_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 041 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 October 8, 2005 Hopi Angaqmuyaw/long hair moon Mohawk Kentenha/moon of poverty Kiowa Gakinat'o p'a/ten-colds moon Assiniboine Tasnaheja-hagikta/striped gopher looks back moon +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People s ch mA mL tL squee Lux -- Okanogan -- News from the People Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ++>If you speak a Native American language not listed above, please send us your words for "News of the People." We'd rather take up this whole page saving these few words of our hundreds of nations than present a nice clean banner in the language of the occupation forces who came here determined to replace our words with their own. email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; Chiapas95-English, Indigenous Peoples Literature, RezLife and Native American Poetry Mailing List; UUCP email IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | As historian Patricia Nelson | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Elder Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "The Great Spirit does right. He knows what is best for his children. We are satisfied." "Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion, or to take it from you. We only want to enjoy our own." __ Chief Red Jacket, Seneca-Iroquois +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Humboldt State University will be the host site for the 20th Annual California Indian Conference beginning Friday October 9, 2005 at 11 am. Traditional American Indians and academic scholars from throughout California will convene to focus on a range of issues concerning California's Native American populace, including health, education, natural resources and culture restoration and preservation. With the theme "Finding Balance through Traditional Native Knowledge," the gathering will offer sessions on tribal land and resource management, the status of the salmon fishery on local rivers, storytelling, California Indian artists and basket weavers, protecting sacred sites, Indian museums, language revitalization, archeology, healing through traditional culture and other topics. All of these are important topics, but one is critical, and will only matter if discussions lead to meaningful action - revitalizing Native tongues. This is absolutely essential, not only in California, but throughout Indian Country. Any linguist can tell you language does more than merely express thought. Language defines your view of life and creation. Thoughts expressed in one language lose much of their implied intent when expressed in another language. After more than a century of forced assimilation, during which Indian children were herded off to boarding schools and often punished for speaking their native tongue, many Indians lost interest in passing on their language and traditions. The occupation forces could not have hoped for a better response. It fit right into the Pratt/Carlisle theory that taking away language and culture would eventuate in copper-skinned, subservient versions of the dominant white culture. Many native nations now realize the best way to recapture their tribal identity and pride is through the reintroduction of tribal language. I would argue it is the only way. 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 ----------- - Task force calls for - Ruling favors CNO over UKB funding of Language Project - Flagstaff activist - Louisiana Tribes sees bright future for Youth receive no Federal Aid - New Navajo Health & Social - Editorial: Services Programs Interior's 'Self-Serving' Claims - Fairbanks hosting - Editorial: Alaska Federation/Natives 2005 Who says BIA hasn't been busy? - JODI RAVE: - Interior hacked yet again Healing power from Plants - Town, Tribe agree on - YELLOW BIRD: Reservation Boundaries Industry's coming brings losses, too - City seeks title to - GIAGO: Oneida Nation Properties Exploding Myths and Misconceptions - Pipeline Firm skirts Tribe - Chief calls for more FN content - Alabama-Coushatta in shelter in schools after Hurricane Rita - Need to address - Tunica-Biloxi to the rescue, Residential Schools Legacy once again - Marcos to launch Six Month Tour - Nimiipuu: - Teen sentenced for The story of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation shooting - Time Immemorial - Native Prisoner - Enemies or friends? -- Volunteers to monitor - Two more Subdivisions Indian Court Cases planned on Sacred Land - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - School says BIA will - Rustywire: Ride with him release training funds to the Shiprock Fair - Indian Art Institute President - Lee Goins Poem: September to step down - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Task force calls for funding of Language Project" --------- Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 08:33:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REVERSING CANADA'S ASSIMILATIVE ACTIONS" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411687 Task force calls for funding of Aboriginal language project by: David Wiwchar / Today correspondent October 4, 2005 OTTAWA, Ontario - The Federal Task Force on Aboriginal Cultures and Language recently released a 142-page report, calling on the Canadian government to immediately begin funding Aboriginal language projects before it's too late. "Canada's past assimilative actions, particularly the residential school system, cannot be ignored. Canada's failure to protect First Nation, Inuit and Metis languages and cultures means it must now provide the resources necessary to restore them. All federal departments share this responsibility. However, First Nation, Inuit and Metis peoples must also take their rightful place as the first and foremost teachers of their own languages and cultures," read the report. "Forcibly removing language and culture from individual First Nation, Inuit and Metis people is tantamount to a breach of Aboriginal and treaty rights, as well as a breach of the Crown's fiduciary duty, and should therefore be compensable. It is also our view that Canada's refusal to compensate individuals who continue to suffer the devastating effects of their loss of connection to their communities and their languages, cultures and spiritual beliefs fails to uphold the honour of the Crown. Further, this refusal has the effect of appearing to relegate First Nation, Inuit and Metis languages to the position of subjugated languages that can be forcibly removed from the memories of the people who spoke them, with impunity." During 16 community consultations held across Canada in 2004, many stated that the ability to speak one's own language helps people understand who they are in relation to themselves, their families and their communities, and to creation itself. "The exact number of languages and dialects is unknown, but around 61 are spoken today. First Nations speak 51 languages. Inuit speak various dialects of Inuktitut and Metis speak Michif, as well as some First Nation languages." British Columbia has the greatest language diversity, containing eight of the 11 language families. But in that province, First Nation generational language transmission is in serious decline. Most First Nation languages there are listed as "endangered" because Interior Salish languages - along with the languages in the Tsimshian family, Kwakw'ala, Nuu-chah-nulth, and several of the smaller Dene languages in northern British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon - fell within a range of more than 300, but fewer than 1,000, speakers. 30 percent or 52 First Nations had endangered languages (less than 50 percent of the adult population were reported speaking the language and there were few if any young speakers or, although over 80 percent of the older population spoke the language, there were no identified speakers under 45 years old). Research suggests that intergenerational transmission of British Columbia's First Nation languages has virtually ceased, and that almost no young children are acquiring the First Nation language in the home. Even among the population of childbearing age, especially younger parents, very few individuals are fluent. American Indian people able to speak a First Nation language well enough to conduct a conversation fell from 20 percent in 1996 to 16 percent in 2001, while those speaking it in the home declined from 13 percent to 8 percent. "It is important to keep in mind that statistics on language tell only a small part of the story. "Most of the world's indigenous languages are in danger of extinction, including those in Canada. Regardless of the number of speakers, all First Nations, Inuit and Metis languages are equal. There are many reasons why every effort should be made to save them. First, they are the original languages of Canada, spoken here millennia before French and English. They ground First Nation, Inuit and Metis nationhood, are recognized in treaties, and are entrenched in section 35 of the Canadian Constitution." The task force made 25 recommendations in the report, released July 27. They recommend a national language strategy be developed through community-based planning by First Nation, Inuit and Metis language communities, as well as by their regional and national representative organizations, with coordination and technical support to be provided by the proposed national language organization. Other recommendations included equitable resources for language support; that Canada provide funding for First Nation, Inuit and Metis languages which is, at a minimum, at the same level as that provided for the French and English languages; and that funding of First Nation schools by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development be provided at the same level and standard as that provided to Ministries of Education. Those incarcerated in Canadian jails and prisons should also receive language-training resources, because what has been missing so far is any systematic attempt to provide language training to incarcerated First Nation, Inuit and Metis persons to enable them to participate more deeply and fully in their own traditions. "That being said, however, Canada cannot speak our languages for us. Canada cannot restore them. And Canada cannot promote them among our peoples. We must take our rightful positions as the first and most appropriate teachers of our languages and cultures. We must begin by speaking our own languages to our children in our homes and communities and we must do it daily. We cannot delegate this task to our schools or leave it for the next generation. To maintain, revitalize and preserve our languages, we must use traditional and contemporary methods and strategies in the development of new approaches." "We view this foundational report as a new beginning, the first step of what many described as being a 100-year journey to the revitalization of our languages and cultures," read the report. "... Restoring their languages and cultures would ensure that First Nations, Inuit and Metis people remain strong nations for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the river flows." Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Louisiana Tribes receive no Federal Aid" --------- Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 08:33:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BUSH ADMIN TURNS BACK ON DEVASTATED LOUISIANNA TRIBES" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?feature=yes&id=1096411661 Louisiana tribes receive no federal aid by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today September 30, 2005 HOUSTON - The United Houma Nation and other Louisiana tribes hit by Hurricane Katrina said they have received no federal or national aid to help them with their recoveries. Houma Chief Brenda Dardar Robichaux said the Houma, the American Indian tribe hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina, has received no national or federal assistance: tribal members have received nothing from FEMA or the America Red Cross, and cannot get through to either agency. Grass roots volunteers are camped in Robichaux's yard in Raceland, La., south of New Orleans. They are living in tents and delivering medical and construction aid to tribal members, but have little in the way of cash or supplies. Further, Robichaux said some tribal members are still unaccounted for and assumed to be in shelters or relatives' homes. The tribe is searching for those Houma tribal members in shelters who speak only Cajun French and may be unable to communicate their needs. One Houma village was blown away by Hurricane Katrina and another, "Boothville," is underwater. There are 3,400 Houma tribal members who lost their homes or have damage to their homes Robichaux, however, said tribal members realize they are responsible for themselves and rebuilding their lives and are not waiting for others to help them. The Biloxi-Chitimacha Tribe has received no aid. Chief Albert Naquin, of the Isle de Jean Charles Band of the Biloxi- Chitimacha, said: "We haven't received any relief yet. I have an 86-year- -old woman with a roof that leaks, and rain is on the way. "There are some workers in Pointe-au-Chien, and I will go see if they can go do a quick patch job on her roof." Patty Ferguson, Pointe-au-Chien tribal member, said Poarch Creek Band tribal members from Alabama are in the tribal community, but funds are needed for construction supplies. "They can do the work themselves, if they have supplies," Ferguson said. Ferguson, also interviewed on "Radio Left," said community members want to hold on to their ancestral land. She said some tribal members are homeless and others are suffering because the fishing and seafood industry has provided little income during the hurricane season. Robichaux, Ferguson and Indian Country Today were interviewed on "Radio Left" regarding the lack of coverage by the mainstream media of Louisiana's coastal tribes hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Editorial: Interior's 'Self-Serving' Claims" --------- Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:43:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DoI CLAIMS vs REALITY" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/284336561894891 Just settle with Indians to end debacle September 27, 2005 In the name of common sense and fairness, it's time to settle a 9-year- old class-action lawsuit in which a group of American Indians is demanding an accounting for more than a century's worth of federal mismanagement of tribal trust funds. The Indians claim they were cheated out of $100 billion, but have offered to settle for $27.5 billion. That's beginning to look like a bargain, under the circumstances. Circumstances took new twists last week. The Interior Department said its own audits of accounts it manages for thousands of American Indians have found few errors and little evidence that anyone tampered with records. At the same time, federal officials are investigating how National Archives documents of interest to those suing the Interior Department were found discarded in a trash bin and a wastebasket. The Associated Press reported that the discovery came to light on Sept. 1, when Archives staff noticed federal records in one of the trash bins behind the National Archives Building near the Capitol. They found at least some of the documents were Bureau of Indian Affairs records dating to the 1950s, according to Jason Baron of the Archives' office of general counsel, in a letter last week to an Interior Department official. The office of Archives inspector general Paul Brachfeld began investigating, and "what appear to be Indian records were discovered in a waste basket in the stack areas at Main Archives," Baron wrote. Taken together, the two dumping incidents "may be intentional acts aimed at unlawfully removing or disposing of permanent records from the Interior Department," he added. It wouldn't be the first time records have been sidetracked over the years. Interior's latest accounting claims are self-serving at best. A federal judge has ordered agency officials to account for every dollar received and paid to Indians since 1887, but the agency claims such an accounting would cost $12 billion. They also claim efforts so far have found an error rate of less than 1 percent for those dollars that have been reconciled. Pardon us if we find no comfort in such assurances. The trust funds were created in 1887, when Congress assigned American Indians small allotments of land but gave the Department of Interior the task of managing the grazing, timber, and oil and gas rights. Since then, some of the royalty money has been stolen and misappropriated. Records have been lost or destroyed, making it impossible to know how much was squandered, although congressional reports dating back to 1928 identified problems in trust-fund accounting. During the long trial, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth has held both Interior Secretary Gale Norton and her predecessor, Bruce Babbitt, in contempt for failing to come up with an accounting of what the plaintiffs are owed. Those contempt citations span two administrations - Babbitt served with former President Bill Clinton, while Norton is part of President George W. Bush's team. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., filed a bill in July that that would settle the case for an amount of money that is still being negotiated. McCain think the plaintiffs' offer of $27.5 billion is too high. As we have said editorially before, given the scope and longevity of the problem, it could well turn out to be a bargain for the federal government to settle this national embarrassment. McCain may be right on the amount being too high, so how about this: If it really would cost $12 billion just to re'concile the books, as Interior claims, how about settling for that amount to clean up this mess? - Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins and Bill Lee. Copyright c. 2005 - Yakima Herald-Republic. --------- "RE: Editorial: Who says BIA hasn't been busy?" --------- Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 08:28:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRASHING A FEDERAL JUDGE AND RECORDS" http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/09/28/opinion/opinion01.txt Who says BIA hasn't been busy? September 29, 2005 It's an old wheeze that the Bureau of Indian Affairs was advised by General Custer as he rode out of the fort not to do anything until he returned from the Little Big Horn. Not true. There's plenty of paperwork to prove the BIA was active. So much, in fact, that someone is tossing it out. The Interior Department and the National Archives are trading denials that either was responsible for filling some trash bins with what appears to be documents of interest to U.S. tribes. The discovery came to light on Sept. 1, when Archives staff noticed federal records in one of the trash bins behind the National Archives Building near the Capitol in Washington. At least a portion of the documents were Bureau of Indian Affairs records dating to the 1950s. There were dark suspicions that the old records had something to do with mismanagement in the Interior Department. Not so, said a spokeswoman: "The department had nothing to do with it." Paul Brachfeld, inspector general of the National Archives, conceded that "what appear to be Indian records were discovered in a wastebasket..." What did the documents say? No one has told us. But Congress found problems in 1994 with Interior's administration of 260,000 Indian trust accounts containing $400 million. Two years later, Elouise Cobell of the Blackfoot tribe, and others, filed suit. They allege the department cheated about a half million Indians out of more than $100 billion, by mismanaging oil, gas, grazing, timber and other royalties from their lands dating to 1887. They have offered to settle for $27.5 billion. The stuff found in the trash bins doubtless had nothing to do with that. It may be nothing more interesting than, say, minutes of 1950s meetings or old past-dues. But one question: Doesn't National Archives have computers, or at least more filing cabinets? Copyright c. 2005 Pocatella Idaho State Journal. --------- "RE: Interior hacked yet again" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 20:15:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DoI COMPUTERS HACKED AGAIN" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/010559.asp Interior warned of computer security risks again September 30, 2005 Despite an investment by the Bush administration of more than $100 million, the Interior Department's computer systems remain vulnerable to hacking, a newly released memo warns. On September 6, Inspector General Earl E. Devaney reported the results of testing on the department's information network. What he found was far from positive, given the administration's claims that it has improved systems housing billions of dollars of Indian trust funds and other sensitive government data. "At the outset of our testing, both the OIG and the department believed the DOI IT networks were prepared to undergo rigorous testing," Devaney told top officials including Jim Cason, the acting assistant secretary for Indian affairs. "Unfortunately," he continued, "our testing revealed that several bureaus and offices still suffer from serious weaknesses in their security posture. These weaknesses, in turn, negatively impact DOI's IT security overall." Computer security experts hired by Devaney were able to break into Interior's "trusted" network, the memo states. Hackers were able to look at "sensitive personal privacy and financial data" at the National Business Center, an agency that handles more than $9 billion in payroll for more than 200,000 government employees and more than $3 billion in other financial transactions, "Having done this, we also believe we could have changed bank routing information and other electronic funds records to potentially divert electronic payments to other banks," Devaney warned. At the National Park Service, hackers were able to obtain "full administrative access" to the internal network, which is supposed to be shielded from public access. "We carried out our testing activities undetected for more than a month," the memo stated. Despite the severity, Devaney noted that the problems aren't new. As early as the summer of 2001, Interior officials knew of vulnerabilities to Indian trust system and other computer systems, according to government documents and testimony in the Cobell v. Norton lawsuit. The situation prompted a federal judge to order a shutdown of Interior's public Internet connection. Four years later, Devaney said he is still encountering resistance. He said his office has come under fire for uncovering a less than rosy picture of reform at Interior. "Rather than simply accepting the results of our testing and prompting addressing the underlying vulnerabilities, the department and bureaus have, to date, expended considerable time and energy debating our findings, challenging our methodology, and impugning the credentials of our staff and contracts," he wrote. "I do not wish to repeat this past experience," he said, calling for a department-wide effort to "make DOI's IT systems more secure." The memo came to light in a court filing made the Bush administration on Wednesday night. It contains several redacted portions in order to protect certain data and systems. The memo also contains a "scorecard" on testing of various Interior bureaus and offices, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Special Trustee. But the scores for these two agencies were incomplete due to "limited testing" on their networks, according to the memo. During the recent trial into IT security at the department, two security experts whose firm, Internet Security Systems, was hired by Devaney testified about the vulnerabilities they encountered. Phil Brass and Scott Miles said they wouldn't describe the network as "bulletproof" -- a term Cason has used in the court case. Brass testified that he was obtain personal information Secretary Gale Norton and exploit other vulnerabilities that led him to "personal data on all the astronauts" at NASA. Miles gained entry into Interior's systems and was able to see Indian trust data, he cold the court. Cason, however, took the stand and defended the administration's record. "I think we made substantial progress," he said on July 19. Yet he acknowledged that improvements at some bureaus "didn't get done." Information technology security has been a critical part of the Cobell case since November 2001, when a court official released a report detailing how billions of dollars in Indian trust funds could be easily accessed from the Internet. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that the Interior Department has a fiduciary obligation to protect the computer data and the computer systems of the Indian trust. "It is indisputable that the Secretary has current and prospective trust management duties that necessitate maintaining secure IT systems in order to render accurate accountings now and in the future," the court said in December 2004. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Town, Tribe agree on Reservation Boundaries" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 08:57:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT SET REZ BOUNDARIES" http://www.indianz.com/News http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=F05827D1-60F9-4E26-B7F7-12F8840D7D0E Town, Tribe To Formally Agree On Reservation Boundaries By KATRINA T. GATHERS Day Staff Writer, Ledyard/Preston September 28, 2005 Ledyard - The mayor and chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe are expected to sign several maps tonight that will show the boundary of the tribe's reservation. The Town Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Town Council Chairman Terry Jones said Tuesday that eight Mylar copies of maps will show the "agreed upon boundary for use in all dealings between the town and the tribe." The maps will be used for such issues as taxation and jurisdiction, said Jones. "We got an opinion from our lawyers that there is no down side to this," he said. Jones said the maps signed tonight will not replace the original "red- lined" map that has yet to turn up. The red-lined map shows the original boundary of the tribe's reservation, which was circled in red marker, as part of the 1983 Settlement Act. Neither the town nor the tribe has ownership of the red-lined map. "If it shows up," said Jones, of the red map, "this does not take precedence over that. What we found was that people had different views of what the boundaries were. Their practice was that the boundaries changed whenever they took something into trust, even if it was not in the original settlement act. It kept changing shape." Ledyard Mayor Susan Mendenhall and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Michael J. Thomas are expected to sign the new reservation boundary maps. The maps should show what land is owned by the town, what land is in trust and what is owned by the tribe but not in trust, called "fee land." Copyright c. 1998-2005 The Day Publishing Co. --------- "RE: City seeks title to Oneida Nation Properties" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 08:57:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONEIDA LAND DISPUTE" http://www.indianz.com/News http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard//news-1/1127896946153900.xml Oneida city targets nation's parcels Legal notice lists them as tax delinquent, with more than $900,000 owed. By Aaron Gifford Staff writer September 28, 2005 The city of Oneida has published a legal notice listing 42 Oneida Indian Nation-owned properties that are tax-delinquent, a step toward taking title to millions of dollars worth of land if the 2003 property taxes aren't paid by year's end. Back taxes on the properties for 2003 were more than $900,000, according to the legal notice published last week in the Oneida Daily Dispatch. Most of the parcels are in the southern part of the city, including several on West Road, Union Street and Mount Hope Avenue. The nation also owns several commercially zoned parcels along Genesee Street and Lenox Avenue. The same notice will run twice in October and twice in November. The city charter allows Oneida to take title to property after two years of taxes being past due, said City Chamberlain Nancy Andrews. In this case, the city may not take title to the properties, she said, because the city might get more in a court settlement than it would in a foreclosure sale. The city has not been able to collect property taxes on nation-owned property since 1987, Andrews said. In the past, she said, the nation has ignored city tax bills, late payment reminders and legal notices. The nation maintains that as a sovereign entity, it is not subject to taxation by another government. But in March, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Oneidas must pay property taxes on land outside their federally recognized 32-acre territory off Route 46 in the southern part of the city. The decision prompted Madison County officials to begin to foreclose on nation-owned property, citing unpaid taxes. A federal judge is considering the legal action. Oneida Nation spokesman Mark Emery said the nation will wait for a decision in the federal case before it responds to the city's delinquent tax notices. "Whether they can (take title to the property) is what the federal court will decide in the pending case with Madison County," he said. The nation has asked the federal government to put more than 17,000 acres the nation owns in Madison and Oneida counties into trust. That would make the land free from all local taxes and controls. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will review comments from local government leaders before making a decision on the request. Oneida city officials didn't send late notices to the nation in 2003 and 2004, which may create a legal technicality that prevents the city from taking title to the properties. Andrews said the city didn't send the notices because officials didn't want to upset a land claim settlement announced in 2002 by nation leader Ray Halbritter and Gov. George Pataki. After the Supreme Court decision, however, the city sent a late notice on the nation's 2005 bills in an effort to follow procedure should the tribe still be delinquent after Jan. 1, 2008, Andrews said. Even though the nation has ignored city tax bills, it did grieve its assessment for the first time earlier this year. It objected to the assessed value of more than 1,000 acres it owns in the city, saying the taxable value is zero. The Oneida city assessor's office calculated the land value at $24.4 million. The nation has blanketed Madison and Oneida counties with lawsuits in state Supreme Court challenging such assessments and taxes. The city of Oneida has joined Madison County's motion to dismiss some of those suits, City Attorney Justin Murphy said. Murphy said arguments in the state case could begin in November. A decision in the assessment disputes could affect the city's ability to take title to nation property. "If (the nation) prevail(s), then any issues about back taxes go away," Murphy said. Copyright c. 2005 The Post-Standard. Used with permission. --------- "RE: Pipeline Firm skirts Tribe" --------- Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 08:44:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GOES TO DoI/BYPASS NAVAJO" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/articles/0930pipeline30.html Pipeline firm skirts tribe Operator appeals to U.S. as Navajo talks drag Ken Alltucker The Arizona Republic September 30, 2005 Frustrated by the pace of talks to continue operating hundreds of miles of pipeline across tribal land in Arizona and New Mexico, El Paso Natural Gas on Thursday sought to bypass Navajo officials by appealing directly to the federal government. El Paso wants the U.S. Department of the Interior's approval of a pipeline right-of-way easement that would allow the Houston-based company to continue shipping natural gas throughout the Southwest. The move is unusual because El Paso has yet to strike a financial deal with the tribe, typically a required step before the feds consider such an application. "We're basically going (directly) to the Department of Interior," said Bruce Connery, spokesman for El Paso. El Paso claims that the tribe's demands have been unreasonable and could result in higher bills for customers such as Southwest Gas, which supplies natural gas to a half-million Valley homes. The pipeline operator said Navajo negotiators have rejected the company's offer of cash and other consideration worth over $200 million and instead asked for $440 million over the two-decade lease to continue operating 900 miles of pipeline across the Navajo Reservation. El Paso would not say how much it pays for the existing 20-year lease, which expires Oct. 17. Rights of way Navajo Nation Attorney General Louis Denetsosie did not return a call Thursday but said in a written statement released Wednesday that the tribe's demands would be "utterly insignificant from the consumers' perspective." He added that El Paso's competitors have accepted similar terms and that the operator resorted to scare tactics to sway public opinion. "El Paso simply wants to return the Navajo Nation to the earlier times," he wrote, "when rights of way over Native American lands were granted by the United States for nominal consideration, thus gaining a competitive advantage over other gas pipeline companies." It's unclear what the Department of Interior will do with El Paso's request. The agency had yet to review a copy of the application as of Thursday, said Tina Kreisher, director of communications. El Paso said the feds have an obligation to renew a right-of-way agreement for the following reasons: * The tribe agreed to permit utility construction in exchange for payment under the tribe's 1868 treaty with the United States. * "Unreasonable terms" demanded by the tribe amount to an unlawful exercise of regulatory authority over non-Indians. * And renewal of the right-of-way lease is needed to avoid conflict with another federal agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. El Paso wants Interior's assistant secretary for Indian affairs to rule on the company's request and any appeal to avoid disruption of the flow of natural gas to hundreds of thousands of homes in the West. Yet some observers question whether the federal government would be willing to intercede on behalf of El Paso. Keith Harper, attorney at the nonprofit Native American Rights Fund, said the tribe has a right to cut its own deal and doubts the feds will be willing to tinker with demands. "I think if the Interior gets involved in undermining the decision- making right of a sovereign nation, they are treading on very shaky ground," Harper said. Playing hardball Furthermore, he said studies have shown that Native Americans historically have been short-changed in right-of-way negotiations with utilities and oil companies. A 2003 study of such transactions showed individual Native American property owners were reimbursed an average of $25 for every 3 yards of pipeline, compared with the non-Native rate of $135 and up for a similar- sized stretch of pipeline. Yet El Paso said it's the Navajo tribe that is playing hardball over talks to extend the lease. The Navajos' demand equates to about $50,000 per acre while fair-market value for comparable off-reservation land would fetch $100 to $500 per acre. El Paso has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve a rate hike that would, in part, track the extra amount it pays the Navajos based on the lease negotiations. If approved by FERC, those extra delivery charges would be passed along to Southwest Gas and other customers - utilities that would likely ultimately seek reimbursement from consumers. Denetsosie suggested that El Paso may have another motivation in its public battle over the pipeline renewal. He noted that El Paso agreed in a March 2003 deal with federal regulators to pay more than $1.7 billion to California customers to settle market-manipulation lawsuits. "If anyone is profiteering at the expense of customers, it is El Paso," Denetsosie said. "El Paso is currently seeking higher tariffs from FERC over its western pipeline system and, in lieu of settlement payments, is offering favorable rates to California customers, placing the burden of the higher rate adjustment on east-of-California customers." Reach the reporter at ken.alltucker@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8285. Copyright c. 2005 The Arizona Republic. --------- "RE: Alabama-Coushatta in shelter after Hurricane Rita" --------- Date: Thu 9/29/2005 12:29 PM From: Daughtry, Chuck Subj: Fwd: Alabama-Coushatta in shelter after Hurricane Rita http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?feature=yes&id=1096411647 Alabama-Coushatta in shelter after Hurricane Rita by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today September 28, 2005 ALABAMA-COUSHATTA NATION, Texas - Hurricane Rita ripped along the border of Louisiana and Texas, whipping down trees and leaving about 1,000 Alabama-Coushatta tribal members in Texas in a shelter facing shortages of food and gasoline. "We've turned our multi-purpose room into a shelter," said Alabama- Coushatta Tribal Chairman Ronnie Thomas on Sept. 26, after Hurricane Rita hit land on the Louisiana coast two days earlier. "We're feeding about 1,000 people," Thomas told Indian Country Today, pointing out that the majority of people in the shelter are tribal members. Thomas described the downed trees that wrecked the west side of the tribal community, located 90 miles north of Houston in oak and pine timber country, 17 miles east of Livingston and 17 miles west of Woodville. Thomas said it could take two weeks to get electricity back on to tribal members' homes. The water supply was also knocked out and generators were running sluggish as the tribe attempted to get pumps operating again. "I didn't even go into town until today," he said, referring to nearby Livingston. "They had trees down all over the power lines." Speaking in a telephone interview from the closed tribal offices without power, Thomas said, "It is hot and humid, and our air conditioner isn't working." With daytime temperatures hovering around 100 degrees in southeast Texas, the oppressive heat added to the dilemma of evacuations and recovery efforts. Still, it could have been worse. And in nearby Jasper, it was. "The eye passed over Jasper. It was terrible," Thomas said. "We were really lucky," he said, pointing out there were no injuries and a minimal amount of home damage for the tribe, whose 1,100 members live on 5,200 acres of trust land, not including the fee lands. The exodus of more than 2 million people from Houston, Galveston and the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Rita approached created an unnatural traffic disaster. The fiasco stranded motorists in hot, stalled cars in Houston for up to 17 hours, then left thousands lined up for miles at gas stations in east Texas towns before the hurricane struck. In fact, the lines at the gas pumps were so long on Sept. 23 at the Alabama-Coushattas' Ischoopa One Stop convenience store and gas station on Hwy 190 that Thomas pumped gas himself from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. "That was the only way I could get the lines down. As soon as I got there, I was on No. 10. It was a madhouse," said Thomas, adding that for many evacuees it was the second time in three weeks that they were fleeing a hurricane. Many had already lost everything. Hurricane Katrina struck three weeks before; then Hurricane Rita ripped through coastal towns. After Hurricane Rita hit land, Cameron, La. was underwater, nearby communities were annihilated and hundreds were rescued from flooding. In southeast Texas, there was extensive home damage; hundreds of thousands of people in the hurricane's path were left without power. When the exodus from Hurricane Rita ended, so did the Alabama- Coushattas' gas. "Our gas station is about empty," Thomas said, adding that there is a shortage of gas at stations throughout the region. Now, the tribe is using their remaining gasoline carefully as they attempt to clear roads and restore power. BIA law enforcement and forestry staff from Oklahoma was helping with the chainsaw work of clearing downed trees. Meanwhile, Thomas said a group of Alabama-Coushatta tribal elders evacuated and are being hosted by the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. While Alabama-Coushatta offices were closed on Sept. 26, tribal staff members were still at work without electricity, both indoors and outdoors. "Our forestry department is helping to clear the debris out." Thomas pointed out that the delivery of federal aid is revealing. After Hurricane Rita, Thomas said it was the same old story when it came time to distribute boxes of food, with Indians receiving little. Preferring not to mention the federal agency by name, he said it was the same old story for Indians. "They are still treating Indians like they were back in the 'day."' Even before Hurricane Rita, Thomas said the tribe was struggling with the economic conditions in rural east Texas. In 2002, the state of Texas shut down the tribe's casino, along with all other Indian casinos in Texas. "We were the second-largest employer in the area," Thomas said, adding that the tribe continues to operate two smoke shops. Now, Thomas said food donations would be appreciated for tribal members. When asked what other type of help the tribe needs from Indian communities for their recovery efforts from Hurricane Rita, Thomas said, "Monetary; and prayers that this turns around and works out in a good way. "That will go a long way." Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved --------- "RE: Tunica-Biloxi to the rescue, once again" --------- Date: Thu 9/29/2005 12:27 PM From: Daughtry, Chuck Subj: Fwd: Tunica-Biloxi to the rescue http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?feature=yes&id=1096411646 Tunica-Biloxi to the rescue, once again by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today Tribal members volunteering at tribe's Red Cross Shelter as Hurricane Rita approaches September 28, 2005 MARKSVILLE, La. - The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe canceled a Lonestar concert in order to make the Paragon Casino Resort's conference center available as a designated Red Cross shelter. As Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry Sr. said the tribe was preparing once again, as it did during the evacuation of the Gulf Coast when Hurricane Katrina slammed the coast Aug. 29, to open its doors to evacuees. "Members of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and employees of Paragon Casino are volunteering their time and efforts to man the Red Cross shelter," Barbry said. "The Lonestar concert will be rescheduled for a later date at a time when Louisiana is not faced with such a heavy burden." In the event the state's capital city of Baton Rouge has to be evacuated when Hurricane Rita hits, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and Paragon Casino Resort have also offered their facilities as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration command center. OSHA could set up a command post on the reservation. "OSHA is on the ground and providing technical assistance for thousands of workers involved in the cleanup efforts throughout the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast," the tribe said in a statement. Jonathan L. Snare, OSHA's acting Assistant Secretary of Labor, said the agency is playing two key roles in the disaster response effort. OSHA personnel are providing technical assistance for workers involved in the cleanup efforts as part of the core mission. OSHA is also coordinating the efforts for federal agencies and their employees through the Worker Safety and Health Support Annex of the National Response Plan. OSHA's mission is to assure the safety and health of America's workers in the workplace. After Hurricane Katrina, the Tunica-Biloxi provided temporary shelter for 520 evacuees from seven parishes. Another 400 evacuees stayed in the tribe's hotel and RV Resort. Eight Tunica-Biloxi families living in the New Orleans area fled and returned to the central Louisiana community after Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern coastal area. Paragon Casino Resort, located on Highway 1 in Marksville, features a 354-room hotel, a 1,600-seat entertainment complex, six restaurants, a full-service RV resort, the Kids Quest child care activity center and a professional golf course. Paragon Casino Resort is owned and managed by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. Ticket refunds for the Lonestar concert are available at the point of purchase. Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved --------- "RE: Nimiipuu: The story of the Nez Perce" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 08:46:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NIMIIPUU" http://www.idahostatesman.com//20050922/NEWS04/509250301/1047 Nimiipuu: The story of the Nez Perce September 22, 2005 The story of the Nez Perce people, the Nimiipuu (NEE-mee-poo), has been told many times. Historians have devoted significant portions of their lives to it. Most of the histories have been told from a white perspective. With a few exceptions, notably the works of L.V. McWhorter, the Nez Perce stories familiar to most Americans omit the Nez Perce perspective. In popular history, the tribe is best known for helping Lewis and Clark in the grand cause of westward expansion and for the military genius of Chief Joseph, its greatest leader. The reality in the hearts and histories of the Nez Perce people could not be more different. The following pages tell the Nez Perce story from the Nez Perce perspective, relying mainly on oral history and interviews with members of the tribe today. Secondary sources were used to provide context or bridge gaps. Interview subjects spanned four generations, and, departing from what once seemed to be standard practice, included as many women and girls as men and boys. Times have changed in Nez Perce country as they have everywhere; the new tribal chairman is the first female "chief" in the tribe's history. Their stories don't always agree. Minor details of one family's account of an event may differ from another family's. But they agree on the essence of the stories, which comprise a complex and troubling heritage. Within a generation of Lewis and Clark, whom they easily could have killed, the people who were the original and most powerful inhabitants of much of the Northwest were in free fall toward cultural and literal decimation from which they're still recovering. The Nimiipuu numbered about 6,000 when Lewis and Clark arrived in what was then their country. Today, there are about 3,400. Their story is an American tragedy, a tale of greed and arrogance virtually unknown to most contemporary Americans. It should give us all pause. - Tim Woodward Copyright c. 2005 Idaho Statesman - Boise, Idaho. --------- "RE: Time Immemorial" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 08:46:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NIMIIPUU: TIME IMMEMORIAL" http://www.idahostatesman.com//20050922/NEWS04/509250307/1037 Time Immemorial September 22, 2005 They called themselves the Nimiipuu. In their language, the people. They didn't need a more specific name. Most of the time, in their part of the world, they were the only people. The nucleus of their part of the world encompassed what are now parts of Idaho, Washington and Oregon. They were the original and for generations the only inhabitants of 13 million acres. Centuries passed before they were called Nez Perce, a name white people gave them in error that continues to the present. Unlike the rest of us, they didn't come here from somewhere else. They've lived in their Northwest homeland since time immemorial. Their oral history says they were created when Coyote, an all powerful animal spirit, killed a monster and threw parts of its body for miles in all directions. Where a body part landed, a tribe of people was created. When Coyote was finished, he washed his hands to remove the blood from the monster's heart. Where the drops landed, the Nimiipuu were created. Heart of the Monster, a geographic formation near today's Kamiah marks the spot. They lived in scores of villages in a vast territory extending from North Idaho's Clearwater Valley into Oregon and Washington on the west, the Bitterroot Range of Idaho and Montana on the east and just beyond the Salmon River on the south. Their permanent homes or "long houses" were made of poles and branches caulked with mud and lined with woven rushes. The long houses glowed with fires built in rows down the center. Many families crowded into the shelters during winter. Extended families spanning several generations lived together. Each village had a leader or "head man." The Nimiipuu weren't nomadic, but they did travel widely to gather food. Annual cycles regulated the rhythms of their lives. In spring, they began to harvest root crops. They knew when the doves began to coo in June that it was time for the salmon to run. They fished, gathered roots and berries and hunted in summer. Hunters were taught never to kill female animals with young. In August, the Nimiipuu harvested camas bulbs. Fall was the time for drying and storing foods for winter. Women were considered as important as men and in some ways enjoyed greater status. Women gathered foods, put up tipis for the traveling bands and did much of the work in the camps and villages. They owned most of the possessions, kept the family histories and arranged marriages to influence blood lines for mutual benefit. Alliances through marriage were pragmatic. Families united through wedlock might quarrel, but the blood bonds that joined them were forever. Children went by nicknames or play names until about age six, when their personalities had developed and their parents chose a grownup name that suited them. Competition for names of respected ancestors was great. Only one person at a time could have the name. Girls took names from their mothers' sides of the family, boys from their fathers'. Significant events could change a name at any time. A person could have several during a lifetime. Men were mainly responsible for bringing home fish and game, a prestigious responsibility because it was frequently dangerous, and for defending the people against enemies. Men owned their weapons and tools. Women owned everything else, including the clothing they made for their husbands. If a woman wanted a divorce, she had only to set her husband's tools and weapons on the ground outside their home. There was no single chief who was the primary or most important leader. Each band had a leader, and chiefs were considered equals. Each chief had a specialty such as war or travel or even a specific geographic area with which he was more familiar than the others. Important decisions for the tribe were made in councils, with the majority view prevailing or the other chiefs temporarily deferring to one whose specialized knowledge of an area or situation best suited the occasion. Chiefs tended to be the oldest sons of families with first-born daughters. Experience taught the Nimiipuu that boys born first were spoiled and made poor leaders. Experience also taught them that girls born first were bossy. When a man became a chief and went to a council with other chiefs, he first had to consult his older sister for her views. The tribe acquired horses, initially brought by the Spanish and obtained from the Shoshonis or Blackfeet, in about 1700. Boys and girls learned to ride at an early age. Weapons were developed specifically for hunting and fighting on horseback. The tribe cultivated large herds and became expert at caring for them. Horses were not only highly prized but extended the tribe's range. Men left their homeland to hunt buffalo on the plains to the east; a few were known to have traveled even farther east. The tribe also was part of a well-developed trade network that included many tribes. They traded with Montana tribes for buffalo hides and other plains products and with coastal tribes for Pacific seashells that adorned Nimiipuu women's dresses. Hides and shells comprised a small fraction of what the trading network offered, and the "moccasin telegraph" brought information from distant places. Long before the first white men came, the Nimiipuu knew about the Great Lakes and both seacoasts. They spoke of the continent as an island because they knew about the waters that ended it. They knew about the white "across the water people" east of the Mississippi. And they knew they were coming. They had a faith that sustained them for generations. They believed in a Creator who made the Earth and everything in it. The Creator was in some ways similar to the God of Christianity, but there was no hell, no need for salvation. The Earth, the plants, the air and water and the animals with which the people shared them were sacred to them. The animals were brothers who sacrificed themselves to provide food, clothing and shelter. All things were interconnected. Nothing was to be taken from the Earth without giving something back - a physical offering, a prayer or both. It wasn't a perfect life. People had to work hard to have enough to eat; daily physical labor and occasional danger were the accepted price of a meal. Winters in crowded, smoky long houses could seem endless, and hunting big game with bows and arrows or fishing from slippery rocks could be fatal. The Nimiipuu were friendly with most of the tribes who lived on the edges of their homeland, but not all of them. Outsiders seen as encroaching on their land were repelled. Clashes with members of tribes now known as the Bannocks and to a lesser extent the Shoshonis often ended in death. Not a perfect life, but a good life. The Nimiipuu were a few thousand people living on millions of acres. The land was abundant, providing fish, meat, roots, berries, medicinal plants and materials for clothing and shelter. What they couldn't get from their own land they traded for with other tribes. Horses brought mobility and status. Centuries of development produced a rich culture. The tribe had skilled artists and crafts workers, historians, a highly developed social order, an intense spirituality. The Nimiipuu had the tools, the raw materials and the knowledge to live independently and well. Their descendants proudly claim that they were the richest, most powerful tribe in the Northwest. Then the white men came. Copyright c. 2005 Idaho Statesman - Boise, Idaho. --------- "RE: Enemies or friends?" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 08:46:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NIMIIPUU: ENEMIES OR FRIENDS" http://www.idahostatesman.com//20050922/NEWS04/509250307/1037 Enemies or friends? September 22, 2005 They knew the white men - soyapos, in their language - were coming long before they arrived. Three Nimiipuu leaders had met them the year before at Fort Mandan, in present-day North Dakota, and Nimiipuu songs had long predicted the arrival of a new kind of people. One of the three leaders, Red Bear, wondered if the soyapos would remember him when they reached Nimiipuu country. The ax the white men had given them at Fort Mandan should help them remember. Strange markings - L and C - were stamped in its metal. It was waiting in Nimiipuu territory when the white men arrived there on Sept. 20, 1805. Three small boys were the first to see them, seven thin men on gaunt horses coming out of the mountains onto what is now known as the Weippe Prairie in North Idaho. (An irony of Nimiipuu history was that one of the boys, Alle-oo-ya, would grow up to be a leader of the tribe, take a white name and become a central figure in a dispute that divides the Nimiipuu to this day.) The soyapos' arrival in their country was so far outside most of the people's experience that they didn't know what to make of them. In a land where facial hair was all but unknown - Nimiipuu men plucked their whiskers - the white men's beards made them look as if their faces were upside down. Some of the newcomers had green, gray or blue eyes. To people whose eyes were universally brown, they resembled the eyes of fish. They wondered if the strangers were humans, animals or a mixture of both. The strangers were dirty and smelled bad. This was highly offensive to the Nimiipuu, who prided themselves on cleanliness. It was September, a time when their camps were well stocked with salmon and nutritious roots, yet these men were weak from hunger. They'd eaten some of their own horses, behavior all but alien to native people who prized horses. If they were human beings, how could they be in such deplorable condition at such a time of plenty? The Nimiipuu called the newcomers miyapkawits - "know-nothings." They initially felt sorry for them. The white men rode to the camp where the boys lived. They noted in their journals that some members of the tribe pierced their noses. French trappers who came later made similar references, giving rise to what would become the white people's name for the tribe. Most Nimiipuu didn't and don't pierce their noses, meaning that the tribe has been misnamed ever since. Most Nimiipuu people believed in treating guests well. They gave the hungry men roots and salmon, which they eagerly accepted. Accustomed to eating mostly meat, they gorged themselves and became ill. It was hard to believe that people who had come so far could seem so inept. The soyapos created such a stir that on the next day many of the people followed them to the camp of Twisted Hair, the head man in the valley. Twisted Hair was fishing for salmon. He warmed to the strange-looking men and showed them the Nimiipuu way of spearing fish. They gave him a medal with a likeness of a man named Thomas Jefferson, their great white father who wanted all the tribes to live in peace. This was welcome news. Red Bear and his warriors had retaliated only four days before for the deaths of three Nimiipuu killed by the Shoshoni. There had been too much killing. More soyapos came the following day. In all, there were 34 - 31 white men, an elderly Shoshoni guide, a Shoshoni woman, and her baby. It was the only time on the woman's journey with the white people that she aroused suspicion. Other tribes viewed the presence of a woman and child as reassuring. No war party would travel with a woman and a baby. The Nimiipuu, however, had a history of conflicts with the Shoshoni. The woman with the soyapos could be part of a Shoshoni trick. She would bear watching. Her name, they were told, was Sacajawea. The group's leaders were called Lewis and Clark. Even the white people's names were strange. Sacajawea had been stolen, sold and married to a Frenchman, but in time had returned to her people. Her story was similar to that of Watkuweis, an elderly Nimiipuu who as a girl had had an almost identical experience. When her French husband said he was taking her across the ocean to live with his people, she escaped. Her husband had been good to her, but she didn't want to leave her country. Alone but for her infant son, she made her way from the Great Lakes to her homeland. Her baby died on the difficult journey. Watkuweis, in the Nimiipuu language, means "one who has gone and returned." Many of the Nimiipuu were uneasy about the newcomers and their strange ways. They ate dogs as well as horses. They were forever grabbing people's hands and shaking them. (The Nimiipuu, whose greeting was a hug, found this bewildering. They thought the newcomers were arrogantly trying to lead them by the hands, like children.) The white men took from the Earth without putting anything back. Lewis took plants with no intention of eating them or using them as medicine, and he left no offerings in their place. The soyapos thought nothing of violating rules that generations of Nimiipuu had followed for living in harmony with the Earth and the Creator. Still, there was no denying that they possessed powerful weapons and knowledge. Potentially, they were a threat. Not a serious threat - a handful of men sick from overeating were no match for strong Nimiipuu warriors. But with many warriors away, the presence of 31 armed strangers was troubling. And if their mission was successful, others of their kind were likely to follow. These whites seemed friendly. They brought gifts and spoke of the white father who wanted peace and would be their ally in a distant land called the United States. But there were no guarantees that those who followed them would be as friendly. Enemy tribes had made incursions onto Nimiipuu land. What was to stop white people from doing the same? Some wanted to kill the newcomers. It would be quick and easy to do. While the tribe's strength was not what it once was - European diseases had spread like range fires across Native America - the Nimiipuu still numbered about 6,000 people. Even with many of their warriors away, there were more than enough to reduce the Corps of Discovery to a historical footnote. If Lewis and Clark failed to return from their journey, those who sent them would be hesitant to send others. A white incursion could be delayed indefinitely, perhaps avoided. Those most in favor of killing the soldiers planned a way to do it. They would invite their guests to a feast. Armed warriors would pretend to be enjoying the festivities when in fact they had a signal to attack. When the last white man took the last bite of food, the warriors would strike in unison. Surprise and strength were on their side. It would be over in seconds. Others thought it wiser to cultivate alliances with the soldiers. Convincing arguments could be made for staying on their good side. They had rifles and the black powder and balls the Nimiipuu needed for the muzzle-loaders they'd acquired through trade with the Mandans. Trade was changing the Indian world, and could rapidly change the balance of power. Not having ammunition for their rifles or not having enough rifles would put the tribe at a serious disadvantage. The soldiers possessed wonders unlike any the Nimiipuu had seen. They had a direction finder that pointed their way in unfamiliar country. They had "long eyes" that made distant objects seem close. Perhaps most remarkable, they could make marks on paper to create silent communication. One man could make marks, and another would understand what he was saying just by looking at them. Messages created this way would last for generations and be understood by anyone who knew the magic that made them possible. The Nimiipuu understood the value of the soyapos' knowledge and the practical benefits of allying themselves with them. Should they spare them and be their friends, or was it better to kill them to keep others from following? The question was the talk of the camp when a warning came. Its source was Watkuweis. An elder with great status, she said the white people she had known had been kind to her and warned the warriors not to harm their brothers who claimed to have come in peace. Whether it was Watkuweis' warning, the benefits of a possible alliance or a combination of the two that settled the matter is no longer known, but no move was made against Lewis and Clark or anyone in their party. Nimiipuu society was highly democratic. It's likely that there was a conference of the head men, with the majority opting to spare their lives and continue treating them as guests. Instead of relegating them to historical footnotes with a swift, bloody stroke, the Nimiipuu did all they could to assure their success. They gave them food when they were on the edge of starvation. They supplied them with horses they needed. They told them the rivers that would take them to their objective of the continent's western coast, and they told them about the tribes they would encounter along the way. Innocent of their roles in history, Sacajawea's son, Pomp, played with the future Chief Timothy. (Many years later, Timothy named his daughter Jane after a woman he admired in his youth. Jane was Clark's name for Sacajawea.) Twisted Hair and another chief agreed to accompany the soyapos on the first part of their journey to the coast, in dugout canoes the Nimiipuu taught them to make more efficiently by burning out the core of the log instead of chopping it. By the time the canoes were ready and they paddled away, on Oct. 7, 1805, the Nimiipuu had a better opinion of them. True, they were continually sick, ignorant of things the tribe considered important and occasionally high-handed. But they held great power, could be friendly and generous, and despite their suffering possessed an unshakable determination to succeed, a quality the Nimiipuu admired. The basis for a friendship had been formed. A longer-term relationship was cemented when a deal was struck with Twisted Hair to care for their horses until they returned in the spring. The sunny Nimiipuu country and its friendly inhabitants were a welcome sight to the explorers after spending a bone-chilling winter at rainy Fort Clatsop, on the Pacific Coast. They arrived approximately May 4, 1806, and spent five weeks with the Nimiipuu, the longest stay of the journey other than at their winter encampments. Their time at Long Camp, now Kamiah, may have been the two-year expedition's most pleasant interlude. Lewis and Clark arranged a council to explain the purpose of their expedition to the war chiefs and other important men of the Nimiipuu nation: Red Bear, Broken Arm, Fierce Five Hearts, Cut Nose, Twisted Hair and others. The captains spoke through Sacajawea's French husband Charbonneau, who spoke to her in the Mandan language. She translated to her native Shoshoni, and a Shoshoni slave boy who spoke the Nimiipuu language translated for the chiefs. The captains told the chiefs they were children of the great white father, who wanted all the tribes to live in peace. They told them the great white father was the leader of a nation whose people were wealthy, numerous as blades of grass and wanted only peace and trade with the Nimiipuu. Their intentions were honorable. They would never harm the Nimiipuu. The chiefs had reservations about whether enemy tribes would honor an agreement to live peacefully. But if the captains could be believed, the great white father was a good man and an exceptional ally. That and what they had seen of his people's amazing weapons and technology convinced them to attempt to do as he wished. They would refrain from warring with their enemies. They would trade with the soyapos. They would try to live in peace with their former enemies and their new friends and protectors. Good will imbued the camp with a festive atmosphere. Gifts were exchanged. The captains included their new friends in celebrating with alcoholic beverages. The men engaged in friendly rivalries. White soldiers joined Nimiipuu warriors in betting games, foot races, horse races, shooting arrows through hoops, pulling badgers from their holes and other diversions. In the evenings, there was dancing. The soyapos dined on the meat of horses they purchased or the Nimiipuu gave them. Clark furthered the friendly relations by treating physical ailments. The friendly relations, however, went well beyond sport and medicine. The Nimiipuu viewed sex and marriage as ways of making alliances. Both Clark and his black slave York, according to Nimiipuu oral history, fathered children at Long Camp. Clark's son by Red Bear's daughter had his father's red hair. His name was Daytime Smoker. As an old man, he would fight in what was called the Nez Perce War but was actually a flight from the great white father's soldiers. Agreeable as their time at Long Camp was, Lewis and Clark were impatient to be home. The mountains that all but killed them the preceding fall were beckoning. The chiefs warned them there was still too much snow in the high country. If they tried to cross the mountains too soon, the snow would be too deep, the weather too cold. There would be no grass for their horses to eat. They would risk death again. The warnings were dismissed - the old arrogance. The party left on June 10, encountered deep snows and numbing cold and had to turn back. It was the first time since leaving St. Louis two years earlier that they had been forced to retreat. The Corps of Discovery succeeded in crossing the mountains in late June, within a few days of the time the Nimiipuu said it would be possible. Lewis and Clark returned to the United States and reported to President Thomas Jefferson, who would remain the great white father for two more years. Jefferson rewarded Lewis with a governorship, a position for which he appeared to have been ill suited. Despondent and beset by bureaucratic and financial problems, he apparently took his own life three years after the expedition's conclusion. Clark, who praised the Nimiipuu as the most friendly, honest and ingenious people he met on the expedition, spent the majority of his career in St. Louis as the highest ranking federal agent in charge of Indian affairs. The Nimiipuu stayed home and waited to see what would happen as a result of the positive relationship forged with their new friends. They wondered how their lives would change, and how long it would take. As it happened, it wasn't long at all. Copyright c. 2005 Idaho Statesman - Boise, Idaho. --------- "RE: Two more Subdivisions planned on Sacred Land" --------- Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 08:28:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MARR RANCH, OLD CHIEF JOSEPH'S GRAVE" http://www.wallowacountychieftain.info/SubSectionID=61 Tribes, state differ on land's designation By Andrew Wilkins Staff Writer awilkins@wallowa.com September 29, 2005 Two more subdivisions on the horizon, activist says The state of Oregon says there's not enough evidence to declare the entire Marr Ranch an archeological site, but tribal representatives claim the land has been declared "archeological significant" in strict accordance with state law. The issue was part of an emotional call for the protection of Wallowa Lake made by Natives and long-time Oregonians alike at a State Parks and Recreation Commission (SPRC) meeting held Thursday at the United States Forest Service Visitors Center. Along with the proposed Marr Ranch development, concerned resident Jean Pekarek testified that two Measure 37 proposals are on the horizon: a 14- lot subdivision on the western shore of the lake and a 25-house development on the wide-open east moraine. "I tell people who visit here to take their picture now because what you see now will soon be gone. There's nothing to keep it from happening," Pekarek said of the Measure 37 claims. Passed by voters last year, Measure 37 requires municipalities and other government entities to pay landowners for income lost due to restrictive property codes or waive the current land use rules and hold the property to codes in place when the property was purchaced. The Marr Ranch remains in contention and last week the 62-acre plot saw visits from the SPRC, state police, tribal representatives and archeologists from the state and property owners. The state needs "ground confirmation" to accept the tribes' claim the area is archeological significant, said James Hamrick, with the state preservation office. He said he doesn't think the legislature wanted to let the tribes preserve land without proof, because they could then justify claiming the entire Wallowa valley as sacred. He also said oral history is a tool of archeology and the state is waiting for reports on the property promised by the tribes. Physical proof may not be found there, said Tim Nitz, the Oregon/Washington unit manager for the National Park, because in his research he found the Nez Perce used disposable stone tools to process salmon from the lake and the tribes' time at the lake was seasonal, so their portable summer tents wouldn't leave much of a mark on the land. Nez Perce attorney Geoff Whiting said the law is very clear and the only question is if the state of Oregon will enforce its own laws. The law he and the tribes refer to (ORS 509.421bB) says one of the ways to define an archeological significant site is "any archaeological site that has been determined significant in writing by an Indian tribe." The legal trigger occurred Sept. 2004, when the Umatilla sent a letter to the governor declaring the site to be significant, Whiting said, in accordance with state law. Whiting said the potential for the tribes to abuse the right to protect sites is unfounded because the tribes haven't complained about most developments - even when artifacts were disturbed - and they've been consistent in their focus on what is now known as the Marr Ranch, he said. Acting Wallowa County Planning Director Dan DeBoie said his department is still looking into accusations that the Marr property bulldozing work violated county planning codes. They are determining if the work was for agricultural purposes, as the owners claim, or if it was part of a development that would require a permit. Attorney Rahn Hostetter, representing property owner K and B Limited Family Partnership, said the property owners allowed the state police to examine the land to see if a crime was committed. Hostetter said even the tribes' archeologists said the archeological site wasn't disturbed by the bulldozer work. John Blackwell, chairman of the SPRC, said he was glad they had their meeting in Wallowa County. He said that he was surprised that there was no view of the lake from much of the property and the importance the land had to the people of Wallowa County. While part of the commission's job is to designate land for parks, he said they are more interested in obtaining more land for campgrounds rather than cultural preservation, he said. James Monteith, president of the Wallowa Land Trust, said his organization has considered buying the property if the owners were willing. Other groups have made offers in the past, he said, but finding a price everyone can accept is difficult. Nez Perce representatives testified they have used the land in question for thousands of years, and it remains important to them today. Bobbie Connor, leader of the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, said it was strange that a people who prided themselves on having "low to no impact" on the land are having to prove with artifacts what history and tribal memory know as fact. Copyright c. 2005 Wallowa County Chieftain. --------- "RE: School says BIA will release training funds" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 08:57:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROWNPOINT INSTITUTE WINS JUDGEMENT AGAINST BIA" http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY[News]=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=12193 School says BIA will release training funds Source: AP CROWNPOINT, N.M. - Crownpoint Institute of Technology says the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be paying for training. The school has been fighting the BIA over training funds for six years. The institute says the bureau received funds from Congress for the school's Adult Vocational Education Program. But it says the money was never delivered despite a requirement by the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act that the BIA add contract support funds for the school to administer the program. The school says the new direction will mean additional money to support student vocational programs. Copyright c. 2005 KRQE News 13, Albuquerque, NM. --------- "RE: Indian Art Institute President to step down" --------- Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 08:57:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="IAIA LOSING DELLA WARRIOR" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7034 Indian art institute president to step down Warrior credited with series of accomplishments SANTE FE NM Native American Times September 27, 2005 Officials at one of the top Indian art academies in the country are now looking for a new president following Della Warrior's announcement of her pending retirement. "Della Warrior has played an important role in the development of IAIA," said Institute of American Indian Arts chairperson Jeanne Givens. "Her 12- year tenure has been a period of growth and success for the Institute, a time that has elevated IAIA to a new level of recognition and impact extending far beyond the borders of New Mexico. We shall always be grateful for all that President Warrior has accomplished as the leader of IAIA. She has guided the institute into becoming one of the nation's most respected Native American education centers." Institute officials reeled off a long list of Warrior's accomplishments, including efforts to construct a new state-of-the-art campus along the southern outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Warrior also spearheaded the school's campaign to evolve from a college awarding Associates degrees into a fully accredited college awarding four-year Bachelors degrees, improved the institute's governmental relations at the federal, state and local levels, and oversaw IAIA's recent certification for 10-year academic accreditation, the highest level possible for colleges and universities. With her departure slated for the first of the year, Warrior was gracious about her time at the school. "IAIA represents the very pinnacle of my career and I will never forget the many wonderful people that I have come to know and have worked with during my time here. I am confident that IAIA is positioned to continue moving forward in its mission to achieve the fulfillment of the profound vision established by Mr. Lloyd Kiva New, one of IAIA's most venerated founders," she said. Warrior, who also serves as a trustee for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, will remain with the institute as a consultant. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Ruling favors CNO over UKB" --------- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 08:46:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHEROKEE NATION WINS COURT RULING" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7018 Ruling favors Cherokee Nation over United Keetoowah Band Cherokees say case is a victory, UKB official says Cherokee chief has "angry spirit" TAHLEQUAH OK Sam Lewin September 22, 2005 The Cherokee Nation is claiming victory and the United Keetoowah Band says it will appeal following a federal judge's dismissal of a lawsuit. "This ruling gets rid of one of the many petty challenges to the Cherokee Nation's sovereignty," said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith. "We have remained focused on our priorities of language, jobs and community and this ruling means we have one less minor distraction as we continue to serve as the government of the Cherokee people." "We've had our initial day in court. We are saddened by the federal ruling that snubbed the intent of Congress for us to pursue our claim. However, this was in no way a `petty challenge' as the angry spirit of [the Cherokee Nation's] leadership contends. This was our sovereign nation rights under law to pursue a claim," responded UKB Chief George Wickliffe. The UKB has been attempting to acquire rights to the Arkansas Riverbed, which the Cherokees gained in 2002 as part of a settlement with the federal government. The Cherokees and two other Oklahoma tribes, the Choctaws and Chickasaws, had charged that the feds used part of the riverbed without permission. The Cherokee Nation was also supposed to get $20 million as part of the settlement, but $2 million of that was "diverted to a special fund for any entity that claimed an interest in the Cherokee Nation's share of the riverbed," the Cherokees said. The ruling by Judge Nancy Firestone means the $2 million goes back to the Cherokee Nation, the tribe reported. UKB Assistant Chief Charlie Locust has a different take on the circumstances surrounding the $2 million. "As to Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma's claim that $2 million of its $20 million Arkansas settlement was to be diverted due to the UKB's court action, the provision was agreed to upon all parties to set aside 10% of the settlement fund established by the congressional bill," Locust said. "Now the $2 million will go to pay [Cherokee Nation] attorneys their 10% fee, which include attorneys Ross Swimmer, former CNO Chief and Jim Wilcoxen, local Muskogee attorney." The war of words between the two tribes continued, with Cherokees saying the ruling is a victory for sovereignty and the UKB saying it smacks of "injustice." "It certainly would have been a disappointment, and a departure from existing law, for the court to have held otherwise. The Cherokee Nation has exclusive and sole jurisdiction over Indian Country within our 14- county area," said Cherokee attorney Diane Hammons. "We hope this sends a clear signal to the UKBCIO that they should not spend time and resources attempting to tear down the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation, but should instead focus on their traditional role of working with the Cherokee Nation to serve the Cherokee people," said Cherokee Government Resources Director Melanie Knight. "[The Cherokees have] prevailed due to injustice with administrative rulings at the Department of Interior level for more than three decades and to the point that it has impacted the UKB with unfair and unjust legal rulings. We feel we solidly proved our claim as a joint-successor in interest in regards to the Arkansas riverbed settlement," said Wickliffe. The UKB did not say when they would file an appeal. The two tribes have been at odds for years, a feud that was ratcheted up recently when the UKB said they would kick Smith, who had dual membership, out of their tribe. Smith subsequently gave up his membership. The Cherokees say the UKB is part of their tribe, while the UKB counters that they are a separate entity. Both are based in Tahlequah. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Flagstaff activist sees bright future for Youth" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 20:15:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ECHOES PROGRAM TO AID YOUTH" http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/SubSectionID=41&ArticleID=4306 Local activist sees bright future for Flagstaff youth By Somana Yaiva The Observer September 29, 2005 FLAGSTAFF - Kelvin Long, longtime Flag resident and activist, oversees a program designed with his community in mind. ECHOES, Educating Communities while Healing and Offering Environmental Support, is an organization that focuses on uniting urban youth with elders for support and guidance. Long pointed out ECHOES' goal is to is to establish a permanent community center where urban youth and elders from on and off the reservation can come to share stories, provide guidance and, most of all, lay the foundation for a place where youth can identify with their cultures. "By developing ECHOES, it is going to truly be a place where all natives are welcome to utilize the unique resources that elders have to give to the younger generation," Long said. "Youth, especially in the urban setting have a disadvantage of not having those resources readily available to them; this project will hopefully met that need." Long, of the Todacheenii clan, born for the Many Goats clan, is the son of Sharlinda Mann and Melvin Long. Long explained that his passion for seeing the urban youth of Flagstaff get community support stems from his high school days at Greyhills Academy in Tuba City. While there he joined in a national Free Leonard Peltier campaign and describes his involvement as a "reaction to the history of how the United States treats native peoples." After that he became interested in the Save The Peaks campaign through the Sierra Club in Flagstaff, he said, mostly out of the desire to protect the identity and sanctity of his nieces' and nephews' culture and beliefs. "I got into the Save The Peaks campaign because I was asked something very specific by someone close to me. They asked me 'Why if the Holy people live on the mountain, why is being desecrated? That single question spurred a sense of urgency in me, a sense of something must be done," ' Long said. His current community endeavor is the 2005 Indigenous Cultural Survival Festival, an event from Oct. 8-10 to counter Columbus Day. It is a multi- day family oriented event that celebrates native peoples' survival of European contact since Columbus. It will also boost awareness for about the Save The Peaks campaign to stop artificial snowmaking on the San Francisco Peaks. On Oct. 9, there will be a prayer vigil at Buffalo Park starting at 9:30 a.m. On Oct. 10, marchers will set out at 10 a.m. from the Prochnow Building Parking Lot on the NAU Campus and head to Wheeler Park across from Flagstaff City Hall. The march will be followed immediately by a press conference at city hall. For more information regarding ECHOES or the 2005 Indigenous Cultural Survival Festival, contact Long via e-mail at spiritvoice@hotmail.com or by phone at 928-380-6182. Copyright c. 2005 Navajo Hopi Observer, Inc. --------- "RE: New Navajo Health & Social Services Programs" --------- Date: Sunday, October 02, 2005 8:03 PM From: Karen Francis [karenfrancis@navajo.org] Subj: New health and social services programs celebrated across Navajo Nation Contact: Karen Francis, Public Information Officer Navajo Nation Council Office of the Speaker (928) 871-7160 karenfrancis@navajo.org www.navajonationcouncil.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: Sunday, October 02, 2005 NEW HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS CELEBRATED ACROSS NAVAJO NATION Communities around the Navajo Nation celebrated the beginnings of new health care and social services to local people last week, beginning with the dedication of the new Twin Lakes Senior Center on Wednesday, September 28, 2005. The next day, Pinon celebrated the opening of a new Indian Health Services health care center in its community. On Friday, September 30, 2005, officials broke ground for a new 72-bed residential health care treatment center at the old clinic in Shiprock, N.M. Twin Lakes Council delegate Norman John II, who acted as the master of ceremony for the senior center dedication, said that it took nearly 32 years for the center to become a reality in Twin Lakes. During the event, the community paid tribute to the late Louise S. Begay and the late Marie Moore, both of whom allowed for the senior center to be built on their grazing land. "It took everyone's cooperation to come together - even to speak one word of encouragement," John said to the audience of over 400 people. "I thank everyone who spoke in favor of this for the past 30 years." Navajo Division of Health Director Anslem Roanhorse said that the funding for the new center, which cost $605,000, came from the Navajo Nation and the State of New Mexico. The center has three employees and numerous volunteers. "Before, we basically served meals, but we're working with the Health and Social Services Committee to do other things, for example, social activities and benefits coordination of services which elderly are entitled to like Social Security and Medicaid," Roanhorse said. He noted that the division has a good working relationship with the Committee. Roanhorse added that the LeChee Chapter held a dedication for a new $618,000 senior center in its community on Friday, September 23, 2005. The funds for the LeChee center came from the State of Arizona and the Navajo Nation. After construction is completed, the responsibility to operate the center goes to the Navajo Area Agency on Aging. The Health and Social Services Committee of the Navajo Nation Council passed resolutions for the senior centers and also approves the yearly budget for the centers. Committee member Peterson Yazzie (Naschitti/Tohatchi) said that the committee and the division are now working to lobby the state to obtain funding for the senior centers to increase the hours of operation. Also in attendance at the senior center dedication were Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council Lawrence T. Morgan (Iyanbito/Pinedale), New Mexico State Senator John Pinto, New Mexico State Representative Patty Lundstrom and other Chapter and tribal officials. On Thursday, September 29, the Navajo Nation and the Indian Health Services held a dedication for the new $40 million Pinon Health Center, scheduled to open October 3, 2005. According to an IHS press release, the 68,288-square-foot health care center will serve approximately 10,660 eligible American Indians with outpatient services, including basic medical, dental, optometry, radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy services, as well as part-time physical therapy and community health services (health promotion, public health nursing, public health nutrition, environmental health services, mental health services, and social services). On Friday, Speaker Morgan, Vice President Frank Dayish, Senator Pinto, New Mexico State Representative Ray Begaye, Health and Social Services Chairperson Jerry Freddie (Dilkon/Teesto) and Miss Navajo Nation 2005-2006 Rachelle James joined the Shiprock community to break ground for a new residential treatment center, which will be located at the old clinic. With a treatment center located on the Navajo Nation, people will be able to be treated for substance abuse problems closer to home. The price of the treatment center, Division of Health Director Roanhorse said, is approximately $10.1 million. The Navajo Nation Council appropriated $5 million in funds over two fiscal years for the treatment center through legislation sponsored by Council delegate Jerry Bodie (Sanostee), who was in attendance at the groundbreaking. Other funding is coming from the State of New Mexico and Indian Health Services. Construction should begin in early 2006, Roanhorse said. Speaker Morgan thanked the Department of Behavioral Health for inviting him to the gathering saying, "This treatment center will not only address alcohol and substance abuse, but also the rising use of methamphetamines across the Navajo Nation, act as a shelter for women suffering from alcohol abuse or domestic violence and as a child care unit while mother are receiving treatment." He said he believed the treatment center will begin the path for the Navajo Nation to address such issues. "The treatment center will help many people here on the Navajo Nation. It will help them to realize `I have a reason to be here on Mother Earth. I have a reason I have my family,'" Miss Navajo Rachelle James said. "For far too long, we have been sending our people off-reservation. We will be able to welcome them home," Herman Largo, from the Department of Behavioral Health, said. Shiprock Chapter Vice President GloJean Todacheene said that many young people are now studying the medical field and want to come back to help the nation. "We live in a great community here in Shiprock. I'm proud to say that our young people are studying this and we will be ready for them," she said, further noting that the Chapter would be involved through recruitment and planning for housing and services to attract professionals. --------- "RE: Fairbanks hosting Alaska Federation/Natives 2005" --------- Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 08:28:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="2005 AFN CONVENTION" http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3074230,00.html Local Native groups open doors Friday By DIANA CAMPBELL Staff Writer September 29, 2005 Excitement is building over Fairbanks hosting the Alaska Federation of Natives 2005 Convention and five local Alaska Native organizations are holding a joint kick-off open house Friday to start the fun. Tours of Denakkanaaga, Doyon Foundation, Doyon Ltd., Fairbanks Native Association and Tanana Chiefs Conferences will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, with refreshments at each location. "It's an idea we had to let Fairbanks know what we are about," said Manny Carlo, a program director at Denakkanaaga, an elders organization. Here's how the open house will work: It doesn't matter where you start, but it's important to visit all of the organizations. That's because in addition to an inside look at Doyon's extensive Alaska Native art collection, fiddle music at FNA or learning about TCC's and Denakkanaaga's programs, each visitor will get a stamp verifying their visit. Every organization will have a stamp card but only one card is needed. Once the card is full, gather at the Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall by 4:30 p.m. and drop the card off for door prize drawings. Then stay at the tribal hall for more food and fiddle music, beading demonstrations and Alaska Native dancing, said Doreen Deaton, an FNA administrative manager. The prizes are a basket of salmon strips, handmade moosehide beaded boots with beaver trim, two Lena Sanford handmade dolls, and a Doyon Foundation Pendleton wool blanket. Winners must be present at the time of the drawings. The event ends by 6 p.m., Deaton said. Deaton said the town has been pulling together in preparation for the AFN convention, the first time the state's largest gathering of Alaska Natives has been held in Fairbanks since 1988. She's been part of an army of people from all sections of the community working on details to make sure the convention is a success. "It's been really awesome," she said. "AFN is going to happen." Denakkanaaga is located at 299 First Ave. Doyon Foundation and Doyon Ltd. are at 1 Doyon Plaza. Fairbanks Native Association is at 201 First Ave. and Tanana Chiefs Conference is at 122 First Ave. Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall is at 111 Clay St. For more information, contact Manny Carlo at 456-5827. Diana Campbell can be reached at 459-7523 or dcampbell@newsminer.com. Copyright c. 1999-2005 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Inc. --------- "RE: JODI RAVE: Healing power from Plants" --------- Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 20:15:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: HERBAL HEALING" http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/10/02/jodirave/rave01.txt Native News with Jodi Rave: Creator's gift - Blackfeet woman extracts healing power from plants using traditional practices By JODI RAVE of the Missoulian October 2, 2005 BROWNING - A botanical Rocky Mountain landscape nourishes Pauline Matt's lifelong passion for plants, her answer to health and healing. Throughout her life, she's had a symbiotic relationship with them. "To us, it's the Creator's work," she said. "It's not necessarily myself or the plants that do the healing. It's the Creator we give gratitude to." While Matt has always used traditional medicines for friends and family, she only decided a year ago to make herbal teas, lotions, lip balms, shampoos and salves for others. The herbalist uses leaves, stems, berries and roots from the mountain medicine chest near her home on the Blackfeet Reservation in northwestern Montana. On Tuesday, she and her companion, Calvin Weather Wax, once again turned their attention to the mountains. They sighted a slope sweeping upward from Two Medicine Lake, which rests in a valley set against Glacier National Park. These are the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation, or the Nitsitapi, meaning the Real People. Matt carries on tribal practices that have sustained the Blackfeet for uncounted millennia. During the last five months, she's harvested spring's greenery and summer's petals. And now with September winds laced with autumn's chill, it is time to gather roots. One of her favorite mountain gathering areas already lies covered by three feet of snow. On this day, the sun shines and distant peaks like Rising Wolf Mountain soar more than 9,000 feet into a sky of steamy clouds. The lower slopes beckon. It's time to gather the season's botanics. Matt and Weather Wax know this territory well. They've found plants botanists told them didn't exist on the east side of the Rockies. Back at their house, dried Osha roots, or Husk, lay in a bin on the floor. "It's kind of amazing," said Weather Wax, a cultural coordinator. "We were told it didn't grow around here. But we found it." They park their four-wheel drive and begin to walk up a mountain path. The Two Medicine Valley sweeps below them. They stop. They are surrounded by a healing circle. Plant medicine is everywhere. Bubbles of medicinal sap - ready to pop like a blister - lie within the bark of a sweet pine. A few feet away, the rotting leaves of valerian impart the smell of stinky feet. Other plants - arnica, red root, rattlesnake plantain and licorice - remain rooted nearby. Some of their leaves have given way to the chilly ground below. Matt and Weather Wax will come back to this spot. They continue to walk up the slope. The couple has an orderly relationship with plants based on respect. If the species has less than 10 "relatives" growing around it, it's left alone to assure continued growth. If anything is removed from a plant, its seeds are returned to the soil. About 100 feet farther up the path, they spot a lush growth of kinnikinick. Its shiny leaves hug the ground. It's a good plant for ceremonial tobacco. Crimson berries that taste like tiny dried apples grow profusely on its stems. The man and woman both kneel to the ground near the tobacco plant. Matt reaches into a hand-sized square of green felt for a pinch of tobacco. She holds it above her head in prayer, an offering to the plants, the Creator and Four Directions. She places the tobacco on the ground before lightly pulling leaves and berries. "Calvin's gentler than I am," she said. "He picks the leaves slowly." Kneeling next to her, he smiles and continues with his work. Matt inherited a love and appreciation for the earth from her father, a man she remembers as kind and gentle. He taught her brothers and sisters about plants. She doesn't remember being taught about those that might harm her. "He didn't want to scare us," she said. She and her siblings used to eat tender deer leaves by the handful. And there was always an abundance of berries - chokecherries, huckleberries and savisberries, also known as June, sarvisberries or serviceberries. Matt's Blackfeet name, "Savis Berry Woman," once belonged to her great- great-grandmother. The fruit is often used in Blackfeet ceremonies. Matt's new home was built within sight of the two-room house she grew up in. The now dilapidated home once housed 13 children. In her own home, her children are grown and gone. These days, the 53-year-old woman remains content to help others. The scent of sweet pine burned atop a wood stove welcomes visitors. Shelves and cupboards throughout the home are lined with dried plants and tinctures. Her kitchen is a sanctuary. This is where she's created a healing salve for diabetics; she's given away nearly 300 applications. For the retail market, Matt operates Real People Herbals, a phone and mail-order business she started from scratch. "Oh, gosh, I don't know how I did it," said Matt. "Every time I got a little extra jingle, I'd pour it into something." Several of her products, such as sweetgrass lip balm, are sold at the Blackfeet Heritage Gallery in Browning and in several retail outlets in Montana. "It's a hard, hard business," said Matt. "It's not something we feel we'll get rich at." But it is something she feels she was meant to do. Plants have brought her peace, solace, love and healing throughout her life. She fell into despair several years ago after a close friend died. And when a home she built burned, she retreated to the mountains with a sleeping bag, tea pot and solar shower. She sought healing. She found it. She returned home three months later to begin anew. She has since built a new house. "It was the plants that came forward and taught me to be a carpenter," she said. "And it was the plants that taught me to be a mason. It's always been the plants that carried me." When she wanted a flower box, several people promised to make her one. No one followed through. So she bought a hammer and saw. Soon she was making outdoor furniture, and then building homes. And a plant fossil embedded in rock inspired her to learn masonry work, too. The plants even brought her a man. She met Weather Wax in a greenhouse. Even though she uses plants to help others, she too has suffered from ailments. Eight years ago, arthritis began to cripple her hand. One day as she was reaching for a strawberry leaf, she unwittingly disturbed a bee hive. She walked away with 12 bee stings, but left her arthritis behind. Her lesson: "Watch the plants that grow around you," she said. "It could be the plant that came to heal you." She now uses her hands to freely stir and mix lotions, lip balms and salves infusing Chief Mountain beeswax, shea, almond, avocado and macadamia nut butters with scents such as sweetgrass, sage and horsemint. Whether her plant-based products are used in ceremonies, given away or sold for retail, Matt remains thankful for these gifts from the Creator. "We are just mere human beings who rely on our faith and devotion to make things," said Matt. "We ask the plants to help." Reach reporter Jodi Rave at 406-523-5299 or jodi.rave@lee.net. Copyright c. 2005 Missoulian, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Industry's coming brings losses, too" --------- Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:43:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: INDUSTRY vs WAY OF LIFE" http://www.grandforks.com//dorreen_yellow_bird/12750245.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Industry's coming brings losses, too September 27, 2005 When I start driving across the state, I am sure that family, rolling prairie, birds and animals will put thoughts of current events out of my head. On a trip this weekend, however, I was drawn into a debate about the very non-prairie subjects of oil refineries and coal gasification. The weekend began with one of those exceptionally beautiful early fall days: warm enough to wear light clothes, but cold enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay. As my sister, niece and I drove down the middle of the state - the niece lounging in the back seat, feet up, head cradled in a soft jacket and earphone churning out the latest hits - my sister and I visited. When we got home, there were loud discussions among my family and friends about our tribe's proposal to build an oil refinery on the Fort Berthold reservation about 20 miles north of where we live, which is near White Shield, N.D. After checking with Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, I learned that a refinery still is in the discussion stage - but the discussion is serious. My family opposes the idea in spite of the millions of dollars being offered to the tribe, family members told me. We have lived across Lake Sakakawea from the Dakota Gasification Plant for some 20 years and know about pollution. We've seen the yellow smoke streaking out of the tall chimneys and smelled the emissions. To be fair, I know the gasification plant has made improvements over the years to comply with federal regulations, and executives there say that most of the pollution is caught. But like the oil refinery, the gasification plant is looming on the horizon as threat to our community, too. By converting coal to combustible gases, coal gasification is a source of alternative fuel. Here is our concern: Apparently, the plant is using up the coal from the south side of Lake Sakakawea faster than anticipated. White Shield is just across the lake and the lignite coal vein picks up again there. My aunt owns a portion of the land with that vein. We know there is coal there. We dug our own to fuel our furnaces for many years. The old place, my grandparent's home where we once lived, is deserted. We go down there often because there are plum, apple and chokecherry trees that my grandmother planted when she was alive. There also are cold-water springs in the valley below the house. We sometimes bring jars of this good water out for our personal use. My aunt leased the land to a rancher who runs cattle. When we approached the barbed-wire fence on Sunday to begin our trek down into the valley, cattle were standing in our path. Now, I'm OK with cows, but these looked cranky. As we yelled at the cows to move, a big-horned black bull came from below the hill and spring. He headed toward us then veered off with the cows off into the crabapple trees. We climbed the fence and walked down. I was a little nervous, as we were in the pasture now with no fence between us the bull. So, I walked close to my aunt, who at one time was a rancher. I thought she might have some rapport with these animals. As we neared the springs, we saw the mother of all great horned owls, sitting on a red granite rock. It was big. It turned its head around and watched us but didn't fly. Finally, after several minutes of staring at us, it turned, leaped off the big rock and soared up into the sky. We filled our jars at the spring and went to see the old coal mines. I guess we were hoping they might be gone, but the earth had slid and slipped. The coal veins were definitely visible. That evening, we talked about our coal and the refinery proposal. We are a big family, but we are only a family, and we're up against our tribal council, which is looking for income for the tribe. So, it's going to be difficult. In addition, the state is looking for alternative fuel sources, and the Dakota Gasification Plant is creating one. But they need more lignite - and it looks as though we'll be the source. If the land at White Shield were taken, the pure water springs would disappear and the valley would be flattened. That great horned owl would find another place to live or perhaps die when his habitat was taken. Indian medicines of the prairie, sage, wild fruit and animals would disappear, and my grandparents' place - our homeland - would forever change. The folks at home were planning strategies to keep the tribe in check and the oil companies at bay, but it seems a "David and Goliath" fight - the White Shield community against the tribe's refinery proposal, and in favor of keeping the Dakota Gasification people on the other side of the lake. ---- Dorreen Yellow Bird's column appears Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at (701) 780-1228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com Copyright c. 2005 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: GIAGO: Exploding Myths and Misconceptions" --------- Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:43:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: MISUNDERSTOOD PEOPLE" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7029 Exploding myths and misconceptions Notes from Indian Country Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) September 26, 2005 Copyright c. Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. In 1960 President John F. Kennedy said, "The American Indian is the least understood and the most misunderstood of all Americans." He wasn't just "whistling Dixie" on that observation because forty-five years have past since he uttered that comment in a speech to a gathering of American Indian leaders in Washington, D.C. and it still has significant meaning. First of all, you will note that President Kennedy said "American Indian" and it seems to be politically correct to now use "Native American." It seems silly that so many Indians have suddenly become so conscious of using the word Indian and wrongly attribute the derivation to Christopher Columbus. How did that myth become reality? It must be noted here that although much of the world as it existed in 1492 was unexplored; many experienced navigators had a pretty accurate idea of its overall geography. Columbus was not stupid. He knew that in 1492 there was no country named India. Instead it was then known as Hindustan. He did not name the people he found on his first voyage to the Western Hemisphere "Hindustanis." Whenever I hear some of today's Indians joke that they were glad Columbus didn't think he was in Turkey, I just grin and bear it. So where did this word "Indian" derive? The Spanish friars who accompanied the Italian navigator Columbus to the land he called The New World, although it was a world old to the indigenous people, were so enamored of the total trust and innocence of the inhabitants that in Spanish they called them Los ninos in Dios, The children of God. This was, of course, soon shortened to "Indios." And even today, throughout South and Central America, the indigenous people are still called "Indios." As the European cultures bumped into each other in North America the name again changed to "Indian" in America and Canada. I have used "Native American" in my weekly syndicated column and I have received vociferous letters correcting me from Irish, German, French, Norewegian and other Americans telling me "I was born in America and therefore I am a Native American." And, of course, they are correct. One letter said that if I were to visit Europe and say I was Native American, the average European would assume I was telling them that I was a Native of America. And, once more, they are correct. One column I wrote a few years back was published in the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal by replacing every place I used "Indian" with "Native." I responded by inquiring whether they would have changed the word if I had written the name of the largest American Indian organization in America, The National Congress of American Indians by changing it to The National Congress of American Natives. If I write about an American Indian I always try to use the name of his or her tribe. For example, I refer to myself as Oglala Lakota. If I wrote about the post-modernist writer for the Lee Enterprise newspapers, Jodi Lee Rave, I would have a hard time identifying her tribe because she comes from a reservation with three tribes, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. I would have to know if she was of one of these tribes or all three. The great writer Vine DeLoria, Jr., often refers to himself as Standing Rock Sioux. Now, it seems that some have even debunked the word "Sioux" because it was an insulting name given to the Indians once known as Sioux by the French and their traditional enemy, the Chippewa, now called Ojibwe. But in using the word Lakota to replace Sioux another problem arises because Lakota is a dialect and the other dialects of the tribes once called Sioux are Dakota and Nakota. And so the proper way to identify someone who used to be called Sioux is by referring to them as Lakota, Dakota and Nakota. Let it suffice to say that the elders of all the tribes of the Great Sioux Nation still call themselves "Sioux." My tribe still calls itself the Oglala Sioux Tribe. I once ran a cartoon in my former newspaper, Indian Country Today, sketched by my in-house artist, Thom Little Moon, depicting a group of settlers sitting around a campfire while a rider comes into camp hollering, "The Oglala are coming." The bored campers sit back in various stages of repose yawning. In the next panel the same rider comes into camp screaming, "The Sioux are coming" and the settlers, wide-eyed with fear, scatter in all directions. The cartoon was titled, "What's in a name." Many tribes have changed the names given to them by the European invaders because they considered the names incorrect or insulting. For example the tribe named Papago by the Spaniards felt that the name which translates to mean "Bean Eaters," was insulting so they went back to their traditional name which was "Tohono O'odham, meaning "People of the Desert." While on the subject of myths and misconceptions let me say here that most Indians do not get monthly checks, most do not get free passes to college, most Indians pay taxes, and most Indians are not rolling in casino wealth. Five percent of the Indian tribes make 90 percent of the casino profits. Of the 10 poorest counties in America, three of them are located on Indian reservations in South Dakota. The highest rates of unemployment are to be found on Indian reservations located in the Western United States. So before making assumptions about American Indians, please heed the words of President John F. Kennedy. ---- (Tim Giago is the president of the Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. and the editor and publisher of Indian Education Today Magazine. He can be reached at najournalists@rushmore.com or by writing him at 2050 W. Main St., Suite 5, Rapid City, SD) Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Chief calls for more FN content in schools" --------- Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 08:44:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT US" http://www.firstperspective.ca/story_2005_09_30_ontario.html Ontario Chief calls for more First Nations content in schools By Len Kruzenga Nipissing, Ont. - Anishinabek Grand Council Chief John Beuacage has called on the Ontario provincial government to broaden and increase the amount of First Nations curriculum in the province's primary and secondary schools. "Our history and culture has been excluded from Canada's education system for far too long," said Grand Council Chief John Beaucage. "We've always been simply a token unit in social studies and Canadian history classes. Even that limited curriculum was developed by nonnative historians and lacked the perspectives of the First Nations people themselves." And he says the province's recent announcement that First Nations culture and history would be taught in all classrooms across Ontario with the introduction of an improved curriculum, while progressive, doesn't go far enough. "We want to see the province take this a step further," said Beaucage. "An expanded First Nations studies curriculum should include a significant focus on cultural awareness, treaties and treaty rights, the history of residential schools and mandatory Native language instruction for our own children in public schools. "First Nations educators must continue to play a lead role in the development of curriculum and teaching these lessons in our schools. I would recommend that the government continue to revise and expand on these developments by ensuring adequate resources to this curriculum development initiative and include further involvement by Anishinabek, Mushkegowuk (Cree), Haudenasaunee (Iroquois), and Me'tis teachers." But an Ontario government source says the province has made significant strides in improving the representation of Aboriginal curriculum in schools. "Our educators and administrators need encouragement right now to commit their best energies to improving the knowledge of all Canadian students regarding Aboriginal Peoples. "We listened to the criticism of our curriculum in this area and have responded. It's a start that needs the encouragement and support of educators, students and aboriginal leaders, not additional criticism," said the government source. Some First Nations parents agree with that assessment. "We call on White society to listen and do something and when they do some of our leaders seem to only find issues to undermine the progress," said April Fox, a single mother of five school-age children living in Fort Frances. "We must give it some time to see how it goes and seek improvement where needed but, this is a real big start. "When I was a child there was nothing about our people taught in school. Now my children will hear about it and so will other non-aboriginal children so they can learn tolerance and understanding of each other. Former elementary school teacher Rose Beardy also says the criticism by some First Nations leaders like Beucage is premature. "This is a seed that is being planted and it needs fertile earth, water and sunshine to grow. "We as First Peoples must now tend to this seed and encourage its growth and not say this seed is not enough. "The creator has given this to all of us to tend and give it a chance to become a strong and see how and where, perhaps, we can improve our ways of nurturing it." And the government sources say that Beaucage's call for mandatory native languages instruction, greater emphasis on treaties and residential schools can be resolved as the new curriculum takes hold. "Anything that improves the education of our students is a priority for the government and educators and parents and this program too will evolve," said the source. Copyright c. 2005 First Perspective, Canada's Number One Source for Aboriginal News. --------- "RE: Need to address Residential Schools Legacy" --------- Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 08:44:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DEAL WITH THE TRUTH OF THE PAST" http://www.firstperspective.ca/ottawa_watch.html Ottawa Watch by Ryan Tumilty Need to address Residential Schools legacy long overdue Sadly, like most Western Nations, Canada has a few dark periods in its history. The Canadian story has a few events we all wish weren't there. They are events that reflect badly on Canada and Canadians. Many of these dark spots surround Canada's treatment of Aboriginal People's, the most glaring is the residential school policy. Residential school victims were removed from their families and culture, and many suffered physical and sexual abuse. In 1998, the federal government released what it called its statement of reconciliation. Simply put, this statement was meant to show regret for the actions of the Canadian government against Native People's. These included a broad range of offences from the hanging of Louis Riel to the issue of residential schools. The government took responsibility for its actions and admitted it had a significant role to play in this tragedy. "This system separated many children from their families and communities and prevented them from speaking their own language and from learning about their heritage and culture". In addition, to this tremendous injustice, many of the residential school attendees were physically and sexually abused. The government put in place a dispute resolution policy in 2003, which most deemed insufficient. Most importantly, this process failed to compensate victims for their loss of language and culture. It appears, despite admitting the residential school system deprived victims of their culture, the Canadian government was, initially at least, unwilling to pay for it. In response to this, and after negotiations with the federal government, an attempt is now underway to create a new and, hopefully, better process. This past May, the government officially appointed, recently retired, Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci as the federal representative. His task was to work with all parti