_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 15, ISSUE 043 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 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 October 22, 2007 Zuni Li'dekwakkwya lana/big wind moon Western Cherokee Duninhdi/harvest moon Cree Opinahamowipizun/moon the birds fly south +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 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.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; www.indiancountrytoday.com; Mailing List: Native Poetry UUCP Mail IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | As historian Patricia Nelson | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Quotes: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + "Tribes live in different places where different things happened in our history - in our case, Jim Crow laws. You cannot standardize Indians and say that we are all alike and have to be judged alike without regard for the places we have had to survive." __ Ann Tucker, Chairman of the Muscogee Nation of Florida +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | 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 This issue contains articles regarding violence against Indian women, human rights from Indian perspectives and the never-ending mascot issue. I wonder - assuming anyone in the dominant society is even aware of these issues - if anyone recognizes there is a convergence with these three subjects. The stereotyping and racism associated with Indian mascots, the misuse of Indian women - largely by non-Indians, and the failure of the dominant society to even try to perceive human rights from a native perspective are each centered in and linked to a lack of respect for us as a people. This lack of respect goes right back to the Papal Bulls that the Vatican refuses to recant to this day. Two Papal Bulls, in particular, set the stage for European domination of the New World and Africa. Romanus Pontifex, issued by Pope Nicholas V to King Alfonso V of Portugal in 1452, declared war against all non-Christians throughout the world, and specifically sanctioned and promoted the conquest, colonization, and exploitation of non-Christian nations and their territories." In Pope Alexander VI's papal bull of 1493 (Inter Caetera), he stated his desire that the "discovered" people be "subjugated and brought to the faith itself." By this means, said the pope, the "Christian Empire" would be propagated. These Papal Bulls, or "doctrines of discovery", sanctioned Christian nations to claim "unoccupied lands", or lands belonging to "heathens" or "pagans". Those who refuse to acknowledge the mascot issue is demeaning and racist are blind, stupid or both. Anytime any group of humans treats another group as a mascot it instantly creates a caste system of user/used, owner/owned. If it is so honorable, why is there no team named the New York Hebes or Wops? Before you write me hate mail, these terms are no less damning than Redskins. Fix the latter and the other references won't need to be used for shock value. The unpunished abuse of Native Women has finally come to light. It is no longer able to hide in dark corners like the filth it is. I am praying this will lead to both enactment of protective laws and enforcement. The general view of Indians as extinct historical figures that have no real relevance to today's society effectively steals Native peoples' humanity and gives permission for them to be treated as pets and whipping women. Human rights and dignity are only granted to those respected as human beings, and until that happens, those ugly affronts to our humanity will go on. ' ' 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: - Learning an almost lost Language . Disrespect for Indians as People - Survey shows Languages - Indigenous Relatives Need Our Help at risk of extinction - Tribal Leaders: - Sobering reminders of reality 'Flawed' BIA Process has worsened of Domestic Abuse - Cobell hearing - COLEMAN: Bellecourt brings crucial detail helped change our Perception - Apologies needed for U.S. wrongs - NORRIS: Change the Names please!!! - Mascots portray racist Stereotypes - JODI RAVE: Indigenous Sami - Indians go to Green Bay embrace their Heritage to call for respect - NEWCOMB: Western Shoshone - Penobscots: reaffirm Land Rights Cleveland insults Sockalexis - GIAGO: - Violence against Remembering Vernon Bellecourt Native American Women - Human Rights Training - Human Rights during Border Summit from American Indian perspective - Chief acknowledges - Yellowstone Bison Aboriginal Protesters receive Native American Prayers - Feds asked to reintroduce - Navajo Nation Council Human Rights Legislation votes down Immunity Bill - Appeals Court - Antell speaks on Indian Education to rehear Sacred Site Case - Cherokees hire - Mother, Daughter plead not guilty CBC's former Director for Hate Crime - Mumpower criticizes - Mille Lacs Band status of Indian Tribes Law Enforcement revocation - Cherokee Chief: - Native Justice Tribes are not Special Interests -- Minneapolis, Tribal Police - Native Activist to speak will share Notes about Indian Struggles - Rustywire: Navajo Sheep Camp Heros - Virginia Tribes gain new ally - Lee Goins Poem: on Recognition Bill You Will Always Be My Little Boy - Cocopahs celebrate heritage - Upcoming Events of Tribe, Neighbors --------- "RE: Indigenous Relatives Need Our Help" --------- Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:38:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="A PLEA FOR HELP" http://www.rlnn.com/ArtOct07/IndigenousRelativesNeedOurHelp.html Indigenous Relatives Need Our Help October 16, 2007 Indigenous people all over the world know what it is like to be removed from sacred lands and placed onto reservations of the current government's choosing. There is a group of our relatives right now in Panama, fighting to remain where they have lived for generations instead of being forced onto a "kumarca," the Panamanian name for a reservation. This group resides in the Bocas del Torro region, on the Caribbean not far from Costa Rica. Because of their prime location, the Panamanian government has told them that they must either prove that they have enough infrastructure to add value to the area or they will be removed. This tribe is currently working on several projects in a desperate attempt to hold on to their lands. One project is immediate and needs a very quick turn around. They have just completed a harvest of chocolate beans. The beans have not yet been processed, though that could be arranged either in Panama or in the US. They are certified organic and wild harvested. We need to find a buyer for these beans. If anyone knows of a group or organization that has an interest in high quality, organic chocolate, we need to be in contact with them right away. (Oct 2007) Could you please spread the word to everyone you know? You never know who might have the contact that we need. This is an amazing opportunity to help a group in need. If only someone had tried to help our ancestors before it was too late . . . Please send all leads to: Marc Chavez nativescholars@gmail.com or Gaylene Hatch victoriah2012@yahoo.com This project is being coordinated by BRIDGE Panama - a non profit foundation. Miigwetch! Copyright c. 2007 Red Lake Net News. --------- "RE: Tribal Leaders: 'Flawed' BIA Process has worsened" --------- Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:34:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BIA RECOGNITION PROCESS FLAWED" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415914 Tribal leaders: 'Flawed' BIA process has worsened by: Gale Courey Toensing / Indian Country Today October 12, 2007 WASHINGTON - The BIA's unprecedented Columbus Day 2005 decision to reverse its own previous determinations and withdraw federal acknowledgement from Connecticut's Schaghticoke and Eastern Pequot tribal nations has become emblematic of what is wrong with the federal recognition process, tribal leaders say. The BIA decision took place at the height of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, with its unfolding revelations about political influence, corruption and deceit among elected officials and appointees. But political influence is only one problem in a recognition process burdened by lethargic slowness, inflexible criteria, expensiveness and a culture not geared to serving the tribal nation, tribal leaders say. Things haven't improved much in the past two years. Some tribal leaders say the situation has actually worsened since then. "Because of the political backlash to the Schaghticokes' recognition, I think there is a lot more resistance to all groups in the recognition process," John Sinclair, president of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, told Indian Country Today. The Little Shell Tribe's quest for acknowledgement began in 1935, but the tribe is now seeking acknowledgement from Congress. The tribe received a proposed positive finding from the Interior/BIA in 2000, but was also asked to submit more documentation. "We now find ourselves in an uncertain situation where we fear that the department may reverse its finding even though we have submitted thousands of pages of additional evidence" and no one has objected to the tribe's acknowledgement, Sinclair said. The problem is the conflation of federal recognition with casinos, Sinclair said. "Both gaming and anti-gaming interests are lobbying politicians in order to prevent more tribes attaining recognition and opening new casinos. The Little Shell, who have no current plans to open a casino, are held back in the process because of efforts to stop the Schaghticoke recognition." Ann Tucker, chairman of the Muscogee Nation of Florida, said she had an epiphany after attending a hearing about STN's petition. "I listened closely to the Office of Federal Acknowledgement's statements and really understood that no matter how long we waited, how hard we tried, how many pieces of paper we filed, all it really took was one of numerous types of anti-Indian influences to single-handedly destroy everything we had worked generations for. We came to the conclusion that the only way we would succeed was to take our case to Congress, government to government," Tucker said. From a national standpoint, Tucker added, "Tribes who do not have first- hand experience with the recognition process have been furnished an excellent example by the STN debacle of what it is like to be fighting in these trenches." Since the BIA process was institutionalized in 1978, only 16 tribes have been recognized through the BIA while Congress has acknowledged 28 tribes. More than 300 tribes are seeking federal acknowledgement. On paper, the review process takes 25 months. In reality, the process takes around 15 years, Lee Fleming, the director of the Office of Federal Acknowledgement, testified at a recent Senate hearing. The seven mandatory criteria are too unyielding, Sinclair said. A tribe could be denied acknowledgement if it lacks documentation for one criterion for a short period even if it provides documentation for the years before and after that period, "even though the documents cannot be found due to the fact that government agencies kept no records for whatever reason and the petitioner was unable to keep records due to racial and poverty conditions." The process views Indians as a homogenous blur, Tucker said. "Tribes live in different places where different things happened in our history - in our case, Jim Crow laws. You cannot standardize Indians and say that we are all alike and have to be judged alike without regard for the places we have had to survive," Tucker said. Tucker also questioned the integrity of a long and expensive process that "can be reversed along the way by outside interests" that may have financial or other biases, and the impossibly expensive process for tribes without resources. Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan, said nothing has changed for years. "Just yesterday I was looking back at some stuff from 1994 when the Little River and Little Traverse bands were recognized and some of the comments were about how flawed the BIA process was back then and it was almost the same words as now. I don't think anyone has ever favored the recognition process," Yob said. All three tribes have been in the BIA process for decades and have also turned to Congress where their requests have also languished. Grand River Bands has been waiting seven years for acknowledgement legislation. "We're just not the priority, I guess. We're kind of always on the back burner and it's just hard to move ahead," Yob said. The leaders had mixed feelings about the idea of an "independent" commission to administer federal acknowledgement. "A separate commission could be effective, but the entire process needs to be streamlined and modified to accommodate the situations that tribes in the current process find themselves," Sinclair said. Asked if it was possible for indigenous peoples to free themselves of the political influence that has been embedded in the relationship between the tribes and the dominant culture from the earliest days of genocide and conquest, all three leaders expressed hope and the need for solidarity. "With the U.S. government's plenary powers, I don't see how tribes can be completely autonomous, but I see tribes moving more and more towards independence and self-determination. One thing that has to happen is that tribes need to stop working against other tribes, recognized or otherwise. The attitude is that we have the few crumbs that the federal government doles out and we're going to undercut other Native people in order to keep it instead of working together towards a common goal. This attitude has held back Native people since the Europeans came to this continent," Sinclair said. Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Cobell hearing brings crucial detail" --------- Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:13:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRUST CASE EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415970 Cobell hearing brings crucial detail to familiar positions by: Jerry Reynolds / Indian Country Today October 19, 2007 WASHINGTON - More than a week into the Cobell v. Kempthorne evidentiary hearing over an accounting for the Individual Indian Money trust, both the account holding class of plaintiffs and the defendant Interior Department tried to bolster their known positions with a world of detail, much of it available through court transcripts at the Department of Justice Web site, www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm, or at the plaintiff Web site, www.indiantrust.com. (The DoJ is defending the government's delegate agency in the case, Interior.) Broadly speaking, Interior hopes to prove that activities it calls a full historical accounting for the IIM trust are sufficient that the court should permit it to proceed without interruption. The plaintiffs hope to prove Interior simply isn't providing the court-ordered full historical accounting of IIM funds that have flowed into the accounts from the lease of assets on land held in trust for Indian individuals by the federal government. Witnesses are presenting the government's case first. Robert E. Kirschman Jr., an attorney with the DoJ, opened the pleadings by assuring presiding U.S. District Judge James Robertson the evidence and testimony will demonstrate that Interior is performing a historical accounting of IIM accounts "in a structured and orderly manner. There is no unreasonable delay going on, and there's no basis for such a finding," Kirschman said. Touching on a key consideration, he described the documents and data vital to accounting for IIM transactions as "variable," but also "accurate and reliable." Interior's approach to the accounting has been determined by the congressional appropriations available to it, and by the time required for "a more detailed accounting" than statistical sampling can provide. "And those concerns have been weighed against the competing need to provide useful information to the Indian beneficiaries who can actually use it, and to provide those beneficiaries with this information in a timely manner." He added that in addition to its statistical samplings from "the electronic era population" of accounts, "Interior contemplates, as an initial step, sampling from the paper era [prior to approximately 1985] to assess whether the population in the paper era differs from the population in the electronic era. If the results show no differences, it will be statistically valid, then, to apply the LSA results [Litigation Support Accounting from the electronic era] to the paper era, and you will hear evidence of that." The initial government witness, Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason, emphasized that there was no model to proceed on in delivering the court-ordered accounting. In moving forward with a 2003 accounting plan that was the basis of "a new iteration" in 2007, Cason said, "Briefly, what we have learned so far in the accounting is that we do have records to do the accounting, that they can be indexed and used by accounting firms to do the work, that we can assemble historical statements of accounts, that we have found errors. They overall tend to be small, tend to be few, tend to be on both sides of the ledger, and tend to net out against each other. We have not found any instances of systemic accounting error or systemic fraud. We have covered a fair amount of territory so far ... we think that the job, as we've defined it, is a doable job." But that definition and all it implies will be a crux of the hearing. If there was any doubt, plaintiff attorney Dennis Gingold dispelled it in his opening statement. Gingold said he agreed with Kirschman on three points only: that the government filed a plan with the court July 2, 2000, another plan July 6, 2000, and "what they've been doing is a litigation support accounting plan, and they are estimating and projecting probabilities as to what might have occurred in certain accounts." Otherwise, he swept aside every representation by the government: "The reality is, the litigation support accounting plan [LSA] is a plan based on documentation in the [IIM] administrative record that is designed for one purpose: to limit the liability of the United States government. That's why it is called the litigation support accounting plan; that's what is being done. "It is not an accounting that has been declared by this court, it is not an accounting duty that the United States government has owed our clients [IIM account holders] since the government first exercised control over our clients' trust lands, the natural resources, and the funds and proceeds generated therefrom." On other key points in the case, Gingold cited Supreme Court precedent in insisting "all traditional trust principles apply to the government's management of the trust," and added that the century-plus old IIM trust was never "settled" in the technical legal sense - that is, according to settlement terms agreed upon among the parties in a manner that would obviate a need for judicial resolution. "The lands were not lands owned by the United States. The resources were not resources owned by the United States. The lands were principally held by the tribes on reservations pursuant to treaties that went back decades before the trust was established in 1887." The General Allotment Act of that year (also informally known as the Dawes Act) broke up the reservations, reserving 40 percent of tribal lands west of the Mississippi River for tribes in trust, and 40 percent for Indian individuals (the eventual source of the IIM trust). "And another 20 percent was available for whatever the United States government wanted to do, whether it wanted to provide the land to homesteaders or various companies that were developing the large cities out West, for railroads, or anything else. "So your honor, this trust was not settled by the United States government. The land was contributed to the trust, which was owned legally by the Indians. The money that was generated from those lands were monies of the Indians. The trust duties are duties that are established in accordance with trust law. "Congress established the trust; it did not settle the trust." Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Apologies needed for U.S. wrongs" --------- Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:26:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CLEANING OWN HOUSE" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/ news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-10-22-0145.html Apologies needed for U.S. wrongs By MICHAEL PAUL WILLIAMS TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST October 22, 2007 As editor of the Farmville Herald, Ken Woodley has been an outspoken proponent of a congressional apology for slavery. And as a family man whose wife and children are part Monacan Indian, he's also sensitive to the genocide committed against American Indians. "That's something I feel very deeply about." So Woodley is as mystified as I am at a resolution recently passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee - and backed by House Democratic leaders - that labeled as genocide the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I. "It's completely hypocritical," Woodley said. "And it begs the question why this nation has refused to apologize for the cultural genocide that was perpetrated against African-Americans on a huge scale and for decades and decades and decades." Robert J. Miller, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore., said he is unaware of any congressional apology to American Indians. Two resolutions on the past mistreatment of Indians are before Congress. "The resolutions just aren't going anywhere," said Miller, a member of the Eastern Shawnee tribe of Oklahoma. Now let me get this straight. A Congress that has historically lacked the spine or heart to tackle the nation's ugliest legacies in a meaningful way is censuring Turkey? A Congress that had no stomach for a national slavery apology would set off an international incident with ramifications on the war in Iraq, even though the U.S. relies on Turkey as a staging area? What makes the spectacle regarding Turkey, Armenia and Congress more unseemly is the role big money and lobbying have played in the controversy. According to Newsweek, the Armenian American Political Action Committee raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Democratic candidates. Meanwhile, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, who as a Democratic congressman from Missouri sponsored Armenian-genocide resolutions, is now paid to represent the Turks. That's the way it is when the historical record is subject to the highest bidder. Meanwhile, the dark side of U.S. history goes largely unacknowledged by Congress. "This is where we need to lead by example," Woodley said. "We're pointing a finger and we've got all the other fingers pointing back at us because we've refused to apologize for slavery. And we live with the consequences of slavery today. It is not part of our dead past." Woodley argues that a congressional apology for slavery, delivered to the nation on television by the president, "will help drive a stake through some of these ghosts which continue to haunt us to this day." Woodley's newspaper, once a platform for Massive Resistance, has become a voice for reconciliation. "Maybe if we would apologize for slavery, we wouldn't have to force other countries throughout the world to apologize for their atrocities," he said. Miller called it "unbelievable" that Congress is pointing fingers elsewhere while ignoring a U.S. history of black enslavement and the destruction and displacement of Indians. Until we take responsibility for our own painful history, we run the risk of being viewed as a nation of phonies whose primary export is self- righteousness. Before we ransack other nations' historical baggage, we need to sort through our own. Contact Michael Paul Williams at (804) 649-6815 or mwilliams@timesdispatch.com. Copyright c. 2007 Times-Dispatch, Media General Inc. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Mascots portray racist Stereotypes" --------- Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:38:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MASCOTS=RACISM" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://media.www.dailytitan.com/media/storage/paper861/news/ 2007/10/16/Opinion/Mascots.Portray.Racist.Stereotypes-3033798.shtml Mascots portray racist stereotypes Sports' fun representatives aren't so politically correct By: David Carrillo October 16, 2007 With Major League Baseball in the playoffs, the National Football League in full swing and the National Basketball Association season peaking over the horizon, I started thinking about mascots in sports. I thought about some of the teams that are competing - say the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins for instance - and realized that some of the mascots in sports are culturally insensitive and even straight-out racist. Have you ever really looked at the Cleveland Indians logo? It shows the picture of an Indian's face with a silly grin and feather poking out of the top of his head. The disturbing part is the face is colored bright red, and not the kind of red that you get from spending too much time in the sun. I'm talking right out of a Crayola Crayon box red. Then there's the aforementioned Redskins mascot. Every home game he comes out with face paint, feathers, moccasins and all other types of "Native American" attire. He dances around and attempts to entertain fans, and in doing so embarrasses an entire culture so the owner of the Redskins can make a little more money. What I'd like to know is why is no one outraged over this? If there was a team called the Kansas City Crackers and its mascot was a white "hick" smiling in a run-down pickup truck, can you imagine how angry people would be over it? How about a team called the Alabama Cotton Pickers whose mascot is a black man hunched over in the fields? Or how about a team called the Yellow Rice Men? They can have an Asian mascot in a straw hat holding up chopsticks. Would you be offended then? These are obviously very racially-charged and inappropriate team names that are offensive and should never be used, but they are no worse than the names we have now. Why is it OK to call someone a redskin and not a cotton picker? Both are wrong. When did we decide it was OK to make fun of Native Americans? We live in such a politically-correct culture - where no matter where you are or what you're doing you have to be careful what you say - yet in this one instance we are allowed to toss out the rules. It's downright shameful, and for the life of me I can't figure out why we let this happen. So while people may think I'm overreacting to the issue of mascots in sports, I see it as taking a stand. We all have to go to school, go to work and deal with all the crap that comes with everyday life. Why should we let sports be tainted? Sports is supposed to be a unifying experience that lets people of all backgrounds, classes and creeds come together and forget about the craziness of every day life. It allows us to escape from all of the bad things in the world, if only for a couple hours at a time, and have fun in something that is supposed to be just a game. So let's get rid of all the insensitive names in sports and let them be just what they're supposed to be - games, just games. Copyright c. 2007 The Daily Titan - All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Indians go to Green Bay to call for respect" --------- Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:38:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="END THE "R" NAME" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.startribune.com/503/story/1484411.html Indians go to Green Bay to call for respect Tribal members denounced Washington's nickname and logo, with the team at Lambeau and a state hearing this week. ASSOCIATED PRESS October 14, 2007 GREEN BAY, WIS. - Ahead of a state hearing this week on racially insensitive sports mascots, members of Wisconsin tribes decried the Washington Redskins' name and logo as the NFL team played the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. "The consensus is that the most egregious violations are with this name, Redskins, because it has the ugliest history," said Clif Morton, a New London resident who organized a conference this weekend in Oneida addressing race-based stereotypes and their related psychological effects. "It was always used as a disparaging term. It represented genocide of whole tribes. It represents the worst of the worst." Richie Plass, a member of the Menominee and Stockbridge-Munsee tribes, remembers when he was typecast as the mascot of his high school -- then the Seymour Indians -- almost 30 years ago. Since then, many schools have moved away from using American Indian mascots, but Plass said he wonders whether the action only masks the broader problem. "I think they'll change, but I'm not sure the mind-set will change," he said, referring to attitudes he said run deeper than the superficial use of names. Plass and other activists planned to protest Washington's name and mascot, which they say undermines American Indians with hurtful stereotypes. "When I look at [Washington's mascot] Chief Zee, I don't feel any pride," he said. "Dancing and drumming are things that are sacred to us. How can this be showing us honor?" This week, the state Senate Education Committee is scheduled to hear testimony on a bill that would allow residents to protest the "use of an ethnic name, nickname, logo or mascot by filing a complaint with the state superintendent of public instruction." State Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, called the issue one of respect. "If we look at mascots as part of the educational process, what sort of message is being sent by having them racially derived?" said Hansen, a co- sponsor of the bill. From professional teams such as the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves to schools in Kewaunee and Mishicot that still call themselves the Indians, Native American names and mascots remain common. About 40 public high schools still use American Indian-related names. Other high schools, such as Seymour and Shawano, adopted new names more than 10 years ago after the state Department of Public Instruction urged schools across the state to drop American Indian mascots and logos. Copyright c. 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Copyright c. 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Penobscots: Cleveland insults Sockalexis" --------- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:21:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PENOBSCOTS WANT CHIEF WAHOO DROPPED" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/4384581.html CHIEF WAHOO Penobscots: Cleveland insults Sockalexis By ELBERT AULL Kennebec Journal - Morning Sentinel Blethen Maine Newspapers October 18, 2007 Seven years ago, Penobscot Indian Nation sent a message to the Cleveland Indians: It was time to dump "Chief Wahoo." Tribal leaders said the red-faced caricature that adorns the Major League Baseball team's uniforms was a demeaning anachronism, more fitting for the days of Cotton Clubs and black face than the 21st Century, and passed a resolution that urged team officials to "eliminate" the logo. The vote was of special significance to tribal leaders. The Cleveland franchise traces its name to a Penobscot man, Louis F. Sockalexis, the first American Indian to play in the big leagues -- a man who overcame near-constant taunts to shine on the baseball diamond during a short career in the late 1800s. The resolution is dated Oct. 3, 2000. Penobscot leaders never received a response from Cleveland's front office, and the issue comes front-and- center again as the Red Sox and Indians play tonight with an American League pennant on the line. "When I'm watching this series, there are a bunch of things going through my mind," said Donna Loring, the Penobscot Nation's representative to the state Legislature and a loyal Red Sox fan. There's the offensive logo, Loring said. But there's also the nickname "Indians," which honors a fellow Penobscot, she said. Sockalexis was born on Indian Island and broke into baseball at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. He arrived in Cleveland in 1897, seven years after the Dakota Sioux and U.S. 7th Cavalry squared off at Wounded Knee. Sockalexis' arrival created such a stir that local newspapers jokingly dubbed his team, the Cleveland Spiders, the "Cleveland Indians." "Racism was accepted in journalism in that day," said Ed Rice of Orono, the author of a book on Sockalexis. "Sportswriters would write things like, 'He's gonna be scalping people.' " Sockalexis batted .338, stole 16 bases and drove in 42 runs over 66 games that season. He awed crowds by throwing out base runners from the outfield. But his season was cut short after an ankle injury that July, reportedly incurred jumping from the second-story window of a brothel. Sockalexis, burdened by alcohol abuse and racist taunts from opposing players and fans, played sparingly for Cleveland until 1899. He finished his baseball career in the minors and returned to Maine, where he died of heart failure in 1913. Cleveland became the Indians permanently two years later after a string of nicknames failed to stick. While researchers debate whether there is enough evidence to conclude Sockalexis was the inspiration for the name change -- the team maintains he was -- there is much less debate over the origins of Chief Wahoo. The logo was conceived decades after the 1915 name change and was never meant to resemble Sockalexis, Rice said. But the red face with buck teeth and a goofy smile strikes a nerve with Penobscot leaders like Loring, who believe it tarnishes the legacy of the very man the team holds up as the inspiration for its nickname. "That (logo) actually denigrated the contribution that Sockalexis made to the team and to professional sports," she said. In 2000, the Penobscot Nation's Tribal Council passed a resolution that asked the Cleveland Indians to "eliminate" the Chief Wahoo logo. "Louis Sockalexis was a handsome, talented and proud Penobscot Indian who is neither being recognized nor honored by the cartoon mascot 'Chief Wahoo,' " the resolution states. Penobscot leaders sent the document to Cleveland's front office. Rice said he handed the document to Bob DiBiasio, the team's vice president of communications, during a stop in Cleveland to promote his Sockalexis book. The Penobscots never heard back. It is unlikely they will hear anything soon. DiBiasio said team officials have no plans to open a dialogue on Chief Wahoo with the tribe. The team developed an alternate logo, a script "I" meant to resemble a feather, in response to concerns about the Chief, he said. DiBiasio argues the answer to whether the logo is demeaning lies in the intent of the Cleveland organization rather than the varied perceptions of fans. "We ask, if there is no intent to demean, can it be demeaning? We have no intent to demean," he said. Loring said she hopes the Cleveland Indians will someday work with Penobscots to draw up a new, respectable emblem to replace Chief Wahoo. "I see the name 'Indians' on their uniforms and I immediately think of Sockalexis, and I think that's an honor," she said. "I think of something else when I see that logo." Staff Writer Steve Solloway contributed to this report. Copyright c. 2007 Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc. --------- "RE: Violence against Native American Women" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="HIGHEST RATE OF VIOLENCE" http://kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7223250 Violence against Native American women higher than any other group October 16, 2007 Lawton - Violence against Native American women is higher than any other group in the country. It's an alarming fact - especially since Texoma is right in the heart of Native American country. So, the Comanche Nation is taking action. It put on a workshop Tuesday for those who work with tribal prevention programs. "It's really troublesome in Oklahoma, especially for women and children. [We need] more education done on the topic. Sometimes what the lawyers, judges do is put the victims at risk unless they understand the dynamics," says Kelly Stoner, Director of the Native American Legal Resource Center. There's no clear cut answer as to why the numbers are so high, but some experts at the workshop who work with victims feel it's because of cultural barriers - they simply don't want to speak up. There's also not a lot of help for Native women. 7News had the opportunity to speak with a victim who preferred to remain anonymous. Pam is a Native American woman who says she was beaten and stalked by her husband for ten years. "If he couldn't have me no one would," she says. The abuse got to be too much and it was hard to hide what was going on behind closed doors. "[He] beat me - put me in the hospital." She would go to police so much that there came a point where she felt they didn't believe her. Her husband would be put in jail and then be released - the cycle would begin again. By then, Pam felt she had no place to go. This is the problem many Native American victims have - especially in Oklahoma. There are only two shelters in the state fit for their needs. Betty Simmons is the program director for the Comanche Nation Family Violence Protection Program. She says Native Americans have cultural needs in addition to basic counseling and legal help. Native Americans are very private people with strong family ties. "A lot of folks don't understand the close knit [ties] of the family and try to deal with the Native American women without understanding her culture and background. That makes it difficult for you to provide services," Simmons says. And, that's why people have come to this seminar - to learn to help provide services that meet Native American women's cultural needs. The woman interviewed got out of her relationship and his happy and healthy today. But, there's one more alarming statistic. The majority of all Native women who are abused are victims of non-Native Americans. And, many tribes have no criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians, so, many of these crimes slip through the cracks. But, the more tribes lobby at the federal level, the more possibility that tribes will gain the power they need to prosecute. The workshop on domestic violence continues through Wednesday at the Great Plains Worley Center. Copyright c. 2000-2007 WorldNow and KSWO. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Human Rights from American Indian perspective" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PANEL DISCUSSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS" http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/ web/2007/10/12/indianpanel/?rsssource=1 Panel to discuss human rights from American Indian perspective by Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio October 14, 2007 Minnesota's 150th birthday is being celebrated over the coming year. There are going to be hundreds of events, however, one of the first focuses on a dark topic. It's human rights as experienced by Minnesota's American Indians - an experience that to many is nothing to celebrate. Duluth, Minn. - The University of Minnesota opens its state sesquicentennial observance in Duluth with an unvarnished look at the American Indian experience in the state. It's not all a happy story, which includes American Indian children forced into boarding schools, young women sterilized for life, and the largest mass execution in U.S. history. Alexis Pogorelskin heads the University's Center for Genocide, Holocaust, and Human Rights Studies on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus. She saw the opportunity through the state's birthday celebration, to link history and human rights. "The programming that the center has done has focused on Darfur, the holocaust, the Armenian genocide," Pogorelskin says. "And as Director of the center I have long wanted to do American Indian issues, and with the boost of the sesquicentennial I was able to put this panel together." Panelists include Pogorelskin, Linda Grover with UMD's American Indian Studies Program, and Native American speakers Jim Northrup and Dr. Robert Powless. Northrup is a celebrated writer and poet from the Fond Du Lac Band of Ojibway. Powless is professor emeritus with UMD's Center for American Indian Studies. "I'm going to focus on what does human rights actually mean?" says Powless. "And how does that relate to what has happened to Indian people in the past, and what we would like to think is going to be happening to them in the future." According to Powless, the American Indian experience today is still one of human rights denied. "Part of a definition of human rights - a dictionary definition of human rights - is equality before the law," Powless says. "Certainly if you look around here in Duluth, you don't find that." Powless says he believes some crimes against Duluth's American Indians have not been given a thorough investigation. But he says things aren't hopeless. Powless says the popular image of Indian people has improved since the 1930s and 40s. "And I'm saying today, we've got to somehow learn from each other," Powless says. "Indians have to go into the mainstream, yes. But they also have to teach their culture, or cultures, to non-Indian people, if we're going to have, in my estimation, true human rights." Alexis Pogorelskin says she's hoping participants leave with a different sense of who we are. "That what we think of ourselves as Minnesotans and Americans and what we take for granted, and what we assume, that these things are really not true," says Pogorelskin. "And when certain members of our larger community are under threat, there's a way in which our understanding of who all of us are is likewise under threat." Pogorelskin says a consideration of the American Indian experience can lead to a reconsideration of the way the United States relates to other countries in the world, and the treatment of minority cultures. "I think if we're not aware of these issues then we as a community cannot appropriately address them," Pogorelskin says. "We can treat them as historical, but I think they are topics we need to consider in terms of who we vote for, what we stand for, what we represent, and what we're going to fight for." The panel being held in the Kirby Student Center on the UMD campus is the first in a series of lectures the University of Minnesota plans through the coming year on the American Indian experience. Minnesota Public Radio Copyright c. 2007. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Yellowstone Bison receive Native American Prayers" --------- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:21:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="PRAYERS FOR YELLOWSTONE BUFFALO" http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=9084 Majestic Yellowstone Bison Receive Native American Prayers GARDINER, MT By Shelley Bluejay Pierce October 17, 2007 Sacred prayers and songs were lifted for the Yellowstone buffalo herd by Native American elders led by Scott Frazier (Santee/Crow, and assisted by Dr. Henrietta Mann (Cheyenne) and John Potter (Ojibway). The resting buffalo were gathered in a large meadow on the South edge of Yellowstone Park near the boundary line that stands literally for life or death if crossed by the bison during the winter months when they travel outside park perimeters in search of better forage. Buffalo herds once numbered 30 to 60 million across North America but were slaughtered nearly to the point of extinction during the late 1800s. As of the spring of 2006, the Yellowstone herd has approximately 3,500 remaining buffalo. Forced to remain inside the confines of Yellowstone Park, the buffalo are subjected to repeated harassment or death as a result of leaving the border lines the animals do not see nor sense. Buffalo were the sustaining force for the American Indian people for centuries. The balance of supply and demand, weather patterns, and over use of one part of the ecological web affected both bison and human. The plains tribes honor the buffalo in their religious belief and ceremony, depended upon them for their shelter, food, and daily living requirements. Many of the tribes are now part of a hunting program developed by Montana leaders who say buffalo must be killed to keep population in balance. Their efforts are attempting to return some of the buffalo back to the tribes that originally hunted them originally in this area. Scott Frazier has spent the better part of his life attempting to help protect the Yellowstone herd. When trying to explain the spritiual impact the buffalo have for the people, he explains, "I've been asked many times why the buffalo are so important. I have always seen them as the life that is holy. The buffalo has always been the life force of this land. They gave themselves in many ways so that others could learn, live, and be religiously fulfilled. Peoples of the plains could have not found the strength to exist without the buffalo. There is a power unknown to humans that the buffalo answers." Though the struggle to procure extra grazing land as a buffer zone for the bison herd outside the park's boundaries has been attempted, there has not been an entirely affective solution to the problems of migrating buffalo yet. Despite enormous public outcry by Native tribes, wildlife protection groups and the worldwide community of visitors who come to Yellowstone, the agreement between federal and state agencies continues to places the economic interest of Montana's livestock industry above the welfare of the buffalo herd. With the Federal and State government agencies in control, the buffalo have been chased by helicopter and snowmobiles, captured and held in pens, endured experimental testing and slaughter programs that have all resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 Yellowstone buffalo since the mid 1980s. There were 0 kills in the 1999/2000 season but that number skyrocketed to 1,016 buffalo killed during the 2005/2006 season. Buffalo are migratory like other wildlife in the park and they naturally seek out better food supplies during the heavy snows in winter and spring. Crossing a park boundary line into the path of domestic cattle is leading to their demise where Montana's livestock industry and the state of Montana maintains a zero-tolerance policy for wild buffalo. Scott Frazier and those who know the significance of the buffalo hope and pray there will be changes to the treatment the herd has historically been given. Scott explains this relationship with the buffalo by saying, "The buffalo are trying to awaken us to understand the potential of all relationships to the creation. There are those who walk with the buffalo. They come here to stand in the light of the moment. There is a great relationship happening here, between the holy and the human. It has always been my belief that the buffalo are studying us and relating their findings to the Creator. We are under the microscope of the cosmos in a time when we as humans consider ourselves a higher life form. However, in this time we grow old and change is slow. Many humans do not understand their relationship within the balance and continue to treat the animals poorly. Some humans forget their potential to change and become holy. The buffalo are here to help awaken those people to change. They don't realize that the buffalo are watching." Native American Times. Copyright c. 2005 All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Navajo Nation Council votes down Immunity Bill" --------- Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:13:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL: NOBOBY ABOVE THE LAW" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/october/101807jch_abovethelaw.html Nobody is `above the law' Navajo Nation Council votes down immunity bill By John Christian Hopkins Dine' Bureau October 18, 2007 WINDOW ROCK - The speaker spoke - but it was the Navajo Nation Council that got the last word in. Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan introduced legislation that would give delegates limited immunity from arrest during council sessions. The bill grew from an incident earlier this year when Morgan was stopped for going through a stop sign, and a routine check revealed that he had not appeared in court on an outstanding transporting livestock violation. "This is the first of its kind legislation," Morgan said. It is meant to ensure that delegates can attend council sessions without minor distractions, the speaker explained. While a delegate could not be arrested during council session, he or she would still to deal with the issue after the session ended, Morgan said. "I'm not trying to put anybody above the law," Morgan added. Delegate Amos F. Johnson said his chapters - Black Mesa, Forest Lake and Rough Rock - oppose this legislation, and he urged the council to vote it down. "I certain situations, we need to be here," Delegate Rex Lee Jim said. "The whole point behind this is so we can be effective and do our jobs. Just because the law's in place, doesn't mean we'll all be running stop signs and speeding." Delegate Johnny Naize offered an amendment to add protection while attending special council sessions. That amendment passed. But Naize's second amendment - to delete wording that extended immunity while leaving sessions - was not as well received. "It makes no sense in my mind to delete this language," Delegate Ervin M. Keeswood said. Accepting Naize's amendment would dilute the entire bill, Delegate Tim Goodluck offered. "Each of us has a different view on how we will vote on this, so let's just vote," Naize said. Council voted down the immunity bill, 29-48. Other business In other business, Delegate Willie Tracey presented legislation to remove school board members from their seats if they miss three consecutive meetings. "The overall intent of this legislation is that we're thinking about our children," Tracey said. One school board member has missed 10 straight meetings, Tracey said. This is a problem - especially on the boards that only have three members. Lorena Zah-Bahe, from the Department of Dine Education, said of the 66 Bureau of Indian Affairs schools on Navajo, 15 to 20 have three-member school boards. Another 10-15 school boards only have four members, Zah- Bahe said. "It really stalls the action, a lack of a quorum," she said. His bill would mandate that a school board member that missed three consecutive meetings will be deemed as having resigned their seat, Tracey explained. This isn't a major concern, Keeswood said. "I don't see why we have to spin our wheels and create a problem where there is no problem," Keeswood said. While school boards have similar clauses concerning missed meetings there's "no teeth in it, they're not being enforced," Zah-Bahe said. A lack of qualified teachers is a bigger education problem than tardy school board members, said Delegate Leonard Chee. "I'm concerned about the education of our children," Delegate Larry Anderson Sr. said. People should not run for the school board if they can't be dedicated leaders, he added. The measure passed, 71-5. Council also approved the Five Management Plan Act sponsored by Shonto Delegate Jonathan Nez. The act will approve a template for those chapters that want to become governance-certified. "Right now the Office of the Auditor General holds much authority in recommending for approval of draft Five-Management Plans to the TCDC. This legislation would alleviate the game of back and forth from chapters wanting to get certified and the auditor general," Nez said. "This model looks similar to those eight governance-certified chapters' FMS." In a way there has already been a model in place for many years, Nez added. "It is ironic that with the same model being recommended to the Office of the Auditor General they keep kicking it back to the chapter and telling them to revise it," Nez said. "In some cases, it has been taking years." Council passed the bill, 58-7. John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com Copyright c. 2007 Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: Antell speaks on Indian Education" --------- Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:13:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN EDUCATION" http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/ index.cfm?id=11581§ion=homepage Antell speaks on Indian education Michelle Ruckdaschel Bemidji Pioneer October 19, 2007 Minnesota has come a long way with Indian education, but it still has a ways to go. Will Antell shared this message with K-12 teachers, school administrators and others from across northern Minnesota as the keynote speaker for the "Teaching Native American Learners" conference Thursday at Bemidji State University's American Indian Resource Center. The conference was designed to help K-12 teachers better teach American Indian students. Antell, an enrolled member of White Earth Reservation who founded the National Indian Education Association, spoke of the "demise" of the Minnesota Department of Education's Indian Education Program. "We've got to rebuild that program," said Antell, who was the first director of Indian education for the MDE and the first MDE assistant commissioner. The MDE's budget was reduced to correspond with the loss of the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, which resulted in the elimination of the Indian education supervisor at the MDE, according to the MDE, according to Randy Wanke, communications director for the MDE. Antell also spoke of the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program, which moved from Bemidji to Roseville five years ago in a budget-cutting measure under then-Gov. Jesse Ventura. The program, which was initiated in Bemidji in 1954, provides scholarships to American Indians attending a Minnesota college or university. "It finally came back to Bemidji," said Antell, who is a former member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. He said the program's return to Bemidji Oct. 1 is at least a step in the right direction. "Now we need to regroup," said Antell, noting that the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program must be rebuilt at the regional level and a strategy must be planned to strengthen Indian education at the state level. Meanwhile, Antell said he believes more time should be spent on programs that help students achieve academically. He said billions of dollars have been invested across the United States - with millions of these dollars in Minnesota alone - in Indian education. "We still have dismal statistics facing us," Antell said. He said graduation rates and test results among American Indian students, for example, are behind other students. Antell suggests a new paradigm for Indian education - and education in general. He said he is pushing for the elimination of 11th and 12th grades from high school, thus opening the door for older teens to start attending colleges and universities earlier. By the time students are seniors in high school, and sometimes even juniors, many have fulfilled their requirements for graduation, Antell said. He also said there is repetition in what is taught throughout high school and in the early years of college. And, he said, adolescence is prolonged by keeping older teens in high school. Copyright c. 2007 Forum Communications Co. Fargo, ND 58102 - All rights reserved --------- "RE: Cherokees hire CBC's former Director" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="CNO HIRE BLACK CAUBUS FORMER DIRECTOR AS LOBBIEST" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://thehill.com/business--lobby/under-fire-cherokees- hire-cbcs-former-director-in-lobbying-push-2007-10-17.html Under fire, Cherokees hire CBC's former director in lobbying push By Kevin Bogardus October 17, 2007 The Cherokee Nation has hired the Congressional Black Caucus's (CBC) former top official as part of a lobbying effort against punitive legislation proposed on Capitol Hill. Paul Brathwaite, once the CBC's executive director, is part of a five- person team at the Podesta Group that has registered to lobby against a bill, among other provisions, that would punish the tribe for amending its constitution so that it effectively excluded thousands of black Americans. The group is known as the "Freedmen," descendants of Cherokee-owned slaves who later gained citizenship rights. The tribe amended its constitution in March to exclude from the tribe anyone who did not have a Cherokee ancestor based on 1906 census rolls. The new definition meant that 2,800 Freedmen would not be counted as part of the 270,000-member Cherokee Nation. In response, members of the CBC have pushed a bill that would cut off all federal funds to the tribe - roughly $300 million per year. The legislation would also suspend the tribe's gaming license and authorize investigations into its gambling business by the Department of Justice and the Government Accountability Office. The bill now has 23 co-sponsors, but has yet to be marked up by the House Judiciary and Natural Resources committees, which share jurisdiction on the issue. Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.), the bill's chief sponsor, has distributed a "Dear Colleague" letter to other CBC members and is pushing for a joint committee hearing to be held early next year, according to an aide for the congresswoman. "The stakes are extremely high," said Chad Smith, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. He added that Watson's bill could cut off healthcare funds for 126,000 Cherokees and housing subsidies for another 7,300. Smith said his tribe was impressed by the Podesta Group as a whole, and did not hire the firm solely because of Brathwaite's relationship with CBC members. "We looked at the firm and their ability to get our message out, not necessarily the individuals," Smith said. The extent of Brathwaite's involvement is unclear. His former boss, Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), has not met with the lobbyist and said he has "no impression that [Brathwaite] will be personally involved with this dispute." "We separate relationships with lobbyists, whether Paul, [Tony Podesta] or the chief himself," added Watt. But Braithwaite did meet with the staff for Watson, who proposed legislation in June condemning the Cherokees for their March vote. Tempers began to rise in September when the House considered American Indian housing legislation. Lawmakers passed by voice vote a Watt amendment that would cut off the Cherokees' housing funds. But Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) amended the provision so it would not take effect until litigation between the Cherokees and the Freedmen is settled. Watson kept up the pressure, however, and hosted a panel in late September to discuss the Freedmen at the CBC's annual legislative conference. That week, the Cherokees countered with full-page ads in The Hill and Roll Call that condemned Watson's bill as well as a press release questioning her panel's fairness. Days later, Watson went to the House floor to lambaste the lobbying campaign. Even before hiring the Podesta Group, the tribe had already built up a strong Washington presence. The tribe spent $1.2 million on litigation, lobbying and public relations for fiscal 2007 and plans to spend $1.5 million for 2008, according to budget documents provided by Cherokee representatives. Lanny Davis, a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and a top fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) presidential campaign, is handling much of the litigation for the tribe. Former Rep. Brad Carson (D-Okla.), now chief executive officer of the Cherokee Nation Businesses, is also part of the effort. Davis recommended the Podesta Group for the job to the Cherokees. Its founder, Anthony Podesta, is a well-known Democratic lobbyist and fundraiser. Despite the constitutional change, Davis noted that thousands of blacks remain in the tribe. He also noted the tribe has granted temporary citizenship to the Freedmen until all litigation is completed, and offered to pay for genealogical research for those wishing to find out whether they have a Cherokee ancestor. "It is completely false and completely unfair to suggest racial motivation by the Cherokees," said Davis about the March vote. But the conflict between the Freedmen and the Cherokee tribe has become more complicated as lawsuits have proliferated in both federal and tribal courts. Smith, the Cherokee chief, argues that congressional intervention in the matter would disrupt the judicial process. "The courts should just sort it out," he said. But Watson said the tribe's March amendment breaches an 1866 treaty with the U.S. government that granted citizenship rights to the Freedmen. "If you break your agreement with us, we should break our agreement with you," said the California Democrat. Smith argues that the 1866 treaty did not grant full Cherokee citizenship to the Freedmen. Meanwhile, the Freedmen have picked up additional support in their battle. The Downey McGrath Group has offered to work in support of Watson's bill pro bono. "We are going to prove a good cause does not need money to succeed," said Tom Downey, former Democratic congressman from New York and the group's chairman. Copyright c. 2007 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communication Inc. --------- "RE: Mumpower criticizes status of Indian Tribes" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="WE HAVE A NEW INDIAN HATER" http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771015087 Mumpower criticizes status of American Indian tribes by Jordan Schrader, JSCHRADE@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM October 16, 2007 Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower, a fierce critic of illegal immigration, on Monday leaped into a different minefield on the border of politics and race. The Republican Asheville city councilman criticized the status of American Indian tribes as sovereign nations, singling out the "segregation" of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians within the district he wants to represent. "We have, realistically, a subsidized country within a country, and it's time to help these folks become a part of America as a whole instead of an isolated special interest," said Mumpower, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against freshman U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville. Mumpower issued a news release titled "Cherokee Tribal Status Has Become a Corrupted Special Interest," tying his comments to a Citizen-Times report that showed the Eastern Band failed to report at least $58,000 in contributions to state candidates since 2005. "Recent unreported campaign contributions to politicians highlight a continuing effort to maintain an unlevel playing field in Cherokee," Mumpower wrote. "The tribe draws dramatic government funds and benefits while they simultaneously reap the dubious handouts of a tribal gambling enterprise." Mumpower said he didn't question tribal leaders who said the omission was an oversight. But he said the Cherokee should not be able to lobby and give money to candidates while also having tax exemptions, benefits through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and legalized gambling at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Principal Chief Michell Hicks said he would read Mumpower's statement before commenting but didn't return a phone message later. The United States recognizes Indian tribes' independent authority, subject to the powers of Congress. A 1995 Department of Justice policy on Indian sovereignty states: "In early Indian treaties, the United States pledged to `protect' Indian tribes, thereby establishing one of the bases for the federal trust responsibility in our government-to-government relations with Indian tribes." Contact Jordan Schrader via e-mail at jschrade@gannett.com Copyright c. 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Cherokee Chief: Tribes are not Special Interests" --------- Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:26:11 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EBC CHIEF RESPONDS" http://indianz.com/News/ http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771019115 Eastern Band of Cherokee is and will remain a sovereign nation by Michell Hicks October 22, 2007 As the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, I felt compelled to respond to the recent disturbing press release issued by Asheville Councilman Carl Mumpower belittling our Nation as a special- interest group. Mumpower would not be the first American politician advocating for the destruction of our tribe and for the dissolution of our rights to exist as a distinct Nation. Many advocate for our demise out of ignorance about our historic government-to-government relationship with the United States. Look at history First and foremost our Nation existed in this land long before Europeans and then Euro-Americans sought to establish themselves as sovereigns. Our people peacefully sought diplomatic relations with the governments of England and France long before there was an American government, and so it was that the new United States recognized our right to continue to exist as a distinct Nation. This sovereign right was established nearly 200 years ago, not just with the rise of our ability to legally operate a gaming enterprise. We will fight until the bitter end to maintain and defend our sovereignty, no matter what the circumstance. Field still not level I do, however, agree with Mumpower that the current playing field is uneven. Thank goodness someone finally understands that. We have not been on a level playing field for the 200 years of our relationship with the United States. Our people have historically been among the most destitute in the country, and we have worked tirelessly to provide our people with opportunities that many other Americans take for granted. Our Tribe continues to avail ourselves of federal grant money, which is available to many communities. It is our right as citizens to do so. What is most disturbing about Mumpower's view is that he so readily dismisses the rights of those constituents he hopes to represent. Is he so dismissive of our ability to operate a business within the legal limits of the law that he would accuse our people of being corrupt? Jealous of success? If our business is so "counterproductive to the interests of Western North Carolina," why are we one of the largest employers west of Asheville? Why are we the most visited destination in North Carolina? Is it that Mumpower has no idea of the huge unemployment rates prior to the opening of Harrah's Cherokee Casino and Hotel, or is it that he doesn' t care about the constituents in the counties that provide the majority of our work force? I think Mumpower would better serve this district if he actually knew who he wants to represent west of Buncombe County. --- Michell Hicks is Principal Chief, Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Copyright c. 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Native Activist to speak about Indian Struggles" --------- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:21:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="A LITTLE REMINDER ABOUT 60's TERMINATION EFFORTS" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://media.www.volanteonline.com/media/storage/paper468/news/2007/10/17/ News/Native.Activist.To.Speak.About.Indian.Struggles-3037414.shtml Native activist to speak about Indian struggles Michelle Rydell October 17, 2007 Don't be surprised if you've never heard of Madonna Thunder Hawk - she's not one to brag. She won't tell you that she was one of the primary movers and shakers in the American Indian Movement in the 1960s and 1970s and remains one today. But history and her colleagues will tell you otherwise. "Without her, we would not have Native American studies," said Elizabeth Castle, assistant professor of Indian Studies at USD. "We would not have a modern Indian country that is reclaiming its sovereignty. That's how important she is." Thunder Hawk will present the 13th annual Joseph Harper Cash Memorial Lecture Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Farber Hall. "She is going to paint a picture of what it was like to organize and fight for causes in a very hostile environment in South Dakota," Castle said. "She'll talk about how things have changed, how they've stayed the same and what we can do at USD to really bring alive the goals that were part of the Red Power Movement." Thunder Hawk, 67, of the tribe Two Kettle Lakota, was born on the Yankton reservation in Wagner, South Dakota. She and her family lived on several reservations in S.D., but spent most of their time on the Cheyenne River reservation. As she grew older, Thunder Hawk moved to the cities as part of the federal Indian relocation policy. "They were hoping to mainstream our people into the rest of America," Thunder Hawk said. "It was a national Indian relocation program to get Indians off the reservation. So I went on relocation and started a family." Thunder Hawk moved off the reservation at the height of the civil rights and war movements. It was only after relocation, when she and other Native Americans became aware of issues facing their people, that the Red Power Movement began. During this political movement, Native Americans fought to regain land and fight oppression from the government. "It wasn't just related to one issue or event, it related to Indian policy," Thunder Hawk said. "It was something that involved all of our people. It wasn't just young people up against the system. It was family and elders too." The struggle against the federal government's relocation of Native Americans was a movement that centered right here in South Dakota, Thunder Hawk said. Thanks to the efforts of the Red Power Movement, the federal government changed their policy from termination and relocation to self- determination. It was a huge change in Indian policy, Thunder Hawk said, which affected everything around them, from education to health services. It was her activism that made her one of the primary figures in a historical book Castle is writing about women's activism in the late 1960s and 1970s. "She and other Indian grandmas are the real power brokers in Indian country," Castle said. But there's still room to improve, Thunder Hawk said, which is why she is continually advocating for Native American rights. "What makes her unique is that for more than 40 years, she has never sold out. She recognizes that to be a leader means to be accountable to your people," Castle said. "Unlike a lot of people who make a career of speaking, she is humbly using her expertise at community organizing." Freshman Sinte Nupa Gilbert, Thunder Hawk's grandson, said seeing his grandmother recognized as one of the main figures in the Red Power Movement has cast her in a whole new light for him. "I didn't get to hear all those stories when I was younger," Gilbert said. "In a way, I'm getting to learn my history and my whole family's history, and that's kind of cool." Gilbert, who is the only male enrolled in Castle's American Indian Women's Activisim class this fall, said he had no idea how historically significant his grandmother was. "She was always my hero growing up ... I didn't know how much the rest of the world should know that too," he said. Gilbert said this will be only the second time Thunder Hawk has spoken at a South Dakota campus. The first was to Castle's class last year. Speaking to students in South Dakota is important because "this is Indian country," he said. "It's hard to believe (she's never spoken here) because she's been around the world speaking about indigenous issues," he said. "South Dakota is where she's from, and (nobody) has invited her once. It's like South Dakota is finally catching up with history." Castle said Thunder Hawk also wants to visit the university and make sure it cares about its Native American students. "She wants to send relatives here, to a school that is going to treat them right," she said. Thunder Hawk said she hadn't been very knowledgeable about USD because she was of the generation that pushed for tribal colleges, but she assumed the univeristy had been pushing for higher academic awareness concerning Indian studies. "Of course I was wrong, naive," she said. "(But) I can see that we no longer have the option to play the victim, that it's everyone else's fault. We have to get involved ... The university has to take note too, but we also have to show an interest." Part of her activism now means trying to preserve the land and language of her culture. Thunder Hawk works to preserve sacred sites, especially around the Black Hills. "I really, truly believe it's an endless struggle to protect our land base," she said. "Once our land base is gone, who are we? We're already in danger of losing our language, though we haven't yet." Reach reporter Michelle Rydell at Michelle.Rydell@usd.edu. Copyright c. 2007 University of South Dakota Volante. --------- "RE: Virginia Tribes gain new ally on Recognition Bill" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="VIRGINIA TRIBES" http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/005439.asp Virginia tribes gain new backing on recognition bill October 17, 2007 Six Virginia tribes seeking federal recognition gained a new ally on Tuesday when freshman Sen. Jim Webb (D-Virginia) said he would back their efforts. H.R.1294 recognizes the Chickahominy Tribe, the Chickahominy Tribe- Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Nation and the Nansemond Tribe. The bill overwhelmingly passed the House in May. Despite the strong support, Webb - who defeated former Sen. George Allen, a Republican who sponsored the recognition bill in prior sessions of Congress - was holding out. But after several months of study, Webb said he supports the legislation. "Through this review, I have concluded this legislation is a simple matter of fairness. Four hundred years after the founding of America's first colony at Jamestown, these six tribes deserve to join our nation's 562 other federally recognized tribes," Webb said. Webb wrote a letter to the leaders of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, urging them to schedule a mark-up on the bill in order to get it passed "this year." Events to commemorate the Jamestown settlement and the role tribes played have been taking place all year in Virginia. Webb's announcement leaves Sen. John Warner (R-Virginia) as the only unknown player while the bill awaits consideration in the Senate. Though he previously co-sponsored a recognition bill, Warner has said he is concerned about the potential for the tribes to open casinos against the will of state voters. To address that concern, the Virginia tribes agreed to a provision that bars them from conducting gaming "as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of any federal law," according to H.R. 1294. The concession led Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Virginia), a longtime critic of the BIA and the federal recognition process, to vote in favor of the bill in May. Similar provisions have been included in other federal recognition acts. Two tribes in Texas were forced to shut down their casinos because the courts ruled that they agreed to a prohibition on gaming. Other tribes - mainly in New England - have also been barred from opening casinos because they agreed to state jurisdiction on their lands. Challenges have been rejected in the state and federal courts. The Virginia tribes could avoid the issue by going through the BIA's federal recognition process. But a unique state law and policy that barred Virginia citizens from being identified as Indian means that they would have trouble meeting the evidentiary requirements for recognition. The tribes would also have to wait decades for an answer. The BIA has a backlog of federal recognition petitions dating back to the early 1980s. Despite the hurdles, Congress has been reluctant to grant legislative recognition. Democrats and Republicans have expressed concerns about bypassing the BIA - though Republicans have been more vocal in their opposition. The last time a tribe gained legislative recognition was in 2000. But Congress never held hearings on the Shawnee Tribe's bill, which was signed in the final days of the Clinton administration and was attached to an "omnibus" bill. Prior to that, Congress recognized the Catawba Nation of South Carolina and a handful of Michigan tribes in the mid-1990s, during the Clinton years. Since then, no other tribes have come as close to legislative recognition as the ones from Virginia. "I am delighted that Senator Webb has endorsed a bill in the Senate to grant such recognition," said Wayne Adkins, a member of the Chickahominy Tribe and the president of Virginia Indian Tribal Alliance for Life, a group lobbying for the bill. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee has yet to schedule a hearing on H.R. 1294. But the committee held a hearing last month on the federal recognition process and the problems petitioning groups face. H.R.1294 was introduced in March. It lost one of its co-sponsors with the death of Rep. Jo Ann Davis (D-Virginia) on October 6. Copyright c. 2007 Indianz.com. --------- "RE: Cocopahs celebrate heritage of Tribe, Neighbors" --------- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:21:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COCOPAH HOST PUBLIC FEAST" http://www.yumasun.com/news/cocopah_37206___article_news.html/ tribe_museum.html Cocopahs to celebrate heritage of tribe, neighbors BY DARIN FENGER, SUN STAFF WRITER October 17, 2007 - 11:20PM A huge public feast followed by traditional dancing and singing will mark the 11th Annual Cocopah Cultural Celebration, a time when the tribe shares its own culture and celebrates the cultures of neighbors and friends. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Cocopah Reservation West, located northwest of Somerton. The Cocopah Indian Tribe began holding its annual celebration in 1996, when the tribe was then celebrating the opening of its museum, which will be open for tours Saturday. "The Cocopah Museum and the Elders Cultural Council members established this day to recognize, respect and enjoy the tribe's cultural identity and history," said Liz Pratt, spokeswoman for the tribe. "This celebration is an opportunity for the tribe to share its culture through music and dance, celebrating with surrounding, neighboring communities." But the tribe doesn't stop at celebrating Cocopah culture. The tribe also invites artists and performers from other cultures to participate in the event. This year the lineup of entertainment will include performers from other tribes, as well as a Hawaiian dance group called Hui O'hawai'i of Yuma. "The tribe sees this day as a chance to recognize and respect all cultures," Pratt said. In addition to various events, the tribe's cultural staff also plans to unveil two major projects on Saturday. One project is a two-piece mural made from thousands of locally-taken photographs that have been digitally combined to create a larger photographic image. Elders have also led younger men in building an example of a traditional summer home, which will be available for event-goers to tour and enjoy. The celebration's free feast will be served from noon to 1:30 p.m., offering a variety of food dishes ranging from fajitas and chicken to beans and homemade tortillas. Organizers say the feast, which is being prepared by Cocopah Casino, is expected to attract around 600 people. Commercial vendors will also have booths selling everything from baked goods to fry bread. There will be continuous raffles for different prizes and free entertainment will begin following the meal. Local performers will include the Southwest Kwapa Bird Singers and Dancers, a Cocopah group. Cocopah Headstart's prince and princess will also give their welcome addresses. Children will be treated to a "kids' zone," where they will be offered everything from snow cones to games. The photo mural has been installed inside the museum just for this event. Viewers at first see a large image of two gourds or an agave, but close inspection shows that the images are actually made from thousands of smaller pictures. "It was quite an ordeal to find a company able to do this," said Joe Rodriguez, a member of the museum staff. The images were printed onto vinyl, a process that required the use of special printers owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Outside the museum stands the example of the traditional Cocopah summer home, where guests to the celebration will be invited to explore or simply sit down on a bench and find some shade. Museum Director Lisa Wanstall explained that the home shows how a tribal family might have lived while on the move during the summer. Wanstall said that more permanent shelters would be made of mud or be set down into the earth. The shelter recently built is made of numerous wooden poles that support thick layers of arrowweed, a plant which holds an honored place in Cocopah culture and history. Since arrowweed is now scarce on the reservation, museum staff members were forced to gather the plant in other areas along the Colorado River. The collection process relied on use of machetes and filled two pickup trucks and two trailers. Some of the arrowweed will also be used for decorating purposes during the weekend celebration. Wanstall said the collecting process truly brought modern workers in touch with ancient ways, simply in the practice of a form of gathering, which has been cherished by the Cocopah for thousands of years. "When you are out there by the river, where you really don't hear and see the traffic, it does take you back," the museum director said. ---- DIRECTIONS TO COCOPAH RESERVATION WEST - Take Highway 95 (Avenue B) south, following the signs for Somerton or San Luis. - Go through Somerton, turn right a mile later onto Avenue G. - Turn left onto County 95, go two miles, cross the railroad tracks and follow signs for the Cocopah Museum. ---- Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860. Copyright c. 2007 The Yuma Sun, Freedom Newspapers of Southwestern Arizona, Inc. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Learning an almost lost Language" --------- Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:38:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SAVING MONO" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/164667.html Learning an almost lost language The few Mono Indians remaining who speak their tongue are passing it down to children to preserve culture. By Charles McCarthy / The Fresno Bee October 14, 2007 NORTH FORK - Just uphill from an authentic cedar tepee - or "nobi" in Mono - four children sat down for a lesson in a language on the cusp of being lost. Volunteer teacher Barbara Burrough, one of the few people left who still speaks Mono, held up a cue card with the word "kah-why-you." "Horse," the youngsters said. Next was "moo-nah." "Mule," they said. Burrough's mother, 81-year-old Gertrude Davis, smiled as she watched the recent lesson unfold. "I speak it, and I have no one to talk to, because no one knows how to speak the language or understand it," she said. In classrooms, Mono cultural sites and private homes in the North Fork area, Burrough and a few others are working hard to change that, one child at a time. Before contact with Spanish and English-speaking cultures in the 1800s, an estimated 5,000 spoke Mono in a territory that stretched from the San Joaquin River south to the Kern River. Today, Burrough estimates that no more than 17 Mono around North Fork can converse in the native tongue - and not all of them are fluent. It's unclear how many others outside the North Fork area might still know the language. North Fork Mono Rancheria Tribal Council Treasurer Maryann McGovran's son Cody, 13, has been one of Burrough's pupils for about two years. She said she isn't fluent in Mono, but she knows a few words. Preserving the language is important, she said at tribal headquarters, because the language reflects the culture. "It's the heart of our tribe," she said. "It shows who we are and what our people are about." Mono is among 50 Native American languages in California that are considered endangered, said Leanne Hinton, professor emeritus in the linguistics department at the University of California at Berkeley. Another 50 already have disappeared since the early 1800s, she said. "When you lose a language, it's a symptom of losing a whole culture," said Hinton, who has written three books devoted to endangered languages. But saving a language is no easy task - especially when so few people still speak it. A nearby tribe - the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians near Coarsegold - also is trying to save its language. The Chukchansi are preserving tribal words and songs with state-of-the-art electronic translators inspired by military technology. Tribal elders demonstrated the device last month. The "Phraselator" stores Chukchansi words electronically. When a person speaks into the device in English, it responds with the Chukchansi translation. But at $3,000 apiece, the devices aren't in the Mono Rancheria budget - at least not yet. Burrough's sister, North Fork Rancheria tribal vice chairwoman Elaine Bethel-Fink, said the Phraselator sounds like something the Mono should look into. "We'd have to find the source of the dollars to do that," Bethel-Fink said. The Chukchansi paid for the devices with a federal grant. Mono tribal officials say the decline of the language - and traditional culture - began as early as the 1810s with the arrival of outside cultures and languages. A series of broken treaties, land grabs and the integration of much North Fork Mono tribal land into the Sierra National Forest left the native residents little choice other than to join mining, lumber and agricultural economies. In school, children were discouraged from speaking Mono. As late as the 1970s, Native American children in Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools were punished for speaking their native languages, said Andre Cramblit, Northern California Indian Development Council operations director and chairman of the Karuk tribal language restoration committee. Burrough said that her family escaped boarding school because her grandmother told her children to hide whenever a car came up their driveway. "That's why we were able to hang on to our language," Burrough said. The North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council does not have the funds for a formal program to preserve the Mono language, said council Chairwoman Jacquie Davis-Van Huss. The 1,652-member tribe relies on volunteers like Burrough and the support of educators who incorporate Mono lessons into programs in public schools. Burrough teaches children as part of its Indian Education Program in North Fork Elementary School. Such programs also provide for classroom tutoring in subjects other than language and culture for Native American kids, Principal Stuart Pincus said. The California Department of Education lists the North Fork Elementary School program as one of eight such programs statewide that it sponsors for schools where at least 10% of the students are Native American. The courses, intended for children in grades kindergarten through fourth, are designed to increase reading, language and math skills, along with self- esteem. Another such effort is being coordinated in Fresno County's Sierra Unified School District by Gretchen Cox, the district's community liaison for its Indian Education Program. Cox estimated that there are about 250 youngsters eligible for Indian education in the district. Cox blends Mono language instruction into a program that includes tutoring at Auberry and Sierra elementary schools, Foothill Middle School and Sierra High School, as well as cultural field trips, a drum group and a high school Indian Club. There also are homework centers at the Cold Spring and Big Sandy rancherias. Cox said that most of the youngsters she is teaching about Mono language and culture already are two generations removed from it. Cox has invited parents to a series of Mono classes starting in November. "It's important to know where you came from ... to have that sense of self," said Cox, 29, who learned Mono language and culture from her grandmother and others in North Fork but said she still is learning. She claims Chukchansi as well as Mono ancestors. For Burrough, the effort is a labor of love. "With learning the language, you learn the culture," the 57-year-old Burrough said. "And with the culture, you learn respect. With respect, you learn to love the land and each other." Burrough often holds outdoor classes on the rural property of Kendrick Sherman, a tribal elder who died in late September. The Sherman family has dedicated the property to the future of the Mono nation, Burrough said. Nine-year-old Antonio Beihn, a North Fork Elementary School student, said he signed up for the off-campus program because he is half-Mono and it's his culture. "If it was lost, we wouldn't have what we have right now," he said. -------------- In translation Some Mono words: hello - munahoo come - kim hurry up - yah-bah-ish father - nowa mother - pia big sister - humma little sister - pooni walk - new-eet cold - uzu-ut snow - new-bu-bee rain - tu-qup woodpecker - pa-na-tah-dah bird - che-pah turkey - odo-odo-nuh eagle - eq-weh coyote - ish-ah The Mono have no words for thank you. Instead they use "togo-e," which means "there it is." The Mono never say goodbye. Instead they say "ah-we-ah-no," which means "be on your way." The reporter can be reachedat cmccarthy@fresnobee.comor(559) 675-6804. Copyright c. 2007 The Fresno Bee. --------- "RE: Survey shows Languages at risk of extinction" --------- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:21:18 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NATIVE LANGUAGES IN PERIL" http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415926 Enduring Voices project survey shows languages at risk of extinction by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today October 17, 2007 RAPID CITY, S.D. - American Indian educators in the northern Great Plains have advocated for language education. The result is that more than 30 percent of the Lakota people can speak their language. Only the Navajo have a higher percentage of speakers. According to a survey by the National Geographic Enduring Voices project, many indigenous languages are headed for extinction very soon. Some languages have only one elder speaker; and when a language disappears, so does a culture. The Enduring Voices study, conducted worldwide, identified regions across the globe that were at risk of losing languages. In the United States, two at-risk regions are in Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest. Every two weeks, a language dies somewhere in the world; and by the end of the century, more than half of the roughly 7,000 languages spoken in the world will disappear, according to the study. The reason for the language loss, the study noted, is that dominant languages or the languages of powerful groups of people has taken hold while the smaller groups' languages have been pushed aside. "This occurs through official language policies or through the allure that the high prestige of speaking an imperial language can bring," the study stated. In Indian country, boarding schools of the past prohibited American Indians from speaking their language. Some of those people, now grandparents, did not encourage their children to speak the language. However, in many cases, the language remained underground and only resurfaced a generation ago. Schools in Montana and South Dakota have now dedicated curriculum instruction to the American Indian culture and languages. Just last year, Montana provided funding for cultural and language curriculum in public schools. South Dakota is searching for ways to incorporate indigenous language and culture into its public school curriculum. In California, according to the survey, 50 languages remain, none of which is taught in the schools. "Languages not learned by children are not just endangered, they are doomed," Lyle Campbell, a linguist professor at the University of Utah, told National Geographic. Campbell said that to look at hotspots where language is diminishing may be misleading. "Essentially all Native languages are under threat." Gary Holton of the University of Alaska said that the definition of a language and who counts as a speaker may be changing. Dialects have altered languages to a degree when the dialect or slang becomes the language. He added that some people who are partial speakers may someday be considered fluent speakers. In the Great Plains, educators and elders knew the clock was ticking on the languages; and for at least a decade or more, every gathering of American Indian educators has included workshops dedicated to the teaching of the language and culture. Many of the schools in South Dakota include elders in the student's language and cultural education, utilizing them as language mentors. Montana has implemented a diverse public school curriculum called Education for All, and elders are present in many of the public schools as well as reservation schools. Some hotspots that were identified as at risk of losing a language are in Bolivia, northern Australia, eastern Siberia and two locations in South America. Bolivia, according to Enduring Voices, had a more diversified language base than all of Europe, but Spanish is crowding the other languages out. It is estimated that 80 percent of natural species, which include plant and animal life, have not been discovered by science but are known by the people who live in the regions through oral history, according to David Harrison, a linguistics professor at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College. That knowledge is also at risk. Many of the languages in North America were written down by religious clergy who moved among the tribes. Today, books are written about the language by fluent speakers in order to continue the original intent of the pronunciation and meaning. One of the most acclaimed writers of the Lakota language is Albert White Hat, Sicangu Lakota and director of the Lakota language program at Sinte Gleska University. He said to learn the dominant language doesn't mean that a person's original language has to be sacrificed. "Master the Western culture, master the English language; I don't have to be like them if I learn their ways. Don't water academics down. Deal with it. Knowledge doesn't force you into something," White Hat said. Copyright c. 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: Sobering reminders of reality of Domestic Abuse" --------- Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:38:56 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD: DOMESTIC ABUSE" http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=53658 Sobering reminders of the reality of domestic abuse Dorreen Yellow Bird October 15, 2007 October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the discussion in our communities is to remind us of the reality of that kind of violence. Domestic violence takes place where we live that nest where we should be loved, protected and secure. It happens every day of every month of every year. At a recent conference where I sat among social-service workers and American Indian adoptees, I was impressed by the gentle teachings of Joe Bush. He talked to the group as though they were his children, reminding the men that they should never hit or injure the women and children in their care. They are the warriors and protectors, said this Ojibwa man. He was talking to people who had lived through the trauma of separation, which many times leads to alcohol, drugs and domestic violence. I am lucky to have a large family with eight sisters and four brothers. Our brothers always seemed to be there for my relatives when we needed them. Yet there was a day when they weren't around. One of my relatives was married to a man who was violent. They were living with our family. She was pregnant, and when he returned home, she went out to meet him. For reasons that I never learned, he started to beat her in the driveway. He knocked her to the ground and then kicked her. He was a brawny man and at least six feet tall. My mother who was 5' 2" ran out of the house, apron flying and with a big broom in her hand. She began whapping the big guy over the head. (I'm sorry, but when we think about it today, long after our relative has recovered, we laugh at the mental picture of our mother). Now, I would not recommend this as a way to stop every fight. But that day, it worked. It surprised the big bully and probably brought him to his senses. He left, leaving my relative to be helped into the house and comforted. She stayed with him for several years before she divorced him, but we didn't hear anything more about how he treated her. I thought again about Joe Bush and his lessons to the young men in the group. The man who hit my relative had not been taught his role in the community, Bush probably would say. Alcohol or drugs may have played a role in the situation, but even if they did, that is not an excuse. A recent Herald story told of a man who strangled and then ran over his wife, murdering her. She had willingly gone with him to the place where this happened. The UND School of Law held a panel on domestic violence Wednesday. Spouses many times withdraw domestic-violence charges for fear that the abuser will kill them upon getting out of jail, one panelist said. Even more disturbing is what often happens after the screaming and hitting is over and the police have arrived. That's when the abused person will remember what a wonderful person their partner is and drop the charges, the panelists said. A friend told me that her spouse got really angry sometimes, but she loved him. As she said this, it was hard not to notice the black and blue marks on her face. Four of the panelists deal with domestic violence in their practices. I was taken aback by this legal point: In order to get a protection order to keep an abusive spouse away from her, a woman must be in imminent danger. She has to have physical evidence of abuse (such as black eyes and bruises), or the spouse must have threatened to actually get a gun and come back and shoot her and the children. If he just says he is going to kill her, that doesn't cut it. Yikes, I thought. How can it be that a woman can't win the law's protection until she gets beat up? I have attended domestic violence conferences and seen the clotheslines of shirts at the Memorial Union at UND with the tragic words of domestic violence scribbled on them. It is a sad comment on relationships. It's unfortunate that so much program money must be spent to protect families from a person whom they love and supposedly loves them. --- Dorreen Yellow Bird is a reporter and columnist. Her columns appear Wednesdays and Saturdays on the opinion pages of the Herald. Reach her at (701) 780-1228 or dyellowbird@gfherald.com Copyright c. 2007 Grand Forks Herald, Forum Communications Co., Fargo ND. --------- "RE: COLEMAN: Bellecourt helped change our Perception" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COLEMAN: VERNON BELLECOURT" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.startribune.com/357/story/1489265.html Nick Coleman: Bellecourt helped change our perception of state history By Nick Coleman, Star Tribune October 16, 2007 Until 30 years ago, visitors to the Rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol could admire a painting of white soldiers vanquishing Sioux Indians at the battle of Killdeer Mountain, out in the western part of what later became North Dakota. But these Sioux weren't fighting. They were fleeing. That 1864 incident was more massacre than battle, costing the lives of two soldiers and 150 Indians, including women and children. The soldiers destroyed the Indians' village and possessions, and made the Sioux refugees in their own land. It was the culmination of a punitive military campaign that followed the Dakota Conflict of 1862, in which the eastern Sioux, or Dakota, attempted to drive white settlers from Minnesota. That war led to an official state policy of banishing or killing all Sioux, wherever they were found, even those who knew nothing of the war, such as those at Killdeer Mountain, whose bitter experiences would fuel the wars that stretched from George Armstrong Custer's last ride all the way to Wounded Knee. It's a story too big for a painting, even one as large as 10 feet wide by 7 1/2 feet high. But those kinds of paintings weren't supposed to represent the complicated history of relations between American Indians and white Americans. Such paintings were meant to celebrate white triumph. The 1914 painting, by Norwegian-born artist Carl Boeckmann, was displayed in the House of Representatives until the 1930s, when it was moved to the Rotunda. Then something happened that changed everything: The "vanquished" started demanding that their story be told, too. That change was painful, and is still incomplete. But it was necessary, and some of the credit for making it happen goes to Vernon Bellecourt. Bellecourt - Indian activist, citizen of the world, politician, provocateur and ambassador for the dispossessed - was a giant force in helping to end the triumphal approach to the history of this state. Bellecourt died last weekend at 75, and is being buried today on his native White Earth Indian Reservation. During his life he helped change the way we see the world, and the way we see ourselves. Along with his brother, Clyde, Vernon helped found the American Indian Movement in 1968. Sometime in the 1970s, the Bellecourts objected to celebrating a race war in the Capitol of all Minnesotans. The painting was removed, and the state's consciousness was raised. Vernon was a catalyst for change. He campaigned endlessly against the use of stereotypical names and emblems, angering sports fans who think Indians are gone and that, if they weren't, they'd be honored by being called the "Fighting Sioux," and worse. For nine years, this newspaper tried not to use names such as the nickname of the Washington football team. I won't mention it. You know what it is. In a backward move, that policy was relaxed four years ago, when editors decided that they would use the offensive nicknames, but only with "care and judgment." The Washington nickname has appeared 750 times since. Are nicknames the most urgent problem Indians face? No. But racism is real, and the nickname problem shows how far we have to go (Cleveland's "Indians" may be headed to the World Series) to understand how we all are affected by racist ideas. In the long run, however, I think WaBun-Inini, (Man of Dawn, which was Vernon's Ojibwe name), will win. Until the 1970s, the bones of the Indian leader Little Crow were in a drawer in the Historical Society. Those days are gone. And Vernon Bellecourt helped end them. Today, if you want to view the painting of the battle of Kildeer Mountain (its official name is "The Eighth Minnesota Infantry In The Battle of Ta-Ha-Kouti"), you need to make your way to the third floor of the state Capitol and go down a long hallway to a conference room behind another conference room. There, in Room 316, Carl Boeckmann's painting can still be seen - a picture from a world that no longer exists. For that, we can give thanks. Nick Coleman, ncoleman@startribune.com Copyright c. 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: NORRIS: Change the Names please!!!" --------- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:58:44 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NORRIS: SHAMEFUL MASCOT NAMES" http://www.blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/ Football_7/Change_The_Names_Please.shtml Change The Names Please!!! by Gary Norris Gary, garyngray@blackathlete.com October 17, 2007 EDITOR'S NOTE: This article, written by Gary Norris Gray, first appeared on BASN in July of 2005. However, little has changed since it was posted. Given the current success of some of the teams mentioned in this article, we look to raise this important issue yet again. CALIFORNIA - Now that teams like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins are winning again its time to rethink this subject. we all need to be reminded that we are our brothers keepers and we should help each other. After 50 years, Native American Indians are still fighting the fight to get American Professional Sports teams to change their names or at least respect the names they have chosen for their teams. African Americans should be supporting our Native American brothers and sisters in this historic effort. The Braves, Chiefs, Indians, Redskins, and Warriors are the five professional teams with generic Native American names, names that mean little or nothing to the average American man, woman, or child. Now is the time to ask: America, how would Americans feel if some of the professional teams had names like, THE DENVER DARKIES, OR HOUSTON HONKIES, CHICAGO CHINKS maybe THE NEWARK NIGGERS, or even WASHINGTON STATE WHITE BOYS? Does not sound favorable, does it? That is the same effect the name of the NFL's Washington Redskins on most Native Americans; Redskin is not a kind word and the media uses it in a very detrimental and demeaning way. Being part Native American, our family rooted for the Washington Redskins to beat the Dallas Cowboys time after time, year after year. In the 1970's Americans would see these two teams battle on Thanksgiving Day. How ironic. Americans did not know the negative connotation of the name Redskin. Most of us understand now, so we cannot hide in our ignorance any longer. THE REDSKIN NAME NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. The citizens of the Washington D.C. area should demand this change. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) launched a massive campaign to inform America and Americans about the use and misuse of American Indian names. This group was formed to address the stereotypes in print media, in electronic media, and this included the sports world as well. This group wanted to combat the racist statements some college and professional teams make with their Native American team logos, mascots, and nicknames. To date, there are over 1,500 Junior high, high school, college, and professional teams using logos, nicknames, and mascots of Native Americans. This figure has dropped from the staggering 3,000 in the mid 1950's and 60's. In 2001, the United States Commission on Civil Rights issued its second statement on the use of Native American Images and Nicknames as Sports Symbols. The Commission stated that lower level schools and programs willingly gave up their Native American symbols and switched very quickly to make peace with the Native American community. The higher the sports program, the stronger the resistance to change. Professional teams to this day refuse to change their names or their logos. The Washington Redskins and The Kansas City Chiefs (football), The Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves (baseball), and the Golden State Warriors (basketball) are classic examples of this resistance. The Oakland based Golden State Warriors have drifted away from any references to its Native American past and its currently the only professional team to do so. The Washington Redskins football team cited finances as the problem for not changing their name but that can be very hard to believe after the Washington Bullets basketball team changed their name to the Washington Wizards in 1995-96. The team changed their name after the very high murder rate in the District of Columbia claimed many young African American lives by gunfire. So the Redskins issue of money is now null and void with the Wizards claim to National fame. Let's backtrack to the very beginning of this on going debate. The battle began at Dartmouth College, now Dartmouth University. Their name at the time (Indians), changed to "THE BIG GREEN" in 1968-1969, after a long protracted campus demonstration by Native Americans, Dartmouth students, and school Administrators, with the help of the National Congress of American Indians. The change occurred rather peacefully. Three years later on the West Coast, Stanford University (Indians) located in Palo Alto, California followed in the footsteps of Dartmouth, changing their name to "THE CARDINAL" or "TREE". The students, administration, and teachers were in admiration of the Native American Protest on Alcatraz Island in 1972-74. This protest on Alcatraz Island reminded America about the oppressive and troublesome situation of most Native American citizens. Here are some of the psychological and physical effects of using negative Native American mascots, nicknames, and logos. 1. The misconceived and self-serving concept of having Native American mascots in these American houses of learning is dehumanizing and perpetuates inaccurate stereotypes. Native American children are learning that their ancestors were wild and untamed humans. Most American media often betrays this war-like violent behavior. Just watch any old black and white cowboy movie. We all know who the heroes will be. 2. The United States Department of Justice stated that Native Americans are twice as likely to be a victim of violent crime than African or Asian Americans. Overall, poor people in America are impacted more by violent crimes. 3. Most sports figures or teams have their own rituals, battle cries, maybe even imitating real battles and real wars. At the beginning of every University of Illinois football game or a Florida State University football game a male dresses in Native American warrior gear and rides out on his trusty horse. The Seminole, or Illini, rider gallops across the field with a flaming spear in his hand throwing it into the ground at the 50-yard line, thus signaling the beginning of the game. This ritual is executed time and time again. This performance perpetuates the stereotype of violent savage behavior by Native Americans. Wanting war against the opposing team. 4. These five profession teams have cartoon-like characterization of mascots, i.e. Chief Wahoo of baseball's Cleveland Indians. This mechanism is well known and often used during times of war to dehumanize an enemy. The result allows the portrayer to trivialize the concerns of the one being portrayed and simultaneously helps protect self-esteem by relieving guilt feelings. This was done also to African Americans after the Civil War, in books, songs, and poems throughout post Civil War America. The examples portray African Americans as shiftless, shady, and lazy people, Native Americans as wild beasts that cannot be tamed, Asian Americans as very smart. These are all stereotypes used for mascots, nicknames and logos. 5. Even the concept of having mascots or nicknames may be, in reality, an ego defense. Thus, the honoring of Native Americans, African Americans, or Asian Americans could protect one from facing the real facts of past genocidal horrors inflicted on the very individuals they are honoring. 6. Having Native or African American mascots freezes time in a period one is more conformable with, never wanting to know, or never wanting to see the truth of past historical events. America has continuously run away from historical facts while trying to sugar coat horrendous events. Events like the Civil War are glorified not telling the historical trama it caused the nation. 7. The lack of political power, monetary power, and social power to demand the removal of these mascots maintain the status quo of institutionalized racism at college campuses and at the professional levels. As a Native American watching teams like The San Diego Aztecs, The Chattanooga Moccasins, The University of Utah Utes, and The Central Mich. Chippewas made me very proud because they represented one tribe, one nation, unlike the Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Redskins. The future looks promising in dismantling a lot of Native American mascots throughout America. The University of North Dakota FIGHTING SIOUX is currently taking steps to remove their logo from all sports uniforms. UND has been known to have a very good hockey team going to the "Frozen Four" college hockey final four many times. The Marquette University Warriors in 1972 abandoned the "Willie Wampum" mascot and in 1994-95 season changed their name to "Golden Eagles". The St John's Redman also changed their name to Red Storm in 1990, dropping their Indian logo on every sports uniform. All of these fine universities and colleges are making a good faith effort to respect and honor Native Americans, leaving many sports fans questioning why the professional teams cannot follow suit? The Atlanta Braves dropped Chief Nocahoma from their program in 1980. Chief Nocahoma would dance after every Atlanta Braves home run, but fans of the Braves still maintain the Tomahawk Chop (which is not Native American). The Cleveland Indians dropped smiling Chief Wahoo on their caps, uniforms, and press media guides. Only to have it return in 1994 when the team moved into their new stadium. Again being insensitive to Native Americans. African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans need to help our Native American brothers and sisters in this battle for respect and honor. This may even mean a economic boycott of the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Washington Redskins. Please read about the past sports mascots and help (AISTM) American Indian Sports Team Mascots and The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Some of the information in this article comes from the NCAI, AISTM and Gibbs Magazine web sites. -- Post Script : Since the original posting of this article, these events have and will take place. - The U.S. Congress and Senate is slated to hold hearings on this subject during the spring of 2008. - The University of North Dakota reinstated their "Fighting Sioux" mascot during the 2005-06 hockey season. - The University of Illinois retired their "Fighting Illini" mascot under a storm of protest and tears in 2007. Gary Norris Gray is a writer for Gibbs Magazine and author of "The Gray Line". He can be reached via e-mail at garyngray@blackathlete.com. Copyright c. 2007 BlackAthlete Sports Network,LLC. All Rights Reserved. --------- "RE: JODI RAVE: Indigenous Sami embrace their Heritage" --------- Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 07:13:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="JODI RAVE: SAMI" http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/10/20/jodirave/rave31.txt Native News Column: Indigenous Sami embrace their heritage October 20, 2007 KARASJOK, Norway - I recently met people on the other side of the world who use beads, tepees - they call them lavvus - and sacred drums. And they're not "wannabes" - pretending to be indigenous people of North America. These reindeer hunters and salmon fishers - many of whom were sent to boarding schools - manage their cultural and community affairs within an elected political system. They are intent on preserving their language, land and customs. The Sami are indigenous people, and they inhabit the coastal and inland areas of the Arctic regions of Norway, Finland, Russia and Sweden. "As white indigenous people, we can choose to disappear," said Egel Olli, president of the Sami Parliament in Karasjok, the elected assembly of the Sami in Norway. But 30,000 to 50,000 people in Norway have chosen to maintain the lifestyle of their Sami ancestors who inhabited the polar regions of Europe for more than 10,000 years. I visited with President Olli on a recent trip to Karasjok, the seat of Sami political power in Norway. We spoke through an interpreter, IngaMarja Matsdatter Steinfjell, as we sat in a conference room of the Sami Parliament building. It is a stunning piece of award-winning architecture that incorporates the design of the traditional lavvu - tepee-like dwellings used in mountains and tundra while herding reindeer - with the Sami world view. Inside, a galaxy of lights hangs at different levels from the ceiling, a modern interpretation of stars in a land where I felt I could touch the Northern Lights. The Sami call themselves People of the Sun, the brightest star in our lives. These days, the Sami don't openly practice any form of traditional religion. But they once "believed in a cosmos of three spheres: the underworld, the real world and the celestial world. Shamans foretold the future and communicated with the gods with the help of sacred drums," according to the National Sami Information Centre. Several Sami told me the sacred drums still exist, but are rarely mentioned. It's a part of Sami life that has been repressed. Several years ago, a group of Sami drum keepers died in a bus accident, taking with them the knowledge and location of some of the Southern drums. It's only been 18 years since the Norwegian government allowed the establishment of the Sami Parliament, an elected assembly whose primary responsibility is to protect and develop the Sami language, culture and community life. The Sami have retained at least three distinct languages, despite colonization by the Norwegians. I visited Alta, Norway, earlier this month as a speaker at an international indigenous journalism conference titled "Same Voice, But Different." The meeting allowed me to visit three Sami towns and villages, including Masi, Karasjok and Kautokeino. While at a dinner in Masi, considered one of the most traditional villages in Sapmiland, the men and women sang "yoiks," short songs that told stories of people, places, birds and ani