_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 037 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 10, 2005 Passamaquoddy Toqakiw/autumn moon Hopi Nasanmuyaw/full harvest moon Western Cherokee Dulisdi/nut or black butterfly moon Zuni Li'dekwakkwya ts'ana/moon when everything ripens +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 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; 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "We've been able to disclose, through the facts, horrible, horrible situations that Indian people have had to suffer." __ Elouise Cobell, Blackfeet and lead plaintiff in Indian Trust lawsuit +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! People of honor fulfill their obligations no matter how difficult or painful they may be. People of honor do not attempt to shift blame for their failure onto the victim. People of honor do not try to pass failure for their incompetance onto other people or authorities. I am speaking of the way the U.S. government has failed to honor their duty regarding the Indian Trust Fund. If your mind went to more recent events in cities along the Gulf of Mexico, there may be a reason. 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 ----------- - Interior drops - Challenging the "sewer rats" Trust Records proposal of Standing Rock - Plaintiff in Indians' Suit - Leaders to fight Gas sniffing brings Case to Valley - First Ministers to tackle - Standing up Aboriginal Poverty for Indian Trust rights - Harris wanted aggressiveness - Survey shows high at Ipperwash Native unemployment - Extradition rumors prompt - Educator: Teachers tighter Security key to Indian Achievement - Bones ID'd 32 years later - Poverty in Indian Country - Whiteclay Deal is helpful step still higher - Tribal Police, Feds team up - Chairman Jandreau: to fight Meth Indian Country being left out - Native Prisoner - Pueblo sues over Ski Resort -- Religious Freedom - Cherokee's Smith - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days resigns Membership in UKB - Rustywire: Little Creek - Osage Chief announces candidacy - Del "Abe" Jones Poem: Our Tsunami for NCAI President - Montanan maintains - Nonprofit Group looking Historic Passageway to buy Huron College - It lies within the Culture - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Interior drops Trust Records proposal" --------- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:52:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DoI BACKS OFF ONE PROPOSAL" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/010085.asp Interior to negotiate with tribes on trust records policy August 30, 2005 The Bush administration on Monday announced that it has dropped a proposed trust records policy amid concerns from self-determination and self-governance tribes. After nearly two years of work, the Interior Department said it would not move forward with a single fiduciary trust records management policy. Instead, officials plan to negotiate with each tribe in order to protect and preserve all documents related to the management of Indian trust assets. Starting in 2006, the annual funding agreements with contracting and compacting tribes will contain a new section to address trust records management, the Federal Register notice signed by Abe Haspel, the department's assistant deputy secretary, stated. Currently, the agreements contain three options for the preservation of records. The section gives give tribes greater control and latitude for the trust records they develop, manage and maintain. The old proposal, which was outlined in a February 2, 2005, Federal Register notice, placed more of a burden on tribes to comply with the department's trust duties. The section also includes a more specific definition of a trust record, something that tribes said was not clarified in the old proposal. "A fiduciary trust record is any document that reflects the existence of an Indian trust asset and was used in the management of an Indian trust asset," the notice states. As part of an agreement with the self-determination and self-governance tribes, the department will still be able to inspect trust records held by tribes. But the department must pay for all costs associated with document production. The original proposal did not address costs. The agreement further states that tribes have the option of sending "inactive" trust records to the American Indian Records Repository in Lenexa, Kansas. But no documents will be accepted until the department develops a "single tribal storage and retrieval system" at the facility. The old proposal wasn't specific on the department's requirements to create the system. Despite making the concessions, the Bush administration said it wouldn't be providing additional funding to tribes for trust records management. "The language does not require a tribe to have any other kind of record keeping system other than the ones they currently operate," the notice states. The department, however, said it will provide "filing equipment and technical assistance" to tribes "from available funds appropriated for this purpose." The administration also rejected opposition from tribes that language dealing with trust records wasn't needed at all. "The department believed that the three options available to Tribes/Consortia in the past are too vague and do not specifically address the Secretary's primary concerns that fiduciary trust records not be destroyed and that the Secretary have the right to access those records if needed in her capacity as trustee delegate," the notice states. Records management has been a long-running issue for the federal government. Despite being charged, as a trustee, to maintain all trust documents, the Interior nor Treasury departments have never been able to produce a complete historical record of the billions of dollars of revenues and royalties collected on Indian lands. A mid-1990s effort by the former Arthur Anderson accounting firm found major gaps in the tribal trust record that totaled at least $2.4 billion. The accountants also speculated that the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust was in worse shape. "We've been able to disclose, through the facts, horrible, horrible situations that Indian people have had to suffer" said Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit over the management of the IIM trust, said on the Native America Calling radio program yesterday. As part of the Cobell case, the Interior and Treasury secretaries and the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs were held in contempt for failing to produce trust records for the five named plaintiffs and their ancestors. The judge had given the government more than two years to find the documents. At the same time, the Treasury Department destroyed 162 boxes of records related to the IIM trust. The judge, however, wasn't told for several months. Due to the government's history, some tribes have been extremely reluctant to cede control of any records to the department. At least three tribes have held onto their trust-related documents amid threats from the government's lawyers. Officials, however, say they have made significant progress in recent years. "Changes underway are greatly improving services for trust account holders throughout Indian Country," Special Trustee Ross Swimmer said in a recent statement. "Interior employees, with substantial help from tribal leaders and Congress, have worked hard to create and now implement a comprehensive blueprint for Indian Trust reform." Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Plaintiff in Indians' Suit brings Case to Valley" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COBELL ADDRESSES PIMA" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/articles/0831cobellvisit.html Plaintiff in Indians' suit brings case to Valley Judy Nichols The Arizona Republic August 31, 2005 Indians from the Gila River Indian Community listened Tuesday as lawyers recounted the words of Mary Johnson, a Navajo who recently testified at a court hearing in Washington, D.C. Johnson spoke in Navajo, and her testimony was translated for the court. She told how oil wells on her property have been running 24 hours a day, seven days a week since the 1930s. Only recently did her monthly check for the leases top $100. advertisement She also told the court that when the government came to put in a pipeline for the oil, they dug up her mother's grave and moved it away. Elouise Cobell, a Blackfeet Indian suing to make the federal government account for billions of dollars collected for leases but never given to the individuals, met with Arizona tribal members on Tuesday and urged them to get involved in the issue. Cobell, a rancher and banker from Montana, is the lead plaintiff in Cobell vs. Norton, the longest and largest class-action lawsuit brought against the government. The issue goes back to 1887, when the government allotted lands to individual Indians, then leased the land for oil drilling, farming, grazing, mining and other activity. More than 500,000 individuals are affected, and estimates are that more than $100 billion has been lost. Cobell and attorneys in the case visited the Gila River Indian Community on Tuesday morning and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Tohono O'odham Nation later in the day. On Thursday, they will visit the Navajo Nation. "The goal is to update all the individual Indians about where we are and tell them about the dirty tricks the government is playing," she said. Lawyers say the government has lied to the courts and been sanctioned for destroying documents. "No other race of people would have to sue for this," Cobell said. Cobell urged Arizona Indians to write to their representatives, particularly Republican Sen. John McCain. Earlier this year, Cobell met with McCain to discuss a way for Congress to settle the case. "He sat across the table and told me he would work as hard as I had to get justice," Cobell said. But Cobell, who has always admired McCain, was disappointed with the legislation he crafted. "It did not recognize the victories we had won in court," she said. Cobell hopes McCain will rewrite the bill. "He understands this issue, and he has got to do the right thing," she said. In June, tribes offered to settle for $27.5 billion, but McCain, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, called the figure "out of sight" and said Congress would never approve it. "He has to get real," Cobell said. "There's $176 billion due, and it keeps going ka-ching, ka-ching every day. That's just common trust law. "But we realize we might all die before that is paid, so we offered to settle at a tremendous bargain to the government." Keith Harper, one of the attorneys working on the case, said the lawsuit has the power to transform the way the government deals with Indians. "Where someone's getting ripped off, someone else is getting rich," he said. "There's a great resistance to change." Copyright c. 2005, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Standing up for Indian Trust rights" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2005 07:30:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN TRUST" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/32090.html Standing up for Indian trust rights By Anne Constable | The New Mexican September 4, 2005 BLOOMFIELD, N.M. - Sam and Esther Valdez got running water at their green cinderblock house in Blanco Canyon, 40 miles from Farmington, only a year ago. And they still have no telephone line. But less than 100 feet from their front door are wells that have been pumping oil and gas for decades. The couple each inherited interests in land allotted to their ancestors by the government in 1887 through the General Allotment Act, also known as the Dawes Act. For more than 40 years, energy companies have leased the land to mine oil and gas from some 15 wells. Although an American flag flies in the front yard, the Valdezes believe the U.S. government has betrayed them by mismanaging their accounts since the Individual Indian Trust system began. During this time, crude-oil prices have averaged $21 a barrel. But the family doesn't know how much has been produced or how much they should have been paid. The Valdezes are among some 500,000 Indian trust-account holders who stand to benefit from a class-action suit filed nine years ago to force the government to account for billions of dollars in lost revenues from oil and gas, timber and grazing leases on Indian allotments and to reform the trust system. Last week, Elouise Cobell, a Montana banker and the lead plaintiff in the case, toured the Valdez property with members of its legal team while on a trip to the area to brief Navajo trustees on recent developments in Washington, D.C. "You see all the oil production, gas production, pipelines, and you see people without running water. They should be living in palaces," said Keith Harper, an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, which brought the suit against the government in 1996. The plaintiffs estimate the government could owe them as much as $176 billion, although the government says its liability is much less. The court has already ruled the trust was mismanaged, but it might still be years before there is a financial settlement. Anna Valdez, 51, is who lives with her parents, said they "want to see part of that money before they go." A history of disaster The Indian trust system was established more than a century ago as part of a policy to feed the demand by non-Indians for land in the West. Thousands of Indians were allotted beneficial ownership of 80- to 160-acre parcels called Individual Indian Monies. The government took legal title to the land and responsibility for collecting and distributing revenues generated by the various leases. From all reports, its management of the system was a disaster. Landowners were only paid sporadically - or not at all - and often the checks they received were for nonsensical amounts. When they asked for explanations, they were ignored. A 1992 congressional report titled Misplaced Trust noted the scores of reports that documented failure to fully and accurately account for trust- -fund money. And as recently as July, a federal judge said the situation hasn't changed. The Department of the "Interior's unremitting neglect and mismanagement of the Indian trust has left it in such a shambles that recovery may prove impossible," warned U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, an appointee of former President Reagan. The government's record is "ignominious," he said. The Interior Department does not know the precise number of accounts it is supposed to be administering; it does not know the proper balances for each one; and it does not have sufficient records to determine their value. "What remains is the raw, shocking, humiliating truth at the bottom: After all these years, our government still treats Native American Indians as if they were somehow less than deserving of the respect that should be afforded to everyone in a society where all people are supposed to be equal," Lamberth wrote. A question of trust During a visit with the Valdez family, Cobell learned from Anna Valdez that her father had received checks for about $154 a year from his four allotments. But after a lawyer contacted the Interior Department on his behalf, payments increased to between $600 and $900 a month. According to Esther Valdez, who speaks only Navajo, she used to get $100 a month from her leases but sometimes had to drive 200 miles round trip to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Crownpoint to get the money. "I grew up on these stories like Anna's," Cobell said. After becoming treasurer of the Blackfeet tribe, she repeatedly wrote the Interior Department on behalf of beneficiaries trying to reconcile their accounts. "We couldn't get answers (from the government)," she said. "Every time we tried to ask a question, they would come back to us and say, 'Oh, you don't understand.' " In the back of her mind, Cobell said, she thought, "if only I could let the president know, he would change this." After years of meeting with government representatives, Cobell was still at an impasse. She then decided that if nothing happened as a result of an appointment arranged with then-Attorney General Janet Reno, that would be the last. When Reno blew her off, Cobell was scared, she said, but she decided to sue. "To me, I think of her as brave enough to do this. Some of us don't dare do what she's doing," Anna Valdez said of Cobell. "She (really) opened our eyes." Dennis Gingold, a prominent Washington banking lawyer, gave Cobell the legal ground for the case. He recommended the plaintiffs charge the government with breaking a trust agreement. This was a critical piece of advice, according to Bill McAllister, a former journalist who now works for Cobell. "Everybody in Indian Country has known since Day 1 that the trust was mismanaged. But they lacked a legal way to sue the government." Trust law, he explained, "puts a very heavy burden on the trustee to perform in a manner most beneficial to those he serves. The government can't just say it's made a payment; it has to prove it and produce evidence." And so far the government has had trouble doing that. Many documents have been destroyed. Some turned up in rat-infested warehouses in New Mexico and Nebraska. And in thousands of cases, the government has no addresses for the beneficiaries. "What they've done is horrible, unlawful against people who can't fight for themselves," Cobell said. "Not only Native people should be upset. Every citizen should be upset. It's wrong, and they know it's wrong." Funding the lawsuit, however, was going to be a challenge, Cobell knew. She had a grant and a loan from a Minnesota foundation, but it would take a lot more money to fight the U.S. government. Lannan steps in The case was already under way when Patrick Lannan, a Santa Fe philanthropist, read a story in The New York Times in 1997 announcing that Cobell had won a MacArthur Fellowship, frequently called the genius award, a five-year, no-strings-attached prize of $300,000. Lannan, whose family foundation had been funding projects in Indian Country since 1994, had heard about her case. Had Cobell ever applied for funding, he asked? Yes, he was told, but she had been turned down. Lannan quickly made arrangements to meet Cobell for breakfast in East Glacier Park, Mont. He arrived with two members of his board of directors. The woman he met looked like a young grandmother. She was "kind of quiet," he said, "but very engaging at the same time" and with a "very strong, controlled will." They faced each other across the table. "I didn't know what to expect when I sat down," Cobell said. Lannan told her he wanted to hear about the case. She talked about her own experience trying to find out what was in her family's account. She told Lannan that some years they didn't get a statement; one year it had a negative balance. And when she sought answers from the BIA, she was treated in an offhanded way or told she didn't understand financial matters. When she had finished her overview, Lannan asked her: "How much do you need and what do you need it for?" "I was shaking so much. I didn't know what to ask for," Cobell recalled. She said she looked at Lannan and "hated to say it," but told him she needed $1 million. Before leaving, Lannan promised Cobell he would take her request under consideration, but left her with the impression he would contribute something. Within hours, he called from the airport to say he had decided to give her what she asked. In his version of the story, he phoned other directors at the foundation to say, "This is as important as anything we do in Indian Country, but it's high risk." He got their unanimous consent. Early on, one director, who is also a lawyer, pointed out that when the plaintiffs are 500,000 Indians and large amounts of money are involved, "the government is going to fight tooth and nail." That's turned out to be correct. But even though the case is nearly a decade old, and the docket sheet contains over 3,000 entries, the Lannan support has never wavered. To date, the foundation has contributed about $7 million to the Blackfeet Reservation Development Fund, primarily to pay for accounting work and expert witnesses. "On every front, the government has tried to stall, delay, procrastinate, make new motions. If we hadn't helped, this case would not still be around, " Lannan said. But the potential benefits are huge if both sides ever reach a fair settlement, he believes. "If we did nothing else in the last 20 years, we would have justified ourselves. This could have more impact on human lives than anything we've ever done." Victories in court In the nine years since the case was filed, the Indian plaintiffs have won numerous legal victories. Two secretaries of the interior and their assistants and the secretary of the treasury have been held in contempt. The Departments of the Interior and Treasury were ordered to pay penalties for delays in reporting destroyed documents. In 1999, in his ruling on the first half of the case, the judge declared the government had breached its trust responsibilities to the Indians and ordered it to file regular reports on efforts to reform the system. The ruling was upheld in 2001 by the U.S. Court of Appeals, which said that "the magnitude of the government's malfeasance" justifies court supervision and oversight of the trust-reform effort. In July, the court granted the plaintiffs' motion to require the government to give beneficiaries notice of their continuing inability or refusal to discharge their fiduciary duties. Down to numbers One of the reasons the Indians have been able to keep fighting is the support from the Lannan Foundation, which allowed them to hire resource accountants to estimate how much money should have flowed through the accounts. "The government would have beaten us one more time if it hadn't been for the Lannan Foundation," Cobell said. It's an expensive and complex process, given that complete federal records are not available. For oil and gas, which is where most of the money is, the experts used a standard database showing the location of oil and gas wells in the United States. By overlaying this information with satellite maps pinpointing well locations in Indian country and allotment maps, they could estimate how much oil and gas was produced on each property year by year and its value. They followed a similar process for timber and grazing to come up with a total of about $14 billion for the amount of money that flowed through the trusts from 1887 to 2002. The government risk-assessment contractor, using a similar model, estimated the amount at between $10 billion and $40 billion. Some of the money has obviously been allocated to account holders over the years, but the government can't demonstrate how much, the Native American Rights Fund's Harper said. And under trust law, "if you can't show it, you owe it," he added. Also, the judge has ruled that compound interest applies, which means, under the plaintiffs' calculation, the government liability is as much as $176 billion. An unacceptable bill Meanwhile, U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., decided to seek another solution in Congress. In July, they submitted a reform bill that recognizes the settlement will amount to billions of dollars, although it doesn't mention a number. The bill calls for the money to come from a Claims Adjustment Fund and not the federal Treasury - a good thing. But it proposes calculating the amount of money that flowed through the trust accounts only to 1980, not the present, and puts responsibility for dispersing settlement funds in the hands of the treasury secretary and removes the court from a role in administering the trust. Cobell calls the legislation unacceptable because it would "take away all the victories we have won in court." She and her team are discouraging people in Indian Country from supporting the measure in its current form. They still believe the bill could eventually lead to a financial settlement of the case, but as Harper told the Navajo account holders at the meeting in Bloomfield: "We didn't work 10 years to get another rip-off in the end." Copyright c. 2005, Santa Fe New Mexican, all rights reserved. --------- "RE: Survey shows high Native unemployment" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2005 07:30:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NATIVE UNEMPLOYMENT" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6940 Survey shows high Native unemployment, even among gaming tribes Gaming provides jobs, but jobless rate still eight times national average WASHINGTON DC September 2, 2005 A new survey on jobs and economic development on Indian reservations shows that while gaming and government are offering both Native and non- Native Americans job opportunities, unemployment is still extraordinarily high on reservations - averaging 8 times the national rate. The survey, conducted by the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) among its tribal Housing Authorities (HA), showed an average unemployment rate of 43% among survey respondents and even among those with gaming, the unemployment rate is still high at 42%. The survey also showed that tribes are not seeing a dramatic increase in economic development or housing. "This survey confirms what we knew to be true: Gaming facilities are helping create jobs for some reservations, but they are not a panacea for all tribes," said NAIHC Chairman Chester Carl. Of those surveyed: - 34% reported jobs were increasing, 45% reported jobs are remaining stable and 22% were decreasing, mostly tribes in the east and the plains. - More than half, 54%, are gaming tribes, and only 10 report gaming as a form of economic development contributing to job growth. - 11% reported that gaming revenues went to subsidize housing. Unemployment Still High Among Gaming Tribes - Among gaming tribes reporting on unemployment, rates ranged from 5% to 80% with a median rate of 42%. - Eight gaming tribes had an unemployment rate over 50%; and two tribes were above 70% despite their gaming jobs going mostly to tribal members. All of the gaming tribes reported gaming-related employment for both Native Americans and non-tribal members. - 68% of gaming tribes said that gaming facilities employed more than half non-Natives. The survey also revealed that the majority of gaming jobs in California, Nevada and the Northwestern United State go to non-Natives. "Gaming on Indian reservations has helped both Natives and non-Natives in their communities, our survey shows, and the vast majority of gaming jobs in California, Nevada, and the northwest go to non-tribal members," NAIHC Executive Director Gary L. Gordon said. "By providing 3/4 of gaming jobs to non-Natives, tribes are contributing to their surrounding communities. Those employees contribute to payroll taxes and state taxes and other community investments." For example, the Grand Portage Indian Housing Authority of Minnesota reported that their Grand Portage Lodge and Casino is the largest employer in the Cook County area of the state. The study also reported on the continuing obstacles to employment - 62% of respondents reported a lack of capital as the biggest obstacle to economic development. - 25% report a lack of trained employees. - 14% report a lack of natural resources. - More than half of the gaming tribes said that gaming provided no housing subsidies. - 68% stated that housing, economic development and job growth all needed to improve on their reservations. - 47% said that housing construction needed to increase to promote economic development (the number one response). - Respondents stated that having tribally run housing manufacturing plants would decrease the burden on tribes working with outside groups. - One of the respondents - from California, where NAIHC officials say the Bureau of Indian Affairs regional office has been reported to be particularly inefficient - listed the BIA's slow process of TSRs and environmental approvals as an obstacle to economic development. - Respondents suggested increasing funding through gaming or government programs for housing, increasing the building and rehabilitation of homes, encouraging small business involvement and homeownership training as necessary to spur job growth. Extra Facts The survey shows other perspectives of employment and economic challenges on the reservations, including the role of tribal government as employers and issues involving border security. Government jobs available for Native Americans and non-Natives. 34% percent of respondents said that more than 3/4 of jobs on their reservations were tribal or federal government jobs. - Overall, 82% of respondents said that tribal/federal government was a source of jobs on their reservations. Forty-seven percent of respondents said that a majority of these government jobs are filled by tribal members. - A third of respondents report that non-Native Americans also work in tribal and federal government jobs, with 11% saying the jobs were filled by a majority of non-Natives. - High government employment rates are not significantly bringing the unemployment rate down. Among 26 tribes with a high rate of government employment, the overall unemployment rate still averages 44%. Tribal Housing Authorities Tribal Housing Authorities prove to be a small but high-quality employer for tribes. The average staff size is 30 with almost all, 93%, offering health benefits, and there was little discrimination in the distribution of these benefits, with 66% of those employees receiving benefits, regardless of professional/non-professional status. However, having a very large housing authority (approximately 100-600 employees) probably makes for a high proportion of housing-related economic development but not an increasing trend in jobs or low unemployment. Among 4 such HAs, 3 reported a decrease in jobs for their tribe (the other, "remaining stable"); 3 (not the same 3) reported that 76-100% of its economic development is housing-related; 2 reported unemployment rates exceeding 50%. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Educator: Teachers key to Indian Achievement" --------- Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GOOD SCHOOLS, GOOD TEACHERS" Educator: Teachers key to Indian achievement By MIKE DENNISON Tribune Capitol Bureau August 31, 2005 HELENA - Montana schools must increase teacher training on Native American culture and do more to hire and retain experienced teachers at reservation schools if they want to reduce the "achievement gap" for Indian students, a leading Indian educator said Tuesday. "Reservation schools have been a place where we (repeatedly) get first- year teachers and first-year administrators," said Joyce Silverthorne, director of education for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. "We can't continue to train people and expect the quality to increase," she said. "We have to have a stable workforce." Silverthorne, of Dixon, spoke at a meeting of the Legislature's Quality Schools Interim Committee, which is meeting this week in Helena to work on a new state school-funding formula. She summarized a report prepared by a panel of experts that examined the needs in schools with significant numbers of Indian students. At many of the schools, students had below-average scores in reading proficiency. The report recommended several changes to help Indian students improve their achievement in Montana schools: * Take steps to attract and retain experienced teachers and administrators at reservations schools, and teachers who are Native Americans. * Increase "professional development" for teachers by two to five days a year, focusing on issues such as poverty, mental health, Indian culture, language and learning styles. * Have a smaller student-teacher ratio in schools with high Indian populations. * Establish high expectations for Indian students, but not without the necessary support, in terms of staff and resources. The report summary did not list a price tag on the recommendations. Improving education for Indian students is just part of the state's effort to revamp its school funding, in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling this year that said current state funding is inadequate. The eight-member Quality Schools Interim Committee, which meets here through Thursday and several times in September, intends to recommend a new "formula" for distributing state funding to public schools. It also may recommend increased state funding for schools. A special session of the Legislature, possibly this year, will decide whether to adopt recommendations from the committee. Reach Tribune Capitol Bureau Chief Mike Dennison at (406) 442-9493 or by fax at (406) 442-9413. His e-mail is capbureau@mt.net. Copyright c. 2005 Great Falls Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Poverty in Indian Country still higher" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="POVERTY" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/010108.asp Poverty in Indian Country still higher than average August 31, 2005 The number of Native Americans living in poverty and without health insurance remains sky-high, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday. Based on a three-year average, 24.3 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives lived in poverty from 2003 through 2004. This rate was not much different from poverty among African-Americans (24.4 percent) and Hispanics (22.1 percent). But it more than twice the poverty rate of Whites (10.5 percent) and more than twice the poverty rate of Asians (10.6 percent) for the same period, the Census Bureau reported. The percentage of Native Americans without insurance was also high. Based on a three-year average, a whopping 29.0 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives did not have health coverage, a rate surpassed only by Hispanics (32.6 percent). In comparison, the percentage Whites without insurance was 14.6 percent while among Asians it was 18.0 percent. Native American households reported an median income of $33,132 from 2002 through 2004. This was higher than the median for African-American households ($30,355) and statistically no different from the median for Hispanic households ($34, 299) But it was much lower than the medians for White households ($46,971) and much lower than Asian households ($56,664). The figures contained in "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004" show that the economic status of American Indians hasn't changed much since the start of the Bush administration in 2001. Reports have repeatedly shown that Indian Country is still being left behind, making no improvements in income, poverty and insurance rates. Comparing the 2004 report to the 2003 report, poverty among Native Americans is actually rising. In the 2003 report, 23 percent of Native families lived below the poverty level. Income levels remained unchanged and the insurance coverage rate was steady from the 2003 to 2004. Despite the lack of change, other studies have shown that Native communities are better off than they were in 1990. A January 2005 report from the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development documented gains in income, education, housing and other indicators, a finding linked to exercise of tribal self-determination and the growth of Indian gaming. Long-term assessments are difficult, however, because the Census Bureau has not always tabulated statistics for the American Indian and Alaska Native population due to their small size. Native Americans make up less than 1 percent of the general population. The 2004 report is only the second time the Census Bureau has presented poverty, income and health insurance data in one report. Previously, only poverty and income were reported together. For insurance, the Census Bureau used to count people who relied solely on the Indian Health Service for health care as insured. But the agency now counts these Native Americans as uninsured. "The effect of this change on the overall estimates of health insurance coverage was negligible," the report stated. Overall, the national poverty rate rose from 12.5 percent in 2003 to 12.7 percent in 2004, the Census Bureau said. National income level was stable at $44,389 and the percentage of Americans without health insurance coverage remained unchanged at 15.7 percent. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Chairman Jandreau: Indian Country being left out" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2005 07:30:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JANDREAU: INDIAN COUNTRY BEING LEFT OUT" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.argusleader.com//20050904/OPINION03/509040316/1006/ Economic change needed on reservations MICHAEL B. JANDREAU For the Argus Leader September 4, 2005 The book that appears to have become required summer reading is "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. It is an extraordinary book that discusses the phenomenon of globalization and what it means for the U.S. It starts by outlining just how fast China, India and other developing countries are entering the new world economy and competing effectively. Through outsourcing, insourcing, new technological breakthroughs and various business techniques, along with new international trade agreements, the global market has "flattened" the world and allowed more and more countries to compete on a level playing field. Unfortunately, American Indian reservations are not benefiting from the new global economy. Not much seems to be changing on the reservation, unless the reservation is near a major population center and can benefit from gaming. The unemployment rates and health statistics still do not come close to those of the rest of the U.S. Life expectancy on American Indian reservations approximates that of the Third World. Unemployment can reach 75 or 80 percent. Enrolled tribal members face a choice between upward mobility and leaving their culture and family. My recent testimony before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs made the point that, in the long run, for tribal sovereignty to survive there must also be economic sovereignty. In short, there must be a private sector economy on the reservations for people to flourish and have their culture survive. What is needed? Assuming there is the political desire to do so, the following initiatives might be a good place to start: * There must be major tax incentives for any company to locate on a reservation and employ enrolled tribal members. * The federal government must find a way to facilitate the extension of private credit on a reservation. Most small businesses are started by taking the equity out of your home. Since tribal land is held in trust, perhaps the federal government should have to guarantee private loans to tribal members. * A federal program to bring the Internet to all reservations is crucial. The Internet is the modern version of electricity, and we need a new REA. * A job training program is vital. We must recognize that to break the cycle of poverty and create a private sector economy on the reservations, a work force must be trained. * Education must be emphasized at all levels. Whether it is technical school or the Ivy League, tuition and support should be provided for all those interested in going to school. * Structural changes must be made within the Bureau of Indian Affairs to give each tribe increased autonomy. This is not intended as the definitive list of initiatives necessary to address the complicated problems facing the reservations, particularly those rural reservations that are usually among the poorest counties in the U.S. It is intended to stimulate thinking. The world is changing at rapid rate. This change, however, seems to be bypassing the Indian reservations of America. It is time to flatten the reservations. It is up to those on the reservations, and others who care, to try to unite behind a common agenda and present it to Congress and the administration. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved --------- "RE: Pueblo sues over Ski Resort" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TESUQUE SUES RESORT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6936 Pueblo sues over ski resort Says new permit violates sacred sites SANTA FE NM Native American Times September 1, 2005 A New Mexico tribe has filed a lawsuit over plans to expand a Santa Fe ski resort. The Tesuque Pueblo says that the U.S. Forest Service failed to take in account existing laws when they granted operators of the Santa Fe Ski Basin an amended permit. In 1997 the agency gave basin owners a Special Use Permit establishing a boundary for the operation. That permit was later amended to allow a developer to build a ski run and chairlift outside of the original limits. Tesuque Pueblo Governor Mark Mitchell says the new permit puts the tribe's sacred sites at risk. "Tesuque people have been here since time immemorial practicing our religion and now I'm worried that our future generations may not be able to carry on our religion. Tesuque people have lived through natural and human created disasters; and now with the stroke of a pen the future of a people is at risk. Without access to our sacred sites our culture and way of life will fade," Mitchell said. Tribal attorneys believe the Forest Service has violated federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. "We've been very clear and up front with the Forest Service about the cultural significance of the Santa Fe Ski Basin area. Simply put, the Forest Service's decision violates laws that have been enacted to protect our cultural and environmental resources. To meet these requirements, the Forest Service needs to revoke the amended Special Use Permit it granted to the developer," Mitchell said. The Tesuque Pueblo numbers 800 people and members take pride in their respect for tradition. Archaeologists have determined that the tribe existed prior to 1200 A.D. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Cherokee's Smith resigns Membership in UKB" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHIEF SMITH RESIGNS UKB" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6925 Cherokee's Smith resigns membership in United Keetoowah Band Move comes as UKB was prepared to consider banishment TAHLEQUAH OK Sam Lewin August 31, 2005 Saying he does not have the "time or inclination to be sidetracked by the divisiveness" of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith has officially withdrawn his membership in the UKB. UKB Chief George Wickliffe has fired back that the tribe is "glad they made the move" to banish Smith. Meanwhile another noted Cherokee, actor Wes Studi, has said he is also giving up his UKB membership. In July the UKB leadership brought up the idea of expelling Smith, who has dual membership in both tribes. The move came as friction between the tribes boiled, with the Cherokees adamantly opposed to the UKB's efforts to have Keetoowah land put in trust. The two tribes have also feuded over the UKB's Tahlequah casino. The Cherokee Nation says the casino is not legal, and the two sides are currently embroiled in a court case. In a letter faxed to the Native American Times, Smith says his grandmother helped found the UKB, and that she later served as the tribe's secretary. "Until recently, I associated the [UKB] with all the traditional Cherokee values that my grandmother held dear, but I have come to realize those feelings are just nostalgia for an organization that no longer exists," Smith wrote. "Therefore, I withdraw my membership from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma. I do so because, as Principal Chief of the government of the Cherokee people, I must focus on continuing the progress of our Nation. We are creating jobs, improving services, building strong communities and preserving our culture. I do not have the time or inclination to be sidetracked by the divisiveness the [UKB] leadership is trying to create among the Cherokee people." Wickliffe said his tribe would be happy to accept Smith's offer to leave. "The traditional people are glad we made the move to pursue banishment of an individual who has threatened the daily existence of our tribe," Wickliffe said. "Although the codes were passed providing for a banishment process, it is not one we would like to use. However, we are prepared to do so in a valid case such as Mr. Smith's." To bolster their position that Smith is bad for the UKB, the tribe released a statement from former Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Hastings Shade. "Smith made comments early into our term that Smith would like to see the UKB shut down and vowed that he would do so," Shade said. Actor Wes Studi, known for roles in such films as "The Last of the Mohicans," said he is also relinquishing his UKB membership. "I cannot recall consciously ever joining the UKB, but somehow my name has appeared on their rolls," Studi wrote. "Since their actions have become hostile to the Cherokee Nation, I don't choose to associate myself with that particular organization and would like to have my name removed from their membership. I certainly would not relinquish my Cherokee Nation status to be a part of their organization, and I urge other Cherokees to consider whether the UKB's divisive behavior represents Cherokees." You can reach Sam Lewin at sam@okit.com. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Osage Chief announces candidacy for NCAI President" --------- Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OSAGE CHIEF NCAI CANDIDATE" http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6932 Osage chief announces candidacy for NCAI president Joins leader of San Juan Pueblo as only candidates Sam Lewin August 31, 2005 Osage Nation Chief Jim Gray has declared his candidacy for the presidency of the National Congress of American Indians, bringing the total number of candidates in that contest to two. The other candidate seeking the position is San Juan Pueblo Governor Joe Garcia. Gray is the husband of Native American Times publisher Elizabeth Gray. In a statement announcing his intention to seek NCAI office, Gray said the time is right to "reinforce positive change" in the relationship between tribes and the government. "Changes are coming, and we as Native people need to be diligent in making sure the changes are for the better," Gray said. "Right now, we are in a remarkable time, where for the first time in decades, we as Indian people can see a wrong righted, and put the mismanagement and damages done to Indian people aside, and then, as individuals, tribes and Native people, we can move forward proudly to provide a better future for all of our people." Garcia said he considers himself to be a "change agent." "I have a lot of experience with the issues-veterans, aging, health care, education, telecommunications, economic development, housing and tribal sovereignty," Garcia told the Native American Times. "Tribes have the resources available but I think we need to work together in a more cohesive manner. I have been involved with NCAI since 1995. I know a lot about what NCAI does." Both men say settling the long-standing conflict over Indian trust fund accounts is a priority. "For the first time in history, on both sides of the aisle American elected officials are ready to settle this issue, and move forward. There is considerable opposition to any settlement within the government, and these people will move to slow or stop the process, but I do not think it acceptable for another generation to become tangled in white tape while the truth is clear to anyone who will look for it," Gray said. "The federal government has a lot of responsibility to uphold and they are not doing it," Garcia said. "We need to be a lot smarter and a lot more proactive. We can't stay with the old system." The organization's new president will be decided when the NCAI hold its annual convention in Tulsa this fall. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Nonprofit Group looking to buy Huron College" --------- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:52:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SI TANKA HURON" http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/12512579.htm Volesky says group will seek to buy and resurrect Huron college Nonprofit group looking to buy campus By Chet Brokaw Associated Press Writer August 30, 2005 PIERRE - Huron college may be resurrected Huron college has chance of resurrection A nonprofit group plans to make a bid to buy the closed Si Tanka University campus in Huron and resurrect it as a national college that focuses on American Indian students, former state lawmaker Ron Volesky said Monday. "My group is very serious about trying to revive this campus here in Huron. It was a devastating blow to our community when it closed," said Volesky, a city council member and lawyer who has said he is running for governor as a Democrat next year. "We think there is a real opportunity to establish a nationally recognized first-rate university, a four-year university with an emphasis on Native American students," Volesky said. Volesky said his group plans to submit a proposal to buy the campus by Sept. 15. He said he cannot disclose the financial details. He also declined to name the other people in his group. Si Tanka University in Eagle Butte bought Huron University in 2001 and created Si Tanka-Huron, but classes in Huron ended in early March after teachers and staff walked off the job following months of financial troubles at the school. In early April, the college filed for bankruptcy protection. It defaulted on $6.6 million worth of loans and faced a $2 million federal tax lien. At a sheriff's auction in July, the Farmers and Merchants branch of the First National Bank of Huron bought the property, bidding $3.9 million for the land, buildings and personal property of the closed campus. Since the bank holds the mortgage on the property, no money changed hands. Bank president Tom Geitzen has said the sheriff's auction gave the bank an opportunity to find a new owner. Geitzen has said he's aware of three potential buyers, but he said Monday he has not heard from the other two potential buyers for more than a month. Geitzen said the community would benefit if the campus can be reopened in some fashion. "That's our hope." Volesky said the U.S. Agriculture Department also is involved because it guaranteed loans for the former university. He said his group includes three people who are actively involved and three others who have been providing advice on accreditation and financial issues. Many former faculty and staff members at the school would be eager to return if it can be revived, he said. Volesky said even though Si Tanka failed, he and the others in his group believe they can avoid the problems that doomed the previous owners. He said he believes the school can succeed as a nationally known university that emphasizes Indian students. "That's our hope. That's our goal. Obviously, there are no guarantees," Volesky said. Copyright c. 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Copyright c. 2005 Aberdeen American News. --------- "RE: Challenging the "sewer rats" of Standing Rock" --------- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:52:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: CHALLENGE AGAINST ANONYMOUS SCANDAL SHEETS" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6909 Challenging the "sewer rats" of the Standing Rock Reservation Notes from Indian Country Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) 8/29/2005 Copyright c. 2005, Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. Long before there was an Internet and bloggers, way out on the Indian reservations of Western America, there were the "scandal sheets." These anonymous sheets of chesli (fecal matter in Lakota) usually show up on the Indian reservations prior to and during the tribal elections. With the General Elections scheduled for September 28 on the Standing Rock Reservation, a huge reservation that straddles North and South Dakota, the scandal sheets are plentiful and vicious. Ron His Horse is Thunder, the President of the Sitting Bull College, is facing David Archambault, a former college professor and football coach, for the office of President of the tribe. Avis Little Eagle, editor and publisher of the reservation-based Teton Times, is running against Jim McLaughlin for the office of office of vice president. The scandal sheets are running against everybody. I first ran into this purely Indian phenomenon on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in the 1970s. Of course, the sheets had been around long before and during the reign of former Oglala Sioux President Dick Wilson. In those dark days following the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 by the American Indian Movement, stray bullets often accompanied the sheets. Any reservation politician running for office or any tribal program director trying to bring about positive change often found themselves the target of the scandal sheets of the pre-bloggers. As I said, the sheets were anonymous and vicious. When I started a weekly publication on the Pine Ridge Reservation 25 years ago that I called The Lakota Times, it wasn't long before I became a target. Not only were the sheets filled with total untruths they were often quite creative. The occasional sheet attacking me took the headline of my newspaper, The Lakota Times, cutoff "The" and the "s" on Times and called itself "Lakota Tim." Not only was I attacked in a vicious manner, even members of my family felt the wrath of the writers I soon named in my weekly editorials, "The sewer rats." My cartoonist, Thom Little Moon, sketched a political cartoon of a rat seated at a typewriter deep in a dark and damp cellar madly typing out the next scandal sheet. I wrote that if these sheets of lies, half-truths and innuendo focused on me, perhaps they would then be leaving someone else alone and in peace. The most terrible occurrence of this vicious cycle occurred at the Native American Journalists Convention held in Denver in the early 1980s. I was not able to attend that year. I was attacked by the president of the organization, a man who considered himself my enemy, when he sat on the podium of the convention and read aloud to the other Indian journalists a scandal sheet filled with lies that attacked me personally. Two of my employees that did attend that convention were shocked at the total absence of professionalism by the NAJA president. Although I was the founder and the first president of NAJA, I did not attend another meeting of that organization for many years after that. The scandal sheets were typed on 8 X 10 sheets of paper and copies were run off and they were distributed throughout the reservation. This is the same method now used on the Standing Rock Reservation, but with the advent of modern technology, the computer has become another instrument to spread the lies and untruths of the scandal sheets. I know all of the candidates I mentioned above who are running for the presidency and vice presidency of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. They are all honest, hardworking and intelligent candidates more worthy of the respect of the tribal members than of the terrible attacks of the sewer rats. Because of the anonymous scandal sheets I made it an early policy in my newspaper to never, and I mean never, publish unsigned letters. In my mind if a person did not have the courage of their convictions they had no reason to express a point of view in a letter to the editor. I put my name on what I wrote and I expected the same of any letter writer. If a person had the courage to sign their letters, and even if that letter openly called me an "SOB" or worse, that letter went into the newspaper. I had a lot of respect for those people willing to put their names were their mouths were. Quite often letter writers would begin an attack on me, on one of my staff writers, or upon the newspaper itself with, "I know you will never print this letter, but . . . . . . ." and they were shocked when they did see their letter in the paper. Most of my readers were so used to the anonymous scandal sheets that they also were shocked when signed letters openly criticizing me were published. I reiterated the old saying in several editorials that said, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend with my life your right to say it." When firebombs and bullets shattered my office windows and walls, I almost lived up to (or I should say died of) my support of that statement. And so, to those candidates now feeling the pain of the anonymous articles spread about in scandal sheets by the sewer rats of the Standing Rock Reservation, take heart because you know who you are and you and your supporters know your self-worth. The childhood saying of "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me" have never held more truth. (Tim Giago is the president of the Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. and he can be reached at najournalists@rushmore.com or by writing him at 2050 W. Main St., Suite 5, Rapid City, SD 57709) Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Leaders to fight Gas sniffing" --------- Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL INTERVENTION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/news/c20b3e75-0902-4551-acd7-f3c4e441bf26 Leaders to fight gas sniffing Canadian Press August 30, 2005 WINNIPEG (CP) - Aboriginal leaders are planning a crisis intervention at the Pauingassi First Nation to stem rampant solvent abuse gripping the remote northern reserve. Buffalo Point Chief John Thunder, chairman of the Southeast Tribal Council in Manitoba, said aboriginal people must take charge of finding a lasting solution in Pauingassi, and give up the idea of having the federal government come in and impose a solution. "We have to take ownership in this matter," Thunder said. "This is not going to be white people finding a solution. It's going to be our people." Copyright c. Canadian Press 2005. --------- "RE: First Ministers to tackle Aboriginal Poverty" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2005 07:30:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ABORIGINAL POVERTY" http://www.firstperspective.ca/story_2005_08_31_first.html First Ministers to tackle aboriginal poverty Fall meeting to unveil massive financial backing By FP Staff PM Paul Martin prepares to show he has listened to Aboriginal Peoples' pleas The scheduled first ministers conference to be held this fall in Vancouver is expected to result in a financial commitment of nearly $2 billion in new funding by the federal government to kick-start Prime Minister Paul Martin's earlier commitments of instituting "transformative change" for Canada's Aboriginal People, according to Ottawa sources. In fact, AFN leader Phil Fontaine prised a commitment from the countries premiers and territorial leaders in August to tackle the issue of aboriginal poverty and the disparity in health and living conditions between native peoples and the general non-aboriginal population. Some of the announcements expected by Martin at the first ministers conference will be the creation of a national housing plan to work with the private sector and provincial governments to expand on- and off- reserve housing construction. Bands will be encouraged to take advantage of recent legislation that will allow them to move away from communal band ownership and towards increased individual home ownership, a key source of asset creation for non-aboriginal Canadians. The intent, according to the source, is to spark the creation of a large aboriginal middle class. And the federal government is also talking about a comprehensive education strategy to help create regional school boards to assist on-reserve schools, which currently have no outside support to assess students or recruit teachers. The new funding would also be aimed at encouraging the development of innovative steps of so called "magnet schools" that are open to both off- reserve aboriginals and non-aboriginals. The magnet school concept, already implemented successfully at the Amiskwaciy Academy in Edmonton, follows provincial school curriculum but includes courses in aboriginal history, literature and culture. The November first ministers meeting, which will include the full participation of leaders of the five major national aboriginal groups, is also expected to lead to a 10-year plan that will include an agreement to measure the government's progress in meeting various objectives and targets. Martin insists he is deeply committed to making concrete progress on the aboriginal file insists the fall meeting will be about more than rhetoric. Copyright c. 2005 First Perspective. --------- "RE: Harris wanted aggressiveness at Ipperwash" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HARRIS/IPPERWASH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canoe.ca//LondonFreePress/News/2005/09/01/1197075-sun.html Inquiry told Harris wanted aggressiveness at Ipperwash CP September 1, 2005 FOREST - Aggressive action against Ipperwash park occupiers, sought by former premier Mike Harris, countered the go-slow approach preferred by his ministers, the Ipperwash inquiry heard yesterday. Harris made it known through executive assistant Deb Hutton that he "wanted a very aggressive approach," Julie Jai, legal director of the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat, testified. Jai met Hutton on Sept. 5, 1995, and the next day briefed then-attorney general Charles Harnick. First Nations occupier Dudley George was killed by an OPP sniper on Sept. 6, 1995, as officers marched on Ipperwash Provincial Park. Harnick agreed with Jai's recommendation to seek a court injunction requiring occupiers to state reasons for claiming the park as First Nations territory. Jai had told Harnick that provincial police wanted to proceed cautiously, based on her discussions with OPP Queen's Park liaison officer Insp. Ron Fox. Fox had told her it would be imprudent to rush into the situation. Jai recommended letting the OPP handle the occupation without interference and Harnick agreed. Deputy minister Larry Taman attended the Harnick briefing and said then- solicitor general Robert Runciman had approved a go-slow approach to the occupation. "The minister (Harnick) seemed quite receptive. He agreed to everything we proposed," said Jai. She was alarmed to hear early in the afternoon of Sept. 6 that the go- slow approach appeared to be overruled - an emergency court order against the occupiers would be sought. That type of order required no notice to occupiers and Jai said it would hinder dialogue. Jai's testimony will continue Sept. 12. Copyright c. 2005 The London Free Press. --------- "RE: Extradition rumors prompt tighter Security" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EXTRADITION REQUEST" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/09/01/front/top/news01.txt Rumors prompt tighter security By Steve Miller, Journal Staff Writer September 1, 2005 HOT SPRINGS - Additional police officers will be at Friday night's football game between Hot Springs and Pine Ridge high schools because of talk of retaliation over a June 2 fight in Hot Springs that left one man seriously injured and two tribal members facing felony charges and possible extradition from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Shannon County Sheriff Jim Daggett said this week that he has heard rumors that there may be retaliation at the game because of the fight and the attempt by Fall River County State's Attorney Lance Russell to extradite brothers Dakota and Dirk Garnier on charges related to the incident. "Some of the people from Pine Ridge feel that the story has been distorted," Daggett said in a phone interview. "Because of that, there are some pretty hard feelings. There may be some repercussions at the game," he said. Daggett covers Shannon County, which includes the Pine Ridge Reservation. He said he passed his concerns on to Russell. Russell on Wednesday said that there will be an increased police presence at the game and that sheriff's deputies also would be available. Hot Springs Police Chief Roger Exum said Hot Springs school officials asked him to provide extra security for Friday's football game at Woodward Field where the Hot Springs Bison will host the Pine Ridge Thorpes. "We'll probably have four to six officers at the game," Exum said. He said there usually are a couple of officers at football games in Hot Springs anyway, although there had been no problems at past games between the two high schools. Vern Hagedorn, chief executive officer of the Hot Springs School District, said he was aware of the concerns. "I will be talking to the activities director to make sure that everything is safe and secure before the game, as safe and secure as we can make it." Robert White Eyes, acting superintendent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs schools at Pine Ridge, said he had not heard of any impending trouble but couldn't comment beyond that. The dispute stems from charges the Garnier brothers face in Fall River County from the June 2 fight involving two large groups of juveniles and young adults in downtown Hot Springs. Dakota Garnier, 19, and another man, George Birlew, 23, are charged with attempted first-degree murder in a beating that left Matthew Pepin, 18, of Hot Springs hospitalized with head injuries. Authorities contend Dakota Garnier hit Pepin in the head with a baseball bat. Pepin since has partially recovered from his injuries. Both Dakota and Dirk Garnier, 20, are also charged with aggravated assault in the case. Birlew is being held in Fall River County Jail. The Garnier brothers, after questioning by police, left for the reservation. After they were indicted by a Fall River County grand jury, Russell asked Gov. Mike Rounds to seek their extradition. In mid-August, Rounds sent a formal request for the Garniers' extradition to Oglala Sioux Tribe President Cecelia Fire Thunder. Fire Thunder said last week that she would probably take two or three weeks to decide whether to grant extradition. Russell said he wrote Fire Thunder a letter this week asking to meet with her about the case. A civil-rights group on the reservation has written Fire Thunder expressing its concerns about the extradition request. The Garnier brothers maintain that they were the victims, not the perpetrators, of an assault, according to Janis Schmidt, co-founder of the Lakota Wawokiya Civil Rights Organization. Schmidt said she has spoken to the brothers' parents and is convinced that the Garniers had to flee for their lives after being beaten by a white gang in the incident. She said one of the Garnier brothers still has a lump on his head from the fight. Schmidt said that she hadn't heard talk of trouble at Friday's football game but that she has heard outrage from tribal members about the case. "The moral outrage, from their point of view, is the injustice, the unfairness, of this," Schmidt said. "The talk is why aren't these white boys being held accountable for the beating?" Russell said he wouldn't characterize the incident as either race- or gang-related. He said there were at least two whites in the Garnier group, Birlew claims to be Hispanic, and there were some people of Indian heritage in the group with Pepin. Russell also has said that both sides in the fight had some culpability. He said a juvenile from the group accompanying Pepin is facing two misdemeanor charges in the incident. But Russell acknowledged that the June 2 fight has increased tensions in Hot Springs. "There have been some words exchanged by different people since the event." Hagedorn said he didn't know whether the June 2 fight was racially motivated. But he said, "There is prejudice in this community on both sides of the issue, in both racial groups." He said the incident has increased racial tension in town. "I think it has drawn more attention to it, maybe drawn a wedge even further." Hagedorn, a former middle school principal in Hot Springs, said teenagers are sometimes less likely than adults to let disputes drop. "There's not a lot of forgiving." He added, "I hope there's nothing that's antagonizing from our community. I hope everything stays peaceful and calm." Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com Copyright c. 2005 The Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Bones ID'd 32 years later" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ID'd WITH DNA" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/09/01/front/top/news01.txt Bones ID'd 32 years later By Hal Lockard The Capital-Journal September 1, 2005 HORTON - The investigation into the disappearance 32 years ago of a Kansas woman will move six feet closer to a conclusion Sunday when Louella Janice "Ludy" Monroe is buried in the Dance Ground Cemetery west of Mayetta. Monroe's remains were found about five years ago near mile post 5 along K-20 highway, south of the Kickapoo reservation and west of Horton, by a construction crew digging a trench for a sewer line. Lamar Shoemaker, Brown County sheriff, recalling the day the skeletal remains were found, said, "After they realized they were human bones, we were called immediately, of course." He said Wednesday that stories had circulated for a number of years about what had happened to Monroe. She hadn't been seen since 1973. "She never was officially reported as missing," Shoemaker said. "We contacted the Indian management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, the sheriff's office and every place else we could think of." He said a suspect in her disappearance, who is now deceased, said Monroe, 30 at the time of her disappearance, had left the state to visit relatives. Kyle Smith, deputy director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, said Wednesday the KBI was still investigating her death. "It's still active according to my files," he said. He said Monroe was identified through mitochondrial DNA testing conducted by the FBI. He explained that sort of DNA testing was done at the cellular level and was the only option because the bones were all they had to work with. A positive match was made either through her parents, children or siblings, he said. "I haven't been able to contact the agent involved in that case yet," he said. Monroe was the daughter of George James and Agnes Claybear Allen and the sister of Delila Shopteese and George Allen Jr., all of whom are now deceased. Shoemaker said one of the odd things about the case was that because of the clothing people wore in the '70s, the polyester shirt found on the skeleton "could have been washed, sewn back together and worn. You could still see the stripes. "Thirty years underground and still good. I guess that's why the landfills are filling up." Monroe was born Jan. 31, 1943, in Topeka. She was a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and the Kickapoo Tribe. A supper in her honor will be held Saturday at the Kickapoo Community Building west of Horton. Wayne Leiker, of the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Holton, built a wood casket about 30 inches long to hold her bones for the burial. He said the box should conform to the Potawatomi custom for burial. Copyright c. 2005 The Topeka Capital-Journal, Morris Communications. --------- "RE: Whiteclay Deal is helpful step" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2005 07:30:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WHITECLAY POLICE AGREEMENT" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.argusleader.com//article?AID=/20050905/OPINION01/509050302/1006/ Whiteclay deal is helpful step September 5, 2005 Finally, it's official. An agreement allowing Pine Ridge Indian Reservation tribal police to enforce Nebraska law in the small town of Whiteclay has been signed - by both tribal and Nebraska officials. Tribal police will be deputized and able to patrol the town just across the border from the reservation. Whiteclay exists as a handful of stores whose mission is to sell alcohol to residents of the reservation, where alcohol is banned. The reservation of 15,000 has one of the highest rates in the nation for alcoholism- related deaths. "By coordinating our resources, we are taking an important step forward in working together to address crime in the Whiteclay area," said tribal president Cecelia Fire Thunder. Whiteclay has been a sore point for years, but the Nebraska Legislature has refused to do anything about liquor sales there. Its isolation also makes it difficult for county and state law enforcement officers to patrol. Tribal police will take over that duty, looking for violations including open container-public consumption, selling to intoxicated people, bootlegging onto the reservation, selling alcohol on credit, selling alcohol to minors and public intoxication, as well as trespassing, assault and theft. It's not a perfect solution to the problems. But it's a good step. Copyright c. 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Tribal Police, Feds team up to fight Meth" --------- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 08:59:51 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="METH USE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6936 Tribal police, feds team up to fight Indian Country meth use Move comes as national efforts increase PHOENIX AZ Native American Times September 1, 2005 Federal authorities say they are joining forces with tribal police to battle the scourge of methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution on Indian land in Arizona. This latest news comes after representatives from different agencies met in Phoenix to discuss a plan of action. Officials say topics of discussion included investigative and prosecution strategies, as well as training and public education on the impact of methamphetamine use. "Maintaining effective partnerships is essential to combat methamphetamine and violent crime in Indian country," said Steven K. Juneau, BIA Special Agent in Charge. "The commitment from the U.S. Attorney's office, DEA, FBI, and Tribal Nations is a vital foundation to achieve long term success in our battle against methamphetamine." "The methamphetamine problem is evident in Indian Country throughout North America. This joint effort between the tribes and federal law enforcement agencies is essential to the well-being of the culture and traditions of Native American tribes in Arizona," said Dawn F. Wheeler, Deputy Chief of Police, Hualapai Nation Police Department. The effort in Arizona's Indian Country mirrors the national battle against the destructive stimulant. In late August agents conducted a massive bust, nabbing 209 pounds of methamphetamine, 201,035 tablets of pseudoephedrine, 158 kilograms of pseudoephedrine powder and 224,860 tablets of ephedrine. Fifty-six clandestine laboratories were seized in the nationwide sweep and 30 endangered children were removed from a drug- infested environment. "While methamphetamine use and distribution is not unique to Indian country, the use of methamphetamine within the Indian communities of Arizona has had a profound effect," said United States Attorney Paul K. Charlton. "A large percentage of the violent crimes prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office involve individuals under the influence of methamphetamine or other illegal substances. It is our sincere hope and belief that reducing the availability of methamphetamine within these communities will also bring a reduction in the number of violent crimes. It is a fight that we simply cannot afford to lose." Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Native Prisoner" --------- Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 21:08:51 -0700 From: Janet Smith [owlstar@bellsouth.net] Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - You may wonder why a story about a Wiccan inmate suing a state over religious freedom belongs in a Native periodical. Native American inmates have a dual stake in this story. Native Americans behind bars benefit from any reinforcement of religious freedoms for "non-mainstream" spirituality, but they are negatively impacted by a common misconception among prison officials documented in the story -- that Native American and Wiccan practices are kindred belief systems. The result has been inappropriate "double purposing" of Native American lodge areas for Wiccan ceremonies. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20050903/ELECTIONS/109030064 Nevada inmate sues prison system over religious freedom Appeal Capitol Bureau September 3, 2005 A Nevada prison inmate has accused the Nevada prison system of violating his rights to practice his religion. Nolan Klein filed the civil rights complaint with the U.S. District Court in Reno charging prison officials are violating his First Amendment rights, breaking federal law and ignoring a May decision by the U.S. Supreme Court by prohibiting his religious practices. He said prison officials are discriminating against him because he doesn't practice a so-called "mainstream religion." He alleged that prison rules prohibit the use of candles and incense and other materials necessary to his religious practice. He said inmates are allowed worship once a week as a group, and his beliefs are too distinct to be included with the group. Klein, serving life with possible parole on a rape conviction, is a Wiccan, which adherents describe as a natural faith somewhat akin to traditional Native American beliefs. He said in the complaint that Lovelock Correctional Center officials have denied him the right to practice his faith and confiscated his religious property. Klein charged this isn't the first time the prison administration has violated his rights. He had another federal case making many of the same accusations which he says was resolved by a settlement agreement in September 2000 in which the prison agreed to allow him his religious freedoms. Klein pointed to the May 31, 2005, decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which ordered the Ohio department of corrections to allow inmates there to practice non-mainstream religious rites. In Cutter v. Wilkinson, the court said federal law mandates "No government shall impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution," unless that practice compromises safety and security or there is some other compelling reason. The court has upheld the right of prison officials in the past to deny inmates religious practices which involve violence, drugs or alcohol. But the Cutter decision asserts practices such as Wicca are essentially no different than mainstream religious practices which prison officials endorse. It says they can't discriminate against Wiccans, Satanists and others just because they aren't mainstream. Klein's civil rights complaint asks a declaratory judgment that his rights have been violated and an injunction barring the prison from continuing to deny him his religious freedom. Copyright c. 2005 nevadaappeal.com Nevada Appeal - 580 Mallory Way - Carson City, NV 89701 --------- "RE: Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days" --------- Date: Monday, 5 September 2005 04:08 am From: Debbie Sanders Subj: Book of Days A HAWAI`I BOOK OF DAYS, week of September 4-10 KEPAKEMAPA September Mahoe Hope 4 In our hearts, we are all children. 5 Know all there is to know, ... and cherish what you learn. 6 Never make excuses to avoid doing the things you truly love. 7 Time will not stand still for our convenience -- we must make the time we need to build our dreams. 8 To walk upon black sands is to feel the touch of Pele. 9 Whenever we think we know all there is to know, ... the universe changes. 10 Each person sees the world a little differently. (c) Copyright 1991 by D. F. Sanders Me ke aloha i ka nani, ... Moe'uhanekeanuenue (With love and beauty, ... Rainbow Dream) --------- "RE: Rustywire: Little Creek" --------- Date: Tue, 20 May 2005, 11:33:53 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RUSTYWIRE: LCREEK" http://www.rustywire.com/grow/lcreek.html Little Creek by Johnny Rustywire There was this kid, he was about 18 or so and he was at the student union. His hair was curley, light brown and he talked like a used car salesman, a mile a minute. He could talk and talk and after he was finished you couldn't remember what he said. He was always moving, the kind of person who talks with their hands, yeah he was like that. Littlecreek, his name was called out in an English class of 250 in the auditorium, one had to wonder if this guy could be a "Skin". It turned out he was Chippewa, so he said. He didn't act like a Chippewa, as if they acted a certain way. There was a dance group forming of Indian students, he came and watched from the side. After a time he stepped up and wanted to dance, but he didn't have an outfit, there was a Tiny LoneBear there, and a Not Afraid, with a Running Wolf and they taught him how to make dance bussels. He talked all the time and didn't stop, then one day someone asked him, by the way where are you from anyway. He said Chicago. Oh! they all said as they understood maybe a little bit better why he was the way he was. They all worked on his fancy dance outfit. Some of the girls made him mocassins, a belt, a breech cloth, and gave him some scarves. The bussels were purple and yellow, his scarves were assorted colors, he didn't have a proper roach for his head, so he didn't wear one, his hair was cut short, so he wore a baseball cap with an eagle feather in it instead. When it came time for him to dance, he got quiet and the drum group started with crow hop, a slow song with a pounding beat to start him out slow. He moved like a wounded chicken. His legs were crossed and he tried to turn around like Sammy Davis Junior, and fell sideways to the ground. Some guys laughed at him, and he got self conscious trying to make himself small but that is hard to do when the feathered bussels spread out a foot on each side of him. He danced like a drunken man trying to walk, it hurt your eyes to watch him. After the night was done, he was so proud of his efforts he told everyone three or four times. He became an expert that night. After that you could hear Indian songs and Indian pow wow music coming from hs place. He would dance across campus with people looking at him like he was disabled or something. As time went on, he got his feet in rhythm with the song, and his movements became more fluid. He could dance across the pow wow grounds and by Spring he was moving like he was born to the sound of a drum, his arms, head and feet moved like a whirlwind, he spun and hip hopped across the arena. He could dance and talk at the same time, and he got pretty good. He married a girl from way up North a Blood and had a son. That young boy grew up learning to dance before he could walk. Haven't seen Little Creek for a long time, but I know that somewhere, maybe in Chicago, there is a place where you can hear drums, an eagle bone whistle and on the wall there are bussels, ready for the next pow wow and hanging next to his are his sons. Maybe he is going to Albuquerque to the Gathering of the Nations, or the Red Earth Pow Wow in Oklahoma this summer, or somewhere in Canada. I suspect he might be selling cars somplace. So by chance if you drive by a car lot and you see a thin guy dancing across the lot or hear a pow wow song down the street, or maybe by chance see a dancer with a baseball cap, now beaded that is LittleCreek and you can say didn't you learn to dance in college a long time ago, and you talk a mile a minute, he might look at you and then after he starts talking you will find he won't stop going on and on, well say hello from someone who knew him way back when..... Copyright c. 1999, Johnny Rustywire, all rights reserved. --------- "RE: Del "Abe" Jones Poem: Our Tsunami" --------- Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:01 PM From: Del "Abe" Jones [abeabe@att.net] Subj: Our Tsunami "OUR TSUNAMI" The force of Mother Nature Has washed upon our shore With a fierce, hellish fury Like we've never seen before. Homes and businesses flooded By tens of thousands, maybe more The cost, up in the billions But we have lost so much more. The beauty of the new and old Wiped out in this storm's path Some completely blown away By Hurricane Katrina's wrath. From Florida towards the North She has wreaked Her havoc But, of those "things" destroyed Most all, can be built back. But when someone's life is lost They will be gone forever There will be no second chance To heed those warnings, never. For some there was no option "Wrong place at the wrong time" But, many who "rode it out" Won't have that choice, next time. It may take weeks, months, or years To clean up and to rebuild But the void left by some losses Will never heal, or be refilled. Del "Abe" Jones 08-30-2005 --------- "RE: Montanan maintains Historic Passageway" --------- Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OLD NORTH TRAIL" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411469 Montanan maintains historic passageway by: Jack McNeel / Indian Country Today August 30, 2005 CHOTEAU, Mont. - It's one of the oldest trails known to mankind; in fact, it could be the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. The Blackfeet called it the "Old North Trail." It drops down from Canada following the east side of the Rockies, providing a route from the hunting grounds in the north to winter camps farther south. Those believing in the land bridge that connected Siberia with Alaska and the emigration of people across that bridge through North America might argue the trail dates back thousands of years. It has undoubtedly been well-used; first on foot, then later with dogs, eventually horses, pulling travois. Portions of it were used at least into the 1920s and likely even later, transporting trade goods or simply providing a relatively easy route from north to south. It could very well be one of the most significant trails of all time. But now the trail is growing dim, totally disappearing in places and only slightly visible elsewhere. Al Wiseman is trying to keep the trail alive and marked through Teton County, where he was born and still lives. Wiseman is a Metis whose mother was Chippewa-Cree and father was German. Metis is a French word referring to mixed racial heritage; many of the early Metis were the offspring of French trappers who married American Indians, largely Chippewa-Cree. Wiseman's grandparents are buried in a small cemetery that he maintains and which is located very near the trail. His grandfather died in 1890, and his grandmother died in 1909 at the age of 106. Al Wiseman knows this country very well, knows the people of the valley, and that has allowed him access to portions of the trail that now cross private land. The trail can be accessed in this area by traveling west from the towns of Choteau, Bynum or Dupuyer. Wiseman and others have placed boulders along the trail engraved with the simple words "Old North Trail." They have placed 23 boulders along the trail through Teton County in northwestern Montana. Wisman was happy to point out landmarks. Eerie Mountain was often used as a vision quest site. Eagle-catching pits used by the Blackfeet were on the ridge across the valley. Old, abandoned houses and barns were once owned by members of his family. Tipi rings are numerous in this valley, and Wiseman pointed out an ulm pushkin where buffalo were driven off a cliff. The Old North Trail is very distinct through here, grown over with vegetation but noticeably deeper than the adjacent soil. He pointed out one of the marker boulders. Rock cairns also mark the trail in other areas, cairns built by travelers possibly thousands of years earlier. The trail follows the eastern slope of the Rockies in the valleys but with the mountains rising immediately behind to the west. It's an area that gets Chinook winds which reduce ice and snow, making for a relatively easy corridor extending southward from Canada. Wiseman remembers stories from his parents of Metis using the trail into the late 1920s to travel from Canada to the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana to attend fiddle dances. Fences built by homesteaders made travel increasingly difficult after that time. Geologists can trace stones to particular sites, something like a DNA profile, and have traced obsidian at Fort McLeod, Alberta to its original source in Yellowstone Park. Archeologists have located major concentrations of buffalo jumps within short range of the trail, with corresponding tipi rings indicating sizeable hunting parties. This was undoubtedly a trail of major use over a long period of time. The Old North Trail is very likely the major "transcontinental highway" of prehistoric times. Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved --------- "RE: It lies within the Culture" --------- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:52:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SAVING ARAPAHO CULTURE, LANGUAGE" http://www.casperstartribune.net//8a4b695d8986c7718725706c006ef74c.txt 'It lies within the culture' By JENNI DILLON Star-Tribune staff writer August 30, 2005 ETHETE - Two lines of women sit facing each other, hidden from the afternoon sun under a tent canopy behind the Wind River Tribal College. The hands of four of the women swing back and forth in time with beating drums, fists closed. Each woman hides a small stick on one of her hands. It is up to a player from the opposing team to guess where the sticks are hidden, earning points for her team in a traditional Arapaho hand game called koxouhtiit. About 100 yards away, under another canopy, Arapaho adults step in a circle as drums echo off the stone of the old mission building nearby. They are learning traditional social dances, or nii'eihii ho'eii. The games and social dances are not everyday activities for the Arapaho people living on the Wind River Indian Reservation, but they once were. Traditions as simple as games and dances, as integral as the Arapaho language and religion, have fallen by the wayside in recent decades. Some tribal leaders, however, are working to return such knowledge to their people. Last month, the college hosted a three-day immersion language camp for adults, re-teaching not only language, but also elements of religion and culture. "We teach on the protocol of the religion, the history of the tribe, wellness and health the way it used to be compared to now," said Eugene Ridgely, bilingual education coordinator for the college. "This afternoon, we get into traditional games, then some social dancing." Though most of the participants won't walk away with more than a few words of Arapaho, several will buy English-Arapaho dictionaries and at- home tutorials. More importantly, some will gain a spark of interest in their culture, perhaps taking advantage of language classes offered regularly at the college or of other cultural renewal activities sponsored on the reservation. The quest is about more than protecting a dying language and culture. It's about turning to the ways of the past to correct some of the modern challenges facing the Arapaho people. "If we had retained the language like we should have, the family structure would still be strong," said Zona Moss, Ridgely's secretary at the college. "It lies within the language, within the culture." Ardeline Spotted Elk, a great-grandmother who has spent her life on the reservation, spent the three days teaching about kinship, or neito'eino', traditions in the tribe. Weeks earlier, she shared her own memories of growing up in a different era and of how the world has changed in her lifetime. "We lived in real old cabins, with dirt roofs and floors. We had to get water from the river. We had kerosene lamps. Everything was gravel," she recalled. "We learned Arapaho. We never spoke English until we went to school at St. Michael's (Mission). "It was a real nice, real enjoyable life. We just enjoyed our lives. There was no alcohol, no drugs; we just lived a real peaceful life. The way it is now is a real terrible life." Not everyone on the reservation agrees that life has changed so negatively, but some differences are indisputable. Merle Haas, founder of the tribal college, said she prefers not to dwell on the negative. "My people are a proud people," she said. "But I suppose we have all the social ills that are outside our reservation." Employment problems Empirically, it's hard to pinpoint just how extreme the reservation's social and economic problems are. The Wind River Indian Reservation makes up a big piece of Wyoming's Fremont County, though most of the county's population is white. Even the 2000 U.S. Census includes the border city of Riverton in its definition of the reservation, making it difficult to separate the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho residents from their white neighbors. Fremont County does consistently have the highest unemployment rate in Wyoming, and unemployment is even higher among American Indian workers, according to the Census. Kathy Vann, who heads the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service office in Ethete, explained that many men lack the education necessary to get the few high-paying jobs on the reservation. Most are forced to choose between travel-intensive work in the region's oil fields or staying home with their families. "I find that a lot of mothers work, and fathers, it's harder for me to find jobs than for women, because there aren't that many jobs," she said. "Men have to go to the biggest employer, the oil fields, where they work seven-on, seven-off." "That puts a lot of stress on mothers, taking care of kids alone for seven days," added Lisa Perry, a 24-year-old UW student who works in the office during the summer. Even with some men working the oil rigs making good money, families in Fremont County tend to bring home considerably less income than those in other parts of the state, making poverty a stark reality for reservation families. Many families turn to grandparents for help; American Indian grandparents are more likely than any other demographic group to live in the same households with their grandchildren. In Vann's family, for example, her ironworker sons gave up on traveling throughout the western states for work, and one of their families moved in with her. "My (surrogate son) moved out of his mother's house and couldn't make it financially, so he moved back in, along with his wife and three kids," she said. "My sons got tired of living in hotels. I don't know if they thought about getting their own place. They probably did, but didn't see why," she said with a laugh. Perry said there is a shortage of housing on the reservation, and both she and Vann tell stories of families who spent years on waiting lists, applying for housing when their children were born and finally being approved as grandparents. Vann said she believes some children are being raised by their grandparents because of rampant teen pregnancy and a culture of drug and alcohol abuse by parents. Residents of the reservation say alcoholism remains a chronic problem, and methamphetamine use is on the rise. Brian and Margo Williams, a couple raising seven children in their blended family, tell of family members, friends and acquaintances who have become addicted to the drug, sometimes abandoning their children to get high or stealing from friends and neighbors to support their habit. "Meth around here is getting crazy," Margo said. Brian's uncle and aunt, Darrell and Billy Hanway, are raising their 3- year-old granddaughter, whose father was killed in an impaired driving accident. They also have a 1-month-old grandchild who was born in a treatment facility due to his mother's drug addiction. Not just the reservation But while the numbers are somewhat worse, many Arapaho people said the problems aren't limited to the reservation. "I don't know if it has anything to do with the situation on the reservation," Vann said. "I think, statewide, a lot of communities are like that. It reflects what's going on in Wyoming." Tribal elder William "Icky-John" C'Hair went a step further. "I find that the problem is not within any one group or within any one location," he said. "The problem is of such a magnitude, it's not only nationwide, I think it's pretty much worldwide. We're just like any group identified as a community -- the south side of Chicago, the east side of New York. I think that the problem is prevalent." The difference is that, in a community as small and tight-knit as the reservation, such issues hit every home. And, on the reservation, people are looking to different kinds of solutions: ones from the past. The Wind River Indian Reservation has several programs to combat its social troubles, including the Indian Health Service Center, Bureau of Indian Affairs Social Services and an Intergenerational Family Resource Help Center. Schools work with these agencies to provide services for children, and Wyoming Indian Schools also work with the tribe to bring back traditional values. The Arapaho language is part of the curriculum at Wyoming Indian elementary, junior high and high schools, though C'Hair said it is given too little time in the school day. He wants to see a new immersion preschool program grow, introducing the language to 3- and 4-year-olds, whose linguistic abilities are the most ripe, and following them through their academic careers. This fall, Arapaho Charter High School will open near the town of Arapahoe. Designed to combat high dropout rates among reservation students, the school will be centered on Arapaho language, culture and values and will use more hands-on and individual teaching styles to keep teens interested in education. The Arapaho Council of Elders also works to provide education to all tribal members on traditional skills, from radio personality Big Joe's daily Arapaho language lessons beamed into cars and homes to subsidized courses in language and nearly lost skills such as meat cutting. It's not just about history or identity, C'Hair said. He said the Arapaho language and culture provide a lifestyle guide that can help stem the tide of social challenges. "We believe, we firmly do believe, that the language was a gift from our Creator. As such, it is sacred to us," he said. "Without it, we cannot exist in the manner the Creator intended for us." Copyright c. 1995-2005 Lee Enterprises a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises, Incorporated. --------- "RE: Upcoming Events" --------- Date: Mon September 5, 2005 13:22:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith (gars@speakeasy.org) Subj: Upcoming Events =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= EVENTS ARE FEATURED IN ODD NUMBERED ISSUES ONLY =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Events are too numerous to list for the entire year and are updated periodically. --------- "RE: Gathering of The Good Minds" --------- Date: Saturday, September 03, 2005 4:48 AM From: Dan Smoke [dsmoke@uwo.ca] Subj: The Gathering of the Good Minds Media Release Gathering of The Good Minds The Gathering of the Good Minds Committee in co-operation with : Wiiche Ke Yig, Museum London, London Museum of Archaeology, Nokee Kwe Occupational Skill Development Inc., The University of Western Ontario, Covent Garden Market and numerous community groups and individuals presents.... The Gathering of the Good Minds 2005: A Celebration of Native Arts, Wisdom and Culture September 23 to September 25, 2005 First presented in 2001, The Gathering of Good Minds is a bi- annual festival which features First Nations Elders, traditional teachers, artists, dancers, singers, storytellers, film makers and writers to inform Native and non-Native audiences alike. In traditional Native culture the 'Good Mind' describes the mind that is endowed with the intellect and intuition to survive in today's world along with the creativity to express this world view. The Gathering of the Good Minds 2005 will focus on literary traditions and story telling and contemporary and traditional Aboriginal arts and wisdom. This is a rare opportunity for the entire family to experience Aboriginal Canadian culture and participate in discussions and teaching circles with Elders. On Friday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m., hosts Dan and Mary Lou Smoke will welcome City of London dignitaries and Chiefs of the local First Nations communities to the opening ceremonies at Museum London. The festival continues over weekend with the programs occurring at Museum London and the London Museum of Archaeology. Invited guests this year include : Elders Isaac Day and Lee Maracle; visual artist, Faye Heavyshield; and an Origin of Blues Summit Panel Discussion and others. Vendors featuring Aboriginal crafts will be present in the Market on the Saturday of the festival. The public is invited to Sunrise Ceremonies at both Museum London and the London Museum of Archaeology Saturday and Sunday at 6:00 AM, followed by breakfast and refreshments at approximately 8:00 AM. A Sacred Fire which celebrates Life will be kept burning throughout the weekend on the front lawns of the Museum London and the London Museum of Archaeology. Everyone is welcome and admission to all events is free. For more information on the festival, artists, elders, and performers visit our website at: www.thegatheringofgoodminds.netfirms.com Media Contact people: Dan Smoke - Asayenes #61-1290 Sandford St. LONDON, Ontario N5V 3Y2 5l9 659-4682 dsmoke@uwo.ca All My Relations Dan Smoke-Asayenes & Mary Lou Smoke-Asayenes Kwe Smoke Signals First Nations Radio, CHRW, 94.9 FM Outstanding Multicultural Program for 2004 Sundays 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST 519 659-4682 fax: 5l9 453-3676 www.chrwradio.com www.thegatheringofgoodminds.netfirms.com --------- "RE: Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration" --------- Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 8:30 PM From: Anati Pierce [apierce@themillcasino.com] Subj: Canoe Race Tops List of Events at Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration Sept. 9-11 ATTN: Newsroom FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ray Doering Canoe Race Tops List of Events at Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration Sept. 9-11 =Renowned Native AmericanMusical Artist Robert Mirabal to Perform Live= August 31, North Bend, Ore. - Tribal teams racing traditional canoes along the Coos Bay waterfront are just one of the features to be enjoyed at the Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration being held Sept. 9-11 along The Mill Casino - Hotel boardwalk. This year's canoe races, a first for the celebration, will feature Tribal members from Oregon and other parts of the Pacific Northwest who will race in several heats along the The Mill's waterfront beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Linked to a traditional observance marking the return of the salmon, the celebration began as a means of sharing the culture and traditions of the Coquille Indian Tribe and other Pacific Northwest Tribes with residents and visitors to Oregon's Bay Area. In only its second year, the program is attracting Native American artisans and musicians from throughout the West and Canada. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday the a full array of Native American artisans will demonstrate their crafts with many inviting visitors to participate. Skilled artisans will teach vistors the art of basketweaving and flintnapping along with other crafts. Vistors also will learn how to play traditional stick game, learn songs in Chinook language and enjoy listening to stories from an accomplished native storyteller. Artist Peggy O'Neal will be unveiling and signing her work entitled, "Canoe Carvers." Playing an important role in Native American culture, music also holds a prominent place in the Salmon Celebration. Native drum and dancing demonstrations will be held throughout the day along with native flute playing. Robert Mirabal, award-winning musician from the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, will perform in concer at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday The Mill Casino's Salmon Room. Native musicians attending the festival will hold a flute circle meeting in the casino's outdoor pavilion following Mirabal's performances. Of course, the Salmon Bake will highlight Saturday and Sunday activities. Coquille Tribal members will prepare salmon using traditional cooking methods in the Salmon Bake pit at the south end of The Mill Hotel. All events at the celebration, except the Mirabal concert and the salmon bake, are free to the public. Tickets for the Salmon Dinner or Robert Mirabal's two performances are available at The Mill's General Store, or by phone by calling (800) 953-4800 or (541) 756-8800. Located directly on the Highway 101 waterfront of scenic Coos Bay, The Mill Casino - Hotel is a favorite destination for Bay Area residents and one of the premier attractions on Oregon's South Coast. Its mix of Nevada- style casino games, dining options for every palate, and distinctive accommodations offers something for everyone. Schedules of current and upcoming events are available throughout the casino or on their web site, www.themillcasino.com. =================================== Andersons Native American Events Updated August 16, 2005 http://andersons-web.com/native_events.htm This page has been designed to help you find Native American Events. We post information on Pow-Wows, Festivals, Rodeos, Art & Craft Shows, Seminars and any other type of gathering that represents the Native American Culture. October 22 - 23, 2005: 3rd annual Euharlee Native American PowWow Festival. Special invitation to all Veterans at Osbourne Park, Euharlee, GA. For more information contact Sam Hinson 770-546-7191 e-mail: amndn@mindspring.com A word of advice, no matter how hard we try, mistakes happen! Please try to get in contact with the event staff and verify the important information before leaving home. =================================== Crazy Crow Trading Post Updated August 16, 2005 http://www.crazycrow.com/events_nativeamerican/ NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN POWWOW CALENDAR This Native American Indian powwow calendar and related events listing is brought to you as a courtesy of Crazy Crow Trading Post to help keep you up-to-date on the latest powwows & events. We will do our best to validate the accuracy of the information provided, including checking links to web sites, but cannot be responsible for inaccuracies. Check with the contact names and website links of powwow event sponsors for the latest info. SEPTEMBER 2005 September 2-4, 2005: 2nd Annual Traditional Pecatonic Pow-Wow Location: Rockton, IL Event Detail: Macktown Living Education Center, National Historical Site located on the mouth of the Pecatonia River as it joins the Rock River. This land was a regular camp area for the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk), Potawatomie, Sauk and Fox tribes. Host Drum- Rocking Horse Singer, AD- Ron Bowan. First Four Drums Paid - Vending by Invitation Only - Rough Camping Available - Hotels Nearby (Special Rate Applies). Friday Night is Social Night - Saturday Grand Entry at 1:00 p.m. and 7 p.m. - Sunday Grand Entry at Noon. Contact: Mike Pamonicutt, phone: 773-261-7501, email: Macky_P@ameritech.net September 2-4, 2005: 15th Annual Lake Shawnee Traditioinal Pow Wow Location: Lake Shawnee, 3315 Tinman Circle, Topeka, KS 66605 Event Detail: Friday-Native American Education Day-for area schools. Fri-Sat-Sun--Gourd Dancing, War Dancing, etc. Educational Seminars, Craft and Food Concessions. Contact: Mike Ballard, phone: 785-272-5489, email: cmballard@aol.com September 2-5, 2005: Cheyenne-Arapaho Labor Day Powwow Location: Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribal Park, East Seger, Colony, OK 73021 Event Detail: Gourd dancing at 2 pm, Grand entry promptly at 8 pm, dance contests, volleyball, horseshoes, Leslie Sage Cheyenne Princess, Anna Helen Spottedwolf, Arapaho Princess. Contact: Charlene, phone: 580/323-0340, email: cwassana@yahoo.com September 3-4, 2005: Kee-Boon-Mein-Kaa Contest Pow Wow location: St. Patrick Couty Park, 50651 Laurel Road, South Bend, IN Event Detail: prize money, craft space still open 125.00 for the weekend, food is fill, hand drum contest, drum money, meal provided for dancers and drummers, camping, no power. Contact: dan rapp, phone: 269-214-2605, email: kevin.daugherty@pokagon.com September 3, 2005: Mackinac Nity Jiintamog Location: E-428 Gorman Rd., Carp River, MI 49781 Event Detail: This is a one day gathering to show Unity to the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Unofficially we will be open 2 days, the first day will be for setting up and early bird vendor sales. The second day will be with Grand opening at 1:00 P.M. All vendors wishing to attend please contact Theresa St. Andrew @ 1-906-643-8254 or Mike Perault @ 1-906-643-7462 for information. We also need dancers for future POW-WOWs and possablly compitition by the Mackinac Bridge, North side Contact: Theresa St. Andrew, phone: 906-643-8254, email: moondog_67_2000@yahoo.com September 3-4, 2005: Celebrate Bandera Inter-Tribal Pow Wow Location: Bandera City Park, Bandera, TX Event Detail: This is not a contest Pow Wow. Primitive camping will be allowed in the park during the Pow Wow. This event is being held in conjunction with the "Celebrate Bandera Days" held annually. For additional information contact: coor@celebratebandera.com or Genie Strickland, Event Coordinator, 830-796-4447 Contact: Ray Duncan, phone: 210-823-3947, email: vrduncan@satx.rr.com Event Website: http://www.celebratebandera.com September 3-4, 2005: 45th Annual Tecumseh Lodge Labor Day Powwow Location: Tipton County 4H Fairgrounds, Tipton, IN Event Detail: While we are primarily a white hobbyist group, we are honored to have numerous Native American members of our organization and in attendance at our event. This year will be our 45th annual powwow. 45th Annual Tecumseh Lodge Labor Day Powwow: As in past years this event will be open to all dancers wishing to participate. Traders by invitation only. To alleviate problems that have occurred in the past, there will be a strictly adhered to policy of NO animals permitted on the 4H Fairgrounds property during this event. For more information please contact Ray Kappmeyer at rlkmeyer@sbcglobal.net or (317)745-2858 after 7 pm. Full details are also available at our new website. Contact: Ray Kappmeyer, phone: 317-745-2858 after 7 pm, email: rlkmeyer@sbcglobal.net Event Website: http://www.tecumsehlodge.org September 3-5, 2005: 23rd Annual Labor Day Weekend Powwow Location: Franklin County Fairgrounds, Exit 13 I 270, Hillard, OH 43026 Event Detail: Mc-Jerry Dearly,AD-Ken Irwin Sr.,Host Drum-Maza Napin. Free admission,camping,showers,meals for partcipants.Grand Entry@1pm. 2 step contest. team dance contest. Contact: Native American Indian Center Of Central Ohio, phone: 614-443-6120, email: naicco@aol.com September 9-11, 2005: Indian Summer Pow-Wow Location: Milwaukee , WI Event Detail: The Indian Summer Festival offers a fun and entertaining way to experience the diversity of both traditional and contemporary American Indian culture. A festival theme is used to plan events to showcase American Indian entertainers, musicians, fine artists and craft people. Contact: Diana or Del Porter, phone: 414-645-6487, email: opichikwe@hotmail.com Event Website: http://www.indiansummer.org September 9-11, 2005: Eastern Missouri All Nations 3rd Annual American Indian Days Pow Wow Location: Woodson Terrace, City Park, Woodson Terrace, MO Event Detail: The Indian Summer Festival offers a fun and entertaining way to experience the diversity of both traditional and contemporary American Indian culture. A festival theme is used to plan events to showcase American Indian entertainers, musicians, fine artists and craft people. Contact: Martin, phone; 636-294-8732, email: moindiancouncil@aol.com September 9-11, 2005: Westover Powwow Location: Westover, WV Event Detail: Westover, West Virginia's park and recreation committee is sponsoring this event. Vendors welcome- call for details. All dancers and drum groups welcome. Contact: Matt Allen, phone: 304-296-6581, email: dream_walker32@hotmail.com September 9-11 2005: 5th Annual Saddletree Powwow Location: Saddletree Community Center, 1031 Mount Olive Church road, Lumberton, NC 28359 Event Detail: This is our 5th Annual powow Dancers and drums welcome. Contact: Robert Strongheart Carter,Jr., phone: 910-843-1704, email:Toolbud@yahoo.com September 9-11, 2005: Annual Cahokia Mounds "Spirit of the Thunderbird" Powwow Location: Cahokia Mounds, 30 Ramey Street Collinsville, IL 62234 Event Detail: ADMISSION: Free. Dancers and the Public are welcome for: Gourd & Intertribal dancing(Friday night 7 p.m.) Chance Dance - Intertribal(Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Chance Dance - Intertribal(Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.). All Veterans and Military Personnel In the Area on Sunday 9-11-05 will be honored. HV/D: Jorge Homero, Bizmark, MO. HM: Charlie Lowery, Bunceton, MO. HL: Stephanie Hayes, Merriam, KS. MC: John "Red Blanket" Gartland, Okmulgee, OK. AD: Tracy Tullie, Wright City, MO. ND: White Oak Creek Singers, Kansas City, MO. SD: Spring River Singers, Quapaw, OK. Native American Food, Demonstrations and Crafts. Camping available (RV's, tents or tipi's). Bring your lawn chairs and cameras!. Traders must pre-register by August 1, 2005! This will be an Alcohol-Free & Drug-Free event! No weapons allowed on grounds. Not responsible for accidents or lost items. Contact: Lora Garrett, phone: 314-229-3835, email: garredwolf@yahoo.com September 9-11, 2005: Stillwater Pow Wow Location: Redding Convention Center, 700 Auditorium Dr, Redding, CA 96001 Event Detail: Over $20,000 in prize money. HD: Big Bear/Sask Canada. ID: Spearfish Singers/Seattle, WA. MC: Manny King Head Man: Douglas Scholfield, Head Woman: Danielle Estrada, Specials $1,000 Womens All Around, 3 Man Hand Drum Contest, Potatoe Dance, Admission $1 per day or $2 for weekend. Arena Director Alex Shepard Contact: Irma Amaro Davis, phone: 530-275-1513, email: acarmelo@suhsd.net September 9-11, 2005: 16th Annual Wyandotte Nation Pow-wow Location: Wyandotte Nation Pow-wow Grounds, Wyandotte, OK 74370 Contact: Sherri Clemons, phone: 918-678-2297 X244, email: sclemons@wyandotte-nation.org September 9-11, 2005: 2005 Southern Ute Fair Contest Powwow Location: Sky Ute Event Center, Southern Ute Indian Reservation, Ignacio, CO 81137 Event Detail: Over $100,000 in Prize Money. Separate Northern and Southern Drum Contest:$5000 / $4000 / $3000 / $2000 / $1000. Contact: Lark M. GoodTracks, phone: 970-563-4156, email: lgoodtracks@frontier.net September 10, 2005: Red Rock Pow Wow Location: Triple C Arena, 50 East 900 North, Panguitch, UT 84759 Event Detail: Friday night will be youth exhibition dancing for the public. The Pow Wow starts on Saturday. Venders can set up for Friday night and Saturday. There is prize money in all categories. Awards are based on a point system. Contact: Travis Parashonts, phone: 435-867-0604, email: parashonts@hotmail.com September 10-11, 2005: Grand Valley American Indian Lodge 44th Annual Traditional Pow Wow Location: Riverside Park, 3000 Monroe, Grand Rapids, MI 49505 Event Detail: One of the largest pow wows in the State! Free admission and parking. Contact: Lori, phone: 616-364-4697, email: Wabushna@aol.com September 10-11, 2005: Spirit of the Bison Location: Austinburg, OH Event Detail: Headman- Neil Wolfgang, Seneca, Headlady- Michelle Hite, MC- Steve Richard, Ojibwa, Host Drum- Iron Necklace. Singing and Dancing, Birds of Prey Presentation, Native Flute Music, Great Foods, Quality Arts and Crafts, Authentic FRY BREAD, Wagon Rides into the Bison Herd, Auctions and Raffles. This is an Intertribal Pow Wow. All Dancers and Drums welcomed. Vendors by invitation. No Alcohol, Drugs, Firearms or Politics will be tolorated. Contact: Joe, phone: 216-408-9211, email: klaatu2u@sbcglobal.net Event Website: http://www.freewebs.com/bisonpowwow/ September 10-11, 2005: 6th Annual Honoring the Winged Ones Pow-Wow Celebration Location: Bunner Ridge Park, Exit 139 off Interstate 79, follow signs, Fairmont, WV 26554 Event Detail: West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center sposored event that benefits the rehabilitation of injured birds of prey. Mother Earth Beat is host Drum with Struck-By-Lightning as guest Drum. Thunder the American Bald Eagle will preside over the Grand Entry along with Annie the Red-tailed Hawk, Snow the white Red-tailed Hawk, and Spyro the American Kestrel. Head man dancer is Aaron Walks like a Bear,