From gars@speakeasy.org Wed Jun 8 07:07:44 2005 Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 19:33:54 -0700 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews13.022 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 022 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 May 28, 2005 Abenaki kikas/field maker moon Mvskogee kee-hvsee/mulberry moon Potawatomi te'minkeses/strawberry moon Cherokee ansgvti/planting 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; Sovereign News, NDNAIM, Frostys AmerIndian and Tribal Law Mailing Lists; UUCP email IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | As historian Patricia Nelson | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Elder Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "The whole society does not realize the sacrifices our warriors have made to the freedom of our country. We have warriors serving today. Even though Lori Piestewa [the Hopi soldier slain in Iraq] was from New Mexico, we all feel for her because she was a part of our family." __ Wayne Thompson, Oneida ...Haskell University War Mothers Dedication +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Last issue's editorial focused on Native American Veterans. The editorial in this issue by Janet takes a hard look at efforts to undermine progress of Native Nations and return us to the final answer to the "Indian Question" - obscurity and footnotes in history books. However, take a moment to read the two lead stories concerning the War Mothers dedication at Haskell University. As a veteran, I can promise the strength and beauty of these ladies means more to me than words can ever express. -=-=-=- A Modest Proposal -- Indigenous Nations and the United States Indigenous nations in North, Central and South American continents have been unfavorably impacted by immigrant settlers for over 500 years. Historical impacts have included loss of land, livelihood, language and loss of life, as well as diminishment of culture and spiritual practices. The US bureaucracy responsible for carrying out treaty-dictated responsibilities with Native nations has negatively impacted tribes in varying degrees. Some have literally ceased to exist under the BIA's management. Current impacts include the probable fraudulent embezzlement of payments for indigenous resources, and astonishingly inept management of tribal resources and facilities. Need examples? Try repeated shutdowns of the BIA Web sites administering tribal funds because they are so easily hacked. Why would BIA-granted leases for pipeline access across Navajo property be paid at roughly a quarter that of adjacent non-Indian-owned land? Why are radiation-sick Navajos dying years after court-ordered restitution without the first payment? How about the BIA management of tribal jails? How about IHS hospitals providing even worse care for Indians than the admittedly inadequate care provided federal prison inmates? Most recently, after fire gutted a Crow Creek residential school dormitory, we have been told that the BIA had earlier insisted the tribe cancel insurance on the property, assuring them the BIA would take care of it. Well, they didn't. After assuring the tribe and the state that the BIA would help fund rebuilding the dorm, now they say Congress and the OMB must first authorize the expense. The education and even the existence of homes for some Crow Creek children depends on that dorm. And it may not be funded. And brings up another question -- what reduced the tightly knit family structure of Lakota people to the point that its children depend on a school for shelter, food and protection? Could it be the influence of a bureaucracy determined to undermine their way of life? Recently bureaucracies and courts in the US have established the right of communities and states to lobby against recognizing the legitimacy of tribal nations based on considerations such as the likelyhood that the nation might "disturb" non-indigenous areas with enterprises such as gaming, or the reduction of tax income to the state or community. If the likelihood that the neighbors may be bothered has become the deciding factor in acknowledging a community's legitimacy, the same standard should apply both ways. In addition to the aforementioned US mismanagent, thee cities of the US are infested by crime, drug use, and estabishments supporting alcohol abuse, not to mention toxic wastes in air and water. To be fair, we propose tribal governments should be granted full responsibility as national sovereignties to handle their own affairs. They can hardly do worse than the US has done in managing their affairs. And maybe the states and cities deserve a taste of their own medicine when it comes to punishing their neighbors for possibly providing a decent living for their citizens. Should cities' incorporations be dissolved if they are found to negatively impact neighboring communities as they wish to dissolve tribes? Cities might claim that they have existed for decades -- some even for centuries, and that denial of recognition would result in a disastrous economic collapse. Perhaps that's so, but then, the cities and states appear to be quite anxious to assure the economic collapse of tribal nations. If the likelihood of economic collapse is not a problem when applied to indigenous peoples, why should it be a concern when applied to cities and states? Tribes could legitimately respond that these states and cities deliberately set about to assure the economic and social collapse of thriving communities established for millenia in the US -- long before your people even knew such a land existed. The nation you birthed on the bones of ours even emulated some of our own governmental principles. Genocidal policies established by or at the urging of these cities and states have resulted in a weakening and near-extinction of indigenous nations, and yet they have had the nerve to use genocidal successes to apply to the courts and lawmakers to certify that the job has been done -- these are "people" no more. If cities and states can legally do such a thing regardless of the pain inflicted on others -- why shouldn't the tribes?" +/// Janet Smith owlstar@bellsouth.net /*/+ P. O. Box 672168 OwlStar Trading Post + / * Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. http://www.owlstar.com * + -=-=-=- Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) wotanging@bellsouth.net P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30006, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ----------- - Scores attend War Mother Dedication- Historic Landmark: China Lake - Transcript of War Mother Speech - Crow Tribe signs lease - Motorcycle rally with Oil Exploration Firm honoring Vets, MIAs, POWs - Opportunities Inc. seeks - Losing (or stealing) Blackfeet Board Member Native American Trust - Back to Native American Roots - Wampanoags seek High Court Delay - YELLOW BIRD: A Name's false Lessons - Tribe's Foes, Supporters about Culture battle over BIA Reversal - FRANCHER: Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen - Pieces still being put back - YELLOW BIRD: together for Red Lake Aging brings new Joys, Insights... - Indians gather to - PEMBERTON, WALKER: heal and prepare for action The Whitest Indian speaks - McKOSATO: Greed behind - Fears of HIV-AIDS ouster of Tribal Members among Canadian Aboriginals - Tribal Leaders - Algonquins challenge validity boycotting Ski Resort of Logging Permits - Picuris Pueblo - NUNGAK: Two times the Tragedy halts Mining Lawsuit that Taxes are - Money for Crow Creek Dorm - Inquiry into Native man's death may be delayed resumes in Ontario - BIA reopens Western Shoshone - Ipperwash Probe hears of Distribution Process Government's role - Tribe's bid to block - Group: Yucca Nuclear Dump rejected Tribe faces Annihilation in Brazil - Arizona Tribe settles - Native Prisoner Trust Mismanagement Case -- English only Failure - Volesky wants to lead BIA -- HELP needed in West Virginia - Standing up to the Governors - History: Carlisle Indian School - Reed: Indians gave Money - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Teacher helps Students learn, - Rustywire: I Can Hear It Still preserve Navajo - John Berry Poem: I Will Not Fall --------- "RE: Scores attend War Mother Dedication" --------- Date: Tue, 18 May 2005 08:41:38 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WAR MOTHER DEDICATION" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6475 Scores attend War Mother dedication "At times there wasn't a dry eye." Sam Lewin May 17, 2005 Organizers estimate that over 100 people turned out at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, to attend a War Mother's Memorial Dedication Ceremony. "It was absolutely beautiful," Haskell Facility Management Specialist Debra Thompson told the Native American Times. "It was very moving-lots of pomp and circumstance-along with heartfelt speeches honoring our war mothers. I think the mothers that were there were very pleased. At times there wasn't a dry eye." The May 13 dedication saw a 6-foot, 250-pound bronze sculpture created by Native artist Barry Coffin placed near the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum. The name of the sculpture is, simply: "War Mother." "It is very fitting for what we are doing," said Wayne Thompson, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and the Haskell Veterans Club. "All the color guards from the area came together." Local veterans groups along with American Indian veteran groups from throughout the Midwest also attended the dedication. The veterans club has been working to accumulate all the money needed to pay for the project. So far, half of the $30,000 the sculpture costs has been raised. The veterans and their supporters are out in force trying to fill in the gaps, said Debra Thompson, a member of the New Mexico-based Isleta Pueblo. "We do have activities-we work concessions at football and basketball games for the University of Kansas," she said. "We have also made glass etchings in our spare time and we sold them to make money." Wayne Thompson says that the memorial is needed so that all Americans will understand the contributions Natives have given to the Armed Forces. "The whole society does not realize the sacrifices our warriors have made to the freedom of our country. We have warriors serving today. Even though Lori Piestewa [the Hopi soldier slain in Iraq] was from New Mexico, we all feel for her because she was a part of our family," he said. Anyone interested in donating to the memorial and the veterans club is asked to send to: Haskell Veterans Club Haskell Indian Nations University 155 Indian Ave. #5004 Lawrence KS 66046 Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Transcript of War Mother Speech" --------- Date: Tue, 18 May 2005 08:41:38 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WAR MOTHER DEDICATION" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6478 Transcript of War Mother speech Delivered at Haskell dedication LAWRENCE KS May 17, 2005 The following speech was written by Haskell faculty member Lorene Williams and read by Debra Thompson during the Veterans Clubs dedication of a War Mother memorial: Many are courageous during time of war; many suffer great losses. The mothers who send their children off to fight for freedom are seldom recognized for their sacrifices. Their pride, their hopes, their prayers, their tears are too often taken for granted, too often not acknowledged. Yet, a mother's agony is as old as war itself. The Haskell Veteran's Club, whose members are part of the Haskell Indian Nations University community, honors these courageous women. Through on- going, fund-raising efforts, the Haskell Veterans Club presents this War Mother Memorial to the Haskell and Lawrence communities. The six foot, 250 pound, bronze statue of a War Mother in prayer was replicated from artist Barry Coffin's original clay sculpture now on display inside the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum. This memorial not only honors those mothers who may have lost sons and daughters in the line of duty, but all mothers of those who serve or have served in any branch of our nation's armed services. A wall, which will be constructed as the back-drop for the statue, will be in-laid with tiled replications of the official flags denoting the five branches of the military: the Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force, and Coast Guard. President Abraham Lincoln said, "Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure." The Veterans Club honors its heroes, those who have served in the armed forces and those who have waited for them to return home. It is estimated that there are nearly 190,000 Native American military veterans. It is well recognized that, historically, Native Americans have the highest record of service per capita when compared to other cultural groups. The reasons behind this disproportionate contribution are deeply rooted in traditional American Indian culture... distinctive cultural values that drive our people to serve their country. American Indian soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen have fought heroically in all of this century's and the past century's wars and armed conflicts. It is estimated that more than 12,000 American Indians served in the United States military in World War I. The outbreak of World War II brought our warriors back to the battlefield in defense of their homeland. More than 44,000 American Indians, out of a total Native American population of less than 350,000, served with distinction between 1941 and 1945 in both European and the Pacific regions. Battle-experienced American Indian troops from World War II were joined by newly recruited Native Americans to fight communist aggression during the Korean conflict. The Native American's strong sense of patriotism and courage emerged once again during the Vietnam era, where some 42,000 Native Americans -- more than 90 percent of them volunteers -- fought in Vietnam. Native American contributions to the U.S. military efforts continued in the 1980s, 1990s, and into the 21st century, as our young men and women saw duty in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, the Persian Gulf, Iran, and Iraq. The Haskell Veterans Club honors these momentous contributions through living works and lasting memorials so the youth of today can understand and appreciate the sacrifices their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters have made to make this world a safer place. Last Sunday was Mother's Day and tribute and praise to mothers were plentiful. One tribute in particular seems fitting. - Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee. - Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices. - That Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a baseball through the neighbor's kitchen window. - Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother. - Somebody never helped a fourth grader with her math. - Somebody said you couldn't love the fifth child as much as you love the first. - That Somebody doesn't have five children. - Somebody said a mother could find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in a book. - Obviously that Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears. - Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery. - Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten-or board a plane that was headed for military boot camp. The War Mother, memorialized in bronze by our Veterans Club, extends her hands in prayer for all these "babies" who head to boot camp and come home warriors. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Motorcycle rally honoring Vets, MIAs, POWs" --------- Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 08:34:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RALLY: VETs,POWs,MIAs" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com/artman/publish/article_18496.shtml Motorcycle rally to travers The Four Corners By Karen Iwamoto/The Daily Times May 19, 2005 Operation Carry the Flame - a cross-country motorcycle rally to honor military veterans, soldiers missing in action, and prisoners of war - will pass through Farmington Friday on its way to Dulce. The public is welcome to come out in show of support between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Friday on Highway 64 in Kirtland. "It's very important for people to be involved in this cause," said Etta Arviso, vice president of the Navajo Nation Chapter of Blue Star Mothers. "A lot of lives have been taken and our men and women made a lot of sacrifices. "Also, when you honor the veterans, it's a healing experience for the family. So it's important to get the families involved." The rally will continue east from Kirtland to Dulce, where Arviso will assist the family of a fallen soldier in a torch-lighting ceremony. U.S. Rep. Tom Udall will attend the torch-lighting ceremony. Leo Chischilly, director of Navajo Veterans Affairs; Charlotte Atso, veterans service officer in Farmington; Edward Smiley, executive director of the Farmington inter-tribal Indian organization; John H. McWaters, deputy secretary of the state Department of Veteran Services; and Jicarilla Apache Nation royalties will also be there. In addition to bringing signs of support and cheering riders on, Arviso said members of the public are welcome to join the journey if they feel so inclined. After the stop in Dulce, the group will continue on to Angel Fire and then Amarillo, Texas and El Reno, Okla. The ride began Tuesday in Modesto, Calif., and will culminate Memorial Day with a candlelight vigil at the Veterans Memorial Mall in Washington, D.C. Riders will then present a petition to President George W. Bush, asking that he take stronger action to protect U.S. prisoners of wars in foreign countries. On the Web: www.carrytheflame.org. ****this information can be boxed**** Operation Carry the Flame schedule for Friday: 8:30 a.m.: Sheepsprings, Hwy 491 9:45 a.m.: Shiprock 10 a.m.: Stop for gas at Giant service station, 4151 Highway 64 in Kirtland 10:30 a.m.: Take truck route turn on West Murray Drive for three miles then re-enter Highway 64 in Bloomfield. 12 p.m.: Lunch at Dulce sponsored by the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Torch-lighting ceremony. 2:30 p.m.: Depart Dulce for Angel Fire kiwamoto@daily-times.com Copyright c. 2004 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: Losing (or stealing) Native American Trust" --------- Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:09:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN MONEY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://maroon.uchicago.edu//2005/05/19/losing_or_stealing_n.php Losing (or stealing) Native American trust By Emily Alpert May 19, 2005 in Viewpoints For over a century, the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust has snatched American Indians' rightful profits by pinching funds from destitute Native nations. An eight-year lawsuit, Cobell v. Norton, aims to make the government pay what they rightfully owe, but, surprise, surprise, the feds can't even account for the missing funds, and are dragging their feet all the way to the bank. It's time the government dealt honestly with American Indian nations - if only to try something new. In the 1880s, the IIM trust was established to collect funds owed to Native peoples for the use of their lands, initiated by the Dawes Act. The act broke up tribal territory into individually owned 80-to-160-acre parcels at the behest of land-hungry settlers, and for the purposes of so- called "detribalization." To "civilize" them via private property, individual American Indians were given "beneficial ownership" of the plots that, as a sovereign nation, were rightfully theirs; meanwhile, as the parcels' "trustee," the government was supposed to manage and distribute revenues collected from the lands back to the Indians who owned them. Unsurprisingly, the system benefited only the feds. As profits from mining, forestry, and gas extraction continue to pour into IIM, American Indians have seen little of the cash. Under the Bush administration, for instance, the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved lowball deals for oil pipelines on Native property in New Mexico - American Indian recipients got $25 to $40 per rod (a unit for measuring pipeline) while private landowners received anywhere from $140 to $575 per rod. Mishandling of Indian trust funds, however, remains a bipartisan effort: Bill Clinton's Interior Secretary, Bruce Babbitt, was the first defendant in the Cobell litigation, and was held in contempt of court for stonewalling on court- ordered records. "It would be difficult to find a more historically mismanaged federal program than the IIM trust," reads Cobell v. Babbitt, a recent court decision on the subject. The government isn't even sure how many accounts exist, let alone the amount of cash due to each. What's more, the situation appears worse than a case of simple bureaucratic incompetence. In May 1999, the U.S. Treasury confessed to destroying 162 boxes of relevant documents on the case, for which they were chastised by a court- appointed Special Master the following December. The Treasury Department clearly took this admonishment to heart when they destroyed a second crop of documents less than a year later. Until Cobell v. Norton is resolved, Indians won't see a penny of the money owed them and their nations - a figure estimated to be in the billions. And it looks like the end is nowhere in sight for the suit's 500,000 plaintiffs. The government has yet to even account for the stolen funds, never mind compensating the plaintiffs. The trust funds are much needed in Native communities, where poverty rates hover around 25 percent. In 1994, Oklahoma Congressman Mike Synar remarked, "If this was done in the Social Security system, my colleagues, we would have had a war." The official policy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, then, is war on American Indian communities. In other words: business as usual. Copyright c. 1995-2004 Chicago Maroon. --------- "RE: Wampanoags seek High Court Delay" --------- Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:09:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOVEREIGNTY TEST" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/05/20/wampanoag_trial_delay.php Wampanoags Seek High Court Delay Attorneys for Tribe Request and Receive More Time From U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Whether to Appeal Case By CHRIS BURRELL May 20, 2005 Leaders of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) now have until July 2 to decide whether they will try to convince the United States Supreme Court to hear their appeal of the much-watched case over tribal sovereignty. Attorneys for the tribe last month requested a 60-day extension of the May 2 deadline for filing a request with the U.S. Supreme Court. Tribal chairman Donald Widdiss, elected last fall after defeating longtime chairman Beverly Wright, said yesterday that the Wampanoag tribal council is still considering whether to appeal last winter's ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court which declared the tribe must abide by state and local zoning regulations. "The intent of the extension is for us to evaluate our opportunities, to draft an appeal and see whether it's going to put us in a better position," said Mr. Widdiss. "It's all conjecture once you go to the Supreme Court, the possibility of being heard, the possibility of you prevailing." Mr. Widdiss said the tribe has more than one attorney working on the next step. "We'll consolidate opinions," he said. While the case has humble origins, the legal implications have always been viewed as far-reaching. The dispute began in March 2001 when the tribe built a small shed and platform on tribal land without obtaining a building permit from the town. The construction took place on the Cook Lands along Menemsha Pond, land transferred to the Wampanoags under the terms of a settlement agreement reached in 1983. The tribe, the only federally recognized Indian tribe in the commonwealth, argued that because of its sovereign status, they were not subject to town zoning bylaws and were immune from any lawsuits. In the legal battle that ensued, there have been victories and setbacks for both sides. The town of Aquinnah was the original plaintiff, filing a lawsuit in Dukes County Superior Court, seeking enforcement of town bylaws over the Wampanoags on tribal lands. In that round, the superior court ruled in favor of the tribe, declaring that the tribe could not be sued because of sovereign immunity. The town did not participate in the appeal of that case to the state supreme court after a controversial decision by selectmen to step out of the legal fight. The appeal was left to a group of taxpayers and the Benton Family Trust, a coalition of abutters to the Cook lands. Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly later intervened in the case on behalf of the commonwealth. Friend of the court briefs were filed by the Martha's Vineyard Commission and the towns of West Tisbury and Chilmark Last December, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned the superior court ruling. Justices pointed to the 1983 Indian land claims settlement which was signed by the town, the tribe and the taxpayers' association. In that document, the tribe agreed to abide by state and local zoning laws. The supreme court ruled that the Wampanoags had in fact waived sovereign immunity, at least on the subject of land use, when they signed the settlement agreement, an agreement which later led to federal recognition for the Wampanoags in Aquinnah. James Quarles 3rd, a partner at Hale and Dorr in Washington, D.C. who represents the taxpayers, the Aquinnah/Gay Head Community Association, was out of the country and could not be reached for comment this week. The tribe's principal attorney, Douglas J. Luckerman of Lexington, was also traveling this week and unavailable for comment. But his application last month to the United State Supreme Court asking for a deadline extension shows that the Wampanoag tribe has adopted a holding pattern as it weighs options. "On Jan. 8, 2005, the Wampanoag tribe installed its first new tribal chairman since 1991," Mr. Luckerman wrote. "The petitioner requests additional time to explore alternatives . . . that will provide a satisfactory long term resolution to the matter without further litigation including entering into an agreement with the town of Aquinnah over the handling of future tribe-town zoning disputes." This week Mr. Widdiss sounded doubtful about making headway with town leaders. "I don't think the town has been open to these negotiations until this litigation is settled," he said. Selectman and board chairman Jim Newman said yesterday that he would welcome talks with the tribe. "I can't speak for the rest of the selectmen, but I personally would be open to negotiations," he said. Copyright c. 2005 Vineyard Gazette, Inc. - All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Tribe's Foes, Supporters battle over BIA Reversal" --------- Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 09:07:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RECOGNITION REVERSALS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.norwichbulletin.com/~AID=/20050522/NEWS01/505220301/1002 Tribe's foes, supporters battle over BIA reversal By KATHERINE HUTT SCOTT Norwich Bulletin May 22, 2005 WASHINGTON - Elected officials in Hartford and Washington opposing federal recognition of the Eastern Pequot tribe may have brought about an unprecedented judicial reversal of that recognition, those on both sides of the issue say. "I don't believe the attention that has been focused on this case has been helpful to the Pequots," said Bruce Greene of Boulder, the lawyer for the North Stonington tribe. "There appears to be more than one politician in the state who appears to be trying to make his or her career rise based on their opposition to the Eastern Pequots." The officials he referred to denied they were trying to score political points, but also suggested their opposition to the tribe's recognition may have affected the case's outcome. "The state of Connecticut has been making the case that (this) recognition was flawed and the criteria for recognition had not been honored," said Dennis Schain, spokesman for Gov. M. Jodi Rell. "It appears that somebody was listening. They saw Connecticut speaking with a unified voice." Schain added, "This governor is a person who's made her career by ... fulfilling her responsibilities as a public official, and that involves fighting for what's in the best long-term interests of our state." Todd Mitchell, spokes-man for U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd District, whose district is the Eastern Pequots' home, said he was sure the judges looked mostly at the facts of the Eastern Pequot case. "But we're naive to think they don't read the papers and don't see the news," Mitchell said. Mitchell says Simmons is carrying out his constituents' wishes in seeking reform of the federal process of recognizing Indian tribes. In June 2002, the U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs merged the Eastern Pequot tribe with the Paucatuck Eastern Pequots, creating a single, federally recognized tribe. But three months later, the state appealed the recognition decision to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, putting it on hold. Earlier this month, two administrative law judges on the appeals board decided to reverse the federal recognition of the Eastern Pequots and also of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation of Kent. It was the first time since the interior board began reviewing recognition decisions in 1994 that it has overturned a recognition decision. The bureau is beginning a second look at whether to grant coveted recognition to the Eastern Pequots. Gaining recognition is the first step toward entering the increasingly lucrative Indian gambling industry. Recognition also gives tribes access to federal education and health care funds and to land that cannot be taxed. Both the Eastern Pequots and the Schaghticokes want to open casinos, and will have their recognition cases reconsidered by the Indian affairs bureau. The initial decision to recognize the Eastern Pequots has been passionately criticized by a bipartisan group of Connecticut officials: Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, Democratic Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Christopher Dodd, and Simmons, a Republican. After Rell, a Republican, became governor last July, she joined in the criticism. Those officials argue the bureau recognized the tribe despite its failure to meet seven mandatory criteria, including proving that it exerted continuous political influence over its members. Blumenthal said the arguments he made to the appeals board appeared to influence its decision because the board's ruling included many of his arguments. "This reversal should send a message to the BIA that someone is watching," Blumenthal said. "There is some oversight and scrutiny." Both Blumenthal and Simmons' spokeman, Mitchell, said the reversal also proved another of their arguments -- that the federal process of recognizing Indian tribes is broken and needs to be reformed. They say the BIA doesn't fairly apply the recognition criteria and is influenced by the huge amounts of casino money backing some Indian groups. Bureau officials have said the recognition process is fair and they have seen no evidence that wealthy outside interests influence the process. Copyright c. 2005 Norwich Bulletin. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Pieces still being put back together for Red Lake" --------- Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:09:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RED LAKE HEALING" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/11712514.htm Pieces still being put back together for Red Lake community Associated Press May 22, 2005 RED LAKE, Minn. - With high school graduation scheduled for next weekend, the healing process continues for the Red Lake community that was rocked by a deadly school shooting in March. Two months later, many Red Lake students still have been unable to return to the building where schoolmate Jeffrey Weise shot and killed five students, a teacher and a security guard before killing himself. Weise had already killed his grandfather and his grandfather's companion earlier on March 21. Wanda Johnson said her children just aren't ready to return to school and are studying in the "Homebound" program. Community leaders are working to ease the pain. About 50 dancers participated in a healing ceremony on Friday night that featured the jingle dress, which the Chippewa community says brings healing through the music it gives off as the dancers perform. "I do believe the jingle dress does represent a strong healing and when done the right way, anytime you put anything in prayer, always a certain amount of help that comes along," said Paul Smith, who attended the ceremony. The investigation is ongoing, and Red Lake Tribal Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr.'s son, Louis Jourdain, remains in federal custody, though authorities have said little about the allegations against because it's a juvenile case. Floyd Jourdain steadfastly supports his son, saying he is innocent of any wrongdoing. The healing ceremony wasn't the only event of the week aimed at bringing the people of the community together. On Thursday, the school hosted a track and field day to get children interacting with each other again. "It was one of the most beautiful things I have seen," Smith said. "Kids from Head Start and first grade on up, and they kept the kids outside all day. It was the first time I have seen the kids interact and play like little kids. There was a lot of laughter and healthy activities. They all had a great time. That's something that has to start happening more and more." Red Lake High School graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday at the middle school building. Information from: Grand Forks Herald, http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/ Copyright c. 2005 St. Paul Pioneer Press. --------- "RE: Indians gather to heal and prepare for action" --------- Date: Sunday, May 22, 2005 12:24 PM From: MJ LaBurt [MJLaBurt@aol.com] Subj: Indians gather to heal and prepare for action Mailing List: Tribal Law Mailing List: NDNAIM Indians gather to heal and prepare for action By: DEIRDRE NEWMAN - Staff Writer May 22, 2005 TEMECULA ---- A collective voice rose up from the valley Saturday ---- a voice of indignation, defiance and determination. The voice belonged to former members of 16 Indian tribes from throughout the country who are embroiled in membership disputes with their tribes. About 200 people who have been either disenrolled, disenfranchised or denied membership converged at Harveston Park. Many of them had been chairmen and other high-ranking leaders in their tribes. Accustomed to fighting their battles on their own turf, the members banded together Saturday in a groundbreaking day of healing and empowerment, sharing their stories and finding out how they can act together to remedy the injustices they say have been perpetrated upon them. Most of the disenrollments have come from tribes with existing or pending casinos. The gathering was organized by a group of California Indians, including John Gomez Jr., whose family was disenrolled by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. Gomez's family members already set up a Web site to publicize the disenrollment disputes of various tribes. He announced Saturday they will be launching another one to provide Indian families an opportunity to share their histories. "The tribes are trying to rewrite history, but there's so much history here we're not gonna let them," he said. Reached by e-mail Saturday afternoon, Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro responded to the gathering, saying, "At a city park, any one has the right to free speech and assembly," declining further comment. Attorney Jon Velie, who specializes in tribal membership disputes from his Oklahoma office, was also present to exhort avenues of action to help the Indians' cause. He described tribal officials as "wielding the shield" of Indian sovereignty. "Let's not put our heads in the ground like ostriches and say, 'Sovereignty is untouchable,' because that's what people who are oppressing you are saying," Velie said. He urged the Indians present to push Congress for a bill that would allow Indians to sue other Indians for violations of both the United States Constitution and tribal law. There also should be tribal courts in states such as California with judges that are elected or are appointed for life and therefore aren't subject to the vagaries of political whims, he said. California doesn't have these courts now because of Public Law 280, which authorizes courts in the state to interpret tribal law, Velie said. But some of these courts don't feel they have the authority to interpret tribal law, making it difficult for all California Indians to have their day in court, he said. During the morning of the day-long gathering, Indians told stories of how they believe their civil rights have been violated by the tribes. Bob Foreman shared how his family was disenrolled from Redding Rancheria, which has a small reservation, because his mother didn't have an official birth certificate. He had been chairman of the tribe four times, he said. His mother was disenrolled after her death in 1995. Her body was exhumed for DNA testing, which came back with an almost perfect match. Yet the tribe didn't accept the results because it wasn't a 100 percent match, Foreman said. His family is still trying to reclaim its membership, he said. "It will never be the same," Foreman said. "Like (Nelson) Mandela in South Africa said, 'You can forgive, but not forget.' I don't know if I could be that graceful." Vicky Shenandoah told of the travails of being one of 125 Indians who were disenrolled from an Oneida Nation tribe in upstate New York. "It's a spiritual struggle," she said. "I know there's a lot of pain and anger. Every morning, we have a tobacco burning to pray and have that anger and hate fall away from us, into a basket, so to speak. We need to respond with love and peace." The afternoon portion of the gathering was devoted to taking action. "We've cried a lot, but it's time to get up off the floor and use this as a momentum builder," Gomez said. "From this day forward, we're not gonna play victim anymore." He urged the participants to sign petitions asking Congress to hold hearings on issues that violate Indians' civil rights. Felix Ike, who is involved in an enrollment dispute in tribal court with the Western Shoshone, said he brought 400 signatures to the gathering with him. He visited six Shoshone communities to get the signatures, he said. The Western Shoshone are spread out in states that include Idaho, Utah and Nevada. His community in Nevada will be hosting the next gathering, which is expected to attract more than 800 Indians, he said. Gomez said he was thrilled with the turnout from the first gathering Saturday. "I think it's a reflection on the issue itself," he said. "People in Indian country want something done because of this." The disenrolled Pechanga members have filed two lawsuits against tribal members. The first is under appeal by the tribal members after a Riverside County Superior Court judge determined that the suit could be heard in state court under Public Law 280. The second lawsuit was filed March 17. Since being disenrolled, the adult Pechanga plaintiffs are losing about $15,000 per month in payments from the tribe, which now operates one of the most successful casinos in California, as well as other benefits, including free health insurance. They are seeking an as-yet-unspecified amount of financial compensation for the damages they have suffered. Contact staff writer Deirdre Newman at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2623, or dnewman@californian.com. Copyright c. 1997-2005 Nortern County Times - Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: McKOSATO: Greed behind ouster of Tribal Members" --------- Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 09:07:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="McKOSATO: GREED" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/008317.asp McKosato: Greed behind ouster of tribal members May 23, 2005 "All my life my family has instilled in me the value of sharing, and I've always believed that sharing is a core cultural value of my Native- American people. `Be generous, not greedy,' I was taught. But apparently for some tribes with big casinos, these long-cherished beliefs are fading, and the lure of wealth is pitting Native Americans against one another. For a Native American, your tribe is your heritage, your culture, your identity and often provides the foundation for your political and religious beliefs. It used to be tribes were very inclusive when it came to acceptance of others, taking care of our own and showing generosity to those in need. It used to be that tribes needed every single member they could find. There's no doubt that some tribes are now benefiting from the cash generated by casinos, but to me it's not worth the price of discarding their relatives." Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Tribal Leaders boycotting Ski Resort" --------- Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 08:47:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TOILET BOWL BOYCOTT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://news.pacificnews.org/article_id=6613efc1dea421c6114a7dd2f5ce5d6f Tribal Leaders Boycotting Ski Resort News Report, Klee Benally, Seventh Native American Generation (SNAG) Magazine May 19, 2005 FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. - Navajo and Hopi tribal leaders and activists are calling for a boycott of the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area, which has been approved by the Coconino Forest Service to expand its development of the sacred mountain "San Francisco Peaks." The Peaks is located in Northern Arizona, near the small, reservation border-town of Flagstaff. It is held sacred by more than 13 Native American tribes, which revere it as the home of their deities. For tribes like the Navajo and Hopi, the mountain is central to their ways of life. It is a place to gather special herbs and it is also a unique ecological island, home to alpine tundra, old growth forests and more than 200 distinctive species. For decades, concerned residents, environmental groups and tribal and spiritual leaders have clashed with the Coconino National Forest Service, which manages the Peaks, over a multiple-use mandate that has resulted in the development of the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area. "When you build on (the Peaks), when you talk about putting wastewater on it, you are desecrating our life," says Navajo Tribal President Joe Shirley. "You are chipping away at our way of life and committing genocide." The Snowbowl has a contentious history dating back to the 1930s, when several ski enthusiasts built a small lodge and access road on the southwestern side of the mountain. In the seventies, a ski area development was proposed and the Forest Service approved development of a new lodge, a paved road, expanded parking, four new lifts and 50 acres of trails. The ski area grew to 777 acres. In 1979, appeals alleging that the Forest Service decision violated Native American religious freedom were denied in the Supreme Court. The case became one of the first to test the American Indian Religious Freedom Act and to show its lack of protection for sacred sites. This March, amidst a storm of opposition from tribal leaders and environmental groups, the Coconino Forest Service approved a ski resort plan that would greatly expand development on the sacred mountain. The planned expansion includes: clear-cutting 74 acres for new runs and lifts, 180 million gallons of wastewater per season to be sold by the City of Flagstaff to the Snowbowl for snowmaking, a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport the wastewater to a 10 million-gallon storage pond, 50 snowmaking guns audible 1.5 miles away and operating 24 hours a day if conditions allow, 87 acres to be stripped of topsoil and "contoured," 47 acres of "tree thinning," and a 400-space parking lot. Tribal leaders and other opponents have vowed to stop the development. Forest Service Supervisor Nora Rasure, says Shirley, "chose to break our hearts by choosing to enrich the pockets of a few over enriching the souls of the indigenous people of this land. The Navajo Nation is going to do everything it can to fight." The Forest Service has affirmed in its environmental impact statement that there would be irreversible adverse impacts to the spiritual and cultural integrity of the Peaks. But ski area proponents have successfully argued that the 777 acres development will account for only one percent of the mountain. "You cannot divide spirituality into little pieces," counters Caleb Johnson, former vice-chairman of the Hopi Tribe. "You have to honor and respect the whole thing." The Forest Service's response to concerns about the cultural impact has been to have the Snowbowl build a Native American Cultural Center on the Peaks, an idea shunned by activists. "You cannot desecrate a sacred site to teach people how sacred it is," says Wahleah Johns, a member of the Save the Peaks Coalition. "It is an absurd contradiction." The Save the Peaks Coalition, formed in February of last year, has waged an extensive campaign to address recent findings of untreated contaminants in the wastewater, and tribal communities' larger concerns. "Once the tranquility and serenity of the Mountain is disturbed, the harmony that allows life to exist is disrupted," says The Dine Medicine Men's Association member Daniel Peaches in a statement. "The weather will misbehave, the ground will shift and tremble, the land will no longer be hospitable to life. The natural pattern of life will become erratic and the behaviors of animals and people will become unpredictable." Tribal leaders are now calling for a boycott of the ski area and of the city of Flagstaff. They maintain that they will not negotiate their stance on protecting the sacred mountain. "We as indigenous people will not tolerate further disrespect and desecration of our sacred peaks," says Roland Manakaja, Havasupai natural resource and cultural director. "We will live up to our responsibilities to protect our Mother the earth." --- Klee Benally, 29, is Dine' (Navajo) and lives in Flagstaff, Ariz. He is a contributing writer for Seventh Native American Generation (SNAG) magazine. Contact him at snagmagazine@yahoo.com. Copyright c. 2004 Pacific News Service. --------- "RE: Picuris Pueblo halts Mining Lawsuit" --------- Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 08:47:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PICURIS DROPS LAWSUIT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7765 Pueblo Halts Mining Lawsuit By Adam Rankin, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. May 19, 2005 PICURIS PUEBLO, N.M. - Picuris Pueblo is hoping to restore a 200-acre patch of aboriginal land -- valued for its special mica-rich clay used to make the pueblo's distinctive pottery -- that is now back under the pueblo's control. The land acquisition ends a 15-month lawsuit against an Ohio mining company. "We are eager to begin the work that must be done to heal the land," said Picuris Gov. Richard Mermejo in a statement accompanying the announcement. The statement from the law firm representing the pueblo explained that the total acquisition is 537 acres, which includes the mine property and another 342 acres of unpatented mining claims, located about 3 miles east of the pueblo. The specific terms of the transaction were not released, but they include the dismissal of all Picuris claims against Oglebay Norton. Also, the state mining and reclamation permit held by Oglebay Norton has been transferred to the pueblo, as has the responsibility for reclaiming the mined land. For four decades, the land, known as the U.S. Hill Mine, has been mined by various companies and was most recently owned by Oglebay Norton. Prior to its development, the area was used as a source for the micaceous clay used in the pueblo's pottery. Pueblo elders have said that they have been unable to find a source of micaceous clay of equal quality near Picuris. In February 2004, the pueblo filed suit against Oglebay and all previous mine operators, including Tennessee-based Franklin Industries, which owned the mine from the late 1980s through 1999, and North Carolina-based Preston Capital Corp. The pueblo was seeking to regain the land and win back significant fees as payment for tons of ancestral mineral resources that were removed without the pueblo's consent. Oglebay Norton has owned the property, which is within the boundaries of the Carson National Forest, since 1999. In 2004, pueblo elders and then-governor Gerald Nailor said they felt a connection between the destruction of their ancient source of micaceous clay and the slow loss of their language and culture to outside forces. In March 2004, Oglebay Norton filed for bankruptcy and as part of the company's reorganization and exit from the mica industry, put some of its holdings in New Mexico and North Carolina up for sale. Oglebay Norton's President Michael Lundin said the company is pleased the resolution meets everyone's needs. "We are pleased that this transaction facilitated not only Oglebay's strategic objective," he said, "but at the same time provided an opportunity for Picuris Pueblo to acquire this culturally significant property." To see more of the Albuquerque Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.abqjournal.com. Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Copyright c. 2005 Environmental Network News. --------- "RE: Money for Crow Creek Dorm may be delayed" --------- Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:09:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WOULD THIS HAPPEN TO A WASICHU SCHOOL?" http://www.argusleader.com//505210316/1001 Money for Crow Creek dorm may be delayed, or maybe not From Staff & Wire Reports May 21, 2005 FORT THOMPSON - Officials with Crow Creek Schools said it might take longer than expected to get the federal money needed for temporary dormitory housing for students. However, a spokesman for Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said it's his understanding the tribe could have the money within days. "The source of the money has already been allocated by Congress. It doesn't have to be reallocated," said Alex Conant, press secretary for Thune. An April 24 fire destroyed a dormitory used by 230 students in Stephan. Last week, the Department of the Interior pledged $1.3 million toward fire-recovery efforts. It included $600,000 for modular housing, $400,000 to replace a kitchen that was housed in the dormitory and $300,000 for asbestos removal. School Superintendent Scott Raue said the state has agreed to pay for the asbestos removal, freeing up the $300,000 to be added to the $600,000 for housing. But Raue said he was told by Bureau of Indian Affairs representatives that the $900,000 has to go to the Office of Management and Budget and then to the House and Senate Appropriations committees. "We are hearing one thing from the Bureau and getting a different answer from Thune's office," Raue said. "I don't know what the right answer is, but I hope Thune's office is right." If the $900,000 is delayed too long, housing might not be available by the start of the school year, causing some students to go to other boarding schools, Raue said. Investigators couldn't determine the cause of the fire but said it was not deliberately set. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: BIA reopens Western Shoshone Distribution Process" --------- Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 08:34:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ENROLLMENT OPENED" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/008251.asp BIA reopens Western Shoshone distribution process May 19, 2005 The Bureau of Indian Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register today to reopen the enrollment process for Western Shoshone tribal members who may be entitled to share in a $140 million trust fund. The BIA says it will post notices in public areas, notify tribal newspapers and other media and hold several community meetings in an attempt to inform Western Shoshones of their potential rights to the judgment fund. People must be of at least 1/4 Western Shoshone blood to share in the money. The notice says there is no firm deadline to close the enrollment period. But it establishes a process by which applications will be accepted before the final deadline is set. The money stems from a judgment award for 26 million acres of land the Western Shoshone tribes lost, according to the Indian Claims Commission. An estimated 6,000 people will receive about $20,000 each. Some Western Shoshone leaders and activists oppose distribution of the fund, saying their land was never legally taken from them. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Tribe's bid to block Yucca Nuclear Dump rejected" --------- Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 08:34:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NUKE DUMP STILL ON" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2744788 Judge turns down tribe's bid to block Yucca nuclear dump The Associated Press May 19, 2005 LAS VEGAS - A federal judge has denied an Indian tribe's plea to block plans for a nuclear waste dump in Nevada based on a claim that the project would violate a 19th century treaty. U.S. District Judge Philip Pro ruled Tuesday that the Western Shoshone National Council could not demonstrate ''immediate and irreparable'' harm because the Yucca Mountain repository has yet to open and a disputed rail line has yet to be built. Lawyer Robert Hager, representing the tribe, said Wednesday that no decision had been made whether to appeal. He noted that the judge's ruling left open the possibility that the tribe could seek an injunction later. Energy Department spokesman Allen Benson said the government was gratified by the decision. He said the department filed a motion Monday asking the judge to dismiss the tribe's March 4 lawsuit outright. In 2002, Congress picked Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the site to entomb 77,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel now stored in 39 states. The site is at the western edge of the Nevada Test Site, within ancient Shoshone lands. The tribe claimed the Ruby Valley Treaty of 1863 allowed only settlements, mining, ranching, agriculture, railroads, roads and communication routes on Western Shoshone ancestral lands. The treaty recognized vast stretches in present-day Nevada, California, Utah and Idaho as tribal land. Copyright c. 2005 The Salt Lake Tribune. --------- "RE: Arizona Tribe settles Trust Mismanagement Case" --------- Date: Tue, 18 May 2005 08:41:38 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/008239.asp Arizona tribe settles trust mismanagement case May 18, 2005 Two years after securing a major victory before the U.S. Supreme Court, the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona has settled its trust mismanagement case with the federal government. Under an agreement announced this month, the tribe will receive $12 million to repair, rehabilitate and maintain the historic Fort Apache, a 134-year-old site made famous by Hollywood. "The post has stood as an enduring symbol of the history of the Old West for the tribe and the rest of the world," White Mountain Apache Chairman Dallas Massey Sr. said. But the 7,500-acre fort is in disrepair due to decades of government neglect. Several buildings are falling apart and the Bureau of Indian Affairs school located on the grounds is in desperate need of repairs. The tribe hopes to turn things around and ensure the site is preserved for future generations, an idea that has been embraced by the tribal community. "With the settlement, the tribe can now protect and preserve the fort, and establish it as one of Arizona's finest tourist destinations, " Massey said. Established in 1877, the fort has a long and storied history. It was home to a diverse group of soldiers throughout the 1800s and early 1900s and served as the inspiration for several Western films and the television show "Rin Tin Tin." The U.S. Army retired the fort in 1922, handing control to the Interior Department, and a year later, Congress authorized the establishment of the Theodore Roosevelt School. Things went downhill from here, according to tribal representatives. In 1960, Congress directed that the fort be held in trust for the tribe "subject" to Interior's use. Despite this law, the BIA refused to maintain the site as a trust property, prompting the legal battle that ended up before the Supreme Court. The Bush administration argued that the law was too vague and didn't impose any standards to manage the property. At one point, a Department of Justice attorney said the government could blow up the fort without recrimination. In March 2003, the high court settled the matter once and for all. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices rejected the Bush administration's defense and said the U.S. was liable for letting the fort fall into waste in violation of the common law duties of a trustee. Even though it lost the case, the administration has continued to challenge the extent of its trust duties to tribes and individual Indians. Interior Secretary Gale Norton and her attorneys have been fighting several trust mismanagement cases although most of the rulings have gone against them. Meanwhile, the White Mountain Apache Tribe plans to showcase its culture and the history of the fort in what is known as the Fort Apache Historic District, a 288-acre site on the National Register of Historic Places. Upward of 30 buildings, including some belonging to the school, are in need of refurbishment. Timeline of Events: 1871 - Fort Apache Reservation established by executive order of President Ulysses S. Grant. 1877 - Fort Apache Military Reservation created by executive order within reservation boundaries. Fort is approximately 7,500 acres. 1922 - Fort retired, Theodore Roosevelt School established. 1960 - Congress passes law holding fort in trust for tribe "subject to the right of the Secretary of the Interior to use any part of the land and improvements for administrative or school purposes." 1976 - About 288 acres of the site, including the school, are put on the National Register of Historic Places. March 1999 - Tribe files $14 million suit to repair buildings. November 1999 - Federal court dismisses claim based on government claim of no trust duty. May 2001 - Federal appeals court reverses in 2-1 decision, orders lower court to resolve outstanding issues. January 2002 - Bush administration files appeal. May 2002 - Supreme Court grants petition for writ of certiorari. December 2002 - Supreme Court hears oral arguments. March 2003 - Supreme Court rules 5-4 in favor of tribe. May 2004 - Settlement of $12 million announced. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Volesky wants to lead BIA" --------- Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:09:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="VOLESKY ASKS FOR JOB" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com//2005/05/21/news/state/state03.txt Volesky wants to lead BIA May 21, 2005 SIOUX FALLS (AP) - A Huron County Commission member is asking President Bush to appoint him as director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Ron Volesky, a lawyer and former state lawmaker, wrote a letter to the White House on Friday saying he's proud of his heritage as a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and would be honored to serve in the position. Volesky said in the letter that he is a realist and understands he's a Democrat asking a Republican president for a political appointment. "But I also believe that the best person for this position will be chosen by your administration regardless of party," he wrote. Copyright c. 2005 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Standing up to the Governors" --------- Date: Thursday, May 19, 2005 8:46 PM From: MJ LaBurt [MJLaBurt@aol.com] Subj: In Minnesota as elsewhere, standing up to governors is a good idea Mailing List: NDNAIM http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410947 In Minnesota as elsewhere, standing up to governors is a good idea by: Staff Reports / Indian Country Today May 19, 2005 In America, the Indians are made to pay. Indian property - stolen "fair and square," apparently - has been the fuel of American economy for more than 200 years. Today more than ever, that bite is on everywhere. Political cowardice and opportunism, combined with the power of the rich and powerful, are bankrupting the public treasure of America. As Washington lets the highest-income corporations and individual Americans off the taxation hook, states and counties of the Union are feeling the pinch directly. The many services American citizens have come to expect - education, public safety, emegency and others - are deeply in jeopardy, as budgets are sliced uniformly throughout the country. Meanwhile, the accumulation of real wealth at the top classes of society is at an all time high; the top 1 percent of rich Americans now hold as much wealth as the bottom 40 percent. The solution in the minds of politicians and other special interest groups in the various states that contain Native nations is to go after whatever assets and revenues Indian tribal governments and member associations presently hold, and work to impose fees, taxes and any and all manner of tentacles upon such sovereign properties. The intent of and hostility from many state and local governments are palpable. The instinct as the conflicts deepen and widen is to go for the throat. State governors throughout Indian country are intent on making tribal America fill the gap left behind for the big tax cut cave-in to special interests at the federal level. Everywhere the bite of states - illegal and unwarranted - upon the economic treasure of Indian country grows more ferocious. No doubt compromise is always the doorway to a win-win deal: but the states must respect the fundamental Indian tribal sovereignty and jurisdictional frameworks. The assertion that states have the right to tax the revenues of Indian governments must indeed be challenged at every turn. In Minnesota, Stanley Crooks is one of those who stand their ground. Crooks recently received the Wendell Chino Outstanding Leadership Award from the National Indian Gaming Association. He won it along with Richard Milanovitch of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, another stalwart chairman up to the challenge of demanding justice and fairness for his people, who also live in a state that seeks to balance its books on the backs of Indians. Crooks stood up quickly when Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in an act of political duress if ever there was one, demanded some $350 million in gambling revenues from the tribes for his state's treasury. The feds are failing him, so the Indian tribes must pay. If the tribes don't acquiesce, he threatened to make Minnesota the Nevada of the upper Midwest, throwing the state wide open to state and corporate casino operations. Crooks, chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community, wrote the governor last December: "There is no reasonable justification for you to demand, or otherwise expect, tribal governments in Minnesota to share any of their gaming revenues with state government." In the now-renowned letter, Crooks cited the reigning interpretation of sovereignty-protected Indian gaming as a nation-building enterprise: "Tribal gaming revenues are for tribal governments and Indian people to use in an effort to address historically dire conditions on Indian reservations. Such conditions persist today in most of Indian country. "Even with gaming, the tribes have limited resources with which to address the many issues throughout Indian country. On the other hand, state government has ample opportunity and resources available to it to pay for its own responsibilities without having to look to the tribes." University of Minnesota Law professor Dr. David Wilkins also weighed in on the governor's arm-wrenching proposal. He shared this 1988 quote from Sen. John McCain: "The state and gaming industry have always come to the table with the position that what is theirs is theirs and what the tribes have is negotiable." He then went on to call Pawlenty's proposals "attempts to coercively extract $350 million" from tribes, while their "present compacts are still good law." Pawlenty's arm-twisting tactics would violate the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Wilkins quoted the act: "Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as conferring upon a state or any of its political subdivisions authority to impose any tax, fee, charge, or other assessment upon an Indian tribe or upon any other person or entity authorized by an Indian tribe to engage in a Class III [gaming] activity." While the Minnesota governor touted his squeeze-the-Indians campaign as a "better deal for Minnesotans," Crooks pointed out that "not all Minnesotans are members of tribes [but] all tribal members here are Minnesotans." He pointed to the "improved lives of over 14,000 Minnesotans, Indian and non-Indian, who are employed by tribal governments and the thousands of others whose jobs are supported by tribal gaming." In 2002, Pawlenty promised the Tax Payers League that as governor, he would not raise taxes in a million years. He also promised not to expand gaming beyond Indian casinos. But it is easier to fight with Indians, so he turned on the tribes. Some local columnists now call him "Big Tim, Indian Fighter." As Pawlenty's Minnesota predecessor, the independent Jesse Ventura, put it to a similar-minded governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger of California: "He promised to balance the budget without raising taxes ... [but] ... I guess it's OK to rip off the Indians." The stand by Crooks and others among the economically fortified tribes in the state, while not fully successful to everyone's satisfaction, forced the governor to forward a plan both politically savvy for him yet necessarily advantageous for some of the state's most economically poor northern Chippewa tribes - White Earth, Red Lake and Leech Lake - which would become partners in a metro-area casino. It is a substantial forward motion when disenfranchised and remote tribes can be brought into the playing game of casino capitalization. And regardless of how the political ball happens to roll on any particular season, it is always a good thing for Indian leadership to stand up against local and state jurisdictions whenever these cross the line and try to limit Indian sovereignty in any way. While no doubt Pawlenty's approach is chapter and verse out of the divide-and-conquer book, it is always a good thing when any Indian community improves its lot. It is also always best to maintain a vigilant and cautious attitude toward every governor of every state. This we fully encourage, as it always tends to bring around better situations and agreements for all tribal peoples who refuse to forget who they are. Copyright c. 2005 Indian Country Today. --------- "RE: Reed: Indians gave Money" --------- Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 08:47:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RALPH REED `OOPS!'" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0505/20reed.html Reed: Indians gave money But candidate insists casinos not the source By JIM GALLOWAY, ALAN JUDD The Atlanta Journal-Constitution May 20, 2005 Ralph Reed knew that Indian tribes were a source of the financing he arranged for anti-gambling campaigns in Alabama, but he was assured the cash came from tribal enterprises not related to casino gambling, his spokeswoman said. "We had no objection to receiving funds from those businesses," Reed spokeswoman Lisa Baron said. She said Reed, now a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Georgia, remains convinced the money did not come from gambling sources. However, some religious conservatives wouldn't accept the argument that money from a tribe's non-gambling businesses can be separated from casino- derived cash. "I'd have said, 'Thanks but no thanks,' " said Dan Ireland, who coordinated churches fighting a 1999 campaign to start a state-run lottery in Alabama. "It's misleading to send money you knew came from a mixed source of gambling and non-gambling businesses. How would they know the difference?" Reed's acknowledgement that Indian money was involved came in exchanges of e-mail after the appearance of an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article Wednesday in which Reed said, for the first time, that Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff acted as go-between for the largest part of $1.15 million sent to Alabama to defeat a statewide lottery referendum and a video poker initiative in 1999 and 2000. Reed would not comment publicly, referring a reporter to his spokeswoman. In both campaigns, Reed was responsible for raising money - which came to the Alabama groups in checks written by the Washington-based Americans for Tax Reform. Reed's firm provided most of the services required by the anti-gambling activists. Since those campaigns, conservative Christians in Alabama have received assurances from Reed, a political strategist and former leader of the national Christian Coalition, that the money did not come from Mississippi gambling interests out to protect themselves from competition. Money seen as tainted John Giles, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, declined to comment Thursday, except to say his group is conducting an internal investigation. The Alabama chapter, which fought video poker with $850,000 raised by Reed in 2000, has by-laws forbidding the acceptance of gambling money, directly or indirectly. Other anti-gambling activists said they consider any money from Indian tribes that have casino interests to be tainted. "No one in the anti-gambling fight would accept that there's a distinction," said the Rev. Tom Grey, executive director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. His group participated in the successful 1999 Alabama campaign to defeat the lottery. Reed arranged for $300,000 spent on that campaign. Grey said he was offended that most of the money raised by Reed went to Reed's Duluth-based firm, Century Strategies, which provided consulting services for both the 1999 anti-lottery campaign and the 2000 fight against video poker. "The only time there's money to fight gambling is when gambling interests are there to put it in," Grey said. He added: "Ralph Reed used people who were sacrificially fighting gambling to enrich himself." Reed has maintained his firm did not profit significantly from either venture. Sadie Fields, chairman of Georgia's Christian Coalition chapter, defended Reed. "Ralph has assured me none of the money he took came from gambling interests," Fields said. "As far as I know, it did not. I have no reason to question him." Anti-gambling campaign Last week, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, told The Boston Globe his group had taken in $1.5 million from Indian tribes over five years. Of that, he sent $1.15 million - which he said originated with a single Mississippi tribe - to the anti-gambling campaigns in Alabama. The Boston newspaper reported that Norquist said he sent money because the tribe wanted to block gambling competition. Norquist has not identified the tribe. But in 2000, Americans for Tax Reform accepted $360,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaws. The 9,200- member tribe owns two casinos in Philadelphia, Miss. Norquist told the Journal-Constitution last week that neither Reed nor the anti-gambling activists in Alabama knew about the original source of the funds. On Monday, Reed's spokeswoman said Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist, helped facilitate the $850,000 donation to the Christian Coalition of Alabama - and assured Reed the money did not come from gambling operations. Abramoff is under investigation by two Senate committees and the U.S. Justice Department and faces allegations that he and a partner bilked six tribes of millions of dollars. Reed said the money raised for Alabama was part of a larger Abramoff- inspired anti-gambling campaign that turned out to have employed money from rival gaming interests. Reed was paid $4.2 million to build public support for closing the Tigua casino in El Paso, Texas. Reed has said he had "no direct knowledge" that he was paid with money from tribes with competing casinos. In the past, Reed has not been specific about the original source of the cash that was passed through Americans for Tax Reform to the campaigns in Alabama. But in e-mails to the Journal-Constitution, Baron, Reed's spokeswoman, said Reed knew that some Indian money went to Alabama. She said it's incorrect to presume that all money from Indian tribes is derived from gambling. Baron referred a reporter to choctaw.org, the Web site for the Mississippi Band of Choctaws. The tribe has 23 business enterprises, which include greeting card finishing, printing and direct mail, automotive parts manufacturing, a golf course and timber management. "We knew that the firm that hired us as a subcontractor had tribal clients, that those clients would contribute toward the work in Alabama, and that the contributions would not derive from gambling activities," Baron said in one e-mail. In a second e-mail, she stated: "We were assured that the firm's tribal clients were economically diversified with many financial interests other than gambling, including hotels, manufacturing facilities, and other businesses. We had no objection to receiving funds from those businesses." According to Securities and Exchange Commission records, the Mississippi Choctaws for 2003 reported net tax-free casino revenues of $298 million. Figures for all their other businesses were not available, but the Web site states an auto parts manufacturing business, for example, has annual sales of about $80 million a year. Staff writer Ken Foskett contributed to this article. Copyright c. 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. --------- "RE: Teacher helps Students learn, preserve Navajo" --------- Date: Tue, 18 May 2005 08:41:38 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TEACHING CULTURE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.durangoherald.com/article_path=/news/05/news050517_1.htm Needham teacher helps students learn, preserve Navajo culture By Maria Aponte Herald Staff Writer May 17, 2005 The men in some Navajo families passed on Navajo traditions, with brothers and male cousins performing ceremonial dances. That's how Lucinda Long-Webb, a teacher at Needham Elementary School, learned - as an observer, not a participant. Other girls on her Tsa-ya-toh reservation, seven miles west of Gallup, N.M., did participate, but her strict grandfather would not allow her to do so. He encouraged her to embrace her traditions nonetheless, and since he died four years ago, Long-Webb has become even more passionate in passing on his legacy. Since 1994, Long-Webb has taught Navajo culture to Navajo elementary students, first in Farming ton and now as an English teacher in Durango. She created activities for students to learn the language and history of the Navajo. Long-Webb gathered up to 18 students, kindergarteners through fifth-graders, who came voluntarily each Thursday after school. On Monday, she and 11 of these students marked the end of the Dine' Club's first year. The evening event, "I Walked in Beauty," featured some students dressed in traditional costumes of thick colorful cloth, turquoise jewelry and low leather boots known as "big shoes." Long-Webb herself wore a long golden dress that her grandmother gave her as a graduation gift. A slide show of weekly activities recapped the year: traditional meals of dumpling stew and fried bread, beading of necklaces, memorizing popular songs in Navajo and listening to stories of the past. "I try to teach them a concept and then give them an activity," Long- Webb said. "The main thing is to help them realize that they are 'dine'' or Navajo." For many students, she said, their only contact with their culture is when they go back to their grandparents' house, usually located in reservations around New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Long-Webb was lucky; she grew up having her grandparents, who spoke only Navajo, right next door. Celina Valdez, 10, who wrote a small diary as part of the club's activities, said she enjoyed the main ethnic message that Long-Webb wanted the students to learn. "You will always be beautiful in the inside as well as the outside," Valdez said pointing her little paper book as she enjoyed a feast of Navajo dishes. "My favorite thing was making the art and crafts," she said with shy enthusiasm. Long-Webb graduated from secondary education at Fort Lewis College and recently earned a master's degree at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. She will continue leading the club next year. Copyright c. 2005 the Durango Herald. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Historic Landmark: China Lake" --------- Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 09:07:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHINA LAKE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.ridgecrestca.com/articles/2005/05/22/news/top_story/top01.txt Historic Landmark China Lake ceremony Friday celebrated 36,000-acres into national preservation Linda saholt/lsaholt@ridgecrestca.com May 21, 2005 There are so many images that they can't all be counted. The carvings, however, found within the Navy's testing ranges at China Lake, make up the largest area of Indian rock art in North America. A portion of the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake was designated a national historic landmark in 1964. It is the only such designation on Department of Defense lands. On Friday, China Lake officials added to that designation increasing it by 100 times the size of the area under protection for a total of 36,000 acres. More than 250 invited guests and dignitaries celebrated the national recognition of the Coso rock art treasures. The ceremony also featured Richard Stewart, Tradition Bearer of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of Owens Valley, who sang the Coyote Creation Song, to honor the spirit of the past and the future. Part of the ceremony also included the reading of letters from state and national leaders including one from Carol D. Shull from the Department of the Interior and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California). Carolyn Shepherd, head of the Environmental Planning and Management Department at NAWS China Lake has spent years working on rock art projects, archaeology and this landmark. She was the one to start the Cultural Resource Program in the mid 1970s. "No one had a Cultural Resource Program in DoD. I was casting around for somebody to give me a template, and the local Bureau of Land Management and Park Service stepped up," Shepherd said. "It's been wonderful to work here. Other archaeologists can only dream of this kind of resources." But it was Amy Gilreath, archaeologist, and her team from Far Western Anthropological Research Group, that did much of the ground study to determine the new boundaries for the landmark. "She did over three years of real boot-busting work, over some of the most rugged and complex country anywhere," Shepherd said. Gilreath said the Coso rock art experience is "one of the fabulous in my career." "It is incredible to see this day come," she said. Mayor Chip Holloway also attend the ceremony and was amazed with the petroglyphs. "I don't think everyone in Ridgecrest knows what the landmark means on a global scale. It's a treasure that China Lake and the people of Ridgecrest should be proud of. This is a great story," Holloway said. The landmark is located entirely within the boundaries of NAWS China Lake, creating a unique situation - one that has helped preserve the Indian sketchings and keeping it in almost pristine condition. "It's been nearly 60 years to the day since the Navy and the National Park Service came here last, to dedicate Big and Little Petroglyph Canyons as a National Landmark," said Capt. Mark D. Storch, NAWS China Lake commanding officer. "Cultural resource management is an integral part of our mission. We must keep the public trust to accomplish our mission." A portion of the site is open to the public through scheduled guided tours. While the Navy had initially said public access would increase with the expansion of the landmark, at this time it had decided not to. Storch said he hopes more public access can be accommodated in the future because he would like more people to experience the rock art. But he is pleased the petroglyphs will be preserved and that China Lake played a role in that. Storch also credits other agencies who helped in bring this about: the National Park Service, BLM, California Office of Historic Preservation and local Native American tribal members. J. T. Reynolds, Superintendent of Death Valley national Park, praised the successful partnership between the agencies. "This particular site is probably the best of world-class rock art sites. As long as we have areas such as this we will continue to have partnerships to protect these wonderful treasures," said Reynolds. "The Park Service gets a little jealous when the Department of Defense protects these sites a little better than we can." Copyright c. 2004, The Daily Independent. --------- "RE: Crow Tribe signs lease with Oil Exploration Firm" --------- Date: Tue, 18 May 2005 08:41:38 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROW OIL EXPLORATION LEASE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.montanaforum.com/News&file=article&sid=2793 Crow Tribe signs lease with oil exploration firm By CLAIR JOHNSON Of The Billings Gazette May 17, 2005 The Crow Tribe and an independent energy exploration company signed a lease agreement Monday to look for oil and gas on the reservation. The signing ceremony with the tribe and Golden Arrow Energy, a limited liability company based in Gillette, Wyo., took place midmorning at Crow Veterans Park. The tribe's mineral director, Joanie Rowland, said the tribe did its own seismic testing and hired experts to interpret seismic data. It is the first oil and gas lease approved by the tribe in a long time, she said. The tribe spent about $60,000 financing the project. The agreement includes a royalty rate about 3.25 points higher than the standard federal rate. "And we're pretty proud of that," Rowland said. "We chose Golden Arrow because they're willing to work with us and meet federal standards or better." Greg Carlson, a partner in Golden Arrow, said, "They offered us an opportunity for a lease and we took it." The Crow Legislature unanimously approved the lease agreement in April. The deal was negotiated by the Crow Oil and Gas Committee under authority of Tribal Chairman Carl Venne. The document requires the signature of the tribal chairman and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Rowland said the tribe was on its way to the BIA with the signed lease agreement. The BIA and other federal agencies will review the agreement, she said. In addition to a higher royalty rate, the lease agreement calls for Golden Arrow to follow an aggressive drilling schedule, Rowland said. Once BIA approves the agreement, Golden Arrow has 120 days to apply for a drilling permit from the Bureau of Land Management and 60 days to begin drilling once a permit is approved. The lease agreement is for 7,680 acres south of Crow Agency. The area is called Squaw Creek, and the tribe is changing the name to Million Dollar Creek, Rowland said. Golden Arrow plans to drill five wildcat wells beginning sometime this summer. The exploratory wells will be to a depth of about 5,000 feet. While oil is the principal prospect, the exploration also may find gas. "We'll just have to see what we find," Carlson said. "Each well is a new adventure." The Crow Agency prospect is an ancient river channel - about 100 million years old - that crosses a dome buried underground at about 2,500 to 3,000 feet. David Lopez, of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, first identified the prospect in 1998 as part of a U.S. Department of Energy research grant. The grant also helped pay for Crow student interns to assist with the research. Lopez and a Crow team gathered soil samples about seven years ago and sent them to a lab for analysis for traces of gas in the topsoil. The escaped gas from a potential oil pool reached the surface and left traces in the topsoil. Last October, the Crow Tribe contracted with Koski Geophysical Consulting of Billings to coordinate seismic testing. Tesla Geophysical, a Canadian-based seismic company, helped conduct the seismic evaluation and interpretation. The contractors confirmed that an underground structure to trap oil is present. The Crow Tribe marketed its potential for oil by taking its seismic information to oil and gas producers at trade shows in Houston and Denver, Rowland said. Golden Arrow has some development in Nebraska, Carlson said. Once the Nebraska project is finished, the company is coming to the Crow reservation. The company plans to hire Crow tribal members but did not yet have an estimate of how many persons may be needed. "We do hope to employ as many of the Crow tribal members as we can qualify to work for us," Carlson said. Rowland said the tribe has fully leased its minerals. Fee mineral owners, who are non-Indians, and allottees, who are individual tribal members who own minerals, may also lease their minerals. "They're welcome to negotiate their own deals," she said. Copyright c. 2005 Billings Gazette. --------- "RE: Opportunities Inc. seeks Blackfeet Board Member" --------- Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 08:47:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BOARD SPOT RESERVED FOR TRIBAL MEMBER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.greatfallstribune.com//NEWS01/505190306/1002 Opportunities Inc. seeks Blackfeet board member By JO DEE BLACK Tribune Staff Writer May 19, 2005 Opportunities Inc. is looking for someone from the Blackfeet Reservation to give the social service organization regular input. For the first time, a seat on Opportunities' board of directors is being reserved for a resident of that specific part of the organization's six- county service area. "We provide a considerable amount of services on the Blackfeet Reservation, and we have a lot of Blackfeet tribal members living in Great Falls," said Les Stevenson, executive director of Opportunities Inc. "And we need more Native American representation on our board." Opportunities Inc. is a private, nonprofit agency that administers a number of social service programs in Cascade, Chouteau, Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties. Its 21-members board is made up of consumer advocates for low-income residents, government officials from each county and representatives of a variety of segments of the community at large, including labor unions, public schools and senior citizen services. "The Native American Center in Great Falls had a seat on our board, but they closed a couple of years ago," Stevenson said. "That is the seat we are now dedicating to the Blackfeet Reservation." Opportunities Inc. administers a youth employment-training program on the reservation, as well as a weatherization program for reservation homes. In addition, it provides support services for homeless shelters in Heart Butte and Browning. Blackfeet Tribal Councilman Fred Guardipee said the invitation to provide more input from the Blackfeet Reservation is welcome. "We work closely with them, and they are a great asset," he said. "Having someone on their board from the Blackfeet Nation will help to bring our issues to that organization." Marla Knopfle, who works at the Blackfeet Head Start program, said a local representative should help Opportunities Inc. serve the Blackfeet people better. Once nominations are submitted, an election and balloting procedure will be announced, Stevenson said. To apply Nominations for the seat on the board of directors reserved for residents of the Blackfeet Reservation can be sent to Opportunities Inc., P.O. Box 2289, Great Falls, MT 59403. Send the nominee's name, address and telephone number. The deadline is June 15. Nominees must be a resident of the Blackfeet Reservation and be able to attend Opportunities Inc. monthly meetings, typically held in the evening on the second Thursday of each month in Great Falls. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. An election for the position will be held in late June or early July. All residents of the Blackfeet Reservation who are eligible for Opportunities Inc. services can vote. Details on polling places will be announced later. For more information, call (406) 761-0310. Reach Tribune Staff Writer Jo Dee Black at (406) 791-6502 or by e-mail at jdblack@greatfal.gannett.com. Copyright c. 2004 Great Falls Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Back to Native American Roots" --------- Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 08:47:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRADITIONAL DIET" http://www.rlnn.com/ArtMay05/BackNativeAmericanRoots.html Back to Native American roots Fry bread out, indigenous foods in as old ways prove more healthful By Barbara Yost The Arizona Republic Elaine Reyes is a modern American woman. She works, is raising four young daughters and puts food on the table. But Reyes has one eye on the past. A member of the Tohono O'odham community in Sells, she and her girls have just finished the spring cholla bud harvest, plucking fruit from the spiny cholla plant. They'll eat some, sell some and use some as currency to barter for goods with other Native American tribes. "That's a way of life out here that the Tohono O'odham have done for centuries," Reyes says. "God has blessed us with that." The traditional Native American diet, mostly plant-based with some wild meat, is a healthful one, relying on fish, game and a little red meat. It's elk, rabbit, dove, wild turkey, even prairie dog and porcupine. It's also corn, squash, tepary beans, mesquite beans and desert plants believed to contain compounds that help control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes. Native Americans who began to stray from that diet decades ago, turning to processed foods and fast foods like much of the rest of the country, are recognizing that it's time to return to their roots in the wake of alarming increases in obesity and diabetes. Non-Indians are embracing the cuisine as well, much as they have turned to healthful Asian and Mediterranean foods. "In the non-Native world, it's trendy. In our world, it's survival," says Terrol Dew Johnson, co-founder and co-director of Tohono O'odham Community Action, an organization that works toward revitalization and sustainable economic development on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. By survival, Johnson means not only physical health but the preservation of a culture. He believes that food is the way to reconnect young Native Americans with their heritage. In the Gila River Indian Community, nutritionist Chaleen Brewer, a Lakota and Hopi, says the elders are already on board. Brewer is helping the Pima people embrace better health through cooking classes that stress traditional foods and the cultivation of home gardens. Now, she says, "It's a matter of getting young people interested. Tradition goes trendy Young people will discover that tradition is trendy. Anton Brunbauer, executive chef at the tony Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix, chose Native American cuisine for one of his three spa menus, along with Asian and Mediterranean. It's more than a gimmick, Brunbauer says. It's a healthful way of life. "A lot of us sit around and think we have to eat tofu for the rest of our lives," he says. "If we went back to eating what Native Americans ate, we'd all be healthier." At the upscale Kai restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa near Chandler, executive chef Sandy Garcia is giving an ancient cuisine a 21st-century spin. Garcia, 40, grew up on the Santa Clara Pueblo reservation of New Mexico. Like many Native Americans, his family chowed down on mac and cheese and spaghetti in true American fashion. But on Sundays and feast days, it was all tradition. Garcia's father would roast buffalo tongue. His aunts baked round loaves of bread, pies and cookies in an outdoor oven called an horno, made from adobe and lined with mud. When Garcia opened Kai in summer 2002, he drew on those memories and put indigenous American foods on his contemporary menu: buffalo, wild turkey, wild boar, cholla buds, prickly pear and a ciabatta bread much like the loaves his aunts once baked. "We have this vastness in our back yard we haven't investigated," Garcia says. "It creates a new experience." Tribal distinctions There are so many back yards to explore - perhaps not all suited for a fine dining experience. Though common threads wind through all Native American kitchens (bread is a staple), each tribe has distinctions, many based on geography. Ron Carlos, 35, grew up on the Salt River Reservation, a member of the Piipaash (Maricopa) tribe. He remembers the food he ate as a boy: "All burned," he says with a laugh. Because most Piipaash food is cooked over a wood fire, "everything has that smoky taste." His sister makes tortillas over a coal fire in her back yard - all nicely blackened. His Salt River neighbors ate chili stew, made with potatoes and carrots. They hunted, and ate jackrabbit stew and roasted cottontails. Cottontails are the tastier, he says. A stew with the consistency of cream of wheat was a staple on the Navajo Reservation when Ruth Roessel was a girl there about 60 years ago. Roessel is now director of Navajo Studies at Rough Rock Community School near Canyon de Chelly. Her family members would gather wild celery, boil it and add cornmeal, salt and lard. They would harvest wild onions and prepare them the same way. In June the Navajos would go into the mountains to pick sumac berries, grind them into flour, add cornmeal and eat it as a soup or stew. These dishes would be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Food is holy, Roessel says. "The plants come up from the earth and we pray to them. We'd pray for good health and a good life." Centuries ago, Navajos also became sheep farmers, adding mutton and lamb to their menu and using sheep oil for cooking over outdoor wood fires. Navajos reinvented their culture to include sheep, says Devon Mihesuah, a Choctaw and professor of applied indigenous studies and history at Northern Arizona University. While many Anglos think of Indian fry bread as the quintessential Native American food, fry bread is "absolutely not" traditional, Mihesuah says. "Fried bread (or more inaccurately 'fry bread') is something unhealthy created by Natives after they were introduced to wheat." Fry bread was born out of the imprisonment of Navajos and Apaches by the U.S. government in 1863. Their rations consisted of wheat flour and lard, and they made the best of their rations, says Tristan Reader, co-director of Tohono O'odham Community Action. Return to roots Tohono O'odham Community Action began a decade ago to promote a return to the tribe's culinary heritage. The tribe operates a farm in Sells that uses an ancient farming method called "ak chin." This system of planting crops in flood plains takes advantage of the short growing season of such foods as tepary beans, which resemble pinto beans, Reader explains. The crops germinate quickly and can be harvested before the earth dries up again. The cultivation of cholla buds is another way the Tohono O'odham link past and present. In ancient times, the picking was done with dried cactus ribs lashed together with rawhide thongs. Now Reyes and her daughters use metal barbecue tongs, and it has become a family outing that begins early each morning during harvest season. "It's a family thing," Reyes says. "We get the girls together . . . . They need to respect what God has given us." Buying ingredients for traditional Native American dishes can be done online or by telephone. Tohono O'odham Community Action works with Heritage Foods USA, an American company that sells indigenous products to the public: meats, fish, poultry, fruits and grains, all derived from small family farms. By next year, Heritage will have a product list of 500 items. Next year, the Tohono O'odham organization also will put its name on a Native American cookbook with the working title Harvesting the Desert: Traditional Foods of the Tohono O'odham. Edited by Tucson food writer Mary Paganelli, the book will contain recipes from such Arizona chefs as Janos Wilder (Janos, in Tucson), Scott Uehlein (Canyon Ranch Health Resort, in Tucson), John Sharpe (La Posada, in Winslow) and Garcia, from Kai. Garcia believes it's time to take these tasty foods and discover the next great cuisine. Nouvelle Native American could take its place alongside French and Italian. "It's a great culture," he says. Copyright c. 2003-2005 Red Lake Net News. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: A Name's false Lessons about Culture" --------- Date: Mon, 17 May 2005 09:05:45 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAME DISHONORS" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/opinion/11664121.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: A name's false lessons about culture May 17, 2005 I was born in Elbowoods, N.D., at Fort Berthold in western North Dakota. I have relatives on the Standing Rock, Spirit Lake and Turtle Mountain reservations. I know or am related to a lot of Indian people - something that is common in Indian country. Sometimes at work or in the greater Grand Forks community, I am amazed at the limited knowledge local people have of tribes in our region. So I wasn't surprised at how little Don Barcome Jr. seemed to know about Native Americans, but disappointed that he commented so proudly and naively about Indian people. It is hard to understand that for as many times and in as many ways as Indian people and advocates have explained how offensive being called names is, supporters of UND's Fighting Sioux nickname still don't seem to understand. It is disturbing that Barcome would write, for all the public to read, that "the name (Fighting Sioux) promotes awareness of the rich history of a culture that would be lost in today's fast-paced high-tech society." Someone buy him a history book. Fancy dancers at sporting events isn't who we are. Don't think that for a minute. Furthermore, when you combine the sometimes-untrue history of the Sioux and the stories about the "Sioux raids" on innocent unsuspecting settlers, what kind of "rich history" do you suppose the war whoops made by the opposing team's fans conjure up in the minds of those at the sporting event? When you hear "Fighting Sioux," it is an aggressive twist to the name you can't ignore. One of my Herald colleagues said that if Native people really want to change the nickname, young Indian people in the area should stay away from UND en masse. As long as these young people attend the university, they are supporting or don't care about the name and logo. That weakens the advocates' case, he said. Does that mean Native people from the surrounding reservation should stop their education at the tribal colleges? If they do this, then they'll forego a chance to be a doctor, lawyer, nurse or teacher, because UND is the only place available in the area for some of these specialized degrees. UND likes to tout itself as the "premiere Indian University" - but is this in name only? Come, the presence of the nickname seems to say. We will insult you and if you are tough enough, you can become a doctor and return home to help your people. It is just me, or why should students have to travel out-of-state and away from their families to get a law or doctor's degree? Most Indian people are used to being put on the back shelf and many also know the importance of the degree, so they can take the insult contained in the nickname. But should they have to? It is scary to think that a majority of this community - a majority of alumni and North Dakotans, as Barcome says - feel so apathetic about insults such as the "Sioux suck" catcall heard on occasion at games, that they would allow a group of people to be put in such a negative atmosphere. I find it hard to believe that all those former Fighting Sioux lettermen and alumni can feel this way. It has only been a few weeks since I visited the Red Lake reservation while covering the shootings and suicide. That coverage was followed by stories of suicides on the Standing Rock reservation, Fort Yates, N.D. These issues are complex and many-faceted, yet there is something to be said about creating an atmosphere where fans of the opposing team say "Sioux suck" or war whoop in the heat of competition. Most of the tribes in North Dakota have collectively asked that the name be changed. These are resolutions from tribal governments asking nicely to quit calling us names. That is not a minority; that is a majority. Yes, there are some Native people who like the name, but there are many more non-Native people living in this community who do not like the name, and they say so. Some have left UND, giving up their positions here to make that point. There also are a lot of Native people who live on reservations who never have heard some of the derogatory remarks made about the Sioux. I have seen young Sioux students come to UND and actually leave here because they couldn't take any more of the negativity. So for my brother Don, my sister Liz, who are alumni, and myself - we are among those who would like the university to stop using the name. Stop hurting our children. We believe one day, the Creator will make the point and the logo will go. ---- 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/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: FRANCHER: Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen" --------- Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 09:07:14 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FRANCHER: KLALLAM VILLAGE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002283960_fancher22.html?syndication=rss "Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen" tells an extraordinary story By Mike Fancher Seattle Times executive editor May 22, 2005 One look at today's front page tells you "The Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen," is important and historical. But the story of this archaeological treasure is also contemporary and is one of the more unusual special reports The Seattle Times has ever produced. The ancient Klallam village called Tse-whit-zen was discovered on the Port Angeles waterfront when the state Department of Transportation started construction of a new dry dock. The work unearthed more than 10,000 artifacts and, painfully, more than 335 intact skeletons. Beyond being one of the most important archaeological finds ever in this region, the discovery was a spiritual renewal for tribal members. It also became the end of the construction project, as the state stopped the work after spending more than $60 million on it. Lynda Mapes, the reporter and a guiding force behind this report, said, "It's really a story of our life here together in the Northwest. It's an 'all-of-us' story." The words, photographs and illustrations we are printing over four days are rich with detail and meaning. Beyond the printed report there will be: * A comprehensive online package, including an interactive exploration of the Tse-whit-zen village. * A Newspapers In Education program with questions and activities to help educators use the series in the classroom. * Two segments on local affiliates of National Public Radio. This is an extraordinary body of work to tell an extraordinary story. "I think what makes this project unique," said Suki Dardarian, assistant managing editor-Sunday, "is that we have been among the few to have witnessed this firsthand - to be right there to observe and document the discovery, the mystery, the awe, the frustration, the joy of that exploration. And we get to tell an important story that's never been told this way. "That's an awesome opportunity - and responsibility." The report wouldn't have been possible without the remarkable access granted by Klallam tribal members and state officials. "They were so generous," said reporter Mapes, who deserves credit for gaining the kind of access and trust that makes a story like this come alive. Mapes and photographer Steve Ringman first visited the site last November for a story that appeared about a month before the decision was made to stop construction at the site. In preparation for the current report, several others on The Times' team also traveled to Port Angeles to variously see the site, view artifacts in the lab, meet tribal leaders and consult with archaeologists on the project. Tribal members also traveled twice to The Times to review the main graphic and make invaluable additions to its content. Archaeologists at Larson Anthropological Archaeological Services in Gig Harbor also reviewed the graphic twice in their Gig Harbor offices, and traveled to The Seattle Times to give a presentation to the team on the geomorphology and archaeology of the site. "You should have seen the white board from that meeting!" said Mapes, who added, "We did all of this as a team from the very beginning, and that was very rewarding. We all explored new ground here." Times journalists clearly were affected by what they saw. "At the house where the archaeologists were analyzing the material, you got a real sense of the painstaking - often tedious - work required to reconstruct what was found at Tse-whit-zen," said Metro Editor Jim Simon. "The tribe also allowed us to visit the place on the reservation where the coffins holding the remains were being stored. There were row upon row of freshly made coffins - some quite tiny, holding the remains of babies or children - stacked on metal shelves. The tribal member who escorted me lit candles and rubbed herself with red ochre for spiritual protection. "Without that kind of access, we couldn't have done this series," he added. Photographer Ringman said he was struck "by the respect the tribal members had for their ancestors as they dug in the sacred ground. Here we are in the middle of an active industrial construction site with this very emotional scene of discovering and unearthing their ancestors and their belongings. "The discovery of fascinating and beautiful artifacts was tempered by the pain of uncovering so many skeletons. I really appreciate the tribe letting me witness this historic and painful moment in their history," Ringman added. Whitney Stensrud, assistant art director, oversaw design of the illustrations and graphics. She said the visual department "was charged with transporting readers back in time," especially with today's presentation. "We had the unique responsibility for piecing together an enormous amount of archaeological and cultural data and presenting the findings visually with the humanity and cultural weight they represent. We chose a hand-drawn style that is inherently personal and also makes it clear that the scene is what it might have been. "We walked a fine line where imagination and science merge, and we were determined to create the most accurate representation possible, but still infuse it with the spirit of activity. We chose to tell the historical story visually so that readers could experience the re-created site while they learned how it was used and about the Klallam people who lived there. "Our hopes are that seeing it all intact will help readers understand the meaning and value of this discovery," Stensrud said. Reporter Mapes stresses that in many ways the story of Tse-whit-zen is still unfolding and painful issues remain to be resolved. "I think the biggest question is: What do we do now?" Mapes said. The state still needs a dry dock and, most of all, the ancestors of the Klallam Tribe need a sacred resting place. Inside The Times appears in the Sunday Seattle Times. If you have a comment on news coverage, write to Michael R. Fancher, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111, call 206-464-3310 or send e-mail to mfancher@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists Copyright c. 2005 The Seattle Times Company. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Aging brings new Joys, Insights..." --------- Date: Sun, 22 May 2005 18:09:12 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: AGING" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/opinion/11702277.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Aging brings new joys, insights and friends May 21, 2005 May is a month filled with congratulations and honoring. This year, my schedule includes six graduations, seven birthdays, two retirements and three powwows. And, I spoke at two annual meetings and a Senate hearing. Of those activities, I will remember most speaking to the Forest River and Johnstown homemakers club at Forest River, N.D. They were interested in American Indian culture. Forest River is a short, scenic drive north across the flat, fertile Red River Valley. The sky was cloudy and threatening when I left Grand Forks. When I stepped into my car to return home, it was raining hard and the smell of fresh, clean earth tickled my nose. The town is one of those old-fashioned, cozy little villages where you might expect to see kids playing softball in the street or a grandmother turning dark, loamy dirt around small tomato starts. The centerpiece of the town is a community church with a tall, stately steeple that juts into the sky above the only grove of trees in this land of wide, plowed fields. It is a beautiful church that would inspire prayer in any disbeliever. When I got to the church, women were in aprons, cooking creamy chicken Alfredo and making strawberry shortcake for us. The tables were set and the early evening meeting began. This was a homemakers club with a history. Tina Oosterwijk, who was my contact, got an award because she has been a member of the club for 50 years. Yes, 50 years. She was among several other women who got awards for their number of years with the club. They were Arline Larson, 20 years; Lois Otto and Louise Pederson, 30; Bonnie Hanson, 35; Jan Erlandson, Blanche Espelien, 40; Joyce Johnson, Sonia Midgarden, 45 and Rae DeSautel, a 50-year member, too. In talking with Tina, I found her history to be typical of the wonderful women in this area. She came from Holland to New York in 1952. When the boat landed, they heard a band playing the "Star Spangled Banner," and the first thing they saw was the Statue of Liberty. From there, she and her late husband, Bernard, took a bus to Michigan then to North Dakota. I had to smile when she said she knew she was at the end of the world when the bus hit the gravel road to Forest River. She giggled, too, when she told me she never had seen an outdoor toilet. She told Bernard she was afraid that she would get slivers in her behind from the wooden planks. So he went to a little town called Gilby, N.D., bought some linoleum and then covered the plank-board seat. I forgot to ask about her first experience in her outdoor toilet at 40 below. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for elderly people. I think it comes from my relationship with my grandmother - one of my mentors and teachers. And it comes from knowing these elderly people have a long and rich history. When you get to be an elder, you tend to turn and look back over all those years that stretch out so far back into the past. But our life's paths change as we move toward crossing over. I can see that when I compare my talks to elementary-school students, college students or young adults. They are looking forward: They're asking, "How can I get that nice car or big house?" and "How can I keep myself beautiful?", for example. As you get older, it is hard to change your income. You either made it or you didn't. Also, your body is affected by how you've lived or what comes your way in terms of diseases. Entertainment becomes seeing the grandchildren laugh, watching and listening to birds sing, watching the sunset in the evening or seeing the northern lights. Those become most entertaining for me. Perhaps that is what I see in these elder women: We have these things in common. They are also interested in my lifestyle - the ways of Native people. When they ask, I always am pleased that they are interested in understanding who we are. I, too, am interested in their culture and lifestyles. That is how we become better neighbors. The culture of the ethnic people in this area is diluted. That is also true of the Indian culture. In spite of the struggles and the vast chasm that existed between Native people and the non-Native, each of us have influenced the other. And it is from conversations and discussions such as my meeting with the homemakers club that we come to a better understanding of each other and find commonalties. ---- 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/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: PEMBERTON, WALKER: The Whitest Indian speaks" --------- Date: Thursday, May 19, 2005 9:14 PM From: MJ LaBurt [MJLaBurt@aol.com] Subj: The whitest Indian speaks Mailing List: Sovereign Nations Mailing List: NDNAIM http://www.walkermn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=9&story_id=201039 The whitest Indian speaks Jeremie Pemberton, Walker The Pilot-Independent May 18, 2005 "Why don't you go scalp somebody?" A slight pause and then, "Just kidding." The "just kidding" makes it worse. Two words that tell a lie. They meant it all. They meant every word that threw scorn upon your face. Every word weighs on your mind, crushing your happiness, corrupting your joy. It's better when they just smile when they say it. Then at least they're not lying. Everyday I can hear their taunts. Everyday, what they say about my race echoes in my ears. I bear it in silence and smile with them. Wishing they would wear my tattered Johnson O'Maley shoes. There is only so much one can take before one explodes ... The question I have is, "Why do you dislike the Indian people? Are you not the ones who put them where they are now? Why heap scorn upon the broken pride of a fallen race." Maybe it's to feel superior. Is it? When I do it, I don't feel superior. I feel saddened and a little piece of me dies. How much more do we have to bear before all is set right? I don't know, but I think I'll ask the Jewish people. They might know. How does racism solve anything? I can walk through the halls and hear how somebody, "hates those (expletive) Indians." Yet the need to make fun of us still exists. From the time your ancestors put us on the reservation until now, Indians have been portrayed as ignorant savages, while the white man with his Christian morals, is the good guy. How do we become the savages when the government paid for the heads of the Indians? We all came from the same roots of farming the land and killing animals, yet we became the savages when you decided to stop. That leads me to another point. We didn't come up with scalping, while European males did. "Did you get your food stamps yet?" That's another one I have heard. I wonder why we have food stamps. Oh, yeah, that's right, a good portion of us are on welfare. Surprising isn't it? It is and so is the fact that good portions of us on the preservation are broke. Limited job opportunities due to racism usually has that affect. Oh, another surprise! Who would have thought of that? Sure, there are jobs being made to correct the wrongs, but why not at the beginning? Racism over the period of a century usually gets to a people. Blacks have had it just as bad as we have, Jews as well (if not worse). I don't think they kill or drink like us, though. Now I don't think I'm completely ignorant of the issues facing the tribe. What the Indians could do is to initiate a government that actually does its job, instead of behaving like a fat man on a diet in a bakery. To do this we need to weed out those who are corrupt and replace them. Give those who are corrupt a different job, such as cleaning the reservation. We all know it needs to be cleansed. Another idea is for the parents to take an active role in the child's life. No more sitting passively while the child goes and gets drunk with unsavory characters. Tell them to stay home and do some work. A helpful idea would be to destroy the gangs and persecute those who head them. One grand idea is to purge the reservation of drugs and drink. The final idea is to revert to old traditions before they fall with the Elders. The church that stands out there must come down. It is the sign of white ethos's hold on us. The destruction of tradition is what has happened because of that hold. You may believe in God, but so did our ancestors. God was always with us before. Why worship theirs? This essay may seem like the ranting of an angry Indian. It is. I'm not going to lie to you. Racism happens everyday at the school (Walker-Hackensack-Akeley), by both sides. I'm a mixed breed, so I get double the amount of racism, anybody of "pure" blood gets. Pure blood is a laughable idea. We are all mutts, it is just a matter of degree. That is to say, we are all one race. Yet, that won't help unless people realize it. Today, I