The Wintu Tribe is attempting to set a meeting with Ada Deer prior to the start
of our fast. Any person with the ear of congressional represenatives can help
by asking that they meet with us.
So far several of California's Congresspeople have expressed support for our
right to be recognized but more help and pressure is needed to inquire of the
BIA to review the directives that denied us basic services. As stated in an
earlier posting, the bureau arbitrarily authorized an administrative
termination of our tribal status via the "new definition of a tribe". For you
reference this included only those tribal groups with a land base or signed
treaty who appeared on BIA registers. The Wintu, however, were never granted
their land base due to the failure of congress to ratify the 1851 Cottonwood
Treaty. The BIA has in the past recognized the Wintu for purpose of Allotment,
Education, Housing, Health,Indian preference, but has recently, turned its back
on the tribe, thereby severing all relationship. We do however, still have and
maintain allotment lands that are now flooded under Lake Shasta, and receive
government approval to hold, possess and transfer Eagle feathers and parts, as
well as having a relationship with the Bureau of reclamation which holds in
trust our tribal cemetary, the US Forest Service issues us permits to utilize
our tribal sacred places so we wonder, WHERE DOES THE BIA GET OFF NOT
RECOGNIZING US and placing the health and well being of our elders and children
at risk. This is what we want to know, this is what we demand to see and this
is why we want to meet with Ada Deer and /or Bruce Babbitt as our local BIA
people can not or will not address these issues.
We are not a band of people trying to trace our roots. We are a tribe a nation
that has been here and dealt with the non-Indians who have entered our area, in
a clearly defined and documented history. We are not a group of people who are
selling membership in a club, we are the People of this area, now just 3000
strong, but still viable and carrying on our tribal ways, language, religion
and ceremonies. We are a people in need of your help now. As one sovereign
nation to the others within the confines of the united states, we ask for your
support, for your help, for your prayers. We do not intend nor do we want to
take what may be someone else's we only want what is rightfully ours.
We have papers, signed by a president, Grover Cleveland, addressing the Wintu
people, granting them the land from which they came which our elder's still
hold and which the BIA still holds but does not read. We have documents from
the BIA, approved by the BIA, certifyimg our degree of Indian blood but they do
not see them. We have elder's who travelled to Washington to meet wioth the
government several times in our past and people who have been to washington in
recent times who are now not considered Indian in the eyes of the BIA.
With all of these things, the BIA cannot show us where they received the
authority to attempt this cultural genocide,nor the authority which cleared
the way for them to ignore their fiducuiary responsibility. Help us reach
them.
We have seen many causes presented over this medium. Some of them which
elicitred much response from the general public. We hope that you will take
the time to put your energies into this matter as well. Contact the California
congressional delegation, the House and Senate select committees on Indian
affairs, Bruce Babbitt and Ada Deer, your own tribal chair or leaders and ask
for a resolution of support. We are growing too close to the start date of our
fast. We need to be able to concentrate on that spiritual level and focus our
prayers so your help is greatly appreciated by our elders and our tribal
council as our voice alone sounds so small when echoing through the halls of
congress.
For additional information please contact:
Caleen Sisk at 916-898-4428
Doyle Lowry at 916-898-4429
Gene Malone (Tribal Chair) 916- 244-5750
Mark Franco at 916-898-5065
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CALEEN SISK, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHICO
CSISK@OAVAX.CSUCHICO.EDU