Cross Posted at Native American Netroots
Welcome to News from Native American Netroots, a series focused on indigenous tribes primarily in the United States and Canada but inclusive of international peoples also.
A special thanks to our team for contributing the links that have been compiled here. Please provide your news links in the comments below.
Children's museum dedicates Nov. to Native Americans
By Heather Johnson
The North Platte Area Children's Museum is celebrating National Native American Heritage Month with a series of educational events in November.
Beginning Saturday from 1-2 p.m., a Lakota duo will be at the museum telling stories and singing, dancing and drumming traditional Lakota music. Museum director of programming Alecia Hothan said the act was highly recommended by the Valentine Chamber of Commerce.
"We really want to bring information about different cultures to the community, and this was a great way to do that," said Hothan.
Frank Garcia, a Lakota Sioux from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, will tell stories, display artifacts and involve children in a hands-on beadwork class Nov. 20 from 11 a.m. to noon. |
National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month Calendar
Calendar of Events for entire month of November. |
Lectures in Juneau honor Native American Heritage Month
Juneau Empire The Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau will host a lecture in honor of Native American Heritage Month on Nov. 5. Madonna Moss, Professor of Anthropology at University of Oregon, will present on "Pre-Contact Tlingit Warfare: What Do We Really Know?" |
American Indian Heritage-KQED
KQED proudly celebrates the richness and diversity of the greater San Francisco Bay Area by commemorating November, American Indian Heritage Month. During the month of November, KQED Public TV 9 schedules a special lineup of programs focused on American Indian themes and issues. These programs are highlighted in a guide along with listings of community resources and local events.
Event
Thu, Nov 4, 2010
5pm - 7:30pm
San Francisco City Hall Rotunda
KQED, The San Francisco Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, Native American AIDS Project, and San Francisco Native American Health Center are proud to celebrate the rich culture of the American Indian community. Join us for dancing, drumming, and a special awards ceremony from 5pm to 7:30pm where we will celebrate four outstanding Local Heroes for their work in the American Indian community. |
Census Bureau News -- Facts for Features American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2010
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2010 PRNewswire-USNewswire -- The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, getting endorsements from 24 state governments, to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994. This Facts for Features presents data for American Indians and Alaska Natives, as this is one of the six major race categories. |
Proclamation honors Native American Heritage Month
President Barack Obama on Friday issued the following proclamation in honor of National Native American Heritage Month, saluting Native Americans for their cultural knowledge and rich traditions, and importance to the nation and the world:
For millennia before Europeans settled in North America, the indigenous peoples of this continent flourished with vibrant cultures and were the original stewards of the land. From generation to generation, they handed down invaluable cultural knowledge and rich traditions, which continue to thrive in Native American communities across our country today. During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor and celebrate their importance to our great Nation and our world.
America's journey has been marked both by bright times of progress and dark moments of injustice for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Since the birth of America, they have contributed immeasurably to our country and our heritage, distinguishing themselves as scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders in all aspects of our society. Native Americans have also served in the United States Armed Forces with honor and distinction, defending the security of our Nation with their lives. Yet, our tribal communities face stark realities, including disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, crime, and disease. These disparities are unacceptable, and we must acknowledge both our history and our current challenges if we are to ensure that all of our children have an equal opportunity to pursue the American dream. From upholding the tribal sovereignty recognized and reaffirmed in our Constitution and laws to strengthening our unique nation-to- nation relationship, my Administration stands firm in fulfilling our Nation's commitments.
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General News
Sullivan preserves tribal history through artwork
By Aaron Wright Gray
NORMAN — For several years, Norman resident and Cherokee artist Dorothy Sullivan has been interested in preserving the history of the tribe. Her love of depicting the culture will soon allow her to become part of Oklahoma history, as well.
Last November, Sullivan was contacted by the National Trail of Tears Historical Trails of the National Park Service and commissioned to create a series of paintings to be put on historical signs that will be placed at specific sites in eastern Oklahoma.
The sites were all dispersal centers used by Cherokees after they arrived in Oklahoma from walking the Trail of Tears. |
Shelly beats Lovejoy in Navajo Nation presidential election
By Babette Herman WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Despite facing charges of conspiracy, fraud and theft in a Navajo Nation "slush fund" probe investigation, presidential candidate Ben Shelly prevailed in the Nov. 2 election with more than a 5 percent lead over New Mexico State Sen. Linda Lovejoy.
Early reports indicate that Lovejoy will seek a recount, but attempts to contact her at press time were unsuccessful.
h/t Navajo for the original story. |
Saving North America's sacred sites
John Schertow
Whether it's an ancient burial ground, a simple cave that witnessed the birth of a language not heard in centuries or the mountain home of a spirit that brings abundance to an entire ecosystem, every culture has its sacred sites. They provide an irreplaceable sense of continuity, identity, purpose, sustenance and fulfilment.
However, one culture's sacred site may be nothing more than empty space to another. This is frequently the case in countries such as Canada and the US, where more than two dozen sacred sites are in danger of being desecrated and destroyed.
One such site currently making a lot of headlines is the Glen Cove burial site and shell mound in Vallejo, California. Over the course of 3,500 years, the 15-acre site, known to the Ohlone peoples as Sogorea Te, was a traditional meeting place for more than 100 indigenous nations. Over the centuries, it became the final resting place for thousands of people. |
Tacoma’s First Native American Monument Stands 22 Feet Tall
Falmouth Institute
It took about a decade, but the City of Tacoma has its first Native American monument.
The monument is a cedar statue of a Native American woman. Located in Tollefson Plaza, a place that was once an important village site to the Puyallup people (the first people to occupy Tacoma), she stands 22 feet tall and wears a traditional woven cedar hat and white dress with a Thunderbird design. Her hands are outstretched in a welcoming gesture.
The statue was carved by Puyallup artist Shaun Peterson (Qwalsius). According to an article published by The Olympian on Aug. 15, when Peterson set out on this project in 2000, the piece was to be only eight feet tall. But thanks to his dream, financial support from the community and some luck in finding a log tall enough, he was able to more than double the size.
h/t Ojibwa |
Tribes, feds work to implement law and order act
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Tribal leaders said Tuesday a new federal law designed to give them more authority to combat crime on their reservations will also give the nation a more accurate picture of how murder, rape and other violent crimes are pervading American Indian communities.
About 150 judges, law enforcement officials and tribal leaders gathered in Albuquerque for a national symposium on the Tribal Law and Order Act, signed by President Obama in July.
The new law aims to make federal law enforcement agencies more accountable by having them collect data on crimes committed in Indian Country, and by requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to maintain criminal data on cases that U.S. attorneys decline to prosecute. Some say federal officials decline to prosecute more than 50 percent of violent crimes on reservations. |
Portion of Cherokee Trail of Tears dedicated outside Springfield
Kathryn Wall Around 100 people descended on a neighborhood just outside Springfield Saturday to dedicate a portion of the Cherokee Trail of Tears.
While the small site that will soon be part of the Greenways Trail system was packed with people, many of the onlookers with Cherokee ancestry said they felt far more were there in spirit.
Judy Martin, 71, brought an old black and white photograph of her grandmother, Elizabeth, with her to the dedication ceremony. |
Federal grant goes to Pine Ridge project
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding a $996,000 grant to a project aimed at connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
The funding will go to the Thunder Valley Community Development Corp., which will work with the Oglala Sioux Tribe to develop a regional plan for sustainable development on the reservation.
The grant is part of a program that will support projects across the nation in developing regional plans that integrate affordable housing with neighboring retail and business development.
(Info for ThunderValley.org) |
Sacred Dance
By DIANE WETZEL
The stage lights dim as a lone figure enters the stage. His face a blank mask, he takes his place behind a large drum. His long hair streaming behind him, he begins to play. He is Moses Brings Plenty of the Lakota Nation.
"I have been asked why I always begin my performances wearing a mask," Brings Plenty said. "When I was growing up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation it wasn't popular to be an Indian and I began to wear a mask in life. But when I looked into my grandparents eyes and saw the sorrow there, I knew I had to remove the mask." |
Navajo Nation looks to solar and wind to replace coal
By Susan Wilson
For generations the Navajos have earned a living, gone to college, and survived on the profits from coal mining. However times are changing and the Navajo are viewing the damage that coal mining has done to their nation and looking to new forms of income and energy.....
...A wind farm that will power 20,000 homes has been approved by the tribe. The Navajo Nation is also looking towards solar farms and ecotourism, similar to the venture planned by the Ramona Tribe in California. Casinos and microbusinesses are being considered as future sources of income.
h/t Navajo |
Improving relations hearten Indian leaders
By Ledyard King
WASHINGTON - Almost a year after President Obama convened a Native American summit and instructed federal agencies to collaborate with tribes on programs and policies, Native American leaders in South Dakota and elsewhere say they've begun to see a dramatic shift in attitude from a government that for decades ignored or took advantage of them.
Health care, law and order, and water rights - long cited by tribal leaders as shameful examples of federal neglect or obstruction - are being addressed with the meaningful participation of Native Americans, they said.
"In all of these areas, tribal leaders across the country are not only being more engaged, but they're more informed," said Jefferson Keel, a member of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and president of the National Congress of American Indians. |
History-Buff Cop Rescues Wounded Knee Pix
By Thomas MacMillan
One image shows armed U.S. marshals surrounding the town of Wounded Knee in 1973. Other photographs offer contemporary portraits of American Indians, tattooed or in traditional dress, in South Dakota and Washington state.
While the content of the pictures—found Wednesday in a driveway in East Rock—is clear, the identity of the photographer was a mystery, until Saturday. That’s when Officer Paul Kenney got a call from photographer Owen Luck, who was looking for his lost photos.
The images are part of a collection of 11x14-inch photographs that were discovered Wednesday in front of 22 Lincoln St., near the corner of Bradley Street in East Rock. Officer Kenney was heading up the search for the owner of the photographs, which are organized in plastic sleeves in five binders inside a professional portfolio case.
h/t DeepHarm |
Colombian indigenous still in danger of extinction
By Rick Kearns, Today correspondent
Advocates warn that many indigenous peoples in Colombia still face the danger of extinction due to an increase in homicides, threats and instances of forced displacement.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees issued a report Aug. 9, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, focusing on these imminent and present dangers. The threats could result in the physical or cultural disappearance of many peoples, and the warnings about this emergency are not new. |
A year after summit, Indians report progress in governmental dealings
WASHINGTON — Nearly a year after President Barack Obama convened an Native American summit and instructed federal agencies to start collaborating with tribes on programs and policies, Native American leaders in Montana and elsewhere say they have begun to see a dramatic shift in attitude from a government that ignored or took advantage of them for decades.
Issues such as health care, law enforcement and water rights — long held up by tribal leaders as shameful examples of federal neglect or obstruction — are being addressed with meaningful participation of Native Americans, they said.
"In all of these areas, tribal leaders across the country are not only being more engaged, but they're more informed," said Jefferson Keel, a member of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and president of the National Congress of American Indians. "There is actually dialogue back and forth. It's constructive and it's productive." |
Cross Posted at Native American Netroots
An ongoing series sponsored by the Native American Netroots team focusing on the current issues faced by American Indian Tribes and current solutions to those issues.