March 26, 2013
A press release announcing
recent winners from the Kellogg Foundation:
First Nations Awards $375,000 to 10 Native Food-System Projects
March 9, 2013
Moccasins On the Ground
At Pine Ridge
March 8 -10, 2013
For those wishing to join
and learn more, there will be an
Activist Training
Instruction Conference for three days at Pine Ridge.
The three day event will be
held near Manderson, South Dakota.
Activist Instruction
February 24, 2013
Seattle Clear Sky
Youth Conference 2013
April 16th - 18th 10AM - 3PM
Come be part of this amazing event.
Youth ages
9-19, workshops,
keynote speakers,
fun run/walk and Pow-wow
sponsored by NWIC.
This is a unique
event with featured
presenters from our
NW region.
We are
proud to announce
Vaughn EagleBear as
M.C., Dr. Jusitn
Guillory (President
NWIC),
Star Neyea,
Roger Fernandes, Joe
'The Boss' Hip,
Andrew Morrison, and
many more.
We will
continue to update
everyone as more
presenters confirm.
For more information,
please contact Sarah Sense-Wilson at:
January 29, 2013
A 40th Anniversary
Gathering
Next month on February 27,
2013, is the 40th Anniversary of Wounded Knee 1973.
Come to Pine Ridge and
stand with those there who will never forget what was
done to the 150 innocent
Lakota men, women and children massacred in 1890.
There will be a Four
Directions Walk,
Meet at the Wounded Knee
Gravesite for honoring and prayers
from 9 AM to 1 PM
Gun salute by AIM
Grassroots security.
For more information call:
605 441-4219
January 22, 2013
Pine Ridge Is Where We All Need to Be
As you can see, by
the links below, so much is happening at Pine Ridge right now.
The resistance is strong and growing and Lakota Elders are speaking clearly.
It is way beyond the time to get involved, come on, do something,
help whenever and
wherever you can.
Be there!
Strong Lakota
Women
Who Are Not Going To
Accept Defeat
Support Wounded Knee
Medals Of Dishonor
January 20, 2013
Warrior Up Resistance Tour
6 PM Tonight!
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Billie Mills Hall
Many Guest Speakers
Mitakuyepi - Free Your Mind
November 23, 2012
This recent incident is
just one more in a very long history
of abhorrent crimes
against Native people in this Country.
The complete lack of
respect or conscience in non natives is difficult
to understand for those who
treasure Mother Earth and all within her.
Ancient Petroglyphs Stolen In California
Ancient Native American Rock Carvings Stolen
June 21, 2012
Can You See Through Your Glass Of Water?

Pipeline Spill in North Dakota
Photo:
Peter Carrels
This story is so important on so many levels.
Just in case you did not minor in Geology, here is something
that
was pounded into my head by a Professor at CSUN years ago.
When our water is poisoned, it could take as long as 10,000 years to clean
it up.
At the time he was speaking of the poisons in California's water
from the fertilizers
and pesticides used in the San Joaquin Valley, or the
Vegetable Bowl of America.
Now, it is Dirty Tar Sands Oil, and it is just as lethal and will take
just as long to clean up.
Millions of innocent people all over this country are being
bullied by these Oil Companies
and the environmental disaster certain to be created by
these greedy, ruthless people,
will be left behind for our children to contend with for
centuries.
The
Ogallala Aquifer is just one of many, many American water
sources
that are right now in very grave jeopardy.
When our glass is full of toxins, it will be too late to
object:
Visuals: Dirty
Oil Sands
Great story, well done!
Protecting The Cultural And Historic Values Of The Powder River Basin
June 2, 2012
Stop Poisoning The
People
Moapa Paiutes in Nevada are
being poisoned by the pollution from Coal Mining
and have become prisoners
in their own Reservation homes.
This is a Petition to be
sent to the EPA,
please read it and sign if
you agree with it:
Protect My Family From Dirty Coal Pollution
But, Coal is not the only
poison that has been inflicted on
our Native People in
this country.
In Arizona, White Mountain
Apaches have suffered horrific deformations
for years from U.S.
Government Uranium
mining.
White Mountain Apache: The Forgotten People
March 27, 2012
Who Is the Savage You
Say?
This news is not news to
Native people, but it is nice to have another reason
to say "I told you so" to
non Natives once again.
This story shows what we
have always known, that Native people
have been using so
called "natural medicines" since the beginning of time.
A great story and one to
show to your children when or if, they doubt that
their ancestors are a race
of which they can be truly proud.
Rediscovered Native American Remedy Kills Pox Virus
March 13, 2012
The Lakota People Say No Way
After standing defiant to the trucks of the Keystone
Pipeline last week,
the Lakota People of Pine Ridge can be proud that their efforts, combined with
similar
stands all over the country, resulted in a defeat in Congress for the Big Oil
Companies,
who had no concern for any of the people whose lives would be affected by their
unwelcomed, unwanted pipeline through the lands of the Ogallala
Aquifer.
Lakota's Arrested Halting Pipeline Trucks
February 4, 2012
The Buffalo Are Going
Home
This is one of the best
things to happen to Buffalo in this country for over one hundred years.
Instead of being killed, the
overpopulation Buffalo of Yellowstone Park,
will now be sent instead to neighboring Reservations.
Now we need to go even
further and send some of these wild Buffalo
to every single Native
Nation in the West.
They belong with the
people, all of the people.
Tribes Prepare For Homecoming of Wild Bison
August 27, 2011
From the Sachem Uncas Blog
today
This is NOT Just a Navajo Problem!
This disturbing story barely touches the reality that is everyday
life on many Reservations in the United States.
As the woman said, "people have better shacks for their lawnmowers"
than these people live in.
One needs only travel to anywhere, to any state, in America and
spend a few minutes on a
Indian Reservation to understand that these same conditions are
everywhere in Indian Country.
An example is the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, one of
the most impoverished places in America,
where many Elders have no indoor plumbing, some even have no
windows, many do not have enough warm clothes,
and this is an area with 60 degree below zero winters.
It is difficult to see so many Hollywood stars traveling all over
the world to bring awareness to the plights of other people,
when the conditions on many Reservations in this Country are just
as bad, if not worse.
When will those who have everything in this country, even
acknowledge that many of the First People of this land
are in trouble and need their help just as much as those thousands
of miles away?
What is that old saying, "Charity begins at Home?"
Program Aids Native Americans
August 11, 2011
This petition was just
received.
Please help protect the Ramapough Mountain Indian Tribe.
We have friends in this
Tribe and the area is one of the most beautiful places in New Jersey.
The polluter here is the
Ford Motor Company and they have all of the money,
lawyers and lobbyists
necessary to avoid being forced to clean up their poisons.
Please read this page and
then sign it, if you feel it is the right thing to do:
The Ringwood
Landfill Superfund Site Petition
August 5, 2011
From the Sachem Uncas Blog
today
Report
Shows Native People More Harmed By Climate Changes
This has happened because our People are more dependant on natural
resources.
We are also less able to avoid this because many of us live on Reservations
in areas where these extreme
weather conditions are much more likely to occur, like the
southwest deserts or the high plains.
Many people on Reservations cannot afford the modern conveniences that other
Americans take for granted,
like the heating and air conditioning that most homes in America
already have.
This makes the cold and heat much harder to bear and more likely to
cause fatalities among our people.
In fact, many Reservation people do not have proper clothing, food
and other simple
basic
human needs that Natives and others who do not live there
have.
Reservation life for our people is an every day struggle just to
survive.
Climate Change Hurts Indian Tribes Disproportionately
June 11, 2011
What a great way to start
the day today.
This picture was in my
morning email:
Women's Updates from the White House
You can sign up for these
update emails here:
Weekly Updates Sign Up
Have not seen any Leaders
of this Country so involved
with Native Americans since
Bill Clinton.

First Lady Michelle Obama
planting the "Three Sisters"
with Native Americans in the White House Kitchen Garden.
Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton
April 20, 2011
From the Sachem-Uncas Blog today
Not Another One Shall We Allow
A
Sacred Ceremony and Occupation at Glen Cove, California will begin
Friday April 15, 2011 at 8
AM and last until ?????
For too long now we have allowed what the Non-Natives call progress
to bull doze over the final resting places of our ancestors.
This is just the latest in more than a hundred years of disrespect
of the grave sites of our ancestors.
I personally have watched in horror while this exact same thing was
done
to the cemeteries of my own Mohegan People in Connecticut.
I wonder just how angry these same people would be if we,
the original caretakers of this land, came to bull doze over their
cemeteries?
They came, they took our land, they killed our people, they put us
on alien lands
they called Reservations, then when they found something of value
under these same lands, they took it as well.
Now the final insult, they come to desecrate our dead.
No more shall we allow!
Take Back
our Sacred Land, One Burial Ground at a Time
April 13, 2011
The following was
just received and is posted here with permission.
HIAWATHA INDIAN INSANE ASYLUM
SACRED
BURIAL GROUNDS
ALL NATIONS HEALING AND PRAYER
CEREMONY
The annual ceremony will be on May 15, 2011 beginning at 12 noon in Canton
at the Canton Country Club Golf Course between the 4th and 5th holes,
located 18 miles southeast of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Harold Iron Shield a member of Native American Reburial Restoration Committee
began this annual event and kept it alive until his death in 2008.
It
is now being revived to honor and give our prayers of peace
and healing
to those buried there.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Calling All Tribal Members & Councils to be Represented.
These are sacred
burial grounds and they will be respected and honored as such.
For more information go to:
http://www.hiawathadiary.com/
Contact:
Lavanah.judah@gmail.com
November 14, 2010
The Navajo Nation has found a better way, leaving
behind
the
ugly past and the Peabody Coal Mine in favor
of a brighter future
represented by Wind and Sun.
Peabody Coal is their past
The
wind and sun are their future
February 14, 2010
Thanks to Keith Olbermann
and a great many generous people across the country,
help will be coming for
those on Reservations in South Dakota.
These links will take you
to places that will tell you how you can also help:
dailykos/keitholbermannstory
keitholbermann
cheyenneriversiouxstormrelief
January 2010
I just became aware of this remarkable Native
woman today
on a local public
Television program.
Mary
Kim Titla, a San Carlos Apache from Arizona had run
for a National political
office in 2008 and came in second.
Although she had what appeared to be
everything needed
to satisfy the job
requirements, a well educated publisher
and former TV journalist,
she seemed a good prospect.
But, she lost to lawyer and political
machine, Ann Kirkpatrick, who was
endorsed by most Tribes in
Arizona, including Mary's own people.
Why?
Why would all of these Natives leaders rather
see a non Native
represent them in
Washington than one of their own?
Native populated states in
this country, cannot win,
how on Earth can any others have hope
who
may be considering pursuing
the same course?
November 5, 2009
Two notable stories made
the News today
concerning Native People in
America.
The first is positive, the
second, not so much.
President Obama is meeting
today with over 500 Tribal leaders
to discuss very
important issues for all Native People,
Health Care, Education and
Housing.
This story is here:
President Obama Hosts Summit
The second story concerns
the apparent growing of marijuana
on American Indian
Reservations by Mexican gangs.
That story is here:
Mexican Pot Gangs
September 21, 2008
Although it happened July 31, 2008, this important
and historical event was just learned about
today.
KILI Radio
Station on the Pine Ridge Reservation,
the "largest Native American Radio
Station"
is now being
completely
powered by Wind Turbines.
Many Nations of the Great Plains and all
across the Country
have Wind Power projects under construction, several
including the Rosebud
Reservation are already completed.
The massive potential for renewable
Alternative Energy is
the bright future that all
Natives have needed for many years.
What better way to provide for our People
than with the already
lifelong connection to
Mother Earth that we already have?
Hopefully, the future of Native People will
no longer be attached
at the hip to Casinos and
all that comes with them,
but with clean, renewable,
Alternative Energy.
For more about Alternative Energy, please visit this web site:
Alternative Energy
September 18, 2008
The joy that will never be.
The deal that Governor Crist inked two months
ago that
would have sent U.S. Sugar
packing, was apparently a ruse.
Now Crist says that the land and water he had promised
would
be returned to the Everglades, will instead become
an Ethanol Plant.
See the whole story here:
Crist Endorses Ethanol Plant
September 15, 2008
This news story was just sent to me about slavery in New York
that has been silenced for
more than two centuries.
Now, finally the proof that the Dutch did
keep American Natives as slaves.
Forgotten part of state's history
September 11, 2008
It
would seem that our Governor has jumped the gun.
The Courts have
ruled against Crist and the
Seminole Tribe of Florida,
saying that there will be no Vegas style
gambling here.
The
State Supreme Court said that Governor Crist had no authority
to do so when he made the deal with the
Tribe and that any
such
move must be approved of by the citizens of the State.
Meanwhile the Governor's approval ratings
have dipped for the first time.
Could this be due to the complete failure of
his Amendment 1 which,
he promised, would bring us
all property and insurance tax reductions?
At the time, there were many in this state
who viewed this as a ploy
for attention in the race
for the second spot on the McCain ticket.
Floridians are now beginning to look at Crist
with distrust.
What
has actually happened is, that in response to the State's
budget cuts to schools,
fire and police, our local governments
are now raising our
property taxes to cover their massive losses.
Wonder where all the money went?
March 2008
A great military honor was bestowed on a
remarkable
Lakota
soldier recently and it has left many in this country
questioning why this overdue action by the US
Government
was
shamefully delayed for over twenty years.
Please read the story about Sgt. Woodrow
Wilson Keeble:
First Lakota to receive Medal of Honor
November 2007
A
disturbing, though not unusual, story was on our local
news this morning about the
Seminole Tribe of Florida.
In similar pattern as other Native Nations, it
appears that
Seminole Tribal Leaders have directed a large
portion
of about $280 million of their
Gambling proceeds
towards spoiling
themselves and their families,
while the rest of the Tribe wonders where
their share is.
This news today would be much more upsetting if
this same
behavior had not previously occurred with other Nations.
From the West Coast to New England, Gambling
and Casinos
frequently come with
dangerous consequences
for poor American Natives who suddenly acquire
vast fortunes with little, if any, experience in
managing such an
overwhelming sum of money.
Read the whole story here:
Seminole Leaders
Spending Lavishly
November 22, 2007
It is with great regret that this is posted
so very long
after the fact of the death
of this American Native in Iraq.
The story of this young Lakota Warrior is
here:
Wake for an Indian Warrior
June 2007
A Bison
Update.......
This
letter was received this morning and is
presented here without editing or
alteration.
Dear Buffalo Friends,
We have great news to report:
YOU STOPPED THE PLANNED SLAUGHTER OF THE BUFFALO!!!!
This afternoon, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and Yellowstone
National Park held a joint press conference in Helena, Montana, to
announce that they WILL NOT SLAUGHTER any wild buffalo that remain in
Montana come Monday! All those buffalo babies, their moms, and their
families will live on!
This is a major victory for wild buffalo and their advocates
worldwide!
THANK YOU!
While the larger issue is far from being resolved, we should all take
a deep breath and give thanks for this incredible news that we all
helped make happen. The power, prayers, energy, spirit, love, and
ACTION of all the people who care about the buffalo made this happen!
Here are the buffalo you helped save:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/photos/bisonphotos0607maycalves.html
The word from Montana and Yellowstone is this: any wild buffalo
found in Montana come Monday would be transported (captured and
hauled in trailers) into Yellowstone National Park. They would be
taken north, to Stephens Creek, and let go. This transport could be
very hard on the buffalo, especially the small calves, so we are
hopeful that it will not have to occur at all.
The long-term solution for wild buffalo is year-round HABITAT!
Yesterday approximately 200 buffalo were forcefully pushed out of
Montana (off of our National Forest lands), back into Yellowstone
National Park. The agents used horsemen and a helicopter to conduct
this operation. Today, the same thing happened, with about 50
buffalo (moms, babies, families) being pushed off of Horse Butte,
deep into Yellowstone. Sadly, the buffalo were pushed extremely hard
- especially by the helicopter - and they were shot with orange paint
balls by the agents on horseback. It almost looked like a
re-enactment from the shameful buffalo hunts of the 1800s. You can
see footage from yesterday at
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org.
During today's operation, a baby buffalo collapsed from exhaustion
and possible injury. BFC patrols stayed with this little calf and
its mom until they were able to be strong enough to resume their trek
to catch up with their family members who had been chased out of
Montana. They made it!
This great victory is not without its shadow, as wild buffalo should
be allowed to roam freely in Montana, especially on our public lands.
We will keep fighting for the buffalo until they are wild and free.
But we will celebrate that these buffalo will not be sent to
slaughter and that is because you made it happen! Thank you all so
much! You flooded them with calls, emails, faxes and IT WORKED! The
governor and Yellowstone made the right decision.
ACTION NEEDED: Please take the time to call and say THANK YOU to
Governor Brian Schweitzer and Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne
Lewis for choosing to let these buffalo live. Encourage them to work
to acquire year-round habitat for wild buffalo in Montana!
* Governor Brian Schweitzer: 406-444-3111
* Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis: 307-344-2002
From the bottom of our hearts and for all the wild buffalo ~
THANK
YOU!!
LET THE BUFFALO ROAM!
~Buffalo Field Campaign
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
BFC is the only group working in the field every day
to defend the last wild herd of buffalo in America.
Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field:
Send your email address to
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
BOYCOTT BEEF!
It's what's killing wild buffalo.
Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html
Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html
Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer
cartridges:
It's free and easy.
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.
May
2007
This news was
only received this morning and is unsubstantiated.
It is being reported that today in
Montana, Bison calves will be slaughtered.
If others have proof or know this to be
factual, a confirmation
of this unforgivable,
senseless act would be gratefully appreciated.
There are Native persons all across this
country who have repeatedly begged
for unwanted or threatened
Bison of any age to be released to them.
To my knowledge, few, if any, have ever
received them.
April 2007
After 2 years of "no idea
who's really in charge", the BIA has a new leader.
Following 2 sad, confusing
years of non-Natives running the BIA,
it is now finally back in
the hands of Native people again.
The new man at the top is
Carl Artman an Oneida from Wisconsin.
Here's hoping that he gets
the support he needs to do a job
filled with the ugly
truth that is the definition of the BIA:
trying to help Native
people in a white political world.
December 2006
The Seminole Tribe of
Florida recently purchased the Hard Rock Cafe/Casino chain,
continuing the struggle in
this country of Native peoples to free
themselves of the tainted
grip of Casino and gambling organizations.
I am in a minority, I know,
who believes that any money that comes as a result
of a Casino and Native
union comes at the expense and anguish of the
Ancestors who most
certainly would barely recognize their children's children
and the new kind of culture
that has arisen on those Reservations with Casinos.
The tear stained, shamed
faces of the grandfathers should impel us into
shunning those whose
sole objective is gambling and eliminating them
from the Native world,
which they could not possibly comprehend,
a place where tradition and
honor reign above all else.
Will the current Navajo
chief be the lone objector to this repugnant influence?
Shall he be the only leader
who does not tell the Casino crowd to "come on down?"
January 2005
Sadly Native Americans no
longer have a supportive voice in the US Government,
not that we ever had much
representation anyway, but now with Ben Nighthorse
and Tom Daschle gone, we
are with few friends in Washington.
Is this because we do not
choose to run for office or because we fail
to win in the Political
arena that determines the fate of our people?
May 2005 find that American
Natives
will decide not only to run,
but may actually be
successful in their attempts~
April 2004
Nothing has been posted to
this page for the past two years
because I have spent this
time out in American Native Country.
I have learned so much and
met such wonderful people.
They have taught me that
the most important things are the simplest ones.
I have met many people in
many states, who live in third world conditions
and they were not all on
Reservations. They were just poor.
There are many poor people
in this country and
they are not all American Natives.
Poverty, unemployment and
poor health are the daily life
of these people and the
outlook for change is bleak at best.
What bothers me the most I
think, is that nothing seems to change.
I have been going to
Reservations for many years
and reading this article this morning,
Sioux Tribe members visit city
took me back to my first
trip to Pine Ridge many years ago.
The shelter of my middle
class cocoon in Los Angeles for 30 years,
had not prepared me for
what I found there that first time.
I was overwhelmed by the
abject poverty, but more importantly,
I was stunned by the
sadness in the eyes of the children that I met.
That first trip many years
ago changed my life and I have been
back many times since to keep reminding
myself
why I put this web site up in the first place.
It is also why I continue
to go all over this country listening and trying to learn.
It doesn't seem to matter
who is in the White House or who we elect
to Congress, poor people are just
always at the bottom of the list
when it comes time to spend money.
Those with the deepest
pockets are quite well represented in Washington
and we still have to my
knowledge, only one Native American there,
the retiring Republican Ben
Nighthorse Campbell, who has been under the
scrutiny of
Indian Country Today
recently over the ultimate use of an
$800,000 fund he controls
that was meant to be for educating Native students.
As the voices of the poor in America fall in silence on the deaf ears
of long term
politicians, the only way that change
can ever occur,
is to have more representation in the Law making process
in this country by those with the most need.
If you are an American
Native, you
must get involved in this process.
Hoping that those who are
already in place will fix things is a terrible mistake.
Today, Native People face nearly
the same unbearable conditions
that their ancestors did 200 years ago.
It is time for change to be
put into place by those with the most at stake,
the First People of this
country.
We need to stop the
endless cycle of the blame game
and get into the change game.
We must do it for
ourselves, we cannot hope others will do it for us.
They have proven that they
cannot be trusted to do so.
February 2002
What an
extraordinary and monumental event was the opening
ceremony of the Winter
Olympics last night in Salt Lake City.
It was the first time in U.S.
Olympic History, I believe, that
American Native People participated
in these ceremonies.
Never mind that no one
dared to whisper about the horrific
treatment of the Indians
during the last part of the 1800's
by these now seemingly so
respectful Mormons of Utah.
During the time of their
expansion westward,
Mormons forcefully removed
many Native children
from their families,
claiming that they were not fit
to raise them, being the
savages that they were.
These same Mormons then
turned around and either
made personal slaves out of these children for their own
homes or sold them to
others who would do the same.
For more information about
this, please read:
The Destruction of California Indians, by Robert F.
Heizer
This chilling documentation
details the years of abuse inflicted
upon Indians by the US
Military, the Mormons, the miners and
others who all had one
singular purpose, to better their own lives
at the expense of a people
who although born in this country,
were by the turn of the
19th century about to be evicted
from the only home that
they had ever known.
Nonetheless, last night was
a celebration demonstrating long overdue
respect and dignity for all
Native People, from East Coast to West Coast.
We all felt their pride as
they thanked the Creator for the
opportunity to share our
culture with millions around the world,
who sadly seem far more
interested in the treatment of the Indians
in this country, than
many of those who currently reside here.
August 2001
Regardless your opinion on
Hemp, the point of the matter is that the
Pine Ridge Reservation is
presumed to be a Sovereign Nation.
Apparently that is not the
case, however, if you intend to grow Hemp there.
Please read this story
written by Emily Huber of Mother Jones,
as she describes the never
ending drama that is daily life on Pine Ridge.
Sioux vs DEA, Round Two
May 2001
In a rare example of unity
between whites and Natives
in South Dakota, the Black
Hills Alliance has joined
two unlikely groups in a
fight against a proposed
billion dollar expansion
by the DM &E railroad.
(Dakota, Minnesota and
Eastern)
This expansion would allow
over 100 million tons of coal a year
to travel through Wyoming
and South Dakota on its way
to power plants in the mid
west and the east.
At a 2 day event in March
of this year, organized by
Charlene White Face and
Harvey White Woman,
the Alliance discussed
plans of opposition to the railroads expansion,
hoping for the same level
of success that had been reached by
the Cowboy - Indian
Alliance when it stopped uranium mining
in the Southern Black
Hills, by the Honeywell company in 1987.
The Black Hills group is
attempting to stop the railroad from
further expansion onto
lands that are currently occupied
by white farmers and
ranchers and Lakota's.
This expansion would
violate the land Treaties of 1868,
which finds many Lakota
holding claims to the land in question.
The environmental impact of
this huge coal transport could be
globular and a success for
the Alliance group may indeed
be a success for all of us
who inhabit Mother Earth.
The outlook does appear to
be good for the moment, with the
Department of the Interior
voting against expansion for now.
September 2000
This release was handed to
us as we left a Pow Wow
recently and is summarized for brevity here:
All Out December 10th
Free Leonard Peltier
United Nations Building
New York City
8 years ago, when Bill
Clinton was running for President,
he made a campaign promise that if elected,he would pardon
American Indian Movement activist, Leonard Peltier,
who was falsely imprisoned during the Nixon administration.
Still Leonard sits in
prison as an example of American injustice.
There have been many protests internationally, many letters,
faxes, phone calls and telegrams sent to the White House,
but so far there has been no major outpouring of support.
This is our last, best
chance to win a Presidential pardon for Leonard.
This is not just an American Native issue.
It is a Human Rights issue and a Democratic Rights issue.
If they can do this to
Leonard Peltier,
they can do it to any one of us.
They are sending a message.
We must send a message back!
On December 10, there will be a major
International Conference on Human Rights
at the UN building in New York City.
Be there!
If for any reason you can't,
call the White House comments line:
202 456-1111,
and demand that President Clinton
sign Leonard's pardon now!
The Red Heart Warrior's
Society,
Box 4362,
Allentown, PA.
18105
August 2000
This press release was received from FEMA
and concerns an upcoming conference meeting.
Denver Federal
Center, Building 710
Denver, Colorado 80225
(303) 235-4800
www.fema.gov/media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2000
Media Contacts:
Ed Conley, Federal
Emergency Management Agency (303) 235-4909
Gary Gleason, Federal Emergency Management Agency (303) 235-4763
FEMA Announces Historic Tribal Emergency Management Conference
DENVER, CO.
On September 26-28, 2000, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Region VIII will host a tribal emergency management conference titled,
"Honoring our Partnerships, a vision for emergency management in Indian
country".
This will be a historic event in U.S. tribal relations, as FEMA takes
steps toward implementing its tribal relations policie"We expect to
attract tribal chairs, emergency managers and other tribal leaders from
all 28 tribes in our Region,
as well as our state emergency management partners" noted Rick Weiland,
director of FEMA Region VIII, which encompasses Utah, Colorado, Wyoming,
Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
"Through this conference we hope to improve emergency management
capabilities on the reservations, to learn from successful tribal
emergency management practices and to solidify government-to-government
relationships between tribal leaders and FEMA Region VIII."
Each day of the conference,
which will be held at the Civic Center
in Rapid City, South Dakota, will focus on a slightly different
aspect of emergency management.
September 26
Honoring
Recognizing tribal
leadership, building relationships and
fostering commitment to emergency management in Indian Country.
September 27 Vision
Providing emergency
management skills training
and formalizing Region VIII’s tribal relationship.
September 28
Perspective
A retrospective look at
disasters on tribal lands:
Pine Ridge, Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake Nation.
"The outcomes
from this conference will help to save lives
and property in Indian country and will have a significant impact
on Tribal/FEMA relations," Weiland said.
Together with
regional and national FEMA personnel,
state emergency management staff and the media,
the conference is expected to draw
upwards of 250 participants.
Editor’s Note: For further
information on FEMA/Tribal issues,
visit our website at:
www.fema.gov/reg-viii/tribal/Tribal.htm
The following
letter was received from Deborah Hare
regarding the untimely
death of Timothy "Little Rock" Reed,
the Native Activist who had
been written about
here several times in the
past.
His death comes only one
year after his release from prison.
A brief summation of his
feelings about Native spirituality
and the rights of
incarcerated Indians to practice their beliefs
are in this court Affidavit
dated January 10, 1989.
Peace "Little Rock"
Timothy
"Little Rock" Reed, an activist for American Natives and
prison causes, died
January 15th in a car accident in Cuba, N.M.
Little Rock was 39 yrs.
old.
Little Rock was a pipe
carrier, Sun Dancer and
participated in the Native
American Church.
Mr. Reed made national
headlines in 1997 after the New Mexico
Supreme Court refused to
extradite him to Ohio for violating parole
after serving 10 years in
prison for drug theft and burglary.
The court called him a
"refugee from injustice",
who was in fear for his
life because of his activism.
In June, 1998, the U.S.
Supreme Court reversed the decision,
and he returned in December
to Ohio to complete six weeks of parole.
While incarcerated at the
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
in Lucasville, Mr. Reed
acquired a reputation as a spokesman
for the rights of American
Native prisoners.
Mr. Reed was one-half
Oglala Lakota.
He also earned two
associate's degrees while in prison.
At the time of his death he
lived with his companion Deborah Hare
in Jemez Pueblo, New
Mexico. He worked as a paralegal.
He was an accomplished
musician and songwriter and
had just completed a
compilation of his works for a CD.
Other survivors include a
son, Jasper Cole Reed of Albuquerque, NM;
his mother, Nancy Scull of
Delhi Township, OH; grandmother,
Gladys McAllister, Delhi
Township, OH; sister Robin Sorrell,
Middletown, OH; brother
Kevin Reed of Bridgetown, OH
and brother Kevin Scull of
San Diego, CA.
A memorial service was held
in Taos, New Mexico
and in Cincinnati, Ohio.
January 29, 2000
For the past few months, the
Sachem and I have been
traveling and observing
conditions throughout Indian country.
We are now back home again
in Connecticut,
and are being barraged with
faxes and e-mails daily,
asking us to comment on two
very important Native issues.
Next Tuesday,
Feb. 1, marks D-day for the Navajo/Dineh
people at Big
Mountain/Black Mesa, Arizona.
This forced removal and
relocation of Native Elders,
has been a source of agony
for both Native
and non-Native people for
many years.
The underlying
reason for their removal,
has been suggested to be
to allow Peabody Coal,
a British company, to
continue with their expansion onto Native land.
Peabody is under constant
pressure to maintain an uninterrupted,
energy supply to the power
hungry mega cities of the West.
The vast mineral resources
on this land, as with the Black Hills
of South Dakota, have made
it an irresistible plunder
for those who can and do,
take without asking.
Having been a
Californian for over 30 years, I can assure you
that we were not privy to
this kind of information in our daily news.
Moving to New England has
allowed me to gain a new perspective.
Perhaps, on
this coming Tuesday Feb.1,
if you have either the time
or the desire,
you might say a prayer or
participate in a gathering
on behalf of these
beleaguered Native Elders,
whose only wish is to be
left alone and
to live in peace on the
land of their ancestors.
There are many
protests planned for this day.
Please, make your feelings
known and help support
the rights of these
Navajo/Dineh Elders, who continue to be
forcefully removed from
their homes and their lands.
The US
Government and the Peabody Coal Company,
have been meticulously
careful in controlling
the release of most of this
information.
Without outside
intervention,
they will continue this
process, unabated.
October 7,
1999
KOLA Newslist
Judge Schedules Nov. 17
hearing on Whiteclay Jurisdiction
Lincoln, Neb.
A Sheridan County judge has
scheduled a
Nov. 17 hearing to decide whether the village of
Whiteclay should be under the jurisdiction of an American
Indian reservation in South Dakota.
Judge Charles Plantz scheduled the hearing Tuesday.
He will preside over a
courtroom in which lawyers will argue
whether nine American Indians in a protest over beer sales
in Whiteclay should face charges under Nebraska law.
The nine protesters were
arrested during a July 3 march
from South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to Whiteclay,
an unincorporated village of 22 just inside the Nebraska border.
Marchers were protesting 4
million cans of beer
sold annually by Whiteclay's non-Indian merchants,
mainly to nearby reservation residents,
where the sale of alcohol is illegal.
September 16, 1999
As I have been away from my
computer most of this summer,
moving from Southern
California to Connecticut,
some very important Lakota
stories have been sorely neglected.
This vivid news article
captures the essence of only the
latest in a series of
conflicts between the residents of
the Pine Ridge Reservation
and law enforcement agencies.
Having just returned from
Pine Ridge this week,
these stories and several
others are foremost in my thoughts.
The tumultuous events of
this summer,
leave the impression that
very little has changed between
these two opposing forces
over the last hundred years.
April 12, 1999
A press release concerning the
" First Fire of the Oceti
Sakowin,"
the spiritual camp
of seven Oglala warriors, protesting
the turnover of the Missouri River Indian Treaty land.
March 30, 1999
The Pine Ridge Building Summit, a part of the
Shared Visions
project from HUD, will offer all
of you who have asked, the
chance to get finally
get involved and help to
improve the lives of
many of the Lakota People
at Pine Ridge.
March 30, 1999
Today's HUD
press release
CUOMO ANNOUNCES NATIVE
AMERICAN HOUSING
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE
TO IMPROVE LIFE ON
RESERVATIONS
March 16, 1999
An exciting press release from NASA/JPL
The Lakota people and NASA,
will reach for the stars
in the Black Hills of South
Dakota, March 19-21.
Thank you to Dan Hogan,
Editor of Science Daily Magazine,
for providing the JPL link
and being my source for this story.
March 10, 1999
These words from Leonard Peltier,
which give an
introspective look into his
many years of incarceration,
are an excerpt from his new
book,
My Life is
My Sun Dance
March 2, 1999
For those of you who wish to
contact a particular
person at the
BIA, here is a very comprehensive
list
of most of those at this agency.
March 1, 1999
Report
of Lakota Student Alliance:
Emergency Meeting Held to
Consider Impact of
SD Wildlife Mitigation Bill
in 1998 Appropriations.
February 22, 1999
Today, is yet another emotional
and distressing day,
for the many Native Americans, who want to know
what the US Government has done with all of their money.
An unprecedented event, is
now taking place,
in Washington, as U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth,
has found two 2 currently standing Cabinet members,
Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Secretary Robert Rubin,
in contempt of court, for failing to produce
documents explaining the location of over $500 million
in 300,00 trust fund accounts of Native People.
The largest amount of this
missing total, over $400 million,
is owed to the Lakota people, as a payment for the Black Hills.
More to follow on this
continuing saga...
January 30, 1999
Timothy "Little Rock" Reed, a half
Lakota political activist
for prison reform, has been
allowed to return
to his wife and son in
Albuquerque, New Mexico,
by the Ohio Department of
Prisons.
Mr. Reed will now fulfill
his remaining probation time there.
January 22, 1999
President Clinton has announced a
new Education Plan
which will give 10 million
dollars toward recruiting and
training 1,000 new
teachers, who in return,
promise that they will
teach in schools with a
high percentage of Native
American students.
January 14, 1999
Great news from Washington for the
Lakota people today.
President Clinton has named
the Pine Ridge Reservation
among his list of 20 most "
in need " communities,
or " Empowerment Zones " in
the United States.
This means more jobs,
money, federal grants
and tax-exempt bonds will
be going to this, the
poorest city in the poorest
county in America.
This acknowledgment of
indecent living conditions,
by the government, is both
long overdue and desperately
needed, by the residents of
this Lakota Reservation.
More to come on this issue.
December 18, 1998
American Native activist Timothy
"Little Rock" Reed,
was released from prison in
Ohio Thursday night,
by a hearing officer who
decided that he was not a threat
and that he should serve a
minimum of six weeks,
which was the time
remaining on his probation.
Reed now plans to return to
school in Ohio,
to continue his education
in the fields of
Criminal Justice and Native
Issues.
He would eventually like to
return to New Mexico
to be of help to his fellow
American Natives.
December 3, 1998
Following the joyous events of two
weeks ago, comes the
sad news today regarding
the sale of Indian Country Today,
( called by many the
loudest voice for the Lakota )
to the Oneida Nation, who
also own the
Turning Stone Casino near
Syracuse, New York.
Although, there were many
times,
that I have not agreed with
the opinions expressed
by Tim Giago, owner and
editor of the paper,
I always supported the
right of the man to speak his mind.
Now, this outspoken voice
for the Lakota people of Pine Ridge,
for nearly twenty years,
will be moving on in another direction.
Many Lakota on Pine Ridge
are taking a collective breath;
wondering what and who
will be speaking for them in the future.
December 3, 1998 continued.
American Native activist Timothy "
Little Rock " Reed,
who is half Lakota, has
lost his lengthy court battle
to remain free and has been
returned to Ohio.
A hearing, which will take
place there within the next
two weeks, will determine
his fate.
Reed, who has expressed
fear for his safety, following his
exposure of
prison abuses toward American Natives,
has been in hiding in New
Mexico for the last five years.
More to follow on this
story.....
November 20, 1998 update
This is a wonderful day for all
Lakota people,
but especially for those of
Wounded Knee.
The gracious and
compassionate people of Scotland
have allowed the blood
stained Lakota Ghost Shirt,
which has been on display
in a museum in Glasgow
for over 100 years, to be
returned to South Dakota.
This shirt was believed to
have been worn by a
Lakota warrior during the
massacre at Wounded Knee.
The struggle to retrieve
possession of this article has
taken many years, but has
now reached a rightful conclusion.
The Ghost Shirt is going
home to Wounded Knee.
September 9,
1998
Having just returned from the Pine Ridge Reservation and
Wounded Knee in South
Dakota, I have learned that some of the
Elders at Pine Ridge, have
requested the following items,
to prepare for the harsh
winter that is about to come:
Blankets, Propane/Space
heaters, firewood and warm clothing.
Winter in the Great
Plains can be a death sentence
for those who are not
fortunate enough to have
sufficient protection from
the elements.
The temperatures can drop
to more than 60 degrees
below zero with freezing
blizzards and winds to match.
Many of the Elders at Pine
Ridge have no heat,
no electricity and few warm
clothes.
If you or your company or
organization can help or donate
any of these desperately
needed items, please contact me.
The following
is an August 6, 1998 press release, from the
Department of Housing and
Urban Development, HUD.
CUOMO ANNOUNCES OVER $30
MILLION IN AID....
June 15, 1998
A
great one is now with Mother Earth
Today this sad
news was received from South
Dakota:
Stanley Raymond Looking
Horse, Sr.- Lyus Icupi,
age 68, died June 8, 1998
at the IHS Hospital,
in Eagle Butte, South
Dakota.
He was born Jan. 24, 1930
in
Green Grass, South Dakota.
His parents were Thomas and
Lucy
(Bad Warrior) Looking
Horse.
A traditional leader,
Stanley lived his
entire life in Green Grass.
Mr. Looking Horse is
survived by his wife,
Mary Cecelia Looking Horse
of Green Grass.
His children are:
Arvol Looking Horse, Ivan
Looking Horse, Beatrice
Looking Horse, Gladys Looking Horse and
Derilee Looking Horse who are all from Green
Grass.
Stanley Looking Horse Jr.
of Bismarck, N.D.,
Lois Martina Looking Horse
of Minneapolis, Minn.,
his adopted daughter,
Delores Blue Stone of Shakopee, Minn.,
and his adopted son, Gary
Stranger of Eagle Butte, S.D.
Also, his brothers Pete
Looking Horse of Cannon Ball, N.D.,
and Sylvester Thin Elk of
Rosebud, S.D., and his
Aunt Delores Blue Stone of
Bull Head, S.D.
Mr. Looking Horse had 24
grandchildren.
Spiritual leaders of the
Lakota, Dakota and Nakota
Nations
held the funeral and wake
services
at the Looking Horse home
in Green Grass.
Burial was at the Looking
Horse cemetery
at Green Grass on June 13,
1998.
Services were provided, by
the
Luce Funeral Home of Eagle
Butte.
Thank you to Indian Country
Today, for this notice.
June 13, 1998
The following
story was kindly shared by the Fedgazette
of Minneapolis and although
the data is over a year old,
little has changed since it
was written in Jan.1997
" The opinion below is an excerpt from a
Ninth District newspaper and is expressly
the opinion of the writer, not the Minneapolis Fed. "
Producing jobs is key for
Native Reservations
Argus Leader (Sioux
Falls, S.D.)
" If South Dakota lawmakers
are serious about creating jobs
on the nine Native Reservations in the state as they have said,
then they should do
something about it.
The opportunity is there."
Rep. Ron Volesky, D-Huron,
plans to introduce legislation
that would create the first
State-Tribal Economic
Development Commission in
South Dakota to promote
general economic
development and job training on Reservations.
There has been a
suffocating deluge of forums
and discussions about
advancing the economic status
of the state's Native
population.
There is little, if
anything, to show for all the talk.
Late last year, lawmakers
said they had taken the first step by
focusing attention on the
need for job creation on the Reservations.
It is now time for the
all-important second step,
and it must be a giant one.
Legislation must be passed
to ensure that something concrete is
done on the Reservations in
the area of economic development.
Support on both sides of
the aisle will be critical.
The unemployment rate on most Reservations is 50 percent or higher.
Except for casino gambling,
there have been very few
forward-looking ideas to
reduce Reservation unemployment.
The lack of jobs and
related poverty fosters other problems,
including crime, alcohol
abuse, spousal abuse,
violence and broken
families.
Jobs are not going to be a
cure-all to those problems, but
putting people to work will
eliminate a significant portion of them.
Volesky, who is an American
Native, believes job
creation will
solve "90 percent" of the social problems.
Economic development on the
Reservations becomes more
crucial with the advent of
welfare reform on the federal level.
"With the block grants
coming down from the federal government
and block grants going to
our Native Reservations
with the requirement that a
certain number of welfare
recipients find employment
in a certain time,
it is critical that we get
serious about job development and
economic development on our
state's Reservations," Volesky says.
Initial funding of the
commission would be $200,000:
The state would contribute
half, and the tribal governments
in South Dakota would
provide the balance.
Distributing state dollars
is always a balancing act,
but Volesky says every job
created on a Reservation
could help save a family.
Few could argue that
there's a better investment than a family.

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