Attention- Cheyenne-Arapaho People In Oklahoma!

Submitted by Jean Bedell-mashkikinabinais

Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 07:15:05 EST
State-Tribal Gaming Compact.

Watonga Republican – Watonga, Oklahoma
Letter to the Editor,
I submit this letter in the hope that my Cheyenne-Arapaho people will read and understand the importance of what could happen to our tribe if we enter into a state-tribal gaming compact.

The compact is an overwhelming 108 pages, most of which is about horse racing schedules and policies. However, along the way through some tedious reading at well spaced intervals you will find paragraphs that should be of great concern to all Indians.


First, this compact requires only four tribes to enter into a state-tribal compact to seek approval by the secretary of the interior and notice of approval published in the Federal Registry. Okla. Horse Racing Commission would then have the authority to license us to operate state-defined Class II gaming machines in our own casinos.

A little further into the compact is a part that authorizes Okla. Horse Racing Commission to establish rules to regulate and enforce the provisions of the compact. It goes on to say that games and gaming authorized by this compact conducted by an Indian tribe shall be conducted solely pursuant to the requirements of the compact.

On down the line the compact authorizes the state to establish a state compliance agency "SCA," for which the tribe must pay $50,000 startup cost and an additional $35,000 for the annual oversight assessment, which shall be determined and paid in advance of the first fiscal year.

Finally, almost hidden in obscurity of this enormous document at the bottom of page 99 is a simple sentence that says, "Each of the parties hereto waives immunity and consents to suit therein for such limited purposes." As easy as that, our tribal Sovereignty is gone.

Although insulting, this doesn't surprise me. Remember, HB 553 was pushed through by Gov. Brad Henry who a good number of Indians voted for. We must remember what our grandfathers told us about these men who always want what we have and will make promises and always have a piece of paper that we should sign for our own good. The word "forked tongue" comes to mind.

This is what the governor and his friends call "Leveling the Playing Field." I fail to see anything level or fair about multi-millionaires racing hundred thousand dollar horses and crying for bigger profits while an astounding number of Indians in Oklahoma still live below the national poverty level, and we still have the highest dropout rate and the highest unemployment rate in the whole country. Yet, the good governor and his friends want all their money and part of ours the revenues. We need to address these problems and to try to create a better future for our children.

What really infuriates me, though, is that Lucky Star Casino chartered a bus and transported their employees to the state capitol to lobby for passage of HB 553, thereby using our own young people against our best interest. It's not even as if they were exercising their First Amendment rights because they were being paid to do this by their employer.

Whether this was directed by Mr. Druck or if it was initiated by Lucky Star managers Brian Foster and Thomas Blackowl, it was wrong. Since before Lucky Star Casino became a reality up until the present, Mr. Druck has always maintained that he would protect our "tribal sovereignty." I don't think that this was done with the idea of protecting our "sovereignty" in mind.

In closing, I want to tell you, my people, "That we don't have to compact with the state," the ones that call themselves "civilized will do that." In my opinion, it's not in our best interest to pay the state or the horse racing commission to let us have state defined Class II gaming and pay them to have oversight and regulatory authority over our own casinos on our own lands.

I don't believe that an issue of this magnitude with important long-term implications should be decided by the tribal gaming commissioners or even the business committee. This affects all of us - the whole tribes. I say the whole tribes should decide with a referendum vote by the people.

Respectfully,
Donovan Birdshead

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Probation For A Bishop & An Admission Of Guilt

There was no jail time for Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien, former head of the Phoenix Diocese. He was smiling as he left the courtroom on Friday, March 26th after Superior Court Judge, Stephen A. Gerst sentenced him to four years of supervised provision and ordered him to 1,000 hours of community servce ministering to the suffering in AIDS clinics or veterans hospitals.

The bishop was found guilty on February 17th of the hit and run pedestrian death, in Phoenix, of Navajo tribal member Jim L. Reed last June 14th when the Bishop’s car struck Reed as she stepped into the street.

On Friday, March 19th the bishop read the following statement standing before Judge Gerst when he asked for probation in lieu of jail time.

“In the course of my life as a priest and bishop, I believe I have addressed thousands and thousands of people in one situation or another. However, standing before this court as a human person, convicted of a crime, is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I understand there is one person that is responsible for me coming before you today, and that person is me.

“It’s important to me that the court and the community know that I care very much about how my mistakes have affected people.

“Not a day goes by without my thinking of Mr. Reed and his family and how things might have been different if I had seen him.

“The police and lawyers have told me and the court that I am not responsible for causing the death of Mr. Reed. Nonetheless, I feel responsible, Your Honor. I feel if I had seen Mr. Reed, I might have been able to do something, something to avoid what happened, and Mr. Reed might be alive today.

“The loss and sadness related to Mr. Reed’s death and my sadness at being involved in an accident that resulted in his loss of life place a feeling of responsibility in my soul, in my heart and in my mind.

“I ask that Mr. Reed’s family and his community, and the entire community will someday forgive me.”

The Bishop went on to state that he feels it is every driver’s responsibility to stop and render aid after an accident. He emphasized the enormous stress he has been under since the accident and admits he should have done things differently with regard to issues of sexual misconduct within the Dioceses of Phoenix when he failed to act upon those issues after they were presented to him.

“My career as a church leader had effectively ended. However, my ability to serve the people of our community has not. I would like to ask this court to place me on probation so that I may continue to serve the church and the community and try to make up for my wrongs.

“Your honor, I do not want to be incarcerated. However I want the court to know whatever it decides is the appropriate sentence for me. I will humbly accept that sentence and I know that the God I have served throughout my life will to abandon me and will help me to earn from all of this.”

Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley criticized the judge’s
decision not to hand down a jail sentence and for suggesting that O’Brien’s sentence should be softened because he had suffered from negative publicity and humiliation.

Jim’s mother, Lillie Reed, broke down after the sentencing. “The bishop hurt me” she said in Navajo. “He took my child from me. Why don’t they put him in jail?”

This article was edited from pages of several editions of The Arizona Republic.

On a personal note: I have a friend and neighbor who is currently serving a six-year prison term for vehicular manslaughter. He did not leave the scene of the accident.
bobbie

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Two Friends - Piestewa and Lynch - One Year Later

The first anniversary of the capture of Pfc. Lori Piestewwa and Pfc. Jessica Lynch in Nasiriyah, Iraq was held on March 23rd. The military service roommates were ambushed by Iraqi soldiers when their unit, the 507 Maintenance Company, missed a turn and Piestewa, driving a humvee, crashed into another vehicle and overturned.

Both women were taken prisoner. Piestewa later died of injuries suffered in the crash. She was the first female Native American soldier to be killed in combat.

On the anniversary of Piestewa’s death some 200 family members and friends marked her demise with two memorial services. The first at 6:30 a.m., at the foot of Piestewam peak named in her honor, was attended by the Piestewa family, her two children and ex-husband, Bill Whiterock of Tuba City. A candlelight ceremony was held at 5:30 p.m. at Patriot’s Square in Phoenix.

Hopi and Navajo trial leaders spoke at the ceremonies. Eleven members of the Tuba City High School’s JROTC female color guard traveled from Piestewa’s home town in northern Arizona to take part in the ceremony. The Phoenix Oyate Singers drummed and sang. Piestewa’s father, Terry, offered a prayer in Hopi. Statements were read from Lynch and Shoshona Johnson, POWs and Piestewa’s comrades. The event ended with a Catholic Mass and mariachi music. The rituals represented her faith, Indian and Latino background.

“Lori died for everyone,” said event organizer Ernest Martinez. A distant relative and friend of the Piestewa family said “This event has brought people from all different backgrounds to remember her and honor her sacrifice”

Unfortunately, Piestewa’s memory is still clouded in controversy as the dispute continues to swirl around the Phoenix area concerning the renaming of Squaw peak to Piestewa Peak by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano a month after Piestewa’s death.

Meanwhile, across the county, Jessica Lynch spent the anniversary in relative peace and quiet. Lynch is now “yesterday’s news. She received national exposure when the media invaded her home town of Palestine, West Virginia following her dramatic rescue by U.S. military from the Iraqi hospital where she and Piestewa had been taken after their capture. For a while, Lynch was embraced by the Bush administration as a national heroine. A made for TV film of her war-time experiences and rescue was shown in November ’03 about the same time her authorized biography was released on Veteran’s Day.

Life on Lynch’s home turf has returned to its former pace. The media are gone but according to Wirt County Assessor, Debbie Hensen,”We’ve all been touched by the war, the continuing loss of life and the miracle that is Jessica, We think about things differently.”

For Lynch, now 20 years of age, life is slowly returning to normal or as normal as it ever will be. She still undergoes two hours of therapy sessions five days a week and her wheel chair is now only for travel as she’s down to leaning on one crutch.

Henson states, “Jessica gets out and about, now, doing the stuff 20 years olds do – hanging out with friends, talking on the phone and watching TV.”

Incidentally, cable television was brought to the Paradise and Wirt County residents when the media swarmed into town as Jessica Lynch became a national celebrity.

The anniversary, in Phoenix, took on political overtones. In the time frame between the two memorial gatherings, rally organizers, tribal leaders and family members made an emotional plea at the state Capitol to stop legislation they fear would restore Piestewa Peak back to its original name, Squaw Peak.

Legislators are, now, considering two measures aimed at overhauling the Arizona Geographic and Historic Names Board that changed the name of the Peak last spring at Democratic Governor Napolitano’s request. House Bill 2036, awaiting senate approval, would ask voters to hand over control of the Board to the Legislature rather than have the board members appointed by the governor. House Bill 2007 would do the same thing without requiring voter approval.

Phil Hanson, a Republican from Peoria, AZ sponsor of the measures, said he doesn’t want to rename Piestewa Peak. He wants to wrest control of the naming board from the governor because Hanson maintains Napolitano and her staff pressured board members during the renaming process.

Tribal leaders are skeptical of Hanson’s motives because he fought off amendments that would prevent a new board from revisiting the Piestewa naming.

The Senate Government Committee was supposed to hear House Concurrent Resolution 2036 this week but Hanson has asked for a delay because some of the key supporters can’t attend the hearing, and the controversy continues.

This article has been edited from pages of the March 22nd and 24th editions The Arizona Republic – bylined, Robbie Sherwood, Betty Reid and Bob Winters (Huntington W. Va.) Herald Dispatch.

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Lee Whitestar, Quechan Tribal Member, In Two Current Films

This story, edited from the pages of the March 21st edition of the Yuma Daily Sun bylined John Vaughn, City Editor, has a special meaning for me as Leland Jaeger, a.k.a. Lee Whitestar is a very special friend of mine.

I met Lee several years ago when I asked him to critique a new novel of mine – In The Name of Honor – featuring a Native American, Elvis “Indio” Sandoval, as an L.A.P.D. detective struggling to solve the murder of his prime suspect in an assault and battery case.“Honor” is going to be serialized beginning April 19th on a new Internet Project called “Another Chapter.”

We have been friends ever since. We finally met in person two and a half years ago when Lee and some of the cast were in town for a special Quechan showing of “The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud”. I also had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the film’s writer, director, producer, actor Paul Winters and as well as actors Karen Genaro, Victoria Regina and Mark S. Brien.

All of them are in Winter’s latest film, “Nate And The Colonel” which was recently named “Best Picture” at the Native American Film and TV Awards Ceremony on March 5th held at the Burbank Holiday Inn.

Vaughn writes,“Leland Jaeger has found himself in all kinds of places and situations since taking up acting as a second career. Jaeger, a Quechan tribal member who grew up in the shadow of Fort Yuma but now lives in Pomona, Calif., has appeared in commercials. He’s been in episodes of such TV series as ’Judging Amy’,’Family Law’ and ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’.”

Lee has had starring roles in Winter’s two feature films. First,“The Homecoming Of Jimmy Whitecloud” as medicine man “John Spotted Bear” who is also Jimmy’s grandfather. It is the story of routine Mafia hit gone bad when the mob meets its match from unlikely opponents – Jimmy Whitecloud (actor David Midthunder) and his family and friends. This film, now billed as “Red Blood”, and is being distributed through MTI Video and available at Hollywood Video stores.

The second film, “Nate and The Colonel” is a story of a post Civil War Colonel and his Black friend who head West to escape the war-torn South and meet a band of Chippewa who later accept them as tribal members. Lee has the role of tribal chieftain,“Offers the Pipe”

“He was born on the Quechan Reservation and grew up, like everyone else, ‘in a mud house with dirt floors’. He didn’t speak a word of English until he went to school at Fort Yuma. He completed high school at Phoenix Indian School, then served in the army in Germany during the Korean War. Following military service Lee returned to Yuma, then finding no job opportunities, he went to LA and made his living in commercial printing.”

Upon retiring in 1995, Lee achieved a long-time goal by attending acting school. If he wanted Indian roles in film, he was told to change his name and let his hair grow. Thus, Leland Jaeger became long-haired Native American actor Lee Whitestar.

Winters is now writing the script for a new film,“Lost On Black Mesa” where Lee is being cast in the role of “Turtle”, a 19th century Indian whose spirit takes on present-day human form to come to the rescue of two boyhood friends – one Indian, the other White - who are being pursued by two men who have robbed the tribal casino.

A man who typecasts himself as a metaphysical person, Lee says he will be in his element in the film. Production for the “Black Mesa” is months away but when it comes to the filming stage, he would like to see it shot on his old home turf – the Quechan Reservation.

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The Real Golden Dollar Lady

by Ken Hughes

There is no end to the misrepresentations and distortions of Native American history. When present day writers research information germane to Indian culture they rarely go to the Elders of the Tribes, rather they go to the history books written by White men or to those Indians who make a living by telling tall tales to the White man.

The Detroit Free Press presented an extensive article titled “ On the trail of Lewis and Clark” March 18, 2004. It isn’t my intent to question the facts in the article. I wasn’t there I don’t know, however I doubt much of its accuracy. Pure logic tells me much in the Ledgers of the Lewis and Clark expedition were distorted. Upon a review of actual incidents they were perhaps altered for future historical purposes and not accuracy.

Some of the errors made by the expedition were monumental. Mistakes no Indian would have made. No Indian would have attempted to navigate the Salmon River of Central Idaho through the mountains. No Indian would have crossed the Bitterroot Mountains at Lemhi knowing they could ride their ponies south and follow the Snake River through the mountains on a relatively unobstructed route

It is more likely the advice of the Indians was ignored and the arrogance of the Captains prevailed. I seriously doubt two Distinguished Captains appointed by the President to explore a continent would take orders from a Savage-Indian teenage-girl.

The accumulative knowledge of the Tribes between St. Louis and the Pacific Ocean would have been as well documented and as accurate as a Rand McNally Road Atlas is today. Like I said, it’s all speculation I wasn’t there.

My objection is what they left out or blatantly misrepresented. In describing the Golden Dollar Coin with an image of Sacagawea, minted to honor Native Americans. Credit for the image on the coin was given to Shoshona Tillman of the Wind River Reservation Wyoming. She may have been a contestant but she is not the image. The Image on the coin is Randy‘L He-Dew Teton, Shoshone-Bannock Tribe at the Fort Hall Idaho Reservation.

Several people contributing information for the Article in the Free Press claim to be descendents of Sacagawea. Is it true? Possibly? Sacagawea had two children, a boy who was adopted by Captain Clark and later sent to live in Europe. Never to be heard from again. The other, a daughter, who supposedly died with her Mother in childbirth. But there were Uncles, Aunts and Cousins. The Tribal Elders would know. Do I know? No!

There’s a story in my family, that we had a Great Uncle [Sergeant Robert Hughes] who was killed with General George Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Is it true? Probably not! But, it’s our story and we’re sticking with it.

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Medal, Benefits Finally Secured For Navajo Code Talker

Submitted by Marinell Degraffen

Fifty—nine years after Teddy Draper Sr. narrowly survived the Battle of Iwo Jima, the Navajo Code Talker finally has been awarded the Purple Heart by the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition, the 80 year old Arizonan has also won benefits for hearing loss, temporary blindness and other injuries he sustained from a mortar blast in the 1945 WWII Pacific Island battle.

Treated by battlefield medics who made no record of his injuries and promptly returned him to combat, Draper’s requests for disability benefits were first denied in 1946.

“They shut me off right away” Draper said from his home on the Navajo Reservation near Chinle, Arizona. “I appealed , appealed, appealed.”

Draper credits both recent acquisitions (the medal and veterans benefits) to his pro bono attorney, George P. Parker, Jr. of the San Antonio law office of Houston-based Bracewell & Patterson. It was a chance encounter between the two men in Colorado four years ago where Parker has a home and Draper gave a lecture on the code talkers at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Cortez.

After Draper’s lecture, another speaker – longtime friend John Renbourne – told the audience of Draper’s struggle to get his veteran benefits and a well deserved medal, Parker, a labor law specialist, said his wife urged him to help Draper. A novice in veteran’s matters, he turned to the nonprofit National Veterans Legal Service program in Washington, D.C. for advice.

Over the years, Draper worked mainly as an interpreter but became unemployable because of his hearing loss and was tormented by vivid memories of the 36-day Iwo Jima battle before the island was secured by U.S forces.

His appeals for higher benefits were rejected until 1997, when he won a small allowance for his hearing loss but still wasn’t treated as fully disabled. Then, Parker entered the picture and at no cost to Draper, Parker and his researcher, Penny Robinson, clocked more than 500 hours over a 16 month period to undo a string of government decisions that shortchanged Draper.

Since admitting its “clear and unmistakable” error in January of this year, the government has awarded Draper nearly $80,000 in past benefits and increased future payments by $20,000 per year for hearing loss and post traumatic stress disorder.

This story was edited from the March 15th edition of the Houston Chronicle – San Antonio Bureau bylined John W. Gonzalez.

I learned about the Navajo Code Talkers from a Marine friend of mine who had served in the South Pacific. That was the one aspect of the war, more than any other, that fascinated me, but there was never much information available at the time about their involvement in the Pacific Theatre of Operations where they had served.

What I, and most of America, didn’t know was that code talkers were barred by the government from discussing their secret mission until 1968 when the language was declassified. By that time, WWII and their heroic deeds were yesterday’s news.

As a sometime screenwriter, I was delighted to learn that a film was finally being made about the Navajo Code Talkers - "Windtalkers" - expecting to see Nicolas Cage in the role of Technical Sgt. Philip Johnson, originator and developer of the code talker program. Johnson, son of a missionary, had grown up on the sprawling northern Arizona reservation and spoke fluent Navajo.

It was a was a huge disappointment to me to read the reviews of the film which highlighted the angst of the Nicolas Cage role as a GI assigned as a body guard to a code talker rather than telling the actual story of the code talkers themselves, which in my opinion, is far more interesting than the script concocted by director John Woo and his screenwriters.

Perhaps one day the true story will be produced in a non-documentary/entertainment film that will put the roles of Teddy Draper Sr., Lloyd Oliver, Carl Gorman, Preston and Frank Toledo and the hundreds of Navajo Code Talkers into proper perspective.

Native Unity - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.

First-Ever Meeting of Cocopah (Cucupah) Nations In Mexico

Tribal members separated in 1853 by the historic Gadsen Purchase reached out for common heritage for the first time
in the town of Pozas de Arvisu a few miles south of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora the home of the Mexican branch of the Cucupah Tribe.

The meeting, held Sunday, March 7th, was designed to bring tribal members together from the state of Arizona and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to allow their communities to learn about tribal customs in both countries.

Hundreds of people attended the event,including children bussed in from local schools, to get a first-hand look at the arts and history of the tribes. Hermes Flores, a Cucupah historian said the event was created to allow both communities the opportunity to learn about tribal customs in the U.S. and Mexico.

Attendees were treated to musical performances and an exhibition of a tribal game of stick ball. They could also purchase arts and craft items handmade by tribal members. Top-selling item were the flutes made from bamboo by artisans Antonio Santos and Santiago Reyes who gave musical demonstrations of their wares to delight young and old, alike.

There was a serious aspect to the meeting which entailed making certain the needs of the two tribes are not overlooked. Jose Pagafox, mayor off the city of San Luis Rios Colorado said his office will start working with the Mexican tribe to see about getting them a museum similar to the Cocopah Tribe located in Somerton, Arizona.

This story was edited from the March 10th edition of the Yuma Daily Sun bylined Louie Villalobos.

Editorial note – It would make sense that officials from both tribes contact the U.S Immigration Service and Border Patrol to ensure safe passage across the border areas between the two tribes to avoid the problems being encountered on the Tohono O’dham Reservation with their Mexican counterparts at the border crossings.



Native Unity - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.

A TRIBUTE TO CHIEF NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL!

Submitted by Ken Hughes

Throughout every generation a few good men stand out. They come in all forms, some are white, some are black, some are yellow, some are brown and some are even red. Today I speak of a Red man - Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Republican Senator from the state of Colorado, Member Chief of the Northern Cheyenne Nation. I believe he is the first Native American in the Senate.

There are those who disagree. Former Senator Robert L. Owen couldn’t have been more than one eighth Indian yet he claims a connection. He served as an Indian Agent and later as an Attorney for the Choctaw Nation. No doubt he served the Indian well, however it is said by some Tribes one should not claim an ancestor unless you know the names they took and the trails they rode.

Charles Curtis former Senator and Former Vice President of the United States claims to be one sixteenth Cherokee. Either the Cherokee women were very loose or the Cherokee men were irresistible to White women. Thousands of whites claim to be one sixteenth Cherokee. Maybe it’s just the White man’s fantasy. I still go with Chief Nighthorse, he’s one half Northern Cheyenne and one half Portuguese.

Senator Campbell worked very hard serving the interests of the Indians. Yet he never let his heritage get in the way of serving all Americans. Senator Campbell was a riddle in Washington circles. He rode his motorcycle to White house functions. He wore a pony tail celebrating his Indian roots. He could argue Liberal as well as Conservative politics. Senator Campbell was respected on both sides of the aisles of Congress.

To champion the accomplishments of Senator Campbell would take more space than I am allowed in this column. Senator Campbell was educated and he was an educator. He was a Veteran of the Korean War and the Congressional Wars, performing heroically in both.

One of the Senators proudest accomplishment was his assistance in the creation of “Sand Creek Memorial Site” and “ Black Canyon and Gunnison National Parks” Both tributes to Native American history.

Senator Campbell has opted not to run for reelection. He will be sorely missed. This will be a great loss to Native Americans, who will speak for them now?

Ken Hughes

MEET SENATOR CAMPBELL -

The only American Indian presently serving in the United States Senate and one of the 44 chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Senator Campbell received a B.A. degree in physical education and fine arts from San Jose University in 1957 and later attended Meiji University in Tokyo in 1960 as a special research student. Before entering college, Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force, where he attained the rank of Airman 2nd Class.

Campbell is a renowned jewelry designer, and trainer of champion quarter horses. He participated in the 1964 Olympics as a member of the U.S. Olympic Judo Team, and has been a judo instructor.

Senator Campbell and his wife, Linda, have been married for more than 35 years. They are the parents of Colin Campbell and Shanan Longfellow and have three grandchildren., Luke and Saylor Longfellow and Lauren Campbell.




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NATE AND THE COLONEL Wins 'Best Picture' Award At The American Indian Film and TV Awards!

Burbank, California.

The Native American awards ceremony that acknowledges indigenous actors in Motion Pictures and Television was held at the Burbank Holiday Inn, and the Indie feature film, Nate and the Colonel, picked up the Best Picture win.

Nate and the Colonel, the epic tale of life on the Western frontier after the Civil War (as seen through the eyes of ex-Confederate Colonel Ben Loftin and his ex-slave, Nate) was produced by Carlos Milano, and was written and directed by Paul Winters.

The film starring Winters as the Colonel and Ricco Ross as Nate, also features Native actors Mark S. Brien, David Midthunder, Billy Day Dodge, Lee Whitestar, Victoria Regina, Al Harrington, Shelly Littlefeather and many others who speak the Native language Ojibwa for a good part of the movie.

Up against Whale Rider, The Missing, On the Corner, and Dancing on the Moon, Nate and the Colonel scored the upset win. Nate and the Colonel is distributed by Artist View Entertainment and MTI Video.

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Navajo Nation Boys And Girls Club Caught In Feud In 'Native Disunity'

Gallup, N.M. - The board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of the Navajo Nation wants Navajo President, Joe Shirley Jr, to permanently close the Dine Boys and Girls Club Expansion Office which the board accuses of siphoning off federal funds meant for children.

The expansion office works out of Shirley’s headquarters and is not part of the Boys and Girls Club.

Ray Begaye, president of the Boys and Girls Club of the Navajo Nation said the expansion office took $263,282 in grant money meant for the Boys and Girls Club. The money was from a $500,000 Tribal Youth Project grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Begaye accused the expansion office of illegally using the Boys and Girls Club name to write federal grants without sharing information about the grants with the Club.

The expansion office kept part of a $600,000 Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act federal grant meant for the Boys and Girls Club, Begaye added.

The expansion office and the Boys and Girls Club were in an economic and legal partnership but are now battling for authority, said Spencer Willie, expansion office program director. “It’s a power struggle”.

The expansion office fulfilled its original mission of expanding the Boys and Girls’ club during the past three years, so it is no longer necessary, Begaye maintains.

He added their board unsuccessfully tried to discuss the matter with Shirley and chief of staff, Patrick Sandoval.

Deanne Jackson, Shirley’s spokeswoman, said a meeting between Shirley and the Boys and Girls Club board is scheduled for mid–March.

This was edited from a March 1st Arizona Republic AP story.




Native Unity - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.

'Rock The Native Vote Concert' To Motivate Young Voters

Submitted by Annie

This summer in Oklahoma City, a groundbreaking effort will be made
to register thousands of Native American young adults to vote.

On Saturday, June 5, a first of its kind concert will take place at the
Oklahoma City Fairgrounds in the Made in Oklahoma Building. From
1 pm. to 10 pm. there will be informational booths and a concert
featuring award-winning Native American performers of contemporary
music.

The Rock the Native Vote (RNV) concert is a non-partisan event to
educate and encourage Indian Country to vote. The primary sponsor
of this event is the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of the
United Methodist Church. The OIMC is made up of 89 Native
American United Methodist Churches across Oklahoma, Kansas and
Texas. Among the many aims of its ministry is to promote the goal of
social justice.

"The belief is that through becoming politically active, positive social
change will occur," said RNV Concert Chairman Rev. David Wilson.
Wilson is also the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian
Missionary Conference of the United Methodist Church. The UMC
provided a grant that is being used as seed money for the concert.

Brian Frejo, a popular Native American Hip Hop MC and music
producer, was instrumental in securing a stellar line-up of artists.
Comments Frejo, "Some of the most popular acts in Indian Country
will be here, from rap and hip hop to rock and blues."

Performances are set to begin at 2 pm. Nearly all of these artists
were either nominated for or recipients of Native American Music
Awards (NAMMYs). Headlining is Pop/Dance sensation Jana, a
member of the Lumbee Nation. Other nationally known musicians are
Tribal Live (Hip Hop), Casper Lomayesva (Reggae) and Darryl
Tonemah (Contemporary Rock). Also featured are noted locally
based artists Chebon Tiger Band (Blues) and Brian Frejo's Culture
Shock Camp (Rap, Hip Hop, Breakdancing)

The concert is scheduled to take place in the summer for traditional
reasons. RNV Committee member Rev. Chebon Kernell states, "It is
a cultural tradition to have social functions in the summertime. It has
always been our time to get together. This event provides a
wholesome environment for the whole family to enjoy".

Rock the Native Vote organizers believe that it is vital to engage and
empower Native Americans to participate in the elections of next fall.
This non-partisan effort is geared towards educating Native
Americans about the importance of voting.

"It is time for the indigenous people of America en masse to exercise
their rights as citizens. It is a responsibility we owe to both our
ancestors and to our children," says RNV committee member and
former Oklahoma State Senator Enoch Kelly Haney.

Ticket price is $10 and will be available through OK Tickets beginning
April 5. The concert has a website that is updated frequently. Visit
them at http//www.rockthenativevote.com. For more information,
please call 405-632-2006.


Cinda Hughes
Ms. Wheelchair America

Editorial Note – Social and cultural advancement as well as unity can come to Native Peoples through three major and readily available sources – the Media (print and electronic); Arts and Entertainment and Politics.

Showcase your talents and get actively involved in the world around you. If you do nothing more, at least GET REGISTERED and VOTE in the primaries and general election in November. YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT!

“Senator Ben Nighthorse Campell, a two-term Colorado Republican and the Senate’s only Native American, will not seek re-election citing concerns about his health.” New York Times, March 4th edition – Michael Janofsky.

WHO will take his place? bobbieo


Native Unity - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.

'Nate And The Colonel' Nominated For Best Picture By L.A.'s NAFC

The Paul Winters production of“Nate And The Colonel” has been nominated for the best film of the year award by the Los Angeles Native American Film Committee. The film, produced by Canyon Press and Anaca Entertainment, premiered February 26th in Santa Monica at the Lemmele Theatre.

The setting is 1865 and the Civil War is over. Former slave, Nate Washington and his boyhood friend, Confederate Colonel Ben Loftin head West to escape a Southern homeland torn by war and strife. On the Western Plains they encounter a band of Chippewa Indians who will forever change their lives. Along their Westward route they must deal with a renegade band of Union Cavalry with a score to settle.

The film was written and directed by Winters. Carlos Milano is the producer. Nicco Ross is Nate; Winters is Colonel Loftin; and Milano is Major J.T. Haskell. Also in the cast are Mark S. Brien, Hunting Thunder; Al Harrington, Standing Elk; Lee Whitestar, Offers The Pipe; Victoria Regina, Birdfeather, David Midthunder as Kills The Enemy; and Kansas Carradine, Rain Basket.

Many of the cast were featured in Winters first film “Red Blood”(a.k.a. "The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud") which is now on video and available at Hollywood Video Stores.

The group will hold a press conference this coming Friday, March 5th. 2 p.m. at the Burbank Holiday Inn.




Native Unity - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.

Indian Nation's Pres Says 'Quiet Crisis' Grows Louder

Submitted by Lori Anderson-Finwall

While the president of the United States delivered his State of the Union
address on January 20, National Congress of American Indians President Tex
G. Hall was preparing for his own. Hall delivered the State of Indian
Nations Address on January 31st at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., exploring the issues surrounding sovereignty in Native American and Alaskan Native tribal communities.

"One of the most important things to understand about American Indian tribes
is the simple fact that tribes are governments-- not non-profit
organizations, not interest groups, not an ethnic minority," Hall told the
crowd.

Discussing the federal government's reluctance to accept its responsibility
to Native communities across the country, Hall alluded to a recent report by
the U.S. Civil Rights Commission that blasts several federal agencies for
not aggressively fighting a backlog of poor services for American Indians.

The report, "A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian
Country," found that due to under-funding of federal trust funds to Native
communities, tribes are less able to be self sufficient, which in turn
perpetuates high poverty and unemployment rates, low secondary education
graduation rates, a shorter life expectancy, and higher rates of sickness
and disease for native peoples.

"Commitment, the 'trust responsibility'-- is not a hand-out, but a
contract," Hall said. "And that contract has been broken time and again by
the federal government."

After identifying areas of concern within the Indian Nation, Hall presented
solutions, including law enforcement and public safety on reservations. He
praised the Gila River Indian Community for its outstanding
tribally-controlled police department. Because the Gila River community has
invested tribal money into expanding its law enforcement staff, Hall said,
public safety on the reservation has improved dramatically. He believes that
with adequate federal funding and improved "clarity" of tribal jurisdiction
within their boundaries, tribes can play a much-needed part in the public
safety network.

To tackle the problem of under-funded education, Hall suggests a renewed
commitment to bring the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school funding up to
that of other public schools, and to support the distinctive needs of the
native students. One of the problems that causes low graduation rates, Hall
said, is that the BIA is allotted only $3,000 a year for each student, which
is half of what most public schools receive for their students.

In an effort to offer a solution to health and social service issues, Hall
called upon Congress to increase its Indian Health Service funding so that
tribes can fight diabetes, alcoholism, and other diseases affecting the
Native communities. He emphasized that the life expectancy for Native
Americans and Alaskan Natives is five years less than all other races in the
United States. Today, American Indian medical service is less than one-third
that of an individual who has Medicaid assistance.

Hall believes that it is crucial for Indian Nations to be involved in the
reauthorization of federal funding, which creates a safe infrastructure
critical to the governance of the communities.

"Sovereignty is one of the primary development resources tribes can have,
and the reinforcement of tribal sovereignty through self-determination
should be the central thrust of public policy," he said.

Calling upon the Department of the Interior to work with tribes and
reorganize their system to be more responsive to local needs, Hall explained
that the federal government has mismanaged money in trust accounts for
individual Indians, as well as tribes. In fact, one independent source has
estimated that billions of Indian dollars have been mishandled and lost by
the self-appointed resource manager.

"The Indian Nation is in a midst of a quiet crisis that grows louder with
each passing year," he said. “Sovereignty means the opening of possibility
that our democratic faith can be made whole again."

This story was compiled by the Civil Rights Organization staff.


Native Unity - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.