_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 13, ISSUE 051 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 December 17, 2005 Kiowa ganhina p'a/real goose moon Zuni ik'ohbu yachunne/turning moon Blackfeet misa'miko'komiaato's/long night moon +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People s ch mA mL tL squee Lux -- Okanogan -- News from the People Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ++>If you speak a Native American language not listed above, please send us your words for "News of the People." We'd rather take up this whole page saving these few words of our hundreds of nations than present a nice clean banner in the language of the occupation forces who came here determined to replace our words with their own. email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; Indian Trust ListServ, Native American Diabetes & Native American Poetry 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 Quotes: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + =================== "Imagine if federal marshals roughed up and arrested your governor and state leaders because the federal government disagreed with a decision made by your state government?" "It is unfathomable." __ Tex Hall, the former president of the National Congress of American Indians +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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! Geomythology is the science of learning from the past. Janet has a few words of wisdom regarding the wisdom of this new science.... ---- Some people "get" what the original inhabitants of the western hemisphere (and most traditional civilizations) undertstood all along. The stories of old cultures are not just fantasies or cute tales told to entertain or offer lessons of character to the kiddies. They are serious history with a serious present and future function. As the story in this issue "Ancient legends give an early warning of modern disasters," indicates, some scientists are beginning to give credence to the "myths" of earlier cultures. "Geomythology" is recognized as a science that can help people in the present avoid or survive future disasters. And some people don't "get it." Once more, the Bush administration has walked out on Kyoto meetings, and clearly refuses to acknowledge that the earth is sending us a message traditional Indians recognize from their myths and their prophesies. +/// 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. Please get contact names, addresses, phone numbers and other information (especially target help group) to me as soon as possible. =========== THE FOLLOWING NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE PROVIDING =========== =========== WINTER AND HOLIDAY RELIEF FOR OUR REALATIVES =========== Subject: Minnesotan Relief Trip to New Orleans Dear Friends, As some of you know, I have family in New Orleans who lost their homes and one of our family members perished during hurricane Katrina. I've been working on hurricane relief in coalition with some very fine people since the hurricane hit. These folks, Mission from Minnesota, have planned a trip to take a group of folks down to work during Thanksgiving week with a progressive Black church to help folks down there clean up salvageable homes and do heirloom recovery in those homes that cannot be saved (so at least the families will recover photos and other important items). In light of FEMA's announcement today that they will no longer pay for hotels for something like 53,000 families starting December 1st, leaving these families to fend for themselves for housing, this trip becomes all the more important. About 30 people have signed up to take all or a portion of this 10 day trip. However, some of them are evacuees from New Orleans who are living here now. They are low on funds. We also have a 26 foot panel truck making the trip and we need to fill it up. Believe it or not, the thing people need most is FOOD, especially fresh produce. Toiletries and baby supplies are also needed. If you can help with funds or goods or think you might be interested in going on the trip yourself, please go to http://www.missionfromminnesota.org to get a list of goods needed and drop off sites, to donate online or to learn about the trip. The need is great and anything you can do is very appreciated. My sincere thanks, Michelle Gross -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 09:13:37 -0600 From: "Karen Cooper" Subj: Holiday Assistance For those that do not know, for the past few years our NAGS Troop 389 has helped Hawks in the Wind Family, CNEAL and Walk of Faith Ministy collect clothing, household items, and toys for those in need especially within the native communities. The items help those in other native communities as well as our own here in AL. Last year we expanded outside of the AL, GA, TN areas to include communities in OK and SD. A trucking company and driver helped in the project. We do not have that option this December so we are hunting another company/driver to help with this project. Additionally we are projecting needing some 2900 + holiday presents for children of all ages for this December 2005. Last year we collected some 900+ items which were delivered locally as well as OK/SD. Toys, items for teens, blankets for elderly, bibles (New Standard), coats and sweaters are strongly recommended. We ask that clothing--especially children's be placed into boxes and labeled on outside. If clothing is used, please only send that which is gently used and make sure that it has been washed, dryed and folded before placing into the labeled boxes. Additionally this year, we are collecting sleeping bags, tents, bedding (blankets/pillows /sheets), and baby formula. Good working used or even new appliances are also needed (stoves, washers, dryers, microwaves, televisions, VCR, freezers, and refrigerators). We are looking for two commerical trucks w/ drivers that will volunteer time/transportation to this effort as well as the two trailers we currently have to go with items to go to MOWA Choctaws in AL, Houma Nation and Lower Choctaws in LA, and the group in Marble City (CNO). Our first focus will be in the southern states and we can always pick up these the northern areas next year. If you know a trucker that would like to volunteer to help, let us know, we are saying that we will be able to use them. Projected delivery dates are December 17th for MOWA Choctaw (AL) and Gulfport/Hattisburg/Bay St Louis areas; , December 10th for the Houma nations/Lower Choctaw (LA), and December 10th and 17th for CNO/Marble City. We had hoped for a December 3rd delivery date to MOWA/Choctaw and Alabamas in Livingston, but time is running short so going for the December 10 and 17th dates only. Monetary donations can be made to either troop, NATIVE, or Hawks in the Wind Food Pantry who has also been very supportive with food items. The checks/MO can be sent to my address and I will get to appropriate treasurer for that group. My mailing address is 30 Scurlock Road, Dora AL 35062. All are non-profit organizations, just make sure that you place Holiday Drive 2005 or service project in the memo space. If you want the money to go for something specific like repair materials, let us know. Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, and other department store gift cards will be accepted this year to help with the relief effort. Monies collected so far have purchased baby care items primarily--formula that does not not need water is very expensive to purchase. Nuppa Ku has decided to taking on his own holiday effort as a special project. He is asking his neices and nephews to consider buying a present for a child for the holidays as a way to help Santa and the elves not have to work so hard. Additionally Nuppa has talked TJ and I into giving coats to those in need instead of purchasing presents for the teenagers in our lives this year. He says that the older ones will understand. I sure hope so. If you would like to donate items for this service project, please contact one of us. Nuppa Ku's phone line is 205-648-7670. Our home number is 205-648-8975. My cell is 205-527-4234. Or you can email me directly at kcooper@uabmc.edu -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 22:43:01 +0200 From: "Brigitte Thimiakis" Subj: Christmas Treats Project: for the Children of Lame Deer, MT >To: "Janet Smith" , "Gary Smith" Dear Janet and Gary We would appreciate it very much if you could print this request in your newsletter. Thank you in advance, Brigitte thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr ================= December 2005 Greetings, If you wish to make a difference and help children and elders enjoy the Christmas holiday on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana, please take the time to read this request. Thanks to the arrangements made with reliable Northern Cheyenne contacts from Lame Deer, the Trading Post of Lame Deer is accepting money donations, which will be used to provide and distribute Christmas treats, fresh fruit and food to children and elders in need on the reservation. Please be assured that the donations collected will only be used to make their Christmas a special time. Even small contributions can help and make a difference. On your money order, you will need to use this special account number #6250. For those who live abroad and wish to send a donation, please send your donation in US dollars. The address for money donations is: LAME DEER TRADING INC. ATTN: AMY RE: ISADORE & ANN P.O. BOX 35 LAME DEER, MT 59043 USA Thank you for your support. Respectfully, Brigitte, for "Honor your Spirit, Protect The Children" "Your help makes a huge difference for those who have never received help. Your donations provide hope and encouragement to those who have never known these qualities. Your concern and solidarity can improve the lives of many children, elders, families, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. There is still a lot to do but all together you can help us make these dreams come true. Thank you for being a part of this project and supporting it." Respectfully, Manuel Redwoman, Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Arapaho <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o "Honor Your Spirit, Protect the Children" http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/home.html STOP CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/stopabuse.html Adult Children of Child Abuse <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o 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 ----------- - Legends give an Early Warning - Schools may add of Modern Disasters American Indian History - Government blocks Efforts - Warm Springs Indian Rez to resolve Trust Suit may get Bus System - Appeal court to consider - Ex-cop guilty Narragansett sovereignty of murdering Alaska Native Woman - Rhode Island argues - Trouble Brewing to reverse ruling on raid on St. Regis Reservation - Tribe harmed by Fire - Samson Cree turned down still waits for help Lawsuit Settlement Offer - Apache man warns - Diabetes: about proposed legislation Bringing back Traditional Foods - Delaware close Offices - NAN Legal and OPP after loss in Court sign Youth Diversion Protocol - Cooler Water helps - High Court: Kansas can Puyallup Officials relax Tax Fuel on Reservations - Homecoming 141 Years - Gas Tax ruling's effect after Sand Creek on Wash. Tribes unclear - Leech Lake community - Tribal Lawyer questions worries about its future Records request criticism - Navajo Santa - Indian-only State visits Utah for 16th Year hunting law challenged - GIAGO: Tribe's President - Man takes Hemp Case wears a shaky Crown to 8th Circuit Court - YELLOW BIRD: - Family sues Government Take writings with Grain of Salt for Teen's Death - HARJO: Who's making up - Native Prisoner Indian Culture Myths -- School-to-Prison Pipeline - YELLOW BIRD: Some weeks, - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days Blessings are everywhere - Lee Goins Poem: - Repository doles out Honesty, Respect And Love a Woman Courage in Feathers - Rustywire: Jaymo - Nanticoke work - Children struggle to preserve their Heritage to learn Native Tongues - Exhibits tell Histories - Upcoming Events of Crow, Northern Cheyenne --------- "RE: Legends give an Early Warning of Modern Disasters" --------- Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 16:06:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GEOMYTHOLOGY: WISDOM OF OUR ANCESTORS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,1657460,00.html Ancient legends give an early warning of modern disasters The new science of geomythology is being harnessed by researchers who believe folklore can save lives Robin McKie, science editor The Observer December 4, 2005 On the banks of Siletz Bay in Lincoln City, Oregon, officials dedicated a memorial last week to one of America's worst calamities: a huge earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands of Native Americans 300 years ago. But the memorial's main job is not to commemorate the disaster, which has only just come to light, but to warn local people that similar devastation could strike at any time. The area sits over massive fault lines whose dangers have been highlighted by a startling new scientific discipline that combines Earth science studies and analysis of ancient legends. This is geomythology, and it is transforming our knowledge of earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, says the journal Science. According to the discipline's proponents, violent geological upheavals may be more frequent than was previously suspected. Apart from the 'lost' Seattle earthquake, geomythology has recently revealed that a volcano in Fiji, thought to be dormant, is active, a discovery that followed geologists' decision to follow up legends of a mountain appearing overnight. Geologists have found that Middle Eastern flooding myths, including the story of Noah, could be traced to the sudden inundation of the Black Sea 7,600 years ago. The Oracle at Delphi has been found to lie over a geological fault through which seeped hallucinogenic gases. These could account for the trances and utterances of the oracle's mystics. 'Myths can tell us a great deal about what happened in the past and were important in establishing what happened here 300 years ago,' said Brian Atwater, of the US Geological Survey in Seattle. Along the Oregon and Washington coast, there are Native American stories about boulders, called a'yahos, which can shake to death anyone who stares at them. In addition, Ruth Ludwin, a seismologist in Seattle, discovered tales of villages being washed away and of whales and thunderbirds locked in fights. These stories were a key influence on Atwater, who started to study the 680-mile long Cascadia subduction zone fault along the coast. What he found provided a shock. Long stretches had suffered sudden inundation relatively recently. The study of trees stumps in this drowned landscape indicated there had been a huge earthquake and a tsunami between 1680 and 1720. 'We didn't know whether it was one massive quake or a couple of slightly smaller ones. Nor did we know exactly when the disaster occurred,' added Atwater. Later research on tree rings put the date at between 1699 and 1700. Then local legends helped again. Japanese colleagues studied their records and traced an orphan tsunami - a giant wave not linked to a local earthquake - that destroyed several villages on 27 January, 1700. 'That told us two things: that our earthquake must have been vast, Richter scale 9, to devastate part of Japan thousands of miles away. It also gave us a precise date for our disaster.' Scientists now believe huge earthquakes and tsunamis devastate the Seattle area every 200 to 1,000 years. 'We may be due one soon,' added Atwater. However, until this year, the lesson of that tsunami was remembered only as a dim legend. Other such stories have been put to better use, however. Last year's tsunami was also triggered by a strong earthquake, and around 300,000 people died. The Moken - or sea gypsies - of Thailand, however, have a tradition which warns that when tides recede far and fast, now known as a precursor of a tsunami, then a man-eating wave will soon head their way: so they should run far and fast. Last 26 December, they did - and survived. Another example of the power of geomythology is from Patrick Nunn, of Fiji in the South Pacific. His studies of volcanoes on the Fijian island of Kadavu indicated they had not been active for tens of thousands of years. 'Then I heard legends of recent eruptions,' he told The Observer. 'I thought them unlikely. When a road was cut there in 2002, I found there had been a volcanic eruption long after it had been occupied by humans. It made me look at myths in a new light.' Now, Nunn is working for the French government to compile tales that might pinpoint Pacific islands where scientists should look for warnings of earthquakes, volcanoes and catastrophic landslides. These include stories of deities who fish up islands from the water and others in which they are thrown back into the sea. 'If you had asked me 10 years ago if there was value in local myths I would have said "not a lot",' added Nunn. 'Since then I have had a Pauline conversion.' The Guardian Unlimited, Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005. --------- "RE: Government blocks Efforts to resolve Trust Suit" --------- Date: Thursday, December 08, 2005 02:58 pm From: Indian Trust ListServ Subj: Cobell v. Norton - Government Blocks Efforts to Resolve Trust Lawsuit; Won't Bargain in Good Faith with Indians, House Committee Told Mailing List: Indian Trust ListServ WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 - The government is refusing to cooperate in a Congressionally-sponsored effort to end the nearly 10-year-old lawsuit over mismanagement of the Indian Trust, the House Resources Committee was told today. Elousie Cobell, a Blackfeet Indian who is the lead plaintiff in the long-running lawsuit, called on lawmakers end "this century-long injustice" by demanding that the government actively participate in the talks aimed at producing an out-of-court settlement. "Members of this committee, if you wish to exert leadership in bringing this terrible injustice to an end, you must call the government to account, " Ms. Cobell said. "Do not allow their foot dragging to continue. "Call them to task," she said. "Demand that they participate in the legislative process." In talks arranged by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the government has refused to disclose what it would support in terms of a settlement of the lawsuit, she pointed out. Ms. Cobell and her Indian plaintiffs who filed their class action lawsuit in 1996, have embraced a 50-point settlement that was proposed this summer by the leaders of Indian Country. But the government has failed to come to the talks with any specific proposal, Ms. Cobell said. "If there is hope for a legislative settlement, they should no longer be allowed to simply sit back and says 'no' to all settlement offers without members of this committee denouncing their recalcitrance," she said. "If not, a legislative settlement will never occur." The lead plaintiff also excoriated the government for its continuing refusal to tell the truth about the long-troubled Indian Trust. She noted that the government recently claimed a Nov. 15 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia was "a victory." In fact, Ms. Cobell said the government was relying on commentary, or dicta, in the ruling which is not binding on the district court, to buttress its claim. She also pointed out that some of the points on which the government claimed it won in the Nov. 15 ruling are in direct conflict with earlier rulings by the appeals court. In the D.C. Circuit, the first ruling is binding and that means that some of the government's claimed victories are illusions, she said. A September brochure the Interior Department published claiming "significant" progress in untangling the individual trust accounts also came under fire. Ms. Cobell labeled the $30,000 color brochure "deceptive, misleading and inaccurate from beginning to end." "It would have you believe that the management of Indian Trust accounts has been and is satisfactory, availability of financial reports is good and losses suffered by Indians insignificant," she said. That is contradicted by hundreds of studies and reports, she noted. "The government's own experts have concluded that the handling of these accounts has ranged from incompetent to fraudulent," she continued. "And the damage to Native Americans has been massive." The government's conduct in the lawsuit, Ms. Cobell noted, has been "obstinate, difficult and foot-dragging." Both the district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia have complained about the government's conduct, she pointed out. Speaking on behalf of the 500,000 Native Americans whose individual Indian Trust Accounts are at issue in the lawsuit, Ms. Cobell praised the House committee and its leaders for joining the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in pressing for a legislative solution. As she did in Senate testimony this summer, Ms. Cobell called for revisions to the House bill that would bring it in line with the 50 Principles endorsed by the leaders of major Native American groups. She objected to a provision that would allow the executive branch instead of the courts to set terms of the settlement. "At bottom, this is an issue of trust," she reminded the committee. "We cannot trust people who have abused us for a century. We can trust the courts and the judicial process." If the Congress cannot reach a settlement that would be fair to the Indian Trust beneficiaries and preserve their hard-won court victories, Ms. Cobell said that the plaintiffs will have no choice but to continue their fight in the courts. "...We fully expect that we will, in time, prevail," she said. The full text of Ms. Cobell's testimony will be available at www.indiantrust.com after the hearing. Bill McAllister Independent Writer 703-385-6996 202-257-5385 (cell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To view the latest information concerning this case, go to www.indiantrust.com --------- "RE: Appeal court to consider Narragansett sovereignty" --------- Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 20:32:37 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="QUESTION OF TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY" http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/011588.asp Appeals court to consider Narragansett sovereignty December 6, 2005 The Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island is back in court today to defend its sovereignty from encroachment by state officials. The tribe won federal recognition in 1983 after its land claims were settled by an act of Congress. But two decades later, the tribe faces unresolved questions over its legal rights as a sovereign entity. The doubts led state officials to raid the Narragansett Reservation on July 14, 2003, in order to shut down a smoke shop. The state claims it has authority, under the act of Congress, over all activities on tribal land. But the unprecedented show of force sparked outcries throughout Indian Country and among some members of Congress, who called for an investigation. They say the state disrespected the tribe's sovereignty by engaging in the violent raid. "Imagine if federal marshals roughed up and arrested your governor and state leaders because the federal government disagreed with a decision made by your state government?" Tex Hall, the former president of the National Congress of American Indians, said at the time. "It is unfathomable." The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with those sentiments. This past May, a three-judge panel ruled that the state violated the tribe's rights when troopers raided the reservation, seized tribal property and arrested several tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas. The victory was largely symbolic because the court upheld the right of the state to seek taxes from the sale of tobacco goods to non-Indians. That prompted the state to seek a rehearing of the case, arguing again that it has broad authority over activities on the reservation. Two months later, the court said it would indeed hold a new hearing to determine the extent of state jurisdiction on tribal lands. A special panel of six judges will consider the case in Boston, Massachusetts, this afternoon. At issue are the state's powers under the Rhode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1978. The law granted the state criminal and civil jurisdiction on the reservation. The law has been interpreted to mean the state can prosecute individual tribal members for violating state laws. But whether the state has power over the tribal government itself is still up for debate. The U.S. Supreme Court took up that question in a 2003 case that parallels the Narragansett one. Officials in Inyo County, California, raided the casino owned by the Bishop Paiute Tribe and seized tribal property as part of a county investigation. The 9th Circuit, much like the 1st Circuit, ruled that the county violated the tribe's sovereignty. But in ruling that the tribe had no recourse to sue the county under a federal civil rights law, the Supreme Court bypassed the much larger question of whether a state can tell a tribal government what to do on the reservation. Most tribes won't encounter the issue. But over 100 tribes in California are affected because the state, under Public Law 280, has criminal and civil jurisdiction on reservations. Five other states still have the law on the books. In New England, several tribes fall under special acts of Congress that grant the state jurisdiction in Indian Country. In Maine, this has proved disastrous to the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe because the state courts have ruled that some of the activities of their tribal governments are subject to state law. In Massachusetts, the state courts have ruled that the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe waived its sovereign immunity by agreeing to state jurisdiction. The tribe decided not to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today's case will be heard by Chief Judge Michael Boudin and Judges Juan R. Torruella, Bruce M. Selya, Sandra L. Lynch, Kermit V. Lipez and Jeffrey R. Howard. The May 12 ruling had been decided by Torruella, Howard and Judge Joseph DiClerico, a federal court judge from New Hampshire who was sitting by designation. Copyright c. 2000-2005 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Rhode Island argues to reverse ruling on raid" --------- Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 08:27:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RAID ON INDIAN LAND" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thewesterlysun.com/articles/2005/12/07/news/news5.txt R.I. ARGUES TO REVERSE RULING ON 2003 RAID By The Associated Press and Sun Staff BOSTON - The state of Rhode Island Tuesday formally asked a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling that the state violated the sovereignty of the Narragansett Indian Tribe when it raided a tax-free smoke shop on Route 2 in Charlestown. In May, a three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state violated the tribe's sovereignty when state police raided the shop, seized cigarettes and arrested tribal leaders in July 2003. The court, however, said the federally recognized tribe was breaking state law by selling tobacco tax-free and ruled the state could collect taxes on the tribe's cigarette sales to non-Indians. State officials appealed to the full appeals court, calling the ruling contradictory and saying it could limit its ability to enforce laws on the tribe's 1,800 acres. Lawyers for the state said the ruling did not address to what extent the state can enforce its tax laws on tribal land. At the time of the raid on July 14, 2003, the smoke shop had been open for two days. The state said the raid was necessary to stop the illegal sale of tax-free cigarettes. The full court heard arguments on the issue of enforcement Tuesday. Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General Neil Kelly said a 1978 agreement between the tribe and the state that gave the tribe its land establishes that the tribe is subject to the civil and criminal laws of the state of Rhode Island. But Douglas Luckerman, an attorney for the tribe, said that, while the state has authority over individual members of the tribe, it does not have authority over the tribal government, which was running the smoke shop. "The tribe's sovereign immunity limits both the extent and the manner in which the state can enforce its laws against the tribe," Luckerman said. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas said after the hearing that the tribe has agreed to delay the reopening of the smoke shop until the appeal is decided. The court did not indicate when it would issue its ruling. The 1st Circuit court invited lawyers for the tribe and the state to submit additional written arguments in light of a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Adam Jennings, a member of the tribe has also appealed a Rhode Island federal court judge's decision to overturn a jury verdict that awarded him more than $300,000 for injuries he said he suffered in the raid. His case is also slated to be heard in the Boston court. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres, in July, ruled that state troopers used reasonable force in raising the shop and overturned the jury's decision that Trooper Ken Jones used excessive restraint. Troopers, according to testimony, used an "ankle turn control technique" to subdue Jennings, who was working at the shop. Jennings said that he had told troopers he had a pre-existing ankle injury prior to the incident. Troopers claimed the technique was necessary because Jennings was physically resisting arrest. In a 7-2 vote, the high court ruled Tuesday that states have the authority to tax fuel sold on Indian reservations. Ruling in a Kansas case, the court said the state can tax distributors who sell fuel at an Indian- owned and operated gas station near the Prairie Band Potawatomi tribe's casino. The court said the tax did not violate tribal sovereignty. Copyright c. 2005 The Westerly Sun. --------- "RE: Tribe harmed by Fire still waits for help" --------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:54:17 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="McDERMITT PAIUTE-SHOSHONE" http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/20051206/NEWS07/512060366/1010 Tribe harmed by fire still waits for help Geralda Miller RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL December 6, 2005 Daniel Snapp stands in front of his barn earlier this year. Snapp estimates he lost $20,000 worth of property in the blaze that burned 12,700 acres Victims of a fire that destroyed a home and 10 sheds on the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Reservation three months ago continue to wait for assistance, tribal leaders and a state agency confirmed Monday. The Aug. 29 fire burned 3,000 acres of reservation land, 12,700 acres total, of largely unoccupied land on the Nevada-Oregon border except for some cattle and living accommodations for members of the tribe. Tribal chairwoman Karen Crutcher said reservation members have detailed their losses and applied for monetary aid and supplies through the Bureau of Indian Affairs social services. Meeting with officials Crutcher said she also met with a representative for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other state and federal officials. "I just think it's a shame that they can't be helped more," said Sherry Rupert, executive director for the Nevada Indian Commission, a state agency created to examine the social and economic well-being of American Indians. "It appears that (the federal government) can do more." The BIA has received 12 applications for tribal social services, said BIA spokesman Wendell Peacock. Each claim now must be investigated by the Red Cross, he said. "I do not know when they will go out there," Peacock said. "I do not know why this hasn't taken place already." Meanwhile, winter has arrived at the reservation. "A lot of snow has fallen since then," Crutcher said. "We've got a lot of members who are requesting assistance because they have no wood." Rupert said her office offered to help the tribe get firewood. She said she inquired with the U.S. Forest Service in Carson City but was told it was against federal law for them to provide free wood. "What they told me is that they can only give wood for religious ceremonies," Rupert said. "We have volunteers that are ready to go up and cut it. It's just being able to get the wood." Tessa Hafen, Reid's press secretary, said they are working to identify long-term needs of the tribe and where federal assistance might be available, especially with improving its water, sewer and transportation systems. "The office will be working with the tribe on federal grants, appropriations, earmarks that Sen. Reid can get and how to help the tribe submit those applications," she said. "So, none of this that Sen. Reid is working on can happen tomorrow." Reid's office has called the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which Hafen said has "done a little bit and needs to do more." Also pending is an unpaid bill for almost $1,700 from Shadow Mountain Water Co. in Winnemucca that delivered 500 gallons of drinking water the day of the fire. The reservation was without water for a week and BIA officials said in October that they would look into paying this bill. "I don't know who is going to end up paying that, but it's pending," Peacock said. Rita and Vince Stewart have been living temporarily in a house in the neighboring town of McDermitt since their house on the reservation burned. They cannot afford to pay the $270 a month rent. The couple will have to be out of the house in April when seasonal workers return, Crutcher said. Rita Stewart, who had diabetes and receives dialysis three times a week in Reno, lost her prosthetic leg in the fire. "We will continue to monitor this situation," Rupert said. How to Help Anyone interested in helping the Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone tribe can give donations to the Bank of America in Winnemucca's North Road fire account. Call (775) 623-4481 for details. Copyright c. 2005 Reno Gazette-Journal. --------- "RE: Apache man warns about proposed legislation" --------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 20:45:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DISDAIN FOR PUBLIC LAND" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7316 Apache man warns about proposed legislation Measure would cut access to traditional land Sam Lewin December 6, 2005 A San Carlos Apache man has joined the chorus of voices condemning lawmakers for passing a bill that would make it easier for mining companies to purchase property in the West. The legislation, approved in November by the House of Representatives, would allow companies to buy property at the cost of $1,000 an acre, ostensibly for mining, and instead use it for other purposes. "The bill reflects a disdain for public land," stated an editorial in the Detroit Free Press. "Critics say the language in the bill is so loose that Western developers could buy up almost any public land cheaply in the name of mining, then switch to oil and gas exploration, set up a ski resort or build a subdivision. Taxpayers obviously deserve a better deal than being left susceptible to the bait-and-switch maneuvers of land speculators. Residents of the West deserve to have their voices heard before any sale that could fence off their recreation spots or disrupt their vistas in such unforeseeable ways." That's exactly how Mike Hill feels. A member of the San Carlos Apache, Hill says that Native Americans would be negatively impacted if the legislation were enacted into law. He is encouraging his fellow tribal members to get involved. "This means that if these lands are sold, they will be closed to your access, which means fewer places for acorn picking, berry gathering and other medicinal plants harvesting, not to mention the numerous sacred sites that will be harmed or destroyed," he said. "We all like Acorn Stew and dumplings and if you choose not to say anything about it, don't get mad when the places that are 'usual and accustomed' are closed to gathering and harvesting our seeds, berries and medicinal plants or even the sacred places that you used to go to pray at are closed. Be mad only at yourself for not speaking up for yourself and saying anything about it at all. It is your responsibility as an Apache." Hill is asking folks to contact their elected representatives and voice displeasure with the bill. The legislation is currently in committee and still needs the approval of the Senate before becoming official. You can reach Sam Lewin at sam@okit.com Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Delaware close Offices after loss in Court" --------- Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:30:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DELAWARE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://newsok.com/article/1702410/ Delaware Tribe closes its offices after loss in court By Judy Gibbs Robinson The Oklahoman December 11, 2005 BARTLESVILLE - The lights are off and most offices are empty inside the Delaware Tribe of Indians' national headquarters building, which has a for-sale sign out front. Across town at the modern Delaware Health & Wellness Clinic, Director Anne Swearingen is busy notifying 557 patients that the 2-year-old clinic will close Dec. 21. Just up the hill at the Delaware Tribal Community Center, kitchen supervisor Kay Anderson collects donated food to keep a senior nutrition program running without money. Once a salaried tribal employee, Anderson now volunteers her time. "We have a food pantry out there, but the pantry is bare," said Wayne Stull, a member of the tribe's trust board. "We're out begging food from Wal-Mart, is what it amounts to." A year after a federal appeals court stripped the Delawares of federal recognition and two months after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the tribe's appeal, Delaware programs have been cut to the bone. Now tribal leaders say they are ready to approach the Cherokee Nation, hat in hand, to settle a 138-year-old dispute over sovereignty, land and money. Hanging in the balance is almost $7 million in funding the Delawares got last year as a federally recognized tribe. The money went for economic development, housing and nutrition programs, and -- the tribe's greatest pride -- its health clinic, which opened in 2003. Without new money from the Indian Health Service, the clinic can't continue operating. "It's a judicial travesty what has happened here," tribal spokesman Ernest Tiger said. The Cherokee Nation, which sued to strip the Delawares of federal recognition, says the Delawares brought the problems on themselves. Cherokees repeatedly offered to agree to Delaware recognition if the Delawares agreed not to assert sovereignty within the Cherokees' 14-county jurisdictional area, said Melissa Gower, who leads the Cherokees' government relations group. "We object to the Delawares asserting Indian sovereignty within the Cherokee Nation. An analogy would be Oklahoma objecting to Arkansas trying to exercise state authority within Oklahoma," Gower said. Having lost in court, the Delawares are ready to talk. "We're trying to set up a meeting," said Assistant Chief Jerry Douglas, who has been leading the tribe since Chief Joe Brooks was ousted Nov. 5 in continuing fallout from the federal recognition decision. Election of a new chief is scheduled for Jan. 21. "We would like to ask them to help us get our federal recognition back," Stull said. "It's something we need to talk about and see if we can work it out where it don't make us look like we're begging." Origins of dispute The dispute dates to 1866, when a treaty was forced on the Cherokees after the Civil War. It allowed other tribes to buy unoccupied Cherokee land in what is now Oklahoma, according to Indian historian Lee Sultzman, whose "First Nations History" is available online. The Delawares were being pushed out of Kansas, so in 1867 they paid $280, 000 for Cherokee land in what is now northern Oklahoma. The sales agreement made the Delaware Tribe part of the Cherokee Nation, although Delawares say they never relinquished their separate identity, culture, customs and government. The Cherokees don't dispute the Delawares are separate linguistically and culturally. They do not agree the Delawares maintained their own government. For more than 100 years, the tribes lived as neighbors, intermarried and got along, Gower said. That changed in 1979 when the BIA terminated independent status for the Delawares and Shawnees living among the Cherokee. "It's been going in and out of court over the years. But absolutely nothing can isolate the fact that the Delaware are a distinct culture and people, and they have their own government," Tiger said. The Delawares got the upper hand in 1996, when new BIA administrators reversed the 1979 decision. The Cherokees prevailed last year, bringing Delawares' nation-building to a halt. "We were in the process of growing, big time," Stull said. The landless Delawares also were struggling to develop economically. Plans included two out-of-state casino projects, a travel plaza in Dewey and a partnership with the Durant Produce Co. to train government food inspectors. Stull and Douglas think the Delawares might still have federal recognition if Brooks, the chief who was ousted last month, had been willing to negotiate with the Cherokees and had provided the leadership to sell that idea to 10,000 Delawares. "Our current chief at the time and the council thought they could get the whole ball of wax. I don't think we can beat the Cherokees on it myself. They thought they could," Stull said. He points to a similar approach used successfully by the Shawnee Tribe, which also bought land from the Cherokees in 1869 and was incorporated into the larger nation. In 2000, with backing from the Cherokee Nation, Congress passed a resolution recognizing the Shawnees as an independent tribe while reserving for the Cherokees jurisdiction over Shawnee land and tribal members unless the Cherokees consent to give up jurisdiction. Brooks said the Delawares' situation can't be compared to the Shawnees' because their post-Civil War agreements were structured differently: The Delawares made one payment to the Cherokees for tribal members to also become Cherokees if they chose, and a second payment for a land base and to retain their tribal structure. "The Shawnees only paid one payment so they actually did become blood Cherokees. Our tribe did not do that," Brooks said. A hard pill to swallow All the Delawares interviewed agreed their tribe has always been separate from the Cherokee Nation and will continue to be -- with or without federal recognition. For Stull and Douglas, the bottom line is getting the Delawares' federal funding restored, even if it means making concessions. A harder pill to swallow may be letting the Cherokees get and disburse the Delawares' federal money. When the Cherokees put that on the table in the past, the Delawares refused. "That's not acceptable, not to our people," said Brooks, the ousted Delaware chief. "They want our government to administer services to them, not the Cherokee Nation." Stull and Douglas don't like the idea, either. "It takes away your sovereignty," Douglas said. "It's hard to explain that to your people," Stull added. But in hindsight, they said the tribe would be better off with the Cherokees controlling their money than having no money at all. "All we had to do is agree. We'd be way ahead if that had happened," Stull said. Copyright c. 2005 Oklahoman/News 9, Produced by NewsOk.com. --------- "RE: Cooler Water helps Puyallup Officials relax" --------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:54:17 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="IMPROVED WATER QUALITY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5377594p-4863244c.html Cooler water helps Puyallup officials relax Puyallup River sees improved quality, easing fears over tribe's proposed tougher standards ROB TUCKER; The News Tribune December 5, 2005 An unexpected source is causing cooler water flows in the lower Puyallup River, and that could go a long way toward meeting tougher water-quality standards proposed by the Puyallup Tribe. Since the White River Hydroelectric Project shut down at Lake Tapps last year, more water has been left in all parts of the river, the main tributary of the Puyallup. Higher, continuous volumes in the glacier-fed White River have chilled the water downstream in the lower Puyallup, improving water quality and helping fish. "Absolutely. The flows are key," said Char Naylor, tribal water quality manager. "It's making a big difference in Puyallup River water quality." The tribe recently proposed stricter standards in its 7.3-mile section of river where tribal members fish, between the city of Puyallup and about a mile up from the river's mouth in Tacoma. The most recent tribal water standards were issued in 1994. Tribal oversight of lower Puyallup River water quality was established by an 1854 treaty with the U.S., by the Indian Land Claims Settlement of 1988, and other federal laws. The proposed revisions have worried river cities with sewage treatment plants, including the City of Puyallup. It discharges treated wastewater into the section of river under tribal jurisdiction. The city completed a $27 million upgrade to its sewage treatment plant five years ago and raised rates to help pay for it. City officials fear higher standards would mean even more plant upgrades and higher rates for customers. Likewise, Sumner and Bonney Lake recently completed a $22 million upgrade of their joint sewer plant on the lower White River. They share Puyallup's concerns because waters upstream that flow into the tribal control area must then meet tribal standards. Naylor said the tribe received federal guidance in developing the stricter standards. The Puyallups must ensure that they follow the federal Endangered Species Act. Spring chinook salmon and bull trout in the river are listed as threatened under the act and must be protected. Puyallup city and tribal officials recently met about the proposal, and city officials are feeling better. So is the City of Sumner after learning that Puyallup River water quality is better than expected. But Tom Heinecke, Puyallup's development services administrator, said last week that if tougher standards are adopted, the city still will have to modify its sewage plant and raise rates. He said he hopes the city can negotiate with the tribe to hold down costs. Residents now pay $45.29 per month for sewer service in Puyallup. At a Puyallup River Watershed Council meeting last week, Naylor said lower Puyallup River quality is better than many people might have thought, although temperatures aren't quite cold enough to meet proposed standards. When Puget Sound Energy ran its hydro project at Lake Tapps, it withdrew water at Buckley and returned it to the river at Sumner after running it through a power plant. The withdrawals during warmer months left a long section of the lower White River with decreased flows, which would heat the water and lower quality. This year there's cooler water in the lower Puyallup River because withdrawals to Lake Tapps are much smaller, just enough to top off the lake in the spring. But everything isn't resolved yet. Other standards must be met for dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform and pH level, among others. Lake Tapps residents worry that keeping higher flows in the White River at key times might prevent the lake from filling in the spring or from staying full in the summer, since water is lost to evaporation and seepage. A lower water level would hurt recreation in the heavily used lake. To complicate matters, a group of King County water utilities has purchased Lake Tapps and plans to withdraw water for drinking. But the utilities will use much less water than Puget Sound Energy did. Rob Tucker: 253-597-8374 rob.tucker@thenewstribune.com Copyright c. 2005 Tacoma News, Inc. --------- "RE: Homecoming 141 Years after Sand Creek" --------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:39:37 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SAND CREEK" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.rockymountainbullhorn.com/module=article-detail&articleId=389 Homecoming One hundred and forty-one years after a tragic massacre, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians are reconnecting with their heritage and history in Colorado. December 8, 2005 Allen Joe Black Wolf and Steve Brady listen to a soundtrack of traditional Indian songs - known as "49s" - as they drive a rental car southbound on Colorado Highway 71 through the heart of their ancestral homeland. Voices cry and sing, and hands slap and beat drums in the car's speakers, and the Northern Cheyenne men look out at bundles of hay, small herds of cattle and their tribe's former territory, which appears to extend forever across the plains beneath stretched-out clouds and the setting sun. Otto Braided Hair steers a rented minivan just ahead on the highway, and fellow Northern Cheyenne LaForce "Lee" Lone Bear and Floyd "Bucky" Glenmore ride along. The remains of a final member of the tribe - one of about 150 victims murdered at the Sand Creek Massacre on November 29, 1864 - rest in a cedar box in the cargo space of the van. The Northern Cheyenne are on a journey from their reservation in Lame Deer, Montana, to La Junta, Colorado. In between, they traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, to collect their displaced relative in order to return the remains to the banks of Sand Creek. Many historians consider the Sand Creek Massacre the most brutal and deliberate attack on an Indian village in American history, and the raid initiated almost three decades of brutal warfare up and down the Great Plains between the United States Army and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. The massacre also marked the onset of the tribes' cultural decline. "Our people never did recover from that. [The massacre] completely fractured, broke down the traditional government of the Cheyenne tribe," says Brady, who occasionally chants with the recorded 49s between sentences. "[By 1890,] it was about to the point where our own people were nearly exterminated." One hundred and forty-one years after Sand Creek, the northern and southern bands of the Cheyenne and Arapaho are scattered between reservations and other lands in Montana, Wyoming and Oklahoma. They are physically and spiritually separated from the territory and traditions of their relatives, and trying to reconnect with their history and maintain their identity. The Massacre In the dawn light of November 29, 1864, 700 Colorado soldiers under the command of Colonel John Chivington attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho camp along Sand Creek, about twenty miles outside the present-day small town of Eads. Chivington was a Methodist minister turned Civil War hero, and he had no tolerance for or interest in the tribes. His troops were mostly volunteers who had signed on for 100 days of service specifically to kill Indians. A few weeks earlier, the Cheyenne and Arapaho had followed Chivington's orders and left the area around a military fort on the Arkansas River, camped along Sand Creek and flew an American flag over their village as a sign of peace. That November morning, many of the tribe's warriors were hunting for game - under the instruction of the U.S. military - leaving about 500 mainly Cheyenne women and children in the encampment. As the militia approached, an American flag waved over the lodge of Black Kettle, one of the Cheyenne chiefs. Black Kettle believed the flag would spare the lives of his people, and he encouraged them to gather around his lodge as he also raised a white banner of truce. The militia fired indiscriminately on the Indians, and the chief and the others fled for their lives along the creek. "My great-grandparents were still in bed, and they woke up to the sounds of guns and howitzers raining down on them," says Brady, a former high school teacher on the rez who chairs the Northern Cheyenne Sand Creek Massacre Site Project Committee. His great-grandfather, Braided Hair, was one of the few warriors in the village, and he lassoed a stampeding horse for his pregnant wife and got her to safety. The American soldiers slaughtered without mercy. They hacked off limbs with hatchets, and scalped the wounded without killing them. Defenseless groups of women and children who burrowed into pits along the stream banks were raped and shot. One pregnant Indian woman was cut open and her unborn child left lying beside her. "Squaws' snatches were cut out for trophies," wrote Silas Soule, a captain under Chivington who refused to participate in the massacre and positioned his division to prevent more deaths. "You would think it impossible for white men to butcher and mutilate human beings as they did there, but every word I have told you is the truth." About 150 Indians, mostly women and children, died at the Sand Creek Massacre. Black Kettle and his wife, who survived nine bullets, managed to escape up the creek, but many other tribal leaders did not. White Antelope, another Cheyenne chief, stepped out of his lodge when the soldiers first approached the camp and yelled, "Stop! Stop!" in English. Chivington's troops shot the unarmed 75-year-old man. One soldier then scalped White Antelope, cut off his nose, ears and genitals, and boasted that he would make a tobacco pouch of the chief's scrotum - as he still lay dying. In those final moments of White Antelope's life, surrounded by the dead and wounded of his band, the old chief repeated the words of a tribal "journey song" over and over - "Only the Rocks Live on Forever." The Repatriation The soldiers of Chivington's regiment left Sand Creek with scalps, bones and gruesome tobacco pouches. They paraded through Denver as heroes when they returned. A few days before Christmas 1864, the Rocky Mountain News reported, "Cheyenne scalps are getting thick here as toads in Egypt. Everybody has got one, and is anxious to get another to send east." Army surgeons returned to Sand Creek in 1867 to gather bones - usually the skulls - for ballistics studies and an "Indian cranial study" in the name of the pseudo-science of phrenology. Those samples ended up in the Smithsonian museum, which eventually housed about 18,500 Native American remains including 4,500 skulls. This status as souvenirs and specimens has represented a tragic fate for the remains, which the government, museums and tribes have begun to address only in the last fifteen years. In 1990, Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The law established a formal process to catalog and return certain cultural items, including human remains, to affiliated tribes and descendants. Museums across the country have since repatriated, or returned, such artifacts to tribes. The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes know of seven human remains from Sand Creek held by the federal government and state museums. The Colorado Historical Society repatriated a scalp lock to the tribes in 1997 through NAGPRA. Representatives of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes took custody of the individual this past October. The widow of Major Jacob Downing, who fought under Chivington at Sand Creek, originally donated the long lock of hair to the state in 1911. On this trip, the Northern Cheyenne have picked up a skull fragment of a Sand Creek victim from the University of Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln. The museum knows the cranium was donated in 1927 but not much else: A staff member accidentally discovered it in a drawer with some old paper money. "I think it's certainly one of the most important [repatriations] because of the historical interest" in Sand Creek, says Priscilla Grew, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum. "Every time we have one of these repatriations, it brings back a lot of history. It's a very emotional experience, I think, for everyone involved." The Northern Cheyenne have brought the skull fragment to Denver where the Colorado Historical Society has stored it for the night. The next morning, before driving down Highway 71 to La Junta, the Indians meet with historical society officials, who invite the men to a basement vault to view a table of artifacts claimed from Sand Creek. There's a bow and two arrows, a warrior's buckskin shirt colored with yellow ochre and decorated with beads and scalp locks like tassels. Two war bonnets, lost in the chaos. A single buckskin moccasin. The Historic Site The two vehicles arrive at Bent's Old Fort in La Junta - a National Park Service historic site where Sand Creek remains are being held. This past August, President Bush signed a law officially creating the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Previous laws approved a study to confirm the location of the massacre and O.K.'d the acquisition of private lands for the site. To date, the federal government and the tribes have purchased almost 2,400 acres along Sand Creek, which the Park Service will manage once the massacre site is finalized. Park Service Superintendent Alexa Roberts says Sand Creek will be the first unit in the National Park system recognized as a "massacre" site. The agency and tribes are now considering a visitors center and interpretive trails and the placement of a cemetery for the repatriated remains before opening the area to the public. Steve Brady says he'd like to see a simple monument inscribed with the message of White Antelope's journey song. Roberts and the Northern Cheyenne representatives envision very little development, and hope visitors will recognize the site as a place of life and activity, and not just a historic relic. The day after the Indians arrive in southeastern Colorado, they head out to the massacre site with Roberts and other Park Service staff, and the connection between past and present is evident in the prayers of Lee Lone Bear, a Northern Cheyenne spiritual adviser. Like the others who have made this journey from Lame Deer, Lone Bear is a direct descendant of Sand Creek victims. His paternal grandfather married a daughter of White Antelope. His great-grandfather was Lone Bear, or One-Eye, a chief who also died at Sand Creek. On this November afternoon, Lee Lone Bear is leading a prayer on a bluff overlooking the cottonwoods and dry creek bed of the massacre site. He chants in the Cheyenne language, and Allen Joe Black Wolf, who is learning the spiritual ceremonies from Lone Bear, stands at his side. Lone Bear later explains that his words are part of an ongoing invocation that began before he left Lame Deer. "I started the prayer at home and told them [the ancestors whose remains will be repatriated] we were coming and asked them for a good trip," says Lone Bear. "At Lincoln, I prayed and said, 'I'm taking you to Denver and La Junta, and we'll bring you to where you've fallen.'" His prayers include words for the young people of the tribe, and those in the Armed Forces fighting in Iraq. "We even pray for our president, President Bush. We pray that he makes the right decisions, even though he's not well liked anymore," continues Lone Bear. ("I even asked the Creator to watch over you," he tells this journalist, "to make a good report and get it right.") "And I asked the spirit world for good health for the tribe and families, and to get a cemetery and reparations." The Reparations Thirteen years before Sand Creek, the United States government and the tribes signed the Fort Laramie Treaty, establishing the first reservation for the Cheyenne and Arapaho. The territory encompassed 51 million acres across four present-day states, including 27 million acres in Colorado. The Indians retained rights to hunt, fish, travel and live on the land, and the tribes and the U.S. both agreed "to maintain good faith and friendship in all their mutual intercourse, and to make an effective and lasting peace." The peace lasted about seven years until the 1858 Pike's Peak gold rush, when 140,000 prospectors flooded into Colorado. Conflict erupted, ultimately leading to Chivington's aggression at Sand Creek in 1864. One year after the massacre, still reeling from the devastation and violence, some Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs signed a new treaty on the Little Arkansas River in Kansas, surrendering claims and rights to Colorado Territory. But the U.S. government also accepted blame for Sand Creek. Article 6 of the treaty recognized "the gross and wanton outrages perpetrated" that day, and the government agreed to pay reparations in the form of land grants and "securities, animals, goods, provisions, or such other useful articles" to the survivors and victims' families. Fast-forward a century when the U.S. Indian Claims Commission negotiated land-claims settlements with Indians whose territory was taken without compensation. The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes gave up any outstanding claims in exchange for just $15 million. But Sand Creek descendants still retained the right to unpaid reparations. For the 5,000 Northern Cheyenne members who live on the reservation in Eastern Montana, per-capita income is less than $5,000 and unemployment hovers around 70 percent. Similar to other reservations, alcoholism, drug abuse, crime and other poverty-related problems cast a dark shadow over the tribe's future. "This is where we [the Northern Cheyenne] always wanted to live," says Norma Wolfchief Gourneau, over a cup of coffee at her home on the rez. A huge home theater TV towers over the living room, and a litter of kittens bounce around her back porch amid rows of old cars and trucks. "But there's not a lot of opportunities for jobs here," continues Gourneau, a descendant of chief Black Kettle and a former tribal vice president. She now works for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in Billings, an hour's drive away. The Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho of Oklahoma face similar challenges. The tribes don't have a reservation; instead, the 11,400 members live within "service areas" in the panhandle, where they're eligible for government services. Per-capita income is less than $9,000, and the unemployment rate is around 60 percent. Any compensation or reparations could make a huge difference in the lives of these people, which may be why Steve Hillard, CEO of the Golden- based investment firm Council Tree Communications, approached the tribes in 2003 with a proposition for a casino in Colorado - in the name of retribution. "It was a departure from what we normally do," says Hillard, a Colorado State University graduate, whose company has worked mostly with Alaskan tribes on telecommunications deals. "We just did it because we believed it was the right thing to do for the Cheyenne and Arapaho." Hillard struck an agreement with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho and then unveiled his proposal to Colorado in December 2003: The Indians wanted to open a casino on 500 acres outside Denver International Airport and, in exchange, would abandon any claims to the 27 million acres of Colorado - 40 percent of the state - under the Fort Laramie Treaty. The supporters of the "Homecoming Project," as the $150 million casino complex was named, suggested the gaming revenue could serve as reparations. Backers estimated a metro Denver casino would create 10,000 jobs and bring in up to $500 million a year for the tribes, plus $100 million in taxes for Colorado. Despite the economic potential, Sand Creek descendants among the tribes took offense. "We don't care if you build a hundred casinos," says Gourneau. "But we say, 'Don't use Sand Creek to get your casino and don't use Sand Creek as a hammer [to hold] over the state of Colorado.'" "When they first came out with the offer, they included Sand Creek as a bargaining chip," says Joe Big Medicine, a Southern Cheyenne Sand Creek descendant. "When we met with Council Tree, we demanded that Sand Creek be left out." Hillard relented on the association, but he still tried to talk about "genocide" when the Homecoming Project got a hearing from the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee in September 2004. But after a chilly reception from Congress and continued opposition from Gov. Bill Owens and the northern tribes, the investors regrouped and targeted the city of Pueblo for the casino site. The project received approval from county commissioners this August before the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal council ultimately rejected the land exchange a month later. Hillard says the casino is "at best, on hold," but adds that the swing in support among southern tribe members "reflects honest and very deep divisions." Still, Hillard's venture created confusion - over the creation of a Park Service unit and the tribal casino proposal - and stalled the legislation to designate the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Hillard "sidetracked us enough as it was. It almost completely derailed us," says Steve Brady, who adds that Congress, not a casino developer, should move ahead and finally pay reparations for Sand Creek descendants. The Run Braided Hair - the great-grandfather of brothers Steve Brady and Otto Braided Hair - was hurt during the Sand Creek massacre but escaped that morning. He found his pregnant wife alive and riding the same horse for warmth a few days later. "[Braided Hair] was among those delegated to go back and look for survivors and horses," says Brady, who has kept the Anglicized name Indian Affairs later gave his family while his brother uses his ancestor's given name. "He went back to the village and - unbelievable carnage, mutilated bodies, the whole village burned. So, they were left totally destitute. My great-grandfather never forgave the white people for that." Braided Hair lived to be 102 years old, dying in 1934. By then, most of the old ways of life had disappeared. In the years following the massacre, bands of Cheyenne and Arapaho alternately pushed for peace and war with the United States, losing either way. By 1890, the government had relegated the northern and southern tribes to scrawny reservations, scraps of their once-expansive dominion. Members of the tribes needed permission from the government Indian agent to leave a reservation. Elders were discouraged from sharing their heritage, and many chose to suppress stories of the past. Children learned little about their native language, culture and history. Few residents of the Northern Cheyenne reservation have ever journeyed to Sand Creek, and the tribes had even lost track of exactly where their ancestors had camped and been attacked. "I didn't learn about Sand Creek in elementary school or high school," says Otto Braided Hair, coordinator of the Northern Cheyenne Sand Creek Massacre Site Project. "For us, everything is healing. The repatriations. This [the massacre site] becoming a national historic site," says Braided Hair, as he walks around Sand Creek and speaks of the role of the tribe's prayers in their accomplishments. "Everything seemed almost impossible [in 1999]. Even the healing run." Since 1999, a group of runners, children and adults, commemorate the Sand Creek Massacre every year by jogging from the site to Denver during the week of Thanksgiving - and the anniversary of the attack. Lee Lone Bear, the spiritual adviser, conceived of the healing run as an another way to actively remember and reconnect with the history of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people. Both northern and southern tribes say the run is a centerpiece for education for their members and the American public, and it's even helping them to connect with each other. In the early morning of the run that first year, Lone Bear held a pipe ceremony along the creek with Braided Hair and a private landowner. Lone Bear says the men heard a woman crying, only to realize it was a chorus of coyotes circling them. The landowner later said that deer and elk - long absent from the area - returned after the ceremony. The Future A few weeks after the repatriation, both Braided Hair and Lone Bear return to Colorado for the seventh annual healing run. The night after Thanksgiving and the run at Sand Creek, members of the northern and southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes have gathered for a candlelight vigil at the Denver Art Museum. There are about 40 people at "the Wheel," an outdoor art exhibit of a circle of ten forked "trees" painted red with messages of history and hope for Native Americans. Lone Bear recounts the story of White Antelope chanting his journey song as he died at Sand Creek, and then begins to sing those words in Cheyenne - "Only the Rocks Live on Forever" - with Braided Hair and others. Braided Hair follows with a long yelp that gives chills even on a 30-degree night. The massacre site is on the verge of becoming a national historic site run by the federal government. The healing run is bringing attention, and receiving support from the city of Denver. The Colorado Historical Society is planning a major exhibit on the state's Native American inhabitants. The Cheyenne and Arapaho are learning how to make sure their heritage and their stories live forever with the rocks. "In our writings, we say it is our tribal history," Braided Hair tells the group at the vigil, "but it is not. It is the history of the land." Copyright c. 2005 Rocky Mountain Bullhorn. Published by Poudre River Publishing. --------- "RE: Leech Lake community worries about its future" --------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:54:17 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LEECH LAKE" http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=110588§ion=News Leech Lake community worries about its future December 6, 2005 CASS LAKE, Minn. - Like citizens of a war-torn country, they came together: hundreds of people from this little community on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, pleading once more for an end to the killing. An Ojibwe pipe carrier who performs healing ceremonies, Kenn Mitchell came to the front of the room where they gathered at the Palace Casino, asked the spirits for guidance and then held up a $20 bill. Mitchell's son and grandson are serving decades-long sentences for the 2002 beating death - on Cass Lake's main street - of Louie Bisson, a blind albino man. "All day we've listened to people talk," Mitchell said, "and not once has somebody said, `Here is what I'm going to do.' " The $20, he said, was to start a reward fund to catch the killers of Brandon Humphrey, 17, and Michael Littlewolf, 20, this fall. Leech Lake "I'll contribute $100!" someone yelled. A line formed, and, when they were done, a basket contained $970. That was the reservation's latest expression of hope that it can pull itself from the whirlpool of poverty, chemical abuse, gangs and violence that have given it - despite its isolation and beauty - a serious crime rate that is consistently among the state's worst. Leech Lake Tribal Chairman George Goggleye hosted the gathering last week after announcing that he was declaring war on what he called a rising tide of alcohol abuse, drug use, lawlessness and tragic death, a tide spiked by a half-dozen senseless killings this fall alone. Most often, young adults were involved. "The youth are the future of our people," Goggleye said with tears in his eyes. "If we don't do something, I have to question our ability to survive." With a population of only 860, Cass Lake is the largest community on the reservation, a large, forested tract marbled by large lakes and bogs. Lately, the town has become northern Minnesota's epicenter of drugs, gangs and increasingly brutal violence. While teenagers and young adults are often perpetrators, they also are frequent victims of neglect, chemical abuse in their families and crime. "A lot of kids are getting angry that nothing is being done," 16-year-old Ashley Williams told the gathering. "I don't think it's right that kids can't feel safe in their community." A place Williams says she can feel safe is the local Boys and Girls Club, which was started in Cass Lake in 1999 after an earlier wave of violence. The club was cited by many at the gathering as one of the reservation's most positive influences on children, hundreds of whom show up daily. "All our kids need is time - special time with some grown-up who will treat them like they are the one and only person in the world," said Joanie Johnson, director of the club's newly opened branch in Walker. While the kids need time, the club needs money; executive director Tuleah Palmer said the club is trying to raise $240,000 to buy a building for a third branch in the tiny town of Ball Club. Vikki Howard, administrator of the Leech Lake Band's education division, listed some acute needs that many say the band has had for years. They include a drug treatment center and an after-care program that could deal close to home with members' addictions. Among those are addictions to prescription drugs, which is a growing problem. They include a shelter where police could bring kids who are out late or drunk and have no parents at home. Cass County District Judge John Smith drew applause when he announced that the county will change how it handles many chronic, chemically addicted offenders by creating a "wellness court" geared more toward treatment than punishment. "We don't perceive people with alcohol problems as criminals," Smith said. "We're going to focus on getting them back on track." He said the stakes are high because Cass County's rate of drunken-driving fatalities is one of the highest in the state. Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch, a guest at the meeting, said the state government has a responsibility to invest more in programs for children and renew funding for initiatives such as the statewide Gang Strike Force. He said the state needs effective treatment facilities for methamphetamine addiction, a growing scourge, especially in rural areas. He noted that such efforts would cost less per person than the $28,000 a year it costs to imprison one inmate. Cass Lake-Bena schools Superintendent Todd Chessmore, American Indian Movement founder Clyde Bellecourt and several others agreed that the reservation's myriad levels of local, state, federal and tribal government need to end petty rivalries and join their considerable forces. Bellecourt added that the Ojibwe now more than ever need to teach their children Ojibwe history and traditions, to restore their pride. "We have to somehow, some way come back together," he said. "Do something to let the youth know we love them and care about them and will do something to help them." Copyright c. 2005 Forum Communications Co. Fargo, ND 58102. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Navajo Santa visits Utah for 16th Year" --------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 13:47:13 -0700 From: Karen Francis Subj: Navajo Santa visits Utah for 16th year Contact: Karen Francis, Public Information Officer Navajo Nation Council Office of the Speaker (928) 871-7160 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: December 6, 2005 NAVAJO SANTA VISITS UTAH FOR 16TH YEAR Every year for the past 16 years, Utah Navajos have been treated to a weekend of Christmas festivities courtesy of the Ya'a'teeh Keshmish or Navajo Santa program. This year, the organization, which is chaired by Council delegate Kenneth Maryboy, held the celebration the weekend of December 3-4. Council delegates Maryboy, Woody Lee, Tom Lapahe and Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan joined approximately 500 Utah Navajo residents for the annual celebration held outside Bluff, Utah on Saturday. For Maryboy's family and the many volunteers who are part of the Navajo Santa organization, the day began before 8 a.m. as they worked to put up the tent and prepare a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for the guests. They also prepared the gifts for the community give-away. The actual work in soliciting donations, sponsors and volunteers, however, is a year-round process and requires the help of all the members of the Maryboy family, especially his wife and children, and numerous others who are part of the Navajo Santa organization. ... Utah Navajo families were given toys, clothes, blankets and hygiene packs. They were also given the opportunity to participate in games such as horse shoe throwing, chainsaw contest and dummy roping, for one-of-a-kind prizes like a Utah Jazz basketball cap signed by the players. Following the give-away and contests, guests were treated to a delicious dinner served by volunteers as Navajo stories about the stars, narrated in part by Maryboy himself, played over loudspeakers. The next day, Maryboy donned his Santa suit to make deliveries to Utah Navajo families in need. The Sub-For-Santa delivery matches up sponsors with families to purchase the items on their Christmas wish lists. Council delegates will be attending various Christmas programs throughout the Navajo Nation during the holiday season. On Saturday, December 10, the Speaker is scheduled to attend the Ganado Chapter Christmas banquet. --------- "RE: GIAGO: Tribe's President wears a shaky Crown" --------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:54:17 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: CECILIA FIRE THUNDER" http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7305 Notes from Indian Country The Oglala Sioux Tribe's president wears a shaky crown Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) December 5, 2005 Copyright c. 2005, Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. She was the first woman ever elected to serve as the President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. For Cecilia Fire Thunder the going hasn't been easy. Born at the Pejuta Haka District (Medicine Root) of the reservation she was raised by a loving family and she shared the poverty and hardships of life at Kyle, but like all of the other Lakota children raised there, she enjoyed the wonderful summers fishing, swimming and playing in Kyle Dam. It was a wonderful place to be a child. I know because I spent my childhood days there. The Pine Ridge Reservation has been in a political turmoil for 20 years or more. From the takeover at Wounded Knee in 1973 to the murder of two FBI agents in 1975 the upheavals have been detrimental to the future of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The government of the reservation has lapsed into periods of huge debt, cronyism, nepotism and plain bad leadership. And the debt just keeps piling up. Fire Thunder came on board with the nearly impossible task of cleaning up more than 20 years of mismanagement. The entrenched bureaucracy famous among tribal members for its incompetence would surely strike back if they felt that their security was threatened. Is there any way to clean up a mess that has been decades in the making without ruffling feathers? Apparently not! In order to make badly needed changes it required someone not afraid to wield a big stick. And unfortunately, wielding a big stick does not sit well with those who would just as soon sit on their false sense of security. Fire Thunder shook up the establishment from day one. She appeared to be the proverbial "bull in the china shop." When the bureaucracy is threatened it strikes back. And the entrenched leadership of the tribe must be looked upon as a bureaucracy. She is one year into her presidency and already she has been called on the carpet twice with threats of impeachment, once by the chief of the Head Start Program and recently by another tribal members who accused her of not being a legal member of the tribe. She beat the first rap, but is now on suspension over the second accusation. There are other nebulous charges involved here; charges that could have been easily settled without the suspension, but that is not the way things are done at Pine Ridge. Fire Thunder believes the present council violated her "due process" and she does have a point. She believes that the complaints have severely restricted her from doing the job the people elected her to do. "There is one member of the council who failed to secure a contract for his family member and he has been very vocal against me. I believe that when you've lost a fight on the council floor you let it go," she said. "When we secured the loan of $38 million dollars from the Shakopee it enable us to hire people to set our financial records straight. We are still trying to close out the audits from as far back as 1999. We will have a hard time moving forward until we get our financial situation in order and that stands true for any business or government," Fire Thunder said. There is a divided tribal council at the present time and Fire Thunder is sure that this has caused additional problems such as trying to find the money to help the people with propane for the winter and just keep the basic day-to-day stuff moving forward. Politics on the Pine Ridge Reservation has often been divisive. From the days of Wounded Knee II when politics divided families and friends, the situation gradually improved under tribal presidents like Elijah Whirlwind Horse. He ran on a ticket of "Unity" and did his best to unite the people. The two-year terms of the council and president has not helped the situation. Most elected leaders spend their first year trying to learn their jobs and the second year preparing for the next election. A referendum election to increase the two-year terms to four years was soundly defeated a few years ago. The general consensus was "we have to put up with them for two years, what in the heck would we do if they were in for four years?" Cecilia's fate will be decided next Monday when the council meets. The decision was due on the 28th of November but blizzard like conditions on the reservations caused the decision to be put on hold until a quorum became available. If the tribal council acts with intelligence and decorum they will overrule the complaint against Fire Thunder and let her finish out her last year in office. If not, the turmoil will continue and the way the tribal statute reads, it will not be the vice president, Alex White Plume, who would replace Fire Thunder if she is removed as president, but it would be the man she defeated in the last election, Russell Means, who would become the next president. Sound crazy? Well, that's the way it is on the Pine Ridge Reservation. --- Tim Giago is the president of the Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc., and the publisher of Indian Education Today Magazine. He can be reached at najournalists@rushmore.com or by writing him at 2050 W. Main St., Suite 5, Rapid City, SD. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Take writings with Grain of Salt" --------- Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2005 08:36:54 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: FLAWED HISTORY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.grandforks.com//dorreen_yellow_bird/13297910.htm Take explorers' writings with grain of salt Column by Doreen Yellow Bird December 1, 2005 Last week, I interviewed Anne Kelsch, an assistant professor of history at UND. Kelsch has researched the travel journals of explorer Alexander Henry, who lived in Canada and also spent time in the area of what is now Grand Forks. He was one of the earliest fur traders in the Red River Valley, and in his journals, wrote about his life and the valley landscape he encountered. In the interview, Kelsch said there were times when Henry exaggerated his accounts. And, she added, people should read historical journals with an understanding of the writer's biases and assumptions at the time. That struck a chord with me. I researched old journals while putting together a historical document for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction several years ago. And as I did so, I found statements and observations of explorers, traders and others that just didn't ring true. Yet, these firsthand accounts often are taken as unvarnished truth. They were, after all, the word of someone who actually had stepped into the muddy waters of the Missouri River or bent low to enter a smoky earth lodge. Conversely, as Native people observed white men, their portrayals likely had their own biases and assumptions, too. I know: Some of the comments about non-Natives that I heard as a child, I now realize were not altogether accurate. The comments were from Native people seeing non- Natives from a Native perspective. One of the journals I read was by the fur trader, Edwin Denig. I was amazed at how harsh Denig was on the Sahnish (Arikara) people. Denig lived most of his years at Fort Union, which is at the junction of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. He is described in book reviews as a trader who saw how things really were on the Upper Missouri from 1833 to 1856. Denig was a hard-bitten, rye-drinking merchant of the American Fur Company who lived among the Plains tribes for 23 years. He reported that Indian women walked the shores of the river with their skirts held up, appearing to be "soliciting their company," Denig wrote. At the time, non-Native society thought that seeing women's body parts such as the ankle was indecent. But when told about this, the Native elders laughed. Have you ever worn a wet buckskin dress? they asked. It would weigh 10 times more than a dry dress and, when dry, would be as stiff as a board. My grandmother told me that her mother had remembered and talked about Denig. Denig had come to the village on the Missouri to find a wife. The people there didn't like him because he smelled bad, my great-grandmother had said. It was the fur trader's way to bathe only when absolutely necessary. In contrast, the people of the tribe bathed once or twice a day, according to the journals. To keep Denig away from their young women, people would take long, sharpened red willow sticks and poke him when he came around the young girls. I am sure Denig didn't understand their motives because he probably didn't notice his own smell. Denig's experience mostly was with the Assiniboines; he had two wives of that tribe. But in his writings, he also wrote about other tribes, based upon his limited experience and the tales of other traders. Most unfortunate were the quarrels between Native people and the newcomers over whose God was "the" God. The early explorers and fur traders in Indian country had no understanding of American Indian culture, nor did they understand Indian spirituality. They wrote that Native people's miracles were "sleight of hand" tricks, or fake. At times, Indian ceremonies were forbidden, because it was thought that these rituals kept Indian people in a state of savagery. Children were taken from their reservation homes to the East Coast and placed in the Hampton Indian School in Hampton, Va., or to the West Coast and the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Ore. The childrens' braids were cut off, their buckskin and beads were taken and they were taught about a new God. A powerful assimilation process began in those schools. One of my nieces, who attended UND several years ago, found that the ancient writings of Denig which were taught in her Indian studies classes were objectionable. She brought up some pretty good first-hand accounts from her grandparents, she said, but those accounts were not considered. She graduated but left UND feeling angry and frustrated. We all see the world from our past experiences, prejudices and assumptions. However, when non-Natives came to this country, they had the pen and the parchment or "vellum." So, Indian tribes and people ended up with a twisted history based on foreign perspectives from fur traders such as Denig. As Kelsch suggested, we should remember that these early writers made their observations through the lenses of their own biases and assumptions. ---- Dorreen Yellow Bird's column appears Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at (701) 780-1228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com Copyright c. 2005 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: HARJO: Who's making up Indian Culture Myths" --------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:39:37 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HARJO: REDSKIN LAWSUIT" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412072 Harjo: Who's making up Indian culture myths? by: Suzan Shown Harjo / Indian Country Today December 8, 2005 The one true thing we used to know about Indian culture myths was that they were born in the non-Indian imagination, but some of the newer ones are being invented by Native people. We learned from movies that Indians walk without making a sound - even in the woods on those crunchy, noisy leaves. We read in history books that Native peoples ceased to exist at the end of the 1800s and lots of people believe it, despite living evidence to the contrary. And, politicians declare that all Indians are casino-millionaires, but they can't explain away the pesky fact that Indians are the poorest people in the United States. The culture myth that Indians have no concept of ownership started off as a story about how easy it is to get something for nothing - as in the one about Indians selling Manhattan for $24 in beads - and morphed into a story about how there's enough land for everyone and Indians are just greedy, so non-Indians are justified in stealing it. Some Native writers are building on that culture myth and asserting that Indians don't even have a word for "ownership." I would be surprised if there were any Native heritage languages without words that mean "belong" and "mine" and "ours" and "yours" and "theirs." Another culture myth that seems to have come from Native, rather than non-Native, people is that Indians have no word for "art." That cropped up in the early 1990s at a Native art conference, where you'd expect people to know better, and arose from an older one invented by anthropologists and archeologists: everything in Indian life is functional. There are all sorts of nuanced words in Native languages that mean art. Some stand for art combined with purpose, such as spiritual beauty; and some are stand-alone words for art for its own sake, such as drawing and design. It is odd that artists would have come up with such a loopy notion, when there is so much art in Indian life, past and present. Native artists would have to be ignorant about both their tribal art heritage and their traditional language in order to come up with that concept or to agree with it. I was appalled to see Native reporters on a panel at a national journalism conference a few years ago invent the culture myth that Indians have no word for "news." No word for news? Native languages have many words for news, more than are found in the European languages. Some Native languages have words and phrases for emergency news, old news, news you can use, news that's being fact-checked and gossip that isn't news but the people believe it. Most Native nations have traditional positions and job titles for news gatherers and news reporters. In order for Native journalists to have invented this culture myth, they must not have spoken or understood their heritage languages or ever asked any of their Native language speakers anything about a tribal context for their chosen profession. Two popular and interlocking culture myths are that the Europeans are "linear thinkers" and Indians are "circular thinkers." This is supposed to mean that European thought is rigid and analytical, while Native thought is natural and intuitive. Some have used linear thinking versus circular thinking to illustrate the difference between European and Native American cultures, but both linear thinking and circular thinking are too simplistic to describe or explain away whole peoples. They actually represent the same kind of thinking, except that the straight line never makes a point or connects with anything and the circle keeps covering the same ground over and over again. The linear and circular models are fine to describe one-track minds and the simple-minded. To represent complex thinkers - healers, philosophers, physicists, cartoonists and the like - you need to advance to spherical models, with interlocking satellites (think ecological interconnectedness), or to lines moving at different levels, angles, directions and rates of speed (think Einstein's parallel universes and theory of relativity). But, here is something I offer at the risk of creating a new culture myth and sending non-Indian linguists scrambling. It seems that we really have no word for "mascot." That is, in the few Native American languages I've surveyed, there are no words or concepts for "mascot." For my survey, I asked Native language experts if there is a word for mascot in their heritage language. "There's no word in Tsistsistas [Cheyenne] for mascot," said Dr. Henrietta Mann, who is Cheyenne and a leading Native educator. "The closest concept we have to 'mascot' is 'pet,' but that's not a traditional concept." Virginia Beavert, who is Yakama and is editing the Heritage University Yakama Language Dictionary, said that the "Yakama people do not actually have a mascot." She described Coyote as culture hero, but not a mascot. "Coyote 'Spilyay' made predictions to where certain kinds of roots, berries, medicines and other important survival foods were to grow to benefit the people. He was a trickster who made the laws." Dr. William Demmert, who is Tlingit (which means "people" or "human beings") of the Eagle/Wolf clan and a well-respected educator and language expert, said, "I am not aware of any name for a mascot or pet - no such animal - animals would have been referred to as 'beings."' Albert White Hat, whose nation is the Sicangu Lakota Oyate (Lakota Burnt Thigh Nation or Rosebud Sioux Tribe), is a Lakota language instructor at Sinte Gleska University. He said, "I don't believe we have a concept of a mascot. We have different societies that use the name of an animal nation, like Elk Society. These societies are for any need or request of the tribe. They also compete in sports and other activities. The animal-nations they use[d] were their spiritual guides or inspirations." "There is no name for mascot in Tewa," said Dr. Tessie Naranjo, who speaks Tewa and is from Kha P'o Owingeh (Singing Water Village or Santa Clara Pueblo). Dr. Ofelia Zepeda, who is Tohono O'odham and a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona, answered the question about the existence of a word in her language for mascot with a resounding "No." Jimmy Arterberry, who is a Numunu (meaning "the people" or Comanche) tribal culture and arts activist, answered in the same way. Bill Means, who is Oglala Lakota and one of my co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the name of the Washington football club, responded to an assertion by a non-Indian linguist that one mascot - "Redskins" - came from Indians. "The word 'redskin' is strictly from the interpreter," said Means. "The literal translation to Lakota would be 'Ha Luta' or 'Ha Sha,' which I have never heard used. After contacting several family members and one Lakota language expert from Oglala Lakota College, we have all come to the same conclusion: that the word 'redskin' can only be the word of the translator." This may be news to the National Football League, but we do have words for "news" and we don't have any for "mascots." ---- Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, is president of the Morning Star Institute in Washington, D.C. and a columnist for Indian Country Today. Copyright c. 1998-2005 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Some weeks, Blessings are everywhere" --------- Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 16:06:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: BLESSINGS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/columnists/13375802.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Some weeks, blessings are everywhere December 10, 2005 It has been a crazy week. I wonder if the star people changed positions during the night or if the "trickster" was about. The weather warmed up into the teens. Snow melted on the roads and looked like cookie dough mixed with brown sugar. During the week, I heard a president sing about beer and beans, went to a local roadhouse and watched the cowboy two-step and swing, had a lively discussion with two male UND students about women, visited with a delegation of friendly Canadians and walked barefoot in the snow under a bright half-moon. All true. I knew that Charles Kupchella, president of UND, sang occasionally in Tabula, the local coffeehouse. But I was a bit surprised when I actually saw him there - guitar in hand, surrounded by a sound system and a microphone pulled up close and singing folk songs. "This is the president of the university," I thought as I sat there among the tables, the couches and the coffeehouse crowd. "One of the most powerful men in the city, strumming a guitar and singing about beer, beans and women - something you might hear in a smoky dive somewhere in midtown Minneapolis." As Kupchella sang the folk tunes, it was obvious he was having fun and enjoyed the music. I did, too, because they were of my era: "The Unicorn Song," "Scarborough Fair," "Green, Grass of Home" - you know the kind, or at least the generation. I have to admire someone who is willing to step out of his prestigious role for the fun of it. The next night, my sister - you know, the one who dances on her toes and twirls every chance she gets - asked me to go with her to Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse, a bar with a big dance floor. Her dance classes gather Wednesday nights, she said, and practice all they've learned from Theresa and Char, their dance teachers. We were early. We didn't realize things don't get started until after 8 p.m.; then it fills up fast. I was pleasantly surprised that the bar was almost smoke-free at first. Later, a few smokers lit up, but the place never got so smoke-filled that you had to cut it with a swizzle stick. The floor is good-sized, with round, spinning globes on the ceiling that sent little sparkling lights around the room, like on a disco dance floor. We sat with Char and one of her students, who is studying music therapy. Music and rhythm can help people with certain brain diseases, she told us. I also met a woman whom I'll call "Lena," who came over to visit. She was Norwegian, she said, then added with a laugh, "I have three left feet." I looked down, wondering if that was a Norwegian trait I hadn't noticed before. But she was being modest: I watched her and her partner move about the floor like professional dancers. I came to the roadhouse to see my sister swing-dance and watch someone throw her into the air or dip her to the floor. But she just took in all the dances, her foot tapping under the table and fingers drumming on her pants leg. Once she gets more familiar with the atmosphere and people, she'll dance under those disco lights, I thought. I went home that evening with "Red Neck Girl" spinning in my head. At a noon meeting the next day, I had a lively discussion with two students - one from Chicago and the other from India. The question was, "What do men really think of women?" I wasn't taking notes, so this is what I remember: The Chicago student said something like, "The Women's Movement peaked in the '70s. Today, women are on different paths. They are confused." The Indian student said, "Surely, women are the weaker sex, but the smarter one, too." It was a long discussion and most refreshing to hear open and honest remarks .?.?. even if those remarks were naive. See, guys, I get the last word. Thursday was Canadian day. I interviewed an official from the Minneapolis-based Consulate General of Canada and attended the consulate's reception in UND's Center for Innovation at 4 p.m. Not only was the buffet table good, but the Canadians brought wine made Canada, which, I understand, was excellent. The consulate's staff members are cordial and friendly people. At night after the reception, I took part in an inipi, or sweat - a turnabout from the posh Canadian shindig. It was cold and windy, and the half-moon was as bright as a full one. We walked in the snow in our bare feet to the sweat lodge. It was chilly, but coming out of the inipi, wet from the steam, into the cold air was an eye-opener. It was one of those nights when spirits were about, and the moon and stars hovered over us. We were blessed, and it was a good week. ---- Dorreen Yellow Bird's column appears Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at (701) 780-1228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com Copyright c. 2005 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: Repository doles out Honesty, Courage in Feathers" --------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:39:37 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NATIONAL EAGLE REPOSITORY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com/AR2005120801915.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage Repository Doles Out Honesty, Majesty, Courage and Wisdom in Feathers December 9, 2005 DENVER - Every religion has its icon. They are well-known symbols, easy to reproduce and distribute. For many American Indians, the eagle is the most sacred religious icon. The awesome predatory birds are believed to have a special connection with God. They represent truth, honesty, majesty, courage and wisdom. For many American Indians, eagles are a sacred religious icon. The feathers, heads and talons of bald and golden eagles are prized among almost all North American tribes and are used in religious ceremonies. But, unlike crosses or images of the Virgin Mary, genuine eagle parts are not easy to come by. The big birds are federally protected; they cannot be legally hunted. The only way Indians can legally obtain eagles is through the National Eagle Repository, a federally run program in the Denver area. The repository collects eagles found dead in the wild from as far away as Alaska, cleans them up and distributes them to Indians throughout the nation. "The primary parts are the wings and the tails," said Bernadette Atencio, who heads the repository. "They are the parts that are used the most in regalia and creating religious artifacts. The head and claws would be next." The repository is a small operation with five employees in a warehouse on the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which is now a wildlife sanctuary. U. S. Fish and Wildlife agents find dead birds in the wild, put them on ice and ship them to the center. The repository keeps the birds in freezers and salvages all usable parts. "Every tribe is different," Atencio said. "They all have different uses for different parts, and we cater to all of them." Indians apply for the eagle parts - the service is provided at no cost to the tribes - and the repository workers ship 25 to 35 orders each week. The repository receives more than 3,000 requests for eagles each year but takes in only about 1,600. The wait for an eagle is usually three years. Marjorie Waheneka of Pendleton, Ore., applied for an eagle in 1993. She received her eagle - a young bald eagle - last month. Waheneka, with roots in the Palouse and Umatilla tribes, says it was worth the unusual 12-year wait. She put her eagle in the freezer and plans to use it for several purposes. "Sometimes we need feathers when there is a death or when there is a marriage," she said. "They are to be given for education accomplishments or for services. Also, I have two granddaughters, and I am happy to have plumes and feathers they can use when they are dancing at celebrations." For those who just need only feathers, the wait can be just a few months. "We have lots of options for other parts if we don't get a whole bird," Atencio said. "There are a lot of people waiting." Copyright c. 2005 The Washington Post Company. --------- "RE: Nanticoke work to preserve their Heritage" --------- Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2005 13:5:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DELEWARE'S NANTICOKE STAKE FUTURE ON YOUTH" http://www.delawareonline.com//article?AID=/20051204/NEWS/512040321/1006 Nanticoke work to preserve their heritage To keep its traditional culture from fading away, the state's only Indian tribe stakes its future on its young people By PATRICIA V. RIVERA The News Journal December 4, 2005 OAK ORCHARD - Growing up on the shores of southern Delaware's Indian River Bay in the 1940s, Jean "Princess Laughing Water" Norwood knew little about the white society that was rapidly surrounding her and her tribe. Life outside her Nanticoke community in Oak Orchard was often unfair and sometimes cruel to American Indians like her and to other people of color. "I wasn't allowed to sit in any local restaurants. I did not attend the local movie theater because it was segregated, and I wasn't raised to be a second-class citizen," recalled Norwood, 64, now the director of historic and cultural affairs for the Nanticokes, Delaware's only state-recognized American Indian tribe. "So there was little to do but stay with my own people." Tribal members lived in a self-contained community that shared in the harvesting of crops, the teaching of tribal customs such as Nanticoke- style beading, singing, dancing, storytelling and spiritual ceremonies. The cultural and social insulation benefitted Norwood, who says it allowed her to grow close to the Nanticoke culture. Today, the Nanticokes - whose name translates into English as the "tidewater people" - maintain a solid community of about 200 members along the north shore of Indian River Bay, near Millsboro. But as they've merged into the mainstream community of Sussex County, some tribal members say the future of Nanticoke customs and practices is in peril. With only about 30 Nanticoke elders (most in their 70s) left to pass on what they know about Nanticoke customs, tribal members are making a deliberate effort this year to effect a resurgence of cultural pride among their people. The steps they are taking include a planned expansion of the tribe's cultural center, oral history recordings of their elders and the formation of youth groups to instill appreciation of the Nanticoke heritage. Tribal leaders say without those efforts, the Nanticoke tribe, like their language - which hasn't been spoken since the mid-1800s - will disappear. "Every day it becomes harder to maintain our identity, and that's why we need to be more visible," Norwood said. Along with her husband, Chief James "Tee" Norwood, who bears the Indian name "Tidewater Laughing Wolf," Jean Norwood and other Nanticokes in Sussex County are working to pass on the cultural knowledge that remains. Documenting lives One project, for example, will document the life stories of Nanticokes. At least one biography, the life story of Lewes woodworker Howard Wright Sr., who died Feb. 6, is already complete and others are in the works. "Howard Wright, he was the 'keeper of the door,' the good-looking Indian man who always opened the door at the Indian Mission Church," said Raggatha Calentine, a Cherokee storyteller who is helping the Nanticokes disseminate information. "You'd walk in, he'd put out his hand ... then pull you in and give you a hug." Calentine said that Wright educated the Nanticokes about the prophecy of the Seventh Generation. Found throughout many American Indian cultures, the prophecy says the Seventh Generation will see the environmental damage committed by man and rise up and heal the Earth. These days, Calentine, too, is following in Wright's footsteps. She travels the state, illustrating how the Nanticokes lived over the years. Last month, Calentine and other American Indians staged a presentation of dances and storytelling at the Lewes Historical Society. She also is involved in the interviews of the state's American Indian community, explaining the importance of letting tribal members tell stories in the "traditional way." In some American Indian communities, once the harvest and hunting seasons ended, people shared stories about how they grew up. Those stories passed on values and beliefs. Calentine and others want to use those stories to preserve the state's knowledge of the Nanticoke people. With a small number of members left - 662 were recorded in the last Census - the Nanticoke have to work harder than other groups to preserve their traditions, Jean Norwood said. Ancestors of the Nanticokes have lived in Sussex County for more than 300 years, facing tremendous pressure, until recently, to abandon their culture. Historians and tribe members said that during the 1800s and 1900s the Nanticokes lost many of their customs, oral histories and even their language. Until 1881, they were classified by Delaware as part of the black population. "The Nanticoke have had to practically invent themselves," noted historian Bill Williams, a retired University of Delaware professor. Historians and archaeologists from outside their community have helped them trace their history. The late Frank G. Speck of the University of Pennsylvania is credited with helping them organize into the viable tribe chartered by the state's General Assembly in 1921. Some say Speck even reconnected them with their music and movement, eventually organizing a gathering, or powwow. "What a great irony that it was a white man who taught them how to dance," Williams said. The powwows lasted through 1936. The Great Depression, followed by gas rationing during World War II, helped put an end to the celebration as tribes from other areas could no longer reach the Indian River Bay shores. The 20th century brought desegregation and assimilation. The tribe might have disappeared had it not been for its young people, who had returned to the area from Haskell Institute, a federally funded Indian school in Kansas. The Nanticoke Indian Association reorganized itself again in 1975 as an effort to honor its ancestors, and revived the annual powwows in 1977. Modern powwows have proved successful in getting younger members to learn more about their heritage. "The powwows are like a homecoming," said Chief Norwood. "You see the younger generations coming back to stay in touch with relatives they hardly know. They're bringing their children to introduce them to family members." Besides the annual gatherings, tribal members also are looking for other activities that will showcase Nanticoke traditions throughout the year. Increasing interest Some argue that the tribe's efforts could be paying off. It is receiving regular applications from people seeking to trace their roots to the Nanticokes. Some 1,000 people belong to the Nanticoke Indian Association, and a committee is reviewing applications to become part of the tribe. But increasing tribal enrollment numbers isn't the only way of making sure the Nanticokes don't disappear. Some are trying to increase the general public's knowledge of the Nanticokes as a way of making sure the tribe's past and its contributions to the state are not forgotten. At the Nanticoke Indian Museum that sits off Del. 5 and Del. 24, tribe member Patience Harmon, 84, often answers questions from people who know little about the group. "People are surprised that we don't live in a reservation but instead that we own land," Harmon said. "Our history is different than that of other tribes." Meeting John Smith The Nanticokes first made contact with Europeans in 1608, when Capt. John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay. When fighting broke out between the tribe and the new settlers, many Nanticoke families headed north and west to avoid the battles. Some went to southern Delaware and settled in Indian River Hundred. Tax records show that they owned land in the area as far back as the 1600s. "We had our own 'Trail of Tears,' " said Harmon, referring to the forced relocation of the Cherokees from their native Southeast homes to Oklahoma 150 years ago. An estimated 4,000 Cherokee Indians died on the trek, part of a government-run removal program. Many Nanticoke joined other refugee tribes moving north and west, particularly their relatives and neighbors the Lenni Lenape (or Delawares). Some Nanticokes stayed in the area, however, and eventually formed a legal organization. By 1881, the state recognized the Nanticoke tribe. In 1921, members formed the Nanticoke Indian Association, which was granted nonprofit status. Tribally owned lands include two properties, the Nanticoke Indian Center and the Nanticoke Indian Museum. The museum is closed until April so the tribe can expand its collection of historic artifacts. Members also are planning to build a replica of a traditional Nanticoke village on newly acquired land off Del. 24. They had once embarked on a similar plan on land behind the museum, which would have included a sweat lodge and a garden. "Then a hurricane five or six years ago came and blew it into the next county, I think," Harmon said. Tribe members were slow to rebuild because they needed muscle power, she said. Younger Nanticokes often have obligations that leave them little time for the tribe's projects. Youngsters get involved In recent years, elders found encouragement, Jean Norwood said, when a group of teenage girls banded together, calling themselves the NDN Stick Chicks (NDN is slang for Indian). Forming the group helped them honor their ancestors and their culture. Jean Norwood places her hope for the future of the state's Nanticokes on the shoulders of youngsters such as 15-year-old Kayleigh Vickers of Millsboro - one of the NDN Stick Chicks. Kayleigh has danced "jingle" since she was old enough to walk. Pieces of cone-shaped metal, or jingles, give the dance and dresses the dancers wear their name. During a recent presentation, Kayleigh's aunt Linda Wright chanted lyrics used for a Nanticoke Indian toe dance. The meaning of the words has been lost over time but the rhythmic utterance, "O hal-o-way, O hal-o-way" resonates each time the girls appear on stage. Using chants, the performers express their desire - and the tribe's. "We are the Nanticoke Indians. We are the NDN Stick Chicks. We are still here. We will continue to be here." Copyright c. 2005, The News Journal. --------- "RE: Exhibits tell Histories of Crow, Northern Cheyenne" --------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:39:37 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REAL HISTORY ON DISPLAY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsnews.com/story?storyid=18666&issue=297 New exhibits tell histories of Crow, Northern Cheyenne Story and Photo by SCOTT PRINZING For The Outpost December 8, 2005 The stories of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne are being told in their own words at a new exhibit at the Western Heritage Center in downtown Billings. The exhibit, which opened last weekend, presents an opportunity for area schoolchildren, tourists and Billings residents to learn more about some of our nations within. Many Billings residents know little to nothing about their close neighbors, whose rich and diverse cultures have much to offer in understanding Montana history and contemporary life in Eastern Montana. What perceptions that are held are often misinformed at best. The American Indian Tribal Histories Project seeks to remedy that lack of understanding by presenting information from a series of interviews of tribal members, conducted by tribal members. A collection of five DVDs has been produced that can take their stories beyond the exhibit halls of the Western Heritage Center. But the exhibits themselves are worth visiting in person. The exhibits of the two nations are as unique as their histories. The Crow were one of the few Indian nations that were never at war with the American government. In fact, several young Crow warriors served as scouts for Gen. Custer's 7th Cavalry at the time of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Northern Cheyenne were on the opposite side of that battle. They fought to defend their ancestral homelands from the ever-encroaching Europeans from the east. The Crow exhibit, "Parading Through History: The Apsaalooke Nation," celebrates Crow culture, history, and both traditional and contemporary leaders, through the imagery of parading, a centerpiece of Crow culture. The exhibit is anchored by four symbolic lodge poles of a tipi, each resting on the boundaries of Crow country, as described by Chief Sits in the Middle of the Land in 1851. A large circular map on the floor reveals that the Crow Reservation today sits in the heart of Crow country. The Northern Cheyenne exhibit turns on a seminal moment in the tribe's history, the breakout from Fort Robinson, Neb., in 1879, as the focal point of that exhibit. When the tribe was imprisoned in squalid, starving conditions after being forcibly removed from traditional lands, chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf led their people on a journey of life and death. Rather than live in Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma, they risked their lives to return to Montana. The exhibits rely less on art and artifacts than on the written and spoken word. They seek to tell the stories of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne through their own voices, rather than through museum pieces and anthropological interpretation. It is a significant step toward a more complete understanding between all of Montana's peoples, past, present, and future. The Western Heritage Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The American Indian Tribal Histories Project will remain on exhibit through the end of 2006. For further information, call 256-6809 or visit www.ywhc.. Copyright c. 2005 Billings Outpost. --------- "RE: Schools may add American Indian History" --------- Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 08:27:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MORE THAN EURO" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/12/06/news/local/news01.txt Cultural revolution: Schools may add American Indian history By Elizabeth Ziegler - Journal Writer December 6, 2005 FORT HALL - Shoshone and Bannock tribal cultures are interwoven into the curriculum every day at Fort Hall Elementary School. The school's cultural instructor, Loretta Edmo, teaches students traditional beadwork, using Shoshone words and phrases to help the students