From gars@speakeasy.org Wed Feb 25 21:34:20 2004 Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 15:12:07 -0800 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews12.009 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 12, ISSUE 009 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, WOTANGING IKCHE - Lakota - Common News Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2004 nanews.org Aboriginal/AmerIndian Perspective about the First Nations of Turtle Island February 28, 2004 Mvskogee hotvlee-hv'see/wind moon Blackfeet saommitsiki'somm/decieving moon +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People 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 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 ++>If you speak a Native American language not listed above, please send us your words for "News of the People." We'd rather take up this whole page saving these few words of our hundreds of nations than present a nice clean banner in the language of the occupation forces who came here determined to replace our words with their own. email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> 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; www.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; First Nations, News and Information Distribution and Native American Poetry 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 | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Elder Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "Why should you take by force that from us that which you can have by Love? Why should you destroy us, who have provided you with food? What can you get by war? I am not so simple as to not know it is better to eat good meat, lie well, and sleep quietly with my women and children: to laugh and be merry with the English; and being their friend, to have copper, hatchets, and whatever else I want, than to fly from all, to lie cold in the woods,and to be so hunted, that I cannot rest, eat, or sleep" __ Chief Wahunsonacock (Powhatan), Algonquian-Wakashan Confederacy +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Carefully study the following: Native American Buying Power * The Selig Center projects that the nation?s Native American buying power will rise to $63.1 billion in 2008. * If these projections hold, this group?s buying power in 2008 will be 227 percent greater than in 1990, a compound annual growth rate of 6.8 percent. The 1990-2008 percentage gain is much greater than the increases in buying power projected for whites (128 percent), for the U.S. population as a whole (148 percent), and for blacks (189 percent, * Native Americans will account for only 0.6 percent of all U.S.buying power in 2008, up slightly from their 0.5 percent share in 1990, when they accounted for only $19.3 billion in buying power. * The Native American population is growing much more rapidly than the total population, and is expected to continue to do so. From 1990 through 2008, the Native American population will grow by 54.2 percent, outpacing the projected gains of 30.6 percent for the black population, 24.8 percent for the total U.S. population, and 11.4 percent for the white population. * Entrepreneurial activity is another major force powering the growth of Native American buying power. The Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises released by the Census Bureau in 2001 showed that the number of the number of American Indian-owned firms increased more than twelve times faster than the number of all U.S. firms, and their receipts rose four and one-half times faster than those of all firms. In terms of growth rates, American Indian-owned firms, which primarily are centered in the business services, personal services, and construction industries outperformed all other groups. * In 2003, in order, the ten states with the largest Native American markets are California ($7.4 billion), Oklahoma ($4.4 billion), Texas ($3.1 billion), Arizona ($2.9 billion), New Mexico ($2.1 billion), North Carolina ($1.8 billion), Alaska ($1.7 billion), Washington ($1.7 billion), New York ($1.6 billion), and Florida ($1.3 billion). * In 2002, the five largest American Indian markets account for 44.1 percent of Native American buying power, whereas the five largest total consumer markets account for 37.8 percent of U.S. buying power. Similarly, the ten largest Native American markets account for 62.1 percent of Native American buying power and the top ten total consumer markets account for 55.8 percent of total U.S. buying power. * Ranked by the rate of growth of Native American buying power over 1990-2003, the top ten states are West Virginia (288 percent), Texas (251 percent), Colorado (239 percent),Tennessee (231 percent), Mississippi (221 percent), Kentucky (208 percent), Vermont (207 percent), Georgia (205 percent), South Carolina (203 percent), and Louisiana (201 percent). Source: Selig Center For Economic Growth We are a growing body of People with most of the same common interests. We can make a difference if we choose to. 1 percent united can wield a lot more power than 20 percent in chaos. Even as this issue goes out, the city of Flagstaff must consider whether spraying dirty water on a Sacred Mountain for revenue from skiers during one season of the year is worth the loss of revenue of Native Americans and their supporters all four seasons. Are they holding a royal flush or are they about to flush a steady income? If the city votes to make artificial snow out of waste water and spray it on a Sacred place, it can only mean they believe Native Peoples don't have the courage to boycott local businesses. It is true, it will mean a sixty mile trip west to Winslow or sixty south to Phoenix, but I'd sure load up the truck and make the trip before I spent one damn dime on a town that would desecrate the place that carried the prayers of my People. Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith Night Owl (*,*) gars@speakeasy.org P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30009, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Voices decry - Unique Alcohol Treatment Center Wastewater on Holy Mountain to rise on Rez - Could reclaimed Water Study - Navajo want Rez Public Schools sway EIS? to standardize - Mediation explored - Tribal Teacher training to lift Trust-Fund impasse gets Federal Funds Boost - Statement from Tom Poor Bear - Top Lawyers' Group - Tribe wins Rights Panel help diversifies Leadership - Lance Morgan: - Norton's Shabby treatment The Politics of Fear and Racism of UTTC - YELLOW BIRD: - Chilly reception in Arctic Village Much-needed Project Peacemaker - Urban Aboriginals - Nez Perce vow to stop celebrate Decision Housing near Cemetery - Chretien to testify - Yaquis threaten in Gas Royalties Lawsuit to shut Sonora's Main Highway - Potentially damaging S.D. Bills - U.S. may help O'odham nearly passed with Security - Jicarilla ask Cheney for help - Tribal Leaders with Dispute focus on Suicide Problem - Native Prisoner - Salmon Fishing -- Over 400 Prisoners only an echo of the Past listed on NAPN - Picuris Pueblo - History: Carlisle Indian School seeks to reclaim Lands - Rustywire: Fake Indians - CDC documents premature deaths - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days from Heart Disease - Poem: Brown Bluzzzz'in - Bringing Native History Home - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Voices decry Wastewater on Holy Mountain" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 08:30:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OPPOSING DESECRATION" http://www.gallupindependent.com/021704voicesdecry.html Voices Decry Wastewater On Holy Mountain Protesters ask 'Is nothing sacred?' Kathy Helms Dine' Bureau February 17, 2004 FORT DEFIANCE - A proposal to use reclaimed wastewater to create artificial snow for winter recreation at the Arizona Snowbowl on the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff shows a blatant disregard for the American Indian Religious Freedom Act and could lead to economic sanctions against the city, according to tribal and business leaders. Friday morning, Save the Peaks Coalition members carried protest signs in front of Flagstaff City Hall. "Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?" they wanted to know. The newly formed coalition consisting of tribal members, environmental groups, spiritual leaders, local business owners, Northern Arizona University professors and community members gathered in the Council Chambers and spoke with one voice in opposition to a Coconino National Forest plan to create snow to accommodate a Snowbowl expansion. The forest service released a draft study on the Snowbowl Upgrade on Feb. 2 entitled Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Arizona Snowbowl Improvement project, kicking off a 60 day comment period. Under the preferred alternative, a new chairlift and four surface lifts would be added. Three of the current chairlifts would be realigned or lengthened, creating 74 acres of new ski runs. A snowplay/tubing area and snowboarding halfpipe would be created and resort infrastructure would be improved. The proposed expansion and improvements would occur within the 777-acre ski area which has been used for winter sports and recreation since 1938. The ski area's original base area was in Hart Prairie. However, since that time, the Snowbowl has evolved into 32 trails creating approximately 139 acres of skiable area. Under the preferred alternative now being considered, the Snowbowl expansion would create snowmaking on 205 acres using reclaimed wastewater from the City of Flagstaff. "We are at an important point in this process, which is a disclosure of the environmental and social effects related to a range of alternatives," said Gene Waldrip, district ranger of the Peaks Ranger District, upon release of the DEIS. "Public comment to this Draft Environmental Impact Statement is crucial to making a final decision," he said. Unfortunately, forest service representatives were not present Friday to hear the group's overriding theme: The San Francisco Peaks is the "church, " traditional, or cultural center to 13 Southwestern Indian tribes. As such, tribal members are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service, as branches of the federal government, to live up to U.S. treaty obligations and respect the tribes' sacred sites. The 13 tribes include: Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Hualapai, Havasupai, Yavapai- Apache, Yavapai-Prescott, Tonto Apache, White Mountain Apache, San Carlos Apache, San Juan Southern Paiute, Fort McDowell Mohave Apache, and Acoma tribes. Disrespect Rowland Manakaja, speaking on behalf of the Havasupai Tribe, told the crowd: "Of all the things that we affiliate with these lands as indigenous people, we all agree that what is sacred to the other tribes is sacred to us as well. "We as indigenous people will not tolerate further disrespect and desecration of our Sacred Peaks. We will live up to our responsibilities to protect our Mother, the Earth. I come with humble thoughts and prayers to ask for forgiveness for you, so that you may see who we are the true, original inhabitants and guardians of these lands ..." Theodore Smith Sr., a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation's tribal council, said the Yavapai-Apache's stance on the Peaks is the same as that of the Hopi Tribe: "It's a holy place. It's a church. ... I think that we need a lot of respect with this mountain here due to the fact that you want to use the effluent on the mountain. We do not condone that. If you have a church, you go to church, respect that church. You don't want things like that spilled on your church. That's the same feelings that we have," he said. "The Congress and the federal government have an obligation to the Indian people to protect their sacred sites. It's a law. ... I say God comes from that mountain. Let's keep it that way. ... The Apache in their songs and the words that they sing, want us to reach the top of the mountain. Why do they say that for, 'to reach the top of the mountain?' You're closer to God, you know. That's why they say that." Phyllis Hogan, a Flagstaff business owner since 1979, drew resounding applause after telling the crowd that she terminated her membership with the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce on Thursday because the Chamber was supporting the Snowbowl expansion. "I think that is an incredible disrespect for the Native people who support my business and have supported my business for a long time. The San Francisco Peaks are sacred ... and snowmaking with reclaimed water on the Sacred Mountain of the West is insulting and a flagrant violation of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. The desecration of the sacred site is comparable, in my opinion, to the Taliban blowing up Buddhist statues in Afghanistan." Hogan, a Southwest ethnobotanist, said she believes religious considerations of the tribes should prevail to the exclusion of snowmaking. "At this moment there are prayers being said from the Peaks for the Peaks, and it has always been that way. ... We do not need to desecrate the Sacred Mountain of the West." In 1981 Hogan helped document the sacred medicinal plants that grow on the mountain. "San Francisco Peaks is like the pharmacy to the Hopis and the Navajo, where they pick their mountain tobacco and all of their very important ceremonial medicinal herbs. A ceremony can be rendered invalid if certain plants are not picked on the San Francisco Peaks," he said. Medicine men opposed Bill Jordan of Lukachukai, a member of the Navajo Medicine Man's Association, read a statement on behalf of his group. "Our association opposes the proposed Snowbowl development and expansion," he said through a translator. "I also want to add to this statement: I also attended the Medicine Man's Association this past Wednesday, Feb. 11, and by resolution they have made it known they will oppose the proposed Snowbowl development and expansion. This action was taken by the whole board ... There are 12 members and they voted unanimously." Jordan said. Hopi Vice Chairman Caleb Johnson spoke on behalf of Chairman Wayne Taylor, who was unable to attend due to religious obligations. Johnson reminded the group of a speech made in 1970 by former President Richard M. Nixon. "The First Americans, the Indians, are the most deprived, the most isolated group in our nation. On virtually every scale ... employment, income, education, health, the condition of the Indian people ranks at the bottom. This condition is a heritage of centuries of injustice. "From the time of their first contact with the European settlers, the American Indians have been oppressed and brutalized, deprived of their ancestral lands, and denied the opportunity to control their own destiny. Even the federal government, which intends to meet their needs, has proven to be ineffective,' Johnson said "I think the reason why we are here today is the forest service, a branch of the federal government, is carrying on the same traditions which the U.S. government has empowered, like the president said, for centuries. I think that's not only disappointing, it's a very harmful position they're taking as far as the Hopi Tribe is concerned." Not much has changed since Nixon's 1970 speech, Johnson said. "The federal government continues to ignore our opinions and recommendations simply for economic reasons. The Hopi Tribe has ownership of two malls in Flagstaff. We own the Heritage Square that's within the boundaries of this community. But we were not consulted by the Chamber of Commerce. They don't think we exist, which I think is terrible because we have contributed a lot to the economy of Flagstaff and I think we deserve to be heard and our opinions weighed carefully by the city of Flagstaff," he said. "We have recommended that we do not use wastewater to make snow, because the mountains are sacred mountains to us, and have been for centuries. The Hopi Tribe is adamantly opposed to this," he said. Legislating rights Cora Maxx-Phillips, who attended the meeting on behalf of Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., said the president showed great concern at the plans for the Peaks. "It is considered sacred ground, where we make offerings to our Holy People, to the Creator. We cherish it as a place of worship, and we need to stop and realize that these grounds are a part of our culture, the cultural diversity which makes up the tapestry of American life. "We pray that our words will be heard harmoniously and respectfully. He also stated that 'My Navajo people and all Native Americans must stand together and must continue to stand together to hold sacred our beliefs and be honored for their beliefs and traditions. 'At some point in time we pray that our voices will be heard. People in prayer may ask for a steadfast solution on behalf of the Navajo people," Phillips said. Angela Barney Nez, staff assistant to Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan, said, "Many laws over the years have been imposed on Indian nations, including the Dine' people. We have had to legislate our right every step of the way of our emerging and survival and the encroachment of the outside people." Nez said the Dine' people and other Indian nations have had to legislate their freedom and their existence, including the American Indian Religious Freedom Act languages, every step of the way. We negotiated the treaty one that is written and another part that is not written. The 'not written' is the law of the Dine' people. The foundation is our law. "We negotiated the treaty thinking that there was a statement, a sacrament that we could share, saying that these treaties 'would be good as long as the waters flow.' But we may be threatened that there is going to be no water that flows. ... It is the birthright of our young to have their future, including their language and their culture, including the foundation of Dine law. On behalf of Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council Lawrence T. Morgan, I would like to say, 'Leave the Peaks Alone!' Copyright c. 2004 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Could reclaimed Water Study sway EIS?" --------- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:23:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MORE EVIDENCE AGAINST WASTE WATER SNOW" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=82526 Could reclaimed water study sway EIS? By SETH MULLER Sun Staff Reporter February 22, 2004 A study on the city of Flagstaff's reclaimed water has found trace levels of organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and hormones. What impacts that could have on the environment are unknown -- but it could provide an added dynamic in the study to use that water for snowmaking at the Arizona Snowbowl on the San Francisco Peaks. The U.S. Geological Survey, working in cooperation with Northern Arizona University biology professor Catherine Propper, recently submitted findings to the city's water department after conducting tests at the wastewater treatment plants and two other sites. Bob Hart, hydrologist with the USGS, declined the discuss the particulars of the findings during a phone interview Friday. "There were several things that showed up in very small concentrations," Hart said of the study. "I can't really say what the impacts are." USGS officials plan to discuss and explain those findings with the Flagstaff Water Commission at its March 25 meeting, and they will share information about what's known as "endocrine disruptors" -- certain types of pollutants that affect reproduction or hormonal activity of animals or humans. Most studies report that aquatic life like fish are the most affected. The treated water that the city sends into the Rio de Flag is considered "A+ grade" water by Environmental Protection Agency and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality standards, but that does not fully account for trace levels of what is referred to as "pharmaceuticals, pathogens and hormones" in the draft environmental impact statement for the Snowbowl upgrade. The section of the EIS about those trace elements ends inconclusively, reporting that the USGS's "results of the investigations are expected by early 2004." Hart said the study was not prompted because of the Snowbowl, noting that the timing was coincidental. Instead, the USGS has taken an active role in studying endocrine disruptors on a national level following a study out of Iowa City, Iowa. The USGS initially applied five analytical methods it developed to measure concentrations of 95 organic contaminants in water samples from a network of 139 streams across 30 states during 1999 and 2000. Of those, about 80 percent of the areas tested showed trace levels of the contaminants. The most frequently detected compounds included forms of steroids and caffeine, and some tests found up to 38 such contaminants. The results prompted the USGS to look at other water supplies, including treated effluent. Little is known about the potential interactive effects that may occur from complex mixtures of organic contaminants in the environment, according to the USGS. But results of its studies show the presence of such contaminants in the hydrologic system and could help to further understand "their ultimate overall effect on human health and the environment." Propper said that there has been no pressure to complete the field studies and the report in time for the Snowbowl environmental impact statement draft, which is now open for public comment through mid-April. "For better or worse, it's within the time frame of the EIS. Nobody has pushed us in any way shape or form," said Propper, who has worked as a professor at NAU since 1994. "I have no specific agenda with respect to the Peaks. If anything, the information is good to know for human health reasons." While Propper conducts studies that could play into the environmental considerations with the Snowbowl snowmaking proposal, other professors are taking a hard look at the current draft environmental impact statement and considering input. Abe Springer, a hydrologist and professor of geology at NAU, said he's trying to review the extensive document with plans to provide his own independent comments on it. He said he's looking at the proposal from a scientific standpoint. "My approach has been to be an independent scientist to anyone who is interested in the issue. I'm willing to work with everyone," Springer said. "My students and I have done the study of the hydrology systems in the Hart Prairie area, and that information has been extremely valuable to the process." Springer said he also is working with other hydrologists and scientists to convene a forum to "discuss some of the hydrology issues" that relate to the Snowbowl proposal, preferably during the 60-day public comment period that started on Feb. 14. The owners and operators of the Snowbowl hope to have the Forest Service approve the use of reclaimed water for snowmaking at the 777-acre ski area on the Peaks. They contend that the recent drought and unpredictable snowfall, when combined with the increasing costs of doing business, creates a formula that requires snowmaking for economic stability. The EIS report shows how the snowmaking would improve the Flagstaff area's winter economy, mainly in the form of adding more skier days that would equate to a boost in tourism. However, concerns tied to the cultural significance of the Peaks for 13 Native American tribes has fueled controversy over the proposal. A grassroots group called Save The Peaks Coalition formed on Feb. 2, the day the Forest Service announced it supported the proposal for snowmaking in the draft EIS. Reporter Seth Muller can be reached at 913-8607 or smuller@azdailysun.com Copyright c. 2000-2004 Arizona Daily Sun. --------- "RE: Mediation explored to lift Trust-Fund impasse" --------- Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 08:11:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COBELL SUIT: TALKS RESUME" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.denverpost.com/~2C1674%2C36%257E11676%257E1975093%2C00.html Indians, feds to resume talks Mediation explored to lift impasse in trust-fund case By Anne C. Mulkern Denver Post Washington Bureau February 24, 2004 WASHINGTON - The Bush administration and about 500,000 American Indians will attempt mediation to try to end a bitter legal battle over some $10 billion that Indians say the government stole or squandered. Calling it a breakthrough in the case, both sides said Monday that they were ready to talk after a more than three-year deadlock in the Indian trust- fund case. The results could affect American Indians living across the West, especially in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico, as that money was supposed to be paid to Indians for oil, gas, timber and grazing activities on their lands for more than a century. "This case has gone on for eight years, and it needs to be settled out of court if any of the Indian account holders are going to benefit from it, " said Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., said the agreement "is historic progress." "We may finally see justice brought to Indian account holders and move beyond this 100-year-old dispute," said Pombo, chairman of the House Resources Committee. But even as both sides were calling it a positive sign, they were cautioning that mediation is a long and fragile process. "Hopefully we're going to move down the road to resolving this, but it's a first step," said Bill McAllister, spokesman for the Native Americans in the case. Dan DuBray, spokesman for the U.S. Department of the Interior, said: "There's a real interest in finding some resolution to this matter." Both sides had become entrenched before the agreement, with no negotiations and the government appealing court rulings. The two sides will meet to see if they can agree on a mediator or mediators to help settle a 1996 lawsuit filed by Eloise Cobell of the Blackfeet Nation, and the Boulder-based Native American Rights Fund. In that class-action suit now being heard in federal court in Washington, D.C., American Indians say they want a full accounting of money the government reaped from tribal lands. No date has been set for the first meeting to discuss who should mediate. Tribes want money going back to 1887, around when the government at gunpoint seized all assets on those lands, including oil and gas wells. At that time, Sen. Henry Dawes of Massachusetts proposed parceling the land into individual accounts for the tribe members, who could farm the land. But through swindles and land grabs, those parcels largely were taken from the Indians, and today, Native Americans own less than one- tenth of what they had in 1887. The government at the time pledged to manage the revenues from the land, but Native Americans say the money has been squandered. Now the dispute centers not only around how much is owed but who will figure out how much is owed and what method will be used to compute it. Congress recently weighed in and told the government to resolve the case. "If this case is not settled in the near future, it will continue to sap scarce resources, divert the attention of the tribes and Congress, and continue to fail to benefit any Indians," Campbell said. The mediation will not be binding. But McAllister said the groups may seek a high-profile mediator with enough stature that neither side would want to endure the embarrassment of abandoning the process. He declined to reveal any of the names under consideration. The sides participated in out-of- court talks about three years ago, but both walked away. Copyright c. 2004 The Denver Post or other copyright holders. --------- "RE: Statement from Tom Poor Bear" --------- Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 5:49 AM From: nat [jay_hope1@YAHOO.COM] Subj: statement from Tom Poor Bear Mailing List: FN Tom Poor Bear Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RACIST MAIL" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.pressdemocrat.com/local/news/18rights_b1.html Tribe wins rights panel help County commission agrees to issue letter targeting complaints by Graton Indians February 18, 2004 By RANDI ROSSMANN THE PRESS DEMOCRAT In a meeting punctuated by strong emotions and raised voices, the Sonoma County Human Rights Commission agreed Tuesday to address allegations that a local Indian tribe has been targeted by hate speech and racism. The commission unanimously voted to draft a letter stating that it won't tolerate the type of comments that were directed at the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria after the tribe announced plans for a casino in Rohnert Park last year. Commission members also voted to start an education campaign in Rohnert Park, saying the city isn't addressing the situation. "The epicenter of this particular issue is covering its eyes," Commissioner Herbert Genelly said. "We have to light a fire under some communities." Rohnert Park city officials, many of whom have worked with the tribe on aspects of the casino proposal, weren't present for the meeting. The Graton tribe said it was inundated with racial slurs and hateful comments after announcing its casino plan. Its 54-page complaint to the commission cited e-mails and other correspondence to the tribe, as well as newspaper editorials, opinion columns and letters to the editor that tribal members considered racially insensitive. Genelly said he was especially troubled by vulgar comments scrawled on comment cards mailed to Rohnert Park residents by the tribe. "It makes my skin crawl," he said. Tribal officials have been unhappy with the commission, accusing members of dragging their feet on addressing the complaint. About 150 people, including many tribal members, attended a commission meeting on the issue in January. Tuesday's meeting, held before an audience of about 12, was called to address the tribe's complaint and its request for action. The request included that the commission publish a summary of the comments and affirm that they included hate speech. Commission members are scheduled to meet Monday to consider a fact sheet about the tribe and its 580 members, hoping it will help dispel misperceptions. In addition, the commission is to meet March 1 to draft a letter condemning hate speech aimed at the tribe. The commission plans to ask Rohnert Park to place the letter and the fact sheet in utility bills mailed to city residents. "We want people to get a flavor of some of the hate speech directed toward the tribe," Commissioner Ernie Olivares said. On Tuesday, Lorelle Ross, the vice chairwoman of the tribe, said she hoped the process would move forward. "This was productive," she told the commission. The nearly three-hour meeting included expressions of disgust with invective hurled at the tribe, testy exchanges between commission members regarding the progress of the meeting and raised voices between audience members and commissioners. James Mobley, the commission chairman, took offense at suggestions from a few members of the audience -- non-tribal members -- that the panel needs to be more sensitive to issues of hate speech and racial discrimination. "I know what racism is. I know what prejudice is. I have lived it and I still live it," said Mobley, who is black. Copyright c. 2004 The Press Democrat. --------- "RE: Lance Morgan: The Politics of Fear and Racism" --------- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 08:16:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MORGAN: FEAR & RACISM" http://www.indianz.com/News/archive/000077.asp Lance Morgan: The politics of fear and racism Thursday, February 19, 2004 I got an email a few weeks ago that included a legal brief filed by Al Maul, the attorney for the county that includes the Winnebago and Omaha reservations in Nebraska. The brief took a clear stand against a tribe's right to try other Indians in its court system, an issue that has nothing to do with non-Indians. The brief was filed in a U.S. Supreme Court case called U.S. vs. Lara. The case is a big deal because lots of Indians live on reservations of other tribes. It has huge implications in divorce, child support, child custody and any number of civil cases. Without jurisdiction over non- member Indians, tribes will see negative impacts on any number of real- life situations. Although I have personally had nothing but cordial relations with Mr. Maul, I was pretty upset when I read the brief. So I went to the Thurston County Courthouse and asked another elected official about this issue. I was actually surprised when I was told that the Thurston County Board of Supervisors gave Mr. Maul approval to file the brief. An employee told me the supervisors were scared that "if the Indians got jurisdiction over other Indians that they might want jurisdiction over white people too." The Lara case has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with jurisdiction over non-Indians. No rational lawyer or politician thinks that Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court will make non-Indians go to tribal court against their will. This obviously race-based scare tactic by the elected county attorney is very troubling. Most people don't realize the kind of influence the county attorney can have on a body of public officials like the board of supervisors. In just the last couple of years, I have experienced Mr. Maul's version of "fair representation" of his Native American constituents and think it might be educational to give some examples. I have seen him touting a bogus legal case stating that the Omaha Reservation doesn't exist anymore near Fort Pender. He claims the federal government diminished the reservation but if you ask the federal government, they will say they didn't. In response to the Winnebago Tribe's attempt to bring some sense of order to pollutants in our water supply, Mr. Maul brought in a South Dakota lawyer who specializes in reservation diminishment to address the supervisors. Apparently, our county couldn't afford to hire him but Mr. Maul must have become buddies with the guy because the lawyer, Tom Tobin, also signed the brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ties don't end there. The attorney for the Minnesota county that includes the Mille Lacs Reservation signed the brief too. The Mille Lacs Tribe just fought -- and won -- an expensive legal battle against the county's claim that the reservation didn't exist anymore. By the way, the Minnesota county paid over $1 million to Mr. Tobin to lose the case. I only hope that Indian and non-Indian citizens of Thurston County won't spend a dime of taxpayers dollars to enrich lawyers -- and I am a lawyer! Thurston County is the most diverse county in Nebraska with over 50 percent of its population made up of Native Americans. Dakota County is the second most diverse, with a 29 percent minority population -- they just recalled their county attorney. Nowhere else would such an obviously race-based political agenda thrive against a population that holds a majority of the votes. The only way it can continue to happen is if we let it. Never again should the interests of the majority of the population be so blithely dismissed, or actively worked against, just to feed the politics of fear and racism. Don't forget to vote in 2004. --- Lance Morgan, a member of the Winnebago Tribe, is the chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Ho-Chunk Inc. owns Indianz.Com and http://www..allnative.com. Copyright c. 2000-2003 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Much-needed Project Peacemaker" --------- Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 08:11:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: PEACEMAKER" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/news/opinion/8025017.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Much-needed Project Peacemaker trains specialists in tribal law February 24, 2004 One of the great things about the relationship between Indian country and university communities is that outstanding ideas sometimes sprout, are nurtured and blossom into great programs. Examples are the RAIN program, or Recruitment and Retention of American Indians Into Nursing. and the Indians Into Medicine program at UND's School of Medicine. On the horizon is a new program where tribal colleges will work with UND to develop a program that probably will be called Indians Into Law. During a windy Friday, I trekked over icy roads to Belcourt, N.D., and the Turtle Mountain Community College to listen to panelists and their key speaker, Alexander Reichert, discuss tribal legal issues. Reichert is a Grand Forks attorney who recently argued before the Supreme Court in United States v. Lara - a complicated case that will have lasting affects on Indian country. The case asks this question: If a tribal member has been tried for an offense in tribal court, can he or she also be tried for the same offense in federal court? Tribes across America are awaiting the decision, because the court's opinion could outline new limits on tribal sovereignty. The group sponsoring Friday's intense panel discussion is Project Peacemaker, which is staffed by attorney and teacher Huma Ahsan and project director Susan Davis DeCoteau. Ahsan's parents are from India. She married a Langdon, N.D., man and commutes daily to teach at the tribal college in Belcourt. Richard Monette, attorney, law professor and former tribal chairman of the Turtle Mountain tribe, offered counterpoints to some of Reichert's arguments. The project is from the American Indian Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The project is "a collaborative initiative to develop, pilot, and implement tribal legal studies curricula for tribally controlled colleges," project literature notes. Project officials currently are formalizing the design, development and printing of Tribal Legal Studies textbooks and instructors guides for nine study courses. UCLA selected five tribal colleges for its five-year program. Turtle Mountain is 2 1/2 years into the program. Why Turtle Mountain? Dr. Gerald "Carty" Monette, president of the college, wanted to enhance tribal government and the court system on the reservation. Monette is aware, as is most of Indian country, that as a new a growing government, our tribal government, court and administration needs tuning regularly. It isn't unusual to find troubles of tribal governments on the front page. The staff of Project Peacemaker is working toward improving the tribe's infrastructure and judicial system, as well as revising the constitution and codes of the Turtle Mountain tribe. North Dakota Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad helped. With their support in 1999, the college won a $350,000 grant for Project Peacemaker. In the first year, 17 students enrolled. The students will not be attending UND's School of Law, but their courses will be almost as tough as a law school's first year. Students will be taught case law with a focus on tribal courts. When they complete the project, they'll have either a certificate or an associate's degree, depending on how many credit-hours they've taken. The certificate will mean they can practice in the Turtle Mountain court system. The tribe wants trained people who can advocate for defendants and others in the system. Thanks to an agreement with UND, the university will accept the legal classwork as undergraduate courses. Also, "We need a law school to feed our students into and UND has given approval to work with us," DeCoteau said. Program officials are putting the courses on line and are encouraging other tribes to participate, DeCoteau said. With frustrations high on many reservations because tribal governments at times aren't even-handed or balanced in their approach, a program such as Project Peacemaker will give tribes a way to learn good government. Don't be misled, though. Project Peacemaker grows out of an ancient and traditional method of resolving problems and conflicts by consensus. As the project moves through tribal nations, it could be a way to move tribal government into better systems. The Turtle Mountain Community College leadership should be handed the traditional eagle feather for beginning the law program and planting the seeds for better tribal government. ----- Yellow Bird writes columns on Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at 780-1228, (800) 477-6572 ext. 228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com. Copyright c. 2004 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: Nez Perce vow to stop Housing near Cemetery" --------- Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 08:46:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHIEF JOSEPH'S GRAVE ENCROACHED" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.wallowacountychieftain.info/print.asp?ArticleID=3976 Nez Perce Tribe denounces Marr decision February 18, 2004 Within an hour of the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners' decision to deny five appeals to the subdivision development of 62 acres of land between the city of Joseph and Wallowa Lake, the Nez Perce Tribe based in Lapwai, Idaho - one of the appellants - faxed a tribal press release denouncing the decision and stating the tribe's intention to appeal the decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals. The board's 3-0 vote upheld a decision made in December by the Wallowa County Planning Commission allowing for the development of 11 homes on five-acre lots. "We are extremely disappointed with the county's decision," said Anthony D. Johnson, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee, the tribe's governing body. "This decision ignores both local and state land use law, as well as the enormous public interest in protecting the site. The tribe has received hundreds of inquiries from people across the nation expressing their concern regarding the development of this site. This is not only an issue of Nez Perce concern. This is an issue of truly national concern." The approved subdivision is located adjacent to Old Chief Joseph's grave site and is considered by the tribe to be of cultural significance. The gravesite serves as the trailhead for the Nez Perce National Historic Trail that follows the route taken by the Nez Perce who were expelled from the Wallowa Valley in 1877, when Gen. Howard and his cavalry pursued them 1,500 miles to their surrender in Montana, just short of the Canadian border. "We believe the county's decision is a dishonor to our history and a discredit to themselves," said Johnson. "We fully intend to appeal this decision, as well as take any other action necessary to protect this site." Copyright c. 2004 Wallowa County Chieftain. --------- "RE: Yaquis threaten to shut Sonora's Main Highway" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 21:42:15 -0700 From: "Chris Milda (_Akimel O`odham_)" Subj: Yaquis threaten to shut Sonora's main highway in land dispute (Fwd) Mailing List: News and Information Distribution http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/11080.php Yaquis threaten to shut Sonora's main highway in land dispute By Michael Marizco ARIZONA DAILY STAR February 23, 2004 LOMA DE GUAMUCHIL, Sonora - Yaqui tribe members in southern Sonora say they will blockade the main highway that crosses their land again if the government does not agree to begin returning part of the tribe's most valuable land. The road is an important route for commercial vehicles bringing goods up through Sonora to the Arizona border. Members of the tribe met Sunday with Sonoran Gov. Eduardo Bours Castelo to talk about the blockades and to seek government action on the land dispute. On Feb. 15, members of the tribe closed the international highway near Ciudad Obregon, Tucson's economic sister city about 400 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. The blockade was at Loma de Guamuchil, a village of one of the two factions of Yaquis who live in the area west of Ciudad Obregon. The tribe said it will resume its blockades this week unless the state finds some way to start returning about 75,000 acres of land the Yaquis said they have lost during the past 70 years. The closure Feb. 15 shut the highway down for 14 hours, stalling about 800 trucks loaded with agricultural products and assembly parts from maquiladoras. The vehicles eventually cross into Nogales, Ariz., before heading north. That translates into tens of thousands of dollars in lost time, said Faustino Felix, a Ciudad Obregon businessman and member of the city's chamber of commerce. "It has a tremendous effect on our imported goods. Imagine our agricultural products that have to get into the U.S. by a set time sitting in Sonora an extra day. This is hurting us, and you," Felix said. Mariposa, the commercial port of entry into Arizona, closes at 10 p.m. Trucks that don't get there in time have to wait until 6 the next morning to pass inspection and enter the United States. It's bad news for tourism as well since American tourists watching the scene of old trucks parked across the highway with state and federal officers pleading with the Yaquis to move them almost ensures some tourists won't return to Ciudad Obregon, Felix said. "Can you imagine a tourist watching that? Do you think they'll return?" he said. Since the last closure, Gov. Bours agreed to meet with Yaqui leaders. He promised he would seek a compromise with the tribe so long as members promised not to block the highway again. Sunday, he met with tribal leaders from a faction of the Yaquis that broke off from the larger tribe about 12 years ago in an inner-tribal conflict. It was this group that closed the highway the last two times. "I think that by the end of this week we should be able to agree to an arrangement that all sides will agree on," Bours said. "Their problems have been there for years. There are just causes of the Yaquis, but I don't think closing the highway is the way to get the community to side with you," he said. That smaller faction of Yaquis has doubts Bours will actually help them get their land back, said tribal representative Miguel Angel Tortola. "If the government doesn't compromise the way we would expect them to, it will continue," he said. "Their solutions so far are opaque, and meanwhile we're living a life that is stagnant." For the Yaquis, the problem goes back centuries but also back to territorial agreements they made with Mexico in the 1930s. Mexico has no reservation system like the United States. Instead, the government establishes territories with Indian leaders through compromise and bargaining. But during the past 70 years, the Yaquis in Sonora said they lost about a third of their most productive land as they were turned down for farming loans. Because they were unable to develop their lands economically, richer farmers and developers moved in and purchased the land from the government. The government will have to seek some plan that allows the Yaquis to purchase the land back. "They are slowly taking away the land that is worth the most for our own cultivation of crops," said Octaviano Jecari Espinoza, leader of the larger Yaqui tribe. "We're becoming laborers on our own land." The Yaquis found one way to get attention when they closed the international highway seven years ago. Since then, it's been an effective way to demand a meeting with a government, he said. Most Yaquis from his group work in the fisheries and assembly plants along the Sea of Cortez. Members of the smaller tribal group work in manual labor in Ciudad Obregon. ----- Contact reporter Michael Marizco at 573-4213 or mmarizco@azstarnet.com. Copyright c, 1999-2004 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: U.S. may help O'odham with Security" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 08:30:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TOHONO O'ODHAM BORDER" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=local&story_id=021804c1_oodham U.S. may help O'odham with security GABRIELA RICO Tucson Citizen February 18, 2004 SELLS - If Tucson went through what the Tohono O'odham Nation experiences every day as a result of illegal immigration, someone would declare a state of emergency, according to a tribal report. The federal government yesterday took the first step toward acknowledging the problem. It announced that a $1.4 million request has been made to Congress to fund border security measures carried out by the tribe. According to the nation, in the past three years the number of illegal immigrants caught by O'odham police has increased eightfold and the seizure of narcotics increased 148 percent. "Few can imagine what it is like to have a constant stream of lost and suffering border crossers passing by your home on a daily basis," the report said. "Oftentimes, homes are broken into by those desperate for food, water and shelter. If this were happening in Tucson, or any other metropolis, a state of emergency would be declared." The nation's chairwoman said she was pleased about the proposed funds but that they aren't enough. "It's a formal recognition that we do have a problem, and we are grateful for that," said Vivian Juan-Saunders, chairwoman of the Tohono O'odham Nation. But the tribe is not always told when officials in Washington build up or scale down enforcement operations that affect it. "We are requesting a seat at the table," Juan-Saunders said. More than 1,500 illegal immigrants enter the United States every day through the 75 miles of international border that run through O'odham land, costing the nation $5 million annually in law enforcement and health care, the chairwoman said. Aurene Martin, principal deputy assistant secretary of Indian Affairs for the Department of Interior, the agency that made the financial request, said the proposed allocation is a 70 percent increase in funding for the Tohono O'odham Nation. If the request is approved by Congress, the nation could get the money as early as Oct. 1, she said. Martin described her first tour of the international border as "striking." "Until you see that, you just have no idea of the magnitude of what's happening here," she said. Copyright c. 2004 Tucson Citizen, All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Tribal Leaders focus on Suicide Problem" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 08:30:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SUICIDE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.sfnewmexican.com/print.asp?ArticleID=40562 Tribal Leaders Focus on Suicide Problem Pojoaque school-board member urges tribes to seek outside resources to help young people in need By MARISSA STONE | The New Mexican February 18, 2004 After recent suicides of students in the Pojoaque Valley, including that of a teenager from San Ildefonso Pueblo, tribal leaders are reaching out to heal those suffering with loss in their pueblos. "From a Native American perspective, when something like this occurs, we're a quiet community, a closed community -- we primarily rely on ourselves to remedy the situation," said Pojoaque Valley school board member Eugene Pino at a Feb. 11 board meeting. After the recent suicides occurred, Pino added, he spoke with tribal governors and councilors and asked, "Is it possible to open ourselves up to the resources out there?" San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe' and Pojoaque pueblo leaders said they were receptive to the idea of seeking help for families who have lost loved ones to suicide, Pino said. San Ildefonso lost a child to suicide on Jan. 8. At the meeting, board members observed a moment of silence for four students who attended the Pojoaque schools who have died from suspected suicides in the last year. One student and a 2003 Pojoaque High School graduate died in a two-week span recently. After the recent suicides, counselors have been available to tribal members at San Ildefonso Pueblo, Pino said. Traditional American Indians don't like to talk about a person once they've died because it hinders the person's spirit from moving on, Pino said. However, he added, tribal members must be free to grieve the loss of a loved one. "I feel I have to talk about it and get people to join me in getting involved in using the outside resources that are available," Pino said. "As long as we're being respectful of the parties directly affected by it, we're OK." Pino and other residents of San Ildefonso are setting up a group that will discuss and obtain outside help for the problem of suicide, he said. Pino also has met with Pojoaque Schools Superintendent Art Blea and student services director Vera Ortiz, he said. "We have to let our barriers down," he said. "New tribal leaders in the community are willing to step out of the confines of the pueblo. The bottom line is to heal and move forward." "Tragedies like this occur in every district in the country," said School Board President Reuben Roybal. "Why they occur, we don't know and we may never know." Content c. 2004 The New Mexican, Inc. --------- "RE: Salmon Fishing only an echo of the Past" --------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:28:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BOLDT RULING: SALMON FISHING" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.tribnet.com/news/story/4752193p-4698818c.html SALMON FISHING ONLY AN ECHO OF THE PAST EIJIRO KAWADA; The News Tribune February 17, 2004 Franky John of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians used to check the tide and fish runs before taking his boat out on the water. These days, he and other Washington fishermen have to call a hot line to find out what day and time they're allowed to fish. Fisheries officials from the Indian tribes and state and federal governments set schedules in their offices. They use statistics, forecasts and computer models to decide when, where and how many salmon can be harvested. The hot line John calls is set up by his own tribe. Often, he can't go fishing even when he knows salmon and steelhead are running upstream. On days like this, he heads to the tribe's Diru Creek Hatchery to lend a hand. "I may hang up my boots pretty soon," John said, watching children harvest chum salmon eggs at the hatchery. This is what hard-fought victory looks like three decades after the Boldt decision: It's not freedom from regulation, but rather freedom for Indian tribes to regulate themselves. In 1974, U.S. District Judge George Boldt issued a landmark ruling that solidified Washington tribes' treaty right to half of harvestable fish in the state. The decree gave power to the tribes to revive themselves. It also forced the state to learn more about fish. The state and tribes had to begin managing fisheries in a more scientific way to ensure the Indians were getting their rightful share. Fishing in Washington still is a viable industry. It ranks eighth in the nation in spending by recreational fishermen: $854 million a year. And the state's commercial fishing industry records the nation's seventh-highest landing value at $145 million. "It's a huge part of our economy," said Jeff Koenings, the head of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. But it's indisputable that the Boldt decision forever changed the way Washington catches its fish. Everybody on the water has felt the impact: Many nontribal commercial fishermen went out of business, fewer recreational anglers fished their local rivers and tribes began limiting their catch. Much less income Randy Babich used to fish three to four days a week in the fall before the Boldt decision, catching coho and chum salmon alongside other nontribal commercial fishermen. Back then, 35 percent to 55 percent of his income came from his salmon catch in Washington, depending on the market price. These days, less than 10 percent of his income comes from Puget Sound salmon. He catches chum during about 10 days a year he's allowed to fish. The rest of what he earns comes from harvesting Dungeness crab and processing chum for caviar. The Boldt decision "was a tremendous impact at that time," said the Key Peninsula fisherman who operates a purse seine boat out of Gig Harbor. The ruling cut the pool of fish in half and forced a management of fish by rivers, focusing on the preservation of weak stocks. Fishermen no longer were permitted to catch salmon indiscriminately in the open ocean. In 1974 there were 3,261 commercial fishing licenses issued for trollers, and thousands of boats actually fished Washington waters. And that's just one category among several kinds of commercial fishing boats. oday, there are 155 trolling licenses and about 50 working fishing boats. About 100 licenses are renewed each year without anybody using them, said Phil Anderson, intergovernmental resource management assistant to the director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The sport fishing business saw a similar decline. In 1978, about 370 charter boats worked out of Westport, Ilwaco and Neah Bay, said Anderson, a former charter boat operator who led the Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Association from 1976 to 1987. Today, he said, about 65 charter boats operate out of those three communities. Other factors at work It's unknown how much of the decline is a direct result of the Boldt decision. Other factors at work during this period include urbanization, pollution and destruction of salmon habitat; poor ocean conditions that continued until 1997; and a decline in the survival rate of hatchery fish. "It's hard to quantify what the Boldt decision has done," Anderson said. Not to John Blanusa, 78-year-old mayor of the City of Buckley, who fished the Puyallup for steelhead in its heyday in the 1950s and '60s. "Fishing was fantastic until they (the tribes) put nets in," he said. "The Boldt decision was the end of all rivers. It has drained the rivers of all fish." Blanusa said he used to catch 100 steelhead a year and took a half-dozen home. The last one he caught, he said, was about 10 years ago on the Carbon River, a tributary of the Puyallup. State and tribal fisheries officials say it's a common misconception among sport fishermen that tribal nets are depleting Washington rivers. What these anglers don't see, officials say, are the slow but cumulative effects of environmental degradation. That's an explanation Blanusa finds hard to swallow. "They just say it's the habitat, habitat, habitat," he said. "The only reason that the fish aren't here is because they are caught. You guys are going to study until the last fish is gone." No more year-round fishing Fishing has dwindled for the tribes as well, especially for the Nisqually Tribe fishermen who await their catch at the southern reaches of Puget Sound. Their salmon, en route from the open ocean, used to get fished out by commercial fishermen from Alaska, Canada and Washington, as well as tribal fishermen north of the Nisqually River. In 1986, the Nisqually filed suit against northern tribes to block them from catching Nisqually-bound fish, said Georgiana Kautz, tribal natural resources manager. Indian fishermen used to fish year-round before the Boldt decision. Now they have seasons, and they fish only three or four days a week. Those seasons can get shorter depending on fish returns. Kautz often has to tell her husband, Nugie, a tribal fisherman, that she's closing the season for the year because fish are not returning in great enough numbers. That was the case last year with chum on the Nisqually. While the decline of fish and impacts of the Boldt decision made it harder for commercial fishermen to make it here, there was another factor that contributed to the decline of fishing. "Atlantic salmon are killing us," Georgiana Kautz said. Fish farm operators "can guarantee quality and quantity of fish. We can't." Such farm fish, often shipped from countries such as Chile, resulted in falling prices of Pacific salmon. For instance, commercial fishermen can sell ocean-caught chinook salmon for about $2 per pound, which was the price for cheaper river-caught chinook 15 years ago, said Doug Fricke, a Hoquium fisherman and executive director of the Washington Trollers Association. In the case of chum, their eggs are now worth more than their meat. Fishermen sell river-caught chum salmon for about 10 cents per pound, but they can get $4 to $6 per pound for their eggs, many of which are shipped to Japan and other Asian countries as caviar. "Something is wrong when eggs are more valuable than flesh," said Joseph Anderson, the Puyallup Tribe's fisheries management director. These days, chum are just about the only salmon taken by nontribal commercial fishermen in South Puget Sound. And they often are the only moneymaker for tribes as well. Many things have happened since the Boldt decision came down 30 years ago. Some were direct results of the court ruling, and others weren't. But some people can't help thinking that it triggered everything that impacted local fisheries, for good or bad. Local fishermen agree that some things have remained the same: the horizon over the open water, the ritual of putting out the nets, the thrill of a good catch. "The nice thing about it is those of us who still fish, we enjoy it," said Babich, the Gig Harbor purse seiner, while standing in a boathouse his grandfather built. Regardless of ancestry, fishing is a way of life. "This is our destiny," Nugie Kautz said. "This is what we have to do." Eijiro Kawada: 253-597-8633 eijiro.kawada@mail.tribnet.com Copyright c. 2004 The News Tribune - Tacoma, WA. --------- "RE: Picuris Pueblo seeks to reclaim Lands" --------- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:23:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PICURIS PUEBLO" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.imdiversity.com/Article_Detail.asp?Article_ID=22474 Picuris Pueblo Seeks To Reclaim Lands by AP, The Associated Press Santa Fe (AP) - Picuris Pueblo has filed a complaint for ejection and trespass damages in state district court against companies who have mined mica less than 4 miles from the village. The pueblo wants to stop mining in culturally sensitive areas, according to a news release. The 200 acres at issue have been used by tribal members for 1,000 years, the tribe said Friday. The area is now a mica mine operated by Cleveland, Ohio-based Oglebay Norton Specialty Minerals. The mica is used in joint compounds, rubber and plastics. The pueblo uses the special clay in the area to make a distinctive pottery. "This land belongs to the Picuris. It is our heart, and we have never given it away. The mine is like a knife in our hear, and as long as it remains our people will bleed because we cannot practice our traditions and cannot protect the earth," said pueblo Gov. Gerald Nailor. The lawsuit filed Friday in Taos County names all mining companies that have owned the site or mined mica there beginning in the 1960s. The companies trace their title to patents issued by the United States. Copyright c. 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2003 IMDiversity Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: CDC documents premature deaths from Heart Disease" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 08:56:43 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HEART DISEASE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.indianz.com/News/archive/000281.asp CDC documents premature deaths from heart disease February 23, 2004 American Indians and Alaska Natives are more likely to die early from heart disease than any other racial or ethnic group, according to data released on Friday. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2001 alone, it accounted for 29 percent of all deaths in the nation. That year, about 2,400 Native Americans died from heart disease. The number was less than one-half of one percent of all total deaths from the disease. But a larger proportion of Native Americans died early than any other group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 36 percent died prematurely -- before the age of 65 -- from heart disease in 2001. The rate was more than twice the national rate of premature deaths, or 16.8 percent. And it was more than two and one-half times the rate for White Americans, or 14.7 percent. Hispanics and Asian-Americans showed similar premature death rates, 23.5 percent and 21.1 percent, respectively. At 31.5 percent, only African- Americans experienced as high a death rate as Native Americans. "Reducing premature death from heart disease and eliminating disparities will require preventing, detecting, treating, and controlling risk factors for heart disease in young and middle-aged adults," government researchers wrote in last week's edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the CDC. According to the researchers, American Indians and Alaska Natives are at high risk to heart disease due to high rates of smoking. Native adults and youth smoke at nearly twice the rates of their counterparts, according to government statistics. Tobacco use among Natives is particularly high in Alaska, the Northern Plains and the Pacific Northwest. Of all states, Alaska has the highest rate of premature deaths from heart disease, according to the CDC report. Additional risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, physical inactivity and obesity. "Premature death from heart disease can be reduced by preventing or treating these risk factors," the researchers wrote in an editorial note. "Public health professionals should focus efforts on prevention and risk reduction at all ages, and particularly at younger ages among racial/ethnic minorities." Other studies have shown high rates of hypertension and blood cholesterol among Native Americans. They have also shown an alarming rate of diabetes, especially among Native youth. Obesity is an indicator of diabetes. Researchers have seen some positive signs, however. In December, the CDC found that American Indians were more likely to use preventive services than most other minority groups. Indian men and women are checking their cholesterol and having examinations for diabetes-related conditions at rates approaching the national average. The release of the CDC statistics came as Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson apologized for sanitizing a report on health disparities. References to high rates of disease among Native Americans and other minorities were toned down by political appointees, something Thompson said was a "mistake." "African-Americans and Native Americans die younger than any other racial or ethnic group," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), a doctor, said earlier this month. "African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic Americans are at least twice as likely to suffer from diabetes and experience serious complications. These gaps are unacceptable." Frist is sponsoring the Closing the Health Care Gap Act in an effort to reduce health disparities. The bill seeks to coordinate and improve data collection among minorities. Tribes would be eligible for grants to improve access to health care. February is American Heart Month. This year alone, the CDC estimates that more than a half a million Americans will die after suffering a heart attack. Copyright c. 2000-2004 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Bringing Native History Home" --------- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:23:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TLINGIT ARTIFACTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://juneauempire.com/stories/022204/sta_native.shtml Bringing Native history home Angoon Tlingits seek return of artifacts from University of Pennsylvania museum By ERIC FRY JUNEAU EMPIRE February 22, 2004 When Harold Jacobs, a Tlingit, saw a Native headband made of braided hair in a Philadelphia museum this month, he knew whose hair it was. He sang its song. Jacobs' great-great-great-great-great grandmother of Angoon had cut her hair, made it into a headband and given it to her husband to be remembered by, said Leonard John, executive director of the Kootznoowoo Cultural and Educational Foundation. The woman's father wrote a song about the headband to mark her marriage, Jacobs said. "We still do that song today. She made that hairpiece for her husband using her own hair," Jacobs said. John organized a visit of clan leaders with ties to Angoon to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Feb. 1-7. The Natives consulted with museum officials about the possible return of tribal objects to clans under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. When Jacobs sang, it was "wonderful," said Lucy Fowler Williams, the museum's keeper of American collections. Louis Shotridge, the Tlingit from Klukwan who bought Alaska Native objects in the early 20th century as a staff member for the museum, had written down the headpiece's story. "But to actually have Harold here and have that special connection going back five great-grandmothers was exciting," Williams said. The 1990 repatriation law requires museums that receive federal funds to list their objects and human remains of Native American origin, and to return them to tribes if asked and if the museum can't show ownership. The remains of nearly 28,000 people as well as 640,000 objects, mostly funereal, have been repatriated so far, said the National Park Service, which administers the law. Kootznoowoo Inc., the for-profit village corporation for Angoon, has been active in seeking repatriation of objects of cultural patrimony through its non-profit wing, the Kootznoowoo Cultural and Educational Foundation. Angoon, a Tlingit community of about 500 people, is 55 miles southwest of Juneau, on Admiralty Island. Since fiscal year 1998, Kootznoowoo has received four hard-to-get federal grants totaling about $236,000 to help it recover objects from museums. That speaks to the tribe's activity, said Paula Molloy, a spokeswoman for the Park Service's NAGPRA program. John said Kootznoowoo has helped repatriate to clan leaders about 20 objects so far, and has many claims pending. The clan leaders often ask Southeast museums to hold the pieces to preserve them. "The significance of bringing these artifacts back home is very powerful," John said. "There's healing that flows. It's very exciting." "Those artifacts are like chapters out of the Tlingit history book," said Steve Henrikson, curator of collections at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, who traveled with the clan leaders to Philadelphia. "If you have some of the chapters missing, it's very difficult to teach the history from one generation to the next." Kootznoowoo has used its grants to fund visits to museums with Tlingit holdings, such as the Field Museum in Chicago and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Clan leaders identify what objects they want repatriated, sometimes even finding things they didn't expect see, such as the beaver-figure prow from a war canoe that Jacobs uncovered in storage in the New York museum in 1998. It may be the only war canoe that survived the U.S. Navy's bombardment of Angoon in 1882, John said. "When they brought it out, everybody just started crying," he said. "People were weeping. They were shaking." Among the objects of interest to the clan leaders during the Philadelphia visit were a house screen; a caribou-hide robe that may date from the early 1700s; a raven rattle with a protective cover of bark and goat wool; a Chilkat blanket; and a cape from Tahiti, made of coconut fiber and sharks' teeth, that somehow found its way to Southeast. Some of the objects appear to date from before the 1882 bombardment, Henrikson said. That incident stemmed from a whaling ship's accidental killing of a Native crew member who was a shaman. The trading company sought protection from the Navy. "So much of their artifacts were destroyed in that incident, so anything that survived is considered to be exceptionally valuable," Henrikson said. The next steps in the process are for the clans to submit their claims and for the museum to review them. The process can take months, and the museum's say on the return of cultural objects is up to the university's board of trustees, which meets only twice a year. Decisions can be appealed to a national review committee. The museum's repatriation committee will decide whether the clans have cultural ties to the objects, whether the objects meet the law's definition of cultural importance, and whether the museum owns the pieces. Ownership is based on the standards of property rights that were in place in the Native communities when the objects were removed. But a museum might return an artifact even if it owns it, if the object is of great importance to a tribe. In this case, the museum has good records showing that Shotridge bought the objects. Removing objects from tribes is known as alienation. "That issue of alienation is important," Williams of the museum staff said, "and I think the tribe is going to have to address it in their claims." The Tlingit claimants likely will argue that the people who sold the objects didn't have the right to do so. The clans owned the objects, John said. "If you don't own it, you can't sell it," he said. John has a simple test for museums' lawyers when they dispute ownership: If the object is yours, sing its song. Shotridge helped the museum collect artifacts partly because he believed, as many people did at the time, that Native culture was dying out from assimilation. Museums, he thought, would be able to preserve Native artifacts and show that they belonged side by side with other great cultures such as the Egyptians and the Greeks. But his letters show that he was torn about removing objects. Repatriation is part of the museum's broader approach to issues of Native concern and education about Natives in a university context, said Bob Preucel, associate curator of North America at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Museums have seemed to present Native culture as being from the past. But the University of Pennsylvania Museum collects contemporary Native arts and crafts, and is inviting Natives to write essays about its objects. The university wants to establish a Native studies program, he said. The repatriation act helps museums build relationships with Natives, Williams said. She'd like to work with Tlingits to make future exhibits more relevant to today's issues, she said. Eric Fry can be reached at efry@juneauempire.com. Copyright c. 1997-2004 Juneau Empire, Morris Digital Works. --------- "RE: Unique Alcohol Treatment Center to rise on Rez" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 08:30:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO TREATMENT FACILITY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.gallupindependent.com/021704uniquealcohol.html Unique alcohol treatment center to rise on rez Pamela G. Dempsey Dine' Bureau February 17, 2004 WINDOW ROCK - An old Indian Health Service hospital is on its way to become a new alcohol-residential treatment center, the first of its kind on the Navajo Nation. Thanks to a donation by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, via a request through his capital outlay bill with the state legislature, the Navajo Nation Department of Behavioral Health Services is now $2 million closer to its projected $8 million refurbishing project. "We were really happy," said Henry Largo, program director of Behavior Health. "(Governor Richardson) pointed out that he could help us with alcohol and substance abuse." In 2000, Largo said, the whole initiative started when Behavioral Health put in a new modular building for its Shiprock Outpatient Program. Since then, with its purchase of the old IHS hospital, architects assessed the facility to see what was needed to turn it into a 74-bed treatment center. The plan of operation and scope of work was developed to accommodate the first-ever project which would house a 20-bed male unit, a 12-bed female bed unit, an 18-bed unit for six women and their children and a 12-bed unit for patients who transition out of the facility. In addition, women at high-risk for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can live there and receive treatment the facility will provide kitchens so patients can eat with their families. "It will take our FAS/FES program and step it up a notch," said Lynette Willie, public information officer for Behavioral Health. Unlike current solutions, which often send Navajo patients off the reservation for treatment, this project incorporates traditional healing with an on-site sweat lodge and traditional medicine provides. Navajo- speaking psychologists and traditional counselors will also be available. "The most important thing is this is located within the vicinity of the Navajo Nation," Willie said. "Families who want to participate no longer have to travel to Albuquerque to get treatment." Because of his staff's footwork in overcoming a lot of obstacles, Lardo said, Richardson paid more attention. "This is a seed of what we'd like to establish," Largo said. "If you look at a whole new facility56,000-square feet and a 74-bed unit then you're looking at $100 million." Instead, the opportunity to renovate a facility and turn it into a treatment center made the project well within a $8.4 million reach. "We're sending way too many people off the reservation," Largo. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. has prompted the same type of development through his $500 million bond initiative, Largo said. "We're combining the best of Navajo tradition healing with state of art western medicine," Willie said. Copyright c. 2004 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Navajo want Rez Public Schools to standardize" --------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:28:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TEACH NAVAJO CULTURE" http://www.gallupindependent.com/021604tribewantsrez.html Tribe wants rez public schools to standardize; teach Navajo culture Zsombor Peter Staff Writer February 16, 2004 WINDOW ROCK - When the U.S. government established in 1868 the boundaries for what would become the Navajo Nation, it helped establishe a nation that would become sovereign in some respects, but divided among the three states it straddled in others. On Friday, representatives from public school districts on or sharing Navajo land from both Arizona and New Mexico came together in the Nation's capital for possibly the first time to begin bridging the educational divide those state borders have imposed ever since. While the Navajo Nation Division of Dine' Education has managed some uniformity in dealing with those schools on the reservation whether in Arizona, New Mexico or Utah managed by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, it's had less luck with the public school district, each managed by their respective state governments. With three public education departments have come three sets of state laws governing public education. Superintendents or their representatives from six public school districts four from Arizona, two from New Mexico met with the Navajo Nation Education Committee to begin discussing ways of standardizing public education across the reservation. "The Nation for the longest time has focused on (Bureau) schools," said Committee Chairman Leonard Chee, "but when you look at the public schools, that's where most of our little people are." According to Kelvin White, who heads the Nation's Rural Systemic Initiative, 68 percent of the 128 schools on the reservation are public schools. The point of departure Friday was a memorandum of understanding with each of the three states the Navajo Nation unveiled in Albuquerque in September. It outlines in broad strokes the Nation's plans for an education system geared toward Navajo students. The plan has four main goals: introducing Navajo cultural standards in the public schools to supplement and enhance the academic standards of each state; getting each state to help teachers on the reservation learn to teach those standards; using a single assessment model across the reservation to measure how well each district is teaching its students those standards; and getting each state to share with the Nation all relevant data. Such a plan, the Nation hopes, will make public education on the reservation overall more inclusive of Navajo culture and history. Getting all three states on board, Chee added, will also address the high mobility of area students, who transfer between districts at a high rate. "How can we coordinate ... so that if they do transfer, they can pick up where they left off," Chee said, challenging the group. The districts and states, however, have reservations about the plan, worried it could strip them of some of the autonomy they now have. White attempted to allay some of those concerns Friday. "The whole idea of this (memorandum) is a stimulus, to get a response from you ... Nothing is embedded in stone." Though this was only the first of what will likely be many meetings aimed at reaching a compromise on a final memorandum between the Nation and the three states, district representatives Friday already had a few suggestions ready. Half of them insisted that any actions a final memorandum mandates of districts requiring additional spending be funded. Since the No Child Left Behind Act, which Congress never fully funded, schools across the country have complained of the unfunded mandates the federal education law has imposed and the financial burden it's placed on them. Gallup-McKinley County Schools asked that the memorandum only apply to schools whose student bodies are over 50 percent Navajo. Central Consolidated School District Assistant Superintendent Jay Mortensen suggested that a commitment to bringing Navajo students to both English and Navajo language proficiency be worked into the memorandum. Some also criticized Arizona's Proposition 203, which limits bilingual education in the state's public schools, and suggested Arizona adopt its own version of New Mexico's Indian Education Act, which mandates public school districts with large Navajo student bodies to partner with the Navajo Nation. Though nothing was decided Friday, representatives from each of the public school districts present expressed interest in continuing to work on the memorandum and emphasized the need to bring Navajo language and culture into the classroom. Education Committee Vice Chairman Wallace Charley especially wanted a clear show of support from Central Consolidated. When it was Mortensen's turn to address the group, Charley pointedly asked if his boss, the absent Superintendent Linda Besett, supported the goals of the memorandum. Mortensen said he believed Besett supported the memorandum. "You believe she does?" Charley asked. "I believe she does," Mortensen replied. "The reason I bring this up," Charley said, "you're starting to have a lot of problems with issues surrounding Navajo education." The vice chairman was referring to Central Consolidated's decision last year to restructure its Indian Education Committee in such a way many Navajo community members say has stymied their voice. The fallout from that decision has grown into broader doubts about the school district administration's basic respect for Navajo language and culture, and has even grabbed the attention of New Mexico's Indian Affairs Committee. Overall, however, Chee said Friday's meeting was a good start. "I was really impressed that so many (public school districts) came out, that's really encouraging," Chee said. "I think they all agreed there's a common need to work together." But just when they'll get to work together again isn't clear. Although Chee said he'd like to see the districts come together at least bimonthly, the group disbanded without any discussion of another meeting. Copyright c. 2004 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Tribal Teacher training gets Federal Funds Boost" --------- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 08:16:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL TEACHERS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.com/~/2004/02/20/build/wyoming/50-tribalteach.inc Tribal teacher training gets federal funds boost By TED MONOSON Gazette Washington Bureau February 20, 2004 WASHINGTON - Joan Knobloch likes to gather her kindergarteners around an easel so they can write a story together. It's part of a read-aloud technique that the Ashland teacher learned from Native American Professional Development Center instructors. "The program works," said Knobloch, who teaches at the St. Labre Indian School. "When the children read and write stories together they enjoy themselves and they pay attention and learn." Since its creation in 2002, the center has run on a shoestring from the Sheridan, Wyo., home of its director to offer training to tribal educators. This year, the center was earmarked to receive $500,000 in federal funding, and Director Craig Dougherty plans to use it to expand his efforts. Dougherty, who is also the superintendent of schools for the Sheridan County School District No. 2, said the money will allow him to begin the process of spreading the program to Indian schools throughout the country. He hopes it will allow the center to hire its first full-time employees and attract money from private foundations. The influx of money also marks a transition for the program from an intense hobby that Dougherty worked on in his free time to an organization with three full-time employees. Dougherty, a Powell, Wyo., native, started developing plans for the program in 2000 and has run it since 2002. "I have always done it pro bono," Dougherty said. "It drives my wife nuts." Walter C. Fleming, who directs Montana State University's Center for Native American Studies, said a program like Dougherty's is needed. "As considered by all measures of achievement, from aptitude tests to graduation rates, Native American students lag behind," Fleming said. "There is no question about that." Fleming attributed Indian students' problems in school to a history in which Indians were forced to attend schools that aimed to break the connection to their Indian heritage. Although the policy formally ended in 1936, there were few changes in Indian education until the 1970s, Fleming said. If the program can attract private money to supplement the $500,000 in federal money, Dougherty may form a partnership with Sheridan College to create a four-year program in Sheridan that would focus on instructing college students who plan to work on Indian reservations how to teach basic reading and math skills. Dougherty's efforts have already caught the attention of senators Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., who helped get the $500,000 for the program through Congress. "I started looking at it about a year ago and I was very impressed," Enzi said. "I think this program could have implications for educating all students." Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Top Lawyers' Group diversifies Leadership" --------- Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 08:56:43 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FOUR NATIVES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/161714_bar23.html Top lawyers' group diversifies leadership SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF February 23, 2004 Four Native American lawyers are now serving in or recently have been named to leadership positions on the Washington State Bar Association -- the largest ever representation of that minority group in leadership roles for the group, which is charged with licensing attorneys in this state. A spokeswoman for the state bar said the increased Native American presence in leadership roles may help attract more Indian lawyers to the group and help to get questions about the Indian law field included on the state's bar exam -- the test prospective lawyers must pass to practice law in Washington. Only about half of 1 percent of the state bar's more than 27,000 members now identify themselves as Native American. Native attorneys now in the bar's leadership positions include: Fawn Sharp, lead reservation attorney for her tribe, the Quinault Indian Nation, who serves as governor-at-large on the bar's 14-member Board of Governors; Gabriel Galanda, a Seattle litigator and member of the Nomlaki-Concow Tribes of the Round Valley Indian Confederation in Northern California, who serves as chairman of the bar's Indian Law Section; Robert Anderson, a Minnesota Chippewa Tribe member and director of the University of Washington's Native American Law Center, who is chair-elect of the Indian Law Section; and Leona Colegrove, a member of the Hoopa and Quinault tribes and an in-house lawyer for the Quinaults, who has been named co-chair of the bar's Diversity Committee. Copyright c. 1996-2004 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. --------- "RE: Norton's Shabby treatment of UTTC" --------- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 08:16:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OMITTED FROM BUDGET" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.bismarcktribune.com/~/2004/02/18/news/editorials/edt01.txt Norton's Shabby treatment of UTTC By Frederic Smith for the Tribune February 18, 2004 It's hard to escape the conclusion that somebody in the Bush administration has a bee in his or her bonnet about Bismarck's United Tribes Technical College. For the third year running, UTTC has been left out of the preliminary budget of the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Department of the Interior. This, despite a visit to the campus in 2002 by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton in which she expressed support for the college and the "hope" that funding would be resumed on a regular basis the following year. Never happened, and last year the congressional delegation again had to get UTTC's $3 million put in the budget as an add-on. They will make the same effort this time, but they admit the job will be harder because of the half-trillion budget deficit. What's going on here? On Feb. 11, we published a disingenuous letter from a BIA functionary saying that UTTC was not qualified for funding under BIA-DOI's Controlled Community Colleges program. No doubt, since UTTC is not a community college. However, as recalled by UTTC President David M. Gipp on this page Sunday, the college has received adult vocational education money from BIA-DOI every year since its founding in 1969 and was a line item in the budget from 1981 until the monkey business started two years ago. (Actually, it's been three years, if you count 2001, when UTTC's share of money from another source, the Department of Education's Carl Perkins program, was threatened with a drastic cut.) The college, the 66 tribes with students there and the state of North Dakota are owed an explanation for this shabby treatment. And one that does a better job of addressing the facts than the hide-and-seek BIA-DOI letter mentioned above. "They have at no point articulated a rationale why United Tribes should be singled out," says U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. In its hardworking 35 years, UTTC has started 10,000 students on the road of a fulfilling and self-sufficient life. As Gipp says, these graduates also return $11 to the U.S. Treasury for every taxpayer dollar invested in them. Sounds like the sort of return on investment a Republican administration would salute. So, why does it keep trying to cut UTTC off at the knees? BIA-DOI should find that person with the attitude, purge or re-program him or her, and restore UTTC to the budget once and for all. Copyright c. 2004 Bismarck Tribune. --------- "RE: Chilly reception in Arctic Village" --------- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:23:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GWICH'IN/INUPIAT PERSPECTIVE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/22/TRG5U52KI91.DTL [Editorial Note: The following article MUST be read in full to get a true picture of the author's intent. It is an unusual insight into a controversial Natve issue.] Chilly reception in Arctic Village, warmth in whaler town John Flinn San Francisch Chronicle February 22, 2004 They kill whales and support oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, so I didn't much expect to like the Inupiat people of northern Alaska. I was wrong. Their old trading partners, the Gwich'in, share my opposition to drilling in the refuge, and I expected a warm welcome in their village. I was wrong about that, too. "Traveling regulates the imagination by reality," Dr. Samuel Johnson once wrote. "Instead of thinking how things may be, we see them as they really are. " In other words, if the world was always as we envisioned it to be, there'd be no point in traveling. Turbulent winds and thick clouds - some of which contained mountains - had turned back our tiny plane as we tried to cross Alaska's Brooks Range en route to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, so the bush pilot dropped me off at a little gravel airstrip at the foot of the mountains and promised to return the next day for another try. I didn't much mind the delay. The airstrip was just outside a settlement called Arctic Village, home of the Gwich'in people. I'd been hoping to meet them. Athabascan Indians, the Gwich'in are said to follow one of the most traditional lives of any American Indians. They live by the subsistence hunting of the Porcupine caribou herd, whose calving grounds are threatened by oil drilling in the wildlife refuge. Living on the southern border of the refuge, the Gwich'in are among the most passionate opponents of drilling, and they refuse to accept the oil money that flows to most Alaskans. In Arctic Village, 150 Gwich'in live in 40 or so log cabins that sport sun-bleached antlers above the doors and, in some cases, satellite dishes large enough to communicate with a Mars probe. My first inkling that the village wasn't going to roll out the red carpet for me came as I walked from the airstrip into town. A man on an ATV - a four-wheeled motorcycle - drove past, and I smiled and waved. He didn't return the gesture. I'd been given the name of Sarah James, a Gwich'in environmental leader I hoped to talk to. The first person I asked about her, an elderly woman, just turned and walked away without answering. The second said: "She's not here," and strolled off before I could ask another question. I stopped in at the community store, the only real business in the village. "You have to pay," were the first words out of the mouth of the woman behind the counter. "But I haven't bought anything yet." "For camping," she said. "If you're camping out at the airstrip, you have to pay. Five dollars." I handed her a $5 bill and asked if there were anyone in the village I might interview for my story. "No," she said, and turned away. At the tribal office, there was a poster showing caribou migration routes and a child's crayon drawing of oil derricks and caribou, with the words, "Stop the drilling it will hurt the animals." I introduced myself to the woman inside and asked if I might talk to one of the tribal leaders. As I stood next to her, she telephoned a man: "Hey, there's a writer here wants to talk to you . . . yeah, he's standing right here . . . what should I tell him?" She hung up, turned to me and said, "He couldn't come to the phone. He's in the shower." "I don't mind waiting." "No. You should go." Maybe it was my imagination, but as I walked back to the airstrip, every resident of Arctic Village seemed to be glaring at me, giving the look Hawaiians call "stink eye." I've never felt less welcomed, anywhere. Nine days later, our group was paddling along the shore of the Arctic Ocean early one morning when a prehistoric-looking sight appeared out of the mist: the rib cage of a butchered bowhead whale, large enough to park a pickup truck in. We were approaching the Inupiat village of Kaktovic. The Inupiat are what used to be called Eskimos. (The older term, derived from an Algonquin word that means "eaters of raw flesh," has gone out of favor, but most of the Inupiat I talked to use it anyway.) Their whale hunting is sanctioned by the International Whaling Commission, which permits them to kill three a year. Until 1979, the Inupiat stood with the Gwich'in against drilling on Alaska's North Slope, but they were eventually persuaded to drop their opposition and accept oil royalties. If energy companies one day sink their wells in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the residents of Kaktovic stand to do very well: They own some of the land involved. "Going into town?" said a round, friendly face from the window of a pickup truck. "Hop in the back. Hey, d'ya see nanuk out by the whale bones? He was there yesterday." Nanuk is the Inupiat word for polar bear. Home to 300 people and a lightly staffed Defense Early Warning station, a relic of the Cold War, Kaktovic is a collection of tumbledown cabins and Quonset huts hunkered down against the Arctic weather. Every residence seemed to have three snowmobiles parked out front: one in working order, the other two stripped for parts. Huskies chained in front yards wagged their tails furiously as I walked by. A mother and three small children, all on the same ATV, stopped to give directions to the mayor's office and pose for photographs. "Send me a copy!" the mother yelled over her shoulder as she roared off. At the back of the community center, where village children were watching a video of "Peter Pan," I found Mayor Lon Sonsalla. He dropped what he was doing and ushered me into his office for a chat. "We do most of our whaling in September," he said. "When the guys get one, they hitch up all their little boats like a dogsled team and tow it into shore. Everyone else drops what they're doing and heads down to the beach. School lets out. We all go down to the whale and say prayers. It's a very special time for us." I asked him about oil drilling. "We want to be the guys who watch what (the oil companies) are doing, and we want to be in control of what's done," he said. "This is our backyard we're talking about. The reputation of the oil companies precedes them, but we think (the drilling) can be done without disturbing the caribou. Besides, we really need the jobs." And he had this to say about the environmentalists in the Lower 48 fighting to keep the refuge pristine: "If this is their nirvana, I have a hard time understanding why they don't come up here and live. And I have a problem with people 4,000 miles away telling us how to lead our lives. We wouldn't go down to New York City and tell them they have to tear out their roads and buildings." I still don't like whale hunting and I still don't like the idea of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But I couldn't help liking the cheerful, forthright Inupiat people of Kaktovic. And I don't blame the Gwich'in people of Arctic Village for giving me the cold shoulder. They've chosen to follow a traditional way of life, with limited contact with the outside world, and by barging in uninvited with my notebook and camera, I was no doubt offending them half a dozen different ways. Travel, by allowing us to view life through the prism of other cultures, sometimes teaches us lessons that have been right under our noses all along. The one I take away from this little story is this: We can disagree with people - sometimes vehemently - and still enjoy their company. And common cause does not necessarily, as one would suppose, equal affinity. E-mail John Flinn at travel@sfchronicle.com. Copyright c. 2004 San Francisco Chronicle. --------- "RE: Urban Aboriginals celebrate Decision" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 08:30:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="URBAN ABORIGINAL RIGHTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.theglobeandmail.com/~/20040218/NATIVE18/National/Idx Urban aboriginals celebrate decision By GRAEME SMITH February 18, 2004 WINNIPEG - Urban aboriginal groups say they have a new legal right to demand federal funds and control over their social programs now that Ottawa has given up a court battle over whether the government discriminated against off-reserve natives. In December, the Attorney-General was given 60 days to appeal a Federal Court ruling that found that the government treated urban native groups unfairly by shutting them out of a training program. The government did not appeal - a decision that urban aboriginal groups celebrated yesterday. "This will completely change the way that Ottawa deals with urban communities," said Roger Obonsawin, the chair of the Aboriginal Peoples Council of Toronto. "Now they will have to deal with us directly." The decision will likely affect all federal programs, Mr. Obonsawin said, although the court challenge dealt only with the way that the former Human Resources Development Canada distributed funds for employment and training services. The money was given to band councils on native reserves, but in urban areas the government issued contracts directly to service providers. Aboriginal groups in Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton and the Ardoch native community in the Ottawa Valley took the case to court, claiming discrimination under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Federal Judge Francois Lemieux agreed in his 2002 ruling: "Such exclusion violates their human dignity in a fundamental way," he wrote, ordering HRDC to give the urban groups control over training. The government's first appeal was denied, and now that further appeals are impossible some observers say the precedent could reshape Ottawa's relationship with urban natives. Aboriginals are a booming demographic in many cities: from 1981 to 1991, the urban Aboriginal population grew by 62 per cent. In Manitoba, the 1996 Census found about 35 per cent of the province's natives living in cities. But about 90 per cent of government funding is still aimed at reserves. Experts are divided about whether the court's decision will oblige the federal government to directly fund urban aboriginal groups, which often rely on support from other native groups, provinces, and municipalities. Copyright c. 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Chretien to testify in Gas Royalties Lawsuit" --------- Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:23:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHRETIEN" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/~id=f77ef779-7cfa-4ad1-9c4e-197175d75954 Chretien to testify in Calgary court at native lawsuit into gas royalties JUDY MONCHUK Canadian Press February 22, 2004 CALGARY (CP) - Former prime minister Jean Chretien appears in a Calgary courtroom Monday to answer questions from a central Alberta Cree band that claims Ottawa gassed $1.4 billion in energy royalties. Lawyers for the federal government and Chretien fought for months to keep him out of court, arguing the Samson Cree Nation only wanted to debate changes to aboriginal policy during Chretien's time in government. But the judge overseeing the massive lawsuit ruled in December that parliamentary privilege ceased when Chretien became a private citizen - setting up the unprecedented testimony. "Because of Mr. Chretien's involvement over the last 40 years, he has a great deal of knowledge," said Ed Molstad, co-counsel for the band. The lawsuit alleges Ottawa mismanaged the lucrative Bonnie Glen natural gas field on the Hobbema reserve, 90 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. Unproven claims by Samson allege the government charged inadequate royalties and failed to properly track production. Federal Court Justice Max Teitelbaum ruled that Chretien's past roles as minister of finance, justice and Indian affairs mean he could offer helpful evidence in the case which has heard 294 days of testimony since May 2000. But the judge, perhaps mindful of the potential spectacle, has also warned that he will not tolerate any "fishing expeditions" or attempts to engage Chretien in political debate. "We'll be asking (Chretien) a number of questions about what occurred during the time he was minister and since that time," said Molstad. "He has had direct involvement in relation to the management or lack of management of these monies." Chretien's testimony is expected to last two to four days. Samson officials say Chretien was the key architect of important changes to aboriginal policy. He oversaw changes to interest rates applied to money held in trust for First Nations peoples and a land claims policy which dealt with treaty interpretation. Band leaders also hope Chretien can offer insight into Ottawa's position on historic treaties and the federal government's role as trustee of native lands and resources. Band spokeswoman Marilyn Buffalo said elders will attend Monday's proceedings to hear testimony from the former prime minister, an honourary chief of the Samson Cree Nation. "He's Chief White Owl and with that title comes responsibilities," Buffalo said. "He must come and tell the story of what happened and why certain decisions were made." Molstad said documents made by federal ministers, including Chretien, have been produced which discuss changes to aboriginal policy as it was being developed. "Mr. Chretien is being called to offer additional explanation behind some of that documentation," he said. In its defence, the Crown says the band signed away its mineral rights in a 1946 agreement. It also denies the funds were mismanaged, and claims interest earned was similar to that of low-risk bonds. Buffalo hopes Chretien's testimony will focus some attention on the case which has drawn only sporadic public interest over the last four years. "I hope that all Canadians are going to realize that there are some very important aboriginal rights cases that need to be reviewed," she said. Court officials expect the 133-seat courtroom will be packed for the start of Chretien's testimony. Two rows have been set aside just for media. Chretien is the final witness for the Samson Cree on the money management section of the lawsuit. Final arguments are not expected for several months. Copyright c. 2004 The Canadian Press. --------- "RE: Potentially damaging S.D. Bills nearly passed" --------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:28:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRUST LANDS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=3830 Potentially damaging bills in S. Dakota legislature almost pass Law would have prevented or slowed Indian land acquisition PIERRE SD Ruth Steinberger February 16, 2004 Two bills recently before the South Dakota legislature passed under the wire without being noticed although both potentially contained very serious language to limit or prevent tribes from having land placed into trust by the Department of the Interior. HB 1296 and 1297 prevented private or public land, respectively, from being acquired by the federal government without the agreement of local governments. The debate was contentious. Proponents argued that the federal government is encroaching on the states and currently owns 50% of land in the US. Opponents argued a number of issues, including the constitutionality of the limitations. Ultimately HB 1296 was tabled. Prime sponsor, Larry Rhoden (R-Union Center) said, "The states are loosing their sovereignty one acre at a time." Tracy Labin, Seneca/ Mohawk, is Senior Staff Attorney for Native American Rights Fund (NARF). Labin noted that the hearings on HB 1296 were controversial and added, "Only one time was there a question of transfer to tribes and the question was not answered. This was the only reference to tribes in the hour-long debate on the bill. Primarily, the opponents were concerned about the government stepping in to say you cannot sell your land to another entity." No representatives from any tribe were present at the hearings. In testimony, the potential impact on tribes was called one of the `unintended consequences.' In addition to tribal interests, the federal government acquires land for the military, the forest service and the Bureau of Land Management. Tracy Labin explained that the potential impact to tribes, had this legislation passed, is unclear. Section 465 of the Indian Reorganization Act, originally passed in 1934, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land to place in trust for tribes. Labin said, "Tribes could be implicated in this scenario [created by HB 1296 and 1297]." Currently, the authority of the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the benefit of tribes is being challenged by the State of South Dakota in a case involving the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. NARF is representing the Lower Brule Tribe. Referencing the Lower Brule case, Labin said, "The Attorney General's office is arguing that Section 465 is an unconstitutional delegation of congressional authority. They are trying to invalidate the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for tribes altogether." Labin was asked whether HB 1296 could be a way to legislatively limit the authority granted to the Secretary of the Interior to place land into trust for tribes because the courts have thus far not provided the solution the state is seeking. Labin said, "This case involves tribal land in the state of South Dakota and the state of South Dakota is attacking the ability to take land into trust for tribes. The state is very clear that it doesn't want land in trust for Indian tribes and I think the suit [against the Lower Brule decision] demonstrates that." She noted that often state, counties and local governments are very proactive in filing opposition to acquisition of land for tribes. HB 1296 and HB 1297 could be a mechanism for stopping land acquisition for tribes altogether. Labin explained Section 465. She said, "The Indian Reorganization Act was passed to reverse the effects of allotment. Over 90 million acres of tribal land was lost during the period of allotment, which spanned from 1887 until 1934. This provision was aimed specifically at reacquiring land for Indians and Indian tribes, giving the Secretary of Interior authority to take land into trust." This does, in fact, include purchasing land and placing it into trust for Indian tribes. Labin said that although the federal government does not normally buy land to take into federal trust for tribes, this bill preventing the sale of land by private individuals to the federal government, without the consent of local government or the state legislature, could effectively prevent the federal government from acquiring land for tribes. When asked, Labin said, "If the acquisition was for the purpose of an Indian trust acquisition, than it could prevent that." She noted that once a decision places a piece of land into federal trust, it is not actually placed in trust for 30 days, giving local and state government a 30 day opportunity to file suit. If they do so the land is not placed in trust until the resolution of that suit. Proponents of HB 1296 would have ensured that any appeal by the state would actually be decided by the state itself, a convenient solution for restricting tribal acquisition of land. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2003 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: Jicarilla ask Cheney for help with Dispute" --------- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 08:16:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REZ CRIME" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com/artman/publish/article_8791.shtml Jicarilla ask Cheney for help with dispute By The Associated Press February 20, 2004 DULCE - The Jicarilla Apache Nation's president has asked Vice President Dick Cheney for help in getting federal agents to come to Dulce. Cheney's office confirmed Wednesday it had received the letter from tribal President Claudia Vigil-Muniz, who asked federal help "combating the crime and corruption which threatens our families, our children and our wealth." Cheney spokesman Kevin Kellems said the letter has been referred to the Justice Department and Bureau of Indian Affairs. "I am not aware of any sort of outcome yet from that," he said. The tribal president's letter said federal officials "in Indian country are polite but have provided no help in dealing with our current problems." Five members of the eight-member Tribal Council and the president are at odds over control of the Jicarilla's 24-member police department, and Vigil-Muniz wrote that she wanted help in regaining control of the department. Eric Frame, director of the tribe's Department of Public Safety, has said tribal police officers have been fired, rehired and fired again for such offenses as using excessive force, mishandling drugs seized as evidence and drunken driving. He also has said it's not certain who's in charge - members of the council or Vigil-Muniz. Two officers fired earlier were recently reinstated by a five-member council majority. Copyright c. 2004 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Mon, Feb 23 2004 19:18:40 -0700 From: Janet Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Native American Prisoner Pen Pal Network (NAPN) has over 400 Native American inmates seeking correspondents. Also on this page is a gallery of Native inmates' artwork and crafts, stories and poems, and requests for legal assistance. You can also find Native Inmate Support Links and state and federal corrections links. If you know a prisoner who would like to be included, the site provides an application form for him or her to send in. As a volunteer in a federal prison, I can tell you that pen pals mean a lot to these inmates. For some, it is the only outside contact they have, and their only indication that they matter to anyone outside prison walls. It's particularly helpful to them to have Native correspondents, as the isolation from Native traditions is particularly intense inside. Go to http://www.napn.us/napnentrance.html to enter NAPN. Note: this site is restricted to persons over 18 years old. --------- "RE: History: Carlisle Indian School" --------- Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 16:16:54 -0500 From: Barbara Landis Subj: January 30, 1891 INDIAN HELPER, Carlisle Indian School. [Editorial Note: These reprints are being included in this newsletter so that you might know the mind of those who ran institutions like Carlisle.] [Note from Barb: "a son of No-Water" mentioned below on page 2, paragraph 5, was, indeed, the returned Carlisle student who killed Lt. Casey after the massacre at Wounded Knee, even though the HELPER denies it in this issue. Plenty Horse killed Casey in January 1891. During his enrollment to Carlisle, he was called "Plenty Living Bear" as was typically the case of students being identified by their parents' names as surnames, rather than by their given names.] THE INDIAN HELPER ~%^%~ A WEEKLY LETTER FROM THE Carlisle Indian Industrial School To Boys and Girls. ================================================ VOL. VI. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1891 NUMBER 21 ================================================ HOW TO BE HAPPY. --------- Are you almost disgusted With life, little man? I will tell you a wonderful trick that will bring you contentment If anything can -- Do something for somebody, quick; Do something for somebody, quick! Are you awfully tired With play, little girl? Weary, discouraged, and sick? I'll tell you the loveliest Game in the world -- Do something for somebody, quick; Do something for somebody, quick; Though it rains like the rain Of the flood, little man, And the clouds are forbidding and thick, You can make the sun shine In your soul, little man-- Do something for somebody, quick; Do something for somebody, quick! Though the skies are like brass Overhead, little girl, And the walk like a well-heated brick; And your earthly affairs In a terrible whirl? Do something for somebody, quick; Do something for somebody, quick! -[Selected. ========= THE TOO-WOR-UX-TY STONE. ----- "Toot-kux-a-hoo Ter-er-e-kow-a," cried a score or more of my Pawnee pupils at recess, as they came rushing in from their play, for they had been long enough with us to learn the civilized method of