From gars@speakeasy.org Wed Nov 2 21:06:00 2005 Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 15:35:42 -0800 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews13.045 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 045 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 November 5, 2005 Klamath Kapchelam/Snow Moon Mvskogee Echolee/Frost Moon Blackfeet iitaohkanaikokotoyi niitahtaistsi/Moon when all the rivers freeze +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 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; Frostys AmerIndian, Native American Poetry and Amazon Alliance Mailing Lists; UUCP Mail 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 problems are so deep here." "The federal government set up a system that gave us no choice but to rely on them. That led to alcohol and drug problems. In order to make a life for myself, I had to literally walk away from my family because the problems are so bad." __ Maxine Brown, Crow +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! ********************** PLEASE READ THIS! ********************** Every year this newsletter has listed groups and agencies that are really assisting our nations make it through the hard winter and helping them celebrate the holidays. Besides the cold that is already pusing down on the Canadian Reserves and northern U.S. Reservations we still have relatives in the southeast and northeast trying to get their lives back together after hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma dealt their devastating blows. High fuel costs are making it very difficult for everyone, which means those who can and will help may well need more time to gather funds and resources. Please - I am begging - please get contact names, addresses, phone numbers and other information (especially target help group) to me as soon as possible. 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 ----------- - Ehrlich again - GIAGO: Changing History touts Goal of Assimilation to fit one's own Bias - Federal Race Mediator - Air evacuation back at work in Havre of Kashechewan Reserve - Opinion: - Ottawa offers to move Breaking the Circle of Violence Kashechewan Reserve - Indian Hospital funds - Urban Inuit seek voice run out quickly at Ottawa Gathering - Bear Butte Biker Bar - Ottawa must do more to get new Name and Location to protect Native Girls - Puyallups' Water Plan - Veterans, Youths and Elders provokes concern on Spiritual Journey - Tulalip Tribes see 'no point' - Land claimed in talking to Group signed, sealed, and delivered - Meskwaki Tribal Land - Opinion: Changes needed not exempt from Law so Natives can succeed - Power plant shutdown - Editorial: Inexcusable Neglect bringing gloom to N. Arizona - Court denies Mohawk - El Paso asks Feds to intervene Jurisdictional Question - Health effects - Dumas' family of Uranium considered slams Police findings - Indian Cancer disparities - Hurricane Beta - Journalist warned batters Native Villages not to visit Reservations - Venezuelan Indigenous Protesters - Refinery is held up by Reviews back Missionaries - Fort Hall Pipeline - Amazon `Illegal Loggers' arrested Project resumes - Hidden agendas and seeking Justice - Goins: Lumbee Recognition - Native Prisoner hopes better than ever -- Jailers object to - Oklahoma readying Prayer Feather ruling for NCAI Convention - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - The Three Men - Rustywire: Old Man Turquoise that seek to lead the NCAI - Lee Goins Poem: Halloween - Native Americans honor 5 - Umatilla Tribes - YELLOW BIRD: work to preserve Languages Hurricane Medicine Rattler Woman - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: Ehrlich again touts Goal of Assimilation" --------- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:55:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GOVERNOR SUPPORTS HIS ANTI-MULTICULTURAL STANCE" [Indian Boarding Schools also extolled the virtues of assimilation] http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com//AR2005102501468.html?nav=rss_metro Ehrlich Again Touts Goal of Assimilation By John Wagner Washington Post Staff Writer October 26, 2005 Given a chance to revisit a year-old controversy ignited by his labeling multiculturalism as "crap," Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said yesterday that he regretted his choice of words but "absolutely" supports the sentiment. "I would use a more socially acceptable but stronger term," Ehrlich (R) said when asked about the matter during an appearance at Towson University. "A multicultural society is doomed to failure.... The goal is assimilation; it's not separation." Ehrlich's comments last year, made during a radio interview, came after an incident in which Comptroller William Donald Schaefer (D) publicly complained about a Spanish-speaking McDonald's clerk. The governor's remarks drew sharp criticism from Latino, black and Native American leaders, who said Ehrlich had disparaged their cultural contributions. The governor, for his part, said he was speaking out against a "politically correct movement against assimilation." Richard E. Vatz, the professor who invited Ehrlich to address his class yesterday, said use of the word "crap" had left the governor's position open to misunderstanding and mischaracterization. "I actually think that your position is the majority position," said Vatz, a self-described conservative who is generally sympathetic to the governor's views. Ehrlich said he believes in celebrating "ethnic pride," noting that his ancestors had come from Germany. But he said the United States is "a single culture" and should be "a melting pot." Ehrlich noted that his relatives "learned English real fast" after arriving from Germany. He said that his son Drew is learning Spanish and French but that it was important for him to learn English first. Ehrlich said last year's controversy arose, in part, because most members of the news media did not share his views. He has appeared regularly before the Towson University class, which teaches the art of persuasion, since becoming governor in 2003. Much of yesterday's session focused on what he suggested were episodes of bias or negligence in reporting. Ehrlich said he does not read daily newspapers that cover his administration, relying instead on aides to keep him abreast of what is being written. "I deal with the here and now," the governor said. Copyright c. 2005 The Washington Post Company. --------- "RE: Federal Race Mediator back at work in Havre" --------- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:55:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RACIAL STRIFE MEDIATED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.greatfallstribune.com/20051026/NEWS01/510260307/1002 Federal race mediator back at work in Havre By JARED MILLER Tribune Regional Reporter October 26, 2005 HAVRE - A federal mediator returned to Havre this week to begin work on a plan to ease racial tensions between local whites and Native Americans. This is the third trip to Havre for mediator Grace Sage since a University of Montana journalism student wrote about shoddy treatment of Indians here last fall. Sage of the U.S. Justice Department Community Relations Service, met briefly Tuesday with town officials and members of the Chippewa-Cree Business Committee at Rocky Boy's Reservation. She'll hold a larger meeting with town officials, tribal leaders and invited community members at 1:30 p.m. today. The meeting is closed. Sage will use the meeting to discuss a report she compiled from interviews with local leaders and residents during a visit in August, said Jonathan Windy Boy, a member of the Chippewa-Cree Business Committee and a state lawmaker. Havre Mayor Bob Rice met briefly with Sage on Tuesday and plans to attend Wednesday's meeting. "I think we're in a process of trying to get everybody on the same page, some dialogue going and maybe get some long-term commitments from people to resolve the problem," Rice said. Race relations between whites and Native Americans in Havre took center stage this summer after UM graduate student Anne Pettinger examined area race relations in her story. One Havre clothing-store employee told Pettinger that she pays extra attention to Indian shoppers to prevent theft. A bartender explained how to tell between a "good Indian" and a "bad Indian" by the way they dress and carry themselves. Havre's population is about 90 percent white, but the town is sandwiched between the Rocky Boy's and Fort Belknap reservations. The railroad town also has a shopping mall, a Kmart and a thriving downtown business community. It is a primary shopping destination for area reservation residents. Fearing the UM report might lead to retaliation against Native Americans, a group of local citizens called the Department of Justice for help. The Community Relations Service is a branch of the Justice Department created in 1964 as the federal "peacemaker" in conflicts involving matters of race, color or national origin. Sage declined to be interviewed during her earlier visits. Stephen Thom, deputy director of the Community Relations Service, on Tuesday declined to get specific about Sage's plans in Havre. "Basically, it's her agenda and her meeting," Thom said. Havre's issues with race have made headlines around the state and region. The Denver Post ran a 1,500-word story about the case on its front page that was reprinted in newspapers around the West. Thom said the May UM story provided the issue with a concrete flash point for discussions about race. He said racial issues also seem to reach a larger profile when they crop up in small, rural communities like Havre. "I think (it's) because we're talking about smaller towns where racial news is kind of headlineish," said Thom, adding that the UM story's "sensational" headline probably caused some of the strong reaction. The story appeared as part of an annual publication on Native American issues in Montana produced by a class of UM honors journalism students called "Perceptions." The story ran as a special supplement to the state's major daily newspapers under the headline "Bordering on Racism." The story took heat from some members of the Havre community, who say they've been unfairly branded as racist. But many area Native Americans - and whites - interviewed by the Tribune said they've experienced or observed examples of racism like those in the UM story. Reach Tribune Regional Reporter Jared Miller at (406) 791-6573, (800) 438-6600 or at jarmille@greatfal.gannett.com. Copyright c. 1999 The Great Falls Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Opinion: Breaking the Circle of Violence" --------- Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:49:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ENDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.billingsgazette.com//10/26/build/opinion/30-gaz-op.inc Gazette opinion: Breaking the circle of violence October 26, 2005 Domestic violence is a plague on families and communities throughout our great state and nation. It shatters relationships and endangers the lives of partners, spouses and children. Among many initiatives being taken to prevent domestic violence, the Rural Domestic Violence Unit, created by Crow tribal members and federal law enforcement officials, stands out as a practical and courageous effort. The Bureau of Indian Affairs District Office in Billings developed the Purple Feather Campaign with programs that are being piloted on the Crow Reservation. By joining forces, various agencies that deal with victims and offenders have increased their effectiveness. The domestic violence unit has an office in the Crow Police Department. The prevention unit responds with police officers to domestic-violence calls. "We're working side by side for the victim," Gaynell Edmo-Real Bird, program manager for the Domestic Violence Unit, told Gazette reporter Becky Shay. Significantly higher conviction rates and lower rates of repeat offenses have already been seen in the year since prevention work began. As Shay reported in Sunday's Gazette, the Crow tribal government last April enacted a law with more protections for victims of domestic violence. The tribal government also said that prosecutors should communicate with victims so victims know what's happening in the criminal case. One innovative feature of the Crow Reservation campaign is the creation of wallet-sized cards that individuals with court protective orders can carry. The "Hope Card" carries essential information needed for law enforcement officers on and off the reservation to be able to enforce protective orders quickly if a victim is being threatened. John Oliveira, a BIA special agent who helped develop the Hope Card, said it allows officers to verify information without delay. Victim services, immediate response, tougher legislation, U.S. Justice Department grants - all these things are combining to make the Crow community safer. As the Crow law stated so well, preventing violence is about protecting not just the victim, but also the community. That protection is so important because often victims are children who are abused or witnesses to abuse. The tribal leaders, service professionals and federal workers collaborating on this campaign should be commended. They are showing all caring communities a better way to deal with domestic violence. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Indian Hospital funds run out quickly" --------- Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:49:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GUESS WHICH HEALTHCARE GETS SHORT CHANGED" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/10/27/news/local/news04.txt Indian hospital funds run out quickly By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer October 27, 2005 RAPID CITY - A board of tribal chairmen representing American Indian people from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa wants more health funding for Indians. Officials estimate the Indian Health Service budget covers only 40 percent of medical need in Indian Country. That means IHS runs out of money for medical procedures about half-way through the year and patients are denied payment for treatment or stuck with the bills. Jesse Taken Alive, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Council representative to the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board, said people from the impoverished tribal communities on Standing Rock Indian Reservation who seek health care at the Indian Health Service hospital often have received services without understanding they could be responsible for a medical bill. This happens when Indian Health Service hospitals, clinics and health centers funded through U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have spent their medical budgets for the year, usually by June in a given year. The IHS budget year runs from January to December. When they operate without funding, the IHS hospitals or clinics submit bills for patient services to Contract Health Services, an IHS agency that ensures federal regulations are followed and distributes federal funds to the 13 IHS service units and 17 tribal programs in the Aberdeen area. Contract Health reviews the bills on a case-by-case basis. Critical care such as for heart-attack patients or car-crash victims has the first priority for payment; a procedure such as knee-replacement surgery could be bumped back into the next budget cycle or simply denied. In some cases, grants might cover the less critical procedures. But if it's not covered, officials said, patients need to find out before the procedure, or they will be liable for the bill. "They've received the service, the CHS referral committee has issued a denial of payment and then he's stuck for a bill," Taken Alive said. "It's so Taken Alive worries about those who lack resources, patient advocates or money to pay the bills. The systematic denial of payment has led many in his tribe to delay seeking care for serious health problems. "The reality on the reservation is that people decide it's easier not to get medical treatment," he said. On the first day of the three-day 19th annual Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board Consumer Conference this week, 100 American Indian health and tribal officials met at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn in Rapid City. John Blackhawk, Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board chairman, said what is immediately apparent at this year's conference is the critical underfunding of Indian Health Services serving the Indian community. But the IHS budget has remained the same for a decade, Blackhawk said. Blackhawk said it is crucial that the tribes lobby congressional delegations from Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa for more funding for their IHS health service units. Terrance Veo, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe health committee member and council representative, agreed. "The fight is in Washington with budget appropriations," Veo said. Not only should the delegations support legislation for more funding, but Veo said the money received doesn't go as far because of inflation and grant money is scarce. "We have a lot of lobbying to do," Veo said. Flora Odegaard, CHS officer from the IHS Office of Resource Management in Aberdeen, said Contract Health Services has distributed an annual budget of $53 million, with $45.2 million going to Indian Health Service units and $7.8 million going to tribal programs. Current funding is estimated to be 40 percent of what is needed, she said. Odegaard said that the $53 million annual budget at one time met 60 percent of the need but that skyrocketing medical health costs have consumed the health units and clinic budgets. In her session, "Don't Get Sick After June," Odegaard said that if medical funds were insufficient, then medical procedures for priority payment must be established by the tribes. She said that not every Indian health facility runs at a loss but that those hospitals that operat within budget do so by proactively establishing the priorities of treatment. "We're trying to be the patient advocate, but a lot of the times, our hands are tied," Odegaard said. Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com Copyright c. 2005 Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Bear Butte Biker Bar to get new Name and Location" --------- Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:58:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BEAR BUTTE BAR" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/10/28/news/local/news01.txt Bear Butte biker bar to get new name and new location By Dan Daly, Journal Staff Writer October 28, 2005 STURGIS - Sacred Ground, it turns out, was more sacred than Jay Allen realized. Allen, the Arizona-based owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis, announced plans during the 2005 Sturgis motorcycle rally to build a rally- week biker bar and concert venue on land north of Bear Butte. He was going to name it Sacred Ground as a tribute, he said, to nearby Bear Butte, a sacred site to the Lakota and other American Indian cultures. Allen even talked about erecting tipis and building an 80-foot statue of an American Indian on the 600-acre site. It would be open for business in time for the 2006 rally. The announcement drew strong objections, however, from a number of Indians. "Bear Butte and the surrounding area is indeed sacred ground, and this encroachment of sacred land must be stopped," a group named the Bear Butte International Alliance wrote in a recent issue of the Lakota Journal. "This business venture impacts more than one businessman's vision. This will affect the quality of life for area residents and for everyone who holds Bear Butte dear to their hearts," the column said. On Thursday, Allen announced a number of changes to his plan. He's changing the name of the venue to Sturgis County Line. He is going to build the concert venue at the far north end of the property. It will be farther from Bear Butte than the Dragpipe Saloon, which is already in business, Allen said. He's also going to make the land available for community events and American Indian celebrations during the rest of the year. And the 80-foot Indian sculpture won't be built. "From the onset, I've reached my arms out to the Native American community with totally good intentions to recognize their heritage, only to discover that it was not well-received," Allen said in Thursday's news release. "I thought they would be so happy that someone in the rally business would care so much about their culture and the importance of what this land means." Allen said he believed that he could educate motorcycle tourists about American Indian culture. "Granted, the rally is a great party. But experiencing the Black Hills is much more than that; it's a spiritual encounter," he said. "We intend to give the motorcycle tourist a more enchanting experience than ever before during rally because the land is so beautiful and inspiring." Allen also said that he had offered at one point to sell the 600 acres for what he paid to a tribe or Indian group that wanted to preserve the land. He said the same offer was made by Jim Reed, the rancher who sold the acres to him. It is unclear how the changes will be received. The Bear Butte International Alliance temporarily withheld official comment Thursday. But Mato Standing High, a lawyer and teacher at Black Hills State University, has been a critic of the plan. "Kind of makes it hard to go on a spiritual journey to the Black Hills with the background noise of ZZ Top and Harleys," he said. Contacted Thursday about Allen's revised plan, Standing High said he remains unconvinced. "I understand that they are trying to keep their distance, and they're trying to do it respectfully," Standing High said. "But it's hard for somebody to engage in their religious practices when such activities are literally within view, within earshot." Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com Copyright c. 2005 Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Puyallups' Water Plan provokes concern" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PUYALLUP WATER PLAN" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5279744p-4790817c.html Puyallups' water plan provokes concern EIJIRO KAWADA; The News Tribune October 24th, 2005 American Indian federal treaty rights to fish in the Puyallup River might enter a new controversial chapter as the Puyallup Tribe proposes stricter water-quality standards to protect fish in the river's lower reach. The rules would apply to businesses and local governments that discharge treated water and storm runoff into the river. They likely would have to upgrade their wastewater treatment systems, possibly costing millions of dollars. Some observers say the changes would set a precedent that could extend well beyond local waters. But the proposal likely won't get a warm reception in cities such as Puyallup, which spent more than $20 million improving its sewer plant several years ago. "If the tribe is intent on implementing those strict standards, they need to find a funding mechanism to pay for upgrading our sewer plants," said Puyallup City Councilman Mike Deal. "Our utility rates are high enough right now. I don't think our citizens would sit still if we proposed another rate increase." Tribal officials didn't return phone calls seeking comment. The Puyallups made their proposal public in August and began collecting comments. They recently extended the review period to Dec. 20. The tribe is acting in place of the state Department of Ecology to set water quality standards for the lower Puyallup River. The DOE, in turn, would use them as guidelines in issuing water discharge permits to businesses and governments. The standards would update ones the tribe has had in place since 1994. Congress granted tribes control over their local waters in a 1987 amendment to the federal Clean Water Act. The changes would be just the latest way that American Indians have used the leverage granted to them on a wide range of environmental issues since they won a landmark court victory three decades ago. The 1974 Boldt decision helped settle a virtual civil war that was fought on the Puyallup River between tribal fishermen and nontribal authorities. The tribe proposes stringent water-quality criteria in many areas, including stricter levels of pH, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform and water temperatures. It also proposes doing away with "dilution zones," a federal standard that allows water quality measurements to be taken some distance from the point of discharge. Cities and others who release water into the river developed their treatment systems based on maximum daily pollutant amounts allocated by the Department of Ecology several years ago. In the cases of municipal sewer treatment plants, the cost of tightening up those allocations and requiring cleaner water would be passed on to customers. "Dischargers up and down the river probably are going to get together at some point to figure out what we are going to do," said Bill Shoemaker, public works director for the City of Sumner. He said he hasn't fully reviewed the tribe's proposal, but he said the suggested dissolved-oxygen level, for instance, seemed "beyond what's natural." Jannine Jennings, manager of the water quality standard unit with the Environment Protection Agency, said her agency's role is to ensure proposed standards meet minimum federal requirements. Anything beyond that is up to local agencies. Glenn Kuper, a spokesman for the Department of Ecology, said his department plans to meet with the tribe soon but hasn't fully reviewed the proposal. Llewellyn Matthews, executive director of Northwest Pulp and Paper Association, said she's concerned the new standards would create "a patchwork of different quality standards instead of one set of standards" that would be applied across the state. She questions whether stricter regulations in a small area would be effective in protecting fish that live and travel all over Northwest waters. Cities and businesses are hoping a dialogue with the tribe will resolve their concerns - a discussion that should start when the tribe finishes its review. Tom Heinecke, development services administrator for the City of Puyallup, said he wants to negotiate for something reasonable that city sewer customers can handle. "I'd imagine there's going to be a long discussion" with the tribe, he said. ---- Eijiro Kawada: 253-597-8633 eijiro.kawada@thenewstribune.com Copyright c. 2005 Tacoma News, Inc. A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company. --------- "RE: Tulalip Tribes see 'no point' in talking to Group" --------- Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:49:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBE IGNORES GROUP THAT DENIES THEIR SOVEREIGNTY" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://heraldnet.com/stories/05/10/26/100loc_alease001.cfm Tulalip leaseholders decry tribes' silence By Cathy Logg Herald Writer October 26, 2005 TULALIP - Some people who lease residential land on the Tulalip Reservation say the tribes want them off the land as quickly and cheaply as possible. A committee of the Marysville Tulalip Community Association met Tuesday night with the media to discuss their efforts to get the Tulalips to talk about the land-lease issues. However, the tribes haven't responded. Glen Gobin, a member of the tribal board of directors, said a cordial letter was sent to the Tulalips at least a month ago, but he added that a meeting wouldn't be productive. "They deny the existence of our sovereign ability to govern the tribes and do this and do that, let alone being the landlord," Gobin said Tuesday before the Marysville Tulalip Community Association meeting. "To me, until they're willing to recognize our sovereignty, there's no point in talking to them." The association's president, Tom Mitchell, said the group just wants to talk to the tribes. "This is a community; these people have lived here for decades - some for generations," Mitchell said. "Everybody knows each other. We're neighbors, and we've always gotten along well with the tribes. "We're not denying that the tribe has the right to do this. We believe it's not fair and equitable, and the tribes should work with us to try to ease the pain. We're baffled that they won't do that." The residents say they don't want to lose the money they've invested in their homes on the leased land. "There's a benefit to the lessees," Gobin said. "They get to lease waterfront property, and they don't pay any taxes on the land." The tribes say the leases have always made it clear that the property belongs to the Tulalips, and when the leases end, any homes not moved revert to the tribes. In December, the Tulalips announced that leases for 32 families on waterfront property at Mission Beach will not be renewed when they expire in 2012. The Tulalips have had environmental studies done and are concerned about erosion along the bluffs in the area. They also are concerned about pollution in the bay caused by all the houses. Another 311 leases are due to expire between 2009 and 2033. At the end of those leases, most homeowners will be offered a final 15-year lease. The Tulalips are interested in the properties to accommodate future growth of the tribes. Rick Hunter and his wife, Carol, are upset by the end of the leases. They each own a home on the reservation. "We expected to be able to renew the leases," which have been going on for years and years, Rick Hunter said, adding that he bought his home for $55,000 in 1985. "We didn't realize they were going to end totally." He said he thinks the tribes should buy the homes. "I'd like to see the organization try to look for some kind of compromise so we might be compensated for the houses in some way, or be able to sell them to tribal members," Hunter said. Gobin said the Tulalips have "never given much thought" to buying the homes. "If we're trying to clear the (homes on the) bay out, why would we want to buy them? They're either going to move, become tribal property, or we're going to tear them down," Gobin said. Dave Dorsey, a committee member who lives on leased land at Mission Beach, said the Tulalips' actions have affected property values so much that the Snohomish County assessor has begun lowering 2006 taxes on the homes on leased land. Dorsey said his taxes dropped by about 75 percent. At least one real estate agent said people who buy homes on tribal land still get a good deal, even now. Shane Ristine, a Windermere agent, is trying to sell a home on Mission Beach Heights Road. The three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,700-square-foot home built in 1953 is for sale for $224,950. "This would be an ideal situation to have a beautiful view for not much money," Ristine said. "If the lease runs out, the owner is entitled to pick the house up and move it anywhere they want, just off tribal land. "Any new owner would be able to stay there until the current lease is up," he said. Those leases expire in 2012, with an option for a final 15-year extension. "They'd be buying a home for 22 years. It's kind of like buying a timeshare," Ristine said. Farther down Mission Beach, where many residents own their land, the property values are higher - in the neighborhood of $600,000 and up, he said. Mitchell wonders why the tribes won't even talk with the homeowners. "This is a very controversial issue on the reservation," Mitchell said. "Many tribal members think they've gone too far. "All we want to do is talk, and they won't talk, and that troubles us dramatically," he said. Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com. Copyright c. 2005 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, Wash. --------- "RE: Meskwaki Tribal Land not exempt from Law" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 10:18:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOVEREIGNTY DENIED BY COURT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.desmoinesregister.com/20051029/NEWS01/510290317/1001 Tribal land not exempt from law, court says Police can enforce tobacco sale rules on the Meskwaki settlement, the judges say. By JEFF ECKHOFF REGISTER STAFF WRITER October 29, 2005 The sovereign ability of American Indian tribes to make their own rules on their own land does not mean that tribal employees can violate laws against selling tobacco to underaged teens, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday. Justices made that decision in rejecting a lower court's ruling that Iowa had no authority to ticket a convenience store employee in 2003. Lawyers for the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa said they have not yet decided whether they will appeal the decision, which draws a distinction between civil or regulatory laws and criminal statutes. "We are pleased that the Supreme Court adopted that distinction," said Jeffrey Rasmussen, a lawyer for tribe. "We think this falls on the other side of that line, but the basic analysis of the court is certainly consistent with the argument that we were making." The legal arguments began in March 2003, when an officer with the Tama County sheriff's office ticketed Lester Tobias Lasley for improperly selling tobacco at the Meskwaki Trading Post. Tama County authorities insisted in court that the citation was a criminal violation and therefore proper, because a 1948 act of Congress gave Iowa jurisdiction over all criminal matters on tribal land. Tribal lawyers objected, contending that the ticket was equivalent to a tobacco sales regulation and the state lacked "civil regulatory jurisdiction" over tribal land. A magistrate judge sided with the tribe in 2003, dismissing the case. But Supreme Court justices noted Friday that courts in other states have outlined a difference between civil and criminal laws. Congress clearly intended to protect tribal authority, according to the ruling. But federal law also gave states power "to promote the safety and health" of all citizens. Allowing the tobacco sales "would circumvent the Legislature's determination" that such sales are "dangerous to the health" of underaged persons, wrote Chief Justice Louis Lavorato. Copyright c. 2005 The Des Moines Register. --------- "RE: Power plant shutdown bringing gloom to N. Arizona" --------- Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:55:39 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EFFECT OF MOHAVE SHUTDOWN ON HOPI" http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1030mohave30.html Power plant shutdown bringing gloom to N. Arizona Mark Shaffer Republic Flagstaff Bureau October 30, 2005 As Black Mesa Mine sends layoff notices, and the Mohave Generating Station seeks workers to do mothball work, the stark reality is setting in throughout the Hopi and Navajo reservations and the Bullhead City area. The region, representing a good chunk of northern Arizona, is on the verge of a major economic hit beginning Dec. 31, with what is expected to be at least the temporary closing of the huge power plant in Laughlin, Nev. That will mean the loss of nearly a third of the Hopi's $21.5 million operating budget and huge slashes in programs affecting the elderly and young. It will mean the loss of more than 600 jobs - some directly tied to the plant, some not - in the Bullhead City area and the loss of about 500 jobs in the north-central Navajo region. The Mohave Generating Station provides nearly 20 percent of the electricity that Southern California Edison delivers to its customers, said Gloria Quinn, an Edison spokeswoman. The economic storm has been brewing for six years, since Southern California Edison agreed to install more than $1 billion of equipment to clean up emissions at its Mohave Generating Station by the end of this year. It was the culmination of a lawsuit that claimed the plant, which often blankets Bullhead City in soot, violated the Clean Air Act. The anti-pollution devices the company agreed to put in take at least 1 1/2 years to install. Southern California Edison has done no work on them. Unless the company violates the consent decree, wins an extension or works out a compromise, Mohave will close as the rest of the world rings in the new year. The ripple effect will be huge. Black Mesa Mine, which supplies the coal the generating station uses to make electricity, will have no reason to operate. Peabody Energy Co., which excavates and pulverizes Black Mesa Mine's coal, mixes it with water and slurries it 273 miles to Laughlin, also will shut down. Both have exclusive contracts with Mohave. Hopi's limited options The effects of a shutdown would be most profound among the Hopi. The northern Arizona tribe of about 10,000 - many living in high-desert, mesa-top villages, where they conduct ancient religious ceremonies - has limited economic options since tribal members twice rejected proposals to build casinos. The reservation is located far from major transportation corridors and has only a limited tourist industry centered around its finely carved kachina dolls. It also owns a few businesses in Flagstaff and Sedona and ranch land in the Winslow area. Much of the mine tax money has been funneled into the tribe's 12 villages to propagate the traditional customs and combat the rapid loss of the Hopi language among young people. But 18 percent across-the-board cutbacks of what Hopi tribal officials said are all programs go into effect Jan. 1 to help deal with the revenue shortfall. It's almost too much to bear for residents of Shungopavi village, where adobe homes cling to the side of a mesa top 500 feet above the desert floor. When Delores Komaquaptewa, 77, shuffled into the community center for the monthly meeting for the village on Second Mesa, her handmade shawl was pulled tightly around her stooped shoulders and her ire was up. She slumped into her seat as she listened to the big item on the agenda: why the budget was cut from $30,000 last year to $20,000 this year to $6,000 next year for the Shungopavi elderly center. "We'll be lucky if that even pays for the lunches next year and forget about socializing with other towns," Komaquaptewa said. Carrie Watahomigie, a Hopi tribal member, said that each village should be asking for "18 percent more" from the tribal government rather than accepting the cutbacks for next year. "We are just now getting our youth and elderly programs going across the reservation, and this is the first thing the tribal leaders have decided to cut out of the budget," she said. "This is creating unbelievable stress on families." But Perry Honani, leader of Sipaulovi village on First Mesa, said he would just as soon see the coal money go away and Hopi society revert to its foundations before World War II. "We were self-supporting then, and today all you hear is bickering over this coal money," Honani said. "The problem is that coal money should come to the villages and not the tribal council because it just adds to all the controversies. We need peace for our religious ceremonies." Meanwhile, the Hopi Reservation is full of second-guessers about why the tribe is so vulnerable to the outside economic forces. "This should have been dealt with eight years ago and bold decisions made," said former Hopi Chairman Ivan Sidney, administrator for Sichomovi village. He is running against Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. in Tuesday's tribal primary. Sidney said the tribe should have taken a "good-faith effort" from a Japanese corporation in the early 1990s to build a railroad line from the mine to link into the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad track east of Flagstaff and wean the coal from water transportation. "Then, four years ago, there was a proposal to build an electric generation plant on site, which also died on the vine," Sidney said. "Now, here we are in the 11th hour, with potentially devastating effects to our culture. This certainly didn't have to happen the way that it did." Taylor, however, said all the current problems could be resolved quickly and that Hopi, Navajo, Peabody Energy and Southern California Edison could reach an accord by mid-November. "If we can reach that milestone, Edison would then be amenable to go to the state of Nevada and the environmental groups and ask for an extension, and it would give them the ability to move forward to get the money for the smokestack scrubbers," Taylor said. Keeping hope alive After years of sending mixed messages about the future of the power plant, including filing a request with the California Public Utilities Commission last year to begin the process of shutting down Mohave, Edison now wants to keep the plant open. "The most appropriate Mohave scenario is the continued operations scenario," wrote Russell G. Wordan, Edison's manager for regulatory policy and affairs, in a filing with the commission last month. Worden wrote that sharp price increases in natural gas and the lack of reliability in other electricity producers in Southern California "has underscored the high importance and value of Mohave to fuel diversity." In testimony this month before the commission, however, Edison official Harold Ray said that there are no plans to keep the plant open in violation of the consent decree. Miners at Black Mesa also have begun receiving layoff notices effective Dec. 15. Beth Sutton, a spokeswoman for Peabody Energy, said all of the company's employees had received the notices, along with tribal leaders, and "we are transitioning into at least a temporary closure of the mine at the end of December." Even if Southern California Edison pushes to keep the plant open or to reopen after a temporary closure another problem could force Mohave out of business. For years, water has been pumped from the "N" aquifer, beneath the Hopi and Navajo reservations, to move coal to Mohave. But that has been criticized as causing the drying up of Hopi springs. It will cease by the end of the year, along with the lease for the Black Mesa mine. A proposal is being examined to build a water pipeline 120 miles across the Navajo and Hopi reservations from pumps between Flagstaff and Winslow in the Coconino aquifer to the coal slurry preparation plant at Black Mesa. But Navajo and Hopi officials have had snags in negotiations during the last month on the route of the pipeline, and intense negotiations continue concerning the price paid for the coal. They already have resolved lingering issues over the quality and quantity of coal. Ultimately, environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Grand Canyon Trust hold the future of the plant in their hands. They say that unless there is an ironclad agreement to install the anti-pollution equipment, there will be no deal. "The only thing satisfactory is for them to install the scrubbers. That has to be a concrete proposal," said Richard Mayol, a spokesman for Grand Canyon Trust in Flagstaff. Rob Smith, a representative of the Sierra Club in Phoenix, said he would be "skeptical" if Edison would honor any more agreements to install the anti-pollution equipment. "They've got tens of millions of dollars of sulphur dioxide credits and can make money running that plant or doing nothing," Smith said. "Plus moving the coal that way has always been a Rube Goldberg kind of scheme, which no one else has done, for good reason." Smith also speculated in a memo to Sierra Club members that Edison would offer "some environmental goodie" in an attempt to extend the deadline of the consent decree. "I don't know if they'll have a done deal to present or simply be seeking to buy more time while they haggle out the rest of the details with Peabody and the tribes," Smith wrote. Copyright c. 2005 azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: El Paso asks Feds to intervene" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ATTEMPT TO FORCE PIPELINE DOWN THROATS OF NAVAJO" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2005/oct/102505epfds.html El Paso asks feds to intervene Pipeline company doesn't believe it needs tribe's consent on right of way By Kathy Helms Dine' Bureau October 25, 2005 WINDOW ROCK - El Paso Western Pipelines and the Navajo Nation have agreed to disagree for now on the value of the company's 900-mile network of natural gas pipelines crossing Navajo soil while waiting on the feds to draw a line in the sand determining whether El Paso even needs the tribe's consent. El Paso doesn't believe it does and is asking the Department of the Interior to approve its application in order to avoid a conflict with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) jurisdiction over El Paso under the Natural Gas Act. El Paso, whose right-of-way expired Oct. 17, contends that failure by the Interior to give its approval "would be tantamount to requiring an unauthorized abandonment of El Paso's pipeline facilities." In its Sept. 29 letter to Interior Solicitor Sue Ellen Wooldridge, El Paso said it has been engaged in lengthy negotiations with the Nation in an effort to renew its 1985 right-of-way contract on "fair and reasonable terms." "To date, the Nation has demanded that El Paso remit several hundred times fair market value as remuneration (payment) for the Nation's consent to the renewal," the company said. "The Nation's demand translates to about $50,000 per acre for an easement. In contrast, the fair market value of a perpetual easement on comparable off-reservation land is generally between $100 and $500 an acre," El Paso said. The more than $400 million the Nation is asking for "equates to a $22 million payment annually over a 20 year period," according to El Paso. The Nation has rejected El Paso's most recent offer worth in excess of $200 million, forcing it to seek federal approval to bypass getting the Nation's permission. "The parties are therefore approximately one quarter of a billion dollars apart on a 20 year renewal," El Paso said. Bruce Connery, vice president for Investor and Public Relations for El Paso Corp. in Houston, said last week that the company is asking the Department of the Interior to "approve our application that it would not require Navajo consent. Keep in mind that the land is owned by the United States in trust for the Navajo Nation. "I don't want to interpret the legal arguments. Better for it to speak for itself," he said. Disrupting threat El Paso contended in its filing with the Interior that the Oct. 17 expiration of its rights-of-way, which have been in existence since 1950, "threatens to disrupt El Paso's pipeline operations and service to millions of consumers in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and California who depend on these very rights-of-way for their energy needs." El Paso said the Nation's "unreasonable conditions for consent" do not bar the Interior's immediate approval of its application and its rights- of-way. El Paso argued: Under the Navajo Nation's Treaty of 1868 with the United States, "the Nation expressly agreed to permit construction of works of utility or necessity upon Navajo Lands subject to the payment of damages," and that Congress has not abrogated its treaty. Nor can Interior Secretary Gale Norton act in a manner or impose a regulation that would abrogate the treaty's provisions, El Paso said. The Treaty of 1868 states: "They will not in future oppose the construction of railroads, wagon roads, mail stations, or other works of utility or necessity which may be ordered or permitted by the laws of the United States; "(B)ut should such roads or other works be constructed on the lands of the reservation, the government will pay the tribe whatever amount of damage may be assessed by three disinterested commissioners to be appointed by the President for that purpose, one of said commissioners to be a chief or head man of the tribe." In its discussion, El Paso said the Nation consented to its pipeline rights-of-way back in 1868 when the treaty was signed. "Under the Treaty, the Nation relinquished its power to oppose, then and in the 'future,' works of utility or necessity upon Navajo Lands ordered or permitted by the laws of the United States. 'Utility or necessity' "Moreover, the Nation acquired its lands subject to the right of the Government to order or permit construction and operation of works of utility or necessity thereon," El Paso said. "Thus, the Nation's right to occupy and use its lands has, since its inception, been subject to and burdened by the right of persons, including El Paso, 'to pass over, settle upon, or reside in [Navajo Lands]' as authorized by the United States and 'ordered or permitted' by FERC," the company said. * The Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) implementing regulation requiring tribal consent to rights-of-way crossing Indian land cannot be lawfully applied to tribes, including the Nation, that have chosen not to reorganize under the Indian Reorganization Act. By not reorganizing under IRA, "the Nation is barred from invoking the consent provisions that are available solely to IRA tribes," El Paso said. * Renewal of El Paso's right-of-way is necessary to avoid a conflict with FERC's jurisdiction over El Paso under the Natural Gas Act. "Neither Secretary Norton nor the Nation can effectively veto the decision of FERC to certificate El Paso's pipeline for public convenience and necessity." The company said Secretary Norton has an obligation to consider El Paso's 54-year history of natural gas transportation over these rights-of- way "to ensure their actions do not interfere with the continuous supply of this gas at reasonable rates over rights-of-way maintained on reasonable terms." * The Nation's imposition of unreasonable terms for its consent to renewal of the rights-of-way "is tantamount to an unlawful exercise of regulatory authority over non-Indians and is well beyond the scope of its tribal jurisdiction as defined by federal law," El Paso said. "As such, the Nation's terms of consent are invalid and cannot prevent Secretary Norton from granting the rights of way sought in El Paso's renewal application," the company said. El Paso's Connery said that literally, nothing has happened since the Oct. 13 deadline. "There's nothing else that we can do, I guess, is the short answer. It takes a movement on their part to do that. The gas is flowing, we're serving our customers. There's been no impact. There's been no response from the Department of Interior as yet, so things just proceed on. We're hopeful the leadership will urge the negotiating team to take a more reasoned approach," he said. "The bottom line is that the negotiating team will need to take a different stance vs. where they are today or hopefully members of the tribal council or others will persuade them to look at it in a more reasoned way," Connery said. Copyright c. 2005 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Health effects of Uranium considered" --------- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:55:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DEADLY MINING DISCUSSED IN TOWN HALL MEETING" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com/NEWS01/510260301/1001 Health effects of uranium considered Town hall meeting addresses health repercussions of uranium mining By Ryan Hall The Daily Times October 26, 2005 SHIPROCK - Donald Yellowhorse, 62, of Cove, Ariz., worked in a uranium mine near his home from 1960-1967, beginning at age 17. At the time, he had no idea of the dangers of radiation and wore only a helmet for protection. In 1990, he was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and lungs. "That's what they said it was, cancer from the uranium," Yellowhorse said, recalling the results of an X-ray taken in Albuquerque. "These miners didn't know there was a danger of cancer. Everybody that is older like me, they pass away from the uranium. If I don't work there, I think healthier I be." Yellowhorse spoke Tuesday outside of a town hall meeting in Shiprock, held by the Department of Labor and Department of Justice, to discuss federal compensation programs for former nuclear weapons industry workers and their survivors. Careers covered included uranium mining, uranium ore milling and transportation. More than $1 billion has been paid out to former uranium industry workers across the United States since Part B of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) went into effect in 2001, according to statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. "Part B covers a very narrow scope of illnesses," said Larry Hoss, project manager for the compensation program. He noted Part E, which has paid out nearly $200 million nationwide since 2004, has expanded the diseases covered. "It opened up to a wide array of illnesses," Hoss said, adding the provision covers any illness caused by any toxic substance. Despite the high pay-outs, Hoss estimated that there are more individuals who are eligible for the program that haven't filed then those who had. He added that under Part B of EEOICP, a former worker or survivor can get $150,000 while Part E provides up to $250,000 per individual, depending on circumstances. Medical expenses can also be paid under certain conditions. "It helped out a lot with the bills, the house and the truck," Yellowhorse, who did not discuss the amount he received due to a privacy agreement, said. Hoss noted he couldn't provide an estimate on the total amount of compensation that will be paid out by EEOICP and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which has paid out $186 million in Part B claims and $27 million in Part E claims to date. Hoss said area residents should be aware of the programs and study the requirements if they or their parents worked with uranium. "There was a lot of uranium mining up in this area. A lot of that mining was done by Native American workers," Hoss said. "Our purpose in being here is to provide program information to as many people as we can." One of those workers was Earl Saltwater Sr. of Teec Nos Pos, Ariz., who died in 1991. His son, Earl Saltwater Jr. spoke at the meeting Tuesday. "Genocide has been committed. You are supposed to be helping us," Saltwater said to the Department of Labor and Justice representatives attending the town hall meeting, which drew a crowd of more than 200. "The federal government is always hiding something behind them. Nobody's getting a fair chance. Today we have disease, we're sick and we die." His comments were met with shouting and clapping from those in attendance. Shelby Hallmark, director of the office of workers compensation programs for the department of labor, told Saltwater that there are problems with verifying documentation and that the compensation programs are governed by restrictions set by Congress. "We are aware there are documentation problems where people don't have original records, but we do want to provide benefits to the Navajo Nation, " Hallmark said. Following Hallmark's answer to his comments, Saltwater told his story. His father was a uranium miner in the 1940s that "dressed like a construction worker, no protection, no anything," according to Saltwater. The younger Saltwater, now 59, remembered his father mining the ore then transporting it in his dump truck. On days where his father did not work, Saltwater rode in the back of the truck while running errands. "We didn't even know (about the dangers of uranium exposure). We don't know anything about this until the 70s," Saltwater said. In 1991, his father died of cancer caused by uranium exposure. "He died from lung cancers, prostate cancers, too many to name," Saltwater said, noting his father's uranium exposure was nearly 300 percent. His children were given a $150,000 payment under the EEOICP, but when Saltwater Jr., who worked in a uranium mine for just over three months between 1968 and 1969, contracted pulmonary fibrosis, his claim was denied. According to information provided during the town hall meeting, workers at the uranium mines that were located near Shiprock are eligible for compensation if they were diagnosed with, or killed by, an illness linked to a toxic substance associated with their work. Additionally, they must have worked at the site sometime between 1942 and 1971. For more information on the compensation programs, contact Energy Employees Compensation Resource Center at 1-866-272-3622. Ryan Hall: rhall@daily-times.com Copyright c. 2005 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: Indian Cancer disparities" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 10:18:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CANCER BATTLE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/1029nativecancer29.html Ariz. group gets $4 mil to fight Indian cancer disparities Expert says present health system not able to respond to growing needs Judy Nichols The Arizona Republic October 29, 2005 An Arizona group trying to eliminate cancer disparities for Indians has received a $4 million grant for research, education and training from the National Cancer Institute. "Cancer in Indian communities is an increasing problem," said John Lewis, executive director of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona. "The present health system isn't geared up to address it and doesn't respond in a comprehensive way. "This will help us document it using research methodologies as a basis for changing policy and improving the ability of health providers to close those disparities." The grant, part of $18 million given nationally, was awarded to the Southwest American Indian Collaborative Network, a group that includes leaders from the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, the Arizona Cancer Center, the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Western Regional Community Clinical Oncology Program. In Arizona, Native Americans have the lowest five-year survival rates for all cancers and have the largest percentage of disseminated, poorly defined cancers, according to the Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, a blueprint for cancer treatment in Arizona. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death among Indians, who, in Arizona, have an average life expectancy of 55 years, compared with 72 years for Whites. For Native men, liver, lung and prostate cancers are the most prevalent, with prostate cancer the biggest killer. For Native women, breast, ovary and liver cancers are the most frequent, but gall bladder cancer causes the most deaths. And skin cancer is one of the top five cancers among Native Americans. Arizona is home to 21 tribes, and Phoenix has the highest proportion of Native Americans of any of the country's top 10 largest cities. The state also has the largest number of Native Americans living on reservations, and their remote nature means some cancer services are unavailable. "This $4 million will carry us through the next five years," said Dr. Charlton Wilson, associate director of the Centers of Excellence at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. "We hope to continue to build sustainable programs addressing education, training and research." Wilson said the grant will help increase community awareness about cancer in Native communities. "It also will train minority researchers who come from the community and understand its needs better," Wilson said. "These researchers know what is most applicable to the community, and that research will lead to the most effective treatments. "The long-range success is for investigators and students to learn within this grant program and then have individual and sustainable research grants." Copyright c. 2005 azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Journalist warned not to visit Reservations" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RESERVATION WARNING NOT HEEDED" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.alternet.org/story/27024 The Blue Tint of Indian Country Democratic administrations have been kindest to Native Americans - and come election time, Indians remember. By Rose Aguilar, AlterNet October 24, 2005 During the 2004 presidential election, Democrats and Republicans heavily courted the most underrepresented group in the country: Native Americans. Although Indians make up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, many live in swing states and their influence in determining the outcome of state and local elections is growing. Perhaps even more importantly, 95 percent of Indians are Democrats. Thurston County - the only county in Nebraska that voted for John Kerry for president - is home to the Winnebago and Omaha Indian reservations. Kerry won six of Montana's 56 counties, three of which are home to Indian reservations. "The Democrats, I believe, have taken some of the leading steps forward for Indian country," says Janine Pease, a Crow Indian and vice president for American Indian Affairs at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont. "If you go back and study some of the legislation that's been passed, it's happened under Democratic administrations," Pease points out. "Jimmy Carter signed the law on tribal colleges. Bill Clinton signed the executive order on tribal colleges and on tribal sovereignty. There just isn't any way you can compare legislation under Republican administrations. I spent my entire dissertation looking into civil rights and education acts and the leading pieces of legislation that bring what little has happened in Indian country alive have been Democratic initiatives." Republicans, on the other have, have "dismantled Indian country big time," says Pease. "The Reagan administration didn't appropriate any money for programs in Indian country and let them basically starve to death. We had 35 tribal programs that were contracted from federal funds for a whole number of issue areas, from the EPA to abandoned land mines. After Reagan's first term, we were down to five. That is starvation." Century-old treaties signed between tribes and the United States government guaranteed Indians basic services in exchange for their land. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Services were created to provide education and healthcare, respectively. Those promises have not been kept, as proven by extremely high unemployment rates and poor access to healthcare. Take the Blackfeet Reservation, for instance. Located in Browning, Mont. - a town that borders Glacier National Park - the Blackfeet tribe has 15, 640 members and a 68 percent unemployment rate. "If you don't work for the tribe, the hospital, the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the school district, then all you've got is the convenience stores and small, part-time, minimum-wage jobs," says Carol Sway-Henderson. "People think we Indians get a check every month and that's not true. Believe me, Indians want to work, but the jobs don't exist." The tribe is planning to build a casino to bring in revenue. Every member I met when I visited, however, said they opposed the idea. "I think it's a waste of money," says Cheryl Guardipee. "They (the tribe) could put it into something for the kids. We have nothing here on the reservation for the kids, absolutely nothing. They go to school and they go home. As they get older, they don't go home, they get in trouble." Guardipee, 53, started voting a few years ago because, "maybe if more people voted, we'd get something done." Guardipee voted for Kerry, but she isn't enthusiastic about the political process. Both the federal government and her tribal government, she says, ignore Indians. While the majority of the Indians I met are very proud of their heritage and their culture, most were at a loss for words when I asked them for solutions to eradicate widespread poverty and alcoholism. Part of the problem, says Guardipee, is that Indians are disconnected from non-Indians in Montana. In other words, poverty on Indian reservations is invisible, just like poverty in New Orleans was invisible before Katrina. She also says the stereotypes don't help. Over the course of a month's stay in Montana, I rarely saw Indians mixing with non-Indians. In Northern Montana, I met an Indian woman who was recently hired by the federal government to do a job that requires her to interact with the public on a regular basis. "For the first three months, the locals couldn't believe that an Indian had this job," she says. "They're used to me by now, but so many of them said they've never met an Indian before. For all I knew, they think we all still live in teepees." After leaving Browning, I stopped in Glasgow, a nearby town, and asked a local about poverty on the Blackfeet Reservation. "You stopped in Browning? I would never go to Browning. It's too dangerous," was the response. I was warned against stopping on Indian reservations by many Montanans over the course of my travels, but what I found were people who simply wanted to share their stories. My next stop was the Crow reservation, located in south-central Montana and comprised of just under 11,000 members. The poverty practically slaps you in the face on the drive to and from the reservation. Dilapidated trailer homes line the highway, many with no windows and broken doors, surrounded by junk and rusting cars and clotheslines hung with tattered clothes. Sixty-two percent of Crow Indians are unemployed and the 38 percent that are employed are living below the poverty line, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "The problems are so deep here," says Maxine Brown. "The federal government set up a system that gave us no choice but to rely on them. That led to alcohol and drug problems. In order to make a life for myself, I had to literally walk away from my family because the problems are so bad." Forty percent of Crow adults are addicted to "one form of substance or another," according to Janine Pease. "I think a lot of people in Montana feel that if Indians would just leave the reservation, they would leave their challenges behind them and partake in the great American dream, but that's not at all the case, not in Montana," she says. "Jobs are often hard to find in big cities and housing is too expensive." Montana's Indians see a glimmer of hope in Governor Brian Schweitzer, the state's first Democratic governor since 1988. A statement on Schweitzer's website reads, "Montanans need to understand the treaties made between Native Americans and the federal government pre-date the creation of the state of Montana. These treaties state that the reservations are sovereign nations." Making good on his promise to reach out to Indians, Schweitzer has appointed six Indians to key positions within his administration and another six to state boards and councils. "He's done more for Indian country in a month and a half than the other 23 governors in Montana history," said Democratic Representative Jonathon Windy Boy at one of Schweitzer's inaugural balls held back in February. Pease anticipates major changes from the governor on down. "Where Indians live, they're in the majority, so we have a number of counties that are Indian majority," she says. "That hasn't always been the case. Fifteen years ago, two counties, Glacier and Big Horn, became Indian and so in those areas we now have county officials and school board members who are tribal members and you wouldn't have seen that 20 years ago. I believe it will slowly make a difference in the quality of life." If that happens, voter turnout amongst the Indian population will most likely increase. "While it has always been known that Native voters could help determine local election winners and losers, for the first time candidates for statewide and federal offices became plainly aware of the importance of Native constituencies," writes Jackie Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians in its NativeVote2004 report. While registration and turnout is still low compared to the national average, Native communities saw increases of 50 to 150 percent in their turnout, according to the report. Native Americans became United States citizens in 1924, but as late as 1948, they were barred from voting in some states. While amendments have been passed to ensure the voting rights of women and African Americans, a Native Americans' right to vote has never been constitutionally secured. ---- Rose Aguilar is a San Francisco-based journalist gathering stories from people living in states that voted overwhelmingly for George W. Bush. Track her journey at Stories in America. Copyright c. 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Refinery is held up by Reviews" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REFINERY REVIEW HASSLE AT THREE AFFILIATED TRIBES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/state/104338.txt Refinery is held up by reviews October 24, 2005 MAKOTI (AP) - Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall says plans for an oil refinery near here are being held up by federal reviews. Hall said the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 office in Denver and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working on the reviews for an environmental impact statement. Tribal officials are not questioning the need for one, but they believe the process is taking too long, he said. "We are really concerned that this is taking longer than it need be," Hall said. "They're saying that there has never been one built for 30 years. They must have to dust off this process." Tribal Treasurer Frank Whitecalfe said the latest word from the EPA is that the environmental impact statement will be completed in February 2007. Hall said the tribe was told earlier that it would be finished in December this year; then that date was moved back to December 2006. "We'd really like to bring it up to September or October of 2006," Whitecalfe said. "If we get it to that point, we're comfortable that things will work. But if we start talking another year ..." He said the tribes started working with the EPA on the required environmental review in 2002. Delays add to the cost of building the refinery, he said. That cost now is estimated at about $150 million, compared to the original estimate of about $100 million. Carol Campbell, a deputy assistant regional administrator for EPA's regional office in Denver, said the agency is doing everything possible to expedite the project. One problem has been incomplete information from tribal contractors, she said. After the preliminary environmental impact statement is completed, the agency will issue a draft, to be followed by a public comment period before the final statement. "Everything has timeframes with it and they're standardized," Campbell said. "There's not a whole lot we can do to cut it and we don't want to. You don't want to cut the public process." She said the final environmental impact statement is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register in September 2006, and construction could start in February 2007. The proposed Clean Fuels Petroleum Refinery on the Fort Berthold Reservation may be the first refinery owned by an Indian tribe and built on an Indian reservation. The EPA is reviewing another refinery project in Yuma, Ariz., but it is not located on tribal land, Campbell said. The Makoti refinery is being planned as a 15,000-barrel-a-day plant and could be expanded up to 30,000 barrels a day, Whitecalfe said. Once operational, it would provide in the neighborhood of 70 jobs, Whitecalfe said. The Three Affiliated Tribes have 469 acres in the Makoti area, some of which will be used for the refinery and some for a buffalo project. "We're really concerned about the rising fuel costs, like everybody in the country," Hall said. "The president and Congress are all focused on building more refineries." Whitecalfe and Hall said a groundwater study is being conducted at the proposed refinery site A group called the Environmental Awareness Committee of Fort Berthold has raised questions about air and water quality. "To me, the public does not need to be concerned about the federal agencies doing their job - they're really grilling us on this with three different agencies' reviews," Hall said. "We're just concerned that with three agencies doing this, that takes three times as long getting the review done. We're looking to expedite that." Copyright c. 2005 Bismark Tribune. --------- "RE: Fort Hall Pipeline Project resumes" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 10:18:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DEATH OF TRIBAL MEMBER PROMPTS SAFETY MEASURES" http://www.shobannews.com/local2.htm Pipeline project resumes after safety coordinator, assurance team in place October 28, 2005 FORT HALL - After additional safety measures were implemented, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes authorized the Intermountain Gas Company's natural gas pipeline project to resume work on Friday, October 14. The project was shutdown for a week following the recent construction casualty near the Fort Hall Reservation that resulted in the death of tribal member Freddie Johnnie. Immediately following the casualty, the Fort Hall Business Council was quick to address the safety practices of Davco Services, the Intermountain Gas Company and OSHA according to a press release. The FHBC requested that the project be ceased until investigations and additional safety assurances were addressed. In a collaborative effort involving the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes TERO staff and the Intermountain Gas Company's Corporate Safety & Training Manager, and Pocatello District Construction Superintendent, the entities developed additional safety measures for the benefit of the entire workforce of Davco Services. At the Tribes' request, Intermountain Gas Company has temporarily hired Pete Broncho as the Tribal Safety Coordinator to be on-site for the duration of the project. A Safety Assurance Team, comprised of Intermountain Gas Company, Davco and the Tribal Safety Coordinator, shall on a daily basis monitor workplace practices to insure worker safety for the 75 employees (of which at least 50 percent are Indian) and to provide communication in managing a construction project. The OSHA investigation is ongoing. OSHA interviewed TERO staff and tribal workers this week. The FHBC continues to monitor the project until completed to ensure the safety of all employees doing work on the pipeline. According to Shoshone-Bannock Tribes TERO Director Denell Broncho, OSHA will not know actual results from the investigation for up to three to six months. Intermountain Gas Company's spokesperson could not be reached for comment. Copyright c. 2005 Sho-Ban News. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Goins: Lumbee Recognition hopes better than ever" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LUMBEE RECOGNITION ANTICIPATED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.robesonian.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/news/story08.txt Goins: Recognition hopes better than ever By Mark Locklear - Staff writer October 24, 2005 PEMBROKE - The Lumbee tribe's efforts at gaining federal recognition will be rewarded, Chairman Jimmy Goins told the Tribal Council Thursday night. Goins said that a recent meeting with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr convinced him the tribe will gain federal recognition. "We are the closest we've ever been to federal recognition for our people," he said. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre introduced legislation in January supporting federal recognition. Both bills have been sent to committees. But getting the bill to the Senate floor has always been a problem. Burr, who serves on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, has pledged to get the bill out of committee, Goins said. "I feel confident this (bill) is going to pass," Goins said. Passage of the bill would bring an estimated $77 million a year to aid the tribe in education, health care and economic development. In a related matter, the tribe has received $10,000 to help pay the cost of a lobbyist, according to Tribal Administrator Leon Jacobs. Jacobs didn't reveal the source of income. Copyright c. 2005 Robesonian. --------- "RE: Oklahoma readying for NCAI Convention" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NCAI HEADED BACK TO OKLAHOMA" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7137 Oklahoma readying for NCAI convention Organization returns to state for first time in 16 years TULSA OK Native American Times October 24, 2005 Look for Tulsa's American Indian/ Alaska Native population to increase by several thousand-at least for a couple of days. The National Congress of American Indians convention takes place at Tulsa's Convention Center from October 31-November 4. On tap for the event, which is expected to draw up to 7,000 people, is the election of a new President to replace Tex Hall, who has already served two terms. The three candidates for the position are Osage Nation Principal Chief Jim Gray, San Juan Pueblo Governor Joe Garcia and Harold Frazier, the Chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Gray is the husband of Native American Times Publisher Elizabeth Gray. Other NCAI positions are also up for elections, which will be decided by a vote of delegates from member tribes. This is the first time in 16 years that the NCAI has brought its annual "Convention and Trade Show" back to Oklahoma. This year, the Indian-rights organization is recognizing the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Act by titling this year's 62nd Annual Convention, "Celebrating 30 Years of the Indian Self-Determination Act." "We hope this serves as a foundation for discussion about where we, as tribal governments, have come and where we envision ourselves going," said Hall. Other events at the convention include a Powwow, Tribal Embassy Golf Tournament, the Miss NCAI Pageant and the Annual Fitness Rally and Walk. More information can be found at www.ncai.org. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: The Three Men that seek to lead the NCAI" --------- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:55:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="THREE NCAI CANDIDATES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7152 The three men that seek to lead the NCAI Native American Times election preview Sam Lewin October 26, 2005 One is from Oklahoma, another from New Mexico and the third hails from South Dakota. Geographically diverse, but there are many similarities. For instance: Harold Frazier, Joe Garcia and Jim Gray have all been meeting a lot of people in the past few months. The trio represents the candidates for the post of President of the National Congress of American Indians, and will soon know if their campaigning has paid off. The election takes place during the NCAI'S convention in Tulsa. The three candidates spoke to the Native American Times about the upcoming contest. One thing all have in common is that they already sound like veterans of grueling political campaigns. "It's like any election," Frazier, the Chairman of the South Dakota- based Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, said. "When you talk to someone they always say they are going to vote for you. You just have to wish for the best." "It looks very good but you know how campaigns go. You try and get a handle on your constituents and what they want," said Garcia, the Governor of New Mexico's San Juan Pueblo. "I feel it's going pretty well," said Gray, the Principal Chief of the Oklahoma-based Osage Nation. "You have to connect with a lot of people. As President I want to do a lot of listening, and meeting with Indian leaders across the country helps prepare me for the work if I win." Gray was elected leader of the Osages in 2002, and also currently serves as the Chairman of the Inter - Tribal Monitoring Association, an organization designed to address the Indian trust debacle. Gray is a newspaperman by profession. He is the husband of Native American Times Publisher Elizabeth Gray. Garcia, the Governor of the San Juan Pueblo, said his campaign has taken him to various Indian events from the Pacific Northwest to Florida, Nevada and Oklahoma. He has held several offices with the San Juan and is an electrical engineer by profession, working at Los Alamos National Laboratory for over 25 years. Frazier is a graduate of Eastern Wyoming College and was a rodeo star before being elected to the Cheyenne River Sioux's tribal council in 1998. He said he wants to "straighten out the federal government. I think the main thing is to remind them of their trust responsibilities to Indian Country-that we are not the forgotten ones." Garcia and Gray also find fault with the feds. "[The] federal government has a lot of responsibility to uphold and they are not doing it," Garcia told the NAT in August. "That relationship is going through a lot of changes," Gray said. "Part of the job of NCAI President is to make everyone aware of it." The position the three seek does not offer a salary, and there is unanimous consensus between them that that is a good thing because it weeds out candidates solely seeking personal gain. "You might call it a sacrifice, but to our way of life it is well worth it," Garcia said. "If our forefathers hadn't battled the odds we wouldn't be sitting where we are as Indian people today. We have a responsibility." "It demands that individuals accept a certain burden to bear. On the other side you have the privilege to speak on behalf of Indian people," said Gray. Frazier said that he hopes the competition between the three men does not overshadow something more important. "I hope for the best for Jim and Joe. No matter what happens we are all Indian people and we all need to work together," he said. All three men will be allowed to give speeches during the convention. Delegates from member tribes will then choose their new leader. You can contact Sam Lewin at sam@okit.com Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Native Americans honor 5" --------- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:55:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="KENT WARE AWARDS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/people26.html Native Americans honor 5 John Faherty The Arizona Republic October 26, 2005 The Native American Recognition Days were founded in 1982 to commemorate accomplishments and recognize traditions of native people in Arizona. This year's celebration takes place at a series of events through October and half of November. The theme is honoring "modern day warriors," while cultivating a "healthy relationship between the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area and the Native American community." Two Kent C. Ware Lifetime Achievement Awards were given this year. Ware was a longtime Valley resident, a decorated World War II veteran and a founder of the American Indian Veterans Memorial Organization. The first award went to Dr. Wayne Mitchell, a Mandan/Lakota Indian. Mitchell spent 32 years working with the Federal Indian Health Service. He also served on the board of the Phoenix Indian Center, Indian Rehabilitation Inc. He helped create community partnerships with ASU at the West campus and the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, notably a national award from the Director of the Indian Health Service in 2001. Mitchell volunteers his time on the Heard Museum's board of trustees. The second award went to Roy Track Jr., an Assinaboine Sioux/Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde of Oregon Indian, who died in April. He produced a long-running television talk show in Arizona and was honored with the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television and Arts Sciences for his work in broadcast journalism. Earlier this month he was inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Over the years he was a frequent master of ceremonies at powwows around the country. Gary Avey, publisher of the Native Peoples Magazine and one-time deputy director of the Heard Museum, was honored for Outstanding Services to the Native American Community. Avey serves on the board of directors of the Phoenix Indian Center and the Consortium of Black Artists and is a member of the Phoenix Arts Commission. He is a longtime supporter of Native American issues and culture. Bonny Beach, an Eastern Band Cherokee/Northern Cheyenne Indian, was honored this year as the "Outstanding Native American Woman of Our Community." Over the years Beach was the founder of the NDNS4Wellness and American Indian Prevention Coalition Inc. organizations to assist with prevention of drug and alcohol abuse among Native American youths and young adults. She also recently received the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Award for her work in behavioral health. Sergio Maldanado, a Northern Arapaho Indian, is the "Outstanding Native American Man of Our Community." Maldanado is a program adviser and instructor for Mesa Community College, where he recently received Instructor of the Year Award. He volunteers his time as a counselor for alcohol and drug abuse prevention and education. He conducts many workshops and seminars for conferences targeting youth at risk. Contact the reporter at (602) 444-4803 or john.faherty@arizonarepublic.com. Copyright c. 2005, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Hurricane Medicine Rattler Woman" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: IMPORTANCE OF NAMES" http://www.grandforks.com//dorreen_yellow_bird/12989243.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Watch for Hurricane Medicine Rattler Woman October 25, 2005 There is something in a name. Look at the recent hurricanes that devastated the Louisiana, Missouri, Texas and Florida coasts - Katrina, Rita and the most recent, Wilma. They will be remembered by their names. For Indian people, a name is important because it is how we are recognized in the Spirit World. In 1953, the National Weather Service started using women's names to keep track of the storms. I'm not sure why they chose women's names ... . maybe it was because the decision was made by a man? Years ago, my uncle told me that ships were called "she" because they were so "contrary." He was a sailor in the Navy during World War II. I don't know much about ships, so I'm not sure what he meant by that. Did the ship turned east when you wanted to sail west? In any event, the hurricane-naming practice was changed in 1979, when the weather service started using both male and female names for hurricanes. As a youngster, I used to wait for Hurricane Dorreen. I thought that would be cool. Since then, I've learned is that my name is not on the six current lists of potential hurricanes. There are six lists that start with A and end with W. They don't use Q, U, X, Y and Z because there aren't many names that start with those letters. And you'll probably never see unusual names such as Denver, Paris, River, Sage, Leaf, Raine, Rainbow, Sky or Island because they are scarce, too. But I do know people with those names. The six lists of names change from time to time. When a hurricane is especially costly, the name is retired from the list and a new name is added. So there's still a chance for Hurricane Dorreen - a better chance, I'm guessing, than we stand for seeing Hurricane Medicine Rattler Woman anytime soon. Even though that's my name, too - my Indian name. Which brings me to the interesting subject of American Indian names. These days, an Indian name usually is a second name. A person's first name typically is a Christian name. My ex-husband is Hidatsa, from New Town, N.D., on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Here is what he told me about naming: Children are given a name as a child. When they get older, they are given a permanent, adult Indian name. That Indian name often is a name that "fits" the person as an adult. Maybe by this time, the person has accomplishments that make him or her outstanding. Their Indian name likely would come from that. In my Sahnish or Arikara family, we were given Christian names as children and those are the names we carry throughout our lives. Of our family, only the first three children also were given Indian names. My folks got caught up in daily living, and the remaining 10 children weren't given Indian names until much later. The Sahnish grandmothers told us that names were to bring us strength and power. The spirit of whoever we were named after would intercede for us with the Creator - much like the baptismal or confirmation names of churches. In our tribe, names were given in several ways. Sometimes, the name was taken from someone who passed way many years ago - perhaps an honored relative, even the chief or honored medicine person of the tribe. Other names might come from the person asked to do the naming ceremony. That person might fast and pray for days, weeks or even months until a vision came to them. From that vision would come the name. Many times, the name is long so that its meaning is clear. There also are some Native people today who find a name they like, and rather than going through the traditional ways, simply will ask to be given that name in a naming ceremony. In order to do a naming ceremony, a person must be given the right to do so. That person should meet with elders, providing food and gifts, and ask for that right. The elders will decide if this is a person who should be allowed to name. It helps if the person has participated in other ceremonies and is a good person, too. Men who have been in the military also can name, because they are warriors. But the elders say the veterans, too, must be "good people" to be given that right. Usually, men name males and women name females. Once named, the named individual becomes stronger because he or she has a spirit that watches over them. Again, it is not too different from the Christian practice in which candidates are given saint names. To the elders, it is important that a youngster have a Native name in addition to his or her Christian name. A Native name, they say, is important, because when the person enters the Spirit World, that is the name they will be called. A name is important to hurricanes - and even more important to many Native people. ---- 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: Changing History to fit one's own Bias" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: REPORTING IN INDIAN COUNTRY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7135 Changing history to fit one's own bias Notes from Indian Country Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) October 24, 2005 Copyright c. 2005, Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. There are not that many newspapers geared to Native Americans in this country. But there seems to be an abundance of them in Western South Dakota. On the Pine Ridge Reservation there are two; the Lakota Country Times and the Black Hills People's News. In Rapid City there are also two; The Lakota Journal and Native Voices. Spread lightly around this region is also Indian Country Today. The Teton Times is located in McLaughlin, S.D., and serves the Standing Rock Reservation that borders North and South Dakota. The Lakota Country Times and the Teton Times are newspapers that are actually community oriented and editorially unbiased. Amanda Takes War Bonnet edits the Lakota Country Times and Avis Little Eagle edits the Teton Times. Both editors got their start with my old newspaper, the original Lakota Times. Black Hills People's News, on the other hand, is subjective, opinionated and, more often than not, destructive. It is a tabloid newspaper made up of long letters filled with personal, and often vitriolic, opinions. It is often used as an attack dog against anyone who disagrees with the opinions of the editor, Robert Clifford. Native Voices is more of an "entertainment" news source and can best be described as a specialty publication. Indian Country Today is nationally oriented. As a national newspaper for Indians it has not yet reached its full potential. And although it has no competitors on the national level, its publishers have failed to take advantage of this vast opportunity. But for the most part, it is informative, educational and has not been afraid to challenge the status quo. At one time it was printing more than 24,000 weekly, but according to its last official postal report, its circulation has fallen to around 7,000. That's pretty weak for a national newspaper. The Lakota Journal is shifting its focus to Eastern South Dakota and will soon be relocating the bulk of its personnel and resources to that part of the state. It has a wide-open market in that region and has yet to exploit those possibilities. The paper has gone through several editors and publishers in the past few months and has been erratic and oftentimes inaccurate in its reporting In an advertising market already proliferated by Indian newspapers in this part of South Dakota the efforts to succeed in the newspaper business are becoming extremely challenging. I expect to see at least two and possibly three of the newspapers I have mentioned close their doors before the end of 2006. Too often the editors of the above named newspapers allow pettiness to color their editorial objectivity. Some will even try to alter history to make it fit with their editorial selectivity. Case in point: When Native American Day was celebrated in South Dakota, the only state in the Union to have such a paid holiday, the origin of that holiday and of the Year of Reconciliation that preceded it, were not reported accurately by the Lakota Journal or Indian Country Today. The Lakota Journal just took excerpts of an article written by David Melmer of Indian Country Today and adopted it as part of their editorial explaining the holiday and its origins. David Melmer, that author of a piece in Indian Country Today, knows better, but because of that pettiness I mentioned earlier, resorted to rewriting the history of the holiday and of the year of reconciliation to fit into his own biased agenda. I really don't care what Melmer of Indian Country Today or the editor of the Lakota Journal think about me, but at least they should have the honesty of reporting the story on Native American Day and the Year of Reconciliation factually. One doesn't change history because of ill feelings towards its participants. It should be noted here that at one time I owned both of these newspapers and it is high time for the new owners to bury the past. The truth is that the Year of Reconciliation became a reality in South Dakota because of an editorial I wrote challenging then Governor George Mickelson to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Massacre at Wounded Knee by proclaiming 1990 as the Year of Reconciliation. Now that is a historical fact. George Mickelson did not sit down one day and say to himself, "Oh yes, I think we should have a Year of Reconciliation between Indians and whites. I think that would be nice." Instead he courageously responded to a written challenge by a Lakota man and made it happen. The same can be said of the Native American Day Holiday. A half Lakota, half African American man named Lynn Hart, a real cowboy, read an editorial I had written about why we need a Native American Day in South Dakota to the state legislators and asked that they support the idea. They did and the rest is history, as they say. Lynn Hart should get the credit for bringing this to the attention of the State Legislature because without his doing so, it would never have happened. David Melmer also conveniently overlooked this historical fact. It should be pointed out here that Melmer is non-Indian, but he should not let this fact stand in the way of honest reporting. We (Indians) cannot complain of biased reporting in the mainstream if we are doing the same thing in our own newspapers. As I said, history cannot be altered because one does not like one of it participants and instigators. --- (Tim Giago is the president of the Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. He can be reached at najournalists@rushmore.com or by writing him at Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc., 2050 West Main St., Suite. 5, Rapid City, SD 57702.) Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Air evacuation of Kashechewan Reserve" --------- Date: Thursday, October 27, 2005 05:41 pm From: frostyca2000 Subj: Anger, anxiety high as air evacuation of Kashechewan reserve continues Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian Anger, anxiety high as air evacuation of Kashechewan reserve continues Canadian Press October 27, 2005 KASHECHEWAN FIRST NATION, Ont. (CP) - The Kashechewan exodus is in full swing as planes depart the embattled northern Ontario reserve and friends and family wave goodbye from the ground. More than half of the reserve's 1,900 residents, many with serious skin problems, are being evacuated by the Ontario government because of tainted drinking water. About a dozen protesters were at the reserve's tiny airport, venting their anger with Ottawa for the benefit of arriving members of the media. Deputy Chief Rebecca Friday says she's fed up with the federal government and Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott for its refusal to help the reserve, which has been under a boil-water advisory for two years. She says no one should be expected to remain at the reserve, where residents have been boiling their drinking water for two years. So far, 75 people, mostly children and the elderly with serious skin problems, have already been taken to Sudbury, Ont., with another 175 expected to make the trip by day's end. Friday was particularly angry that Scott refused to stay in the community and that he didn't respond to her request for an emergency evacuation. "He has not done anything," she said. "We've had to wait two weeks for this." Friday said the entire community should leave to escape the misery and water contamination that has sickened many of the residents. "I'm very, very sad that it has to come to this point where everybody has to leave," she said. "It's an awful situation." More than half of the reserve's residents are suffering from health problems like scabies and impetigo as a result of drinking water tainted with potentially deadly E. coli. Marie Reuben, who was part of the first wave of evacuees, was happy simply to be in a place where her children could bathe in clean water. "I'm just glad they got us out of there," Reuben said after getting off the plane. "I don't want to go back there." Many critics and locals believe the reserve needs to be relocated in order to solve its chronic water and health problems. Sudbury will be the temporary home for the first 250 residents evacuated from the community, which is 450 kilometres north of Timmins on the shore of James Bay. Copyright c. The Canadian Press 2005. --------- "RE: Ottawa offers to move Kashechewan Reserve" --------- Date: Friday, October 28, 2005 04:34 pm From: frostyca2000 Subj: Ottawa offers to move Kashechewan reserve Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian [Comments by Frosty Deere, Mohawk elder, Kahnawake: > OTTAWA -- The federal government says it will clean up a humanitarian > disaster on the Kashechewan First Nation - but it will take 10 years. Can anyone believe this? Ten years it will take? Has Canada looked south and seen how fast they are getting homes for victims that lost everything in the United States? Hell in ten years those first fifty homes will need to be repaired of replaced. I say this because you have never seen how cheap they build these new homes? Around here we use 2x6 studs. Where they live, which is even colder than here, they build with 2x3 studs if they can get away with it. Just look at the condition of the homes they built in Davis Inlet.] Ottawa offers to move Kashechewan reserve Sue Bailey Canadian Press October 28, 2005 OTTAWA - The federal government says it will clean up a humanitarian disaster on the Kashechewan First Nation - but it will take 10 years. Embattled Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott emerged from a meeting with native leaders late Thursday to say Ottawa will pay for 50 new houses a year until squalid homes on the northern Ontario reserve have been razed. A new subdivision will be built nearby on higher ground along James Bay, away from the lowlands where buildings are regularly flooded. Adding to those problems has been a water contamination crisis reminiscent of the developing world. More than 800 of 1,900 Kashechewan residents were to be airlifted in coming days to Sudbury, Timmins and other cities. Many need treatment for illnesses blamed on years of exposure to polluted tap water. They include scabies, impetigo, chronic diarrhea, fevers and headaches. Related deaths are more difficult to prove. Scott promised the isolated reserve will soon have a reliable water treatment plant, more nursing staff, a repaired school and trained water treatment specialists. For now, the same National Defence technology that's helping earthquake survivors in Pakistan will be used to provide clean water for Kashechewan, Scott said. "That is still to be worked out," he said when asked what the new measures will cost. Native leaders who flanked the minister as he spoke said 10 years is a reasonable time to wait. "I am thankful," said Kashechewan chief Leo Friday. Band councillors will decide who gets to move into the new homes first based on need, he added. "We had to go with a figure that we felt was reasonable in negotiations with the government," said Stan Louittit, grand chief for the Crees of Ontario. "We are satisfied that the community will benefit from this new agreement." News reports of squalor and suffering on the Cree reserve have been a political nightmare for the federal Liberals. And Kashechewan is not alone. In 2001, Indian Affairs found possible risks to drinking-water quality in two-thirds of 633 native communities. There are still no federal regulations to set national standards for First Nations. Scott says Indian Affairs will speed up its work on draft rules. Kashechewan residents have repeatedly asked to be moved off the notorious flood plain on the west coast of James Bay, about 450 kilometres north of Timmins. Ottawa settled the band there against its will in 1957. There are few job prospects in the region, but leaving the reserve is a daunting prospect for residents who lack education, employment experience and the cash needed to move elsewhere. A report two years ago warned of potential water hazards that were ignored by provincial and federal officials. It raised alarms because a water treatment plant funded 10 years ago by Indian Affairs was built downstream from a sewage lagoon. Kashechewan leaders say they have never had proper training or funding to run a complex plant that requires 24-hour maintenance. Prime Minister Paul Martin, under intense opposition fire, vowed earlier Thursday to clean up the contaminated water crisis. "We are very concerned about this totally unacceptable situation," Martin said above catcalls in the House of Commons. It was another day of searing question-period attacks over the government's failure to help Kashechewan before its plight made national headlines. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper lambasted Scott for one of the "saddest" performances by a cabinet member in recent memory. He then demanded Scott's resignation. Martin defended his beleaguered minister, who visited Kashechewan last week. Scott fended off critics by saying he has been working on an action plan since August. In any case, the minister noted that it was up to the Ontario government to declare the need to evacuate. It did so this week, as Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty accused Ottawa of being "missing in action" as some of Ontario's poorest citizens endured appalling living conditions. Those remaining on the reserve are receiving bottled water from Indian Affairs. The department has spent more than $250,000 sending emergency water to the fly-in community since last April. Indian Affairs has been criticized for initially failing to provide enough bottles after Health Canada warned two weeks ago of potentially deadly E. coli in tap water. The prime minister said blame for the crisis ultimately rests with Ottawa. "Our government must obviously accept its responsibility," he said, "and we do so." NDP Leader Jack Layton and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine also demanded Thursday that extra money promised in the federal budget be used immediately to upgrade native housing. At the very least, they say Ottawa must provide more funding to fix and properly run the Kashechewan water treatment plant and others like it. Fontaine says there are 100 other brewing tragedies on First Nations across Canada, some of which have been under boil-water orders for years. He bristled when asked why he didn't take a more high-profile stance to demand help for such communities. "The issue that we're talking about now has been a priority for the Assembly of First Nations." Ottawa spends more than $8 billion a year to meet historic obligations to native communities. But Fontaine says annual increases capped at two per cent haven't kept pace with population growth - a shortfall that has "handcuffed First Nations governments." Kashechewan only reached national prominence when New Democrat MP Charlie Angus, who represents the region, orchestrated a concerted media campaign. Angus has repeatedly blasted federal officials for how the community was "left defenceless in the face of numerous E. coli and bacteria warnings." Ottawa has known about potentially serious problems since 1998, he says. A report prepared in 2003 for the Ontario Clean Water Agency also flagged concerns about potential contamination. "We're very clear on why we're here," Angus said late Thursday. "It was because of a tragedy that should never have happened, and should never happen on any other reserve across Canada." Copyright c. The Canadian Press 2005. Copyright c. 2005 Ottawa Citizen. --------- "RE: Urban Inuit seek voice at Ottawa Gathering" --------- Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 10:18:10 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="URBAN INUIT" http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/51028_01.html Urban Inuit seek voice at Ottawa gathering "I think it's been an urgent situation for a long time" JIM BELL October 28, 2005 Canada's growing population of urban Inuit, tired of watching governments and land claims organizations ignore them, took a big step this week towards achieving a measure of justice and fairness. Inuit from seven Canadian cities met at an Ottawa hotel on Wednesday and Thursday for a conference called "National Urban Inuit - One Voice," organized by Tungasuvvingat Inuit and sponsored by the federal government's Inuit Relations Secretariat. "I think it's been an urgent situation for a long time," said the meeting's facilitator, Mary Simon. It's the first such nation-wide gathering ever held by urban Inuit. Their aim was to talk about how to draw attention to their needs, how to get more recognition from the federal government, and how to gain better access to federal aboriginal funding programs. Simon, Canada's former circumpolar ambassador and ambassador to Denmark, serves on the board that runs Tungasuvvingat Inuit, a non-profit agency in Ottawa that has offered numerous social programs to Ottawa's Inuit community since 1987. She said her work on TI's board opened her eyes to the serious problems faced by the many Inuit who move south and then disappear into poverty and homelessness. "Through being on the board you get some awareness of things that are going on, such as homelessness, which is pretty bad, and Inuit who can't get jobs because they're not trained. There's a lot more Inuit now living in this situation," Simon said. Ottawa-Gatineau is the only urban area with a social service agency that's designed for Inuit. In other cities, Inuit have to deal with services and agencies that were originally designed for First Nations people. Numbers from Statistics Canada's 2001 census show that at least 5,000 Inuit - about 10 per cent of Canada's Inuit population - now live outside the Arctic. Census takers counted 3,145 scattered throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and 1,380 living in Ontario. The largest population counts were in Ottawa-Gatineau (910), Yellowknife (660), Edmonton (465), Montreal (435), Toronto (355), Vancouver (260), and St. John's (210). But Simon, along with many other southern Inuit, says those counts are too low, and that Statistics Canada census-takers need to find better ways of counting Inuit who live in southern Canada. For example, Statistics Canada counted 435 Inuit living in Montreal. But the former Association of Montreal Inuit has estimated that more than 900 actually live there. She says that's a big issue, because without hard, accurate population numbers, it will be difficult to convince federal government officials, especially those in charge of the National Urban Aboriginal Strategy, to spend more money on urban Inuit programs. She said funding is available for urban aboriginal people, but nearly all of it goes to urban First Nations people. To find a way of fixing that, organizers invited a representative from Statistics Canada to attend the meeting, along with Robert M. Bone, a well-known geography professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Bone talked about census undercounting of Inuit living in urban areas. Simon said Inuit move south for a variety of reasons: to start a new job, to go to school, to get health care, or for family or personal reasons. And they come from one end of the Arctic to the other: Labrador, Nunavik, Nunavut, and Nunakput. When they get there, they find themselves in a strange world, and are often surprised to discover that the rights and benefits they're use to receiving within their land claim settlement areas aren't available in the South. For example, students may head south for post-secondary education, study for two years or so, take a year off to work, then try to go back to school to finish their diploma or degree. But when they do that, they find that they no longer qualify for student financial assistance from their home territory. Others run into big problems getting health care, such as Palluq Manning of Cape Dorset, a severely ill patient who discovered last summer that the Government of Nunavut does not consider him to be a Nunavut resident anymore. And unlike most First Nations people, Inuit in the South have difficulty proving they're eligible to have certain medical costs covered by the Non- -Insured Health Benefits program. To deal with those kinds of problems, meeting participants talked about "jurisdiction," the question of who is responsible for doing what, a question that involves provincial and territorial governments, the federal government, Inuit land claim organizations, and groups like ITK and TI. Above all, Simon said, urban Inuit need to see where they fit into the partnership accord signed this past May by Jose Kusugak, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Andy Scott, minister of Indian and northern affairs. "For years the feds were referring all Inuit issues to the provinces and territories, but now ITK has been working with the other ministers to get a more focused Inuit agenda," Simon said. Copyright c. 1995-2005 Nunatsiaq News, Nortext Publishing Corporation (Iqaluit). --------- "RE: Ottawa must do more to protect Native Girls" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ALARMING NUMBERS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.canada.com/id=98e401f4-f3bb-4b06-a79e-b1aff0107c8d Amnesty says Ottawa must do more to protect native girls, women Sue Bailey Canadian Press October 24, 2005 OTTAWA (CP) - A distraught mother broke down on Parliament Hill on Monday over what Amnesty International calls a "shameful" lack of concern for missing and murdered native women. Gwenda Yuzicappi begged the federal government to do more to halt an alarming nationwide pattern of death and disappearance. She and others want the prime minister to raise the issue with premiers and native leaders when they meet Nov. 24 in British Columbia. Yuzicappi's daughter, Amber Redman, vanished July 15 after a night out with friends in Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask., northeast of Regina. The shy, 19- year-old who dreamed of going to university and becoming a teacher hasn't been seen since. Family members, volunteers and police searchers have found no trace of Redman, a member of the Standing Buffalo First Nation. Yuzicappi held a copy of her daughter's missing-person poster as she spoke to a sparsely attended news conference. She sobbed after urging Ottawa to do more to protect native women and treat their cases equally. She said she wants "to ensure I'm the last mother that comes here to promote this issue, and to (stress) that aboriginal women are just the same as any other person. "My daughter had limited media coverage in Saskatchewan." Beverley Jacobs, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada, says it's especially painful when the disappearance of a non-native woman triggers a national spree of news stories. Dozens of unsolved aboriginal deaths and missing-person cases don't inspire the same reaction. At least five more native women have disappeared since June, Jacobs said. Relations are better, but trust is dangerously lacking between aboriginal communities and police, she added. Some families still complain that police are slow to investigate when loved ones disappear. Jacobs estimates that at least 500 aboriginal women have vanished or been killed since 1985. That figure is based on preliminary research and anecdotal evidence. "How many more sisters and daughters will be lost before the government of Canada takes real action?" asked Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty International. No government can prevent every crime, she said. But international human rights law requires every state "to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of its citizens. "Canada, which is a wealthy, developed country with a reputation internationally for championing human rights, has the capacity to make a significant difference in the lives of indigenous women and girls. That it has failed to do so is shameful." The Liberals promised last May to spend $5 million over five years to research cases and set up a hotline. That amount is far less than the $10 million requested over two years by the Native Women's Association of Canada. Opposition MPs have repeatedly criticized the Liberals for delays, noting that the cash was held up for months by red tape. It was finally approved for release last week. Copyright c. The Canadian Press 2005. --------- "RE: Veterans, Youths and Elders on Spiritual Journey" --------- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:46:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HEALING THE HURT AND ANGER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://news.yahoo.com/cpress/20051024/ca_pr_on_na/aboriginal_vets_cda_1 Aboriginal veterans, youths and elders head to Europe on spiritual journey MICHELLE MACAFEE October 24, 2005 (CP) - Tom Eagle has spent decades as a sounding board for the hurt, anger and frustrations many aboriginal veterans have harboured toward the federal government since the Second World War. Reserve land was taken for military bases or given to non-aboriginals. Status Indians got less money than non-aboriginal servicemen to start a new life and received none of the spousal benefits, education, training or jobs given to their comrades. Many have since accepted compensation from Ottawa but are far from healed. "There's a lot of hurt out there," Eagle, a 73-year-old Cree elder, said in an interview from his home in Yellowknife. "There are a lot of issues that will be with people for a long time." That troubled history is, in part, what motivated Eagle and other elders and aboriginal veterans organizations to plan a spiritual journey to Canadian war memorial sites in France and Belgium. The delegation of aboriginal veterans, elders, dancers and musicians leaves Ottawa on Wednesday for an eight-day trip to highlight the contribution native soldiers made in the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean War. "The general public doesn't understand," said Eagle, who spent 25 years in the military. "They thought Indians stayed on the reserves and that was it, but over 5, 000 aboriginal veterans were killed in both wars." The 300-member delegation - funded by $1.5 million from Veterans Affairs - includes 20 First Nations, Metis and Inuit vets from the Second World War, 14 aboriginal youths and dozens of elders, dancers and musicians. Highlights of the trip include a calling-home ceremony, which will incorporate First Nations, Metis and Inuit customs and traditions to put the spirits of