Wotanging Ikche--nanews07.040

Gary Night Owl (gars@netcom.com)
Tue, 28 Sep 1999 19:05:55 -0700 (PDT)

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_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ O
' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) O o O
/ / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ O o O
(_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O o o o o O
____ _ , ___ _ , ___ VOLUME 07, ISSUE 040 O o O
/ ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' October 2, 1999 O o O
/ /-< / /--/ /-- Nunivak ponds freeze moon O
__/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, Yuchi corn ripening moon
KANOHEDA ANIYVWIYA Ha-Sah-Sliltha Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin Un Chota
Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min Aunchemokauhettittea
Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli
( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N N E W S )
This issue contains articles from LISN, Innu-L, Paths-L, NatFilm, Indianz &
Minn-Ind Lists; Newsgroups:alt.native;misc.activism.progressive; UUCP email;
http://www.adn.com/stories/T99091242.html
http://www.cow-net.com/tiltulum/
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/news/archive/Story0618519.html
http://www.azcentral.com/news/0920elect.shtml
http://www.britesites.com/native_artist_interviews/
http://www.newsday.com/ap/rnmpwh1m.htm
http://www.newsday.com/ap/rnmpwh1y.htm
http://members.xoom.com/freepeltier/index.html

Articles appearing have been previously posted for public dissemination
and/or permission for inclusion has been secured.
Letters of authorization are on file. A list of those granting permission
to repost their words in this issue are listed at the end of part A.
I thank each of you for allowing your words to be shared with the people.

IMPORTANT!!
-----------
To all who send copywrite protected articles, make very sure you have
permission from the copywrite holder (a newspaper, the AP, a magazine, an
author) because a new law is now in effect that says you can be prosecuted
even if there is no monetary gain. Just because a newspaper has a website
where it posts some or all of its editions does not grant permission for
their redistribution. Be careful and be sure you pass on the items you do
with full permission.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in
this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a
prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes.
<----<<<< >>>>---->
This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our
Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the
Red Road.
++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own
internet addressable account to gars@netcom.com
++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org
++ There is also a hyperlinked version of the Current Issue at
http://bearvisions.com/NativeNews/NEWS.html

Borries Demeler advises AISESnet doesn't exist anymore, instead there is now
NativeNet where people can search for archives of Wotanging Ikche issues:
_ All past AISESnet archives (1992-1998) can now be found in:
http://aises.uthscsa.edu/discussion/
_ All new messages will be archived in:
http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nn-dialogue/archive.html
The mailing address for AISESnet/NativeNet the lists have changed.
Please make a note of the new address.
The old address aisesnet_discussion@listserv.umt.edu should *NOT*
be used any longer. Instead please use:
nn-dialogue@nativenet.uthscsa.edu

Downloading Wotanging Ikche on AOL From: MAANG1419@aol.com <Valentina>
Just thought I would share some info. I could not download on to a .txt
because I kept getting the message (when I tried to retrieve it) that the
text editor could not handle the volume. This time I downloaded it on to
a .doc and when I retrieved it out of file manager, IT WORKED.

"Children were taught that true politeness was to be defined in actions
rather than words. They were never allowed to pass between fire and an
older person or visitor, to speak while others were speaking, or to make
fun of a crippled or disfigured person. If a child thoughtlessly tried
to do so, a parent, in a quiet voice, immediately set him right.
"Expressions such as 'excuse me,' 'pardon me,' and 'so sorry,' now so
often lightly and unnecessarily used, are not in the Lakota language.
If one chanced to injure or cause inconvenience to another, the word
'wanunhecun', or 'mistake' was spoken. This was sufficient to indicate
that no discourtesy was intended and that what had happened was
accidental.
"Our young people, raised under the old rules of courtesy, never
indulged in the present habit of talking incessantly and all at the same
time. To do so would have been not only impolite, but foolish; for
poise, so much admired as a social grace, could not be accompanied by
restlessness. Pauses were acknowledged gracefully and did not cause
lack of ease or embarrassment.
"In talking to children, the old Lakota would place a hand on the
ground and explain: 'We sit in the lap of our Mother. From her we and
all other living things come. We shall soon pass, but the place where
we now rest will last forever.' So we, too, learned to sit or lie on
the ground and become conscious of life about us in its multitude of
forms.
"Sometimes we boys would sit motionless and watch the swallows, the
tiny ants, or perhaps some small animal at its work and ponder its
industry and ingenuity; or we lay on our backs and looked long at the
sky, and when the stars came out made shapes from the various groups.
"Everything was possessed of personality, only differing from us in
form. Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library
and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks, and the birds and
animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of earth.
We learned to do what only the student of nature ever learns, and that
was to feel beauty. We never railed at the storms, the furious winds,
and the biting frosts and snows. To do so intensified human futility,
so whatever came we adjusted ourselves, by more effort and energy if
necessary, but without complaint.
"Even the lightning did us no harm, for whenever it came too close
mothers and grandmothers in every tipi put cedar leaves on the coals
and their magic kept danger away. Bright days and dark days were both
expressions of the Great Mystery and the Indian reveled in being close
to the Great Holiness.
"Observation was certain to have its rewards. Interest, wonder,
admiration grew, and the fact was appreciated that life was more than
mere human manifestation; it was expressed in a multitude of forms.
"This appreciation enriched Lakota existence. Life was vivid and
pulsing; nothing was casual and commonplace. The Indian lived --
lived in every sense of the word -- from his first to his last breath."
__ Chief Luther Standing Bear, Teton Sioux

O'siyo Brothers and Sisters!

In the last issue I shared the honor I was granted of serving as emcee at
the PowWow held in Waterloo, Al in conjunction with the "Trail of Tears"
motorcycle ride. One of the riders suffered a head injury in an accident
in Huntsville Alabama and remains in critical condition. I ask for prayers
for him.

Last week I further explained the area historian had promised to send me
his speech for inclusion in this issue. He has done so, and it is my honor
to share it with you.
- - - --
Trail of tears (1999)
Welcome
Welcome to Waterloo, one of the oldest incorporated towns in Alabama.
During the golden era of the steamboats, some 100 years ago, we were
among the busiest ports on the lower Tennessee River. For this reason,
our town was used as an assembling port for Native Americans who were
forced to come here to wait for the arrival of large boats that were
used to transport them to a strange and foreboding land beyond the
Mississippi River.
On this occasion we are commemorating the tragic story of the
Trail of Tears. This is not a time of celebration, but a time to
commemorate the suffering, pain, and sorrow of those Native Americans
who were forced to abandon their homes and to travel this trail.
The Trail of Tears was among the darkest and saddest events in the
history of our Nation.
WELCOME TO THE MOTORCYCLISTS. We understand that 30,000 of you have
made the long and tedious ride of almost 300 miles from Chattanooga to
Waterloo today! All of you have made a contribution to the memory
of those who were forced to walk this trail 161 years ago. Today
we call it "The Trail of Tears." Those poor souls who suffered along
this path called it "The Trail Where They Cried." Others have labeled
it "The Killing Exodus."
WELCOME TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS! You have returned to the land of
your ancestors! There were hundreds of villages and campsites all
up and down this part of the Tennessee River where your people lived
for some 10,000 years. In fact, near where we are gathered now
there once stood an ancient village that existed some 2,000 years ago.
Those who took your land have been here less than 200 years. We
have not been good stewards of this place where you lived. We have
cut down your ancient hardwood forest and replaced them with
commercial trees. We have polluted your river and your streams.
We have destroyed your ancient burial grounds. We have desecrated
your holy ground.
You are here today as a part of our time of healing. We pledge
our faith with you at this occasion of the Trail of Tears. We
shall honor the memory of your people who once lived here. We
shall guard your ancient burial grounds and protect your sacred and
holy grounds.
There are already good signs of our healing. Your owl and hawk have
never left us; they continue to guard our homes as they once protected
your ancestors. Your great eagle has returned to these shores. Once
again your deer and an occasional bear roam through these hills and
hollows.
My our Great God and Creator be with us all on this occasion as we
commemorate the tragic Trail of Tears and as we pledge our faith at
this special Time of Healing. Amen.

(This welcome address was made by Colonel William Lindsey McDonald,
Historian, Waterloo, Alabama, on September 18, 1999. Colonel
McDonald is a veteran of World War II and the Korean War.)

=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 00:17:22 EDT
From: LdyBlue30@aol.com
Subj: help note.........

Gary, much help is needed with our brothers and sisters the Lumbee and
Coharie in the state of North Carolina. If you have seen the news the
hurricane did much damage to Sampson County (around Clinton, N. C.) and
Robeson County (around Lumberton, N. C.) where these two native american
communities are. Many have lost their homes and possessions. I spoke with
Greg Richardson, Director of Indian Affairs tonight while working the
Governors Hotline for the State and he was greatly concerned about our
people. It is beginning to turn cold here and many have nothing. Any help
from our brothers and sisters across the U. S, would be most appreciated.
Greg (who is a Hallia-Saponia) has an office number in Raleigh, N. C. which
is 919-733-5998 and the fax to the office is 919-733-1207. You might wish to
talk with him. He will be able to give you a list of what is most needed.
Many thanks if you can give these people a helping hand through your news
letter. To them any help is most appreciated.

=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 14:28:51 -0400
From: "Jordan S. Dill" <jsd@SOVER.NET>
Subj: The Lakota Oyate speaks re AIM and Anna Mae
Mailing List: Minnesota Indian Affairs <MINN-IND@tc.umn.edu>

"Traditional elders of the Lakota Nation have drafted a press release, in
response to the recent information from the elders of the Mi'qmaw Nation
about the involvement of the American Indian Movement (AIM) leadership, in
collaboration with the FBI and other US governmental agencies, in the
murder of Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash in 1975 on the sacred and ancient lands
of H'e Sapa (Black Hills). This is in response to a press conference in
Ottawa, Canada held September 16 by the Pictou family, and sanctioned by
the Assembly of First Nations."

I have added this advice to Anna's site...to be found at
<http://www.dickshovel.com/annalay.html>.

The full text of the draft can be found at
<http://www.dickshovel.com/bhpress.html>.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan S. Dill SoVerNet: Vermont's Sovereign Internet Connection
jsd@sover.net <http://www.sover.net/>

Peace! Night Owl
, , Gary Night Owl gars@netcom.com
(*,*) P. O. Box 672168 gars@nanews.org
(`-') Marietta, GA 30407, U.S.A. gars@crl.com
===w=w== Fax: 770-528-9643

----------- News of the people featured in this issue ----------
- Sacred Relic Given to Tlingits - AGP Calendar 2000 and Book Project
- Black Hills AIM - A Time of Visions
- Walk for Justice & - Red River Pact
S.D. Murder Investigation - Sale of Manhattan Island Disputed
- The Chumash Western Gate - Babbitt Faulted on Indian Accounts
- Cowichan Tribes do Indian Act - School of the Americas
- Cowichan Tribes in Funds Renewed
Violation of Funding Agreement - Run for Leonard
- DIA and Tribal Finances - Support Leonard Peltier/
- O'odham Call Border Artificial Call from Jean Day
- Gila River Council - Peltier Freedom Month Proposal
Fires Casino Exec - Native Prisoner
- Fresh Leadership for Gila River - A Hundred Years Ago
- Case Filed in 1995 - Lost Between Earth and Sky
May Again be Appealed - Poem: The Damage We Have Done
- Sovereignty an Issue in River Pact - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days
- Trail of Tears Designation Sought - A Timeless Story
- Sango Bay Relocation Project - Upcoming Events

--------- "RE: Sacred Relic Given to Tlingits" ---------

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 18:48:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Harold Jacobs <hjonbj@yahoo.com>
Subj: Tlingit, Southeast Alaska

Greetings!
My name is Harold Jacobs. I used to work for the Central Council Tlingit
& Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska on repatriation. To date, I have written
six successful claims with more than 20 on over 100 objects pending.
Some museums go out of their way to cooperate, some go out of their way
to make it difficult.
Here's a URL from the Anchorage Daily News on a VERY significant item
recently returned to the Tlingit; it's off the only canoe to survive the
1882 bombardment of the village of Angoon; my great-grandfather was the
owner....

http://www.adn.com/stories/T99091242.html

A culture comes home
Sacred relic given to Tlingits
By DAVID WHITNEY
Daily News reporter
NEW YORK CITY - In 1911, the American Museum of Natural History bought
the Tlingit Indians' most sacred item, a carved beaver that once sat on
the prow of the only war canoe to survive the U.S. Navy's bombardment of
the Southeast Alaska village of Angoon in 1882.
The museum paid artifacts collector George Emmons $45 for the piece,
which may never have been displayed.
On Saturday, in a quiet ceremony in a private third-floor conference
room of the landmark Central Park museum, 72-year-old Angoon elder Peter
Jack and, though a bit less fluently, Tlingit leader Dean George spoke in
their native tongue to welcome the beaver back into tribal hands.
George wondered what it must have been like when, 107 years ago next
month, young John Paul steered the war canoe around the bend of Catham
Strait and saw only black smoke rising from where his village once stood.
John Paul had been out hunting for food for the village when the
warships arrived and leveled the village in what was either an outrageous
case of a young officer's arrogance or a tragic example of cultural
ignorance.
In the following weeks and months, the canoe became the Tlingits'
lifeblood. It was their only tool to bring game and wood to the isolated,
starving villagers who had fled into the forest to escape the attack.
The canoe was so vital to the survival of Angoon that years later, when
it finally cracked apart in a winter storm, villagers cremated it as if it
were one of their people. To them, the canoe was a living creature whose
spirits were freed on the funeral pyre. They believe those spirits still
live today in the beaver carving that was removed before the canoe was
burned.

SIGN OF HOPE
How the carving ended up in Emmons' hands is not clear. But the beaver's
return now, when Alaska Natives again are feeling that their culture is
under attack as state protections for traditional hunting and fishing
rights are debated, is taken as a sign of hope.
Rather than the black smoke of a village's remains on its return to
Angoon, Jack said, this time the beaver "will see a different kind of
smoke that we see as a threat to our children for subsistence and living
off the land, our way of life.
"That smoke can be less threatening by bringing home something like
this," Jack said solemnly with half a dozen spellbound museum staff members
and security guards as his only audience. "This beaver coming home will be
significant to the village of Angoon."
There are an estimated 1,000 or so Tlingit artifacts in New York and
Chicago museums that Kootznoowoo Inc., the Natives' business arm, is
looking to collect under the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act.
None compares to the significance of the canoe beaver, the return of
which museum officials processed at breakneck speed when they learned of
its significance in January. The return of such artifacts can take years,
but the beaver's repatriation took only six months.
So grateful were the Tlingits that they gave Martha Graham, the museum's
registrar for cultural resources, a tribal name: "Noowtaayei," which means
anchor of the fort.
Graham said Saturday that the museum never knew the significance of what
it had on its back shelves.
"It was an honor to hear the story," she told Jack and George.

'PROBLEMATIC OBJECTS'
Its dramatic uncovering occurred when a group of 13 Tlingits were at the
museum to look at its collection of Tlingit artifacts. The beaver wasn't
among them. It was shelved with a collection of artifacts that museum
curators call "problematic objects," whose identify is not known.
Harold Jacobs, then a repatriation specialist for the Tlingit-Haida
Central Council, was the person who discovered it in the stacks. He said
in an interview that it was as if the spirits were drawing him to it.
"I was standing in one of the aisles, looking at objects, and I kept
looking down at the end," he said. "I could see something of that face
sticking out. I would look at more things, then look back and look at that
face. ... When I got alongside it, I gasped because I knew what it was."
The piece of the prow was brought out onto a table, and the Tlingits
gathered around in wonderment. Elders began to tell stories, each in turn,
about the canoe, how it had been the only one to survive the bombardment,
how it became the tool for the village's survival.
"That stopped all the work for the next couple of hours," said Steve
Henrikson, curator of collections for the Alaska State Museum in Juneau,
who was along on the trip.
"The elders say that when it is time for artifacts to be found, they
will reveal themselves," Henrikson said. "That is what everyone felt
happened in this case."
The following morning, the group gathered again at the museum and
conducted a Tlingit ceremony to welcome the item home, and once again the
tears flowed.
"We opened with prayer, and then from there we called upon the clan
leaders," said Leonard John, who headed the trip for Kootznoowoo Inc.
"While they were talking, the impact was so powerful, just to hear the
story and just to see the emotion that was caught up with it, the
realization that had it not been for this war canoe, I probably would not
be here," John said. "We were hanging on by a thread because the United
States government had bombed Angoon. Just this one war canoe is what kept
our village alive. Even now it brings a lump in my throat."

DARKEST DAY
The bombardment of Angoon dug long-festering wounds into the village's
soul. It is without doubt the Tlingits' darkest day, the response of a
young Navy commander to a threat the Tlingits never posed.
Two days before the Oct. 26, 1882, bombardment, a harpoon gun on a
whaling vessel operated by the Northwest Trading Co. discharged, killing a
Tlingit shaman, or spiritual leader, named Tith Klane, who was on board.
As was their custom, Tlingits on the vessel began a three-day period of
mourning. They sailed the whaling vessel to their village and, also in
keeping with tradition, demanded payment of 200 blankets, roughly the
equivalent of $600, for the shaman's death.
Word of the event soon reached Sitka, where E.C. Merriman had just taken
over command of a Navy ship named the Adams. Merriman, who was not very
friendly to Natives anyway, interpreted the events in Angoon as an
insurrection.
Merriman ordered the Adams and another vessel and some 60 troops to head
for Angoon, directing his lieutenants to first try to persuade the
Tlingits to surrender the boats and release the Northwest Trading Co. men.
But when village leaders complied, the military leaders demanded payment
from the them as punishment. When the Tlingits failed to meet that demand,
the bombardment began.
Six children died, and what property was not destroyed by the shelling
was burned to the ground. Only five houses were left standing. Food that
had been gathered and dried throughout summer and fall was destroyed.

'BRUTAL AND COWARDLY' ACT
Recently, a letter a sailor aboard the Adams wrote to relatives in
Massachusetts was found, and in it appears what is believed to be the only
account of the bombardment other than what Merriman provided.
The letter writer, believed to have been Frank H. Clark, the assistant
paymaster on the Adams, described the Angoon bombardment as Merriman's
first opportunity for "glory" that wasn't going to be wasted.
"Most of the officers including myself consider it a brutal and cowardly
thing and entirely uncalled for," Clark said.
In 1973, the Tlingits filed a damage lawsuit and were eventually paid
$90,000, the estimated value of the property losses in 1882. And in 1982,
the centennial of the bombardment, the Navy gave the Tlingits a letter
acknowledging that the attack should never have happened but did not
apologize for it.
But the wounds of that night remain emblazoned on the minds of the
Tlingit people today, the story told and retold by elders.
Leonard John said he hopes the return of the beaver prow might begin to
end the nightmare. That was in the group's thoughts when it celebrated the
discovery in January.
"We used that opportunity to pray to God and ask God to bring healing to
our people because as a result of this bombardment, our people have
suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction and low self-esteem," he said.
"Our culture was taken away from us," he said. "We've been struggling as
a people. So we called upon God to help our people as he helped us survive
so that we could be made whole again."
Jack restated that prayer Saturday.
"This will bring our people together, and then hopefully they'll be able
to realize who they are," he said.
The beaver's return will be celebrated next week when it arrives at the
Alaska State Museum in Juneau. Eventually, it probably will end up at a
museum in Angoon, where traditional Tlingit ways still are practiced.
But some Tlingits, including Matthew Fred, head of the Deisheetaan clan
to whom the canoe belonged a century ago, said the beaver's return won't
end the pain of 1882.
"We won't breathe good until there's an apology," he said. "We will
always remember."
* Reporter David Whitney can be reached at dwhitney@adn.com

--------- "RE: Black Hills AIM" ---------

Date: 25 Sep 1999 17:38:38 GMT
From: libyad817@aol.com (Libyad817)
Subj: Black Hills AIM

Newsgroup: alt.native

Hau Kolas,
Blessings from the sacred H'e Sapa, on this beautiful equinox.
We have been hearing a lot about our sister Anna Mae all over the
Internet, and Grampa Wallace too, so we thought we would write briefly,
and enclose our 'collective' email address if you would like to address
these concerns directly to us here at Ground Zero.
We have been quiet and spiritual for many years, working to help the
people and follow the Canumpa, but now at the end of this Millennium maybe
it is time to clear the air and discuss the full truth of what happened to
AIM here in the 70s, and Leonard Peltier.Our elders don't usually get a
chance to voice their concerns on the Internet.
We have been struggling. But we are putting together a good coalition of
the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota traditional National Government - composed of the
traditional 8 District Chiefs, which include their Spokesmen, the elders
Stanley Looking Horse, Dave Chief, Low Dog, Paul High Bear, Leroy Curley,
Joe Flying By, Sam Moves Camp, Reginald Bird Horse, Dave Bald Eagle,
Richard Grass, Rosalie Little Thunder, and they wish to say there are many
other good People regardless of skin color who are helping us (just to
name a few, like Leona bull Bear, Johnson holy Rock, Oliver Red Cloud,
David Seals, and we apologize to the others who are not listed, even
though many said they don't want their names made public, because of
reprisals of the IRA Tribal Councils). We also have the cooperation of the
Bear Butte Council - which is composed of Medicine Elders of the
signatories of the 1851 Ft. Laramie/Dog Creek Treaty - Motsoyeof of the
North Cheyennes, Tucactu of the Assiniboines and Gros Ventre, Wolverine
and John Stephens of the Stoneys and Shuswaps, and others of the Crow,
Arapaho, Mandan, Hidatsa, Kiowa Nations who have requested not to have
their names made public either.
We are also working with the Buffalo Nations/Intertribal Bison
Cooperative to renew our Buffalo Commons economy (and stop the slaughter
of the Wkan Pte in Yellowstone, and the wolves and coyotes), Native
Resource coalition (Guy White Thunder), RESPECT in Rapid City (Stacey Low
Dog Scares Hawk, Linda Johnson, and many others) to stop police brutality
and the skinhead racial serial killers, the Warrior Societies working
against the murderers in White Clay, Nebraska (near Tasunke Witko's
sacred camp at Capa Wakpala, where Sinte Gleska's Agency was), and the
economic development efforts of Sky & Sage Books and WestEND Productions
to create jobs and cultural awareness for our People in the performing
arts.
My own uncle Pedro Bissonette was murdered by one of the Janis goons
back in the 70s, paid to do so by the FBI, then Janis was killed by the
Feds. that's how they work. We all know the main players in the Anna Mae
murder, and her connection to Leonard Peltier, and a film crew has been
getting all these facts laid down so that the truth will not be lost.It is
in a documentary titled 'With Visible Breath I Am Walking'.
Wastelo, toksa,
Mike Bissonette
Black Hills AIM

--------- "RE: Walk for Justice & S.D. Murder Investigation" ---------

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 14:54:03 -0700
From: Nancy Thomas <nlthomas@YvwiiUsdinvnohii.net>
Subj: Walk for Justice & S.D. murder investigation report
------- FORWARD, Original message follows -------
Date: Thursday, September 23, 1999
From: AIM National Field Office

Mailing List: Paths-L <paths-l@YvwiiUsdinvnohii.net>

*From the Offices of:
*American Indian Movement National Field Office
*E-mail Address: AIM4JUSTCE@aol.com

Dear Friends,

Nowa Cumig, AKA Dennis Banks, and myself have just returned
from the Walk for Justice in Rapid City, SD. The walk and subsequent
meetings and events were extremely successful. This success would
not have been possible without your prayers, support and messages
of good wishes, which continue to strengthen us and all of Indian
country. Pilamaya
The walk organized at Roosevelt Park in Rapid City about 10 am. with
speeches by Nowa Cumig and several others. There was a heavy media
and police presence. The marched began about 11am and moved from
the park to the federal building in Rapid. At the federal building
speeches regarding the deaths in Rapid, Whiteclay, Mobridge as well
as other places were addressed. Nowa Cumig was the main speaker and
was very motivating as usual. The walk continued on to the Pennington
County Courthouse where more speeches were delivered. Many people
drove by and honked or waved their support. The march then continued
on to the Rapid City Police Station but stopped on the way to sing &
drum traditional songs outside the jail for the benefit of the prisoners
inside. At the Police station more speeches and statements were made.
Afterwards the march returned to Roosevelt Park and we regrouped at
the Oyate Center in Lakota Village in the northern section of Rapid City.
During the march the Rapid City Police were respectful and accommodating,
and in my view were not intimidating at all. ( No I'm not on drugs ).
At the Oyate Center there were several representatives of area law
enforcement who agreed to discuss with us the issues surrounding the
Rapid Creek murders. Included were the Pennington County Sheriff, two
investigators from the Rapid City Police Department and a Deputy Sheriff
(who had been working in plain clothes throughout the march). Nowa
Cumig, Mark White Bull (Mobridge) and myself convened with these
people in a private office for discussions. As promised, a representative
of U.S. Senator Tom Daschle's office, joined the discussion via phone
hook up. The law enforcement officers were very forthcoming with
information regarding their efforts in solving the Rapid Creek murders
and efforts in preventing additional assaults on Indian people. Much
of the information provided to us is confidential and could compromise
ongoing investigations if listed here so I won't. Quite frankly, the
investigation into these deaths is far more involved then we had
previously believed. ( one of the investigators is an enrolled member
of the Oglala Lakota Nation). Senator Daschle's office was also extremely
helpful and well-informed (as he should be) of the issues surrounding
the deaths of Indians in SD. Mark White Bull stressed the issue of
the murderers of Boo Many Horses in Mobridge being charged with
manslaughter instead of murder. After the private meeting Nowa Cumig
stated to the law enforcement officials that he believed they were
putting forth their best efforts to solve the Rapid Creek murders but
since the murderer(s) are still at large more needs to be done and a
coalition between the Indian community and law enforcement must be
established to secure the welfare of Indian people. They agreed. We are
now in the process of establishing "citizen patrols" of the area's where
the murders took place, working in conjunction with law enforcement
and establishing credible liaisons between us and them. Following the
meeting the officers met with the Indian community gathered at the Oyate
Center and enjoyed frybread and soup with us. A few of the people vented
their anger and frustration with the police in general but overall the
community meeting was positive. Afterwards, Nowa Cumig and myself met
with the Head of the FBI for South Dakota. He gave us a run down of the
investigation into the Killings at Whiteclay (Pine Ridge). Although he
was not as forthcoming as local law enforcement he did enlighten us to
their efforts in bringing the murderer(s) to justice. He said a large
contingent of investigators was assigned to this case, more than he has
seen in seven years on a single investigation.
I'm sure that after reading this there are those who may feel that
we have been deceived by the police or fallen victim to a conspiracy
of lies. We believe those officials we spoke with were honest and
truthful, after all, they did not have to be there nor share this
information with us. On the other hand, this report is not to be
interpreted as meaning we have complete trust in any law enforcement
agency or individual. We will never let down our guard. The investigation
to find the killer(s) responsible for the Rapid Creek murders is ongoing
and intensified as a result of all of our actions and prayers. I truly
believe we have moved closer to apprehending the killer(s) and have
scored a victory for Indian people. Aho !
IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE,
Matt Sherman, Madage Moniga
Asst. to Nowa Cumig aka
Dennis Banks
National Field Director,
AIM
P. O. BOX 06167
Columbus, Oh 43206
PLEASE POST AND DISTRIBUTE

--------- "RE: The Chumash Western Gate" ---------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 00:42:50 EDT
From: SumerWCree@aol.com
Subj: Chumash Western Gate vs NASA
------- FORWARD, Original message follows -------
Date: 9/26/99 7:51:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: lakotaactivest@yahoo.com (Paul Pureau)

Mailing List: Indianz elist <Indianz@egroups.com>

I just received word from Mike and Dj that there is a major battle going
on to save this site. Point Conception: The Chumash Western Gate
[Commentary By Dr. John Anderson]
The Samala Chumash historian named Maria Qiliqutayiwit reported to John
Harrington, of the Smithsonian Institution, that Point Conception was a
sacred place for the ancient Chumash. It was, she said, a gateway for the
souls of the dead to enter the heavens and begin their celestial journey
to paradise (Similaqas).
Qiliqutayiwit's statement can be read in December's Child, which was
edited by Thomas Blackburn and published by the University of California
Press in 1975. In the quarter of a century since the publication of this
book, a great deal has happened at Point Conception as it has become a
point of contention between many competing factions trying to influence
the development or non-development of this relatively pristine part of the
California Coast.

Point Conception As the Chumash Western Gate?
Qiliqutayiwit described a "gate" associated with Point Conception, which
is one of the westernmost points of land in the ancient Chumash territory.
Many contemporary Chumash call Point Conception the "Western Gate" and
believe that this region deserves to be kept from development, because it
is a holy place linked to the souls of the dead. In fact, many
traditionalists believe that it is one of the most sacred places in the
Chumash territory, deserving of the same protection of other sacred places
such as Iwihinmu (Pine Mountain), Toshololo (Frazier Mountain), Wasna,
Zaca lake, and other holy places.
But not all American scholars agree with this assessment, nor the many
economic interests which have tried to develop the Point Conception area
for economic reasons. Early developers included Spanish and Mexican
cattlemen awarded land grants in the vicinity. Later came the American
railroad (now called the Southern Pacific) that built a coastal line
immediately next to the point, along with the federal government which
built a light house on the point and confiscated the nearby lands.
In time, other development schemes were proposed for this region
including wharfs, an oil line, and a massive liquefied natural gas
facility. It was the gas facility which sparked the first major protest
from traditional Chumash, who came to the Point Conception area to protest
its desecration in 1978.

Need for a Chumash Religious Sanctuary At Point Conception?
After the development plans for the liquefied natural gas facility was
dropped, the Point came pressure during construction of a oil pipeline.
Various real estate interests proposed housing developments, golf courses,
and other planned community schemes for the area. And in more recent years,
it has been impacted by the development of a commercial California
Spaceport nearby on the Vandenberg Air Force Base.
The Spaceport facility proved a quantum jump in potential negative
impacts on the Greater Point Conception region, which the Chumash call
Humqaq. I became concerned about the potential negative impact of a the
commercial spaceport if it grew to even a fraction of the size its backers
predicted, so I published an article in the Earth Island Journal [Fall
1998] documenting the powerful coalition of state and local politicians,
aerospace interests, Air Force, and local chambers of commerce which were
working to promote the spaceport. I questioned whether the coalition had
done an adequate job of bringing all of the various Chumash factions into
the consultation and planning process, especially the Traditional families
who did not live on the nearby Santa Ynez Reservation (Anderson, 1999).

Impact of a National Seashore?
Nathan Post maintains a web page on the proposed National Seashore,
which would protect the remaining relatively undeveloped portion of Santa
Barbara County including the Point Conception area. This federally
protected coastline might, according to some advocates, stretch from
Goleta to Point Conception. See Seashore for more information on the
proposed federal seashore. This webpage states: "It is important to
remember that Point conception is a highly reverenced Chumash Indian site.
The Chumash believe that this is where the souls of their dead ancestors
depart for the spirit world."
The Gaviota Coastal Conservancy, founded by Bob Keats, is an advocate of
the National Seashore plan, citing the fact that the Gaviota Coast
represents the last significant stretch of relatively undeveloped coastal
land of its magnitude remaining in Southern California. For additional
information, you can reach Nathan Post at npost31229@aol.com

Private Landowners
One of the concerns expressed by Nathan Post on his National Seashore
web page is that the owners of large private estates in the Point
Conception area may not want to abandon any potential development rights
without expensive public compensation. One of these large landowners is
the Hollister Ranch, and the other is the Cojo Ranch, which is located
immediately at Point Humqaq and includes a number of important Chumash
sites located nearby.

Kuta Teachings
In 1997, Dr. Brian Haley and Larry Wilcoxon published an article in the
journal of Current Anthropology, which discussed the role of Point
Conception in the traditional religion of the Chumash Indians. They
concluded that Point Conception was not a pan-Chumash religious site as
many contemporary Chumash claim. They instead proposed classifying it as
of importance only to the local Chumash. This article was very critical of
the views of other scholars who had written about Point Conception, and
these scholars responded in a August/October 1998 issue of the same
journal. You can read more about this heated debate at Haley.
Out of interest in the many issues being raised about the role of Point
Conception in the traditional Chumash religion, I returned to an earlier
draft of a short book on the Chumash Path of the Dead. This book is yet
unpublished, but you can read more about this book at Kuta.

The Point Conception Occupation
Many members of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation participated in
the Humqaq Occupation. See web page, for information on the Coastal Band.
Also see Humqaq for Mike Khus' News From Native California article on the
1978 occupation of the Point Conception area by Chumash and other native
Americans trying to save it from development by a liquified natural gas
company.
Western Gate More than one 'gate' (opening, portal) into the celestial
world is described in surviving Chumash narratives. Other gates include
Iwihinmu mountain, Wasna mountain, and Zaca lake. What makes Point
Conception special to the Traditional Chumash is that it is the only one
in which an elder explicitly identified as a "gate" used by the souls of
the dead! And since it was located in the westernmost area of the Chumash
lands, it came to be called the Western Gate.

Point Conception See Point Humqaq
Point Humqaq The Traditional name for Point Conception is Humqaq, which
means the Raven comes. In Kuta Teachings, the role of the Raven in Chumash
mythology includes giving the souls of the dead their 'celestial eyes'
needed for traveling on the Path of the Dead. Only by discarding the
'earthly eyes' of their previous lives, can the souls of the dead reach
the heavenly paradise from which they are reincarnated.
Point Humqaq: Greater Religious Area In Kuta Teachings (unpublished), I
will present the argument that Humqaq was not a single site but rather a
religious 'complex' that included a number of features located away from
Point Humqaq itself (the exact point where the modern lighthouse is
located today). This text will also discuss whether documented religious
sites located near the California Spaceport are part of this larger
religious complex (Anderson February, 1999).

Raven See Point Humqaq.
More On Point Conception As the Western Gate
This web page presents the views of the author, and does not necessarily
represent the views of the Chumash Indians, either individually or as a
group
Anderson Web Pages
Chumash Islanders
Jonjonata Townsite
Chumash Indians & California Spaceport
The Munoz Report
Kuta Teachings

--------- "RE: Cowichan Tribes do Indian Act" ---------

Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 10:32:37 GMT
From: St'eque Kwasun <lwsr@my-deja.com>
Subj: Cowichan Tribes - do Indian Act real good!

Newsgroup: alt.native

News Flash from Somena Governance Society.
2 weeks ago - an incident occurred which the Somena Governance Society and
the Vancouver Island Accountability Coalition will be addressing in
upcoming meetings and media work.
Isabelle Williams is a Cowichan Tribes Member. She was legally adopted
by Ted Williams at the age of 8 - and is the granddaughter of late Earl
Williams - the great granddaughter of Henry Williams - and the great great
granddaughter of Johnny Williams.
She has a 3 year old son - named Nathan Williams. The father of Nathan
Williams is Andy Thomas - from Penelakut - with Family from Cowichan.
Isabelle recently suffered a huge setback in her life. She suffered from
a series of epileptic seizures. She lost her drivers licence and her
business as a result. She had to move in with her mother and father on the
reserve - since under Doctors orders she can not be alone until the
medication for her epilepsy has shown to have stopped the seizures.
Isabelle went in to apply for welfare for herself and her son - since
she had no income and no means to support herself after this medical
problem occurred.

She was refused any kind of assistance -
Members of the Governance Society heard about what had occurred and went
in with her - since, living on the reserve - we know she was entitled to
benefits.
We were shown a policy that indicated that since her father's land was
unsettled - non-C.P. land - they would not give her any welfare.
We discussed the fact that we thought this was an unreasonable measure.
The reason that was given at that time for denying her benefits was that
Because the land that her father lives on is unsettled - and non C.P any
rent that she would get - would go to the band and not to her father.
We challenged that - and said "Well - that only deals with the issue of
rent.. she is still entitled to basic support - in the amount of $327.00
They changed their mind - and let her apply for basic support.
We asked for a photo copy of the policy denying her rent.
In researching this policy - we discovered that "custom holdings -
recognized in writing by Chief and Council" - would serve in stead of C.P
for getting rent.
Luckily - in research we have done for the Williams family -we found a
copy of a Band Council Resolution from 1954 - recognizing the ownership of
the land - ... so She went into the office with this - and was grudgingly
given a rent cheque as well.
Isabelle had applied for membership for her son - The Membership
administrator had delayed and ignored this application for the past 2
years.
This week - Isabelle received a letter from the Chief and Council and
Membership office - denying her son's application for Membership.
This little boy - whose mother is sick - has Cowichan Ancestry and on
BOTH sides of his family.
The band office has said that because Isabelle is "not native" - even
though she was legally adopted - and has status and is a member of
Cowichan Tribes - her son is being refused membership.
- In talking with Isabelle - we have discovered that the Education
office has been refusing her any assistance towards her post - secondary
education - claiming she is not a member.
However - she is a registered Cowichan Tribes Member - She has a Status
Card indicating her membership as Cowichan Tribes - Her number on the card
- is a Cowichan number.
The governance society will be working with Isabelle and her family to
fight this discrimination.
For more Info - come to http://www.cow-net.com/tiltulum/
MW

--------- "RE: Cowichan Tribes in Violation of Funding Agreement" ---------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 05:46:55 GMT
From: St'eque Kwasun <lwsr@my-deja.com>
Subj: Cowichan Tribes - 144 days in violation of Funding Agreement

Newsgroup: alt.native

>From the Ruffled Feathers - Somena Governance Society Website
http://www.cow-net.com/tiltulum/

COWICHAN TRIBES IN VIOLATION OF FUNDING AGREEMENT
On May 4th of this year several Cowichan Tribes Members requested
financial information from the Chief and Council of Cowichan Tribes in the
following letter (Go to website to see letter). As of this date - Cowichan
Tribes has yet to furnish the members who requested these documents with
even one scrap of information we requested pertaining to how our money is
being spent.
It is now the 144th Day and Counting - since we have requested the
information that we are entitled as band members to see!
The Comprehensive Funding Agreement is a a funding arrangement between
Chief and Council and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
Cowichan Tribes receives in excess of $18,000,000 a year from the federal
government to administer programs and provide services to Cowichan Tribes
Members. This funding agreement requires that Chief and Council adhere to
an Accountability Framework in order to receive their funds each year.
Part of this framework includes "Transparency, Disclosure and Redress".
The Comprehensive Funding Agreement is very specific and very clear
about what information Band Members are entitled to see. They are as
follows:
- we request proof of the development, implementation and maintenance of
the `conflict of interest guidelines' which shall as a minimum provide
that elected and staff officials are prevented from personally benefiting
from their office beyond their agreed upon compensation. Please show us
the Administrative policy regarding CONFLICT OF INTEREST and any band
council resolutions regarding such guidelines - as well as report on the
enforcement of these guidelines within the past 6 months.
- Copies of the monthly expenditures reports for Jan 1998 - thru Jan 1999.
- All documents relating to the sources of compensation for elected staff
and officials from funds, including salary, honoraria, per diem for the
past year for all elected officials and Senior Staff at Cowichan Tribes.
- We request copies of all documents related to expenditures of Chief and
Council and Senior Staff for the use of Telephone, Travel heating and
housing allowances out of funds from the CFA budget
- We request a full copy of the Comprehensive Funding Agreement between
Chief and Council and Cowichan Tribes and Indian and Northern Affairs
Canada - including any amendments. For the years 1996-1998 Request
- We request the disclosure of the following --listed by beneficiary --
All Loans and advances, made by the Recipient of the CFA funds - including
amounts owed, the reason for the receivable, and the amounts repaid in
previous years and the amounts written off.
- the annual audited financial statements prepared in accordance with
section 2.4 - of part B of the Agreement (CFA) General Terms and
Conditions of this Arrangement - including auditors report - and opinion
for the years 1996-1998
Even the MOST BASIC of our requests has yet to be met - despite promise
by Council and Chief at the meeting of June 22nd - to provide it. That
being a copy of the CFA - to be posted in the Lobby of the Band Office.

WHAT ARE YOU HIDING CHIEF - COUNCIL - ADMINISTRATOR?????
On a special note - The Council balked at giving us a copy of the CFA -
saying that while they will post it - we don't get to have a copy. WAKE UP
COUNCIL - The people are tired of being treated like children - by
paternalistic leaders who think they don't have to answer for their
actions - and inactions.
WHO IS KEEPING THIS INFORMATION FROM BEING DELIVERED TO THE PEOPLE????
IT'S TIME TO FIRE THEM AND REPLACE THEM WITH SOMEBODY WHO WILL BE
RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COWICHAN PEOPLE!!!! ELECTIONS ARE IN 3
MONTHS - ACT NOW

--------- "RE: DIA and Tribal Finances" ---------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 21:24:35 -0500
From: not@inthe.game (justanoldman)
Subj: Re: Cowichan Tribes - 144 days in violation of Funding Agreement

Newsgroup: alt.native

In article <37EF9CF3.3CDC@telusplanet.net>, Angela Gottfred
<agottfre@telusplanet.net> wrote:
> Support for disclosure comes from an unlikely source--the Canadian
> edition of Reader's Digest (Oct 1999, p. 80), which reprints a Halifax
> newspaper article headlined "Natives Silent on Spending". The article
> points out that only band members can examine audited band financial
> statements, but that asking for the audits is often difficult, since
> doing so can get someone branded as a troublemaker with chief and
> council. "People who depend on councils for jobs or homes are afraid to
> speak out." Hopefully such broad exposure will lead to more public
> awareness of this issue.
>
> Your humble & obedient servant,
> Angela Gottfred

d'laan'te'...
Before some jump to tar evry band council with the same black brush for
not being too open with the books...
Those that pocket the money or just hep immediate rekatives I have no use
for, but there are many others whose books are a mess because of DIAND.
DIA currently hands out $19600 or so to each band for each house to be
built, & there are only 45% of on-rez homes fit for human habitation plus
a HUGE population boom that pack 12-15 adults plus as many kids into a
900sqft house (for up to 20% of the on-rez population) in many places. So
such things lead to creative accounting. Another example is a recent
take-over of a school by a First nation school board, on rez. The regional
school board that had been delivering the (non-Indian) direction &
administration had been receiving over $16,000 per Indian student from the
feds. When the First Nation took it over this year the feds cut the
per-student allocation to less than $5,000. So that leads to more creative
accounting.
In their relentless campaign to force evacuation of the reserves, the
feds force every First Nation government to "dig a hole to fill a hole"
with their meagre budgets (meagre is right when you consider the critical
needs).
Those who steal should be banished & struck from the Nation's rolls, but
others who hesitate to "bare all" to auditors that cannot consider reality
on the rez should not be condemned.
masi:cho...
jaom/e'ne'thekwe'

--------- "RE: O'odham Call Border Artificial" ---------

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:49:39 GMT
From: "AliceH" <AliceH@gte.net>
Subj: O'odham call border artificial

Newsgroup: alt.native

Story by
Pamela Hartman
Citizen Staff Writer
Sept. 20, 1999

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/news/archive/Story0618519.html

O'odham call border artificial
SELLS - For centuries, the Tohono O'odham have roamed their desert lands,
visiting family, joining in religious rituals and, in more recent times,
running errands.
It made little difference whether they traveled in Mexico or what later
became the United States, as it was all one huge tribal nation.
"We as a people, we come across regardless," said Julian Rivas, a member
of the tribe who lives in San Francisquito, 10 miles south of the border.
But daily travel across the border has gotten harder. As a border crackdown
pushes more illegal immigrants and drugs through the reservation, increased
vigilance has tribal members complaining that they feel like unwanted
visitors on their land.
"In our view, even though it's an international and legal border, it's
an artificial border," said Alex Ritchie, aide to O'odham Chairman Edward
Manuel. "It's a lot like the Iron Curtain. It's a cactus curtain."
O'odham legislator David Garcia said the Border Patrol last year deported
a Mexican member of the tribe to Nogales, Son. The man walked four days
from Nogales to get back to his Sonoran village.
"His question was, 'Why was I treated like this, and yet I'm O'odham?' "
Garcia said. "These guys (agents) are from all over the country. They don't
know what O'odham is."
Legislation would allow free access Tribal officials are lobbying for
federal legislation that would allow them to cross the border freely, using
tribal identification. About 700 registered O'odham members live in Mexico;
12,000 live in Arizona - on a 2.8-million-acre reservation roughly the size
of Connecticut.
Some federal lawmakers are concerned that drug trafficking and illegal
immigration would get worse if exceptions are allowed.
"Whenever we talk about changing the rules and making it easier to cross
the border, immediately there are concerns about (immigrants) and drug
smuggling," said Allen Kay, spokesman for Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas,
immigration subcommittee chairman.
"As we tighten control of the border . . . smugglers are looking for other
avenues where there's less enforcement. And the Indian reservations are the
obvious place," he said.
The tribal nation was not always split. In the 18th century, the tribal
territory was bordered by the Colorado, Gila and San Pedro rivers and the
Sea of Cortez. The O'odham were under Spanish rule in the colonial era, then
became a part of Mexico when that country declared independence from Spain
in 1821.
In the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, the United States bought nearly 30,000
square miles in southern Arizona and New Mexico. The tribe was split in half
between Mexico and Arizona.
That meant the tribe's sacred mountain, Baboquivari, 50 miles southwest
of Tucson, became part of Arizona. But another sacred mountain, Quitovac,
remained in Mexico, 20 miles south of the border town of Lukeville. And
daily travel meant traversing two nations.
But the only official ports of entry near the O'odham Nation are 75 miles
apart in Sasabe and Lukeville, beyond the tribe's boundaries. It is a
practical nightmare - and far more costly to the overwhelmingly poor tribal
members - to travel the rough dirt roads to official ports of entry.
"You're talking about a 150- to 200-mile drive just to get to the person
who's 10 or 20 miles across the border," Ritchie said. "It's a cultural and
in fact a religious imposition."
O'odham find shortcuts Tribal members in Mexico cross into Arizona to use
the health clinic, post office and tribal headquarters in Sells. O'odham
from Arizona visit relatives in Mexico and attend tribal events and
gatherings there.
For years, tribal officials said, members have crossed through three
cattle gates on remote stretches of border on the reservation: San Miguel,
Papago Farms and Manager's Gate. The tribe declined to release a map of
the gates, saying it did not want to draw more attention to them. The
better-maintained roads link up to State Route 86.
The shortcuts are exclusively for tribal use and are off-limits to
non-O'odham. But the crossings technically are illegal, though they drew
little attention until the border crackdown began in Arizona five years ago.
An intensified border crackdown in Nogales this year sent more drug
smugglers and illegal immigrants through the O'odham Nation. In response,
the U.S. Border Patrol quintupled the number of patrol agents assigned to
the reservation, said Clyde Benzenhoefer, patrol agent in charge in Tucson
and the agency's liaison to the Tohono O'odham Nation.
Agents are not supposed to allow anyone without proper crossing documents
to continue north, even if they are tribal members with tribal
identification, Benzenhoefer said.
"I feel for the Tohono O'odham people, because it's such a long way out of
the way to cross through Sasabe or Lukeville," he said. "But the law's the
law. We can't just turn a blind eye and permit them to freely come across
the border."
Agents try to be unobtrusive but have a responsibility to stop and search
cars for drugs and illegal immigrants, he said.
Tribal officials agree that members need to be stopped if they are seen
passing through one of the cattle gates. But they said some tribal members
traveling through the nation have been stopped once, twice, even five times
a day by agents checking their citizenship. New agents have trouble
differentiating between Mexican immigrants and O'odham members, they said.
"Our tribal members are disproportionately stopped because there's a lot
of rookies out there," Ritchie said. But, he added, "To a large degree, the
Border Patrol has accommodated us."
Bad experience Maria Torres, 62, a U.S. citizen living in Sells, said she
no longer crosses into Mexico because of an experience last June, as she
returned from an O'odham gathering place in Sonora, where she had hoped to
buy white cheese from a vendor.
Torres said she, her son and two tribal members they had picked up in
Mexico were forced out of their car at gunpoint by two patrol agents as
they drove north from the San Miguel gate.
"It was awful," she recalled. The agents "pushed me a little bit, and told
me to put my hands on top of the hood," said Torres, who is diabetic and on
dialysis. "My son kept asking them to please let me sit down because I was
handicapped. I asked one of the officers, 'What did we do wrong?' And he
said, 'No (expletive) questions around here from anybody but us.' "
Benzenhoefer said the complaint was not received in a timely matter, and
those complaining couldn't provide the agents' names. He said agents act
cautiously when they approach vehicles because they do not know if drugs or
weapons are inside. He said the Border Patrol has not received additional
complaints for some time.
The Border Patrol this year began offering cultural sensitivity classes to
new agents assigned to patrol O'odham lands, he said. Officers were taught
to recognize and stay away from burial and other sacred sites, and to help
pick up trash left by illegal crossers.
"We had a problem with some of the agents driving helter-skelter out
there, and now we make sure they stay on established roads," Benzenhoefer
said. Bezenhoefer said he's in close contact with tribal officials and
that they have a good relationship.
Most can't gain visas Most Mexican tribal members don't qualify for visas
under U.S. law, tribal officials said. They are subsistence farmers, without
proof of economic solvency sought by the United States to ensure they don't
plan to remain here.
Tribal identification includes a photograph of the member and an
enrollment number. The U.S. Interior Department considers Mexican O'odham
members of the U.S. tribe. The O'odham would like a tribal ID accepted as a
valid crossing document by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Recently a U.S. immigration inspector confiscated a tribal car taking
members from Mexico to the tribal health clinic in Sells. The driver and a
passenger, an elderly woman born in Ajo, were sent back to Mexico because
the woman had only tribal identification. Tribal authorities later retrieved
the car.
INS spokesman Russell Ahr said the law prohibits the agency from accepting
tribal IDs. Ahr conceded that it's hard for Mexican O'odham to meet U.S.
visa requirements.
"Few succeed without evidence of economic solvency - bank accounts,
ownership of property, payroll stubs," he said.
Even those who may qualify for U.S. citizenship may not know it.
Some O'odham have no way of tracking down their birth certificates,
because they were born at home in remote villages.
That happened to Lillian Leon, 66, a tribal member living in Sonoyta,
Son. As she waited at the Sells hospital, she ran into Rivas and asked him
to read a baptismal record, in English, for her.
Leon had assumed she'd been born in Sonora but had no birth certificate.
Then she found her baptismal record, which said she was born in Varajita,
an O'odham village in Arizona.

--------- "RE: Gila River Council Fires Casino Exec" ---------

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 04:40:56 -0700 (MST)
From: chris@U.ARIZONA.edu
Subj: Gila River council fires casino exec (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sept. 17, 1999

http://www.azcentral.com/news/0917joe.shtml

Gila River council fires casino exec
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 17, 1999
The Gila River Indian Community Council has fired the executive director
of its casinos, shortly after firing four of its casino directors.
Joseph Calabrese was let go last month because the Tribal Council was
unhappy with the casino's performance. In addition, a program to mentor
Gila River members wasn't progressing fast enough, Gila River spokesman
Gary Bohnee said.
The council also fired other casino officials in recent years, and the
two casinos are now being run by a temporary board of directors.
Bohnee said the Tribal Council is evaluating the management situation
and plans to start over with new leadership.
Calabrese, who had been on the job for less than a year, had almost 20
years' experience in gaming, including a stint with the New Jersey State
Police and more than five years as director of program development for the
Mashantucket Pequot's Foxwood Casino. He could not be reached for comment.
The community operates two casinos: Wild Horse Pass near Ahwatukee
Foothills, and Via Quiva near Laveen.
Copyright 1999, Arizona Central

--------- "RE: Fresh Leadership for Gila River" ---------

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 04:43:16 -0700 (MST)
From: chris@U.ARIZONA.edu
Subj: Gila River Indian Community votes Tuesday: Fresh leadership for tribe
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sept. 20, 1999

http://www.azcentral.com/news/0920elect.shtml

Gila River Indian Community votes Tuesday
Fresh leadership for tribe
By Betty Beard
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 20, 1999
After six years of unprecedented growth and prosperity, the Gila River
Indian Community is at a critical juncture as it prepares to select new
leaders to take it into the new millennium.
On Tuesday, the largest Indian nation in the Phoenix area will host an
unusually crowded primary election, taking the first step in deciding who
will replace two-term Gov. Mary Thomas.
A slate of eight gubernatorial candidates and five for lieutenant
governor will compete, with the top two in each race facing off in the Nov.
2 general election.
After a dozen years of public service to the tribe, Thomas has decided
not to seek re-election.
The eventual winners will take over a $92 million budget that has grown
tenfold during Thomas' two terms in office, thanks to a flood of casino
revenue.
While the new money has brought hope and excitement to the community,
Thomas said, it also has made the governor's job more demanding, and there
are public health and social problems that will face her successor well
into the next century.
"It's an exciting time for this reservation, but we don't know how long
this growth is going to last," Thomas said. "It will be at least two
decades before we get to the same level as the surrounding communities.
"We will never be an Ahwatukee, but we will strive for the best living
standards we can," she said.
Thomas said the new leaders will have "to keep their heads above water."
"There are so many issues they will be confronted with," she said.
The job, she warns, is not easy.
Thomas travels to Washington, D.C., about 15 times a year. She gets 100
pieces of mail a day. There is a growing bureaucracy to oversee, more
reports to read, more contracts to sign, and more ribbon-cuttings to
attend.
"Even weekends are taken up with functions, speeches, tours and
groundbreakings," Thomas said. "There's too much to do . . . it's really
hectic."
The first of two tribal casinos opened in June 1993, just before Thomas
became governor. Thanks to their revenue, Thomas has seen the annual
budget grow from about $10 million a year to nearly $100 million.
With extra money to spend, the community has gone all out to resolve a
number of lawsuits over water rights. The court cases aim to bring back
water the tribe lost more than 100 years ago when upstream users started
diverting it from the Gila River.
Another issue the community can finally afford to address is the dismal
state of its water, sewer and electrical systems, and roads.
"We have over 100 miles of roads that need paving," Thomas said. "We
have school buses driving on dirt roads. Sometimes they get stuck in the
mud or slide off the road."
The community has already built jails and police and fire stations. It
has plans to build a 500-room resort, a new government center and more
residential housing.
The bureaucracy has grown as the tribe created police, fire and
environmental quality departments, among others. Casino revenue created so
many jobs that unemployment fell from about 40 percent to between 10 and
15 percent, Thomas said.
She concedes that the community has made mistakes, but it is learning as
it goes.
There has been high turnover in some areas, among them casino leadership.
Unhappy with the way the casinos were being run, the Community Council
recently fired four of the five directors and the chief executive officer.
There are still medical and social problems to be addressed such as
diabetes, alcohol and drug abuse, and crime. Tackling those is next,
Thomas said.
With all the new demands on the governor, she thinks the Community
Council should think about raising the governor's salary. She earns $62,
000. The lieutenant governor earns about $57,000. Certain other tribal
jobs pay more than $100,000, as the community tries to attract quality
candidates.
Though Thomas was the tribe's first woman governor, she downplays the
significance. She said a little boy once asked her what a woman governor
could do that a man couldn't. She replied, "A woman governor can wear a
dress, and a man can't."
After leaving office Dec. 31, Thomas plans to write an autobiography,
consider a state job and be more active in her church. She also intends to
plant traditional Indian crops like beans and squash at her family plot in
Sacaton. At 55, she has officially become a tribal elder and plans to join
in elder activities.
Thomas isn't endorsing a successor but said she is "comfortable" with Lt.
Gov. Cecil Antone.
"I think he does a good job," she said. "I'm a little biased because
I've worked with him six years and we're almost of the same mind for what
we want for the tribe.
"We've had our differences, but communication has been really good."
She praised Tuesday's slate of candidates, saying there are "some really
really good choices."
Betty Beard can be reached at betty.beard@pni.com
via e-mail or at 1-602-444-7982.
Copyright 1999, Arizona Central

--------- "RE: Case Filed in 1995 May Again be Appealed" ---------

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 12:34:52 -0500
From: berryj@okstate.edu
Subj: (FWD)Indian News 09-25-99
Roger Iron Cloud
FirstNations Listserv
202.358.3252
rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov

By RUSSELL RAY
c. Tulsa World
9/24/99
Case filed in 1995 may again be appealed
Chris White's supervisors described his work as "exceptional." As an
environmental field inspector for the Osage Tribe, White monitored the
numerous oil and gas wells that dot the countryside in Osage County.
But when his efforts uncovered oil spills, leaking pipelines and streams
tainted with saltwater, White was fired by the tribal council.
The council fired White in March 1995 for what it described as "serious
misconduct" and "disloyalty" to the Osage Nation.
But White claims he was fired because his actions posed a threat to the
income the tribe receives from oil and gas production on tribal lands.
"They receive several million dollars a year in royalties from these
wells," White said.
White filed a "whistleblower" complaint with the U.S. Department of
Labor in 1995 and won.
White, whose job was funded and supervised by the Environmental
Protection Agency, argued that his actions were protected under the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
The Labor Department's Administrative Review Board agreed.
It found that the tribal council discriminated against White by firing
him for performing duties that are protected by federal law.
The agency ordered the tribe to return White to his old job, pay him
back pay from the time he was fired and reinstate all of his benefits.
The Labor Department also ordered the tribe to pay White $40,000 in
damages.
"There is simply no other rational explanation for terminating what this
record shows was the tribal council's best field inspector," wrote
Administrative Law Judge Quentin P. McColgin.
The tribe appealed the ruling to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in Denver, claiming it was entitled to sovereign immunity and was exempt
from such action.
But the appellate court, on Aug. 4, rejected that argument, saying the
whistleblower provision contains "a clear and explicit waiver of tribal
immunity."
The appeals court sent the case back to the Labor Department in
Washington, where it will again be reviewed by regulators.
Once the agency completes its review, its decision could again be
appealed.
Four years have passed since White was fired, and the legal costs are
piling up.
Lawyers for both sides have tried unsuccessfully to settle the dispute.
"It's probably going to go on another year or two," White said.
After he was fired, White said he and his family struggled financially.
For two years, White said, he couldn't find a job.
"I filled out a lot of applications," he said.
"The employment opportunities in Osage County aren't the greatest."
White eventually found work as a truck driver.
He drove a truck for two years, but quit because he did not like being
away from his wife and four daughters.
"We have a home and food on the table," he said. "We're thankful for
that."
Osage Chief Charles Tillman declined to comment on the case because it
is pending before the Labor Department.
White worked for the tribe for about one year before he was fired.
During that time, White said he discovered numerous pits of illegally
dumped oil, loads of saltwater dumped along county roads and pipes used to
discharge significant amounts of saltwater in creeks, rivers and lakes.
In some areas of Osage County, the soil is contaminated with high levels
of improperly discarded saltwater from oil wells, White said.
"Some places up here look like moonscapes," he said. "There's no
vegetation growing there."
Several oil and gas producers stepped forward to complain about White's
actions when he began filing reports detailing the alleged environmental
abuses.
One producer, in a letter to the tribal council, described White as an
"overzealous EPA employee" who was creating "many undo hardships on the
independent producers."
The tribal council issued a memo dated March 15, 1995, instructing
tribal officials to fire White.
The memo cited complaints from several producers, who said White was
rude, disrespectful and made statements that were disloyal to the Osage
Nation.
The tribal council, which said it investigated the complaints, claimed
White's actions interfered with the tribe's goal to create an environment
"whereby producers feel free to work with the Osage Tribal Council . . .
to develop the Osage mineral reserves."
The council said, "Mr. White's behavior is counterproductive to the
tribe's organizational and environmental goals."
But the Labor Department said the complaints were trivial and flimsy.
"Neither individually, nor collectively, do the complaints of misconduct
and disloyalty provide a believable basis for White's termination,"
according to the August 1997 order issued by the agency's Administrative
Review Board.
EPA officials who supervised White's work testified that White was their
"finest inspector" and that his job performance was exceptional.
"There is no question that White took his additional responsibilities to
report on surface pollution problems seriously and discharged them in a
professionally respected manner," the review board wrote.
White said the alleged environmental violations involved a handful of
oil producers in Osage County.
"Not all the oil operators are doing this stuff," he said. "The majority
of the oil operators up here are doing what they're supposed to be doing."
In the last quarter, the tribe received more than $6 million in royalty
payments from oil and gas production, said Joe Trumbly, a member of the
Osage Tribal Council.
The payments are distributed to the tribe's 5,000 shareholders, he said.
Trumbly said the tribal council was justified in firing White.
"He was obnoxious not only to producers, but to just about everybody,"
Trumbly said.
Until the case is concluded to his satisfaction, White said he is
determined to continue his legal fight with the tribe.
Despite losing his job, White said he does not regret the actions he [
8]took against producers who he believed were violating environmental law.
"All I was suppose to do was be the eyes and ears for the EPA and report
what I saw," he said.
"That's exactly what I did."

--------- "RE: Sovereignty an Issue in River Pact" ---------

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 12:34:52 -0500
From: berryj@okstate.edu
Subj: (FWD)Indian News 09-25-99
Roger Iron Cloud
FirstNations Listserv
202.358.3252
rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov

Sovereignty an issue in river pact
By AP Wire Service
9/24/99
CARNEGIE (AP) -- The Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Intertribal Land Use Committee
is concerned that an agreement between Oklahoma and Texas redefining the
Red River border between the states will infringe on tribal sovereignty.
"If we are a sovereign nation, then why is Oklahoma and Texas making
laws and overriding federal law?" asked Kiowa tribal member Gene Geionety.
Geionety is urging tribal members to protest the compact, which must be
approved by Congress.
"I have aunts and uncles who have land all up and down that river," said
Kiowa tribal member Ernest Topah. "We're worried about them, too. Will the
jurisdiction change on that land?"
The legislation approved this year settles a 100-year-old controversy
over the border between the states. It defines the boundary as the
vegetation line on the south bank of the Red River.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson gave the compact his stamp of
approval this week. Edmondson's ruling read in part, "Oklahoma and Texas
may enter into an agreement that permits each state to exercise
sovereignty over the lands that previously were under control of the other
state."
The statement concerned tribal members. The tribal committee oversees
about 9,000 acres of jointly owned Kiowa, Comanche and Apache land along
the Red River.

--------- "RE: Trail of Tears Designation Sought" ---------

Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 12:34:52 -0500
From: berryj@okstate.edu
Subj: (FWD)Indian News 09-25-99
Roger Iron Cloud
FirstNations Listserv
202.358.3252
rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov

Trail of Tears designation sought
By AP Wire Service
9/24/99
DE QUEEN, Ark. (AP) -- Carl Davis and Allen Ward are hoping the state
will acknowledge the struggle of their ancestors by designating a path in
De Queen as part of the Trail of Tears that carried Indians to what is now
Oklahoma.
"We are doing this out of our love for the American Indian and their
culture," Davis said. "This is a vital part of American history."
The two men are to meet with Arkansas Department of Heritage
representatives Friday to propose the designation.
Gov. Mike Huckabee expressed his support for the proposal during a visit
to De Queen on Tuesday.
Joe Franklin, Huckabee's liaison for minority affairs and state agencies,
met with Davis and Ward to learn more about their goal.
"We are currently in the discussion stage, but the governor is
supportive of the project," Franklin said. "This is a great project for
tourism and the state of Arkansas."
The Trail of Tears commemorates the forced march of thousands of members
of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Seminole and Chickasaw tribes to what
became Oklahoma. Thousands died as a result of the relocation, which took
place primarily from 1836-1838.
The trail they traversed and the journey itself became known as the
"Trail of Tears."
Much of the National Park Service master plan for the Trail of Tears --
including hiking trails and highway markers -- has yet to be built. More
research is needed to actually find the route, which runs through Arkansas,
, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi,
Alabama and the Cherokees' present-day home in Oklahoma.
Eventually, the trail will extend from Memphis, Tenn., through Little
Rock and De Queen, to Broken Bow, Okla.
"This is a way of paying respect to the pain and suffering of my
ancestors," Ward said of the De Queen project.
He recently participated in the Trail of Tears Motorcycle Tour, which
covered the portion of the trail from Chattanooga, Tenn., to Waterloo, Ala.
The tour attracted almost 30,000 riders.

--------- "RE: Sango Bay Relocation Project" ---------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 08:10:10 -0230
From: Larry Innes <innuenv@web.net>
Subj: News: Sango Bay relocation project

Mailing List: Innu People Forum list <INNU-L@YORKU.CA>

: The work at Sango Bay is ongoing for the Mushuau Innu of Davis
Inlet to relocate - Interview with "Katshetan Rich", Director General
for the Mushuau Innu Relocation Corporation.
Key Words:
Media: CKOK-AM Reporter: Joanna Dicker
Date: 14:30, 9/23/99
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Joanna Dicker: How and what communities or organizations are you involved
in?

Katshetan Rich: Okay my name is Katshetan Rich and I am the Director
General of the Mushuau Innu Relocation Corporation of Davis Inlet.

Joanna Dicker: How did the committee come about?

Katshetan Rich: Well we started some of the work on it last year and
we continued some of the work from this summer. There were four
campsites out last summer and we are continuing with them this summer.

Joanna Dicker: And how many members do you have?

Katshetan Rich: Right now at the site they have about 110 - 120
people over there.

Joanna Dicker: What is MIRC goals or purpose of the committee?

Katshetan Rich: Well MIRC Mushuau Innu Relocation Corporation was
established back in after the signing of the relocation agreement
back in 96 and their responsibility is to make sure the project
closes according to the agreement that was signed back in 96. And
this is the main goal is to get the project going.

Joanna Dicker: And how long will MIRC exist?

Katshetan Rich: Well until the end of the project I guess, that will
be 2001 or 2002. That's how long we think the relocation will take
to complete.

Joanna Dicker: Are you involved with the relocation at Sango Bay?

Katshetan Rich: Yes I'm involved with that, I've been involved with
that since the early . . . when they were talking about relocation
yes.

Joanna Dicker: Can you tell us what exactly is taking place there now?

Katshetan Rich: Okay like I said from the start of this interview, we
started our contract last year, there were four different, as a
matter of fact there were four contracts that were awarded last year.
Contract number one, we call it the main access road, airstrip
terminal building. This was awarded to Mushuau Innu Construction
back in June 1998 and they expected to finish this fall October 1999,
that's contract number one. And contract two, this is the water and
sewer and the community streets around the town site. Again this was
awarded to Old Mokami back in June 98 and they expect to complete
that this fall in November. Contract number six is the water main
outside the town site, roads and pump house and reservoir, this again
was awarded to Mushuau Innu Construction back in August 1998 and
expected to completed this October 99 and the last one, sewage lagoon
and the road to the Lagoon, this was awarded to old Mokami back in
August 98 and they expect to complete that this fall in October.

Joanna Dicker: Which communities are involved in the work at this time?

Katshetan Rich: Well it's . . . we've been given direction from the
Band Council that first priority is to look to the community first
then if we don't have enough people for the work then we have to go
up on the coast up into Sheshatshiu, that's the direction we have
been given.

Joanna Dicker: What's the situation like in getting your materials
in, how do you go about that?

Katshetan Rich: Well anyone who has a contract, they are responsible
for their own, getting materials into the site. One way they are
doing that is having a barge come in here every week or twice a week
whatever, and they come down to the site and unload the materials up
at the site. So they have their own contracts to accomplish this to
get materials to the site.

Joanna Dicker: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Katshetan Rich: Well like I said this the contract that we awarded
last year and it is supposed to be completed this fall and we are
trying to get as many out this fall so that we could have an early
start next year. Like power distribution, generator, intake and
wharf and everything. So we try to get those things this fall and
award them sometime over the winter so they can have an early start
next year.

Joanna Dicker: Okay thank you for giving us this information and we
will talk to you again sometime.

Katshetan Rich: No problem.

Joanna Dicker: Okay bye.

Katshetan Rich: Bye.

--------- "RE: AGP Calendar 2000 and Book Project" ---------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 12:27:28 -0600
From: Adopt a Grandparent Program <adoptagrandparent@taosnet.com>
Subj: AGP Calendar 2000 and Book Project

Dear AGP Friends,
26 September 1999

On September 8th, Gail Russell and myself started out on a journey to
the Pine Ridge reservation to interview and photograph the elders in the
Adopt A Grandparent Program, for a Calender 2000 and Book Project. We had
an idea of what we wanted to do and how we were going to do it, but like
all good ideas and plans, things don't really come into clear focus until
you're in the thick of it. Our original idea was to setup the tipi we
brought with us in each of the districts on the reservation and get the
elders to come to us, but when we realized how many elders wouldn't be able
to reach us, we decided our plans needed to change. We needed to be doing
home visits to accommodate their needs. Though this has turned out to be
far more time consuming and a little more costly, it much better reflects
the personality of AGP and it's emphasis on personal one to one
relationships. As of today, we have gone to visit over 80 elders at their
homes, and travelled over 2300 miles on the reservation!
Our change in plans, prompted by necessity, has turned out to be a
blessing in disguise. Everywhere we went we have been treated with warmth
of heart and generosity of spirit. On many occasions, the initial meeting
was a little hesitant, due to intrusive visitors who have come before us,
but with a little time and attentive listening, the deeper connections
began to be made. Every elder that we visited with, expressed the
importance and benefit of the Adopt A Grandparent Program in their life.
Some even told us that AGP in Taos, New Mexico was quicker to respond to
their emergency needs than the tribal office across the street from their
home! If there was ever any doubt about the impact of this program and
continuing on when we're down to our last dime, it has finally been set to
rest.
All the elders we have seen have given us written permission to record
their words and take their picture for the calender and book project. They
laughed and cried as they shared parts of past and present life with us.
Some gave us Star Quilts and jewelry for the AGP program, and others gave
us homemade jam and tomatoes from the garden. We tried to photograph all
the elders 80 and over on this first trip because many of them may not be
with us by the time we return. We also found that some had past away
earlier in the year, or were now living in nursing homes in Rapid City or
on the Rosebud reservation. As well as the interviews and pictures, we
have been able to collect a lot of new information to update our data base
in order to better serve those in the program, and we have signed up many
new elders. Elders with sponsors in the program spoke affectionately about
them as friends or family members. We saw many pictures of sponsors on the
walls, displayed along with family photos of children, grandchildren and
great grandchildren.
In the twelve years that this program has been operating, no field
work like this has ever been done, and it is clear that this effort will
have a long term beneficial impact on the program.
Gail and I have now been here for almost 3 weeks and we are leaving
for Denver today. We will be in Denver for a few days having film
developed and beginning the process of choosing the elders who will be on
the calender for the year 2000. All the photos not used in the calender
will be in the book, so every elder will be part of the project. This
project has been a gift for both Gail & myself on a personal level as well,
and I wish that each of you could have such an experience, but it is our
hope that the calender and book will bring the the treasures of this
project, the elders themselves, as close to your heart as possible.
We started out with a small grant from the Martin Foundation, which is
only a portion of the funds needed to complete this first stage of the
project. It is our hope that you will make a contribution, or help to find
philanthropic donor who wish to make contributions to this worthwhile
project, in order for us to continue with our work. We strongly believe
that the yearly calender and AGP book will be a continuous source of income
for the program and the Elders Emergency Fund. In addition to the
calenders and book, we also intend to make copies of photos of elders
available to be purchased by sponsors.
We look forward to hearing from you soon, as we watch the clock
ticking to down to the end of the millennium. Please help us make this
Calendar and book a reality.
Many Blessings;
Barbara Whitestone
Chairperson of the Advisory Board
The Adopt A Grandparent Program P.O.Box 241 Taos, NM 87571 1-800-291-8474
For email responses to this letter please contact Gail Russell-
mntlight@taosnet.com
Note: PLEASE INDICATE ON YOUR CONTRIBUTION THAT FUNDS ARE FOR THE ELDERS
2000 PROJECT

CANTE MITAWA KICI HUNKAKEPI OB MANI (Lakota)
"My Heart will Walk with the Elders"
-AGP-
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
e-mail: adoptagrandparent@taosnet.com
http://www.adoptagrandparent.com

--------- "RE: A Time of Visions" ---------

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 15:19:12 -0500
From: berryj@okstate.edu
Subj: (FWD)A Time of Visions: interviews with contemporary Native American
Artists
------- FORWARD, Original message follows -------
Date: 09/23/99 03:02:48 PM
From: "George(s) Lessard" <media@web.net>@raven.cc.ukans.edu

A Time of Visions
Interviews by Larry Abbott
http://www.britesites.com/native_artist_interviews/

"...The premise of this volume of interviews with contemporary Native
American artists is that their words can help us to understand their
images. The interviews attempt to dispel misconceptions about Native art
generally and these artists particularly. Overall, the interviews,
conceived more as conversations, offer the reader the opportunity to
listen to a diverse group of artists discuss their working methods, their
creative processes, and the meanings of their work.
Artists often prefer to let their work speak for itself, believing that
what is made of stone, wood, silver iodide crystals, magnetic particles,
or any of dozens of other media should not be explained, or possibly
undermined, by providing a meaning which could foreclose interpretation.
It is not the job of the artist, some feel, to tell the viewer what to
think or to provide a conclusion. All artworks are open to many
interpretations, with the artist's being just one (albeit a privileged one,
perhaps).
Yet, with all art (and not just "ethnic" art), there are possibilities
of meaning which the artist can help us discover. There are personal and
cultural dimensions interwoven in a work of art, dimensions which are so
personal or so specific that only the artist's clarification can help us
in the process of discovery. The artist can provide us with a map to guide
our understanding, or better yet, a frame which offers a context for the
individual vision that is manifested in a particular work or throughout an
oeuvre......"

:-) Message Ends; George(s) Lessard's Signature Begins (-:
Media Arts, Management & Mentoring
.... whose life is currently in "...transition..."
(Read as: He's both jobless and homeless at the moment.)
Suggestions / info on jobsearch, patronage /
residencies & commissions (in the artistic sense)
should be sent to mediamentor@cyberdude.com
Resume and more @ http://members.tripod.com/~media002
-Caveat Lector-
CAUTIONS, Disclaimers, NOTES TO EDITORS & (c) information may
be found @ http://members.tripod.com/~media002/disclaimer.htm
Because of the nature of email & the WWW,
please check ALL sources & subjects.

--------- "RE: Red River Pact Disputed" ---------

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 09:07:55 -0500
From: berryj@okstate.edu
Subj: (FWD)Indian News 09-24-99
Roger Iron Cloud
FirstNations Listserv
202.358.3252
rironcloud@acf.dhhs.gov

By Ron Jackson
c. The Oklahoman
09/23/1999
CARNEGIE -- Until recent years, Kiowa, Comanche and Apache elders used a
long-running joke when they discussed a purchase or debt.
"I'll pay you later," they often quipped, "when my Red River money
arrives."
Everyone laughed, perhaps to keep from crying. The joke referred to land
jointly owned by the three tribes along the Red River that cradled oil and
gas revenue. In 1926, the U.S. government authorized the secretary of the
interior to hold that revenue in a trust for the tribes, giving the state
of Oklahoma part of the royalties. The land was deemed "public lands."
Many Kiowa, Comanche and Apache people have called the deal a heist.
"A lot of that money is still unaccounted for," said Mike Turner, a Kiowa
tribal member and a self-proclaimed watchdog. "We didn't receive any of
that money for years. What happened to all that money? We still don't know."
The federal Bureau of Land Management continues to hold the oil and gas
revenue in a trust. Two-thirds goes to the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Intertribal
Land Use Committee; one-third goes to the state. But along with the missing
money has gone another bastion of trust.
Which brings up the latest Red River controversy and concerns of the Kiowa,
Comanche and Apache people.
Oklahoma and Texas lawmakers passed legislation this summer that redefines
the boundary between the states as the vegetation line on the south bank of
the Red River. On Tuesday, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson gave
the compact his stamp of approval as it heads for Congress and an expected
ratification.
But the committee that oversees about 9,000 acres of Kiowa, Comanche and
Apache land along the Red River smells another heist.
"Our position is that any jurisdictional change may infringe upon our
sovereign rights," said Melvin Kerchee Jr., the committee's chairman.
Edmondson's ruling read in part, "Oklahoma and Texas may enter into an
agreement that permits each state to exercise sovereignty over the lands
that previously were under control of the other state."
The statement alarmed numerous tribal members.
"It boils down to jurisdiction and the taking away of regulatory rights of
the tribes," Turner said. "What if some of these lands go to Texas? Will
they recognize our sovereignty? And if this passes Congress, can they come
back and make amendments? What will they take next?"

--------- "RE: Sale of Manhattan Island Disputed" ---------

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 09:07:55 -0500
From: berryj@okstate.edu
Subj: (FWD)Indian News 09-24-99
Roger Iron Cloud
FirstNations Listserv
202.358.3252
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Sale of Manhattan island disputed
By ROD WALTON
c. Tulsa World
9/23/99
BARTLESVILLE -- The Delaware Indian tribe says they are fully aware they
were taken big-time more than 470 years ago when their ancestors sold
Manhattan island to the Dutch for about $24. The only problem with the
deal is that the Delawares -- then called Lenapes -- never agreed to sell
Manhattan in the first place, he said.
"They thought they were just letting these people (the Dutch) use it,"
said Jim Rementer, a Lenape descendant who now works at the tribal
headquarters in Bartlesville. "They had no conception of land as something
to be owned. It's kind of like asking to sell the air."
The story of the Lenapes' historic real-estate miscalculation -- or
misunderstanding, some might say -- is surfacing again after items related
to the Manhattan sale went on exhibit this week at the New York Historical
Society.
One of the items included in the exhibit is a 1626 letter from a ship
captain to the governors of the Dutch West India Co. The crumpled, yellowed
correspondence briefly describes the deal.
"They (the Dutch settlers) have bought the island of Manhattes from the
wildmen for the value of sixty guilders," the letter reads.
The Lenapes -- who were later called "Delaware" by white men -- inhabited
New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey at the time of the Manhattan
sale. As European settlers pushed westward, however, the tribe was sent
packing until it landed in Indian Territory in 1867. With so many tribes
having fought so hard for reparations from the U.S. government for so many
broken treaties, would the Delawares ever consider a colossal suit to
regain their rights to the island?
"There's a lot of them (tribal members) that have thought about that, but
I'm not sure there's any recourse for any lands taken away before there was
a United States," he said.
What could the Delaware do, he asked, sue the Netherlands?
The story of how they lost Manhattan has been handed down to generation
after generation of Delawares, he said.
"They lived in harmony pretty much with nature," Rementer said of his
ancestors. "It was not something to be controlled."

--------- "RE: Babbitt Faulted on Indian Accounts" ---------

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 20:16:51 -0500
From: hdqrs@worldnet.att.net
Subj: Babbitt Faulted on Indian Accounts

Mailing List: TRIBALLAW (triballaw@thecity.sfsu.edu)

Babbitt Faulted on Indian Accounts
http://www.newsday.com/ap/rnmpwh1m.htm

By MATT KELLEY Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate's only American Indian on Wednesday accused
the Interior Department of making excuses instead of seriously trying to
make amends for mismanaging more than $3 billion of American Indians' money.
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs
Committee, clashed with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt at a hearing on
the money issue, saying Babbitt's department dragged its feet and hindered
efforts to correct problems with missing paperwork, lax oversight and poor
investments for the Indian funds.
"Indians are owed more than promises, and enough is enough," said the
Colorado Republican and member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe. "Indian
Country has continued to be asked to wait for their money, and Indians
still don't have their money," Campbell said.
Babbitt retorted that Campbell's own proposed solutions were
"ill-advised" and "fantasy."
"It's just creating another process to quarrel over," Babbitt said.
The department's Bureau of Indian Affairs oversees trust accounts for
both individual Indians and tribes: about 1,500 accounts worth more than
$2.5 billion for 338 tribes and more than 300,000 accounts for individual
Indians worth more than $500 million.
Babbitt and other department officials admit that both kinds of accounts
have been mismanaged for decades and are plagued by incomplete, inaccurate,
missing or contradictory record-keeping. Auditors could not account for
billions of dollars' worth of past transactions involving the accounts.
Last week Campbell introduced legislation that would create a
semi-independent "special trustee" at the department to oversee "data
cleanup" -- the process of checking paper records, ensuring they are
accurate and entering them into a computer database. Campbell's proposal
also would create an independent commission to hear from tribal leaders and
other experts about what other steps should be taken to solve the account
management problems.
Tribes have criticized the handling of the trust funds for years, and a
group of individual account holders is suing the department, seeking court
oversight of reform efforts and billions of dollars in compensation. The
judge in that case cited Babbitt and BIA head Kevin Gover for contempt of
court earlier this year for repeated delays in handing over documents.
A lawyer for the Indians, Keith Harper, said Wednesday that both sides
have recently been trying to negotiate a settlement to at least part of the
case. Harper said his clients want the courts to have a role in overseeing
reforms, whether or not Campbell's legislation requiring more independent
oversight of reform efforts passes.
"I don't think anything Congress does should dissuade the court from
taking a role," Harper said in an interview. "Congress can't have a
hearing every day. The court can."

--------- "RE: School of the Americas Funds Renewed" ---------

Date: 24 Sep 1999 20:35:39 GMT
From: "Celine" <Celine.Vaquer@wanadoo.fr>
Subj: School of the Americas Funds Renewed

Newsgroup: alt.native,misc.activism.progressive

School of the Americas Funds Renewed
http://www.newsday.com/ap/rnmpwh1y.htm

By DAVID PACE Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional negotiators agreed Wednesday to
provide full funding next year for the School of the Americas,
rejecting last summer's House vote to slash the budget of the
controversial Army school in Georgia.
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said the House conferees on the fiscal 2000
foreign operations spending bill voted to accept the Senate's position
that provided $2 million in the State Department budget to pay the
expenses of Latin American soldiers who attend the school at Fort
Benning.
While the action will not become final until the conference on the
entire bill is concluded, Kingston said the section covering funding
for the school has been closed and cannot be reopened.
"The School of the Americas is in there," he said. "It's survived
another year."
The House voted 230-197 last summer to eliminate the $2 million in
training funds after opponents of the school argued that many of its
graduates had been linked to human rights atrocities in Latin America.
The school had survived four previous House votes since 1993.
The school has been the target of a decade-long campaign by religious
activists upset that graduates of the school were linked to the 1989
murders of six Jesuit priests and two women in El Salvador.
Father Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest who has spearheaded the
campaign against the school, said the conference committee action
Wednesday won't slow the campaign.
"We are not going away," he said. "We're going to keep coming back
to Washington and to the main gate of Fort Benning in greater and
greater numbers every year until that school is shut down."
The House conferees voted 8-7 to recede to the Senate position.
Kingston said the House agreed to go along with continued funding for
the school because members of the foreign operations spending panel did
not want to lose jurisdiction over the school, which also receives
funding from the Defense Department budget.
Kingston said House conferees felt that the Pentagon would find a way
to continue operating the school, even if the $2 million in training
funds were eliminated.
The $2 million represents about half the school's annual budget. The
rest comes out of the Pentagon budget, which also pays the salaries of
the military officers who serve as instructors. Congressional opponents
of the school estimate it costs the taxpayers $20 million a year.

--------- "RE: Run for Leonard" ---------

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 14:54:01 -0700
From: Nancy Thomas <nlthomas@YvwiiUsdinvnohii.net>
Subj: "RUN FOR LEONARD" Kick-Off for November Freedom Month
------- FORWARD, Original message follows -------
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 00:38:35 -0400
From: LISN <lisn2000@lisn.net> League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations
of the Western Hemisphere

Mailing List: Paths-L <paths-l@YvwiiUsdinvnohii.net>

Leonard Peltier Freedom Month
A special call to all American Indians of all Nations: Help in making
a strong statement/showing of native representation by joining the
ceremonial runners on this journey from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.!
The "RUN FOR LEONARD," sponsored by the International LPDC Office,
will be the kick-off for events planned throughout the month of November.
Native American ceremonial runners, along with both native and
non-native supporters, will begin their two-day run on Saturday, October
30th at the historical Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The morning
schedule is as follows:

7:00 a.m. - Prayer Ceremonies and Speech
9:00 a.m. - Drumming with the "Sovereign Nations" Drum Group
10:00 a.m. - Run Begins

Following the speech, prayer and drumming session at the Liberty Bell,
the runners will begin their journey to the White House in Washington
D.C. On Monday, November 1st, they will be met by all local supporters,
and religious leaders of high standing, such as Archbishop Desmond
Tutu, together with a Native American religious leader of equal
standing. Together they will welcome the runners, and officially open
Leonard Peltier Freedom Month.
Many more native runners are requested to join the "Run for Leonard"
to make this the strongest showing of native support ever for Leonard.
Please pass this information on to as many native lists, organizations
and Native American school and university groups as possible. For
additional information, please contact Janet Cavallo, LPDC designated
"Run for Leonard" coordinator in Philadelphia. Contact can be made via
e-mail: giannahorse75@hotmail.com or by telephone: 215-387-8538.
It's 1999, why is Leonard Peltier still in prison???
-----------
Download LPDC Freedom Month Information to copy and distribute
at your events. Available files include:
Leonard's Letter about November
Leonard Peltier Freedom Month Proposal
Endorsement Form
"Sign-Up to Help" Form
"What Can I Do" List of Suggestions
Files and other information are linked from:
http://www.lisn.net/home.htm#peltier-month
Just click on the DOWNLOAD link in the lower left
portion of the Freedom Month information box.
Or go directly to http://www.lisn.net/peltier2-print.htm#download-files
It's 1999, why is Leonard Peltier still in prison???

--------- "RE: Support Leonard Peltier/Call from Jean Day" ---------

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 19:14:17 -0500
From: "bobby" <lpdc@idir.net>
Subj: Support Leonard Peltier-a call from Jean Day

Newsgroup: alt.native

To Whom It May Concern,
For many years the life of Leonard Peltier has been on hold. For many of
us who knew him, our lives have been put on hold too. We pray for him and
wonder when is he going to be free.
For many years I thought he would be able to come out and live around us
again. Now, my fear is that the only way for him to be free is for us to
lay him down next to Joe and Anna Mae. Death is a form of freedom. It is
also a way for the government to feel they have won. In this situation no
one has won. Many lives have changed because of one day, June 26, 1975.
Many people have died because of that day. Many lives have been put on hold
because of that day. Not only on the Native side but also on the non-Native
side.
We were only a group of people living in South Dakota to help the people
of Pine Ridge. The government was the one to make us out as fighters with
only one thing on our minds and that was to hurt people. We did not go out
there to hurt people. Yet, in turn many people did get hurt. Even people
who did not live at that time.
I often wonder if anything changed because of what happened? When I go
back, I see poverty, abuse, hunger and people still living in a third world
inside of one of the richest countries on Earth. And then I see, joy and
happiness. I see people so willing to lend a hand. A people so open that I
begin to wonder if I am doing the right thing in my life.
Then I know that we did make a difference. If not in their lives, then in
our own. If it were not for my Lakota mother Celane Not Help Him, I know I
would not be the person I am today. So, good did come out of being in South
Dakota.
Now, what are we going to do to help Leonard become a FREE MAN? I am
asking you to join in the effort to free him. As long as Leonard is in jail
we as Native people are not free. It was the efforts of the people who
freed Mandela. The people believed in him. They raised up their voices for
him. They were so loud that many countries and many people heard his name.
I am asking you to raise your voice and speak out for Leonard. We need your
help and your voice.
In November, the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee is planing a month long
event to raise awareness of Native issues and to gain the immediate and
unconditional release of Leonard.
Please make a commitment to join in this effort, because if all of us work
together now, maybe his dream of freedom will soon be a reality. There are
many ways you can help. During the month, people are committing to pray and
fast in a traditional way in front of the White House in Washington DC.
Some have committed for four days, some for ten, and some for the entire
month. But, more are needed. We also need more people to help take care of
the fire. If you can help please contact the LPDC.
Because of the high cost for the month the LPDC needs financial support.
I am asking that anyone and everyone who supports Leonard send one to five
dollars to his office in Lawrence, Kansas. This money will be used to
publicize our effort, to get Oglala survivors to DC, to take care of the
fasters, David Chief, and Arvol Looking Horse, and other general organizing
costs. Any contribution will help. This assistance is needed as soon as
possible. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jean Day
Ho-Chunk Nation, Wisconsin

LPDC
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone 785-842-5774
Fax 785-842-5796

Note: Jean Day was a member of the American Indian Movement and lived in
"tent city" on the Jumping Bull ranch with Leonard Peltier and the others.
She was not there when the shoot out broke out. She was with her friend,
Anna Mae Aquash in another location. She returned to find that their
traditional, spiritual camp had become a nightmare and that her friend
Joseph Stuntz was dead. Jean has recently rejoined the effort to free
Leonard Peltier and is a spokesperson for the LPDC.

--------- "RE: Peltier Freedom Month Proposal" ---------

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 19:16:11 -0500
From: "bobby" <lpdc@idir.net>
Subj: Peltier Freedom Month Proposal

Newsgroup: alt.native

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
CONTACT:
The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
Gina Chiala or Pat Benabe
(785) 842-5774
lpdc@idir.net
http://members.xoom.com/freepeltier/index.html

November 1999
Leonard Peltier Freedom Month
We, the members of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, are writing to ask
for your support, endorsement and collaboration regarding our plans for the
November 1999 Leonard Peltier Freedom Month campaign in Washington DC. As
you know, Leonard Peltier is a Native leader who has been unjustly
incarcerated for 23 years. FBI documents released years after his trial,
together with other sources, have proved that critical ballistic evidence
establishing his innocence was withheld from the defense, and that witnesses
were terrorized into giving false testimonies against him. Though long
overdue for parole, and in deteriorating health, Leonard Peltier remains in
prison.
Now is both an urgent and a strategically important time in Leonard
Peltier's freedom campaign. The president traditionally grants clemencies
in December and Leonard will be up for a parole review the following Spring.
There is a real possibility, if we pull all of our forces together now, that
Leonard Peltier will be released by or during the year 2000. But, that is
up to you, because you are the only ones who can gain his freedom.
In order to obtain action and justice, all sectors of society must make
themselves heard, all with the same message, and all at the same time. This
will require an enormous amount of public education as well as coordination.
For this reason, we are seeking your assistance for our November 1999
Leonard Peltier Freedom Month. Anyone can help from any location. Our
effort is three fold in strategy.
During the entire month of November up until Thanksgiving Day, we will be
directly lobbying Congress and the Clinton Administration to release Leonard
Peltier, either through clemency or through parole. Meanwhile, outside of