Paging Gazhekwe

[gazhekwe]

A judge in Brazil has ordered a halt to construction of a multi-billion-dollar dam project in the Amazon region.

Judge Carlos Castro Martins barred any work that would interfere with the natural flow of the Xingu river.

He ruled in favour of a fisheries group which argued that the Belo Monte dam would affect local fish stocks and could harm indigenous families who make a living from fishing.
The government says the dam is crucial to meeting growing energy needs.

Judge Martins barred the Norte Energia company behind the project from "building a port, using explosives, installing dikes, building canals and any other infrastructure work that would interfere with the natural flow of the Xingu river, thereby affecting local fish stocks".

Legal battle
He said the building of canals and dikes could have negative repercussions for river communities living off small-scale fishing.
The judge said building work currently underway on accommodation blocks for the project's many workers could continue as it would not interfere with the flow of the river.
The consortium behind the project is expected to appeal against the decision.

In June, the Brazilian environment agency backed the construction, dismissing concerns by environmentalists and indigenous groups who argue that it will harm the world's largest tropical rainforest and displace tens of thousands of people.

The agency, Ibama, said the dam had been subjected to "robust analysis" of its impact on the environment.

The 11,000-megawatt dam would be the third biggest in the world - after the Three Gorges in China and Itaipu, which is jointly run by Brazil and Paraguay.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15102520

[gazhekwe]

Here is a treat! Paul deMain interviews Winona LaDuke about growing the old foods. Winona makes excellent points about sovereignty depending on sustainability.

http://www.livestream.com/indiancoun...edium=ui-thumb

[gazhekwe]

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero in talks with tribe for downtown casino

Published: Friday, September 30, 2011, 11:02 AM Updated: Friday, September 30, 2011, 11:40 AM By Angela Whitlock


Blackjack in Lansing? If the Bernero administration can find a legal avenue for a new casino downtown, yes.
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is in talks with the city of Lansing to bring a casino to town.

MIRS reported late Thursday that Mayor Virg Bernero has been negotiating with the tribe and labor groups.

"There's been a lot of discussion," UAW Local 602 President Art Luna, who has been party to some of the discussions, told MIRS. "It's an opportunity to bring jobs to Lansing."

But there remains some question as to whether any additional casinos can be built in Michigan.

Attorney Richard McClelland consulted with the Bernero administration on the matter. He said it was his opinion that no more casinos could be built in the state, but that Bernero was now working with outside counsel to find another avenue to get the casino built.

Michigan law requires that any new non-Indian casino would need to be approved by voters statewide. A tribe-sponsored casino, like the one Bernero is pursuing, is subject to federal guidelines and regulations.

There's an additional wrinkle to consider as well.

According to the MIRS report, Michigan's tribes agreed not to pursue off-reservation gaming unless the state's other tribes approved of the new casino.

[gazhekwe]

CEDAR, MICHIGAN - Derek Bailey, tribal chairman of the Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, based in Peshawbestown, Michigan announced today that he will run for Congress representing Michigan's 1st Congressional District.



Derek Bailey greets
President Obama

Bailey, 38, is currently serving in his first term as tribal chairman of his Tribe. His term ends in May 2012 and he is reportedly not seeking reelection as tribal chairman.

Bailey will run as a Democrat. He will have opposition from at least one other Democrat in the primary election to be held next August 7, 2012. Former State Representative Gary McDowell has already announced in candidacy on September 14. McDowell lost to the incumbent Dan Benishek, Republican.

Michigan's 1st Congressional District was previously held by Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak, who served from 1993 to 2011. Stupak chose not to seek reelection in 2010.

The newly reconfigured District One Congressional seat includes all of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and several counties in the Lower Peninsular. The newly drawn Congressional district contains eight of the twelve federally recognized American Indian tribes, based in Michigan.

Republican Tom Cole, an enrolled tribal member of the Chickasaw Tribe from Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District, is the only American Indian presenting serving in Congress. Less than ten American Indians have served in Congress during the history of the United States.

A graduate of Grand Valley State University, with a Master's of Social Work degree, Bailey returned home to work for his Tribe as a clinical counselor prior to first being elected to the Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and then as its tribal chairman.

Bailey was named to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education by President Obama last year.

[gazhekwe]

Why American Indians Need to be on the Ballot
Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Condition.

American Indians Matter
With the brilliant colors of yellow, orange and red leaves on thousands of trees, autumn is a beautiful time of the year in Upper Michigan. Coupled with the shoreline of a majestic Lake Michigan, driving through Upper Michigan was a great way to spend the first Saturday in October.

I spent Saturday covering the announcement by Derek Bailey's announcement that he is running for Congress in Upper Michigan.
Bailey is the current chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, based in Peshawbestown, Michigan.
While Bailey is an American Indian running for Congress, he is not merely the American Indian candidate. He has already run and won the highest post in his tribe.

There is much more to Bailey's composition than his ethnicity. Bailey is an educated man with great leadership skills who just happens to be an American Indian.

His leadership skills transcend leading the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Among his leadership repertoire is his work on the Munson Medical Center Bioethics Committee; Michigan Land Use Institute Advisory Council; Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Girl Scouts of Crooked Tree Board Member and Central Michigan University School of Social Work Advisory Committee Member.

The thirty-eight year old chairman is stepping out where many American Indians dare not tread.

Bailey has announced his candidacy for Congress ten months before Michigan's primary next August 7, 2012. Given the complexities of Congressional elections with raising money and name recognition, it is not too early. There is a lot of work to be done in ten months.

During the history of the United States, less than ten American Indians have served in Congress. Currently, Republican Tom Cole, an enrolled tribal member of the Chickasaw Tribe from Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District, is the only American Indian presenting serving in Congress.

There need to be more American Indians elected to Congress. We no longer live in a society of "us" and "them." Nor should American Indians allow the "them" treat us as such.

Even with the small size of sheer numbers, which sometimes represents less than five percent of total citizens per locale, American Indians matter. Ask any politician in Upper Michigan. Because of Indian enterprises and tribal governments, American Indian tribes are the largest employers in Upper Michigan. Furthermore, given how many jobs have left Michigan for China and Mexico during the past decade, Michigan would be in a major depression without American Indian enterprises there.

American Indian influence is prevalent in other parts of the country. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which owns the Hard Rock Cafes worldwide, is just one example. Their influence and impact on Florida's economy is significant.

American Indians do matter and should have a loud and clear voice in policy development and decision-making beyond tribal council chambers.

Instead of sitting on the sidelines and looking in and merely criticizing government, American Indians need to get on the ballot and get elected to be on the inside crafting policies in the halls of Congress that impact all Americans.

Even with much work ahead of him, Bailey is to be commended for his entry into mainstream American politics. Other American Indians around the country should do the same.

Driving down from Sault Ste Marie over the Mackinac Bridge towards Traverse City, I enjoyed more the sheer beauty of a Michigan autumn day. I saw a possibility of a new leader in Upper Michigan, who just happens to be an American Indian.
posted October 5, 2011 11:30 am edt

[gazhekwe]

Cherokee Nation Election Commission sets count timeline

06 October 2011 TRAVIS NOLAND, Cherokee Nation



TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation Election Commission will begin on Sunday counting the ballots cast in the recent special election for Principal Chief and they anticipate the process to take multiple days.

“Because of the circumstances surrounding the special election for Principal Chief, the Commission has established a three-day process for counting the election results,” said Susan Plumb, chairperson of the Election Commission. “We know that this has been a long process and people are eager to know who will serve as the next Principal Chief, but the Commission must remain focused on its responsibility of providing the Cherokee people with an accurate, fair and impartial election.”

The Commissioners have taken added security precautions and the timeline was created to decrease the chances of human error. The timeline the Commission has established outlines the process.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, the Commission will begin counting the results of the Sept. 24 precinct-voting day and the walk-in voting days. Commissioners anticipate having the results of the ballots cast for walk-in and precinct voting published on Sunday. The most time-intense portion will be during the verification process of the absentee ballots cast, which the Commission says may take a portion of Sunday and all day Monday.

“The Cherokee Nation’s election process is unique because we have an at-large voting district,” said Plumb. “Many citizens who live around the world cast their ballot by absentee.”

In the special election nearly 12,000 registered Cherokee voters requested absentee ballots, which means there were more than 3,800 absentee ballots requested in special election than were requested in the June general election.

Election procedures require that each absentee ballot be verified. During this process the Commission reviews the envelope for proper notarization and signature. Then the Commission ensures that the person casting the ballot is an eligible, registered voter. The Commission anticipates it will count absentee ballots the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Following the completion of absentee ballot counting, the Commission will review challenged ballots. A ballot is marked “challenged” when a person is casting a ballot at a precinct where he or she is not registered to vote or if a precinct official challenges the voter’s right to vote for other reasons.

The Commissioners anticipate having all ballots counted and the “unofficial” results published by Wednesday. The Commission has 48 hours to certify the election after the “unofficial” results are released.

“Our sincerest hope is that the candidates will not speculate outcomes of this election until the last citizen’s vote is counted and that candidates will respect the Commission’s procedures and timelines that enable the Commission to fulfill its responsibility,” said Plumb.

http://www.nativetimes.com/news/trib...count-timeline

[gazhekwe]

I was on the road yesterday, so I'm a day late with this. It's still worth reading and thinking about.

American Indians Who Oppose Columbus Day are not "Revisionist" Anything!
Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Condition.

"It's revisionist [[expletive). We get real tired of it," is a direct quote from yesterday's "Denver Post" by one of Denver's Columbus Day parade committee members, who reacted to the American Indian Movement protests of honoring Christopher Columbus. The "tired of it" statement is condescending, yet laughable.

I don't believe in using expletives. My mother taught me and my six siblings that if we are intelligent, we didn't need those words to be part of our vocabulary. I still believe my 80-year old mother. So, I don't really care what expletive he used. I am more concerned with him thinking that American Indians who oppose honoring or celebrating Christopher Columbus are revisionists or even use revisionist thinking.
Revisionist… ? This guy obviously has not been hanging out with his American Indian neighbors Denver; or else he would know American Indians have never liked Columbus Day. But then again, I am not arrogant enough or stupid enough to think or speak for every American Indian, but I do have my own thoughts on the designation as a national holiday.

By and large, I function fairly well in modern society and am not anti-government. I am a kind of "live and let live" man. If I don't like what some group is about, such as the Tea Party folks, I simply stay away. But, when it comes to Columbus Day, I oppose it. I hate the furniture television ads that commercialize Columbus to sell more sofas and I don't like our federal government still devotes a day to celebrate Columbus.

Each year I experience a gnawing feeling of discomfort when others honor Columbus. And, this is not revisionist anything happening. It is a true feeling that has hit me every year in every decade the Creator has let me live.

As far as the social construction that Columbus "discovered" America, I reject it completely. I put him in the category of Marco Polo who sailed to Asia. Everyone knows Marco Polo did not discover China and I don't think Chinese students have to endure a false construction that he did, as American Indian students do about in classrooms about Columbus supposedly "discovering" America.

Non-Indians can continue to disregard American Indians opposition to Columbus Day, and deem it revisionist thinking. American Indians know differently, our opposition is not revisionist anything! And furthermore, ask American Indians who is tired of what.

posted October 10, 2011 11:57 am edt

And here is a transcript of an interesting interview on "Tell Me More", where an author explodes the myth that Columbus thought the world was flat.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=141164702

COX: So, Bill, he didn't really think the Earth was flat, right?
FOWLER: No. In fact, Tony, it's a bit of mythology. Columbus' contemporaries, virtually every educated European, understood that the world was round. No one thought the world was flat. The thing that Columbus proposed to do, though, was to actually sail around the world. And that, the experts thought, was impossible. And actually, the experts were right and Columbus was wrong.

[gazhekwe]

Urban Outfitter’s ‘Navajo’ Problem Becomes A Legal Issue

Sasha Houston Brown of Minneapolis published a strongly worded open letter to Urban Outfitters yesterday at Racialicious. Brown, who directly addresses C.E.O. Glen Senk, takes the clothing chain to task for its appropriation of Native American arts and crafts, and its frequent use of the word "Navajo" in product names and descriptions:

This past weekend, I had the unfortunate experience of visiting a local Urban Outfitters store in Minneapolis. It appeared as though the recording "artist" Ke$ha had violently exploded in the store, leaving behind a cheap, vulgar and culturally offensive retail collection. Plastic dreamcatchers wrapped in pleather hung next to an indistinguishable mass of artificial feather jewelry and hyper sexualized clothing featuring an abundance of suede, fringe and inauthentic tribal patterns.
In all seriousness, as a Native American woman, I am deeply distressed by your company's mass marketed collection of distasteful and racially demeaning apparel and décor. I take personal offense to the blatant racism and perverted cultural appropriation your store features this season as "fashion."
All too often industries, sports teams and ignorant individuals legitimize racism under the guise of cultural "appreciation". There is nothing honorable or historically appreciative in selling items such as the Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask, Peace Treaty Feather Necklace, Staring at Stars Skull Native Headdress T-shirt or the Navajo Hipster Panty. These and the dozens of other tacky products you are currently selling referencing Native America make a mockery of our identity and unique cultures.

Brown's letter is passionate, informed, and well-argued. What could be more disrespectful than pilfering Native American intellectual property by knocking off tribal arts and crafts, and — rather than supporting Native artisans — having the knock-offs made cheaply overseas? All of the 24 items currently available in Urban Outfitters' online store that include the term "Navajo" in the name are imported, save one men's jacket and one women's jacket.
Selling a "Navajo Hipster Panty" may be cheesy and kind of offensive, but, more worrisomely perhaps for Urban Outfitters, it could also be illegal. In the U.S., under the terms of the Federal Indian Arts and Crafts act of 1990 and the Federal Trade Commission Act, it is prohibited to falsely claim, or even imply, that a product is Native American-made when it is not. The Department of the Interior says:

It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. If a business violates the Act, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000

"Navajo" isn't an aesthetic movement — it's a legal entity, a tribe of people, and an actual nation.
And, as it turns out, it's a nation with trademarks. The Navajo Nation holds 12 trademarks on the use of the term "Navajo," including two that cover various forms of clothing and one that covers online retailing. The Attorney General of the Navajo Nation actually wrote to Urban Outfitters months ago asking the corporation to cease and desist using its trademarks to sell clothing and accessories that have nothing to do with any actual Navajo people or designs.
Brown's letter elicited this comment from a user logged into the Disqus comment system as "Glen T Senk". It was posted around 10:30 p.m. EST yesterday:

Hello Sasha,
I am deeply sorry this issue has triggered an offended reaction from you. It is not our intention to demean or offend any native people. I hope you will be willing to call our head office in Philadelphia to discuss this issue at 1- 215-454-5500

That is in fact the phone number for Urban Outfitters' corporate headquarters. The number is, however, publicly available along with the contact information for all of Urban Outfitters' directors and corporate officers.
Glen Senk's assistant couldn't confirm whether it was really Senk who left the comment — "This is the first I'm hearing of it," she said when I reached her by phone this afternoon. A call to Urban Outfitters' PR department seeking clarification about the purported Senk comment, and about the company's response to the Navajo Nation's cease-and-desist, has yet to be returned. Curious to know whether Brown herself called the number, I left a message for her as well. I'll update with their responses.
http://jezebel.com/5848715/urban-out...-a-legal-issue

[Wingnatic]

Don't forget to give a donation this Sunday at church


BRANTFORD, ON, CANADA - Mass graves of Mohawk children have been uncovered by ground-penetrating radar at the Mohawk Institute, a residential school for Mohawk operated by the Church of England and the Vatican before its closure in 1970. According to Rev. Kevin Annett, Secretary of the International Tribunal for Crimes of Church and States [[www.itccs.org), the Mohawk Institute was “set up by the Anglican Church of England in 1832 to imprison and destroy generations of Mohawk children. This very first Indian [First Nations] residential school in Canada lasted until 1970, and, like in most residential schools, more than half of the children imprisoned there never returned. Many of them are buried all around the school.”
Preliminary scanning by ground penetrating radar adjacent to the now closed main building Mohawk Institute has revealed that “between 15-20 feet of soil” was brought in and put over the mass graves just before the Mohawk Institute closed in 1970 in order to camouflage the mass graves of Mohawk Children and avoid prosecution for genocide and crimes against humanity under the Geneva Conventions, the International Criminal Court, and cooperating national courts
International Tribunal for Crimes of Church and States [[ITCCS.org) is expected to commence judicial proceedings starting in late October 2011 in Brussels, Belgium and Dublin, Ireland for child genocide crimes against humanity against defendants Elizabeth Windsor, head of state of Canada and head of the Church of England and Pope Joseph Ratzinger, both of whom knowingly participated in the planning and coverup of the child genocide, according to forensic evidence.
The Tribunal sessions were originally to have been held in London, U.K. However, The U.K. government has denied entrance to the Secretary and major jurists and staff of the International Tribunal for Crimes of Church and States [[ITCCS.org) without cause.
The discovery of the mass graves of Mohawk children, uncovered by ground-penetrating radar at the Mohawk Institute comes on the heels of videotaped evidence by eyewitness William Coombes, who in Oct. 1964 witnessed Elizabeth Windsor, as Head of State of Canada and Head of the Church of England, visit an aboriginal school in Kamloops, British Columbia, choose 10 young aboriginal children, made them kiss her feet, and allegedly took them from the school for a picnic at a lake.
The 10 aboriginal children were never seen again. Mr. Coombes, who was to give evidence at the International Tribunal for Crimes of Church and States [[ITCCS.org) of Elizabeth Windsor’s child genocide, was murdered in Feb. 2011. Fortunately, Mr. Coombes’ testimony was videotaped before his death and is available for the Tribunal.
Rev. Kevin Annett states that instruments of torture such as a rack for torturing the Mohawk children in ritual torture have been found at the now closed Mohawk Institute. Eyewitnesses from the Mohawk community have stated they witnessed priests in red robes torturing children in ritual torture.
Rev. Annett made these revelations in an exclusive Oct. 7, 2011 interview with Alfred Lambremont Webre. In the interview, Rev. Annett acknowledges the close parallels between the Oct. 1964 personal child genocide and possible ritual killings of 10 aboriginal children by Elizabeth Windsor, Head of State of Canada and Head of the Church of England, and the child genocides occurring during the same period at the Mohawk Institute.
These parallels suggest that Elizabeth Windsor, as Head of State and Head of the Church of England was personally aware of, ordered, and participated in this systematic program of genocide and ritual torture and killings at Church of England residential schools operated by the Church of England and the Vatican.
In his interview, Rev. Annett stated that the mainstream Canadian media, as well as the government of Canada, are maintaining a coverup and media blackout of the discoveries of Mohawk child genocide at the Mohawk Institute.

story is here

[Pam]

The discovery of the mass graves of Mohawk children, uncovered by ground-penetrating radar at the Mohawk Institute comes on the heels of videotaped evidence by eyewitness William Coombes, who in Oct. 1964 witnessed Elizabeth Windsor, as Head of State of Canada and Head of the Church of England, visit an aboriginal school in Kamloops, British Columbia, choose 10 young aboriginal children, made them kiss her feet, and allegedly took them from the school for a picnic at a lake.
The 10 aboriginal children were never seen again

What?! They are accusing the current Queen of murder? I find that hard to believe.

[gazhekwe]

Interesting, isn't it? That was the year of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Queen and Prince Philip traveled through it in their yacht. I was with my family, watching her get ready to lock through into Lake Superior. The Queen was on deck, waving toward the US shore, where we were standing.

The presence of graves at the Mohawk Institute proves only that some people were buried there. With the history of the boarding schools, a graveyard was present at most of them. Many children died of disease and abuse at these schools. The native children who were taken on a trip with the Queen make a great story, but it is just a story. Did the foot kissing happen, did the picnic happen, were there 10 children, and what happened to them? All is open to a factual investigation, which obviously needs to happen. If the children did not return, were they in fact seen somewhere else, such as at home, where no one would report it to keep them from having to go back? I can see no purpose in having them killed or disappeared.

[gazhekwe]

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - Following a three-day counting process, the Cherokee Nation Election Commission has certified the results of the special election for Principal Chief. The official results show Bill John Baker of Tahlequah received nearly 54 percent of the votes and will become the next Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

The official results, including all votes cast, show Baker receiving 10,703 votes to incumbent Chad Smith's 9,128 votes.

The Cherokee Nation, based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the second largest tribe in America, after the Navajo Nation.

According to the tribe's election law, a request for a recount must be made by 5 pm next Wednesday, October 19. The window closes at 5:00 pm on October 24, to file an appeal to the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court challenging the validity of the election.

Details for an inaugural ceremony to swear in Chief-Elect Baker have not yet been specified. Baker is a Tahlequah businessman who has served multiple terms as a representative on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council. He holds degrees in Political Science and History in Education with minors in Sociology and Psychology. Baker and his wife Sherry have six children and nine grandchildren.

Baker was re-elected to a six-year term on the Council in 2007 and his successful campaign for Principal Chief means that another special election will be held by the Nation to fill his District 1, Seat 1 office. District 1 represents Cherokee County and the eastern portion of Wagoner County. Timelines for that election will be announced soon by the Cherokee Nation Election Commission.
posted October 13, 2011 6:00 am edt

[gazhekwe]

The mass graves at Mohawk Institute in Brantford ONT really have nothing to do with the QE picnic and the children who allegedly disappeared from it, as the two happened at opposite ends of the country. The Mohawk Institute story has to do with the staggering death and disappearance rate of Indian children at that boarding school and all the others in Canada over the long and disturbing history of these boarding schools. The QE story happened in Kamloops, BC at yet another boarding school, and that is how they were related in the story posted by Wingnatic. It is a very good way to heighten attention on this story and foment emotional reactions that might not otherwise occur.


Investigations Continue into Mass Graves

Both pro- and anti-government groups in the Mohawk Nation united this past week to endorse the independent investigation into mass graves of children at the former Mohawk Institute Indian residential school. The inquiry was initiated last April by nine elders of the Wolf and Turtle clans.

Chief Bill Montour of the government-funded Mohawk Band Council said publicly at a council meeting on October 4, “This dig is long overdue and it’s needed. I back this thing one hundred percent.”
Meanwhile, the Men’s Fire, a traditional group of warriors from all of the Six Nations, arrived at the excavation site the same day to provide security and protection for the inquiry members, especially for Kevin Annett of the ITCCS, who was asked by the Wolf and Turtle elders in writing to organize the inquiry into the missing children of the Brantford school.

As a sign of their support for Kevin Annett and the ITCCS, these elders formally adopted Kevin into the Turtle Clan of the Mohawk [[Ongyahonway) Nation at a ceremony on October 6, and gave him the name Rawennatshani, which means “One who warns the people with a strong and wise voice”.

The inquiry into the fate of many hundreds of missing children at the school continued this week, through Ground Penetrating Radar surveys that revealed that graves of children on school grounds were buried under tons of soil; and that suspected grave sites extend into the wooded perimeter of the former school, which was founded by the Crown and Church of England in 1832.

“We’re looking at a massive investigation into an enormous crime site, but at least it’s begun” commented Kevin Annett today.

“We hope to have a preliminary report issued before the new year once we have samples and other evidence analyzed forensically. We’ve already assembled an archaeological team to do a professional study of what’s being uncovered.”

Earlier this week, traditional Mohawk elders announced that they were imposing their own jurisdiction over the graves of residential school children, and declared that the government of Canada, its police and courts had no authority to intervene into their investigation.
Elsewhere in Canada, groups among the Maliseet, Anishnabe and Sovereign ©Skwxwú7mesh-Squamish™ indigenous nations announced this week their intent to launch their own digs and inquiries at suspected mass grave sites at former residential schools on their territories, independently of the government’s stage-managed “Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”

“The Mohawks have inspired all of us” said Jeremiah Jourdain of the Anishnabe nation in Winnipeg today.

“Now we have to spread this movement to bring the children home on our terms – and prosecute those who killed them.”

Nearly half of all Canadian Indian residential school students – more than 50,000 children – died or went missing between 1832 and 1996, when the last school closed.

Issued by ITCCS International Office, Brussels http://itccs.org/
9 October, 2011

The testimony of William Coombes was key to the allegation against the Queen. He was a student at the school and suffered terribly at the hands of its administrators. He died before he could testify at a hearing into the matter, but he had previously provided a signed statement which included this testimony:

“The day the Queen got to the school, I was part of a group of kids that went on a picnic with her and her husband and some of the priests, down to a meadow near Dead Man’s Creek.
“I remember it was weird because we all had to bend down and kiss her foot, a white laced boot.
“After awhile, I saw the Queen leave the picnic with ten children from the school, and those kids never returned.
“We never heard anything more about them and never met them again even when we were older. They were all from around there but they all vanished.
“The group that disappeared was seven boys and three girls, in age from six to fourteen years old…”

More on the story is here: http://inpursuitofhappiness.wordpres...-missing-kids/

Clearly, more investigation must be done. Who were the missing children? What are the recollections of the Queen and her entourage? Records at the school must be examined. The families of the children must be found and interviewed. So speaks the investigator Gazhekwe.

[Wingnatic]

I've run a joint Canadian /U.S.A . political discussion group for about 10 years now and someone brought this up . I thought the story would be of some interest . When the words '' mass grave '' was mentioned I was thinking more on the lines of a epidemic [[s) which wasn't reported and or recorded properly .

[gazhekwe]

There were lots of problems at the boarding schools. I heard a second hand story from a woman whose mother witnessed a horrible thing at her school. A boy was kicked down a flight of stairs, all the way to the bottom. It took three kickings by the teacher before he fell out of sight. He never came back. The mother said, "But there was that little graveyard....." It was a chilling story.

On the other hand, my grandmother and father never told any bad stories about boarding school. My grandmother valued her education, and she sent my father to boarding school so he could go beyond the sixth grade. But, she would never speak a word in Ojibwe, which was her first language. She could understand it, but would answer only in English. She didn't want any of us to learn the language because it would just cause trouble. One of her brothers disappeared from boarding school as a young man and he never went back to his family. Different tribal members reported seeing him in Grand Rapids, in Flint and in Saginaw in the years after he disappeared. Disappearances have different explanations.

[Pam]

I remember it was weird because we all had to bend down and kiss her foot, a white laced boot.

I have a hard time believing this too. This isn't part of any royal protocol I ever heard of.

[gazhekwe]

Well, there is a centuries old precedent for the foot kissing, so I believe that. It was really strong in the Catholic Church, although by the 1960s in Michigan, it was ring kissing, not foot kissing. I don't know about the Anglicans. They stayed pretty traditional for a long time after the Catholics started singing Kum Ba Ya at Mass.

Some of the discussion about it is pretty strange. They try to connect the Queen to a person in the Church who they allege is a degenerate, and is illegitimately related to the Queen as a wrong side of the blanket half brother to her father. This gives the accusers carte-blanche to allege that the Queen took these kids off on that day and ritually killed them. She wasn't by herself, though, and such a heinous act would come out somehow. Of course, they also allege that anyone who might be able to testify mysteriously dies [[murder of course). But then of course, such murders would lead to more people involved who might testify, and so it goes.

It goes to show that some people really hate the Queen, that's for sure.

[canuck]

The story about the queen sounds far-fetched in a number of ways but what bothers me is that it overshadows the gravity of all that was done in the name of civilization to all first nations children. I am just back from working on a movie on Quebec's Lower North Shore about the meeting of the Innu [[montagnais) and the Inuit in the 1400's. The Innu are still a very sizable part of this sparsely populated area of northeastern Quebec. Most of the kids on the reservation at Mingan now go to school in their community, learning the innu language and customs and then to secondary school in Havre St-Pierre, a community settled in the 1850's by acadians; refugees from the deportation in Savannah Georgia and nearby Magdalen Islands. Up until the sixties, the Innu were semi-nomadic people trapping and fishing on the vast territory above the 50th parallel. In the relentless effort to stop this territorial occupation, successive administrations made sure the children were taken away to schools far away where abuse and isolation produced the sorry results we witness everywhere in the US and Canada. There is now a lot of money on reserves and villages because Hydro-Quebec's dam building projects need popular approval from concerned citizens. The number of highly educated and experienced advocates in the Cree Inuit and Innu communities makes the task of selling these projects harder from a legal standpoint. The mayor of Longue-Pointe de Mingan, a village west of Mingan told me his town of 430 people gets 1 million dollars a year for the next fifty years; well above the city's budget. All villages in the lower North Shore from Sept-Iles to Natashquan are getting hush money for accepting more dam building in this land of powerful rivers. The biggest public works project in Canada at this time is the Romaine river complex several miles east of Havre St-Pierre.

The federal government also artificially promotes business opportunities that are non-traditional for the Innu such as commercial fishing licences, boats and equipment to fish in the gulf of St Lawrence. Governments have a way of giving deeds for mining and fishing and fur trapping in this country for the past 400 years, so it doesnt come as a surprise. The innu now have to deal with envy from the nearby villages settled by gaspesians and acadians apart from all the other abuse although there is a healthy dose of respect for them also. People in this remote area all hunt [[moose, duck and partridge) and fish [[cod, salmon, scallops, crabs) they can go without buying meat if they want to. The more negative aspects of the cut-off from ancestral culture are evident in this money for nothing social contract; reliance on bad food and drug and alcohol abuse. Folks in this area had dogsleighs and canoes to travel from one village to another upriver or to Anticosti island nearby for centuries, since roads east of Sept-Iles [[Seven Islands) appeared in the late fifties to mid sixties. The road to Havre St-Pierre to Natashquan dates from 1996. Many villages east of Natashquan are only accessible via boat or plane.
The vegetation is beautiful in the fall, there are few species of trees growing there; larch and spruce dominate along with varieties of birch and rowan trees. A lot of wild fruit through the late summer and fall are picked, some only available in this part of the world, scandinavia and russia. Some of the fruit in berry jams you find at IKEA are only to be found here in North America. There are immense bogs east of Sept-Iles with amazingly lush plant life such as mosquito eating flowers and lichens and colorful groundcover. Some forests near the river are completely covered in moss, and almost look tropical. Anyways, I really got a kick out of this region and the friendly people there. Our crew of three set painters got treated to gifts of giant crab and moose steaks a couple of times!
This is a region Jacques Cartier first claimed for the king of France and Tadoussac is the oldest continually inhabited european settlement north of Mexico[[1600). Tadoussac is the first town on the North Shore as you cross by ferry from Baie Ste-Catherine in the beautiful region of Charlevoix. Tourists from France and Germany and the US come here for the fall foliage on cruise ships or by car and coach.
Sorry for the rambling, but I guess I just wanted to convey my 5 week trip to you Gazhekwe aside from the political discussion, this is my first post on DYES since my return!

[gazhekwe]

^^^^Beautiful story! Thank you for sharing your experience and tales of the far north. It sounds like a fascinating movie project, too. Do tell more! Will it be available for the public to view when it is complete?

[canuck]

The title is Maïna,
Yes, it will be subtitled I think because played by Inuit and Indian actors [[not all Innu). The major lead role is played by a pretty young actress; Roseanne Supernault who plays in the series Blackstone on APTN the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. I know Graham Greene plays a role in the movie but I didnt see him. Annie Galipeau who played female lead opposite Pierce Brosnan in Grey Owl [[a movie I also worked on) is in it. I had quite a few drinks with Pakkak Innushuk an Inuit actor who played in "The Fast Runner" a contender for best foreign language film at the Oscars in 2001. If all goes as planned, I should be returning to work on sets at Kuujjuak, the Inuit capital of Nunavik, northern Quebec in balmy february, march.

Our crew of three were painting movie sets such as a sculpted stone grotto matching the granite near the site it will later be sitting on. We were ageing bows and arrows, all kinds of implements, birch bark canoes and inuit barques. Lots of fun. The movie is directed by Montreal director Michel Poulette, and is partly financed by the Innu communities of the North Shore. We were working in a hangar left over from the US Army base at Longue-Pointe de Mingan which was built as an emergency backup air force base in case the base at Gander Newfoundland had problems dealing with the movement of aircraft delivered to the UK via the US. A Catalina aircraft crashed in the waters near the village and 4 crewmen were saved by fishermen and five died. The plane was found 3 years ago by Parks Canada divers, and there are negotiations underway for its retrieval.

It really is a beautiful part of the world. I used to think the North Shore would be colorless but I found it to be extremely colorful and bright. The sun is much brighter than in southwestern Quebec, almost blinding, even white folks here are really tan from the sun and the wind. There are funny rivalries between the Havre folks who are acadians and celebrate their ancestry by writing the last names of spouses on their garage doors or have an acadian flag [[a french flag with a gold star on the right top corner) and the folks in the next town over; Longue-Pointe who hail from Gaspé. They are 30 miles apart but I was told by two guys in Longue Pointe that the cayens were not to be trusted, and that besides they dont talk like we do. Their accents are indeed very different. They are called cayens and paspayas, and in between are the Innu with their own language, for a sum total of maybe 4000 people. A lot of cultural differences in this very wild place.

[Pam]

Well, there is a centuries old precedent for the foot kissing, so I believe that

I've never heard it mentioned in connection with modern British royal protocol. Bowing and curtsying seem to be the norm.

[gazhekwe]

Native American Leader Elouise Cobell Dies At 65
by The Associated Press
October 17, 2011

Elouise Cobell, the Blackfeet woman who led a 15-year legal fight to force the U.S. government to account for more than a century of mismanaged Indian land royalties, died Sunday. She was 65.

Cobell died at a Great Falls hospital of complications from cancer, spokesman Bill McAllister said.

Cobell was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed in 1996 claiming the Interior Department had misspent, lost or stolen billions of dollars meant for Native American land trust account holders dating back to the 1880s.

After years of legal wrangling, the two sides in 2009 agreed to settle for $3.4 billion, the largest government class-action settlement in U.S. history. The beneficiaries are estimated to be about 500,000 people.

Asked what she wanted her legacy to be, she said she hoped she would inspire a new generation of Native Americans to fight for the rights of others and lift their community out of poverty.

"Maybe one of these days, they won't even think about me. They'll just keep going and say, 'This is because I did it,'" Cobell said. "I never started this case with any intentions of being a hero. I just wanted this case to give justice to people that didn't have it."
Cobell said she had heard stories since she was a child of how the government had shortchanged Native Americans with accounts for royalties from their land that was leased for resource development or farming.

Cobell said she became outraged when she actually started digging into how much money the government had squandered that belonged people who were living in dire poverty on the Blackfeet reservation in northwestern Montana.

She realized the amount mismanaged since the 1880s could be hundreds of billions of dollars. She said she tried for years working with two U.S. government administrations to resolve the dispute, then decided to sue with four other Native Americans as plaintiffs when no progress was made.

The government dug in. Over the next 14 years, there were more than 3,600 court filings, 220 days of trial, 80 published court decisions and 10 appeals until the 2009 breakthrough.

Under the settlement, $1.4 billion would go to individual Indian account holders. Some $2 billion would be used by the government to buy up fractionated Indian lands from individual owners willing to sell, and then turn those lands over to tribes. Another $60 million would be used for a scholarship fund for young Indians.

Cobell spent the next year shuttling back and forth between her home in Browning to Washington, D.C., to lobby individual congressmen to approve the deal. She also logged thousands of miles traveling across Indian country to explain the deal to the potential beneficiaries.

She found unexpected resistance among some Native Americans. They questioned why it was so little, how much would be going to her and they attorneys or why it didn't include a more complete accounting of what happened to the money.

Congress approved the deal and President Barack Obama signed it in December of 2010, a year after it was first proposed. A federal judge approved the settlement in June, though there are still appeals of the settlement pending.

Cobell discovered she had cancer just a few weeks before the judge's approval in June. She traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for surgery.

Cobell was born with the Indian name Little Bird Woman, a great granddaughter of the famous leader Mountain Chief. She grew up with seven brothers and sisters on the Blackfeet reservation.

She graduated from Great Falls Business College and received honorary degrees from Montana State University, Rollins College and, earlier this year, Dartmouth College.
She was the Blackfeet nation's treasurer for 13 years, and in 1987 helped found the first U.S. bank to be owned by a tribe, the Blackfeet National Bank, which is now the Native American Bank.

Cobell was the executive director of the nonprofit Native American Community Development Corp., which promotes sustainable economic development in Indian Country.
She won a $300,000 "genius grant" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1997 and used most of the money to help fund the lawsuit.
Cobell lived on a ranch 30 miles south of Browning with her husband Alvin. Her only son, Turk, lives in Las Vegas with his wife Bobbie and their children Olivia and Gabriella.
She has a brother and two sisters who live in Browning and a third sister who lives in Seattle.

[gazhekwe]

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today made the following statement regarding the passing of Elouise Cobell yesterday: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of Elouise Cobell, who dedicated her life to the betterment of Indian people. She sought justice to address historical wrongs that had weighed on our nation's conscience and was a significant force for change."
"I was honored to work personally with Elouise to reach a settlement that fairly and honorably resolves the long-standing Cobell litigation. Thanks to Elouise's leadership and unwavering focus over many years, we passed the Claims Resolution Act in 2010 and President Obama has signed it into law."
"For this monumental achievement, and for the attention she brought to the need for a just resolution, Elouise is a hero in every sense of the word. As we pause to reflect on Elouise's life and achievements, let us be inspired to do better by the first Americans, and to uphold our nation's promise of justice and opportunity for all."

Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk issued the following statement today on the passing of Elouise Cobell:
"Indian Country, as well as the entire nation, has lost a champion of human rights. Elouise Cobell battled to make our country acknowledge historical wrongdoing, and she spoke truth to power so that justice could prevail."
"She was tireless in her efforts to reach a respectable resolution to the long-standing Cobell litigation. The Claims Resolution Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama, will forever remain a testament to her colossal feat. Through her legacy, individual Indians will have more control over their lands and many American Indian and Alaska Natives will be able to pursue higher education through the scholarship component of the settlement."
"As we take a moment to reflect upon the life of Elouise Cobell, I think of how she embodies what our nation is all about - the quest for justice and opportunity for all. She will be sorely missed but never forgotten for her strength and courage. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her entire family and the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana."

US Senator Jon Tester [[D-MT) says that Cobell was:
"truly a guiding light that will always lead the way for all Americans who fight for justice and fairness."
"Elouise's tireless leadership set this nation on a new course, and what she accomplished reminds us that any person in any part of this country has the power to stand up and right a wrong, no matter how difficult it may be, "
"We join the Blackfeet Nation and all Montanans in mourning, honoring and celebrating the life of an extraordinary Montanan. Future generations will learn about Elouise Cobell's legacy and they will be inspired to follow her lead. She will always be remembered as an American hero."

US Senator Max Baucus [[D-MT) also released a statement on Cobell's passing, saying:
"Elouise Cobell was a warrior for justice, a voice for the voiceless, and a dear friend. Our state and our country are better for having known her. Mel's and my thoughts and prayers go out to her family, her friends and all those who are still waiting to receive the justice Elouise dedicated herself to. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of Elouise, but we know her legacy will live on in all those inspired to carry on her work."
posted October 18, 2011 1:20 pm edt
http://www.nativenewsnetwork.com/tri...se-cobell.html

[gazhekwe]

Elder's Meditation of the Day - October 19
"The teachings are for all, not just for Indians... The white people never wanted to learn before. They thought we were savages. Now they have a different understanding, and they do want to learn. We are all children of God. The tradition is open to anyone who wants to learn."
-- Don Jose Matusuwa, HUICHOL

[gazhekwe]

FRESNO, Calif. – Four months after Patty Dawson was chased and beaten by three suspects believed to be associated with white supremacists, she faced her alleged attacker, Jennifer Devette Fraser, in court for the first time on October 17.
Fraser – a tall, heavyset woman bearing numerous tattoos on her arms, hands and neck – walked past Dawson and her family outside the courtroom and did not recognize the woman she reportedly viciously attacked on the afternoon of June 14.

But once inside, Fraser suddenly noticed the large contingent of Native Americans seated behind her who were there to support Dawson, a Navajo and Apache nurse and mother, who was assaulted on a Clovis, California highway allegedly by Fraser and two men.
Fraser, 27, sat close to an older man with white hair and long goatee, and would not look at the victim. She was charged under California law with felonious assault, defined as an attack on another individual in which the attacker uses a dangerous weapon and seeks to cause serious harm but stops short of an attempt to kill the victim.
Though she and her male accomplices fled the scene of the crime, eyewitnesses chased them and recorded a license plate number to Fraser’s 1995 green Ford Neon. Fraser was arrested in September and posted bond.
She was released pending another hearing on October 31 where prosecutors expect to have more evidence against Fraser and her accomplices whose names have not been released.
At the preliminary hearing, Fraser wanted charges reduced, but the Dawson family refused to make any deals. Fraser has a record of prior vehicle code violations and was arrested in 2005 driving a car registered to Jayson Pearce, who had more than a dozen incidents with law enforcement, including four arrests. Police records show that Pearce has a KKK tattoo on his right shoulder.
According to law enforcement officials, Fraser’s charges will likely be escalated to federal hate crime charges based on eyewitness accounts and the extensive injuries to Dawson. Under federal law, a hate crime is a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.”
“We want justice and medical treatment for my daughter who suffered a concussion, broken nose, crushed nasal passages, broken ribs, and severe bruising,” said her father, John, who drove from Los Angeles with his wife, Wanda, and daughter Cindy, a social worker.
“She’s also suffering from PTSD and has not received any medical treatment since the attack since she didn’t have insurance. The irony is that she‘s a nurse and the kind of person who is always helping others.”
Dawson was found June 14 unconscious on the street near the intersection of Ashlan and Clovis, and rescued by good Samaritans who called police and chased the attacker’s car.

Speaking tearfully about her assault for the first time, Dawson explained she’d worked a long nursing shift before taking her uncle, Pascal Casey, to the train station in Fresno. She was on her way home when her car was bumped from behind at a stop sign.
Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw three people in a car and decided not to stop, since she was in Clovis, a town with a reputation for hostile treatment against Indian people and other minorities. As she drove on, the car continued to follow her with Fraser reportedly at the wheel.
“She was driving wildly in and out of traffic, even driving on the right shoulder of the road trying to force me into oncoming traffic,” said Dawson.
“As I try to remember it, it’s like a silent movie. I can see their angry faces screaming at me, spitting at me and making gestures, but I can’t hear it anymore. I knew they wanted to hurt me.”
Shaken and scared, Dawson looked for safety and made a run for an Arco gas station where she thought she’d be safe.
But she didn’t make it.
Only 30 feet from the driveway, she was stopped in traffic for a red light with Fraser’s car behind her when she felt something wet on her arm.
Fraser had spit on her before reaching through an open window and slugging Dawson so hard in the face that she immediately lost consciousness. Dawson does not remember being dragged from her car or the additional beating that caused her other injuries.
She woke up in an emergency room, disoriented and in pain, where she was briefly questioned by a Clovis Sheriff’s officer who allegedly asked what she did to cause the attack.
“There I was bleeding, and I was surprised he asked me what I did to provoke the attack,” she said. “He tried to make it sound like it was road rage and asked if I cut them off in traffic or flipped them off, like I had done something wrong. I don’t know these people and did absolutely nothing to them.”

Michael Youngblood Konkle, a Maidu from Northern California and former police officer, said Clovis is know as a “sundown town,” where it’s common knowledge that Indians and other people of color were expected to “get out of Dodge before the sun went down or face violence and incarceration.”
“There’s a number of KKK and white supremacists living in the mountains near Indian lands and it’s been a problem for years. But this is out of hand and we have to take a stand to protect our families.”
Konkle also said additional charges need to be filed in the case to help elevate it to federal courts for hate crime prosecution.
“When they hit her car from behind, that’s assault with a deadly weapon. When they pulled her from the car, that’s kidnapping and false imprisonment. There are other charges that may be considered as well.”
Leonard Pine Flower, a young Apache and Yaqui father wearing an AIM T-shirt, said he came to support Dawson because “this hit close to home. These are women and children they are attacking and we won’t tolerate it. She’s a kind woman who does not deserve this.”
Pine Flower is a counselor in a local group home for youth who said he routinely hears about widespread discrimination, bullying and harassment of Native students. In the past, students were told they must cut their hair to play sports in Clovis and Fresno, until someone sued the district.
“I know one student was targeted at school by white boys who threatened to cut off his long hair. When it was reported to school officials, they blew it off and said the boys were just teasing. I don’t think so.”
Three days after Dawson’s attack The Fresno Bee reported, three juveniles were arrested on felony vandalism and hate-crime charges after a “graffiti rampage” where they tagged about 20 homes, cars and fences with swastikas and white-supremacy slogans.
According to local residents, the town of Clovis has a long history of discrimination and racial violence against Indians and other minorities. In the Central Valley where agriculture is a mainstay of the economy, there are many migrant farm workers who complain about attacks but are afraid to go to law enforcement because of their illegal status.
...
Meanwhile, the California Attorney General’s Native American Affairs section promised to take appropriate action to help press for a full investigation into the crime. They are also requesting assistance from Victim’s Services to help Dawson get medical care and counseling for PTSD and trauma.

“We need to put pressure on the Fresno County District Attorney Elizabeth A. Egan to prosecute this as a hate crime, and we hope that people will call and write,” said John Dawson.
Law enforcement is still investigating the crime and requests that anyone with additional information contact the Fresno District Attorney’s Office at [[559) 600-3141 or via e-mail at amail@co.fresno.ca.us.
The financial toll on the Dawson family has been devastating since Dawson could not work for several months. The family lives in a very rural area that saw the addition of running water and electricity as recently as a few years ago.
Cindy Dawson said a fund has been established to help with her sister’s medical expenses. “You can go to any Wells Fargo Bank and ask for the Patty Dawson One Love Fund. We are very thankful for the support and prayers.”
Indian Country Today Media Network’s West Coast Editor Valerie Taliman will cover the next hearing on this case October 31 in Fresno Superior Court.

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