And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:


"Youth Arrested in Firebombing of Reservation School," 
http://www.ap.org/
MAHNOMEN, Minn. -- A 16-year-old has been arrested in the firebombing of
the elementary school in Naytahwaush on the White Earth Indian Reservation,
authorities said . . . The fire started Aug. 8 when a beer bottle filled
with fuel oil was thrown through a window at the school. It did an estimated
$ 5,000 in damage to the school's computer laboratory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lazarus, Edward. "How the West Was Really Won <reviews of The Earth Shall
Weep, A History of Native America by James Wilson; "Exterminate Them":
Written Accounts of the Murder, Rape, and Enslavement Of Native Americans
During the California Gold Rush, ed. by Clifford Trafzer and Joel R. Hyer;
and Crazy Horse, by Larry McMurtry>," 
http://www.latimes.com/
Thirty years ago, in a time of national soul-searching as Americans
suffered through a bloody war in Asia and assassinations and civil strife at
home, Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" unleashed a torrent of
guilt over the sins of the country's domestic conquests. A generation later,
amid prosperity at home and a pax Americana abroad, introspection about the
victims of our own empire building is largely a forsaken endeavor. More than
a century removed from the last battle of the so-called Indian Wars,
Americans seem to have lost sight again of the decades when cruelty,
benevolence and misunderstanding mixed as white settlers pushed across the
continent. Forgotten too are the origins of the policies that now govern
U.S. relations with the tribes, the rights and responsibilities of both the
conqueror and the conquered and the human figures--brave, farsighted, cruel,
foolish or venal--who shaped our shared past . . . To their credit, the
authors of " 'Exterminate Them'," "The Earth Shall Weep" and "Crazy Horse"
have sought to re-excavate this history, and each volume--one general
history, one collection of original sources and one biography--makes a
distinct contribution. Yet with the exception of Larry McMurtry's exquisite
short biography of the great Sioux war leader Crazy Horse, these works are
significantly flawed. Though McMurtry wisely lets a tragic and still
meaningful story speak for itself, James Wilson and editors Clifford Trafzer
and Joel Hyer insist on imposing on their materials a shrill attack on all
of Western culture, abandoning nuance and historical perspective in favor of
the kind of stereotyping against whites that they decry when the objects are
Indians.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yardley, Jim. "After Years of Division, Cherokees Get New Leader," 
http://www.nytimes.com/
As a member of the Cherokee Nation and a student of its history, Chad
Smith need only look to his family tree to find a famed leader of his tribe.
Redbird Smith, his great-grandfather, was a patriot who went to prison
rather than accept the Federal policy that deprived the Cherokees of
millions of acres. A century later, Mr. Smith will take office on Saturday
as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, and, like his
great-grandfather, who served in the Cherokee Senate, he is assuming
leadership at a time of crisis. For the last four years, the Cherokees have
engaged in political infighting so bitter that it almost undermined their
constitution and ultimately led to intervention by the Federal Government.
Asked about the priorities of his administration, Mr. Smith, a 48-year-old
lawyer from the Tulsa suburbs, replied simply, "Healing." With an estimated
200,000 members, half of whom live here in northeastern Oklahoma, the
Cherokees are the country's second-largest tribe, behind the Navajos. And
they have enjoyed a degree of prosperity and autonomy that has made them a
model to other tribes. Now Mr. Smith must restore confidence in the tribal
government not only among Cherokees but also among Federal officials, who
stepped in two years ago at the height of the tribe's crisis, after members
brawled outside the tribal courthouse. "It's extremely important that the
tribe come back together, and I think it will," said Rennard Strickland,
dean of the University of Oregon School of Law, who is half-Cherokee and has
written five books about the tribe. "The Cherokees have a very long history
of being able to heal these kinds of tribal divisions. It has been a long
100 years." . . . The challenges facing Mr. Smith and his new administration
are formidable. The Cherokees, who have no reservation per se but exercise
certain jurisdictional rights in 14 northeastern Oklahoma counties under
agreements with the state and Federal governments, operate on an annual
budget of $150 million, about $90 million of it from Washington. But the
Government, having found a lack of accountability in the use of Federal
money, has placed the tribe under a monthly draw for those grants, rather
than yearly. Chief Byrd himself also faces misappropriation-of-funds charges
brought by tribal prosecutors. In an interview this week, Chief Byrd denied
any wrongdoing and said he had never overstepped his constitutional bounds.
He said that he would leave the tribe with a $12 million surplus in the
current fiscal year and that under his leadership improvements had been made
in the tribe's high school and its business, Cherokee Nation Industries,
which builds computer boards. "We're leaving the goose that lays the golden
egg," said Chief Byrd, who remains popular among the people from whom he
sprung, the tribe's many rural Oklahomans. Mr. Smith and his allies are far
less certain of the tribe's fiscal health. Ms. Mankiller, whose daughters
are now working on Mr. Smith's transition team, said initial financial
reviews had found a bookkeeping mess. She said only one independent audit of
government finances had been conducted since 1995. Mr. Smith said he planned
to institute new rules and procedures to insure the tribe's fiscal
integrity. He also hopes to promote economic development, improve services
and promote the Cherokees' culture and heritage. At the inauguration, he
said, he will plant a tree on the courthouse grounds. "It symbolizes
rebirth," he said. "We reach into our history, and we try to honor it and
remember it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bishop to Leave Power Vacuum in Chiapas: Samuel Ruiz, Who is Due to Retire,
Has Been Pivotal in Containing Bloodshed in the Mexican State," 
http://www.financialtimes.com/
Bishop Samuel Ruiz's raised voice breaks the solemnity of Sunday night
mass with another fiery sermon in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. His
hands clenched, the diminutive priest urges the largely indigenous
congregation to remember the victims of the 1997 Acteal massacre, in which
45 Indians were gunned down by paramilitaries in their mountain village just
a few hours away. The cathedral in San Cristobal de las Casas is filled to
overflowing and once mass is over, parishioners flock to the back of the
church to await the reappearance of the priest like fans after a rock
concert. As he wades through the crowd, elderly women lay their heads on his
round belly while Italian tourists pose for pictures with the bifocaled
bishop and four-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. It may be one of
their few remaining chances to hear the controversial priest who brought the
bible to impoverished jungle villages and has garnered international acclaim
as a mediator in peace talks between armed Zapatista guerrillas and the
Mexican government. In November, the Tatic - or Father as he known by his
Indian followers - turns 75 and under church canon he must present his
resignation to the Vatican, ending nearly 40 years as bishop of one of Latin
America's oldest dioceses. Bishop Ruiz has been a pivotal force in
containing the bloodshed since Zapatista rebels started their uprising in
1994. His guiding presence has been an important balance in the uneasy truce
that has followed between guerrillas and security forces. Adored by many and
reviled by some, his departure is expected to leave a serious power vacuum
in a state increasingly destabilised by para-military groups and growing
tensions between evangelical Christians and Catholics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denn, Rebekah. "It's Horrible Without the Suicide Race'; Omak's Famous
Stampede Tries to Cope with a Major Loss," Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
http://www.seattle-pi.com/

As daylight began to fade at the Omak Stampede, Christopher Newman pointed
toward Suicide Hill and explained how it should look. Right about now, he
told Maxime Vroman, his friend, people would be lining the riverbed to watch
the Suicide Race . . . Stampede officials canceled the race after the
Colville Confederated Tribes boycotted the Stampede in an 11th-hour dispute
over parking and other issues. Tribal members normally make up most of the
riders in the race - the Stampede's most popular and controversial event.
During the races, which take place each night of the Stampede, horses barrel
over the hill and swim across the Okanogan River . . .  On the grassy field
at the Stampede grounds downtown, normally crowded with Native American
singers and dancers and games, one empty tepee stands alone, pitched as a
symbol by a tribal member. It was the field that caused the tension between
Stampede organizers and the tribe. Tribal members said they objected to
plans to restrict tribal parking on the field. They were concerned, too,
because they felt the encampment was being moved around too much. "It looks
just bare here," said Pearl Charley, a member of the Yakama tribe, as she
cooked golden fry bread in bubbling oil at a picnic table on the field's
edge. Charley drove to the Stampede with her daughters to sell the bread,
and she was amazed to see the encampment grounds vacant. She had heard talk
of a boycott, she said, but she didn't realize it was that serious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Palazzetti, Agnes. "Oneidas' Gambling Gain Inspires Senecas," 
The Buffalo News
http://www.buffnews.com/

In six years, the Oneida Nation of Indians has gone from rags to riches.
Could the same thing happen to the Seneca Nation of Indians if they follow
the lead of the Oneidas and set up an expanded gaming operation in rural
northern Chautauqua County? "Yes," predicts John Zogby, a nationally
prominent pollster. "If the Senecas build it, they will come." In 1993, the
Oneida Nation owned 32 scrub acres. Many of its 1,100 members lived in
trailers, were unemployed and beaten down. Other than federal assistance,
the tribe's only source of income was a smoke shop and small bingo hall on
its territory located about 20 miles east of Syracuse. Today, the nation
owns more than 11,000 acres; families have moved from the worn trailers into
attractive, middle-class housing with the feeling of a prosperous suburb.
There is a job for every Oneida who wants one. Elders and children share a
state-of-the-art center. There are thriving businesses and the treasury is
overflowing with dollars. "Now, there is an overwhelming amount of pride
among all of us," reported Dale Rood, a member of the tribe's Men's Council
which, along with the Clan Mothers Council, governs the nation. It's all
because in 1993, the Oneida Indians took their biggest gamble since joining
forces with the colonists against the British more than two centuries ago .
. . Ray Halbritter, the Oneida visionary who led his nation into the casino
venture, offered encouragement to the Senecas if they decide to proceed with
a casino or high-stakes bingo hall on land they are considering buying just
off the Thruway in the Town of Hanover. "The Senecas have tremendous
resources," said Halbritter, the federally designated nation representative
and chief executive officer of the Oneidas' diverse businesses. "It is going
to take some effort and investment and maybe a little more effort on a
location that is different -- as ours is -- but I think they will do just
fine."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shepherd, Harvey. "Recovery at Kanesatake: Agency Draws on Traditional
Spirituality to Help Mohawks Shake Demons of Oppression and Abuse," 
http://www.montrealgazette.com/
Elements of the traditional spirituality of Native American nations,
including the Mohawks, are playing a significant part in attempts to heal
emotional wounds and social divisions in the Mohawk community where the 1990
Oka crisis began, two members of the community told me recently. Mohawks, as
members of the Iroquois confederacy, place a high value ''on peacemakers and
using a good mind in all you do,'' said Wanda Gabriel, program director of
Breaking All Barriers at Kanesatake, near Oka. ''We draw upon the elders,
whether of our own communities or others. We share their teachings and
wisdom.'' I asked Gabriel and two of her colleagues - Jimmy Nicholas, a
youth and community worker, and Noreen Cree, who works with the elderly -
about the healing process in Mohawk culture and about efforts by Breaking
All Barriers to heal the ravages of trauma in Kanesatake. This trauma,
Gabriel said, is in part the legacy of the 1990 crisis, but also stems from
conflicts and oppression in general, the impact of residential schools,
intergenerational sex abuse and other causes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Smith Says Time for Cherokee Nation to Step Forward, Bury Differences,"
http://www.ap.org/
Cherokee Chief Chad Smith spoke about unity and burying differences in his
inauguration speech Saturday as he stood where he was arrested two years ago
when a tribal dispute threatened the nation's second-largest tribe. "It is
here and today that we mark a continuation to fulfill our designed purpose,"
Smith told the thousands who gathered. "The task on our journey is to
preserve our rich culture, re-establish our strong tribal government and
achieve economic self-reliance of our people." Outgoing Chief Joe Byrd
briefly attended the ceremony at the Cherokee Courthouse Square. Former
Chiefs Ross Swimmer and Wilma Mankiller stayed through the program. Smith
was dressed in historic wear as took his oath of office to lead the
200,000-member tribe. The ceremony was moved from a local college because
Smith said the courthouse has special meaning to the Cherokee people. "The
Cherokee Courthouse is the most sacred symbol of our nation's sovereignty
and survival as a people," Smith said. "The courthouse and square belongs to
the Cherokee people and was the location of our nation's first capital." It
was at the courthouse Smith, a 48-year-old lawyer, was arrested in the
summer of 1997 as he and others tried to stop Byrd's administration from
closing the building. Smith still faces county charges of assault on a
police officer and inciting a riot. Smith, who won 56 percent of the vote in
July's runoff election, says it is time for the tribe to start anew. "It is
proper that here, we lay aside our differences, both political and personal,
that we declare our dedication to the service of our people, that we focus
on the same horizon and future, and that we continue our journey holding
hand," Smith said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tribe Wants Freedom From Federal Oversight at Spirit Mountain Casino,"
http://www.ap.org/
GRANDE RONDE, Ore. -- After nearly four years of running a clean, safe,
scandal-free casino, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde wants the
federal government to cut them a break at Spirit Mountain and make it the
nation's first self-regulated Indian casino. At issue are gaming regulations
that govern how the casino tracks revenue, hires employees and handles
security. The tribe wants permission from the National Indian Gaming
Commission to break away from some of them. The regulatory change would have
more symbolic importance than practical. Casino patrons wouldn't notice the
change, and it wouldn't save the tribe much money, fuel casino growth or
save significant staff time. But it would mean a lot to many tribe members
who consider themselves a separate nation and resent the federal
government's heavy hand in their biggest money-making venture. "It's high
time that they allowed us to petition for self-regulation," said Robert
Watson, chairman of the Grand Ronde Gaming Commission. "The sovereignty
issue has always been the main thrust of tribes."


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/
            &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
                              

Reply via email to