Great Mystery, Creator of all life, hear my prayer. I come to you with humility, a humble spirit within this human form. You have led me to this place in time; I beg of you to give me the courage to see things through. Help me to maintain my faith in the face of doubt. Give me strength so I won't waiver though failure looms large and surrounds me.
Keep my feet planted on the bosom of Mother Earth yet let my heart and imagination soar with the eagle. Remind me no dream is without merit, that each step of this journey has its purpose, and success is measured by family, friends, the love we share, and the wisdom gained from adversity.
Help me to continue the work you have set before me with honor and determination. Keep fear from my heart lest I stumble along the way; for it is fear that threatens most. Above all this, remind me each day, that I do these things for the ancestors, for the future ancestors, and for you! For without you, I am nothing. It is because of you that I am all that I am!
Wado! Aho!
By: Pamela Waterbird Davison nka Weighs The Truth
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Quotes
"We all come from the same root, but the leaves are all different."
--John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA
--John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA
Mankiller promotes leadership for young women
Rather than preaching the principles of mentorship, guidance and community involvement, Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to be elected chief to the Cherokee Nation, lives by them.
Delivering the keynote address at the Coquille Tribe's first national gathering, the Heart of the American Indian Women's Conference, on Thursday, Mankiller discussed the challenges of her own life. The conference theme, involving young women in tribal leadership, reaches far beyond native Americans, to all women, Mankiller said.
“The same principles apply to native women as they do to all young women,” she said.
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/04/28/news/news01042807.txt
Click on link to read full article.
Delivering the keynote address at the Coquille Tribe's first national gathering, the Heart of the American Indian Women's Conference, on Thursday, Mankiller discussed the challenges of her own life. The conference theme, involving young women in tribal leadership, reaches far beyond native Americans, to all women, Mankiller said.
“The same principles apply to native women as they do to all young women,” she said.
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/04/28/news/news01042807.txt
Click on link to read full article.
Site of Colo. Indian Massacre Honored
SAND CREEK MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, Colo. — More than 142 years after a band of state militia volunteers massacred 150 sleeping Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians in a misdirected act of vengeance, a memorial to the tragic event was officially dedicated Saturday.
The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic site, located 160 miles southeast of Denver on Big Sandy Creek in Kiowa County, pays tribute to those killed in the shameful Nov. 29, 1864, attack.
Seeking revenge for the killings of several settlers by Indians, 700 volunteers who had signed up to be soldiers for 100 days slaughtered nearly everyone in the village. Most were women or children.
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Apr28/0,4670,SandCreekMassacre,00.html
Click link to read full article.
The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic site, located 160 miles southeast of Denver on Big Sandy Creek in Kiowa County, pays tribute to those killed in the shameful Nov. 29, 1864, attack.
Seeking revenge for the killings of several settlers by Indians, 700 volunteers who had signed up to be soldiers for 100 days slaughtered nearly everyone in the village. Most were women or children.
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Apr28/0,4670,SandCreekMassacre,00.html
Click link to read full article.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Grande Ronde tribe asks to be consulted on Columbia Gorge issues
The Associated Press - 4-27-07
McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) — Citing ancestral roots, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde wants to be on the list of tribes the Columbia Gorge Commission must consult.
The tribe says, though, the request isn't a means of advancing its side in a struggle with another tribe over a casino in the gorge.
"This is not about that," said tribal attorney Rob Greene. "This is about tribal history and the use of the scenic area. We want to be involved."
http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=15256.html
Click link to read full article
McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) — Citing ancestral roots, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde wants to be on the list of tribes the Columbia Gorge Commission must consult.
The tribe says, though, the request isn't a means of advancing its side in a struggle with another tribe over a casino in the gorge.
"This is not about that," said tribal attorney Rob Greene. "This is about tribal history and the use of the scenic area. We want to be involved."
http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=15256.html
Click link to read full article
Quotes
"I was born on the prairies where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures." -
Geronimo, Apache
Geronimo, Apache
Do you know...
Russell Means - Born: November 10, 1939 Birthplace: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota, served as the first national director of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and became one of the organization's best-known spokespeople. Means was one of the Indian activists who in 1969 occupied San Francisco's Alcatraz Island in a landmark AIM-led protest that lasted 19 months; in 1973, he helped lead the AIM takeover of Wounded Knee. Both events brought worldwide attention to the injustices and privation faced by American Indians past and present. As an actor, Means has appeared in such films as The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Natural Born Killers (1994) and provided the voice of Powhatan in 1995's Pocahontas. In 2004, Means ran for president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, but was defeated by Cecelia Fire Thunder, the first woman to be elected to that office.
Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota, served as the first national director of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and became one of the organization's best-known spokespeople. Means was one of the Indian activists who in 1969 occupied San Francisco's Alcatraz Island in a landmark AIM-led protest that lasted 19 months; in 1973, he helped lead the AIM takeover of Wounded Knee. Both events brought worldwide attention to the injustices and privation faced by American Indians past and present. As an actor, Means has appeared in such films as The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Natural Born Killers (1994) and provided the voice of Powhatan in 1995's Pocahontas. In 2004, Means ran for president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, but was defeated by Cecelia Fire Thunder, the first woman to be elected to that office.
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Cherokee Trail of Tears
Most Cherokees, including Chief John Ross, did not believe that they would be forced to move. In May 1838, Federal troops and state militias began the roundup of the Cherokees into stockades. In spite of warnings to troops to treat the Cherokees kindly, the roundup proved harrowing.
Families were separated--the elderly and ill forced out at gunpoint-- people given only moments to collect cherished possessions. White looters followed, ransacking homesteads as Cherokees were led away.
Chief John RossThree groups left in the summer, traveling from present-day Chattanooga by rail, boat, and wagon, primarily on the Water Route. But river levels were too low for navigation; one group, traveling overland in Arkansas, suffered three to five deaths each day due to illness and drought.
Fifteen thousand captives still awaited removal. Crowding, poor sanitation, and drought made them miserable. Many died. The Cherokees asked to postpone removal until the fall, and to voluntarily remove themselves. The delay was granted, provided they remain in internment camps until travel resumed.
By November, 12 groups of 1,000 each were trudging 800 miles overland to the west. The last party, including Chief Ross, went by water. Now, heavy autumn rains and hundreds of wagons on the muddy route made roads impassable; little grazing and game could be found to supplement meager rations.
Two-thirds of the ill-equipped Cherokees were trapped between the ice-bound Ohio and Mississippi Rivers during January. Although suffering from a cold, Quatie Ross, the Chief's wife, gave her only blanket to a child.
"Long time we travel on way to new land. People feel bad when they leave Old Nation. Women cry and make sad wails, Children cry and many men cry...but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep on go towards West. Many days pass and people die very much."
Recollections of a survivor
She died of pneumonia at Little Rock. Some drank stagnant water and succumbed to disease. One survivor told how his father got sick and died; then, his mother; then, one by one, his five brothers and sisters. "One each day. Then all are gone."
By March 1839, all survivors had arrived in the west. No one knows how many died throughout the ordeal, but the trip was especially hard on infants, children, and the elderly. Missionary doctor Elizur Butler, who accompanied the Cherokees, estimated that over 4,000 died--nearly a fifth of the Cherokee population.
Families were separated--the elderly and ill forced out at gunpoint-- people given only moments to collect cherished possessions. White looters followed, ransacking homesteads as Cherokees were led away.
Chief John RossThree groups left in the summer, traveling from present-day Chattanooga by rail, boat, and wagon, primarily on the Water Route. But river levels were too low for navigation; one group, traveling overland in Arkansas, suffered three to five deaths each day due to illness and drought.
Fifteen thousand captives still awaited removal. Crowding, poor sanitation, and drought made them miserable. Many died. The Cherokees asked to postpone removal until the fall, and to voluntarily remove themselves. The delay was granted, provided they remain in internment camps until travel resumed.
By November, 12 groups of 1,000 each were trudging 800 miles overland to the west. The last party, including Chief Ross, went by water. Now, heavy autumn rains and hundreds of wagons on the muddy route made roads impassable; little grazing and game could be found to supplement meager rations.
Two-thirds of the ill-equipped Cherokees were trapped between the ice-bound Ohio and Mississippi Rivers during January. Although suffering from a cold, Quatie Ross, the Chief's wife, gave her only blanket to a child.
"Long time we travel on way to new land. People feel bad when they leave Old Nation. Women cry and make sad wails, Children cry and many men cry...but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep on go towards West. Many days pass and people die very much."
Recollections of a survivor
She died of pneumonia at Little Rock. Some drank stagnant water and succumbed to disease. One survivor told how his father got sick and died; then, his mother; then, one by one, his five brothers and sisters. "One each day. Then all are gone."
By March 1839, all survivors had arrived in the west. No one knows how many died throughout the ordeal, but the trip was especially hard on infants, children, and the elderly. Missionary doctor Elizur Butler, who accompanied the Cherokees, estimated that over 4,000 died--nearly a fifth of the Cherokee population.
Oldest North American Mummy
by Lara J. Asher
A mummy excavated in 1940 and stored at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City was recently dated to ca. 7420 B.C., making it the oldest mummy ever discovered in North America.
Donald Tuohy and Amy Dansie of the Nevada State Museum say the mummy, a male about 45 years old, was one of several gathered from caves in Nevada's Churchill County. Its excellent state of preservation had led earlier researchers to believe it was ca. 2,000 years old. Dansie and Tuohy were astonished when radiocarbon tests of hair and bone and two mats covering the body yielded dates more than 7,000 years older.
Discovered during salvage excavations in advance of a guano-mining project, the mummy was found lying on a fur blanket dressed in a twisted skin robe with leather moccasins on its feet and a twined mat sewn around its head and shoulders. A similar mat was wrapped around the lower portion of the body and bound under the feet. Skin remained on the back and shoulders as well as a small tuft of straight dark hair, which changed to reddish-brown when exposed to light and air.
The man may have died from complications associated with a skull fracture or abscessed teeth, according to Gentry Steele of Texas A&M University, who examined the body. Fifty-eight other fiber and fur artifacts were found in the cave, including two bags containing cremated human remains. The style of weaving used in the textiles, known as diamond-plaited matting, marks the earliest stage in North American weaving technology. "People were more settled than we thought," says Dansie, noting the time it must have taken to gather the fibers and weave them into mats.
Post note: videos regarding this subject can be found on this page.
A mummy excavated in 1940 and stored at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City was recently dated to ca. 7420 B.C., making it the oldest mummy ever discovered in North America.
Donald Tuohy and Amy Dansie of the Nevada State Museum say the mummy, a male about 45 years old, was one of several gathered from caves in Nevada's Churchill County. Its excellent state of preservation had led earlier researchers to believe it was ca. 2,000 years old. Dansie and Tuohy were astonished when radiocarbon tests of hair and bone and two mats covering the body yielded dates more than 7,000 years older.
Discovered during salvage excavations in advance of a guano-mining project, the mummy was found lying on a fur blanket dressed in a twisted skin robe with leather moccasins on its feet and a twined mat sewn around its head and shoulders. A similar mat was wrapped around the lower portion of the body and bound under the feet. Skin remained on the back and shoulders as well as a small tuft of straight dark hair, which changed to reddish-brown when exposed to light and air.
The man may have died from complications associated with a skull fracture or abscessed teeth, according to Gentry Steele of Texas A&M University, who examined the body. Fifty-eight other fiber and fur artifacts were found in the cave, including two bags containing cremated human remains. The style of weaving used in the textiles, known as diamond-plaited matting, marks the earliest stage in North American weaving technology. "People were more settled than we thought," says Dansie, noting the time it must have taken to gather the fibers and weave them into mats.
Post note: videos regarding this subject can be found on this page.
Former Navajo vice president McKenzie dies
Associated Press - April 23, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Former Navajo Vice President Taylor McKenzie, a distinguished physician and the tribe's first medical officer, died April 13 at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, the tribe announced.
McKenzie was 76. His family declined to release any details about the cause of death.
Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. said his thoughts and prayers were with McKenzie's wife, Betty, their nine children and the rest of the family.
''The late Dr. McKenzie made an important and great contribution to the Navajo people and the Navajo Nation through his service as a physician with the Indian Health Service for more than 30 years, as our vice president and as our first medical officer,'' Shirley said.
McKenzie was vice president from 1999 to 2003 and was appointed as the first Navajo medical officer in December 2005. Before entering public office, he had a 30-year career as a physician and surgeon with the Public Health Service on the Navajo Nation.
Shirley's office said McKenzie was known throughout the American Indian community as a symbol of success for what a Navajo and other Indians could do.
''We all need to pay homage to his leadership,'' Shirley said. ''Through his contributions, we have grown and succeeded, and our nation has become known as great. The nation and our people will be forever indebted to him. He will be deeply missed.''
Shirley planned to issue a proclamation April 16 to have flags on the Navajo Nation flown at half-staff in honor of McKenzie.
Former Navajo President Kelsey Begaye, under whom McKenzie served as vice president, said he was deeply saddened by the news. He remembered McKenzie as a good friend and a devoted health advocate.
Begaye said the results of McKenzie's hard work over the years include clinics in Pinon, the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and the groundwork for a future clinic at Bodaway-Gap.
McKenzie graduated from Wheaton College in 1954 and earned his medical degree from Baylor in 1958. He completed his surgery residency at Pontiac General Hospital in Michigan.
In 1964, he became a member of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He retired in 1995 but continued his medical practice part-time until he ran for vice president in 1998.
While with the Public Health Service, he was chief of surgery at the Tuba City Indian Hospital and at the Shiprock Indian Hospital. He also was a founding member of the Association of American Indian Physicians.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Former Navajo Vice President Taylor McKenzie, a distinguished physician and the tribe's first medical officer, died April 13 at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, the tribe announced.
McKenzie was 76. His family declined to release any details about the cause of death.
Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. said his thoughts and prayers were with McKenzie's wife, Betty, their nine children and the rest of the family.
''The late Dr. McKenzie made an important and great contribution to the Navajo people and the Navajo Nation through his service as a physician with the Indian Health Service for more than 30 years, as our vice president and as our first medical officer,'' Shirley said.
McKenzie was vice president from 1999 to 2003 and was appointed as the first Navajo medical officer in December 2005. Before entering public office, he had a 30-year career as a physician and surgeon with the Public Health Service on the Navajo Nation.
Shirley's office said McKenzie was known throughout the American Indian community as a symbol of success for what a Navajo and other Indians could do.
''We all need to pay homage to his leadership,'' Shirley said. ''Through his contributions, we have grown and succeeded, and our nation has become known as great. The nation and our people will be forever indebted to him. He will be deeply missed.''
Shirley planned to issue a proclamation April 16 to have flags on the Navajo Nation flown at half-staff in honor of McKenzie.
Former Navajo President Kelsey Begaye, under whom McKenzie served as vice president, said he was deeply saddened by the news. He remembered McKenzie as a good friend and a devoted health advocate.
Begaye said the results of McKenzie's hard work over the years include clinics in Pinon, the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and the groundwork for a future clinic at Bodaway-Gap.
McKenzie graduated from Wheaton College in 1954 and earned his medical degree from Baylor in 1958. He completed his surgery residency at Pontiac General Hospital in Michigan.
In 1964, he became a member of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He retired in 1995 but continued his medical practice part-time until he ran for vice president in 1998.
While with the Public Health Service, he was chief of surgery at the Tuba City Indian Hospital and at the Shiprock Indian Hospital. He also was a founding member of the Association of American Indian Physicians.
Do you know...
Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, lives on the land which was allotted to her paternal grandfather, John Mankiller, just after Oklahoma became a state in 1907. Surrounded by the Cherokee Hills and the Cookson Hills, she lives in a historically rich area where a person's worth is not determined by the size of their bank account or portfolio. Her family name "Mankiller" as far as they can determine, is an old military title that was given to the person in charge of protecting the village. As the leader of the Cherokee people she represented the second largest tribe in the United States, the largest being the Dine (Navajo) Tribe. Mankiller was the first female in modern history to lead a major Native American tribe. With an enrolled population of over 140,000, and an annual budget of more than $75 million, and more than 1,200 employees spread over 7,000 square miles, her task may have been equalled to that of a chief executive officer of a major corporation.
http://www.powersource.com/gallery/people/wilma.html
Click on link to read full article.
http://www.powersource.com/gallery/people/wilma.html
Click on link to read full article.
The End of the World
Lakota story told by Jenny Leading Cloud (White River, Rosebud reservation, SD) to Richard Erdoes in 1967. Typed from Erdoes and Ortiz, American Indian Myths and Legends
Somewhere at a place where the prairie and the Maka Sicha, the Badlands, meet, there is a hidden cave. Not for a long, long time has anyone been able to find it. Even now, with so many highways, cars and tourists, no one has discovered this cave. In it lives a woman so old that her face looks like a shriveled-up walnut. She is dressed in rawhide, the way people used to before the white man came. She has been sitting there for a thousand years or more, working on a blanket strip for her buffalo robe. She is making the strip out of dyed porcupine quills, the way ancestors did before the white traders brought glass beads to this turtle continent. Resting beside her, licking his paws, watching her all the time is Shunka Sapa, a huge black dog. His eyes never wander from the old woman, whose teeth are worn flat, worn down to little stumps, she has used them to flatten so many porcupine quills.
A few steps from where the old woman sits working on her blanket strip, a huge fire is kept going. She lit this fire a thousand or more years ago and has kept it alive ever since. Over the fire hangs a big earthen pot, the kind some Indian peoples used to make before the white man came with his kettles of iron. Inside the pot, wojapi is boiling and bubbling. Wojapi is berry soup, good and sweet and red. That soup has been boiling in the pot for a long time, ever since the fire was lit.
Every now and then the old woman gets up to stir the wojapi in the huge earthen pot. She is so old and feeble that it takes a while to get up and hobble over to the fire. The moment her back is turned, Shunka Sapa, the huge black dog starts pulling the porcupine quills out of her blanket strip. This way she never makes any progress, and her quillwork remains forever unfinished. The Sioux people used to say that if the old woman ever finishes her blanket strip, then at the very moment that she threads the last porcupine quill to complete the design, the world will come to an end.
Want to learn more about quillworking?
Click here: http://www.nativetech.org/quill/index.php
Somewhere at a place where the prairie and the Maka Sicha, the Badlands, meet, there is a hidden cave. Not for a long, long time has anyone been able to find it. Even now, with so many highways, cars and tourists, no one has discovered this cave. In it lives a woman so old that her face looks like a shriveled-up walnut. She is dressed in rawhide, the way people used to before the white man came. She has been sitting there for a thousand years or more, working on a blanket strip for her buffalo robe. She is making the strip out of dyed porcupine quills, the way ancestors did before the white traders brought glass beads to this turtle continent. Resting beside her, licking his paws, watching her all the time is Shunka Sapa, a huge black dog. His eyes never wander from the old woman, whose teeth are worn flat, worn down to little stumps, she has used them to flatten so many porcupine quills.
A few steps from where the old woman sits working on her blanket strip, a huge fire is kept going. She lit this fire a thousand or more years ago and has kept it alive ever since. Over the fire hangs a big earthen pot, the kind some Indian peoples used to make before the white man came with his kettles of iron. Inside the pot, wojapi is boiling and bubbling. Wojapi is berry soup, good and sweet and red. That soup has been boiling in the pot for a long time, ever since the fire was lit.
Every now and then the old woman gets up to stir the wojapi in the huge earthen pot. She is so old and feeble that it takes a while to get up and hobble over to the fire. The moment her back is turned, Shunka Sapa, the huge black dog starts pulling the porcupine quills out of her blanket strip. This way she never makes any progress, and her quillwork remains forever unfinished. The Sioux people used to say that if the old woman ever finishes her blanket strip, then at the very moment that she threads the last porcupine quill to complete the design, the world will come to an end.
Want to learn more about quillworking?
Click here: http://www.nativetech.org/quill/index.php
Law provides few protections for Indian mounds
When it comes right down to it, the good will of private landowners is often what stands between saving Indian mounds and losing these pieces of ancient history.
“There are no legal obligations regarding mounds on private property, as long as the owners don’t disturb any burials that might be there,” said Linda Hall, a state archaeologist based in Asheville.
In the case of Cowee Mound, preservation efforts by the Hall family ensured its survival. The family owned the mound for 175 years until the death of Katherine Hall Porter in 2002. The mound then passed to her husband, James Porter. He and his heirs worked with the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to make sure that it would be protected.
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/04_07/04_25_07/fr_law_provides.html
Click on link to read full article.
“There are no legal obligations regarding mounds on private property, as long as the owners don’t disturb any burials that might be there,” said Linda Hall, a state archaeologist based in Asheville.
In the case of Cowee Mound, preservation efforts by the Hall family ensured its survival. The family owned the mound for 175 years until the death of Katherine Hall Porter in 2002. The mound then passed to her husband, James Porter. He and his heirs worked with the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to make sure that it would be protected.
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/04_07/04_25_07/fr_law_provides.html
Click on link to read full article.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Index of the Tribes
Click on Tribe's Name
A Abenaki-Achomawi-Acolapissa-Acoma-AleutAlgonquian-Alabama-Alnobak-Alsea-AnishinabeApache-Arapaho-Arikara-Athapascan
B Baja-Blackfoot
C Caddo-Cahuilla-Catawaba-Cayuse-Chelan-Cherokee-Cheyenne-Chickasaw-Chinook-Chipewyan-Choctaw-Chukchee-ChumashCochiti-Comanche-Coos-Costanoan-Coushatta-Cowichan-Cree-CreekCrow
D Dakota-Delaware-Digueno F Flathead H Haida-Haudenosaunee-Hitchiti-Hopi-Hupa-Huron
I Illini-Inuit-Innu-Iroquois-Isleta
K Kalapuya<>Kanglanek<>Kanienkeh<>Karuk<>Kato<>Kiowa<>Klamath<>Koryak<>Kwakiutl L Lakota<>Lassik<>Luiseno<>Lumni
MMahkussuts<>Maidu<>Makah<>Maliseet<>MandanMenominee<>Metis<>Micmac<>Miwok<>ModocMohawk<>Mojave<>Mono<>Multnomah
NNakota<>Natchez<>Navajo<>Nez Perce'
OOjibwa<>Okanagan<>Omaha<>Oneida<>Onondaga<>Osage<>Otoe<>Ottawa
PPaiute<>Passamquoddy<>Pawnee<>PenobscotPequot<>Pima<>Pomo<>Ponca<>PotawatomiPowhatan<>Pueblo
QQuillayute<>Quinault
SSai<>Salinan<>Salish<>San Jaun<>Sanpoils<>SerranoSeminole<>Seneca<>Shasta<>Shoshone<>Skokomish<>SliammonSnohomish<>Snoqualmie<>Spokane<>Squamish<>Squaxin
TTewa<>Tahltan<>Thompson<>Tillamook<>TlingitTohono O'Odham<>Tsimshian<>TuscaroraUUte<>Unangan
WWabanaki<>Wampanoag<>Wappo<>Wasco<>WinnebagoWintu<>Wyandot
YYakima<>Yana<>Yaqui<>Yavapali<>YokutYuchi<>Yukaghir<>Yuma
ZZuni
A Abenaki-Achomawi-Acolapissa-Acoma-AleutAlgonquian-Alabama-Alnobak-Alsea-AnishinabeApache-Arapaho-Arikara-Athapascan
B Baja-Blackfoot
C Caddo-Cahuilla-Catawaba-Cayuse-Chelan-Cherokee-Cheyenne-Chickasaw-Chinook-Chipewyan-Choctaw-Chukchee-ChumashCochiti-Comanche-Coos-Costanoan-Coushatta-Cowichan-Cree-CreekCrow
D Dakota-Delaware-Digueno F Flathead H Haida-Haudenosaunee-Hitchiti-Hopi-Hupa-Huron
I Illini-Inuit-Innu-Iroquois-Isleta
K Kalapuya<>Kanglanek<>Kanienkeh<>Karuk<>Kato<>Kiowa<>Klamath<>Koryak<>Kwakiutl L Lakota<>Lassik<>Luiseno<>Lumni
MMahkussuts<>Maidu<>Makah<>Maliseet<>MandanMenominee<>Metis<>Micmac<>Miwok<>ModocMohawk<>Mojave<>Mono<>Multnomah
NNakota<>Natchez<>Navajo<>Nez Perce'
OOjibwa<>Okanagan<>Omaha<>Oneida<>Onondaga<>Osage<>Otoe<>Ottawa
PPaiute<>Passamquoddy<>Pawnee<>PenobscotPequot<>Pima<>Pomo<>Ponca<>PotawatomiPowhatan<>Pueblo
QQuillayute<>Quinault
SSai<>Salinan<>Salish<>San Jaun<>Sanpoils<>SerranoSeminole<>Seneca<>Shasta<>Shoshone<>Skokomish<>SliammonSnohomish<>Snoqualmie<>Spokane<>Squamish<>Squaxin
TTewa<>Tahltan<>Thompson<>Tillamook<>TlingitTohono O'Odham<>Tsimshian<>TuscaroraUUte<>Unangan
WWabanaki<>Wampanoag<>Wappo<>Wasco<>WinnebagoWintu<>Wyandot
YYakima<>Yana<>Yaqui<>Yavapali<>YokutYuchi<>Yukaghir<>Yuma
ZZuni
Indian Treaties, Acts and Agreements
Indian Treaties 1778-1883 were one of the ways the United States Government used to remove the Indian population from their Native Soil. Many of the treaties were broken almost as soon as they were written and not always by the Indians. The removal of the Indians was necessary for the US Governments expansion to the West.
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/treaty/
Click on link to see full listing of treatys for further study.
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/treaty/
Click on link to see full listing of treatys for further study.
Quotes
"You must speak straight so that your words may go as sunlight into our hearts. Speak Americans...I will not lie to you; do not lie to me."
Cochise, Apache - b. 1812, d. June 8, 1874
Cochise, Apache - b. 1812, d. June 8, 1874
Battle heats up over geothermal energy facility
TULELAKE, Calif. - It is among North America's most unique geological areas, a lush 200-square-mile stretch of sloping mountains and smooth, shield volcanoes deep within the Modoc National Forest. It is also one of the most disputed.
For local tribes, the Medicine Lake Highlands just below California's border with Oregon is sacred, where the Pit River Nation believes the Creator rested while creating the world.
But for the federal government and a major U.S. power company, the federally owned region is a rare and untapped source of geothermal energy, abundant with steam and potential profit.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414876
Click on link to read full article.
For local tribes, the Medicine Lake Highlands just below California's border with Oregon is sacred, where the Pit River Nation believes the Creator rested while creating the world.
But for the federal government and a major U.S. power company, the federally owned region is a rare and untapped source of geothermal energy, abundant with steam and potential profit.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414876
Click on link to read full article.
Rosebud leaders worried about spike in suicides
ROSEBUD, S.D. (AP) - Leaders on the Rosebud Indian Reservation are worried about a recent spike in suicides and attempts.
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement officers responded to three deaths by suicide and 197 attempts in 2006. Through March of this year, police had been called to three completed suicides and 51 attempts.
Whether the rise is part of a cyclical pattern or the start of something worse, Rosebud Sioux Tribal President Rodney Bordeaux wants to do something about it immediately.
He's declared a state of emergency with the hope of bringing in more federal funding to boost suicide prevention efforts on the reservation.
''We're hoping to prevent some in the future,'' Bordeaux said. ''You just don't know.''
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414891&na=1559
Click on link to read full article.
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement officers responded to three deaths by suicide and 197 attempts in 2006. Through March of this year, police had been called to three completed suicides and 51 attempts.
Whether the rise is part of a cyclical pattern or the start of something worse, Rosebud Sioux Tribal President Rodney Bordeaux wants to do something about it immediately.
He's declared a state of emergency with the hope of bringing in more federal funding to boost suicide prevention efforts on the reservation.
''We're hoping to prevent some in the future,'' Bordeaux said. ''You just don't know.''
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414891&na=1559
Click on link to read full article.
Micmacs and Maliseets lose sovereignty under recent appeals court panel rulings
BOSTON - In a 2 - 1 decision, a 1st Circuit Court of Appeals panel issued a ruling in an employment discrimination case that effectively terminates the tribal sovereignty and immunity of the Aroostock Band of Micmacs and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
The two rulings were issued simultaneously on April 17. Judges Sandra Lynch and Levin Campbell issued the majority ruling, with Lynch writing the decision. The Hon. Kermit Lipez wrote a dissenting decision.
The majority ruled that the federal Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 and the Aroostock Band of Micmacs Settlement Act also subjected the band to total state jurisdiction, including how tribes handle employment. The judges then applied their decision to the Houlton Band of Maliseets.
''There is no 'internal tribal matters' exception in the statute,'' Lynch wrote.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414887&na=1559
Click on link to read full article.
The two rulings were issued simultaneously on April 17. Judges Sandra Lynch and Levin Campbell issued the majority ruling, with Lynch writing the decision. The Hon. Kermit Lipez wrote a dissenting decision.
The majority ruled that the federal Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 and the Aroostock Band of Micmacs Settlement Act also subjected the band to total state jurisdiction, including how tribes handle employment. The judges then applied their decision to the Houlton Band of Maliseets.
''There is no 'internal tribal matters' exception in the statute,'' Lynch wrote.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414887&na=1559
Click on link to read full article.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Quotes
When it comes time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home...Chief Tecumseh
Do you know...
Dennis Banks - Anishinabe (Ojibwa) activist...Born: Apr. 12, 1937; Birthplace: Leech Lake, Minn.
At an early age, Dennis Banks was removed from his home and sent to boarding schools, run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in which native Indian languages were forbidden. After a hitch in the military, he got in trouble with the law and was eventually jailed for burglary. He was released from prison in 1968 and helped found the American Indian Movement (AIM).
AIM spearheaded the 1969 Alcatraz occupation, in which the organization demanded the return of federal lands to Indian control; the 1972 Trail of Broken Treaties caravan to Washington, D.C.; and the 71-day siege of Wounded Knee, S.D., in 1973. After a long trial, Wounded Knee felony charges against Banks and AIM co-founder Russell Means were dropped.
In 1975, Banks was convicted for riot charges concerning the Custer courthouse incident that led to Wounded Knee. He went underground, returning in 1984 to serve more than a year in prison. Banks founded Sacred Run to promote the sacredness of all living things and has led runs across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
He had small roles in the movies War Party (1988), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and Thunderheart (1992). His autobiography Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement, was published in 2004.
At an early age, Dennis Banks was removed from his home and sent to boarding schools, run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in which native Indian languages were forbidden. After a hitch in the military, he got in trouble with the law and was eventually jailed for burglary. He was released from prison in 1968 and helped found the American Indian Movement (AIM).
AIM spearheaded the 1969 Alcatraz occupation, in which the organization demanded the return of federal lands to Indian control; the 1972 Trail of Broken Treaties caravan to Washington, D.C.; and the 71-day siege of Wounded Knee, S.D., in 1973. After a long trial, Wounded Knee felony charges against Banks and AIM co-founder Russell Means were dropped.
In 1975, Banks was convicted for riot charges concerning the Custer courthouse incident that led to Wounded Knee. He went underground, returning in 1984 to serve more than a year in prison. Banks founded Sacred Run to promote the sacredness of all living things and has led runs across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
He had small roles in the movies War Party (1988), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and Thunderheart (1992). His autobiography Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement, was published in 2004.
COWEE — The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Monday officially reclaimed one of the few undisturbed American Indians mounds remaining in Western No
COWEE — The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Monday officially reclaimed one of the few undisturbed American Indians mounds remaining in Western North Carolina.
“This property is not just about a mound,” Principal Chief Michell Hicks said. “It is about a way of life.”
The tribe worked with the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee to buy the 71-acre tract in the Cowee community north of Franklin.
The mound, which has never been excavated, was owned by generations of the Hall family before transferring to the late James Porter through his wife, Katherine, said Paul Carlson, executive director of The Land Trust.
The tribe has no plans to develop the property. It will be managed under a conservation easement. The site will one day offer interpretive signs, environmental education programs and a park. Cowee was the economic hub of the tribe because of its riverside location and proximity to white settlements.
Until the late 1770s, around 800 Cherokee lived there. The mound was owned by generations of the Hall family before transferring to the late James Porter through his wife, Katherine, said Paul Carlson, executive director of The Land Trust.
Lloyd Porter, James Porter’s nephew, said Monday that seeing the mound and the surrounding land back in the tribe’s control was “an honor.” Dolores Porter said her husband’s aunt and uncle always wanted the mound protected. “We feel like we are honoring their wishes,” she said.
Tom Belt, a Cherokee language instructor at Western Carolina University, was one of the speakers during Monday’s ceremony. The program also featured traditional dancing by the Warriors of AniKituhwa.
Belt, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, said he grew up in Oklahoma hearing stories about the people who stayed back east after the Removal. As the story goes, he said, the Creator wanted the Eastern Cherokee to stay behind to make sure the tribe’s homeland remained protected. He said returning the mound to its people fulfills that prophecy.
“We are not just reclaiming property,” he said. “We are, in fact, rebuilding the tribe.”
“This property is not just about a mound,” Principal Chief Michell Hicks said. “It is about a way of life.”
The tribe worked with the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee to buy the 71-acre tract in the Cowee community north of Franklin.
The mound, which has never been excavated, was owned by generations of the Hall family before transferring to the late James Porter through his wife, Katherine, said Paul Carlson, executive director of The Land Trust.
The tribe has no plans to develop the property. It will be managed under a conservation easement. The site will one day offer interpretive signs, environmental education programs and a park. Cowee was the economic hub of the tribe because of its riverside location and proximity to white settlements.
Until the late 1770s, around 800 Cherokee lived there. The mound was owned by generations of the Hall family before transferring to the late James Porter through his wife, Katherine, said Paul Carlson, executive director of The Land Trust.
Lloyd Porter, James Porter’s nephew, said Monday that seeing the mound and the surrounding land back in the tribe’s control was “an honor.” Dolores Porter said her husband’s aunt and uncle always wanted the mound protected. “We feel like we are honoring their wishes,” she said.
Tom Belt, a Cherokee language instructor at Western Carolina University, was one of the speakers during Monday’s ceremony. The program also featured traditional dancing by the Warriors of AniKituhwa.
Belt, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, said he grew up in Oklahoma hearing stories about the people who stayed back east after the Removal. As the story goes, he said, the Creator wanted the Eastern Cherokee to stay behind to make sure the tribe’s homeland remained protected. He said returning the mound to its people fulfills that prophecy.
“We are not just reclaiming property,” he said. “We are, in fact, rebuilding the tribe.”
Navajo chapter comes out against proposed power plant
SANOSTEE, N.M. -- A Navajo community in northwestern New Mexico has issued a resolution in opposition to a proposed $3 billion coal-fired power plant, but a tribal lawmaker says the community's concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
Jerry Bodie, a delegate who represents the Sanostee Chapter, said a few dozen of the chapter's 1,500 voters showed up at meeting this month and passed the resolution against the Desert Rock Energy Project.
Bodie said he took the chapter's message to the Tribal Council last week, and each delegate received a copy.
"They didn't listen to it and they think the power plant is good for all the people," Bodie said.
Critics claim the plant will add pollution to a region that already has two existing coal-fired plants, but Desert Rock supporters argue that the opposition represents a minority and that the Navajo Nation as a whole supports the project.
Houston-based Sithe Global and the tribe's Dine Power Authority have partnered on the project. It's expected to bring in about $55 million each year for the Navajo Nation and provide about 400 permanent jobs.
The Sanostee resolution requests a comprehensive health study of residents living within a 60-mile radius of coal-fired power plants. Sanostee is about 12 miles west of the proposed site, Bodie said.
The resolution also urges the Navajo Nation to consider alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, in place of the plant. A draft environmental impact statement on the proposed plant is expected in several weeks, and the resolution asks that public hearings on the document be held in Sanostee.
Jerry Bodie, a delegate who represents the Sanostee Chapter, said a few dozen of the chapter's 1,500 voters showed up at meeting this month and passed the resolution against the Desert Rock Energy Project.
Bodie said he took the chapter's message to the Tribal Council last week, and each delegate received a copy.
"They didn't listen to it and they think the power plant is good for all the people," Bodie said.
Critics claim the plant will add pollution to a region that already has two existing coal-fired plants, but Desert Rock supporters argue that the opposition represents a minority and that the Navajo Nation as a whole supports the project.
Houston-based Sithe Global and the tribe's Dine Power Authority have partnered on the project. It's expected to bring in about $55 million each year for the Navajo Nation and provide about 400 permanent jobs.
The Sanostee resolution requests a comprehensive health study of residents living within a 60-mile radius of coal-fired power plants. Sanostee is about 12 miles west of the proposed site, Bodie said.
The resolution also urges the Navajo Nation to consider alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, in place of the plant. A draft environmental impact statement on the proposed plant is expected in several weeks, and the resolution asks that public hearings on the document be held in Sanostee.
The First Fire - Cherokee lore
In the beginning of the world, there was no fire. The animal people were often cold. Only the Thunders, who lived in the world beyond the sky arch, had fire. At last they sent Lightning down to an island. Lightning put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree. The animal people knew that the fire was there, because they could see smoke rising from the top of the tree. But they could not get to it on account of the water. So they held a council to decide what to do.
Everyone that could fly or could swim was eager to go after the fire. Raven said, "Let me go. I am large and strong."
At that time Raven was white. He flew high and far across the water and reached the top of the sycamore tree. While he sat there wondering what to do, the heat scorched all his feathers black. The frightened Raven flew home without the fire, and his feathers have been black ever since.
Then the council sent Screech Owl. He flew to the island. But while he was looking down into the hollow tree, a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He flew home and to this day, Screech Owl's eyes are red.
Then Hooting Owl and Horned Owl were sent to the island together. But the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had to come home, and were never able to get rid of the white rings.
Then Little Snake swam across to the island, crawled through the grass to the tree, and entered it through a small hole at the bottom. But the smoke and the heat were too much for him, too. He escaped alive, but his body had been scorched black. And it was so twisted that he doubled on his track as if always trying to escape from a small space.
Big Snake, the climber, offered to go for fire, but he fell into the burning stump and became as black as Little Snake. He has been the great blacksnake ever since.
At last Water Spider said that she would go. Water Spider has black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She could run on top of water and she could dive to the bottom. She would have no trouble in getting to the island.
"But you are so little, how will you carry enough fire?" the council asked.
"I'll manage all right," answered Water Spider. "I can spin a web." so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a little bowl and fastened the little bowl on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass. She put one little coal of fire into her bowl and brought it across to the people.
Every since, we have had fire. And the Water Spider still has her little bowl on her back.
Everyone that could fly or could swim was eager to go after the fire. Raven said, "Let me go. I am large and strong."
At that time Raven was white. He flew high and far across the water and reached the top of the sycamore tree. While he sat there wondering what to do, the heat scorched all his feathers black. The frightened Raven flew home without the fire, and his feathers have been black ever since.
Then the council sent Screech Owl. He flew to the island. But while he was looking down into the hollow tree, a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He flew home and to this day, Screech Owl's eyes are red.
Then Hooting Owl and Horned Owl were sent to the island together. But the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had to come home, and were never able to get rid of the white rings.
Then Little Snake swam across to the island, crawled through the grass to the tree, and entered it through a small hole at the bottom. But the smoke and the heat were too much for him, too. He escaped alive, but his body had been scorched black. And it was so twisted that he doubled on his track as if always trying to escape from a small space.
Big Snake, the climber, offered to go for fire, but he fell into the burning stump and became as black as Little Snake. He has been the great blacksnake ever since.
At last Water Spider said that she would go. Water Spider has black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She could run on top of water and she could dive to the bottom. She would have no trouble in getting to the island.
"But you are so little, how will you carry enough fire?" the council asked.
"I'll manage all right," answered Water Spider. "I can spin a web." so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a little bowl and fastened the little bowl on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass. She put one little coal of fire into her bowl and brought it across to the people.
Every since, we have had fire. And the Water Spider still has her little bowl on her back.
Native American Rights Fund
Founded in 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is the oldest and largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes, organizations and individuals nationwide.
NARF’s practice is concentrated in five key areas: the preservation of tribal existence; the protection of tribal natural resources; the promotion of Native American human rights; the accountability of governments to Native Americans; and the development of Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues. Our work depends solely upon the generosity of donors like you. Please make a secure online donation today.
http://www.narf.org/
NARF’s practice is concentrated in five key areas: the preservation of tribal existence; the protection of tribal natural resources; the promotion of Native American human rights; the accountability of governments to Native Americans; and the development of Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues. Our work depends solely upon the generosity of donors like you. Please make a secure online donation today.
http://www.narf.org/
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Give Us Hearts to Understand
Give us hearts to understand;
Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give; never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed; Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty; never to take from her what we cannot use.
Give us hearts to understand;
That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion; that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench; that as we care for her she will care for us. We have forgotten who we are. We have sought only our own security. We have exploited simply for our own ends. We have distorted our knowledge. We have abused our power.
Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst, Help us to find the way to refresh your lands. Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution, help us to find the way to cleanse your waters. Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse, help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork. Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed, help us to find a way to replenish them. Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption help us to find the way to restore our humanity.
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to the world, hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
May I walk in Beauty.
Author unknown
Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give; never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed; Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty; never to take from her what we cannot use.
Give us hearts to understand;
That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion; that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench; that as we care for her she will care for us. We have forgotten who we are. We have sought only our own security. We have exploited simply for our own ends. We have distorted our knowledge. We have abused our power.
Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst, Help us to find the way to refresh your lands. Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution, help us to find the way to cleanse your waters. Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse, help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork. Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed, help us to find a way to replenish them. Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption help us to find the way to restore our humanity.
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to the world, hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
May I walk in Beauty.
Author unknown
Quotes
I cannot think that we are useless or God would not have created us. There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say.
- Geronimo, Apache
- Geronimo, Apache
'Art from Indian Territory' brings contemporary art to rural communities
ANADARKO, Okla. - When modern or contemporary American Indian art goes on exhibit in Oklahoma, it usually occurs in places such as Oklahoma City, Norman or Tulsa, with people from rural Native communities having to drive long distances to attend art openings.
Although Oklahoma City's upcoming American Indian Cultural Center and Museum is still under construction, it hasn't stopped the museum from getting art to the people. ''Art from Indian Territory,'' the museum's inaugural touring exhibit, was designed to tour five different regions in Oklahoma with the express purpose of bringing contemporary Native art to the entire state.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414804
Click on the link to read the full article
Although Oklahoma City's upcoming American Indian Cultural Center and Museum is still under construction, it hasn't stopped the museum from getting art to the people. ''Art from Indian Territory,'' the museum's inaugural touring exhibit, was designed to tour five different regions in Oklahoma with the express purpose of bringing contemporary Native art to the entire state.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414804
Click on the link to read the full article
Navajo Olympic hopefuls to try out for Beijing games
Two Navajo runners have their eyes and hearts set on China, and the newly formed nonprofit organization Nideiltihi Navajo Elite Runners will do everything it can to help them get there for the Summer Olympics in 2008.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414860
Click on the link to read the full story.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414860
Click on the link to read the full story.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Quotes
“Let me be a free man. Free to travel. Free to stop. Free to work. F ree to choose my own teachers. Free to follow the religion of my fathers. Free to think and talk and act for myself.”
Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
Someday has arrived
Life is now. Stop waiting for your opportunity to fully live and realize that it is already here.
Perhaps you have always thought that someday you will follow your dreams. The fact is, someday has now arrived. Your authentic purpose is calling out to you. Now is the time to be fulfilling that purpose. Go now in the direction you've always known you must go. Allow the unique and beautiful person you are to come fully to life. Let go of the excuses and rationalizations that keep you mired in disappointment and frustration. Move quickly forward by continually reminding yourself of why you are doing so. This is the moment for bold, yet sincere action. Someday is here, and the richness of life is now yours to experience.
-- Ralph Marston
Perhaps you have always thought that someday you will follow your dreams. The fact is, someday has now arrived. Your authentic purpose is calling out to you. Now is the time to be fulfilling that purpose. Go now in the direction you've always known you must go. Allow the unique and beautiful person you are to come fully to life. Let go of the excuses and rationalizations that keep you mired in disappointment and frustration. Move quickly forward by continually reminding yourself of why you are doing so. This is the moment for bold, yet sincere action. Someday is here, and the richness of life is now yours to experience.
-- Ralph Marston
The Great Spirit Prayer
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise, so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in
the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act
with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion
without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy, Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.
-author unknown-
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise, so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in
the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act
with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion
without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy, Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.
-author unknown-
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
HBO Films teams with executive producers Dick Wolf ("Law & Order") and Tom Thayer to present a feature adaptation of Dee Brown's 1971 nonfiction best-seller Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Told primarily through the eyes of three characters Charles Eastman (Adam Beach), Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg) and Senator Henry Dawes (Aidan Quinn) - the film explores the United States' obsession with its manifest destiny, detailing the economic, political and social pressures that underpinned the opening of the American West in the latter part of the 19th Century, and the tragic and permanent impact this expansion had on American Indian culture.
Premieres Sunday, May 27 at 9PM/8C
http://www.hbo.com/films/burymyheart/index.html
Click on link to visit HBO website for more information and trailer for movie.
Premieres Sunday, May 27 at 9PM/8C
http://www.hbo.com/films/burymyheart/index.html
Click on link to visit HBO website for more information and trailer for movie.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Indian Removal Act
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. This was because their "right of occupancy" was subordinate to the United States' "right of discovery." In response to the great threat this posed, the Creeks, Cherokee, and Chicasaw instituted policies of restricting land sales to the government. They wanted to protect what remained of their land before it was too late.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html
Click link to read more.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html
Click link to read more.
Sand Creek Massacre
Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism since 1492
At Sand Creek on November 29, 1864, John Chivington led the Colorado Volunteers in a dawn attack on Black Kettle and his band, who had been told they would be safe on this desolate reservation. Two hundred Cheyenne men, women and children were slaughtered, and their corpses often grotesquely mutilated, in a massacre that shocked the nation.
http://www.lastoftheindependents.com/sandcreek.htm
Click link to read full story.
At Sand Creek on November 29, 1864, John Chivington led the Colorado Volunteers in a dawn attack on Black Kettle and his band, who had been told they would be safe on this desolate reservation. Two hundred Cheyenne men, women and children were slaughtered, and their corpses often grotesquely mutilated, in a massacre that shocked the nation.
http://www.lastoftheindependents.com/sandcreek.htm
Click link to read full story.
Native American Rights Fund Case update
Significant Forward Progress on Implementing Nez Perce Water Settlement
On May 15, 2004, the Nez Perce Tribe, the State of Idaho, and the federal Department of the Interior announced publicly that a settlement of the tribe's claims in the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA) had been reached. Since 1998, the Nez Perce Tribe, the United States, the State of Idaho, and local communities and water users in Idaho had engaged in mediation as part of the SRBA to resolve the claims of the Nez Perce Tribe in the Snake River and several of its tributaries. The SRBA is the legal inventory of about 150,000 water rights in 38 of Idaho’s 44 counties. The Nez Perce dispute had been the biggest outstanding dispute in the Snake River Basin.
http://www.narf.org/events/07/nezperce.htm
Click on link to read full article
On May 15, 2004, the Nez Perce Tribe, the State of Idaho, and the federal Department of the Interior announced publicly that a settlement of the tribe's claims in the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA) had been reached. Since 1998, the Nez Perce Tribe, the United States, the State of Idaho, and local communities and water users in Idaho had engaged in mediation as part of the SRBA to resolve the claims of the Nez Perce Tribe in the Snake River and several of its tributaries. The SRBA is the legal inventory of about 150,000 water rights in 38 of Idaho’s 44 counties. The Nez Perce dispute had been the biggest outstanding dispute in the Snake River Basin.
http://www.narf.org/events/07/nezperce.htm
Click on link to read full article
Saturday, April 21, 2007
RACISM: HOUSTON MAYOR INSULTS AMERICAN INDIANS
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - Racism: Houston Mayor Insults American Indians Houston's Mayor Pro Tem Michael Berry insulted American Indian listeners during his talk show on slavery and Indians on KPRC Radio 950. The American Indian Genocide Museum in Houston urges others to respond. Houston 's Mayor Berry said: "We need to stop wasting all this time and energy apologizing to the American Indian, which we continue to do ... We give them casinos, we give them special licenses, we give them special scholarships and why I don't understand ..." " We conquered them, that's history - Hello " " You got to be against giving welfare to the American Indians because of the fact , that 200 years ago they were whipped in a war. Lets just call it what it is, they lost a war."
Life's journey
There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look ata pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.
Quotes
I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy.
Black Elk, 1863-1950 - Oglala Sioux, Medicine Man
Black Elk, 1863-1950 - Oglala Sioux, Medicine Man
Much more to being a Mohawk than just blood ties
(April 16, 2007) — The decision last month by voters in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to deny membership to descendants of slaves has focused national attention on who is truly aboriginal and what is the best method to determine who is Native.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704160335
Click on link to read the full article.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704160335
Click on link to read the full article.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Discovering a Native heritage
Putting a spiritual experience into words is never easy, but participants in Weber State University's Second Annual Native American Symposium had the opportunity to learn about the Native American culture.
http://media.www.wsusignpost.com/media/storage/paper985/news/2007/04/11/News/Discovering.A.Native.Heritage-2833265.shtml#cp_article_tools
Click on link to read full article.
http://media.www.wsusignpost.com/media/storage/paper985/news/2007/04/11/News/Discovering.A.Native.Heritage-2833265.shtml#cp_article_tools
Click on link to read full article.
Quiet Time
One of the most precious times of the day is when spent in quiet time. It’s a time when you get away from the wife or husband and children. It’s a time to get away from the television set and the phone. it’s a time to get away from the hustle and hassle of life. I know some who like to spend their quiet time locked in their room or backyard while others while walking their dog. I have a special place where I like to go. A place where there is no traffic. The only noise that I hear is the sounds of nature. I sit by a bubbly brook surrounded by tree’s and pray. I begin to light my cedar, sage, and sweet grass while praying. I lay tobacco upon Mother Earth. I pick up my drum and begin beating on it praying and singing my songs. I have noticed that without fail a red-tail hawk comes by to visit circling above. When I hear his shrill I lay down my drum and get real quiet still praying within my inner-self. I listen to the birds singing, and to the wind. I listen to the bubbly brook as it flows over the rocks. I listen to all the sounds in the area. I sit and just observe. Once a deer came within twenty feet of me, stopped and watched me for awhile then left. Another time a group of finches came just outside of my reach and sang for a long time. I just sit and observe. Sometimes I am given a song or words of encouragement. When I leave I always leave with more knowledge and wisdom and I always walk away completely content and full of peace. Yes quiet time is the most precious time of the day.
Written by Bear Warrior
Written by Bear Warrior
Quotes
Our fathers gave us many laws...that it was a disgrace to tell a lie; that we should speak only the
truth.
CHIEF JOSEPH, NEZ PERCE
The white men is too far removed from America's formative processes. The roots of the tree of his life have not yet grasped the rock and soil...But for the Indian, the spirit of the land is still vested...When the Indian has forgotten the music of his forefathers, when the sound of the tom-tom is no more, when the memory of his heroes is no longer told in story...he will be dead.
-LUTHER STANDING BEAR, OGLALA SIOUX CHIEF,1905-1939
truth.
CHIEF JOSEPH, NEZ PERCE
The white men is too far removed from America's formative processes. The roots of the tree of his life have not yet grasped the rock and soil...But for the Indian, the spirit of the land is still vested...When the Indian has forgotten the music of his forefathers, when the sound of the tom-tom is no more, when the memory of his heroes is no longer told in story...he will be dead.
-LUTHER STANDING BEAR, OGLALA SIOUX CHIEF,1905-1939
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Quotes
In all your official acts, self interest shall be cast aside. You shall look and listen to the welfare of the whole people and have always in view, not only the present but the coming generations--the unborn of the future Nation.
-DEKAWIDAH, CHEROKEE, 1720
-DEKAWIDAH, CHEROKEE, 1720
Elder's Meditation
"Our people don't come in parts. Either you are Indian, or you are not."
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHO
There are Rez Indians, Traditional Indians, Urban Indians and Breeds. This type of thinking keeps us separated.
Great Spirit, let me see the Unity of the People.
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHO
There are Rez Indians, Traditional Indians, Urban Indians and Breeds. This type of thinking keeps us separated.
Great Spirit, let me see the Unity of the People.
Injured bald eagle found by the road in Stafford dies
Date published: 4/13/2007
http://fredericksburg.com//News/FLS/2007/042007/04132007/275364?rss=local
Click on link to read full article
http://fredericksburg.com//News/FLS/2007/042007/04132007/275364?rss=local
Click on link to read full article
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Crossing
Spirit People Second Chief, Two Feathers, father crossed over earlier today. Two Feathers and his wife, North Star, will be traveling to Ohio to be with their family. They do not travel alone as all of Spirit People go with them in Spirit and prayer.
Native America Calling
Tune in and take part in this intense and stimulating one-hour call-in radio talk show inspiring people from all walks of life to reflect on Native American issues and how they influence our lives. Call toll free to participate at 1-800-996-2848
Monday, April 16, 2007 – Racism on the Radio: Racist and sexist remarks made by radio talk show host Don Imus about the Rutgers women's basketball team have led to his firing. He admitted he made a "stupid mistake" but the comment has sparked uproar and set off new national debate about racism. But a Houston-based shock jock recently made derogatory comments about Native Americans with little fanfare. Where do Native Americans stand on the issue of racism on the radio? And does the racial double standard apply to Natives as well? Guests include Alabama-Coushatta radio host Jacquelyn Battise.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007 – Termination and A Journey for Justice:In 1954 Congress enacted the Ute Partition and Termination Act that classified 490 members of the Uinta Band of Utes as "Mixed Bloods" and terminated their tribal status. Why have they filed a lawsuit to restore their Indian standing and why are they being met with great resistance from the other bands of the Ute Tribe of Utah? Guest include Dennis Chappabitty of the Comanche Nation, attorney for the terminated Uintas, and Oranna Felter, who was a minor when she had her status as a member of the Uinta Band of Ute Indians taken away.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 – I'm A Native Poet and I Know It: Native poets can express the simplest things. They have the power to convey something complicated, in depth, with just a few words. Some have even suggested Native languages are a form of poetry. No matter the form, subject or the originator, Native poetry is tightly woven into our modern day tribal communities. Whether it is in a short verse, a song, or a speech in one's Native tongue, poetry helps us express and record the world we live in. Guests include poet and visual artist Kade Twist of the Cherokee Nation.
Thursday, April 19, 2007 – Tribal E-Commerce:Selling products on the internet is big business and this fact has not gone unnoticed in Indian Country. Everything from tobacco to buffalo hides to Native art is being sold by individual Natives and tribal governments. Some tribes are now looking at selling prescription drugs over the internet as well. But states and federal entities are taking a dim view of Native e-commerce due to jurisdictional and tax revenue concerns. But shouldn't tribal sovereignty trump these concerns? Guests include Lance Morgan of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, President of Ho-Chunk, Inc.
Friday, April 20, 2007 – Native in the Spotlight: J.R. Redcloud:One thing that all Native people have in common is we like a good laugh. Even though some of us aren't that talkative, we all love to crack up at a good joke. While April brings us showers and May flowers, it is also known as National Humor Month. And along these lines we are proud to present Standing Rock Sioux up-and-coming comedian J.R. Redwater. His traditional name is Wanbli-Ohitika or Brave Eagle, and he's currently headlining the "Pow Wow Comedy Jam," which is headed to an Indian country venue near you.
You can listen to Native America Calling LIVE on-line. Or visit the web site for information about Native America Calling, to meet the Native America Calling staff, and to view pictures of our travels and in studio action.
Purchase Music that you hear on Native America Calling and on public radio. Public Radio Music Source, where each purchase benefitsNative radio.
Monday, April 16, 2007 – Racism on the Radio: Racist and sexist remarks made by radio talk show host Don Imus about the Rutgers women's basketball team have led to his firing. He admitted he made a "stupid mistake" but the comment has sparked uproar and set off new national debate about racism. But a Houston-based shock jock recently made derogatory comments about Native Americans with little fanfare. Where do Native Americans stand on the issue of racism on the radio? And does the racial double standard apply to Natives as well? Guests include Alabama-Coushatta radio host Jacquelyn Battise.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007 – Termination and A Journey for Justice:In 1954 Congress enacted the Ute Partition and Termination Act that classified 490 members of the Uinta Band of Utes as "Mixed Bloods" and terminated their tribal status. Why have they filed a lawsuit to restore their Indian standing and why are they being met with great resistance from the other bands of the Ute Tribe of Utah? Guest include Dennis Chappabitty of the Comanche Nation, attorney for the terminated Uintas, and Oranna Felter, who was a minor when she had her status as a member of the Uinta Band of Ute Indians taken away.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 – I'm A Native Poet and I Know It: Native poets can express the simplest things. They have the power to convey something complicated, in depth, with just a few words. Some have even suggested Native languages are a form of poetry. No matter the form, subject or the originator, Native poetry is tightly woven into our modern day tribal communities. Whether it is in a short verse, a song, or a speech in one's Native tongue, poetry helps us express and record the world we live in. Guests include poet and visual artist Kade Twist of the Cherokee Nation.
Thursday, April 19, 2007 – Tribal E-Commerce:Selling products on the internet is big business and this fact has not gone unnoticed in Indian Country. Everything from tobacco to buffalo hides to Native art is being sold by individual Natives and tribal governments. Some tribes are now looking at selling prescription drugs over the internet as well. But states and federal entities are taking a dim view of Native e-commerce due to jurisdictional and tax revenue concerns. But shouldn't tribal sovereignty trump these concerns? Guests include Lance Morgan of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, President of Ho-Chunk, Inc.
Friday, April 20, 2007 – Native in the Spotlight: J.R. Redcloud:One thing that all Native people have in common is we like a good laugh. Even though some of us aren't that talkative, we all love to crack up at a good joke. While April brings us showers and May flowers, it is also known as National Humor Month. And along these lines we are proud to present Standing Rock Sioux up-and-coming comedian J.R. Redwater. His traditional name is Wanbli-Ohitika or Brave Eagle, and he's currently headlining the "Pow Wow Comedy Jam," which is headed to an Indian country venue near you.
You can listen to Native America Calling LIVE on-line. Or visit the web site for information about Native America Calling, to meet the Native America Calling staff, and to view pictures of our travels and in studio action.
Purchase Music that you hear on Native America Calling and on public radio. Public Radio Music Source, where each purchase benefitsNative radio.
Sacred Pipe
Peace Pipes...as commonly known, is a white man's term, and were called Calumets by Native Americans, named after Calamus...the "stalk" or"reed," and is properly refered to as the sacred pipe. The pipe bowl is commonly carved from hard wood, molded from clay, or carved from red pipestone called Catlinite. Other stones such as Sandstone, Soapstone, hard stones such as Granite, Quartzite and Steatitewere is also used.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Quotes
Wise Old Indian:
Found in the 40th Anniversary Issue of Reader's Digest (dated Feb. 1962).
The quote reads: Vice President Lyndon Johnson received the following message from a Native American Indian Chief on a reservation: "Be careful with your immigration laws. We were careless with ours."
Found in the 40th Anniversary Issue of Reader's Digest (dated Feb. 1962).
The quote reads: Vice President Lyndon Johnson received the following message from a Native American Indian Chief on a reservation: "Be careful with your immigration laws. We were careless with ours."
Monday, April 16, 2007
Dark Clouds
Last night as I was watching the moon. I could see the clouds traveling in a South East direction. Some of the clouds were white and some were dark. I kept my eyes focused on the moon as the clouds passed underneath. At times I could not see the moon because the dark clouds were passing underneath the moon but I kept my focus on where the moon was. I noticed two others watching the moon and when the moon was covered by the dark clouds they both went inside. A thought entered my mind and worked its way down into my heart. We all have a purpose in this life. We are here for a reason. The moon symbolizes that purpose and reason. We need to focus on the reason we are here just as I kept my focus on the moon. Dark clouds will come into our life from time to time and may even keep you from seeing the end of your purpose but if you keep focus on the reason that you are here the dark clouds will pass shortly. Some do not know the reason that they are here and others will give up hope when the dark clouds block their view. The two that went inside when they could no longer see the moon is symbolic of what happens. They stop and give up. Others will look beyond the dark clouds and keep their focus knowing that it won't be long before the dark clouds pass by and you can clearly see again. You and I have a purpose here in this life. Do you know why you are here? If not it is possible to find out why. If you do what will you do when the dark clouds come into your life. Will you stay focused or will you give up. The dark clouds will come into your life. Look past those dark clouds so that you may fulfill your purpose in this life.
Written and submitted by: Bear Warrior
Written and submitted by: Bear Warrior
The case of Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leonard Peltier (born September 12, 1944) is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement. In 1977 he was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment for murdering two FBI Agents who died during a 1975 shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. There has been considerable debate over Peltier’s guilt and the fairness of his trial. Some supporters and organizations, including Amnesty International, consider him to be a political prisoner.[1] Numerous appeals have been filed on his behalf; however, none has been ruled in his favor. Peltier is currently incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Read further: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Peltier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leonard Peltier (born September 12, 1944) is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement. In 1977 he was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment for murdering two FBI Agents who died during a 1975 shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. There has been considerable debate over Peltier’s guilt and the fairness of his trial. Some supporters and organizations, including Amnesty International, consider him to be a political prisoner.[1] Numerous appeals have been filed on his behalf; however, none has been ruled in his favor. Peltier is currently incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Read further: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Peltier
Cherokee Pottery, People of One Fire
Ends April 22nd.
PARK HILL, Okla. – Cherokee Pottery: People of One Fire features a collection of visually stunning and culturally significant pottery made by the Cherokee people spanning centuries of dramatic culture change. From its utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative uses in prehistoric times to its contemporary appeal as fine art, the pottery of the Cherokees has continued as a vibrant and distinct part of their culture. The exhibition which features over 80 pieces will open on February 1st and will continue through April 22nd. After it ends in Tahlequah, the exhibit will travel to the Red Earth Museum and Festival in Oklahoma City and then end the year in the 5 Points Museum in Cleveland Tennessee. For more information on this and other Cherokee Heritage Center events, call (918) 456-6007, toll free at (888) 999-6007, or visit the Web site at www.CherokeeHeritage.org.
PARK HILL, Okla. – Cherokee Pottery: People of One Fire features a collection of visually stunning and culturally significant pottery made by the Cherokee people spanning centuries of dramatic culture change. From its utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative uses in prehistoric times to its contemporary appeal as fine art, the pottery of the Cherokees has continued as a vibrant and distinct part of their culture. The exhibition which features over 80 pieces will open on February 1st and will continue through April 22nd. After it ends in Tahlequah, the exhibit will travel to the Red Earth Museum and Festival in Oklahoma City and then end the year in the 5 Points Museum in Cleveland Tennessee. For more information on this and other Cherokee Heritage Center events, call (918) 456-6007, toll free at (888) 999-6007, or visit the Web site at www.CherokeeHeritage.org.
Update
Linda Weaving Dreams sent a message that the doctors have discovered the issues with her mom, she is receiving treatment, and should be home later this week. She wishes to thank all for the offering of smoke on her behalf.
Wounded Knee
Holocaust on American soil. Terrorism is not new to this land.
Click on title to view youtube video.
Click on title to view youtube video.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Native American Rights Fund Case update
NAGPRA/Sacred Sites Legislative IssuesAttorney: Walter Echohawk
Case Update:
NARF offered testimony in 2004 and 2005 before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at an Oversight Hearings regarding NAGPRA issues. NARF is working on legislation to amend NAGPRA to correct problems created by the Ninth Circuit decision in the Bonnichsen case as well as providing comments on various proposed regulations and policies implementing NAGPRA.NARF is also assisting the Pawnee Nation in the reburial of about 800 human remains in the State of Nebraska, which will entail the facilitation of a transfer of private land located within the heart of the Pawnee homeland to the Nation for use as a reburial and cultural site. Meetings were held this Spring concerning these matters.NARF has closely followed a lawsuit involving a dispute among Native Hawaiian NAGPRA claimants concerning the legality of a repatriation from the Bishop museum. NARF has not become involved due to its "Indian v. Indian" policy.
Case Update:
NARF offered testimony in 2004 and 2005 before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at an Oversight Hearings regarding NAGPRA issues. NARF is working on legislation to amend NAGPRA to correct problems created by the Ninth Circuit decision in the Bonnichsen case as well as providing comments on various proposed regulations and policies implementing NAGPRA.NARF is also assisting the Pawnee Nation in the reburial of about 800 human remains in the State of Nebraska, which will entail the facilitation of a transfer of private land located within the heart of the Pawnee homeland to the Nation for use as a reburial and cultural site. Meetings were held this Spring concerning these matters.NARF has closely followed a lawsuit involving a dispute among Native Hawaiian NAGPRA claimants concerning the legality of a repatriation from the Bishop museum. NARF has not become involved due to its "Indian v. Indian" policy.
Wado!
A special note of gratitude to J.B. Starkey, Laura Starkey, and the rest of the family for their kind and generous support by providing us the grounds for our powwow as well as our regular monthly gatherings. Spirit People Intertribal appreciates all you do.
Wado,
Waterbird/Weighs The Truth
Wado,
Waterbird/Weighs The Truth
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Send smoke
Siyo family.
We have a request for smoke. Linda Weaving Dreams sent an email that her mother is in the hospital with stomach pains. We don't know what's going on at this point, but will update here when we have more information
Wado, Weighs The Truth
We have a request for smoke. Linda Weaving Dreams sent an email that her mother is in the hospital with stomach pains. We don't know what's going on at this point, but will update here when we have more information
Wado, Weighs The Truth
Did you know...
A Native to Know
Sequoyah (1770-1843), Cherokee, developed a syllabary for the Cherokee langauge and opened many new doors for his fellow people. It took Sequoyah 12 years to finish his work, and he will be remembered as one of the only people in world history to create an entire syllabary on his own.
Sequoyah (1770-1843), Cherokee, developed a syllabary for the Cherokee langauge and opened many new doors for his fellow people. It took Sequoyah 12 years to finish his work, and he will be remembered as one of the only people in world history to create an entire syllabary on his own.
Wado
Linda Weaving Dreams, for providing Spirit People with so many pages of resources to share here. Your work and dedication to the people is very much appreciated.
Bill Sharpe, TampaGold.com, for creating this blog so all the treasures found can be preserved for future generations. Your thoughtfulness and kindness to the people means more than we can say.
Weighs The Truth
Spiritual Advisor
Spirit People Intertribal Family
Bill Sharpe, TampaGold.com, for creating this blog so all the treasures found can be preserved for future generations. Your thoughtfulness and kindness to the people means more than we can say.
Weighs The Truth
Spiritual Advisor
Spirit People Intertribal Family
Important dates in April
April 14, 1614 - John Rolfe marries Pocahontas
April 9, 1884 - Sacajawea dies in Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation
April 13, 1946 - Congress creates the Indian Claims Commission
April 20, 1988 - Congress repeals Termination of Tribes resolution
Information provided by the Native American Rights Fund, Boulder, CO.
"We ask for nothing more, and will accept nothing less than the U.S. government keeping the promises it has made to Native Americans." John E. Echohawk, Executive Director NARF
April 9, 1884 - Sacajawea dies in Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation
April 13, 1946 - Congress creates the Indian Claims Commission
April 20, 1988 - Congress repeals Termination of Tribes resolution
Information provided by the Native American Rights Fund, Boulder, CO.
"We ask for nothing more, and will accept nothing less than the U.S. government keeping the promises it has made to Native Americans." John E. Echohawk, Executive Director NARF
Quotes
"In our story of Creation, we talk about each one of us having our own path to travel, and our own gift to give and to share. You see, what we say is that the Creator gave us all special gifts; each one of us is special. And each one of us is a special gift to each other because we've got something to share."
--John Peters (Slow Turtle), WAMPANOAG
Everyone makes his feast as he thinks best, to please the Great Spirit, who has the care of all created beings. BLACK HAWK SAUK
"Dissimilar things were fitted together to make something beautiful and whole." -Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE - Grandfather, today, let me see the beauty of the whole.
--John Peters (Slow Turtle), WAMPANOAG
Everyone makes his feast as he thinks best, to please the Great Spirit, who has the care of all created beings. BLACK HAWK SAUK
"Dissimilar things were fitted together to make something beautiful and whole." -Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE - Grandfather, today, let me see the beauty of the whole.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Mediatations with Native American Elders
Meditations with Native American Elders - April 10
"Together we can end the Holocaust against the environment." Haida Gwaii - Traditional Circle of Elders
Great Spirit, today, I pray for us to awaken to what we are doing.
"Together we can end the Holocaust against the environment." Haida Gwaii - Traditional Circle of Elders
Great Spirit, today, I pray for us to awaken to what we are doing.
Protect Sacred Sites
Take a look-see at http://www.protectsacredsites.org/. The committee is very dedicated in working hard on many sacred sites issues right now, and getting ready to start a huge new project! Theyactively seek people to add to the committee. If you are interested, please contact them directly at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Proud-To-Be-Native-American/post?postID=z0R7yFHUC5B9SBqR9slZte7HBXItxl9dl_h5VSCSIRsokRlWHkErG40VwwoCD2i8erdpZJWWzocjSlsVva_tI8Vb .
Also - this site -
ttp://www.ndnnews.com/http://www.protectsacredsites.org/"Providing news and information about Native American Issues & Causes. "Helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?" "Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"
Also - this site -
ttp://www.ndnnews.com/http://www.protectsacredsites.org/"Providing news and information about Native American Issues & Causes. "Helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?" "Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"
Native American Contributions to the Modern Healing Culture
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Native Americans have contributed many drugs now used in healing our society. The North American and South American Native People brought more than 200 drugs to the modern healing culture.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Man's early medicine was a mixture of fact, folklore and superstition...at times, a little trial and error.Yellow plants were good for jaundice.
Red ones, of course, for the blood.
If leaves looked similar to the liver,they were used to treat liver ailments.
If a plant or a brew smelled bad or tastedworse, it must be good for you!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The American Indians did not just learn by trail and error. They would watch the animals for knowledge and guidance. If an animal got a rash from a plant, they might observe the animal rolling in another plant for comfort.We will often see this type of behavior in coyotes, wolves or domesticated dogs. If they have an upset stomach, they may chew grass for the chlorophyl.The secret has always been to use what's available.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Native Americans knew how to set fractures.
They had vast knowledge of anesthetics and antiseptics.
Indians are also active inventors. They developed syringes and the surgical use for rubber and cotton.* * * * * * * * * *
Aspirin, pain killers, muscle relaxant, cure for scurvy, the cure for malaria, and more remedies that are used today, were in fact used by the Indian people many centuries ago and prior to Western Civilization.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When the early European Settler's first came to the New World, they didn't trust any remedies of the people they thought were savages. They called the Indians heathens and complained that their remedies weren't clean, "you can't use that, it's not right"...and, theIndians were labeled pagans. So, they brought many of their own herbs and plants with them.
Slowly, the settlers found that the healing remedies available in this New World worked as well or better than their own. Not long after, Indian medicine, white man's medicine, and then combinations of both were being used.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Creator, responsible for the creation of the world and all that is contained within, is honored for the knowledge given, in Native American religious ritual and prayer. Given to the Indians was a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies.
Herbal medicine utilized plants and plant products from folk medicine traditions for pharmacological use. Many drugs in use today are originally herbal medicines.
Native Americans practiced Holistic healing therapies on the whole person, which included the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
Holistic healing is a 24 hour application of mind, body, and emotion . . . the Medicine Man takes those three dimensions and applies them in his practice.* * * * * * * * * *
Native Americans pioneered holistic healing.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The time came when man started using synthesized drugs and derivatives. But, the medical culture was drawn back to what has been there all along; and, what Indian people knew, and still know, and utilize today.* * * * * * * * * *
We used to use roots, barks, berries, and herbs; now, we find we're going back to what it was...the basics.* * * * * * *
Native Americans have contributed many drugs now used in healing our society. The North American and South American Native People brought more than 200 drugs to the modern healing culture.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Man's early medicine was a mixture of fact, folklore and superstition...at times, a little trial and error.Yellow plants were good for jaundice.
Red ones, of course, for the blood.
If leaves looked similar to the liver,they were used to treat liver ailments.
If a plant or a brew smelled bad or tastedworse, it must be good for you!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The American Indians did not just learn by trail and error. They would watch the animals for knowledge and guidance. If an animal got a rash from a plant, they might observe the animal rolling in another plant for comfort.We will often see this type of behavior in coyotes, wolves or domesticated dogs. If they have an upset stomach, they may chew grass for the chlorophyl.The secret has always been to use what's available.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Native Americans knew how to set fractures.
They had vast knowledge of anesthetics and antiseptics.
Indians are also active inventors. They developed syringes and the surgical use for rubber and cotton.* * * * * * * * * *
Aspirin, pain killers, muscle relaxant, cure for scurvy, the cure for malaria, and more remedies that are used today, were in fact used by the Indian people many centuries ago and prior to Western Civilization.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When the early European Settler's first came to the New World, they didn't trust any remedies of the people they thought were savages. They called the Indians heathens and complained that their remedies weren't clean, "you can't use that, it's not right"...and, theIndians were labeled pagans. So, they brought many of their own herbs and plants with them.
Slowly, the settlers found that the healing remedies available in this New World worked as well or better than their own. Not long after, Indian medicine, white man's medicine, and then combinations of both were being used.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Creator, responsible for the creation of the world and all that is contained within, is honored for the knowledge given, in Native American religious ritual and prayer. Given to the Indians was a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies.
Herbal medicine utilized plants and plant products from folk medicine traditions for pharmacological use. Many drugs in use today are originally herbal medicines.
Native Americans practiced Holistic healing therapies on the whole person, which included the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
Holistic healing is a 24 hour application of mind, body, and emotion . . . the Medicine Man takes those three dimensions and applies them in his practice.* * * * * * * * * *
Native Americans pioneered holistic healing.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The time came when man started using synthesized drugs and derivatives. But, the medical culture was drawn back to what has been there all along; and, what Indian people knew, and still know, and utilize today.* * * * * * * * * *
We used to use roots, barks, berries, and herbs; now, we find we're going back to what it was...the basics.* * * * * * *
The Mounds
TheMOUNDS
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Mounds are unusual earthwork formations that were were made by pre-historic Native Americans.The people that constructed the mounds are known as MOUNDBUILDERS. Although very little is known of the mound building people's way of life, we do know that the three cultures active during the building period were the Adena Culture, the Hopewell Culture, and theMississippian Culture.
There are three basic types of mounds...the Burial mound, the Effigy mound, and the Temple mound.
* * * * * *
Some mounds were built over Two-thousand years before the white Europeans invaded North America. Most were abandoned after the white man had arrived.
* * * * * *
Some mounds are made entirely of stone.Some mounds are made of soil and stones.Other mounds are made only of fine dirt.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The majority of Effigy mounds are found in the state of Wisconsin; although, some have been found in the states of Ohio and Georgia.
* * * * * *
A Temple mound is usually flat-topped and designed to hold a Temple, the Shaman's house or the Chief's residence.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Burial mounds contain one or more graves and grave goods.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
One well known site is in Mississippi, near what was once a Choctaw village called Nanihaba.
"Nanih Waiya" is a common flat-topped Temple mound.Its oblong base covers about an acre, and the flat area40 feet above, covers one-fourth of an acre. This moundis surrounded by a 10 foot high, 1.5 mile long circular wall.
Archeological evidence suggests that the Nahih Waiya sitehad been occupied continuously for approximately 2000 yearsprior to the European invasion. The mound itself was builtbetween 1500 and 2000 years ago, likely by the Choctawtribe, and the construction is thought to have taken fromtwo to three generations to complete.
Most sites average from three to six feet highand anywhere from 100 to 600 feet long.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mounds are unusual earthwork formations that were were made by pre-historic Native Americans.The people that constructed the mounds are known as MOUNDBUILDERS. Although very little is known of the mound building people's way of life, we do know that the three cultures active during the building period were the Adena Culture, the Hopewell Culture, and theMississippian Culture.
There are three basic types of mounds...the Burial mound, the Effigy mound, and the Temple mound.
* * * * * *
Some mounds were built over Two-thousand years before the white Europeans invaded North America. Most were abandoned after the white man had arrived.
* * * * * *
Some mounds are made entirely of stone.Some mounds are made of soil and stones.Other mounds are made only of fine dirt.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The majority of Effigy mounds are found in the state of Wisconsin; although, some have been found in the states of Ohio and Georgia.
* * * * * *
A Temple mound is usually flat-topped and designed to hold a Temple, the Shaman's house or the Chief's residence.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Burial mounds contain one or more graves and grave goods.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
One well known site is in Mississippi, near what was once a Choctaw village called Nanihaba.
"Nanih Waiya" is a common flat-topped Temple mound.Its oblong base covers about an acre, and the flat area40 feet above, covers one-fourth of an acre. This moundis surrounded by a 10 foot high, 1.5 mile long circular wall.
Archeological evidence suggests that the Nahih Waiya sitehad been occupied continuously for approximately 2000 yearsprior to the European invasion. The mound itself was builtbetween 1500 and 2000 years ago, likely by the Choctawtribe, and the construction is thought to have taken fromtwo to three generations to complete.
Most sites average from three to six feet highand anywhere from 100 to 600 feet long.
Send smoke
Siyo family.
We have a request for smoke. Linda Weaving Dreams sent an email that her mother is in the hospital with stomach pains. We don't know what's going on at this point, but will update here when we have more information
Wado,
Weighs The Truth
We have a request for smoke. Linda Weaving Dreams sent an email that her mother is in the hospital with stomach pains. We don't know what's going on at this point, but will update here when we have more information
Wado,
Weighs The Truth
Futures for Children
SANTA FE, N.M. - ''Futures for Children: Photographs by Debbie Fleming Caffery and Kim Ashley'' will be exhibited in the New Mexico state Capitol's Governor's Gallery through June 10. The photographers have, since 2003, spent many months documenting through striking photograph, the youth participants in the Futures for Children program. Futures for Children is a national organization partnering with American Indian tribes to instill the values of education and leadership in young people while preserving cultural identities. Futures for Children provides mentoring and training in Hopi, Navajo and New Mexico Pueblo tribal communities to more than 15,000 American Indian students and their families. More than 200 volunteers from these communities work with Futures for Children to deliver and monitor the program in support of the organization's goals of promoting higher education, developing leadership skills in youth and providing access to educational opportunities. The children and young adults in these photographs have all participated in the Futures Friendship program and have established a long-term mentor relationship. Caffery and Ashley depict the beauty and power that is embodied in both the Southwestern landscape and in the potential of these youth. Caffery's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She has received many awards and her photographs, which have been the subject of numerous publications, are included in a number of prestigious photography collections including the Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian Institute and the George Eastman House. Ashley's lifelong interest in photography began more than 35 years ago, when he trained as a combat photographer. Specializing in Southwest and outdoor photography, Ashley opened his own studio in Albuquerque in 2005. The exhibition is comprised of more than 40 photographs. Caffery's restrained portraits are printed in subtle black and white, while Ashley worked with color imagery to capture his subjects within the natural landscape. The Governor's Gallery is an outreach of the Museum of Fine Arts, a division of the N.M. Department of Cultural Affairs. The gallery is located on the fourth floor of the state Capitol building. All events are free and open to the public.
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