Mino Giizhigad - American Indian Heritage Month
As of 1997, just before Census 2000 kicked off preliminary preparations, the US added Alaskan Natives to the ethnic title for American Indians. So today is the first day of American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month.
On August 3,1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994.
The purpose of National American Indian Heritage Month is to honor and recognize the original peoples of this land. The 1996 proclamation details their contributions to the past and to the future
State Celebrations
The first American Indian Day to be celebrated in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states celebrate the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, for example, legislators enacted such a day in 1919. Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any legal recognition as a national holiday. Michigan Indian Day is the fourth Friday in September, so proclaimed by Governor William Milliken in 1984.
It is interesting that November was picked as American Indian month. Mostly the only time anyone ever thinks of Indians around here is Thanksgiving. I remember in grade school 'way back when, being told to 'sit Indian' while we put on our paper headbands with a feather that we made from construction paper, and listened to the story of Squanto and the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving. I did go to a predominantly white grade school here in Brightmoor.
November is an important month in Indian Country. Here in the north, we are winding up harvesting all growing things and putting them by for winter, hunting and fishing for our winter food supply and in the old days, for hides for clothing and blankets.
This is also the time our world is closest to the Spirit World, so at various times during the month, there are Ghost Suppers. As discussed above, today is the most important one around here. When the Pilgrims wanted to have their feast, it was perfectly understandable to the Wampanoag, who joined in enthusiastically.
Isn't it interesting that so many cultures seem to feel the spirit presence more strongly at this time of year? It's All Souls and All Saints Days, El Dia de las Muertas, Michaelmas, Samhain. I am sure there are more.
I will post more information and stories as the month goes on. If anyone has any questions or stories, please share!
1966 Clinton Proclamation
Because I referenced it above, here is the wording of the 1966 Proclamation which celebrates the contributions of American Indians:
Throughout our history, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have been an integral part of the American character. Against the odds, America's first peoples have endured, and they remain a vital cultural, political, social, and moral presence. Tribal America has brought to this great country certain values and ideas that have become ingrained in the American spirit: the knowledge that humans can thrive and prosper without destroying the natural environment; the understanding that people from very different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and traditions can come together to build a great country; and the awareness that diversity can be a source of strength rather than division.
As we celebrate American Indian Heritage Month this year, we take note of the injustices that have been suffered by American Indian people. Even today, few enjoy the full bounty of America's prosperity. But even as we look to the past, we must also look to the future. Along with other Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives will face new challenges in the coming century. We can ill afford to leave any of our people behind. Tribal America must figure as prominently in our future as it has in our past.
Let us rededicate ourselves to the principle that all Americans have the tools to make the most of their God-given potential. For Indian tribes and tribal members, this means that the authority of tribal governments must be accorded the respect and support to which they are entitled under the law. It means that American Indian children and youth must be provided a solid education and the opportunity to go on to college. It means that more must be done to stimulate tribal economies, create jobs, and increase economic opportunities.
Our bridge to the 21st century will rest upon the foundation we build today. We must teach our children about our past—both the good and the bad—so that they may learn from our successes and mistakes. We must provide our children with the knowledge and skills to permit them to surpass our own achievements and create a stronger, more united American community. We must provide them greater opportunity. It was the Iroquois who taught that in every deliberation we should consider the impact of our decisions on the next 7 generations.
In recognition of the important contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples to our country and in light of the special legal relationship between the tribes and the Government of the United States, and obligations pursuant thereto, we celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month.
Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 1996 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I urge all Americans, as well as their elected representatives at the Federal, State, local, and tribal levels, to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-first.
William J. Clinton
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 31, 1996]
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=52183
President Obama's Address to First Americans
Obama to Native Americans: "You will not be forgotten"
Thu Nov 5, 2009 1:16pm EST
* President says knows what it means to be outsider
By Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON, Nov 5 [[Reuters) - President Barack Obama told Native American leaders on Thursday, "You will not be forgotten" and promised to end U.S. government neglect and broken promises toward Indian tribes.
Obama, who drew high Native Americans support in last year's presidential election, fulfilled a campaign pledge by bringing representatives of hundreds of federally recognized Native American tribes to Washington to air their grievances with senior administration officials.
Acknowledging a historically troubled relationship, Obama pledged to work with tribal leaders to address healthcare, crime, development, education and environmental problems.
"Few have been more marginalized and ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans, our first Americans," Obama said. "I'm absolutely committed to moving forward with you and forging a new and better future together.
"You will not be forgotten as long as I'm in this White House," he told a cheering crowd of more than 500 at the Department of the Interior.
Most in the audience were in business attire; a few wore traditional headdresses, embroidered vests and hair feathers.
A tribal leader from Wisconsin gave Obama the Indian name "He Who Cares," and a man who rose wearing a war bonnet told the president he wanted to him to have it.
Several speakers, in a question-and-answer session, thanked Obama for trying to restore trust but urged him to do more.
Obama drew on his own narrative, noting he was born to a teenage mother and a father who left when he was 2 years old.
"I understand what it means to be an outsider," he said.
Noting that some reservations had 80 percent unemployment and that a quarter of Native Americans lived in poverty, Obama signed a presidential memorandum in front of the crowd instructing cabinet members to outline within 90 days how they will improve relations with Indian tribes.
He said the document would reactivate a Clinton-era order that the Bush administration had mostly ignored. [[Editing by Alan Elsner)
http://www.reuters.com/article/lates.../idUSN05119059
Alcatraz Is Not an Island
Today is the 40th anniversary of the November 1969 takeover of Alcatraz by Indians of All Tribes. Starting November 20, 1969 and lasting more than nineteen months, this unarmed occupation at first was directed at developing the land and buildings for Indian use for education, museum, spiritual and cultural center. The basis was federal land no longer wanted by the Federal government should revert to Indian use. Alcatraz had been declared surplus after the closure of the prison in 1963.
In 1953, the US had begun a program of termination. Indian tribes would have their lands broken up and divided, and the tribe would be terminated, thus ending their recognized status. This was another focus of the occupation of Alcatraz, and the general treatment of Indians at the hands of the federal government.
The termination policy fell into disrepute during the occupation and was ended by President Nixon in June 1970, during the occupation. Federal agents ended the occupation by removing the 15 residents in June 1971.
This article has some pretty good details in it.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/20/...an.occupation/
More things borrowed from American Indian culture
These are just a few of the things our culture owes to the ones that were here already.
Sporting Goods!
Toboggan
Snowshoes
Canoe
Kayak
Rubber balls
Food!
Vanilla
Chocolate
Potatoes
Corn
Jerky
Potato chips and popcorn
Tomatoes
Domestic turkeys
Great Northern and Anasazi and other beans
Wild rice
There are more, at least 40% of the foods we eat have native origins.
Medicine!
Digitalis
Aspirin
Wintergreen
Witch Hazel
Nearly 300 Indian medicines are entered in the US Pharmacopeia.
Other things!
Chewing gum
Skids for log rolling
Reciprocating drill
Stone saw
Continuous motion spindle
Universal sign language
Another story from the past
There came a time when the handsome Ojibwe ex-Marine began to miss the woods and folks of home more and more. Coming back to Detroit that summer was so painful. His pretty French Canadian wife told him that, if he could get a good job and we could live in town, she would be willing to move up North so he could be near his family. The next summer, things came together, and we spent a lot of time purging possessions for the move. I gave away my beloved books and dolls to my friends. I still miss some of those books. I was just a little girl, but there was a spirit of adventure about all this that helped soothe the sting of impending change. And remember, I LOVED being up North! I never wanted to come home at all when we were up there. Came the day in early September, the truck was loaded and off we went, with me waving to my friends out the back window. They cried, I didn't. I was too excited. The Brightmoor Chapter was closed, and the UP chapter was waiting to be opened.
This kind of back and forth between "up home" and "work home" is common in the Michigan native experience. Many families went back and forth like this, between Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Grand Rapids and Lansing and back the the Res, as the job markets fluctuated. My mother was insistent that we stay "in town" rather than out on the Res because she wanted us to get the best education possible. Urban herself, she had no faith in a rural school system.
We ended up moving to a part of Sault Ste. Marie known as the Shunk Road district. That was where the city's American Indian population lived. We didn't live right in the middle of the settlement, but out on its edge, sort of between the other part of the Soo and Shunk Road. Our church was Saint Isaac Jogues, an original Jesuit Indian Mission. The pastor was Father Paul Prud'homme, who came to the Soo to work at the mission not long after WWI. He was fluent in French and also spoke English and Anishinaabemowin. He was one of the few remaining speakers left in town at that time. We had opening and closing hymns, unlike other Catholic churches at the time, because Fr. Prud'homme said Indians love to sing together.
I attended Mass there last summer, and the current pastor, John Hascall, had incorporated many Anishinaabe customs in the service. The herbs in the censor were either sage, tobacco, cedar or sweetgrass, and we reached into the smoke to pour it over ourselves. We all turned to offer prayers to the Four Directions. There were prayers in Anishinaabemowin. There was still the same opening and closing hymns.
Menu for the First Thanksgiving
There are many indications that the first Thanksgiving meal was focused on vegetables and grains, with meat served as a side dish. Native feasts are arranged in such a way that the meats are at the end, like dessert. The provider animal spirits are thanked for the sustenance and their sacrifices.
I was prospecting around the 'net for some authentic recipes and found this neat free download, Squanto's Garden, that talks about a view of food production and presentation from those times.
http://www.firstthanksgivinggarden.com/
I'll post some recipes next.
Sobaheg, Corn and Beans Stew
This would likely have been the main dish at the feast. Remember, it was the Wampanoags who shared this feast with the Pilgrims.
Sobaheg made with Turkey, A Wampanoag Recipe
Wampanoag word for stew is Sobaheg. This stew makes use of the supplies they would have had on hand for the first Thanksgiving. It can be made today with, or without turkey.
1⁄2 pound dry beans [[white, red, brown, or spotted kidney-shaped beans)
1⁄2 pound yellow samp or coarse grits
1 pound turkey meat [[legs or breast, with bone and skin)
3 quarts cold water
1⁄4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1⁄2 pound winter squash, trimmed and cubed
1⁄2 cup raw sunflower seed meats, pounded to a coarse flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh or dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, parsley or dill to taste
Combine dried beans, corn, turkey, and water in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn down to a very low simmer, and cook for about 2 1⁄2 hours. Stir occasionally to be certain that the bottom is not sticking.
When dried beans are tender, but not mushy, break up turkey meat, removing skin and bones. Add green beans and squash, and simmer very gently until they are tender.
Add sunflower flour, stirring until thoroughly blended. Season to taste.
Anishinaabe Prayer of Thanks - Miigwech
Ngizhemanidoom, sema ngiimiinagoo wiinamaayaanh nangwaa.
Gagwejimin wiizhiwendamaan maanda miijim miinawa zhiwenmishinaang nangwaa.
Miigwech ndinaanaanik gewe wesiinhak, okaanak, bineshiinhak, miinawa giigonhik, kinagwa gwayaa gaabigitnaamwat wiinwa bimaadiziwaan maanpii akiing niinwe wiimaadiziiyaang.
Miigwech ge ndikaadami netawging miinawa maanwaang gaamiizhiyaang wiimiijiyaang wiizongziiyaang nangwaa.
Miigwech ngizhemanidoom miigwech.
****************************
My creator. Tobacco was given to me to pray today.
I ask you in a good way to bless this food and to bless us today.
We say thank you to all those animals, wild and domestic, the birds and the fish. Everyone that gave up his or her lives here upon the earth, so that we can live.
We also say thank you for the vegetables and the fruits that you have given to us, so that we can have strength today.
Thank you, my creator, thank you.
[[Given by Kenny Pheasant)
Who are the Urban Indians?
One thing that affects Indian identity is stereotypic expectations on the part of mainstream society. This primarily impacts those of us who live away from our tribal centers.
We routinely hear, 'but you don't LOOK Indian' from our acquaintances. Or, 'We don't think of you as Indian.' What do they expect? What if they did think of us as Indian? Would it change how they feel about us?
Metropolitan Detroit is home to nearly 40,000 American Indians from more than 40 tribes. Because we don't mostly live in one part of the community, we do not have a population center here. Most of us are not from just one Indian tribe or community, either. We are a diverse population. Yet our identity is important to us, though it is absolutely unrecognized and irrelevant to the mainstream society.
One example is federal records. If you go to give blood, you are interviewed by someone who is filling out a questionnaire as the interview progresses. For me, they never ask how I identify, they just automatically check the "Caucasion" box when it comes to ethnic identity. I have to stop them and correct them every time. Why is it important to the American Red Cross to know ethnicity? Who knows, but they should at least make sure they get the right one. They do keep the data in case a particular kind of blood is needed that might be more available in a particular ethnic group.
For medical records, it is important for certain conditions to be counted correctly. Funding for diabetes treatment, HIV prevention and treatment and for other conditions as well, are allocated to ethnic communities based on these identifications. If we cannot be counted correctly, we will continue to be underfunded in those areas.
Another issue takes place in school situations, although this may be changing. As a student I and after me, my son, frequently had to sit through some ignorant discussions of Indians in history. I recently had one man tell me his kids came home from school in Grand Rapids saying their teacher told them the Aztecs had all disappeared. They were Aztec. I wonder if Michigan's curriculum on Indians has caught up yet. Other states are implementing more comprehensive programs, like Utah and Minnesota.
And of course, everyone thinks we are all rolling in dough because of the casinos. Well, nothing could be farther from the truth. While a few tribes do pay per cap, that is a regular stipend to each tribal member from casino proceeds, most do not. Our casinos support our tribal infrastructure, school, health center, roads and utilities, and some elder programs, as well as contributing substantially to the local town and county infrastructure.
Who are we? We live here in Metro Detroit. We also have a home with our people. So, we have a foot in both worlds.
Indian Mascots and Sports Logos
A very interesting viewpoint from the Grand Forks Herald [[North Dakota):
VIEWPOINT: History, colonization permanently sully nickname
Michael Eshkibok - 12/06/2009
GRAND FORKS — Why are Indian sports logos still at UND so hard to get rid of? The best way to explain this is what’s known as the “process of colonization.” Colonization is the conquering of the minds and habits of oppressed people such as American Indians so that they internalize and accept inferiority as an inherent characteristic of themselves.
Decolonization reverses process that by breaking with the ways by which our reality is defined and shaped by the dominant culture and by asserting our understanding of that reality or experience. [[By the way, 99 percent of U.S. Indian tribes have voted against using themselves as Indian sports logos.)
What people need to remember, especially at UND, is that the mascot issue is part of a longer history of Indian oppression and discrimination. Negative images of indigenous people began with the colonial campaigns of violence waged in the Americas by the Spanish and others. The colonizers used criminalization, theft, rape, murder and the determination of how Indians would be defined so they could use the Indians’ land and resources. By defining us as “savage," “evil” and “dirty,” the colonizers rationalized their own fear and hate and made murdering of Indians tolerable, even honorable acts. Not coincidentally, the invaders were able to take away Indian people, land and resources for their own use. Indian identity on reservations has been hurt by the colonization by oppressive European theories and actions.
These codes of behavior still afflict Indian communities and individuals today. American Indians have their own way of healing, and we need to go back to our own culture and traditions. When you colonize a people, you take away their culture, religion and customs. You trivialize them, turn them into meaningless objects or objectify them, so when you say you are honoring them, what you are honoring is the colonization and destruction.
The point is that we are human beings — first. The Washington Redskins' and Atlanta Braves’ fans parade around in mock war paint and headdresses while making “Indian” chants that seep down into the American school systems. Inaccurate images of Indian people not only promote racism and stereotyping but also underscore the perception that we are obsolete, primitive and exotic.
If Americans and UND really want to honor Indians, the next step is clear: They should eliminate racist depictions of Indian people in educational institutions, implement historically accurate information and representations about us and hold schools accountable to teach anti-racism courses because racism is institutionalized. Maybe then we can start seeing one another as human beings — nothing more, nothing less.
Eshkibok, an Ojibwe, is a doctoral student in UND’s communication program.