Minorities In U.S.Senate Race

By Arianna Huffington
(Edited for content and length - b)

The passion invested by the Democratic faithful in taking back the White House has meant that not enough has been said about the imperative of taking back control of the place John Kerry will hopefully be leaving — the United States Senate.

If Kerry is the next occupant of the Oval Office, he will need legislative muscle to undo the disastrous policies of the Bush administration, which have damaged our economy, degraded our environment, added millions to the roll of America's uninsured, and seriously undermined our national security. No executive order can reverse all that

In looking at the Senate races Democrats can win, I focused on the three open seats currently held by retiring Republicans in Illinois, Colorado and Oklahoma. In each of these states, the Democrats are putting forth a candidate — Barack Obama in Illinois, Ken Salazar in Colorado, and Brad Carson in Oklahoma — capable of bringing a new type of leadership to Washington.

Just for starters, Obama is black, Salazar is Hispanic, and Carson is a member of the Cherokee Nation — no small matter when you consider that despite making up over 25 percent of the U.S. population (accounting for more than 71 million Americans), there are currently no blacks, no Hispanics, and just one Native American in the Senate. The World's Most Exclusive Club, indeed.

But what separates and elevates these candidates goes far beyond race and ethnicity. It's their ability to focus on the Other America — the millions struggling to make ends meet — while retaining the ability to draw supporters from across the political spectrum.

As an added bonus, the three are running against some of the most troubling opponents ever to come down the political pike. Even if Obama, Salazar, and Carson weren't so appealing, their opponents — Alan Keyes in Illinois, Pete Coors in Colorado, and Tom Coburn in Oklahoma — are so repellent that their resounding defeat should be a priority for all sentient Americans. More on these bozos as we go along.

The nation saw firsthand the reasons for Obama's widespread appeal when he delivered his headline-making keynote speech at the Democratic convention: He is brilliant (a former president of the Harvard Law Review), charismatic, an eloquent speaker, and in possession of a life story that embodies the American dream.

Colorado's Salazar faces a tougher challenge: There are 193,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats in his state. Nevertheless, the popular two-time state attorney general has been able to open a lead by combining a two-fisted attack on President Bush's mishandling of Iraq, domestic security, the economy, and the environment with a down-home, folksy style. His pickup truck persona (complete with blue jeans and cowboy hat) has won him the support of a majority of the state's rural voters.

Given Oklahoma's unabashedly conservative bent — Bush carried the state by 22 percent in 2000, and currently leads Kerry by even more — it's nothing short of a miracle that Carson, a 37-year old, two-term Congressman, is running neck-and-neck with his Republican rival. Carson, a sixth-generation Oklahoman who turned down an opportunity to go to law school at Yale in favor of the University of Oklahoma, then devoted a third of his practice to providing free legal services to impoverished clients, has attracted the small town support essential to pulling off a major upset in this decidedly red state.

"Too many working Americans," Carson told me, "are seeing their jobs shipped overseas without enough of our elected officials in Washington fighting on their behalf. We've got to stop pursuing policies that leave behind middle class families — such as stripping workers of overtime pay, the pay that often makes the difference between a family having groceries for the last week of the month or doing without.

Most experts agree that, in the end, the balance of power in the Senate will turn on what happens in the presidential race — And it could also turn out to be the recipe for an Election Night Democratic two-fer — taking back both the White House and the Senate.

© 2004 ARIANNA HUFFINGTON
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

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.

Phoenix Premiere Of 'Black Cloud' A 'Knockout'

Yeah! But something got lost along the way after the ‘initial blow’.

The focus of the premiere, held at the Harkins theatre last evening, showcased the directorial debut of Rick Schroeder, former kid-star, now a Phoenix resident. Where were Lowell Bahe, the young Navajo boxer - the reason the film was made in the first place - and his dad who created the boxing gym where Lowell trains?

The headline in the May 27th, 04 Native Unity column read, ‘Black Cloud - Navajo Boxer Inspires Film’. The story’s lead stated, “The indie film ‘Black Cloud’ written, directed and produced by former child film star Rick Schroeder got his inspiration for the film from two people in the same family: The sixteen year old Navajo boxer and his quest to make the Olympic boxing team in 2008 and his father, Cal, who built the Damon-Bahe Boxing Club in Chinle, Arizona to encourage the young men in the area to stay away from smoking, drinking, drugs and gangs.”

“Schroeder was inspired by what he had heard of Cal Bahe who was helping kids overcome alcohol abuse and gang violence through the sport of boxing.” He drove up to Chinle to meet the family, watched boxing tapes and asked if he could use their story as a launching pad for a dramatic movie. This article was edited and rewritten from the April 1st issue of the Arizona Republic bylined Judy Nichols.

The film was reviewed on the Internet and one reviewer was featured in the June 16th Native Unity column. “I just saw ‘Black Cloud’ today at the Phoenix Film Festival at its world premiere. This was by far the best film at the festival. I absolutely loved it and enjoyed every minute of it. It is a truly inspirational film for the entire family.

“A film that’s truly about people, about real people. The almost entire Native American cast did an outstanding job on the film. I wasn’t expecting much from this film but came away with a lot. One of the best films I have seen so far this year, in this festival, but out side the festival as well. LOVED IT!”

Back to last night’s gala Phoenix premiere. There were personalities galore drifting in and out surrounded by adoring fans. Of course, Schroeder was hit of the evening being remembered from his juvenile performances in The Champ and Silver Spoons.

Lakota Eddie Spears who has the lead role in the film as Lowell Bahe told Republic reporter Randy Cordova that he had a long day. He had been up since 4:30 a.m. making the promotional rounds. “But this is the exciting part,” he said,”It’s like it’s all come together.”

The film’s leading lady, Julia Jones, hopes the audience will learn a lesson from Black Cloud. “I want to send a message that you can achieve your dreams if you work hard and persevere”. I’m not certain as to whom she was referring – Lowell Bahe the aspiring boxer or Rick Schroeder with his directing debut.

Native actor, Russell Means – Oglala Lakota - who has the role of Bud, the young boxer’s mentor and boxing coach, was there, but I think the most telling statement came from four-time Flyweight boxing champion, Phoenician Michael Cabajal.

Fame is fleeting and Carbajal summed up Bahe’s fifteen minutes when he told reporter Cordova, “I really want to see it (the film). It’s about an Indian fighter, or something like that.”

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Westward Ho! Natives Say 'NO'

Submitted by:
Jean bedell-mashkikinabinais
Marinell Degraffen

“A project by a team of history buffs to retrace the Lewis and Clark Expedition has proved historically accurate in at least one respect: The adventurers have encountered hostile Indians.” This is the eye-catching lead from a September 25th AP story bylined Joe Kafka.

“The Natives were led by Alex White Plume of the Pine Ridge
Indian reservation who said they wanted to make the point that the re-enactment is glorifying the westward expansion that resulted in broken treaties, genocide and the loss of Indian lands. ‘Lewis and Clark brought the death and destruction of our way of life’.”

Scott Mandrell, a teacher from Illinois, is portraying Capt. Meriwether Lewis of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804. He is a part of the team of history buffs who are re-enacting the bicentennial of the historic event ordered by President Thomas Jefferson to explore what is now the northwest United States. The exploration began at St. Louis MO on May 14th 1894 and ended September 23rd 1806 on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, near the mouth of the Colombia River.

According to Mandrell, as the re-enactment team made their way up the Missouri River near Chamberlain, SD they encountered a group of about 25 Indians who told the expedition members to turn their boats around and go home.

“They crossed the line with threats of physical violence and damage to our boats,” Mandrell said.

The Indians said they will continue peaceful protests during the re-enactment and expedition members say they will not alter their northwesterly course. So far, it’s a Mexican stand-off.

White Plume added he is not convinced the re-enactors are the best choice to relate Indian history. “I believe they are honorable men, but what they represent is irritating. How can we allow Lewis and Clark to tell our story when they’re the ones who brought death and genocide to our people?”

In the winter of 1803-04, the expedition was assembled in Illinois, near St. Louis. The party consisted of Lewis and Clark, 4 soldiers, 9 frontiersman, 2 French boatmen, Clark’s Negro servant and a French interpreter and his Indian wife, Sacagawea, the sister of a Shoshone chieftain. who proved to be invaluable as the expedition’s guide.

Many of the Indians they encountered along the historic route had never seen a white man and believed no hostile “war party” would include a woman and her infant son. So, they were allowed to continue, unmolested. Sacagawea’s image is portrayed on the U.S. Golden Dollar Coin, issued May, 1999.

The first leg of the historic re-enactment will end November 4th near Bismarck, ND to resume next year.

This article has been edited, rewritten and compiled from an AP story, Compton’s Encyclopedia, The World Almanac and the Internet.

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.

South Dakota Violated Native Voting Rights

Submitted by Alyssa Burhans
CONTACT: Paul Silva, ACLU Nat'l(212) 549-2689 or 2666PIERRE, SD-

In an historic victory for voting rights, a federal court on September 15th, 04 ruled that South Dakota violated the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act when it approved a statewide redistricting plan that dilutes the voting power of Native Americans.

"This is a landmark victory for the voting rights ofNative Americans," said Bryan Sells, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's VotingRights Project, which had challenged the plan."Redistricting has historically been used to disenfranchise minority voters. Today's decision will help rectify this longstanding problem."The ACLU filed the case on behalf of four NativeAmerican voters in December 2001 after the state legislature drew a new legislative district map that packs Native Americans into a single district. As a result, District 27, which encompasses the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian reservations, has an almost 90 percent "supermajority" of Native Americans.

The ACLU argued that packing the two reservations into one district disenfranchises Indian voters under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits abridging the right to vote on account of race or ethnicity. The ruling in favor of Native American voters in South Dakota comes at a time when the country is closely monitoring the state's current high-profile race between Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and his Republican challenger, John Thune.

According to political observers, Native American voters have been aggressively courted by both political parties and, in part as a result of successful court battles led by the ACLU. They are increasingly regarded as a growing and important electoral constituency. In today's ruling, U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier wrote that the "current legislative plan impermissibly dilutes the Indian vote" and denies Indians inDistricts 26 and 27 "an equal opportunity to accessthe political process."

The court gave the state legislature 45 days to submit proposals to rectify the disenfranchisement of Native American voters in SouthDakota.The ACLU said that although today's decision may not directly impact the November election, it could help strengthen voter confidence among South Dakota's Indian population and drive increased turnout at thepolls...

For more information on the ACLU's Voting RightsProject go to http://www.aclu.org/VotingRights/VotingRightsMain.cfm.

Alyssa BurhansOrganizing Director:
Native American Voters
2105 1st Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55404
Direct Line: (612) 879-7510
Cell: (612) 860-3300
Fax: (612) 870-4846
alyssa@nationalvoice.org

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.

Native Unity = Native Pride!

Some 515 tribes throughout the Western Hemisphere gathered yesterday ( September 21st) for the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall located at the foot of the nation’s Capitol.

Ivan the Terrible’s tropical storm winds had scoured out the remnants of D.C.’s summer pollution and the skies were a brilliant blue to welcome some 20,000 members of America’s First nations. Estimates vary on the size of the ceremonial bedecked crowd ( and non-Natives) from 10,000 as reported on Dan Rahter’s evening news broadcast, to 20,000 as reported in The Arizona Republic to the 30,000 to 40,000 estimate in the AP story featured in The Yuma Sun – so I’ll stick to the halfway mark.

Museum director Richard West, the trim, soft-spoken Cheyenne, was featured on Rather’s broadcast in business attire but wore a Cheyenne headdress during the procession. “Today Native America takes its rightful place on the National Mall, he said, “in the very shadow of the nation’s Capitol building itself.”

Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican and member of the Chickasaw Nation, read a statement from President Bush calling the museum ”A powerful remainder of the spirit, pride and vitality of our native peoples.”

Sen. Daniel Inouye - D-Hawaii, sponsor of the Senate bill that authorized the museum said he was motivated by a sense that Indians had not been recognized in the nation’s capital.

The museum’s design makes a dramatic architectural statement, unlike any other structure in Washington, and was built at the cost of $214 million. “The sweeping lines are intended to represent the kind of communion with nature common to many tribal religions.”

It houses 8,000 objects from across the western hemisphere. Four million visitors a year are expected to see view the museum’s films, see the paintings, photographs masks, sculptures, weapons, jewelry and hear the vibrant drumbeats of traditional music.

These exhibits will span 10,000 years within an area from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America. The Smithsonian gained the cornerstone of the displays when it acquired the 800,000 item collection from George Heye, the German–American entrepreneur and oil heir, whose museum opened in New York in 1922, that became a part of the Smithsonian in 1989.

I wish I could have attended the ceremony but editing this article brought back fond memories of the 1976 Bicentennial Festival when I spent the summer, as a Maryland resident and Smithsonian docent, working with Indian tribes on the same National Mall.


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A Permanent Tribute to Natives -

‘National Museum Of The American Indian’

The following commentary is from the editorial pages of the September 19th issue of The Arizona Republic, one of the most conservative newspapers in the country.

“Our Stand: The Smithsonian’s phenomenal, respectful new national museum does native peoples, nation proud.

“How would this country be different if the Europeans had arrived in the New World in a spirit of cooperation instead of conquest? What if they sought understanding, not just supremacy, in their relationship with the Native American tribes?

“No one will ever know.

“But just asking those questions shows a level of respect for indigenous cultures that is long overdue.

“So does the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 21st. Opening celebrations are expected to draw 20,000 Indians from tribes all over the hemisphere in what’s being called the largest multi tribal, multinational gathering of Indians in history.

“It is their museum, but it is the non-Indian people who have the most to gain from what it offers.

“The museum was designed with sensitivity to Indian cultures and a desire to share the wisdom of a way of life that is linked with the natural world in deeply spiritual ways.

“The curving forms of the building itself give it the name
Mesa on the Mall. Solstices and equinoxes are mapped in
red and black granite on the ground floor of a building that
culminates in a 40 foot sky dome 120 feet up.

“’Grandfather rocks’ blessed by several tribes, are a part
of a stream rushing along the building. A garden of corn,
sunflowers, beans and tobacco represent crops long important
to native people.

“The five story building covers 10,000 years of history and
occupies what had been the last un-built parcel on the Mall.
It gives indigenous people a place in what museum director
Richard West, a Southern Cheyenne, calls the political and
cultural heart of America.

“Inside displays show how much of this country has matured
in its attitude toward native peoples. These are not
exhibits of Indian skeletons and burial artifacts once so
common in museums, and long insulting to native peoples.
In fact, the Smithsonian is required by federal law to return human remains and sacred objects to tribes that ask for them and it has done so.

“Representatives from many tribes helped select the 7,500
objects that represent the past and present of indigenous
people, their stories of beauty and belief, their experience of struggle and survival. Their endurance.

“It took a long time for America to embrace cultures that were targeted for oblivion or assimilation. This museum is a remarkable opportunity to begin to look with appreciation at
cultures that have wisdom worth seeking.”

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.

One Thousand Watch 1st Football Game On Native Soil

Submitted by Marinell Degraffen
By Brian J. Pedersen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

TOPAWA - Pima College could have lost 54-6, instead of winning by that score Wednesday night, and Storm coach Jeff Scurran probably would have been happy.

"The fact that this event came off here is the thing," said Scurran, whose team rolled over the Tucson Monsoon in a non-conference game at Baboquivari High School. "Everything else is unimportant."

A crowd of about 1,000, mostly people from the Tohono O'odham Reservation, were on hand to watch what was believed to be the first college football game ever played on Native American soil.

The joint venture between Pima and Baboquivari was successful, regardless of what happened in the game, Scurran said.

"That this game occurred and people got their money's worth and got to see a college football game, and (Baboquivari's) whole football team was out here, that's the big deal," Scurran said.

Pima (2-0) scored on its first eight possessions, and led 41-0 at halftime against the Monsoon, a semipro team from the Arizona Football League that consists of former high school and college players.

The Monsoon's busiest player on the night was former Pima punter Mike Polk, who averaged just under 34 yards on his six kicks.

Pima tallied 332 yards on 34 offensive plays in the first half, to 59 yards for the Monsoon, and ended the game with a 443-88 advantage.

"I liked the way the kids played in the first half," said Scurran, who rested his starters in the second half. "They executed real well on both sides of the ball."

Storm quarterback Royal Gill was 9 of 11 for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on second-quarter scores of 18 and 22 yards to Brian Hernandez and Bobby Pond.

Pond, a Flowing Wells High School alum, also scored on a 26-yard TD run in the second quarter.

Tailback Quinton Bellamy scored the Storm's first two TDs on runs of 1 and 4 yards in the first quarter, and Pima added a 62-yard TD run by Michael Smith late in the second quarter.

Smith had 116 yards on six carries, part of Pima's 287 rushing yards.

The Storm led by 54 after Mountain View grad Eddie Arizmendi scored on a 2-yard run in the third and found former Marana standout Eddie Bracy for a 20-yard TD pass early in the fourth.

The only negative for Pima on offense were a pair of point after attempts, one that resulted in Arizmendi getting tackled while trying to run for two points after a botched snap. The other miss occurred when Andres Carroll was wide on an extra point kick.

The Monsoon avoided the shutout when former Amphitheater running back Jermaine Jeffries scored on a 2-yard run with 3:21 to go.

Mickey Pimentel had two of three first-half sacks for Pima, which also got interceptions from Greg Webb, Lucas Whalen and Joe Thomas.

Pima opens Western States Football League action Sept. 18 in Thatcher against Eastern Arizona, which beat the Storm 26-10 in Tucson last season.

"I'm real happy that we've got two wins, particularly up at Air Force (on Aug. 28), and we played real well here in the first half," Scurran said. "And we got to play a lot of kids

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Mandatory Draft For All Americans - 18-26 - On Horizon

Submitted by a Native American Vietnam veteran

There is pending legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR-163) and U.S. Senate (S-89) - companion bills - to reinstate the draft so it can begin as early as Spring, 2005.

The Bush administration is quietly trying to get these bills, which are currently sitting in the Armed Services Committees, passed now while the public’s attention is on the elections. This new Selective Service Plan eliminates higher education as a deferment and includes women in the proposals.

The House of Representatives Bill 163 can be found in detail at http://thomas.loc.gov/ - then enter “HR163”. It is less than two pages long.

This bill is designed to include all men and women ages 18 to 26 in a draft for military action. An agreement with Canada will be signed to stop anyone at the border who is attempting to dodge the draft.*

HR-163 also includes the extension of military service for all currently active in the service to increase the size of the military in the event of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

“HR-163 and S-89” are critical pieces of legislation which will not only affect you but your children and grandchildren, so please take time to write your congressman and let then know how you feel about these critical bills which will affect your immediate future.

Here is the simplest way to reach them. Type “congress” into the AOL search engine and input your zip code. A list of your Congressmen will pop up with a way to e-mail them directly. While you’re there, ask why there has been no publicity released to the media about this pending legislation.

For those of you interested in getting more details on this proposed legislation, you can access the information by logging on to www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the Selective Service System annual performance plan, fiscal year 2004.

*This agreement should prove to be about as effective as curbing illegal immigration along the U.S./Mexican border – bobbie.

Comment – From a similar story I placed on another site.

Hi, Bobbie,

Actually, the draft bills were instituted by DEMOCRATS in order to build resistance to the war on terror. The Bush administration is “quiet” because they ain’t in favor of it!

It is a DEMOCRAT SCARE TACTIC!

Thanks. Nice try, but no cigar.

From: Name deleted
COLONEL US ARMY Retired

“Name one country ever saved by a conscript army.”
--Robert A. Heinlein

NO DRAFT!

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.

Kerry/Edwards Agenda For Native Americans

Submitted by the Kerry/Edwards Campaign

Part 2 – WORKING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF NATIVE AMERICANS

1. Creating Educational Opportunities:

Education Infrastructure - The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school system is only one of two federally operated school systems. With an estimated over $2 billion backlog for school repairs in these BIA schools, Kerry supports repairing and building new schools for this county's American Indian children.

Elementary and Secondary Education - Fifty-seven percent of fourth grade American Indian and Alaska Native were reading below basic achievement levels in 2000. A Kerry-Edwards administration will work to improve the reading levels of this country's Native American children, including incorporating culturally relevant curriculum.

Tribal Colleges. John Kerry supports increased funding for tribal colleges. Kerry has written to President Bush opposition his efforts to limit set-asides for tribal colleges.

2. Reducing Crime and Promoting Tribal Justice:

Improving Law Enforcement Resources - Many law enforcement agencies in Indian Country are under funded and understaffed. John Kerry and John Edwards support providing resources for law enforcement in Indian Country and promoting state-tribal cooperative agreements to reduce crime.

Tribal Courts - John Kerry and John Edwards support increased funding for tribal courts.

3. Homeland Security:

Protecting our Borders and our Nation - Because of their strategic locations, tribes are in a position to be effective partners in the area of homeland security. The newly created Office of Homeland Security seeks to coordinate federal programs with state and local governments. Missing from the equation are tribal governments.

John Kerry will work to ensure that tribal governments take their place along with state and local governments to protect the security of America including advocating specific legislative changes to assure tribal governments have an equal place at the table. He will also create a Native American position in the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that tribal governments are fully represented.

4. Protecting the Environment and Energy Development:

Energy Development - Almost 15 percent of Indian households lack electricity. Because of this and other shortfalls, Kerry and Edwards support the creation and funding of an office at the Department of Energy dedicated to energy issues in Indian Country.

An integral part of the Kerry-Edwards energy plan is developing alternative sources of energy, and he seeks to partner with tribal governments to explore the alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power in Indian Country.

Protecting Natural Resources - Indian tribes hold over 50 million acres of land, approximately 2% of the United States. As president, John Kerry will work cooperatively with tribes to ensure that our Nation's natural resources are preserved.

5. Appointing Native Americans to Key Administration Positions and To the Judiciary:

Appointing Native Americans - John Kerry will work to appoint Native Americans to key positions in the Department of the Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies. He also will work to appoint Native American judges to the federal judiciary.

John Kerry will re-open the doors to the White House and will appoint a Native American to a senior position in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as his liaison to the Native American community in recognition of the government-to-government relationship.

Paid for and authorized by Kerry-Edwards Committee

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.

Miami Cat Man Needs Help!

Attention Cat Lovers:

Cherokee actor/model Michael Elan, the Miami Cat Man and director of the “Its Meow Or Never” organization, which was featured in the June Issue of “Cat Fancy” Magazine, is in the process of moving his cats to a safer location and needs all the help he can get right now.

The cats are being killed in street traffic and some mean- spirited person or persons are mutilating the very young and the old ones. Michael has been offered new quarters for his charges some 300 miles across the state but he needs about 30 cages and 10 carriers to be able to safely transport them to their new home.

I mailed in my $20 donation this morning to help defray the cost of the transportation. You can contribute to the cause by sending your check or money order to - Its Meow or Never, P.O. Box 833120, Miami, Florida, 33283. Be sure to specify the donation is for “cages and carriers”.

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.

Kerry/Edwards Agenda For Native Americans

Submitted by the Kerry/Edwards Campaign

Part 1 - ENSURING TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY

John Kerry and John Edwards have a comprehensive agenda to improve the lives of Native Americans. Kerry and Edwards will work every day to promote tribal sovereignty. While there are a number of successes in Indian Country, in these times of economic hardship – worsened by the policies of the Bush administration – John Kerry and John Edwards recognize that the Federal government must partner with tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts. The Kerry-Edwards comprehensive agenda includes:

1. Promoting Sovereignty:

Strengthening the Government-to-Government Relationship - As president, John Kerry will support regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with Indian tribal governments in the development of regulatory practices that significantly or uniquely affect their communities.

Trust Reform - John Kerry and John Edwards seek to work with tribes to continue meaningful and accountable trust reform.

2. Improving Access To Health Care:

Increase funding for the Indian Health Service - The average life expectancy for Native Americans is 55 years, 17 years less than the national average. But in spite of this need, the per capita expenditure for Native Americans is only one-third of the average annual expenditure for Medicaid assistance. The Indian Health Service is severely under funded, and John Kerry and John Edwards support meaningful increases for this vital means of providing health care to Native communities.

Expand and Improve Medicaid and CHIP - Because of higher rates of poverty, Native Americans are more likely to be eligible for Medicaid. However, Native Americans are less likely to be enrolled in coverage and often providers don’t participate. John Kerry has proposed to strengthen and expand Medicaid to provide a secure safety net that works for Native Americans and all Americans.

Preventative Care - Kerry-Edwards support preventative care for Indian Country, including initiatives for diabetes and cancer screenings.

Native American Seniors - Kerry-Edwards will strengthen programs that help seniors including Medicare and Medicaid and help Native American seniors get better access to health care.

3. Building Infrastructure:

Roads in Indian Country - One of the greatest barriers to economic development is the lack of adequate roads in Indian Country. While states spend $4,000 to $5,000 per mile for road maintenance annually on average, the federal government spends only $500 per mile for roads in Indian Country. John Kerry and John Edwards support increased funding for roads and other infrastructure projects in Indian Country.

Housing - Forty percent of the homes in tribal communities are overcrowded and need repairs. John Kerry and John Edwards will work to improve homeownership and to build safe, affordable housing in Indian Country.

4. Stimulating Economic Development:

Small Businesses - In 1997, there were almost 200,000 Native-owned businesses employing almost 300,000 and generating $34.3 billion in revenue. A Kerry-Edwards administration will help increase loans to Native-owned small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA). John Kerry has cosponsored the Native American Small Business Development Act. This legislation would create a permanent Office of Native American Affairs at SBA and would create a new grant program to assist American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Job Creation - After inheriting an economy that created 23 million jobs over the previous eight years, the Bush administration has presided over a loss of 1.8 million private sector jobs. John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to create millions of high paying jobs in their first term. Many tribes still suffer from high employment and low outside investment. John Kerry and John Edwards will make Indian Country an important part of their job creation plan.

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.

Natives To Celebrate 'Get Out The Vote'

PHOENIX -- Several thousand people are expected to attend Native-POLL-Ooza!, a first-of-a-kind Arizona Native American voting celebration concert, to be held Tuesday, November 2, from noon to 9 PM at the Phoenix Indian School Park at Central Avenue and Indian School Road. “The free election day concert is open to the public and is designed to foster a climate of voter awareness within the Native American community and highlight the vital role that Native Americans play in Arizona’s political landscape,” said Jonodev Chaudhuri, co-chair of the concert planning committee.

“It is our hope that many Native Americans and other Arizona residents will vote and come to the concert for great music, good friends, and a celebration of their citizenship.” The concert serves as a capstone to many ongoing Native American voting efforts. The concert's website is located at www.Native-POLL-ooza.com.

This event will feature Freddy Fender, a Grammy and Country Music Award winning favorite of the Native American community, and several major Native American musical acts, including:

· Clandestine, which is reuniting for the event.
· Keith Secola.
· Ethnic Degeneration (the Edge).
· Casper.
· DJ Able.
· Red Feather.
· A traditional drum group.

All attendees are encouraged to bring their “I Voted Today” stickers or any other items that celebrate their citizenship and participation in the voting process. The concert is being organized by volunteer members of various Native American organizations and is spearheaded by the NACOP, a non-profit, non-partisan, Native organization that works on improving the political representation, educational opportunities and health services for Native Americans in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The concert has received significant support from the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and MTV’s “Rock The Vote” Intertribal Street Team campaign. Other supporters include the ASU Native American Law Students Association, the National Congress of American Indians’ voting campaign, National Voice, and various Native promotion companies.

“The concert is well timed,” said Debra Yellowjohn, Lead Organizer of NACOP. “2004 marks the eightieth year that Native Americans across the nation have enjoyed United States citizenship. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, as well as the 1948 lawsuit that secured the right of Arizona Indians to vote, were made possible through the leadership of Arizona Native Americans.”

For further information, contact Jonodev Chaudhuri at (602) 382-6336, or (480) 216-9483 (cell). The concert will provide excellent opportunities for interviews with local and national Native American voting activists, along with visual media opportunities. Thank you in advance for your interest.

Alyssa Burhans
Organizing Director: Native American Voters
State Contact: AK, WA, OR, UT, AZ NM, OK, SD, MO
alyssa@nationalvoice.org

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.

Casino Money Put To Good Use

This unsigned editorial says it all, so the following is a word for word reprint from the pages of The Arizona Republic dated August 21st, 04.

Photo with cutline “Salt River High School built with gambling proceeds brings a modern education facility to the community”

Headlines:
Scottsdale Republic

Casino Money Put To Good Use

“Cynics who years ago bet no good would come from Indian gambling should look at Salt River High School.

“The 22 million, 560-student school opened Monday giving the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community east of Scottsdale its first real campus.

“Now students don’t have to go to Scottsdale or Mesa. They have solid amenities, including an auditorium, gymnasium, library and computer lab, that appear on par with those in any district. The school’s architecture and its classrooms reflect local culture.

“Salt River High’s precursor school, Desert Eagle Secondary School, relied too heavily on old trailers, hindering learning. It’s a disgrace that students had to put up with shabby facilities for as long as they did.

“If tribal leaders had to wait for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to help fund a new high school, they no doubt would still be waiting. A community official told me the Scottsdale Republic that they had wanted a high school since the 1970s.

“Salt River High was built using gambling money. Salt River operates two of Arizona’s most popular Indian casinos east of Loop 101 at Indian Bend and McKellips roads.

“Some people remain bothered by gambling, and that’s understandable. But, Indian gaming has not corrupted the state in the way some critics predicted. As a practical matter, Indian gaming likely won’t be scaled back particularly after Arizona voters in 2002 strongly approved Proposition 202, the 17-tribe gambling initiative. That ballot measure expanded tribal casino gambling and also implemented a revenue-sharing system with the state and local governments.

“Early on, supporters argued for gambling as a way to raise revenue that would improve the quality of life on Indian communities and promote self- sufficiency.

“This week’s long-overdue debut of Salt River High School is an example of casino proceeds doing that.”

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.

Add Acquanetta To 'Native Celebs' List

Although the late B-movie actress Acquanetta was promoted by a studio publicist during Hollywood’s Golden years as “The Venezuelan Volcano, she was born Burnu Acquanetta in 1920 in Ozone, Wyoming of Arapaho/Cherokee Indian parentage. She was taken by a foster parent to Norristown, PA and renamed Mildred Davenport.

Mildred graduated from a Pennsylvania high school, but Acquanetta went on to New York to become a top teen model. On her way to South America to perform at Rio’s Copocabana, she took a round about trip to Hollywood to check out the scene and was spotted by indy producer Walter Wanger who liked what he saw in the Native American beauty.

Wanger found a part for her in “Arabian Nights” filmed in 1942. She was signed by Universal Studios and went on to perform in jungle type productions befitting her “Venezuelan?" heritage including "Captive Wild Woman", "Jungle Woman", "Lost Continent" and "Rhythm of the Islands". Her role as Lea, the evil leopard woman, in RKO’s “Tarzan and the Leopard Woman”, with Johnny Weissmuller in the lead and Brenda Joyce as Jane, capped her career.

During those days, Acquanetta hobnobbed with the likes of Ronnie Reagan, Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles before her career began to wane and she met and married native Angelean Jack Ross in the early 1950’s. She and her husband moved to the Phoenix area in 1956 where Ross opened a Lincoln Mercury car dealership.

Away from Hollywood, she dropped her South American mystique as she and Jack joined the Phoenix social set. She braided her long black hair, wore Native American silver and turquoise jewelry in glamorous television ads for her husband’s car dealership.

She was a founder of Scottsdale’s Stagebrush Theatre and raised money for the Phoenix Symphony. She helped build the now Banner Mesa Medical Center and started Combined Charities Inc., a foundation that allowed smaller charities to use the interest from its consolidated donations.

In her Indian role, she was an activist for the Heard Museum and Phoenix Indian School as well as a full-time mother raising four sons – Jack Ross Jr., Lance, Tom and Rex and caretaker of Mesa Grande Ruins which scientists suspect was an ancient Hohokam temple. It will be preserved as a museum site.

Burnu Acquanetta died August 16th, 04 at age 83 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. In hindsight, I don’t believe the publicist who nicknamed her “The Venezuelan Volcano” was discriminating against her Native heritage. He/she was merely following the trend of the late 30s early 40’s when the U.S. was enchanted by anything South American reflected in films – anyone else remember Carmen Miranda,”The Brazilian Bombshell” - and music of the era. Helen O’Connell’s “Green Eyes’ – “Aquellos Ojos Verdes” – my favorite. Ah!!! “Those cool and limpid green eyes.”

On August 21st, funeral services were held at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Paradise Valley where her son, Rex, put together a final tribute to his mother consisting of a twin screen production of her life that loomed over the altar as the service began. Songs were sung and a Native American blessing was read.

This story was edited and rewritten from Internet clips and articles from The Arizona Republic bylined David J. Cieslak and Kate Nolan.


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.

Tribal Voters Could Swing Election!

NORTHWEST POLL WATCHERS

Native Vote 2004: Election Protection Project
The Northwest Indian Bar Association (NIBA) is teaming up with the National Congress of American Indians(NCAI) and the Washington, DC Native American BarAssociation (NABA DC) to place election daypoll-watchers throughout Washington Indian Country, both on reservation and in urban Indian communities.

The primary goal of the Native Vote 2004: ElectionProtection Project is to recruit and train local and Native or reservation attorneys, law students, and volunteers who are from, or are sensitive to, Indian Country to help develop election law expertise and infrastructure within our communities.

On Friday, September 10, at 1:15 p.m., the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR) will providenon-partisan training to interested Native or reservation attorneys, law students, and volunteers inconjunction with the 17th Annual University ofWashington Indian Law Symposium.

The training will prepare interested people for non-partisan election day poll watching in Native communities throughout Washington. Many of you will soon be receiving a letter asking you and your tribal colleagues to commit a small but significant amount of time to this effort.

If you would like more information, or would like to volunteer to be trained to work in a Native community for election day, please contact Gabe Galanda, Washington's Native Vote Election Protection coordinator, at (206) 628-2780 or ggalanda@wkg.com.

GRANTS TO COLLEGE POLL WORKERS

Deadline Date - September 9, 2004

Grant Resource - U.S. Election Assistance Commission Category -College Poll Workers Program Description -To award grants for the development of a program to encourage students enrolled at institutionsof higher education (including community colleges) to assist State and local governments in the administration of elections by serving as nonpartisan poll workers or assistants.
Size of Grant - $10,000-$150,000
Cost Sharing or Match - No Web -http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants

Alyssa BurhansOrganizing Director:
Native American Voters NV Contact: AK, OR, WA, MT, WY, AZ, NM, OR, SD, MO, UTIATP Action.
National Voice
2105 1st Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55404
Direct Line: (612) 879-7510 Cell: (612) 860-3300 Fax: (612) 870-4846
alyssa@nationalvoice.orgwww.nationalvoice.org

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.