Redstock Draws Thousands!!!!

posted by macho on Wednesday, June 21st at 8:28 AM

Susan Gamble
Brantford Expositor
Local News - Saturday, June 17, 2006 @ 01:00
If you didn’t like the music at the Concert for Kanenhstaton on Friday, all you had to do was wait 15 minutes. So many Canadian and American performers wanted to appear at the giant event at Chiefswood Park, nicknamed RedStock, the schedule had to be tightened and extended by two hours to fit in almost 40 acts.

Organizers ended up saying no to some musicians after a swell of support in the arts world left them with a packed program that ranged from traditional drumming and flute music to blues and an Elvis tribute artist.

“We had to turn away quite a few performers,” said Tuesday Johnson-MacDonald.

The hastily-organized concert raised funds for Kanenhstaton, or the Protected Place, which is how natives have been referring to the protest site in Caledonia. Money has been needed for food, shelter, fuel for generators, cell phones and now, legal fees.

There was little in the way of politics at the concert however, except for those found in song lyrics. Every 15 minutes a new performer or band rotated to the stage and the program was extended from ten hours to a full 12, ending at midnight.

Hundreds turned up during the afternoon hours and thousands rolled in during the evening. “It has been one of the easiest projects I’ve worked on,” Johnson-MacDonald said, estimating that up to 8,000 people had visited during the day.

Final tallies weren’t yet available at 10 p.m. but the organizer said $18,000 had already been counted.

“We tried not to spend any money we didn’t have to and people were very generous with their help.” More than 100 volunteers were on the site to deal with security, parking and manning gates where all bags were checked for contraband. The rules specified that no alcohol or drugs were allowed.

“People have been driving five and six hours to get here, coming from Toronto, London and Cornwall.” And the performers came from even further afield, busing or flying in on their own dime from across Canada and as far as New Mexico and California. Many Six Nations' artists also played, including Juno-winner Derek Miller, Mohawk songstress ElizaBeth Hill, popular oldies' band Old Chicago, country singer Rebecca Miller and the traditional Old Mush Singers.

The day of peace and unity was first envisioned by Tyendinaga musician David Maracle, who was thrilled to look across the sprawling grounds of Chiefswood Park and see his dream become a reality.

Maracle’s own father died of a heart attack after making a rousing speech at a protest and he feels a kinship with those fighting over issues of land claims, water problems and health.

“We’ve got to make something happen. Everybody has to stand and show there’s a lot of support for native issues.”

Many non-natives turned out at the concert to show that kind of support and to enjoy the variety of music.

Glen Marshall of Jerseyville -- and no relation to the Cayuga judge who has been ruling on injunctions against the protesters -- brought his family of five as an act of solidarity.

"I was brought up in Caledonia and went to a school that was 40 per cent native, but their history was never told. Now I think the news clips on TV are just a version of the story through a limited window.”

Marshall said he can’t help but be disappointed in the events that have unfolded in Caledonia over the last three months. It points, he said, to a need for the government to negotiate settlements to the various outstanding land claims.

Don Brown, a Halifax man who came home to Brantford to deal with cancer, said he attended the concert for both musical and political reasons. “This is an excellent place by the river,” he said. “I can see why they want to keep their land.”

Caledonia protest spokesman Clyde Powless stopped by the concert in the afternoon. “It’s good to see this many people gathered at one place,” he said. “It’s wonderful to know everyone’s here supporting us from coast to coast.”

But, said Powless, he would see a different side of the coin when he returned to the protest site for what the natives refer to as “Idiot Night”.

“On Friday nights the people in Caledonia come out to the barricades.”

Police have had to intervene in numerous clashes over the past few weeks when townspeople come to yell and taunt the protesters.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

Caledonia Update From Hazel's Six Nation News

Friday, June 22nd 2006.
Mohawk Nation News – http://www.mohawknationnews.com/
Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project

Sago from Grand River!

We're still here at Kanenhstaton [the Six Nations reclamation site near Caledonia]. A lot has happened since the barricades came down. Most of it is internal. It has kept us busy! We are still maintaining our position on our land. In spite of the anti-Six Nations propaganda by the colonists, we're not re-routing Caledonia's water, we haven't built bunkers or stored ammunition, we’re not toting guns or terrorizing the citizens of Caledonia. These made up stories are distressing [and sometimes we laugh about them].

Throughout we have remained peaceful, even in the face of racist acts and hate crimes committed against us. We continue to act in good faith, even when the politicians threw only ultimatums at us. We are waiting for nation-to-nation dialogue. We will carry the spirit of truth and justice for Creation, as well as upholding our responsibilities to our Law, our Land and our People. Judge David [Who-has-land-on-the-Haldimand-Tract) Marshall is still asking why his illegal orders to remove our people are not being carried out.

Today, Premier McGuinty suggested that the province has agreed in principal to purchase “our” land from “Henco” [who got their false title from the province of Ontario]. He wants to hold the land “in trust” [nobody should trust him to hold anything]. Then he wants us all to go home now [Where? We are at home!] Someone should remind Mr. McGuinty about Kanehsatake [another Mohawk community near Montreal that Corporate Canada is always trying to tar and feather].

McGuinty seems to be following the blueprint used after the 1990 Mohawk Oka Crisis. That was another case where we were told that the land would be returned or held in trust. The situation has still not been resolved. In keeping with established colonial North American practice, they never followed through on any of their promises. Are we supposed to believe they ever meant to?

Our position has never changed. We the Title Holders as recalled by Wampum 44 of our constitution, the Kaianereh’ko:wa, retain jurisdiction over our land. As set out in the Haldimand Proclamation, the British promised to respect this. Canada’s would-be colonizers pretend that land held in trust is “Crown” land. This is an old hoax which is enforced at gunpoint. The British Crown has no legal jurisdiction over our land or over us. We were here first. We never agreed to join Canada. So what are you colonists doing here?

As the Ontario Parliament nears its summer recess, the Opposition Party is pushing hard to do something about the Caledonia situation. They should be reminding the government of it’s Inherent responsibilities commemorated by the Two Row Wampum and the Silver Covenant Chain agreements with us. They should also read their own Constitution. Instead, they’re demanding the unlawful removal of us from our homelands.

They say the Caledonia citizens are living in fear, can't sleep at night and can't even barbeque in their backyards! [Since all the rowdy behavior is has been created by non-native outsiders, we have to wonder what would they do if we actually did say “boo” to them. Would they all just crumble into dust?] All politicians should use common sense before shooting their mouths off about something that they haven’t bothered to read up on. They grand stand by passing on malicious gossip! Especially the one who represents Caledonia. According to Canadian mythology he also represents Six Nations.

Those politicians need to stand around in some of those people's backyards, bring their steaks and barbeque them. They’ll notice how quiet we are and that we are not bothering anyone. The children are not afraid to play in their school yard. They laugh, play and wave to us on the site. When the frisbee comes flying across the fence onto our site, we don't hold it hostage. We give it back!

The politicians should have stood with us Friday night when the lawless Caledonians held their racist rally [carrying their commercially produced signs saying, “Bring in the army”. We still haven’t found out who supplies the signs.] They were boozing publicly, many were drunk out of their skulls, throwing their empties at us (thanks, by the way, for the 10 cents a bottle. It’s the only financing we get to counter the millions of dollar in subsidies the Caledonians are getting.

This is the only help we’re getting except for the donations we receive from our supporters, who, without exception, are well-educated people who want law and order), flinging stones at us, shouting vile racist remarks about our alleged “welfare cheques”, yelling “the only good Indian is a dead Indian” [which is a colonial policy slogan], and threatening to go home and get their shot guns.

Who reported to the OPP about the “incidents of continuous gun fire” and “burning of fences” that we were supposed have done? As one reporter found out, there were no such incidents. Or the politicians could talk to the principal of the school, as that reporter did. They would have learned that the children are not afraid of us. They don't hide under their desks or tables to eat their lunch. The only gun fire sounds were the fire crackers the Caledonians shot off around the May 24 weekend and those fireworks they shot directly at us on the night we took down the first barricade.

Has someone sent a copy of the minutes of the Caledonia Citizens Alliance CCA group meeting to Parliament? They discussed arming themselves and that the OPP gave them the nod of approval. The OPP says this is utter nonsense. The CCA planned to use their children as “a cover” at their next rally. Their strategy was to "create chaos, continually dial 911 and rush toward the fence, but do not cross the police line".

They call us, who are their victims, the “lawless militant faction”! Did anyone ever wonder why the TV footage of those violent "stand-offs" always show the OPP facing the Caledonians, not us, the Onkwehonweh? Isn’t it obvious the cops know that we aren’t going to stab people in the back? The violence is coming from ‘their’ side at us.

The colonists continuously provoke to disrupt the Peace. Government and police public relations constantly pegs us as "terrorists". The rioters are rewarded by the state for their unlawful behavior. They are the real state-sponsored terrorists. Canada is handing out millions of dollars to Caledonia for their real and imagined business losses due, they say, “to the barricades”.

Settlers, check the stats! How many Six Nations people are no longer doing business in Caledonia because of your racist attitudes? These have grown deeper and more open in the last 100 days. Don’t you realize that it isn't the barricades that have decreased your sales? It’s your antagonistic attitude toward and attacks on our people – your customers.

The Caledonians turned their hatred on our children and barricaded them out of the arena. Talk about shooting yourselves in the foot! We pay rent for that facility! You created your own dreadful situation. Now you want compensation for it! And you’re getting it, which is the worse part of it! The government obliges [probably because they orchestrated it in the first place].

They think it’s better value to keep pouring money into racial warfare to try to defeat the Six Nations [and continue the land theft] than it is to actually uphold the honor of the Crown and pay their debt to the Six Nations.

As long as the state keeps paying to instigate these attacks on us, they think they won't have to deal with the real issue – the promises they made to us that there would never be any encroachment on our land ever and that our sovereignty would always be respected! That’s the solemn deal that was made between two allies, the Six Nations and Britain. Another fellow said, “It's like dealing with a ‘bad little kid’.” Bad behavior should not be rewarded by giving them candy. When that's all gone, they're going to want more and their behavior gets worse!

With respect to the 7 Indigenous people charged, two have been arrested and released. The Confederacy Council is still conducting our investigation with respect to the alleged “illegal activities”. These individuals are still required to stay off of the site. Why are our people being tried twice for these so-called crime? They are being held accountable to our traditional government, as required by our Law, the Kaierenekowah, and being forced to go through the colonial justice system. We've established it clearly has no jurisdiction over our people. Our investigation has revealed that these attacks on our people and these phony charges were all colonial set ups! We will give all the details after we've gathered up all evidence.

The Concert held at Chiefswood Park on June 16th in support of the Kanenhstaton Land Reclamation was an overwhelming success. Big Nya Wehs to David and Kimberley Maracle, Tuesday Johnson of TAP Resources and all the other volunteers who worked so hard to make this happen. Nya Weh to all of the artists who donated your time andshared your music, artwork and other talents. This concert was a great experience. We can't thank you enough!!!!!!!!!

We haven't got a total on how much the concert raised for Kanenhstaton. As soon as we do, we will let everyone know. I even got to sing with my sister ElizaBeth. We didn't clear out the park so we must have done good! We all had FUN and an awesome experience. David and Kimberley have already been approached to have another one. We can't wait! Good Work Everyone!

At Kanenhstaton, we are continuing our cultural examination of possible burial grounds on the site. A well-known archaeologist and friend, Professor Bill Noble and his wife Jacquie, paid us a visit. The sad news is that Henco’s [the construction company which tried to build illegally on our land] archaeological study possibly destroyed crucial evidence on the existence of villages and other points of interest to our people. However, they did provide us with an 8 page report which we immediately sent to Ontario Premier McGuinty.

It outlines several laws which they broke during this archaeological study. We have asked that it be forwarded to the appropriate ministries to be dealt with according to their laws. Henco is ultimately responsible and accountable for those inconsistencies before any money is paid to him [and for reparation of their total destruction of the environment at the site. It looks like someone dropped a bomb on it]. This should have been monitored but was conveniently ignored.

We’ve updated enough for tonight. It's getting late and time for some rest. Hopefully we will have other news to report soon so that you won't have to wonder if we got buried in those “bunkers” that everyone says we have, even though we don’t know where they are! Take care.

In Love, Light and Peace, Hazel
thebasektcase@on.aibn.com
Donations: %Janie Jamieson, RR #6, Hagersville, Ontario Canada N0A 1H0

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

DOE Says It Plans To Go Ahead With Divine Strake

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project

By Launce Rake <lrake@lasvegassun.com
and Lisa Mascaro Las Vegas Sun

Despite claims to the contrary, the planned detonation of 700 tons of chemical explosives at the Nevada Test Site is not quite dead.

In a U.S. District Court hearing conducted by telephone last week, government officials said they had no immediate plans to move forward with the fuel oil-ammonium nitrate explosion, and agreed to a stipulation that the earliest the test could go forward would be September. Designed to simulate an atomic-sized blast on underground structures, the explosion was originally scheduled for June 2 but has been postponed because of the court challenge.

Kevin Rohrer, an Energy Department spokesman working in Las Vegas, said Monday that his agency continues to work on the project: "We have not scrubbed it, canceled it, or whatever. We are still moving forward pending the outcome of the litigation."

In Washington, however, congressional members got conflicting information about the blast, leaving them with little insight into the Defense Department's intentions or schedule.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said she had been told as recently as Monday that the Defense Department had indefinitely postponed the blast, only to learn later in the day that Energy Department officials in Nevada were laying the groundwork for the explosion.

"They're double-talking. If it's postponed indefinitely, then why are they going forward with it, doing all this planning?" asked her spokesman, David Cherry. "Until such time that she is satisfied that the test can be done safely, she will not sign off on it. She is opposed."

A spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said he believes the test will go off in the fall.

Reid has supported the test as a way to develop conventional weaponry that could be strong enough to knock out underground targets, but he has reserved the option to reconsider if the blast is shown to have ties to nuclear weaponry or if the testing is harmful to residents.

At the heart of the current legal challenge is a question about the blast's potential to pick up and transport particles out of the test area. Critics fear those particles might include radioactive material from the years of above and below-ground nuclear testing at the site.

The Energy Department, in an environmental assessment prepared earlier this year and a follow-up notice in May, said there would be "no significant impact" from the test, but withdrew those findings this month "to re-evaluate the existing data, analyses and conclusions."

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection must grant a permit for the test blast, dubbed "Divine Strake," to proceed.

Rohrer said the federal government has an obligation under federal law to obtain the state permit before it can proceed: "We have firm requirements under the Clean Air Act. We have been working vigorously with the state."

The Energy Department, which manages the Test Site, is working on the environmental documentation, while the test itself would be conducted by the Defense Department.

Attorney Robert Hager, who on behalf of the Winnemucca Indian Colony and other residents near the Test Site has been pressing for stricter oversight of the government's plans, said he worries that the government will continue to move forward with "junk science" and without adequate environmental review.

"I am more concerned today than I was when they pulled the plug on this two weeks ago," he said after last week's court ruling. "This is good news for the downwinders - they know they won't be breathing radioactive dust at least until September."

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Defense Department agency conducting the test, has agreed to public meetings on the issue once the lawsuit is resolved. A Senate staffer said those meetings could come later this summer.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch said it remains unclear whether the test can be conducted safely. The Defense Department "has assured me that the test will not go forward until we have the environmental data I've requested in hand, we've had time to analyze it, and the public has been fully informed," Hatch said in a statement.

Republican Rep. Jon Porter, who along with Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons supports the project as part of continued weapons testing, said he trusts the state to determine whether the blast is safe for Nevadans.

Funding for the project expires at the end of September 2007.

Critics, among them arms-control advocates, have charged that the blast is a step toward a new, nuclear "bunker busting" weapon. Defense Department officials say the test could help them develop either a conventional or nuclear weapon.

Hans Blix, the former U.N. chief weapons inspector, said in a report last month that countries should not pursue low-yield nuclear weapons for fear of creating a new arms race.

"Of particular concern would be the adoption of doctrines and weapon systems that blur the distinction between nuclear and conventional weapons, or lower the nuclear threshold. Such modifications could over time have a domino effect and give rise to a renewed demand to resume nuclear testing," according the report issued by the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, of which Blix is chairman.

"We're going to be asking our (elected officials) to demand a full-blown environmental impact statement," said Peggy Maze Johnson, executive director of Citizen Alert, a Nevada-based group opposed to the planned test. "We want more people and more science."

Launce Rake can be reached at 259-4127 or at lrake@lasvegassun.com. Lisa Mascaro can be reached at (202) 662-7436 or at lisa.mascaro@lasvegassun.com.

Train Transport Of Nuclear Waste - Unsigning of the CTBT
From: shundahai@shundahai.org

Tuesday, June 20th, 2006
Hello Everyone,
We learned yesterday from Kevin Kamps from NIRS that a train carryin radioactive waste derailed in Michigan. While the derailment is disturbing enough, no one seems to know what the contents actually are. One says water, another says soil, and still another says crushed concrete. Why can no one say for sure?

We have posted the NIRS press release giving the details on our web site http://www.shundahai.org and our Action Alerts page http://www.shundahai.org/action_alerts.htm

The tracks must be repaired, and then the train will make its way to...Utah, to an Energy Solutions facility. We will post more information when we learn the estimated arrival date and time.

We learned today from Tri-Valley CARES, that Senator John Kyl (R-AZ) has introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill that would "encourage the President to 'unsign' the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

"The treaty was last signed by President Clinton, but was never ratifiedby the Senate. This amendment would wipe away any pretense at a freeze on testing at the Nevada Test Site. Please go to our Action Alerts page http://www.shundahai.org/action_alerts.htm for more information.

We will be following both of these issues closely.
Shundahai Network
www.shundahai.org

Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning "Peace and Harmony with all Creation"

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

June 21st, The 2006 National Prayer Day For Sacred Places

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project
by: Staff Reports / Indian Country Today

WASHINGTON - Observances and ceremonies were held across the country on June 21 to mark the 2006 National Day of Prayer to Protect Native American Sacred Places.

''Native and non-Native people nationwide gathered to honor sacred places, with a special emphasis on those that are endangered by actions that can be avoided,'' said Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee. Harjo is the president of The Morning Star Institute, which organizes the national prayer days and is a columnist for Indian Country Today.

Some of the gatherings were educational forums, not religious ceremonies, and were open to the general public. Others were ceremonial and may have been conducted in private.

This was the fourth National Day of Prayer for Sacred Places. The observance in Washington, D.C., was held at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall.

The first National Prayer Day was conducted on June 20, 2003, on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and nationwide to emphasize the need for Congress to enact a cause of action to protect Native sacred places. That need still exists.

''Many Native American sacred places are being damaged because Native nations do not have equal access under the First Amendment to defend them,'' Harjo said. ''All other people in the United States have the First Amendment to protect their churches. Only traditional Native Americans cannot get into the courthouse through the Freedom of Religion Clauses. That simply must change as a matter of fairness and equity.''

In 1988, the Supreme Court told Congress it had to enact a statutory right of action, if it wanted to protect Native sacred places. ''Eighteen years have passed without Congress creating that door to the courthouse for Native Americans,'' Harjo said. ''And some of these places cannot withstand many more years of legal and physical onslaughts.

''Native and non-Native people are gathering, again, to call on anyone who will listen to help protect these national treasures and to do something about this national disgrace that threatens them.''

There were many events happening across the country, here are a few:

California: Pit River Territory -Pit River, Wintu, Shasta, Modoc and other Native peoples gathered on traditional Pit River Territory to pray for the protection of the sacred and natural Medicine Lake Highlands in northeastern California.

Following the ceremonies, there was a gathering to plan nonviolent resistance to Calpine Energy's destructive project for the Medicine Lake Highlands. This action will build on the protest that took place at the Calpine headquarters in San Jose in January 2006.

Colorado: Native American Rights Fund, Boulder -
The Native American Rights Fund held a sunrise ceremony, which was open to the public on NARF's front lawn at 6 a.m. The program lasted for about an hour with a prayer ceremony, speakers and a moment of silence to show concern for the sacred places that are being damaged and destroyed today.

Kansas: Wakarusa Wetlands -
Save the Wakarusa Wetlands Inc. - an association of Lawrence-based Haskell Indian Nations University alumni, students and community supporters - observed National Prayer Day at sunrise in the wetlands south of Lawrence. Participants and asked for the protection of the Wakarusa Wetlands, which is threatened by highway project.

Missouri: Missouri River -
The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe held its Annual Prayer Breakfast and Summer Solstice Acknowledgement to honor The Prayer Day for Sacred Places and The International Peace and Prayer Day, both of which were observed on the summer solstice.

New Mexico: Morning Star House, Albuquerque -
An observance for the protection of all sacred places and sacred beings took place at sunrise at the Morning Star House, 6001 Marble Ave. N.E., Albuquerque.

North Dakota: Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, New Town -
A sunrise prayer ceremony took place at the Fort Berthold Reservation, home of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota. Details regarding the events of the day are available through the tribal office.

Washington, D.C.: The Morning Star Institute at the National Museum of the American Indian -The observance took place at the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall, in the circle between the east entrance and the Wetlands Pond, at 7:30 a.m.

Washington: Snoqualmie Falls -
National Day of Prayer for the Protection of Sacred Places was observed by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe at Snoqualmie Falls at noon. Attendees were asked to bring a dish to pass for a potluck lunch that was shared after the ceremony.

Washington: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Lummi Nation -
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe conducted a Prayer Ceremony in Honor of the Ancestors at Tse Whit Zen Village near Port Angeles. The Lummi Indian Nation commemorated a totem to the memory of veterans.

Alyssa Macy Moves From CCP To Four Directions
After three years working with the National Voice/Center for Civic Participation in Minneapolis, Alyssa Macy will be doing consulting work for Four Directions focusing on Native American electoral participation.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

Bad Year For Wild Buffalo in Montana

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project
Buffalo Field Campaign Supporters

Another winter/spring season has come to a close here at Buffalo Field Campaign headquarters, with the last three bull buffalo in Montana hazed back into the park this week.

This season was a particularly rough one for the bison that wandered out of Yellowstone National Park into Montana. The National Park Service (NPS) sent almost 900 to slaughter, and held another 300 for a month in it's horrific capture facility.

The state of Montana, who usually carries out the bulk of the annual slaughter, was not blameless this year. Another 47 buffalo were shot or sent to slaughter for the crime of following their traditional migration routes to their native feeding and calving grounds. And if that weren't enough, 40 more buffalo were killed in the first year of Montana's reinstated bison hunt.

This past winter and spring, Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers were out every day from sunrise to sunset, documenting every action taken against the buffalo and working for the permanent protection of America's only continuously wild herd. This has been the case since 1997, and will continue to be the case until the last wild buffalo are allowed to roam freely on their own land.

This year's slaughter of 947 buffalo was the highest number in the campaign's history.All this slaughter is being blamed on the disease brucellosis, which can cause cattle to abort their first calf, and which 2-20% of the Yellowstone Bison carry.

It doesn't matter to the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) and the other agencies involved that there has never been a case of brucellosis being transmitted from wild bison to cattle. The DOL, The NPS, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, The Forest Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service claim that allowing bison to roam freely in Montana would be an unacceptable level of threat to cattle.

However, elk and other wildlife that roam freely outside the park also carry brucellosis, and Wyoming and Idaho have both lost their brucellosis free status due to cattle mingling with elk, with none of the serious consequences that Montana seems so worried about.

So it's obvious to anyone with the time to read the facts that brucellosis is not the bogeyman that Montana makes it out to be. This is a public lands use fight over grass.
Which is more important to Montana and the country; a handful of cattle who are dozens of miles away from the buffalo when they come out of the park, or the country's last wild herd of buffalo?

The answer is obvious to the vast majority of people, but a small group of greedy individuals hold the reins in this situation. But together we are changing that.

Summertime does not mean that we at Buffalo Field Campaign stop fighting. When the buffalo migrate back into the park, we follow them, setting up every day at one of the park tourist attractions to call attention to the slaughter and mistreatment of these magnificent creatures and to build a grassroots movement for their lasting protection.

We urge you to join us in spreading the word. Stop by our table to say hi if you're in the park this summer and if you have a few weeks to spare, come out to one of the most beautiful places in the country. We'll cover room and board (camping in the park, and a bunk at our cabin in West Yellowstone).
Visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org for more info or contact buffalo@wildrockies.org


VOW TO STOP THE THEFT OF PURE GLACIER MOUNTAIN WATER FROM BEING STOLEN AND SOLD TO THE MIDDLE EAST

The Native Youth Movement is at battle again with the illegal governments of British Columbia and Canada and their illegal extraction of our most valuable necessity, WATER. The grassroots traditional Secwepemc People have voiced their opposition to a proposal pushed by a foreigner, invader to divert 4 creeks in the Adams Lake area, UNCEDED SECWEPEMC TERRITORY, to bottle water and sell it to the Middle East.

These 4 creeks are at the end of a dirt back-road, purposely built to extract water for illegal theft and sale to the worldwide market. It is one of the last intact watersheds, with no clear cutting because the road stops there. This is one of thousands of proposed illegal thefts of our Secwepemc Lands and Water.

Native Youth Movement have occupied the government office that sells stolen Land and Water, the 'land and water BC inc.', formerly called 'BC assets and land corp.', in the passed and will take necessary action to bring attention to this illegal theft by this Invaders system and government. Our land has never been sold to anyone. We have never signed Treaties and NEVER will-THIS LAND IS OUR LAND, SECWEPEMC LAND! OUR WATER IS NOT FOR SALE!!! STOP THE THEFT OF OUR HOMELAND!

BC IS ONE OF THE LAST PLACES LEFT WITH PURE GLACIER MOUNTAIN WATER, THAT WE CAN DRINK RIGHT FROM THE CREEKS.

AMERICA DISPOSES OF 2.5 MILLION TONS OF PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES EVERY HOUR. BOTTLED WATER IS NOT THE SOLUTION! OUR WORLD WATER SITUATION IS IN A CRISIS---YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO SURVIVE UNLESS YOU STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE AND DEFEND THIS SACRED LIFE, LAND AND WATER WE WERE GIVEN. YOU CAN'T JUST SIT IN THE CITY OR REZ AND BUY STOLEN WATER AND THINK THE CREATOR WILL SPARE YOUR LIFE WHEN THE PURIFICATION COMES. GET ON THE FRONTLINES OF RESISTANCE--DEFEND OUR SACRED WATER.

SUPPORT THE TRADITIONAL SECWEPEMC PEOPLES AND THEIR FIGHT TO DEFEND THEIR WATER AND MOUNTAINS. STAY TUNNED FOR UPCOMING ACTIONS AND SOLIDARITY ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN.

NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT
FIGHT FOR LIFE
WARRIORS UNITE FROM ALASKA TO ARGINTINA
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Peabody Coal On Native Land to Close
Indianz.com
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 A power plant supplied by coal from the Navajo and Hopi reservations will be shut down for good.

Southern California Edison owns the Mohave Generating Station in Nevada. It is the sole purchaser of coal taken from the reservations 273 miles away in northeastern Arizona.

SCE was in talks with the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation and Peabody Coal, the world's largest coal company, over the future of the power plant. Many issues were at stake but the decision to close Mohave was financial, the company said.

The power plant would have to install $1.1 billion worth of pollution fighting equipment to stay open. The two tribes depend on revenue extracted by Peabody at the coal mines. Hundreds of jobs will be lost as a result of the closure.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

L.A. South Central Farmers Attacked

Developer Ralph Horowitz Attacks the Poor of South Central Los Angeles Destroying the Primary Food Source For 350 Families

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project
Contributed by Fernando Flores

Tuesday, 13 June 2006
The South Central Farm was forcefully seized today despite the peaceful resistance of the South Central Farmers and their supporters. An early morning raid began at 5:00am to evict the farmers and community supporters who had taken up camp 21 days ago at the South Central Farm.

The L.A. County Sheriffs Department coordinated this action with the assistance of the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles Police Department who were dressed in full riot gear. Approximately 50 demonstrators have been arrested, some suffering the force of baton use.

Bulldozers have been brought in to level the 14 acres of food and medicine that began to bloom 14 years ago when the land was mitigated to the community in the wake of the 1992 uprising. With tears on their faces farmers are being supported by an influx of community supporters turning out to demonstrate their continued efforts to save the land for the community.

South Central Farmers - What We Are About
Synopsis of the history of the 14-acre urban garden located at 41st and Alameda StreetsSince 1992, the 14 acres of property located at 41st and Alameda Streets in Los Angeles have been used as a community garden or farm. The land has been divided into 360 plots and is believed to be one of the largest urban gardens in the country.

The City of Los Angeles acquired the 14-acre property by eminent domain in the late 1980s, taking it from nine private landowners. The largest of these owners, Alameda-Barbara Investment Company, owned approximately 80 percent of the site had been compensated $4.7 million dollars. The partners of Alameda were Ralph Horowitz and Jacob Libaw. The City originally intended to use the property for a trash incinerator, but abandoned that plan in the face of public protest organized by the late Juanita Tate and the Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles.

South Central Los Angeles took a large step towards earning some political respect within the city. At this point the community began to establish that health should comes first among other issues in this impoverished community

As part of the eminent domain proceedings, the City granted Alameda- Barbara Investment Company a right of first refusal if, within 10 years, the City determined that the parcel formerly owned by Alameda was no longer required for public use.

Following the uprising in 1992, the City set aside the 14-acre site for use as a community garden. In 1994, the City transferred title to the property by ordinance to its Harbor Department for $13 million. When it received title to the property, the Harbor Department contracted with the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank to operate the property as a community garden.

In 1995, the City began negotiating with Libaw-Horowitz Investment Company (LHIC), the successor company to Alameda, to sell them the entire 14-acre property. The City negotiators sent LHIC a purchase agreement, and LHIC executed the agreement and returned it to the City in October 1996. The terms of the agreement expressly made it contingent on City Council approval. The City Council never approved the agreement, and the sale was not completed. The proposed agreement fixed the sale amount at $5,227,200.

In 2002, LHIC filed suit against the City for not executing the purchase agreement. The City successfully demurred three times to LHIC’s complaint, but then agreed to sell the 14-acre property to Ralph Horowitz and his business partners for $5,050,000.

A legal battle has been raging, since then, between Horowitz, the City, the Courts and the South Central Farmers until the seizure of South Central Farms on June 13th , 2006

Accomplishments of the South Central Farmers
1. When Michael flood and the food bank turned their backs on the poor people of South Central. It was the South Central Farmers that protested, marched, and attended city council meetings. In this process they were able to keep the garden open and challenge the city on the sale of the property. The food bank had an opportunity to place its expensive lawyers on the issue but they chose instead to fight against them and they continue to fight us.

2. The South Central Farmers began a process of eliminating the corruption and self-serving attitudes that the agents of the food bank had fostered for over 11 years. This included cronism, nepetism, and extornsion. In direct violation of the permit given by the city the agents of the food bank and the food bank allowed the sale of plots to poor families. The prices began from 250 all the way up to 1000 dollars per plot. This was horrendous. The SCFs have been attempting to remove these elements from the community garden.

3. In Feb 15, 2004, the SCF had a general assembly where two leaders were chosen democratically. The rules for governing the community garden were discussed and the type of democracy was also decided, Majority rule. From then on the leadership was given certain executives privileges always governed by the consensus of the community.

4. From that time on the community garden and its rules have been governed by the participatory membership of the South Central farmers. They chose which rules they wanted to be governed by and how transgressions should be dealt with.

5. SCFs have developed community leaders from the community garden. Some of our members have become members of the local neighborhood councils. Some our farmers have also been encouraged to become Master Gardeners. Some of our Farmers have developed their own economic development. One farmer currently rents 6 acres elsewhere and has developed his own distribution system.

6. SCFs have developed opportunities for community members. We have developed the monthly farmers market.

7. The SCFs have addressed the needs of the women membership by providing them the space to have their own cooperative space where only women work.

8. We have sustained City Council attendance, twice a week, only matched by the anti-war movement of the sixties.

9. We have developed the spiritual needs of the community by providing a monthly catholic service and a monthly Christian service. This helps to address the needs of the community.

10. We provide an avenue for up and coming bands during our yearly anniversary celebration. We have had two of them and have showcases many up and coming community bands.

11. SCFs maintain an abundant and resilient seed stock that is grown in the community garden.

12. The SCFs have brought traditional Aztec dancers and ceremonies that resonate the cultural traditions of the people who grow food.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

Letter From U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Submitted by Christine Yazzie
http://www.krystymedia.blogspot.com

Dear Ms. Yazzie:
Thank you for writing to me in support of federal funding for Urban Indian Health Programs (UIHPs).

As you may know, the President's fiscal year 2007 budget proposal would completely eliminate funding for UIHPs, which provide affordable and culturally appropriate healthcare for underserved Native American patients living in cities throughout the United States .

Under the President's budget proposal, many UIHPs would face closure, including the seven UIHPs in California that treat more than 27,800 patients annually. Without access to affordable urban health care centers, many Indian individuals and families living in California will go without the services the federal government has been tasked with providing them.

The federal government has a responsibility to provide resources for the unique healthcare needs of Native Americans who live on and off of the reservations. That is why I recently led 17 of my colleagues in writing to the Chairman and Ranking Member or the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, asking them to restore funding for UIHPs to the fiscal year 2006 level of $32.7 million. You may also be pleased to learn that the House of Representatives voted to restore funding for UIHPs to $32.7 million in the Interior Appropriations bill (H.R.5386), which was passed on May 18, 2006.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. Please be assured that I will continue to advocate for increased federal funding of vital and successful programs that meet the health care needs of Native Americans.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Please visit my website at http://boxer.senate.gov

CHRISTINE YAZZIE / Krystyn Media supporting Native Americans & First Peoples as Artists & Filmmakers. Promoting Arts Advocacy. ~ Film ~ TV ~ Theater Highlights from ~USA ~Canada ~Australia

INDNs List Kicks Off Campaign Season With Ambitious Day

INDN’s List celebrated an unprecedented day this past Saturday when we joined forces with labor and other progressive organizations for an action packed day. We kicked off the day with our first “From the Table to the Ticket” candidate training, which attracted over 60 candidates, potential candidates and staffers, with the youngest being 14.

The trainers included such renowned political leaders as Congressman and Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chairman Mike Honda (D-CA), DNC staffer and former Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Jay Parmley, former OK State Senator and Seminole Nation Chief Kelly Haney, Oklahoma State Senator Judy Eason-McIntyre, Tulsa City Councilwoman Maria Barnes, DNC Project Organizer Teresa Hill, and Jason McIntosh. .

Trey Francis, 16, a student at Sequoyah High School and a member of the Caddo Nation with Muscogee Creek heritage said “I was excited about meeting Congressman Honda. It has always been an honor and privilege to get to speak to Seminole Nation Chief Kelly Haney. Attending the training and listening to both Congressman Honda and Chief Haney as well as other people involved in political campaigns gave me a much better understanding of campaign efforts and caused me to believe that, realistically I might someday mount a successful campaign and win an elected position.” ;

The training drew at least four people from out of state including Arizona State University Law School graduate and Navajo Nation member, Chris Clark-Deschene who flew in the night before the training after reading about it on the INDN’s List website. “It was a great opportunity to meet two public servants that I have always admired, Seminole Nation Chief Kelly Haney and Congressman Honda,” he said. “But more importantly, I learned where to begin in my personal quest to continue their legacies.”

After the training, INDN’s List hosted a Tribal Leader Reception with Congressman Honda in the home of DNC Committeeman Jim and Sally Frasier. Over 30 tribal leaders welcomed the Vice Chairman to Oklahoma. Speaker George Tiger of the Muscogee Creek National Council, viewed the reception as “an important and valuable chance for tribal leaders to hear directly from the DNC Vice Chairman about their work in Indian Country and how we can all work together to make Oklahoma and America better for everyone.”

President of INDN’s List Kalyn Free noted that “This is what INDN’s List is about – opening the lines of communication between Indian tribes and tribal members running for office – giving them the access they need to political leaders. We were happy to organize this high level meeting between Oklahoma’s Tribal Leaders and the DNC Vice Chairman, Mike Honda.

The Red Letter Day closed with the Tulsa County Democrats’ annual Flag Day Dinner where Congressman Honda keynoted the event and was lauded with a standing ovation. After his rousing speech, TWU member Ralph Morita presented Congressman Honda with a traditional lei. The Osage Singers played an honor song for the Congressman while he received a blanket from INDN’s List candidates Scott Bighorse and Chuck Hoskin.

The day, which was dedicated to training candidates looking to restore the promise of America, was aptly wrapped up with speeches from Tulsa County Democrats running for various offices. “Oklahoma has a great history of electing strong Democrats and I was delighted to meet the party leadership,” Congressman Honda stated, “I was humbled by the warm welcome I received from the tribes, organized labor and people of all ethnicities – which is exactly who our party represents. The work of INDN’s List is vital to the Democratic Party and I am always glad to help their cause, because their cause is our cause. When Indians vote, Democrats win.”

Please continue in your support of INDN’s List.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

The 'Redstock' Concert - WHY???

Last year in July (2005) the Province of Ontario passed the Places to Grow which allowed the government to decide what land would be used and how it would be developed. This included Six Nations Land, whose land was part of the first growth plan known as the “Greater Golden Horseshow.”

In October 2005, the Six Nations people & their supporters held a picket at Douglas Creek to inform the public that their land still is being stolen regardless of previous laws.

In 1784 the Crown officially recognized Six Nations land as the six miles on each side of the Grand River in the Haldimand Proclamation. In 1795, Lt. Governor reduced Six Nations by 2/3, leaving only 275,000 acres. In 1924 The Dept. of Indian Affairs continued to ignore the Six Nations’ hereditary systems by creating another system to continue the theft of their land. Today Six Nations is about only 5 % of what was originally promised in 1784.

Disregarding the law, the government went through with the “Greater Golden Horseshoe” and Developer Henco Industries began building their sub division in Caledonia, already having sold many of the homes not yet even built. Thus, in February of 2006 protestors moved on to the Caledonia construction site complete with tipi, a wooden building and tents. They put up a barrier, which blocked the main Highway 6.

In March the federal government made it clear the Six Nations was a local issue to be resolved by local law enforcement & government. The local sheriff attempted to issue a civil injunction that would allow the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to remove any protesters, however the OPP said they couldn’t enforce the injunction b/c it is civil.

However, soon after Ontario Superior Judge David Marshall issued an injunction to make it criminal for Six Nations members to reoccupy their own land. Immediately after this decision, an order was issued that if any Natives or supporters are still on the land on March 22, they will be forcibly removed, be in contempt of court & possible jail time up to 30 days.

In response to the threats, fifty women including the Clan Mothers, who hold the titles to that land, issued a statement requesting negotiations & reemphasizing sovereignty. In response to the Clan Mothers’ statement and the threats of being forcibly remvoved, several hundred people showed up in support of the protest. This included fifty women along with the Clan Mothers who blocked the construction crew from the site.

On April 20, at 4:30 AM, the OPP surrounded the protest site armed with M-14’s, teargas,cannons and tasers. The protestors were able to get the police back and hold the line. The OPP said they invaded Six Nations on their own land because of “escalating activity” but did not give any specifics.

Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer added her fuel to the fire by stating to the CBC that Caledonia residents, “have to get to work to support their families. If they don’t get to work, they don’t get paid, then they can’t pay their mortgages and they lose their homes. She continued on by reiterating, “They don’t have money coming in automatically every month. They have to work to survive and the natives have got to realize that.” After those statements, her deputy mayor replaced her as spokesmen.

In the last week of April, 500 Caledonia residents gathered to demand the removal of the blockades and Ontario offers compensation to the developers for being effected financially by the protest.

The first week in May Henco Industries was told that they can get back their looted papers only “for a price.” Then in the second week in May, protestors allowed one lane from Highway 6 to be open and issued ID cards to those living behind the behind the barrier.

In response to the Reclamation Native people from all over Canada & the US are showing their support by putting on: The Six Nations Reclamation, Redstock Benefit Concert.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Scheduled Performers:

Gary Farmer – Master of Ceremonies
Cheri Maracle – Mistress of Ceremonies

Joseph Fire Crow, Northern Cheyenne; W.T.Goodspirit, Aboriginal Icon Winner; Dwayne Pamajewon, Ojibway; Aztec Dancers; Lakota Jonez; Rebecca Miller; Elizabeth Hill; Geronimo Elvis; Gail Obediah, Dahogaydoday/Doug Fisher; Ronald Frosty Deere; Janet Marie Rogers; Awkwesasne Women Singers; Tyendinaga Women Singers; Crooked Trail; Empire.

Six Nations Women Singers; Michael Laughing and Page Tree Singers; Warrior’s Blood; Soldier Blue, TX-US; Old Chicago Band; Moiety, NM–US; Willie Dunn; Tonto’s Nephews, Improv Comedy; Eagle and Hawk with Vince Fontaine; Keith Secola; Doug Fisher, Mohawk; Jimmy Shando of Moiety; Pappy John’s Band; Howard Lions; The Dirty Blues Project; Brandon Oak, Spirit; Flint Eagle, Indian Summer; Tom Clair, New World; David Maracle, Redstock Founder; Diggin Roots; Raven and Shoshona; Jaques and The Shakey Boys; Little Wolf and Shane Anthony Band.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

Caledonia Suspects May Be Holed up on Reserve

I talked with David Maracle yesterday ( Sunday, June 11th) at his home in Caledonia and he told me about the following incidents but assured me the "Redstock Concert" will be held as planned on Friday, June 16th with plenty of Native security on hand to keep the peace. - Bobbie

CBCNews
Police are seeking seven suspects on Sunday as aboriginal leaders denounce several violent incidents in a southern Ontario town that is the site of a three-month standoff in a land-claim dispute.

The seven — who were mostly local aboriginal protesters but included a woman from Victoria — have left a native-led occupation at a housing development near Caledonia, CBC reporter John Northcott said from the site.

The violent incidents, which occurred Friday, were the latest to break out since protesters from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory reserve near Brantford occupied a construction site on Feb. 28, saying the subdivision was being built on land that belongs to them.

Native leaders said Six Nations police were helping the Ontario Provincial Police track down the seven suspects.

"Reading between the lines, there's a pretty good possibility they're on the reserve" and the Ontario Provincial Police are negotiating their surrender, Northcott said.

The OPP have a protocol not to enter the reserve, he said.

Among the allegations, one of the suspects is accused of stealing a police vehicle on Friday night and using it in an alleged attempt to run down an officer, who was injured.

The OPP said the suspects were being sought on charges that include attempted murder, assault, forcible confinement, motor vehicle theft, robbery, intimidation and assault causing bodily harm.

Tempers in the dispute seemed to have cooled of late as the provincial and federal governments negotiated with native leaders — until the flareup on Friday.

"The OPP investigated three violent altercations that took place within an hour of each other in the south end of Caledonia," Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Maurice Pilon said Saturday.

The Six Nations Confederacy said the suspects were known to them and had been asked to stay away from the occupation at the construction site for the Douglas Creek Estates.

Police alleged stolen car, nearly runs down officer

In one incident, U.S. Border Patrol officers who were visiting the area to observe how provincial police were handling the standoff were swarmed by people, who pulled them out out of the car and drove off.

"An OPP officer [was] deliberately driven at by the stolen vehicle. Other officers at the scene, fortunately, pulled him to safety," Pilon said.

"The officer was hurt but treated and released. The car was recovered."

In another clash, demonstrators surrounded the car of an elderly couple who were visiting from Simcoe, Ont.

Camera operators say they were assaulted

In a third dispute, two camera operators from the Hamilton-based CH Television alleged that native protesters attacked them and demanded their video footage as they tried to talk to the couple.

"One [camera operator] was swarmed, assaulted and had his camera stolen," Pilon said.

Debbie Walker, a managing producer at CH Television, said one of the camera operators was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises to his head. Nick Garbutt needed a couple of stitches to close a head wound.

His colleague, Ken MacKay, suffered minor injuries after he was kicked and punched.

The incidents spurred an angry response from townspeople, who gathered by the hundred to form an angry crowd that demanded police crack down on the native protesters.

Six Nations Confederacy denounces violence

Native leaders from the Six Nations Confederacy — also known as the Haudenosaunee — condemned the alleged incidents, saying they found them "disheartening."

"The Haudenosaunee are a people of peace and do not condone violence of any form," the confederacy said in a statement issued on Saturday.

"Our prayers and concern are with those who were injured during the outbreaks today. A peaceful co-existence with our neighbours and the safety of all remain at the paramount of our concerns."

The group also said the incidents were "reflective of the misjudgment and reactions of a limited few."

"The individuals who were involved in these incidents have been removed from the reclamation site [in Caledonia] until our investigation is complete."

The protesters are arguing that the Douglas Creek Estate is being built on part of the 380,000-hectare tract of land along the region's Grand River, granted to the Six Nations in 1784. The protesters say the building site was apparently leased — but never officially transferred — to non-natives.

Six Nations have filed a land claims over much of the area. The claims are "based mainly on alleged failure to receive proper compensation for the lands surrendered to the Crown or otherwise alienated," a federal government website says.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

Tribal Leaders Protest Nevada's 'Divine Strake'

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press Writer
RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Tribal leaders were among about 50 protesters who rallied on June 3rd against an experiment at the Nevada Test Site they fear will produce a massive explosion that will spread radio activity across the West.

The protest is aimed at the federal government's proposed "DivineStrake" project, the detonation of 700 tons of explosives in an experiment designed to study ground motion and shock waves set off bybombs.

"There is nothing divine about something that is built for destruction of life," said Carrie Dann, a member of the Western Shoshone tribe who maintains the test site's property belongs to her people.

"It is just another weapon of destruction. We need to all stand up and say `Hell no, we don't want this stuff around here.' We don't need it.We have enough weapons," she told fellow demonstrators in front of the federal courthouse in Reno.

Several carried signs that read "Nevada is not a nuclear wasteland,""War Industries Don't Care" and "Blessed are the Peacemakers."

"The weapons designers have been chomping at the bit to make a new typ of weapon, although the U.S. is supposedly `committed' to not developing new nuclear weapons in the spirit of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation,"said John Hadder of Citizen Alert the statewide anti-nuclear organization.

The test originally planned for June 2 has been postponed indefinitely. Officials said delaying the explosion would allow time to answer legal and scientific questions about whether it would kick up radioactive fallout left from nuclear weapons tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site about 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Concerns first were raised when James Tegnelia, director of the federal Defense Threat Reduction Agency, said the blast "is the first time in Nevada that you'll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons." He later retracted the statement, saying it was inaccurate.

Designers said the blast would be of the same material but some 280 times larger than the bomb that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Lee Dazey of the Western Shoshone Defense Project said the explosion will create a plume 10,000 feet in the atmosphere and be carried downwind. She's especially concerned about the lack of data NationalNuclear Security Agency (NNSA) to determine the radioactive contamination in the soils surrounding the blast area that will be lifted by the plume.

"Western Shoshone bore the brunt of the Cold War nuclear weapon program receiving doses of radiation from 100 above ground tests estimated to be six times that of other non-Indian downwind populations," Dazey said.

Protesters Rally Against Bomb Test In Desert
Carla Roccapriore (CROCCAPRIORE@RGJ.COM)
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
June 4, 2006

Experimenting with bombs at the Nevada Test Site is hypocritical of a government that speaks peace and can be likened to that of Hiroshima,Japan, during World War II, demonstrators said Saturday.

Between 50 and 75 people walked from West Street Plaza through downtown Reno to the Bruce R. Thompson Federal Building to ask Nevada'scongressional delegation to demand Divine Strake not be postponed but cancelled.

"This is the first step toward testing nukes again," said protester RichHaber, 59, of Reno.

Divine Strake, also known as a "mushroom cloud" test, is a 700-ton non-nuclear explosion of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil that would occuron Western Shoshone land near the federally occupied Nevada Test Site.

The 10,000-foot high explosion was scheduled for June 23 but waspostponed indefinitely last week so further studies could be done.

"It's not only going to hurt the Indian people, it'll hurt all of us,"said Mary McCloud, 76, of Schurz.

"What nation are they after and what nation will they use it on?" she asked. "The Bush administration talks about peace. But when you're doing this, where is the peace? When they (U.S.) did the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, how many people were affected?

"No counter-protesters were at the Reno rally.

Jack Finn, spokesman for U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said the senator's office has been in close contact with agencies involved.

"It has not been our office's position that the test should be cancelled," Finn said by telephone after the rally. "It seemed every safety precaution has been taken."

The federal Defense Threat Reduction Agency claims the explosion willhelp design a weapon to penetrate hardened and deeply buried targets,the Associated Press has reported.

Carrie Dann, executive director of the Western Shoshone Defense Project, said nuclear weapons are destroying the rights of future generationswhile politicians today are preoccupied with amending the Constitution to define marriage between a man and woman.

"Before that, the Constitution needs to say that water and air contamination is a crime," said Dann, 72.

Len Schweitzer of Reno said testing and developing new weapons won't deter terrorism."There will never be enough bullets or bombs to end terrorism because terrorism is an expression of discomfort people feel," said Schweitzer, 69. "We can overcome terrorism, not destroy it by warfare."

Speakers also discussed radioactive contamination in the soil that occurred about 50 years earlier at the Nevada Test Site and caused nearby dwellers to get ill and their crops and game to become contaminated.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

Indigenous International Environmental Gathering

INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK
14TH PROTECTING MOTHER EARTH CONFERENCE
July 6-9, 2006
Cass Lake, Minnesota USA
(Within the sovereign territories of the Leech Lake Anishinaabe Nation. To be held at the Leech Lake Memorial Pow-Wow Grounds.)

This is a traditional gathering with outdoor camping, with a Sacred Fire. Indigenous Peoples and supporters are invited.

TOPICS of Grave Importance:
Water of Life: Our waters are being privatized. Bring water sample from your community to be part of the Indigenous Women’s Water Ceremony by the Water Keepers.
Toxic Contamination and Health of all Life: Toxic and radiation exposures and toxic body burdens.
Energy Development that is Destroying Mother Earth: Oil, gas, coal, nuclear, geothermal and the need for solutions.
Climate Change and Global Warming: Prophesies are true and what do we do?
Native Youth Resistance Movement: Native youth activism and leadership.

There are many other workshop presentations on environmental and health issues, Indigenous rights, sacred sites and community-based sustainable development and alternative energy.

Workshops on:
Incinerators in disguise: Plasma arc, gasifiers, etc. These dangerous toxic waste incinerators are bring proposed in First Nations and Tribal lands in Canada and the U.S.
Clean up of toxic contaminated sites.
Transboundary Water Transfer: Canada/US.
Zero Waste: Electronics, Green Buildings, Industrial/Residential Waste. Oil, Gas, Coal Bed Methane, LNG, Oil Refineries: Fossil Fuel Indigenous Resistance. Mineral Extraction: Mining to the Ends of the Earth.
Renewable Energy.
Sacred sites: What works and what isn’t working.

Reports on the World Water Forum, the Indigenous Aquaculture Network – Eagle/Condor Exchange, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the 2005 North American Indigenous Mining Summit, the US EPA Office of Environmental Justice and its activities, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 2005, the World Social Forum, and others.

Report of the upcoming Indigenous World Uranium Summit, Navajo Nation, Fall 2006.

Note: The Leech Lake Traditional Pow-Wow bringing Indigenous dancers from throughout North America will be held from July 1-3rd.

Bring your tents, tipi and be prepared for camping out. Showers available. Meals provided. Donations accepted, $5 per car minimum. Indigenous security on site.

All plenary and some workshops will be Web-Cast throughout the world. Live radio broadcast of some of the plenary presentations. Live interviews.
For more information: www.ienearth.org

Contact: Simone “Chinoodiniwke” Senogles at: + 1 218 751 4967 or simone@ienearth.org

HONORING OUR INDIGENOUS WOMEN ACTTIVISTS SPEAKING TOUR

Carrie Dann – Western Shoshone Nation
Louise Benally – Dine’ Nation, Big Mountain
Rosalee Little Thunder – Sicangu Lakota Nation

Their topics are human rights, environmental justice, multinational accountability, Nevada test site bombing, sovereignty, treaty rights and United Nations declarations.

Locations:
6/11 – Portland, OR – St. Andrews – 806 N.E. Alberta – 7 PM
6/12 – Eugene, OR – Westmoreland Community Ctr. – 2065 W.16th Way – 7 PM
6/13 – Ashland OR – First Methodist Church – 175 N. Main St. – 7PM
6/15 - Arcata, CA - D St Neighborhood Ctr. 13th and D. St. – 7 PM
6/16 – Garberville, CA - Beginnings – 5 Cemetery Rd – 7 PM
6/17 – Mendocino, CA – Mendocino Recreation Ctr. – 110 Pine St. – 7:30 PM
6/18 – Laytonville, CA – The Fire Hall – 44200 Willis Ave, - 7 PM
6/19 – Oakland, CA – Humanist Hall - 390 27th St.- 7 PM
6/20 – San Francisco, CA – New College Theatre – 777 Valencia St. – 7 PM

For more information:
Western Shoshone Defense Project – http://wspd.org/
Big Mountain Indigenous Support – http://blackmesais.org/
Buffalo Field Campaign – http://buffalofieldcampaign.org/

United States Election Assistance Commission
Submitted by Alyssa Macy – Alyssa@ccp.org
EAC Announces – College Poll - Worker Grants
Application deadline is June 15th

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has begun takingapplications for grants to develop programs that recruit and train college students to serve as nonpartisan poll workers and poll assistants.

The awards are part of the Help America Vote College Program which was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). The program is part of an effort to encourage college student involvement and to assist state and local governments in the administration of elections.

"While significant progress has been made in election reform, a major challenge facing election officials is the ongoing need to recruit and retain poll workers"said EAC Chairman Paul DeGregorio. "We hope to engage America's college students in an effort to meet this critical need.

"EAC will award up to $250,000 in competitive grant monies over the course of the project. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education such as state universities, private colleges and community colleges, and non-profit organizations. The ceiling for individual awards is $20,000.

Applications are due no later than June 15, 2006 and must be submitted in hard copy by mail or hand delivery. For information on how to apply and to obtain application forms and instructions, please call 1-866-747-1471 or send an email to HAVACollegeProgram@eac.gov. For more information about EAC, go to www.eac.gov.

EAC is an independent bipartisan commission created by HAVA. It is charged with administering payments to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, implementing election administration improvements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines and serving as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration.

The four EAC commissioners are Paul DeGregorio, chairman; Ray Martinez III, vice chairman; Donetta Davidson and Gracia Hillman .


INDNs List Endorses Two Washington State Candidates

Today we are proud to announce the endorsements of Dr. Don Barlow and Rep. John McCoy, candidates for Washington’s State House Districts 6 and 38, respectively.

Dr. Barlow is a member of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma who will bring to state government a real plan for the residents of Washington’s Sixth District and people across the state.

Rep. McCoy is a member of the Tulalip Tribe who is dedicated to improving the lives of working families.

A licensed mental health counselor and current president of the Spokane School Board, Dr. Barlow understands what children and families need to succeed. He will fully fund public education and restructure curricula so that students are given the tools they need to build a better Washington.

An Air Force veteran and a legislator since 2003, Rep. McCoy brings years of public service to communities and a proven record of working with business and citizens alike to accomplish the goal of building a better Washington.

“So often we as voters are offered candidates with values but not vision, priorities but not plans,” Kalyn Free commented of the candidates. “Don and John have such a robust vision for not only their constituents but all people across Washington.”

Each offers plans for improving education, plans for ensuring access to healthcare, plans for bolstering jobs and wages, and plans for meeting the exciting potential in Washington.

Both are currently running unopposed in the primary race.

Constituents can cast their votes for Dr. Barlow and Rep. McCoy in the September 19 primary. The general election will be held November 7.

To read more about Don Barlow and John McCoy, visit their profiles on our candidates’ page at www.indnslist.org/endorsedcandidates.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.

'Maggot Therapy' To Avert Amputation

by Bobbie Hart O’Neill

YUCK!!! Maggots are blue fly larvae but they definitely have a place in New Age Medicine.

After the CBS Evening News the local news comes on which I usually avoid and turn off, but, one story, Friday night, caught my eye. ‘Maggot Therapy’ - A first for Yuma Regional Medical Center.

“Oh, my God!”

I was stunned when I saw the person being featured in the story is one of my best friends, Dorothy Leonard. Dorothy has had an ulcerated leg since I have known her for the past 26 years.

NO, she is not diabetic but YES she is obese and has been in and out of the hospital several times for treatment. I have lost count of the number of times I have screamed at her.”Get off that ___ ___ leg before you lose it.”

To my amazement, there sat Dorothy, smiling, looking very handsome in living color in front of the camera while the story of her being given the “Maggot Therapy” treatment was aired.

I, later, called her at home and congratulated her for having the intestinal fortitude to be the first to undergo this radical procedure in our conservative community. She thanked me and told me the treatment was a breeze and it worked.

“I wore the 'maggot-filled bandage' for two days and didn’t feel a thing. I went to work, went to church, even went out to dinner with a friend and forgot I was wearing it.”

She added, “It was Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon Dr. Ronald Brooksher, Wound Care Nurse, Mary Jo and the hospital pharmacist who are responsible for getting the therapy for me.”

This is especially important information for Native Americans who have the highest diabetic and obesity rate in the nation.

There are several Internet sites that feature webs on “Maggot Therapy”. Those two words alone on Google will bring out scads of information on the procedure. Also Google “Maggot Amputation”

Here is the basis of the treatment – “Maggots have been cleaning wounds for thousands of years because they very effectively eat only DEAD flesh, not living flesh.” It is well documented, on the Net, that maggots saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during WWI and WWII.

Maggot Referral Page: http://www.ucohs,uci.edu/com/pathology/sherman/mdtists2

I’m certain this information is heartbreaking for viewers who have lost their limbs because of diabetes and obesity, but hopefully it can possibly prevent future, needless amputations. It is time to bring this kind of medical treatment out of the Dark Ages and place it in the hands of U.S. doctors in the 21st century.

Let’s face it, folks, the thought of “maggot therapy” may be repulsive to many, but is a proven, effective treatment and a helluva lot cheaper than an amputation.

One thing that saddens me the most about learning this information so late is that my diabetic sister-in-law in Anchorage, Alaska underwent a leg amputation last summer and is still suffering complications from that surgery.

Perhaps “Maggot Therapy” could have saved her leg – now, possibly her life.


FROM WHAT POLITICAL AND MORAL AUTJORITY DO THESE GOVERNMENTS SPEAK OVER HERE?
asked Julie Fishel of the Western Shoshone Defense Project.

U.S. - Two Others Reject Indigenous Claims Of Sovereignty
by Haider Rizvi
Inter Press Service
May 25, 2006

UNITED NATIONS -- As the world's indigenous people get closer to achieving long-overdue international recognition of their rights, some of the powers that conquered their territories in the past still say "no way."

At a two-week meeting of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues being held at U.N. headquarters in New York, indigenous leaders say they want their people to exercise full sovereignty over their ancestral lands and resources.

The United States, Australia and New Zealand are the only countries that remain opposed to the proposed Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, which recognizes the principle of sovereignty.

Describing the draft text of the declaration as "fundamentally flawed,"a delegate representing the three countries last week refused to accept the indigenous leaders' assertion that aboriginal people have the right to"self-determination."

"No government can accept the notion of creating different classes of citizens, "the U.S., Australia and New Zealand said in a joint statement in opposition to the indigenous demand for self-determination, describing it as"inconsistent" with international law.

The diplomatic troika also attacked indigenous assertions on ownership of their ancient lands and resources, arguing that they "ignore the contemporary realities ... by appearing to require the recognition of rights to lands now lawfully owned by other citizens."

For their part, the more than 1,000 indigenous leaders currently attending the U.N.-sponsored meetings, representing some 370 million indigenous peoples around the world, say they are outraged by this kind of reasoning.

"They are still living in the past. They are totally out of touch with reality," Arthur Manuel, a member of Secwepemc Nation and chairman of the Indigenous Network on Economics and Trade in Canada, told IPS.

"They are going to fail in their efforts to stop the recognition of therights of indigenous people," he added.

While Manuel's response may sound optimistic, it is undeniable that in recent years, indigenous movements around the world have emerged as powerful forces able to reshape the political fate of certain countries.

Moreover, they are also gaining recognition by the scientific community and development experts as an integral part of the world community's quest for sustainable use of natural resources and environmental conservation.

"The contribution of the indigenous people is vital. We have a full-fledged article on their participation," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention on Biodiversity, which has been signed by 188 countries.

The convention recognizes the principle that indigenous people are entitled to enjoy a "fair and equitable share" in benefits derived from natural resources by commercial enterprises.

Despite such a clear acknowledgement of the significance of their role in the international arena, indigenous people continue to suffer economic and political discrimination, even if, in some cases, their rights are constitutionally and legally guaranteed.

The United States, for example, which champions the cause of human rights around the world, was recently castigated by a U.N. rights committee for violating the rights of a Native American Indian tribe to exercise sovereignty overits traditional land.

In March, the 18-member U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, set up to monitor global compliance with the 1969 anti-racial discrimination treaty, rejected the U.S. claim over Western Shoshone Nations' lands by observing that it failed to comply with the contemporary human rights principles that "govern determination of indigenous people's rights."

Instead of accepting the committee's verdict, the U.S. government declared that it was prepared to test "bunker buster" weapons on lands the indigenous Western Shoshone people, also known as Newe people, consider as sacred. Parts of those lands have also been targeted for dumping nuclear waste. The U.S. claims over native lands are partly based on the argument that they have been"gradually encroached" on by non-natives.

"From what political and moral authority do these governments speak over here?" asked Julie Fishel of the Western Shoshone Defense Project in response to the joint U.S.-Australia-New Zealand statement. "These three countries have serious issues of violations. They have yet to address the situation that has been ongoing for hundreds of years against indigenous people in their boborders."

At the two-week forum, led by a 16-member subcommittee of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), indigenous leaders hold a unanimous view that the principle of "prior consent" must be recognized as part of the fundamental rights of the indigenous people with regard to the patenting of seeds, plants and other organisms used for manufacturing commercial products.

But this demand has also been rejected by the U.S., Australia and New Zealand on the grounds that it clashes with intellectual property rights.

"It is our firm position that there can be no absolute right of free, prior informed consent that is applicable uniquely to indigenous peoples,"said a delegate representing the three countries at the forum last week. "In fact, to extend such an overriding right to a specific subset of the national populace would be potentially discriminatory."

Indigenous leaders regard such objections as the product of a colonial mindset.

"Their view is fundamentally flawed," said forum participant JoshuaCooper, an international law professor at the Hawaii Institute for Human Rights,"because they don't recognize the fundamental freedom of the indigenous people."

Cooper and other indigenous leaders said they hoped that despite opposition from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, the forum would be able to finalize the draft before the conclusion of the meeting on Friday.

Jamie Kneen
Communications & Outreach Coordinator ofc.
(613) 569-3439
e-mail:jamie@miningwatch.ca
Canadahttp://www.miningwatch.ca/

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE or OPINION PIECE to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.

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.

Visit Vietnam Vet. Larry Mitchell at http://www.potawatomivet.com and click on his blog at the site.