_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 12, ISSUE 043 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 October 23, 2004 Zuni Li'dekwakkwya lana/big wind moon Western Cherokee Duninhdi/harvest moon Mvskogee Otowoskv-rakko/big chestnut moon Eastern Cherokee Nvda tsiyahloha/harvest 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; NDNAIM, Frostys AmerIndian and RezLife 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "United States citizenship was just another way of absorbing us and destroying our customs and our government. How could these Europeans come over and tell us we were citizens in our country? We had our own citizenship. By its [the Citizenship Act of 1924] provisions all Indians were automatically made United States citizens whether they wanted to be so or not. This was a violation of our sovereignty." "Our citizenship was in our nations." __ Chief Clinton Rickard, Tuscarora +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Veterans' Day is November 11. If a bill approved in congress gets signed, November 7 is Native American Veterans' Day. No matter what your position is on the chaos in the mideast, do all you can to support the men and women risking their lives there. "Native Crossings", the companion obituary listings for this newsletter, lists our brothers and sisters who completed their earth walk over there almost every week - this in spite of administration efforts to keep body count out of the news. We have always stepped up and fulfilled our destinies as warriors, and are doing so now. I have the honor of serving as emcee at the Euharlee Georgia Native American Festival that is hosted by a warrior society and is a healing circle for veterans. Those veterans and their families we do not see at Euharlee will be kept in our prayers Again, I make a simple request - support our brothers and sisters in harms way. =================================== ANNUAL WINTER APPEALS Thursday, September 30, I sent out a notice to several individuals and groups that have supported winter needs. I am sharing that notice with all readers and asking you to please let this space help you help our Peoples. ---- Greetings This brief email is being sent as winter nears. I distribute a newsletter, Wotanging Ikche; and each year before winter sets in through the first of January I run names, addresses and needs of our elders and children throughout Indian Country. I don't draw any lines such as rez/urban. If there is a need, it's included. Send the contact name, address, phone, email, website (or as much as you can) Include the need (clothing, toys for kids, food, fuel money...) If there is a limited run (like now to two weeks before Christmas) include that. Send your information to: gars@speakeasy.net Please make the subject: WINTER HELP (all caps) Get this information to me as soon as you can. Spread the word. I will also copy whatever I run in Wotanging Ikche to some of the Mailing Lists I'm on, like RezLife, NDNAIM, Rez_LIfe, FrostysAmerIndian... Thanks, gary ---- =================================== The first response came from our Mohawk brother, Frosty Deere. It is an important need to those Mohawk who call Kahnawake home. Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 19:52:51 -0400 From: "Frosty" Subj: Re: Winter Needs Rez & Urban http://www.tewateiahsatakaritat.com/pool/ Maybe you could include the above address, it explains everything. The Kahnawake Pool Project What happened to the Current pool? Its old, out dated, broken and cant be used in the middle of winter. How can people help? Well you can either buy a raffle ticket, donate money, or help find people to donate money for the pool. How can I help ? Well their are number of ways, one is just send a dollar to Indoor Pool Project, Box 821, Kahnawake Quebec J0L-1B0. Take a collection where you work. Get the company where you work to donate. Spread the word to as many people you know that can afford a dollar or more. Contacts: MacKenzie Whyte E-mail Address: Ronald Deere aka Frosty mackenziew@mck.ca E-mail Address(es): frosty@frostys.qc.ca Lou Ann Stacey frosty@kahonwes.com E-mail Address: louanns@mck.ca =================================== Date: Sunday, October 10, 2004 04:16 pm From: Lisa Mailing List: NDNAIM Greetings everyone, Happy Fall ! The cooler weather is setting in. Elections are next month, get out an vote. We still need to believe that our votes count. Two important votes next month, not only for the U.S. President but for all you Pine Ridge tribal members your presidential election. "VOTE" TOY DRIVE : Leonard wanted us to kick off the x-mas toy drive for Oglala. Grandmother Roselyn will be hosting this event again this year. "NEW" toys will be accepted for children of all ages. Clothing items that are always needed such as socks, stocking caps, gloves, shoes and underware (new) will be given to the Loneman School Nurse to be given on a "needed" basis. Roselyn says there are many children who come to school in the middle of a South Dakota winter wearing sandels. So the school nurse will be able to handle these items better as needed. Roselyn will also accept Wal-Mart and K-mart gift cards. These will help with specific items that she can purchase. Everything should be mailed directly to Roselyn's house. Roselyn Jumping Bull PO Box 207 Oglala, SD 57764 (605) 867-2231 (Note: FYI: Grandmother Roselyn's will be celebrating a birthday in Nov. I could be off on this a day but I think it is Nov 15, and she will be 74.) =================================== Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 01:25 pm From: Brigitte Thimiakis Subj: Winter Needs Greetings Gary, Honor Your Spirit, Protect The Children (HYS) is working on a new winter project for the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in MT. I will send you the request as soon as it is ready. I pray that once again many people will send help to all the places with children, elders and families in need of support. We do have a Christmas catalogue which is ready for people who wish to order First Nations art and crafts items. These items make very nice gifts for Christmas. They are authentic First Nations artwork and items like horsehair hatbands or belts can also be handed down from generation to generation. ALL the proceeds from the sales are used to help the elders and children in need. The founder of HYS is Northern Cheyenne and our contacts on the reservation are Northern Cheyenne also. It would be very much appreciated if you could regularly enclose the url to the HYS catalogue in your newsletter. HYS Arts and crafts catalogue http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/fncrafts.html "Honor Your Spirit, Protect the Children" Manuel Redwoman, Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Arapaho http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/home.html Thank you for your message and continued support. With kindest regards to you and Janet, Respectfully, Brigitte <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o "Honor Your Spirit, Protect the Children" Manuel Redwoman, Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Arapaho http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/home.html STOP CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/stopabuse.html Adult Children of Child Abuse http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adult_children_of_child_abuse/ HYS Arts and crafts catalogue http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/fncrafts.html <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) gars@speakeasy.org P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - Louis Gray: Crucial Vote, - Indian Fisherman are you Registered worried about Mercury Pollution - Native American Votes - YELLOW BIRD: critical in S.D. Contest Let's find Sakakawea's Grave - Courage guaranteed N.M. Indians' - Interior signs Pipeline Freedom to Vote Agreement renewal - Rock the Rez, get out the Vote - Kanehsatake Elections - Letter from CNO Chief Smith - Town fate tied to Kake Get Out the Vote Tribal fight to survive - NCAI kicks off Convention - Saskatchewan Me'tis - High Court frustrates Indians declare Hunting Rights - Nation's Indians - Manitoba Me'tis fearing loss of independence may face charges for Hunting - Nez Perce Trail tells Stories - Treaty 3 sets agenda of Honor, Sorrow for coming Year - Efforts revived to save Black Mesa - Nobody loves Indigenous People - Telescope Site opposed by Tribes who Resist to be dedicated - Brazilians Battle Indians - Dzil Nchaa Si An - Native Prisoner - Desecration of Burial Mound -- Good News from Manuel Redwoman - Support offered - Rustywire: in Oneida Land Claim Case Albuquerque Indian School - A fight to save the Tradition - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days of Wild Rice - Tali Unole Verse: - Stay optimistic about Voices from Long Ago new Klamath Partnership - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Louis Gray: Crucial Vote, are you Registered" --------- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:06:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LOUIS GRAY: INDIAN VOTE" http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5265 Commentary: Crucial vote approaches, are you registered? Friday the last day to register Many suffered greatly for this precious right TULSA OK Louis Gray October 7, 2004 In Oklahoma, Friday, October 8th is the last day to register to vote in the November election. South Dakota has until October 18 to register. Native American Tribes are registering their fellow tribesmen in record numbers. A source at the Cherokee Nation says that tribe may well sign up 15,000 new voters for the coming election. Other tribes are also registering impressive numbers. Dr. Tom Coburn's racially insensitive comments about Cherokees may awaken the sleeping giant. Coburn may be credited with energizing the Native American vote. But, lets not just vote against him, but for something. Our future. There can never be enough registered voters, and with so much on the line, every Native American who is able, needs to register and vote. But, first you have to register. Go to the election board, or contact your tribe and see who is in charge of voter registration to sign up for the coming election. Voting for Native Americans is only 80 years old, and Indians are the least likely to vote of any race in America. Many would find that ironic since no group has more reason to vote than anyone else. More legislation is passed regarding Indian people than any other race. Per capita, we have the lowest representation among all racial groups. Not all of the legislation is for the benifet of Indian people. Not all political parties work for Indian people. Politicians attack Indian causes and people secure in the knowledge that Indian people cannot respond with the vote because not only because of our low registration, but the ones that are registered are less likely to vote. That may be changing. Indian people have shed more blood per capita than any other race so that this country can remain free. Indian people have stood in harm's way to protect the rights of those who cannot vote. Native people have voted with their lives, now is the time to vote at the ballot box. We must honor the sacrifices of those who gave up everything so that we could vote for our children. <> Indian people are the First Americans, may we become the first to vote in 2004. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2004 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: Native American Votes critical in S.D. Contest" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 08:48:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOUTH DAKOTA VOTES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thehill.com/news/101304/sd.aspx Native American votes critical in S.D. contest Thune hopes Bush coattails will help him defeat Daschle By Geoff Earle October 13, 2004 RAPID CITY, S.D. - American Indians traverse South Dakota's wind-swept plains from reservations across the state to join in the annual Black Hills Pow Wow - held in the pine-covered mountains they believe is their spiritual birthplace. Politicians come here, too, seeking votes that could decide the most closely watched Senate race in the country. Former Rep. John Thune (R) works the event for hours, knowing that he lost to Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson in 2002 by only 524 votes. The final ballots that made the difference came from the impoverished Pine Ridge reservation about two hours southeast of here. Almost all of them went to Johnson. "We're working hard to earn their vote," Thune says. This year, as almost every voter in South Dakota knows from almost nonstop politicking and constant media coverage, Thune is engaged in a battle with an even tougher opponent, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Although Thune hopes to get a boost from President Bush's popularity - Bush carried the state 60 to 38 percent in 2000 - Thune needs to do something to blunt Daschle's support among about a fifth of Republican voters, who are mindful of what Daschle can deliver as the Senate's leading Democrat. Picking off some of Daschle's Indian voters could make up the difference. At the annual powwow, guests line up to shake hands with Thune and GOP state Sen. Larry Diedrich, who is running for the House seat held by Democrat Stephanie Herseth, after attending a chili "feed" sponsored by state Republicans. But several of them expect more than a handshake and a snapshot with the candidate. They want hard assurances about delivering social services to the reservations and honoring treaty obligations. "We need help," says Kay Allison, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe. "We need housing - everything." The powwow is an ideal opportunity to reach some of the poorest and most isolated voters in a state whose small population entitles it to representation by only a single House member. Daschle had hoped to hold a "feed" of his own the previous night but had to stay in Washington as the Senate held a rare weekend session. He had to cancel televised debates with Thune scheduled here on Friday, Sunday and Monday nights and to pass up countless opportunities for retail politics, from homecoming parades to high school football games. While Daschle stayed in Washington to toil with a threatened Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) filibuster on a tax bill, Thune lined up for the ceremonial grand entry into the Rapid City Civic Center, standing alongside hundreds of Indians wearing face paint and ceremonial garb replete with eagle feathers and animal pelts. But even though Daschle was pinned down in Washington, he got to bring home a substantial prize: a $3 million drought-relief package that he helped attach to an emergency spending package of Florida hurricane relief, plus tax benefits to benefit ethanol producers, a major industry in the state. The grand entry drags on for more than half an hour. Thune enthusiastically joins in, hopping from foot to foot alongside Lakota Sioux tribesmen as they bang bass drums. Afterward, the three-term former congressman finds himself in a closed- door meeting with a circle of tribal activists eager to test him. Several say they are open to political change, citing persistent poverty on reservations despite Daschle's 26 years in Congress. "A lot of us are taken for granted," says Jesse Taken Alive, who lives on the Standing Rock reservation along the North Dakota border and says he has never voted for a Republican. "Now we're asking these questions: What kind of commitments can you make to us?" Taken Alive says he is angry about a legislative rider that Daschle pushed through Congress to allow limited logging in old-growth forests in the Black Hills. He says he's also disappointed in the lack of progress at an invitation-only tribal summit Daschle held last month. "We're hoping this gentleman will be able to offer more," he tells a reporter. Other tribe members want to hear Thune's position on reparations - like those awarded to Japanese Americans interned in prison camps during World War II. Most important, they want assurances that the U.S. government will honor its treaty obligations - in particular the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie and the 1868 Treaty with the Sioux - which established the boundaries of the Great Sioux reservation across five states, including half the state of South Dakota and the Black Hills. "The federal government has a responsibility and obligation to honor treaties," Thune tells the group. That seems to do the trick for Taken Alive. "That's the kind of people we're going to work with - that are honest and simple," he tells the group after Thune's comments. But according to Charmaine White Face, a political columnist, "Thune's responses indicated that he doesn't understand what the treaty really means." She then turns Daschle's clout, presumed to be his strength, on its head. "To me, a freshman senator is less dangerous than a minority leader," she said. "He's trainable. Daschle's an old dog." Daschle is perhaps the nation's most endangered incumbent senator, along with freshman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). The race is considered a toss-up, although Daschle has held a slight but steady lead in recent independent polls. On the South Dakota airwaves, the candidates have been heavily engaged since June while outside groups and party committees have poured millions into the race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has run ads linking Daschle to Kennedy and Sen. John Kerry. In one of the more positive ads on the air, a mustached man identified as a Democrat praises Thune, saying, "I don't think he'll go back to Washington, D.C., and forget who he is and where he's from" - a clear dig at Daschle. Daschle's ads respond in kind. "John Thune talks a good game but doesn't back it up," says the announcer on one Daschle radio spot about ethanol. Despite the negative ads filling the airwaves, many voters hold both candidates in high regard. "I like all of them," says Allison, the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe member, who collects Social Security and got a small part in the movie "Dances with Wolves," which was filmed here. Daschle, she says, "tries to help the Indian." Daschle hopes to get as much as 95 percent of the American Indian vote, a few points more than went to Johnson, who has strong ties on the reservations. Daschle has field offices on every reservation and set up a registration office on the populous Pine Ridge reservation eight months ago. Republicans just set up an office in a prime location near the gas station and taco stand where people congregate. Daschle has visited each reservation in the state and won the endorsement of all the tribal governments. "He's an excellent campaigner," says George McGovern, the former senator and Democratic presidential nominee in 1972 who now lives in the small town of Mitchell. "He's a tireless worker - keeps himself in top-notch physical and mental condition." McGovern says South Dakota voters have become more "pragmatic and independent" since he was defeated by Republican Jim Abdnor in 1980, whom Daschle defeated six years later. Daschle "has to count on getting every Democrat in the state plus 25 percent of the Republicans to win," he said. Despite the best efforts of the candidates, much will hinge on the presidential contest, where a Bush win of up to 65 percent could boost Republicans across the ticket. Still, Daschle aides say coattails won't mean much in a state where both candidates have 100 percent name identification and many voters have met them both. And although he will win handily statewide, Bush may not be able to help Thune in Indian country. "We want a different [president]," says Allison. "I don't like the war. They killed my grandson." Copyright c. 2004 The Hill, Washington, DC. --------- "RE: Courage guaranteed N.M. Indians' Freedom to Vote" --------- Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 08:11:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MIGUEL H. TRUJILLO" http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/opinions04/101304_opinions_eddie.shtml His courage guaranteed N.M. Indians' freedom to vote October 13, 2004 In 1948 a 44-year-old former Marine sergeant and World War II veteran was the principal at Laguna Pueblo Day School and taught classes there. Taking advantage of the GI Bill, he also took courses at the University of New Mexico. On June 14 of that year he went to register to vote at the Valencia County Courthouse in Los Lunas. Even though he was a U.S. citizen, a local resident and a war veteran, clerks refused to register Miguel H. Trujillo because he was an American Indian. In 1924 the Indian Citizenship Act graciously deemed American Indians citizens of their own land, earning them the right to vote in federal elections. But 24 years later, forward-thinking New Mexico still prevented Indians who lived on reservations (which, in 1948, was probably 99 percent of Indians in New Mexico) from voting in state elections under a provision in the state Constitution that prohibited "insane persons . . . and Indians not taxed." In other words, if you were mentally ill or lived on a reservation, or both, you couldn't vote. Outraged that he could fight for the United States in war, but couldn't vote in his home state, Trujillo of Isleta Pueblo, sued New Mexico in federal court and won. On Aug. 3, 1948, a three-judge panel in Santa Fe ruled that New Mexico's provision banning Indians was "discrimination on the grounds of race" and violated the U.S. Constitution. The ruling was hailed by then-U.S. Sen. Dennis Chavez, an Albuquerque Democrat, who said: "The idea that Indians are not beneficiaries of American rights like any other citizen belongs to long ago. New Mexico cannot give one class of citizens civil rights and deprive the Indians of the same. We are making progress." A couple of months later, however, state Attorney General Walter Kegel had to reject Santa Fe District Attorney Marcelino Gutierrez's request for double lines at polling places so "intelligent voters can vote without having to wait for all of the Indian voters." Trujillo predated such civil rights heroes as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, yet remains mostly unknown in New Mexico and U.S. history. There is, however, an annual award in his name for, fittingly, people whose humanitarian efforts in Albuquerque were for the most part unrecognized in their lifetimes. Trujillo went on to a lifelong career in education, picking up bachelor's and master's degrees at UNM and working toward a doctorate at Cal-Berkeley. His Bureau of Indian Affairs administrative and teaching work led to positions in Utah, Laguna, Tohatchi, Paraje School, Picuris Pueblo and Yuma Indian School. He died in August 1989 at a Laguna Pueblo nursing home after a series of strokes left him largely unable to communicate. His civil rights efforts were the topic of a seminar at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in 1987. He was unable to attend and when told of the seminar, "He didn't do anything but cry," his daughter, Josephine Waconda, was quoted as saying. "He understood what was going on; he couldn't formulate the words." On Nov. 2, Indians in New Mexico can honor Trujillo's courageous efforts by going to the polls - or not. Thanks to him, at least they have that choice. ---- Eddie Chuculate (Creek/Cherokee) is a Tribune copy editor who writes about American Indian issues. His column appears on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Reach him at 823-3677 or echuculate@abqtrib.com. Copyright c. 2004 Albuquerque Tribune. --------- "RE: Rock the Rez, get out the Vote" --------- Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:51:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="VOTER PROMOTION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.brainerddispatch.com//new_1016040090.shtml Rock the Rez Mille Lacs Band, other state tribes host events to encourage Indians to get out and vote in November By JODIE TWEED Staff Writer October 16, 2004 ONAMIA - It's been 80 years since American Indians were granted the right to vote. While they typically haven't voted in large numbers, an initiative is under way at Minnesota's 11 Indian reservations to get Indians out to vote in the November election, a move that could demonstrate to politicians that Indian voters are a strong force on the political landscape. Friday, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe hosted Rock the Rez Vote Campaign Tour 2004, a free public concert and get-out-the-vote event at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Events & Convention Center near Onamia. An estimated 200 people attended the free event, which included music by Robby Romero and Red Thunder, Mille Lacs Band's Little Otter Singers and Mille Lacs Band member Cole Premo and his band, Dubiously Grand. Melanie Benjamin, chief executive for the Mille Lacs Band and co-chair of the state-wide Get Out The Vote campaign, told concert goers that the Native voice is strong when they band together. "I just can't stress how important it is to get out there," said Benjamin. "Let's show the state of Minnesota what Indian country can do when we get together." Rick Anderson, who works in the Office of Government Affairs for the Mille Lacs Band, said only about 17 percent of the Mille Lacs Band's 2,600 eligible voters are registered to vote. Their goal is to increase the number of registered voters to 50 percent this year, he said. "I really think they don't think their vote counts and we want to show them it does," said Anderson. The Mille Lacs Band's Get Out The Vote committee has been giving away T- shirts and buttons about the importance of voting at powwows and other community meetings. Before the Oct. 12 deadline they had been pre- registering voters. Before the Nov. 2 election, tribal youth will go door-to-door with adults on the Indian reservation to encourage people to vote, and the band is offering free rides to anyone in the community who needs them to go vote. The Mille Lacs Band has created a voter's guide that will be sent to band members to introduce them to their local, state and national candidates and where they stand on the issues. Judy Hanks, a Mille Lacs Band employee and statewide Get Out The Vote project coordinator, said teams have been established at all 11 Indian reservations in the state to encourage Indian voting. While it's too early to tell if this effort has paid off, Hanks said the campaign has given the tribes a sense of camaraderie. Mille Lacs Band members, members of other tribes and non-Indian community members attended Friday's concert. "It's a fun way to get people together and say, 'Let your voice be heard on election day,'" said Hanks. "You can make a difference." Shane Aune, a Mille Lacs Band member, brought his wife and children to Friday's concert. Aune said they came for the music. Aune said for the first time ever, his van is sporting a political bumper sticker, one that supports John Kerry. Aune said he is impressed by Kerry and his stand on issues, including the protection of the environment. "I really expect the numbers to be a whole lot higher this year," Aune said of Indian voters. "Even the youth are looking at the issues. They're thinking about it." Jamie Edwards, a Mille Lacs Band member, manned a Kerry/Edwards booth outside Friday's concert. He has been working full time for the Kerry/Edwards campaign to encourage Indian voters to cast their votes for the Democratic presidential candidate. "I think Kerry has a well thought-out position and a real clear understanding of tribal sovereignty and the trust responsibility that the federal government has with tribal government," said Edwards. "I think voting is critical and I think people are beginning to realize the Native American vote is critical. This is a close race and this is a swing state and I think the Native voice can really make a difference." Benjamin told concert goers she was not telling anyone which candidate they should vote for but simply encouraged them to vote, adding they can register to vote at the polls as long as they bring proper identification. Hanks said there are 33,000 eligible Indian voters in the state. She said the Get Out The Vote project likely will continue beyond the November election to encourage increased Indian voter turnout at future elections. She said they will be surveying Indian voters as they leave the polls to find out if their efforts to get them to the polls made a difference. JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858. Copyright c. 2004 Brainerd Dispatch. --------- "RE: Letter from CNO Chief Smith - Get Out the Vote" --------- Date: Saturday October 16, 2004 1:03 AM From: "Cherokee Nation" Subj: CNAC: Letter from Chief Smith - Get Out the Vote Newsgroup: soc.culture.native Cherokee Nation Action Center Message ************************************* A special message from Principal Chief Smith: Some of you have been surprised by my change of policy in supporting individual candidates in state and federal elections. The change was not undertaken lightly, or alone. The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council and I have been motivated to support U.S. Senate candidate Brad Carson with our votes and our finances because of the actions of his opponent, Tom Coburn. Tom Coburn has publicly attacked the Cherokee Nation. You can hear his comments in his own words by going to our web site, www.cherokee.org. You can hear him say that Cherokees "aren't Indians" and that our treaties are "primitive agreements that should not stand in the way of Oklahoma's future," and that he would stop tribal courts. I believe that the Cherokee Nation is a part of Oklahoma's future, as much as or more so than we are a part of Oklahoma's past. We employ more than 4,500 people in our government and our businesses. We build roads and fund public education. We provide health care to our citizens. Fortunately, Brad Carson realizes that the Cherokee Nation and other Indian Nations are assets to Oklahoma. Coburn and Carson have differences of opinions on many issues important to the future of the Cherokee Nation: ************* Issue: Indian Health Care Tom Coburn: Coburn would cut funding to Indian clinics and hospitals. Brad Carson: Carson supports funding Indian health care. Issue: Tribal Courts Tom Coburn: Coburn calls tribal courts a "nightmare." Brad Carson: Carson supports sovereign Indian governments and tribal courts. Issue: Jobs Tom Coburn: Coburn says Indian tribes are a drain on Oklahoma's economy, ignoring the fact that all tribal businesses re-invest their money in Oklahoma. Brad Carson: Carson acknowledges the contributions of Indian governments and business to Oklahoma's economy. Issue: Tribal Government Tom Coburn: Coburn says that tribes are bad for Oklahoma, and has no respect for our treaty relationship. Brad Carson: Carson understands the historic government-to-government relationship between tribes and the United States. ************* It's important for us to realize the choice that lies before us. Federal policy toward Indian tribes changes from time to time, and if Coburn is elected, there is no doubt that he will fight to cut funding for Indian programs across the board. That is why it is my duty as Principal Chief to fight for our people. We can't sit still while such an anti-Indian candidate tries to become the next Senator from Oklahoma, the home to more than 30 Indian tribes. The U.S. Senate race offers citizens and employees of the Cherokee Nation a clear choice that will affect the future of our people for at least a generation. A vote for Tom Coburn is a vote to cut services to the Cherokee people and to tear up our treaty relationship with the United States. A vote for Brad Carson clearly preserves our rights as a nation. I strongly urge you to vote for Brad Carson on November 2 for U.S. Senate. Sincerely, Chad Smith Principal Chief --------------- The Cherokee Nation is holding a "Get Out The Vote" volunteer rally this Saturday, October 16 from 3 - 4:30 p.m. to encourage participation in the November elections. The public is invited to attend. The Cherokee Nation will provide door prizes and refreshments for volunteers. The rally will be held at the Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex Veteran's Memorial, located 3.5 miles south of Tahlequah on Highway 62. For more information about Cherokee Nation's Get Out the Vote rally, please call (918) 456-0671. Wado, CherokeeLink@cherokee.org Webmaster@cherokee.org --------- "RE: NCAI kicks off Convention" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 08:48:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NCAI CONVENTION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5297 NCAI kicks off convention Teresa Heinz Kerry, J.D. Hayworth address crowd FORT LAUDERDALE FL NCAI October 12, 2004 Teresa Heinz Kerry, representing the Kerry for President Campaign, and Congressman J.D. Hayworth, R-AZ, representing the Re-elect George Bush Campaign, both applauded the National Congress of American Indians for its objective of building momentum to deliver one million American Indian votes on November 2, as the National Congress of American Indians opened its 61st Annual Convention under the theme, "Renewing The Vision: Setting A New Course For Indian Country." Getting out the vote was clearly the dominant theme during the opening session. NCAI President Tex Hall said the tribal campaign has resonated nationwide, and the likelihood of the tribes generating a minimum of a million votes is within reach. "For those politicians who underestimate the Indian vote, all I can say is look out. The tribes can make a difference, and we will," said Hall. "We will elect the candidates who stand with us, and defeat the one who let us down. We will stand up for our ideals and take a stand against oppression." Kerry said, "Our nation has not always acknowledged the tribes, and has not always treated the American Indian justly. That is an understatement. But positive change is on the way. We can work together to build an American future with equal opportunity for all Americans." She said one of her great gifts of the campaign has been the opportunity to visit Native American communities throughout the country. She pledged that a John Kerry White House would work with the tribes to find solutions to problems ignored by the Bush Administration. "The doors of the White House will be open to Native Americans," said Kerry, promising that in a Kerry Administration tribal members would be appointed to key positions, and that increased levels of support for tribal health care (including passage of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act), housing, environmental protection, and economic development would be a priority. Kerry expressed dismay that 40 percent of American Indian homes are in need of repair and 15 percent are without electricity, and spoke to the range of other challenges that have disproportionately impacted tribal communities. She underscored the potential positive impact on Indian Country of the Kerry-Edwards plan to provide health care to every child, including Indian children. She also spoke to her husband's plan to establish an enhanced program on alternate energy sources in the Department of Energy, explaining that exploration of such energy sources as wind and solar makes great economic sense. "It's the right thing to do, and it makes economic sense. No American boy or girl should ever have to die for the need for oil." She commended the tribal objective to cast a million votes in the November election. "Every vote counts," she said. "Your vote counts. It is very clear that the Indian vote can make the difference in the national election, as well as in several state races." She also said Kerry will work toward meaningful trust reform within the first 100 days after taking office. Speaking on behalf of the Bush campaign, Congressman Hayworth called the National Congress of American Indians, "the most important Congress currently in session." Quoting the U.S. Constitution, he said the federal government clearly does have a long standing trust responsibility to the tribes. Addressing Mrs. Kerry's comments, Hayworth said to gathered tribal leaders and advocates, "Words are wonderful. Words can persuade. But, ultimately, actions speak louder than words." He hailed the Bush Administration as one which has achieved many things for the tribes, such as the recent Executive Memorandum on tribal sovereignty and the implementation of the "No Child Left Behind" education program. "This president has funded 19 new schools and 25 school projects in Indian Country." He also spoke to the President's support for passage of the measure to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, a priority for many in Indian Country. "Actions do speak louder than words," he repeated, "and funding is vitally important. The president's 2005 budget request is $3.7 billion for Indian health care-an increase of nearly a half billion dollars over fiscal year 2001." "Elections are about choices," he said. "This President knows he has a clear responsibility to the first Americans, but he would never presume to speak for them. If the Native vote is to mean anything, first Americans should never be taken for granted and should always exercise their sovereignty. This president understands tribal needs, and his record speaks to that. This president knows that tribal governments deserve the same status and respect as states. He is a friend of the tribes." Congressman John Lewis, D-Georgia, gave the keynote address for the day, speaking to his journey from struggling as an activist fighting for voting rights to one of the highest-ranking members of the House of Representatives. He told delegates that African Americans can definitely identify with Native American challenges at the polls, and that it is distressing to him to hear about efforts in some parts of the country to place undue eligibility requirements on tribal voters. Lewis retraced his personal experience with the literacy tests required in the 1960's, his experiences in marches with The Rev. Martin Luther King, the 40 times he was arrested in efforts to desegregate the South, and the deaths of several friends and colleagues in that effort. "They didn't die in the Middle East or Eastern Europe or South Vietnam, but here in our own country-trying to get people registered to vote," he said. "We didn't give up. We kept pushing." Prior to passage of the Voting Rights Act, only 2.4 percent of African Americans were able to register to vote in the south due to literacy tests and other challenges. "It makes no difference whether you are Native American, Hispanic, Asian, Black or White-we must all be able to participate. It is your right. Make every vote count. Mobilize. This is the most important election of our lifetime. We can do it. We must do it. We all live in the same house. Don't let anyone divide us. Don't let anyone keep you from the polls." Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today Newspaper, told delegates that tribes are the most under-represented ethnic group in professional journalism today. He apologized for this failure on behalf of the newspaper industry. "Of 54,000 people working at daily newspapers today, only 313 are from the tribes," said Neuharth, adding that history books have failed to tell the true story of the American Indian. Worse yet, he said, they have totally ignored contemporary Indian Country. "Some of the best people to tell this story are Indian journalists," said Neuharth, who was presented with a special recognition award by the Native American Journalists Association. Presenting the award was former Cherokee Nation principal chief Wilma Mankiller. Native American Times is Copyright c. 2004 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: High Court frustrates Indians" --------- Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 10:59:37 -0400 From: Janet Smith Subj: High Court frustrates Indians http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/~story?coll=sfla-news-broward High court frustrates Indians By John Holland STAFF WRITER October 15, 2004 FORT LAUDERDALE - Facing an increasingly hostile Congress and Supreme Court, Native American tribal leaders from around the country came together this week to discuss ways to keep the independence they've enjoyed for decades. The 61st annual National Congress of American Indians convention wraps up today without any major pronouncements or visits from President George Bush or Sen. John Kerry, whom organizers hoped would arrive during the week. The candidates sent surrogates to address the increasingly influential caucus, credited with helping sway several close state and federal elections. But much of the discussion focused not on tribes' influence but on their vulnerability. A string of court decisions over the past 20 years threatens to erode Indian sovereignty, the long-standing position that they should be free to govern themselves, without interference from state or local governments. John Echohawk, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, said tribes had great success in federal courts until the mid-1980s. "The relationship began to change with the advent of the Rehnquist Supreme Court in 1986," Echohawk said, referring to Chief Justice William Rehnquist. "We face a very dangerous situation in the Supreme Court. Some justices are not understanding of Indian rights, and some others are downright hostile." Echohawk said tribes win only about 20 percent of their cases before the Supreme Court, adding that "even criminal defendants have a better" success rate. To combat that, the National Congress and other Indian organizations formed the Supreme Court Project three years ago. A special committee of lawyers and tribal leaders, its goal is to help tribes win their legal battles. The nation's highest court hears, on average, one or two Indian-related cases per session. Since the Supreme Court Project was formed, tribes have had success, including a partial victory by the Miccosukees, Echohawk said. But in its March ruling, the Supreme Court also handed the Miccosukees a setback in their fight to stop the South Florida Water Management District from polluting the Everglades. The justices overturned six years of lower court rulings in favor of the tribe and sent the case back to the U.S. District Court in Miami for more hearings. It did rule that Everglades waters were being polluted, which the tribe hailed as a victory. NCAI President Tex Hall, also known as Red-Tipped Arrow, said his organization is also looking at political strategies. Congress has the right to regulate Indian sovereignty; a point affirmed this year by the Supreme Court. The group's leaders say they are spending more time and money than ever trying to lobby Congress about Indian issues. Sen. Ben Campbell, R-Colo., the only American Indian in the Senate, is retiring this year, costing tribes their strongest supporter. Perhaps the biggest issue facing tribes is their sovereign status and right to self-determination. Under President Richard Nixon in 1970, tribes gained more power to make their own decisions and started climbing out of poverty. Unemployment on reservations fell throughout the country. In 1980, the Seminole Tribe used its sovereignty to become the first in the nation to open gambling parlors over opposition from the state. The tribe won nearly every court battle with Broward County and the state, leading other tribes around the country to follow suit. Today, 184 of the country's 562 tribes have some form of gaming, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "One of the most important things we do is to make sure the public and the elected officials are aware of the issues facing Native Americans," Hall said. "Gambling is only one issue, and only a small number are making significant amounts of money. What we're trying to do is work with Congress to make sure that our rights to be independent and govern ourselves aren't taken away." John Holland can be reached at jholland@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7909. Copyright c. 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. --------- "RE: Nation's Indians fearing loss of independence" --------- Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:51:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NCAI: SOVEREIGNTY ISSUES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities//9921323.htm Nation's Indians fearing loss of independence BY JOHN HOLLAND South Florida Sun-Sentinel October 14, 2004 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - (KRT) - Facing an increasingly hostile Congress and Supreme Court, Native American tribal leaders from around the country came together this week to discuss ways to keep the independence they've enjoyed for decades. The 61st annual National Congress of American Indians convention wraps up Friday without any major pronouncements or visits from President Bush or Sen. John Kerry, whom organizers hoped would arrive during the week. The candidates sent surrogates to address the increasingly influential caucus, credited with helping sway several close state and federal elections. But much of the discussion focused not on tribes' influence but on their vulnerability. A string of court decisions over the past 20 years threatens to erode Indian sovereignty, the long-standing position that they should be free to govern themselves without interference from state or local governments. John Echohawk, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, said tribes had great success in federal courts until the mid-1980s. "The relationship began to change with the advent of the Rehnquist Supreme Court in 1986," Echohawk said, referring to Chief Justice William Rehnquist. "We face a very dangerous situation in the Supreme Court. Some justices are not understanding of Indian rights, and some others are downright hostile." Echohawk said tribes win only about 20 percent of their cases before the Supreme Court, adding that "even criminal defendants have a better" success rate. To combat that, the National Congress and other Indian organizations formed the Supreme Court Project three years ago. A special committee of lawyers and tribal leaders, their goal is to help tribes win their legal battles. The nation's highest court hears, on average, one or two Indian-related cases per session. Since the Supreme Court Project was formed, tribes have had success, including a partial victory by the Miccosukee Indians in their fight to stop the South Florida Water Management District from polluting the Everglades, Echohawk said. But in its March ruling, the Supreme Court also handed the Miccosukees a setback. The justices overturned six years of lower court rulings in favor of the tribe and sent the case back to the U.S. District Court in Miami for more hearings. It did rule that Everglades waters were being polluted, which the tribe hailed as a victory. NCAI President Tex Hall, also known as Red-Tipped Arrow, said his organization is also looking at political strategies. Congress has the right to regulate Indian sovereignty, a point affirmed this year by the Supreme Court. The group's leaders say they are spending more time and money than ever trying to lobby Congress about Indian issues. Sen. Ben Campbell, R-Colo., the only American Indian in the Senate, is retiring this year, costing tribes their strongest supporter. Perhaps the biggest issue facing tribes is their sovereign status and right to self-determination. Under President Richard Nixon in 1970, tribes gained more power to make their own decisions and started climbing out of the poverty. Unemployment on reservations fell throughout the country. In 1980, the Seminole tribe in Florida used their sovereignty to become the first in the nation to open gambling parlors over opposition from the state. The tribe won nearly every court battle with Broward County, Fla., and the state, leading other tribes around the country to follow suit. Today, 184 of the country's 562 tribes have some form of gaming, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "One of the most important things we do is to make sure the public and the elected officials are aware of the issues facing Native Americans," Hall said. "Gambling is only one issue, and only a small number are making significant amounts of money. What we're trying to do is work with Congress to make sure that our rights to be independent and govern ourselves aren't taken away." Copyright c. 2004 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. --------- "RE: Nez Perce Trail tells Stories of Honor, Sorrow" --------- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:06:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NEZ PERCE TRAIL" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/10/11/news/mtregional/news07.txt Nez Perce trail tells stories of honor, sorrow By JODI RAVE of the Missoulian October 11, 2004 NEZ PERCE TRAIL, Idaho - A trail, and its story, snakes through thousands of ponderosa and lodgepole pines high in the Bitterroot Mountains. While most may never get near it, there are those who can still see the Nez Perce women and children who walked it 127 years ago. Pines on this trail tell a story. Voices bleed through slabs of bark peeled from the trees. It is the story of extraordinary grit, one that led 750 Nez Perce - two thirds of them women and children - on a 1,700-mile flight through Washington, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The tribe surrendered on a snowy October day in 1877. These were the Nez Perce who refused to sign a treaty. After a conflict with settlers, the chiefs knew Canada was their best chance for survival. The U.S. cavalry trailed them in a take-no-prisoners pursuit in what became known as the Nez Perce War. Notable chiefs and warriors led the Nez Perce, but it was the sorrowful surrender of Chief Joseph, only 40 miles from the Canadian border, that captured a nation's attention. It's an image that can't be forgotten. Last week, Wilfred "Scotty" Scott made his 27th trip from the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho to a lonely spot of prairie just north of the Bear Paw Mountains in Montana. His first homage was in 1977, when he and about 300 other Nez Perce traveled to where Chief Joseph spoke the words: "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." I've walked the Bear Paw battlefield. And on a recent trail ride with outfitter Harlan Opdahl of Pierce, Idaho, I saw an area where Nez Perce history collides with itself. Opdahl was leading us to the "Smoking Place." It was on the Lolo Trail, where Nez Perce guides led Lewis and Clark through the Bitterroots in 1806. The Nez Perce wanted to stop there, to pray, and give thanks to the Creator. A short 70 years later, the non-treaty Nez Perce were fleeing through the same territory toward Canada, where they were hoping to seek shelter with Sitting Bull. My own Lakota great-great-grandparents, Lucy Fights the Thunder and Mathew Poor Buffalo, were already there with the exiled chief. The Nez Perce faced many hardships as they sought refuge north of the border, what they called the Medicine Line. But they knew the land. The outfitter pointed out a lodgepole pine. A foot of bark had been stripped from what he called a "culturally modified" tree - an archeological term meaning it was altered by Native people. Stripping the cambium layer of bark reveals a jellylike substance that can be eaten. Nearby, some 200 pines bore similar marks. The U.S. Forest Service has core-dated living trees in the area to the time of the Nez Perce War. It's only one example, but it might explain how the Nez Perce survived on the trail. While the land provided sustenance, the Nez Perce further survived by outwitting the cavalry with superior strategic movements. With few warriors, they successfully won battles at White Bird, Big Hole, Clearwater and Camas Meadows. But with Canada in sight, the last battle at the Bear Paw would be the most bitter. While some 230 Nez Perce did make it to Canada, Chief Joseph surrendered to take care of the weak, the dying and the dead. The cavalry later would send survivors to Oklahoma's Indian Territory. But even for those who died at the Bear Paw, it was an unfinished journey. A century later, the battlefield was still a place of strife. Jimmy Earthboy, an Assiniboine Cree, bore witness to this. In 1974, he, his wife and a couple from Canada visited the battlefield. As he and the man walked the ground where Nez Perce died, the women took seats nearby. It would be an unsettling day for all, and they shared the same experience: They all heard screams and blasting cannons. Earthboy telephoned the Nez Perce tribe. Scott remembers the words: "Jimmy said: 'Something needs to be done out there. There is a lot of unrest out there, a lot of sorrow out there, a lot of spirits are not at rest.' " Four spiritual leaders were called upon to pray for healing at the battlefield. That took place in 1977, marking 100 years since Chief Joseph's surrender. Scotty and other Nez Perce now make annual trips to the battlefield to pray and make offerings to heal. Scott, a Vietnam veteran, said he has returned each year since to gain a better understanding of what happened to his people. Many non-Natives have tried to do the same. Darrell Casey of Helena recently completed a solo guitar composition, "Remembering Joseph," to help create a sense of what the Nez Perce experienced as 2,000 soldiers waged war upon them. He is performing the piece in schools and museums, a reminder of Chief Joseph's death 100 years ago last month. Other non-Natives have traveled to the Bear Paw, one of 17 battle sites along the trail visited by Scott in nearly 30 years. He often meets people hearing the story of the Nez Perce for the first time. Many cry and say they don't understand why nobody's offered an apology, Scott said. His tells them: "That's not why we're here. We're not after an apology. We just want to honor our people." Jodi Rave covers Native issues for Lee Enterprises. She can be reached at (800) 366-7186 Ext. 299 or jodi.rave@missoulian.com Copyright c. 2004 Missoulian; a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Efforts revived to save Black Mesa" --------- Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 08:45:22 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DoI, PEABODY COAL" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.gallupindependent.com/101304blackmesa.html Efforts revived to save Black Mesa Agreement may come by February By Jim Maniaci Dine' Bureau October 13, 2004 WINDOW ROCK - By mid-February, a historic agreement might be reached through mediation to keep the Black Mesa Mine and Mohave Generating Station open. It would be the next step after the principal parties reached an agreement in late September on a list of key issues which they are keeping secret to try to save the Black Mesa Mine and the aging Mohave Generating Station. After the station's operator, Southern California Edison, pulled the financial plug on a key study needed to nail down a new water supply in the southwest corner of the Navajo Reservation, a high-ranking U.S. Interior Department official assembled the principals in Washington, D.C., during the dedication of the National Museum of American Indians late last month. The principals are SCE, the Interior Department, the Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation. Peabody Energy, which operates the mine located on both reservations, is not a principal, although it has a lot at stake. Peabody strongly supports the mediation. As a result, J. Steven Griles told the Associated Press, the utility company reconsidered and agreed to foot the bill of about $2 million. However, the utility wanted to pay for the drilling on the basis the terms for potential water use could be reached. Four-month mediation And Navajo Nation Attorney General Louis Denetsosie said Monday the principals will have four months to come to a far-reaching historic agreement through mediation, once the talks begin. The principals already have selected Eric Van Loon as mediator, he said. The mediation will cover all the existing lawsuit issues, coal lease issues and water supply issues, the attorney general said. "It's an effort to try to reach consensus on how to keep the power plant going and how to keep the mine open. But, as in all negotiations, it may fail," he cautioned since, "There are a lot of tough negotiating positions out there." Denetsosie said it would take about six weeks to get the hydrology report once the test wells are drilled. "It's to get a notion of what the aquifer can handle, for an extended period of time," he said. That data will be converted into computer models to determine "the impact on the wells at a distance, the impact on endangered species and to check the geology of the basin," he explained. Edison will pay for this part. The utility and the Hopi Tribe did not return telephone calls by deadline Tuesday to add their comments. Quick deal wanted Griles' office referred to an Associated Press interview he gave in Phoenix on Sept. 17, saying quick agreements must be reached, although meetings up to that point had failed to yield the crucial pacts to allow the test drilling. In July, Griles first attempted to get the octopus-like situation under control. When the principals couldn't agree by the end of that month, they extended their deadline to the end of August. Denetsosie said they were close, but not finished by then. He said Edison wanted to be comfortable in going ahead, but needed to know what both tribes wanted. This led to the September meeting in Washington and the key principles agreement. Edison needs the coal for the plant, but that also requires the water. The Dine' Attorney General added that even if the project ends with the water study, it will still be an extremely valuable tool to the tribe for the future since it will be "a real in-depth study, one of the best ever done." Speaking for Peabody, Beth Sutton said, "Signing the principles agreement certainly is a positive step, though I would say that there are a number of significant issues that continue to need resolution. One of the things we are supporting is mediation, to move the parties forward to produce an outcome that is satisfactory for all the parties." The proposed well field is in the Coconino "C" Aquifer south of Leupp, north of Interstate 40, and between Winslow and Flagstaff. 100 miles of new pipe The initial idea is to build about 100 miles of new pipeline from the well field through both reservations back up to the mine. The existing worn-out 270-mile pipe would either be retrofitted or replaced. Peabody wants to increase its capacity from about 4,400 acre-feet of water a year to 6,000. The initial concept also calls for the new route to supply the Indian communities with 5,600 acre-feet a year. One acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons. One hang-up has been who will pay for the tribes' portion of the new line, with the initial idea being that the U.S. Energy Department would pick up the cost. The "C" field would replace the higher-quality water Peabody draws from eight deep wells into the Navajo "N" Aquifer which both tribes have ordered the coal mining company to stop using on Dec. 31, 2005. This is the same date by which Edison must have in operation a major air pollution control overhaul of the two 750-megawatt electric generators at Mohave. The company projects the entire mine-pipe-plant cost to be more than $1 billion. Between the mine, the slurry pipeline that brings the water-coal mixture to Laughlin, and the power plant, some 600 high-paying jobs are at stake. The mine represents a major chunk of both the Hopi and Navajo tribal treasuries as well as the local economies, so any shutdowns would be "devastating," as Sutton put it. The power plant occupies a major portion of the gambling town of Laughlin, Nev., and overlooks nine casinos on the Colorado River. Edison and its partners serve about 3.5 million families in metropolitan southern California, southern Nevada and central Arizona. Peabody also operates the neighboring larger Kayenta Mine, which supplies the Navajo Generating Station on the south shore of Lake Powell east of Page in the Le Chee Chapter. Together, the two mines pump about $2 million a week into the local economies. They produce about 13 million tons of low-sulfur coal a year. The "N" Aquifer hold an estimated 400 million acre-feet of water in an area the size of Delaware. Sutton said the company pays more than $1,000 for each acre-foot to the tribes. The U.S. Surface Mining Office said the annual recharge is from 13,000 to 16,000 acre-feet a year. The company said community use amounts to about 7,000 acre-feet a year. Copyright c. 2004 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Telescope Site opposed by Tribes to be dedicated" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 08:48:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DEFILING A SACRED MOUNTAIN" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/98/37/01_1.html Mt. Graham to be officially dedicated Friday By Natasha Bhuyan Arizona Daily Wildcat October 13, 2004 The UA will host the official dedication ceremony Friday for the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham, a project both hailed and criticized by people across the nation. Although the telescope is not complete, representatives from institutions who have invested in the LBT will tour the Mirror Lab in the Steward Observatory, followed by the dedication at the Westin La Paloma Resort, said Ann Spitz, special assistant to the director at Steward Observatory. When completed, the $120 million telescope will be equipped with two 8. 4-meter honeycomb mirrors that will permit high definition observation of faint stars and galaxies by combining light from the mirrors, said Bruno Marano, a professor of astronomy at the Universite' di Bologna in Italy. Adaptive optics secondary mirrors will provide a built-in capability of correcting atmospheric turbulence, resulting in sharper images, said Marano, who will attend the ceremony Friday. "LBT will see deeper into space than the Hubble Space Telescope and, for the very first time, see planets revolving around planets in other solar systems," said Jim Slagle, assistant director and program manager of LBT from UA. But not everyone is lauding the LBT and other telescope projects on Mount Graham. For nearly two decades, the telescopes have been the subject of controversy due to their location atop Mount Graham, a site which the local San Carlos and White Mountain Apache Native American tribes consider sacred. "It's been long, hard work...a struggle," said Michael Davis, executive director for the Apache Survival Coalition and part of the San Carlos Apache tribe. "But we will continue to oppose all the activity on Mount Graham." Environmental groups across the country have also opposed the telescopes, claiming the mountain has more ecological diversity than any mountain in the United States. Dwight Metzger, a long-time activist with the Mount Graham Coalition, said in its quest to secure prestige, the UA has used its political power to desecrate a holy site by being the first university to challenge Native American religious rights in a court of law. In 1996, Congress exempted the Mount Graham telescopes from the Endangered Species Act, the Environmental Policy Act and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Metzger said. "If the UA had properly followed the national environmental law, there wouldn't have been that many problems," Davis said. "But they don't follow the law - they run to Congress for exemptions." The telescope project was conceived in the mid-1980s and UA officials originally expected to see first light in 1992, said Dr. Robert Witzeman, conservation chair of the Maricopa Audubon Society. However, Witzeman said the project has faced years of delay due to insufficient funds and partner institutions backing away from the controversial endeavor. First light is the first instance a telescope produces strong, astronomically useful images. Slagle said LBT's early photos and initial tests are better than expected, but Witzeman said the project is 12 years behind schedule. "It must be terribly embarrassing they are getting their first 8-meter mirror in now," Witzeman said. "There is a real cultural and moral issue in the telescopes." Students at other institutions involved in the project, such as the University of Minnesota and the University of Virginia, have also protested the telescopes, due to the cultural, financial, and environmental issues. Guy Lopez, a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology and linguistics at the University of Virginia, said the telescope project, which was once titled the "Columbus Project" but later changed as the name further offended tribes, is shameful to higher education. "While the U of A claims that they've officially dropped the name, the 'Columbus Project' moniker still speaks for their mindset...if they had it their way, they would turn the top of Mount Graham into a Columbus theme park," Lopez said. Although touted by UA officials as potentially the largest telescope in the world, Witzeman said when completed, the LBT will only be the third largest, after the European Southern Observatory in Chile and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. According to the European Southern Observatory Web site, the Very Large Telescope in Chile will have four 8-meter mirrors with an aperture of 16 meters, while LBT's aperture is 11.8 meters. UA astronomers defended the telescope, pointing out the numerous benefits the LBT will contribute to science as well as the Tucson community. Spitz said ground-based telescopes and space exploration are linked in the quest to understand the solar system, as LBT scientists will produce research that complements space-based telescopes. Additionally, UA students who work with research professors will have a chance to access such projects, Spitz said. "LBT is a multimillion dollar project that brings jobs - engineering and other technical areas, scientists and support positions - to the Tucson area," Spitz said. Slagle said the UA will produce "cutting-edge science," embarking on a journey of discovery with the premier scientists of the world. "Because it is in Arizona rather than space, we will do this exploration in a more cost-effective manner," Slagle said. "We will offer our students a chance to study data from a telescope that is unique in this world ... It doesn't get any better." The second mirror will be placed on the telescope in 2005, and second light is scheduled for 2006, Spitz said. The LBT is expected to be fully operational by 2007, with both mirrors installed and producing images. Copyright c. 2004 The Arizona Daily Wildcat - Arizona Student Media. --------- "RE: Dzil Nchaa Si An" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 08:48:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WHY 'NO' TO SCOPE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.mountgraham.org/ If you would like to read the truth regarding the telescope on Sacred Dzil Nchaa Si An please log onto http://www.mountgraham.org/ For decades, Native Americans, scientists, conservationists and citizens have resisted development of Mount Graham's desert "Sky-Island" ecosystem, which has also been an Apache sacred site since time immemorial. Mount Graham - Dzil Nchaa Si An Called a "sky island" ecosystem, the old growth forests on Mount Graham's summit are the Arizona equivalent of rainforests. The abundant springs and high altitude meadows have offered sustenance and a source of healing to desert dwelling Apaches since time immemorial. While frequent cloud cover makes telescope viewing marginal (Mount Graham was ranked 38th in a study of astronomical sites in the US), the cool moist characteristics of the mountain have aided the evolution of 18 different plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Today, the construction of telescopes and resulting federal closure of the mountaintop are desecrating the mountain and its irreplaceable relationship with the Apache people. All questions about Mount Graham can be directed to emeraldpeak@hotmail.com --------- "RE: Desecration of Burial Mound" --------- Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 08:27:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GRAVES DESECRATION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.earthskyweb.com/news.htm#edit Welcome to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe/Dakota Nation Sota Iya Ye Yapi On-Line, News from the Lake Traverse Reservation Volume 35, Issue 42 Wednesday, October 20, 2004 Special Sota feature - A Tribal member's perspective on desecration of burial mound, human remains Forward by C.D. Floro Sota Editor Readers may recall that SWO Tribal Chairman James "J.C." Crawford released a letter he had received July 20th from the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development concerning "Human remains inadvertently discovered at Lake Albert, Hamlin County, S.D." That letter is reproduced below, but first, and what we call attention to, are the perspectives of SWO Tribal member Sharon Eastman-Espland of Lake Norden, whose remarks (captured by audio tape) are transcribed here. The recording is very clear, except for a moment while she reads from a letter to the developer who disturbed the mound. Here her voice chokes with emotion, as she asks him to return what has been taken from the site so that the ancestors can have peace. Sharon is a teacher at the Watertown campus of Mount Marty College, where she has taught courses in biology for more than two decades. What seems to be missing from the state official's letter is an acknowledgement that full and complete reburial and restoration of the grounds must be the goal from this point forward. While Sharon and other Tribal members, with approval of Tribal officials and spiritual leaders, conducted prayers and reburial of as many of the human remains as they could, this is short of full restoration. Note particularly a road that has been cut through the burial site. It is built directly on the original resting place of the ancestors. Archeologists' reports, observations, and photographic evidence make it obvious that further investigation and action are needed here to preserve this sacred site for all Native Americans and for all humanity. ---- Please read what Sharon has to say. Our thanks to Sharon for sharing her words from the heart, and to Michael Petersen for providing the pictures (and for suggesting some of my words). Anyone wishing to contact Sharon may do so by mail at 800 Main Ave., Lake Norden, SD 57248; or by e-mail at espland@tnics.net. Perspectives of SWO Tribal Member Sharon Eastman-Espland I am a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. Oliver Eastman was my grandfather's brother. My grandfather was George Eastman, the first Tribal Chairman of the Flandreau Tribe. My relatives were very central in setting up the (community) at Flandreau. On my grandmother's side, I am descended from Chief Gabriel Renville and his wife Winona Crawford. My story is this. Earlier this year, in 2004, a burial mound by me, where I live, was leveled by a developer. I came out in July, with my sister and a mutual friend and my dog, and we found some artifacts. We found a big shell that is thought to have come from the Gulf of Mexico, a great big sea shell, probably worn as a pendant because it had a hole in it. Later on, at that same site, another shell was found, and a tobacco cutting stone. Needless to say, I called the Tribe, and I called the archeologists, and everybody came out. What was found is that the top of the mound had been leveled off with a big machine, and all the bones and artifacts had been dumped into three piles alongside of the mound. It took a little while to get everybody organized to figure out what to do. In that meantime I walked among the bones, saw the bones, head bones, shoulder bones, leg bones, jaw and teeth. It really disturbed my heart. I could feel their sorrow and their bewilderment. I promised these people (the ancestors) that I would get them buried as soon as I could, buried so that they wouldn't be cold. So then we had many meetings with the archeologists and with the Tribe, with DelRay German, and others. It was decided to put the dirt back up on the mound. And before all the dirt was put back on the mound, my sister Karen Martens, and a mutual friend Mike Stusiak, and I reburied the bones that the archeologists found. We did this on Friday, October 1st. The way we did this, because we didn't (first) know what to do ... the Tribe entrusted us with doing this on the same day as the groundbreaking at the casino (Dakota Sioux, Watertown). I waited for my sister to get off work at the casino. We took the bones that had been gathered by the archeologists, and put them in a circle in the mound. There was a leg bone from a young woman, we put that on top. Then a jaw bone complete with the teeth from a young man, we put that on top of the bones too. We could tell he had eaten a lot of dried corn and the enamel had been worn off his teeth. Then we put the artifacts around the bones - the arrowheads that had been found, and the tools. Then I told these people (ancestors) that I didn't want them to be cold, so I put a Pendleton blanket on top of them that my aunt in Flandreau had given me. Then we put the (other) artifacts, the shells and the tobacco-cutting stone, on top of the blanket, along with a mountain lion tooth that the archeologists had given us for a gift. Then the dirt was placed over that. I feel that the spirits are somewhat satisfied with what is happening, but I don't think the job is complete yet, because the road that is around the mound is still part of the mound. This will be a road that will be paved over, and three people from the non-Native community have begged me to please stop the construction of that road, that that is holy ground. One said he would never drive on it, it is sacred ground. So I don't feel the job is complete yet. I don't feel that the spirits are totally at rest. Something has to be done with that road. Probably something has to be done with the lots around the road, because those were sold to various people, and they will be driving on that road to get to their homes. I just want the spirits to be satisfied. I will take care of this mound. I will come out here as much as I can to take care of it. The developer said he will put some rocks around it, and that there will be a plaque put out here, but I still don't think that that will stop people from climbing on the mound. So I will do my best to take care of it. This mound is 1,000 to 2,000 years old, and I hope that I can pass that down to other people to take care of it forever. On Saturday, the day after we buried the bones, more artifacts were found by the archeologists. I typed a letter and gave it to the developer. I tried to write it as politely and nicely as I could. And this is what the letter said: Dear Mr. McFarland: I would like for you to know that it was I, and only I that reported what had happened to the mound to the archeologists, the Sheriff, and my Tribe. Please don't blame anyone else. A person not from this area urged me to press charges against you. A letter from Watertown said it would be an open and shut case. I'm sure if I would have pursued it with my Tribe, it would have happened. I feel I saved you from costly litigation and jail time. In return, I ask two favors from you. Please return all from the mound that you have taken. Only then will the spirits have peace of mind, as I have promised them. Secondly, please do not do this to my relatives again. Thank you. Sincerely, Sharon Eastman-Espland, a proud member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. ---- From the Office of SWO Tribal Chairman Crawford S.D. Dept. of Tourism and State Development letter relaying discovery of human remains (Editor's note: The following is a letter dated July 20, 2004, from the S.D. Department of Tourism and State Development to SWO Tribal Chairman James "J.C." Crawford and other Tribal NAGPRA representatives and interested parties.) From: Renee Boen, S.D. State Historical Society, Archaeological Research Center. RE: Human remains inadvertently discovered at Lake Albert, Hamlin County, S.D. During construction activities at a housing and golf course development on Lake Albert, south of Hayti, Hamlin County, S.D., at least two Native American burial mounds sites were disturbed by heavy equipment. The two sites recorded so far are the Lake Albert Mound, 39HL24, and the North Bay Mounds, 39HL25. A meeting was held on July 12, 2004 with representatives of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Lake Albert Development Corporation, the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office, the Hamlin County State's Attorney, the Hamlin County Zoning Commission, the South Dakota State Historical Society-Archaeological Research Center, the Lake Region Golf Course, and several lot owners. Before the meeting, a letter from the State Archeologist and a cease and desist order issued by the Hamlin County State's Attorney stopped all ground disturbing activities at the development. Only inside work is allowed on current building permits and no new permits will be issued at this time. A site visit during the meeting identified the two known areas of burial disturbance. Many small fragments of human bone, some animal bone, and a stone flake were observed at the site. Previously collected materials include a conch shell gorget and a limestone tobacco cutting board, which are currently held at the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office. Nothing was collected during this site visit. Based on the discussion at this meeting, it was decided to continue the halt on all ground disturbing activities, including seeding the golf course, until an archeological survey has been completed. The first phase of the survey focuses on the golf course. The survey began over the weekend of July 17th and 18th and is being conducted by the Cultural Heritage Consultants based out of Sioux City, Iowa. A scope-of- work prepared by the S.D. State Historical Society outlines the project as identifying, mapping, and recording all archaeological features, bone, and cultural material on the surface. All visible bone will be collected and identified as human, animal, or unknown by a skeletal osteologist either on-site or at the Sheriff's office in Hayti. All temporally diagnostic artifacts will also be collected as well as any potential funerary objects. The archaeological investigation will later include the mound sites. At this time, the plan for the human bone exposed on the surface is that it will be mapped, collected, and placed in Evidence at the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office. Although final details have not been worked out, one solution is that the mounds will eventually be reconstructed with the remains buried in the mounts. In an effort to maintain good security at the site, we ask that anyone who wishes to visit or conduct ceremonies make arrangements with the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office at (605) 783-3232. No determination has been made yet as to whether criminal charges will be made with respect to disturbing burials and reporting it to the authorities. This update is being sent to the same individuals on the list faxed out on July 8, with the addition of the contract archaeologist, Todd Kapler, Cultural Heritage Consultants. If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact either James K. Haug, State Archaeologist, at (605) 394-1936, or me at (605) 394-1804. Copyright c. 1999-2003 by C. D. Floro/Earth and Sky Enterprises. --------- "RE: Support offered in Oneida Land Claim Case" --------- Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 08:27:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONEIDA LAND CLAIM" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.syracuse.com/news//109808850632710.xml Support offered in land claim case Organizations and Indian tribes file briefs for Sherrill and Oneida Indian Nation. October 18, 2004 By Glenn Coin Staff writer The country's largest American Indian organization, a citizens group from South Dakota, and individual Indian tribes from New York to Washington state all have added their voices to the U.S. Supreme Court case between the Oneida Indian Nation and the city of Sherrill. The groups have filed supporting briefs in the dispute, which the Supreme Court has agreed to hear as soon as January. Sherrill argues that the Oneida nation should pay property taxes; the Oneidas argue the land is part of their reservation and thus immune from taxes. Two courts have sided with the Oneidas. Nine briefs were filed by the Sept. 30 deadline. Five side with Sherrill and four with the Oneidas. Such filings, called friends of the court briefs, are common in Supreme Court cases. They are submitted by groups who are not directly involved in the lawsuits, but who could be affected by the high court's rulings. "You might call it a quasi-lobbying effort," said Rob Porter, a Syracuse University law professor and director of the university's Center for Indigenous Law, Governance and Citizenship. "You're trying to bring in different interests to impress upon the court the significance of the case." It's unclear how much influence the briefs have in the deliberations of the Supreme Court. In a recent affirmative action case involving the University of Michigan, the court decision specifically mentioned some of the friends of the court briefs, said Thomas Maroney, an SU law professor and a former U.S. attorney. "Beyond that case," he said, "it's awfully hard to know what influence they have." Each of the briefs filed in the Sherrill case focuses on specific issues, but they generally argue that the Supreme Court's decision in the Sherrill case could have effects far beyond New York's smallest city. The National Congress of American Indians, which represents 250 tribes across the country, argues that the case could result in "the abandonment of time-honored principles of Indian law," particularly the immunity of Indian land from taxes. The brief, from the country's largest American Indian group, criticizes New York state and Sherrill for seeking to profit from the state's 200- year-old wrongdoing. Sherrill has said the loss of taxes from nation-owned land, which includes a gas station and a textile plant, is hurting the city's finances. But a brief filed by three Western tribes says that Indian tribes with casinos, such as Turning Stone Resort and Casino run by the Oneidas, help local communities. "Sherrill was trying to say that having (Indian-owned) land in the community is just going to wreck that community," said Harry Sachse, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who filed a brief on behalf of the three tribes. "The truth is when you have an Indian tribe, and particularly one with a casino near a community, it just enormously increases the prosperity of that community." Sachse represents the Puyallup Tribe of Indians in Washington, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Colorado and the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico. On Sherrill's side, briefs were filed by Oneida and Madison counties, Seneca and Cayuga counties, a group of towns, New York state and the Citizens Equal Rights Foundation in South Dakota. Copyright c. 2004 The Post-Standard. Used with permission. --------- "RE: A fight to save the Tradition of Wild Rice" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 08:48:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REAL WILD RICE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1013/p11s02-lihc.html A fight to save the tradition of wild rice Harvesting wild rice has been a way of life for Ojibwa Indians. But the rice is in decline and fewer young tribe members now participate. By Richard Mertens | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor October 13, 2004 SPUR LAKE, WIS. - The ducks are soaring overhead, the scent of autumn is in the air, and Pete McGeshick is back ricing again. On a bright September morning, he floats in a sea of wild rice, using a pair of yard-long cedar sticks to knock the kernels into his battered aluminum canoe. Mr. McGeshick, an Ojibwa (o-JIB-way) Indian from Mole Lake, Wis., has been harvesting wild rice since he was a boy. Now, with decades of experience behind him, he is a virtuoso of the harvest. With quick and graceful motions, he reaches out with one stick and bends the stalks over the canoe, while he delivers two glancing blows with another stick to dislodge the ripe grains. Rice patters like soft rain against the aluminum. "You don't have to hit it hard," he says. "A lot of people think you do. But you just want the ripe stuff," which falls off easily. For centuries, the Ojibwa and other Indian peoples have harvested the wild rice that flourished in the rivers and shallow lakes of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and southern Canada. Today, fewer and fewer are willing to devote the time and labor to gathering and processing it. Another troubling development for the tribe: Half the wild rice has disappeared over the past century, according to scientists in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Their findings confirm what many Ojibwa elders have noticed: "Everyone agrees there used to be more rice," says Darren Vogt, a biologist for the Ojibwas. And new threats loom. Since the 1960s, the market has been flooded with cheap wild rice from domesticated varieties that have been developed in agricultural research stations, cultivated in man-made paddies, and harvested by machine. McGeshick and his cousin Roger McGeshick Sr., are rice chiefs of the Sokaogon band of Ojibwa, and two of many elders on reservations scattered across the north who are trying to keep alive the traditions of the harvest. They spend much of their free time during the summer traveling the back roads of northern Wisconsin, visiting rice beds and monitoring their development. At the end of summer they determine when the rice is ready to harvest, and they encourage young people to participate. "We're trying to get the younger people to do it," says Pete, "but they have other things to do. They think it's too much work. [Older tribe members] don't think of it as work. We just think of it as something we should be doing." When French explorers and fur traders arrived in the Great Lakes region in the 17th century, native Americans were harvesting rice in ways not much different than they do today. By the 20th century, Indians were confined to reservations, and ricing became more difficult. Landowners denied them access to lakes and forbade them to set up rice camps on their land. Some natives gave up rice harvesting altogether. Harvest was a time of reunion But ricing continued among the Ojibwa. Wild rice was a crucial foodstuff to them, a commodity to sell for extra cash, an object of veneration, and an important ingredient of social and ceremonial life. The McGeshicks, who are both in their 60s, remember when families camped at Spur Lake and spent days harvesting and processing the rice, mixing hard work with eating, laughter, and storytelling. "They'd come from all over the place, wherever they lived," Pete says, gesturing to the trees where his family once camped. "They'd come from Minnesota, Chicago, the cities. It was a big family reunion." Many non-Indians harvested rice, too. In the economically depressed regions of the north, wild rice supplemented modest incomes. Rod Ustipak, a rice expert from Crosby, Minn., recalls that he and other children at his school would skip classes to harvest rice. Mr. Ustipak still gathers rice each year, though for reasons other than need. "It's almost indescribable, the feeling of being out harvesting, using a method that's been in use hundreds of years," he says. This year the harvest began late - later than anyone could remember. A cool, wet summer delayed the ripening for weeks and made harvesters impatient. When the McGeshicks drove up to Spur Lake, towing their canoe, one morning last month, eight to 10 cars and pickup trucks were parked along a narrow blacktop road that follows the shore. The wild rice plants stood shoulder high and extended all the way to a distant fringe of trees, leaving only small patches of open water. Far out, several harvesters could be seen, widely scattered and half- hidden by the rice. Harvesting wild rice usually requires two people. One person stands in the stern and pushes the canoe with a long pole while the other sits in the front and gathers. The rice grows so thick in most places that a paddle is almost useless. On a good day a pair of harvesters can bring 200 pounds or more of wild rice to the landing. The kernels are purplish red and have long, sharp spikes. They look like thick fur in the bottom of the canoe. Once harvested, the rice requires complicated processing. Traditionally, the Ojibwa dried it, parched it in iron kettles, and trod on it - or "danced the rice" - to remove the husks. Today most people use the services of a professional processor. The McGeshicks still process their own rice, parching it in an old tub and hulling it with a small machine. The harvesters at Spur Lake were a mixed group of Ojibwas and non- Indians who paid $8 for a state harvesting permit. Albert McGeshick, Pete's older brother, worked with a friend in a fiberglass canoe painted to look like birch bark. "I love doing it," he says. Nearby were the Koenigs of Rhinelander, Wis., an older non-Indian couple who are longtime ricers. They sell their harvest to a nursery specializing in native plants. "It's a lot of work," says Mr. Koenig, who's hot and sweaty from shoveling handfuls of rice from his canoe into white cloth bags. Most people keep some rice for themselves and sell or give away the rest. Tribal and government agencies buy wild rice for restoration projects. Some Ojibwa bands sell wild rice over the Internet. Joe Allen, owner of Singing Pines Wild Rice, in Grand Rapids, Minn., pays $1 to $1.50 a pound for unprocessed rice, but says fewer people are willing to harvest it. Wild rice grows in shallow water under fairly specific conditions. Biologists say subtle changes in water levels and flows have hurt the rice in many lakes. Human activity - the building of roads, small dams, ditches, and culverts - is largely to blame. In Minnesota, beavers dam lake outlets and drown the rice. The beavers flourish because heavy logging over the past century has changed the composition of the forest and encouraged trees, such as aspens, that beavers love. Lately, biologists have been working to halt the decline and restore wild rice in some places. These efforts include planting rice, uprooting competing plants, such as waterlilies, removing dams, and seeking other ways to restore the ecological conditions in which wild rice flourishes. In Minnesota, the state pays trappers to catch beavers that threaten rice lakes. But Chris Holm, a biologist on Minnesota's Bois Forte reservation, says reversing the decline of wild rice is a complicated process. "It could take 100 years to bring it back," he says. Natives worry about genetic engineering Today researchers are decoding the wild rice genome, raising fears among some Ojibwa that genetically engineered rice could someday contaminate their lakes. Ojibwas from Minnesota's White Earth reservation have been trying to stop the University of Minnesota from decoding the wild rice genome. They consider the research an affront to their culture and religion. They also argue that the research invites the development of genetically engineered wild rice. "Once that happens, we stand a good chance of losing our rice," says Joe LaGarde, a White Earth elder. "Then what happens to us as a people?" The university has promised not to engage in genetic engineering, but has refused to stop its research, on the grounds of academic freedom. "The academic view and perhaps the view of Western science is one of curiosity and research, and the need to learn as much as you can," says Charles Muscoplat, dean of the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences and vice president for agricultural policy. "The native American view is different. They don't need to understand wild rice." Like other Ojibwas, Roger and Pete McGeshick consider wild rice a part of their patrimony that they must defend. "You have to learn how to take care of it and use it," Roger says. "It's a sacred thing. It's a matter of respect for the Creator and what He gave to us." But visiting Spur Lake troubles them. They relish the harvest, but it reminds them too much of what has been lost. They complain that the rice at Spur Lake is shorter and thinner than it once was. Thirty years ago, they say, you couldn't see the people in the canoe next to you, although you could hear them if they fell in. Inevitably, too, they recall their first rice camps and the elders who brought them, now all gone. They wonder who will follow them to teach respect for the rice and carry on the knowledge of the harvest. For years, Roger has been making videotapes of each harvest, compiling a record of what they have seen and done. "We're following people who have passed on," he says, gazing out over the rice. "We're hoping to keep it alive. It seems it's a lost art." Copyright c. 2004 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Stay optimistic about new Klamath Partnership" --------- Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 10:22:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="KLAMATH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.times-standard.com/~2472598,00.html Stay optimistic about new fed-state Klamath partnership October 16, 2004 The recently announced agreement between the federal government and California and Oregon on the Klamath River is the right idea. Unfortunately, there are a lot of good ideas that don't get anywhere, and only time will tell if this collaboration will be another layer of bureaucracy or a key to the vast and complicated questions posed by the Klamath River. For sure, such a conglomeration of agencies with cabinet-level influence could support the on-the-ground work that desperately needs to be done in the basin. But the apparent movement to develop consensus through the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Conservation Implementation Program could also degenerate into a slate of meetings and committees and mediated talks that do little to address the critical environmental problems on the river. It may be simple for the group to agree on a project to improve habitat on a little creek in the basin. But ensuring that the fish have enough water to reach that habitat, and enough to migrate out to sea, is a different matter altogether. That may involve an approach that does not include consensus, instead involving strong science backed by strong policy that not everyone might like. We hope the agreement does not stand in the way of necessary regulatory action. On the positive side, it's probably healthy for agencies to communicate better and share information. This may be the real strength of such an arrangement. One key project such a group could support is a central database and library of Klamath information available to the public and to agencies. Humboldt State University, Oregon State University and other highly regarded schools are the appropriate keepers of such information. An effort to create such a library is under way, and more can be done to give the universities the tools to develop the most comprehensive library imaginable. We hope the federal-state agreement stands the test of time, and proves itself accountable to the many small communities, American Indian tribes, businesses and recreationists that call the Klamath Basin home. These are the people who have to come to terms and work together, as many of them already have begun to. If this agreement helps those with boots on the ground, it is welcome. Copyright c. 2004 Times - Standard, Eureka, CA. --------- "RE: Indian Fisherman worried about Mercury Pollution" --------- Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 07:57:24 EDT From: MJLaBurt@aol.com Subj: Indian fisherman worried about mercury pollution Mailing List: NDNAIM http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/004787.asp Indian fisherman worried about mercury pollution October 15, 2004 Bob Shimek, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, believes he was the victim of mercury pollution, a growing problem nationwide. Shimek is an active fisherman, exercising his treaty rights and the traditions of his ancestors. He says suffered mercury poisoning as a result of fish he caught from a lake on the reservation. The Environmental Protection Agency issued a report saying that nearly every state has fish contaminated by mercury. The pollutant poses a health risk to pregnant women and young children. American Indians Worry About Mercury http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/local/9926402.htm American Indians Worry About Mercury ASHLEY H. GRANT Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. - American Indians are adding their voices to the controversy over mercury in the nation's waters, saying they are among the biggest consumers of fish and therefore more at risk from contamination. "It is a real issue," said Bob Shimek, a member of the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota who says he fishes to put food on the table. "It's not something abstract." A report Friday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, which analyzed 003 data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency, showed that 44 states including Minnesota had active mercury consumption advisories last year. Earlier this year, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency listed about 1,900 lakes and streams as "impaired," meaning they contain harmful levels of pollutants like mercury or excess nutrients like nitrogen. People who buy their freshwater fish at markets usually aren't at risk because most of it is raised on farms. It's a different story for tribal members like Shimek, 51, who fishes on his reservation. The practice is a treaty right and something members of his tribe have relied on as a dietary staple for generations. "What good is a treaty-reserved right if it's not safe?" said Shimek, who works for an Indian environmental group on a mercury education project. Shimek believes he suffered mercury poisoning in 1996 from eating fish he netted regularly from a lake on the reservation. He said he initially believed he had suffered a stroke when tingling in his left hand spread and affected his feet and speech. Though Shimek never saw a doctor for his symptoms - he said he wasn't able to take time off from work - he's sure of the cause. "Once I ran out of (fish), over a period of quite a number of weeks, the symptoms began to diminish," said Shimek. Mercury can be harmful to the nervous system if consumed in large quantities, especially by children or pregnant women. The EPA recently announced a mercury-reduction plan that envisions a 70 percent cut in mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants by 2018, from the current 48 tons a year to 15 tons. Copyright c. 2000-2004 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Indian land investment bill passes Senate" --------- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 08:48:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REZ HOMES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5300 Indian land investment bill passes Senate Goes to President Bush for signature Sam Lewin October 12, 2004 The Senate has approved legislation that supporters believe will boost private investment on Indian lands. The Homeownership Opportunities for Native Americans Act restores the federal government loan repayment rate to the previous level of 95 percent in case of default. Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona sponsored the bill. The co-sponsors were Jim Matheson of Utah, Bob Ney of Ohio and Maxine Waters of California. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has guaranteed tribal obligations to help finance affordable housing activities under the 95 percent level since the implementation of Title VI in the late 1990s. The Office of Management and Budget recently claimed that loan guarantees couldn't exceed 80 percent without explicit statutory authority. H.R. 4471 amends Title VI to provide statutory authority, allowing it to continue to operate at the original 95 percent level. The bill, also known as H.R. 4471, now goes to the desk of President Bush for signature into law. "H.R. 4471 was needed to statutorily authorize the 95 percent guarantee level," said Gary Gordon, Executive Director of National American Indian Housing Council. "At the 80 percent level, the program becomes much less useful to our members." Gordon said that without the bill tribes would have had to guarantee an additional fifteen percent of the loan. Because the Bureau of Indian Affairs holds Indian land in trust, it cannot be used as collateral. Federal loans provide more of an incentive for lenders who would otherwise be unable to foreclose in case of default. "This bill comes as a direct result of a Housing Subcommittee field hearing held on the Navajo Nation in Tuba City. At this hearing my colleagues and I witnessed first hand the severe housing problems facing Native Americans in rural Arizona and returned to Washington with a mission to alleviate this crisis. This bill is a strong first step towards this goal," Renzi said after introducing the legislation. Senators Michael Enzi of Wyoming, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Tim Johnson of South Dakota sponsored a similar bill, S.2571, in the Senate. "We would like to thank the Senate sponsors of H.R. 4471 and S.2571 for acting on this legislation and getting it through the 108th Congress," said NAIHC Chairman Chester Carl. "Use of this program is sure to increase once the higher guarantee level is secure." Native American Times is Copyright c. 2004 Oklahoma Indian Times, Inc. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Let's find Sakakawea's Grave" --------- Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 08:27:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD:SAKAWEA'S GRAVE" http://www.grandforks.com//dorreen_yellow_bird/9896056.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Let's find Sakakawea's grave October 12, 2004 THERE is a dispute about Sakakawea's tribe: Was she Hidatsa or Shoshone? And Sakakawea herself is said to be buried in at least three places. If Lewis and Clark had documented their guide with more than a passing mention, the simple facts of who she is and where she is buried wouldn't be in question.Today, though, the waters of Lake Oahe in South Dakota have receded and left the site of Fort Manual Lisa exposed. This may be the chance to put to rest the questions of Sakakawea's identity and grave, for she is said to have been buried at the fort. Last week, I visited with people along Lewis and Clark's route through North Dakota, and Sakakawea came up in many of my conversations - probably because of the mystery that surrounds her. Yet, it wasn't just Sakakawea. Many of the people I visited with thought history had neglected women's roles and presented women as fixtures and mostly silent figures. This neglect has deep roots. For example, Clark wrote his mother to tell her his trip would be among friendly Indians and, basically, a piece of cake. Worrying this woman about the perils of the journey might prove too much for her, Clark must have thought. Back then, men protected women from anything unpleasant. There were exceptions, but we can count them on our fingers. Today, women would want to go on a journey like Lewis and Clark's, because they could and because their female perspective would be important. The French fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau won Sakakawea in a gambling game of some sort, and she actually was his slave as much as she was his wife. Charbonneau knew Sakakawea was worth something to the Corps of Discovery because she was Lemhi-Shoshone, a tribe whose help they needed for the success of their journey. I can imagine Lewis and Clark coming ashore in one of the villages of the tribes of the Missouri. The explorers had sewing needles, iron pots, guns and cloth to trade. Today, if you offered sewing needles to some of the men in the tribes, you might get pushed into the Missouri River. If you've read Lewis and Clark's journals, you'll know that when the explorers stepped onto the Missouri River's prairie shore, they sought out the chief. Sometimes they were aggravated when there were several chiefs of equal rank, because all of the chiefs had to be given a present. Women were absent. In later years, many other observers carefully documented the foods, animals, houses, habits, culture and men's ceremonies in each tribe they worked with or contacted. Many lived with tribes, some for years, then went back East and wrote what they saw. But very few wrote about women's ceremonies, or women's influence on the tribe or their role in the government. The doors to our past swung shut, leaving us only with the information that squeezed under the door. It seemed important to me to see Fort Manual Lisa, where Sakakawea might be buried. The evidence for this comes from John Luttig, the clerk of the fur trader, Manual Lisa. Luttig said Sakakawea died of a "putrid disease" at age 25 at the fort and was buried there. When the place was excavated, some of the old graves were not moved, one of the tribal elders said. We have the technology and DNA methods to discover a person's identity. Sakakawea was such a significant person in the Corps of Discovery that it would seem these methods now could be used to find her grave. It would be nice to put a stone on her final resting place, end the dispute over where she is buried and determine, once and for all, whether she was Lemhi-Shoshone. ---- Yellow Bird writes columns Tuesdays and Saturdays. Reach her by phone at 780-1228 or (800) 477-6572, extension 228, or by e-mail at dyellowbird@gfherald.com. Copyright c. 2004 Grand Forks Herald. --------- "RE: Interior signs Pipeline Agreement renewal" --------- Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:51:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ALASKA PIPELINE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://ap.juneauempire.com//20041015/2515656.shtml Interior Secretary signs pipeline agreement renewal The Associated Press ANCHORAGE - Interior Secretary Gale Norton signed a renewed agreement Friday that officials say will increase oil pipeline employment opportunities for Alaska Natives. The renewal of the Alaska Native Utilization agreement was signed in Anchorage during Norton's visit to Alaska. Also on hand were Native leaders and representatives of Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., an oil company consortium that operates and maintains the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. The renewal, the fourth since 1995, will ensure continued employment and better training programs for nearly 240 Alaska Natives currently working on the 800-mile line, Norton said. "The pipeline and the men and women who work on it are a critical part of President Bush's goals of job creation and independence from foreign sources of energy," Norton said. As part of Friday's agreement, Alyeska will fund programs aiming to employ, train and advance Alaska Native pipeline workers. Another goal is to continue efforts to recruit and retain Native employees, officials said. Alyeska also will continue a scholarship program that awards $750,000 each year and sets up an intern program for entry-level Native workers. More than 1,000 Native students have won scholarships from Alyeska since 1996. Officials said Alaska Natives represent 20 percent of pipeline workers. In 1995, Native workers made up 8 percent of the pipeline work force, according to officials. Copyright c. 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 1997-2002 Juneau Empire, Morris Digital Works. --------- "RE: Kanehsatake Elections" --------- Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 01:47:25 -0000 From: "frostyca2000" Subj: EDITORIAL Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian EDITORIAL Kanehsatake Elections By: Kenneth Deer, The Eastern Door The collapse of the mediation process for Kanehsatake's elections does not bode well for an imminent end to the standoff in the community. Kanehsatake residents can look forward to more months of the same old, same old. It is disappointing that Mohawks can't come to a reasoned, practical solution to the problem in Kanehsatake. It is embarrassing enough that Mohawks can't do it themselves, but to have a Federal Judge as mediator is even more humiliating. Why can't Kanehsatake resolve the problem itself? Is it stubbornness, hate, mistrust, a lust for power or an obsession to remain in power? The collapse of the latest mediation has resulted in a veiled threat of confrontation and occupation by the Kanehsatake Mohawk Council when they urge the governments to act to restore law and order. How is this law and order to be enforced? What method would work in the current situation without the support of the majority of the community> Is there a lack of law and order in Kanehsatake? Or is there a lack of police presence? There is a difference between the two. You can have order without police presence if the community can be responsible enought to behave in a mature and trustworthy way. This seems to be the stumbling point of the whole issue. Is it possible to have free and fair elections in Kanehsatake? The answer is yes IF the antagonists in this badly divided community agree not to resort to intimidation and vandalism. Is this possible> Yes. But can the anti-Gabriel forces control the members of the community that may threated the pro-Gabriel community members? (assuming, of course, that James Gabriel will run for Grand Chief again). It is too bad that there is a publication ban on the mediation process that just concluded with Judge Lemieux. It would have been interesting to see what the two sides agreed to and what the differences are. If the stumbling block is security, as seems to be the case according to the press release from the Mohawk Council of Kanehsatake, then the solution has been there all along. The other Mohawk communities - Kahnawake, Akwesasne, Tyendinaga, and Six Nations - were willing to help police Kanehsatake for a short period of time until a new Kanehsatake police force was put into place after April 1 of this year. Had this proposal been accepted at that time, the current situation would probably not exist. It may not be too late to attempt that solution again. Each side would have to amend its position but to accept a police force from other Mohawk communities would be a reasonable solution, particularly if the governments would fund the program It is obvious that the current situation is going nowhere and the recurring differences stemming from January 12 will not go away. This way there would be no SQ or RCMP directly involved and the current Kanehsatake police force would be kept out of the community. Kanehsatake would have security and no threat of invasion. The Mohawk police force could guarantee as free and fair elections as can be held and the new council couldl deal with long-term solutions to the community's problems. This solution, of course, will require a lot of political will to accomplish but it is achievable. It is much more realistic than forcing a solution by outside governments. Copyright c. 2004 Eastern Door, Kanehsatake Mohawk Territory. --------- "RE: Town fate tied to Kake Tribal fight to survive" --------- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:06:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TLINGIT VILLAGE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.adn.com/business/story/5658617p-5590248c.html Town's fate tied to Kake Tribal's fight to survive "REALLY WORRIED": Native firm tries to diversify as jobs disappear. By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Juneau Empire October 11, 2004 JUNEAU - The people of Kake are scattering to Alaska cities and to the Lower 48 in search of work as the village's tribal corporation spirals into financial uncertainty. "The young people have had to leave for jobs," said Mayor Paul Reese, noting that about 20 percent of the population has left within the last year. The trouble for Kake Tribal Corp. started with a shareholder lawsuit and grew as the corporation paid out almost $37.5 million in dividends in the 1990s to about 600 shareholders. Along the way Kake Tribal has been buffeted by the same boom-and-bust realities that have hit all of Southeast Alaska's resource industries, and some fear the corporation is heading for a second bankruptcy. About half of Kake Tribal's 704 shareholders live in Kake, a Tlingit village of about 550 people on Kupreanof Island, 98 air miles southwest of Juneau. Kake Tribal is one of 10 village and urban Native organizations in Southeast Alaska. Situk Adams, 35, a Kake Tribal shareholder and Kake High School teacher, has a wife and three children in town. He said he plans to move somewhere in the Lower 48 this fall. "People are really worried," he said. "Family members - whole families have left. It's where we have almost no alternative but to leave. It's just a terrible feeling to be here and try to make a living in Kake." He said the fishing and logging industries have "dried up" and shareholders are getting few answers about Kake Tribal's business plans. "The communication link has been gone for a while," he said. "We're kind of in the dark ourselves. There doesn't seem to be a business plan in place. If a five-year business plan were in order, we could strive to get going with life, but there doesn't seem to be anything in place." KAKE TRIBAL TRIES TO DIVERSIFY Kake Tribal is working to pay off millions in debt. The corporation faces the struggles of dealing with the debt remaining from its bankruptcy filing in the late 1990s and the decline of the timber and fishing industries. Some are speculating that it could soon be out of money and resources again. Kake Tribal officials said the corporation is trying to diversify, reinvent itself and get away from the vagaries of resource-based industries, but they won't say whether the corporation is facing a second bankruptcy. The corporation was created in 1971 under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, at which time about 550 shareholders in Kake were given 100 shares, according to Gordon Jackson, chairman of the board for Kake Tribal. ANCSA created village, urban and regional Native corporations across the state, giving them title to 44 million acres of land and $1 billion to create corporations to manage their holdings. This summer the corporation closed its fish processing plant, Kake Foods, and operated its other plant, Pelican Seafoods, on a skeleton crew, resulting in a drop in population in Pelican of about 10 people from a community of just 100. Kake Tribal also is selling its logging equipment to pay off debts. "We cannot keep Kake Tribal Corp. a corporation in the future by solely staying in the timber and the seafood processing business," said Duff Mitchell, Kake Tribal's chief operating officer. "It's too risky." Kake Tribal also is working to obtain $4 million owed by the federal government for a land transfer in the Kake area. SOME SHAREHOLDERS BLAMED Many shareholders point to Juneau resident Cliff Tagaban Sr., a Kake Tribal shareholder, and others like him for the corporation's first bankruptcy. Tagaban was one of several shareholders who filed one of two multimillion dollar class-action lawsuits in 1992 against Kake Tribal over a life insurance program that was offered to shareholders with 100 shares or more. Those like Tagaban, who inherited and held fewer than 100 shares and shareholders living outside Kake, were excluded. Tagaban said that with the status of the two fish plants, many are wondering about the future. "The rumor I've heard is that they are headed toward a second bankruptcy, but they can't afford it," Tagaban said. "In small Native communities it's well-known that the rumors just start flying." Tagaban's lawyer, Fred Triem of Petersburg, said the lawsuit isn't what pushed Kake Tribal into bankruptcy in the mid-1990s. It was huge dividend payments approved by Kake Tribal shareholders, he said. About $37.5 million was paid out between 1993 and 1997. Shareholders received thousands of dollars in dividends in the 1990s, with payouts totaling as much as $30,500 per average shareholder in 1994 and $24,250 per shareholder in 1995. Triem said Kake Tribal decided to make the payments because of the shareholder lawsuits and other debts it faced. He said the shareholders knew the corporation would have to cover millions in debt, so they approved the huge payouts. "This was a shareholder decision, not unlike other corporations that elected boards and made these kinds of similar decisions," Mitchell said. "This was a financial decision to have either a very large multimillion- dollar corporation or have a corporation which was a smaller corporation." He said the shareholders chose small. David Bundy, an Anchorage lawyer who represented Kake Tribal in the bankruptcy, said the corporation owed about $12 million to creditors and shareholder litigants when it filed for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 9, 1999. He said the shareholder creditors still are owed about $4.5 million. "There is no set schedule for paying that off," Bundy said. "It's just paid as profits and as appropriations become available according to the bankruptcy plan." Bernd Guetschow, an Anchorage attorney who represented shareholder litigants during Kake Tribal's bankruptcy, said the company is using money paid by the federal government for the land transfer in Kake to pay off shareholder litigants and other debts. He said the corporation has made its obligated payments to shareholder litigants to date but more is still owed. Guetschow said a second bankruptcy would likely be a last resort for Kake Tribal. "KTC is in a box," Guetschow said. "It is a very difficult situation." FEDERAL PAYMENT AWAITED The future of Kake Tribal could depend at least in part on whether the organization receives about $4 million from a land transfer ap