Thanksgiving Is Over But The Discrimination Continues

Submitted by Dave Halliday
Virginia's Indians have been called "the forgotten people" but they are very much alive. These are the tribes of Pocahontas—the tribes that helped the first settlers as they landed in Virginia. In exchange for their help, they’ve received 400 years of racism, genocide, and broken treaties.

Today, the discrimination continues. The federal government still does not officially recognize them as “Indians.” Our short documentary, Ghost Tribes, examines why Virginia’s tribes have been overlooked for 400 years and why they deserve recognition.

There is something you can do. Ghost Tribes has been selected out of 400 films as a finalist for the Seeds of Tolerance film competition. The competition is based solely on YOUR VOTES, and we need your vote to get our message across.

This contest offers an unprecedented opportunity for publicity: Al Gore will present the winning film live on national TV—as well as tens of thousands of dollars for Native American causes.

Please VOTE and Forward. Thanks for your support!
Sincerely,
Dave Halliday
Producer, Ghost Tribes

About Seeds of Tolerance: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=zggcm9bab.0.brirh9bab.zihfh9bab.5263&ts=S0209&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seedsoftolerance.org

Family and Friends:
By the time you're reading this, we should be in 2nd place. I can't explain how important that is. We started off Tuesday in FOURTH--almost 300 votes out of second, and we made up the ground like we have something to prove. And we do. Ghost Tribes is an important story. There are a lot of excellent films in the Seeds of Tolerance Competition, but Ghost Tribes is the only film that can turn an overlooked state-wide story into a national issue. The timing is right: 2007--the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown--is only 32 days away.

Let's take the giant leap we made yesterday and turn that into a running start for something REALLY big. By the end of the day today, I want to close the gap for first by at least 300 votes and turn this into a two way race for the win. Once again, I need your vote. If you've already voted, awesome, but don't stop there. Each computer will allow three votes, so if you're at home, ask your spouse/brother/cousin/next-door-neighbor to vote as well. Voting only takes about 30 seconds.

Click here to VOTE for GHOST TRIBES:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=zggcm9bab.0.arirh9bab.zihfh9bab.5263&ts=S0209&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.current.tv%2Fmake%2Fvc2%2Fsot
Thanks All!
Dave

IMPORTANT NOTICE -
TITLE VII INDIAN EDUCATION FORMULA GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE ELECTRONIC IN 2007

The application for school year 2007-2008 funding will be submitted in two parts using the new Formula Grant Electronic Application System for Indian Education (EASIE), an on-line application.

Part I -- Indian Student Counts, opens Dec. 12, 2006 through Feb. 12, 2007
Part II – Program and Budget Information, opens mid to late March 2007

You must complete and submit Part I to be considered for funding and have access to Part II of the application system.

On-line registration http://www.Indianeducation.org

Registration will reopen December 12, 2006. Go to the above website to find out more about the new system; click on the link for Formula Grant EASIE. If you do not have online access, please contact Paula by phone at 202-775-3980.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR TITLE VII
INDIAN EDUCATION FORMULA GRANTEES
The Office of Indian Education is introducing the new application for this year’s Indian Education Formula Grant Program as an online application called Formula Grant Electronic Application System for Indian Education or Formula Grant EASIE.

Formula Grant EASIE will launch on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 and remain open for student count submissions until February 12.

It is extremely important for this coming grant cycle that you provide your contact information in a timely manner.

You must complete and submit Part I to be considered for funding and have access to Part II of the application system.

You must register to be eligible to participate in this year’s grant program. To register and learn more about the new system, please go to www.Indianeducation.org and click on the link for Formula Grant EASIE.

If you do not have online access, please register by calling Paula at 202-775-3980.

Tom Beaver
Public Affairs Specialist
Office of the Secretary's Regional Representative
U.S. Department of Education, Suite 2002
8930 Ward Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64153
tom.beaver@ed.gov
816-268-0403 - Direct 816- 268-0407 - Fax

NATIVE ROSCOE DELETES NATIVE SITE

Hello everyone,
My website "Nativeroscoe's Entertainment" has been deleted from web space. I have accepted a job offer from a group here in Hollywood to help build a similar website with news and information. But, this new website will focus on Asian, Latino and Black performers.

I was approached last month after this group looked at my website and enjoyed my FORMAT and NEWS. I will have a chance to add Native performers, but only if they work in mainstream TV shows, Cable and films. What a great opportunity and I will be PAID MONEY for co-managing this new website.

These past four years have been fun and at times exciting for me. I thank everybody who enjoyed my website and who have given me the chance to support the Native Hollywood community. I know that the Fans will be disappointed, but I have to grab this new opportunity to further myself in Hollywood. Everything attached to "Nativeroscoe's Entertainment" has been and/or will be deleted.

"Nativeroscoe's Entertainment" DELETED
"Nativeroscoe @ yahoo email" DELETED
"Myspace / Nativeroscoe" DELETED
"Rp_ite @ hotmail Email" will be DELETED on December 10, 2006.

"AIAwards 2007" has been canceled due to the lack of Native roles in films, TV and cable shows. Nobody worked in 2006 except for TV guest appearances.

"AIAwards 2008" is still open for debate. But for now, that too will be canceled. I have asked my new employer about opportunities to co-produce other Mainstream Award Shows. There are plenty to choose from. They are producers themselves and said they would be happy help me move upward. This was my plan from the beginning to be a working PRODUCER and this new endeavor will move me toward achieving that plan."

Onward and upward,
Roscoe Pond

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.

New Plutonium Center - Once Again On Western Shoshone Land

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project

Nevada Test Site Being Considered For New Consolidated Plutonium Center
By Launce Rake
Las Vegas Sun, November 26, 2006

The federal government will head to Las Vegas this week to discuss its proposed top-to-bottom makeover of the nation's nuclear weapons system, an archipelago of research and production sites across two-thirds of the country.

One of the proposed changes could result in plutonium being manufactured at Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The Test Site is one of the eight sites in the national research and production system.

The 1,400-square-mile Test Site has been home to 40 years of above- and below-ground nuclear explosions and other nuclear weapons research. The Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration wants to modernize and ensure the reliability of the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons, consolidate operations and reduce the number of warheads in the national stockpile.

The proposal, which could cost billions of dollars, is intended to result in a safer and more reliable system that is cheaper to run.

One element of the proposal calls for a new manufacturing site for plutonium, the explosive metal at the heart of nuclear weapons. Nevada Test Site is one of five sites considered for the new consolidated plutonium center. The department closed its former manufacturing site, the Rocky Flats Plant outside Denver, in 1989.

Among the benefits of using the Test Site is its relative isolation and existing security systems.

Opposition is coming from former leaders of some of the affected sites and from public-policy advocacy groups. The Union of Concerned Scientists is urging people to raise concerns about the proposed changes to the nuclear weapons infrastructure at a government meeting on the environmental issues Tuesday at Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Sessions are planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Robert Nelson, a senior scientist with the group, said the nuclear weapons in the stockpile of about 10,000 warheads are already reliable, negating the need for much of the proposed effort.

"The core nuclear warhead components the Energy Department wants to redesign and replace are already determined by the nuclear weapons labs themselves to be essentially 100 percent reliable," Nelson said. "The misplaced obsession with warhead reliability and the rationale for continuing to maintain thousands of nuclear weapons on high alert are part of an outdated U.S. nuclear weapons policy."

In a statement released Friday, the group, which has opposed other weapons-related proposals from the Bush administration, quoted former administrators criticizing the proposed changes.

"What is the urgency for spending large amounts of money for a new production complex without evidence of degradation in the nuclear explosive package?" said Bob Peurifoy, former vice president and director of weapons development at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico.

John Duncan, retired Sandia senior manager, echoed the concerns.

"My knowledge of science and over 40 years of experience tells me you can't do what the DOE says it is going to do," Duncan said. "The old DOE realized that quality, speed of manufacturing and cost were trade-offs. You can do two but the third will be sacrificed. The new DOE thinks better, faster, cheaper is possible. The labs know better, but no one has the courage to speak up."

Thomas D'Agostino, deputy administrator for defense programs for the National Nuclear Security Administration, said in April that the Test Site and its seven sister sites "routinely conduct operations with substantial quantities of plutonium, or highly enriched uranium, or both. As such these are some of the most sensitive facilities in the United States."

The other candidate sites are outside Amarillo, Texas; Los Alamos, N.M; Oak Ridge, Tenn.; and Aiken, S.C.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/
lv-other/2006/nov/26/566667976.html

FRENCH IN QUEBEC
Comments From GoJoTV
RE: Mohawk Iron Workers Mourned 99 Years Later

1. This is a great blog article. My grandmother, Marguerite, lived in the town of St. David on the south shore of Québec City. She remembers being in the kitchen when the bridge fell. She described the sound as loud and frightening. She said she could see the hole where the middle piece fell. She would have been six years old at the time, but had vivid memories of that terrible day.

Please continue posting articles about native history, because those who lived it are disappearing, and these stories need to be told.

Here's an idea: What do the words of "Ani Koni" mean? It's a Mohawk or Huron song I learned in Kindergarten. In Québec, you can't find a French person under 50 who doesn't know "Ani Koni", but I'm not sure if I remember the meaning.

I seem to remember it being a lullaby.To hear the song I'm referring to, click here http://www.gojotv.com/anikoni.wav

Thank-you for your work with this blog.

Posted by GoJoTV to Native Unity at 11/26/2006 04:36:07 AM

2. Know this is a highly political blog, and this may not seem relevant, but the disappearance of native languages is...

And why, if the French in Québec have a notion of native culture and languages, don't other North Americans learn some, too?

Posted by GoJoTV to Native Unity at 11/26/2006 04:43:12 AM

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.

Thanking You On Thanksgiving!

by Kalyn Free
kalyn@indnslist.org

Although Thanksgiving is a bittersweet time for Indians across the nation, we at INDN’s List nevertheless want to take the opportunity to send out huge thanks to all of you. As the holiday season approaches, we are reflecting on the work of a long and successful year, none of which would have been possible without your continued contributions, voluntarism, and all-around enthusiasm for our work. Your support has truly sustained us and kept us always moving forward through 2006.

From our first birthday party in Washington, D.C. that saw luminaries like Congressman Mike Honda (CA) and DNC Chairman Gov. Howard Dean, to Election Day where we proudly watched at least 18 of our candidates win election across the country, we have made it a priority to include all of you in our successes. You are true stakeholders in our organization, and we are committed to building on a fantastic 2006 to make an even better 2007 and beyond.

Kalyn Free was interviewed recently for an article in Indian Country Today, where she reflected on the past year and laid out our goals for 2007. INDN’s List is committed to electing Indians to speak for Indians, to supporting Indian activists to work for Indian Country, and to leveraging the power of Indian voters to influence elections.

First, we are committed to recruiting and training more candidates in more places from more tribes. INDN’s List supported 24 candidates in 11 states from 20 tribes this cycle, and will look to expand even farther for the 2008 election. Second, we will host an even bigger Campaign Camp in 2007, focusing on both Indian candidates and campaign staffers. And we are planning an unprecedented gathering of Democratic presidential candidates for a forum on Indian issues. Third, INDN’s List hopes to build its Native American Network, a network of paid organizers in states around the country that will work for a full year to register Indians and get them to the polls.

Those are some ambitious goals, but we have shown over 2006 that we can achieve our aspirations with your ongoing support. If you are thankful for the 18 Indian candidates that will speak for Indians across the nation, please give now so we can continue building on our successes for the future. We hope you will have a happy holiday season with your loved ones, and we know you will continue to be a part of the INDN Family.

TRIBE WANTS CONTROL OF BISON
Submitted by Ann VanWert
By MATT GOURAS Associated Press Writer

HELENA, Mont. - The American Indian tribe that has shared management of the nation's only federal wildlife refuge for bison wants to ditch the unusual arrangement and take over full management.

The two-year joint management agreement between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Interior Department expired in September, and the tribe said it has submitted a proposal seeking full management of the 19,000-acre National Bison Range in northwestern Montana under a contract in which the federal government would pay the tribe for its work.

The joint agreement was a compromise for the tribe, which has been seeking full management of the bison range near Moiese for years. The tribe's proposal comes just months after the release of a performance report that indicated some of the work the tribe was responsible for wasn't getting done.

"Instead of two heads running it, there would be one head. We found it a little bit awkward this style of management," tribal spokesman Rob McDonald said Tuesday. "The original deal that was offered to us wasn't perfect, but we decided to take it and show how we could run it."

The bison range, within the borders of the Flathead Indian Reservation, was created in 1908 on Indian land the government bought to save bison from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was charged with managing it prior to the two-year joint agreement.

"We've always had interest in being managers of this completely and this is our solution to get there," McDonald said of the tribe's proposal.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not immediately return calls Tuesday seeking comment.

The tribe's proposal would phase in full management over three years under a federal contract starting in 2007. The proposal calls for the tribe to be paid $1 million a year for its work.

Under the joint agreement, the tribe performed some of the activities on the range, including bison roundups, weed control, fire suppression and collection of federal public use fees. About half of the range's 24 employees were under the tribe's supervision.

Negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are ongoing, and the proposal is sure to have its critics.

Federal employees at the range recently complained that work conditions there have deteriorated since the tribes got involved in running it. The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says staff members want the tribe's involvement ended.

Earlier this year, a performance report indicated much of the tribe's assigned work wasn't getting done. And environmentalists worry the tribe's management could lead to reduced stewardship.

McDonald said those worries are unfounded, and are based on subjective and arbitrary reports of the tribe's work."We can't deny that some of the areas showed weakness, but they were not substantial at all," he said.

INUPIAT FAMILY SUES U.S. GOVERNMENT OVER BP LAND USAGE
Submitted by Riley Tisinger
By David Litterick in New York
November 20, 2006
The Daily Telegraph

FRESH from settling a lawsuit over last year's fatal explosion at its Texas City oil refinery, BP looks set to become embroiled in a legal battle in Alaska over royalties paid on oil production in Prudhoe Bay.

The family of Andrew Oenga, an Inupiat who lived on the North Slope in Alaska until his death a decade ago, is suing the US government, claiming his eight descendants are owed $40m ( pounds 21m) in back rent. In the 1970s, Mr Oenga was allotted property in Alaska under a federal government programme for native Indians. The allotment, administered by the Bureau for Indian Affairs, does not include rights to the oil under the surface, but does provide for payments if the oil companies make use of the area underground.

BP applied to run a road and pipeline on the surface, and has since paid the Oengas - via the US government - over $650,000.

However, the lawsuit filed earlier this year claims BP also operated oil production facilities on the 10-acre site that were not covered by the lease, and as such, the Oengas are entitled to about $40m in back payments.

The family is suing the US government for breach of its fiduciary duty, claiming it incorrectly drew up the lease so that BP has paid the family less than 0.1pc of the $1.6bn of oil produced at the site, rather than the 4pc they claim they are entitled to.

The government denies the claim, saying BP was entitled to use the land for production. However, lawyers say that if the government loses the case, it could sue BP for any damages awarded. "We're just seeking justice for the wrong they've done,'' Joseph Inuquruq Delia, Mr Oenga's grandson said. "My grandfather couldn't speak or read English. The government betrayed him. BP has profited from it and we just want the same justice that others have got.''

BP has intervened in the lawsuit, but notes that the company itself is not a target.

"We have always paid the lease amount that the Bureau of Indian Affairs determined,'' a spokesman said. "We have intervened to keep our options open.''

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.

N.M. Senator Sez 'Mushroom Cloud' Set For Nevada Desert

Submitted by Eleanore Fanire, Mohave Downwinder

Las Vegas Sun – November 15, 2006
By KEN RITTER - ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) - If the government goes ahead with plans for a non-nuclear explosion to test bunker-buster bombs it will be in Nevada, not in New Mexico, Sen. Pete Domenici said Wednesday.

The New Mexico Republican, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, issued a statement in Washington, D.C., saying the Defense Threat Reduction Agency had decided not to conduct the "Divine Strake" test at the White Sands Missile Range.

He said DTRA "prefers" a plan to conduct the test at the Nevada Test Site, a vast Energy Department reservation north of Las Vegas where plans for the blast have been stalled by a federal lawsuit.

Domenici did not identify a date for the test, which a government lawyer recently told a federal judge won't take place until after Feb. 1.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency would not directly address Domenici's claim.

The agency issued a statement saying Director James Tegnelia met Wednesday with the Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and members of Utah's congressional delegation "about the need for the experiment, the alternate sites considered and ensuring the safety of the experiment."

The agency said an environmental assessment was being revised in preparation for the test and the public would have a chance to comment before a test is scheduled and conducted.

Agency spokeswoman Irene Smith in Fort Belvoir, Va., declined further comment.

The explosion, first scheduled June 2, was postponed after Western Shoshone tribe members and "downwinders" in Utah and Nevada sued in federal court in Las Vegas.

Defense Threat Reduction Agency officials identified other sites around the nation that were being considered, including a southern Indiana limestone quarry and the White Sands Missile Range.

The owner of the Indiana quarry said in August that site won't be used.

A spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which operates the Nevada Test Site, said Wednesday the Nevada site remained under consideration.

MATHESON: DIVINE STRAKE TEST UNWELCOME!
Health Risks Troublesome
For Immediate Release – Nov. 16, 2006

Washington DC - Congressman Jim Matheson said a decision by a federal defense agency to detonate a 700-ton conventional blast at the Nevada Test Site, not in New Mexico, still leaves many questions unanswered and remains a non-starter for him.

Matheson joined the other members of the Utah Congressional Delegation at a meeting with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Wednesday to receive an update on the so-called "Divine Strake" test plans. The non-nuclear, open air explosion is expected to hurl dirt and debris thousands of feet into the atmosphere. Objections raised by Matheson and others resulted in several postponements. DTRA also agreed to look at alternate test locations, including the White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico.

But the agency now says the Nevada Test Site is its preferred location.

Both open air and underground nuclear tests were carried out in areas surrounding the location selected for the upcoming blast. Nevada environmental officials have refused to issue air quality permits required before its detonation, saying it has received incomplete environmental data. A lawsuit pending in federal court in Nevada has also challenged DTRA's plans.

Matheson grilled DTRA's director regarding the dual purpose of the gigantic ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosion. Matheson remains concerned about the agency's admission that Divine Strake is an experiment designed to simulate both nuclear and conventional weapon effects. He notes Congress has already voted to eliminate funding for development of nuclear "bunker-busters".

Utah residents living downwind of the test site are frightened by the prospect of more contaminated materials being released into the atmosphere.
"Just last month we received additional scientific evidence- from Dr. Joseph Lyon's study - of the link between radioactive fallout and illness. The more we look, the more damage we uncover from this era, even as the federal government was telling us it was safe then. I remain skeptical when they tell us it is safe today," said Matheson.

Alyson Heyrend, Communications Director
Rep. Jim Matheson
240 E. Morris Ave., #235
Salt Lake City UT 84115
(801) 486-1236 fax (801) 486-1417

Mary Kim Titla Inducted Into ASU's Cronkite Alumni 'Hall Of Fame'
Kiko News – Miami, Arizona

San Carlos Apache Tribal member Mary Kim Titla is one of two new inductees into ASU’s Cronkite School Alumni Hall of Fame. Titla and Clear Channel Radio vice president Susan Karis were recognized Tuesday at the journalism school’s 23rd Annual Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism Lunch.

Titla received her master’s degree in mass communication from the Cronkite School in 1985. She operates a Web magazine that focuses on Native American Youth. Before launching the magazine, Titla was the first Native American television news reporter in Arizona.

Producer Dave Halliday Presents 'Ghost Tribes'

I recently finished Ghost Tribes , a short documentary about six Virginia Indian tribes—the tribes of Pocahontas and her people—and their 400 year struggle for sovereignty and federal recognition.

My film was selected as 1 of 6 finalists in the Third Millenium Foundation's "Seeds of Tolerance" film competition. I need your help to win. By taking a minute to vote for Ghost Tribes, you can help determine the winner and garner much needed publicity and funding for the these tribes' efforts.

Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) has sponsored a bill that would grant the tribes recognition, and in the new congress, he just may have the political "capital" to push it through. In addition to funding for the tribes' cause, Al Gore will present the winning film live, in a televised awards ceremony, raising awareness for the tribes.

To vote, Current will require you to register, but it's quick (<30 seconds) and there aren't any follow up emails or newsletters.

Vote for Ghost Tribes here (It's the 3rd video from the left)
http://www.current.tv/tolerance

From now until 12:01 am on December 2, 2006, you have the chance to help pick our top video. The grand prize winner will receive $100,000 in cash and an additional $15,000 to donate to the charity of his or her choice. Two finalists will also receive $10,000 a piece. The awards will be presented at a screening event in Los Angeles in December.

Thanks for your help.
-Dave Halliday

Digital Content ProducerWashington, D.C.
dhalliday@gmail.com
202-248-6818

Native American Election Gains In Montana
Submitted by Daniel Levitas, ACLU

As a result of litigation brought by the ACLU Voting Rights Project in Montana a decade ago, Montana has now elected ten Native American candidates to the state legislature - the greatest number of Native American state legislators anywhere in the nation.

In 1996, the ACLU Voting Rights Project filed a challenge to the 1992 legislative redistricting in Montana (Old Person v. Cooney, No. CV-96-004-GF (D.Mont.)). The litigation was protracted, and while the plaintiffs did not ultimately prevail on the merits, the 2001 state redistricting commission relied upon the extensive findings of vote dilution made by the federal courts in the ACLU case to draw a plan containing majority Indian districts.

When the redistricting commission’s plan was challenged for allegedly violating one person, one vote and being a racial gerrymander, the Voting Rights Project represented tribal leaders as intervenors in defense of the plan. The challenge was rejected by the court, the plan was implemented, and in November 2006, ten Native American candidates were elected to the state legislature.

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.

Oenga Heirs Sue Federal Government Over Oil Lease

Submitted by Riley Tisinger

By David Melmer
Indian Country Today - November 13, 2006

PRUDHOE BAY, Alaska - An Inupiat family may be the first family ever to filesuit against the federal government for allegedly mismanaging a lease agreement with an oil company.

The family, descendants of Andrew Oenga, claims the federal government, specifically the Department of the Interior and BIA, failed to properly protect the family's right to equitable lease payments for oil that passed over the property

If the family prevails in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the financial award to the Oenga family could be an estimated $180 million. British Petroleum held the lease to the property over the past decade and is included as an interested party to the lawsuit. Any financial award would come from BP, according to the lawsuit.

''We are doing the only thing we could do. We put our heads together and decided to fight for what we believe in,'' said Joe Delia, spokesman for the Oenga family descendants.''

The federal government has been screwing over Natives since they came here; it has got to stop somewhere, there has to be justice somewhere,'' he said.

In 1971, Andrew Oenga applied for and received an allotment, located at Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope of Alaska. In the late 1980s the federal government negotiated a lease agreement with the oil companies. That negotiation was conducted in English and Oenga spoke only Inupiat, the lawsuit states.

The original lease allowed the oil companies, specifically BP and related subcontracted companies, to run a pipeline and road across the Oenga property; but the lawsuit claims that appraisals did not include appropriate royalty rates, therefore an arbitrary and lower rate was given to the property.

The original agreement was for a pipeline and road, but a drilling pad was constructed on the property later and an appraisal was not completed for that procedure, the lawsuit claims. Oil was subsequently extracted at the Oenga property location and BP paid only one-tenth of 1 percent for the right to extract the oil; the royalty rate, the family argues, should have been set at more than 4 percent, which was set by federal code. In addition,the lease agreement states that interest on unpaid royalties is to be assessed at 18 percent. The state has claim to the oil and gas rights, so the state would receive 12.5 percent of the royalties.

According to the legal documents, the federal government knew that BP intended to use the land for a multiple-head drilling pad, but an appraisal does not take that into account. Under federal regulations, appraisals must be completed every four or five years; the complaint filed in court claims that no appraisal has been conducted for the 2006 - '09 period. The family also claims that other appraisals were given to them late.

In 2005, the family demanded the Secretary of the Interior give notice of default and of breach of failure to perform or comply regarding the leases.The government, the complaint states, did not issue any notice.

The complaint states that BP benefited from mismanagement of the lease agreements by Interior and therefore BP should be held financial liable.

The Oenga family is traditional. Their ancestors have occupied that region of the continent for thousands of years and, until recently, family members have lived a traditional subsistence lifestyle.

''The Inupiat community goes hunting and whaling and provides for the entire community, like living the old ways of living and taking care of each other. We go out and help, seal hunting and whale hunting. We lived and got the experience of the Indian way of life,'' Delia said.

Delia said the family is not allowed to hunt, fish or even visit the land.''They have been taking advantage of the family for a long time, we want to see justice. They are taking a lot of oil out of there.'' he said.

A sod house is located on the property where his mother was born. ''We have to get permission to even go over there,'' Delia, who lives in Anchorage,said.

''There are eight of us in the lawsuit, but there are more descendants. Grandfather wanted a future for his family; that's what life is all about up here, taking care of family and providing for them,'' Delia said.

Delia worked for the oil industry, as do many people in that area. He drove a hazardous waste truck, but the hours were too much and ''I lost family over the work since I was never home,'' he said. He now works for the community in Anchorage.

There used to be priority hiring for the Alaska Natives in the oil fields,but Delia said it is hard for many of them to get to the fields now. Only a few small villages are within the region.

The Oenga family descendants also assert that BP has not been a good steward of the land by not cleaning up oil spills and not repairing corroded pipes. In March, a leak in a BP Exploration Alaska pipeline at Prudhoe Bay resulted in the North Slope's largest oil spill on record. Other spillages from pipelines have been reported by BP, but the March incident did not prompt the filing of this lawsuit, the Oenga family claims.

For oil or gas leases, federal law mandates that Interior collect a royalty rate of 16.66 percent of the value of production. The caveat to that law is that the secretary has a right to negotiate a lesser amount if it is in the best interest of the allottee.

''Neither the Secretary of Interior, nor his designee, has ever made a determination that it is in the best interests of the Plaintiffs to receive a royalty or rent less than provided by [federal law],'' the complaint states. The federal law that applies to this is 25 CFR paragraph 212.41(b).

The complaint further claims that the federal government collected an amount of royalties far under what should have been collected for the period from1994 - 2001, which was $670,000. The amount that should have been collected, at a rate from 2.5 percent to 4.5 percent, was estimated to be in the double-digit millions.

The multi-well pad on the Oenga property is designed as a directional drilling process. The complaint states that BP allowed access to the pad by ARCO Alaska and Exxon Corp. to extract oil from an area adjacent to the Oenga property, known as the West Kiakak P.A., as designed by the state.

The family received no notice of this action, and members have received no royalties. The two companies had lease agreements on property situated overthe oil deposits, but not for Oenga property.

Production figures indicate that 40 percent of all oil production through the Oenga multi-well pad came from the adjacent oil deposits. The lease agreement, the complaint argues, does not allow for the production of oil or gas from the adjacent oil deposits. The unauthorized extraction of oil through the Oenga family property from the West Kiakak area constitutes a breach of trust responsibility on the part of the federal government, the complaint states.

The Oenga family is asking the court to make a determination of compensation to them. The $180 million figure, only an estimate of the potentially final determination, is not what the family is asking.

Other families that have land leased to the oil industry are doing well. Delia said they had people who spoke English when the contracts were originated.

"We were misrepresented by the government and we want what the other surface owners were paid; they took advantage of an old man who didn't understand English,'' Delia added.

"Some of us think the government can do what they want; they make the laws and break the laws and do what they want. They can uphold any deal or treaty, but as far as we are concerned they have never upheld any treaty. It is sad to see how Indian people are being treated,'' Delia said.

7th ANNUAL TOP BUSINESS AWARDS - NOVEMBER 17th DEADLINE

You are invited to take part in the 7th annual "Top Small Businesses in America" awards program. This year's awards will determine the:
Top 100 Native American Owned Business in the United States
Top 50 Native American owned businesses in each State
Top 500 Small Businesses in the United States

The awards are based on annual sales volume. This marks the 7th year for this massive national data collection effort. The "List" are used by major corporations, government agencies and educational institutions when looking for new business partners.

To participate, businesses must register their business profile at DiversityBusiness Business Awards Registration by November 17, 2006.

All Small, Women, Disabled, and Diversity owned businesses are encouraged to register. Last years winners received enormous recognition and exposure for their companies. The "List" are published in more then 500 newspapers/magazines and receives more then 3,000,000 views on our website.

Odetta Rogers
Director CommunicationsDiversityBusiness

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.

E Coli Plagued Kashechewan 'Res' Residents Contemplate Move To Timmins

Submitted by Ann Van Wert
By Megan Harman
CanWest News Service
November 10th, 2006

Ottowa – Moving Northern Ontario’s troubled Kashechewan reserve, which was ravaged last year by a tainted water scandal, to the outskirts of Timmins, Ont. is the best long-term solution to the problems plaguing the community. This solution was presented by Alan Pope, Special Federal Representative on Kashechewan, in a report which was recently presented to the federal government.

Hundreds of residents had to be evacuated from the Reserve in response to an E coli outbreak in the water supply. The intake pipe for Kashechewan’s water treatment plant had been installed downstream from a sewage lagoon. The staff at the plant didn’t have enough training to manage their water treatment, plus there was a lack of government inspections. A copy of the 2003 Ontario Clean Water Agency Report outlining the deficiencies at the water treatment plant was sent to the federal government. Yet, nothing was done.

The situation escalated last month when Kashechewan residents were warned to stop using their water, altogether, due to high levels of E. coli in the water system --- the same bacteria that killed seven people in Walkerton five years ago.''

The benefits of such a relocation are clear,'' said report author Alan Pope at a press conference held in Ottowa on November 9, 2006. ''This will offer the greatest advantage of improved economic and individual opportunities to the members of the Kashechewan First Nation.''

Pope, a former Ontario provincial politician, presented 51 recommendations to Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice and the chief of Kashechewan.

''I recommended the relocation of Kashechewan First Nation to the outskirts of the city of Timmins because of the benefits it gives to the community of Kashechewan,'' said Pope, who was appointed in June as a special federal representative to make proposals regarding the reserve. ''It is my recommendation, it is not a government plan.''

Kashechewan Chief Jonathan Solomon said he would present the recommendations to the community of about 1,600. As part of the recommendations, residents would retain access to the land they currently occupy for traditional fishing, hunting and gathering activities, as well as community events and ceremonies.'

"Our land is very important to us,'' Solomon said. ''Our land is our way of life.''

Pope, who spent five months in the town, going door-to-door to talk to individuals and holding public forums, said the relocation would provide the community with better access to resources and services, more employment opportunities and economic benefits.

Pope said he did not consider the cost of relocating the community to the outskirts of Timmins.

However, some past attempts by Ottawa to move First Nations communities have proven to be controversial, and the relocation of residents from Davis Inlet to Natuashish, Labrador in 2002 is one example.

The move, which was sparked after images of gas-sniffing children in the community were broadcast around the world, has cost the government more than $200 million and yet problems of alcoholism and abuse are still prevalent in Natuashish.

Kashechewan is located 450 kilometres north of Timmins and has been evacuated three times in the past two years: Twice due to flooding and once last fall due to water contamination.

Timmins Mayor Victor Power had not received the report Thursday, but said the city ''is interested in the potential that this idea offers.''

''We respect the fact that ultimately this decision has to be made by the community of Kashechewan,'' Power said.

Prentice will study the report, but before the government takes any action, he said the community must decide collectively whether they want to relocate.

''The decision is a decision that the people of Kashechewan will have to make,'' the minister said. ''They need to make that decision and then we'll determine the way forward.''

He said whether or not the reserve relocates, something must be done.'

'The current situation for Kashechewan is not a sustainable one,'' Prentice said. ''The community has been badly traumatized by the circumstances, the repeated evacuations, the fact that the kids in the community don't have access to schooling on a regular basis.''

In addition to the eventual relocation of the First Nation, Pope said Health Canada should rescind pharmaceutical restrictions currently in place, which limit the drug supplies allowed in nursing stations. Instead, the community should have better security and storage conditions for pharmaceuticals, Pope said.

The report also calls for the water treatment and sewage disposal systems of Kashechewan and James Bay coastal communities to be equipped with remote instrumentation and video monitoring, with a central monitoring station operating in Timmins by city officials.

Pope also called for the creation of a volunteer fire department, an evacuation plan and for the community to implement bylaws to institute a system of upgrades, repairs and maintenance for all buildings and properties in the community.

NATIONAL RACES AFFECT INDIAN AFFAIRS IN WASHINGTON
Indianz.Com. In Print.
http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/016816.asp

Indian Country woke up to a major shift in power as Democrats reclaimed control of the House and inched towards a majority in the Senate on November 8th.

Democrats picked up 27 seats, more than enough to win the House for the first time since 1994. They won four seats in the Senate and awaited the outcome of two close races they need to take that chamber.

In Montana, Democrat Jon Tester declared victory over Sen. Conrad Burns (R), a move that puts the Democrats one seat closer to winning the Congress.

The changes bring a big shakeup to the committees with jurisdiction over tribal matters. Some of Indian Country's most friendliest faces will no longer be in Washington.

In one of the biggest upsets, Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California) lost his bid for an eighth term. As chairman of the House Resources Committee, he advocated for tribal sovereignty, trust fund accountability and federal recognition, although he stumbled this fall in his bid to restrict off-reservation gaming.

The defeat puts Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia) in line to chair the committee. He is known as a strong advocate on sacred sites, trust reform and other Indian issues, although he has criticized efforts to shield tribes from federal labor laws.

Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Arizona), the co-chairman of the Congressional Native American Caucus, was the casualty of another upset. During his 12 years in Congress, he stood with tribes on nearly every single issue and piece of legislation, even if it meant breaking with his party.

A third loss came for Rep. Charles Taylor (R-North Carolina), whose district includes the Eastern Cherokee Reservation. As chairman of the House Interior Appropriations subcommittee, he reversed the Bush administration's Indian funding cuts but also allowed riders that undermined the trust relationship and the Cobell trust fund lawsuit.
Moving to the Senate, both parties had their eyes on Burns, whose loss to Tester widened the gap. Burns chairs the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee, which also reversed Bush's Indian cuts, but he came under fire for his close ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Democrats needed Tester to win and they needed Democrat Jim Webb to defeat Sen. George Allen (R-Virginia) to reclaim the Senate. So, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), a tribal ally, is in line to chair the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

The panel was already due for some changes because Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), will step down as chairman at the end of the year. The next Republican in line is Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyoming), who has not distinguished himself one way or the other on Indian issues.

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.

Nickname Dispute - Court Rules In UND's Favor

By Kyle Johnson, Grand Forks Herald
Published Sunday, November 12, 2006

University of North Dakota -UND's preliminary injunction against the NCAA was approved Saturday night, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said. Stenehjem was in Florida and did not know details of the decision. District Judge Lawrence Jahnke, who decided on the case, alerted Stenehjem on Saturday but did not return phone calls to the Herald on the matter late Saturday night.

The injunction will delay NCAA-imposed playoff restrictions for UND teams until after the full lawsuit is complete. The regulations would prohibit UND from hosting play off games or using its "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo during playoff games elsewhere.

The football team's 33-26 victory Saturday took some of the pressure off Jahnke earlier in the day. The pairings for the first round of the playoffs will be announced this afternoon, but UND is likely to receive a bye in that round. If UND had lost the game and no decision had been reached on the injunction, the team would be subject to the NCAA regulations.

UND Athletic Director Tom Buning said the football playoff officials have been notified of the injunction. "We should be in good shape to be able to host in two weeks at the Alerus (Center)," he said.

Buning expected the formal written decision to be available today. Stenehjem, whose office is representing UND in the case, said earlier Saturday that the upcoming football playoffs would not influence Jahnke's decision.

"He's told us before that he's not going to let the foot ball schedule dictate the case," he said, "which is how it should be."

Both sides presented previews of their respective cases during Thursday's hearing on the injunction.

A long process
Stenehjem said the full trial is tentatively scheduled for next April in Grand Forks District Court. An appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court by the losing party is also a possibility after the trial wraps up. During Thursday's hearing, Stenehjem said the NCAA's restrictions would cause the state to lose money and forcing players to cover up the logos on their uniforms in a nationally televised game could damage the state's reputation. When asked Saturday about what legal options UND could implement to recoup these losses after the fact, however, he said it's too early to predict.

"If any of those things happen," he said, referring to the lost money and damaged reputation, "we'll ask our clients (UND) what they want to do."

NO NEW DATE SET FOR 'MUSHROOM CLOUD' BLAST IN NEVADA DESERT
Las Vegas Sun –Associated Press - November 02, 2006
Submitted by Eleanore Fanire

LAS VEGAS (AP) - No new date was set Thursday for a proposed non-nuclear explosion that authorities have said would send a mushroom-shaped dust cloud high over the Nevada desert.

"At this point, there is no explosion authorized," Justice Department lawyer Carolyn Blanco in Washington, D.C., said during a conference call court hearing with U.S. District Judge Lloyd George in Las Vegas.

Blanco repeated an assurance she made during a hearing in October that the so-called "Divine Strake" test won't take place at least until next year.

The judge set another hearing for Feb. 1 after Blanco said she could not promise 60 days' notice before the blast would occur.

The federal Defense Threat Reduction Agency has called its plan to detonate a 700-ton ammonium nitrate and fuel oil bomb at the Nevada Test Site important for gathering data about penetrating hardened and deeply buried targets.

Critics have called the test a surrogate for a low-yield nuclear "bunker-buster" bomb, and expressed fears that it would scatter contaminated material left from 928 atmospheric and below-ground nuclear weapons tests conducted at the vast Nevada Test Site from 1951 to 1992.
The explosion, first scheduled June 2, was postponed indefinitely after Western Shoshone tribe members and "downwinders" in Utah and Nevada filed suit and Utah congressional representatives joined in questioning its safety.

The blast would involve 280 times more of the same material as the bomb that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency has said it would consider other locations and ways of conducting the experiment. No new plans were outlined Thursday.

Blanco said the agency was revising environmental studies that would be circulated for public comment before a new date was set.

HOW FAR HAVE WE COME?
By Roscoe Pond
According to the screen actors guild (SAG) Native Americans represent less than 0.02 percent of the actor speaking roles on network TV and in mainstream films (2004 SAG report). The majority of Natives are “background extras” and a minimal few land “guest starring parts.”

Supporting and lead acting roles are virtually nonexistent. A new documentary called “Natives in Hollywood: How far have we come?” addresses these issues by interviewing today’s struggling Native filmmakers in Los Angeles.

Native Americans have become invisible as modern human beings in the 100 years of Hollywood filmmaking. They are still regarded in the mainstream as “Warriors” or “Indian Princesses.” Recent examples are the 2005 Western “Into the West” (TNT) and the period piece “The New World.” It will continue in 2007 with “Comanche Moon” (CBS) and scheduled for 2008 “Bury my heart at wounded knee (HBO). Natives are still entrenched in the American West.

Producer and director Roscoe Pond asks filmmakers “How far have we come? Where have we been? How important are Independent films to us? What part will Indian Gaming play in the future of our filmmaking?”

Independent film director Tim Ramos (California Indian) says that Hollywood has consciously made efforts to involve “Native American” technical advisors on productions. It really doesn’t matter with the final product because films with Natives in them are still faced with stereotypes. The “eagle flying above’” and the “flute playing in the background” are just a few of the misconceptions Hollywood lives by.

Victoria Regina (Red Blood) believes that writers and directors have to be willing to take a chance on casting Natives in non-traditional roles. She champions CBS casting director Fern Orenstein who has made an effort to find work for us.

Sonny Skyhawk (Young Guns) states that, “In the 105 years of filmmaking ‘our’ image has been taken. Hollywood has relied on misconceptions of who ‘we’ are as a people.”

Delanna Studi (Dreamkeeper) adds, “The stereotypes are finally being thrown away. We’re taking baby steps, but we’ve got a long way to go. At least it isn’t 50 years ago when non-native people were putting on the make-up to portray us. Natives are now playing Natives.”

Copyright©2005 Freewebs

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.

INDNs List Helps Elect 16 Native Candidates

Submitted by Kalyn Free

Tulsa, OK Nov, 2006
At least 16 INDN candidates were victorious in their bids for seats in state legislatures across the nation, including six Indians who had never before been elected to public office. (One race in WA was too close to call, while another in PA was separated by 19 votes and is going to a recount).

Their victories will bring new Indian officials to eight.) INDN’s List supported 22 candidates in 10 states for the general election and we are proud to have helped elect dedicated public servants to office in seven states across the nation.

That is a 76% win-record for last night and our first election cycle!

“On Tuesday, Americans cast their vote for change throughout this country,” said Kalyn Free. “We are so proud that our INDN candidates were a part of that message of change and their victories are an affirmation of our hard work over the past year.”

Without the help and support of you and all our supporters around the country, we could never have achieved the successes that we did. In races nationwide, you made the difference in electing Indians to public office.

INDN’s List contributed to several significant races. Claudia Kauffman and Carol Juneau became the first Indian women to be elected to their state senates in Washington and Montana, respectively.

Like our other candidates, Claudia and Carol broke down barriers in their communities by showing they share the interests, ideas, and aspirations of all families across America.

And in Oklahoma, INDN’s List added 5 more Indians to the state legislature, three in the house and two in the senate.

Finally, in Pennsylvania our candidate Barbara McIlvaine Smith was behind by only 19 votes and the recount process has begun. A victory there will give Democrats control of the state house.

Candidates winning races are:
• Scott BigHorse, Sean Burrage, Chuck Hoskin, and John Sparks for seats in the Oklahoma legislature

• Norma Bixby and Carol Juneau for seats in the Montana State House and Senate respectively

• Albert Hale and Albert Tom for seats in the Arizona State Senate and House, respectively

• John McCoy and Claudia Kauffman for seats in the Washington legislature
Results in the Don Barlow election remain too close to call.

• Theresa Two Bulls and Thomas Van Norman for seats in the South Dakota State Senate and House, respectively

• Lyman Hoffman and Woodie Salmon for seats in the Alaska State Senate and House, respectively

• W. Patrick Goggles for the Wyoming State House.

We are disappointed that not all of our candidates pulled through election night.

Solomon Little Owl (CO), Ed Brownshield (ND), Jack Gordon (OK), and Phyllis Ray (OK) are shining examples of the growing leaders that INDN’s List will continue to support. Each has a bright future in public service and we look forward to their future success.

For more individual results click here.

For individual results, please check their candidate profiles at our endorsed candidates page.

We cannot thank you enough for everything that you have done for INDN’s List and our candidates, and we look forward to your continued support as we work toward an even bigger and brighter 2008 – we’ve only just begun!

Website: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9u7r9zbab.0.g6xxjzbab.7pnqhzbab.9977&ts=S0209&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indnslist.org

INDN's List
Kalyn Free
President
email: kalyn@indnslist.org
phone: 918-583-6100

NAVAJO NATION LICENSE PLATES
WINDOW ROCK, AZ – Word has it that the best thing about the forthcoming sale of the Navajo Nation license plates, approved by the Arizona Department of Transportation, is that $16 of the $17 sale price will go directly to the tribe which will be able to use the proceeds in any way they see fit.

The first batch is scheduled to be ready by June 30th, ’07. Although all Arizona residents will be able to buy them, the heaviest sales are predicted to come from the Native populations of Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties.

The colorful plate depicts two red cornerstones of Monument Valley, which are West Mitten Butte with East Mitten Butte seen in the distance. The outstanding plate numbers and letters will be printed in turquoise. The word Arizona must appear in the top center of the plate. The Great Seal of the Navajo Nation will be seen top-left as bi-sected two ways by lines marking the Four Corners area – Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.

The plate will be registered from the Navajo Nation, not as a designated state plate.

Arizona State Representative Sylvia Laughter, who sponsored the Navajo license plate legislation two years ago, is planning a big “license plate” celebration to be held on Navajo Nation land.

LAS VEGAS - AMERICAN INDIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - NEVADA - AICCN
Golden Eagle Feather Awards Banquet
November 17, 2006 - Sam's Town Live - 6 PM

The Golden Eagle Feather Awards are designed to recognize the important contributions of individuals, that have positively impacted Native Americans & Alaskan Natives both locally and nationally by: Promoting business and employment opportunities; Being an advocate for the rights of Natives on issues, legislation and developments that affect them; Are a provider of programs that support education , health, minority business development and/or work diligently on the protection and preservation of the lives and cultures of the Native people of America.

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.

Public Broadcasting Explores First Americans During Indian Heritage Month

Submitted by Western Shoshone Defense Project

PBS salutes American Indian Heritage, traditionally celebrated during the month of November, with both new programs and repeats of some of the popular programs that explore the lives and culture of the first Americans. Native-American culture -- too often invisible both on television and in American society at large -- is at a crossroads, and PBS' special programming provides a provocative and surprising look at how communities are changing, adapting and enduring.

Review copies of programs available upon request. Artwork andadditional information available on PBS PressRoom(R)( http://www.pbs. <http://www.pbs. org/pressroom> org/pressroom) .

BROADCAST PREMIERES - INDIAN COUNTRY DIARIES - (New)
November 2006 (check local listings)

A new two-part series that goes inside modern Native-American communities to reveal a diverse people working to revitalize their culture while improving the social, physical and spiritual health of their people.

Told with wonder, humanity and insight, INDIAN COUNTRY DIARIES is a must-see "State of the Union" report from modern Native America. How has new-found casino wealth changed the fortunes of NativeAmericans? How are tribes coping with the influx of Indian wannabes, eager for a piece of the pie? How can Native American parents teach their children tribal history when they weren't taught it themselves? Can Christianity and traditional Native-American spiritual beliefs co-exist?

Is there any perfect middle ground between assimilation and isolation? INDIAN COUNTRY DIARIES explores how these issues and many more are being played out in Native-American communities in both urban and reservation settings.

In Part One, "A Seat at the Drum" journalist Mark Anthony Rolo sets out to learn how Native Americans in Los Angeles preserve a tribal identity, survive economically and cope with the pressures of a federal relocation program and assimilation in a multicultural metropolis. Part Two, "Spiral of Fire," takes author LeAnne Howe to the North Carolina homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to discover how their fusion of tourism, cultural preservation and spirituality is working to insure their tribe's vitality in the 21st century.

SEASON WITH SPIRIT
November 2006 (check local listings)

This five-part series offers viewers a culinary celebration ofAmerica's bounty, combining Native-American history and culture withdelicious, healthy recipes inspired by indigenous foods. Much more than simply a cooking series, it's a cultural adventure across the American landscape, where viewers meet Native-American peoples, see their breathtaking environs, learn their history and traditions, and, best of all, sample their cuisine.

Loretta Barrett Oden, a renownedNative-American chef, food historian and lecturer, and proud woman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, hosts the series. With her infectious humor and unstoppable enthusiasm, Loretta travels around the country to immerse herself in the lives and traditions of numerous Native-American tribes.

Producers: Connecticut Public Television and Native American PublicTelecommunications (NAPT) in association with Resolution Pictures.

"Gulf Coast Originals"
More than 6,000 years before the AcadianFrench (today's Cajuns) arrived in Louisiana, there were native peoples living and fishing in Louisiana's bayou country. A historical tour of this Gulf Coast region provides a lesson about native influences on Cajun cooking. Loretta cooks sassafras shrimp gumbo and spicy alligator sauce piquant.

"Cuisine of the Desert Southwest"
Most people think of Mexicanfood when they think of the cuisine of the southwest, but native foods in their traditional form are an exciting way of expressing this beautiful and rugged region of the country. Loretta joins the Tohono O'odham tribe of Arizona for the annual three-day harvest of saguaro cactus fruit. She also joins Mildred Manuel to prepare wild spinach with cholla buds and chiltepine peppers, tapary beans with ribs, ash bread (slow-cooked in the ashes of a mesquite fire) and a sweet, refreshing drink, mesquite juice.

"Return of the Buffalo"
There is a movement among native tribesto bring the buffalo back to the Great Plains to "promote cultural enhancement, spiritual revitalization, ecological restoration and economic development. " Loretta travels to the buffalo range of Fred Dubray on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota to learn more. Wasna (sun-dried bison with chokecherries) , wojape (chokecherry soup) and grilled bison tenderloin with a sage-chokecherry jus are on the menu for this exciting show.

"Bounty of the River's Edge"
The people of the Yurok tribe live off the bounty of the Pacific Coast on the banks of California's Klamath River, harvesting salmon, shellfish, seaweed and edible wild greens as well as acorns that are ground and cooked in tightly woven handmade baskets. Loretta joins her Yurok friends for a feast of alderwood-smoked salmon, dried sirfish and eels, served with an exceptional sturgeon egg bread.

"Food Upon the Water"
Wild rice -- manoomin -- is still harvested the traditional way by the Anishanabe, or Ojibwe, people of the GreatLakes region. Ricers and their families take canoes into the fields and hand-harvest the rice. After participating in the harvest, Loretta helps to prepare Winona LaDuke's favorite wild rice and maple syrup cake, which accompanies a lakeside first rice feast of buffalo, wild rice and cranberry-stuffed acorn squash, buffalo stew and ruby-red swamp tea.

ENCORE PRESENTATION INDEPENDENT LENS " Chiefs"
November 2006 (check local listings)

Beaver C'Bearing and his fellow Chiefs want to bring the high school state basketball championship trophy back to Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation and make their people proud, but while struggling through his senior year, he is forced to re-evaluate the importance of basketball. Following two years in the lives of Beaver and his teammates, "Chiefs" explores what it means to grow up Native American at the turn of the 21st century.
Produced by Donna Dewey.

THE JOURNEY OF SACAGAWEA
November 2006 (check local listings)

The teenage Sacagawea, who, with her infant son, accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is an American historical icon. Although very little is known about her, Sacagawea's story captivated the nation. She has become one of the most honored heroines in American history; countless statues were erected in her name, and more mountains and lakes named for her than any other North American woman.

Using the rich oral history of the Shoshoni, Hidatsa and Nez Perce tribes and dramatic re-enactments and scenes of the wild areas in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Oregon, this program provides both the historical account of Sacagawea and the legends told about her.
Producer: Idaho Public Television and Idanha Films.

THE MYSTERY OF CHACO CANYON
November 2006 (check local listings)

Chaco Canyon, located in northwest New Mexico, is perhaps the only site in the world constructed in an elaborate pattern that mirrors the yearly cycle of the sun and the 19-year cycle of the moon. How did an ancient civilization, with no known written language, arrange its buildings into a virtual celestial calendar, spanning an area roughly the size of Ireland?

Why did this society, ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians, choose to establish the center of their world in the middle of such an arid, barren land? And why, after constructing buildings the size of the Roman Coliseum, did these same people deliberately seal them and abruptly leave? These enigmas have puzzled archaeologists for centuries.

This program presents substantial evidence that the Chacoan people expressed a complex solarand lunar cosmology in their magnificent architecture. The discoveries documented in the film have transformed scientific understanding of this site -- one of the most elaborate and mysterious of ancientNative-American ruins -- and are revolutionizing perceptions of the Chacoan civilization.
Robert Redford narrates.
Producer: The Solstice Project.

ROCKS WITH WINGS
November 2006

Fresh out of college, Jerry Richardson accepts the challenge to mold a group of shy young women in the small Navajo community of Shiprock, New Mexico, into fighters on the basketball court.

As the girls struggle to overcome prejudice and self-doubt, Coach Richardson draws a parallel with his own experience growing up African American in the forced-integration of the South, forging a bond that allows coach and team to rise above the odds and emerge as champions. Over 10 years in the making, ROCKS WITH WINGS is a story of winning and losing, of struggling with race, heritage and societal expectations -- for the players, their coach and the entire Navajo community.
Producer: Oregon Public Broadcasting and Shiprock Productions.

VIS A VIS: NATIVE TONGUES
November 2006 (check local listings)

Australian aboriginal actress/playwright Ningali Lawford and American-Indian performance artist James Luna meet through a series of digitalvideo links to share their lives and work, and explore how each uses humor and storytelling to confront the stereotypes of native people in their own countries.
Co-producers: Yerosha Productions, Inc., New York, and Nick Torrens Film Productions, Sydney.

About PBS-
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 354 public noncommercial television stations, reaching almost 90 million people each week through on-air and online content.

Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. More information about PBS is available at http://www.pbs. org one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.

CONTACT: Cara White, 843.881.1480,
cara.white@mac. com
SOURCE PBS<http://www.prnewswi re.com/cgi- bin/stories. pl?ACCT=104>

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.

ACLU Voting Rights Toll Free Election Hotline

1-877-523-2792

As part of its Election Day monitoring efforts, the ACLU Voting Rights Project and various ACLU state affiliates will monitor polling sites and respond to incidents of voter intimidation, vote suppression or election irregularities. Voters with complaints are encouraged to call the organization's toll-free voter hotline, 1-877-523-2792. The hotline will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7.

In conjunction with its state affiliates, the ACLU has distributed more than 70,000 voter empowerment cards in English, Spanish and Creole, which contain information for voters about their rights and ways to avoid problems when voting. In particular, the ACLU is concerned about the following problems on Election Day:

· Voter harassment or intimidation, including slurs or signs of bias among poll workers.

· Denying voters access to provisional ballots when they are eligible to receive them.

· Problems with voting machines, including human errors and technology-related problems.

· Efforts to have voters produce identification or proof of citizenship when not required by law.

· Disinformation campaigns, such as posting fliers in minority neighborhoods that give false information on voting requirements or procedures.

· Moving or closing polling places on short notice or without sufficient warning.

· Placing phony voters in line to lengthen the wait and discourage voting.

· Efforts to tamper with voting machines.

· Excessive and unnecessary presence of uniformed law enforcement personnel at polling places.

Fred McBride of the Voting Rights Project will coordinate the ACLU's monitoring effort. He can be reached at fmcbride@aclu.org or (404) 523-2721, Ex. 214 or 1-877-523-2792.

As noted in previous Voting Rights Enforcement Updates, other groups also will be monitoring the Congressional mid-term elections:

The Asian American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (AALDEF). Toll-free hotline: 1.800.966.5946

Election Protection, led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s National Campaign for Fair Elections, the NAACP, the National Bar Association, and People For the American Way Foundation: 1-866-OUR-VOTE. See link:
http://www.nationalcampaignforfairelections.org
/pages/election_protection

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.

Election Day Is On The Horizon - Will Indian Country Vote?

by Bobbie O'Neill
There are four more days until November 7th. Probably the most important election day in the history of our Nation. It has been the goal of Native Unity to unite the Indigenous Peoples of this country and what better way to show our unity than by going to the polls on election day and casting our ballots.

To follow the words of Chief Arvol Looking Horse, “This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will being the end of life as we know it . . .

“To us, the caretakers of Mother Earth, falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction, you, yourself are the one who must decide.”

This is why it so important for you to go to the polls and make your voices be heard. You must not only cast your ballots for Congressional candidates, but also for state, county and city offices plus the various initiatives and referedums which create our laws.

Chief Looking Horse wrote,“Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota ’Heart of Everything That Is’ from continued violations."

You think your vote doesn’t count??? Please keep in mind that at Bear Butte in Sturgis, South Dakota, it was the local elected officials who voted to give Jay Allen the permit to build his “Broken Spoke Saloon” in the shadow of the Sacred Mountain.

Still think your vote doesn't count?

JUDGE WANTS NO-VOTE COUNT AT POLLS
Submitted by Daniel Levitas, ACLU

By PAUL DAVENPORT
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 6:52 PM PST
Associated Press

PHOENIX - A federal judge on Wednesday refused to let critics of Arizona's voter identification law station observers inside polling stations during the Nov. 7 general election but ordered election officials to count how many people without identification walk away without voting.

U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver said the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona and other challengers to the 2004 law have a legitimate pretrial interest in learning how many people are affected by the requirement that people casting ballots at polling places produce specified types of identification.

The judge ordered election officials to count instances where people who do not have required identification and leave a polling place without casting a conditional provisional ballot.

Click here to read more:
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles
/2006/11/02/news/top_story/top1.txt

GUEST OPINION: STOP UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY
By Steven Gallardo
Tucson Citizen

Next week, Arizonans will go to the polls to exercise their most fundamental right as citizens: their right to vote. However, thousands of men and women may be denied this precious right.

In Arizona, the most recent challenge to democracy is a new provision that requires voters to provide identification at the polls.

The problem with this requirement is that not all citizens have the acceptable forms of identification.

Not every person in this state has a driver's license or other required documents that will grant them access to the voting booth. Many cannot afford the cost of obtaining proper identification.

Many Native Americans living on reservations do not have identification that bears their photo or displays their address in a way that would signify that they reside in the relevant precinct.

Their utility bills do not show addresses that can be tied to physical locations. Instead, the bills show rural routes and post office boxes.

Thousands of homeless men and women are registered voters. Since they are still Americans, they still have all their rights as citizens, including the right to vote. This isn't a gift granted to them by society; this is a fundamental right that no government can take away or diminish without significant cause.

Some Arizonans live in a different world in which they do not have drivers' licenses. If we turn them away at the polls because they do not meet our standards, we further disenfranchise them.

Throughout the relatively short history of the United States, the voting rights of low-income people and minorities have been repeatedly restricted or denied.

From 1777-1807, the states of New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Hampshire revoked the voting rights that women in those states had already enjoyed.

In 1848, violence and eligibility laws prevented Mexican-Americans, who were U.S. citizens, from voting in the Southwest.

In 1870, the 15th Amendment, which granted African-American men the right to vote, was adopted but literacy tests, poll taxes and other hurdles were used to prevent them from taking part in democracy.

In 1924, Congress approved legislation to grant U.S. citizenship to Native Americans but states applied some of the same tactics used against African-Americans, Latinos and Asians to prevent Native Americans from voting.

From 1945-1960, soldiers returning from war demanded access to the voting booth, but poll taxes and other roadblocks still existed in some states. The Voting Rights Act, which banned voting requirements, was approved in 1965 but was slowly enforced.

In 2000, tens of thousands of legally registered African-American voters in Florida were removed from the voting rolls and prohibited from casting their ballots. Widespread voter disenfranchisement occurred in Florida.

Arizona's new voter requirement will do just that - deny voters the right to have their voices heard through the ballot box.

I agree we must protect the integrity of our elections. However, we must ensure free access to the ballot box for all citizens.

There is a better way to protect the integrity of the election process. Arizonans on Nov. 7 will have an opportunity to approve Proposition 205 which would establish all-mail ballot elections.
However, if voters must provide identification at the polls, we must broaden the type of identification that will be accepted and create a process that permits everyone the ability to cast a provisional ballot, utilizing other election methods, such as all-mail ballot elections.

No one should be turned away at the polls.

The time has come for politicians to stop undermining democracy by preventing people from voting. It is time they try to win over voters by explaining their issues. American democracy is on the line, and Arizona can do better.

Steve Gallardo is a Democratic state representative from Phoenix who represents District 13 in the Arizona House of Representatives. E-mail: sgallardo@azleg.gov. This Guest Opinion appears online only and not in the Tucson Citizen's print edition.

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.

Senior Kyl Staffer Tied To Anti-Native Group

Senate Staffer Working with One Nation United, a Group Advocating Repeal of Tribal Rights

PHOENIX—A senior staffer for Sen. Jon Kyl has been actively working with a group attempting to repeal federal Tribal recognitions and protections, according to documents obtained by the Arizona Democratic Party. Joseph Matal, counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and an employee of Kyl’s Senate office, has met with the group, One Nation United, and is a featured speaker at the group’s November conference in Washington, D.C.

Kyl has also repeatedly voted against providing health care to Native Americans and even voted to end federal recognition of tribes. He has his own history with hostile comments towards tribal members.
http://www.azdem.org/page/-/downloads/kyltribalissues.pdf

“I’m concerned that too many Indian people—and I will not characterize where they come from—talk about trust and responsibility when they really mean, deep in their heart, having someone take care of them,” Kyl has said.
See: Phoenix New Times, 4/13/2006

One Nation United advocates repeal of tribal sovereignty and other federal protections through legislative action and lawsuits. The group asserts that tribes have a negative impact on American life, advance an unconstitutional agenda, and suggests that Native Americans falsify their heritage in order to take new lands.

“We should allow no tribal, foreign, or international agenda to negatively impact America or its way of life,” reads the One Nation United statement of principles.

In their August 2006 newsletter, One Nation United claims the Native American strategy is to “Choose some good land then claim your great-great grandfather camped there. ‘It’s true because I say so, and if you don’t believe me, you’re a racist’.”

The group further says, “Our own federal government encourages the tribes to attack our freedoms, our civil liberties, and our property rights to advance their unconstitutional agenda.”

http://www.azdem.org/page/m/4vdh94etvmv/sxbUCt ; http://www.azdem.org/page/m/4vdh94etvmv/sqeOge ; http://www.azdem.org/page/-/downloads/dearfriends2005.pdf

Kyl senior staffer Joseph Matal met with the group in May 2006 and will address One Nation United again during the Nov. 13-14 conference in Washington, D.C. The group’s agenda for that meeting is to discuss “’Political Action’ and how to increase the effectiveness of your individual and our joint lobbying efforts locally and nationally.”
http://www.azdem.org/page/-/downloads/novembermeeting.pdf

In response to Sen. Jon Kyl’s efforts to support One Nation United and their anti-Native American agenda, Arizona Democratic Party Chairman David Waid released the following statement:

“Arizona’s Native American communities are among the poorest in the state. It is outrageous that Jon Kyl, who is supposed to be advocating for them, is working secretly back in Washington to cut the legs out from under them. This is the kind of Washington doubletalk we have come to expect from Jon Kyl.”

Jeff Johnson's Racist Ad
Submitted by Alyssa Macy

Friends, Jeff Johnson is a candidate for Attorney General in Minnesota. His most recent advertisement is offensive and portrays Native Americans as criminals.

Watch the advertisement: http://johnsonforag.org/IDTheftAd.html

Please call or email Jeff Johnson's campaign and tell them to pull the ad and apologize to the American Indian community in Minnesota.(952) 544-0372 or crystal@johnsonforag.org.

Miigwech, Peggy Flanagan
White Earth Band of Ojibwe

KAREN LINCOLN MICHEL ELECTED 'UNITY' PRESIDENT
McLEAN, VA._Karen Lincoln Michel, state bureau chief of the Green Bay Press-Gazette in Wisconsin, has been elected president of UNITY: Journalists of Color for the 2007-2009 term.

The 17-member UNITY board of directors unanimously elected Lincoln Michel, a past president of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), on Saturday during the board's fall meeting at the alliance's headquarters in McLean.

Lincoln Michel will lead the board in governing UNITY, a strategic alliance of journalists of color that advocates for positive change to advance their presence, growth and leadership in the fast-changing global news industry. The alliance includes NAJA, Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) - and represents more than 10,000 members.

"We are in a time of great change in our industry, and in the world we cover as journalists," Lincoln Michel said. "UNITY and all journalists of color have a stake in the future of the news business, and it is my hope that our organization will play a major role in shaping a new course."

Lincoln Michel, a longtime NAJA member, has served on the UNITY board for more than six years, also serving as a communications liaison for the UNITY '99 convention in Seattle. She also currently serves as vice president of the Woodland chapter of NAJA. Lincoln Michel, who was unopposed in the election, succeeds Mae Cheng, a regional editor with Newsday in Melville, N.Y., whose two-year term ends Dec. 31.

"I am delighted that Karen was elected to lead UNITY," Cheng said. "There is not another leader who has the depth and experience with UNITY and the strong leadership skills that Karen possesses. She is passionate about the organization and its goals and she has the will to carry UNITY to new heights."

The UNITY board also selected as vice president Aki Soga, business editor at The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press. Soga succeeds NABJ Bryan Monroe, who recently became vice president and editorial director for Ebony & Jet magazines. John Yearwood, world editor of the Miami Herald and current NABJ treasurer, will become UNITY's new treasurer. Yearwood succeeds Javier Aldape, editor and vice president of Diario Hoy in Chicago. And Rafael Olmeda, assistant city editor at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and recently elected NAHJ president, will serve as secretary.

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend UNITY’ s convention, July 23-27, 2008, in Chicago. UNITY '04 brought more than 8,100 attendees to Washington, making it the largest convention of journalists in U.S. history.

About UNITY: Journalists of Color
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc., is a strategic alliance advocating news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation's diversity.

UNITY, representing more than 10,000 journalists of color, is comprised of four national associations: Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Native American Journalists Association.

In addition to planning the largest regular gathering of journalists in the nation, UNITY develops programs and institutional relationships that promote its mission. For more information on UNITY, visit http://www.unityjournalists.org/, email info@unityjournalists.org or call (703) 854-3585.

Onica N. Makwakwa
Executive Director
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.
(703) 854-3585

NAJA ACCEPTS INVITATION TO MOVE TO OKLAHOMA
VERMILLION, S.D._ With an eye toward the future and the goals in its new strategic plan, the Native American Journalists Association has accepted an invitation to move to the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

NAJA will be housed in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which has a new building and already is undergoing an expansion. The NAJA Board of Directors saw that as a critical resource. NAJA's strategic plan calls for adding staff members to expand and develop educational programs, increase professional development and raise additional funds, among other initiatives. The plan also calls for greater interaction with tribes and Native media, and Oklahoma has both in abundance.

"Moving an organization such as NAJA ahead presents many challenges," said NAJA President Mike Kellogg (Navajo). "After debating the proposals, the University of Oklahoma's was a good fit for the strategic plan. OU has a doctoral program, which will allow us to benefit from the expertise of their faculty and team with researchers to study journalism issues."

Joe Foote, dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication dean, said the journalism school and OU are proud to provide a new home for NAJA.

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.