"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." -
Luther Standing Bear - Oglala Sioux
Friday, June 29, 2007
Bluebird and the Coyote
The legend goes...
A long time ago the Bluebird's feathers were a very dull ugly colour. It lived near a lake with waters of the most delicate blue which never changed because no stream flowed in or out. Because the bird admired the blue water, it bathed in the lake four times every morning for four days, and every morning it sang:
There's a blue water. It lies there. I went in. I am all blue.
On the fourth morning it shed all its feathers and came out in its bare skin, but on the fifth morning it came out with blue feathers.
All the while, Coyote had been watching the bird. He wanted to jump in and catch it for his dinner, but he was afraid of the blue water. But on the fifth morning he said to the Bluebird: "How is it that all your ugly colour has come out of your feathers, and now you are all blue and sprightly and beautiful? You are more beautiful than anything that flies in the air. I want to be blue, too."
"I went in only four times," replied the Bluebird. It then taught Coyote the song it had sung.
And so Coyote steeled his courage and jumped into the lake. For four mornings he did this, singing the song the Bluebird had taught him, and on the fifth day he turned as blue as the bird.
That made Coyote feel very proud. He was so proud to be a blue coyote that when he walked along he looked about on every side to see if anyone was noticing how fine and blue he was.
Then he started running along very fast, looking at his shadow to see if it also was blue. He was not watching the road, and presently he ran into a stump so hard that it threw him down upon the ground and he became dust-coloured all over. And to this day all coyotes are the colour of dusty earth.
A long time ago the Bluebird's feathers were a very dull ugly colour. It lived near a lake with waters of the most delicate blue which never changed because no stream flowed in or out. Because the bird admired the blue water, it bathed in the lake four times every morning for four days, and every morning it sang:
There's a blue water. It lies there. I went in. I am all blue.
On the fourth morning it shed all its feathers and came out in its bare skin, but on the fifth morning it came out with blue feathers.
All the while, Coyote had been watching the bird. He wanted to jump in and catch it for his dinner, but he was afraid of the blue water. But on the fifth morning he said to the Bluebird: "How is it that all your ugly colour has come out of your feathers, and now you are all blue and sprightly and beautiful? You are more beautiful than anything that flies in the air. I want to be blue, too."
"I went in only four times," replied the Bluebird. It then taught Coyote the song it had sung.
And so Coyote steeled his courage and jumped into the lake. For four mornings he did this, singing the song the Bluebird had taught him, and on the fifth day he turned as blue as the bird.
That made Coyote feel very proud. He was so proud to be a blue coyote that when he walked along he looked about on every side to see if anyone was noticing how fine and blue he was.
Then he started running along very fast, looking at his shadow to see if it also was blue. He was not watching the road, and presently he ran into a stump so hard that it threw him down upon the ground and he became dust-coloured all over. And to this day all coyotes are the colour of dusty earth.
Inuit hunters say global warming is thinning ice.
By: Beth Duff-Brown
Inuit hunters are falling through thinning ice and dying. Dolphins are being spotted for the first time. There's not enough snow to build igloos for shelter during hunts.
As scientists work to establish the effect of global warming, explorers and hunters slogging across northern Canada and the Arctic ice cap on sled and foot are describing the realities they see on the ground.
"This is really ground zero for global warming," said Will Steger, a 62-year-old Minnesotan who has been traveling the region for 43 years and has witnessed the effect of warming on the 155,000 indigenous people of the Arctic.
"This is where a culture has lived for 5,000 years, relying on a very delicate, interconnected ecosystem, and, one by one, small pegs of that ecosystem are being pulled out," Steger said by satellite phone from a village outside Iqaluit, about 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Iqaluit is the provincial capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
Steger, who made the first journey to the North Pole by dogsled without resupply in 1986, is sledding with Inuit guides for three months across Baffin Island, the northeastern corner of Nunavut, with two teams of huskies and a cameraman.
He is charting his 1,200-mile adventure on his Will Steger Expedition Journal web site, and making a documentary about how Inuit hunters are being forced to adapt to a warming Arctic Ocean and melting polar ice cap. In June, he will testify before a U.S. Senate committee on climate change.
Click here to read the full article: http://www.aaanativearts.com/alaskan-natives/inuit-hunters-thinning-ice.htm?name=News&file=article&sid=1440
Inuit hunters are falling through thinning ice and dying. Dolphins are being spotted for the first time. There's not enough snow to build igloos for shelter during hunts.
As scientists work to establish the effect of global warming, explorers and hunters slogging across northern Canada and the Arctic ice cap on sled and foot are describing the realities they see on the ground.
"This is really ground zero for global warming," said Will Steger, a 62-year-old Minnesotan who has been traveling the region for 43 years and has witnessed the effect of warming on the 155,000 indigenous people of the Arctic.
"This is where a culture has lived for 5,000 years, relying on a very delicate, interconnected ecosystem, and, one by one, small pegs of that ecosystem are being pulled out," Steger said by satellite phone from a village outside Iqaluit, about 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Iqaluit is the provincial capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
Steger, who made the first journey to the North Pole by dogsled without resupply in 1986, is sledding with Inuit guides for three months across Baffin Island, the northeastern corner of Nunavut, with two teams of huskies and a cameraman.
He is charting his 1,200-mile adventure on his Will Steger Expedition Journal web site, and making a documentary about how Inuit hunters are being forced to adapt to a warming Arctic Ocean and melting polar ice cap. In June, he will testify before a U.S. Senate committee on climate change.
Click here to read the full article: http://www.aaanativearts.com/alaskan-natives/inuit-hunters-thinning-ice.htm?name=News&file=article&sid=1440
Do you know...
The Arapaho Indian Nation have lived on the plains of the American West since the 17th Century; prior to that they had roots in Minnesota. The Arapaho refer to themselves as ‘Inuna-Ina’ which translates as ‘our people.’ Their language is of Algonquin heritage, as is that of their close neighbors the Cheyenne. When they began to drift west, the Arapahos formed an alliance with the Cheyenne. Forsaking their life as corn planters they began to follow the great Buffalo herds.
The newly transplanted Plains Arapaho split into two separate tribes, the northern and southern Arapaho. Both tribes constantly waged war with the Shoshone, Ute, Pawnee and Navajo tribes throughout the 18th and early 19th century. From 1840 onwards, however, a peace settled over the plains tribes. The Northern Arapaho lived along the edges of the mountains at the headwaters of the Platte River, while the southern Arapaho moved towards the Arkansas River.
The Arapaho were a nomadic people in the summer when they followed the Buffalo. To accommodate this they lived in tipis. The tipis were made from buffalo skins that were sewn together and wrapped around lodge poles. The tipi was easily maneuverable and could be comfortably erected by two women in an hour. The Arapaho became acknowledged experts at hunting the buffalo, which provided them with virtually every essential of living. In addition to the meat of the buffalo the Arapaho would eat berries and plants. A favorite among the people was to mix buffalo meat with berries and the fat of the buffalo to make pemmican. The Arapaho were also known for the custom of eating their dogs.
For their clothing the Arapaho would utilize the hide of the elk and the deer. From these they would fashion breechcloths, leggings and moccasins for the men and fringed dresses for the women.
The Arapaho would live together in small bands with membership predominantly determined by birth. Members were, however, free to move between bands at will. Once a year all of the bands would congregate together for the Sun Dance festival – an eight day festival that preceded the great summer buffalo hunt. Each band would raise their tipis in a circle, ensuring that their opening flaps were facing to the east. In the center of the camp the Sun Dance Lodge would be constructed. In the middle of this lodge would stand the Sun Dance pole. After a preparatory period the Sun Dance would begin with specific dance patterns and body painting methods. Those chosen as the primary participants would then undergo an excruciating ordeal that involved staring into the Sun while dancing hypnotically before being impaled to the Sun Dance pole by way of tiny stakes punctured into the skin. The Sun Dancer was not to show any signs of pain during the ritual and, if able to do so, would be rewarded with a vision from the Great Spirit.
The Arapaho are a very spiritual people. They believe in an overall creator who they refer to as Be He Teiht. As with many Native American peoples they believe in a close relationship between themselves, the animals of their world and the land on which they live. The Arapaho also have a deep respect and appreciation for the wisdom of their elders.
With the coming of the white man the Arapaho endeavored to coexist in peace. But as the advance of Europeans on the frontier continued at pace, The Arapahos, along with all the other plains tribes, found themselves being pushed further and further west. The buffalo which they so depended upon was being shot by the thousands and left to rot by the newcomers. Treaties made by the United States Government with the Arapaho were soon broken as the need for more land presented itself. The gold rush of 1858 saw the floodgates opened even further.
The treaty of Medicine Lodge in 1867 placed the Southern Arapaho on a reservation in Oklahoma along with the Southern Cheyenne. The Northern Arapaho were placed on a reservation in the Wind River area of Wyoming along with the Shoshone.
The newly transplanted Plains Arapaho split into two separate tribes, the northern and southern Arapaho. Both tribes constantly waged war with the Shoshone, Ute, Pawnee and Navajo tribes throughout the 18th and early 19th century. From 1840 onwards, however, a peace settled over the plains tribes. The Northern Arapaho lived along the edges of the mountains at the headwaters of the Platte River, while the southern Arapaho moved towards the Arkansas River.
The Arapaho were a nomadic people in the summer when they followed the Buffalo. To accommodate this they lived in tipis. The tipis were made from buffalo skins that were sewn together and wrapped around lodge poles. The tipi was easily maneuverable and could be comfortably erected by two women in an hour. The Arapaho became acknowledged experts at hunting the buffalo, which provided them with virtually every essential of living. In addition to the meat of the buffalo the Arapaho would eat berries and plants. A favorite among the people was to mix buffalo meat with berries and the fat of the buffalo to make pemmican. The Arapaho were also known for the custom of eating their dogs.
For their clothing the Arapaho would utilize the hide of the elk and the deer. From these they would fashion breechcloths, leggings and moccasins for the men and fringed dresses for the women.
The Arapaho would live together in small bands with membership predominantly determined by birth. Members were, however, free to move between bands at will. Once a year all of the bands would congregate together for the Sun Dance festival – an eight day festival that preceded the great summer buffalo hunt. Each band would raise their tipis in a circle, ensuring that their opening flaps were facing to the east. In the center of the camp the Sun Dance Lodge would be constructed. In the middle of this lodge would stand the Sun Dance pole. After a preparatory period the Sun Dance would begin with specific dance patterns and body painting methods. Those chosen as the primary participants would then undergo an excruciating ordeal that involved staring into the Sun while dancing hypnotically before being impaled to the Sun Dance pole by way of tiny stakes punctured into the skin. The Sun Dancer was not to show any signs of pain during the ritual and, if able to do so, would be rewarded with a vision from the Great Spirit.
The Arapaho are a very spiritual people. They believe in an overall creator who they refer to as Be He Teiht. As with many Native American peoples they believe in a close relationship between themselves, the animals of their world and the land on which they live. The Arapaho also have a deep respect and appreciation for the wisdom of their elders.
With the coming of the white man the Arapaho endeavored to coexist in peace. But as the advance of Europeans on the frontier continued at pace, The Arapahos, along with all the other plains tribes, found themselves being pushed further and further west. The buffalo which they so depended upon was being shot by the thousands and left to rot by the newcomers. Treaties made by the United States Government with the Arapaho were soon broken as the need for more land presented itself. The gold rush of 1858 saw the floodgates opened even further.
The treaty of Medicine Lodge in 1867 placed the Southern Arapaho on a reservation in Oklahoma along with the Southern Cheyenne. The Northern Arapaho were placed on a reservation in the Wind River area of Wyoming along with the Shoshone.
Memorial honors Oglala veterans
by: David Melmer
KYLE, S.D. - Ola Millie Rexroat, Oglala Sioux Tribal member, didn't know how to drive a car, but she thought she could fly an airplane.
During World War II, Rexroat flew planes that pulled targets for artillery practice and she was the only American Indian woman among the 1,700 women who flew those planes.
Rexroat was specially honored during the unveiling of the Oglala War Veterans memorial dedicated to the Oglala Lakota veterans June 23.
Veterans are honored at every pow wow and every official gathering on the Pine Ridge Reservation, but now a permanent memorial has been established that includes the names of veterans from all wars.
The Oglala Lakota College was instrumental in organizing and developing the memorial, which is located at the Piya Wiconi Administrative Headquarters for OLC.
''I stand in honor of veterans who couldn't come home, for those who went to the spirit world and for those who are not here today. I am not a veteran but I have the greatest respect for veterans,'' said Newton Cummings, president of the board of trustees for OLC.
''Without the akicita [warriors], where would we be today?'' he asked.
Cummings said the memorial is significant because the future generations will know who the warriors were and who it was that sacrificed to make them free and safe. The memorial contains more than 1,800 names from all wars in which Oglalas served in the defense of the United States.
Read more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415311
KYLE, S.D. - Ola Millie Rexroat, Oglala Sioux Tribal member, didn't know how to drive a car, but she thought she could fly an airplane.
During World War II, Rexroat flew planes that pulled targets for artillery practice and she was the only American Indian woman among the 1,700 women who flew those planes.
Rexroat was specially honored during the unveiling of the Oglala War Veterans memorial dedicated to the Oglala Lakota veterans June 23.
Veterans are honored at every pow wow and every official gathering on the Pine Ridge Reservation, but now a permanent memorial has been established that includes the names of veterans from all wars.
The Oglala Lakota College was instrumental in organizing and developing the memorial, which is located at the Piya Wiconi Administrative Headquarters for OLC.
''I stand in honor of veterans who couldn't come home, for those who went to the spirit world and for those who are not here today. I am not a veteran but I have the greatest respect for veterans,'' said Newton Cummings, president of the board of trustees for OLC.
''Without the akicita [warriors], where would we be today?'' he asked.
Cummings said the memorial is significant because the future generations will know who the warriors were and who it was that sacrificed to make them free and safe. The memorial contains more than 1,800 names from all wars in which Oglalas served in the defense of the United States.
Read more here: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415311
Funeral services set for former Cherokee council member
By Donna Hales
Services for Don Ray “Chief” Crittenden, 77, who served 26 years as a Cherokee Nation tribal councilor, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“It’s a sad day for the Cherokee Nation that we lost one of our most beloved former officials,” said Councilor Bill John Baker of Tahlequah.
Services will be at the new Sequoyah High School Gymnasium for Crittenden, who died Friday. He formerly served as president of the Sequoyah School Board for many years.
While on the tribal council, Crittenden served under every chief.
Baker recalls Crittenden going to Washington, D.C., where he “pleaded and begged” to keep Sequoyah open “and got it done. Now, it is one of the finest institutions of higher learning in northeastern Oklahoma.”
Baker credits Crittenden with starting the Cherokee Nation Roads Program.
“It blossomed into a $100 million program. He did so much for northeastern Oklahoma than any one man could claim,” Baker said. “He did so much for the (Cherokee) Nation that very few people even knew about.”
Crittenden graduated from Westville High School before serving in the U.S. Navy and later serving in the U.S. Army.
He earned a master’s degree in education from Northeastern State University and taught school at Hulbert and Tahlequah. He was a coach for many years. He also was co-owner of Cherokee Pest Control for many years.
The son of Luke and Cleo Beatrice (Kirby) Crittenden, both deceased, he married Mary Lee King in 1956 in Fayetteville. They moved to Tahlequah and raised three sons, Philip, Christopher and Kelly. Mary Lee died in 2004.
Crittenden participated in rodeos for 20 years, bulldogging for 15 years and riding bucking bulls for a shorter time. He enjoyed his church, Tahlequah Bible Church, and loved spending time with family, friends and going fishing.
Services for Don Ray “Chief” Crittenden, 77, who served 26 years as a Cherokee Nation tribal councilor, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“It’s a sad day for the Cherokee Nation that we lost one of our most beloved former officials,” said Councilor Bill John Baker of Tahlequah.
Services will be at the new Sequoyah High School Gymnasium for Crittenden, who died Friday. He formerly served as president of the Sequoyah School Board for many years.
While on the tribal council, Crittenden served under every chief.
Baker recalls Crittenden going to Washington, D.C., where he “pleaded and begged” to keep Sequoyah open “and got it done. Now, it is one of the finest institutions of higher learning in northeastern Oklahoma.”
Baker credits Crittenden with starting the Cherokee Nation Roads Program.
“It blossomed into a $100 million program. He did so much for northeastern Oklahoma than any one man could claim,” Baker said. “He did so much for the (Cherokee) Nation that very few people even knew about.”
Crittenden graduated from Westville High School before serving in the U.S. Navy and later serving in the U.S. Army.
He earned a master’s degree in education from Northeastern State University and taught school at Hulbert and Tahlequah. He was a coach for many years. He also was co-owner of Cherokee Pest Control for many years.
The son of Luke and Cleo Beatrice (Kirby) Crittenden, both deceased, he married Mary Lee King in 1956 in Fayetteville. They moved to Tahlequah and raised three sons, Philip, Christopher and Kelly. Mary Lee died in 2004.
Crittenden participated in rodeos for 20 years, bulldogging for 15 years and riding bucking bulls for a shorter time. He enjoyed his church, Tahlequah Bible Church, and loved spending time with family, friends and going fishing.
Environmental politics
The latest trail through the land dispute involving the Ardoch Algonquins has more potholes than a downtown street. No matter which way you turn, peril awaits.
This week Bob Lovelace, speaking for the Algonquins, said the natives will fight the plans of a mining company, Frontenac Ventures, to look for uranium on land near Pine Lake. Citing the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Algonquins claim the land as their own and say they have the right to throw people off it if they don't want them there.
To support their cause, the natives are playing the environmental card, suggesting radiation will poison the area's watershed if uranium in the bedrock is disturbed. Their outrage, however, rings hollow. These are the same Algonquins who ignored demands for an environmental assessment before they began to build a community centre on Crown land at Pine Lake.
The natives no longer have credibility as environmental stewards.
The government of Ontario, which regulates mining in the province, similarly seems to be trying to grab ethical high ground to which it has no claim. At a time when confrontations at Caledonia and Deseronto have made us aware of how charged these disputes can become, you'd think a bureaucrat wouldn't need a regulation to understand the need to consult natives when a prospector expresses interest in minerals on disputed land.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.thewhig.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=580290&catname=Editorial&classif
This week Bob Lovelace, speaking for the Algonquins, said the natives will fight the plans of a mining company, Frontenac Ventures, to look for uranium on land near Pine Lake. Citing the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Algonquins claim the land as their own and say they have the right to throw people off it if they don't want them there.
To support their cause, the natives are playing the environmental card, suggesting radiation will poison the area's watershed if uranium in the bedrock is disturbed. Their outrage, however, rings hollow. These are the same Algonquins who ignored demands for an environmental assessment before they began to build a community centre on Crown land at Pine Lake.
The natives no longer have credibility as environmental stewards.
The government of Ontario, which regulates mining in the province, similarly seems to be trying to grab ethical high ground to which it has no claim. At a time when confrontations at Caledonia and Deseronto have made us aware of how charged these disputes can become, you'd think a bureaucrat wouldn't need a regulation to understand the need to consult natives when a prospector expresses interest in minerals on disputed land.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.thewhig.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=580290&catname=Editorial&classif
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