_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 011 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, WOTANGING IKCHE - Lakota - Common News Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2005 nanews.org Aboriginal/AmerIndian Perspective about the First Nations of Turtle Island March 12, 2005 Cherokee nvda kola/windy moon Passamaquoddy siqon/spring moon Anishnaabe bebookwaadaagame-giizis(oog)/snow crust 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; Dakota Lakota Nakota Advocacy, Tennessee Indian Affairs, NDNAIM and South Dakota Prisoner Support Group 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "Take care of our mind. Watch your words, they are really powerful. Same with your bodies. Take care of yourself. You are very powerful." __ Key Benally, Navajo Nation +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Journey | In the summer and early fall | The Bloodline | of 1998 the Treaty Unity Riders | | rode a thousand miles on horse- | For all that live and live by law | back, carrying a staff and | We Stand, we Call, We Ride | praying each step of the way. | For All that fear and fear by sight | | We Hear, we Listen, we Ride | These prayers were offered for | For all that pray and pray by strength| each of us, and that the Unity | We Feel, we Move, we Ride | of all Peoples might happen. | For all that die and die by greed | | We Hurt, we Cry, we Ride | Tatanka Cante forwarded this | For all that birth and birth by right | poem on behalf of all the Unity | We Smile, we Hold, we Ride | Riders that we might stop and | For all that need and need by heart | ask if the next words we say, the | We Came, we Went, we Rode. | next act we make is for the good | | of the People or is it from ego | Treaty Unity Riders | for self. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! In a discussion forum last week my lovely wife Janet had a revelation she wants to share with you. ---- A few days ago, a post in a forum from an Indian business owner located in Chicago said he'd approached the city administration about minority preference contracts for his company. He was shocked when the city employee flatly refused to even consider his business. He explained that according to Chicago's policy, Native American businesses are not considered minority-owned businesses. Chicago recognizes only two minorities -- African Americans and Hispanics, and the city has no intention of allocating minority business set-asides to any other group. He couldn't believe it, and neither could I. Surely Chicago receives federal funding and is subject to federal minority business policies, which I understood to cover all disadvantaged groups. What I found after searching this issue stunned me. A news report describing Chicago's minority business policy and the city's legal rationale is on the web at http://chicagoreporter.com/1998/03-98/0398city.htm The article is 7 years old, but it seems nothing's changed since then. In the late 90s, Chicago's attorney found a loophole in a 1996 Supreme Court decision that could serve to limit government or business responsibility for minority business set-asides. The decision permits government entities and organizations receiving federal funding to force all minority business owner applicants except members of the two largest, best-known groups to prove the their minority owns enough local businesses to justify inclusion in the set-aside program, and to prove that they've suffered discrimination. My first reaction is "give me a break," but I've witnessed the same kind of logic in Atlanta. The National Public Radio station here informed my husband that there weren't enough Indians in the metro Atlanta area to justify broadcasting even ONE Native American program. They're still sticking by those guns,too. To this date, the only Native American public radio or public television programming (other than nationally sponsored programs like the Hillerman mysteries or Mirabal concerts) are presented by a single low-powered independent station. In the meantime, Chicago's Native American business owners are caught in a diabolical business/government Catch 22. If they, as a "disadvantaged minority," can afford the cadre of lawyers, investigators, and statisticians it would take to prove they have sufficient numbers and to prove they've been discriminated against locally -- does not the very possession of those kinds of assets prove they are not truly disadvantaged? +/// Janet Smith owlstar@bellsouth.net /*/+ P. O. Box 672168 OwlStar Trading Post + / * Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. http://www.owlstar.com * + ---- Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) wotanging@bellsouth.net P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30011, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ----------- - Norton rejects invitation - YELLOW BIRD: to testify on Trust Forget iron: Gimme my hair - Editorial: Reform Indian Trust - Do you know your Fund System soon Border Crossing Rights? - Tribes plan Bill - Hog Farm Run-Off: as Senate takes up Trust Reform Coming soon to a River near you - Lamberth - Chief, AFN too cozy with Liberals, takes on Contempt Allegations says analyst - GOP Group caught - AFN: Liberals forgetting in missing Tribal Contributions Aboriginal Needs - Report: Former Norton Organization - Aboriginal Communities subpoenaed get Broadband - Taxation: - Boycotters to use Buses Going the way of the Frog to avoid St. Paul - Gonzales endorsed for BIA Post - Gov't monitoring - Johnson derides Me'tis Harvest impact: Coutts proposed Federal Budget - My Birthright to Hunt: Metis - Returning Navajo Soldiers - Chief says Deputy knew honored by Tribe Officers were Suspects - Navajo Homes contaminated - Windspeaker Editorial: Wrap it up! with Asbestos - Sauk-Suiattle - Western Shoshones Police Chief Suspended file Yucca Lawsuit - Child back in the Custody - South Dakota Honors of his Foster Family Living Indian Treasure - Wellness Court provides help - High Court to review for Young Offenders Indian Reservation Fuel Tax - Tribes win decision - Climbers found in Contract Support Cost Case as Sign is posted at Cave Rock - Native Prisoner - Stickball over Football? -- Panel charges - Students trade debate skills Passamaquoddy inmates abused for Native Tradition -- South Dakota Equal Justice - Turning Stone gives food Commission Public Hearings to "Second Helpings" - Rustywire: A Day in the Life - CHUCULATE: Upping the ante of an Indian Woman - GIAGO: Ripe and Rank Case - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days of Dishonest Dealings - Spiritdove Verse: Forest World - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Norton rejects invitation to testify on Trust" --------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:30:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NORTON CONTINUES TO SNUB COURT" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006734.asp Norton rejects invitation to testify on trust fund February 28, 2005 Interior Secretary Gale Norton won't testify about allegations of retaliation against Indian beneficiaries, lawyers for the Bush administration said last week. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth invited Norton to testify in a February 8 ruling. He said she would be able to provide evidence that would determine whether the federal government retaliated against account holders by withholding their checks and refusing to communicate with them. In a response filed last Tuesday, the Department of Justice rejected the invitation. Attorneys said the claims of retaliation aren't supported by evidence in the record and that a hearing on the issue isn't warranted. But if Lamberth goes ahead and holds a hearing, "officials of a lower level than a Cabinet officer" -- rather than Norton -- should testify, the filing stated. The government was accused of punishing Indian beneficiaries last fall in the wake of a court ruling that suspended the sale of allotments in Oklahoma. The decision had impacts throughout the nation, with tribal members complaining of mistreatment. They said the Bureau of Indian Affairs held back checks and refused to talk about their accounts, blaming the silence on the court. "There is activity going on that probably would be best characterized as retaliation," said Michael E. Marchand, a council member for the Confederated Colville Tribes of Washington, at the National Congress of American Indians conference in October. "I don't know what else you would call it." Marchand said the BIA called off a previously scheduled meeting with Colville tribal members due to a "gag order" in the Cobell v. Norton case. Special Trustee Ross Swimmer refuted the claims at the conference despite issuing a memo that said all communication with beneficiaries should be "put on hold until further notice." Swimmer denied the memo directed the BIA to stop issuing checks but that he had had no control over individual employees who may or may not acted on their own. In court affidavits, some accounts holders said they were indeed stonewalled by BIA employees. One woman, Carmen Patricio, said she faces eviction and can't pay her electricity and other utilities because she hasn't received a trust fund payment. After calling the BIA agency in Papago, Arizona, to find out about her money, she was told the agency "could not do anything with the land because of Cobell," according to the sworn statement. Interior later sought to clarify Swimmer's memo but did not immediately address the check issue. A second clarification, with more explicit instructions to the BIA, came only after Lamberth held a hearing and accused the department of lying to the court. In last week's response, department said their first clarification did not include the warning to the BIA because the Office of Special Trustee - - not the BIA -- issues checks. According to Norton's lawyers, "the local agency employees to whom the [second] instructions were sent do not send out trust checks" so they are presumably unable to retaliate against anyone. The Bush administration has given OST more and more power over the daily handling of the trust fund. The agency is now manning a 24-hour "call center" designed to handle inquiries from beneficiaries. "We have found out that ... in 92 percent [of the calls] the first person they talk to, that person at the call center was been able to answer their question," Donna Erwin, the deputy special trustee, said in an interview earlier this month. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Editorial: Reform Indian Trust Fund System soon" --------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:30:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL: REFORM INDIAN TRUST SOON" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.argusleader.com//20050227/OPINION01/502270301/1052 Editorial: Reform Indian trust fund system soon February 27, 2005 Yes, the lawsuit over the Indian trust fund system should end. Soon. But thoughts in Congress that suggest an end through legislation are misguided. The court case must proceed at its own pace. Any role Congress has is in reforming the system itself. The lawsuit was filed in 1996 alleging the Interior Department couldn't account for billions of dollars owed to more than 300,000 trust fund account holders. The trust fund was established in the 19th century to collect royalties for mining, grazing, timber-cutting, oil-drilling and crops grown on Native American land. As far back as 1915, there were allegations of fraud and corruption in the system. The lawsuit is stuck on two points: * How much money is owed and what should be done about it. * How the system should be reformed. A full accounting of the system could take years more and already has cost almost $3 billion - including efforts at reform. It's time for the Interior Department and Native American plaintiffs to reach an agreement on the money. That's first. Second, Congress needs to step in - in consultation with the tribes - and do what the Interior Department can't: Reform the system. But let's finish this. It's costing too much time, energy and money - and getting nowhere. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Tribes plan Bill as Senate takes up Trust Reform" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:36:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRUST REFORM" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006831.asp Tribes plan own bill as Senate takes up trust reform March 4, 2005 The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold an oversight hearing on trust reform next week amid increased efforts by tribes and Congress to resolve the debacle. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), chairman of the committee, said he wants to settle the Cobell v. Norton lawsuit and reform the trust system. He addressed tribal leaders on Tuesday during the National Congress of American Indians winter session in Washington, D.C. "It's a terrible injustice and it needs to be fixed," McCain said of the trust. "If we don't fix it then it's going to impact everything that we do." Tribes need to be a part of the solution, NCAI President Tex Hall said in response yesterday. He convened a meeting in Washington to discuss the drafting of a national tribal legislative trust reform and settlement proposal. "Indian Country needs to seize the moment and come up with our own bill to give to Congress. If we don't, the price we will pay for our inaction, is that Congress will give us a bill instead," Hall said. The meeting was co-chaired by Jim Gray, chief of the Osage Nation and chairman of the Intertribal Monitoring Association, and Ron Allen, treasurer of NCAI. The tribes discussed how to draft a bill in the next three months. "I have made it clear that NCAI wants to work hard with every single interested Indian tribe and organization," said Hall. That is why today I called a workgroup of NCAI members together to draft a solution in consultation with all of Indian Country." Hall and Gray will testify at the hearing next Wednesday, March 9. "We will explain why this issue is so important to Indian Country and why Congress must consult first with Indian Country before any legislation is introduced," Hall said. The hearing is the second this year on the issue. Last month, the House Resources Committee held a hearing that focused on talks to settle the Cobell lawsuit. Both sides -- the plaintiffs and the Bush administration -- reported little progress. Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), chairman of the committee, said he intends to work with the parties on a potential legislative solution to the lawsuit. The Senate is expected to focus on the reform side of the debate. At NCAI this week and during a Senate hearing last month, McCain criticized the administration's decision to boost the Office of Special Trustee budget significantly while cutting critical Indian programs. "For us to deprive tribes of programs that support self-governance is clearly a self-defeating enterprise," McCain said. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Lamberth takes on Contempt Allegations" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:36:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BUSH ADMIN OBSTRUCTION TACTICS" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006835.asp Lamberth takes on contempt allegations in Cobell case March 4, 2005 The special master in the Cobell trust fund lawsuit prepared a legal opinion clearing several current and former government officials of contempt, a federal judge revealed on Thursday, but a disqualification campaign by the Bush administration and some of the individuals involved blocked its release. Dozens of people, including former Interior secretary Bruce Babbitt, are accused by the plaintiffs of destroying trust records in violation of court orders. In hopes of clearing up the allegations, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth referred the matter to Alan Balaran, the former special master in the case. Balaran held a series of hearings to investigate the matter and prepared reports that detailed his findings. But before he could submit anything to Lamberth, a group of the individuals, led by Babbitt, asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to block the release of the information. The appeals court agreed with the individuals and ensured Balaran's work would never see the light of day. The decision was a legal victory for the Babbitt group, which contended the contempt proceedings were unwarranted and riddled with bias. The effort also was a win for the Bush administration even though it did not participate in the appeals court case. On their own, lawyers for Interior Secretary Gale Norton filed a series of motions seeking to disqualify Balaran, whose scathing reports repeatedly faulted the department's management of the trust. Yet despite the apparent benefits, Lamberth revealed in court yesterday that the effort definitely hurt dozens of past and present officials who are the target of contempt sanctions. He said he did not know the exact contents of the opinion Balaran prepared but that it would have helped "the vast majority of the individuals" involved. "I think that's unfortunate for the people who were about to be cleared," Lamberth said. Lamberth presided over a 2 1/2-hour hearing in Washington, D.C., to get an update on the brouhaha. He expressed disappointment at the amount of time it has been since the plaintiffs first filed their motions to show cause in late 2001. Lamberth hoped referring the motions to Balaran would help the people involved. "I thought it would speed up things," he said. "I never dreamed it would last four years." Another delay occurred when the Babbitt group asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. Not happy with Balaran's exit, they wanted Lamberth disqualified from reviewing the contempt motions. On February 22, the high court rejected the case, allowing Lamberth to move forward. Dennis Gingold, an attorney for the plaintiffs, argued that the judge should act as soon as possible. "Your honor, it's time to move forward," Gingold told the court. "We will demonstrated to you who is at fault and who isn't." Of potential punishment, which he speculated could include fines or something harsher, "We want this to stick with them for the rest of their lives." In opposition were four distinct groups and dozens of attorneys who filled the fourth-floor courtroom to capacity. The Department of Justice represented Secretary Gale Norton and other Bush administration officials while three other lawyers in private practice represented different groups of the individuals who have been named in the motions. "The entire group believes the plaintiffs have not born their burden" to prove contempt, said Bill Briggs, whose clients include Phillip Brooks, former lead counsel on the Cobell case for the Department of Justice. Lamberth said he would accept the filing of briefs and other information that had previously been lodged with Balaran. He also expressed interest in Gingold's offer to drop the contempt matter if the Bush administration agrees to a trial on June 6 -- exactly nine years after the Cobell case was filed -- on the merits. "Justice delayed is justice denied," Gingold said. The Department of Justice had no immediate response to the offer but Briggs and Amy Jackson, whose clients include Edith Blackwell, an Interior Department attorney, and Michael Rossetti, Norton's former legal counsel now employed by a law and lobbying firm, criticized the attempt to "leverage" the contempt motions. Gingold said a trial on the merits is necessary to prevent the Bush administration from spending even more money on historical accounting projects that have diverted millions of funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "We have enough evidence to find that the accounting is futile," he argued, referring specifically to a $21 million project the BIA spent on the accounts of the five named plaintiffs in the case. Gingold also said the Supreme Court's unanimous decision this week in the self-determination contract support cost case shows that the government has to fulfill its promises to Indian people. "They believe Indians in this country should be treated differently than everyone else," he said of the government's attitude. Balaran resigned as special master in April 2004, saying was clear that the Bush administration was going to continue attacking his work. Norton's lawyers have since filed three motions with the D.C. Circuit to block of his reports -- including one that detailed undervaluation of Navajo lands -- from being filed with Lamberth. The reports were already made public but have not been accepted in the formal record in the case. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: GOP Group caught in missing Tribal Contributions" --------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:30:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GROUP FOUNDED BY DoI SECRETARY NORTON" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0227CREA27.html GOP group caught up in missing tribal contributions Jon Kamman and Billy House February 27, 2005 Tracking what happened to $175,000 contributed by two Indian tribes to a political group called CREA leads from a disgraced lobbyist to an elusive environmental organization spawned by Gale Norton before she became secretary of the Interior. The money, which the tribes say they contributed to the group at the direction of a Washington, D.C., lobbyist now under federal investigation, is unaccounted for in public records where federal regulations say it should be listed. The absence of an accounting adds another layer to the mystery of what became of more than two dozen contributions missing among $300,000 in checks issued by a Texas tribe to 79 political committees selected by lobbyist Jack Abramoff. advertisement CREA stands for Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy. According to its filings with the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization, it has operated for more than four years without receiving any contributions or making any expenditures. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana said it issued checks for $50,000 to CREA in 2001 and $100,000 in 2002. Also, the Tigua Indians, whose Ysleta del Sur Pueblo adjoins El Paso, said they issued a $25,000 check to CREA in 2002 and included it in a bundle of other political contributions they sent to Abramoff to distribute. Tribal Lt. Gov. Carlos Hisa said the check was cashed, but he would not disclose how it was endorsed. CREA President Italia Federici would not say whether the tribal funds or any other contributions were received. "It is the policy of CREA that we do not identify or discuss our contributors," she said in an e-mail. The Tiguas' contributions, mostly to the campaign funds or political action committees of members of Congress, were aimed at winning support for legislation that would allow the tribe to reopen its casino, which had been closed by state authorities after protracted litigation over the legality of reservation gambling in Texas. Roy Fletcher, a spokesman for the Coushattas, said changes in tribal leadership made it unclear why an earlier administration had agreed to contribute to CREA. Fletcher said current tribal leaders were not aware until The Republic's inquiry that the tribe had sent a total of $150,000. He said the tribe is looking into how the checks were endorsed. In searches of public records where recipients are required to disclose finances, The Republic found no accounting for approximately $220,000 in contributions from the two tribes. The amount consists of $175,000 directed to CREA and $45,000 to other political committees. CREA's origins date to about 1997, when Norton, then attorney general of Colorado, organized it with the name "coalition" rather than "council." Federici had been involved in Norton's 1996 campaign for the U.S. Senate, according to news reports at the time. A spokesman for Norton said the Interior secretary has not been involved with CREA since joining President Bush's Cabinet in 2001. Norton's leadership of the earlier incarnation of the group became an issue in her Senate confirmation hearing because other conservationist groups had branded CREA a front for the interests of oil, mining, chemical and pollution-risk industries. How and why Abramoff expected at least two, and possibly three, tribes to benefit from making five- and six-figure contributions to an environmental group remains unexplained. Evidence shows that Abramoff inquired in early 2002 whether a third tribe, the Saginaw Chippewas of Michigan, had approved a $30,000 request for CREA. The tribe did not respond to the newspaper's questions on whether the money was given. CREA has two staffers, a mailbox, a Web site and a telephone answering machine. Its most recent listing of its place of business, an address in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., is no longer valid. Through a spokesman, Abramoff's attorney issued a statement responding to other questions involving tribal contributions, but answered inquiries about CREA with "no comment." Federici, communicating only by e-mail, said Abramoff "did not, and does not, hold a position within CREA." Federici insisted on an "off-the-record" briefing with the newspaper before deciding whether to be interviewed on the record. The Republic declined, instead seeking answers for publication. In an e-mail, Federici expressed concerns over the newspaper's "misperceptions" about CREA, noting that a recent New York Times story referred to CREA as "a partisan organization that supports a balanced approach to improving the environment." She said CREA conducts "considerable grass-roots lobbying efforts" and praised CREA's seven-member advisory board as "highly respected environmentalists." Trying to track the political contributions by the tribes is part of a wider investigation of Abramoff and public relations consultant Michael Scanlon that is being conducted by the FBI, the IRS, Norton's Interior Department, other federal agencies and the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. A grand jury reportedly is looking into Abramoff's and Scanlon's dealings with six tribes that paid them $82 million over several years. "I think we're a long way from done on this one," McCain said Friday. "Primarily, we're looking at what happened to all of the money," he said. Part of the inquiry, he added, is focusing on the political contributions. "The Federal Election Commission (which regulates campaign finances) is looking at it, too," he said. Two hearings were held last fall on the lobbying scandal. A third is about a month away, he said. Federal tax code requires so-called 527 political advocacy groups such as CREA to file public disclosures with the Internal Revenue Service if they receive contributions totaling $25,000 or more in one year. Failure to do so is punishable by taxation of the amounts at the highest business rate, 35 percent, and possible daily fines. Federici did not respond to questions about why most of CREA's reports to the IRS have been submitted under the name "Renew Our Urban Centers Fund." In connection with the Tigua tribe's political contributions, a spokesman for Abramoff's attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement, "While Mr. Abramoff solicited contributions, he was not the person to process them and believed they were handled properly at all times. "It is easy for people to now blame Mr. Abramoff for every problem or issue since the media spotlight has turned on him, but on this one the ultimate use of those funds can only be answered by the recipient organization or entity, not by Mr. Abramoff," the statement continued. "He simply has no knowledge of any recipient of tribal political contributions that failed to receive their contributions." Among the Tigua contributions unaccounted for are $2,000 intended for U. S. Sen. Jon Kyl's campaign fund and $1,000 for U.S. Rep. John Shadegg's committee. The two Arizona Republicans said they would have logged such contributions if the checks had been received. Two top leaders of the House, Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and GOP Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., also said through spokesmen that they found no record of receiving Tigua checks made out to their political action committees. DeLay's office said he received a check for his campaign fund but returned it. Senate hearings last fall exposed what senators called deceitful practices by Abramoff and Scanlon in their dealings with tribes. The pair secretly split profits, backed candidates in tribal elections who would give them multimillion-dollar contracts, and did not reveal to the Tiguas that they had worked behind the scenes for closure of the tribe's casino before obtaining a $4.2 million contract to press for its reopening. In recent developments, the Coushattas, who operate a resort casino at Kinder, La., and were the most lucrative account for Abramoff and Scanlon, have filed suit in state court for recovery of $32 million they paid the pair. The Tiguas reached an out-of-court settlement this month with Abramoff's former employer, the Greenberg Traurig law firm of Miami. No amount was disclosed. Efforts by Abramoff to quietly shepherd legislation through Congress for the Tiguas failed, but not before the principal backer of the measure, GOP Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio, was given $33,000 in political contributions by the Tiguas and taken by Abramoff and Scanlon on a chartered, $150,000 golfing trip to St. Andrews, Scotland. Reach the reporter at jon.kamman@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-4816. Copyright c. 2005 The Arizona Republic. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Report: Former Norton Organization subpoenaed" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FOX GUARDING THE HENHOUSE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.thehill.com//TheHill/News/Frontpage/030105/DOJ.html DOJ subpoenas GOP group By Josephine Hearn March 1, 2005 An interagency criminal task force investigating former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has subpoenaed a Republican group founded by Interior Secretary Gale Norton and now run by her former aides, sources with knowledge of the investigation say. The subpoena was issued to the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA), a nonprofit group created in 1997 by Norton and Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, and long denounced by environmental organizations as a front group for industry interests. The government's scrutiny of CREA is the latest example of the widening investigations into Abramoff, his associate Michael Scanlon and their dealings with Indian tribes. The interagency task force is composed of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the public-integrity section of the Justice Department and the Interior Department's Inspector General's Office, an independent unit within the department. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is also conducting an investigation of Abramoff and Scanlon. A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice would not comment for this story. In an e-mail statement, CREA President Italia Federici said, "It is the policy of CREA that we do not confirm nor deny leaks to the media. ... However, we do know that CREA is not the target of any investigation." CREA was one of several groups that received contributions from tribes represented by Abramoff. The Coushatta tribe of Louisiana gave $50,000 in 2001 and $100,000 in 2002, according to published reports. The Texas Tigua gave $25,000 in 2002. Lobbyists with knowledge of Abramoff's dealings with CREA said that the tribes did not give to CREA in an effort to support its environmental mission. Rather, they said Abramoff directed donations to CREA in return for the help of Federici, CREA's president and formerly an aide to Norton during her 1996 Senate bid, in the tribes' lobbying of the Interior Department. Federici contacted top officials in the Interior Department, including former Deputy Secretary Steve Griles, on behalf of several of Abramoff's tribes, at times drawing on one-page talking-points memos provided by Abramoff, the lobbyists said. "It was a you-scratch-my-back, I'll-scratch-yours situation," one source with knowledge of the arrangement said. "CREA was seen as being close to Interior." According to IRS filings, the manager of Norton's Senate race, former Colorado state representative Jeanne Adkins, is CREA's treasurer. Neither Federici nor CREA is listed as a lobbying entity under the 1996 Lobbying Disclosure Act. Federici said in a statement, "CREA is not a liaison for any Native American tribe; and acts on behalf of CREA's best interests." A spokesman for the Interior Department, Dan DuBray, said that CREA "absolutely did not" have any special pull with senior officials. "I am not aware of any such influence in the department by a group such as that or any group," he said. DuBray said that he could not immediately comment on whether CREA had lobbied the department but that "major decisions in the department involve a wide range of career officials following procedures. Information is dealt with and vetted by career employees well before it rises to the political level." Since its inception, CREA has met skepticism from other environmental groups. Republicans for Environmental Protection called the group a "greenscam" in 1998 after it was revealed that the group received significant funding from the mining, logging, chemical and coal industries. CREA has been a staunch supporter of the Bush administration's environmental policies, a record that environmental groups have characterized as poor. Norton and other senior Interior officials attended a dinner for CREA at the house of Republican grand dame Julie Finley in the fall of 2001, according to published reports and Interior records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The group of 60-70 people included both CREA's industry supporters and representatives from Indian tribes, such as the Coushattas, that had contributed to the group, an attendee said. Norton came under fire early in her tenure as interior secretary for meeting with the Agua Caliente tribe, and later touring its Palm Springs headquarters, shortly after the tribe had given $100,000 to the Republican Party. The visit was characterized as a quid pro quo for the contribution, although both Norton and the Agua Caliente rejected that characterization. At the time, the tribe was in the process of hiring Abramoff, according to an Associated Press account of the incident. CREA was originally called the Coalition of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy. In mid-2000, it was renamed the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy and registered as both a 527 political fundraising entity - it appears to have been inactive in this capacity - and as a D.C.-based 501(c)(4), a nonprofit organization that may engage in some lobbying activities. In recent weeks, CREA edited a reference on its website referring to it as a 501(c)(4), replacing the text with more vague language. Copyright c. 2005 The Hill, Washington DC. --------- "RE: Taxation: Going the way of the Frog" --------- Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2005 13:06:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410455 Taxation: Going the way of the frog by: Editors Report / Indian Country Today March 3, 2005 Drop a frog in boiling water, he will jump right out; put him in tepid water and slowly add the boiling water and he will fall asleep, cooked to destruction. Such could be the fate of Indian tribal sovereignty, if leaders let themselves be conditioned into a stupor when the spirited defense of their rights is paramount. It is not easy to sustain a firm and principled stance in facing off with the power of a state governor, or, harder still, the federal government. While Congress cuts taxes nationally, mostly benefiting very high-income Americans and corporations, much of whatever needs to be done by government and social services continues to get done and someone has to pay for it. States and counties are feeling the pinch, property taxes are going up and up and suddenly the late good fortune of tribes, just in the cusp of gaining sustainable economies, becomes the target of plunder. The sovereign status of Indian tribes in the United States represents inherent rights that predate the founding of the American republic. This is fact. The assertion of those rights by tribes has resounded with varying degrees of success in every decade of every century since then. American Indian nations in their own territories, on their titled tribal lands or in trust status lands, have long been considered part of Indian country, that piece of the American landscape still under the control of governments with a sovereign status on a par - at the very least - with states within the federal umbrella. As we all know, the late good fortune of tribes to launch and protect from taxation and undue regulation their own tribal enterprises is in the crosshairs of way too many governors as states seek to make up for huge state deficits caused by their own mismanagement and the downturn in federal dollars. The call for Indian tribal enterprises and businesses operated by individual tribal members thus becomes to pay "their fair share" of "taxes" to the coffers of their respective states. This is the coming showdown in New York state, particularly over oil and tobacco products. Gov. George Pataki, after years of upholding his word to "respect" Indian sovereignty, has now moved to "obey the law" and is gearing up to crack down on Indian resistance to state taxation. Unrelentingly, the association of convenience store operators, along with state accountants, have been able to convince state elected officials that somehow the state was "losing" upwards of $300 million each year to this "non-payment" of taxes. Any way you cut it, the definition is deceptive. By what formula must the tribes share a piece of their protected revenues without giving away their rightful ownership and legal protection as sovereign nations within their own jurisdictions? How can the state be "losing" something it does not own in the first place, namely, the tax base of another sovereign government? It is a moment of truth in the question of taxation of Indian tribal and private reservation businesses. It is a major question of sovereignty, and tribe by tribe all have tested the waters of shifting definitions and terms to describe the bite that states seek always to take out of the fruits of Indian existence. Taxation of Indian enterprises by the states cuts to the quick of the whole definition of sovereignty. Tribal people with strong governments and a cultured population have resisted imposed taxation with their bodies over barricades against the clubs and gasses of hundreds of state troopers. In 1997, two years after Governor George Pataki nearly launched an anti- Indian military plan known as "Operation Gallant Piper," involving the massing of 10,000 troops, against Indian reservations, New York state's intention to tax Indian businesses caused a near rebellion state-wide. Led by the alliance of the two most populous tribes, the Seneca Nation of Indians and the St. Regis Mohawk, the grassroots rebellion ended in a stalemate with the state. For the new governor, it represented a lesson in tribal diplomacy and he certainly deepened his understanding for the intense opposition of the tribal base on this issue. Eight years later, after constant lobbying by anti-tribal forces, unenforceable court decisions and several unsatisfying attempts to settle land claims under the carrot stick of casino giveaways in the New York region, Governor Pataki is back to his first move - to enforce a tax scheme that Indians throughout the past century have decried as unacceptable. These taxes, if enforceable, represent the livelihood of hundreds of Indian reservation families that gain employment on their own tribal tax- sovereign territories. Increasingly the pressure falls on Indian leaders seeking to protect tribal rights to self-determination and self-government. Some, like the Mohawks of Akwesasne, are in the thick of negotiating a land claim essentially linked to the go-ahead for a casino in the Catskills region. This would be a projected gold mine for the legendary nation of several thousand people, and Tribal Chief James Ransom is feeling the pressure of so many chiefs before him as the state turns up the heat on the waters toward that eventual day when taxation is acceptable to the Mohawk tribal government. Turning up the heat in this case means fudging the wording from "tax collection" to "trade agreement," intimating that the state may keep "hands off" and/or "take into account" the tribe's own existing regulations for licensing and taxing businesses on Mohawk land in the north. However, in order to qualify for a downstate casino, tribes will have to agree to collect and remit state and local taxes on sales to "non- members of the tribe or nation" on what will become Indian trust lands in the Catskills. The Mohawks were told the state will "take into account" the tribes' own sovereign legislation governing such sales at Akwesasne. The ink was hardly dry on that concept, as Indian Country Today Associate Editor Jim Adams has written, when the governor broke his word and announced the writing of new regulations to force the collection of taxes on all Indian lands within the state of New York. Tribal and private member businesses are feeling the same pressure at Seneca Nation, Oneida Nation and at Tuscarora and Onondaga. New York state Indian leaders need to get sensitive to the rising temperature in the water. Rather than constantly cut separate deals with the state in ways that will deaden their vitality to defend long-held tribal rights, they should consider a summit where the issues can be addressed. It is not too late for leadership to define their common concerns and the fundamental principles from which none will budge. Perhaps this is only a pipe dream for the inheritors of the great Iroquois Confederacy in 2005, but the alternative is to swim in water that is quickly boiling and, like the frog, we know the stupor induced by cynical state negotiators can only lead to the destruction of Indian peoples. No self-respecting Haudenosaunee nation would ever agree to state taxation on any of its lands, anywhere. Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Gonzales endorsed for BIA Post" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:36:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="POSSIBLE REPLCEMENT FOR DAVE ANDERSON" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.lamonitor.com/articles/2005/03/03/headline_news/news03.txt Gonzales endorsed for BIA post CAROL A. CLARK, lanews@lamonitor.com, Monitor Staff Writer March 3, 2005 Former San Ildefonso Pueblo Governor John Gonzales has received powerful recommendations for Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. Sen. Pete Domenici and Representatives Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson endorsed Gonzales for the job in a letter sent to the White House Office of Presidential Personnel today, according to a news release from Domenici's office. "The experience, intellect and character of John Gonzales make him extremely qualified to be nominated Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs," the letter said. In a telephone interview this morning, Gonzales expressed his feelings about the impressive endorsements he has received. "I appreciate and am definitely honored by their support and confidence in me," Gonzales said. "Hopefully the president will see likewise and nominate me for the position." Gonzales, a Republican, recently ran for a seat on the Public Regulation Commission, which was won by Speaker of the House Manny Lujan's son. Greg Graves, executive director of the Republican Party of New Mexico, was thrilled with the news about Gonzales. "We are thrilled because John is a great guy with a lot of attributes that would serve the state of New Mexico and the nation very well," Graves said. "John is an incredibly honest man, a hard worker and very, very bright - the most qualified person they could have." In the letter to the White House, Gonzales was praised for his tireless service to Native Americans. "A graduate of MIT and Stanford, John has served as governor of his pueblo and has been otherwise actively involved in Indian Affairs for almost three decades," the lawmakers said. "In all of these experiences, John developed an innate understanding of the issues important to tribal members across the country." The New Mexico lawmakers advocated the nomination of Gonzales to lead the Interior Department's Indian Affairs programs including the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The position would entail administering the federal government's American Indian programs, including the BIA. The BIA employs about 10,000 workers nationwide, providing services for approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. It also carries out federal trust responsibilities for the 558 recognized tribal governments. David Anderson, better known as Famous Dave because he owns a chain of Famous Dave's BBQ restaurants, vacated the position early in February, said Domenici spokesperson Matt Letourneau. A Santa Fe native, Gonzales earned a masters degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - becoming the first member of his tribe to earn a graduate degree. He subsequently worked on economic development projects with the Eight Northern Pueblo Indian Council before becoming chief operating officer of the All Indian Pueblo Council. Gonzales also served as a consultant to former Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan during the formation of the National Indian Gaming Commission. In addition to having served as San Ildefonso Pueblo governor, Gonzales has been a tribal planner for the pueblo, and worked in various capacities at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Council of Energy Resource Tribes in New Mexico. In 1987, Gonzales was the youngest person to ever be elected president of the National Congress of American Indians. As an artist, Gonzales has been an active member of the Santa Fe Arts Commission and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Gonzales said he is continuing his artistic work creating Native American pottery and is currently preparing for a large show this weekend in Phoenix. Copyright c. 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Johnson derides proposed Federal Budget" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANOTHER SENATOR AGAINST `BUSH-WHACKED' BUDGET" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6066 Johnson derides proposed federal budget Says spending plan hurts "those with the greatest needs" Sam Lewin February 28, 2005 South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson has become the latest Democrat to take President Bush to task over his proposed cuts to Indian Country programs. In a conference call with reporters, Johnson said the budget requires Native Americans to make "enormous sacrifices," and would "hurt those with the greatest needs." Johnson said that the spending plan would give $2.28 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs- 110 million less than the $2.39 billion doled out last year. He also criticized planned reductions to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. "One of the most deplorable situations in Indian Country is housing," Johnson said. "Here again, the President has requested yet another cut. The President's proposed budget slashes the Native American Housing Block Grants Program by $107 million. As well, the budget would reduce the Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund's limitation level by $46 million, drastically reducing capital available for loans in Indian country since the fund's loans leverage into many more millions of dollars in lending." Not everyone has been critical of the proposed budget. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Dave Anderson, who recently announced his retirement from the post, said: "The president's fiscal year 2006 budget request for Indian Affairs maintains his commitment to improving tribal communities by targeting federal dollars where they can produce the greatest results." Anderson said the budget contains a $12.6 million increase to reform the Indian trust system, with "$3.0 million to continue to implement trust reform permitting more decisions to be made at the local level and more efficient management of trust assets." Johnson took issue with that. "While I realize the need for an historical accounting, I have serious concerns about the bloated budget proposal for the Office of the Special Trustee. It is not a difficult stretch to believe this increase will be at the cost of reducing other Indian program funding. This is especially important since Plaintiff lawyers in the Cobell case believe that funding for historical accounting is not necessary. Congress needs to take a hard look at this,"' he said. Johnson said he would soon be introducing the "Native American Housing Enhancement Act"- legislation that he says would make tribes eligible for Youth Build grants and generate housing development in Native American communities. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Returning Navajo Soldiers honored by Tribe" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:47:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO NATION WELCOMES RETURNING WARRIORS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6086 Returning Navajo soldiers honored by tribe Presented with medals after successful tour MONTEZUMA CREEK UT Navajo Tribe March 1, 2005 A local family's simple request for help to welcome their son's return from military service in Iraq blossomed into a celebration by the entire community, complete with parade, color guard, speeches, medals, gifts, a dinner and a visit from the Navajo Nation President to honor them. Utah Army National Guard Spc. 4th Class Tedrick P.J. Merritt and Utah Army National Guard Spc. 4th Class Raymond Erik Randles were honored as patriotic heroes and local sons by their family, friends and hometown here at Whitehorse High School on Friday, Feb. 25. Dressed in desert fatigues and boots, both soldiers and a third - Lance Cpl. Sanford Sam, who was reported to be in California seeking employment - recently returned from duty in Iraq. The two soldiers are the sons of Timothy and Virgie Merritt and Art and Trina Randles of Richfield, Utah. "It was going to be a family thing," said Vietnam Veteran Clyde Benally, who gave the welcoming address. "But now the whole community, the whole Navajo Nation is involved." Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., had been asked to attend a Navajo Nation Council special session that day. But he said he did not want to disappoint returning Navajo soldiers who had been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect and preserve the freedom of the United States and the sacred land of the Navajo people. "I stand with your parents, your grandparents, your relatives, your leaders, with the community, and on behalf of the Great Navajo Nation let me say thank you to the Creator for your safe return," the President told the Specialists Merritt and Randles in the Whitehorse High School auditorium. "I don't think we can say thank you enough." "We're being thankful to the Creator Who gives all life, Who makes things happen, Who answers prayers," the President said. "Ever since our two soldiers have left these sacred grounds, we've been praying with the parents, the grandparents, the community, the relatives for their safe return." As the ceremony began, the Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War from Tuba City posted colors, and a drum group sang an honor song for the soldiers. Lorraine Thomas, a relative, draped them both with special Pendleton blankets festooned with stars and stripes. Following his address, President Shirley presented both soldiers and Cpl. Sam's grandmother, Isabelle Sam, with special Navajo Nation medals and plaques honoring their service. The Plaque of Honor, with a Navajo Nation Seal in its center, reads: "In appreciation, on behalf of the Navajo people and our great Navajo Nation, this plaque of honor is presented to T.J. Merritt, (and one each to Raymond E. Randles and Lance Cpl. Sanford Sam), Utah Army National Guard, 116th Combat Support Engineer, Spanish Fork, Utah, for your courage, service and commitment on the front lines of war, and for your willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice so that there will be freedom in the land and that the Dine' way of life will be protected. We are vigilant in prayer for you as you continue to serve our Nation. May the Creator always be with you. Presented on Feb. 25, 2005. President Joe Shirley, Jr., The Navajo Nation." Beneath that inscription, it reads, "Ask not what America will do for you but what together we can be for the freedom of Man." - John F. Kennedy. President Shirley also urged the mens' families to care for their soldiers in the traditional Navajo way of bringing harmony to their minds and bodies after being in a combat zone. He said that every day people see Navajo soldiers from previous wars and conflicts looking lost as they walk the streets of bordertowns. These are soldiers who may not have been cared for, with either a ceremony or community recognition, as they should have been, he added. "War is not a good thing. Many of our soldiers did not return whole," President Shirley said, adding that 1,431 American servicemen and women have been reported killed since the start of the Iraq war. "So take care of your soldier so they can go on with their lives stateside. Their minds are very precious. Their lives are very precious." "It's because of our soldiers we have freedom, to pray the way we want, to go where we want to go," President Shirley said. Serving as master of ceremonies was Davis Filfred, Aneth Chapter Vice President and a Desert Shield/Desert Storm veteran. Calvin C. Thomas did the prayer. The benediction was by Ben Whitehorse, Sr., a World War II Army veteran. The keynote speaker was Viet War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Kenneth Joe, Sr. Also speaking was Aneth Chapter President Bill Todachennie. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Navajo Homes contaminated with Asbestos" --------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:30:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ASBESTOS CONTAMINATED HOMES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi=15&num=17200 Navajo homes contaminated with asbestos By Jim Snyder, The Daily Times February 26, 2005 SHIPROCK - Navajo Housing Authority workers, wearing white chemical- biohazard suits, are painstakingly removing asbestos from 50 condemned NHA homes on the south side of Shiprock. The homes, a potential health risk to occupants, will then be bulldozed. A total of 92 asbestos-contaminated NHA homes throughout Shiprock will eventually be razed, Benjamin Frank, of the Shiprock NHA office, said Tuesday. "In April they should be demolishing the entire (south side) project," said Frank, a resident-intake officer. The decaying, wooden homes, which have no permanent foundations, have high-levels of asbestos contamination in the floors, walls and ceilings. The top soil also will be removed and replaced with fresh dirt, he said. A chain-link fence surrounds the entire neighborhood, located south of the post office off Highway 491. Numerous signs along the fence line warn people to keep out. Pieces of roofs on some homes are missing from where workers removed asbestos. Many homes remain untouched, as if waiting for their owners to come home. Generations of those families, some of whom lived in the Mutual Help Housing project since it was built in 1968, moved out last fall. "A majority of the families are elders, they're retired," Frank said, adding most of them owned the homes and the lots. They were relocated at NHA expense into NHA rental property that NHA has paid for, Frank said. Several families, however, chose to move to Cortez, Colo., or Farmington at NHA expense, he said. The asbestos removal process takes two to three months. An additional 42 NHA homes, located on the north side of Shiprock past the hospital, also are scheduled for asbestos removal and bulldozing this summer, Frank said. Those NHA homes were built in 1968 as part of the same housing project and are identical in appearance as the homes on the south side of Shiprock. Those families have not yet moved out. The Navajo Housing Authority will replace all 92 homes with new housing - within 18 months of the respective move-out periods - for the displaced residents at no charge to them, Frank said. NHA also is paying for residents to store their belongings. "We don't expect any family to pay," he said. The new three-bedroom homes are estimated to cost $100,000 a piece, he said, adding that families would only have to pay a $75 administrative fee. Funding has already been provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through a Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act grant, Frank said. "I'm glad about it, getting new houses, new homes," Brenda Nez, a resident of the north side housing project, said from her home Tuesday. "I'm real happy about it. These homes are about to fall apart." Asked if she was concerned about the asbestos health hazard, she said, "Yes, but it's too late now. They just told us not too long ago. It's too late to worry about it now." Jim Snyder: jsnyder@daily-times.com Copyright c. 2004 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: Western Shoshones file Yucca Lawsuit" --------- Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2005 13:06:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NO NUKE STANCE/1863 TREATY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home//Mar-05-Sat-2005/news/25999957.html Western Shoshones file Yucca lawsuit Tribes cite 1863 treaty in claiming land cannot be used for waste repository By KEITH ROGERS REVIEW-JOURNAL March 5, 2005 A contingent of Western Shoshones played what Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project opponents consider their ace in the hole Friday: a lawsuit based on an 1863 treaty that the tribes say doesn't allow building a repository on their native land. It is the first time the Ruby Valley Treaty, authorized by Civil War Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, has been used in a case that targets Yucca Mountain, said Reno attorney Robert Hager, who represents the Western Shoshone tribes. "I have always felt the Western Shoshone have the best claim to stop Yucca Mountain," Hager said, flanked by tribal leaders outside Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse in Las Vegas where the case was filed. Yucca Mountain is a sacred site for Western Shoshones. Hager said the tribes want to hold the departments of Energy and Interior accountable for the contractual agreement that specifies how their 93,750-square-mile swath across parts of Nevada, California, Utah and Idaho should be used. The agreed uses do not include a disposal site for highly radioactive waste or a railroad to deliver waste to the mountain, which the federal government intends to do by submitting a repository licence application to regulators by the end of this year. The lawsuit, with a motion for an injunction to stop the project, names Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Interior Secretary Gale Norton as defendants. A spokesman for the Energy Department's Office of Repository Development in Las Vegas had no comment on the lawsuit. The mountain 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas is the planned site for a repository to entomb 77,000 tons of spent reactor fuel and deadly defense wastes. The repository sits on land covered by the treaty, an eight-part pact with the Western Shoshones that was negotiated by James Nye, who was then governor of the Nevada Territory. The plaintiffs from the Timbisha and Te-Moak bands -- Joe Kennedy, John Wells, Pauline Esteves and Kevin Gillette -- and the Western National Council claim the treaty allows only five uses for the land: settlements, mines, ranches, roads and a railroad. "We've always talked about using this as a last resort," Raymond Yowell, 75, chief of the Western Shoshone National Council, said of the lawsuit. Kennedy, of the Timbisha tribe, said the timing of the lawsuit, nearly three years after Congress overrode Gov. Kenny Guinn's veto to approve the repository, is important "not only for Western Shoshone but for all people and the citizens of Las Vegas." "They just can't run over the people," Kennedy said of DOE officials. "We're looking out for Nevada as a whole. They (DOE officials) have to be accountable and just can't put nuclear waste in the mountain. It could be devastating," he said. Kennedy said his ancestors who forged the treaty and others before them long have considered Yucca Mountain and nearby Forty Mile Wash sacred places. To Western Shoshones, the mountain lives as a giant snake slithering westward for nearly 20 miles across the remote terrain of southern Nye County. Ian Zabarte, the council's secretary of state, said unlike other cases involving the treaty, this one focuses on contractual issues and puts the burden on the U.S. government to demonstrate title. "They can't possibly do that," he said. Wells, a Western Shoshone from Las Vegas, said the lawsuit "is finally putting the treaty out there where it belongs." Yowell, 75, who lives on a reservation 27 miles south of Elko, estimates there are roughly 10,000 Western Shoshones, most scattered across the United States. In 1946, an American Indian claims commission determined that when the West was settled, the Western Shoshones lost their land through gradual encroachment. In 1985, the Supreme Court favored the federal government in a lawsuit over who had title to the land. Last year, President Bush approved a congressional measure to pay Western Shoshones more than $145 million in compensation and interest for their territory. The payment was for $27 million the claims commission awarded them in 1979 for what their territory was valued at in 1872. According to Yowell, no money has yet been doled out to Western Shoshones who are split on whether or not to accept it. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been a staunch opponent of the Yucca Mountain Project but also was instrumental persuading Congress to distribute the claims commission compensation. Reached late Friday, Reid's spokeswoman, Tessa Hafen, said the senator "feels if the case is successful and Yucca Mountain is stopped, then that's good for Nevada and the country." In Carson City, project critic Bob Loux, executive director of the Nevada Nuclear Projects Agency, said he was pleasantly surprised when he heard the lawsuit was filed. "I think it's great news. I think every bit of help we can get on Yucca Mountain is great," he said. Peggy Maze Johnson, executive director of Citizen Alert, a statewide environmental group, said the lawsuit is significant because it shows the Western Shoshone are "are fighters and they're not going to sit still for this." "This may be the thing that saves our butts from Yucca Mountain," she said. Copyright c. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2005. --------- "RE: South Dakota Honors Living Indian Treasure" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 08:30:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DAWN LITTLE SKY HONORED" http://www.native-voice.com/fullstory.cfm?ID=920 South Dakota Honors Living Indian Treasure, Dawn Little Sky The Native Voice KYLE, So. Dak. - Dawn Little Sky has many roles in the small community where she lives on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In her more known roles, she was the wife of the late Indian actor, Eddie Little Sky and the mother of former Miss Indian World, Prairie Rose Little Sky. For many years she's served as an educator of Lakota culture and tradition at the Little Wound School as well as some other tribal schools in the state. In her latest role, Little Sky was presented with the South Dakota Living Indian Treasure award during the 2005 Governor's Awards in the Arts banquet on January 26. The annual award is sponsored by South Dakotans for the Arts and is presented each year by the governor. The award recognizes a South Dakota Native American elder for his or her artistic contribution to preserving their culture and tradition. Little Sky, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, was nominated by Brother C.M. Simon, SJ, of the Red Cloud Heritage Center near Pine Ridge. "Dawn is an accomplished artist," said Simon in a press release provided by South Dakotans for the Arts. "She has dedicated her life to the preservation and teaching of Lakota Arts." Her tribal artistry includes bead and quillwork and hide painting winter counts. In his nomination, Simon also acknowledged Little Sky as a renowned traditional dancer and for her artworks with oils, acrylics, charcoal, pastels, sculptures and mural works. She has taught Lakota Arts and History at the Little Wound school recently and has retired. Pat Boyd, executive director of South Dakotans for the Arts said of Little Sky's dedication to cultural preservation, "Dawn is a really good example of that and she's quite the colorful character." Boyd did not know the number of individuals that were nominated for the award this year. "They typically don't receive very many nominations and we're hoping that one of the things that happens about having this with the Governor's awards is that maybe it will make it a little better known and that it exists and people should remember and nominate people for this award." Past recipients of the Living Indian Treasure award include: Emma Amiotte, Alice New Holy Blue Legs; Steve Charging Eagle; Matt and Nelly Two Bulls; Clarence Rockboy; Nellie Menard; Anna Firethunder; Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve; Mabel Greeley; Ella Irving; Bessie Trimble Cornelius; Calvin Jumping Bull; Ollie V. Napesni; and Geraldine Sherman. Copyright c. 2003 Native Voice Media, all rights reserved. --------- "RE: High Court to review Indian Reservation Fuel Tax" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SUPREMES TO REVIEW FUEL TAXES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=3008035 High court to review Indian reservation fuel taxes February 28, 2005 WASHINGTON The U-S Supreme Court is going to consider whether states may tax gas and diesel sold on American Indian reservations. Arizona and 12 other states filed a friend of the court brief, urging the court to hear the case that sided with the Prairie Band Ptoawatomi (pot-ah-WAH'-toh-mee) tribe in Kansas. Those states impose such a tax and have Indian lands within their borders. They argue that a restriction on their ability to tax uniformly throughout the state will inhibit their ability to fund highway construction and maintenance. At issue is whether states may tax non-Indian companies that distribute fuel to tribal operators on reservations, with the expectation that the companies would then recoup their costs by collecting from tribal retailers. Copyright c. 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved Copyright c. 2001-2005 WorldNow and News 5. --------- "RE: Climbers found as Sign is posted at Cave Rock" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:47:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SACRED SITE POSTED" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20050301/News/103010018 Climbers found as sign is posted at Cave Rock Gregory Crofton, gcrofton@tahoedailytribune.com March 1, 2005 By posting a sign in the area, the U.S. Forest Service on Monday ordered Cave Rock closed to climbers to protect historical and cultural resources, which include those of the Washoe Indians, a Native American tribe that considers the site sacred. There are no immediate plans to remove rock climbing bolts embedded in the old volcano core, which straddles Highway 50 between Zephyr Cove and Glenbrook. The agency will wait to hire an expert to do the job right, said John Maher, heritage resource program manager for the Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. A regional coordinator for The Access Fund - a rock climbing association that filed a lawsuit against the climbing ban - said he believed the organization still had time to appeal a federal district court judge's decision last month to support the ban. "The Access Fund may request a stay on the decision to close (the area)," said Paul Minault, regional coordinator for the climbing group. "The Access Fund's real concern is removal of the bolts, not closure, at this point." The group's policy director, Jason Keith, could not be reached for comment Monday. Maher said he encountered two climbers at Cave Rock while out posting the sign. They were under the wrong impression, he said, that the area was to remain open pending The Access Fund's decision on whether to appeal the judge's ruling. With the judge's ruling, the forest order that closes highly technical climbing routes but still allows public access for things like hiking and picnicking is "immediately implementable," Maher said. - Gregory Crofton can be reached at (530) 542-8045 or by e-mail at gcrofton@tahoedailytribune.com Copyright c. 2005 tahoedailytribune.com --------- "RE: Stickball over Football?" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:47:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN GAME TOUTED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6077 Stickball over football? Educator pushes return to tradition MUSKOGEE OK Sam Lewin March 1, 2005 Someone can attend a historically Indian college and have a rewarding experience if they are a skilled running back or know how to handle a basketball. But what does that do for Native identity? Similarly, a student can maintain a perfect grade point average-but that does that mean they know any more about Indian culture and traditions compared to a student at, say, OSU? Cedric Sunray says the answer is no. The 30-year-old member of the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians is a professor of American Indian Studies at Bacone College and also serves as the Native American Clubs coordinator. Sunray believes that modern education has a fatal flaw when it comes to helping Native students succeed. "You look at Indians in college and you can see that they drop out more than any other ethnic group in the United States," Sunray told the Native American Times. "In college now success is based on individualism-but Indian people have always based success on community. We want our students to feel valued for the talents they have." Sunray believes that cultural identity is far more important as opposed to simply mastering Geometry, and there are other educators that concur. In 2003, the research team of Bergstrom, Cleary, and Peacock conducted in- depth interviews with 120 Native students from across the United States and Canada. According to writers Joyce Strand and Thomas Peacock: "This study identified connections to parents, communities, teachers, and schools as major contributors to the resilience of Native youth. But students in this study identified another important factor: They reported that being well grounded and connected to their tribal culture was a big reason they stayed in school... feeling good about their tribal culture was a consistent theme among these students." Strand and Peacock also say that the team of Whitbeck, Hoyt, Stubben, and LaFromboise found in 2001 "in interviews with 196 American Indian children in grades 5-8 that the degree to which children were embedded in traditional culture po sitively affected their school performance." One thing that rankled Sunray was that Bacone did not have a stickball program. "We have football and basketball-but not stickball. Why? That is something that tribes have historically played," he asked. Now that has changed. In January, as part of a renewed focus on traditional culture, the Muskogee-based school formed its first stickball team-a program that involves learning how to make ballsticks (kapocca) and balls (towa) as well as the history of the game. That is not all. Under Sunray's direction, Bacone now has cultural preservation, art and language clubs. The cultural preservation club organizes the school's annual Pow-Wow in April. The language club "is for any Indian student interested in their language," and involves trips to language immersion conferences and schools. The art club highlights the impact Bacone graduates have had to the world. "A vast number of Indian artists attended Bacone," Sunray proudly points out. There have been many changes since Bacone was first established in 1880. Administrators there are undoubtedly aware of their history-college letterhead trumpets the fact that Bacone is the "Oldest Indian College in America." But Sunray believes change is good-especially when that change is really a return to the past. "We want to make sure Bacone stays an Indian college and we want our students to feel comfortable and do well here." Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Students trade debate skills for Native Tradition" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=17&num=17228 Farmington students trade debate skills for Native tradition By Lillian J. Kelly, The Daily Times February 28, 2005 RED MESA, Ariz. - Walking in a clockwise motion, some 20 students from Farmington High School filed into a hogan on the campus of Red Mesa High School and found a seat. Careful not to touch their backs against the hogan's fresh wood, the guests sat cross-legged in a modern version of a traditional structure. A hole in the hogan's roof allowed for smoke and fire to escape. The door faced east, as it should. And the students listened attentively to Sam Key Benally, the school's resident medicine man. "Sit on Mother Earth, like a child in a mother's lap," Benally instructed the group, with the girls north of the cast-iron stove in the center of the room and boys on the south side. "We are made from her, Mother Earth. No matter what tribe or nation, we are from the earth and we will be coming part of her again," Benally said. Speaking haltingly in English, Benally told the group of the Four Sacred Mountains that encompass Navajo Land - Mount Blanca to the east near Alamosa, Colo.; Mount Taylor to the south near Laguna, N.M.; the San Francisco Peaks to the west near Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Mount Hesperus to the north near Mancos, Colo. "We think of them as our home," he said. Dressed in khaki pants, a button-up shirt and a windbreaker, Benally explained the importance of the cardinal directions. In the morning, the sun enters the one door to the east and casts its light on the opposite wall. "The sun says, `Get up, my grandchild,' " said the medicine man. "The sunbeam, the road of light, says, `Go, do something. Raise and do your work. Do all the things that you must do.' " He spoke of the movement of light - how the sun tells its grandchildren to eat lunch at noon and the darkness protects them from evil spirits at night. Benally also spoke of the marriage between earth and sky and the movement of the four seasons. "Once, I was your age, but now I have gray hair," he said, as the group stood and walked in a clockwise line out the door. "Don't go back. You have to go forward. "Take care of our mind. Watch your words, they are really powerful. Same with your bodies. Take care of yourself. You are very powerful." The students took those words with them as they walked to a nearby classroom that had been transformed into a performance area, complete with stage and lighting booth. "It was interesting," said Stephanie Nagl, 15, a freshmen at Farmington High. It was then time for Nagl and her schoolmates to shine. The nationally renowned debate team had been invited to share their expertise with the English and drama classes of Red Mesa, 60 miles west of Farmington. Red Mesa will be staging its own debate soon, and needed help setting one up and learning from the best. Four Farmington students took the stage and challenged each other in a policy debate on whether Supreme Court justices should be required to retire at a certain age. Their pointed exchange garnered a few chuckles - and more importantly, a few questions - from the crowd. Afterward, two other FHS students took the stage to debate the constitutional separation of church and state. During the exchange, the Red Mesa crowd was polite and gave its attention to the speakers. Afterward, Nicholas Begay, 16, a Red Mesa sophomore, said he found it all "kind of confusing." Begay had never watched a live debate before the Farmington crowd came to town. Tia Warren, 15, also a Red Mesa sophomore, said she found the debates to be informative and interesting. "It was awesome," she said. "The way they came up with the arguments in such a short amount of time." Teacher John Templin, in his first year at Red Mesa High School, invited the Farmington debate team to share its expertise so that his students would learn not just the art of debate, but the art of speaking well. "I want to get these kids to where they're speaking and talking in an articulate manner," he said. "These kids who live out here live between two languages - English and Navajo - and they don't master either one of them." Farmington student Nicholas Tsosie, 17, enjoyed the exchange of ideas and culture. "It brought me back to my native roots," Tsosie said. "(The medicine man) reminded me of my grandpa. It was awesome. I've never been out here, really. I just sit in my house in Farmington all day." Rebecca Stockton, 14, was another Farmington student who had never before been introduced to that part of the Navajo Nation. "Compared to Farmington, it's really open. There's a lot of space," she said. Charmaine Benally, 15, a Red Mesa sophomore, was impressed by the articulation of the visiting debate team. "It was interesting how you have to use big words," said Benally, one of Templin's students who will research and debate the issue of gaming on the Navajo Nation. There apparently was no debate on the benefit of the exchange. "I thought it was cool," said Shawna Gutierrez, 15, a sophomore at FHS and another debate team member. Nagl said she came on the field trip because she thought it would be a good learning experience. "It's important to not just be involved in your culture and what goes on in your world. It's good to see other cultures and what you're not used to," she said. Gutierrez agreed, saying, "It's important to experience other cultures and learn what they do." Templin said he hopes for further such exchanges in the future. Lillian Kelly: lkelly@daily-times.com Copyright c. 2004 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: Turning Stone gives food to "Second Helpings"" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:36:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONEIDA RESORT & CASINO GIVE-AWAY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://oneidanews.net/viewcontent_full.cfm?key=32&id=1503 Turning Stone Gives Tons of Food to "Second Helpings" Program March 3, 2005 The Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone Resort and Casino donates about a ton of food a month to the Food Bank of Central New York's "Second Helpings" program, accounting for up to 25 percent of the program's monthly donations. "The Second Helpings program is a critical component in fighting hunger in Central New York. Food that otherwise would go to waste instead is distributed to programs that desperately need donations of this kind to help feed the needy in our community," said Peter Ricardo, director of Special Nutrition Projects for the Food Bank of Central New York. "The involvement of the Oneida Nation and Turning Stone is a great help to this effort." Ricardo said the resort contributed 2,010 pounds of already prepared, but unserved, food in January and approximately the same amount in December. The food is picked up daily and immediately distributed to various feeding programs in Oneida County, such as the Rescue Mission and senior care sites. Total monthly donations to the Second Helpings program range from 8,000 to 12,000 pounds, he said. That translates to approximately 10,000 to 16,000 meals every month. Chuck Fougnier, Wolf Clan Representative to the Oneida Nation's Men's Council and chairman of the Oneida Nation Foundation, said the partnership between the Nation and the Food Bank makes sense for both parties. "This effort is part of the Oneida philosophy of being good neighbors and sharing what we have," Fougnier said. "We have all that left-over food, and the Food Bank has sites that need to feed hungry people. This is another opportunity for us to assist the less fortunate in a way that really is useful." Turning Stone serves more than 60,000 meals a week, making its kitchens among the largest food preparation facilities in the region. Despite the chefs' careful calculations, there often is surplus food, said Andrew Lee, vice president of hospitality at Turning Stone. The Second Helpings program ensures that the surplus food goes to those who need it. "We are very glad that we can make a small contribution to such a worthy endeavor," Lee said. --- The Food Bank of Central New York is the lead organization for hunger relief in the region, covering Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. More than 10 million pounds of food are distributed annually to over 575 member programs throughout these counties, which include food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless and domestic violence shelters, senior centers, day care programs and neighborhood and community centers. - Oneida Nation Department of Communications. --------- "RE: CHUCULATE: Upping the ante" --------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:30:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHUCULATE: STATE SUES POJOAQUE" http://www.abqtrib.com//ALBQ_19865_3569814%2C00.html Eddie Chuculate: Upping the ante Lawsuit seeking share of casino earnings may backfire on state By Eddie Chuculate Tribune Columnist February 23, 2005 It will be interesting to see if Pojoaque Pueblo knuckles under, as the Mescalero Apaches did, to New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid's threats of casino closure over Pojoaque's refusal to turn over a percentage of its gambling revenues to the state. On Thursday, Madrid filed a motion with U.S. District Judge Bruce Black in Albuquerque, seeking a summary judgment, which argues the court has all the evidence it needs to forgo trial. If Pojoaque loses, it also will be interesting to see whether the tribe has the brazenness to throw up a toll gate on U.S. 84-285, which runs right through tribal land, and charge Madrid double coming and going. Pojoaque is the only tribe in New Mexico, of the 12 sued by Madrid in 2000 over revenue issues, not to reach an agreement. Ten tribes settled in 2001, and the Mescaleros forked over $25 million to settle in April. Beginning in March, Mescalero, like all the other tribes with gambling excluding Pojoaque, will pay the state up to 8 percent of its slot net-wins. I guess Mescalero had a lot more to lose, ultimately, than Pojoaque, with all its timber, ski resort and roulette wheels. Other than Cities of Gold and a nearby sports bar - where I blew more than a few dollars on video poker in my college days - Pojoaque Pueblo doesn't have a lot of revenue-generators. That's why it's holding on to the bitter end to keep all of its proceeds. A bigger tribe, such as Mescalero, with more business experience and fatter bank accounts, can better afford to swallow Madrid's $25 million back-pay pill. Pojoaque Gov. George Rivera has said the more than $25 million Madrid wants from his tribe would wreck its economy. In July, Pojoaque offered the state $9 million, but Madrid refused, and Rivera accused her of a "sneak attack" by filing Thursday's lawsuit. The lawsuit may backfire on Madrid and the state, however. Even if Madrid wins, the tribe would appeal, and an ultimate victory could mean all tribes could refuse to make payments to the state and keep 100 percent of their profits. "The state, if they lose, could be forced to stop revenue-sharing," Rivera told the Associated Press. "It could impact tribes across the country. We hope it does." One state lawmaker, in apparent aggravation at the tribes' meeting with a representative for Gov. Bill Richardson to renegotiate gambling compacts, has introduced a bill to allow keno in bars and restaurants. SB 966, introduced by Sen. Carroll Leavell, a Jal Republican, would fatten the state's lottery scholarship program, some say. But it also would be in direct violation of the tribes' no-gambling- competition clause with the state and render the current compacts void. And, if that wacky keno idea flies, I would like to see Leavell and Madrid fork over their toll money to Pojoaque Pueblo the next time they drive to Espanola, Los Alamos or Taos. Copyright c. 2005 Albuquerque Tribune. --------- "RE: GIAGO: Ripe and Rank Case of Dishonest Dealings" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: AMERIKKAN INJUSTICE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6072 "A ripe and rank case of dishonest dealings" Notes from Indian Country Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) 2/28/2005 Copyright c. 2005 Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. Let's analyze a case of injustice in America. Although the case was (and is) the longest ongoing case in American history, the general public is nearly oblivious to its implications of imperialism and injustice. Recent letters to the editor in the local daily newspaper have prompted this column because the letters are so filled with erroneous and dishonest information. The issue is the Docket 74-B case generally known as the Black Hills case. This volatile issue has pitted white against Indian and has brought out some of the worst prejudices on both sides. The following is the chronology of events surrounding the Black Hills issue. * 1868 - Ft. Laramie Treaty was negotiated. It did two important things: a. It set aside all of South Dakota west of the Missouri River as the Great Sioux Reservation including the Black Hills. b. Article 12 stated that no future cession of land shall be valid unless agreed to by three- fourths of adult members of the tribe. * 1876 - Congress passes a bill known to the Sioux as the "sell or starve bill" which stated that if the Sioux refuse to sell the Black Hills there would be no more rations issued to them. * 1876 - Sioux refuse to sell Black Hills. Of all the Sioux population only 10 percent of adult members agree Congress, nevertheless, enacts the illegal agreement into law. * 1920 - Sioux go to Court of Claims under special jurisdictional statute. Court dismisses claims because claims, according to Court, were moral claims involving "fair and honorable dealings." * 1946 - Indian Claims Commission established. * 1950 - Sioux refile Black Hills claim in Indian Claims Commission court. * 1976 - Claims Commission rules that Black Hills was a "Fifth Amendment" taking and Sioux entitled to monetary settlement (see terms below). * 1980 - U. S. Supreme Court hears appeal from Court of Claims and holds that the only way Black Hills could have been taken from the Sioux was under the Fifth Amendment since Sioux had recognized title and thus vested property rights to the Black Hills. Under the Fifth Amendment the Black Hills were taken from the Sioux for the purpose of giving it to miners and homesteaders and not for public purposes. The Sioux were never given the opportunity to contest the 1877 Congressional Act divesting them of the Black Hills and negating due process, and the Sioux were never given "just compensation" for the illegal taking. Here are the terms of the cash settlement: On June 30, 1980 the U. S. Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Claims decision of June 13, 1979. The decision awarded the Sioux plaintiffs $17,100,000 for the value of the Black Hills taken by the 1877 Act, $3,484 for the rights of way taken by the same Act and $450,000 for the gold removed prior to the Act. The Court of Claims judged the land taking to be in violation of the Fifth Amendment land taking. Funds to satisfy the award in the amount of $105,994,430.52 were appropriated on July 23, 1980. All of the eight Sioux tribes involved in the Black Hills claims settlement have rejected the monetary compensation. A letter to me dated August 10, 1982 from attorney Patrick A. Hayes of the Department of the Interior states, "In discussing the matter of the investment of the awarded funds with the Investments Branch of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, I have been advised of their continued investment in a fashion which assures the highest possible return. The funds will continue being invested in this fashion until a distribution formula is developed and legislation specifying their use is passed." According to the latest estimate by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the amount of the challenged settlement is now around $600,000,000. And yet the people of the Great Sioux Nation, a nation that encompasses three of the poorest counties in America, have refused to accept the monetary settlement. The Supreme Court ruling when loosely interpreted says, "Ok, we stole your land and now this is what we are offering to compensate you for that theft." The Sioux people are saying, "You stole our land and now you are offering peanuts to us. We want some of the federal lands in our Sacred Black Hills returned to us. We will never accept the money." It is clearly a white and Indian standoff. For all intent and purpose, this is a case that began in 1877 and is still ongoing. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun said in his brief on the Black Hills, "A more ripe and rank case of dishonest dealings may never be found in our history." A letter from a white man in the local daily responding to a letter by a Lakota man asked, "Now what will it take to give you closure?" I suppose the answer to that would be "Closure will come when justice is finally given to the people of the Great Sioux Nation." (Tim Giago is the president of the Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. and he can be reached at giagobooks@iw.net) Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Forget iron: Gimme my hair" --------- Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:30:53 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: HAIR" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/opinion/10996781.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Forget iron: Gimme my hair February 26, 2005 A few weeks ago, I stood beside my Aunt Rose as she deftly used a heated brush roller and curled her short, brown hair until it was rounded and flipped toward her face. "Try it," she told me. I just had cut my long braid to absolutely nothing and wasn't sure how to work with my hair. So, I tried her curling iron. It worked well on my really short hair. I felt like one of those people on television who gets a make-over; I was pleased that day. But on my way home from White Shield, N.D., the ghost braid kept getting in my way. I'd reach back to pull my hair back, but there was nothing there. I have done that a million times in the past month. I had spent about 20 years with long hair and had a routine - a sequence of things I did to accommodate my long hair. When I got into my car, I shut the door with care after making sure my hair was inside. As I'd learned the hard way, slamming your hair in the door causes pain as well as loose hair blowing in the wind. Spring is coming, and I am waiting for the weather to warm so the grass and flowers can start waking. I love to walk on the prairie, but there is a warning: Don't have candy or gum in your mouth if you have long hair. The prairie winds can play tricks with your hair as you're walking and talking. It'll make your hair snatch your gum or candy right out of your mouth like a dog going after a good bone. Sometimes, the only way to get gum out of your hair is to snip it out. You can use Crisco or butter, but then the bugs will start following you. I used to sleep with a big clip in my hair. There have been occasions when I've had a dream that I was being dragged by my hair, only to wake up (because it hurt) and find I was lying on my hair. My mother didn't like long hair. She advocated for short and neat hair. I guess long hair was one of the rebellious things that I did in my younger days; what a change from what this generation calls rebellious. When I got home, I bought a curling iron just like the one used by my Aunt Rose. I heated it up and started the process. I wanted my hair curled really well; my hair is naturally straight and thick, and it takes a lot to curl it. So, I wound the iron up clear to my scalp. That was a mistake. The roller got stuck in my hair, and I couldn't get it out. It was hot and burning, but it seemed the more I tried to pull it, the more tangled it got. I unplugged the iron and really panicked. I thought I might have to cut the iron out of my already short hair. It was worse than getting a lollipop caught in my hair, which I've done when I'm with my grandchildren. I finally pulled the iron out with a lot of twisting and hurting. And boy, did I have curled hair, at least in that one area. I threw that curler in the trash as hard as I could. My hair seems comfortable with its new role now. I don't do much to it, and it hangs OK. And when I looked at my old brown-edged pictures of the Sahnish people, I wondered how hard it was to care for their long hair. According to the journals of explorers who visited tribes, the tribespeople usually bathed at least once a day. So, how long did it take my great-great-ever-so-great grandmother to dry and get her "do" up in sandstone powder and some kind of oil? My relatives couldn't tell me about how the women fixed their hair. And unfortunately, the journal writers all were men. They never talked with the women about their ceremonies or the little things, such as how they fashioned their hair. But I do know one thing: The women were better off without the dreaded and awful electric curling irons. Dorreen Yellow Bird's column appears Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at (701) 780-1228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com Copyright c. 2005 Grand Forks Herald, Knight-Ridder Publications. --------- "RE: Do you know your Border Crossing Rights?" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 08:30:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MOHAWK BORDER CROSSING RIGHTS" http://www.easterndoor.com/vol14/6.html Do You Know Your Border Crossing Rights? By: Jordan Standup Eastern Door Volume 14 No. 6 February 25, 2005 As a Kahnawake resident, and an Aboriginal person, it is very important to know your rights when crossing the border. The following information was taken from the Border Crossing Rights Between The United States and Canada for Aboriginal People handbook. When at any American or Canadian border, once you have been able to prove that you have at least 50 percent Aboriginal blood, this could be done by providing the border guard with a letter from the Band Council stating that you fulfil that condition; your certificate of Indian Status Card (Band card), your long-form birth certificate, or a photo ID. Then you have the right to cross the American and Canadian border freely. If you are an Aboriginal person who was born in Canada and have at least 50 percent Aboroginal blood, you have the right to enter the U.S. to live or to work, if you so please. You may wonder what exactly you need to work in the States. According to the handbook, it is very important that you first obtain your American Social Security Card. Like Canada, in the States, you need a Social Security Number to be able to work in the country. When you apply for work in the U.S., you should be prepared to provide the employer with your blood quantum letter; and at least one of the following: Social Security Card, Canadian or U.S. driver's licence, school ID card or a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card. As an Aboriginal person, you are eligible for public benefits, such as Medicaid, which is a Federal-State health insurance program set up for needy and low-income people. This program covers childen, the elderly, the blind and the disabled. You are also eliglble for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a program that makes cash assistance payments to the elderly, the blind and the disabled, including children under the age of 18 who have limited income or no resources whatsoever. Aboriginal people also qualify for Medicare, Unemployment benefits, and other Public Asssitance, provided that you meet the proper guidelines of the American or Canadian agency. In the handbook, it is noted that you do not have to be processed for an alien registration card (also known as the 1-551, or more commonly known as the green card.) Also, you do not have to obtain a work permit in either country, and you do not have to register for the military. The U.S. Government is also unable to deport you, exclude you from entry or deny you service. Some of the most frequently asked questions that an Aboriginal may have about his/her border-crossing rights are the Custom Issues. The handbook states that as long as you have at least 50 percent Aboriginal blood, you are at present subject to U.S. customs duties. The Jay Treaty states "nor shall Indians passing or repassing with their own proper goods and effects of whatever nature pay for the same and duty or import whatever." Another frequently asked question is, what if my spouse and/or child is not Aboriginal? The handbook says that unless your spouse and/or child also has at least 50 percent Aboroginal blood, in order for them to be able to move to the U.S. on a permanent basis, you will have to apply to the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) to sponsor them. Another question that may come to mind for some Aboriginal people is, what if I am a Canadian Aboriginal and was adopted? To answer that question, the reference in the handbook reads that it may be that if you are a person that knows that one or both of your parents are Aboriginal, but because you were adopted as a child, you know very little about your heritage. You are able to get some identifying information, although you must keep in mind that the procedures vary from province to province. If you are eligible, it is possible for you to be able to obtain your Indian Status and find out what First Nation you many apply to for membership. Copyright c. 1997-2004 The Eastern Door, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. --------- "RE: Hog Farm Run-Off: Coming soon to a River near you" --------- Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2005 14:43:27 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PROTECTING OUR WATERWAYS" http://www.easterndoor.com/vol14/5.html Coming Soon To A River Near You By: Brendan Johns Eastern Door Volume 14 No. 5 February 18, 2005 Community members were among the 200 protesters who marched on Premier Jean Charest's office on Valentine's Day and their message was clear: Kahnawake will not stand idly by and allow industrial hog farms to pollute our water. The Kahnawake contingent, which included Eva Johnson from the Environment Office and MCK chief Tiorahkwathe Gilbert, joined forced with concerned citizens from throughout the region in an attempt to pressure the Charest government to reinstate a moratorium on industrial hog farms. The moratorium was instituted in 2002, shortly after the Canadian Medical Assocation issued a report calling industrial hog farms a hazard to public health, but it was allowed to expire this past December. The Quebec hog farm industry is a veritable powerhouse, generating over $3 billion a year and accounting for 40 percent of Canada's pork exports. Aside from the purely ethical question of raising animals in confined pens with no room to move, no fresh air, and hellish living conditions, there is the question of the environmental impact of these "pork factories." The nearly five million pigs raised each year in Quebec generate a mind- boggling amount of manure, with each animal producing two tons of liquid manure which must first be pre-treated in giant lagoons or holding tanks before being sprayed on farmers' fields or injected underground. Pig manure seepage and runoff can lead to water table contamination and killer algae blooms in nearby lakes and rivers. This form of contamination, while an environmental disaster in itself, does not pose an immediate threat to the population because the contaminants can safely be filtered out by Kahnawake's high-tech water filtration plant. However, antibiotics routinely injected to be filtered out using normal procedures and eventually make their way into the community's tap water. In the United States, the swine industry along uses 10.3 million pounds of antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes, meaning that drugs are used to promote growth and appetite and to prevent infection of the animals' open wounds; wounds caused by their continuous psychotic rubbing against the steel walls of their narrow pens. This widespread use of antibiotics has led to a rise in drug-resistant bacteria and several studies have found concentrations of antibiotic- resistant bacteris in surface and groundwater near industrial pig farms. The latest study, published by Johns Hopkins University just this month, has even discovered airborne multidrug-resistant bacteria in the exhaust fumes being vented from an industrial hog farm. With the provincial moratorium lifted, there is little standing in the way of corporations wishing to expand in this very lucrative industry. Grassroots organizations such as the Haut Saint-Laurent Rural Coalition are attempting to raise public awareness of the situation, but progress has been slow. Tim Montour, a local activist who became involved with the group last year, says that the turnout from Kahnawake at the St. Valentine's Day protest was a little disheartening: "The group from Kahnawake was really small, which is discouraging, but we still considered the march a success." The group is still calling on the public to wake up before our waterways become like the one pictured on the front page, at which point they say it will be too late to do anything. Copyright c. 1997-2004 Eastern Door, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. --------- "RE: Chief, AFN too cozy with Liberals, says analyst" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="AFN TOO TIGHT WITH LIBERALS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.ammsa.com/windspeaker/topnews-Mar-2005.html#anchor359882 Chief, AFN too cozy with Liberals, says analyst Paul Barnsley, Windspeaker Staff Writer, Ottawa Volume 22 - Number 12 March, 2005 As the federal government and the provinces continue to fight over who has to pay for health, education and social services for Aboriginal people, some Ottawa observers are wondering on which side the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) stands in the battle. Andrew Webster is an Ottawa area policy analyst who has worked with many First Nation organizations. In a paper he recently circulated, he questioned the national chief's response during the first ministers' conference on health in Niagara-on-the-Lake last summer. He also wondered out loud if the AFN will be aggressive in its demands on the federal government when the first ministers meeting on Aboriginal issues takes place this fall in Vancouver. "In such high-stakes negotiations the provinces are willing to hurt the federal government to advance their aims," he wrote. "Yet despite common ground with the provinces, the [AFN] declined to negotiate any issue, including the federal financial offer for additional First Nations health funding. It fell silent when fiscal responsibility was raised by premiers." In an interview, Webster was asked how he came to his conclusions. "First, on 30 July 2004 at Niagara, the premiers issued this statement: 'The health status of Aboriginal peoples represents a significant challenge for all governments. Since it is a federal responsibility, the federal government must provide adequate funding and work with Aboriginal communities to apply dedicated attention to addressing the unique health care challenges, including health determinants, facing Aboriginal peoples.' "This was not an important agenda item for the AFN, who attended the conference and was more interested in 'jurisdiction.' The provinces were interested in the feds paying the costs of Indian health care. The AFN was disinclined towards attacking the feds on this issue and left the matter to the provinces." He said he was present a few weeks later when another development added to his concern. "I stood by and watched former [Saskatchewan] premier [Roy] Romanow raise federal responsibility in a media scrum, following a meeting with the national chief. Mr. Romanow was passionate about the need to clarify the responsibility question. The national chief declined to take up the lead in front of the cameras." The premiers, he said, handed the ball to Fontaine who declined to carry it. Webster said his provincial contacts were stunned. Phil Fontaine ran for national chief in 2003 on a platform of working with government. Since his election, Fontaine has hired a number of former senior government officials, including former deputy minister of Indian Affairs Scott Serson. His political opponents wonder if his ties to the federal Liberals are influencing his leadership approach. The national chief has had to deal with this matter before. During the 2003 campaign he told Windspeaker that he has never carried a Liberal Party membership card. Many long-time observers of First Nations' politics were astounded when several Aboriginal organizations came out explicitly in favor of the Liberals during the last election campaign. The AFN encouraged their members to vote without endorsing the Liberals. But Fontaine did issue a statement during the campaign slamming the Conservative Party of Canada's political advisor Thomas Flanagan, author of First Nations Second Thoughts. Traditionally, First Nation leaders do not openly take sides in mainstream Canadian elections. Andrew Webster is careful not to make statements about specific issues in First Nations' politics. He is a non-Native man, but he believes the First Nation incursion into mainstream politics opens the door for him to comment. "I accept that the average registered Indian does not get to vote for their AFN representatives. It is not for me to interfere. Yet I am outraged by the possibility of my tax dollars bankrolling federal party objectives in any way-especially through First Nation interest groups." he said. Windspeaker asked the AFN for comment on Webster's remarks. In an unusual move, senior political staff compiled an eight-page response. It took issue with a number of Webster's conclusions. "Federal-provincial off-loading: in reality provincial governments are off-loading to First Nations-straining their capacity to deliver services. The emergence of the acute care substitution sector of home care is one good example. First Nations home care programs are being pressured to accept increasingly higher acuity patients as hospitals continue to discharge patients earlier. Complex post operative clients with need for multiple nursing home visits per day, home dialysis, home IV therapy, and acute phases of chronic conditions are just some of the types of clients that First Nations communities are now expected to service. These clients were not envisioned in the original design of the program," the statement read. The statement called the data the analyst relied on for his paper "questionable." "The paper appears to follow others that intend to contribute to the discussion of First Nations health care, but bandies about numbers with no explanation attached," it read. "On page 22, the author states that: 'Health Canada continues to whittle down what it considers its discretionary services. In the case of NIHB, various drug and medical supplies are gradually dropped from the benefit lists, or else put on unpublished lists where special permission is needed.' AFN has looked closely at this-the actual numbers are: from October 2001 to January 2004, 27 drugs were added to the open list, 25 were deemed limited use, three were assigned as exceptions, and 22 were classed as either non-benefits or exclusions. In reality, there has been no significant delisting of pharmaceuticals, as the majority of those which have been removed are discontinued drugs. Certainly the NIHB program has significant flaws, particularly related to its management, but we need to make defensible arguments to promote real change and not take the approach in the paper." Webster was accused of being out of touch with the reality of First Nation health care. "Finally, the document is simply out of step with the reality of First Nation peoples actually involved on the ground in health care delivery," the AFN charges. "First Nations, regional health authorities and [First Nation/Inuit Health Branch] regional offices are, in many cases, working collaboratively to find creative ways to address First Nations health needs within the existing system. In addition, AFN is actively pushing through the intergovernmental processes to achieve real change and sustainable systems for the future." Webster called the final chapter of his paper "Prognosis." In it he raised the question of whether or not the AFN would risk angering the federal government at the upcoming first ministers' meeting. He asks why the AFN did not use the media presence to take a more aggressive approach at the previous meetings of ministers. Webster maintains that his contacts tell him the AFN had advanced notice that the prime minister would set aside $700 million for Aboriginal healthcare improvements. He criticized the national chief for not pushing for more. The AFN says Webster got several points wrong. "Information regarding internal AFN briefings and the preparation of our strategy are completely unfounded and false. The speculation about information received by AFN prior to the [first ministers meeting] commitment is also simply not true." Copyright c. 2005 Windspeaker, AMMSA - Aboriginal Multi-Media Society. --------- "RE: AFN: Liberals forgetting Aboriginal Needs" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:47:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="AFN CHIEF ASSAILS LIBERALS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca//2005/03/01/945644-sun.html&disp=en&FrameSize=&end Native leader says Liberals forgetting aboriginal needs March 1, 2005 OTTAWA - Patience and hope are fading after the Liberals all but forgot dire aboriginal needs in the latest federal budget, native leaders say. Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, is openly questioning whether Prime Minister Paul Martin will back up earnest talk with action. "We've received some very bold commitments that have heightened expectations," said Fontaine, who is known for his conciliatory approach. "But clearly we're not a popular cause," he added with some bitterness. "We don't score well when Canadians are surveyed in terms of priorities." Chiefs must also battle the impression, created by isolated cases of fraud, that more than $7 billion spent on native programs each year is widely misused. Native leaders say much of that cash is eaten up by federal bureaucracies before it reaches cash-strapped reserves. Skepticism about the effectiveness of the billions committed to aboriginals annually may explain why the minority Liberals committed relatively meagre sums in the budget to ease living conditions the government has called "shameful." Promises over five years total $735 million to ease a housing crisis, bridge stark education gaps, fund early learning programs and provide a fund for survivors of residential school abuse. That amount was dwarfed by the billions of dollars pledged for the military, child care, the environment and a host of other causes. Unlike his tough-talking predecessor, Matthew Coon Come, Fontaine has taken pains to build political bridges. But he said last week's budget effectively tells Canada's poorest to keep waiting even as Ottawa racks up a budget surplus of almost $9 billion. Copyright c. 2005 The London Free Press. Copyright c. 2005, CANOE, a division of Canoe Inc. --------- "RE: Aboriginal Communities get Broadband" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:36:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FIRST NATIONS GETTING WIRED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.globetechnology.com//Technology/&disp=en&FrameSize=&end Aboriginal communities get broadband Globe and Mail Update March 3, 2005 WINNIPEG - Vonage Canada, a broadband phone service provider, and Nations Sphere, an Internet service provider to Canada's Aboriginal communities, have announced a partnership to extend Internet phone service to tens of thousands of First Nations peoples. Nations Sphere will sell Vonage's broadband phone service under the MetHawk Telenet brand. Nations Sphere, an Aboriginal-owned company, provides communities across Canada with high-speed Internet service, including teleconferencing, tele-health, distance education and Internet TV. Through a private label partnership with Vonage, Nations Sphere will be the first Aboriginal ISP to offer broadband Internet and Internet telephone service powered by Vonage's Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Aboriginal communities in remote locations, previously only bystanders on the information highway with neither reliable nor affordable telephone service, will have access to both high-speed Internet service and affordable phone service when Nations Sphere launches the bundled offering later this year. MetHawk Telenet's VoIP phone service will be available as flat-rate residential packages starting at $19.99 per month for 500 minutes of phone time (local and long-distance), up to $39.99 per month for unlimited local and long-distance calling in Canada and the US. Business packages will range from $55.99 per month for 1,500 local and long-distance minutes anywhere in Canada and the U.S., up to $69.99 per month for unlimited calling anywhere in Canada and the U.S. Residential and business packages will include all phone features such as voice mail, call display, call waiting, *69 call return, and many others. Copyright c. 2005 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Boycotters to use Buses to avoid St. Paul" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:29:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RIDING AROUND RACISTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2005/02/28/944976-sun.html Boycotters to use buses to avoid St. Paul KATE DUBINSKI and SHANE HOLLADAY, EDMONTON SUN February 28, 2005 Shuttle buses will move Saddle Lake Indian Reserve residents to and from businesses in other centres to avoid nearby St. Paul, advocates of a race- based boycott said yesterday. Many of the more than 8,000 members of the Saddle Lake First Nation are boycotting the nearby town of St. Paul after disparaging remarks about native people were made by a town councillor in a local paper. "We're looking at arranging shuttles to take people to Two Hills or Bonnyville or Fort Saskatchewan," said Tracy Fleck, the band's lawyer. "We have to be strong and decisive. We've struck a committee looking at the long term. This has really been a wake-up call for us." St. Paul town councillor Guy Germain was quoted in a newspaper interview earlier this month saying that aboriginal people who come into town from the Saddle Lake reserve are "a problem." Germain - who has resigned from the town's task force set up to address crime - has since apologized for the remarks attributed to him. The band has already cancelled its accounts with many businesses in St. Paul, officials said Saturday. The town's mayor and the chamber of commerce have expressed concern over the move, and made it clear they value Saddle Lake residents in the community. But people who live on the reserve say they don't feel welcome in St. Paul at the best of times. Racism is common, claimed Janelee Small. "We go to town and people are watching us like we are stealers or something," Small said, adding she intends to honour the band boycott of the town. Other communities such as Fort Saskatchewan or Vegreville are much further than St. Paul, but Small said she's willing to spend twice the time on the road to avoid shopping in the nearby centre. Saddle Lake is 25 km west of St. Paul, which is 208 km northeast of Edmonton. Copyright c. 2005, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Gov't monitoring Me'tis Harvest impact: Coutts" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 08:47:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ALBERTA ME'TIS HARVEST" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/Z02_00bharvest0228.lasso Gov't monitoring Me'tis harvest impact: Coutts By KRISTY LESH Herald-Tribune staff March 1, 2005 It was on the tip of everyone's tongue at the Alberta Fish and Game Association's annual convention but the minister wasn't about to cross words with the crowd on the controversial Me'tis harvest agreement signed last fall. "I'm not here to debate the agreement, nor am I here to debate the court ruling, nor can I make them both disappear," David Coutts, minister of Sustainable Resource Development, said in a speech to delegates at the convention Friday at the Quality Inn. "We feel that our priority right now and our best course of action is to keep a close eye on the situation. Monitoring is one area where we will be thankful for your help." Th