_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 046 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 12, 2005 Hopi Kelmuya/Fledgling Raptor Moon Assiniboine Cuhotgawi/Frost Moon Cree Kaskatinopizun/Moon when rivers begin to freeze Mountain Maidu Tetem-Tsampauta/Moon when Large Trees 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 and Anumpa Achukma 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 Bible is what makes a Christian; the mountain is what makes a Navajo. The mountain is very much alive. It's our essence, our strength, our home. I don't think any Christian wants the Bible spat upon or strewn apart. (This is) no different." __ Joe Shirley Jr., Navajo Nation President in testimony in the San Francisco Peaks Trial. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! I am a Viet Nam vet, so I am especially honored to share these words from my wife, Janet, regarding a shame on the US and Canada because they don't make deserved benefits more accessible to Native American Veterans. --- News reports recently have pointed out that while Native Americans serve in this country's military in higher percentages than other ethnic groups, veterans neither ask for nor receive benefits their military service entitles them to in the same proportion as other ethnic groups. The article about Arizona Native veterans in this issue is important to this issue because it addresses one possible cause for this omission - the lack of Native Americans employed by the Veterans Administration, even in states like Arizona that have a relatively high tribal population. A holiday is approaching when the US recognizes those who have served this nation's military. What a shame that the one group who has served most, and whose veterans often return from the military to a Nation this country has deliberately impoverished, is neglected when it comes to earned benefits. And what a shame that this country's military, which benefits disproportionately from Native service, fails to provide jobs in the Veterans Administration to Indians to help serve their comrades. +/// Janet Smith owlstar@bellsouth.net /*/+ P. O. Box 672168 OwlStar Trading Post + / * Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. http://www.owlstar.com * + ********************** 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 ----------- - Native American Vets - S'Klallam says not accessing Benefits it will recover from Spill - Veterans Day - Women working to ID unmarked Graves from a Native Perspective - JODI RAVE: Schweitzer - Indian soldiers walks the walk with Indians meet before Veterans Day - NICK COLEMAN: Smugness - DeLay's Staff in death of Menominee Girl tried to help Abramoff - Martin opts for - Indian Sovereignty Kelowna Aboriginal Meeting is strongly defended - Churches liable in Abuse Cases - Issues get an airing - What is the Corporate Strategy? during NCAI Convention - Governor General faces question - Message by Sidney Has No Horses on Native Poverty - Jourdain: Listen to Youth - Ottawa to announce before it is too late Major Funds for Aboriginals - Indian Legal Eagle - More Self-Government needed, weighs in on Alito Fontaine says - Tax Program honored for help - McGuinty: Ottawa should fund at Grassroots Level Off-Reserve Programs - Navajo Elders - Tribal Group to sue over LNG Lease Hostages to Budget Cuts - Grand Ronde Tribal Member shot, - Power Plant shutdown killed by Police bringing gloom to N. Arizona - Native Prisoner - Navajo President -- Prisoner abuse at the BIA Jail in San Francisco Peaks Trial - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Oklahoma Leaders - Rustywire: Longing for say State Relations improving the sweet taste of Freedom - Indian Leaders hear complaints - Del "Abe" Jones Poem: about Legislation Two Thousand and Counting - Indian Numbers swell - Study: Religious Peyote use - Native Americans not harmful are rethinking Diabetes - NAU Resident Elder shares Knowledge - Opinion: A Thought for Interior - Tewa Language Program - Blackfeet Tribe unique to School holds Senior Water Rights - Comanche Language - Little Shell seek County support and Cultural Preservation --------- "RE: Native American Vets not accessing Benefits" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 08:32:57 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BEST WARRIORS, MOST IGNORED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1103nativevets03.html Native American vets not accessing benefits Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic November 3, 2005 Native Americans are less likely to use veterans benefits because there aren't enough counselors in Arizona and because many counselors know little about Native American cultures, a state lawmaker and veteran groups say. "Native American soldiers have served the country honorably, but their voices go unheard," said Rep. Albert Tom, a Democrat from Sanders. On Wednesday, Tom, tribal leaders and veterans groups met with the governor's Arizona Veterans Task Force to discuss Native American veterans. A goal was to put more representatives from the Native American communities on the task force. advertisement In January, the panel is expected to recommend ways to enhance services. Nearly 600,000 veterans live in the state, generating an estimated $5 billion to the economy through disability, retirement and federal benefits. Tom estimates there are 18,000 Native American veterans in Arizona. A key issue is access. There are only 18 state-certified benefits counselors, said Patrick Chorpenning, director of the state Department of Veterans' Services. Ideally, there would be one benefits counselor for every 5,000 veterans, Chorpenning said. With so little staff to go around, some Native American veterans are unaware of the benefits they've earned, said Phillip Quochytewa Sr., a commissioner for the state Department of Veterans Services and a former Hopi vice chairman. Others try to get benefits through their tribes because they don't want to wade through the red tape to get federal benefits. Complicating the issue, cultural differences may create different needs for Native American vets. For example, some soldiers go through cleansing rituals after serving in the military, which means that they may experience traumatic stress syndrome later, Chorpenning said. While Native Americans may be less likely to access benefits, tribes have sent their sons and daughters to serve in the U.S. military for generations. Native Americans are one of the smallest minority groups, but they are more likely per capita to serve in the armed forces, several veterans groups said Tuesday. Even with such great need, more resources for state veterans will be a tough sell in Washington, Quochytewa said. "With the war going on and these hurricanes, we are going to be struggling for funding," he said. Rep. Tom and the veteran groups plan to bring together the state, regional and tribal leaders to press Congress to do more for Native American veterans. "Hopefully, this will blossom into something that is really, really great," said Verland French, of the Arizona Inter-Tribal Veterans Association. Copyright c. 2005, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Veterans Day from a Native Perspective" --------- Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2005 08:56:29 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NATIVE VIEW OF VETERANS DAY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7205 Veterans Day from a Native perspective Native American Times guest commentary OKLAHOMA CITY OK Thomas Berry November 7, 2005 I am an American Veteran. I also am a Native American and was proud to serve my country in its time of need. I served in Southeast Asia (Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia), Central America (Grenada, Panama, Columbia, and Peru) and in the Middle East (Desert Shield and Storm.) I also served in a lot of places that the public will never hear of or even know that we were actively involved in. That was part of my job. During the time I served in the military, I developed a lot of friendships that were cut short due to the loss of those friends in operations around the world. Veterans Day is the holiday set aside to honor those men and women who served and to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I say our freedom because I enjoy the same freedoms today as a veteran as does everyone else in this country. There is one difference for me in the observance of Veterans Day. It isn't only one day a year. For me, Veterans Day is every day. As a member and officer of the National Native Veterans Association I deal with Veteran problems on a daily basis. We deal with everything from request for information on benefits to actually helping file for and obtaining benefits for Native American Veterans. We work as an advocacy agency for all Native American Veterans, not just those federally or state recognized. Not Native Veterans from only one tribe or nation. Not Native Veterans living in just one state, but all Native Veterans. We who have served are more than just members of individual tribes or nations. Native American Veterans are a member of a nation all their own. We are all brothers who have served this country with pride, honor, and dignity. We are unique in that serving we have earned benefits and entitlements which we do not use. As a people we provide more members to the military than any other population sector, and have the greatest number of our people living in poverty and unemployment than any other population sector. It is time for those of us who wore a uniform, whether it is green, blue, or khaki to come together again and fight this battle for ourselves and our people. Not as individual nations or tribes, but as one brotherhood of Veterans. This is the greatest tribute we can give to our fallen brothers, sisters, fathers, and grandfathers. This is especially true now with our sons and daughters fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is my Veterans Day celebration, and I wouldn't have it any other way. ---- Thomas Berry is the founder of the National Native American Veterans Association. For more information on the organization, please visit their web site at www.nnava.org. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Indian soldiers meet before Veterans Day" --------- Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 18:43:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="VETERANS DISCUSS IRAQ, HEALTHCARE..." http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7198 Indian soldiers meet before Veterans Day Discuss Iraq, healthcare, Native participation in the Armed Forces TULSA OK Sam Lewin November 4, 2005 Just a few days before Veterans Day and those who served in our country's wars attend a National Congress of American Indians veterans subcommittee meeting. Everyone shows up on time. Maybe it's the remnant of military training, or maybe it's because too many of them do not have much time left. "A lot of issues that are important to Indian veterans also apply to all vets," Jan Reibach, an tribal councilor with the Confederated tribes of the Grand Ronde community of Oregon and a Navy veteran, tells the Native American Times. "It's about health issues and insurance. Insurance is too high." Reibach says there should be more healthcare available to homeless vets. "It's really bothersome to a lot of people that veterans become homeless and invisible," he said. "It's all related to stress and suffering from medical and spiritual problems. Some of them get so angry and they have tears coming from their eyes when you talk to them." Inside the meeting, James Locklear, a member of the Lumbee Tribe, is saying that diabetes is "killing me." He tells a Veterans Affairs representative that he filed a claim in 1971, two years after returning from Vietnam. He says he still can't get the benefits that come with being declared 100-percent disabled. The VA guy promises to look into the case. Ricardo Leonard of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community says he knows too many fellow vets that refuse to apply for services. Leonard thinks it's an Indian thing. "There is a lot of pride and also they don't want to bother people. There should be a program to encourage these people to sign up because even if they are hurting really badly they won't call," Leonard said. He believes that some older Native American veterans also feel guilty about taking resources away from younger soldiers just returning from Iraq. Iraq. It's on everyone's mind. One man says the feeling among his fellow Vietnam vets is hope that today's soldiers have access to "the things we didn't get." Reibach, the man worried about homeless veterans, predicts the problem is about to get worse. "The new soldiers coming back home are dealing with a whole [different] level," he says. "There used to be things like the DMZ, where you knew it was safe. Now they are in danger 24-hours a day." Marshall Tall Eagle says he has created a "Warriors Medal of Honor." "We want to find a way to restore honor to our veterans," he says. "It's our goal to get these medals to every Indian that served." Tall Eagle gives a reporter his e-mail address so that eligible folks can contact him about getting the medal. The address is: marshalltalleagle@yahoo.com The topics discussed inside the meeting are serious and grim-the VA rep. reminds Vietnam vets to get a new type of blood screen that can detect traces of Agent Orange- but the men are still able to rattle off one- liners and cheerfully use salty language. Every one of them is aware-and most seem to be very proud- of the fact that per capita, Native Americans serve at a higher rate than any other ethnic group. "If it wasn't for Native Americans fighting for their homeland we would be speaking German or Japanese or some Arab language," says Keith Heavyrunner of Montana's Blackfeet Nation, an Army veteran. "Native Americans couldn't vote until 1924 and it happened only because President Eisenhower saw what we did in World War One." "I don't know if it's so much being patriotic as it is more of a calling, " says David Fryberg of Washington State's Tulalip Tribes. "You have to remember that the male's status in the tribe was to be a warrior. There are many levels a male could attain and warrior is the highest." According to the Census Bureau, there are 185,000 American Indian and Alaska Native vets and a further 25,000 that are Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander. You can contact Sam Lewin at sam@okit.com Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: DeLay's Staff tried to help Abramoff" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 08:32:57 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SMOKING GUN ?" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051103/ap_on_re_us/delay_indian_tribes_3 DeLay's Staff Tried to Help Abramoff By JOHN SOLOMON and SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writers November 3, 2005 WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom DeLay's staff tried to help lobbyist Jack Abramoff win access to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, an effort that succeeded after Abramoff's Indian tribe clients began funneling a quarter-million dollars to an environmental group founded by Norton. "Do you think you could call that friend and set up a meeting," then- DeLay staffer Tony Rudy wrote to fellow House aide Thomas Pyle in a Dec. 29, 2000, e-mail titled "Gale Norton-Interior Secretary." President Bush had nominated Norton to the post the day before. Rudy wrote Abramoff that same day promising he had "good news" about securing a meeting with Norton, forwarding information about the environmental group Norton had founded, according to e-mails obtained by investigators and reviewed by The Associated Press. Rudy's message to Abramoff was sent from Congress' official e-mail system. Within months, Abramoff clients donated heavily to the Norton-founded group and the lobbyist and one of the tribes he represented won face-to- face time with the secretary during a Sept. 24, 2001, dinner sponsored by the group she had founded. Abramoff's clients were trying to stop a rival Indian tribe from winning Interior Department approval to build a casino. DeLay, who has temporarily stepped aside as House majority leader because of criminal charges in Texas, eventually signed a letter with other GOP House leaders to Norton on behalf of Abramoff's clients, records show. Federal and congressional investigators obtained the DeLay staff e-mails from Abramoff's former lobbying firm as they try to determine whether officials in Congress or the Bush administration provided government assistance in exchange for the vast amounts of money Abramoff's clients donated to Republican causes. The e-mails, however, weren't provided to Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), whose committee held hearings Wednesday into Abramoff's dealings at the Interior department. It has drawn attention, however, among other government investigators examining whether any federal actions were taken in exchange for donations. The assistance to Abramoff from DeLay's staff occurred just a few months after DeLay received political donations, free use of a skybox to reward donors and an all-expense paid trip to play golf in Scotland arranged by Abramoff and mostly underwritten by his clients. DeLay's lawyer said this week his client likely didn't know about the assistance his aides gave Abramoff five years ago and does not believe his office would ever provide government assistance in exchange for political donations. "On its face it's not unusual for staffers to assist people trying to get a meeting with an executive branch agency and that would be something a member of Congress would not typically be involved with. That's staff work," attorney Richard Cullen said in an interview. "Tom DeLay conducts himself consistent with the highest standards of conduct and he mandated the same for his staff," Cullen said. Shortly after the e-mail exchanges, the two DeLay aides, Rudy and Pyle, left DeLay's office for private sector jobs. Rudy went to work for Abramoff while Pyle went to work for the Koch pipeline company, Neither returned calls to their offices this week seeking comment. The December 2000 e-mails show DeLay's office identified - as an avenue for winning a meeting with the new interior secretary - Norton's former political fundraiser, Italia Federici, and a conservative environmental group called the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA). Norton founded the group in 1999 with Federici and conservative activist Grover Norquist, a close ally of President Bush. When Norton was named interior secretary by Bush, Federici took over as president of CREA. Pyle reported to Rudy that he was trying to reach a contact close to Norton and that Federici might be helpful. "Yes, I spoke to her yesterday and she is scrambling right now to get in touch with Gale. Italia helped co-found CREA with Gale and worked on her Senate campaign," Pyle wrote. Rudy gave an update to Abramoff, forwarding Pyle's information to the lobbyist and suggesting Norquist might provide another avenue to help secure a meeting with the interior secretary. "Good news. I think she (Norton) knows Grover," Rudy wrote in an e-mail from his official congressional account to Abramoff. Federici helped Norton raise money for an unsuccessful bid for a Senate seat in Colorado and she, Norquist and Norton formed CREA in 1999 as a tax-exempt organization highlighting Republican ideas for the environment. Within a few months of the e-mail exchange, Abramoff's Indian tribal clients began sending more than a quarter-million dollars to CREA. Abramoff sent an e-mail to one of the tribes, the Coushattas, suggesting Interior officials wanted the donations to go to Norton's group. "I met with the Interior guys today and they were ecstatic that the tribe was going to help. If you can get me a check via federal made out to `Council for Republican Environmental Advocacy' for $50K that would be great," Abramoff wrote in one e-mail made public by McCain's investigation. The tribe obliged. And a short while later, Federici left a message with Norton's office seeking a meeting for that tribe's leaders, according to evidence gathered by investigators. That meeting in April 2001 was rejected by Norton's staff, Interior officials told AP. Coushatta tribal counsel Jimmy Faircloth told AP that Abramoff instructed the tribe to give donations to CREA of $50,000 in March 2001 and $100,000 in March 2002 "for the purpose of building a lobbying presence in Washington." The tribe eventually scored face-to-face time with Norton and her top deputy, Steven Griles, on Sept. 24, 2001 at a private fundraising dinner arranged by CREA. Tribal chairman Lovelin Poncho and Abramoff sat at Norton's table while tribal attorney Kathy Van Hoof sat with Griles, Fairchild said. The Coushattas weren't alone in donating to CREA. Federal investigators have tracked more than a quarter-million dollars in tribal money to the group, including donations from the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Michigan and the Tiguas of Texas. At the time, Abramoff's tribal clients were trying to get Interior to reject efforts by rival tribes to get into the casino business. Interior rejected or delayed some of the rivals' bids for extended period of times, although they were recently approved. Interior spokesman Dan DuBray confirmed that Norton met with the tribal leaders at the CREA dinner, but said he could not comment about any conversations because the matter is under investigation. Federici attorney Michael Scheininger did not respond to an AP request for comment. The Gun Lake tribe of Pottawatomi, one of the rivals of Abramoff's tribal clients, said Tuesday that it believed Abramoff's lobbying stalled Interior's approval of its casino by at least 14 months. "The more we learn about the allegedly corrupt relationship between Jack Abramoff and a key high-ranking government official, the clearer it becomes that a full investigation should be conducted," said Gun Lake Tribal Chairman D.K. Sprague. Copyright c. 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Indian Sovereignty is strongly defended" --------- Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 08:32:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NCAI PLANTS STAFF" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7172 Indian sovereignty is strongly defended Expert says activism is key to political success TULSA OK Sam Lewin October 31, 2005 Hundreds of people attending the NCAI convention heard a dark tale that concludes with a remarkable case of political resurgence. But, as was stressed several times, the battle is far from over. Panelists spoke at a forum called "Self-Determination: Now and in the Future." "It was only 100 years ago that the government's policy was to destroy Indian language, destroy Indian culture and destroy Indian religion," said Kevin Gover, Professor of Law & Affiliate Professor of the American Indian Studies Program at Arizona State University. Gover, a member of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and a former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, cited a statement made by Felix Cohen, the scholar Gover called the "godfather" of Indian law. Cohen once said: "Tribes are victims of political winds." "That may have been true in 1953," Gover said, "but it's not necessarily true now." Retracing the last 50 years, Gover said that tribes responded to the damage of the termination period by "galvanizing." Within a decade the most powerful man in the country was employing a phrase coined by Native Americans. "President [Lyndon] Johnson was the first president to actually use the term `self determination,'" Gover said. "It's the constant pressure of tribes demanding a place at the table that results in [favorable] legislation." The alternative, he said, would have been the "dissolution and assimilation of the tribes." Gover said that the change in attitude during the 60s and 70s also came about because of the growing civil rights movement, the controversy over fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest and the publicity generated by the American Indian Movement. He said the biggest victory of all was 1988's Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, calling it the "granddaddy" of all - pro-Indian legislation. Gover said the next step is for tribal leaders to realize the power they possess. "In a country where the politics are so divided between the two major parties, Indians can have a disproportionate effect. People are now campaigning for Indian support and they are making us promises. The fact that they are making these promises shows our political power," Gover said. He pointed out that in during Bill Clinton's 1994 reelection campaign, the incumbent visited Montana. Gover believes the only reason Clinton went to the sparsely populated state was to woo Indian voters. He said Clinton is fa from the only case of a successful politician courting Indian voters, citing Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as a more recent example. Other panelists said the government-to-government relationship benefits everyone. "You always hear it said in Oklahoma that we are good neighbors," said Chickasaw Nation Lt. Gov. Jefferson Keel. "Things are literally funded only because of us." The topic of sovereignty strikes a nerve at the NCAI convention. Roger Smith, a councilman on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota isn't old enough to remember the termination period. That doesn't make him any more willing to abandon what those before him struggled to gain. "You get the states and the federal government and they try to impede on tribal sovereignty," Smith told the Native American Times. "I think they think their governments are a little more important than our governments... It's a disgrace." You can reach Sam Lewin at sam@okit.com Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Issues get an airing during NCAI Convention" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 08:34:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN COUNTRY ISSUES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7180 So many things to talk about and so little time Indian Country issues get an airing during NCAI convention TULSA OK Sam Lewin November 1, 2005 With the myriad of issues facing Indian Country, the NCAI used its annual convention to hold a series of "breakout sessions" at the Tulsa Convention Center. Each session focused on another topic of importance. They occurred at the same time, so conventioneers had to choose which ones they wanted to attend. At a session called "Tribal Media Relations: Moving to the Mainstream," Native American Calling host Patty Talahongva, Hopi, is stressing the need for more Indian journalists. "It's about looking at how national stories impact Native people. How do these issues impact our community and our people," she tells the crowded room, recalling that no one in the national media told the story of the tribes affected by Hurricane Katrina. Jacob Moore then talks about the importance of good public relations. In a state like Oklahoma, where a number of tribal officials are reluctant to respond to a media request for comment, and reporters in the state are not always friendly to or understanding of Indian issues, it's a pertinent lesson. Moore, who grew up on the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Arizona, recalls working for the Salt River Pima during the 90s. The tribe was hoping to seek voter approval for a new gaming compact. A full year before the vote, the tribe established a media office. Moore says it was a wise move. The measure passed. "It took us a year to convince the media and the general public," Moore said. "Tribes should be working on promoting stories beneficial to them and being proactive instead of reactive." Echoing Moore's theme, but on a different subject, is Oklahoma City resident Chance Rush. Rush, Hidatsa/Arapaho, has the floor at a session called "Indian Mascots: Tribal and University Perspectives." "The reason we still have the mascot issue is the same as our problems with drugs and alcohol. We are not fighting hard enough and saying how we feel," he says. Across the hall from the mascot meeting is a session called "Maximizing the Power of the Native Vote." Dan McCool, the director of the American West Center at the University of Utah, is telling a mostly empty conference room that there is documented proof that Native Americans were denied the right to vote last election. "The record indicates that there are still problems," he said. "I counted 300 incidents of voting violations. There are still significant problems when it comes to Indians trying to vote." He said another indication that racial attitudes play a role in the political process is that when Natives do turn out to vote in large numbers, there are invariably accusations of ballot box stuffing. A few doors down from where McCool is speaking is a session on the long- running Indian trust case. It's called "Trust Reform and DOI Regulatory Initiative: Charting the Future of Indian Land Management," and is attended by a large crowd, many of them elders. According to organizers of the session: "The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs introduced S. 1439, the Indian Trust Reform Act of 2005, legislation that would settle the 'Cobell' litigation and address trust reform and organization of the Department of Interior - Secondly, the Department of Interior is considering a broad regulatory initiative to revise and replace a significant number of regulations related to trust management." Perhaps proving the point just made a few minutes ago during the Indians and media conference, some at this session indicate they have not heard much about the latest developments. "We are not going to force this settlement on the plaintiffs or on the defendants," Senate Indian Affairs Committee counsel David Mullion reassures them. "We have to reach some sort of consensus." On the second floor of the convention center is the "Violence Against Native Women: Emerging Issues" session. Norena Henry of the U.S Department of Justice is decrying the lack of solid crime statistics for Indian Country. "I have reached out to the [Bureau of Indian Affairs] and we are looking to develop crime figures. This is key and we don't have that information from tribes," Henry says. "That's why I am on the issue. I promise you I won't let it go." Henry is speaking to a small conference room jam packed with 54 people. Only four of them are men. Jolanda Ingram Marshall of the Hupa Tribe in Northern California notices the gender disparity. "That's a problem. We need more of our male leaders to acknowledge that this is a problem in our communities," she tells the Native American Times. But small victories count too, and Marshall proudly notes that the Hupas now have a shelter for women situated on the reservation. Prior to that, victims had to drive almost two hours to the town of Eureka, a community of about 30,000 people that is plagued by high rates of unemployment and drug use. Back downstairs and Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe's ears must be burning. This session is called "Tribal Environmental Protection in Jeopardy" and speaker after speaker blasts the former mayor of Tulsa for inserting into a massive spending bill this year a provision preventing state tribes from adopting their own environmental regulations. The provision essentially meant that a tribe has to get the approval of state officials before installing their own environmental regulations. It directly impacted a court case involving the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma's water quality control program. An Inhofe spokesman has claimed that the law was added to cut down on lawsuits, but Jeannine Hale, Assistant General Counsel for the Cherokee Nation, is having none of it. "I don't think we should give up, we need to have this repealed," Hale tells the fairly well attended session. She is especially angry that Inhofe was able to avoid having a vote on the measure by sneaking it onto another piece of legislation. "This is an abuse of the legislative process. Tribes need to be heard to say this is outrageous. This impedes us from protecting our resources and protecting our people." Time to visit one last session before the scheduled end. In the largest room in the convention center is a session called "The Methamphetamine Invasion of Indian Country." Lynette Willie of the Navajo Nation recalls how a reporter from a major media outlet came to the rez for a story about rampant use of the drug there. The reporter stopped to take pictures of a group of young children. A little girl said her older sister was addicted to meth. The child produced her sibling and the reporter interviewed her. "That shows how prevalent it is. Someone from completely off-reservation can easily encounter it," Willie said. Tom Heffelfinger, a prosecutor from Minnesota, sounds yet another warning. "If you don't know anything about meth I suggest you learn now," he says. " Everything you have heard about meth is true. All of the dangers about cooking meth are true. All the dangers to children that you have heard about are true." Other sessions during the afternoon included homeland security, base realignment and closure, philanthropy in Indian Country and youth education. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Message by Sidney Has No Horses" --------- Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:44:10 -0700 From: "Native American Prisoner Network (NAPN)" Subj: [Fwd:MESSAGE BY SIDNEY HAS NO HORSES] Hi Janet and Gary, This came across on the SD Prisoner Support Group. ==================================================================== MESSAGE BY SIDNEY HAS NO HORSES: OCTOBER 17, 2005 RETYPED TRANSCRIPT OF THE COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS HELD IN EAGLE BUTTE, SOUTH DAKOTA ON OCTOBER 4, 2005, REGULAR OCTOBER SESSION. ROBERT WALTERS: Mr. Chairman, thank you and Council, with us is Sidney Has No Horses. He is a medicine man from Oglala and Mr. Chairman, he has a message that he's going to all the tribes, all the reservations with that came out of a ceremony and I feel it's a good message. I visited with Mr. Has No Horses and so at this time, I'd like to give the floor to him. SIDNEY HAS NO HORSES: Mitakuye Oyasin. All my relatives. I'd like to get in the middle if I could, I really don't like to use the mic (microphone). My name is Sidney Has No Horses. I'm from the Pine Ridge Reservation. You probably know my father--his name was Dawson Has No Horses. He was a yuwipi man, a powerful medicine man. My grandfather's name is Frank Fools Crow. He was also a powerful medicine man. Six months ago, we had a ceremony; in this ceremony, two angels came to me and they talked to me and they told us of the devastation that would happen to the islands and the Indian Ocean. They told us of the earthquakes that would hit Japan. They told us of the earthquakes that will hit South American and then they also told us of the Tsunami that wiped out all the people and they told us of the hurricanes that came to Florida, the one that came to New Orleans and the one that went to Texas. There's one more hurricane coming to wipe out another city. Two weeks ago, we had a ceremony; Sitting Bull came in and he talked to me. Crazy Horse, he talked to me. Chief Big Foot talked to me and they asked me to go to the Seven Council Fires and to the Council People and to warn all of these Fires, within six months. There's going to be a tidal wave that's going to wipe out Los Angeles. Within six months, there 's going to be an eruption in the northwest with the volcanoes. Two eruptions within six months. They say from the eruptions of theses volcanoes, the ash is coming, the Missouri River will be destroyed. They say the water that we drink from the ground is going to be no longer drinkable. These hardships are coming because Gold is bringing this. Whether you believe in Christianity, Native American Church or the traditional way, if you read the Bible, we are going into the fourth seal. There's diseases coming that are going to wipe out our children and like this man said here, meth-methaphetamine on our rez is very bad too. If we don't stop that, it's going to destroy the next generation. Many vegetables are going to be born into our tribes. When I'm done here, I am going to Standing Rock and I am going to stand in front of them, their council and tell them the same thing I am telling you now. This winter is going to be very cold for a long time. Ranchers are going to lose their horses and cows because it is not going to warm up. The price of propane is going to skyrocket and sometimes they are not going to be able to deliver the propane to our families. This food issue is in the Bible, it says one day there will be no food in the store's shelves. If you look at the hurricane, a lot of the stores, there's no food on the shelves. These people lost their homes. They can't drink the water and so I come because of the mighty chiefs that talked to me and because of who I am. They tell me, I need to warn the tribes. Today, I came here without announcement, but to see you all gathered like this, I know God is on my side to see you gathered. The Sisseton-Wahpeton tomorrow will be gathered at 10 o'clock and they will hear what I had to hear. The Flandreau people are going to be waiting for me tomorrow evening. I 'm going up to Fort Yates here, I'm going to talk to them even if it's after hours and so I thank you very much for letting me come in and I'm thankful that I got all of you together at the same time. I offer you all a handshake. My name is Sidney Has No Horses. I'm from Batesland, South Dakota. You might want to write this down. My phone number is 605-288-0097. We incorporated ourselves through the State of South Dakota to let you know that we are serious. Within six months, we are going to be living in a hell of a world and these chiefs have talked to me, and my cousins. If you ever want a ceremony, you get a hold of us and we will bring you a ceremony to let you believe. But the chiefs tell me some of you have good hearts. Some of you have good minds. Some of you have spirituality. You are the people that will take heed on the words I bring and there's a lot of people that didn't believe us when everything we told them has happened and my President, Cecilia Fire Thunder, I talked to her yesterday and she supports because everything I told her would happen to our tribe has happened. The power of God, he knows what he's bringing to us and in three years, as the keepers of Mother Earth, if the Seven Fires do not come together, there's going to be a meteorite that will be coming and it's going to hit off of San Francisco and they told us that the Seven Council Fires, these Seven Fires never have hate and jealousy toward each other. I've been trying to get the medicine men of Oglala to be in unity, but they can't and now God asked me to come and get all the Tribal Councils together, and all the tribes together. That's a very hard job that he's giving me. I'm very nervous as I stand here in front of you, but I tried to look you all in the eye to let you know that I'm for real and so at this time, these are food for thought, things you can think about in the next six month and this little time you have given me. I thank you. Now I'm going to Standing Rock. I will be going to every reservation. Maybe the tribal members will get together and at least the tribal presidents will have a ceremony for all you to hear and believe in God. All my relatives. Mitakuye Oyasin. You have my phone number and so if any questions please contact me. RETYPED TRANSCRIPT OF THE COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS HELD IN EAGLE BUTTE, SOUTH DAKOTA ON OCTOBER 4, 2005, REGULAR OCTOBER SESSION. --------- "RE: Jourdain: Listen to Youth before it is too late" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:45:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FLOYD JOURDAIN WARNS LEADERS WE MUST LISTEN TO OUR YOUTH" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7184 Red Lake Chairman: Listen to our youth before it is too late Jourdain says school massacre "devastated" community TULSA OK Sam Lewin November 2, 2005 The man that saw the greatest tragedy of any tribal leader this year happen on his reservation told the NCAI convention that the Indian community desperately needs to listen to their youth before it is too late. On March 21 on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, 16-year-old Jeff Weise killed a security guard, a teacher and five students at the high school before killing himself. Weise also gunned down his grandfather and his grandfather's companion earlier at their home. "That devastated our community and brought into focus just how important it is to reach out to our young people," said Red Lake tribal chairman Floyd Jourdain. The day before Jourdain spoke, officials at the Red Lake School District restricted the movement of students there based on what Superintendent Stuart Desjarlait later called "rumors." He did not elaborate. The move reflected the unease that still exists on the reservation since Weise's killing spree. The only person ever charged in the case is Jourdain's son, Louis. The elder Jourdain did not mention his son during the NCAI address, but in the past said he believes he is innocent. Louis Jourdain, 17, is will be tried as a juvenile in federal court. The chairman took tribal leaders to task, saying that concerns over gaming and "appropriations" led them to ignore cries for help from their own backyard. "Young people, they need someone to talk to, they need someone to be there for them. Our tribal leaders need to be there for them," Jourdain said. He played a video that highlighted the "Honor the Youth" spiritual run, a Minnesota celebration that took place in October. The event was sponsored by the Native Crisis Hotline, which reports that Native youngsters between the ages of 15-24 have a 3.3 times higher suicide rate than the national average. The video featured 15-year-old Red Lake resident Justin Richards speaking about the school massacre. "Parents should pay attention to their kids so this doesn't happen again," the teen says. The Native Crisis Hotline number is 651-251-1601. Officials say that since its inception in August, the hotline has taken calls from youngsters in the U.S. and Canada and recently expanded to hire more staffers and counselors. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Indian Legal Eagle weighs in on Alito" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 08:34:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONE VIEW OF ALITO" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7177 Indian legal eagle weighs in on Alito Sole case is encouraging TULSA OK Native American Times November 1, 2005 Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito has a minuscule record when it comes to Indian issues, but what is there is encouraging, says an NCAI official. "We were only able to find one decision," NCAI attorney John Dossett told the Native American Times. Alito serves on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. A couple of years ago the court heard the case of Dennis Blackhawk, a man brought up in a traditional Oglala Lakota home. Blackhawk said elders in his tribe told him to keep several black bears so "that he would derive spiritual power from the animals," Alito wrote. Problem is, Pennsylvania officials tried force Blackhawk to obtain an exotic wildlife dealer permit. Blackhawk sued, saying that violated his right to religious expression. The court agreed, with Alito writing the majority opinion. "Lakota Indians believe that black bears protect the Earth, sanctify religious ceremonies, and imbue worshippers with spiritual strength," Alito wrote. "...In 1994, Blackhawk purchased two black bear female cubs, a male and female named Timber and Tundra. He moved to Pennsylvania in 1995 and began conducting religious ceremonies with the bears on his property. Members of various American Indian tribes visit Blackhawk from across the country to participate in these rituals. Due to Blackhawk's stewardship of the bears and his role in these ceremonies, some consider him to be a holy man." "It's not a sovereignty issue - it's on religious freedom - but it's a good one," said Dossett. There is still much to learn about the nominee and John Echohawk of the Native American Rights Fund says his organization is currently doing research to provide further answers. Dossett said finding more Indian - related information on Alito would likely be difficult because the 3rd Circuit Court administers an area where there are very few Native American communities. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Tax Program honored for help at Grassroots Level" --------- Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 18:43:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO SALES TAX" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thenavajotimes.com/ Tax program honored for help at grassroots level By Jason Begay Navajo Times November 3, 2005 WINDOW ROCK - The Navajo Nation's tax program - specifically its disbursement of revenue directly to local chapter houses - has been recognized as a unique and inclusive governmental program in a national awards program. The tax program was recognized as one of 14 finalists in the "Honoring Contributions in the Governance of American Indian Nations" awards, given by the Harvard University Project on American Indian Economic Development. The awards, which were announced Tuesday, gave the tax commission an "Honors" designation and a $2,000 award. "I haven't seen specifically a sales tax initiative (in Indian country), specifically one that has been implemented and collected," said Amy Besaw, director of the tribal governance program, which oversees the project. "I've heard tribes talk about it, but it's really a complicated matter." Many tribes tax gasoline or tobacco, but most do not have a sales tax, particularly a sale tax with revenue that is expressly spent on local public services, Besaw said. "We were really looking to local government to (provide services)," said Mark Graham, director of the tax commission office. "That's why this tax was enacted. "It was a very fast review and approval," he said of the 2001 sales tax law, which passed the Navajo Nation Council in one week. "But I think that was because the money was going back to the chapters." Graham said he couldn't recall seeing any previous tribal law pass so quickly. The tax took effect in April 2002, charging three percent on all goods and services purchased on the reservation. The tribal governance awards specifically recognized the use of tax revenue, a significant portion of which is directed back to chapter houses, to serve the populations where the money was originally generated. Prior to the 2001 plan, the tribe did have a primitive tax program, called a business activity tax, on Navajo goods and services that were produced within the reservation boundaries - primarily coal and construction services, Graham said. But items shipped from outside, for instance food moving from Phoenix warehouses to local grocery stores, couldn't be taxed. The sales tax generates about $15 million a year. The revenue is separated into two groups: tax money collected from retail sales, usually from sales based in retail and grocery stores, and tax money collected from services, like construction and attorney services. Of the total take, about $4.5 million comes from retail sales. "There is not a lot of retail on the reservation," Graham said. "There are no Wal-Marts, or Home Depots. A lot of it is on the non-retail side." This portion is allocated to the 110 chapters. Graham said the money was originally intended to boost economic development - including road construction and maintenance, infrastructure and utilities - but was altered in the legislative phase. "Not all 110 chapters have the same economic development opportunities," Graham said. Instead, chapter houses are directed to use the money primarily as they see fit, as long as it furthers services directed to the community. Most chapters use the money to fund programs they already offer. Some have started new programs, such as a trash disposal and transfer station, Graham said. "This is really great stuff," Besaw said. "Tax itself isn't something that people really latch on to. But when they see their tax dollars being used in such meaningful ways it's easier to see taxation as a way to benefit the community as a whole." The remainder of the sales tax revenue, which is collected from non- retail services, is deposited into the tribe's general fund. For now, Graham said he doesn't see any increase in the sales tax rate in the near future. However, some council delegates have mentioned the idea. Graham said the tribe must keep in mind that there is a breaking point in taxation, a point where Navajo buyers would actively avoid shopping on Navajoland to keep from paying a tax they felt was too punitive. Currently, the Navajo sales tax is less than half that of Gallup. The tribal governance program is scheduled to select a list of honorees Tuesday in Tulsa, Okla. Those programs that receive high honors will receive $10,000 each, to be used primarily to share their success stories with other tribal governments. "We're hoping these successful programs repeat themselves," Besaw said. Copyright c. 2005 Navajo Times Publishing Company Incorporated. --------- "RE: Navajo Elders Hostages to Budget Cuts" --------- Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 18:43:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BUDGET CUTS CUTTING ELDERS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thenavajotimes.com/ Hostages to budget cuts Budget pinch hurts senior centers in small communities where more than hot meals are provided for elderly Photo By: Leigh T. Jimmie By Marley Shebala Navajo Times November 3, 2005 ROUGH ROCK, Ariz. - Leonard Honie Sr. wonders if President Joe Shirley Jr. or Vice President Frank Dayish Jr. or the Navajo Nation Council would deliver hot food to his home. "Or do we have to go all the way to Window Rock for a cup of coffee or for them to feed us?" Honie asked as he looked around the nine-month-old Rough Rock Senior Citizens Center. Honie, 69, is worried that budget cuts, which have slashed staff hours, may soon leave the center with no way to continue providing services to the area's elderly. "If they close this center, what happens to us?" he asked. The center's van driver has already resigned, forced to seek another job when his hours were cut by nearly 25 percent, and Honie fears other key employees may be next. Since the van driver quit, the center's supervisor and cook's aide, who is paid under a state program, have been taking turns delivering meals to elders. "Some elders could get physically sick from just thinking about what could happen if the supervisor and cook resign," Honie said angrily. "They (tribal leaders) don't care." The Rough Rock center, like a majority of the Navajo Reservation's 91 senior centers, saw staff hours reduced to 64 hours per pay period - barely more than 3/4 time - when the new budget took effect Oct. 1. The Rough Rock staff already was operating on shorter hours, getting paid for only 72 hours per two-week period compared with the normal 80 hours for full-time positions, when Shirley signed the fiscal 2006 budget Oct. 4. The cuts affect centers serving small communities. Employees at large centers are still receiving full pay. La Verne Wyaco, Navajo Area Agency on Aging director, confirmed Tuesday that the newest cuts are not the first that senior center employees have endured. Wyaco said the first reduction in staff hours took place last year. More cutbacks likely And she said if the number of senior citizens registered with the centers doesn't increase in 2006, there probably would be additional cutbacks. The recommendation to reduce staff hours came in a June 2004 performance audit by the Navajo Nation's auditor general's office. Shirley and Anselm Roanhorse, director of the Division of Health, sought the review after noticing that the senior centers were seeking supplemental funding to maintain staff levels every year. All tribal programs are under pressure to cut costs because revenues are declining. For the aging program, that has shifted the focus onto staffing levels at the senior centers, its biggest program cost. The audit suggested four options and estimated the potential cost savings for each: * Consolidate services for several communities into one center. Personnel cost savings would be $1.4 million. * Expand supervisor duties so that one person oversees two centers, would save $1.2 million. * Reduce operating hours for small centers, would save $830,000. * Reduce work hours for cook and driver at small centers, would save $490,000. The recommendations were based on visits to 25 of the 91 centers, where auditors said the primary service provided is meals, either home-delivered or served to clients at the center. The report also noted that annual budget requests were based not on the number of meals provided, but on the prior year's budget. For instance, the Fort Defiance senior center provided an average of 67 meals per day while tiny Burnham, N.M., averaged 10 meals a day, yet the budgets and staffing levels at both centers were equal. "Overall, the NAAA needs to reassess its current approach for budgeting program resources. They need to focus on service levels in determining how available resources are allocated," the audit said. "Specifically for the senior centers, the NAAA can no longer apply the `cookie cutter' approach for personnel wherein each center has the same number of staff members working full-time," the audit says. More than meals In Rough Rock, the numbers stack up differently. The senior center provides much more than just meals to Navajo elderly, and job titles do not reflect how important the daily contact is for elders whose families may be far away, staff members said. Bobby Begay, Rough Rock center supervisor, said it's not unusual for elders receiving home-delivered meals to ask the driver to bring in water and wood, chop wood, start a fire, clean, or just visit with them. Paulene Bahe, Rough Rock's representative on the Navajo Council on Aging, recalled that last summer, workers delivering a meal found the client, an elderly man, lying on the ground between his home and outhouse. The man's wheelchair had toppled over and he had been there for hours. By the time staff members found him, he was suffering from dehydration, bruises and exposure and required hospitalization. Cook's aide Agnes Benally, one of the two workers who found the man that day, said the center workers don't just drop off meals, like a pizza delivery service. "The staff checks on the elders," she said. "If they leave, I don't know what we'll do." The Rough Rock center is now blessed with a devoted supervisor, workers said, and the community would suffer if the reduced hours force him to find work elsewhere. Begay found the money to finish and open the center, and located tables and chairs to furnish it, they said. Begay also got Window Rock to fund services and equipment, including a computer and sewing machine, arts and crafts activities, a sewing circle, weaving and bingo. "The elders love bingo," smiled Brenda Teller, the center cook. Her smile quickly disappeared as she added, "I would hate to see him go." Teller sighed and wondered aloud why her tribal leaders can't see the work she and her colleagues provide for the elders. Teller, a graduate of a culinary school in Albuquerque, said even her children help out. They decorated the center with Halloween art and helped Begay carve pumpkins that he bought with his own money, she said. Evelyn Anderson, an administrative assistant for the Rough Rock Community School, said the Navajo government should be looking at ways to increase funding for more staff and transportation instead of cutting back employee and center hours. Anderson, who regularly joins other elders for center meals, said the leaders, for whatever reason, don't seem to understand that more is at stake than hot meals. If a center has two vans, for instance, it can bring elders to the center for meals. This provides an incentive for people to get dressed, move around and stay alert, she explained. To stay healthy, elders need such activity, Anderson said. Few people realize how many older Navajo spend their days alone, their children and grandchildren away at jobs or school, or even living off the reservation, she added. The tribe's policy is to enable elders to remain in their homes, where most prefer to live, and the senior centers are an important link in the services that make this possible, the officials said. These services include adult in-home care, Dine' elder protection, elderly home care, and foster grandparents, in addition to the senior citizen centers. "Our mission is to keep the elders at home," Wyaco said. Copyright c. 2005 Navajo Times Publishing Company Incorporated. --------- "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: Navajo President in San Francisco Peaks Trial" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 08:32:57 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TESTIMONY BY JOE SHIRLEY JR." http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com//20051103/NEWS01/511030302/1001 Navajo president testifies in San Francisco Peaks trial By Ryan Hall The Daily Times November 3, 2005 FARMINGTON - Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. testified Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Prescott, Ariz., saying that he opposes the proposed use of reclaimed water to make artificial snow on a mountain the Navajo people hold sacred. Shirley was a witness for the plaintiffs in a case pitting the Navajo Nation and several other tribes against the U.S. Forestry Service. At issue is whether the department's decision to allow the expansion of the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort, and the use of reclaimed water to make artificial snow, is a violation of the Religious Freedom Act. The resort sits on the San Francisco Peaks, which is one of the four Sacred Mountains and known to the Dine' people as Dook'o'osliid. At least 13 other tribes consider the peaks, which are near Flagstaff, to be sacred. According to the final record of decision issued by Nora Rasure, the forest supervisor for Coconino National Forest, the tribes were consulted as to the impact of various improvement plans that were considered. "I made it a priority to meet and consult with interested tribal leaders and representatives," Rasure wrote in the 40-page decision, noting there was opposition from 13 tribes, including the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni. J.R. Murray, listed on the Snowbowl Web site as the media contact for the resort, did not return calls seeking comment. Shirley said in a phone interview with The Daily Times that he believed his testimony went well, but added he was limited by the structure and regulations of the court. One of his main concerns, Shirley said, was that any time he cited information he had received from elders or medicine men, the defense objected. "They called that hearsay," he stated. Another concern was that Shirley and other Navajo witnesses testified in English, even though most values, including the importance of the Sacred Mountains, are traditionally discussed and taught in Navajo. "It's very hard, (but) we do the best we can," Shirley said, noting the presence of Navajo Nation Council delegates, elders, chapter officials and other Navajos helped get him through the testimony. "It really does (help). I draw straight from my people. I got a lot of energy from them. I got a lot of heart," Shirley stated. According to the final record of decision in the Environmental Impact Study, if the expansion moves forward, the resort will continue to support the neighboring tribes' beliefs. A 2,500-square-foot Native American cultural and education center, which according to the document would only take place with tribal collaboration, is part of the proposal. Additionally, trees cleared for ski runs were given to the tribe for construction. While the expansion is at issue, Shirley said he was most concerned with what he felt was a desecration of the mountain by using reclaimed waste water. "The Bible is what makes a Christian; the mountain is what makes a Navajo. The mountain is very much alive. It's our essence, our strength, our home," Shirley said. "I don't think any Christian wants the Bible spat upon or strewn apart. (This is) no different." Rasure acknowledged in the final record of decision that the tribes typically oppose any action on the Dook'o'osliid that affects the mountain itself. "Projects that provide for the conservation of the mountain and its natural resources are generally more tolerable. However, projects that disturb the earth or otherwise disrupt the mountain are consistently not supported by the tribes," Rasure wrote. "At the beginning of this project, we thought the tribes would oppose any improvements at the Snowbowl due to cultural concerns." Shirley said the Navajo oppose the expansion of the ski resort and the use of reclaimed sewage water because Dook'o'osliid is seen as a creator. "It's just like having your mother violated and raped while you're watching on," Shirley said of the use of reclaimed waste water on the peaks. "Essentially, that's what's going on, my mother's being violated and I'm watching on. It affects my mind." Raquel Poturalski, public affairs officer for Coconino National Forest, said given the strong feelings expressed by Shirley and other tribal leaders, Forestry Services was not surprised to be in court over the proposal. "It's not terribly surprising. It's been a very controversial project all along," she said. The trial, which began Oct. 10, is slated to continue today in Prescott. The San Francisco Peaks, near Flagstaff, Ariz., are known to the Dine' people as Dook'o'osliid. The range is one of the four Sacred Mountains and is considered sacred by 13 other tribes. Copyright c. 2005 Farmington Daily Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper. --------- "RE: Oklahoma Leaders say State Relations improving" --------- Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:43:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OKLAHOMA/TRIBES WORKING TOGETHER MORE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://newsok.com/article/1658275/ State, Indian tribes bolster partnership By Judy Gibbs Robinson The Oklahoman October 31, 2005 Oklahoma became a state at the expense of American Indian tribes living here, but as the centennial approaches, the victor-vanquished relationship of the past is evolving into a partnership. Today, tribes are Oklahoma's fourth-largest employer and bring in millions of dollars in federal aid and share proceeds from their gambling and smokeshop operations with the state. Oklahoma car tags brag that this is "Native America," as do state tourism promotions. The largest single-theme gallery in the new Oklahoma History Center tells the story of Oklahoma's 39 federally recognized tribes. And a $143 million American Indian Cultural Center is going up in Oklahoma City with the help of a state bond issue. "Things are getting better. Things are improving," said Jefferson Keel, lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation. "It has to be a partnership, and I believe state leaders are becoming more and more willing to work with the tribes to achieve common goals." The relationship between the state and 39 tribal governments was cooler 13 years ago, when Barbara Warner became director of the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission. Indians had few friends in the Oklahoma Legislature and didn't seem to care. "They didn't view the state legislative process as anything important or threatening," she said. "But there were pieces of legislation that could impact the tribes -- maybe not harm them in the greatest way but certainly could impact them." Tax issues were the major cause of friction in the early 1990s as state officials tried to recoup lost revenue from tribal sales of cigarettes and gasoline in the face of court rulings that states could not tax tribes. The state proposed various remedies, then invited the tribes to negotiate compacts requiring them to collect taxes and receive reimbursements or pay a percentage of sales to the state in lieu of taxes. Neither side was thrilled with the agreements, Warner said. The tobacco compacts, which came first, were "met with huge resistance by the tribes," Warner said. But eventually, most tribes saw them as necessary and signed. "I think there were a lot of people on the state side who said 'It's not fair. It's not enough.' But it's so hard to determine what is anybody's fair share and negotiate it. In the long run, this was the best deal for both sides at that time," she said. The compacting process woke the tribes to the need to work with the state just as they did with the federal government, Warner said. Meanwhile, many Oklahoma tribes were starting to prosper by opening casinos and later diversifying into other businesses. With money came clout. "He who has the gold has the power," Warner said. "There's some truth to that." "I do think maybe it brings more influence," said Keel, whose Chickasaw Nation earns millions each year from gaming, construction, personnel services and other businesses. "I think state leaders recognize the tribes do have a lot to offer." In September, the Legislature held a hearing to look for ways to further improve state-tribal relations. "If we are all willing to work together, I believe that when issues and opportunities arise with a tribe in any part of the state, we are now in a better position to make things happen," said Rep. Lisa Johnson Billy, R- Purcell, who presided with Rep. Susan Winchester, R-Chickasha. "We can say 'Let's contact the Chickasaw Nation. Let's contact the Miami Nation. Let's contact the Quapaw Nation and see how they can help us and how we can help them,'" Billy said. That kind of dialogue was unheard of in 1989 when Oklahomans celebrated the 100th anniversary of the land run that opened much of what had been Indian Territory to non-Indian settlement, said Jerry Tahsequah of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce. While a parade wound through one part of Oklahoma City, about 500 Indians participated in a protest walk, reminding the state that what the settlers gained during the land run came at Indian expense. Today Indians have the ear of the state Education Department, promoting a broader view of key events in Oklahoma history, Tahsequah said. "Everything is not perfect," Tahsequah said. "But the door is open between both sides. We're now at the table." Copyright c. 2005 The Oklahoman/News 9, Produced by NewsOK.com. --------- "RE: Indian Leaders hear complaints about Legislation" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:45:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANTI-SOVEREIGNTY RIDER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsok.com/xml/rss/1661978/ Indian leaders hear complaints about legislation By Anthony Thornton The Oklahoman November 2, 2005 TULSA - A "midnight rider" placed on a transportation bill makes Oklahoma Indian tribes subservient to the state on environmental matters, tribal leaders from throughout the country were told Tuesday. "This is the most scary, direct, take-the-gloves-off-and-go-for-the- jugular attack on tribal sovereignty I have ever seen," said Lee Price, attorney for the Pawnee Nation. Price was referring to a last-minute amendment that U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, placed on the Transportation Reauthorization Bill in August. The rider was attached after the House and Senate had agreed on the bill's final version. It came several months after the Environmental Protection Agency had recognized the Pawnee Tribe's application to administer certain environmental programs on trust land. Essentially, the rider says a tribe can't receive "treatment as state" status unless Oklahoma officials consent. "It allows the state to essentially set the environmental regulations for Indian land," said Jeannine Hale, assistant general counsel for the Cherokee Nation. "I can't tell you how dangerous I think that is if we let it go" without a fight, Hale said. It was one of several discussion sessions Tuesday at the National Congress of American Indians' annual convention. The event continues through Friday at the Tulsa Convention Center. A resolution seeking repeal of Inhofe's rider is scheduled for a Friday vote. Passage would carry no legal clout, but it would symbolize unity among several hundred tribes. "If they can do this in Oklahoma, they can do this anyplace," said Jim Sappier, chief of the Penobscot Indians in Maine and president of the National Tribal Environmental Council, which represents 183 tribes. Osage Nation Chief Jim Gray said Gov. Brad Henry assured him that his office knew nothing about the legislation and didn't request it. The rider also bypassed the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which several speakers said would have been the proper place for the amendment to be heard. "The only people who knew about it were Senator Inhofe and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association," said Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Another tribal leader defended Inhofe, saying he is the only member of Oklahoma's congressional delegation seeking solutions to the Tar Creek mess. Tar Creek in northeast Oklahoma is the nation's largest Superfund site. "He's the only person who has helped us," said John Berrey, chairman of the Quapaw Tribe in far northeast Oklahoma. Price said he doesn't foresee Inhofe's rider being rescinded "until we can effect a major change in the point of view of the non-Indian world." Some state and federal officials fear regulatory chaos if tribes are allowed to set air and water standards for their trust land. With almost 40 recognized tribes in Oklahoma, the result could be a patchwork system, state Environment Secretary Miles Tolbert has argued. Price said tribes must convince state and federal officials that they want to work together to develop similar, if not uniform, regulatory standards. Copyright c. 2005 The Oklahoman/News 9, Produced by NewsOK.com. --------- "RE: Indian Numbers swell" --------- Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:43:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN BIRTH RATES" http://www.greatfallstribune.com//20051031/NEWS01/510310301/1002 Indian numbers swell By JARED MILLER Tribune Regional Reporter October 31, 2005 ROCKY BOY'S RESERVATION - Glenda Eagleman, a 32-year-old mother of three at Rocky Boy's Reservation, has never even considered using birth control. The idea of putting a chemical contraceptive like the pill into her system leaves her cold. She also believes it's the duty of Native American women to rebuild Indian populations that were sharply reduced by contact with Anglo- Americans. "It's not up to you whether a child is going to be born or not," said Eagleman, who had her first child at age 19, and adds that she neither encourages nor frowns upon teen pregnancy. Montana's American Indian population is expected to double in the next 25 years, and an explosive birth rate is driving that growth. The tide of expatriates returning to the state's seven reservations also is a factor. The growth is in sharp contrast to much of Montana, where an ongoing population drain is taking a toll on rural communities and economies. Indian populations are notoriously difficult to count, so no one knows precisely how many people live on the Rocky Boy's Reservation, about 90 miles northeast of Great Falls. Census-takers estimated the reservation population at 2,676 in 2000, the time of the last official count. That's a 38 percent jump from the previous official count in 1990. And it makes this one of the fastest-growing reservations in the West. But tribal officials say the count is almost certainly low. Tribal members in public housing are often loath to "self report" the actual number of people under one roof - 25 to 30 is common across Indian Country - for fear of violating occupancy requirements and losing their homes. A private study commissioned by the Chippewa-Cree Business Committee pegs the actual population at about 4,200. That would mean a 54 percent increase from census figures from a decade ago, and a current growth rate of about 3.9 percent a year. Even those figures could be conservative since the birth rate alone accounts for at least 100 babies born in each of the last five years, tribal health board records show. And that doesn't include some babies born off the reservation. "We're growing at over 100 people a year," said Bob Swan of RJS & Associates, a Rocky Boy-based consulting firm that authored the independent study. Birth rate drives growth Reservation women in Montana are having babies at a rate that doubles the state average. The birth rate at Rocky Boy's Reservation is about 29 babies born per 1, 000 residents, according to Rocky Boy's Health Board figures. That's on par with birth rates in much of the Third World. By comparison, the birth rate for Montana as a whole is about 12 per 1, 000 residents. Reservation populations also tend to be younger than the rest of the state, which means more babies and fewer deaths. Reservation teens are contributing to the high birth rates by having sex earlier, more frequently and with more partners than their off-reservation counterparts, according to 2005 survey of high school students. Reservation teens also are less likely to use birth control than their non-reservation peers, the survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Montana Office of Public Instruction found. Nearly 70 percent of reservation high school students reported ever having had sex, compared with 44 percent of all Montana high schoolers. Just 10 percent of the sexually active reservation students reported using birth control pills. Non-reservation students reported using birth control pills nearly 24 percent of the time. The high teen birth rate is evident at Rocky Boy High School, where 10 percent of the female students are mothers. Six moms graduated from the school last year, according to the school. "The Native American students from the reservations tend to be at higher risk than other Montana students for sexual behaviors that result in unintended pregnancies and (sexually transmitted diseases)," said Susan Court, project manager for the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Montana. Going against nature Several factors contribute to a high rate of sexual activity among reservation youth, according to tribal leaders and school counselors. It's more socially acceptable to have a baby at a young age on the reservation, said Swan, who for years has been tracking vital statistics for the tribe as a grant writer. "They aren't encouraged, but they aren't ostracized, so the teen pregnancy rate is extremely high," Swan said. Tribal elders also tend to see children as a traditional form of wealth and may do little to discourage teen pregnancy, Swan said. Some families discourage contraception because they believe it conflicts with traditional Native American values or with Roman Catholic teachings, said Zella Nault, a counselor at Rocky Boy High School. "A lot of the older people don't believe in birth control because it goes against nature," Nault said. Seeing new faces Tribes have no way to track how many people are moving back to the reservations, but the numbers are high, many reservations officials and residents agree. "I've lived here pretty much all my life, and (there are) a lot of (people) I haven't seen before," said Richard Sangrey, chief of staff for the Chippewa-Cree Tribe. Some are drawn to the reservations for low-rent housing, free health care, jobs, low-cost college and extended welfare benefits. They also return to be closer to family. Rachel Baker, a 33-year-old Chippewa-Cree, said she returned to the reservation to raise her children in the native culture. So after earning a master's degree in social work from Walla Walla College in Washington State, she loaded her kids into a moving van and headed for home in March. "The main thing is I was coming back to use my education to empower my people," said Baker, who helps addicts and alcoholics get back on their feet as a chemical dependency counselor at the White Sky Hope Center. Bakerwas overjoyed last summer when a distant relative took her son 7- year-old son, Chazman, under his wing at a tribal religious ceremony. Chazman now pays the man respect by calling him "Uncle" when he sees him. Baker believes it's proof that moving home was the right decision. Stemming the tide Meanwhile, Montana's rural population has been dwindling since the 1920s. The chief culprits are drought, fewer jobs in agriculture and federal policy that pays landowners to takes vast swaths of farmland out of production. About a dozen northcentral Montana counties lost numbers in the last five years. The hardest hit were those that lack a substantial Native American population. The loss continues to force rural businesses and schools to shut their doors. More than 90 Montana schools districts have consolidated in the last decade because of falling student numbers. Standing like a rock against the outgoing tide is Montana reservations. Despite high unemployment rates and the grinding poverty that accompanies the joblessness, many Indian people simply won't leave the reservations. That's because Native Americans have a special cultural and spiritual tie to the land, said Raymond "Abby" Ogle, economic development/planning director for Montana's Fort Peck tribes. "That's how it is in the world," Ogle said. "People stay where they think is their homeland." The growth trend at Rocky Boy's Reservation is similar to other Montana reservations and to the national trend. The reasons for the increase are probably the same across Indian Country, said Dr. Janine Pease, vice president of Native American Studies at Rocky Mountain College in Billings. "What's happening in Montana is almost exactly the percentages that are happening nationally," Pease said. Gaining speed The population swell on Montana reservations shows no sign of slowing. The increase at Rocky Boy's Reservation might even accelerate if tribal leaders succeed in their quest to create jobs, officials said. Tribal Chairman John "Chance" Houle made economic development his top priority after winning election in November 2004. The tribal council soon drafted plans, and secured funding, for a 15,000-square-foot casino. The Council also hopes to build an $80 million ethanol refinery. If successful, the ventures would create hundreds of short- and long- term jobs, and possible another magnate for those who wish to return to the reservation. One of Rachel Baker's cousins, a casino worker in Tacoma, Wash., can't wait to apply for a job at the new reservation casino so she can move home. Baker said she has several other relatives, including a sister in Spokane, who also would return to the reservation if they had a chance of finding work. Reach Tribune Regional Reporter Jared Miller at (406) 791-6573, (800) 438-6600 or at jarmillegreatfal.gannett.com. Copyright c. 1999 The Great Falls Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Native Americans are rethinking Diabetes" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:45:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DIABETES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/health/news/articles/1101diabetes1101.html Native Americans are rethinking diabetes Native Americans look to new attitude, diet for at-risk kids Mary Beth Faller The Arizona Republic November 1, 2005 Audrey Hendricks wants to give her kids a chance to avoid diabetes, a disease that afflicts many Native Americans, including herself. "I wanted my kids to understand why it's necessary for them to be active and to eat better," says Hendricks, who sent her kids to diabetes education camp last summer and has changed the family's lifestyle. Native Americans are quite aware that they're more at risk for diabetes, but many feel it's inevitable and do nothing to stop it, say health educators who are targeting kids to change this thinking. advertisement The paternal side of the Hendricks family also has a history of the disease. "All of them have it," Audrey Hendricks says, although her husband hasn't been checked. "He's in denial." "They've watched one or two generations become ill and there's a fear," says Ivy Radcliffe, an advanced practice nurse and diabetes educator at the Native American Community Health Center in Phoenix. "There's an attitude that 'We can't stop it, this is how it's going to be.' But it's something that can be overcome." Native Americans who live in the city face the same health challenges as everyone else there: an abundance of unhealthful food choices and few opportunities for exercise. Those factors combined with their already high risk of diabetes have fueled an epidemic of the disease among the Native American population. They are more than 2.2 times as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic Whites of a similar age, according to the American Diabetes Association, and they are also more likely to suffer from complications such as kidney disease and limb amputations. In some tribes, including the Pimas, the rate of diabetes among adults is more than 50 percent. Nobody knows exactly why Native Americans are more likely to have Type 2 diabetes - the more common form - than people of other ethnicities. Diabetes risk factors include being overweight and having a family history of the disease - both factors prevalent among Native Americans - and researchers also think that exposure to diabetes in utero, as well as genetics, may be factors. Next generation Much of the community health center's focus is on educating young people. The center has run a summer camp for a few years that educates kids ages 10 to 16 on how to avoid diabetes through good eating habits and exercise. The kids are weighed and have their blood sugar levels taken at the start of the camp. Radcliffe says that in the general population, about a quarter of kids are overweight. Among the camp kids, about three-quarters weighed too much, she says. "We've found patients this way that we otherwise would miss," says Vafa Matin, a physician at the center. "And if they're not diabetic, you can educate them and turn back the clock." One of the most important aspects of the camp is that it brings Native American kids together and imparts the message of healthy living in a culturally sensitive way. "We try to instill pride in them about being Native American," says Cheryle Litzin, the health education program manager who runs the camp. "Living in the city, a lot of kids don't have that reinforcement." The campers learn how to make hoops and then do hoop dances. "They can see that hoop dancing is a good physical activity," she says. Radcliffe says she works with the "medicine wheel" model - meaning that all changes must be considered in the context of the physical, emotional and spiritual self. "You can't just say, 'Eat this.' " What's important is that the young people take the messages home so the whole family changes its lifestyle. Changing habits Kaira Sales sent her two children, Sara Rainbolt, 15, and Craig Rainbolt, 13, to the camp last summer. "My daughter came back, and when I cooked dinner she said, 'Mom there's a lot of protein in this meal,' and I was like 'Whoa, OK.' I was impressed." Sales is Navajo, but her kids are Gila River Pimas. "If you're Pima, you're definitely going to get diabetes, and that was my biggest thing. I didn't want them to get it. "Now there's always fresh fruit, apples, oranges, bananas, in the house. They're not too keen on the fresh vegetables yet, but I make squash and zucchini." One message that's hammered into the kids: avoid sweetened drinks. "It's my mantra - no more sugar drinks," says Radcliffe. This includes not only soda but also sports drinks and high-energy drinks. "Some of those drinks have nine to 16 teaspoons of sugar in them. We put that much sugar in a paper cup and show it to them and say, 'Are you really going to put that much sugar down your throat?' " That message hit home with the Hendricks family. "We used to drink Kool- Aid and soda but now everything is Crystal Light," a sugar-free mix, says Audrey Hendricks, who sent her three kids to the camp. "And portion control has become an issue, too." Hendricks, 36, battled borderline diabetes for two years before being diagnosed with the disease last summer. Now her sons, Jordan, 15, and Ty, 14, are involved in football and basketball at school and have lost weight. Hendricks and her daughter, Cincy, 11, walk in the evenings. "First it was a half-mile, then a mile and now it's two." The Native American Community Health Center holds reunions for the campers every few months to recheck their weight and blood sugar levels and reinforce what they've learned. "The camp experience can make a change," Radcliffe says. "I think we can teach the skills to make good decisions." Reach the Native American Community Health Center at (602) 279-5262 or visit www.nachci.com. Reach the reporter at marybeth.faller@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8167. Copyright c. 2005, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Opinion: A Thought for Interior" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:45:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="THANKS TO CONGRESS" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/03/opinion/03thur2.html Opinion: A Thought for Interior November 3, 2005 We would like to note, with pleasure, some Congressional common sense - bipartisan common sense - on the misguided draft of a new management policy for the national parks. Last week, six Republican senators told Interior Secretary Gale Norton that they were unhappy with the way the proposed changes de-emphasized the fundamental goal of preserving the parks. And on Tuesday, the Senate's national parks subcommittee heard balanced testimony about the changes the Interior Department is planning. The Bush administration's arguments for revising the management policy left some committee members skeptical. "Frankly," said Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat, "we don't understand what the true motivation was." But the motivation isn't all that hard to find, especially when you consider that one of the four witnesses was William Horn, a former assistant secretary at the Interior Department for fish, wildlife and parks in the Reagan era. Mr. Horn is also a lead attorney for the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, and his name often crops up when there is an attempt to force open public lands for motorized access. He was there, ostensibly, to interpret the Organic Act of 1916 - the founding legislation for the National Park Service - and show that "enjoyment" had suffered because of the emphasis on preservation. It is not hard to guess what kind of enjoyment Mr. Horn has in mind. But there is no need to force snowmobiles or other motorized vehicles into the parks, and there is no need to rewrite management policy. Another witness, Denis Galvin, a retired deputy director of the National Park Service, said, "The national parks do not have to sustain all recreation; that is why we have various other federal, state, local and private recreation providers." The Interior Department would do well to try to keep that in mind. Copyright c. 2005 The New York Times Company. --------- "RE: Blackfeet Tribe holds Senior Water Rights" --------- Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 08:32:57 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BLACKFEET WATER RIGHTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.goldentrianglenews.com//glacier_reporter/news/news5.txt Blackfeet Tribe holds senior water rights on Cut Bank Creek. By LeAnne Kavanagh for the Glacier Reporter November 2, 2005 City of Cut Bank officials learned two things last week. First, the location of their new reservoir isn't in the same location as the application that was filed in 1988 said it would be. Second, the city's water rights on Cut Bank Creek are "relatively junior" to those of the Blackfeet Tribe. In fact, according to Sarah Bond, the consultant hired by the City of Cut Bank to research its water rights, "The Tribe has big senior water rights. There are a lot of good reasons for you to deal with the Tribe and try to work together." Bond addressed a special meeting of the City Council on Thursday, Oct. 20. She pointed out it is not at all uncommon for project locations, such as that with the new storage reservoir, to change, but normally those changes are detected. "No one picked it up," explained Bond. To correct the situation, the city must now file an "application for change" with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. "It's not fun to be surprised, but I think it will be okay." Deputy City Attorney Bob Smith stated the Blackfeet Tribe has indicated it will oppose the change during the DNRC public hearing. This could potentially delay the DNRC's decision for six to 12 months. City Superintendent Jim Suta said he had been told it would be six months before the hearing would even be scheduled since there were other applications in line before Cut Bank's. Both Bond and Smith told those at last week's meeting that while the location of the storage reservoir had changed, the point of diversion and amount of water being diverted had not. The reservoir is located 3,000 feet west of the water treatment plant instead of 4,000 feet north, as stated on the original application. The council's immediate concern deals with the liner of the storage reservoir. If the liner is not filled with water, it will be ruined. Suta said he believes there is a way to flush water over the liner to protect it. Bond assured the council the DNRC will "do whatever can be done to protect the infrastructure." Bond encouraged city officials to work with the Blackfeet Tribe to get the "opposition settled and taken care of." City Attorney Bob Olson said the Blackfeet Tribe has asked city officials to meet with them on Monday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. at Discovery Lodge. "A lot of people have water rights older than you," Bond told city officials. "Federal Indian water rights are very complex," she continued, cautioning the council members to "try and avoid picking one piece of legislation out of rooms of documents that apply to this" when discussing the city's water rights. Bond was confident the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission, in its negotiations with the Blackfeet Tribe, "will try and extend the funnel of water to off-reservation users," such as the City of Cut Bank. Olson believes it is the job of the commission to "protect non- -reservation towns like Cut Bank" during their negotiations. The Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission (RWRCC) was established in Montana to negotiate compacts with federal agencies and Native American tribes in an effort to quantify federal reserved rights. To date, the RWRCC has negotiated and the Montana Legislature has ratified compacts between the State of Montana and the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation and the Crow Tribe. Copyright c. 2005 Golden Triangle Newspapers. --------- "RE: Little Shell seek County support" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:45:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RESERVATION VITAL STEP TOWARD RECOGNITION" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.havredailynews.com//local_headlines/littleshell.txt Little Shell seek county support for a reservation Ellen Thompson Havre Daily News ethompson@havredailynews.com November 1, 2005 Representatives of the Little Shell Indian Tribe asked the Hill County Commission on Monday to sign a resolution supporting the tribe's effort to get federal recognition that might also mean the acquisition of land for a small reservation in Hill County. The commissioners said Monday they need to review the resolution. The commissioners agreed that if the Little Shell are federally recognized, the county may have no say over whether land is taken off the county tax rolls and given to the now-landless tribe, but they said their policy is to oppose the loss of any taxable property. "That's been our stance with the Chippewa Cree Tribe," Hill County Commission chair Kathy Bessette said. The issue has come up when residents of Box Elder have tried to have their homes annexed to the reservation, she said. "We support your quest," Bessette added. The Little Shell tribal council has prepared similar resolutions for five counties to help pave the way for federal legislation, tribal chairman John Sinclair said today. The legislation is to be introduced this year by Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., Sinclair said. The resolution before the Hill County Commission was proposed by Rehberg's office, Sinclair said. "They wanted to be sure they're not stepping on anybody's toes," he said. Cascade, Hill, Blaine, Fergus and Glacier counties have each signed resolutions supporting federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe, but Rehberg's office wanted to be sure the counties know that if the tribe receives recognition, it could mean a loss of tax base in the county where a reservation is established. The Cascade County Commission has indicated that it will support the resolution, Sinclair said. The Cascade County Attorney's Office is drafting a resolution based on what the tribe submitted, he said. The proposal is for 200 acres as a land base where the tribe could have a hospital and other services, vice chair James Parker Shield said today. He said the tribe would hope the land would come from federal land such as U.S. Bureau of Land Management land, so no county would lose funds. If the Hill County commissioners don't agree to the proposal, it's not likely to harm the effort to get land and recognition, Sinclair said. "We'll still go on. We'll have the Cascade resolution. We'll hopefully soon have Glacier and Blaine. We'll just have to bypass Hill County, which would be a shame," he said. Sinclair said the tribe's ideal is to have a base in Cascade County and satellite offices, including trust land, in four other counties. What actually is established would be determined by the legislation. If Hill County decided not to agree to support the possible loss of taxable property, it might consider writing a resolution that reiterates the county's support for the tribe's effort at recognition. "The most important item, of course, is to keep our support that we do have among the counties for the federal recognition," Parker Shield said. The Little Shell are also trying to be recognized through an administrative process of the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Federal Acknowledgment. "We're going (the legislative) way, one, to speed it up, and. two, if (the Office of Federal Acknowledgment) comes back with a negative result," the tribe has another way to be recognized, Sinclair said. If the tribe is recognized through Interior, counties would have less control over how a reservation is established than if it's done through legislation sponsored by the state's own congressional delegation, Sinclair said. He said he hopes to hear back from the Hill County Commission soon and "allay their concerns, hopefully." "I can see Hill County's point. If they are opposing adding Chippewa Cree land into trust, they are trying to be consistent," Sinclair said. "The ball is in their court and we're waiting for them to come back for \ us." Copyright c. 2005 Havre Daily News. --------- "RE: S'Klallam says it will recover from Spill" --------- Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:45:42 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DIESEL SPILL" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.northkitsapherald.com/cat=23&id=524070&more= S'Klallam says it will recover from spill By Tiffany Royal November 2, 2005 LITTLE BOSTON - A little more than two weeks since several hundred gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a sunken tug boat in Gamble Bay, the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe is continuing to monitor how the incident will affect its natural resources. The tribe plans on testing the shellfish pulled from its harvesting beds to determine whether the mollusks are safe for human consumption. In the meantime, the tribe has closed the beach to shellfish harvesting by tribal members. "We are still trying to figure out what impact this spill has had on the natural resources in this area, particularly shellfish," said Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe chairman Ron Charles. "The tribe relies heavily on the shellfish in this bay not only for income but for subsistence. Tribal members regularly harvest shellfish from Port Gamble Bay for celebrations and to feed their families." About 200 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from the tug Active, which sank at a mill site across from the tribe's beach in Gamble Bay. A second tugboat also sank at the site, but no fuel was aboard that vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard is still investigating what caused the two boats to sink. The leaking fuel left a two-mile sheen, stretching north from the bay toward Driftwood Key and west into Hood Canal the week of Oct. 17. After a week, oil still covered parts of the tribe's beach and marshland at Point Julia and the smell of diesel was still in the air. Leaks from the tug were plugged after a few days but oil booms continued to surround the sunken vessels. The tribe has several commercial shellfish beds along the reservation. It also operates a salmon hatchery and salmon net pens on the bay. "Many tribal members are saddened and angered at this unfortunate event," Charles said. "This oil spill has jeopardized the livelihood of many tribal members and has impacted our way of life." Copyright c. 2005 North Kitsap Herald. --------- "RE: Women working to ID unmarked Graves" --------- Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 08:34:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RECLAIMING LAME DEER CEMETERY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.montanaforum.com/sid=4014&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Women working to ID unmarked graves, map Lame Deer cemetery By LAURA TODE Of The Gazette Staff November 1, 2005 The Lame Deer cemetery sits at the base of Yellow Mule and Head Chief Hill, a cliff face where those two young warriors rode their ponies over the edge, choosing suicide rather than face a white man's death dangling from a hanging tree. As the story is told, in 1890 the Northern Cheyenne were starving, camped at the top of the bench. In desperation, the young men killed a local rancher's cow to feed their people. Fearing the consequences of their actions, they captured and killed the rancher as well. Today, white boulders mark where the suicide warriors fell. Beneath the rugged face of the hillside is a scattered pattern of headstones, crosses and markers standing in a tangle of knee-deep grass and weeds. Between the graves that are marked lay the unknown - 114 of them. Those people buried there were precious enough in their deaths to be laid to rest in the small cemetery, and Janet Mullin and Teddy McMakin, a Northern Cheyenne, believe they're precious enough to be honored still. The two women have taken it upon themselves to clean up the cemetery, identify those unmarked graves and map those that are marked. Mullin has a yellow legal pad curled at the edges where every identifiable plot is listed, and she is in the process of entering each in a database and labeling a big map with the names of each of the deceased. For all the work they've done in the library, the women have spent nearly as much time on the cemetery grounds. After the heavy snowstorm earlier this month, broken branches were scattered across most of the cemetery, and the women, working alone among the spirits, cleared all the branches from atop the mounds and sunken graves. Every visit they make reveals a new, unique marker or another place that could be an unmarked grave. A sunny October afternoon provided what may be one of their last visits to the cemetery before the arrival of winter. "See, some of these people really do care about their loved ones," McMakin said, sweeping her palm over a grave without a weed or blade of grass on the mound. Like many of the well-tended graves, it was adorned with silk flowers, glass figurines and a homemade wooden cross. Some family plots are fenced. Inside, the graves are immaculate and mementos have been carefully placed. They are the exception in the Lame Deer cemetery. Some of the graves are marked with a pile of rocks, others with a wooden stake, possibly all that's left of a tumbled-down cross. Few of the graves are marked with permanent headstones made of granite or marble, save for the white headstones that stand sentinel over the final resting places of fallen soldiers. Many of the veterans are Indian scouts, who served in the early battles before Montana became a state and before reservations were established. "We have no way of controlling our range - our horses and cattle - so they're free to run helter skelter anywhere and everywhere," McMakin said turning her eyes from the sunny cliff face that edges the cemetery to the ground where dried dung barely missed a small metal grave marker. Missing its embossed plate, the marker provides no identity as to the grave's resident. Most of the graves in Lame Deer's cemetery are identified by generic aluminum markers. As permanent as they can be for something that costs only a few dollars, they're still not horse or vandal-proof. McMakin stoops to pull a well established weed from a grave with a missing plaque. The missing engravings add to the ladies' tasks. Not only do they have to identify graves that are evident only by a mound or sunken square of soil, they're also perplexed by graves that are marked but so poorly maintained the markings can't be deciphered. Several lichen covered stones are inscribed with the letters BC, legible only by touch on the worn granite. A round wooden marker speaks to the age of the grave, but, like so many, not the identity. Sage grows wild in the cemetery and has sprung up on the graves of Dull Knife Morning Star and Little Wolf, two of the oldest graves in the cemetery. "Dull Knife and Little Wolf gave their lives for us and dedicated their whole lives to getting us home to the reservation," McMakin said. Dull Knife was also known as Morning Star, the name written in the Cheyenne language on the granite marker, along with 1883, the year he died. A pipe lies on Little Wolf's grave. The most recent grave is that of McMakin's cousin, Hazel Whiteman Kills Knife, who passed away about the same time the women began their work on the cemetery. "Hazel is probably the only one that's got a 2000 anything on their marker," Mullin said. "All the rest are buried at their own family cemetery." Neither of the women could remember the last burial before hers. Most of the folks in Lame Deer who die are buried in family plots on home ground. The women speculate that the condition of the cemetery is a deterrent when a family loses a loved one. "If someone has a grave out back of the house they can go out and tend it every day and they know it will be taken care of that way," Mullin said. As they stroll through the cemetery, the women meet at the rusted fence that surrounds a baby's grave. The fence is caved in by a large boulder that has rolled down the sandstone rim to within inches of the headstone. "We've got to get out here and fix this, don't we," Mullin said to McMakin. The pair doesn't know why the cemetery has fallen to ruins, but they speculate it's reflective of the discouragement felt by so many of the residents of Lame Deer. First alcohol, then drugs and, all the while unemployment has risen, McMakin said. She can't begin to guess the number of graves that belong to people who were killed as a result of alcohol or drugs or the accidents and strife caused by substance abuse. The cemetery keeps its own count. Date of death minus date of birth: age 26, 16, 31, 19. The headstones speak of lives cut short, no reason given, none needed. McMakin and Mullin refuse to let the community fall prey to drugs, and alcohol, and with an almost personal vendetta, they're taking on methamphetamine abuse in Lame Deer. Several weeks ago, they hosted a free concert and dance with area musicians taking center stage. It's the second show they've put on to give locals a reason to get together and raise awareness of the dangers of meth. "We have to strike out at the thing that's endangering our lifestyle - our lives," McMakin said. "Positive, we have to do something positive," Mullin said. The women have taken on the cemetery as one of their various "projects." Around Lame Deer Mullin and McMakin are called "War Ponies" because of their tenacity and whole-hearted dedication to the community. The women have made their mark on Lame Deer in dozens of ways. Mullin started a small museum of photos and clippings she has gathered from area residents and the public library. McMakin started the local Chamber of Commerce and is an advocate for health and safety issues in the community. At one time she held a seat on the tribal council. Cleaning up the cemetery is important not only for the community of Lame Deer, the women said, but also for those who want to return to explore their roots. McMakin left the reservation for a time, married a white rancher, but found her way home like she hopes more Northern Cheyenne will do. She's older now and for all the work she has ahead of her at the Lame Deer cemetery, she said she's not interested in being laid to rest there. "I want to be taken up on that hill," said McMakin pointing east up the highway from the cemetery. "Be drifted away on the breeze. I'll be here when the first bird sings in the spring. I'll be the butterfly. You'll see me in the water, and you'll feel me on your face when the wind blows. "I'm not afraid to die." Contact Laura Tode at ltode@billingsgazette.com or at 657-1392. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: JODI RAVE: Schweitzer walks the walk with Indians" --------- Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 18:43:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: SCHWEITZER" http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/11/06/jodirave/rave69.txt Native News with Jodi Rave Schweitzer walks the walk with Indians November 6, 2005 TULSA, Okla. - I've lived in several states - Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Nebraska - led by boring governors. Sure, these are fairly practical states. But shouldn't elected leaders at least have a pulse? My husband and I moved to Montana a little more than a year ago, during the governor's race. On a reporting trip to the Flathead Reservation, I visited the Co