"I guess these old people, our great ancestor people, they said that one day you will forget all your religion and your culture and all that...if we forget all about our culture and religion, we have nowhere to go, we don't know how to pray, we don't know how to use our corn pollen, corn meal, anything that we pray with, we forget all about that. Before that happens, we'd better do something." -
Jimmy Toddy, Navajo
Friday, May 30, 2008
Featured Website - First Nations Development Institute
Our Mission:
Through a three-pronged strategy of education, advocacy, and capitalization, First Nations Development Institute is working to restore Native control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own - be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources - and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native communities.
Philosophy:
A Native American tribe is more than the sum of its parts. It embodies the mystique of its community, the circle of inclusion. Within each member it generates powerful feelings of cultural solidarity. That precious spirit cannot survive without the underpinnings of economic development. But the development must be for everyone, for the tribe as a whole — not just a few. That is the Native American understanding.
We believe, that when armed with appropriate resources, Native peoples hold the capacity and ingenuity to ensure the sustainable economic, spiritual, and cultural well being of their communities.
Check it out. www.firstnations.org
Through a three-pronged strategy of education, advocacy, and capitalization, First Nations Development Institute is working to restore Native control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own - be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources - and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native communities.
Philosophy:
A Native American tribe is more than the sum of its parts. It embodies the mystique of its community, the circle of inclusion. Within each member it generates powerful feelings of cultural solidarity. That precious spirit cannot survive without the underpinnings of economic development. But the development must be for everyone, for the tribe as a whole — not just a few. That is the Native American understanding.
We believe, that when armed with appropriate resources, Native peoples hold the capacity and ingenuity to ensure the sustainable economic, spiritual, and cultural well being of their communities.
Check it out. www.firstnations.org
Public meeting will focus on Makah whaling impact
By: Jim Casey
PORT ANGELES — Almost three years in the writing, the environmental-impact statement on Makah whaling will make its live public debut today in the Vern Burton Center.
The public meeting is scheduled to run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the hall at 208 E. Fourth St.
Another session is set for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday in the Lake Union Park Armory, 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle.
Nine hundred pages long, the environmental-impact statement is the National Marine Fisheries Service examination of the tribe's request for a waiver from the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
A federal appeals court ruled in June 2004 that the tribe was subject to the act, and the Makah filed for a waiver in February 2005.
The fisheries service conducted scoping hearings in October 2005, and since then tribal whale hunters and anti-whalers alike have awaited the impact statement.
Get the rest of the story here: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080528/NEWS/805280306
PORT ANGELES — Almost three years in the writing, the environmental-impact statement on Makah whaling will make its live public debut today in the Vern Burton Center.
The public meeting is scheduled to run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the hall at 208 E. Fourth St.
Another session is set for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday in the Lake Union Park Armory, 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle.
Nine hundred pages long, the environmental-impact statement is the National Marine Fisheries Service examination of the tribe's request for a waiver from the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
A federal appeals court ruled in June 2004 that the tribe was subject to the act, and the Makah filed for a waiver in February 2005.
The fisheries service conducted scoping hearings in October 2005, and since then tribal whale hunters and anti-whalers alike have awaited the impact statement.
Get the rest of the story here: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080528/NEWS/805280306
Rare uncontacted tribe photographed in Amazon
By: Stuart Grudgings
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Amazon Indians from one of the world's last uncontacted tribes have been photographed from the air, with striking images released on Thursday showing them painted bright red and brandishing bows and arrows.
The photographs of the tribe near the border between Brazil and Peru are rare evidence that such groups exist. A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many of them are in increasing danger from illegal logging.
"What is happening in this region is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilized' ones, treat the world," Jose Carlos Meirelles was quoted as saying in a statement by the Survival International group.
One of the pictures, which can be seen on Survival International's Web site (http://www.survival-international.org), shows two Indian men covered in bright red pigment poised to fire arrows at the aircraft while another Indian looks on.
Another photo shows about 15 Indians near thatched huts, some of them also preparing to fire arrows at the aircraft.
"The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct," said Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, which supports tribal people around the world.
Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says. It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and ravaged by new diseases.
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Amazon Indians from one of the world's last uncontacted tribes have been photographed from the air, with striking images released on Thursday showing them painted bright red and brandishing bows and arrows.
The photographs of the tribe near the border between Brazil and Peru are rare evidence that such groups exist. A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many of them are in increasing danger from illegal logging.
"What is happening in this region is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilized' ones, treat the world," Jose Carlos Meirelles was quoted as saying in a statement by the Survival International group.
One of the pictures, which can be seen on Survival International's Web site (http://www.survival-international.org), shows two Indian men covered in bright red pigment poised to fire arrows at the aircraft while another Indian looks on.
Another photo shows about 15 Indians near thatched huts, some of them also preparing to fire arrows at the aircraft.
"The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct," said Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, which supports tribal people around the world.
Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says. It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and ravaged by new diseases.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
May 28, 1830: The Indian Removal Act is passed by Congress.
The Indian Removal Act, part of a U.S. government policy known as Indian removal, was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830.
The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the "Five Civilized Tribes". In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in a contentious jurisdictional dispute with the Cherokee nation. President Jackson hoped removal would resolve the Georgia crisis. While Indian removal was, in theory, supposed to be voluntary, in practice great pressure was put on American Indian leaders to sign removal treaties. Most observers, whether they were in favor of the Indian removal policy or not, realized that the passage of the act meant the inevitable removal of most Indians from the states. Some Native American leaders who had previously resisted removal now began to reconsider their positions, especially after Jackson's landslide reelection in 1832.
Most white Americans favored the passage of the Indian Removal Act, though there was significant opposition. Many Christian missionaries, most notably missionary organizer Jeremiah Evarts, agitated against passage of the Act. In Congress, New Jersey Senator Theodore Frelinghuysen and Congressman David Crockett of Tennessee spoke out against the legislation. The Removal Act was passed after bitter debate in Congress.
The Removal Act paved the way for the reluctant—and often forcible—emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to the West. The first removal treaty signed after the Removal Act was the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek on September 27, 1830, in which Choctaws in Mississippi ceded land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West. The Treaty of New Echota (signed in 1835) resulted in the removal of the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears.
In 1823 the Supreme Court handed down a decision which stated that Indians could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands.
The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the "Five Civilized Tribes". In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in a contentious jurisdictional dispute with the Cherokee nation. President Jackson hoped removal would resolve the Georgia crisis. While Indian removal was, in theory, supposed to be voluntary, in practice great pressure was put on American Indian leaders to sign removal treaties. Most observers, whether they were in favor of the Indian removal policy or not, realized that the passage of the act meant the inevitable removal of most Indians from the states. Some Native American leaders who had previously resisted removal now began to reconsider their positions, especially after Jackson's landslide reelection in 1832.
Most white Americans favored the passage of the Indian Removal Act, though there was significant opposition. Many Christian missionaries, most notably missionary organizer Jeremiah Evarts, agitated against passage of the Act. In Congress, New Jersey Senator Theodore Frelinghuysen and Congressman David Crockett of Tennessee spoke out against the legislation. The Removal Act was passed after bitter debate in Congress.
The Removal Act paved the way for the reluctant—and often forcible—emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to the West. The first removal treaty signed after the Removal Act was the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek on September 27, 1830, in which Choctaws in Mississippi ceded land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West. The Treaty of New Echota (signed in 1835) resulted in the removal of the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears.
In 1823 the Supreme Court handed down a decision which stated that Indians could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands.
Our Land, Our Life
2007 AIFF (American Indian Flim Festival) Winner, Best Documentary Feature
Carrie and Mary Dann, two elderly Shoshone sisters, are engaged in a thirty-year battle for rights to their own land.
The U.S. government unlawfully seized a significant parcel of Shoshone territory in 1974, beginning a battle that went to the Supreme Court and beyond, and inciting humanitarian intervention from organizations including Amnesty International and the United Nations.
Directors Beth and George Gage eloquently piece together the story of the long and tireless efforts that two incredible women put toward securing indigenous rights in the United States. This is a film that reveals shocking information about crimes that continue to be committed against Native Americans.
Director: George Gage & Beth Gage
74 Minutes • USA • Documentary Feature
Carrie and Mary Dann, two elderly Shoshone sisters, are engaged in a thirty-year battle for rights to their own land.
The U.S. government unlawfully seized a significant parcel of Shoshone territory in 1974, beginning a battle that went to the Supreme Court and beyond, and inciting humanitarian intervention from organizations including Amnesty International and the United Nations.
Directors Beth and George Gage eloquently piece together the story of the long and tireless efforts that two incredible women put toward securing indigenous rights in the United States. This is a film that reveals shocking information about crimes that continue to be committed against Native Americans.
Director: George Gage & Beth Gage
74 Minutes • USA • Documentary Feature
Celebrating roots in Iraq
Staff reports - Tulsa World
A strange thing sits in the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of the American Indian: a 50-gallon drum, cut in half, with canvas material from an army cot stretched tight over the open end.
Though not a traditional drum, it served its purpose — to help bring together American Indians serving in Iraq for the first inter-tribal powwow in a combat zone.
Pryor resident and Cherokee citizen Jon Ketcher was at the powwow, along with Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Osage citizens, dancing, singing, playing stickball and Indian marbles and giving other servicemen and women a chance to learn about American Indian culture.
A Cherokee Nation Marshal for almost eight years, Ketcher, 37, entered the military in 1989 straight out of high school.
When U.S. forces began preparing for the Gulf War in 1990, Ketcher and the VMFA 212 squadron, under the Marine Corps' Third Air Wing, were sent to Bahrain; when the war began in 1991, he served as an ordnanceman, loading and reloading aircraft with ammunition for combat missions.
Often, alarms signaling incoming Scud missiles would sound, with a voice coming over loudspeaker telling troops to don masks and gloves and to take cover, Ketcher said.
One night as Ketcher was walking out to the tarmac, where crews were working only by flashlight, the alarm sounded, followed by two loud booms that signaled Patriot missiles being launched to intercept the Scuds.
Ketcher said he heard tools dropping and hitting the tarmac and saw the crew members throw down their flashlights, then heard the running coming toward him.
"It sounded like a herd of buffalo coming at you,'' Ketcher said. "They were giving it all they had to get to the maintenance bunkers, so I thought I would do the same."
Get the rest of the story here: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080526_11_A14_hAPryo259669
A strange thing sits in the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of the American Indian: a 50-gallon drum, cut in half, with canvas material from an army cot stretched tight over the open end.
Though not a traditional drum, it served its purpose — to help bring together American Indians serving in Iraq for the first inter-tribal powwow in a combat zone.
Pryor resident and Cherokee citizen Jon Ketcher was at the powwow, along with Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Osage citizens, dancing, singing, playing stickball and Indian marbles and giving other servicemen and women a chance to learn about American Indian culture.
A Cherokee Nation Marshal for almost eight years, Ketcher, 37, entered the military in 1989 straight out of high school.
When U.S. forces began preparing for the Gulf War in 1990, Ketcher and the VMFA 212 squadron, under the Marine Corps' Third Air Wing, were sent to Bahrain; when the war began in 1991, he served as an ordnanceman, loading and reloading aircraft with ammunition for combat missions.
Often, alarms signaling incoming Scud missiles would sound, with a voice coming over loudspeaker telling troops to don masks and gloves and to take cover, Ketcher said.
One night as Ketcher was walking out to the tarmac, where crews were working only by flashlight, the alarm sounded, followed by two loud booms that signaled Patriot missiles being launched to intercept the Scuds.
Ketcher said he heard tools dropping and hitting the tarmac and saw the crew members throw down their flashlights, then heard the running coming toward him.
"It sounded like a herd of buffalo coming at you,'' Ketcher said. "They were giving it all they had to get to the maintenance bunkers, so I thought I would do the same."
Get the rest of the story here: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080526_11_A14_hAPryo259669
Gas masks, bear spray used in Vancouver art heist
CBC News
The thieves who broke into a B.C. museum last week and walked off with $2 million in gold artworks wore gas masks and used bear spray, CBC News has learned.
The brazen burglary at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia took place Friday night while the lone security guard was out having a cigarette, museum director Anthony Shelton said.
The take included 12 artistic treasures fashioned in gold by the late Haida artist Bill Reid.
Four hours before the theft occurred, Shelton said, several key surveillance cameras went offline without explanation.
"The security cameras seem to have been working," Shelton said, "and this is just a couple of them. But it seems that they hadn't been recording."
An electronic alarm alerting campus security, responsible for patrols at the museum, was tripped when the cameras stopped recording, but it appears nothing was done about the problem, Shelton said.
There was only one guard at the museum Friday night, and about the same time he left for his smoke break, the thieves moved in wearing gas masks, Shelton said. The burglars then doused the interior of the museum with a powerful bear repellent.
Keep reading here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/05/27/bc-gas-masks-ried-heist.html
The thieves who broke into a B.C. museum last week and walked off with $2 million in gold artworks wore gas masks and used bear spray, CBC News has learned.
The brazen burglary at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia took place Friday night while the lone security guard was out having a cigarette, museum director Anthony Shelton said.
The take included 12 artistic treasures fashioned in gold by the late Haida artist Bill Reid.
Four hours before the theft occurred, Shelton said, several key surveillance cameras went offline without explanation.
"The security cameras seem to have been working," Shelton said, "and this is just a couple of them. But it seems that they hadn't been recording."
An electronic alarm alerting campus security, responsible for patrols at the museum, was tripped when the cameras stopped recording, but it appears nothing was done about the problem, Shelton said.
There was only one guard at the museum Friday night, and about the same time he left for his smoke break, the thieves moved in wearing gas masks, Shelton said. The burglars then doused the interior of the museum with a powerful bear repellent.
Keep reading here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/05/27/bc-gas-masks-ried-heist.html
Monday, May 26, 2008
May 25, 1637: About one thousand Pequot men, women, and children are massacred by the English of Plymouth colony
The two hundred survivors are sold into slavery.
Various Algonquian tribes inhabited the area prior to European settlement. The Dutch were the first Europeans in Connecticut. In 1614 Adriaen Block explored the coast of Long Island Sound, and sailed up the Connecticut River at least as far as the confluence of the Park River, site of modern Hartford, Connecticut. By 1623, the new Dutch West India Company regularly traded for furs there and ten years later they fortified it for protection from the Pequot Indians as well as from the expanding English colonies. They fortified the site, which was named "House of Hope" (also identified as "Fort Hoop", "Good Hope" and "Hope"), but encroaching English colonization made them agree to withdraw in the Treaty of Hartford, and by 1654 they were gone.
The first English colonists came from the Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and they settled at Windsor in 1633, Wethersfield (1634), and, led by Thomas Hooker, Hartford (1636). The Bay colony also built Fort Saybrook at the mouth of the River in 1636. Another Puritan group started the New Haven Colony in 1637. The Massachusetts colonies did not seek to absorb their progeny in Connecticut and Rhode Island into the Massachusetts governments. Communication and travel was too difficult, and it was also convenient to have a place for nonconformists to go.
The English settlement and trading post at Windsor especially threatened the Dutch trade, since it was upriver and more accessible to the Indians from the interior. That fall and winter the Dutch sent a party upriver as far as modern Springfield, Massachusetts spreading gifts to convince the Indians to bring their trade to the Dutch post at Hartford. Unfortunately, they also spread smallpox and, by the end of the 1633-34 winter, the Indian population of the entire valley was reduced from over 8,000 to less than 2,000. This left the fertile valley wide open to further settlement.
The Pequot War was the first serious armed conflict between the indigenous peoples and the settlers in New England. The ravages of disease, coupled with trade pressures invited the Pequots to tighten their hold on the river tribes. Additional incidents began to involve the colonists in the area, in 1635, and next spring their raid on Wethersfield prompted the three towns to meet. Following the raid on Wethersfield, the war climaxed when 1000 Pequot men, women, and children were burned out of their village, hunted down and massacred.
On May 1, 1637, they each sent delegates to the first General Court held at the meeting house in Hartford. This was the start of self government in Connecticut. They pooled their militia under the command of John Mason of Windsor, and declared war on the Pequots. When the war was over, there were officially no more Pequots. The Treaty of Hartford in 1638 reached agreements with the other tribes that gave the colonists the Pequot lands.
Various Algonquian tribes inhabited the area prior to European settlement. The Dutch were the first Europeans in Connecticut. In 1614 Adriaen Block explored the coast of Long Island Sound, and sailed up the Connecticut River at least as far as the confluence of the Park River, site of modern Hartford, Connecticut. By 1623, the new Dutch West India Company regularly traded for furs there and ten years later they fortified it for protection from the Pequot Indians as well as from the expanding English colonies. They fortified the site, which was named "House of Hope" (also identified as "Fort Hoop", "Good Hope" and "Hope"), but encroaching English colonization made them agree to withdraw in the Treaty of Hartford, and by 1654 they were gone.
The first English colonists came from the Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and they settled at Windsor in 1633, Wethersfield (1634), and, led by Thomas Hooker, Hartford (1636). The Bay colony also built Fort Saybrook at the mouth of the River in 1636. Another Puritan group started the New Haven Colony in 1637. The Massachusetts colonies did not seek to absorb their progeny in Connecticut and Rhode Island into the Massachusetts governments. Communication and travel was too difficult, and it was also convenient to have a place for nonconformists to go.
The English settlement and trading post at Windsor especially threatened the Dutch trade, since it was upriver and more accessible to the Indians from the interior. That fall and winter the Dutch sent a party upriver as far as modern Springfield, Massachusetts spreading gifts to convince the Indians to bring their trade to the Dutch post at Hartford. Unfortunately, they also spread smallpox and, by the end of the 1633-34 winter, the Indian population of the entire valley was reduced from over 8,000 to less than 2,000. This left the fertile valley wide open to further settlement.
The Pequot War was the first serious armed conflict between the indigenous peoples and the settlers in New England. The ravages of disease, coupled with trade pressures invited the Pequots to tighten their hold on the river tribes. Additional incidents began to involve the colonists in the area, in 1635, and next spring their raid on Wethersfield prompted the three towns to meet. Following the raid on Wethersfield, the war climaxed when 1000 Pequot men, women, and children were burned out of their village, hunted down and massacred.
On May 1, 1637, they each sent delegates to the first General Court held at the meeting house in Hartford. This was the start of self government in Connecticut. They pooled their militia under the command of John Mason of Windsor, and declared war on the Pequots. When the war was over, there were officially no more Pequots. The Treaty of Hartford in 1638 reached agreements with the other tribes that gave the colonists the Pequot lands.
Cherokee Nation Honors Citizens for Their Military Service
Press Release
TAHLEQUAH, OK — The Cherokee Nation recently honored 11 citizens for their military service and the sacrifices they have made for the Cherokee Nation and the United States.
“We appreciate so much the dedication and the commitment the all of our service men and women have provided to our tribe and county,” said Chad Smith Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “It is important to recognize these individuals for their dedication to the Cherokee Nation, our country and citizens. I commend each of these soldiers for the service that all of them have provided to us and congratulate them on all of them for their military accomplishments.”
Individuals honored were Lloyd P. Miller, Sr., Lloyd P. Miller, Jr., Gloria Miller Jones, Glen Miller, David L. Miller, Stephen A. Miller, R. Andrew Holt, Jr., Tania Sue Holt, Joseph Fourkiller, Cleo Deerinwater and Bobby Rogers.
There's more here: http://www.cherokee.org/PressRoom/2591/Story.aspx
TAHLEQUAH, OK — The Cherokee Nation recently honored 11 citizens for their military service and the sacrifices they have made for the Cherokee Nation and the United States.
“We appreciate so much the dedication and the commitment the all of our service men and women have provided to our tribe and county,” said Chad Smith Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “It is important to recognize these individuals for their dedication to the Cherokee Nation, our country and citizens. I commend each of these soldiers for the service that all of them have provided to us and congratulate them on all of them for their military accomplishments.”
Individuals honored were Lloyd P. Miller, Sr., Lloyd P. Miller, Jr., Gloria Miller Jones, Glen Miller, David L. Miller, Stephen A. Miller, R. Andrew Holt, Jr., Tania Sue Holt, Joseph Fourkiller, Cleo Deerinwater and Bobby Rogers.
There's more here: http://www.cherokee.org/PressRoom/2591/Story.aspx
Authentic tepee being designed, built in Seeley to honor Blackfeet heritage
By: Kim Briggeman
Stretched out on the floor of the elementary school gym Thursday morning was what, in the next two days, will become an authentic 20-foot tepee, and a significant tip of the hat to the Blackfeet heritage of the Blackfoot Valley.
“The design we put on this tepee, it gives the spiritual support, the emotional support, the mental support, the physical support that the family requires for healthy living,” said Leonard Weasel Traveller, a Northern Piegan from Calgary.
As grade school and high school classes took turns watching, and locals trickled in to see the progress, Weasel Traveller, his wife Audrey, and Carol Murray of Browning quietly and carefully sketched out the design.
This one will be unique to Seeley, Leonard Weasel Traveller explained.
They'll spend Friday painting it in the gym, then erect it in traditional fashion next to the Seeley Lake Historical Society Museum south of town.
On Saturday, the painters, including Murray's husband John, will don the traditional dress of their people for a Blackfeet Indian lodge dedication ceremony.
The tepee - or, more properly, lodge - will be a permanent fixture at the museum.
“It will be lighted from the inside so it'll show up at night. And we're eventually going to have a brass plaque made that will explain the design that on it,” said Nancy Lambert, secretary of the Seeley Lake Historical Society.
As of Thursday, the design and its significance were still emerging.
Leonard Weasel Traveller gave a few hints. He pointed to circles near the smoke flaps that represented the seven stars of the Big Dipper on one side, and six stars of the Pleiades on the other. Beneath them was the morning star. All along the bottom fringe, figures were sketched to represent stars and mountains.
Before the painting began, the silhouettes of four beavers were added.
“Our way of life is having a relationship with the cosmic, with the flora and fauna and living with that relationship,” Leonard Weasel Traveller said. “And so the design of this particular tepee is a beaver lodge.”
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/23/news/mtregional/news06.txt
Stretched out on the floor of the elementary school gym Thursday morning was what, in the next two days, will become an authentic 20-foot tepee, and a significant tip of the hat to the Blackfeet heritage of the Blackfoot Valley.
“The design we put on this tepee, it gives the spiritual support, the emotional support, the mental support, the physical support that the family requires for healthy living,” said Leonard Weasel Traveller, a Northern Piegan from Calgary.
As grade school and high school classes took turns watching, and locals trickled in to see the progress, Weasel Traveller, his wife Audrey, and Carol Murray of Browning quietly and carefully sketched out the design.
This one will be unique to Seeley, Leonard Weasel Traveller explained.
They'll spend Friday painting it in the gym, then erect it in traditional fashion next to the Seeley Lake Historical Society Museum south of town.
On Saturday, the painters, including Murray's husband John, will don the traditional dress of their people for a Blackfeet Indian lodge dedication ceremony.
The tepee - or, more properly, lodge - will be a permanent fixture at the museum.
“It will be lighted from the inside so it'll show up at night. And we're eventually going to have a brass plaque made that will explain the design that on it,” said Nancy Lambert, secretary of the Seeley Lake Historical Society.
As of Thursday, the design and its significance were still emerging.
Leonard Weasel Traveller gave a few hints. He pointed to circles near the smoke flaps that represented the seven stars of the Big Dipper on one side, and six stars of the Pleiades on the other. Beneath them was the morning star. All along the bottom fringe, figures were sketched to represent stars and mountains.
Before the painting began, the silhouettes of four beavers were added.
“Our way of life is having a relationship with the cosmic, with the flora and fauna and living with that relationship,” Leonard Weasel Traveller said. “And so the design of this particular tepee is a beaver lodge.”
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/23/news/mtregional/news06.txt
Mi-Wuk tribal leaders worry bypass work may threaten artifacts
By: Sean Janssen
A seven-week archaeological survey uncovering American Indian artifacts on the Highway 4 bypass may have wrapped up nicely, but an overseer from the Calaveras Band of Mi-Wuk Indians is concerned about future finds as construction work continues.
Debra Grimes, cultural resources specialist for the tribe, praised Caltrans for performing "to the best of their ability to do the best job possible" in preserving and honoring artifacts uncovered during the documentation and ethnological history phase of archaeological work performed by Far Western Archaeological Research Group of Davis.
"The archaeological part was a really wonderful working relationship," Grimes said.
However, Grimes said working with Sacramento-based Teichert Construction, a company the tribe has had no prior relationship with, has been more difficult. She said she is concerned about the speed with which the company's work is progressing and expressed fear that a future serious find may not be handled properly.
"We came across a human tooth but no skeletal remains," Grimes said of an earlier find, also mentioning discovery of funerary objects. "I'd be very surprised if we don't find a burial ground soon."
Teichert spokeswoman Becky Sabin said the company is sensitive to concerns regarding historical artifacts or remains.
Keep reading here: http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=26662
A seven-week archaeological survey uncovering American Indian artifacts on the Highway 4 bypass may have wrapped up nicely, but an overseer from the Calaveras Band of Mi-Wuk Indians is concerned about future finds as construction work continues.
Debra Grimes, cultural resources specialist for the tribe, praised Caltrans for performing "to the best of their ability to do the best job possible" in preserving and honoring artifacts uncovered during the documentation and ethnological history phase of archaeological work performed by Far Western Archaeological Research Group of Davis.
"The archaeological part was a really wonderful working relationship," Grimes said.
However, Grimes said working with Sacramento-based Teichert Construction, a company the tribe has had no prior relationship with, has been more difficult. She said she is concerned about the speed with which the company's work is progressing and expressed fear that a future serious find may not be handled properly.
"We came across a human tooth but no skeletal remains," Grimes said of an earlier find, also mentioning discovery of funerary objects. "I'd be very surprised if we don't find a burial ground soon."
Teichert spokeswoman Becky Sabin said the company is sensitive to concerns regarding historical artifacts or remains.
Keep reading here: http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=26662
Friday, May 23, 2008
May 23, 1838: Cherokee removal “Trail of Tears” begins.
In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects. The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the forced march. Over 4,000 out of 15,000 of the Cherokees died. The Cherokee call the forced march to Oklahoma "Nunna daul Tsuny . " That translates into English as "trail where they cried."
The term "Trails of Tears" was given to the period of ten years in which over 70,000 Indians had to give up their homes and move to certain areas assigned to tribes in Oklahoma. The tribes were given a right to all of Oklahoma except the Panhandle. The government promised this land to them "as long as grass shall grow and rivers run." Unfortunately, the land that they were given only lasted till about 1906 and then they were forced to move to other reservations.
Early in the 19th century, while the rapidly-growing United States expanded into the lower South, white settlers faced what they considered an obstacle. This area was home to the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chicasaw and Seminole nations. These Indian Nations, in the view of the settlers and many other white Americans, were standing in the way of progress. Eager for land to raise cotton, the settlers pressured the federal government to acquire Indian territory.
Andrew Jackson, from Tennessee, was a forceful proponent of Indian removal. In 1814 he commanded the U.S. military forces that defeated a faction of the Creek nation. In their defeat, the Creeks lost 22 million acres of land in southern Georgia and central Alabama. The U.S. acquired more land in 1818 when, spurred in part by the motivation to punish the Seminoles for their practice of harboring fugitive slaves, Jackson's troops invaded Spanish Florida.
Although the five Indian nations had made earlier attempts at resistance, many of their strategies were non-violent. One method was to adopt Anglo-American practices such as large-scale farming, Western education, and slave-holding. This earned the nations the designation of the "Five Civilized Tribes." They adopted this policy of assimilation in an attempt to coexist with settlers and ward off hostility. But it only made whites jealous and resentful.
Other attempts involved ceding portions of their land to the United States with a view to retaining control over at least part of their territory, or of the new territory they received in exchange. Some Indian nations simply refused to leave their land -- the Creeks and the Seminoles even waged war to protect their territory. The First Seminole War lasted from 1817 to 1818. The Seminoles were aided by fugitive slaves who had found protection among them and had been living with them for years. The presence of the fugitives enraged white planters and fueled their desire to defeat the Seminoles.
The Cherokee used legal means in their attempt to safeguard their rights. They sought protection from land-hungry white settlers, who continually harassed them by stealing their livestock, burning their towns, and squatting on their land. In 1827 the Cherokee adopted a written constitution declaring themselves to be a sovereign nation. They based this on United States policy; in former treaties, Indian nations had been declared sovereign so they would be legally capable of ceding their lands. Now the Cherokee hoped to use this status to their advantage. The state of Georgia, however, did not recognize their sovereign status, but saw them as tenants living on state land. The Cherokee took their case to the Supreme Court, which ruled against them.
The Cherokee went to the Supreme Court again in 1831. This time they based their appeal on an 1830 Georgia law which prohibited whites from living on Indian territory after March 31, 1831, without a license from the state. The state legislature had written this law to justify removing white missionaries who were helping the Indians resist removal. The court this time decided in favor of the Cherokee. It stated that the Cherokee had the right to self-government, and declared Georgia's extension of state law over them to be unconstitutional. The state of Georgia refused to abide by the Court decision, however, and President Jackson refused to enforce the law.
The Trails of Tears were several trails that the Five civilized Tribes traveled on their way to their new lands. Many Indians died because of famine or disease. Sometimes a person would die because of the harsh living conditions. The tribes had to walk all day long and get very little rest. All this was in order to free more land for white settlers. The period of forcible removal started when Andrew Jackson became President in 1829. At that time there was reported to be sightings of gold in the Cherokee territory in Georgia which caused prospectors to rush in, tearing down fences and destroying crops. In Mississippi, the state laws were extended over Choctaw and Chickasaw lands, and in 1930 the Indians were made citizens which made it illegal to hold any tribal office. Also in Georgia, the Cherokee tribes were forbade to hold any type of tribal legislature except to ratify land cessions, and the citizens of Georgia were invited to rob and plunder the tribes in making it illegal for an Indian to bring suit against a white man.
After the end of the Trails of Tears, the conversion of all tribes to Christianity had been effected rapidly. The Seminoles and Creeks were conservative to their customs but other tribes were receptive to any custom considered superior to their own. The tribes found Christian teachings fitted to their own. Mainly the modernization change began at the end of the removal.
Andrew Jackson Gave a speech on the Indian removal in the year of 1830. He said, "It gives me great pleasure to announce to Congress that the benevolent policy of the government, steady pursued for nearly thirty years, in relation with the removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation."
"The consequences of a speedy removal will be important to the United States, to individual states, and to the Indians themselves. It puts an end to all possible danger of a collision between the authorities of the general and state governments, and of the account the Indians. It will place a dense population in large tracts of country now occupied by a few savaged hunters. By opening the whole territory between Tennessee on the north and Louisiana on the south to the settlement of the whites it will incalculably strengthen the Southwestern frontier and render the adjacent states strong enough to repel future invasion without remote aid."
"It will separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the progress of decay, which is lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of the government and through the influences of good counsels, to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community."
The term "Trails of Tears" was given to the period of ten years in which over 70,000 Indians had to give up their homes and move to certain areas assigned to tribes in Oklahoma. The tribes were given a right to all of Oklahoma except the Panhandle. The government promised this land to them "as long as grass shall grow and rivers run." Unfortunately, the land that they were given only lasted till about 1906 and then they were forced to move to other reservations.
Early in the 19th century, while the rapidly-growing United States expanded into the lower South, white settlers faced what they considered an obstacle. This area was home to the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chicasaw and Seminole nations. These Indian Nations, in the view of the settlers and many other white Americans, were standing in the way of progress. Eager for land to raise cotton, the settlers pressured the federal government to acquire Indian territory.
Andrew Jackson, from Tennessee, was a forceful proponent of Indian removal. In 1814 he commanded the U.S. military forces that defeated a faction of the Creek nation. In their defeat, the Creeks lost 22 million acres of land in southern Georgia and central Alabama. The U.S. acquired more land in 1818 when, spurred in part by the motivation to punish the Seminoles for their practice of harboring fugitive slaves, Jackson's troops invaded Spanish Florida.
Although the five Indian nations had made earlier attempts at resistance, many of their strategies were non-violent. One method was to adopt Anglo-American practices such as large-scale farming, Western education, and slave-holding. This earned the nations the designation of the "Five Civilized Tribes." They adopted this policy of assimilation in an attempt to coexist with settlers and ward off hostility. But it only made whites jealous and resentful.
Other attempts involved ceding portions of their land to the United States with a view to retaining control over at least part of their territory, or of the new territory they received in exchange. Some Indian nations simply refused to leave their land -- the Creeks and the Seminoles even waged war to protect their territory. The First Seminole War lasted from 1817 to 1818. The Seminoles were aided by fugitive slaves who had found protection among them and had been living with them for years. The presence of the fugitives enraged white planters and fueled their desire to defeat the Seminoles.
The Cherokee used legal means in their attempt to safeguard their rights. They sought protection from land-hungry white settlers, who continually harassed them by stealing their livestock, burning their towns, and squatting on their land. In 1827 the Cherokee adopted a written constitution declaring themselves to be a sovereign nation. They based this on United States policy; in former treaties, Indian nations had been declared sovereign so they would be legally capable of ceding their lands. Now the Cherokee hoped to use this status to their advantage. The state of Georgia, however, did not recognize their sovereign status, but saw them as tenants living on state land. The Cherokee took their case to the Supreme Court, which ruled against them.
The Cherokee went to the Supreme Court again in 1831. This time they based their appeal on an 1830 Georgia law which prohibited whites from living on Indian territory after March 31, 1831, without a license from the state. The state legislature had written this law to justify removing white missionaries who were helping the Indians resist removal. The court this time decided in favor of the Cherokee. It stated that the Cherokee had the right to self-government, and declared Georgia's extension of state law over them to be unconstitutional. The state of Georgia refused to abide by the Court decision, however, and President Jackson refused to enforce the law.
The Trails of Tears were several trails that the Five civilized Tribes traveled on their way to their new lands. Many Indians died because of famine or disease. Sometimes a person would die because of the harsh living conditions. The tribes had to walk all day long and get very little rest. All this was in order to free more land for white settlers. The period of forcible removal started when Andrew Jackson became President in 1829. At that time there was reported to be sightings of gold in the Cherokee territory in Georgia which caused prospectors to rush in, tearing down fences and destroying crops. In Mississippi, the state laws were extended over Choctaw and Chickasaw lands, and in 1930 the Indians were made citizens which made it illegal to hold any tribal office. Also in Georgia, the Cherokee tribes were forbade to hold any type of tribal legislature except to ratify land cessions, and the citizens of Georgia were invited to rob and plunder the tribes in making it illegal for an Indian to bring suit against a white man.
After the end of the Trails of Tears, the conversion of all tribes to Christianity had been effected rapidly. The Seminoles and Creeks were conservative to their customs but other tribes were receptive to any custom considered superior to their own. The tribes found Christian teachings fitted to their own. Mainly the modernization change began at the end of the removal.
Andrew Jackson Gave a speech on the Indian removal in the year of 1830. He said, "It gives me great pleasure to announce to Congress that the benevolent policy of the government, steady pursued for nearly thirty years, in relation with the removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation."
"The consequences of a speedy removal will be important to the United States, to individual states, and to the Indians themselves. It puts an end to all possible danger of a collision between the authorities of the general and state governments, and of the account the Indians. It will place a dense population in large tracts of country now occupied by a few savaged hunters. By opening the whole territory between Tennessee on the north and Louisiana on the south to the settlement of the whites it will incalculably strengthen the Southwestern frontier and render the adjacent states strong enough to repel future invasion without remote aid."
"It will separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the progress of decay, which is lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of the government and through the influences of good counsels, to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community."
U looks to increase American Indian student enrollment
By: Michael McFall
The daughter of a medicine man and weaver, Lena Judee spent her days as a young Arizona Navajo girl in a community close to its traditional American Indian roots. She left her family to pursue a higher education, and after studying at two colleges and working 23 years at another university, Judee has joined the U as one of two new staff members to help American Indian students.
The U has appointed two new staff members in attempt to increase American Indian student enrollment and improve American Indians' chances for academic achievement. In the last five years, new Native American student enrollment peaked in 2006 with 14 students.
In order to improve those numbers, the U appointed Nola Lodge as the new director of American Indian teacher education in the College of Education and hired Judee as the coordinator for American Indian students in the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs.
Michael Hardman, dean of the College of Education, said that Lodge's leadership experience and commitment will benefit the preparation of American Indian students for careers in the field of education.
Lodge, a member of the Wisconsin Oneida tribe, will work directly with departments in the College of Education to reach out to Utah's American Indian community, as well as coordinate programs with the Office for Diversity and the American Indian Resource Center to draw and retain more American Indian students. She will also teach two courses on multicultural education each year.
"I am delighted to accept the position here in the College of Education and look forward to collaboration with the college departments and American Indian faculty and staff," Lodge said.
Judee will be critical in providing full academic support and guidance for the students, said David Pershing, the senior vice president for academic affairs. Judee said that her academic success proves that young American Indians can succeed.
"If I can make it this far, they can do it even better," she said.
Lodge and Judee will begin their work in July.
The daughter of a medicine man and weaver, Lena Judee spent her days as a young Arizona Navajo girl in a community close to its traditional American Indian roots. She left her family to pursue a higher education, and after studying at two colleges and working 23 years at another university, Judee has joined the U as one of two new staff members to help American Indian students.
The U has appointed two new staff members in attempt to increase American Indian student enrollment and improve American Indians' chances for academic achievement. In the last five years, new Native American student enrollment peaked in 2006 with 14 students.
In order to improve those numbers, the U appointed Nola Lodge as the new director of American Indian teacher education in the College of Education and hired Judee as the coordinator for American Indian students in the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs.
Michael Hardman, dean of the College of Education, said that Lodge's leadership experience and commitment will benefit the preparation of American Indian students for careers in the field of education.
Lodge, a member of the Wisconsin Oneida tribe, will work directly with departments in the College of Education to reach out to Utah's American Indian community, as well as coordinate programs with the Office for Diversity and the American Indian Resource Center to draw and retain more American Indian students. She will also teach two courses on multicultural education each year.
"I am delighted to accept the position here in the College of Education and look forward to collaboration with the college departments and American Indian faculty and staff," Lodge said.
Judee will be critical in providing full academic support and guidance for the students, said David Pershing, the senior vice president for academic affairs. Judee said that her academic success proves that young American Indians can succeed.
"If I can make it this far, they can do it even better," she said.
Lodge and Judee will begin their work in July.
Remember the Kootenai Tribe's struggle against the feds in 1974? Now's your chance to learn.
By: Tim Woodward
"Idaho's Forgotten War" is a fitting title for a documentary trailer being screened Saturday at the Flicks. Most Idahoans today don't know the war ever happened.
"It's a story that needed to be told," Sonya Rosario, the film's director, said. "If it wasn't, we could have lost this incredible voice and part of the history of Idaho."
The "incredible voice" is that of Amy Trice, chairwoman of North Idaho's Kootenai Tribe during the last Indian war declared against the U.S. government - in 1974.
The film tells "the true history of the Native Americans, not what's in the history books," Trice said.
"It shows how the people live and what we've gone through and how our land was taken with no compensation."
Led by Trice and others, the 67-member tribe declared "war" on the United States to protest living conditions in its village near Bonners Ferry and the taking of its ancestral land. More than a million acres were signed away without the Kootenais' presence under the treaty of Hellgate, Mont., in 1855.
In 1962, the government gave the tribe 36 cents an acre, based on 1855 land values.
The Kootenais weren't given a reservation, and their Depression-era housing was so inadequate that a tribal elder, Moses Joseph, froze to death in his home. From the tribe's perspective, the war wasn't merely a protest. It was a fight for survival.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/life/story/388225.html
"Idaho's Forgotten War" is a fitting title for a documentary trailer being screened Saturday at the Flicks. Most Idahoans today don't know the war ever happened.
"It's a story that needed to be told," Sonya Rosario, the film's director, said. "If it wasn't, we could have lost this incredible voice and part of the history of Idaho."
The "incredible voice" is that of Amy Trice, chairwoman of North Idaho's Kootenai Tribe during the last Indian war declared against the U.S. government - in 1974.
The film tells "the true history of the Native Americans, not what's in the history books," Trice said.
"It shows how the people live and what we've gone through and how our land was taken with no compensation."
Led by Trice and others, the 67-member tribe declared "war" on the United States to protest living conditions in its village near Bonners Ferry and the taking of its ancestral land. More than a million acres were signed away without the Kootenais' presence under the treaty of Hellgate, Mont., in 1855.
In 1962, the government gave the tribe 36 cents an acre, based on 1855 land values.
The Kootenais weren't given a reservation, and their Depression-era housing was so inadequate that a tribal elder, Moses Joseph, froze to death in his home. From the tribe's perspective, the war wasn't merely a protest. It was a fight for survival.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/life/story/388225.html
Santa Fe Indian Market: Pojoaque signs on as sponsor
By: David Collins
It's a new day for American Indian art in Santa Fe. For the first time in the 87 year history of the annual Indian Market, a local pueblo will be the major sponsor.
The Pueblo of Pojoaque, Hilton Hotels and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts announced Wednesday that the pueblo's Buffalo Thunder Resort has agreed to sponsor the Indian Market for the next three years.
"For a long time, the dominant culture's vision was to take care of American Indian people. It was a paternalistic vision. Rarely do Indian people have a say in how their ideas are presented," said Bruce Bernstein, SWAIA's executive director.
With Pojoaque's sponsorship of the city's world-renowned venue for American Indian art, local American Indians now have a financial stake in the direction of their art market, Bernstein said.
Bernstein and Pojoaque Gov. George Rivera declined to say exactly how much the sponsorship will cost the pueblo's resort in terms of dollars, but Rivera said the cost of the named sponsorship would double by the third year. "It wasn't cheap," Rivera said.
For Pojoaque, which has for years sponsored sports teams and youth programs in its neighborhood and has opened its Poeh Cultural Center studios at no cost to all American Indians, the new three-year affiliation with SWAIA is its largest commercial sponsorship to date.
"I'm not sure what Bruce (Bernstein) is doing to help us," Rivera quipped, suggesting the sponsorship was more a benefit to the local art market than to the pueblo's $245 million resort.
"We are doing the right thing," Rivera added later. "We are helping Native American artists."
Keep reading here: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/Indian-Market-Pojoaque-signs-on-as-sponsor
It's a new day for American Indian art in Santa Fe. For the first time in the 87 year history of the annual Indian Market, a local pueblo will be the major sponsor.
The Pueblo of Pojoaque, Hilton Hotels and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts announced Wednesday that the pueblo's Buffalo Thunder Resort has agreed to sponsor the Indian Market for the next three years.
"For a long time, the dominant culture's vision was to take care of American Indian people. It was a paternalistic vision. Rarely do Indian people have a say in how their ideas are presented," said Bruce Bernstein, SWAIA's executive director.
With Pojoaque's sponsorship of the city's world-renowned venue for American Indian art, local American Indians now have a financial stake in the direction of their art market, Bernstein said.
Bernstein and Pojoaque Gov. George Rivera declined to say exactly how much the sponsorship will cost the pueblo's resort in terms of dollars, but Rivera said the cost of the named sponsorship would double by the third year. "It wasn't cheap," Rivera said.
For Pojoaque, which has for years sponsored sports teams and youth programs in its neighborhood and has opened its Poeh Cultural Center studios at no cost to all American Indians, the new three-year affiliation with SWAIA is its largest commercial sponsorship to date.
"I'm not sure what Bruce (Bernstein) is doing to help us," Rivera quipped, suggesting the sponsorship was more a benefit to the local art market than to the pueblo's $245 million resort.
"We are doing the right thing," Rivera added later. "We are helping Native American artists."
Keep reading here: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/Indian-Market-Pojoaque-signs-on-as-sponsor
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Federal panel delays vote on remains of American Indians
By: Alison Knezevich
A federal committee has delayed recommending whether Putnam County commissioners can rebury the skeletal remains of about 600 American Indians from Buffalo, saying there are too many unanswered questions.
In March, commissioners received legal control of the skeletal remains, which had been stored at Ohio State University since the mid-1990s. They intend to rebury the remains at a site near the original graves.
But at a two-day meeting in Wisconsin that ended Friday, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act review committee tabled the issue, said Tim McKeown, a program coordinator for the national NAGPRA office.
Questions arose about whether Ohio State ever technically had legal control of the remains, McKeown said. Some archaeologists say the remains belong to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and were on loan to other institutions and then never returned.
"The county commission and the state need to work that out, and I don't know the answer to that," McKeown said.
NAGPRA, passed in 1990, allows federally recognized tribes to reclaim Indian remains and artifacts from museums and universities. No federally recognized tribes have claimed the Buffalo remains.
The Buffalo remains, which are about 400 to 500 years old, have been deemed "culturally unidentifiable," meaning they cannot be linked to modern-day tribes.
Get the rest of the story here: http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200805190560
A federal committee has delayed recommending whether Putnam County commissioners can rebury the skeletal remains of about 600 American Indians from Buffalo, saying there are too many unanswered questions.
In March, commissioners received legal control of the skeletal remains, which had been stored at Ohio State University since the mid-1990s. They intend to rebury the remains at a site near the original graves.
But at a two-day meeting in Wisconsin that ended Friday, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act review committee tabled the issue, said Tim McKeown, a program coordinator for the national NAGPRA office.
Questions arose about whether Ohio State ever technically had legal control of the remains, McKeown said. Some archaeologists say the remains belong to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and were on loan to other institutions and then never returned.
"The county commission and the state need to work that out, and I don't know the answer to that," McKeown said.
NAGPRA, passed in 1990, allows federally recognized tribes to reclaim Indian remains and artifacts from museums and universities. No federally recognized tribes have claimed the Buffalo remains.
The Buffalo remains, which are about 400 to 500 years old, have been deemed "culturally unidentifiable," meaning they cannot be linked to modern-day tribes.
Get the rest of the story here: http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200805190560
UAIC Tribal School Receives International Accreditation
Press Release
The United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) School is pleased to announce its accreditation by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA).
“This has been a goal for the UAIC Tribal School since we first opened our door,” said Roger Bordeuax, Superintendent of UAIC Tribal Schools. “It validates all of the sacrifices that have been made by so many people to create this school and the many programs and services that it houses. It shows that we are doing all the right things to help create a better future for our children by helping to give them the best education possible, which is really what this is all about.”
The UAIC School has a hands-on learning philosophy that helps teach children in grades K-12 key aspects of Indian culture and foster critical thinking to prepare tribal members to face future challenges. The school houses one of California’s most extensive collections of Native American Literature, which is available to all children at the school and other tribal members. The school also offers Occupational Therapy, private instruction, homework clubs and several career and personal development opportunities and services.
“There is no question that the education of our children is a top priority,” said UAIC Tribal Chairwoman, Jessica Tavarez. “The official accreditation of our tribal school is another milestone to ensuring our children have the necessary opportunities to reach their full potential.”
To achieve accreditation, the school completed a self-study as well as an evaluation by several CITA officials. To maintain the accreditation the school will have to continue to meet those standards and stay on the cutting edge of the education process through monitoring visits and interim reports during the five-year accreditation cycle.
CITA provides systems of accreditation to promote quality schools and continuous improvement, which enhances student success. It is an international accrediting authority that is responsible for accrediting over 32,000 schools in over 100 countries.
The tribal school has been operated for just under three years and was accredited this year on its first year of eligibility.
The United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) School is pleased to announce its accreditation by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA).
“This has been a goal for the UAIC Tribal School since we first opened our door,” said Roger Bordeuax, Superintendent of UAIC Tribal Schools. “It validates all of the sacrifices that have been made by so many people to create this school and the many programs and services that it houses. It shows that we are doing all the right things to help create a better future for our children by helping to give them the best education possible, which is really what this is all about.”
The UAIC School has a hands-on learning philosophy that helps teach children in grades K-12 key aspects of Indian culture and foster critical thinking to prepare tribal members to face future challenges. The school houses one of California’s most extensive collections of Native American Literature, which is available to all children at the school and other tribal members. The school also offers Occupational Therapy, private instruction, homework clubs and several career and personal development opportunities and services.
“There is no question that the education of our children is a top priority,” said UAIC Tribal Chairwoman, Jessica Tavarez. “The official accreditation of our tribal school is another milestone to ensuring our children have the necessary opportunities to reach their full potential.”
To achieve accreditation, the school completed a self-study as well as an evaluation by several CITA officials. To maintain the accreditation the school will have to continue to meet those standards and stay on the cutting edge of the education process through monitoring visits and interim reports during the five-year accreditation cycle.
CITA provides systems of accreditation to promote quality schools and continuous improvement, which enhances student success. It is an international accrediting authority that is responsible for accrediting over 32,000 schools in over 100 countries.
The tribal school has been operated for just under three years and was accredited this year on its first year of eligibility.
Mole Lake Chief Dedication
By: Rebecca Solomon
MOLE LAKE - A late tribal chief here in the Northwoods is remembered with a seven foot high bronze statue.
The Sokaogon Chippewa Community Tribal Council and Elder's Council are putting this 5000 pound statue of Chief Williard Leroy Ackley on the front yard of the home where he once lived.
The councils are also restoring Ackley's house, which is located across from the Mole Lake Casino and Lodge. The house will eventually be a museum.
Community members say this project is fitting for former Chief Ackley because he dedicated his life to helping his people and establishing the Mole Lake Indian Reservation in the 1930's.
Tribal Chairman, Arlyn Ackley, says, "He started working with other tribes to have the Reorganization Act passed through Congress and we wouldn't have our reservation status if it wasn't for him.
"Elderly's Council Member, Peter Mcgeshick Jr., says, "We need to remember that he was here and the one that got us this area.
"Once this statue is standing on its platform, the tribe will begin restoring Chief Ackley's old home.
The overall project should be complete in two to three years.
MOLE LAKE - A late tribal chief here in the Northwoods is remembered with a seven foot high bronze statue.
The Sokaogon Chippewa Community Tribal Council and Elder's Council are putting this 5000 pound statue of Chief Williard Leroy Ackley on the front yard of the home where he once lived.
The councils are also restoring Ackley's house, which is located across from the Mole Lake Casino and Lodge. The house will eventually be a museum.
Community members say this project is fitting for former Chief Ackley because he dedicated his life to helping his people and establishing the Mole Lake Indian Reservation in the 1930's.
Tribal Chairman, Arlyn Ackley, says, "He started working with other tribes to have the Reorganization Act passed through Congress and we wouldn't have our reservation status if it wasn't for him.
"Elderly's Council Member, Peter Mcgeshick Jr., says, "We need to remember that he was here and the one that got us this area.
"Once this statue is standing on its platform, the tribe will begin restoring Chief Ackley's old home.
The overall project should be complete in two to three years.
Indian educator lauded
By: Diane Fowler
GRANTS - Gloria Hale, Director of Indian Education for the Grants/Cibola County School District, has been honored as 2008 New Mexico Indian Educator of the Year.
The state's Public Education Department bestowed the award.
During her four years with the district, Hale has initiated the K-6 Navajo oral language program at two elementary schools, obtained continued funding for the K-12 Acoma Keresan language program at Laguna-Acoma High School and plans to work with the Pueblo of Laguna to introduce the Laguna Keresan language program.
The district has approximately 41 percent Native American students enrolled in its ten schools. The three largest Native American tribal representations are from the Pueblo of Acoma, the Pueblo of Laguna and students from the Navajo Baca Chapter. Other tribal representations include Zuni, Mescalero Apache and other tribes.
Since the implementation of the New Mexico Indian Education Act of 2003, Hale has initiated programs which has brought the district into compliance. Other aspects of the legislation include stressing the study of New Mexican Indian history and government, increase Native American parental involvement in the schools and partnerships with local tribes to establish curriculum and assessments of the language and culture.
Hale, who is of Navajo descent, came to New Mexico after retiring as a public school superintendent in Arizona. “When Arizona became an “English Only” state in 2003, I realized it was time to retire and seek other educational opportunities that support indigenous language and culture,” she related.
Keep reading here: http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2008/05/19/news/news2.txt
GRANTS - Gloria Hale, Director of Indian Education for the Grants/Cibola County School District, has been honored as 2008 New Mexico Indian Educator of the Year.
The state's Public Education Department bestowed the award.
During her four years with the district, Hale has initiated the K-6 Navajo oral language program at two elementary schools, obtained continued funding for the K-12 Acoma Keresan language program at Laguna-Acoma High School and plans to work with the Pueblo of Laguna to introduce the Laguna Keresan language program.
The district has approximately 41 percent Native American students enrolled in its ten schools. The three largest Native American tribal representations are from the Pueblo of Acoma, the Pueblo of Laguna and students from the Navajo Baca Chapter. Other tribal representations include Zuni, Mescalero Apache and other tribes.
Since the implementation of the New Mexico Indian Education Act of 2003, Hale has initiated programs which has brought the district into compliance. Other aspects of the legislation include stressing the study of New Mexican Indian history and government, increase Native American parental involvement in the schools and partnerships with local tribes to establish curriculum and assessments of the language and culture.
Hale, who is of Navajo descent, came to New Mexico after retiring as a public school superintendent in Arizona. “When Arizona became an “English Only” state in 2003, I realized it was time to retire and seek other educational opportunities that support indigenous language and culture,” she related.
Keep reading here: http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2008/05/19/news/news2.txt
Monday, May 19, 2008
Do you know...
Molly Brant is very typical of the difficulties in identifying true facts in research materials printed about Native women. There is no question that Molly was by far the most powerful and influential woman in the Mohawk Nation. She single-handedly is credited with maintaining British loyalty throughout the Iroquois Confederacy.
Her date of birth is given as both 1735 and 1736. Her Mohawk name was either Gonwatsijayenni, Degonwadonti or Tekonwatonti depending upon your resource. She died in Brantford, Ontario, Canada in 1795, OR in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1796. There is even disagreement over whether she was Mohawk or Iroquois.
We do have some fascinating facts about Molly that are not in dispute. She was born to a Mohawk father and an Iroquois mother in Conajoharie, New York, the older sister of the famed Mohawk leader Joseph Brant. Following the death of her natural father, Molly's mother married an Iroquois man who had been given an English name - Nicklaus Brant - and thus the English last name. She apparently had an uneventful childhood, and received an education that was unusual for any woman of that time period.
It was at the age of 17 that Molly's destiny began to take shape when she met William Johnson, a famous British trader who later became Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the British Indian Department's Northern District. Johnson was clearly quite taken with Molly for, by the time she was 23, she had moved into his home and was fulfilling all the duties of wife, political consort, and hostess of his considerable estate. She went on to bear Johnson 9 children.
Some accounts hold that Molly and Johnson were married in Native tradition, but it is established that they were never married in a white ceremony. Even though she was considered only Johnson's mistress by white leaders, she was nonetheless accepted as their peer and equal. Her skill as a diplomat was admired by the political leaders of the day. Her grace and dignity as a hostess made the Johnson estate a major destination to visitors from this country, Canada and Europe who could find an excuse to"stop by". In return for her hospitality, Molly received many gifts of every type and description. The personal items such as clothing, she carefully packed away. Other items were proudly displayed for all to see.
Never shy, Molly used her considerable influence with the British to see that her people were well cared for. In times of disagreement, it was she who traveled into the villages and met with the Sachems (chiefs) to urge their continuing loyalty to the Crown. So effective was she that provisions were made by the British to support her financially for her entire life! Her yearly pension even exceeded that of her famous brother.
Prior to his death in 1774, Johnson had the foresight to make a will which left all of his wealth and property to Molly. Additionally, he set out political appointments for the children and for Molly's brother, Joseph. As the armies of the American Revolution drew closer to her home, Molly knew that word of her loyalties to the British were too well known for her to be safe there. She gathered her worldly goods and moved into Canada. Even so, the invading armies reported digging up several barrels of dresses which had been left behind......buried in the backyard.
Molly remained safe in Canada until her death. Even there, her efforts to keep the Iroquois loyal to the British never weakened. Molly Brant's life, and her influence over events of her time, are indeed legendary.
She is also listed in 100 Native Americans Who Shaped American History.
By: Julia White
Her date of birth is given as both 1735 and 1736. Her Mohawk name was either Gonwatsijayenni, Degonwadonti or Tekonwatonti depending upon your resource. She died in Brantford, Ontario, Canada in 1795, OR in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1796. There is even disagreement over whether she was Mohawk or Iroquois.
We do have some fascinating facts about Molly that are not in dispute. She was born to a Mohawk father and an Iroquois mother in Conajoharie, New York, the older sister of the famed Mohawk leader Joseph Brant. Following the death of her natural father, Molly's mother married an Iroquois man who had been given an English name - Nicklaus Brant - and thus the English last name. She apparently had an uneventful childhood, and received an education that was unusual for any woman of that time period.
It was at the age of 17 that Molly's destiny began to take shape when she met William Johnson, a famous British trader who later became Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the British Indian Department's Northern District. Johnson was clearly quite taken with Molly for, by the time she was 23, she had moved into his home and was fulfilling all the duties of wife, political consort, and hostess of his considerable estate. She went on to bear Johnson 9 children.
Some accounts hold that Molly and Johnson were married in Native tradition, but it is established that they were never married in a white ceremony. Even though she was considered only Johnson's mistress by white leaders, she was nonetheless accepted as their peer and equal. Her skill as a diplomat was admired by the political leaders of the day. Her grace and dignity as a hostess made the Johnson estate a major destination to visitors from this country, Canada and Europe who could find an excuse to"stop by". In return for her hospitality, Molly received many gifts of every type and description. The personal items such as clothing, she carefully packed away. Other items were proudly displayed for all to see.
Never shy, Molly used her considerable influence with the British to see that her people were well cared for. In times of disagreement, it was she who traveled into the villages and met with the Sachems (chiefs) to urge their continuing loyalty to the Crown. So effective was she that provisions were made by the British to support her financially for her entire life! Her yearly pension even exceeded that of her famous brother.
Prior to his death in 1774, Johnson had the foresight to make a will which left all of his wealth and property to Molly. Additionally, he set out political appointments for the children and for Molly's brother, Joseph. As the armies of the American Revolution drew closer to her home, Molly knew that word of her loyalties to the British were too well known for her to be safe there. She gathered her worldly goods and moved into Canada. Even so, the invading armies reported digging up several barrels of dresses which had been left behind......buried in the backyard.
Molly remained safe in Canada until her death. Even there, her efforts to keep the Iroquois loyal to the British never weakened. Molly Brant's life, and her influence over events of her time, are indeed legendary.
She is also listed in 100 Native Americans Who Shaped American History.
By: Julia White
Actor Adam Beach has plan to back First Nations films and TV
CBC News
One of Canada's most prominent First Nations film stars has a plan to get more aboriginal stories into movie theatres and onto the airwaves.
Adam Beach, the Manitoba-born actor most recently known for his role on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, has announced he is setting up a new film company and will take a high-profile role in a new internet cable company.
He announced details Wednesday at an aboriginal economic development conference in Winnipeg.
His new company will produce feature films created by First Nations filmmakers.
He has also been hired by a new internet cable company to head its aboriginal division and will start reviewing proposals for the network in January.
"The content will be delivered by [everything from] an individual on the corner of a street telling us his life to the biggest politician we have complaining about the government, but the world will now hear our voice," he said.
Beach also has teamed up with rapper Ice-T, who also starred in Law and Order: SVU, to get more coverage for First Nations music.
"We're going to make the first native American pop star," he said, drawing whistling and clapping from the crowd of nearly 700.
Hebron Sinclair, a 19-year-old from Pinaymootang, in the Interlake area of Manitoba, was excited about the prospect of working with Beach.
"Holy Cow! Now I've got to get involved in this," he told CBC News. Sinclair creates hip hop music under the name Junebug.
"I've got to do something … that's like another open door for me."
Beach plans to leave Law and Order: SVU at the end of the season to concentrate on these projects.
Beach is also known for his recent performances in films such as Flags of Our Fathers, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Windtalkers.
One of Canada's most prominent First Nations film stars has a plan to get more aboriginal stories into movie theatres and onto the airwaves.
Adam Beach, the Manitoba-born actor most recently known for his role on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, has announced he is setting up a new film company and will take a high-profile role in a new internet cable company.
He announced details Wednesday at an aboriginal economic development conference in Winnipeg.
His new company will produce feature films created by First Nations filmmakers.
He has also been hired by a new internet cable company to head its aboriginal division and will start reviewing proposals for the network in January.
"The content will be delivered by [everything from] an individual on the corner of a street telling us his life to the biggest politician we have complaining about the government, but the world will now hear our voice," he said.
Beach also has teamed up with rapper Ice-T, who also starred in Law and Order: SVU, to get more coverage for First Nations music.
"We're going to make the first native American pop star," he said, drawing whistling and clapping from the crowd of nearly 700.
Hebron Sinclair, a 19-year-old from Pinaymootang, in the Interlake area of Manitoba, was excited about the prospect of working with Beach.
"Holy Cow! Now I've got to get involved in this," he told CBC News. Sinclair creates hip hop music under the name Junebug.
"I've got to do something … that's like another open door for me."
Beach plans to leave Law and Order: SVU at the end of the season to concentrate on these projects.
Beach is also known for his recent performances in films such as Flags of Our Fathers, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Windtalkers.
A hero’s welcome for Whitehorse
By: Karen Francis
WINDOW ROCK — An injured soldier who recently arrived home was given a hero’s welcome Thursday evening at the Navajo Nation Veterans Memorial Park .
U.S. Army Pfc. Jason Whitehorse, a graduate of Gallup High School, will be the recipient of two Purple Hearts. The Purple Heart is a combat decoration awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces “who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy.”
Though he was still on crutches because of injuries sustained in Iraq on March 27, he rode in with the Navajo/Hopi Honor Run motorcycle riders from Shiprock.Whitehorse, 19, arrived in Albuquerque on May 10, where his mother, Lorene Yazzie, awaited him.
“It feels pretty good,” he said about being back. He added about the bike ride from Shiprock, “It was nice seeing all the scenery on the way here.”
His plan now, he said, is to “spend some time at home and try to see everybody before I head back to my station.”
Get the rest of the story here: http://www.gallupindependent.com/2008/May/051708hero.html
WINDOW ROCK — An injured soldier who recently arrived home was given a hero’s welcome Thursday evening at the Navajo Nation Veterans Memorial Park .
U.S. Army Pfc. Jason Whitehorse, a graduate of Gallup High School, will be the recipient of two Purple Hearts. The Purple Heart is a combat decoration awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces “who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy.”
Though he was still on crutches because of injuries sustained in Iraq on March 27, he rode in with the Navajo/Hopi Honor Run motorcycle riders from Shiprock.Whitehorse, 19, arrived in Albuquerque on May 10, where his mother, Lorene Yazzie, awaited him.
“It feels pretty good,” he said about being back. He added about the bike ride from Shiprock, “It was nice seeing all the scenery on the way here.”
His plan now, he said, is to “spend some time at home and try to see everybody before I head back to my station.”
Get the rest of the story here: http://www.gallupindependent.com/2008/May/051708hero.html
Indian, military ceremonies, funeral set for fallen soldier
Associated Press
PARKER — Funeral services for a soldier from the Colorado River Indian Tribe who was killed in Afghanistan are set today in Parker.
A religious service for Pfc. Ara Tyler Deysie was held in the town's Mormon church Sunday afternoon. His casket was then taken through town on a firetruck to the Cry House next to the tribal cemetery.
After being placed inside the Cry House in an elaborate ceremony, military guards were to stand guard through the night.
American Indian and military ceremonies and his burial will be held this morning.
Deysie, 18, was a member of the 101st Airborne Division. He died May 9 in Afghanistan's Paktia province when his patrol was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades.
PARKER — Funeral services for a soldier from the Colorado River Indian Tribe who was killed in Afghanistan are set today in Parker.
A religious service for Pfc. Ara Tyler Deysie was held in the town's Mormon church Sunday afternoon. His casket was then taken through town on a firetruck to the Cry House next to the tribal cemetery.
After being placed inside the Cry House in an elaborate ceremony, military guards were to stand guard through the night.
American Indian and military ceremonies and his burial will be held this morning.
Deysie, 18, was a member of the 101st Airborne Division. He died May 9 in Afghanistan's Paktia province when his patrol was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Southampton to preserve sacred Shinnecock land
By: Mitchell Freedman
Southampton Town is getting ready to buy 9.3 acres of waterfront land in Water Mill for $5 million, land that includes the site of an ancient summer village and burial ground for the Shinnecock Tribe.
Once the sale is completed, the tribe will hold a special ceremony to bury the skull of an Indian taken from a grave as part of an archaeological study about two years ago.
Rubin Valdez, a Shinnecock Indian, remembers how disquieting it was when he was called to Water Mill after the skull - believed to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old - was found on a parcel of land a few miles from the tribe's reservation. The area had been a traditional summer village during the time when the tribe followed the food supply and lived closer to the water each summer. The skull has since been kept at a secret location.
"We looked into the face of this young man pulled out of the ground after 3,000 years," he said. "Now we have the opportunity to restore this young man back to his original grave site ... the rest of his remains are still at that site," he told the Southampton town board at a public hearing Tuesday, urging them to buy the waterfront land where the skull was found.
Get the whole story here: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/longisland/ny-lishin155686325may15,0,299658.story
Southampton Town is getting ready to buy 9.3 acres of waterfront land in Water Mill for $5 million, land that includes the site of an ancient summer village and burial ground for the Shinnecock Tribe.
Once the sale is completed, the tribe will hold a special ceremony to bury the skull of an Indian taken from a grave as part of an archaeological study about two years ago.
Rubin Valdez, a Shinnecock Indian, remembers how disquieting it was when he was called to Water Mill after the skull - believed to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old - was found on a parcel of land a few miles from the tribe's reservation. The area had been a traditional summer village during the time when the tribe followed the food supply and lived closer to the water each summer. The skull has since been kept at a secret location.
"We looked into the face of this young man pulled out of the ground after 3,000 years," he said. "Now we have the opportunity to restore this young man back to his original grave site ... the rest of his remains are still at that site," he told the Southampton town board at a public hearing Tuesday, urging them to buy the waterfront land where the skull was found.
Get the whole story here: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/longisland/ny-lishin155686325may15,0,299658.story
Teachers receive history lesson on local trails
By: Susannah Patton
Some of the roads in Northwest Arkansas were traveled by members of the Cherokee Indian tribe during the forced American Indian displacement from 1837 to 1839.
Parts of the same route would later become the longest stagecoach run operated by John Butterfield. A few years later, both the Confederate and Union armies would use the roads and trails to travel during the Civil War.
The history of the Trail of Tears, the Butterfield Stagecoach route and the routes of Civil War troops was relayed to several Northwest Arkansas teachers Thursday during "Heritage Trail: One Route, Three Histories of Arkansas."
The Professional Development Academy in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas partnered with the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks to educate teachers on the history of the Heritage Trail.
Judith Tavano, director of the academy, said teachers learn about the history of the area and take it back to their classrooms while also receiving professional development credit from the Arkansas Department of Education.
The workshop discussion centered around the Northwest Arkansas Heritage Trail, a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails that link the historical routes.
John McLarty, vice president of the Arkansas chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, presented information about the Trail of Tears. Based on some of the journals of people who were there, McLarty said, many detachment groups traveled right through Fayetteville.
The organization Heritage Trail Partners is still working to track their travels, he said, using the journals and looking back through land records.
There's more here: http://nwanews.com/nwat/News/65228/
Some of the roads in Northwest Arkansas were traveled by members of the Cherokee Indian tribe during the forced American Indian displacement from 1837 to 1839.
Parts of the same route would later become the longest stagecoach run operated by John Butterfield. A few years later, both the Confederate and Union armies would use the roads and trails to travel during the Civil War.
The history of the Trail of Tears, the Butterfield Stagecoach route and the routes of Civil War troops was relayed to several Northwest Arkansas teachers Thursday during "Heritage Trail: One Route, Three Histories of Arkansas."
The Professional Development Academy in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas partnered with the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks to educate teachers on the history of the Heritage Trail.
Judith Tavano, director of the academy, said teachers learn about the history of the area and take it back to their classrooms while also receiving professional development credit from the Arkansas Department of Education.
The workshop discussion centered around the Northwest Arkansas Heritage Trail, a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails that link the historical routes.
John McLarty, vice president of the Arkansas chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, presented information about the Trail of Tears. Based on some of the journals of people who were there, McLarty said, many detachment groups traveled right through Fayetteville.
The organization Heritage Trail Partners is still working to track their travels, he said, using the journals and looking back through land records.
There's more here: http://nwanews.com/nwat/News/65228/
Lawyer criticizes eagle ruling
By: Ben Neary
CHEYENNE -- A specialist in American Indian law says a federal court ruling in the case of a Wyoming man who shot a bald eagle for use in his tribe's Sun Dance follows a pattern of decisions that profess respect for American Indian religion while punishing individual tribal members.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week reinstated a misdemeanor criminal charge against Winslow Friday, 23, a Northern Arapaho. Friday shot a bald eagle on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming for use in his tribe's 2005 Sun Dance.
"What the opinion does, I think, is sort of give with one hand, while taking away with the other," said Sarah Krakoff, an associate professor of law at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Krakoff said the panel's ruling has some language that is respectful of Indian religions and recognizes the unique situation that tribes are in with regard to the nature of their practices.
However, she said the ruling, in common with other federal cases about Indian religious freedom, ends up "punishing the individual Indian practitioner even while not doing any greater damage to the cause of recognition of the significance of Indian religion.
"The appellate court ruling reversed a 2006 decision by U.S. District Judge William Downes of Wyoming to dismiss the charge against Friday. Downes said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wouldn't have given Friday a permit to kill the bird even if he had applied for one.
If convicted of the reinstated charge, Friday could face up to a year in jail and a fine.
Speaking after the court ruling last week, Friday said he was disappointed in the ruling."I didn't expect this kind of an outcome," he said. "I can't explain it."
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/05/16/news/wyoming/5756ad1af848de14872574490006fcbb.txt
CHEYENNE -- A specialist in American Indian law says a federal court ruling in the case of a Wyoming man who shot a bald eagle for use in his tribe's Sun Dance follows a pattern of decisions that profess respect for American Indian religion while punishing individual tribal members.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week reinstated a misdemeanor criminal charge against Winslow Friday, 23, a Northern Arapaho. Friday shot a bald eagle on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming for use in his tribe's 2005 Sun Dance.
"What the opinion does, I think, is sort of give with one hand, while taking away with the other," said Sarah Krakoff, an associate professor of law at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Krakoff said the panel's ruling has some language that is respectful of Indian religions and recognizes the unique situation that tribes are in with regard to the nature of their practices.
However, she said the ruling, in common with other federal cases about Indian religious freedom, ends up "punishing the individual Indian practitioner even while not doing any greater damage to the cause of recognition of the significance of Indian religion.
"The appellate court ruling reversed a 2006 decision by U.S. District Judge William Downes of Wyoming to dismiss the charge against Friday. Downes said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wouldn't have given Friday a permit to kill the bird even if he had applied for one.
If convicted of the reinstated charge, Friday could face up to a year in jail and a fine.
Speaking after the court ruling last week, Friday said he was disappointed in the ruling."I didn't expect this kind of an outcome," he said. "I can't explain it."
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/05/16/news/wyoming/5756ad1af848de14872574490006fcbb.txt
Cherokee film makes its way to France
By: D.E. Smoot
A Cherokee language film produced by K.A. Gilliland will make its European debut at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
“Stories of the Cherokees” promoters say the Cannes, France, showing marks the first time a Cherokee language film has premiered at the famed French festival.
The film, which was commissioned for the Cherokee Travel Plaza in Roland in collaboration with Cherokee Nation Enterprises, promotes Cherokee culture and language through the eyes of Cherokee storytellers and actors.
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith said, “Stories of the Cherokees” is “a well-told story and a story that should be told.”
“We need more videos like this to let the public know what Cherokees are like, both in the past as well as today,” Smith said. “Using Cherokee language in the stories is part of our overall initiative to use every technology and opportunity we can find to promote our language.”
Gilliland said the 15-minute high-definition film was inspired by the traditions of Cherokee oral history. The short film, the first of the three originally planned, documents the tribe’s pre-Columbian existence.
Keep reading here: http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/local/local_story_136215217.html
A Cherokee language film produced by K.A. Gilliland will make its European debut at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
“Stories of the Cherokees” promoters say the Cannes, France, showing marks the first time a Cherokee language film has premiered at the famed French festival.
The film, which was commissioned for the Cherokee Travel Plaza in Roland in collaboration with Cherokee Nation Enterprises, promotes Cherokee culture and language through the eyes of Cherokee storytellers and actors.
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith said, “Stories of the Cherokees” is “a well-told story and a story that should be told.”
“We need more videos like this to let the public know what Cherokees are like, both in the past as well as today,” Smith said. “Using Cherokee language in the stories is part of our overall initiative to use every technology and opportunity we can find to promote our language.”
Gilliland said the 15-minute high-definition film was inspired by the traditions of Cherokee oral history. The short film, the first of the three originally planned, documents the tribe’s pre-Columbian existence.
Keep reading here: http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/local/local_story_136215217.html
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Planned border wall blocks Tiguas from sacred grounds
By: Brandi Grissom/Austin Bureau
AUSTIN -- Proposed border fencing in El Paso could cut off the Tiguas' access to parts of the Rio Grande the tribe has used for centuries to conduct sacred ceremonies.
"It is an infringement on our First Amendment right of freedom of religion," Tigua War Captain Rick Quezada said this week.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working to build 670 miles of fencing along the border by the end of this year. That plan includes about 57 miles of barrier starting at Socorro and extending east of the Fabens port of entry.
Federal officials said they were meeting with the tribe and many other communities in Texas where opposition to the fence is widespread.
The Tiguas have been conducting sacred ceremonies in the Rio Grande for more than 300 years, Quezada said. It's where the tribe starts its calendar year, inducting elected tribal officers, and where they conduct naming ceremonies.
They use a section of the river that stretches from the Ascarate area to Fabens.
The Department of Homeland Security's fence plans would cut off the tribe's access to the river.
"That's one of the biggest concerns," Quezada said, "our continuous practice of our culture and our religion."
Keep reading here: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_9250035
AUSTIN -- Proposed border fencing in El Paso could cut off the Tiguas' access to parts of the Rio Grande the tribe has used for centuries to conduct sacred ceremonies.
"It is an infringement on our First Amendment right of freedom of religion," Tigua War Captain Rick Quezada said this week.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working to build 670 miles of fencing along the border by the end of this year. That plan includes about 57 miles of barrier starting at Socorro and extending east of the Fabens port of entry.
Federal officials said they were meeting with the tribe and many other communities in Texas where opposition to the fence is widespread.
The Tiguas have been conducting sacred ceremonies in the Rio Grande for more than 300 years, Quezada said. It's where the tribe starts its calendar year, inducting elected tribal officers, and where they conduct naming ceremonies.
They use a section of the river that stretches from the Ascarate area to Fabens.
The Department of Homeland Security's fence plans would cut off the tribe's access to the river.
"That's one of the biggest concerns," Quezada said, "our continuous practice of our culture and our religion."
Keep reading here: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_9250035
Campaigns continue to court Native vote
By: Jodi Rave
The Native vote continues to play a prominent role in both the Obama and Clinton campaigns, with Montana and South Dakota among the country’s last presidential primaries.
On Tuesday, both campaigns announced alliances and support among tribes and tribal leaders.
President Bill Clinton - who met with Montana tribal leaders over the weekend in Billings - is scheduled to go to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation on Wednesday after speaking in Missoula.
Meanwhile, the Obama campaign picked up full tribal council endorsements from the Crow Nation and Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes.
“Senator Obama’s leadership qualities and commitment to issues of importance to Indian Country distinguish him from his opponents,” Fort Peck Chairman A.T. Stafne said.
“Our 12 voting members in the tribal council passed this endorsement resolution unanimously. I was personally impressed with his commitment to a true government-to-government relationship and his promise to appoint a Native American policy adviser in his White House,” Stafne said.
Said Crow Nation Chairman Carl Venne: “Senator Obama understands the challenges facing Native Americans in Montana. His record as a U.S. senator shows that he cares about Indian communities. He respects Indian sovereignty and is a strong advocate for Indian health care and education.”
With Montana’s June 3 primaries on the horizon, President Geri Small of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe announced last Thursday her endorsement of Clinton.
There's more to the story here: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/14/jodirave/rave68.txt
The Native vote continues to play a prominent role in both the Obama and Clinton campaigns, with Montana and South Dakota among the country’s last presidential primaries.
On Tuesday, both campaigns announced alliances and support among tribes and tribal leaders.
President Bill Clinton - who met with Montana tribal leaders over the weekend in Billings - is scheduled to go to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation on Wednesday after speaking in Missoula.
Meanwhile, the Obama campaign picked up full tribal council endorsements from the Crow Nation and Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes.
“Senator Obama’s leadership qualities and commitment to issues of importance to Indian Country distinguish him from his opponents,” Fort Peck Chairman A.T. Stafne said.
“Our 12 voting members in the tribal council passed this endorsement resolution unanimously. I was personally impressed with his commitment to a true government-to-government relationship and his promise to appoint a Native American policy adviser in his White House,” Stafne said.
Said Crow Nation Chairman Carl Venne: “Senator Obama understands the challenges facing Native Americans in Montana. His record as a U.S. senator shows that he cares about Indian communities. He respects Indian sovereignty and is a strong advocate for Indian health care and education.”
With Montana’s June 3 primaries on the horizon, President Geri Small of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe announced last Thursday her endorsement of Clinton.
There's more to the story here: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/14/jodirave/rave68.txt
Tribe leaders seek more autonomy
By: Noelle Straub
WASHINGTON - American Indian tribes want to move toward more self-governance, but red tape and foot-dragging by federal agencies continuously throws a wrench in their attempts, tribal leaders testified Tuesday.
“It gets frustrating to me,” said James Steele Jr., chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.
“I think the essence of self-governance is for us that are at this table and other tribes to not have to come to D.C. and to ask for this or ask for that. Keep the federal responsibility, it needs to be maintained,” he testified. “That’s a treaty right, that’s a treaty responsibility. But give us the tools to be self-governing.”
Twenty years ago, Congress first allowed trial projects in tribal self-governance. That effort has now expanded into a permanent program allowing tribes to contract with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service to carry out many services themselves, including law enforcement, education, welfare assistance, real estate services and natural resource programs.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/14/news/state/32-autonomy.txt
WASHINGTON - American Indian tribes want to move toward more self-governance, but red tape and foot-dragging by federal agencies continuously throws a wrench in their attempts, tribal leaders testified Tuesday.
“It gets frustrating to me,” said James Steele Jr., chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.
“I think the essence of self-governance is for us that are at this table and other tribes to not have to come to D.C. and to ask for this or ask for that. Keep the federal responsibility, it needs to be maintained,” he testified. “That’s a treaty right, that’s a treaty responsibility. But give us the tools to be self-governing.”
Twenty years ago, Congress first allowed trial projects in tribal self-governance. That effort has now expanded into a permanent program allowing tribes to contract with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service to carry out many services themselves, including law enforcement, education, welfare assistance, real estate services and natural resource programs.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/14/news/state/32-autonomy.txt
Return to a hunting ground
By: Jeff Gearino
Bison have always been the source and center of spiritual life for the Plains Indian tribes.Sacred buffalo hunts were conducted for centuries around Jackson Hole and on the National Elk Refuge in northwest Wyoming by numerous tribes, including southeast Idaho's Shoshone-Bannock tribe.
For the first time since the refuge was created in 1912, Shoshone-Bannock members will return to the Jackson area for a limited ceremonial bison hunt.
The tribe recently entered into an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will allow the killing of up to five bison on the National Elk Refuge as part of the tribe's traditional ceremonial activity.
Officials said the Shoshone-Bannock tribe -- located on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation about eight miles north of Pocatello -- is historically associated with the Jackson Hole area.
"The tribes are very interested in conducting this ceremony on the refuge, where they have historic ties," said refuge Manager Steve Kallin. "It's certainly a new activity and a new event on the refuge, and it should be interesting to see how it works out," Kallin said in a phone interview.
He said the private hunt will be closely coordinated with refuge staff and will be conducted sometime between May and December. The ceremonial hunt will be specific to bison and will not extend to other wildlife species.
Read more here: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/wyoming/f6c590808775e10487257446002118d6.txt
Bison have always been the source and center of spiritual life for the Plains Indian tribes.Sacred buffalo hunts were conducted for centuries around Jackson Hole and on the National Elk Refuge in northwest Wyoming by numerous tribes, including southeast Idaho's Shoshone-Bannock tribe.
For the first time since the refuge was created in 1912, Shoshone-Bannock members will return to the Jackson area for a limited ceremonial bison hunt.
The tribe recently entered into an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will allow the killing of up to five bison on the National Elk Refuge as part of the tribe's traditional ceremonial activity.
Officials said the Shoshone-Bannock tribe -- located on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation about eight miles north of Pocatello -- is historically associated with the Jackson Hole area.
"The tribes are very interested in conducting this ceremony on the refuge, where they have historic ties," said refuge Manager Steve Kallin. "It's certainly a new activity and a new event on the refuge, and it should be interesting to see how it works out," Kallin said in a phone interview.
He said the private hunt will be closely coordinated with refuge staff and will be conducted sometime between May and December. The ceremonial hunt will be specific to bison and will not extend to other wildlife species.
Read more here: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/wyoming/f6c590808775e10487257446002118d6.txt
Monday, May 12, 2008
Do you know...
Ned Christie, a Cherokee, was born December 14, 1852 at Wauhillau, in the Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation and died November 3, 1892 in the Goingsnake District. He was the son of the Removal Era, Trail of Tears, survivors, Watt and Lydia (Thrower) Christie.
To most Americans, or at least to those who have heard of Ned Christie, he was a vicious killer and outlaw who killed a deputy and evaded capture for over four years until his death. To the Cherokee, however, Ned Christie is a martyr, a symbol of white encroachment and racism. What follows is the true story of Ned Christie, the way the Indians see it.
Contrary to the description given in most history books, Ned Christie was not a man of questionable character. In fact he was a politician. I know what you're thinking, but he was a good politician. In 1885, Ned was elected a Cherokee Senator, representing the Going Snake District in the National Council of the Cherokee Nation. As a member of the Cherokee National Council, Ned was interested in protecting the interests of the Cherokee people. He supported tribal sovereignty and was opposed to allowing the railroads to enter the Cherokee Nation. In addition to his political dealing, Ned was also a successful blacksmith and gunsmith.
In May 1887, while Ned was in Tahlequah to attend a special council meeting regarding the fire that destroyed the Cherokee Female Seminary, U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Maples was killed. Ned was accused of the crime and was soon wanted for the murder. Though he wanted to approach authorities immediately and proclaim his innocence, Ned was persuaded otherwise by friends. Ned retreated to his home in Wauhalla to try and collect evidence which would prove his innocence.
"Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker, a Federal Judge in nearby Fort Smith, Arkansas claimed jurisdiction over the case because it had been one of his white Marshals who was killed. Knowing that he would most likely not receive a fair trial, Ned stayed at his home and thus began a five-year-long battle between the US Marshals and Ned Christie and his family and neighbors. Though he never left his home, Ned was able to evade capture for many years. The marshals efforts to capture or kill him were thwarted on several occasions. During one siege, in which they burned his house to the ground, the Marshals managed to shoot him in the head but the wound was not fatal and only blinded him in one eye. His fame grew over the years and Ned became known as the most notorious and sought after outlaw in the region. He was accused of every unsolved crime in the Cherokee Nation and surrounding areas.
After the fire, Ned and his neighbors built a new cabin. The new home was fortified, built two logs thick with sand between the logs. The Marshals continued their attempts to capture Ned. They endangered the lives of his family and friends serving only to embitter Ned. He believed more strongly than ever in sovereignty and even vowed to stop speaking English, only speaking Cherokee - his first language.
In December 1892, a posse attacked Ned's home. They unsuccessfully attempted to destroy his home with a cannon before resorting to dynamite. The deputies fashioned a shield to cover them from gunfire so that they could approach the house. When they were within ranged they lobbed dynamite into the house. Ned fled his home and was confronted with a volley of gunfire. Ned was shot and killed.
However, Ned's story did not end with his death. As was the practice in the day, the outlaw's body was paraded on display. The deputies tied Christie's body to a plank door and took him to Fayetteville, Arkansas where he was propped up on a porch and people were allowed to pose for pictures with the body. Next, the deputies traveled to Fort Smith, Arkansas with Ned's body in order to collect their reward. In Fort Smith Ned's body was put on display with a rifle placed in his arms. Finally the body was sent to Fort Gibson -- Indian Territory where his father and brother were able to claim his remains and lay him to rest.
In the early 1900's a witness stepped forward and cleared Ned of the killing of Deputy Dan Maples. Regardless of the facts surrounding the killing of Dan Maples and the fact that Christie was never tried nor convicted of the crime and despite the truth about Ned's life as a respected member of the Cherokee community, Ned Christie is still referred to as a murderer, criminal, gang leader, whiskey runner, horse thief, and train robber in history books and western lore. However, to the Cherokee Ned Christie will always be remembered as a martyr. At the time of Ned's death the Cherokee people lost what little sovereignty still remained with the Dawes Rolls, which absorbed the Cherokee Nation into Oklahoma. Ned Christie stood up for his rights as a Cherokee and lost his life, but at least he stood up. While the history books paint his as a monster we will always know and honor the real Ned Christie.
To most Americans, or at least to those who have heard of Ned Christie, he was a vicious killer and outlaw who killed a deputy and evaded capture for over four years until his death. To the Cherokee, however, Ned Christie is a martyr, a symbol of white encroachment and racism. What follows is the true story of Ned Christie, the way the Indians see it.
Contrary to the description given in most history books, Ned Christie was not a man of questionable character. In fact he was a politician. I know what you're thinking, but he was a good politician. In 1885, Ned was elected a Cherokee Senator, representing the Going Snake District in the National Council of the Cherokee Nation. As a member of the Cherokee National Council, Ned was interested in protecting the interests of the Cherokee people. He supported tribal sovereignty and was opposed to allowing the railroads to enter the Cherokee Nation. In addition to his political dealing, Ned was also a successful blacksmith and gunsmith.
In May 1887, while Ned was in Tahlequah to attend a special council meeting regarding the fire that destroyed the Cherokee Female Seminary, U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Maples was killed. Ned was accused of the crime and was soon wanted for the murder. Though he wanted to approach authorities immediately and proclaim his innocence, Ned was persuaded otherwise by friends. Ned retreated to his home in Wauhalla to try and collect evidence which would prove his innocence.
"Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker, a Federal Judge in nearby Fort Smith, Arkansas claimed jurisdiction over the case because it had been one of his white Marshals who was killed. Knowing that he would most likely not receive a fair trial, Ned stayed at his home and thus began a five-year-long battle between the US Marshals and Ned Christie and his family and neighbors. Though he never left his home, Ned was able to evade capture for many years. The marshals efforts to capture or kill him were thwarted on several occasions. During one siege, in which they burned his house to the ground, the Marshals managed to shoot him in the head but the wound was not fatal and only blinded him in one eye. His fame grew over the years and Ned became known as the most notorious and sought after outlaw in the region. He was accused of every unsolved crime in the Cherokee Nation and surrounding areas.
After the fire, Ned and his neighbors built a new cabin. The new home was fortified, built two logs thick with sand between the logs. The Marshals continued their attempts to capture Ned. They endangered the lives of his family and friends serving only to embitter Ned. He believed more strongly than ever in sovereignty and even vowed to stop speaking English, only speaking Cherokee - his first language.
In December 1892, a posse attacked Ned's home. They unsuccessfully attempted to destroy his home with a cannon before resorting to dynamite. The deputies fashioned a shield to cover them from gunfire so that they could approach the house. When they were within ranged they lobbed dynamite into the house. Ned fled his home and was confronted with a volley of gunfire. Ned was shot and killed.
However, Ned's story did not end with his death. As was the practice in the day, the outlaw's body was paraded on display. The deputies tied Christie's body to a plank door and took him to Fayetteville, Arkansas where he was propped up on a porch and people were allowed to pose for pictures with the body. Next, the deputies traveled to Fort Smith, Arkansas with Ned's body in order to collect their reward. In Fort Smith Ned's body was put on display with a rifle placed in his arms. Finally the body was sent to Fort Gibson -- Indian Territory where his father and brother were able to claim his remains and lay him to rest.
In the early 1900's a witness stepped forward and cleared Ned of the killing of Deputy Dan Maples. Regardless of the facts surrounding the killing of Dan Maples and the fact that Christie was never tried nor convicted of the crime and despite the truth about Ned's life as a respected member of the Cherokee community, Ned Christie is still referred to as a murderer, criminal, gang leader, whiskey runner, horse thief, and train robber in history books and western lore. However, to the Cherokee Ned Christie will always be remembered as a martyr. At the time of Ned's death the Cherokee people lost what little sovereignty still remained with the Dawes Rolls, which absorbed the Cherokee Nation into Oklahoma. Ned Christie stood up for his rights as a Cherokee and lost his life, but at least he stood up. While the history books paint his as a monster we will always know and honor the real Ned Christie.
Indian Land Tenure Foundation and The Tribal Education Departments National Assembly Join Forces
Press release -
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) has awarded the Tribal Education Departments
National Assembly (TEDNA) with grant monies to develop Indian education professional
development materials, and promote and market the ILTF Indian Land Tenure Curriculum.
In recognition that education of tribal youth is one of the most important areas of sovereignty,
TEDNA and ILTF will spend the next year working collaboratively to create professional
development materials that support the ILTF Curriculum and incorporate the Curriculum into
schools across the nation.
The ILTF Curriculum was designed with Native American tribal issues and values in mind, but
the context illustrates the important relationship between land and people in general, not just
Native Americans. The main goal is for students to become intellectually reconnected to the
land and aware of its importance to their past, present and future.
“We hope to introduce the Curriculum into schools to reestablish the relationship between land
and people while focusing on Native American views of the human relationship to land. We
believe that these efforts will strengthen tribal youths’ understanding of who they are as Native
American people. We also believe that this can help improve school performance by increasing
student self-esteem and school engagement,” said TEDNA President Quinton Roman Nose.
ILTF Program Officer, Terry Janis explains, “TEDNA is an ideal partner as it has a nationwide
network of tribal education departments, private businesses and government employees working in education. Our message, one of traditional Native American land values, will reach all tiers of education.”
There's more here: http://www.tedna.org/news/iltf_tedna_pr.pdf
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) has awarded the Tribal Education Departments
National Assembly (TEDNA) with grant monies to develop Indian education professional
development materials, and promote and market the ILTF Indian Land Tenure Curriculum.
In recognition that education of tribal youth is one of the most important areas of sovereignty,
TEDNA and ILTF will spend the next year working collaboratively to create professional
development materials that support the ILTF Curriculum and incorporate the Curriculum into
schools across the nation.
The ILTF Curriculum was designed with Native American tribal issues and values in mind, but
the context illustrates the important relationship between land and people in general, not just
Native Americans. The main goal is for students to become intellectually reconnected to the
land and aware of its importance to their past, present and future.
“We hope to introduce the Curriculum into schools to reestablish the relationship between land
and people while focusing on Native American views of the human relationship to land. We
believe that these efforts will strengthen tribal youths’ understanding of who they are as Native
American people. We also believe that this can help improve school performance by increasing
student self-esteem and school engagement,” said TEDNA President Quinton Roman Nose.
ILTF Program Officer, Terry Janis explains, “TEDNA is an ideal partner as it has a nationwide
network of tribal education departments, private businesses and government employees working in education. Our message, one of traditional Native American land values, will reach all tiers of education.”
There's more here: http://www.tedna.org/news/iltf_tedna_pr.pdf
Camp Chaparral - Yakama Nation - Healing With Honor
In 1990, Joe Jay Pinkham, Secretary for the Yakama Nation, suggested the formation of an all-Indian Healing Camp for Indian Veterans. Subsequent development of an all-cohort Indian Group at American Lake VAMC didn't work because of infighting among the various participating tribes.
In May of 1991, in Toppenish, Washington, an Advisory Council was formed to address American Indian Health and healing within the VA. The Yakama Nation authorized the use of Camp Chaparral, on its sacred land, in 1991; funding became available in November of 1991 and the first Camp was held in 1992.
The Camp, which assumed the name of the sacred ground on which it was held, Camp Chaparral, was formed to teach or sensitize VA and other practitioners who work with Indian Veterans on the American Indian Traditional Methodology of Healing. The rest is history.
For the first four years, there was a progressive “journey” through the VA system, “from the eyes” of an American Indian veteran. An additional objective was to develop a significant percentage of VA staff with intimate personal awareness and sensitivity for American Indian culture. They were also provided a sense of American Indian culture and invited to apply a holistic approach to the care of Indian veterans.
Today, the camp concentrates on providing a unique and positive experience to the VA staff. It includes hands-on interaction with Native American warriors, spiritual leaders, traditional healers, and tribal Elders and families from the Yakama, Umatilla, Nez Perce, Sioux, Makah, Lummi, Warm Springs, Karuk, and Colville tribes.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.waterplanet.ws/cc/Site/Home.html
In May of 1991, in Toppenish, Washington, an Advisory Council was formed to address American Indian Health and healing within the VA. The Yakama Nation authorized the use of Camp Chaparral, on its sacred land, in 1991; funding became available in November of 1991 and the first Camp was held in 1992.
The Camp, which assumed the name of the sacred ground on which it was held, Camp Chaparral, was formed to teach or sensitize VA and other practitioners who work with Indian Veterans on the American Indian Traditional Methodology of Healing. The rest is history.
For the first four years, there was a progressive “journey” through the VA system, “from the eyes” of an American Indian veteran. An additional objective was to develop a significant percentage of VA staff with intimate personal awareness and sensitivity for American Indian culture. They were also provided a sense of American Indian culture and invited to apply a holistic approach to the care of Indian veterans.
Today, the camp concentrates on providing a unique and positive experience to the VA staff. It includes hands-on interaction with Native American warriors, spiritual leaders, traditional healers, and tribal Elders and families from the Yakama, Umatilla, Nez Perce, Sioux, Makah, Lummi, Warm Springs, Karuk, and Colville tribes.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.waterplanet.ws/cc/Site/Home.html
Celebration, somber protest at Capitol
By: Kara McGuire
After years of preparation, Minnesota kicked off its 150th birthday celebration week Sunday, the actual anniversary of Minnesota's statehood. There was no cake and it was too windy to light 150 candles anyway, but the citizens who came out to remember Minnesota's past and ponder its future were treated to a wagon train, remarks by several politicians and, on a more solemn note, a protest.
About 75 American Indians and supporters gathered on sacred ground at Indian Mounds Park on Sunday morning for a march to the Capitol, holding banners with phrases such as "take down the Fort"-- a reference to Fort Snelling, which they said played a key role in abuses of Minnesota's native tribes. Others wore black masks and carried scaffolding with 38 nooses in remembrance of the 38 Dakota men executed in Mankato by order of President Abraham Lincoln, on Dec. 26, 1862.
"We tried to encourage [sesquicentennial organizers] to use this year for truth-telling," said Gustavus Adolphus scholar Waziyatawin Angela Wilson. According to Wilson, Minnesota leaders "refused and wanted to continue with their birthday celebration and not let truth-telling get in the way."
On Saturday, the Dakota protesters briefly stalled the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train as it approached its camping area at Fort Snelling. Police removed several protesters from the path of the train, which left Cannon Falls seven days ago on a circuitous 101-mile trip to the Capitol. It arrived Sunday afternoon and this time police kept the two groups separated.
Keep reading here: http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/18848444.html
After years of preparation, Minnesota kicked off its 150th birthday celebration week Sunday, the actual anniversary of Minnesota's statehood. There was no cake and it was too windy to light 150 candles anyway, but the citizens who came out to remember Minnesota's past and ponder its future were treated to a wagon train, remarks by several politicians and, on a more solemn note, a protest.
About 75 American Indians and supporters gathered on sacred ground at Indian Mounds Park on Sunday morning for a march to the Capitol, holding banners with phrases such as "take down the Fort"-- a reference to Fort Snelling, which they said played a key role in abuses of Minnesota's native tribes. Others wore black masks and carried scaffolding with 38 nooses in remembrance of the 38 Dakota men executed in Mankato by order of President Abraham Lincoln, on Dec. 26, 1862.
"We tried to encourage [sesquicentennial organizers] to use this year for truth-telling," said Gustavus Adolphus scholar Waziyatawin Angela Wilson. According to Wilson, Minnesota leaders "refused and wanted to continue with their birthday celebration and not let truth-telling get in the way."
On Saturday, the Dakota protesters briefly stalled the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train as it approached its camping area at Fort Snelling. Police removed several protesters from the path of the train, which left Cannon Falls seven days ago on a circuitous 101-mile trip to the Capitol. It arrived Sunday afternoon and this time police kept the two groups separated.
Keep reading here: http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/18848444.html
Friday, May 9, 2008
Quotes
"There is a circle of people, so many hundreds of people there, watching and being a part of it. Young and old alike are out there dancing towards the center, where the dancers are...when you are there in that circle you can't help but feel the energy go around and around and around...you can just feel it." -
Delmar Boni - Apache
Delmar Boni - Apache
Featured tribe - Delaware
A confederacy, formerly the most important of the Algonquian stock, occupying the entire basin of Delaware river in east Pennsylvania and south New York, together with most of New Jersey and Delaware. They called themselves Lenape or Leni-lenape, equivalent to 'real men,' or 'native, genuine men'; the English knew them as Delaware, from the name of their principal river; the French called them Loups, 'wolves,' a term probably applied originally to the Mahican on Hudson rivers, afterward extended to the Munsee division and to the whole group. To the more remote Algonquian tribes they, together with all their cognate tribes along the coast far up into New England, were known as Wapanaehki, 'easterners,' or 'eastern land people,' a term which appears also as a specific tribal designation in the form of Abnaki.
By virtue of admitted priority of political rank and of occupying the central home territory, from which most of the cognate tribes had diverged, they were accorded by all the Algonquian tribes the respectful title of "grandfather," a recognition accorded by courtesy also by the Huron. The Nanticoke, Conoy, Shawnee, and Mahican claimed close connection with the Delaware and preserved the tradition of a common origin.
The Lenape, or Delaware proper, were composed of 3 principal tribes, treated by Morgan as phratries, viz: Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, besides which some of the New Jersey bands may have constituted a fourth. Each of these had its own territory and dialect, with more or less separate identity, the Munsee particularly being so far differentiated as frequently to be considered an independent people.
The early traditional history of the Lenape is contained in their national legend, the Walam Olum. When they made their first treaty with Penn, in 1682, the Delaware had their council fire at Shackamaxon, about the present Germantown, suburb of Philadelphia, and under various local names occupied the whole country along the river. To this early period belongs their great chief, Tamenend, from whom the Tammany Society takes its name. The different bands frequently acted separately but regarded themselves as part of one great body.
About the year 1720 the Iroquois assumed dominion over them, forbidding them to make war or sales of lands, a condition which lasted until about the opening of the French and Indian war. As the whites, under the sanction of the Iroquois, crowded them out of their ancient homes, the Delaware removed, to the Susquehanna, settling at Wyoming and other points about 1742. They soon crossed the mountains to the headwaters of the Allegheny, the first of them having settled upon that stream in 1724. In 1751, by invitation of the Huron, they began to form settlements in east Ohio, and in a few years the greater part of the Delaware were fixed upon the Muskingum and other streams in east Ohio, together with the Munsee and Mahican, who had accompanied them from the east, being driven out by the same pressure and afterward consolidating with them.
The Delaware, being now within reach of the French and backed by the western tribes, asserted their independence of the Iroquois, and in the subsequent wars up to the treaty of Greenville in 1795 showed themselves the most determined opponents of the advancing whites. The work of the devoted Moravian missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries forms an important part of the history of these tribes.
About the year 1770 the Delaware received permission from the Miami and Piankishaw to occupy the country between the Ohio and White river south, in Indiana, where at one time they had 6 villages. In 1789, by permission of the Spanish government, a part of them removed to Missouri, and afterward to Arkansas, together with a band of Shawnee. By 1820 the two bands had found their way to Texas, where the Delaware numbered at that time probably at least 700. By the year 1835 most of the tribe had been gathered on a reservation in Kansas, from which they removed, in 1867, to Indian Territory and incorporated with the Cherokee Nation.
By virtue of admitted priority of political rank and of occupying the central home territory, from which most of the cognate tribes had diverged, they were accorded by all the Algonquian tribes the respectful title of "grandfather," a recognition accorded by courtesy also by the Huron. The Nanticoke, Conoy, Shawnee, and Mahican claimed close connection with the Delaware and preserved the tradition of a common origin.
The Lenape, or Delaware proper, were composed of 3 principal tribes, treated by Morgan as phratries, viz: Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, besides which some of the New Jersey bands may have constituted a fourth. Each of these had its own territory and dialect, with more or less separate identity, the Munsee particularly being so far differentiated as frequently to be considered an independent people.
The early traditional history of the Lenape is contained in their national legend, the Walam Olum. When they made their first treaty with Penn, in 1682, the Delaware had their council fire at Shackamaxon, about the present Germantown, suburb of Philadelphia, and under various local names occupied the whole country along the river. To this early period belongs their great chief, Tamenend, from whom the Tammany Society takes its name. The different bands frequently acted separately but regarded themselves as part of one great body.
About the year 1720 the Iroquois assumed dominion over them, forbidding them to make war or sales of lands, a condition which lasted until about the opening of the French and Indian war. As the whites, under the sanction of the Iroquois, crowded them out of their ancient homes, the Delaware removed, to the Susquehanna, settling at Wyoming and other points about 1742. They soon crossed the mountains to the headwaters of the Allegheny, the first of them having settled upon that stream in 1724. In 1751, by invitation of the Huron, they began to form settlements in east Ohio, and in a few years the greater part of the Delaware were fixed upon the Muskingum and other streams in east Ohio, together with the Munsee and Mahican, who had accompanied them from the east, being driven out by the same pressure and afterward consolidating with them.
The Delaware, being now within reach of the French and backed by the western tribes, asserted their independence of the Iroquois, and in the subsequent wars up to the treaty of Greenville in 1795 showed themselves the most determined opponents of the advancing whites. The work of the devoted Moravian missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries forms an important part of the history of these tribes.
About the year 1770 the Delaware received permission from the Miami and Piankishaw to occupy the country between the Ohio and White river south, in Indiana, where at one time they had 6 villages. In 1789, by permission of the Spanish government, a part of them removed to Missouri, and afterward to Arkansas, together with a band of Shawnee. By 1820 the two bands had found their way to Texas, where the Delaware numbered at that time probably at least 700. By the year 1835 most of the tribe had been gathered on a reservation in Kansas, from which they removed, in 1867, to Indian Territory and incorporated with the Cherokee Nation.
Award honors Keeble as a true hero
As posted on Grand Forks Herald.com
BISMARCK — It was heartwarming to learn that the late Woodrow Keeble has been selected for North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award.
Many North Dakotans and Americans have only recently learned of Master Sgt. Keeble’s heroism in the Korean War. His record and his life demonstrate the highest degree of loyalty and courage that a nation can witness from a citizen.
This humble Dakotah warrior from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation did not and would never have sought to be recognized for saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. That his recently bestowed Medal of Honor was long overdue is a measure of past injustice. That it was awarded is a sign of welcome change in the national consciousness.
In tribal life, Keeble is one of the most respected warriors of the 20th century, a person who brought honor to his family and tribe. It remains the work of good people now to commend this man, tell his story and affirm his legacy as a hero for all people of the nation.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and the many people who have worked for and supported the nomination of Keeble for the Rough Rider Award are to be commended for their fine work.
BISMARCK — It was heartwarming to learn that the late Woodrow Keeble has been selected for North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award.
Many North Dakotans and Americans have only recently learned of Master Sgt. Keeble’s heroism in the Korean War. His record and his life demonstrate the highest degree of loyalty and courage that a nation can witness from a citizen.
This humble Dakotah warrior from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation did not and would never have sought to be recognized for saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. That his recently bestowed Medal of Honor was long overdue is a measure of past injustice. That it was awarded is a sign of welcome change in the national consciousness.
In tribal life, Keeble is one of the most respected warriors of the 20th century, a person who brought honor to his family and tribe. It remains the work of good people now to commend this man, tell his story and affirm his legacy as a hero for all people of the nation.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and the many people who have worked for and supported the nomination of Keeble for the Rough Rider Award are to be commended for their fine work.
Duwamish tribe sues to reverse 'extinct' status
By: Paul Shukovsky
The Duwamish -- the tribe of Chief Seattle -- is suing the federal government to reverse its determination that they are extinct as a people.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, asks the court to declare that the Duwamish are a federally recognized tribe.
Such a designation is critical: It brings money for housing, health care, education and cultural programs. It also allows tribes to put land into protected status for a reservation and to open casinos.
Without recognition, the chances are greatly increased that the Duwamish could eventually disappear, its members assimilating into the general population. Today, the tribe has 500 to 600 members.
Among the suit's numerous allegations against the government is that the Interior Department ignored evidence in favor of the Duwamish because of "its politically driven desire" to declare that the tribe no longer exists.
The Duwamish received federal acknowledgement in the waning hours of the Clinton administration, only to have the decision quickly reversed in 2001 by the incoming Bush administration, which cited procedural errors by its predecessor.
Keep reading here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362170_duwamish08.html
The Duwamish -- the tribe of Chief Seattle -- is suing the federal government to reverse its determination that they are extinct as a people.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, asks the court to declare that the Duwamish are a federally recognized tribe.
Such a designation is critical: It brings money for housing, health care, education and cultural programs. It also allows tribes to put land into protected status for a reservation and to open casinos.
Without recognition, the chances are greatly increased that the Duwamish could eventually disappear, its members assimilating into the general population. Today, the tribe has 500 to 600 members.
Among the suit's numerous allegations against the government is that the Interior Department ignored evidence in favor of the Duwamish because of "its politically driven desire" to declare that the tribe no longer exists.
The Duwamish received federal acknowledgement in the waning hours of the Clinton administration, only to have the decision quickly reversed in 2001 by the incoming Bush administration, which cited procedural errors by its predecessor.
Keep reading here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362170_duwamish08.html
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Today in history...
May 7, 2008
During this month in 2007, Virginia tribal leaders met Queen Elizabeth during the commemoration of Jamestown's 400th Anniversary. The queen mentioned Native Americans during her address at the State Capitol, but she didn't apologize for the impacts the English settlement had on Native people.
During this month in 2007, Virginia tribal leaders met Queen Elizabeth during the commemoration of Jamestown's 400th Anniversary. The queen mentioned Native Americans during her address at the State Capitol, but she didn't apologize for the impacts the English settlement had on Native people.
Powwow heading to Fowlerville Fairgrounds this month
By: Alison Bergsieker
It takes one full year to make a "jingle dress," worn by American Indian women during a traditional dance.
Each of the 365 bells attached once a day to the dress represents a prayer, which is celebrated during a dancing event.
Dancers dressed in colorful regalia, along with other local residents honoring their American Indian heritage, invite the public to an Ojibwe powwow fromMay 16-18 at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds.
"It's the first one in Livingston County ever," said Brighton resident Wayne Hardwick, a member of the Native American Veteran's Association of Southeast Michigan. "We're trying to keep our traditional teachings going."
The event will kick off with a concert, featuring Joe Riley, an American Indian entertainer, and The Tree Company, a veterans' group performing jazz and soft rock.
Dancing begins the next afternoon and will run until dusk. While 50 to 100 dancers are expected to participate, the public is encouraged to join in.
Tepees and a long house will be set up for guests to tour throughout the weekend. A storyteller will tell tales from the folklore of American Indians, Hardwick said. Diabetes testing also will be available on-site.
The world's largest pair of moccasins will be on display during the event, and Hardwick said there will be no shortage of food.
There's more here: http://www.dailypressandargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/NEWS01/805060304/1002
It takes one full year to make a "jingle dress," worn by American Indian women during a traditional dance.
Each of the 365 bells attached once a day to the dress represents a prayer, which is celebrated during a dancing event.
Dancers dressed in colorful regalia, along with other local residents honoring their American Indian heritage, invite the public to an Ojibwe powwow fromMay 16-18 at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds.
"It's the first one in Livingston County ever," said Brighton resident Wayne Hardwick, a member of the Native American Veteran's Association of Southeast Michigan. "We're trying to keep our traditional teachings going."
The event will kick off with a concert, featuring Joe Riley, an American Indian entertainer, and The Tree Company, a veterans' group performing jazz and soft rock.
Dancing begins the next afternoon and will run until dusk. While 50 to 100 dancers are expected to participate, the public is encouraged to join in.
Tepees and a long house will be set up for guests to tour throughout the weekend. A storyteller will tell tales from the folklore of American Indians, Hardwick said. Diabetes testing also will be available on-site.
The world's largest pair of moccasins will be on display during the event, and Hardwick said there will be no shortage of food.
There's more here: http://www.dailypressandargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/NEWS01/805060304/1002
Three Tribes authorized to administer water quality standards program
Posted Water World Online article -
WASHINGTON, DC, May 5, 2008 -- During the month of April, EPA approved the applications of three Indian Tribes for treatment in the same manner as a state (TAS), making them eligible to administer the water quality standards program on reservation lands. With these three approvals, there are now 43 such Tribes authorized nationally.
The three newly authorized Tribes are the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (in Wisconsin), the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (in Washington), and the Hopi Tribe (in Arizona). The approvals also allow the Tribes to certify under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act whether federal permits or licenses for activities on the reservation comply with the Tribe's water quality standards.
The three Tribes are now developing proposed water quality standards, which they will finalize and submit separately for EPA approval. EPA provides guidance and assistance to any federally-recognized Tribes that are interested in applying for TAS eligibility.
WASHINGTON, DC, May 5, 2008 -- During the month of April, EPA approved the applications of three Indian Tribes for treatment in the same manner as a state (TAS), making them eligible to administer the water quality standards program on reservation lands. With these three approvals, there are now 43 such Tribes authorized nationally.
The three newly authorized Tribes are the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (in Wisconsin), the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (in Washington), and the Hopi Tribe (in Arizona). The approvals also allow the Tribes to certify under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act whether federal permits or licenses for activities on the reservation comply with the Tribe's water quality standards.
The three Tribes are now developing proposed water quality standards, which they will finalize and submit separately for EPA approval. EPA provides guidance and assistance to any federally-recognized Tribes that are interested in applying for TAS eligibility.
'Black Hills not for sale,' Rosebud president says
By: Andrea J. Cook
Attorneys are the only ones who have anything to gain if members of the Sioux Nation accept a cash settlement for the Black Hills, Rodney M. Bordeaux, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe said Monday.
“These law firms are always looking for a quick buck and could care less for what we feel as a people,” Bordeaux said. “All they want is money.”Yankton attorney Doug Kettering met with about 80 Native Americans on Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa, offering to help them tap into millions setting in a trust fund. The trust was created after a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision supporting Sioux claims that the government had stolen the Black Hills and land east of the Hills.
“The Black Hills are not for sale,” Bordeaux said, adding a Lakota missive, “He Sapa Kin waken yelo, oheniya kik suyapo.” Translation: “Always remember the Black Hills are sacred.”
That’s the message Bordeaux grew up with and is passing on to his children.
“We must all unite and keep that message going into the future,” he said.
In these tough economic times, the money may seem tempting to some tribal members, but it is poor compensation for the nation that their Sioux forefathers fought and died to protect, Bordeaux said.
“They were fighting for our overall survival as a people and a nation,” he said. “We need to keep that alive, because that’s who we are.”
Kettering has never contacted the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Bordeaux said. The tribal council would never support accepting the money, he said.
Keep reading about this important issue here: http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/05/05/news/top/doc481fab4a04855392853625.txt
Attorneys are the only ones who have anything to gain if members of the Sioux Nation accept a cash settlement for the Black Hills, Rodney M. Bordeaux, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe said Monday.
“These law firms are always looking for a quick buck and could care less for what we feel as a people,” Bordeaux said. “All they want is money.”Yankton attorney Doug Kettering met with about 80 Native Americans on Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa, offering to help them tap into millions setting in a trust fund. The trust was created after a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision supporting Sioux claims that the government had stolen the Black Hills and land east of the Hills.
“The Black Hills are not for sale,” Bordeaux said, adding a Lakota missive, “He Sapa Kin waken yelo, oheniya kik suyapo.” Translation: “Always remember the Black Hills are sacred.”
That’s the message Bordeaux grew up with and is passing on to his children.
“We must all unite and keep that message going into the future,” he said.
In these tough economic times, the money may seem tempting to some tribal members, but it is poor compensation for the nation that their Sioux forefathers fought and died to protect, Bordeaux said.
“They were fighting for our overall survival as a people and a nation,” he said. “We need to keep that alive, because that’s who we are.”
Kettering has never contacted the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Bordeaux said. The tribal council would never support accepting the money, he said.
Keep reading about this important issue here: http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/05/05/news/top/doc481fab4a04855392853625.txt
Monday, May 5, 2008
We Are Still Here
The Story of Elder Katherine Siva Saubeland the Cahuilla Indians of Southern California
Director: Leigh Podgorski
57 Minutes • Documentary Feature
We are still Here documents the tenacious struggle of elder and tribal chair, Dr. Katherine Siva Saubel, and her efforts to preserve the culture, history and traditions of the Cahuilla people.
Presented through in-depth interviews with Dr. Saubel and her brother, traditional Cahuilla Bird Singer, Alvino Siva; the film also portrays the powerful Creation Stories of the Cahuilla performed by a stellar all Native American cast. Footage also includes Cahuilla festivals and traditional arts of basket weaving and pottery.
Katherine Saubel also introduces the viewer to the ethnobotany of the Cahuilla people. The Cahuilla people have preserved the tradition of their ancestors and are teachers of their language and songs that maintain their culture.
In 1999, playwright and Project Director Leigh Podgorski created a play based on her oral history of Dr. Katherine Saubel, a Cahuilla Elder living on the Morongo Indian Reservation east of Los Angeles who is both an ethno-botanist and tribal historian.
Saubel has traveled extensively around the world lecturing on Cahuilla history and culture, as well as plant foods and medicines. This project will create a DVD featuring the creation mythology from Podgorski’s play and other material about the Cahuilla, including footage of original Cahuilla territory and additional oral histories.
“By sharing Katherine Saubel’s story and the story of her people and other Cahuilla elders who have flourished in this seemingly inhospitable desert land for thousands of years, it is our hope that the public will recognize the critical need for continued preservation of this land and its people,” said Podgorski.
Director: Leigh Podgorski
57 Minutes • Documentary Feature
We are still Here documents the tenacious struggle of elder and tribal chair, Dr. Katherine Siva Saubel, and her efforts to preserve the culture, history and traditions of the Cahuilla people.
Presented through in-depth interviews with Dr. Saubel and her brother, traditional Cahuilla Bird Singer, Alvino Siva; the film also portrays the powerful Creation Stories of the Cahuilla performed by a stellar all Native American cast. Footage also includes Cahuilla festivals and traditional arts of basket weaving and pottery.
Katherine Saubel also introduces the viewer to the ethnobotany of the Cahuilla people. The Cahuilla people have preserved the tradition of their ancestors and are teachers of their language and songs that maintain their culture.
In 1999, playwright and Project Director Leigh Podgorski created a play based on her oral history of Dr. Katherine Saubel, a Cahuilla Elder living on the Morongo Indian Reservation east of Los Angeles who is both an ethno-botanist and tribal historian.
Saubel has traveled extensively around the world lecturing on Cahuilla history and culture, as well as plant foods and medicines. This project will create a DVD featuring the creation mythology from Podgorski’s play and other material about the Cahuilla, including footage of original Cahuilla territory and additional oral histories.
“By sharing Katherine Saubel’s story and the story of her people and other Cahuilla elders who have flourished in this seemingly inhospitable desert land for thousands of years, it is our hope that the public will recognize the critical need for continued preservation of this land and its people,” said Podgorski.
Indian genocide resolution stirs debate
Bill cites Sand Creek massacre, removal of Cherokees from Georgia
By: Joe Hanel
DENVER - Lawmakers paused Wednesday for the third time in a week to remember a genocide. But this time, the memorial turned into an uncomfortable debate about American history.
Senate Joint Resolution 31 recites the history of horrors that fell upon American Indians after European settlement. The native population of 18 million north of the Rio Grande in the late 1400s had plunged to about 200,000 by 1900 - nearly a 99 percent drop.
But unlike previous condemnations of genocide, Wednesday's vote wasn't unanimous.
"There's a wholesale condemnation of European settlement in this resolution that I find troubling," said Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who voted no.
Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, made similar arguments in the Senate.
The House voted 59-4 for the resolution, and the Senate passed it 22-12.
It was the Legislature's third resolution on genocide in the last week. Lawmakers voted unanimously for a Holocaust memorial, and there was just one dissenting vote against a memorial of the Ottoman Empire's genocide of Armenians in 1915.
Lawmakers also voted unanimously for a resolution condemning China's human-rights record early last month.
"As we wagged our finger at Turkey about a week ago for not coming face-to-face with its own history, we see now how hard it is to come face-to-face with our own history," said Rep. Mike May of Parker, the House's top Republican, who voted yes.
Want to know more? Click here: http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/08/news080501_5.htm
By: Joe Hanel
DENVER - Lawmakers paused Wednesday for the third time in a week to remember a genocide. But this time, the memorial turned into an uncomfortable debate about American history.
Senate Joint Resolution 31 recites the history of horrors that fell upon American Indians after European settlement. The native population of 18 million north of the Rio Grande in the late 1400s had plunged to about 200,000 by 1900 - nearly a 99 percent drop.
But unlike previous condemnations of genocide, Wednesday's vote wasn't unanimous.
"There's a wholesale condemnation of European settlement in this resolution that I find troubling," said Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who voted no.
Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, made similar arguments in the Senate.
The House voted 59-4 for the resolution, and the Senate passed it 22-12.
It was the Legislature's third resolution on genocide in the last week. Lawmakers voted unanimously for a Holocaust memorial, and there was just one dissenting vote against a memorial of the Ottoman Empire's genocide of Armenians in 1915.
Lawmakers also voted unanimously for a resolution condemning China's human-rights record early last month.
"As we wagged our finger at Turkey about a week ago for not coming face-to-face with its own history, we see now how hard it is to come face-to-face with our own history," said Rep. Mike May of Parker, the House's top Republican, who voted yes.
Want to know more? Click here: http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/08/news080501_5.htm
E. Montpelier welcomes Abenaki Museum
By: Kelly Janis
"For years, they've been fighting," said Cowasuck tribe member Todd Hebert, pointing to portraits of several Abenaki tribes, situated side-by-side on the walls of the Ndakinna Cultural Center. "They've been against each other. And now, here they are in the same room, facing each other."
Such unity was apparent as members of Native American bands from across the state converged in drum circles, singing and craft demonstrations to celebrate the grand opening of the Abenaki Indian Museum - dedicated to the preservation of native heritage by means of classes, workshops and exhibitions - on April 26 and 27 in East Montpelier, Vt.
"This museum was created for the people in honor of our Grand Mothers and Grand Fathers that walked on this beautiful Mother Earth before us," reads a sign in the Campbell Museum room, which showcases a wide array of Native American artifacts, including a dugout canoe, medicine bag, turtle rattle and soapstone pipe, examples of traditional regalia, jewelry and a selection of reading materials. "The spirits of our ancestors are here with us today. They are guiding us to teach now that it is okay to share some of our secrets and some of our past."
Keep reading here: http://media.www.middleburycampus.com/media/storage/paper446/news/2008/05/01/LocalNews/E.Montpelier.Welcomes.Abenaki.Museum-3359293.shtml
"For years, they've been fighting," said Cowasuck tribe member Todd Hebert, pointing to portraits of several Abenaki tribes, situated side-by-side on the walls of the Ndakinna Cultural Center. "They've been against each other. And now, here they are in the same room, facing each other."
Such unity was apparent as members of Native American bands from across the state converged in drum circles, singing and craft demonstrations to celebrate the grand opening of the Abenaki Indian Museum - dedicated to the preservation of native heritage by means of classes, workshops and exhibitions - on April 26 and 27 in East Montpelier, Vt.
"This museum was created for the people in honor of our Grand Mothers and Grand Fathers that walked on this beautiful Mother Earth before us," reads a sign in the Campbell Museum room, which showcases a wide array of Native American artifacts, including a dugout canoe, medicine bag, turtle rattle and soapstone pipe, examples of traditional regalia, jewelry and a selection of reading materials. "The spirits of our ancestors are here with us today. They are guiding us to teach now that it is okay to share some of our secrets and some of our past."
Keep reading here: http://media.www.middleburycampus.com/media/storage/paper446/news/2008/05/01/LocalNews/E.Montpelier.Welcomes.Abenaki.Museum-3359293.shtml
Our View: Tribe should have role in Badlands
Editorial - The Daily Republic - Mitchell, SD
South Dakota’s Badlands are known for sweeping vistas, wonderful colors and roving herds of bison.
The Badlands also are known as a tourist attraction, each year drawing approximately a million visitors, some of whom hike the numerous scenic trails while the majority stick to the single paved highway that winds throughout.
But whereas Badlands National Park is one of South Dakota’s top tourist destinations, that only can be said about the North Unit, which is near Interstate 90 and an easy side trip for travelers.
The South Unit, equally majestic but lesser known because of its remote location in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, is the subject of debate as the National Park Service considers the unit’s future management.
Four options are proposed:
Leave it as is with NPS in charge and a small management role for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
Increase the tribe’s role to more of an equal partnership.
Have the tribe take over but with technical assistance from the NPS.
End the park service’s role entirely and hand the unit over to the tribe.
Read more here: http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/articles/index.cfm?id=26467§ion=Opinion&freebie_check&CFID=31948729&CFTOKEN=12351912&jsessionid=8830cebc334c1a7e1927
South Dakota’s Badlands are known for sweeping vistas, wonderful colors and roving herds of bison.
The Badlands also are known as a tourist attraction, each year drawing approximately a million visitors, some of whom hike the numerous scenic trails while the majority stick to the single paved highway that winds throughout.
But whereas Badlands National Park is one of South Dakota’s top tourist destinations, that only can be said about the North Unit, which is near Interstate 90 and an easy side trip for travelers.
The South Unit, equally majestic but lesser known because of its remote location in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, is the subject of debate as the National Park Service considers the unit’s future management.
Four options are proposed:
Leave it as is with NPS in charge and a small management role for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
Increase the tribe’s role to more of an equal partnership.
Have the tribe take over but with technical assistance from the NPS.
End the park service’s role entirely and hand the unit over to the tribe.
Read more here: http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/articles/index.cfm?id=26467§ion=Opinion&freebie_check&CFID=31948729&CFTOKEN=12351912&jsessionid=8830cebc334c1a7e1927
Friday, May 2, 2008
Important dates in May
May 5, 1969: N. Scott Momaday wins Pulitzer Prize for House Made of Dawn.
May 6, 1626: Manhattan people of the Wappinger Confederacy receive sixty guilders (about $24) from Peter Minuit, Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam, for the island of Manhattan. Manhattan people believed payment was rent for one year.
May 23, 1838: Cherokee removal “Trail of Tears” begins.
May 25, 1637: About one thousand Pequot men, women, and children are massacred by the English of Plymouth colony. The two hundred survivors are sold into slavery.
May 28, 1830: The Indian Removal Act is passed by Congress.
May 6, 1626: Manhattan people of the Wappinger Confederacy receive sixty guilders (about $24) from Peter Minuit, Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam, for the island of Manhattan. Manhattan people believed payment was rent for one year.
May 23, 1838: Cherokee removal “Trail of Tears” begins.
May 25, 1637: About one thousand Pequot men, women, and children are massacred by the English of Plymouth colony. The two hundred survivors are sold into slavery.
May 28, 1830: The Indian Removal Act is passed by Congress.
A question of identity
By: Darla Slipke
The Comanche Nation has disputed the claims of a KU professor that he is a Comanche Indian, and accused him of benefiting professionally and financially from his unconfirmed ethnicity.
Ray Pierotti, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who also teaches in the indigenous nations studies program, told The University Daily Kansan in an e-mail that he has never identified himself as an officially enrolled member of the tribe. However, he has claimed to be Comanche in numerous public forums and in a federal discrimination lawsuit he and his wife, Cynthia Annett, filed against the University of Kansas.
While Ray Pierotti acknowledges he is not an enrolled Comanche, he claims Comanche ethnicity, which has a role in University hiring and personnel matters. Although at one time being an ethnic minority could result in discrimination, today it can be an attractive asset to job applicants as universities seek to increase diversity among faculty and staff. The University keeps track of the ethnic makeup of faculty, but equal-opportunity officers said faculty and applicants identified their own ethnicity and the University, unlike tribal authorities, did not require them to provide evidence. Racial and ethnic identity have long been contentious issues. The issue has become more prevalent since equal opportunity laws have passed and Americans have been asked to identify their racial and ethnic backgrounds more frequently.
Pierotti, who said in an e-mail that he was not teaching this semester because he was on “bereavement-related Family Medical Leave,” declined repeated requests by The Kansan to discuss his ethnicity or the allegations that have been raised against him. One of his brothers, David Pierotti, said in a telephone interview from his home in California that their mother told him that her mother was a Comanche from Oklahoma. However, another brother, Nick Pierotti, and an uncle and cousin said that Pierotti’s great-grandparents on their mother’s side were Polish and immigrated to the United States from Europe.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.kansan.com/stories/2008/may/02/question_identity/?news
The Comanche Nation has disputed the claims of a KU professor that he is a Comanche Indian, and accused him of benefiting professionally and financially from his unconfirmed ethnicity.
Ray Pierotti, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who also teaches in the indigenous nations studies program, told The University Daily Kansan in an e-mail that he has never identified himself as an officially enrolled member of the tribe. However, he has claimed to be Comanche in numerous public forums and in a federal discrimination lawsuit he and his wife, Cynthia Annett, filed against the University of Kansas.
While Ray Pierotti acknowledges he is not an enrolled Comanche, he claims Comanche ethnicity, which has a role in University hiring and personnel matters. Although at one time being an ethnic minority could result in discrimination, today it can be an attractive asset to job applicants as universities seek to increase diversity among faculty and staff. The University keeps track of the ethnic makeup of faculty, but equal-opportunity officers said faculty and applicants identified their own ethnicity and the University, unlike tribal authorities, did not require them to provide evidence. Racial and ethnic identity have long been contentious issues. The issue has become more prevalent since equal opportunity laws have passed and Americans have been asked to identify their racial and ethnic backgrounds more frequently.
Pierotti, who said in an e-mail that he was not teaching this semester because he was on “bereavement-related Family Medical Leave,” declined repeated requests by The Kansan to discuss his ethnicity or the allegations that have been raised against him. One of his brothers, David Pierotti, said in a telephone interview from his home in California that their mother told him that her mother was a Comanche from Oklahoma. However, another brother, Nick Pierotti, and an uncle and cousin said that Pierotti’s great-grandparents on their mother’s side were Polish and immigrated to the United States from Europe.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.kansan.com/stories/2008/may/02/question_identity/?news
Leech Lake Band, county and state governments celebrate cooperative plan
By: Molly Miron
Culturally appropriate child welfare and protection is the goal of a Memorandum of Understanding developed by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, state of Minnesota and counties of Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard and Itasca.
The MOU gives the Leech Lake Band Human Services and Child Welfare department full responsibility for out-of-home child placement.
“Who knows better how to take care of our children than we do,” said Leech Lake Chairman George Goggleye Jr.
Kris Johnson of the Minnesota Department of Human services agreed, saying the Leech Lake Band is best qualified to oversee child welfare on the reservation.
“Down the road there’s a hope of seeing fewer American Indian children in foster care,” Johnson said.
The White Earth Band of Ojibwe is the other tribe in Minnesota with a similar arrangement with the state and surrounding counties, Goggleye said.
There's more to the story here: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=15599§ion=news&freebie_check&CFID=31100980&CFTOKEN=85217825&jsessionid=883058f92db12038d1a5
Culturally appropriate child welfare and protection is the goal of a Memorandum of Understanding developed by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, state of Minnesota and counties of Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard and Itasca.
The MOU gives the Leech Lake Band Human Services and Child Welfare department full responsibility for out-of-home child placement.
“Who knows better how to take care of our children than we do,” said Leech Lake Chairman George Goggleye Jr.
Kris Johnson of the Minnesota Department of Human services agreed, saying the Leech Lake Band is best qualified to oversee child welfare on the reservation.
“Down the road there’s a hope of seeing fewer American Indian children in foster care,” Johnson said.
The White Earth Band of Ojibwe is the other tribe in Minnesota with a similar arrangement with the state and surrounding counties, Goggleye said.
There's more to the story here: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=15599§ion=news&freebie_check&CFID=31100980&CFTOKEN=85217825&jsessionid=883058f92db12038d1a5
2008 Recipient for Native American Traditions, Will Moreau Goins, Columbia, South Carolina
Will Moreau Goins has dedicated his life to preserving, presenting and performing Native American music traditions, beadwork and storytelling. He weaves the ancient past, mythology and the present with dramatic narratives and song.
He inherited his artistic inclinations from his family members, matriarchs and those who continued the traditions of his ancestors. The son of Cherokee artist Elsie Taylor Goins, he traces his musical heritage back to the ancient chants of the indigenous cultures of the Southeast. As a teenager, Goins was already teaching younger children and exposing them to a wide variety of Cherokee art forms, including beadwork, a tradition passed down to him by his great aunt, Corrie Sisney.
Forch Allen, Goins' great-great-grandfather, was a medicine man in Oconee County and practiced along the Tugaloo River. Forch's son, Alexander Allen, was also a medicine man who practiced throughout the Smoky Mountains and was referred to as "Doctor" in United States census records. Focusing on contemporary medicine men, Goins traveled throughout the Southeastern United States collecting and documenting data regarding medical practices among a variety of Native American tribes.
He has worked with Native American people, organizations and agencies for over 30 years and has an integral role with the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina Inc. This non-profit organization is "dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of South Carolina Native American history, culture, and heritage."
Keep reading here: http://www.southcarolinaarts.com/folkheritage/Goins.shtml
He inherited his artistic inclinations from his family members, matriarchs and those who continued the traditions of his ancestors. The son of Cherokee artist Elsie Taylor Goins, he traces his musical heritage back to the ancient chants of the indigenous cultures of the Southeast. As a teenager, Goins was already teaching younger children and exposing them to a wide variety of Cherokee art forms, including beadwork, a tradition passed down to him by his great aunt, Corrie Sisney.
Forch Allen, Goins' great-great-grandfather, was a medicine man in Oconee County and practiced along the Tugaloo River. Forch's son, Alexander Allen, was also a medicine man who practiced throughout the Smoky Mountains and was referred to as "Doctor" in United States census records. Focusing on contemporary medicine men, Goins traveled throughout the Southeastern United States collecting and documenting data regarding medical practices among a variety of Native American tribes.
He has worked with Native American people, organizations and agencies for over 30 years and has an integral role with the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina Inc. This non-profit organization is "dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of South Carolina Native American history, culture, and heritage."
Keep reading here: http://www.southcarolinaarts.com/folkheritage/Goins.shtml
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