Contributions Wanted - For Book on Corbin Harney & Shundahai Network

Submitted by Eleanore Fanire
Dear Friends of Shundahai Network,
Gregor Gable, longtime friend of Corbin Harney’s and Shundahai.org’s former webmaster, promised Corbin that he would compile a book to be called "The Shundahai Network: A Decade of Resistance," chronicling what we all accomplished together with Corbin over the years of resistance at the Nevada Test Site and other nuclear installations.

If you have stories, photographs, reminiscences, videos or audio records you would like to contribute to this project, please send them to:
Gregor Gable
1016 Denver St. Apt # 1
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-4773
Email: gregornot@gmail.com
Phone (cell) 510-410-6915

Assisting Gregor with this project is Julia Moon Sparrow, one of Shundahai Network’s founders and a former Shundahai staff person. Her cell phone number is 702-521-7627.

You will receive full credit for any materials contributed. Please print your return address clearly so that your materials can be returned, if you want them back. If you are sending a story or reminiscence, please keep a copy to save return postage.

If you have experience as an editor and are able to volunteer some time to this project, your assistance would be very welcome.

Thank you for keeping Corbin Harney's work with Shundahai Network and his memory alive. This project is a good way of doing that.

Please communicate directly with Gregor or Julia about this project, rather than replying to this email.
Thank you. Shundahai.

Peter Bergel, writing on behalf of the Shundahai Board
and at Gregor’s and Julia’’s request.
Shundahai Network
A Project of The Center for Energy Research
104 Commercial St. NE
Salem,
OR 97301
http://www.shundahai.org/
shundahai@shundahai.org

If you are a Myspace user, you can now add us!
http://www.Myspace.com/shundahai

Over a Decade of Resistance
Dedicated to Breaking the Nuclear Chain
Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning "Peace and Harmony with all Creation"

EPA Launches New Tribal Portal Website
Submitted by Kathy Helms
Washington, DC ­ July 26, 2007
The Environmental Protection Agency has launched the first-of-its-kind portal website to help the tribal community, its supporters and the public find tribal environmental information and data through a single web-based access point.

Announced at the National Tribal Operations Committee (NTOC) meeting in Washington, DC, the portal is part of EPA¹s commitment to strengthen its partnership with Indian tribes and governments to protect human health and the environment.

Established in 1994, the NTOC comprises 19 tribal leaders and senior Agency leaders, and meets once a year to discuss implementation of tribal environmental protection programs.

Currently, there are approximately 560 separate, federally-recognized tribal governments in the United States. For centuries, Native Americans have been respected for their commitment to Mother Earth.

"At EPA, we share in the obligation to pass down a cleaner, healthier environment to future generations," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "This new Web site reflects EPA¹s ongoing efforts to reach-out to the tribal community in order to accelerate human health and environmental protection in Indian country."

The new cross-agency website allows EPA to consolidate and share environmental information reflecting the tribal community¹s perspective and needs into a central, easy-to-navigate structure.

Various EPA programs, such as enforcement, waste, underground storage tanks and water, are also consolidating their tribal information through this website. The site integrates the tribal content and functionality of many existing agency programs and regional websites.

These functions include:
Central, easy-to-navigate structure.
Reliable, comprehensive source
Functional tool for tribal environmental information and data

The site will help users save time and resources by making it easier to locate tribal environmental information within EPA and other government agencies.

Visit the tribal portal:
http://www.epa.gov/tribalportal

Contacts: (Media only) Dale Kemery, 202-564-4355 /
kemery.dale@epa.gov
(All other inquiries) Carol Jorgensen, 202-564-0303 /
Jorgensen.carol@epa.gov

Stamp Pays Tribute To Membertou
Submitted by Ann VanWert
The Daily News
The fourth stamp in Canada Post's French Settlement series will have a face familiar to some Nova Scotians. Grand Chief Membertou, a Mi'kmaq leader, is on a new 52-cent stamp.

Membertou worked with the French and developed a strong relationship until his death in 1611. According to Cape Breton University, in 1610 Membertou became the first North American native to be baptized a Catholic.

Three million stamps of Membertou were produced. .

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Words From The Wise

Submitted by Ann VanWert
By Scott Stowell,
Timberjay Newspaper
Sunday, July 22, 07

Putting a price on a good story is difficult business. But Nancy Scheibe of Ely, MN is trying to raise $19,000 to hear as many as she can.

The stories she seeks are not just any stories. They're the kind that "Grandmothers," women over 50-years-old, tell from the wisdom of their years. They're also ones the women might not normally be inclined to tell.

Scheibe is so intent on finding these stories that she and her friend Kitty Kennedy are paddling the Mississippi River - from top to bottom - to gather them.

Their paddling adventure won't happen all at once. One section is already done. In 2004, Scheibe completed the first leg of her run from the Mississippi's headwaters in Itasca County to Red Wing, Minn. She had another partner then too, Heather Jeske Pharr.

The trip's second leg picks up from Red Wing on September 4 this year and stretches 620 miles to St. Louis, Mo.

According to Scheibe, gatherings are what this expedition is all about. She establishes gathering points along the route for women to meet and share their stories. They start a "Sacred Peace Fire" for each storytelling occasion.

Scheibe said she can never know exactly who will show up. But the stories they collected on the first leg of the trip were life-changing.

The most striking attribute from many of the women was a lack of confidence in their own wisdom. Their stories often began with the phrase, "I don't have anything wise to say...," but then the women proceeded to tell jaw-dropping tales.

Scheibe feels the women of her generation and those before her were not encouraged to express their thoughts when they were growing up. Yet they have accumulated day-to-day wisdom that needs to be told.

However, she says our culture has worked hard at giving women a voice. As a result, younger women today are not so reserved about talking. Scheibe's goal is to create an environment for older women to speak.

Though all women are invited to attend, only the Grandmothers speak during a gathering. On the first leg, younger women were allowed to ask questions of the elders during just one of the gatherings.

Scheibe says people are surprised to discover the expenses involved with such a trip. Equipment, meals, lodging, transportation and a pre-paddling media blitz are all part of it.

Campsites on this leg of the trip are fewer and farther between than in the northern areas. Therefore, motels will add to their expenses. She also tries to raise enough money to cover work wages that she, Kennedy and their vehicle driver would otherwise earn during the trip.

Physical conditioning is another facet of their preparation. Scheibe says she goes to the gym roughly every other day and will soon begin training on the water. Her partner is already on the water every day.

Three fundraisers have been set so far. A garage sale in June raised over $1,500.

A live auction is scheduled for Sunday, July 22, at the Front Porch at 6 p.m. Horse saddles, Waterford crystal, Lennox pottery, landscaping consultation, fishing float-tubes, weekend vacations and an array of artworks are up for bidding.

"The Geezers vs. the Gals" bike race is slated for Saturday, July 28 at 2 p.m. Ely personalities Ray Nargis and Mike Hillman will take on a group of women in a race around Shagawa Lake. For $5, interested individuals can "buy a vote" for who they think will win. All money goes toward trip expenses. As of noon last Sunday, Team Geezer has yet to receive a vote.

Nargis came up with the fundraising idea. He boasts publicly that "the old and crafty will beat the young and exuberant." In reality, he admits the only way he can win is to bungee himself to one of the women's bikes and let them pull him around the lake.

Hillman says the event reminds him of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope on the road, only this trip is around Shagawa Lake.

"We're two funny guys surrounded by beautiful women," Hillman said. "I hope we raise money. It worked in the movies."

Women interested in paddling or camping with Scheibe and Kennedy can join in for a $25 fee. Individuals can also sponsor a day of paddling for $275 or make smaller donations for t-shirts and bandanas. Full details are available on their Web site at http://www.waterwomenwisdom.com/.

Scheibe anticipates that the second leg will be more successful than the last. More people know about it and more women will show up.

She added that paddling will be different because the nature of the river will change. Backwater nature won't be as dominant. Instead there will be barges and personal watercraft to deal with. Safety is an issue. With help from the Army Corps of Engineers, she determined that the best time for the trip is after Labor Day.

Scheibe's idea to travel down the Mississippi is a lot like the river itself. It became bigger as it went. She said when she ended the first leg of her trip she was really torn. She thought she was done. But then she looked down the remaining river and knew her journey couldn't just end in Red Wing. She had to go the entire way.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Steger Baffin Island Expedition Sends Global Warming Message To World

Submitted by Ann VanWert
Sunday, July 22,
By Steve Foss, Timberjay Newspaper

It's tough to track down Will Steger these days. Even as he's preparing to launch an expedition to Baffin Island early next month, he's been maintaining a breakneck pace, lecturing around the state to any group who will listen.

His topic is compelling, hard hitting.

Global climate change may already have doomed certain animal species, and unless it is halted soon, will turn humankinds's world on its ear.

Already, Arctic native peoples have reported their winter hunting season has been cut in half by warm winters and pack ice that melts so soon they can't effectively pursue game such as seals.

Mounting evidence over the last several years has convinced the vast majority in the scientific community that global warming's affects are here, and accelerating.

Steger, who has lived on his homestead outside Ely for decades, moved a little over a year ago to a houseboat on the Mississippi River in St. Paul to be closer to the center of his mission.

Steger was en-route to the Arctic on Wednesday when he phoned the Timberjay from Chicago. He said the mission of bringing Minnesota into the lead against global warming may not occupy the rest of his life, but the 62-year-old polar explorer said it'll take several hard years to turn the tide.

He said he'd seen direct evidence of global warming as long ago as the late 1980s, noting the beginning disintegration of the Antarctica ice cap.

"Morally, we see very real impacts on the human race. The Inuit hunting culture depends on Arctic ice," Steger has written. "The melting sea threatens to obliterate this culture.Once global warming is in your conscience," he said in the phone interview, "there's no avoiding it.

More Than Lectures
Steger is perhaps uniquely qualified for an ambassadorship against the greenhouse gases that have caused global warming.

He is most well known for the 1986 expedition he co-led with Paul Schurke that was the first documented unsupported dogsled expedition to the North Pole. And in 1990, he finished the first dogsled crossing of Antarctica, a 3,700-mile journey that went from ocean to ocean

He also holds bachelor's degrees in geology and biology and a master's degree in education.

The upcoming expedition is not Steger's first attempt to publicize global warming via expedition. In 2004, he and a team went to Nunavut for a dogsled journey, sending back updates to Steger's Web site about the issue and developing school curriculum so students around the world could share the experience.

Steger cut that expedition short because pack ice, melting early, made conditions unsafe to continue.

Baffin Island Or Bust
This time around, Steger will be joined from Ely by three others, and the four will meet up with four Inuit hunters to form a team that will travel 1,200 miles by dogsled, visiting Inuit villages along the way.

The expedition is one of three educational expeditions over the next two years planned by Steger as part of the Will Steger Foundation's Global Warming 101 initiative. In 2008, Steger and others plan an expedition to record how the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica has declined, and a 2009 expedition is planned to traverse Greenland in an 1,800-mile journey to document how global warming has affected the ice sheet and to discuss global warming threats and solutions.

Those three regions are key, Steger and other scientists believe, because global warming could start a chain reaction there with destructive consequences worldwide.

Curricular Effort
While Steger is the impetus for the Baffin Island expedition, it takes a lot of people to make it go.

Steger's companions from Ely will be John Stetson, who has known Steger for 20 years, and Outward Bound instructors Elizabeth Andre and Abby Fenton.

Each day, the group will post video, images, sounds and text on their Web site at www.globalwarm ing101.com. Those feeds will be available worldwide, and teachers in many schools will integrate the materials into their coursework, participating in the expedition through research and forums.

The expedition team's week-long stays at a succession of Inuit villages also will allow the team to listen to and document the Inuit experience with climate change.

Steger said such documentation will help drive home the message that the traditional Inuit way of life is unraveling.

John Huston, expedition base camp manager, said some Twin Cities schools have formed partnerships with the expedition, and that some students have traveled to Ely to volunteer at the Steger homestead. He said others may actually travel from the Twin Cities to Baffin Island on Earth Day in April to spend time with the team and Inuit people. Huston added that there also will be a documentary film produced.

Hectic But Happy!
Huston is the nexus of activity at the homestead these days.

The expedition group will get a big sendoff from Ely at the Mukluk Ball on Feb. 3 at the Ely Community Center and is expected to leave Ely for the Canadian north on Feb. 5 or 6.

Steger himself was traveling while Huston on Wednesday was deep into coordinating laying in supplies and final sled-building details with workers and carpenters at the homestead.

While Huston was busy with that, expedition members were out working with the dog teams in the surrounding woods.Huston said he and others had been working on expedition prep since about Nov. 1. He and Jim Paulson, along with Ely sled dog trainer Nancy Moundalexis, will form the core of a series of moving base camps on the expedition. There will be five such camps supplying the team.

Sitting in the homestead's kitchen after the lunch hour, Huston talked about how challenging it is to organize, particularly since there are a "multitude of changing conditions," he said.

It's clear that he relished the challenge.

Reason For Hope?
Steger said Wednesday that he believes the darkest days of the struggle to put global warming on the international media's radar have passed, noting that publications such as Time, Newsweek and the New York Times all recently ran major pieces on the issue within a week's time.

He has little hope that the U.S. government will be the primary force curtailing the spread of greenhouse gases.

The push, he said, will come from the marketplace.

"With our dependence on foreign oil," he said, "and the rising gas prices, people will demand cars that get 60 to 80 mpg and alternative fuels."

And while his hope is that global warming can be solved in time, it may be too late for some animal species.

"I'm not optimistic about species such as polar bears and walrus that depend on sea ice," he said Wednesday. "Extinction is the thing I have a hard time facing in my mind.

Contact Foss at (218) 365-3114 or ely@timberjay.com.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Different Faiths Unite In Historic Prayer Service

(Breaking News -
Emergency declared for Duck Valley Indian reservation

ELKO — Chairman of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe Chairman Kyle Prior declared a state of emergency this morning for the Duck Valley Indian Reservation as fires have burned over 240 power poles in the south Idaho and northern Nevada region, causing a power outage that has lasted six days.

The Tribe is helping its community members by supplying households with water, dry ice, cubed or block ice, propane, flashlights, batteries, battery-operated fans and generators for the elderly and those with medical needs. The tribal fire department is providing water to homes and filling bathtubs with water for sanitation facilities.

For contact information:
Sho-Pai Fire Sation
(775) 757-2373 - Ask For Brett Harris
Si Thomas - (775) 777-7739

Historic Prayer Service
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
July 16th, 2007
Gallup Independent

WINDOW ROCK -- Not since World War II has there been such united effort on the Navajo Nation to bring home America’s warriors.

But beginning Friday evening, (July 20th) Navajo traditional medicine men, members of the Native American Church, and those of the Christian faith unite near Wheatfields Lake in a historic prayer service, billed as the "First Annual Navajo Nation Day of Prayer for Our Active-Duty Warriors' Safe Return, for World-Wide Peace and an End to All Wars and Conflicts."

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan, and Navajo Chief Justice Herb Yazzie proclaimed July 21 a day of prayer for peace, the end of world-wide conflict and the return home of warriors.

At Wheatfields, that proclamation will be taken to heart. "We want to pray for these active-duty men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea -- all over the world," Native American Church member Raymond Jones of Rock Point said Sunday. "We want to pray for their safe return."

"Secondly, we'd like to put an end to this war and the conflicts that are going on right now -- Afghanistan, Iraq again, and then we keep hearing that North Korea is about to blow up. We'd like to put a stop to it," he said.

"We want to pray for the parents of those men and women that are over there. They're the ones that are suffering. The grandmothers, grandpas --they're glued to the TV, even though they don’t want to be. We want to pray for them also.

"The fourth thing we're going to pray is that maybe George Bush can have a change of mind and get his mind back on the right track and send those men and women back over here to the United States. We want to add on to what the Republicans, some of them, are telling him so it can happen."

Though those items will be the main focus, Jones said there also has been a special prayer request. "Somebody was saying, 'What about the conditions out there right now? We need to pray for rain.' We said, 'Yes, we can do that.'

"We understand, like in the NAC, nothing of this magnitude has happened except in World War II. Everybody joined up and they prayed -- NAC and traditional. Everybody prayed that the war would stop."

Jones believes, however, that there was no one thing that ended the war."The Navajo Code Talkers say, 'Our language put a stop to the war.' The atomic bomb stopped the war," he said, "but I think the prayers also helped. It was a combination of things."

And it is hoped that, that same winning combination once again can have an impact on world events.

Jones, who served as a member of the 19th Navajo Nation Council, said the Day of Prayer events begin Friday evening with a Protection Prayer ceremony conducted by the traditional medicine men.

"It's the type of prayer that was done back in World War II and Desert Storm. They don't want no audience, just themselves and a few people, that's it. But Saturday night, that's open to everybody. Everybody's in this together," he said.

"Apaches, Hopi, Zunis, Pueblos, Utes -- we want to invite all tribes andtribal veterans groups to participate."

Saturday's scheduled events begin at 1 p.m., 1/2 mile north of Wheatfields Lake alongside Highway N12.

"We kind of want to stay away from the regular political program. We don’t want no empty drums." Jones said.

Representatives of Navajo Nation Behavioral Health are expected to be onhand to offer counseling services for returning service men and women. "TheVeterans Office also is helping with that," he said. In addition, Behavioral Health plans to have available a portable sweat lodge for those who are interested.

"We will have dinner probably around 5 p.m. and then take them into the meeting. The next day, when they get out, there will be breakfast, and the main meal again Sunday afternoon around 11 a.m."

Donations are appreciated. "The Saturday evening meal we might have catered. Sunday, we kind of wanted the usual Navajo preference -- mutton stew, frybread, that kind of thing -- something greasy for the regular Navajos," he said, jokingly.

On Sunday morning, Christian worship services will begin at 9 a.m. "Some of them elected to have the services at their own churches," Jones said.

Active-duty men and women, their parents, families and relatives areespecially invited to attend and participate; and all veterans, Native andnon-Native, are encouraged to attend and extend their support and services. All community members, officials and supporters are more than welcome toattend and lend a helping hand, Jones said.

Families wanting to set up a teepee and conduct an NAC meeting for their loved ones are more than welcome to do so, he added.

For more information, contact Raymond Jones at (928) 349-7242.

The event is supported by the five agency commanders of the Navajo Nation within each agency. Jones is commander for Chinle Agency.

Prayer Service Wrap-Up!
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
July 24th, 2007
Gallup Independent

WHEATFIELDS -- Margaret Mead said it best: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Such was the case during this past weekend’s prayer service to bring America's service men and women back to U.S. soil. Traditional medicine men, members of Native American Church and those who follow Christianity joined prayers to end U.S. participation in the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts, and also to pray for much-needed rain.

Raymond Jones of Rock Point, who helped organize the event, said Monday that the turnout was small compared to what was expected, but those who showed up were sincere and dedicated, and all signs observed by NAC members indicate that their mission was accomplished.

They asked for rain and they got it -- by the bucketful -- which was a blessing but also probably a factor in the small turnout. And when the eagle whistle sounded at midnight, shooting stars streaked across the night sky.

"Everything pointed to it was good. Everybody was seeing things in the fire, the coals, the ashes. They said it was good," Jones said. "People felt better, especially the moms who had their sons in Iraq. They were really thankful that somebody thought of something like this."

The traditionals came out Friday evening, and the Christians, "they did their prayers at their own place on Sunday. We just kind of left it up to them," he said.

On Saturday, visitors from Fort Defiance, Dinnehotso, Oak Springs, Dilkon, Shiprock, Wheatfields, Rock Point, Lukachukai, and Tohatchi stopped by.

"A bunch of them brought their sons' pictures for blessing and prayer and to have them cedared off and fanned off. We did that and included them in our prayers," Jones said.

"We had one active-duty guy that had made two tours to Iraq. He was back and was on his way to Missouri, where he will be stationed. He spent the night in the teepee. He saw the flier in Gallup somewhere and made it over here. He had some stories.

"And then we also had a presence from the President's Office, T.C. Tso. He spent the night with us. Everybody was glad that the President's Office was sending somebody."

Out of 110 chapters, there were only a few represented, Jones said. "They were thankful for them, but for all the rest, they were saying, 'Where's the rest of the people?'" There were no local politicians, no delegates.

"We had three non-Natives from Nashville, Colorado. They said they saw it on the Internet, and it was something they wanted to see. If they can make it from Nashville, local people -- what's wrong with them?" he asked."Everybody yells, 'Veterans this, veterans that,' at election time, but whenthat's over, nothing."

About 50 people gathered inside the 28-foot teepee Saturday night, filling it to capacity. Others sat outside in chairs, and participated from that vantage point.

"A lot of the older people were saying that the fewer, the more effective the prayer meeting, rather than having a mixture of people that are just there for the good time and the drumming -- the fewer people, the more sincere and true at heart. They'd rather see that.

"They were really glad about the ones that showed up. They said, 'You are the ones that are concerned about the warriors, the veterans.' They'll beblessed double for making that effort," Jones said.

Afterward, some of those in attendance told Jones, "This might be a start, and it should grow." But, he told them, "Maybe this is the first and the last and there will be no need for another one."

In the long run, the answers to some prayers happen right then and there, he said. Some of them take a few days, a week, maybe a month.

"All you need is one meeting to pray for something to happen," he said.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Fire On Rez, Arizona Tribes Defy Congress, 'Native Voices', Open Letter To Alex White Plume, Coconino Forest Travel Plan

Breaking News - GRAVE NEWS FROM THE FIRE STRICKEN DUCK VALLEY INDIAN RESERVATION
There is a dire emergency at the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee Nevada.

It's a very isolated reservation on the Nevada/Idaho border. One of the many fires that have been burning out of control in the west devastated this little village and people are suffering without water and electricity for 5 day now with no relief in sight.

Food is going bad since there is no electricity since all the power poles are burned to a crisp. The elderly and the children are taking a direct hit as water supplies dwindle and food is in short supply.

Since there is no power the heat is taking its toll and there is human suffering since there has been no aid. If ever there was a time for The People to pull together it's now. So give these people a chance to survive in this blistering heat. Give them a call and see what you can do. (Contact info below).

These are our brothers and sisters who are literally baking in the hot Nevada sun. If nothing is done like soon, there will be fatalities as the elderly will soon expire from the heat and the lack of water.

This is a human tragedy in the making and they need help now. Do you think the feds will help them? Well it's been 5 days now and do the math. Lives will soon be lost if help does not get there soon.

Please, Please contact do your bit for our relations.....

Contact info: Shoshone-Paiute Tribes
Sho-Pai Fire Station
1935 FireLane PO Box 219 89832>
(775)757-2473
Ask for Brent Hunter, or you may contact me here in Elko,NV,
Si Thomas 775-777-7739

Arizona Tribes Defy Congress
It’s a red flag. A foreign mining company, Resolution Copper, is getting U. S. Congress to pass an act, so that the foreign company can mine public land that was set aside for its uniqueness by President Eisenhower in 1955.

As if that is not enough, the foreign mining company is trading that public land for private parcels--to change its status--from private--to private land. Doing so allows the foreign mining company to avoid the public process that is mandated under the National Environmental Policy Act. One questions why the mining company is spending millions on swapping lands when other foreign mining companies are grabbing up U.S. public lands for pennies on the dollar.

A coalition of six Arizona Native American tribes has tried to circumvent the Congressional Act, which only two Arizona Congress persons are sponsoring. The Congress men have sent a letter to President Bush requesting that he continue the special status accorded to Oak Flats by then President Eisenhower and to protect the historical site.

The problem is that when the white government gave the Native Americans reservations, they often did not include their traditional sacred places. Since the white man does not honor the spirits of the ancestors, nor does the white man respect the elders, we do not understand the significance of the Native American cultural sites.

However, we do honor our heroes: Little Big Horn, where Custer lost his life, is now a National Monument. So the Arizona tribes are wondering how white man justifies turning a traditional site in Native American history over to the mining industry to be desecrated?

The beginning story of Apache Leap is the usual scenario. Calvary troops were hunting down the Indians to incarcerate them. But the end of the story created heroes. Some 75 Apache warriors were cornered on a large rock ledge. Rather than surrender, the warriors leaped off the cliff to their deaths. This cliff has been named “Apache Leap.” One holds one’s breath when passing that route—knowing the price that 75 warriors paid for freedom. Incidentally, “Apache tears,” that is, chips of black obsidian, are found in the area.

There has been an element of betrayal since the onset of the project. The Nature Conservancy and National Audubon Society—and Arizona Representative Renzi— helped pick the private lands for Resolution Copper to buy and swap for prime public land. The worst of it is the plots of land are abandoned overgrazed ranches with no aesthetic value whatsoever. Whereas, the beauty of the public land is in plain view from Highway 60 as it winds along the chasm cut out by Queen Creek. Sycamores stud its rocky banks with craggy mountains as the backdrop. Oak Flat Campground and climbing areas will also be lost and Queen Creek could be dewatered.

Another red flag is that the company, Resolution Copper, has never done any actual mining. The company was formed by Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, both with questionable environmental records. Rio Tinto is the parent of Kennecott--the creator of the biggest sulfate plume in U.S. near Salt Lake. UT. BHP Billition has had so many complaints that even their stockholders are calling them to account.

Of course, the mantra of “jobs above all else” is touted by government officials, including Arizona Governor Napolitano, as an excuse for the destruction of the area. But they don’t have the facts. There are 700 mining job openings with a 25 mile radius. Another 500 jobs only 5 miles away at the new Carlota mine will be posted by the end of the year. According to Mayor Hing of nearby Superior, the populace, who are supposed to benefit economically from the mine, hope to promote tourism and get out of the boom and bust cycle of mining. Those few who are qualified for mining jobs are already working at a mine only six miles away.

An online petition to President Bush and Congress has been set up so that everyone can express their support: http://www.mining-law-reform.info/. It’s an opportunity to speak up for Native Americans and for public lands.

Nancy Freeman
http://www.savethesantacruzaquifer.info/
http://www.g-a-l.info/
520/207-6506
520/235-0256 (cell)
CONTACT:
Nancy Freeman
Groundwater Awareness League
520/207-6506
news@g-a-l.info
http://www.mining-law-reform.info/

"Native Voices On The Wind"
Mother Bobbie,
Thank you so much for posting our article about getting federal recognition for our tribe. We receive new signatures nearly every day!!! Thank YOU!

I have a question for you. I am working on a American Indian Historical documentary called “Journey Home”. Basically, I follow 5 boarding school surviviors "home" and document what happened to them through their letters and their descendants words.

In a nut shell, two of the principals in the doc changed the face of Indian law way back in the late 1800s and very early 1900s. If it wasn’t for them, native people today would not have the records or access to the courts like we do now.

I was the first person to crack the seal on the Society of American Indians micro film reel. It sat in that lib 37 years! This documentary is ground breaking but I am having trouble raising funds for the project.

NAPT (Native American Public Television) has given us substantial funding but I have to raise 100k more to get the documentary produced. I know there are a lot of invitational funding opportunities out there and I just wonder if you might like to run an article about my documentary to see if we can generate interests from funders? It would be such a waste and a great loss to all native people if this story is never told.

It shows both the dark side and the positive side of boarding schools and it documents a historical era that is rarely covered. We face it head on and listen to the words of those who were in boarding schools and also follow 2 native people as they formed the society and fought for our rights in Congress and the courts. We use their letters. their words. their history. They would be a wonderful role model for native youth today. I believe this story needs to be in the history books.

NAPT is going to distribute and stream the program also if I can get the rest of my funding.
Mother Kimberley

She is spearheading the petition drive for Federal Recognition For The Chickamauga Cherokee, Indian Creek Band. Sign the petition at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/476156032


Open Letter To Alex White Plume:
I am hoping this e-mail will be forwarded to Alex White Plume. I was so angry when I watched the PBS piece on the White Plume Family's efforts to grow Hemp, that I wrote to the Dakota Senators and Representatives and all of the Justices of the Supreme Court. I thought you might like a copy.

"The White Plume Family, American Indians of the Lakota tribe, should be allowed to grow Industrial Hemp on their own land. The Lakota's fit all of the qualifications for a sovereign Nation; they have the right to do what they want without government interference.

"Growing a non drug crop would lift the Lakota's out of a lifetime of poverty. There is 85% unemployment on their reservation. The White Plume Family has already demonstrated their ability to produce money making products such as string, from Hemp. If Marijuana is the issue, then draw up an agreement that is bolstered by heavy fines and jail time should the crop be abused.

"American Imports of hemp from Canada have made Canadians multimillionaires, yet the original American people are denied the same opportunity. It is unconscionable for the courts to once again deny the Lakota's case. The Lakota's are taking a stand for their treaty rights by bringing the hemp issue to congress.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE! Re-instate some integrity and humanity in government. A government supposedly, FOR the people and OF the people and BY the people. Right at least one of the wrongs perpetrated upon these people by finally honoring their treaty rights. Or have you forgotten your American History?"

Sincerely
Jane Valentine

Proposed Arizona Coconino National Forest Travel Management Plan
This draft plan is designed to regulate off-road vehicle use in the Coconino National Forest.

Here is what you can do to voice your opinions:

Attend A Forest Service Open House: Voice your concerns for conservation values.

Flagstaff: Tuesday, July 31, 5–8 pm, OR Saturday, August 4, 12–5 pm, Sinagua HS, 3950 E. Butler.
Happy Jack: Wednesday, August 1, 5–8 pm, Happy Jack Lodge, Lake Mary Road
Camp Verde: Thursday, August 2, 5–8 pm, Cliff Castle Casino
For more information go to:
www.endangeredearth.org/orv

Attend a Citizen's Open House: Receive information about the decision process, what is good and BAD about the forest's proposal, review maps of the proposed road system & where it would encroach on crucial wildlife habitat & damage watersheds. Then write effective comments to send to the Coconino.

Prescott: Wednesday, August 1, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Prescott College, San Juan Building, Second Floor, 370 Garden St. Prescott, AZ 86305
Refreshments Served

Flagstaff: Saturday, July 28, 11:00 – 12:30 pm
Flagstaff Federated Community Church, Rees Hall, 400 W. Aspen Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Enjoy a picnic lunch on the lawn under the shade of beautiful old trees.
There is no cost, but please register by contacting Liz Boussard at eab8@nau.edu or 928-527-3809 (Flagstaff)
or Sam Frank 928-717-6076 (Prescott).
We can also give you directions or other information.

Attend A Forest Service Open House: Voice your concerns for conservation values

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Kalyn Free Responds To 'Prez On The Rez' Setbacks - Part 2

When Indians Vote, America Wins!
There is absolutely no danger of me personally or INDN's List (the 527 partisan organization that recruits and trains Indian Democrats) forsaking the Democratic Party in response to our disappointment in the Big 3 declining to attend Prez on the Rez!

I will certainly evaluate very carefully my choice of candidate in the Democratic primary, but I remain committed as ever to putting a D in the White House in 2008. (Of course I write this in my capacity as an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee and not as President of the INDN's List Education Fund.)

I can tell you that only a Democrat who is respectful of Indian Country and truly cares about our issues will get my money, my heart and my efforts.

The candidates that have committed to participating in Prez on the Rez have taken an important step for Indian Country. Governor Bill Richardson, Representative Dennis Kucinich, and Senator Mike Gravel have each shown a willingness to up end a status quo that for too long has failed our First Americans.

By committing to this forum, these candidates have made it clear to our tribal leaders that they are serious about building a better future in Indian Country and a more inclusive politics for our democratic process.

We worked with both UNITE HERE and the presidential candidates to identify a solution that would work for all parties involved. I understand that in a fight between tribes and labor, labor wins every time - and I was determined not to force our candidates to make that choice.

So we offered UNITE HERE the opportunity to co-host the event, we were prepared to hold a tribes-labor summit at which these many differences could be aired, and - most importantly - we were offered to move the location to either of two acceptable labor friendly alternative venues.

Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama each knew that the "labor issue" had been resolved. Their refusal to participate, therefore, was simply a matter of priorities.

Despite the more than eight months we gave these candidates to make room in their schedules for Prez on the Rez, and despite the backing of key figures in Indian Country and the Democratic Party, the Big Three just didn't want to leave their Iowa bus trips for this unprecedented opportunity. They showed just where their priorities lie.

But, despite our disappointment, we are hopeful for the future and optimistic that Prez on the Rez has already had an important effect on our candidates.

In declining our invitation, the Big Three each felt compelled to publicize their efforts to reach out to the native community and promise real action to address our challenges. The scale has been truly unprecedented, and without the pressure placed on them by Prez on the Rez, would never have been realized.

Senator Clinton appointed Chairman Arlan Melendez of the Reno Sparks Indian Community a National Co-Chair of her campaign and the leader of the Nevada Native American Leadership Council, promising to mobilize Indians in the state's early caucuses.

Obama recently publicized the endorsement of former Congressman Brad Carson, a Cherokee, is circulating a"white paper" on Indian issues, and has met with the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

Never before have we seen such activity among our presidential candidates - particularly this early on - to win the support of Indian Country. It should have been logical to at least one of them that the best way to solidify support would have been in attending Prez on the Rez.

They failed that test, but we are proud to say that already we have had a direct and measurable impact on the presidential campaign. This bodes well for our efforts with the upcoming Native American Network (NAN) project, which will organize and mobilize Indian voters in key states during the presidential election, maximizing Indians' influence on the democratic process like never before.

Prez on the Rez is a crucial first step in a longer-term project to build political power for Indian Country, to change the fundamental political dynamic that excludes Indians from the process, and to make positive, lasting change for our Indian Nations. But it will take time.

The first attempts at organizing workers and the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement required building a consensus that change was needed, and Prez on the Rez has given us the opportunity to illustrate the extent of the changes we need.

Some tribes and some leaders benefit from the way things are, and are reluctant to see that change. But we must have a system that works for all Indians, not just those with resources, access, or a fortunate geographic location. Like the movements for workers' and civil rights, we will have to work steadily over the coming years to convince others that the only long-term solution is to give up the comfort of the status quo for the uncharted territory of transformative change.

NAN will build on the successes of Prez on the Rez and will make 2008 a milestone for Indian voters - so that in 2012 and 2016 our candidates understand that we demand more than white papers and photo opportunities.

We're disappointed in the Big Three, each of whom has promised bold, visionary leadership and a willingness to upend a national status quo that isn't working for Americans. Their failure to challenge a status quo that is failing our First Americans make us question that commitment, but we remain hopeful we can force lasting, meaningful change on Indian Country, on our leaders, and on our politics.

Thank you for your recognition of our work and your continued support.
Kalyn Free
INDN's List
http://www.indnslist.org/

Nevada and Reno-Sparks Leader Melendez Endorses Clinton
July 13, 2007.
Posted: July 13, 2007
by: Jerry Reynolds / Indian Country Today

WASHINGTON - A Native leader with a national profile has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, providing her campaign with an edge in the key early primary state of Nevada - sparsely populated and closely contested enough that the Indian vote could make the difference.

But Arlan Melendez, chairman of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, vice-president of the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada and a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, kept his eyes on the nationwide prize during an interview on the endorsement.

As national co-chair of the Clinton campaign, he said he'll work with other tribal leaders to put together an Indian issues platform for the 2008 elections. ''It's not just the president,'' he added, noting that Democratic candidates must increase the party's majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate in order to give a Hillary Clinton presidency a solid chance to enact much-needed pro-Native legislation.

As for Clinton herself, Melendez said no other candidate is as qualified to unite the nation while advancing diverse cultures, including the Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian cultures. She headed up a Democratic forum on Native issues in 2004, and Melendez expects the experience will stand her in good stead. ''She knows the issues already, and she'll hit the ground running.''

Melendez will press a Clinton presidency for reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, stymied for six years going on eight during the George W. Bush presidency. Between the diabetes epidemic and the methamphetamine plague, ''To our tribes that's the most important thing.''

As quoted in a media release he added, ''She has demonstrated her commitment to addressing the types of health care challenges facing our Native communities.''

But federal funding has been a problem for Indian programs, in part because the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have diverted federal revenues from domestic programs more or less across the board. Indeed, the day before Melendez went public with his endorsement of Clinton,

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, deplored the lack of resources for Indian needs, then noted that even as he spoke in committee, a $640 billion appropriation for military spending was under debate on the Senate floor. As a Democratic senator from New York, Hillary Clinton has not been a firebrand in confronting the Iraq war.

Melendez, a marine veteran of the Vietnam era, said that as president Clinton will without doubt scale back the U.S. military presence in Iraq and plow the revenue savings into domestic programs. She will also appoint a more favorable slate of federal officials than at present, Melendez said. ''If you don't have the leadership all the way down, Indians will not be served. I think some of the appointments she'll make will be helpful there.''

President Bill Clinton appointed some of the government's most effective champions for Indian country in recent memory, from Attorney General Janet Reno to Treasury Secretary Robert Reuben and Comptroller of the Currency Eugene Ludwig. And at the end of the day, candidate Clinton's husband is part of her attraction for Melendez and the Nevada tribes. The former president invited tribal leaders to the White House to meet with him and then First Lady Hillary Clinton, for starters, and in Nevada they've never forgotten it. Melendez said he's certain Hillary Clinton will follow suit if she's elected president - actually, he said ''when'' she's elected president.

For her part, Clinton stated in a media release that she is honored by Melendez's support and endorsement. ''Chairman Melendez is an outstanding national leader - a leading voice for Native Americans, and a dedicated advocate for a just and inclusive society at all levels.''

Proof of the latter has come during Melendez's tenure with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The commission recommended against the federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian governing entity; Melendez filed a dissenting opinion. For a faction of conservative Republican lawmakers, Native Hawaiians since have become a target for arguments against so-called ''special privileges'' based on race, Melendez related.

The perspective spills over into agency and executive branch attitudes toward tribes, he said, though in long-settled law tribal governments are a separate category from racial groups. ''We hear the overtones of that, even in the agencies, coming out of the Bush administration. ... If we [any federally recognized tribe] were coming up for recognition now, we would be treated like the Native Hawaiians.''

He said he hasn't spoken with Clinton about her position on Native Hawaiians, but is sure she'll be supportive.

In 1993, during Bill Clinton's presidency, Congress passed a resolution apologizing to Native Hawaiians for historical injustices.

Indian Leader's Endorsement May Sway Nevada Primary
Indian Country Today,
Posted: Jul 18, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Senator Hillary Clinton may gain an edge in Nevada’s early primary election with the endorsement of an influential Native American leader, reports Indian Country Today. Arlen Melendez, chair of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, announced that except for Sen. Clinton, no other leader could unite the nation while advancing diverse cultures.

The Indian vote will be pivotal in sparsely populated Nevada, where the early primary is expected to be closely contested, Indian Country Today reports. For Melendez, Sen. Clinton has demonstrated a steady commitment to issues important to the native community, such as health care.

In 2004 Clinton headed up a Democratic forum on Native issues and as president her husband appointed some of the government’s greatest champions of Indian causes, including Attorney General Janet Reno. ''She knows the issues already, and she'll hit the ground running,” he says.

Melendez will press a Clinton presidency to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which has been blocked by the Bush administration.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

'Prez On The Rez' Has Some Setbacks - Note Date On Part 1

A Union Is Accused Of Targeting A Presidential Debate Set For Morongo
By Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 24, 2007

Labor's fight to organize Indian casino workers in California spilled into the presidential campaign Wednesday when a Native American leader accused a union of trying to derail a Democratic forum envisioned for the Morongo Indian Reservation this summer.

The event's organizer said the union had pressured candidates to skip the debate because the tribe-owned casinos were strongly opposed to unionization. A union officer denied the accusation.

Only two presidential candidates — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel — have agreed to take part in the "Prez on the Rez" event planned for Aug. 23 at the Morongo casino-resort near Banning.

Kalyn Free of the Indigenous Democratic Network, which is sponsoring the debate, said candidates' failure to attend could determine who Native Americans supported and how much the deep-pocket tribes spent in the campaign.

"Tribal leaders are going to remember who came to 'Prez on the Rez' and, more importantly, who didn't," Free said.

In proposing a forum at Morongo, Free stepped into the middle of a years-long fight over efforts to organize casino workers. It comes as Morongo and four other Southern California tribes seek legislative approval to more than double the size of their casinos, an effort stalled in part because of labor opposition.

Free said the top candidates had not responded because of pressure by a union, Unite Here, which is trying to organize casino workers at Morongo and elsewhere. The union denies seeking a boycott.

"I'm aware," said Jack Gribbon, the union's California political director, "that there may be a Democratic presidential candidate or two who is concerned about the ongoing struggle in California over enforceable workers rights. However, to say that Unite Here has specifically asked that candidates not attend is not true."

The union is particularly influential in Nevada, where its Culinary Local 226 represents 60,000 casino workers. An endorsement by the union could be crucial for a Democrat seeking to win the Jan. 19 Nevada caucus.

Free, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a former Justice Department lawyer, is a member of the Democratic National Committee. She has been organizing the forum for a year, with help from the DNC."

The DNC and [Chairman] Howard Dean have been very supportive," said Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. But "it's up to each of the candidates' schedules whether they can make it."

Free's organization has an independent campaign committee that raised $410,653 for the 2006 campaign, including $35,000 from Morongo, its largest donor.

Though there are caps for individual donors, federal law does not impose aggregate caps on the amounts that tribes can donate to federal campaigns. Free said they could "give us millions and millions" to spend on the 2008 campaign.

Indian tribes have not been deeply involved in presidential politics, but they have donated heavily to national party organizations and congressional candidates.

Five California tribes with large casinos — Morongo, the Agua Caliente band in Palm Springs, the San Manuel tribe near San Bernardino, the Pechanga band near Temecula and the Viejas tribe east of San Diego — spent $4.6 million on federal campaigns last year.

Bill Richardson Speaks To Native Americans
July 18th, 2007
Bill Richardson, fresh from his diplomatic success in North Korea, is now the only Presidential Candidate of either party to actively work with Indian Country. He has agreed to participate in Prez on the Rez, the forum in Indian Country sponsored by the Indigenous Democratic Network
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, the first presidential candidate to commit to Prez on the Rez, recorded a brief message to the supporters of the INDN's List Education Fund and interested Indians throughout the country.

In his message, Governor Richardson outlines why he was eager to be the first candidate committed to Prez on the Rez and the importance of national leaders reaching out to Indian Country.

We expect the other presidential candidates to commit very soon. Of course, if they don't, it will send a strong message to all American Indians that the candidate in question might not be committed to changing the way Washington deals with Indian Country.

Meanwhile, Prez on the Rez continues to generate positive attention throughout Indian Country and newsmedia across the nation. The event merited coverage in the New York Times political blog, and has received extensive coverage in the Southern California region in which it will be held.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Recording And Preserving The Dakota Language

Submitted by Ann Van Wert
The Bismarck Tribune
By JEAN HOPFENSPERGER
McClatchy Newspapers

WELCH, Minn. - Dakota language teacher Wayne Wells pulled a chair next to tribal elder Curtis Campbell, who had settled into his favorite living room rocker to begin an unusual recording session.

Wells clutched a gray metal box called a "phraselator," an electronic interpreter first introduced in Iraq and Afghanistan for use by U.S. soldiers at military checkpoints and security zones. He handed a microphone to Campbell, and asked him to repeat - in Dakota - decidedly civilian phrases such as "I want some coffee."

Campbell responded, "Pezutasapa mak'u wo." And the words were added to a databank of hundreds of phrases and sentences stored in the device. Word by word, the effort is helping students at Prairie Island Indian Community preserve their fragile native language.

"There's only about two or three people here who speak Dakota fluently, so time is of the essence," said Wells, the language teacher at the community outside of Red Wing, Minn. "If the kids don't learn it now, there won't be anyone left who knows it."

Last year, the Prairie Island Community became one of more than 50 Indian communities nationwide to integrate phraselators into their arsenal of language preservation tools. The hand-held device resembles a small computer, with a monitor showing tabs for "weather," "family," "animals" and "Dakota virtues and values," among other subjects.

The phraselators aren't cheap: The cost of purchasing three of them, plus installing the software, and receiving training and technical support, was about $25,000, said Alan Childs, treasurer for the Prairie Island tribal council.

But the devices can be used for more than just basic translation, he said. They can also preserve traditional Dakota songs and stories, said Childs, who is a singer in the community.

Over the years, there have been other attempts to preserve the Dakota language, which now only has about 100 fluent speakers in four Indian communities in Minnesota, Childs said. It's still too soon to tell whether the phraselators are going to make a breakthrough, he said.

But a combination of a fancy high-tech tool and a dedicated teacher from the tribe could start making a difference, he said. "You start building the wheel," Childs said, "and eventually it will start turning."

Devils Lake Outlet Moving Water Again - But For How Long?
The Bismarck Tribune

DEVILS LAKE (AP) - The Devils Lake outlet is moving water again after repairs to a vandalized valve. The likelihood that it will have to be shut down again increases as the summer wears on, though not because of equipment problems, a state water official says.

The outlet was restarted Tuesday, after almost two weeks of repairs to fix a crack in its intake structure and the vandalism to the valve, Assistant State Engineer Todd Sando said Wednesday.

A state Health Department permit that governs the operation of the floodwater diversion project puts limits on how much the outlet can increase the sulfate level in the Sheyenne River.

Sulfates are minerals that occur naturally in soils and groundwater. High sulfate levels can give water a bitter taste and act as a laxative for people who drink it.

Sando said weather conditions in later summer, while boosting evaporation off the lake, also might lead to higher sulfate levels in the Sheyenne.

"The stream flows deteriorate and water quality kind of follows the same trend as the summer moves along," he said. "It gets hotter and gets less precipitation ... so our expectations aren't that great for later in the summer."

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

FEMA Trailers To Be Distributed To Tribes

Submitted by Ken Hughes
From Sho Ban News
WASHINGTON (AP) - Two-thousand mobile homes intended for hurricane victims but never used will be distributed to American Indian tribes across the nation, Sen. Tim Johnson said Friday.

The trailers, which are stored at Hope, Ark., and Texarkana, Texas, were to be used by victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Johnson, D-S.D., helped push a provision through Congress allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to transfer the trailers to another use.

"There is still much that needs to be done to improve Indian housing, but this is a good step toward addressing this serious problem,'' Johnson said in a statement.

The units are mainly three bedroom, furnished homes with an estimated 30-year life span.Tribes will be able to inspect the units next month and comment on the process for distribution. Then the Bureau of Indian Affairs will finalize the process and determine how many will be awarded to each tribe, Johnson's office said.

Land, Legacy, And Lynching: Building The Future In Black America
by MONICA DAVIS
A century ago, the segregated South had a deep secret--black farmers owned the majority of farmland in the region.

Then came the 1910 Census results along with an organized effort to drive black farmers off the land. Through lynching and intimidation, and predatory use of federal farm loan programs, hundreds of thousands of black farmers, 90% of African-American farmers, were driven from the land through a 60 year orgy of lynching, murder, intimidation and theft.

Many found refuge in factory towns and became middle class through factory work, especially in the auto industry. Others gathered in segregated ghettos in the nation's urban hell holes and continue to fuel the nation's prisons.

Many claim the goal of federal farm policy is to drive family farmers out of business in favor of corporate agri-businesses.

'Black Farmer Issue'
There's nothing confusing about the black farmer issue. Most of it relates to land theft and corruption. To understand the history and results of this atrocity, this new work by Monica Davis is a must read.

Land, Legacy and Lynching: Building the Future in Black America is a hard hitting expose of land theft and African American property loss in the US. The losses are trans-generational and are one reason young blacks always start out with little assets, no inheritance and two steps behind other ethnic groups.
Monica Davis
http://www.lulu.com/

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

First Nations Look To The Future - The Turnaround Has Begun

Submitted by Ann VanWert
By BRETT CLARKSON, SUN MEDIA
Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux was a native girl growing up in the '60s in Toronto.

The city was relatively multicultural and cosmopolitan even back then, but still, as an aboriginal, Wesley-Esquimaux faced her fair share of taunts. She was the only native in her high school.

One night, in her teens, she was at a house party with friends when some boys came to the door. "I remember one time answering a door, and I had a beer in my hand and one guy said to me, 'You really are an Indian, aren't you."

Wesley-Esquimaux knew what he was implying with his ignorant comment. But she had learned at an early age how to be resilient.

"I looked at the beer, and I said, 'Well so are they, because they're all drinking too!" she cracked, gesturing towards her white friends at the party. "But there was already that sense that native people are drinkers," she says.

Now 50, Wesley-Esquimaux is an assistant professor in the aboriginal studies department at the University of Toronto.

In her introduction to aboriginal studies course, she discusses an overview of aboriginal history in Canada, from the first contact with the Europeans, to the epidemics that wiped out about 90% of the continent's indigenous peoples, the fur trade, racist legislation like the Indian Act, policing issues, health issues, languages, spirituality, and current issues.

She says her students are often shocked by how little they knew about Canada's First Nations.

"People are interested," Wesley-Esquimaux says. "They just want to know. They were not told anything in public school. They want to know who are aboriginal people in Canada, why are we still talking about historical grievances, and what can we do to make it better."

And she says that yes, aboriginal society did struggle with drinking. It still does. The younger generations are starting to break free of the grip of alcoholism, but it's a long process, she says. The trauma of official discrimination and residential schools still casts a shadow on the older generations, she says.

But now more than ever, she believes there's hope for the younger generations. Wesley-Esquimaux views her life as a something of a metaphor, perhaps an inspiration, for what the youth can become.

Growing up in Toronto, she lived in a home wracked with alcoholism and abuse. Her parents were both survivors of the Shingwauk Indian Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie, and she attributes her stepfather's anger problems to a childhood robbed by the school, which he was forced to attend from age 4 to 16.

As for her own schooling, Wesley-Esquimaux remembers being the only brown face at the high schools she attended: Central Tech and Eastern Commerce. But she couldn't stay focused on her studies.

At 16 she dropped out and went to work at an insurance firm downtown for four years. At 20, she moved to Palm Springs, Calif., to live with the Agua Caliente Indians.

Back To School
While in the desert, she began to turn her life around. She worked with preventative medicine, then went back to school, getting her diploma from Palm Springs High.

She went on to college in California before moving to the University of Toronto, where she earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and sociology. She raised a family, and at 40, went back to the U of T for her master's, and ultimately, PhD in

Now, she lives on the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, an hour north of Toronto, a tight-knit community of about 200 people.

She says the First Nations community in Canada is evolving because of better access to education and resources, and also because the First Nations people have begun to hold their leadership to account more than ever.

With about 30,000 aboriginal students in some form of post-secondary education and about 500 aboriginal PhDs across the country, the community is beginning a turnaround from victimization to what Wesley-Esquimaux calls "victor-ization" -- victory over hundreds of years of oppression.

'Victor-ization'
The challenge for aboriginals, she says, is to view their resiliency, and their ability to survive throughout it all, as a galvanizing point, and a source of pride, for future generations.

She says the youth are better learning how to take ownership of their lives because they've been taught to understand what damage has been done to their community. They are able to put it in context. They are able to articulate their feelings. They've been taught to look forward, instead of backward, she says.

"Are we abandoning the idea that there were historic grievances, or that the residential schools happened, or that there are land-claim issues that are outstanding? No," Wesley-Esquimaux says. "Now we're just better able to articulate what we see, and how we'd like it resolved."

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

In Loving Memory Of Corbin Harney

Schedule of Visitation/Celebration and Burial
July 14 – 16, 2007
Newe Sogobe (Western Shoshone Homelands)

Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone Spiritual Leader
Schedule of Funeral Services
Press contact: Julie Ann Fishel, 775-744-2565 or 775-744-2537

Eulogy by Katherine Blossom, Western Shoshone: (Schedule below) Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone spiritual leader passed away on July 10, 2007. He was born in Bruno, Idaho on March 24, 1920. He was raised by his grandparents. Corbin traveled around the world and spoke out about global toxins, radiation and illness. He spent most of his life teaching people and healing many. He spoke to many highschools, grade schools, universities, youth correctional institutions and prisons.

Corbin is well known around the world for the work he did. Corbin founded Poo Ha Bah – meaning “Doctor Water” in Tecopa, California in the 1980’s, which is a unique native healing and prayer center.

A viewing will be in Lee, Nevada at Larson Bill’s residence on July 14th and 15th. Services will be on Monday, July 16th in Battle Mountain beginning with a sunrise ceremony at the Battle Mountain Indian Community park, followed by funeral services at 9 a.m. at the Battle Mountain Indian Community Administrative Building on 37 Mountain View Drive. Burial will be held at the graveside at the Battle Mountain City Cemetery at 10 a.m. A feast will follow at the Battle Mountain Indian Community Administrative Building.

Corbin Harney is descended from generations of Newe (Shoshone) traditional healers and was always grateful for the many extraordinary teachers who shared their knowledge in his lifetime. Corbin is survived by his daughter Reynaulda Taylor; granddaughters Ann Taylor and Nada Leno; grandsons Keith, Jon and Joel Leno and William Henry Taylor; seven great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and his sister Rosie Blossom’s family; John Harney and other Harney family members; and the family of Marge McDade and many cousins and other family members as well as many, many friends around the world. Corbin was preceded in death by his mother, father, sister, grandparents, uncle, great granddaughter, cousins, and friends.

A very special thanks to Patricia Davidson, Corbin’s caregiver in his final months; Dominic Daileda, Corbin’s friend and companion for his support and compassion in hard times, and the family of Dixie and Martin van der Kamp for opening up their home and their hearts to Corbin and his family and friends during his time of need.

Visitation:
Saturday, July 14th and Sunday, July 15th. Camp set up beginning Friday, July 13th.
So Ho Bee, Newe Sogobe (Lee, Nevada)
Home of Larson R. Bill
· · Sunrise ceremony to be held each morning.
· · Visitation in Tee Pee begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday through sunset on Sunday.
· · Camping style in Lee – Hotels available 20 minutes away in Elko, Nevada.
· · Food and other donations welcome.

Directions from Elko, Nevada – take 12th street south, turn left on Lamoille Canyon Highway to Spring Creek. Turn right at first stop light in Spring Creek – follow road approximately _______ miles to Lee turn off (on left – see tractor crossing sign). Follow road to Larson’s home (road will be marked with red/yellow/white/black ribbon flags).

Burial Services:
Monday, July 16th
Battle Mountain, Nevada

Schedule:
Sunrise (approximately) 6 a.m. – Sunrise ceremony at the Battle Mountain Indian Community (Mountain View Drive)
Directions:
From I-80 Eastbound – turn left at first Battle Mountain exit. Right turn immediately
after smokeshop/gas station. Ceremony held at park in center.
From I-80 Westbound – turn right at third Battle Mountain exit. Right turn
immediately after smokeshop/gas station. Ceremony held at park in center.

9 a.m. – Funeral services at Battle Mountain Administrative Building.

10 a.m. – Graveside services at Battle Mountain City Cemetery.

Meal served immediately after graveside services at Battle Mountain Indian Community Administrative offices. See directions above to the Battle Mountain Indian Community Take second right dirt road to large building. Door on left side of building.

Native Americans Celebrate Arizona Indian's 'Right To Vote' Day!
Submitted by Maria Weeg
mweeg@azdem.org

On June 26th Governor Napolitano issued a proclamation for Arizona's Native American Right to Vote Day to be celebrated this Sunday, July 15th. This day will honor the right to vote for Native Americans.

Voting rights for Native Americans had long been denied by our government. A ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court in 1928 further denied the right of Native Americans to vote here in Arizona. This ruling was overturned on July 15, 1948 ending years of injustice and beginning a new era of granting Native Americans with the voting rights that they had long deserved.

The Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation will be honoring Arizona's Native American voting history and the individuals who had the courage to bring justice to Arizona's Native American voters this Saturday.
What: Native American Right to Vote Day
When: Saturday July 14th 9 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Where: Ft. McDowell Parks and Recreation, 16402 N. Ft. McDowell Rd.

For further information, call Rory Majenty at 480-816-7162.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.

Gang Activity On The Rise

Indian Country Today
July 06, 2007.
Posted: July 06, 2007
by: Brian Daffron / Today correspondent

ANADARKO, Okla. - Many communities throughout the United States have the symptoms of suffering from ''gangster'' activity - cryptic graffiti on public buildings, a rise in juvenile crime and youth forming a ''family'' based around the wearing of similar colors of clothing.
Yet many still dismiss gang activity as either inner-city problems or as the actions of ''wannabe gangstas,'' without acknowledging the reality of gangs in smaller, more rural towns or in Indian communities.

One individual who has seen a rise in gang involvement in Native communities is Christopher Grant, a retired commander of the Rapid City, S.D.-area gang task force. Grant now works as a consultant to tribal communities on what he refers to as ''gangster mentality.'' Grant said the gangster mentality is ''much more prevalent than it was even five years ago and growing in many tribal communities,'' he said. ''Again, it depends on where you're located. There are tribal communities that still have very little or no gang activity, while others are struggling with it every day.''

The areas of Indian country most affected by gangs, according to Grant, mostly include the Midwest, Northwest and Southwest, with gang activity rising in the Northeast, Southeast ''and very definitely in Oklahoma,'' he said.

Grant said that the major community factors for those who join gangs include high degrees of poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, limited law enforcement and a denial that gangs exist. But the most important factor as to why young people join gangs is a lack of parental involvement.

''I always say that the great majority of people who are gang-involved are good people making bad choices for themselves,'' Grant said. ''Often, they're looking for a sense of belonging, acceptance, love and attention. The gang life offers that, but in a false way. Also in Indian country, many of the young people involved in gang activity are looking for a sense of identity. Many of them are disconnected from their traditional culture, and they're embracing instead the gang subculture.''

The most common ages in which youth join gangs range from 12 to 19, but younger and older members are not uncommon. One of the different individual factors as to how youth join gangs includes the influence of prison gangs, where an individual is sent to prison or a juvenile detention center and comes out with gang connections.

Another influence is from the media, which includes gangster rap music, television, motion pictures and interactive media. A third influence is what Grant refers to as ''urban influence,'' where a tribal member moves to a large urban area and returns to a tribal community as a gangster, bringing the gangster lifestyle back with him. A fourth influence is gang activity within individual families, where an older brother, sister or cousin is a gang member.

Signs that a family member is in a gang include unusual writings or symbols, unexplainable bodily injury such as when someone is initiated or ''jumped in'' as a gang member, a new hatred or fear of law enforcement, violent and anti-social attitude or the claiming of a gang name, clothing and body markings.

One Indian community that has seen a steady rise of gang involvement over the past two years is Anadarko, a city that is a part of seven overlapping tribal jurisdictions: Kiowa, Comanche, Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Fort Sill Apache, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Caddo and Western Delaware. One officer that has been observing the rise of gang activity in Anadarko is Sgt. Dwaine Miller of the Anadarko Police Department.

Miller has identified 10 - 20 groups or ''sets'' of gangs, with most of the current violent activity being from sets of ''Blood'' gang members. Miller said crimes that can be attributed to gang activity in Anadarko include home and auto burglaries and vandalism. But what is most disturbing is that out of five homicides in an 18-month period, three of them are gang-related.

Miller said that the Anadarko Police Department doesn't have the manpower to deal with gang activity on the level that's needed, with the understaffed force needing occasional assistance from the Caddo County Sheriff's Department and BIA police forces. One thing that Miller mentioned that would reduce the problem is for youth to have more things to do.

''There's nothing for anybody to do around here,'' Miller said. ''Kids have nothing to do but to go to a movie. That's about it, besides walk the streets and get in trouble. There's a skate park, and that keeps some of them busy. That's about it. Activities would go a long way. I don't think that's the answer - that's a start.''

One approach that is used by Caddo County Sheriff's Department and BIA police is education junior high school students through the nationally recognized GREAT program - Gang Resistance Education and Training. BIA officer and Comanche tribal member Kevin Pohawpatchoko is a lecturer within this program, where he teaches a 12-week course at Anadarko Middle School and the BIA Riverside Indian School.

According to Pohawpatchoko, gang activity in Anadarko is limited primarily to within its city limits, where gang-related crimes include baseball-bat assaults and drive-by shootings, with Anadarko's gang-related crime at its highest point during the weeklong American Indian Exposition in August. In addition to the youth within Anadarko, Pohawpatchoko also said that some of the students that come from other reservations to Riverside Indian School claim gang membership or association.

Out of the three law enforcement members that spoke with Indian Country Today, the consensus for combating gangs is a combination of family and community involvement.

''People don't want to admit there's a problem,'' Pohawpatchoko said. ''When it gets too far to where people are getting killed - drive-by shootings and stabbings - they're going to be turning around and looking for somewhere to point to. The problem's here. You've got to face up to it and you've got to meet it face-to-face and try to resolve this thing.

Community effort is the big thing. If it gets out of hand, we're going to be in prison ourselves. We'll be afraid to even go outside. Every house around here will have steel bars on it. That's how bad it's going to be. Communities have to face up to it and say, 'Yes we do have a problem, but we have to fight, and we can win.'''

Corbin Harney Dead At 87!
Press Contact: Julie Ann Fishel, Western Shoshone Defense Project
775-468-0230 or 775-397-1371 (wsdp@igc.org)
Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone Spiritual Leader Passes On
Public Statement by Corbin’s Immediate Family

July 10, 2007 (Turtle Island). Corbin Harney Spiritual Leader of the Western Shoshone Nation crossed over at 11:00 a.m. this morning in a house on a sacred mountain near Santa Rosa, CA (Turtle Island). He had dedicated his life to fighting the nuclear testing and dumping.

That battle claimed his life through cancer.

Before he passed, he said to remember:
“We are one people. We cannot separate ourselves now.
There are many good things to be done for our people and for the world.
It is important to let things be good. And it is important to teach the younger generation so that things are not lost.”

According to witnesses present, in the morning fog, the spirits of four Shoshoni dog soldiers were outside on horseback before Corbin’s passing. But then one of the Shoshone present, Santiago Lozada, yelled “Tosawi Tosawi!” (White Knife). And then the fog shifted and there were thousands of spirits waiting.

Corbin passed peacefully at the end. He was only worried that he still had more to do. When he finally let go and went with the dog soldiers, Red Wolf Pope, grandson of Rolling Thunder, was present and sang him the Tosawi death song to call the dog soldiers to come take him home. Golden eagles continue to circle the house hours after his crossing.”

True to form Corbin joked around several days ago that he was going to go at 11:00, and kept his promise.

Over his lifetime, Corbin traveled around the world as a speaker, healer and spiritual leader with a profound spiritual and environmental message for all. He received numerous national and international awards and spoke before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Corbin also authored two books: “The Way It Is: One Water, One Air, One Earth” (Blue Dolphin Publishing, 1995) and a forthcoming book, “The Nature Way”. Numerous documentaries have been made about his work and message.

In 1994, Corbin established the Shundahai Network to work with people and organizations to respond to spiritual and environmental concerns on nuclear issues. He also established Poo Ha Bah, a native healing center located in Tecopa Springs, California. He will be missed but always honored for his work and dedication to traditional ways.

Corbin Harney is descended from generations of Newe (Shoshone) traditional healers and was always grateful for the many extraordinary teachers who shared their knowledge in his lifetime. Corbin is survived by his daughter Reynaulda Taylor; granddaughters Ann Taylor and Nada Leno; grandsons Keith, Jon and Joel Leno and William Henry Taylor; seven great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and his sister Rosie Blossom’s family and many cousins and other family members as well as many, many friends around the world. Corbin was preceded in death by his mother, father, sister, grandparents, uncle, great granddaughter, cousins, and friends.

A very special thanks to Patricia Davidson, Corbin’s caregiver in his final months; Dominic Daileda, Corbin’s friend and companion for his support and compassion in hard times, and the family of Dixie and Martin van der Kamp for opening up their home and their hearts to Corbin and his family and friends during his time of need.

Dates and times for services are being made with official announcement to follow. Three day services are planned at the home of Larson R. Bill, So Ho Bee – Newe Sogobe (Lee, Nevada –Western Shoshone Territory) with burial services at Battle Mountain Indian Community, Battle Mountain Nevada.

Family contact information (non-media only):
Donations may be made either to the immediate family through:
Reynaulda Taylor
P.O. Box 397
Owyhee, Nevada 89832
775-757-2610 or 775-757-2064
annietaytay@yahoo.com

Or, to:
The Corbin Harney Way
6360 Sonoma Mtn. Rd.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

No other individual, organization or entity is authorized to receive donations on behalf of Corbin’s immediate family or Corbin Harney.
http://www.shundahai.org/Corbin_Harney.htm

Nunavut Celebrates 8th Birthday
CanWest News ServicePublished:
Tuesday, July 10, 2007

IQALUIT -- The lineup for muskox burgers stretched far around the corner of the legislature building. "Happy Nunavut Day everybody," a voice boomed over the loudspeaker

Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of the creation of Nunavut, which flowed from a massive land claim settled in 1993 between the Inuit and the federal government. Iqaluit, which used to be known as Frobisher Bay, was chosen as the capital in 1995 and that's where celebrations were centred yesterday.

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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, First Nation Recycling - July 10th, 2007

Unity Call For Workshops
UNITY: Journalists of Color is looking for ideas on workshops for the 2008 convention in Chicago.

Programming at UNITY '08 will be a mixture of skills-based and issue-based workshops. The organization is looking for thoughtful and insightful programming that reflects today's changing journalism industry.

Proposals should be targeted to a variety of skill ranges since UNITY attracts journalists of all skill and career levels. Consistent with UNITY's beliefs, proposed workshop panels should be diverse and reflective of the members served by UNITY alliance partners in race, gender and perspective.

Go to UNITY's Web site at http://www.unityjournalists.org/conventions/unity08/index.html and click "Call for proposals" to fill out the form and submit your workshop. An online submission form will be available on the UNITY Web site starting in mid-July.

The Programming Committee, co-chaired by NAJA member Margaret Holt, a senior editor at The Chicago Tribune, and National Association of Black Journalists member Leisa Richardson, assistant metor editor at The Indianapolis Star, will be meeting in the fall to select the workshops. UNITY will notify applicants of their decisions on a rolling basis starting on November 1, 2007.

Please direct all questions to the UNITY office at 703.854.3585 or
info@unityjournalists.org.


Director Hired For NAJA's Programs
NORMAN, OKLA. - July 5, 2007
The Native American Journalists Association has hired Michael Gawhega as NAJA's education director, a new position created to aid the organization in recruiting high school students to journalism and supporting the growing student population.

Gawhega (Otoe-Missouria), who is a NAJA scholarship recipient and a member since 1995, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism from Northeastern Oklahoma State University in Tahlequah. Gawhega has also been a participant in NAJA's television Student Projects.

"NAJA helped me get my graduate degree and I try to recruit for NAJA wherever I go," said Gawhega, former human resources manager for the Otoe Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma who also served as vice chairman of the tribe from 2000-03. "I'd like to do for other students what NAJA did for me."

Gawhega's experience also includes director of education programs at the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, photographer for KOTV-Channel 6 in Tulsa, photographer for The Cherokee Advocate, and reporter and editor for The Otoe-Missourian.

NAJA received a $153,000, two-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to pay for half of the education director's salary and begin research on the state of journalism programs in Oklahoma. The education director will then work with journalism educators and the American Society of Newspaper Editors to devise a curriculum for high school advisers wishing to implement journalism programs in their schools in Native communities. Gawhega's salary also will be supplemented with a grant from the Ford Foundation and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.

"This position is crucial to the implementation of NAJA's strategic plan and to our vision of growing the next generation of storytellers," said NAJA Board President Cristina Azocar (Upper Mattaponi).

NAJA fills the position at a time when high school and college students make up nearly half of the 23-year-old organization. NAJA has also created several new programs for students, including a tribal publication internship, a network internship with CBS and a high school broadcast camp, in addition to increasing its scholarship fund.

NAJA would also like to spark more interest among high school advisers in teaching journalism to Native American students. As part of the Knight grant, NAJA will develop two-day training sessions by partnering with journalism educators housed at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism, which are both based at the University of Oklahoma.
The NAJA board of directors also has recently approved a teacher/adviser membership rate at $25 annually.

NAJA will close its offices in Vermilion, S.D., on July 19 to move to its new headquarters:

Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Oklahoma
395 W. Lindsey
Norman, OK 73019-4201

Please view the NAJA Web site for updates on the opening of the new office in Oklahoma at www.naja.com.


First Nation News Brief From Damien Lee
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Recycling @ Powwow

The Anishinabek of the Gitchi Gami brought recycling to the Fort William First Nation annual traditional powwow for the first time.
Podcast: http://agg-podcasts.blogspot.com

Discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/Friends-of-AGG

With the help of our partner, ReCool Canada Inc., we were able to provide powwow-goers with the option to recycle - and people made the most of it! 75 kg of recyclable material was diverted from the waste stream. We also organized this mobile recycling depot for the 2007 National Aboriginal Day powwow, that took place the week previous (June 21, 2007).

The FWFN powwow took place June 30 - July 1, 2007, on Mt McKay on Fort William First Nation.

For more info, contact: ecostewards.fwfn@gmail.com

TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS 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.