Paging Gazhekwe

[gazhekwe]

That looks like good reliable info. Hopefully the article is just plain wrong. I bank at a CU where they just give me dumb looks free when I ask for dollar coins, so I was perfectly willing to believe the Native coins would not be issued.

[gazhekwe]

Radley Balko of Reason.TV comments on three cases, including the John T. Williams case in Seattle, and a raid on a Detroit area recording studio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=jVf-iintxio

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 3

"We know that in all creation, only the human family has strayed from the Sacred Way."
-- OJIBWA Prayer

How have we gotten so far off track? What has happened to us? What is happening to our family? How did it happen so quickly? Every individual needs to answer these questions for themselves. What do we need to do to start living the Sacred Way again? Pray! Today I will start praying. I pray the Creator will lead all Native People to a great healing. I pray we'll be free from alcohol and drugs. I pray we will return to the culture, to spirituality and to unity.

My Mother, help us to heal ourselves. Make us strong again.

[gazhekwe]

Michigan Messenger: Env. group asks Snyder to stop U.P. mine

By Ed Brayton | 03.30.11 | 7:52 am

A newly formed group called WAVE is asking Gov. Rick Snyder to halt construction of a new nickel sulfide mine in the Upper Peninsula to prevent environmental damage that the mine will cause.

The mine is owned by Kennecott Minerals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and it has been extremely controversial not only because of the environmental threats but also because it exists on the site called Eagle Rock that is considered sacred by local Native American tribes.

WAVE wants Snyder to take action, saying in a press release:

Representatives of WAVE, a new grassroots environmental coalition, met today with Greg Andrews, Governor Snyder’s Upper Peninsula representative. They brought a letter to the governor, calling for an immediate halt to construction of the Eagle Mine on the Yellow Dog Plains.

WAVE asks that EPA mining experts prepare an impact study that encompasses all aspects of the Eagle Project, including mining, transport, and milling of ore. WAVE contends that the environmental impact statement funded and prepared by Kennecott Minerals did not meet the requirements of the new law regulating nonferrous metallic sulfide mining in Michigan.

Accompanying the letter were petitions signed by over 15,000 persons, including doctors and health care professionals who oppose development of the mine because of the risks posed to the region’s water resources and to the health of people dependent upon it…

Parker explained that the choice facing the Governor—whether to halt the mine’s development or allow the portal to be blasted—will impact the health of people in the Upper Great Lakes Region. She continued, “This is Governor Snyder’s opportunity to take a long term view of what is best for Michigan’s citizens and not jump at the fast money and short term economic gain represented by the Eagle Mine’s development.”

Two of Snyder’s closest advisers, Bill Rustem and Dennis Muchmore, have ties to the Kennecott mine. Rustem’s firm lobbied for the project and Muchmore’s wife Deb does PR work for the company.
Kennecott is facing a lawsuit in Wisconsin over water pollution from a closed mine they own there.


http://standfortheland.com/2011/03/3...stop-u-p-mine/

[gazhekwe]

Little Traverse and Grand Traverse Bands sued for an injunction to stop the casino, and the judge ruled in favor of closing it while its legality is determined. I went by on Saturday night and the casino is sporting a sign,

Closed until further notice, due to action by the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa and the Grand Traverse Band of Ojibwe and Odawa.

See this Indian News report.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghw4A3bTTCE

This latest report from Indian News has an interesting discussion on the effects of climate change on Alaska coastal villages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNm-z..._order&list=UL

And this one features some interesting news about the Cobell suit, lawyers battling over fees which greatly exceed the individual plaintiff awards, a report on the civil rights investigation into the Seattle PD, and a story about a Smithsonian traveling exhibit about people of African and American Indian descent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2WRa...eature=related

[gazhekwe]

Pow wow season is upon us. The Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, the world's largest, will be at the U of NM, Albuquerqe April 28,29 and 30.

To get ready, here is some info about the popular and beautiful Grass Dance from Indian Country Today:

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwor...e-grass-dance/

As with many indigenous dances, the origins of the grass dance are both unclear and disputed. Beginning in the northern plains tribes—particularly Omaha-Ponca and Dakota-Sioux—the dance’s northern roots are acknowledged, but the dance is now considered largely intertribal. Ironically, grass dance owes its longevity and thorough dissemination in part to a modernization of ceremonies prompted by early 20th-century oppression. In an attempt to stabilize during a period of rapid cultural conversions by the United States government, it became important to both preserve and spread dances—including the merging of many tribal dances that formed what we now know as grass dance—to preserve indigenous unity.

It’s a history that’s not lost on today’s dancers: “The most important thing with grass dancing is respect,” says Wanbli Charging Eagle [[Lakota Sioux and Ojibwe), one of the top grass dancers at the 2010 Gathering of Nations. “Respect the ones that came before you, the ones that actually paved the way for all us grass dancers.”

Geographic origins aside, spiritual, practical, and legend-oriented explanations of grass dance abound. The dominant legend is that a Northern Plains boy, born handicapped yet yearning to dance, was told by his medicine man to seek inspiration in the prairie. Upon doing so, the boy had a vision of himself dancing in the style of the swaying grasses; he returned to his village, shared his vision, and eventually was given back the use of his legs through the first-ever grass dance.

A practical origin is more generally cited, however: To settle a new area, create an appropriate venue for a tribal meeting, or secure an arena for a ceremony, high grasses had to be trampled down to ensure visibility. Scouts would stomp on the grasses to flatten them, and the grass dance grew from there. Yet another strain of the dance’s genesis points toward the importance of dried grass in the warrior’s life: It could be used as tinder, or even as makeshift stockings, for warmth. The regalia honors the role of grass in the warrior’s life—and indeed, grass dance societies often grew from warrior societies. In fact, a grisly theory states that once upon a time, warriors would do victory dances with scalps attached to their garments. Dried grass came to stand in for scalps, then yarn for grass.

But it’s not only the province of warriors: Women have danced it on occasion. There are 19th-century photographs of women grass dancing, and in the 1970s—a heyday of women’s rights and native consciousness—women participated, wearing men’s regalia. Today, this has died down and it is considered a men’s dance, but it remains a popular choice for women to flirt with during switch dance.

Like other dances, balance and symmetry are essential. What the body does on one side, it must do on the other. The movements evoke the grass-trampling theory of the dance’s origins, as dancers seem to be stamping down grasses. Its evolution has led to a broader repertoire of moves: The kicks are a shade higher now, the spins a hint faster, and dancers are likelier to travel around the arena than they were even 15 years ago. Yet the dance remains unmistakably true to its roots: While Charging Eagle consistently honors his ancestors and tribe by sticking to the roots of grass dance, he also acknowledges that adding one’s own essence helps keep the dance alive. “I try to outdo myself, not the other dancers,” he says. “Grass dance is about movement, footwork, and style—the beat is medium so there are so many things you can do with your body.”

The most distinctive component of grass dance regalia is the yarn that adorns every piece. From a fringed cape to apron and leggings, sweeping lengths of yarn evoke grasses swaying in the wind, their weight bouncing with every step the dancer takes. The headpiece is usually the only item that uses feathers, keeping two roach feathers secured with a spreader. Some dancers also affix “antennae” fashioned out of anything from guitar strings to car choke cables, topped with a tuft of down. Ankle bells—often sheep or sleigh bells—keep time with the music.

Connected to the cosmos through the alert headpiece feather, to the earth through his moccasins, and to the flora through his regalia and movements, the grass dancer also connects with his people. “When I dance, I feel like I’m representing my family and my tribe,” says Charging Eagle. “When I travel, when I go all over with this dance, I take them with me and represent them the best way I can. I’m dancing more for my people than for myself.”

[gazhekwe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFbv2...&feature=share

[gazhekwe]

Host seems to think shutting government down will be a good idea, no one will miss it. Analyst disagrees and explains the many difficult problems a shutdown will cause.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFbv2...&feature=share

[gazhekwe]

This is happening in Washington State, but we hear it all the time in Michigan as well, Indians don't pay taxes.

Facts first, Indians who do not live on a reservation pay taxes just like everyone else. Income taxes to city, Michigan and the US, property taxes, sales taxes, business taxes, you name it, we pay it.

On the res, we still pay taxes: If we work off res, we pay state, federal and city income taxes. If we work on the res, we pay federal taxes, all of them, medicare, social security and income taxes. We don't pay state taxes on gasoline and tobacco, but all the other ones, yes we do. We don't pay property taxes because our home is on community land. We non-res dwellers get a break on gas tax on the res, but not on tobacco tax.

The Gaming Compact each tribe has with the US and MIchigan provides 2% of the gross casino revenues be paid to local communities and compact specific amounts to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation/Michigan Strategic Fund. They don't call it a tax, but it works the same way. For example, In the Sault, the downtown area, War Memorial hospital and LSSU all show the benefits of the gaming compact with expanded facilities and programs paid for with Compact funding.

Now for the article:

Setting the Record Straight on Indian Taxation in Washington

April 2, 2011

by Galanda Broadman, PLLC

Late this week, Washington State Republicans introduced three bills, seeking to balance the state’s budget on the backs of Washington’s 29 tribal governments. A legal and economic reality check is in order.

Those bills are:

HB 2044 Concerning equity and fairness through the creation and regulation of electronic scratch ticket machines for nontribal gambling establishments.

HB 2045 Providing for fairness, equity, and transparency of tax preferences for federally recognized Indian tribes.

HB 2046 Concerning legislative involvement with compacts and compact amendments.

In support of those bills, Republican House members argue for “closing tribal tax loopholes.” Here are some of the facts the Republicans either [[a) do not understand, [[b) do not care to understand, or [[c) understand but do not care to help the public understand.

1. State taxation of Indian gaming revenues has been per se barred by Congress via the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Period. Still, local Republicans aspire to require “the non-taxpaying tribal mega casinos to pay a tax on the profits they make from the exclusive games they operate.” Until they can figure out a way to do that [[they can’t), they hope to allow the largest expansion of gaming in the state’s history, over-promising new state tax revenues. Indeed, according to a commercial gaming industry expert, the proposal “would cut into sales tax revenues in other segments of the state economy.”

2. Governments don’t tax other governments. Instead, governments — be they state, local or tribal — work with each other to devise accords that reflect the needs of each government in relation to the services they provide the public. That is why, according to one study, “[n]early every state that has Indian lands within its borders has reached some type of tax agreement with the tribes” — including Washington.

3. State and local governments are already adequately compensated for the services they provide to tribal members. Under the economics of “tax exporting,” it is frequently tribal governments – not state or local governments –- who bear a disproportionate financial burden associated with the services they provide.

4. Washington State cannot legally enforce its fuel and tobacco excise tax regime on Indian reservations, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. Washington v. Confederated Tribes of Colville Indian Reservation, 447 U.S. 134, 162 [[1980); Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Potawatomi Tribe, 498 U.S. 505, 514 [[1991). Therefore, heeding advice from the High Court, the state has entered into fuel and tobacco tax compacts with tribes, in part so it can collect something from reservation-based fuel and tobacco sales, instead of engaging zero-sum litigation and enforcement activities.

5. Ten years ago, researchers at the Evergreen State College opined that Washington tribal governments contributed an estimated $140 million annually to the state and local tax structure. Today tribal tax contributions to the state are likely far greater, due in large part to the diversification of Washington tribal economies beyond gaming and tobacco commerce. Tribes are already contributing their so-called fair share of taxes.

One can only hope that the facts will enter the legislative discourse about HB 2044, 2045 and 2046.

Gabriel “Gabe” Galanda is a partner at Galanda Broadman PLLC, of Seattle, an American Indian majority-owned law firm. He is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of Covelo, California. Gabe co-authored “Taxing Times in Native America,” Washington State Bar News, January 2011. He can be reached at 206.691.3631 or gabe@galandabroadman.com, or via galandabroadman.com.

[gazhekwe]

The Mother Earth Water Walk for this year started yesterday. The grandmothers and others started walking the perimeter of our Great Lakes in 2003 carrying their water to show how we need our water and support responsible use of water and keeping it clean.

Having completed circumnavigating the Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway last year, the walkers are now treading other waterways. The Western walk started yesterday in Aberdeen, Washington.

http://www.motherearthwaterwalk.com/...130&Itemid=134

This is the schedule in our area:

June 2, 3 Newberry, Michigan
June 4, 5 Munising, Michigan
June 6, 7 Marquette, Michigan
June 8 Ishpeming, Michigan
June 9 Ironwood, Michigan
...June 10 Bad River, Wisconsin

[gazhekwe]

Click on the interactive map:

http://emptyglassforwater.ca/map/

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 15 "When people live far from the scenes of the Great Spirit's making, it's easy for them to forget his laws."
-- Walking Buffalo, STONEY

Society today is way off track. Unfortunately, many Indian people are caught up in these modern times. The Elders are telling us we must wake up! We must come back to the culture because this is where His laws are. If we don't follow these laws, we will be unhappy. We cannot do things just because everybody is doing them. This does not make it right. We must follow what the Great Spirit says we must do. We need to pray hard for the courage to come back and live according to the culture. It will be difficult at first but worth it in the end. We must teach our children the culture.

Great Spirit, today, let me listen to the warnings of the Elders.

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 2

"Each creature has a medicine, so there are many medicines. Because they are so close to the Creator, they are to communicate that medicine. Then they bring help and health." -- Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

The Elders say everything has a purpose and everything has a will. We should never interfere with purpose or the will of everything. Every plant, creature, animal, insect, and human being has a purpose to be here on the Earth. Each has a special medicine to contribute for the good of all things. Each person also has good medicine, a special talent, a special gift. These medicines are to help others or to help make us healthy. What is your special medicine?

Creator, today, help me discover and use my medicine to serve a greater good

Personally, I have a little trouble applying this concept to some insects. Here in balmy Florida, it is hard to remember that a Palmetto Bug has purpose, a medicine gift for Beings of the Earth. That is a good lesson, taking the creepiest critter and seeing it as a purposeful Being equal in its own right to anything human. Palmetto Bugs are big enough to look like they have a purpose, and for some reason, to me, that makes the poor things especially creepy.

For one troubled in Spirit, it is good to remember that we all have special gifts from the Creator to make the Earth a better place. Sometimes, in dark moments, that is good to remember.

For Earth Day, Respect for all things of Earth is the Key to protecting and nurturing our Mother so we can all be healthy.

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - April 26

"If those bad words come, I let them come in one ear and go out the other. I never let them come out of my mouth. If a bad word comes in your ear and then comes out of your mouth, it will go someplace and hurt somebody. If I did that, that hurt would come back twice as hard on me."

-- Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

What do we do with temptations when they come? What do we do when we hear gossip? What do we do when we hear bad things? If we hear these things and pass them on we will not only hurt the other person, but we will do harm to ourselves. We must be careful not to hurt others. Whatever we sow we will simultaneously reap for ourselves. We must be accountable for our own actions.

Great Spirit, today, let no words come from my lips that would hurt another

[gazhekwe]

I have been back in Michigan for a few days now, and it is really beautiful to see Spring advancing, slowly,subtly. The neighbors' redbud came in bloom as I walked my dog around the neighborhood after breakfast. When we left, not a sign, when we got back, the barest blush of beautiful deep pink was showing. By lunchtime, she was in full bloom. My spring beauties are twinkling on the lawn, and the daffodils and hyacinths are at their best right now. Some of the hostas are putting up blooms already, and the pansies are showing themselves in sunny places. Fred and Ethel, the mallard couple, are back, strolling wing to wing through the yards on our corner. We never see ducklings, and of course, I have no way of knowing if it really is the same Fred and Ethel every year, but they have been our spring neighbors for at least ten years. I just saw a goldfinch, already outfitted in courting yellow. What a spectacular sight!

Does anyone remember the story of Spring, and the spring beauties?

Posts 301 and 336 [[note, they came out two weeks earlier last year)

[gazhekwe]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...ement30m.htmla

City to pay $1.5 million to family of slain woodcarver
By Steve Miletich and Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times staff reporters




John T. Williams
Ending one chapter of a shooting that jolted the Seattle Police Department, the city has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle claims brought by the family of John T. Williams, the First Nations woodcarver killed by a police officer.

The Aug. 30 shooting of Williams, a chronic street inebriate, was found to be unjustified by the Seattle Police Department's Firearms Review Board and led to the resignation of the officer, Ian Birk, earlier this year.

The agreement, announced Friday by the City Attorney's Office, followed a confidential mediation in which the city considered claims raised by Williams' mother and representatives of his estate.

No formal claim or lawsuit was filed by the family, although the family was prepared to file a federal suit.

"This is one step toward justice, but it is only a step," Rick Williams, a brother of John T. Williams and administrator of his estate, said in a prepared statement. "Nothing can make up for the loss of my brother."

Williams' mother, Ida Edward, of Vancouver, B.C., stands to collect the entire settlement. The city and Birk made no admissions of liability under the settlement, which releases both from further civil litigation.

Birk, 28, resigned Feb. 16, hours after the Police Department released the scathing findings of the firearms board, which concluded he acted outside the department's "policy, tactics and training" when he shot Williams four times at the intersection of Boren Avenue and Howell Street near downtown.

After Birk resigned, Police Chief John Diaz formally fired him for misconduct.
On the day Birk quit, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg announced he would not bring criminal charges against Birk, who joined the department in 2008.

Satterberg said state law prohibited him from filing charges because Birk believed Williams, who was carrying a knife, posed a threat. Satterberg said there was no evidence Birk acted with malice, noting that police officers are given more protection against criminal prosecution for homicide than ordinary citizens.

Williams' family has asked the King County Superior Court judges to convene a citizen grand jury to consider whether Birk should be criminally charged. The court is reviewing the request, which was filed March 16.

Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal review of the shooting to determine whether Birk should be charged with violating Williams' civil rights. The shooting also was one of several high-profile incidents in the past year that prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil-rights investigation into the Police Department's use of force and treatment of minorities.

Under the agreement with Williams' family, the city will pay $1.25 million to his estate, where it will be held in escrow until issues involving the distribution of funds are resolved.

An additional $250,000 will be placed into a trust for Edward. She and her family are members of the Ditidaht tribe, part of Canada's Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations.

A special representative will be appointed to represent other potential heirs, although none has been found or come forward, the City Attorney's Office said in a statement.
If no heir is found other than Edward, the remainder of the settlement funds will go to her and not to Rick Williams or other siblings, said Connie Sue Manos Martin, an attorney for the family and the estate.

She said a draft of a federal lawsuit was presented to the city as part of the mediation.
Edward, 76, speaking by telephone from the nursing home where she lives in Vancouver, B.C., said of the payment: "Well, it seems like a funny thing. My son gets shot, and I get the money. I'm hurt by it. Because my son is underground.

"He had to be underground for me to be given a treat. Although he always gave me treats when he was alive. He has given me a bigger treat. John was always treating me. So he treated me with his life. He died and he gave me some money."

She said she misses her son. "Not one night goes by without me calling out and talking to him, I say, 'Good night, baby.' I say that to all my children."

Asked how she feels about the settlement, Edward had a two-word answer. "It hurts."
According to the city attorney's statement, the mediation followed "positive meetings" aimed at building trust between Seattle police and the Native-American community.

"The parties are pleased to be able to resolve the case without protracted litigation that could have incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees," the statement said.
Kimberly Mills, spokeswoman for City Attorney Pete Holmes, said she couldn't discuss what occurred in mediation.

"I can say that city attorneys looked at cases around the country and the $1.5 million was within the range the City expected to settle for," she said in an email.

The shooting occurred after Birk, while driving his patrol car, saw Williams cross the street holding a piece of wood and the knife, which had a 3-inch blade. Williams used the knife for carving, his family said.

Birk got out of his car and followed Williams onto the sidewalk. He shouted at Williams to get his attention and ordered him three times to put down the knife. About four seconds after the first command, Birk fired when Williams didn't respond.

At a court inquest into the shooting in January, Birk testified he was initially concerned because Williams showed signs of impairment while carrying a knife. When he sought to question Williams, he said, Williams turned toward him with a "very stern, very serious, very confrontational look."

Birk told jurors he fired because Williams "still had the knife out" and was in "a very confrontational posture."

Two witnesses contradicted Birk, saying they didn't see Williams do anything threatening.

The eight-member jury reached mixed findings on the shooting. Four of eight jurors found that Birk wasn't facing an imminent threat when he fatally shot Williams, and that he didn't give Williams sufficient time to put down the knife.

One juror found that Birk faced a threat and gave Williams sufficient time; three others answered "unknown."

Four jurors determined Birk believed he was in danger when he encountered Williams, while four others answered "unknown."

Williams' knife was found in the closed position after the shooting.

The firearms board concluded Birk didn't properly identify himself as a police officer and acted too quickly. It also determined Birk didn't appropriately assess the situation, including options such as taking cover.

When the shooting findings were released, Deputy Chief Clark Kimerer, who authored the report, said Birk's actions were "among the most egregious failings that I have seen."

Weeks after the shooting, the department took steps to bolster its training and community relations.

[gazhekwe]

The community, led by Rick Williams and other members of the Williams carving family, are carving a totem pole in memory of John T. Williams. The project started in mid-March, with the goal to complete and raise the pole on August 28, the one year anniversary of Williams' death. This morning the pole was moved from 'Indian Park' to the Waterfront by volunteers. It continues to be a community gathering spot as the carvers work on it and teach others the carving techniques. Many many hands, young and old, have already contributed shape to the pole.

I hope this links to a picture of the totem pole's new location.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=1948106216116&set=a.1217848840138.2 034341.1046372144&type=1&theater

And this is Rick Williams teaching a young boy some carving techniques, with other pictures in the same vein.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=126615024082560&set=a.1266150174158 94.29302.100002021890988&type=1&theater

[gazhekwe]

http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2011/05...l-pursuit.html

American Indian Trivial Pursuit

Which American Indian player currently pitches for the New York Yankees?

The quiz show will be located at the National Museum of the American Indian, at the entrance of the Activity Center, opening this fall. It can be played by one to three people. There will be a time limit for answering.

There are about 100 questions developed so far, based upon questions the staff hear every day, and things showing the creativity and innovation of American Indians, and showing American Indians in current life. The categories include American Indians 101, Statistics, Geography, Sports, Pop Culture.

Correct answers will be given in detail with a small graphic to enhance learning.

Answer: Joba Chamberlain, Winnebago [I didn't know that one]

Can't wait to play the game, and I wish they would sell a home version.

[gazhekwe]

Ojibwe Woman Part of Inaugural Women’s Olympic Boxing

By Sam Laskaris May 3, 2011
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/05/ojibwe-woman-part-of-inaugural-womens-olympic-boxing/


At any time of the day one might find Mary Spencer shadow-boxing and then pumping her arms in the air. “I do it constantly,” said Spencer, a 26-year-old aboriginal boxer who lives in Tecumseh, a suburb of Windsor, Ontario. “I’m pretending I just won a gold medal.”

By next summer, Spencer, an Ojibwe originally from the Cape Croker First Nation near Wiarton, Ontario may not have to pretend any more, because she is picked to win a medal—possibly even a gold—when women’s boxing makes its Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games. Spencer already has a rather impressive résumé: She has won three world championships and is the defending International Amateur Boxing

Association women’s world champion in the 75-kilogram [[165 pounds) division. She won a pair of world crowns in the 66-kilogram division, in Russia in 2005 and in China in 2008, but decided to put on some weight when the International Olympic Committee added just three weight classes—51, 60 and 75 kilograms—at the London Olympics.
Spencer also won a silver medal at a Pan American Games qualifying tournament in Venezuela in late March, which earned her a spot at the Pan American Games, which will be staged in Guadalajara, Mexico this October. Women’s boxing will make its Pan American debut at those Games.

She started boxing back in 2002 at the age of 17 but had been enthralled by the sport for years. “I thought about boxing when I was 12 years old,” she said. “I thought it was cool, but I wasn’t allowed to do it.” Instead, the very athletic Spencer was a star on her high school basketball, soccer and volleyball teams.

Spencer, who has won three world championships, will be in London next summer prospecting for gold.

When she was a bit older she decided to try boxing, in part because she wanted to join a friend who was taking it up to lose weight.

Charlie Stewart, a coach at the Windsor Amateur Boxing Club who has worked with Spencer since she started in the sport, said, “I saw she was a tall lady with a long reach.” [[She’s just under six feet tall.) “I hadn’t worked with a lot of women in boxing but I was interested. I saw she had natural ability.” Stewart, 69, has some impressive credentials himself. He’s coached boxers at the last three summer Olympics, and believes he’ll be joining Spencer in London next year. “Her chances of winning the gold are excellent,” he said. “I don’t want to be too cocky, but she’s probably one of the best [female] boxers I’ve seen.”

Stewart saw Spencer’s dedication immediately when she started attending his early-morning workouts, usually at six a.m. but sometimes earlier, without complaint. “If the fighters were interested, I knew they’d get up at that time,” he said. “Mary is a very smart person. She understood very quickly I know what I’m talking about. You don’t get to the Olympics just by wanting to go.”

Spencer’s father, Cliff, is now one of her biggest boxing supporters but he wasn’t too keen on the sport when Mary, the fourth of his five children, told him that she wanted to try boxing. “I told her to get into something else,” he said. “I discouraged it. I told her this ain’t for girls. But she liked it.”

Stewart was able to convince Cliff that his daughter had plenty of potential, in large part because of her ability to throw impressive punches with either hand. It didn’t take long for her to start making a name for herself in boxing. She won her first fight, just five months after she started training, and captured her first Ontario championship in 2003, a year after she took up the sport. Her first national title followed in 2004. By the following year she was ready to compete in her first world championship. Getting her to Russia, though, was a financial challenge. Fortunately, Ted Farron, who has worked as her cornerman since 2005, stepped up. Farron, a past chairman of the Windsor District Chamber of Commerce, approached many of his business contacts, and donations small and large came pouring in. “We probably raised $5,000,” Farron said.

In Russia, Spencer won her first world title, and Farron has continued to raise funds for Spencer and her Windsor club since then. He believes it’s a rewarding position. “She doesn’t get into trouble with the law or the police,” he said. “Some of our boxers at the club have been sidetracked by things like that and are getting into trouble. But Mary doesn’t do any of those things.”

Spencer has an impressive record of 115-8, but she isn’t planning to have too many fights in the near future. “This year will be a lot of training for me,” she said. On average she trains about 35 hours per week. “If you’re wondering what hobbies I have, the answer is ‘not many,’ ” she said. “A lot of time goes to recovery, because training is really demanding.”

She was halfway to earning a psychology degree from the University of Windsor in 2009, but she put her academics on hold to train full-time after the announcement that women’s boxing would be included in the 2012 Olympics.

She eventually wants to complete her degree, before possibly becoming a boxing coach. “I want to use psychology to my advantage in sport, especially if I’m going to be a high-performance coach.”

She doesn’t know how much longer she’ll continue to box. “It’s hard to say. My coach says I should win the Olympics gold medal and then retire. But I can’t see myself not boxing after the Olympics.”

[gazhekwe]

Bin Laden Code-name “Geronimo” Is a Bomb in Indian Country

By Lise Balk King May 3, 2011

The US government may have captured and killed Osama Bin Laden with a surgical strike, but it also dropped a bombshell on Native America in the process.

“We’ve ID’d Geronimo,” said the voice of the Navy SEAL who reported the hunt for Osama bin Laden was over. The President, and all those gathered in the situation room, waited on edge for the voice to return with the triumphant news, that in fact, “Geronimo” was dead.

According to multiple sources, “Geronimo-E KIA” is the message that was sent to the White House by the strike team to announce that bin Laden, the “E,” or Enemy, was Killed In Action.

As news of bin Laden’s death spread relief across America and the world, revelations that the assigned code name of Enemy Number One was “Geronimo,” a legendary Apache leader, caused shock waves in Indian communities across the country. It is being interpreted as a slap in the face of Native people, a disturbing message that equates an iconic symbol of Native American pride with the most hated evildoer since Adolf Hitler.

The death of bin Laden is arguably the most important news story of the year, and embedded within it is a message that an Indian warrior, a symbol of Native American survival in the face of racial annihilation, is associated with modern terrorism and the attacks on 9/11.

The “bin Laden is dead” news story will make thousands of impressions on the minds of people around the globe, and the name Geronimo will now be irrevocably linked with the world’s most reviled terrorist.

Potentially the most disturbing fact is what this says to American Indian children. It equates being Native American with being hated, an enemy to the world, and someone to be hunted down and killed, and re-casts one of their heroes into a villainous role.
Time Magazine’s Swampland blog first reported the details yesterday that the target, Osama bin Laden, was code-named Geronimo, in keeping with The White House’s afternoon press conference.

But the story coming from the White House evolved by evening, with what appears to be a “re-tooling” of the message, which now states that the “mission” was code-named Geronimo.

The CNN White House blog featured a historic black and white photo of Geronimo and the headline, “Osama bin Laden codename “Geronimo”, for the duration of the afternoon at whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com. There is currently a post with the title “Osama bin Laden mission codename ‘Geronimo” [[emphasis added) with a timestamp of 4:46 PM, though some commenters express outrage over the earlier title.

Tribal members from around the country are turning to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter as an outlet to express their anger and sadness at the unwelcome association. “This sucks,” said Harold Monteau, an attorney and tribal member from Rocky Boy, Montana, “A lot of people are angry about the obvious stereotypes it implies.”

“It’s another attempt to label Native Americans as terrorists,” said Paula Antoine from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Beaver North Cloud, a JemezPueblo tribal member from Albuquerque, New Mexico expressed her frustration, saying “Damn it!!!!! Why am I not surprised, yet so disappointed beyond words.”

It is unthinkable to many tribal people that the reviled killer and enemy of all Americans, Osama bin Laden, would be code-named after perhaps the most famous American Indian. But it is especially ironic in light of the fact that Native Americans historically serve in the United States Armed Forces in higher numbers per capita than any other ethnic group, and have been doing so for over 200 years.

More than 12,000 tribal members stepped up to fight in WWI for a country that did not recognize them as citizens. In 1924, the passage of the Snyder Act finally granted them citizenship, gave them the “right” to vote, and made them eligible for the draft. In WWII, they signed up in numbers far outpacing their expected contributions. More than 44,000 tribal members enlisted for military service out of an estimated total population of just over 350,000.

This makes one wonder: How many American Indians are serving in the Navy today, and how many are members of the SEALs, the heroic soldiers who performed the daring mission that took out bin Laden Sunday night?

In any case, this incredible lapse in judgment on the part of the Department of Defense, code named “Geronimo,” presents an opportunity to finally teach the American public, and the world, another lesson in American history.

Yes, it’s true that Geronimo and his cohorts were fierce warriors and chiefs, and they fought bravely against the decimation of their homes and families. It’s also true that their descendents are on the battlefield today, in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq. They help to defend us against those who would commit acts of terror on what is now our shared homeland, which was once theirs alone.

They stand shoulder to shoulder with American citizens of all races. It’s time for the rest of America to stand with them.

Lise Balk King is a Masters in Public Administration candidate at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, class of 2011.


http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwor...ndian-country/

Lloyd Goings, another American Indian Veteran, said he has never been so offended in all his life.

“I just heard it on CNN that bin Laden’s code name was Geronimo. That was the most racist thing that they could do to us. I haven’t been this mad in a long time. They place us in the same category as the world’s most wanted terrorists. They called us terrorists. They let us serve their country and die for them and then they tag us with this? All the Indian Veterans are angry. They just demeaned every Indian that ever served this country. That just shows what the Pentagon and the CIA thinks of us.”


Native Sun News

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NAJA Statement on "Geronimo" Codename for Osama Bin Laden

The Native American Journalists Association [[NAJA) is very grateful and proud that the US government captured one of the biggest terrorists known to mankind, however, in doing so, the US government once again contributed to the stereotyping of Native Americans by utilizing a historical Native icon such as Geronimo, to set the scene for American ridicule by comparing him to the capturing and killing of Osama bin Laden.

The information distributed to multiple media sources across the nation, on the US government's behalf, has proven to the Native Nations across the board, that the American people in addition to the US government still don't understand that we, the Native People of this land, are not here for constant public humiliation.

In the New York Time's article, "Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama bin Laden," Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A. director, narrated "We have a visual on Geronimo," he said. A few minutes later: "Geronimo EKIA." Enemy Killed In Action.

Since this information hit the news stands through out the nation, NAJA has received numerous calls of complaint from our fellow colleagues and tribal members who were upset to find out that again, our Native People are being equated to a terrorist/murderer/enemy number one. We ask the Federal Government: could there not have been another name used in reference to this attack? Could we not have used another infamous enemy in reference to Bin Laden? Say, perhaps, Custer or Columbus?

Throughout American history, our Native people have served in this country's military in the highest numbers per capita of any racial group and yet sadly this is the way they are repaid for their service given to the United States.

Both the Comanche and Navajo Nations helped the United States in World War II with their language used as codes. George Red Elk, Comanche Indian Veterans Association Commander said he was, "very upset that the code name that was chosen for the operation of killing Osama bin Laden. The Comanche Nation, as well as all Native American Nations, have served this country honorably and many have paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure we can still have the freedoms that are in our US Constitution."

Since 2001, 61 American Indians and Alaskan Natives have died defending our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 400 have been wounded. Native Nations also lost Lori Piestewa, the Hopi woman, believed to be the first Native American woman ever to die in combat while serving in the US military. All our Native service men and women have served honorably and continue to serve.

This is not a matter of being sensitive; it's a matter of respect. It's time the United States respect the original people of this land and the Native people who step up to defend our freedoms.

It is unacceptable for the United States to equate Geronimo with Osama bin Laden. Geronimo stood up for his people, their traditions, and the land they lived upon. Geronimo was no terrorist. He was a member of North America's homeland security, and Native North Americans will never forget that.

We ask the federal government to apologize for the use of Geronimo's name with this operation as many of our Native Nations have been offended.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 7

"We must all become caretakers of the Earth." -- -- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders

Mother Earth is the source of all life. We should not only be concerned about the part of the Earth we live on, but we should be concerned about the parts of the Earth that other people live on. The Earth is one great whole. The trees in Brazil generate the air in the Untied States. If the trees are cut in Brazil, it affects the air that all people breathe. Every person needs to conscientiously think about how they respect the Earth. Do we dump our garbage out of the car? Do we poison the water? Do we poison the air? Am I taking on the responsibility of being a caretaker of the Earth?

Great Spirit, today, I will be aware of the Earth. I will be responsible

What can I do today?

Keep recycling waste as much as possible. Plant those withered potatoes for a good food crop later on.

Work on compost pile.

Remember to use Dishwasher after peak electric use hours

Consolidate errands to save on some of that $4.50/gallon gas [[Yikes)

Dig dandelions instead of poisoning them. Dandelion greens are tasty, too. The roots are healthy as well. Maybe some good dandelion green soup?

Cream of Dandelion Green Soup

2 pounds [[about 6 cups) dandelion greens, trimmed and washed
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
2 large leeks, white and light parts only, cleaned and sliced
1 carrot, cleaned and diced
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard [[optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Dandelion buds and/or flower petals for garnish

1. If using more mature or very bitter tasting greens, blanch them in a pot of boiling salted water, then drain and squeeze out the excess water, chop and set aside.
2. Heat butter or oil in a large pot over medium high heat, add greens, carrot and leeks and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes.
3. Add stock and simmer for about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in milk, cook stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
4. Puree mix in a tightly-covered blender until smooth, taking care with the hot liquid. Season with salt and pepper, and add Dijon if you like.
5. Serve in bowls and garnish with flowers or buds [sauteed buds are very tasty as well]


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cre...#ixzz1Lfi7JK1K

Beneficial uses of dandelions:

http://vitamins.ultimatefatburner.co...lion-root.html

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Civil War graves honored for two Native American sharpshooters
Brandon Hubbard [[231)439-9374 - bhubbard@petoskeynews.com 11:59 a.m. EDT, May 9, 2011

BOYNE CITY -- After a century of anonymity the unmarked graves of two American Indian sharpshooters from the Civil War received their full honors Saturday at Maple Lawn Cemetery.

The two Union soldiers, Pvt. John Jacko and William Isaacs, were members of a 140-member American Indian unit of the Michigan Sharpshooters known as Company K that fought in some of the fiercest battles of the Civil War, including the Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania and the Siege of Petersburg.

But, following the Civil War many American Indian veterans took their severance pay and were largely forgotten.

In the full tradition of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Traverse City-based Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Robert Finch Camp 14 honored the two veterans with taps and three volleys by riflemen, as well white marble tombstones, recognizing the two men for the first time since their deaths in 1907.

The historical details of Company K had been almost completely undocumented until this past year, when historian Chris Czopek, of Lansing, began self-publishing more than 15 years of sifting through documents and federal records about the unit.

It was Czopek who identified the two graves while researching his book "Who was Who in Company K," is the first historical text of compiled names, dates and details about the unit.

"One of the things I wanted to do was track down every single grave of these soldiers," Czopek said.

The first grave he found was of Jacko, then later Isaacs.

Jacko, who belonged to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians in Leelanau County, enlisted in the Union Army in Grand Rapids in 1845 as a replacement sharpshooter after his father Jacko Penaiswanquot died in the infamous Andersonville prison in Georgia, Czopek said.

"He enlisted in Company K, as if he wanted to take his father's place," Czopek said. "But, despite enlisting at the end of the [[Civil War) he fought in some of the biggest battles and was a true veteran in every sense of the word."

Isaacs was also seasoned veteran.

Twice wounded, the Swan Creek Black River Bands of Ojibwe Indian was with Company K when it was first recruited in 1863 until it was released from duty at the end of the war. First wounded in the leg, Czopek said, Isaacs, who grew up near Saginaw, later sustained a second injury when a mortar round landed directly between his legs -- failing to explode.

"When he healed they put him right back on the front line," Czopek said.

Installing the U.S. Veterans Affairs gravestones gives both honors to the soldiers and a place for their descendants to remember them.

John Jacko's grandson Henry Field, 89, of Petoskey, said growing up he heard stories about his late grandfather and knew he was buried somewhere in the cemetery in Boyne City.

"I knew he was buried here, according to my mother, but she couldn't pinpoint it," Field said.

Now that the grave markers are in place, Fields' grandchildren will have a landmark into their history.

"Here are some of [[my grandchildren) right here," he said pointing to two little girls standing around him.

The event drew about 100 people, including family and Boyne City American Legion members.

To recognize a grave with an official marker the burial site must be both identified and authorized by a direct descendant.

Camp 14 Commander Dale Aurand said the process of making sure Civil War history is not forgotten can be a very long and difficult process that is by no means complete. The Northern Lower Peninsula, Aurand said, is filled with unmarked graves from the Civil War era.

"I would safely say in the hundreds in Northwest Michigan," Aurand said.

Copyright © 2011, Petoskey News

http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/pnr...,2510272.story

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These are some Fun Facts from Native American Encyclopedia:

The Coyote is a clown in the natural world, and in many Native American tribes view the symbolism of the Coyote as that of trickster, shape-shifter, and transformer.

Legend has it Navajo never kill Coyote because of their belief that it accompanied the first man and woman into the entrance of the first physical world.

Also, in the same myth, the Coyote brought with it seeds of life so as to sew new growth upon the new world. This legend depicts the Coyote as a bringer of life and a new birth symbol.

Shoshoni believed the Coyote as an indication of an ending. The sighting of the Coyote was said to bring natural shifts in balance, causing an end [[which, of course, simply makes way for new beginnings, and so on). Essentially, the Coyote is like a “way-maker” of new direction as it went about its symbolic role of representing the cycle of life/death in nature.

Some general animal symbolism of the Coyote:

• Skill
• Instinct
• Ingenuity
• Enthusiasm
• Transformation
• Inventiveness
• Intelligence
• Playfulness
• Resourcefulness

In my mind, the symbolic meaning of Coyote resonates with the stuff of youth. Cocky, rebellious, fearless, spunky, playful….qualities that are electric, raw and driving. Everything about Coyotes seem to say “lean and keen.” So, when the Coyote comes into our awareness, or presents itself as a totem, we’re tapping into a high voltage energy – crazy. Do you ever feel like you’re jump-jivin’ in perfect time? Moments of youthful clarity – simple amusement – dumb luck high. I do, and the Coyote [[sometimes Wolves, and Fox too) often evokes those moments for me. Romp around with the Coyote in a meditation sometime. You’ll see what I mean.

Another intriguing observation which could translate into an interesting symbolic narrative is the idea of instinct. Have no doubt, the Coyote is pure instinct. It’s why they’ve got themes of influence in their symbolic history. Their instinct is so laser-like, seamless; they’ve been given the mantle of “cleverness” and “shape-shifter.” They’re sharp, super sharp, and highly sensory-activated. Coyote’s resourcefulness is second-nature, instinctual.

So what does this mean to us on a symbolic level? Well, in my experience, the Coyote has been helpful in developing my sense of humor. I wish I had one [[a sense of humor). I suspect it’s there, but just gone missing in long, deep bouts of serious seriousness. So, basically, hanging out with the Coyote has helped me lighten up and trust my instincts.

The Coyote tells us to be mindful of our actions – be wary of playing tricks on ourselves or others. Coyote also reminds us that the consequences of our actions effect more than just ourselves.

The Coyote sometimes comes to us with a message about learning from our mistakes, and by learning, we become free from getting trapped. This learning can mean communicating with “our pack” for better understanding [[advice, open dialog, sharing experiences with our closest peeps). Or, learning might be a solo thing, like recognizing a personal mistake, seeing its consequences and vowing not to make that same mistake twice.

This wonderful creature also reminds us that no matter what form we take [[as we “shape-shift” our personality) or how many difficult situations we may find ourselves in – we can always see another side. That’s what shape-shifting is partly about, which is: Being flexible enough to laugh at the fear, and weep at the joy. That may sound contradictory; that’s kinda the crazy-Coyote Way.

http://nativeamericanencyclopedia.co...of-the-coyote/

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Pukawiss brother of Nanabozho, born to live amongst the people, created the hoop dance. Unlike the other boys, Pukawiss did not show an interest in running, swimming or hunting. He only wanted to watch the animals. His fascination with impractical things drove his father’s interest away from him towards his brother Maudjee-kawiss therefore leading to everyone calling him Pukawiss: the disowned or unwanted.

Pukawiss learned so much about life in the movements of eagles, bears, snakes that taking their life would have been wrong. The animals had much to teach the humans about values and relationship like loyalty, kindness and friendship. Pukawiss taught his village about the animals by spinning like an eagle in flight or hopping through grass like rabbits or bouncing like a baby deer. He became a dancer. So many villages wanted him to teach them about the ways of the animals that he had to give up his home and became a permanent visitor. Many women wanted him to settle with them in their village but he preferred to keep moving.

Pukawiss and his brother Cheeby-aub-oozoo added drums and flute to the dance. Later, Pukawiss added the stories of humankind to his performances. He invented the hoop dance to help him with this goal. The dancer became a counsellor with the hoops representing a circle that returns each problem back to the responsibility of its creator.

According to Basil Johnston, ”the hoop is also emblematic of the way things are, in that mischief breeds mischief that eventually returns to haunt and plague the inventor”.

Eventually many became jealous of Pukawiss – his fancy dress, and his skill with the hoops, so they copied him. Like his father, his brother Maudjee-kawiss did not understand his artistic ways and sought to scold him. Pukawiss often provoked his audience by teasing them. As an older brother, he teased his other brothers perhaps once too often.

Insulted by a Pukawiss prank involving the theft of his prize pigeons, Nanabozho angrily razed the mountain under which Pukawiss had been hiding camouflaged as a snake. Pukawiss wasn’t dead but now he had a new job: to taunt those who are too proud. The Anishinaabe believe that we see him each time the wind teases the leaves and soil to dance.

http://nativeamericanencyclopedia.co...he-hoop-dance/

Here is Kevin Locke with 28 hoops. Keep in mind that each separate formation of the dance represents a particular animal, story or concept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqNRLIH4vZk

Here is another one, fewer hoops, better picture quality. You can clearly see the different creatures he represents.