Metis Scout Troupe Stands Tall!

Submitted by Ann VanWert
Terence Leung For Neighbours

By Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald March 22nd, 2007
Scouts Canada has one Calgary group that has drawn on Canada's deep-rooted multiculturalism to bond together. Although any youth or volunteer is welcomed with open arms, the Aboriginal Metis Scout Group 256 of Calgary features children with full or part Metis backgrounds.

Many of these children grow up in communities where there are not many aboriginal influences and the intent of the scout leaders is to ensure the children have a greater understanding of their ethnic origins.

"The importance of this scout group is to preserve the Metis culture, heritage and have the Metis children feel proud of who they are," says Rose Spike, the group commissioner who spearheaded the creation of the group. "Younger people may have the tendency to lean towards their friends' culture instead of their own.

"Our younger generation could get lost experiencing other traditions that's not their own. We need to encourage our children to embrace their own culture so they can share it with other Canadians and ultimately pass it on to the next generation of proud Metis people," she adds.

Spike has been organizing the formation of the group since September, 2006 and saw the fruition of her efforts when they had their first meeting in January, 2007. According to Spike, it is the only aboriginal Metis scout group in North America.

Initially, some of the children in her group were withdrawn, shy and unclear of their sense of belonging. Since then, she has seen a significant change in their

You're going to get a lot of kids who don't know what they're about with low self-esteem," says Spike, who runs a day home outside of the scout group.

"They're starting to blossom. You see the kids coming in and they're just so excited. The moms come in and say this is what their kids have been looking forward to all week

The group is split up depending on their scouting level. Despite a limited budget, Spike and her small but dependable support group are able to organize a bevy of activities to keep the children engaged.

"It's wonderful. I look forward to it every week," says nine-year-old Clear Water Academy student Lauren Sentis."We've done dreamcatchers, sculptures, and a picture of a bird. My favourite part is the crafts and games. All the other kids have become my friends.

The uniqueness of Spike's scout group has gained the acclaim of the Scouts Canada community.

"I think it's tremendously exciting. In past years, it's (scouting) been seen by the public members as more of a mainstream group," says Linda Maki, Scouts Canada council commissioner."But we welcome any and all members. We live in a culturally diverse city and our mission is to make a difference in youth's lives by developing leaders of tomorrow."

All children are welcome to join the group by contacting Scouts Canada or Spike directly at 257-0493.

Canada Scolded Over Exploitation Of Indigenous People's Lands
Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project
Haider Rizvi
OneWorld US

UNITED NATIONS - Canada, like the United States, is facing international scrutiny for its treatment of indigenous people. This week, (March 16th) a United Nations treaty body took the rare step of telling Canada to change its behavior on the human rights of native populations.

In a report, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said it was concerned about complaints of exploitation of indigenous resources by corporations registered in Canada.

CERD, which is based in Geneva, told the Canadian government to take "appropriate legislative or administrative measures to prevent the acts of transnational corporations on indigenous territories."

The CERD report comes in response to a petition filed by indigenous organizations that charged private businesses from Canada were unlawfully involved in the exploitation of their lands located in the United States.

Their petition particularly focused on the situation facing the Western Shoshone, a native American tribe, whom some non-natives also refer to as "Snake Indians," although in their own language they are called Newe people

Stretching across the states of Nevada, California, Idaho, and Utah, the Shoshone lands are currently the third largest gold producing area in the world, where numerous multinational corporations are operating and many are planning to move in.

Many of these companies, which include Bravo Venture Group, Nevada Pacific Bold, Barrick Gold, Glamis Gold, Great Basin Gold, and U.S. GoldCorp, according to the complaint, are registered in Canada.

Many areas where mining is going on have been used by natives for spiritual ceremonies and cultural purposes for thousands of years. Certain areas are home to Shoshone creation stories and vital to indigenous traditions of acquiring knowledge.

"The sites where the Canadian [corporations] are operating or preparing to operate are akin to a church or mosque to us," said Carrie Dann, a Shoshone elder. "We believe we're placed here on this land as caretakers. We are responsible for the health and preservation of our lands."

Shoshone elders have repeatedly charged that the enormous amount of toxic material produced as a result of mining is causing enormous damage to the health and well being of their people and the environment.

Last year, in response to the Western Shoshone petition, CERD assailed the U.S. government for violating the tribes' rights and said Washington had run afoul of the international antiracism treaty.

The 18-member UN panel of experts, set up to monitor global compliance with the 1969 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, said it had "credible information" that the Shoshone were being denied their traditional rights to land.

In its petition, the tribe had challenged the U.S. government assertion that it owned 90 percent of Shoshone lands covering about 60 million acres. CERD members said the U.S. government must cease all commercial activities on tribal lands, including mining operations.

The United States recognized Shoshone rights to their land under the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1979 that the pact gave Washington trusteeship over tribal lands.

The federal government justified its position by saying that tribe members had abandoned traditional land tenure and practices and cited "gradual encroachment" by non-natives as evidence to claim much of the land as federal territory.

The Western Shoshone, in their petition to the UN panel, countered that "gradual encroachment" in fact took place as part of a U.S. policy to steal their lands, and that this constituted racism.

The Geneva-based panel agreed with the Shoshone by noting that Washington's claim to the land "did not comply with contemporary international human rights norms, principles, and standards that govern determination of indigenous property interests."

Shoshone leaders said they went before the UN panel because they had exhausted all other legal options to prevent the U.S. government from taking over their ancestral lands, and for similar reason they had to challenge the role of the Canadian government.

In addition to recommending legal steps to change corporate behavior, the UN panel has also asked Canada to submit a report on the effects of the activities of transnational corporations in Canada on indigenous peoples abroad.

For their part, Dann and other indigenous leaders said they were pleased with the UN response to their petition."This is ground breaking news," Dann said about the CERD report on Canada. "This is the first time a UN treaty body has addressed government accountability to its corporate profiteering of ongoing human rights violations against indigenous peoples."

Major Clean Water Act Ruling In Alaska
Submitted by WSDP
Author: EarthJustice
Published on Mar 17, 2007

The federal Clean Water Act cannot be used to destroy an Alaskan lake, a federal appeals court said today, in a ruling that may set precedent about how the Act is interpreted nationwide.

Although the full ruling is not yet released, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was wrong in letting a gold mine company dump toxic mine tailings into a lake near Juneau.

"In issuing its permit to Coeur Alaska for the use of Lower Slate Lake as a disposal site, the Corps violated the Clean Water Act," the court said in the first of a two-part ruling on Kensington Mine dumping operations.

Today's ruling disallowed a diversion ditch which the court said was environmentally destructive and which violated a previous injunction against the mine. But, the court said it would rule against the entire dumping procedure in its final opinion.

The ruling should prevent mines across the United States from likewise dumping into lakes, streams and rivers, said Tom Waldo, attorney for Earthjustice, a non-profit law firm that filed the appeal on behalf of citizen and conservation groups.

"The Kensington permit was a test case by the Bush Administration to resurrect destructive mining practices from the pick-and-shovel days," Waldo said. "We've learned from the mistakes of the past. The Clean Water Act prohibited these practices, and today's court ruling confirms that."

Waldo expressed hope that the court ruling would deter such operations elsewhere in Alaska -- notably the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, home of the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery. Pebble Mine, like Kensington, is designed to dump vast quantities of toxic mine tailings into lakes. A broad coalition of business, environmental, fishing and native groups is opposing the mine because of its damaging potential.

In 1982, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted regulations under the Clean Water Act prohibiting new gold mines from dumping their tailings into waterways. Even at that time, EPA determined that most mines no longer dumped their tailings into water bodies, and that "The plain language of the Clean Water Act simply prohibits the discharge authorized by the Corps of Engineers,'' Waldo said.

The Corps' permit granted Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation the right to dump 210,000 gallons per day of a toxic waste slurry into the lake, despite the availability of disposal methods less damaging to the environment.

The slurry is a byproduct of a gold extraction process that blends water with crushed ore. Attorneys representing mine developers and the federal government said the slurry is legal fill material in their view of the law, but the court rejected that argument.

The mine site is in Berners Bay, about 35 miles northwest of Juneau. The disputed permit would fill Lower Slate Lake, a 23-acre wooded, sub-alpine lake in the Berners Bay watershed. All fish and most other life forms would have been killed.

Coeur already had approval to build a conventional dry land tailings disposal facility, but the company applied for a permit to dump tailings directly into the lake as a cost-cutting measure.

Earthjustice represents the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Lynn Canal Conservation, and the Sierra Club.
Read the decision (PDF).

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.

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NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

Reaction From San Francisco Peaks Ruling!

From: Kathy Helms <khelms@frontiernet.net>
Gallup Independent <editorialgallup@yahoo.com>

Appeals Court Rules In Tribe's Favor On Peaks
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
WINDOW ROCK -- In a landmark decision for 13 Southwest tribes, a federal appeals court held Monday that the use of recycled sewage water to make artificial snow on the sacred San Francisco Peaks violates their religious freedom.

The opinion by Judge William A. Fletcher of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a January 2006 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt following arguments presented Sept. 14, 2006, in San Francisco.

The plaintiffs-appellants successfully argued that using treated sewage water to make artificial snow at the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort would pollute the mountain, significantly burden Southwest tribal members' abilityto practice their religions, and violate the public's rights for environmental justice.

Judge Fletcher agreed, stating that the U.S. Forest Service's approval of the Snowbowl's use of recycled sewage effluent on the Peaks violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and that the Final Environmental Impact Statement does not comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.

Howard Shanker of the Shanker Law Firm represented the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Sierra Club, and others who sued the Forest Service over its decision.

Shirley 'Elated'
As the news circulated, Navajos everywhere were overjoyed, according to George Hardeen, spokesman for the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President.

Upon hearing the ruling, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., said he was elated, and that he had never given up hope.

"Medicine people will feel the same way I do, happy," Shirley said in a press release. "The Religious Freedom Restoration Act had never been tested. So I think this is a precedent-setting decision.

"Now tribes out there have every means of protecting their sacred sites, especially now that the law has been proven, and I just really appreciate the judges deciding in the way that they have."

Shanker said the ruling is especially important because an earlier case, Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Assn., held that Nativ Americans did not have First Amendment rights when it came to federal government land-use decisions.

"Essentially, Native Americans have had no recourse challenging government land-use decisions which oftentimes impact sacred sites and culturally significant sites," he said.

"What we've done here is under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act we've created an avenue for tribes to protect those sites that are sacred to them that impact their exercise of religion."

Shanker said this is the first case in which RFRA has been used successfully in an appeal. RFRA provides greater protection for religious practices because it 'goes beyond the constitutional language that forbids the Oprohibiting' of the free exercise of religion and uses the broader verbOburden'," the Appeals Court said.

Wake Up Call
"Tribes all over the country can benefit from this decision and utilize it to protect sacred and religiously significant sites," according to Shanker. "This is a tremendous step forward in preserving Native American cultural and religious beliefs."

Robert Tohe, an apprentice medicine man and Environmental Justice organizer for the Sierra Club in Flagstaff, said, "This is a national wake-up call for those that will try to desecrate sacred mountains like the San Francisco Peaks. We will not allow our voices to be ignored."

In addition to finding that the plan would have desecrated a sacred area,Tohe said, "the court decided that the U.S. Forest Service failed to fully disclose the risks posed by human ingestion of artificial snow."

The San Francisco Peaks in the Coconino National Forest in northern Arizona have long-standing religious significance to Southwest tribes. TheSnowbowl is located on Humphrey¹s Peak, the highest and most religiously significant of the Peaks.

Bucky Preston, one of the Hopi plaintiffs, said, "I am really thankful and deeply appreciate the 9th Circuit Court's decision. Some of the judges in the courts must have a good heart and looked deeply into themselves to realize that the Peaks are so sacred to us, and they understood our beliefs."

The Challenge
After preparing an Environmental Impact Statement, the Forest Service approved a proposed expansion of the Snowbowl facilities, including the use of recycled sewage effluent to make artificial snow.

The tribes and others challenged the Forest Service's approval of the expansion in District Court under RFRA, NEPA, and the National Historic Preservation Act.

The Forest Service and the Snowbowl argued in district court that approving the use of treated sewage effluent to make artificial snow serves several "compelling governmental interests" and that the proposed action was"the least restrictive means for achieving [the government's] land management decision." After a bench trial, the district court held that the proposed expansion did not violate RFRA.

The Appeals Court, however, said it was unwilling to hold that authorizing the use of artificial snow at an already functioning commercial ski area in order to expand and improve its facilities, as well as to extend its ski season in dry years, is a governmental interest "of the highest order."

While appellees contend that the very survival of the Arizona Snowbowl as a commercial ski area depends on their being able to make artificial snow with treated sewage effluent, the record does not support the conclusion that the Snowbowl will necessarily cease to exist as a ski area if the proposed expansion does not go forward, the Appeals Court said.

"Even if there is a substantial threat that the Snowbowl will close entirely as a commercial ski area, we are not convinced that there is acompelling governmental interest in allowing the Snowbowl to make artificial snow from treated sewage effluent to avoid that result," Judge Fletcherwrote.

"We are struck by the obvious fact that the Peaks are located in a desert. It is (and always has been) predictable that some winters will be dry. The then-owners of the Snowbowl knew this when they expanded the Snowbowl in 1979, and the current owners knew this when they purchased it in 1992.

"The current owners now propose to change these natural conditions by adding treated sewage effluent. Under some circumstances, such a proposal might be permissible or even desirable," the court said. "But in this case, we cannot conclude that authorizing the proposed use of treated sewage effluent is justified by a compelling governmental interest in providing public recreation."

Instead, the court said, the record establishes the religious importance of the Peaks to the Appellant tribes who live around it. "From time immemorial, they have relied on the Peaks, and the purity of the Peaks' water, as an integral part of their religious beliefs," Judge Fletcher wrote.

"The Forest Service and the Snowbowl now propose to put treated sewage effluent on the Peaks. To get some sense of equivalence, it may be useful to imagine the effect on Christian beliefs and practices < and the imposition that Christians would experience < if the government were to require that baptisms be carried out with 'reclaimed water,'" he said. "If Appellants do not have a valid RFRA claim in this case, we are unable to see how any Native American plaintiff can ever have a successful RFRA claim based on beliefs and practices tied to land that they hold sacred."

A Way Of Life
President Shirley said the ruling is critically important to Native people because it helps preserve their culture and way of life.

"Whatever you do as a government, as an organization, as a people, when you start picking at sacred sites, or chipping away at culture, what ultimately happens is it's a chipping away at a way of life," he said.

"Genocide might be a very strong word but that's what comes to mind. As a people we don't want to die," he said.

"My dream, my hope, my prayer for my people, my young, my Nation, my way of life, is that 100 years, 500 years, 1,000 years down the road I'd like to continue to believe that Navajo people are still here, talking the Navajo language with our culture, our way of life. That's my hope, that's myprayer," he said.

"Years have been added to my life. I can't express how happy I am. As a people, we're elated," Shirley said.

Sierra's Tohe said the Appeals Court decision "is exactly what we have been waiting for," with regard to Mt. Taylor near Grants, another of the Navajos' Four Sacred Mountains.

He said the State of New Mexico has disregarded the community, especially the Navajo/Pueblo people in Eastern Navajo, with regard to permitting an approving exploratory drilling for uranium on Mt. Taylor.

"In this instance, there are a lot of the state offices that are involved, plus Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service again. So it behooves the state of New Mexico and these federal agencies to look at this decision. "They can no longer just ignore it. They have to deal with it," Tohe said.

Snowbowl Owner Vows To Pursue Snowmaking
Submitted by Western Shoshone Defense Project

By CYNDY COLE - Arizona Daily Sun- Sun Staff Reporter
One way or another, Arizona Snowbowl plans to go ahead with snowmaking.

Either the Supreme Court will uphold the Forest Service permit to use recycled effluent, said Snowbowl owner Eric Borowsky Monday, or Snowbowl will pump potable water from the company's private land in Fort Valley.

But Coconino County's top planning official said the cost of drilling a 3,000-foot-deep well and pumping water several miles uphill would be "prohibitive." And activists vowed to oppose the use of a public right-of-way for any pipeline.

"We are definitely going forward with this," Borowsky said. "This ruling is definitely the wrong ruling and it has a major impact on federal land ... I think this decision is saying that if a Native American thinks it impacts his religion, then you're not allowed to do it."

But the decision on whether to appeal rests with Coconino National Forest Supervisor Nora Rasure, who had yet to decide late Monday, and the Department of Justice."We need to review this decision ourselves," she said, raising questions about how two courts ruled so differently.

"When we started this, we thought it was a better environmental choice to use grade A reclaimed water than to drill a hole and use groundwater," he said. "Our alternative is to use groundwater. That is a definite alternative."

Borowski needs only to fill out some paperwork with the Arizona Dept. of Water Resources in order to access the water by well, the agency said. Bill Towler, community development director for Coconino County, estimates Borowsky would have to drill deep to find a water source, probably more than 3,000 feet to reach the Red Wall Aquifer.

Noting only a handful of wells in the county access the Red Wall, Towler said the cost to pump an estimated 1.5 million gallons a day to cover the 250-acre site would be prohibitive. The ski area would use considerably less water to maintain the snowpack during the ski season.

"The well would be very deep and very expensive," said Towler. "The cost of the water would be prohibitive." Opponents with Save the Peaks Coalition and Flagstaff Activist Network have vowed to oppose rights-of-way up the mountain for any such water pipeline.

City Won't Provide Water
It is unlikely the city of Flagstaff would provide potable water for snowmaking, as the city does not allow the use in local golf courses or other recreational capacities. Ron Doba, the city's utilities director, said the city has never studied providing Snowbowl with potable water and the developer never asked the city to consider it.

Doba cautioned that as the city is seriously considering piping potable water in east of the city to alleviate future water shortages, it would be unlikely that the city would sell millions of gallons to Snowbowl on an annual basis.

A phone survey of the Flagstaff City Council found strong resistance to the idea, with several members stating they would reject any plan to use potable water on the site. Borowsky previously said he'd sell the ski area if he lost this round of the litigation.

He's changed his mind, he said, because of the precedent this case sets for all public lands. Other groups have approached him and asked him to pursue this case, he said, both for its legal significance and because others couldn't afford a court battle.

There were thousands of sacred sites identified nationwide in the earlier rounds of court testimony. Tribes could now try to control what recreation and other purposes public land is used for around each of these sites if this case stands, Borowsky argued.

Snowbowl has spent $4 million in environmental consulting and legal fees so far in an attempt to get an $8 million project approved, he said.

"If a tribe makes a claim," he said, "the real question is: Is anyone really going to bother to go to federal court to use a piece of property when this is what you're facing?"

Cyndy Cole can be reached at 913-8607
or at ccole@azdailysun.com.

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

NAJA Alerts - Scholarships, Announcements, Potpourri - March 27th, 2007

Arizona Press Club Scholarships - Deadline, March 30th
Applications for scholarships from the Arizona Press Club due by March 30. The club will award scholarships up to $1,000 each to student reporters, photographers and designers interested in the journalism profession. A total $5,000 will be awarded this year.

Applicants can be Arizona high school students entering college by fall 2007, or students currently enrolled in an Arizona two-year college or four-year university. Recipients are chosen primarily based on the quality of their work, but financial need and other factors are considered.

In addition to writing and photography, the Arizona Press Club created a scholarship for design in 2005. Design work could include one or a combination of the following items: graphics, illustrations, editorial cartoons or the layout design of a newspaper/magazine/media Web site cover, page or package.

Winners will be announced in mid-April. Each winner and a guest will be invited to the Arizona Press Club's annual award ceremony, scheduled this year for May 12 in Phoenix

Students interested in applying for a writing scholarship should send:
--A one-page application letter.
--A one-page letter of recommendation from a professor, advisor or editor.
--Five published stories written by the reporter and published in a newspaper, magazine or media Web site.

Students interested in applying for a photography scholarship should send
--A one-page application letter.
--A letter of recommendation from a professor, advisor or editor.
--Five photos taken by the student, at least three of which have been published in a newspaper, magazine or media Web site.

Students interested in applying for a design scholarship should send
--A one-page application letter.
--A letter of recommendation from a professor, advisor or editor.
--Tearsheets of five examples of design work done by the student and published in a newspaper, magazine or media Web site. Web design work must come from a media Web site and can either be sent as a printout or a working Web page link.

Applications must be received by March 30. Mail to:
Wendy Miller
Arizona Press Club
PO Box 16427
Phoenix AZ 85011-6427

For questions, contact Wendy Miller at: (480) 990-9007 or
scholarships@azpressclub.org

The Arizona Press Club is a nonprofit organization made up of professional reporters, editors, photographers and designers from publications across Arizona. The groups' goal is to promote excellence in the field through an annual contest, training seminars and networking events.

Native Student Writers Of Nevada Esssay Contest
The Young Native Writers of Nevada Essay Contest is a writing contest for Native American high school students and is designed to inspire honest portrayals of the richness of Native American life and history.

As an enduring legacy to every Native American who has ever lived, we hope to inspire a sense of honor and dignity to all participants.

The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation's goal of promoting education and creating new opportunities for youth has inspired this essay contest.

For entry form and rules for the Native Writers Essay Contest click on the following link: http://indian.hklaw.com/2007/index.asp

Sierra Nevada College Offers 6 NA Scholarships - Deadline April, 13th
Incline Village, NV , Sierra Nevada College has established six full-tuition scholarships to be awarded to qualified Native American high school students, beginning in the fall 2007 semester. Applicants must be members of Nevada tribes and graduates of Nevada High

Sierra Nevada College is proud to partner with the State of Nevada Indian Commission in paving the way for Native American high school graduates to attend our college and complete a four-year degree, said SNC Interim President Larry D. Large

SNC International Studies Professor Bill Redel commented, “This is a wonderful opportunity not given before to Nevada Indians. The objective of these scholarships is to create a mix of Americans in our student body. I am certain there will be qualified youth who will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Applicants must comply with terms of the normal SNC application process, according to Julie McMillin, dean of admission and financial aid. Applications will be reviewed by the Nevada Indian Commission Education Advisory Committee and all viable candidates will be forwarded to the Sierra Nevada College Admissions Office for final selection. The deadline for applications is April 13, 2007. Scholarship recipients will be notified no later than April 27, 2007.

"SNC is extremely honored to have the opportunity to offer the Native American Scholars Awards,” said McMillin. “We are looking forward to working with the State of Nevada Indian Commission and especially to working with the applicants they bring forward. We are excited at the prospect of welcoming them to our campus this fall.”

Sherry Rupert, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission has been working for a year and a half with Dr. Redel to develop the Native American Scholars Awards. “It feels great to finally announce this generous opportunity for our kids,” said Rupert. “A lot of Native youth have been discouraged from going on to higher education because of the cost. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime!”

"It is our hope that the Native American Scholars Awards will facilitate the intellectual growth and development of students who will go on to make positive changes in the community we all share,” Large said.

Questions about the application process and terms of the scholarship program should be directed to the Sierra Nevada College Admission Office at 775-831-1314, ext 7411 or admissions@sierranevada.edu.

Media Contact
Marnie McArthur
Communications Consultant
Sierra Nevada College
775-831-6996

Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park Backcountry Patrol
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
ANNUAL TRAINING SESSION - June 9, 10(Sat/Sun) -
Call 775-831-0494 X224
or email bchampion@parks.nv.gov
to sign up and receive training schedule

The Backcountry Patrol is a volunteer driven program of citizens who wish to contribute to the community by assisting and educating park visitors in the following ways:
-emergency assistance to injured / missing persons
-mechanical assistance (bike repairs)
-trail maintenance work
-trail etiquette instruction-resource/trails/patrol information
-special event assistance

We welcome hikers and equestrians, but our current patrol membership is largely made up of mountain bikers. Prospective mountain biking volunteers must complete a skills orientation and fitness ride at our annual training session. Successful applicants and non-bikers will then be given training co-sponsored by Lake Tahoe NV State Park and our concessionaire, Flume Trail Bikes. Training includes:
-basic EMS training for those that need it (basic first aid/CPR)
-basic bike repair training
-full park and concession orientation by Park Rangers that will include park history, layout, public relations, communications(radios), park policies and regulations.

What you provide:
-bike, helmet, pack, food and water
-the desire to assist others
-good interpersonal skills
-intermediate mtn biking skills
-2 patrols a month for the season(May thru Sept/Oct)

What we(Parks) provide:
-free park entrance all season
-patrol equipment including radios, EMS and tool kits, bike placards
-patrol uniforms(free T’s and hats - jerseys and other items at cost)
-training, supervision and patrol equipment station(at Flume Trail Bikes Lodge)
-all patrol log forms and paperwork
-SIIS accident coverage for all patrol time-an opportunity to give back to the community and to help keep trails safe and open

The Indian Wars Never Ended
MODERN DAY MESSAGE FOR MODERN DAY TIMES
Submitted by Alyssa Macy
Confederated Tribes Of Warm Springs, Oregon

BOULDER, CO- On Monday, March 26th, 2007, attorneys and staff of the Native American Rights Fund premiered its first ever Public Service Announcement at the opening ceremonies of the National Indian Gaming Association's annual convention and trade show in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 60 second PSA, entitled, "The Indian Wars Never Ended," is part of a greater campaign to generate a renewed awareness to one of Indian Country's most established and respected non-profit advocacy organizations.

For 36 years, NARF has played a significant role in the progress of Native peoples by providing legal advice and assistance to tribal governments in need. Today, some of those tribes are enjoying an economic renewal with the advent of gaming in the United States. It's why NARF celebrated its renewed mission of "standing firm for justice" at the NIGA event before a live audience of hundreds of anticipated convention attendees.

Featured in the PSA production were NARF Executive Director John Echohawk and members of his legal team, as well as the award-winning hip-hop duo, Culture Shock Camp comprised of DJ, Shock B and lyricist and PS composer/producer, Quese IMC. The cross-generational project represented the symbolic message of NARF as it establishes a modern-day message for modern-day times.

To see the NARF PSA Campaign, visit: http://www.moderndaywarrior.org
NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS FUND
1506 BROADWAY,
BOULDER CO 80302
www.narf.org

'A Blackfeet Encounter' Coming To TV On April 6th
Native American Public Telecommunications will present “A Blackfeet Encounter” in April which uncovers the rich history and culture of the Blackfeet people of Montana, traces the consequences of the Lewis and Clark expedition’s arrival and investigates the struggles and triumphs of the Blackfeet today.

This program will be fed for record to stations on April 6th at 10 PM ET. Interestd viewers can contact their stations or check listings for air dates and times.

'Seasoned With Spirit'
VisionMaker Video is proud to present Seasoned With Spirit.
Loretta Barrett Oden, renowned Native American Chef and proud woman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation hosts the new cooking, travel and Native American culture series.

These five half-hour shows comprise a culinary celebration of America's bounty, combining Native American history and culture with delicious, healthy recipes inspired by indigenous foods. Tantalize your taste buds and learn about the traditional foods of tribes from the Gulf Coast, the Desert Southwest, the Great Lakes, the High Plains, and the Pacific Northwest.

Seasoned With Spirit is available on DVD at www.visionmaker.org, and it is also airing around the country on PBS stations.

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

Canadian 'Great River Journey'

Submitted by Ann VanWert
The Great River Journey project is the first geotourism offering in the Canadian North. Participants will spend eight days on a world-class wilderness river safari that takes them back in time, in history, and deeper into the wilderness with each stop.

Small groups will travel by day in their own riverboat with a pilot and an experienced local guide. Frequent landings will be made to view wildlife, explore the wilderness, visit historical and geological sites, and rest and relax.

The Great River Journey is jointly owned by Great Northern Journeys Incorporated and First Nation Investment Corporation (FNIC), a consortium of four First Nations: the Kwanlin Dün First Nation; the Selkirk First Nation; the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council; and the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation.

The Great River Journey will pass through the traditional lands of the four First Nations. The company will provide employment opportunities for First Nations citizens, who will be among those hosting, guiding, and caring for guests. Between 6 and 10 full-time permanent positions and between 30 and 60 seasonal positions are expected to be created. Tours will begin in 2007.

This project will provide the First Nations with an opportunity to showcase their cultures and histories; other Yukon stories will be remembered as well. Two nights will be spent at Upper Laberge Lodge (a Yukon riverboat stop dating back to the 1930s), two nights at Homestead Lodge (a wilderness homestead built in 1901), two nights at Fort Selkirk (a historic site preserved in the wilderness), one night at Wilderness Outpost (an 1840s trading post), and two nights in Dawson City (the centre of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 and a National Historic Site of Canada).

The Indian and Northern Affairs Canada contribution of $1.75 million represents 35 percent of total funding received by the Great River Journey. Both Great River Journey Inc. and FNIC Development Corporation applied for funding under the Targeted Investment Program in 2005. A total of $975,000 was approved for year one (2005-2006) of the project: $480,000 for Great River Journey Inc.; and $495,000 for FNIC Development Corporation. $775,000 is the portion of funds for year two (2006-2007), and will ensure the project's completion in time for its inaugural launch in the summer of 2007.

Canada And Alberta Sign Aboriginal Employment Partnership Agreements
EDMONTON, AB (March 9, 2007) - Canada's New Government and the Province of Alberta today signed partnership agreements with the City of Edmonton and Capital Health – two of Alberta’s largest employers - to promote career and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people.

The agreements were signed by the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians; the Honourable Iris Evans, Alberta Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry; His Worship Stephen Mandel, mayor, City of Edmonton; Al Maurer, manager, City of Edmonton; and Joanna Pawlyshyn, vice-president and chief operating officer, Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Although there are two separate agreements with the City of Edmonton and Capital Health, both are similar in that they commit the organizations to the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees, including educational and training opportunities. Each reflects and fosters fairness, inclusiveness, respect and honour for diverse traditions and perspectives, open communication, trust and consistency of approach.

The agreements are part of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada's Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative (AWPI), a program that promotes the participation of all Aboriginal peoples - First Nations, Métis and Inuit - in the labour market.

"To promote meaningful participation of Aboriginal people in the workforce, Canada's New Government is proud to be partnering with some of Canada's leading companies, public agencies, industry, professional and labour groups," said Minister Prentice. "By signing these agreements, we are working to ensure that employers can recruit, retain and promote Aboriginal employees, which results in a win-win situation."

The Government of Alberta's Aboriginal Policy Framework emphasizes the well-being, self-reliance, and rights of Aboriginal people. Through partnerships with all levels of government and private and public sector organizations, the framework seeks to meet the needs of all Aboriginal people in the province.

"By strengthening Aboriginal employment in the health care system, Capital Health is improving the well-being of Aboriginal people," said Employment, Immigration and Industry Minister, Iris Evans. " The City of Edmonton has the second largest urban Aboriginal population in Canada and its participation in the agreement affirms the city's commitment to Aboriginal people."

The City of Edmonton's priority for building relations with Aboriginal people is evident in City Council's declaration "Strengthening Relations between the City of Edmonton and Urban Aboriginal People" and in the administration's Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord relationship agreement with the Aboriginal community.

"The city has been moving forward in its relationship building with Aboriginal people and toward its goal of hiring and retaining more Aboriginal employees. The AWPI agreement provides the city with a solid foundation on which to do this," said Mayor Mandel.

"With the recent creation of the Aboriginal Relations Office and with Human Resources hiring an Aboriginal Outreach staff member, we expect to see more Aboriginal people considering work and pursuing a career with the city. And we are building a work environment that will welcome and sustain their involvement in our workforce."

Capital Health has identified increasing capacity to recruit and retain Aboriginal workers within its workforce as one of the key priorities within its Aboriginal Health Program's strategic plan. As part of the agreement, the health region is committed to advancing a plan to increase the number of Aboriginal people in healthcare occupations.

"Capital Health is honoured to be a part of AWPI," said Pawlyshyn. "We are committed to fostering a safe, supportive work environment and ensuring constructive cultural relations so that we can recruit and retain Aboriginal people. Participating in an agreement that is supported nationally, provincially and locally will bring additional diversity, strength and innovation to Capital Health."

For further information contact:
Deirdra McCracken
Press SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Jim Prentice
(819) 997-0002

Ontario Government Applauded For Introducing Strong Endangered Species Legislation
All political parties urged to ensure Bill passes by summer

Toronto, Ontario – Today, CPAWS Wildlands League, along with Ontario’s leading environmental groups, are welcoming the McGuinty Government’s introduction of the new Endangered Species Act in the Legislature. They say that the proposed legislation, stewardship funding and incentives package presents a win-win solution to protecting endangered plants and animals while addressing the concerns of landowners and resource users.

The introduction of the bill follows extensive public consultation exercises as well as the report of an Expert Panel. The proposed package of new legislation and programs is intended to provide effective protection for Ontario’s approximately 200 endangered species and their habitats. Action is urgent, given that for those plants and animals for which trends are known, over 75% are either already gone from Ontario or are on their way to disappearing.

“We thank Minister Ramsay, Premier McGuinty, and the clear majority of Ontario residents who support this new legislation. By working together, we can make sure our natural heritage is protected for all time,” says Aaron Freeman, Policy Director for Environmental Defence.

“Reform of the old Endangered Species Act of 1971 is long overdue,” says Rachel Plotkin, an Ontario-based Policy Analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation. “The Environmental Commissioner, Auditor General of Ontario, and numerous experts have pointed out the weaknesses of the existing legislation for years.”

The bill has been spearheaded by Minister of Natural Resources, David Ramsay, with the support of Premier Dalton McGuinty, who promised to address the weaknesses in the old legislation in the lead-up to the last election.

“If passed in its current form – and Ontario deserves no less – this will be the best endangered species law in the country,” says Rob Wright, Counsel for Sierra Legal.

“The new stewardship fund accompanying the bill will help ensure that the costs of protecting rare plants and animals do not fall solely on landowners,” adds Wendy Francis, Director of Conservation and Science for Ontario Nature.

The environmental groups will be working hard to ensure the Act’s passagebefore the summer, and are embarking on a radio and TTC advertising campaignto underline the urgency of doing this.

“Effective endangered species legislation is the last line of defense for many plants and animals. It is only necessary because we have failed to ensure their survival through more proactive measures such as adequate land use planning before development begins or through socially responsible industrial management regimes such as the Forest Stewardship Certification for forestry,” comments Janet Sumner, Executive Director for CPAWS Wildlands League. “Progressive companies will welcome this legislation.”

This release is also available in french.

Wages Haven't Cut Aboriginal Ties To Arctic Land
Submitted by Ann VanWert
Bob Weber, Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, March 22, 2007

(CP) - It appears that aboriginal people from Russia, Alaska, Greenland and Canada all prefer to have one foot on the shop floor and one on the tundra.

An international study released Thursday suggests the coming of industry and the wage economy to the Arctic hasn't weakened the attachment of its people to the land.

"Many researchers in the '60s and '70s thought that with the coming of the wage economy in the North, people would turn away from hunting and fishing, and it doesn't appear to have happened," said Jack Kruse of the University of Alaska, one of the principal researchers behind the survey of living conditions in the Arctic report.

That report, released Thursday in Anchorage, Alaska, was written for the Arctic Council, an association of the eight countries that ring the North Pole: Canada, the United States, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Its conclusions are based on 90-minute interviews with more than 7,000 Arctic aboriginal people across the circumpolar world.

Kruse said the report should have significant implications for policy-makers as Arctic regions, especially in Canada, become increasingly industrialized and subject to mineral and energy exploration. As well, climate change makes those resources increasingly easy to get to.

"As people consider major changes to the North, if outsiders making those decisions have an assumption that, 'Oh well, we'll be bringing jobs to the community and that will make up for the loss of any hunting and fishing lands,' local people don't see it that way."

Patricia Cochran, an Alaska Inupiat who heads the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, said the survey shows that aboriginal health can't be looked at in isolation.

"What this report really does say is that the well-being of the communities in all regards really does depend on the people's ability to maintain their relationship with the land."

More and more northern aboriginals have made the transition from subsistence hunting to the world of paid work, the report found. In Canada, nearly 60 per cent said they'd worked in the previous week and another 30 per cent said they'd worked at least part-time in the previous year.

But people with jobs undertook just as many "subsistence activities" - hunting and fishing, or getting ready to go hunting and fishing - as did people who were unemployed. It's not hobby hunting, either.

A large proportion of those surveyed reported that more than half their meat and fish came from the land - including one out of every three who earned more than $90,000 a year.

Nor are traditional activities affected by how much money people earned. In fact, people who earned the most tended to spend the most time on the land.

That reflects the growing realization that bullets and gas cost money, and that the wage economy and traditional activities are now linked.

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

Escape From Wounded Knee - 4th of 4 Articles

’On Native American Rights’
Submitted by Kathy Helms

By Kathy Helms – khelms@frontiernet.net
Dine Bureau – March 8th, 2007
Gallup Independent – editorialgallup@yahoo.com

WINDOW ROCK -- As winter turned to spring, still surrounded by FBI agents, Bureau of Indian Affairs Police and Guardians of Oglala Nation, members of the American Indian Movement began to leave Wounded Knee.

The stand-down to end the 73-day seige was set for May 7, 1973. Inside the Little Big Horn Bunker only Lenny Foster from the Navajo Nation and Percy Casper, a Suswap from British Columbia, remained.

Foster, now program supervisor for the Navajo Nation Corrections Project, joined AIM, formed by prison inmates, in 1970. His experiences at Wounded Knee led him to a career in which he now visits state and federal prisons to offer inmates spritual counseling.

Inside the makeshift bunker Foster and Casper were debating what to do next. AIM had helped bring to light corruption and graft within the tribal government while at the same time making a stand for treaty rights, sovereignty, and human rights. Their job was done. Now, as Foster and Casper saw it, there were two options: escape or surrender.

"Then Henry Wauwasuck, a Potawatomie, comes over from the command post,"Foster said. "It was probably about half a mile away. He said, 'D.J. wants to talk to you.' I said, 'About what? What does he want to talk to me for? 'So I went over there."

He stepped inside a tiny log cabin and there was AIM co-founder Dennis Banks. "He told me sit down and he gave me some coffee. I'm 24 years old and he's already a man, like in his 40s," Foster recalled.

"He tells me, 'I'm not going to surrender. I don't know how many of you are not going to surrender, but I would like you to take me out of here, because I've been watching all of the warriors, and I want to pick four of you guys. You're one of them. Would you be willing to do it?'"

"Yeah," Foster said. "Percy and I were trying to figure out how we were going to get out of there. I'm not going to surrender because I don't want the feds finger-printing me because then they'll know who you are. They'll haunt you the rest of your life."

Banks told him they were going to have a sweat the next day and asked who else he would recommend. Percy Casper, Frank Blackhorse, and HenryWauwasuck, Banks' bodyguard inside the command post, were the chosen warriors.

Protection Of Crazy Horse
"We got together with Leonard Crow Dog and Black Elk and D. J. There were seven of us in the sweat lodge. Crow Dog said, 'We're going to use this pipe. We're going to use Crazy Horse's songs. We're going to pray all together. We're going to even smoke his pipe and use his song.'

"He told us, 'This is going to make you invisible, but you have to believe in this,'" Foster recalled. "So we smoked the pipe that night and the next day we got ready. We sweated that afternoon, and as soon as the sun went down, we said, 'Let's go'."

Of course, sunset also signaled the feds to light up the area with flares, then follow up with automatic gunfire, according to Foster.

"We went north, over the creek. I was walking up front. I was walking point. I knew we had to pick an area where we could get away. They didn't use horses, they were using Jeeps and their dogs, and I knew they set up trip flares, too. I looked for places where it would be obvious," he said.

They crossed the creek and found an area where they could get in between the ravines and make their way out. They could hear the feds as they reached a flat area about a mile beyond the perimeter. Across the open area, a good distance away, was the safe haven of a tree line.

"I told them to wait, let me run down there," Foster said. "So I went down there and I ran back without making any noise. I said, 'It's clear, let's go.'

"We got out maybe 30-40 yards and this Jeep came over the hill, with the lights on and the German shepherd dog. But it didn't smell us. They didn't see us. We just laid there and the Jeep went on by," he said.

They had 11 miles of up-and-down terrain to cover. "We're talking about alot of hills," Foster said.

Bad Omen
One thing a Navajo doesn't want to see when he's out there alone in the dark is an owl. "See, to Navajos an owl is a messenger of death," Foster said. "And there was a big white owl sitting in a tree, hooting. It scared the shit out of me!

"At first, I just looked at it and right away, I thought, he's telling me something's up ahead, he's warning me. So I ran back and I told D. J. and the rest of the guys who were waiting. I said, 'Come on, let's go, it's clear.' So we took off -- and the owl appeared again."

They traveled two to three miles with the owl still ahead of them. "It would disappear, then we would leave it behind, then it would pop up again,"Foster said.

They headed toward a paved road that leads out of Wounded Knee. Already, it was close to 2 or 3 a.m. "We walked to the highway, climbed the fence and started walking. "By then, the owl disappeared, but it was still dark,"Foster said.

A couple hours later they reached the top of a hill overlooking the community of Porcupine, about 2 miles away. Daylight was approaching and they had to hustle.

But up ahead, on the road to Porcupine there was a car, just sitting. Foster went to check it out. "Feds. There were two guys sitting there," he said.

He ran back to tell Banks and the others. Then Casper made a mistake."The feds turned on the lights because they saw Casper running across the road. Right away, they called for reinforcements. We just took off back across the road to the tree line," Foster said.

"They brought their dogs out and they were barking. They didn't see us because there was a little hill blocking the view. We told D.J., 'Just take off for that tree line. We'll stay right here. If they come over the hill, we'll just have to shoot it out with them. But you, you need to take off. So he took off," Foster recalled.

They proceeded toward Porcupine with the hill as their cover and the feds headed right toward them.

Saving Grace!
"Out of nowhere these dogs came, reservation dogs," Foster said. "These skinny dogs got into a fight with their big, well-fed German shepherds. That allowed us a split moment to get away. We took off to that tree line and disappeared.

"They were yelling, 'All right, we know you're in there'," Foster said."But they didn't know it was Dennis Banks. We didn't say anything, we just kept going.

"Then pretty soon they had that commotion with these dogs and they had to separate them because their dogs were on a leash," he said. Afterward, they just drove off.

By then, the sun was coming up. Casper knew a man who lived in Porcupine, John Attacks-Him. They headed toward his house, with Banks sandwiched safely between them.

John Attacks-Him welcomed them into his home and gave them coffee. "We were telling him D.J. was with us. All of the community, they supported what was going on. They took us in and hid us," Foster said.

"They fed us and said, 'We'll take you out of here tonight. We'll take you over to Crow Dog's paradise, Rosebud', " about an hour and a half away.

Around 1 p.m., when they finally were getting some sleep, John Attacks-Him woke them up. "Here comes a car. You guys get up, the feds are coming!" he told them. While they watched, John Attacks-Him went outside to see what they wanted.

"I don't know what they were saying," Foster said. "But they didn't say, 'We're going to check your house,' because we figured if they did that, we were going to have to shoot it out again. But then they just got in their car and drove off. "See, that pipe was working. That prayer was working. That medicine was working," he said.

They waited around till dark when John Attacks-Him and his wife loaded them into two cars and they hit the backroads to Porcupine. "This was maybe after 9 p.m. We hit the highway and drove all the way to Rosebud. We got away," Foster said.

In addition to using Crazy Horse's songs to make them invisible, two things stand out about that night, Foster said. "One was this owl, warning me. The other was the reservation dogs. They saved us.

"Those things right there toward the end made me realize the power of the medicine, the spiritual. I went in there as a boy, I came out as a man.That's what Wounded Knee did for me," Foster said.

Doo'da Desert Rock Supporters Win!
Submitted by Alysssa Macy,
Confederated Tribes Of Warm Springs, Oregon
Indigenous Media – http://www.indigenousmedia.com/

SANTA FE – In the final hours of the 2007 Legislative Session, two infamous tax credit bills died in committee. The bills HB178 & SB431 would have given and $85 million tax credit to the Navajo Nation to begin construction of a coal powered plant. A group of families from the Burnham area that came to be known as the Doo'da Desert Rock Coalition were successful in holding the bill up in their committees.

“We've had a great victory here today. The door has been opened and now the Navajo people can work as a unified nation to find common ground on sustainable economic development. This was a healthy debate that brought some important issues to the forefront for all native peoples, and this is just the beginning.” said Vangee Nez, a member of the Doo'da group. “We cannot deny our sovereign duty to protect the land for short term gains, instead we must take our place as stewards of Dine-tah.”

SB431 & HB178 died in committee during the 2007 60-Day Session. The bills would have given a tax credit for the proposed powerplant in the 4 corners area of the state.

The controversy started in late 2006 when construction of the site began without any apparent community input. While the plant would give several hundred jobs to the community the people living in the area feared another major polluter was being put in their neighborhood.

In an area with two other existing plants and thousands of cases of cancer and asthma the health links associated with another polluting plant are undeniable. Doo'da supporters have reasoned that this form of job creation is against the people's best interest and the values of the Navajo people.

“We have been led to believe that we have to choose between economic development and our cultural identity.” said Alfred Bennett, member of the Coalition. “But in this challenge we have the opportunity to provide solutions to a changing world that honors our people and traditions.”

For more information, contact Hank Dixon with the Desert Rock Coalition at (505) 215-2124
Carol Oldham at (505) 316-6517, email: carol.oldham@sierraclub.org or
or Sandy Buffett at (505) 992-8683, email: sandy@cvnm.org.

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

Wounded Knee: Inside The Bunker - 3rd of 4 Articles

‘On Native American Rights’
Submitted by Kathy Helms

By Kathy Helms - khelms@frontiernet.net
Dine Bureau – March 7th, ‘07
Gallup Independent – editorialgallup@yahoo.com

WINDOW ROCK -- Lenny Foster arrived at Wounded Knee in January along with a number of other American Indian Movement warriors. They had a feeling: Something was going to happen.

AIM leaders didn't say, 'This is what we're going to do.' They just said, 'We're gathering our people,'" recalls Foster, now a program supervisor for the Navajo Nation Corrections Project.

Five days prior to the takeover there were a lot of community meetings. In Calico north of Wounded Knee, "the elders and chiefs, the headsmen, came together and said, 'You know, we've got to do something about this,'" Foster said, "because of this situation in Pine Ridge with Dickie Wilson and his GOON squad. They were terrorizing people, shooting at people, beating up on people -- traditional people."

"They wanted the American Indian Movement to come in to protect them. It was over money. The benefits from a lot of the tribal programs were being used by the GOONS, by Dickie Wilson, who was a corrupt tribal chairman,"Foster said.

"He used a death squad, the quasi-police force. He called them GOONS, Guardians of Oglala Nation. The FBI, the federal marshals, and the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) police just looked the other way. They had nobody to rely on, so they asked the American Indian Movement to come in."

Answering The Call
Following the meeting in Calico, it was decided the group would head to Porcupine, about an hour's drive from Pine Ridge, and along the way stop off at Wounded Knee.

"We got to Wounded Knee that evening. I think it was around 5-6 o'clock," Foster said. He was in the fifth car in a caravan of approximately 100 cars. "They all stopped in Wounded Knee and decided, 'This is where we're going to make our stand,'" Foster said.

"They made it known, 'We're not going no further.' So they parked all the cars and pretty soon the BIA police, the FBI, they started shooting. They opened up fire right away. I'm surprised no people got killed," he said.

The community of Wounded Knee lies in a valley. The feds had the high ground and a bird's-eye view, according to Foster. "The FBI set up roadblocks and started arresting people who were coming into the area for being part of that takeover.

"Dickie Wilson had brought in the FBI prior to all of this. They were there waiting around Pine Ridge. They had their APC's (armored personnel carriers, or tanks), they had their automatic weapons. They came down and they didn't hesitate to use deadly force."

Because of this, Foster said, for the next 73 days, it was a constant struggle to survive. "The FBI and the federal marshals, they're trained to kill. They had their M-16, their M-60. "They used a helicopter, they had their APCs, they used their flares that would light up a whole area the size of a football field. They used their tear gas. They tried to gas us out of the bunkers," he recalled. Foster participated in 11 fire fights.

"First you're scared because you don't know what they're going to do," he said. "We used the sweat lodge, the prayers and the songs in the sweat lodge. We smoked the pipe."

Foster had his corn pollen bag and used that as well. "Once you begin to have faith in your spiritual power, you become more confident because your belief becomes stronger. You realize that you're capable and able to withstand. The fear subsides," he said.

Taking A Stand!
"We became 'dog soldiers.' It's like you take your red cloth and just put it into the ground. You're not going to leave that. You're going to make that stand right there. It was symbolic," Foster said.

"That's where we decided we're going to make this stand for our people so they don't have to suffer anymore. And then I think the FBI and the federal marshals they got scared." Some were as close as 500 to 1,000 yards. "Five hundred yards, that's only five football fields," Foster said. "But they were up on the highground. They had snipers. They were trying to kill us."

While AIM members were inside their bunkers, half-starved and enduring the unrelenting winter weather of the Dakotas, the feds were close by cooking steaks. "You could smell it," Foster said. "We were starving, and you could smell those steaks and you could hear those dogs barking." The feds were getting paid to keep watch. They could afford food.

"Along Wounded Knee Creek you could see lights at night, you could hear crying," Foster said. "That was the ancestors. Black Elk came to our bunker one time and told us not to shoot at those lights. You'd see them like 2 or 3 in the morning.

"Black Elk said, 'Those are the spirits of our ancestors.' They (feds) saw them too. But they didn't interpret. They didn't know what it was. They got freaked out over that. Some of them went crazy. They saw Indians on horses coming and then disappear," Foster said.

During this time, it was AIM members' spiritual power that sustained them. "A lot of people got wounded, but only two people actually were killed," he said, Frank Clearwater and Buddy Lamont, on April 17 and 27, 1973, respectively.

Inside the compound, they were all separated. Foster shared the Little Big Horn bunker, located on the east side, with the Ojibways and Menominees. There he made friends with Percy Casper, John Carlson, David Wilson, John Perotte and the Menominee Warrior Society. They took time and dug out their bunker, Foster said.

Inside The Bunker
"We dug into the ground so we could stand. We made it about 6 feet deep and maybe about 5 feet wide. We had a pipe and a stove where we could burn wood." The bunker was about 10-12 feet long and with enough space so the wouldn't be walking over each other. They erected wooden beams and scrounged metal for a roof, then covered the roof with dirt "so those bullets couldn' get into it," Foster said.

"The only way the bullets could fly in is through the openings. One timeI stood up and I almost got my head blown off," he said.

"We got into fire fights with them (feds). We would locate where they were at and we'd shoot right back at them, but not as much, because they had the fire power, we didn't. We didn't have the ammunition, so we had to conserve.

"We were out there to make sure they didn't come over the creek and overrun us. We were stationed in one spot where we could overlook the creek. The bridge was burned out so they couldn't come across it in Jeeps. They had to come across by foot," Foster said.

Larry Anderson and his brother Merle were in the Danby, Little California bunker, while the Oglalas were in another area, according to Foster.

"They didn't dig their bunker out. They had junk cars and everything, andI think there was a hut. Mainly it was to protect us from the snow and the rain. It was cold. There were some blizzards," he said.

"We dug into the ground where we could stand so we weren't in mud, and it was warm. We didn't get wet because we covered the whole thing. Then we made two tunnels that led out from the back. They didn't know that," he said.

They got away a couple times, when the feds came in close in their tanks. "They would pull up and they would shoot tear gas. The wind was blowing from the right to the left. They would shoot the tear gas and then the wind would take it and you could see this white cloud coming," Foster said.

"If you take a whiff it will paralyze you. Percy was paralyzed one time. We told him not to breathe, we've got to get out of here. Somehow he took a whiff and it paralyzed him and he just fell over. We had to grab him and drag him," Foster recalled.

They got a bucket of water, threw their shirts in, and then covered their faces with the wet garments. "They wanted us to run out of the bunker where they could shoot us," Foster said.

"At night, they did the same thing, but they used these flares and parachutes. It would shoot maybe 200 to 300 feet into the air, and then it would float and light up the whole area. The Army uses that. That's how they could see. And then they had the automatic gunfire. It was pretty intense," he said.

Wednesday, March 21st Is National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
HIV Awareness and Wellness Fair - Wednesday, March 21, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Community Center, United American Indian Involvement, Inc.
Raffle prizes that include Blanket.
1125 W. 6th Street , Los Angeles, CA 90017.
HIV Mobile Testing 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Seminar: Native Americans/Alaska Natives & HIV
Thursday, March 22nd, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Honored Guest; Lisa Tiger, (Muscogee Nation)
Founders Conference Room, David Geffen Center at AIDS Project LosAngeles,
611 S. Kingsley Drive , Los Angeles, CA 90005.

Lunch will provided by Four Directions Travel (www.fourdirectionstravel.com)
RSVP: 213-201-1311 or enaswood@apla.org

Warriors Against AIDS Awareness Concert & Comic Relief JA
Friday, March 23, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm.
IMPROV Comedy Club, 8162 MelroseAvenue , Los Angeles, CA 90046
Honoring to Lisa Tiger, (MuscogeeNation). Tickets: $20.00 per person and Table Sponsorship available. Tickets can be purchased at the door
or online atwww.improv2.com/v3/index.php

More Information: 818-904-9256
Presentedby Red Nation Celebration
The National theme is "A Celebration of Life: Protecting Our Future,Protecting Our People!"

In Washington state, the Lummi Nation's Awareness Day will include traditional dances and medical facts, gets more American Indian people thinking and talking about the disease.

In Minneapolis, the Indigenous Peoples Task Force provides American Indian populations in with HIV prevention efforts

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Native and Native-serving Organizations for HIV/AIDS Activities
http://urlx.org/omhrc.gov/b1b8b

Christine Yazzie
Los Angeles, California USA
Email: krystyn_media@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com/

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

NAJA Alerts - March 20th, 2007

Ted Scripps Fellowship Deadline Extension - March 26th
The deadline for the Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder has been extended to March 26.

The fellowship includes a nine-month stipend of $46,000 to study environmental issues at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Fellows will take classes, attend special seminars, take field trips, and engage in independent study at a university renowned for its environmental science and policy studies.

Applications are being accepted for the 2007-2008 academic year from U.S. journalists working in print or broadcast with a minimum of five years full-time experience. Reporters, editors, producers and freelancers are welcome to apply.

The Boulder Valley is home to more than 300 Ph.D.s working in environmental studies and to several major federal laboratories engaged in research in environmental science, making the region an especially rich resource for learning.

For more information and an application, visit:
<http://www.colorado.edu/journalism/cej>.
Or contact: Center for Environmental Journalism, University of Colorado at Boulder at (303) 492-4114 or cej@colorado.edu.

Intern And Tribal Partner - Deadline, March 30th
NAJA is seeking an intern and a tribal publication partner to offer a 10- to 12-week internship for NAJA members starting June 4, 2007.

Students interested in applying for an internship must be current NAJA members and submit the following:
__ An application
__ Cover letter on how the internship will benefit your career and assist you in college graduation
__ Resume
__ Five to eight newspaper clips or writing samples
__ Two letters of reference

Special consideration will be given to students who have participated in past NAJA training programs, such as workshops held during the annual convention, Project Phoenix or the college Student Projects.

Interns will receive $500 a week (before taxes). Interns will be responsible for their own housing and transportation expenses and arrangements.The application deadline is March 30.

Please send complete packets to:
NAJA 2007 Summer Internship Program
555 Dakota St.
Al Neuharth Media Center
Vermillion, SD 57069

Tribal Publications - Deadline, March 30th
For the second year, NAJA will partner with a tribal publication to offer a summer internship program. NAJA is looking for a weekly, bimonthly or monthly tribal publication seeking to train our junior journalists with a grant from the Chicago Tribune Foundation. The program began as a pilot last year with The Navajo Times.

Tribal publications interested in hosting an intern must be a current NAJA member. Other qualifications include:
__ Internship must incorporate one of more of the following: copy editing, design, photography, news writing, or sports, business, feature or editorial writing.
__ Internships must be 10 to 12 weeks.
__ Stipends will be mailed directly to intern. Publication will pay remaining stipend.
__ Four to five samples of interns' work submitted to the NAJA office.
__ A brief progress report of the student and internship process to be submitted to the NAJA office by August 13, 2007.
The application deadline is March 30.

Please send partnership form and a cover letter briefly explaining internship program, why an intern is needed and staff that will be working with intern to:
NAJA 2007 Tribal Internship Partnership
555 Dakota St.
Al Neuharth Media Center
Vermillion, SD 57069
Or email to: kim@naja.com.

For more information or to download an internship application or a tribal publication partnership form, go to:
http://www.naja.com/programs/students/internships/.
Or call the national office at 605-677-5282
or send email to: info@naja.com.

NAJA '07 Scholarship Program - Deadline, April 1st
Each year NAJA offers scholarships ranging from $500-$5,000 to Native American students pursuing journalism degrees at a higher learning institutions.

Students must be current NAJA members and are required to submit a scholarship application, a cover letter stating financial need and area of interest in journalism, an official school transcript and three letters of recommendation.

Students also must file Free Applications for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA report regardless of income status. FAFSAs take several weeks to process. Your or your parents' tax statements will be needed before filling out a FASFA, so it's best to file taxes as soon as possible. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted.

To download an application or for more information, go to http://www.naja.com/programs/students/scholarships/.
Or contact the national office at 605-677-5282
or send email to info@naja.com.
NAJA...Raising the next generation of storytellers.
www.naja.com

International Reporting Project - Deadline, April 9th
The International Reporting Project is accepting applications for 15 fellowships for journalists to attend an expenses-paid reporting workshop called "Covering Homeland Security: Does the System Work to Stop Terror?" in Washington, D.C., at The Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

The workshop runs May 21-23. The application deadline is April 9. Participants convene in Washington to examine the performances of the agencies primarily responsible for deterring, detecting and responding to terrorist threats against the United States in the post-9/11 era.

The workshop explains to participating journalists how the different agencies interact, how they have responded to recent challenges and what weaknesses need to be addressed. Journalists meet with senior U.S. government officials from agencies such as the CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, members of Congress and their staffs, scholars, private-sector experts and Washington-based journalists who cover these issues regularly.

Participants receive round trip airfare to Washington and free hotel accommodations in Washington during the workshop.

The workshop is one of the McCormick Tribune Foundation's specialized reporting institutes. These intensive journalism workshops provide practical reporting training in timely, specialized topics of importance to professional journalists.

The program is open to journalists from newspapers, magazines, wire services, radio, television and online news organizations; freelancers may also apply.

Encouraged to apply are mid-career journalists who are U.S. citizens and have at least three years' professional experience. Applicants must regularly report on issues such as homeland security, military affairs and defense issues, transportation, criminal justice or law enforcement. Journalists from mid-sized markets outside the Washington area are encouraged to apply.

An online application form, instructions and eligibility requirements are available at: <http://www.internationalreportingproject.org/>.
If questions, please contact Sonja Matanovic at:
irp@jhu.edu or at 202-663-7761.

National Health Policy Training Alliance - Deadline, March 30th
The National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color is accepting registrations for a free one-day seminar on health journalism and minority-related coverage April 27 in Atlanta.

The seminar, "Health Policy Journalism Institute: Covering Health Disparities," will bring together journalists in the southeast region of the U.S. It is sponsored by the National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color, with the purpose of discussing the role of public programs in improving access to health care and reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, as well as to provide the resources and strategies for covering health care policy issues in the media.

Topics for this meeting will include:
. Racial and ethnic health disparities
. Hot topics in health care such as Medicare, Medicaid, State
. Children's Health Insurance Program, and the uninsured
. Finding reliable sources
. Tips and tools for journalists, as well as other topics.
. This program will address these issues, as well as enable journalists to interact, learn from one another, and share strategies for covering health disparities.

There is no fee for this program. However, space is limited, so please e-mail or fax a registration form to minorityhealth@familiesusa.org
or 202-347-2417 no later than Friday, March 30, 2007.

The form is online at:
<http://www.healthpolicyalliance.org
/assets/docs/Registration-Form.doc.

A limited number of scholarships are available for travel and lodging assistance. If you have questions, please contact Briana Webster-Patterson at 202-628-3030 or by e-mail at bwebster@familiesusa.org.

NAA Offering Fellowships For July To December - Deadline, April 30th
The Newspaper Association of America is offering 16 fellowships for July to December 2007 designed to widen opportunities for ethnic minority professionals to enter or advance in newspaper management. Applications must be received by April 30.

There is no cost to the fellow or their newspaper. The fellowships, offered twice a year, cover tuition, lodging, airfare, meals and other necessary expenses for each program. Applicants do not have to work at NAA member newspapers to qualify for a fellowship.

While the objective of the program is to help more people of color enter or advance in newspaper management, the program also helps newspapers augment their training budget and acts as a retention tool.

Newspaper executives and journalism educators are asked to nominate candidates who demonstrate managerial potential. The supervisor's recommendation plays a key role in the selection process.

Fellowships and the organizations that sponsor them are:
. American Press Institute
. Northwestern University's Media Management Center
. National Association of Minority Media Executives
. Poynter Institute
. Inland Press Association

Applications can be downloaded and completed in either Microsoft Word or PDF formats.
Please visit: <http://www.naa.org/diversity/minorityfellowships>.
Or request an application be mailed to you by calling (571) 366-1003 or writing winta@naa.org.

Applications must include updated resumes and cannot be e-mailed.

For more than 27 years, NAA has offered training and development fellowships to newspaper professionals of color in the areas of editing, business, leadership, design and production.

INDIGENOUS WORLD WATER DAY, MARCH 22nd, 2007!

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.

Divine Strake, Nuclear and Indigenous Updates

Submitted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project

Contents Include:
*The Western Shoshone Nation responds to the threat
*PFS files suit
*Nevada Desert Experience Invitation
*Indigenous Resistance To Coal Mining
*Dine (Navajo) Elders
*Beyond Nuclear
*106 Organizations Urge Congress
* Nanish Shontie urgently needs your help
*Corbin Harney needs our love, prayers and support - help raise $10,000 for his care

The Western Shoshone Nation Responds
to the threat of another explosion at the Nevada Test Site code named"Divine Strake" intended to simulate effects of a nuclear weapon. The explosion is condemned as related to further development of a new generation of weapons of mass destruction and a violation of International Law, US law and Western Shoshone law, custom and tradition. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#wsnc

PFS File Suit Seeking To Store Nuclear Waste
Private Fuel Storage is not giving up on its quest to store nuclear waste on the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah, according to court documents filed in a federal appeals court on 1/29/07. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#pfs

Nevada Desert Exprience
Invitation to converge on the Nevada Test Site:
Many Faiths, One Heart – Mobilization - March 27 to April 1, 2007.
In response to the urgent threats of nuclear war an nuclear terrorism, we are calling members of concerned groups to gather in the desert near the Nevada Test Site. We will be speaking out against nuclear proliferation at home and abroad and building momentum for nuclear abolition, which includes transforming the Test Site into a facility that serves human and environmental needs.

Threats of nuclear weapons-related violence loom large in 2007. From the Bush Administration's threats of war on Iran, to political fallout from the North Korean nuclear test, to the Divine Strake chemical detonation at the Nevada Test Site, to the new Complex 2030 plan to spend $150 billion on new nuclear weapons, this is a crucial time for collective action.

Sacred Peace Walk From Las Vegas To Nevada Test Site
March 27 to April 1, 2007
Rally and direct action at the Nevada Test Site, Sunday, April 1st, 2007, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rally will feature speakers and musicians from many faiths as well as our secular allies and will end with an optional, nonviolent direct action at the gates of the Test Site. The weekend will also be a chance for people to create a peace camp in the desert outside the Test Site. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#nde

Indigenous Resistance To Coal Mining and Power
Tribal lands still need your help. Support Dine and Hopi Communities in Stopping Massive Coal Mining Plans - Massive mining plans underway at Black Mesa, Arizona have serious environmental, social, and human rights impacts. Send a letter today to the Office Of Surface Mining, asking them to extend the critical deadline to allow impacted communities adequate time to prepare their input on stopping a destructive coal-mining project. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#coal

Dine (Navajo) Traditional Elders Blockade Power Site
Sithe Global & DPA are proposing to build the Desert Rock power plant, a 1,500 MW Coal Fired plant in the Four Corners area on the Navajo Reservation. Dine supporters and community members have blockaded the road leading to the construction site. They are elderly women and youth, and they have been camped out on the road over night since mid December! Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#coal

The U.S. Department Of Energy FY 2008 Budget
What to Look for in Request to Congress. A press release by Alliance for Nuclear Accountability including analysis of Nuclear Weapons Activities, Nuclear Waste & Plutonium Disposition, and Environmental Cleanup.

Beyond Nuclear
Working for a world free from nuclear power and weapons. Beyond Nuclear was created because the world is moving evermore rapidly toward an increased build-up and use of nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. These twin nuclear threats have been separated in the minds of the public for too long. The goal of Beyond Nuclear is to change this dangerous misconception, to dispel nuclear myths, and to lay out pathways to a world without nuclear reactors and without nuclear weapons.

Reactors are inviting terrorist targets. If successfully attacked, they can release enormous amounts of deadly radiation into our air and water. Thousands of nuclear weapons remain on "hair-trigger" alert, able to launch accidentally or deliberately in minutes. Meanwhile, the nuclear power industry is deceptively positioning itself as a "solution" to climate change.

Beyond Nuclear aims to educate new audiences about the connection between nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The project will promote positive, solutions-focused messages and provide guides to safer alternatives to these dangerous and obsolete technologies. Through concerted media campaigns, high-profile press work and using its stable of expert spokespeople. Beyond Nuclear will work to create a consistent, national media presence for these issues. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#beyond

106 Organizations Urge Congress To Oppose GNEP Program
We, the undersigned groups, oppose the Department of Energy's new Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) variously on grounds of national security, local security, degradation of our obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, our responsibility for environmental and cultural resource stewardship, endangerment of public health, and because it will further hurt our stature of leadership in the world.

As a community of concerned citizens and organizations nationwide, we work together to oppose centralized interim storage of commercial high-level radioactive waste - at any site. As time goes by, the values we share grow only stronger:
. Concern for a scientifically sound, sustainable basis for long-term disposition of
radioactive waste (Yucca Mountain does not meet this criterion).
. Concern for security of radioactive material and of any community that hosts it.
. Recognition that the risks associated with the transportand centralization of irradiated fuel are only acceptable if moving the waste will greatly enhance the security and long term sustainability of stewardship, as well as keep transport risks to a minimum.

To date, all proposals for the"temporary" centralization of commercial high-level radioactive waste have not met these criteria. Today, the ever increasing concern for security in our nation, all by itself, is a basis to oppose moving high-level radioactive waste to a temporary site. In addition, the storage site adds one more, even bigger "target," since the operating reactor sites will continue to generate waste, and if plans are approved, generate even more.

Temporary storage will always dictate additional transport if, or when a permanent site is chosen. If no permanent site is found, the temporary site will, by default, become a permanent dump.

It is a long history, over several decades, where all the so-called "temporary" storage sites have targeted low-income, often Native American communities, or land sacred to Native Americans. Interim high-level storage is falsely sold as a jobs program to these poor communities, when the reality is that radioactive waste storage drives away more economic development than it brings. Read more>>>

The Department of Energy (DOE) intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership initiative (GNEP PEIS) Public Comments will be accepted through April 4th, 2007.
Read more:http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#gnep

Nanish Shontie
urgently needs your help and invites your participation in a variety of ways. Nanish Shontie is a community on 17 acres of property in the country in Western Oregon. It is a place where people have an opportunity to learn from traditional native people about the native way of living with Mother Earth.

Nanish Shontie is helping to build a bridge between the modern world and indigenous world so that we may work together for the healing of Mother Earth. Nanish Shontie is sharing the teachings of the ways that were taught to us from Mother Earth. This is being taught to those who come in a respectful manner. Native people recognize that there are many good paths on this Mother Earth, we willing share ours so that it may guide people to help restore the balance of Mother earth. As each one of us helps in restoring that balance to Mother Earth, we will find that it will help in our own personal healing.

Nanish Shontie urgently needs your help and invites your participation in a variety of ways. Indigenous people believe that everyone and everything is put on Mother Earth with a purpose and a gift. If there is any way that you feel you may be able to help, please let us know. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#nanish

Corbin Harney
needs our love, prayers and support – help raise $10,000 for his care.

Corbin Harney is a revered Western Shoshone elder who has brought spiritual healing to the world. Corbin has made invaluable contributions to many important political, environmental and indigenous struggles. Corbin should not go without in his time of need. With sufficient support, he will be able to get the personal assistance and medical care he deserves.

Immediate needs also include the installation of a hot shower in Corbin's trailer and an emergency generator so that he will not be in the freezing cold and dark when the electricity fails. The goal is to raise $10,000 in the next three months. Read more:
http://www.shundahai.org/enews0207.htm#corbinwww.shundahai.org

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.

AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org

FOR NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

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

NATIVE BIZ LEARNING CENTER - www.learn.nativebiz.com was developed for tribal education specialists serving tribal communities. Any tribal community can register at NO COST.

NAJA ALERTS, POTPOURRI - Every Tuesday when available.