_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 14, ISSUE 007 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, WOTANGING IKCHE - Lakota - Common News Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2006 nanews.org Aboriginal/AmerIndian Perspective about the First Nations of Turtle Island February 18, 2006 Pima kohmagi mashath/gray moon Western Cherokee kagali/bone moon Anishnaabe namebini-giizis/sucker moon Blackfeet saommitsiki'somm/decieving moon +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People s ch mA mL tL squee Lux -- Okanogan -- News from the People Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ++>If you speak a Native American language not listed above, please send us your words for "News of the People." We'd rather take up this whole page saving these few words of our hundreds of nations than present a nice clean banner in the language of the occupation forces who came here determined to replace our words with their own. email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; Prison Action Network and Iron Natives 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: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + =================== "The fact that the Cobell litigation remains unsettled impedes our progress with the federal government on nearly all other issues." __ Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress of Americans, and Governor Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Journey | In the summer and early fall | The Bloodline | of 1998 the Treaty Unity Riders | | rode a thousand miles on horse- | For all that live and live by law | back, carrying a staff and | We Stand, we Call, We Ride | praying each step of the way. | For All that fear and fear by sight | | We Hear, we Listen, we Ride | These prayers were offered for | For all that pray and pray by strength| each of us, and that the Unity | We Feel, we Move, we Ride | of all Peoples might happen. | For all that die and die by greed | | We Hurt, we Cry, we Ride | Tatanka Cante forwarded this | For all that birth and birth by right | poem on behalf of all the Unity | We Smile, we Hold, we Ride | Riders that we might stop and | For all that need and need by heart | ask if the next words we say, the | We Came, we Went, we Rode. | next act we make is for the good | | of the People or is it from ego | Treaty Unity Riders | for self. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sister! I am frustrated that once again editorial space is going to be spent on the same subect... the irresponsible behavior of the Department of Interior. It's like the mother who has to stand up in meeting after meeting to ask what is going to be done about the school bully. You get a very clear impression the DoI hopes we will just get tired of pointing out the obvious. When the bully was backed into a corner did it make an effort to mend its ways? No, it did not. It tried to hide its actions behind sleight of hand and outright lies. Ross Swimmer was named head of the Office Special Trustee, and under his guidance it has become a money exchange. The government throws hundreds of thousands of dollars (of funds intended to benefit Indians) into it and bureaucratic nonsense defending the robbery of Indians spews out of it. It's not like Ross Swimmer doesn't know better. When he was head of the BIA during the Reagan Administration, he strongly urged giving the entire trust operation to a large commercial bank to manage. Now, that same Ross Swimmer wants us to believe there never was much of a problem with the government's trust management, and certainly all is well now. When the presiding judge in the Cobell Trust litigation, Royce Lamberth, ordered the DoI to pay the legal fees for the Cobell team, the department had the unmitigated gall to reduce services to Indians to cover their costs. The bully syndrome is so obvious. ... mess with me and I'll hurt your grandmothers and children. Worse, the stoppage of services will lead to unnecessary deaths. Isn't that just a whole lot like genocide? Congress needs to grow the balls to tell this bully to back off, pay what it owes, and quit abusing the people it has already stolen billions from. How many billions? No one can say for sure, since the "trusted" agency can't or won't produce reliable records for who it has paid or how much. But the judge estimates the potential amount, including interest that has accrued over the years of non-payment, at over $100 billion -- that's $100,000,000,000. A proposed settlement before Congress is a bit over a quarter that amount. The government should like that deal -- it's a steal. 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 ----------- - BIA takes a hit as - UND seeks solidarity with Tribes Bush releases latest Budget - Native American - Punishing Indians stories of the Stars for wanting their Money back - Yup'ik Trash talk - O'DONNELL: - Tribes look to debunk gaming myths Jack Abramoff, RFK & Chief Joseph - JODI RAVE: Mascots show - Bush seeks $4 billion lack of cultural understanding for Indian Health Service - YELLOW BIRD: - Meet Oklahoma's Stories add color to Snowy Quilt Native American Caucus - GIAGO: Finding the ugliest car - Racism against Indians on the Reservation called rampant in Wyoming - HARJO: - TEX HALL: You don't know Jack Fakers and Phonies and Frauds - Ohkay Owingeh Governor - Canada unveils Huge Park addresses Legislature to protect Wildlife - Legacy of the Catawba - Centre helps Aboriginal People Indian Land Leases new to big City - Cayugas pay taxes to - Aboriginal Band sues CN advance Trust Process over Oil Spill - Bonneville Power - Culture in Brazil terminates Fish Passage Center offers new Perspectives - Fake Indian Art - South American Indians prompts Verification Plan seek New Nation - Grants promote Indian Education - State, Tribal Officials - Tribal Workers Compensation supporting Hounshell Insurance - Slayings prompt - Tribe seeks to special Tribal Meeting form Energy Company - Native Prisoner - Blackfeet approve -- Prisoners need protection funding for Forensic Audit from retaliation - Museum, Tribe work - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days to resolve differences - Rustywire: I Can Hear It Still - Sioux reach across State Lines, - Del "Abe" Jones Poem: Tatanka help Okla. Tribe - Seminoles display their - Proposal made to History at Fair reopen Huron University - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: BIA takes a hit as Bush releases latest Budget" --------- Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 08:32:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CONSTRUCTION, HUMAN SERVICES... TAKE HUGE HITS" http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/012387.asp BIA takes a hit as Bush releases latest budget February 7, 2006 The Bush administration announced a major cut to the Bureau of Indian Affairs on Monday, the second year in a row that the agency's budget has been reduced by the White House. The fiscal year 2007 budget request for the BIA is $2.33 billion, a cut of $65 million from current levels. This represents a 2.8 percent reduction in the agency's total budget authority. Programs that took big hits include construction, human services, education, natural resource management and economic development. Others were outright eliminated, such as the Johnson O'Malley ducation program. Meanwhile, the budget for the Office of Special Trustee grew by $21.7 million to a total of $244.5 million, representing a 9.7 percent increase. Of this amount, the administration requested $59.5 million for the Indian Land Consolidation Program, an increase of $25.4 million. At a press conference in Washington, D.C., Interior Secretary Gale Norton said the budget would enable the department to meet its responsibilities to 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. She emphasized the $536.7 million being sought to continue the administration's trust reform efforts. "From 1996 through 2006, the department will have invested $3.4 billion in the management, reform and improvement of Indian trust programs," Norton said. The focus on trust has come at the expense of other Indian programs. Tribal leaders, supported by key members of Congress, have repeatedly blasted the administration for this approach, with renewed criticism coming after associate deputy secretary Jim Cason late last month announced a $3 million cut to the BIA in order to pay for "unplanned" expenses related to the Cobell v. Norton trust fund lawsuit. "The fact that the Cobell litigation remains unsettled impedes our progress with the federal government on nearly all other issues," Joe Garcia, the new president of the National Congress of Americans, said last week in his State of Indian Nations address. At yesterday's rollout, BIA officials said they worked closely with the Tribal Budget Advisory Committee to develop the budget. They said this relationship led to a request for $151.7 million in contract support funds, an increase of $19.0 million. Contract support funds are used by tribes to carry out self- determination contracts and self-governance compacts for programs and services formerly managed by the BIA. Tribes have repeatedly complained of being shortchanged, a position upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in a unanimous decision in 2004. But with no new money coming into the BIA, the increase had to be offset with cuts elsewhere. One of the biggest was a $16.5 million elimination of Johnson O'Malley, a unique program that helps Indian students who attend public schools. Welfare assistance suffered an $11.0 million cut while funds to implement the Indian Child Welfare Act were reduced by $742,000. Several natural resource programs, including irrigation, rights protection implementation, tribal management development and endangered species, saw cuts. Elementary, secondary and post-secondary education suffered a total cut of $16.3 million. This was offset by $9.1 million increase to beef up the bureaucracy of the Office of Indian Education Program by creating new management positions. Community and economic development also saw a reduction of $12.6 million. Road maintenance and community development programs were cut by the administration. Finally, school construction saw a $49.3 million reduction to fund two construction projects -- the replacement of the Muckleshoot Tribal School in Washington and replacement of the Dennehotso Boarding School in Arizona. Money for this account, which President Bush has called a priority, has slowed steadily over concerns that tribes are not completing projects as quickly as the White House would like. "BIA programs have rarely, if ever, been funded at adequate levels and these additional cuts continue that unfortunate trend," said Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-South Dakota). "Last week's decision to extract legal fees from BIA programs coupled with today's budget request is another unjust disservice to Indian Country" Overall, the Interior Department request was $10.5 billion, a decrease of 332 million or 2.9 percent below current levels. "Within the context of the president's plan to reduce the deficit, this budget will enable Interior to fulfill its key responsibilities through collaborative approaches and partnerships, facilitate energy production, and continue Indian trust reform," Norton said. In the coming weeks, Bush officials will be heading to Capitol Hill to present and defend the budget. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, February 14, on the 2007 request. Last year, the committee criticized the administration for shifting Indian program money to trust reform. Copyright c. 2000-2006 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Punishing Indians for wanting their Money back" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LOUIS GRAY: SERVICE CUTS TO PAY THEIR PENALTIES" http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7547 Punishing Indians for wanting their money back Guest commentary Louis Gray February 8, 2006 Some old habits die hard. The Department of Interior just can't seem to help itself. First they lost billions of Indian trust funds and now because they refuse to settle or actually pay back what they lost, stole, and misused, they have decided to do what they do best: Punish the poor. Quite simply, those people must have the heart of a lizard to continue to mistreat the people they are bound to serve. Hate your job but don't hurt the defenseless. Plans to cut social programs designed to alleviate the ravages of abject poverty are insensitive at best. To blame the Cobell lawsuit for the multiple cuts in services is akin to blaming African Americans' lack of riches as the reason that ethnic group suffered so greatly from Katrina. It is the height of insensitivity. If the BIA wants to cut funds from an irresponsible agency, they should look no further than the Office Special Trustee (OST), which has wasted more even federal dollars than FEMA. The fat and lazy should not thrive while hungry Native Americans go wanting. Fortunately, there are those in Congress who agree and have tried to reign in OST when it requests more money. Congress will once again be called upon to do the right thing. Where else are the poor punished for seeking justice? The Department of Interior can't manage our funds, they can't be trusted to operate their own Internet, they can't admit their wrongs, and they can't take care of the very people they obligated to serve. How much longer will thoughtful citizens allow the gang that can't shoot straight to continue bungling their responsibilities? Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: O'DONNELL: Jack Abramoff, RFK and Chief Joseph" --------- Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:51:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HELEN O'DONNELL: ABRAMOFF" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7555 Jack Abramoff, RFK and Chief Joseph Guest commentary Helen O'Donnell February 9, 2006 Recently, I sat through some of the Congressional hearings into the scandal involving Jack Abramoff and his arrogant misuse of his powerful position. At one point, then retiring Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell scolded Michael Scanlon, a colleague of Abramoff's, who had come to the hearings at the physical insistence of the United States Marshals. Scanlon responded to being taken to task by Senator Nighthorse Campbell by sitting in silence, taking the Fifth to all questions posed. This situation reminds me of the hauntingly appropriate words of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, who certainly could have been talking about Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon and the culture of corporate greed and arrogance that has swept like a dark wind over Washington: "Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white men. They do not protect my father's grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle. Good words cannot give me back my children. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk." In light of Chief Joseph's words, the heart of this matter is about a legacy of broken promises by the US Government and my fear is that what is going on now in Washington is only another chapter in that American legacy of mistreatment of the American Indian. To be sure, both political parties are now touting reforms, both parties are making lots of promises to the American people and to Native Americans and both parties are doing a lot of what they do best, talking and making promises. The media is doing its usual job of hyping the story. Any potential scandal that hits Republicans or Democrats and pumps up ratings keeps a good story on the front page. However, has the media done any exposure about the plight of the average American Indian today? Has there been any real context to the story that up until now has allowed Abramoff et al the arrogant assurance that American Indians are there for the fleecing? I've searched through the media reports and have come to the sad conclusion that the media, driven as it seems to be these days, by the Marketing and Sales departments that the answer to these questions about fair and balanced reporting is a cold and clarion "No." Senator Robert Kennedy would not have hesitated to call the media to task for its failure to expose what is really at the core of the Abramoff scandal: our collective failure to keep our promises to American Indians. Some reforms will almost certainly be enacted after much squabbling and playing to the cameras. Those reforms will be aimed at making the US government "better," but they will just as certainly not better the basic living situation for the American Indians. And the long-playing Washington media game of "building them up so we can then enjoy taking them down" will continue on its way. No one seems to be asking the kind of questions Bobby Kennedy would be asking. No one. It seems to me having grown up around men like my father Kenneth O'Donnell, JFK's Political Chief of Staff, and long time close friend and essential aide to Bobby and Jack Kennedy, that politics meant more than just empty rhetoric. For these men, politics was a unique and noble way through which we could help those most in need. By the way they practiced the art of politics, they taught us that we have an obligation to be more, be better and to make a positive contribution to the life of this country and world wherever and whenever we found the need to do so, especially if that need was caused by our own indifference or inaction. As a student of politics and of Bobby Kennedy, it seems to me that we ought to be angrier and more outraged about what really lies behind the Abramoff affair. It ought to bother us a lot more than it seems to. Years after taking this country away from Native Americans and herding them onto reservations to live mostly in poverty and despair, it ought to bother us that we still think so little of them as human beings that further exploitation of American Indians is somehow "business as usual" in Washington without rising to meet the real challenges that still face our American Indian sisters and brothers. The truth of the matter is most American Indian Tribes are not rich, are not well off and day to day existence is a struggle. Most Indian tribes still battle poverty, lack of education, lack of job opportunities and the deadly scourge of alcoholism and drugs that destroy their youth in record numbers. A few tribes have found some wealth in the Casinos and that somehow sweeps aside our real obligation to keep in this day the promises broken in days gone by. These tribes don't want a hand out from Washington or handouts from other wealthy tribes either. What they want, as my father would say, is "a hand up." They want the same opportunities for their children that we have for our own children. They want to live in harmony, peace and have opportunities to build their own unique future as they see it. We have promised that they are entitled to build a future true to their heritage and their ancestry whatever that might be for any particular tribe. Most importantly, as I discovered in a recent conversation with a member of the Lakota Tribe of the Sioux Nation, I was invited to come to the reservation to "listen and learn, because nobody listens and so they don't learn. We are not asking for anything more than asking you to just listen." Any help we provide must first begin in their being heard and understood as they really are and for whom they really are. Were he here today, Robert Kennedy would have listened, would have learned and then he would have acted. He would have restrained himself from wanting to hang Jack Abramoff and his kind from the rafters of the vaulted ceiling in the Rotunda for using their political position and power to exploit the least among us. Then, he would have taken up the moral cause that more be done now, not later, at a time more convenient to those responsible for the continuing plight of the American Indians. He would have insisted that we begin in truly listening in order to really help resolve the broken promises between our government and the American Indian. He would have personally visited that Lakota Tribe and every other Native American community who needed him and would have him. Then he would have demanded more from us as citizens, from the American Indians themselves but most of all from the center of our government in Washington. Then he would have thrown himself into the battle until he achie ved the best he could have achieved in healing the divisions and mending the promises that have been broken for generations. As the late Jack Newfield once wrote, "part of Kennedy's strength was that he combined thought and action in a way rare for an American political figure . . . He understood power and he used it for good." The Jack Abramoff scandal is Washington power at its lowest and there is nothing good about it. Bobby would have made us uncomfortable with this scandal and uncomfortable with our lack of moral outrage. His sense of injustice and outrage would have made the corridors of power in Washington shake and those in power wince and hope he was not talking about them. Like school children in a classroom, they would have hoped he would not notice them far in the back. Then he would have made us all as Americans, Democrat, Republican or Independent uncomfortable. He would have called upon us to demand more from ourselves, from our elected officials and he would have inspired us to change the status quo. We live in a time with a political system so polarized between right and left that most of us in the middle feel left behind or left out. We have a Democratic party - a party my father loved but would not recognize today. Today's Democrats are more concerned with being liberal and grabbing the headlines, than being right or righteous in their causes. It is a Democratic party where being opposed to anything that comes from the administration is more important than being for anything that would really make a positive difference. The Abramoff case is a perfect example of Democrats crying foul but not stepping up to make right the string of broken promises to the American Indians. On the other side of the aisle, we have a Republican party in Washington led by a President with high moral values, high ideals and at critical times, indecisive about just when to apply those values. Lastly, I was struck recently by a poll that noted that most Americans don't pay attention to the Abramoff scandal or, if they do, see it as a Republican vs. Democrat scandal because most Americans assume everyone in Congress is up to their neck in this kind of corruption. Most Americans do not see anything particularly new or unique in the Abramoff scandal. Another poll showed that Americans were saddened by the resulting despair and continued slow progress and disarray in the Gulf Coast, yet they also feel the Government is helpless to change things, to move faster, or to really change the status quo. Bobby would have showed them differently. Like many Americans, as a political Independent, I find myself watching all this from the sidelines. I feel part of neither party nor happy with anything much being said politically. Like Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, "I am tired of talk that amounts to nothing." In the wake of the Abramoff affair, there most likely will not be any change, any improvement, just more talk that means little in the day-to-day life of everyday Americans, especially American Indians. This excess of the Abramoff scandal and the fact that it was Native Americans that were ripped off again, brought home to me how far we have strayed from our moral center and our sense of truly humanizing values. As Bobby used to say, "don't talk about, do it." So this American has decided to take Bobby's advice and to find a way to channel the outrage, the anger and the dissatisfaction by establishing Citizens Restoration Corporation (CRC). The company set up in memory of the late Robert Kennedy, my dad and Michael Kennedy will work to help those who need a "hand up, not a hand out." We will try to be a voice for the voiceless and we will try to raise the issues that matter when Washington elites try to drown them out in favor of the status quo. While the challenges we face are great, the injustices and difficulties get no easier, this lifelong Democrat, turned Independent, and daughter of Ken O'Donnell, who devoted his life to the Democratic political party and to this nation, has had enough. I, like Chief Joseph, am tired of talk that means nothing. I have decided to get off the bench and take action. This nation and the political legacy which my father helped to build and that I too have inherited is too valuable to be left to the likes of the Jack Abramoffs and their kind or left to be reduced to empty promises and political rhetoric. That is not Bobby Kennedy's America or mine; and, in the final analysis, it is not what being an American is really all about. My deepest hope is that others will find and tap into the well of moral goodness within each and every one of us, stand up and take our rights and responsibilities as Americans into our own hands and make a positive difference toward developing together a truly new frontier that embraces and lifts up all who dwell within our lands. Join us by reaching out to us at www.citizensrestoration.org. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Bush seeks $4 billion for Indian Health Service" --------- Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 08:32:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="URBAN PROGRAMS SLASHED" http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/012396.asp Bush seeks $4 billion for Indian Health Service February 7, 2006 The Indian Health Service emerged nearly unscathed with the release of President Bush's fiscal year 2007 budget on Monday. Since the start of the Bush administration, the IHS has seen steady increases. The trend continued with a request of $4.0 billion, an increase of $124 million, for the agency that will provide health care and services to an estimated 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives next year. Due to the patient increase - the IHS user base has grown by 11.3 percent since 2001 -- and the rising cost of health care, nearly early every single program within the IHS saw some sort of boost. For example, clinical services grew by $147 million to $3.0 billion, preventive health got an $8 million lift to $127 million, contract support costs grew by $6 million to $270 million and facilities support will see a $11 million increase. At the same time, two long-standing areas of concern saw big cuts. First, the administration is proposing to eliminate entirely the $33 million for urban Indian health, citing coverage available through other programs. "Unlike Indian people living in isolated rural areas, urban Indians can receive health care through a wide variety of federal, state, and local providers," the budget document states. Second, the request calls for a $20 million cut to construction of new health care facilities. The account would be funded at $18 million, down from $38 million in 2006, and down from $89 million in 2005. The elimination of urban Indian programs would affect major Indian population centers such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Sens. Pete Domenici (R) and Jeff Bingaman (D) have been fighting to save a clinic. In South Dakota, this would mean a loss of services in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Aberdeen, according to Sen. Tim Johnson (D). "Essential programs, such as health care and education, are being slashed -- hurting the people that need it most," Johnson said yesterday. "Budgets are about priorities, and it is obvious to me that the president's budget priorities are backwards." According to IHS, its priorities are to address the increased cost of health care, serve an additional 30,000 tribal members, expand into the area of Indian Country where care is needed the most and work with tribes through health promotion and disease prevention initiatives and through the increased use of information technology. To meet the increased health care needs, the budget supports four new outpatient facilities in Clinton, Oklahoma; Red Mesa, Arizona; Sisseton, South Dakota; and St. Paul, Alaska. "A FY 2006 PART review found that IHS was effective in placing new health care facilities in areas where they were most needed," the budget states, referring to the Program, Assessment Rating Tool used by the White House to judge performance. The $18 million sought for health facility construction will be used to complete new outpatient facility in Komatke, Arizona. According to IHS, the facility will alleviate "overcrowding" in the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. IHS is also working on three health initiatives -- behavioral health, health promotion/disease prevention, and chronic disease management - in partnership with tribes. The goal is to help Indian communities raise their health status and stem the increase of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer that are becoming increasingly prevalent among Native Americans. Finally, IHS is part of an initiative at the Department of Health and Human Services to increase the use of information technology. IHS started its Resource and Patient Management System back in 1984 and the system has won awards and received favorable reviews. Another IHS system - called Electronic Health Record - has been launched in 24 IHS and tribal facilities to provide complete access to medical records, patient scheduling and clinical case management. By the end of 2008, the IHS hopes to have the system up and running at all locations. Copyright c. 2000-2006 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Meet Oklahoma's Native American Caucus" --------- Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:51:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OKLAHOMA INDIAN CAUCUS" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7553 The big 13 Meet Oklahoma's Native American caucus OKLAHOMA CITY OK Native American Times February 9, 2006 Thinking strength in numbers, 13 American Indian lawmakers in the Oklahoma House of Representatives have formed what is believed to be the legislature's first ever Native American Caucus. Leaders of the caucus are Purcell Republican and former legislator for the Chickasaw Nation Lisa Billy, Miami Democrat Larry Glenn, Tecumseh Republican Shane Jett and Moore Republican Paul Wesselhoft. Officials say they formed the bi-partisan group to inform other lawmakers about Native American issues and cultivate a closer relationship with Oklahoma tribal leaders. "As far as I know, it is the first Native American Caucus in the state legislature's history," Jett said. "Unity will allow us to exchange information and give a bi-partisan review of legislation pertinent to the state's Native Americans." Echoing a theme frequently heard in Oklahoma's Indian communities, Jett said tribes are a major force in the state's economy. "Oklahoma's tribes bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to the state through federal treaties and economic development," Jett said. "We want to usher in an era of greater cooperation and increased economic prosperity between the state and the tribes." The caucus has scheduled meetings the third Tuesday of each month that the legislature is in session. The first caucus meeting is set for Tuesday, February 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Capitol in room 432A. The group also intends to hold information luncheons sponsored by the various tribes so that concerns can be addressed and tribal leaders can become more acquainted with state representatives. In addition to their participation at the state level, Billy, Jett and fellow caucus member Ray McCarter, a Democrat from Marlow, are members of the National Native American Caucus. McCarter is the national group's secretary while Billy and Jett are co-chairs of the economic development committee. These are the 13 members of the caucus: Co-Chair Rep. Shane Jett, R-Tecumseh (Cherokee). According to his official biography, Jett was born on December 5, 1974, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He speaks three languages and worked two years in Belo Horizonte Brazil with Global Options International. He is married to the former Ana Carolina Gomes and they have a daughter, Raquel. Jett serves on the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee - General Government and Transportation, Energy and Utility Regulation Committee, Tourism and Recreation Committee and the Transportation Committee. Co-Chair Rep. Lisa J. Billy, R-Purcell (Chickasaw-Choctaw). Billy is a business owner, running Peacemakers, Inc. She has a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma and has received the Institute of Child Advocacy volunteer of the Year Award. Billy serves on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Human Services, the Health and Human Services Committee and the Transportation Committee. Co-Chair Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore (Citizen Pottawatomie). Wesselhoft was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, August 16, 1947. His parents are Billy J. (deceased) and Virgie (Trumbly). He is married to Judy (Albright), and their children are Justin and Holly. He serves on the Government Reform, Agency Oversight, and Administrative Rules Committee, the Tourism and Recreation Committee, the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and the Aerospace and Technology Committee. Co-Chair Rep. Larry Glenn, D-Miami (Cherokee). Glenn was first elected in 2004 and reelected in 2006. He serves on the County and Municipal Government Committee, the Energy and Utility Regulation Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee. Liason Rep. Ray McCarter, D-Marlow (Chickasaw). McCarter was born in Duncan, Oklahoma, on October 2, 1946. His parents are Fred L. and Marjean (Kimberlin) McCarter. He is married to Kathy (Bowles), and their children are Tammi Lynne and Clinton. He serves on the Appropriations and Budget Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, the Energy and Utility Regulation Committee and the Transportation Committee. Rep. Chris Benge, R-Tulsa (Muscogee Creek). Benge was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 9, 1962. He is married to Allison (Fox), and their children are Garrett and Hayden. He serves on the Appropriations and Budget Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, the Common Education Committee and the Retirement Laws Committee. Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs (Choctaw). Duncan serves on the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services, the Judiciary Committee, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Rep. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa (Muskogee Creek). Bingman was born in Tulsa and raised in Sapulpa. He is married to Paula (Benge) Bingman. They have three children: Annie, Blake (deceased) and Rebecca. He serves on the Energy and Utility Regulation Committee, the Transportation Committee and the Wildlife Committee. Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove (Cherokee). Cox serves on the Health and Human Services Committee, the Higher Education Committee and the Tourism and Recreation Committee. Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville (Cherokee). Martin serves on the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Select Agencies, the Banking and Finance Committee, the County and Municipal Government Committee and the Tourism and Recreation Committee. Rep. Jerry McPeak, D-Warner (Muskogee Creek). McPeak was born 1946 in Checotah. He serves on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, the Career and Technology Education Committee and the Government Reform, Agency Oversight, and Administrative Rules Committee. Rep. Doug Miller, R-Norman (Cherokee). Miller was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, March 29, 1955. His parents are Dr. Dow and Billye (Poynor) Miller. He is married to April. Children are Braden, Britton, Samantha, and Patricia. He serves on the Government Reform, Agency Oversight and Administrative Rules Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Tourism and Recreation Committee. Rep. Daniel Sullivan, R-Tulsa (Choctaw). Sullivan serves on the Common Education Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Racism against Indians called rampant in Wyoming" --------- Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 08:32:08 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="DISCRIMINATION ALIVE AT ALL LEVELS" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.casperstartribune.net/1aef61e0d492e8a58725710c00268eeb.txt 'I'm embarrassed for my state' By BRODIE FARQUHAR Star-Tribune correspondent February 6, 2006 LANDER - Discrimination against American Indians is alive and well in Wyoming, says the superintendent of Fremont County School District 14. Michelle Hoffman told state lawmakers last week that as students from the Wyoming Indian district have traveled around the state in activities, they have encountered behavior ranging from ignorant, insensitive actions by students at other schools to outright, in-your-face racism. "It has to stop," Hoffman told the Select Committee on Tribal Relations. "I'm embarrassed for my state." Hoffman's comments unleashed a series of complaints and painful stories from the audience. Wind River Indian Reservation resident Sandra C'Bearing told the legislators that her son, Al, was attending Chadron State University in Nebraska on a basketball scholarship. When he learned that Chadron's men's basketball team would travel to Laramie to play the University of Wyoming Cowboys, he obtained several tickets to the game and sent them to his mother. Yet when the C'Bearing family presented their tickets at the basketball arena, they were challenged by UW staff, questioned where they got the tickets and forced to wait until the tickets' authenticity could be verified, she said. "We missed the warm-up period when I wanted to take photos of my son," C'Bearing said. Once the tickets were verified, the C'Bearing family was admitted, and they took their seats behind the media tables at courtside. Again, they were challenged by UW staff and told they couldn't sit there, she said. When the ticket stubs proved those were indeed their seats, the UW staffer backed off. That wasn't the end of it, she said. Throughout the game, there were rude comments about her son's long hair, war whoops from the stands and a number of UW students aiming "arrows" at her son in imitation of someone using a bow and arrow. In a statement released by the UW Media Relations Office, Athletic Director Gary Barta said: "The Chadron State game was in early November, and this is the first time UW was aware of concerns about inappropriate behavior related to that game. We want to make attendance at Cowboy basketball games an enjoyable experience for everyone who attends and deeply regret it when the experience is not satisfactory. "More importantly, UW will not tolerate discriminatory behavior on our campus. We will contact the family and thoroughly review their concerns to determine whether a response by the university should be undertaken." Allison Sage, Northern Arapaho Tribe liaison to the governor's office, said that when he took a Wyoming history course at UW, he studied from three required books. Among all those pages of information, he said, was a page and a half about Indians, and that mostly consisted of stereotyped comments about savages. "History can hurt," said Kassel Weeks, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council, especially when he learned how his people have been treated over the years. Several students from a government class at Wyoming Indian School said they were surprised at how fundamentally ignorant their white friends were about the Wind River reservation and the tribes, even when they live right next door in Riverton or Lander. "I think the only solution is through education" of students and teachers alike throughout the state, Hoffman said. She said she had invited teachers from a couple of schools where there were discriminatory incidents to come to Wyoming Indian School for a crash course in Indian culture and history. The next time her students visit those schools, she hopes they'll receive a better reception, because those teachers will have shared what they learned. "It falls on us to provide the training, when all teachers should have this training," Hoffman said. She's looking north, toward Montana, for inspiration of what could happen someday in Wyoming. Hoffman praised Montana's Indian Education for All, a program that educates all Montana school children about American Indian history and culture. The Montana program received $3.4 million from the Legislature last year to develop a statewide curriculum that can be woven into the fabric of K- 12 public education, recognizing the 12 tribes that call Montana home. The Montana Office of Public Instruction, led by Superintendent Linda McCullough, has a plan for curriculum development and teacher training. In a Friday telephone interview, McCullough said the program is not simply to educate Indian students about their cultures and histories, but to educate the entire state. Brodie Farquhar is a freelance writer based in Lander. He can be reached at brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com. Copyright c. 1995-2006 Casper Star-Tribune, Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: TEX HALL: You don't know Jack" --------- Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:53:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TEX HALL: JACK ABRAMOFF" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7532 You don't know Jack Guest editorial Tex Hall February 3, 2006 I decided to write this column because, before this whole Abramoff affair goes any further, America needs to hear from American Indians themselves. There are three points that I want to the country to hear: First, we condemn the corruption associated with Abramoff; second, we support wholeheartedly the need for lobbying reform; and third, and most important, America needs to understand that this scandal is deflecting attention from an even more important scandal - the poverty on Indian reservations. If the American people could get Congress to focus on the third-world health care, crumbling schools, washed-out roads, diabetes, suicide and domestic violence rates that plague Indian reservations - with the same intensity that they are bringing to lobbying reform - then maybe millions of American Indians who live far away from Washington, D.C., could go to bed thinking that the federal government actually works. Now that I think about it, as long as the Justice Department is investigating what happened to all of Abramoff's money, maybe they could investigate what happened to all the treaty promises that have been broken. Why is it, for instance, that despite the promise of doctors and hospitals in exchange for our land, the government, according to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, spends more than twice as much on average for prisoner health care than for Indian health care? Let me get back to my first point. Everyone knows that bribing public officials is wrong. Unfortunately, it seems to be ingrained in political culture that, to gain access to elected officials, you have to agree to play by Washington's rules. Maybe Ralph Reed said it best: "In public policy," he wrote, "it matters less who has the best arguments and more who gets heard - and by whom." Enter Jack Abramoff. Along with his friends and associates, he targeted a handful - six, to be exact - of Indian tribes to finance his empire on the Potomac. What, exactly, happened? As far as I can tell, the Abramoff crew took advantage of the Indian tribes' goodwill and bankrolls to the tune of $82 million in order to pay for their own mansions, exotic trips and think tanks - you get the picture. Which is: A few Indian tribes get scammed, a bunch of lobbyists and congressmen and staff get greedy (and later nailed), some promises get made and a casino gets shut down, and then Congress starts falling over itself to enact lobbying reform. Meanwhile, nearly all federal Indian health care, education, housing, water, energy, heating and roads programs are getting cut. Let me be the first to say: We were cheated. Maybe if Indian tribes were remotely benefiting from Abramoff's schemes, then those beating their chests about the taint of tribal casino money might have a leg to stand on. The fundamental mistake they are making, however, is that Indian tribes are somehow running around waving fistfuls of cash in the air. Sure, there are some wealthy tribes out there. But only 20 percent of Indian casinos are doing really well, according to Indian Country Today; the rest are only marginally profitable. The reality, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, is that Native Americans still live in poverty at a rate more than twice the national average. We have the same economic disparity problems that we had before Abramoff, and I bet we are going to have the same problems after Abramoff. Meanwhile, what exactly is happening to the message of tribal leaders and advocates fighting day-to-day to improve our living conditions on the reservations? That message is getting lost. Which brings me to my second point - Congress really does need to reform. Indian Country supports lobbying reform as much as anyone. Think about it - Indians are the ones who were cheated in this deal and are now being blamed. It doesn't take a degree in rocket science (or anthropology) to see that the system is not working in our favor. Fortunately, this can change. I am glad that such public officials as Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., believe that government can do better and are willing to fight the system to make it so. Let's end lavish junkets, football skybox seats and five-star dinners. Most important, let's make this a fair game. Why shouldn't Ryan Wilson - who, as president of the National Indian Education Association, is fighting for decent Indian school meals and the same basic textbooks that other American children get - have the same access to congressional leadership as the head of a Fortune 500 corporation? But let's also be clear on one thing: Neither Indian tribes nor casinos are the problem. If you listened to our critics, you'd think that corruption in Washington was a phenomenon that began in 1988, after Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Indian tribes are governments, just like states, counties and cities. Therefore, any lobbying reform must deal with tribes in the same manner as it treats other governments. Remember, we didn't make up these rules. Of course, we are more than happy to join in and help improve the system. In return, all we ask is that we be treated fairly, and that the United States live up to the promises it made to us. At the end of the day, reform to us really means safe schools, access to doctors, living to age 80, roads, heating and electricity, as well as opportunity for our children. If by now you don't know that, then you don't know Jack. --- Tex Hall is chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa Arikara Nation in North Dakota and a former president of the National Congress of American Indians. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Ohkay Owingeh Governor addresses Legislature" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JOE GARCIA TELLS NM LEGISLATURE HOW IT REALLY IS..." http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.daily-times.com/20060208/NEWS01/602080313/1001 Ohkay Owingeh gov. addresses Legislature By Walter Rubel Santa Fe Bureau Chief February 8, 2006 Joe Garcia, governor of the newly renamed Ohkay Owingeh pueblo, told legislators Tuesday that Native Americans throughout the nation are coming together to address their problems. Garcia was recently named president of the National Congress of American Indians. He said the state of the Indian nations was strong, because of the battles they have had to fight. Those battles continue, he said. "It's not just language. It's not just culture. It's not just tradition. It's for our sovereignty - that sovereign right given to us by the great spirit that put us on this earth," Garcia said. He urged infrastructure improvements in Indian country, saying without infrastructure there can be no economic development. And, he praised New Mexico for its recent Indian education statement and other efforts to improve the education of Native American students. Also Tuesday, the Senate passed a joint memorial honoring Garcia for his election as president and recognizing the name change of the former San Juan Pueblo on what was Native American Day in the Legislature. Copyright c. 2005 Farmington Daily Times, a MediaNews Group Newspaper. --------- "RE: Legacy of the Catawba Indian Land Leases" --------- Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 08:57:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CATAWBA LAND LOSSES" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.thelancasternews.com/2006/02/07/features/feature01_pettus.txt Leasing Away a Nation: The Legacy of the Catawba Indian Land Leases' By Erin Simpson - For The Lancaster News February 7, 2006 Much has been written in recent years about the Catawba Indian Nation. The tribe's land lawsuits of the 1980s and the subsequent settlement in 1993 was one of South Carolina's longest running conflicts. However, little has been written about the early land leasing, which was the source of more than two centuries of disagreements. A new book, "Leasing Away a Nation: The Legacy of the Catawba Indian Land Leases," by historian Louise Pettus' provides a thorough account of the controversial land lease system and an analysis of how and why it fell apart. Pettus, a retired Winthrop University professor and author of several books about the history of this region, wanted to discover more about the early white settlers, their Catawba Indian landlords and the leasing system that existed from 1763 to 1840. To gather information for her book, Pettus spent one to two days a week for nine months at the state archives in Columbia, combing through thousands of documents. "In the book, I stressed the earliest part of the conflict. There were no newspaper accounts," she said. Since there were no accounts of the names and examples of the types of leases, Pettus had her work cut out for her piecing together the history. The result of her research is an easily readable narrative about a critical chapter in American history - the land acquisition by settlers from Native Americans and the repercussions that followed. The settlers were often eager to take control of the land. By 1811, land leases lasted 99 years, resulting in the land passing down through families or being sublet and sold, making it difficult for the Catawba Indians to collect on their leases. "There were no rules," Pettus said. "The Indians had the burden of tracking and collecting the debt. They could not get help from the central government. "They became outnumbered by the white settlers and people dodged payments or would pay with old clothes or whiskey," she said. "The settlers took advantage of them with numbers and power." While the system may have been advantageous to the settlers, Pettus gives a balanced portrayal, including accounts of white men who helped the tribe, writing petitions and taking them to Columbia. "It was the leasing system at fault, not so much the people in either of the two groups," she said. To complete the study, Pettus created a chronological listing of where the different land leases were located, who leased them, what they paid and the numbers of acres leased. The vague information listed on the leases and deeds found in the archives made this a difficult and time- consuming task. "On the lease, it would be listed as 'on the great road' which is now U.S. 521, or 'on the water' being the Catawba River or other area creeks," she said. Profits from the sale of the book will go to Katawba Valley Land Trust and the Nation Ford Land Trust, both working to preserve local land in its natural state. For more information about the book, call Lindsay Pettus at 285-9455 or visit the Katawba Valley Land Trust office at 106 E. Meeting St. Copyright c. 2006 The Lancaster News All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Cayugas pay taxes to advance Trust Process" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:32:28 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COUNTIES TRY TO BLOCK CAYUGA LAND INT TRUST" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsday.com/cayugalandclaim0210feb10,0,3328752.story Cayugas pay taxes to advance trust application process February 10, 2006 AUBURN, N.Y. - Seneca and Cayuga counties will lose millions of dollars and be prevented from enforcing laws if the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York is allowed to put its lands into federal trust, officials said Friday. The counties made their arguments to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, submitting reports that showed in the first year they would lose about $85,000 combined in property tax revenue. Depending on the rate of tax growth, those yearly losses could climb to as much as $15 million between the two counties. Friday was the deadline for the counties and the state to file opposition statements to the Cayuga's trust application. The New York Cayugas have applied to put all their land holdings in the two counties into federal trust, which if approved, would make them exempt from taxes, local laws and zoning regulations. On Thursday, the tribe paid more than $178,000 in delinquent and current property taxes, a required step in the application process. Until then, the Cayugas had refused to pay taxes, maintaining their land should be tax-free because it lies in their ancestral homeland in both counties. "The issue is not the taxes past due, but the taxes that will never be paid if the land is taken into trust," said Robert Shipley, chairman of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors. The tribe owns high-stakes video gaming halls, which they have temporarily closed, and combination gas stations and convenience stores in Seneca Falls and Union Springs. The Cayugas also own a car wash, a campground and two parcels of vacant land. Shipley said the counties also lose sales tax revenue from the Cayugas' businesses. It cost Seneca County alone about $200,000 in lost sales tax revenues in 2005, he said. Putting the Cayuga's land into trust status also would result in a "checkerboarding" effect and "serious jurisdiction problems and conflicts of land use," the counties said in their report. A public hearing on the trust application is scheduled March in Seneca Falls. The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, a co-plaintiff in the land claim, owns a 239-acre farm in Aurelius. It pays taxes on the property but has not applied to put the land into trust. A federal appeals court last year dismissed the Cayugas' land claim to some 64,000 acres in both counties and nullified a $247.9 million court awarded jointly to the two tribes. The court said the tribes waited too long to reclaim the land. The U.S. Justice Department has joined the Cayugas in petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review the circuit court decision. Copyright c. 2006 Newsday Inc. --------- "RE: Bonneville Power terminates Fish Passage Center" --------- Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:53:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="STRIPS TRIBES PARTICIPATION IN SALMON RECOVERY EFFORTS" Bonneville Power Administration terminates Fish Passage Center by: Staff Reports / Indian Country Today February 6, 2006 PORTLAND, Ore. - Leaders of the Columbia River treaty-fishing tribes on Jan. 26 roundly condemned a decision by the Bonneville Power Administration to vanquish a long-serving science center. The 20-year-old Fish Passage Center had provided critical technical data to the state and federal agencies and tribes that protect and manage Columbia River salmon runs and fisheries. BPA announced its plan to transfer the functions of the FPC to new entities at a briefing to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, whose fish and wildlife program requires the FPC be funded by BPA. The loss of the FPC strips the Columbia Basin treaty tribes as well as the fish and wildlife agencies of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana of their ability to fully participate in regional salmon recovery efforts. "Today's decision is the result of a terribly flawed process that started from a false, predetermined conclusion - that the Fish Passage Center needed to be replaced," said Rebecca Miles, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal executive committee. "[Jan. 25], a White House official spoke to the region about sharing responsibility in rebuilding salmon runs and argued that hydroelectric impacts had been addressed. Today a federal agency, BPA, shuts down an established, efficient science center and shifts the work to an assemblage of less experienced and unproven entities virtually guaranteeing that the regional collaborative effort will suffer, perhaps flat out fail. Actions speak louder than words." In November 2005, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, inserted language into the Energy & Water appropriations report to direct the BPA and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to halt funding of the FPC and transfer its functions to another entity in the region within 120 days. Despite numerous requests by tribes, states, business leaders and members of the Northwest congressional delegation to keep the FPC intact, Craig's language was included in the final Energy & Water appropriations report and signed into law on Nov. 19. The announcement came just days after salmon-based businesses and conservation groups filed a lawsuit asserting that BPA's decision to shutter the FPC unlawfully circumvents the Northwest Power Act because the report language does not have the force of law. "This raises huge questions about the authorities of States and Tribes to access the best scientific data and manage a regional resource," added Miles. "Congress was clear 26 years ago when it passed the Northwest Power Act laying out the roles and responsibilities of tribes and federal and state fishery agencies. If this stands, it says that any member of Congress, behind closed doors, can undo a decades-long effort with words hidden in a legislative report." Authorized by the Northwest Power Act, and operating for the past 20 years, the FPC collected, analyzed and made public vital information about salmon and steelhead numbers on the Columbia and Snake rivers. State and tribal decision-makers rely heavily on the information provided by the FPC to analyze the impact of hydro operations on salmon. The loss of the independent science it provides comes at a crucial time for the region. This information will be especially critical during the next year of court-ordered salmon recovery negotiations between the states, tribes, BPA and the Bush administration. "We have just begun to identify the substantive, dense, technical questions that would lead to a long-awaited court-approved federal salmon plan," said Olney Patt Jr., chairman of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. "The Fish Passage Center is, hands down, the science agency best suited to take on that work. Hopefully the legal challenge can clarify this and bring common sense back to the matter." Copyright c. 1998-2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Fake Indian Art prompts Verification Plan" --------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:32:28 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NEW MEXICO TO LEGISLATE `STAMP OF AUTHENTICITY'" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newsday.com/sns-ap-indian-art-authenticity,0,6267791.story Fake Indian Art Prompts Verification Plan By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press Writer February 11, 2006 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Juanita L. Peters sits on a sidewalk beneath the historic portal in Albuquerque's Old Town, hoping the few tourists wandering the plaza will stop to look at her handmade turquoise earrings and necklaces. A proposal under consideration by the New Mexico Legislature could make things easier for the Santo Domingo Pueblo resident and other American Indian artists who rely on their crafts to make a living. Rep. Patricia Lundstrom's bill would set aside funding for the state Licensing and Regulation Department to study and propose rules to establish a certification stamp for arts and crafts made by Indians in New Mexico. The aim is to boost sales and ensure the expanding market isn't tainted by fakes. One other state, Alaska, sponsors a similar program guaranteeing buyers that items bearing a "Silver Hand" seal are handcrafted by an Alaskan Eskimo, Aleut or other Indian artist. The New Mexico legislation stems from complaints about imitation art sold in Santa Fe and Gallup, which is known as a hub for collectible jewelry produced by artists from nearby Zuni Pueblo, the Navajo Nation and the Hopi reservation in eastern Arizona. Time is running out for the proposal. The Legislature adjourns Thursday and a $70,000 appropriation to study the certification plan is tied up in a budget bill that's been criticized by Gov. Bill Richardson. State and federal laws already prohibit misrepresenting fake Indian art or jewelry as authentic, but Lundstrom, a Democrat from Gallup, said they aren't enough. "It's a big problem. There's no way to regulate it." The Indian art market has estimated sales of more than $1 billion nationally. Squash blossom necklaces and bolo ties can be found at roadside stands across the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Trading posts along Route 66 in western New Mexico sell baskets and rugs as well as jewelry from the Zuni and Hopi tribes. Shops in plazas in Albuquerque and Santa Fe are filled with fetish necklaces, silver bracelets, rings, sand paintings, pottery and kachinas. Some already come with cards that read: "Certificate of authenticity. Guaranteed Native American made." "With the stamp (under consideration), that is like icing on the cake," said Michael Cerletti, New Mexico's tourism secretary. "It would be like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval," said Cerletti, adding that Indian culture is one of the top reasons people visit the state. Michael Garcia, a lapidary artist and vice chairman of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, said previous attempts at a certification program in New Mexico didn't work. "To me, the problem is not with identifying the art and who makes it. The problem is the fakes. They need to stop it at the borders," he said. Garcia stopped making jewelry in the late 1970s because imported imitation pieces flooded the U.S. market. He started up again after the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which prohibits sellers from misrepresenting imitation art or jewelry as genuine, was passed in 1990. But he still hears instances of Indian work being copied. "I call it ripping off a culture," he said. A key to stopping the market from being infiltrated by fakes is awareness, Garcia said. "Know who you're buying from. Buy direct from the artist. If you buy from a gallery, ask where the artist is from," he said. Garcia and the arts association are working to get Indian artists more involved with museums and galleries nationwide to open markets and educate buyers. And the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, which oversees the federal act, is working with attorneys general on brochures aimed at protecting authentic Indian art. Garcia and others pointed out that Santa Fe, Albuquerque's Old Town and other tourist destinations would not be what they are today without Indian art. "My customers come here for the art, especially the art," said Tom Baker, owner of Tanner Chaney Gallery in Albuquerque. "It's huge. How do you put a price tag on it?" Copyright c. 2006 Newsday Inc. --------- "RE: Grants promote Indian Education" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MONTANA SCHOOLS RECEIVE GRANTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.net/news/state/75-indian-edu.txt Grants promote Indian education By The Associated Press February 9, 2006 HELENA - Nearly two dozen schools across Montana have received the latest round of state grants to help them implement Indian Education for All, the Office of Public Instruction said Wednesday. The grants range from $12,000 to $26,000 and are used by schools to develop resource materials and professional development opportunities, Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch said. Resources developed by those schools will be offered to other districts as part of the state's ongoing efforts to implement Indian Education for All, a 1999 constitutional mandate that went largely unfunded until last year. The mandate requires that all public school students - not just American Indians - be taught about the cultural heritage of the state's Indian tribes. "These grants will help the education community meet its constitutional obligation to increase awareness and understanding about American Indians in Montana," McCulloch said. "All students need to learn about the history, culture and current situations of Montana's Tribal Nations." The latest grant recipients are: Arlee Elementary and High School, Avon Consortium School, Billings Elementary School District, Box Elder Elementary School, Browning Elementary and High School, Canyon Creek Elementary School, Cut Bank Elementary and High School, Great Falls High School, Havre Elementary School, Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 School, Heart Butte High School, Lame Deer Elementary School, Missoula County Public Schools, Rocky Boy Elementary and High School, Ronan Elementary and High School, St. Ignatius K-12 School and Spring Creek Consortium Schools. Copyright c. 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Tribal Workers Compensation Insurance" --------- Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:51:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL WORKERS INSURANCE PACKAGE OFFERED" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060209/20060209005162.html?.v=1 St. Paul Travelers Introduces Tribal Workers Compensation Product for Indian Tribes and Their Enterprises February 9, 2006 SAINT PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2006--St. Paul Travelers (NYSE:STA - News) today introduced a Tribal Workers Compensation product for Indian tribes and their enterprises. This product is specifically designed for federally-recognized Indian tribes that have a tribal ordinance which requires employers to pay benefits to their employees for employment-related bodily injury. St. Paul Travelers Tribal Workers Compensation differs from other workers compensation products in the marketplace because the policy correlates with the worker injury plan established by the tribe's ordinance rather than individual state laws. "Indian tribes generally are not subject to state workers compensation laws and systems so they may elect to enact ordinances to establish an employee injury plan," said Jack Goodwin, president, Public Sector Services. "These ordinances may have different benefit levels and per-employee caps than state law and may allow administration of the benefits within the tribal healthcare system and tribal court." Part of the claim service provided through Tribal Workers Compensation includes access to a staff of dedicated nurses to help injured employees return to work. In addition, tribal employers can work with claim employees that are experienced in handling tribal claims. "We're constantly seeking ways to enhance our product offerings for tribal governments and enterprise operations," said Goodwin. "We believe our Tribal Workers Compensation product addresses the needs and exposures of American Indian communities." Tribal Workers Compensation is currently available to policyholders in Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington and will be expanded to select states throughout the year. St. Paul Travelers Public Sector Services is a market leader in providing property and casualty insurance for Indian tribes and their enterprises. St. Paul Travelers is a leading provider of property and casualty insurance. For more information, visit www.stpaultravelers.com. Copyright c. 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2006 Business Wire. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Tribe seeks to form Energy Company" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHIPPEWA CREE TRIBAL ENERGY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.net/news/state/94-energy-co.txt Tribe seeks to form energy company By Gazette News Services HAVRE - The Chippewa Cree tribal council wants to form an energy company to drill for natural gas in an effort to earn more money than it does by leasing the land to gas companies and charging royalties. Tribal attorney Dan Belcourt said the tribe wants to exert more authority over its resources. "We want to be the company, the developer, the whole nine yards," Belcourt said. He said the company, Chippewa Cree Tribal Energy, is still in the planning stage. Tony Belcourt, director of Chippewa Cree Tribal Energy and former tribal council member, said tribal leaders want to provide natural gas to an ethanol plant planned by the tribe. Dan Belcourt said the tribe has met with state officials about a possible revenue-sharing agreement on gas and oil taxes similar to the tobacco tax revenue-sharing formula reached this year. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Blackfeet approve funding for Forensic Audit" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BLACKFEET OPEN BOOKS TO AUDIT" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/glacier_reporter/news/news2.txt Blackfeet Tribe approves funding for forensic audit. By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor February 8, 2006 "It was passed by the Tribal Council in a meeting Feb. 2," said Blackfeet Councilwoman Betty Cooper Tuesday, Feb. 7. "Actually, it was first passed and signed by resolution last July." The item in question, said Cooper, is a forensic audit. A consistently hot topic for tribal members, the long anticipated investigation into the financial workings of Blackfeet tribal government was finally approved for funding by the BTBC last week. "So all the pieces are in place," said Cooper. "Chairman Pat Thomas asked the legal department to review the resolution, which they are doing now, and to set aside money for the forensic audit." Councilwoman Cooper said Jamie C. Arobba, a CPA from South Dakota, has contracted to do preliminary audit, and she is hoping the tribal Chairman and Secretary will sign off on the deal by next Monday. "Even when I ran for Council and other people who ran for Council - Pat Schildt, Pat Thomas and Earl Old Person - there were strong requests from the people who elected us for a forensic audit to make sure there is no corruption. We need to have that because there are so many allegations against everybody." Cooper said the audit will go back the last three to five years. "This will be the start of a preliminary forensic review of the system, after which they will issue a summary of their findings," she said. Cooper explained the Tribal Council appointed a "Committee of 25" last July to look into doing an audit, and at first Cooper said they thought the Bureau of Indian Affairs would pay the bill. "It is part of their trust responsibility," Cooper said. But having plumbed the depths of the Bureau's system, their reply was there is no money available to do the job. "It was very difficult to bring forward," Cooper said, but in the end the BTBC agreed to foot the bill for the preliminary work. It is estimated to cost around $18,000. If a full audit becomes necessary, the cost could go as high as $160,000. While the Tribe is currently on the hook for whatever cost is involved, Cooper said she is writing the BIA and asking for reimbursement. She said Arobba estimates his staff will have completed their work in about two weeks, and the summary should be available to the Tribe in a very short time. Copyright c. 2006 Golden Triangle Newspapers. --------- "RE: Museum, Tribe work to resolve differences" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NORTHERN CHEYENNE, WESTERN HERITAGE CENTER" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.net/news/state/25-tribe-museum.txt Museum, tribe work to resolve differences By MIKE STARK Of The Gazette Staff February 9, 2006 The Northern Cheyenne Tribe and the Western Heritage Center took a first step Wednesday in resolving concerns over the museum's American Indian Histories Project exhibit. A delegation of Northern Cheyenne government leaders, including President Eugene Little Coyote, met with museum representatives for about four hours Wednesday to discuss the project. Afterward, both sides said they felt they were on their way to resolving differences. "As far as I'm concerned, this was a very positive outcome," said Jace Killsback, a member of the tribal council. The exhibit, which opened Dec. 2, features separate pieces on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes. "Parading Through History: The Apsaalooke Nation" and "Coming Home: The Northern Cheyenne Odyssey" are part of the American Tribal Histories Project. The project, funded by more than $3 million in federal grants, is intended to collect, preserve and share tribal histories and cultures in Montana. It includes recorded interviews, photographs, stories and educational DVDs examining cultural histories, governments, societies and social structures. But in the months leading up to the project's unveiling, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council approved a resolution denouncing the project and prohibiting Western Heritage Center's use of the tribe's "cultural materials and intellectual properties." The tribal government should have been more formally involved as the project developed, according to those who opposed the project. In late December, Little Coyote sent a letter to the museum reiterating the tribe's position and asking for a meeting. A few weeks later, the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council, representing tribes in both states, unanimously offered its support of the Cheyenne resolution. On Wednesday, nine Cheyenne officials, including spiritual leaders and officials from Chief Dull Knife College, viewed portions of the exhibit. "I think it captured a snapshot of our struggle to survive as a people. That was my impression," said William Walksalong, who was a member of the council in August when the resolution opposing the project was approved. "It captured that very well." Officials from the tribe and from the Western Heritage Center spent much of the afternoon talking about how the project was put together and how issues might be resolved. The meeting was educational and constructive for everyone, said Julie Dial, director of the Western Heritage Center. "There's definitely a commitment to working this out," she said. "We came away with a much better understanding of approaches and cultural sensitivities." Walksalong said the Cheyenne officials didn't want to make the issue personal with members of the tribe who have participated in the project. "We're not trying to discount the tribal members that participated or discount their family history," he said. "We'd like to add to the rich meaning of the project if we can." Tribal officials plan to review the DVDs about the tribe and look over the materials that the museum provided. Eventually, the council will decide whether to give the project its formal endorsement, Killsback said. "In the end the exhibits may be fine, we might not have a problem," he said. "It's just the fact that we weren't included in a government-to- government way." Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Sioux reach across State Lines, help Okla. Tribe" --------- Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 08:57:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON ASSIST PONCA" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7545 Sioux reach across state lines, help Oklahoma tribe Award Poncas grant to help with economic development PONCA CITY OK Native American Times February 7, 2006 A Minnesota tribe, so impressed with the dedication of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, has given them a grant for $808,473 for debt reduction and economic development. In a statement, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community chairman Stanley R. Crooks said the Sioux appreciate "that the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma wants to make life better for its members. It is very important Indian people become self-sufficient. We are happy to have the opportunity to help." This is not the first time the Shakopee have assisted the Poncas. In 2005 they awarded the tribe $100,000 to hire expert witnesses in a lawsuit against Continental Carbide, a chemical manufacturer being sued for alleged pollution of Ponca lands with carbon black, a possible carcinogen. Ponca tribal members report black dust has been blanketing the reservation. In 1878 the federal government forced the Poncas to move from their homes along the Missouri River in Nebraska to Oklahoma. One-third of their tribal members perished on the trip, and many of those remaining were sick or disabled. It was not until 1881 that a portion of their land was returned to them, and some were allowed to return home. Those who remained in Oklahoma became the federally recognized Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, while those who returned to Nebraska are the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. The Shakopee, an extremely successful gaming tribe, have become a leader in promoting tribal sovereignty through economic development grants and loans. This fiscal year also they, they have already made grants to a number of Indian nations, including the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe ($1,000,000) for casino construction; the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe ($1,000,000) for economic development; the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe ($1,000,000) for an elderly housing complex; the Upper Sioux Community ($750,000) for infrastructure development; the Santee Sioux Tribe ($800,000) for community improvements and tribal programs; the Mandan, Arikara, and Hidatsa Nation ($750,000) for housing initiatives; and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska ($250,000) for an indoor aquatic center. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Proposal made to reopen Huron University" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 15:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FOCUS WILL BE EDUCATING NATIVE AMERICAN TEACHERS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.plainsman.com/main.php?story_id=7901&page=23 Proposal made to reopen HU to educate Native American teachers BY ROGER LARSEN February 5, 2006 A proposal to reopen Huron University as a four-year school to educate Native American teachers has gone before the executive committee of the task force charged with examining potential prospects for the closed campus. Ron Volesky and Gary Montana of National Native American Education Corporation met with the committee last week. "We think that we have put together a really solid plan," Volesky said. The school would have a Native American student population of at least 50 percent so it could qualify for government grant funds. The curriculum would also include a business aspect in which graduates could be trained to help reservation economies. Financing and accreditation are two of the major challenges facing the group, and Volesky said there is only a 60-day window of opportunity to come up with agreements on those and other issues. But he said he thinks the new corporation can succeed where others have failed because there will be a local board of directors and it won't be affiliated with any Indian tribes. "We just think we can bring good, sound management and inspiring leadership to make this enterprise go," Volesky said. He said the group is examining a possible articulation agreement with another institution of higher learning in South Dakota in which the reopened university would be accredited for a time under an established school. Attracting students to the school will be another challenge. "We think that with aggressive recruiting and having a good product and marketing it correctly that we can get the students here," Volesky said. Task force publicity officer Pat Haley said the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office and the F&M Bank have asked the task force to continue examining potential prospects for the campus. The task force is receiving inquiries primarily by telephone and through the Governor's Office of Economic Development Web site. "The task force doesn't believe it's appropriate to comment on any one project because most of the projects do not want public discussion about their proposals," Haley said. "If Ron Volesky and Gary Montana want to talk about their proposal publicly, that's their business," he said. The task force is interested in looking at any suggestions or contacts from the public, he said. "We think it's important that the community understands that we are not making any decisions about what projects may be preferable to others," Haley said. "We give information to any prospect about both the facility and, if it is a school proposal, we try to provide guidance to help the prospect put together a business plan." The executive committee has also given information to prospects about the accreditation process, which he said is very important and complex. Any actual purchase of the property is a decision to be made by USDA and the bank. USDA has appraisers going through the property as part of the liquidation process. Volesky said his proposal doesn't suggest that the property would be handed over to his group for a nominal fee. Last summer, at a sheriff's auction, the F&M Bank was the lone bidder when it purchased the property for $3.9 million following a bankruptcy filing by Si Tanka University. "We're operating under a plan in which we would offer `X' number of dollars to purchase it in that manner," Volesky said. "We feel with grants, foundations, BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) funding we can make this work." He declined to release any financial specifics of the plan. Volesky said he wrote to Si Tanka officials a year ago to offer to meet with them at any time. "Obviously, it would have been nice to have been handed the baton rather than have it drop on the track," he said. But he said he remains optimistic. "With good local community support we can make it happen," he said. "It's important for the community to stand up and say this is what we want," he said. "It's so significant to be a college town," Volesky said. "We've always been able to say that in this community for 100 years. Now all of a sudden we can't." Copyright c. 2006 Huron Plainsman. --------- "RE: UND seeks solidarity with Tribes" --------- Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:51:21 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="UNIV. NORTH DAKOTA SEEKS TO KEEP NAME" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.grandforks.com/13835515.htm?source=rss&channel=grandforks_news UND seeks solidarity with tribes Kupchella says more dialogue could help end name opposition By David Dodds Herald Staff Writer February 10, 2006 UND President Charles Kupchella says he wants to create an atmosphere of "we" between his school and Sioux tribes. In a Viewpoint in today's Herald , the UND leader calls for more solidarity with the tribes and sheds insight on possible new programs that could be developed to enhance the school's strong reputation as an educator of American Indians. Kupchella suggests that, with the tribes' support, such an effort might go a long way in retaining unfettered use of the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo in light of the school's current fight with the NCAA. "Most, if not all, external opposition to the use of nicknames and imagery including that of the NCAA seems to hinge on opposition or support of namesake tribes," Kupchella writes. "If we can earn broad tribal support, most, if not all other opposition should end." UND currently is awaiting an answer to a second appeal of an NCAA ruling that placed the school on a list of schools that could face postseason restrictions, because they have nicknames, mascot or imagery deemed "hostile or abusive." The NCAA plans to respond to the appeal April 27. UND's first appeal was rejected in large part because of expressed opposition by two Sioux Indian tribes with territory in North Dakota. A third tribe, the Spirit Lake Nation, only 90 miles from the campus, did not give the NCAA a firm answer on its stance. The Spirit Lake Nation formally offered a resolution of support for UND's nickname and logo in 2000, but it included conditions. Kupchella said that Spirit Lake tribal leaders recently told him that they have no intention of rescinding that resolution. In the past few weeks, Kupchella has hosted members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council and the entire Spirit Lake council. He writes in today's guest editorial that the meetings have led to talks of possible new initiatives, including the creation of a "primer" on American Indian culture for student athletes and visits by school athletes to reservations. Also, Kupchella indicates that he will work to establish a scholarship endowment for students from Sioux tribes, which currently are underrepresented on the UND campus. "These discussions we're seen as only the beginning," Kupchella writes. "Some follow-up discussions are ongoing and meetings with other tribal groups are being scheduled with the help of many good people who see that establishing solidarity is the right way to go." Leigh Jeanotte, director of UND's American Indian Student Services and a supporter of getting rid of the nickname, said that he knows very little of the efforts spelled out in the Kupchella's article. "At this time, I am unable to comment," Jeanotte said. "Neither myself, the staff or the American Indian Student Services, nor the 31 Indian related programs on campus have been consulted or asked to participate in the organization of these efforts to justify the continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo." Copyright c. 2006 Grand Forks Herald - Knight Ridder. --------- "RE: Native American stories of the Stars" --------- Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 08:43:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="STAR KNOWLEDGE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/index.php?ntid=71139&ntpid=1 Native American stories of the stars RON SEELY rseely@madison.com February 1, 2006 Modern-day astronomers have learned remarkable things about the heavens. But, then, they have the Hubble Space Telescope at their disposal. Native Americans, on the other hand, had their eyesight and a rich history of astronomical observation passed on by ancestors. Yet those tools were enough to allow them to develop an impressive and practical understanding of the movements of constellations, stars and planets. In fact, stories about celestial objects, including explanations for their origin and instructions for their practical use as guides to navigation and time, are woven deeply through all native cultures, including those of Wisconsin's Native Americans. Now, a new UW-Madison project is helping students from the state's tribal reservations understand that their ancestors also had a sophisticated and accurate understanding of the stars and the planets. Called "One Sky, Two Views: Expanding Our Cultural Universe," the program is the brainchild of Sanjay Limaye, an astronomer, and Patty Loew, an associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication and a scholar of Native American history and issues. Loew, who is also a tribal member of the Bad River Ojibwe near Ashland, and Limaye, have already worked with students from Bad River and plan other programs in the coming weeks, including visits to several other reservations. For Loew, the project is a way to get tribal youth in the state to appreciate anew the wisdom and the importance of the stories they grew up with, especially those that are based on observations and understandings of the natural world. The stories, such as those that explain the creation of the world or the origin of their tribe, represent a deep understanding of the connections between people and nature. And they pass on valuable life and spiritual lessons. "I hope to instill in these native kids a sense of respect for their own ancestors when it comes to science and math," Loew said. "My hope is that they will understand that getting a traditional education in math and science doesn't have to come at the expense of their native society. We need more scientists who bring a cultural perspective to their work." For Loew, one of the most rewarding aspects of the project is the storytelling itself. She relishes telling the stories that are so important to her own culture, such as the tale "Fisher Goes to the Sky World." The story takes place before man arrived on Earth. Fisher, Otter, Badger and Wolverine cooperate to steal the sun and warm Earth. Fisher, the principal character, sacrifices himself to save his friends and is turned into the constellation known as the Big Dipper. The entire story not only conveys important lessons about loyalty and sacrifice, Loew said, it also contains important details about the Big Dipper and its location and movement through the seasons. Limaye, like Loew, wants to help Native American youth understand the science behind their ancestral stories. But he also hopes to spark an interest among some of them in a science career. Loew and Limaye hatched the idea while visiting at a faculty reception last year. The two had not met but Loew, upon discovering Limaye is an astronomer who works with young people, chatted with him about the old stories and how many involve constellations and other heavenly objects. Limaye, for his part, was impressed with the clear connections to science. When Loew finished telling an origin story that involved the beating of a drum and the movement outward of waves of sound, Limaye exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, that's the Big Bang theory!" Limaye shared the conversation with Rosalyn Pertzborn, who directs the Office of Space Science Education at UW- Madison. She immediately saw the value of the project and applied for and helped obtain a $100,000 Baldwin grant. Now, in addition to the school sessions, a conference and a book are in the works. Making the connections between the ancient stories and modern science is an ideal way to get young tribal members interested in a field such as astronomy, Pertzborn said. "Their ancestors watched the heavens," Pertzborn said. "They collected data. And they made predictions. And that's science!" Copyright c. 2005 Wisconsin State Journal. --------- "RE: Yup'ik Trash talk" --------- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 08:51:16 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YUP'IK WORKSHOP" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7431884p-7342767c.html Yup'ik trash talk Nelson Island group tells how it's cleaning up the Bush By ALEX deMARBAN Anchorage Daily News February 9, 2006 Encroaching rivers and melting permafrost are threatening the villages around Nelson Island, but one thing the people won't lose is their language, culture and traditions, said Andrew George of Nightmute. "If we lose this, we lose our way of life," George, 79, told a crowded room of Yup'ik speakers from Western Alaska on Wednesday. He spoke confidently - without a microphone - in the lyrical tones of his own language. During his talk at the Egan Center, a handful of English-speakers, as if suddenly transported to a foreign country, wore headsets and followed an interpreter. George and other members of the Nelson Island Consortium organized the all-Yup'ik workshop at the Anchorage Forum on the Environment Wednesday to share a budding success story. It's tied to another cultural value they intend to reclaim: respect for the land. Members of the consortium, representing Newtok, Nightmute, Chefornak, Tununak, Toksook Bay, Umkumiut and Kipnuk, took turns speaking about their efforts to clean up the land for future generations. They're already making a difference. They've won a federal grant to ship recyclable items like cans to a recycling center in the larger hub city of Bethel. They're also shipping poisonous lead batteries so they can be properly disposed. The consortium is teaching students, elders and community leaders that dumping things like refrigerators on the land creates toxic waste that leaches from the swampy tundra into lakes and rivers. In Chefornak, a village with about 500 residents that's less than a mile from the community's landfill, it's not unusual to smell the dump's festering odors and toxic smoke on burn day. "It's a problem for our community because it's too close and it's hazardous and smelly," said Billy Chagluak, who moderated the panel of Yup'ik speakers. George, the elder, wearing an old ball cap and black suspenders, said garbage wasn't an issue for his ancestors. They cleaned up animal and human waste around the village and used everything, even animal sinew, for threads in waterproof parkas. They didn't have plastic littering the landscape and smoke in the air from boat engines, either, and they didn't dump mountains of trash on the edge of the village, he said. But that's what 95 percent of the nearly 200 rural communities not on the state's road system do today, said Lynn Zender, an environmental consultant who helps rural villages solve landfill issues. Because of limited funding and lax state regulations, most villages have open landfills that threaten the environment and the people. The sprawling mounds of trash are filled with rusty oil drums, empty honey buckets and garbage bags that can be shredded by hungry ravens. "In any other state in the union an unlined dump would be against the law, but it's not here," Zender said, adding that Alaska has a federal waiver that allows dumps without permits. Nelson Island's garbage problem is the worst in the state, she said. Located on the edge of the Bering Sea up the coast from the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, it's surrounded by rivers and wetlands that are flooding as global warming heats the permafrost. Fifty-six percent of the village landfills in the state are experiencing seasonal flooding, Zender said. The consortium's villages, with the exception of Toksook Bay, still haul their human waste to honey bucket lagoons. The villages can't afford heavy equipment to bury their trash. And even if they could, there are few safe places to bury waste in the swampy tundra, she said. Since flying or barging the trash out is too expensive, the villages burn it. In fact, 78 percent of the state's villages are located within a mile of their dump, where the poisonous odor of burning plastic and Styrofoam wafts into homes, she said. "It's common for residents to smell toxic smoke on a regular basis," Zender said. Studies by her company, Zender Engineering, have shown increased birth defects, as well as headaches, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms the closer residents live to a dump, she said. The consortium hopes to move quickly to reduce health hazards in its area, said Nick Tom, a tribal administrator from Newtok. They want to contain open dumps and they want schools to ban Styrofoam because burning it creates poisonous smoke. He said the consortium was founded two years ago because traditional fishing camps, once clean, were filling with trash, while smoke and gas from snowmachines and boats was polluting once-clean rivers and trails. "We knew we were doing something wrong with our environment," he said. Copyright c. 2006 The Anchorage Daily News, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Company. --------- "RE: Tribes look to debunk gaming myths" --------- Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 08:57:34 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GAMING MYTHS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7542 Tribes look to debunk gaming myths Stereotypes prove to be damaging L. A, Franck February 7, 2006 The congressional aide was quite candid about it, Tim Horan recalls. Meeting people from a non-gaming tribe was a novelty if not a shock. "They were not accustomed to hearing about and seeing - we brought lots of pictures - the kind of poverty and substandard housing and living conditions that we deal with daily," says Horan, who is Executive Director of Round Valley Indian Housing Authority in Northern California, recalling a visit to Washington this past February. Being that this case involved a Southern California district where successful gaming tribes are locally familiar, encountering that perception was not a surprise, comments Horan. But nationwide, despite the facts that a majority of tribes don't even have gaming, and that only a handful of the gaming tribes have become rich, myth has it that Indian Country is awash in money, according to concerned parties. "A Terrible Injustice" "I run up against that notion all the time," says David Kennedy, founder of the Wieden + Kennedy ad agency in Portland, Oregon, and a board member of the American Indian College Fund. He calls the myth "our biggest competitor" in fundraising. Rick Williams, President of the Fund, says the proliferation of the myth goes hand-in-hand with the mainstream American tendency to regard Indian tribes as one generic entity, not as separate sovereign nations. "One of every three people we deal with - donors and the general public - will ask the question: `Why aren't the tribes giving more?' Probably another third want to ask the question but are too polite." Their premise - that all tribes are the same - is faulty, Williams says, exposing it thus: "In the early 1970s, was then-booming Las Vegas expected to bail out near-bankrupt New York City?" "Broadbrushing is dangerous," says Deborah Webster, Tribal Representative for Enterprise, an operating foundation with significant involvement in Indian Country. "If you characterize everybody, it's not appropriate. It's not true. Tribes are as diverse as cities and towns across the U.S." "The myth does a terrible injustice to tribal people, who are struggling behind all other racial and ethnic groups on every measure of economic and housing standards," says Gary L. Gordon, Executive Director of the National American Indian Housing Council. Reality: Desperate Housing Conditions Some of those measures are as follows: 90,000 Indian families remain underhoused or homeless, and 200,000 housing units are needed immediately in Indian Country, as the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights stated in a 2003 report. According to Census data, in tribal areas, 14.7 percent of homes are overcrowded, compared to 5.7 percent in the general U.S. population; on lack of complete plumbing facilities, the numbers are 11.7 percent and 1.2 percent respectively. More than 1 in 10 tribal homes don't have a kitchen. Conditions such as these are familiar enough to most non-gaming tribes, but even modestly successful gaming tribes such as the Umatilla in Oregon, after a decade of casino operations, still face rampant overcrowding, according to Barbara Roloff, Executive Director of Umatilla Indian Housing Authority. The Malignancy of the Myth Further, the tribe sees public perceptions come back in wildly exaggerated form, according to Marcus Luke II, Umatilla Homeownership Counselor. "Many non-Native people think just because we're Native American we have money," he says. "When we try to get donations, people say: `You already have money, you have the casino.'" A certain major fast-food corporate foundation gives scholarships to students of all ethnic groups - except Native American, says Williams. "Someone on their board said: `Indian children go to school free, and they have all that money from gaming; they don't need our help'. So we've been summarily dismissed. This is a perfect example of a mainstream myth about Indians causing harm." "The pervasive and persistent myth exacerbates the challenge for Indian housing professionals, fundraisers, and advocates, who put forth the reality that tribal communities have severe housing need and try to make the case for more funding," comments Gordon. "They often must start from less than square one as they encounter people disposed to question why there would be such concerns." Gaming Tribes: 42% Unemployment and Marginal Benefits for Housing Given the remoteness of the lands to which most tribes were historically displaced, the economic development needed to sustain housing is difficult, and even gaming is far from a shoo-in for success. As NAIHC reported last year, among 562 federally recognized tribes, of the 224 that have gone into gaming (operating 354 facilities), 90 (40 percent) make less than 1 percent of the industry's gross revenue. Two- thirds of the gaming operations account for just 10 percent of the overall revenue with annual gross revenue of $25 million or less. The remaining one-third account for 90 percent of the revenue. In a recent NAIHC survey of its members (65 responding), among 30 respondents representing gaming tribes, 18 said none of their gaming revenues go into housing, 4 said it is in the 6-10 percent range, and none put it above 10 percent. For many gaming tribes, the primary benefit is employment, as they now provide 400,000 jobs (75 percent of them to non- Indians). The Umatilla have been able to bring their unemployment rate from 47 percent in 1994 down to 17 percent now, according to Roloff. However, gaming tribes overall have an unemployment rate of 42 percent - practically the same as that of non-gaming tribes: 43 percent. And none of Umatilla's gaming revenues go into housing, according to Roloff. "There's only so much revenue to go around, and so many essential tribal services and programs," she says, explaining also that housing gets its Native American Housing Block Grant and is expected to leverage it to tap other funding sources. "Obviously, a few gaming tribes have been able to tackle their housing and other needs, but throughout Indian Country the volume of gaming revenue has been enough to produce only a slight benefit overall," says Gordon. "The needs for most tribes are significant in many areas, and it will take quite some time before the revenues can be expected to adequately address these needs, if ever." Currently, for most gaming tribes, "profit" does not enter the picture; rather, it's about maintaining basic services that are inadequately supported by agencies that are obligated by treaties and laws to do so, says Enterprise's Webster. "We're actually working in Indian Country, so we understand. Other foundations may have a more peripheral view, and may read only about the Pequots and get the idea that all tribes are rich from gaming." Dispelling the Myth Ignorance is the main barrier, the concerned parties agree: not only about gaming and living conditions for Indian people, but also about tribal sovereignty, the ignorance of which leads to a skewed view of tribe-to-tribe relations and expectations thereof. "I believe it is imperative that we work to educate the general public about Indian people and their true status in America," says Williams. "You have to be able to provide some really good information," advises Williams. At the heart of the matter is helping people understand that tribes are sovereign nations, with separate governments like each of the United States. Jane DeMarines contributed to this article, which originally appeared in the Native American Housing News. Reprinted with permission. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Mascots show lack of cultural understanding" --------- Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 15:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: MASCOTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/02/05/news/local/65-mascots.txt Game, sports mascots show lack of cultural understanding By Jodi Rave Reporters Notebook February 5, 2006 Score points: Rape an "Indian maiden." That's the directive of the "Custer's Revenge" video game, which asks players to imagine: "You are General Custer. Your dander's up, your pistol's wavin'. You've hog-tied a ravishing Indian maiden and have a chance to rewrite history and even up an old score. Now the Indian maiden's hands may be tied, but she's not about to take it lying down, by George!" Players pretending to be Gen. George Armstrong Custer rack up points each time they rape an American Indian woman. Author Andrea Smith uses the video to show how Indian women are targeted for violence in her book, "Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide." Smith quotes Stuart Kasten's marketing of the 1982 game as "a fun sequence where the woman is enjoying a sexual act willingly." * Raping "Indian maidens" for fun? What's more, I've never heard any American Indian women clamoring to be called a maiden, which means spinster or winless horse. But when non-Indians control naming systems, such as those used by college and high school sports teams, anything goes -- even if you're an Indian person adamantly opposed to being used as a mascot. Yet the predominant culture tends to think its more important to hold on to school "traditions," which usually means harboring names such as Redskins, Indians, Chiefs or Maidens -- even though groups like the American Indian Mental Health Association states using American Indians as mascots damages the self-identity and self-esteem of Indian people. But what's a little fun at the expense of indigenous people? While most racial groups tend to beat up on each other, whites commit 60 percent of violent crimes against American Indian women, according to the Justice Department. It's no wonder Indians in Western Montana object to a school on the Flathead Reservation's use of Maiden and Chief for mascots. The Ronan Indian Education Committee, Indian parents and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation asked the Ronan School Board to stop using American Indian images and symbols on a recently built gym floor. Francine Dupuis, a tribal citizen on the Flathead, spearheaded these efforts. Any sense of honor intended for bestowment upon American Indians gets lost in translation when non-Indian fans grab hold. Imagine non-Indian fans war whooping, tomahawk-chopping and screaming the word squaw at girls playing basketball. But Ronan's majority white school board members determined it knew better, voting 5 to 1 to keep the Chief and Maiden names in 2003. It didn't matter that half the district's student population is American Indian. Their best argument: Some people like it. The board could settle this matter based on nothing more than concern for Indian students. Instead, Indians have been forced to take their case through a cumbersome legal system. In January, the Montana Supreme Court rejected Dupuis' case and told her to take her complaints to the state Human Rights Commission. But Dupuis argues this isn't a discrimination case. It's a violation of state constitutional rights -- student guarantees to human dignity and the preservation of cultural integrity. Her lawyer, James Park Taylor, petitioned the Supreme Court for a rehearing on Jan. 17. A ruling is expected in the next week. A recent reporting assignment led me to the Flathead Reservation. As I drove by the Ronan Middle School, I decided to stop and look at the gym floor. I asked the secretary at the front desk if I could see the maiden and chief images. The three women behind the desk tensed up, cleared throats and exchanged looks. One picked up the phone. About five minutes later, I was escorted to the gym. A news photographer and I barely stepped onto the floor when a gym teacher stepped forward to say we weren't welcome. A second later, the school's athletic director and former basketball coach, Aaron Griffin, appeared from nowhere, cutting me off from walking any farther. He told me to leave and come back when the superintendent returns. If looking at the gym floor causes that much tension, I can only imagine what it must be like for American Indians living in that community. Copyright c.006 The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Stories add color to Snowy Quilt" --------- Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:53:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - ilename="YELLOW BIRD: STORIES AND WINTER" http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/columnists/13792322.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Stories add color to snowy quilt February 4, 2006 When you can't think of anything to say or need something to talk about with someone you've just met, the weather is a good subject. It is interesting and easy to talk about because it's nonthreatening -- and everyone in our region has a good winter storm story.After my new water- exercise class Thursday evening, I came out (still wet around the ears and with the tips of my hair dripping) into that nonthreatening weather and nearly was blown into East Grand Forks. As I was hanging onto the roof of my car to keep from sliding down the street, I couldn't say this was casual weather. Strands of my hair had formed into icicles by then, and when I got into my car and drove off, they melted cold down my neck. As I turned onto Columbia Road, still feeling that icy trickle, I saw a young man wearing a thin jacket and no cap or gloves bounding along the road. He seemed almost to be dancing over the ice before he disappeared into the snow mist. I smiled as I drove and remembered running full gait over icy sidewalks and streets. When you're young, you don't care; if you fall, you're up in a second. But at my time in life, falling on the ice can be life- threatening. It's that way with winter driving, too. My Toyota, which I lovingly call "Ruby," has those brakes that keep the car from skidding -- or so the salesman told me. But I still drove white-knuckled down icy Columbia Road that evening. And now that I think about it, I can see that my younger self's carefree attitude about winter made me do more than just skip along icy sidewalks. It influenced my winter driving, too. I actually thought it was exciting to drive in snow falling so heavily that you could hardly see. Maybe that's why my aunt will say that when Dorreen started driving, we moved things out of her way. I started driving I was 19 years old.The first time I took the wheel, I was about 14 years old, which isn't too young to drive on the farm. I spent many summers with cousins at my aunt's place. They had an old standby car they called the "Blue Goose." (Naming our cars is something that seems to run in the family. When you spend a lot of time in them, you want a good relationship with your car, just in case you need to call on its spirit at a dangerous time.) Anyway, the Blue Goose was not in use one day. Everyone was out somewhere. On the farm and reservation, people leave their keys in the car, so I took the "the goose" for a run. (I only learned to lock my car doors and hide anything of value after living in Washington, D.C.) It was my first time at the wheel, and I thought I was doing great until this house jumped up in front of me. I also thought that there was a lot of room and that the car stopped on a dime. I didn't do too much damage to either the house or the car. But it scared me, and the family wasn't too pleased, either. I was relegated to "riding shotgun" after that, as my older sister drove. And I have to say that she had her days, too. One of those winter days after a big snowstorm, the car wouldn't start. Back then, we started cars by pulling or pushing them fast -- and then when they started, we pumped the gas. So, my brothers were pulling us in their car when our car started. Our car caught their bumper and got tossed to one side. The old Blue Goose swerved back and forth; then, it took a couple of tumbles over and over in the deep snow beside the road and landed gently on its side. My knees were a little black and blue. My sister ended up in the back seat, but we both were fine. All that snow made for a good, soft landing spot. That same winter, we also ran over one of the two posts that had been put up in the fall as decorations to the entrance of our place. The car slid into and over the pole, but when I looked back, I could see that darn pole just pop back up. It was pretty new, and the wood probably was green. We didn't tell the folks that we had run over their new entrance post, either. If you ask me, talking about the weather in North Dakota is not casual. Winter generates all kinds of stories that can take you through dinner, coffee afterward and breakfast the next day. It's a good time for the hardy and those who can weave good stories. ---- Dorreen Yellow Bird's column appears Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at (701) 780-1228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com Copyright c. 2006 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: GIAGO: Finding the ugliest car on the Reservation" --------- Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:53:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: INDIAN CARS" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7533 Notes from Indian Country Finding the ugliest car on the reservation Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) February 6, 2006 Copyright c. 2006 Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. Where have all the gas-guzzlers from the 1960s, 70s and 80s gone? On a recent trip that took me to the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota I found most of them. Yeah, that's right. Those huge, overweight, lumbering Fords, Chevys, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles and Chryslers have all ended up on the reservations. How did they end up there? Travel to any town bordering an Indian reservation, we call them "bordertowns," and you will find unscrupulous car dealers whose main goal in life is to unload these outdated, gas- sucking behemoths sitting on the car lots just waiting for the suckers to check them out. But that's just a part of the story. Most of the time the price on the car is far above what it is worth and the easy down payment, 24-months (or more) payoff plan has so many legal loopholes favoring the dealership that by the time the innocent buyer knows what hit him or her, they have paid two to three times the value of the car at interest rates that would raise eyebrows in any other part of the civilized world. Granted, there are those Indian people with poor or no credit rating at all. But they need a car for grocery shopping or to take mom, pop or grandma and grandpa or the children to the nearest Indian Health Service Hospital. Fortunately there are busses to take the kids to school. On vast reservations like the Pine Ridge, 100 miles long, 50 miles wide, or the Navajo Nation, 25,000 square miles, it is almost a matter of life and death to have a car or truck. Grocery stores of any size are usually in the larger communities on the reservation or in the border towns. The same goes for clothing stores, auto repair shops, tire shop or places where one can buy appliances like refrigerators and washers and dryers. Elders often buy gasoline and kick in a few extra bucks to relatives and friends to drive them to the store, to the Bureau of Indian Affairs office, the main office of the tribal government or to the hospital. This practice is as common as hitch hiking or walking. Drive to any large reservation, even in the dead of winter, and you will see Indian people walking alongside the roads in the middle of nowhere. I am no longer amazed at those Lakota people who put just enough gas in their cars to make it to, say, Rapid City. And after they get here and take care of their business, you will find them in the parking lots of grocery stores or knocking on the doors of friends and relatives in an effort to raise enough money to buy the gas to get back home. After securing some older busses, the governing body of the Pine Ridge Reservation is starting a reservation-wide bus service in order to accommodate those tribal members without the means to purchase a car or truck or who cannot drive because of physical handicaps. So many tribal members have had limbs amputated because of the disastrous effects of diabetes. We (Indians) joke amongst ourselves about "Indian cars." These are usually cars with broken windows, dented fenders and with tail pipes and bumpers held on with bailing wire. They are also those huge gas-guzzlers I mentioned above. "Hey, did you see that junker Little Moon is driving? That is really an "Indian car,"' we say in jest. There is a weekly newspaper on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana called "Wotanin Wowape." It has been published for more than 20 years and most of the staff has been working there that long. In the old days the editor Bonnie Red Elk and her assistant, Minnie Two Shoes, used to hold an "Ugliest Car on the Reservation" contest. Whenever their newspaper arrived at my office with the winner of this contest, my staff and me would hold our sides in pain from laughing so hard. There were so many ugly cars entered in the contest that the unbiased judges at the newspaper had a heck of a time selecting the winner. Of course, we used to joke that if Fort Peck would let some of the people from Pine Ridge enter their cars in the contest, our Lakota car owners would win hands down. On a more serious note, when environmentalists tried to convince Congress more than 30 years ago to force the auto makers in Detroit to build more fuel efficient cars, it was the Big 3, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, that screamed like wounded coyotes and fought any legislation designed to bring about this change, to a standstill. And then they just went on building their next generation of gas-guzzlers, the huge trucks and SUVs. Ford and GM both announced the upcoming layoffs of thousands of workers and the closing of many plants. Toyota and Honda, two companies that listened to the consumer and did build more gas efficient automobiles, pounded the Big 3. Where would these financially shaky automobile companies be if they had listened to the environmentalists 20 or 30 years ago? Perhaps they would now be growing instead of shrinking. I wish they would come to th