_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 012 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 19, 2005 Blackfeet sa'aiki'somm/duck moon Yuchi wadasine/little summer moon Zuni li'dekwakkya ts'ana/little sand storm 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; Indigenous Peoples Literature Mailing List; 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "It is extremely disheartening and disturbing that tribal members, and especially aspiring Indian students, have to suffer the consequences of the BIA's ignorance of tribal sovereignty." -- Francine Hall, Si Tanka University President +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Understand before I begin there is nothing especially new or revealing in this issue's editorial, at least not to Indians. Let's take a look at the heart (or lack thereof) of the dominant society in news this week. Needless to say it is selfish, greedy and spiteful. U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin introduced legislation to block the renaming of "Devils Tower" and the designation of it as a Sacred Site. "This is not a proposal for a name change for the park, a locally controversial subject," the National Park Service stated in an internal brief in January. "The Secretarially-designated Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark will ensure that the Native American name and sacred site values are formally recognized and convey a stronger sense of the cultural significance of the site to all people." As long as I have known Lakota I have known the "true name" for that peak is Mato Tipila, or Bear Lodge. I understand there are other names, but I heard the stories of how the marks came to be on the sides and the Sacredness of this place... how it was a part of the star knowledge and what it meant to the Lakota. I also heard how the residents near Mato Tipila were hateful and racist to the Lakota because of their view of Mato Tipila as Sacred. That love and reverence for the place would make it less inviting to the tourist and rock climber and the dollars they brought. All that mattered to them was the greed and that's the only thing this legislation by Cubin is designed to protect. To hell with the First People and their understanding of this Sacred place. This week the Federal Parks decided to allow the spraying of waste water snow on the mountain the Hopi call Nuvatukyaovi, meaning `Place of Snow on the Peaks,' and considered by all Hopi people to be a central and essential element of Hopi culture, religion, and survival. The peaks are the home of the Katsinam (spirit messengers). To the Dine' "San Francisco Peak" was adorned with Diichili', Abalone Shell, Black Clouds, Male Rain, and all animals, beside being the home of Haashch'e'e'lt'i'i' (Talking God), Naada'algaii `Ashkii (White Corn Boy), and Naada' `Altsoii `At'e'e'd (Yellow Corn Girl). The area is also sacred to Havasupai people. "Once again the federal government has made a decision that is clearly in opposition to the passionate pleas of Native American nations who hold the peaks as sacred," Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. said. You read the above and understand what this Sacred place means the people of the Native Nations and wonder how this can be. How can such sacrilege occur? One word: greed. The wealthy ski resorts will have more snow for a longer time. Never mind that the snow is manufactured from reclaimed waste water. You wonder who wants to risk e-coli skiing down a slope made of recycled sewer water. Since the beginning this has been the way of the European. Take and take, and screw who it hurts as long as there is profit. While greed is the main driver of this culture, I don't believe it is the only thing driving these decisions. From the very beginning, the whole intent of the Europeans overrunning this country was to eradicate the "pagan" beliefs of the people they found here and replace them with the "correct" religion worshiped by their culture. They despised our people's beliefs as "devil-inspired." Clearly this intent has not changed. This deliberate attempt to cement the name "Devil's Tower" on a place sacred to the Lakota can only be meant to permanently stick that "devil" label on the Lakotas' sacred beliefs. To spray processed sewage upon the traditional home of the Hopi and Navajo deities is the worst kind of insulting attack. If somebody sprays processed sewage on the local First Baptist Church, or better yet, on the altar and cross inside, how long would it takes the upright citizens and their law enforcement agencies to scream that somebody had committed vandalism and sacrilege against their religion? Taken a step further, naming half the landscape features in a state "squaw," and insisting the name remain even after its insulting connotations are made clear, and retaining drunken "tomahawk chopping" at a baseball game as an "honor" to our culture speaks volumes of the disdain for Indian beliefs and dignity. And how ironic is it that our legislators and government administrators - those who should be protecting all citizens - are fostering this outrageous activity? Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) wotanging@bellsouth.net P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30012, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ----------- - Aid for Last Comanche Code-Talker - RUNGE: A new Campaign - McCain weighs GAO probe of against Indians Indian Trust debacle - JODI RAVE: Misconception: - Norton lobbies Congress on Indians don't pay Taxes Trust Fund accounting - CHUCULATE: Innuendo - NAGPRA change up for linking Indians to a Fire Senate consideration again - Native American Holocaust - Onondagas file huge Land Claim Monument - Legislation to repeal - Blackfeet Schaghticoke Recognition Health and Wellness Conference - Bill blocks recognition of - World's Healthiest Foods: Monument as Sacred Eating to live - Feds approve use of - First Nation wins decision Wastewater on Sacred Site in Treaty Rights Case - Tribes blast Snowmaking approval - Protests in Bolivia in Sacred Peaks prompt Resignation offer - 9th Circuit rejects Tribe's - Brazil may open Indian Lands $6 Billion Claim to mining - High Court refuses - APTN Head defends Idaho's Fuel Tax Appeal new Dubbing Policy - The shock of Recognition - Epcom was shut out - Funding for Indian Education of Dawson Project in Montana slashed - Court joins Navajo Nation - Both Si Tanka Campuses might close in Discrimination Case - Editorial: - Report backs Tribe Learn Si Tanka's Lessons in Columbia Pollution Claim - Anderson 'Famous' again in - Native Prisoner new role at Company -- Writing Native Inmates - Farming Program for Indian Women -- Judge approves - YELLOW BIRD: Native Inmate Deal Surplus can help fund Child Care - Rustywire: The Other Brother - YELLOW BIRD: - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days Ultimate Tragedy makes Rez Reel - Poem: Tiro de Gracia --------- "RE: Aid for Last Comanche Code-Talker" --------- Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:07:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHARLES CHIBITTY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6135 Oklahomans and American Indian Chamber of Commerce rush to aid of Last Comanche Code-Talker March 11, 2005 Tulsa, OK - Charles Chibitty, one of the last surviving Comanche Code- Talkers, and one of Oklahoma's most gifted dancers has been admitted to a nursing home where he is alone, perhaps a little disoriented by his new surroundings and seemingly abandoned by all. Chibitty is now a resident of Maplewood Nursing Home, 6202 E. 61st, Tulsa, OK. The American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma and concerned Tulsa Indians have taken it upon themselves to offer aid and comfort to one of Oklahoma's true war heroes. The Chamber called upon its members to see what they could do. The support has been swift and beneficial. State Chamber President Margo Gray and Chamber Director Cathy Wilkins have pulled Indian people and businesses together in a few hours to meet Chibitty's immediate needs. Stated Gray, "The AICCO feels its commitment not only to "Support Our Troops" at its website, www.aicco.org, but also to continue to support all of our Native veterans." A hard and uncomfortable bed has been replaced with a new medical bed that he will be able to raise himself. Chamber member Scott Sanders, owner of SS Medical Supplies, generously donated the bed and other crucial items. Maplewood staff and the Chamber are coordinating the installation of the new bed with Sanders and his Bixby company. Gray has opened an account with Chamber member Bank 2 in Oklahoma City for monetary donations for Chibitty's needs. Bank 2 is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation. Call Bank2 at 1-405-946-2265 or 877-409-2265 for information on how to donate to Chibitty's special account. The name of the account is the "Charles Chibitty Substaining Account." The room is sparse and has nothing to reflect the colorful nature of Chibitty. There were over 16 members of the original Comanche Code-talkers. Much has been written about the contributions of the Navajo code talkers. Little has been said or written about Oklahoma's code talkers, which also include the Chickasaw Nation. Before that, Chibitty raised a family and continued to dance and promote Native American Indian culture everywhere we went. His infectious smile and warm laugh helped bridge many gaps in white and Indian relations. Chibitty lost his wife and both children. For more information on how to help, call the Chamber at 1-800-652-4226. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: McCain weighs GAO probe of Indian Trust debacle" --------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:24:47 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BROAD INVESTIGATION CONSIDERED" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006943.asp McCain weighs GAO probe of Indian trust debacle March 10, 2005 Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) raised the possibility of a broad investigation of the Indian trust after tribal leaders on Wednesday complained about the Bush administration's reform efforts. At an oversight hearing, McCain reiterated his view that trust reform, while a high priority, isn't the only pressing issue in Indian Country. "I intend to give it only one-good shot," he said. "If it looks like we're not getting anywhere," he continued, "then I will leave that task to future Congresses and the courts." But after listening to tribal leaders repeatedly criticize the reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the expansion of the Office of Special Trustee, McCain said he might seek a full Congressional investigation. The effort would be taken up by the General Accountability Office. "Maybe we ought to have GAO look at the whole situation and see what the deal is and what the options are," said McCain, the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "It's a pretty big task." At the request of Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), a member of the committee, the GAO already looking into OST's finances amid growing concerns over the agency's exploding budget. Since the start of the Bush administration, the office has grown into a massive bureaucracy carrying out, and overseeing, nearly every aspect of trust reform -- including a costly historical accounting -- to the tune of nearly $304 million. McCain did not say what issues might be before a second investigation, the idea of which was raised by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the committee's vice chairman, with respect to allegations that the BIA has mismanaged individual Indian lands on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. Charles Colombe, president of the tribe, testified that allottees have been cheated out of more than $100 million since the 1940s. McCain, however, suggested that the probe might be a far-reaching in terms of the Interior Department's trust management. "I think we could also use those [allegations] to take a broader look as well," he said in response to Dorgan's query. Since the introduction of Interior Secretary Gale Norton's disastrous BITAM proposal more than three years ago, tribes have pressed Congress to take a stronger role in trust issues. Tribes considered various tactics to stop the reorganization including litigation and suspension of appropriations. The campaign had limited success, with some tribes gaining exemption from the reorganization and others gaining consideration for regional specific plans. Meanwhile, the Bush administration plowed ahead with costly plans aimed at fixing the system and conducting an historical accounting of the Individual Indian Money trust. "We're basically complete with our reorganization efforts," associate deputy secretary Jim Cason told the committee yesterday. Views of the twin efforts were unanimously negative among the tribal witnesses who testified. Keith Harper, a Native American Rights Fund lawyer in the Cobell v. Norton case, said "not one red cent" should be spent on an accounting based on inaccurate and incomplete information. Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians, said reform was a futile endeavor without clear trust standards, enforceability in court and independent oversight of the system. "We expect that there will be a high standard of accountability and responsibility," he testified. "There really can be no other way." Along with the Inter-Tribal Monitoring Association, tribes and other organizations, NCAI is developing a "single" legislative proposal to reform the system and devise a settlement mechanism for the Cobell case. Jim Gray, chief of the Osage Nation and chairman of the ITMA board, is co- charing the discussions. Gray said Interior Department officials have done a poor job at consulting with Indian Country and explaining the many changes they are making under the "to-be" model of trust reform. But he welcomed the involvement of Special Trustee Ross Swimmer and deputy Donna Erwin in listening sessions that ITMA held across the country last year. "Those discussions needed to happen," Gray told the committee. Darrell Hillaire, chairman of the Lummi Nation of Washington and a representative of a group of self-governance tribes exempted from the reorganization, presented draft legislation that would implement key parts of the trust reform task force that fell apart in the fall of 2002 after the Bush administration and the Department of Justice objected to the standards, enforceability and oversight items. The bill creates a deputy undersecretary for Indian affairs, phases out the OST and creates an independent commission. "The terminationist and paternalistic insensitivity that the OST has displayed toward the impacted tribes and the damages caused by prior mismanagement of trust funds and assets. have become polarized Indian tribes and leadership nationwide," Hillaire said. The draft also calls for mediated settlement of the Cobell lawsuit, a concept Harper embraced. "Let me be clear on one point," he said. "We want to resolve this case." Trust will remain a big issue in the coming months as the House Resources Committee focuses on settling the case and other committees take up the federal budget. There is already talk of reinstating the "midnight rider" that put a halt to the accounting for one year. NCAI expects to have its proposal ready later this spring. "Today Indian Country heard once again the call from the Senate that this legislation is on a fast track in Congress," Hall said after the hearing. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Norton lobbies Congress on Trust Fund accounting" --------- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:18:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CAN WE SAY, "TRICKSTER."" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006975.asp Norton lobbies Congress on trust fund accounting March 11, 2005 Interior Secretary Gale Norton urged Congress on Thursday to get involved in the battle over an historical accounting that the Bush administration is taking to a federal appeals court. In testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Norton sounded a warning about an injunction reinstated by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth last month. She said the court ordered the department to undertake a costly accounting of the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust. "This order requires us to back to 1887 to verify every single transaction since that time," Norton said. Norton said the effort will require the federal government to subpoena and compile records from oil and gas companies, individual Indians and tribal governments. "The department has estimated that the total cost of this accounting work will be $10 to $12 billion," she testified. Norton did not suggest a course of action for the lawmakers at the hearing, who appeared more interested in cuts for tribal colleges and construction of Bureau of Indian Affairs schools than the trust. Only one lawmaker, Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana), the chairman of the subcommittee, brought up the issue when he said the government was "pouring money down a black hole." "Between you and judges and everything else, it's got most of us up here on the Hill sort of confused," he said of the $135 million request, an increase of $78 million, for ongoing accounting activities. But Norton's decision to lead off her testimony with a lengthy statement about the court order signaled the Bush administration's stance on the issue. The Department of Justice filed an emergency motion to stay Lamberth's ruling pending an appeal. Hours after Norton finished her testimony, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to issue the stay. Instead, the court asked the Cobell plaintiffs to provide a response by March 17. The Bush administration's final brief is due March 24. "It appears the Court of Appeals is getting the message: justice delayed is justice denied," lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell said in a statement. "We welcome the opportunity to make our case before the appeals court, and believe that the accounting ordered by the district court will proceed." The activity sets the stage for another battle on the lawsuit in the halls of Congress. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee and the House Resources Committee are jointly pursuing efforts to settle the case and provide a fix to the system. Some lawmakers, however, are considering reinstating the "midnight rider" that halted the accounting last year. The Cobell plaintiffs, tribes and a large contingent of House members led by Rep. Richard Pombo (R- California) tried to defeat the rider but were unsuccessful. The issue was raised earlier this month after Norton brought up Lamberth's order at a hearing of the House Interior Appropriations subcommittee. Over the past three years, Reps. Charles Taylor (R-North Carolina) and Norm Dicks (D-Washington), the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee, have tried to force a settlement of the Cobell case by inserting language in Interior's appropriations bill. Interior officials repeatedly denied involvement with the effort but the White House last year supported the midnight rider. And Norton's used it to seek a stay of the original accounting order that Lamberth had issued in September 2003. The D.C. Circuit eventually set aside Lamberth's order but, as Norton noted yesterday, did not reach the merits of the rider. That led Lamberth to reissue the broad historical accounting injunction late last month. The Bush administration is currently performing an accounting much more limited in scope. The Office of Historical Trust Accounting is not verifying land holdings, probates or leases and is only examining accounts that were open as of 1994 According to Norton, the effort has shown that errors in individual and tribal accounts are "infrequent and small." Although the project is not complete, she said there have only been $1.5 million in discrepancies on a throughput of more than $15 billion in individual and tribal trust funds. The Cobell plaintiffs welcome a settlement, Native American Rights Fund attorney Keith Harper said in Senate testimony on Wednesday. But the two sides differ on the potential amount owed to individual Indians -- department officials suggest it would be in the "low millions" rather than billions. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: NAGPRA change up for Senate consideration again" --------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:24:47 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="McCAIN BILL HELPS TRIBAL CLAIMS" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/006919.asp NAGPRA change up for Senate consideration again March 9, 2005 A controversial two-word change to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) that would make it easier for tribes to reclaim ancient remains will be considered by a Senate committee today. On Monday, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) resurrected the proposal as part of a larger technical corrections bill. The measure adds the words "or was" to the definition of Native American in hopes of ensuring that remains not linked to present-day tribes can still be repatriated. The change is supported by tribes and their advocates who argue that existing law fails to protect the ancestors of the first Americans. They pointed a federal appeals court decision that barred the federal government from repatriating a 9,000-year-old set of remains known as the Kennewick Man. "They said NAGPRA was entirely irrelevant to what should happen to those remains," Paul Bender, a law professor from Arizona State University who helped draft the law said at a July hearing on repatriation. "That was a startling holding for somebody like myself who was involved in the framing of NAGPRA ... and I think it would startle every member of the committee that recommended the NAGPRA legislation." The language surfaced last year in the wake of complaints about the inadequacies of NAGPRA. But it quickly ran into opposition from a group of scientists who won the right, in court, to study Kennewick Man over the objections of four Pacific Northwest tribes who claim him as an ancestor. Lawyers on both sides of the debate agree that passage of the bill is unlikely to affect the case. The tribes are still seeking a role in any studies carried out on the man they refer to as Techaminsh Oytpamanatityt, or the Ancient One. But if approved, the bill could affect other repatriation disputes and set a national precedent. Currently, the Interior Department is mulling whether to return the remains of a 10,000-year-old man to the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of Nevada. A decision has been delayed for more than three years. At issue is NAGPRA's requirement that tribes or tribal descendants show a "cultural affiliation" to ancient remains. This can be done using linguistic, historical, anthropological, archaeological and other data. The task becomes controversial when the remains date back thousands of years. Scientists argue that tribes cannot demonstrate a direct connection to people with whom they may or may not be related. But tribes say their continuous occupation of ancestral territories proves they have maintained ties. In the case of Kennewick Man, evidence showed that tribes lived in the area of Washington where he was found for at least 10,000 years. The remains were, in fact, discovered on land that used to be part of the Umatilla Reservation until the late 1800s. There isn't likely to be any debate on the measure, being considered at a business committee meeting this morning. Last September, it was rushed through without discussion by McCain, who was eager to move onto a hearing on the tribal lobbyist scandal. McCain has since modified the bill to make it more clear that NAGPRA is being modified. The earlier version, sponsored by former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado), did not mention NAGPRA by name. McCain also added language that would appear to dispel criticism that tribes would be able to claim everything older than 1492. The measure clarifies that NAGPRA only applies to artifacts and remains of Native Americans that are, or were, indigenous to the United States. The bill reads as follows: SEC. 108. DEFINITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN. Section 2(9) of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001(9)) is amended-- (1) by inserting "or was" after "is"; and (2) by inserting after "indigenous to" the following: "any geographic area that is now located within the boundaries of". Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Onondagas file huge Land Claim" --------- Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:07:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONANDAGA LAND CLAIM" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.syracuse.com//news-18/1110534040210151.xml Onondagas file huge land claim Nation wants lake, other sites cleaned up March 11, 2005 By Mike McAndrew Staff writer The Onondaga Nation will claim ownership of a 40-mile-wide swath of land stretching from the Thousand Islands to Pennsylvania in a historic lawsuit it will file today against New York, Onondaga County and Syracuse. The Onondagas will ask a federal court to declare that New York illegally acquired the land in five treaties between 1788 and 1822, and they will ask for title to that land. The disputed territory includes roughly 4,000 square miles - including nearly all of Syracuse, plus Oswego, Fulton, Watertown, Cortland and Binghamton. About 875,000 people live in the claim area. Syracuse is the biggest U.S. city to be included in a Native American land claim, according to attorneys and historians familiar with such cases. While the lawsuit asks a judge to declare the entire area as Onondaga property, Chief Sid Hill stressed the nation will not sue individual property owners or evict anyone from their homes. The Onondagas - a nation of 1,500 members who live on about 11 square miles just south of Syracuse - are not seeking monetary damages in this action. The suit asks the court to declare that New York violated federal and state laws when it bought the Onondaga land, said Joseph Heath, the Onondagas' attorney. Hill said the Onondagas hope such a ruling would force New York officials to bargain with them on compensation for the illegal sales and to compel New York to better clean up environmental hazards in the claim area - especially Onondaga Lake. If those state negotiations fail, the Onondagas could return to court to ask a judge for damages. "With land claims elsewhere, we've seen all the negative things that can come out of that. We want to be good neighbors," said Hill, the tadodaho, or spiritual leader, of the Onondagas. "We aren't saying we're coming after Syracuse because it's ours. What are we going to do with Syracuse?" Chief Jake Edwards said. "We want to be at the table and help the people in Syracuse make it a healthier place to live." Elsewhere in New York, land claims have not hurt anyone's ability to buy and sell real estate, according to real estate professionals in those areas. "Day-to-day, no one will see any difference," Heath said. "Certainly not until there's a judgment. Then 0 the state has to figure out how we are going to resolve that." John Dossett, general counsel for the National Congress of American Indians, said, "Often there are a lot of concerns about land claims. The immediate concern is: Is the tribe going to take all this land? Experience bears out that's not what happens. Eviction is not ever seriously considered as a remedy by the courts or the tribes. Everybody understands that's not on the table." Eventually, if the court declares the Onondaga Nation is the rightful owner of the land, the Onondagas hope to: Force New York to clean up Onondaga Lake and other environmental problems. Enlarge their untaxed territory by buying land from willing sellers. Hill declined to estimate how much land the Onondagas want or identify any parcels. Require New York to make payments to the Onondagas for use of their land. If New York makes a fair offer to settle the suit, the Onondagas will not expect individual property owners to pay any "rent," Heath said. The Onondagas - whose leaders oppose casino gambling - say they do not want a casino. Casinos have been a major part of Gov. George Pataki's formula to try to settle other pending land claims. On Feb. 3, Pataki proposed a law to allow the Cayuga, Oneida, Mohawk and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican nations to open five casinos in the Catskills as part of settlements of their land claims. The Onondagas' opposition to casinos "takes away one of the things that's been used to settle these claims," said Michael Oberg, an associate professor of history at State University College at Geneseo who researched the Oneida claim for the U.S. Justice Department. "The Onondaga will take a much different approach in the land/money settlement formula," said Robert Odawi Porter, director of Syracuse University's Center for Indigenous Law, Governance & Citizenship. He said the Onondagas are the most traditional of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, and they revere the land. The Onondagas will be "tough negotiators for strengthening their land base - their unpolluted land base," Porter said. Environmental defendants Instead of casinos, the Onondagas want air and water cleanup to be part of any settlement, Hill said. Hill said that's why the Onondagas named as defendants in the suit five Syracuse-area corporations that they allege are polluters: Honeywell International, which in 1999 merged with Allied Signal Corp., the company that dumped about 165,000 pounds of mercury into Onondaga Lake from 1946 until 1970. Honeywell has proposed a $237 million cleanup of the lake. The Onondagas have said the cleanup plan is inadequate. The Onondagas consider Onondaga Lake as sacred ground because the Iroquois Confederacy was founded on the lake's shores hundreds of years ago. "That's our cathedral, right there," Hill said. Clark Concrete and its affiliate, Valley Realty Development. Clark began operating a gravel mine in Tully in 1997 on land the Onondaga say is sacred. That's where the Onondagas say wampum, the beads used to communicate and record history, was invented. Trigen-Syracuse Energy Corp., whose coal-burning power plant in Solvay is the largest air polluter in Onondaga County. Trigen produced 547,270 pounds of pollution in 2002, most of which was hydrochloric acid gas released into the air, according to federal records. Hanson Aggregate, which has been mining limestone at a 2,280-acre quarry on Jamesville Road in the town of DeWitt since 1996. Heath said the Onondagas decided to sue Hanson Aggregate about five years ago after he and Hill took a helicopter ride to get photos. From the air, they saw how large the open pit quarry was and were shocked that little had been done to repair the mined land. "We want to use this action to put us at the table and enforce your laws and exert our laws of responsibility for the earth, water, air and animals," Hill said. None of the other Indian nations in New York has made environmental cleanup the cornerstone of its settlement talks, according to attorneys familiar with the claims. "We're trying to do a different land-rights action here," Hill said. "Our concern is the environment and how we as two peoples can live in the area that was our ancestors." Long road to today The Onondagas have been talking about filing a land claim against New York for more than 80 years. In the 1920s, Laura Cornelius Kellogg, an Oneida from Wisconsin, met chiefs from the six Haudenosaunee nations at the Onondaga Nation many times to try to organize a claim. Federal civil rules barred Native American nations from filing suits in federal court until 1966, according to SU's Porter. Before then, many legal scholars believed Native American nations had to get the United States to file suits on their behalf, said Arlinda Locklear, the attorney for the Oneida of Wisconsin. In 1997, three Onondagas filed their own land claim against New York and dozens of other corporate defendants. The Onondaga chiefs denounced the effort. Eventually, the suit was withdrawn. In 1998, Onondaga leaders met with Pataki and told him the nation was close to filing a suit. At the time, the Onondagas were planning to sue for the 108-square-mile territory surrounding Syracuse that they possessed in 1790. Onondaga Faithkeeper Oren Lyons said the Onondaga system of government requires the chiefs to be in unanimous agreement to take action. Until last year, some of the chiefs did not want to sue. When they reached a consensus, the chiefs also decided to seek title to all of the land in New York that the Onondagas once occupied. The Onondagas do not know the precise borders of that aboriginal territory, which stretched from Pennsylvania to the Thousand Islands. They haven't calculated the square miles or acreage of the area that they are suing over. "Our territory was between the Cayugas and the Oneidas," Hill said. "There were no lines in the forest." Strongest claim The Onondagas are the last of the five original Haudenosaunee nations - which include the Mohawks, Oneidas, Cayugas and Senecas - to file a land claim. Based on the Oneida and Cayuga cases, the Onondagas appear to have a good chance of winning a land claim for any land New York acquired after 1790, said Porter and Oberg. Those cases relied on the 1790 federal Trade and Non-Intercourse Act, which barred states from obtaining Indian land without Congress' approval. In the United States' infancy, New York regularly ignored the Trade Act as the state spread west. In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that New York violated federal law by acquiring the Oneidas' land after 1790 without congressional approval. In the only land claim suit to go to trial, the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York and the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma won on the same point and received a $247.9 million judgment against the state in 2001. Most of the area the Onondagas are seeking in their lawsuit was sold before 1790, and the claim for that land faces a more uncertain future in the court. That still leaves more than 100 square miles - including nearly all of Syracuse - that New York bought from the Onondagas in four treaties after 1790. None was approved by Congress, according to Heath. "The Onondagas' claim on the post-1790 land transactions are as strong as any of the claims that have gone forward," Oberg said. "It's as strong as the Oneidas' claim in the test case." Attorney John Campanie - who is defending Madison County against the Oneidas' pending land claim over 256,000 acres - said the state and counties are much better prepared to fight land claims than they were when the Supreme Court ruled on the Oneida case. "I'm not going to say it's a slam dunk one way or the other. The defense in the 1970s was almost nonexistent. There are good defenses now," Campanie said. "But the state and counties will be burdened by some earlier Supreme Court decisions." A tougher test The Onondagas will face higher hurdles to reclaim title to the larger area - for thousands of square miles in Oswego, Cayuga, Cortland, Tompkins, Jefferson, Tioga and Broome counties. That represents almost one-tenth of all New York. New York acquired this land - about 90 percent of the Onondagas' aboriginal territory - in a treaty signed in 1788, two years before congressional approval of Indian land transactions was explicitly required. No Native American nation in New York has won a court decision covering territory acquired before 1790, said Locklear, who argued the 1985 Oneida case before the Supreme Court. For this land, the Onondagas will use an untested legal argument, Heath said. While the other cases relied on federal law, the Onondagas will contend that New York broke state law when it negotiated the 1788 treaty. Heath said a 1783 New York law required that the state Legislature ratify, or approve, any taking of Indian land. New York's Legislature did not ratify the 1788 treaty until 1813, he said. By 1813, the Trade and Non-Intercourse Act was in effect, so the treaty should be void, the Onondagas contend. The Onondagas also say the Onondagas who negotiated the treaties 200 years ago did not have the authority to sell land to the state. How fast will the Onondaga claim get resolved? The Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes of Maine sued in 1972 for 12.5 million acres in northern Maine. Just eight years later, in 1980, those tribes accepted an $81 million federal settlement - which experts said remains the largest monetary land claim settlement in the country. But in New York, land claims typically linger for decades in the federal courts. The Oneida land claim is 35 years old this year. Copyright c. 2005 The Post-Standard. Used with permission. --------- "RE: Legislation to repeal Schaghticoke Recognition" --------- Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 08:43:02 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SCHAGHTICOKE TAG-TEAMED BY CONNECTICUT OFFICIALS" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.kenttribune.com/print.asp?ArticleID=7493 Congresswoman Johnson Introduces Legislation to Repeal Federal Recognition of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation By Sharon Hartwick March 4, 2005 Congresswoman Nancy Johnson said Friday she has introduced legislation in Congress to repeal the federal recognition granted to the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. Johnson made her announcement at a public meeting in the town hall in Kent, where the Schaghticoke Indians have a reservation. Her announcement was greeted with applause by about 100 local residents who showed up for the meeting. "It is truly unfortunate that the step I take today was necessary," said Johnson. "But it has become clear to everyone that the BIA made erroneous and unlawful decisions to recognize the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. This bill makes sure that the citizens of western Connecticut will not pay for the mistakes made by the BIA." Johnson said she introduced the legislation in Washington on Thursday. But she also conceded that she does not expect quick action on the measure. Her purpose she said was to educate her fellow congressmen in the House and the Senate that the process of recognition of Native American tribes needs to be reformed. (The Associated Press reported from Washington that Johnson's legislation was co-signed by Reps. Rob Simmons and Christopher Shays, but that Senators Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd had distanced themselves from the Johnson legislation). Johnson said, moreover, that she hoped her legislation would put the BIA and the Department of Interior on notice that Congress was going to take a more active role in oversight of the BIA deliberations. After Johnson concluded the meeting in Kent, STN Chief Richard Velky issued a statement that said the STN would await the administrative recognition process in accordance with rules agreed upon in court by the parties involved. He said Johnson had resorted to "1950s-era tactics designed to strip Native Americans of their lands and their sovereign rights." See full text of Velky's statement nearby. The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation received recognition from the BIA on Jan. 29, 2004, but the state of Connecticut, the town of Kent and other interested parties are appealing that ruling within an interior board of review at the BIA. It's not clear when a ruling will be made on the appeal, and until the appeal process is concluded -- within the BIA and in outside courts -- the bid by the STN for federal recognition, and its plans for a casino in western Connecticut, are on hold. "The overwhelming evidence on the record shows that the STN did not satisfy the seven mandatory criteria needed for recognition," said Johnson. "More than that, contrary evidence was ignored, federal regulations were manipulated, long standing precedents were overturned and there were material errors of facts." Johnson said the text of her legislation recounts the "errors and manipulation" by the BIA. "It is quite compelling," she said. "It certainly strips away the veil that this was an ordinary fact finding process." Johnson's remarks indicated that she held the Bush Administration responsible for part of the problem with the recognition process. "The administration allowed methodologies to be changed and precedents to be overturned," she said. "The degree to which the facts were tortured and distorted is remarkable." But the real problem, she said, has been within the administration of the BIA itself. "The BIA has a lot of problems and they need to clean up their act," Johnson said. "My legislation will promote that." Indeed, Johnson said that her legislation was designed to educate members of Congress who are just now beginning to awake to the problems of Indian sovereignty within the legal process, but also within local communities. She said legislators in western states are beginning to realize that the current federal policies towards Native American tribes need to be changed. Likewise, lawmakers all along the Atlantic coastline are beginning to understand that "sovereignties within sovereignties" present major problems to governance. A key development now, said Johnson, is for Congressman Richard Pombo, chairman of the House Resources Committee, to schedule hearings on the her legislation, known as Schaghticoke Acknowledge Repeal Act of 2005 (SARA). But she acknowledged that the process could be a slow one, probably spreading over two Congressional sessions in the next two years. "Governance is a processs," she said. "Democracy allows people to be heard... .it does take time, but we are making some real strides." Johnson said she will meet with Sen. John McCain, who chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, next week and she will start to lobby her fellow Congressmen in an effort to develop a consensus on reformation of federal policies towards Native Americans. Johnson was accompanied to the meeting by Kent First Selectman Lorry Schiesel who, in introducing the Congresswoman, thanked her for supporting the town's appeal of the STN decision. Also appearing at the podium was Ken Cooper, chairman of a local citizens group, Town Action to Save Kent (TASK). TASK has hired lobbyists in Washington and Hartford to persuade Congress to reform the Indian recognition process. "This is a very aggressive piece of legislation," said Cooper after the meeting. "When the dean of our congressional delegation feels confident enough to introduce such legislation, it makes a statement to the entire Washington establishment. I hope that the Bureau Indian Affairs and the Department of Interior are beginning to believe that there is real Congressional oversight over their activities in this area. That is good for both petitioners and any other interested parties involved in any recognition process." Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal later issued a statement in support of Johnson's legislation. "I share completely the goal of reversing the Schaghticoke recognition, even as I am pursuing it by other means -- through the Interior Department appellate process," said Blumenthal. "The congressional battle may be uphill unless others join this cause, but the facts and law are on our side in the administrative appeal." Copyright c. 2005 Kent Tribune. --------- "RE: Bill blocks recognition of Monument as Sacred" --------- Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 08:24:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DEPENDS ON "WHO" IT IS SACRED TO" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.casperstartribune.net//863b90aca6cc20bd87256fbe006a148e.txt Cubin: 'Devils Tower' in jeopardy By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER Star-Tribune staff writer March 9, 2005 GILLETTE - U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin believes the name of the nation's first national monument is under attack, so she introduced legislation on Tuesday to preserve the name "Devils Tower." Cubin spokesman Joe Milczewski said the action is meant as a warning to Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton not to meddle with the Devils Tower moniker. He said Cubin wanted to be in front of a pending proposal by the National Park Service to give the monolith the designation of "Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark." "This is not a proposal for a name change for the park, a locally controversial subject," the National Park Service stated in an internal brief in January. "The Secretarially-designated Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark will ensure that the Native American name and sacred site values are formally recognized and convey a stronger sense of the cultural significance of the site to all people." Milczewski noted that the secretary of Interior doesn't need congressional approval to make such a designation. He said Cubin recently heard from many residents in the area who believe the landmark designation is really an attempt to change the Devils Tower name. Frank Sanders is among them. "I see no need to change the name. It was not misnamed to start with," said Sanders, owner of Devils Tower Lodge Bed & Breakfast Wilderness & Climbing Retreat. Sanders said he has climbed the tower 32 times already this year. He said Devils Tower holds significant meaning for many American Indian people, just as it holds significant meaning for local residents today and for climbers and tourists from all over the world. But many Indians don't see it that way. Janice Ashley, a Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, said she doesn't like the name "Devil." To her, it counters the spirituality of the place. "The creator made it, so why would you want to call it something like that?" Ashley said. Ashley prefers Wakan Tower, meaning Sacred Tower. Other Lakota members call it Mato Tipila, or Bear Lodge. Still other Indians have suggested calling it Grey Horn Butte, named after the boy in the legendary tale of how a rock grew into the sky to protect the boy from a bear. "It is my belief and the belief of scores of people from around the Devils Tower region that a name change will harm the tourist trade and bring economic hardship to area communities," Cubin said in a prepared statement Tuesday. "I will not stand by and allow that to happen." Reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 682-3388 or dzeffer@trib.com. Copyright c. 2005 by the Casper Star-Tribune published by Lee Publications, Inc. --------- "RE: Feds approve use of Wastewater on Sacred Site" --------- Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 08:24:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WASTE WATER ON SACRED MOUNTAIN" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6115 Feds approve use of wastewater on sacred site Tribes vow to protest decision Sam Lewin March 8, 2005 Leaders of the Hopi and Navajo tribes are blasting a decision to use "reclaimed water" on a sacred site to accommodate a wealthy ski lodge situated in the Arizona mountains. "Once again the federal government has made a decision that is clearly in opposition to the passionate pleas of Native American nations who hold the peaks as sacred," Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. said, adding that the tribal council will review the ruling and "explore what options we have." A Coconino National Forest Service Environmental Impact Study prepared for the Arizona Improvement Project approved using wastewater, or reclaimed water, for artificial snowmaking on 205 acres of terrain suitable for skiing. Reclaimed water is wastewater that has been treated and transformed into a product that supporters say is clean, clear, and odorless. The issue has been around since 1979, and the tribe has consistently protested any attempt to expand the Arizona Snowbowl, a lucrative ski lodge with thousands of rooms. The Hopis, a tribe so traditional that members rejected Indian gaming even though unemployment on the reservation is rampant, organized a protest in March of 2004 to protest what essentially amounts to the use of former toilet bowl water on a sacred site. "It is indeed a sad day for the Hopi people," Hopi Cultural Preservation Office Director Leigh Kuwanwisiwma said in a statement. "It is not just a breach of the forest service's trust responsibility for the tribe, but a breach of the Hopi people's trust in Coconino National Forest. The San Francisco Peaks, which we call Nuvatukyaovi, meaning `Place of Snow on the Peaks,' are considered by all Hopi people to be a central and essential element of Hopi culture, religion, and survival. The peaks are the home of the Katsinam (spirit messengers) and the focus of our prayers for rain and snow. The use of reclaimed water on such a sacred site can only be described as sacrilegious. In a time when the Hopi Katsina Spirits have answered our prayers for rain and happiness, Coconino has placed a dagger in the Hopis' spirituality." In addition to that argument, tribal officials protest that artificial snowmaking will have a significant adverse effect on the overall environment of the mountain and watershed, a move that could ultimately affect the condition of an historic property currently in the process of being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. The San Francisco Peaks is an extinct volcano that was formed over 3 million years ago. Tribal officials say they support the elimination of the night lighting system and night skiing that was originally included in the proposal. "The Hopi Tribe is united in our stance and will continue to reiterate our profound disagreement with the proposed action," Taylor said. "We believe that we are also entitled to the fundamental freedoms guaranteed all citizens by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which we believe should be honored by all parties." The Hopis are not the only ones that consider the San Francisco Peaks to have religious significance. The Navajo, Zuni, Tewa, Haulapai, Havasupai, Yavapai-Apache, Yavapai-Prescott, Tonto Apache, White Mountain Apache, San Carlos Apache, San Juan Southern Pauite, Fort Mcdowell Mohave Apache, and Acoma also maintain a spiritual connection to the site. "Since 1979 the impact of the presence of the Snowbowl on our holy shrine has been immeasurable. We have suffered a spiritual impact that many of our spiritual leaders directly attribute to the presence of the Snowbowl," said Navajo tribal member Klee Benally "This plan outlines enormous destruction to our spiritual, psychological and physical well- being through its attack on our sacred mountain in the high desert of Northern Arizona." "We want to share with you what it means when we say, `the Peaks are us.. it is Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Acoma,'" said Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. When you build on it, when you talk about putting wastewater on it, you are desecrating our life. You are chipping away at our way of life and committing genocide. We are an endangered species. We need all the help we can get...My heart cries when I hear sacred sites are desecrated. As a leader, I am doing all I can to save them." Some local environmentalists have supported the tribes in their bid to prevent the wastewater plan. "The Forest Service has squandered an opportunity to do the right thing," said Andy Bessler of the Sierra Club. "This plan is culturally and environmentally destructive." Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Tribes blast Snowmaking approval in Sacred Peaks" --------- Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 08:24:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WASTE WATER ON SACRED MOUNTAIN" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic//0309snowbowl09.html Snowbowl can make own snow U.S. OKs use of wastewater Mark Shaffer Republic Flagstaff Bureau March 9, 2005 FLAGSTAFF - The U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday approved Arizona Snowbowl's plan to make snow and other improvements at its ski area in the San Francisco Peaks. The decision is expected to be a boon for Flagstaff's business community and provide a steady base for winter tourism to the city after years of drought. The ski area provides about 400 jobs and is an estimated $20 million industry in the city. But the decision, announced by Coconino National Forest Supervisor Nora Rasure, set off a firestorm of criticism from Indian tribes in northern and central Arizona who oppose any further disturbance on the peaks because of cultural and religious reasons. advertisement Only four of 13 tribes signed a memorandum of agreement with the Forest Service concerning the ski area changes, Rasure said. In a prepared statement, Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. said he was "extremely disappointed" by the Forest Service's decision. Shirley also said the plan to use treated wastewater piped up the mountains from Flagstaff is "one of the highest forms of desecration" that Native Americans can imagine. Vanessa Charles, a spokeswoman for the Hopi Tribe, said that the decision "is like a dagger piercing the heart of Hopi spirituality. . . . A lot of Hopis are very grief-stricken today." George Hardeen, a Navajo tribal spokesman, said that representatives of 13 tribes met with Rasure last month at a private meeting in Flagstaff to try to dissuade her from allowing snowmaking. "But she appears to have made it clear that business interests and skiers are more important," Hardeen said. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Forest Service's regional office in Albuquerque within 45 days, and a lawsuit also might be in the offing, said Andy Bessler, a spokesman for the Sierra Club in Flagstaff. Gene Waldrip, a planner for Coconino Forest, said that almost 10,000 public comments were received concerning the changes and that a majority of those opposed them. Last year, the Forest Service released a draft environmental report that had backed all of Snowbowl's proposals for its 777-acre ski area, except night lighting of the runs. In addition to making snow, the proposal calls for additional ski lifts, the expansion of two ski lodges and some changes to the Snowbowl's terrain, including some widening of runs and construction of a half-pipe ski feature. But the most controversial part of the proposed changes involved making snow using the treated wastewater. The water, which Forest Service officials say meets all state and federal guidelines for cleanliness, will be piped 14 miles from near downtown Flagstaff to the ski area. The pipeline will follow established utility corridors and have no environmental impacts, Waldrip said. Rasure said repeatedly during a noon new conference that she made her decision based on the Forest Service's mandate to provide multiple use of its land. She pointed out that the ski area was barely more than 1 percent of the 74,000 acres in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness Area. Rasure also said that economics was not the "driving factor" behind her decision. "I have to look at a variety of users. Certainly the Native Americans use the peaks, but there are a lot of others skiing and other recreational users," Rasure said. Snowbowl has been enjoying a potentially record-breaking season this year because of abundant moisture. But the drought since the mid-1990s left the ski area in a precarious financial position and the owners have said that they probably would have to shut down without a guaranteed source of snow. "During the last 20 years there has been a significant increase in demand and the infrastructure has not kept up with that," Waldrip said. Snowbowl officials struck an accord with Flagstaff in 2003 to buy 1.5 million gallons of treated wastewater a day from November through February if the snowmaking was approved. Copyright c. 2005, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: 9th Circuit rejects Tribe's $6 Billion Claim" --------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:24:47 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SKOKOMISH LAND CLAIM DENIED" http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D88NR7E84.html 9th Circuit rejects tribe's $6 billion claim Associated Press March 10, 2005 The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld its earlier rejection of the Skokomish Tribe's $6 billion claim against the United States, the city of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities. The tribe contends construction of two Skokomish River dams have interfered with its treaty-based fishing rights. Its claim was rejected first by a U.S. District Court judge and then by a three-judge 9th Circuit panel. The 11-judge en banc court said in its ruling Wednesday that the district court had no jurisdiction over the claim against the U.S. government because claims of more than $10,000 against the United States that arise from a contract with the government are properly brought in the Court of Federal Claims. The majority's ruling did transfer portions of the case to that court. The decision also held that the tribe was entitled to no damages from the city or Tacoma Public Utilities. U.S. District Judge Franklin D. Burgess had found that Tacoma followed federal regulations for licensing the dams and that the statute of limitations had expired on other claims made by the tribe. Five of the eleven judges dissented in part. The tribe has fought the Cushman Hydroelectric Project for more than 70 years. In its 1999 lawsuit, the tribe contends the license for the dams was not properly granted and that the project damaged reservation land and violated its fishing rights under the 1855 Treaty of Point No Point. Copyright c. 2005 KGW-TV, Portland, OR. --------- "RE: High Court refuses Idaho's Fuel Tax Appeal" --------- Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 08:48:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOVEREIGNTY UPHELD" http://www.shobannews.com/local.html Sovereignty upheld after High Court refuses Idaho's fuel tax appeal By Lori Edmo-Suppah Sho-Ban News Volume 29, Number 8 FORT HALL - The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes has advised the state of Idaho they will no longer be paying state fuel tax after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a 9th Circuit Court ruling that said the state of Idaho couldn't tax fuel sold on Indian reservations. The High Court refused to hear the case that involved the Coeur d'Alene, Nez Perce and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Monday but did agree to review a case involving the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation vs. Kansas. That case will determine whether the state of Kansas can impose a gasoline tax on fuel sold on reservations. Idaho has filed a friend of the court brief in the Kansas case. Tribal Attorney Bill Bacon said the difference between the Idaho and Kansas cases is the Kansas fuel tax scheme places the incidence of the tax on the distributor not the retailer such as Idaho's fuel tax. "To place the incidence of a tax on a tribe requires specific federal legislation," he said. The Sho-Ban Tribes will start imposing their own fuel tax of .25 a gallon (the same rate as the state's) as soon as the Fort Hall Business Council directs it Bacon said. The tribal fuel tax will then go into a tribal tax account and it will be utilized for a variety of services such as road maintenance, bridge repair, etc. Fort Hall Business Council Chairwoman Nancy Eschief-Murillo said in a press release, "For the first time we can impose our own fuel tax adopted years ago to begin maintaining more than 2,500 miles of reservation roads that the state of Idaho and counties fail to maintain." Bacon said the state fuels tax the Tribes have collected since 1992, when the district court ruled in favor of the Idaho tribes, has been placed in a separate bank account until the final ruling was made. It amounted to about $2 million last fall when the 9th Circuit Court issued its ruling. He added that the Tribes intend to file a refund claim with the state for back taxes and that is upwards of $22 million. Coeur d'Alene Tribal Chairman Ernie Stensgar said in a press release, "We're pleased by the Supreme Court's decision and hope this ends Idaho's legal maneuvering to sidestep Tribal immunity from state taxes on fuel sold by Tribal stations." Bacon cautioned that the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are concerned the state of Idaho may attempt to avoid enforcement of the High Court ruling by introducing legislation and applying it retroactively such as it unsuccessfully did in 2001 when the Idaho Supreme Court ruled against it. "When it comes to court rulings against the state of Idaho and in favor of tribes, Idaho has a history of taking action to avoid the court's ruling," the FHBC press release said. Copyright c. 2005 Sho-Ban News. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: The shock of Recognition" --------- Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 08:48:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="VIRGINIA TRIBES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsleader.com//20050312/OPINION01/503120318/1014 The shock of recognition March 12, 2005 Virginia's American Indian tribes have never had an easy time of it. Once killing Indians with bullets became socially unacceptable, the extermination of Virginia's tribes on paper was begun. Any person who claimed Indian ancestry when heads were counted during the once-per-decade census was classified as being either "colored" or "mulatto," much as South Africa did with its non-whites during apartheid. In recent years, however, Virginia's tribes have begun a slow climb out of the darkness of near-extinction into the light of acceptance. Six of the state's remaining tribes that have maintained their identities and gained state recognition - the Chickahominy, in Charles City County; the Eastern Chickahominy, in New Kent County; the Upper Mattaponi, in King William County; the Rappahannock tribe in Essex, Caroline and King and Queen counties; the Nansemond tribe in Chesapeake; and the Monacan tribe in Amherst County - are at the threshold of gaining federal recognition. They have reached this point thanks to a bill by chief sponsor Sen. George Allen, R-Virginia. About 3,000 Virginia Indians would be affected by this bill, if it passes and their tribes are granted federal recognition. This would gain them access to federal education, housing and health benefits available to other federally recognized tribes. It goes without saying that recognition, should it finally arrive, won't occur without strings attached. Republicans in Congress have invoked the new Indian stereotypes - casinos and cheap gas - to throw roadblocks in the way. Ironically, the tribes, shunned and unrecognized for so long, are eagerly sought by the organizers of Jamestown's 400th anniversary commemoration for use as background color. Unless recognition is gained, we'd have serious reservations about that powwow. Copyright c. 2005 The News Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Funding for Indian Education in Montana slashed" --------- Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 08:48:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="UNMET GOALS" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.billingsgazette.com//2005/03/13/build/state/40-indian-ed-goal.inc Goal of Indian ed remains unmet By JODI RAVE Missoulian March 13, 2005 HELENA - Understand thy Native neighbor. Some educators and community leaders believe it's a goal that can be met in public school classrooms across the state. And when they met recently in Helena, many arrived ready to revive a vision. Bolstered by recent legislation and court rulings, they still believed Native issues could be integrated into K-12 curricula. "First of all, it's constitutional," State Superintendent Linda McCulloch said. "It's statutory. But the real reason, the most important reason, is that 148,000 students need to know this information. ... Frankly, it isn't just the K-12 students that we're involving. "It's every potential adult in Montana that needs to know this. Indian Education for All isn't just about educating students about the cultural heritage of American Indians. It's making sure that we all are tolerant of different groups. When that happens, and that tolerance is achieved, we erase racism." Now all they need is the money. A 30-year fight McCulloch, a former teacher, brought Native-based education to the forefront last fall when she led the Office of Public Instruction to organize October's Indian Education Summit in Helena. For many, it had been a three-decade effort. "As many of you in the room know, today is not the beginning discussion on Indian education," McCulloch said in her address. "I see some people who have worked on Indian education for many, many years." Indeed, some of the 200 torch-carriers attending had since retired. Yet there were those like Rep. Carol Juneau, D-Browning, who refused to quit pushing for change. And with recent court rulings on their side, it seemed the day might have finally arrived when lawmakers and public schools would uphold the 1972 Montana Constitution's Article X. Juneau's education career spans 30 years, as teacher and administrator in tribal and public schools. She brought that experience to the Legislature eight years ago. In 1999, even before a district court followed by the Montana Supreme Court pushed quality and Native education into the spotlight, Juneau introduced the Indian Education for All act. The bill reminded her legislative colleagues and state educators that Montana Constitution's Article X Section 1, Subsection 2 required the state to preserve the cultural integrity of Native people. Her bill became law. Furthermore, the constitution's Native education article would later become central to the school funding lawsuit argued before District Court Judge Jeffrey Sherlock of Helena beginning in January 2004. Attorney called to testify Attorney Jim Molloy called on Juneau to testify on behalf of the constitution's Native education mandate. Molloy: "Carol, is the Indian Education for All act intended just to serve the needs of Indian students?" Juneau: "It's for every Montanan. It's for every school district. It's for every student in every school district to be provided with an opportunity to learn about their tribal neighbors." Molloy: "OK. And, yet, does it have an important purpose with respect to serving the needs of Indian students in our public schools?" Juneau: "Absolutely. Say you're an Indian student walking into a classroom in one of Montana's schools, and you don't see anything about Indian people in that classroom, you don't see anything visual in the classroom, you open your textbooks, there is nothing. ... I think that child is going to get a pretty strong message that they don't belong or they don't fit. When you feel valued and when you feel that you belong, you do better in school." 'Jumping for joy' In April, Sherlock ruled in favor of the Montana Quality Education Coalition, which filed the lawsuit against the state. The Montana Supreme Court upheld the ruling in November, then ordered the state to define "quality" education so it could adequately fund state schools. Second, it found the funding system "failed to recognize the distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians and has shown no commitment in its education goals to the preservation of Indian cultural identity." The ruling was cause for a victory dance. "I was jumping for joy," said Rep. Norma Bixby, D-Lame Deer, who is also the Northern Cheyenne tribal education director. "We had another opinion, another court ruling that said the state still has not honored the constitution and American Indians." For the first time in nearly 30 years, proponents of Native education had reason to believe all Montana students Native and non-Native would be taught Native issues, past and present. And furthermore, that the state would increase efforts to close the achievement gap of Native students, of which some 96 percent attend public schools. For a six-year period beginning in 1991, 56 percent of Native students graduated from high school, compared to 82 percent of white students. "So when you think about Article X, and you read those two provisions together, quality education and Indian Education for All, they're basically saying the same thing, that all Montana's schoolchildren deserve an opportunity that allows them to live good and effective lives," said Ray Cross, a University of Montana law professor who spoke to the state's Native legislators about their role in this year's session. Challenges ahead Winning a lawsuit represents only one step. Now come more pressing questions. How much money should be allocated to Native education? And once the money is there, how will teachers bring quality Native curricula into the classroom? The answers are uncertain. Lawmakers have been grappling with the money issue since January. Office of Public Instruction staff is still trying to create a way to get Native- related curricula to more than 10,000 teachers. And the Montana University System has yet to fully embrace teacher education programs to qualify teachers to become familiar with Native-based curricula. A proposed Native education budget request for $23 million was slashed. The Senate Select Committee's Working Group reduced the amount to $7.5 million to be spent over the next two years. Then it voted to reduce that amount to $1.4 million. "The funding is still elusive," Juneau said Thursday. Yet she remained confident that progress was being made by her legislative colleagues. "I think some of them understand what Indian Education for All is about, and how it's a significant part the lawsuit, and perhaps a cornerstone." The proposed budget is only enough to pay for a conference, someone to look for grant money, a public Indian education campaign and $25,000 for the Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education, said Joyce Silverthorne, a former member of the State Board of Education. An important piece is missing from the proposed funding. "It will not fund professional development for all educators of the state," said Silverthorne, who is also the 2004 National Indian Educator of the Year. But just as pro-Native educators have done before them, and for those still in the trenches, Juneau and her education colleagues will continue their fight. "I always feel that unless somebody's here having a good clear voice on it," she said, "we will be forgotten." ---- Jodi Rave, who covers Native issues for Lee Enterprises, can be reached at (800) 366-7186 or jodi.rave@missoulian.com. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Both Si Tanka Campuses might close" --------- Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 08:43:02 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PULLED BIA FUNDING" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.argusleader.com//20050305/NEWS/503050335/1001 Both Si Tanka campuses might close Tribe will provide funds, but university depends on BIA money PETER HARRIMAN pharrima@argusleader.com March 5, 2005 Si Tanka University will close both its Huron and original Eagle Butte campuses at the end of the current semester if a renewed effort to get $850,000 in federal money released to the school by the Bureau of Indian Affairs is unsuccessful, school and tribal officials said Friday. "A series of false promises and reneged agreements ... will result in the closure of Si Tanka University," Si Tanka and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe officials said in a statement. "With the loss of employment for 191 people and the loss of educational opportunities for 775 students, most of them Native Americans, the closure of Si Tanka University will devastate both rural South Dakota communities," the statement continued. But the tribal council is committed to helping Si Tanka remain open through this spring, according to David Nadolski, a Sioux Falls lawyer working with the tribe and the school. "The place is going to be open Monday," Nadolski said. "We have committed to complete this semester, and we will complete the credit hours that students need to finish their classwork and for those that are going to graduate to graduate." The college missed a payroll Monday after money it was anticipating from the federal Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act was not released by the BIA. About 100 staff members were not paid. On Thursday in Eagle Butte, the tribal council agreed to either guarantee a loan or directly lend money to Si Tanka for continued operations, Nadolski said. He has been working with Si Tanka and the tribe to resolve foreclosure litigation against the school after it defaulted on $6.6 million in loans and was hit with a $2 million federal tax lien. But Nadolski also was pulled into the immediate funding crisis and took part in a tribal council session Thursday in Eagle Butte that dealt with the school's revenue shortfall. More scrutiny Meanwhile, Si Tanka is facing further scrutiny that could lead to a criminal investigation. Beadle County State's Attorney Michael Moore is looking into complaints from students that federal student-aid checks issued to them through the school bounced in February. Moore initially received two complaints. After those became public Thursday, he said, the number grew rapidly. Moore said he expects to decide sometime next week whether to begin a criminal investigation. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe chartered what is now Si Tanka University in 1973. In 2001, the school purchased Huron University, and that decision set the course for the current financial crisis. Nadolski said the school incurred too much debt when it secured a $3.3 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and another $3.3 million bank loan largely underwritten by Rural Development to buy Huron University. That led to it defaulting on the loans and prompted the foreclosure litigation. Acquiring Huron University and its largely non-Indian student body also made the percentage of Native American students at Si Tanka fall below 50 percent. As a result, the BIA told university officials last August, the school no longer qualified for federal tribal college funding. That money is a $4,390 appropriation per Native American student at tribal colleges. Si Tanka was expecting $1.4 million for all the Native American students at Eagle Butte and Huron, and the money was a significant portion of the university's operating revenue. After a meeting in January with Ed Parisian, director of the BIA's Office of Indian Education Programs, university leaders thought they had a deal that would allow the school to qualify for $850,000 by separating out the Eagle Butte and Huron campuses. "For whatever reason, which we can't figure out, on Wednesday he did a 180," Nadolski said of Parisian. "We don't understand what happened. We clearly met the standards that existed prior to 3 p.m. Wednesday." Nadolski said that when administrators and tribal lawyer Tracey Fischer called Parisian and questioned him about what they thought to be a sudden reversal, he hung up. According to Friday's statement from Si Tanka and tribal officials, "not only did Parisian renege on his January agreement, but he also refused to put such denial in writing, in an apparent attempt to avoid a legal appeal of his decision by the university." Separate schools Parisian did not return phone calls seeking comment Friday. But he did send a letter to Si Tanka President Francine Hall on Friday. It recounts the BIA assertion that the university fails to meet the majority Native American enrollment criteria or, short of that, that Eagle Butte students would qualify for the money because they constitute a majority in an institution that has its own accreditation. Before it acquired Huron University, Si Tanka awarded degrees using the accreditation of the South Dakota public higher education system. "You have failed to demonstrate that STU (both campuses together) meets the majority Indian student enrollment criteria or that the Huron campus and the Eagle Butte campus are separate institutions, each with its own accreditation," Parisian wrote. Hall said the BIA did not accept the fact that Si Tanka's original tribal charter allows the Eagle Butte campus to function as a separate and parallel institution to the Huron campus, and therefore Eagle Butte students should qualify for the federal money because they are an overwhelming majority. "It is extremely disheartening and disturbing that tribal members, and especially aspiring Indian students, have to suffer the consequences of the BIA's ignorance of tribal sovereignty," Hall said in the statement released Friday. Seeking assistance Nadolski said the tribal council's backing for the remainder of the semester was sufficient to prompt Si Tanka officials to travel to Washington, D.C., this weekend with hopes of meeting with members of Sens. Tim Johnson's and John Thune's staffs and with BIA officials early next week. Nadolski also said the tribal council directed him to continue efforts to resolve the foreclosure. Nadolski said he thinks that can be accomplished within 45 days and will result in a portion of the loan being forgiven and the school continuing to operate under the current administration. Bruce Jones, USDA Rural Development director, said Friday, "We are still hopeful this process will be resolved both for the employees and the students." Reach reporter Peter Harriman at 575-3615. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved --------- "RE: Editorial: Learn Si Tanka's Lessons" --------- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:18:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL: SI TANKA CLOSURE" http://www.argusleader.com//20050311/OPINION01/503110323/1052 Editorial: Learn Si Tanka's lessons Colleges must have financial stability, accreditation to fulfill their missions March 11, 2005 There still is a chance Si Tanka University could survive, although as a dramatically changed entity - separate accreditation for the Eagle Butte and Huron campuses, and that alone will create additional challenges. So where does that leave the 191 employees and 775 students? Still up in the air, even if a deal is reached with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian Education. That's a shame. It's a shame because of the doubt. It's a shame because of the effect, if the schools close, and that would happen. Both campuses would close if there's no deal. Not just one. Loss of jobs. Loss of options for students. Loss of a dream of creating a national Indian university. The basics of the situation now are known, even though Si Tanka officials have tried to cover up some aspects - such as missed payrolls: * The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe charted Si Tanka University in Eagle Butte in 1973. * It bought Huron University in 2001. That deal required a $3.3 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and another $3.3 million loan mostly underwritten by Rural Development. * It was too much debt, and the school was in financial trouble, trying to restructure the loans. * That's when the BIA stepped in and yanked so-called "471" funding, a per-student allocation of $4,390 for each Native American student at tribal colleges - but only if the enrollment was at least 51 percent Native American. When the tribe bought Huron University, that percentage dropped - and the money was withheld. * The tribe has agreed to keep the university afloat through this semester. After that, both campuses could close. Even if the loans are restructured, that ongoing 471 money is needed. The BIA says it will release the money, if the schools are separated, administration and everything else. That's fairly simple. But there's a kicker. Si Tanka-Eagle Butte must get its own accreditation - it's piggybacked on Huron University - and the money only will go for students at the Eagle Butte campus. That could present problems. The BIA says it hasn't closed the door on a deal, and tribal officials are trying to work with Sens. John Thune and Tim Johnson to save the schools. It would be wonderful if Si Tanka could be saved. But it won't benefit anyone if it's saved now, only to continue on rocky financial or educational footing. If we're going to have a Si Tanka University, it needs to be financially stable, and accreditation needs to be assured. This is a tragedy because of the effect on jobs, the communities, the students and the dreams. Si Tanka has filled a niche and given students - especially Native American students - a valuable option that seems slipping away. But there also are lessons to be learned about the viability of such schools and what's needed if they're to survive. Whether the school survives or not, let's at least learn the lessons. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Anderson 'Famous' again in new role at Company" --------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:24:47 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DAVE BACK AT COMPANY HE FOUNDED" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6123 Meet the new boss...same as the old boss Anderson goes back to the restaurant biz. Native American Times March 9, 2005 Former Bureau of Indian Affairs head Dave Anderson's new job is... working at his old one. The Board of Directors of Famous Dave's of America, Inc. has named Anderson to serve as "Chairman Emeritus" of the company. "Famous Dave's is honored to name our founder Dave Anderson as Chairman Emeritus," said David Goronkin, President and CEO of Famous Dave's, in a statement. "Dave's vision and passion are the reasons that Famous Dave's has grown from a great concept and a single restaurant to 108 restaurants today. His legacy as a leader continues to provide guidance for Famous Dave's. Dave Anderson would accept nothing less than serving the best ribs in America and giving every guest a memorable dining experience. Equally important, Dave built a company culture in which every team member is highly valued and encouraged to be their very best as a person and as a representative of Famous Dave's." Anderson started the Bar-B-Que chain back in 1994 with one restaurant in Hayward, Wisconsin, on the edge of the Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa Reservation. The business went public two years later. Anderson, Chippewa and Choctaw, washed his hands of the operation when he was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Shortly into his tenure he recused himself from issues involving tribal recognition and Indian gaming. He resigned Feb. 12. A replacement has not yet been named. "Dave's commitment to the community and to the country serves as an inspiration to everyone at Famous Dave's," said Goronkin. "As a very successful business person, Dave made a great sacrifice by leaving the private sector and serving the country. His devotion to helping others continues even after leaving his role in Washington. Dave is a role model for Famous Dave's, so it is very fitting that he was named Chairman Emeritus." Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Farming Program for Indian Women" --------- Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 08:24:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FARMING PROGRAM" http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY[News]=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=8898 University starts farming program for Indian women Source: AP March 7, 2005 ALBUQUERQUE - Members of a new national organization for Indian women in agriculture are to meet this week in Albuquerque. The Native Women in Agriculture group is the brainchild of two University of Arkansas professors who hope to connect the nation's American Indian women farmers. The group was formed in partnership with the Billings, Montana-based Intertribal Agriculture Council. The council promotes conservation and development of Indian farming. A 2002 Census of Agriculture showed 12-thousand Indian women operating farms in the United States. The group is to meet Thursday and Friday in Albuquerque. It will include members of the Navajo, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee and Seminole tribes. Copyright c. 2005 KRQE News 13, Albuquerque, NM. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Surplus can help fund Child Care" --------- Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 08:52:26 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: FUND CHILD CARE" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/opinion/11077617.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Surplus can help fund child care March 8, 2005 North Dakota has a surplus budget between $140 million to $150 million for the 2005-2006 biennium, and for that we should be delighted. Yes, we have reason to be proud of Gov. John Hoeven, the Legislature and the people who clicked some whizbang abacus marbles to bring black to our state's budget. I support Senate Bill 2003, which would allocate about $400,000 to universities' budgets for low-income students for purposes including child care, but that amount just doesn't go far enough. The bill passed the Senate and now is being considered by the House. Child care helps young people who are single mothers and fathers who want to attend colleges or universities. These young people probably will stay in North Dakota. Adequate child care will let them stay in college. North Dakotans are not all Mad Bomber hats and snowmobiles. We are good planners. I am saying "we" with pride, because I live across the river from Minnesota and see them struggling. I feel good that we're one of the states in the nation that can brag we're not billions of dollars in the red. Child care from the state came from a match to federal funding. That federal funding ran out Aug. 1, so the state's money also ran dry. And judging by my conversations with college students, shortchanging child care is a hardship on single parents and young people in college. One divorced woman from the Fort Berthold reservation decided that she wanted a good life for herself and her child, and she needed that piece of paper - that diploma - before she went job searching. So she applied and was accepted at UND. It was a good decision, she said. The woman feels in control of her destiny and life, but it has been a hardship for her, too. It is hard to find decent child care in the first place and almost impossible to pay for it. She is performing a juggling act right now - paying one bill and letting another bill go until the creditor threatens her, then paying that one and so on. She has student loans that help pay for some things. She tries to farm out her child to friends when she can, but it isn't always possible for the times when she is in class. She remembers when child care was part of financial aid. It wasn't easy then, but it was doable. I also have a friend who is working in a poor-paying job. She thought the solution was to return to college and upgrade her skills. She was astonished to find she doesn't make enough to go to the university, either. The reason? Child-care costs. She gave me an account of what she lives on. After paying rent and car payments, she has little left for childcare and incidentals such as food. Remember, the people who benefit from child care are those young singles who are the future players in North Dakota's leadership. They're in college because they want a better life for themselves and their children; they'll be tomorrow's mover and shakers. Many of these young people began raising children in two-parent families. But as things go, life didn't always deal from the top of the deck, and they were left with a child or children to support. These are the young people who are willing and trying to help themselves. They just need a little help getting past all the increases in the cost of living. When I found that President Bush put increases in Pell grants in his new budget, I called and gave my friends the good news. Yes, but the president took Perkins loans out, they told me. Those are the loans that let students make those payments they can't make with their financial aid. Then, one of the women told me, tuition likely will go up at the same time as the Pell grants will be raised. So in most cases, the students will have a little less money than before. But despite what's happening on the national level, North Dakota is in a position to help future leaders with the help of some excellent planners. That position should let it provide funding for child care - and not just a teaser of a sum, but truly an amount that will say to students, "We want you in North Dakota, and we support your efforts to make life better for yourselves and North Dakotans." 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. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Ultimate Tragedy makes Rez Reel" --------- Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:07:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: SUICIDE - PART 1 of 3" http://www.grandforks.com//dorreen_yellow_bird/11116803.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Ultimate tragedy makes rez reel March 12, 2005 This is the first of a series of three columns about suicide among young people on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Any publicity about suicide can be risky because copycat incidents could result. Yet, as a mother of one of the victims says, it is also important to understand suicide in order to help others, so solutions can be found. The Standing Rock community is working hard at finding solutions. Today's column focuses on the incidents and those who were affected. The second will describe how the Lakota people, including programs and tribal leaders, have rallied to address the problem. The third column will include some observations and thoughts for the future. Five young people - three teenagers and two 25-year-olds - on the Standing Rock reservation in Fort Yates, N.D., took their own lives from December through January. In addition, and in that same time period, more than 30 young people made some kind of a suicide threat or attempt that brought them to the Indian Health Service facility in Fort Yates, according to Indian Health Service staff. Indian reservations aren't the only place where suicide is a cause of death. According to national statistics, suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 15- to 25-year-olds. This is frightening. What caused this epidemic of suicide on the Standing Rock Reservation? There is no one cause, no one answer, health-care and tribal leaders say. The really scary part is there doesn't seem to be a pattern, the father of a young teen who attempted suicide said. "We saw no signs that our daughter was considering suicide," this father told me. She participates in ceremonial inipi (sweats), doesn't abuse drugs or alcohol and is a good student. It wasn't until her father and mother went to classes on suicide that they could identify signs - for example, their daughter was too quiet and seemed to have trouble dealing with younger children. Yet, still she didn't seem like the typical suicide victim. This girl's parents are divorced, but both still take an active interest in their children. They spend much of their free time with their children and participate in the Lakota culture. When the incident happened, the family came together. The girl's sisters, mother and father took turns being with her - they never left her alone. They rallied around her, trying to find where they had missed her hand when she was reaching out for them. They were able to intervene, and their daughter now is getting help. That wasn't true of a woman I had lunch with. As I sat down at the table with her and two other health-care workers, I could see there was a sadness about her. There was a shadow in her eyes that just didn't go away, even when she laughed. Her son killed himself a couple of years ago, she told me. His death is like nothing she ever experienced. When a young person dies in an accident or from disease, that is a "normal" if terribly tragic death. But with suicide, it is different, she said. It is unlike a death from any other cause. One of her relatives told her that she needed to "get over" her son's death. She would never, ever get over it, she fired back. She will carry that pain for the rest of her life. If it's possible to imagine an even deeper pain, it's being experienced by the mother of two young boys, both of whom took their own lives. It simply is unimaginable to fathom what this woman is going through. During the 1990s, the tribe experienced a similar surge in suicides. At that time, the deaths were different: There were patterns and signs. Back then, most of those who committed suicide were young men. But in the recent incidents, four were females, and one was a male. In the 1990s episodes, the young people often had been involved in alcohol and drugs. This time, health-care staff say, the young people were not necessarily involved in those things. Some were good students and came from good families. And generally, females who commit suicide use pills of some kind. But most of the recent suicides were by hanging. Like a strain of flu or cluster of cancer cases, the two spikes in suicides on the reservation are similar but somewhat different in cause and method. The Standing Rock Lakota nation is reeling with the loss and struggling to find answers. Those answers may be hard to come by, but the tribe is finding answers. I'll describe those answers for you in my next column. 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. --------- "RE: RUNGE: A new Campaign against Indians" --------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:24:47 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RUNGE: NEW INDIAN CAMPAIGN" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/5283408.html C. Ford Runge: A new campaign against Indians C. Ford Runge March 10, 2005 My father's great-uncle Carl came from one of the pioneering families that settled the western shore of Lake Michigan in the 1840s. Born in 1859, and orphaned at 10, Carl Runge signed on to a lake sailing vessel as cabin boy and survived with the first mate when the ship went down. Self- educated, he read law, served as Milwaukee city attorney and was one of the last state judges to carry his law library in his saddlebags while riding circuit. My brother still has them. Growing up on the frontier, the judge saw the mistreatment of native tribes, who were held in ill-concealed contempt by many whites. Looking back, he remarked that "the meanest animal on Earth is the white man." With false promises of land and wealth, aggressive use of military and civil power, and by setting tribes against one another, federal and state policies became a troika of lies, intimidation and divide-and-conquer. George Custer and the Seventh Cavalry implemented these policies energetically, killing 100 Cheyenne, mostly women and children, at Washita in 1868, until blundering into encirclement eight years later at the Little Big Horn. Not much has changed. In his efforts to make up for fiscal bungling, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has gone after the tribes' money. The strategy has the same meanness: false promises of wealth (including a role as drug warehouses), intimidation through the statutory powers of the state, and attempts to divide tribal groups. House Speaker Steve Swiggum even complained that the tribes have hired lobbyists, which he called without historic irony "unfair." As he sallies forth in his own campaign of promises, intimidation and division, the governor might recall how easy it is to become encircled, in this case politically. When the original compact on gambling was struck in 1987, the sovereign status of the tribal reservations provided a haven for what would otherwise have been illegal under Minnesota law. Today, Pawlenty seeks to extend this activity to the state as a whole, and threatens to take away a part of the tribes' revenue if they fail to cooperate in filling the budgetary rathole he created with his "no new taxes" mantra. President Ulysses Grant, sympathetic to the tribes, was no admirer of Custer, whom he found self-aggrandizing and frankly stupid. When informed of Custer's demise and that of his unit, he remarked dryly that the sacrifice was "wholly unnecessary." Much the same could be said of Pawlenty's gambling plans. C. Ford Runge is distinguished McKnight university professor of applied economics and law at the University of Minnesota. Copyright c. 2005 Minneapolis Star Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: JODI RAVE: Misconception: Indians don't pay Taxes" --------- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:18:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: TAXES AND OTHER MYTHS" http://www.billingsgazette.com//2005/03/11/state/75-reporters-ntbk.inc Reporter's notebook: It's a common misperception that Indians don't pay taxes Jodi Rave REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK March 11, 2005 American Indians endure some common stereotypes: Drunk, lazy Indians get a free education, free housing and are free from paying taxes. American Indians are drunks? I've made a choice not to drink alcohol. American Indians are lazy? I go to work every day. American Indians get a free education? I have a $25,000-plus student loan debt. American Indians get free housing? I have a veteran's home mortgage. American Indians don't pay taxes? Each year I pay my fair share of state and federal taxes. If you haven't heard any of these complaints, then you haven't been exposed to some common misconceptions about American Indians. Today, the last stereotype is standing front and center. It's tax season. And the e-mails sent to my account remind me about those who don't understand the tax system, Indians and Uncle Sam. Far too many reporters neglect stories about American Indian communities, especially when the story moves into the complex political and economic arenas of Indian Country. It can be daunting - a bit like trying to find your way through a corn maze only to find it leads to another. But like any long walk, it can be invigorating, even though it might take some work to get familiar with the pathways. Let's take on the topic of how taxation applies to federal, state and tribal jurisdiction on Indian lands. A lack of understanding about taxation has led those who believe the stereotype to complain: "Those Indians should pay their fair share of taxes." It's a misconception that deserves further examination. As individuals, we all pay federal income taxes. That includes American Indians who live on reservations. That is a federal mandate without boundaries. When the April 15 federal tax deadline approaches, Indian people will be at the post office. On the other hand, tribal citizens living on the reservation - on nontaxable trust lands - are not subject to local or state property and income taxes. That's because they fall under tribal jurisdiction, not the state's. And that's what causes some to feel that American Indians aren't paying their fair share. Yet tribal governments could easily claim the same. That's because non- Native businesses and non-Natives living within reservation borders don't pay taxes to the tribes. That money goes to local and state governments. Indians - both tribes and individuals - pay state and local property taxes within reservation boundaries if the land is not held in trust by the federal government. That leaves tribal governments with a weak to nonexistent tax revenue base. The base is weak because 56 million acres - 45 million acres for tribes and 11 million acres for individuals - of Indian-owned land is nontaxable because it's held in trust by the federal government through the Interior Department. Tribes try to make up lost tax revenues by creating businesses, such as casinos. Those enterprises are no different than state-owned lotteries, which don't pay federal income taxes, either. This much should be clear: American Indians are not free from paying taxes. The larger issue is a matter of who has the right to tax whom, which has created taxation quandaries that won't go away any time soon, even after April 15. In fact, one of the ever-looming battles between states and tribes today centers on taxation disputes. States with successful tribally owned or tribal citizen-owned businesses want to collect taxes from them. Topping their tax wish list are tobacco and petroleum-related sales on reservation trust lands. If just one reporter at every daily newspaper across the country wrote an American Indian tax-related story - and gave it jurisdictional context - that would mean some 1,456 stories might help inform the public about how American Indians and tribal governments pay taxes, and why they don't. After the tax stories, those same reporters might take on other Indian stereotypes. Meanwhile, I'll keep coming to work so I can continue paying off my student loan and housing debt. And, of course, I'll be filing my taxes. Jodi Rave reports on American Indian issues. She can be reached at (800) 366-7186 ext. 299 or jodi.rave@ missoulian.com. She wrote this column for the journalism Web site poynter.org. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: CHUCULATE: Innuendo linking Indians to a Fire" --------- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:18:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHUCULATE: BURNED UP with INNUENDO" Eddie Chuculate: Burned up There's no justification for innuendo linking Indians to a house fire By Eddie Chuculate Tribune Columnist March 9, 2005 Any innuendo suggesting that American Indians burned down a house under construction on the West Side, in protest of development near Petroglyph National Monument shows, if not blatant racism, then narrow-mindedness. One envisions face-painted braves firing flaming arrows onto roofs, whooping and hollering and galloping into the petroglyphs. In the early-morning hours of Feb. 18, the Albuquerque Fire Department received a call about a house on fire about a half-mile south of Unser Boulevard on Universe Boulevard Northwest. Engulfed before firefighters arrived, the house could not be saved. The next day and in days since, media reports told of suspicions by the owner and investigators of "disgruntled opponents of development," antisprawl people "making a statement" and individuals "not happy" with development near the monument. Laurie Weahkee, executive director of Sacred Alliance for Grassroots Equality Council, read those accounts and heard buried whispers. "I felt like some of those stories that came out were half-cocked," said Weahkee, a Navajo, Cochiti and Zuni Indian whose council has led opposition to the extension of Paseo del Norte into the petroglyphs, which are revered by Indians. "I asked several reporters what proof they had, and they said they had no proof at that point." SAGE and other groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, filed a lawsuit Feb. 17 against the city, alleging noncompliance with a historic-sites preservation act. Lawsuit one day, felony arson the next? "First of all, we don't condone that kind of behavior - violence," Weahkee said. "Secondly, it's a little offensive, because as far as I know they don't have any proof that it was a `sacred-site advocate' responsible for the fire. For them to connect this criminal act to a legitimate public debate about protecting sacred sites is offensive." It reminds me of the case last week in Chicago in which an Aryan skinhead was accused of being responsible for the killings of a federal judge's husband and mother. This was before he was scheduled to be sentenced next month for already trying to have the judge killed. Don't you think it would be too obvious? After SAGE and other antiroad supporters have staged peaceful protests, sat long hours in boring City Council meetings for a chance at a few words, campaigned for votes against the road in two elections, lobbied the governor, attended meetings in Washington, D.C., and filed a lawsuit in state District Court, do you think they would accomplish anything by burning down a house? The Fire Department used a dog in this case to sniff out things such as gas, kerosene and lighter fluid. That's fine, but someone should tell media hounds and investigators they're barking up the wrong tree if they're pointing at Indians. ---- Eddie Chuculate (Creek/Cherokee) is a Tribune copy editor who writes about American Indian issues. His column appears on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Copyright c. 2005 Albuquerque Tribune. --------- "RE: Native American Holocaust Monument" --------- Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:07:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NATIVE AMERICAN HOLOCAUST" http://www.earthskyweb.com/news.htm#edit Volume 36, Issue 11 Wednesday, March 16, 2005 Open letter to the Oyate: Native American Holocaust Monument Tribal members: Throughout the history of the North American Continent, certain people created a Holocene attempt to exterminate or assimilate the Native American. Some of the members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate are researching a Native American Holocaust Monument for the future of our Native American people on the North American continent. However, we will base our research on the educational, cultural, spiritual, and historical events to remind the people of today what really happened that is not recorded in the history books. The plan is to create a Holocaust Monument for the entire North American Continent. We believe the time is right for this type of venture because with a few more generations our past will be completely forgotten by our children and grandchildren. In the plan, we want to see hotels, cafe's, Native American art, crafts, and foods. The plans are for this committee to work on the monument and get other people involved in the economic development of the site. This venture is not and will never be politically motivated by any one type of government. This is a grassroots venture for the benefit of the people who died during the settlement of this hemisphere. We, the undersigned enrolled members, request recognition from the SWO Tribal Council to support our research with this type of project. To contact the different organizations that will eventually be involved with the final construction. The cost will be overwhelming; our fundraising will be perpetual for the continued cost of this project. This type of monument will not belong to any one Tribe, but to the entire Native American Peoples of the North American Continent. Other documents will be available to inform the Council of the direction that will be taken by the researchers of the monument should they be requested. Laurs Williams, Byron Williams, and Milton Quinn. ***** (Submitted to SWO Tribal Council March 9, 2005 by Bryon Williams, CEO, and Milton Quinn, Secretary. Submitted to the Sota for publication by Laurs Williams, Byron Williams, and Milton Quinn.) For 513 years our people have been under attack by Euro-Americans who tried to exterminate us for standing in their way of expanding our lands and resources. We remain today because of the strength that our Ancestors instilled in us to remain united for the future of our People. The genocide of the Nazis to the 6,000,000 Jews during World War II is small in comparison to the amount of lives taken here in the Northern Hemisphere since 1492. It is estimated that 300,000,000 lives were taken since our people welcomed the Euro-Americans to our shores. The Euro-Americans at that time and since did not understand our way of life or our cultural ways to even consider an intelligent People here in the Americas. It is for this reason that we the members of the cooperation feel the world needs to know the real story and look into ways of mending the division of the two cultures her on the North American continent. The Holocaust Monument's theme will be spiritual, educational, cultural, and historical. This monument will be owned by all tribes in the North American continent who will tell their own stories of the treatment of their tribes. The monument will be built by donations from any entities that want to see what the real story of how our people were treated by the Euro-Americans as they explored the lands of the Americas. With the Native American Monument, we will always keep what our ancestors went through and the cost of welcoming them to our shores. Our charter of the Native American Holocaust Monument approach(ed) the Tribal Council for the initial start-up funds of $60,000 to seek funding for the future of the monument, and for raising funds to get the necessary paperwork done to start construction. Our proposal is to receive $10,000 a month for six months, which will give us time to solicit funding from other entities. The cost for this type of monument, is overwhelming, but the vision of the monument is of great importance to the future of all Native Americans in the Northern Hemisphere to get the real story told to the world. Copyright c. 1999-2003 by C. D. Floro/Earth and Sky Enterprises. --------- "RE: Blackfeet Health and Wellness Conference" --------- Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:24:47 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OLD WAYS FOR MODERN HEALTH" http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/articles/2005/03/09//news2.txt Blackfeet Health and Wellness Conference focuses on old models for modern times. By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor March 9, 2005 "All the plans done so far just sit around on shelves," said Theda New Breast, facilitator of the No Blackfeet Left Behind: Blackfeet Wellness Conference set for March 22-23 at Blackfeet Community College. "So we dug them out, and there are plans, but who's implementing them? So we started a different way. We asked, when were our ancestors really healthy?" New Breast said the group discussing the question of how to approach health in Blackfeet country included local health care officials Mary Ellen LaFromboise, Rosemary Cree Medicine, Jolene Weatherwax, June Tatsey, Pat Calf Looking, Anne Williamson and Lori New Breast. One of the first things they did was to look at historical pictures of Blackfeet, and from these they compiled a list of cultural facts about the Tribe. "One Blackfeet woman could put up a tipi," reads one of the first. In addition, they noted Blackfeet hunters walked, butchered and carried meat; their ancestors hayed by hand, and operated timber running gear and teams of horses. They were superior horsemen and spiritual healers who conducted sweats, fasts and sundances. They were superior fighters and were survivors against hardship. In short, the ancestral Blackfeet had "superior well-being and were resilient in mind, body, spirit and emotion." The first case of diabetes was diagnosed in 1936 on the Blackfeet reservation, and the precursor of the Indian Health Service, the Public Health Service, opened for business in Blackfeet country in 1955. "The year 1955 was critical for the Blackfeet," said Mary Ellen LaFromboise, "because our relatives gave over their health to the IHS. Some didn't. Some still practice the traditional ways." The group uncovered a long list of health-related events over the years that contributed to the decline of Blackfeet health, including epidemics of smallpox, scarlet fever and measles, as well as the Starvation Winter of 1883-84 that drastically reduced, by more than half in less than a century. The results of the process were listed as "Dr. Grim's Remarks" and included statistics that show rates of alcoholism 770 percent higher than the U.S. at large. Diabetes runs 420 percent higher, accidents account for 280 percent more, suicides are 190 percent higher than the rest of the population, and homicides run at 210 percent of America's "normal." "We looked at how our parents and our grandparents had died, among ourselves," Theda said, "and they were lost to respiratory diseases, cancer, heart disease, and they smoked and ate lard sandwiches." Next they looked at what broke the Blackfeet apart as a social group. Many items fill the list of events that had an impact on Blackfeet culture, including the legalization of alcohol sales on the reservation in 1953. Whatever brought the members into the mainstream culture and taught them to think of themselves as being separate from the Tribe are all elements that weakened it as a social unit, explained Lori New Breast. From that perspective, such occurrences as members having become US citizens in 1924-26, members serving in the Armed Forces in wartime, members moving to the shipyards in Seattle, and the Civil Rights Acts of 1964-69 are things that wedged apart the traditional structure. Money, too, comes into play in the form of welfare and the division of members into rich and poor categories. "So, knowing this, we asked ourselves, what would keep us together today?" said Theda. "What would mend us?" Exercise stands out on the list of things that would help, from making it a normal activity to holding fun runs and walks, including the "10,000 Blackfeet" course at the Southern Peigan Diabetes Program. The "10,000" refers to the number of walking steps diabetics are encouraged to take as part of their treatment. In addition, the group is looking at a "circle structure" called "Akak'stiman," that brings all elements of the social group together to discuss issues. Theda New Breast reports the Blood Tribe of Canada is using the model with their youthful offenders, in which all affected members of this social group are brought together to collectively decide what action to take. In addition, attention is focused on emphasizing the positive. "We're going to give wellness awards to all the Health, Education and Social Services (HESS) chairs," Theda said, "because we're trying to reverse the beating up of our people, and the HESS job has to be one of the most thankless there is." The group is hoping to put on an event at least quarterly, and they emphasized the importance of everything being home grown. "The whole concept is community health," said Lori New Breast. "The focus is to bring different circles of people together, so the Blackfeet Warrior Society is included because it is important to their group and to the community." "I hope that people will understand that they can promote their own health and well being," said Mary Ellen LaFromboise. "With the Blackfeet, it was nice to give their kids a part of the American Dream, so to speak, but we're beginning to realize it isn't all that it's cracked up to be. So what we had of self-sufficiency and integrity, it's coming back because of the community college and education and Blackfeet people realizing we can be what we were a long time ago. Maybe we're just sick and tired of being sick and tired." Registration for the conference starts at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 22, and is sponsored by the Blackfeet Tribal Health Department, Indian Health Service, Blackfeet Community College, Blackfeet Head Start and the Blackfeet Warrior Society. Copyright c. 2005 Golden Triangle Newspapers. --------- "RE: World's Healthiest Foods: Eating to live" --------- Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 08:43:02 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EAT TO LIVE" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410429 World's healthiest foods: Eating to live March 1, 2005 by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today Leading degenerative diseases in Indian country can be fought with healthy diets ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Long before the concept of toxins and degenerative diseases, American Indians hunted, fished and harvested wild plants and herbs. With the advent of trading posts and convenience stores, combined with the loss of land and clean drinking water, Native "foodways" degenerated, resulting in some of the highest rates of diabetes and chronic diseases of any groups in the United States. With convenience foods common in Indian country and high-sugar colas replacing clean water and herb teas, diseases are increasing at alarming rates. The non-profit George Mateljan Foundation points out that a healthy diet protects people from some of Indian country's leading killers: cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes mellitus, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and depression. Healthy diets feature whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and fish, and slow down aging. Further, studies show that pesticides and other environmental toxins used to grow and manufacture conventional processed foods impact health negatively. The Foundation has released a list of the "World's Healthiest Foods," reflecting the life-giving foods and nutrients which comprised earlier indigenous diets. Almost gone are the days when rose hips and wild berries were picked to provide the needed daily dose of vitamin C, a key fighter against chronic diseases. Studies show that people whose diets are high in vitamin C-laden fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of developing various types of cancer, including breast and colon cancers. They also have a lower risk of strokes, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Carotenoids, easily recognized in the market by their bright colors, are another health booster. Carotenoids give red, orange and yellow hues to fruits and vegetables, easily spotted in carrots, tomatoes and greens. The carotenoid lycopene, found in tomatoes and pink grapefruit, is present in the blood in the highest concentration. It is associated with protection from prostate cancer. Lutein, another carotenoid in vegetables, accumulates in the eyes and is associated with protecting against the development of macular degeneration associated with aging. The best way to receive the full spectrum of beneficial carotenoids is to eat a varied diet of the "world's healthiest foods," the Foundation said, especially fruits and veget