_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 036 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 September 3, 2005 Klamath Speluish/dancing moon Pomo Shachluyiau-da/soaproot dug for fish poison moon Algonquin Pohquitaqunk/middle moon between harvest and eating Indian corn +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 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; Metis, Indigenous Peoples Literature, Iron Natives, Rez_Life, Big Mountain, Sovereign Nations & Chiapas95-English Mail 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "It's not our border." "It's not something that we implemented. The (U.S.-Canada) border divides families." -- James Hillaire, Lummi +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 Sister! We are asked to accept the words of the U.S. Govenment with full faith. Simply put this means a total acceptance that the Great Father in Washington has only our interests and needs at heart. The lead article in this issue examines once again the deliberate involuntary and coerced sterilizations of Indian women. This newsletter explored this heinous act of genocide several years ago, but the same questions about this covert act of genocide remain unanswered. Why has not one official had to answer, with prison time, for these killings? The misrepresentations and outright lies that are coming forth from the Bush administration regarding the handling of IndianTrust accounts is beyond belief. The "great lie" ploy of the Nazi regime of World War II Germany is being exercised to the fullest. The fact that the government has officially requested a change in judges shows their desperation to protect something they know was and probably still is wrong. Doesn't take much imagination to figure out what could cause that much official squirming. If you use the Bible that Bush likes to brandish as your standard for morality you'll find murder, theft, and lies rank pretty high on the list of what NOT to do. My acceptance of the U.S. Government is a long way down for full faith. How about yours? 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 ----------- - The Sterilization - Staking Claim: of Native American Women Shoshone seek partial payouts - Sanctions sought against - HURST: Create Placement Academy Government in Trust Case for Indians - Protect Bear Butte! - Seminoles in Nicaragua - Navajo President hit Jackpot with Cattle asks for Richardson's help - Saskatchewan a Test Site - Grant helps Reservation for Justice Reforms secure Water Supply - Zapatista Rebel Leader swears off - Blue-green algae - Zapatistas activate making Reservoirs toxic a new kind of Bomb - Arizona braces for Water War - The two Campaigns in Mexico - Tribe: State Violated Order - Indian Country - BIA to hold consultation sessions law and order roundup on Education - Means faces tribal prosecution - Apache unhappy over reburials - Tribal Head eyes extradition at Cliff Dwellings - Native Prisoner - Pueblos Protest -- 2 Penpal Requests on Anniversary of 1860 Revolt -- Abuses, Violations... - Ohio seeks dismissal - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days of Ottawa Tribe's lawsuit - Rustywire: The Cornfield - Indian Health Service head - Del "Abe" Jones Poem: visits New Town Jealous Spirit of the Fire - Tribes acquire Leading - Ancient Seeds crop up again Renewable Energy Marketer - Native cooking changes - Crossing into Canada - White Earth Traditional more hassle since 9/11 Rice Camp Gathering - Shoshone bring Diabetes Battle Home --------- "RE: The Sterilization of Native American Women" --------- Date: Sunday, August 28, 2005 3:30 PM From: Mike Price [ib1vader@yahoo.com] Subj: Between 1972-76 thousands of NDN women were sterilized by IHS... Mailing List: Metis The Sterilization of Native American Women A Look at the Indian Health Service Policy of Sterilization, 1972-1976 by Charles R. England The purpose of this article is to examine the reasons for and results of the investigations prompted by physicians, tribal leaders, and senators concerning allegations that the Indian Health Service (IHS) was indiscriminately sterilizing Indian women across the nation. This topic brings up several questions of morality, ethics, and the law. These questions cannot help but be colored by the culture and values that we are taught. So it is from this perspective that we look at the sterilization policies and philosophies that were at work within the IHS-PHS, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) from 1972 to 1976. It was during this period that the greatest number of Indian women were put under the knife for a plethora of medical, social, and monetary reasons. This article consists of six categories which will: explore the federal relationship with American Indian tribes; describe personal accounts from women who were sterilized and their attitudes toward family planning; explicate state and federal policies regarding informed consent and sterilization; examine the contractual relationship between IHS and private practices; consider the U.S. General Accounting Office investigation of IHS sterilization procedures; and examine the meaning behind the statistics of population growth. Finally, it will analyze the historical relevance of this topic to the model of internal colonialism under which the U.S. government operates. The federal trust relationship with American Indian tribes is based on numerous treaty rights and agreements that include medical services and physicians made available to Indians. However, there are very few statements that mention medical services specifically; instead, there is an implicit understanding of the trust responsibility that includes the health of American Indians. As stated in the American Indian Policy Review Commission's report on Indian health: ...the federal responsibility to provide health services to Indians has its roots in the unique moral, historical, and treaty obligations of the federal government, no court has ever ruled on the precise nature of that legal basis nor defined the specific legal rights for Indians created by those obligations (in American Indian Journal, 1977: 22-23). The implied meaning of health care responsibilities is somewhat vague, but the treaties and agreements were always meant to favor Indians. In 1955, IHS was transferred from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the Public Health Service (PHS). This move was made with the expectation that the PHS could improve health care for Indians living on reservations. Even after the transfer had taken place, the health needs of Indians were still not adequately met. This was due to the ambiguous nature of the federal government's responsibility to provide health care. In turn, the IHS had no concrete goals or objectives and operated day to day with only a faint clue as to how it should render services. To date, an Indian client will be given services that may well vary each time that patient walks into an IHS facility: ...the specific services available to him will vary from day-to-day and year-to-year, depending on unpublished discretionary decisions made by Indian Health Service officials and commitments and conditions contained in often voluminous appropriation hearings (American Indian Journal, 1977: 23). This quote suggests that the IHS system is ripe for mismanagement of policies, funding, and staff supervision. It will also come as no surprise to find that IHS has been the subject of a number of investigations. One of the people who initiated the government investigation into IHS sterilization policy was Dr. Connie Uri, a Choctaw Indian physician working at the Claremore, Oklahoma IHS facilities. Dr. Uri had noticed in the hospital records that a large amount of sterilization surgeries had been performed. She then conducted her own interviews with the women involved and found that many had received the operation a day or two after childbirth. In the month of July 1974 alone there were 48 sterilizations performed and several hundred had already been conducted in the last two years (Akwesasne Notes, 1974: 22). The hospital records show that both tubal ligation and hysterectomies were used in sterilization. Dr. Uri commented: "In normal medical practice, hysterectomies are rare in women of child bearing age unless there is cancer or other medical problems" (Akwesasne Notes, 1974: 22). Besides the questionable surgery techniques being allowed to take place, there was also the charge of harassment in obtaining consent forms. In an incident of harassment at the Claremore facility, one woman was told by social workers and other hospital personnel that she was a bad mother and they would have to take away her children. They would then place the children in foster homes if she did not agree to the surgery (Akwesasne Notes, 1974: 22). In one study conducted on the Navajo Reservation and sponsored by the PHS, researchers (who may have ignored the reports of such questionable sterilization procedures, or subtly adjusted their language to satisfy their sponsors) reported: From 1972 to 1978 we observe a 130 per cent increase in the number of induced abortions performed. During this time the ratio of abortions per 1,000 deliveries has increased from approximately 34 to 77 (an increase of 126 per cent) (Temkin-Greener, 1981: 405). While not exactly within the confines of sterilization, the numbers indicate that the family planning program on the Navajo Reservation was definitely acquiring federal funds to carry on such a massive project. The statistics concerning Navajo sterilization are just as interesting: Between 1972 and 1978 the percentage of interval sterilization has more than doubled from 15.1 per cent in 1972 to 30.7 per cent in 1978 (Temkin-Greener, 1981: 406). The report itself is clinical and methodical; however, the researchers did comment slightly about the relationship between patient and physician: Older women who become pregnant may be much less concerned about reducing their childbearing and may do so primarily when they are influenced by health care providers (Temkin-Greener, 1981: 406). There is room for speculation concerning how much influence these providers stressed in light of previously mentioned charges of harassment and deceit. Once the word of sterilization spread through Indian Country, some tribal leaders carried on their own investigation. Marie Sanchez, a tribal judge of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, interviewed 50 women, 26 of whom reported that they were sterilized. One doctor told several women that they each had several children and it was time they stopped having children; others were told that they could have children after the operation (Dillingham, 1977: 28). The values that American Indians have toward the number of children a woman bears are quite different than that of white America. There are many Indians who feel that population control should not apply to them. They believe the federal government has done enough to limit the number of Indians on this continent, and the idea of limiting the number of children is based on what whites feel is a comfortable amount. Other researchers have found these general feelings to be true in regard to limiting family numbers. One group of researchers gathered data on urban and rural Omaha Indians in Nebraska to determine if either group had different opinions on family planning. The team cited each group's reason for having children as: ...the family economic situation, the ability to care for the children now and later, family happiness, and the feeling that the couple had enough children were valid considerations in a decision to delay or prevent further pregnancies (Liberty, 1976: 63-64). The research team also noted that the: ...freedom for the mother to work, and the belief that a small population is good for the country, were generally not sufficient cause [for birth control] (Liberty, 1976: 64). Dr. Louis Hellman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs in the PHS, presented statistics confirming that 150,000 low income people were sterilized in the U.S. from federal grants (Akwesasne Notes, 1977: 22). These funds allowed the states to be reimbursed for up to 90 percent of the cost of indigent women. A report from the HEW states: Voluntary sterilization is legal in all states. Although most states have no statute regulating voluntary sterilization, over half authorize the procedure either explicitly by statute, attorney general's opinion, judicial decision or policies of Health and Welfare department or implicitly through consent requirements...(DHEW report, 1978: 89). Because the states themselves are not following any set policies, it would stand to reason that IHS certainly does not either, and that is the evidence which reveals mismanagement of resources and people. The HEW policies and programs regarding sterilization have been in place since 1966. Akwesasne Notes quoted the statistics released by HEW: HEW now funds 90% of the sterilization cost of poor people. Since 1970, female sterilization in the U.S. has increased almost 300%. From 192,000 to 548,000 performed each year" (Akwesasne Notes, 1977: 31). Researchers on the Navajo Reservation observed that the trend toward more female sterilizations had to do with the providers. The providers were responsible for the huge increase of people coming in and "agreeing" to surgery. The team further stated that the pattern of childbearing on the Navajo Reservation was very similar to those in developing countries (Temkin-Greener, 1981: 406). The exact meaning of the statement is unknown; however, there are examples of child bearing patterns that may shed light on their remarks: Between 1963 and 1965 more than 400, 000 Colombian women were sterilized in a program funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. In Bolivia, a U.S. imposed population control program administered by the Peace Corps sterilized Quechua Indian women without their knowledge or consent... (Akwesasne Notes, 1977: 31). In 1967 the American Public Health Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists conducted a study and found that 54 percent of the teaching hospitals nation-wide "...made sterilization a requirement for winning approval for an abortion" (Weisbord, 1975: 155). The following statement further illustrates the paternalistic and authoritative attitude that many physicians have toward women: Persons in the lower educational classes rely more on such operations [hysterectomies]; they have been least likely to control their fertility in other ways, and doctors may finally suggest this method (Westoff, 1971: 56). For years surgeons have used a "Rule of 120" to determine judgments about sterilization. This judgment concerning fertility is a means by which a woman qualifies for sterilization: ...fertility multiplied by age should equal 120 or more to qualify a woman as a candidate for contraceptive sterilization. A 25 year old woman with three children would not be eligible, whereas a 30 year old woman with four children would be. (Arnold, 1978: 11). Attitudes such as these cross the lines when dealing with either private or government employees. Contract Care entails formal agreements with private vendors. It is used when IHS cannot equip its staff or facilities for emergency or specialty care, or an overload of patients. It is also used when alternate resources are available (DHEW, 1978: 2). Most of the circumstances are dictated by the small IHS facilities and specialized services that are usually found in larger facilities. Contract physicians associated with IHS are reimbursed for each sterilization (Miller, 1978: 424). The reimbursements that the physicians receive are from federal funds, but are not federally accountable: Thirty percent of the sterilizations were performed at 'contract' facilities. IHS officials in the Albuquerque and Aberdeen areas said they do not monitor.cgi the consent procedures in contract care, nor are doctors required to follow federal regulations (Akwesasne Notes, 1977: 4). Normally, anybody that receives funding from the government must also follow federal regulations. IHS, however, shows a lack of concern and accountability with the patients they treat and the money they handle. Complaints continued throughout the country of these unethical sterilization practices, but little was done until the matter was brought to the attention of Senator James Abourezk (D.SD), and affirmative steps were taken. Abourezk commissioned the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate the affair and to determine if the complaints of Indian women that they were undergoing sterilization as a means of birth control, all without consent, were true (Dillingham, 1977: 27). The problem with the investigation was that it was initially limited to four area IHS hospitals... later twelve... so that the total number of women sterilized remains unknown (Dillingham, 1977: 27-28). The GAO investigators came up with 3,400 women, but others speculate that at least that many were sterilized each year from 1972-76. When the GAO report came out, the U.S. Information Agency issued its own report denying the allegations. The report claimed that all women who underwent the surgery had given their consent (Akwesasne Notes, 1977: 4). This is where the charges that informed consent was not given were challenged. The GAO confined its investigation to IHS records, and did not probe case histories, nor observe patient-doctor relationships or interview women who had been sterilized (Jarvis, 1977: 30). What the GAO conducted was not an investigation; instead, it played the political game of "looking into allegations," and who would blame them otherwisey... with less than a million voters who rarely participated in elections. The Indian people, in this unfortunate case, were "humored" with the GAO investigation. In 1974, to set up safeguards, Congress defined the term "voluntary sterilization" to mean "...[the] requirement that the individual have at his disposal the information necessary to make his decision and the mental competence to appreciate the significance of that investigation" (DHEW report, 1978: 8). The GAO investigators were able to show that there was a lack of clear statement to notify the patients of a federal court requirement "...that individuals seeking sterilization be orally informed at the outset that no federal benefits can be withdrawn because of failure to accept sterilization" (Dillingham, 1977: 27). A U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia had ruled in 1974 that the HEW had to abide by these laws (DHEW report, 1978: 8). Coercive sterilization, on the other hand, can be defined by one or more of the following: caused by outright deceit; offering sterilization as a means to escape further obligation to an institution, such as an asylum; threats to person; sterilization of minors, or mentally or physically disabled persons; failing to explain procedure in a language that the patient understands (Trombley, 1988: 1). As the newly appointed director of Claremore IHS stated: Even if many of these operations were done at the request of the patient, it is all too obvious that there is little or no attention given to proper counseling as to the serious implications of such a decision" (Akwesasne, 1974: 22). Coercive sterilization can be defined by examples of testimony, but the burden of proof is on the patient that has her signature on the bottom of the page. The sterilization of minors is another problem which the GAO investigators could have, but did not pursue. There are special consent forms for cases where women under 21 are to be sterilized, but IHS did not use such forms. Thirty six women under 21 were sterilized without proper consent between 1973-76 (Akwesasne, 1977: 4). Congress passed laws in 1975 making it punishable by fines and/or penalties for "...any officer or employee of the United States," or others using federal funds who "...[coerces} or endeavors to coerce any person to undergo an abortion or sterilization" (DHEW report, 1978: 9). The fact that the U.S. has no prior law concerning the punishment of coercive sterilization underlines the seemingly reckless abandon that physicians had in sterilizing Indian women. The conclusion of the GAO investigation reported that IHS consent procedures lacked the basic elements of informed consent, particularly informing a patient orally of the advantages and disadvantages of sterilization. Furthermore, the consent form had only a summary of the oral presentation, and finally the form was lacking the information usually located at the top of the page notifying the patient that no federal benefits would be taken away if they did not accept sterilization (Wagner, 1977: 75). The GAO notified IHS that it needed better consent procedures. Some IHS Area Directors, like John Davis at Claremore, were pressured by local Indians and by Indian physicians and staff to suspend certain nurses and to move the hospital administrator to another post. Otherwise, there was little else done by government officials (Akwesasne Notes, 1974: 22). Individual women victimized by the procedure were not interviewed in the investigations, and were infuriated by the GAO results. Some of the women took the matter to court, but soon found out that IHS officials covered their trails very well: "Doctors have taken care to obtain some kind of consent documents which can be reproduced in a courtroom..." (Larson, 1977: 63). Further, "...the written consent form is the only piece of evidence that documents the transaction between doctor and patient which gave rise to the patient consenting to the recommended treatment" (Doudera, 1981: 103). Outraged Indian people accused IHS of making genocide a part of its policy. IHS officials responded that the word "genocide" was unwarranted.: ...officials also point out that the report does not prove forced sterilization, that the consent documents are on file and in absence of reliable national statistics on sterilization rates, it is impossible to tell whether Indians are being sterilized at a higher rate than anybody else (Larson, 1977: 63). For IHS, being charged with genocide was a serious accusation. IHS was intended to somehow alleviate the terrible health conditions in Indian communities. However, the accusation was not far off base. As Thomas Littlewood stated in his book on the politics of population control: Non-white Americans are not unaware of how the American Indian came to be called the vanishing American...This country's starkest example of genocide in practice" (Littlewood, 1977: 82). The 3,406 women that appeared so often in government reports were those taken from only four health service areas: Aberdeen, SD, Albuquerque, NM, Oklahoma City, OK, and Phoenix, AZ. All four service units were found to be "...generally not in compliance with government regulations requiring informed consent" (Dillingham, 1977: 27). Senator Abourezk himself stated that: "Given the small American Indian population, the 3,400 Indian sterilization figure would be compared to sterilizing 452,000 non- Indian women [out of 55,000 Indian women of childbearing age]" (Wagner, 1977: 75). However, the Senator failed to realize that the figure represented only four service areas. The estimate of total sterilizations was actually around 3,000 per year for four years. As late as 1979 in the 96th Congress, there was a statement from a national council of churches that condemned the policy of non-medical sterilization and asked for a full investigation into HEW to find all responsible people guilty of this act, and the extent to which IHS had incorporated this policy (96th Cong., Hearing, 1979: 65). One can see that the charge of genocide was not just a romantic cry out to the liberals and bleeding hearts. There is justification. From the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide emerged a list of acts that constitute genocide. Article II states: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, such as...imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group... (Whalen, 1989: 169). It is interesting to point out that these measures were adopted by the United Nations Center for Human Rights in 1948, but were not adopted by the United States until 1988. From an anthropological perspective, Steve Polgar comments on population policies, international and national: ...it helps those who want to reduce foreign aid, since exporting propaganda techniques for 'zero population growth' or consulting on how to 'weaken' the family is much cheaper than providing significant development assistance or establishing fairer prices for imported products (Polgar, 1972: 208). The problems of IHS have always stemmed from a lack of clear and precise objectives and goals. IHS will continue to have problems if it cannot act responsibly: "Changing administration of Indian Health... will never solve these problems until Congress...defines the legal scope of the Indian Health program and then determines the appropriation on the basis of this definition" (American Indian Journal, 1977: 23). However, not even Congress can solve the problems without the input and cooperation of Indian people. ---- Selected Bibliography - "American Indian Policy Review Commission's Report on Indian Health." - American Indian Journal ofthe Institute for the Development of Indian Law. Feb., 1977; - Arnold, Charles B. "Public Health Aspects of Contraceptive Sterilization." in Behavioral-Social Aspects of Contraceptive Sterilization [Sidney Newman, ed.]. Lexington Books, 1978; Dillingham, Brint. "American Indian Women and IHS Sterilization Practices." American Indian Journal... Jan. 1977; Doudera, A. Edward. "Informed Consent: How Much Should the Patient Know?' - Rights and Responsibilities in Modern Medicine [Marc D. Basson,ed.]. Alan R. Liss, Inc., 1981; - Jarvis, Gayle Mark. "The Theft of Life." Akwesasne Notes, Autumn 1977; "Killing Our Future: Sterilization and Experiments." Akwesasne Notes, Spring 1977; - Larson, Janet Karstan. "And Then There Were None: Is Federal Policy Endangering the American Indian Species?" Christian Century, Jan. 26, 1977; - Liberty, Margot. "Rural and Urban Omaha Indian Fertility." Human Biology, Feb. 1976; - Littlewood, Thomas B. The Politics of Population Control. University of Notre Dame Press, 1977; - Miller, Mark. "Native American Peoples on the Trail of Tears Once More." America, Dec. 1978; - Polgar, Steven. "Population History and Population Politics from an Anthropological Perspective." Current Anthropology, Apr. 1972; Rabeau, Erwin S. & Angel Reaud: "Evaluation of PHS Program: Providing Family Planning Services for American Indians." American Journal of Public Health Aug. 1969; - "Sterilization of Young Native Women Alleged at Indian Hospital. Akwesasne Notes , Jul. 1974; - Temkin-Greener, Helen. "Surgical Fertility Regulation Among Women on the Navajo Indian Reservation." American Journal of Public Health, Apr. 1981; - Trombley, Stephen. The Right to Reproduce: A History of Coercive Sterilization. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988; - U.S. Dept. of HEW. Family Planning, Contraception, Voluntary Sterilization and Abortion. GPO, 1978; - U.S. Dept. of HEW. Indian Heath Trends and Services [report]. GPO, 1978.; - Wagner, Bill. "Lo the Poor and Sterilized Indian." America, Jan. 29, 1977; - Weisbord, Robert C. Genocide? Birth Control and the Black American. Greenwood Press, 1975; - Westoff, Leslie A. & Charles F. From Now to Zero. Little, Brown & Co., 1971; - Whalen, Lucille. Human Rights: a Reference Handbook. ABC-Cilo, Inc., 1989.) --------- "RE: Sanctions sought against Government in Trust Case" --------- Date: Friday, August 26, 2005 8:09 AM From: Bill McAllister [bmcallister@cox.net] Subj: LAWYERS SAY JUSTICE DISTORT JUDGE'S ROLE IN TRUST CASE LAWYERS FOR INDIANS SEEK SANCTIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENT FOR MISREPRESENTATIONS TO COURT WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- Lawyers for Indians in a large class action lawsuit have accused the Justice Department of deliberately misrepresenting legal precedents and the actions of U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth C. Lamberth in the nearly 10-year-old lawsuit. Calling the Department of Justice's efforts to remove Lamberth from litigation over the government's Indian Trust program "completely without factual or legal foundation," the lawyers asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to impose sanctions on the department for its distortions. The government's allegations against the judge are "utterly and completely false," the lawyers told the appeals court. "The district court's rulings, while forcefully worded, are founded entirely on the evidence of record set forth in 9 years of litigation and over 200 days of evidentiary hearings," the lawyers said in a petition filed with the court. "...Though they [the government] may not like Judge Lamberth's language, the sad truth is that he is correct -- it is all true, as evidenced by the record." The petition also noted that the appeals court itself, like Lamberth, has used harsh language to criticize the government's conduct in the trust case. The Justice Department urged the appeals court on Aug. 15 to assign the trust case to a new judge, accusing Lamberth of bias in a class action lawsuit over the federal government's acknowledged mishandling of approximately 500,000 individual Indian Trust accounts. The accounts were created in 1887 by the government to handle the proceeds of government-arranged leases of Indian lands in the West. In previous rulings, the D.C. appeals court has said the accounts were mismanaged by the government almost from their inception. In a filing with the appeals court late Thursday, lawyers for the Indians said that the government's effort to reassign the case was totally baseless and part of their strategy to delay resolution of the dispute by attempting "to litigate and relitigate every issue" in the complex lawsuit. Changing judges in the middle of such an involved lawsuit would have delay justice and would have "catastrophic" results for the Indians, the petition said. "A reassignment will give the appearance to the plaintiffs, the public and even the government, that our government can shamelessly get away with what they have done and are continuing to do to plaintiffs." Lamberth has based his rulings in the case titled Cobell versus Norton on "the overwhelming evidence of century-long failures of trust management, " the lawyers stated. The government's petition to remove him from the case "is chock full of misstatements, selective quotations, falsehoods and outright misrepresentations -- too numerous to catalog here," the lawyers said. That is all designed, they added, to give the appeals court the idea that Lamberth "has some sort of extra-judicial bias, when nothing could be further from the truth." Lamberth has not strayed from the directions of the appeals court in the case, the lawyers said. "...What is clear after one strips away the layers of deception and mischaracterization is that the district court that has shown remarkable restraint in the face of scandalous attacks made by the Trustee-Delegate (the government) and their counsel and that it has been faithful to appellate mandates of this court." The full petition to the appeals court is available at www.indiantrust.com Bill McAllister Independent Writer 703-385-6996 202-257-5385 (cell) --------- "RE: Protect Bear Butte!" --------- Date: Thursday, August 25, 2005 5:44 PM From: Jeanne Svhiyeyi Aga Chadwick [eveningrain@adelphia.net] Subj: PROTECT BEAR BUTTE - COMMENTARY BY CARTER CAMP - AUGUST 24, 2005 Mailing List: Importance: High ~Please distribute widely. With YOUR help we CAN reach the whole world!~ --------- Forwarded Message --------- Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:29 PM From: Carter Camp [mailto:cartercamp@yahoo.com] To: SovereignNations Subj: Protect Bear Butte! Editor: It has taken me several days to get over some of the outrage and shock I felt when I read the letter from a Sturgis bar owner saying he planned to open a giant, biker bar and "Buffalo Chip" style entertainment venue beside our sacred mountain Bear Butte. Now my outrage has turned to anger and a determination to do something to fight this desecration. Often native people in this state need to educate their white neighbors when they offend or insult us without malicious intent to do so. We recognize that it is hard for some people to understand that in our beliefs "places" can be sacred and not to be defiled or that Bear Butte is foremost amongst them. But this is not so with the developer in question, as a local man he knows very well that Indian people from around the country pilgrimage to pray at Bear Butte yearly. Over thirty of our Nations hold Bear Butte sacred and inviolate. By choosing the name "Sacred Ground" for his planned scene of noise and debauchery, Mr.Allen has personally slapped the face of every warrior of every Nation that holds Bear Butte sacred. I am sure there will be a response. I wonder if Mr Allen knows how many Tribes have purchased property near the sacred mountain and will be his neighbors. Indians have bought land and pay taxes on it without fanfare just to have a quiet place and access to the sacred places. Some have said in your newspaper that building and noise around the sacred mountain is "inevitable". I beg to differ, it may be rare but I believe sometimes the will of a minority will be heard in America and greed can be subverted. It may be that cooler heads and patient explanations by traditional Indian people can persuade him to withdraw the proposal. I hope so because if they can not it is my considered opinion that Mr. Allen and the State of South Dakota will witness the largest clash of cultures since 1973. There are many places in America where sacred and/or historical places are preserved by a green zone or buffer zone against unwanted developments interfering with the nature of the place or experience. Only greed can deny Bear Butte the same respect and care. It is long past time that all further development be put on hold until the preservation of all aspects of maintaining Bear Butte can be considered (including tolerable noise and traffic levels) to preserve what is left of a sacred environment. I call on the State and County to close Highway 79 between SD Hwys 34 and 212 during the Sturgis Bike Rally and that alternate routes be found or constructed. I further call on the State to limit public access to the mountain during June so ceremonies can take place on the sacred mountain. Over the last few years a grassroots organization called the "Defenders of the Black Hills" led the struggle to stop the illegal placement of an unacceptably noisy shooting range a few miles from the sacred mountain. Although I can not speak for them, as a founding member I intend to ask that stopping this development be placed very high on our agenda at the next meeting. It may take lawsuits, or national boycotts of "Broken Spoke Saloons", it may take protests and letter writing, it may once more take much sacrifice on the part of our people but it is a struggle we must take on if we are to survive as whole people and Nations. The good thing out of this bad news is that Mr.Allen's plan has offended every Indian person in South Dakota and the entire Great Plains area. We must unite as never before to crush this proposal and stop any future attacks on our real "Sacred Grounds", our beloved mountain. In this fight Teton Lakota and Cheyenne warriors can struggle alongside Crow, Shoshoni and Mandan, Blackfoot, Ojibway and Arikara. Ponca like me can join with Pawnee, Otoe, Kaw, Osage, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne and Arapahoe who journey here from exile in Oklahoma to maintain our ties to the sacred mountain. We must call on our Tribal Governments for support and the whole world for assistance in this effort. We must enlist the many resources of Indian Country to beat back this obscene development proposal and enact protective laws to protect her. On this we must stake our sashes to the ground. On this we can not fail! Carter Camp, Ponca Nation "If you take the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible IS the wind." Statement by an anonymous Indigenous Woman. --------- "RE: Navajo president asks for Richardson's help" --------- Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 07:20:50 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="STOPPING URANIUM POISONING" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/08/27//872570690059d40d.txt Navajo president asks for Richardson's help By The Associated Press August 27, 2005 SANTA FE (AP) -- Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. has asked for Gov. Bill Richardson's help in stopping a Canadian company from getting permission to mine uranium on tribal land in northwestern New Mexico. Shirley met with Richardson on Tuesday to talk about the plans of Strathmore Minerals Corp., which has opened an office in Santa Fe and plans to pursue permits to mine uranium at two sites in McKinley County, including an area near Church Rock on the Navajo Nation. Shirley signed legislation in April that bans uranium mining and processing on the tribe's land, which spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. "The Navajo Nation as a government and a people has said we're not going to have uranium mining on Navajoland or in Navajo Country," Shirley said. "We'd like to see that law stick." There is currently no uranium mining on the reservation, which covers 27,000 square miles in the Four Corners area and holds one of the world's largest deposits of uranium ore. Mining companies began blasting holes on Navajo land in the 1940s and operations continued for nearly 40 years until decreased demand closed the mines. By then, the Navajos were left with radiation sickness, contaminated tailings and abandoned mines. To avoid repeating the past, Navajo leaders and grassroots organizations have been working for years to keep mining from starting again. Strathmore officials have met with the governor's office in hopes of gaining state approval to reopen the Church Rock and Roca Honda mines it purchased from Kerr McGee Nuclear and Rio Algom. Shirley said Richardson assured him he would not take action without consulting with the Navajo Nation. "Because of exposure to uranium, many of my medicine people have died, many of my elderly have died," Shirley said. "I'd sure hate to go back there. Too many of my people have died." Strathmore, in a news release issued earlier this month, said it was seeking the permits to mine in New Mexico based on the extensive drilling that has already been done in the area and the favorable feasibility studies done by previous owners. The company also said the historical production from adjacent properties was promising. The company said it was preparing documents needed for permitting, including an archaeological and cultural resources clearance, hydrological evaluations, spill prevention and a reclamation plan. Studies of the mine sites are scheduled to begin next spring, the company said. Copyright c. 2005 by the Casper Star-Tribune published by Lee Publications, Inc. --------- "RE: Grant helps Reservation secure Water Supply" --------- Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 08:59:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CRST WATER" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/009973.asp http://www.argusleader.com/AID=/20050824/NEWS/508240340/1001 Grant helps reservation secure water supply JON WALKER jwalker@argusleader.com August 24, 2005 A South Dakota Indian reservation will be able to sidestep a looming emergency on water supply because money is now in place to pay for a better delivery system from the Missouri River. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe said Tuesday that a $14.6 million plan can proceed to move the intake source for the Mni Waste water system, which serves 14,000 state residents northwest of Pierre. Silt building up in the Cheyenne River has threatened to plug the water system's current intake, and years of drought have jeopardized the flow. The intake will move from the Cheyenne east and north to Lake Oahe, where it will have a cleaner and more reliable source near the main channel of the Missouri. The final $800,000 to cover the cost arrived in a grant the South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources approved Tuesday. Mni Waste, pronounced "minny wash-tee" and meaning "good water" in Lakota, reaches Dewey, Ziebach and Meade counties to serve residents on the Cheyenne River Reservation and several towns, including Faith, Eagle Butte, Dupree and Isabel. It has a similar name but is separate from the Mni Wiconi system in southwest South Dakota. "This is incredibly important," tribal attorney Rebecca Kidder said from Eagle Butte. "The Mni Waste is at risk of failing by next August because the water intake is silting in and the water level is so low." The state previously gave $100,000 to the project, which goes with $1 million from the Indian Health Service and nearly $3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kidder said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is paying $8.5 million. "This is really the only water source for a lot of those people," said David Templeton, director of the division of financial and technical assistance for the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "This project will be ready to operate next August if water levels continue to drop." The Cheyenne flows into the Missouri at Lake Oahe. The lake, like the Cheyenne, is low on water, but the intake will be deeper to guarantee a steady supply. "This is a long-term solution that should solve the problem for many years to come," said Kim Smith, information specialist with the DENR. Kidder expects a groundbreaking on Labor Day weekend 40 miles upstream from Pierre. "This is not just about water for 14,000 people," Kidder said. "Two whole counties and part of a third, the state of South Dakota, 16 communities, tribal government, the Corps of Engineers, IHS, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDA and Housing and Urban Development - all came together to contribute." Reach reporter Jon Walker at 331-2206 or 800-530-6397. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Blue-green algae making Reservoirs toxic" --------- Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 08:31:26 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="KLAMATH RIVER" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_2972379 Blue-green algae making reservoirs toxic John Driscoll August 26, 2005 Two reservoirs on the Klamath River are flush with toxic algae of the same type that has killed dogs that drank from Big Lagoon and the South Fork of the Eel River in recent years. A recent analysis of the water in Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs by the Karuk Tribe found that levels of the algae put swimmers and waders at risk. The blue green algae produces microcystin, was can produce skin irritation, diarrhea and other ill effects and be harmful to the liver in the long term. "It's possible that it's harming the liver without anyone knowing," said Karuk consultant Jacob Kann of Aquatic Ecosystems Sciences in Ashland, Ore. The Karuk Tribe this week was urging officials to warn lake goers of the hazard. The algae is native to the watershed, but isn't abundant in moving water. The two dams are among those operated by Pacificorp for hydroelectric generation, and are among those being considered for relicensing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. An analysis of the effects of Pacificorp's project is not included in the vast array of studies submitted to the commission. "This particular issue was never raised," by a group of stakeholders focused on water quality for the relicensing, said Pacificorp spokesman Jon Coney. At present, the utility has no plans to do an analysis of its own, he said. John Driscoll covers natural resources/industry. He can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com. Copyright c. 2005 Times - Standard. --------- "RE: Arizona braces for Water War" --------- Date: Friday, August 26, 2005 1:04 AM From: Robert Dorman [redorman@medscape.com] Subj: Arizona braces for water war Mailing List: Big Mountain http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0825waterwar25.html Arizona braces for water war $1.5 million sought to fight Colorado River lawsuits Shaun McKinnon The Arizona Republic Aug. 25, 2005 12:00 AM Arizona has created a legal defense fund to protect its Colorado River allocation in the event a simmering dispute among other states flares into a regional water war. The state hopes to raise at least $1.5 million in the coming months to prepare for possible lawsuits, though officials admit costs could climb many times higher if the dispute spills into a courtroom. At stake is Arizona's ability to grow. A worst-case loss in court could force the state to give up half of the water that flows through the Central Arizona Project Canal and leave it in reservoirs to benefit upstream users or satisfy a treaty with Mexico. Most of that water is now reserved for cities in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties or set aside to settle claims with Indian tribes. Representatives from all seven Colorado River states will meet today in San Diego to consider a plan that might solve some of the issues without legal action. The plan is aimed at wringing every possible drop from the river even if it means punching holes in clouds. The states hope to submit their proposals to Interior Secretary Gale Norton next week as part of a larger effort to create a long-term drought plan for the Colorado. Drought and growth have pushed the river past its limits and renewed tensions among the states, whose bickering dates back decades. Without a workable plan, "litigation is inevitable at some point," said Herb Guenther, director of the state Department of Water Resources. "We've been staring at it for a long time. But we're trying to avoid the head-on collision and see if we can't work together on these issues." Guenther's agency ponied up the first $200,000 for the defense fund, and the state will ask boards governing the CAP and Salt River Project to contribute similar amounts. Guenther said a fund-raising committee will then seek donations from others with a stake in the river, including cities and home builders. The state has also retained a lawyer who specializes in water to help with legal research and planning. The decision to begin raising money for legal action pushes Arizona further into a battle that it had largely avoided in recent years, though the state is certainly no stranger to river wars. Arizona vs. California, a landmark case that helped define the way the Colorado is managed, grew out of Arizona's refusal to ratify the original river compact. "The Colorado River is extremely important to the state of Arizona," said John Sullivan, associate general manager of SRP's water group and a member of the fund-raising committee. "When other states begin to make noises about threatening Arizona's supply, I think the whole state needs to get involved." The threat stems from arguments over how the river and its tributaries are divided among users. In states along the upper river, which include Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah, water taken from tributaries is counted against the states' shares. In states on the lower river - Arizona, Nevada and California - tributaries are not included in the accounting. That means Arizona, the primary beneficiary to the difference in rules, can use water from the Salt and Verde rivers, for example, and still take its full share of the Colorado. Arizona won the tributary issue during negotiations over the original Colorado River compact, the set of laws and agreements that governs the river. But, in recent years, Colorado and other upper river states have argued that the lower river states have abused the rule and, as a result, take more than they should. What may force the argument to the table is a plan by Nevada to divert water from the Virgin River to thirsty Las Vegas, which has exhausted its Colorado River allocation. The Virgin flows into the Colorado at Lake Mead. Officials from Colorado and Wyoming protested the proposal, telling federal regulators it would rob the Colorado River of a significant amount of water. Those states say that, because the Virgin flows into the Colorado, any water taken from it should be counted against Nevada's share. Arizona officials fear that, if the dispute over the Virgin River lands in court, the upper river states could demand that other states account for water taken from their tributaries. In addition, the upper river states could ask the court to force the lower river states to deliver all the water that Mexico gets from the Colorado, an obligation all seven states now share. State officials believe as much as 750,000 acre-feet could be lost. Because the CAP holds the most junior rights to the river, the water would be taken from the canal, leaving it at half-strength. (An acre-foot covers an acre to the depth of 1 foot, or 325,851 gallons. It would meet the needs of a family of five for a year.) CAP officials believe the seven states can forge an agreement and avoid court, but they acknowledge the risk. "We all have something at risk when we litigate," said Sid Wilson, the CAP's general manager. "If we could work together on a program of management, we could all be winners for a good long while." The plan under consideration today would focus on augmenting the river's flow, adding water by seeding clouds, removing non-native vegetation such as salt cedar, adding storage on the lower river and simply managing the water more efficiently. Wilson said he is confident such an approach could add 1 million acre-feet of water or more per year, easing the pressure on the lower river states. Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said what is happening now could be "a lot of saber-rattling," but she said Nevada can't just do nothing. "It would show a real failure on everyone's part if we end up in court," she said. "If we're pushed, we may not have a choice. Given what our resource picture is, we have no choice but to be dogged." Colorado created its own legal fund earlier this year and staked out its position that the lower river states, Arizona in particular, have taken more than their share of Colorado River water. Officials there have softened their public stance and have pledged to work on a cooperative plan. "We believe that we water professionals should be able to do a better job of managing the river than leaving it up to a judge or a court," said Scott Balcomb, Colorado's representative on the Upper Colorado River Commission. "Our thrust right now is to attempt to get some kind of a seven-states agreement in place" "(Still), I don't blame Arizona for being concerned about the situation that is unfolding," he said. "My boss was quoted in the Colorado papers indicating that if we needed to, we would have our own legal defense fund ready. Being ready to litigate, if that turns out to be the only option, is only prudent. None of us is gambling on an agreement." --------- "RE: Tribe: State Violated Order" --------- Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:28:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SCHAGHTICOKE CHARGE CONNECTICUT WITH COVERT INFLUENCE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-indianintrigue0823.artaug23 Tribe: State Violated Order - Charge Covert Influence Effort By RICK GREEN, Courant Staff Writer August 23, 2005 The Schaghticoke Indians say they have evidence of a covert campaign - violating a federal judge's order - that included Gov. M. Jodi Rell and led to the Interior Department's decision this year to revoke their recognition. In new court documents, including e-mails, letters and other communications obtained through subpoenas, the tribe suggests that a citizens group, the Town Action to Save Kent, was enlisted by government officials to improperly influence the Schaghticoke ruling. The tribe wants U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey to force TASK and its lobbyists to reveal even more. One e-mail document from TASK boasts that "the governor has an appointment call with Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior. TASK placed two items on the Governor's talking agenda." If Rell contacted Norton about the Schaghticoke recognition, that could violate the "no contact" order issued by Dorsey, who is overseeing the tribe's recognition. Worried about the integrity of the much-criticized federal tribal recognition process, Dorsey ordered in June 2004 that the Schaghticokes and their opponents not contact the Interior Department without providing advance notice to the court. While the town of Kent and the state of Connecticut are prohibited from contacting the Interior Department, TASK is not. The Schaghticokes say the state and Kent have been "actively involved" with TASK's lobbying and influence campaign. On Jan. 21 of this year, staff from the governor's office met with TASK leaders and their Washington lobbyists for a joint strategy session. The Schaghticokes, who are fighting to prove the decision to overturn their recognition was tainted, contend that TASK, working with the town and state officials, engineered a sophisticated scheme to convince Interior to reverse its January 2004 ruling recognizing the tribe. Adam Liegeot, a Rell spokesman, said the governor had no personal dealings with TASK. He emphasized that her call to Norton, made in late November of 2004, was made independent of TASK and involved a general discussion about federal recognition of Indian tribes. "The governor's discussion with Secretary Norton had nothing to do with the Schaghticoke decision," he said. "The subject of the call was the recognition process. "The governor had no personal interaction with TASK. She called Secretary Norton on her own accord," Liegeot said. TASK's leaders and the group's lawyers say they were only doing what citizens are allowed to do - hire lobbyists to represent them in Washington. The Schaghticokes, for example, also have hired lobbying and law firms in Washington. The question is whether TASK's lobbyists violated Dorsey's order forbidding anyone directly involved in the Schaghticoke case from having contact with "any officials in the immediate offices of the Secretary of the Interior ... with respect to this petition." An e-mail from Loren L. Monroe, chief operating officer of Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., the Washington lobby firm hired by TASK, states that he is working to "ensure tight coordination of the implementation of . .. strategies among the governor, the congressional delegation and local officials." Monroe goes on to report to TASK that "there are a number of opportunities in the near term to further our strategy of surrounding the Department of Interior with regards to the BIA." In court documents filed last week, the Schaghticokes allege that Barbour Griffith's "entire lobbying strategy is focused on using influence with third parties to affect the BIA's decision." The Schaghticokes describe TASK "as a stalking horse to make otherwise prohibited contacts." The Schaghticokes are trying to convince Dorsey to require TASK leaders and Barbour Griffith lobbyists to submit to court depositions. Further, they want both TASK and Barbour Griffith to turn over all internal documents, including financial information. "We don't subscribe to this conspiracy theory," said Francis J. Collins, lawyer for TASK. "The coordination that [Barbour Griffith] provided was to make everyone aware of TASK's positions. That was entirely what they were hired to do. ... They have done just what they were supposed to do." Collins noted that TASK did what any U.S. citizen can do - hire a representative in Washington to promote its cause. In TASK's case, the group hired an influential lobbying firm at a time when an appeals panel at the Interior Department was considering the Schaghticoke recognition. The Schaghticokes "think TASK was the trigger that turned Interior Board of Indian Appeals against them," Collins said. "I don't think anybody knows whether that had anything to do with it." TASK Vice President Jim Perkins released a statement Monday evening stating that his group "asked our elected officials - in Hartford and Washington - for their support and made sure they understood our concerns. Naive to the process, we hired [Barbour Griffith & Rogers] to help. "We're a town of 3,000 people trying to find money for a new fire station and pay off a recent school renovation. We didn't call on the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Department of the Interior. We talked about it, but concluded it made no sense for us to do that. Efforts to place TASK at the BIA and by implication suggest it is part of a conspiracy are, as are most such implications, ludicrous, the stuff of tabloids and television, and not to be believed." In an affidavit filed last month, Barbour Griffith lobbyist Bradley A. Blakeman stated that he had only one contact with the Interior Department, a phone call that was not returned, which he made in May after the Schaghticoke recognition was overturned. He declined to comment Monday. The Schaghticokes also point to the relationship between Kent's elected leaders and TASK. Members of the board of selectmen attended and helped organize meetings. Kent First Selectwoman Dolores Schiesel also visited the White House with TASK and Barbour Griffith representatives this spring. Schaghticoke lawyer David Reif said TASK and Barbour Griffith must be forced to reveal all information they have about their campaign. Both groups have refused to testify and have declined to release additional documents. "What we have in terms of contacts between the people and the town and TASK ... certainly increases our suspicions that TASK was being used as a stalking horse for at least the town," Reif said. "We certainly are concerned that they were using TASK as a mouthpiece to say things. We think everything ought to be before Judge Dorsey." ---- A discussion of this story with Courant Staff Writer Rick Green is scheduled to be shown on New England Cable News each hour today between 9 a.m. and noon. Copyright c. 2005 by The Hartford Courant. --------- "RE: BIA to hold consultation sessions on Education" --------- Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 07:20:50 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BIA EDUCATION PROGRAM" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/010022.asp BIA to hold consultation sessions on education August 26, 2005 A proposal to restructure the Bureau of Indian Affairs education program is on the agenda for tribal consultation sessions next week. Comments are sought on the addition of three bureaucratic positions to the Office of Indian Education Programs. These deputy directors would oversee the 184 schools that make up the BIA system. The BIA is also taking comments on the location of the line offices with direct authority over the schools. The restructuring would reduce the number of line officers from 22 to 17, according to an organizational chart prepared for the consultation meetings. The goal of the reorganization is to increase accountability for the operation of the schools as well as the performance of the estimated 47, 000 American Indian and Alaska Native students who attend them. Only 46 of the 184 schools, or 25 percent, met the adequate yearly progress (AYP) standard under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The restructuring will "provide enhanced senior leadership and accountability to the BIA education programs," the BIA documents state. As part of the proposal, the BIA plans to add three associate deputy director positions under the OIEP director. Two deputies would be responsible for schools that are directly managed by the BIA. The third would oversee schools that are operated by tribes. According to the BIA, the deputies are necessary because there are currently only two senior leadership positions for over 5,000 employees. Additionally, schools operated directly by the BIA don't perform as well as their tribal counterparts. Only 8 of the 62 BIA controlled met the AYP standard. In contrast, 38 of the 122 tribal schools passed. Neither number is high enough, though, so the BIA and the Education Department are proposing to improve AYP performance under a memorandum of agreement that is also on next week's agenda. By 2014, 100 percent of students will be proficient or advanced, the two agencies project. As of the 2001-2002 school year, only 34 percent of BIA students were proficient or advanced. Starting in the 2005-2006 school year and continuing through the 2013-2014 school year, the agreement seeks to move 5.5 percent of students out of the "basic" category and into the proficient or advanced level. Under the proposed reorganization, one associate deputy will be responsible solely for schools on the Navajo Nation. This "Navajo" deputy would oversee 33 Navajo schools, about 2,300 employees and about 9,800 students. The second associate deputy would oversee 28 BIA schools located elsewhere in Indian Country. About 1,800 employees and 8,300 students are covered by the "non-Navajo" deputy. The final associate deputy, for the 123 tribal-controlled schools, would oversee about 30,000 students. Each associate deputy would have control over the line offices. The "Navajo" deputy has four: West New Mexico (9 schools), East New Mexico (9 schools), East Arizona (9 schools) and West Arizona (7 schools). The "non-Navajo" deputy's line offices are: New Mexico (9 schools), Arizona (8 schools), North Dakota (2 schools), South Dakota (4 schools) and Oregon (4 schools and 1 dorm). The third deputy's line officers are: Oregon/Montana/California/Idaho (16 schools), Arizona/New Mexico (18 non-Navajo schools), Oklahoma/Minnesota (16 schools), Arizona/Utah (14 schools), New Mexico (18 Navajo schools), South and Eastern (15 schools), South Dakota (17 schools), North Dakota (9 schools). The proposed restructuring, the agreement with the Education Department and a draft policy for facilities management and construction will be discussed at seven meetings next week. On August 29, meetings will be held in Phoenix, Arizona; Gallup, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. On August 30, meetings will be held in Aberdeen, South Dakota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Nashville, Tennessee. Written comments must be sent to the BIA by September 30, 2005. The address is: Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indain Education Programs Attn: Mail Stop 3609-MIB / Tribal Consultation 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Faxes may be sent to 202.273.0030. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Apache unhappy over reburials at Cliff Dwellings" --------- Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 08:26:59 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS" http://www.krqe.com/expandedb.asp?RECORD_KEY[newsb]=ID&ID%5Bnewsb%5D=11744 Apache man unhappy over reburials at Gila Cliff Dwellings Source: AP SILVER CITY, N.M. - Apache leader Geronimo's great-grandson is upset about the reburial of American Indian remains at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Harlyn Geronimo says Apaches weren't consulted. Acoma Pueblo medicine men earlier this month held private ceremonies to rebury the remains of 224 people. The remains had been stored in boxes from archaeological digs and studies in the Gila National Forest during the past century. Only representatives of three pueblo tribes -- the Hopi, Zuni and Acoma -- helped determine where the remains should be buried as mandated under the 1990 Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. Geronimo says he wonders if DNA tests had been conducted to determine whether the remains were Pueblo or Apache. Copyright c. 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Copyright c. 2005 News 13 KRQE-TV. --------- "RE: Pueblos Protest on Anniversary of 1860 Revolt" --------- Date: Monday, August 22, 2005 2:47 PM From: David [wlkwcougar57@suscom.net] Subj: Pueblos Protest on Anniversary of 1860 Revolt! Mailing List: Rez_Life Pueblos protest on anniversary of 1680 revolt Posted: August 22, 2005 by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today SANTA FE, N.M. - On the anniversary of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, Pueblo tribal members protested at the New Mexico state capitol in opposition to the city of Albuquerque's Tricentennial Celebration and the creation of statues of Juan de Onate, which they say honor conquistadors. At the capitol, Santa Ana Pueblo Councilman Manuel R. Cristobal read a proclamation intended for Gov. Bill Richardson. "Honoring a murderer such as Onate is offensive to the Pueblo people, as a monument to Hitler is to the Jews or a monument to Stalin is to the Russian people," Cristobal said in his address. "There should either be no monument, or a monument honoring the various peoples of New Mexico." Cristobal said Richardson did not attend or send a representative to meet the Pueblo delegation protesting outdoors. Richardson, contacted through his press office, did not immediately return a request for comment to Indian Country Today. Tribal members from Taos Pueblo, San Ildefonso Pueblo and Santa Ana Pueblo were among those protesting. Cristobal identified himself as Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo, and addressed the governor, elders, family and friends. Cristobal voiced opposition to the tricentennial celebration, the construction of the more than four-story-high statue of Onate commissioned by the city of El Paso, Texas and the installation of the 60-foot "La Entrada" monument at the Albuquerque Museum. "Today on the anniversary of the Pueblo Revolt, Aug. 10, 1680, I honor the San Juan Pueblo leader Po'pay (Pope') who led the Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1680, and the only successful American Indian revolution against the powerful sovereign of Spain," Cristobal said. "We also commemorate this historic moment to all the warriors - the Keres, Walatowa, Tiwa, Tewa, Zuni, Hopi, Apache, Comanche and Dine' [Navajo]. We honor this day with a peaceful gesture, a symbol of hope." Cristobal said the tricentennial and monuments of conquistadors would honor the "genocide of indigenous people of the Southwest." It is time, he said, for Pueblos to re-examine their feasts days. "For 300 years, our Pueblo people have celebrated these Catholic feast days to honor who? The legacy of Onate and the tricentennial; Spanish colonialism under Spanish rule. "Pueblos were forced into labor to build Catholic churches. We were the labor force! Churches were built with this slavery. A lot of our indigenous people don't understand this history. The true history of New Mexico is not taught in the public schools, colleges and universities. "Do we accept the legacies of the conquistadores? Do we address this issue to our Pueblos, and start to speak the truth about genocide and Spanish colonialism?" Cristobal also spoke out on the rights of women. "Even today, Pueblo women have no power to vote in tribal councils. Women in Iraq have more rights - the right to vote." Cristobal said the bottom line is human rights and the right to be free as a sovereign nation. Pueblos must secure their right to say and speak the truth, as protected by the First Amendment - the right to free speech, he said. Urging Pueblo people to speak out with the voice of truth, he said, "Come unite with the spirit of Po'pay who unites us today to stand as warriors, and to the Native women who are the foundation of Indian life, to oppose this tricentennial celebration," he said at the protest. Cristobal, in an interview with ICT, said Pueblos should think seriously about celebrations honoring santos (saints) and the feast day dramas that are re-enactments of defeats to conquistadors. "This is a reminder of our colonization. In my mind, this was not Po'pay's vision. "Navajos and Lakotas don't have santos in their ceremonies; why do we have saints? We are just accepting colonized genocide." He urged Pueblo youths to learn more about the leader of the Pueblo Revolt, Po'pay, who is being honored with a statue in the National Statuary Hall in Washington this fall. Still, he said El Paso's monument of Onate is mammoth in comparison. "We need to heal our differences, but this type of monument will only create divisions and hate," he said, pointing out that taxpayers' dollars are being expended on the celebration and monuments. Repeating his words addressed to the governor, he said, "Today we have to make statements to the world, to all the Indian nations about the genocide and colonialism. Today, as Pueblo people we are addressing our human rights, the right to be free as a sovereign nation." Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. --------- "RE: Ohio seeks dismissal of Ottawa Tribe's lawsuit" --------- Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2005 09:06:55 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OKLAHOMA OTTAWA RIGHTS CLAIM" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/12464156.htm AG asks court to throw out tribe's suit claiming fishing rights Associated Press August 24, 2005 TOLEDO, Ohio - The state's attorney general asked a federal judge on Wednesday to throw out a lawsuit filed by the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma seeking commercial fishing rights on Lake Erie without government restrictions. The lawsuit, filed in June against the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, says the state should not be allowed to regulate or limit the tribe's fishing rights based on a 200-year-old treaty. The tribe told the state this year that it wanted Ohio to recognize its fishing rights and that it intended to use gill net fishing in Lake Erie, a practice that's illegal in Ohio. But Attorney General Jim Petro said the tribe's complaint was based on a treaty that had nothing to do with Lake Erie or fishing rights. The tribe signed the Treaty of Fort Industry on July 4, 1805. They agreed to give up land in Ohio and received fishing rights in Lake Erie, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. Petro earlier this year rejected the tribe's claim for at least part of the North Bass Island. He said professors at two Ohio universities found no credible evidence the tribe had inhabited, used or controlled the island. The state bought much of the island in 2003. An attorney for the tribe has said that the Ottawas were not planning to use the claim as leverage to win a casino deal. The Ottawas are among at least three tribes that have pursued a casino in Ohio. There are no federally recognized Indian tribes or lands in Ohio. Copyright c. 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Copyright c. 2005 Akron Beacon Journal. --------- "RE: Indian Health Service head visits New Town" --------- Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 08:59:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="IHS HOSPITAL" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/12458360.htm Indian Health Service head visits New Town Associated Press August 23, 2005 NEW TOWN, N.D. - Members of the Three Affiliated Tribes and Rep. Earl Pomeroy pushed for a new hospital here as the head of the Indian Health Service visited the Fort Berthold Reservation on Tuesday. Adrian Foote, a tribal elder, told Dr. Charles Grim that the federal government has been promising a new health center for decades but has not delivered. Tribal Chairman Tex Hall said he was pleased Grim visited the reservation, and said it provides hope that the tribe will eventually get a new hospital. Grim offered a fair review of the proposal but did not indicate it would become reality soon. He said it is frustrating when a person realizes "you don't have the ability to immediately meet that need." Pomeroy, D-N.D., said the life expectancy of people on the reservation is 12 years below the national average. "(The government's) obligation, while it continues unmet, literally is shortening the lives" of tribal members, he said. Grim is scheduled to continue his visit Wednesday, touring clinics on the reservation and holding discussions on health services. Hall said it is Grim's first visit to an American Indian reservation in North Dakota. Copyright c. 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Tribes acquire Leading Renewable Energy Marketer" --------- Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 5:21 PM From: Billy Connelly [billy.connelly@nativeenergy.com] Subj: Tribes Acquire Leading Renewable Energy Marketer > To: gars@nanews.org Also available in PDF on our site: http://www.nativeenergy.com/Native-owned_RELEASE_8-16-051.pdf FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tom Stoddard, NativeEnergy, 802-425-3419, tom.stoddard@nativeenergy.com Patrick Spears, Intertribal COUP, 605-945-1908, pnspears2@aol.com NativeEnergy is now Native-Owned! Intertribal COUP acquires majority stake in leading renewable energy marketer, on behalf of its member tribes. Rosebud, SD and Charlotte, VT - NativeEnergy, the leading national marketer of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and greenhouse gas offsets, and the nonprofit Intertribal Council On Utility Policy (COUP), announced today that COUP has acquired a majority interest in NativeEnergy on behalf of its member tribes. The conversion of one of the country's leading renewable energy marketers into a Native American-owned business marks the next step in the Great Plains tribes' historic effort to power America with Native wind and fight global warming. The equity investment will give the COUP tribes direct access to the retail market for the renewable power and RECs that their wind farms will generate. The sale of RECs is critical to the successful development of wind farms on the Great Plains reservations. In the past, COUP has looked to NativeEnergy as a wholesale purchaser of wind RECs, whose client list includes recognized leaders Ben & Jerry's, Clif Bar, Stonyfield Farm, NRDC, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Aveda, College of the Atlantic, and Dave Matthews Band. Participating in the retail sale of RECs through NativeEnergy will bring additional revenues to the COUP tribes, as well as access to NativeEnergy's loyal customer base. These revenues are vital to build sustainable economies for the tribes, in harmony with tribal cultural beliefs. "This is a great day for Native American people everywhere because we are demonstrating that living in harmony with our Mother Earth is not only good for the environment, it is also good business," says COUP President Patrick Spears, a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. "We congratulate NativeEnergy on their success on behalf of the COUP tribes' wind development efforts, and appreciate the demonstrated integrity of their management team. The strategic fit could not be better. We look forward to bringing in more tribes as equity participants and taking NativeEnergy to the next level," Spears says. One of the initial strategic goals of the acquisition is to facilitate the development of an 80 Megawatt (MW) distributed wind project, hosted in 10 MW "clusters" at eight different COUP reservations. In addition to providing enough clean energy to power more than 23,000 homes, these wind farms will also create jobs and revenue streams for the tribes from the sale of electricity and the RECs. This initiative follows the success of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe wind project, the first 100% Native American-owned and operated commercial-scale wind facility, which was built with significant support from NativeEnergy's customers. Wind turbines generate electricity that would otherwise have to come from polluting power facilities on the regional grid, preventing carbon dioxide (CO2), a leading cause of global warming, from entering the air. These reductions in CO2 emissions are among the environmental attributes that comprise the RECs. Since its inception in 2000 NativeEnergy has focused on promoting tribal and farmer-owned projects that help tribes and rural communities develop sustainable economies based on the generation of clean, renewable energy. "We will develop a transition and growth plan for the company that will create Native American ownership, management, and staff opportunities and allow NativeEnergy to continue to build and access the market for tribally generated renewable energy, while continuing our support of "off- reservation" renewable projects in partnership with the COUP tribes," says President & CEO Tom Boucher. NativeEnergy's existing stockholders and management team will stay with the company, with COUP actively participating on the company's board of directors. Through NativeEnergy, the COUP tribes plan to engage businesses and individuals across America in joining the fight against global warming, by helping finance the development of the tribes' vast renewable energy potential. ---- About NativeEnergy: NativeEnergy is a national marketer of renewable energy credits or "green tags," offering individuals and organizations a means to compensate for their global warming pollution, or to effectively power their homes and businesses with renewable energy. NativeEnergy's patent-pending business process brings upfront payment to renewable projects for their future green tag output, enabling its customers to help finance the construction of new wind farms and other renewable energy projects, such as tribal wind projects and methane digesters on Pennsylvania family dairy farms, which directly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels to meet the nation's electricity needs. Online at: www. NativeEnergy.com. ---- About Intertribal Council On Utility Policy: The Intertribal COUP is a nonprofit council of federally recognized Indian tribes in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa, with affiliates throughout the northern Great Plains. Organized in 1994, it is chartered and headquartered on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation to provide a tribal forum for policy issues dealing with telecommunications and energy utility operations and services. Intertribal COUP strongly adheres to the principles of tribal self- determination and ecological sustainability, supporting the development of sustainable homeland economies built upon renewable energy resources. Online at: www.intertribalcoup.org. ### --------- "RE: Crossing into Canada more hassle since 9/11" --------- Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 08:20:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BORDER CROSSING PROBLEMS" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://news.bellinghamherald.com//20050822/NEWS03/508220320 Tribes get no border breaks Crossing into Canada more hassle since 9/11 SERENA LEI THE BELLINGHAM HERALD August 22, 2005 Before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack, Lummi tribal member Bernie Thomas used to breeze through the U.S.-Canada border crossing, but now officers no longer recognize his tribal ID. "I've tried to use the tribal ID but the border guard told me that we could be admitting Saddam Hussein into the tribe," Thomas said. Five years ago, "if I indicated that I was from Lummi, they would get my license plate and say 'Have a nice day.'" It's no surprise that crossing the border in a post 9/11 world is more difficult, but some tribal members fear their treaty rights - which allow free passage between the United States and Canada - are being sidestepped. James Hillaire, also a Lummi member, said crossing the border has become more inconvenient, but he understands the need for tighter security. "I think they're doing their best," Hillaire said. "They've got a dangerous job there." According to Mike Milne, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a tribal ID is proper identification for a border crossing, but agents can ask for additional documentation if they think it's necessary. "Everyone is subject to inspection and examination," Milne said. "In a post-9/11 environment, we certainly do that with a great deal more vigor and vigilance than we did before, and that's across the board." AN ARTIFICIAL LINE Tribes in Whatcom County may not face the confusion of tribes like Arizona's Tohono O'odham Nation, whose land is split in half by the U.S.- Mexico border, but their relationship to the border is still complex. "It's not our border," Hillaire said. "It's not something that we implemented. The (U.S.-Canada) border divides families." Thomas goes to Vancouver, B.C., two to three times a month to visit family long since divided by the border. "The border does represent a significant obstacle to having a close family relationship," Thomas said. It can also complicate cultural gatherings, said Jeff Smith, a tribal member of the Makah Nation on the Olympic Peninsula. Smith helped organize this year's intertribal Canoe Journey, which brought together tribes from the Pacific Northwest and Canada. The event recreates the tradition of visiting tribes by canoe, although, in the past, canoe pullers didn't have to worry about paying customs duties on their gifts. "It's just more of a hassle to cross the border," Smith said. "We know that there is this political reality, but socially and culturally it's somewhat artificial." Copyright c. 2005 The Bellingham Herald. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Shoshone bring Diabetes Battle Home" --------- Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 08:20:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SAH-GAHNI WELLNESS CENTER" http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2005/08/21/news/local_news/news1.txt Shoshone Bring Diabetes Battle Home: Sah-Gahni Center opens Friday in Elko By MARIANNE KOBAK - Staff Writer August 20, 2005 ELKO - The future health of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone will be helped through the tribe's new Diabetes - Sah-Gahni Center. The center, which had its grand opening Friday, was created in the old arts and crafts building on Sunset Street that was renovated through the hard work of numerous tribal members, said Phaline Conklin, diabetes center coordinator. The center contains a clinic, nutrition area, kitchen, conference room and exercise equipment. Conklin said there also will be support groups and the center will be open to all tribal members Sept. 1. "This is very important," Conklin said. "It's important for prevention for the generations coming up." For the native population who are diagnosed, there is a 10 percent prevalence for diabetes, which compares to 7 percent in other ethnic groups, Conklin said. The tribe has been working on the center since Dec. 6. It is funded through congressional grants, said Dr. Charles Rhodes of Indian Health Service out of the Phoenix office. "It's a base to teach," Rhodes said. "It gives them the tools they need. I was impressed with all of the local effort that went into the building." Besides remodeling the inside of the building, the outside was decorated by local artist Lee Bird. He painted three large logos on the building that can be seen from Interstate 80. Conklin said she and Elwood Mose came up with the idea for the clinic to be a hub for all the tribal members in Elko, Battle Mountain, Wells and South Fork. "We thought' why couldn't we build a center,'" Mose said. "But focus not just on diabetes but on general health." "This has been a program that has been a long time coming," Conklin said. She said this was the eighth year the tribe has received money for diabetes prevention and treatment. Conklin said she wants everyone in the tribe to use the building. "This is a place to sit and visit," Conklin said. "I want you to be here... The power in this building is incredible. The power in the building comes from the positive thinking of the crew. "I'm hoping the children come here and get on the exercise equipment," she said. "Some people may think the building is just for adults and that's absolutely not true. It's for people of all ages." The next step will be to get a nurse practitioner for the center, Conklin said. There also will be specialty clinics in podiatry and optometry. "In the future there could be anything, really," she said of the specialty clinics. The hours for the center will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Conklin may be reached at 738-4881. Free Press writer Marianne Kobak can be reached at 748-2719 or by e-mail at crime@elkodaily.com. Copyright c. 2005 Elko Daily Free Press. --------- "RE: Staking Claim: Shoshone seek partial payouts" --------- Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:28:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WHERE'S THE MONEY" http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2005/08/22/news/local_news/news1.txt Staking Claim: Shoshone seek partial payouts By ADELLA HARDING - Staff Writer August 22, 2005 ELKO - Western Shoshone anxious to see at least part of their claims dollars paid to them within a year or two said Saturday they want proposed regulations for cash distribution amended. "More than a year has passed, and the regulations are still not processed," said Nancy Stewart of Fallon, who spoke for the steering committee that worked for congressional passage of a bill allowing distribution of roughly $149 million. President Bush signed the bill July 7, 2004. Stewart said the committee is proposing partial payments to those who send in their forms as soon as possible after the application process opens and BIA verifies who qualify for the money as one-quarter Western Shoshone. The committee is proposing a partial payment be sent 90 days after the application deadline. Stewart said BIA has estimated the entire application and enrollment process could take four to seven years. "That means we might have to wait until 2013 before the enrollment process is complete," she read from the written comment the committee prepared to send to Washington, D.C. Daisy West, director of tribal operation services for BIA, said last year in Elko that BIA would look at partial payments for the elderly, but Stewart said the committee is proposing expanding that idea to cover all ages. Stewart said the partial payment also could be an incentive for Western Shoshone to send in their applications early. Duckwater Tribal Chairman Jerry Millet said he supports the idea of partial payment. Taking too long Gracie Begay of Wells said the distribution is taking too much time, and the people are "tired of waiting. The government is telling us what to do with our money." She suggested BIA allow the local BIA agencies to handle applications for a share of the money to speed things up. "It's nonsense to have to wait two or three years," Begay said, also urging others in the audience to speak up for local BIA approval of applications. "Hello. Does anybody care?" she asked as the meeting began to break up. But Sharlot Johnson, regional tribal operator out of Phoenix for BIA, said after Saturday's meeting that BIA will not agree to local processing of applications because the agency wants to be impartial and avoid local politics. Johnson came to Elko Saturday to go over the proposed regulations for the cash distribution, and she explained that the application process will be handled in Phoenix. Those attending the meeting at the Elko Convention Center filled less than half of the auditorium, while Western Shoshone packed the auditorium a year ago for the first BIA meeting to explain the distribution process. Ready to go This time, many of the Western Shoshone people already know about the process and are just waiting for the formal application process to begin, according to Felix Ike, who co-chairs the steering committee with Stewart and Laura Piffero and is a former tribal chairman. "I would say that within the first 90 days, people will easily have their applications done," he said after the meeting. He said the volunteer steering committee has worked with a number of Western Shoshone, and they used draft applications to get their information together so they would be ready to fill out the final applications when the time comes. He recommended families work together on their family lineage. Begay said in her public comments she had heard people were already submitting applications, but Johnson said the final application forms are not yet available. Johnson said plans call for ending public comment and finalizing the regulations for distribution by the end of September and making the applications available by the end of October. "You have to mail them to me in Phoenix," she said, explaining that the decisions on whether an applicant is eligible for the cash distribution will be made at the regional office. Eligibility Individuals must be one-quarter Western Shoshone to qualify, according to the law, and the BIA has documents to check eligibility. Interior Secretary Gale Norton will have the final say on any appeals. Pacheco Gibson, who is on the Te-Moak Tribe's team that is reviewing all tribal enrollments to put together a base role, questioned why the BIA couldn't just use base rolls from the Western Shoshone tribes. Johnson said base rolls will be used as part of the verification process, but the government also will use census rolls prepared between the years 1885 and 1940 and other documents. The law does not require Western Shoshone to be members of a tribe to qualify for the cash, if they meet the one-quarter requirement, she said. To be eligible they also must have been alive as of July 7, 2004, when Bush signed the bill, and they must be U.S. citizens and not received prior claim settlements. Stewart reminded Gibson that the crowd at last year's claims meeting broke into applause when BIA made it clear the cash distribution would not be tied to tribal enrollment. Claims money The $149 million for distribution is the amount the claims settlement fund now totals, with interest on a 1979 award of $26.2 million. Individuals could receive $25,000 if the final count shows, for example, that there are 6,000 qualifying Western Shoshone, and the settlement is $150 million when distributed. Earlier estimates have put the number at 6,000, while Ike said earlier he expects the final number of those eligible to be closer to 4,000. Gibson also asked why the steering committee was still involved since Congress passed the claims distribution law. Stewart said the committee is volunteering to help because people are still coming to them. Johnson said that under the proposed regulations, BIA will count all the applications 180 days after they are available. Once 90 percent are in, the agency will set a final deadline. "It sounds kind of quirky, but it works," Johnson said of the proposed policy. "Please don't wait until the last minute," she told those in the audience. Although BIA is encouraging Western Shoshone to respond early, the proposed regulations at this point state that the agency is expecting 10,000 applications and a two-year enrollment period. The regulations estimate 7,000 applications would come in the first year, and 3,000 the second year. Johnson said after the meeting BIA is pursuing extra funding for additional help to process all the applications. BIA also is planning at public meeting from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Atlantis Casino Resort Convention Center in Reno to go over the proposed regulations and take comments. In addition, written comments may be sent to Daisy West, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1951 Constitution Ave. NW, MS 320-SIB, Washington, D.C. 20240. Copyright c. 2005 Elko Daily Free Press. --------- "RE: HURST: Create Placement Academy for Indians" --------- Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 09:11:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SAM HURST: LEARNING WAY OUT OF POVERTY CYCLE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com//2005/08/29/news/opinion/opin065.txt Sam Hurst: Create advanced placement academy for Indians By Sam Hurst, Journal columnist August 29, 2005 Over the last few months I have taken to long walks along the creek with a good friend and intrepid reporter. We are up to five miles a day, a good long hour to reflect on the deepest problems of the community, which we glibly dispatch every quarter of a mile or so. The really big ones - the war in Iraq, the future of the Supreme Court, the fate of Ellsworth, the nature of God - may take a half mile. We wobble along, usually with great humor and disbelief that no one else (least of all our wives) thinks we are as brilliant as we think we are. In recent weeks, however, there has emerged a question so complicated, so intractable, so shameful, so old, that not a mile, or five, or even weeks of walking have brought us to any real insight. The humor has gone out of the walks. Our ignorance reigns. What can be done about the utterly failed relationship between the Lakota nation, and the white majority of western South Dakota? It is easy, too easy, to look at the staggering rates of unemployment and poverty on the reservations, the domestic abuse, the alcoholism, the poor quality of education, the busted-up families, the loss of language and culture, and hide behind the shallow conclusion that this is "their" problem. But I am reminded of the old adage offered by Ho Chi Minh to describe the American occupation of Vietnam. Americans, he suggested, "are like thieves in the night yelling 'STOP THIEF.'" We created the genocide against the Lakota, killing them, ripping apart their culture and religion and families. We took the land, built our new society and now the wreckage is "their" problem. This week, as school is about to start, I offer one small way to turn "their" problem into "our" problem, but it requires that we turn our approach to Lakota education upside down. Education in Rapid City is segregated, and in our effort to meet the demands of "No Child Left Behind," we focus on programs that improve the chances of survival for the bottom 30 percent of Lakota children: after- school programs, literacy programs, truancy programs, cultural-awareness programs. The arguments in favor of this approach are age old. I know. I've made them myself a hundred times. Education breaks the cycle of poverty. Education keeps kids from drugs and alcohol. Education keeps kids away from crime, and out of prison. But here's my question. In focusing so exclusively on the bottom 30 percent, have we abandoned the top 10 percent? W.E.B. DuBois, the great black intellectual of the early 20th century, once described this group as the "talented tenth." He argued that these individuals, in every community, are the source of innovation, creativity, economic development and, perhaps most important, leadership. The boarding school movement of the last century recognized the value of the "talented tenth." But the boarding schools took the brightest Indian children in the nation away from their tribal homelands, and tried to wipe out their native identity rather than trying to strengthen it. We could learn from the failures. In Rapid City and on the reservations of western South Dakota, there are hundreds of children from strong families with deep Lakota cultural roots. The Rapid City school system should recruit them into a Lakota immersion school (from pre-school and kindergarten through high school) that focuses just as heavily on math and chemistry as Lakota culture, and just as heavily on Lakota language as English literature. These are children who will have to learn to lead in both worlds, with equal agility. The school should require parental participation and rigorous testing, both to get in and to stay in. It should be the Eaton and Groton of the Great Plains, from which students could go to Harvard and Yale and Amherst (which, by the way, are begging for talented Native American applicants). I explained my idea to a neighbor and he balked. "People in Rapid City hate elitism." That cultural value is even deeper in the Lakota community, where individual success is often seen as an effort to put oneself "above" the family or tribe. But it is hard to argue that our current approach is successful, and besides, why can't we start from the premise that every child, even if he or she is smart, deserves the highest quality education we can provide? For too long we have settled for the excuse that smart kids will take care of themselves. Maybe, but who will take care of the community (or the tribe) after they have left? When Central High School opens its door this week it will once again be over-crowded - at least 200 students over capacity. Stevens High School will be almost 500 students under capacity! With the growth of the city on the south side and in the Valley, the problem of over-crowding at Central will only get worse. Perhaps this is an opportunity to identify the smartest, most dedicated Lakota students at Central and North Middle School and encourage them to transfer to an Advanced Placement Lakota Academy at Stevens. It would be good for the over-crowding problem at Central. It would be good for the cultural diversity of Stevens. It would be good for individual Lakota students who are capable of and deserve a rigorous high school education, and it would be good for the community. Sam Hurst is a Rapid City filmmaker. Write to samhurst@aol.com. Copyright c. 2005 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Seminoles in Nicaragua hit Jackpot with Cattle" --------- Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:28:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CATTLE RANCH PAYING DIVIDENDS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/world/12453122.htm Seminoles in Nicaragua hit jackpot with cattle BY JIM WYSS Knight Ridder Newspapers August 23, 2005 MANAGUA, Nicaragua - (KRT) - Fresh from winning top prize at a livestock show, his straw hat still tucked beneath his arm, Calixto Garcia greeted a presidential candidate, the minister of trade, a newspaper owner and a leading banker before finally taking a seat at the restaurant of the Seminole Plaza Hotel in Managua. "As you can see, we draw quite a lunch crowd," said the energetic 68- year-old who manages the Seminole Tribe of Florida's businesses here. "We're known for our buffet." Ever since the Seminoles bought a 6,000-acre ranch and the 86-room hotel in Nicaragua in 1999, the venture has been better known for cooking up controversy. Chairman James Billie was ousted from the tribe in 2003 amid accusations he poured millions into the hotel without the tribe's knowledge, and his business partners were deported. But now this once-troubled enterprise - thousands of miles from the tribe's $1.2 billion gaming empire in Hollywood, Fla. - is looking like another Seminole success story. The four-star hotel has become popular with business travelers, and an aggressive ranching program has produced a prize-winning herd that stands to make the tribe major players in Nicaragua's biggest export market. While the tribe is notoriously reserved about its finances, Seminole general counsel Jim Shore said they have about $10 million invested in Nicaragua, and the project is starting to turn a profit. Still, he seems to have trouble mustering much enthusiasm for the venture in this part of Latin America, which neither shares the language nor any historical background. "It came about in an accidental way," he said. "But Calixto has made it an ongoing project." Late last month, Garcia led about 150 potential clients and guests to the Seminole ranch to show them what he had accomplished at this "accidental" outpost on the edge of Lake Managua. By importing embryos and semen from some of the United States' most prized cattle stock, Garcia has raised a herd of about 3,000 purebred Brahman cattle. Already supplying beef and dairy products to the local market, the ranch plans to start exporting Brahman embryos, sperm and live cattle throughout the region and South America. The ranch is shipping its first 80 to 100 embryos to neighboring Honduras in October and has deals in the works with cattlemen in Venezuela and Brazil. While neither Garcia nor the tribe would go into the financial details of the operation, Brahman embryos in the United States fetch between $600 and $1,200 apiece. But the ranch's best advertising is the Central American Livestock Show, which is held every summer in Managua and draws ranchers from across the hemisphere, said Garcia. There, commerce and competition mix as naturally as boots and manure, and the Seminole herd took 17 awards, including the Grand Prize Bull and Premier Red Brahman Breeder. "People who didn't know we were here now know we're here," said Garcia. "We are open for business." Florida's Seminoles were raising cattle long before they started building hotels and casinos. They remain one of the top five cattle operators in Florida, managing 13,000 head on more than 40,000 acres. In Nicaragua - which is struggling to shake its title as the poorest country in the hemisphere, after Haiti - the Seminoles are gaining market share in the country's biggest export. Combined, beef and live cattle exports pulled in $146 million last year. Almost half of the country's beef exports, in dollar terms, go to the United States. And those figures are likely to increase, said Doug Zalesky, an international trade representative with R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America, which represents more than 20,000 cattlemen. "I had always heard that the cattle as a whole in Central America were not of as good a quality as in this country," said Zalesky, who visited the Nicaragua operation in June. "But I found it to be quite the opposite." Not only are the cattle genetically strong, but year-round good weather and cheaper land and labor costs give ranchers a competitive advantage over their U.S. counterparts, he said. And with the adoption of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) - which was approved recently in the United States but is stalled in Nicaragua - Latin ranchers will have unprecedented access to U.S. markets. Ironically, many of those ranchers are in business because of genetic sales from places such as Oklahoma and Texas, Zalesky said. "A lot of (U.S. cattlemen) never stopped to realize that with all these trade agreements coming down the road, that they were going to start competing against the people that they sold those genetics to," he said. "To some extent they will take a look at that and think: Maybe I cut my own throat." Dinah Weil is a partner in HK Cattle of Rosharon, Texas, which has exported Brahman genetics to more than 40 countries, including the Seminole operation in Nicaragua. She's quick to acknowledge that the cattle in Nicaragua are essentially "duplicates" of what she has on her ranch, but said there's more to buying cattle than genes. "Just as there are women who want to buy French perfume and will pass up a U.S. brand ... there are a lot of people that want to come to America to buy a Brahman," she said. It may be years before it's clear whether the Seminole operation has what it takes to buck international cattle-buying trends, and Shore said there are no guarantees the tribe will stick around long enough to find out. "Eventually the tribal council will take a look at what's going to happen in Nicaragua and decide whether to sell it or keep it," he said. "It will have a lot do with what Calixto says." But Garcia is already dreaming about the future. Driving a white SUV across the ranch one afternoon, he marveled at the land's potential: a crater-lake named Xiloa is tucked just beyond a mountain range, and the twin volcanoes of Momotombo and Momotombito provide a dramatic backdrop to the sprawling pasture. "Can you imagine this place with golf courses, horses, polo fields, skeet shooting?" he said. "That's what I see long-term. That's where the real money is - real estate development." --- Copyright c. 2005, The Miami Herald. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. --------- "RE: Saskatchewan a Test Site for Justice Reforms" --------- Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:28:33 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ABORIGINAL JUSTICE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/nanaimo/id=1ee8fc93-0856-4a1f-9e5d-81129d35b10a Province a test site for justice reforms Federal justice minister visits Pelican Narrows to view 'Cree court' Janet French The StarPhoenix August 23, 2005 Saskatchewan is a "laboratory" to test ideas in reforming aboriginal justice that could be applied across the country, federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said Monday. Cotler is on a four-day tour of the province, arm-in-arm with Saskatchewan Justice Minister Frank Quennell, to talk to stakeholders in the development of a new strategy the department is crafting on aboriginal justice. "I think it's particularly important here because of the high rate, regrettably, of involvement of aboriginal people in criminal justice, both as offenders and as victims," Cotler said. Of the 15,000 people sentenced in Saskatchewan in 2002, 78 per cent of those who spent time in jail were aboriginal, according to Statistics Canada. The so-called new strategy centres around the "seven Rs," including respecting the distinct cultural needs of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, renewing trust and respect between aboriginals and the justice system and countering the over-representation of aboriginals as prisoners and under-representation as court workers, lawyers and judges. Cotler also reiterated support for a "merit-based" appointment of an aboriginal judge to the Supreme Court of Canada. After meeting with local justice officials and their provincial counterparts Monday morning, Cotler was off to Pelican Narrows in northeastern Saskatchewan to witness the province's Cree court in action. The mobile court, established in 2001, sends a Cree-speaking judge, prosecutor and clerk between three northern communities where the Cree language is dominant. "It's not just a matter of being able to speak in your own language," Cotler said. "It's a psychological factor, it's a cultural context, that creates a framework within which objectives can be better administered, interpreted and applied and provide ... a more holistic approach to the system." Cotler wants to learn about restorative justice measures used in Saskatchewan, such as sentencing circles, where the perpetrators and victims of a crime meet at a roundtable flanked by supporters and lawyers to discuss the crime and agree upon an appropriate sentence. "This is then a laboratory where this type of commitment can be tested, where we can engage those on the ground and ask them, how do we relate in a way that can bring about the objective that we seek," Cotler said. In the north, Cotler also planned to meet with Prince Albert Grand Council grand chief Gary Merasty and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation chief Ron Michel. Cotler also paid a visit to the Native Law Centre of Canada, housed at the University of Saskatchewan. The centre offers a pre-law program, scholarships and internships for aboriginal law students and compiles information and research on aboriginal law in Canada. Although he's glad the minister is visiting, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations vice-chief Lawrence Joseph, who's responsible for the justice portfolio, said he would have liked to give input earlier in the development of the new federal strategy. "They are simply coming here to announce what the good Government of Canada is going to do for Indian people, not with them," Joseph said. "With all due respect to their intentions . . . we have the answers, we have the solutions, but they fail to reflect them in their strategies in their multi-year operational plans." If aboriginal voices aren't included, it doesn't matter if the department has "seven Rs or 24 Rs" in their new approach, he said. "Their only strategy is to charge them, take them to court, throw them in jail," he said. "It's a cycle. What we're proposing . . . is something that's more beneficial to the individual, and that it's easier to build strong human beings than to repair broken and damaged human beings." That change starts with a better life for aboriginal youth, he said. Earlier this month, Canada's premiers backed a plan to eliminate aboriginal poverty within 10 years. The first-ever first ministers' conference dedicated to improving quality of life for aboriginals is set to take place in Vancouver in November. Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected to commit at least $2 billion for aboriginal housing, education and health, saying he will have failed as a prime minister if he doesn't make strides to address the aboriginal file. On his Saskatchewan trip, which is part of a national tour, Cotler said he's also been discussing crystal meth addiction with Quennell. Canadians can expect more federal action after an announcement earlier this month that jail time for those trafficking the addictive drug will be extended, he said. "We're going to do something with regard to crystal meth and treat it with the seriousness that it deserves and the tragic dimensions of it for the families and for the communities," Cotler said. "We need to deter people from going there in the beginning." Copyright c. The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2005. Copyright c. 2005 CanWest Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Zapatista Rebel Leader swears off" --------- Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 9:30 PM From: Chiapas95-english [owner-chiapas95-english@eco.utexas.edu] Subj: En;Wire,Zapatista rebel leader swears off,Aug 21 Mailing List: Chiapas95-English This message is forwarded to you by the editors of the Chiapas95 newslists. To contact the editors or to submit material for posting send to: . Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 07:37:07 +0200 From: "Dana" Subj: Wire,Zapatista rebel leader swears off,Aug 21 Zapatista rebel leader swears off Wire services August 21, 2005 DOLORES HIDALGO, Guanajuato The Zapatista rebels of southern Mexico will not endorse political candidates or parties in July 2006 presidential elections, rebel spokesman Subcomandante Marcos announced on Saturday. The Zapatistas are threatening to reshape the campaign as they prepare for a national tour hailed as a move toward political dialogue, 11 years after their brief armed uprising in the name of Indian rights in Chiapas state. Following weeks of criticism of the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Marcos on Saturday took aim at Mexico's former ruling party, the Insitutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, during the third in a series of talks with Indian and leftist social groups. "Its return would not signify the return of happy times but of old times," said Marcos, referring to PRI and its ambitions as "the aspirations of organized crime to consolidate institutional power." Turning his attention to the center-right National Action Party, or PAN, which ended 71years of PRI rule in 2000 with the election of President Vicente Fox, Marcos said the PAN "fulfilled its duties in destruction and eviction" but had failed to rescue Mexicans from poverty. Marcos, whom officials identified in 1995 as former university instructor named Rafael Sebastia'n Guille'n, is making public appearances for the first time in four years, still bearing his trademark ski-mask, fatigues and pipe. The now-pudgy rebel on Saturday referred to himself as the "belly with a balaclava." He stopped short of denouncing the electoral process entirely, saying his strident criticism was not an "invitation not to vote." President Vicente Fox is prohibited by law from running for a second, six-year term for president. Former Mexico City Mayor Andre's Manuel Lo'pez Obrador, of the PRD, leads pre-election polls, but has provoked the ire of Marcos, who accuses the PRD and Lo'pez Obrador of reneging on promises to support Zapatista goals. The Zapatista National Liberation Army will continue to chart a political course independent of PRD, Marcos said Saturday. Marcos arriving at Saturday's meeting on horseback with a rifle slung over his back, accompanied by several armed guards, to the settlement of Dolores Hidalgo, abandoned by cattle ranchers after the the 1994 Zapatista uprising. -- To subscribe from to list send a message containing the words subscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to majordomo@eco.utexas.edu. Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists. --------- "RE: Zapatistas activate a new kind of Bomb" --------- Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 9:39 PM From: Chiapas95-english [owner-chiapas95-english@eco.utexas.edu] Subj: En;NN,Report on Meeting with social groups,Aug 23 Mailing List: Chiapas95-English < chiapas95-english@eco.utexas.edu> This message is forwarded to you by the editors of the Chiapas95 newslists. To contact the editors or to submit material for posting send to: . Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:44:25 +0200 From: "Dana" Subj: NN,The Zapatistas Activate a New Kind of Bomb in the Mexican Southeast,Aug 23 The Zapatistas Activate a New Kind of Bomb in the Mexican Southeast Listening to the Voices of an Army (of Organizers) in Formation By Al Giordano Special to The Narco News Bulletin August 23, 2005 DOLORES HIDALGO, CHIAPAS, MEXICO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2005: It is High Noon in the Lacandon Jungle. After a half-day under the Mayan sun, where the shade, too, is a kind of oven, your correspondent traded his guayabera shirt - a garment that, in most places, keeps one cool from the heat - for a more comfortable, if less dapper, tank top. But those representatives of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation that are sitting at the front table in their boots, long skirts or pants, long sleeves, and itchy ski masks, seem not to be sweating at all. They've been listening, now, for various hours to presentations by representatives of social organizations that have traveled from all parts of this Mexico to tell of their struggles, offer proposals, and speak their word. Rejoining the parade of words, here is a small sample of the truths spoken under the assembly roof: A spokesman from a neighborhood association from Tlalpan in Mexico City told the Zapatistas and the other 500 or so folks here that his group, too, wants to govern its area autonomously from impositions by the powers from above. His neighbors and he admire how the Zapatistas have formed their own democratic governments from below, without asking permission from the State. "Autonomy isn't a demand only by the indigenous," the young man said, "but also in urban areas." Next came a woman from the Intersindical Primero de Mayo: women workers. They - and others throughout the day and night would do - proposed a meeting "just for women" as part of this Zapatista information-gathering process. There was strong applause each time this idea was raised. Next up was a spokeswoman for "the MUP" - Movimiento Popular Urbano (or "Popular Urban Movement"). The coalition, now two years old, wants a national meeting - in fact it has already scheduled one in Mexico City at the same time as the September 10 Zapatista meeting in this jungle. And that is what some national or regional groups also declared. They want meetings, meetings, and more meetings.. Their language, as one young observer told Narco News, seemed very bureaucratic, very "Old Left. " As if to underscore this caricature, one of the older left groups in Mexico - the Communist Party - hung portraits of Marx and various Soviet leaders - including of the disgraced Joseph Stalin - along the sides of the open air assembly hall under a hot tin roof. "Who put the photo of Stalin up there?" a journalistic colleague asked your correspondent in disgust. Grumblings could be heard all weekend from other corners about the apparition of Big Joe. "It's a provocation, a hostile act toward the anti- authoritarianism of the Zapatista movement," whispered another attendee. Abigail Morita, 23, a mural painter from the nation's capital explained to Narco News: "We young people don't identify with these Old Left groups. If we are not at their service, they don't look for us. They aren't interested in us. We are just cannon fodder for them. It enrages me. Many of these organizations don't do anything. The Zapatistas and the indigenous movement are different. The Zapatistas speak our language." Morita refers to herself and to her peers as the "post-99 generation" that came out of, or after, the strike that closed the National University for 10 months and polarized the political left, for and against. And yet, as the day marched on, the many young people present - some who came as "observers" rather than as delegates of organizations - leaned closer in from their benches. They listened more and more closely to the words being spoken by many middle-aged and elder delegates from unions, neighborhood organizations, and others like them, and found much in common. For these "older" groups were not primarily from the ancient left, but, most (not all, but most), in fact, are younger as organizations than the student strike of '99. By the end of the weekend, a kind of ice had been melted under the Chiapaneco sun. People from different generations - indeed, different universes, it seems - had found paths to understand each other and reason to fight together. Most of the organizations present were formed in the past five years by sectors of Mexican society that have been ravaged by the privatization of government tasks as imposed by the rules of the market. Their demands have been ignored and their people made into outcasts by political parties and institutional organizations and leaders, including those of the Old Left that, according to some of younger folks like Morita, they sounded like. They are at the margins. And it is through the margins and the marginalized - who together in this country and this work make for a majority of minorities - that the Zapatistas have begun to arm a kind of bomb and a corresponding explosion to come. The bomb under construction is, among other qualities, inter-generational. That is one difficult bomb to arm. But - looke