NATIVE_NEWS: [BIGMTLIST] newtimes article
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Robert Dorman [EMAIL PROTECTED] The article referred to below is currently at http://www.newtimesla.com/1999/080599/feature1-1.html, but in case it goes away, I am posting it after Mauro's message, and for the benifit of those of you without web access. To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sun, 08 Aug 1999 20:17:05 -0700 From: "mauro deoliveira" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: newtimes article Please post: THE LA NEW TIMES article at http://www.newtimesla.com about Black Mesa IS A MUST TO DOWNLOAD AND ADD TO MEDIA KITS. To make the most out of this big break in the story, each and everyone who supports the struggle should e-mail the editor of the New Times and ask that the magazine CONTINUE WITH THE LEAD and FOLLOW THE STORY beyond the deadline date (better yet...until resolution). The e-mail address is [EMAIL PROTECTED] Congradulations Victor Mejia for the best news story in years. -Mauro SOL Communications Pauline Whitesinger climbed out of bed in the predawn cold. She put a coat over her long cotton dress, stepped outside into the darkness, and turned to the starry east to say her morning prayers, as her ancestors had done for hundreds of years. She welcomed the sun, thanked the Creator for this life, and asked for a prosperous day. Whitesinger has a sun-wrinkled face and long graying hair. She's probably in her late 70s or early 80s; her exact age is unknown because she has no birth certificate. Her posture is slightly bent; years of living a frontier lifestyle on the Big Mountain Navajo Indian Reservation, a mostly barren, Rhode Island-size swath of land in the northeastern corner of Arizona, have left their mark on her body. Whitesinger herds sheep for a living, carries a .22-caliber rifle to ward off coyotes, and lives alone in a one-room cement-block shack with no electricity or running water. She speaks no English. After tending to her animals that morning last spring, Whitesinger climbed on her horse and galloped five miles across the rugged, semiarid terrain to a neighbor's home. There she joined other Navajos for a community meeting to discuss the loss of their land and their precarious future. That was when they came, in the late morning after she had left, to impound part of her livelihood. She knew who they were, too. The tire tracks they left behind betrayed them. Whitesinger's bull calf was gone. It had been loaded onto a trailer and hauled off to Keams Canyon 35 miles away, where it was auctioned off by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the federal agency that oversees life on Indian reservations. The one-year-old bull was unbranded -- a violation of Whitesinger's grazing permit -- so the BIA took it. But the animal was suffering from a dislocated hip and Whitesinger didn't want to harm it further by burning hot steel into its flesh. "I decided to leave it alone and let it heal first," she says through an interpreter. "That's why I had not branded it yet." Losing her calf was only the beginning. That same day, as she traveled to Keams Canyon with a friend in hopes of getting her bull back, Whitesinger's horse was shot to death not far from her home. Her 14-year-old grandson found it while herding Whitesinger's sheep. "At first I thought it was the BIA rangers," she says. "But I now suspect it was my neighbors. They support relocation, and I don't think they want me living here anymore." Like other Navajos who've had their only source of food and clothing impounded for seemingly mundane reasons, Whitesinger believes the BIA's program of animal confiscation is a "pressure tactic to starve us," she says. "It's all because of the coal that is in our land." Whitesinger is one of about 3,000 mostly elderly Navajos who live in abject poverty in the high desert of northeastern Arizona and are being forced to move from land that is rich in coal. About 13,000 Navajos have already been relocated under a 25-year-old congressional act that some say violate the tribe's human rights. Coal dug from the Big Mountain reservation yields electricity for more than 1.2 million homes in L.A. County. "Every time you flip a switch, you are helping eradicate Navajo people," says Marsha Monestersky, consultant for the Sovereign Dineh [Navajo] Nation and cochair of the Human Rights Caucus for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. "The United States likes to point its finger to human rights violations in other countries, but never to itself." Federal authorities, however, say the relocation has nothing to do with coal. Navajos are being moved out simply because the land they occupy now belongs to the Hopi tribe, under the terms of the congressional order. The energy industry, including Southern California Edison, which transmits electricity to L.A. from a Nevada power plant fueled by coal from the reservation, also denies any responsibility for what's happening to the Navajos.
NATIVE_NEWS: [BIGMTLIST] newtimes article part 2
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Robert Dorman [EMAIL PROTECTED] The article referred to below is currently at http://www.newtimesla.com/1999/080599/feature1-1.html, but in case it goes away, I am posting it after Mauro's message, and for the benifit of those of you without web access. Not all Navajos are leaving. About 100 signed an "accommodation agreement" with the Hopi that allows them to stay for 75 years. The 1996 agreement was struck during talks over settling the Center for Constitutional Rights' lawsuit that challenged the relocation act. The suit charged that relocation violated the Navajos' right to practice their site-specific religion. The court, however, upheld the act, stating that relocation benefits provided by the federal government "would be the envy of countless millions in other countries," says attorney Gabor Rona. But many Navajos thought the agreement was unfair, not only because it prevented future generations from living in Big Mountain but because it forced them to live under Hopi jurisdiction, without any say in how they are governed. Even more insidious, says Rona, is that the U.S. offered to pay the Hopi Tribal Council $25 million for a certain number of Navajo signatures, an incentive that led to fraud and intimidation as Navajos were pressured to sign. "A bounty was placed on Navajo signatures," he says. "Some people claimed their signatures were forged." Coal is the real cause of the Navajos' plight, say critics. "Places privileged by nature have been cursed by history," wrote the Uruguayan historian and poet Eduardo Galeano in his famous indictment of Yankee and European imperialism in Latin America, The Open Veins of Latin America. He could have been describing Big Mountain, where some of the world's richest deposits of high-grade, low-sulfur coal lie beneath cedar trees, meandering arroyos, and burnished mesas covered in ancient Indian drawings. More than a billion dollars of coal has been gouged out of the earth in the last 30 years, according to Beth Sutton, spokesperson for Peabody Western. Each year, the land yields 12 million tons, five million of which are pumped through an underground slurry line to the Mojave Generating Station in Laughlin, Nevada -- 275 miles away -- where the coal is burned to generate power for most of the Southwest, including L.A. Yet, Navajos have no electricity. The truth is, the Navajos and Hopis peacefully coexisted for hundreds of years until fossil fuel was discovered on their land in the 1950s. At that time, neither tribe had formal governing bodies (they were self-governed and community-based) capable of negotiating mining leases with coal companies. To solve that problem, two white lawyers, John Boyden and Norman Littell, were dispatched on behalf of the U.S. government and the energy industry to delineate tribal borders and set up tribal councils for the sole purpose of issuing coal leases. Traditional Hopis and Navajos, however, wanted nothing to do with the tribal councils. They viewed them as a violation of their autonomy. "Creating the tribal governments made it easier for the United States to deal with the Indians," says David Brugge. "But the traditionalists saw them as another way for the U.S. to control the tribes." Acting in a lawsuit by Boyden and Littell, a court set aside separate areas for the two tribes, and coal leases were signed. A joint-use zone for both tribes was also established in which coal revenues could be split equally between the tribal councils. In 1970, Peabody opened its Black Mesa Coal Mine about 15 miles northeast of Big Mountain in an area that straddled the two tribes' land. Peabody opened another mine, Kayenta, a few years later. The coal company's lease area stretches over 100 square miles, a vast terrain that is still home to 200 Navajo families. As strip-mining expands into areas where these families live, Navajos are bought out and moved to different parts of the reservation. About 50 people have already been "resited" by Peabody, which has exclusive rights to the land and the legal power to force the Indians out. The Navajos are paid per acre --Peabody won't say how much -- and given new homes. "Our leases have provisions for resiting homes to ensure that the mining can continue safely," says Sutton, the Peabody spokesperson. "The family selects an area...and Peabody constructs a brand-new home for that family with solar heating and plumbing. The process has to be approved by the tribe and the family." Since the mines opened, Peabody has paid $40 million a year to the tribal councils for the leases. Mining operations generate 700 jobs on the Navajo and Hopi reservations, where unemployment is around 50 percent, Sutton says. "These are highly skilled jobs that enable Native Americans to live and work in the area," she says. "We are proud of that." But Navajos like Whitesinger say they haven't benefited from the jobs or coal revenues. They say the tribal councils
NATIVE_NEWS: Fwd: REMINDER-Honor the Earth Broadcast is third in series
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 00:12:20 -0700 From: "Patricia Paul, JD" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mime-Version: 1.0 --- Aqiimuk Patricia Paul, JD - Forwarded Message - DATE: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 15:36:01 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: END Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk To tune in, please come to http://www.honoearth.com/broadcast.html Today's broadcast is Part 2 in a 3 part series (see below for overview). You can listen to the archive of Part 1 on the site. - Coming July 23rd, August 6 and August 27 on Honor the Earth Internet Radio: A Special Three Part Series on Native Nuclear Issues Honor the Earth will broadcast a special three part internet radio program on radioactive contamination issues in Native America. The first program in the series in scheduled for broadcast this Friday, July 23rd, at 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. The "Native Nuclear Issues" series is brought to you from the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) 10th Annual Protecting Mother Earth Conference, which took place June 10-13 at Mount Taylor, New Mexico. The Conference, co-sponsored by Dine' CARE, focused on uranium mining on Native lands and the ecological and cultural restoration of our communities who have been severely impacted by radioactive colonization. Go to www.honorearth.com and click on Internet Broadcasts for a complete description of each of the programs in the radio series. Instructions for downloading the programs will be posted on the broadcast date. Each broadcast will begin at 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Honor the Earth Internet Radio is a means for Native peoples to report on our own struggles to a worldwide audience in our own voice. You can tune into Honor the Earth Internet Radio each month to hear a new report from the front lines of Native environmentalism. To learn more about IEN or the annual Protecting Mother Earth Conference, go to www.alphacdc.com/ien Honor the Earth broadcasts are brought to you by Monsterbit and produced by radio reporter LeeAnn LaBar. For more information, e mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** This information is being sent to you by your request to be added to the Honor the Earth Maiiling List. If you would like to subsscribe or unsubscribe an address, please go to: http://www.monsterbit.com/cgi-bin/honor-announce. *** - End Forwarded Message - Visit FindLaw at http://www.findlaw.com for free case law, web guide, and legal news, and get your free @JusticeMail.com address at http://www.justicemail.com Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: Legislative Impact Update
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Legislative Impact [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Legislative Impact Update Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 09:21:47 Five new bills were introduced last week (8/5/99), which directly impact tribes. Legislative Impact has posted more detail and status links on our home page at http://www.legislativeimpact.com 1. S.1509: A bill to amend the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, to emphasize the need for job creation on Indian reservations, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Campbell, Ben Nighthorse . 2. S.1508: A bill to provide technical and legal assistance for tribal justice systems and members of Indian tribes, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Campbell, Ben Nighthorse . 3. S.1507: A bill to authorize the integration and consolidation of alcohol and substance programs and services provided by Indian tribal governments, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Campbell, Ben Nighthorse . 4. S.1525: A bill to provide for equitable compensation of the Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation in settlement of its claims concerning its contribution to the production of hydropower by the Grand Coulee Dam, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty . 5. S.1478: A bill to amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide equitable access for foster care and adoption services for Indian children in tribal areas. Sponsor: Sen Daschle, Thomas A. . Legislative Impact ( http://www.legislativeimpact.com ) is a service designed to do Federal Legislative Research for those who need to know but do not have the time to monitor the various sources to get the information they need. It is also a service that updates American Indian activists on the legislative issues that threaten to erode sovereignty. As a consolidated research service, Legislative Impact strives to be an affordable alternative to high priced and non-personal companies. If the above hyperlink does not function with your message software, please clip and paste: http://www.legislativeimpact.com Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: BC: CP rail blows up sacred rock
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 09:16:09 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Lynne Moss-Sharman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: CP rail blows up sacred rock Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Monday, August 09, 1999 CN Rail blows up Indian band's sacred rock Kim Pemberton The Vancouver Sun VANCOUVER - CN Rail became a target for outraged members of a British Columbia Indian band when it blew up a large sacred rock in the Fraser Canyon. Graham Dallas, spokesman for the railway, said CN workers blew the rock to smithereens last month because it was considered a danger to work crews trying to clear a rock and mudslide that derailed a CP freight line east of Vancouver. The rock - known as momet'es - was on a reserve belonging to the Yale band, near Yale, B.C., but is within traditional territory of Sto:Lo Nation. Mr. Dallas said the company will request an inventory from the native band to determine which rocks they consider significant. "Our normal procedure is to consult with the landowners, but if it's a matter of urgency -- life and death -- we have to take action," he said. Mr. Dallas said the rock was hanging roughly 1,000 metres above the track in the rugged canyon and said CN was not aware of the rock's significance to the Sto:Lo Nation. Company officials felt it was important to blow it off its perch. But Ernie Crey, of the Sto:Lo Nation, insisted momet'es was not a hazard because it was a considerable distance from the railway line. He said its destruction was a travesty. "It would be like going to Stonehenge and blowing up a few columns," Mr. Crey said. Sonny McHalsie, cultural advisor to the Sto:Lo Nation, said momet'es was one of about 100 so-called "transformer rocks" in the band's territory. He said the Sto:Lo believe some of their ancient ancestors were transformed into stone, and there are stories that surround each transformation. Mr. McHalsie said this particular rock, shaped like a pointing finger, was a reminder for people to be good. "All the elders I've talked to are very upset," he said. "All of a sudden momet'es is gone. It's been there for thousands of years and we thought it would be there for another thousand years." Archeologist David Schaepe, who works for the Sto:Lo Nation, believes the rocks should be protected under the province's Heritage Conservation Act. "Let Us Consider The Human Brain As A Very Complex Photographic Plate" 1957 G.H. Estabrooks www.angelfire.com/mn/mcap/bc.html FOR K A R E N #01182 who died fighting 4/23/99 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.aches-mc.org 807-622-5407
NATIVE_NEWS: Whiteclay Press (2)
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Pat Morris [EMAIL PROTECTED] 8 / 8 / 1999 Whiteclay Protest A string of peaceful protests came to an end Sunday in Whiteclay, Nebraska with some tempers flaring. 250 Indians from Pine Ridge marched into Whiteclay for the fourth straight day, protesting the sale of alcohol, and the deaths of two Native Americans. Two teenage boys started throwing plastic bottles and rocks at an officer who was stationed atop a building in Whiteclay. Other protesters surrounded a Nebraska state patrol car yelling at police to get off their land. One woman scribbled "Indian Killers" in the dust on the hood of the cars. The group then left town, saying they'll keep marching "until justice is served." http://www.kelotv.com/News/Detail.cfm?ID=1279NewsSet=HomePage Protests continue in Whiteclay American Indian activists wrapped up a four-day rally in Whiteclay, Nebraska Sunday afternoon with little fanfare. About 230 protesters made the now-familiar two-mile trek from Pine Ridge, South Dakota south to Whiteclay, just across the Nebraska border. Most arrived in the small town of 22 around 3 p.m. Organizers had predicted around 100 activists to march on Whiteclay. Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Terri Teuber says that by 4 p.m., only about 50 protesters were left in Whiteclay. Teuber says there were no reports of violence, damage or arrests. For more than six weeks, activists have been protesting alcohol sales to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation, as well as the unsolved murder of two Sioux men near the reservation. Some activists had warned they plan to evict the village's four beer-only stores this week if the stores do not shut down by tomorrow. Marchers posted notices on the doors of those businesses about a month ago that said they had 30 days to close. Organizer Tom Poor Bear said that while no rally is planned for tomorrow, activists do intend to seek court-ordered injunctions to force the stores to close. He did not elaborate whether those injunctions would be sought in tribal, state or federal court. http://www.discoveromaha.com/partners/wowt/news/1999/08/whiteclay_08.html Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: Jodi Rave Opinion: Whiteclay Santee
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Pat Morris [EMAIL PROTECTED] Opinion: It's cowboys-vs.Indians in Whiteclay dispute BY JODI RAVE Lincoln Journal Star Q: Is the Old West mentality alive and well in contemporary Nebraska? A: Yes, if you examine the plight of native people in Whiteclay and Santee -- two lonely outposts on opposite sides of the state near the South Dakota-Nebraska border. The unincorporated village of Whiteclay lies on non-Indian land, a beer bottle's throw from South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. To the east, there's Santee, a small village on Nebraska's Santee Sioux Reservation. Though separated by 294 miles, they share an increasingly interesting -- and tense -- relationship with state government. And taken together, the two illustrate a modern take on the traditional cowboys-vs.-Indians approach to taming the West: It seems the state still condones a system that exploits Indians, yet scorns those Indians wanting better lives for themselves. -- On the one hand, Nebraska officials support the business practices of beer-store owners in Whiteclay, a hardscrabble western village of 22. Here, the most vibrant businesses are four white-owned bars, which annually peddle $3 million worth of beer to their Oglala Lakota neighbors. -- On the state's eastern edge, about 1,000 people struggle to support themselves under the weight of the Santee Sioux Reservation's 74 percent unemployment rate. Here, the tribe ekes out a handful of jobs from four tribally owned businesses: a box factory, a farm and ranch operation, a hay company and a casino. The largest business, the casino, employs 23 people. For most of this century the villages of Santee and Whiteclay have remained largely out of sight, out of mind. Recent headlines thrust each into the spotlight. On June 8 the bodies of two Lakota men were discovered in a ditch off the highway leading from Whiteclay to Pine Ridge. Their unexplained deaths marked the sixth time in about five years that dead Indian men surfaced near the border. In protest, American Indian Movement members organized a rally June 26, marching into Whiteclay with 1,500 supporters. After protesting each Saturday since, they timed this weekend's four-day rally to coincide with the reservation's largest annual powwow. Native people have asked Nebraska officials to step in and shut down the white-owned businesses. For decades, those businesses have served as a beer pipeline into a reservation where alcohol is illegal. Tribal law appears irrelevant next to the law in Nebraska, where it is legal to sell beer. Legal to profit from the misery of some of the nation's most impoverished people. Gov. Mike Johanns said Thursday that short of imposing martial law, the state is powerless to interfere with the legal rights of Whiteclay business owners. Yet these same state officials also maintain they are powerless to help the Santee break their dismal cycle of poverty. In March 1993 the tribe and the state began talking about building a casino on Santee land. The talks led nowhere. The state refused to negotiate a compact with the Santee, contending casino gambling is illegal in Nebraska -- where the "Good Life" includes a multi-state Powerball lottery, keno, pickle cards, bingo, raffles, horse racing and a state-sponsored lottery. A bit of background: Legal problems have plagued the Ohiya casino since February 1996, when tribal leaders decided to open a casino without state permission. The National Indian Gaming Commission ordered the Santee to close the casino in May 1996. After 52 days, the tribe reopened the casino. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the casino illegal because it lacked a gaming compact with the state -- a requirement of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. In November 1998 U.S. District Judge William Cambridge ordered the tribe to close the casino. It refused. In February, Cambridge imposed a $3,000 daily fine, warning tribal leaders they could face time in prison. Four months later he increased the daily fine to $6,000. Prison sentences still loom before 11 tribal council leaders, who are scheduled to appear in an Omaha federal court Aug. 27. Last week, tribal members voted 61-11 to keep the casino open. Santee Tribal Chairman Arthur "Butch" Denny has repeatedly said he would go to jail to keep 23 tribal members employed. The Santee have argued they need the casino to help provide a better way of life. Although the casino generates less than $1 million annually, those profits support schools, education, housing and health programs. It's the same stance Johanns takes in lauding Nebraska's "legal" form of gambling -- the state lottery. It has "definitely served the public well by providing millions of dollars for necessary and worthy projects," Johanns said. The state has pocketed nearly $20
NATIVE_NEWS: NAC Topics Aug 9-12
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Re: Program Schedule for Aug 9-12, 1999 Feed Time: M - F, 1300 - 1359 ET NAC website: www.nativecalling.org HOST: HARLAN McKOSATO WELLNESS HOST: SHARON McCONNELL MON - 8/9: Remembering Nagasaki Hiroshima-Beyond the Bomb: On this day 54 years ago, the world changed forever. On August 9th 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the people of Nagasaki Japan. An estimated 64,000 civilian men, women and children died. Then we dropped another on Hiroshima. On this edition of Native America Calling we honor the memories of those nuclear victims as well as measure today's nuclear threat. Have we grown beyond the use of nuclear weapons? Or is the United States ready to re-ignite another nuclear arms race? Guests include Dr. Helen Caldicott of Physicians for Social Responsibility and actor Martin Sheen. TUE - 8/10: Anger Management: Probably the hardest emotion to control is anger. Anger can cause more problems in ones personal and career lives than we know. But anger when properly managed can become a very useful tool and resource. In fact, there are some people who say anger is one of the more important and productive emotions. How can we manage anger to become a positive force, rather than a disruptive one? Guests include Pete Mcklintock a Marriage, Family and Child counselor and Jim Neff of New Hope/Anger Management. WED - 8/11: Globalization the Indigenous World: Globalization of the free market and natural resources is a fact of life today. You see less and less corporations controlling more and more of the land, natural resources and labor. How is the globalization of the world's economies affecting the Indigenous world, which holds 80% of the worlds remaining natural resources? Invited Guests include Roy Taylor of the North American Indigenous Peoples Bio-Diversity Project and Winona La Duke of the Honor the Earth Campaign and Indigenous Women's Network. THU - 8/12: The Age of Super Disasters: The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) released a report suggesting that the world will experience super disasters in the very near future. The IFRC says as a result of global warming that the world will see severe droughts, floods, earthquakes and famines that will affect every quadrant of the planet. How can we prepare for the Age of Disaster? Invited Guests include the IFRC and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. FRI - 8/13: Overcoming Unhealthy Relationships: Unfortunately people don't always end up in healthy relationships. Some relationships start well, but slide into mental, physical, or sexual abuse. Often times drugs and alcohol are involved, as well as issues of co-dependency, jealousy and obsession. How can one escape such a relationship or recognize the early signs? Don't miss the next "Wellness Edition" of Native America Calling as Sharon McConnell and her guests discuss overcoming unhealthy relationships. For more information, please contact the following people: Programming Questions: Joseph Leon, NAC 505-277-7999, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Distribution/Promotion: Eric Martin, AIROS 402-472-3287, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wellness Edition: Amber Clayman, Koahnic 907-258-8898, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: Conservationists file suit to protect Snake River salmon from Potlatch pollution
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: NEWS RELEASE via "Wild Rockies Alerts" [EMAIL PROTECTED] August 9, 1999 Contact: Mark Solomon, The Lands Council, mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 208.699.2658 Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund 206.343.7340 Rick Johnson, Idaho Conservation League 208.345.6933 Bill Sedivy, Idaho Rivers United 208.343.7481 Conservationists file suit to protect Snake River salmon from Potlatch pollution (Lewiston, ID) Due to the Potlatch pulp mill's outdated pollution controls harming Idaho salmon and steelhead, a coalition of conservation groups filed suit today against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Potlatch mill discharges approximately 40 million gallons of hot, toxic wastewater per day directly into the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers and the path of migrating salmon, steelhead, and bull trout -- all listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. In the lawsuit, the conservation groups seek an order compelling EPA to consult with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regarding the effects of the Potlatch effluent discharges on threatened and endangered salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. This "consultation" mandate is required under Section 7 of the ESA. Potlatch's harmful pollution is not a new problem. Conservationists notified EPA of their concerns with the Potlatch pollution and possible harm to fish and water quality in January 1997. "The technology exists for Potlatch to decrease, if not eliminate, the need to use the Snake River as an industrial sewer," said Mark Solomon of The Lands Council. "If it wanted to, Potlatch could be helping salmon and steelhead, the Lewiston community, and their workers. The company just has to be willing to truly invest in our region's future," Solomon continued. One of the most significant threats to salmon and steelhead survival in the lower Snake River is elevated water temperature. While the State of Idaho has established a temperature standard of 68°F for these waters, Potlatch's permit allows it to discharge more than 35 million gallons a day of 92°F waste water. Heating of the river's water in slackwater reservoirs already causes the Snake River to exceed the protective temperature standard. In a bandaid approach to the problem, the Army Corps of Engineers drains cold water from behind Dworshak Dam on the North Fork Clearwater River to cool the Lower Snake River. Other significant pollutants present in the discharge include dioxin and associated chlorinated hydrocarbons, suspended solids, and nutrients. "Potlatch has mounted a major publicity and political arm-twisting campaign to protect the four Lower Snake River dams, not because it wants to help fish or farmers, but because it wants to continue to pollute," said Rick Johnson of the Idaho Conservation League. "Dilution is not the solution to pollution, here -- prevention is." (more) (Potlatch lawsuit continued) "It is more than ironic, it is an outrage, that Potlatch can continue to heat up the river at the same time that people of Orofino must pay for that pollution with the water of the North Fork stored behind Dworshak Dam," said Bill Sedivy of Idaho Rivers United. Potlatch's discharge is regulated by a Clean Water Act permit issued by EPA. Even though Potlatch's permit actually expired in 1997, EPA extended the permit indefinitely. A recent Government Accounting Office (GAO) study found that EPA is failing to meet the renewal requirements of these permits by an average of five years for all permits across the nation. In Idaho, one permit at Hecla's Lucky Friday mine has been extended without reissuance for over seventeen years. The plaintiffs in this action are The Lands Council, Spokane, the Idaho Conservation League, Boise, and Idaho Rivers United, Boise. They are represented by Laird Lucas of the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, Boise and Kristen Boyles of the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, Seattle. -30- Mark Solomon PO Box 8145 Moscow, ID 83843 (208) 882-4087 (ph fx) [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Duty to Produce Destroys the Passion to Create Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: Re: Makah Whale Hunt Makah Days
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: "CATHERINE DAVIDS" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Organization: The University of Michigan - Flint To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 14:54:21 EDT MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Makah Whale Hunt Makah Days CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For American Indian people it has been a painful experience to have had their traditional cultural practices outlawed by the same government that practically shoves their stars-and-stripes flag of freedom down our individual and collective throats. The United States government outlawed the Ghost Dance. To ensure that it would not be continued the goverment sent in its calvary to massacre about 300 women, children, and elders at Wounded Knee. So proud of their actions these soldiers had their photographs taken as keepsakes of their savagery. The Canadian government outlawed the Potlash and ended a tradition of sharing and generosity among the people of the Northwest Culture. The State of Michigan outlawed "gill net" fishing. Sports fishermen said that the "gill nets" were an unfair advantage, and that the Indians were taking too many fish. What they were really saying is that the sports fishermen depleted the stock of fish in the Great Lakes and reduced the "food supply" for Michigan's Indian people. This is significant since Michigan's American Indian fishermen only fished for food and never as a sport. So-called environmentalists and sports enthusiasts collaborated to get the American Indians as much negative press as possible even though it had been scientifically proven that Indians fished with gill nets for over 1,000 years in the Great Lakes...it was frequently the mainstay of their food supply and economy. These are examples of attempts to destroy people...to make them die spiritually and culturally. Indigenous languages were outlawed and boarding schools were built to torture American Indian children into abandoning their languages and traditions. Various Christian churches divided tribes and families in the attempt to "own" a particular number of Indians under the infamous and inhumane Quaker Peace Policy. Both the United States and Canadian governments have created diasterous programs and policies with the sole purpose of ending the spiritual, educational, artistic, and economic traditions of the American Indian people. It is simply no wonder that the United Nations Human Rights Commission has determined that the United States is a world leader in human rights abuse due to its treatment of the American Indian people. Sometimes our traditions were brought to an end by ecological disasters brought about by other people who acted simply for greed and profit. These people's actions were protected by the United States government. For example: Teddy Roosevelt and his cronies hunted and massacred thousands of eagles just for the sport. Their attempted genocide of the eagles brought an end to particular burial practices of the American Indian people. The eagle went on the endangered species list and now eagle feathers have to be registered with the government. American Indians who have eagle feathers that are not registered can be arrested, fined, and jailed. It is a vicious circle of creating means to destroy all that the American Indian hold sacred. The Makah people hunted the whale for centuries. They did not hunt the whale to extinction. The genocide of whales was committed by others for profit. The Makah people have a symbiotic relationship with the whale just as the Plains Indians have with the buffalo. The United States government used buffalo killers as one of their extermination policies. Kill the food source and starve the people...to death. The Plains Indians did not die just as the Makah people did not die although certainly their populations were devestated by massacre of humans and the near total destruction of their food supplies. The buffalo is making a comeback on the Plains. Several reservations have buffalo herds. Several ranchers have added buffalo to their herds as a way to support American Indian traditions of ecology. It is fitting therefore, that at this same time, the Makah have returned to the whale hunt. These actions are fulfilling the prophesies of our elders. In spite of all the genocide and legal attempts to genocide us...the whale did not die...the buffalo did not die..we did not die...our languages did not die...our traditions did not die...our histories did not die. They went underground and were kept safe until the time was right.There is a resurgance
NATIVE_NEWS: [DOEWatch] Nagasaki----Aug 9,1945 ---- headlines of NYT's
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Headlines and article from 8/9/45 NYT front page = Atom Bomb Loosed on Nagasaki 2d Big Aerial Blow Japanese Port Is Target in Devastating New Midday Assault Result Called Good Foe Asserts Hiroshima Toll Is 'Uncountable' -- Assails 'Atrocity' By W. H. Lawrence By Wireless to The New York Times Guam, Thursday, Aug. 9 -- Gen. Carl A. Spaatz announced today that a second atomic bomb had been dropped, this time on the city of Nagasaki, and that crew members reported "good results." The second use of the new and terrifying secret weapon which wiped out more than 60 percent of the city of Hiroshima and, according to the Japanese radio, killed nearly every resident of that town, occurred at noon today, Japanese time. The target today was an important industrial and shipping area with a population of about 258,000. The great bomb, which harnesses the power of the universe to destroy the enemy by concussion, blast and fire, was dropped on the second enemy city about seven hours after the Japanese had received a political "roundhouse punch" in the form of a declaration of war by the Soviet Union. Vital Transshipment Point Guam, Thursday, Aug. 9 (AP) -- Nagasaki is vitally important as a port for transshipment of military supplies and the embarkation of troops in support of Japan's operations in China, Formosa, Southeast Asia, and the Southwest Pacific. It was highly important as a major shipbuilding and repair center for both naval and merchantmen. The city also included industrial suburbs of Inase and Akunoura on the western side of the harbor, and Urakami. The combined area is nearly double Hiroshima's. Nagasaki, although only two-thirds as large as Hiroshima in population, is considered more important industrially. With a population now estimated at 258,000, its twelve square miles are jam-packed with the eave-to-eave buildings that won it the name of "sea of roofs." General Spaatz's communique reporting the bombing did not say whether one or more than one "mighty atom" was dropped. Hiroshima a 'City of Dead' The Tokyo radio yesterday described Hiroshima as a city of ruins and dead "too numerous to be counted," and put forth the claim that the use of the atomic bomb was a violation of international law. The broadcast, made in French and directed to Europe, came several hours after Tokyo had directed a report to the Western Hemisphere for consumption in America asserting that "practically all living things, human and animal, were literally seared to death" Monday, when the single bomb was dropped on the southern Honshu city. The two broadcasts, recorded by the Federal Communications Commission, stressed the terrible effect of the bomb on life and property. European listeners were told that "as a consequence of the use of the new bomb against the town of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, most of the town has been completely destroyed and there are numerous dead and wounded among the population." The United States Strategic Air Forces reported yesterday that 60 per cent of the city had been destroyed.] "The destructive power of these bomb is indescribable," the broadcast continued, "and the cruel sight resulting from the attack is so impressive that one cannot distinguish between men and women killed by the fire. The corpses are too numerous to be counted. "The destructive power of this new bombs spreads over a large area. People who were outdoors at the time of the explosion were burned alive by high temperature while those who were indoors were crushed by falling buildings." Authorities still were "unable to obtain a definite check-up on the extent of the casualties" and "authorities were having their hands full in giving every available relief possible under the circumstances," the broadcast continued. In the destruction of property even emergency medical facilities were burned out, Tokyo said, and relief squads were rushed into the area from all surrounding districts. The Tokyo radio also reported that the Asahi Shimbun had made "a strong editorial appeal" to the people of Japan to remain calm in facing the use of the new type of bomb and renew pledges to continue to fight. [A special meeting of the Japanese Cabinet was called at the residence of Premier Kantaro Suzuki to hear a preliminary report on the damage, The United Press said.] A Propaganda Front Voice broadcasts and wireless transmissions aimed at North America and Europe during the day apparently were trying to establish a propaganda point that the bombings should be stopped. For example, a Tokyo English language broadcast to North America, accusing American leaders of fomenting an "atrocity campaign" in order "to create the impression that the Japanese are cruel people," as preparation for intensive Allied bombing of Japan, took up the subject of atomic bombing, and described it as "useless cruelty" that "may have
NATIVE_NEWS: In Memory and Respect
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Monday, August 9, 1999 By PHUONG LE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER Ralph W. Johnson, 75, professor emeritus at the University of Washington School of Law and a leading expert in Indian law, died of respiratory failure Tuesday in Seattle. An imminent scholar and influential teacher, Mr. Johnson helped shaped several decades of court decisions and policies on natural resources and Indian rights. His teachings and commitment motivated thousands of law students and greatly influenced the nation's understanding of Indian law, colleagues said. "Ralph was one of the giants of our faculty," said Roland Hjorth, dean of the university's law school. A forceful and passionate advocate of Indian rights, Mr. Johnson also was a pioneer in establishing Indian law as a field of study. His articles were directly cited in several important U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including one that granted the Puyallup Tribe fishing rights. "He was the expert in Indian law," a colleague, Charles Wilkinson, law professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, said last night. "He brought such integrity to his work." Mr. Johnson took the lead in setting up seminars and courses for tribal judges with the National American Indian Court Judges Association. He co-founded Seattle's Center for Environmental Law and Policy. Billy Frank, a leading Indian activist in Olympia, said, "I lost a great friend and a great person who was so good at trying to find what's right and what's wrong." Mr. Johnson took up the cause of Indian treaty rights for fishermen in Washington during the 1960s and '70s when it was controversial to do so. He was motivated by his sense of justice and honor, his son, Brady Johnson, said. "When he saw something that he thought was wrong, he'd do something about it," his son said. "He'd do it because it was right, without regard to whether it was politically correct." A tall, striking man with a quiet sense of dignity, Mr. Johnson had a keen ability to avoid arguments and work toward resolutions. Born in Barberton, Ohio, he grew up in Eugene, Ore., and enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He completed his undergraduate and law school education at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he also edited the Law Review. Mr. Johnson practiced law for several years with his father and two brothers before he was asked to serve with the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps during the Korean War. In 1955, he was appointed to the faculty at the UW. He also served as visiting professor at Harvard University and the University of California at Los Angeles. He retired last year after 44 years. An ardent mountain climber, Mr. Johnson co-founded the Washington State Mountain Rescue Team. He was also an avid outdoorsman and skier. His son recalled how he took his family on camping trips and taught them to love and respect the environment. He even picked up other people's garbage, his son said. Besides his son, Mr. Johnson also is survived by his wife, Anne Johnson, of Seattle; children Jill Johnson of Seattle and Grant Johnson of Seattle; a brother, Art, of Oregon; a sister, Juanita, of Oregon; and a grandson. Memorial services will be held at a later date. ~~ "My heart is moved by all I cannot save, so much has been lost so much has been destroyed. I must cast my lot with those who, age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power... reconstitute the world."
NATIVE_NEWS: 'Squaws' gone, 'Indian Warrior' should go too say local American Indians, others
From: Monroe Gilmour [EMAIL PROTECTED] NEWS RELEASE 3 pages Embargoed until 10:30 am Monday August 9, 1999 For more information: Bruce Two Eagles 828-683-1889 Don Pat Merzlak 828-254-0010 Full background at www.main.nc.us/wncceib/ 'Squaws' gone, 'Indian Warrior' should go too say local American Indians, others -Erwin High School paints over offending mascot name- -Buncombe Co. schools' minority hiring practices seen as symbol of indifference- The controversy over the use of American Indian mascots was raised again on Monday, the first day of school, when American Indians and supporters gathered at the front gates of the Buncombe County Schools central office in west Asheville (NC) . They called a news conference to celebrate a partial victory and call for more action. The news conference followed a year which included a U.S. Justice Department probe of the Buncombe County school system and national attention on the local mascot issue. One year ago on the first day of school, American Indians stood in front these same gates in the mountains of western North Carolina calling for the elimination of Indian mascots at Clyde A. Erwin High School. We are pleased to see that the s-word was painted over last week on the Erwin gym and removed from the booster sign out on the highway, said Bruce Two Eagles of the Buncombe County Intertribal Association. They can keep the 'Warrior' mascot, he added, but it should be disassociated from American Indian imagery. That 25 foot lawn-jockey statue at Erwin continues to stereotype Indians and embarrass many fine teachers in this system. Remember, this issue is really about curriculum, about what we are teaching our children. The teachers at Erwin know that and voted 90 to 3 to eliminate all Indian imagery from the mascots. The school board ignored their wise counsel. Two Eagles was joined by representatives of other community-based organizations including John Hayes, President of the Asheville Branch of the NAACP. Hayes read a resolution passed at this summer's NAACP national convention calling for the elimination of Indian mascots. He connected the issue to Buncombe County School's minority hiring statistics. When you look at the statistics, it is no wonder the school board has been indifferent to American Indians and to the mascot issue, said Hayes. Siting the school system's 1998-99 Full-time Personnel Report, Hayes said, There are 857 elementary school teachers in the county. Three of them are Black and six Hispanic. That's one percent. There are 379 middle and high school teachers. None of them is Black and only two are Hispanic. Overall, there are 3023 on staff, 74 of whom are minorities of any kind. Only 15 of those have teaching contact with students. There is only one American Indian employee out of the entire 3023 staff. The school board's mascot insensitivity is just the tip of an iceberg. In March 1999, the US Justice Department negotiated a settlement with the school board in which 'squaws' would be eliminated as the female mascot at Erwin; the school system would develop better curriculum materials about American Indians for all schools; and, offensive religious items used as part of the sports mascot imagery around the school would be removed. According to Pat Merzlak, the mother who filed the original complaint with the Justice Department, these commitments have only been partially completed despite the school board's agreement with the Justice Department to complete them before school started. The s-word has been removed from the outside but is still very visible on the inside of the school, said Merzlak. The school board has taken steps to add $30,000 of curriculum materials to schools throughout the system, but to our knowledge nothing has been done to review and remove offensive imagery displayed at the school. The Board appears to have failed to meet the timing requirements set forth in the US Justice Department agreement. Merzlak added, It is all about children, both mine who are directly affected, and yours, who are being taught that it is OK to stereotype and make fun of American Indians. Shirleigh Moog of the Interfaith Alliance for Justice held up a t-shirt depicting a reptile-looking American Indian twirling a hot dog on his finger, She said, This t-shirt produced by Erwin High School for their school-wide 'Warrior Field Day' in May, only two months after the Board's settlement with the Justice Department, once again demonstrates the lack of understanding and the insensitivity present regarding racial stereotypes and caricatures. What would be the community's response if a public school authorized an image like this that depicted an African American or a Jewish person? In an increasingly diverse world and community, we all must be sensitive to the other person's dignity. In a community of mutual respect, all will prosper. Noel Nickle from the Christian Action Committee of First Congregational United Church of Christ
NATIVE_NEWS: Tribal Law Used Against U.S.
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Pat Morris [EMAIL PROTECTED] Monday, August 9, 1999 Tribal Law Used in Negligence Suit Against the U.S. http://www.abqjournal.com/news/3news08-09-99.htm By Scott Sandlin Journal Staff Writer A precedent-setting case in which a federal judge decided to apply tribal law in a wrongful death claim against the United States was settled last week as the trial was to take place. Despite vehement opposition from the Department of Justice, U.S. District Judge Martha Vázquez refused to back off a June ruling to use Acoma tribal law in a medical negligence suit over the death of Michael Cheromiah Jr. That meant the New Mexico medical malpractice damages limit of $600,000 wouldn't apply -- and the family potentially could have won a much higher award from the judge. There is no damages cap in Acoma tribal law. Cheromiah, a 21-year-old member of Laguna Pueblo who loved to rodeo and country-western dance, died Nov. 4, 1995. His mother is from Acoma Pueblo, and his father is from Laguna Pueblo. Severe chest pains had sent him to the Acoma-Cañoncito-Laguna Hospital emergency room four times in five days. Three times, he was sent home with orders to take ibuprofen and get bed rest. The fourth time, he was taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, but treatment by cardiac specialists came too late. A fluid buildup around his heart literally squeezed the life out of him. On Thursday, the Cheromiah family signed papers awarding them $675,000. At the insistence of his mother, Diane Cheromiah, who filed suit on his behalf, $75,000 will go to improve ACL Hospital emergency room services over a three-year period as a memorial to Michael. Government lawyers referred comment to the Justice Dep-artment's public information office, which didn't respond to Journal inquiries Friday. But the Justice Department was clearly dismayed with the court's decision to use tribal law in the case -- a first in the nation. The Federal Tort Claims Act, which waives the government's usual immunity for wrongful acts, orders federal district courts to apply "the law of the place where the act or omission occurred." Justice Department lawyers argued "the law of the place" meant the law of the state -- a position embraced by two other federal judges in New Mexico in similar cases. In written briefs, Justice lawyers said the applicable law must be pre-existing, articulated and accessible -- that is, written law -- and Acoma law relies to at least some extent on oral tradition. "An individual's liability should not be determined by rules or laws that (an) individual has no way to discover," they said. Albuquerque attorneys Randi McGinn and Kimberly Richards, who represented Diane Cheromiah in the suit, sought an opposite ruling. Applying state law, with its damages cap, would violate the Cheromiah family's due process rights, they argued. It would also "create a special class of New Mexico citizens -- Native Americans -- who would not be allowed to fully recover damages caused by the medical malpractice of government hospitals and hospital employees." In order to be protected by the malpractice cap, hospitals have to meet certain criteria and pay into a fund. No nonfederal hospital in the state in 1995 received the protection of the malpractice damages cap, according to the plaintiffs. And the United States not only committed medical malpractice on Michael Cheromiah, but also regularly does so to other Native Americans at the end of each federal fiscal year when Indian hospitals are perennially short of cash, the Cheromiah lawyers argued. They were poised to introduce exhibits showing, for instance, that on a per person basis, the federal government spends almost three times as much on health care to federal prisoners as it does on Native Americans through the Indian Health Service. For Diane Cheromiah, the policy issues take shape in her continuing grief over losing Michael, the oldest of four children in a close-knit family. Michael played tackle on the football team at Grants High School and loved livestock and rodeos. He went from trick-or-treating as a rodeo clown when he was young to perennially sporting a black Resistol western hat and latching on to an ambition to be a bull rider. "We told him 'You're too tall. Your feet will scrape the ground,' '' Diane Cheromiah said of Michael, slim and athletic at 6 feet 1 inch tall. After getting a job with the state highway department in 1993, he moved around to places like Quemado and Cuba working on road building, but he always came home on weekends. That's where he was when the chest pains, fever and vomiting began on Oct. 31, 1995. That day, he went to the emergency room complaining of chest pain on his left side and was sent home. He went back Nov. 2, accompanied by his mother, and was given an intravenous injection for dehydration
NATIVE_NEWS: SUB-COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE 5/8/99 a.m. p.m.
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 09:37:48 -1000 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: SUB-COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE 5/8/99 a.m. p.m. Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_-1277894052==_ma" Press Release 05.08.99 SUBCOMMISSION ON PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLETES DEBATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ANYWHERE IN WORLD The Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights concluded its review this afternoon of alleged violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any country by listening to a long string of rights of reply from nations defending their human-rights records. Several Subcommission Experts also spoke. One of them, Miguel Alfonso Martinez, contended that on the subject of human rights, the world had gone topsy-turvy, with countries that claimed to be adamant about defending the United Nations Charter also advocating -- by their actions -- violations of international law. As an example he cited the 78-day bombing campaign carried out by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, noting the attacks had not received the endorsement of the United Nations Security Council. In such cases of supposed 'humanitarian intervention', he said, the bombs never fell on New York, London, Paris or the Hague. Antonella Iulia Motoc, a Subcommittee Alternate Expert, said that all countries should have the right to exert control over their territories, and to deal with internal conflicts. And Expert Rajenda Kalidas Wimala Goonesekere said it was important to find a way to lay out the moral case for a suitable humanitarian intervention. He added that it was even more important that such interventions didn't make bad situations worse. The following Governments spoke in exercise of the right of reply: Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Morocco, Nepal, Indonesia, Iraq, India, Colombia, Turkey, Belarus and Bhutan. The Subcommission will meet in closed session at 10 a.m. Friday, 6 August, to discuss methods of work. It will next convene in plenary session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 10 August, to discuss the elimination of racial discrimination. Press Release 05.08.99 SUBCOMMISSION ON PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HEARS ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE The Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights heard this morning from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) alleging violations of fundamental rights and freedoms in Pakistan, Iran, Mexico, China, Sri Lanka, Australia, the United States of America, Morocco, Peru, Colombia, Indonesia, the Congo, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, and Bahrain. The remarks came as the Subcommission began its annual consideration of the 'Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including policies of racial discrimination and segregation, in all countries, with particular reference to colonial and other dependent countries and territories' -- annually one of the panel's most contentious agenda items, and the one that draws the most attention from NGOs. Among the violations alleged in various countries were religious discrimination, ethnic discrimination, discrimination against indigenous peoples, genocide, rape both during peace and conflict, discriminatory provisions within legislation, limitations on freedoms of movement and expression, genocide, torture and forced disappearances. Several speakers decried the presence of armies in civilian situations, saying that often had a negative impact on human rights. Experts addressing the Subcommission cautioned against the dangers of 'humanitarian interventions', saying they could be a pretext under which powerful nations could expand their influence and interfere in the affairs of other countries and of the United Nations. The speakers were Subcommission Experts Fan Guoxiang and El-Hadji Guisse. Representatives of the following NGOs delivered formal statements: Association for World Education; the Latin American Human Rights Association; the Association of World Citizens; the International Peace Bureau; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission; the Indigenous World Association; the International Association of Democratic Lawyers; the Centre of Economic and Social Studies of the Third World (CHECK PLEASE); the American Association of Jurists; Service, Justice and Peace in Latin America; Centre Europe- Tiers Monde and the Commission for Defence of Human rights in Latin America; Society for Threatened Peoples; the International Organization for the Development of the Freedom of Education; Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization; the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues; Associacion Kunas Unidos por Nabguana; World Federation of Trade Unions; the International Union of Socialist Youth; Franciscans International and Dominicans for
NATIVE_NEWS: Tom Longboat
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 15:10:18 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Lynne Moss-Sharman [EMAIL PROTECTED] HONOURS WELL DESERVED Brantford Expositor Staff August 8, 1999 It's a little more than 50 years since the death of Tom Longboat, one of the greatest athletes of the century. Longboat, born at Six Nations in 1886, was one of the greatest long distance runners of all time. He won the 1907 Boston Marathon and there is a tale of him beating a horse in a 12-mile race. Though he collapsed from heat exhaustion during the 1906 Olympic marathon, he went on in the next few years to beat all the best runners in the world. In fact, it can fairly be said that he almost invented the sport. Bruce Kidd, no slouch as a runner himself, and the author of a Longboat biography, notes that Longboat revolutionized the way runners trained, emphasizing long, slow distances while others stressed speed. Before too long, after having fallen behind Longboat in too many races, those others started emulating the style of the Onondaga athlete and his training regimen caught on. Though Longboat was as close to an national hero as one could get in the days in the early part of the century, pre-televison, it was really only many years after his death that steps were taken to honor his accomplishments. In 1985 a plaque was unveiled in his honor at Ohsweken. Just last week, Brantford city council decided to dedicate a street to him, the appropriately named Tom Longboat Run. And then this week came the news that Longboat will be among those great Canadian to be featured in a series of new postage stamps called The Millennium Collection. The series, according to a Canada Post spokesman, celebrates the people and places that have made Canada the country it is today. Among others to be featured are prime minister and Nobel peace prize winner Lester Pearson, famed pianist Glenn Gould and folk singer and author Felix Leclerc. Despite attaining great fame at a very young age, Longboat spent his last years in obscurity at Six Nations. He lived a simple life, working for a time as a street sweeper; he struggled with diabetes and the death of a child. When he died in 1949, his resting spot was marked with a simple wooden marker, now long disappeared. But Longboat's accomplishments are still with us today. It's good to see both the City of Brantford and Canada Post honouring the memory of this remarkable man. "Let Us Consider The Human Brain As A Very Complex Photographic Plate" 1957 G.H. Estabrooks www.angelfire.com/mn/mcap/bc.html FOR K A R E N #01182 who died fighting 4/23/99 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.aches-mc.org 807-622-5407
NATIVE_NEWS: Ottawa refues to hold enquiry: Dudley George
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 15:22:28 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Lynne Moss-Sharman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Ottawa refues to hold enquiry: Dudley George Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Monday, August 09, 1999 Ottawa refuses to hold inquiry into George shooting Independent legal opinion concludes federal government could initiate probe Jim Bronskill Southam News OTTAWA - The federal government has rejected calls to hold an inquiry into the shooting death of aboriginal protester Dudley George, indicating it would be unconstitutional to establish a probe. A newly obtained letter shows the Indian Affairs Department maintains the matter is clearly "within provincial jurisdiction" despite an independent legal opinion that concludes the federal government has a "shared and indeed primary responsibility" for ensuring the tragic event is not repeated. An Ontario Provincial Police officer was convicted of criminal negligence causing death for shooting Mr. George during a 1995 confrontation at Ipperwash Provincial Park. Aboriginals were protesting government delays in returning tribal lands and the alleged desecration of ancestral burial grounds. The Ontario government has repeatedly refused to call an inquiry, saying some issues are still before the courts. A coalition seeking a public probe asked York University law professor Bruce Ryder to prepare a legal opinion on the matter. He reported in mid-March that the federal government has primary constitutional responsibility for securing the welfare of aboriginals and could initiate a public inquiry into the circumstances of the shooting. Prof. Ryder and others believe there are troubling, unanswered questions about the Ipperwash affair. Following the release of the legal opinion, Howard Hampton, the Ontario NDP leader, wrote to Jane Stewart, the then-Indian affairs minister, accusing her of stonewalling. "You have abandoned Dudley George, his family and his community," reads Mr. Hampton's letter. "You have the opportunity to do the right thing and clear the air once and for all." A copy of the letter and Ms. Stewart's reply was obtained under the Access to Information Act. "I concur with the concern of Prof. Ryder that this matter be fully resolved," Ms. Stewart says in her May 20 response. "This can happen, however, only if the body calling any inquiry has the authority to investigate the key issues." Ms. Stewart says that one must determine the predominant purpose or feature of a commission of inquiry in determining its constitutionality. "In this case, the predominant purpose is the investigation of wrongdoing by the provincial police and provincial officials that caused or contributed to the tragedy that occurred at Ipperwash Provincial Park," Ms. Stewart writes. "This is clearly a matter within provincial jurisdiction." In a cabinet shuffle earlier this month, Ms. Stewart became Human Resources Minister and was replaced at Indian Affairs by Robert Nault. Steve Outhouse, a department spokesman, however, said the Indian Affairs position on an Ipperwash inquiry has not changed. "The department's satisfied that it is provincial jurisdiction." Dudley George's family has filed a civil lawsuit accusing Ontario politicians, including Mike Harris, the Premier, of pressuring police to send a paramilitary unit into the park four years ago. "Let Us Consider The Human Brain As A Very Complex Photographic Plate" 1957 G.H. Estabrooks www.angelfire.com/mn/mcap/bc.html FOR K A R E N #01182 who died fighting 4/23/99 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.aches-mc.org 807-622-5407
NATIVE_NEWS: Californians for Indian Self-Reliance Provide Voters a...
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from [EMAIL PROTECTED] by imo17.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v22.4.) id oJDDa09400 (8007) for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Mon, 9 Aug 1999 16:41:04 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 16:41:04 EDT forwarded for informational purposes only...contents have not been verified... From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 14:52:18 EDT Subject: Californians for Indian Self-Reliance Provide Voters a... Californians for Indian Self-Reliance Provide Voters a Status Report on Proposition 5 LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Californians For Indian Self-Reliance (CISR), one of the largest citizens' coalitions in the state's history, which includes more than 70 California Indian tribes, is undertaking a public information effort to inform California voters that, despite its overwhelming passage last November, Proposition 5 has not been implemented. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990809/LAM008 ) Prop. 5 was the November '98 ballot measure, passed by more than 63 percent of the California electorate, that allowed California Indian tribes to continue gaming on their own tribal lands. A 30-second television commercial will begin airing Monday, August 9th. "More than 275 days have passed since the historic passage of Prop. 5 and we felt it was important to keep voters informed on its status," said Mark Macarro, CISR spokesman and tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians. SOURCE Californians For Indian Self-Reliance CO: Californians For Indian Self-Reliance ST: California IN: CNO ENT SU: LEG 08/09/99 14:51 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: Casinos Buy Political Clout
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Pat Morris [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sunday, August 8, 1999 American Indians Enjoy Increased Political Clout BY LARRY BIVINS GANNETT NEWS SERVICE WASHINGTON -- Tribal leaders declared victory in July when the House defeated a measure that would have forced tribes opening casinos to continue to hammer out agreements with state governments first. Before the vote, 50 American Indian leaders met with top House Republicans -- a landmark day that reflected the growing political clout of tribes bolstered by a newly vigorous, self-determined movement and financial gains from casino gambling. "For the first time in history, the speaker of the House from any party had tribal leaders throughout the United States here," noted Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., who helped arrange the gathering. Signs of surging tribal political power are popping up across the nation's capital -- as American Indian delegations press their issues at congressional hearings and tribes open legislative offices across the city, donating an outpouring of cash to political campaign committees. Since the 1991-92 campaign cycle, Indian tribes have shelled out more than $3.3 million in soft-money contributions to the Republican and Democratic national committees, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Such donations climbed from $113,671 in the 1991-92 cycle to a high of $1.5 million in 1995-96. In the most recent election cycle, tribes spent $1.2 million in soft-money contributions. The donations have helped tribal leaders open doors to lawmakers of both parties. "We didn't get a whole lot of responses when we were making baskets," said Carol Shanks, a member of the Saginaw Chippewa tribal council in Michigan, during a recent Washington visit. "We're not making baskets anymore. We're making money." Operating the nation's second-largest Indian-owned casino, the Saginaw Chippewas are putting some of that money to political use. The tribe gave $100,000 each to the Republican and Democratic campaign committees last year. And it is renovating a $1.5 million house on Embassy Row as its lobbying headquarters. "We want to be here when legislation is handed down," said tribal chairman Kevin Chamberlain. "We have made it very clear across Indian country that this is not something we intend to use just for ourselves." Maintaining a steady presence in Washington has become critically important in recent years, as some lawmakers have proposed legislation that tribal leaders consider a threat to their sovereign rights. Tribal advocates are just as aggressive in federal court, claiming in a federal lawsuit that the government has for years cheated them out of billions of dollars in royalties from Indian lands that the government is supposed to manage. JoAnn Chase, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, counts almost a dozen tribes with recently established Washington offices, including the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe of Connecticut, the Navajo Nation and the Chickasaw Tribe of Oklahoma. "We're seeing a greater presence in Washington because it has been essential for us to educate a largely uninformed Congress," Chase said. "Our issues are a bit more complex, so it requires more relationship building." The courtship of Congress is starting to pay off. In the House, a bipartisan group of 87 members has formed the Native American Congressional Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., and Hayworth. Kildee and Hayworth led the fight on the House floor to thwart an effort to restrict Indian gaming. At the heart of the issue was state taxation of Indian gaming revenues. "I had to point out that Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Indian tribes tribal sovereignty," Hayworth said, "and if you wanted to tax tribes you have to tax state lotteries." The measure was defeated on a 217-205 vote. "That was absolutely extraordinary," noted Kevin Gover, a Pawnee Indian who heads the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Interior Department. "You couldn't have gotten me to bet a penny on that five years ago. I can't remember the last time we won a floor vote in the House on a gaming issue." http://www.sltrib.com/08081999/nation_w/13692.htm Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: UCDAVIS:The Putah-Cache Bioregion Project
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Earle Cummings [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Web site to be aware of Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The Putah-Cache Bioregion Project: http://bioregion.ucdavis.edu/where/default.html An Artifact http://bioregion.ucdavis.edu/where/doslpast.html According to Marlene Greenway's research, US Bureau of Land Management archaeologist, humans have been occupying the Putah and Cache basins for nearly ten thousand years. Here, evidence of former inhabitants escapes all but the most persistent investigators. Occasionally, it surfaces by chance. In April, 1991, three friends and I were riding bicycles up the narrow, winding tarmac from Williams toward Lodoga, in the west side foothills. By this time I had come to realize that there had been an abundant native population in this place, and that not all indigenous people had died in the epidemics of 1833 and 1834. At the time I was typical of many other white Americans, vaguely aware that primal peoples had once lived on "my land", but ignorant of who they were, where they were, and most of all, how they lived here. I did not recognize the small stone object I picked up by the side of the road while resting against my bicycle. It was made of hard black and white flecked stone - something like granite. It appeared to be man-made, but so uniform in diameter, that, although tapered, it might have been a sample for testing the rock's strength, or a core dug out of a blasting hole, or a balustrade from an ornate stone garden fence. I put the stone in my pocket, and upon arriving home, stowed the object away in a "junk" drawer. Three years later, I saw with astonishment a detailed illustration of the exact object I had found: a four-thousand year old, "early horizon" steatite charmstone. The function of such stones is still debated, but charmstones were found in native graves dating up until a thousand years ago. This one precisely matched the illustration and material of the earliest horizon of archaeological exploration. It was thought that such charmstones were suspended over spots in the stream, to "charm" the fish into being caught. Introduction to Local Native Americans Who | What | Where | Publications Rob Thayer, Professor of Landscape Architecture, has been researching the local indigenous peoples for some years. Two results are a map of historical Native American territories and "Dancin' On Sacred Land," a collection of personal encounters with local tribes past and present. end excerpt Go to small map (350 pixels wide, 45K + 5K legend) Go to large map (500 pixels wide, 65K + 6K legend) Go to Dancin' On Sacred Land: Past Go to Dancin' On Sacred Land: Present Life is but a dance Upon the sacred land All our love returns As water, trees, and sand. -Dale Will "Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run." Mark Twain Earle W. Cummings, Wetlands Coordination California Department of Water Resources 3251 S Street, Sacramento CA 95816 Voice (916)227-7519 Fax (916)227-7554
NATIVE_NEWS: Haudenosaunee Statement UN
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.3 (32) Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 18:40:47 -0500 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Indigenous Environmental Network [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Haudenosaunee Statement UN Haudenosaunee Commission on Human Rights Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities Working Group on Indigenous Populations Seventeenth Session 26 - 30 July 1999 Agenda Item 8: Treaties Intervention of the Haudenosaunee presented by Chief Oren Lyons Madam Chairperson: Greetings to you, distinguished delegates, leaders and chiefs of Indigenous peoples; Distinguished members of the Working Group and all good people gathered here, The Haudenosaunee delegation to this 17th Session of the Working Group for Indigenous Populations carry the grave responsibility of presenting to you our confederation's history and position on treaties. Treaties made by our nations with Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and other nations including the great Lakota Nation. With the utmost respect and love we pay homage and honor to our past chiefs, leaders and people who are the foundation of our nations, who stood in defense of all of our peoples and lands. They loved us as their future children and they fought and died for us. They made the treaties that we talk about today and we must keep their faces in our minds, those who gave us our lives. We acknowledge and honor Jose R. Martinez Cobo who's Study of the Problems of discrimination against Indigenous populations recognized the importance of our treaties with the colonial powers and nation states. He pointed to their relevance as international instruments of law. We acknowledge and honor the original leaders, chiefs, men and women who made the initial journey here seeking justice, equity and the protection of our peoples, our lands, and our treaties. Those who have traveled and labored these past twenty-two years in defense of our peoples, we honor and thank you. Make our people smile. We acknowledge and honor all members past and present of the Working Group for Indigenous populations who have labored with us on our behalf since your inception in 1982. We give special attention and recognition to this untiring work of our present Chairperson who has held this position since 1984, the distinguished and honorable Erica-Irene Daes. We now acknowledge and honor Professor Miguel Alphonso Martinez, Special Rapporteur, for the Study on Treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between states and Indigenous populations. We pay special attention to the dedication, perseverance and integrity of Professor Martinez who within minimal budget constraints did complete his mandate to the Indigenous peoples, this working group and the Commission on Human Rights. We thank you for your work. Finally we would take this time to acknowledge and thank the distinguished representatives of the member states, who have taken the time to join us here over these many years, to provide statements that have produced spirited discussions, and advised us on language and protocol. We thank you and the commission of human rights for providing this forum for the Indigenous peoples of the World. Madam Chairperson: The Haudenosaunee delegation will add only one further comment. Dr. Martinez's observations on how states dismantle and "domesticate" treaties are important and should be a part of a continuing study by an international forum on law. Interestingly, several days ago a statement was made in the working group by the representatives of the United States. He provides an example of how this can occur. I quote, "Since the formation of the Union, the United States has recognized Indian tribes as domestic dependent nations." Madam Chair, we find this sentence relevant and germane to our current discussion on land and treaties. In our opinion it provides a concrete example that a statement without context can be misleading. The Haudenosaunee hold some of the first treaties made with the United States. The treaties of Fort Stanwix 1784, Fort Harmar 1789, the George Washington Covenant of 1794 also known as the Canandaigua Treaty and many more. The point I make here is that these treaties were made before during and after the Constitution of the United States was drafted and became operative in 1789. There was no "domestic dependant" policy in 1789. That term was first used in a Supreme Court case in Johnson v. Macintosh in 1823. Therefore, the statement is erroneous and misleading to all who are uninformed in this history and I thank the distinguished representative of the United States for providing us with this example of contemporary politics. The study by professor Martinez has revealed many of the processes, policies, political and religious theories that provide the basis for land takings in the Western Hemisphere and other frontiers. 15th
NATIVE_NEWS: FLORIDA AIM CLEVELAND PROTEST
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 19:09:36 EDT Subject: FLORIDA AIM CLEVELAND PROTEST For Immediate Release The American Indian Movement of Florida held three days of protests against the use of Indian peoples as sports mascot by the Cleveland MLB team in front of Tropicana Field August 6, 7,8. Florida AIM members were joined in solidarity by members of the National Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement and African Peoples Solidarity Committee as well as the Refuge. On the first day of the protest Saint Petersburg Police informed Florida AIM State Executive Director Sheridan Murphy and Florida AIM State Support Group Coordinator Gloria Cox that all AIM members and supporters were "trespassed" or given a formal trespass warning from Tropicana Field property by Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vince Namoli and would be arrested for trespassing if they were caught walking on the property. In the wake of Sheridan and David Narcomey's ejection from Tropicana Field on August 7th, the police additionally informed Sheridan Murphy that no visible or known Florida AIM members or supporters were be pernitted entrance to Tropicana Field even with a ticket-refunds would be made available but any AIM member or supporter known to them attempting entrance would be charged with felony trespassing-applicable complaints are being made and legal action is being considered Highlights of the protest included the distribution of more than 7,000 flyers to fans, burning of a Cleveland "Indians" flag, and on August 7th Florida AIM State Executive Director Sheridan Murphy and North Florida Director David Narcomey obtained tickets and entered Tropicana Field and displayed a banner stating "American Indians are a peoples not a Sports Mascot for America's Fun and Games-directly across from home plate. After refusing an order from a Tropicana Field Security guard to remove the banner-due to her inability to explain why banners stating "GO WADE" and "D-Rays Sez.." were permissable and the banner decrying the use of Indian people as a sports mascot was not. Another pair of security guards were also unable to provide Murphy and Narcomey with either a state statute or valid distinguishing reason to remove the banner. Finally Three Pinellas County Sheriffs deputies joined the four Tropicana Field Security guards in trespassing both Mr. Narcomey and Mr. Murphy from Tropicana Field for the duration of the Cleveland-Tampa Bay series. Mr Murphy was later informed that the banner was removed because it was offensive to Cleveland fans and to Devil Rays owner Vince Namoli! Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: As native religious beliefs revive, some elders disagree over what is sacred
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 19:00:31 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Lynne Moss-Sharman [EMAIL PROTECTED] The muddle over what is sacred As native religious beliefs revive, some elders disagree over what is sacred. Colin Grey and Derek McNaughton The Ottawa Citizen August 7, 1999 Native spirituality continues to claw (??) back from extinction, but chasms between Indians over what is and what is not sacred for aboriginal people have also begun to appear. One of those voids emerged early last month when a museum curator in Hull, himself a Cree, told the Curve Lake First Nations band near Peterborough they had no historical basis to call a collection of rock carvings in Petroglyphs Provincial Park "sacred." Bernard Assiniwi's comments, reported in the Citizen, pitted him directly against the teachings of Peter Ocheise, a highly-respected Ojibway elder, who said taking pictures of the carvings froze spirits that inhabit them. The spectacle of two authoritative native voices contradicting each other demonstrates just how muddled native spirituality has become, even as it has re-emerged and flourished over the last 30 years. The confusion is compounded by the sharing of spiritual practices between different tribes and the popularization of some rituals, like powwows, that were once regional. At the same time, native spirituality has spawned more than its share of New Age imitations and rampant hucksterism -- taking a place among tarot cards, astrology, incense and aromatherapy. "Here in Toronto we had someone advertising 'sweat-like experiences' in a room in downtown Toronto," says Oriah Mountain Dreamer, a writer who conducts workshops based on native beliefs, and the author of the hot-selling book The Invitation, based on her popular poem of the same name. "Now, I don't know if you've ever been in a sweat lodge, but it's a long way from sitting in a room at the University of Toronto," she says. "It sounds romantic, it sounds sexy, and it sells the workshop, but they're not doing theceremony." The genuine ceremonies practised by aboriginal people until the end of the last century -- when government bans forced Indian spiritual practices underground and nearly crushed native culture and language entirely -- have today become almost mainstream. Now, it is easy to find a powwow, potlatch or sweat lodge, albeit with admission fees, and the revival has led natives to embrace all things aboriginal. Chiefs of eastern tribes wear elaborate head-dresses, adopting a custom from southwestern Sioux tribes. And "dream catchers," the web-like circles adorned with feathers, hang from rear-view mirrors like fuzzy dice and air fresheners. "It's become very commercial," says Gordon Williams, a elder of Cree and Ojibway descent living in Ottawa. "There are only a very few powwows you can go to that are traditional." Mr. Williams says the marketing of spirituality and the casual use of rituals like the sweat lodge is unfortunate. "You don't just have a sweat because you want to lock yourself in a little place where you're going to get up to 150 degrees and pour water all over yourself," he says. "It's not that simple. It has to be for a reason." Today's native spirituality reflects the history of oppression that lies at the root of so many government policies and other elements of our society's treatment of aboriginals, say several experts. Beginning in the late 1800s, governments banned such practices as the potlatch among Northwestern peoples and the thirst-dance endurance rituals. In 1914, governments prohibited appearing in traditional dress and performing dances at fairs or stampedes. A crackdown followed in the 1920s. Such laws worked hand in hand with Christian residential schools to destroy aboriginal culture. When the schools closed in the 1960s and native spirituality resurfaced, many young aboriginals did not know where or how to find their roots. Indians from smaller bands, communities where the historical break was more severe, looked to bigger tribes like the Sioux, the Cree or the Lakota for messages that resonated with them. Stephen Augustine, a historical researcher at the Museum of Civilization's Department of Civilization, said in his Micmac community in the Maritimes, "young people ended up travelling to South Dakota, Alberta, to the Plains to experience some sense of native spirituality among the Cree and Lakota. And they came back to our communities doing the sun dance, singing Lakota songs and singing Cree songs." The spread of the same Indian traditions across the continent is dubbed "pan-Indianism" -- the result of a need to seek spirituality from different sources and the new access to different regions. "Some groups only burned tobacco, some burned sweetgrass, some burned sage, some burned cedar, depending on what was available to them," says Mr.
NATIVE_NEWS: Thank You
From: Johnie Leverett [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Thank You Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 08:41:04 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary==_NextPart_000_0007_01BEE30C.150C6880 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Albert Boneshirt, Gary Roland and his wife Kathy, would like to thank all those who worked so hard to help them with their trip from Mission SD to the UN in New York. They will be talking about the many austrocities which have been put upon the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota people. The the top of the list is Camp Justice (alcohol , treaties, the murders of those in Rapid City and Pine Ridge, etc.) For those following the Mitigation Act Struggle visit www.fireonprairie.org There is also a very interesting article about the Lakota people protesting the Mitigation Act outside of Ellsworth AFB, as President Clinton was leaving SD. Again thank you for your support of the Human Rights Commission of the National Traditional Government of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation International. Johnie Leverett for Albert Boneshirt, Gary and Kathy Roland Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
