"When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear, when that happens, the
Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them." -
Chief Seattle - Suquamish/Duwamish
Friday, November 30, 2007
Seasons
A legend - origination unknown
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 at a 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, the fulfillment of your Fall.
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 at a 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, the fulfillment of your Fall.
BIA to consider moratorium on uranium mining leases on Navajo trust land
By: Jerry Reynolds
WASHINGTON - Congressmen, Navajo leaders and federal agency leaders alike heard the grim legacy of past uranium mining on Navajo lands and learned of nuclear industry efforts to stockpile uranium mining permits for future use.
Midway through a roundtable on uranium mining, hosted by Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Nov. 8, the solution seemed to become obvious to everyone at once: first clean up the abandoned uranium sites that threaten Navajo health and groundwater, then place a federal moratorium on new Navajo-based uranium mining until the cleanup is accomplished. The Navajo Nation already has a moratorium in place, but uranium mining interests are approaching off-reservation owners of individual allotted trust lands with lease offers, according to nation representatives at the roundtable. A federal moratorium would forbid uranium mining leases on any and all Navajo trust land.
''Congressman Udall,'' said Mitchell Capitan, founder of Eastern Navajo Dine' Against Uranium Mining, ''communities across New Mexico and the Four Corners [of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado - i.e., Navajo land] are saying the same thing we are. Clean up the uranium messes before creating new ones. We are in agreement with our brothers and sisters, the pueblos and Lagunas are here, our Anglo and Hispanic communities. New uranium mining threatens us all. We need a federal moratorium on new mining.''
There's more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416131
WASHINGTON - Congressmen, Navajo leaders and federal agency leaders alike heard the grim legacy of past uranium mining on Navajo lands and learned of nuclear industry efforts to stockpile uranium mining permits for future use.
Midway through a roundtable on uranium mining, hosted by Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Nov. 8, the solution seemed to become obvious to everyone at once: first clean up the abandoned uranium sites that threaten Navajo health and groundwater, then place a federal moratorium on new Navajo-based uranium mining until the cleanup is accomplished. The Navajo Nation already has a moratorium in place, but uranium mining interests are approaching off-reservation owners of individual allotted trust lands with lease offers, according to nation representatives at the roundtable. A federal moratorium would forbid uranium mining leases on any and all Navajo trust land.
''Congressman Udall,'' said Mitchell Capitan, founder of Eastern Navajo Dine' Against Uranium Mining, ''communities across New Mexico and the Four Corners [of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado - i.e., Navajo land] are saying the same thing we are. Clean up the uranium messes before creating new ones. We are in agreement with our brothers and sisters, the pueblos and Lagunas are here, our Anglo and Hispanic communities. New uranium mining threatens us all. We need a federal moratorium on new mining.''
There's more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416131
From San Francisco to D.C.
By: Shadi Rahimi
SAN FRANCISCO - In the three decades since Mohawk student Richard Oakes first dove into the ice-cold waters of the San Francisco Bay and set off a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island, thousands have returned to honor those who ignited a national movement.
This year, as the sun rose above the blue-green waters still tinged with black from a 58,000-gallon oil spill in early November, activists from the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement era vowed more change.
In addition to protests reignited this year around the desecration of sacred sites and burial grounds and the return of ancestral remains from University of California - Berkeley, Natives here are helping to revive the Longest Walk of 1978.
''It's the continuation of the 'Longest War' that started when the first Indian blood was spilled on this land, which is still being done today - it's just more subtle,'' said Bill ''Jimbo'' Simmons of the International Indian Treaty Council.
Simmons, 52, walked the entire five-month journey in 1978. Next year, on Feb. 11, he and others will depart after a ceremony on Alcatraz to trek 4,400 miles across 11 states until they reach Washington, D.C.
There, thousands will add the message that ''all life is sacred'' to campaigns around global warming, said Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement. Walkers will pick up debris that public buses will collect for recycling, he said.
Want the whole story? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416194
SAN FRANCISCO - In the three decades since Mohawk student Richard Oakes first dove into the ice-cold waters of the San Francisco Bay and set off a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island, thousands have returned to honor those who ignited a national movement.
This year, as the sun rose above the blue-green waters still tinged with black from a 58,000-gallon oil spill in early November, activists from the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement era vowed more change.
In addition to protests reignited this year around the desecration of sacred sites and burial grounds and the return of ancestral remains from University of California - Berkeley, Natives here are helping to revive the Longest Walk of 1978.
''It's the continuation of the 'Longest War' that started when the first Indian blood was spilled on this land, which is still being done today - it's just more subtle,'' said Bill ''Jimbo'' Simmons of the International Indian Treaty Council.
Simmons, 52, walked the entire five-month journey in 1978. Next year, on Feb. 11, he and others will depart after a ceremony on Alcatraz to trek 4,400 miles across 11 states until they reach Washington, D.C.
There, thousands will add the message that ''all life is sacred'' to campaigns around global warming, said Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement. Walkers will pick up debris that public buses will collect for recycling, he said.
Want the whole story? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416194
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Quotes
"I am a red man. If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for Eagles to be Crows. We are poor . . . but we are free. No white man controls our footsteps. If we must die . . . we die defending our rights." -
Sitting Bull - Oglala Sioux
Sitting Bull - Oglala Sioux
Oklahoma artists create dialogue to discuss state's centennial
By: Brian Daffron
OKLAHOMA CITY - As the state of Oklahoma celebrates 100 years of being admitted into the Union, many cities and towns throughout the state are having different types of celebrations. Some include parades and festivals. Other activities include all-star country music concerts headlined by Oklahomans Vince Gill and Toby Keith. Other activities may include ''Land Run'' recreations on public school playgrounds.
''For mainstream Oklahoma, it's easier to go down the road where things are always pleasant and always happy,'' said Choctaw/Southern Cheyenne artist Tim Ramsey. ''Just for that reason, it's a little bit harder to look at someone else and empathize with another history that you're not familiar with or that might be a little bit uncomfortable.''
This ''uncomfortable'' history grows into evasive questions throughout much of the Oklahoma Centennial hoopla that in many cases are not attempted to be answered or are forgotten. What about the history of Oklahoma and Indian Territory before statehood or even before the Land Run of 1889? What about the allotment system that ultimately created Oklahoma? How about the effects of statehood and loss of land on Oklahoma's Native population today?
Oklahoma's Native artists will answer questions - and even ask new ones - with the exhibit ''Current Realities: A Dialogue with the People,'' which began with its Nov. 9 opening, featuring work from more than 75 artists at the Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, 811 N. Broadway in Oklahoma City, running through Dec. 21.
Read the complete article here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416146
OKLAHOMA CITY - As the state of Oklahoma celebrates 100 years of being admitted into the Union, many cities and towns throughout the state are having different types of celebrations. Some include parades and festivals. Other activities include all-star country music concerts headlined by Oklahomans Vince Gill and Toby Keith. Other activities may include ''Land Run'' recreations on public school playgrounds.
''For mainstream Oklahoma, it's easier to go down the road where things are always pleasant and always happy,'' said Choctaw/Southern Cheyenne artist Tim Ramsey. ''Just for that reason, it's a little bit harder to look at someone else and empathize with another history that you're not familiar with or that might be a little bit uncomfortable.''
This ''uncomfortable'' history grows into evasive questions throughout much of the Oklahoma Centennial hoopla that in many cases are not attempted to be answered or are forgotten. What about the history of Oklahoma and Indian Territory before statehood or even before the Land Run of 1889? What about the allotment system that ultimately created Oklahoma? How about the effects of statehood and loss of land on Oklahoma's Native population today?
Oklahoma's Native artists will answer questions - and even ask new ones - with the exhibit ''Current Realities: A Dialogue with the People,'' which began with its Nov. 9 opening, featuring work from more than 75 artists at the Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, 811 N. Broadway in Oklahoma City, running through Dec. 21.
Read the complete article here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416146
South Mountain Freeway study approved
Tribe allows access to Gila River Reservation
By: Kerry Fehr-Snyder
AHWATUKEE - At first blush, it looks like the most hopeful sign for South Mountain Freeway foes in years.
But the Gila River Indian Community wants to make it clear that allowing the state Transportation Department access to its land doesn't mean that the community has reversed its objection to building the proposed 22-mile freeway on reservation land.
"That's not even on the table," said spokeswoman Alia Maisonet. "This is just so it (the Arizona Department of Transportation) can complete the study for the Pecos Road alignment."
The community announced Tuesday that it will give ADOT one year to access its land for an environmental-impact statement, which is due out next year. Over the years, there has been talk of pushing the freeway alignment south onto reservation land, but the community has barred ADOT from studying that option.
The community's new decision doesn't change that, Maisonet said. Instead, ADOT will be allowed to study possible water runoff, pollution and other environmental impacts created by the $1.7 billion freeway in Ahwatukee.
"We explained to ADOT that this is not to mean there is a freeway on our land or a freeway even to be considered on the land," Maisonet said.
By: Kerry Fehr-Snyder
AHWATUKEE - At first blush, it looks like the most hopeful sign for South Mountain Freeway foes in years.
But the Gila River Indian Community wants to make it clear that allowing the state Transportation Department access to its land doesn't mean that the community has reversed its objection to building the proposed 22-mile freeway on reservation land.
"That's not even on the table," said spokeswoman Alia Maisonet. "This is just so it (the Arizona Department of Transportation) can complete the study for the Pecos Road alignment."
The community announced Tuesday that it will give ADOT one year to access its land for an environmental-impact statement, which is due out next year. Over the years, there has been talk of pushing the freeway alignment south onto reservation land, but the community has barred ADOT from studying that option.
The community's new decision doesn't change that, Maisonet said. Instead, ADOT will be allowed to study possible water runoff, pollution and other environmental impacts created by the $1.7 billion freeway in Ahwatukee.
"We explained to ADOT that this is not to mean there is a freeway on our land or a freeway even to be considered on the land," Maisonet said.
Fire on the mountain
Disaster leaves La Jolla Indian Reservation with almost nothing
By: David Kelly
A pitiless firestorm - one of the many that swept over Southern California - was especially cruel to the La Jolla Indian Reservation clinging to the southern slopes of Mount Palomar.
Residents described hellish flames sweeping over lush hills and valleys, burning 94 percent of the reservation and destroying 59 of its 170 houses. Thick forests of live oak that once shaded homes for generations of American Indians are gone now, replaced by black scars of ash.
Unlike many neighboring tribes, the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians don't own a casino. Many members rely on government aid to survive, and the chief source of revenue is a campground along a three-mile stretch of the San Luis Rey River.
"We were already at the bottom of the barrel, and now this takes us down even further," said tribal Chairman Tracy Lee Nelson, who returned from his honeymoon to find cinders where his house had stood. "I have never been up against anything like this before. It will take millions of dollars to repair this reservation."
Tribal members, who number about 700 , are still trying to digest the magnitude of destruction that has touched everyone in some way.
Want to read more? Click here: http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/NEWS03/711280329/1013/NEWS03
By: David Kelly
A pitiless firestorm - one of the many that swept over Southern California - was especially cruel to the La Jolla Indian Reservation clinging to the southern slopes of Mount Palomar.
Residents described hellish flames sweeping over lush hills and valleys, burning 94 percent of the reservation and destroying 59 of its 170 houses. Thick forests of live oak that once shaded homes for generations of American Indians are gone now, replaced by black scars of ash.
Unlike many neighboring tribes, the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians don't own a casino. Many members rely on government aid to survive, and the chief source of revenue is a campground along a three-mile stretch of the San Luis Rey River.
"We were already at the bottom of the barrel, and now this takes us down even further," said tribal Chairman Tracy Lee Nelson, who returned from his honeymoon to find cinders where his house had stood. "I have never been up against anything like this before. It will take millions of dollars to repair this reservation."
Tribal members, who number about 700 , are still trying to digest the magnitude of destruction that has touched everyone in some way.
Want to read more? Click here: http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/NEWS03/711280329/1013/NEWS03
Monday, November 26, 2007
Origin of Corn
Abenaki legend...
A long time ago, when the Indians were first made, one man lived alone, far from any others. He did not know fire, and so he lived on roots, bark, and nuts. This man became very lonely for companionship. He grew tired of digging roots, lost his appetite, and for several days lay dreaming in the sunshine. When he awoke, he saw someone standing near and, at first, was very frightened.
But when he heard the stranger's voice, his heart was glad, and he looked up. He saw a beautiful woman with long light hair! "Come to me," he whispered. But she did not, and when he tried to approach her, she moved farther away. He sang to her about his loneliness, and begged her not to leave him.
At last she replied, "If you will do exactly what I tell you to do, I will also be with you."
He promised that he would try his very best. So she led him to a place where there was some very dry grass. "Now get two dry sticks," she told him, "and rub them together fast while you hold them in the grass."
Soon a spark flew out. The grass caught fire, and as swiftly as an arrow takes flight, the ground was burned over. Then the beautiful woman spoke again: "When the sun sets, take me by the hair and drag me over the burned ground."
"Oh, I don't want to do that!" the man exclaimed.
"You must do what I tell you to do," said she. "Wherever you drag me, something like grass will spring up, and you will see something like hair coming from between the leaves. Soon seeds will be ready for your use."
The man followed the beautiful woman's orders. And when the Indians see silk on the cornstalk, they know that the beautiful woman has not forgotten them.
A long time ago, when the Indians were first made, one man lived alone, far from any others. He did not know fire, and so he lived on roots, bark, and nuts. This man became very lonely for companionship. He grew tired of digging roots, lost his appetite, and for several days lay dreaming in the sunshine. When he awoke, he saw someone standing near and, at first, was very frightened.
But when he heard the stranger's voice, his heart was glad, and he looked up. He saw a beautiful woman with long light hair! "Come to me," he whispered. But she did not, and when he tried to approach her, she moved farther away. He sang to her about his loneliness, and begged her not to leave him.
At last she replied, "If you will do exactly what I tell you to do, I will also be with you."
He promised that he would try his very best. So she led him to a place where there was some very dry grass. "Now get two dry sticks," she told him, "and rub them together fast while you hold them in the grass."
Soon a spark flew out. The grass caught fire, and as swiftly as an arrow takes flight, the ground was burned over. Then the beautiful woman spoke again: "When the sun sets, take me by the hair and drag me over the burned ground."
"Oh, I don't want to do that!" the man exclaimed.
"You must do what I tell you to do," said she. "Wherever you drag me, something like grass will spring up, and you will see something like hair coming from between the leaves. Soon seeds will be ready for your use."
The man followed the beautiful woman's orders. And when the Indians see silk on the cornstalk, they know that the beautiful woman has not forgotten them.
Do you know...
Black Kettle - Cheyenne
Few biographical details are known about the Southern Cheyenne chief Black Kettle, but his repeated efforts to secure a peace with honor for his people, despite broken promises and attacks on his own life, speak of him as a great leader with an almost unique vision of the possiblity for coexistence between white society and the culture of the plains.
Black Kettle lived on the vast territory in western Kansas and eastern Colorado that had been guaranteed to the Cheyenne under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. Within less than a decade, however, the 1859 Pikes Peak gold rush sparked an enormous population boom in Colorado, and this led to extensive white encroachments on Cheyenne land. Even the U.S. Indian Commissioner admitted that "We have substantially taken possession of the country and deprived the Indians of their accustomed means of support."
Rather than evict white settlers, the government sought to resolve the situation by demanding that the Southern Cheyenne sign a new treaty ceding all their lands save the small Sand Creek reservation in southeastern Colorado. Black Kettle, fearing that overwhelming U.S. military power might result in an even less favorable settlement, agreed to the treaty in 1861 and did what he could to see that the Cheyenne obeyed its provisions.
As it turned out, however, the Sand Creek reservation could not sustain the Indians forced to live there. All but unfit for agriculture, the barren tract of land was little more than a breeding ground for epidemic diseases which soon swept through the Cheyenne encampments. By 1862 the nearest herd of buffalo was over two hundred miles away. Many Cheyennes, especially young men, began to leave the reservation to prey upon the livestock and goods of nearby settlers and passing wagon trains. One such raid in the spring of 1864 so angered white Coloradans that they dispatched their militia, which opened fire on the first band of Cheyenne they happened to meet. None of the Indians in this band had participated in the raid, however, and their leader was actually approaching the militia for a parlay when the shooting began.
This incident touched off an uncoordinated Indian uprising across the Great Plains, as Indian peoples from the Comanche in the South to the Lakota in the North took advantage of the army's involvement in the Civil War by striking back at those who had encroached upon their lands. Black Kettle, however, understood white military supremacy too well to support the cause of war. He spoke with the local military commander at Fort Weld in Colorado and believed he had secured a promise of safety in exchange for leading his band back to the Sand Creek reservation.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/blackkettle.htm
Few biographical details are known about the Southern Cheyenne chief Black Kettle, but his repeated efforts to secure a peace with honor for his people, despite broken promises and attacks on his own life, speak of him as a great leader with an almost unique vision of the possiblity for coexistence between white society and the culture of the plains.
Black Kettle lived on the vast territory in western Kansas and eastern Colorado that had been guaranteed to the Cheyenne under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. Within less than a decade, however, the 1859 Pikes Peak gold rush sparked an enormous population boom in Colorado, and this led to extensive white encroachments on Cheyenne land. Even the U.S. Indian Commissioner admitted that "We have substantially taken possession of the country and deprived the Indians of their accustomed means of support."
Rather than evict white settlers, the government sought to resolve the situation by demanding that the Southern Cheyenne sign a new treaty ceding all their lands save the small Sand Creek reservation in southeastern Colorado. Black Kettle, fearing that overwhelming U.S. military power might result in an even less favorable settlement, agreed to the treaty in 1861 and did what he could to see that the Cheyenne obeyed its provisions.
As it turned out, however, the Sand Creek reservation could not sustain the Indians forced to live there. All but unfit for agriculture, the barren tract of land was little more than a breeding ground for epidemic diseases which soon swept through the Cheyenne encampments. By 1862 the nearest herd of buffalo was over two hundred miles away. Many Cheyennes, especially young men, began to leave the reservation to prey upon the livestock and goods of nearby settlers and passing wagon trains. One such raid in the spring of 1864 so angered white Coloradans that they dispatched their militia, which opened fire on the first band of Cheyenne they happened to meet. None of the Indians in this band had participated in the raid, however, and their leader was actually approaching the militia for a parlay when the shooting began.
This incident touched off an uncoordinated Indian uprising across the Great Plains, as Indian peoples from the Comanche in the South to the Lakota in the North took advantage of the army's involvement in the Civil War by striking back at those who had encroached upon their lands. Black Kettle, however, understood white military supremacy too well to support the cause of war. He spoke with the local military commander at Fort Weld in Colorado and believed he had secured a promise of safety in exchange for leading his band back to the Sand Creek reservation.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/blackkettle.htm
House passes legislation to designate a Native American Heritage Day
Staff report: Indian Country Today
WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation Nov. 13, introduced by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., that encourages the designation of the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. The Native American Heritage Day bill, H.J. Res. 62, encourages the establishment of a day to pay tribute to American Indians for their many contributions to the United States.
''Native Americans have enriched American culture throughout their proud history,'' Baca said. ''It is important that we recognize these contributions and ensure all Americans are properly educated on the heritage and achievements of Native Americans. For years, I have fought to ensure Native Americans receive the recognition they deserve, and today, I am proud the House has passed this vital bill.''
The Native American Heritage Day bill encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day, through appropriate ceremonies and activities. It also encourages public elementary and secondary schools to enhance student understanding of American Indians by providing classroom instruction focusing on their history, achievements and contributions.
''This bill will help to preserve the history and legacy of Native Americans,'' Baca added. ''Native Americans and their ancestors have played a critical role in the formation of our nation. They have fought with valor and died in every American war dating back to the Revolutionary War. We must encourage greater awareness of the significant role they have played in America's history.''
The Native American Heritage Day bill is currently supported by 184 federally recognized Indian tribes throughout the nation. The bill has also gained wide support in the House of Representatives, including co-sponsorship from the chairman of the Native American Caucus, Rep. Dale Kildee.
Baca has been an active member of the Native American Caucus in the House of Representatives since first coming to Congress in 1999.
WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation Nov. 13, introduced by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., that encourages the designation of the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. The Native American Heritage Day bill, H.J. Res. 62, encourages the establishment of a day to pay tribute to American Indians for their many contributions to the United States.
''Native Americans have enriched American culture throughout their proud history,'' Baca said. ''It is important that we recognize these contributions and ensure all Americans are properly educated on the heritage and achievements of Native Americans. For years, I have fought to ensure Native Americans receive the recognition they deserve, and today, I am proud the House has passed this vital bill.''
The Native American Heritage Day bill encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day, through appropriate ceremonies and activities. It also encourages public elementary and secondary schools to enhance student understanding of American Indians by providing classroom instruction focusing on their history, achievements and contributions.
''This bill will help to preserve the history and legacy of Native Americans,'' Baca added. ''Native Americans and their ancestors have played a critical role in the formation of our nation. They have fought with valor and died in every American war dating back to the Revolutionary War. We must encourage greater awareness of the significant role they have played in America's history.''
The Native American Heritage Day bill is currently supported by 184 federally recognized Indian tribes throughout the nation. The bill has also gained wide support in the House of Representatives, including co-sponsorship from the chairman of the Native American Caucus, Rep. Dale Kildee.
Baca has been an active member of the Native American Caucus in the House of Representatives since first coming to Congress in 1999.
Special demonstration shares Native perspective on Oklahoma centennial
by: Brian Daffron
OKLAHOMA CITY - Within the shadow of Oklahoma's state Capitol and Jim Thorpe Building, more than 300 people of different tribes and nationalities gathered Nov. 16 at State Capitol Park to honor those ancestors whose forced sacrifices of land and life helped create the state of Oklahoma 100 years ago.
''Oklahoma was the great experiment of hoping to absorb the Indian - to be totally acculturated,'' said Euchee participant Richard Ray Whitman. ''Our people knew that; culturally, our way of being who we are is just as valid. They resisted this makeup of us, and it's an experiment that's gone bad. In some cases, it shows up in our lack of cohesiveness with tribal families and tribal organizations. We know we come from a culture of strong cohesive truth telling. Dialogue is not a new idea or a new concept. We have a long history of that, to listen to eacha other. We should say that after this centennial year, perhaps we should enter into a dialogue of reconciliation to set the record straight.''
The three-hour program consisted of prayer, traditional and contemporary Native music and testimonials on Native issues, including the high frequency of domestic violence and sexual assault of Native women to fight for the rights of Native prisoners within the Oklahoma correctional system.
One of the featured events was a mock wedding between ''Mr. Indian Territory'' and ''Miss Oklahoma,'' a satirical re-enactment of the so-called marriage ceremony that united Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. Whitman, playing the role of ''Mr. Indian Territory,'' said that it symbolized a ''shotgun wedding'' to which Native people were forced to submit.
People traveled large distances to attend the event, including representatives from the Mississippi Choctaw Tribe and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. One person in attendance, Comanche tribal member Martina Minthorn, flew in from a meeting with the National Congress of American Indians to attend the event. Minthorn, the interim director of the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton, said Oklahoma legislators and educators needed to be more inclusive to the role of Oklahoma's tribes in regard to the state's history.
''It's a sad thing to see - 100 years without our history being in a textbook,'' said Minthorn. ''From the 77 counties, that's all you learn in Oklahoma history. Whenever you actually put the real truth of the tribes that were relocated here from the indigenous lands that they were originally from, it's sad to see that only a certain amount of tribes are in our textbooks.''
For Whitman, the events of the day were to not only send a message about the Oklahoma centennial, but it was also a way be an example for younger generations.
''They're a part of history,'' he said. ''We're speaking to the generations. Our elders who have passed on stood up and acted for us. ... What can we suggest positive to this generation? It's good to be who we are, whoever they are. Each generation comes forth to its time. I think it's very important to gather like this outside of another kind of agenda that's already put in place for you. We want to have access and participate on a grass-roots level to testify, share and vent. It's all part of the dialogue.''
OKLAHOMA CITY - Within the shadow of Oklahoma's state Capitol and Jim Thorpe Building, more than 300 people of different tribes and nationalities gathered Nov. 16 at State Capitol Park to honor those ancestors whose forced sacrifices of land and life helped create the state of Oklahoma 100 years ago.
''Oklahoma was the great experiment of hoping to absorb the Indian - to be totally acculturated,'' said Euchee participant Richard Ray Whitman. ''Our people knew that; culturally, our way of being who we are is just as valid. They resisted this makeup of us, and it's an experiment that's gone bad. In some cases, it shows up in our lack of cohesiveness with tribal families and tribal organizations. We know we come from a culture of strong cohesive truth telling. Dialogue is not a new idea or a new concept. We have a long history of that, to listen to eacha other. We should say that after this centennial year, perhaps we should enter into a dialogue of reconciliation to set the record straight.''
The three-hour program consisted of prayer, traditional and contemporary Native music and testimonials on Native issues, including the high frequency of domestic violence and sexual assault of Native women to fight for the rights of Native prisoners within the Oklahoma correctional system.
One of the featured events was a mock wedding between ''Mr. Indian Territory'' and ''Miss Oklahoma,'' a satirical re-enactment of the so-called marriage ceremony that united Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. Whitman, playing the role of ''Mr. Indian Territory,'' said that it symbolized a ''shotgun wedding'' to which Native people were forced to submit.
People traveled large distances to attend the event, including representatives from the Mississippi Choctaw Tribe and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. One person in attendance, Comanche tribal member Martina Minthorn, flew in from a meeting with the National Congress of American Indians to attend the event. Minthorn, the interim director of the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton, said Oklahoma legislators and educators needed to be more inclusive to the role of Oklahoma's tribes in regard to the state's history.
''It's a sad thing to see - 100 years without our history being in a textbook,'' said Minthorn. ''From the 77 counties, that's all you learn in Oklahoma history. Whenever you actually put the real truth of the tribes that were relocated here from the indigenous lands that they were originally from, it's sad to see that only a certain amount of tribes are in our textbooks.''
For Whitman, the events of the day were to not only send a message about the Oklahoma centennial, but it was also a way be an example for younger generations.
''They're a part of history,'' he said. ''We're speaking to the generations. Our elders who have passed on stood up and acted for us. ... What can we suggest positive to this generation? It's good to be who we are, whoever they are. Each generation comes forth to its time. I think it's very important to gather like this outside of another kind of agenda that's already put in place for you. We want to have access and participate on a grass-roots level to testify, share and vent. It's all part of the dialogue.''
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Do you know...
Handsome Lake or Ganioda'yo (1735 – 10 August 1815) was a Seneca religious leader of the Iroquois people. He was also half-brother to Cornplanter. Before his emergence as a prophet, Handsome Lake fought in Pontiac's Rebellion (against the British) and the American Revolutionary War (against the Americans). After struggling with alcoholism and an apparently near-fatal illness in 1799, Handsome Lake began professing instructions he had been given in a series of three visions.
Handsome Lake's teachings were both a revival of traditional religious practices as well as a program of cultural adaptation to the realities of reservation life in the United States. While he encouraged the adoption of certain customs of white Americans, such as European-style farming and housing, Handsome Lake also urged his followers to continue to practice traditional American Indian ceremonies. He encouraged Christian-style confessions of sin and urged Native Americans to stay away from alcohol. In addition to his moral instructions, Handsome Lake delivered a series of prophecies about the end of the world and the signs that would signal it. In 1802, Handsome Lake traveled to Washington D.C. with a delegation of Iroquois representatives to speak with President Thomas Jefferson about land issues and other matters. President Jefferson's approval of Handsome Lake's teachings was an important early endorsement of the prophet's religious movement.
Handsome Lake had a good relationship with the Quakers who lived among the Seneca and encouraged them to become farmers, since the Quakers were religious pluralists who agreed with a number of Handsome Lake's teachings, especially his stance against alcohol. Similarly, Handsome Lake did not discourage Indians who chose to embrace Christianity. Christian missionaries among the Seneca after Handsome Lake's lifetime, who (unlike the Quakers) actively sought to convert the Indians to Christianity, were less tolerant of the religion of Handsome Lake's followers.
Handsome Lake gained a wide following, aided by the prominence of his half-brother Cornplanter, an influential Seneca leader. Handsome Lake was disliked and dismissed by Red Jacket, who led a rival faction of Senecas. Handsome Lake encountered controversy when he accused a number of American Indian women of witchcraft; several of these women were executed by Handsome Lake's followers. When an accused witch was killed in 1809, Handsome Lake fell out of favor with Cornplanter and the Quakers, although he still retained a circle of loyal followers.
In the last years of his life, Handsome Lake advised against Iroquois involvement in the War of 1812. However, by this time many Senecas, including Cornplanter, considered the United States to be their country, and so they enlisted in the war.
Handsome Lake's teachings, known as The Code of Handsome Lake, eventually were incorporated into the Longhouse religion, which is still followed today.
Handsome Lake's teachings were both a revival of traditional religious practices as well as a program of cultural adaptation to the realities of reservation life in the United States. While he encouraged the adoption of certain customs of white Americans, such as European-style farming and housing, Handsome Lake also urged his followers to continue to practice traditional American Indian ceremonies. He encouraged Christian-style confessions of sin and urged Native Americans to stay away from alcohol. In addition to his moral instructions, Handsome Lake delivered a series of prophecies about the end of the world and the signs that would signal it. In 1802, Handsome Lake traveled to Washington D.C. with a delegation of Iroquois representatives to speak with President Thomas Jefferson about land issues and other matters. President Jefferson's approval of Handsome Lake's teachings was an important early endorsement of the prophet's religious movement.
Handsome Lake had a good relationship with the Quakers who lived among the Seneca and encouraged them to become farmers, since the Quakers were religious pluralists who agreed with a number of Handsome Lake's teachings, especially his stance against alcohol. Similarly, Handsome Lake did not discourage Indians who chose to embrace Christianity. Christian missionaries among the Seneca after Handsome Lake's lifetime, who (unlike the Quakers) actively sought to convert the Indians to Christianity, were less tolerant of the religion of Handsome Lake's followers.
Handsome Lake gained a wide following, aided by the prominence of his half-brother Cornplanter, an influential Seneca leader. Handsome Lake was disliked and dismissed by Red Jacket, who led a rival faction of Senecas. Handsome Lake encountered controversy when he accused a number of American Indian women of witchcraft; several of these women were executed by Handsome Lake's followers. When an accused witch was killed in 1809, Handsome Lake fell out of favor with Cornplanter and the Quakers, although he still retained a circle of loyal followers.
In the last years of his life, Handsome Lake advised against Iroquois involvement in the War of 1812. However, by this time many Senecas, including Cornplanter, considered the United States to be their country, and so they enlisted in the war.
Handsome Lake's teachings, known as The Code of Handsome Lake, eventually were incorporated into the Longhouse religion, which is still followed today.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a Federal law passed in 1990. NAGPRA provides a process for museums and Federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items -- human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony - to lineal descendants, culturally affiliated Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
The National NAGPRA program assists the Secretary of the Interior with some of the Secretary's responsibilities under NAGPRA, and focuses on NAGPRA implementation outside of the National Park System.
Among its chief activities, National NAGPRA develops regulations and guidance for implementing NAGPRA; provides administrative and staff support for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Commitee; assists Indian tribes, Native Alaskan villages and corporations, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, and Federal agencies with the NAGPRA process; maintains the Native American Consultation Database (NACD) and other online databases; provides training; manages a grants program; and makes program documents and publications available on the Web, including the two new NAGPRA brochures.
Check out this website: http://www.nps.gov/history/nagpra/
The National NAGPRA program assists the Secretary of the Interior with some of the Secretary's responsibilities under NAGPRA, and focuses on NAGPRA implementation outside of the National Park System.
Among its chief activities, National NAGPRA develops regulations and guidance for implementing NAGPRA; provides administrative and staff support for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Commitee; assists Indian tribes, Native Alaskan villages and corporations, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, and Federal agencies with the NAGPRA process; maintains the Native American Consultation Database (NACD) and other online databases; provides training; manages a grants program; and makes program documents and publications available on the Web, including the two new NAGPRA brochures.
Check out this website: http://www.nps.gov/history/nagpra/
Indians mark centennial with protest march at state Capitol
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - About 500 Indians and their supporters marched on the state Capital today to protest their treatment during 100 years of Oklahoma statehood.
Chanting "No Justice, No Peace" the tribal members say they want to draw attention to the fact that Oklahoma was once their land.
Donna Reiner (RINER) of the Delaware-Caddo Tribe says the land was taken from Indians in land runs and shows that the federal government violated treaties.
Gary Redeye of the Seneca Tribe says history books don't teach what happened to Indians during the land runs. He says the Indian experience during the early years of statehood is unknown to young tribal members and isn't part of the Centennial celebration under way today in Guthrie.
The marchers also stopped traffic for a short time on Lincoln Boulevard south of the Capital when they stopped in the street before moving on.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - About 500 Indians and their supporters marched on the state Capital today to protest their treatment during 100 years of Oklahoma statehood.
Chanting "No Justice, No Peace" the tribal members say they want to draw attention to the fact that Oklahoma was once their land.
Donna Reiner (RINER) of the Delaware-Caddo Tribe says the land was taken from Indians in land runs and shows that the federal government violated treaties.
Gary Redeye of the Seneca Tribe says history books don't teach what happened to Indians during the land runs. He says the Indian experience during the early years of statehood is unknown to young tribal members and isn't part of the Centennial celebration under way today in Guthrie.
The marchers also stopped traffic for a short time on Lincoln Boulevard south of the Capital when they stopped in the street before moving on.
Bush taps Hopi for Ariz.'s U.S. attorney
By: Lindsey Collom
A member of the Hopi Indian tribe could be the first Native American to serve as the U.S. attorney for Arizona.
President Bush on Thursday nominated Diane J. Humetewa, who has spent most of her career as a federal prosecutor and is currently the senior litigation counsel and tribal liaison with the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office.
Humetewa, 42, said she was "extremely honored" by the nomination but declined to comment further, saying it was too early in the process.
If the U.S. Senate confirms the nomination, Humetewa will fill the position vacated by Paul Charlton, one of eight U.S. attorneys forced to resign nationwide in a Justice Department purge. Daniel Knauss has served as the interim U.S. attorney since January. Charlton said he and Humetewa have discussed the job in recent months and he feels she is a "perfect fit."
"I tried a case with Diana about 10 years ago, and it was there that I saw this extraordinary combination of outstanding prosecutor and an individual with a clear moral compass who understood what was right and demonstrated good judgment consistently," Charlton said. "One of the qualities you need to be a U.S. attorney in Arizona is to have a great deal of sensitivity to issues in Indian country, and no one has been better able to exemplify that than Diane."
Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl in January recommended Humetewa for the post. Humetewa served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs during both of McCain's tenures as committee chairman.In a joint statement Thursday, the senators urged a swift confirmation.
"Diane has demonstrates a devotion to public service and commitment to justice, and I believe she is uniquely qualified to address legal issues in the state of Arizona," McCain said in the statement.Humetewa began her career with the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1987 as a victim's advocate. Six years later, she graduated from the Arizona State University College of Law. Humetewa sits as an appellate court judge for the Hopi Tribal Court.
A member of the Hopi Indian tribe could be the first Native American to serve as the U.S. attorney for Arizona.
President Bush on Thursday nominated Diane J. Humetewa, who has spent most of her career as a federal prosecutor and is currently the senior litigation counsel and tribal liaison with the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office.
Humetewa, 42, said she was "extremely honored" by the nomination but declined to comment further, saying it was too early in the process.
If the U.S. Senate confirms the nomination, Humetewa will fill the position vacated by Paul Charlton, one of eight U.S. attorneys forced to resign nationwide in a Justice Department purge. Daniel Knauss has served as the interim U.S. attorney since January. Charlton said he and Humetewa have discussed the job in recent months and he feels she is a "perfect fit."
"I tried a case with Diana about 10 years ago, and it was there that I saw this extraordinary combination of outstanding prosecutor and an individual with a clear moral compass who understood what was right and demonstrated good judgment consistently," Charlton said. "One of the qualities you need to be a U.S. attorney in Arizona is to have a great deal of sensitivity to issues in Indian country, and no one has been better able to exemplify that than Diane."
Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl in January recommended Humetewa for the post. Humetewa served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs during both of McCain's tenures as committee chairman.In a joint statement Thursday, the senators urged a swift confirmation.
"Diane has demonstrates a devotion to public service and commitment to justice, and I believe she is uniquely qualified to address legal issues in the state of Arizona," McCain said in the statement.Humetewa began her career with the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1987 as a victim's advocate. Six years later, she graduated from the Arizona State University College of Law. Humetewa sits as an appellate court judge for the Hopi Tribal Court.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
November is Native American Heritage Month
What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.
One of the very proponents of an American Indian Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the "First Americans" and for three years they adopted such a day. In 1915, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in Lawrence, Kans., formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day. It directed its president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, to call upon the country to observe such a day. Coolidge issued a proclamation on Sept. 28, 1915, which declared the second Saturday of each May as an American Indian Day and contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.
The year before this proclamation was issued, Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode horseback from state to state seeking approval for a day to honor Indians. On December 14, 1915, he presented the endorsements of 24 state governments at the White House. There is no record, however, of such a national day being proclaimed.
The first American Indian Day in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states celebrate the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, for example, legislators enacted such a day in 1919. Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any recognition as a national legal holiday.
In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including "Native American Heritage Month" and "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month") have been issued each year since 1994.
Themes for this year's heritage month are "Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Traditions" and "A Native Prescription: Balancing Mind, Body & Spirit."
Check out this website for more information: http://www.loc.gov/topics/nativeamericans/
One of the very proponents of an American Indian Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the "First Americans" and for three years they adopted such a day. In 1915, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in Lawrence, Kans., formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day. It directed its president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, to call upon the country to observe such a day. Coolidge issued a proclamation on Sept. 28, 1915, which declared the second Saturday of each May as an American Indian Day and contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.
The year before this proclamation was issued, Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode horseback from state to state seeking approval for a day to honor Indians. On December 14, 1915, he presented the endorsements of 24 state governments at the White House. There is no record, however, of such a national day being proclaimed.
The first American Indian Day in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states celebrate the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, for example, legislators enacted such a day in 1919. Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any recognition as a national legal holiday.
In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including "Native American Heritage Month" and "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month") have been issued each year since 1994.
Themes for this year's heritage month are "Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Traditions" and "A Native Prescription: Balancing Mind, Body & Spirit."
Check out this website for more information: http://www.loc.gov/topics/nativeamericans/
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Few non-Indians have witnessed a Green Corn Dance, a special spiritual event held at undisclosed South Florida locations each spring. Most Native Americans have a similar event within their cultures, stemming from traditional expressions of gratitude to the Creator for providing food.
At the Green Corn Dance, Seminoles participate in purification and manhood ceremonies. Tribal disputes are also settled during this time. Men and women separate into different "camps" according to their clans. In earlier times, the Green Corn Dance marked an important occassion when Seminoles from different camps and areas would get together.
The gathering will include hours and hours of "stomp dancing," the methodical, weaving, single file style of dancing traditional to Seminole Indians. Following behind a chanting medicine man or "leader," a string of male dancers will "answer" each exhortation, while women dancers quietly shuffle with them, shakers tied to their legs.
Several troupes of Seminole Stomp Dancers occasionally appear at public events, demonstrating the "fire ant," "crow," "catfish" and other Seminole social stomp dances.
To learn more about the Seminole click here: http://www.seminoletribe.com/index.shtml
At the Green Corn Dance, Seminoles participate in purification and manhood ceremonies. Tribal disputes are also settled during this time. Men and women separate into different "camps" according to their clans. In earlier times, the Green Corn Dance marked an important occassion when Seminoles from different camps and areas would get together.
The gathering will include hours and hours of "stomp dancing," the methodical, weaving, single file style of dancing traditional to Seminole Indians. Following behind a chanting medicine man or "leader," a string of male dancers will "answer" each exhortation, while women dancers quietly shuffle with them, shakers tied to their legs.
Several troupes of Seminole Stomp Dancers occasionally appear at public events, demonstrating the "fire ant," "crow," "catfish" and other Seminole social stomp dances.
To learn more about the Seminole click here: http://www.seminoletribe.com/index.shtml
Benefit concert to raise funds for Longest Walk II
SAN FRANCISCO - Dennis Banks, Floyd ''Red Crow'' Westerman, Kris Kristofferson and Peter Coyote will participate in a benefit concert, ''Music for Mother Earth,'' Nov. 3 at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium. The event will bring together American Indian leaders and high-profile celebrities with the aim to raise funds and awareness for the Longest Walk II: A Walk Across America for the Environment, to take place in 2008.
The Longest Walk II is a 4,400-mile journey that will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original Longest Walk, which took place in 1978, and work to bring attention to today's critical environmental issues.
The Longest Walk II will begin in San Francisco in February 2008 and end in Washington, D.C., in July 2008. The Longest Walk II is being led by American Indian Movement co-founder Dennis Banks. That event successfully brought attention to 11 legislative bills introduced in the 95th U.S. Congress that would have abrogated treaties that protected remaining Native sovereignty. All 11 bills were defeated in Congress.
Similar to 1978, The Longest Walk II is a peaceful, spiritual effort to engage with the public about the disharmony of the environment by leading an effort to clean up communities. The Clean Up America campaign is a national effort taken up by Longest Walk participants to clean up our country's highways and roads by collecting debris found along the route. This monumental task will engage walkers in a global effort at a grass-roots level to promote harmony with the environment. Participants will carry specially marked trash bags to separate the collected refuse into trash bins and recycling bins. A rotating team of walkers will pick up trash along the way with trash pokers.
The walk is a grass-roots effort to recognize the success of the 1978 Longest Walk, which effectively halted legislation that might have had devastating effects on the tribes' sovereignty while cleaning up America mile by mile, village to village, state to state, shore to shore en route to Washington, D.C.
For information on The Longest Walk II, visit www.longestwalk.org. For more information about the concert, visit www.redhotpromotions.com.
The Longest Walk II is a 4,400-mile journey that will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original Longest Walk, which took place in 1978, and work to bring attention to today's critical environmental issues.
The Longest Walk II will begin in San Francisco in February 2008 and end in Washington, D.C., in July 2008. The Longest Walk II is being led by American Indian Movement co-founder Dennis Banks. That event successfully brought attention to 11 legislative bills introduced in the 95th U.S. Congress that would have abrogated treaties that protected remaining Native sovereignty. All 11 bills were defeated in Congress.
Similar to 1978, The Longest Walk II is a peaceful, spiritual effort to engage with the public about the disharmony of the environment by leading an effort to clean up communities. The Clean Up America campaign is a national effort taken up by Longest Walk participants to clean up our country's highways and roads by collecting debris found along the route. This monumental task will engage walkers in a global effort at a grass-roots level to promote harmony with the environment. Participants will carry specially marked trash bags to separate the collected refuse into trash bins and recycling bins. A rotating team of walkers will pick up trash along the way with trash pokers.
The walk is a grass-roots effort to recognize the success of the 1978 Longest Walk, which effectively halted legislation that might have had devastating effects on the tribes' sovereignty while cleaning up America mile by mile, village to village, state to state, shore to shore en route to Washington, D.C.
For information on The Longest Walk II, visit www.longestwalk.org. For more information about the concert, visit www.redhotpromotions.com.
American Indians celebrate white buffalo's birthday
By Rebekah Sungala
FARMINGTON - For American Indians, the white buffalo represents unity. Kenahkihinen, whose name means "watch over us," was born at Woodland Zoo last year on Nov. 12.
In celebration of his first birthday, tribes from across the United States came together Sunday to pay reverence to the white buffalo. Kenahkihinen, joined by his mother and two other buffalos, came out of their shelter and trotted around the enclosure to the rhythmic beat of drums.
Approximately 200 people were in attendance for the celebration. Running Bear, a member of the Lakota tribe who lives at the zoo and helps care for the buffalo and other animals, said Kenahkihinen enjoys the attention.
"He was out dancing around to the beat," Running Bear said. According to Running Bear, the white buffalo is a sacred animal that represents unity and peace. Kenahkihinen has brought unity to people, Running Bear said, noting the different tribes -Lakota, Cherokee and Blackfoot - represented at Sunday's celebration.
Running Bear said at one point in time the tribes were warring and at odds with each other, but the birth of a white buffalo, throughout the centuries, has brought them together in peace. The belief of the sacred white buffalo comes from the American Indian legend of the White Buffalo Woman, a prophetess sent to her people by the Creator to teach them how to communicate with the deity through the prayer pipe.
Running Bear said the White Buffalo Woman appeared to two brothers, Sioux Indian scouts, who saw the beautiful woman walking in the distance. One of the brothers approached her, wanting to marry her, but was transformed into a pile of bones from which snakes evolved after being wrapped in the woman's cloak. Running Bear said the man died because he did not show respect to the woman.
The woman told the other brother, who behaved rightly, that he was to return to his tribe and tell his people she would return with a message from the buffalo nation. The Sioux were to prepare a lodge with a door facing to the east for her arrival, which they did, Running Bear said. When the White Buffalo Woman returned, she brought with her a prayer pipe and taught the people how to use it, teaching them how to respect and behave toward those things that are sacred.
Running Bear said that when the woman left, walking off in the same direction from which she came, she stopped and rolled over several times and a white buffalo calf appeared in the dust. American Indians still wait for the return of the White Buffalo Woman, Running Bear said, noting that a white buffalo is the most sacred living thing a person can encounter. Running Bear said several thousand people have visited the zoo and paid their respect to Kenahkihinen.
Sonny Herring, zoo owner, said the white buffalo is doing well and weighs between 700 and 800 pounds. He will be considered a mature adult at the age of 2, he said. The birth of a white buffalo occurs in about one in 10 million births. Herring said Kenahkihinen will continue to live in the same enclosure with his mother and another female buffalo, who recently gave birth. Despite the recent addition to the buffalo herd, Kenahkihinen continues to attract the most attention from zoo visitors.
Running Bear said people of all nationalities and religions are welcome at the zoo to observe, with respect, the white buffalo. "All people are welcome to come here, sit on Mother Earth and pray. To know peace," he said. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. The white buffalo brings unity."
FARMINGTON - For American Indians, the white buffalo represents unity. Kenahkihinen, whose name means "watch over us," was born at Woodland Zoo last year on Nov. 12.
In celebration of his first birthday, tribes from across the United States came together Sunday to pay reverence to the white buffalo. Kenahkihinen, joined by his mother and two other buffalos, came out of their shelter and trotted around the enclosure to the rhythmic beat of drums.
Approximately 200 people were in attendance for the celebration. Running Bear, a member of the Lakota tribe who lives at the zoo and helps care for the buffalo and other animals, said Kenahkihinen enjoys the attention.
"He was out dancing around to the beat," Running Bear said. According to Running Bear, the white buffalo is a sacred animal that represents unity and peace. Kenahkihinen has brought unity to people, Running Bear said, noting the different tribes -Lakota, Cherokee and Blackfoot - represented at Sunday's celebration.
Running Bear said at one point in time the tribes were warring and at odds with each other, but the birth of a white buffalo, throughout the centuries, has brought them together in peace. The belief of the sacred white buffalo comes from the American Indian legend of the White Buffalo Woman, a prophetess sent to her people by the Creator to teach them how to communicate with the deity through the prayer pipe.
Running Bear said the White Buffalo Woman appeared to two brothers, Sioux Indian scouts, who saw the beautiful woman walking in the distance. One of the brothers approached her, wanting to marry her, but was transformed into a pile of bones from which snakes evolved after being wrapped in the woman's cloak. Running Bear said the man died because he did not show respect to the woman.
The woman told the other brother, who behaved rightly, that he was to return to his tribe and tell his people she would return with a message from the buffalo nation. The Sioux were to prepare a lodge with a door facing to the east for her arrival, which they did, Running Bear said. When the White Buffalo Woman returned, she brought with her a prayer pipe and taught the people how to use it, teaching them how to respect and behave toward those things that are sacred.
Running Bear said that when the woman left, walking off in the same direction from which she came, she stopped and rolled over several times and a white buffalo calf appeared in the dust. American Indians still wait for the return of the White Buffalo Woman, Running Bear said, noting that a white buffalo is the most sacred living thing a person can encounter. Running Bear said several thousand people have visited the zoo and paid their respect to Kenahkihinen.
Sonny Herring, zoo owner, said the white buffalo is doing well and weighs between 700 and 800 pounds. He will be considered a mature adult at the age of 2, he said. The birth of a white buffalo occurs in about one in 10 million births. Herring said Kenahkihinen will continue to live in the same enclosure with his mother and another female buffalo, who recently gave birth. Despite the recent addition to the buffalo herd, Kenahkihinen continues to attract the most attention from zoo visitors.
Running Bear said people of all nationalities and religions are welcome at the zoo to observe, with respect, the white buffalo. "All people are welcome to come here, sit on Mother Earth and pray. To know peace," he said. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. The white buffalo brings unity."
Monday, November 12, 2007
Important dates in November...
November 2, 1972: Approximately 500 Native Americans occupy the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Washington, D.C.
November 14, 1944: The National Congress of American Indians is founded.
November 16, 1990: The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is enacted.
November 17, 2000: U.S. gold coin is minted commenorating Sacajawea
November 20, 1969: Native Americans occupy Alcatraz Island claiming right of possession under previous treaties
November 27, 1868: Custer attacks Cheyenne camp on Washita River killing Black Kettle
November 28, 1989: National Museum of the American Indian Act is signed.
November 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre. Troops commanded by Colonel John Chivington attack Chief Black Kettle's Cheyenne killing mostly women and children.
Information provided by: Native American Rights Fund. "We ask for nothing more, and will accept nothing less than the U.S. government keeping the promises it has made to Native Americans."
November 14, 1944: The National Congress of American Indians is founded.
November 16, 1990: The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is enacted.
November 17, 2000: U.S. gold coin is minted commenorating Sacajawea
November 20, 1969: Native Americans occupy Alcatraz Island claiming right of possession under previous treaties
November 27, 1868: Custer attacks Cheyenne camp on Washita River killing Black Kettle
November 28, 1989: National Museum of the American Indian Act is signed.
November 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre. Troops commanded by Colonel John Chivington attack Chief Black Kettle's Cheyenne killing mostly women and children.
Information provided by: Native American Rights Fund. "We ask for nothing more, and will accept nothing less than the U.S. government keeping the promises it has made to Native Americans."
Cree Teachings - The Center
As Cree people, we were given the gift of being named for the four parts of
human beings. Nehiyawak, we were called.
It means being balanced in the four parts that are found in the four directions of
the Medicine Wheel. These four parts for human beings are the spiritual,
physical, emotional and mental aspects of the self. We need to try and balance
these four parts that were given to us, to function as people.
The fire is in the centre of the Medicine Wheel. That is where the meaning of the
teachings comes from. For me this fire is also the self. When you look at the
Medicine Wheel, you start from self. And as you look out, you make your circle.
This is how the Medicine Wheel represents the life journey of people.
The old people will tell you it is life itself. Look at the four seasons and follow the
sun. Spring in the east, summer in the south, fall in the west and winter in the
north. It tells the whole story of how all life came into being abundantly bright,
rising in the east and then fading away as it moves west and north. All life rises
and sets like the sun.
What we do in between is our journey. This is where the gifts of the four
directions are needed - the gifts of the spirit, physical body, emotions and mind -
and where we need to find balance within these four realms. Today, many
people are out of balance because they tend to only favour two realms of self,
the mental and the physical. They forget to look after their spiritual
Excerpt from Four Directions Teachings.com. http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com/transcripts/cree.pdf
human beings. Nehiyawak, we were called.
It means being balanced in the four parts that are found in the four directions of
the Medicine Wheel. These four parts for human beings are the spiritual,
physical, emotional and mental aspects of the self. We need to try and balance
these four parts that were given to us, to function as people.
The fire is in the centre of the Medicine Wheel. That is where the meaning of the
teachings comes from. For me this fire is also the self. When you look at the
Medicine Wheel, you start from self. And as you look out, you make your circle.
This is how the Medicine Wheel represents the life journey of people.
The old people will tell you it is life itself. Look at the four seasons and follow the
sun. Spring in the east, summer in the south, fall in the west and winter in the
north. It tells the whole story of how all life came into being abundantly bright,
rising in the east and then fading away as it moves west and north. All life rises
and sets like the sun.
What we do in between is our journey. This is where the gifts of the four
directions are needed - the gifts of the spirit, physical body, emotions and mind -
and where we need to find balance within these four realms. Today, many
people are out of balance because they tend to only favour two realms of self,
the mental and the physical. They forget to look after their spiritual
Excerpt from Four Directions Teachings.com. http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com/transcripts/cree.pdf
Humor
Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride. With a silent nod of thanks, the woman got into the car.
Resuming the journey, Sally tried in vain to make a bit of small talk with the Navajo woman. The oldwoman just sat silently, looking intently at everything she saw, studying every little detail, until she noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally.
"What in bag?" asked the old woman.
Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, "It's a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband."
The Navajo woman was silent for another moment or two. Then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder, she said: "Good trade....."
Resuming the journey, Sally tried in vain to make a bit of small talk with the Navajo woman. The oldwoman just sat silently, looking intently at everything she saw, studying every little detail, until she noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally.
"What in bag?" asked the old woman.
Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, "It's a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband."
The Navajo woman was silent for another moment or two. Then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder, she said: "Good trade....."
Featured Website: Native Spirit
Welcome to Native Spirit. We are proud to provide you with an opportunity to take a step into the culture and dances of Native America. The southwest has become one of the few places in the world where people can come to appreciate and learn about the original inhabitants of this beautiful land we have come to share.
Through our entertaining as well as educational presentations you will see dances that have survived thousands of years. You will witness the beauty and grace of color and movement as the air resonates with the beautiful and rhythmic sounds of the first nations. During the shows you will get an opportunity to learn the origins as well as the purpose of many of the dances and be thoroughly entertained with appropriate humor. Pinagigi (Thank you)
Video's, music, and more can be found on this website. Be sure to check it out. http://www.nativespirit.com/home.htm
Through our entertaining as well as educational presentations you will see dances that have survived thousands of years. You will witness the beauty and grace of color and movement as the air resonates with the beautiful and rhythmic sounds of the first nations. During the shows you will get an opportunity to learn the origins as well as the purpose of many of the dances and be thoroughly entertained with appropriate humor. Pinagigi (Thank you)
Video's, music, and more can be found on this website. Be sure to check it out. http://www.nativespirit.com/home.htm
Friday, November 9, 2007
Rep. Cole touts Native American 'renaissance'
As the only Native American in Congress, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) is constantly educating his colleagues about tribes and Indian policy.
Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, likes to tell fellow members that they swore to uphold tribal sovereignty when they took their oath of office. The U.S. Constitution recognizes tribes in the same clause as states and foreign nations.
"A tribe is not a genealogical association and it's not a fraternal society," Cole said yesterday in a speech at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. "It's a living, breathing entity that exists organically and its purpose is to improve the lives and protect the identity of its members."
But Cole, whose family has been active in politics for generations, said lawmakers of both parties don't always respect tribal sovereignty. Republicans are almost always concerned about gaming while Democrats try to extend federal oversight of tribes, mainly through labor unions, he said.
Both issues have been heavily debated during Cole's time in Congress. Just this year, he broke with his party to support to federal recognition bills -- one for Native Hawaiians and another for six Virginia tribes. In the past, he has co-sponsored bills to shield tribes from federal labor laws.
There's more here: http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/005779.asp
Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, likes to tell fellow members that they swore to uphold tribal sovereignty when they took their oath of office. The U.S. Constitution recognizes tribes in the same clause as states and foreign nations.
"A tribe is not a genealogical association and it's not a fraternal society," Cole said yesterday in a speech at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. "It's a living, breathing entity that exists organically and its purpose is to improve the lives and protect the identity of its members."
But Cole, whose family has been active in politics for generations, said lawmakers of both parties don't always respect tribal sovereignty. Republicans are almost always concerned about gaming while Democrats try to extend federal oversight of tribes, mainly through labor unions, he said.
Both issues have been heavily debated during Cole's time in Congress. Just this year, he broke with his party to support to federal recognition bills -- one for Native Hawaiians and another for six Virginia tribes. In the past, he has co-sponsored bills to shield tribes from federal labor laws.
There's more here: http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/005779.asp
Do you know...
Simon Ortiz is a contemporary Native American writer who continues to be a strong voice in literature today. His many writing accomplishments include creating poems, short stories, essays, and children’s books.
Biographer A. Walton Litz recounts that as a child, Ortiz would listen closely to adults telling traditional stories and gossip and through this fascination with stories was given the nickname of “the reporter” by his father (American Writers, 500). This interest in culture and history fueled his passion for writing. Having grown up in the Acoma Pueblo community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ortiz experienced the hardships of Native American and English cultures colliding from a very early age.
According to biographer A. Walton Litz, “at most of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and mission schools, the children were punished by a sharp crack on the knuckles if they were caught speaking their native language” (American Writers, 501). As a result, he found literature to be a way to express his frustration and passionate beliefs. This medium provided a way to embrace his Acoma culture while sharing it with others.
According to an article by A. Walton Litz in the American Writers Supplement series, Ortiz is unlike most Native American contemporary writers in that he is full blooded Native American and his first language was his native tongue of Keresan (500). By learning English, he found a way to communicate with those outside of his immediate culture. His writing was first supported by teaching at several institutions such as the University of New Mexico and the University of Iowa. A. Walton Litz tells of how Ortiz entered writing in the 1960’s when equal rights and social justice were at the roots of everyday life (American Writers, 497). This timing proved fruitful because it provided a foundation of readers that wanted to “fix” our nation, both environmentally and socially.
Simon Ortiz’s writing is a success because it describes events in everyday life. Readers can relate to his works because they reveal that, by introspection and experiences, anyone can learn from past experiences and gain personal growth. He writes about everyday life and how our industrial culture has effected environment and society. These issues not only affect Native Americans, but all Americans, all people. Biographer Kathy Whitson suggests that “Ortiz has used the language of the colonizers to fight against oppression” (Native American Literature, 178). In this way, his works provide a reader with the sense of self-respect that they need in order to to stand up for their rights and preserve their way of life.
He's also listed in 100 Native Americans Who Shaped American History.
Check out this website to find some of his works as well as more information: http://www.uta.edu/english/tim/poetry/so/ortizmain.htm
Biographer A. Walton Litz recounts that as a child, Ortiz would listen closely to adults telling traditional stories and gossip and through this fascination with stories was given the nickname of “the reporter” by his father (American Writers, 500). This interest in culture and history fueled his passion for writing. Having grown up in the Acoma Pueblo community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ortiz experienced the hardships of Native American and English cultures colliding from a very early age.
According to biographer A. Walton Litz, “at most of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and mission schools, the children were punished by a sharp crack on the knuckles if they were caught speaking their native language” (American Writers, 501). As a result, he found literature to be a way to express his frustration and passionate beliefs. This medium provided a way to embrace his Acoma culture while sharing it with others.
According to an article by A. Walton Litz in the American Writers Supplement series, Ortiz is unlike most Native American contemporary writers in that he is full blooded Native American and his first language was his native tongue of Keresan (500). By learning English, he found a way to communicate with those outside of his immediate culture. His writing was first supported by teaching at several institutions such as the University of New Mexico and the University of Iowa. A. Walton Litz tells of how Ortiz entered writing in the 1960’s when equal rights and social justice were at the roots of everyday life (American Writers, 497). This timing proved fruitful because it provided a foundation of readers that wanted to “fix” our nation, both environmentally and socially.
Simon Ortiz’s writing is a success because it describes events in everyday life. Readers can relate to his works because they reveal that, by introspection and experiences, anyone can learn from past experiences and gain personal growth. He writes about everyday life and how our industrial culture has effected environment and society. These issues not only affect Native Americans, but all Americans, all people. Biographer Kathy Whitson suggests that “Ortiz has used the language of the colonizers to fight against oppression” (Native American Literature, 178). In this way, his works provide a reader with the sense of self-respect that they need in order to to stand up for their rights and preserve their way of life.
He's also listed in 100 Native Americans Who Shaped American History.
Check out this website to find some of his works as well as more information: http://www.uta.edu/english/tim/poetry/so/ortizmain.htm
First Native American inducted into Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame
Lawton_In the history of the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame there have been no Native Americans on the list - until now. Master Gunnery Sergeant Vernon Tsoodle joins the elite list of honorees. 7News' own Neely Tsoodle talked with her uncle in a very special interview. The entire family is proud of Vernon's many accomplishments, both in his personal and military life. But no accomplishment is as special to Vernon as this award.
This honor recognizes his years fighting for his country while representing Oklahoma - "The Land of the Red Man" - and Native America. Vernon spent almost 25 years in the military as a Marine and remembers every conflict, situation, victory or defeat as if it happened yesterday.
He's seen his share of history. Like the Korean Conflict in November of 1950. His unit was outnumbered almost eight to one by Chinese forces and the Marines needed him to fight. They pulled him from his communications job and handed him a machine gun - he hadn't shot a weapon like that for years, but he did it, and he did it well. "A lot of Chinese came out with Purple Hearts," he joked.
It was a bloody battle with a lot of US casualties - the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. It was cold with temperatures at 40 below and despite this, Vernon and his fellow Marines succeeded. If you see his wall full of medals you get a small idea of all that he has accomplished.
Read the full article here: http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7327643. There's a video too.
This honor recognizes his years fighting for his country while representing Oklahoma - "The Land of the Red Man" - and Native America. Vernon spent almost 25 years in the military as a Marine and remembers every conflict, situation, victory or defeat as if it happened yesterday.
He's seen his share of history. Like the Korean Conflict in November of 1950. His unit was outnumbered almost eight to one by Chinese forces and the Marines needed him to fight. They pulled him from his communications job and handed him a machine gun - he hadn't shot a weapon like that for years, but he did it, and he did it well. "A lot of Chinese came out with Purple Hearts," he joked.
It was a bloody battle with a lot of US casualties - the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. It was cold with temperatures at 40 below and despite this, Vernon and his fellow Marines succeeded. If you see his wall full of medals you get a small idea of all that he has accomplished.
Read the full article here: http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7327643. There's a video too.
BIA decision supports Mohawks' claim against Harrah's
by: Gale Courey Toensing
AKWESASNE, N.Y. - The BIA has recognized the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's existing governing body and its tribal court in a ruling that supports the tribe's $2.8 billion claim against Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
In an Oct. 31 decision, BIA Eastern Region Director Franklin Keel said the Indian agency affirmed the Mohawks' three-chief system as the tribe's representative body with which it will conduct government-to-government relations.
Additionally, Keel said that all of the agency's previous decisions invalidating the tribal court have been vacated by a federal court and ''as a matter of law are now no longer extant.''
This was the third time in 11 years that the BIA had ruled on the tribal governance issue.
The decision reiterates the authority of the tribal court's March 2001 default judgment against Harrah's for $1.8 billion in compensatory and punitive damages for unlawfully interfering in the tribe's efforts to establish a casino at Monticello Gaming and Raceway.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416089
AKWESASNE, N.Y. - The BIA has recognized the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's existing governing body and its tribal court in a ruling that supports the tribe's $2.8 billion claim against Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
In an Oct. 31 decision, BIA Eastern Region Director Franklin Keel said the Indian agency affirmed the Mohawks' three-chief system as the tribe's representative body with which it will conduct government-to-government relations.
Additionally, Keel said that all of the agency's previous decisions invalidating the tribal court have been vacated by a federal court and ''as a matter of law are now no longer extant.''
This was the third time in 11 years that the BIA had ruled on the tribal governance issue.
The decision reiterates the authority of the tribal court's March 2001 default judgment against Harrah's for $1.8 billion in compensatory and punitive damages for unlawfully interfering in the tribe's efforts to establish a casino at Monticello Gaming and Raceway.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416089
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Archaeologists in Puerto Rico surprised by discovery of Indian artifacts
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: U.S. and Puerto Rican archaeologists say they have uncovered what they believe to be one of the most important pre-Columbian sites found in the Caribbean, containing stones etched with ancient petroglyphs and graves that reveal unusual burial methods.
The stones at the site in southern Puerto Rico form a large plaza measuring some 130 feet by 160 feet (40 meters by 50 meters) that could have been used for ball games or ceremonial rites, said Aida Belen Rivera, director of the Puerto Rican Historic Conservation office.
The petroglyphs include the carving of a human figure with masculine features and frog legs. Archaeologists believe the site might belong to the Taino and pre-Taino cultures that inhabited the island before European colonization.
The plaza could contain other artifacts dating from 600 A.D. to 1500 A.D., said Rivera, whose office is receiving general reports about the findings.
"I have visited many sites and have never seen a plaza of that magnitude and of those dimensions and with such elaborate petroglyphs," said Miguel Rodriguez, member of the government's archaeological council and director of a graduate school in Puerto Rico that specializes in history and humanities. He is not involved in the project.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/28/news/CB-GEN-Puerto-Rico-Archaeological-Find.php
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: U.S. and Puerto Rican archaeologists say they have uncovered what they believe to be one of the most important pre-Columbian sites found in the Caribbean, containing stones etched with ancient petroglyphs and graves that reveal unusual burial methods.
The stones at the site in southern Puerto Rico form a large plaza measuring some 130 feet by 160 feet (40 meters by 50 meters) that could have been used for ball games or ceremonial rites, said Aida Belen Rivera, director of the Puerto Rican Historic Conservation office.
The petroglyphs include the carving of a human figure with masculine features and frog legs. Archaeologists believe the site might belong to the Taino and pre-Taino cultures that inhabited the island before European colonization.
The plaza could contain other artifacts dating from 600 A.D. to 1500 A.D., said Rivera, whose office is receiving general reports about the findings.
"I have visited many sites and have never seen a plaza of that magnitude and of those dimensions and with such elaborate petroglyphs," said Miguel Rodriguez, member of the government's archaeological council and director of a graduate school in Puerto Rico that specializes in history and humanities. He is not involved in the project.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/28/news/CB-GEN-Puerto-Rico-Archaeological-Find.php
Eagle War Feathers
Cheyenne legend...
A long, long time ago the Cheyenne warriors had not learned yet how to use eagle for their war ornaments. One of their men climbed a high mountain; there he lay for five days, crying, without food. Some powerful being, he hoped, would see him and come to him, to teach him something great for his people.
He was glad when he heard a voice say, "Try to be brave, no matter what comes, even if it might kill you. If you remember these words, you will bring great news to your people, and help them."
After a time he heard voices, and seven eagles came down, as if to fly away with him. But he was brave, as he had been told, though he continued to cry and keep his eyes closed. Now the great eagles surrounded him. One said "Look at me. I am powerful, and I have wonderfully strong feathers. I am greater than all other animals and birds in the world."
This powerful eagle showed the man his wings and his tail, and he spread all his feathers as wide as possible. He shows him how to make war headdresses and ornaments out of eagle feathers.
"Your people must use only eagle feathers, and it would be a great help to them in war and bring them victories," eagle said.
Since no loose feathers were about, the seven eagles shook themselves, and plenty of feathers fell to the ground. The Cheyenne picked them up and gratefully took them home to his tribe. On that day, eagle feathers were seen for the first time by the Cheyenne and they knew where they came from.
The man showed his people how to make war ornaments from the eagle feathers, as he had been told. From that day onward, the man became a great warrior in his tribe, and their leader in war parties.
He became so successful his people named him Chief Eagle Feather and he wore his Eagle Feather Warbonnet, as he led the Cheyennes with dignity and pride.
A long, long time ago the Cheyenne warriors had not learned yet how to use eagle for their war ornaments. One of their men climbed a high mountain; there he lay for five days, crying, without food. Some powerful being, he hoped, would see him and come to him, to teach him something great for his people.
He was glad when he heard a voice say, "Try to be brave, no matter what comes, even if it might kill you. If you remember these words, you will bring great news to your people, and help them."
After a time he heard voices, and seven eagles came down, as if to fly away with him. But he was brave, as he had been told, though he continued to cry and keep his eyes closed. Now the great eagles surrounded him. One said "Look at me. I am powerful, and I have wonderfully strong feathers. I am greater than all other animals and birds in the world."
This powerful eagle showed the man his wings and his tail, and he spread all his feathers as wide as possible. He shows him how to make war headdresses and ornaments out of eagle feathers.
"Your people must use only eagle feathers, and it would be a great help to them in war and bring them victories," eagle said.
Since no loose feathers were about, the seven eagles shook themselves, and plenty of feathers fell to the ground. The Cheyenne picked them up and gratefully took them home to his tribe. On that day, eagle feathers were seen for the first time by the Cheyenne and they knew where they came from.
The man showed his people how to make war ornaments from the eagle feathers, as he had been told. From that day onward, the man became a great warrior in his tribe, and their leader in war parties.
He became so successful his people named him Chief Eagle Feather and he wore his Eagle Feather Warbonnet, as he led the Cheyennes with dignity and pride.
Quotes
"I like living in this community, and I like being Choctaw, but that's all there is to it. Just because I don't want to be a white man doesn't mean I want to be some kind of mystical Indian either. Just a real human being." -
Beasley Denson, Secretary/Treasurer of the Choctaw Tribal Council, 1988
Beasley Denson, Secretary/Treasurer of the Choctaw Tribal Council, 1988
Penobscot Indian elder to receive France's highest honor for his service in World War II
By Aimee Dolloff
INDIAN ISLAND, Maine — The attention Monday from media and other Penobscot Nation members was almost more than World War II veteran Charles Shay could handle.
"I’ll be glad when all this is over," he said modestly while waiting in his living room on Indian Island for the arrival of Francois Gauthier, consul general of France in Boston.
Gauthier traveled to Maine on Monday to accompany Shay to Washington, D.C., where today he is to receive the Legion of Honor medal, France’s highest military and civil recognition.
"He’s a courageous soldier," Gauthier said of Shay. "Because he participated in liberating my country, we think we owe him a special recognition."
Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the National Order of the Legion of Honor is the highest civil and military honor in France. It is presented not only for military service, but also for eminent service in other fields such as science or culture, Gauthier explained. Recipients of the honor are named by decree signed by the president of the Republic of France. Shay will be given the title of knight of the Legion of Honor.
"It’s important to me because I’m trying to promote the history of my family, and I’m trying to bring attention to the Native American veterans that served," Shay said.
Read more here: http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=156221&zoneid=500
INDIAN ISLAND, Maine — The attention Monday from media and other Penobscot Nation members was almost more than World War II veteran Charles Shay could handle.
"I’ll be glad when all this is over," he said modestly while waiting in his living room on Indian Island for the arrival of Francois Gauthier, consul general of France in Boston.
Gauthier traveled to Maine on Monday to accompany Shay to Washington, D.C., where today he is to receive the Legion of Honor medal, France’s highest military and civil recognition.
"He’s a courageous soldier," Gauthier said of Shay. "Because he participated in liberating my country, we think we owe him a special recognition."
Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the National Order of the Legion of Honor is the highest civil and military honor in France. It is presented not only for military service, but also for eminent service in other fields such as science or culture, Gauthier explained. Recipients of the honor are named by decree signed by the president of the Republic of France. Shay will be given the title of knight of the Legion of Honor.
"It’s important to me because I’m trying to promote the history of my family, and I’m trying to bring attention to the Native American veterans that served," Shay said.
Read more here: http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=156221&zoneid=500
Monday, November 5, 2007
Two New Tribal Exhibitions Open at the
Press release:
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opens two new tribal community exhibitions in the "Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories" exhibition; the Blackfeet Nation of Browning, Mont., and Chiricahua Apache of Mescalero, N.M. Both exhibitions were developed in collaboration with tribal community curators and National Museum of the American Indian’s curator Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota). This is the first time that new tribes have been rotated into the permanent galleries since the museum’s opening. The new sections open to the public Friday, Sept. 14.
More than 30 objects will be displayed, including the actual 1855 Treaty of Lame Bull on loan from the National Archives to be displayed for six months and then replaced with a replica for preservation purposes and a porcupine-quilled shirt, the type that might have been worn at the time of the signing of the 1855 Treaty. Featured objects from the museum’s collections include items from a lodge (tipi), such as a parfleche bag made of rawhide and used for storing clothing, a woman’s beaded dress from 1890 and several other historic and contemporary objects.
The Blackfeet exhibition highlights key themes in their history, starting with the revelation of sacred powers, creation stories and their close relationship with the environment. The importance of the medicine lodge (known as the Sun Dance among other tribes of the Plains), the introduction of horses and language preservation are elements that have kept this culture intact. The 1855 Treaty of Lame Bull and Baker’s Massacre in 1870 were pivotal points and show the interaction with the United States government and the resulting tragedies.
Through the contemporary leadership of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and efforts of the Blackfeet Community College, the Blackfeet people strive to live in a modern world while
maintaining their culture. The North American Indian Days, held in July, brings families together for the annual celebration of history and culture.
The Chiricahua Apache exhibition shows the forced journey the tribe has made from their homelands in the Southwest to Alabama, Florida., Oklahoma and Mescalero, N.M. where two-thirds of the Chiricahua finally made their home in 1913 along with the Mescalero and Lipan Apache groups. Still after imprisonment for 27 years, the Chiricahua maintained their tribal traditions and values.
Such leaders as Victorio, Mangas Coloradas Geronimo, Cochise and Naiche are highlighted, as well as contemporary leaders like Wendell Chino (Mescalero Apache), who has brought economic stability to the tribe through tourism, a tribal saw mill and fishery and other economic enterprises. Stories of origin and important community ceremonies including the girl’s puberty ceremony are described and shown through clothing and historical images. Objects include a dance shield, a painted hide created by Naiche, child burden baskets made of rawhide, saddles and a water jug made of pitch.
Animated videos and historical and contemporary images present the wide range of life and history for both communities.
In conjunction with the opening of the two new exhibitions, dance groups from each community will perform traditional dances in the Potomac atrium. On Friday, Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m., the Rawhide Singers from Browning, Mont. will perform northern traditional and grass dances. The dancers are accompanied by singers on a drum. On Saturday, Sept. 15 at noon, the James Kunestsis Apache Crown Dancers from Mescalero, N.M. will perform traditional dances with large headdresses that are painted in the colors of the four directions. The dancers, also known as "Gaan" or "Mountain Spirits," are sent by the Creator to bless and teach the Apache. Both performances are free and open to the public.
Check out the website: http://www.americanindian.si.edu/
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opens two new tribal community exhibitions in the "Our Peoples: Giving Voice to Our Histories" exhibition; the Blackfeet Nation of Browning, Mont., and Chiricahua Apache of Mescalero, N.M. Both exhibitions were developed in collaboration with tribal community curators and National Museum of the American Indian’s curator Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota). This is the first time that new tribes have been rotated into the permanent galleries since the museum’s opening. The new sections open to the public Friday, Sept. 14.
More than 30 objects will be displayed, including the actual 1855 Treaty of Lame Bull on loan from the National Archives to be displayed for six months and then replaced with a replica for preservation purposes and a porcupine-quilled shirt, the type that might have been worn at the time of the signing of the 1855 Treaty. Featured objects from the museum’s collections include items from a lodge (tipi), such as a parfleche bag made of rawhide and used for storing clothing, a woman’s beaded dress from 1890 and several other historic and contemporary objects.
The Blackfeet exhibition highlights key themes in their history, starting with the revelation of sacred powers, creation stories and their close relationship with the environment. The importance of the medicine lodge (known as the Sun Dance among other tribes of the Plains), the introduction of horses and language preservation are elements that have kept this culture intact. The 1855 Treaty of Lame Bull and Baker’s Massacre in 1870 were pivotal points and show the interaction with the United States government and the resulting tragedies.
Through the contemporary leadership of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and efforts of the Blackfeet Community College, the Blackfeet people strive to live in a modern world while
maintaining their culture. The North American Indian Days, held in July, brings families together for the annual celebration of history and culture.
The Chiricahua Apache exhibition shows the forced journey the tribe has made from their homelands in the Southwest to Alabama, Florida., Oklahoma and Mescalero, N.M. where two-thirds of the Chiricahua finally made their home in 1913 along with the Mescalero and Lipan Apache groups. Still after imprisonment for 27 years, the Chiricahua maintained their tribal traditions and values.
Such leaders as Victorio, Mangas Coloradas Geronimo, Cochise and Naiche are highlighted, as well as contemporary leaders like Wendell Chino (Mescalero Apache), who has brought economic stability to the tribe through tourism, a tribal saw mill and fishery and other economic enterprises. Stories of origin and important community ceremonies including the girl’s puberty ceremony are described and shown through clothing and historical images. Objects include a dance shield, a painted hide created by Naiche, child burden baskets made of rawhide, saddles and a water jug made of pitch.
Animated videos and historical and contemporary images present the wide range of life and history for both communities.
In conjunction with the opening of the two new exhibitions, dance groups from each community will perform traditional dances in the Potomac atrium. On Friday, Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m., the Rawhide Singers from Browning, Mont. will perform northern traditional and grass dances. The dancers are accompanied by singers on a drum. On Saturday, Sept. 15 at noon, the James Kunestsis Apache Crown Dancers from Mescalero, N.M. will perform traditional dances with large headdresses that are painted in the colors of the four directions. The dancers, also known as "Gaan" or "Mountain Spirits," are sent by the Creator to bless and teach the Apache. Both performances are free and open to the public.
Check out the website: http://www.americanindian.si.edu/
Pleasant Point: Tribal program battles violence
By Diana Graettinger
PLEASANT POINT, Maine — Passamaquoddy Peaceful Relations teaches women and girls that they don’t have to be the victims of violence.
The reservation has been offering victim services since 1999, but Passamaquoddy Peaceful Relations is attacking the problem head-on under the leadership of its program coordinator, Nancy Soctomah.
The Passamaquoddy believe there is a precolonial component to domestic violence.
"Prior to European contact," the group’s brochure says, "Native men and women’s roles were based on specific traditional values practiced and honored through individual clans and tribes. Women were honored as pivotal to the survival of the tribe. Although they had separate roles, Native women were considered equal in status to Native men."
Things changed with the arrival of the Europeans. "Associating violence with power occurred in Native communities after the advent of colonization," the brochure says. "Along with this change came a shift in the concepts of women’s roles, in particular defining women and children as property. This imbalance of power created a framework that allows domestic violence to be a common occurrence affecting four million women every year."
Read more here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=17001.html
PLEASANT POINT, Maine — Passamaquoddy Peaceful Relations teaches women and girls that they don’t have to be the victims of violence.
The reservation has been offering victim services since 1999, but Passamaquoddy Peaceful Relations is attacking the problem head-on under the leadership of its program coordinator, Nancy Soctomah.
The Passamaquoddy believe there is a precolonial component to domestic violence.
"Prior to European contact," the group’s brochure says, "Native men and women’s roles were based on specific traditional values practiced and honored through individual clans and tribes. Women were honored as pivotal to the survival of the tribe. Although they had separate roles, Native women were considered equal in status to Native men."
Things changed with the arrival of the Europeans. "Associating violence with power occurred in Native communities after the advent of colonization," the brochure says. "Along with this change came a shift in the concepts of women’s roles, in particular defining women and children as property. This imbalance of power created a framework that allows domestic violence to be a common occurrence affecting four million women every year."
Read more here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=17001.html
Native Voices at the Autry boosts indigenous playwrights
by: Eva Thomas
LOS ANGELES - Over the last decade, a virtual who's who of American Indian theater artists has worked with Native Voices at the Autry. From Canadian playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, Ojibway, to up-and-coming playwright Larissa Fast Horse, Sicangu Nation, Native playwrights are finding a home to develop works for the stage.
Native Voices at the Autry is a professional Los Angeles-based theater company devoted to developing new scripts by American Indian writers. It is becoming a hot bed for contemporary Native theater. Taking the writer from workshop to staged reading to full Equity productions, Native Voices is committed to creating Native stories.
While teaching at Illinois State University, Native Voices Artistic Director Randy Reinholz, Choctaw, and Native Voices Executive Director Jean Bruce Scott began the task of finding American Indian plays and playwrights.
''I was asked to champion work around Native Americans,'' Reinholz said. ''We found some plays written by Natives and produced a number of staged play readings.'' From 1994 - '96, Reinholz and Scott organized a festival of plays at Illinois State featuring Native works.
Reinholz and Scott continued to develop the plays of Native playwrights; and in 1999, Native Voices at the Autry was born in collaboration with the Gene Autry Museum located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park.
In the mid-'90s, the Autry Museum was putting together an exhibit focusing on images of American Indians and turned to Reinholz and Scott to help create a live theater piece as part of the exhibit. That production was ''Urban Tattoo,'' a one-woman show by Marie Clements, Metis.
Since then, Native Voices has grown and developed into a gathering point for Native theater artists in Los Angeles.
For more information on Native Voices at the Autry, visit www.autrynationalcenter.org/nativevoices.php.
LOS ANGELES - Over the last decade, a virtual who's who of American Indian theater artists has worked with Native Voices at the Autry. From Canadian playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, Ojibway, to up-and-coming playwright Larissa Fast Horse, Sicangu Nation, Native playwrights are finding a home to develop works for the stage.
Native Voices at the Autry is a professional Los Angeles-based theater company devoted to developing new scripts by American Indian writers. It is becoming a hot bed for contemporary Native theater. Taking the writer from workshop to staged reading to full Equity productions, Native Voices is committed to creating Native stories.
While teaching at Illinois State University, Native Voices Artistic Director Randy Reinholz, Choctaw, and Native Voices Executive Director Jean Bruce Scott began the task of finding American Indian plays and playwrights.
''I was asked to champion work around Native Americans,'' Reinholz said. ''We found some plays written by Natives and produced a number of staged play readings.'' From 1994 - '96, Reinholz and Scott organized a festival of plays at Illinois State featuring Native works.
Reinholz and Scott continued to develop the plays of Native playwrights; and in 1999, Native Voices at the Autry was born in collaboration with the Gene Autry Museum located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park.
In the mid-'90s, the Autry Museum was putting together an exhibit focusing on images of American Indians and turned to Reinholz and Scott to help create a live theater piece as part of the exhibit. That production was ''Urban Tattoo,'' a one-woman show by Marie Clements, Metis.
Since then, Native Voices has grown and developed into a gathering point for Native theater artists in Los Angeles.
For more information on Native Voices at the Autry, visit www.autrynationalcenter.org/nativevoices.php.
Pawnee elder tells story of surviving Bataan Death March
by: Brian Daffron
CACHE, Okla. - Alexander Mathews carries a high and rare distinction in the Pawnee Tribe.
Considered to be the first Pawnee to see hostile action in World War II the day immediately following Pearl Harbor, he is currently one of only two tribal members for whom the Pawnee Prisoner of War Song can be sung.
Mathews' story, however, is even rarer, as he is a survivor of the Bataan Death March and Hell Ship rides. During this time, Mathews served 3 1/2 years as a POW in both the Philippines and Japan - almost the entire length of WWII. Mathews' story of surviving the sadistic brutality of the Japanese begins with his upbringing in Pawnee, Okla., where he labored long and hard plowing with draft horses, baling hay and doing farm labor.
''I was born May 11, 1919, and I knew what hard work was,'' Mathews said. ''I had worked for different farmers - a dollar a day.''
Decades before, ''Mathews'' became the family last name when interpreters could not understand his father's name when enrolling at the Pawnee Agency in north Oklahoma.
''The interpreter that was interpreting my dad, he could not interpret or explain what the name was,'' he said. ''There was an Army group there. He said, 'Sergeant, what's your name?' He said, 'Mathews.' 'Okay, your name is going to be Mathews.' My dad's name is Buffalo Chief.''
Mathews said his father was afraid of him working and spending all of his money foolishly. His father always told him, ''If you ever feed me, I'll know then that you understood what I was talking about.'' When Mathews began filling the pantries with food as a young man, he earned his father's respect.
There's more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416026
CACHE, Okla. - Alexander Mathews carries a high and rare distinction in the Pawnee Tribe.
Considered to be the first Pawnee to see hostile action in World War II the day immediately following Pearl Harbor, he is currently one of only two tribal members for whom the Pawnee Prisoner of War Song can be sung.
Mathews' story, however, is even rarer, as he is a survivor of the Bataan Death March and Hell Ship rides. During this time, Mathews served 3 1/2 years as a POW in both the Philippines and Japan - almost the entire length of WWII. Mathews' story of surviving the sadistic brutality of the Japanese begins with his upbringing in Pawnee, Okla., where he labored long and hard plowing with draft horses, baling hay and doing farm labor.
''I was born May 11, 1919, and I knew what hard work was,'' Mathews said. ''I had worked for different farmers - a dollar a day.''
Decades before, ''Mathews'' became the family last name when interpreters could not understand his father's name when enrolling at the Pawnee Agency in north Oklahoma.
''The interpreter that was interpreting my dad, he could not interpret or explain what the name was,'' he said. ''There was an Army group there. He said, 'Sergeant, what's your name?' He said, 'Mathews.' 'Okay, your name is going to be Mathews.' My dad's name is Buffalo Chief.''
Mathews said his father was afraid of him working and spending all of his money foolishly. His father always told him, ''If you ever feed me, I'll know then that you understood what I was talking about.'' When Mathews began filling the pantries with food as a young man, he earned his father's respect.
There's more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416026
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