News Stories Native Related

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When possible<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>I will include a link for the source. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FF00FF" FACE="Lucida Handwriting" >Spiritwalker</FONT></div> <div> ___________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >_</FONT><A HREF="http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410691" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm"><U><U>http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410691</U></U></A><U>_</U><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Indigenous Peoples Day proclaimed.</div> <bR> <div> Posted: April 02, 2005</div> <div> by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today</div> <bR> <bR> <div> PHOENIX - United Nations Rapporteur J. Wilton Littlechild, Cree Nation of </div> <div> Canada, received a proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day from Phoenix Mayor </div> <div> Phil Gordon, a premiere move for worldwide recognition of the term representing </div> <div> global indigenous self-sufficiency. </div> <bR> <div> Littlechild is part of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, an advisory </div> <div> body to the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council. </div> <bR> <div> Tupac Enrique Acosta, coordinator of Tonatierra community action </div> <div> organization in Phoenix, said Gordon's recognition of the term ''indigenous peoples'' </div> <div> and what it represents sends a signal to the governments of the world. </div> <bR> <div> ''The United States government has been blocking acceptance of the term </div> <div> 'indigenous peoples' in the efforts of the draft declaration of the rights of </div> <div> indigenous peoples at the United Nations,'' Enrique told Indian Country Today. </div> <bR> <div> During a week-long celebration, Gordon, for the second consecutive year, </div> <div> issued a declaration proclaiming Indigenous Peoples Day in Phoenix on March 12. </div> <bR> <div> The gathering at the Embassy of Indigenous Peoples in downtown Phoenix </div> <div> reflected a precedent-setting event in an area with the nation's second-largest </div> <div> population of urban Indians, following Los Angeles. </div> <bR> <div> Enrique said the action by Littlechild and Gordon, organized by local </div> <div> indigenous, reveals that grassroots-level action is the basis for global change. </div> <bR> <div> ''It builds from the bottom up to the global level, resulting first in </div> <div> recognition, then opening the doors to respect and finally to implementation of </div> <div> policies that will recognize indigenous self-sufficiency,'' Enrique told ICT. </div> <bR> <div> With O'odham, Navajo and Gwich'in pressing for sacred sites protection in a </div> <div> time of increasing attacks by corporations, indigenous from as far away as </div> <div> Peru and Central America participated in presentations at the Traditional </div> <div> Gathering of Indigenous Nations in Phoenix. </div> <bR> <div> Gordon listened to O'odham leaders who spoke of the ancestral significance </div> <div> of South Mountain Park in Phoenix. He made a commitment to work with local </div> <div> indigenous to bring recognition and respect to the sacred site, an altar for </div> <div> O'odham, and agreed to work to create access for traditional purposes. </div> <bR> <div> Protecting San Francisco Peaks in northern Arizona was among the workshop </div> <div> presentations by indigenous youth. American Indians are fighting a U.S. Forest </div> <div> Service plan to use wastewater to make snow for tourism at the Snowbowl on </div> <div> the Peaks, sacred to 14 American Indian tribes and a place of ceremonies and </div> <div> herb-gathering. Navajo and Hopi youth, joined by medicine men and tribal </div> <div> leaders, are leading the struggle to protect the sacred Peaks. </div> <bR> <div> Littlechild spoke to the gathering's working groups on the importance of </div> <div> economic development and self-determination in indigenous communities and </div> <div> addressed international treaty obligations, which bind the government states to </div> <div> recognize and protect the rights of indigenous people within the global context </div> <div> of migratory workers' human rights. </div> <bR> <div> With the goal of strengthening Native Nations' regional economic presence </div> <div> through development of a Continental Center of Indigenous Trade and Commerce, </div> <div> the Tiankizco began consultations with indigenous throughout the Western </div> <div> Hemisphere to identify initial trade items such as Maya coffee and organic </div> <div> textiles. </div> <bR> <div> ___________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dec 27, 2001</div> <bR> <div> Lithia Springs Dig Unearths Ancient Indian Artifacts<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> By SUSAN M. GREEN<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="mailto: sgreen@tampatrib.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto: sgreen@tampatrib.com"><U>sgreen@tampatrib.com</U></A></div> <div> Photo by: Southeastern Archaeological Research<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Some of the artifacts found at Lithia Springs Park will be on display at the guardhouse scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks.</div> <bR> <div> LITHIA SPRINGS -</div> <bR> <div> Littering and loitering have long been off-limits in county parks, but nobody worried about that in 5000 B.C.</div> <div> Prehistoric people, probably camping at what is now Lithia Springs Park, left their calling cards in the form of stone fragments and tools.</div> <div> Archaeologists unearthed them, first last summer and then in a more extensive dig in October. The discovery came as part of research required before Tampa Bay Water could lay a 30-inch diameter water pipe through the park.</div> <div> Workers collected artifacts from the excavation site and gave them to Hillsborough's Parks & Recreation Department. Phil Evans, who oversees the park for the county, said he hopes to find a way to display them, possibly in a new guardhouse scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks.</div> <div> The tools and stone fragments used to make or repair tools corroborate data pieced together at the 100-plus other identified archaeological sites scattered across eastern Hillsborough County, said Robert Austin, an archaeologist with Southeastern Archaeological Research.</div> <div> But the October excavation determined that the pipeline corridor probably would not yield any more artifacts that would add significantly to what is already known about early cultures in the Tampa Bay area, he said.</div> <div> Using state and national criteria, Austin decided to recommend against listing the pipeline corridor as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, which could lead to preservation safeguards.</div> <div> Even so, further exploration of the Lithia Springs area may offer keys to important information, such as what ancient tribes ate, how they cooked it and their seasonal habits.</div> <div> ``I do think we only scratched the surface of this site,'' Austin said.</div> <div> He said it would be up to the parks department and land owner Cargill Fertilizer to decide whether to pursue further exploration that could lead to a National Register designation.</div> <div> Evans said last week the parks department had just received Austin's report and had not decided how to proceed.</div> <div> Officials are sure they don't want any amateur archaeologists digging up the park, which would be against state and county laws and subject to prosecution, Evans warned.</div> <div> He said he was not surprised to learn that Lithia Springs was a popular camp site for early American Indian tribes.</div> <div> ``It makes sense,'' he said. ``If I were an Indian, I would want to hang out there.''</div> <div> According to the archeology report, the Lithia Springs area probably was a base camp for nomadic tribes, likely spanning several centuries. It dates to 5000 B.C. or earlier, Austin said.</div> <div> Base camps typically were used for tool maintenance activities, the report says.</div> <div> Investigators found stone flake knives, scrapers, drills, carving tools and other pointed objects at the site.</div> <div> The springs would have provided a source of drinking water, the report notes.</div> <div> ``People were no doubt attracted to the spring and perhaps used the [Alafia] river as a transportation route between the coast and the interior,'' it says.</div> <div> Excavation turned up items made from different types of rock typically found near Tampa Bay, at Cow House and Flint creeks in northeast Hillsborough and some from the Withlacoochee River area of Pasco County.</div> <div> Although some of the nonlocal rock items could have been acquired through trade, the report notes, it is more likely their owners had traveled to the other areas and obtained the raw materials there.</div> <div> Austin said his crew was looking for evidence of hearths, trash pits, bones or post holes that provide information about what times of the year the camp was used. What little was found in the pipeline corridor was too degraded to be useful, he said. Even so, the park is a valuable archaeological find, and that recognition provides some protection should new land alteration plans crop up, he said.</div> <div> ``The site is now recorded in the Florida site files,'' he said.</div> <div> The section studied for Tampa Bay Water is part of a 6-mile pipeline planned to link water facilities in the Lithia area with the supplier's Brandon Urban Dispersed Wells network. Work on the $10 million pipeline is expected to begin in May or June, though officials don't know where on the route construction might begin.</div> <bR> <div> Reporter Susan M. Green can be reached at (813) 657-4529.</div> <div> This story can be found at : <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGAT6E5LPVC.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGAT6E5LPV"><U><U>http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGAT6E5LPVC.html</U></U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGAT6E5LPVC.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGAT6E5LPV"><U> </U></A></FONT>___________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> January 19, 2002</div> <div> Native speakers helping preserve Indian languages</div> <div> By KARA BRIGGS<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>and STEVEN CARTER<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>The Oregonian</div> <bR> <div> Recommend this story to others.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>SIMNASHO - Michael and Cecelia Collins watch closely as Suzie Slockish writes on a marker board the words - kusi, kusi kusi, lakas, pinaq'inut'awas. Horse, dog, mouse, window.</div> <div> The Sahaptin words are the gateway to a language of their ancestors - a language that could die out in a generation if young people don't begin speaking it in their everyday lives.</div> <div> ``It was our children who got us motivated to trying the classes,'' said Michael Collins, an accountant who lives with his wife and family on the sprawling sage and juniper-dotted Warm Springs Reservation. ``Our little daughter at 2 1/2 knew more of the language than we did.''</div> <div> Michael, 31, grew up in Seattle hearing his grandmother, Alice Charley, speaking Yakama, a Sahaptin dialect. Cecelia, 25, heard her late grandfather, Delbert Frank Sr., a Warm Springs elder, speaking Sahaptin.</div> <div> So for a year, Michael and Cecelia Collins have taken Sahaptin in night classes in the long house in Simnasho taught by Slockish, 56, who knew the language before she knew English. The Collins' five children are learning Sahaptin at Warm Springs Elementary School.</div> <div> Sahaptin is the language of tribes along the Columbia River east of The Dalles. It is one of 25 languages that were spoken by people in the area that is now Oregon before it was a state. Today, only seven of those languages are still spoken.</div> <div> The Oregon Legislature passed a law in June patterned after Nebraska legislation that enables tribal language speakers such as Slockish to become certified to teach native languages in Oregon's public schools. They don't need college degrees or specific teacher training - only credentials from their tribe.</div> <div> Nationally, American Indian leaders say the law is one of the most far-reaching and practical gestures of support from a state government to tribes. It takes effect as Oregon tribes gear up for their most critical effort to pass on these remaining languages before the last elder speakers die.</div> <div> ``Losing a language,'' said Inee Slaughter, executive director of the Indigenous Language Institute in Santa Fe, N.M., ``is like burning down a library that is the repository of a people's entire culture, geography and historic knowledge.''</div> <div> The original languages of America were dealt a nearly fatal blow in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the United States forced generations of tribal children to attend boarding schools where they were isolated from their families and threatened with beatings and other violence for speaking their languages.</div> <div> A 1950s government policy disbanded tribes by terminating their governments, including many in Western Oregon, and selling reservation lands. A related policy enticed Indians to relocate to big cities far from home. The government's efforts broke up families, where language and culture were traditionally taught.</div> <div> But in the 1970s, a new generation of Indian educators started pushing for reforms of U.S. policy, insisting that tribal culture was key to the healthy upbringing of Indian children. They looked to the Maoris of New Zealand and Hawaiians for models of how native languages could be restored. Those groups developed what they called language nests - immersion day care programs, preschools and, in time, schools run by fluent speakers.</div> <div> In 1990, Congress - pushed by native Hawaiians and Alaskans - took the first step in repudiating old government policies by passing the Indian Languages Act. Two years later, Congress provided money to begin helping some tribal language programs. Some 560 U.S. tribes, representing 175 surviving languages, compete for limited federal grants.</div> <div> The prospects for saving some of Oregon's native languages are mixed. More than half of Indians today live in cities where there is little chance to hear their languages spoken. Language programs are based in rural tribal communities, near elderly speakers. Some languages, such as Chetco and Tututni, have only one or two elderly speakers still alive.</div> <div> The only languages in Oregon with more than a handful of fluent speakers are Northern Paiute and Sahaptin, said Scott DeLancey, director of the Northwest Indian Language Institute at the University of Oregon.</div> <div> Six Oregon tribes have started language programs. Each is as unique as its language, and each is in a different stage of development. They are tied together, though, by the reliance on the long memories of elders to bring the languages back to life.</div> <div> The Confederated Tribes of Umatilla have more speakers of their languages, Sahaptin and Nez Perce, than many Oregon tribes. But they are trying to preserve several dialects of Sahaptin with only four to 15 fluent speakers of each. A linguist works with elders to write dictionaries for all.</div> <div> The language office is set up like a living room with a pot of coffee always brewing. Every day, elder speakers meet and converse in their dialects, which are close enough that they often understand one another. Younger people stop by, asking how to say words and trying to say sentences. Each exchange brings up more words for the linguist to document and inspires the elders to remember older expressions.</div> <div> ``We don't talk it enough'' said program director Mildred Quempts, 48, who was raised by her grandmother, who was born in the 1880s. Quempts, who spoke only Sahaptin until she started first grade, knows that school and popular culture will teach her children English. But only she and her brothers can pass down the Umatilla dialect of Sahaptin to their children, cousins and friends, and they do so at family dinners once a week.</div> <div> In Grand Ronde, where remnants of about 25 bands and tribes were brought together in a reservation, Tony Johnson has been building a language program based on Chinuk-Wawa, the hybrid language that coastal peoples developed to communicate with English- and French-speaking fur traders - and to one another. The young Chinook became fluent by studying the written record of the language and learning from elders.</div> <div> The tribe now offers before- and after-school language instruction and adult education classes that carry university credit. The tribe hopes to launch a preschool language immersion program next year. Johnson is developing a Chinuk-Wawa dictionary.</div> <div> Language restoration is less advanced among the Siletz, but culture director Robert Kentta has dreams. The tribe is producing a language videotape, audio tapes and workbooks that students can use at home or in informal language groups. Eventually, the tribe hopes to have fluent speakers of Southwest Coast Athabaskan who can teach at the tribal headquarters and the tribe's field offices in Portland and other cities.</div> <div> ``Many people simply want to know words,'' said Myrtle Peck, a Burns Paiute elder and teacher. ``That's the way I started speaking, by learning the names of things.''</div> <div> The native language program at Warm Springs Elementary is the most extensive in Oregon. About 300 children are learning Kiksht, Sahaptin or Northern Paiute four days a week, a half-hour a day. The fourth-graders have been taking language lessons since kindergarten.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020119/12c.or.dyinglanguage.0119.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.registerguard.com/news/200201"><U><U>http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020119/12c.or.dyinglanguage.0119.html</U></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020119/12c.or.dyinglanguage.0119.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.registerguard.com/news/200201"><U> </U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >___________________________________________________________</FONT></div> <bR> <div> In the steps of Lewis and Clark</div> <div> BY JODI RAVE LEE Lincoln Journal Star</div> <div> "Down by the river, where the water flows cold and clear, I'll whisper sweet words to you, honey, words you want to hear."-Hidatsa courting song</div> <div> KNIFE RIVER INDIAN VILLAGES, N.D. - The renowned Mandan-Hidatsa flute player shared his people's songs and stories as listeners huddled around a glowing fire in the earth-covered lodge.</div> <div> "A young lady might hear a song similar to this along the river," explained Keith Bear, as he began to play the flute, pausing midway to sing the words from a courtship song before ending the soulful melody with one last breath.</div> <div> Bear, of the Three Affiliated Tribes, on Saturday welcomed adventurers to the Knife River villages, a national historic site of the Hidatsa. Nearly 200 years ago, as Lewis and Clark made their landmark expedition to the Pacific Coast, they wintered in the five-village area of the Mandan and Hidatsa people.</div> <div> Today, many are trying to recapture the moment.</div> <div> On Saturday and Sunday, a limited group of 20 people - half from North Dakota, the rest trekking from as far as Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania - were allowed to camp one night near the Lower Hidatsa village. A group led by the North Dakota State Historical Society helped create the opportunity for others to experience what life might have been like when Lewis and Clark spent the 1804-1805 winter at Fort Mandan near the Mandan and Hidatsa earth lodge villages where 5,000 people lived.</div> <div> In addition to learning about the five villages and hearing the Native perspective from half a dozen members of the Three Affiliated Tribes, winter camp participants also had the chance to explore trails along the river, discover Fort Mandan, don snowshoes and visit the interpretive center in Washburn.</div> <div> David Borlaug, president of the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Foundation, had been at Fort Mandan - where Lewis and Clark had built a winter fort - when the winter tour group arrived. He pointed to the wide range of Lewis and Clark-related accommodations that were within a 30- to 60-mile drive north of Bismarck.</div> <div> "When you can walk out here under the canopy of cottonwoods and look out on the Missouri River, the way the river looked 200 years ago, that's what visitors can really enjoy here."</div> <div> For some, sharing the Lewis and Clark winter experience meant roughing it in the cold. Participants in the winter camp were given two choices Saturday night - they knew this when they signed up for the camp - that they could sleep under the stars or inside a tent.</div> <div> "I felt like to really understand what Lewis and Clark went through I needed to visit Fort Mandan and the Knife River Indian Villages in the wintertime," said Julie Fanselow of Twin Falls, Idaho, author of "Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail." "That was my motivation."</div> <div> She said she also was motivated to sleep under the stars but woke up at about 1:30 a.m. and moved into a tent, where it was warmer.</div> <div> "It wasn't that bad," said Joel Bickford a junior high history teacher in Wahpeton who also chose to sleep outdoors, letting the snow fall on his face as nighttime temperatures hit about 20 degrees. Bickford said he would leave with more than memories of sleeping outside. He said he has a lot more experience to draw upon when he goes back to the classroom.</div> <div> "It's important the kids realize the size of the villages. At the time they were bigger than St. Louis," he said. "The population was amazing. Most people think an Indian village is 12 people out there living independently in a small forest, when in fact this was a civilization, it was pretty advanced."</div> <div> Said Lyle Gwinn, a Mandan-Hidatsa storyteller: "This area of Knife River and here at Fort Mandan, we kind of coined the phrase, 'the first international mall.' This is where all the trade came from all over the country, from the Arctic down to the Gulf. Everybody traded here. As long as they came in peace, they were welcomed here."</div> <div> Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation speakers from the Fort Berthold Reservation say they are doing their part to help shake down stereotypes while teaching others about the history of their tribe.</div> <div> "We want to make sure the contributions of our people are recognized," said Calvin Grinnell, cultural specialist at the Three Affiliated Tribes Museum. "They were overshadowed by the legend of Sacagawea. We gave them maps and food supplies. They took about 90 bushels of corn when they left here up river that helped keep them alive."</div> <div> While Bear had similar stories to share, he had one simple message. He expressed the shared humanity that crosses generations, time and race, like the story of blossoming love between a man and woman.</div> <div> As the adventure group sat around the fire in the earth lodge, Bear explained how young people might avoid the earth lodge, leaving the old ones there to sit, laugh and talk. He told of how flute music was often used during the courtship process. He spoke of how a young man might have a "heartbeat that speaks strong" for a girl, "so he'll come around and say maybe you can go get some wood, maybe I'll be in the area."</div> <div> Reach Jodi Rave Lee at 473-7240 or jrave@journalstar.com.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_id=133 " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_"><U><U>http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_id=133</U></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_id=133 " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.journalstar.com/native?story_"><U> </U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >___________________________________________________________</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Environment [ENS -- Environment News Service]</div> <div> Eagle Smuggler Will Spend Two Years on Ice</div> <div> By Cat Lazaroff</div> <div> WASHINGTON, DC, January 22, 2002 (ENS) - A Canadian man has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for paying people to shoot eagles, and selling eagle parts to Native American tribes.</div> <div> Leonard Fridall Terry Antoine of Duncan, British Columbia was convicted of four violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) and one count of wildlife smuggling by a federal jury in Seattle. In addition to two years in jail, Antoine was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, and to pay a total of $147,000 in restitution - $3,000 for each of the 49 bald eagles involved.</div> <div> Antoine, a member of the Cowichan tribe, claimed that he was distributing eagle parts to Native Americans in the U.S. for use in religious ceremonies. That defense was specifically rejected by the jury last October, in large part because Antoine was illegally receiving payment for these parts.</div> <div> At sentencing, the court noted the case had nothing to do with the defendant's right to exercise religion, but rather had to do with Antoine paying other people to kill eagles and making money from selling eagle parts. The court also noted that the defendant's conduct warranted the highest sentence possible under federal sentencing guidelines.</div> <div> "It is absolutely right that this defendant serve time for such an outright violation of our nation's environmental laws," said Tom Sansonetti, assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice's environmental and natural resources division. "The outcome will serve as a deterrent to others who would harm protected species."</div> <div> During 1997 and 1998, Antoine bought eagles from at least three individuals on Vancouver Island, Canada. After paying between $20 and $50 per eagle, Antoine would butcher the eagles, remove their wings, tails, feet and feathers, and smuggle the parts into the U.S. for sale to willing buyers.</div> <div> A set of wing feathers would sell for at least $150, tail feathers for at least $250, and other feathers and bones for various amounts, court testimony shows.</div> <div> The case began with an investigation by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, Lands and Parks and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A search warrant of Antoine's home uncovered bird parts later determined to have come from 124 bald eagles and a golden eagle, among other protected birds.</div> <div> Canadian law enforcement officers learned that Antoine had a self storage locker in Washington state. A search by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found parts from a minimum of 29 additional bald eagles and another golden eagle.</div> <div> Evidence was found that Antoine smuggled a substantial number of other bald eagles into the U.S. in June 1998, and sold their parts in Washington, Montana and Arizona.</div> <div> Eagle parts and feathers play an important role in the traditional religion of Native American people throughout Canada and the United States, including the Cowichan band of the Coast Salish, of which Antoine is a member. Eagle parts and feathers may be legally possessed for traditional religious and cultural purposes by First Nations people within Canada, but may not be sold.</div> <div> U.S. and Canada have both developed programs for distributing eagles that are found dead to native people for traditional uses. Antoine had not applied for, nor obtained, any federal permits.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2002/2002L-01-22-07.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2002/2002L-01"><U><U>http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2002/2002L-01-22-07.html</U></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2002/2002L-01-22-07.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2002/2002L-01"><U> </U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >___________________________________________________________</FONT></div> <bR> <div> The power of the earth</div> <bR> <div> By Jennifer Baldwin</div> <div> Special to the Times</div> <bR> <div> Only in magazines had I seen the rocks - giant, red formations that climb out </div> <div> of the ground and toward the sky. They look so ominous and other-worldly in </div> <div> the pictures, especially when the sky is dark with huge storm clouds and the </div> <div> setting sun peers through the rocks' crevasses in bursts of light.</div> <bR> <div> So in the mid-afternoon on a clear day in March, when Navajo environmental </div> <div> activist Nicole Horseherder drove with me into Kayenta at the north base of </div> <div> Black Mesa to meet with a mine worker, I did not recognize the rocks in the </div> <div> distance.</div> <bR> <div> "Do those large rocks have names?" I asked Nicole.</div> <bR> <div> "That's Monument Valley," she said, looking at me quizzically. I felt her </div> <div> eyes implore further as if silently asking me, "Don't all white people know </div> <div> about the tourist spots?"</div> <bR> <div> But I was not in Navajo Nation as a tourist. I was there to report on water </div> <div> issues for the Navajo Times with my journalism class from the University of </div> <div> California at Berkeley. I was there to experience the traditional way of life </div> <div> of the Navajo people, to sleep on the floors of hogans and wash with water </div> <div> heated on wood-burning stoves, not worry about flushing in outhouses, and </div> <div> watch the sun rise in the east from hogan doorways.</div> <bR> <div> This is not the tourist way.</div> <bR> <div> When a classmate asked Katherine Smith, a Navajo forever connected to her </div> <div> home on Hopi Partition Land, what water meant to her, she answered, "Water </div> <div> means you take a shower every five minutes." I showered twice in a seven-day </div> <div> period during my time in the Navajo Nation.</div> <bR> <div> The roads to Nicole and Katherine's hogans in Big Mountain are made of soft </div> <div> red clay that whisks across the landscape when the wind picks up, turns into </div> <div> slippery paths when the rain comes down, and descends into deep washes as </div> <div> they cross the landscape. Nicole doesn't need signs to know where she is. She </div> <div> has the rocks, the washes, the cedar and juniper trees, the mesas, the </div> <div> occasional tires, and the sun.</div> <bR> <div> And, at night, there are the stars. Never have I seen so many stars filling </div> <div> the sky, reminding me that Earth is part of an infinite universe. Standing </div> <div> outside of Nicole's hogan late one night, I came the closest I've ever been </div> <div> to touching outer space.</div> <bR> <div> A magazine with photos and words cannot explain the interconnectedness of </div> <div> land, life and religion for the Navajo people. Nor can I fully realize it in </div> <div> a 10-day trip through the reservation. But as the land surrounded me in Big </div> <div> Mountain, I felt its power under my feet and over my head.</div> <bR> <div> We did visit one tourist spot in Arizona, after attending the Governor's </div> <div> Summit on Indian Issues: Water and Education. We drove to the Grand Canyon </div> <div> and photographed each other standing at the rocky edge of the giant crevasse </div> <div> in the earth. It was there that I began to realize the power of the earth.</div> <bR> <div> You see, along the California coast we have hills and mountains which rise </div> <div> out of the ground along fault lines that have pushed the earth upward over </div> <div> the centuries. But in Arizona, the rocks do not climb out of the earth as I </div> <div> once perceived from photos. Instead, the earth has been cut away from the </div> <div> rocks, leaving vast valleys and deep gorges between sandstone mesas and </div> <div> free-standing formations.</div> <bR> <div> I finally understood this as we flew over the land westward from Farmington. </div> <div> Near what I learned was Shiprock, N.M., I saw five gorges come together like </div> <div> legs of a starfish, and meet in the middle in a deep hole. In the center of </div> <div> the hole stood a tall, slender rock that reminded me of the torch-laden arm </div> <div> of the Statue of Liberty.</div> <bR> <div> I turned in my seat to ask our teacher, Marley Shebala, a Navajo Times </div> <div> reporter, if that rock in the center had a name.</div> <bR> <div> "That's Spider Rock," she said.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thenavajotimes.com/berk1.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thenavajotimes.com/berk1.html"><U>http://www.thenavajotimes.com/berk1.html</U></A></div> <div> _________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="576" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2673 WIDTH="572"><div> "Three Noted Chiefs of the Sioux." </div> <div> <I>Harper's Weekly</I> 34, 20 Oct. 1890: 995.</div> <bR> <div> THE delusion of the coming of the Messiah among the Indians of the Northwest, with the resulting ceremony known as the ghost dance, is indicative of greater danger of an Indian war in that region than has existed since 1876. Never before have diverse Indian tribes been so generally united upon a single idea. The conspiracy of Pontiac and the arrayment of savage forces by Tecumseh are insignificant by comparison. The conditions do not exist that ordinarily have led to wars upon the Western frontier. The peril of the situation lies in the fanaticism which may carry the superstitious and excitable Indian to the point of hostilities in defiance of all hope of ultimate success; and the uncertainty of this element baffles the judgment of the oldest frontiersman, in the effort to determine the extent of the danger. A single spark in the tinder of excited religious gatherings may precipitate an Indian war more sanguinary than any similar war that has ever occurred. The hope of peace lies in the judicious display of force, united with conciliation, by the United States authorities, helped by the coming of severely cold weather, which would make an outbreak obviously hopeless, and allow time for the delusion to dissipate. </div> <bR> <div> In the present state of affairs the noted Sioux chief Sitting Bull, who has already been the source of so much trouble in the course of Indian affairs, appears once more as a prominent figure. This time he does not have the fair pretext under which he incited the war in 1876, which led to the defeat and massacre of General Custer's command on Little Big Horn River, and terminated with the escape of Sitting Bull and his immediate followers into British territory. Since his surrender through the mediation of the Dominion officials in 1880, and his return to the Standing Rock Reservation in 1883, he has found his authority greatly diminished among the Dakota Sioux. This authority he has endeavored to regain by identifying himself with every element of hostility to the whites and opposition to the innovations of civilization, and has been so far successful that at the conference at Standing Rock, Dakota, in July and August, 1888, he influenced his tribe to refuse to relinqui sh their lands by purchase. </div> <bR> <div> Contrary to the general estimate concerning him, this famous chief is a man of mediocre ability, not noted for bravery as a warrior, and inferior as a commander and an intelligence to some of his lieutenants. Sheer obstinacy, stubborn tenacity of purpose, and low cunning, with an aptitude for theatrical effect and for working on the superstitions of his people, are the attributes by which he has acquired and retained influence among the Northwest tribes. Personally he is pompous, vain, boastful, licentious, and untrustworthy. He has constantly been a disturbing element at the agency since his return from confinement as a military prisoner seven years ago, and has grown worse in this respect as he has felt his authority and importance departing. </div> <bR> <div> The dangerous elements that this chief has called around him do not represent the most noted Indians who fought under his leadership in the Sioux war fourteen years ago and followed him in his exile across the British frontier. Those warriors have realized the futility of warfare with the whites, and are sincerely desirous not to incur its evils again. The Indians of whom Sitting Bull is the representative comprise the irreconcilables -- warriors who adhere to the old aboriginal usages and chiefs jealous of their authority, which wanes in proportion as their followers advance in civilization. This small but dangerous faction are ready at any time for war. In sympathy with their desire are many young men ambitious for a chance to distinguish themselves as warriors. </div> <bR> <div> The chiefs of the greatest influence among the majority of the Indians are men of strong will and good sense, who have accepted the situation, and are willing to adapt themselves to the new condition of things. They could control their people by their own influence unaided if the scene of the gatherings was not so near exposed settlements, which tempt lawless Indians to make trouble in hope of booty. The present excitement is fanned to some extent by unscrupulous white persons desirous of a war with the hope that it shall bring them emolument, and end in throwing open the reservation lands for settlement. </div> <bR> <div> Foremost among the Indians who have taken the side of peace and safety, and have made every effort to break up the delusion which finds expression in the ghost dances, are chiefs Gall and John Grass, both warriors held in great respect for wisdom and bravery, who took a prominent part as followers of Sitting Bull in the war that brought about the massacre at the Little Big Horn. The change in them in the fourteen years since both these chiefs were on the war-path in the equipments of savagery -- the war bonnets, the braided hair pieced out with buffalo tails, and the array of weapons -- is remarkable. The difference between the good and the bad Indian is indicated in the countenance even more obviously than among the civilized whites. The strong faces of these two chiefs indicate their character, which, unlike that of Sitting Bull, is fearless, upright, bright, and progressive. </div> <bR> <div> The foremost leader among the Sioux is Chief Gall, who stands above all other chiefs in their estimation. Many persons familiar with the situation say that he planned the campaign of 1876, which made Sitting Bull famous as a commander and strategist, and affirm that no serious outbreak among the Northwest tribes will occur so long as he remains friendly to the government. </div> <bR> <div> This famous war chief is one of the best farmers at the Standing Rock Agency. His family are all members of the Episcopalian Church. He takes no part in the ghost dance, nor does he lend his sanction to it. He feels that the Indians fail to appreciate the benefits of their present surroundings, and want old times, which have been magnified in their imagination by tradition, to return. "I think it better," he said, at the conclusion of a conference he and John Grass had with Major James McLaughlin, the United States agent at Standing Rock, "for us to live as we are living rather than create trouble, not knowing how it will end." </div> <bR> <div> An element of great value in the preservation of order upon the reservation, and conspicuously useful in the present disturbed condition of affairs at the agency, is the Indian police. At Standing Rock the force is thirty in number, commanded by a captain and a lieutenant. For the adjudication of affairs occurring upon the reservation an Indian court has been established at the agency. Two of the judges are members of the police force, and the third one is John Grass, who speaks English. The impartiality and excellent judgment displayed in the conduct of this court have been noteworthy, and its decisions have almost invariably been accepted without complaint. </div> <bR> <div> <I>Harper's Weekly</I> 34, 20 Oct. 1890: 995.</div> <div> ____________________________________________________________________________________________</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Salish Indians follow tradition of butchering, drying buffalo </div> <bR> <div> By JOHN STROMNES</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.missoulian.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.missoulian.com/"><U><U>http://www.missoulian.com/</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> ST. IGNATIUS – On Sept. 4, 1805, a band of the Salish Indians camped at one </div> <div> of the traditional gathering places in the Bitterroot Valley, a place called K’</div> <div> tid Xsulex’ in their language, meaning Great Clearing, which we now know as </div> <div> Ross’ Hole. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> On that day, members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition came into view, </div> <div> looking ragged, hungry, bone tired and, because of their pale complexions, quite </div> <div> cold, or at least so it seemed from the Salish Indian perspective. Tribal leaders </div> <div> took one look at these men and ordered up a square meal. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> According to an oral history by Pierre Pichette, as related to Ella Clark in </div> <div> 1953 and compiled by the Salish Pend Orielle Culture Committee, “The chief (of </div> <div> the Salish) looked through their (visitors’) packs and then began to explain </div> <div> to the people: ‘These men must be very hungry, perhaps starving. And see how </div> <div> poor and torn their clothes are.’ The chief ordered food to be brought to them –</div> <div> dried buffalo meat and dried roots. ...” </div> <bR> <bR> <div> If you’re looking for a square meal this Fourth of July weekend, you’re </div> <div> invited to the annual Arlee Fourth of July celebration, also known as the Arlee </div> <div> Powwow, where you will be able to sample the freshest dried buffalo meat north </div> <div> of the Great Clearing, and probably anywhere else in Montana. (Dried roots are </div> <div> optional, and not supplied by the buffalo meat vendors). </div> <bR> <bR> <div> In preparation for the powwow, tribal members of the Nk(w)usm (One Fire) </div> <div> Salish Language Immersion School of Arlee, aided by Outward Bound students from </div> <div> the Salish-Kootenai College teen-activities program and numerous other </div> <div> volunteers all the way from Arlee to Dog Lake near Hot Springs, slaughtered two </div> <div> 1,000-pound buffalo cows Monday morning at a ranch near Ronan. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The buffalo (zoologists prefer to call them American bison) were dispatched </div> <div> with one shot each to the skull, gutted and taken immediately by truck to the </div> <div> Longhouse in St. Ignatius where a cottonwood tree previously sawed up and </div> <div> seasoned, was waiting patiently to become fire. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The carcasses were hoisted up in the shade of two large trees. A fire was </div> <div> built and folks from all around came out with skinning knives and hatchets made </div> <div> short work of the bison carcasses. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> They separated the meat into slabs – using the hatchets when required on the </div> <div> joints, ribs and bones – and piled the fresh meat on a table loaded with ice </div> <div> to keep it cool. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Some lucky bystanders carted away the tongues – a great delicacy for bison </div> <div> epicures. The hide and skull, laid out to dry in the sun, and the intestinal </div> <div> sacks were reserved for tanning, taxidermy and other uses. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> By noon, the meat had been trimmed of fat and carefully sliced into thin </div> <div> slabs. Some helpers placed the meat on drying frames; others raked the coals to </div> <div> keep the fire low and the smoky. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> By evening, the meat was done – no blood inside, but not so dry that it </div> <div> became tough like overdone jerky. It will be measured out in ounces, placed in </div> <div> paper sacks, and sold at the powwow – about as authentic an American food this </div> <div> Fourth of July as you could get anywhere. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> In the Salish language, dried meat is called “esxmip squeltc.” (Don’t try to </div> <div> pronounce this at home. A dot under the “x” and a check above the “c” are </div> <div> typographical marks that aid in pronunciation, but cannot be reproduced in the </div> <div> typeface inventory in this newspaper. For Microsoft Windows XP users, a </div> <div> complete set of fonts of both the Kootenai and Salish languages is available from </div> <div> the Web site <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://salishworld.com/ " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://salishworld.com/ "><U><U>http://salishworld.com/ </U></U></A></FONT></div> <div> SalishWorld.com</div> <bR> <bR> <div> “When I was a kid, we dried all our meat and fish in the fall. A lot of our </div> <div> foods were air-dried, but the meat and fish was smoked like we are doing here,” </div> <div> said Pat Pierre, a tribal elder who grew up in Camas Prairie between Perma </div> <div> and Hot Springs on the Flathead Reservation. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> “We didn’t have electricity. No refrigerators or freezers. So we dried the </div> <div> meat. This is good experience for these kids. It gives them a chance for </div> <div> hands-on,” Pierre said as he watched all the activity near the butchering trees. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> This is the second year of the language school’s existence, and the second </div> <div> year of its major fund-raiser – the making and selling of dried buffalo meat at </div> <div> the powwow, said 27-year-old Joshua Brown of St. Ignatius. Last year, one </div> <div> buffalo was butchered, and the meat sold out the first day. So this year they </div> <div> doubled production. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Brown is a teacher and founder of the language school, Nk(w)usm (One Fire), </div> <div> which he said is a word that connotes the family unit in Salish. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> He also serves as the school’s fund-raising organizer. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The goal, he said, is to make the school self-supporting. Right now the </div> <div> full-time school, which teaches preschool children to become fluent in Salish, </div> <div> relies on a $184,000 annual grant for the academic year, plus $68,000 for the </div> <div> summer program, all from Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes revenue. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> “We’re trying to be self-sufficient and build community,” he said of the </div> <div> dried-buffalo meat activities. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> As for the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, they tried the Indian </div> <div> tobacco – dried leaves of the plant called kinnickinnick – but it made them </div> <div> choke and cough. Once burned, twice shy. When offered dried buffalo meat, hungry </div> <div> as they were, they refused it. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> According to another oral history by Cix’mx’msna – Sophie Moise – as told </div> <div> to Louie Pierre and Ella Clark and compiled by the Culture Committee, “When </div> <div> dried meat was brought to the men, they just looked at it and put it back. It was </div> <div> really good to eat, but they seemed to think it was bark or wood. ...” </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Reporter John Stromnes can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 </div> <div> jstromnes@missoulian.com</div> <div>  </div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.missoulian.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.missoulian.com/"><U><U>http://www.missoulian.com/</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Tuesday, July 1, 2003 </div> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Cobell v. Norton: The Cobell Lawsuit and Your Individual Trust </div> <div> Accounts</div> <bR> <div> 4/16/2004 </div> <bR> <div> Greetings:</div> <bR> <div> A lot has been happening in recent weeks with our lawsuit over the government’</div> <div> s mishandling of your trust accounts. The case is once again at a crucial </div> <div> stage and I want you to be aware of the latest developments in Washington.</div> <bR> <div> In April we had two significant developments in the case. Alan Balaran, who </div> <div> had served as the court-appointed special master in our case since 1999, </div> <div> resigned on April 5. In a letter made public by the court, Mr. Balaran said he </div> <div> could not continue to be effective because of the continuing interference he </div> <div> encountered from the Interior Department.</div> <bR> <div> During his nearly 5 years as special master, Mr. Balaran documented many of </div> <div> the allegations we had made about the department’s mishandling of its trust </div> <div> responsibility. He did much to move the case to resolution. </div> <bR> <div> Although it is important to note that we did not seek the appointment of a </div> <div> special master, we do owe a lot to Mr. Balaran’s diligent work. Perhaps that’</div> <div> s why Interior officials were so disturbed by his resignation. What he proved </div> <div> time and time again was that the department itself was responsible for its “</div> <div> systemic failure to properly monitor” the trust system.</div> <bR> <div> That’s what we have repeatedly told the courts. It was good to have an </div> <div> independent voice support those charges. Regardless of what the Interior officials </div> <div> say, the special master made clear to the courts that the department was </div> <div> incapable of handling the trust and reforming its operations on its own. </div> <bR> <div> The much more promising news from Washington is that we and the government </div> <div> have agreed on the appointment of two mediators who might be able to help </div> <div> resolve this dispute. The individuals we have selected are Charles Byron Renfrew, </div> <div> a former federal judge and deputy U.S. attorney general, and John G. </div> <div> Bickerman, a lawyer experienced in handling mediation. </div> <bR> <div> Judge Renfrew, in particular, has established a reputation for fairness and </div> <div> equity that is beyond reproach. He has experience in the oil industry, which </div> <div> should be crucial because so much of the money that was mishandled by the </div> <div> government became from the oil and gas leases of Indian lands in the West. Judge </div> <div> Renfrew also has excellent bipartisan credentials. A Republican appointed him </div> <div> to the federal bench and a Democrat, Jimmy Carter, appointed him to one of the </div> <div> highest jobs in the Justice Department.</div> <bR> <div> This step is but the first step in what we believe is likely to be the long </div> <div> process of mediation. Be assured that we will continue to be as vigilant in </div> <div> monitoring the mediation talks, as we have been aggressive in the courts. Our </div> <div> court case will continue while the mediators attempt to bring resolution to the </div> <div> trust issues that prompted our litigation.</div> <bR> <div> As you may know we have tried on at least five occasions to settle this </div> <div> lawsuit out of court. Each time the government has blocked those settlement and </div> <div> made progress impossible outside of the courtroom.</div> <bR> <div> So why did we do agree to mediation? Our many friends in Congress have urged </div> <div> mediation as the way to resolve the issues in our lawsuit. Since it has </div> <div> become is clear that Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Attorney General John </div> <div> Ashcroft will not settle the case without pressure, perhaps congressional </div> <div> involvement will provide the necessary element to achieve a fair settlement of the </div> <div> case. </div> <bR> <div> It is worth a try, we believe. We are, of course, concerned that Congress </div> <div> might try to impose a legislative settlement without the agreement of the </div> <div> beneficiaries that could undermine our rights and court victories if we do not at </div> <div> least try mediation. That’s why we have begun these talks.</div> <bR> <div> We still have much to talk about before mediation can begin. We need to set </div> <div> the ground rules for the mediators, for example. It’s not just the shape of </div> <div> the mediation table but what issues we will discuss that must be decided.</div> <bR> <div> MANY APPEALS</div> <bR> <div> I must tell you that I am not overly optimistic. After nearly 8 years in the </div> <div> courts, I believe that the government has done little but delay everything. </div> <bR> <div> The Bush administration is determined to appeal every decision of the </div> <div> district court, even when it knows that its conduct harms you and other Native </div> <div> people. Secretary Norton said in an April 6 letter to the Sen. Ben Nighthorse </div> <div> Campbell, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, that the administration </div> <div> wants to end all supervision of our lawsuit by the district court. That’s just </div> <div> the latest effort by the government to deny us our fundamental rights.</div> <bR> <div> As I told the Navajo people during an April visit, I sometimes fear is that </div> <div> our lawsuit is becoming something that the Native people know all too well. It </div> <div> seems like our lawsuit has become yet another long walk that the federal </div> <div> government – the Interior Department, the Justice Department and the White House </div> <div> -- is demanding Indian people take. </div> <bR> <div> Just as the Navajo were tested in the 1860s by the famous long walk that </div> <div> decimated that nation, the government is bringing its enormous legal resources in </div> <div> an attempt to destroy our rights and our ability to enforce those rights </div> <div> through this lawsuit. As the government has done so often in controversies with </div> <div> Native people, it wants to divide us and make us so tired of fighting in court </div> <div> that we will be forced to settle for far less than we deserve – pennies on the </div> <div> dollar.</div> <bR> <div> The government has thought that it could simply outnumber us with scores of </div> <div> lawyers, baseless motions and bad faith appeals, all paid with an endless </div> <div> supply of our tax dollars. The government has spent more than $100 million in </div> <div> defending their failure to honor the obligations it owes to you and other Native </div> <div> people. It has attempted to undermine our will to fight this terrible </div> <div> injustice by dividing and splitting Indian people whose money and land is at stake. </div> <div> Fortunately, for all the years of this difficult litigation, the government has </div> <div> failed.</div> <bR> <div> As Indian people have shown, when Indian people are united they can do great </div> <div> things. We must not allow the government to divide us, especially now when we </div> <div> have won all the court battles on the merits. Justice is on our side, and we </div> <div> will prevail if we remain united and do not allow the government to </div> <div> intimidate us or compel us into settlements and compromises that undermine everything </div> <div> that we have fought so hard to protect.</div> <bR> <div> What we have sought from the outset is a full and complete accounting of what </div> <div> the federal government did with our monies and our lands from the inception </div> <div> of the Individual Indian Trust in 1887. This is the basic, absolute legal </div> <div> right every trust beneficiary has in America – whether Indian or non-Indian. All </div> <div> trustees, including the government, the smallest trust company in Montana, and </div> <div> the largest trust company on Wall Street, are governed by the same standard. </div> <div> The Secretary of the Interior, who is responsible for the management of the </div> <div> Indian trust, is not free to continue to behave badly and otherwise act against </div> <div> your interests as a trust beneficiary. We have asked for a full accounting </div> <div> of our trust funds and trust lands. That right has been confirmed by federal </div> <div> courts. We have asked that the government fix its broken trust management system </div> <div> – something every trust beneficiary has a right to expect.</div> <bR> <div> We know from numerous studies dating back to the inception of the trust that </div> <div> the government did not handle our trust monies and our trust lands properly. </div> <div> The government has admitted this in court. Not once, but repeatedly. And the </div> <div> courts have agreed with us. </div> <bR> <div> OUR VICTORIES</div> <bR> <div> Court orders from both U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who has presided </div> <div> over our lawsuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia </div> <div> have backed our positions. Those decisions state clearly and firmly that we have </div> <div> a right to a full and complete accounting of our monies. </div> <bR> <div> Do not be fooled by some of the government’s claims that a court decision </div> <div> that protects the Secretary from any punishment for lying to a federal judge in </div> <div> our case or that the courts have erased in any way the government’s obligation </div> <div> to conduct a complete accounting and to fix the broken trust management </div> <div> system. Those victories remain intact and cannot be challenged.</div> <bR> <div> Having won those victories, we should not settle for less that we are </div> <div> entitled to. That would make us second class citizens and would deny us </div> <div> constitutional right that every other American has.</div> <bR> <div> As the lead plaintiff in the Cobell vs. Norton lawsuit, I want to renew the </div> <div> pledge I made when I filed the lawsuit in 1996. We said then and we say again </div> <div> today we will not accept a settlement that is unfair and unjust to Indian </div> <div> people. </div> <bR> <div> We are continuing our difficult fight in court until final judgment or until </div> <div> a fair settlement is reached. However, no one knows how long this will take. </div> <div> Yet, we must not ever surrender or the government’s abuse of us, our </div> <div> families, our neighbors, and our friends will never end. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> THE INTERNET</div> <bR> <div> Let me tell you about the recent cutoff of the Internet. Judge Lamberth </div> <div> ordered it because the Interior Department refused to protect our trust records </div> <div> and trust funds are from computer hackers. For years, the Court and the </div> <div> government have known that our trust records have been destroyed and corrupted by </div> <div> hackers, making it impossible to do an accurate accounting of our trust funds and </div> <div> putting our trust assets at great jeopardy of loss.</div> <bR> <div> We need security for our trust records and our trust funds– not a system like </div> <div> the one that exits where any high school kid with access to the Internet </div> <div> could hack into the system and destroy our trust records and steal our trust funds </div> <div> – without any trail. Unfortunately, an appeals court ended the Internet </div> <div> disconnection before adequate safeguards were put in place. But, we will continue </div> <div> to address this vital issue in the courts.</div> <bR> <div> Don’t think for a moment think that means our lawyers are not determined to </div> <div> win this case. We are absolutely right on the law and the facts. We believe </div> <div> that the only way to end this nightmare is to place the Individual Indian Trust </div> <div> in the hands of a receiver under the supervision of Judge Lamberth. The judge </div> <div> has said he has the authority to do this if the Interior Secretary will not </div> <div> act like a fit trustee. Receivership would not harm you; it would not affect </div> <div> your regular checks or reduce the amount of funds in your account. It would just </div> <div> mean that someone under the direct supervision of Judge Lamberth would </div> <div> oversee the trust reform, management and administration while reform was taking </div> <div> place.</div> <bR> <div> After 8 years of litigation, I think most people in Indian Country have come </div> <div> to realize that Judge Lamberth cares much more about our interests than </div> <div> Secretary Norton. We will, of course, be fighting the government’s efforts to end </div> <div> Judge Lamberth’s supervision of the case.</div> <bR> <div> Based on the court record, we have said repeatedly she does not deserve to be </div> <div> allowed to continue to control our money. Our court file is thick with </div> <div> details of the government’s lying, misleading and deceiving the judge about what </div> <div> has happened to trust records and trust funds. Critical documents have been </div> <div> lost destroyed intentionally; yet no one has been punished personally for this </div> <div> illegal conduct. </div> <bR> <div> It’s no wonder that two Interior secretaries have been held in contempt by </div> <div> the courts. Interior Secretary Norton got an appeals court panel to remove her </div> <div> contempt conviction, but the evidence of her continuing abuse is clear and </div> <div> established. It seems that the court of appeals is willing to protect Norton, </div> <div> even when the law demands that she be punished for lying to a federal judge. </div> <bR> <div> My friends, we will not allow our trust assets to be handled with such a </div> <div> callous attitude and flagrant disregard for the rights of Indian people as </div> <div> Secretary Norton has displayed. We will continue the fight to see that Secretary </div> <div> Norton and other Interior officials are punished for their continuing abuses even </div> <div> after they leave office, if necessary. The appeals court recently suggested </div> <div> that criminal contempt may be appropriate. We agree.</div> <bR> <div> You can help us continue this fight. Urge your members of Congress to tell </div> <div> the Bush administration to negotiate in good faith with us, especially since we </div> <div> have agreed on two highly-qualified mediators. Tell them not to continue to </div> <div> harm Native people by attempting to break up the class by peeling off small </div> <div> groups of Indians for settlements of pennies on the dollar.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> There is another important point. Do not fall for the argument that some are </div> <div> making that any settlement will force the government to curtail spending on </div> <div> existing Indian programs. Judge Lamberth has made it pointedly clear that the </div> <div> government must not do that. Most members of Congress from Indian Country also </div> <div> agree that Indian people should not be punished because they want only what is </div> <div> theirs -- their trust money!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The government has a special fund that can fund any final settlement of our </div> <div> lawsuit. It is the “judgment fund.” It was created to fund the payment of </div> <div> money that a court has decided the government owes, including trust funds. </div> <div> Therefore, no money must be taken from Indian programs to settle our case.</div> <bR> <div> Sen. John McCain of Arizona has said many times that if this were any other </div> <div> group other than American Indians, the national government would have resolved </div> <div> this issue years ago. That’s why we must be united, why we must stand together </div> <div> to have this issue resolve for the good of all Indian people and the good of </div> <div> America. </div> <bR> <div> Thank you for your continued support. You can follow the latest details of </div> <div> our case at our website: <A HREF="http://www.indiantrust.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.indiantrust.com"><U>www.indiantrust.com</U></A>. </div> <bR> <div> Remember, we are doing this for our ancestors, our children, our </div> <div> grandchildren and us. </div> <bR> <div> It is our money, after all. The government has stolen it long enough.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Best regards,</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Elouise Cobell</div> <div> Browning, MT</div> <bR> <div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div> <div> To view the latest information concerning this case, go to </div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.indiantrust.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.indiantrust.com"><U>http://www.indiantrust.com</U></A></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Chief Joseph honored</div> <bR> <div> By Christina Cosby/Reporter</div> <div> April 14, 2004</div> <bR> <div> Over 50 students, faculty members and guests attended the opening ceremony of Indian Awareness Week April 12 in the EWU campus mall.</div> <bR> <div> Audrey Bincint, president of the Native American Student Association, opened the ceremony, thanking the audience for their support and welcomed guest speakers which included representatives from the Nez Perce tribe, Frank Halfmoon, Albert Redstar and EWU Board of Trustees member Joanne Kaufman.</div> <bR> <div> Halfmoon and Redstar each shared stories memorializing Chief Joseph (1804-1904), recounting numerous legends of bravery and courage. One sentiment was emphasized by Halfmoon, quoting Chief Joseph, “We can endure. We can live through it. We have lived through it.”</div> <bR> <div> Both Halfmoon and Redstar also gave the audience a traditional prayer of welcome.</div> <bR> <div> Justin Grant, NASA member, said that the week of awareness will bring to light some important issues for students regarding ethnic diversity.</div> <bR> <div> Kaufman, after reading a letter from Gov. Gary Locke, said that the students at EWU are part of a “cultural crossroads, meeting up with one another as we find direction and significance for our future lives.”</div> <bR> <div> Kaufman said, “The more awareness, the better.”</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.easterneronline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/14/407e2e111902c" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.easterneronline.com/vnews/dis"><U><U>http://www.easterneronline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/14/407e2e111902c</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> White Mountain Tribe's forests called 'well managed'</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Judy Nichols</div> <div> The Arizona Republic</div> <div> Apr. 15, 2004 12:00 AM</div> <bR> <div> The White Mountain Apache Tribe's forests have been certified as "well managed," a distinction similar to the "dolphin-safe" tuna designation adopted in the 1990s to honor good fishing practices.</div> <bR> <div> The designation, celebrated by the tribe and endorsed by environmentalists, frustrates Bob Dyson, a forester for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, just over the fence from the 1.68 million acres certified on the Fort Apache Reservation.</div> <bR> <div> Dyson said he is stymied from actively managing the forest by resistance and lawsuits from the same environmentalists who praise the tactics when used on tribal land.</div> <bR> <div> "The end result is the tribe's land is healthier over much of the forest," he said. "We're the whipping boy."</div> <bR> <div> The certification was granted by Scientific Certification Systems, one of two companies designated to grant the status.</div> <bR> <div> SCS has certified nearly 15 million acres of forestland throughout the world. The Fort Apache Reservation is the first to receive the designation in Arizona.</div> <bR> <div> Certification team</div> <bR> <div> The certification process uses an independent audit team consisting of a forest ecologist, a sociologist and a forester, to analyze forestry practices according to rules of the internationally recognized Forest Stewardship Council.</div> <bR> <div> Dave Wager, the ecologist on the team, said the group was impressed by many things the tribe was doing, including selective logging, or thinning, rather than clear cutting; prescribed burning to clear out undergrowth and reduce fire risk; and establishing special protection areas for sensitive wilderness, wildlife, or archaeological value.</div> <bR> <div> "They are at the top of the class of tribal forestry operations," Wager said.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The certification is applauded by the Southwest Forest Alliance, a coalition of 63 conservation groups working on forest issues in Arizona and New Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> "It is an honest, third-party certification," said Roxane George, outreach director for Southwest. "They do good work in establishing standards and monitoring sustainable harvesting practices.</div> <bR> <div> "It's good news that the White Mountain Apache Tribe is looking at long-term sustainability."</div> <bR> <div> Dyson said the National Forest operates under the same rules as Bureau of Indian Affairs foresters.</div> <bR> <div> But he said resistance and lawsuits from environmentalists prevents him from "actively" managing the forest, limiting the amount of thinning and prescribed burns he can conduct.</div> <bR> <div> Rob Smith, Southwest director of the Sierra Club, said Dyson is correct about the "hands-off" situation with tribal lands.</div> <bR> <div> "Tribes are not public agencies," Smith said. "They're sovereign nations, legally off limits. Forest Service land is supposed to serve everybody's needs."</div> <bR> <div> Not convinced</div> <bR> <div> Smith said the Forest Service says it is pushing proposals for forest health, but environmentalists aren't convinced.</div> <bR> <div> "The proposed plans that they say are for forest health look like a typical timber sale," Smith said.</div> <bR> <div> He cited the East Rim timber sale north of the Grand Canyon, which the group has filed suit to stop.</div> <bR> <div> "That's 1,700 acres of old-growth trees," Smith said. "It's not about forest health, it's about money for the timber sale."</div> <bR> <div> Smith said the Sierra Club has never challenged a "legitimate" thinning proposal.</div> <bR> <div> In granting the certification, the evaluation team found that the tribe "practices exemplary forest management, manages forestlands for high conservation values and meets the strict guidelines for certification."</div> <bR> <div> "All loggers go through archaeological site recognition training," Wager said. "They have sound protocols for identifying and preserving any archaeological resources."</div> <bR> <div> The tribe also had good practices to protect waterways, Wager said.</div> <bR> <div> The tribe has designated some areas wilderness, which will not be logged, and others for protection of sensitive plants or animals, like the Apache trout and the Mexican wolf.</div> <bR> <div> The tribal forest was audited twice before gaining the "well managed" designation because the first audit came one week before the devastating "Rodeo-Chediski" fire in June 2002.</div> <bR> <div> A second team sent in</div> <bR> <div> A second audit team was sent to evaluate the forest after the Rodeo-Chediski fire, which destroyed more than 468,000 acres of forest, more than half of it on the tribe's lands.</div> <bR> <div> "The tribe conducted a very responsible salvage logging operation, using helicopter logging to lessen disturbance to slopes," Wager said. "They did a lot for stream protection and to minimize erosion, including straw mulching."</div> <bR> <div> One area of concern, which the tribe already was addressing, was depletion of their overall stock, Wager said.</div> <bR> <div> The tribe already has moved away from harvesting the largest trees and is working to retool their White River Mill to better process smaller diameter trees.</div> <bR> <div> George, of the Southwest Forest Alliance, said harvesting smaller trees and allowing larger trees to remain is critical to the Southwest's forests.</div> <bR> <div> She predicted that, as consumers become aware of the "well managed" designation the tribe's forest received, they will pay attention with their pocketbooks.</div> <bR> <div> "People do not want to shop where they are selling old-growth or rain-forest products," George said. "There is an incentive to buy products from places trying to do sustainable harvesting."</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0415certification15.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic"><U><U>http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0415certification15.html</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Posted on Sat, Apr. 10, 2004 </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Powwow may want to rethink drum policy</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The 35th Annual Time Out and Wacipi is completed, and getting ready </div> <div> for the 36th program probably is far from the thoughts of UND Indian </div> <div> students.</div> <bR> <div> After all is said and done, I can say I believe the powwow was a </div> <div> success. There are, however, some issues that remain open.</div> <bR> <div> The issue that made this powwow different was its use of "invited </div> <div> drums only." When word of that policy reached the newsroom, I was </div> <div> asked about it, as it seemed to be confusing to some Native and </div> <div> certainly non-Native people. I told the reporters who asked that I </div> <div> thought they'd misunderstood. We don't exclude anyone. Everyone is </div> <div> invited, I told them.</div> <bR> <div> To my chagrin, I was wrong. Only nine drums were invited to the </div> <div> Wacipi. The cutoff excluded many of the North Dakota, Minnesota and </div> <div> South Dakota drums.</div> <bR> <div> I tried to reach Melissa Street, the contact person for the powwow, </div> <div> for explanation. She wasn't at home when I called. Her husband, </div> <div> Richard, answered. I explained to him I was looking for confirmation </div> <div> about the invited drums issue.</div> <bR> <div> Richard Street told me that yes, they did indeed limit the powwow to </div> <div> nine invited drums. Here was his reasoning: The higher caliber of </div> <div> drums would bring in more people and possibly lift UND's Wacipi to </div> <div> the status of a national powwow. The criteria for selecting the </div> <div> drums, he said, was evidence that the drum group had produced a tape </div> <div> or CD. The powwow committee also considered a drum group if it had </div> <div> won a championship.</div> <bR> <div> Those drums will bring more dancers to the Wacipi, Street said.</div> <bR> <div> When the powwow is open to any drum group, drums come from all over </div> <div> the region, he said. At times, there have been as many or more than </div> <div> 20 drums at the Wacipi in the past, I recall. Sometimes, those drums </div> <div> have inexperienced drummers, or they come without a full team and </div> <div> borrow from other drums, Street said. And some of those drums aren't </div> <div> very good. That, he said, isn't fair to the dancers, who are </div> <div> competing for prize money.</div> <bR> <div> He has a point, and the students at UND deserve a chance to explore </div> <div> new ideas and avenues for their powwow. If you're creative and try </div> <div> new things, sometimes great things can come out of these </div> <div> explorations.</div> <bR> <div> I attended the powwow Saturday. The dancers seemed fewer than usual </div> <div> and heavy on younger dancers. It also seemed the crowd numbers were </div> <div> down. I don't, however, have attendance figures.</div> <bR> <div> Yet, as elders of many of the tribes will tell you, when you are </div> <div> young and a student, it always is good to ask for advice - perhaps </div> <div> from the people who have been doing powwows for many years. Ask what </div> <div> the traditions are and be respectful of those traditions.</div> <bR> <div> I have had my ear bent about the issue from many people in the </div> <div> community and from reservations. There are people at both Spirit </div> <div> Lake and Turtle Mountain reservations who were offended by the </div> <div> exclusion of their drums. I didn't search out these comments, </div> <div> either. Because I am from Grand Forks, people automatically think </div> <div> that I am aware of all that is happening with the powwow. Untrue; I </div> <div> am a spectator.</div> <bR> <div> I agree with these people. At most powwows, it isn't traditional to </div> <div> exclude anyone.</div> <bR> <div> The powwow organizers are students and young people who are </div> <div> learning. I hope that they will look at what happened at the powwow, </div> <div> seek advice from experts who know powwows and learn from the </div> <div> situation. Perhaps, that means developing some way of weeding out </div> <div> drummers who don't meet a certain criteria, but giving everyone a </div> <div> chance to participate.</div> <bR> <div> I will add that I have been involved in putting together powwows </div> <div> both on the Three Affiliated Tribes reservation in White Shield, </div> <div> N.D., and at North Dakota State University in Fargo. It is a </div> <div> daunting task. It takes a tremendous amount of time to raise money, </div> <div> guide a large group of students toward working together and still </div> <div> get class work done. So, from that aspect, the students did well.</div> <bR> <div> Finally, it is important that this event take place. It is important </div> <div> that the American Indian culture is expressed for the Indian </div> <div> students at UND and for educating the community about Indian people.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> ---------------------------------------------------------------------</div> <div> Yellow Bird writes columns Tuesday and Saturday. </div> <div> Reach her by phone </div> <div> at 780-1228 or (800) 477-6572, extension 228, </div> <div> or by e-mail at </div> <div> <A HREF="mailto: dyellowbird@gfherald.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto: dyellowbird@gfherald.com"><U>dyellowbird@gfherald.com</U></A>. </div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Saving the Peaks Medicine men speak out</div> <bR> <div> By Kathy Helms</div> <div> Diné Bureau</div> <bR> <div> WINDOW ROCK — Saying their spiritual sovereignty is as important as their </div> <div> legal sovereignty, the Diné (Navajo Nation) Medicine Men Association this week </div> <div> called for protection of the San Francisco Peaks from expansion of the Arizona </div> <div> Snowbowl and artificial snow-making with reclaimed water. </div> <bR> <div> During a press conference Thursday at the Education Center auditorium in </div> <div> Window Rock, the group also requested a 120-day extension of the public comment </div> <div> period that ends Monday on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which calls </div> <div> for using up to 552 acre feet of treated effluent to make artificial snow. </div> <bR> <div> "The San Francisco Peaks are as sacred to us as any church and we, the </div> <div> spiritual leaders of tribes, will fight to protect them," said Anthony Lee, </div> <div> president of the association. The medicine men are particularly concerned that the </div> <div> Forest Service has failed in its government-to-government relationship. </div> <bR> <div> Hearings on the Snowbowl project have not been accessible to tribal members </div> <div> throughout the southwest region that hold the Peaks sacred, the medicine men </div> <div> said. The also took issue with the fact that the Forest Service sent the various </div> <div> proposed development options to tribal members on CD-ROM, saying that many </div> <div> tribal members cannot use and do not have computers. Also, no translations of </div> <div> the various proposals were made available and the Forest Service had few hard </div> <div> copies. </div> <bR> <div> "Too many chapters and tribes don't know that the Forest Service wants to use </div> <div> reclaimed water on the Peaks,"said Robert Tohe, spokesman for Save the Peaks </div> <div> Coalition."That's because the proposals are only in English and the hearings </div> <div> are too far for most people to get to. Our grandmas and grandpas deserve to </div> <div> know what is going on." </div> <bR> <div> The San Francisco Peaks are sacred to over 13 southwestern tribes. The </div> <div> leaders of those tribes worry that reclaimed water contaminated with pharmaceuticals </div> <div> and other organic waste compounds will do permanent and irreversible damage </div> <div> to the Peaks. Coalition leaders say no further action should be taken until the </div> <div> Peaks are reviewed for designation as a Traditional Cultural Property and </div> <div> that the EIS should specifically address the use of reclaimed water on a sacred </div> <div> site. </div> <bR> <div> Apaches</div> <div> Vincent Randall, tribal councilman and Apache historian, in a letter of </div> <div> support to the medicine men on behalf of the Western Apache NAGPRA Working Group, </div> <div> which consists of traditional elders from White River, San Carlos, Payson, Camp </div> <div> Verde, and the Yavapai Apache Nation, wrote: </div> <bR> <div> "For the Western Apache people, the Peaks, known to us as Dzil Cho, are </div> <div> extremely important. ... Dzil Cho marks our place in this world and is the home of </div> <div> the Mountain Spirits (Gan) who bless our lives and anchor our understanding of </div> <div> what it means to be Apache. The Mountain supplies us with important medicines </div> <div> and other plants for our use. ... </div> <bR> <div> "For the people who own and control what happens on Dzil Cho the most sacred </div> <div> thing is money. We know money is important. We cannot raise our families in </div> <div> this world without it, but there is a line we cannot cross. The Sacred is not </div> <div> for sale,"he said."I would like to ask the Forest Service how they can ignore </div> <div> the convictions of over a quarter of a million Indian people for the benefit of </div> <div> a few skiers and businesses." </div> <bR> <div> The Diné Medicine Men Association (DMMA) approved a resolution in opposition </div> <div> to the Snowbowl expansion project and supporting the DEIS' "No Action </div> <div> Alternative," stating that the development infringes and violates the First Amendment </div> <div> rights of the U.S. Constitution, American Indian Religious Freedom Act of </div> <div> 1978, and Executive Order 13007, Indian Sacred Sites. </div> <bR> <div> DMMA's Lee said the May 20, 1983, court decision, Wilson vs. Block, indicated </div> <div> that Navajo, Apache and other indigenous nations had not been denied access </div> <div> to the Peaks,"but instead it permitted free entry onto the Peaks and did not </div> <div> interfere with the ceremonies. Therefore the Plaintiffs have not proven that </div> <div> expansion of the ski area will prevent them from performing ceremonies or </div> <div> collecting objects that can be performed or collected in the Snowbowl but nowhere </div> <div> else." </div> <bR> <div> But Lee disagreed. "They say we have no proof that the development of the ski </div> <div> area resort does in any way infringe upon our belief system. There is a </div> <div> language that is missing and this language is the sacred mountain bundles that all </div> <div> Din medicine man practitioners have. That is our burden of proof. We weren't </div> <div> given the Bible. We weren't given money. We were given these two energy </div> <div> sources. And today we are talking about this serious desecration of the San Francisco </div> <div> Peaks," which is an insult to the Din people, he said. </div> <bR> <div> Access</div> <div> Dr. David Begay, who also spoke at the press conference, said,"The federal </div> <div> government through the U.S. Forest Service is claiming that the Native Americans </div> <div> are currently given access to the San Francisco Peaks and therefore their </div> <div> religious rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution are </div> <div> not violated. </div> <bR> <div> "From a Native American traditional perspective, access isn't the underlying </div> <div> concern here. Rather the concerns are over the extreme desecration of the </div> <div> physical and spiritual integrity of the San Francisco Peaks. Development of the </div> <div> San Francisco Peaks with reclaimed sewer water would be considered a grossly </div> <div> profane act. It is an affront to spiritual Navajo beings and a violation of </div> <div> traditional Navajo beliefs." </div> <bR> <div> Begay said that Navajo traditional people believe that use of the four sacred </div> <div> mountains is indispensable and central to their way of life."The government </div> <div> or any one of us simply can't change their ancient beliefs, nor can we ask them </div> <div> to take out one of the four sacred mountains from their ancient belief </div> <div> system. </div> <bR> <div> Bad medicine</div> <div> Jones Benally, a traditional health practitioner and medicine man who works </div> <div> with the Winslow Indian Medical Center, waved a medicine bundle in the air, </div> <div> telling the group that the medicine bundle contained all of the herbs from the </div> <div> foot of the mountain all the way near the top of the San Francisco Peaks. </div> <div> Benally said that if the reclaimed water is used and sprayed on the mountain, it </div> <div> will affect his ability to practice his traditional medicine along with Western </div> <div> medical doctors, because all of those herbs are there to help heal his </div> <div> patients. "That is why he strongly objects to using reclaimed water in any of the </div> <div> developments on the San Francisco Peaks," Tohe translated. </div> <bR> <div> Many of those in attendance questioned Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley </div> <div> Jr.'s stance on the Snowbowl issue. Cora Phillips of the president's office said </div> <div> Shirley could not attend the press conference due to a prior commitment. </div> <div> However, she said, the president has established a position on the San Francisco </div> <div> Peaks issue. </div> <bR> <div> "The Navajo Nation is very concerned that our sacred beliefs are continually </div> <div> being ignored once again through this new effort, which is using reclaimed </div> <div> water for recreational purposes on the Peaks. We pray that our words will be </div> <div> heard in a most respectful way. All Native Americans must stand together to hold </div> <div> sacred our beliefs and to continue to honor our beliefs and traditions. That is </div> <div> the statement of the Navajo Nation president," Phillips said. </div> <bR> <div> Norman Brown of Diné Bidziil, who was unable to attend the press conference, </div> <div> said afterward that the first immigrants fled Europe to pursue their religion </div> <div> of choice. "How is our right to practice our way of life any different from </div> <div> the first immigrants' right to freedom of worship? ... Any defacement of what's </div> <div> sacred to Native people is a defacement of indigenous notions of humanity. Any </div> <div> act to exploit and deface sacred sites is an act of dehumanization and </div> <div> therefore a violation of our human rights," he said. </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://gallupindependent.com/041004peaks.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://gallupindependent.com/041004peaks"><U><U>http://gallupindependent.com/041004peaks.html</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Artifacts reflect life of native Americans</div> <bR> <div> DAYS OF OLD BY JEFF BREKAS</div> <div> Appeal Tribune</div> <div> April 7</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> A large Native American stone bowl marked in bold black “Silverton 1897” </div> <div> rests hidden in storage among a significant collection of artifacts atop what was </div> <div> Tapalamahoh (Mount of Communion) at Mt. Angel Abbey Museum in Mt. Angel. Most </div> <div> of the stone items labeled from the Abiqua and Silver creek areas were </div> <div> obtained or found by longtime Silverton Country photographer and historian June </div> <div> Drake, who was born at Marquam July 11, 1880 and died in 1969 just short of his </div> <div> 89th birthday.</div> <bR> <div> Drake, a naturalist who through his pictures launched a successful one-man </div> <div> crusade during spring 1900 to create a federal or state park at Silver Creek </div> <div> Falls, had what he and many considered a museum inside his third Drake Brothers </div> <div> Studio building which existed from 1911-61 at 303 N. Water St. On file he had </div> <div> thousands of negatives of all descriptions of the Silverton Country and scores </div> <div> of interesting objects from the community’s history that he made available to </div> <div> the public during the 1954 Silverton Centennial Celebration.</div> <bR> <div> Silvertonians were not yet in the mindset to establish a museum in the 1960s, </div> <div> thus his negatives were donated to the Oregon Historical Society in Portland </div> <div> where they remain with public access to reprints. Drake had his collection of </div> <div> stone Indian artifacts taken to Mount Angel Abbey, where a museum had existed </div> <div> since at least the mid 1940s.</div> <bR> <div> The Drake collection at Mt. Angel currently resides in storage. It includes </div> <div> an axe, other bowls, a hand digger, grinding stones, a knife, hammers, mortars, </div> <div> pestles and a shot put once used for sport. Prominent in the collection is a </div> <div> weighty 18-inch oblong stone called a war club or a slave killer, once used in </div> <div> battle or to end the suffering of dying slaves.</div> <bR> <div> One pestle is marked “Loe, Evens Valley.” Roger Loe of the Loe Century Farm </div> <div> in the valley said the pestle was probably found by his grandfather Ole A. Loe </div> <div> who had come with his wife Ragnild to the valley from Minnesota in 1902. The </div> <div> item was from the Silverton Country, but not necessarily from the valley.</div> <bR> <div> The younger Loe said he learned while growing up that his grandfather kept a </div> <div> pile of local Native American artifacts at the front gate including an Indian </div> <div> plow the Native Americans once had laced to a stick for cultivation. He said </div> <div> Drake once “borrowed” the artifacts and the plow may have been sold with other </div> <div> artifacts by Drake during The Great Depression. Loe said the pestle was once </div> <div> displayed in the front window of Drake’s studio.</div> <bR> <div> Loe said in his many years of farming he knows of no Native American </div> <div> artifacts found in Evens Valley.</div> <bR> <div> Another pestle at the Mount Angel Abbey Museum was donated by Archie Krupicka </div> <div> of Molalla in 1959.</div> <bR> <div> Possible but undocumented local Indian artifacts on display currently in the </div> <div> museum include doughnut stones or money stones once used for hoop and pole </div> <div> games, and trade. The showcase also contains other mortars, pestles and stone </div> <div> corn grinders.</div> <bR> <div> On display are undocumented items from other Pacific Northwest tribes who </div> <div> resided as far north as British Columbia, Canada, including burial urns and </div> <div> charred human bones from such urns. Other objects include canoe carving tools, </div> <div> canoe bailers, fishing net menders, stone dishes, a leather holder, stone mallet </div> <div> heads, pottery, rock slings, a strainer and stone utensils.</div> <bR> <div> Examples of metal spear points here demonstrate how coastal Indians salvaged </div> <div> run-aground ships.</div> <bR> <div> Since September 2002 Father Kenneth Jacques has served as curator. The museum </div> <div> also focuses on natural history, the Catholic community and Mt. Angel’s </div> <div> German and Swiss heritage. He has worked and resided on the hill since 1963.</div> <bR> <div> The museum is open daily 10 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 5 p.m. A black donation box </div> <div> is mounted near the main door.</div> <bR> <div> Native American items are considered as valuable in the marketplace. Thus at </div> <div> least one Silverton area man would prefer to keep his noteworthy local </div> <div> artifacts unpublicized. </div> <bR> <div> His collection contains many items he found in fields immediately south of </div> <div> Tapalamahoh where he believed tribes and bands camped. Because local Indians </div> <div> utilized the bow and arrow, he owns many small and large bird points chipped from </div> <div> a variety of materials including agate, flint, jasper and obsidian. He and </div> <div> his family have also unearthed doughnut stones, scrapers, spearheads, an </div> <div> obsidian knife and a rock with a curious indention used as a stick sharpener.</div> <bR> <div> The collector also located a number of arrowheads in a briar patch at Scotts </div> <div> Mills, concluding fowl such as quail and grouse probably took cover in the </div> <div> same patch during much earlier times. Years ago he obtained the arrowhead </div> <div> collection of the late Howard Myers of Silverton, all examples from the Waldo Hills. </div> <div> He said many artifacts have been found by farmers such as Richard Krenz along </div> <div> Drift Creek.</div> <bR> <div> This Silverton collector said a concentration of items usually constituted a </div> <div> campsite, most commonly found near a stream or ancient lake where water and </div> <div> hunting game was convenient. He said cultivation since white settlement resulted </div> <div> in many broken stone bowls that where turned over in the fields or shoved </div> <div> into burn piles before discovery.</div> <bR> <div> Because the Silverton Country was common to the Molalla, Kalapuya and Klamath </div> <div> tribes, determining the precise origin of artifacts found here is a difficult </div> <div> science, he indicated. Because tribes were nomadic, many Pacific Northwest </div> <div> tribes shared common hunting practices.</div> <bR> <div> Paul Clute of Silverton holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Southern </div> <div> Oregon University in Ashland. He believes he and his sons David, Chris and Mark </div> <div> unearthed a Klamath campsite while excavating for a garden fishpond in their </div> <div> backyard at 218 Fairview St. during the 1960s. The house where the Clutes </div> <div> resided from 1965-85 once served as the original Silverton Episcopal Church.</div> <bR> <div> Clute said he and his sons found two that were one-half inch thick, as well </div> <div> as several partially completed bowls, evidence the items were being worked on </div> <div> in a campsite. He said the fine and cinderlike basic cellular lava called </div> <div> scoria the bowls were comprised of led him to believe the material was from shallow </div> <div> volcanic eruptions in the Columbia Lava Plateau east of the Cascade Mountain </div> <div> Range. </div> <bR> <div> No such material is found west of the mountains, Clute said.</div> <bR> <div> He said in his study of the Molalla Tribe he learned the women wove </div> <div> longwearing basket hats and garments from the fibers of beaten cedar bark to shed the </div> <div> rain. These items, as well as tools such as awls crafted from wood or bone, did </div> <div> not survive the damp climate in the Willamette Valley to be found by amateur, </div> <div> accidental or scientific archeologists.</div> <bR> <div> Native American items in the Silverton Country were revealed in 1995 when </div> <div> Silverton muralist Lori Lee Webb made an intensive study of the Klamath, Modoc </div> <div> and Molalla tribes to accurately depict the appearance of members in her mural “</div> <div> The Old Oak” on what became the West wall of Silver Falls Bank.</div> <bR> <div> “The Indians used dogs with travois hooked up for carrying,” Webb said. “</div> <div> When they first saw horses, they called them ‘mystery dogs.’ I tried to display </div> <div> the furs and cedar woven garments along with the leather...”</div> <bR> <div> Webb noted the tightly woven basket hats doubled as a means of boiling water </div> <div> utilizing fire-hot river rocks, as were multi-use stone bowls found by Drake </div> <div> and others in the areas of Abiqua and Silver creeks.</div> <bR> <div> “The tattoo on the woman’s chin meant she was old enough to marry,” she </div> <div> continued. “The girls could not wait to have this mark. It was common from Alaskan </div> <div> territory to New Mexico. She has fur wraps on her head in the mural.</div> <bR> <div> “The men usually just had the mark a bit more than an inch to measure the </div> <div> shell money,” Webb said. “The dentilium shell is also what you see in the </div> <div> necklace on the mural, with the medallion at the bottom and through the nose of the </div> <div> man in the front on the left. His choker has an abalone shell in the middle.”</div> <bR> <div> From 1924-64 George E. Tompkins and his wife Jessie I. Tompkins of Stayton </div> <div> collected thousands of artifacts at campsites of the Kalapuya Tribe that includ</div> <div> ed the Santiam Band. In a wash on the Pudding River near Pratum they found </div> <div> medium-sized arrowheads of “good” quality. An unusually high flood in the Lake </div> <div> Labish area furnished a rare experience for the couple when on one of the </div> <div> Zielinski farms near the Hazelgreen district soil was washed from a 30-foot strip </div> <div> for about 200 feet, revealing broken mortars and pestles, chippings from </div> <div> arrowheads and scrapers.</div> <bR> <div> Robert Horace Down wrote of three burial mounds with several graves west of </div> <div> Tapalamahoh in his 1926 book “A History of the Silverton Country.” The current </div> <div> status of the site is a matter of investigation by this writer and others.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.eastvalleynews.com/appeal/article.cfm?i=3756" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.eastvalleynews.com/appeal/art"><U><U>http://www.eastvalleynews.com/appeal/article.cfm?i=3756</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Headline: Yellowstone bison: To shoot or not to shoot?</div> <div> Byline: Todd Wilkinson Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor</div> <div> Date: 04/07/2004</div> <bR> <div> (WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONT.)Mike Mease calls himself a "bison shepherd." And on the </div> <div> sagebrush-covered flats of Horse Butte, he and others from the Buffalo </div> <div> Field Campaign (BFC) are bracing for their biggest confrontation of the </div> <div> year.</div> <bR> <div> Armed with video cameras and walky-talkies to coordinate strategy </div> <div> across hundreds of square miles, this ragtag group of environmentalists </div> <div> is on a mission: Usher Yellowstone bison out of harm's way when the </div> <div> rangy animals leave the national park and cross into Montana.</div> <bR> <div> "We don't know how many bison will be slaughtered in the next few </div> <div> weeks, but all indications are that it could be a lot," says Mr. Mease </div> <div> in his stocking-cap beret. "We've already lost too many animals."</div> <bR> <div> This winter, nearly 270 bison have been captured in Montana and sent to </div> <div> slaughter. Any day, hundreds more are expected to leave the park's </div> <div> snowy confines, searching for spring grass and a quiet place to birth </div> <div> their calves.</div> <bR> <div> Waiting at Horse Butte is the Montana Department of Livestock, watching </div> <div> for the wild behemoths - the last major reservoir of buffalo known to </div> <div> carry brucellosis, a disease that causes nearby cows and buffalo to </div> <div> abort their fetuses.</div> <bR> <div> Concern over possible transmission and its economic repercussions has </div> <div> only grown in recent months. Wyoming lost its "disease free" status for </div> <div> cattle when cows there were infected, allegedly after contact with </div> <div> contaminated wild elk. Nationwide, the livestock industry is still </div> <div> reeling from the nation's first verified case of "mad cow" disease in </div> <div> December. And in Montana, where there are more domestic cows than </div> <div> people, the loss of disease-free status could send the industry reeling.</div> <bR> <div> Agricultural experts say the cost of an outbreak - quarantines, </div> <div> testing, and lost markets - would reach the tens of millions. "We have </div> <div> not had a case of brucellosis transmission here because agencies have </div> <div> been vigilant," says state Livestock Department spokeswoman Karen </div> <div> Cooper. "Part of that is lethal control."</div> <bR> <div> For the Buffalo Field Campaign, the 2,700 Yellowstone bison killed here </div> <div> since the late 1980s are a rallying cry. Environmentalists suggest the </div> <div> threat is overblown, saying there's never been a documented case of </div> <div> brucellosis passed from bison to cattle in the wild. And Yellowstone's </div> <div> buffalo population is its own success story, with roughly 4,000 </div> <div> descended from a few dozen that survived a 19th century annihilation </div> <div> that erased tens of millions from the Great Plains.</div> <bR> <div> Not all bison wandering into Montana are shot. Instead, Ms. Cooper </div> <div> says, "We're trying to be tolerant where we can." If park officials </div> <div> can't herd wandering bison back into the park, they steer them into </div> <div> pens for testing and, if results are positive, send them to slaughter. </div> <div> In the last three years, state and federal agencies have spent millions </div> <div> guiding buffalo back into the park - a tactic Mease calls a pricey </div> <div> attempt to stop migration.</div> <bR> <div> Mease founded BFC seven years ago, after a winter when nearly 1,100 </div> <div> bison were killed. He found that marksmen typically wouldn't kill </div> <div> buffalo when he was present. When they did, he sent videotapes of the </div> <div> incidents to TV stations nationwide, outraging thousands. Ultimately, </div> <div> the state shifted to sending bison to slaughter.</div> <bR> <div> "Slowly, we've been making progress," says Mease. Legislation drafted </div> <div> in Congress would impose a three-year moratorium on the killing. </div> <div> Residents' support for non-lethal management has grown; studies on a </div> <div> vaccine program are in the works; and ranchers are growing more </div> <div> tolerant of the diseased buffalo.</div> <bR> <div> Initially, critics said BFC's vigilance would never last. But while </div> <div> tree sitters in old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest have come </div> <div> and gone, BFC is anchoring one of the longest continuous environmental </div> <div> protests in U.S. history.</div> <bR> <div> Over 1,700 people - from corporate executives to street people - have </div> <div> come from all states and several nations, says Mease. One is Anja </div> <div> Seddie, a librarian from Germany who heard of BFC's efforts on </div> <div> television. "Passion for buffalo is what inspired me to get involved," </div> <div> she says. "Discovering that I can make a difference is what brought me </div> <div> back a second time."</div> <bR> <div> The BFC headquarters outside of West Yellowstone is run like a military </div> <div> camp - one in which many volunteers resemble young hippies at a Phish </div> <div> concert. Alcohol and drugs are forbidden. A log cabin is the nerve </div> <div> center, and tepees provide sleeping quarters for volunteers.</div> <bR> <div> Rising daily at 4 a.m. and patrolling until sundown, the activists </div> <div> monitor both bison and agents' activities. They've "been bearing </div> <div> witness on behalf of bison every day" and had "a profound influence in </div> <div> changing the way government agencies treat these creatures," says Will </div> <div> Patric, coordinator of the Greater Yellowstone Wildlife Alliance. He </div> <div> acknowledges the controversy: Activists have been arrested for alleged </div> <div> civil disobedience, ignored police barriers in their filming, and </div> <div> erected roadblocks to prevent trucks from shipping bison to </div> <div> slaughterhouses. Cooper would not comment on such behavior, saying </div> <div> only: "As long as their actions are legal they have a right to be </div> <div> there." Others in law enforcement have called them "ecoterrorists."</div> <bR> <div> Mease calls that slander, saying BFC condemns violence. "To see animals </div> <div> that you've come to know rounded up and slaughtered - it ... gets into </div> <div> your heart," he says. Among those in West Yellowstone, response is </div> <div> mixed. BFC offers a 24-hour service for residents to call for help in </div> <div> moving bison off their land and offers free labor to fix fences broken </div> <div> by bison. Volunteers along highways ask motorists to slow down when </div> <div> bison are present and have made signs for residents to post on their </div> <div> land telling the Livestock Department that animals are welcome.</div> <bR> <div> "We're not here to create enemies," Mease says. "We're doing this to </div> <div> win friends for wild buffalo."</div> <bR> <div> Such words resonate with Susan Dexter of Durham, Maine. rather than </div> <div> joining her daughter on a spring break, she headed to Horse Butte. </div> <div> "What [the workers] are doing," she says, "is a selfless act."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> (c) Copyright 2004 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. </div> <bR> <div> The Christian Science Monitor-- an independent daily newspaper providing context and clarity on national and international news, peoples and cultures, and social trends. Online at <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.csmonitor.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.csmonitor.com"><U><U>http://www.csmonitor.com</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Century later, 'Indian slayer' memorial again sparks controversy</div> <bR> <div> <B>Joann Loviglio</b></div> <bR> <div> Associated Press</div> <bR> <div> Apr. 6, 2004 02:00 PM</div> <bR> <div> MILFORD, Pa. - In this picturesque town of 1,100 people in northeastern Pennsylvania, an unlikely memorial exists to a man who was, by even conservative accounts, a mass murderer.</div> <bR> <div> But though you'd be hard pressed to find anyone willing to defend 18th century American Indian slayer Tom Quick as a good guy, it's not hard to find people who want the monument bearing his name back where it stood for 108 years.</div> <bR> <div> The 9-foot-tall zinc obelisk was vandalized with a sledgehammer in 1997, and installation plans were halted in 1999 after 200 Indians and others protested in front of the county courthouse.</div> <bR> <div> The monument was repaired, however, and Milford officials decided last fall to return it to its longtime spot on a quiet street in this town near the New York and New Jersey borders.</div> <bR> <div> "This is Mayberry," Town Council President Matthew Osterberg said. "In no way have we ever intended to offend anyone. That's the last thing we want."</div> <bR> <div> The obelisk features a spire adorned with a crossed tomahawk and peace pipe, a plowshare and wreath, and a furled flag. Accounts from the 1889 dedication state that Quick's remains were unearthed, his bones placed in a jar and buried under the monument bearing his name.</div> <bR> <div> Supporters of re-erecting the marker contend that it is part of the town's and the nation's past, and that erasing history for the sake of political correctness is irresponsible.</div> <bR> <div> "We're being portrayed as Indian haters, which is completely wrong," said Lori Strelecki, curator of the Pike County Historical Society's The Columns Museum. "As a historian, I don't want someone's sanitized version of history. I want to decide for myself."</div> <bR> <div> Opponents call the obelisk a glorification of a man who, according to legend, slaughtered 99 American Indian men, women and children - and lamented on his death bed in 1796 that he didn't get to make it an even hundred.</div> <bR> <div> In one gruesome story in which Quick supposedly killed an unarmed Indian family, he remarked that the children "squawked like young crows" as he buried a hatchet in their heads, and he defended killing a baby by saying that "nits make lice."</div> <bR> <div> "Lynchings in the South were part of history, too, so are we going to start putting up monuments to the grand wizards of the KKK?" said Chuck Gentle Moon Demund, interim chief of the Lenape Nation, the region's native people. "This is a monument to a serial killer, a guy who wanted to wipe out a whole race of people."</div> <bR> <div> Demund said he and other Lenape leaders spoke with Milford officials in 2001 about their opposition to restoring the monument. They also contend that they were not invited to a 2003 symposium, where a local father and son with Cree heritage spoke in favor of reinstalling it. Plans then moved forward to do so.</div> <bR> <div> Lenape leaders believe they were excluded from the debate once Milford found Indians who would agree with them, and they bristle that Cree - a tribe based in Canada - had a say at all. The town says that the Lenape, until only recently, seemed uninterested in the discussion.</div> <bR> <div> "We felt good about the efforts we made to ensure everyone was heard," Osterberg said. "There's nothing going on behind closed doors."</div> <bR> <div> The murkiness of the Tom Quick legend adds to the problem.</div> <bR> <div> According to most reports, Quick swore revenge on the entire Indian nation after he saw Indians kill and scalp his father in 1756.</div> <bR> <div> Accounts over the years alternately draw him as a psychopath who bragged about his sadistic exploits, a vigilante frontiersman who spent his life avenging his dead father, or a nasty drunk who exaggerated his crimes to impress people.</div> <bR> <div> Newspaper accounts from the 1930s refer to Quick as the 6-foot-9 "Avenger of the Delaware" and call his story a "thrilling epic." A newspaper article from 1964 proclaims him the "Number-one Son of Milford," and includes an artist's rendition of Quick as a coonskin-capped, fringe-jacketed Davy Crockett type.</div> <bR> <div> "It is possible he killed maybe six Indians, which of course is bad enough," said Pike County's official historian, George Fluhr. "But there's no proof that he killed anywhere near 99. It's ridiculous."</div> <bR> <div> Fluhr said that nothing was written about Quick's life until more than 50 years after he died, making embellishment likely.</div> <bR> <div> "Whether he killed one person, a dozen, 99, or more, he was honored with this memorial because of those deeds," said Perry Gower of the Tri-State Unity Coalition, a local human rights group that with Lenape leaders has formed a group to fight the monument called Lenape Voices.</div> <bR> <div> Newspapers from 1889 chronicle unease about Quick's memorial even then - with one editorial asking why a "monster of a man" should be so honored. However, historians and town officials point out that it also was a time when the United States and the Indians were engaged in bitter conflict and Manifest Destiny was in full force.</div> <bR> <div> One year after Milford's fanfare-filled monument dedication, soldiers massacred some 300 Lakota Sioux, including women and children, at Wounded Knee, S.D., ending the last of the country's Indian wars.</div> <bR> <div> The Town Council met with Lenape leaders on Monday night and planned to have one more meeting with them before announcing its decision. However, concerns for the monument have already been raised.</div> <bR> <div> "That's been the question over the last five years: Will it be vandalized again if we put it back up?" Osterberg said. "I'd hate to see that. It's a part of our town."</div> <bR> <div> ---</div> <bR> <div> On the Net:</div> <bR> <div> Pike County Historical Society: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.pikehistory.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pikehistory.org"><U><U>http://www.pikehistory.org</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Lenape Voices: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://lenapevoices.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://lenapevoices.org"><U><U>http://lenapevoices.org</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Tom Quick: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.jrbooksonline.com/HTML-docs/tom-quick-complete.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jrbooksonline.com/HTML-docs/t"><U><U>http://www.jrbooksonline.com/HTML-docs/tom-quick-complete.htm</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Group of Goshutes could be too late to save sacred sites</div> <div> By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Apr/04042004/utah/153944.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Apr/04042004/"><U><U>http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Apr/04042004/utah/153944.asp</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Several Skull Valley Goshutes fear the federal government is about to allow a</div> <div> landfill to be built on sacred religious sites.</div> <bR> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Indians hope memorial site will ease the pain of Sand Creek </div> <div> Massacre </div> <bR> <div> By DAVID KELLY </div> <bR> <div> Los Angeles Times</div> <div> 3/28/2004 </div> <bR> <div> EADS, Colo. - Silence and emptiness abound on this great sea of </div> <div> grass stretching to the pale blue horizon. Tumbleweed spins past; </div> <div> hawks gaze from rusted fence posts. </div> <div> American Indian pilgrims sometimes walk along the crooked course of </div> <div> Sand Creek and listen. They say they can hear screams and sobs. </div> <bR> <div> "There is a small group of us who hear spirits all the time," said </div> <div> Laird Cometsevah, a Cheyenne chief who comes here every year. "Some </div> <div> hear women; I hear children." </div> <bR> <div> Cheyennes and Arapaho have long journeyed to this lonesome prairie </div> <div> to remember the 163 Indians shot and hacked to death by Colorado </div> <div> cavalrymen during the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. The slaughter, </div> <div> initially hailed as a great military victory, set off a dozen years </div> <div> of bloody warfare across the Great Plains. </div> <bR> <div> Investigations later revealed that two-thirds of those killed were </div> <div> women, children and infants. Eyewitness accounts tell of fingers and </div> <div> ears lopped off as trophies, babies left to die in freezing fields </div> <div> and women clinging to soldiers' legs begging in vain for mercy. </div> <bR> <div> "You would think it impossible for white men to butcher and mutilate </div> <div> human beings as they did there," wrote Capt. Silas Soule, a soldier </div> <div> who saw the massacre. "But every word I have told you is the truth </div> <div> that they do not deny." </div> <bR> <div> The Indians have long tried to gain possession of the site and </div> <div> soothe the restless souls they say still wander it. About 20 years </div> <div> ago, the descendants of Sand Creek victims organized and sought ways </div> <div> to buy the land. </div> <bR> <div> In December, a businessman with casino ties to the tribes bought the </div> <div> massacre site and donated it to them. They, in turn, leased it to </div> <div> the National Park Service, which is creating the first national </div> <div> historic site in the United States dedicated solely to a massacre. </div> <bR> <div> "We are making history here," said Alexa Roberts, superintendent of </div> <div> the site. "This has been one of the most controversial episodes in </div> <div> the history of the West. It's like Little Big Horn, and among Indian </div> <div> tribal peoples, it's never been forgotten." </div> <bR> <div> Park officials expect 30,000 visitors a year to the site, which they </div> <div> say will encompass 12,500 acres, including an interpretive center </div> <div> and markers detailing the sequence of events. It is expected to open </div> <div> within three years. </div> <bR> <div> Sitting about 12 miles from the small ranching town of Eads in </div> <div> southeast Colorado, Sand Creek has changed little since the </div> <div> massacre. A few cottonwood trees have grown up in the past century, </div> <div> but the sharp bends in the dry creek and swaying grasslands remain </div> <div> largely as they were. </div> <bR> <div> Life has changed, though. A place once teeming with cowboys and </div> <div> Indians has just cowboys now, and they're fading fast. The bison are </div> <div> gone, the saloons nearly gone and, of course, the Indians are gone. </div> <bR> <div> Atop a bluff overlooking the creek, a small monument reads, "Sand </div> <div> Creek Battle Ground. Nov. 28 & 29. 1864." </div> <bR> <div> Historians say it was no battle, it was a slaughter. </div> <bR> <div> "The soldiers split into two columns and came up on the tepees," </div> <div> said Roberts, pointing toward the creek. "It was a running </div> <div> engagement. The people fled up the creek, and the killing took place </div> <div> over a five-mile area." </div> <bR> <div> In the months preceding the massacre, tensions between Indians and </div> <div> whites in the Colorado territory were running high. Soldiers and </div> <div> Indians clashed repeatedly. There were raids, atrocities and </div> <div> retaliation. </div> <bR> <div> Many confrontations were between the U.S. military and renegade </div> <div> Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, highly skilled warriors and horse thieves </div> <div> operating outside tribal law. </div> <bR> <div> The most notorious incident involved a group of Arapaho who killed a </div> <div> white ranching family near Denver. The father, Ward Hungate, was </div> <div> shot and scalped, the mother raped and repeatedly stabbed, and their </div> <div> 4-year-old daughter and baby nearly decapitated. All were mutilated. </div> <div> The Hungate Massacre inflamed public opinion against all Indians, </div> <div> warlike or not. </div> <bR> <div> Into this chaotic world rode Col. John M. Chivington, a tall, burly </div> <div> man running for Congress while simultaneously chasing Indians across </div> <div> the plains. </div> <bR> <div> The Indian men were off hunting bison, leaving mostly women, </div> <div> children and the elderly behind. Most were Cheyennes, mixed with </div> <div> some Arapaho. </div> <bR> <div> Lt. Joseph Cramer said he was threatened with death for failing to </div> <div> take part. </div> <bR> <div> "I told the colonel that I thought it murder to jump them friendly </div> <div> Indians," Cramer wrote. "He says in reply, "Damn any man who are in </div> <div> sympathy with them.' " </div> <bR> <div> Chivington, who led the assault, was hailed as a hero in Denver. </div> <div> Indian body parts were displayed in a local theater. But a few </div> <div> months later, as news of the slaughter spread, Congress launched an </div> <div> investigation. In