From gars@speakeasy.org Fri Dec 6 14:17:00 2002 Date: 4 Dec 2002 01:05:27 -0000 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews10.049 WOTANGING IKCHE -- Lakota -- Common News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark 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 Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People 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 049 | Country than is reported in | O o o o o O | this weekly newsletter. For | O o O December 7, 2002 | For daily updates & events | O o O | go http://www.owlstar.com/ | O | dailyheadlines.htm | Zuni Ik'ohbu yachunne/turning moon +-----------------------------+ Assiniboine wicogandu-sungagu/center moon's younger brother <================<<<< >>>>================> 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.owlstar.com; Native Lifeways, ndn-aim, Native_American and Iron Natives Mailing Lists; UUCP email IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> As historian Patricia Nelson Limerick summarized in The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West, "Set the blood quantum at one-quarter, hold to it as a rigid definition of Indians, let intermarriage proceed as it had for centuries, and eventually Indians will be defined out of existence. When that happens, the federal government will be freed of its persistent 'Indian problem.'" ....the 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! Last week you were told about New Mexico seeking police powers on the Navajo Reservation, citing cattle rustler activity as a justification. In a news article in this issue we see another attempt to undermine tribal sovereignty -- to wit: there is a Becker County Minnesota group petitioning the Minnesota Supreme Court to deny equal weight to tribal court rulings as granted state or even municipal courts. Specifically, they are asking the full faith not be granted to Minnesota Chippewa tribes until those tribes can prove to the state's satisfaction they have their affairs in order. This is simply another blatant attempt to impinge on tribal sovereignty. Italy does not have to prove their worthiness as a sovereignty to France in order to have their court decisions accepted. Neither should White Earth have to justify their decisions to the state of Minnesota, itself a subject state. The only people who have a right to determine the worthiness of any tribal court are members of that tribe. -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- Winter is here. Elders in those areas already need assistance... remember Secretary of Interior Norton withheld checks after the court appointed monitor broke into DoI computers. If you know of a reliable point where funds can be sent to assist these precious elders please drop me a note at gars@nanews.org and make the subject (all caps) WINTER HELP. -----> this list will remain up through January -----> PLEASE email gars@nanews.org with any updates/additions Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 20:46:06 -0500 From: Dodie Subj: fuel fund Gary: At this time this is the only fuel fund I have. If I receive more I will pass them along to you. Thank you for including it. If you need addresses for donations just let me know. Dodie Ndn-AIM Fund c/o box 1334 Rapid City, SD 57709 At 04:20 AM 10/1/2002, you wrote: -=-=-=- Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002 02:35:47 -0000 From: "Dodie Finstead" After less than one year, the Northern Cheyenne School, who this time last year had never received donations, with children often going without supplies and clothing, now have more than they can handle and store. They have requested that no more donations be sent to them at this time as Vicki gave us a head up on. I want to thank Vicki, they had not been able to contact us. My suggestion would be the other fund in MT or to Carter Camp if you were planning on sending to the Northern Cheyenne school. Please be sure if you send used thing they are in very good condition. If you do chose one of these two, please let them know you are sending things so they can be expecting them. Dodie >> Honor Your Spirit - Protect the Children % Sue Buck PO Box 901 Great Falls, MT 59403-0901 suemontana@mcn.net The same needs as the other school, clothing, school supplies, blankets, etc. Oh, don't forget the toys. :) Carter Camp P.O.Box 1012, Rosebud S.D. 57570 cartercamp@yahoo.com Carter and his wife distribute to families with children. So clothing for all age children are need, from infants up. The basic needs toys, blankets, warm things, diapers, panties, tooth brushes, hats, socks, etc. -=-=-=- Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 11:43:21 +0300 From: "Brigitte Thimiakis" Subj: IMPORTANT Note to Winter Request From: Sue Buck - Please Read, and Forward - IMPORTANT NOTE regarding the Urgent Winter Request for Donations for Children and Elders Recently we were all very happy to read that a large amount of donations was sent to the Northern Cheyenne schools in MT. This was great news! However, due to a recent inquiry about whether or not our project still needed donations, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are still great needs on the reservation. Please note that our request and aim is to try and help the abandoned children's shelter and elders' center on the reservation, which are totally separate from the Northern Cheyenne tribal schools. They have great needs (also for the most part, different from the needs of the tribal Schools). Please read our list below. These needs have not been catered for and these children and elders are still in need of warm clothing items for the winter. Toys are also much needed so that the children at the shelter can have a Christmas give-away . After reading our request below, please do everything you can to support these children and elders. Many thanks for your time and help, Respectfully, Sue Buck "Honor Your Spirit - Protect the Children" [ PLEASE FORWARD where needed - thank you ] Urgent Winter Request for Donations Greetings, If you wish to make a difference and help children and elders through the harsh winter months in Montana, please take the time to read this request. On behalf of reliable Northern Cheyenne contacts from Lame Deer, we are once again collecting donations for the children's shelter and senior citizens center on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Our goal is to collect new and good quality used items for the shelter and senior center, as well as toys which can be used for the children's shelter at Christmas time. The toys will be distributed during the Christmas give away but the clothes and blankets will be distributed right away. During Montana winters, the temperature can drop to 30 or 40 degrees below zero so warm winter clothing can be lifesaving. Often, when a child arrives at the shelter, all they have is what they are wearing. This is very sad, but it is the reality these children have to face. When a child leaves to go to a foster home, or some other place, the people at the shelter try to send a weeks' worth of clothing with the child so they will at least have something. In other words, what ever is sent to the shelter can be used and there is a great need. There is a very high turnover rate due to the extreme poverty in the Big Horn and Rosebud Counties. The senior citizens center is in special need of - blankets - warm winter coats also needed by the seniors are socks, gloves, boots, hats and scarves The children's shelter is in special need of - warm winter coats and clothing - a baby crib and related bedding - twin size bedding of all types, - blankets - toys The children range in age from 0 to 12 years. Since they have school for the children at the shelter, there is also a need for: - educational toys, - writing paper, - pencils, - crayons or anything else used in schools. They can also use grooming supplies like toothpaste, tooth brushes, soaps and shampoos, combs, hair brushes, hair barrettes, rubber bands or other types of hair or pony tail holders. Last but not least : pampers diapers or pull-ups. Please note that we have changed and reorganized our mailing instructions from those suggested last year. Contact suemontana@mcn.net for mailing information other than regular US Mail service. (Also please include your name and address if you would like for us to acknowledge/confirm receipt of your donations) Donations can be sent to the following address: Honor Your Spirit - Protect the Children % Sue Buck PO Box 901 Great Falls, MT 59403-0901 USA The priority of our group, "Honor your Spirit - Protect the Children" is to make sure all donations get to where they are supposed to and recognized. It is very important to us to make sure that everything is distributed fairly and to those in the greatest need. Additional contact information: Brigitte Thimiakis, Greece thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr Celine Branchard, France littlered@club-internet.fr Sue Buck, Project Coordinator, MT suemontana@mcn.net Thank you for any assistance you can give. -=-=-=- Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2002 19:39:02 -0400 From: "floyd perkins" Subj: Housing Dear Gary Greetings, my name is Alice Perkins. I am a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge Reservation. Recently, my husband and I started working with a couple of individuals out of Michigan and Denver, CO., to bring liveable, affordable housing to the reservation and to create jobs for our people. Our efforts have been rewarding, but we are struggling. Let me first give you an overview of our business. Our fund receives donated or we buy lowcost mobile homes (used) from individuals. We pay all the costs incurred to transport these homes to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Costs include labor, driver payment, fuel, food/shelter, cleanup cost, dumpster, permits, lot rent etc. The cost varies with each mobile home we get. After delivering the mobile homes to the reservation site, we inspect the homes for maintenance and repair needs such as hotwater heater, furnace, roof, plumbing, floor and windows etc... We fix these at our cost. Once the mobile home is in liveable condition, we sell it at the total cost we paid out for the home (delivery plus repair costs). These sales prices are affordable, ranging from $3500 to $6500. Since we hire reservation Lakota people to transport and repair these homes, we have created jobs for drivers, laborers, prep workers, construction, plumbers, electricians, escort, ect... The mobile homes are for buyers who do not qualify for loans through the banks because of bad credit, no credit, slow credit or whatever the reason. And these people are on a fixed income. Our payments are set according to their income and what they can afford -- usually about $100 to $200 a month until paid in full. We work with the buyers so that their payments go towards owning their own homes, which otherwise would be impossible. This also helps to reestablish credit. We also receive donor-directed homes (all costs are covered by the donor, who chooses the individual who will receive the donated home). Our problem is that we need funds to continue our efforts. We are seeking donations to help with transportation costs and supplies such as hotwater heaters, furnaces--any help would be appreciated. Winter is coming and we have many families waiting for a home. We have approximately 110 families on our waiting list, all of whom are in great need of shelter. Immediately we need 3 furnaces and 5 hotwater heaters. Visit our web site at http://www.americanindianhousing.com We had a very nice lady help set this up for us. Thank you. Alice Perkins HC 64 Box 58 Batesland, SD 57716 (605) 685-3362 -=-=-=- Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2002 07:33:45 EST From: Dnnfvpks@aol.com Subject: WINTER HELP >To: gars@nanews.org Dear Gary My name is Dianne Mountain. I'm with Wolf Band of Norfolk, Va. and Tidewater Native American Support Group of Virginia. I'm writing a request for help on the Rosebud Reservation, Norris S.D. our group helps out as much possible with assistance to our extended family at Norris. I work with an elder and she helps distributes clothing, money to the children and elders in her community. I would love to give you her address so that if you can help with some fuel assistance that would be a blessing. They can only get a delivery where they are at if there is at least 5 other family in need for fuel. Your help would be very much appreciated. Blessings Dianne Mountain Teresa Ammiotte PO Box / House #15 Norris , S.D. 57560 -=-=-=- *** NEW ITEM 11/16/2002 *** Date: Saturday, November 16, 2002 12:00 AM From: Dodie Finstead [mailto:dodiefinstead@ev1.net] Subj: Please help-Coats for Kids from the Cherokee Nation Mailing List: Native Lifeways Please repost. Cherokee Nation is working to provide a Coats for Kids in Sequoyah County this winter. Any and all help is appreciated and desperately needed. This project was supposed to end today (Nov. 15) but the project has run short in its goal and is asking for everyone's help. For more information on this special project please review the following news story: > http://www.cherokee.org/CurentNewsRelease.asp?ID=719 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 ---------- - Sybil Lee Sangrey-Colliflower - Romanow Commission: - Crossings Funding to boost Native Health - Interior's Contempt - Minnesota Anti-tribal confirms Double Standard Group Testifies - McCaleb steps Down - Kiowa Chairman - BLM counts Danns' Livestock receiving Death Threats - Water on Black Mesa - New BIA Policy on Driving - Rules widen Gulf is Not Enough between Local Tribes - Trial opens with Focus - Yup'ik Culture/ on former Chief Billie Moose-Hunt ban Conflict - The Supremes & You - Schaghticoke Recognition Decision - Native Prisoner set for Thursday -- On writing to Native prisoners - Fightin' Whites fund scholarships -- Manuscript Available - Blackfeet Women -- Volunteer Required Organizing for Political Gain at Maryland Annex - Congress passes - Rustywire: Arkansas Riverbed Legislation I Know You Will Be Ashamed of Me - Poncas looking for Answers - Poem: No Child Unrecruited over Finances - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Innu Relocation in Labrador - This Week on First Peoples TV botched Planning - Native America Calling - From Charlie Smoke - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Sybil Lee Sangrey-Colliflower" --------- Date: Mon 2 Dec, 2002 08:32:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SYBIL LEE SANGREY-COLLIFLOWER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.montanaforum.com/rednews/2002/12/02/build/tribal/ Indian leader killed Tuesday in car accident By MICHAEL JAMISON The Missoulian Sunday, December 1, 2002 ROCKY BOY - Indian Country lost one of its most capable and outspoken women leaders Tuesday, when Sybil Lee Sangrey-Colliflower died in a car crash. She was 53, a tribal grant writer and adviser to the Chippewa-Cree tribes of the Rocky Boy's Reservation in north-central Montana. Last year, in a Missoulian report on women leaders on Indian reservations, Sangrey-Colliflower told about her youth of poverty, her struggle for education and her emerging role as legal adviser to the tribal government. "My mother spoke English as a second language," Sangrey-Colliflower said, "and she believed communication was the key to being able to succeed." Success, however, long proved elusive. "We were poor," she said. "So poor." Sangrey-Colliflower was born March 6, 1949, to Samuel and Minnie Gopher Sangrey at Rocky Boy, on the reservation south of Havre. After her father died when she was 3, her mother took the 10 kids on the road, traveling across the mountains to pick potatoes in Idaho. On one of those return trips, she said, the family ran out of money, stranded in Helena. To survive, Sangrey-Colliflower's mother took odd jobs doing housekeeping, a move that put her in the homes of senators, judges and bankers. "She saw how those families raised their children," she said, "and tried to raise us in similar ways." It was her first introduction to a life beyond the poverty of Indian reservations. Later, while attending Box Elder High School on the reservation, Sangrey-Colliflower listened to then-president John F. Kennedy on the radio tell America that there was no reason such a rich nation could not provide everyone the opportunity for an education, a job, a home. "I just thought that was so profound," she said, "because that definitely wasn't the case where I lived." She died Nov. 26, on Montana Secondary Highway Route 10, known locally as the Laredo Road, just two days after the 39th anniversary of Kennedy's death. In the intervening years, however, Sangrey-Colliflower worked to bring Kennedy's words alive on the reservation. She beat the odds by receiving the education Kennedy spoke of, attending Eastern Montana College and graduating from Northern Montana College. She later obtained a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an extended English major in 1971. She received her master's degree in school administration from Montana State University in Bozeman. Along the way, she married John E. Colliflower III in 1970, and together the couple built a home filled with four children. With Kennedy's education and home in hand, she went looking for the third promised piece of the American Dream - a job. Her first stop was as a grant writer for the Rocky Boy's Health Board, where she created many new jobs and programs in her effort to bring added health services to the reservation. Later, she went to work for the Chippewa Cree Tribal Office, writing grants and advising tribal government on issues of statewide and national legislation. Tribal officials say that rarely did the government act without first consulting Sangrey-Colliflower. In addition to her professional work, she also served in her community. She was president of the United Indian Rodeo Association, and organized professional Indian rodeos as well as youth rodeos. She herself was a competitive barrel racer. She established the first Rocky Boy Rodeo in the summer of 2002, filling the seats at the new arena which she had helped build. Ironically, though, Sangrey-Colliflower was no fan of the macho cowboy image her beloved rodeos perpetuated, and she looked for ways for tribal men to find a strong and effective leadership voice outside that arena. "We still think of our men as warriors," she said last year, "and we still try to find warrior roles for them." The problem with that approach, she said, is that there are few warrior roles in today's reservation society. "What we have are a whole lot of Indian cowboys out there," she said. "You know, the ones who value being able to ride and compete. They just don't see the office manager's job, sitting behind a desk, as a very manly job." The result, she said, is that the most economically depressed segment of Indian Country is made up of males between the ages of 18 and 30, the ones "who are still trying to find their role." "We've continued to perpetuate a warrior tradition," she said, "when there's really no room for those kinds of warriors on the modern reservation." She, for one, was determined to change all that, to work to help everyone on the reservation find a better way. "The men will have to find a new role," she said, "and the women will have to help them find it." An important part of her life's work, she said, was trying to find those solutions for her family, her community, her reservation and Indian Country at large. According to an obituary written by her family, "Sybil will be missed by Indian people throughout Indian Country. Many of her efforts to help Indian people help themselves are felt nationwide. The Chippewa-Cree people as well as Indian people all over the United States lost a true Indian advocate. She will be missed by her entire family and all of the people whose lives she influenced." Her wake began Thursday afternoon, Thanksgiving Day, at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church. Funeral service is 11 a.m. Saturday at the Rocky Boy Catholic Church, with burial to follow at the 6 Bar Y Family Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her father Samuel Sangrey and two sisters, Inez and Charlotte Sangrey. She is survived by her mother Minnie Sangrey; husband John Colliflower Sr.; sons John Colliflower Jr., Lyman Colliflower, Wade (Clintana) Colliflower and Jesse Colliflower; sisters Patsy Raining Bird, Rena Gardipee, Madeline (Henry) Gardipee and Ramona (Odin) Henderson; brothers James "Buzzy" Sangrey, Richard (Connie) Sangrey, Mike (Delphine) Sangrey, Dennis Sangrey, all of Rocky Boy, and Samuel "Sam" (Harriet) Sangrey of San Diego; grandchild Enyis Colliflower of Rocky Boy; and numerous nieces and nephews. Reporter Michael Jamison can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 or at mjamison@missoulian.com. Copyright c. 2000-2002 Helena Independent Record and Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 08:10:52 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" December 1, 2002 Mary Brown Otter Mary A. Brown Otter, 55, Bullhead, S.D., died Nov. 26, 2002, in a Bismarck hospital. Services will be held at 1 p.m. CST Monday at Rock Creek Day School, Bullhead. Burial will be in St. Aloysious Cemetery, Bullhead. She is survived by four sons, Scott, McLaughlin, Brady and Terry, both of Fort Yates, and Clayton, Bullhead; one daughter, JoBeth Brown Otter, Bullhead; four grandchildren; one brother, James High Cat Sr.; three adopted daughters, Colleen End The Woods, Viola Goodhouse and Mary Jane Pine; four adopted sons, Duane Uses Arrow, Antoine Otter Robe Jr., Doug Iron Thunder and Chuck Bailey; and two adopted sisters, Mabel Medicine Crow and Katherine Haas. (Kesling Funeral Home, Mobridge, S.D.) Copyright c. 2002 Bismarck Tribune. -=-=-=- November 29, 2002 Shane Melvin Grey Bear Wanbdi Cikana "Little Eagle" Shane Melvin Grey Bear Wanbdi Cikana "Little Eagle", infant son of Renita Grey Bear. Graveside services were held today at St. Jerome's Catholic Cemetery. Melvin Grey Bear and Floyd Youngman officiated at services. Baby Shane was born Saturday, Nov. 23, 2002 at Altru Health Systems, Grand Forks, ND. He is survived by his mother, Renita of Fort Totten, ND; grandparents, Colette and Everett Comer of Fort Totten, Francis Owl Boy, Jr. of St. Michael, ND; great-grandparents, Lorraine and Melvin Grey Bear, Sr. of Crow Hill, ND, and Francis and Lillie Owl Boy, Sr. of St. Michael. Numerous great aunts and great uncles also survive. Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake, is in charge of the arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 Devils Lake Daily Journal. -=-=-=- November 27, 2002 Frank Villarreal Sr. MANDERSON - Frank Villarreal Sr., 65, Manderson, died Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002, in Rapid City. Survivors include his wife, Lisa Villarreal, Manderson; seven daughters, Yolanda Villarreal, Oneida, N.Y., Tamara Villarreal, Patricia Villarreal and Lucy Seda, all of Rapid City, Frances Villarreal-Gibbons, Rosalinda Villarreal, and Jovita Seda, all of Manderson; one adopted daughter, Lisa Ladeaux-Looks Twice, Manderson; three sons, George Villarreal, Rapid City, Leo Villarreal and Rico Seda, both of Alliance, Neb.; two stepsons, Efren Gonzales and Sylvester Gonzales, both of Idaho; two brothers, Pete Villarreal, Fort Worth, Texas, and Ramon Villarreal, Abilene, Texas; three sisters, Lupe Chacon and Juanita Deleon, both of Abilene, and Rita Rodgriguez, Fort Worth; 46 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A two-night wake begins at 2 p.m. today at Wounded Knee District School in Manderson. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at Wounded Knee District School, with the Rev. Bill Pauly officiating. Burial will be at St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery in Manderson. Sioux Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Ronald Eugene Warns ALADDIN, Wyo. - Ronald Eugene Warns, 63, Aladdin, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2002, at his home in the loving arms of his wife Mary Anne, while surrounded by family, after complications suffered from Esophageal Cancer. He had undergone treatment since November of 2001. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, and from 9 a. m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at the Fidler Funeral Chapel in Spearfish. Rosary-Vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Spearfish, with the Rev. Fr. Matt Fallgren officiating. Mass of the Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Spearfish, with the Rev. Fr. Matt Fallgren, officiating. A Memorial has been established. Ron was born August 6, 1939, in Gilman, Wis., the son of Joseph and Louise Warns. On June 24, 1989, Ron married Mary Anne Krhovsky at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Owosso, Mich. Ron began his career with Northwest Airlines in 1967 and retired from Northwest as a 727 Captain in 1994. He and his wife Mary Anne moved to Sundance in 1989, where they made their home on the Flying W Ranch, raising cutting horses. They moved to Aladdin in October of this year. Ron was a member of the National Cutting Horse Assn., American Quarter Horse Assn., Black Hills Cowboy Mounted Shooters, Airline Pilots Assn., National Riffle Assn., Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Confederate Air Force, Northwest Airlines Ski Team, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church. An avid outdoorsman and horseman, Ron enjoyed hunting, skiing, fishing, and horse activities, involving cutting horse competitions, cattle drives and cowboy mounted shooting. He was known for his wonderful sense of humor, his talent with accents and his ability to always tell a good joke and put a smile on everyone's face. Those grateful to have shared in Ron's life are his beloved wife Mary Anne Warns, Aladdin; beloved sons Greg (Tracey) Warns, Cocoa Beach, Fla., and Mathew (Denise) Warns, Waterloo, Iowa; his sisters Connie Cleveland, Oconomowoc, Wis., Cathy (Ed) Ernst, Elgin, Ill., and Elaine (Tom) Spees, Rothchild, Wis.; his brothers Doug Stelzel, Dorchester, Wis., Gene Stelzel, Greenbay, Wis., Brian (Carrie) Stelzel, Rhinelander, Wis., and Don (Jolene) Bollerman, Waupaca, Wis. He is also survived by his mother Louise Stelzel, Elgin; mother-in-law Susan Krhovsky, Corunna, Mich.; 18 nieces and nephews; one great-nephew; four Godchildren; eight brothers and sister-in-laws; along with numerous cousins and several very close friends. Ron was preceded in death by his father Joseph Warns. Arrangements have been placed in the care of Fidler Funeral Chapel, Spearfish. December 3, 2002 Ruth C. 'Anna' Bear Shield PINE RIDGE - Ruth C. "Anna" Bear Shield, 50, Pine Ridge, died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Survivors include one daughter, Consuela MeDelis, Pine Ridge; three brothers, Eli Bear Shield, Rapid City, and Andrew Bear Shield and Bervin Brings Plenty, both of Pine Ridge; one sister, Margaret Freeman, Pine Ridge; and two grandchildren. A one-night wake will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at Makasan Presbyterian Church in Oglala. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at the church, with the Rev. Simon Looking Elk and the Rev. Asa Wilson officiating. Burial will be at Makasan Presbyterian Cemetery in Oglala. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. Bessie Trimble Cornelius Sungnuni Wi February 25, 1915 - 2002 PINE RIDGE - Bessie Trimble Cornelius, artist and educator, died on November 30, at the age of 87. She was born February 25, 1915, to Lucy Randall Trimble and Guy Trimble, at Interior, SD. Bessie was married to John Lionel Cornelius, Sr., who preceded her in death. The winner of the 2000 Indian Living Treasure Award, Bessie was recognized for a lifetime of sharing her many talents and abilities with others. While Bessie is widely remembered as a premier educator, teaching legions of children how to cook, sew, and manage household resources, and legions of adults a wide variety of arts and crafts, from basic homemaking skills, to upholstery, beading, quilting, needlework, knitting and woodworking, she is also famous for her quilts, with examples displayed in several museums and private collections. Bessie fostered many artists, in a number of mediums, including oil painting, water colors, charcoal drawing, wood sculpture, and pottery. And she believed that art was also expressed through the use of fabrics in both sacred and profane presentations - quilts, wall hangings, clothing, and decorations. She was one of those responsible for the revival of the Lakota Star quilt in the 50's and 60's. Among the many talents she shared with friends and family were her gourmet cooking and outstanding clothing designs. When Blue Cloud Abbey was established in Marvin, SD, Bessie wove the cloth for and designed some of the Abbey vestments. She counted reading a wide variety of subjects among her many delights and accomplishments. For many years, Bessie worked for the State University of South Dakota as a Home Extension Agent; and as Director of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Home Management program. Her early career included art instruction at Pine Ridge Community School; and she established the art program at Marty Indian School. While confined to a sanitarium with tuberculosis as a newlywed, she parlayed her ability to teach needlework and craft skills into a part-time position as an occupational therapist during part of her hospitalization. She founded two businesses, a food service and a quilting studio. Bessie served as an advisor to the Johnson Administration on the formulation of the War on Poverty, and had, much earlier in her life, been a guest of Eleanor Roosevelt, when she was invited to tea at the White House as part of a tour during her youth. Bessie's formal education, and lifelong love of books, began at the age of 5 at Interior, and continued her schooling at the Rapid City Indian School and graduated from Haskell High School in Lawrence, KS. She attended Haskell Institute, Lawrence, KS, and The Studio, an American Indian Art Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. She continued her studies over the years, taking courses at the University of Oklahoma and Colorado State University. She is survived by six children, Lucille Cornelius, Shirley Fresquez, Rosemarie Dillingham, all of Wolf Creek, Judith Cornelius, Takoma Park, Maryland, John L., Jr., and B. Roger, Rapid City; an adopted son, James Hamm, Minneapolis; grandchildren, Craig Fresquez, Leslie Walking Elk Randall, Christine Flett, Rose Fresquez, John Fresquez, Danelle Daugherty, Jennifer Celebi, Shirley LaCourse, Danielle Cornelius, Mark Fresquez, Miranda Cummings, John "JT" Cornelius, and Elizabeth Cornelius; by 26 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. One daughter, Christine, preceded her in death. Bessie is also survived by two sisters, Grace Montgomery, Vancouver, WA, and Shirley Plume of Manderson; and a brother, Charles Trimble, of Omaha. A Rosary will be held on Tuesday, December 3, at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Pine Ridge, with a memorial service and mass to be celebrated on Wednesday, December 4, at 10 a.m., also at the Sacred Heart Church in Pine Ridge. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Ellen Stephen Hospice, Kyle, SD. The cremains will be interred in a private ceremony at the Cornelius Family Plot, Wolf Creek, SD. Sioux Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2002 The Rapid City Journal. -=-=-=- November 29, 2002 Robert Lee Cornell Jr. TONKAWA -- Richard Lee Cornell Jr., resident of Fort Oakland, died Monday afternoon, Nov. 25, 2002, as the result of an automobile accident near Tonkawa. He was 16. The funeral will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, in the Tonkawa Tribal Gymnasium at Fort Oakland with the Rev. Tony Carre officiating. Burial will be in the Tonkawa Tribal Cemetery in Fort Oakland under the direction of Roberts and Son Funeral Home. There will be a prayer service Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the tribal gymnasium and a tribal feast at noon Thursday. Richard Lee Cornell Jr. was born on Aug. 23, 1986, in Ponca City to Richard Lee and Geraldine Grace Cerre Cornell. At birth he was given the tribal name of "Umpa-thonga" which means big elk. He grew up at Fort Oakland and attended Tonkawa public schools where he was currently a sophomore in high school. As a young boy, he traveled across the United States assisting his family as they performed demolition work. He enjoyed video games, playing the keyboard and music, as well as his family and friends. He was a member of the Faith Baptist Church in Tonkawa. Survivors include his parents, Richard and Geri Cornell of Fort Oakland; sister, Leslie Renee Cornell of Fort Oakland; brother, Jared Silva of Ponca City; paternal grandmother, Vivian Cornell of Fort Oakland; maternal grandparents, Colleen Knight of Newkirk and Ben Cerre of Ponca City; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, George Cornell; maternal grandfather, Henry Knight; and uncle, Bruce Cornell. Casket bearers will be Luis Silva, Ben Silva, Jody Cornell, Chandano Cornell, George Cornell and Henry Cornell. Honorary bearers will be C.J. Cornell, C.J. Williams, Chris Post, J.D. Buffalohead, Aaron Wilson Jr. and Kermit Norman. December 1, 2002 Rita Mae Kemble Rita Mae Kemble, Ponca City resident, died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002, at the Ponca City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was 74. A prayer service will be held this evening at 7:30 p.m. at Ponca Indian United Methodist Church. The traditional feast will be at noon Monday, Dec. 2, at the Ponca Indian United Methodist Church followed by the funeral at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at the Ponca Tribal Cemetery under the direction of Grace Memorial Chapel. Rita Mae Kemble was born July 18, 1928, in Ponca City, the daughter of Rueben and Rosanna Primeaux Roy. She attended Ponca City schools to the eighth grade before attending Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kan. She married Edmond Steven Kemble; he preceded her in death. She was a homemaker. She was a member of the Ponca Indian United Methodist Church. She enjoyed cooking, spending time with her grandkids and watching television. Survivor include three sons, Kenneth Kemble, Steven Kemble and Miles Kemble, all of Ponca City; three daughters, Alice Mae Kemble of Ada, and Angeline Soudry and Michelle Kemble, both of Oklahoma City; an adopted daughter, Cora Lee Buffalohead of Ponca City; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two children, Newton and Gwendolyn; and two brothers, Mike and Frank Roy. Casket bearers will be Jonathan Thomas, Mike Hudson, Steven Kemble, Jerry Chase, Robert Soudry, Kenny Kemble, and Delano Kemble. Honorary bearers will be Kevin Kemble, Randy Kemble, Jason Kemble, P.J. Hudson, Lonnie Roy, Floyd Kemble, Shawn Washington, and Newton Kemble Jr. Mary Dell Tallchief FAIRFAX -- Mary Dell Tallchief, former resident of Fairfax, died Monday morning, Nov. 25, 2002, at Wichita, Kan. She was 54. The funeral was held Saturday, Nov. 30, 2002 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Fairfax with the Rev. Leonard Higgins of Pawhuska officiating. Burial was in the Grayhorse Cemetery under the direction of the Hunsaker-Wooten Funeral Home of Fairfax. Mary Dell Tallchief was born Sept. 19, 1948, in Hutchinson, Kan, the daughter of Pete Reid and Juanita Johnson Reid. She was a graduate of El Dorado (Kansas) High School, later attending Butler County Community College of El Dorado. She married Tim Tallchief. She was employed as a manager with Spiegel's retail store. Her enjoyments included ribbon work and watching her grandchildren. Survivors include her husband of the home; one son, Mark Tallchief of Wichita, Kan.; one daughter, Marcie Tallchief of El Dorado, Kan., eight grandchildren; and two nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents. Casket bearers were Johnny Williams, Bobby Tallchief, John G. Tallchief, John Bennett, Marion Stevens, Tim Tallchief, Max Merhoff and John "Popper" Holloway. Honorary bearers were Jim Croy and Izzy Umscheid. Copyright c. 1998-2002 The Ponca City News -=-=-=- November 27, 2002 - 12:37:05 AM MST Keith Earl Yazzie Dec. 9, 1990 - Nov. 22, 2002 Keith Earl Yazzie, 11, of Tocito, passed on to the Lord on Friday, Nov. 22, 2002. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002, at Mesa View Assembly of God in Shiprock. His unexpected passing is of a great shock to us all. We will greatly miss him and his joyful bear hugs. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home of Shiprock, (505) 368-4607. November 30, 2002 Lucille Manuelito Mailman May 10, 1894 - Nov. 28, 2002 Lucille Manuelito Mailman, 108, of Newcomb passed away Thursday, Nov. 28, 2002, at San Juan Manor in Farmington. Mrs. Mailman was born May 10, 1894, at Two Grey Hills. She was a well-known rug weaver and sold many rugs in the area. Mrs. Mailman is survived by two sons, Jesse Monongye and wife, Markida of Phoenix, Ariz., and Ken Lee and wife, Lela of Farmington; three daughters, Cindy (Salina) Dale and Marilyn Franklin and husband, James, all of Newcomb, and Peggy Lee and husband, Tommancy Boyd of Kirtland; 20 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., today, Nov. 30, 2002, at Assembly of God Church in Newcomb with the Rev. Larry Emerson officiating. Burial will follow at the family cemetery in Newcomb. Arrangements are under the direction of Cope Memorial Chapel of Farmington, (505) 327-5142. Roger Terrence Cohoe Sr. March 18, 1939 - Nov. 27, 2002 Roger Terrence Cohoe Sr. of Shiprock, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002. He was born to Woodrow Cohoe and Imogene Shorthair on March 18, 1939 in Two Grey Hills. He was a 1960 graduate of Riverside Indian High School in Riverside, Calif., and an honorably discharged veteran of the National Guard and United States Army. He resided in Oakland, Calif., for several years before moving to Shiprock. He worked for Northern Navajo Medical Center until obtaining employment at Arizona Public Service Co., from which he retired. He was blessed with a sizable, loving, and close-knit family. He loved to travel and play in golf tournaments where he built many friendships. He will be most remembered for his great sense of humor. He is preceded in death by his son, Roger T. Cohoe Jr.; wife Anita Foster Cohoe; brother Grey Cohoe; mother Imogene; and father Woodrow. He is survived by former wife, Betty R. Cohoe and their children: son, Terrence E. Cohoe and daughters: Terri E. Cohoe, Michelle E. Cohoe, Marlene Cohoe Benally, Yvette E. Cohoe, Elizabeth E. Cohoe White, all of Mesa, Ariz. He is also survived by daughter Amber Walton and son Regan Walton of Farmington. He has five granddaughters and five grandsons. Brothers and sisters include: Bernice Peters, Jessie Russell and Kee Cohoe of Shiprock; Daisy C. Tutt of Window Rock, Ariz.; Jane Cohoe of Albuquerque; Josephine Cohoe, Lorraine Neskahi, Douglas Cohoe, Jerry Cohoe, Gary Cohoe, Larry Cohoe, Alonzo Cohoe, Lorenzo Cohoe all of Cortez, Colo.; Amelia Cohoe of Salt Lake City, Utah; Sandra Lucero, Delores Cohoe, Mary Lou Gregori all of Farmington; and Ted Cohoe of Waterflow. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 3, 2002 at Mesa View Assembly of God Church at 30 S. Mutual Help Housing in Shiprock. He will be laid to rest at the family cemetery in Tocito. The family would like to extend a warm invitation to all of those who knew and loved Roger to join in this celebration of his life. Copyright c. 1999-2002 MediaNews Group, Inc./Farmington, NM. -=-=-=- November 29, 2002 Alvin Ray Weaver Alvin Ray Weaver died Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002 in Ignacio after a motorcycle accident. He was 36. Mr. Weaver was born April 21, 1966, in Durango, to Hazel Weaver. He worked in Maintenance and Construction Services for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Ignacio, painting, plumbing and refurbishing houses. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, playing guitar and riding his motorcycle. Ceramics, drawing, arts and crafts and working with people of all ages were also important to him. He is survived by his mother, of Ignacio; two brothers, Leslie M. Weaver and Aaron N. Weaver, both of Ignacio; several half-brothers and half- sisters; numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles; a long-time companion, Janet Baber of Ignacio; and a current companion, Shelly Thompson of Ignacio. A funeral for Weaver will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Hood Mortuary. The Rev. Kelly Winlock will officiate. Burial will occur at Ouray Memorial Cemetery in Ignacio. Visitation will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Copyright c. 2002 the Durango Herald. -=-=-=- November 27, 2002 Robert C. Littlehead OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Robert C. Littlehead, of Oklahoma City, formerly of Lame Deer, Mont. Wake service will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lame Deer. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at the church. Burial will be in the Lame Deer Cemetery. Rausch Funeral Home of the Northern Cheyenne Nation is in charge. December 2, 2002 Harold Miles Greybull POPLAR - Harold Miles Greybull, 36, died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2002, at the Salt Lake Burn and Trauma Center. Services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Burial will be in the Chelsea Cemetery. Bell Mortuary in Glasgow is in charge of arrangements. Bironne Little Light WYOLA - Bironne Lee Little Light, 18, of Wyola, died of injuries sustained in a one-car rollover accident three miles south of Lodge Grass early Saturday morning Nov. 30, 2002. Xiasaalaachish "Wellknown Man" was born Feb.9, 1984 in Billings, a son of Johnny Stewart and Drew Ann Little Light. He grew up in the Wyola area and attended schools in Wyola, Lodge Grass and the Chemawa In-dian School in Oregon, where he graduated in 2002. While at Lodge Grass High School, he participated in football and basketball and was editor of the Lodge Grass High School Newsletter. At Chemawa, he excelled in writing stories. He held aspirations to join the military and to later become an architect. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, horseback riding, training horses, working on the family ranch and mostly spending time with his son. His grandparents, Walter M. and Meta Stewart, Richard and Mildred Little Light and Ruth Tobacco preceded Bironne in death. Survivors include his parents, Johnny and Drew Ann Stewart of Wyola; his son, Icezada Little Light of Wyola; a brother, Donald Stewart of Wyola; a sister, Makisha Blacksmith of Billings; his nephew, Josiah Xavier Stewart; his grandparents, Fern and Andrew Little Light, Alvin and Pamela Little Light and Ronald and Dorcella Little Light; his special grandmothers, Carol (Sarge) Howe, LaVonne (Sid) Fitzpatrick, Connie Little Light and Valencia Crooked Arm; his great grandfather, Ed Little Light; his special friends, Olanda Crooked Arm and Letonne Iron; and members of his extended family including the Crooked Arm, Tobacco, Pickett, Stewart, Hunts Arrow, Ina and Belinda Eagle families. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday Dec. 3, in the Lodge Grass First Crow Indian Baptist Church. Interment will follow in the Lodge Grass Cemetery. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements. Justin Chance Shane WYOLA - Justin Chance Shane, 18, of Wyola, died of injuries sustained in a one-car rollover accident three miles south of Lodge Grass early Saturday morning Nov. 30, 2002. "Good Caine" was born May 24, 1984, in Crow Agency, a son of Brent and Bev-erly M. White Clay Shane. He grew up in the Wyola area and attended area schools, before enrolling in the Chemawa In-dian School in Oregon, graduating in May of 2002. While in high school, he participated in basketball. He currently was a student at Little Big Horn College. He was known for his talent with horses, training and racing them in Indian relay races at the Cheyenne, Wyo. and Pendelton, Ore. rodeos. He loved to participate in the annual Crow Fair parade, play chess, hunt and fish. Justin was a member of the Catholic Church, Bad War Deeds Clan, child of the Greasy Mouth Clan, FHA and the Aces Academic club. His father, Brent Shane preceded Justin in death. Survivors include his mother, Beverly Shane of Wyola; two sisters, Cecily Shane of Wyola and Laurie Shane of North Dakota; his brother, Jordale Toineeta of Wyola; and his grandparents, Edith Red Wolf Jackrabbit of Wyola, Harold White Clay of St. Xavier, Andrew (Fern) Little Light of Pryor, Donald Stewart Sr. and Dineen Other Medicine of Crow Agency; as well as members of his extended family including the Shane, Other Medicine, Red Wolf, Little Nest, White Clay, Stewart, Little Light and Crooked Arm families. Funeral mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday Dec. 4, in the Crow Agency St. Dennis Catholic Church. Rosary will be recited 4 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 3 in the Bullis Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow in the Crow Agency Cemetery. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements. December 3, 2002 Edle Standing Elk BUSBY - Edle Standing Elk, a woman of extraordinary spirit and passion for life, died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Germany in 1951, Edle was raised by her foster mother El, and grew up with her two sisters in the countryside of West Germany. Her remarkable talent for art and love of horses led her to advanced training in both areas. Edle's deep love for animals, her passion for the natural world and her fascination with the Northern Cheyenne way of life drew her eventually to the United States, where she met her husband, Seidel Standing Elk, a Northern Cheyenne artist. Since 1991, Edle has resided in Busby among those she dreamed about as a child. Edle was truly a citizen of the world. She had traveled both North and South America and was in recent years especially fascinated with the Amazon. Edle, whose Cheyenne name was Red Bead Woman, has left behind a legacy of stunning beautiful art depicting the natural world she so loved in her uniquely bold and dramatic style. She is survived in death by her husband Seidel Standing Elk; and her sisters, Dagmar Zebee of Stuttgart, Germany, and Carmen Bersch of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Also surviving Edle are her Northern Cheyenne father-in- law George Standing Elk; and her adopted parents Alberta and Burton Fisher, Sr. In addition, she is survived by her aunts, Elsie Wick and Evelyn Standing Elk; sisters-in-law Henrietta Standing Elk, Sabrina Comes Last and Floy Standing Elk; brothers-in-law Lyndon Standing Elk and Conrad Standing Elk; sisters Jennifer (Lyndon) Red Fox, Tamara (Bret) Weaselbear, and Alfretta Russel; and brothers William (Chris) Red Fox and Oran C. Red Fox. Edle's funeral service was held at the Mennonite Church in Busby on Monday, Dec. 2. Edle left us this message: If you love someone, you don't want them to mourn you. You want them to remember the good things and to celebrate your life. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. -=-=-=- November 28, 2002 Sybil Lee Sangrey- Colliflower ROCKY BOY -- Sybil Lee Sangrey-Colliflower, 53, a tribal grants writer and past president of the United Indian Rodeo Association, died Tuesday of injuries received in an auto accident on the Rocky Boy's Reservation. Her wake begins this afternoon at Rocky Boy Catholic Church. Her funeral is 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, with burial in 6 Bar Y Family Cemetery. Holland and Bonine Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Survivors include her husband, John Colliflower; sons John Colliflower Jr., Lyman Colliflower, Wade Colliflower and Jesse Colliflower; her mother, Minnie Sangrey; sisters Patsy Raining Bird, Rena Gardipee, Madeline Gardipee and Ramona Henderson; brothers James "Buzzy" Sangrey, Richard Sangrey, Mike Sangrey and Dennis Sangrey; all of Rocky Boy, and Samuel "Sonny" Sangrey of San Diego; and one grandchild. Additional survivors include a daughter-in-law, Clintanna Colliflower; brothers-in-law Henry Gardipee, and Odin Henderson; sisters-in-law Connie Sangrey, Delphine Sangrey and Harriet Sangrey; and numerous nieces and nephews. Her grandchild is Enyis Colliflower of Rocky Boy. Sibyl was born March 6, 1949, in Rocky Boy, to Samuel and Minnie Gopher Sangrey. Raised in Helena and Rocky Boy, she attended elementary school at Central School in Helena and Helena Junior High. She graduated from Box Elder High School in 1967, attended Eastern Montana College and graduated from Northern Montana College. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in elementary education with an extended English major in 1971. She received her master's degree in school administration from Montana State University at Bozeman. On Aug. 21, 1970, Sybil married John E. Colliflower III at Denver, Colo. To this union, four children were born. Sybil was employed at the Chippewa-Cree Tribal Office as the tribal grant writer at the time of her death. Prior to employment as the tribal grants writer, she served as the grants writer for the Rocky Boy Health Board. During her tenure, she was responsible for creating many of the new jobs and programs the Chippewa- Cree community currently has that provide many of the new health services for our Chippewa-Cree people. She was past president of the United Indian Rodeo Association, and organized professional Indian rodeos as well as youth rodeos and related horsemanship activities. She was also a competitive barrel racer. Her efforts to provide training opportunities for youth interested in the sport of rodeo included bringing PRCA champions such as current World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Tommy Reeves to the 6 Bar Y Family Ranch to train aspiring cowboys. She established the First Annual Rocky Boy Rodeo in the summer of 2002 at the new arena, which she helped create. Sybil will be missed by Indian people throughout Indian country. Many of her efforts to help Indian people help themselves are felt nationwide. The Chippewa-Cree people as well as Indian people all over the United States lost a true Indian advocate. Sybil was preceded in death by her father, Samuel Sangrey; and two sisters, Inez and Charlotte Sangrey. She will be missed by her entire family and all of the people whose lives she influenced. Maxina Luetta St. Pierre - Stone SALINAS, Calif. -- Fort Belknap native Maxina Luetta St. Pierre-Stone, 72, a nurse at Sacred Heart Hospital in Havre before moving to Salinas, Calif., in 1966, died of natural causes Monday at a Salinas hospital. Her funeral is 10 a.m. today at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, with burial in Rocky Boy Cemetery. Holland and Bonine Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Survivors include daughters Judy Stone and Vickie Stone of Salinas; a brother, George St. Pierre of Rocky Boy; sisters Josephine Fernando of Sunnyvale, Calif., and Mary Rose Riotutar of Santa Cruz, Calif.; three grandchildren and one great-grandson. Copyright c. 2002 Great Falls Tribune. -=-=-=- November 29, 2002 Frank Joseph Good Rider FRANK JOSEPH GOOD RIDER (Iinaksipistto) of the Blood Reserve, AB., beloved husband of Margaret Good Rider, passed away at St. Michael's Palliative Care Centre in Lethbridge, AB on Monday, November 25th, 2002 at the age of 77 years. Frank was born on the Blood Reserve on March 19, 1925. Frank worked as a carpenter for the Blood Tribe Housing and Kainai Industries until his retirement. He also did a lot of farming and ranching for most of his life. Frank was well known by numerous contractors, farmers, and ranchers throughout his working years. Frank enjoyed trapping and hunting along the St. Mary's River and Lee Creek for necessity and enjoyment. He was an avid rodeo and wrestling sports fan - he never missed a Saturday of wrestling. He attended rodeos nearby to cheer on the local cowboys and did not miss any boxing matches held by the Bullhorn Boxing Club. Frank was a member of the Magpie Society. He was a loving father and grandfather and was always surrounded by his family. Frank is survived by his beloved wife Margaret Good Rider; sister Evelyn (David) Striped Wolf; children - Nora (Sam), Martin, Gail (Reg), Ronald (Debbie), Tom (Marlene); grandchildren - Andrew (Velma), Shelly (Clayton), Elois (Carey), Marlene, Darcy, Cheryl, Thomas, Leslie, Bradford, Tara (Nathan), Lane, Logan, Julia, Cameron (Joni), Nathan (Juanita), Lyle, Gage, Annette, Amanda, Karen (Pat), Tanya (Myron), Mike (Samantha), Blake (Natasha), adopted grandchild Linda Rabbit Little Bear; 26 great grandchildren; 7 great great grandchildren. Frank was predeceased by his sons - Franklin, Rex Peter, and Floris Good Rider; parents - Emil Good Rider and Agnes Sundance - Good Rider; brothers - Wilfred, Gilbert, Aloyius, and George; sisters - Olive, Rosalyn, and Theresa. The Wake Service will be held at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Moses Lake, Blood Reserve on Friday, November 29th from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. The Funeral Service will be held at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Moses Lake, Blood Reserve on Saturday, November 30th at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Michael Tipper Officiating. Interment to follow in St. Paul's Cemetery, Blood Reserve. Copyright c. 2000 Alberta Newspaper Group, Inc./Lethbridge Herald. --------- "RE: Interior's Contempt confirms Double Standard" --------- Date: Thu 29 Nov, 2002 10:21:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DOUBLE STANDARD" http://indiancountry.com/?1038307774 Interior's contempt confirms government double standard November 26, 2002 - 5:45am EST by: Gary Moore / Guest columnist Secretary of Interior Gail Norton and Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb were convicted of civil contempt in U.S. District Court on Sept.17. Both were found to have committed fraud by withholding evidence in a federal court case involving the Interior Department's gross mismanagement of Indian Trust Accounts. Indian trusts began in 1887, when 90 million acres of land were taken from Indians for settlers. In exchange, Indians were given 40 to 320 acre land allotments. Royalties from grazing, timber, oil and gas drilling on those lands were held in trust for Indians by the Interior Department. A decade ago, Eloise Cobell of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana requested an audit of all Indian Trust accounts managed by the Interior Department. Over several years, the agency was unwilling or unable to grant her request. As a result, Cobell brought suit against the department in 1996. Three years after Cobell's case began, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth found then Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Assistant Interior Secretary Kevin Gover in contempt for failing to produce adequate records involving 300,000 individual Indian trust accounts. Lamberth fined them $600,000, which U.S. taxpayers paid; none served jail time and all three completed their terms under the Clinton Administration without being reprimanded, demoted or fired. Unfortunately, despite having a new president, not much changed regarding the government's prolonged avoidance and delay tactics involving Indian Trust matters. Like Clinton, George Bush appears unwilling to hold his appointees to their fiduciary responsibilities or compel them to obey court orders. As it stands, Norton and McCaleb both face possible fines and jail time for their contempt conviction. Will it compel them to abide by court demands for accountability and fix the Indian Trust problem? Not likely. Norton knows from her predecessor's experience that Judge Lamberth's "punishment" for disobeying his orders are more bark than bite. Clearly a double standard exists within the federal government. After all, had a private company been assigned to oversee the Indian's Trust Accounts and failed to the same extent as the Interior Department, the federal government would likely have acted expeditiously. The company would be shut down and its executives hauled into court in handcuffs. Senate hearings would likely commence and CNN would be covering it "live." The president would stand before the media with thumbs in the air and declare that he is "reeling in corporate wrongdoers." God bless America! But, because it is a federal agency that failed in this duty, the past (Democrat) and sitting (Republican) president both appear unwilling to hold their political appointees accountable. Isn't it hypocritical to ignore fiscal wrongdoings by federal employees in regards to Indians, while steadfastly prosecuting corporate heads of Enron, Anderson, Worldcom, etc., for related offenses involving shareholders? Moral, ethical and legal standards regarding fiduciary responsibilities should apply equally whether an individual is a federal employee or head of a private sector corporation. Equally disturbing is that the U.S. District Court seems unwilling to issue orders that will produce results in this drawn-out case. In his recent decision, Judge Lamberth granted the Interior Department another chance to divulge the extent of the mismanaged accounts that are presumably between $10 to $40 billion. Rather than facilitate the Interior's foot-dragging, why doesn't the judge simply fine the Interior Department the amount equal to the cost of a private company assuming management of these accounts and the amount needed to repay Native Americans for their loses? That action has the potential to bankrupt the Interior Department, but that may be exactly what is needed to get responsible action from the president and Congress and obtain just resolution in the Indian matter. The central issue in this fiasco is Trust. It is clear that the federal government failed that test with America's first peoples even while expecting American corporate executives to toe the ethical and legal line regarding shareholder finances. Collectively, this case speaks volumes about the lack of "good faith" commitment of our cabinet-level government employees and makes a mockery of Bush's call for corporate accountability. Gary Moore, Alaska Native, is a political freelance columnist living in Fairbanks, Alaska. He has written on Native and government issues over the last 15 years. He was a regular contributing columnist for over two years at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. He currently writes for the Anchorage Chronicle. He can be reached at 907-460-5448 (cell) or 907-456-5134 (office). Copyright c. 2002 Indian Country Today. --------- "RE: McCaleb steps Down" --------- Date: Thu 28 Nov, 2002 09:49:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="McCALEB" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.okit.com/opinion/2002/novdec/mccaleb.html McCaleb steps down Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb will soon be private citizen McCaleb when he walks away from the highest ranking position in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Leaving over the distractions brought on by the on-going struggle to reconcile the Indian Trust Funds debacle, McCaleb leaves without making much of an impact on solving the problem. He leaves looking like part of the problem. It is always disheartening to see some of Indian Country's brightest minds go to Washington D.C. to do great things only to leave broken and tarnished. The thing is, when you work for the administration you serve at the please of the President and the Interior Secretary. Traditionally, they have not been advocates for tribal governments. They tout government-to-government relationships but implement policies which disrespects tribal goals. It is much like being a liaison to the enemy. Shouldn't be that way, but it remains a relationship built on mistrust and broken promises. Norton can walk away from her post having never done anything to solve the trust funds issues and no one will ever notice. But when the top Indian at the Interior walks away with the same results - he is a failure. Which is unfortunate. McCaleb has distinguished himself in high-profile positions before working for Norton. He occasionally walked that side of the republican party which was insensitive to Indian people, but for people who knew him, found him to be a proud Chickasaw. Despite leaving a role where he was a key player, he will remain a figure long after he leaves because the plaintiff attorneys will make sure he is a witness. McCaleb should have stayed and corrected the system which leaves him with the undeserved legacy of failing to help his Indian people. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2000-2001 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: BLM counts Danns' Livestock" --------- Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 20:38:55 +0100 (CET) From: Agnes Wittmann Subj: BLM counts Danns' livestock Mailing List: ndn-aim BLM counts Danns' Livestock December 01, 2002 By ADELLA HARDING, Free Press Staff Writer ELKO - U.S. Bureau of Land Management this week counted cows and horses belonging to Carrie and Mary Dann that remain on a grazing allotment BLM says the Danns aren't authorized to use. A helicopter flew over the South Buckhorn Allotment on both the Pine Valley and Crescent Valley sides for the inventory, according to Mike Brown, spokesman for the Elko BLM office. "The reason for the flight is that the Danns wrote a letter June 5 saying they would remove all but 100 horses by the end of November, and we went out to see if that was the case," Brown said Wednesday. BLM counted more than 250 cows and more than 980 horses in the flyover survey, Brown said. Julie Fishel of the Western Shoshone Defense Project said Wednesday she "seriously doubted those numbers," and she said the Danns were planning to move and sell the horses as they told BLM. Fishel said, however, that the Danns don't have anywhere to corral the horses until they are sold because they had to put cattle on their private land when BLM staged a roundup in September. "The BLM is putting the Danns in an impossible situation," she said. "I don't know why they would come out and torment the family during the holiday season." BLM gathered 227 cows from South Buckhorn Allotment in September and sold them plus calves born after the gathering in a public auction that drew protests. BLM said the Danns owe nearly $3 million in grazing fees and penalties. The Danns, who are Western Shoshone, are longtime activists who maintain they have native rights to graze their livestock on the public lands in Crescent Valley, and they haven't paid grazing fees for that reason. No horses were gathered in the September BLM roundup, however, and the Danns removed 170 horses from the allotment, Brown said. According to a Western Shoshone Defense Project statement, Helen Hankins, manager of the Elko BLM office, confirmed to the staff in Crescent Valley that BLM was counting horses owned by the Danns. Fishel said Carrie Dann called her to report BLM was rounding up horses because she saw horses running from the helicopter. Brown said there is no roundup. "We will continue to monitor on the ground and in the air," he said. Copyright c. 2002 Elko Daily Free Press. --------- "RE: Water on Black Mesa" --------- Date: Sun 1 Dec, 2002 10:12:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="AQUIFER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thenavajotimes.com/tribalnws.html Water on Black Mesa Opponents of Navajo Aquifer pumping must follow bureaucratic trail to be heard By Marley Shebala The Navajo Times WINDOW ROCK | Nov. 27, 2002 For people living on and around Black Mesa, it seemed like a simple request to their leaders. All they wanted was for their leaders to ask U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton to ask Peabody Coal Company to stop using their only source of water to transport coal to another state. And since many of the people around Black Mesa still live in the traditional Navajo way, they sent Marshall Johnson, 40, on horseback from Forest Lake to the Navajo Nation Council to present their request during the council's summer session in July. November is almost over and their petition is mired down in tribal and federal politics, bureaucratic red tape and corporate negotiations. The council is having a special session on Dec. 6 and one of their resolutions is the result of the request carried by Johnson. The proposed Dec. 6 resolution is titled, "Expressing Support for the Development and Implementation of an Alternative to the Use of the N- Aquifer Water for the Black Mesa Pipeline and Urging Implementation of the Alternative by the end of 2005, and Expressing Support for Efforts by Senator (Jon) Kyle to Obtain Congressional Authorization for the Use of Water from the Central Arizona Project for Mining Purposes at Black Mesa." It's sponsored by the council's Resources Committee Chairperson George Arthur (Nenahnezad/San Juan) but has no supporting resolutions. In contrast, the request from Black Mesa which was carried by Johnson was made in the form of resolutions from Forest Lake, Hardrock, Pinon, Low Mountain, Shonto, Kayenta, Tuba City, and Teesto. The Chinle Agency Council, which represents 14 chapters, also supported the Black Mesa request. Letters of support for the Black Mesa request also came from organizations such as To Nizhoni Ani (Beautiful Springs Speak), the Indigenous Youth Council of Pinon, the Black Mesa Water Coalition, the Sierra Club, Black Mesa Trust and the Natural Resource Defense Council. The bureaucracy Johnson, an iron worker and bull rider, who wears his long black hair in the traditional Navajo way, tied the Black Mesa request to his saddle horn and rode for two days from Forest Lake to the council chamber. His wife, Nicole Horseherder, 32, who also ties her hair in the traditional Navajo way, followed her husband with her children in her pickup truck. They arrived at the council chamber on July 15, a Monday, which was the first day of the council's five-day summer session. Legislative staff informed them that there was a procedure, the '164 process or signature review process, that any proposal must go through before going to the council. Since their issue concerned water, they needed to go before the council's Resources Committee with a resolution. The Johnson's prepared the required resolution and asked Council Delegate Jones Begay (Forest Lake/Black Mesa) to be a co-sponsor with them. Their resolution, which was titled, "Resolution to Terminate Peabody Coal Company's Groundwater Pumping of the Navajo Aquifer," completed the 164 process and went before the Resources Committee at noon on July 19, the final day of the council's summer session. The Johnson's hoped the committee, which consists of eight council delegates, would act on their resolution in time for it to go before the council. Begay, a member of the Resources Committee, was absent but he sent a message to the committee to defer action until their next meeting when he'd be present. Arthur, who was chairing the meeting, also advised his committee that the resolution required more discussion than expected and so the committee deferred it to July 25. Far-reaching impacts Navajo Nation Deputy Attorney General Britt E. Clapham, in a written review of the resolution, advised Arthur that Peabody's use of the Navajo Aquifer has significant and far-reaching impacts on the Navajo Nation and Peabody. Clapham stated that the resolution implies that the council has the authority to terminate Peabody's use of the aquifer. He stated that according to the 1964 and 1966 coal leases, the Navajo Nation allowed Peabody to use the aquifer for its mining operations. Clapham noted that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs approved the1966 lease on the condition that if a study shows that Peabody's use of the aquifer is endangering it that the U.S. Interior Secretary could have Peabody obtain another source of water or deepen the water wells for other users. He recalled that 1985 lease amendments authorized a study of Peabody's use of the aquifer, which the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and Peabody commissioned. Clapham stated that the study, by S.S. Papadopolous, supported the findings of the U.S. Geological Survey, which concluded that the impact of Peabody's pumping on the N-aquifer is minor and temporary. Allegations He added that the Navajo Nation Water Resources Department has reviewed technical reports and there is no evidence that supports the allegations in the resolution. The allegations Clapham referred to was a finding by the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2000 that Peabody's pumping of 4,400 acre- feet of water per year exceeds the aquifer's natural ability to recharge itself and is creating irreversible damage and contamination. Clapham recommended that the Resources Committee conduct hearings to receive the benefit of Navajo Nation expertise on this issue. He noted that if the Navajo Nation terminated Peabody's use of the aquifer, Peabody could sue the Navajo Nation for breaking its lease agreement. And Clapham stated it could also create controversy between the Navajo Nation and citizens who work at the Peabody mine. He stated that it could also negatively impact a lawsuit that the Navajo Nation has pending against Peabody. Clapham stated that Southern California Edison is also trying to shut down its Mohave Generating Station on Dec. 31, 2005, because of coal quality issues, lack of water other than groundwater to slurry coal and an unwillingness to negotiate to solve problems. Termination of Peabody's use of the aquifer only adds support for Edison's position, which the Navajo Nation is officially opposing before the California Public Utilities Commission, he stated. Pollution concerns Peabody mixes pulverized coal from its Black Mesa mine with water from the aquifer to create slurry, which is pumped over 270 miles through an 18-inch pipeline to the Mohave Generating Station near Laughlin, Nev. The public utilities commission, on Oct. 11, held a public hearing at the Tuba City Chapter on Edison's request to end Mohave Generating Station's operations in 2005 or authorize Edison to spend about $58 million in 2003 on pollution-control measures at Mohave. The pollution from Mohave cut visibility at the Grand Canyon, which prompted the Sierra Club to sue Mohave in 1998. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also found that Mohave was releasing 40,000 tons of sulfur dioxide into the air each year. Edison, as Mohave's owner, agreed to install $1.1 billion worth of pollution control equipment by 2005. Navajo Nation President Kelsey Begaye and other tribal officials submitted testimony at the public utilities commission public hearing opposing Edison's closure of Mohave and supporting an alternative water source. The Johnson's also offered similar testimony. They had repeatedly tried to meet with the Resources Committee after their first meeting on July 19, when they were told to return on July 25. But at the July 25 meeting, the Resources Committee set an Aug. 22 work session, which was postponed to an unknown date. The work session was finally rescheduled to Sept. 18 but then it was unexpectedly cancelled and no date was ever set for the work session. A new resolution But that didn't stop the Johnson's. They were learning how their tribal government worked - or didn't work. The Johnson's started a new resolution with another sponsor, Council Delegate Lorenzo Bedonie (Hardrock), who headed the council's Budget and Finance Committee, which also gave them a supporting resolution. This new resolution was titled "Petitioning the Secretary of the Interior to require Peabody Western Coal Company to obtain water for the Coalmining and Pipeline Operation at Black Mesa from an alternative Source no later than 2005." With Bedonie's help, the Johnson's took their resolution before the council on Oct. 25, which was the last day of the council's fall session. When the council questioned why there was no Resources Committee resolution, Bedonie explained that the committee kept postponing action on the Johnson's resolution. 1985 claim Council Delegate Johnny Naize (Tselani/Cottonwood) then asked why Bedonie was not sharing a memorandum from tribal water rights attorney Stanley Pollack. Bedonie said the memo was stamped confidential. Pollack, in an Oct. 21 memo to Bedonie, stated that his resolutions were well intentioned but they would damage the Navajo Nation's 1985 claim to the Little Colorado River. He explained that the nation claim included the right to use water from the N-aquifer for domestic, municipal, industrial, stockwatering and agricultural purposes. "If the nation were to assert by way of these resolutions that Peabody's use of 4,000 acre-feet/year is damaging the N-aquifer, the Navajo Nation could later be prohibited from asserting a much larger claim to the use of the N-aquifer," stated Pollack. He noted that the Hopi Tribe has openly opposed Peabody's use of the N- aquifer because it's damaging it. But the Hopi Tribe, in a private negotiation session and recently in a meeting with Sen. Jon Kyle, R-Ariz., confided that they more concerned about the growing Navajo population, which would put pressure on the N- aquifer, stated Pollack. He emphasized that since Peabody is also looking for an alternative supply of water for its slurryline, the U.S. Office of Surface Mining has suspended the processing of Peabody's application and will require a new application. The Johnson's and Bedonie stated in their resolution that Peabody had submitted an application to OSM to increase their N-aquifer pumping from 4,400 acre-feet per year to 5,700 acre-feet per year. Peabody also seeks a "life of mine" permit for the Black Mesa Mine and to mine more than one million tons of coal per year from an area on the Kayenta Mine. The company also wants to add land to the Black Mesa permit area to build a haul road. When the Johnson's attempted to submit resolutions to OSM from the people living on and around Black Mesa in opposition to Peabody's application, OSM told them that the resolutions had to come from the Navajo Nation government because of the relationship between the Navajo Nation and the U.S. And that's what initiated the Johnson's horseback ride from Forest Lake to the council chamber on July 15. Complicated procedures The Johnson's and Bedonie finally got the people's resolutions before the council on Oct. 25 but then Council Delegate Ervin Keeswood (Hogback) under council floor rules, called for a substitute motion. Keeswood's substitute motion immediately replaced or substituted Arthur's resolution for the resolution sponsored by the Johnson's and Bedonie. But then under the same council floor rules that forced the Johnson's to go before the Resources Committee and wait for four months to get in front of the council, the council tabled Arthur's resolution until it could be heard before the Resources Committee. Keeswood also asked that the Resources Committee deliberate on Arthur's resolution and the resolution from the Johnson's and Bedonie. When the council reconvened on Nov. 1, they learned that the Resources Committee had only discussed Arthur's resolution on Oct. 31, instead of both resolutions. Keeswood noted that his directive on Oct. 25 was for the Resources Committee to deliberate on both resolutions and develop one resolution for the council that included the concerns of all parties. And so Bedonie and the Johnson's were allowed to speak to the council. People speak Marshall Johnson, speaking in Navajo, remembered that when his wife and he went before the council on Oct. 25, they felt alone. He said the council had the Justice Department, the attorney general and water experts speak for the Navajo government. Marshall said that this time they were not alone, that they had brought "the people's" Justice Department, attorney general and water experts. Lorraine Johnson, Marshall's mother, also spoke in Navajo and remembered when there was plenty of water for the people, the livestock and Mother Earth. That was when the people didn't need water permits and other papers, she said. She said her father, who was a traditional medicineman, made offerings to the water from Black Mesa because it was used in healing ceremonies. Offerings were also made for the female and male rains, she said. No one ever thought that this water would be sent elsewhere and used for something other than healing and to continue life, she said. This water is valuable and the people traveled long distances to plead for the water, said Lorraine Johnson. 'White people' plans Katherine Smith, who said she was from Big Mountain, the land that was stolen from the people, told the council that whatever belongs to the people is always taken away based on plans of the white people, who don't even originate from here. Smith said that prevents them from understanding and accepting that the land was and is developed in a spiritual way. There are holy places on this land, like the female and male mountains, she said. Smith explained that the female mountain inter-relates with water and the male mountain with medicines. That is the Navajo way but the people see that their leaders don't listen to the Navajo way, she said. "You kind of just look to attorneys as leaders," said Smith. She said that on the walls of the council chamber are traditional Navajo images but today she has primarily heard the English language. "What happened to those with hair buns?" asked Smith. The vegetation is changing and that means there are water problems on the sacred mountains, she said. Marie Gladue, who also came from Big Mountain, said that in other parts of the United States and world, people are struggling to get water. But here there's plenty of water, pristine water that can be sold for a $1 a bottle, and it's just being given away, said Gladue. She said the people that live on and around Black Mesa have to haul water for 30 miles one way and they don't have electricity. But the Navajo Nation allows Peabody to use the water from the Navajo aquifer to light up the whole Southwest portion of the U.S., said Gladue. "Please, we come to you in a good manner and we're not putting you down. There are lot of issues that mess up our way of life and this is one of them," she said. In the end, the council referred Arthur's resolution and the Black Mesa resolution back to the Resources Committee again. Copyright c. 1999-2002|Navajo Times/Navajo Nation. --------- "RE: Rules widen Gulf between Local Tribes" --------- Date: Sun 1 Dec, 2002 10:12:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DUWAMISH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134587160_brodeur01m.html Rules widen gulf between local tribes December 1, 2002 This is a great time to be a Muckleshoot Indian. Last week, the tribe announced it was going to buy the land that holds the Emerald Downs thoroughbred racetrack. It's just one of 28 projects the tribe has under way. It had to hire two project managers to oversee everything. I wondered how all this was sitting with the Duwamish, the indigenous tribe of King County that was refused official recognition from the federal government last year and therefore denied gaming, fishing and other rights that would generate and save them money. So I called Cecile Hansen, head of the Duwamish, with one of those "How 'bout those Muckleshoots?" openers. She let out a grunt. "Let me tell you a story," she said. The other day, someone called Hansen's office and said the tribe had to get its fishing nets out of the Duwamish River to make way for a barge. "We're not allowed to fish the Duwamish River," Hansen told the caller. "It may be named for us, but our fishing rights were taken away." Hoo-boy. I really opened up a can of bait here. "Our status is not correct with the government," Hansen said. "But we're here. The Duwamish people believe in who they are." Who they are has been the subject of long, bitter debate. Almost 30 years ago, the Duwamish were knocked off a Bureau of Indian Affairs list of federally recognized tribes and lost their land. (They once had a village in the area that is now Terminal 107 Park.) The 550 members were granted recognition by the Clinton administration, but the Bush White House overturned the order. So the Duwamish Indians aren't allowed to fish the Duwamish River, in part because they haven't held one spot in this area long enough to suit the feds. "I would describe us as the indigenous people of Seattle," Hansen said. "We are the original people and we've been forced to assimilate." That means paying taxes because they have no reservation and buying fish because they can't fish themselves. And it means having to settle for membership in a tribal council, formed to represent disparate Indians. Meanwhile, the Muckleshoots profit from federal status, becoming what one state official called "Muckleshoot, Inc." Hansen tries not to let it get to her. "I can't be bitter," she said. "I think what goes around comes around, and one day maybe we'll be able to reverse this injustice." U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, has pledged to introduce a bill in Congress next year that would grant the Duwamish federal recognition. Meanwhile, the tribe has plans to build a longhouse and a cultural center. It doesn't have the money just yet. That construction may not be a racetrack or a casino, but it still would be an infusion of something no one can "recognize" - or remove. "This Duwamish blood comes from my mother," Hansen said. "How can I drain it out?" Nicole Brodeur's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or at nbrodeur@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/ columnists. She once won on Tricky Nicky. Copyright c. 2002 The Seattle Times Company. --------- "RE: Yup'ik Culture/Moose-Hunt ban Conflict" --------- Date: Mon 2 Dec, 2002 08:32:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YUP'IK" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/2255593p-2320273c.html Culture, moose-hunt ban conflict MORATORIUM: Effort to restore animal stocks on lower Kuskokwim flies in the face of Yup'ik tradition. By Joel Gay Anchorage Daily News December 2, 2002 Age-old Yup'ik subsistence hunting tradition is running headlong into modern big-game management on the lower Kuskokwim River this winter as hunters grapple with a proposed cease-fire on moose. Biologists and many hunters support the idea of a moose-hunting moratorium for the next several years, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Roger Seavoy. They believe that eliminating the harvest temporarily will permit moose stocks to build up from Aniak to the river mouth, an area they've never lived in before. Aerial surveys earlier this year found fewer than 100 moose from Aniak to Bethel. Similar hunting bans to the north and south, in the lower Yukon River and around Togiak, have worked well, Seavoy said. In both areas, moose numbers have grown tenfold or more in the past decade. The Lower Kuskokwim Fish and Game Advisory Committee generally supports the idea, Seavoy said. But the committee in mid-November postponed the moratorium proposal in hopes of developing broader consensus for it among the dozens of villages that dot the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The concern is that such a moratorium flies in the face of long-held Yup'ik tradition, he said. One persistent belief is that a hunter is obligated to shoot an animal that presents itself, Seavoy said. Another is that the animals will stop coming around if people don't hunt them. "Those are strong cultural traditions. They need to be respected," Seavoy said. "There's no good way for somebody outside that culture to try to change it, nor should they." Committee members will discuss the moratorium with villagers this winter. If they can garner additional support, the committee will submit it to the Board of Game for final approval next fall. Even though the proposal was postponed, Seavoy said, "I feel like we made progress, just because we got some higher profile for this effort." Many villagers are aware of the moratorium idea, "but not everybody is behind it." He estimated support at about 50 percent. "We need education in the villages; that was requested by lots of speakers" at the two-day meeting in Bethel, he said. "The more communication you get, the better off you are." James Charles, vice chairman of the committee and a lifelong resident of the lower Kuskokwim village of Tuntutuliak, said he expects Yup'ik residents will see the wisdom in the hunting ban in spite of traditional beliefs. "We are already changing our ways of life and tradition," he said, by adhering to the schedules that open and close other hunting and fishing opportunities. The subsistence fishing schedule established two summers ago is a good example, Charles said. It requires fishermen to pull their nets out of the water several days a week to allow more salmon upstream, which also goes against Yup'ik tradition. Fishermen accepted it nevertheless, he said. "People are cooperative. They really want to go get fish for subsistence, but they listen and wait till it's time to go fishing. And that's the way this other hunting is now, mostly. We change our ways, our life." The traditional beliefs are strongest among elders, Charles said. "It's not hard for young people, because they're already used to these regulations. But these older folks -- it's hard to tell some older folks why we have rules and regulations on fish and game." Charles, who is 62 and has lived off the land and sea his whole life, said he supports the moratorium because it eventually should make subsistence hunting easier. It currently takes two expensive days of boating upriver to reach good moose territory, he said. If the big animals are allowed to flourish, lower Kuskokwim hunters could eventually get them without traveling. Anchorage anthropologist Ann Fienup-Riordan, who has studied Yup'ik culture extensively, said she wasn't aware of the proposed moose moratorium but sees it meshing with traditional beliefs in western Alaska. "It's a complicated (belief) system," she said. The tradition of killing animals that "offer" themselves to a hunter is tempered by a belief that the land and ocean respond to the way humans treat them. "If someone is wasting fish, the ocean's response might very well be to withhold fish," she said. As moose move for the first time into the lower Kuskokwim, Fienup- Riordan said, it might be argued that a moratorium on hunting is showing them proper respect and compassion. Regardless of the biological outcome, Fienup-Riordan said, it looks like biologists, land managers and advisory committee members are approaching the moratorium question properly. "They're presenting information and hashing this stuff out till they get consensus," she said. "Not having written laws, the Yup'ik have developed a lot of good skills in working in communities, and this is one of them." Reporter Joel Gay can be reached at 907 257-4310 or jgay@adn.com. Copyright c. 2002 The Anchorage Daily News. --------- "RE: Schaghticoke Recognition Decision set for Thursday" --------- Date: Mon 2 Dec, 2002 08:32:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SCHAGHTICOKE RECOGNITION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.theday.com/news/ts-re.asp?NewsUID=FF623101 BIA expected to deliver Schaghticoke recognition decision Thursday By The Associated Press Published on 12/02/2002 Kent (AP) - Members of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation have spent the past two weeks on a hunt - a Thanksgiving tradition. This week, they hope to bag their biggest prize - federal recognition. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs plans to issue a preliminary ruling Thursday on the tribe's petition. "We can't wait," Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Chief Richard Velky told The Sunday Republican of Waterbury. "It's been decades of waiting and I don't know how to say this, it's been such a long time coming we anticipate a positive decision and we certainly hope we get the recognition that we deserve." Federal recognition would mean more federal money for health, education, and housing programs. It also would allow the tribe to negotiate a gambling compact with the state. "If we get a strong preliminary positive decision next week, I'll be searching for a host community that's interested in hosting the Schaghticoke for a gaming casino," Velky said. Connecticut currently has three federally recognized tribes, the Mashantucket Pequots, the Mohegans, and the Eastern Pequots. The Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans operate two of the largest casinos in the world. The Eastern Pequots were granted recognition this summer, and that decision is being appealed by the state. The Native American Gaming Fund has been wooing potential investors for a Schaghticoke casino, The Hartford Courant reported Sunday. The group is seeking private investors willing to buy a minimum of $25,000 in private shares in a company that hopes to raise $2.9 million, including an immediate $500,000 payment to the tribe, according to the newspaper. "As you know, the tribe intends to develop a casino in order of magnitude comparable to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun," said a recent letter to prospective investors obtained by The Courant. Stephen A. Zrenda, a lawyer in Oklahoma City and one of the tribe's backers, said he believes fund-raising "will take off" if the tribe gets a positive finding. The fund, organized by Zrenda and other, would in turn "acquire rights to 8-10 percent of the tribe's resort/casino, the newspaper reported. The tribe began to seek federal recognition in 1981, years before gaming was allowed on Indian reservations. The tribe's petition was filed in 1994, followed by land claims for approximately 2,200 acres of mostly undeveloped land near the reservation. In 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Peter Dorsey set a strict timetable for the federal BIA to consider and rule on the tribe's status. BIA spokeswoman Nedra Darling said the Dec. 5 date to decide on the Schaghticoke petition is "carved in stone." Copyright c. 1998-2002 The Day Publishing Co. --------- "RE: Fightin' Whites fund scholarships" --------- Date: Sun 1 Dec, 2002 10:12:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FIGHTIN' WHITES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1021717,00.html# Fightin' Whites fund scholarships T-shirt sales reap $100,000 for Indians By Coleman Cornelius Denver Post Northern Colorado Bureau Sunday, December 01, 2002 GREELEY - The Fightin' Whites - the famous intramural basketball team whose name is meant to goad schools to end the use of Indian mascots - has raised $100,000 for scholarships for Native American college students. The multiethnic team at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley collected the money by selling more than 15,000 T- shirts on its website, team members said. The shirts, available in several styles, feature the team name, a campy caricature of its white- guy mascot and the phrase, "Every thang's gonna be all white." Some merchandise bears the team's in-your-face alternate moniker, the Fightin' Whities. Sales have been steady since the intramural squad was the focus of an international media frenzy in spring, when outlets from the Los Angeles Times to "The Rush Limbaugh Show" carried news about the team's satirical protest of Indian mascots. With turn-the-tables humor, the team has tried to show that Indian mascots, used by an estimated 3,000 schools and professional sports teams, often are dehumanizing stereotypes that would not be acceptable if used to reflect another race. "I have seen these T-shirts all over the place. Everybody has heard of the Fightin' Whites," said Charlene Teters, a member of the Spokane Nation and vice president of the American Indian Movement's National Coalition on Race in Sports and Media. "They've turned something from a local issue to expanding the level of debate in other communities, and in the process they've raised money for native scholarships," Teters said. "I think they need to be commended for the work they've done." In early October, team members formed an endowment fund through the UNC Foundation with an initial investment of $10,000. Now the team, already a Colorado nonprofit, is awaiting word on whether it will be allowed federal tax-exempt status. If that occurs, teammates expect to funnel the additional T- shirt income into the endowment to provide Indian students and other ethnic minorities with scholarships to UNC, the state's main teacher-education school. The team might also provide scholarships to other schools. "We could have given the money to an organization to help fight Indian mascots, but most of us felt it would be better to help Native American students at this school. We just want to do the right thing," said Charlie Cuny, a team founder and Oglala Lakota student majoring in physical education. "The money available for Indian kids to go to school is a fraction of what it needs to be," said Cuny, who grew up on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He said he relies on a federal Pell Grant and student loans to attend college. Each school year, the UNC fund could supply two students with scholarships of up to $2,000 each - enough to cover a typical semester's tuition and books at UNC, said Jeff Van Iwarden, an Anglo teammate who has worked on money matters for the Fightin' Whites. The team expects the first scholarships to be given in fall 2003. The amounts granted will turn on the tax issue and could be as little as $500 per student, he said. Even so, the teammates marveled at their transformation from admittedly untalented basketball players at a small Western university to controversial torchbearers for a decades-old American Indian cause. The bonanza reaped from their ironic tack is expected to benefit Native American students for years to come. "We couldn't have asked for much more. We got the message out there, and we're helping Native American students," Van Iwarden said. Even as scholarship plans form, the basketball team is anticipating its second season on the court starting in late January. The Fightin' Whites hope to expand their approach. Players have tossed around ideas such as sponsoring a women's intramural team at UNC and encouraging intramural squads at other universities nationwide to adopt the team name and mission to fight stereotypical Indian mascots. "If it were any other race, people wouldn't stand for it. But because it's Indians, people look over it. That's got to change," Cuny said of Indian mascots. Teammates took their name as a direct jab at the Fightin' Reds mascot at Eaton High School in a farm town near Greeley. The embattled mascot is a defiant cartoon Indian with a misshapen nose, eagle feather and loincloth. In some versions, the caricature has bare buttocks. Critics of the Fightin' Whites have charged that the team is wasting time on a nonissue. But teammates see stereotypical mascots as a belittling barrier that prevents society from understanding American Indians as a real people with contemporary concerns. "Working here in Greeley has really opened my eyes to see how uneducated some people are about other cultures," said Solomon Little Owl, a member of the Crow Nation and director of Native American Student Services at UNC. "People say this is a nonissue, but what they're really saying is, 'I don't want to change my beliefs about other ethnicities,"' said Little Owl, who is also a Fightin' Whites player. "This is an issue of identity." Copyright 2002 The Denver Post or other copyright holders. --------- "RE: Blackfeet Women organizing for Political Gain" --------- Date: Thu 28 Nov, 2002 09:49:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BLACKFEET WOMEN" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/display/inn_glacier_reporter/news/news1.txt Blackfeet women organizing to gain political influence BY JOHN MCGILL GLACIER REPORTER EDITOR According to Geraldine Gordon, it was her friend, Dorothy Dragonfly, who started the Honorary Blackfeet Women's Council in 1997. Dragonfly was one of the first people elected to tribal office when the Blackfeet Tribe adopted the use of primaries in the election process, and is one of the few women in tribal history to have held a Council seat, entering public service in 1978-80. While Gordon said there were other changes that might have been made in the two years leading up to the 1978 election, "we decided to do the primaries for now to get real representation for the people by the candidates' getting the majority of the vote." Gordon said Dragonfly and Gloria McLean approached the Blackfeet Honorary Council in the 1990s because of vacancies there that might be filled by women. While the pair made a presentation to the group of issues that concerned them, the response was not what they'd hoped for and instead the two women started their own council, the Honorary Blackfeet Women's Council, in the spring of 1997. The members of the group include Dragonfly, Gordon and McLean, as well as Louise Gobert, Mary Jane Grant, and Ernestine and Henrietta LaPlante. But, said McLean, the group is not about those involved now but is about the power an officially recognized body of people has when trying to affect policy. "I could never get things done just as myself," McLean said. "They just shut the door in my face. It's just like with Allen Talks About; he couldn't get anything done as an individual, but as Chair of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, it opens doors." It is for that reason that the group is seeking other women, especially elders, to join them in bringing issues and concerns forward that affect women and their families and have a voice in making policy in Blackfeet country. Gordon said the Bill Old Chief administration of 1998 rebuffed their efforts to be heard. "That Council just pushed us aside," she said. But Gordon noted the group has been gaining strength with the Talks About administration, as evidenced by the Chairman's having attended their last meeting. The Honorary Blackfeet Women's Council maintains offices at the Old Eagle Shields building in Browning, and those interested in joining and/or more information about their group are encouraged to contact Geraldine Gordon at 226-5501, Gloria McLean at 338-5868 or Henrietta LaPlante at 338-5031. Copyright c. 2002 Golden Triangle Newspapers/Browning Glacier. --------- "RE: Congress passes Arkansas Riverbed Legislation" --------- Date: Thu 21 Nov, 2002 08:54:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ARKANSAS RIVERBED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article Congress passes Arkansas Riverbed legislation 2002-11-20 By The Associated Press The U.S. Senate approved legislation that will settle a dispute between the federal government and three American Indian tribes over portions of the Arkansas Riverbed. Under the bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Brad Carson, D-Okla., the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations retain title to the riverbed and banks they own. The tribes will receive a $40 million settlement for past damages and will relinquish claims to disputed lands. The Cherokees will get 50 percent of the money, the Choctaws will receive 37.5 percent and the Chickasaws will be awarded 12.5 percent of the settlement, officials said. The Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Claims Settlement Act allows the money to be distributed over a four-year period. It was introduced in the House by Carson and Reps. Wes Watkins and John Sullivan, both R-Okla., and Dale Kildee, D-Mich. The settlement can be used for a variety of purposes other than per capita payments to tribal members. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe sponsored the measure in the Senate. "We have been waiting for this day since 1970, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the riverbed was still ours," said Chad Smith, Cherokee Nation principal chief. "We have worked for this settlement for more than 30 years." Private citizens, including some tribal members, occupy 7,750 acres of tribal riverbed land. The settlement will prevent the federal government from pursuing court action to remove the occupants. "This settlement will be a great benefit not only to the people of the Cherokee Nation, but also to many non-Indian citizens of Oklahoma as well," Smith said. "It's a win-win situation for the tribes and Oklahoma residents." The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature. Copyright c. 2002, Produced by NewsOK/NEWS 9/The Oklahoman. --------- "RE: Poncas looking for Answers over Finances" --------- Date: Thu 28 Nov, 2002 09:49:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PONCA FINANCES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.okit.com/news/2002/novdec/poncafinances.html Poncas looking for answers over finances by Ruth Steinberger (White Eagle, OK) A group of concerned Ponca tribal members alleging that they are unable to get information regarding the financial status of the tribe have started a newsletter called Poncas for Responsible Government in order to share information on problems that they believe may threaten the existence of the tribe. Alvin Long is a Ponca tribal elder and a businessman who is involved in the publication Poncas For Responsible Government. Long told Native American Times, "The tribe is out of money and the bingo is shut down. We want people to know what's going on and make this situation better for everyone involved." Following several closures of the tribal bingo operation, the bingo has been shut by down order of the National Indian Gaming Commission since May, 2002. In a closure notice dated February 20, 2002 Kevin K. Washburn, General Council for the NIGC wrote, `The tribe has utterly failed to exercise adequate governmental control over its gaming operations.' Dwight Buffalo Head is a member of the tribal council and is a former gaming commissioner. Buffalo Head strongly opposed the business committee on their August, 2002 decision to remove two tribal gaming commissioners. According to Buffalo Head the commissioners demanded accountability. He said, "They removed them. I sent a letter to the NIGC concerning the action." Recently, Buffalo Head was the told that shortages in tribal funds would cause a suspension of his pay. He is the only council member to have their pay suspended and he believes that this action may be retaliation for the letter to the NIGC. Buffalo Head said, "I am an independent vote. They thought by taking my pay I would move out of the picture." Dwight Buffalo Head explained, "We have over 25 programs and over half are being mismanaged. Education funds have been dispersed to non-tribal members while Ponca youth have been denied funds." Buffalo Head alleged that he is no longer informed of council meetings and when he inquired about the reason he was stonewalled. He said, "We're fighting incompetence and corruption." Dwain Camp is the spokesperson for Poncas for Responsible Government. Camp cites bad business decisions over many years as well as decisions made behind closed doors as the culprits for the financial situation the tribe now faces. Citing a business deal made in 1999 that was allegedly going to have a quick payoff of several million dollars, Camp said, "The tribe paid $180,000.00 for a rock quarry we didn't even look at. Who knows where the money is now? The $180,000.00 was stripped from the budget for tribal programs, against the advice of the local banker who said there were red flags all over it. The deal was that if we loaned them $180,000. 00, they could close a loan on a huge opportunity. In ten days they would give us back the money, plus $500,000.00 extra just to show their hearts were in the right place. Then they would pay us in excess of three million per week for several more weeks. The tribe bit." Camp cites a provision in the tribal constitution that stipulates that special meetings of the tribe may be called at the discretion of the chairman and shall be called by him upon the written request of the majority of the business committee or upon the written request of 25 members of the tribe. A letter dated on March 18, 2002 acknowledged such a request by 25 members of the Ponca tribe, however no such meeting has been granted. Dwain Camp concluded, "The Ponca tribe has the old constitution from the 1930's. There are no checks and balances and the problem we have here is endemic across Indian country and that is that the people comprising the tribes have no voice in government. Money is spent and a budget is presented after the fact. We have one real economic development here and that is the bingo. We live closer to the population centers here than any other tribe, yet we cannot keep the bingo open." Dwain Camp said, "This is an ongoing fraud." Native American Times attempted to contact Ben Arkeketa, however our call was not returned. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2000-2001 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: Innu Relocation in Labrador botched Planning" --------- Date: Mon 2 Dec, 2002 08:32:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INNU MOVE BOTCHED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Innu-Resettlement.html Anger over botched planning casts shadow over Innu relocation in Labrador Monday, Dec. 02, 2002 DAVIS INLET, Nfld. (CP) -- One of the saddest chapters in the history of Canada's relationship with its aboriginal people is supposed to come to a close next week in northern Labrador. But the federal government's ambitious plan to relocate the entire Innu village of Davis Inlet, long regarded as the most troubled native community in the country, is turning into a fiasco, many residents here say. Though moving day is Dec. 14, the newly constructed community of Natuashish is far from finished despite a six-year wait. That means at least 150 of Davis Inlet's 680 residents will be left behind that day. "Everything is a mess right now," says Katie Rich, the former band chief who signed the relocation agreement with the federal government in 1996. "It's disappointing and depressing ... I feel sorry for those people who will remain here." Rich and her five children will likely be among them. The federal Indian Affairs Department, which is paying for most of the $152-million resettlement project, has confirmed it will keep the two communities running until next March when Natuashish is supposed to be completed. Still, Rich is worried about what will happen in Davis Inlet after the initial move. Some residents are worried the RCMP will pull out and move to their new offices in Natuashish before Christmas, leaving the squalid island community with a handful of tribal policemen on call. "That's the time of year we need the RCMP the most," says Rich, still bundled in a thick parka as she sits in a cramped office belonging to the Mushuau Innu Relocation Committee. "If you don't have them here in the community then the community is going to be even more chaotic than it is now." More importantly, Rich is concerned the Dec. 14 moving date could lead to disaster because of unpredictable weather and ice conditions at this time of year. Though Natuashish is only 15 kilometres west of Davis Inlet, those trying to reach their new homes by snowmobile must cross a kilometre-wide stretch of salt water called Daniel's Rattle. In the last month, three snowmobiles have gone through the sea ice, though no one has been hurt, Rich says. As of last week, the stretch was still impassable, and it's too risky now to use a small boat on the Labrador Sea. "It's very scary," she says. "Why take the risk? It can wait." Joachim Nui, 67, agrees. "I'm glad that people are moving to (Natuashish)," the Innu elder says. "But not everyone's happy because not all of the houses are finished. When everything's finished, everyone should move at the same time." But band chief Simeon Tshakapesh says the move will not be delayed. "It looks like there's going to be two communities," he says. "We didn't want that. We wanted to move everybody ... It's really, really stressing us out." As he leans back in his chair and wrings his hands, two of his colleagues at the band office scan a list of residents, determining who gets to move and who doesn't. Tshakapesh's phone never stops ringing. Meanwhile, some angry residents are speaking out. "When we found out our house wasn't going to be finished, my family and my children were very upset," says Damien Benuen, a soft-spoken 42-year- old Innu resident. "We'll have to stay here until spring." Most of Benuen's neighbours live in dilapidated, plywood houses that look like they were transplanted from some dark corner of the Third World. "It's not just the homes that are in bad shape, the whole community is falling apart," he says. At first glance, it's clear that a small army of vandals ensures most buildings here are kept perpetually scarred by graffiti, broken windows and battered siding. A closer look reveals many homes in Davis Inlet have no running water or proper sewage. With no indoor plumbing, human waste is often kept in a bucket, which is then tossed out a window. At this time of year, scores of families get their water from a communal well, which is little more than an outdoor faucet on the side of a ramshackle pump house. Last week, youths and women on snowmobiles filled plastic buckets with water while they were lashed by high winds and swirling curtains of snow and ice. "I can't wait to move," Clarence Nui says as he looks around his tiny, one-bedroom home, which is just down the road from the pump house. "The house (in Natuashish) is much bigger. This house is very small ... Everything in the basement freezes in the winter." More than anything, Nui says, he looks forward to having running water. But he, too, is unsure when his family will be able to move. As he speaks, the 30-year-old tribal policeman watches his two-year-old son, Sonny, toddle around in diapers. Nui and his wife Janet also have two older daughters. The children sleep in what used to be the kitchen. Nui, a stocky man with short black hair and glasses, says he has mixed emotions about leaving the village where he was born. "I have so many memories, both good and bad," he says in a soft voice as he reclines on a sofa. When asked to recall some of the good memories, he says he can't. The once-nomadic Innu were moved to the island in 1967 following two other failed resettlement plans. Housing conditions were never good and overcrowding is a long-standing problem. The village's population has doubled in the last 10 years, which is why the band council wants an additional 77 homes built at the new site next year. While it's true the move to Natuashish will largely solve the housing crisis, few here expect much change when it comes to dealing with Davis Inlet's widespread social problems. Aside from high rates of alcoholism, family violence and suicide, the island community is perhaps best known for its struggle to stop its children from getting high by inhaling gasoline fumes. Over the years, disturbing images of youths sniffing gas held in plastic bags have become synonymous with the Innu of northern Labrador. The pictures have also become a potent symbol for aboriginal suffering in Canada and an embarrassment for the federal and provincial governments. It was these images that prompted Ottawa to take action in the early 1990s. By 1996, federal politicians had agreed to spend $82 million on moving the community to the mainland. Construction started the following year. "The problems that we have, it's going to take a long time to recover from them -- a very long time," says Cajetan Rich, the head of the relocation committee. But Rich believes there's hope for change because his people will have more energy to confront their problems once they're freed from the drudgery of having to haul water every day. "Now we can concentrate on the problems we've got: sniffing, drinking, all that kind of thing. We know those things will continue to go on in the new community ... (But) once we get the kids into a better place, then they'll realize there's real opportunity for them in the future. But it will take time." Today, Natuashish looks like the beginnings of a prosperous, middle- class suburb. The three- and four-bedroom, split-level homes come equipped with new appliances, oil/wood stoves and colourful wooden siding. From the air, the development near Little Sango Pond looks like a giant footprint on the edge of Labrador's vast, snow-covered wilderness. In the language of the Innu people, the name Natuashish means 'break in the river.' A work camp employing 250 is scrambling to finish the project, which was supposed to be completed last year with the help of a large contingent of Innu workers. But the project ran into problems with financing and shoddy training early on, the Canadian Human Rights Commission said in a recent report that followed up on a complaint the Innu filed against Ottawa in 1992. "The relocation has been beset by difficulties, many of which might have been avoided if the government had acted expeditiously," the commission concluded. Back in Davis Inlet, Cajetan Rich is staring at a map on his office wall that shows the colour-coded housing lots at Natuashish. "There's no future for us here in Davis Inlet," he says. "It's been a long road, but we're almost to the end of it now." Copyright c. 2002, CANOE, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: From Charlie Smoke" --------- Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 10:29:22 -0800 (PST) From: James Starkey Subj: Fwd: From Charlie Smoke Mailing List: ndn-aim Our very Existance is Resistance. James Carter Camp wrote: charlie smoke wrote Idle Threat? Mere Harrassment? Sunkmanitu tanka Isnala Najin Nov 29, 2002 07:08 PST If you saw APTN's Contact show last Friday, you heard that CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) told APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) that they would have me in custody by today. Of course, there's no need to get too excited, Regina CIC agent, Darcy Warner is the one making this threat via phone to APTN; this is the same moron who told my wife over a year ago that they would send me to Pakistan! Also, they've been attempting to lock me up "indefinitely" since the autumn of 2001. I was told, by the way, that last week's Contact was the most anticipated show of their three seasons on air. It also generated more email prior to the show, more emails & phone calls during the show (all lines lit-up for the entire hour), & more feedback after the show, than any other program. And, almost, though not all, of the feedback was positive too. (I even got at least one proposal!) Well, perhaps I'll be arrested yet today. I know these immigrant agents have nocturnal emissions of my being silenced behind bars. I imagine however, that CIC's idle threat was just as impotent as every other aspect of Denis Coderre & his boys... Charlie "Wolf" Smoke http://charlie_smoke.tripod.com/indigenousawakening/ Mitakuye Oyasin ----- James H. Starkey www.oyateunderground.com --------- "RE: Romanow Commission: Funding to boost Native Health" --------- Date: Thu 28 Nov, 2002 09:49:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CANADIAN NATIVE HEALTH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Romanow-Native-Health.html Romanow commission calls for complex funding pool to boost native health November 28, 2002 OTTAWA (CP) -- A funding overhaul that would pool federal, provincial and band-controlled cash is required to fix the "appalling" state of native health, says the Romanow commission. "The current fragmented approach does not allow either aboriginal peoples or government to get the maximum benefit," says the report released Thursday by former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow. "Studies suggest that the problem is not the level of funding .^].^]. but rather the fragmentation." This leads to poorly co-ordinated programs and services, Romanow said. But the call for extraordinary co-operation could be a tall order in an era of endless federal-provincial squabbling. And native leaders are wary. They received $589 million of $1.3 billion spent by Health Canada last year to run their own programs. Many had urged the commission to recommend more funding and more native control. "If it's done with us it will work," said Matthew Coon Come, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. But programs imposed or controlled by outside forces usually fail, he told reporters. The assembly promotes native rights for about 700,000 of Canada's 1.4 million aboriginals. The group's health spokesman, Ontario vice-chief Charles Fox, said aboriginals have struggled in the past to co-operate with government officials. "Historically, the paternalism that we run into at that level makes it problematic." Still, Romanow seems convinced that turf wars can be overcome to at last improve aboriginal health. "The situation is simply unacceptable and must be addressed," says his 356-page report. "There are deep and continuing disparities between aboriginal and non- aboriginal Canadians both in their overall health and their ability to access health services." Life expectancy for native people is shorter by about seven years for men, five years for women; HIV-AIDS cases have exploded, especially among injection drug users; rates of tuberculosis are up to 10 times the national average; infant mortality rates are higher; and aboriginals on remote reserves are up to three times as likely to kill themselves. Romanow cited rampant poverty, housing shortages and other factors that contribute to poor health. But he also blamed a "confusing mix" of federal, provincial, territorial and band-run health care. Benefits vary among regions. Federal services for native people are sometimes more generous than provincial ones, stirring animosity. In other areas, aboriginal people lack access to programs non-natives enjoy. The auditor general has repeatedly cited loose spending controls, noting a lack of prevention programs and public education that leads both native patients and health workers to "over-consume" care. Romanow proposed that all native health funds be pooled. Next, federal and provincial governments should meet with native leaders to hammer out a consolidated budget, he said. That money would fund various aboriginal health partnerships, he proposes. Each partnership would run like a non-profit corporation with a publicly accountable board of directors representing government, native and medical interests. Per capita funding would be provided through the partnership to each person who agrees to sign on. The board would then design, deliver and buy health care services to suit urban, regional or community needs. Fox and other native leaders were pleased that native issues ranked a full chapter in the Romanow report. Then again, the government spent five years and $51 million on the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples, Fox noted. Its 4,000-page report, released in 1996, included more than 400 recommendations. Ottawa has acted on four of them, Fox said. Copyright c. 2002, CANOE, a division of Netgraphe Inc. --------- "RE: Minnesota Anti-tribal Group Testifies" --------- Date: Thu 28 Nov, 2002 09:49:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANTI-TRIBAL EFFORTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.zwire.com/site/news Anti-tribal police group testifies before Minnesota Supreme Court By: NATHAN BOWE, Staff Writer November 27, 2002 A Becker County group hasn't had much luck getting the county to drop a joint policing agreement with the White Earth Reservation, but the group is starting to make its mark in other ways. Ken Pearson, former mayor of Callaway and one of the leaders of Citizens for Lawful Government, told the County Board Tuesday that the citizens' group was one of 16 organizations and individuals - eight from each side of the issue - chosen to testify before the Minnesota Supreme Court on whether tribal court rulings should have the same power of law as state and federa