By: John R. Crane
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe hopes to use a $1 million federal grant for water improvements on the reservation.
The grant is part of a proposed federal package of more than $120 million for water-related projects across Colorado. The Water Resources Development Act of 2007, which includes the grant monies, passed the U.S. Senate Monday.
"To the West and rural America, water is our most important resource," Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., said in a statement. "I am pleased that Congress has recognized the importance of authorizing these water projects for Colorado."
Tom Rice, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's environment director, said the tribe has numerous water and wastewater issues, including water lines - in need of repair - running from Cortez's water-treatment plant to the reservation.
"We have a variety of infrastructure water and wastewater needs that we need to address," Rice said. "We have a long list of water and wastewater needs we'll look at."
The complete article is here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=16607.html
Friday, September 28, 2007
Honoring the Ioway tribe
By: Mary Challender
One hundred and seventy years after they were forced from their ancestral homelands, the Ioway Indians are being welcomed back to Iowa.
The reunion starts Saturday and Sunday with Ioway Heritage Weekend at the Living History Farms.
It continues through October with a world film premiere, a statewide Native Ioway History Week and Ioway Archaeology Month - all honoring the Indian tribe from which this state gets its name.
As many as 150 Ioway from all over the nation are expected to converge on Iowa for the festivities.
That would be the largest tribal contingent in the state since 1837, the year the federal government pushed out the Ioway to make way for advancing white settlers, according to John Palmquist, a retired Montgomery County farmer who has developed close connections with tribe members living in Kansas.
Check out the full article here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=16611.html
One hundred and seventy years after they were forced from their ancestral homelands, the Ioway Indians are being welcomed back to Iowa.
The reunion starts Saturday and Sunday with Ioway Heritage Weekend at the Living History Farms.
It continues through October with a world film premiere, a statewide Native Ioway History Week and Ioway Archaeology Month - all honoring the Indian tribe from which this state gets its name.
As many as 150 Ioway from all over the nation are expected to converge on Iowa for the festivities.
That would be the largest tribal contingent in the state since 1837, the year the federal government pushed out the Ioway to make way for advancing white settlers, according to John Palmquist, a retired Montgomery County farmer who has developed close connections with tribe members living in Kansas.
Check out the full article here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=16611.html
Alberta Metis to defy provincial hunting restrictions this fall
Canadian Press
EDMONTON - Alberta Metis will defy provincial hunting laws this fall by holding traditional community hunts outside of government-designated harvesting areas, their leader says.
Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, said that if her people are charged they will fight in court to draw attention to the province's "regressive Metis harvesting policy."
"This is about tradition. This is not about somebody deciding where we have the right to hunt," Poitras said Thursday.
"If this has to end up in court, then we are prepared to do that."
Earlier this year the government replaced an agreement that allowed Metis to hunt and fish without a licence throughout the province with new rules that restrict such harvesting to areas near eight Metis settlements and 17 communities in northern Alberta.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=16615.html
EDMONTON - Alberta Metis will defy provincial hunting laws this fall by holding traditional community hunts outside of government-designated harvesting areas, their leader says.
Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, said that if her people are charged they will fight in court to draw attention to the province's "regressive Metis harvesting policy."
"This is about tradition. This is not about somebody deciding where we have the right to hunt," Poitras said Thursday.
"If this has to end up in court, then we are prepared to do that."
Earlier this year the government replaced an agreement that allowed Metis to hunt and fish without a licence throughout the province with new rules that restrict such harvesting to areas near eight Metis settlements and 17 communities in northern Alberta.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.nativebiz.com/community/News,op=visit,nid=16615.html
A new image of Native Americans is still emerging
By: Lynne Harlan
During most of the 20th century, Native People in America saw our image in popular culture as the conquered nation, as cartoons and as silent actors in our own history. Now in the 21st century, we have an opportunity to define our image and make our own statements about our lives. Undoubtedly this opportunity comes because of financial stability. The opportunity sounds, at first, like a chance for a new beginning, but a closer examination reveals that our picture of ourselves is quite varied.
For once, we have to determine which side of our family to portray. Do we show the destitute Native community of the last century, which has been used for countless charities designed to benefit our people? Do we show the proud warrior on the plains, which never really fit our culture or personality? Or do we show the way our community really is with all our frailties, strengths and quirks?
Our definition of ourselves is important, because it is how our youth expect us to behave and it is how our elders see themselves. It must also account for the mixed images we have of our community, like mascots, old and new western movies and contemporary cultural icons seen in pop phenomena like “The Simpsons.” Our new image must show us as contemporary people who understand contemporary issues.
We must examine our values and work to create a self-image which is positive, but leaves room for change and differing perspectives.
For years, our tourism industry has seen the dismay when our culture is not as the visitor perceived. Often we have been told that our genuine culture is not really “Indian.” Many visitors do not recognize our true culture because it is not one of feathers and beads or flashy dancing. The foods we eat are viewed with disdain because they are of a Euro-American fare, as though we should be shielded from cultural interaction, and even those who try our traditional foods are disappointed because they don’t like the bland flavor of a pre-contact menu.
Our image is inherently tied to the tourists who sustain our economy, but also must portray the community those visitors will find when they visit. We can no longer afford to have a generation which doesn’t see our people as contemporaries in modern America, and now is the time for the redefinition to begin.
During most of the 20th century, Native People in America saw our image in popular culture as the conquered nation, as cartoons and as silent actors in our own history. Now in the 21st century, we have an opportunity to define our image and make our own statements about our lives. Undoubtedly this opportunity comes because of financial stability. The opportunity sounds, at first, like a chance for a new beginning, but a closer examination reveals that our picture of ourselves is quite varied.
For once, we have to determine which side of our family to portray. Do we show the destitute Native community of the last century, which has been used for countless charities designed to benefit our people? Do we show the proud warrior on the plains, which never really fit our culture or personality? Or do we show the way our community really is with all our frailties, strengths and quirks?
Our definition of ourselves is important, because it is how our youth expect us to behave and it is how our elders see themselves. It must also account for the mixed images we have of our community, like mascots, old and new western movies and contemporary cultural icons seen in pop phenomena like “The Simpsons.” Our new image must show us as contemporary people who understand contemporary issues.
We must examine our values and work to create a self-image which is positive, but leaves room for change and differing perspectives.
For years, our tourism industry has seen the dismay when our culture is not as the visitor perceived. Often we have been told that our genuine culture is not really “Indian.” Many visitors do not recognize our true culture because it is not one of feathers and beads or flashy dancing. The foods we eat are viewed with disdain because they are of a Euro-American fare, as though we should be shielded from cultural interaction, and even those who try our traditional foods are disappointed because they don’t like the bland flavor of a pre-contact menu.
Our image is inherently tied to the tourists who sustain our economy, but also must portray the community those visitors will find when they visit. We can no longer afford to have a generation which doesn’t see our people as contemporaries in modern America, and now is the time for the redefinition to begin.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Historical reading...
"On our coming near the house, two mats were spread to sit upon and immediately some food was served in well-made bowls;
two men were also dispatched at once with bows and arrows in quest of game, who soon after brought a pair of pigeons which they had shot….
The natives were good people, for when they saw I would not remain, they supposed I was afraid of their bows and arrows, and taking the arrows they broke them into pieces and threw them into the fire."
Henry Hudson in 1609 sailed up the river that later would bear his name. The Indians he found living in circular bark lodges were friendly and hospitable.
From the novel "I have Spoken" (American History Through the Voices of the Indian),compiled by Virginia Irving Armstrong. Published by The Swallow Press
two men were also dispatched at once with bows and arrows in quest of game, who soon after brought a pair of pigeons which they had shot….
The natives were good people, for when they saw I would not remain, they supposed I was afraid of their bows and arrows, and taking the arrows they broke them into pieces and threw them into the fire."
Henry Hudson in 1609 sailed up the river that later would bear his name. The Indians he found living in circular bark lodges were friendly and hospitable.
From the novel "I have Spoken" (American History Through the Voices of the Indian),compiled by Virginia Irving Armstrong. Published by The Swallow Press
Featured Tribe - Cahuillas - California
The Cahuillas are Takic-speaking peoples who reside in Southern California in what are now Riverside and San Diego counties. Many, but not all, of the Cahuilla peoples live on reservations-Cahuilla, Agua Caliente, Santa Rosa, Torres-Martinez, Cabeson, Morongo, Los Coyotes, Ramona, and Saboba. These reservations were established after many years of conflict with local and federal authorities in the 1870s. Today the Cahuillas number about twenty-four hundred people. Prior to European intrusion, however, when they occupied the better part of Riverside County and the northern portion of San Diego County, they numbered from six thousand to ten thousand people.
Within their language-speaking group, the Cahuillas were divided into about a dozen independent clans containing five hundred to twelve hundred people each. These clans controlled separate territories of several hundred square miles each and maintained their own political authority. Each clan was allied through ritual systems that provided political stability and networks for economic exchange. Each clan was dialectically different from the others.
Community beliefs were clearly stated in various song cycles (epic poems) and historical accounts that described a clan's sacred and secular history and provided guidelines for behavior. These beliefs were reinforced on a regular basis, usually annually, in clan ritual centers where the texts of the song cycles were presented in their entirety-a process requiring several days to complete. The most important parts of these gatherings were the nukil ceremonies, which honored those members of a clan who had died since the last nukil ritual had been performed.
For the Cahuillas, cosmological values and concepts were established when the world was created by Mukat. The Cahuilla creation story tells of the origin of the world, the death of god (Mukat), and the consequences of that death for humans (e.g., the need for death, social roles, and so forth). It also describes the basic concepts of supernatural power and its proper use in the contemporary world.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.manataka.org/page550.html
Within their language-speaking group, the Cahuillas were divided into about a dozen independent clans containing five hundred to twelve hundred people each. These clans controlled separate territories of several hundred square miles each and maintained their own political authority. Each clan was allied through ritual systems that provided political stability and networks for economic exchange. Each clan was dialectically different from the others.
Community beliefs were clearly stated in various song cycles (epic poems) and historical accounts that described a clan's sacred and secular history and provided guidelines for behavior. These beliefs were reinforced on a regular basis, usually annually, in clan ritual centers where the texts of the song cycles were presented in their entirety-a process requiring several days to complete. The most important parts of these gatherings were the nukil ceremonies, which honored those members of a clan who had died since the last nukil ritual had been performed.
For the Cahuillas, cosmological values and concepts were established when the world was created by Mukat. The Cahuilla creation story tells of the origin of the world, the death of god (Mukat), and the consequences of that death for humans (e.g., the need for death, social roles, and so forth). It also describes the basic concepts of supernatural power and its proper use in the contemporary world.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.manataka.org/page550.html
Native American Week Kicks Off in Palm Springs
Monday, September 24th marked the beginning of Native American Week in Palm Springs. The city made a proclamation in support of the week and the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians.
Statewide, Friday is Native American Day but the Agua Calientes say they're celebrating their heritage for an entire week to promote and honor their past.
"What we're trying to do is make people in the Coachella Valley aware of the contributions that native populations have made to our way of life," Michael Hammond of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum said.
The first event of the week was at Palm Springs High School where Olympic athlete Billy Mills, an Oglala Lakota Indian, spoke.
Also Thursday at Villagefest in Palm Springs, the tribe will have Native American dancers perform.
And Friday and Saturday, the public is welcome to the cultural museum for free.
For complete information on the Native American Week events, go to www.accmuseum.org.
Statewide, Friday is Native American Day but the Agua Calientes say they're celebrating their heritage for an entire week to promote and honor their past.
"What we're trying to do is make people in the Coachella Valley aware of the contributions that native populations have made to our way of life," Michael Hammond of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum said.
The first event of the week was at Palm Springs High School where Olympic athlete Billy Mills, an Oglala Lakota Indian, spoke.
Also Thursday at Villagefest in Palm Springs, the tribe will have Native American dancers perform.
And Friday and Saturday, the public is welcome to the cultural museum for free.
For complete information on the Native American Week events, go to www.accmuseum.org.
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