indian Child Welfare Act to step in and care for my infant granddaughter. Nor can I visit my church unless I get written permission from the commander of the Army base on which it's situated. More than 75,000 other California Indians must deal with the lack of tribal recognition; unfortunately the process to gain recognition is so fraught with bureaucratic red tape, clueless government officials and subjective rules, we may never win back our rights . We shouldn't have ended up as second-class citizens. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo guaranteed Mexican citizens the right to possess lands granted by Spain; many of those lands were Mission lands given to Indians. In 1851, 500 Indian leaders and the United States signed a treaty guaranteeing California Indians over 8 million acres to be designated "Indian land," education, health care, and assistance to achieve economic self-reliance, for the nearly 300,000 Indians. Instead, the then-current federal policy of Indian removal, coupled with political pressure from the newly established Constitutional Assembly, led to a disastrous time of indentured servitude, massacre, and denial of citizenship to Indians. Terrified at the prospect of returning to the slavery their fathers endured under the Spanish regime, many California Indians went underground, assuming their Spanish names and the guise of Hispanic identity. In the 1850s, second-class citizenship was preferable to no citizenship. Instead of holding our ancient harvest dances, we Salinans attended Catholic fiestas. We joined in controlled burns and the barbeques afterward with our neighbors; we pooled our resources to celebrate holidays. One of my family photographs features my great-great grandfather and his string band, made up mostly of Salinans, performing with a Mexican flag in the background. Salinans concealed from public view the old forms of leadership still extant: the village headwoman, the hunter, the family elder. Seventy five percent of the 1,000 Salinans still live in traditional lands, and most tribal members live on or near ancestral village sites. We surf the Internet, work at whatever jobs we can find, and serve in the armed forces. We don't live in tule huts or wear grass skirts any longer, but we still gather regularly to celebrate our 10,000-year-old culture and communities. Sadly, without land, opportunities or hope, most Salinans are struggling financially in the world's richest agricultural region. Our old mission lands are now part of Fort Hunter Liggett, which just last month narrowly avoided becoming the Navy's newest bombing range. Stony Valley, which has already endured war games complete with tanks and infantry, is the site of our most sacred areas; however, nobody can visit without permission from FHL's commander. In 1989, we took the first steps to realize our version of the American dream, to be second-class no longer. We're seeking the tribal recognition that should have been granted in 1850. So far, through federal grants, sales of T-shirts and crafts, and the revenue from a non-profit archaeological monitoring firm, we've raised money to hire attorneys, genealogists and historians to help. We need much more funding to ensure success in the process, but we've turned down offers from gaming firms to finance our effort. Tribal recognition does not automatically equate to a casino. To us Salinans, the first people to inhabit the Salinas Valley and Coast Ranges, recognition means the chance to reclaim the FHL lands surrounding Mission San Antonio granted to us many years ago. Recognition means the legal right to possess eagle feathers and to use our sacred sites as the churches they were meant to be; the right to protect our burial sites; and the right to care for the children of troubled community families ourselves, instead of the state taking them away. Recognition means the right to live and govern ourselves in accordance with our family-based culture, and work toward community self-reliance instead of relying on welfare to care for our elderly and poor. A casino can't fulfill our long-term plans; land and sovereignty can, and will, if we can win the tribal recognition "lottery." At least it seems like a lottery. The Bureau of Indian Affairs' recognition process doesn't take into account the differences in Indian cultures. A congressional advisory committee determined in 1997 that the BIA's Branch of Acknowledgment and Recognition did not have the expertise to judge California Indian cultures, and recommended setting up an independent commission to process recognition petitions. This study followed on the heels of congressional testimony by John "Bud" Shapard, the BAR official who wrote the criteria in 1978. Shapard testified in 1992, and later in 1995, that the criteria he devised were incapable of doing the job. He cited the need for tribes to show political influence as being the poorest requirement. "How do you show political influence when you have no land to have any influence over?" Shapard asked. Without recognition, and the sovereignty that accompanies it, many of the cultural threads weaving the grand tapestry of our nation are doomed to disintegrate; the national tapestry will eventually lose its vibrancy and strength. The founders of our country came to North America to escape the perpetual tyranny of Europe. They came here to build something better than what they left behind, mindful of the persecution their parents endured for striving to practice their religions and lifestyles. And as part of this new and better society, they devised methods to ensure that minority rights would be respected in the land of majority rule. As part of the body of federal Indian law, tribal recognition is the United States' means to protect the rights of Indians, and to avoid the "tyranny of the majority," of which the framers of the Constitution were all too aware. It's time for our great nation to make it possible for more of its people to realize their true potential; to ensure that all Americans have the right to practice their religious preferences; to extend a "hand-up" to unrecognized Indian tribes working to achieve self-reliance and strong communities; to strengthen our nation by strengthening more of its first citizens. Debra Utacia Krol, a Salinan Indian, is a free-lance journalist based in Arizona. Krol writes for both Native and mianstream media on Native American issues. Copyright c. 1998-2001 The Day Publishing Co. --------- "RE: BIA Official accepts New Crow Charter" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 14:18:34 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROW CHARTER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?section=local&display=content/local/20-crow.inc BIA official accepts new Crow charter Sat Dec 1 02:54:12 CST 2001 Central Time BY BECKY SHAY OF THE GAZETTE STAFF One of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' top officials has acknowledged the 2001 Crow constitution as the tribe's governing document. Opponents' reaction to the news was split: They are pleased that the BIA has acted, but they do not accept the answer and plan to file District Court documents next week to block its authority. In a letter Friday, Neal McCaleb, federal assistant secretary of Indian affairs, said the new constitution "expresses the will of the Crow tribal membership." "... I acknowledge the 2001 constitution as the governing document of the Crow Tribe, and I further advise that the recently elected tribal officials elected under the provisions of the 2001 constitution are recognized by this office," McCaleb wrote. Opponents of the constitution, who forced the BIA to act on the constitution by taking over tribal offices in Crow Agency Monday, were "devastated" by the news, said Arlo Stray Calf-Dawes. Demonstrators took over the building with the purpose of getting the BIA's attention - something they hadn't been able to do since July when the constitution was adopted, he said. "My main objective in all of this has been accomplished," Stray Calf-Dawes said. "On the other hand, we're all quite devastated." Gerald Red Wolf, a spokesman for the opposition group, said he was satisfied. "We had been ignored until we had to take that action," Red Wolf said. "I'm satisfied I've been heard. Stray Calf-Dawes and Robert Nomee were arrested Thursday evening for their role in the building take over and were released from jail on bond in Lame Deer Friday afternoon. Another demonstrator, Robert Hill, was arrested Friday morning and was released on bond later in the day. It is not clear if more warrants have been filed. Tribal administration is withholding comment on McCaleb's acknowledgment until Monday when officials will make statements. Tribal spokesman Leroy Not Afraid said the Clifford Birdinground administration hopes to hold a press conference in Billings with BIA Regional Director Keith Beartusk. The opponents also plan to be at the Billings' federal building Monday. Red Wolf said those against the constitution are working with attorneys from Denver to fight the constitution in court. "The new constitution, as acknowledged by the secretary, has stripped the voice of democracy from the Crow people," Red Wolf said. "The warrior spirit of the Crow tribe is lost, temporarily. Our attorneys are (preparing to) file an injunction in District Court Monday morning against this action." Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Tohono O'odham Rez favored Illegal Crossing" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 10:08:13 -0800 From: "Jess Hansen" Subj: "Tohono O'odham Reservation becomes favored illegal crossing point" Mailing List: ndn-aim Nov. 26, 2001 "Tohono O'odham Reservation becomes favored illegal crossing point" By HERNAN ROZEMBERG, The Arizona Republic SELLS, Tohono O'odham Reservation - "Stuck between the undocumented migrant on the run and the Border Patrol agent giving chase are people like Orville "Otis" Smith, Tohono O'odhams who live on the extensive reservation on the U.S-Mexico frontier, who have become victims of immigration geopolitics. Until just a few years ago, the 24,000-member tribe never had much to do with border crossers or border agents. They walked their 5,000-square-mile chunk of the Sonoran Desert without worrying about running into strangers. Today, sightings of migrants and drug runners have become an everyday occurrence, prompting a larger law enforcement presence by agencies such as the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency on the reservation. The Border Patrol launched a series of operations in the mid-1990s meant to shut down illegal immigration through popular border towns. In Arizona, the strategy forced migrants to take to dangerous, isolated desert regions to try to sneak north, causing an unprecedented number of rescue missions and migrant deaths. The Tohono O'odham Reservation, which stretches 76 miles along the border, has become a favored illegal crossing point. Its remote location and unforgiving desert terrain make it difficult to guard. Plus, migrants have enjoyed the tribe's traditional welcoming nature. "During the last few months, it was happening even several times a day," said Smith, 38, whose home in the village of San Miguel is less than five miles from the border. "They show up at your door, hungry and thirsty. How can you not help them out?" Frustration and fear might change that. Migrants' desperation during boiling-hot summer crossings, combined with intensified drug smuggling, have made the O'odham scared to rove their own land. Tribal members often return home to find their doors knocked down and their food gone. Their sacred, pristine desert is destroyed and littered with garbage. They encounter migrants' bodies. And the trend seems likely to continue. Thirteen dead migrants were found in 1999, 18 last year and 27 bodies have been recovered this year, said Larry Seligman, who runs the tribal Police Department. "We're facing many more challenges with the huge increase in immigration," Seligman said. "It's taking up 20 to 30 percent of our...time." Border Patrol arrests in the area are beginning to decline, but the jump in the past three years remains significant. In the Tucson Sector's Western Desert Corridor, made up almost entirely by the reservation, agents arrested 58,733 migrants in fiscal 1998. The total for fiscal 2001: 91,377 arrests. But even when caught, migrants are in such bad shape that they have to be rushed to the tribal hospital in Sells, the nation's capital, just 30 miles north of the border. During the summer, migrants suffering from extreme dehydration fill up the emergency room. "It's really frustrating," said Silvia Parra, human services director for the nation. "Of course, we'll do anything to help people in need. But then we get to full capacity, and our members have to be taken to Tucson." The tribe ends up taking a financial hit for migrant care because the Border Patrol covers only those who have been arrested. From 1997 through this year, Parra noted, 723 migrants were treated at a cost of $440,002. The nation was reimbursed $53,169. When he was first elected to the Tribal Council in 1995, immigration wasn't a priority for David Garcia. As the voice for residents of Chukut Kuk, the larger of the reservation's two border districts, today he's known as the Tohono O'odham border issues expert. "Things have really changed," said Garcia, whose home was broken into four times in the past year. "People still want to help, but they're too worried and scared now. It's sad. You just can't trust anybody anymore." Copyright 2001, The Arizona Republic _________________________________________________________________ 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: Bundles returned to Siksika Nation" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 08:10:19 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SIKSIKA BUNDLES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://calgary.cbc.ca/editorServlets/View?filename=bundlesca011127 Bundles returned to Siksika Nation Nov 27 2001 11:33 AM CST CALGARY - Two sacred artifacts, confiscated at the Canada-U.S. border earlier this year, have been returned to the Siksika Nation. Angeline Leather recalls seeing the artifacts, called bundles, as a young girl. "It is a wonderful feeling for me," says Leather. "I used to see it in my younger age. I would get so amazed." Shortly after, Angeline says alcohol came to the reserve. Many artifacts were sold to buy liquor, others were stolen. "A lot of them were sold out for a song," says Chief Adrian Stimson. "Many of these guys were expropriated and sold at a high price to museums and other institutions across the world and it's only fair that these things come back home." There are hundreds of sacred items from First Nations scattered all over the world. The two returned this week were confiscated at the Canada-U.S. border after a man tried to sell them back to the Siksika for $80,000 each. Stimson says the return of the bundles also marks a return to the Nation's traditional ways. Construction on a museum for all returned artifacts will begin next spring. Copyright c. 2001 CBC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Survivor's Pipe given to Crazy Horse Foundation" --------- Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 02:03:00 EST From: ErthAvengr@aol.com Subj: SD: Little Big Horn Survivor's Pipe Given to Crazy Horse Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.rapidcityjournal.com Little Big Horn survivor's pipe given to Crazy Horse CRAZY HORSE -- The peace prayer pipe that belonged to Lakota elder Dewey Beard, a survivor of both the 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn and the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, has been presented to the Indian Museum of North America at Crazy Horse Memorial. Bob Lee of Sturgis, retired newspaper editor, area historian and author of six books on Black Hills history, presented the pipe to the museum. He also is a board member of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. Dewey Beard, also known as Iron Hail, was only a boy when the warriors under Crazy Horse defeated Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn. Beard belonged to Big Foot's band of Miniconjou Lakota. Beard suffered two wounds, and seven members of his family were among hundreds of American Indians killed by the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee in 1890. "I first met Dewey Beard when I was covering reservation affairs as a Rapid City Journal reporter in the late 1940s and early 1950s," Lee said. "He was one of nine survivors of the Little Big Horn and one of a few survivors of Wounded Knee who participated in a reunion at Custer State Park in 1948." In 1955, when Lee was an administrative assistant to Gov. Joe Foss, he learned that Beard had died at home in Kyle. Lee attended the funeral, and afterward, the family presented him with Beard's pipe in recognition of their friendship. "It is traditional in Lakota culture for the family to give away the belongings of the deceased," Lee said. "I was honored to have received Dewey Beard's peace pipe, decorated with eagle feathers, and it has been prominently displayed in my home for the past 46 years. But I now find it necessary to downsize my historical holdings, and I can think of no better place for the pipe than the Indian Museum at Crazy Horse. "I know it will be appreciated and displayed there in a manner that will do honor to the late respected Lakota elder. Dewey Beard's life spanned the difficult transitional period for the Lakota between their freedom of the open plains and the forced settlement on isolated reservations. His story, like that of all Native Americans, will be properly preserved and perpetuated at Crazy Horse." Along with the pipe, Lee gave the museum a photograph taken while he was interviewing Dewey Beard at Lee's former home in Rapid City. ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 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: Blackfeet add protest over USDA Office Loss" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 14:18:34 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BLACKFEET OBJECT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.triangle.townnews.com/display/inn_news/news14.txt Blackfeet Tribe adds its protest to Choteau's over USDA office loss BY JOHN MCGILL, GLACIER REPORTER EDITOR While it may not be immediately obvious why a federal office closure in Choteau should concern people of Blackfeet country, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council never-theless signed a resolution pro-testing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's plans to close the Rural Development office in that town some 50 miles south of the Blackfeet Reservation. The USDA's state director, Tim Ryan, announced early this month that the Rural Development office that had served the area around Choteau since the 1940s would be shut down as of the first of next year. The duties performed by that agency would be taken over, he said, by the office in Great Falls. "We've been underserved on the Reservation by the USDA for the last 50 or 60 years," commented Mike Tatsey of the Tribe's agriculture department. "Any time they take services away it will affect us." Most likely residents of the Blackfeet Reservation would now be served by a USDA office in Kalispell. By way of response, members of the Teton County Development Corporation protested the move, both to the USDA and to Montana's congressional delegation since Ryan is an official who was appointed by Republican Senator Conrad Burns. Marsha Hinch of the TCDC reports the area served by Choteau was expanded in 1996 to include Pondera, Glacier, Toole and a portion of Lewis and Clark counties, as well as Teton. She notes the irony that plans to move the office to Great Falls will put it in a town whose population exceeds 50,000 - which makes it too large to be served by USDA rural programs. In addition, she said the Choteau office manages a larger caseload than that handled by the office in Great Falls, while being staffed by only one employee compared to three at Great Falls. "The local representative we had here was really good," Tatsey agreed, but added the single rep could only provide temporary and partial coverage of Blackfeet country. "The USDA has an obligation to provide services to the Reservation," he said, adding, "The USDA's services have been going downhill with the change in [federal] leadership." The TCDC reports, "Over the years, most of the communities in this area have been assisted with water, sewer and public service facility improvements. Many individual businesses got a start or a chance to expand. Hundreds of individuals have been given the opportunity to own or improve a home because of the assistance provided through the Choteau office." Tatsey agrees, saying many low income, local residents have been able to remodel their homes with help from USDA Rural Development programs. "Actually I've seen many people going in there," he said of the office Choteau's USDA had set up, part-time, in Browning. The TCDC complains that the consolidation move was announced without preliminaries or consultation with the people affected, and they are leading the charge to prevent their office's closure. "The issue is accessibility," Hinch concluded, adding that every loss of services brings Montana's rural towns one step closer to becoming bedroom communities serving the larger cities. Tatsey reports he is writing a final version of the Tribe's resolution of protest, and he expects the Tribe to begin circulating the letter to the USDA and to members of Montana's congressional delegation to try to revisit the decision and preserve what services the agency now provides to Blackfeet country. Copyright c. The Golden Triangle Newspapers/Glacier Reporter. --------- "RE: Giant Housing Project begins in Indian Country" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 08:23:16 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HOUSING PROJECT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/navajohopiobserver/myarticles.asp Giant Housing Project Begins in Indian Country By George Joe Church Rock, New Mexico - Locals here looked on as officials broke ground to build perhaps the largest single housing project in Indian country, 900 homes and community facilities at a cost of $180 million. This ambitious project, the largest ever on the Navajo Nation, will be completed over the next five years. It will contain a convenience store, park, and other commercial development said project organizers. This is possibly the largest undertaking of its kind in Indian country, said Jimmie Bitsuie, an official with Ft. Defiance Housing Corp., a non- profit housing provider. The homes will be brand new three and four bedroom homes and will serve lower income Navajo families who are living in substandard and overcrowded conditions. Bitsue said the five year project would employ 200 people and create 40- 50 new jobs when completed at two sites in Church Rock, New Mexico, just outside of Gallup, New Mexico. "Construction on the first 69 homes will begin in December at the Church Rock estates, while 500 homes will go up at the Springstead estates," he said. "Right now we're finishing up on 34 new apartment buildings at Tsaile," Bitsuie said. "When that's done we're going to move on over to the Church Rock projects.Financing for this huge project will come from several sources. This will include loan and guarantee packages from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's rural development program. FDHC President Everett Ross said, "We combined HUD NAHASDA grant monies with private sector funds to build the highest quality and greatest number of homes possible." David Saffert, a Washington USDA official said, "(his) office will help anyway they can to make this project feasible." Officials from Navajo Housing Authority were also on hand. "This means that our HUD NAHASDA grant program is working," said Chester Carl, NHA's chief executive officer. "Ft. Defiance Housing is one of our main housing providers across the reservation. We see this as a model project to help bring down the housing need on the Navajo Reservation. "NHA is the primary receipting of funding for NAHASDA grant money and is interested in seeing this project take off. Over the past five years, FDHC has been awarded millions from NAHASDA grant funding for housing projects in Rio Puerco in Ft. Defiance (Ariz.), the Teeh In-Deeh estates in Kayenta Ariz. Shiprock, New Mexico, Navajo Agricultural Products Inc., Tsaile, Ariz. and five others across the reservation. "All total, FDHC has built 385 homes in the past years using funding from NAHASDA and private sources," said Ross. "The Springstead subdivision will be built on tribal fee land, similar to the Navajo Nation's Karigan estates in St. Michaels. This situation allows for private sector investment opportunities," Carl added. In a lunch time speech at Church Rock Chapter, Carl added that there are other big opportunities for Church Rock. "They could get an off-ramp from I-10, build a hotel, and maybe even a casino," he said. Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council Edward T. Begay, who represents Church Rock, hailed the planning. "I want to see this project completed. I know something like this takes a lot of work." Jane Demarines, research and communications director for the National Indian Housing Council of Washington, said, "Housing in Indian country is six times more substandard than other groups in the country. This project certainly works towards that end and shows the success of the NAHASDA program." Others in attendance were representatives of Allied Mortgage, Navajo Nation Chief of Staff Derrick Watchman, Mesquite State Bank, and USDA officials. Copyright c. 2001 Northern Arizona Newspapers, Inc. --------- "RE: Housing Protesters start walk to Window Rock" --------- Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 20:47:48 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HOUSING PROTEST" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.cia-g.com/~gallpind/todaysnews.html#anchor7 Housing protesters start walk to Window Rock Bill Donovan Staff Writer CHURCH ROCK - A small group of protesters began a two-day protest march Tuesday from Gallup to Window Rock to demonstrate dissatisfaction against plans to tear down the homes of some 200 residents in the Church Rock Chapter to build low-rent housing. The group was led by local activist Mervyn Tilden, who has lived in the village where the homes are located for the past 39 years. Tilden contends that many of the residents will be forcibly relocated this winter with no place to go when their homes are destroyed to make way for the new housing complex. "There is nothing written that guarantees any of the families will have a home when the new houses are built," he said. "Where are they going to live? And even if they do get to live in the new units, many of the families can't afford to pay the rents." The Church Rock families are also not being guaranteed any money for temporary housing or for the inconvenience... Copyright c. 2001 The Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Makah Free to resume their Whale Hunt" --------- Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:43:07 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MAKAH WHALING" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/48595_whale29.shtml Makah free to resume their whale hunt Fewer restrictions mean they won't have to venture into dangerous seas Thursday, November 29, 2001 By PAUL SHUKOVSKY SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER The Makah Tribe will be free next week to resume its ancient whale hunt with fewer restrictions on where they can take a whale, and none on when. It means the hunt will be much safer for the eight-man crews who paddle a hand-hewn, dugout canoe in search of their prey. But it's unlikely the hunters will venture onto dangerous winter waters to take a whale. Under the old regulations, reached in an agreement between the tribe and the National Marine Fisheries Service, the hunt was restricted to times when the gray whale herd migrated past the reservation on the remote northwest tip of the continental United States. The migrations, especially during the southward trek in the late fall and early winter, are hazardous times to put a canoe on the open water of the Pacific Ocean. But under the new regulations, tribal members can hunt any time they want. And the new management agreement allows the hunters to stalk a whale in the protected waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Makah Tribal Council Vice Chairman Gordon Smith pronounced the tribe "satisfied" with the revised agreement. "There is a lot more leeway as to when and where they (the hunters) can go. It's basically going to be a lot safer because they can go when the weather is better." Ironically, the liberalized hunting terms were the result of a failed lawsuit by anti-whaling activists. The hunt was suspended in the fall of 2000 after a federal court ruled that a 1997 environmental assessment should have been completed before NMFS and the tribe signed the first management agreement. A new environmental assessment was completed in July and reached the conclusion that more liberal rules for the hunt would not have a negative impact on the environment. NMFS spokesman Brian Gorman said the hunt can resume as soon as the agency publishes a notice in the Federal Register sometime next week reinstating the tribe's quota of gray whales that was granted to the United States by the International Whaling Commission. The tribe is allowed to kill five whales a year through the end of next year, at which time the IWC quota expires. So far, the tribe has killed just one whale, that in May 1999. Gorman said NMFS plans to seek a new quota of whales for the Makah for 2003 to 2007 at an IWC global meeting in May. Details of that quota request will emerge from a new environmental assessment that will be completed in time for the May meeting. The new regulations retained prior provisions calling for a humane kill with a high-powered rifle and the presence of a NMFS observer. A safety officer will also accompany the hunters. P-I reporter Paul Shukovsky can be reached at 206-448-8072 or paulshukovsky@seattlepi.com Copyright c. 1999-2001 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. --------- "RE: Zunis, Environmentalists, fight Strip Mine" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 14:18:34 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ZUNI MINE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/breaking/1130stripmine-ON.html Zunis, environmentalists, fight strip mine Associated Press Nov. 30, 2001 19:15:00 The Zuni Pueblo tribe formed a coalition Friday with several environmental and grassroots groups and vowed to protect the Zuni Salt Lake in western New Mexico, where an Arizona utility company wants to develop a strip mine. "This area is a sanctuary and is important to all Southwestern tribes," Zuni Gov. Malcolm Bowekaty said at a news conference to call attention to the issue. "We want to stop this project. We will do everything we possibly can to protect the Zuni Salt Lake." The proposed Fence Lake Mine, about 12 miles north of Quemado, N.M., would supply the Salt River Project, which has nearly 750,000 electric customers in the Phoenix metropolitan area and central Arizona. SRP plans to strip-mine about 80 million tons of coal over the next 50 years from the 18,000-acre site. "The mine is not on tribal land. It's nine miles away from the nearest land owned by the tribe," said Bob Barnard, SRP's mine project manager. "The tribe is worried because the lake is central to their religion. We agree and we are committed to protect the lake." Zuni Salt Lake produces a steady stream of brine from a cinder cone, and at least seven tribes have collected the salt for their religious ceremonies for thousands of years. The Zunis claim dust, vibrations and water pumping from the mining or from associated railroad operations that would haul the coal to SRP's Coronado Generating Station in St. Johns, Ariz., could damage the brine flows by draining the Dakota Aquifer. Hydrologists hired by the Zuni and the Bureau of Indian Affairs say pumping wells for the mine would harm the brine flow. Barnard said other studies have show the mine wouldn't hurt the lake. At a meeting Friday at Arizona State University's College of Law here, Bowekaty announced the formation of the Zuni Salt Lake Coalition that includes the Flagstaff, Ariz., chapter of the Sierra Club, the Tucson, Ariz.-based Southwest Center for Biological Diversity, the Albuquerque- based Water Information Network and the Denver-based Citizens Coal Council. Other tribes who have used the lake's salt for thousands of years - the Hopi, Navajo, Acoma, Laguna and Apache - support the coalition and may join soon, organizers said. "The collective focus of this coalition is to put pressure on SRP to drop this project," said Andy Bessler of the Sierra Club. New Mexico's government approved a five-year permit extension for the proposed mine in October, but the Zuni have appealed the permit's conditions. SRP is awaiting a federal permit for the project and Barnard said that could come "in January or February." Barnard said SRP must find a new source of coal for its Coronado generating station before supplies from the McKinley Mine near Gallup, N.M. , run out by 2005. The next nearest coal supply is 1,200 rail miles away in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. SRP wants to begin construction on the mine soon and expects delivery of the first coal from it in January 2005. Barnard said he was hopeful the dispute could be resolved soon. Bowekaty said the tribe doesn't harbor any ill will. "But this is a very emotional time for us," he said. "We want the board of directors of SRP to stop this project. The salt is the lifeblood of many tribes." Copyright c. 2001, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Victim Unwilling to join Cops Sentencing Circle" --------- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 14:18:34 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SENTENCING CIRCLE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.CRIME-Officers-Aboriginals.html November 30, 2001 Victim unwilling to join sentencing circle for Saskatoon cops who dumped him SASKATOON (CP) -- A man who was dumped on the outskirts of Saskatoon in freezing temperatures by two police officers last year refuses to participate in a sentencing circle requested by the men. "(Darrell) Night is not prepared to be involved in this process," Crown prosecutor Bill Burge told court Friday. Night was abandoned near a remote power plant by former officers Ken Munson and Dan Hatchen in January 2000 after they arrested him for causing a disturbance. The officers, who were fired from the Saskatoon force after their conviction this fall of unlawful confinement, have requested a sentencing circle. Sentencing circles focus on healing for both victims and offenders and are usually reserved for aboriginals. However, Night's lawyer said the officers have shown no remorse and do not deserve a sentencing circle. "There's been absolutely no acknowledgment that, number 1, there has been harm to the individual victim, in this case Mr. Night, and secondly there has been no acknowledgment of the harm done to this community," Don Worme said outside the courthouse. Despite Night's reluctance to participate, lawyers for the former police officers argued a sentencing circle could still go ahead. "Healing can still take place even if the victim does not participate," said Hatchen's lawyer, Bill Roe. "The effects of this case reach beyond those of a regular criminal case ... It is clear the community should have some input." Morris Bodnar, Munson's lawyer, said a sentencing circle even without Night would be helpful because of its impact on the community as a whole. "It is much bigger than any of the three major participants," Bodnar said. Justice Eugene Scheibel of the Court of Queen's Bench questioned the efficacy of the process without Night's participation. "If Mr. Night does not choose to participate in this process, how do you get his perspective?" Scheibel asked. Roe also argued that if a sentencing circle were to proceed, the news media should be excluded. "I suggest that would be something that would hamper a free and open discussion," he said. But Scheibel said it was important the process be open. "In a closed court system there is at least the risk or fear that the process may not be fair," Scheibel said. Burge said Nora Ritchie, a senator with the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan, was dismayed to learn from media reports that Munson had suggested her as a participant in the sentencing circle. "Her reaction was why would she spend her time trying to determine a sentence for people who don't recognize their responsibility?" Burge said. Worme said Ritchie told him she would only be willing to take part if Night was going to be there, and only if Night said it was OK. "She is a person that carries a great deal of credibility in this community, and I'm sure that's why they put her name forward," said Worme. "But basic courtesy would require picking up the phone and giving her a call. Unfortunately that wasn't done." Bodnar said he put her name on the list "because she was given to me as an individual who has sat (on sentencing circles), and I was given a complete list of individuals who have sat and would sit. I was not aware that she would not sit on this." The judge reserved his decision until Monday afternoon. The maximum penalty for unlawful confinement is up to 10 years in prison under the Criminal Code. There is no minimum. Sentencing circles include several members of the community and almost always include the victim. The former police officers want their old boss, former police chief Dave Scott, at the circle along with a fellow police officer and a former police department pastor. The recommendations of a sentencing circle are brought before the judge, who has discretion to make amendments if it is felt the penalty is either too lenient or too harsh. More than 500 sentencing circles have been held in Saskatchewan since their inception in 1992. The Night case is one of several that have highlighted tension between aboriginal people and the Saskatoon police. Two other aboriginal men, Lawrence Wegner and Rodney Naistus, were found frozen to death on the southern outskirts of the city within a 10-day period in late January and early February last year. An RCMP task force that spent the last year looking into the deaths and other cases of alleged mistreatment of aboriginals by police recommended no charges be laid in the deaths of Wegner and Naistus. The coroner's jury concluded the cause of Naistus's death could not be determined, but came back with several recommendations suggesting changes to police practices. An inquest into Wegner's death is set for January. Copyright c. 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Priest Acquittal disappoints Innu" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 14:59:31 -0400 From: Larry Innes Subj: Innu disappointed about acquittal of priest on sex-related charges Mailing List: INNU-L People in Sheshatshiu are disappointed about the acquittal of Fr. Len Parody on two sex related charges. [ "Ron O'Quinn, Lawyer" ] Program: ST JOHNS MORNING -2 Media: CBN-AM Reporter: PAUL PIGGOT Air Date: Mon, Nov 26 Word Count: 921 Anchor: JIM BROWN Air Time: 7:12:00 AM Duration: 6:00 People in Sheshatshiu are disappointed about the acquittal of Father Len Parody. On Friday, a jury found the Oblate priest not guilty of two sex related charges. Parody has a history of sex crimes. In 1989 he pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency, involving teenage boys from Sheshatshiu. As Paul Piggot reports, some Innu want to know why he wasn't found guilty this time. Paul Piggot: The not guilty verdict was the end of a two-year struggle for Father Len Parody and his lawyer, Ron O'Quinn. Ron O'Quinn: Certainly you know, Mr. Parody is certainly happy that this is finally concluded, it's been a long haul. Paul Piggot: Last time the priest was on trial, he didn't experience that same sense of relief. Parody was given three years probation in his 1989 conviction on charges of gross indecency. This time he pleaded not guilty. There was evidence presented in court that Parody wasn't in Labrador at the time the complaints that the assaults took place. Something the man claiming to be Parody's victim acknowledged after the verdict. Alleged victim: So little of evidence. I had expected he would be found not guilty on both charges. Paul Piggot: But the man says he is still hurt by the verdict. Alleged victim: This is just a reminder for him that he is guilty, even though he was found not guilty through the courts. Courts and the knowledge one has is two different things. Paul Piggot: Soon after making those comments, correctional officers escorted the man back to his cell at the Labrador Correctional Centre. He is an inmate there facing charges for sexual assault and breach of probation. In fact, the complainant has spent most of his life in prison. It started when he was twelve. He was sent to the Whitbourne School for boys for vandalizing the church in Sheshatshiu. At a home in the village, Rose Gregoire stitches the hem on a sheet. She is sitting in her kitchen visibly upset about the verdict. Gregoire was in court last week, she is a counselor for the Sheshatshiu man claiming to be Parody's victim. And she says last week's verdict was devastating. Rose Gregoire: That day will never be forgotten, never. I guess people will continue to live and will continue to, hopefully to talk about the rest of the abuse that's been happening in our community. I don't think that is the end of it, maybe it is the start, maybe other people will come up with their own story. Paul Piggot: At least five other men from Sheshatshiu are now suing Father Len Parody and the Catholic church. But none of that was heard in court last week. Gregoire has a problem with that. Rose Gregoire: Makes me very angry too, to see that the Father Len has been found not guilty. Because I know Father Len's history, I just don't understand the law why they brought up all the criminal records for what he had done, but there is nothing came out about Father Len Parody. And it makes me feel very disturbed and very, very angry. Paul Piggot: After the verdict, the man claiming to be Parody's victim took solace in the support that he got from people in Sheshatshiu. Alleged victim: The people that came in to support me from my community, knowing that I told the truth, I'm satisfied with that. Paul Piggot: Many Innu were at the courthouse last week, some also claim to be Parody's victims. As a counselor, Gregoire is trying to help the claimant get his life back under control. She thinks support from Sheshatshiu is the first step. Rose Gregoire: It is really important that someone believes you and the most important people that you want to believe you is your own people. We have to live in the community. If he was found guilty maybe he would be able to let go and start healing on himself, you know? Paul Piggot: Gregoire says it has been a tough weekend for the man in prison. She spoke with him three times. Rose Gregoire: I wish I could be with you, I could hug you, you are just a little boy to me, you know? That is the way I felt, I couldn't tell him that on the phone because he is in Goose Bay and I am here at home. Paul Piggot: Gregoire also went to church on Sunday. She says that is where the real healing must begin. Rose Gregoire: I just don't understand those priests, you know, how can they not feel? Because these are people who are supposed to be giving good example to my people, you know, show their love for the people. I don't understand, you know, why they're still not wanting to acknowledge what they've done in my community. How do you expect us people to feel good about the church? Paul Piggot: Gregoire is calling on current church leaders to start talking about the sexual abuse she says did take place in Sheshatshiu. Rose Gregoire: They have never heard our stories. Not from the people that abused us, they haven't heard our stories. And they should start acknowledging what they have done. Maybe, some time we will let go, because it's very tiring to hold onto. Paul Piggot: It is not clear what impact the verdict will have on the six lawsuits now before the courts that name both Len Parody and the Catholic Church. In Happy Valley-Goose Bay, I'm Paul Piggot. --------- "RE: Nunavut Inmate's Death under Investigation" --------- Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 08:17:59 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INMATE DEATHS" http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/11130_3.html November 30, 2001 Nunavut inmate's death under investigation Three Nunavummiut inmates die suddenly while in custody. KIRSTEN MURPHY The sudden death of an 18-year-old Cambridge Bay man at an Iqaluit halfway-house last week is under investigation by the Nunavut coroner's office. Colin Kaotalok was pronounced dead at Baffin Regional Hospital Nov. 23. The exact cause of his death won't be known until after an autopsy is performed, but it appears to have been self-inflicted. "I'm hesitant to comment other than it would appear to me as a suicide," said Tim Neily, the administrative coroner for the Nunavut Department of Justice. Kaotalok is the third person to die this year while in the custody of Nunavut's correctional system. Bruce Aasivaaryuk, 25, died suddenly at an outpost correctional camp near Arviat in January. His inquest gets underway in March, 2002. Aipeelee Oshutsiaq, 33, died March 16 after collapsing at the Baffin Correctional Centre in Iqaluit. His inquest is scheduled to begin Dec. 12. Neily said a date for Kaotalok's inquest has not yet been set. Inmate deaths are required by law to undergo coroner's inquests. Ron McCormick, the director of corrections and community justice within the Nunavut government, called the three deaths "horrible" - both for the inmates' families and for staff. "I'm concerned when any inmate dies in custody, and I don't want to negate that fact, but certainly we're dealing with three very different circumstances and how (the deaths) occurred," McCormick said. "I know how devastating these situations have been to staff. I know they went above and beyond to apply first aid and that certainly will be looked at in the coroner's inquest." Kaotalok was finishing a 10-month sentence for assault and breach of probation when he died. Copyright c. 1995-2001 Nortext Publishing Corporation (Iqaluit). --------- "RE: LPDC: Nilak Butler needs Support" --------- Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 07:47:12 -0800 From: LPDC Subj: Nilak Butler needs support Mailing List: LPDC NILAK BUTLER is suffering from advanced (stage 4) ovarian cancer. She is struggling for her life and needs our help and support. Nilak was a member of the AIM camp in Oglala, South Dakota that was attacked by the FBI on June 26, 1975. She helped secure the acquittal of Dino Butler and Bob Robideaux, who were accused of killing two FBI agents that day, by organizing the Cedar Rapids, Iowa community where their trial took place. She organized local and regional support for Leonard Peltier's trial and following his conviction, worked tirelessly on his case, working on court hearings in St. Louis and Bismark, staffing the LPDC in Seattle and later Lawrence, traveling to testify at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva and much more. Even with the onset of her illness, Nilak traveled to Washington, DC to testify at a Congressional hearing on FBI abuses. Nilak is a founder of the Indigenous Women's Network and Indigenous Environmental Network. She has devoted her life to the People and the Earth. Her decades of work along with her love, humor, innovative problem-solving abilities and creative tenacity has touched and impacted people around the world. Please give back to this woman who has given so much to us all. As with most long-time activists, Nilak has no economic base to survive. She has undergone two surgeries and has been on chemotherapy for over a year and is still in pain daily. Please send whatever you can give, whether it be ten or five hundred dollars to: Nilak Butler Fund c/o Indigenous Women's Network 13621 PM 2769 Austin, TX 78726 STATEMENT OF LEONARD PELTIER IN SUPPORT OF NILAK BUTLER November 21, 2001 Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary Dear Brothers and Sisters, I want to thank you for honoring our friend Nilak Butler. Nilak is a very special person to me because our lives have been so closely intertwined and we both have been deeply affected by the paths we chose. I have been saddened over Nilak's illness. Too many of our friends have suffered from cancer, a disease we know to be rooted in the polluting of the earth and an alien and destructive way of life. It is especially disturbing because Nilak has stood so strongly to protect Mother Earth and to advocate for the return to our traditional ways. I congratulate her for the many contributions she has made to Indigenous Peoples and poor people throughout the world. Nilak is a very valuable sister and she deserves to be comforted and supported during this difficult time. I know Nilak to be strong and courageous - she actively spoke out for me and for our people in a time when many of our friends were being attacked and she never hesitated despite the risks she subjected herself to in the process. I also know what it is to be in pain and to need help. Nilak is the type of person to put herself last and to ask for nothing in return. Now she needs our support and we must make sure she receives help in her time of need. Let's give back all that she has given to us. In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, Leonard Peltier Until Freedom Is Won! The New Peltier Justice Campaign Leonard Peltier Defense Committee PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 785-842-5774 www.freepeltier.org --------- "RE: High court refuses Appeal to Katie John Case" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 08:10:19 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NO TO JOHN CASE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/737226p-785005c.html High court refuses appeal to John case SUBSISTENCE: Legislative Council's case hits a dead end. By Allen Baker The Associated Press November 27, 2001 The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to waive a deadline and allow the Legislative Council to appeal the Katie John subsistence case to the nation's highest court. That means the long-running case is dead, but not the controversy, said Rep. Joe Green, R-Anchorage, chairman of the state's Legislative Council. "This was a really bad day at Black Rock," Green said in an interview Monday. The Republican legislator says that's because there's no final ruling on the issue. "The only way this would be over would be if the Supreme Court hears the case and drops the hammer," he said. "There hasn't been a final adjudication on it. "Will anything happen in the immediate future? I doubt it," Green said. Gov. Tony Knowles decided late in August not to appeal a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, after he had obtained a 60-day extension of the original Aug. 6 deadline. But the clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the extension didn't apply to other parties in the case. On Monday, the Supreme Court, without comment, rejected a motion to allow the Legislative Council's appeal to be considered despite the fact that it came in after the original deadline. Green said earlier that was a Catch 22, because the council couldn't filed its appeal to take the place of the state's until the governor decided he wouldn't pursue the state's appeal, and that decision came after the Aug. 6 deadline. But the court didn't agree with that reasoning. The Legislative Council, which acts on behalf of the GOP-controlled Legislature, filed its request to intervene on Oct. 4. The case is named for an Athabaskan elder who successfully sued to put a subsistence fish wheel on the Copper River. It extended federal oversight of subsistence to most of Alaska's waterways and followed a federal takeover of subsistence hunting on federal land. The federal takeover came after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that the state constitution guarantees equal access to fish and game, while the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act requires a rural preference for subsistence. For years, the state's politicians have been trying, unsuccessfully, to hammer out some sort of deal that would return subsistence management to the state. Copyright c. 2001 The Anchorage Daily News. --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Tuesday, Dec 4, 2001 7:48 PM From: "Janet Smith" Subj: Native Prisoner News From my email..... -----Original Message----- Date: Monday, December 03, 2001 3:05 AM From: newdawndeer@yahoo.com Subj: URGENT HELP needed for Inmate Mailing List: IronNatives I have been contacted by family members and from Inmate: William (Firewalker) Burchett #03655032 SHU Cell 321 Federal Correctional Institution PO Box 7000 West Fort Dix, NJ 08640 Phone # (609) 723-1100 This Inmate has been placed in the SHU two weeks ago for no reason at all. Officials there had told William that he was placed there because he was under investigation, but would give no other reason. William has been in the SHU without his medication, they have taken his glasses in which he needs to see, they have also taken all his native religious items away from him. He has wrote to me telling me of how he is not receiving mail, and is only allowed one phone call a month. I received a phone call from his mother this evening and it was said that she received a letter where William states that he is being set up. It was said that he is being accused of being in a cult. He is Native American and attending the Native American Spiritual Circle there. William has said that he was told that he was being shipped out and being placed in a "HIGH Security" and will be giving more time to serve! This is NOT right. William is NOT involved in any cult, nor ever was. I have spoke with family members of William and they have called Fort Dix and have gotten no place. No one will speak to them about William. I, myself have called many times concerning this inmate and I have gotten the same thing--just a recording with no one returning the call. What goes on here in WRONG. He needs help. PLEASE call or write. For the love of the People, Rhonda -=-=-=- Subj: Prison Pen Pals I am grateful to the Native American Inmates and Families Support Group for allowing me to access their database of Native American inmates requesting pen pals. The full list can be found at http://www.angelfire.com/wy/nainmatessupportgrp/PEN, along with a good basic discussion of what you can send, and what is forbidden (customized to several different states and institutions, as requirements differ). -=-=-=- If you know of a Native American inmate who would like to correspond with brothers or sisters on the outside - please drop me a line with whatever information about them they'd like shared. Janet Smith Owlstar Trading Post http://www.owlstar.com owlstar@speakeasy.org --------- "RE: History: Carlisle Indian School" --------- Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 23:06:48 -0500 From: Barbara Landis Subj: November 2, 1888 INDIAN HELPER, Carlisle Indian School Newspaper. [Editorial Note: These reprints are being included in this newsletter so that you might know the mind of those who ran institutions like Carlisle.] THE INDIAN HELPER ----------------------------- ~~ FOR OUR BOYS AND GIRLS ~~ ============================= VOLUME IV CARLISLE, PA. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1888 NO. 12 ============================= LITTLE HELPERS --------- BY GEORGE COOPER. "I will be a little helper," Lisps the brook. On its silvery way it goes. Never stopping for repose, Till it turns the busy mill, In some nook. "I will be a little helper," Smiles the flower. By the wayside, in the field, All its beauty is revealed Unto sad and weary hearts, Though skies lower. "I will be a little helper," Sings the bird. And it carols forth a song Though the cheerless day be long, Bringing to some helpless one Some sweet word. You can be a little helper, Child so fair! And your kindly deeds can make, For the Heavenly Father's sake, Sunshine, love, and happiness Everywhere! [S. S. Times -------------- ENVIRONMENT. Yes, that's the word. Miss Fisher was the first to guess it. All sorts of words have been sent in from all parts of the country, kindness, love civilization, education, association, enchant endearment, and the like. More of kindness were received than of any other word. The stories do represent all of the above words and more. It was ENVIRONMENT that worked the wonder in every instance related by these stories. Kindness helped tame the fox, love and the spirit which the other words imply had a hand, but what would love, kindly, treatment and the best of education have availed had the fox remained in its old environment, or after living for a term of years in the new surroundings if he had been turned loose in his old environment how long would he have remained the same kind pet which the new environment produced. ENVIRONMENT tamed the quail. ENVIRONMENT tamed the buffalo. ENVIRONMENT tamed the turkey. ENVIRONMENT will civilize the Indians. Do our boys and girls wish that which goes to make up a successful life of industry and enterprise? Is it hard to get? Our Carlisle experience proves that the things we most wish - a decent mode of living, a respectable business, the spirit of right, knowledge of the true way and a disposition to go in it when we learn, is all brought about by the proper ENVIRONMENT. -------------- For the INDIAN HELPER. NO TIME TO READ? -------- When walking around among the boys and girls one hears from them such expressions as these, "I don't know what to read. Another will say, I know what I want to read, but I can't get the time to read any book through, so don't think it worth while to begin one." While they have been talking and thinking thus, perhaps, some others, who better know how to economize their time, have read the very books you said you