_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 12, ISSUE 052 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 December 25, 2004 Abenaki pebonkas/winter maker moon Zuni ik'ohbu yachunne/turning moon Mvskogee rvfo-rakko/big winter 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 s ch mA mL tL squee Lux -- Okanogan -- News from 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; Big Mountain, Chiapas95-English, Frostys AmerIndian, NDNAIM and Tennessee Indian Affairs 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "The record is clear. They (the federal government) take our resources and we are always left waiting for the money." __ Peter MacDonald, Former Navajo Tribal Chairman +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! The "winter help" section will be run this week and next week. Now is the time to assist those in need. -=-=-=- The Republican hefalump is on a rampage to force drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As you can read in the Washington Post article in this issue, "GOP Gains Boost Chances of Alaska Drilling - Supporters of Exploration in Wildlife Refuge Appear to Have Majority in New Senate", the republican congress is poised to try to ram yet another vote to open ANWR. If they succeed you can be sure there will be no follow-up reverse the vote, in spite of repeated failures to open the refuge to drilling in the past. You will hear endless promises of "no damage" and "the end to our nation's energy needs". They are half-truths, at best and in most cases outright bilge. Also in this issue you will read the Inuit are suing the US for damages already inflicted to their way of life by oil interests. If you don't care about the lost hunting, lost fish and lost lives brought about by oil interests in the arctic maybe you will care about the financial burden this cavalier damage to the environment will bring to the taxpayer of this country. The arctic has been damaged and drilling in ANWR will damage it further. Defenders of Wildlife poses these known facts: - More than 90 percent of the coastal lands west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have already been opened to drilling, with many documented negative effects on wildlife and habitat. Despite claims by the big oil companies that they can drill and have drilled responsibly on Alaska's North Slope, spills are commonplace. At the Prudhoe Bay oilfield , just 60 miles west of the refuge, reportable spills of oil products and hazardous substances happen every day and are compounded by the noise and air pollution industrialization brings. Shortly after drilling started in this area, the central arctic caribou herd shifted its calving grounds away from development, resulting in the use of lower quality habitats. - Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could be particularly disastrous for wildlife because the area targeted includes some of the refuge's most critical and sensitive habitat. Biologists project that the birthrate of the Porcupine caribou may fall by 40 percent if drilling is allowed. They also believe seismic exploration could disturb denning polar bears and cause them to abandon their cubs to die. Even small spills would be disastrous for seals and other marine mammals found along the refuge coastline because oil and chemicals from spills tend to accumulate within the air holes used by these animals. And disturbances of any duration could have population-wide impacts on snow geese, trumpeter swans, arctic terns and the other migratory birds that visit the refuge to feed and breed. - If oil exploration goes forward, we will not see a drop of oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for 10 years. Developing an oil-producing operation is a lengthy and expensive process and is only feasible when oil prices are high. The OPEC nations control the price of oil and would quickly cut world supply to offset any influx of oil from new sources. There is no guarantee oil from the refuge would ever reach American consumers because Alaska's congressional delegates are strongly pushing to resume selling Alaskan oil to China, Korea, Japan and other foreign countries, a practice that was halted during recent oil company mergers. Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) wotanging@bellsouth.net P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org =================================== 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. -- Update: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 8:50 AM From: Brigitte Thimiakis [thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr] Greetings, Please visit our site : Honor Your Spirit, Protect The Children (HYS) and support the winter project in support of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in MT. We have just added a number of new items on our Christmas First Nations Arts & Crafts Catalogue and will be happy to send them to anyone who wishes to order one or several of these art and crafts items, whether you live in the USA or abroad. These items make very nice gifts for Christmas. The First Nations artwork and items like horsehair hatbands or belts can also be passed on 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. So this catalogue enables you to send support to the reservation, to help many children and elders, while at the same times offering very nice gifts for the upcoming holidays... which are only in a few days. 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 Please feel free to share this post and these links with your family, friends and contacts. Thank you for any assistance you might provide with this project. 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 =================================== Posted to Oyate Underground. http://www.oyateunderground.com oyateunderground@yahoogroups.com Many people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation are living under very difficult conditions. Some are in dire need of our help to make the long and cold South Dakota winter more bearable. The Holidays are a time of warm feelings and warm clothes. Everyone deserves to share the same joy, feeling of friendship, security, and comfort! On the Pine Ridge Reservation, the average household income is under $10,000 a year. In most cases extended family members live together in homes that are poorly built and drafty. The winds that whip across the plains are something we may not have to worry about for our own children. Winter on Pine Ridge Coat Drive for American Indian children on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota Those of us who have so much can so easily make a difference in a child's life. Please buy a winter coat for one or several children! Knowing you will keep a little one warm throughout the winter will make you feel warm inside! Would you like to help? To visit and/or join this group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/winterinpineridge/ For more information on how to help, please contact E-mail: winterinpineridge@yahoogroups.com Phone: 877-256-9720 Please spread the word! Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) wotanging@bellsouth.net 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 ----------- - Indian Policy comes under Fire - GOP gains boost chances - Editorial: Stop delaying of Alaska Drilling Native Voting Rights Case - Native-based Shelter - Opinion: for all Battered Women A Welcome departure from Interior - Road and Bridge building - Generating Station in Montes denounced allowed to continue Studies - Manitoba Metis group - Tribe protests BLM decision launches Hunting Rights PR on Cortez Gold Mine - Judge orders compensation - Agreement meant to for Samson Cree help Preserve Tribal Culture - Inuits to file Human Rights claim - Tribal Reps get down to Business against U.S. - Ex-tribe Chair: Keep Water - Editorial: - Western Shoshone Nation Whose Jurisdiction Is It Anyway? face Injustice - Natives must take - Tulalips to end Leases their `Rightful Place...' on Beachfront Homes - Aboriginal leaders push - Tribes, State for Devolution Progress sign Bison Range Deal - Only Six years for slaying - Tribal College - Kayenta Prosecutor's Office burns to add three more Online Courses - Navajo Nation deaths - UNM to offer puzzle Investigators Native American Studies Degree - Native Prisoner - Navajo Concepts -- Sentencing Circle in Architecture Lessons - History: Carlisle Indian School - Yakamas will run - Rustywire: Santa Claus Klickitat Hatchery and Navajo Yei-Be-Che's - Aircraft Industry - Rustywire Poem: to Navajo Nation Christmas Presents under the Tree - Students create - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days Navajo Word Processor - Release: The Sixth World - JODI RAVE: - Tsiyugunsini Memoriam Research rife with Stereotypes --------- "RE: Indian Policy comes under Fire" --------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:21:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONE NATION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002124284_indians19m.html [Editorial Comment: This will be the subect on next issue's editorial. One Nation will not rest until Tribal Sovereignty is smoldering at their feet.] Indian policy comes under fire By Lornet Turnbull Seattle Times staff reporter December 19, 2004 Two national organizations - including a locally based group that emerged 15 years ago in a shellfish dispute with Western Washington tribes - have joined forces to push for reform of what they call the nation's flawed and fractured policy on Native people. Redmond-based United Property Owners has merged with One Nation of Oklahoma, which includes oil producers and farm interests, and in its two years has aggressively challenged American Indian sovereignty. The merger, effective Jan. 1, will form a megagroup called One Nation United, with 300,000 members in 50 states. The combined group has taken aim at federal Indian policies, including tax allowances, which they say erode state and local tax bases and undermine free enterprise. They contend that a century and a half after many Indian treaties were negotiated, they are in need of review. "We know that we've got truth, justice and the American way on our side and that ultimately reforms will happen," said Barbara Lindsay, executive director of United Property Owners and national director of the combined group. Tribal leaders across Washington say organizations such as Lindsay's are emerging just as wealth from gaming and other businesses is, for the first time, giving some of the nation's poorest citizens a shot at economic independence. "These groups are trying to get more organized to counter the fact that tribes have become more organized - and they see themselves losing this battle," said W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Council in Sequim. "We are making progress, and people like these want to undermine us. They'll say that is not their intent, but if their agenda is accepted as political policy, we would set back the conditions of Indian Country by decades." Robert Anderson, a University of Washington assistant law professor and director of the Native American Law Center, sees such groups as a national disruption. "They are way out there on the lunatic fringe ... either racists or just so tied up with their hatred for the federal government and recognition of Indian rights that they foment unnecessary litigation," Anderson said. "They ignore the fact that tribes have legitimate roles in governing themselves in their own territory. What they are doing is really harmful to what happens in most of Indian Country - where tribes and non-Indians are trying to work together for the betterment of those communities." Lindsay, who defends her organization as neither racist nor anti-Indian, said, "We need to find a resolution to some very complex problems, including the impact of federal Indian policy on nontribal property owners and businesses. All we're asking for is balance and fairness and common sense to be injected." A lobbying force With trade members that include the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers, One Nation has been a lobbying force in that state, which has one of the nation's highest concentrations of tribally owned casinos. In Washington, United Property Owners was formed by a group of mostly beachfront landowners in a legal dispute with Puget Sound-area tribes claiming their treaty rights to take shellfish from public and private beaches. U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie imposed some restrictions on access but sided with the tribes. Among the items on the merged group's agenda: * Protecting private-property rights - primarily of nontribal residents who live on or adjacent to Indian reservations and are subject to regulation by tribes. * Lessening sovereign immunity, which protects tribes from lawsuits. * Ending the tribes' exemption from federal campaign-contribution limits. * Changing the process that allows the transfer of property from local and state tax rolls into federal trust exclusively for Indian use. * Equalizing sales- and excise-tax policies for tribal and nontribal businesses. * Overturning the policy under which tribes are allowed regulatory authority over water, air quality, pesticide and Superfund cleanup on land on or near reservations. "Tribes already have such a distinct advantage in so many other ways because they are not subject to so many of the other regulatory burdens that other business have to bear," Lindsay said. "Our peace treaties" The sovereignty of tribes, which puts them on a par with states and foreign nations, is established in the U.S. Constitution. Sovereignty affords certain benefits and advantages. Tribes don't pay some state taxes that non-Indians living on or off reservations do. However, tribes finance much of their own infrastructure, including building and maintaining roads within reservations, and they pay for tribal police and fire services, housing, health clinics and other public services. Tribal members aren't required to pay sales taxes on items purchased on the reservation, whether from a car dealership or a Wal-Mart store. Lindsay thinks many aspects of U.S. policies on Indians hurt all taxpayers. A key concern for her group is a 1934 act that allows land to be transferred from fee status, where it's subject to state and local taxes, to trust status, where it's exempt. Some tribes, with money from tax-exempt casino profits, are buying property, and "as more and more lands move off local tax rolls, everyone else's taxes have to be raised," Lindsay said. "We're concerned over the loss to state and county governments of more and more property-tax dollars." Matt Mattson, Snoqualmie Tribe administrator, said Lindsay tries to "paint tribes as special-interest groups who receive certain exemptions that are somehow unfair. "The fact is, the U.S. government made deals with tribes hundreds of years ago. If the government doesn't like these deals, then give the land back. These were our peace treaties." Competition vs. obligation Mike Chandler, a non-Indian who owns two gas stations in Toppenish, Yakima County, within the boundaries of the Yakama Reservation, is torn between what he sees as unfair tribal competition vs. the nation's obligation to the Indian people. He gets many tribal customers at his two Conoco stations, located within blocks of a tribally owned station. And he said his business, in his family for three generations, is at a pricing disadvantage. While non-Indian station owners are taxed 28 cents a gallon on their purchases of gasoline and diesel, a federal agreement reduces that rate for stations owned by the Yakama Tribe and its members by 70 percent (to 8. 4 cents) per gallon for gasoline and eliminates the tax entirely on diesel, according to the Washington Department of Licensing. As a result, Chandler said, the tribe can undersell all its competitors - even retailers such as Costco that use low-priced gasoline as a way to lure customers. If he's lucky, he said, he can come within 5 cents, on average, of the tribe's price. "When I go by the tribally owned station, there'll be 16, 20 cars at the pumps, while here we have three, maybe. Who doesn't want less-expensive gas? "It kills volumes. And when we try to get close to them, there's no profit." The gas-tax arrangement with the Yakamas is different from the one Washington state has with 13 other tribes, which are reimbursed monthly the amount of taxes tribally owned stations pay when they buy gasoline from wholesalers. The amount of the refund is based on a formula that considers the number of enrolled tribal members living on or adjacent to reservations. The arrangement removes any advantage the tribes might have at the pumps, because the reimbursement goes to the tribe, not the individual stations. Through November, gasoline and diesel reimbursements to the tribes this year totaled $2.2 million. Allen, the Jamestown S'Klallam leader, points out that for every Indian- owned business that gets a pass on gas and sales taxes, there are nine others off the reservations that do not. "The fact is when it comes to things like sales taxes, no government has the authority to tax another government," he said. Allen believes the debate comes down to a question of economic self- reliance for Native people. "The ability of tribes to become more self-reliant based on business opportunity has emerged in the last 10 years," he said. "If you look at the socioeconomic conditions of Indian people, we've always been at the very bottom of every measurement. "Now, we are addressing generations of need in our communities, providing housing opportunities, jobs, health care, education for our people. And they want to take those opportunities away." Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com Copyright c. 2004 The Seattle Times Company. --------- "RE: Editorial:Stop delaying Native Voting Rights Case" --------- Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 08:51:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ARGUS LEADER: REDRAW THE LINES NOW" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.argusleader.com/editorial/Thursdayarticle1.shtml Redraw districts in Indian country Argus Leader Editorial Board editor@argusleader.com December 16, 2004 Native Americans seeking fair legislative representation have asked the judge in their suit to draw new districts herself - and then to order new elections for next November, a year earlier than normal. "The plaintiffs have waited long enough for fair representation," lawyers wrote to U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier. There's a good deal of sense behind that, regardless of the turmoil it might create. At issue is the 2001 redistricting plan, approved by state legislators based on the 2000 Census. Native Americans complained that legislators drew districts in the south-central part of the state to create a large Native American majority in District 27 - which includes the Rosebud and part of the Pine Ridge reservations. But other neighboring districts had much smaller numbers of Native Americans. The plaintiffs argued that the impact was to reduce Native American opportunities to elect legislators in those districts. Schreier agreed in strong terms - before the Nov. 2 election - and ordered a remedy. But since then the state has hemmed and hawed, asking for time, asking for guidance, asking whether legislators even could redraw the boundaries, under the state Constitution. Now we have the Native American solution. Have Schreier draw the boundaries, hold an election next November - with winners to serve until the next regular election, in November 2006. The proposals is based on a solid premise - Native Americans have waited long enough. It's a good idea that will help Native Americans and take the state off the hook. Copyright c. 2004 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Opinion: A Welcome departure from Interior" --------- Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 08:40:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GRILES EXIT A PLUS" http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/20/opinion/20mon4.html?oref=login&pagewanted=print EDITORIAL A Welcome Departure From Interior December 20, 2004 J. Steven Griles joined the Bush administration as deputy interior secretary convinced that the nation's land use policies had swung too far in favor of conservationists at the expense of commercial interests, especially the oil and mining industries. In this he was no different from any of the other lobbyists and think-tank conservatives President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney picked to fill the administration's key environmental posts. Mr. Griles, who in private life represented oil and mining companies, pushed the pendulum the other way - pushed it so far, in fact, that any semblance of balance between conservation and commerce disappeared. The environmental community is not unhappy to see him leave as part of the second-term administration shuffle. Neither are we. During Mr. Griles's tenure, the department approved more than 6,000 permits to drill for oil and gas on Western public lands in fiscal 2004, a one-year record, far outstripping the industry's capacity to actually sink wells. He presided over the infamous agreement between Gale Norton, the interior secretary, and the State of Utah that opened millions of acres designated as potential wilderness to commercial exploitation. And he was instrumental in rolling back regulations aimed at minimizing environmental damage from mining operations. Interior's inspector general spent 18 months investigating allegations that Mr. Griles did business with industries he once represented. No violations of conflict-of-interest laws were found. Yet Mr. Griles did not need personal contacts to carry out industry's wishes, so faithfully did he mirror them. He saw himself as chief operating officer, the man who got things done. As one admirer put it, Mr. Griles "kept the trains running at the Interior Department." And so he did, even though they nearly always ran in the wrong direction. Copyright c. 2004 The New York Times Company. --------- "RE: Generating Station allowed to continue Studies" --------- Date: Saturday, December 18, 2004 10:48 PM From: Robert Dorman [redorman@medscape.com] Subj: Generating station allowed to continue studies Mailing List: Big Mountain http://news.mywebpal.com/NewsID=596359&CategoryID=1129&on=0 Please visit my website, http://www.twincougars.com for health and wellness information and products. ___________________________________________________ Generating station allowed to continue studies toward avoiding, limiting closure LAUGHLIN - The California Public Utilities Commission authorized Southern California Edison Thursday to continue studies and expenditures that may allow the Mohave Generating Station to remain open after 2005. The decision will allow the company, the operator and part-owner of the plant, to continue working on coal, water and environmental issues. The commission has also required a study of renewable energy and other alternatives that could complement or replace the plant and provide economic benefits for the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation. "Until we know the water and coal supply cost issues are resolved, we can't determine whether Mohave is in the best interest of California rate payers," said commission spokeswoman Terrie Prosper. In a press release, Southern California Edison agreed, stating that determining whether keeping the plant open will benefit the company's 4.6 million customers will be impossible until the critical issues are resolved. "The CPUC's order strikes a basically sound, balanced approach to the difficult and complex situation facing Mohave," the release states. After concerns about water and coal supplies are resolved, the commission will review the costs and make a final determination about the future of the plant, the commission said in a press release. The 1,580-megawatt power plant is scheduled to close at least temporarily at the end of next year. Under the terms of a 1999 consent decree, pollution control equipment must be installed for the plant to remain open after that time. The equipment will cost more than $1 billion, the company estimates. The company has been authorized to do everything possible to shorten the time the facility will be closed, according to the commission. ----------------------------------------- Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm for more background on the Big Mountain relocation issue. To post to the list, email your message to redorman@theofficenet.com. To subscribe, send an email to: BIGMTLIST-subscribe@topica.com. --------- "RE: Tribe protests BLM decision on Cortez Gold Mine" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:43:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="VIOLATES HORSE CANYON" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=2682067 Nevada tribe protests BLM decision on Cortez gold mine December 13, 2004 ELKO, Nev. Tribal leaders and environmentalists are challenging federal approval of an exploration project for a gold mine in northeast Nevada. The Western Shoshone Defense Project, Great Basin Mine Watch and the Te-Moak Tribe have filed the petition recently questioning the Bureau of Land Management's approval of Cortez Gold Mines' plans to expand its exploration efforts on land surrounding the Cortez Hills gold discovery in the Horse Canyon area. The critics say the Horse Canyon area is important to the Indians for cultural and religious reasons. The petition says B-L-M approved the expanded exploration plans despite Western Shoshone protests and recognition that the area is of significance to the tribes. Cortez Gold Mines is a joint venture of Placer Dome and Kennecott Minerals. State B-L-M Director Bob Abbey will review the appeal. Copyright c. 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2002-2004 WorldNow and KESQ. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Agreement meant to help Preserve Tribal Culture" --------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:31:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YET MORE DESECRATION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2004/12/15/news/state/sta01.txt New agreement meant to help preserve tribal culture By Associated Press December 15, 2004 PLAZA - Pemina Yellow Bird says she knew she had to help preserve her culture when she heard that two skulls from an American Indian grave on the Missouri River were picked up and taken to someone's home. Her involvement in that issue has spanned nearly 20 years. She is now a cultural preservation consultant for the Three Affiliated Tribes. Yellow Bird, of Plaza, was appointed to the board of the State Historical Society of North Dakota in 1985. After years of hard work, she said, April 16 was a day of victory for tribes along the Missouri River. That was the date that the tribes, the Army Corps of Engineers and other federal and state agencies signed an agreement on cultural resource protection and preservation. "We're now sharing the stewardship of these sacred and cultural resources. It's really, in my mind, a tremendous victory, and the results of many, many years of hard work on the part of many, many people," Yellow Bird said. The agreement, which was developed to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act, sets a process for management and protection of cultural resources along the Missouri River. "I just think it's so tremendously exciting that at last we're addressing the issues and tribes are playing an integral role in these matters so we're not sitting on the sidelines," Yellow Bird said. "We're not being kept out of the loop -- we are at the table." Yellow Bird grew up in Parshall, a community near the Missouri River on the Fort Berthold Reservation. She worked earlier to get a law passed that protected Indian burials. "The law that was on the book at the time protected burials for the sake of science. It was written by and for archaeologists, but we got in there and changed it," she said. "Our late attorney, Kip Quale, was a tremendous player in that effort." Quale was an attorney for the Three Affiliated Tribes. The recent agreement signed by the tribes and agencies also kicked off a program to educate the public about the problems of looting, artifact collecting and vandalizing, Yellow Bird said. "The lake level going low creates a very difficult problem for tribes. We're so interested in protecting these sacred and cultural resources (and) that makes it more difficult for us," she said. "Signs will be installed at each of the access points to Lake Sakakawea reminding people that picking up or digging for artifacts is a felony, and letting them know what the consequences will be," Yellow Bird said. "It's also a felony to rob Native American burials." A 1-800 hotline to report looters also is being established. The hotline goes to the Corps of Engineers, which notifies the appropriate law enforcement agency. Yellow Bird said many people do not understand what sites and artifacts mean to tribes. "To us, they are sacred," she said. "It would be like somebody walking into a church and just helping themselves to whatever they found there, and then turn around and take those items home and put them on display, or worse -- sell them. "People need to know if they are caught and convicted they will be committing a felony," she said. Yellow Bird said the agreement with the corps came out of respect for tribal ancestors. "It took 17 years to get the corps to the point where they would seriously talk to us, and it took another three years to actually write it and negotiate it," she said. "I think that's a real strong point -- that this is a feather in the hats of all the tribal representatives that they just hung in there and would not give up." Copyright c. 2004 Bismarck Tribune. --------- "RE: Tribal Reps get down to Business" --------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:21:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LAKOTA NATION INVITATIONAL" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/12/18/news/local/top/news01.txt Tribal reps get down to business By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer December 18, 2004 RAPID CITY - If tribal members believe their leaders come to Lakota Nation Invitational to get away from the responsibilities of their offices, they might be surprised. LNI draws more than academic excellence and athleticism. It also brings state, regional and national American Indian policy-makers to Rapid City. Since Wednesday, tribal leaders and representatives from South Dakota's nine reservations and those in North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska have been attending scores of meetings concerning law enforcement, health, water projects, treaties and the environment. On Friday morning, Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, welcomed Dave Anderson, head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and was waiting to meet with U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D. Anderson announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs planned to turn BIA schools into leadership academies. He added that the litigation about misappropriation of trust lands has put the BIA into an environment of change. Frazier and other tribal leaders met Thursday with Gov. Mike Rounds and Sen.-elect John Thune. Others met with Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and his representatives. "I've been here most of the week and haven't seen a ballgame yet," Frazier said. He said that at no other time does the variety of tribal leadership and policy- makers meet except at LNI. "Everybody is out here for meetings, and it's a good to pull everybody together," Frazier said. At the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association meeting, Anderson addressed a variety of leadership, including Oglala Sioux Tribe President Cecelia Fire Thunder, Turtle Mountain President Ken Davis, Frazier and OST council representatives Kathy Janis, Lyle Jack and Philip Good Crow. "It's been a pretty informative and productive week," Jack said. Though he has been following an 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily meeting schedule, Jack has been taking time off in the evenings to follow Pine Ridge High School's basketball team at the tournament. "My son plays on the team, so I have to be there," he said. Kathy Janis met with Rounds and Thune on Thursday, speaking on behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe until Fire Thunder arrived. Janis, too, had been going from one meeting to another, networking with various policy-makers to help programs on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. "A lot of work gets done during these tournaments," Janis said. Philip Good Crow agreed. "It's a chance to talk with officials from other reservations," he said. "It's a chance to meet with the bigwigs," Jack added. At Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, French Consulting hosted a workshop about management skills for tribal directors, managers and supervisors; the Great Sioux Nation Indian Child Welfare Act Consortium met, and Lakota Exploration and InMed-Health & Science Poster Symposium were also set up. The third annual Well Nations Conference met at Hotel Alex Johnson. Jack said if there are issues that need to be resolved or programs that need to get its message to the people, they end up at LNI. "It's a time that everybody is here," Jack said. Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com Copyright c. 2004 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Ex-tribe Chair: Keep Water" --------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:31:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MACDONALD WARNS AGAINST SIGNING" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.gallupindependent.com/121404macdonald.html Ex-tribe chair: Keep water Staff Report December 14, 2004 WINDOW ROCK - Former Navajo Tribal Chairman Peter MacDonald didn't mince words Monday when he strongly urged the Navajo Nation not to go along with the proposed San Juan River water rights settlement. Telling members of the Navajo Nation Council, who are meeting today and Wednesday to discuss the settlement, not to trust the federal and state governments, the former tribal leader said he had serious misgivings about almost every aspect of the settlement. "The future of the Navajo Nation is at stake," MacDonald said in a press release issued late Monday night. "We should not be coerced into a hasty decision on matters of this magnitude." It is evident from MacDonald's statement that he doesn't trust any of the promises the Navajo Nation has received in exchange for approving the settlement. "We have been promised money from the federal government before in return for giving up our resource," the said. "The record is clear. They take our resources and we are always left waiting for the money." He pointed out that back in the 1950s, the Navajo Nation gave up some of its water rights to New Mexico in exchange for a federal government promise to provide the tribe with 110,000 acres of farmland and 500,000 acre-feet of water to irrigate it. But more than 40 years later "we are still waiting." "The farm is only half-completed and the government wants to quit on us and just leave us with 200,000 acre-feet of water to irrigate 50,000 acres, not the 110,000 acres they promised," he said. "In the meantime, New Mexico has been drinking our water for the past 25 years and we are still waiting for full payment and fulfillment of the promise made (more than) 40 years ago," he added. The proposal that is under discussion by the Navajo Nation Council, in simple terms, would limit the Navajo Nation to 600,000 acre-feet. in exchange, the federal government would provide some $800 million to build a water pipeline from the San Juan River to Gallup and chapters in the eastern and central portions of the reservation. "This proposed water settlement is not going to bring water to all New Mexico chapters much less to Arizona and Utah chapters who have a much bigger claim to the San Juan River," he said. In fact, this settlement, in his opinion, guarantees that water will go to Gallup and less than a dozen Navajo chapters. MacDonald believes in what is known as the Winter's Doctrine, a 1908 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that basically guarantees tribes the right to claim all of the waters within their homelands that "can be put to beneficial use." What this means, he said, is that the Navajo Nation will be giving up a large portion of the water it is entitled to under this doctrine. MacDonald said the tribe could easily put two to three million acres of tribal land under irrigation if the water was available. Using five acre-feet of water to irrigate one acre of land, "the Navajo Nation could easily put to beneficial use 10 million to 15 million acre- feet of water within the four sacred mountains," he said. That's almost 25 times the amount the tribe would have to settle for under the agreement. That also amounts to nearly all of the water in the upper and lower Colorado River Basin, leaving little water for any of the other users. "Yet, New Mexico and the federal government are trying to make us give up our Winter's Doctrine claim and settle for a spoonful of water with a promise to give us money to develop that spoonful of water." he added. He wants the tribe to aggressively fight for every drop of water the Navajo Nation is entitled to and not worry about the other users, who he refers to as the newcomers to this area. "We get the first cut of the amount of water needed for our purpose," he said. "Then, the newcomers can fight over what's left . . . not the other way around." MacDonald strongly urged the council to postpone making a decision on the settlement this week and instead hire well-qualified experts or as he says, a "water-rights czar" to look into this matter and make recommendations. This is not a time to worry about how much it will cost to fight the federal government over the tribe's water rights, he said. "Water is life and life is priceless," he said. "Therefore, Navajo water is priceless." If it turns out that the tribe will have to invest $20 million to $30 million, it's worth it, he said, if it saves "our children's future." "Yes, time is of the essence, but we must take the time to do our homework," his statement concluded. "We have only one chance to win. We need to be prepared." Copyright c. 2004 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Western Shoshone Nation face Injustice" --------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:21:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WESTERN SHOSHONE" http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2004/12/17/opinion/stevensltr.html GUEST OPINION Western Shoshone Nation the latest tribe to face injustice By HUGH STEVENS December 17, 2004 An open letter to the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress and the American people from the Western Shoshone Nation concerning the worst case of injustice to be inflicted upon our nation's American Indians in more than a century. Dear President Bush, members of Congress, the people of the United States: Today, the Western Shoshone Nation is in a struggle for survival against the powerful forces within the U.S. Congress that are attempting to steal our ancestral homeland. While Western Shoshone warriors are fighting in Iraq to defend and protect the United States, certain members of Congress are attempting to illegally confiscate our homeland, which the U.S. Government promised to preserve and protect for the Western Shoshone Nation by the 1863 Ruby Valley Treaty. If the Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Bill (H.R. 884/S.618) is passed and approved by the president, our Western Shoshone warriors will not have a homeland to return to when they complete their tour of duty in Iraq. Today, the Western Shoshone People are not being attacked by U.S. Army soldiers who are firing their rifles and swinging their sabers in murderous attacks upon our people, as they did in the 1800s. Instead, today, the Western Shoshone people are being attacked by a Congressional juggernaut that has been fueled by false and misleading information that is intent upon stealing our sacred lands from under our feet. While the direct, frontal attacks of the 1800s were deadly and killed many Shoshones, today's Congressional attacks upon the Western Shoshone are far more devastating and destructive, since, if they are successful, they will destroy the entire Shoshone nation. People say, "How could this be happening in the United States of American in the 21st Century?" But it is happening, and the legislative conquest of the Western Shoshone will succeed unless stopped by Congress, the American people, and the President of the United States. What Congress is being told - Members of Congress have been told that the Western Shoshone people want the distribution of funds that were made available to the Western Shoshone Nation in 1979 by the Indian Claims Commission for damages inflicted upon the Western Shoshone people in 1872. The funding, which represents 15 cents per acre plus interest, is currently being held in the U.S. Treasury. The truth - Seven tribal governments of the Western Shoshone Nation strongly oppose the distribution of the Indian Claims Commission funding, which if accepted, will extinguish their title and ownership of 24 million acres of Western Shoshone lands that were guaranteed to the Western Shoshone by the U.S. Government by the 1863 Ruby Valley Treaty. These lands have never been ceded or sold by the Western Shoshone and remain the homeland of the Western Shoshone Nation. Illegal actions by the federal government - In 1951, Western Shoshone filed a claim for damages with the Indian Claims Commission for actions being taken by the federal government to illegally confiscate Western Shoshone lands. Twenty-seven years later, in 1978, the Indian Claims Commission got around to responding to the Western Shoshone claim. Finally, in 1979, the Indian Claims Commission attempted to make a final judgment on the Western Shoshone claim. By law, in order for the Indian Claims Commission to make a final judgment on a tribal claim, two actions were required. First, the amount of monetary judgment for damages had to be determined by the Indian Claims Commission, and secondly, a final report had to be filed with Congress that defined the basis for the judgment. In the case of the Western Shoshone claim, the amount of monetary judgment was established by the Indian Claims Commission, but the required final report was never filed with Congress. Without both steps being t aken, any settlement amount would be invalid, and any payment by the federal government for the taking of Indian lands would be illegal. During the time period from 1946 to 1979 that the Indian Claims Commission was authorized by Congress to address Indian claims, 320 claims were addressed, but 20 claims were not completed, since no final reports were filed with Congress on the 20 claims. The Western Shoshone claim was one of the claims that was never completed by the Indian Claims Commission before Congress abolished the Indian Claims Commission in 1979. The Indian Claims Commission's "final judgment" on the Western Shoshone claim remains incomplete as of this day, and can never be completed, since the Indian Claims Commission is no longer in operation. Secretary of Interior accepts Indian Claims Commission funding as the "Trustee" of the Western Shoshone - Despite the fact that the legal responsibility of the Indian Claims Commission was never fulfilled, the Secretary of the Interior, acting as the trustee of the Western Shoshone Nation, accepted the payment of 15 cents per acre, plus interest, as a "fair settlement" for the confiscation of 24 million acres of Western Shoshone lands by the federal government, a settlement that included compensation for the richest gold fields in the United States from which $25 billion in gold has been removed from Western Shoshone lands without any compensation being paid to the Western Shoshone Indians, as required by the 1863 Ruby Valley Treaty. The Indian Claims Commission declared that the Western Shoshone lands were "lost" by the Western Shoshone on July 1, 1872 as a result of "gradual encroachment" on the Western Shoshone lands, a completely fabricated and untrue statement. We appeal to the President of the United States to issue an executive order to the U.S. Department of Interior to direct the Secretary of Interior to enter into good faith negotiations, on a nation-to-nation basis, with the Western Shoshone Nation in an attempt to reach a fair and just resolution of the land dispute related to the 1863 Ruby Valley Treaty between the Western Shoshone Nation and the U.S. Government. And we appeal to the U.S. Senate, please do not approve H.R.884/S.618 without at least giving the Western Shoshone Nation a hearing on the bill so that our voices may be heard. Stevens is chairman of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone. Copyright c. Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2004. --------- "RE: Tulalips to end Leases on Beachfront Homes" --------- Date: Saturday, December 18, 2004 11:38 AM From: MJLaBurt@aol.com Subj: Tulalips to end leases on beachfront homes Mailing List: NDNAIM http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/04/12/18/100loc_tulalip001.cfm Tulalips to end leases on beachfront homes More than 300 homes affected by decision By Cathy Logg Herald Writer December 18, 2004 TULALIP - Thirty-two families who lease waterfront homes at Mission Beach will lose their leases in 2012 and have to move their homes or lose them. Tulalips' new policy The leased property at issue is at four locations around Tulalip Bay. A total of 343 lots are affected. Of those, 115 are waterfront lots. Of the 63 lots on Mission Beach, 32 (including four empty ones) below Mission Beach bluff will not be renewed. All other residential leases will be offered a one-time 15-year lease when their current leases expire. Current leases will expire between 2009 and 2033. The Mission Beach leases that will not be renewed expire in 2012. Another 311 families who lease residential land on the Tulalip Reservation have leases that expire between 2009 and 2033. At the end of those leases, most will be offered a final 15-year lease, but then will have to leave, Tulalip officials said Friday. The tribe's Board of Directors, cited concerns ranging from the erosion of the bluff above Mission Beach to the severe environmental degradation of Tulalip Bay. The Tulalips also are anticipating the need for more tribal housing, as the number of enrolled members could quadruple, said Ron Dotzauer, owner of Strategies 360, a public relations firm employed by the tribe. Residents affected by the new policy began receiving mailed notices Friday. Michael O'Leary / The Herald Mission Beach homes on the Tulalip Reservation must be moved by 2012 or their owners will lose them under a policy announced Friday. "It would have been nice if we'd had more notice," Mission Beach resident Cliff Cain said. "I'm at an age it doesn't bother me so much. I was turning it over to the kids." But Cain said residents are likely to be upset. "We have to see what the next step is," he said. Tulalip Chairman Stan Jones Sr. said the board adopted the policy after careful review of all options. "We made this difficult decision because we had to - not for our own sakes, but for the benefit of our children and our children's children," Jones said. "The bay is unique and uniquely part of who we are as a people. We are committed to taking the steps necessary to restore this area and clean up these waters so that we can maintain the integrity of the bay for generations to come." The Tulalips' tribal government was established in the 1930s. Land leases were a way to pay for government services. The first lease was issued at Mission Beach in 1943. People own the homes, while the tribe owns the land. The new policy focuses on specific areas of leased tribal lands. The worst situation is at south Mission Beach, where homes that sit below a large bluff are at risk of damage from landslides because of erosion. Leases on homes above the bluff in Mission Beach Heights will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on safety issues, said Marilyn Sheldon, the tribe's executive director of economic and community development. The other change addresses three other neighborhoods around Tulalip Bay on other leased lots. The additional 15-year lease will allow those residents more time to plan and prepare for other options, Jones said. Mission Beach residents who will lose their leases in 2012 reach their homes using a long ramp from the bluff to a path that runs behind the houses. The crumbling bluff encroaches on the path in places. A fence of large poles cabled together has tipped toward the houses where the hillside is failing. In one place, the fence leans so close to homes that residents have cut off the tops of the poles in order to walk the path. The fencing is within about a foot of one house. In other places, water runoff has carved channels down the bluff, and eroding sand is pushing through the fence, as well as washing under the houses, which sit on pilings on the beach. The Tulalips hired an independent firm to conduct an environmental study of Tulalip Bay and the surrounding area, Sheldon said. The bay not only supports salmon, but also has been home to clam and oyster beds. The tribe wants to restore the bay's health to support the aquatic life, Sheldon said. Parts of the bay have been closed to swimming because of contamination. "This was my swimming hole as a kid," Sheldon said, showing a posted sign banning swimming at a beach below tribal headquarters. Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@ heraldnet.com. Copyright c. 2004 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, Wash. --------- "RE: Tribes, State sign Bison Range Deal" --------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:31:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BISON AGREEMENT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/12/15/news/mtregional/news06.txt Tribes, state to sign Bison Range deal today By JOHN STROMNES of the Missoulian December 15, 2004 POLSON - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will sign a controversial and quite likely precedent- setting agreement Wednesday, allowing the tribal government to take over important management functions at the National Bison Range Complex on the Flathead Reservation. The tribes will be reimbursed for their work by the federal government, with the money taken out of the Fish and Wildlife Service budget for the Bison Range. Both governments say the consequences to taxpayers will be negligible. The agreement will automatically take effect in 90 days unless Congress intervenes. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., has been watching the negotiations closely. Burns is chairman of the Senate subcommittee on appropriations for the Department of Interior and essentially holds a veto over the proposal. A spokesman in Burns' Billings office said the senator has spoken at length with both proponents and opponents of the agreement during the last two years, as it was being negotiated. But he has yet to reach a conclusion on the agreement's merits. He will review the proposal when it comes before Congress during the 90- day review period. Under the terms of the agreement, the CSKT would perform some of activities at the Bison Range and other USFWS facilities on the Flathead Reservation during fiscal year 2005. The agreement must be renewed on a year-to-year basis. The tribes' responsibilities include the biological program, fire program, maintenance program, and visitor services, involving almost half of the Bison Range work force. The agreement contains extensive provisions to protect the employment rights of current employees. The Fish and Wildlife Service will maintain ownership of and management authority over all lands and buildings at the Bison Range, and will deal with the tribal employees through a tribally appointed coordinator. The controversy is over whether the agreement is in the best interest of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and whether it will ultimately compromise the agency's mission at the Bison Range. Many within the fish and wildlife agency and in some national conservation groups that work closely with the agency on wildlife issues - Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League and The Wilderness Society - say it will not work. Susan Reneau, an outdoors and wildlife writer based in Missoula, has helped muster the opposition to the Bison Range agreement over the last two years. She said Tuesday that refuge managers and project leaders from all over the USFWS system have gone on record opposing the agreement as unworkable, despite considerable risk to their professional advancement by speaking out publicly. "This agreement is not only onerous to most of the refuge managers and project leaders throughout the national wildlife system, but it is also onerous to many national conservation groups. None of the major concerns of the professional wildlife biologists and conservation groups have been incorporated into the agreement, which was written by the lawyers of the CSKT and Department of Interior," Reneau said. Meanwhile, Steve Williams, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, said he wants the agency to learn from the controversy occasioned by this agreement. "While I expect some will not be happy with the final agreement, I am confident that we can make this AFA a success," he said in a memo to agency administrators e-mailed Monday and forwarded to the Missoulian. Wednesday's signing will occur in Washington, D.C. Reporter John Stromnes can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 or at jstromnes@missoulian.com Copyright c. 2004 Missoulian, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Tribal College to add three more Online Courses" --------- Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 08:45:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="UTTC ONLINE COURSES" http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/005733.asp Tribal college to add three more online courses December 10, 2004 News from the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota. United Tribes Technical College has received accreditation to offer three additional associate degree programs online, expanding the college online degrees to five. The new online degree programs are Health Information Technology, Elementary Education and Nutrition and Food Service. "The training provided in these areas is critically needed in Indian Country," said UTTC President David M. Gipp. "We know that it's unrealistic to expect working people to quit and go to school. Online programs allow them to continue working as they gain access to training that allows them to grow in their job skills and contribute more effectively in their communities." UTTC became the first tribal college in the nation to receive accreditation for online degrees one year ago when it received approval for its Early Childhood Education and Injury Prevention programs. UTTC online courses and programs have evolved specifically to meet the needs of tribal students, said Phil Baird, Dean of Vocational and Academic Programs. The college declined the use of pre-packaged online programs and coursework and designed its own technology platform for both academic instruction and student support services. "We believe UTTC's programs are credible because our online coursework and platform were developed from a teacher's perspective," Baird said. "We felt it was very important that our IT systems and courses meet both the needs of our students and the standards expected of higher education institutions in the country." The Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools granted approval for the new programs December 6. The Chicago based organization has accredited UTTC through the year 2011. UTTC offers 17 Associate of Applied Science programs and eleven certificate programs, and maintains a branch campus at the Owens Valley Career Development Center, Bishop, CA. Copyright c. 2000-2004 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: UNM to offer Native American Studies Degree" --------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:31:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="UNM NA STUDIES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.abqjournal.com/education/273095education12-15-04.htm UNM To Offer Native American Studies Degree By Olivier Uyttebrouck Journal Staff Writer December 15, 2004 Years of effort by Indian scholars at the University of New Mexico paid off Tuesday when regents approved a new bachelor's degree in Native American studies. Greg Cajete, director of the Native American studies program, predicted that 100 students will enroll as majors or minors in the program by 2006. "This is a historic moment for Native American education," Cajete told regents shortly before they approved the program. The move makes UNM the first New Mexico college to offer a degree dedicated to Native American studies, Cajete said. UNM likely will offer a master's degree in Native American studies by 2007, he said. Several dozen students and faculty attended the meeting Tuesday to support the new program. "A degree program is more significant than a minor," said Vibeka Sandoval, 24, a Navajo from Naschitti, who is minoring in Native American studies and plans to seek the new degree. UNM created a minor in Native American studies in 1999. Sandoval said the academic program taught her things about Indian history and society that she had never suspected while growing up on the reservation. "I want to be able to teach at schools on the reservation and teach them what I have learned here," said Sandoval, one of about 3,000 Native American students at UNM. Building an academic program devoted to the history and society of Indian country has been a long, slow climb, Cajete said after the meeting. UNM created a Native American studies program in 1970, largely as a way to support Indian students. The field of Native American studies, both at UNM and nationally, has gathered steam in the last decade, he said. "Native American studies as a discipline is coming into its own, mainly because there are more scholars, researchers and professors coming up through the ranks," he said. Copyright c. 2004 Albuquerque Journal. --------- "RE: Navajo Concepts in Architecture Lessons" --------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:31:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ARCHITECTURE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.abqjournal.com/education/268619education12-09-04.htm?rrc UNM Student Uses Navajo Concepts in Architecture Lessons for Young Native Americans By Russell Contreras Journal Staff Writer December 9, 2004 Cardboard, plastic foam and plastic landed on Nigel Begaye's desk, and the Lowell Elementary fifth-grader knew exactly what he wanted to do with the small pieces. In his 10-year-old mind was an image of a semi-art deco style model house with pointy walls and intricately placed windows. On Tuesday, Nigel proudly unveiled to his architecture class his final product, something he called the "Crazy House." "Architecture lets you plan something out before you make it," Nigel said as if he'd been doing it for years. "That way when you make something, it doesn't look all weird and stuff." That's the kind of reaction Alfred Becente hoped for when he started visiting Nigel's class earlier this year. The University of New Mexico senior is part of a program that links UNM architecture students with Albuquerque schools to teach design. In Becente's case, he was teaching the concepts in Navajo. "It's something else when you draw a design and see their eyes light up," said Becente, who will graduate in May. "You can tell they're interested." Since 1976, UNM has been sending architecture students to Albuquerque public and private schools to teach design, said Anne Taylor, director of the university's Institute for Environmental Education. But when UNM's School of Architecture and Planning gets a Native American student, Taylor said the program jumps at the chance to introduce younger Native Americans to the field. "Architecture sees across language barriers," said Taylor. "It's a universal language, and it's everywhere." This semester, the program sent students to 16 schools in Albuquerque, Taylor said. Yet Becente's class was unique because he translated architectural terms into Navajo for students. On Tuesday, Becente's last class, he reminded students that architecture is like the human body. "It protects us from weather," Becente said, "because walls of a building are like our skin." Until Becente's visit, fifth-grader Alycia Gray said she had never even thought about architecture. Now, after learning about the field, the 11- year-old said, "I maybe want to do this later." For her project, she is building a dome structure she said could be used as a gym for kids or pets. Third-grader Sarena Gray, 8, said she likes architecture because "it's fun to get glue all over your hands." Her project, the "Piggy's House," was inspired from the "Three Little Pigs" story. Her model was somehow slightly damaged, but not destroyed. "Now I know the big, bad wolf couldn't knock this down," she said smiling. Nigel, builder of the "Crazy House," said he intended to put Christmas decorations on his unique model when he got home. And who would live in such a contraption? "Me," Nigel said while proudly examining his model, "'cause I'm crazy." Becente said he "had a blast" teaching architecture and was asked by the school to return next semester. "Architecture is not just about building," Becente said. "It's also about design." After a slight pause while looking at the students for the last time, Becente said, "I think they got it." Copyright c. 2004 Albuquerque Journal. --------- "RE: Yakamas will run Klickitat Hatchery" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:43:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YAKAMA OPERATED HATCHERY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002118900_fishies14m.html Yakamas will run Klickitat hatchery By The Associated Press December 14, 2004 KLICKITAT, Klickitat County - In what some are calling an unprecedented move, the state plans to transfer its Klickitat fish-hatchery operations to the Yakama Indian Nation in an effort to restore fish runs to the upper basin of the Klickitat River. It's been more than 50 years since salmon and steelhead returned to spawn in the upper basin of the Klickitat, which flows some 100 miles from the base of Mount Adams to the Columbia River. Before hydroelectric dams were built on the Columbia, an estimated 15,000 fish returned to the river each year. Beginning in February, the tribe will take over management of the fish hatchery after 50 years of state management. The state will continue to have a hand in operations. "This is groundbreaking for us - this is way outside of what we're used to doing," said Bill Tweit, state Department of Fish and Wildlife representative. "We're usually pretty possessive of our hatcheries because we're really proud of them." Under the transfer agreement, the state retains timber rights to the 200-acre hatchery site, east of Glenwood in a closed section of the reservation, and the public still will have access to the area for fishing and rafting. Allowing the tribe to restore fish runs in the upper basin will improve fishing not only for tribal members, but also for commercial fishermen and sportsmen in the lower basin as well, Tweit said. "If we can get fish in the rivers and streams up here, then families can come up here and camp and catch fish," said Virgil Lewis, tribal council vice chairman. The hatchery has been successful in stocking the river with fish, but salmon haven't been returning to the upper watershed. Copyright c. 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2004 The Seattle Times Company. --------- "RE: Aircraft Industry to Navajo Nation" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:43:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY PLANT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://home.businesswire.com/news_view&newsId=20041213005530&newsLang=en Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc., To Bring Aircraft Industry to Navajo Nation December 13, 2004 WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Dec. 13, 2004 - Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., announced Sunday the Navajo Nation's intention to partner with Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc., to produce a newly- designed, specialized feeder freight aircraft called the FF-1080-300. The arrangement calls for establishing three aircraft sub-assembly plants on the Navajo Nation that will create hundreds of high-paying Navajo jobs and provide millions of dollars to the Navajo economy. Utilicraft Aerospace has already agreed to establish its final assembly facility at the Double Eagle II Airport in Albuquerque, N.M. On Dec. 8, 2004, while in Lawrenceville, Ga., President Shirley and Utilicraft Aerospace CEO John J. Dupont signed a memorandum of understanding that would have the Navajo Nation invest $34 million in the project to become a 25 percent equity partner in Utilicraft Aerospace. Financial analysis of the company project it to become a $4.9 billion company within eight years. "I feel very good, very confident about this," President Shirley said. "This is an awesome opportunity and industry to bring to the Navajo Nation." Utilicraft Aerospace has an agreement with Global Air Group of Brisbane, Australia, for the purchase of 100 FF-1080 Freight Feeder aircraft for $1. 2 billion. The company also has an agreement with WSI Hong Kong, Ltd., for 300 FF-1080 aircraft. "We're looking at about 1,000 jobs in the state of New Mexico to build the airplane and to do final assembly in Albuquerque at a production rate of 96 a year," Mr. Dupont said. "This represents jobs, economic development and a great business opportunity for the Navajo Nation." New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has been personally involved for the last year in recruiting the aviation company to New Mexico. "I am gratified to see our efforts are paying off with these significant announcements in both Albuquerque and the Navajo Nation," Governor Richardson said. "This project represents our commitment to bring jobs and economic vitality to all parts of New Mexico, especially our rural and Native American communities. He continued, "I applaud President Shirley's commitment to economic development, and we are proud to be part of this unique partnership between the Navajo Nation, the State of New Mexico, the City of Albuquerque and the private sector." Jerry Sandoval, a representative of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, accompanied President Shirley and Navajo Division of Economic Development Director Allan Begay to Georgia last week to convey the governor's commitment regarding the state's incentives that would be available for the project. These include job training funds and other tax credits tied to new job creation. Utilicraft Aerospace Industries' primary mission is to address the problem of the overnight express, supply chain, e-commerce, and global third party logistics entities' inability to provide effective containerized fulfillment and distribution in the short haul (or feeder) route segments of air cargo. The company's solution is a new, un-pressurized, square-bodied aircraft capable of carrying standard industry air containers on short-to-medium range routes. Improving the operating economics of the FF-1080 is its patented integrated air cargo information system and patented power- management system. The FF-1080 aircraft is an all-aluminum, twin-engine, high-wing, fixed- landing gear, single pilot-capable turboprop aircraft specifically designed as a utility air freight transport system. The FF-1080 satisfies an industry-recognized need to cost-effectively feed containerized air cargo to the major hubs of the scheduled passenger carriers and the overnight express airlines. The aircraft is also designed for short take-off and landing (STOL) capability. This feature makes the FF-1080 the only short-haul, heavy-lift containerized feeder aircraft capable of cost-effectively transporting 10 revenue tons over 1,000 miles from airfields with 3,000 feet of runway, expanding air cargo capacity to many smaller cities and airports worldwide. The plane has a gross weight of 70,000 lbs. and can transport 20,000 lbs. up to 1,000 nautical miles. Utilicraft Aerospace Industries business plan contemplates a two-year final development program, leading to FAA certification and initial production of the FF-1080, with a total cost of $75 million. The plane has been in development for 13 years. About Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc., Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc., primary mission is to target the significant problem of the overnight express, supply chain, e-commerce, and global third party logistics entities inability to provide effective "containerized" fulfillment and distribution in the short haul (or feeder) route segments of air cargo. The Company's solution is the FF-1080 Freight Feeder aircraft - a mission specific design, capable of carrying standard industry air containers on short-to-medium range/medium density routes, and an integrated air cargo information system for the freight feeder market. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements in this press release involve risks and uncertainties and reflect the company's current views with respect to possible future events. Readers are cautioned that no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results or events may materially differ from those projected or anticipated. In particular, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: the company's ability to obtain and fulfill contracts for the sale of products, protect intellectual property rights and manage future growth; market acceptance of future products; product supplier delays; design and engineering certification delays or denials; and the introduction of similar products by competitors. Any forward-looking statement made in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business. Contacts: Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, Inc. Tom Dapogny, 678-376-0898 Fax: 678-376-9093 or The Navajo Nation George Hardeen, 928-871-7917 Copyright c. 2004 Business Wire. --------- "RE: Students create Navajo Word Processor" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:43:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO WORD PROCESSOR" http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY[News]=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=7695 Students create Navajo word processor Source: AP FARMINGTON, N.M. - The Navajo language is getting an updated look thanks to students at San Juan College. Navajo Word Processor 3.1 will soon hit shelves at the college bookstore. The program developed by computer programming students offers a full featured word processor with four new Navajo fonts, an English-to-Navajo dictionary and a Navajo-to-English dictionary. It is the latest version of software first developed in the early 1990s when instructor Timothy Reeves' had his students develop a word processor for the Navajo language. Reeves had already developed a special font for the language. Ever since, the students have been updating and improving the software. Reeves says there are a number of people who need to type in Navajo. Copyright c. 2004 The Associated Press. Copyright c. 2004 KQRE - Albuquerque, NM. --------- "RE: JODI RAVE: Research rife with Stereotypes" --------- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:43:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: KOKOPELLI CONUNDRUM" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/12/15/jodirave/rave72.txt Professor's 'research' rife with stereotypes By JODI RAVE Lee Enterprises December 12, 2004 What was professor Andrew Gulliford thinking? Had he convinced himself his Native students were truly tacit and would stand for publication of their names, thoughts and ideas without consent? Gulliford, director of the Center for Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., borrowed from their private conversations, final exams and classroom discussions for recent use in an academic journal. "The stories they tell me, an Anglo professor, and the things they have to say are as powerful as anything one can learn from books," he wrote for the American Studies International. His students mystified him. "Some students have extraordinary sensitivities. They can detect the presence of spirits from centuries past." At times they floored him with questions. "Why can't you white people handle Indian sexuality?" It was a valid question relative to the iconic Kokopelli figure. And it was raised in a classroom setting, but one certainly never intended for international publication. Nor was the private information about a traditional ceremony involving a student's sick mother. And neither were the comments from a student who revealed a life with drunken parents. He spelled this out, including sacred cultural information, in his essay, "Kokopelli Conundrum: Lessons Learned from Teaching Native American Students." And that's where Gulliford created his own conundrum. The essay not only violated student trust, but was peppered with stereotypes. Ironically, he colored students as "quiet almost to a fault, slow to speak up, reticent to challenge professors." Since the essay's publication, students have turned that supposition on its head. They met with Fort Lewis College president Brad Bartel on Wednesday, insisting the professor be held accountable for violations of the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. They also created the Student Alliance for Appropriate Representation, an organization intended to give a voice to Native students across the country, and a measure to protect their intellectual property rights. "We're all vulnerable to this kind of exploitation," said Lakota student Bill Mendoza. "Because we're in school does not mean those can be harvested and exploited or molested." Native professor Carey Vicenti is left to wonder what would happen to a professor if it were white students quoted. He sees a college that seems ready to overlook the infraction. College administrators have said Gulliford might be protected by freedom of speech. And an internal review board said his essay fell short of meeting academic research standards, thereby offering some reprieve. "I refuse to accept the argument he's not educated and schooled in the methods of his profession," Mendoza said. "As freshmen, these things are pounded into our head. You have to cite your sources. If you use human subjects, there are specific guidelines." Gulliford has a doctorate in philosophy. Excluding tribal colleges, Fort Lewis College has the country's highest percentage of Native students, who make up 18 percent of the student body. And those faculty and students who've stepped forward have now said Gulliford's essay is more than an isolated incident. It's reflective of a campus entrenched in a "pervasive environment of racism," Vicenti said. It falls in place with Durango's "frontier-chic attitude," where Natives make good props but don't receive respect, he said. And Native students frequently feel the pinch of racism because they attend school free of tuition as part of a 1911 land exchange between Natives and the state. And then there's professor Gulliford, whose actions provide yet another example of arrogant paternalism, the kind Natives frequently experience when associated with so-called white "Indian experts." It's part of today's modern racism, "the kind where people might love their Indians but they never conclude these Indians have the same intellectual capacity, the same career potential as themselves," Vicenti said. Gulliford's future now rests with college president Bartel, who is reviewing the matter. He is expected to release his findings in about two weeks, according to David Eppich, special assistant to the president. Many on campus are wondering how he will handle it, given the recent forced resignation of a Hispanic faculty member. She kicked a white male student who she said backed his rear end into her face while she was seated at a restaurant. He was "showing off" his Republican-inspired T- shirt that read: "Join us now, or work for us later." The college agreed the student had a right to free speech. In that vein, Native students at Fort Lewis need to keep talking. Gulliford has apologized since the article's publication. "If I mentioned sensitive subjects, I apologize for my ignorance," he said in an interview with Kaeleen McGuire of the online Reznet news site. "I beg forgiveness of anyone I've hurt." But not all Native students are ready to forgive. "He says he loves Indians," Mendoza said. "That he cares for Indians. But he doesn't understand us. He doesn't know anything about us." Jodi Rave covers Native issues for Lee Enterprises. She can be reached at 1-800-366-7186, Ext. 299, or by e-mail at jodi.rave@missoulian.com. Copyright c. 2004 Missoulian, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: GOP gains boost chances of Alaska Drilling" --------- Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 08:51:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANWR" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3127-2004Dec15.html?sub=AR GOP Gains Boost Chances of Alaska Drilling Supporters of Exploration in Wildlife Refuge Appear to Have Majority in New Senate By Helen Dewar Washington Post Staff Writer December 16, 2004 Republican gains in the Senate from last month's elections have pumped new life into the administration-backed move to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, prompting environmentalists to mount what one of them called "the fight of our lives" to defeat the proposal. Key strategists for both sides agree that pro-ANWR-drilling forces have probably gained several new votes among Republicans, especially conservative southerners elected to replace anti-drilling Democrats. Judging by the newcomers' conservative and pro-industry philosophies, and in some cases previous votes or campaign statements, drilling advocates now appear to have a net gain of three seats, adding up to a 51-vote majority in the Senate, the strategists say. Although the GOP gains do not guarantee passage of long-stalled legislation to lift the current ban on drilling in a section of the sprawling refuge on Alaska's north coast, it provides what may be the best chance in years for its enactment, according to key players on both sides of the fight. "We are really optimistic" in light of the election results and other factors such as high gasoline prices and the nation's continued reliance on foreign oil, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who, like the state she represents, is pushing hard to open the ANWR to drilling. "We're going to have to fight this every step of the way," said Melinda Pierce, senior Washington representative for the Sierra Club, one of many environmental groups that are mounting an ambitious lobbying campaign to protect the refuge. "I think we're in for the fight of our lives." But they also agree that the fight is far from over. "Clearly, the prospects [for passage] are better than ever before, but it's far from won," said Tim Profeta, counsel for the environment for Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), a leader of the anti-drilling forces. "This is a signature fight, and both sides will be loaded for bear." The fight over drilling in the ANWR has raged for years and has become one of the best-known and most contentious fights between energy and environmental forces, reinforced by support from Republican administrations and opposition from Democratic ones. The last time a drilling initiative was passed by Congress was as part of a budget bill in 1995, and it was vetoed by President Bill Clinton. Drilling advocates argue that the area has always been planned for energy production and that a significant amount of oil and gas can be recovered with minimal impact on the environment. Foes contend that drilling would produce less oil and more environmental damage than forecast by supporters, threatening a pristine and ecologically fragile area that teems with caribou, polar bears, migrating birds and other wildlife. The issue last came to a vote in the Senate in 2003, when a proposal to open the way for drilling by including projected lease revenue in the congressional budget resolution failed 52 to 48, with eight Republicans joining all but five Democrats in opposition. Without further complications, the GOP gains from last month's elections could be enough to include a go-ahead for drilling in the budget and in subsequent "reconciliation" legislation to implement it, neither of which can be filibustered by opponents. It takes 60 votes to break a filibuster, and Republicans concede they would fall well short of that number if they tried to pass the proposal on its own or as part of a broader energy bill. But there are further complications. While using the budget avoids the pitfalls of a filibuster, it presents other potentially serious problems for pro-drilling forces. Although the House has voted for drilling in the ANWR as part of energy legislation, it has not included it in its version of recent budgets, leaving the issue to the Senate, which has always been the most critical testing ground for the drilling issue. A bigger question is whether Congress, despite Republican gains in both houses, can agree on a budget and on implementing legislation, which proved to be impossible in two of the past three years. Even more problematic is the Senate itself. Several senators have voted both for and against drilling provisions on different occasions, and others have indicated some ambivalence on the issue. Moreover, under Senate rules, a budget reconciliation bill can be challenged on several grounds, one of which bars including provisions for which revenue or outlay changes are incidental to other purposes of the proposal. If the Senate parliamentarian finds that the ANWR provision fits this description, it will take 60 votes to overturn the ruling. Drilling foes can be expected to argue that, even counting revenue from leases, the money is incidental to the whole issue of petroleum exploration in the Alaska refuge. "If they use the budget process to get around the fact they do not have the votes under the normal legislative process, that opens a huge can of worms," said Jim Waltman, director of refuges and wildlife for the Wilderness Society. Meanwhile, environmental groups are gearing up for a major grass-roots and lobbying effort against the proposal, including mobilizing members to write letters to the editor, contact their lawmakers and reach out to other groups to join the effort. Grass-roots coordinators are being deployed and slide shows are being organized, the Sierra Club's Pierce said. Copyright c. 2004 The Washington Post Company --------- "RE: Native-based Shelter for all Battered Women" --------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:21:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NEW SHELTER FPR ALL WOMEN" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2607574,00.html Native-based shelter for all battered women By AMANDA BOHMAN December 19, 2004 NORTH POLE - A statewide group composed of mainly Alaska Native women is setting up a federally funded battered women's shelter in a rented four- bedroom house here. The shelter, or safe house, is slated to open in late January and will have programs rooted in Alaska Native traditions, according to members of the Alaska Native Women's Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The safe house will serve women from across Alaska, whether or not they are Alaska Native, said Tammy Young, the Sitka-based co-director of the coalition. It will be the second battered women's shelter based in the Interior. The safe house will be called "Denaats' Oo Yuh," which is Koyukun Athabascan for "Our Grandma's House." "We will be striving to create an environment that reflects our grandmothers' teachings," Young said. "We're hoping to be extremely open and giving to women and children in traumatic situations." Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking who go to the safe house will be given food, shelter, clothing and support, organizers said. They hope to recruit Alaska Native elders for cultural activities, such as storytelling, beading, sewing and basket weaving, said Evelyn Esmailka of Allakaket, who is the rural coordinator for the coalition. "We feel that for a person to be whole again, they need to go back to their culture," Esmailka said. The coalition is spending $3,000 a month in seed money from the Department of Justice to open the safe house. The shelter will hopefully be self-sustaining by 2007, Esmailka said. The shelter is a welcome addition to the Interior and fills a niche, said Brenda Stanfill, executive director of the Interior Alaska Center for Nonviolent Living, the Interior's sole battered women's shelter until now. While the Center for Nonviolent Living, located in downtown Fairbanks, is a large shelter with a capacity to serve as many as 46 women and children, Denaats' Oo Yuh will be much smaller with a capacity to serve six women, two with children. "For women who come from a village, this won't be so overwhelming," Stanfill said. On Thursday, a carpenter made repairs to the house, located in a residential neighborhood, while organizers met for a staff meeting. Young and the others, including future shelter manager Christine Cooper of North Pole, asked that the exact location of the safe house not be disclosed for the protection of its future occupants. For now, the house is sparsely furnished. Boxes of baby wipes served as a makeshift TV stand. Organizers still have many needs before the shelter can open. Those include beds, bedding, towels, kitchenware, clothing, washer, dryer and vehicle, organizers said. Used items are acceptable. Game meat is also sought. "It would be really nice to offer moose meat and caribou and those things," Young said. Alaska has a rising rate of violent crime, including rape and aggravated assault, according to the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report. Rapes in Alaska occur at almost three times the national average, the federal report stated. Alaska's violent-crime rate - which includes murders, non-negligent man- slaughters, forcible rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults - increased from 563 per 100,000 in 2002 to 593 in 2003. The national average for 2003 was 475. The Alaska Native Women's Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault already has a network of hotels and private homes to help women and children in crisis, Young said. Denaats' Oo Yuh will be the coalition's first shelter. The coalition was launched in 2001 through a grant from the federal Department of Justice and has about 100 members statewide, Young said. For more information or to donate items to the new safe house, call 347-1385. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Reporter Amanda Bohman can be reached at abohman@newsminer.com or 459-7544. Copyright c. 2004 MediaNews Group,Inc. and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Inc. --------- "RE: Road and Bridge building in Montes denounced" --------- Date: Sunday, December 19, 2004 12:23 PM From: Chiapas95-english [owner-chiapas95-english@eco.utexas.edu] Subj: IMC,Zaps denounce road and bridge building in Montes Mailing List: Chiapas95-English Azules,Dec This message is forwarded to you by the editors of the Chiapas95 newslists. To contact the editors or to submit material for posting send to: . From: "Dana" Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 15:40:56 +0100 ZAPATISTAS DENOUNCE ROAD AND BRIDGE BUILDING IN MONTES AZULES Article written for La Jornada by Hermann Bellinghausen translated by Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group Mexico 3rd December 2004 Work is being carried out in Montes Azules to plunder its riches. The government say it is to protect the rainforest but the Zapatistas say they are attacking it by building bridges. The indigenous people ask, 'Why is the government investing millions by building roads for a few communities who suffer a constant threat from the government of being evicted for affecting the biosphere?' Amatitlan Chiapas 2 December 2004: A large bridge is being built from here to Montes Azules, the biosphere reserve which the state and district governments say they are protecting ... and this is being done with less publicity you'd think would be due to a project costing millions. This huge engineering project will allow high tonnage vehicles to cross the River Lacantun. It will be 158.33 metres long and, via a road also under construction, will unite diverse riverside communities inside the protected area - all official communities. One difference between this and other road and bridge investments which are being given lots of publicity by the state government is that in the face of public opinion, publicity for this project is being kept to a minimum. According to workers who are building the bridge over the river, a road is planned to go through Montes Azules to the far north of the reserve, "Up beside Benemerito de Las Americas". Details of the Work A construction technician also said that they are building a bridge at the other side. The worker says he works for the Dept of Works of Chiapas although he is wearing a uniform of a Pemex worker with the company logo. This would mean a second bridge over the River Lacanja which borders the other end of Montes Azules... and it would be bigger since the river there is wider. A camp with engineers, technicians and bricklayers occupies the riverside at Amatitlan. There are huge mechanical diggers, mixers and cranes circling huge steel girders. There are also workshops, an office, a diner which will feed 20-30 people at a time, dormitories and huge sheds with oil and petrol. The bridge already one third completed, will arise out of the camp. They are now waiting for a huge column of concrete to sink into the Lacantun river and another column on the opposite bank. According to the people of Amatitlan, 8 kilometres from the frontier highway, and the people of Maravilla Tenejapa, the bridge is being built to give vehicle access to a series of villages inside and on the outskirts of the biosphere reserve which is the legal property of the Lacandon communities. These villages are Democracia, Plan de Rio Azul, Vicente Guerrero, Nuevo Sabanilla, Lindavista, Nueva Esperanza and Nueva Argentina. This last village has once before been emptied by the state government but the villagers returned, unhappy with what the authorities gave them 'in exchange'. In Amatitlan there is a state army base and the river is patrolled by Army troops. The village is part of the new Maravilla Tenejapa municipality, created by the last PRI governor with the aim counter- insurgency and controlling the area. The municipality's principal township is today situated in a huge military barracks. At the same time, the former governor of Chiapas, Roberto Albores and the state army promoted in 1998 the creation of another two frontier municipalities: Marques de Comillas and Benemerito de las Americas, to the north-east of the Lacandon rainforest. These three places surround the coveted, presumed virgin, rainforest. Stripping the rainforest and building roads According to the autonomous municipal council of Libertad do Los Pueblos Mayas, what the government is trying to do is 'to strip the rainforest of its resources and put in roads so that its companies can get into Montes Azules'. The zapatista municipal authorities pose the question, "Why would the government carry out such a huge project costing millions in order to give a road to some few communities they are not interested in? What they are planning is to open Montes Azules to the outside world.' The impact of the new bridge instigated by the Chiapas government cannot be underestimated and especially if it is true that they are planning to build a road through Montes Azules to its furthest corners. Indigenous people in the zone think that the real route planned for the new road is to go through the reserve and reach at least Lake Miramar, and to connect in nearby San Quintin with the roads to Ocosingo and to Las Margaritas. You can't help but wonder what is happening. On the one hand the government authorities affirm their decision to remove indigenous villages from Montes Azules but on the other hand they are creating an infrastructure that could destroy the riches that they say they want to conserve for "humanity". All along the border ecotourist centres are sprouting up. These centres are openly encouraged by the government so that the 'legal' population can devote themselves to the presumed needs of hordes of international tourists who will come to visit this remote and beautiful region. The Government believe it is the spilling of foreign currency that will stop indigenous poverty and also stop them being peasants (campesinos). Names like Sueno Prometido, Las Nubes and Loma Bonita adorn the new landing stages and administrative businesses for indigenous and campesino people on the Santo Domingo, Lacantun and Lacanja rivers. If the promised influx is similar to the numbers that habitually reach the neighbouring Lagos de Montebello area, the people lending the money for these ventures can settle for sitting and waiting and becoming bored, amid a flowering of "tourist services". Also in order to "protect" it safely, the authorities have converted the natural parrot sanctuary known as Las Guacamayas into an ecotourist centre. They have also done this with the old biological station at Chajul and Lake Lacanja and they are planning to do the same with other riverside places on the Usumacinta valley. www.edinchiapas.org.uk ---- To subscribe to this list send a message containing the words subscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to majordomo@eco.utexas.edu. Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists. --------- "RE: Manitoba Metis group launches Hunting Rights PR" --------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:21:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="METIS HUNTING RIGHTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/10451445.htm Manitoba Metis group launches hunting rights PR Canadian Press December 19, 2004 WINNIPEG - The Manitoba Metis Federation is launching a public relations campaign aimed at forcing the province to recognize a Metis right to hunt and fish as aboriginal people. In a full-page ad that was to run Thursday in the Winnipeg Free Press, federation president David Chartrand says he will take the battle to court to be sure the Metis people receive what the courts designated, but I also have to make sure someone doesn't kill the last moose in the province at the same time," he said. "I have an obligation to protect and conserve natural resources in this province." The conflict stems from interpretations of two Supreme Court decisions from September 2003. In one case, known as the Blais decision, the Supreme Court ruled Metis people in Manitoba do not have the right to hunt and fish across the province as do status Indians. Copyright c. 2004 Grand Forks Herald. --------- "RE: Judge orders compensation for Samson Cree" --------- Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 08:59:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MISMANAGED TRUST" http://www.indianz.com/News http://edmonton.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/ed_samson20041217.html Judge orders compensation for Samson Cree December 17, 2004 Calgary - The Samson Cree first nation is declaring a partial victory in a lawsuit against the federal government after a judge - before the conclusion of court proceedings - ordered Ottawa to return $360 million in oil revenues. With three days left before final arguments were set to wrap up, Justice Max Teitelbaum announced Friday that he wants Ottawa to make the payment as soon as possible. "I want to get the money out of the hands of the Crown and into the hands of the first nation as soon as possible," Teitelbaum said in court. The Samson Cree first nation is suing for millions more in damages over allegations that Ottawa mishandled oil and gas revenues for more than half a century. Final arguments in the case will continue next week. James O'Reilly, the lead lawyer for the Samson Cree, says $360 million was misappropriated from the band years ago and put into a trust fund. He says one of the main reasons his client went to court was to regain the money. O'Reilly says Justice Teitelbaum's order may be precedent setting. "It's is a very historic moment. This is the first time that I know of, an indian nation has been able to wrestle their own monies out of the control of the federal government. Clarke Hunter, lead lawyer for the Crown, described Friday's developments as positive. "This is something from the Crown's perspective, we've been working to achieve for a long time." Teitelbaum, who indicated that he will impose a list of conditions on the transfer of money in January, says he wants the Samson Cree to hold a referendum on the issue, during which a majority must be in favour of receiving the money. He's also stipulating that an external and independent trustee manage money. A final decision in the case is expected to be at least six months away. Copyright c. 2004 CBC. --------- "RE: Inuits to file Human Rights claim against U.S." --------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:31:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CLIMATE DESTRUCTION" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/international/americas/15climate.html Eskimos Seek to Recast Global Warming as a Rights Issue By ANDREW C. REVKIN December 15, 2004 The Eskimos, or Inuit, about 155,000 seal-hunting peoples scattered around the Arctic, plan to seek a ruling from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the United States, by contributing substantially to global warming, is threatening their existence. The Inuit plan is part of a broader shift in the debate over human- caused climate change evident among participants in the 10th round of international talks taking place in Buenos Aires aimed at averting dangerous human interference with the climate system. Inuit leaders said they planned to announce the effort at the climate meeting today. Representatives of poor countries and communities - from the Arctic fringes to the atolls of the tropics to the flanks of the Himalayas - say they are imperiled by rising temperatures and seas through no fault of their own. They are casting the issue as no longer simply an environmental problem but as an assault on their basic human rights. The commission, an investigative arm of the Organization of American States, has no enforcement powers. But a declaration that the United States has violated the Inuit's rights could create the foundation for an eventual lawsuit, either against the United States in an international court or against American companies in federal court, said a number of legal experts, including some aligned with industry. Such a petition could have decent prospects now that industrial countries, including the United States, have concluded in recent reports and studies that warming linked to heat-trapping smokestack and tailpipe emissions is contributing to big environmental changes in the Arctic, a number of experts said. Last month, an assessment of Arctic climate change by 300 scientists for the eight countries with Arctic territory, including the United States, concluded that "human influences" are now the dominant factor. Inuit representatives attending the conference said in telephone interviews that after studying the matter for several years with the help of environmental lawyers they would this spring begin the lengthy process of filing a petition by collecting videotaped statements from elders and hunters about the effects they were experiencing from the shrinking northern icescape. The lawyers, at EarthJustice, a nonprofit San Francisco law firm, and the Center for International Environmental Law, in Washington, said the Inter-American Commission, which has a record of treating environmental degradation as a human rights matter, provides the best chance of success. The Inuit have standing in the Organization of American States through Canada. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, the elected chairwoman of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the quasi-governmental group recognized by the United Nations as representing the Inuit, said the biggest fear was not that warming would kill individuals but that it would be the final blow to a sturdy but suffering culture. "We've had to struggle as a people to keep afloat, to keep our indigenous wisdom and traditions," she said. "We're an adaptable people, but adaptability has its limits. "Something is bound to give, and it's starting to give in the Arctic, and we're giving that early warning signal to the rest of the world." If the Inuit effort succeeds, it could lead to an eventual stream of litigation, somewhat akin to lawsuits against tobacco companies, legal experts said. The two-week convention, which ends Friday, is the latest session on two climate treaties: the 1992 framework convention on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol, an addendum that takes effect in February and for the first time requires most industrialized countries to curb such emissions. The United States has signed both pacts and is bound by the 1992 treaty, which requires no emissions cuts. But the Bush administration opposes the mandatory Kyoto treaty, saying it could harm the economy and unfairly excuses big developing countries from obligations. That situation makes the United States particularly vulnerable to such suits, environmental lawyers said. By embracing the first treaty and signing the second, it has acknowledged that climate change is a problem to be avoided; but by subsequently rejecting the Kyoto pact, the lawyers said, it has not shown a commitment to stemming its emissions, which constitute a fourth of the global total. The American delegation at the Buenos Aires conference declined to comment on Tuesday on the petition or the arguments behind it. "Until the Inuit have presented a complaint, we are not responding to that issue," a State Department official said. "When they do, we will look at what they have to say, consider it and then respond." Christopher C. Horner, a lawyer for the Cooler Heads Coalition, an industry-financed group opposed to cutting the emissions, said the chances of success of such lawsuits had risen lately. From his standpoint, he said, "The planets are aligned very poorly." Delegates who flew to the conference from the Arctic's far-flung communities, where retreating sea ice imperils traditional seal hunts, said they planned to meet in Buenos Aires with representatives from small- island nations that could eventually be swamped by rising seas, swelled by meltwater from shrinking glaciers and Arctic ice sheets. Enele S. Sopoaga, the ambassador to the United Nations from Tuvalu, a 15-foot-high nation of wave-pounded atolls halfway between Australia and Hawaii, said he still saw legal efforts as a last resort. Tuvalu had threatened to sue the United States two years ago in the International Court of Justice, but held off for a variety of reasons. Larry Rohter contributed reporting from Buenos Aires for this article. Copyright c. 2004 The New York Times Company. --------- "RE: Editorial: Whose Jurisdiction Is It Anyway?" --------- Date: Friday, December 17, 2004 10:36 AM From: frostyca2000 [frostyca2000@yahoo.com] Subj: Editorial Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian Editorial Whose Jurisdiction Is It Anyway? By: Kenneth Deer, The Eastern Door The closure of the gas pumps at Wolfco illustrates the fact the Kahnawake does not have total jurisdiction over its territory and that the community has a ways to go yet to get that control. Most of the debate over gasoline lately has been over the tax rebate to Kahnawakero:non. While this is an important issue that affects everyone's pocketbook, we have been ignoring the basic problem of jurisdiction in the area of petroleum products. This battle has been ongoing for as long as anyone can remember. One of the ten agreements between the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and the government of Quebec is supposed to deal with this issue but so far, there does not seem to be any progress. This battle has been ongoing for as long as anyone can remember. One of the ten agreements between the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and the government of Quebec is supposed to deal with this issue but so far, there does not seem to be any progress. The gas stations in Kahnawake were denied gasoline in the mid 1990s over the issue of taxes. A temporarily solution was put in place but a permanent one has still not been found. The imposed sanctions against Wolfco demonstrates that the Quebec government can, if it wishes to, make things difficult for new and innovative gas stations. And if it can do that to Wolfco, it can make things difficult for anyone if it so chose. The MCK must make strides to regulate the industry here in Kahnawake. There is no reason why they can't pass regulations that manage the petroleum wholesalers and retailers in this community. Kahnawake can take the lead in new technology and applications in the field. Wolfco's above ground storage tanks are state of the art and are used in every other province except Quebec. They are less dangerous to the environment and leaks can be detected much faster and easier than underground tanks. If Kahnawake regulated the industry, the community at large may be able to benefit from the revenue derived through petroleum products. It could find a fair and reasonable agreement with the current gas retailers. But most of all, Kahnawake could assert one more piece of jurisdiction in a community that prides itself on being in control of its own structures.. How many more times must the Quebec government be allowed to interfere with out internal issues? It is time for something to be done. Quebec Must Come To The Table And Negotiate Settlements On Logging By: Kenneth Deer, The Eastern Door There has been too many blockades of logging roads by Native Peoples for the Quebec government to ignore its responsibilities and begin to negotiate real sharing of the natural resources on Native land. The blockades by the Anishhabe People of Lac Simon and Long Point are just a continuation of the blockades by Barrier Lake and other communities over the years. The issue of the clear-cutting the forests on land that has never been ceded is a serious one. Stripping the land of its value before settling with the true owners of the land is theft. It can't be described as anything else. Taking the trees off the land is not any different than taking gold or oil or diamonds out of the ground before settling land claims with the Native Peoples who live on that land. Unless real, good-faith discussions and negotiations take place, Natives only have one option and that is more blockades. There is no other way to get the attention of the government and the logging companies. By ignoring the issue, the Quebec government is encouraging more blockades and perhaps the violence that can erupt around them. Logging companies also have a responsibility. They cannot just be motivated by profit. They have a moral obligation to the traditional owners of the land and the environment in which they live. They just can't cut the trees and leave without taking into consideration those that must live in the devastation left behind. The government, the logging companies and the Native Peoples must get to the negotiating table and come to a fair and equitable sharing of the land and the environment. Copyright c. 2004 The Eastern Door. --------- "RE: Natives must take their `Rightful Place...'" --------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:21:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OPEN DOORS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/~1103237410159&call_pageid=970599119419 Natives must take their `rightful place in this country' Activist Jamieson wants to open doors Foundation helps foster achievement RICHARD BRENNAN QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU December 18, 2004 Native activist Roberta Jamieson has spent most of her life smashing barriers and toppling stereotypes. Now, as chief executive officer of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, she has been thrust on to the national stage where her role will be to exorcise the ghosts that hold her people back. While she has an impressive list of firsts in her life, the 52-year-old former chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory is more concerned that her 18-month-old granddaughter, Daisy, can excel in a barrier-free society. "I think (this job) is a destination that I have been preparing for all my life ... and here I am a grandparent thinking about the kind of world that Daisy is going to be living in, the kinds of opportunities I'd like to make sure she has and all our children have," Jamieson says. "Whether it's law or medicine or fine arts ... I've always had a passion for opening doors gently or otherwise so that our people have an opportunity to realize their potential," she says. And to get to that point she has to wrestle with the lingering bitterness of days gone by - the aversion of some natives to higher learning because of residential schools, where so many young natives were abused sexually and mentally, and the second-class status colonialism imposed. "Why don't they stay (in school)? Residential school legacy," she says. "In many communities, that stigma still sticks with education ... and as these lawsuits go forward (against the Catholic Church and others), it keeps raising it in our minds." It wasn't that long ago that a native who became a lawyer, minister or graduated from university was subject to Involuntary Enfranchisement and had to sign away his or her native status. "Powerful barrier that. I'm not the first aboriginal woman to get a law degree because I am brilliant," Jamieson recently told the Empire Club of Canada. (She graduated with a law degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1976.) "Extraordinary measures were taken to keep our people out and now I think extraordinary measures need to be taken to let our people in and take our rightful place in this country," she says in an interview with the Star. Jamieson, a recipient of the Order of Canada, stands as example of what can be achieved. Aside from being the first woman from a First Nations to get a law degree, she was the founder of the Native Law Students Association, the first non-parli