May 31, 2010
Snow heralds spring and a major powwow
DENVER – Colorado’s capital at the base of the Rocky Mountains opened its largest annual Indian event, the Denver March Powwow, amid swirling snow that often signals the start of spring at a mile-high elevation.Read more @
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May 20, 2010
Crow Indian Reservation landowners critical of BNSF
BILLINGS, Mont. — Property owners on the Crow Indian Reservation say BNSF Railway Co. has perpetually neglected fences that keep livestock off its tracks, putting cattle and people who drive on an adjacent highway at risk.
But the railroad says repairs to the barbed-wire barriers have been adequate, and it can’t replace a fence simply because it is old.
“It is BNSF’s standard in Montana to maintain and repair fences along our rights of way,” said company spokesman Gus Melonas in Seattle. “In the Lodge Grass area, we have sent fencers out and have fixed areas that were problematic.”
A crew did recently work on fences near Lodge Grass, said Lyle Neal, a brand inspector who fields calls from ranchers when cows get loose. But the workers were not experienced fencers and did not fix the problem, Neal said.
“They put a Band-Aid on heart surgery,” he said. “You can’t call it even beginning to be fixed.”
Montana law requires railroads to build and maintain fences along their tracks and cattle guards at their crossings. If livestock slip through and are hurt or killed by trains, the railroad must pay fair market value for the animals.
Glenn Elhard, a rancher near Dunmore, said he is still waiting for BNSF to pay him for a 3-year-old cow that was killed on the tracks last November.
Elhard didn’t wait for the railroad to send someone to fix the fence.
“I fixed it,” he said. “By the time they got around to it, your whole herd could be in jeopardy.”
Elhard and other landowners say the fencing dates to at least the 1920s, when their grandparents moved into the area. The wire is brittle and snaps when it is stretched, and in places it sags between posts that are 25 feet apart.
“If I built a fence like that when I was a kid, my dad would have blistered my bottom all the way across town,” said Bob Bond, whose property near Lodge Grass abuts the railroad tracks.
Lost livestock is not the only risk posed by subpar fences, Neal said. Cattle that get onto the tracks are steps away from the highway, where they endanger motorists.
Bill Redfield gave up on BNSF after a letter from the Public Service Commission failed to produce results. He complained about the fence along his property to the PSC, which is charged with enforcing the state’s railroad fencing law.
“I have built a fence 100 to 150 yards back from their fence on my property,” Redfield said. “I had to do something.”
Treaty Day proclaimed in Manitoba
First Nations chiefs gather at the Manitoba legislature on May 12 for the proclamation of treaty Day. 
A proclamation declaring May 12 Treaty Day in Manitoba was signed at the legislature Wednesday.
Premier Greg Selinger said the day would annually promote understanding of the significance of treaties.
“This proclamation acknowledges the importance of the treaties to all Manitobans,” said Selinger.
“Understanding the treaty relationship between First Nations and the Crown is fundamental to living in Manitoba and Canada because the treaties are living documents that inform us of where we’ve been and where we should be going.”
Provincial representatives welcomed representatives from the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to the legislative for the signing and to exchange gifts and make presentations, including a Treaty Advocacy Award to honour the late Minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Oscar Lathlin.
‘Treaties were made between various nations for peace, friendship, non-interference and sharing of lands and resources.’ ‚ÄîGrand Chief Ron Evans
“The Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba envisions that Treaty Day at the Manitoba legislative assembly will help to revitalize and enhance the treaty relationship,” said Treaty Commissioner Dennis White Bird.
“When treaties were entered into between First Nations and the Crown, they became fundamental building blocks to the rights currently held by First Nations and Manitobans.
“These rights are not only expressed in written form but also in the spirit and intent of the treaties. The late minister Oscar Lathlin understood this and laboured hard to strengthen the treaty relationship. It is our honour to recognize him.”
Sunrise ceremony
Treaty Day on Wednesday, included a sunrise ceremony on the legislative grounds, as well as treaty displays and a play on a treaty theme.
“Treaties were made between various nations for peace, friendship, non-interference and sharing of lands and resources,” said Grand Chief Ron Evans of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
“When our forefathers signed the treaties, they believed that our lands would provide home bases, which would provide sustenance, as they always had done ‚Äî as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow.
“Our position has always been that our treaty rights are to be protected and that the treaties are the foundation of all of our initiatives, agreements and processes.”
Canada and Manitoba First Nations signed seven treaties between 1871 and 1906.
Tribe decides not to pay city $200K in room tax from casino
COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) ‚Äî The Coquille Indian Tribe’s decision to no longer pay the city of North Bend a hotel room tax from The Mill Casino-Hotel will result in the loss of nearly $200,000 to the city in the next fiscal year.
The World newspaper reports that the tribe decided that because the casino hotel is on land held in federal trust, it would not continue an agreement to turn over the money to the city.
The city sued, and the case went to mediation, with a settlement in favor of the tribe.
City Administrator Jan Willis says the loss may force a cutback in hours at the North Bend Visitor and Information Center, which is funded by the room tax.
Welsh TV crew visits Cherokee
Iolo Williams is one of the Wales’ most recognized TV personalities. “Wildlife” Williams, as he is known by some fans, or “Birdman” as he is known by others, revolutionized BBC nature shows by bringing heady ecology together with rugged good looks and his native language, Welsh.
Williams and his production crew traveled to Cherokee this past week to film an episode of a series whose working titles is “Iolo yn Native America,” scheduled to air in the UK later this year.
The crew –– camera director Mei Williams, researcher Luke Peavey, and producer Bethan Arwell –– have already cut an episode in Navajo country.
But for Iolo, the trip to Cherokee was special, primarily because he sees the parallels between the Cherokee and Welsh efforts to revive their native languages.
“Williams in Native America” is being filmed entirely in Welsh and the indigenous languages of the tribes Iolo interacts with.
“When I was little, Welsh wasn’t cool, and that’s a big thing for kids,” Williams said. “But there’s been a massive revival, mostly through education. With the Cherokee, and with this school, you can see there’s hope now.”
Last Thursday, Iolo visited the Kituwah Immersion Language Academy, the Cherokee’s state of the art new immersion school.
Williams grew up in Llanwwddyn in the Welsh midlands as a Welsh speaker and a child yearning for wild places. His imagination was captivated my Native Americans from an early age.
“One of the main reasons is because of the huge similarities I see between the Native Americans and the plight of the Welsh,” Williams said.
Americans know little of Welsh history. But if your name is Thomas, Morris, Williams or Jones, chances are you could trace the roots of your family tree and wind up somewhere near Cardiff or Builth Wells.
Wales was conquered by England over 800 years ago, and since that time they have slowly become Anglicized.
“A lot of our old traditional ways are long gone, but we do have differences from the English, especially with regard to the ways we value our family and the language,” Williams said.
Today, only 1 in 10 Welsh speak their native tongue, but it is taught to schoolchildren and is an official language in the country. Welsh is cool again, and the Welsh are exploring the boundaries of their own identity. While the English have forgotten they did anything bad to the Welsh, the Welsh haven’t forgotten.
Williams said he admires the way the Cherokee have taken advantage of the economic benefits available in American society while working hard to preserve their own identity.
“The Cherokee haven’t forgotten,” Williams said. “They do remember, but they’ve moved on. You know we still hate the English.”
As Williams and his team toured the Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
“It looks like you’ve caught the Cherokee language within a hair’s breadth of dying out,” Williams said. “This really has to be the way forward. There’s a lot of personal responsibility placed on the individual when a language is dying, but education has to be the way forward.”
Williams and his crew will return to Wales to work on other projects before coming back to the United States and Canada to film episodes with the Haida, Lakota, Blackfoot, and Northern Cree tribes.
The show has not yet been scheduled for airtimes in Wales, but Iolo said anybody interested in watching has plenty of time to practice their Welsh.
Senators propose Native American Economic Advisory Council
JUNEAU – Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich and Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye introduced last week a bill that would create the first-ever Native American Economic Advisory Council.
Inouye said is his news release he wanted to establish an official venue for the Native community to provide input and share ideas with the Executive branch.
“In order to help shape the economic and social policies that govern the lives of indigenous peoples we have to rely on their insight and institutional knowledge,” he said. “Native Americans and other indigenous groups have a keen sense of what their communities need to survive and thrive and we must provide them every opportunity to engage in the decision making and strategic planning process. This advisory council will provide them their long overdue place at the policy making table.”
The long-term aim of the new council will be to improve the quality of Native American life and living conditions, and access to basic public services. Council members would be asked to consult with and make recommendations to federal agencies and the office of the President.
“Our Native communities and organizations in Alaska are great sources of innovative ideas and growth,” Begich said, “yet Native communities across the U.S. remain largely untapped by mainstream decision-makers. This council would provide a platform from which Native thinkers could participate not only in the dialogue about development in their own communities, but also in the national economic dialogue.”
Alaska Natives still unrecognized in state song
JUNEAU — Some Alaska Native leaders said they are disillusioned with their lawmakers after a third attempt failed to add a verse to the state song mentioning indigenous people ‚Äî even as the Legislature turned Groundhog Day into Marmot Day and the governor was expected to sign a bill making the Alaskan malamute the state dog.
“It hurts that they won’t act on it,” said Tlingit elder Selina Everson, a former grand president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. “Our people need something to lift them up sometimes, spiritually, emotionally. … It really hurts our Native community that they wouldn’t honor something like this.”
The song bill died on Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom’s desk when the two-year legislative cycle ended in April. She was responsible for scheduling it for final vote but never did. It was not a priority and there were more pressing issues, said Laura Pierre, Dahlstrom’s chief of staff. Final votes on the animal bills were scheduled under the watch of other legislators.
For some older Alaskans, recognizing malamutes as a state symbol before Natives sparks memories of storefront signs that said, “No Natives or Dogs Allowed,” which were common before World War II.
“Alaska’s Flag” is an ode to the flag, which bears the image of the Big Dipper on a blue field. Marie Drake’s poem first appeared in print in 1935. After being set to music, territorial lawmakers adopted it as Alaska’s song in 1955 and carried it through statehood. 
Drake’s friend, Carol Beery Davis, wrote a second verse in 1986. It refers to “a native lad ” ‚Äî Benny Benson, who was of Russian, Aleut and Swedish descent ‚Äî whose design became the territory’s flag in 1927 and later the state flag.The unofficial second verse is already sung and taught in many Alaska schools and the Alaska Youth Choir sang it during the Legislature’ s opening ceremonies in January.
Sen. Linda Menard, R-Wasilla, who sponsored the bill to formally add the language to the state song, said she taught it when she was a teacher in the 1980s.
“I see no reason in the world why if you’re a reasonable Alaskan you couldn’t let it go forward,” Menard said.
She said it was a heartbreaking defeat and she is unsure if she’ll try again next year.
“I’m still smarting,” Menard said.
Connie Davis, daughter of the second verse’s author, said it didn’t feel right for the bill to die the way it did.
“You’re kind of disappointed in the democratic process,” she said.
Attempts in 1987 and 2002 passed the House but died in the Senate.
Supporters said adding the second verse isn’t trivial. For some, the original verse’s mention of “sourdoughs, ” the gold rushers of yore, and no mention of Alaska’s indigenous people is a glaring omission that smacks of past discrimination and Eurocentrism.
“There’s a piece left out. There’s just a piece left out, and that’s the part Carol put in,” said Connie Munro, referring to her late friend. Munro is white but a tribe adoptee and life member of ANS.
Native sentiment on the second verse isn’t universal.
The Association of Village Council Presidents, which represents 56 tribal villages in southwest Alaska, applauded the intent to recognize Natives but opposed the overall bill. Association President Myron Naneng said the issue was with the lyrics and how they were written.
“The verse should be written by kids around the state instead of someone who’s probably non-Native,” said Naneng, who is Yupik, before quickly downplaying the race factor.
Seminoles host dignitaries at historic Council Oak Tree to celebrate Accords signing
Supporters of the Seminole Compact cheer on Gov. Crist and the Seminole Tribe as thousands ofjobs were saved and created by the signing of the compact. (Photo by Ralph Notaro/Seminole Gaming)
Hollywood, Fla. (May 5, 2010) The Seminole Tribe of Florida hosted Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Florida Representative Bill Galvano and several other dignitaries at the historic Council Oak Tree in Hollywood, Florida to celebrate the signing of the Seminole Compact. The signing of the Seminole Compact earlier this April successfully completed compact negotiations between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe. The Council Oak (located between Seminole Casino ‚Äì Hollywood and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino ‚Äì Hollywood) is where a special generation of Seminole leaders – children of that last generation to hide in the swamps – began to meet regularly beneath this huge oak tree on the Hollywood reservation. Decades ago, there they began shaping the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s future and success.
Amongst those attending the festivities and speaking at the event included Mitchell Cypress (chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida), Richard Bowers (vice chairman of the Seminole Tribe/president of Seminole Tribe Inc.), Max Osceola (Hollywood Council representative for the Seminole Tribe of Florida), James Allen (CEO of Seminole Gaming/chairman of Hard Rock International) , Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Florida Representative Bill Galvano. Also in attendance was David Cypress (Big Cypress & Immokalee Council representative) .
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key roasted over cannibalism joke
New Zealand PM John Key is in trouble for making a joke about cannibalism. Picture: Ray Strange.
NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key found himself in hot water today after joking about an indigenous tribe eating him for dinner.
Mr Key has been at loggerheads with a Maori tribe, the Tuhoe, over negotiations to settle their grievances over land confiscations by European settlers in the 19th century. During a speech to a tourism conference, Mr Key joked about having dinner with the neighbouring Ngati Porou tribe, or iwi.
“The good news is that I was having dinner with Ngati Porou as opposed to their neighbouring iwi which is Tuhoe, in which case I would have been dinner, which wouldn’t have been quite so attractive,” Mr Key said.
A settlement negotiator with the Tuhoe tribe, Tamati Kruger, told Radio New Zealand the joke was in poor taste.
“I’m just astounded that the Prime Minister can make light of what we regard as a very, very serious situation (over the negotiations) ,” Mr Kruger said.
“I don’t think it’s becoming at all of a Prime Minister.”
An MP for the Maori Party, which supports Mr Key’s Government and has two leaders serving as Government ministers, said the joke was unfortunate.
“Well the first thing to say is, it’s probably correct, and the second thing is it’s probably not wise in the current climate,” said Te Ururoa Flavell.
Later today, Mr Key apologised.
“It was a lighthearted joke, a bit of self-deprecating humour,” he said.
“But if anyone is offended, then I deeply apologise.”
Cannibalism remains a sensitive subject in New Zealand, where Maori warriors sometimes ate their defeated enemies until the practice died out in the mid-19th century, according to historians.
New Aquatic Centre triptych honours Tzinquaw legend, people of the salmon
Salish artist Brant Johnny with his Tzinquaw Legend masterpiece hung May 5 in Cowichan Aquatic Centre’s lobby.
May 12, 2010
Cowichan, People of the Salmon, were honoured with last week’s hanging of three Coast Salish artworks in Cowichan Aquatic Centre’s lobby.
The cedar centrepiece of Cowichan carver Brant Johnny’s triptych, called Tzinquaw Legend, depicts, in paint, a mythical thunderbird lifting a greedy orca whale from Cowichan Bay.
To the left are six salmon and a moon.
Two imposing moon masks flank Johnny’s main panel in the installation complementing the pool’s salmon-decorated Spirit Pole.
“The moon is the guardian of Mother Earth and blue represents tides carrying salmon,” he said.
“That killer whale was eating all the salmon and none were coming up the river, so the Cowichan people were starving,” Johnny, 56, explained of the Salish myth as told by Cowichan Tribes elder, teacher and historian Ruby Peter.
Help came from a mythical man living in the Gulf Islands.
“Our people spoke to the elders and they talked to a man who had lightning bolts coming from his eyes.”
The man agreed to help and transformed himself into the thunderbird.
“Then he swooped down, picked up the killer whale and took him away, and saved the Cowichan people from starving.”
Eyes of creatures in his work contains mother of pearl shells, not traditional but now-endangered abalone shell, said Johnny a 25-year artist.
The mythical thunderbird carrying the pesky orca is also seen on the News Leader Pictorial’s front page.
Johnny was commissioned by West Bay Mechanical Ltd. to make the artpieces.
Cowichan Tribes also supported making the cedar pieces, explained Mayor Tom Walker.
West Bay and Tribes wished to give back to the community after their involvement in building the $19-million pool facility, and council wanted Aboriginal art in the centre, Walker said.
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