_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 14, ISSUE 050 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 16, 2006 Kiowa ganhina p'a/real goose moon Western Cherokee Vskihyi/snow moon Shawnee washilatha kiishthwa/eccentric moon +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People s ch mA mL tL squee Lux -- Okanogan -- News from the People Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ++>If you speak a Native American language not listed above, please send us your words for "News of the People." We'd rather take up this whole page saving these few words of our hundreds of nations than present a nice clean banner in the language of the occupation forces who came here determined to replace our words with their own. email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; www.indiancountrytoday.com; Mailing Lists: Frostys AmerIndian, Blackfoot Nation, Indian Trust ListServ, Chiapas95-En, Amazon Alliance, Indigenous Peoples Literature, Native American Poetry and Action Canada; UUCP Mail IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | As historian Patricia Nelson | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Quotes: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ==================== "Children were encouraged to develop strict discipline and a high regard for sharing. When a girl picked her first berries and dug her first roots, they were given away to an elder so she would share her future success. When a child carried water for the home, an elder would give compliments, pretending to taste meat in water carried by a boy or berries in that of a girl. The child was encouraged not to be lazy and to grow straight like a sapling." __ Mourning Dove, Salish "Once I was in Victoria, and I saw a very large house. They told me it was a bank and that the white men place their money there to be taken care of, and that by and by they got it back with interest. We are Indians and we have no such bank; but when we have plenty of money or blankets, we give them away to other chiefs and people, and by and by they return them with interest, and our hearts feel good. Our way of giving is our bank." __ Chief Maquinna, Nootka +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 I do not know the customs of all five hundred plus federally recognized US tribes, or those of all of the first nations of Canada; but of all the tribes and nations I do know something of, giving is a very big part of what it means to be native. The potlatch represented the ultimate give-away. This issue will be the last one for this year that lists Christmas and winter needs. Additionally, the lead article in this issue is about a children's home in desperate need of help - your help. I do not have to explain the gift of giving to people who make it a part of their way of being a real human being. I am going to ask you to read the requests below and the first feature story, and let your heart lead you to the place of giving. =========================================== - 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: - GIAGO: R-word just as insulting . The giving way as the N-word . Warrior Mocassins - YELLOW BIRD: . Winter Help Tradition at a Soldier's Funeral - Indian Children's Home - Occidental withdraws threatened to be closed from Peru Venture - We, the Peoples, will persevere - The Struggle for Lacandon Jungle - New Judge assigned - AFN/Elections Canada Partnership to Cobell Trust Fund Case - Treaty 3 separates - Cobell vs Kempthorne from Chiefs of Ontario - BIA neutral - 6 Nations corners Canada in Oglala Tribal fight - Inquest ordered into death of - White Plume moves out man shot by RCMP - Judge cites passage of time - U.S. appeals court in Shinnecock Claim to hear Indian Case - Judge orders Martin - OpEd: Banishment an option to redraw district lines in fight against Drugs - Tribes gather for - Bid to force Tax collection Global Warming Conference on Tribal Sales fails - Indians sue over Water Rights - Court finds Tribal Corps - Elderly abuse march ignored immune from Lawsuits - CHEROKEE CHIEF: - County's jurisdiction Tribe to vote on Indian Blood ends at Reservation - Court upholds Native School - Tribal Police Chief, Admissions Policy Officer shot on Reservation - Southern Utes buying - Court reserves decision Documents part of Denver Complex in Peltier Case - DNA Gatherers hit Snag: - Native Prisoner Tribes don't Trust them -- Juvenile detention center - Saving the Serrano Tongue sits empty, unused - Funding for Native Language - Rustywire: Jaymo Immersion moves fwd - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days - Creation of Blackfoot Archives - Lee Goins Poem: Taps without Tears - Outstanding Native American - McKosato returns as host Man of the Year of Native America Calling - HARJO: Stop giving Indian money - Rank Sells Hard Rock to Seminole to anti-Indians for $965 Million - COLUMN/AMERICAS: - 14th National Sacred Counts of the Life Makers Aboriginal Achievement Awards --------- "RE: Indian Children's Home threatened to be closed" --------- Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:45:05 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CHILDREN'S HOME NEEDS HELP" http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=8414 Indian Children's Home threatened to be close in three months due to lack of donations Director is asking Indian Country for help MUSKOGEE OK Liz Gray December 6, 2006 [Editor's Note: Because the children at the Indian home are in state custody and many come from an abused background, identities of the children are not revealed in this story. Although names have been changed in the story, the children and the situation at the home are still very real.] As the time grew near for school to be out, activities increased at The Murrow Indian Children's Home and Ms. Joan Brown, Director of the program steps into action. "I'll pick up Amanda and take her to her piano lesson," Brown said to her assistant. "You need to pick up Darren, he got kicked off the bus again." Soon, the children start flooding in - eleven boys and 10 girls - they all seemed like normal children home from school. Flooding into the small, main lobby of the complex, they drop off their book bags and sit down in front of the television like usual. But their calm demeanor and Joan's caring direction do not reveal the trouble and pain these children have already experienced in their short lifespan. Backgrounds of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect by alcohol or drug addicted parents weave stories of chaos and pain which led them to the care of Ms. Brown and the staff at the Murrow Home. Based in Muscogee, Oklahoma, the Children's Murrow Home has been providing a residential home program to needy children from tribes across Oklahoma for over 100 years. Soon After the Civil War, Rev. J.S. Murrow, enterprising missionary in Indian Territory, began taking orphan and homeless Indian children into his home. Today, the Murrow Home is still a National Ministries mission partner and is supported, in part, by the American Baptist Association. Ms. Brown has been the director for over 25 years. Seventy-five percent of their funds come from Church donations, the remainder from private donations and a small percentage from tribes. But donations directed to the Murrow Home have decreased because of the recent, national catastrophies, including the tsunami and recent hurricanes. "This year we ran about $30 thousand short," said Joan. "We need at least $35 thousand a month but a lot of the times donations don't cover it." Joan has done everything possible to cut corners and save money but she told the Native Times that they are on a three-month basis. "If we don't increase our funding, we are going to have to close in three months," she said. They've saved some money by going to local churches for donations of food, napkins and paper products. "Some groups try to help us by raising money for little things like toothpaste," she said. They've even gotten rid of the large van due to high insurance costs. Now they use two small vans that don't hold everyone when they go on trips. They have to make two trips back and forth to pick up the group and their items every time they venture out. As a last resort, Joan has let some of her staff members go. "We are down to a skeleton crew," she said. "It's getting scary." Many of the Murrow Home kids come from homes where they have been severely abused. Joan describes some of the worst cases where the children who first arrive have trouble sleeping, especially during the hours that bars close. These children are used to alcoholic relatives coming home at that hour. Some children sleep in their clothes. "These abandoned, abused, or neglected children are deeply troubled and, in some cases, the state agencies have given up on them," Brown explains. "But each one is a child of God and we don't give up on them." Murrow's four cottages can serve about 18 children at a time, ranging in age from 8 to 18 years of age. And because of the adult per child ratio of 1 to 6, it is a much better option to provide healing than a boarding school which has a ratio of 1 to 40. "Children come here with issues of anger but we help them work through it," said Joan. "Anger becomes less and less as we provide stability and routines." Murrow children attend Muskogee public schools or day treatment programs and receive counseling on a regular basis. Their day is like any child's. They too come home after school to play, study or help get supper ready. "Daily tasks teach our youngsters to be responsible members of a family," said Joan. Joan explains that she and the staff try to help the children find out what their dreams are. "It helps them make sense of the world." One such success story is Desmond Dausby who turned 18 this fall. He is a natural at music and the foster care he was provided wouldn't work with him and allow him to follow his dream - the piano. But the Murrow Home took him in and Ms. Brown made sure he attended his music lessons over the years. Recently, she helped him get enrolled in college and an independent living program. Amazingly enough, he got the 2nd led in a musical his freshman year and after he attends two years of college he will be accepted into Juliard, one of the most prominent schools of the arts in the country. Many of the children who grow up come back and bring their kids. "They are trying to break the cycle and raise their kids well," said Joan. "Every day counts. You may not feel it but we have former kids call all the time just touching base." Parents with addiction problems who couldn't raise their children properly also call and show their appreciation. "I couldn't be a mom at that time. I appreciate you being there for them," said one parent. Although the Murrow Home holds 100% Native American children and has housed children from all tribes of Oklahoma, only two tribes donate to the Home. The Muscogee Creek Nation donates $17,500.00 per year and the Cherokee Nation donates $5,000.00. Recently the Creek Nation asked Joan to take a family of nine but she just didn't have the room. "We so appreciate these donations but could sure use more help," said Joan. Currently the home houses 16 Creek and six Cheyenne/Arapaho children. The Murrow Indian Children's Home provides a service to our Indian community that we all should cherish and appreciate- providing a home for our children. Not only taking in those who are neglected and abused but giving them a chance to have a life; teaching them how to function - to break the cycle of abuse/addiction that is currently spreading across our Nation. Too often we focus on what we don't have, how the government shortchanges us on past treaty agreements or the land and the people we've lost over the years. It's so important to the young lives of the Murrow Home to let go of this focus on ourselves and our tribes well-being, just for a moment, and help our children - because when a child is homeless, he belongs to all of us. They are all our responsibility. To send donations to the Children's Home, call or write to: Murrow Indian Children's Home 2540 Murrow Circle Muskogee, Ok 74403 918-682-2586 Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: We, the Peoples, will persevere" --------- Date: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 08:05 pm From: frostyca2000 Subj: We, the Peoples, will persevere Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian We, the Peoples, will persevere: United Nations Delays Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples A statement from Carrie Dann - forwarded on the one week anniversary of the vote at the United Nations to defer adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Carrie Dann and the Western Shoshone Defense Project are known for their courage and resolve in resisting actions of the US government to unlawfully privatize and determine uses of their ancestral lands and natural resources ? actions taken without consultation and despite the protests of Western Shoshone peoples. The April 2006 decision of a UN human rights monitoring body in Geneva upheld the rights of the Western Shoshone, emphasizing the right of Indigenous peoples "to own, develop, control and use their communal lands, territories and resources." ______________________________ [Carrie Dann's November 28th statement to Indigenous peoples globally] We, the Peoples, will persevere: United Nations Delays Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Today, through a typical political maneuver at the United Nations, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been delayed. But, we must not take this as a defeat ? we must take this as an opportunity. Indigenous Peoples are right. We are still here. Despite hundreds of years of genocide and attempted assimilation. We are still here and we know the Truth. The political powers do not want to recognize our rights because they are afraid of this Truth and/or are jealous because they will no longer be the "experts", those in control. With global warming and climate change, the evidence is building and we must persevere. We know and the Earth Mother knows that we must ? and we will ? prevail. Let's take this delay in the United Nations on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to gather strength, continue our prayers, educate our peoples and our supporters, and find the way to be the caretakers that we were placed here to be. Carrie Dann Western Shoshone Defense Project P.O. Box 211308 Crescent Valley, NV 89821 775-468-0230 775-468-0237 (fax) www.wsdp.org wsdp@igc.org --------- "RE: New Judge assigned to Cobell Trust Fund Case" --------- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 08:22:43 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NEW COBELL JUDGE JAMES ROBERTSON" http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/017280.asp New judge assigned to Cobell trust fund case December 8, 2006 The Cobell trust fund case was assigned a new judge by the federal court in Washington, D.C. Judge James Robertson, a Clinton nominee, will be handling the 10-year- old case. He takes over from Judge Royce Lamberth, who was removed by an appeals court for appearing biased against the federal government. Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff, welcomed the assignment. "We want to see this case resolved quickly," she said. "We will work in good faith with Judge Robertson to end this century-long injustice that the government has done to Native people." The lawsuit seeks an accounting of billions of dollars owed to more than 500,000 Native Americans. Efforts to settle the case failed in Congress this year. Copyright c. 2000-2006 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Cobell vs Kempthorne" --------- Date: Friday, December 08, 2006 02:30 pm From: Indian Trust ListServ Subj: Cobell v. Kempthorne - Elouise Cobell Looks Forward to Expeditious Resolution of Trust Case with the Appointment of New Judge Mailing List: Indian Trust ListServ WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 - Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit over the federal government's mismanagement of Individual Indian Trust accounts, expressed hope today that the new judge assigned to the decade-old dispute will speed resolution of the litigation. Ms. Cobell's comments came after Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan assigned the Cobell versus Kempthorne case to District Judge James Robertson. In his order, Judge Hogan noted that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia had expressed hope that the parties will "work with the new judge to resolve this case expeditiously and fairly." "We can assure Judge Hogan and Judge Robertson that this is also our wish," said Ms. Cobell. "We want to see this case resolved quickly. We will work in good faith with Judge Robertson to end this century-long injustice that the government has done to Native People." Titled "Cobell versus Kempthorne," the class action lawsuit deals with the abuse of trust accounts that were established by Congress in 1887 to hold the proceeds from the government-arranged leases of Indian lands, mostly in the West. Proceeds from oil, gas, grazing, mineral and timberlands lands were supposed to be deposited into those accounts. Evidence in the lawsuit has shown that many of records needed for those accounts have been lost or were never recorded. Despite repeated instructions from Congress and the courts, the Interior Department has yet to perform an accounting of the assets. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Bill McAllister 703-385-6996 202-257-5385 (cell) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To view the latest information concerning this case, go to www.indiantrust.com --------- "RE: BIA neutral in Oglala Tribal fight" --------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 08:40:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TWO PINE RIDGE GOVERNMENTS" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/12/07/news/top/news02.txt BIA neutral in tribal fight By Heidi Bell Gease, Journal Staff Writer December 7, 2006 PINE RIDGE - A Bureau of Indian Affairs official said the agency will not take a position on which Oglala Sioux Tribe administration is in charge unless the situation begins to affect contract services. "It's going to be up to the tribal court to make a ruling," said Bob Ecoffey, deputy regional director for the BIA office in Aberdeen. "Out of respect to tribal sovereignty and their process down there, we basically stay out of it." Ecoffey, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, served as BIA superintendent for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation from 1996 to 2001. The tribe's chief judge, Lisa Adams, and retired long-time chief judge Pat Lee say the tribal court has no role in deciding whether White Plume or Steele is the legitimate president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. They cited the lack of separation of powers between the tribe's executive and legal branches and the tribal constitution itself. Ecoffey disagreed. No further judicial action is possible until the tribal court makes a ruling, he said. "The ultimate decision lies back in the tribal court process." Ecoffey referred to a temporary restraining order against White Plume that was issued Monday by tribal judge Steven R. Emery. (He is not the same Steve Emery, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, who serves as tribal attorney for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.) Judge Emery's order prevents White Plume from ordering a new election "in that it is unconstitutional and beyond the scope of the authority vested in the Office of the President and the Executive Committee." It also orders him not to "interfere or disrupt any post-election procedures, " including Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony of Steele and others. Emery's order cites tribal case law supporting the tribal court's authority to rule in election disputes and to review the tribal president's actions. A hearing was set for 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15. If the election battle is not resolved, the BIA may have to decide which administration it will recognize, Ecoffey said. For now, the BIA will continue to honor contracts made with the White Plume administration, pending a tribal court ruling. Meanwhile, the National Indian Gaming Association is watching to see what the tribe and the BIA do before deciding whether the dispute affects the tribe's Prairie Wind Casino. "The casino is a tribal operation, and under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, only a federally recognized Indian tribe can operate a tribal gaming facility," commission chairman Phil Hogen said. "Should it develop that the folks who control the tribe and control the tribal gaming facility aren't the recognized tribal government, then we would probably have to take some enforcement action." That could mean closing the casino until leadership issues are sorted out. That's what happened at the Meskwaki Bingo-Casino-Hotel in Tama, Iowa, in 2003. The National Indian Gaming Commission closed that casino shortly after a tribal election was held to resolve a dispute between elected and traditionally appointed tribal officials. It was more than seven months before the leadership issues were resolved and the casino reopened, according to stories in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Hogen said that about 1,300 casino employees were out of work during that time. As commission chairman, Hogen could issue a casino-closing order if it comes to that here. But as a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, he might need to recuse himself from doing so. Hogen said the commission doesn't want to close the casino but that commissioners told tribal officials of the commission's concern. "We take absolutely no joy in closing a facility any time, but particularly at this time of year," he said. Contact Heidi Bell Gease at 394-8419 or heidi.bell@rapidcityjournal.com Copyright c. 2006 Rapid City Journal. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: White Plume moves out" --------- Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:45:05 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="STILL TWO GOVERNMENTS OPERATING ON PINE RIDGE" http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/12/09/news/top/news02.txt White Plume moves out By Ryan Woodard, Journal Staff Writer December 9, 2006 Oglala Sioux Tribe President Alex White Plume has left the tribal building. But he hasnt relinquished the OST presidency to President John Yellow Bird Steele. "Nothing's resolved.... That office is just an office," White Plume said Friday afternoon. "I'm still the president of the tribe, and the election will have to proceed." Steele, meanwhile, says he is proceeding with tribal business as the new occupant of the president's office. "I intend to get on with the business of the tribe as soon as possible because of important issues confronting us such as the trust-fund mismanagement cases, tribal finances and other important matters," he said in a news release. Whichever man eventually prevails in his quest for the presidency, it may depend on the result of another twist in the OST tribal controversy announced Friday through a news release from the OST president's office. OST Chief Judge Lisa Adams has ordered that a three-judge panel be "appointed and empowered to consider all legal issues raised in regards to the 2006 OST Tribal Elections," according to the release. That panel could presumably clear up what has been a controversial two- month period for the tribe, which still doesn't have a clear president. White Plume and Steele both worked in the tribal building all day Wednesday. That was one day after Steele was sworn in as the tribe's new president. But White Plume - who replaced the impeached Cecelia Fire Thunder as president in June but was removed from the ballot for the Nov. 7 election that Steele won - has disputed the legality of the swearing-in and Steele's presidency. He has said he was illegally removed from the ballot and that the election board ignored the election court of appeals' decision for a new election. But Steele and council representatives were sworn in by a judge Tuesday and claimed ownership of office. Steele and White Plume worked from their respective offices in the tribal building until Thursday morning when White Plume left. Jeanette Eagle Hawk, head of communications for Steele, said the parting was friendly. "They reached an agreement together regarding the whole issue," she said. But White Plume said he was partly driven out by hostility from Steele's staff. "Some of John's staff were sort of hostile towards me in there," he said. "I'm not in the business - and never was - to fight my own people." White Plume said that one reason he left was to preserve their family relationship, which Steele agreed with in his news release. White Plume said the two have common grandchildren, because White Plume's youngest son is married to Steele's youngest daughter, and the couple has children. In keeping with that relationship, White Plume said, the two have remained peaceful. "We're not feuding; that's one thing that's good. We talk things over like men," he said. But he is still insisting that he and his staff still belong in office. And he says that people in the tribe want a new election. "All the people across the reservation, all they want is a good, clean election, and that has to be met at all costs," he said. On Tuesday, Steele obtained a court injunction against White Plume's plan for a new election, which White Plume's attorneys are trying to overturn. Steele did not return two phone calls from the Journal on Friday. The election process has been surrounded by controversy since the Oct. 3 primary. The tribal court of elections appeals ruled the primary null and void because of misprinted ballots and other irregularities. However, the tribal council dismissed that appeals court and named a new one. Plans for the general election went forward. White Plume and Steele had finished first and second, respectively, in the primary voting and were set to face off in the general election. Then, on Nov. 3, the tribal elections board - not to be confused with the court of elections appeals - removed White Plume's name from the ballot because of his federal assault conviction in the 1980s. White Plume appealed, and the court of elections appeals ordered a new election. The elections board refused, saying it never received an official ruling. Cecelia Fire Thunder replaced White Plume on the ballot, and she lost to Steele in the general election. Since then, the two sides have argued about the validity of the election. Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com Copyright c. 2006 Rapid City Journal. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Judge cites passage of time in Shinnecock Claim" --------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 08:40:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TOO LONG SINCE WRONGFUL DISPOSSESSION" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ ny-lishin1206%2C0%2C4270371.story?coll=ny-longisland-homepage Ruling aside, tribe plans to build casino BY JOHN MORENO GONZALES Newsday Staff Writer December 5, 2006 As the Shinnecock Nation absorbed the blow of a federal judge's decision to reject their claim to 3,600 acres of prime East End real estate, the tribe continued Tuesday to seek the legal right to build a casino on the smaller Westwood parcel it already owns. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas C. Platt released a 13-page finding this week that rejected a claim by the Shinnecocks for lands including the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and the former Southampton College campus. The claim was made with much fanfare in 2005, when tribal members tapped sacred drums and burnt sage over a stack of legal documents before walking them up the federal courthouse steps. Generations of Shinnecocks held that the expanse was wrongfully taken from them in 1859 by power brokers bent on extending the Long Island Rail Road's Montauk line. But Platt wrote that the Shinnecocks failed to meet a U.S. Supreme Court standard in which American Indians must show that any lands they seek have been in continuous historical dispute. That standard applies, Platt wrote, particularly if the area has undergone dramatic changes over the years. "Over 140 years passed between the alleged wrongful dispossession and the attempt to regain possession," wrote the judge. The Shinnecock Board of Trustees released a sharply worded statement Tuesday promising to appeal Platt's ruling in the 2005 case, and to press on with the Westwood case now being tried in U.S. District Court in Central Islip. "The nation will be asking the court to revisit this decision because the town's dishonesty and misconduct should prevent it from hiding behind a technical defense," said the statement. In the current matter before Judge Joseph P. Bianco, the Town of Southampton is seeking to block a Shinnecock effort to exempt itself from town zoning laws and possibly build a casino on 79 acres in the Hampton Bays known as the Westwood property. The Shinnecocks own the land today, but they must prove so-called "aboriginal title" to it in order for it to be officially recognized as part of the main Southampton reservation to the east, and a place where gaming would be permitted under federal law. On his second day of testimony, James Patrick Lynch, a freelance historian hired by the Town of Southampton to disprove historical use of the parcel by the Shinnecocks, was cross-examined by the Shinnecock's attorney, Christopher Lunding of Manhattan. Lunding sought to find holes in two voluminous reports produced by Lynch, using the historian's own footnotes to show he had omitted historical accounts that showed the Shinnecocks had family dwellings and houses of worship in and around the property since at least the 1800s. Lunding confronted Lynch with the summary of a 1922 trial in which the Shinnecocks challenged a claim to the property in a case against then-landowner William Hubbard. According to the 1922 summary Lunding placed on an overhead projector, "four families of said tribe resided on said tract." Copyright c. 2006 Newsday Inc. --------- "RE: Judge orders Martin to redraw district lines" --------- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 08:22:43 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN VOTERS WIN LAWSUIT" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/12/08/news/state/state01.txt Judge orders Martin to redraw district lines By Chet Brokaw, Associated Press Writer December 8, 2006 PIERRE - A federal judge has ordered the city of Martin to redraw the boundaries of its city-council districts because the existing districts violate the voting rights of American Indians. In a decision issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier of Rapid City said Martin must submit a proposal for redrawing the council- district boundaries by Jan. 5. The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the city on behalf of two Indian voters, will have until Jan. 25 to file its response to the city's plan. The judge will then make the determination of whether the city's plan is a legally acceptable remedy. Martin is in Bennett County, which is adjacent to Rosebud Sioux and Pine Ridge Indian reservations in southern South Dakota. The judge said evidence shows that about 36 percent of the city's voting-age population is Indian, and those Indian voters are spread evenly among the existing three council wards. However, candidates preferred by Indians rarely win city council elections in Martin, Schreier said. Because voters are fragmented among the three wards, Indian voters have less chance than white voters to elect the candidates of their choice, Schreier ruled. That means that the district boundaries violate federal law by diluting Indian voting strength, the judge said. Bryan Sells, an ACLU attorney, said Schreier's ruling will strengthen democracy in the area. "We think the decision really underscores the long struggle for Native American voting rights that's been ongoing in the city of Martin and Bennett County," Sells said. "It'll result in a fairer, more democratic system for everyone in that part of the state." The city's attorney, Sara Frankenstein of Rapid City, said the city will have to follow the judge's order and submit a new districting plan. After Schreier decides what redistricting plan should be used, the city can then appeal through the federal court system, she said. Frankenstein said she hopes that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually agree to hear the case and consider key issues in the legal battle, which already has lasted more than four years. "Hopefully, we can get the United States Supreme Court's attention, and they will take a look at our case," Frankenstein said. The lawsuit alleged that in 2002, the city approved a redistricting plan that violated the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution's equal-protection clause. City officials contended that they had not discriminated against Indian voters. Schreier ruled last year in favor of the city. She ruled that the Indian population was large enough and geographically compact enough that it could be a majority in a city-council district. The judge also found that Indian voters are politically cohesive because they usually vote in a similar fashion. However, the judge found that the white majority does not usually vote in a way to defeat candidates favored by Indian voters. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in May reinstated the lawsuit after finding that evidence shows that the white majority votes as a bloc to defeat candidates preferred by Indians. The appeals court then ordered Schreier to hold further proceedings to determine whether the city-council districts should be redrawn. In the ruling issued this week, Schreier analyzed the Martin districting plan using factors established by the U.S. Supreme Court in a previous case. Schreier found a history of discrimination against Indian voters in Martin, Bennett County and the state; a persistent level of racially polarized voting in Martin; disparities between Indians and non-Indians in education and income levels and a low rate of success by Indians who have run for the city council in Martin. The judge also found that city officials in some cases have not been responsive to the needs of Indian people. For example, when Indian voters sought to refer the districting plan to a public vote, city finance officer Janet Speidel determined that the petition did not contain enough signatures but waited until the filing deadline had passed before telling petition supporters that they needed more signatures, Schreier said. In addition, the districting plan would be more proportional if Indians constituted the majority in one of the three city council districts, the judge said. Schreier said the current districting plan violates federal law because it fragments Indian voters among three wards and gives them less chance than white voters have to elect candidates that they prefer. Sells, the ACLU lawyer, said he believes that Schreier's goal is to have a new districting plan in place before the next city election. Copyright c. 2006 Rapid City Journal. --------- "RE: Tribes gather for Global Warming Conference" --------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 08:40:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GLOBAL WARMING" http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/12/07/montana/000tribes.txt Tribes gather for conference on ways to deal with global warming December 7, 2006 PHOENIX (AP) - On American Indian reservations throughout Arizona and the rest of the country, tribal officials say global warming is already changing lives and solutions are needed quickly. Representatives from more than 50 tribes throughout the United States gathered Tuesday near Yuma for a two-day Tribal Lands Climate Conference. From Alaska to Arizona, each tribe represented said it was experiencing changes in precipitation, temperature and wildlife that appear to be brought on by climate change. These alterations are threatening their people's land, health and culture. Greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere trap the sun's energy on Earth's surface, causing the planet to warm. Government models project temperatures to rise as much as 5 to 10 degrees in the 21st century. Even a warming of only a few degrees adds a tremendous amount of energy to Earth's system. Weather events like hurricanes will likely grow in intensity, said Dr. Robert Corell, chair of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. In the Southwest, more drought is a near certainty. "We basically have two seasons now _ hot and dry and cold and dry," said Robert Gomez, director of the environmental office of the Taos Pueblo reservation in New Mexico. For tribal communities whose culture and sustenance are dependent on the natural environment, climate change poses an immediate threat. In the Lower Colorado region, the past seven years have been the driest in a century, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said. Shorter winters and earlier springs and summers are affecting planting schedules and harvests around the country. Seasonal changes are also affecting animals' migration and hibernation. As temperatures warm, plant and animal species crucial to tribes' religions, diets and culture migrate north in search of colder weather but reservation boundaries are fixed. "As our species migrate off, we don't have the legal right to follow them," said Terry Williams, fisheries and natural resources commissioner for the Tulalip Tribes. If nothing is done, "within the next 20 to 25 years, our culture will be terminated, because the necessary species will be gone," Williams added. Many tribes are working to combat the effects of climate change. Some are researching ancient customs to find how their ancestors built energy- efficient homes and cultivated erosion-resistant plants. Others are exploring modern alternative-energy projects that offer energy independence and economic opportunity. "We're all singing the same song," said Colin Soto, spokesman for the tribal elders of Arizona's Cocopah Tribe near Yuma. "We're trying to tell the rest of the world, 'Look, we're seeing these things, and you're not doing anything about it.' If the animals die, we die. If the river dies, we're gone." Copyright c. Helena Independent Record; a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Indians sue over Water Rights" --------- Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 08:36:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CAHUILLA BAND JOINS SANTA MARGARITA WATER SUIT" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/ PE_News_Local_S_cahuilla03.8c1f17.html Indians sue over water rights ANZA: The Cahuilla band worries that development has hurt the reservation's aquifer level. By STEVE FETBRANDT The Press-Enterprise December 4, 2006 ANZA - The Cahuilla Band of Indians has petitioned a U.S. federal judge to join a 55-year-old lawsuit over water rights to the Santa Margarita River system that runs from Anza to Oceanside. In filing suit in U.S. District Court in San Diego, tribal leaders want to strengthen the reservation's previously established legal right to water in the Anza Basin by having the court specify how much the tribe can take. The tribe also hopes its action will prompt Riverside County officials to put new development and well-drilling on hold in the area to prevent possible overdrafting of underground supplies. Besides quantifying the water entitlement, tribal leaders say they want to start a dialogue about developing a water-resources management plan for the entire Anza Valley, which is home to nearly 10,000 residents. The reservation takes up almost 19,000 acres in the center and contains some 50 homes and 200 residents. "The tribe is just sounding an alarm that we all have to wake up and figure out a water-management plan that makes sense," said Anthony Madrigal," water-resources consultant to the Cahuilla band. "We recognize it's in everybody's best interest to arrive at some sort of solution here that allows reasonable, safe management of the water and some limited development." Madrigal said tribal leaders have asked for the assistance of Riverside County officials and 3rd District Supervisor Jeff Stone in restricting development and bringing the parties together to talk about long-range solutions. "Obviously they need to do what they think they need to do," said Verne Lauritzen, Stone's chief of staff. "But we also have a concern that some residents in Anza are worried they may get their water shut off as a result (of the tribe's legal action). We want to assure everyone that that is not the tribe's intent." Lawsuit History The Cahuilla band is stepping into a lawsuit that started in 1951 when the United States government filed suit in federal court to settle title to the Santa Margarita watershed. The watershed encompasses the Santa Margarita River system, which starts in the Anza Valley and runs through the reservation to Vail Lake, Temecula, Camp Pendleton and Oceanside. "In 1965, the court entered a judgment awarding the Cahuilla band a federal reserve water right, which set aside enough water to make the Cahuilla reservation an Indian homeland for now and all time," Madrigal said. "The court set out how the amount should be calculated based on irrigable acres, but it didn't enter a final determination of the actual amount, saying it wasn't necessary at that time." The tribe was not a direct litigant in the case back then, Madrigal said. It was represented by the U.S. Attorney's office through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "With increased development in the Anza Valley and additional water use by non-Indians, the tribe believes its reserve-water right is affected," Madrigal said. "So we're working with the Bureau of Indian affairs and the U.S. Attorney in seeking a final decree of our water right." Madrigal said several large developments have been proposed around the 19,000-acre reservation over the last few years. The latest was for 400- plus homes. Lauritzen said there was also one for more than 1,000 dwellings. Growth Concerns The tribe is worried that in addition to altering the area's rural landscape and bringing more population and traffic with it, encroaching development already may have lowered the aquifer to a critical level. "The tribe isn't just saying we've got our water right -- too bad!" Madrigal said. "The vision Indians and non-Indians have up here is of limited growth." Lauritzen said many people in the Anza Valley believe water supplies are insufficient to sustain growth. There already have been sporadic reports of individual wells drying up, he said. In lieu of a formal freeze on development, however, Stone's office has imposed a "pseudo moratorium" by not approving any large developments until a new water study is completed, he said. "The U.S. Geologic Survey is proposing to do the study and we're trying to help fund that, but it will be probably two or three years before that wraps up," he added. "We're hoping we can actually start it within a few short months." Tribal Chairman Anthony Madrigal Jr. said part of the problem is that there is no agency or water company monitoring usage in the area. "It's all domestic and commercial wells that service the residents of the Anza Valley and the Cahuilla reservation," he said. "Those wells are not metered, so depletion of the underground water supply is not regulated." "The court has already defined our right to the water," the elder Madrigal said. "It's another matter, though, as to how much can be safely taken." Meanwhile, the tribe is looking at potential developments of its own, including a small recreational lake, possibly some agricultural use and a small destination resort. "To undertake these kinds of projects, we have to resolve the water- rights issue," Madrigal said. Reach Steve Fetbrandt at 951-763-3473 or sfetbrandt@PE.com Copyright c. 2006, The Press-Enterprise Company. --------- "RE: Elderly abuse march ignored" --------- Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANTI-ABUSE MARCH" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/dec/120506jch_elderabuse.html Elderly abuse march ignored By John Christian Hopkins Dine' Bureau December 5, 2006 WINDOW ROCK - Allegations of abuse against an 84-year-old Navajo woman spurred "Grandma" Thomas into action once again Monday. Dr. Marjorie W. Thomas organized a last-minute protest that began at the fairgrounds in St. Michaels and proceeded to the executive offices of the Navajo Nation. The protest march was prompted by reports of Hopi police officers abusing Rena Babbitt Lane of Black Mesa. Thomas was angered by the alleged treatment of Lane and the lack of a response from the Nation's leaders. "I'm really concerned about the elder abuse, and no one is saying anything," Thomas said. If the leaders won't speak up, then she will, Thomas said. She will make sure the elders know that she cares about them, she said. Her concerns that the administration is turning a deaf ear to elder issues was highlighted as she entered the administrative offices only one of the double doors was unlocked and it required an extra effort for Thomas to get her wheelchair into the building. Then there was no one there to meet with Thomas and the small group of marchers. "I made a courtesy call to let them know we were coming," Thomas said. But she received the same answer as she asked if she could speak with President Joe Shirley Jr., Vice President Frank Dayish or Shirley's Chief of Staff Patrick Sandoval: they're not in. "Come on, you people, who works here?" "President Shirley is Grandma's neighbor," said Leon Skyhorse-Thomas, "Grandma" Thomas's son and one of the marchers. "I'm his nal," Grandma added. "He doesn't want to see his nal that's why he took off. His nal has a big mouth." Clinton Jim, an assistant to the president, came to the outer office and sat with the protestors and discussed their complaints. "Something in my mind says something bad but we're here on a peaceful walk," Thomas said. She wondered why Navajo officials have made no statements regarding the Lane situation. "I want the president to say something. Why doesn't he wake up?" Thomas wondered. "We need help, I need help. The youth and the elders need help." She recalled another march to support the elders in Chinle, and only Dayish showed up on behalf of the administration. "I'll be reading the papers and if I don't see anything happening, I'll walk again," Thomas said. The president's office is receiving reports on the matter, Jim said; however, the president in the interest of government to government relations must move cautiously, he added. "We can't go on hearsay," Jim said. The people want to know that somethng is being done, Thomas said. She's willing to speak up for them, she added. "I'm a very open person, I say what I want to say," Thomas said. "I know there are other people out there (being abused) and I have to say something." John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com or by calling 505-371-5443. Copyright c. 2006 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: CHEROKEE CHIEF: Tribe to vote on Indian Blood" --------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 08:40:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CNO CHIEF SMITH ON BLOOD VOTE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/12/eligibility_vot.html Chad Smith, Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation: Eligibility voted on USA Today December 6, 2006 Eligibility voted on Is it really such an outlandish thing to think that Native American tribes and nations would like their citizens to have Indian blood? Some people think so ("Native American? The tribe says no," Cover story, News, Nov. 29). It's very popular these days to have a "Cherokee princess" somewhere back in the family genealogy. Even news anchor Diane Sawyer apparently has one. Many people claim Cherokee ancestry, and rightly so. But that is a different matter from being able to meet tribal citizenship requirements. The Cherokee people, in the upcoming special election, will vote on citizen eligibility requirements. And that is the fundamental right of any sovereign nation. Some would even say the Cherokee Nation has quite liberal citizenship requirements. Anyone, no matter what ethnicity, may be a citizen of the Cherokee Nation if he or she can trace to a direct ancestor listed on the final rolls of the Cherokee Nation by blood, which closed a century ago. We have tribal citizens who are of all shapes, sizes and yes, colors. Our tribal citizens include people with Hispanic, Irish, German, French, Korean and African blood. Nonetheless, there is one question that stands before the Cherokee people today: Should they also be of Indian blood? That is what will be decided by Cherokee voters in February. Copyright c. 2006 USA Today. --------- "RE: Court upholds Native School Admissions Policy" --------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 08:40:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOL OK'd TO FAVOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS" http://www.indianz.com/News//2006/017246.asp Divided court upholds Native school admissions policy December 6, 2006 A Native Hawaiian school whose admissions policy favors Native students won a major ruling from a deeply-divided federal appeals court on Tuesday. The private Kamehameha Schools was sued by a non-Native student who said the policy violated the U.S. Constitution. In August 2005, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the boys' civil rights were violated based on his race. But after a rehearing, the case went in favor of the school. By an 8-7 vote, an en banc panel of the court said a private institution that receives no federal funds can admit students based on race, so long as the policy meets certain goals. Those goals, the majority said, include improving the educational status of Native Hawaiians. The court cited studies and Congressional findings that showed Native students fell behind their peers on standardized tests, graduation rates, college attendance, poverty levels and other socioeconomic factors. "In view of those facts and congressional findings, it is clear that a manifest imbalance exists in the K-12 educational arena in the state of Hawaii, with Native Hawaiians falling at the bottom of the spectrum in almost all areas of educational progress and success," Judge Susan P. Graber wrote. "Furthermore, it is precisely this manifest imbalance that the Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy seeks to address." The court made another key finding that could help with federal recognition efforts. The majority noted that Congress has repeatedly treated Native Hawaiians as a distinct entity through numerous laws going back to the early 1900s and continuing through present times. These steadfast congressional policies favoring remedial measures for Native Hawaiians - and specifically remedial educational measures, some of them even mentioning the Schools and the Bishop Trust approvingly by name - inform our analysis of the validity of the Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy," Graber said. Judge William Fletcher took this reasoning a step further and said the case could be decided solely on this basis. Comparing Native Hawaiians to American Indians and Alaska Natives, he cited the "special relationship" Congress has maintained between the United States and indigenous peoples. "Congress has invariably treated 'Native Hawaiian' as a political classification for purposes of providing exclusive educational and other benefits," Fletcher wrote in a concurrence signed by four other judges. But a dissenting group of judges said the case should be decided solely on civil rights grounds. Led by Judge Jay S. Bybee, the group said the admissions policy acts as an "absolute racial bar" to students who are not Native Hawaiian. Bybee also rejected the "special relationship" argument outlined by Fletcher. "Despite opportunity to do so, Congress has never formally recognized the sovereignty of Native Hawaiians," he wrote. "Native Hawaiians have never been accorded formal recognition as a Native American tribe, and while the 'special trust relationship' between Congress and Native Hawaiians bears many similarities to the relationship between Congress and Native American tribes, the two relationships are not identical," he continued. With four other judges filing dissents, their divergent views, as well as the subject matter, make the case ripe for Supreme Court review. Just this past Monday, the justices heard a dispute over affirmative action policies in public schools. The Kamehameha Schools case has drawn significant public attention, with Hawaii's top officials backing the school despite its status as a private entity. Gov. Linda Lingle (R) also supports recognition for Native Hawaiians. The National Indian Education Association and the Alaska Federation of Natives submitted an amicus brief as well. Copyright c. 2000-2006 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: Southern Utes buying part of Denver Complex" --------- Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:45:05 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SOUTHERN UTE EXPAND COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS" http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp? article_type=news&article_path=/news/06/news061209_1.htm S. Utes buying part of Denver complex $850M development includes stores, offices and housing By Joe Hanel | Herald Denver Bureau December 9, 2006 DENVER - The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is close to making its largest real-estate deal, buying a one-third stake in the new Belmar development in Lakewood, a suburb west of Denver. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe's real-estate arm is buying one-third of the 22-block Belmar development, a $850 million project that includes shops, offices and housing southwest of downtown Denver. This photo was taken in August 2005. The upscale development includes a mix of stores, offices and housing. It was built by Continuum Partners, a Denver development firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Continuum said Belmar's value is $850 million. GF Properties Group LLC, which is wholly owned by the tribe, is buying a 33 percent stake in the project, said Pat Vaughn, head of Durango-based GF Properties. "We've been working on this for a little over a year," Vaughn said. "It's a complex deal, with a lot of moving parts to it, but we think it's got long-lasting value for the tribe and its membership." Belmar is built on the site of the old Villa Italia shopping center at the crossroads of Wadsworth Boulevard and Alameda Avenue. The mall opened in 1966. During its heyday in the 1970s and '80s, it was the premiere shopping destination in west Denver. But like most indoor malls, it fell on hard times, and it was half empty when Continuum gained control of it in 2001. Continuum bulldozed most of the mall and opened the first phase of Belmar in 2004. When it is fully built, Belmar will have 22 blocks full of stores, offices and restaurants, plus 1,300 homes. Construction is expected to finish by 2012. A little more than half the site has been built. It's unlikely that Southern Ute construction companies will be involved in finishing Belmar, Vaughn said. The development already has a number of high-end stores, including Whole Foods Market, Baby Gap, Victoria's Secret and A-m Time, a yoga store. Restaurants include P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Ted's Montana Grill. Belmar's condominiums and row houses cost from $180,000 to almost $1 million. "We were attracted to the urban mixed-use product, where you have a lot of different uses in the area that benefit each other," Vaughn said. Continuum Partners has a lot of experience with such developments, Vaughn said. The tribe started the Growth Fund, which manages GF Properties, to put to work the money earned from its gas profits. It has diversified into construction, sand and gravel, real estate and a private equity group, which provides money for startup companies or buys existing firms. The investments have made the Southern Utes one of the country's most successful American Indian tribes. GF Properties has invested in numerous apartment and office developments, mostly in the western United States, but also in the Washington, D.C., area and North Carolina. Continuum and a partner company recently won the lucrative contract to redevelop Union Station, which will serve as the hub of Denver's light rail and bus systems. A spokeswoman for Continuum Partners declined to answer questions about the Belmar deal, calling it a confidential transaction. Copyright c. the Durango Herald. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: DNA Gatherers hit Snag: Tribes don't Trust them" --------- Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:45:05 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HISTORICAL LIES MAKE CURRENT GENERATION SUSPICIOUS" http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/us/10dna.html? hp&ex=1165813200&en=a89b948c7dde927c&ei=5094&partner=homepage DNA Gatherers Hit Snag: Tribes Don't Trust Them By AMY HARMON December 10, 2006 SOUTH NAKNEK, Alaska - The National Geographic Society's multimillion- dollar research project to collect DNA from indigenous groups around the world in the hopes of reconstructing humanity's ancient migrations has come to a standstill on its home turf in North America. Billed as the "moon shot of anthropology, the Genographic Project intends to collect 100,000 indigenous DNA samples. But for four months, the project has been on hold here as it scrambles to address questions raised by a group that oversees research involving Alaska natives. At issue is whether scientists who need DNA from aboriginal populations to fashion a window on the past are underselling the risks to present-day donors. Geographic origin stories told by DNA can clash with long-held beliefs, threatening a world view some indigenous leaders see as vital to preserving their culture. They argue that genetic ancestry information could also jeopardize land rights and other benefits that are based on the notion that their people have lived in a place since the beginning of time. "What if it turns out you're really Siberian and then, oops, your health care is gone?" said Dr. David Barrett, a co-chairman of the Alaska Area Institutional Review Board, which is sponsored by the Indian Health Service, a federal agency. "Did anyone explain that to them?" Such situations have not come up, and officials with the Genographic Project discount them as unlikely. Spencer Wells, the population geneticist who directs the project, says it is paternalistic to imply that indigenous groups need to be kept from the knowledge that genetics might offer. "I don't think humans at their core are ostriches," Dr. Wells said. "Everyone has an interest in where they came from, and indigenous people have more of an interest in their ancestry because it is so important to them." But indigenous leaders point to centuries of broken promises to explain why they believe their fears are not far-fetched. Scientific evidence that American Indians or other aboriginal groups came from elsewhere, they say, could undermine their moral basis for sovereignty and chip away at their collective legal claims. "It's a benefit to science, probably," said Dr. Mic LaRoque, the Alaska board's other co-chairman and a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe of North Dakota. "But I'm not convinced it's a benefit to the tribes. " The pursuit of indigenous DNA is driven by a desire to shed light on questions for which the archeological evidence is scant. How did descendants of the hunter-gatherers who first left humanity's birthplace in east Africa some 65,000 years ago come to inhabit every corner of the Earth? What routes did they take? Who got where, and when? As early humans split off in different directions, distinct mutations accumulated in the DNA of each population. Like bread crumbs, these genetic markers, passed on intact for millennia, can reveal the trail of the original pioneers. All non-Africans share a mutation that arose in the ancestors of the first people to leave the continent, for instance. But the descendants of those who headed north and lingered in the Middle East carry a different marker from those who went southeast toward Asia. Most of the world's six billion people, however, are too far removed from wherever their ancestors originally put down roots to be useful to population geneticists. The Genographic Project is focusing on DNA from people still living in their ancestral homelands because they provide the crucial geographic link between genetic markers found today and routes traveled long ago. In its first 18 months, the project's scientists have had considerable success, persuading more than 18,000 people in off-the-grid places like the east African island of Pemba and the Tibesti Mountains of Chad to donate their DNA. When the North American team arrived in southwestern Alaska, they found volunteers offering cheek swabs and family histories for all sorts of reasons. The council members of the Native Village of Georgetown, for instance, thought the project could bolster a sense of cultural pride. Glenn Fredericks, president of the Georgetown tribe, was eager for proof of an ancient unity between his people and American Indians elsewhere that might create greater political power. "They practice the same stuff, the lower-48 natives, as we do," Mr. Fredericks said. "Did we exchange people? It would be good to know." Others said the test would finally force an acknowledgment that they were here first, undermining those who see the government as having "given" them their land. Still others were interested in the mechanics of migration: "Were the lands all combined? Did they get here by boat?" For many nonindigenous Americans who feel disconnected from their roots, the project has also struck a chord: nearly 150,000 have scraped cells from their cheek and sent them to the society with $100 to learn what scientists know so far about how and where their individual forebears lived beyond the mists of prehistory. By giving the broader public a way to participate, though it is likely to generate little scientific payoff, the project has created an unusual set of stakeholders with a personal interest in its success. More details, the project explains in the ancestral sketches it gives individuals, will come only with more indigenous DNA. "I think you have to be sensitive to these cultures," said Jesse R. Sweeney, 32, a bankruptcy lawyer in Detroit who hopes the millennia-size gaps in his own ancestors' story will eventually be filled in. "But hopefully they will change their mind and contribute to the research." Mr. Sweeney's DNA places his maternal ancestors in the Middle East about 50,000 year ago. After that, they may have gone north. Or maybe south: "This is where the genetic clues get murky and your DNA trail goes cold," read the conclusion to his test results on the project's Web site. "By working together with indigenous peoples around the globe, we are learning more about these ancient migrations." The first large effort to collect indigenous DNA since federal financing was withdrawn from a similar proposal amid indigenous opposition in the mid-1990s, the Genographic Project has drawn quiet applause from many geneticists for resurrecting scientific ambitions that have grown more pressing. As indigenous groups intermarry and disperse at an ever- accelerating pace, many scientists believe the chance to capture human history is fast disappearing. "Everyone else had given up," said Mark Stoneking, a professor at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. "If they get even a fraction of what they are trying for, it will be very useful." Unlike the earlier Human Genome Diversity Project, condemned by some groups as "biocolonialism" because scientists may have profited from genetic data that could have been used to develop drugs, the Genographic Project promises to patent nothing and to avoid collecting medical information. The project has designated half the proceeds from the sale of kits to the public for programs designed to preserve traditional cultures and language. In May, project officials held a stormy meeting in New York with the indigenous rights group Cultural Survival while protestors carried signs reading "National Geographic Sucks Indigenous Blood." Shortly after, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues recommended suspending the project. On the ground, every region has its challenges. To make scientific progress, the project's geneticists are finding they must first navigate an unfamiliar tangle of political, religious and personal misgivings. Pierre Zalloua, the project director in the Middle East, faces suspicion that he is an emissary of an opposing camp trying to prove their lineages are not important. Himla Soodyall, the project's South African director, finds herself trying to explain to people who worship their ancestors what more her research could add. In Australia, some aboriginal groups have refused to cooperate. But among the 10 geneticists the society has given the task of collecting 10,000 samples each by the spring of 2010, Theodore G. Schurr, the project's North American director, is in last place. Fewer than 100 vials of DNA occupy a small plastic box in his laboratory's large freezer at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is an assistant professor of anthropology. And at the request of the Alaska review board, he has sent back the 50 or so samples that he collected in Alaska to be stored in a specimen bank under its care until he can satisfy their concerns. American Indians, Dr. Schurr says, hold the answer to one of the more notable gaps in the prehistoric migration map. Although most scientists accept that the first Americans came across the Bering Strait land bridge that connected Siberia and Alaska some 20,000 years ago, there is no proof of precisely where those travelers came from, and the route they took south once they arrived. Comparing the DNA of large numbers of American Indians might reveal whether their ancestors were from a single founding population, and when they reached the Americas. And knowing the routes and timing of migrations within the Americas would provide a foundation for studying how people came to be so different so quickly. But almost every federally recognized tribe in North America has declined or ignored Dr. Schurr's invitation to take part. "What the scientists are trying to prove is that we're the same as the Pilgrims except we came over several thousand years before," said Maurice Foxx, chairman of the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs and a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag. "Why should we give them that openly?" Some American Indians trace their suspicions to the experience of the Havasupai Tribe, whose members gave DNA for a diabetes study that University of Arizona researchers later used to link the tribe's ancestors to Asia. To tribe members raised to believe the Grand Canyon is humanity's birthplace, the suggestion that their own DNA says otherwise was deeply disturbing. When Dr. Schurr was finally invited to a handful of villages in Alaska, he eagerly accepted. But by the time he reached South Naknek, a tiny native village on the Alaska Peninsula, to report his analysis of the DNA he had taken on an earlier mission, the Alaska review board had complained to his university supervisors. The consent form all volunteers must sign, the Alaska board said, should contain greater detail about the risks, including the fact that the DNA would be stored in a database linked to tribal information. Dr. Schurr's latest attempt at a revised form is to be reviewed this month by the board in Alaska and the by University of Pennsylvania board supervising the project. In the meantime, his early results have surprised some of the Alaskans who gave him their DNA. In South Naknek, Lorianne Rawson, 42, found out her DNA contradicted what she had always believed. She was not descended from the Aleuts, her test results suggested, but from their one-time enemies, the Yup'ik Eskimos. The link to the Yup'iks, Ms. Rawson said, only made her more curious. "We want them to do more research," she added, offering Dr. Schurr more relatives to be tested. But she will have to wait. Copyright c. 2006 The New York Times Company. --------- "RE: Saving the Serrano Tongue" --------- Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 08:41:01 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SAN MANUEL INDIANS STRIVE TO SAVE SERRANO LANGUAGE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.sbsun.com/ci_4780412 Saving the Serrano tongue Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer December 5, 2006 SAN MANUEL INDIAN RESERVATION - A quiet battle is being waged to save the ancestral language of the Serrano Indians. The Serrano language was once spoken by indigenous people throughout the San Bernardino Valley and High Desert. Today, there is only one man whose ability to speak that tongue approaches fluency, said Kaylene Day, a staff linguist for the Serrano Language Revitalization Project. The ultimate goal of the project - an effort of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' Education Department still in its infancy - is to give tribe members the ability to use the Serrano language in daily conversation. "They want their children and future leaders to be versed in the culture so that identity is strong," education director Erin Kahunawaika`ala Wright said. The last person to be fluent in the Serrano language, Dorothy Ramon, died in 2002. With linguist Eric Elliott, Ramon compiled Serrano lore into the book "Wayta' Yawa'," the title of which translates to "Always Believe." Ramon's nephew, Ernest Siva, remembers the sounds of Serrano from his childhood. "My mother, she and my older aunt, everyone in the family spoke it," Siva said. Day said Siva is the only person who is almost fluent in Serrano. There are times, Siva said, when he'll use Serrano phrases, though he acknowledged that his aunt's ability to converse in that old language exceeded his own. Siva said Day and others visit him every Thursday to work on the language project. He also teaches Serrano classes at the Morongo Indian Reservation near Cabazon. He is president of the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center - a nonprofit created to preserve and share knowledge of Southern California's indigenous cultures. Preserving the Serrano language, Siva said, "has to do with our identity and our culture. The traditions that we had. It's like living on our land. A lot of us move away, but as you notice, we return to our roots." Historically, the Serrano language was spoken but not written, Day said. Written Serrano was not used until the 1990s, and part of the language project has been to craft a new Serrano alphabet that is different than the one used in Ramon and Elliott's book. Work to create a new alphabet began around September 2005, Day said. That effort has produced a 47-letter alphabet that uses many common letters as well as symbols not used in English. For example, the ' symbol is used as a letter that symbolizes the sound of a "glottal stop" - much like the sound between "uh" and "oh" in the English phrase "uh-oh," Day said. A curriculum is being developed to teach the tongue to other members of the tribe. At this point, the San Manuels are not telling the public how actual words would be written in the new alphabet. Wright said tribal members are concerned that to do so could lead to the misappropriation of their culture. Wright, a native Hawaiian, said the "tiki kitsch" that is often used as party decorations is an example of how the San Manuels would not want their culture to be represented. Wright considers the kind of island- themed ornamentations that can be purchased at party supply stores to be a bastardization of Polynesian ways. In Day's view, the most successful effort to revive a language was the reintroduction of Hebrew in modern Israel. The Torah and other Hebrew writings provided a wealth of knowledge for 20th-century speakers. The San Manuels do not have that much material to work with, but Day said there are 15 to 20 hours of recorded Serrano to guide the study of an almost- forgotten language. Siva can also draw on notebooks that he compiled while a USC student in the 1960s. As a student, Siva studied music and traveled to Washington, D. C., to research Luiseno Indian music. While at the National Archives, he got sidetracked and found research on Serrano that he transcribed into his own notes. "I realized I could read it," he said. Day was drawn to indigenous languages when she studied linguistic anthropology while a student at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. "I discovered American languages when I was in college. They were so different from anything I'd ever seen," she said. "Language loss ... made me sad, how much language diversity we're losing. It's sort of like losing a species." What's in a name? The word "Serrano" is actually not part of the Serrano language - it's derived from Spanish. The ancestors of today's San Manuel Band of Mission Indians lived in the San Bernardino Mountains before Europeans came to California. Spanish settlers called tribe members Serranos. The word is similar to "sierra," the Spanish word for mountains. In their own language, the Serranos called themselves Yuhaviatam, which translates to "people of the pines." Source: San Manuel Band of Mission Copyright c. 2006 San Bernardino Sun Los Angeles Newspaper Group. --------- "RE: Funding for Native Language Immersion moves fwd" --------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 08:40:09 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NATIVE LANGUAGE IMMERSION" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414089 Funding for Native Language Immersion moves forward by: Jerry Reynolds / Indian Country Today December 6, 2006 WASHINGTON - In a race too close to call until two weeks after the Nov. 7 midterm elections, Republican Heather Wilson has regained her seat in the House of Representatives. New Mexico's District 1 voters, including many Indians, provided Wilson with just enough votes to edge Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid. Wilson's margin was fewer than 1,000 votes when Madrid conceded. Wilson's presence in Congress now and next January will continue momentum toward passage of a law to provide federal grant funding for Native language immersion schooling. Wilson introduced House Bill 4766 in the House. With the support of committee chairman Buck McKeon, R-Calif., the bill passed in the House prior to the election and now awaits Senate action. Ryan Wilson (no relation) said the Native vote protected Heather Wilson once her commitment to Native languages became evident. Ryan Wilson, president of the newly formed National Alliance to Save Native Languages, campaigned for the bill as president of the National Indian Education Association, which continues to support H.R. 4766 among its other priorities. In Washington for an appearance on Capitol Hill of Navajo code talkers, he said tribes had rallied as never before behind the bill. He called on American citizens at large to join them. "Nothing is more American than the languages of her first people," he said. "This is part of the sacred heritage of America, not just a treasured form of expression in Indian country." Noting the contribution of code talkers to U.S. war efforts, he referenced the recent film "Flags of Our Fathers," focused on the iconic flag-raising at Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima island during World War II. Only days after the opening of a Marine museum near Washington, its architecture abstractly modeled on the famous photograph of U.S. Marines - including Ira Hayes, a Pima soldier - transfixed the mid-Atlantic seaboard region and much of the nation, Wilson underscored the profound contribution of code talkers to the Pacific theater of operations in particular. By putting their oral language to use as an unbreakable code that kept military intelligence from imperial Japan, Native code talkers helped U.S. forces stage the storied combat that ultimately broke the islands. "It was the Navajo, through their language, who helped uplift that flag at Iwo Jima," Wilson said. "It was that language that helped get them up the mountain." Copyright c. 1998 - 2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Creation of Blackfoot Archives" --------- Date: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 02:49 am From: Long Standing Bear Chief Subj: New Direction: Creation of Blackfoot archives. Mailing List: Blackfoot Nation Starting in January 2007 we will begin a depository of information of all historical happenings and recording of all the natural and human resources of the Blackfoot people. We ask that all persons who are members of this group send us all such information via the internet for inclusion in this depository. The purpose of the above is to create such as resource so that all members and persons interested in Blackfoot, Piikani and Blood information become available to all interested persons. This is to include descendants, students of Indian Nations, etc. We also want to inform you that we will begin the creation of a data base that also includes names, addresses and all manner of genealogical information so that we will always know the ancestors and descendants of our people from as far back as we can possibly recollect. The information will be arranged by subject to include: law, art, music, history, spirituality, etc. --------- "RE: Outstanding Native American Man of the Year" --------- Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GARRISON TAHMAHKERA RECOGNIZED" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414100 'Outstanding Native American Man of the Year' by: The Associated Press December 6, 2006 Garrison Tahmahkera honored at Heard Museum celebration By Hayley Ringle - The (Mesa, Ariz.) Tribune MESA, Ariz. (MCT) - When Garrison Tahmahkera was a kid growing up among Comanche families in Oklahoma, he wanted to be a farmer. He had no idea what college was. It wasn't until after his military service, when he couldn't afford to pay his union fees to continue his painting job, that he was offered the chance to go to college. The suggestion and financial support was offered by Luke Toyebo, education director for the BIA in Oklahoma. Despite receiving a low score on his ACT exam, a tough first nine weeks and a counselor who said he would never make it, Tahmahkera graduated with a degree in sociology. He was the first in his family to go to college. Tahmahkera went on to receive a master's in social work and became a psychiatric social worker. He then taught in Haskell, Kan., where he began social work programs and started recruiting American Indians. "It was an honor to go back and teach where I graduated from high school," said Tahmahkera, 70, now of Tempe. "I knew where they were coming from. I had been in the trenches like they were. I knew what it's like to eat ketchup and crackers." His job was to recruit students to go to the local community college, and then have them move on to universities around the country. After his work in Kansas, he moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State University and work on his doctorate in counseling psychology. Then, in 1986, he developed the American Indian Center at Mesa Community College and began visiting local tribes to recruit students. "I go out and talk to tribal leaders, offer scholarships and talk about what we can do," said Tahmahkera, adding there are now almost 1,000 Indians attending the college. "It's a lot of fun to work with the different people and the parents." Tahmahkera was recognized for his work Nov. 4 as the Outstanding Native American Man of the Year at the 24th annual Native American Recognition Days celebration at the Heard Museum. Two years ago, Tahmahkera retired as the director of the American Indian Center at MCC, but remains at the school as an elder-in-residence, doing much of the same work. One of those former students is Jerry Meins of Tolleson. Meins met Tahmahkera soon after he started attending MCC, and said Tahmahkera was always available to help him and his wife, Lisa, his girlfriend at the time. "He was there if we needed moral support and to lead us in the right path to get through school," said Meins, 39, now an inventory analyst front-line lead at Humana mail order pharmacy in Phoenix. "He was there to help with transportation or money we needed just to get by. Whenever he was called upon to do something, he followed through and got us the help we needed at the time." Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. Copyright c. 1998 - 2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: HARJO: Stop giving Indian money to anti-Indians" --------- Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:45:05 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HARJO: ONE NATION AND THEIR CRONIES" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414134 Harjo: Stop giving Indian money to anti-Indians and their backers by: Suzan Shown Harjo / Indian Country Today December 08, 2006 One Nation United and its cronies took their anti-Indian agenda to Capitol Hill the week before Thanksgiving. At a time when most Americans are saying nice things about Native peoples, ONU's lobbyists focused on how to undermine tribal rights and federal Indian policies. ONU leaders met with members of Congress, who have gotten piles of Indian monies from treaty rights and tribal enterprises opposed by the anti-Indians. None of the congressional offices issued statements disagreeing with ONU's goals: to stop Native nations' land claims, recognitions, gaming, retail businesses, environmental protection and sovereign immunity. ONU's conference featured lawyers and other local organizers against Native rights in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and elsewhere. Some speakers came from academia - the University of Illinois, San Diego Law School and The Manhattan Institute - and others represented trade associations of convenience stores, petroleum marketers, crab fishermen and Western states sheriffs, as well as the National Federation of Republican Assemblies. Members of ONU have teamed up with regional groups that have demonized Native peoples for decades. Several operate in organizations that have been discredited and disbanded, only to reemerge under new monikers with combinations of the same words: "citizens," "community," "equal" and "rights." Their national strategy involves lawsuits and legislation, in close coordination with Pacific Legal Foundation and Mountain States Legal Foundation, which were set up in the 1970s to undercut Indian and environmental policies and legal victories. PLF is especially vigorous in the hunt for cases to undo treaty fishing, Indian preference and Native Hawaiian recognition. MSLF spawned two former Interior secretaries - James Watt and Gale Norton - and numerous lawyers for land-managing agencies. It rarely misses a chance to try to eliminate protections for Native sacred places and religious freedom, and was the legal muscle behind attempts to keep Devil's Tower a safe haven for rock climbers, even if they disrupt traditional Native ceremonies. MSLF jumps on cases that might sabotage tribal jurisdiction and sovereignty. It supported Russell Means' failed effort to escape Navajo Nation authority when he was charged with beating his wife and her father, a Navajo disabled veteran. Means claimed that Navajo courts lacked jurisdiction because he is an Oglala Sioux citizen and not Navajo. In its amicus brief, MSLF asked the Supreme Court to declare that "Congress may not subject American citizens to prosecution by tribal courts that are not constrained by the United States Constitution, whether on the basis of race, political affiliation, or for any other reason." The high court rejected MSLF's plea and ruled against Means. Tribal leaders, in their haste to make friends by giving gaming revenue to non-Indians, sometimes have funded people and entities that are part of this national anti-Indian movement. Tribal funds also have enhanced the campaign coffers of some politicians who support the anti-Indian agenda and many more who do not oppose it. Even less comprehensible are the tribal resorts that feature comedians who say the same things for laughs that the ONU members say for real. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm 100 percent for their free-speech rights to say any old racist thing they want. I just don't think that Native peoples' monies should support their anti-Indian speech. The same goes for "political speech," which is legalese for campaign dollars. For all those who book jokesters in tribal casinos, here's one to avoid like the plague - Larry the Cable Guy from the "redneck humor" genre that mostly mocks poor white Southerners. His Dec. 4 appearance on the NBC's "Tonight Show" started off with a "joke" about a movie of "an Indian woman who found religion, called the 'Squaw Skank Redemption."' I can't recall a worse statement related to a Native woman on national television, intended to be humorous or not. It should have been bleeped. But that didn't happen. And another slur against Native women seeped into the public consciousness. The Disney/ABC comedians seem to be the worst, or at least the most consistently insensitive. One of them, Drew Carey, is the foremost spokescomic for the disgraceful symbol of the Cleveland baseball team and he puts down Native people who don't share his love of "Chief Wahoo." Carey's punch lines portray actual Indian people as a notch below fictional "Indian" logos and as dumb, easily duped and deservedly caricatured. The overwhelming majority of Native Americans want "Native" references in sports eliminated. Even those who allow sports teams to play with their tribal names and images are opposed to "Redskins" and "Chief Wahoo." When I and six other Native people won our lawsuit against the Washington football club's despicable team name, Bill Maher of ABC's "Politically Incorrect" condemned us so fast that he left his jokes off- camera. Maher, whose views may have matured since migrating to HBO's "Real Time," used the condescending tone and language about us that he usually reserves for the most contemptible creatures in his sights. He practically said we had no right to our position or to press it in court. There are lots of stand-up comedians who would do well in tribal resorts. Steve Harvey is one of the best. He's hilarious and informed. When he makes an Indian joke, neither the Native nor non-Native people have to cringe. Or Jay Leno, who's funny and doesn't rag on us. "Did you hear that the Washington football team changed its name," he asked an audience during one of the team's worst seasons. "They've dropped the word 'professional."' By the way, Washington hasn't been to a Super Bowl since we filed suit in 1992. It's changed owners, coaches, quarterbacks, uniforms, helmets, stadiums, practice sites, skybox celebs and the logo's skin color (from burgundy to brown-black). The only thing that's the same is the name. A thinking person might explore a name change as a way of changing their luck. But, that's just me. Back to casino acts that make you cringe. Holding the Oklahoma premiere of "Apocalypto" at a tribal casino takes the prize. The movie's message - Mayans were savage, bloodthirsty and incapable of sustaining a civilization - is exactly what ONU and the anti-Indian crowd want to become part of the public psyche. What's next? A casino tour of Mel Gibson insulting women, Jews and Mayans? ONU will gladly bring the popcorn. --- Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, is president of the Morning Star Institute in Washington, D.C., and a columnist for Indian Country Today. Copyright c. 1998 - 2006 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: COLUMN/AMERICAS: Sacred Counts of the Life Makers" --------- Date: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 01:31 am From: Glenn Welker Subj: Sacred Counts of the Life Makers Mailing List: Indigenous Peoples Literature@yahoogroups.com Sacred Counts of the Life Makers Patzin: Nahuatl for respect worthy medicine, a monthly feature on Indigenous medicine Column of the Americas (c) Dec. 4, 2006 by Patrisia Gonzales We count the days with mecate, sacred ties with prayers in 20 counts. Time to offer water and ancestor prayers to the tree of life, purify, offer bundles of ocote and cotton for the Weaver. Grandmother turns inward and with the first snows come the stories. We must be in a proper state to hear the medicine in the breadth. In between the lines, the ancestors are speaking... Life Givers, Life Formers, Life Makers. My Apache brother Gregory Gomez recommends a bath of cedar. These evergreens are like the maguey, great protectors. Time by the Christian calendar may schedule life -- but the natural laws have their own times, ritual time, natural time. Those who follow Indigenous ways live by multiple times. Across the Americas, the teachers measured time and alignment of what is above. During this time known as the last month of 2006, my Native and Buddhist understandings of time converge in prayer and determination. Where does time go for the parts of life that sleep and hibernate, waiting to return? Do the evergreens ever rest? Reports that many species of fish could be gone in 50 years, that the Earth's magnetic field is rapidly diminishing, that ice becomes ocean, always makes me wonder what I am learning that will be useful in 2012. Still no declaration for Indigenous rights because nations fear the idea of Indigenous "peoples" -- to be united and autonomous is so powerful. In a year when politicians justified pedophilia, condoned rape as part of interrogation, while any international traveler is marked with a secret terrorist ranking, I search the skies for moral time. Dona Rosario Ibarra de Piedra of the mothers of the disappeared in Mexico has admonished people: do not let vile government "assassinate hope." My Native teachings remind me that I can't force natural time to change. My Buddhist teachings hold we can effect moral time in a series of causes and effects. To act with strength and courage is to truly live. It requires a struggle with our own illusions and doubts. Why would we pray for our children if we didn't think we could change their times? We move in revolutions, like the earth around the sun, to beget a better way to live. Cycles end and begin, again, again. A Buddhist elder once told me that time is the distance between the present condition and the effect we are seeking. So on the last month of each year counted by the Gregorian calendar, I deepen my prayers to see change before this cycle is up. Until the last moment of this time we keep, I determine to not give up on prayers, dreams, or the human potential for good. From each moment on, I pray, I will not give up on Life, or my own life. I challenge my spirit to stand up in self determination. I face all that is around me, above and below and refuse to accept less or so little belief. With the sounds of the universe, I proclaim, my soul shall not be slayed. I have made these prayers until the stroke of midnight. For several years as a young woman, I vowed and re-determined I would find a love that would create history. And a few minutes after midnight in 1992, Roberto proposed that we walk side by side toward impossible dreams for ourselves and our peoples. And with our sacred Native keeping of the days, I make good on my responsibilities to all that gives life. I tie prayers, and sing them. Somewhere there is creation and the appearance of things. The life force is limitless. The earth is too hard right now to dig my hands in her. Natural law holds that winter always turns to spring; our human lives also follow this law. Then, I can turn the earth over and help that which will be born and that which will return. Moon time, Morning Star and the Sun lead the ways. The Weaver drapes cotton on the Milky Way. From the four corners of the cosmic milpa of above, we create life. With sacred accounting, we will track the days of the Life Makers' cornfield. (c) Patrisia Gonzales, Column of the Americas 2006 Gonzales can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com or 608-238-3161. The last two years of Column of the Americas is archived at: http://hometown.aol.com/xcolumn/myhomepage/ Web Sites: This List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indigenous_peoples_literature/messages for: Indigenous Peoples Literature http://www.indigenouspeople.net --------- "RE: GIAGO: R-word just as insulting as the N-word" --------- Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 08:36:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: R-WORD" http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/017185.asp Tim Giago: R-word just as insulting as the N-word December 4, 2006 Oftentimes we are reminded by the racial slurs of comedians, actors/producers, sports announcers, esteemed members of the cast of 60 Minutes and by politicians, that racism has not vanished from the landscape of this country we call America. As Nurse Nellie said in the Broadway play South Pacific in order to justify her own prejudice toward the half-Tonkonese children of the French plantation owner she loved "We are born with it." Lt. Cable debunked this comment singing that we are not born with it but "It has to be drummed in your dear little ear." And so last week there was added to the growing list of celebrities exposed for their use of the "N" word the name of Michael Richards, late of the Seinfeld Show. He joined Mel Gibson who in a drunken stupor accused the Jews for all of the troubles of the world, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder for saying that blacks were bred to be strong and athletic in the days of the plantations, Trent Lott for overlooking the racial foibles of Strom Thurmond when he acknowledged that Thurmond would have made a great president and the recent comments of George Allen when in his senate race in Virginia he castigated a young man of East Indian descent by calling him a "macaca" a monkey often used as a racial slur. But aside from Gibson's racial hemorrhage against Jews, all of the other celebrity troglodytes' comments were aimed at African Americans. Gibson's racial comments drew a lot of publicity because the media has a strong cadre of Jewish television producers and editors and the Black Community has the power of a Jesse Jackson and an Al Sharpton. Mexicans (Hispanics), Indians and Asians do not have a powerful lobby to defend them against racist comments. And it seems that the mainstream media is extremely timid in defending the rights of the minorities. The media immediately chastises any public figure stupid enough to use the "N" word. But the "R" word, a word that is an insult to Native Americans, is used openly and regularly without comment from the media (except from the Indian owned media). Look up the word "redskin" in your personal dictionary and you will see that it is taken by all Indians to be an insult. Then why does the "R" word grace the lips of sports announcers and their fans and why is it printed without fear of reprisal in nearly every newspaper and magazine in America? Why was the public allowed to watch a pig painted red and wearing an Indian ceremonial bonnet run around at the halftime of a Washington Redskin's football game without comment from the fans or press? If the pig had been painted black in order to honor the many black fans of the Washington football team, and an Afro wig had been attached to its head, would there have been a reaction by the media and the fans? The "R" word is as insulting to Native Americans as the "N" word is to African Americans and yet most Americans never question its repeated use. And if some badly misguided Native Americans think it's alright to be used as mascots for America's fun and games do not for one second believe that if it's alright with them then it is alright for all Indians because it certainly is not. Most Indians, including the powerful National Congress of American Indians and the equally powerful National Indian Education Association abhor the use of Indians as mascots and have spoken out loudly and clearly against it. If the Spokane Indian people choose to assist a local team named the Spokane Indians by designing their logo and if they do not mind that their high school uses a mascot called the "Redskins" most Native Americans can only cringe at their ignorance. But keep in mind that the struggle to end this covert form of racism against Native Americans started about 25 years ago and battles have been won and battles have been lost, but if Indians have to fight their own people in order to bring some sanity to these racist insults, then the battle will be ongoing. It is not an honor to be mimicked by fans with painted faces and turkey feathers at sporting events nor is it an honor to have our race; our self- esteem and our dignity trampled every week for America's fun and games. If a small number of Indians believe this is all right then the problem is theirs. The student body of Pekin High School in Illinois used to parade in costume and makeup to honor their mascot, The Pekin High School "Chinks." Fortunately some Pekin residents of intelligence decided this practice was racist and brought it to an end. Now why would they believe that using "Chinks" as a mascot was different than using a phony Indian named Chief Illiniwek at their university is not racist? Finally, the esteemed member of the CBS Show 60 Minutes was Andy Rooney. For the most part I love Andy but I deplored the comments he made about American Indians. He said that Indians had no culture, no music and no art. None of this was true, and yet Andy was allowed to skate by with these racist comments as if no one at CBS knew better. Well, considering all of the ignorance about Indians that I have encountered in my more than 30 years of working in the media, perhaps no one at CBS did know differently. Rooney's remarks, unlike those of Richards, Gibson, Snyder, Lott and Allen were allowed to stand without repercussion. I guess, to the media, Indians, Mexicans and Asians don't count as much as Blacks or Jews. --- McClatchy News Service in Washington, DC distributes Tim Giago's weekly column. He can be reached at P.O. Box 9244, Rapid City, SD 57709 or at najournalists@rushmore.com. Giago was also the founder and former editor and publisher of the Lakota Times and Indian Country Today newspapers and the founder and first president of the Native American Journalists Association. Clear Light Books of Santa Fe, NM (harmon@clearlightbooks.com) published his latest book, "Children Left Behind." Copyright c. 2000-2006 Indianz.Com. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Tradition at a Soldier's Funeral" --------- Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 08:56:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD : SOLDIER'S FUNERAL" http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=19425 COLUMNIST DORREEN YELLOW BIRD : Tradition, ritual at a soldier's funeral Dorreen Yellow Bird Grand Forks Herald December 6, 2006 The number of North Dakotans dying in Iraq and Afghanistan is growing, and that number includes American Indians, who are about 1 percent of the nation's population. The funerals are distinct and are an indication of the differences between the two cultures. As I traveled west Friday morning for the funeral of Cpl. Nathan Joel Goodiron, sunshine and clear roads turned into cloudy skies, fits of light snow and icy roads. By the time I reached the Four Bears Lodge in New Town, N.D., I'd been gripping the wheel so tightly that I had claw fingers. I assumed the road from New Town to Mandaree, N.D., the site of the wake, would be icy, too. I cringed as I stood outside the lodge; it was dark, and the wind was kicking up snow. The thought of driving on these roads (where ditches at times drop 50 feet straight down) was scary. Fortunately, the roads weren't so bad Goodiron, the soldier killed on Thanksgiving Day, had a wife, Eileen, and three young children. The respect and camaraderie of the community was apparent as his old high school gymnasium filled with people. Goodiron's father, Paul - a tall, lanky man who wore fatigues that he probably wore while serving in Vietnam - was everywhere, giving instructions and comforting the grieving. Maa-Ishu-Maa-Gash, Young Eagle, would want thing to go smoothly, he indicated. As I watched elder Goodiron move about the gym, I knew his confidence came from his role as a spiritual leader. He and his son talked on the phone and e-mailed each other regularly while Nathan was in Afghanistan. Nathan's tour would have ended in a few months, just a little after this 24th birthday. Paul looked tired. He and his wife, Harriet, who is a traditional dancer and takes part in the Sundance ceremonies, had gotten little sleep. The phone rang constantly, he said, and they answered each and every call. While he was on line, there'd be more calls coming in. Why didn't they unplug the phone? Because they wanted to comfort those who needed comforting. Goodiron talked with those who cried, and he told Nathan's story. He didn't seem to worry about what the media would say; he just looked reporters straight in the eye and talked from his heart. He told me about the incident in Afghanistan, and the details of it will stay with me for a long time to come. For Indian funerals, it is customary to have an open casket. We are taught that it's good to see the person; it's a closure, and the time to weep is now. Then, you dry your tears and let the person go on to the spirit world. Those who came by to view the body then would turn to the family and shake their hands or cry with them - it is comforting for both the family and the friends of the deceased. Star quilts in red, white and blue and Pendleton blankets were hung some 8 feet above the casket. Donations from the family were piled high on two tables. Adam "Tony" Mandan, 74, a spiritual leader, said the donations were for the deceased to take with him to the spirit world so that those who have gone on before will know how much we care for this young man. The family and friends will bring food, too, and feed the community. The donations and feast were done as the last act of the deceased by his family. When the feast is finished, the piles and piles of donations will be given out to the community. In many of the funeral speeches, the theme of patriotism was a common thread. But patriotic isn't the right word, said Mandan. Indians honor bravery. And he told me this story: In the 1870s, a Hidatsa man called Scar Face went up north with six warriors and ran into a larger group of enemy Crees. The Crees were behind a wagon and shooting at them. The Hidatsa man knew it was death for them all. So he ran low, zig zagging toward the Crees. This gave the rest of the band a chance to find cover. He was killed, but the Crees, who usually scalped their enemy, didn't scalp him. Instead, they brought out a white Hudson Bay blanket - prized during that time - and laid him on it. They honored him because he was brave, Mandan said. That is true of all Indian people: "We honor bravery." When the military dignitaries came to the casket and pinned metals on Nathan, I could tell they were moved by the task. The funeral was filled with military men and women. It was a sad day, but I remembered what Paul Goodiron told me: It is a good day, too. His son told him he is happy and in a good place. That gave Paul the strength and peace to let his son go. We have all this ceremony for our soldiers, and we can bury them with great honor, I thought when the ceremony was finished. But I wondered about the Afghan people who have so many deaths. Are they able to bury their dead with any ceremony? Mitakuye Oyasin. -- Dorreen Yellow Bird is a reporter and columnist. Her columns appear Wednesdays and Saturdays on the opinion pages of the Herald. Copyright c. 2006 Forum Communications Co. Fargo, ND 58102 All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Occidental withdraws from Peru Venture" --------- Date: Thursday, December 07, 2006 02:30 pm From: Amazon Alliance Subj: Occidental Withdraws From Controversial Peru Venture Mailing List: Amazon Alliance Source: Amazon Watch Date: 6 December 2006 Publication: Dow Jones Commodities Service/DOW JONES NEWSWIRES Environmental activists and indigenous leaders claimed victory Tuesday after Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) confirmed plans to withdraw from a controversial oil and gas venture in Peru. Amazon Watch, a San Francisco nonprofit, and leaders of the Achuar indigenous nation of the northern Peruvian Amazon planned a news conference Wednesday morning in Los Angeles to tout Occidental's withdrawal, which affects three exploration blocks that Occidental controls or shares with other oil companies in Peru. Los Angeles-based Occidental does not currently produce in the South American country. Occidental's departure, which the company said is contingent on approval by the Peruvian government, follows extensive criticism by non-governmental organizations regarding rain-forest pollution from Occidental and other oil companies. Occidental's high-profile travails with NGOs in South America have typified the difficulties encountered by many Fortune 500 companies in the developing world. Occidental's decision to divest its Peru assets is significant as an acknowledgment by a big company that "the risks to a company's reputation" from unpopular development in the Amazon "outweigh