From gars@speakeasy.org Tue Aug 20 20:33:07 2002 Date: 20 Aug 2002 23:53:18 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews10.034 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 Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2002 nanews.org ==>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 10, ISSUE 034 | Country than is reported in | O o o o o O | this weekly newsletter. For | O o O August 24, 2002 | For daily updates & events | O o O | go http://www.owlstar.com/ | O | dailyheadlines.htm | Kiowa aidenguak'o p'a/yellow leaves moon +-----------------------------+ Cherokee nvda seluuwa'nv'sa/ripe corn moon <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.pechanga.net; www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; TribalLaw, ndn-aim, Frostys AmerIndian, Iron Natives, indigenous_peoples_literature and Net Rez 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.'" "....the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan." __ Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, Dakota Sioux +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! In this issue are two Guest Editorials that address the issue of wrongs committed by the Catholic Church toward First Peoples. The first by James Abraham/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "The Canadian Precedent: Indians sue over church abuse", and the second by Tim Giago/Lakota Times, "Long overdue for Catholic Church to dismount its high horse," both point to the absolute arrogance of those who tortured children in the name of God. I pity them, but I also wish them a full payback. Like Secretary of Interior, Gail Norton, the Catholic Church is truly responsible for the deaths of Native children and adults. My half-side, Janet, and I have the honor of working to help our brothers in a maximum security ironhouse. There is much for the Catholic Church and a few others to seek forgiveness for there, as well. I don't expect it to happen till court actions have them so impoverished and embarrassed there is only the seeking of forgiveness left. -=-=-=- I need some help. I recently had a major computer crash and had to rebuild the system, starting with a low-level format. I lost some beautiful poems as a result. If you write poetry and would like to share it in this humble newsletter, I very much welcome your contributions. Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Night Owl gars@nanews.org (*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@speakeasy.org (`-') Marietta, GA 30007, U.S.A. gars@olagrande.net ===w=w=== gars@sdf.lonestar.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Despah Nez: - Metis Veterans launch Lawsuit Threads of Culture and Love - Guest Editorial: - Anna Okhtokiyuk Native Children get Worse Care - Crossings - OpEd: Prison Population in Canada - OpEd: The Canadian Precedent - Federal Appeals Court - OpEd: Catholic Church needs to affirms Tribal Authority dismount High Horse - Tribal Police get $1.34 Million - Proposed Blood Quantum Rule in Grants - Comanche Enrollment to Close - Shooting kills Rising Star - Arizona Race may turn of Tribal Dance on Tribal Politics - Native Prisoner - Tohono O'odham -- Update on San Quentin Strangers on Their Land -- Help requested for - Trust Plaintiff Arizona Pow-wow calls for Restitution -- Prisoner Makes Personal Request - Big Victory in Pig Fight -- Manuel Redwoman's Campaign - Manderson Area Family - History: Carlisle Indian School harvests Hemp Crop - Rustywire: - U.S. moves to stop Waterhauling and the First Time Oglala Lakota Hemp Farm - Poem: Red Gourd Rattles - Makah free to conduct Whale Hunt - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Japan may again - Lakota Language Grant Announced block Eskimo Whaling - Native America Calling - Bolivia Indians - This Week on First Peoples TV gain Political Power - Rolling Rez Tour - Nisga'a Chief - Update: seeks Liberal Alliance White Mountain Apache Benefit --------- "RE: Despah Nez: Threads of Culture and Love" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 08:09:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DESPAH NEZ" Threads of culture and love By Laura Banish/Staff writer August 16, 2002 - 12:06:04 AM MST OAK SPRINGS, Ariz. The patterns woven into Navajo rugs tell a lot about tradition and the Navajo way of life, but Despah Nez, a professional rug weaver, also entwined her spirit into her life's work. Despah was born in Black Rock, but lived on the Navajo Reservation in Oak Springs, Ariz., most of her life, and learned about weaving at a very young age. "She watched her mother weave when she was 4, then she learned from her stepmother at age 8 or 9," said son Lewis Tutt, of Shiprock and Window Rock, Ariz. The first rug that she made for sale was a Ye'ii rug, which she sold for $3 to the Shiprock Trading Post. When her family moved to Arizona, she began selling rugs at the Red Rock Trading Post, where the owners, sold a majority of her rugs to collectors. Sand painting textiles, also called "chant sets" were Despah's specialty. Sand painting is a crucial element in a healing or blessing ceremony and is designed to restore balance. Designs are painted in the sand for the ceremony and then erased by sundown. The weaving embodies sacred knowledge passed from a medicine man to a female weaver. Despah's weavings are on display nationwide, including exhibits at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico and the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University. "I only met Despah once, but she was an incredible woman," said Jennifer McLerran, Kennedy Museum curator. Approximately two-thirds of the textiles on display at the Kennedy Museum were made by Despah and her two eldest daughters, Anna Mae Tanner and Alberta Thomas. She passed her skills on to them, and together the women made hundreds of rugs. Tanner and Thomas preceded their mother in death. Weaving was an important way for Despah to spend time with her daughters and teach them about Navajo culture. "They used to help each other out, especially when they were near completion of a rug," said granddaughter Gloria Tanner. Despah was born in 1903. She attended the Shiprock Indian Agency Boarding School and the Phoenix Indian School, but never completed high school. She was the mother of 10 children and grandmother to 48 grandchildren. Although Despah devoted much of her time to her family and weaving, she also herded goats and sheep for many years, and served as secretary for the Red Valley Chapter for almost 50 years. "She was a really strong person," said Tutt. "When she spoke people listened." Tutt said her strong faith enriched her life. He said, "She had no fear of what lay ahead because of the promise of life after this one." Despah was sick for nine months, but died of natural causes Aug. 7. Copyright c. 1999-2002 MediaNews Group, Inc./Farmington, NM. --------- "RE: Anna Okhtokiyuk" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2002 08:21:25 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANNA OKHTOKIYUK" http://www.adn.com/front/story/1611834p-1729316c.html Gambell house fire kills revered village elder, 92 ANNA OKHTOKIYUK: Son helped 4 escape but couldn't save his bedridden mother. By Joel Gay Anchorage Daily News August 17, 2002 Wade Okhtokiyuk awoke to a screaming smoke detector and the smell of smoke early Thursday morning in his home in the village of Gambell. But while he helped four others escape, including an 8-month-old boy, he was overcome by smoke and heat before he could get his bedridden mother out of the house. Anna Okhtokiyuk, a revered elder in the St. Lawrence Island village, died in the blaze. She was 92. Her son was flown to Anchorage with minor burns on his arms and head. Treated for smoke inhalation in Nome were Wade Okhtokiyuk's niece, Teresa, and her 8-month-old son. Speaking from his hospital bed at Alaska Native Medical Center, Wade Okhtokiyuk said he and other members of his household went to bed around midnight Wednesday, only to be awakened an hour later by his niece's two daughters, ages 6 and 4. "The smoke detector was buzzing, the girls were screaming -- I walk in (to their bedroom) and there's fire in the wall," he said. Wade Okhtokiyuk told the older girl to get her sister outside while his niece grabbed her baby and a handful of clothes. Then he attacked the fire, he said, which appeared to have erupted in the wall alongside an upright freezer in the girls' bedroom. "I sprayed with a fire extinguisher to get that fire out, till it was empty," he said. After bringing a larger extinguisher from the kitchen, "I came back and that fire was five times bigger," and streaming up the wall. He emptied the second extinguisher, too, he said, but it didn't seem to have an effect. "It was so hot -- smoke and fire everywhere," that he was driven outside for air. "I went back in three times, trying to get to my mother. I couldn't get to her," he said. "The third time it was completely filled with smoke and fire. I almost passed out." Outside again, Wade Okhtokiyuk went around the house to his niece's room, which was adjacent to his mother's, and broke out the window. Flames rolled out, he said, knocking him onto his back. News of the fire quickly spread. Gambell is a rarity among rural villages in that it has fire hydrants along its boardwalks. Volunteer firefighters on four-wheelers soon hooked up hoses and contained the fire shortly afterward. "The whole village turned out to fight the fire," Alaska State Trooper Eugene Fowler said. "They did an excellent job." Inside the house they found the body of Anna Okhtokiyuk, her arms "stretched upward toward heaven," said daughter Beulah Nowpakahok. "Up to the day she died, she had faith in God." Her mother, born in Gambell in 1910, was "a powerful lady," Nowpakahok said. "She and her sister grew up like men. They had no brothers, so they knew how to hunt, how to do men's work. And they were strong. ... In a very hard winter, she doesn't even wear gloves or mittens. She's a tough woman." About 40 years ago, health-care providers came to St. Lawrence Island and told Anna Okhtokiyuk she only had two weeks to live. "She said, 'I'm not going to accept that,' " and probably outlived most of the professionals, Nowpakahok said. Anna Okhtokiyuk was a role model in Gambell, passing on traditional skills to her daughters. "She taught me how to sew skin boats," and the trick of cutting a skin to fit correctly around the bow of an umiak. She knew all the plants and their uses, how to skin seals and birds, and how to braid whale sinew to make threads for boat-building. "She taught us a way of life, " Nowpakahok said. "I'm trying to pass that on to my daughters, too." Her mother was one of the last Siberian Yup'ik women to have her face and arms tattooed in the traditional style -- with a needle and thread saturated in soot and water. Anna Okhtokiyuk told the Anchorage Daily News in 1997 that the graceful geometric decorations have no specific meaning. "We did it to be beautiful, so that we would not look like men." It was a painful process, she added, though the hardest part was lying motionless while her sister Alice did the tattooing. "I could never stay still," Anna Okhtokiyuk said. "I was a tomboy, always running around, doing boys' errands, cleaning and taking care of the guns." Anna Okhtokiyuk also was an active dancer and would dance whenever she had a chance, occasionally winning awards, her daughter said. More than anything, Nowpakahok said, "She was a good role model for her faith in God and her generosity to people. She believes in God so much it has penetrated into our hearts." Her husband, Frank, died in 1988. An investigator from the Alaska State Fire Marshal's Office was in Gambell on Friday to determine the cause of the fire, but results won't be available until next week, said Carol Olson, regional supervisor of the agency. Wade Okhtokiyuk said he believes the problem was electrical. The wiring in his home, built in 1978 by the federal Housing and Urban Development program, has never been right, he said. "When the kids slam the front door, the hall light comes on," he said, adding that the electric meter spins even when he unplugs every appliance, which he said indicated a short circuit. "My electric bill was $265 last month," while the house next door with similar electrical usage paid only $66, he said. Wade Okhtokiyuk said he and others in the village with similar concerns had expressed them to regional housing authorities and utility managers for years, but the electrical problems persisted. He urged fire marshals Friday to investigate the electrical problems fully. "If nobody does anything about it, there's going to be more fires out there," he said. Olson said the fire would have been much worse had Wade Okhtokiyuk not had a working smoke detector. "We easily could have had six people dead" rather than one, she said. Anna Okhtokiyuk's death was only the fifth fire fatality in Alaska this year, which is far below normal, Olson said. The death toll in rural Alaska alone sometimes hits 30, she said. Reporter Joel Gay can be reached at 907-257-4310 or jgay@adn.com. Copyright c. 2002 The Anchorage Daily News. --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2002 08:10:52 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" August 17, 2002 Kenroy J. Rainbow Kenroy J. Rainbow, 26, of Cannonball, ND, formerly of Fort Totten, died Saturday, Aug. 3, 2002 north of Cannonball. Kenroy accidentally drowned and was found on August 12, 2002. Funeral services will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Fort Totten Recreation Center, Fort Totten. Father John Floberg and Deacon Virginia Luger will officiate and burial will be in the St. Thomas Episcopal Cemetery, rural Fort Totten. Wake services will be held on Sunday at the Fort Totten Recreation Center at 7 p.m. Active pallbearers will be, Steve Tikanye, Earl Win Yellow Hammer, Jr., Jason Feather, Fred Longie, Jr., Dale Alberts and Albert Kuntz. Honorary pallbearers will be the Four Winds High School Class of 1994 classmates and basketball players, Coach Rick Smith, Clayton and Pam Rainbow, Carol "Suzie" Rainbow, Leslie Guy, Randy Pearson, Sean Gourd, BJ Robertson, Russell Cavanaugh, Tyler Rainbow, Karen "Birdie" Gray Eyes, Catherine Howard, Brooks and Cheryl Good Iron, Elaine Robertson, Lenny Red Tomahawk, Lorraine Robertson, Laverne Fox, Lenore White Lightning, Russell Young Bird, James White, Bryce Silk, TJ Iron Road, Lloyd Stretches, Joe BearsTail, Donald and Sheldon Thunder Hawk, Kenneth White Lightning, Corey Carry Moccasin, Curtis Brave Bull, Jesse McLaughlin, Ted Dogskin, George Thunder Hawk, Jr., Everett Fool Bear, Sidney Ramsey, Jr., Mark Grey Cloud, Chad Conica, Cody Conica, Lander Real Bird, Jake Silk, Justin LeBeau, Renee Conica, Stephanie Tikanye, Corrine Tikanye, Alma and Annie Thunder Hawk, Mary Rose Fool Bear, Clayton and Rogene Dogskin, Earlwin and Georgina Yellow Hammer, Basil Two Bears, Jeanette Black Cloud, Madonna Red Bear, Oley Red Bear, Jr. and family, Marvin Starr, Evangeline Fast Horse, Victoria Joshua, Angeline Iron Road, Evans and Ione Elk, Darlene American Horse, Everett Uses Arrow and family, Joe Cottonwood and family, Charles Lester and family, Debbie Standing Bear, Mike Thunder Hawk and Edsel, Edgar and Edison Fast Horse, Chuck Ramsey, Fort Yates Police Department, TWEP Crew of Cannonball, Standing Rock Game and Fish, Standing Rock Fire Fighters, Community of Cannonball, Denny and Kathy Adams and their three search dogs, Dave and Vicki Oehlke and their two search dogs. Music will be cared for by Frank Hapa and the Spirit Lake Singers. Kenroy James Rainbow was born on Dec. 23, 1975 to Kenneth Rainbow and Elvira HairyChin at Fort Yates, ND. He grew up in Cannonball and was raised by his father Kenny Sioux Rainbow and later by his grandparents, Joseph and Jennie Rainbow. Kenroy along with grandparents moved back to Fort Totten where he graduated from Four Winds High School on May 27, 1994. During his high school days he played basketball and excelled with his teammates and coach Mr. Rick Smith. He loved the game of basketball playing in various tournaments and awarded MVP, All Tourney, All Star and other awards. Kenroy enlisted in the United States Marine Corp on Nov. 17, 1998 and completed basic training at Quantico, Virginia in 1999. His specialty was a machine gunner and his decorations included the Rifle Expert Badge, Humanitarian Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. He was discharged on May 23, 2002. Everyone who knew Kenroy, knew what a respectable person he was and he always had a smile on his face. He always talked about the love he had for his two children, baby Kenneth and Taniesha. Kenroy is survived by his mother, Elvira HairyChin of Spearfish, SD; children, Taniesha J. Rainbow of Fort Totten and Kenneth C. Rainbow of Cannonball; sisters, Debra Four Swords of Cannonball, Roberta (Sam) Ell of Bismarck, Yvonne (Terry) Hodgekiss of Fort Yates, Lisa Rainbow of Fort Yates, Beverly Rainbow of Fort Totten and Tarita HairyChin of Boston, MA; brothers, Bernie (Monique) Rainbow of Ft. Yates, Larry (Cindy) Rainbow of Cannonball, and Daniel Rainbow of Fort Totten.; two special nephews, DJ Fox and KJ Rainbow; two special nieces, Leslie Fox and Jenny Red Bear; a very special aunt, Mrs. Winifred Rainbow of Cannonball; and his grandmothers, Hermine McKay and Lily Shaw both of Fort Totten. Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Sioux Rainbow; grandparents, Joseph and Jennie Rainbow; and uncle, Joseph "Red" Rainbow, Jr. Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake, is in charge of the arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 Devils Lake Daily Journal. -=-=-=- August 13, 2002 Eugene Four Sr. FORT YATES - Eugene Four Sr., 74, Fort Yates, died Aug. 8, 2002, at Fort Yates. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Fort Yates, with the Rev. Terry Wipf officiating. Burial will be in North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. today at Perry Funeral Home, Mandan. A rosary service will begin at 7 p.m. today at the church. Eugene was born March 8, 1938, at Fort Yates, to Edward and Molly (Grey Owl) Four. He was raised in Fort Yates and received his GED from the University of Vermillion in 1970. He later attended United Tribes Technical College. Eugene served his country during the Korean Conflict in the U.S. Army from March 19, 1952 to Feb. 19, 1954. As a young man, he competed as a saddle bronc rider and enjoyed the comradery of the rodeo. He worked as the Director of Chemical Prevention from 1985 to 1987 for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and from 1981 to 1982 as the youth outreach counselor. Eugene loved to play Bingo and had a lot of friends at Dakota Sky Bingo Parlor. He married Patricia Dwarf in Fort Yates. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Four; two daughters, Eugenia Four, Fort Yates, and Amber Four, Utah; one stepdaughter, Marlys Twin, Fort Yates; two sons, Anthony Four and Eugene Four Jr., both of Fort Yates; six stepsons, Mike, Clayton, Robert, Daniel and Terrance Twin, all of Fort Yates, and Frank Twin, Mobridge, S.D.; two sisters, Beverly Butterfield, Hoquiam, Wash., and Carmelita Many Wounds, Fort Yates; 22 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Eugene was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Rita Four; and a son, Duane Red Tomahawk. Copyright c. 2002 Bismarck Tribune. -=-=-=- August 13, 2002 Mary Louise Eagle Heart-White PINE RIDGE - Mary Louise Eagle Heart-White, 56, Pine Ridge, died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2002, in Reno, Nev. Survivors include her husband, David White, Reno, Nev.; three daughters, Carmen Rodriguez, Luisa Navarro and Andrea Martin, all of Reno; seven brothers, Pancho Martin, Slim Buttes, Tony Martin, Kyle, Michael Tyon, Manuel Martin, Darrell Martin and David Martin, all of Pine Ridge, and Christopher Martin, Post Falls, Idaho; eight sisters, Carmel Martin, Reno, Bessie Matthews and Margaret Tyon, both of Denver, Grace Red Shirt, Hot Springs, Rose Martin, Eagle Butte, and Marilyn Martin, Jeralyn Martin and Lema Apple, all of Pine Ridge; and five grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Billy Mills Hall, with the Rev. Steve Sanford and the Rev. Leon Mathews officiating. Burial will be at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Cemetery in Slim Buttes. Gloria Annette Clifford BATESLAND - Gloria Annette Clifford, 21, Batesland, died Sunday, Aug. 11, 2002, in Rapid City. Survivors include her parents, Judy Clifford, Batesland, and Joe Clifford, Pine Ridge; seven brothers, David Clifford, Batesland, Pat Clifford, Joe Clifford, John Clifford and William Clifford, all of Pine Ridge, Jlee Big Crow, Oglala, and Coy Big Crow, Hot Springs; and seven sisters, Denise Briggs and Anne Briggs, both of Batesland, and Therese Monroe, AJ Clifford, Tanya Clifford, Brandy Clifford and Jennifer Clifford, all of Pine Ridge. One-night wake begins at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at Billy Mills Hall, with the Rev. Bill Pauly and the Rev. Steve Sanford officiating. Michael Cross will officiate at traditional services. Burial will be at Knights Cemetery in Batesland. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Martha E. Good Voice Flute-New Holy OGLALA - Martha E. Good Voice Flute-New Holy, 80, Oglala, died Sunday, Aug. 11, 2002, in Martin. Survivors include two sons, Emory New Holy and Michael New Holy, both of Oglala, and two daughters, Shirley Iron Road, Mandan, N.D., and Veronica Jones, Martin. Two-night wake begins at 3 p.m. today at Our Lady of the Sioux Catholic Church in Oglala. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at the church, with the Rev. Bill Pauly officiating. Sam Moves Camp will officiate at traditional services. Burial will be at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Cemetery in Oglala. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. August 14, 2002 Martin Robert Standing Soldier HOT SPRINGS - Martin Robert Standing Soldier, 68, Hot Springs, died Sunday, Aug. 11, 2002, at Rapid City Regional Hospital in Rapid City. Survivors include two sons, Mitch Standing Soldier, Helena, Mont., and Martin Standing Soldier Jr., St. Paul, Minn.; three daughters, Theres Susag, Helena, Mont., Janice Schnider, Madison, and Mary Bissonette, Rapid City; three sisters, Emma Shaw, Julie Hacker and Helen Curtis, all of Hot Springs; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Hot Springs, with a wake at 8 p.m., with the Rev. Peter Kovarik officiating. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at the church, with the Rev. Peter Kovarik and Deacon Pat Coy officiating. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge and McColley's Chapels of the Hills in Hot Springs are in charge of arrangements. Jeffery Edward Fast Wolf-Bagola RED SHIRT VILLAGE - Jeffery Edward Fast Wolf-Bagola, 3 months, Red Shirt Village, died Saturday, Aug. 10, 2002, at Red Shirt Village. Survivors include his parents, Wad Bagola Sr. and Denise Fast Wolf- Bagola, Red Shirt Village; three brothers, Wad Bagola Jr., Red Shirt Village, and Mitchell Bagola and Jordan Bagola, both of Oglala; six sisters, Denitra Bagola, Julia Bagola, and Brittany Bagola, all of Red Shirt Village; Candy Bagola, Tesia Bagola, and Robin Bagola, all of Oglala; paternal grandparents, Wayne Bagola, Pine Ridge, and Iris Between Lodges, Oglala; and maternal grandfather, Todd Fast Wolf, Red Shirt Village. One-night wake begins at 1 p.m. today at Moses Two Bulls Gym in Red Shirt Village. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at the Moses Two Bulls Gym, with the Rev. Earl Kurth SJ officiating. Traditional Lakota services will be provided by John Red Feather. Burial will be at St. Bernard's Catholic Cemetery in Red Shirt Village. Copyright c. 2002 The Rapid City Journal. -=-=-=- August 12, 2002 Alta M. Tucker Alta Mae Tucker, 78, of Bartlesville, died Sunday at Jane Phillips Medical Center. Graveside services will be 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the Matoka Indian Cemetery under the direction of the Neekamp Funeral Home. Survivors include her children, Sherry Plemons and husband Jr. of Bartlesville, Ruth Engleking and husband Gene of Oklahoma City, Linda Norman of Oklahoma City, Neva Coleman and husband Richard of Perry, MI, David Lowen of Oklahoma City, and Stephen Lowen and wife Renee of Bartlesville; a brother, Albert Paul "Rusty" Matthews; ten grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. Copyright c. 2002 the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. -=-=-=- August 13, 2002 Regina Holgate REGINA HOLGATE , 41, of Taos Pueblo died Saturday. She was preceded in death by her son, Elijah Montoya and father, Eugene Holgate, Jr. She is survived by her children, Naarah Holgate, Tamar Montoya; fiance, Howard Montoya; mother, Tonita Holgate; sister, Yvonne Holgate (Marty Lucero); brother, Eugene Holgate, III (Edwina D.); and many other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. today at First Indian Baptist Church with interment to follow at Sierra Vista Cemetery. Rivera-Hanlon Funeral Home. August 15, 2002 Billy 'Teddy' Gambler Jr. BILLY 'TEDDY' GAMBLER JR. , 27, of San Juan Pueblo, died Wednesday. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Petrolina and Johnny J. Aguino; paternal grandparents, Stella and Wallace Gambler; and a maternal uncle, Benedict Aguino. He is survived by his parents, Billy and Patsy Gambler of San Juan Pueblo; two daughters, Billie and Kayla Gambler of San Juan Pueblo; his girlfriend and mother of his daughters, Lorene Chavez; a brother, Johnny Wallace Gambler of San Juan Pueblo; and many other relatives and friends. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. today and a rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Church in San Juan Pueblo. A second visitation will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday, and a rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. at the family home in San Juan Pueblo. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Saturday at St. John the Baptist Church in San Juan Pueblo. Burial will follow at the San Juan Pueblo Cemetery. Salazar Family of Block-Salazar Mortuary. Copyright c. 1997 - 2002 Albuquerque Journal: Albuquerque, New Mexico. -=-=-=- August 13, 2002 Jessie Pinto A funeral mass for Jessie Neil Pinto, 22, of Mescalero, was at St. Joseph's Mission on Monday, Aug. 12, with burial following at the Mescalero Cemetery and the Rev. John Gibbons officiating. Mr. Pinto died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2002, in Mescalero. He was born April 23, 1980, in Alamogordo. He lived in Mescalero all his life and was a firefighter and a lift operator at Ski Apache and a member of St. Joseph's Mission. Survivors include his father, Owen Pinto Sr., of Mescalero; his mother, Rosemary Pinto, of Phoenix, Ariz.; brothers Owen Pinto Jr., Andrew Pinto, Gabriel Pinto and Francis Pinto all of Mescalero; sisters Lillian Pinto and Mildred Pinto, both of Mescalero. Arrangements were under the direction of LaGrone Funeral Chapel of Ruidoso. Copyright c. 1999-2002 MediaNews Group, Inc./Ruidoso NM. -=-=-=- August 16, 2002 Jonathan Jerry Norberto May 29, 1978 - Aug. 14, 2002 Jonathan Jerry Norberto, 23, of Naschitti passed away Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002, in Naschitti. He was born May 29, 1978, in Gallup to Jerry and Annie Mae Norberto. Mr. Norberto is survived by his wife, Kristy Norberto; son, Cody Frank Norberto; daughter, Hannah Annie Norberto; three brothers, Darryl Norberto, Christopher Norberto and Brandon Norberto; and adopted parents, Phillip and Edith Morris of Naschitti. Mr. Norberto attended Chuska Naschitti Elementary School and graduated from Newcomb High School in 1996. His hobbies wee collecting sports cards and football. Funeral services will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, at Naschitti Christian Reformed Church. Pastor Phillip Destea will officiate. Interment will follow at Naschitti Community Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Christopher Norberto, Charley Thomas Jr., Peter Begay, Alex Sanchez, Laroy Begay and Leroy Begay. Honorary pallbearers will be Darryl, Brandon, Jerry and Christopher Norberto. Funeral arrangements are with Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, 103 E. Ute St. in Farmington, (505) 325-8688. Copyright c. 1999-2002 MediaNews Group, Inc./Farmington, NM. -=-=-=- August 12, 2002 Lillian Beach MANUELITO - Services for Lillian Beach, 62, will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 13 at Rollie Mortuary Palm Chapel. Father Cormac will officiate. Burial will follow at private family cemetery, Manuelito. Beach died Aug. 8 in Albuquerque. She was born June 15, 1940 in Fort Wingate into the Black Sheep People Clan for the Sleeping Rock People Clan. Survivors include her son, Eugene Arthur of Crystal and Darryl Tsosie of Gallup; daughters, Alexanderia Anne Arthur of Prescott Valley, Ariz., Harriet Arthur of Salt Lake City, Utah and Roberta Arthur of Phoenix; sister, Betty Yazzie of Twin Lakes; 16 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. Beach was preceded in death by her husband, Edgar "Jack" H. Beach; daughter, Vivian Norris; parents, Julia and Samuel Thompson and brother, Robert Bennett. Pallbearers will be Eugene Arthur, Ed Beach, Mike Harvey, Ray Price, Richard Schaalman and Tim Turpen. Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 the Gallup Independent. -=-=-=- August 15, 2002 Mark W. Tsosie Mark W. Tsosie, 71, died Aug. 13, 2002. Mr. Tsosie was born on Aug. 15, 1930 in Ganado. Mr. Tsosie is survived by his wife Genevieve Tsosie; daughters and sons in law Carmelita and Raymond Tracy, Colleen and LeRoy Ashley and Jennifer Tsosie; sisters Florence Lynch, Betty Bia, Ellen Wince and Ella Perkins; brothers Kee Tsosie and Raymond Tsosie; 12 grandchildren, three great- grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Tsosie was preceded in death by his son Melvin Tsosie and parents Jim and Nazbah Tsosie. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m., Aug. 16, 2002, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, 224 S. Kendrick. Burial will follow at Citizens Cemetery Veterans Section, 1300 S. San Francisco, with military honors presented by the American Legion, Mark A. Moore, Post No. 3. Arrangements are by Norvel Owens Mortuary. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Arizona Daily Sun. -=-=-=- Golden Triangle On-Line Obituaries The following obituaries appeared in the Cut Bank Pioneer Press, Shelby Promoter or Glacier Reporter this week. August 15, 2002 Kenneth Weatherwax Kenneth John Weatherwax, 18, died Aug. 9, 2002, from injuries received in a car accident south of St. Mary. Rosary was said at Little Flower Parish on Tuesday. His funeral was held Wednesday with burial in Willow Creek Cemetery. He was born June 26, 1984, in Kalispell and would have been a senior at Browning High School. He worked as a ranch hand, mechanic and was an all-around cowboy. Weatherwax earned first place in a teepee pitching contest, was first at the state science fair, multiple winner of the suicide race and lettered in football. He was involved in 4-H and volunteered in many activities. He enjoyed camping, Indian relay, horse racing, hunting, horses, horse shoes, swimming, being with family and friends and attending traditional ceremonies. Survivors are, all from Browning, unless indicated: his father, Kenny Weatherwax; his mother, Theodora Blackweasel Weatherwax; a brother, Austin Carlson; sisters, Lacretia Weatherwax and Velvet Weatherwax; grandparents, Thomas and Doreen Blackweasel, Margaret Blackweasel of Pine Ridge, and Theresa Weatherwax of Dixon; two nieces; a nephew; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Weatherwax was preceded in death by a brother, Marion Carlson; and grandparents, Katherine Grant Weatherwax and William (Willie) Weatherwax, Sr. Day Family Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Leni Arnoux Leni Lynn Arnoux, 25, died Aug. 9, 2002, from injuries received in a car accident south of St. Mary. Rosary was said Monday. Her funeral was held Tuesday with a burial in St. Ann's Cemetery. She was born July 28, 1977, in Browning. She attended Browning High School and received her GED in 1998. She also attended Blackfeet Community College for two years. She was a hard worker and worked various jobs. Arnoux attended Head Start activities in which she supported her daughter La'Nell. She took pride in raising her daughters, La'Nell and Lacee, they were the most important people in her life. They enjoyed many hobbies together. Survivors are, all from Browning: special friend, Austin Carlson; daughters, La'Nell Arnoux and Lacee Carlson; parents, Kenneth and Clarice Arnoux; sister, Lauren Pollock; brothers, Lance Coop and Steven Arnoux; nephew, Markee Pollock; grandparents, Teenie Arnoux and Ken Stone. Arnoux was preceded in death by grandparents, Sarah and George "Mud" Hall and Jimmy Hix. Day Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 Golden Triangle Newspapers. -=-=-=- August 16, 2002 Vincent Goes Ahead, Sr. PRYOR - Vincent Goes Ahead, Sr., 76, of Pryor, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002, at St. Vincent's Hospital, Billings. His Crow name was Isahpalaxpitchee (Bear Moccasin). Vincent was born in a tent in Pryor, on Aug. 16, 1925, the son of George Goes Ahead and Sarah Bull that Shows Weasel High Up. He was a member of the Greasy Mouth Clan and a child of the Big Lodge Clan. He attended grade school at St. Charles Mission, and high school at Chemawa, Ore. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Nov. 5, 1943, and served in the European theatre during World War II, participating in five campaigns at Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe, including the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. For his service, he received five bronze stars and a silver star. He was honorably discharged on Jan. 21, 1946. He helped established the American Legion Post 17 for the Pryor District. After the war, he ranched with his brothers and brothers-in-law and contracted rodeo stock. He participated in rodeos as a calf roper. He was an accomplished arrow-thrower and was part of the Pryor District team that won many arrow-throwing championships and was the high-point man several times. He enjoyed playing hand games and during the very first District Hand Game Tournament, which was won by Pryor, he shared Best Guesser with John Smart Enemy. He was also a traditional war dancer and was proud to sing his praise song for his grandsons and great-grandsons when they won the arrow tournament this year. Vincent gave Crow names to many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and was proud of their successes and accomplishments. His love of baseball was shared by his children and grandchildren. Vincent was employed in various capacities as a laborer at the Sugar Factory in Billings and the Bean Factory in Powell,Wyo., as a maintenance man for the Crow Agency Bureau of Indian Affairs, and as a Crow Tribal game warden for many years in the Pryor Mountains. He was currently employed by the Crow Tribe as the Cultural Historian for the Pryor District. As a direct descendent of Chief Plenty Coups, he was keeper of Plenty Coups' original flag, which he donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Vincent owned the right to doctor horses in the Crow way, and he often helped people with his favorite Indian herbal medicine, xapaalilitshia (bitter root). He was a member of St. Charles Catholic Parish, Pryor, and was faithful to the cultural and spiritual practices of the Crow people. He participated in the sun dance, and enjoyed the sweat lodge throughout his life. He was adopted into the Tobacco Society by Frank Hawk, who gave him his Indian name. An accomplished storyteller, he was always willing to share traditional Crow stories with anyone who would listen. His parents, his wife Melda Crystal Cloud; brother Thomas DeCrane; sisters, Mary Dawes, Rose Turns Plenty and Beulah Stewart; and granddaughters, Melda Little Light and Adelle Goes Ahead, preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife, Anna Jean Stands Over Bull; two sons, Marlan (Thelma) and Vincent Jr. (Abigail) Goes Ahead; five daughters, Wyma (Richard) Little Light, Karen Goes Ahead, Natalie Little Owl, Beulah Goes Ahead, and Mary (Todd) Volk; adopted sons, Richard Furber and Benjamin Cloud; an adopted daughter, Irma Jane Bird Hat; and a stepson, Eymard (Sarah) Left Hand. He took the women of the Rock Above Family as his sisters. He is also survived by his brothers, Charles (Gladys) DeCrane, Sylvester (Ruby) Goes Ahead, and Clement (Regina) Goes Ahead; and his sisters, Josephine Whiteman, Gloria Cummins and Agnes (Larry) Pretty Weasel, as well as an adopted brother, David (Lenora) Turns Plenty, Sr.; and adopted sister, Charlene Laverdure. Also survived by his grandchildren, Fred Killsnight, Jr., Brandy Little Light, Kathy Fighter, Regina, Ellsworth, Jeanette, Vetma, Lorita, George and William Goes Ahead, Isaac Goes Ahead and Brandon Covers Up, Julian, Falon and Crystal Goes Ahead, Tammy Bellrock, William Cashen, Tawny Little Owl, Nehemiah Little Light, Jamie Lawrence and Karma Little Light, Vincent "Zac" Goes Ahead-Volk, Mariah and Mykal Volk, and Darrell and Carlotta Left Hand; as well as 24 great-grandchildren. Vincent considered himself blessed that he lived to see his great-great-grandson, Elisha Reevis, Jr. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who were very special to him. His extended relatives include the Old Horn, Rock Above, Lionshows, Plainbull, Morrison, Jefferson, Wall and Big Hail families. A rosary will be held on Friday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. at the Dahl Funeral Chapel in Billings. Funeral Mass will be at St. Charles Mission in Pryor, on Saturday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m., with burial at the Goes Ahead Family Cemetery with military honors. August 17, 2002 Emeline Fisher Spang, Voesehe'e (Early Morning Woman) LAME DEER - Our loving mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt passed away on Aug. 14, 2002, in Lame Deer. Emeline was born on Feb. 10, 1931, in Thomas, Okla., the daughter of Henry and Lucille Harris Fisher. She was raised in the Birney area, then later moved to Lame Deer until her death. She is survived by her children, Alberta, Ethelyn and Cordelia Spang, Warren (Cathy) Spang, Lucinda (Joseph) Fox, Jocelyn (Robert) White Wolf, Lanita (David) Littlewhiteman, Jolene (Larry) Rising Sun, Eloy Brady and Mary Ann Fisher Old Bull; her brothers, Floyd (Louise) and Llevando (Phyllis) Fisher. Rosary will be celebrated at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Lame Deer. Mass is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m., at the same location. Interment will follow in the Birney Cemetery. Rausch Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. August 18, 2002 Josephine Tall Bull KIRBY - Josephine Tall Bull, 75, of the Kirby area, passed away Friday, Aug. 16, 2002, in the Crow-Northern Cheyenne IHS Hospital. Mokee'e (Lit-tle Woman) was born Nov. 26, 1926, at Kirby, a daughter of Jam-es and Martha Yellow Eagle Wilson. She grew up and attended the Tongue River Boarding School. She married William Vincent Tall Bull on Nov. 21, 1945, in Hardin. Mr. Tall Bull died in 1996. She worked at the Tongue River Boarding School as a supervisor in the laundry room and as a dorm attendant. She also worked as a supervisor for the Busby Senior Citizen program, Lame Deer Morning Star Children's Shelter and for the White River Day Care Center. Her parents, brothers Arthur, Jimmy and William Wilson, and sisters Esther Westika, Alice Parrish and Helen Donnafield preceded Josephine in death. Survivors include her children, Ernestine Nelson of Busby, Linwood (Priscilla) Tall Bull and Tia (David) Tall Bull of Kirby; her sister, Florence Rowland of Kirby; her brothers, George Wilson of Ashland, Pete Wilson of Lame Deer; her adopted son, Joe Tiona of Eagle Butte, S.D.; her adopted daughter, Christine (Butch) Small of Kirby; 11 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Private wake services were at the family home. Private family interment will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the Tall Bull Family Cemetery. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. -=-=-=- August 14, 2002 Laura Helen Wells WOLF POINT -- Laura Helen (Wetsit) Wells, 92, whose Indian name was Oi Baxe, "Bunch Beads," and who spent most of her life in the Wolf Point area, died of natural causes Sunday at her home in Wolf Point. Funeral Mass is 10 a.m. today at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point, with burial in Oswego Catholic Cemetery in Oswego. Bell Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Survivors include her daughter, Gertrude "Tootie" Clark of Wolf Point; 14 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Valentine Wells, in 1989; three daughters; five grandsons and three great-grandsons. August 16, 2002 Joan A. Bradley HAYS -- Joan A. Bradley, 67, a tribal realtor, died of natural causes Wednesday at her home in Hays. Rosary is 7 p.m. today at St. Paul's Mission Catholic Church. Funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul's Mission, with burial at Star Hill Family Cemetery in Hays. Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook is in charge of arrangements. Survivors include daughters Daralyn, Darlene and Karen, all of Hays; sons Gary of Fort Belknap, Cory of Hays and Darrell of Albuquerque, N.M.; sisters Rita Bradley of Fort Belknap and Myrna Spotted Bear of Pryor; brothers Alfred Bradley of Lodge Pole, Willie Bradley of Hays and Vernon Hawley of Park City; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her husband, Edger Shambo, died in 1962. August 19, 2002 Parker Lynn Messerly FORT BELKNAP -- Parker Lynn Messerly, 22, of Fort Belknap, a firefighter with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, died Friday from injuries he received in a car crash north of Grass Range. Wake services begin at 5 p.m. today at the Red Whip Community Center at Fort Belknap. His funeral is noon Tuesday at the center, with burial in the Gives Family Cemetery on Highway 66, south of Fort Belknap. Adams Funeral Home of Malta is in charge of the arrangements. Survivors include his mother, Christine Jackson; his father, David Messerly; a sister, Felecia Messerly; a brother, Lionel Messerly, all of Fort Belknap; and grandparents Diane Healy of Harlem and Clarence Gives of Fort Belknap. Copyright c. 2002 Great Falls Tribune, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: OpEd: The Canadian Precedent" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 20:57:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ABRAHAM/CATHOLIC CHURCH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article THE CANADIAN PRECEDENT Indians sue over church abuse James Abraham - Aug 18, 2002 For an idea of just how stiff a price the Catholic Church in America may yet pay for the actions of priests who sexually abused children, look northward to Canada. There, a tale of ecclesiastical abuse, repentance and bankruptcy may offer lessons. Starting in the 1880s, possibly well-meaning Canadian authorities decided to ship thousands of Indian children off to boarding schools. The goal was to force them to acculturate -- to lose their old ways and embrace the ruling culture. In the flux of societal change, such a course is certainly preferable to clinging to outmoded traditions that hamper one's progress. But no amount of "progress" was worth the horrors those poor Indian children endured. Four churches -- Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church of Christ -- operated the boarding schools on a contractual basis with the Canadian government. About 100,000 children attended the schools. What happened to them, under the care of servants of God, has resulted in a multibillion-dollar class action that could bankrupt the four churches. In the early 1990s a group of Canadian Indians led by Phil Fontaine, former grand chief of the assembly of First Nations, came forward with reports of generations of family members being sexually, physically and emotionally abused by priests and other workers at the church schools. The revelations led to a series of lawsuits against the churches. The Canadian government ruled that the churches were liable for 30 percent of damages rising from the lawsuits. Since then, the four churches all claim they may go bankrupt if forced to pay out the settlements. Some churches are selling buildings, silver and other assets to pay their legal bills. The Diocese of Cariboo in British Columbia, shut down because it couldn't pay its legal bills. The case has divided Canadians. Some are angry that their organized church may go bankrupt because of a group of Indians who may or may not have been abused decades ago. Others are concerned that lawyers are cynically driving up the costs of the lawsuits and reaping most of the settlements. And, there is disillusionment and disbelief among those parishioners who remain faithful to the churches. "There is a lot of denial, people thinking 'this is a bad dream,'" said Bishop Duncan B. Wallace, an Anglican bishop, during a New York Times interview two years ago. "I told a priest recently, 'When your rectory gets sold out from under you and you are living in the street, maybe you will understand this is for real.'" Creditably, all four churches have embarked on healing programs, in addition to coughing up settlements. The Anglicans, for example, have launched The New Agape, a healing program that includes church participation in tribal councils, a traveling exhibit of life in the Indian schools, and a claims processing office. The Canadian Catholic church, soon after the abuse scandals became public, responded by adopting stricter guidelines for reporting of sexual abuse. The Canadian experience comes to mind after reading about the latest woes in the Boston Archdiocese, where the depredations of child-molesting priest John Geoghan led to the ongoing public outcry against priests' child sexual abuse. The archdiocese faces lawsuits by hundreds of people who say they were abused by priests. It also is awaiting a decision from a judge over whether it is bound to a settlement worth up to $30 million with 86 possible victims of Geoghan. A major bank in Boston has cut off a line of credit to the beleaguered church. Last month, the archdiocese had to cut 15 jobs. Church officials in Boston say the archdiocese may have to file for bankruptcy. Such a move would punish hundreds of thousands of parishioners for the "sin" of belonging to an organization with flawed leaders and members. That's a cruel price. But is it any less severe than the decades of anguish endured by men and women who, as children, suffered injury at the hands of morally bankrupt priests and other church officials? James M. Abraham is an editorial writer and columnist based in Charlotte County. Copyright c. 2002 Sarasota Herald-Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: OpEd:Catholic Church needs to dismount High Horse" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 20:57:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO/CATHOLIC CHURCH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.zwire.com/site/news Long overdue for Catholic Church to dismount its high horse Tim Giago August 18, 2002 There are two words that can best describe the Catholic Archdioceses in South Dakota, New Mexico or in Boston: aloof, arrogant. For that matter these two words about cover Rome and the rest of the Catholic world. Pope John Paul II made a feeble attempt at explaining the church position on the pedophilia among its priests that has rocked the church in all 50 states. He had the perfect audience to extend an apology for the church and an opportunity to convey his own mea culpa when he spoke to nearly 500,000 children in Canada a couple of weeks ago. In essence, he did neither. The Catholic Church continues to lick its wounds and hide behind its own arrogance and aloofness. About 25 years ago, I wrote about my personal experience with church denial and its penchant to counterattack when faced with certain revelations. The small book "The Aboriginal Sin" drew outright denials and attacks upon my integrity by church officials, particularly those at Red Cloud Indian School (formerly Holy Rosary Indian Mission) on the Pine Ridge Reservation. How long is the memory of the church officials at Red Cloud? This year three of the four high schools on the Pine Ridge Reservations ran full-page graduation ads with my newspaper, the Lakota Journal. They did it to honor their students and faculty members for an audience that would be most appreciative of their accomplishments, the Lakota people. Red Cloud Indian School chose not to do this. Instead they ran their graduation ad in a non-Indian newspaper far away from the reservation. When questioned by my sales representative about why they would deny their students local recognition and praise, a school official said, "Because your paper writes bad things about us that are not true." And so, 24 years after "The Aboriginal Sin," officials at the Catholic, Red Cloud Indian School still hold a grudge. My mother and father were married in the Church at Holy Rosary. My grandmother was among its first graduating class. I was baptized, received my first Holy Communion and Confirmation and eventually married there. I attended elementary and high school there. I also saw a lot of hypocrisy there. I saw children severely punished by priests, prefects and nuns for speaking in their native tongue while one priest, Father John Bryde, went around with a notebook questioning any elder who came to the school about the Lakota language and eventually becoming a Lakota speaker himself. I listened to lectures giving us clear warning that if we did not embrace the Catholic faith, we would never go to heaven. That the spirituality of our ancestors was built upon heathenism. I was forced to go to church seven days a week, as were the other students. I attended services at Holy Rosary Mission one Sunday, soon after Shannon County, the county that makes up a large part of the Pine Ridge Reservation, was declared the "poorest county in the United States" by the U. S. Census Bureau. I listened aghast to a priest ask in his sermon for donations for the poor of Africa. Africa? "The Aboriginal Sin" described many of the terrible times, and the good times, we experienced as students at Holy Rosary Indian Mission in the 1940s and 1950s. My research revealed that the church has raised millions of dollars, supposedly, to help the poor Sioux Indians of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Instead, many of those millions went to purchase rich farmland in the bordering state of Nebraska and much of it went to the Archdiocese in Boston and other eastern cities. These are facts that have been hidden by the church. The Indian missions attempted to strip away the identity of the Indian children. The indoctrination was so intense it left many children totally confused about themselves. Many died still searching for themselves. They died heartbroken and confused, broken in spirit and body. It has been my experience that the Catholic Church leaders will remain aloof, arrogant and accusatory of anyone who questions their corruptness, callousness and their conciliatory efforts to cover up their sins of the past. Twenty-four years ago, I wrote about the abuses suffered by Indian children at the hands of the Catholic Church and was accused of Catholic bashing. What does that say about those journalists writing about the horrendous acts of pedophilia that now lie exposed? Are they also Catholic Church bashers? Pope John Paul II and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church owe an international apology to the indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere for the death and destruction wrought by their hand. They also owe an accounting to the Indian people for the millions, nay billions of dollars, they collected in their name while the Indians lived in the worst poverty imaginable. The "begging for dollars" letters are still a huge arsenal to raise millions more by the Catholic Church. They are going out in the mail even as I write this column. And the beat goes on. Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota, is editor and publisher of the weekly Lakota Journal. He can be reached at editor@lakotajournal.com or at P.O. Box 3080, Rapid City, S.D. 57709. Copyright c. 2002 New Haven Register. --------- "RE: Proposed Blood Quantum Rule" --------- Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2002 10:27:17 -0500 From: "UTOSI" Subj: Indian Blood.............. Mailing List: TribalLaw >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Proposed blood quantum rule requires scrutiny Posted: August 07, 2002 - 11:00am EST by: Frank Pallone Jr. / Congressman, D - N.J., Guest columnist / House of Representatives / U.S. Congress For more than a decade, the BIA has attempted to terminate federal services to American Indians and Alaska Natives who do not have blood from a federally recognized tribe, despite legal authority to the contrary. The BIA's latest proposal threatens the legal authority of Indian tribes to determine their own membership. It may also negatively impact the large number of unacknowledged and terminated tribes and their members, including Indians who reside on public domain trust allotments because they would no longer be considered "Indian" for federal purposes. The proposed blood rule will limit the definition of "Indian blood" to only blood from the related federally recognized tribe, eliminating the other ways in which Indian people qualify for federal services under Federal Indian law. The BIA's recalculation of the blood quantum of tribal members could interfere with the status of members if the recalculation falls below the minimum blood quantum rule. I believe this rule is a knee-jerk response to the long-standing lack of criteria for determining adequate blood quantum procedures that account for the diversity of Indian country. Given that tribes have the right to determine their membership, I believe the time, energy and expense that the BIA is devoting to moving this rule forward could be better spent. While this blood rule would impact many parts of Indian country, there are specific tribes -- like those in California -- that would be more impacted than others. For those 109 federally recognized tribes in California, this rule could have dire consequences. Prior to any formal listing of federally recognized tribes, the federal government established rolls of California Indians who it deemed qualified for the federal trust responsibility. These rolls were most frequently based on the tribe from which the individual's blood was derived, not from classification of the tribe as "federally recognized." All of the tribal representatives from California that I have spoken with on this issue are extremely concerned about the BIA's attempt to impose this blood rule without conducting adequate consultation with their tribal governments. I am aware that BIA has held some consultation meetings with a few tribal governments on this issue, yet the BIA's action does not adhere to the spirit of consultation with all of Indian country that this type of change in Federal Indian law necessitates. Given the Bush Administration's recent commitment to uphold former President Clinton's executive order regarding tribal consultation, I imagine the BIA would be hard pressed to continue advancing this blood rule without more consultation. I encourage all of Indian country to weigh in on this proposed blood rule by sending letters to the Department of Interior and BIA expressing your views on this plan. I also urge tribal governments to request formal and adequate consultation sessions with Interior and the BIA on this issue. I am seeking answers to several questions about the proposal in a letter of inquiry to Interior Secretary Gail Norton and Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb. I will make this information available to Indian country when I receive their answers. U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. D-N.J., currently serves as an active member of the Native American Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives. As a member of the House Resources Committee -- the committee with jurisdiction over all matters regarding the relations of the United States with Native Americans and American Indian tribes -- he has been a defender of the sovereign status of Indian tribal governments. --------------------------------------------------------------------- This article can be found at http://IndianCountry.com/?1028640473 _______________________________________________ Triballaw mailing list Triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu http://thecity.sfsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/triballaw --------- "RE: Comanche Enrollment to Close" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2002 08:21:25 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COMANCHE ENROLLMENT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=903427&pic=none&TP=getarticle State Roundup 2002-08-18 Comanche enrollment to close LAWTON -- Open enrollment for those who want to be listed on the official Comanche Nation roll ends Friday. The tribe voted Feb. 23 for a constitutional amendment to allow new membership. Individuals who are enrolled with another tribe and wish to be on the Comanche roll must give up their other membership. They also must meet all criteria for enrollment with the Comanche Nation. The process must begin on or before Friday. To apply, or for more information, contact the Comanche Nation Enrollment Office at (580) 492-3775, or toll free at (877) 492-4988, Ext. 775. The fax number is (580) 492-6389. The office is at the Comanche Nation Complex, seven miles north of Lawton. FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Copyright c. 2002, Produced by NewsOK. --------- "RE: Arizona Race may turn on Tribal Politics" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 08:09:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ARIZONA VOTE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/08/news0815b.html Arizona Race May Turn on Tribal Politics By Ben Pershing August 15, 2002 As the two parties attempt to one-up each other with elaborate new national programs to entice Hispanic and black voters, a smaller and less coveted ethnic group - American Indians - could turn the tide in one of the country's most competitive House races. Several states feature American Indian populations large enough to tip the balance on Election Day. In South Dakota, all of the major House and Senate candidates have attended events on reservations. Members in Alaska, New Mexico and Oklahoma also have sizable American Indian constituencies. But when it comes to sheer numbers, no other competitive Congressional race in the country will be as heavily influenced by American Indian voters as the one in Arizona's new 1st district, where candidates are looking for every possible advantage in the weeks preceding the Sept. 10 primary. The sprawling 1st, one of two new seats added to the Grand Canyon State following the 2000 Census, is dominated by the largest American Indian reservation in the United States, the Navajo Nation. The majority of the 26,000-square-mile reservation is in northeast Arizona, with the rest falling in Utah and New Mexico. The 2000 Census put the reservation's total population at 180,000, up 20 percent from 1990. About 60,000 Arizona Navajos are registered to vote, the vast majority of them Democrats. For the seven Democratic candidates vying for the party's ballot line in November, the reservation represents a fertile patch of votes, if they are willing to work for it. "I've been doing this for seven elections," said Steve Udall (D), who served as Apache County attorney from 1976 until last year. "It's a little confusing the very first time you go up, but the folks are real nice. ... You tell them what you can and cannot do for them." The cousin of Reps. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Steve Udall is one of the frontrunners, along with former Clinton administration aide Fred DuVal, for the Democratic nod. He is putting a special emphasis on courting Navajo voters, as are businessman George Cordova (D) and, especially, Derrick Watchman (D). Also in the Democratic field are businessman Roger Hartstone, banker Sam Martinez and attorney Diane Prescott. Watchman is the former chief of staff to Navajo Nation President Kelsey Begaye and has been endorsed by the Navajo Nation Council. The Nation's Washington office also hosted a June fundraiser for Watchman at the 18th Street Lounge. Historically, turnout has been low among Navajo voters. But last month, the Navajo Supreme Court decided to move tribal council and presidential elections to Sept. 10, the same day as the Congressional primary. Udall said he thought the tribal council's decision would increase the turnout, "but I don't think it's going to be huge." Before redistricting, the reservation was represented by Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R), who typically lost the Navajo vote but won enough support elsewhere to carry the district. In one of the more unusual feats of mapping, the smaller Hopi Indian reservation, which is completely surrounded by the Navajo Nation, actually falls in a different House district, that of retiring Rep. Bob Stump (R). The Hopis and Navajos have long been engaged in a bitter land dispute, and the Hopis prefer to have separate representation and tend to vote less Democratic than the Navajos. (The differences don't end there; the Navajos observe daylight-saving time, while the Hopis don't.) Whatever the turnout, earning the support of Navajos can be uniquely challenging, according to candidates and aides who have mined votes there before. Some other reservations wield political clout that far exceeds their caches of voters, as tribes who run casinos pump millions of dollars into political campaigns every election cycle. But the Navajo Nation is relatively poor and its populace widely dispersed compared to many other reservations, so candidates visiting the reservation aim to gather endorsements rather than cash, and strong grassroots campaigns are essential. "You don't see a lot of registration drives," said Mark Wilson, a Republican operative in neighboring New Mexico. "It's a lot of good, old- fashioned politics, like busing [voters] to the polls or holding a barbecue." Wilson is the campaign manager for New Mexico secretary of state candidate Sharon Clahchischilliage (R). He likened Navajo tribal leaders to "Tammany Hall ward bosses" in some respects, in that their endorsement decisions heavily influence those of their constituents. "It's one of the few instances where an endorsement really does pull a huge chunk of the vote from the community," Wilson said. While the reservation has its share of fairs and barbecues, the best way for a candidate to gather grassroots support is to visit a chapter house meeting, which Udall likened to a New England town hall. Fifty-eight of the reservation's 110 chapters are in Arizona. Each has a regular chapter house meeting where residents and community leaders gather to sort out local issues and, in an election year, vet politicians. With the Navajo population widely dispersed and often difficult to reach through conventional campaigning, chapter house meetings provide candidates their best venues for courting voters and local officials. Chapters vary widely in size, with some representing 100 to 200 families and others covering as many as 3,000 people. Chapter meetings, typically attended by 30 to 50 people, will debate all manner of local issues and will also pass resolutions in support of specific candidates, often for more than one entrant in the same race. Cordova, for example, claims the support of 55 of the 58 Arizona Navajo chapters. But many of them have also passed resolutions for other contenders. Beyond attending those meetings and seeking the approval of tribal officials, candidates attempt to meet as many voters as possible in person while also targeting selected media outlets. Direct mail can be difficult on the reservation, as many residents have imprecise addresses. For those seeking press attention, The Gallup (N.M.) Independent and the Navajo Times reach many local voters. Candidates also do interviews on KTNN, a 50,000-watt radio station based in Window Rock, Ariz., that broadcasts in Navajo for about 12 hours a day and reaches much of the Western United States. As for campaign issues, candidates usually hit on the same topics they might hit on elsewhere, with a special emphasis on local education and health care policies. "The biggest thing in order to work the reservation to is to earn the trust of the Navajos, because they've been left behind for so long by so many candidates," said Jed Jorgensen, the Northern Arizona coordinator for Cordova. Copyright c. 2002 Roll Call Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Tohono O'odham Strangers on Their Land" --------- Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 18:03:17 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BORDER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/ny-womexi112819752aug12.story?coll=ny%2Dnews%2Dprint Strangers on Their Land Indian nation: U.S. Border Patrol harasses tribe members By Letta Tayler LATIN AMERICA CORRESPONDENT August 12, 2002 San Miguel Gate, U.S.-Mexico border - Laverne Jose's heart pounds with fear every time she pulls her van loaded with health care patients up to San Miguel Gate, a wood cattle guard that splits the ancient lands of the Tohono O'odham Indians between Arizona and Mexico. U.S. Border Patrol agents frequently stop or search Jose' and her patients, who are members of the tribe. Usually she's ordered to detour to an official U.S. entry point, adding at least 90 miles and many hours to her trip to a clinic on the Toho- no O'odham (pronounced "to-HO-no OATH- am") reservation in Arizona. If her passengers lack documents recognized by the United States, sometimes they're seized and sent back. "We were here long before the U.S. government," said Jose', a shy, soft- spoken woman. "But we're being treated like illegal immigrants on our own land." Long before and after the arrival of the white man, the Tohono O'odham moved freely across the sun-scorched Sonora Desert that spans Arizona and Mexico. But a U.S. crackdown on undocumented immigrants that began a few years ago and intensified after Sept. 11 has turned the Indians into suspected or de facto illegal aliens. Reservation members complain of being routinely stopped and sometimes harassed by U.S. Border Patrol agents who swarm across their land, hunting for potential terrorists these days. In addition, welfare reforms targeted at undocumented workers have denied 8,400 Tohono O'odham - nearly a third of the tribe - access to health care, Social Security or other social services that under U.S. law should be extended to all members of federally recognized Indian reservations. Those Indians have been cut off because they lack documents such as birth certificates that Washington recognizes as proof of citizenship. In the eyes of the U.S. government, they are simply undocumented immigrants. The Tohono O'odham, whose name means "desert people," see a bitter irony in the clampdown: While the federal government is treating the Indians as potential law-breakers, it is seeking their help in detaining undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers, who in the past few years have turned this isolated reservation into the busiest - and deadliest - illegal border crossing in the United States. "It's a double standard," said Henry Ramon, the Tohono O'odham vice chairman. "The government wants something from us but they don't want to give us our due in return. In the meantime, our land is turning into a war zone." Hundreds of Border Patrol agents scour this Connecticut-sized reservation in all-terrain vehicles and helicopters, searching for the 1, 500 immigrants who sneak into it each day. The agents' mission was not only to stop immigrants but also to save their lives: From Oct. 1 to Aug. 1, nearly 70 immigrants died trying to cross the reservation's harsh terrain. Prickly-pear cacti and mesquite bake in stifling heat on both sides of the Tohono O'odham reservation. The adobe or prefab homes are similar, although more lack indoor plumbing and electricity south of the border. Nation members on both sides of the twisted barbed-wire fence that marks the border consider themselves as one. But in 1853, when the United States bought 30,000 square miles of land from Mexico, it left a dozen Tohono O'odham communities and several sacred sites south of the border. After the United States recognized the Tohono O'odham as an Indian sovereignty in 1937, it treated Indians south of the border as members, including them in its census and busing students to schools on the U.S. side. All that changed in 1994, when the mushrooming of illegal border crossings prompted the Border Patrol to start sealing off entry points in California and Texas. Immigrants responded by crossing in remoter areas, particularly the 75-mile strip of border cutting through Tohono O'odham communities. Indians complain that undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers litter their land with garbage and sometimes rob them. Still, they express more concern about Border Patrol agents. "The Border Patrol agents trail us, and stop us and shine lights in our faces. Sometimes they point guns at us. They say, 'Are you a U.S. citizen?'" said Ana Antone, 53, a Tohono O'odham health counselor who was born in one of the tribe's communities south of the border. "I tell them, 'Yes,' but it's a lie." Jose', 43, who shuttles patients to the Indian clinic in Sells, Ariz., 30 miles north of San Miguel Gate, said, "The border agents will search my passengers and ask me how much I'm charging to bring people across the border, even though I have a G for government vehicle on my license plate." David V. Aguilar, chief Border Patrol agent for the Tucson, Ariz., sector, which patrols the reservation, called the Border Patrol's relationship with the Tohono O'odham "mutually beneficial." Border agents assigned to the reservation undergo sensitivity training, but they can't refrain from stopping people because they might be Indian, he said. "A pickup truck or van going down the road may look like a typical Indian nation vehicle, but it could be packed with immigrants," Aguilar said. Illegal entry to the United States through Indian nations, which share 750 miles of isolated U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico, has become a key concern since Sept. 11 - particularly since the Border Patrol has authority to enter tribal lands only within 25 miles of the U.S. frontier. So far, the Tohono O'odham have not considered evicting federal agents from their land, as the St. Regis Mohawks did from their Akwesasne reservation on the New York-Canadian border. Since 1996, the Mohawks have allowed Border Patrol agents into the reservation only to pick up suspects the nation's police have detained. The INS and Mexico have issued visas to 1,000 Tohono O'odham living south of the border to allow them restricted crossings. But Indians object to the visas because they must renew them periodically - at their expense - and because the visas classify them as Mexicans, when they consider themselves Tohono O'odham. The visas also don't help the 8,400 Tohono O'odham who have been denied health care and other federal benefits under the 1996 Welfare Reform Act because they lack U.S. birth certificates or other federally recognized documents. Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) has introduced legislation to recognize all Tohono O'odham by making their Indian nation identification cards proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill has languished since Sept. 11. The bill would help Laverne Jose's father, Henry Jose', who can't collect Social Security and who for years was unable to obtain veterans benefits, even though he'd won a dozen stars for bravery as a machine- gunner aboard the battleship USS Mississippi during World War II. Henry Jose' didn't have a birth certificate because he was born at home on the reservation. "The Navy never asked me for my birth certificate when it wanted me to fight," said Henry Jose', a frail 79-year-old. The bill also would grant citizenship to the 1,400 nation members who were born in Tohono O'odham communities in Mexico. They include Francina Francisco, 24, who was born in Magdalena, Mexico, a Tohono O'odham village her mother was visiting for an Indian feast day when she delivered prematurely. Though Francisco has lived since her birth on the reservation, where her mother was born, she can't become a naturalized U.S. citizen because her mother lacks a U.S. birth certificate. Francisco never considered herself an illegal alien until she was turned down by the U.S. Army and the Tohono O'odham police force, both of which now require proof of U.S. citizenship. "I'd like to be somebody, I'd like to help my people," Francisco said in a voice that drifted into defeat. "But the U.S. government has lumped me into a category with illegal aliens and terrorists. The doors are closed every way I turn." Copyright c. 2002, Newsday, Inc. --------- "RE: Trust Plaintiff calls for Restitution" --------- Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 08:09:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RESTITUTION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.helenair.com/national/1A4.html American indian trust funds By MARTIN J. KIDSTON, IR Staff Writer - 08/08/02 Plaintiff calls for restitution. A Blackfoot Indian woman called for restitution to American Indians Wednesday at the Montana Conference on Race Relations in Helena, citing the continued mishandling of American Indian trust funds by the U.S. government. Elouise Cobell, the leading plaintiff in the 1996 lawsuit against the federal government, recounted during her 90-minute presentation her ongoing efforts to force the Departments of Interior and Treasury to turn over billions of dollars belonging to 500,000 American Indians and their heirs. "It always amazes me how this money is tied to living human beings," Cobell said. "I know people would be alive today if they could have afforded health care. Parents want to send their kids to school. Yet 60 to 75 percent of our leases are unaccounted for." The money in question is generated from the sale of oil, gas and timber that take place on lands held by individual Indians. The lands were placed in the trust of the U.S. government after it took legal title of the lands in the 1880s. The money, like the land, is supposed to be held in Native American trust accounts, which the government maintains. But Cobell said the government has not turned the money over and cannot account for billions of dollars placed in the trust. As a result, Cobell filed a class-action lawsuit in 1996 in U.S. District Court to force the U. S. government to account for the missing money and to reform its accounting system. In 1999, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the secretaries of Interior and Treasury had breached their trust obligations to the Indians. He also held three Clinton-era officials in contempt of court for failing to provide accounting information and for repeated delays in producing documents, destroying documents and continued fiscal mismanagement. In the ruling, Lamberth gave the court judicial oversight of the system for a minimum of five years and called the conduct of federal officials "fiscal and government irresponsibility in its purest form." The government appealed the ruling but was unanimously rejected by an appeals court in 2001. A trial on phase two of the ruling - accounting for the missing money - has not yet been scheduled. Cobell said the case has revealed that federal officials have been dishonest and inept, lying to court officials, the American public and the Indian population. "We have inherited a broken system," Cobell said. "We have to stand up and make a change. This is total mismanagement of money." But a report resulting from a nine-month investigation into the alleged misconduct of officials in the case has found that no one set out to lie to or mislead the court, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. The report found that so few people in the Interior Department work together that "a singular sinister or conspiratorial plan is impossible to construct." Either way, Cobell said, the results are the same. "We can't get any accounting and Indians can't access their accounts," she said. Lamberth is now considering contempt charges in the case against Interior Secretary Gale Norton and 40 deputies, the Washington Post said. So far, Cobell said, more than 57 people have been held in contempt in the ongoing case. "What's going on that people are willing to sacrifice their careers to keep quiet?" she said. "It's no longer an Indian issue but a money issue." Norton has proposed a new agency within her department - the Bureau of Indian Trust Asset Management - to oversee reform of Indian trust accounts. Cobell didn't comment on the proposed reform but called the 1994 Trust Fund Reform Act a failure and said the federal government has spent $614 million on an account system that didn't work. Cobell, a Blackfeet Indian and founder of the Blackfeet National Bank in Browning, was one of several guest speakers at the Montana Conference on Race Relations held at Carroll College in Helena. The conference concludes today. Copyright c. 1999-2002, Helena Independent Record, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Big Victory in Pig Fight" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 10:28:33 -0500 From: "Carter Camp" Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HEMP HARVEST" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/02-2879-news08.txt Manderson area family harvests hemp crop August 02, 2002 By Heidi Bell Gease, Journal Staff Writer MANDERSON -- The third time was a charm for Alex White Plume and his family as they quietly harvested their first crop of industrial hemp this week. "It really felt good," White Plume said Friday. "Just like a sense of relief." This was the third straight year the White Plume family planted hemp on their land near Manderson. Two years in a row, federal agents confiscated the plants before they could be harvested, although the U.S. government did not file any charges against any of the White Plumes, who planned to produce and sell hemp oil and other products from the plants. This time, family members beat government agents to the punch. They harvested most of the 3.5-acre crop Monday night. "They weren't that tall, but they were done pollinating," White Plume said. "So we took some out, we cut it and it's dried." The dried hemp already has been sold to Madison Hemp & Flax Co. of Lexington, Ky., which joined with the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association to ship a trailer full of Canadian hemp to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation after the White Plumes' first crop was confiscated in 2000. That hemp was to be used for bricks in a hemp house. Industrial hemp is a form of the cannabis sativa plant, also known as marijuana. Unlike marijuana, hemp cannot be smoked to get high. But it can be used to make everything from rope to paper to cloth to soap to animal feed, and itrequires little water. White Plume said the seeds they planted contained little or no tetrahydrocannabinol, the ingredient in marijuana that produces a "high." Federal laws do not distinguish between hemp and marijuana, making it illegal to grow either one (although hemp can be legally imported). But in 1998, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council voted to legalize hemp. Tribal members say that because the Oglala Sioux Tribe is a sovereign nation, its laws should apply on the reservation. The Kentucky buyers will visit the White Plumes on Wednesday, Aug. 14, to pick up the hemp. That same day, the public is invited to attend a harvest celebration and symbolic harvest of one small hemp plot. All are welcome, White Plume said, and thanksgiving ceremonies will begin about 10 a.m. He has already heard from people all over the country who are interested in attending. "I can't figure out how they hear about it," he said. "Somebody's spreading the word." This year's hemp crop was not as impressive as in years past, when plants grew to 12 or 13 feet tall. The drought kept this year's plants to half that size. But White Plume pointed out that tall prairie grasses grew only about a foot this year, so the hemp plants "still outgrew everything around." "I think they were meant to be here," he said. White Plume would not say how much hemp was harvested, but he said it was basically a symbolic amount. "This was a contract between our family and that company from Kentucky," he said. "We just wanted to keep our word that we could deliver. It took a long time, but we kept our word." There was at least one benefit to the raids of 2000 and 2001. When it came time to harvest this year's crop, the White Plumes knew what to do. "I used a Weed Eater," White Plume said. "I learned that from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI." Questions or comments on this story? Call reporter Heidi Bell Gease at 394-8419, or e-mail her at heidi.bell@rapidcityjournal.com. Copyright c. 2002 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: U.S. moves to stop Oglala Lakota Hemp Farm" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 08:09:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HEMP FARM" http://www.indianz.com/News/ U.S. moves to stop Oglala Lakota hemp farm THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2002 A federal judge on Tuesday ordered an Oglala Lakota family to stop planting and harvesting hemp on their South Dakota ranch after tests showed traces of marijuana and cocaine. U.S. District Judge Richard Battey granted a temporary restraining order against Alex White Plume and his family. The White Plumes have come to national prominence for asserting a sovereign right to grow hemp on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Law enforcement authorities don't see it that way. During a pre-dawn raid in August 2000, about 25 armed agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Task Force stormed the reservation and seized more than 5,000 plants. No criminal charges were ever filed and the White Plumes, who have made no secret of their hemp farm, began planting again. Crops were destroyed in 2001 but the family wasn't deterred. After a planting this past spring, the U.S. Attorney's office in South Dakota charged the family and others last week with manufacturing and distributing marijuana. The suit came after Special Agent J.C. Salley of the DEA collected at least 400 grams of plants from the White Plume farm in July. The sample was sent to a DEA testing facility in Chicago, where traces of marijuana and cocaine were detected, according to a court records. The dispute here is one of scientific and legal debate. Hemp and its illicit cousin marijuana both contain an active ingredient called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In marijuana, a certain amount of THC gives users a characteristic "high. " Hemp doesn't do that. Recognizing the difference, the Oglala Lakota Tribe in 1998 passed a law that legalizes hemp, which can be used for a number of purposes. The most significant use on the cash-strapped and equity-poor reservation is for homes. "The people used to have the buffalo for our food, clothing and shelter, " said former President Joe American Horse at the planting of hemp seeds in April 2000, on the 132nd anniversary of the Sioux Nation Treaty of 1868. "Now, hemp can do that for us." Federal law doesn't differentiate, however, and the U.S. considers hemp to be in the same category as marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. "The provisions of the Act are general federal laws concerning the manufacture, possession and distribution of controlled substances which apply on the Pine Ridge Reservation with the same force as the laws apply elsewhere," the U.S. Attorney's office wrote in an August 9 court document. Attorneys for the White Plumes did not file court documents in response to the federal action. After a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Battey immediately granted the temporary restraining order pending a full hearing scheduled for October 1 and October 2. The judge was acting quickly based on a sale of hemp the White Plume negotiated with a Kentucky company. The Madison Hemp and Flax Company was to pick up the supply yesterday. The U.S. Attorney wants a permanent injunction against the White Plumes. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Makah free to conduct Whale Hunt" --------- Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 08:09:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MAKAH WHALE HUNT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/81989_whale09.shtml Makah free to conduct whale hunt Judge tosses out lawsuit seeking to halt the tribe Friday, August 9, 2002 By PAUL SHUKOVSKY SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER U.S. District Judge Franklin Burgess dismissed a lawsuit yesterday brought by animal-rights activists seeking to halt the Makah Tribe from hunting whales. No legal impediment now prevents the Makah Tribe from a whale hunt, said attorney John Arum, who represents the tribe. The suit, brought by The Humane Society of the United States, the Fund for Animals and individual animal-rights activists, alleged that the National Marine Fisheries Service acted in an arbitrary fashion when it granted the Makah a quota of whales for its ceremonial and subsistence hunt. The tribe resumed hunting whales in October 1998 and killed one whale in May 1999. In the lawsuit, the activists sought to portray the hunt near the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca as potentially dangerous to humans who could be hit by a stray bullet. And the activists alleged that the hunt would harm so-called "summer-resident" gray whale population, which comprises animals that spend longer periods in waters close to the reservation on the Olympic Peninsula. The rest of the gray whale population moves up and down the coast, spending winters in Mexico and summers in Alaska. Burgess rejected both arguments, saying the fisheries service had adequately weighed the issue of human safety and that scientific evidence suggests that there is no biological distinction between the "resident" whales and the rest of the population that would justify granting the "residents" special protection. The court also set aside the activists' contention that the Marine Mammal Protection Act trumps the tribe's right to whale retained by the Makah when they signed a treaty with the United States in 1855. In April, Burgess issued a temporary restraining order that shut down the opportunity to hunt. But he lifted the temporary restraining order in mid-May and denied the activists' motion for a preliminary injunction. They have appealed the denial of the preliminary injunction. The International Whaling Commission in May issued a new quota of gray whales to the United States for future Makah hunts. P-I reporter Paul Shukovsky can be reached at 206-448-8072 or paulshukovsky@seattlepi.com --------- "RE: Japan may again block Eskimo Whaling" --------- Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2002 08:10:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ESKIMO WHALING" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.adn.com/front/story/1553808p-1670671c.html Japan may again block Eskimo whaling The Associated Press (Published: August 7, 2002) Tokyo -- Japan's top whaling official indicated Wednesday that Tokyo would block U.S. attempts to reinstate a five-year whale hunting season for Alaska Eskimos. The issue has been a flashpoint between the two countries since Japan led a drive to ban the hunting of bowhead whales by Eskimo subsistence hunters at a May meeting of the International Whaling Commission. "Our target is not the Alaskans, it is the double standard of the United States," chief Japanese whale negotiator Masayuki Komatsu told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "There are still many points that must be cleared up." The comments appeared to step back from an earlier softening on the issue by Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Tsutomu Takebe. While Komatsu reiterated Takebe's stance that Japan supported Eskimo whaling in principle, he said Japan demands that their hunt quota be reviewed once a year instead of once every five years. He said that would help preserve whale populations and make sure they are not overhunted. The decision to block Eskimo hunting in May was widely seen as payback for U.S. opposition to Japanese-led efforts to lift a 1986 ban on commercial whaling. It was the first time since the 1970s that aboriginal hunting quotas had been denied. Eskimos had been allowed to hunt 55 bowhead whales over five-year periods. The United States protested the decision, and Secretary of State Colin Powell told Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles he would try to get the decision reversed. The United States could call for a revote on the issue as early as October, when the IWC is scheduled to hold its next meeting. But Komatsu indicated Japan would try to block it and push for a more limited hunt. "They must come up with a better proposal," Komatsu said. "The ball's in their court." Komatsu's comments came as 86 tons of fresh whale meat began arriving at freezers outside Tokyo's sprawling Tsukiji fish market, the world's largest, for the first time this season. The whale meat is just a fraction of the 2,200 tons that currently is on sale from whales killed during whaling expeditions in the seas around Antarctica between November 2001 and May this year. Much of the rest went on sale last week elsewhere in the country. Japan is one of the world's largest consumers of whale meat and, despite a global ban on commercial whaling, kills hundreds of the mammals each year as part of its so-called research program. The International Whaling Commission allows Japan a limited catch for scientific research. Critics of the program, including the governments of the United States, Britain and Australia, say the research hunt is merely a front for commercial whaling. Much of the meat ends up in restaurants. Copyright c. 2002 The Anchorage Daily News. --------- "RE: Bolivia Indians gain Political Power" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 20:57:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BOLIVIA" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/caribbean/ Indians gain political power By Craig Mauro The Associated Press Posted August 18 2002 LA PAZ, Bolivia - They wore rainbow-colored shawls and bowler hats. One carried a bow and arrow. Some chewed coca leaf. Windburned faces told of harsh mountain lives far from the Bolivian capital. Such a spectacle would be nothing unusual in a 60 percent Indian nation, except that this was the inaugural session of Bolivia's new Congress, and with roughly a quarter of the seats, Indians are for the first time a major congressional bloc. The power structure is still dominated by Spanish-descended Bolivians, but Indian power is shaking things up. For starters, officials have had to scramble to hire interpreters to translate the Indian languages spoken by several legislators. More important at a time of growing social unrest, the Indians' triumph has given the public a striking example of the power of a free vote. Three times the size of Montana and straddling Andean peaks and Amazon jungle, landlocked Bolivia has retained its pre-Hispanic culture more than any other country in South America. About a quarter of its 8.3 million people are descended from Aymara- speaking Indians who have inhabited the Andean highlands for centuries. Another three out of 10 Bolivians are Quechua-speakers, descendants of the ancient Inca empire. Then there are several small, isolated jungle tribes. Five centuries after the conquistadors came, Indian culture still thrives in religion, dress, language and music. But most Indians live in poverty, either as peasants or in a growing urban underclass of job-seeking migrants. For Miriam Quispe, 21, an Aymara visiting a friend in La Paz, the change is overdue. "It's time to start listening to us," she said, her infant child strapped to her back in a blanket of blue, pink and white. "We've always been left out. Politicians have just looked out for themselves." The Indians' newfound power was revealed in the presidential race as well. Bolivians were stunned when Evo Morales, an Aymara union leader, came in less than 2 percentage points behind front-runner Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada. With no candidate winning over 50 percent of the June vote, the decision went to the outgoing Congress, and it chose Sanchez de Lozada by 84 votes to 43. Morales, now Bolivia's main opposition figure, carved out a political identity by organizing protests and highway blockades by coca growers. His Indian-dominated Movement to Socialism party won 35 of the 157 seats in Congress, with peasants and city dwellers voting for Indian candidates in larger numbers than ever. Previously, there were never more than 10 Indians in Congress at any time, and they usually belonged to traditional parties for whom indigenous rights were not a priority. The new government is a coalition of two former rival parties dominated by white and mixed-race Bolivians, with only five Indian members in all. That has left Morales' opposition largely outnumbered in Congress. But for an Andean Indian peasant to simply have a sympathetic legislator to turn to is a big step forward. During the campaign, Morales disturbed U.S. officials and Bolivia's elite with revolutionary rhetoric and opposition to the government-led eradication of coca leaf, the base ingredient of cocaine and an ancient part of Indian culture. His support was boosted when, four days before the election, U.S. Ambassador Manuel Rocha said a Morales victory would jeopardize U.S. aid to Bolivia. The remark touched an anti-American nerve among voters, and Morales ended up thanking Rocha publicly for strengthening his campaign. Jorge Lazarte, a political analyst, said that not all who voted for Morales support his divisive rhetoric and radical ideas. They voted for Morales because, he said, "they don't want to remain in the past. They want to be included in the modern Bolivia, to have access to communications, telephone, television, university." Copyright c. 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. --------- "RE: Metis Veterans launch Lawsuit" --------- Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 08:08:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="METIS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Metis-Veterans-Suit.html Metis veterans launch lawsuit against federal government for lost benefits August 12, 2002 PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. (CP) -- The National Metis Veterans Association is suing the federal government, claiming they were denied rights and benefits given other soldiers. "The defendant breached its fiduciary obligation by failing to provide benefits and meaningful information and assistance regarding benefits to the plaintiffs and their families," says the lawsuit's statement of claim. After the Second World War, priority was given to veterans for jobs in the civil service and other positions. Loans were also made available at modest interest rates to those who wished to take up farming or establish a business. The lawsuit claims Metis veterans were denied the ability to participate in the programs. According to a report prepared by the association, only eight per cent of Metis veterans reported receiving any benefits and less than one per cent said they received any land under the Veterans Land Act. The federal government has offered First Nations veterans and their spouses up to $20,000 each for benefits denied to natives who fought in the Second World War and Korea. About 1,000 former servicemen who returned to reserves and 800 surviving spouses are eligible for the package, worth $39 million. That deal excludes Metis soldiers of mixed European and native blood, and non-status Indians who lived off reserves. The offer also fell far short of compensation sought by native groups. Veterans Affairs Minister Rey Pagtakhan declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is before the courts. He did say that federal officials will continue the work with the Metis veterans that started before the lawsuit was filed. "The government will be prepared to continue to do that so long as they wish to continue to discuss that," Pagtakhan said. Morris Poitras was a sapper with 1 Canadian Field Company of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers in Sicily in the Second World War. He searched for land mines and was wounded three times. "I was in the front line and I fought with the Canadian army . . . and I should be entitled to the same as the Indians or the white guys," 81-year- old Poitras said Monday. The government has settled in recent years with other veterans denied benefits offered most uniformed servicemen. Ottawa offered up to $20,000 each for surviving merchant mariners. It also compensated veterans who served in Hong Kong in the Second World War and spent more than three years in Japanese prison camps. Copyright c. 2002, CANOE, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: Nisga'a Chief seeks Liberal Alliance" --------- Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 10:23:22 -0400 From: "Frosty" Subj: Nisga'a chief seeks Liberal alliance Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian Nisga'a chief seeks Liberal alliance Canadian Press Wednesday, August 7, 2002 - Page A6 PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. -- A hereditary chief who is taking the historic Nisga'a Treaty to court wants help from the provincial government, even though the B.C. Liberals have already backed out of such action. James Robinson -- Chief Mountain, to use his hereditary ancestral title -- said he will launch a media campaign that "highlights inconsistencies between [Premier Gordon] Campbell's political position and his position in the courts." Mr. Robinson noted that Mr. Campbell and Attorney-General Geoff Plant campaigned against the Nisga'a Treaty when they were in opposition, saying it was unconstitutional because it would set up a third-level of government. Now, he said they are using taxpayers money to fight him while he makes the same claim. "The position taken by the province in court is completely inconsistent with the position of Mr. Campbell and Mr. Plant, the political party they represent and the platforms on which they campaigned," Mr. Robinson said. The Nisga'a Treaty is the only modern treaty in British Columbia. It awarded the native band in the province's northwest land, cash and self- governing powers. The Liberals abandoned their court challenge of the treaty after they formed government last year, saying that to proceed with the case would effectively mean they were suing themselves. Mr. Robinson said his court action is national in scope because it "will determine whether Canada is a unified country or divided among 600 or more sovereign entities." Mr. Robinson is from Kincolith, a town in British Columbia's Nass Valley, and says the Nisga'a Treaty stripped him and his band of their ancestral lands. He said he agrees with self-government, but said it should be subject to the Constitution. That way, he said, lands would be protected. Copyright c. 2002 The News and Globe. --------- "RE: Guest Editorial: Native Children get Worse Care" --------- Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 08:23:22 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BAD CHILD CARE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=FDF56BEC-B788-467F-82A2-99541C317D59 Native children get worse care from province Plenty to criticize about white society Clive Linklater Edmonton Journal Tuesday, August 06, 2002 A few comments regarding the articles on Samson First Nations ("Hobbema's lost children," Journal, Aug. 4). The matters of suicides and deaths is truly sad and should not be dismissed or ignored by the people of Samson, their leadership or the federal government. But what role the provincial government has to play is both a legal and a political matter. The province puts no money -- or very little -- into any services on First Nations Reserves but derives great financial benefit from the lands and resources it wrested away from First Nations people. The entire province of Alberta was obtained through Treaties 6, 7, 8 from First Nations who owned and occupied the land for thousands of years before the white settlers arrived in this area. If the province paid the way, they might have a say. But their own services for First Nations children off-reserves is an equal if not worse disaster. You should expose that issue as well. Your emphasis on the shortcomings of First Nations self-government and financial matters is a white ethno-centric view. Just look at the financial shenanigans of white entrepreneurs and privatization proponents. In the U.S. the Enrons and Arthur Andersens have virtually destroyed the stock market and wasted millions and billions of investors' money, including Canadian investors. Or for that matter, look at the waste of money by the Alberta government on the Swan Hills waste disposal plant, and the billions of dollars in provincial and federal deficits and misspending. Just look at the corruption in the federal government for the past few years. And Bob Nault wants to impose financial restrictions through his Governance Act when he sat silent in cabinet about the corruption that was going on around him by his fellow cabinet colleagues. Talk about a double standard. There is an old saying: "Those who live in glass houses should wear underwear." Correct your own government's financial practices, then maybe you can criticize ours. First Nations governments may have shortcomings regarding financial reporting but they are no worse than the federal government. Just read the auditor general's annual report. If you compare First Nations spending practices with provincial and federal governments you will find the provincial and federal governments are no better and probably worse. Finally, the Aboriginal people who migrated to urban areas have simply transferred their reserve poverty to urban poverty. I dare you to write an expose on the provincial and municipal governments' treatment and failures of looking after First Nations people in the cities and off-Reserves. It will show the failings of your own government. Somehow, I doubt you will publish such an expose because it contradicts your own myopic view. Clive Linklater, Treaty Indian, Wetaskiwin Copyright c. 2002 Edmonton Journal. --------- "RE: OpEd: Prison Population in Canada" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 20:57:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CANADIAN PRISONS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/search/site/story Other Views Times Colonist (Victoria) Saturday, August 17, 2002 Aboriginal people make up roughly 18 per cent of the prison population in Canada, even although they are only 2.5 per cent of the overall population. This disgraceful statistic alone provides justification for the federal government's decision to renew the aboriginal justice strategy for five years at a cost of $57.5 million. One of the key components of the aboriginal justice strategy is community involvement in developing programs. Hopefully, the extension of this program is a sign of a growing recognition by governments that projects tailored to the unique circumstances of individuals or communities are more likely to succeed than broad-based programs aimed at the entire population. Copyright c. 2002 Times Colonist (Victoria) --------- "RE: Federal Appeals Court affirms Tribal Authority" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 08:09:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL AUTHORITY" http://www.indianz.com/News/ Federal appeals court affirms tribal authority THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2002 Tribes have jurisdiction over roads maintained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a divided federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday. In a 2-1 decision, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said a Montana tribal court can hear a dispute over an accident that occurred on a BIA road. The road is located within the boundaries of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. "We conclude that BIA roads constitute tribal roads," wrote Circuit Judge James R. Browning, "and that the BIA right-of-way did not extinguish the tribe's gatekeeping rights to the extent necessary to bar tribal court jurisdiction." The action reverses a federal court decision that would have limited the tribe's authority. U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom had ruled the BIA road was not tribal land. But the panel refused to allow the Northern Cheyenne Tribe to intervene in the case. "[T]he tribe cannot show a protectable interest in the property that is the subject of the action," Browning wrote. The case arises from a May 1998 accident in which Kale Means, a minor and a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, was injured when his car hit a horse that wandered onto a BIA road. Patti Means, guardian for Kale Means, subsequently filed a civil lawsuit in tribal court against the horse's owner, alleging negligence. Arthur L. McDonald challenged the suit in federal court, arguing that the tribe lacked jurisdiction. McDonald owns land in fee on the reservation but is a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. The primary issue, according to the appeals court, was whether the BIA road was Indian or non-Indian owned. Based on Supreme Court precedents, tribes do not have civil lawsuit jurisdiction for actions on non-Indian fee land. "In granting the Route 5 right-of-way, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe relinquished some, but not all, of the sticks that form the landowner's traditional bundle of gatekeeping rights," Browning wrote. Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace disagreed with the majority's analysis. To him, the issue was whether the tribe has jurisdiction over non-members at all. "The majority establishes a presumption in favor of tribal civil jurisdiction over nonmembers in cases involving tribal land," he wrote. "This startling statement turns the Court's long-standing approach to tribal inherent authority on its head." The dissenting views makes the case a potential for an appeal to the Supreme Court. Wallace argued that prior case law prohibits tribal jurisdiction over the acts of non-members even on tribal land. Cases in the 9th Circuit affect tribes in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Nevada and Alaska. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Noble Savage Media, LLC/Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Tribal Police get $1.34 Million in Grants" --------- Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 19:54:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL POLICE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=902772&pic=none&TP=getarticle Tribal police departments get $1.34 million in grants 2002-08-16 By Mac Bentley The Oklahoman The police departments of 11 Oklahoma Indian tribes were awarded about $1.34 million in grant money from Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Department of Justice office announced Thursday. The money headed to Oklahoma is part of $34.8 million in grants given to 150 tribal police departments in 289 states. "These grants provide much needed resources that ultimately translate into more effective law enforcement practices, better community policing and safer neighborhoods," services director Carl Peed said in a statement. "The demands on all law enforcement agencies are increasing, and tribal law enforcement agencies are no different." Nearly one-third of the Oklahoma money -- $429,158 -- went to the Choctaw Nation. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma received $182,849, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe received $144,891 and the Muscogee Creek Nation Tribal Police Department received $120,000. Gregory Pyle, principal chief of the Choctaw Nation, said about $351,000 of his tribe's grant money will allow it to retain about three fulltime police officers for three more years. The Choctaw Nation has land in 11 counties in southeastern Oklahoma. "This really will be helping communities down here," he said, "because we do cooperative agreements with most of the law enforcement agencies." R. Perry Beaver, principal chief of the Muscogee Creek Nation, said the $120,000 is needed for his police department's operating budget. "The Bureau (of Indian Affairs) only gives us about one-fourth of what we need," he said. "We have to apply for other grants like this in order to supplement it. We also supplement it with tribal money from fuel sales and bingo." Beaver said his 20-man police force covers tribal lands in Tulsa, Creek, Okfuskee, Hughes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Wagoner and Okmulgee counties. The tribe also provides security at its establishments. "We have to apply for (the COPS grant) every year," Beaver said. The Citizen Pottawatomie Nation, primarily in the Shawnee-Tecumseh area, received a smaller amount, $46,050, but is just as appreciative, Vice Chairman Linda Capps said. "Last year we were able to buy new leather gear, guns, ammunition and radios, and partially fund an officer," she said. "This money this year will probably go for some badly needed uniforms. "This money really makes a difference to us." Other Oklahoma tribes that received grant money and the amount for each: Comanche Indian Tribe, $107,573 Kaw Nation of Oklahoma, $24,611 Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, $90,675 Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, $54,755 Otoe-Missouria Tribe, $73,693 Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma, $61,950 Copyright c. 2002, Produced by NewsOK. --------- "RE: Shooting kills Rising Star of Tribal Dance" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 10:32:54 -0700 From: "mikola 18" Subj: "Shooting kills rising star of tribal dance" Mailing List: ndn-aim http://www.newsok.com August 14, 2002 "Shooting kills rising star of tribal dance" By BOB DOUCETTE The Oklahoman HOBART, Oklahoma -- "There is no telling how far Shane Dean Zotigh could have gone. Zotigh, 20, had already traveled the nation, performing American Indian dances in front of enthusiastic crowds. He'd even won awards. The Kiowa Tribe member had also caught the attention of Hollywood's talent scouts. Zotigh was nearing his goal of using his war dance skills for television and film. The possibility of shooting a commercial for an international automaker was within his grasp. But with the crack of a gunman's pistol Aug. 7, Zotigh, a native Oklahoman, became the latest victim in a string of Southern California shootings. Living in a city plagued by an upsurge of gang violence, Zotigh may have been a victim of mistaken identity, Long Beach, Calif., police said. Authorities are interviewing witnesses but haven't made an arrest. His death has left his family grieving and ripped a hole in the Indian performing arts scene. "He was very talented," Joe Lucero, Zotigh's uncle, of Hobart said Tuesday. "It's such a loss. It's hard." As Lucero helped make preparations for Zotigh's funeral, he told of his nephew's promising beginnings. Zotigh grew up in Lucero's Hobart home through elementary and junior high school, attending classes in Chickasha, and had relatives there and in Lawton. When he was about to start high school, Zotigh asked if he could go live with another uncle in California. He later moved there and perfected his dance routines, traveling across the country in various shows and competitions. His biggest break seemed to be coming from television scouts. Commercial producers wanted to use Indian dancers to shoot a commercial for Toyota. The scouts had seen Zotigh dance and wanted him to audition. Long Beach, slightly smaller than Oklahoma City, is a city of 461,000 people just south of Los Angeles. It's had problems with gangs before, but the area where Zotigh lived isn't considered a high-crime area, Long Beach police spokesman David Marander said. Circumstance may have placed him in a cross fire that has recently erupted between rival gangs, police said. As Zotigh readied himself for the Toyota audition, he was also preparing for more performances. He was scheduled to attend a show Aug. 7 in Gallup, N.M., and would have been on the road the day before. But he decided to stay in Long Beach, work on a costume and prepare for a powwow in California. Just after 2 a.m. Aug. 7, Zotigh and a friend took a break from their work to go to a convenience store. While at the store, Zotigh and his friend encountered some other men, police said. One of them drew a gun, police said, and Zotigh and his friend ran. The assailant fired his weapon, with one bullet hitting Zotigh in the back and piercing an area near his heart. The gunman and the people with him fled the scene, police said. Zotigh died about 3:05 a.m. His slaying is one of six in Long Beach since Aug. 3. Much of the violence seems to be tied to rivalries between black and Hispanic gangs, police said. Marander said the assailants were described as black men who may have mistaken Zotigh for being Hispanic. Relatives said they wonder what might have happened had Zotigh traveled to New Mexico instead of staying home in California. They can only guess what might have been in store for a young man who seemed to be on his way to something big. "He was so natural," Lucero said. "He had a good portfolio started. I told him, 'Anytime they (talent scouts) would need a Native American, they'd be calling you.'" Copyright c. 2002, The Oklahoman. --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2002 08:19:12 -0600 From: Janet Smith Subj: Native Prisoner ===== Date: Friday, August 16, 2002 4:10 PM From: Brigitte Thimiakis Subj: Native American prisoners/ San Quentin Mailing List: Iron Natives From Valerie Scott (NAPS) ====================================================== Update on San Quentin - Prisoners Obtain Part-Time Spiritual Leader Submitted by Daniel "Fire Arrow" Frederickson, P.O. Box K-81800, San Quentin, CA 94974 Mr. Frederickson reports that on 22 July 2002, some of the prisoners on Death Row had the opportunity to meet Mr. Lee J. Polanco Sr., their new Native American Spiritual Leader, with whom they were very impressed. Mr. Polanco Sr. has been hired on a part-time basis, and must divide his time between the mainline prisoners and those on the condemned unit. Therefore, he is currently pursuing the possibility of meeting with the Death Row inmates as a group, rather than individually, so as to spend more time with them. Mr. Polanco Sr. has also advised the prisoners they could now receive "spiritual" packages of approved items through him that will not be touched by the guards. The prisoners are very grateful for these latest developments, but have a couple of requests to ask of those on the outside. 1. The prisoners would like anyone nearby, or willing to travel occasionally to volunteer, to make a request through Mr. Polanco Sr. for a "Brown Card", which would designate them as a volunteer visitor. A volunteer visitor is allowed inside the prison to talk to prisoners on the mainline and condemned units, and the prisoners feel that such volunteers would be of great assistance to their spiritual advisor, whose services are stretched to the limit, given his part-time position. 2. The prisoners also require the following sacred herbs - sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and blessing tobacco - as well as educational materials. Anyone willing to donate these items, or become an outside sponsor for the Circle to join the Native American Plant Co-operative, should contact Mr. Polanco Sr. After NAPS' last posting on this group, several supporters were shocked to learn that there were 17