_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 14, ISSUE 048 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 December 2, 2006 Hopi kyaamuya/respect moon Mohawk tsothohrha/moon of cold Assiniboine wicogandu-sungagu/center moon's younger brother Cree papiwatiginashispizun/moon when young fellow spreads the brush +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 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; www.indiancountrytoday.com; 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 Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + =================== "Our survival depends on ensuring we are able to protect our ancestral lands and maintain our traditional and cultural rights. The U.S. and other countries have a moral obligation to respect and promote the human rights of indigenous peoples by adopting the declaration." __ Armstrong Wiggins, Miskito leader from Nicaragua who is director of the Washington, D.C., office of the Indian Law Resource Center, on the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 Sisters The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have a lot in common with one another, and now they share one more along with Russia. Each of these nations is opposed to approving a UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Almost thirty years have been spent drafting this declaration and bringing its resoloution to a vote. It has been crafted with care and a strong sense of fairness. Note the nations that oppose this declaration of dignity and rights each have large indigenous populations - populations each has kept a firm control over. These cowardly nations do not wish to relinquish one ounce of that control. Furthermore, each of these nations fears granting the self-determination called for in this declaration will also mean loss of control over natural resources the indigenous nations possess within their boundaries. In the United States reckless misuse of these resources has resulted in theft of oil royalties, contamination of waters with mining tailings and industrial poisoning. Whether lead, uranium, zinc or other mining operations these same abuses are repeated in the other nations opposing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This is a unspoken statement each indigenous person in each of these nations must carry in his or her heart. Your value as a human being means nothing to these dominant societies. Your only value is what can be taken from you. Your rights begin and end with dominant culture greed. =========================================== - Warrior Moccasins Project seeks out your help Date: Sunday, September 24, 2006 02:10 pm From: Sherry Subj: Warrior Moccasins Project seeks out your help! Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian Warrior Moccasin Project seeks out experienced beaders, moccasin makers and names for a pair of moccasins for their service in the military. Those interested in donationg Deer Hides, please email me so i can give you the name and address of where to ship it to. Deer hides CAN be donated to this project. To do so, you must first salt the hides with medium grade salt which can be purchased at any farm supply store. After salting the hide(s) ship them to the address i will give you following the laws as specified BY YOUR STATE. A copy of the possession tag which was issued by the game warden must be included for each hide being shipped. Any monetary donation to this project is also greatly appreciated. Each cost of the pair of moccasins is $32.00 (includes shipping/handling charge). Those serving in harms way and those who have returned state side are encouraged to get in touch with my via email. If you know of a native military troop member who you want to honor, please get a hold of me through my email. Thank you :) =========================================== Again, this winter this editorial section will feature groups or individuals who are helping those in need, primarily on reservations and especially those who aid children and elders. Urban help will not be excluded. I have lived in the Cedar-Riverside area of Minneapolis and been a guest in Lakota Housing in Rapid City and in Shiprock. The need to eat and be warm does not end because a person has left the rez. PLEASE forward contact information for all you know who help those less able to do so make it through the harsh winter months. ----- UPDATED REQUEST!!! Date: Sunday, November 05, 2006 10:58 am From: Brigitte Thimiakis Subj: Update: HYS 2006 Toys & Clothing Request [Please forward to anyone who can help!] UPDATE: Winter & Christmas 2006 "Honor Your Spirit, Protect The Children" Toys & Clothing Request Winter has started and the weather is already very cold in Montana. Please think of the children there who need warm clothes in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. We would like to thank each and everyone who has already sent boxes! Thank you so much for making a difference in their lives, and also helping the parents or relatives who do their best to take care of them. We are happy to say that there is no more need for shoes, as a lot of shoes have been received :) But there is still a need for new and good quality warm clothes, for babies and children of all ages up to about 12 years old, as well as Christmas toys. During Montana winters, the temperature can drop to 30 or 40 degrees below zero so warm winter clothing and blankets can be lifesaving. These items will be distributed right away. The toys will be distributed during the Christmas give away. The boxes can be sent to them directly on the reservation, where all items are distributed by trusted Northern Cheyenne contacts who make sure that the children with the greatest needs are taken care of first. Here is a list of things that can be sent in support of these children: - WARM CLOTHES for children of all ages from babies to pre- teens (for example knitted clothes, pants, jeans, coats, warm T-shirts, socks, gloves, hats, scarves) - warm blankets - TOYS for Christmas Other items that would also be appreciated: grooming supplies (toothpaste, tooth brushes, soaps and shampoos, combs, hair brushes, hair barrettes, rubber bands, etc), pampers diapers or pull-ups. Please make sure that the items sent are safe, new or as good as new, and sensitive to the culture of the children and their People. When sending a box, it would be appreciated if you could send us a short email with your name or location, type of items sent, approximate weight and shipping date, so that we can help our contacts by keeping a list of what is sent to them. Our aim and priority is to always make sure that everything reaches the reservation, for the children of families unable to make ends meet due to the high unemployment rate, the difficult conditions and the extreme poverty on the reservation. These children need all the help and encouragement they can get, so if you can help, please contact us for more information. Contact Info: Dodie Finstead, USA dodie_finstead@yahoo.com Dominique Larrede, France d.larrede@wanadoo.fr Brigitte Thimiakis, Europe thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr Thank you for reading our request. Respectfully, "Honor Your Spirit, Protect The Children" "Your help makes a huge difference for those who have never received help. Your donations provide hope and encouragement to those who have never known these qualities. Your concern and solidarity can improve the lives of many children, elders, families, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. There is still a lot to do but all together you can help us make these dreams come true. Thank you for being a part of this project and supporting it." Respectfully, Manuel Redwoman, Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Arapaho To learn more about the HYS projects, please visit: http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/home Our heartfelt thanks to everyone for your support ! <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o ==[This message may be forwarded under the condition that it is not altered in any way] == ---- http://www.devilslakejournal.com/articles/2006/10/20/news/news01.txt "Stuff a Truck" help for the holidays begins By Crystal Martodam Journal Staff Writer October 20, 2006 Load 'em up and move up, it's that time of year again for the "Stuff A Truck" food drive to fill the local food pantry at the Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency in Devils Lake. Dakota Prairie disperses food according to need and not income. For example the loss of a house in a fire or some other tragic accident that leaves a family or individuals in need of emergency food supplies. This year the food drive will begin on Oct. 23 and run until Nov. 12. This will be the fourth annual "Stuff A Truck" event. Dave Burstad, assistant manager at Leevers County Market said that there will be very large bins set up at the front of the store with the "Stuff A Truck" logo on them. Any non-perishable food items can be placed in these bins for donation. Cash donations are welcome also. There will be paper trucks that can be purchased, your name can be placed on the truck or it can be left blank. The trucks will then be hung on the walls in the store. Brustad also commented that items will be tagged in the store. "Many times people are unsure of what the pantry is lacking," he said. "This will help make it easier for those who wish to contribute." There will also be pre-bagged groceries than can be purchased for $10 and then placed in the bins. These bags are non-perishable food items that have been pre-bagged by Dakota Prairie with needed items. For every bag bought Leevers will also be donating between $1.75 and $2 per bag. "The bag has a value of $12 rather than $10," Brustad said. Last year there was approximately $1,500 worth of groceries collected. "We try to make it bigger and better every year, so we are hoping for more this year," Brustad said. This is the seventh year that the Stuff a Truck Program has been running. It began at that time in the Country Markets in Minnesota donating to the local food pantries. "This is not designed as an advertising entity, it is designed to help the community," Brustad said. People can also make direct cash donations to the Dakota Prairie Agency. "It is such a fun program we look foreword to every year." Brustad said. The local food pantry run through the Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency is an emergency pantry. It is there to help people in need. There are other services available at the DPCAA that can provide aid to an individuals situation such as providing money management services and services that can help an individual receive services from government programs that may be available to them because of income. For more information contact them at (701) 662-6500. Street Address: Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency 1219 College Drive Devils Lake, ND 58301 USA Mailing Address: Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency P. O. Box 698 Devils Lake, Nd 58301 Contact Name Phone 701-662-6500 FAX 701-662-6511 Copyright c. 2006 Devils Lake Journal, a GateHouse Media paper. ---- Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:24:06 -0600 From: "NDN@NDNnews.com" Subj: Children's Village needs your HELP! Please forward to your groups and lists! Thank you, Tamra Children's Village a foster care home located on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota is in need of disposable diapers. They currently have four little ones in diapers, ages 11/2, 2, 3, and 4. Also, toiletries are needed. If you can, and would like to help, you can mail diapers directly to: Children's Village c/o Louis and Melvina Winters 100 Main Street P. O. Box 1034 Pine Ridge, SD 57770 For the past few years, we have decided that in lieu of a giveaway at our pow wow, we would put the money toward purchasing propane for Children's Village. We also hold a blanket dance to help in this need. If anyone is interested in helping too, you can send a check to Midwest SOARRING and mark it as propane fund to designate your donation. Both Midwest SOARRING Foundation and Children's Village are nonprofit, 501c3 and donations are tax deductible. If you have any further questions, please contact Janet at 773-585-1744. Thanks so much for any help you can give. Janet Sevilla www.midwestsoarring.org Tamra www.NDNnews.com www.protectsacredsites.org "Providing news and information about Native American Issues & Causes" "Helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?" "Life is a learning place. Existence is forever. Challenges are only challenges because life has given you an opportunity to grow in an area of your fear or weakness." Leonard Peltier, Sept. 2006 ---- Date: Friday, October 27, 2006 03:27 pm From: Del \Abe\ Jones Subj: A couple notes for/about our Military and Vets please pass along to people who may be interested -----Original Message----- From: jesuandirenel@frontiernet.net To: almclwest@aol.com Sent: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 9:47 AM We are getting ready to pack Thanksgiving and Christmas "We care packages" for the troops and we need addresses. Would you please help us get the word out to other detachments that we need addresses. Maybe we can share list and exchange whatever names are available. All we want is names of troops all services and we are looking for names of women serving and the aux. makes up special packages for the women serving based on feedback from women serving in theatre... Marine J. Marrero jesuandirenel@frontiernet.net FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE American Legion offers way to thank veterans, troops on Veterans Day INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 11, 2006) - With thousands of troops deployed overseas, The American Legion has launched a free, easy way to thank them for their service on the eve of Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The electronic greeting cards are also ideal to thank all veterans, of all generations, who have served in the U.S. armed forces. "In today's computer age, what better way to say 'thank you' to a veteran or a servicemember either here at home or serving thousands of miles away than a musical greeting card with your personalized message that will reach them almost instantaneously," said Paul A. Morin, national commander of The American Legion. Anyone who has an e-mail address can receive the special cards. Creating the card is quick and easy at The American Legion's website, www. legion.org (click on Veterans Day E-greeting cards). "As our troops continue to serve in harms way, as countless thousands before them did in other wars, a message of support and thanks means more to a veteran than you realize," Morin said. "Please take a few moments to use this free service and brighten the day of one or more of America's veterans." The American Legion site offers e-mail cards representing each military service along with the service song that plays when the card is opened. Each card provides plenty of space to compose a personal message. Cards may be sent now through Nov. 12, 2006. Greeting cards may be sent direct to active duty service men and women if their military e-mail addresses are known. The 2.7 million-member American Legion is the nation's largest wartime veterans organization....# ---- 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 ----------- Editorial Section: - Couple brings Native-made Products . US opposition to UN to U.S. Market Native Rights Declaration - De La Salle Blackfeet School . Warrior Mocassins gets $1 Million . Winter Help - Hawaii natives' self rule urged - United States opposes - GIAGO: State stifling growth Declaration on Native Rights on reservations - Navajos' Desert Cleanup - HARJO: Giving thanks no more than a Mirage for Protectors of Sacred - Mining firms - JODI RAVE: again eyeing Navajo Land Native Students lacking Services - Navajo Nation - YELLOW BIRD: Bald Eagle battles yellow 'monster' epitomizes culture clash - Edge of the Rez - by the Numbers - GIAGO: Thanksgiving - - Walk is all about Race A Holiday of Imagination - Woman claims - NORTHRUP: Fond du Lac Follies: BIA officials abused her Older than America - Group touts - Louis Riel recalled value of Churro Sheep - Implement Kelowna Deal - Indian Reservations on Native Poverty: Fontaine grapple with Border Rules - Former Ho-Chunk President - Tribe seeks full management fights ouster of Bison Range - Havasupais gaining support - Tribes work to fight Meth in suit against ASU - Osage Nation gets tough - Judge rules for Religious rights on Meth use in Eagle Case - Indian, Military Warriors similar - Search continues on Red Lake - Cherokee Nation for missing Boys sending Care Packages to Troops - Native Prisoner - Measure to honor -- Fifteen year sentence Meskwaki Code Talkers approved for Beau Merrival - Onondagas scour past - Rustywire: Fall Off the Wagon... to bolster claim - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Chief's appeal to British Monarch - Del "Abe" Jones Poem: Hand-delivered POW/MIA Recognition Day - Bittersweet Comedy reflects Boarding School Era --------- "RE: United States opposes Declaration on Native Rights" --------- Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:38:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="US JOINS CANADA IN REJECTING UN DECLARATION" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414049 United States opposes declaration on Native rights by: Valerie Taliman / Indian Country Today November 21, 2006 NEW YORK - The stage is set for a showdown at the United Nations between countries favoring adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples and a handful of nations - including the United States - that are actively opposing it. The U.N. General Assembly, comprised of 191 nation states, is expected to adopt the long-awaited declaration within the next two weeks, pending political roadblocks that may delay its passage. The nations opposing the declaration are the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia and New Zealand - countries with large populations of indigenous peoples who own significant land and resources, including the 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States. The declaration is an unprecedented set of standards that would define and protect the human rights of indigenous peoples relating to land, resources, languages, cultures, spiritual beliefs and their right to self-determination. Self-determination is one key reason the United States and other countries are opposing its adoption, fearing that it gives indigenous peoples too much power, according to a joint statement issued in early November. Rosemary Banks, the representative from New Zealand, speaking on behalf of Australia and the United States, called the declaration "confusing, unworkable, contradictory and deeply flawed." She said the declaration's reference to self-determination could be construed as a unilateral right of self-determination and possible secession that would threaten the political unity and territorial integrity of member states. However, these statements were widely discussed during negotiations and it was agreed that other sections of the declaration temper these concerns. "The declaration is serious business. I understand why governments may have concerns. This is not just a statement of indigenous hopes," said Robert "Tim" Coulter, executive director of the Indian Law Resource Center in Helena, Mont., and one of the original authors of the declaration. "It is reasonable, fair, and enormously important to indigenous peoples. The declaration must be adopted immediately," he said. "We have worked for nearly 30 years and we are prepared to continue fighting for adoption of the declaration for as long as it takes. Many other indigenous people are working to do the same." In letters sent to all member nations in October urging immediate adoption, Coulter said, "Indigenous peoples continue to suffer disproportionately from extreme poverty, discrimination, environmental degradation, and other human rights abuses. In some places these abuses are leading to the extinction of indigenous peoples and their ways of life. Such abuses and discrimination must no longer be tolerated. "The international community now has an opportunity to help correct historical injustices and prevent future abuses by adopting the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples." At press time, indigenous representatives attending the 61st session of the United Nations were urgently lobbying against a new resolution by some African nations to postpone adoption of the declaration. A counterproposal by Peru also was introduced, advocating for its immediate adoption. "Some African governments seem to have been pressured by these anti- adoption countries to push their agenda," said Victoria Tauli-Corpus, chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. "They might be able to get some Asian governments to support their resolution. China, India, the Philippines and Nepal spoke in favor of its adoption, but there might be Asian countries who will support the African resolution." Tauli-Corpus issued an urgent call for people to lobby their governments to ensure that the declaration is adopted. At a U.N. briefing held to raise awareness of the declaration, Craig Mokhiber, Officer in Charge of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said, "The declaration covers the full range of rights of indigenous peoples. It catalogues the kinds of violations that have historically plagued, and sadly, continue to plague indigenous peoples from around the world. "There are attacks on their culture, their land, their identity and their own voice. The declaration lays out the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of indigenous peoples. It is something that has been a very long time coming." Armstrong Wiggins, a Miskito leader from Nicaragua who is director of the Washington, D.C., office of the Indian Law Resource Center, said the foundation for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was laid 30 years ago when indigenous leaders first went to the United Nations to seek recourse for serious human rights violations that threaten their ways of life. Discriminatory and unjust laws, policies and practices of many governments were resulting in mass dispossession or destruction of indigenous lands, territories, and natural resources. They called on the international community to help stop these destructive forces, strengthen international human rights law and recognize indigenous rights to exist as distinct peoples. "It has been a long process working to advance our rights on every level with the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other agencies," he said. "Our survival depends on ensuring we are able to protect our ancestral lands and maintain our traditional and cultural rights. The U.S. and other countries have a moral obligation to respect and promote the human rights of indigenous peoples by adopting the declaration." The declaration will help ensure the physical and cultural survival of more than 370 million indigenous peoples worldwide and will be a major step towards eliminating the widespread human rights violations they suffer. While it is not binding on governments, it is a positive step that puts pressure on governments to live up to universal principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, equality, nondiscrimination, good governance and good faith. --- Valerie Taliman, Navajo, is director of communications for the Indian Law Resource Center with offices in Helena, Mont., and Washington, D.C. For more info, go to www.indianlaw.org or call (406) 449-2006. Copyright c. 1998 - 2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Navajos' Desert Cleanup no more than a Mirage" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CLEANUP OF URANIUM POISONING MINIMAL" http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-navajo21 nov21,1,693604.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true BLIGHTED HOMELAND Navajos' desert cleanup no more than a mirage Through a federal program, decontamination seemed possible. But delays and disputes thwarted the effort. By Judy Pasternak, Times Staff Writer November 21, 2006 Church Rock Mine, N.M. - Most of the mining companies that drilled, dug and blasted for uranium on the Navajo reservation during the Cold War did nothing to repair the environmental damage they left behind. For a time, tribal leaders staked their hopes for a cleanup on Superfund, the landmark legislation that forces polluters to pay for remediation of toxic sites. More than 1,000 abandoned mines are scattered across the Navajo homeland, which covers 27,000 square miles in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Such a comprehensive cleanup is "exactly what Superfund was designed for," said Paul Connor, a lawyer who once directed Superfund enforcement policy for the Environmental Protection Agency. It hasn't happened. Bureaucratic delays and misunderstandings between the tribe and the EPA have prevented the Navajos from tapping Superfund's deep pockets and broad legal authority. Instead, the tribe reluctantly settled for a partial cleanup under a separate program. That effort left many hazards untouched. One of them is in Church Rock Mine, a Navajo community named for an abandoned uranium site. A 30-foot-high heap of grit and dynamited stone from the mine looms over a cluster of 15 homes. The wind roars for hours at a time, scattering radioactive dust throughout the settlement. For years, residents appealed to tribal leaders and the U.S. government for help. In 2003, tired of waiting, they joined forces with Navajo activists who were using a foundation grant to conduct radiation testing. In a dry wash where generations of children had played catch and tag, they discovered elevated radiation levels. As word spread of the citizen effort, authorities stirred at last. Under pressure from the tribe, the EPA opened negotiations with the mine's operator, United Nuclear Corp., and its parent, General Electric Co., to clean up the mess. If the companies eventually foot the bill, it would mark the first time a polluter has been held to account under Superfund for contaminating the reservation. But like the Church Rock families, members of other Navajo communities are done waiting for the government to act. They have reached out to environmental groups or university scientists, hoping to fashion their own solutions. "The Navajos need a champion," said Glynn R. Alsup, a retired Army Corps of Engineers official who served as a liaison to the Navajos. "The EPA and the tribe should be knocking on doors in Congress every year if they need money. I don't see that happening." Thwarted efforts The Navajos allowed intensive uranium mining by private companies starting in the 1940s. The lone buyer of the uranium was the federal government. The nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union was just beginning, and U.S. officials were desperate for material to make atomic bombs. In contracts typed on onion-skin paper, the companies promised to leave the land "in as good condition as received." The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs approved all leases and was supposed to enforce their terms. When demand for uranium eased in the late 1950s, mines and processing mills began to close. The operators often left behind open tunnels and shafts and piles of radioactive tailings. Rarely did they fence off the sites or post warning signs. Federal inspectors knew of the hazards but seldom intervened. Decades passed. As former miners were dying of lung cancer and respiratory disease in the 1970s, their widows started to wonder whether they and their children were endangered by the detritus of the uranium boom. In 1982, the tribal government demanded $6.7 million from a federal claims court to seal and clean about 300 mines. The tribe argued that federal inspectors had failed to enforce safety standards in order to keep down the price of bomb material. A judge rejected the claim in 1985, calling the allegations "entirely speculative." Next, tribal officials considered suing the mining companies. But a legal consultant advised that victory was unlikely because the firms had operated and departed with government approval. The only other parties possibly liable were tribal members who had staked mineral claims and leased them to outside companies. But few of those Navajos made much money. Running short of options, the tribe pinned its hopes on Superfund. Superfund criteria The 1980 law gave the EPA power to identify the worst toxic-waste sites and force polluters to pay for cleanup, health studies, clinics, maintenance and monitoring. If no polluters could be found, EPA could pay for the cleanup from its $1.6-billion trust. To get a site on Superfund's priority list, the tribe had to document the pollution. So staff members of the Navajo environmental commission, established in 1972, went from mine to mine, assessing contamination levels. As they drove near New Mexico's Haystack Butte in 1990, their radiation detector began beeping. They determined that the radiation was coming from two mining complexes just outside the reservation. More than 50 Navajos lived within half a mile. Inspectors from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a health emergency. Determining who was responsible for the contamination proved arduous. Most of the mine operators had vanished. The Department of Energy paid to clean a part of the site once leased by the Atomic Energy Commission. Another portion was owned by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. A subsidiary had mined there, and the railroad agreed to pay for cleanup. The EPA did not pursue any other companies and ultimately paid for the balance of the cleanup - $500,000. The work was finished in 1992. Sadie Hoskie, then the Navajo environmental administrator, figured there had to be another way. Restoring the reservation one mine at a time would take too long. "We were concerned about the health impacts on the people," recalled Hoskie, who was working for the Navajos while on leave from a position at the EPA. "Their daily lives were not as safe as they believed." In 1993, Hoskie went to Washington to complain. She told members of two House subcommittees that the Navajos wanted "speedy, thorough and permanent remediation of all sites." Of 42 abandoned mines investigated by her staff, 28 were hazardous under Superfund criteria. But none had made it onto the national priority list - a sought-after status that all but assured the EPA would put its money and muscle behind a cleanup. The reservation's low population density worked against the Navajos in the Superfund ranking system. The process "has proven a failure and must be changed," Hoskie said. Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) criticized the "piecemeal and uncoordinated approach" that "fails to eliminate the radiation health hazard." Bill Richardson, then a Democratic congressman from New Mexico and now the state's governor, said the work at Haystack Butte was "all well and good, but "there must be a final and complete way to address the problems of cleanup." Disagreements To Hoskie, King Tutt Mesa illustrated the need for a comprehensive approach. The rock tabletop in the reservation's northeast section was once the domain of a Navajo couple named King and Despah Tutt. From 1953 to 1958, the Tutts leased a parcel known as King Tutt No. 1 to a succession of operators, the largest of which was Vanadium Corp. of America. In 1989, Navajo inspectors visited the abandoned site and found huge mounds of dust and ore rich in uranium and other heavy metals - vanadium, selenium and arsenic. They also found products of uranium's decay - radium, radon gas, thorium and lead. About 200 mines had been bored into the mesa. Hoskie suggested lumping them into one Superfund application. She believed that "the sheer number of sites" would make the application hard to reject. After hearing her House testimony, EPA officials said they would consider the proposal. In January 1994, tribal and federal officials gathered in Albuquerque to devise a plan for the mesa. But they quickly got bogged down. They couldn't even agree on the minutes of the meeting. The Navajos thought the government had committed to pursuing "responsible parties" early in the process and listed this as an "action item" in their summary of the discussion. After getting a copy, the EPA wrote back: "Please delete as an action item.... USEPA did not agree." In 1996, federal officials finally concluded that King Tutt Mesa did meet criteria for a Superfund cleanup. But because there were only 19 homes within three miles, its chances of making the national priority list were uncertain, said Andrew Bain, a regional EPA manager. There was one sure way to make the cut. The Navajo president, like any state governor, could designate a single site for the national list. If the president wrote a letter, King Tutt Mesa could be the one. But by then, the EPA was urging the tribe to consider a different path. Another approach Long before the uranium boom, miners had been digging for coal in Navajo country. Hundreds of spent coal mines dotted the reservation, and by the 1990s the tribe was filling and sealing them. The work was paid for with fees collected from coal mining companies across the country and distributed by the Interior Department. The EPA began pushing the Navajos to use this coal money to seal the uranium mines, too. Hoskie much preferred Superfund. The coal program wasn't designed to deal with the complicated issues surrounding the uranium sites. Superfund gave the EPA the power to clean polluted groundwater that had spread beyond a mining site. The coal program couldn't pay for that. Superfund could remove and replace homes built with radioactive waste, a pervasive problem on the reservation. The coal program couldn't pay for that, either. Superfund could go after mining companies to pay for cleanups. The coal program couldn't. But the coal-fee money had one big advantage: It was readily available. As for Superfund, even if the tribe put King Tutt Mesa on the national priority list, EPA's pursuit of the polluters could get tied up in court for years. The hundreds of other Superfund candidates on the reservation faced even longer delays, if they made the list at all. In May 1994, the Navajos finished sealing entrances to the reservation's coal mines. The Interior Department certified that the tribe could start using coal money to fill uranium mines. In the Navajo capital of Window Rock, Ariz., the time had come to make a choice. Navajo Abandoned Mine Lands, the tribal unit that sealed old mines, was ready to start work on King Tutt "right then and there," recalled Stanley Edison, a chemist for the Navajo environmental agency. "We'd been waiting, and the residents had been waiting," he said. A partial cleanup trumped none at all, Navajo officials decided. Starting over Over the next decade, the tribe's workers sealed about 900 uranium mines, at a cost of more than $25 million. The achievement was substantial: Most of the old pits and shafts no longer presented a temptation to people and animals seeking shelter and water. But Madeline Roanhorse, head of the Abandoned Mine Lands department, noted at a 2004 meeting in Washington that her staff was charged with fixing "physical hazards, not subsurface contamination." Another problem is that erosion keeps undoing the tribe's work. In the desert, drought and wind continually strip the earthen covers off the mines and waste piles, exposing radioactive material. The tribe's maintenance workers have trouble keeping up with this wearing-away. The task will become harder if Congress approves a proposal to shift more coal-fee money to eastern states. King Tutt Mesa reflects the limitations of the coal-fee program. Tribal workers have sealed the many shafts and tunnels, but polluted groundwater remains, and condemned homes, built with radioactive waste, still stand nearby. So the effort to get the site listed for Superfund action is starting over. On hearing this, Hoskie, now back in the Denver office of the EPA, sighed loudly. "Oh, my goodness," she said. "I don't think that the [coal- fee] reclamation is enough.... It's so bureaucratic. Why can't we rise above it?" In 1999, Phelps Dodge Corp. swallowed the vestiges of Vanadium Corp. of America. Phelps Dodge is currently spending millions of dollars to clean up 10 former Vanadium Corp. uranium sites in remote canyons in Colorado and Utah. The company acted at the urging of the U. S. Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, which were concerned about the safety of hikers and campers. Whenever Phelps Dodge is informed of such health hazards, "we will of course take responsible action," company spokesman Kenneth Vaughn said. Asked why the firm was not cleaning King Tutt Mesa or other Vanadium Corp. sites on the Navajo reservation, Vaughn said there was a simple explanation: "No one asked." Turning elsewhere In 1998, the EPA finally began to test for radiation and water contamination throughout the reservation. Navajo leaders saw reason to hope for the thorough cleanup that had eluded them for so long. But the sampling effort ended prematurely after an argument between tribal and U.S. officials over control of information. The Navajos demanded that the federal crew pack up and leave. The sampling never resumed. Ordinary Navajos resolved to turn elsewhere for help. Milton Yazzie had been trying for seven years to get the tribe or EPA to test springs and reservoirs in Black Falls, Ariz. He suspected that cancers, kidney disease and eye problems among his family and neighbors were connected to the uranium mines. Yazzie drove an hour or more to Flagstaff, Ariz., several times a week to fill barrels with drinking water for his family. In 2002, he persuaded EPA officials to hold a meeting at his parents' home to talk about uranium hazards. A year later, the agency honored him as an "environmental hero." He drove to San Francisco to receive a plaque. "Despite approaching numerous agencies, the area remains without clean, regulated water," an EPA news release said. Yet six months later, the EPA denied an application from the U.S. Indian Health Service for a grant to bring clean water to Black Falls. The project was "ineligible," EPA officials said, because there was no evidence that the locals were drinking polluted water. At wit's end, Yazzie asked researchers at Northern Arizona University to help. He guided chemistry professor Jani Ingram to six springs, wells and reservoirs. Tests of the water found dangerous concentrations of uranium and arsenic. The Indian Health Service went back to the EPA. Eventually, the agency provided $830,000 for a pipeline to Black Falls Bible Church, where water will be sold to residents. The pipeline is expected to be finished in 2008. But Yazzie, 49, said he would always wonder whether tainted water caused the kidney cancer that took his sister's life last year. She was 59. When a tribal official e-mailed condolences, Yazzie typed a choppy reply: "There isn't a day that goes by thinking, what if I had done things differently, something would have been accomplished." In the hamlet of Red Valley, Ariz., residents fear that pollution from uranium mines will spoil their plans for a new ball field, senior center, high school and other development. The planning committee contacted Franz Geiger, a chemist at Northwestern University, who sampled six wells in June 2004 and found uranium and arsenic. The concentrations were particularly high in a well serving 200 students at Red Rock Day School. Back on campus, Geiger and a student researcher experimented with filters they hoped would remove the contaminants. The filters took out uranium, but not arsenic. "It's at best a temporary solution," Geiger said, "but it's something." A big gray heap Before United Nuclear Corp. began mining there in 1968, the valley where the big waste pile now stands was called Red Water, for the color of the local pond after a heavy rain. But residents soon adopted the name of their noisy new neighbor, Church Rock Mine. Before long, they got used to the rumble of pickup trucks dropping low- grade ore off a ridge. In time, the waste pile reached the top of the cliff and stretched along its breadth. Teddy Nez, his wife and their children lived about 500 feet from the heap. When United Nuclear closed the mine in 1982, Nez assumed the company would haul away the waste. He was wrong. He watched with concern as sheep, goats and cattle climbed up the pile and onto the ridge and as people searched the property for sacred herbs for healing ceremonies. Through the 1980s, Nez, his wife Bertha and her cousin lobbied Navajo leaders to complain to the EPA. Diane Malone, the tribe's liaison to the Superfund program, said she didn't learn about the waste pile until the mid-'90s, and then by chance. She was invited on a tour of United Nuclear's nearby processing mill, just off the reservation, which was being cleaned under Superfund. Malone glimpsed the gray heap on the Navajo side of the border. On future visits to the mill site, she'd ask company and EPA officials: "Why is that pile still sitting there?" "Nobody really took it seriously," she said. Through fellow Navajos, Church Rock residents made contact with Chris Shuey, who studies uranium issues for the Southwest Research and Information Center in Albuquerque. With Shuey's help, Navajo activists had obtained a $90,000 grant to conduct radiation testing. Church Rock Mine was added to the project. On learning of the grass-roots effort, the EPA provided technicians and a van with radiation-scanning equipment. The tribe donated detectors and training. Malone joined the Navajos who walked through the residential community near the waste pile in October 2003, halting every few steps to take readings at waist and ground level. The morning was cold and blustery and the readings confirmed that the sand stinging their faces was radioactive. "We just wanted to get out of there," she said. The EPA concluded that chronic exposure to the radiation levels in the valley could lead to bone, liver and breast cancers. In September, after negotiations with the agency, United Nuclear agreed to investigate the extent of the contamination. Then the two sides will discuss what further steps to take. The network of families in the valley includes 96 grandchildren. The grown-ups want them to be able to stay and raise families of their own. "We would like for them to build houses here that are safe," said Teddy Nez. "That's our goal." judy.pasternak@latimes.com Times researcher Mark Madden contributed to this report. Copyright c. 2006 Los Angeles Times. --------- "RE: Mining firms again eyeing Navajo Land" --------- Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:38:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WILL A NEW GENERATION SUFFER URANIUM POISONING" http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/ la-na-navajo22nov22,1,1152358.story?coll=la-headlines-nation Blighted Homeland Mining firms again eyeing Navajo land Demand for uranium is soaring. But the tribe vows a 'knockdown, drag-out legal battle.' By Judy Pasternak, Times Staff Writer November 22, 2006 Crownpoint, N.M. - When mining companies started calling tribal offices last year, Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. issued an edict to employees: Don't answer any questions. Report all contacts to the Navajo attorney general. Decades after the Cold War uranium boom ended, leaving a trail of poisonous waste across the Navajo Nation, the mining industry is back, seeking to tap the region's vast uranium deposits once again. Companies are staking claims, buying mineral rights and applying for permits on the edge of the tribal homeland. They make no secret of their desire to mine within the reservation as well. That prospect has turned neighbor against neighbor and touched off legal, political and financial maneuvering far from Navajo lands. Fifty years ago, a nuclear arms race propelled the search for uranium. Today, the driving force is the quest for new sources of energy. China and India are building nuclear reactors at a rapid pace to fuel their growing economies, and the Bush administration is pushing to expand nuclear energy in this country to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. With demand increasing, the price of uranium has climbed to more than $60 a pound. Six years ago, it was as low as $7. Mining companies are extracting uranium in Texas, Wyoming and Nebraska, and are taking steps to mine in Colorado. But Navajo country, covering some 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, is the biggest prize of all - "the Saudi Arabia of uranium," in the words of Mark Pelizza, a vice president of Uranium Resources Inc. A subsidiary of the Texas-based company holds a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to mine in and around Crownpoint, a crossroads town of 3,000 Navajos that sits on the largest known undeveloped uranium deposit in the U.S. URI officials are seeking permission to begin mining on a test basis in the nearby township of Church Rock, N.M., in 2008. If results there convince regulators that the project is environmentally sound, the company will be allowed to start operations in Crownpoint. Mining in both places is expected to yield 42 million pounds of uranium over 20 years - worth more than $2.5 billion at today's prices. Two Canadian firms - Strathmore Minerals Corp. and Energy Metals Corp. - are also laying the groundwork for mining. Altogether, the three companies have acquired rights to tens of thousands of acres just outside the reservation's southeast boundary. URI alone has invested more than $25 million. Mining executives say they plan to extract uranium from underground rock formations through an environmentally benign chemical process. There will be no blasting, no unsightly pits and no lasting contamination, they say. Unconvinced, the tribal council last year passed a ban on mining or processing uranium in "Navajo Indian country," a term that embraces both the reservation and neighboring communities such as Crownpoint and Church Rock that participate in tribal government. Federal courts have recognized "Indian country" as extending beyond the reservation's boundaries, but the ban seems destined to be challenged in court. After the measure took effect in April 2005, mining concerns kept calling the Navajo capital, Window Rock, Ariz., hoping to secure support for their projects. So Shirley signed Executive Order 02-2005, which instructs tribal employees to avoid any "communications with uranium company representatives." The directive infuriated mining executives. "You tell me, what kind of a democracy is that?" asked John DeJoia, a Strathmore vice president. "They've got tremendous resources out there. They're a very poor nation. That could change." Robert McNair, director of capital projects for Dejour Enterprises Ltd., a Canadian energy company, asked state officials for help. He reached Derrith Watchman-Moore, New Mexico's deputy environment secretary. A Navajo who had served as the tribe's environmental director, Watchman- Moore told McNair there would be no new uranium mining until past contamination had been purged. "My strategy was to discourage them from asking for a permit," she said. It worked. Dejour decided to focus instead on a huge deposit in Saskatchewan. The tribal government has also tried to block financing for the projects. When Shirley learned Itochu Corp. was considering investing $32 million in the URI venture, he asked the Japanese conglomerate not to do it. "The Navajo people have made our wishes and our laws clear: We do not want further uranium mining in our communities," Shirley said in a letter to Itochu's chairman. But URI, Strathmore and Energy Metals have pressed on. They have an important ally in Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), who has been a forceful advocate for nuclear power as chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. In the spring, Domenici pushed Department of Energy officials to meet with mining executives who were worried that the government might sell large quantities of uranium from a 135-million-pound federal reserve that is costly to maintain. The mining officials feared such a step would depress the price of the metal and make it harder to finance their projects. An assistant energy secretary assured the executives that there would be no big sales before 2009, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Later, the Energy Department drafted a long-term strategy for the reserve and invited the industry's views. Mining companies say about 100 skilled laborers will be hired at each site. Those jobs, along with income from mineral leases, could help ease pervasive poverty among Navajos, they say. Opponents say the environmental risks are too great. One of URI's planned subterranean minefields is within a mile of six wells that supply drinking water for about 15,000 people in and around Crownpoint. Chronic exposure to uranium in drinking water has been associated with kidney disease and increased risk of cancer. URI's federal license requires it to provide replacement wells, but tribal officials worry that contaminated water could migrate toward the new wells. No company has ever mined so close to a public water supply using the technology employed by URI. The uncertainties unsettle many Navajos, who are surrounded by the legacy of past mining - abandoned shafts, tainted wells, radioactive dust. "All these promises... I don't believe a word of it," said Larry King, a 49-year-old Navajo who raises cattle on his family's ranch in Church Rock. "I've seen too much mining. I'm not convinced." The right solution? Most of the projects would employ "solution mining," in which water fortified with oxygen - and sometimes bicarbonate - is injected into an underground formation of porous sandstone. The solution washes uranium and other minerals from the sandstone. The uranium-laden water is then pumped to the surface. There, the uranium is filtered out, dried and trucked away for further processing. The oxygen solution is pumped back into the aquifer, and the process is repeated until the sandstone has yielded all the uranium that can be removed economically. The amount of water poured back into the ground is slightly less than was removed, creating a low-pressure area. This causes groundwater to flow into the mining zone rather than away from it, and prevents uranium and other contaminants from spreading, according to the companies. Just in case, they plan to ring mining zones with test wells so that any movement of pollutants will be detected promptly. After an area has been fully mined, the producers would restore the aquifer by repeatedly pumping water to the surface, cleaning it with the same process used to purify bottled drinking water and injecting it back into the ground. Solution mining has a three-decade track record in the U.S. Five facilities are operating today - one in Wyoming, one in Nebraska and three in Texas. "I'm not aware of any major disasters," said Tibor Rozgonyi, head of the mining engineering department at Colorado School of Mines. "You can control the contamination, if you design correctly." The questions revolve around whether aquifers can be permanently cleaned. In Wyoming, the state Department of Environmental Quality has approved the closure of two solution-mining sites in the last two years. But it took at least six years to clean the aquifers to the state's satisfaction. "We think they can do it faster, in two or three years," said Richard Chancellor, the Wyoming official overseeing the restoration. In a boom and bust industry, time matters, he said: "What if they went bankrupt and walked away?" Bonds posted by mining concerns might not cover all the costs of cleanup and monitoring, skeptics say. In Texas, Uranium Resources Inc. is having difficulty cleaning a solution mine south of Corpus Christi. George Rice, a hydrogeologist hired by a review board in Kleberg County, found elevated concentrations of uranium, radium-226 and other pollutants more than five years after mining had ended. In his report, Rice wrote that a URI official told him a request to relax the state's cleanup standards was "inevitable." The problem, Rice wrote, is that once a closure is approved, the company can stop pumping, cleaning and monitoring groundwater. "There is no guarantee that the water will not migrate beyond the mine's boundaries," he wrote. Pelizza of URI says it shouldn't matter if the water in a solution- mining zone isn't totally purified as long as it meets standards for its pre-mining use. "How clean," he asked, "is clean enough?" Troubled history The Puerco River, which runs along the southern boundary of the Navajo reservation, is usually dry in the summer. But early on July 16, 1979, the channel roared with 93 million gallons of radioactive water. An earthen dam at a uranium mill in Church Rock had ruptured, releasing liquefied tailings, a waste product of traditional uranium production. The result was the largest accidental release of radioactive material in American history. The surge was detected 50 miles downstream, in a stretch of the river that Navajos use to graze cattle and irrigate their corn. The dam was considered state of the art, officials of United Nuclear Corp., which operated the mill and a nearby uranium mine, later told Congress. The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to decontaminate groundwater at the site. But project manager Mark Purcell said the task may prove impossible. Some of the tainted water is moving toward Navajo land, he added. With this experience as a backdrop, Navajo organizations and environmental groups are fighting URI's plan to make Church Rock a test site for solution mining. A tribal water resources manager, John Leeper, noted in a written declaration to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that private wells tap the Church Rock aquifer "for human drinking water." King, the rancher, joined the board of the major opposition group, Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining. (Dine, pronounced dih-NEH, is Navajo for "people.") The organization joined outside environmentalists in appealing URI's federal license, stalling the project for years. It has sponsored protests with a rallying cry of leetso doo'da - Navajo for "no uranium." Its leaders have traveled to Washington, D.C., and the United Nations to argue against a resumption of mining. "We don't want nobody doing experiments around our area, no," King said. To Juan Velasquez, Strathmore's vice president for environmental and regulatory affairs, such talk is "the bane of the uranium industry. We're all fighting against emotional arguments." Velasquez knows mining's troubled history in Church Rock. He became president of United Nuclear four years after the 1979 tailings spill, with responsibility for cleaning up the mill. In 1992, the NRC ordered the company to set aside more than $16 million to guarantee completion of the cleanup. Instead, on Velasquez's instructions, the money was turned over to United Nuclear's parent company. The commission imposed an unusually large $100,000 fine for "willful violation of an NRC order." United Nuclear agreed to pay $99,000 without admitting wrongdoing. Velasquez called that "a business decision" and said "there was never a time in which any surety was at risk." Before Velasquez's arrival, United Nuclear had closed its Church Rock uranium mine, leaving behind a pile of radioactive waste ore. The closure met federal standards then in place. In August, a heavy rain flushed radioactive material from the mine into an arroyo. Velasquez said he had no concerns that today's stricter mining regulations might likewise prove inadequate in the future. The Navajos, he said, have more pressing health issues than uranium mining. "We could worry ourselves to death that one additional cancer in a million will be caused," Velasquez said. "It sounds stereotypical, but these Indians jump in their car and drive 90 miles per hour down the road. But they won't take the risk on uranium." Twenty-five miles northeast of Church Rock, the groundwater in Crownpoint is pure. Uranium permeates the sandstone in the aquifer, but it is tightly bound. Water from the six municipal wells, famous for its sweet taste, contains trace concentrations of uranium far below the EPA maximum for drinking water, federal regulators say. URI wants to transform an old uranium drilling site into a solution- mining zone and processing plant. For now, the lone employee at the site is Benjamin House, who signed on with URI 10 years ago, when it was the only company pursuing a mining license. A former delegate to the Navajo council, House has purchased airtime on the Navajo radio station to press the company's case. He has also booked tours of URI's Texas facilities for tribal and local leaders. He steels himself for confrontation as he makes his rounds. URI plans to mine a second site west of Crownpoint. When House stood there recently, in a sparse field of tumbleweeds and pinon trees, a red pickup halted abruptly on the nearest dirt road. The driver leaned out the window to snarl at House. House knows what his detractors think: "I sold out." But, he said, some Navajos approach him on the sly, saying they could use the jobs mining would bring. House's most vocal backers are nine extended Navajo families who signed mineral leases with URI in the early '90s. They look forward to receiving royalties if mining gets underway. Among them is Bessie Largo, a widow who makes ends meet by weaving rugs. Speaking in Navajo translated by House, she said her acreage was not suited for farming. "We are supposed to make a living off that land, and that is exactly what we are trying to do," she said. Preparing for battle The tribe claims jurisdiction over any territory where mining would affect Navajo residents, regardless of who owns the land or the mineral rights. "A sovereign has a right to protect its people against environmental threats," said David Taylor, an attorney in the Navajo Department of Justice. Mining executives, however, are honing arguments that the tribal ban does not apply to their lease-holdings in an area known as the "checkerboard," at the reservation's southeast edge. Here, the tribe's communal land gives way to a hodgepodge of parcels held by federal and state agencies, private businesses and other owners. This is where the planned Church Rock and Crownpoint solution-mining sites are. Strathmore is leasing land owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. URI plans to mine on land the Navajos bought from the Santa Fe Railroad in 1929. The railroad retained the mineral rights, and a successor sold them to URI. The uranium firms don't hide their eagerness to move onto the reservation proper. Pelizza sees the checkerboard projects as the key to achieving that goal. "There's a concern. Once we've addressed those concerns, maybe the Navajos will see that and make exceptions," he said. Taylor, the tribal lawyer, says it won't happen. "We have no intention of letting them mine without a knockdown, drag-out legal battle," he said. judy.pasternak@latimes.com Times researcher Mark Madden contributed to this report. Copyright c. 2006 Los Angeles Times. --------- "RE: Navajo Nation battles yellow 'monster'" --------- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:08:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="URANIUM" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414061 Navajo Nation battles yellow 'monster' by: Editors Report / Indian Country Today November 23, 2006 These days we speak of weapons of mass destruction without truly considering the historical weight of those words. The phrase is bandied about by talking heads without an ounce of emotion or regret. That the United States is trying to halt the proliferation of nuclear programs for the sake of preventing mass casualties by terrorist attack, while maneuvering constantly to maintain its status as a world superpower, is ironic. The earthly material used to transform the United States into the world's most powerful political and military force, uranium, has proven just as massively destructive as the nuclear weapons it spawned. A new book, "The Navajo People and Uranium Mining," edited by Doug Brugge, Timothy Benally and Esther Yazzie-Lewis, is the documented history of the forgotten victims of America's Cold War, according to Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. Generations of indigenous people living and breathing on Navajo land have suffered the deadly effects of uranium mining, without compassion or just compensation from the federal government. Shirley described the uranium mining era as genocide. "There is no other word for what happened to Navajo uranium miners," he said. Leetso, "yellow dirt" in Dine', is found throughout Navajoland. A map of mining areas shows a dozen mines in Navajo alone, and a few others in the vast outlying territory. As in countless stories of the exploitation of indigenous resources, the Navajo and Hopi people were the last to know the true effects of their mining efforts. The Dine' are people with the utmost respect for the ground on which they live. The world's largest deep uranium mine is at the foot of Tsoodzil, the Navajo sacred mountain of the south. Imagine the spiritual loss for a people whose ancient ways tell them it is disrespectful to dig into the Earth with steel tools or machinery. The miners themselves suffered often fatal radiation-related diseases and dangerous threats to their way of life as Dine'. These are the primary handlers of the uranium; countless secondary victims live today in communities wasted by invisible radiation exposure that runs deadly through families, hogans and playgrounds. Even the wind itself blows radioactive dust throughout the land. The result, lamented Shirley, has "cost the Navajo Nation the accumulated wisdom, knowledge, stories, songs and ceremonies of hundreds of our people." Victims of radiation poisoning and their descendants have received very little federal compensation. The 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was initially drafted to address concerns of non-Native miners. They received some 80 percent of $300 million. Native miners and their families received 12 percent, or roughly $4 million. A quick look at the RECA compensation guidelines gives one the scope of the physical effects of radiation exposure. Eligible claimants can be compensated for leukemia, lymphomas and chronic renal disease, as well as a host of "primary" cancers affecting the brain, thyroid, lung, colon and ovary, among many others. The guidelines provide for "compassionate" compensation, to exact dollar amounts, for eligible claimants. Many Navajo claims were denied, deemed ineligible for failure to produce a birth date or birth certificate. According to Navajo Nation communications, Shirley acknowledged this bureaucratic challenge at an update in September. He told the elderly miners, "Many of you were born at home in a hogan and didn't receive a piece of paper with this information on it. Our mothers gave birth to us holding on to a sash belt and we remember a specific season, not a date and time." Again, we find Indian people faced with somewhat irrelevant questions of citizenship and worthiness in their search for justice and restitution. Whatever compensation is provided by RECA, it will never amend the destruction caused to the fabric of Navajo lifeways. Death and disease can be documented; social collapse over the course of generations is more difficult to record. The discovery and mining of uranium produced more than atomic energy for the power-hungry United States. Boomtowns rose out of sacred lands, creating an entirely new socioeconomic dynamic that was alien to the traditional Navajo way of life. The mining industry has polluted bodies and minds, water and soil. There has been no just compensation for Indian peoples affected by leetso. These issues became a priority when the Navajo Nation Council passed the Dine' Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005. This law prohibits uranium mining and processing throughout Navajo country. However, there is a looming threat to Navajo sovereignty, as the market price for uranium has taken a sharp upward turn in the last two years amid widespread talk of alternative energy production. Already speculators are seeking state and federal permission to reopen mines that, although government-controlled, are situated on Navajo territory. Avoiding "a repeat of one of the most sorrowful periods in the Navajo Nation's history" will be the focus of its Indigenous World Uranium Summit. The nation expects international guests, other Indian tribes and federal legislators at the gathering, which begins Nov. 30 in Window Rock, Ariz. Speaking in holistic terms about their effort to prevent future uranium mining, the Navajo have on their agenda a range of topics from the legacy of mining, community health studies and traditional cultural teachings, to market forces affecting the new uranium boom and sustainable development of alternative energy sources. The Navajo grass-roots campaign to stop uranium mining has reached the height of a world summit. Exploitation of indigenous resources and the destruction of people and communities can no longer be considered collateral damage by those seeking enriching economic opportunities. We commend the Navajo Nation for telling its story so effectively, and for its resolve in keeping its future generations safe from harm. Copyright c. 1998 - 2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Edge of the Rez - by the Numbers" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="REZ STATS" http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2006/11/20/news/ opinion/20061119_opinion_44.txt EDGE OF THE REZ REVISITED -- BY THE NUMBERS November 19, 2006 $48,427 Median family income (in 1999 dollars) in Flagstaff. $23,768 Median family income for Navajo families in Flag. $22,392 Median income for families on the Navajo Nation and off-reservation trust land. 89.7 Percentage of residents in Flagstaff with a high school diploma or higher. 79 Percentage of Navajos in Flagstaff with high school diploma or higher. 64 Percentage of all Navajos with high school diploma or higher. 55.9 Percentage of residents on the Navajo Nation and off-reservation trust land with a high school diploma or higher. 16.5 Percentage of individuals living in poverty in Flagstaff. 32.3 Percentage of Navajos living in poverty in Flagstaff. 42.9 Percentage of Navajos living in poverty on the reservation and on off-reservation trust lands. 41 Percentage of Navajos in 2005 living in poverty on the reservation and on off-reservation trust lands 57 Percentage of arrests made by Flagstaff police involving Native Americans. 33+ Percentage of the county jail population, on average, that is Native American. 1,520 Number of alcohol-related transports by Guardian Transport to Flagstaff Medical Center. 78 Percentage of alcohol-related transports by Guardian to FMC that involved Native American patients. Alcohol mortality rates in 2003 per 100,000 people in Arizona: African American: 6.8 White: 8.3 Hispanic: 10.2 Native American: 49.3 7.6 Percentage of the Flagstaff population that is Navajo: 25 Percentage of Native American students at Flagstaff H.S. 32 Percentage of Native American students at Coconino H.S. 24 Percentage of Native American students at Sinagua H.S. 46.9 Graduation rate (by percentage) at Northern Arizona University: 28.1 Graduation rate (by percentage) at Northern Arizona University for Native Americans. 15.7 Graduation rate (by percentage) at Northern Arizona University for Native Americans seven years ago. 5th NAU's national ranking for Native Americans graduating with bachelor's degrees. 15 Number of Native American faculty at NAU in 1996. 30 Number of Native American faculty at NAU currently. 6.5 Percentage of Native American students at NAU 31.9 Percentage of occupied housing units on the Navajo Nation that lack complete plumbing. 60.1 Percentage of homes on the Navajo Nation that lack telephone service. 18,000 (37.5 percent) Estimated number of homes without electrical power. 14.2 Percentage of all Native American households with no access to electricity. 1.2 Percentage of all U.S. households with no access to electricity $131 General Fund budget (in millions) for the Navajo Nation in FY 2006: 42.75 Percentage mining is expected to contribute to the 2006 General Fund budget. 57.5 Percentage mining contributed to the 2005 General Fund budget. 30,000 Number of jobs on the Navajo Nation (Pop. 188,000). 33,000 Number of jobs in the city of Flagstaff (Pop. 60,000) 42.2% Unemployment rates on the Navajo Nation 2001 48.0% Navajo Nationa unemployment rate in 2004 4.8% Unemployment rate for Flagstaff metro in 2001 (includes Coconino County): 5.5% Flagstaff metro unemployment rate in 2004 1.7 Number (in millions) of visitors in 2004 to Canyon De Chelly National Monument, the most-visited attraction on the Navajo Nation. 4.67 Number (in millions) of visitors in 2004 to Grand Canyon National Park. 71 Percentage of Navajo income spent in off-reservation communities Employment sectors on the Navajo Nation: 74.4% Government (Navajo, federal, state, county, plus education and health services) 8.5% Retail trade 6.6% Utilities 4.6% Mining Sources: 2000 Census; 2005-06 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy of the Navajo Nation report; "Diverse Issues in Higher Education" June 2006. Based on 2004-05 academic year; Northern Arizona University; Navajo Nation; National Park Service; Arizona Department of Commerce; Flagstaff Police Department; Health Status and Vital Statistics, Arizona Dept. of Health Services Copyright c. 2000-2006 Arizona Daily Sun. --------- "RE: Walk is all about Race" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="UNITY AND JUSTICE WALK" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/nov/112006zp_march.html Walk is all about race Scores march for 'Unity and Justice' By Zsombor Peter Staff Writer November 20, 2006 GALLUP - It was the murder of three Navajo men that sent Duane "Chili" Yazzie marching down the streets of Farmington in 1974. For the next seven weeks, Yazzie said, he and others organized marches and boycotts that "brought the City of Farmington to its knees." And it was the recent shooting death of another Navajo man, Clint John, that brought him back to the streets in 2006. He was in the streets once again Saturday, this time in Gallup, for the "Walk for Unity and Justice." And just like the marches of his past, he wasn't alone. Close to 100 people spent a cool, bright morning marching through the empty streets of downtown Gallup to remember those who lost their lives to racism or survived its barbed stings, and to call as the event's name suggested for unity and justice. It was the culmination of a pair of public forums at the University of New Mexico-Gallup in late October and early November addressing racism in the border towns that ring the Navajo reservation. Members from most of the city's ethnic groups came out, from American Indians to Arabs. Children too young to walk were joined by elders who had trouble walking themselves. Led by Gilbert Shorty, a local American Indian veteran of the Vietnam war, the group marched west from the Gallup Cultural Center along Highway 66, swung south onto Sixth Street, east onto Coal Avenue, and finally south onto Second before finishing at the courthouse square. There, gathered quietly around the central dance arena, they listened to speakers including Clint John's mother, Della John, and the sister of Larry Casuse, an American Indian shot to death in 1973 after kidnapping the mayor of Gallup out of anger for his ties to the local liquor industry share their thoughts on the morning's theme. They agreed that conditions have improved in Gallup since the 1970s. There are fewer bars and liquor stores in the city now, noted Lenny Foster, a local activist and the day's moderator. But they also agreed that racism was far from over and that much work lay ahead. As a reminder, friends and family of Clint John stood in the crowd wearing T-shirts bearing his image. While a police investigation cleared the officer of any wrong doing, many are convinced that racism cost John his life. "Our relationship as Native people to our border towns ... has not been always positive," Yazzie said. And while that relationship may never be completely clear of racism's long shadow, he added, "that is no excuse to let those things continue." "We are neighbors," Yazzie said, "Neither of us is going anywhere." It was "Native money" that built Gallup, he said. All they asked for in return was to be treated as equals. "We just ask for respect and the honor that should be afforded us as Native people," said Yazzie, Dana Chandler went further. As Yazzie and his colleagues did more than three decades ago, he urged the area's American Indians to hold back their money. Chandler, who is black, said he moved to Gallup seeking relief from the civil rights struggles he'd left behind in Boston only to find the same problems, only among American Indians instead. "You are the owners of all of this," he told the American Indians in the crowd. If they stopped shopping here, he said, "everything in the city would collapse ... because the God in American is money." Only then, said Chandler, would the border towns learn to appreciate how valuable they were. He suggested starting with Farmington. "We are not a minority; we are the majority," he said, speaking of people of color both here and the world over. Europeans, he said, account for only 10 percent of the Earth's population; "That means that 90 percent of the world is us. You ought to clap to that." Larry Emerson, a Navajo educator who roomed with Casuse during their days at the University of New Mexico, struck a more conciliatory note. The economic exploitation of the American Indian was not over, he said. But to restore the balance they've lost, he said, they had to work with their neighbors, not against them. Before ending his speech, Emerson explained the image on the banner that stood behind the speakers that morning. At the bottom lay the broken stocks of burnt corn plants, a reminder, he said, of the scorched earth policy Kit Carson used to drive the area's tribes off their land. The green corn stock growing out of those ashes represents the resilience of those people. It's topped off by seeds the plan will need to pass on its genes to future generations. Said Emerson, "The sum total is, 'Say, colonialists! Say, racial bigots! Say, those of you out there who could give a damn about Native people! We're still here! ... And we're still smiling as well." Taking inspiration from that image, the organizers of Saturday's march don't plan to make it their last. Foster said they hope to make it an annual event. Copyright c. 2006 The Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Woman claims BIA officials abused her" --------- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:08:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BIA, RANGERS ABUSED NAVAJO" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/nov/112406jch_biaabuse.html Woman claims BIA officials abused her By John Christian Hopkins Dine' Bureau November 24, 2006 BLACK MESA - An elderly Navajo woman is claiming she was assaulted by Bureau of Indian Affairs officials. A fierce foe of forced relocation, Rena Babbitt Lane, 84, lives in a remote region of Black Mesa, without electricity or running water. She can neither speak, read nor write English. On Nov. 4, three BIA federal rangers raided Lane's home in anticipation of a law that would force her removal from the land her ancestors have lived on for generations. According to a press release from chapter officials, the heavily armed agents " ... broke into her home, dragged her from her bed, threw her around, shook her cane at her, threw her cane on the roof of her home ..." The rangers then forced her to stay in one of their vehicles while they searched her home and her son's without search warrants. During the altercation, Lane with a history of heart problems suffered a heart attack. According to the press release, Lane told the agents, "How can you treat me like this? I am not a criminal. I am a good person, a kind person. I am your mother, you are my son." The officers told her she was going to jail and said they'd be back the following day to take away her sheep and "let the coyotes eat all your sheep." They continued that they would make her sit in jail and then walk home about 100 miles in the winter. Lane's crime was going into another grazing area. She had gone through a section of barbed wire fence to retrieve her goats that had wandered off. While in the hospital, with an oxygen mask, Lane cried and continued to worry about her sheep and her son. She was released from the hospital Nov. 8 and met with Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in Flagstaff the next day. A report is reputedly under way and will be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney. FBI Special Agent Brian Sagan had no comment on the case. "I can neither say if there is an investigation, or if there is not an investigation," Sagan said. Marsha Monesterski, a paralegal working with the Navajo on this case, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Lane has had a tumltuous history with the BIA. In the past she has been severely beaten, had her hand broken and her horses, goats and sheep confiscated. The BIA once took her chainsaw and firewood, saying her son Jerry Lane had illegally cut firewood. Lane's husband, John died from an aneurysm while trying to get water from a capped-off well. The water wells in the region are capped off or dismantled. They were destroyed by BIA bulldozers. After her husband was buried, BIA rangers reportedly threatened to dig his body up. Officials told Lane the only way to save her animals and home was to sign a 75-year Accommodation Agreement, requiring her to live under jurisdiction of the Hopi tribe. When she refused to sign, her signature was forged. Lane cannot write English and uses a thumbprint. Other Navajo elders have been the victim of BIA abuse, the release said. In October, an elderly Cactus Valley man had his firewood confiscated. After going to Hopi court and proving that he had a permit, the man's wood was still not returned. On Nov. 15, the Western Navajo Agency on Aging representing 18 chapters unanimously passed resolutions in support of Lane and calling for hearings on elderly abuse in the region. John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com or by calling 505-371-5443. Copyright c. 2006 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Group touts value of Churro Sheep" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHURRO SHEEP: LIVING TRADITION" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/nov/112006nkj_sheep.html Group touts value of churro sheep By Natasha Kaye Johnson Dine' Bureau November 20, 2006 WINDOW ROCK - For the Dine', sheep symbolize the "good life," living in harmony and balance on the land. The organization Dine' bi'na, Sheep is Life, want to keep that concept alive and strong. This past weekend, the non-profit group hosted the fourth annual Navajo Churro Ram Exchange, where sheep producers brought in their churro rams to exchange with other producers. The event allows producers to switch out healthy rams so that they can obtain new bloodlines for their flock, and prevent disease and deformities within the flock like "split eye." The exchange was hosted in three locations including Tees Nos Pos, Chinle, and Ganado. "It's important for us to carry this breed," said Jay Begay, Jr., organizer and staff with Dine' bi'na'. In the mid-1600's, the Dine' acquired the Churro sheep from the Spanish, where eventually their lifestyle of hunting and gathering changed to farming and pastoralism. Today, sheep are still very much a part of the culture. "It all ties back to tradition with the original breed that we had in the old days," said Begay. Begay said there is a sacredness that the ram has to the land. Because "In those days, our elders and our grandparents made a living off that breed, with the fiber," said Begay. "Some of the best weavings found in the museums are from the churro wool." Unlike wool from modern commercial breeds, wool from primitive carpet- wool sheep such as Churro is low in lanolin; so, it does not require water for washing or take much carding, making it ideal for rug weavers. Keeping the churro sheep healthy and high in numbers, organizers feel, is integral to keeping the practice of Navajo culture. "It's so we can continue the long tradition of raising sheep and working with fibers," said Racheal Dahozy, organizer. Because of this, the organization provides technical assistance to Navajo shepherds and weavers, like the exchange program, as well as various workshops. The workshops do not just attract Navajo people, Begay said, but people throughout the world who have an interest in dyeing and weaving. While the tie that the Navajo people have with the churro sheep is strong, there was a time when it was coming extinct. In the 1970's, there were only 450 of the old type Navajo-Churro the Nation. In 1977, animal scientist, Dr. Lyle McNeal a professor at the University of Utah recognized the cultural impact the breed had on the people and collected as many churro sheep he could find from the southwest region. "He took the sheep back to the university and started his own little farm," said Dahozy. McNeal reproduced as many sheep as he could on the farm, and then eventually redistributed them to the Navajo people. His efforts continued and later became founded as the Navajo Sheep Project, hosting the first "Sheep is Life" event in Utah. This is the 15th year since the organization has been in existence as a non-profit, and it has grown immensely since then. In 2002, the Navajo Sheep Project dispersed 400 Churro head to the people. Begay estimates that the number of sheep has increased about four times since the project began, with a minimum of about 1,600 sheep. Though the sheep are no longer in danger of becoming extinct, Dahozy said, not very many Navajo sheepherders have the churro sheep. But those who do have the sheep are finding creative ways to market them with the help of the organization. Last fall, the organization helped to form a lamb co-op, where sheep producers can sell their lambs to restaurants. Begay said the co-op began with one individual, but caught the attention of other sheep producers. The La Posada restaurant in Winslow is one restaurant that serves lamb from the co-op. "We promote our animals as all natural," said Begay, unlike many animals today which are fed proteins and hormones. Begay said that churro meat has some health advantages, and is a lot leaner than other breeds of sheep. Most importantly, though, is that the organization is helping to ensure that sheep will continue to be a cornerstone to the identity of the Dine'. Those involved with the organization range from the young to the elderly. "We try to focus on the youth so they can continue with our tradition to raise sheep," said Begay. "It all ties back to tradition." For more information, visit www.navajolifeway.com. Copyright c. 2006 The Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Indian Reservations grapple with Border Rules" --------- Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:15:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="US BORDERS" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/42322/ Indian reservations grapple with border rules By Hernan Rozeberg San Antonio Express-News November 19, 2006 TOHONO O'ODHAM INDIAN RESERVATION, Ariz. - The U. S. government didn't consult several Indian reservations along the Mexican border when Congress and President Bush decided to build 700 miles of double-layer fencing along the border. But the fence would line several Indian reservations, where thousands linger in a political no-man's land, their border territories turned into war zones as undocumented immigrants and narco-traffickers try to get past federal agents. Tribal leaders now are engaged in a tricky juggling act, trying to stay out of the border fight while not appearing uncooperative with the government's war on terrorism. "We've become an afterthought all over again," lamented Robert Holden, spokesman for the National Congress of American Indians, the nation's largest Indian lobbying group, representing more than 250 tribes. "Here we are, right on the front lines, yet nobody asks us what we think." About two dozen reservations abut U. S. borders with Canada and Mexico. Many tribes had lived on traditional lands for hundreds of years when the creation of these borders suddenly placed their members in different countries. Tribal representatives met last month on the Tohono O'odham reservation in southern Arizona for an unprecedented "Border Summit of the Americas," an attempt to form a united response to the government's increasingly intrusive use of their lands for national security purposes. This reservation has become the most popular spot for undocumented crossers along the entire U. S.-Mexico border. And the territory's 74-mile frontage on Mexico has come to symbolize the American Indians' border struggle. About the size of Connecticut, the Tohono O'odham Nation - "people of the desert" - has the second-largest reservation in the country after the Navajos. The tribe's 28, 000 members live widely dispersed on this vast chunk of the Sonoran Desert, home to the iconic saguaro cactus. After the U. S. Border Patrol successfully clamped down on illegal crossings in San Diego, Calif., and El Paso, Texas, in the 1990 s, migrants funneled into Arizona, their routes eventually taking them across the Tohono O'odham reservation. Arguing in favor of stronger security, tribal leaders repeatedly have said that as many as 1, 500 undocumented crossers traverse the reservation daily, leaving behind tons of trash - food containers, empty water jugs, clothing. Desperate, many of them break into houses and steal food. Dozens perish. Drug smuggling is big business here, with hundreds of stolen cars hauling drugs across the border left abandoned. Leaders have said their modest police force must spend most of its time on border issues, costing $ 3 million a year. They gradually have turned from being sympathetic to migrants to feeling overwhelmed by what they see as an incessant onslaught. Cooperation with the Border Patrol has increased and the agency has opened two stations on the reservation. The tribal council backed a Homeland Security Department proposal to erect a reinforced fence, soon to be built, covering the tribe's stretch of the border. But the tribe's membership is divided. Many adamantly oppose the presence of federal agents and National Guard troops on their land. If security is needed, they said, it should be handled by the tribe itself and not by outsiders. Mike Flores, a member of the Tohono O'odham legislative council, said many locals feel besieged by growing numbers of border agents. He pulled out a list of complaints: Agents zoom along tribal roads, tailgating slower elderly drivers. They pull over tribal members, accusing them of smuggling people and drugs. They insult members with ethnic epithets. And they trample on sacred burial sites. The controversy stretches south of the border, where there is no formal Indian reservation system. About 1, 400 Tohono O'odham members living on the Mexican side no longer have easy access to informal crossings through open cattle gates - a centuries-old practice - without being questioned and even arrested by Border Patrol agents. "It's absolutely horrendous, how our traditional passage is being cut off," said Arlene Junhamad Juarez, whose family ranch is about 50 yards from the San Miguel gate, the most traveled of four informal border crossings on the reservation. The agency repeatedly has countered that it tries to be sensitive to tribal concerns. Members of other American Indian tribes also are worried about the impact of the government's border crackdown and controversial fence plan. Nearly 7, 000 Pascua Yaqui, also in southern Arizona, for decades have crossed into Sonora, Mexico, home to about 30, 000 Yaquis. Members said that after 9-11, border inspectors started confiscating ceremonial objects such as deer hooves on suspicion they concealed drugs. Other tribes concluded that reaching an agreement with the government was the best solution to their border-crossing dilemma. For example, the 1, 200-member Kumeyaay tribe near the border south of San Diego received approval for members to cross back and forth through regular ports of entry. The Kumeyaays on the Mexican side, also numbering around 1, 200, must obtain temporary visas allowing them to legally cross north at Tecate. Some tribes, such as the Kickapoo near Eagle Pass, Texas, readily welcome government agents. They also move to and from El Nacimiento, the tribe's private ceremonial camp two hours south into Mexico. Members were authorized by President Ronald Reagan to travel back and forth after the tribe obtained federal recognition in 1983. They're also Mexican citizens, which further eases cross-border movement. Tribal leaders seem indifferent to immigration issues. A handful of undocumented crossers go through the reservation daily, but nobody really minds because they quickly disappear inland, members said. Concerned about security, some in the tribe would welcome a border fence. Standing on an embankment about 30 yards up from the Rio Grande, Genaro Lopez said seeing a bigger wall replacing the current flimsy chain-link fence in his backyard would likely turn back drug traffickers who now easily slip across. Opinions among tribes on how to best deal with the government's security ramp-up tend to vary according to their take on a perennially controversial issue in Indian circles: sovereignty. A tribe that sees itself as a sovereign nation is likely to question any type of governmental involvement on its reservations. Many who attended the Arizona gathering raised sovereignty as a main argument against allowing federal agents on their territories. But the U. S. government contends that there's no such thing as tribal sovereignty. Reservations are federal property entrusted to the tribes, said Gary Garrison, spokesman for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "They can complain really loud, but ultimately the federal government and the Congress have plenary power," Garrison said. "In reality, they have as much say as a state or municipal entity." Copyright c. 2001-2006 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Tribe seeks full management of Bison Range" --------- Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:38:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SALISH-KOOTENAI SEEK FULL MANAGEMENT" http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/11/22/ap-state-mt/d8lhnk7o0.txt Tribe seeks full management of bison range By MATT GOURAS November 22, 2006 HELENA, Mont. - The American Indian tribe that has shared management of the nation's only federal wildlife refuge for bison wants to ditch the unusual arrangement and take over full management. But the Interior Department said negotiations are on hold until "significant" personnel issues are resolved. After that, though, it will consider more management responsibility for the tribe, said spokesman Matt Kales. The two-year joint management agreement between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the federal agency expired in September. The tribe said it has submitted a proposal seeking full management of the 19,000- acre National Bison Range in northwestern Montana under a contract in which the federal government would pay the tribe for its work. The joint agreement was a compromise for the tribe, which has been seeking full management of the bison range near Moiese for years. The tribe's proposal comes just months after the release of a performance report that indicated some of the work the tribe was responsible for wasn't getting done. "Instead of two heads running it, there would be one head. We found it a little bit awkward this style of management," tribal spokesman Rob McDonald said Tuesday. "The original deal that was offered to us wasn't perfect, but we decided to take it and show how we could run it." The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will consider a deal that gives the tribe greater responsibility "on a performance-driven basis" over a three to five year transitional period Kales said. First, the agency must resolve personnel complaints, he said. Kales said he could not elaborate on the problems, but said they are related to complaints that arose earlier this year that work conditions have deteriorated since the tribes got involved in running the range. The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility has said staff members want the tribe's involvement ended. "The issues are significant," Kales said. "Moving forward at this point is predicated on resolving those issues." The bison range, within the borders of the Flathead Indian Reservation, was created in 1908 on Indian land the government bought to save bison from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was charged with managing it prior to the two-year joint agreement. "We've always had interest in being managers of this completely and this is our solution to get there," McDonald said of the tribe's proposal. The tribe's proposal would phase in full management over three years under a federal contract starting in 2007. The proposal calls for the tribe to be paid $1 million a year for its work. Under the joint agreement, the tribe performed some of the activities on the range, including bison roundups, weed control, fire suppression and collection of federal public use fees. About half of the range's 24 employees were under the tribe's supervision. Negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are ongoing, and the proposal is sure to have its critics. "This is a complex issue," Kales said. "It always has been." Earlier this year, a performance report indicated much of the tribe's assigned work wasn't getting done. And environmentalists worry the tribe's management could lead to reduced stewardship. McDonald said those worries are unfounded, and are based on subjective and arbitrary reports of the tribe's work. "We can't deny that some of the areas showed weakness, but they were not substantial at all," he said. A service of the Associated Press(AP) Copyright c. 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. Helena Independent Record; a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Tribes work to fight Meth" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="METH BATTLE" http://casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/11/21/news/ regional/6ccb84a87713bb318725722c0077e005.txt Tribes work to fight meth By CHRISTINA GOOD VOICE Associated Press writer November 21, 2006 OKLAHOMA CITY - In the rural areas of the Osage Nation reservation, tribal officials say a silent epidemic is spreading, causing domestic abuse, child abuse, child neglect and an overall decline in the quality of life for some Osages. Methamphetamine use is on the rise, and tribal leaders passed an anti- meth bill this week that would set minimum penalties for the use, possession and distribution of meth. The bill, which was passed Wednesday in the Osage Nation Congress, is a starting point in the Osage Nation's battle against the "methamphetamine epidemic," Osage Congresswoman Debbie Littleton said. Littleton worked diligently to get the legislation passed because she said she had seen firsthand the effects of the drug on family members. "It's something I've been concerned with a long time," Littleton said. "It didn't seem like there was anything being done about it." About 69.2 percent of the open Indian child welfare cases in the tribe are related to methamphetamine, said Lee Collins, director of social services for Osage Nation. The tribe, which occupies Osage County in northeastern Oklahoma, has about 3,200 members living on its reservation. Collins said the 2004 Oklahoma law that restricted access to products containing pseudoephedrine, a key meth ingredient, helped to bring down usage numbers on the reservation, but the trend has reversed as meth trafficking in the area has increased. "If we looked at the past three months we'd see that number go up significantly," Collins said. "I've worked with families (involved with meth), and in the past 11 years I've seen one mother get off meth and stay off." Even those who seek treatment for their addiction don't last and they wind up back in the system, she said. Other problems that go hand-in-hand with methamphetamine use are child neglect and abuse. "People who have used meth don't supervise their children. They party, sleep, and their children are subject to things such as sexual abuse by strangers the parents have let stay at their homes," Collins said. If all of Oklahoma's tribes would work together in applying for grants, they might be more successful in getting the funds needed to create two- year treatment programs, Collins said. Right now the Osage Nation only has a 28-day treatment program that Collins said is insufficient for any meth addict. She said a true addict would need at least a two-year program to stay clean. "It's not just tribes - it's all of society," Collins said. "We've got to do a better job of protecting our children so the parents can get the treatment they need." Other tribes like the Cherokee Nation and the Choctaw Nation are working to get meth prevention grants to aid in their fight to keep the drug out. The Cherokee Nation has received a $350,000 methamphetamine prevention grant that will be used to educate the community - particularly the 16 to 20-year-old population - and raise awareness about the drug. B.J. Boyd, deputy director of Cherokee Nation Behavioral Health, said the tribe wants to help communities develop their own drug prevention plans and programs. Boyd said the tribe doesn't have exact numbers on meth use within the Cherokee jurisdiction, but the tribe has the sense that it's there just by talking to tribal law enforcement. "What we have in our area, it's not just an Indian problem," Boyd said. "We're very integrated with other people who aren't Indian, and it's a problem for the whole community. We don't see that one group is source of the problem." The Choctaw Nation is seeking funding for a meth prevention grant that will only be given to five tribes across the United States. Gary Nunley, director of behavioral health for the Choctaw Nation, said the grant would help with prevention, treatment and recovery for meth users. The tribe has a 30-day treatment facility, and 45 percent of those who enter the program have said meth is their drug of choice, Nunley said. The Chi Hullo Li, or We Care for You, center is a six-month facility for mothers who are seeking treatment but don't want to be separated from their children. Methamphetamine is the leading drug at the facility. "Meth is highly addictive. It takes a toll on the whole body and results in a loss of job, family and finances," Nunley said. "It's a real serious problem." Nunley said Indian tribes should work together on the issue to find a solution. "We should be partnering more formally with other tribes across the country to see if we can't identify a solution and the practices that work," Nunley said. Copyright c. 1995-2006 Casper Star Tribune, a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises Incorporated . --------- "RE: Osage Nation gets tough on Meth use" --------- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:08:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OSAGE TAKES STAND AGAINST METH" http://www.pawhuskajournalcapital.com/articles/2006/11/16/news/news1.txt Osage Nation gets tough on meth use Special to the J-C November 16, 2006 The Osage Nation Congress, called into special session by Chief Jim Gray took up the issue of methamphetamine abuse yesterday afternoon, and they took it head on. The bill is sponsored by Congresswoman Debra Littleton who chaired the hearings this afternoon. In opening statements, Littleton stated that this issue was so pressing that it must be dealt with now, "This bill is a foundation and will give us a base to build from." The bill is modeled after the Oklahoma State law, which has become the standard for meth legislation across the country, but it does not stop there and is far sighted enough to allow for further legislation as needed to deal with this dangerous and toxic drug, which is hitting all of Indian country hard. The hearings first testimony came from Chief Jim Gray. Gray spoke about the need for the Nation to act against what has become a scourge of methamphetamine, and the absolute necessity of movement. "Our biggest concern in the infancy of our new government is the sheer number of laws that need to be passed. Indian country has been hit disproportionately hard with this drug. It is imperative that one of first things we do for our people is to pass a bill that will protect them and their children from this destroyer of families. This bill needs to be passed and I don't see a problem with getting it passed," said Chief Gray. Gray also spoke of the opportunity for the new Constitutional Osage government to use its sovereignty over its territory to describe why it is important for the Nation to move to protect itself by saying "We are a nation of laws and the laws that are passed and enforced have a profound impact on our people. We should be able to pass a law that shows very clearly that the people who make and sell this stuff to our people will pay a price." Chief Gray also stated that "People who are against Indian rights and the right of Indians to self-govern will look at the scourge of meth use in Indian country as a reason to say Indian people are not capable of governing themselves. By passing this bill we will take that argument away from them. We will show that not only are we able to govern ourselves and we will govern ourselves." The committee also heard testimony from the law enforcement community. Chief of the Osage Nation Police, John Drexel testified it was high time for the Nation to act, and act decisively. From a law enforcement standpoint, Drexel said the Oklahoma law, which restricts the availability of easily obtainable meth ingredients, and better law enforcement efforts have cut down on the number of meth labs, but the vacuum has been filled by the drug cartels, and the incidence of use is now increasing, instead of decreasing. "From a police perspective this was a bad problem 10 years ago and it is still a bad problem. If the penalty for using and distributing this drug is a slap on the hand then it is not helping police. This bill has a minimum incarceration included and that will help us tremendously," stated Drexel. Pawhuska Journal Capital - All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2004 The Stephens Media Group. --------- "RE: Indian, Military Warriors similar" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WARRIOR WAY" http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/112006/11212006/238546?rss=local Indian, military warriors similar Fort A. P. Hill honors warriors from the past and present during Native American Heritage Month event yesterday By CATHY DYSON November 21, 2006 Wanda Fortune is proud of her connection between the warriors of the past and present. The Bowling Green resident is a member of the Rappahannock Indian tribe and a budget analyst at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County. Her Indian name is "Singing Wind," and her husband, Lt. Col. John Fortune, is currently fighting in Afghanistan. At an event yesterday at the Army base, Fortune talked about the similarities between the first Americans and those who currently wear the uniform. "Indians have always been warriors. They've always fought for what they thought was right," she said. November was declared Native American Heritage Month in 1990. It's an important month to Indians, Fortune said, because it marks the end of a successful harvest - and a chance to show gratitude for food that will last the winter. At yesterday's event, almost 70 people who work at A.P. Hill feasted on typical Indian dishes, such as succotash and corn chowder, smoked venison and roasted turkey. They listened to speeches and watched Daniel Garneau of Norfolk dance in full regalia. Garneau's ancestors were among the Indians who fought at the Battle of the Little Big-horn. Along with his feathers and black makeup, headdress and bird claws, Garneau wore a patch that read: "Custer Had It Coming." Like the other speakers, Garneau shared a passion to remember those before him who suffered through decades of discrimination and lost opportunities. "Veterans Day is every day because it honors those vets who fought and died for us," he said. "It's because of all of them that we're able to still be here today." Fortune, Garneau and Master Sgt. Joan "Little Swan" Johnson make it their mission to inform people, at military bases or school cafeterias, that American Indians are alive and well. Those in the audience seemed to appreciate their efforts. "It's amazing to me how strongly and how deeply they feel about their culture," said Daniel Glembot, fire chief at A.P. Hill. "It's just awesome that they're willing to come out and educate us." Currently, there are 35,000 American Indians in both active duty and reserves. Indians have fought in every United States war to protect both the American--and native - way of life, Garneau said. Indians have always honored those who serve their country, Fortune said. Recently, she said she's seen that emphasis get even stronger. For instance, at last month's annual powwow of the Rappahannock tribe, the chief expected those in the crowd to value veterans and their contributions to society. Those who didn't were asked to leave. To reach CATHY DYSON: 540/374-5425 Email: cdyson@freelancestar.com Copyright c. 2006 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Virginia. --------- "RE: Cherokee Nation sending Care Packages to Troops" --------- Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:38:19 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CNO SENDING CARE PACKAGES" http://65.38.1.63/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=8372 Cherokee Nation sending care packages to troops November 21, 2006 CATOOSA, Okla. (AP) - Cherokee Casino employees baked more than 10,000 cookies Monday to send with packages to troops in Iraq. Employees of seven Cherokee Casinos and other Cherokee Nation Enterprises operations collected items like batteries, toiletries, games and reading material over the past month for the packages. "I am extremely proud of our employees for stepping up and assuming a responsibility to help support our troops in Iraq," said David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises. The casino culinary staff baked the cookies, including such favorites as chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and sugar. The casino has sent care packages to troops in previous years. Casino retail administrator Anthony Tiger previously served a one-year tour of duty in Iraq, and he said the packages he received from the casino were a nice surprise. "It was great to get packages from home," Tiger said. "Everyone was so excited just to get socks, shirts, toothbrushes and especially candy and Twinkies, because they didn't have sweets when I was there. We also loved getting shirts and jackets that said Oklahoma or an Oklahoma team so we could represent our state." Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Measure to honor Meskwaki Code Talkers approved" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MESKWAKI CODE TALKERS" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414024 Senate approves measure to honor Meskwaki code talkers by: The Associated Press November 20, 2006 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Eight Meskwakis may soon receive congressional gold medals for helping the United States track enemy forces during World War II. The U.S. Senate on Sept. 20 passed a measure that would allow Congress to honor all American Indians who served as code talkers during the 20th century, said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The bill needs approval from the House and President Bush. "The Meskwakis were intensely involved in World War II, and it only makes sense that they get the recognition that they have long deserved," said Grassley, who co-sponsored the measure when it was first introduced last year. "Native Americans from all across the country made sacrifices and they should not be forgotten." The Meskwakis were among those from 18 tribes who used their language as a secret code during World War II. The U.S. military used the code to communicate enemy troop movements, direct artillery fire and other secret information. The codes were never cracked by enemy forces. The code talkers' achievements went largely unnoticed because the code was classified until 1968. Twenty-nine original Navajo code talkers were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001. Others who qualified as code talkers received the Congressional Silver Medal. The Meskwakis, all of whom have died, never received that recognition. They were assigned to missions in Algeria, Tunisia and Italy. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, honored six of the Meskwaki code talkers with medals last year. He credited the United States' success in northern Africa to "the heroism of the code talkers and the valuable information they sent back." Grassley said the legislation lists the names of the Meskwaki code talkers. They include Dewey Youngbear, Edward Benson, Dewey Roberts, Melvin Twin, Judie Carl Wayne, Mike Wayne, Wayne Sanache and Frank Sanache. Copyright c. 1998 - 2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Onondagas scour past to bolster claim" --------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ONONDAGA LAND CLAIM" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/ base/news-7/1164015644279730.xml Onondagas scour past to bolster claim By Mike McAndrew Staff writer November 20, 2006 Think of it as "CSI: Onondaga Nation," but with a scholarly bent. A handful of historians quietly spent the past year digging through centuries-old records to try to salvage the Onondaga Nation's land claim suit. The Onondagas sent the researchers on a frenzied search in 2005 after the city of Sherrill won a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case against the Oneida Indian Nation of New York. In addition to places like the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the historians pored through files at lesser-known spots, like the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. On Thursday, the Onondaga Nation revealed the findings, filing hundreds of pages of affidavits and exhibits with the U.S. District Court in Syracuse. The Onondagas hope the historical exhibits will persuade District Judge Lawrence Kahn not to dismiss their suit against New York. The state asked Kahn in August to dismiss the Onondagas' case because it contended the Onondagas waited too long to sue. The state contends a precedent was set in 2005 by a federal appeals court that dismissed the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York's land claim, saying that the Cayugas had taken too long to sue. The attorney general's office says the Onondagas' suit is "possessory," like the Cayugas'. Syracuse lawyer Joseph Heath, the Onondagas' lawyer, said their historians found records that prove Onondaga leaders continuously protested to federal and state officials that New York had fraudulently bought their land, but laws and court decisions made it impossible for Indian nations to get their day in court for nearly two centuries. Included in the filings Thursday are transcripts of complaints Onondaga chiefs made to New York's first governor, George Clinton, after the state bought from the Onondagas in 1788 a 40-mile-wide swath of land stretching from Pennsylvania to Canada from the Onondagas. There are census records from 1785 and 1789 that indicate Clinton negotiated the land deal with leaders who represented 9 percent of the nearly 755 Onondagas alive after the Revolutionary War. There's a copy of a letter President Thomas Jefferson's secretary of war gave to the Haudenosaunee's prophet, Handsome Lake, in 1802 that guaranteed the federal government would help the Onondagas fight off illegal purchases of their land. The Onondagas' researchers discovered that the state had appointed early settler Medad Curtis one of the first town of Onondaga supervisors as the Onondagas' lawyer in 1806, but they found no record of Curtis bringing suits on the Onondagas' behalf. University of Oklahoma Native American studies professor Lindsay Robertson compiled records of many judicial decisions that prevented American Indian tribes and their members from suing in the nation's courts. It wasn't until 1974, when the Supreme Court ruled the Oneida Indian Nation of New York could sue, that the courts became a viable option, according to Robertson. "The Onondaga Nation deserves a full trial on the issue of delay because there's been no delay," said Tim Coulter, another lawyer for the Onondaga. The Cayugas sued New York in 1980. After going to trial, the Cayugas and the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma won a $247.9 million judgment against the state in 2001. But the 2nd Circuit tossed out the case, ruling the Cayugas had waited too long to sue for damages that would be too disruptive to award. Just months before the Cayuga decision, the Onondagas sued for title to about 4,000 square miles of New York, including the cities of Syracuse, Oswego, Fulton, Watertown, Cortland and Binghamton. About 875,000 people live in the claim area. Tadodaho Sid Hill, the spiritual leader of the Onondaga, said in an affidavit that the Onondaga Nation's suit was crafted to be healing and non-disruptive. Unlike the Cayuga and the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, the Onondagas did not name any individual landowners as defendants and did not seek to eject any property owners. "We have observed an almost complete absence of the severe tension that has occurred elsewhere in the state in reaction to other Nations' suits," Hill said in the papers. The state attorney general's office has until Dec. 15 to respond to the Onondagas' filings. Mike McAndrew can be reached at mmcandrew@syracuse.com and 470-3016. Copyright c. 2006 The Post-Standard. Used with permission. Copyright c. 2006 syracuse.com. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Chief's appeal to British Monarch Hand-delivered" --------- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:08:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="APPEAL HAND-DELIVERED 270 YEARS LATER" http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ nationworld/2003444321_britindian23.html Indian chief's appeal to British monarch hand-delivered after 270 years By Katie Fretland The Associated Press November 23, 2006 LONDON - Queen Elizabeth II joined a group of American Indians on Wednesday to pay tribute to a Mohegan chief who traveled to England more than 200 years ago to complain directly to the king about British settlers encroaching on tribal lands. Three tribesmen in turkey-feather headdresses lit a pipe filled with sweet grass and sage in a traditional burial ceremony for Mahomet Weyonomon, a sachem, or leader, who died of smallpox in 1736 while waiting to see King George II. The tribal chief was buried in an unmarked grave in a south London churchyard. "He didn't have a proper funeral in our tribal tradition," said Bruce "Two Dogs" Bozsum, of Uncasville, Conn. "This is what we want to give him now." Weyonomon crossed the Atlantic in 1735 with a letter that painted a stark picture of life for a tribe whose land was "reduced to less than 2 miles square out of the large territories for their hunting and planting." Weyonomon wrote that, without the king's help, his tribe would be "reduced to the miserable necessity of leaving their native lands." With the failure of his mission, the Mohegans steadily lost ground to what was then the colony of Connecticut. The tribe, which is recognized by the U.S. federal government with a reservation, has about 1,700 members. Weyonomon's letter finally reached the gloved hand of a British monarch during Wednesday's memorial ceremony that coincided with the traditional funeral blessing. Wearing a goose-feather bustle and deerskin leggings, Bozsum knelt before Queen Elizabeth II and gave her a copy of his ancestor's handwritten plea. Anglican leaders asked hundreds packed into Southwark Cathedral to pray for Mohegan chiefs, Britain's royal family and the leaders of the United States. "We are here ... to remember we share with the people of the United States a story which, like all human conduct, is marked by good and bad," said the Very Rev. Colin Slee, the dean of Southwark. Copyright c. 2006 The Seattle Times Company. --------- "RE: De La Salle Blackfeet School gets $1 Million" --------- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:08:48 -0700 From: Gary Smith