_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 15, ISSUE 008 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, WOTANGING IKCHE - Lakota - Common News Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2007 nanews.org Aboriginal/AmerIndian Perspective about the First Nations of Turtle Island February 17, 2007 Western Cherokee kagali/bone moon Pomo bashelamatau/buckeyes ripe 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: Indigenous Peoples Literature, Native American Poetry, Frostys AmerIndian and Chiapas95-En; UUCP Mail IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | As historian Patricia Nelson | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + =================== Along the U.S.-Mexico border, the body count continues to pile up daily. Meanwhile, the Minutemen patrol the U.S.-Mexico border and shameless politicians find it easy to denounce illegal immigration as the cause of all the nation's problems - including linking it with "the war on terror." Amidst all the clatter, the only views not being heard are the ones that matter most. Thus here, we bring you a truly historic column, featuring the views of those that have come before us to these lands: American Indians: "... I suspect at least half those people coming across that southern border are indigenous peoples who have been directly or indirectly affected by anti-indigenous rights policies and U.S. lead neo-liberal free trade regimes often resulting in the privatization of land. I am concerned the U.S-Mexico border is becoming a war zone giving rise to old world colonial attitudes spawning white-lead vigilante militias with U.S. military support. Indigenous peoples of the U.S. and our tribal governments must demand border justice and not be used by the homeland security program of the U.S. to undermine the civil liberties of our indigenous peoples and mestizo brothers and sisters of the Latin American countries." __ Tom Goldtooth, Exec. Dir., Indigenous Environmental Network +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 For some time now I have been witnessing a situation with alarm and sincere concern; but was having difficulty making a case for it being a Native issue. An article in this issue by John Ross "JOHN ROSS: Plot Against Mexican Maize" (Big Biotech takes advantage of the corn crisis to force farmers to buy GMO seeds) turned on the light! It is clearly a Native issue when traditional, sacred crops are in danger of being altered and/or eliminated by genetic altering as a result of being exposed to GMO genes. On a much larger scale, control of the world's food crops is very rapidly falling into the hands of one manufacturer/distributor - Monsanto. It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to understand the threat of having world domination of food crops in the hands of one source. Go to your elders and ask them how this relates to prophecy. Twelve thousand years ago agriculture was created by people saving seeds that best met their community's needs and tastes. That practice lead to biodiversity that has literally saved mankind from famine several times throughout history. Lack of biodiversity in the Irish potato crop is exactly what helped create the potato famine of 1845-1849 when blight invaded their crop and there were no blight resistant potatoes to replace them, though such potatoes existed in other parts of the world. Our Peoples have developed crops that are unique to them and sacred to them. The Tarahumara alone have developed a vast array of crop plants, some of which perform well in desert valley and others that are highly successful in the mountain highlands. Many of these unique crops are Sacred to the Tarahumara, as are many of the crops unique to Hopi, Navajo, Zuni and many others throughout the southwestern desert. Mandan, Arikara, Iroquois and countless other nations have also produced food crops that are as individual to them as their clans and societies. As John's article makes clear, one exposure to Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) crops is all it takes to destroy these ancient, Sacred crops. Furthermore, as has been discovered in India and other World nations, the destruction of traditional foods by GMO gene infestation is exponential. Eighteen affected acres this year leads to over a hundred the following year. How deliberate is Monsanto (with US Government blessings) in their control of food crops? Iraqi farmers were forced to plant Monsanto seeds rather than traditional saved and traded seeds. This fact is documented by the International Relations and Security Network, Center for Security Studies, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. In the meantime Monsanto, through its subsidiary, American Seeds, Inc. is in the process of acquiring every major producer of crop seeds. In just the past three years ASI has acquired NC+ Hybrids, Fontanelle Hybrids, Stewart Seeds, Trelay Seeds, Stone Seeds and Seminis, who at one time controlled roughly 80% of the commercial open pollinated crop market. Seminis advertising still brags "If You've Eaten a Salad, You've Had a Seminis Product." Terminator seeds (seeds that grow a crop this year, but have only sterile seeds that cannot be replanted) tested in Thailand created what can only be termed a disaster. Elimination of our sacred plants and control of the vegetables at our tables is enough of a Native issue that I felt obligated to share. Dohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith (*,*) wotanging@bellsouth.net P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30007, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ----------- Editorial Section: - JODI RAVE: Questionable spending . GMOs threaten our Sacred Crops damages future - Rep. Jo Ann Davis - STOKES: introduces Apology Bill Time for new Eagle Feather Law - Navajos file petition - WAGAMESE: One Native life against Uranium Mining - JOHN ROSS: - Panel rejects liquor-free buffer Plot against Mexican Maiz at Bear Butte - Murder and other High Crimes - Wampanoag to get early ruling in Lacandon Jungle on Recognition Bid - Fontaine offers Natives Vision - U.S. recognises tribe of better Future that met British Settlers - Onkwehonwe Plan - - Little Shell Chippewa Tribe taking over Turtle Island may secure Land - Inuit accuse US - Yakamas want damage assessment of destroying their Way of Life from Hanford - 9 Judges set - Judge says Mattaponi to formally approve School Deal can claim water rights - It's time for Canada to pay up - Split-apart Nation comes together - First Nation was not consulted, - Karuk Tribal Health Clinic tells Shareholders - U. of I. - MLA demands answers ends Chief Illiniwek's run over Police drug experiments - Stop killing Wolves - A Legal gathering of Tribes - Choctaw owned - 'Lost Tribe' Pyke Mountain Holsters hoping to collect U.S. Payout - Court rules against bid - Meth use, Murder rates up to halt funding of OHA - Native Justice - Native American populations -- Indians sue Officials share Gene Signature at Maine Prison - GIAGO: Traditional Indians - Rustywire: Melting Snow and Ice buried by new Casino Indians - History: Carlisle Indian School - OPINION: Desperation in Pine Ridge - Lee Goins Poem: Ancestor Ceremony --------- "RE: Rep. Jo Ann Davis introduces Apology Bill" --------- Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2007 08:22:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="APOLOGY BILL INTRODUCED" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414482 Rep. Jo Ann Davis introduces apology bill by: Bobbie Whitehead / Indian Country Today February 12, 2007 WASHINGTON - A U.S. congressman has introduced a resolution that would offer an apology for and acknowledge abuses by the United States, and support better relations with American Indian nations. Rep. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia introduced again a joint resolution in the House of Representatives Jan. 4 that would grant an apology from Congress to American Indians for numerous abuses committed against them. "I believe that it is important for the United States to recognize the impact of the broken treaties and inhumane policies on the Native Americans," Davis said. "As representatives of the U.S. government, Congress has a responsibility to maintain good relations with other nations, yet we have not maintained good relations with the Native American nations." The resolution lists treaty violations, "extermination, termination, forced removal and relocation, the outlawing of traditional religions, and the destruction of sacred places" as some of the mistreatment and policies against American Indians. However, the resolution does not authorize or serve as a settlement for any claim against the United States. Davis introduced a similar resolution during the last congressional session, but it received little action. However, the newly introduced resolution has six co-sponsors and was sent to the House Committee on Natural Resources. "I will continue to push this bill, and I am hopeful it will be passed and signed into law by the President," Davis said. "It is my understanding that Chair [Nick] Rahall of the Resources Committee has a longstanding relationship with the Native Americans, and I intend to ask him for his support." The co-sponsors for the bill are Reps. Dan Boren and Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Sue Wilkins Myrick of North Carolina, Dennis Cardoza of California, Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Zach Wamp of Tennessee. "It is important to recognize injustices where we have sinned against each other, so healing can take place and reconciliation can prevail," said Wamp, who authored the Trail of Tears Study Act that was passed in December 2006. "The Native Americans should be proud of their perseverance." The resolution acknowledges that American Indians were stewards of the land that is now called the United States for thousands of years before Europeans arrived, and Davis said that despite conflicts between the Europeans and Indian tribes, "peaceful and mutually beneficial interactions also took place." The Jamestown settlement, she said, survived because of the help American Indian nations provided to the colonists. Davis said the founders of the United States wanted to maintain a "just" relationship with American Indian nations. Their intent, she said, is "evidenced by the Northwest Ordinance enacted by Congress in 1787, which begins with the phrase, 'the utmost good faith shall always be observed toward the Indians."' Among the long list of oppressive actions, the resolution apologizes for suffering under the Indian Removal Act of 1830 in events such as the Trail of Tears, the Long Walk, the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, as well as suffering on various Indian reservations. The resolution also apologizes for the assimilation policies such as the General Allotment Act of 1887 and for the removal of Indian children to boarding schools where American Indian languages and practices were forbidden. The lengthy list also addresses the mismanagement of tribal funds and the taking of Indian territories and tribal lands, and notes that many of the social and economic problems affecting American Indian people today result from abuses by the U.S. government and its citizens. To improve relations and promote healing between the United States and American Indians, the resolution "urges" the president to acknowledge the country's history of abuse toward American Indian nations and people as well as to commend American Indians for their "stewardship" of the land. The resolution also recognizes American Indians for their service in the U.S. military, noting that "the Native Peoples have remained committed to the protection of this great land, as evidenced by the fact that, on a per capita basis, more Native people have served in the United States Armed Forces and placed themselves in harm's way in defense of the United States in every major military conflict than any other ethnic group." In addition, the resolutions commend states for their reconciliation with tribes and encourage all states to continue to do so. Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Navajos file petition against Uranium Mining" --------- Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:54:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO MOVE TO STOP URANIUM MINING" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56884.html Navajos file petition against uranium mining in northwest New Mexico By The Associated Press February 12, 2007 A petition filed in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court in Denver asks the court to reverse Nuclear Regulatory Commission orders in the past several years over proposals by Hydro Resources Inc. to mine uranium near the two communities. The petitioners also want the court to revoke the NRC's license to Hydro Resources. The petition, which lists NRC rulings dating back to 1999, argues that the NRC violated the Atomic Energy Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and its own regulations. Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining, the Albuquerque-based Southwest Research and Information Center and Grace Sam and Marilyn Morris of Pinedale, near the proposed Church Rock mine, filed the petition after losing their fight to overturn the NRC's uranium mining license to Hydro Resources. The Navajo Nation banned uranium mining and processing on its land in 2005, but companies have been trying to revive it as uranium prices soar. Cibola and McKinley counties have passed resolutions supporting uranium mining, pointing to its potential to create jobs. New Mexico-based Hydro Resources wants to inject chemicals into the ground to release uranium and pump the solution to the surface in a process called in situ leaching. Hydro Resources did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment. The NRC issued the license despite Hydro Resources' failure to ensure it would protect the groundwater that is the sole drinking water source for 15,000 people, said the lead attorney for the case, Eric Jantz of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center in Santa Fe. The case also argued that Hydro Resources has not ensured that residents would be protected from radiological air emissions in an area that already exceeds federal radioactivity standards from past mining contamination. Jantz also contends the company has not posted an adequate bond to ensure cleanup if the company is unable to reclaim land or water impacted by mining. "Our clients stand a much better chance of protecting Navajo communities from unsafe uranium mining in federal court, which is unburdened by the pro-industry bias exhibited by the NRC," he said. Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled that a 160- acre parcel near Church Rock is "Indian Country" _ meaning Hydro Resources must apply for an underground injection control permit from the EPA, not the state of New Mexico as it previously had done. Tribal officials have said they want the EPA to make the determination, rather than the state, because the United States has a higher obligation to protect American Indian interests than states do. Copyright c. 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2007, Santa Fe New Mexican, all rights reserved. --------- "RE: Panel rejects liquor-free buffer at Bear Butte" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:24:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YES TO BIKERS AND BOOZE, NO TO SACRED PRAYERS" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20070214/NEWS02/702140311/1001/NEWS Panel rejects liquor-free buffer at Bear Butte By Terry Woster twoster@midco.net February 14, 2007 PIERRE - A bill to create a liquor-free buffer zone around Bear Butte died Tuesday in a South Dakota House committee. The House Local Government Committee voted 11-2 to kill a bill that would have prohibited the issuance, transfer or renewal of liquor licenses within four miles of Bear Butte, a mountain that includes a state park near Sturgis in western South Dakota. The mountain is considered sacred by Northern Plains Indian tribes. "To me, it seems like it's just an arbitrary line that was drawn around, " said Rep. Al Koistinen, R-Watertown. "I think it's a local issue and should be handled there." Some opponents said if a buffer zone were created, the state would have to pay owners of the property for loss of value. Supporters said liquor licenses are not a basic property right. "I think a lot of this has to do with respect," said Rep. David Sigdestad, D-Pierpont. "I think it is out of respect that we hold some of these grounds sacred. Maybe the parameters are too wide, but at least there should be some buffer zone." A controversy has simmered about the issue in the past two years because Meade County granted licenses in that area for new taverns and campground complexes that are aimed at attracting business from the annual motorcycle rally that centers around Sturgis each August. The rally draws 300,000 to 500,000 people to the area over a 10-day to two-week period. Reach Terry Woster at 605-224-2760. Copyright c. 2006 Argus Leader. --------- "RE: Wampanoag to get early ruling on Recognition Bid" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:24:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MASHPEE WAMPANOAG" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/APN/702140524 Cape Cod tribe to get early ruling on federal recognition The Associated Press February 14, 2007 MASHPEE, Mass. - A Cape Cod tribe whose ancestors greeted the Mayflower is expected to get a final ruling Thursday on its bid for federal recognition. The Mashpee Wampanoag received preliminary approval last year, and final approval is anticipated from Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, whose office oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The announcement comes more than a month earlier than it had been expected on March 31. BIA spokeswoman Nedra Darling told the Cape Cod Times the tribe will receive a call about the finding Thursday at about 5 p.m. No official challenges have been presented since the BIA ruled last March that the 1,461-member tribe had met all seven of criteria for federal recognition, and said its application was one of the strongest it had seen. Darling said a positive finding on the Mashpee petition would not take effect for another 90 days, during which last-minute challenges could be put forward. "I can safely say that everybody would be shocked if it wasn't an affirmation of the preliminary ruling," Tribal Council Spokesman Scott Ferson told the Times. "It took us completely by surprise," he said of the phone call Tribal Council Chairman Glenn Marshall received Tuesday telling him of the pending announcement. Mashpee town officials said they also were told to be ready for a 5 p.m. phone call. "I'm sure it wouldn't have come early if it was a negative finding. Usually they wait to give bad news until the last possible moment," Mashpee Town Manager Joyce Mason said. Federal recognition would allow the tribe to apply to place land in federal trust for its members, and to negotiate with the state for a possible resort casino. It also gives tribes access to federal funds for social service programs such as housing, health care and education. The tribe's priority would be buying and/or identifying parcels of land for potential federal trust, Ferson said. The tribe owns about 160 acres of land in Mashpee. It has been looking for more land off Cape Cod. Tribal leaders have said their priority is housing for members who have not been able to afford their ancestral homeland. Before the tribe could open a casino, the state would have to legalize high-stakes gaming and then negotiate a gaming compact with the Mashpee tribe and/or the Gay Head (Aquinnah) Wampanoag Tribe on Martha's Vineyard, which has sought unsuccessfully to open a casino. Mashpee Wampanoag elder Norman Dias, 69, of Mashpee, said he feels confident the BIA will grant the tribe recognition. "We are going into a new era," he said. "There will be things we'll have to learn." Information from: Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com">http://www.capecodonline.com Copyright c. 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2007 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp. --------- "RE: U.S. recognises tribe that met British Settlers" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MASHPEE WAMPANOAG WIN RECOGNITION" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=253352007 U.S. recognises tribe that met early British settlers By Julie Masis February 16, 2007 BOSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday officially recognised the American Indians whose ancestors met the British Pilgrim settlers at Plymouth Rock in 1620 and fought in a bloody conflict over the first U.S. colonies. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, whose ancestors held the first Thanksgiving meal with the European settlers, are now eligible for federal assistance in housing and healthcare, the U.S. Interior Department said. Under their new status, the Cape Cod tribe can also hunt and fish without a state licence and apply to build a casino, potentially fuelling efforts to lift a state ban on casinos. The tribe's ancestors fought in the bloodiest conflict of 17th century New England, a one-year battle between Indians and English settlers that killed an estimated 600 settlers and 3,000 Indians. The King Philip's War broke down Indian resistance and led to the eventual westward push by Europeans. Asked why it took so long for recognition, tribe spokesman Scott Ferson said the process is a bureaucratic procedure that "does not necessarily favour the Eastern tribes," which are smaller than the Western tribes. About 65 miles (104 km) southeast of Boston in Mashpee, a town where most of the tribe lives, tribal elders tended to "spirit fires" to honour tribe members who have died since the push for recognition began 32 years ago, as others celebrated. Ferson said the tribe submitted 64 boxes of documentation to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, including detailed genealogies on each of the tribe's 1,461 living members dating to the first encounter with the Europeans. The tribe's chairman, Glenn Marshall, can trace his heritage back to Massasoit, the Wampanoag chief who shared the first Thanksgiving meal with European settlers in 1621. There are currently 561 recognised Native American tribes in the United States and nearly 200 petitions for recognition, said Nedra Darling, a Bureau of Indian Affairs spokeswoman. Copyright c. Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Copyright c. 2007 The Scotsman, Edinburgh Scotland. --------- "RE: Little Shell Chippewa Tribe may secure Land" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:24:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="A HOMELAND FOR LITTLE SHELL" http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/ NEWS01/702140304&GID=7r3Jkirz8KQl9+3eYccuWYgn4JuU0XQwCvNEBJyuM3M%3D Little Shell Chippewa Tribe may secure land for the first time in 100 years By CHELSI MOY Tribune Capitol Bureau February 14, 2007 HELENA - Plans are under way to give the landless, federally-unrecognized Little Shell Chippewa Tribe something it hasn't had in more than a century - a home. Negotiations are under way between state and tribal leaders to have the Little Shell take responsibility for renovations of the Morony Dam townsite northeast of Great Falls and perform routine maintenance to the nearby walking trail for the next decade. In return, the state promises to consider donating the land to the tribe at the end of the contract. "It's something we've not had since 1892: a homeland, a place to conduct our tribal affairs," said Little Shell Vice Chairman James Parker Shield. Although the availability of land is good news to some, it doesn't resonate well with all tribal members. Future negotiations will move forward without Shield's participation. Shield, the tribe's primary spokesman, submitted his letter of resignation Monday following a disagreement with the tribal chairman over whether the tribe could financially commit to long-term maintenance of the state park. "We've had a falling out over a difference of opinions," said Tribal President John Sinclair, who indicated that it wasn't until "way late in the game" that he learned of Shield's negotiations with the state. Shield, whose resignation is effective as of Saturday, disagrees. "I thought this was discussed and decided that we would go for it," he said. Regardless, Gov. Brian Schweitzer's Chief Policy Advisor, Hal Harper, is excited to move forward and calls the proposed land exchange a win-win situation. Not only would the tribe acquire land, but the state wouldn't have to continue to pay for maintenance of the building in the townsite in the face of increased vandalism, FWP Director Jeff Hagener said. Estimates to repair the damages to the rickety brick building range anywhere from a $500,000 to $1 million, Hagener said. "It's hard to be out there all the time," Hagener said. "We don't have the money to put into it. (Morony) is not a high priority for us." The Little Shell tribe is headquartered out of a shopping mall in Great Falls. Negotiating a land deal at Morony Dam was "one of my pet projects," said Shield, who envisioned moving the tribe's headquarters there. "It needs water and septic improvements," he said. "The front porch is collapsing on one corner. Other than that, it's a good building." The tribe would also be responsible for about 30 acres of land, which includes the historical Sacagawea Springs. The Legislature tabled a bill that would hand the Little Shell $500,000 and the rights to use and maintain the Morony townsite. Hagener put the brakes on the bill, saying FWP doesn't have that kind of money. He instead offered $10,000 to the tribe to use to pay a grant writer to find financing for the project through grants, foundations, corporations or donations. Sinclair said he needs to weigh the cost-benefit of maintaining the land before he can determine whether to move forward. "We are not desperate to have the site," Sinclair said. "Our financial situation is not good. If it became a huge financial burden to us, the value would disappear." Shield said he would be disappointed if the land agreement fails. He would hate to see a good opportunity fall to the wayside because of friction among tribal leaders, he added. "You can only have one leader," Shield said. "It was becoming awkward for him (Sinclair) that I was getting a lot of public notice. Sometimes that can turn into friction." Sinclair said he intends to appoint Ronald Doney as a temporary replacement for Shield. Rep. Shannon Augare, D-Browning, is sponsoring the bill that would allow the land lease agreement to take place. Although the bill is tabled in the House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee, Augare plans to insert new language into the bill in the next week that reflects the negotiations of the contract reached between tribal leaders and the governor's office. The committee, chaired by Rep. Mike Milburn, R-Cascade, will then likely vote on the bill again. Copyright c. 2007 The Great Falls Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Yakamas want damage assessment from Hanford" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:24:45 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TAKAMA WANT REAL INSPECTION/DAMAGE ASSESSMENT" http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/288231302512307 Yakamas want damage assessment from Hanford operations By PHIL FEROLITO YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC February 18, 2007 HORN RAPIDS, Wash. - An icy wind cuts across Rattlesnake Mountain as Dana Miller combs its snow-covered ridge for recent disturbances or unnatural activity. Miller and a few other workers with the Yakama Nation frequently visit the area to see if there have been any trespassers on the peak, which rises more than 3,000 feet just west of the Hanford nuclear reservation about eight miles north of Benton City. The mountain once served as a place to pray, hunt and gather food, and is regarded as sacred by Northwestern Indians. Smoholla, a Wanapum spiritual leader considered a prophet by many, often journeyed up the steep grade to communicate with the Creator and receive direction in life, says Russell Jim, with the Yakama Nation Environmental Restoration/Waste Management Program. But in the mid-1950s, an anti-aircraft missile-defense system was erected on the mountain to protect the Hanford site. Remnants of a radio tower still stand on the ridge near a few other buildings, including a battery-control area. Although the mountain has been marred by the equipment, its cultural significance is still recognized by the Yakama Nation, says Jim, who for years has been working with the federal Department of Energy to address the tribe's cultural concerns in the area. That's just one site that's important, and there are many, many things that need to be tied together," he says. Like the mountain, all of the 560-square-mile Hanford nuclear reservation lies within the tribe's ceded area, where tribal members retain their traditional rights to hunt, fish, gather food and perform sacred ceremonies. Since Hanford transformed operations in 1989 to full-scale cleanup, the Yakamas have taken an active role in monitoring and identifying sacred sites throughout the area on the nuclear reservation. Concerned about possible harm that plutonium production may have had on the area, the tribe has been involved during the past five years in a lawsuit against the federal government seeking an assessment of natural resources and unspecified damage that Hanford operations may have had on the area. Last year, the states of Washington and Oregon and three other Columbia River tribes - Umatilla, Nez Perce and Warm Springs - joined the lawsuit. The states merely want the federal government to cover the cost of assessing any damage. A U.S. District judge in Yakima on April 26 will hear oral arguments on a motion by the federal government to dismiss the case. Department of Energy officials say cleanup must be completed before damages to natural resources can be assessed. "We are currently conducting extensive sampling for contaminants in water, sediment, soil, and (the region's plant and animal life) so that cleanup decisions continue to have a solid scientific basis for the protection of human health and the environment," says Department of Energy spokeswoman Megan Bernett in Washington, D.C. "As we complete risk assessment activities, the department is committed to implementing cleanup remedies in accordance with state and federal laws." An October report from RIDOLFI, an environmental restoration group in Seattle, detailed these findings: * Water was diverted from the nearby Columbia River to cool nuclear reactors and then dumped back into the river despite being treated with chemicals to prevent corrosion of reactor components. * Hazardous chemicals from the site continue to make their way into the environment, and there are billions of cubic yards of solid and diluted liquid waste containing radioactive and other toxic materials. * In an area about 35 miles north of Richland adjacent to the Columbia River, roughly 11 square miles of groundwater is contaminated with chromium and radioactive elements. The groundwater pours into the Columbia River, which supplies communities downstream with drinking water. * In another area, significant concentrations of hazardous chemicals such as uranium and cyanide have been found in groundwater. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy has been working to clean up the area, and has committed to removing roughly 99 percent of the waste being stored in underground tanks. "They want to take 99 percent of the waste out of those tanks and call it good," says Phil Rigdon, deputy director of the tribe's department of natural resources. "I think it's those kinds of decisions that we need to have some involvement with." Tribal officials say a damage assessment needs to be conducted before any thorough cleanup can be done, and the tribe's cultural dependency on the area for hunting, fishing and food gathering - all inseparable links to their beliefs - must be considered. "One of our greatest concerns is that everything is done on such a fast track, that sometimes they forget about the natural resources and don't do a good job of assessment," Rigdon says. "Everything that we do is to try to protect the resources important to the Yakama Nation." But it's not just tribal members who would benefit from such an assessment, Rigdon says. Sportsmen and residents also rely on the area's resources. Jim, who isn't a party in the lawsuit, says a damage assessment would not only help with cleanup, but also would better protect workers by identifying what exactly is in the ground. When a cleanup crew runs into any remains or artifacts while digging, the tribe is called to survey, document and inventory the site, he says. There are numerous burial sites and remnants of ancient villages throughout the area. "We're very concerned about what is there," he adds. "Are these people jumping down into something that they can't smell, see, that may be very dangerous? Our people can't be running down there without knowing what they're jumping into." Jim has been working to put together guidelines outlining the tribe's physical and spiritual ties to the area's natural resources in hopes of launching a thorough cleanup. "We are tied to everything," he says. "We're trying to cover everything, foods, medicines, fish, animals ... right down to the smallest microbe." Turning his thoughts to the mountain again, Jim tells how its surrounding lower-than-normal elevation provides for moderate winters while its relatively tall peak allows foods to grow late into the summer. Many elders whose ailing bodies limited their ability to travel often stayed there year-round, he says. "It was also a place that served as the next step when you left this land to go to the next world," he says. "That was the belief of some, and it's very easy to understand when they speak of that in our (traditional) language. Very significant." --- Phil Ferolito can be reached at 837-6111 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com. Copyright c. 2007 - Yakima Herald-Republic - www.yakimaherald.com --------- "RE: Judge says Mattaponi can claim water rights" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:24:45 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MATTAPONI WATER RIGHTS BATTLE" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414532 Judge says state-recognized tribe can claim water rights by: Bobbie Whitehead / Indian Country Today February 19, 2007 WASHINGTON - A Virginia Circuit Court judge has said an Indian tribe's reserved water rights claim cannot be dependant upon a tribe's federal recognition status alone. In a lengthy opinion, Judge Charles Poston, presiding over a case in the Newport News, Va., Circuit Court, also wrote that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, referred to as the "Winter's Doctrine," gives American Indian reservations first water rights and could be applicable to tribes in the Eastern United States. The judge dismissed the city of Newport News' motion for summary judgment of the Mattaponi Indian Tribe's claim to water rights under the doctrine, but Poston wrote that a tribe must show a necessity for water before making such a claim. Because the Mattaponi didn't explicitly assert necessity in the complaint, Poston asked the tribe to specify how the state's riparian water laws wouldn't protect its water rights as well as protect its cultural practices. "We will amend the tribe's complaint, specifying the necessity for the tribe having reserved water rights, said Emma Garrison, Mattaponi attorney with the Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Public Representation. "We were definitely pleased with the judge's decision." The Mattaponi have fought for nearly two decades against Newport News and several other Virginia municipalities that would benefit from the construction of a reservoir to be supplied by water from the Mattaponi River. The river serves as a primary source of income for the Mattaponi Indians, since members operate a shad hatchery on their reservation adjacent to the river. Opponents to the reservoir construction argue that the withdrawal of water from the river for the reservoir would adversely affect the shad spawning, harming the Mattaponi's economic, cultural and religious practices. At issue in the case are water rights. Eastern states follow "riparian" water rights, or basic rights for usage of water by those residing along bodies of water. In his opinion, Poston wrote that the courts couldn't ignore the fact that riparian laws may offer inadequate protection to owners. For this reason, the Mattaponi sought protection under the Winter's Doctrine. To date, only federally recognized tribes in Western states have had water rights granted under the doctrine. Newport News, which sought approval of the reservoir, argued against the Mattaponi's claim because the tribe is located in the East and is only state-recognized. But Poston explained in his opinion that in the 1908 case that ultimately yielded the Winter's Doctrine, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that treaties with American Indians to create reservations included "implied" reserved water rights, since none of the Indians would have agreed to the reservations' creation without enough water to sustain them. "Therefore, the reasoning behind the Winter's Doctrine is as equally applicable to state Indian tribes as it is to federally recognized tribes, " Poston wrote. "[...] Yet the fact that the Winter's Doctrine has not yet been applied to state Indian tribes does not preclude it from being appropriate in the state context." Poston wrote that Western states have a different climate - more arid - than Eastern states, which have more available water. Also, he noted that Eastern states have used the riparian rights, which give all land owners near water the right to share the water and use it responsibly. However, Poston wrote that while Eastern states may have an abundance of water, an argument Newport News made, the claim of available water to riparian owners in the East "illustrates why the Winters doctrine may have little applicability in riparian states." He also explained riparian laws would most likely protect the tribe's share of water needed, ensuring enough for sustenance and the tribe's cultural uses of water. Because of these factors, Poston wrote that the court, too, has doubts about the usage of the Winter's Doctrine, particularly in Virginia with its riparian laws. Despite these factors, Poston wrote that it didn't mean the Winter's Doctrine wouldn't be applicable in a "riparian jurisdiction" to "imply" reserved water rights "pursuant to an Indian reservation or treaty-granted right." Riparian laws don't offer guarantees of sufficient water to riparian owners, Poston wrote, noting such laws only guarantee "reasonable use" of water. "Riparian law, however, does not guarantee the Tribe the required quantity or quality of water needed to satisfy the purposes for which the Reservation was created," Poston wrote. Because of this, the Winter's Doctrine allows an Indian tribe and a government to override a state's riparian laws to provide enough water for a tribe's sustenance, he wrote. "The inadequacy of riparian law could necessitate an implication that both a quantity and quality of water needed to achieve the purposes underlying an Indian reservation were reserved at the time of the Indian reservation's creation," Poston wrote. "The same would hold true for ensuring that sufficient water is available to protect any other treaty- granted rights enjoyed by an Indian tribe." But Poston added that "only through this showing of necessity could a tribe, or a government as the tribe's guardian, preempt a state's riparian law in favor of reserved water rights." The United States brought the Winter's suit because the country served as the guardian of the American Indians with whom it had treaties and needed to protect the Indians' water rights, he wrote. Likewise, Poston noted the state of Virginia is the guardian of the Mattaponi. Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Split-apart Nation comes together" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PONCA TRIBES UNITE" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/feb/15/ splitapart_nation_comes_together/?haskell_news Split-apart nation comes together By George Diepenbrock February 15, 2007 Dan C. Jones, chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, gets passionate when telling the story of how his nation has been effectively split into two tribes: one in Oklahoma and one in Nebraska. "We are not one, but we are the same," he said. About 125 years after the division, council members from Oklahoma and Nebraska met together for the first time Wednesday at Haskell Indian Nations University. Leaders are discussing how to help preserve the Ponca language for the 2,600 members in Nebraska and 3,300 in Oklahoma. Jones and Larry Wright Jr., chairman for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, exchanged gifts in front of Haskell students during a ceremony at Curtis Hall. "I think there's a lot of significance here, too, because not only does Haskell represent a place of higher learning for both people but both tribes had students attend this facility," said Kinsel Lieb, administrator for the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. According to historical records, in 1877 the Poncas were forced to leave Nebraska for Oklahoma after the government had mistakenly given away their land to the Sioux. A few years later, Chief Standing Bear started and won a legal challenge to regain land in Nebraska. His success ultimately led to two separate tribes in the different states. "I would like to advise and counsel future politicians and statesmen of the U.S. government that the credibility of a government is its lifeline. It will mark how great that nation will be in history," Jones said. Haskell provides meeting spot for tribal councils After 125 years of separation, members of two Ponca tribal councils meet today in Lawrence. Congress terminated the tribe in Nebraska in the 1960s, and it was reinstated in 1990. The northern tribe is still feeling the effects of that period, as the Nebraska members have no fluent speakers of the Ponca language. "In order for us to continue to be a strong nation, Poncas, we need to have that language. We need to have that culture," Wright said. With the cultural resources the southern Poncas of Oklahoma have, tribal leaders are using the meetings this week to talk about how to bridge the gap and use technology and education to give Nebraska tribe members more access to the language. Wright said the tribes may want to pool their resources together to take advantage of federal government preservation programs. "We have this common tradition and common language. So if we can get together to do that, we can get together to do a lot of other things," Wright said. Leaders hope the partnership can lead to other opportunities, such as economic development. "This is a big step toward bringing both of our tribes back together," Wright said in a speech to students. The meeting will continue today at Haskell's Stidham Union. Copyright c. 2007 The Lawrence Journal-World. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Karuk Tribal Health Clinic" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CLINIC OPEN TO SERVE ALL" http://www.rlnn.com/ArtFeb07/KarukTribalHealthClinic.html Karuk Tribal Health Clinic: "We're here for everyone" By Brad Smith Daily News Staff Writer February 16, 2007 This week I plan to sort out a puzzle that I have wondered about. Why didn't all of the Indians join the fight in the Indian Wars of the 1850s? SISKIYOU COUNTY - The Karuk Tribal Health Clinic wants all of Siskiyou County to know that they want to help everyone - Native Americans and non- natives alike. "Medical and social services, with the exception of dental, are open to the public," Dr. Jesse Drake said. Drake is a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker at the KTHC. "Just because the KTHC is owned by the tribe doesn't mean that we deal only with Native Americans," Drake said. The client breakdown, he said, shows that 60 to 70 percent are Native American clients, while the rest are non-natives. "The latter is entirely Caucasian. We currently don't have any Hispanic clients - but we're open to them," Drake said. Drake said that the KTHC accepts Medi-Cal, Medi-Care and insurance. "We'll work with those who don't have Medi-Cal, Medi-Care or insurance, too." The clinic is making an effort to let the public know about the availability of the KTHC's services, Drake said, because he feels that there is a serious need for it. "We have some serious problems in this county. This is an economically depressed area. Tie that in with substance abuse and an inability to properly interact with family, friends and society in general - you have dire problems," Drake said. He said that substance abuse is very damaging since it affects not only the abuser but the abuser's family and friends as well. "It's just not the abuse of substances - it's how one interacts with family and friends. Society, too, is affected. Some abusers commit crimes, " Drake said. "Other people are some times hurt by those actions. And then the abuser's family and friends, of course, are hurt again." Drake said it is a vicious cycle. However, he added, cycles can be broken. "That's what we work on here, breaking that cycle," Drake explained. "Joseph Snapp is our substance abuse program's director. He's done some great work." Drake said that Snapp works with more than 40 cases. Six of those individuals are non-native. "The ages ran from 18 to 83," Drake added. He said that Snapp has some counselors working with young people in Orleans' schools. "Think of it as a means of prevention," Drake said. "Children today receive a lot negative messages and stereotypes via the media. We're trying to counteract that." The KTHC, according to Drake, has an array of programs ranging from domestic abuse to relapse prevention. Programs are outpatient oriented. The clinic works with a number of agencies, including Child Protective Services, Probation and Department of Social Services. Drake and Snapp both hope that people, Native American or otherwise, will take advantage of the KTHC programs. "We're here to help people, regardless of ethnicity or class. We don't care about that - we care about helping people," Drake said. "We have a lot to offer, with our medical and social services. All people have to do is walk in and ask." The KTHC is located on 1509 S. Oregon Street. For more information call 842-9200. Copyright c. 2003-2007 Red Lake Net News. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: U. of I. ends Chief Illiniwek's run" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 13:09:24 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NO MORE ILLINIWEK" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ chi-070216illiniwek%2C0%2C4986469.story U. of I. ends Chief Illiniwek's run By Jodi S. Cohen Tribune higher education reporter February 16, 2007, 12:25 PM CST The University of Illinois' American Indian mascot, Chief Illiniwek, no longer will perform at athletic events on the school's main campus after Wednesday - the last men's home basketball game of the season. School officials today issued a news release on the retirement of the 81-year-old mascot, who is portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at football and basketball games and other athletic events. University officials had made extensive preparations for today's announcement. But according to a source familiar with the university's plan, the process took a turn Thursday when the two students who portray the chief filed a lawsuit against the university and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The students were seeking a restraining order that would prevent the university from dumping the chief and would lift the NCAA's sanctions against the university's sports teams. But a Champaign County judge today denied their motion, saying he would not stand in the way of the U. of I.'s decision. Judge Michael Jones said during a 90-minute hearing, "Whether we like it or not... I don't believe, at least today, it is my business imposing my idea which course of action the U. of I. should have chosen." The judge said he was "not persuaded the two plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm if the chief does not perform after the conclusion of the men's basketball season." Jones is a graduate of the university's law school, and his wife is a U. of I. employee. The chief made his first appearance on Oct. 30, 1926, during halftime of the Illinois-Pennsylvania football game. Retiring the chief is a victory for those who have pressured the university for years to dump the mascot, which they say is humiliating and creates a hostile environment on campus. It also opens the way for the university to host postseason games, currently prohibited by the NCAA because Chief Illiniwek violates the organization's rules, including next month's National Invitation Tournament in basketball. But the university's decision is a bitter defeat for those who have lobbied hard to keep Chief Illiniwek, saying it is a revered tradition that honors Native American culture. It also could mean a hit in alumni donations as the university embarks on a multibillion-dollar fundraising campaign. Steven Raquel of Naperville, who portrayed the chief in 1992 and '93, said Thursday he would be disappointed if the tradition ended with only a few days' notice. "It is a dishonorable ending to 80 years of an honorable tradition," Raquel said. "The tradition and the origins and the efforts that we have made over the years have only been done in respect of the history of Illinois and the history of the Illinois tribe. To see that linkage and that appreciation go by the wayside ... without an opportunity to find common ground is disappointing." Raquel said university officials did not tell the Council of Chiefs, the group of 27 living alumni who portrayed Illiniwek, about their decision. Others, however, applauded the plan. Charlotte Wilkenson, 32, a Native American graduate student, said: "This will be a time when we finally honor the people who have been fighting the issue, who have been saying all along to retire the chief in name, in symbol, in performance." In 2005 the NCAA ruled that Chief Illiniwek and some mascots at other universities were "hostile and abusive." The resulting sanctions have prevented the university from hosting men's tennis and women's soccer championship games. Last month, university board of trustees Chairman Lawrence Eppley said a decision about the chief's future would be made this year in response to the NCAA ruling. The students' lawsuit against the university and the NCAA alleged that being forced to abandon their positions as chief would violate, among other things, their freedom of speech, academic freedom and future economic earnings. The students are Dan Maloney of Galesburg, who performs at men's football and basketball games, and assistant chief Logan Ponce of St. Charles, who performs at women's basketball and volleyball games. According to their complaint, retiring the chief would damage their reputations and jeopardize their ability to receive academic credit. The students receive credit from the School of Music for portraying Chief Illiniwek, according to the complaint. "As has been the case for many former students who have portrayed Chief Illiniwek, many valuable employment and career opportunities and professional associations have been opened to those who have had the privilege and honor of portraying Chief Illiniwek," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also argues that the NCAA failed to provide due process to the students and the university when it issued the sanctions, citing a 1991 state law that requires certain procedures, such as hearings, before penalties can be imposed. In a similar lawsuit in North Dakota, a state district judge granted a preliminary injunction in November that allowed the University of North Dakota to keep its "Fighting Sioux" name and use of Native American imagery without NCAA penalties pending a trial. The U. of I. students' attorney, Brent Holmes, did not return calls for comment. Maloney said he couldn't comment until after today's hearing. NCAA spokesman Bob Williams said Thursday that the NCAA believes its sanctions are legal. "We intend to aggressively defend our position if it comes to a court hearing," Williams said. "We not only have the right but also the obligation to ensure our NCAA championships are conducted in an atmosphere free of racial stereotyping and one in which all of our student athletes, athletic staff and fans feel comfortable." Maneuvering over the chief has accelerated in recent weeks. Last month the Oglala Sioux tribe that sold the university some of the chief's regalia, including moccasins, peace pipe pouch, breastplate and war bonnet with eagle feathers, demanded them back. The university later found documentation that it already had returned the eagle-feathered headdress to the tribe at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. On Feb. 1 university officials held a campuswide forum to address racism on campus after a student who opposed the chief was threatened on an Internet site. Last week, the Council of Chiefs sent a letter to university President B. Joseph White asking for ownership of the chief trademark. Tribune staff reporter Neil Milbert and the Associated Press contributed to this report. jscohen@tribune.com Copyright c. 2007, Chicago Tribune. --------- "RE: Stop killing Wolves" --------- Date: Sunday, February 18, 2007 01:33 am From: Glenn Welker Subj: Stop Killing Wolves !! Mailing List: IndigenousPeoplesLiterature@yahoogroups.com https://secure2.convio.net/dow/site/Donation? ACTION=SHOW_DONATION_OPTIONS&CAMPAIGN_ID=4421&autologin= true&s_einterest=C3C4&s_src=WHY07WDWF&s_subsrc=WHY07WDWF_EHB07D1a& JServSessionIdr001=3952l5gqf1.app20a Stop Killing Wolves !! Dear Friends: Just days ago, Idaho state officials proposed to slash the price tag for killing a wolf in Idaho to only $9.75. This comes on the heels of a formally released federal proposal to lift wolf protections in Idaho and Wyoming - two states that plan to exterminate as many wolves as possible within their borders. But we have a plan to stop them. It's up to us to stop the wholesale slaughter of wolves in Idaho. Please support Defenders' work to save our Northern Rockies wolves. To jumpstart its wolf massacre, Idaho officials are proposing to offer a small price to entice the state's hunters to participate in their plan to slaughter wolves. If gray wolves lose federal protection in Idaho, the price for a wolf's life could be just $9.75. And Idaho's wolves will find no friend in Governor "Butch" Otter. In fact, Governor Otter is eager to kill these magnificent creatures himself. He recently addressed an anti-wolf rally, saying: "I'm prepared to bid for that first ticket to shoot a wolf myself." Listen to the governor's chilling remarks In neighboring Wyoming, things are just as bad. As many as 2 out of every 3 wolves in the state could be killed, with unlimited killing in some wilderness areas. We're in for one of the toughest fights in years - and we need your help to save our wolves. Defenders is working hard to prevent the single biggest setback in wolf conservation in decades: * We're working with a broad coalition of nearly 30 conservation groups on the ground, speaking out for wolves and against Idaho and Wyoming's wolf eradication plans. * We're calling on federal officials to hold additional public hearings and to extend by 30 days the period for public comments on this important issue so your voice can be heard. * We're analyzing the federal wolf delisting plan and crafting a detailed response. * We're working with ranchers and landowners in wolf country to find common sense solutions for wolves and people. Already, over 50,000 people like you have written to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne to express outrage over the ill-conceived federal plan. And we're preparing a massive mobilization around the official comment period on the delisting of Northern Rockies gray wolves. To spread the word, we'll be launching a sophisticated public education campaign and ambitious efforts to activate conservationists in the Northern Rockies. We will also call on you to help generate 200,000 public comments against this irresponsible proposal - one of our most ambitious goals yet. But we can't do any of this important work without the help of people just like you who care about our wolves. Please support our work with your tax-deductible online gift. Defenders was a leader in the successful effort to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone and central Idaho. But even these iconic animals are now threatened by Idaho and Wyoming's reckless plans. Under the states' proposals, these wolves could be shot on sight if they wander outside protected havens like Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It will take a monumental effort to protect our Northern Rockies wolves. But with your help, we can save these animals for future generations. Thank you for all you do to protect our wildlife and wild places. Sincerely, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife --------- "RE: Choctaw owned Pyke Mountain Holsters" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:48:45 -0800 (PST) From: Ed Welch Subj: Choctaw owned Pyke Mountain Holsters http://www.holsterss.com/2007/02/pyle-mountain-holsters-surging-in.html Pyle Mountain Holsters - Surging in Search Engine Rankings February 15, 2007 Two months ago Pyle Mountain Holsters wasn't in the top 100 results of major search engines for it's most important keywords - today the company has multiple keywords on the first page. Pyle Mountain Holsters - a Welch, Inc. and Native American owned and operated business is the creation of Ed Welch, a member of the Choctaw Nation Indian Tribe. It's primary business is online retail of handgun holsters - ranging from shoulder holsters to belly holsters - while targeting a market segment of law enforcement, concealed handgun license holders, hunters, fisherman, and general shooting enthusiasts. According to Welch, sales have tripled during the two month time period. Although his formal education is grounded in the area of finance, Welch is quite an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategist. When asked if he would ever consider SEO consulting - he simply smiled and offered the following - "the net is full of SEO guru's - I've got to be really excited about a project before I'll take it on" - which reflects in his enthusiasm of Pyle Mountain Holsters. When asked if he had any advice for other entrepreneurs striving to get ahead in the world of online retail - "You've got to be hungry - when you're hungry you persevere. You've got to want it. Use the net - every business resource you need is on the net. Learn as you go - if you need to accomplish something - learn about it - then overcome your challenge. But the most important thing I've learned - enjoy the process - if you don't learn to enjoy the process - it will be difficult to maintain the positive attitude needed to overcome those adversities standing between you and success. --------- "RE: Court rules against bid to halt funding of OHA" --------- Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:54:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS FUNDING UPHELD" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/20070210/NEWS20/702100352/1170/NEWS Court rules against bid to halt funding of OHA By Ken Kobayashi Advertiser Courts Writer February 10, 2007 A federal appeals court yesterday ruled against a group of Hawai'i taxpayers challenging the use of state general funds for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The move is in line with a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that indicated payment of taxes alone isn't enough to establish the taxpayers have the necessary legal standing to challenge the state funding. Yesterday's decision by a three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also found that the taxpayers did not have standing to challenge the state funding. But instead of dismissing the taxpayer lawsuit, the appeals court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway. H. William Burgess, lawyer for Earl Arakaki and about a dozen other Hawai'i taxpayers, said he wasn't happy with the ruling. He said the appeals court could have found that last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling, in an Ohio case, did not apply and ruled that his clients could pursue their lawsuit. He said he will argue that point when the case is sent back to Mollway. State Attorney General Mark Bennett said he was pleased that the appeals court ruled in favor of the state on all "substantive issues." But he said the appeals court could have ordered that the case be dismissed instead of sending it back to the trial court. Bennett said he didn't know what was left for Mollway to decide. Bennett said he anticipates that Mollway soon will hold a conference with the lawyers on how to proceed with the case. The decision is the latest development in the taxpayer lawsuit alleging that the use of government money for OHA is unconstitutional because the organization benefits only those of Hawaiian ancestry. Mollway initially threw out the lawsuit, filed in 2002, challenging government money to OHA and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. But in 2005, the appeals court reinstated the portion of the suit dealing with OHA, which gets about 10 percent of its operating budget from state general fund money. In June last year, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected that part of the suit and indicated that the payment of taxes alone isn't enough to give the residents legal standing. The high court cited a previous ruling that threw out an Ohio taxpayer lawsuit challenging $300 million in tax breaks for a DaimlerChrysler Jeep assembly plant. The high court sent the Hawai'i case back to the appeals court to issue a ruling based on the Ohio case, which led to yesterday's decision. "In light of the Supreme Court's decision in DaimlerChrysler, we now hold that plaintiffs, as state taxpayers, lack standing to bring a suit claiming that the OHA programs that are funded by state tax revenues violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment," the panel's unanimous opinion said. "Although it is not clear that any plaintiffs have standing in any other capacity to challenge the OHA programs, we remand to the district court for further proceedings." The 36-page opinion was written by appeals Judge Jay Bybee, who wrote the decision for a three-member panel that Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy of giving preference to Hawaiians violated federal law. A larger panel of the 9th Circuit later reversed that ruling. OHA Chairwoman Haunani Apoliona yesterday said she was pleased with the decision, but warned that Hawaiians must gain political status to ward off future legal challenges. "Although we have prevailed in the legal battle, we must continue our efforts to recognize Native Hawaiians as an indigenous people with a sovereign identity," she said. Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com. Copyright c. 2007 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. --------- "RE: Native American populations share Gene Signature" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:24:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="LAND BRIDGE CLAIM IS BACK" http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn11178& feedId=online-news_rss20 Native American populations share gene signature NewScientist.com news service Roxanne Khamsi 14 February 2007 A distinctive, repeating sequence of DNA found in people living at the eastern edge of Russia is also widespread among Native Americans, according to a new study. The finding lends support to the idea that Native Americans descended from a common founding population that lived near the Bering land bridge for some time. Kari Schroeder at the University of California in Davis, US, and colleagues sampled the genes from various populations around the globe, including two at the eastern edge of Siberia, 53 elsewhere in Asia and 18 Native American populations. The study examined samples from roughly 1500 people in total, including 445 Native Americans. The team looked for a series of nine repeating chunks of DNA, known as 9RA, which fall in a non-coding region of chromosome 9. They found the 9RA sequence in at least one member of all the Native American populations tested, such as the Cherokee and Apache people. The two populations in eastern Siberia, where the Bering land bridge once connected Asia to North America, also tested positive for the 9RA sequence. The 9RA sequence did not appear in any of the other Asian populations examined in the study, including those from other parts of Siberia, from Mongolia or Japan. Multiple migrations? According to Schroeder, the high prevalence of this gene marker among native populations of North and South America - and its absence in most of Asia - lends strong support to the idea that Native Americans can trace their ancestry to a common founding population. The 9RA mutation probably occurred in an ancestral population located at the eastern edge of Siberia, which subsequently migrated over the Bering land bridge, Schroeder says. There may have been multiple migrations from this founding population, occurring thousands of years apart, she adds. "How many times did people cross the Bering land bridge? That would be a very difficult question to answer," says Jeffrey Long at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, who contributed to the new study. Other experts have previously suggested that Native Americans do not share a common ancestry because of the linguistic and dental differences among populations. Journal reference: Biology Letters (DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0609) Copyright c. 2007 New Scientist, Reed Business Information Ltd. --------- "RE: Traditional Indians buried by new Casino Indians" --------- Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:54:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GIAGO: GREED" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=8599 Traditional Indians buried by new casino Indians By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) February 12, 2007 A ruling last Friday by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected arguments by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians that they should not be subject to federal labor laws. Judge Janice Rogers Brown said in the ruling by the three-judge panel, "Tribal sovereignty is not absolute autonomy permitting a tribe to operate in a commercial capacity without legal restraint." The ruling was issued in response to a complaint filed by the Communications Workers of America with the National Labor Relations Board. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians had appealed that ruling favoring the union by the NLRB. Indian gaming is now a $22 billion-a-year industry with casinos in 28 states that employs as many as 250,000 workers many of them non-Indians. The industry has taken some of the poorest people in America to the lofty realms of the richest. There has been a long-time fear by the larger Indian nations calling themselves "Treaty Tribes" that some of the smaller and newer tribes would eventually get them entangled in legal battles they were sure to lose. Sovereignty on reservations like the Pine Ridge and Rosebud in South Dakota is a given. These tribes have their own law enforcement and judicial system that operates under the auspices of a legally elected tribal government. The State of South Dakota has no jurisdiction on these reservations whereas in many states, including California, the states operate under Public Law 280 that does give them jurisdiction over law enforcement and other legal matters on Indian reservations within their boundaries. And as usual, this mish-mash of conflicting jurisdictional laws can create widespread confusion. What impact does this new ruling have on Indian country? First of all it will give unions the right to deal directly with its members outside of any restrictions placed upon it by the tribes. Now the unions will come under the protections of the National Labor Relations Act. There are some tribes like the Oneida Nation of New York State, the Mashentucket Pequot in Connecticut, and the Shakopee in Minnesota that have become so extremely wealthy that they almost feel they are above any man-made laws. Henry Duro, chairman of the San Manuel Tribe said, "We are disappointed by the ruling today. We believe that these gaming projects help to fulfill essential governmental functions by providing education, health care, housing, senor care and other key programs. Those are basic governmental obligations that could be impacted by this decision." Does staging multi-million dollar boxing matches and purchasing professional basketball teams and hotel restaurant chains fit in there somewhere? Now let's take a look at the basic reality of tribal gaming. There are many tribes fortunate enough to be located on or near large metropolitan areas where their casinos can rake in millions of dollars annually. There are other tribes that still rank amongst the poorest people in America by reason of geography or because they have chosen not to get into this mad race to build a gaming casino. The Navajo Nation is still struggling with this decision and the Hopi Nation of Arizona has ruled out the prospects of ever building a casino. It has been my contention for many years that those Indian nations sitting on top of the extreme wealth afforded them by their casinos should cease taking funds from the federal government that could be better utilized on the poorer Indian reservations. When the Seminole Nation of Florida can spend a billion dollars to purchase the Hard Rock Cafe' and Hotel enterprises it makes the people of the very poor tribes wonder why they are still getting federal funding for a variety of tribal programs. These wealthy tribes can afford to build beautiful homes, construct new schools and hospitals, and to totally rebuild the infrastructure on their tribal lands from the profits realized by their lucrative casinos. Some of the larger tribes such as Pine Ridge and Rosebud are struggling to survive. Unemployment on these reservations can be as high as 75 percent and their populations are nearly 10 times that of the smaller and newer tribes that are raking in millions every month. The wealthy tribes handout per capita payments to their members that often amounts to thousands of dollars every month. To me it is a new dimension in welfare. I believe it is high time for the Department of the Interior to take a closer look at the financial positions of every Indian nation in America and to come up with a new set of rules, regulations and laws that would drastically decrease federal funding to the wealthy, independent tribes and redistribute those funds to the poorer Indian nations. Many Native Americans are a little sick and tired of watching wealthy tribes like the Seminole Nation of Florida flaunt their wealth while the majority of Indians continue to live in the worst conditions of poverty ever imaginable. To suggest that the wealthy tribes give up their federal dollars in favor of the poor tribes is almost sacrilegious in Indian country, but somebody has to say it. As I have written so many times in the past, it is an unfortunate set of circumstances in this country to see the rich tribes become richer while the poor become poorer. But remember, to be rich in money is much less than to be rich in culture and traditions. The smaller and newer tribes are now getting involved in legal disputes that will impact all of the tribes in America and they are doing so without consulting the larger and more established and traditional Indian nations. The case just ruled upon with the NLRB is one example and believe me, there will be many more that will be even more damaging to the all of the tribes of Indian country. The new casino Indian is rapidly supplanting the older and more traditional Indian. Greed is the new Indian God and where it stops, nobody knows. --- Copyright c. 2007 Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. McClatchy News Service in Washington, DC distributes Tim Giago's weekly column. He can be reached 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. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in the class of 1990 - 1991. Clear Light Books of Santa Fe, NM (harmon@clearlightbooks.com) published his latest book, "Children Left Behind" Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: OPINION: Desperation in Pine Ridge" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:47:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="OPINION: PINE RIDGE" http://www.rlnn.com/ArtFeb07/DesparationInPineRidge.html Desperation in Pine Ridge By Melanie McBee The People's Voice February 15, 2007 I am a 27 yr. old Oglala Lakota woman, originally from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. I was fortunate enough to have been adopted by a stable, Christian family who had my best interests at heart. Most children from Pine Ridge are not so blessed. Pine Ridge is situated in the southwest corner of South Dakota, and is the eighth largest reservation in the United States. The unemployment rate is 85% and 97% of the population are living below the federal poverty level. The infant mortality rate is five times the United States national average, and has among the shortest life expectancies of any group in the western hemisphere. Alcoholism, addiction, violence, and suicide predominate in this once tranquil place. Although my family educated me on the statistics, I was hardly prepared when in 1997-98, I went to live there. I was mortified by the alcoholism. These people...MY PEOPLE were committing a slow suicide by the huge amounts of alcohol they were consuming. This was no longer just another statistic to me; it became my reality, the place I woke up to every day. Many of these families are living without necessities like running water, electricity, sewer, heat - even food, diapers, and formula. Despite these things - they somehow always seem to find the money to drink, or to buy a can of hair spray to huff, or a can of paint to sniff. My people are stealing from each other to drink, committing burglaries to drink, and begging for money from others to be able to buy just one can of beer. I have a brother who was also under foster care off of the reservation, and at 7 yrs. old the tribe came and took him back, so he was then forced to live on the reservation with his Indian family. When I chose to live there, I became very close with him. He told me that he wished that I would leave, because it would be better than to subject myself to the lifestyle on the reservation. He expressed deep seated regret that he was carelessly pulled from a financially, spiritually, and emotionally stable home and returned to the reservation. He did everything in his power to make me miserable when I lived there, so that I would just leave. He was robbed of the wonderful opportunities he could have had. Why - Racism. My nation would rather force the children to continue to live with instability, alcoholism, and violence, than to have them adopted by the "whites." Being a sovereign nation, nothing can be done through state social services - and the government doesn't want anything to do with us, unless, of course, it is to make themselves look good. The tribe will cast an alcoholic into treatment, based on another alcoholic's word - but they will not remove an obviously neglected child from their cockroach infested home. I firsthand, have witnessed my blood, my family, the future generation of children - being abused physically, and emotionally. These children are not being given even a fighting chance of a beginning in life. This past summer, the same brother I mentioned telephoned me in a drunken stupor, and told me that if I didn't come and get him, he was going to commit suicide. I had two other close family members commit suicide, of course I decided I needed to go and help him. At 2:00 am, my husband and I loaded up our two small children, and what we would need into our van, and we left from Minnesota to Martin, South Dakota to pick up my brother. Upon arrival, the first thing we observed was the housing, which horrified my husband, and reminded me of the desolation of my people. My baby nieces were crying because they were hungry, their diapers had not been changed in what had to have been a day, they were dirty, and running around with no shoes on, despite the glass on the ground - they had no clothes on, and had a look of utter misery, and bewilderment on their little precious faces. YET their mothers were in the back yard drinking at ten in the morning. NO CHILD should have to live this way - I just wanted to take these children, and bring them home, but I couldn't - -what's worse, these children will grow up believing that the things that they witness, and endure are normal. I was powerless to do anything for these children - I wanted to embrace them, and take them home with me. Upon finding my brother, we also found a house full of my drunken relatives. My granddaughter (in Native custom) whom was a little older than my own baby of 6 months, was crawling around with no clothes, shoes, and a horribly soiled diaper - with cockroaches, dirt, cigarette ashes, and beer cans on the floor - narrowly avoiding being stepped on. The baby's mother who is my niece is 16, and drunk right along with everyone else. For them, this lifestyle is completely commonplace. I know of children 5years old, molesting 3 month old babies - fathers molesting children, mothers molesting children - every form of incest there is, has, and will continue to take place there - I have watched family members die of alcohol poisoning, or cirrhosis - I've watched them have to have limbs removed because of their irresponsibility in taking care of their diabetic needs - because they would rather concentrate on where their next beer is coming from, or who can get meth, or a gun. When I first went there at 16 to visit, everyone was so excited to meet me, and then they started telling me that I didn't belong there, because I wasn't really a true Native, because I was raised with white people. Then they told me that I didn't belong with my white family, that I belonged there with them. I was called an "apple" red on the outside, and white on the inside, to them I was, and still am - a wannabe Native. The racism, even against their own, is unbelievable. Men, beating their women are a normal occurrence here, as are beatings and stabbings amongst family. A majority of these things can be directly linked to alcohol - yet there's an liquor store in downtown Martin and gas stations that sell liquor. There is Whiteclay, Nebraska selling liquor just off reservation boundaries. Natives, knowing full well the alcoholism rate, are selling alcohol to their own. I have seen people call the tribal police on someone for liquor violation, just to sneak alcohol into their own house. There are dirty tribal police that have raped women that they were supposed to be taking to the tribal jail, or offer to not take them to jail for sexual favors. These things constitute every day life on the reservation, and although these things happen in other places, I believe that the plight of my people should take precedence over the third world countries the government is claiming to help. I mean, President Bush is claiming to be spending all these millions of dollars of YOUR money, to help the situations in third world countries - - when for all practical purposes he is creating a situation, a problem in addition to the country's previous problems, and furthermore Bush is the President of THIS country - NOT anywhere else. Then shouldn't the problems here in the United States be addressed first? You see this month is black history month, and other times, you see that there is some "awareness day" for something but, Native American Day goes widely ignored, and there is no awareness day, or month, or even a second for the plight of the Native Americans. This is my mission, to educate people about the reservation, and to let my voice be heard, to be the voice for the suffering children on the reservation, for my noble ancestors, and to start doing something about the desolation which is Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Copyright c. 2003-2007 Red Lake Net News. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: JODI RAVE: Questionable spending damages future" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: TRIBAL MIS-MANAGEMENT" http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/02/16/jodirave/rave23.txt Native News with Jodi Rave Column: Questionable spending damages our future February 11, 2007 Indian Country needs a few good leaders. When a tribal government is run well, you can typically give credit to the person in charge. The same can be said when things go badly. You can trace disorder to poor leadership and a lack of accountability. Such has been the state of affairs among the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota, home of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. A newly elected tribal chairman is seeking a federal audit of the $105 million debt amassed under the two terms of Tex Hall, the previous chairman. Hall and I have a newspaper history. As a reporter, I wrote stories leading up to his first election. After they were published, some of his relatives called my editors and threatened to sue. It never happened. Since then, I've also written several columns about Hall and his administration. But I'm also a tribal citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and I - like many others - am concerned about our tribe's future. "For all tribal members, the corruption and gross mismanagement reported is the worst it has ever been in the history of the (Three Affiliated Tribes)," Ramona Two Shields, executive director of an elders organization, wrote this month to the New Town (N.D.) News. "Present documentation indicates that in the past eight years, the Tex Hall administration (and those in) other responsible positions" are to blame. Tribal leaders set the tone for their administrations. Past leaders have served our people well. They didn't need new trucks, cell phones or massive travel budgets. Previous tribal leaders looked to the future of the tribe. Our past, as well as our future, have been tied to a $148 million trust fund, or JTAC - Joint Tribal Advisory Committee - economic recovery fund. The tribe received the money as compensation from the federal government after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flooded 150,000 acres of our land along the Missouri River. Fifty years later, our people are still recovering from the devastating loss of our economic infrastructure and culturally significant sacred sites. The JTAC fund represents the pain and heartbreak of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara people. Hall started to use JTAC funds as soon as he took office. He was elected in the fall of 1998. The council authorized a $3.6 million withdrawal from the fund in 1998. By the end of 2000, $25 million was withdrawn. Between 2000 and 2004, another $41 million was withdrawn. Hall's term ended in 2006. It's not clear where or how the money was spent, hence the pending audit. When tribal leaders began depleting existing money, they looked for new sources. Bank loans. But in 2006, the only new line of credit extended to the tribe came from the Native American Bank, where Hall serves as board chairman for the bank's holding company, Native American Bancorporation Co. Hall lost his bid for a third term in November - Martin Cross is the only chairman in the history of our tribes to serve three consecutive terms. Marcus Wells Jr. beat Hall by 233 votes, leaving the former chairman to protest and file complaints with the National Indian Gaming Commission, tribal election board and tribal court. All three failed to find wrongdoing connected to Hall's loss. Now Hall, former president of the National Congress of American Indians, is turning to a regional tribal appeals court with hope of finding his way back to a council seat. He recently lamented to a Minot (N.D.) Daily News reporter that his election loss is "burning a hole in my side." The reality: Under Hall's leadership, a deep hole was burned in the side of the tribes' financial future. Auditors have estimated it will take some 15 years to clear the debt. Today, more than 500 employees are on the tribal payroll. A number of non-federal employees are set to be laid off on the reservation, where about 6,000 tribal citizens live. "By the end of the day we'll have at least 40 letters that are going out, " Hugh Baker, a federal programs manager for the tribe, said Thursday. "It will be close to 80 by the time we're done next week." It's one thing to lay off employees, but what will the new council do to curb its own spending? In 2006, the seven-member tribal council agreed on a $2.3 million budget to meet its needs, including cell phones, salaries, cars, travel, fringe benefits, donations and grants. Instead, the price tag doubled to $4.5 million by the end of the year. And questionable spending continues. The new council entered 2007 by approving a $120,000 loan to a tribal cattle rancher. Financial statements show tribal members have a poor history of paying back the tribe. For example, the tribe expected $100,000 in small loans to be repaid in 2006, but only collected $11,000. Will the new tribal chairman be able to define where Hall's administration ended and his begins? --- Jodi Rave covers Native issues for the Missoulian and other Lee Enterprises newspapers. She can be reached at (406) 523-5299 or jodi.rave@lee.net Copyright c. 2006 Missoulian, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: STOKES: Time for new Eagle Feather Law" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:24:45 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EAGLE LAW TOO EXCLUSIVE TOWARD TRIBAL MEMBERS" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414511 Stokes: Time for new eagle feather law by: DaShanne Stokes February 16, 2007 Think your religious freedom is protected? Think again. As many people across Indian country are aware, American Indians are the only ethnic group in the United States that require a federal permit for religious freedom. The law upholding this is commonly referred to as the "eagle feather law," referring to Title 50, Part 22 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR 22), and it governs the possession and use of eagle feathers. Many people don't know how problematic the eagle feather law really is. To possess eagle feathers, citizens must be able to legally prove their ethnicity and only individuals of certifiable American Indian ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are authorized to obtain permits. Those caught without permits face imprisonment and fines up to $25,000 - for practicing their religion. But there's a problem. Falsification of state records in what has been termed "paper genocide" has artificially decreased the true number of indigenous people in the United States and terminated the "official" existence of many tribes. Consequently, many Native Americans cannot be found on the Dawes Rolls (the major determinant of tribal enrollment and application for an eagle permit) and many tribes are unable to win federal recognition. As a result, many people lose access to eagles and the ability to practice and preserve traditional customs otherwise protected for "recognized" tribes and their members. There are consequences to breaking these rules. In one case, Robert Soto, a Lipan Apache, had his feathers confiscated at a Texas pow wow in March 2006. As a member of a non-federally recognized tribe, Soto did not possess an eagle permit. Soto remains in a legal battle for the return of his feathers. In another case last year, Winslow Friday, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, was arrested for shooting a bald eagle without a permit. Friday needed the feathers for use in his tribe's Sun Dance, for which only "clean eagles" (that had not died by electrocution or vehicle collision) could be used. Speaking in his defense, the tribe argued that the taking of eagles is a protected act of religious belief and the tribe had repeatedly attempted to obtain a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In U.S. v. Friday, the court dismissed the case - a victory for tribal sovereignty - but federal prosecutors are determined to appeal the decision. In 1996, Raymond Hardman, a Caucasian living in Utah, was arrested for possessing eagle feathers given to him by a Hopi tribal member. Hardman's wife and children were members of the federally recognized S'Kallum Tribe. In 1993 Hardman's son's godfather died and Hardman transported the body to Arizona so that appropriate services could be performed. As part of the cleansing ritual, a Hopi religious leader gave Hardman a bundle of prayer feathers, which included several eagle feathers, to be kept in the truck that had transported the deceased body. After returning home, Hardman contacted the Utah Division of Wildlife to obtain a permit to keep the feathers. However, he was informed that he would not be allowed to apply because he was not a member of a federally recognized tribe. Hardman later separated from his wife, after which she informed Ute tribal officials that he was in possession of the feathers. Hardman was found guilty of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, even though there was no question that his religious beliefs were sincerely held. Hardman's case remains on appeal. Of course, many people believe only enrolled tribal members should be allowed to possess eagle feathers. While this feeling is easily understood after centuries of genocide and marginalization of Native people in American society, the value for blood quanta and tribal enrollment is of relatively recent import. Historically, many tribes and nations shared their spiritual practices with other tribes and non-Native people have been welcomed into indigenous familial and spiritual lives since the early 1500s, including runaway slaves and historical figures such as Daniel Boone, Gen. Sam Houston, Gov. Gray Davis and former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt. Now consider the irony. Tribal enrollment wasn't so heavily valued until the passage of the 1887 Dawes Act (Dawes Rolls), which was instituted to assimilate indigenous people into an Anglo value system and seize tribal lands. The Dawes Rolls became a major criterion for tribal enrollment and helped form the basis of CDIB (Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood) numbers used to determine tribal membership and eligibility for eagle permits. The problems of the eagle feather law are immeasurable. The law creates a value system for bloodlines that creates and sustains in-fighting that is rampantly tearing apart families and cultural ties on many reservations. The law creates racial barriers for those who have or wish to adopt non- Natives into Native families. The law also makes it impossible for tribes that remain officially "unrecognized" since the 1950s "termination era" to preserve traditional customs. Like many people, I believe it's time for new and improved eagle feather law. It was for this reason that I founded Religious Freedom with Raptors, dedicated to changing the law. RFR was founded on Feb. 27, 2006, to coincide with the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 - major historical event in which Native and non-Native people stood together and in a unified voice demanded fair treatment from the government - an event forever symbolic of racial and cultural unity in support of indigenous rights. While there are many forms this new law might take, it is critical that we replace the race requirement of tribal enrollment. One promising option would be the creation of a Certificate of Religious Participation endorsed by a tribal member or spiritual leader. This certificate would replace the tribal enrollment requirement while ensuring that only approved participants in bona fide Native American customs are eligible to receive eagle permits. This allows for direct oversight of eagle feathers to ensure that feathers and ceremonies will not be abused. The certificate would also give legal protection to those Native Americans who wish to exercise their right to include others of their choosing in traditional customs involving eagle feathers. The certificate would also ensure that applications for eagles are reviewed on a case-by- case basis - ensuring that applicants are judged on factors that have traditionally governed eagle feather distribution, such as personal merit and individual character - rather than skin color. The time for a new eagle feather law is now. Let it be one in which we stand united around traditional indigenous values and say in one voice that we will not be undone by our skin color. Let that be our legacy. --- DaShanne Stokes, M.A., is director of the public interest advocacy group, Religious Freedom with Raptors (www.geocities.com/eaglefeatherlaw). Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: WAGAMESE: One Native life" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 13:09:24 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WAGAMESE: PERSONAL PATH" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414509 Wagamese: One Native life by: Richard Wagamese February 16, 2007 The question I hitchhiked across Canada for the first time when I was 17 in 1973. The last vestiges of the hippy era still clung to the land and it was a marvelous time to be young, free and wandering. There were thousands of us. We met in youth hostels in places like Nipigon, Gull Lake and Wawa. There was a feel to Canada then, as if the country were on the brink of a huge and wonderful reawakening, a reaffirming of the meaning of the name - Canada, Algonquian for "our home." It was summer and the first day I went from the Niagara Peninsula all the way to Sudbury. Standing there, on the great rock spine that is the Canadian Shield, I looked west to a magical land of mountains, coast and opportunity. The whole country lay before me and I was a part of it. The charcoal stretch of highway at my feet was my map and I felt like I could make it in no time at all. That wouldn't happen. The northern Ontario rains came and I was stranded. I stood for days beside a railroad bridge and slept beneath it every night. Finally, a truck driver suggested I head to a place called Chapleau to catch the westbound train. I'd never hopped a freight, but the romance of it swept me up and I found myself lurking in the brush, waiting for my chance to fling myself aboard like Woody Guthrie and the great hobo kings of the past. I made it somehow, managing to claw my way onto a slatted stock car and settled in for the ride west. I wasn't alone. There was another young man there named Mick Pocknell. He was a coalminer's kid from Sidney, Nova Scotia. He'd never met an Indian before and I had never met a Maritimer, but we shared smokes, talk and a jug of wine. I learned about the hardships of an intertidal life, of empty nets and bellies. I learned about passion for the sea, how the salt against your lips tastes exactly like the blood that flows in the veins, and I heard sea shanties sung low and drunkenly in the darkness. I talked about a life in the bush, about a people who endured incredible hardship and built a thriving culture, a lush language and an amazing history. I talked about losing all that because of missionary schools and foster care; how the bush had become a stranger because of it. We talked a long time and then we watched the moon rise through the slats of that cattle car. It was big and full and bright, and threw hard shadows across the empty space. We were struck by the sheer beauty of it and, as it rose higher in the sky, it seemed to race the train. It appeared to keep pace with us, hung in the sky like a phantom, chasing us across the depths of the night and the great darkened hulk of the land. We watched it for the longest time, both of us lost in our thoughts and the magic of that sight. Then I heard Mick Pocknell's voice through the shadow. "What kind of a God could make that happen?" I sat in the darkness and pondered it until sleep came to claim me. We separated in Thunder Bay. Mick went to take a job planting trees and I headed for the highway to continue my way west. We shook hands, he wished me luck and he was gone. I never saw him again, but I think about him every now and then and I've never forgotten his question. Oh, I know it was parallax or some rational element of our physics, but back then, on that train that night, the Maritimer's kid and the Indian became neighbors, joined by a shared vision, complete and shining. There were no differences, no skewed perceptions and no barriers. We were community, joined by simple magic and the power of the land. I made it to the West. I explored the entire Pacific coast of the country and slipped into the United States for a time to see what excitement lay there for me. Eventually, after working as a tree planter myself, bucking deadfall trees, washing dishes in a roadside truck stop, unloading railroad cars and stooking wheat, I arrived home in the southern part of Ontario, tired, with a wallet full of cash and an idea of the country that's never left me. There will always be cowboys and Indians, just as there will always be blacks and whites, Hispanics and Asians, engineers and laborers, professors and dishwashers. The soul of a nation is in its people, and the spirit of North America is variegated and sublimely diverse. What makes us strong is our diversity, our differences, but what pulls us together, ties us irrevocably into a common destiny, complete and shining, is the straining of our very human hearts - the secret wish for a common practical magic. It exists. It lives. It sails across the sky once a month as fat and round and free as a dream. You need to step out on the land to see it properly. You need to walk away from all that binds you to a city, to a desk, to a job, and stand where the wind can get at you. And when that moon comes up and begins to sail across the sky, there will come a point, if you watch it close enough, that the earth will start to move, to race that moon, and you can feel it spin in the heavens. It doesn't matter who you stand with or where they're from. It happens for both of you; that universal magic inhabiting you, filling you, making you more, joining you, erasing differences. And what kind of a God, I ask, could make that happen? Richard Wagamese is Ojibway from the Wabasseemoong First Nation in northwestern Ontario. More information about his work can be found at --- Richardwagamese.com. Mr. Wagamese's column, "One Native life," will appear in Indian Country Today's Lifeways sections. Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: JOHN ROSS: Plot against Mexican Maiz" --------- Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 03:35 am From: Chiapas95-english Subj: En;John Ross,Plot Against Mexican Maiz Mailing List: Chiapas95-En This message is forwarded to you by the editors of the Chiapas95 newslists. To contact the editors or to submit material for posting send to: . THE PLOT AGAINST MEXICAN MAIZ - BIG BIOTECH TAKES ADVANTAGE OF CORN CRISIS TO FORCE FARMERS TO BUY GMO SEEDS MEXICO CITY (Feb 14th) - The "diableros" (hand truck hostlers) from Lagunilla market clustered around La Lupita's Ricos Tacos in the rough and tumble barrio of Tepito were not smiling. "Yesterday these cost me six pesos. Today, it's eight. Tomorrow, who knows, ten?" complained Rodrigo Aldama, 28, pointing at the three greasy tacos on his paper plate, "Vitamin T is rich man's food now." Vitamin T, a staple of urban diet here, includes tacos, tostadas, tamales, tortillas, and most any kind of street food concocted from corn. The steep jump of tortilla prices here this January to as high as 18 pesos a kilo (they were six in November) have unleashed a storm of protest and suspicion. "Someone's getting rich on my 'ricos tacos' but it isn't me" lamented Lupita Perez. Many point fingers at the corn distribution system, which is run by transnationals. Rodrigo had another theory: "the tortilla is Mexico but now they want us to eat white bread like the gringos." Others see even more sinister motives behind the sudden spike in tortilla prices which the government of freshman president Felipe Calderon blames on short supply and high prices for white and yellow corn - the opening of the Mexican milpa or corn patch to genetically modified corn. World corn prices are currently at an all-time high due to burgeoning interest in ethanol production as a petroleum substitute. In Mexico the price of corn has been pushed upwards by the cost of diesel and petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides despite the fact that Mexico is a major oil producer. Crop failures due to drought, flooding, and even ice storms have contributed to the price surge. But whatever the immediate causes, the dismantlement of government agricultural programs and the brutal impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement have deepened the crisis in Mexican corn production. Competing with highly subsidized U.S. farmers is driving their Mexican counterparts into bankruptcy. Whereas south of the border, guaranteed prices for farmers' crops is a thing of the past, corporate corn growers north of the Rio Bravo can receive up to $21,000 an acre in subsidies from their government, enabling them to dump their corn over the border at 80% of cost. The impact of this inundation has been to force 6,000,000 farmers and their families here to abandon their plots and leap into the migration stream, according to a 2004 Carnegie Endowment study. This assault on poor farmers down at the bottom of the food chain will be exacerbated at the end of 2007 when all tariffs on U.S. corn are abolished. Meanwhile President Calderon seeks to tamp down tortilla prices by importing up to 2,000,000 duty-free tons to augment what Mexican farmers can or cannot produce. Such a solution is guaranteed to drive more farmers off the land. Even worse is that much of the new influx of NAFTA corn will be transgenic. A great deal of the 36,000,000 tons of corn Mexico has imported from the U.S. in the past six years is genetically modified - 40% to 60% estimates the environmental group Greenpeace, reasoning that U.S. producers, barred from dealing GMO corn in Europe and Japan are using Mexico as a dumping ground for the grain. GMO corn began pouring into Mexico in 1998 and by 2001 was being detected in the remote sierras of Oaxaca and Puebla, a region in which maize was first domesticated seven millenniums ago - both BT and Starlink strains (Monsanto and Novartis brands) were found in Oaxaca's Sierra de Juarez in 2001 and 2002. 11 out of 22 corn-growing regions in the two states registered readings of contamination as high as 60% in a 2002 government study that was suppressed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Although Mexico imports millions of tons of transgenic corn, it remains a crime here to plant genetically modified seed. In 1998, the National Biosecurity Commission, an interdisciplinary body that involves the health and agricultural secretariats, declared a moratorium on planting genetically modified corn until its impacts could be determined, and the ban remains in place although under heavy attack from big biotech and agribiz and transnational grain purveyors like the Cargill Corporation which now controls much of Mexican corn distribution. To keep the industry at bay, the Biosecurity commission now grants permits for "experimental" stations where the grain can be grown under government supervision - the Monsanto corporation is now testing its "YieldGuard" brand corn on hundreds of hectares in Sinaloa state, the most prolific corn-producing state in Mexico. A spillover of YieldGuard in Sinaloa could contaminate a big chunk of the existing corn supply. Despite the prohibitions on planting, there is plenty of transgenic corn tassling up in the Mexican milpas these days. Some of it is accidental. Massive imports of NAFTA corn distributed in rural regions through state-owned Diconsa warehouses threaten vast swatches of the Mexican "campo." Diconsa trucks are old and the roads rough and the GMO corn blows off into the wind contaminating cornfields for miles around. Although more and more licenses are issued every year for experimental planting, producers groups are now threatening to plant GMO corn without government permission - "If the moratorium is not relaxed, we will start planting the transgenic corn in the spring cycle" warns Perfecto Solis, director of the U.S.-Mexican agribusiness giant Corn Products Systems. Despite the prohibitions, big corn growers have been sewing transgenic maize without government permission for years. Roberto Gonzalez Barrera, "El Rey de la Tortilla", whose Maseca-Gruma, now a third owned by the Archer Daniels Midlands conglomerate, rules the corn flour and tortilla market (between 60 and 80%), once boasted that he had thousands of hectares under transgenic corn. Maseca-Gruma is indeed a major player in the "transgenization" of the tortilla industry. During the administration of the now-reviled Carlos Salinas (1988-94), Gonzalez Barrera began marketing an instant corn flour mix milled from both genetically modified and natural corn. Taco shells milled and confected by Gruma and marketed by Kraft were found to contain Starlink corn, then not yet authorized for human consumption, resulting in the largest call-back of any transgenically contaminated product in U.S. history. The Maseca mix has largely supplanted the traditional Indian way of preparing corn for tortillas - the "nixtamal" in which the "granos" or kernels are put to soak overnight in a brew whose main ingredient is quicklime. As payback for market domination, the King of the Tortillas flew Salinas into self-exile in his private jet in 1995 after the ex-president's brother was arrested for murder. Barrera and his ADM partners and their transnational associates at Cargill-Consolidated Mexico and Mimsa-Corn Products now control the Mexican maize market. It is that monopoly, which has caused the current panic, considers Luis Hernandez Navarro, op-ed editor at La Jornada, the national left daily, and a writer intimately familiar with agricultural issues. When ex-president Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000) closed down CONASUPO, the state grain distribution system in 1997, the transnationals moved in and have taken control, says Hernandez. "When Mexican corn is in danger so is Mexico" he cautions, echoing the old refrain "no hay pais sin maiz" - there is no country without corn. Hernandez and other veteran observers of the Mexican "campo" strongly suspect that the current corn crisis is being manipulated to end the moratorium on planting transgenic corn in Mexico. "The transnationals want to end the moratorium and are using this made-up crisis to pressure the SAGARPA (Agricultural Secretariat) to do away with it" figures investigator Antonio Serratos at the prestigious College of Mexico think tank. "It is part of their strategy for taking control of the entire agricultural sector." As if to confirm Serratos' hunch, Big Agro is already petitioning the Biosecurity Commission to permit widespread planting in 2007. "Bio-tech is the only solution to growing more corn and keeping the tortilla affordable" advises Jaime Yesaki, director of the National Agriculture and Livestock Council or C.N.A, the principal agri-business federation in the country. The C.N.A. was joined in its petition to the Secretary of Agriculture to vacate the ban on growing GMO corn by the National Association of Supermarkets and Retail Stores which is controlled by the U.S. transnational Wal-Mart - Wal-Mart is now Mexico's number one retailer of tortillas and other foodstuffs and, with 700 mega-stores, the nation's largest employer. The subtext of the corn conflict is control of the seed market. "We have been patiently waiting to end the moratorium for ten years now" complained Eduardo Perez Pico, director of Monsanto-Mexico, the St. Louis-based conglomerate that dominates world seed markets. "Meanwhile Mexico is falling behind the rest of the world in applying new seed technologies that can better feed its people" the magnate recently told La Jornada. The Mexican geography produces hundreds of varieties of corn that have adapted to the country's myriad bioregions over millenniums. The introduction of transgenic seed will work to homogenize these strains, reasons Dr. Ignacio Chapela, the University of California-Berkeley biologist who was the first to locate GMO contamination here while doing fieldwork in the tiny Oaxaca sierra town of Calpulapan in 2001. "Millions of years of biological history will be lost if transgenic seeds are allowed to be planted in the Mexican milpa" Chapela affirms. Big Biotech with Monsanto leading the pack wants to replace those millions of years with seeds like the Terminator (named for the action hero governor of California) which goes sterile after one growing cycle and obligates farmers (they sign binding contracts with Monsanto) to buy more, a process Mexican investigator Silvia Ribiero tags "bio-slavery". Corn is not just nutrition and livelihood in Mexico but also culture and religion. Maiz came from the gods and the Aztecs and Mayas nourished those gods with sacrificial victims to keep it coming. The transnational attack on corn stirs passions and paranoias amongst the descendants of Mexico's first peoples. At a meeting of NAFTA scientists a few years back, some with deep ties to Big Biotech, and charged with investigating allegations brought by 17 Mexican NGOs that GMO corn was a threat to the nation's 57 distinct indigenous peoples, an Indian farmer from Oaxaca seized the mic and accused the scientists of practicing genocide by pushing transgenics. "First you killed your own Indians and now you want to kill us!" the farmer shouted angrily. The Zapatistas are Mayans and the Mayans are the People of the Corn. According to their sacred books, the Popul Vuh and the Chilam Balaam, they are actually made from maiz. Manuel, a member of the ecology-agricultural commission at Oventik, the most accessible Zapatista "caracol" or public center in the mountains above San Cristobal de las Casas, venerates these roots. "We are the corn - if it is poisoned so are we" he insisted during this New Year's "Encounter Between the Peoples of the World and the Peoples of the Zapatista Communities" up at the Caracol "Resistance and Rebellion for Humanity." Now the Zapatistas are freezing their seed corn to preserve pure Mayan germ plasma so that there will never be a world without it. You can even purchase the seeds on the World Wide Web. Check out www.schoolsforchiapas.com. ******************************** John Ross is currently on the road with his latest opus "Zapatistas! Making Another World Possible - Chronicles of Resistance 2000-2006." He will be traversing the southwest (February), the south and mid-west (March) and the Atlantic Coast (April) - contact johnross@igc.org for venues and itineraries. These dispatches will continue at ten-day intervals while the Blindman is on the road. -- To subscribe to this list send a message containing the words subscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to majordomo@eco.utexas.edu. Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists. --------- "RE: Murder and other High Crimes in Lacandon Jungle" --------- Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 04:18 am From: Chiapas95-english Subj: En;Murder and Other High Crimes in the Lacandon Jungle,Feb 13 Mailing List: Chiapas95-En This message is forwarded to you by the editors of the Chiapas95 newslists. To contact the editors or to submit material for posting send to: . ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 10:55:31 -0600 (CST) From: Mary Ann Tenuto To: chiapas@eco.utexas.edu Subject: En;Murder and Other High Crimes in the Lacandon Jungle Murder and Other High Crimes in the Lacando'n Jungle On November 13 of last year (2006), an armed attack occurred against the indigenous community of Viejo Velasco Sua'rez, in the Lacando'n Jungle of Chiapas. Four people died as a result and another five people are disappeared and presumed dead. Two people were detained by police, one of them a health promoter from a neighboring community who had gone to help; the other, one of the attackers. Information about the political organization of those attacked was confusing. The state government claimed those attacked were affiliated with Xinich, an independent Chol organization usually friendly (sympathetic) to the EZLN. Xi Nich claimed those attacked were affiliated with the EZLN. The EZLN finally released a statement clarifying that those attacked were not Zapatistas. That clarification did not, of course, reveal the political affiliation of the victims. The attackers were members of the Lacando'n Community from Nueva Palestina, recipients of a communal land grant to a group of Indigenous people whose origins are in dispute, but today are known as Lacando'n Maya. After much protest, some Chol and Tzeltal Maya were also included in this communal land grant. The history is that during the 1950s and 1960s, the Mexican government encouraged land- hungry campesinos from other parts of Chiapas to migrate to the Jungle with a promise of land. This was done to get those campesinos and their militant organizations off the backs of the mestizo landowners. After enticing them into the Jungle, the government turned around and in 1972 gave the land to a different group of indigenous people known now as the Lacando'ns, placing the land of all the others who lived there in jeopardy. We are talking about more than one million acres of land given to just 66 Lacando'n families (several hundred people), who had not even asked for it! The government's treachery caused such an uproar that it soon had to offer some of the other Mayan language groups, specifically Chol and Tzeltal peoples, a chance to relocate within what the government called the Lacando'n Community and to own a little piece of the communal wealth. This offer was on the condition that they would live in specified settlements. Some accepted. Other settlers belonged to campesino (peasant) organizations which resisted resettlement and struggled for years to legalize those communities which had already existed prior to the creation of the Lacando'n Community. It was partly from those communities which resisted resettlement and their campesino organization that the EZLN was born. Not only were those existing communities endangered; all the settler communities, whether inside or on the outskirts of the Lacando'n Community were threatened. Their ability to expand as their population grew was cut off forever by that government decision. What was the government's motive for such an apparently stupid decision? The answer is greed; greed for the precious wood in the rain forest! The Lacando'ns and those Chol and Tzeltal people who accepted living in settlements also agreed to give the government the legal right to cut down mahogany and cedar trees within the Lacando'n Community (for a price, of course). Speculation is that one of the motives for the violent attack on Viejo Velasco is that the community's land contains a large grove of mahogany forest. The attackers from the Lacando'n Community claim that they are the legal owners of the land on which Viejo Velasco is located and that they want to evict the "invaders." This, in spite of the fact that negotiations with Mexico's Agrarian Reform agency were close to legalizing Viejo Velasco. Plainly, someone did not want that community legalized! Among the group of attackers were armed men wearing several types of uniforms. Some wore state police uniforms and carried high-powered weapons. In other words, they carried very expensive weapons only legal for use by police and military. Where did indigenous peasants get the money to buy such weapons? At least one human rights group identified them as members of the Opddic, a group of PRI members, allegedly organized and funded by local cattle ranchers and the municipio of Ocosingo, belonging to the PRI. Opddic is the acronym for the Organizacio'n para la defensa de derechos indigenas y campesinos (Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Campesino Rights, in English). In spite of the fact that the EZLN had clarified that it was not involved, articles soon began to appear in the Mexican press about some Lacando'ns fleeing to a museum in San Cristo'bal de las Casas, saying that they feared reprisals by the EZLN! The plot thickened a week after the Viejo Velasco murders when the Opddic announced that it would no longer recognize the authority of the Zapatista Good Government Juntas and that it intended to take back vast quantities of land in four official Chiapas counties (municipios), land now belonging to the Zapatista Caracols of Morelia and La Garrucha. This is an ominous sign for both independent organizations and for the Zapatista communities. It is very close to being a declaration of war over land and territory! In the Lacando'n Jungle, it's all about land; who uses it and who controls it. Mother Earth is the essence of life itself and, like their namesake Emiliano Zapata, the Zapatistas believe that the land belongs to those who work it. The entire incident in Viejo Velasco and its aftermath wreak of a counterinsurgency move. Several Zapatista Juntas responded to the Opddic threat by saying that they were prepared to defend the land they "recuperated" on January 1, 1994. Then, another player upped the ante even further. Approximately one month after the Opddic statement, shortly before the Encuentro Between the Zapatista Peoples and the Peoples of the World, an organization calling itself the "Fundacio'n Lacandona, A.C." (Lacando'n Foundation) announced itself by sending a document to the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center. The document is entitled "The Face of the Lacando'n Community" and written by the Fundacio'n Lacandona and the Opddic. For openers, the document admits that the signers are responsible for the murders in Viejo Velasco! However, it points to several human rights organizations and the director of Maderas del Pueblo del Sureste and an ecologist, Miguel Angel Garcia, as being murderers of their members. The human rights organizations targeted by the "Fundacio'n Lacandona" are among those which investigated the Viejo Velasco killings, including Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center. That human rights center has petitioned the Inter-American Human Rights Commission to ask the Mexican government to take precautionary measures to protect those involved; especially, Miguel Angel Garcia and his family. According to an article in La Jornada, Opddic grew tremendously during the six-year presidential term of Vicente Fox and the governorship of Pablo Salazar (2000-2006), "occupying territorially spaces before covered by the paramilitary groups MIRA (Canyons Region), Chinchulines (Chilon), and Paz y Justicia (Tila, Sabanilla, Salto de Agua and Palenque)." [www.jornada.unam.mx/ 2006/12/23/ index.php?sectionpolitica] The Opddic, which exhibits some characteristics of a paramilitary group, now seems to have all kinds of money with which to entice others into joining. In the Zapatista autonomous municipios within the two Caracols specified by the Opddic's document, there are indigenous people who belong to different political organizations living together in the same canyons. There are members of independent organizations, often friendly to the Zapatista communities. There are also PRI members who cooperate with the Zapatistas, as well as hostile PRI members who do not always cooperate. There are people of different religions. Now, some of the independents and many of the friendly PRI members are joining the Opddic! The hostile PRI members have been part of Opddic for as much as four or five years. This new alliance of forces is worrisome. The Opddic has been causing problems since at least August 2002 when some 200 of its members led an armed attack on Nuevo Guadalupe Quexil. Since then, it has been starting disputes over land with Zapatista communities, threatening to kill Zapatista authorities, entering Zapatista communities and damaging houses. So far, the Zapatistas have been able to resist without resorting to violence. As for the Lacando'n Community, its relations with other organizations living in the Jungle have not been friendly since the Mexican government and international conservation NGOs allegedly encouraged its members to assert their property "rights" over the more than one million acres of land granted to them by the federal government. On February 8, Subcomandante Marcos, on behalf of the General Command of the EZLN, made public a strongly-worded communique responding to the Opddic's threats, alleging that Opddic is a criminal organization which engages in the illegal cutting and trafficking of precious woods, as well as in drug trafficking and stolen vehicles. The Zapatistas also stated plainly and forcefully that they are prepared to defend all their land against the Opddic. There is great concern in Chiapas about the imminence of further attacks like the one on Viejo Velasco. The unholy alliance between the Opddic and the "Fundacio'n Lacandona" has specifically threatened the communities of Flor de Cacao, Nuevo Tila, San Jacinto, Ojo de Agua Tzotzil with violent eviction if those communities are not abandoned. The communities threatened are composed of indigenous people belonging to independent organizations and some Zapatista support bases. These are not interethnic squabbles as some, including the Mexican government, might lead you to believe. This is a continuation of the struggle for land and natural resources which has gone on ever since the Spanish Conquistadors took the land away from its indigenous owners. Those pulling the strings and doling out the money to the Opddic have economic interests in the jungle's natural resources; such as, precious woods (mainly mahogany and cedar), water (for generating electricity and bottling), oil and other minerals, ecotourism business opportunities and biodiversity. Mary Ann Tenuto-Sanchez Chiapas Support Committee cezmat@igc.org February 2007 -- To subscribe to this list send a message containing the words subscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to majordomo@eco.utexas.edu. Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists. --------- "RE: Fontaine offers Natives Vision of better Future" --------- Date: Monday, February 12, 2007 10:14 pm From: frostyca2000 Subj: Fontaine offers natives vision of better future Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian Fontaine offers natives vision of better future TheStar.com - opinion - Fontaine offers natives vision of better future February 11, 2007 For far too long, many of Canada's native peoples have suffered from bad water, inferior education and too few job prospects, both on rural reserves and in cities and towns across the country. Their plight has given Canada a well-earned black eye at the United Nations and from such respected international groups as the British- based Save the Children aid organization. Native leaders have acknowledged in recent years that they must do more to help their communities and to raise public awareness of conditions in many of their communities. To that end, a national housing and water policy forum organized by the Assembly of First Nations last week in Toronto attracted native leaders from around the country. Delegates discussed child poverty, teenage suicides and the possibility of launching legal action against Ottawa for underfunding welfare services. They were upset that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has shown no enthusiasm for the $5 billion Kelowna accord. The accord, signed in 2005 by then prime minister Paul Martin and the provincial premiers, was to help fight poverty on reserves, including providing funds to natives for training and to buy their own homes. One critical area of discussion was water quality. Currently, more than 100 native communities in Canada are under boil-water advisories. Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says the focus should first be on helping communities with the greatest water problems, then start tackling housing problems. To do that, he has launched an ambitious plan that he hopes will finally help break the cycle of poverty that plagues many of Canada's 1 million natives. As an initial step three weeks ago in Saskatchewan, Fontaine asked the private sector to step in and help native communities bring about real, sustainable change in their communities. And last week in Toronto, he proposed a First Nations Housing Institute to work with native communities to develop realistic plans to meet some of their housing demands. Significantly, he is not seeking more housing money from Ottawa. "Current strategies are failing our people and will continue to do so," Fontaine wrote last week in an opinion piece for the Star. He says 87,000 new housing units are needed just to address current overcrowding. His proposals are reasonable. They are an attempt to empower aboriginal Canadians, as well as to foster economic development opportunities while addressing the major shortage of affordable housing. And Fontaine is right when he insists that native issues really do matter, that they need to be addressed for the betterment of all Canadians, not just for those living on remote reserves. What is needed most is a sea change in how Canadians look at native problems, to understand that by investing in native communities, such as by creating employment opportunities or providing decent housing, it can be a win-win situation for native and non-native alike. Why hasn't Canada been able to improve the lives of a vast number of natives despite years of trying? The reasons are many. First, there has been a complacency in this country about natives. Despite media stories, such as the Star's series on troubled communities in Northern Ontario like Kashechewan, where hundreds of residents were evacuated in 2005 because of contaminated drinking water, most Canadians rarely see native poverty up close. Second, the issues often seem too complex and controversial, such as moving entire communities, as recommended for Kashechewan by federal government adviser Alan Pope, so politicians throw up their hands and do nothing. Third, there is a federal-provincial jurisdictional issue that often results in a lack of cohesive programs across the country. Ottawa is responsible only for natives who live on reserves. Fontaine's vision of the future may not be perfect and it may not provide all the answers. But it does represent a sign of new thinking by native leaders, an indication that it is not enough anymore just to blame others for the failures of the past, but to work with them to build a better future. Fontaine's goal is to end native poverty over the next 20 years. It will be a long struggle. But it will be a worthy one. --------- "RE: Onkwehonwe Plan - taking over Turtle Island" --------- Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 07:20 pm From: frostyca2000 Subj: THE "ONKWEHONWE PLAN" - WE'RE TAKING OVER TURTLE ISLAND! Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian THE "ONKWEHONWE PLAN" - WE'RE TAKING OVER TURTLE ISLAND! MNN. Feb. 12, 2007. Back in the early 1960's some old chiefs, elders and young Onkwehonwe got together. We came up with a plan for our people. We called it the "Indian Plan". We went across the land and talked with our brothers and sisters about a way to get out of the grip of colonialism that had almost wiped us off the face of the earth. We talked about the genocide that was being conducted by Indian Affairs and the colonial governments. We made a pact to stop it. It was only four pages long. People wrote for copies and it was distributed widely throughout Turtle Island. We said, "The colonists have to change their attitude towards us. We aren't going to let them continue to try to exterminate us. They've been making survivors like us think we're lucky to be allowed to live". Today colonization is still going as strong as ever. But our plan is on track. We are asserting our true position as the title holders of Turtle Island. Forty-five years later our young people have invaded the colleges and universities. They overcame systemic prejudice and have become engineers, scientists, lawyers, teachers, doctors, nurses and writers. Our young people have a grounding in our culture, respect for our people and at the same time have managed to achieve scholastic success. They have entered every profession. Our food and housing may not be the best. A lot of our communities don't even have clean drinking water which was here for us all before colonization. But we now have trained young people with technical skills to implement the final chapter of the "Indian Plan". We are going to take back control of Turtle Island! We want to heal the land that has been desecrated by the European vandals. The Canada people know today, the Canada that has left the land scarred and poisoned, may become a thing of the past. It might just be a cough in our history which goes back many thousands of years. We are ready to assert our real position. We are the original people placed here to take care of the lands. We never relinquished our responsibility. We never agreed to the vandalism that has been committed to our Mother, the Earth. We intend to be treated respectfully and to teach the invaders the good healing manners that they have never understood. No longer will our children be stolen or killed or forgotten. We've gotten our children back. The colonizers may be getting ready to listen. They are beginning to see how much damage they have caused. We have thousands upon thousands of Onkwehonwe who are professionally trained to handle the most complex legal, financial, scientific and environmental matters to straighten out the devastation. We have the knowledge that is needed to bridge the chasm that exists between the abusive customs of colonial society and our own custodial tradition that always keeps the future seven generations in mind. Decolonization will take a lot of work. If we work very hard it can be completed within a few generations. Colonial society expects to do everything at once. It lives in the moment with a knee jerk reaction. But we know that it will take time to rebuild and to rediscover the full use of our customs to heal the land. Some of the damage that has been done to the land will take thousands of years to repair. When we all work together we can find ways to do this. The colonial governments have always wanted to keep us ignorant and made us think we could never do anything for ourselves. Many of us always knew better. The colonists are starting to see the truth. They are now talking with Onkwehonwe people who understand better than they do the complex issues that are before them. The colonists are having to face their contradictions. They will lose out in the end because of our persistence. People are beginning to realize if our ways don't change everyone will die. No one wants to be at the wrong end of the predatory habits that are hurting everybody. A good example is what is happening right now is at Six Nations where our people reclaimed stolen land from developers. Jane Stewart, Barbara McDougal and all the other Ontario, Canada and municipal cheer leaders and agents are in denial. There are presently hundreds of developers trying to beat the doors of the Confederacy Longhouse down to get permission to put in what they call "development". They are finding out that we are a sophisticated people with a good idea of the kind of development we don't want. The colonists have a lousy track record going back to the 1800's, like the Grand River Navigation Company which went belly up, even though they were using stolen land and stolen money. They never suckered us, but they keep trying. They have to just start looking at it from our perspective. Some day they'll wake up and smell the coffee. The 10 million non-native people of Ontario are living, eating and breathing development of office towers, condos, shopping malls, roads, highways, mines, clear cutting, fishing and hunting species to extinction and poisoning the land water and air. These people just don't know how to live without fouling their nest on our land. The time has come for us to take over and show them how to clean up their mess. We, the owners of the land and resources, will no longer be ignored. Many of our people have worked in the biggest cities of Turtle Island. Our people are architects, engineers and iron workers. We've done every job you can think of. We are willing and able to administer our land to benefit everybody. The colonists don't need to worry about living as bad as they made us live. We promise we won't steal their children. We won't do medical experiments on them. We won't steal their assets or starve them to death. We won't put them in concentration camps. We won't destroy their food supplies. Genocide isn't our gig. We'll make that a thing of the past too. They know that our culture is not one of money grubbing exploitation and heartless abuse of people, whose bottom line is profit for a few. We predict for the future changes to television shows, top 40 music, porn will go out of style, jails will be empty and exclusive shops will close. Sharing will be the guiding principle. Yes, we have lots of highly educated, sophisticated and skilled Onkwehonwe people. The colonists will have to deal with us, talk to us as equals on a nation-to-nation basis. We have roots in our past and are going forward into the future as we were intended to do. Get ready to come to terms with us asserting our rightful position. Even the non-natives living on our land have told us they will feel more secure knowing that the lands and communities will be administered by the true owners. Many want to live under our protection. Turtle Island has always been a haven of protection for people from all over the world. They know that our culture does not allow us to be motivated by greed or avarice. We work for the benefit of everybody. We are an egalitarian inclusive people. Nobody should control anybody. Ordinary people will be more willing to work with us than with a government run by corporations who are in it for power, control and domination. As the hosts we want people to live on our land, take care of it, enjoy themselves and live nice lives. We want people to take responsibility for creation. This is not the ideology of the New World Order where control is dictated from the top down. We want to go in the opposite direction. We believe in true democracy where people have rights and care for each other. We need to tell everyone about our "Indian Plan" on how we are going to take over. We need to develop guidelines, protocols and agreements for environmental programs based on our understanding of the natural world. We have the technical people in our midst who are ready to get things going. We are going to follow our philosophy, the Kaianereh'ko:wa/Greal Law of Peace, which brings the best from the minds of everybody together. When the Europeans arrived we had already created a paradise where food was abundant, people were healthy and lived long and happy lives. We want to live in well run communities, protect the environment, live in good homes, respect our old people and have those things we need to have a good life. For everybody's information we do not live in tipis or run around in loin cloths. When these developers and colonists come to see us, they'll be facing people who know what we are talking about. They will be Onkwehonwe faces. Kahentinetha Horn MNN Mohawk Nation News For updates, workshops, speakers or sign up go to www.mohawknationnews.com Please sign the Women Title Holders petititon. Nia:wen --------- "RE: Inuit accuse US of destroying their Way of Life" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="GLOBAL WARMING" http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=8604 Inuit Accuse US of Destroying Their Way of Life With Global Warming Andrew Buncombe February 15, 2007 Washington - A delegation of Inuit is to travel to Washington, DC, to provide first-hand testimony of how global warming is destroying their way of life and to accuse the Bush administration of undermining their human rights. The delegation, representing Inuit peoples from the US, Canada, Russia and Greenland, will argue that the US's energy policies and its position as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases is having a devastating effect on their communities. Melting sea ice, rising seas and the impact on the animals they rely on for food threatens their existence. The Inuit's efforts to force the US to act are part of an unprecedented attempt to link climate change to international human rights laws. They will argue before the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (ICHR) that the US's behaviour puts it in breach of its obligations. "The impacts of climate change, caused by acts and omissions by the US, violate the Inuit's fundamental human rights protected by the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and other international instruments," the Inuit argued in a letter to the ICHR. "Because Inuit culture is inseparable from the condition of their physical surroundings, the widespread environmental upheaval resulting from climate change violates the Inuit's right to practice and enjoy the benefits of their culture." Indigenous peoples from the Arctic have long argued that global warming was having a dramatic effect on their environment. In 2002, villagers in the remote Alaskan island community of Shishmaref voted to relocate to the mainland because rising sea levels threatened to overwhelm their community. Data has been gathered to support their claims and scientists have recorded how polar regions are the most vulnerable to climate change. The most recent international Arctic Climate Impact Assessment suggested global warming would see temperatures in the Arctic rise by 4-7C over the next 100 years - about twice the previous average estimated increase. The delegation to Washington will be led by Sheila Watt-Cloutier, the former chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference who was last week nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking yesterday from Iqaluit in Nunavut, Canada, she said: "For us in the Arctic our entire culture depends on the cold. The problem of climate change is what this is all about. At the same time we will be bringing in lawyers to talk about the link between climate change and human rights." The invitation for the Inuit to give testimony before the ICHR next month comes just days after the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provided a dire assessment about the threat of climate change. In the Arctic, scientists have estimated that summer sea ice could completely disappear by 2040. Martin Wagner, of the California-based Earthjustice, said: "There can be no question that global warming is a serious threat to human rights in the Arctic and around the world. The ICHR plays an important role in interpreting and defending human rights, and we are encouraged that it has decided to consider the question of global warming." The ICHR, an arm of the Organisation of American States, can issue findings, recommendations and rulings. It can also refer cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica, though the US has always made clear it does not consider itself bound by the court's rulings. Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: 9 Judges set to formally approve School Deal" --------- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:24:31 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SETTLEMENT" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/02/13/judges-deal.html 9 judges set to formally approve school deal CBC News February 13, 2007 Judges from across Canada will gather in Calgary next month for an unprecedented sitting to deal with the Indian residential schools settlement, CBC News has learned. The nine provincial and territorial superior court judges will be holding a special two-hour joint-session in Calgary on March 8. Sources have told CBC the goal is to issue formal approval orders for the settlement package. The nine courts have already provided written reasons that support the deal, which is designed to provide compensation to some 78,000 aboriginal people who attended the schools in the 20th century. The Calgary hearing will be unique, according to Dwight Newman, the associate dean of law at the University of Saskatchewan. "It seems very unusual," he said. "I've not heard of the courts doing something like this before." The residential schools settlement is supposed to end years of lawsuits launched against the government and the churches that ran the schools. Over the past 15 years, some 13,000 people have filed lawsuits alleging sexual and physical abuse. Some allege the schools, typically run by churches and supervised by the federal government, caused them to lose their language and culture. The compensation deal provides for payments for every student who went to the schools, plus more money for those who suffered physical and sexual abuse. There's also money for healing and remembrance programs. When all segments of the deal are added up, it could be worth $4 billion to $5 billion, according to documents filed in a Regina court last year. The federal government and various church groups are sharing compensation, though Ottawa will be paying almost the entire amount. Even after formal approval by the courts, compensation could be stalled for some time. The federal government is challenging the legal fees charged by one of the law firms involved - Regina-based Merchant Law Group. Copyright c. CBC 2007. --------- "RE: It's time for Canada to pay up" --------- Date: Friday, February 16, 2007 11:37 pm From: frostyca2000 Subj: It's time for Canada to pay up Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian It's time for Canada to pay up Gerry St. Germain Citizen Special February 16, 2007 First Nations lost land and money over the years through the federal government's mismanagement of their reserve lands and trust funds. About 30 years ago they began to actively document what had occurred in the form of misadministration, fraud and sometimes outright theft of First Nations' assets. The Indian affairs department therefore was forced to come up with a claims policy in an attempt to save First Nations and Canada from having to meet in the courts over these very issues. More than 400 First Nations (status Indian bands) have submitted roughly 1,300 specific claims to the government of Canada under the Indian affairs department's 1982 Specific Claims Policy. That is a horrifying number, but what is more horrifying is that some 900 of those claims remain unresolved. In our recent report on the Specific Claims Policy and process, Negotiation or Confrontation: It's Canada's Choice, the standing Senate committee on aboriginal peoples found the specific claims process is profoundly flawed. The committee has recommended several ways the federal government can take action on specific claims rather than face the dire social and economic consequences of allowing these claims to fester. Some Canadians are understandably fed up with this issue, yet the public is generally unaware of what is involved. They question why any of these claims needs to be resolved at all. They may wonder why First Nations cannot just move on without dwelling on what happened in the past. But those who recognize that the government of Canada has an undeniable responsibility in this area wonder what accounts for government inaction. Every time an Oka, an Ipperwash or a Caledonia flares up around claims, confusing questions arise in the media about who is responsible: the First Nations, the developers, the province, the federal government? Surely there is a way to put an end to these damaging confrontations and to do what is right for all concerned. So, what is right? Simply put, specific claims are legal obligations and contingent liabilities that cannot be deferred and ignored by the government of Canada. To do so is to visit further injustice on the claimants and additional expense on Canadian taxpayers. Where an obligation exists and there is no consideration or compensation, one should expect trouble. It is time to pay up. Recently, letters were written to various newspapers around the country contrasting the timely compensation for Maher Arar with the multi-decade wait for restitution that First Nations experience. Maltreatment and dispossession have impoverished generations of First Nations people for no legitimate reason. This is a blot on Canada's international reputation. The chronic underfunding of the specific claims process demonstrates the failure of successive federal governments to take the matter seriously. It now sets the stage for violent confrontations in the future. Some First Nations youth will not tolerate the injustice the way most of their parents have. Adequate funds are needed for specific claims negotiations. For settlement payments alone, the committee feels no less than $250 million per year should be set aside. We find it is no longer acceptable to have the government department against whom the claims are being made be the one to decide on their validity and to make reparations to the claimant First Nations. That conflict of interest has to be eliminated. Building a truly independent body dedicated to resolving these kinds of claims is the only way to dispose of the contradictions in the present Specific Claims Policy. The committee therefore recommends the establishment of an independent body within two years that has the capacity to resolve the claims it receives in five years or less. The committee also suggests making all reforms consistent with the principles of fairness (full disclosure and access), inclusion (involvement of claimants and stakeholders), open and honest dialogue, the recognition of regional differences and the uniqueness of individual claims. Under the Constitution, the Indian Act and certain treaties, the federal government assumed responsibility for First Nations' assets on the theory that they would be properly protected. Canada has not been relieved of that duty. Canada may profess to be a great nation, but the very people who welcomed European settlers and who helped these Europeans survive in an unfamiliar environment, these first inhabitants are now being shortchanged. As Canadians, we cannot be proud of this continuing injustice. Gerry St. Germain is chair of the aboriginal peoples committee in the Senate of Canada. Copyright c. The Ottawa Citizen 2007. --------- "RE: First Nation was not consulted, tells Shareholders" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:47:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ATTAWAPISKAT NOT CONSULTED" http://www.firstperspective.ca/fp_template.php?path=20070214northern Northern First Nation alerts shareholders that company did not consult them by Joseph Quesnel February 14, 2007 A First Nation community from Northern Ontario is going out of its way to demonstrate that exploration work being done on its traditional territory is being done without its consent. Attawapiskat First Nation, as unveiled in a recent news release, is alerting shareholders and potential investors in Metalex Ventures, of Kelowna, B.C. that the work the company is undertaking in Attawapiskat First Nation territory is being done without the involvement or agreement of the First Nation. Metalex Ventures has continued exploration work throughout 2006 and 2007 without the support of Attawapiskat First Nation, the community contends. In December of 2006, Metalex Ventures reported a kimberlite find in their T1 project. Attawapiskat First Nation issued notice to the company that it "has no intention of supporting the project as long as it continues to show disrespect for First Nation Rights." Chief Mike Carpenter commented, "Our First Nation has demonstrated in the Victor Diamond Project that where our interests are accommodated, we are supportive partners. Where we are ignored as Metalex Ventures is doing, we will not go away quietly. These are our traditional lands and investors should be very cautious knowing that the First Nations interests have not been accommodated in this project." On the other hand, Attawapiskat continues to work cooperatively with De Beers Canada and other exploration companies who have reached agreement with the First Nation, mentioned the chief. Copyright c. 2007 First Perspective/Manitoba Drum. --------- "RE: MLA demands answers over Police drug experiments" --------- Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:47:06 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="POLICE DRUG EXPERIMENTS" http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2007/02/15/3626961-sun.html MLA demands answers Writes Letter to Solicitor General By MAX MAUDIE, SUN MEDIA February 15, 2007 An Edmonton MLA wants answers from the Solicitor General over police experiments that recruited drug users to be studied while high on illicit substances. "I hope Fred Lindsay listens to my message or he'll have a mess on his hands," Edmonton-McClung MLA Mo Elsalhy told the Sun yesterday. Elsalhy said he's had two calls from constituents upset at the way the experiment has come across to the public. Elsalhy, the Liberal Solicitor General critic, sent Lindsay a letter yesterday asking for answers on several fronts after the Sun reported Edmonton police were using clients of the Metis Child and Family Services Society that were high on drugs in a training exercise. The two-week Edmonton course, attended by more than 20 city police and RCMP officers in December, was intended to educate cops on how to spot drugged-up motorists. They were joined by about 10 volunteers - about three men, the rest women, some of them prostitutes - who were clients of the Metis society and were high on drugs, mostly crack cocaine and marijuana. Police said the volunteers were already high when they arrived and did not do drugs in front of the cops. Among other queries, Elsalhy wants to know whether Lindsay was aware of the training program, "and the fact that it targeted aboriginal people and drug addicts as subjects." Solicitor General spokesman Andy Weiler said "our department and the minister's office will look at (the letter) and respond to all these inquiries." Copyright c. 2006, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved Copyright c. 2007 Edmonton Sun, Sun Media Corp. --------- "RE: A Legal gathering of Tribes" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBES SEEK REDRESS" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=6290 A legal gathering of tribes by Jessie McQuillan Indian Housing February 15, 2007 A class-action lawsuit spawned by deplorable conditions in 153 Browning homes thought to be responsible for Blackfeet tribal residents' ailing health has caught the attention of five other American Indian tribes, which have now waded into the case with their own interests. Attorneys for the tribes say they're concerned the case could set bad precedent, triggering unintended consequences throughout Indian country. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), Crow Tribe and Fort Peck Tribe in Montana have joined the Navajo Nation in filing documents supporting the Blackfeet Housing Authority's (BHA) case. In July 2006, a Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel reversed a district court decision to dismiss residents' claims against the BHA and affirmed the dismissal of residents' claims against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In the '70s, HUD funded and regulated construction of the Glacier Homes through the BHA. Lead plaintiffs Martin Marceau and Mary Jane and Gary Grant say their homes, shoddily built with nosebleeds and other illnesses for decades. BHA has asked the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its decision to let HUD off the hook and to reevaluate whether BHA must answer residents' claims, though the court hasn't acted on that request. Attorneys for both the plaintiffs and BHA say they welcome the other tribes' involvement, given the suit's importance. "We think [the Ninth Circuit] clearly made a wrong decision and we're concerned that other courts will follow their lead," says Martin Avery, general counsel for Navajo Housing Authority, which serves the largest Indian nation in the United States. The concern, says CSKT attorney John Harrison, is not the Glacier Homes residents' claims, but rather the larger implications of who's held responsible: "Obviously there are some wronged tribal members, but our position is that the remedy isn't against the tribe but against HUD." Meanwhile, the University of Montana will host a panel discussion about the Glacier Homes case, tentatively featuring plaintiffs and their attorneys, at the law school's Castles Arena at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22. Copyright c. 2007 Missoula Independent. --------- "RE: 'Lost Tribe' hoping to collect U.S. Payout" --------- Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 13:09:24 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="POTTAWATOMI LAUNCH NEW BID FOR COMPENSATION" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html? id=aeb8647f-17a5-41c5-8094-d56472a6b05b&k=37539 Canadian 'lost tribe' hoping to collect U.S. government payout Randy Boswell, CanWest News Service February 17, 2007 Nearly 175 years after their ancestors were forced to abandon tribal lands in the U.S. and flee to Canada, the scattered remnants of the Pottawatomi First Nation - their ancient language and culture now struggling to survive - have launched a new bid for compensation in the U.S. Congress. With help from Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a native rights advocate who has introduced a bill to "provide relief" of $1.8 million US for the tribe's Canadian exiles, the Pottawatomi are hoping for the payout to finally settle the 19th-century debt owed to their forebears and to fund a resurgence of tribal heritage in modern-day Ontario. "I can trace my family back to the States in the late 1830s," says Pottawatomi Chief Ed Williams, leader of Moose Deer Point First Nation near Parry Sound, Ont. "My forefathers chose not to move to reserves in Oklahoma and Kansas. We were Great Lakes people." Driven from their traditional territories in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, most Pottawatomi - pressured to relocate at gunpoint by the U.S. army under the infamous "Indian Removal" policies of president Andrew Jackson - resettled west of the Mississippi River. But some bands escaped eastward, settling in remote woodlands closer to the Canadian border, or even crossing into what was then Upper Canada. Most of the Pottawatomi refugees ended up blending in to other related First Nations such as the Ojibway and Ottawa, but one group received land on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and formed the Moose Deer Point community. As early as the late 1800s, petitions were made by the Pottawatomi heirs in Canada to collect payments promised by the U.S. government at the time of the removals. A 1908 report to Congress concluded that if the claims from Canada were judged "solely on the basis of descent, then it would seem that these Canadian Indians would be entitled to the same share in any fund arising from the claim" as U.S. Pottawatomi. But American officials repeatedly balked at issuing payments to natives beyond the U.S. border. Although Pottawatomi descendants in the U.S. have received recognition and compensation for the displacement of their ancestors, their Canadian cousins have so far received nothing. In the early 1990s, the bid for Canadian compensation was revived with support from the Native American Rights Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based aboriginal advocacy group. A lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Pottawatomi Nation of Canada, which led to an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to seek a "fair, equitable and just settlement" with the Ontario natives. But any deal would require approval from Congress and, ultimately, the signature of the U.S. president. The campaign gained a key ally when Inouye pledged to sponsor a bill in the U.S. Senate urging immediate payment of compensation to the Pottawatomi's "lost tribe" in Canada. "He's a fantastic guy," Williams told CanWest News Service on Friday. "He's a real champion for aboriginal people." But progress toward redress has been painfully slow, says NARF lawyer Richard Guest, who is handling the Canadian case. Inouye's bill has been introduced in several congressional sessions but has never passed. Last month it was introduced again by Inouye - "he sees the historic injustice, he gets it," says Guest - and NARF is "cautiously optimistic" that the Canadian Pottawatomi will soon receive what they were first owed under terms of the 1833 Treaty of Chicago. If the U.S. legislators do finally come through, Williams says "we're all set" to manage the payment through a trust that has been established to disburse funds for education, cultural heritage and economic development among the estimated 6,000 Pottawatomi descendants living today in some 30 Ontario communities. But Williams has doubts that the U.S. will ever part with money owed to "foreign nationals," even if the government's own officials admit the debt should be paid. "It's a story," he says, "that has been going on for a long time." Copyright c. CanWest News Service 2007. Copyright c. Vancouver Sun 2007. --------- "RE: Meth use, Murder rates up" --------- Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:33:52 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="METH, MURDER RATES http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/feb/021507nkj_mthmrdrratesup.html Meth use, murder rates up Benally blames drug for sharp increase killings on reservation By Natasha Kaye Johnson Dine' Bureau February 15, 2007 WINDOW ROCK - Five years ago, the number of murders on the Navajo Nation began to slowly decrease, with each passing year having five to seven less than the previous year. It was a brief sigh of relief for law enforcement officials and tribal leaders alike, who were happy to see that progress was being made. But that feeling of ease is now a memory. Statistics from the Navajo Nation Information and Records Department show that number of murders from 2005 to 2006 jumped from 16 to 30. Unfortunately, its doesn't shock law enforcement officials. "The reason being is the increase of meth use," said Chief Jim Benally Wednesday afternoon, answering without hesitation. While the highly publicized November 2005 Hogback murders are known to be meth related, Benally noted that a number of fatal stabbings also usually involve meth. Data from the Information and Records also show that the number of drug busts rose from 31 to 60, from 2005 to 2006, which Benally said coincides with the number of murders. And while statistics have improved moderately in almost all areas of law enforcement, such as the number of sex offenses, assault, robbery, fraud, non-criminal activities, and fatal crashes due to increased DUI arrests, Benally is taken back at how the drug has infiltrated the Navajo Nation and become the primary cause of rising murders. Referred to as a "modern day enemy to the Navajo people" by officials with the Navajo Department of Behavioral Health Services, Benally said the drug has spreading to the areas where services are most lacking. "The crime has spread to more rural areas," said Benally. Benally recalled an incident last year, where an elderly couple at their sheep camp had no choice but to watch in broad daylight as their sheep were being stolen from them. After looking into the case, he concluded that the incident was meth related, with young people stealing the sheep to sell and then buy meth. "They were helpless," he said. "Elders are basically saying 'we're living in fear out here.' " It wasn't a first time that the drug pushed young people to sell items of value. Benally said there are incidents where saddles, jewelry, and other valuable items are stolen, and it was concluded by investigation that the items were pawned to finance meth addictions. "Once it gets here, the market goes up and the price increases," said Benally, adding that the drug is coming from metropolitan areas like Phoenix. "It's all based on need." Efforts to address the issue have been ongoing, with law enforcement officials and leaders creating community watch programs and attempting to get funding to address the issue. Last week, vice-president Ben Shelly testified on a bill that would help bring federal dollars to address meth related issues. Increasing the number of officers, Benally stated, would also help to reduce the problem. Within the last five years, the number of officers has increased by nearly 100, which Benally attributes to the previous decreases in murders on the reservation. And while the fight against meth is one that the Nation is losing right now, officials will keep up the battle. "Our efforts are continuing," said Benally. Copyright c. 2007 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Native Justice" --------- Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 08:54 AM From: Janet Smith [owlstar@bellsouth.net] Subj: NA News Item -- Indians sue Officials at Maine Prison http://www.bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=146320&zoneid=500 Indians sue officials at state prison By Judy Harrison February 13, 2007 - Bangor Daily News BANGOR - For the second time in less than four years, Indians incarcerated at the Maine State Prison in Warren have sued prison officials in federal court, alleging they are being denied their First Amendment right to practice religion. Sacred Feather, Native American Circle and 10 inmates earlier this month sued Warden Jeffrey Merrill, the Rev. Matt Kantrowitz, the Protestant prison chaplain, and other prison officials in U.S. District Court in Bangor. They allege that officials are not abiding by a settlement agreement reached in a similar lawsuit filed in 2003 that called for an outdoor shelter to be provided for religious ceremonies. That agreement expired in 2005. Associated Corrections Commissioner Denise Lord said Monday she was not aware the lawsuit had been filed. "We have been meeting regularly with representatives of the Native American community," she said. "It was a mutual decision not to renew the [settlement] agreement. We both felt we were making progress, so didn't need a formal agreement to continue. "It's our intent," Lord said, "to continue to work with them to make sure whatever needs or concerns are brought to us are managed in a way that is appropriate in a corrections environment." The new lawsuit also claims that Indians have been illegally denied a sweat lodge, powwows, ceremonial foods and ceremonial music. American Indian inmates "are proud of who they are and what they believe in," the lawsuit states, "[and] they are entitled to practice their religion with dignity and with accommodations equal to those afforded to Catholic and Protestant groups." The lawsuit also alleges that Christian groups are provided but the Indian religious group is denied: - Money from which to buy office supplies and other items needed to practice their faith. - Clerks who help keep groups organized and handle paperwork and office space for them. - Weekly services held in a private space. - While Catholic and Protestant inmates can worship privately in the prison chapel, Indians must conduct their smudging ceremonies outside, in between buildings in a heavily trafficked area. Participants have been subject to derogatory comments and unwelcome stares due to the lack of privacy afforded other groups, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to order prison officials to allow members of Sacred Feather, Native American Circle to: - Conduct two smudging ceremonies per week and a pipe ceremony twice a month in a private location. - Provide a place for religious ceremonies to be held during bad weather. - Construct a sweat lodge so ceremonies can be conducted once a month. - Allow members to buy prayer blankets, tribal attire and other religious items that can be kept in their cells. - Allocate a portion of the money set aside for religious activities to Sacred Feather. - Prohibit retaliation against members of the group for bringing the lawsuit. The lead plaintiff in the case is Cote Choneska, 26. He was sentenced in 1998 in Penobscot County Superior Court to 30 years in prison with all but 18 years suspended for shooting a Clifton store owner six times the previous year. Choneska is a Passamaquoddy who grew up in Pleasant Point but spent much of his life in foster care and the Maine Youth Center. He, his brother Tolbert Choneska, then 19, and his cousin, Travis Murphy, then 18, robbed the Clifton Variety Store on March 20, 1997. As the 67-year-old owner opened the cash drawer, Cote Choneska shot the owner six times. The owner survived, but was left partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair. All three teens pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the robbery. Tolbert Choneska and Murphy each were sentenced to five years in prison. Copyright c. 2005 Bangor Daily News. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Rustywire: Melting Snow and Ice" --------- Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2006 08:10:07 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RUSTYWIRE: MELTING SNOW AND ICE" http://www.rustywire.com/love/icebox.html Melting Snow and Ice by Johnny Rustywire It is quiet and with the rush of the holidays over, there are some things to do. I was there in the kitchen sitting at the table when the icebox opened up it was so full things to eat. I went to the open door and you were standing there talking about all that food in there. We reached in found that our hands brushed just lightly, I did not mean for it to happen but it did. At times like this you kind of step back and we did that but there was something in the way you looked. You asked me if I wanted a drink, but it wasn't so much the asking as it was the way you said it. The words seems to drip off your lips, they were moist and wet, they looked pouty but they weren't. It was how they were shaped, maybe the curve of your cheek. You handed me a drink and as you did I could see I was drinking in more than refreshment. I was thirsty and it did not do me any good. As you reached into the icebox, your touch melted the ice and there was a mist coming out surrounding you standing there. I reached out and touched your arm and it was warm to the touch, as you turned I could see into your eyes and there was everything I could want to see there. It was just an icebox, the coolness felt refreshing and with it I touched you and all the ice melted, it was gone. What kind of touch does this, I am not sure but it is one that stays on the mind for all your days. So when I sitting in a car on a hot day, or standing inline someplace I can see you standing there, with those eyes and remember the time when you gave me more than just a drink, you gave me a taste of sweetness that brings a smile to my face and that is what I remember about the icebox and melting sice inside and it was snowiing outside... Copyright c. 1999, Johnny Rustywire, all rights reserved. --------- "RE: History: Carlisle Indian School" --------- Date: Saturday, February 10, 2007 07:48 pm From: Barbara Landis Subj: January 17, 1896 INDIAN HELPER, Carlisle Indian School Newspaper. [Editorial Note: These reprints are being included in this newsletter so that you might know the mind of those who ran institutions like Carlisle.] THE INDIAN HELPER ~%^%~ A WEEKLY LETTER FROM THE Indian Industrial School, Carlisle, Pa. =============================================== VOL. XI. FRIDAY, January 17, 1896 NUMBER 15 =============================================== IT is easy enough to be pleasant When life flows on like a song, But the man worthwhile is the one who smiles When everything else goes wrong; For the test of the heart is trouble, And it always comes with the years, And the smile that is worth the praise of earth Is the smile that shines through tears. =============== HOME SCHOOLS MAKE TRIBES. ------ Not to engender a feeling of strife between the schools on or near the reservation and those remote, but to set forth the facts as they really are we are led to select a few passages from a private letter of an old Carlisle pupil. It is as he says: "We must have a change before long. I have seen enough here to convince me that purely Indian schools only make tribes, and every dollar that is appropriated for the purpose of maintaining these schools is wasted, because the money only benefits the officials who get big pay, while the Indian is left ignorant and half starved. The same might be carried on for one hundred years and the degraded Indian man will be the same, yesterday, today and forever. In a recent days' Ghost dance three of the school girls of the _____ school (a reservation school of prominence) were allowed to come and take part, and they proved to be the best dancers of any. They were also allowed to make their dresses and moccasins before they went out to camp. Every effort is now being made to down every Carlisle boy, but if all the money appropriated for this school (the boy is not connected with the school and views the situation from a disinterested standpoint except for the Indian) were put into the Carlisle school purposes it would be a thousand times better for these people. The salaries of these employees alone would take 100 of the children of my tribe to Carlisle and in five years they would come out strong in manhood and womanhood, while it would take twenty years here to accomplish the same results. I am acquainted with many of the leading men and they want us educated Indians to lead them and tell them what is best for them and their people." ============= HIS FRIEND JOHN ---- He was having his fortune told. "I see," said the medium, "I see the name of John." "Yes," said the sitter. "The name seems to have given you a great deal of trouble." "It has." "This John is an intimate friend." "That's so." "And often leads you to do things you are sorry for." "True." "His influence over you is bad." "Right again." "But you will soon have a quarrel." "I'm glad of that. Now spell out his whole name." The "mejum" wrote some cabalistic words and handed to him. "Do not read until you are at home," she said solemnly. "It is your friend's whole name." When he reached home he lit the gas and read in picket-fence characters the name of his friend. - "Demi-John!" - *Detroit Free Press.* ============ "Liquor dealers have dollars at stake: Christian men have sons at stake. Which are the most valuable?" Yet hundreds of people vote to help the liquor dealers to save their dollars and destroy their sons, and some of them are church members. When will our people learn to place more value on their offspring than on the miserable saloon? ======== What is the smallest bridge in the world? The bridge of the nose. ====================================================== (p 2) The Indian Helper. ----------------------------- PRINTED EVERY FRIDAY, AT THE INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CARLISLE, PA. BY THE INDIAN PRINTER BOYS. ----------------------------- THE INDIAN HELPER is PRINTED by Indian boys, but EDITED by The-Man-on-the-band-stand, who is NOT an Indian. ----------------------------- Price: - 10 cents a year. ============================== Entered in the P.O. at Carlisle as second class mail matter. ============================== Address INDIAN HELPER, Carlisle, Pa. Miss M. Burgess, Manager. ============================== Do not hesitate to take the HELPER from the Post Office, for if you have not paid for it some one else has. It is paid for in advance. ============================== William Moore, '95, is at Haskell, taking the Commercial course. --------- Miss Booth has an interesting article in the last *Southern Workman.* --------- Amelia Clarke has learned how to ride the bicycle and was promoted at last examination to No. 1 in her class at Landsdowne Grammar School. --------- A very pleasant letter from Lucy Enter Lodge Montana, says she is getting along nicely. On Christmas she was homesick for Carlisle. She speaks fo the children of the school there liking Benjamin Caswell, class '92, who is one of the teachers. --------- A Bucks county subscriber in a letter renewing subscription: "I cannot do without this entertaining paper, and though I have never been to Carlisle, I feel acquainted with the students and teachers through its columns." That is one way the HELPER helps the Indians. --------- Miss Fisher, of the Genoa, Nebraska, Indian School, writes that they are having regular New Mexico weather in Nebraska, this fall and winter - very delightful indeed, until the day she wrote them a sand storm was raging. She speaks of the sunrises and sunsets as miracles of beauty. --------- We learn by letter from Oneida, Wisconsin, that Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Metoxen, both Carlisle pupils, have a new little son - Frederick Clifton. It will be remembered that Mrs. Metoxen was Elizabeth Sickles, here. The writer visited her home last fall and found them living very comfortably and happy. Mrs. Wells, who when a Carlisle girl was Mary Parkhurst, is staying with Mrs. Metoxen for a few days. We all know who Mr. Wells is - our old Otto. They also have a charming little boy. "Resolved, That external influences make the man," is the topic for discussion tonight between the Gamma Epsilon Literary Society of the Dickinson Preparatory School, and the Standard Debating Society of the Indian school, in the Assembly Hall of the latter. The judges named are Hon. F.E. Beltzhoover, Judge Biddle and Prof. W.P. Dick, The Indian speakers will take the affirmative, and are Thomas Marshall, Howard E. Gansworth and Elmer B. Simon. The visiting speakers are: F. Warren Roher, Edward Cline and M. Mosser Smyser. There will be music by the Standard Orchestra and other entertaining features. It being the first night of the trolley a large attendance is expected. Judge Henderson will preside. --------- If a person in this day and age don't seize hold of every opportunity to brighten his mind, he is going to be left away behind and will be many times ashamed of himself before he dies with old age. For instance, while the hard, earnest thinkers in the mental gymnasium on the third floor on Friday evenings are using their powers for the uplifting of themselves intellectually those in the gymnasium proper on the first floor are developing the body, which is well; but don't let us be intellectual sluggards, with well developed bodies and dwarfed intellects. A man with a strong, able body and very weak brain is to be pitied. --------- One of the correspondents of the *Standard Panorama,* a paper read weekly before the Standard Debating Society, is Spy, who finds out many interesting things off the ordinary, thus making the paper "Spycy" as it were. Among the items read last week were the following: Prof. Weber of Steamology gave his apprentices an ever-to-be-remembered lecture on steam fitting and engineering, this afternoon. ____ During a recitation in Civil Government in the Junior class the subject of foreign ministers was being discussed. A prominent young lady who is always eager to grasp facts asked: "To what denomination do foreign ministers belong?" --------- In the description of a Floral Tournament given in Pasadena recently, published in the Pasadena Daily Evening *Star,* we see that the wife and daughter of our former Physician, Dr. Grinnell, took a conspicuous part, and that Miss Bessie took a special prize for best girl rider under twelve years of age. The *Star* further says that "Mrs. Grinnell was costumed in a dark-colored habit hung with pepper berries, which, with the trappings of her horse to correspond made her the object of many admiring glances, and that Miss Bessie was in a white habit, with a girdle of oranges about her horse's neck and saddle and with yellow acacia blooms for decorations." --------- The Souvenir still receives many complimentary notices. It is well worth the twenty-five cents cash. Sixty views of the school for twenty-five cents and postage paid. For TEN subscriptions, the Souvenir will be sent to any address in the United States or Canada, FREE, but a two-cent stamp extra must accompany the subscriptions to pay postage. For thirty cents the HELPER for a year and a souvenir are yours. ==================================================== p. 3 Cold noses. Good wheeling. No mud these days. Good skating keeps up. Fur caps are comfortable. How long are the days, now. Ye Standards, cheer up, and go in. Let the mind filter what the eye beholds. Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle. Rarely is the biggest blower the biggest knower. The world owes no one a living unless he earns it. Prof. Bakeless talked on the Transvaal last Saturday night. Three cheers for the trolley! We never expected to see it. Yum! Yum! A barrel of apples from Bucks county goes to the spot. If you receive a sample HELPER take it as a friendly invitation to subscribe. Mrs. Jane M. Ritner of Carlisle, was a guest of Mrs. Bushman on Wednesday. As we go to press on Thursday Mr. Standing arrives from Washington and Atlanta. A colt is of no use until he is broke, but boys, it is different with a bicycle. Hon. Chas. Teel and daughter of Brooklyn, were visitors at the school this week. There is a good deal of doctrinal preaching just now and some of it is "Monroe Doctrine." Samuel Gruett is doing clerical work in Miss Luckenbach's office, copying the quarterly report. Wheeling on the ice was indulged in to a limited extent on Saturday by a few lovers of the exercise. Mr. Gardner, Superintendent of Carpentry, returned from Atlanta this week and is again at his post of duty. Visitors have been numerous this week. Wait till they "catch on" to the trolley, and we will have more. Never were such crowds on the ice as last Saturday afternoon. It is estimated that over 1500 people were there. The Invincibles all along have had the best orchestra, but the Standards are just now producing some excellent music. Josiah George is fast mastering the wheel. It is a difficulty for him to tip his cap while en route, but - well-wheelment know the rest. If each subscriber would send ONE subscription, what a tremendous leap we would make in our circulation, and how it would help the HELPER help! Delia Randell, of the New Haven School of Nursing, is spending her vacation at her Carlisle home. She looks better in health than we ever saw her. Mr. Isaac Forney, formerly fireman at our school, but now an employee of the great Steelton works, was among the callers on Wednesday. Fine air. Job work plentiful. A life class has been organized in the art department, and mechanical drawing has been introduced. Paul Hayne was the happy recipient of a box of goodies from his farm parents. This is the second box this year, and Paul is having lots of friends. Glad to see the trolley train men changing a crooked pole which they had placed at the end of the line near the dining-hall for a nice graceful straight one. Nothing from the Susans or Invincibles this week. Are all the wide awake students in the Standards, as would appear by the columns of this week's HELPER? Mr. Standing stopped off at Washington on his way north from Atlanta, to attend the meeting of the Board of Indian Commissioners held in Washington, this week. Several very good pieces of charcoal work have been finished in the art class the last week, among them a landscape by Alice Parker which deserves particular mention. While in some large cities they are putting down expensive bicycle tracks for wheelers, we have the best possible track here all the while on which we said free of cost, and we appreciate the blessing. IF you can't say anything in the columns of your paper in regard to my work but "marked progress" don't say anything, said one of the faculty. All right, we will studiously conform to the latter part of the request. The talks for the week at the opening exercises of the School were upon Natural History and the Museum in New York City, by Miss Cutter, Michigan University Life, by Miss Elizabeth Hench, and Search Lights and their Uses, by Professor Bakeless. Yesterday, the Seniors, Junior, Graduates, Officers, and several members of the faculty celebrated the completion of the trolley out to the school, by taking a ride to the cave and return. While at the creek they put in an hour of fine skating. Miss Shaffner gave two lectures at Lansdowne, last week and one of the girls in that quarter writes "We were proud of our school mother." Miss Shaffner occasionally has an evening off, and she is one who loses no time either in receiving or giving information. Jokes and pleasant lively talk aid digestion, as was the case at a party given by Miss Luckenbach in her rooms Wednesday evening, to the use-to-be orderlies, who have passed from Mrs. Given's quarters to the Large Boy's quarters. It was conceded by all that they had a most delightful time. "I want something on the Boston Tea Party," said a lad upon entering the Principal's office the other day, and to show the completeness of the topical classification of the new reference library, it may be said that it was but a moment's work to find just the book wanted. First a glance at the historical cards in the card-case, which gave the topic and the number of the shelf and book, then but a step to the shelf. ====================================================== p. 4 APPRECIATES THE INDIAN AS WELL AS THE SOUVENIR. ------- Are the Canada Indians Ahead? A Montgomery county subscriber says: "I am taking the HELPER and like it ever so much, and look forward with bright anticipation to the coming of the Souvenir, as I used to see so many Indians in Canada, my native country. Here I have not seen an Indian for eighteen years. I miss them ever so much, when Spring comes. That was their usual time of calling on country white people and we never feared their coming. I never knew an Indian to steal, and think they are all right if they are justly dealt with. In Canada many of them live the same as white people. They have brick and stone houses, and I knew one who owned a large hotel and was the landlord himself. I feel much interested in the welfare of the Indians. ============ FEINT PRAISE. ----- Hampton has been much interested in the success of the Carlisle Foot Ball team and rejoices in the praise it has won for good playing and gentlemanly conduct. Here we have too few boys who can afford time from school and trade to make games more than a pastime, but every Indian boy's heart beats in sympathy with those who can and do win honors for the race. -[*Southern Workman.* A very little if any time was taken from school or their trades by the Carlisle football team, as nearly all the games with colleges and universities were with men who were as busy in their studies as we are, and all our practicing was done after school, during the period given daily for athletic sports and exercise. It may be appropriate to note in this connection, that some colored and Indian students of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Virginia, are giving a prolonged series of concerts and meetings in the large cities of the north, which no doubt will result in great good for that noble institution if said students do lose considerable time from their trades and studies. ========== It gives people who have not been in the Indian Territory a startlingly new idea of what an Indian chief may be to learn that the chief of the Osages, on learning that the destruction by fire of St. Ann's Academy, Kansas, telegraphed the principal to draw on him for $10,000 toward the rebuilding fund. THE REAL CAMP INDIAN DOGS. ------ It is said, and the writer knows from experience that it is true, that Indian dogs hate a white man as far as he can be seen. In times gone by when a white man driving through the Pawnee country saw a dog by the roadside, his natural impulse was to whistle in a friendly way, for somehow in a wilderness of prairie or forest a dog is a comfortable sight. But the instant you whistle to an Indian dog he turns his tail and is out of sight quicker than if he had been kicked. An Indian never whistles to his dog when he wants his beast to come to him; he places his tongue against his teeth and hisses. ========== SWEDES FRIENDLY TO THE INDIANS. --------- A Swede boy subscriber in Jamestown, N.Y. writes thus interestingly: "I am a Swede boy of thirteen. I have read somewhere in United States history about the Swedes who welcomed William Penn, when he came over from England. They did quite a business with the Indians. They treated the Indians well and the Indians and Swedes had no trouble with each other. I have not heard that an Indian ever was decorated with the scalp of a Swede. Kit was only with those of their enemies. I have no enemies that I know of, but I do know that I have a warm feeling for the original inhabitants of this great country. Yours truly, AXIL B. GORANSON. ============ It is said that Bear-that-runs-through-the-woods-stands-on-his-hind-legs-and-eats-nuts is the name of an Indian at Pine Ridge, S.D. ========= I say Patrick what are you about? Sweeping out the Room? No, I am seeping out the dirt. ========= Enigma. I am composed of 14 letters. My 3, 6, 7 is an animal offered in sacrifice. My 6, 7 is a form of the verb "to be." My 1, 8, 13 means everything. My 11, 12, 4, 13 we burn in our stoves. My 9, 10, 14 is a hotel. My 5, 6, 2, 9 (with the letter t added) is a custom. My whole is a name of one of our greatest Presidents, whose life and character a subscriber hopes to see the Indians emulate. -------- ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S ENIGMA: Do honest work. ================================================= Transcribed from the original by Barbara Landis-- http://www.carlisleindianschool.org There is a blog with space for comments linked among the menu options on the web pages. Watch for news of upcoming Carlisle exhibits at Dickinson College, Cumberland Co Historical Society and Carlisle Barracks, along with a symposium, this Fall. ================================================== Barbara C. Landis PO Box 1451, Carlisle PA 17013 Carlisle Indian School Research Pages http://www.carlisleindianschool.org Tel: 717.418.2158 (cell) --------- "RE: Lee Goins Poem: Ancestor Ceremony" --------- Date: Monday, January 08, 2007 04:44 am From: cherokee2proud [cherokee2proud@yahoo.com] Subj: Ancestor Ceremony Mailing List: N. A. Poetry Ancestor Ceremony Drumming for the old ones On this scared burnt land We shook homemade rattles Clay cups were held high Candles aflame Tapping rocks Calling to the old ones Eyes and ears tuned Spinning, as enchanted wheels Hands to the sky On this dry brown land Feet were churning Drumming Deep in the heart Thunder beats Feathers blowing Through the breeze The Ancestor's Spirits Bringing scent of ancient sage Riding an Eagle The ancient turquoise sky Opens with wings. Lee Goins Copyright c. 2007 --------- "RE: Upcoming Events" --------- Date: Mon Feb 19, 2007 14:29:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith (gars@speakeasy.org) Subj: Upcoming Events =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= EVENTS ARE FEATURED IN ODD NUMBERED ISSUES ONLY =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//- Notice of Copyright Clearance by Contributors: The following have granted permission for their original articles to be reposted in order to help mend the Sacred Hoop: Gary Smith, Glen Welker, Ed Welch, Editors/Chiapas 95, Mary Ann Tenuto, John Ross, Frosty Deere, Kahentinetha Horn, Janet Smith, Debbie Sanders, Johnny Rustywire, Barbara Landis, Lee Goins --//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//- _ __ __ _ / | / /___ _/ /_(_) __ __ / |/ / __ \ __/ / | / / _ \ / /| / /_/ / /_/ /| |/ / __/ /_/ |_/\__,_/\__/_/ |___/\___/ ______ _ / ____/____ ___ __________(_)___ ____ _____ / / / ___/ __ \/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ \/ ___/ / /___/ / / /_/ /__ /__ / / / / / /_/ /__ / \____/_/ \____/____/____/_/_/ /_/\__, /____/ Volume 15,Issue 008 /____/ February 19, 2007 Native Crossings (c) is a separately emailed suppliment to Wotanging Ikche (c) Native American News (c) dedicated to the memory of those in Indian Country who have begun their spirit journeys It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> 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. <================<<<< >>>>================> 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. <================<<<< >>>>================> --------- "RE: Ray Patencio" --------- Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:54:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RAY PATENCIO" http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_5208647 Tribal elder worked for Indians' rights Obituary: Patencio helped Agua Caliente tribe build on its land, establish casinos. Associated Press February 11, 2007 PALM SPRINGS - Tribal elder Ray Patencio, who fought for sovereignty for the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians and led them through dramatic changes, has died. He was 60. Patencio died Thursday, the eve of his 61st birthday, at his Palm Springs home after an undisclosed illness, tribal spokeswoman Nancy Conrad said. "His whole life was one of service to the community and to the tribe," Agua Caliente chairman Richard M. Milanovich said in a statement. Patencio was 21 when first selected to the tribal council. He became an advocate for sovereignty, battling for the tribe's right to freely build on its land in a mission that led to lucrative casinos. He was a lifelong advocate of Indian nation rights and cultural heritage. In the 19th century, partly to allow for construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Congress parceled out one-square-mile plots of desert land, one to the railroad, the next to the Indians. It created a checkerboard pattern of Coachella Valley land ownership. Although the Agua Caliente owned more than 30,000 acres of land on their reservation, federal regulations severely restricted its development. That changed with two federal rulings in the mid-1970s. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the tribe's sovereignty in 1975 and the Department of Interior declared the tribe exempt from zoning and development limits imposed by the city of Palm Springs. Patencio became chairman of the tribe's gaming commission in 1995, the year Agua Caliente opened its first casino. Under a compact with the state, the tribe oversees the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. Patencio has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. It was unveiled 11 months ago. He is survived by his wife Mary Kay and four children from a previous marriage. Copyright c. 2007 Long Beach Press-Telegram, Los Angeles Newspaper Group. --------- "RE: Ray Patencio" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:24:45 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RAY PATENCIO" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414528 Holy road Ray Patencio, leader in the fight for Agua Caliente sovereignty, passes by: The Associated Press February 19, 2007 PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) - Tribal elder Ray Patencio, who fought for sovereignty for the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians and led them through dramatic changes, has died. He was 60. Patencio died Feb. 8, the eve of his 61st birthday, at his Palm Springs home after an undisclosed illness, tribal spokesman Nancy Conrad said. "His whole life was one of service to the community and to the tribe," Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich said in a statement. Patencio was 21 when first selected to the tribal council. He became an advocate for sovereignty, battling for the tribe's right to freely build on its land in a mission that led to lucrative casinos. He was a lifelong advocate of Indian nation rights and cultural heritage. In the 19th century, partly to allow for construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Congress parceled out one-square-mile plots of desert land: one to the railroad, the next to the Indians. It created a checkerboard pattern of Coachella Valley land ownership. Although the Agua Caliente owned more than 30,000 acres of land on their reservation, federal regulations severely restricted its development. That changed with two federal rulings in the mid-1970s. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the tribe's sovereignty in 1975 and the Department of the Interior declared the tribe exempt from zoning and development limits imposed by the city of Palm Springs. Patencio became chairman of the tribe's gaming commission in 1995, the year Agua Caliente opened its first casino. Under a compact with the state, the tribe oversees the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. Patencio has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. It was unveiled 11 months ago. Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Andrew Old Elk" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:24:45 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ANDREW OLD ELK" http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/02/19/news/state/75-crow.txt Crow tribal secretary dies By The Associated Press February 19, 2007 CROW AGENCY - Andrew Old Elk, secretary of the Crow Tribe, died Sunday at a Billings hospital. He was 62. Tribal officials confirmed the death of Old Elk, elected on Nov. 6, 2004. The cause of death was not disclosed immediately. "We've lost a great leader," Crow Chairman Carl Venne said. Old Elk served on a committee with a key role in efforts to develop petroleum resources on the Crow reservation. He saw the development of natural resources as an important step toward ending poverty among Crow members. Old Elk traveled to Washington, D.C., a number of times as an advocate for the tribe and its projects. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin was handling arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright c. The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Crossings" --------- Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:39:38 -0600 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CROSSINGS" Copyright c. 1999-2007 The Buffalo News. February 14, 2007 Bonnie C. Locklear Thompson Pembroke Bonnie C. Locklear Thompson, 63, of 945 Townsend Chapel Road, died Feb. 10, 2007, at home. The funeral will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Bear Swamp Baptist Church in Pembroke. Burial will follow at Lowry's Cemetery in Lumberton. Surviving are her husband, Ronald Thompson of Pembroke; two sons, Bentley Locklear Jr. of Charlotte and Demetrius Locklear of Pembroke; three daughters, Tammy Locklear of Las Vegas, Yvette Strickland of Laurinburg and Vickie Locklear Sampson of Pembroke; four brothers, Ponce De Leon II, Gregory, Mark and Stevie Chavis, all of Pembroke; two sisters, Odessa Hall of Pembroke and Lucille Chavis of Raeford; 16 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The funeral will be from 7 to 9 tonight at Revels Funeral Home in Pembroke. February 15, 2007 Letha Mae Hunt Rowland Letha "Splinter" Mae Hunt, 79, of 68 Sealy Road, died Feb. 11, 2007, at McLeod Medical Center in Dillon, S.C. The funeral will be 3 p.m. Thursday at Benson Chapel Baptist Church in Rowland, the Revs. William Chavis, Prather Sampson and Willie Howard Hunt officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Surviving are three sons, Roger Dale Hunt of Charlotte, Robert Paul Hunt of Pembroke and Glenn Davis Hunt of Rowland; four daughters, Sarah Elizabeth Oxendine of Cheraw, S.C., Joyce Hunt of Lumberton, Clara Owens and Elizabeth Ann Hunt, both of Rowland; eight grandchildren she raised as her own, Mary Margaret Mitchell and Ellis Jacobs, both of Florida, Billy Dean Hunt, Judy Jacobs, Perry Jacobs and Janice Chavis, all of Rowland, Larry Jacobs of Fayetteville, and Jennifer Hunt of Fairmont; 27 grandchildren; and 42 great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight at Boles Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Rowland. February 19, 2007 Willard Brantley Locklear Pembroke Willard Brantley Locklear, 90, of 461 Hayes Locklear Road, died Feb. 16, 2007, at home. The funeral will be 2 p.m. Monday at Union Chapel Community Baptist Church, the Revs. Jimmy Strickland, Dufrene Cummings and Kip Woods officiating. Burial will follow at Locklear family cemetery. The family said: "Willard Brantley Locklear went home to be with the Lord on Friday, Feb. 16, 2007, at 3:55 p.m. at his home in the Union Chapel Community surrounded by family and friends." He was born March 30, 1916, in the Union Chapel Community near Pembroke in Robeson County, N.C. A Sunday School teacher for 35 years at Union Chapel Community Baptist Church, which he helped to found and build, he served his community and church for more than 60 years in many capacities, including fund-raiser and outreach minister to help poor and needy families and individuals. For many years, he was a major part of the Revs. Claudie Dial and Wade Locklear tent ministry. A successful tobacco farmer, he and his wife raised their children on his father's farm where he grew up and lived until his death. Locklear was preceded in death by his parents, Hayes and Fodie Woodell Locklear; three sisters, Strawdie Brooks, Winnie Lee Revels and Daisy Oxendine, all of Pembroke; and a brother, Merlin Locklear of Pembroke. Surviving are his wife of 71 years, Pearlie Emanuel Locklear; 10 children, including four daughters, Ruth Locklear Revels and Foncine Collier and her husband, Derwood, all of Greensboro, Maxine Oxendine and her husband, Brantley, and Charity Revels and her husband, Ronnie, of Pembroke; six sons, Jessie W. Locklear and his wife, Mary Helen, Calvin Cooledge Locklear and his wife, Dorothy, Bradley B. Locklear and his wife, Paulette, George D. Locklear and his wife, Rose, all of Pembroke, Dr. Jim Locklear and his wife, JoAnn, of Raleigh and Dwayne Locklear and his wife, Sharon, of Lumberton; four sisters, Maudie Cummings and her husband, Simeon, Hazel Jacobs and her husband, Archie, Rosie Lee Maynor and Geneva Kennedy and her husband, Wayland, all of Pembroke; and a brother, Hayes Locklear Jr. and his wife, Louise, of Pembroke; 37 grandchildren and 17 in-laws; 53 great-grandchildren and three in-laws; six great-great- grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. As a tribute to dad, the children would like to say a special thanks to his caregivers over the past years. They are Donna Monte, RN; Tammy Jones, RN; Wanda Carter, RN; Mary Brooks, CNA; Donna Stubbs, CNA; Ellen Lowry, CNA; Shonda Jones, CNA; and Pam Oxendine. We would also like to recognize special grandchildren and great-grandchildren for services provided to their grandpa during his years of sickness. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight at Revels Funeral Home in Lumberton and other times at the home of Pearlie Mae Locklear, 461 Hayes Locklear Road, Pembroke. Hilton Jacobs Elizabethtown Hilton Jacobs, 58, of 804 S. Poplar St., formerly of Raeford, died Feb. 15, 2007, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. The funeral will be 3 p.m. Monday at Vision of Christ in Raeford, the Revs. Hulin Chavis and Matthew Jones officiating. Burial will follow at St. Anna Church Cemetery in Pembroke. Surviving are five sons, Perry Dwayne Jacobs, Charles Anthony Jacobs and Edward Hilton Jacobs, all of Elizabethtown and Daryl Locklear and Derek Locklear, both of Raeford; three daughters, Sylvia Ann Jacobs of Elizabethtown and Christina Riggins and Juanita Guthrie, both of Raeford; three brothers, Roman Jacobs and Jerry Jacobs, both of Raeford and Cecil Jacobs of Red Springs; two sisters, Janice Cooper of Wagram and Rachael Johnson of Thomasville; and 10 grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight at Heritage Funeral Home in Red Springs. Gwendolyn Hunt Oxendine Fairmont Gwendolyn Hunt Oxendine, 44, of 9790 U.S. 130, died Feb. 15 at her home. The funeral will be 3 p.m. Sunday at Pleasant View Baptist Church in Fairmont, the Revs. Ricky Burnett, Chester Chavis and James Jones officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Oxendine was a teacher at Rosenwald Elementary School and a member of Pleasant View Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her mother, Rosie Locklear Hunt; her maternal grandparents, Clarence and Reva Locklear; and her paternal grandparents, Marvin and Mary Bell Hunt. Surviving are her husband, James Larce Oxendine of the home; two daughters, Melissa Oxendine and Brittany Oxendine, both of the home; her father and stepmother, Jimmy Lynn and Helen Hunt of Fairmont; three sisters, Olivia Hunt, Beth Hunt and Lynnettah Hunt, all of Fairmont; and a brother, Jamie Hunt of Fairmont. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight at Floyd Funeral Services in Fairmont and other times at the home at 9790 N.C. 130 East, Fairmont. Copyright c. 2007 The Robesonian, Lumberton, NC. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Bonnie L. Thompson PEMBROKE - Mrs. Bonnie C. Locklear Thompson, 63, of 945 Townsend Chapel Road, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007, in her home. Services: Funeral, 2 p.m. Wednesday in Bear Swamp Baptist Church. Burial in Lowery's Cemetery in Lumberton. Visitation: 7 to 9 tonight at Revels Funeral Home in Pembroke. Survived by: Husband, Ronald; sons, Bentley, Demetrius Locklear; daughters, Tammy Locklear, Yvette Strickland and Vickie Sampson; brothers, Ponce De Leon, Gregory, Mark, Stevie Chavis; sisters, Odessa Hall and Lucille Chavis; 16 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. February 14, 2007 Letha M. Hunt ROWLAND - Mrs. Letha "Splinter" Mae Hunt, 79, of 68 Sealy Road, died Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007. Services: Funeral, 3 p.m. Thursday in Benson Chapel Baptist Church. Visitation, 7 to 9 tonight at Boles Funeral Home in Rowland, Survived by: Sons, Roger, Robert and Glenn; daughters, Sarah Oxendine, Clara Owens, Joyce and Elizabeth; 35 grandchildren; and 42 great- -grandchildren. Boles Funeral Home of Rowland. February 16, 2007 Helen Locklear SHANNON - Mrs. Helen Locklear, 81, of 11254 Rennent Road, died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007, in Duke University Medical Center in Durham. Services: Funeral, 3 p.m. Sunday in Zion Baptist Chruch. Burial in church cemetery. Visitation: 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Crumpler Funeral Home in Red Springs. Survived by: Daughters, Bertha Adams and May; son, Osmer; sister, Magaline Jacobs; 16 grandchildren; and 35 grandchildren. Louis Dial PEMBROKE - Louis Dial, 68, of 407 S. Pine St., died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007, in Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital in Fayetteville. Services: Funeral, 2 p.m. Saturday in Revels Funeral Home in Pembroke. Burial at a later date. Visitation: 7 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Survived by: Wife, Willie; son, Stevie; daughters, Donna, Crystal and China; brother, George Locklear; sister, Bonnie Sanderson; and four grandchildren. February 17, 2007 Gwendolyn H. Oxendine FAIRMONT - Mrs. Gwendolyn Hunt Oxendine, 44, of 9790 N.C. 130 East, died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007. Services: Funeral, 3 p.m. Sunday in Pleasant View Baptist Church. Burial in Pleasant View Church cemetery. Visitation, 7 to 9 tonight at Floyd Funeral Services in Fairmont; and at other times at the home. Survived by: Husband, James; daughters, Melissa and Brittany; father, Jimmy Hunt; stepmother, Helen Hunt; sisters, Olivia Hunt, Beth Hunt and Lynnettah Hunt; and brother, Jamie Hunt. Copyright c. 2007 The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Thomas Paul "Pete" Martin Cherokee - Thomas Paul (Pete) Martin, Jr., 42, of the Birdtown Community dies Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007 in a Buncombe County Hospital. A native of Swain County, he was the son of the late Verna Nora Washington McCoy of Cherokee and the late Thomas Paul Martin, Sr. and a step father Harold Dean McCoy. He also was preceded in death by a sister Caroll Deanah McCoy. In addition to his mother he is survived by three sisters, Missie Martin, Darlene McCoy, and Denise McCoy all of Cherokee. 11 nieces and nephews, seven great nieces and nephews, and several Aunts and Uncles. The graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesdsay at the Martin Family Cemetery on Hyatt Cove Rd. The Revs. James (Bo) Parris and Percy Cunningham will officiate. The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Crisp Funeral Home. Copyright c. 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Dwight Bellanger, Sr. Dwight Bellanger, Sr. ( Inni biide miskwaa, "Man in red"), 55 a Bureau of Indian Affairs Captain of Police, Spirit Lake Nation, Fort Totten, ND died at his residence Tuesday, February 6, 2007 after a short battle with cancer. Funeral Services will be 2:00 pm, Thursday, February 15, 2007 at the Red Lake Humanities Building in Red Lake , MN . A law enforcement funeral procession will begin at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, February 14 at the Cease Family Funeral Home in Bemidji and the wake will begin on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at the Redby Community Center in Redby , MN and continue until the time of service on Thursday. Interment will be at the St. Antipas Episcopal Cemetery in Redby , MN under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji. Dwight was born April 20, 1951 in Red Lake , MN the son of Phyllis and Daniel Bellanger. He grew up with his family in the Cooper City area of Redby. Dwight began his Law Enforcement career in 1975, working for the Red Lake Police Department as a Bureau of Affairs, Police Officer. During 1981 to 1983, he did take a break in law enforcement and moved to the Minneapolis area. In 1983, Dwight restarted his career back in Red Lake as a Bureau of Indian Affairs, Police Officer After a few years back in service, Dwight was promoted to Sergeant of Police. In 1993, Dwight got his Canine Officer Keno. Dwight and Keno served together for several years. In November 1996 Dwight transferred to Lame Deer, Montana , Crow Agency. After a year of service in Lame Deer, Dwight was selected as Captain of Police, for Fort Totten , North Dakota , Spirit Lake Agency. Dwight continued serving in this position until his death. During his 28 year Law Enforcement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Dwight was detailed to serve on several other Indian communities through out the United States . Even after his departure from Red Lake , Dwight served his own home reservation, Red Lake Nation. During his career Dwight became very well versed in Law Enforcement knowledge and experience. Dwight had been planning on retiring from the Bureau in August of 2007, but not from Law Enforcement as he did plan on returning to Red Lake and serving as the Director of Public Safety. Dwight spent his non-working hours with his family as much as possible. He enjoyed participating in his children's school activities, attending pow-wows, family gatherings, and trying his hand at the Casinos. He is survived by wife, Diane and their six children, Damien Charnoski, Dwight Bellanger, Jr., Demery, Darnell and Daniel Bellanger all of Fort Totten and his daughter Darian Bellanger also of Fort Totten and Kathy Blue of Minneapolis. Diane and Dwight were also raising two granddaughters who came to live with them during the spring of 2006. Dwight is also survived by two other grandchildren of Bagley , MN . Also surviving is his mother, Phyllis Jourdain of Minneapolis, sister Lorraine Bellanger, brothers Roy Roberts, Arthur Bellanger, Melvin Jourdain all of Minneapolis, Daniel Bellanger of Red Lake and Joseph Bellanger of Portland, Oregon, sisters Judy Bellanger of Minneapolis and Joyce Strong of Bemidji. He was preceded in death by father, Daniel Bellanger, 2 brothers David and Antoine Bellanger along with numerous aunts, uncles and nephews Honorary Casketbearers will be his fellow officers of the Ft. Totten Reservation and the Red Lake Police Department. Active Casketbearers will be his sons Dwight, Jr. and Damien Charnoski, nephew Donovan Wind, brothers Daniel Bellanger and Melvin Jourdain, fellow officers Terry Morgan, Darrell Trottier and Pat Graves and alternates will be Jerry Lenoir, Jr. and Fabian Wind. February 14, 2007 Memprial Dinner - Henry 'Stretch' Sumner February 18, 2007 Little Rock Center 2:00 PM All Relatives and Friends Invited Memorial - In Loving emory of Our Daughter & Sister TeAnn Lyons & Patches Lyons 2/17/2004 12/8/2006 We don't need a special day to bring you to our minds. The days we don't think of you are very hard to find. Each morning when we wake we know that you are gone. No one knows the heartache as we try to carry on. Our hearts still ache with the sadness and secret tears still flow. What it meant to lose you no one will ever know. Our thoughts are always with you, your place no one can ever fill. In life we loved you dearly; in death we love you still. Rest in Peace our "Baby Girl". Sadly missed by Mom, Dad, Dan, Misty and Arlin Memorials - Marilyn E. Beaulieu Mom/Ole Grandma Marilyn E. Beaulieu A year has passed and A light from our household is gone A voice we loved is stilled A place is vacant in our home That never can be filled Lonely is the home without you Life to us is not the same The entire world would be like heaven If we could have you back again Julie and Jesse Marilyn E. Beaulieu He Cares for You Whatever life shall bring your way Through each and every fleeting day Throughout the months and long years, too God in His Heaven shall care for you So, with this knowledge, may you go Serenely and content to know Whatever comes your whole life through God in His Heaven shall care for you Mom February 14, 2006 Louis Northbird Jr. Louis "Acey" Northbird Jr., 51, of Cass Lake, died on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at Fairview University Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn. Traditional funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Veteran's Memorial Building in Cass Lake with Spiritual Leader Thomas Stillday Jr. officiating. A wake will begin at 3 p.m. today at the Veteran's Memorial Building and continue until the time of the service on Friday. The Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji assisted the family with arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 Red Lake Net News. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Barb Hauck-Olson Barb Hauck-Olson, age 69, of Perley, Minn., died Jan. 19, at the Halstad Living Center, Halstad, Minn., after a courageous battle with cancer. Barbara Mae Bellanger was born Dece. 9, 1937, in White Earth to Aloyouis and Isabell (Shaugobay) Bellanger. As a child, she lived near Naytahwaush and later attended Wahpeton Indian School in Wahpeton, N.D. She worked in the Minneapolis area for awhile before returning to Mahnomen. On Jan. 23, 1959, Barb was united in marriage to Melford Hauck. The couple made their first home in Fargo and soon thereafter moved to Perley. Barb stayed very busy as a mother of six, as well as working several jobs. She was employed by the Steiger Tractor Company and the Silverline Boat Company. Following Melford's death in 1977, Barb continued to live in Perley but studied Culinary Arts at the Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Detroit Lakes. She used her education in cooking to work at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and later at the Shooting Star Casino. Throughout the years, Barb also spent much of her time creating beautiful beadwork. Her exclusive designs were sold nationwide and often worn by the famous Waylon Jennings. She loved to play Bingo, Keno, and slots. Barb cherished her family and each of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her memory will be held in the hearts of many. She is survived by one son, Bill (Pam) of Hendrum, Minn.; four daughters: Debra (David) Stordahl of Hendrum, Theresa Lass of Bagley, Dawn Hauck of Fargo, and Deaune (Randy) Bauers also of Hendrum; two brothers: Joseph (Lucy), and Vernon, both of Minneapolis; six sisters: Ruby Buehner of Naytahwaush, Patricia Olson of Mahnomen, Ruth Jean Danielowski of St. Louis Park, Minn., Florence Howell of Coon Rapids, Minn., Kathlene (Mike) O'Connell of Fridley, Minn., and Lorna (Paul) Reinhart of Perley; 13 grandchildren and five great grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews. Barb was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband Melford; one son; one granddaughter; one brother; one niece and one nephew. A Memorial Service was held Jan. 22, at Samuel Memorial Episcopal Church in Naytahwaush, with Mother Lisa Smith officiating. Arrangements: Anderson-Mattson Funeral Home of Mahnomen. Online guestbook: andersonmattson.com Leonard Lloyd Saeland Leonard Lloyd Saeland, 68, of Mahnomen, died Jan. 19, at his home under hospice care. Leonard was born June 18, 1938, in White Earth to Carl and Emily (LaFriniere) Saeland. He grew up in the Roy Lake area and attended school in Mahnomen and the Uran Country School. Leonard moved with his mother to the Cloquet, Minn., area, where he met Deanna Jangela. The couple later united in marriage and had seven children. Leonard worked at Hongisto Implement as a mechanic, working on cars and small engines. Leonard later shared his life with Teresa Lea, and they were blessed with four children. Over the years, they made their home in Duluth, Detroit Lakes, and eventually settling back at Roy Lake. They owned and operated a sawmill business near their home. Leonard also attended Detroit Lakes Vocational Tech where he studied Culinary Arts. For many years he worked various seasonal positions. Mechanics and woodworking were two hobbies Leonard truly enjoyed. He could often be found in the garage, as he loved to tinker with small motors and wood. Leonard also enjoyed a good cigar, cooking, and baking unbelievable breads. He spent a lot of time outdoors taking in the natural beauty of the woods and the animals. Leonard was a devoted supporter of the St. Jude's Foundation for Children. Leonard is survived by four sons: Kevin of Alpaugh, Calif., Timothy of Portland, Ore., John of Bejou, and Leon of Mahnomen; six daughters: Cynthia Speicher of Boise, Idaho, Stephenie Donohue of Middle Grove, N.Y., Michelle Mulbreght of Portland, Ore., Elizabeth Tomasso of Conway, Ark., Tammy Stewart also of Portland and Amy Saeland of Bemidji; 22 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; three brothers: Carroll of Willmar, Minn., Monty of International Falls, Minn., and Raymond of Cloquet, Minn.; and one sister, Marion Olson of Duluth. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Tom; two grandsons; a brother, Eugene; and a sister, Franchin Moreland. Blessed be the memory of Leonard Lloyd Saeland. A Memorial Services was held Jan. 26, at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Naytahwaush. Darrell G. Boswell Darrell G. Boswell, 65, of McIntosh, Minn., died Feb. 5, at McIntosh Manor Nursing Home in McIntosh. Darrell G. Boswell was born to Frank and Evelyn (Fairbanks) Boswell on Jan. 23, 1942 in White Earth. He attended school in Waubun and Detroit Lakes. As a young man, Darrell moved to Minneapolis, and lived there for many years before moving back to Detroit Lakes. He has been a resident at McIntosh Manor since 2005. Surviving Darrell are his daughter Darlene, of Minneapolis; two sisters: Betty Johnson and Phyllis Bergerson, both of Detroit Lakes; five brothers: Paul "Bud" (Maxine) Boswell of Waubun, Gerald "Smokey" Boswell of Idaho, Donald Boswell of Michigan, Richard "Jimmy" Boswell of Naytahwaush and James Boswell of Detroit Lakes; as well as many nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents; sisters Geraldine Boswell and LeMay Malinowski; and brothers William, Frank and Terrance Boswell. Funeral services were Feb. 9, at West-Kjos Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes. Interment: Oak Grove Cemetery in Detroit Lakes. Arrangements: West-Kjos Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes. Memorial In loving memory of Jesse "Jed" Giard and Michelle "Shep" Brown Little did we know that morning God was calling your names. In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone. Part of us went with you the day God called you home. You left us peaceful memories. Your love is still our guide. And though we cannot see you, you are always at our side. Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, but when God calls us one by one, the chain will link again. We miss you both so much and will always keep you in our hearts Copyright c. 2007 Anishinaabeg Today, White Earth, MN. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Dwight Bellanger Sr. (Miska-e-ninni, "Man in red"), 55 Dwight Bellanger Sr. (Miska-e-ninni, "Man in red"), 55, of Spirit Lake Nation, Fort Totten, N.D., died on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, at his residence after a short battle with cancer. A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Red Lake Humanities Building in Red Lake. A law enforcement funeral procession will begin at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji. A wake will begin on Wednesday at the Redby Community Center in Redby and continue until the time of the service on Thursday. Burial will be in St. Antipas Episcopal Cemetery in Redby. February 14, 2007 Louis Northbird Jr., 51 Louis "Acey" Northbird Jr., 51, of Cass Lake, died on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at Fairview University Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn. Traditional funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Veteran's Memorial Building in Cass Lake with Spiritual Leader Thomas Stillday Jr. officiating. A wake will begin at 3 p.m. today at the Veteran's Memorial Building and continue until the time of the service on Friday. The Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji assisted the family with arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 The Pioneer/Bemidji, MN. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Sharon Josephine Carry Moccasin FORT YATES - Sharon Josephine Carry Moccasin, 57, Fort Yates, died Feb. 9, 2007, at Medcenter One, Bismarck. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at St. James Catholic Church, Porcupine, with the Rev. William Cosgrove officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Perry Funeral Home, Mandan. A wake service will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Fort Yates. Visitation continues from noon until time of service at St. James Catholic Church. Sharon was born Sept. 15, 1949, at Porcupine, to Jesse and Agnes (Cottonwood) Carry Moccasin. She was raised and educated in Porcupine and Cannon Ball. She received her GED and continued her education in food service at United Tribes Technical College. She was a cook at the Nutrition Center, Fort Yates, until her health failed. Sharon was a very friendly and humble woman who cared about everyone - especially her 14 grandchildren including her granddaughter, Belle, whom she raised. She spent a great deal of time babysitting and caring for her grandchildren. She is survived by three daughters, Lonnette Wise Spirit (Jody), Selfridge, Tanya J. Wise Spirit (Ken), Fort Yates, and April Iron Hawk, Fort Yates; three sons, Matthew "Sunday" Wise Spirit and Chuck Wise Spirit, both of Fort Yates, and LaVoye "Cowboy" Wise Spirit, Mandaree; five sisters and three brothers-in-law, Eunice Carry Moccasin, Fort Yates, Florestine and Malcolm Grant and Patricia Carry Moccasin, all of Cannon Ball, and Rose and Norman Westbrook and Lenette and Joe Kraft, all of Bismarck; two brothers, Albert and Shannon Carry Moccasin, both of Bismarck; and 14 grandchildren, Sundae, M.J., Jay, Mandy, Sydnee, Chaz, Sheridan, Belle, Kenya, Burton, J.R., Mya, Jesy and DeShawn. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents; two sons, Dean and Virgil Wise Spirit; one daughter, Sharon Carry Moccasin; one brother, Carvel; and one sister, Maxine. February 15, 2007 Wayne Dwarf FORT YATES - Wayne LeRoy Dwarf, 60, Fort Yates, died Feb. 12, 2007, at his home. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Fort Yates, with the Rev. Lindsey Dwarf officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Wake services will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Agard Memorial Building, Fort Yates. Wayne was born April 28, 1946, at Fort Yates, to Joseph and Seraphine (Redstone) Dwarf. He was raised in Selfridge and educated Pierre, S.D., and Fort Yates. He worked for the BIA doing road maintenance and construction from April 1972 to September 1991. He loved playing bingo and gambling at the casino. He is survived by three sisters and one brother-in-law, Verna Dunn, Patricia Four and Marcella and Donald Twinn; and two brothers and two sisters-in-law, Clayton and Beatrice Dwarf and Raymond and Gloria Dwarf, all of Fort Yates. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, two brothers and many aunts and uncles. Perry Funeral Home, Mandan. Leon Red Hail CANNON BALL - Leon Red Hail, 66, Cannon Ball, died Feb. 13, 2007, at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck. Arrangements are pending with Perry Funeral Home, Mandan. Theodora Sixkiller Theodora M. (Howard) Sixkiller, 60, Roosevelt, Utah, formerly of Wakpala, S.D., died Feb. 9, 2007, in Roosevelt. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at St. Bede's Catholic Church, Wakpala. Further arrangements are pending with Oster Funeral Home, Mobridge, S.D. Copyright c. 2007 Bismark Tribune. -=-=-=- February 16, 2007 Teddi (Howard) Sixkiller Roosevelt, Utah - Memorial service for Teddi (Howard) Sixkiller, age 60, of Roosevelt, Utah, and formerly of Wakpala, and daughter of Agatha Holy Bull, will be at 10 a.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, at Oster Funeral Home in Mobridge, S.D. Burial of her cremains will be in the St. Bede's Catholic Church cemetery under the direction of Oster Funeral Home of Mobridge, S.D. Teddi passed away on Feb. 9, 2007, in Roosevelt, Utah. Copyright c. 2007 Aberdeen American News. -=-=-=- Welcome to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe/Dakota Nation Sota Iya Ye Yapi On-Line, News from the Lake Traverse Reservation Volume 38, Issue 7 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 Notice of passing of Darren White in Minneapolis Darren Brady White, age 34, of Minneapolis, died Friday, February 16, 2007 at his residence. Funeral service for Darren White will be held on Wednesday, February 21st, at 10:00 a.m. at the community center, Agency Village, S.D. Watch for a full obituary next week in the Sota. The Chilson Funeral Home in Winsted, Minnesota is serving the family. Copyright c. 1999-2007 by C. D. Floro/Earth and Sky Enterprises. -=-=-=- February 15, 2007 Barbara Blue Coat ON THE TREE - Barbara Blue Coat, 49, On The Tree, died Friday, Feb. 9, 2007, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. An all-night wake will begin at 7 p.m. today at St. John's Episcopal Church in Eagle Butte. Family and friends will gather at the four-mile junction at 4:30 p.m. to follow in procession to the church. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at the church, with the Rev. Norman Blue Coat, Mother Marion Rectenwald, Darlene Traversie and Iva Blue Coat-Traversie officiating. Burial will be at St. Thomas Cemetery in On The Tree. Oster Funeral Home of Mobridge is in charge of arrangements. Daniel George Iron Cloud Jr. May 27, 1964-February 9, 2007 PORCUPINE - Daniel George Iron Cloud Jr., He Sapa (Black Horn) was born on May 27, 1964 to Daniel Iron Cloud Sr. and Christina Red Eagle Iron Cloud. He was affectionately known as "Jr." by his family. He was the youngest of four children and his siblings are: Danielle, Manuel (deceased 2003), and Esther. He lived his life in many towns and cities, but called Porcupine his home. On his father's side, he was the grandson of Edward Iron Cloud Sr. (Hehaka Wankatuya Najin - Elk Stands High) and Emily Bad Wound. His ancestors on his father's side include Bad Wound, Peter Iron Cloud, Runs for the Hills, Red Necklace and Knife Chief. On his mother's side, he was the grandson of Jacob White Eyes and Susie F. Apple who was the daughter of Chief American Horse. He lived in Martin, SD with his parents and made many lifelong friends and met many extended family members. Before moving to Mission, SD where his parents worked at Bishop Hare Home he lived in Porcupine where he went to school. In Mission, SD he met many boys and young men who attended Bishop Hare Home from all over the United States. Although he didn't attend Hare Home as a student he did everything that the boys did, which included going to Washington, DC. This is where he got his urge to travel to many different places and enjoyed seeing all the many different places. He would always come home with stories of his adventures and his family enjoyed hearing of all his travels. After graduating high school at Little Wound School, he moved to Seattle, Washington where he lived for a couple of years and upon returning he worked at the Porcupine Day School. This is where he met his son's mother, Kim Jacko, and became a father. But as he loved to explore and travel, he could not stay in one place for very long. Daniel Jr. stayed with his brother in Big Bend National Park, Texas, for some time. In 2000, Daniel flew from the lower 48 to Anchorage, Alaska to see his son Isaac Eugene Iron Cloud being born at the Alaska Native Medical Center on September 10, 2000. Prior to that he fished and camped in the surrounding Matanuska-Susitna area until he moved to the village of Togiag, Alaska near the Bristol Bay area where his son turned 1 year old. Daniel Jr. loved the outdoors and fishing. During his stay in Alaska, he worked as a jail guard for the Yupiik-speaking Eskimo people. Also, during his stay in Alaska, he contracted the debilitating disease - tuberculosis, which would eventually cause complications and subsequently his death. As usual he was traveling at the time of his death and passed away in Sioux Falls, SD on February 9, 2007. He will be missed by his family especially his two sisters and son. Members of his family are: six year old son Isaac Eugene who resides in Ridgeway, Pennsylvania with his mother; sister Danielle Two Eagle, and brother-in-law Archie Two Eagle and their children, Delane, Valerie, Archie, Michael, Tarah and Marshall; his grandchildren Shawn, Christina, Darrell, Jesse and Manuel; sister Esther Iron Cloud and her children Stephanie, Isaiah and Zachary, all of Porcupine, SD. He was preceded in death by his father, mother, and brother, Manuel Iron Cloud. Wake services will began on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 4 p.m. at the Porcupine Day School. Funeral will be on Saturday, February 17, 2007. Traditional services will be held at 9 a.m. at the Porcupine school then he will be taken to Mediator Episcopal Church near Kyle, SD where Christian services will be held and where he will be buried by his mother. Daniel Jr. will be carried home by his brothers and friends - Jerry Iron Cloud, Jeff Iron Cloud, Ed Iron Cloud III, Orlin Iron Cloud, Bill Tuttle, Mike Iron Cloud, Larry Iron Cloud, Percy Lone Elk, Emmett Steele and Willie Joe Beaudreau. Honorary pallbearers include Paul Iron Cloud family, Eldean Weston family, Pat Iron Cloud Sr. family, Vern Iron Cloud family, Harold Tuttle, Hank Tuttle, Everett Tuttle, Roger Iron Cloud, Jay Parisien, Jimmy Iron Cloud, Harlan Iron Cloud, Richard Iron Cloud, Pat Iron Cloud Jr. ., Phil Iron Cloud, Lester Iron Cloud, Steve Iron Cloud, Tony Iron Cloud, Randy Tuttle, Marty Fineran, Myron Fineran, Milton Fineran, Marlin Fineran, Verlinda Iron Cloud, family of the late Cleveland Iron Cloud, Byron Wilcox, Kevin Richards, Boyd Richards, Monte Red Bear, Isaac Red Bear, Daniel Bad Wound, Elgin Bad Wound, Jr., Charlie High Hawk, Les Jack, Seymour Jack, Teddy Jack, Jim Red Willow, Gary Red Willow, Pete Red Willow, Marty Frogg, Micheal Frogg, Jon One Feather, Roscoe Black Feather, Tony Black Feather, Dave Black Feather, Jonas Wounded Foot, Duane Iron Crow, Enoch Spider, George Two Eagle, Rodney Two Eagle, Virgil Bush, Rick Two Dogs, Paul Robertson, Jim Miller, Ted Hamilton, Bill Koenen, John Jackson, Harry Eagle Bull, Lenny Yankton, Jim Beaudreau, Frank McGhee, Samuel, Jesse, Louis Jr Jealous, Alex Little, Pat Sr., Pat Jr. and Lamar Afraid of Hawk, William Lone Elk Jr., Fred Byerly, Cecil Red Eyes and the Cornerstone Mission staff. Theodora Marie Howard "Teddi" Sixkiller ROOSEVELT, Utah - Theodora Marie Howard "Teddi" Sixkiller, 60, Roosevelt and formerly of Wakpala, S.D., died Friday, Feb. 9, 2007, in Roosevelt. A rosary will be at 7 p.m. CST today at Oster Funeral Home in Mobridge, S.D. Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at St. Bede's Catholic Church in Wakpala, with the Rev. Tony Grossenburg and the Rev. Jim Hoerter officiating. Burial of cremains will be at St. Bede's Catholic Cemetery. Winona Yellow Boy SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. - Winona Yellow Boy, 76, Scottsbluff, died Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, in Scottsbluff. Survivors include one sister, Verlie Yellow Boy, Scottsbluff. A one-night wake will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at Wakpamni CAP Office in Pine Ridge. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Wakpamni CAP Office, with the Rev. Rhoda Mesteth officiating. Burial will be at Wolf Creek Cemetery. Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements. February 19, 2007 Nellie Two Bulls NO. 4 COMMUNITY - Nellie Two Bulls, 81, No. 4 Community, died Sunday, Feb. 17, at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Arrangements are pending with Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge. Copyright c. 2007 The Rapid City Journal. -=-=-=- February 19, 2007 William "Bucky" Dewayne Rider TAHLEQUAH - William "Bucky" Dewayne Rider passed from this life Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007, in Claremore at 52 years of age. He was born November 18, 1954, in Claremore to William "Bill" and Lorene M (Romine) Rider. Bucky was preceded in death by his father, Bill Rider. He is survived by his mother, Lorene Rider; daughter, Amy Eubanks and husband Jay; sisters, Liz Rider and Donna Rider; grandchildren, Jaeda Hope and Alexa Love Eubanks; and a host of extended relatives and friends. Services will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007, at Reed-Culver Chapel, with Rev. Jerry Byrd officiating. Burial will follow at Cookson- Proctor Cemetery. Pallbearers include Joel Duvall, Joe Romine, Tom Romine, Bob Romine, Tony Diaz, and Danny Rider. Arrangements directed by Reed- -Culver Funeral Home, 117 W. Delaware, 456-2551. Copyright c. 2007 Tahlequah Daily Press. -=-=-=- February 15, 2007 Amelia Josephine Willard NEWKIRK - Amelia Josephine Willard, longtime Newkirk resident, died Monday night, Feb. 12, 2007, in Ponca City Medical Center. She was 75. The daughter of Christopher Columbus and Amelia Alma Anderson Long, Amelia Josephine Long was born Nov. 27, 1931, on the family farm east of Newkirk. She grew up in the Newkirk area and received her education in the Sweetwater School, 106 Rural School and Kaw City High School. Following graduation Jo obtained employment with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a telephone operator in Newkirk. On July 21, 1951, Josephine and Willie Franklin Willard were married in Newkirk. They established their first home in Newkirk and resided there their entire married life. In 1962 she was transferred to the Ponca City office where she worked until 1966. That year she began working for the Oklahoma Department of Welfare in Newkirk. Mr. Willard died July 30, 1981. She retired in 1986 and remained in Newkirk. A member of the Kaw tribe, Jo was an active member of the Moose Lodge in Ponca City and the VFW Auxiliary in Newkirk. She was an avid bingo player, and she enjoyed her twice a year trips to Las Vegas. She loved dogs, especially her faithful companion Tykie. Jo is survived by her brother, Neal Long of Ponca City; her nephews and nieces, Bennie Neal Long of Ponca City, his daughter and son-in-law, Chelsea and Greg Hock and their daughter Kylie, all of California, Lydia Backhaus, her son and daughter-in-law Michael and Crystal Backhaus, and their daughters, Kylie and Devon Marie, all of Ponca City, and Shawndra Railene Hazen of Ponca City. Funeral services for Mrs. Willard will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in the chapel of Miller-Stahl Funeral Service with Danny W. Cornish officiating. Interment will follow in Newkirk Cemetery. The body will lie in state Thursday until 9 p.m. and Friday until 1 p.m. A memorial fund has been established with Hospice of North Central Oklahoma. Contributions may be made in Jo Willard's name through Eastman National Bank, Box 468, Newkirk, Okla. 74647. Copyright c. 1998-2007 The Ponca City News. -=-=-=- February 16, 2007 Edward Charles Spoon Sr. Edward Charles Spoon Sr. passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at the Veterans' Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He was born June 27, 1949, in El Paso, Texas, to Albert P. Spoon and Viola Grant Spoon. He was a tribal member of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1967. In August of the same year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. During that time he served with the 1st Aviation Brigade, 135th Assault Helicopter Group. While in Vietnam he was stationed in the Mekong Delta at Xuan Loc and Bear Cat. Upon release from the army, he received the following medals and badges, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device, Aircraft Crewman Badge, two Overseas Bars Expert (M-14), and the Good Conduct Medal. After serving in the U.S. Army, he graduated from Bacone Junior College and later attended Oklahoma Baptist University. He was emploed at Tinker Air Force Base for several years as a contract negotiator. Later he served four years as Business Committee Member for the Sac and Fox Nation. He retired due to health problems but continued to remain active in tribal and veterans' group activities. He was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation Veterans' Organization and the Oklahoma City Veterans' Warrior Association with the Veterans' Medical Center. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Kevin Spoon. Survivors include his son, Edward C. Spoon Jr.; daughters, Lucinda Johnson and Shawna Spoon; niece, Casey Wilson; grandchildren, Geremy and Madison Johnson, all of Shawnee; sisters, Lorena Spoon and brother-in-law, James Pawpa, of Shawnee, Francis Spoon Lewis of Phoenix, Ariz., Marilyn Spoon of Shawnee and Alberta Spoon Bateman of Shawnee; adopted mother, Velma Smith of Pawnee; and numerous other relatives. Tribal rites will be tonight at the Sac and Fox Nation in Stroud. Burial will be 9 a.m. Saturday at the Wakolee Cemetery in Shawnee. Arrangements entrusted to Walker Funeral Service (405) 273-4700. Copyright c. 1997-2007 The Shawnee News-Star. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Lula J. Smith APACHE - Funeral for Lula J. Smith, 73, Apache, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Apache Reformed Church with the Rev. Thomas Worchester, pastor, officiating. Prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Mrs. Smith died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007. Burial will be in the Cache Creek KCA Cemetery, west of Apache, under direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home. She was born Oct. 24, 1933 in Apache, to Archie Wade and Faith Attocknie Blackowl. She was a member of the Catholic Faith and of Comanche and Cheyenne decent. She is from the Yellowfish-Attocknie families and is a descendant of Ten Bears. She was reared in Apache and attended St. Patrick's Catholic School. She also attended Fort Sill Indian School and graduated from Concho Indian School. After graduating, she worked for Sequoyah Mills before enrolling at Haskell Institute, where she received her certification as a dental assistant. As a student at Haskell Institute, she was involved in the Indian Club, where she served as president. She was a member of the handgame teams: "The Girls" and "Barefoot," and was the founder of 'The Crew." She received many championship titles for Traditional Buckskin Dancing and Stomp Dancing. Survivors include her children: Gerard "Bear" Blackowl, LaQuinta "Quinkie" and Myron Beaver, Clemencia "Chickie" Smith, Kenneth Wesley Smith and Narissa "Teeny" Smith-Gonzalez, all of Anadarko; Ila "New Baby" and Keith Bennett, Elgin; two adopted sons: Keith Wetselline, Lawton; and Billy and wife, Amber Komahcheet, Indiahoma; and former son-in-law, William Morgan Tosee Sr.; 16 grandchildren: Lura Mai Smith, Derris Allen Smith, Robert Louis Tsotaddle Jr., William Morgan Tosee Jr., Waylon Nordmark Chavez, Rachelle Ione Tosee-Rankin, Deava Veree Chavez, Mariah Nadine Tsotaddle, Delos Wade Chavez, Cecily Monique Doyeto, John Michael Beaver, Santana Smith, Laken Yvonne Tosee, Kendra Denese Tosee, Miranda Pauline Beaver, Shonnda Marie Blackowl; four great-grandchildren: Destiny Renee Tosee, Lillian Rain Vaughn, Ila Kiyah-Jean Vaughn, Dashanell Benedict Topaum; three brothers: George Blackowl, Daniel Blackowl and Arche Blackowl III, all of California; three sisters: Ola Mae Tsatoke, Apache; Ida Lura Asah Jones, Oklahoma City; Donna Jean Mopope Tsatoke, Anadarko. She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant son, Devere Felix Smith; and eight brothers: Albert "Butchie" Blackowl, Ollie "Sawyer" Blackowl, Wilbur "Billy" Blackowl, Archie Wade Blackowl Jr., Jasper Blackowl, Joe Blackowl, Brian Blackowl, and Richard Blackowl; an aunt, Ida Attocknie Asah; and two uncles: Joseph and Paul Attocknie. February 15, 2007 Juanita 'Kah-Koo' Pewo Bentley APACHE - Funeral for Juanita "Kah-Koo" Pewo Bentley, 84, Apache, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Apache United Methodist Church with Eugene Mithlo, Marvin Delaware and the Rev. Sharon Gomez officiating. Prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the church. She died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007 in Lawton. Burial will be at Cache Creek Indian Cemetery under direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home. She was born Sept. 28, 1922, west of Apache, to Wilbur Witsey Pewo Sr. and Carrie Whitmore Pewo. She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Apache, the Comanche Nation, the Reservation War Dancers, Magic Handgame Team, and the O-ho-mah. Survivors include five sons: John Allen Pewo Sr., Lawrence "Coach" Mithlo, and Rusty Satepauhoodle, all of Apache; Jasper Mike Mithlo, Houston; and Raymond Tongkeahmah, Lawton; six daughters: Gayle Bearshield, Clinton; Pamela Mithlo, Diane Mithlo, Marie Hatfield, and Elizabeth Bentley, all of Apache; and Tamra Hughes, Wichita Falls, Texas; a brother, Tedd Pewo, Carnegie; 23 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews, friends and relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant daughter, Carrie Ann Paddlety; five sisters: Marie, Pearl, Dorothy, Velma, and Alice; three brothers: Wilson, Wilbur Jr, and Sammy; and her companion, Edward "Bug-Ah- Loo" Palmer. February 18, 2007 Jerold 'Jerry' Ware Mountain View - Funeral for Spec. 4 Jerold "Jerry" Ware, 61, Mountain View, will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church with the Rev. Sharon Gomez, pastor, United Methodist Church of Apache, officiating. Mr. Ware died Friday, Feb. 16, 2007. A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. today at Comanche Nation Funeral Home with Rev. George Daingkau officiating. Burial will be in Rainy Mountain Kiowa Tribal Cemetery with military honors performed by the U.S. Army Honor Guard,. He was born Aug. 3, 1945, in Phoenix to Erwin "Ace" and Jessie Casas Ware. He was raised in the Mountain View area. On Aug. 7, 1969, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., during the Vietnam War. On May 11, 1970, he was promoted to SP4 and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves serving with B Battery, 2/10th Artillery and the 197th Infantry. On Aug. 6, 1971, he was honorably discharged. His awards include the Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device, 2 Overseas Bars. Hwe was a Sharpshooter and decorated Marksman. He married Libby Tonahcot on Feb. 2, 1972, in Hobart. He was employed as a security guard for Concho Indian School, Fort Sill Indian School and Riverside Indian School before working as an officer for the Carnegie Police Department. He also worked security for the Kiowa Tribe and Delaware Tribal Bingo. He was a member of the Kiowa Tribe and Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife of the home; three daughters: Monique Ware, Apache; and Alfreda Chalepah and Renita Chalepah, both of Oklahoma City; four sons: Michael Ray Ware, Apache; Spencer Chalepah, Earlsboro, Texas; Leslie Chalepah, Durango, Colo.; and Kimit Chalepah, Anadarko; four sisters: Dora Pewo, Apache; LaQuinta Harman, Salisaw; and Cora Mithlo and Alicia Mammedaty, both of Apache; two brothers: E.C. Ware, Mulgrove; and Louis White Eagle, Apache; 34 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren: Angel Miguel Ware, Samara Ware and Aaron Joseph Kaudle Kaule; other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers: Gordon Ware and Ernie Ware, and two nephews: Cpl. Josh Ware and Lester Parker Jr. Copyright c. 2007 The Lawton Constitution. -=-=-=- February 2007 Reyecita M. Lopez Reyecita M. Lopez, 93, of Picuris Pueblo passed away on February 7, 2007. She is preceded in death by her husband, Louis Lopez, sons, Benny, and Gregory Lopez and grandson, Gregory Pacheco. She is survived by her children, Emily Martinez, Tina Tsosie (Clifford), Laura Pacheco (Edward) and Ernie Piahue, grandchildren, Matthew Pacheco (Feliz), Benita Lopez and Edwina Pacheco and six great grand-children. Private family services have been held. Arrangements by Rivera-Hanlon Funeral Home. www.riverafuneralhome.com Copyright c. 2007 The Taos News. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Aaron E. Yazzie Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Aug. 16, 1967 - Feb. 9, 2007 Aaron E. Yazzie, 39, of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., died Friday, Feb. 9, 2007, in Madison, Wis. Aaron was born Aug. 16, 1967, in Portage, Wis., to Harry F. Yazzie and Georgia Lonetree. He graduated from Monument Valley High School in Kayenta, Ariz. He worked for many years as a plumber, and served his country in the U.S. Army. Aaron was preceded in death by his father, Harry F. Yazzie; paternal grandparents, Jimmy and Mary Yazzie; maternal grandparents, Edward Sr. and Minnie Lonetree; and brother, Steve Lonetree. He is survived by his daughters, Brittany Erin and Nicole Rain Yazzie; mother, Georgia Lonetree; uncles, James F. Yazzie of Waterflow, Freddie F. Yazzie of Many Farms, Ariz., and Willard Lonetree, Luther Lonetree, Norval Lonetree, and Edward Lonetree, all of Wisconsin Dells; aunts, Elizabeth Silver and Anna Mae Aloysis, both of Cove, Ariz., and Cecelia Funmaker and Corrina Lonetree, both of Wisconsin Dells; one sister, Lucinda Lonetree of Wisconsin Dells; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives, extended family and friends. Funeral services were held Monday, Feb. 12, at the Native American Church in Wisconsin Dells, with Truman Williams Sr. officiating. Burial was at Spring Grove Cemetery in Wisconsin Dells. The Conway-Picha Funeral Home and Crematory of Lyndon Station, Wis., assisted the family with arrangements. Mary Kitseallyboy Red Mesa, Ariz. Sept. 4, 1911 - Feb. 10, 2007 Mary Kitseallyboy, 95, of Red Mesa, Ariz., died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007, at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. She was born Sept. 4, 1911, in Montezuma Creek, Utah. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at Desert View Funeral Home Chapel in Shiprock. Interment will follow at the family cemetery in Sweetwater, Ariz. Mary is in the care of Desert View Funeral Home of Shiprock, U.S. Hwy. 491 North, (505) 368-4607 February 15, 2007 Violet Virginia Etcitty Farmington July 26, 1940 - Feb. 12, 2007 Violet V. Etcitty, 66, of Farmington, left us to be with our Heavenly Father, Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, in Farmington. She was born July 26, 1940, in Blanco Canyon, to the late George and Doris Ayze Sr. Violet was an active member of the Native American Church. She was also multi-talented in silversmithing, beading, quilting and crocheting. She was well respected in the native community and through her traveling and selling trips. She made many new friends through traveling with her loyal companion, Harold Sr. She is best known for her compassion, her willingness to put others first, her infinite wisdom and her unending strength. Overall, she loved life just as much as she loved her family and friends. She was very proud to be a Dine' woman. To everyone, she was always known as "Grandma V." She will be missed by all who knew her and loved her. Violet was preceded in death by her parents, George and Doris Ayze Sr; brother Harrison Azye; and sisters, Helen Harrison and Katherine Sandoval. She is survived by her husband, Harold Etcitty Sr.; sons, Harold Etcitty Jr. of Farmington, Gerald N. Etcitty of Las Cruces, and Ronald Etcitty of Florida; daughters, Vida Tsosie and husband, Spencer, of Farmington, Carole Phillips and husband, Van, of Augusta, Ga., and Nadine Etcitty of Farmington; sisters, Ruth Ayze of Farmington, and Frances Haines of Counselor; brothers, Lewis Ayze of Blanco Canyon, Edison Ayze of Nageezi, Bill Ayze of Counselor, Ernest Ayze of Dulce, and Daniel Ayze of Leupp, Ariz. She had 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with one on the way. Funeral services for Violet will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home in Farmington, with Elder Van Nolan Phillips officiating. She will be laid to rest at Greenlawn Cemetery in Farmington. Pallbearers are Robinson Lewis, Tyrell Nez, Spencer Tsosie, Kelsey Lewis, Terrance Bonnie, Jeremiah Charley, Frederick Harrison, Josh Nacki and Eli Etcitty. Honorary pallbearers are Harold Etcitty Sr, Harold Etcitty Jr, Vida Tsosie, Carole Phillips, Gerald Etcitty, Ronald Etcitty, Nadine Etcitty, Ruth Ayze, Frances Haines, Lewis Ayze, Edison Ayze, Bill Ayze, Ernest Ayze, and Daniel Ayze. Violet is in the care of Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home & Crematory, 103 E. Ute St. in Farmington, (505) 325-8688; www.brewerleelarkin.com. Chiquito Castillo Pueblo Pintado May 15, 1929 - Feb. 11, 2007 Chiquito Castillo, 77, of Pueblo Pintado, died Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007, in Pueblo Pintado. He was born May 15, 1929, in Ojo Encino. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. today, Thursday, Feb. 15, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pueblo Alto, with Pastor Wallace Castillo officiating. Interment will follow at Star Lake Cemetery in Star Lake. Arrangements are with Cope Memorial Chapel, 404 W. Arrington St. in Farmington, (505) 327-5142. Darrell Shawn Yazzie Tucson, Ariz. Nov. 18, 1981 - Feb. 10, 2007 Darrell Shawn Yazzie, 25, of Tucson, Ariz., formerly of Farmington, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007, in Tucson. He was born Nov. 18, 1981, in Los Angeles, Calif., the son of Harold C. Yazzie, Marie A. Begay, and the late Juanita Begay. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Escrito, with Pastor George Toledo officiating. Interment will follow at the Escrito LDS Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Pueblo Pintado Chapter House. Arrangements are with Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home & Crematory, 103 E. Ute St. in Farmington, (505) 325-8688. Harry Marshall Sr. Lower Hogback Dec. 15, 1930 - Feb. 12, 2007 Harry Marshall Sr., 76, of Lower Hogback, passed from this life Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. Harry was born Dec. 15, 1930, in Hogback, to the late Tom and Minnie Marshall. Harry is survived by his wife, Mary Marshall of Lower Hogback; daughters, Liz Newton, Bernice Toledo, Maxine Tsosie and Virginia Dayish; son, Harry Marshall Jr.; adopted daughter, Betty Johnson; 38 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; three nieces, Annie Dickie, Bessie Tsinjinie and Cecelia Mitchell; and nephew, James Lee. Harry was preceded in death by son, Elmer Marshall; daughter, Abby Marshall; sisters, Ilene Lee and Mary Lou John; and grandson, Elroy J. Newton. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at the Dineh Christian Center in Shiprock, with Pastor Jackson Yazzie officiating. Harry will be laid to rest at the family cemetery at Lower Hogback. Pallbearers are Sam Bee, Wallace Begay, Frank Mitchell, Gilbert Begaye, Darrell Marshall and Verdon Dickie. Honorary pallbearers are Elizabeth Newton, Bernice Toledo, Maxine Tsosie, Harry Marshall Jr., Virginia Dayish, Leroy Newton, Cheryl Calderon and all the grandchildren. A special note of thanks is extended to Horizon Home Health Care, the staff at SJRMC, and Caregiver Support Program, Delta Yazzie, Alice Joe and Jimmy Joe. Harry is in the care of Desert View Funeral Home of Shiprock, U.S. Hwy. 491 North, (505) 368-4607. Copyright c. 2007 Farmington Daily Times, a MediaNews Group Newspaper. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Leonard McCabe KINLICHEE - Services for Leonard McCabe, 68, will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14 at St. Michaels Mission Catholic Church. Father Flann O'Neil will officiate. Burial will follow at Kinlichee Community Cemetery. Visiation will be 9 a.m. Feb. 14 at St. Michaels Catholic Church. McCabe died Feb. 9 in Fort Defiance. He was born Aug. 10, 1938 in Ganado into the Mexican People Clan for the Bitter Water People Clan. McCabe attended Inter-Mountain Indian School in Brigham City, Utah. He was employed with Ganado Unified School District as a bus driver and maintenance worker. He enjoyed spending time with his family and working on crossword puzzles. Survivors include his wife, Mildred McCabe; sons, Ricky McCabe of Flagstaff, Larry McCabe of Phoenix; Cleveland and Christopher McCabe, both of Kinlichee; daughters, Victoria McCabe and Joann McCabe, both of Kinlichee; brothers, Harry McCabe and Johnny H. McCabe, both of Window Rock; Harry Shondee of Ganado; sisters, Eleanor Bluehouse and Rosie P. Williams; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. McCabe was preceded in death by his son, Gary McCabe; his daughter, Genevieve McCabe; his father, Tom McCabe and his mother, Louise Preston; his stepfather, Scott Preston; his brothers, Emery McCabe and Tex McCabe; his sister, Irene Draper. Pallbearers will be family members. The family will receive relatives and friends at Kinlichee Chapter House after services. Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. February 14, 2007 Julia Lasiloo LUPTON - Services for Julia Yazzie Lasiloo, 73, will be 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 at Tse Si Ani Baptist Church in Lupton. Pastor Regan Hawthrone will officiate. Burial will follow at the family land in Lupton. Lasiloo was born July 4, 1933 in Lupton into the Towering House People Clan for the Mexican People Clan. Lasiloo retired from Beacon Truck Stop as a cook. She enjoyed singing at shoe games, playing bingo and being with her family. Survivors include sons, Woodrow Whitman of Lupton, Vernon Lasiloo of Gallup and Jude Lasiloo of Kingman, Ariz.; daughters, Cathleen Eddie of Vanderwagen and Georgiann Lasiloo of Hemet, Calif.; sisters, Lucy Yazzie of Lupton and Julia Matt of Houck; 14 grandchildren and 14 great- grandchildren. Lasiloo was preceded in death by her husband, Anthony Lasiloo; her parents, Chee and Anedebah Yazzie; her brother, Jack Smith and her sister, Bessie Lucio. Pallbearers will be Shawn Baldwin, Julian Lasiloo, Frederick Yazzie, Jeff Lucio, Anthony Lasiloo and Willie Whitman. The family received relatives and friends Feb. 13 at Lupton Chapter House. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Maggie Casuse COYOTE CANYON - Services for Maggie Casuse, 95, will be 10 a.m. Feb. 15 at Rollie Mortuary. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery. Casuse died Feb. 12 in Gallup. She was born Oct. 15, 1911 in Houck into the Towering House People Clan for the Edge Water People Clan. Casuse enjoyed her sheep, rug weaving, and spending time with her family. Survivors include husband, Emerson Casuse of Coyote Canyon. Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. February 15, 2007 Nelson Irving PINEDALE - Services for Nelson M. Irving, 76, will be 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16 at Cope Memorial Chapel in Gallup. Pastor Robert Norton will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery. Irving died Saturday, Feb. 10 in Gallup. He was born Aug. 10, 1930 in Pinedale into the Black Streak Forest People Clan for the Water's Edge People Clan. Irving had some education in the 1940s. He was employed with Santa Fe Railroad in Wichita and Grand Junction, Colo., Fort Wingate Army Depot, Kerr McGee Mine in Churchrock and O.N.E.O. He was a traditional medicine man. He enjoyed ranching, sheep herding, horseback riding, cooking and spending time with his grandkids. Survivors include wife, Edith Irving; son, Jones Irving; daughters, Annie Edison, Katherine Tsosie, Lucinda Garcia and Zita Touchin; brothers, Charles Irving and Mike Irving; sisters, Mary Hood, Frances White and Elsie Antonio; 32 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Irving was preceded in death by his sons, David Irving, Leonard Irving and Albert Irving; his daughter, Sarah Irving; parents, Bob Irving and Mary Irving; his brothers, Watson Irving, Herbert Irving and John Irving. Pallbearers will be Jimmy Woody, Joshua Irving, Jessie Woody, Randall Edison, Raymond Garcia and Rayvernal Edison. The family will receive relatives and friends at Pinedale Chapter House after burial. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. February 16, 2007 Robert Davis GANADO - Memorial services for Robert G. Davis, 60, were 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 at Ganado Presbyterian Church. Community memorial services were 4 p.m. Jan. 12 at All Saints Hall in Ganado. Davis died Jan. 3 near Bell Rock in Sedona, Ariz. He was born Aug. 27, 1947 in Sigourney, Iowa. Davis was a 1965 high school graduate from Keota, Iowa. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1974 with a degree in political science and a degree in 1988 as a math teacher from University of Northern Iowa. He taught algebra and geometry in Texas, Arizona and Ganado for 12 years. He was a drummer, played basketball, was active in 4-H and won prizes in county fairs for raising sheep and cattle. He served in the Air Force as a staff sergeant and learned North Vietnamese and he was a radio operator in North Vietnam. He received many medals and awards. He enjoyed hiking, spending time with his family, reading the Bible and other books. Survivors include wife, Laura M. Davis; children, Daniella L., Gabriel D., Rafael S., Carmel R., Immanuel, Robert T. and Brian G.; sister, Linda Wunder and many more family members. Hoburt Warner MARIANO LAKE - Services for Hoburt Warner, 44, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17 at Cope Memorial Chapel. Minister Steven Nez will officiate. Burial will follow atfamily private land in Smith Lake. Warner died Feb. 12 in Mariano Lake. He was born Feb. 19, 1962 in Crownpoint into the Towering House People Clan for the Meadow People Clan. Warner attended Thoreau High School. He was employed as a fueler, welder's helper and a cabinet maker. He enjoyed playing softball, riding horses and hunting. Survivors include wife, Brenda A. Warner of Mariano Lake; sons, Renondo Warner, Paul H. Warner and Steve H. Warner, all of Mariano Lake; daughter, Hoburlynn Warner of Milan; mother, Grace E. Warner of Mariano Lake; brothers, Raymond Warner, Jr. of Smith Lake, Leon Warner, Sr. of Standing Rock, Virgil Warner and Van Warner, both of Mariano Lake; sisters, Rose Cowboy and Sonya Largo, both of Crownpoint, Lana Nez of Cousins, N.M., Elaine Morgan of Dalton Pass, N.M., Sharon Barraza of Grants, Raquel A. Warner and Laverna Warner, both of Mariano Lake. Warner was preceded in death by his father, Raymond Warner, Sr.; his brother, Paul Warner; his sisters, Ruth Warner, Janice Antonio and Karon Warner. Pallbearers will be Renondo Warner, Leon Warner, Sr., Leon Warner, Jr., Johnathan Warner, Bryan Warner amd Rafael Campos, Jr. The family will receive relatives and friends at Mariano Lake Chapter House after services. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Kerwin Bia MANY FARMS, Ariz. - Services for Kerwin Bia, 24, will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 17 at St. Anthony's Church in Many Farms. Sister Krista McGill will officiate. Burial will follow in the family plot in Many Farms. Bia died Feb. 15, in Many Farms. He was born Jan 2, 1983 in Ganado into the Near the Mountain People Clan for the Mexican People Clan. Bia went to Chinle High School and was employed with Hard Rock Builder for four years, YL Concert in Farmington, Aramark Food Service in Chinle and was working with Black Flame Construction at the time of his death. His hobbies included his rifle collection, automotive rebuilding, camping, hunting and playing with children. Pallbearers will be family members. Silver Creek Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Jonathan Todakozie HOUCK, Ariz. - Services for Jonathan Lee Todakozie, 23, will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Good News Church in Houck. Pastor Milt Shirleson will officiate. Burial will follow in the community cemetery in Houck. Todakozie died Feb. 12 in Gallup. He was born Jan. 25, 1984 in Gallup into the One Who Walks Around People Clan for the Towering House People Clan. Survivors include his son Kegan Ty Todakozie of White River, Ariz.; parents Johnny Lou Todakozie of Houck and Christine Nez of Querino Canyon; brother Richard Murphy of Wide Ruins, Ariz.; sisters Cassandra Murphy, Amanda Murphy, both of Querino Canyon, Lorinda Todakozie of Showlow, Yolanda Todakozie of Tucson and Clarisa Todakozie of Houck; grandmother Vernie Nez of Querino Canyon. Pallbearers will be Richard Murphy, Timothy Murphy, Cerone Murphy, Felix Begay, Vernon Nez and Christopher Cly. Silver Creek Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. February 17, 2007 Jerry Henderson TWO WELLS, N.M. - Services for Jerry Henderson, 82, will be 10 a.m. Feb. 19 at Cope Memorial Chapel. Reverned Kee Benally will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery. Henderson died Feb. 13 in Gallup. He was born March 15, 1924 in Two Wells, N.M., into the Towering House People Clan for the Water's Edge People Clan. Henderson retired from the railroad. He enjoyed ranching and Navajo traditional ceremonies. Survivors include sons, Larry Henderson of Sagebrush and Leonard Henderson of Jones Ranch; daughters, Darlene Benally of Vanderwagen and Virginia Francisco of Jones Ranch; brother, Eugene Henderson of Jones Ranch; sisters, Getrude Rondon and Dorothy Montano, both of Gallup, Angela Gray, Nellie Pinto and Ella M. Arthur, all of Jones Ranch; 12grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Henderson was preceded in death by his daughter, Priscilla Henderson; his brother, Gilbert Henderson, Sr.; his parents, Happy and Marie Henderson. Pallbearers will be family members. The family will receive relatives and friends at Chichiltah Chapter House after services. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Robert Nez FORT DEFIANCE - Services for Robert David Nez, 69, will be at 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 19 at the Presbyterian Church in Fort Defiance. Pastor Roger Davis will officiate. Burial will follow in the community cemetery in Fort Defiance. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. Nez died Feb. 14 in Phoenix. He was born Jan. 9, 1938 in Leupp, Ariz., into the Yellow House People Clan for the Red Running into the Water People Clan. Survivors include his wife Lupeta D. Nez of Fort Defiance; sons, Corey Leon Nez, Brian Allen Nez, David Leland Nez, all of Fort Defiance; daughters Lauralie Ann Dratzmann of Sedona, Ariz.; brother Richard Nez of Fort Defiance; sister Lena Nez of Scottsdale; and four grandchildren. Nez was preceded in death by his father Wilson Nez; mother Niomi Nez; brothers Edward Nez and Jack Nez. Pallbearers will be Aaron Nez, Randall Nez, Richard Nez, David Yazie, Henry Boyd Jr. and Richard Kaaloa. Silver Creek mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Betty Upshaw DENVER - Services for Berry Rose Upshaw, 72, will be at 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 19 at the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Church in Gallup. Burial will follow in Brimhall. Upshaw died Feb. 15 in Albuquerque. She was born March 17, 1934 in Peach Springs, N.M. into the Black Streak of the Forest People Clan for the Bitter Water People Clan. Upshaw worked for 17 years as a housekeeper supervisor. She was also a housewife and jewelry vendor throughout the U.S.A. Survivors include her husband Joe Upshaw Sr., of Denver; sons Rick Upshaw and Quincy Upshaw, both of Denver; daughters Carlotta Upshaw David of Denver, Margie Upshaw of Gamerco, Dianne Upshaw, Genevieve Upshaw, both of Gallup; 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son Joe Upshaw Jr.; sisters Mary Johnson and Mary J. Sam; and one brother Tony Sam. Pallbearers will be Jared Hodison, Vincent David, jason Hodison, Rick Upshaw, Quincy Upshaw and Alan Chee. The family will receive relatives and friends at the Coyote Canyon Chapter House following services. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Garrison Murphy GALLUP - Services for Garrison Lee Murphy, 30, will be 1 p.m. Feb. 19 at Cope Memorial Chapel. Reverned Dennis Gardner will officiate. Burial will follow at Gallup City Cemetery. Murphy died Feb. 12 in Phoenix. He was born Oct. 31, 1976 in Gallup into the Red Running Into The Water People Clan for the Towering House People Clan. Murphy attended Gallup Jr. High School and Tohatchi High School. He enjoyed trains, listening to music and playing with his electronics. Survivors include mother, Adeline Murphy of China Springs; brother, Julius Murphy of China Springs; sister, Sophena Murphy of Gallup. Murphy was preceded in death by father, Gary Brown. Pallbearers will be Julius Murphy, Delbert Brown, Robert Brown, Robert Brown, Jr., Calbert Brown, Harry Brown and Jimmy Brown. The family will receive relatives and friends at Rock Springs Chapter House. Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 the Gallup Independent. -=-=-=- February 16, 2007 Evalyn Andrews Evalyn Andrews, 59, of the Salt River Indian Community, passed away on February 8, 2007. A visitation will be held on Saturday February 17, 2007 from 4-10 PM at the Salt River Memorial Hall, 9849 E. Earll Dr. in Scottsdale. Graveside Services will be held on Sunday February 18, 2007 at 6:00 AM at the Salt River Indian Cemetery. Meldrum Mortuary handled the arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 The Arizona Republic. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Theodora Sixkiller, age 60 1946 ~ 2007 Theodora Marie "Teddi" Howard Sixkiller (Her Good Hands Woman), our loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, age 60 of Neola passed away and started her new journey February 8, 2007 at the Uintah Basin Medical Center. She was born December 12, 1946, in Wakpala, South Dakota, to Amos and Agatha Rose Reel Howard. She married Ernest Etcitty January 22, 1968, and he died in 1987. She married Ruben "Rang" Sixkiller, Jr. April 22, 1988 in Vernal, and he died November 14, 2002. Teddi graduated from high school and then went to a college in Dallas Texas. She transferred with a scholarship to Carrol College in Helena Montana where she earned a master's degree in science. She believed in education and encouraged her children to attain as much education as possible as a way to further your life's productivity. She worked in the medical records department at the Indian Health Services in Whiteriver, Arizona, and then in Ft. Duchesne where she retired. She enjoyed working with the people there. She was an avid hunter and spent many days hunting with Rang. She also enjoyed gambling, listening to country music, and participating in traditional ceremonies. She loved her grandchildren. They made her happy. She is survived by her children Greg (Pam) Holy Bull, Devil's Lake, ND; Russel Etcitty, Albuquerque, NM; Ursa (Jerry) Lester, Roosevelt; Kay (Bob) Ridley, Neola; Tonie Etcitty, Neola; Krishna Sixkiller, Neola; grandchildren, Gerimiah, Tyson, Tara, Randy, Payeton, Elden, Jerry Jr., Tiffany, Thyleen, Ashaya, Maylaina, Hunter, Talon, Sydnee; great- granddaughter, Tessa; mother, Agatha Holy Bull, Wakpala, SD; sisters, Mary Goodeagle, Wakpala, SD; Beverly Howard, Mobridge, SD; Ruby Cadotte, Bismarck, ND; Virginia Weaselboy, Albuquerque; many nephews nieces and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husbands, father, brother and sister. Funeral services were Monday, February 12th, at St. Helen's Catholic Church. At her request she will be cremated and taken to Wakpala, SD, where services there will be held at St. Beads Catholic Church on Friday, February 16, 2007. Burial will follow in the St Beads Cemetery. Copyright c. 2007 Uintah Basin Standard/Roosevelt, UT. -=-=-=- February 18, 2007 Harvey A. Wyloles YAKIMA - Harvey A. Wyloles (53) of Toppenish died at Yakima Regional Hospital on February 16, 2007. He was born in Toppenish on June 25, 1953 to Harry and Esther (Dick) Wyloles. He was raised and educated in the Yakima Valley. He was a member of the Yakama Nation. He worked for BIA realty, Mt. Adams Furniture, and Yakama Forest Products before retiring due to health reasons. He enjoyed playing pool and softball. He is survived by his companion, Debbie Costello of Toppenish; two brothers, Russell Wyloles of Toppenish and Eddie Dick of White Swan. Harvey was preceded in death by his parents, and one sister. Dressing services will be held on Saturday February 17, 2006 at 2:00 PM at Colonial Funeral Home. Overnight services will be on Sunday February 18, 2006 at 7:00 PM. Funeral services will be at 9:00 AM on Monday February 19, 2007 at the Satus Point Cemetery. Colonial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 Yakima Herald-Republic/Yakima, WA. -=-=-=- February 19, 2007 Yazzie Billie Plentywounds BOISE - Yazzie Billie Plentywounds, 26, returned to our Heavenly Father and back into the arms of his loving mother on Friday, February 16, 2007. Yazzie was born to Lyle Plentywounds, Sr. and Ernestine Billie on December 17, 1980. in Pocatello, Idaho. He grew up in the Fort Hall area and spent time with family in the Boise area. He attended schools in Fort Hall, American Falls, and graduated from high school in New Mexico. Yazzie enjoyed talking with his nephews and spending time with family. He enjoyed playing softball, basketball, and spending time outdoors; he especially loved fishing. He helped his grandfather Eli with hauling hay and branding calves. Yazzie is lovingly survived by his sisters, Bobbette, Joette, Rebecca, and Marla Plentywounds; his brothers, Lyle Jr., Bryan and Murray Plentywounds, Jonathan Locke. all of Fort Hall;, his father. Lyle Plentywounds Sr., of Boise; grandparents, Ramona and Theodore Walema, Fort Hall; aunt and uncle, Shirley Mosho and Chester Fasthorse, Fort Hall; grandfather, Bobby Billie, Arizona; aunt, Shanna Billie and Raylene Nava, Fort Hall, his dear nieces and nephews, Thurston and Ethan Redwoman, Alexis and Tyson, Elias Plentywounds, Mountain Spring Yupe, Jean Marie and Lillie Plentywounds, Teagan and Kallie Plentywounds, and Talise DeCola all of whom he loved as his own, and numerous extended family members in Nevada, Boise, Montana, and Fort Hall. Yazzie was preceded in death by his mother, Ernestine Billie, maternal grandmother, Lydia Mosho; Eli and Anita Mosho, paternal grandfather, Claude Plentywounds, sister, Shirley Brookshire, niece, Grace Plentywounds, great-grandparents, Yannobah Billie and John Billie; Walter and Nannie Pocatello,and his Mosho great-grandparents. A memorial service will be held today, Sunday, February 18, 2007, at 11 a.m. at Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S. Fourth Avenue. He will be taken to the Bobbette Plentywounds residence on Frasure Road Monday at 10 a.m. and will remain there until approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, 2007, when he will be transported to the Bannock Creek Cemetery for burial. Copyright c. 2007 Pocatella Idaho State Journal. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Thelma Medicine Cloud ETHETE - Funeral services for Thelma Jean Medicine Cloud, 44, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, 2007, at Blue Sky Hall . Interment will be in the Yellow Calf Cemetery in Ethete. An Evening Service will be held on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m., at Blue Sky Hall with a wake to follow at the Tara Coffee residence, 771 White Hawk, Mill Creek Housing at Ethete. She died Feb. 11, 2007, at the family residence. She was born April 16, 1962, in Redwood City, Calif., the daughter of Laverne Quiver Hutchinson and the late Gary Medicine Cloud Sr. She was a homemaker and enjoyed reading, cooking, planning and cooking holiday and special meals. She was a member of the Native American Church, was a fancy dancer, was Ethete Pow Wow queen, rodeo queen, WRIAA queen, editor for the Wind River News, worked at CWC radio station and worked for the ANS Tribal Industrial in Montana. She enjoyed being around her children, grandchildren and family. Besides living on the Wind River Indian Reservation, she grew up in Billings, Great Falls and Wolf Point, Mont. She attended schools at Mill Creek, Flandreau, St. Mary's Girls School in South Dakota and Wyoming Indian High School. Survivors include her mother, daughters, Tara Coffee, Janel Friday, Tashina, Taleah and Tamara Medicine Cloud; adopted daughter, Tiffany Day; adopted sons, Dawson Smith, Garrett Medicine Cloud and Darwin Shakespeare; sisters, Lois Medicine Cloud, Cheryl Medicine Cloud and Avon Shakespeare, Claudette Stavely, Gracie and Anna Pipe, Jackie Lee Chase, Yolanda Antelope, Alberta Hutchinson and Mardella Hutchinson; adopted sisters, Charlotte Good Shoulder, Becky Oldman, Eva Magnan, Kara Moon and Suzanna Oldman; brothers, Gary Medicine Cloud, Burton Hutchinson III, Earl Hutchinson, Gib Medicine Cloud, Anthony Medicine Cloud and Alfred and John Pipe; 10 grandchildren, grandparents, Iva Dean bear and Gladys Cantrell; aunts and uncles and extended family in Wyoming and Montana. She was preceded in death by her father, daughter, Carlotta Shakespeare; sister, Roxanne Quiver; brothers, Sherman Quiver, Chester, Frank and Julian Armajo; grandparents, Wesley and Agnes Plenty Chief, Alberta and George Quiver, Joe and Catherine Medicine Cloud, Anna Hancock, Eunice Denny and Herbert Welch, and aunts and uncles. Services are provided by Wind Dancer Funeral Home of Fort Washakie. Copyright c. 2007 Casper Star-Tribune published by Lee Publications, Inc., a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises, Incorporated. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Charles P. Wagner SOAP CREEK - Charles P. Wagner, 47, of Soap Creek, died on injuries sustained in a one-truck rollover accident Sunday evening, Feb. 11, 2007, on the Soap Creek Road. He was born Sept. 3, 1959, in Crow Agency a son of Keith and Beatrice Wolf Wagner, and was a descendent of the Mayflower passenger John Howland. He received his early education in the St. Xavier and Fort Smith areas before completing his education in Hardin. Chuck married Leslie Vogl and was later divorced. He married Danette Hopes and was later divorced. He lived in Big Horn County with the majority of his life on Soap Creek south of Hardin. He was an industrious person who drove commercially for the Payer and S & T truck companies, traveling throughout the United States and Canada. He was an outgoing person who made friends just about everywhere he traveled. The love of his life was the time he could spend on the family ranch on Soap Creek. He was an excellent roper. He would do anything for you and was always the first to show up at local brandings. Chuck was a large man who was often called the Mountain Man, the Big Guy and Grizzly Adams. He loved to cook, entertain his friends and fish on Soap Creek. His father, Keith Wagner, preceded Chuck in death. Survivors include his daughter, Nicole (Tim) McNew of Billings; his granddaughters, Keeley and Alexandra; his mother and stepfather, Bea and Phil Rasmussen of Lodge Grass; his sister, Kristel (William) Blair III of Wyoming; a brother, Robbin (Adrian) Wagner of Lewistown; his nieces, Brianna, Jessica and Amanda; and his nephews, Willie and Devin; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; as well as a host of friends. Funerals services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Lodge Grass First Crown Indian Baptist Church. Interment will follow at the Wolf Family Cemetery on Soap Creek. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements. February 16, 2007 Joseph Fire Crow Sr. LAME DEER - Joseph Fire Crow Sr., 83, of rural Lame Deer, passed at his home, Monday evening, Feb. 11, 2007. He was born Oct. 4, 1923, in Ashland, a son of Peter Fire Crow and Eva Red Beads. His grandmother Nancy Red Beads raised him after his mother died at childbirth. He grew up in the Ashland area and attended the St. Labre Mission School. Following his education, he worked at the mission school, later for the Ashland Saw Mill, Indian Health Service as an ambulance driver and finally as a plumber for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army and later received an honorable discharge. He married Gertrude Lone Bear on Feb. 9, 1973, in Forsyth, and the couple made their home near Lame Deer. He was a member of the Catholic Church. He was a strong family man, who, in his younger years, loved to play baseball. His parents, son Hank and daughter Shelia and grandson Omero preceded Joe in death. Survivors include his wife, Gertrude; his daughters, Josephine, Marion Elvina and Lavonne Fire Crow, Luella Russette, Johnita Talawyma, Roberta Lilley and Stella Ashley; his sons DonAllen Lone Bear, Ira, Ronnie John Ivan and Joseph (Joanna) Fire Crow, Jr.; his sisters, Fern Shoulderblade, Nellie Speelman, Lena Gray, Inez and Amy Foote; 28 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews, Isadore, Letha, Justine, Joy, Eloise, Arvelis and Bill Twomoons; his sisters-in-law, Laura, Leah; and special friend, Nikki the nurse; Roberta, Karen and Lori Big Man and Phyllis Well Known; his best friends, Richard Morrison and Fred White Wolf, Sr.; his close friends, Lucinda, Warren, Linita, LuLu, Joclyn, Joeleen, Alberta and Kay; as well as his extended family, including the White Dirt, Samuel Plain Feather, Bigman and Talawyma families. If we have missed you as a family member, please accept our apology. Traditional wake services will be held 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, in the Lame Deer Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 19, in the Church. Interment with military honors will follow in the Fire Crow Family Cemetery. Bullis Mortuary of Hardin has been entrusted with the arrangements. Copyright c. 2007 The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises. -=-=-=- Golden Triangle On-Line Obituaries The following obituaries appeared in the Cut Bank Pioneer Press, Shelby Promoter, Valierian or Glacier Reporter this week. February 14, 2007 Toni Fish Grant Toni Fish Grant, 51, a student majoring in criminal law at Blackfeet Community College, died of natural causes Saturday, Feb. 6, at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls. Toni enjoyed going to school, reading, gambling and spending time with her family and friends. Toni was born July 13, 1955, in Browning to Wilford Sr. and Lucille (Upham) Fish. Toni is survived by her partner, Al Rides At The Door; sons, William (Rachel) Grant Jr. and Chance No Runner; daughters Terri (Murray) Grant Trombley and Talia No Runner, all of Browning. Other survivors include her mother, Lucille Fish; brothers Alfred Bird, Karl Bird, Wayne Bird, Ed Fish, Wilford Fish Jr. and Donald "Mick" Fish; and her sister, Tina Fish, all of Browning; nine grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Wilford Fish Sr.; her brother, William Fish; her grandparents, Donald and Eva Upham, and William and Clara Fish; and her aunt, Violet Butterfly. Funeral services were held Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Church of the Little Flower in Browning. Rosary was recited Friday evening at the Glacier Homes Community Center in Browning. Burial was at the St. Michael Cemetery in Browning. Hi Line Funeral Home of Cut Bank handled the arrangements. Benton Charles Juneau Benton Charles Juneau, 86, passed away Saturday at Benefis East of natural causes. Funeral service was be held on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at the Browning United Methodist Church. Burial followed in Willow Creek Cemetery. Pondera Funeral Home is handled the arrangements. Benton was born on Aug. 22, 1920 in Heart Butte to Charles and Alice (Rose) Juneau. He was raised in Browning and graduated from Browning High School. He went on to attend MSU in Bozeman. Benton married Phyllis Lucia and later divorced. In 1968 he married Janet Nordin in Monson, Mass. Benton worked in the maintenance department as a plumber at the USPHS Hospital in Browning. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, golfing, and picnics. Benton was a member of the United Methodist Church. Survivors include a wife, Janet L. Juneau of Browning; a daughter, Jennifer Wood of East Glacier; son, Patrick Juneau of Cortez, Colo.; sister, Martha Vaile of Havre; brother, Kenneth "Joe Crow" Juneau of Browning; three grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by a daughter, Janice E Juneau; a son, Donald C. Juneau; his parents; a brother, Franklin Juneau; sisters, Cynthia Juneau, Juanita Atkins, Josephine Big Horn, and Marlene Heavy Runner. Memorials can be made to the Gift of Life Organization. Copyright c. 2007 Golden Triangle Newspapers. -=-=-=- February 17, 2007 Clarence George White Grass BROWNING - Clarence George White Grass, 83, an Army veteran, engineer, carpenter and nursing assistant, died of natural causes Monday at a Browning hospital. Wake services will move to the Starr School gym today. Rosary is 7 p.m. Sunday at the Starr School gym, and his funeral will be there at 1 p.m. Monday. Burial will take place in White Grass Cemetery northwest of Starr School. Foster & Spotted Eagle Tribal Wake Center is in charge of arrangements. Survivors, all of Browning, include his wife, Karala Arrow Top White Grass; daughters Yvette White Grass Reed, Debbie White Grass, Cheryl White Grass Bear Medicine, Annett White Grass Bull Shoe and Memory White Grass Kittson; sons Tyron White Grass, Faron White Grass, Larry Bear Medicine, Darrell Bull Shoe and Robert Kittson; sisters Agnes White Grass, Thelma Bear Medicine and Yvonne Salois; brothers Bernard White Grass and Herman White Grass; seven grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Clarence White Grass Jr.; and a daughter, Karen White Grass Belcourt. Copyright c. 2007 Great Falls Tribune, a division of Lee Enterprises. -=-=-=- February 13, 2007 Albert Saddler Jr. MILILANI, Hawaii - Albert Saddler Jr., 61, of Mililani, Hawaii, and formerly of Rocky Boy, died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, in Hawaii. A wake will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Catholic Church in Rocky Boy. Albert was born Jan. 6, 1945, at Rocky Boy and lived and went to school there until he was 16, when he moved to Helena. He joined the U.S. Air Force when he was 17. Albert met Paulina Seronio in California and they were married. He worked for a naval base as a machinist in California. Upon his retirement, he moved to Hawaii to work on the TV series "Lost" as a truck driver. Albert was a happy man and enjoyed his family and friends. He loved his Indian heritage and was a traditional dancer. He loved people and would help anyone who needed help. He had a big heart; he was a man of honor; and his word was his bond. Albert was preceded in death by his father, Albert Sutherland- Saddler Sr.; and younger brother, Roger Sutherland-Saddler Sr. Survivors include his wife, Paulina Saddler of Mililani; children, Albert Saddler III of San Bruno, Calif., Angela Saddler of Reno, Calif., and Eugene Saddler of Mililani; three grandchildren; mother, Emma Gibson of Big Sandy; sisters, Ethel Eyvonne Ford, Wellpinit, Wash., Roberta Sutherland-Saddler of Rocky Boy; brothers, Sigmund Sutherland of Isleta, N. M.; cousins, Kenny Blatt-St. Marks of Rocky Boy and Joe Saddler of Washington state; best friends whom he called his brothers, Roger St. Pierre of Rocky Boy and Joe Yellow Robe of Havre; all his half-brothers and half-sisters, whom he loved very much; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces and greatgreat- nephews; and many family members and friends here in Montana. Copyright c. 2007 Havre Daily News. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Randi Ridley Former Alaska resident Randi Micelle "Tava" Ridley, 27, died Jan. 29, 2007, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Anchorage Native Assembly of God, 916 E. 11th Ave. Pastor Eldon Hicks will officiate. A potluck will be afterward. Honorary pallbearers include Maurice Ridley, Bruce Higa, Michael Anagick, John Lutgen, Chris Harris, Myron Traino, Dijon Fox and Daryle Triplett. Randi Micelle Ridley, known by her Athabascan name Tava, which means "beautiful swan," was born in Anchorage Jan. 19, 1980, to Randy Ridley and Linda Blanton. She lived in Anchorage for the majority of her life and moved to Washington state and then to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Her family remembers her love of life, love of family, laughter and kindness: "These memories of her are our most cherished gifts that she has left us." She is survived by her daughters, Jeanysa and Atheila Ridley; parents, Randy Ridley and Linda Blanton; grandmother, Eva Merrifield; aunts and uncles, Clarissa Jones and Chuck Wulf, Maryanne Meneses, Colleen Anagick, Eva Diann Mossburg, Maurice Ridley and Florence Hale; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and extended relatives and loved ones. Randi Micelle was preceded in death by her grandparents, Mike and Jean Rickteroff and Eldon Ridley; uncles, David and Victor Rickteroff; and aunts, Annie Rickteroff, Martha Ridley and Tootsie Lowry. February 19, 2007 Annie Mills Respected Inupiaq Eskimo elder Annie Qunuyuk Baldwin Mills, 100, died peacefully Feb. 7, 2007, at home in Kotzebue. A funeral and potluck were Feb. 12 in Kotzebue. She was laid to rest next to her husband, Levy, in the family camp at Evik. Annie Baldwin was born July 1, 1906, near Kiana in the village of Oksik, which no longer exists, to Thomas and Kitik "Kitty" Baldwin. An Irishman from Boston, Tom was a miner who came to Alaska during the Gold Rush. Kitty was full Inupiaq. They raised six children. Annie was born prematurely, and village elders said she was too small and would be too ill to take care of. Tom refused to let her go. She was so tiny, she fit into a shoebox. She grew up with no problems except heart arrhythmia. Her mother died when Annie was 17. She wanted to attend Sheldon Jackson School, but being the eldest daughter, she had to help raise her brothers and sisters. Annie was told by Joe Sun that she was a descendant of the prophet Maniilaq. She was proud to be of his lineage. She also was proud of her Irish heritage. At age 22, she married Levy Mills of Kotzebue in the village of Candle. Levy was a full Inupiaq. He was a crane operator and prospector, and lived a traditional Inupiaq lifestyle. She eventually gave birth to eight children, seven boys and one girl. The family lived in Deering, Fairbanks and Kotzebue, where she lived since 1959. Her family wrote: "She cooked, baked, sewed, beaded, gathered and provided for her family and others around her. She lived a good, traditional Inupiaq lifestyle. She was a faithful Christian woman who attributed her healthy longevity to a subsistence lifestyle. She never smoked or drank. She always had a story to tell of the old Inupiaq ways. She loved to reminisce and look at old pictures. "She was a woman whom we all looked to, a real example of a good, genuine person. We are fortunate to have had her in our lives." Annie was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Levy; sons, Raymond Mills, Levy "Beanie" Mills Jr. and Gary Mills; and grandson, Gordon. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Lorena and Ron Engstrom, Homer Sr. and Norma Mills, and Charlie Mills; 23 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and other family members. Copyright c. 2007 The Anchorage Daily News. -=-=-=- February 18, 2007 Charles Lee Nelson Charles Lee Nelson died Feb. 10, 2007, in Angoon. He was 23. He was born Sept. 11, 1983, to Leon Charles Nelson and Deborah Jim, both of Angoon. He belonged to the Dog Salmon clan in Angoon and the Sockeye house in Hoonah. Nelson worked various jobs, most recently with the Chatham School District as a laborer. It was a job he really enjoyed, his family said. According to family members, he loved to work on cars and play the guitar. He enjoyed spending time with his nieces and brothers. He was a not a man of many words, but through his actions, he showed his love for his family by doing what he could for them. He had a good heart, his family said. He spent a lot of time with his grandfather in Angoon, chopping wood, watching movies or halibut fishing. He was also helpful to his grandmother, Jessie Jim. He was preceded in death by his father; grandfather, Charlie Jim; sister, Melissa Ann; family members, Charlie Jim Sr., Johnny Gamble, George Nelson Sr., Oscar Bennett and Cyrus Peck; great-grandmother, Nadja Peck; cousins, Brenda and Marilyn Gamble; aunt, Laurie Jim; and great-aunt, Elizabeth John. His grandmother, Jessie Jim, died within days of his passing. He was laid to rest with his father and grandmother. He is survived by his mother; sisters, Katherine Nelson and Irene Duncan; brothers, Frank McClusky Jr., and Jacob McClusky; grandmother, Beverly Dugaqua; grandfathers, George Nelson Jr., Joe Nakumura and Wally Frank Sr.; great-grandmothers, Jenny Jim and Florence Bennett; uncles, George Nelson III, Frank Lane and Mac Nakumura; aunts, Pamela Larson, Tracy Nelson, Christy Dugaqua and Mary Nelson; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins throughout Alaska and Oregon. Pallbearers are Johnny Jay Gamble, Al Curtis Johnson, Levi Johnson, Johnathan Zuboff, Alfred Demmert, Robert Paul Jr., Morry Israel and Stephen Johnson. Honorary pallbearers are Jenny Jim, Martha Nelson, Matilda Gamble, Wally and Harold Frank, Pete McClusky, Frank Jack Sr., Reggie Nelson, George Nelson Jr., Paul and Frank White, Charles Jack Sr., Ernest Jack Sr., Thomas Jack Sr., James Jack Sr., Albert Kookesh, John Howard, George B. Johnson, Larry James, Alice Bennett, Frank Jim and Richard George. Services are pending in Juneau. Contact 957-0195 for more information regarding services in Juneau. In Angoon, call (907) 209-7544 or (907) 788- 3254. Copyright c. 1999-2007 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Inc. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Clay Agecoutay-Goforth AGECOUTAY-GOFORTH, CLAY LANCE - (CLEAR THUNDER) (LITTLE MOUNTAIN MAN FROM THE WEST). It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved son, brother, grandchild, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend Clay age 18. Predeceased by his grandparents Gordon and Lillian Johns Agecoutay, his dad Leslie Glen Goforth, his uncles; Clarence Agecoutay and David Goforth. He will always be missed, remembered and loved by his mother Lynn (Kevin), Grandparents; Glen and Joyce Goforth. His brothers and sisters; Langan (Robyn) Goforth, Cree (Kari) Go forth, Cole, Leon, Mandy Goforth, Nicole (Matt) Agecoutay, Kassandra and Kerralyn. Special little nephew; baby Matt. Special elder confidant Eugene Samson. Also left to grieve are uncles, aunties, cousins, friends, team mates and drum groups. Clay was a passionate old soul who had a great sense of humour. He loved all sports especially football, in which he played at Martin Collegiate and excelled well with academics, last attending high school at Bert Fox High School in Fort Qu'Appelle. His greatest passion was singing pow-wow with Young Dog Society and his brothers, as well as eating his favorite foods. Always having a quick wit and awesome memory of past bets with cousins and memories with his family. Loving to rough-house with his younger siblings. Clay will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Funeral service will be held in Ben Pasqua Band Hall on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 2:00 pm. with Elder Glen Anaquod officiating. Cremation to follow. Wake will be held in Ben Pasqua Band Hall, Wednesday, commencing at 4:00 pm. Traditional feast to follow funeral service. Tristen Thorn-Severight THORN-SEVERIGHT - It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Tristen Trey Thorn-Severight on February 9, 2007. Tristen is survived by his loving parents Michelle Thorne and Wallace Severight. Cherished by brothers and sisters, Kashtin, Savannah, Trinity, Latrell, Jordon, Jayden, Ralth (AJ) and grandparents Brenda Thorn (Elvis), Corrine Pambrun (Tom), numerous aunts, uncles and loved ones. The wake will be held on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 commencing at 3:00 P.M. in the Gordon Hockey Rink, Gordon First Nation. The Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 2:00 P.M. in the Gordon Gymnasium, with Rev. Arthur Anderson officiating. Burial to follow at St. Luke's Cemetery. Arrangements are in the care of Lee Funeral Home 757-8645. February 17, 2007 Josiah Bitternose JOSIAH JAYDEN LEONARDO BITTERNOSE - Our Baby Josiah was called home to our Creator on February 15, 2007. Predeceased by Paternal Great Grandmother Vivian Flora Bitternose, Paternal Great Great Grandfather, Alexander Josiah Pratt, Mother Roberta Bear/Father Leonard Bitternose. Survived by brother Chris, sisters Chelsea, Kaylee, Rianna, Great Grandmother Madeline Pratt, God Parents: Grandmother Phyllis and Wally, Aunties Cassandra, Jaimie, Tracey, Bridgette, Roseanna (Levi), Rebecca (Anthony), Phyllicia, Mavis, uncles Dylan Pratt, Travis Bear, Kyle Smith, Grandfather Robert Bear (Janice), Grandmother Brenda McKay as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Wake will be held at Gordon First Nation February 18, 2007 at 4:00 p.m., Following Funeral at 2:00 p.m. Monday February 19, 2007 at Gordon Gym, Interment will follow in St. Luke's Cemetery. Officiating: Rev. Dale Gilman, Rev. Arthur Anderson and elders. Arrangements are entrusted to Lee's Funeral Home. Copyright c. 2000-2007 Regina Leader Post Group Inc. -=-=-=- February 14, 2007 Faron Mercadez Collette Buffalo Standing Alone FARON also known by the creators a Nitaikakato'saakii (One Star Woman) Peyak Achokos Iskwew was called home at a young of 17 on February 3, 2007 and layed to rest at Samson Central Cemetery on February 7, 2007. Faron will be very sadly missed by her son baby Terry Robert, husband Trent Applegarth, her loving father Ron (Wendy) Standing Alone, mother Eunice Buffalo, sisters Rona Buffalo, Brooklynn Standing Alone, brothers Nelson Buffalo, Cameron, Austin, Ronnie Jr. Standing Alone, nephews Dayton, Skylar Buffalo, niece Shavonne Buffalo, grandparents Alfred and Lily Standing Alone, Myers Buffalo, Uncle Alfred Jr., Aunt Dale (Randy) and cousins Cody, Darce, Mike, Chelse, Mackenzie, Jera and Jayden as well as numerous other uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends. Faron also known to many of us as Mercedes lived most of her life in Hobbema and spent many holidays and vacations visiting her father and grandparents on the Blood Reserve. Faron was born September 23, 1989 in Pinoka, AB. As a young child Farontosh was a very active, adorable, talkative child. Loved being with her brothers and sisters always showing and telling of how much she loved them, played the roll of a sister to a tee. In her older years Faron had many passions, one of then horses. She wanted to follow in her fathers footsteps and be in the rodeo. She loved playing sports, played football for a short time and wanted to play hockey with her younger brothers. Her faith was very traditional in the native way. She loved her grandparents very much and the guidance they gave her. She was very adventurous and wanted a taste of everything life could offer. We only had you for a short while. Why the Creator came for you that day we will never know. But we will hold close the time you gave us and the memories we all share will always bring a smile to our face. You left us a tiny gift to hold close to our hearts. His tiny ears and big loving eyes that remind us of you so much. You had so many hopes and dreams; now there is no limits of what you can do. You will never know how much you held us together, your love and humor always shone through like a one star woman. It will always be heavy on our hearts the day we had to say good-bye but only for now til we see your spirit again. Faron was predeceased by her grandparents Henry and Louise Standing Alone, Frank and Helen Eagle Tail Feathers, Minnie Wings, Joe and Sarah Buffalo, Henry and Agnes Omeasoo, grandmother Nellie Buffalo, great uncles Andy Standing Alone, Wayen Wells, Allen Standing Alone, Bob Eagle Tail Feathers, great aunts Adline and Ray Manychief, Margaret Fox, cousins Ricky Standing Alone, Tony Eagle Tail Feathers, James Standing Alone, Robin Callihoo, Carrie Fox, Lasinta Fox and Becky Fox. Copyright c. 2007 Alberta Newspaper Group, Inc./Lethbridge Herald.