Obama Endorsement - Solar Project = Electricity To Navajo Homes - Freezing To Death, One Elder At A Time - Indian Oriented Anti-Meth Posters

Breaking News - Obama Gets 'Native' Endorsement
Chairman and Vice Chairman of Tohono O’odham
Nation Endorse Barack Obama

Joint statement from The Honorable Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation and The Honorable Isidro B. Lopez, Vice Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation:
“With the many challenges facing the United States of America, both internally and abroad, the 2008 election is one of the most important in recent memory.

After closely reviewing each candidate’s platform and assessing their character, vision and track record, it is clear that Senator Barack Obama is the best choice to lead our country at this pivotal moment in our history.

We have had the opportunity to meet personally with Senator Obama to discuss his ideas and his vision. We are confident that an Obama administration will lead our country out of the era of partisan gridlock and into a new day, a day of cooperation and progress.

As president, Barack Obama will be uniquely able to unite all Americans to work together for the common good.

As Tribal leaders we have witnessed first-hand the recent attacks on Tribal sovereignty and the ongoing failure of the U.S. Government to honor its trust obligations as mandated under federal law.

Senator Obama understands these concerns and is committed to building stronger government-to-government relationships. Under an Obama administration, Native Americans will have a voice in the senior White House staff, not just in the BIA, and Tribal leaders will meet directly with the president once a year in a White House “Tribal G8” summit to develop a national Indian policy agenda.

Whether the issue is self-determination, health care, education, protection of Native cultures and languages, or combating the spread of methamphetamines in Tribal communities, Barack Obama is committed to working hand-in-hand with Native American communities to address our needs and aspirations.

We wholeheartedly support Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.”
Sean Smith
203-980-0177

Solar Project Brings Electricity To Navajo Homes
Submited by Monica Davis
SHIPROCK, (AP) — The drone of a small wind turbine is the only sound punctuating the stillness five miles south of Shiprock. A few houses dot the horizon, and an occasional car passes by on Navajo Route 36 — the only signs of civilization Denton Blueeyes sees from his home near Chaco Wash.

Blueeyes, 74, grew up on the Navajo Nation, and until two years ago, he never had electricity in his home.

"I've been living here for years and years," Blueeyes, who does not speak English, said through an interpreter. "We never had power or running water or heat."

On a clear day, the retired engineer for Navajo Engineering Construction Authority can see the power lines that serve a nearby community, but in the 30 years he's lived in his one-bedroom house, the promise of light and heat hadn't come closer than 2 miles.
Now, Blueeyes is one of about 350 residents to rent a renewable energy unit from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. At the cost of about $80 per month, Blueeyes and his wife can plug in a television and a lamp.

"I used to use kerosene lamps for light," Blueeyes said. "Now the lamps are packed away, and I don't have to take them out except in the barn."

The energy package includes a 10-foot solar panel and a wind turbine that together produce about 2 kilowatts per day — enough to power a small house or doublewide trailer, said Melvin Duncan, an electrician for NTUA's Shiprock District.

The unit uses natural energy to charge two car batteries, he said. As long as the batteries are charged, electricity flows into the house. Technicians maintain the units, adjusting the solar panels every season to accommodate the sun's changing position in the sky.
The unit relieves some third-world conditions faced by residents of the remote areas on the reservation, but there are limits, said Larry Ahasteen, an NTUA renewable energy specialist.

The batteries can take as long as eight hours to charge on a sunny day, and when they're drained to 20 percent capacity, the unit shuts off.

"It only powers a coffee pot in the morning, and maybe lights and the TV," he said. "We really stress to the families to be conservative and manage their load. It can't power a hair dryer, a range, a toaster or a water heater."

Customers can supplement the power with a gas-operated generator, Ahasteen said, but even with that, the unit falls short of some customers' expectations.

Blueeyes still hauls water for drinking and bathing and for his small herd of sheep. He still uses an outhouse perched 50 yards from the house and still heats his home with coal.

He's building a cistern next to the house, and he had hoped the solar and wind power would help pump the water inside.

"I would still have to haul water and put it into the tank, but I wanted the unit to pressurize it," he said. "I was told the power will not be enough. There are still limitations, and I have to realize that."

Even so, the unit provides a service that likely won't be available to remote areas in the near future since the cost to run a power line tops $30,000 per mile, said Herb Beyale, field superintendent in the Shiprock NTUA office.

Freezing To Death: One Elder At A Time
by Monica Davis
Cold weather threatens the elderly and very young, particularly in Native American reservations on the Great Plains. Houses often have no electric utilities, are poorly insulated and are often the scene of tragic deaths every winter because their residents can't afford wood fuel.

It’s cold on the prairie in the winter. Bone chilling, nose freezing, blistering cold. But, for those who have no heat, it’s killing cold.

Every year, people die in Indian Country—elders, too proud to ask for help, families too dysfunctional to get it together—somewhat like in Anytown, USA. There is a major difference on the rez, though, and that difference is poverty, the likes of which compares more with the Third World than any place we’d like to call the United States.

But, that is the reality, the reality on many of the nation’s Native American reservations, places which are home to hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom, particularly infants and elders are in danger of freezing to death.

One group is trying to alleviate some of the suffering, and, perhaps save a life or two, by delivering wood stoves to the rez. But, there’s a major problem. They don’t have the money to rent a truck large enough to haul the stoves to the reservation.

There is a lot of need in Indian Country. Despite the perception of outsiders, most Native American tribes are neither oil rich, nor casino wealthy. Many are desperately poor and, this winter, many of them are in danger of freezing to death.

The Link Center is one of several not-for-profit organizations operating on the rez. The following is from their website:
November 10, 2007 Temperatures on the Reservations are now routinely at or well-below freezing at night. To date, we have received 165 applications for heating assistance from the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, and Rosebud Lakota Reservations.

More applications are arriving every day and we expect to soon start receiving applications from the Crow Creek Lakota Reservation as well. Unfortunately, we have only been able to assist 28 of these families due to lack of funding. Please help the Elders. Please help those who are disabled. Please send your donations now!

For many on the reservation, freezing to death because of the lack of heat in the home is a distinct possibility, particularly for many Lakota who live in reservations in South Dakota. Weather is extreme on the Lakota Reservations of South Dakota. Severe winds are always a factor.

Winters bring bitter cold with temperatures averaging 9o (November through February) and often made worse with extreme wind-chill factors and record temperatures reaching -44 degrees below zero - F (1996).

Over 60% of the homes are severely sub-standard, many without running water or electricity. Tragically, Lakota have died from hypothermia due to inability to pay for heating.

The assistance organizations on the rez say the economy has taken a major toll in their fundraising. People who normally would give are themselves having trouble in this economy. And, like homeless shelters, food pantries and other assistance organizations around the nation, not for profit groups serving Native communities are reporting a drop in contributions.

It’s cold in many parts of the nation these days. For many on the reservation, cold is death, because they simply do not have the money to pay for wood, to buy coal or to pay the utility bill. Several organizations are trying to prevent these deaths, but, because of the extreme poverty on the rez, outside assistance is always needed.
http://www.linkcenterfoundation.org/

South Dakotan Offers Indian-Oriented Anti-Meth Posters
Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com

A South Dakotan who decided last year to make some posters discouraging the use of methamphetamine with an American Indian theme wants to let the Indian reservations in Montana know the posters are available.

“I wouldn’t go up and give a lecture from a podium,” said Lynn “Sota” Hart, a member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, “but I thought these posters might deliver a message.”

After reading a Havre Daily News article about a conference at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation that included kicking off a culturally based initiative to fight the use of meth and help in recovery, Hart decided to send information to Rocky Boy about the posters his business, No Xcuses None, has available.

He said he is producing the posters in association with the consulting firm Lamar Associates. Jonathan Windy Boy, a Montana representative and tribal council member at Rocky Boy, was in Billings Thursday working on setting up a Tribal, state and federal working group to implement the new intiative at Rocky Boy.

He said the work by Hart is commendable. “The good thing about it is that this issue is at the forefront because of the effects of it,” Windy Boy said in a telephone interview. “We’re all in this in the same boat.”

He said that as the Rocky Boy initiative progresses it may look at Hart’s posters, although Rocky Boy has some excellent artists that the Tribal initiative might use to make posters itself.

Helen Gilbert, a former state-certified chemical dependency counselor, has been helping Hart with his project. She said she knows the effects of meth first-hand — her daughter is a recovering addict. She said making posters and starting projects specifically relevant to Indian Country might help the battle against meth. “It’s not going to be a cure-all,” she said, “(but we need to use) whatever Indian people can identify with.”

Hart said he started working on the project last spring or early summer when he noticed that the posters he saw were all about the effects of meth — people with rotten teeth and bad Hair — but nothing specific to American Indian culture. “Nothing had an Indian motiff,” Hart said.

He and Gilbert started working on posters, with him using Adobe Photoshop to design the posters. He had started using Photoshop the winter before on some other projects, Gilbert added. “He just sat there in Photoshop all winter. He’s a quick study,” she said. “… You can teach an old cowboy some new tricks.” She said the posters should be effective in showing Indian youths the message against meth.

When she was a counselor, she said, she was always looking for material. “It certainly enhances whatever your campaign is. It’s relevant to reservation people, you just need to get the message out,” Gilbert said. “It devestates families; it devestates kids.”

Hart said he is not out to make money on the project, and is selling the posters essentially at cost. The six posters each cost $3 each, with free placement of an organization’s logo, with a minimum order of 50 posters.
On the Net: http://www.noxcusesnone/. com.

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Don't Take Language For Granted - Sorrow Felt For Vanishing Language

Don't Take Language For Granted
By Monica Davis
Language, culture and power are interconnected and the death of a culture's language is the death of the culture itself.

So often, we take all of them for granted, assuming that we will always be able to speak, communicate and discourse. But, that is not always true, not for those whose speech is impaired, or whose minds will no longer allow them to manipulate words, concepts, ideas and message. And it is most certainly not true of those whose memories are so terrible, that they burn in the telling.

All over the world, through the ravages of time, we are losing our elders, losing touch with our oral history, and slowly drifting away from the anchors of civilized culture. For many native people, those whose numbers are rapidly dwindling, this is a living death.

A Lakota friend of mine is engaged in an oral history project, which may well take her years to complete. She is chronicling the life experiences and oral traditions of several Lakota female elders on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

In Native cultures around the world, the elders are dying, and taking their native languages to the grave with them. People whose numbers once ranged into the millions are now down to a handful of native speakers, and, when those speakers die, so does the language of their respective cultures, along with the collected oral history of those who came before.

According to linguists, more than 7,000 languages will die over the next century, leaving a dangerous vacuum in the human body politic. For it is the language of the people which reflects its soul, and the cumulative soul of the human race is slowly disintegrating.

Our vibrant languages, tongues, which have a dozen words for ice, or lyrical languages that soothe the soul, even though the listener doesn't understand a word, are slowly fading into oblivion. With the disappearance of those languages, goes a piece of human history, which can never be recreated by human hands.

For all of our arrogance, for all of our hijacking of the word "civilization", western man is woefully ignorant of the language, folkways and history of the world in which he lives. Sadly, he parades his ignorance as superiority, and has spent centuries destroying other cultures, uncaring of the knowledge that was lost with his plundering, as have barbarians who long came before him.

Native American language and culture have been under assault for generations, particularly by federal policies in both the United States and Canada. From the mid-Nineteenth century until as late as 1975, hundreds of thousands of Native children were forced to attend distant 'residential schools' from the age or 4 or 5 to 16. And, in those ensuing years, they were forbidden to use their native tongue, forbidden to come home, forcibly separated from the culture, which birthed them.

Lawsuits have been filed over the alleged abuse, rape and murder, which reportedly took place in those schools, but, for those who survived, the separation from family, adults and culture took a hard toll.

Culture is passed from one generation to another, as is civilized behavior, socialization and language. Forcible assimilation, distant schooling at extremely young ages, in addition to the reported rape, beating and murder, which many residential school attendees say was endemic in both Canada and the United States, took a heavy toll on indigenous populations in North America.

Many people blame the madness in the 'residential schools' to much of the dysfunction in today's Native American and indigenous enclaves. Referring to alleged atrocities at the residential schools, William Combs told reporters, "I saw children being buried at the Catholic residential school in Kamloops. I saw a lot of kids die there. I'm upset the church has gotten away with murdering them." (Aboriginal survivors Press Release)

How many of the residential school students have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), due to their years of residence at these schools? How many generations of dysfunctional adults passed their own dysfunction on to their kids and communities?

Now, in addition to the cultural trauma of having children ripped from their cultures for six generations and placed in residential schools, indigenous communities are now dealing with the flip side of residential school's trans-generational byproduct-parents who have no parenting skills. Today, Native American children are grossly over-represented in the nation's foster care populations, as the below shown table enumerates.

In some states, Native American children represent as much as 51% of their representative state's foster care population, while comprising no more than 20% of any one state's population. In one state, Native American children make up 10% of the state's foster care population, while only comprising 1% of the state's general population. (Press Release, American Indian Children Overrepresented in Nation's Foster Care System)

The report, titled Time for Reform: A Matter of Justice for American Indian and Alaskan Native Children, found that nationally, American Indian and Alaskan Native children were reported to the state and found to be victims of child abuse and neglect at the rate of 16.5 per 1,000 American Indian and Alaskan Native children.

This rate compares to 19.5 for African American children, 16.1 for Pacific Islander children, 10.8 for White children, and 10.7 for Hispanic children. Native American children are more likely than children of other races/ethnicities to be identified as victims of neglect (65.5%), and they are least likely to be identified as victims of physical abuse (7.3%). (Ibid)

Referring to the monies awarded former residents of these residential schools through a class action lawsuit, one angry woman told fellow bloggers that there was no way for the mainstream religious organizations which perpetrated savageries in the residential school to ever buy their way out of the atrocities. For her, what happened in those schools was perpetrated by monsters, pure and simple. Unfortunately, those deeds of those monsters still lives in the form of the dysfunctional adults, the damaged minds, and the broken souls they left in their wake.

Left behind are a people with an over representation of child neglect, substance abuse and mental anguish, mind pain that is so powerful, even drugs and alcohol can not hold the memories at bay. The old ways, the language, the ties that bind people together as a culture and community have been under assault for two centuries.

Even more telling about the destruction of a culture is the casual rape perpetrated by males of the so-called dominant culture. Forcible assimilation through kidnapping and residential instruction and deculturalization of a culture's children is only one step in the process of destroying a people. Add sexual attack, rape and dehumanization to the mix, and you have yet another tier.

There is a Lakota saying, "A people are not defeated until the hearts of its women are on the ground." In times gone by-and still occurring in some communities, raping a woman of color was a right of passage, or a proof of manhood for white males. Even today, according to recent case studies, "U.S. indigenous women face 3.5 times the average rate of rape in the U.S. Some 82% of assailants are white men."

The Delaney sisters, African American twins who lived well past 100 years of age, related how black families had to keep their female children out of harms way, or, rather out of the way of potential white rapists. Because it didn't take much for a black man to get lynched in those days, blacks practiced prevention-they kept their daughters as far away from white men as they could, because their fathers were in no position to defend their helpless kin. (Sadie and Bessie Delaney, Having Our Say)

When the last native speaker of these cultures dies, there will be no one left to sing the songs, tell the stories and pass on their legacies. There will be no elders to pass their wisdom on to the next generation. If some have their way, there will be no next generation.

Sorrow Is Felt For A Vanishing Language
By S.E. RUCKMAN - World Staff Writer
I look for stories that are one-of-a-kind.

In covering American Indian affairs, I traveled more than 100 miles into Adair County to find a happily married couple amid feuding tribes.

There's the time I waded waist-deep into a creek alongside a Cherokee gig fisher. He armed me with refashioned bed springs attached to a wooden spear. I caught two crawfish that day.

In another, I watched Choctaw farmers toss mountains of surplus hay onto trucks destined for Navajo country during a drought.

I even balanced a Comanche woman in full regalia off the side of Mount Scott near Lawton during strong winds. Those were notable assignment memories.

The Last Speaker: But those do not top the last fluent speaker of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. She was a true monument. This lady belonged to the same tribe I was from, but she was not related to me.

I ventured to southwestern Oklahoma with a pioneering spirit. Half of the journey was, well, the journey. It took us three hours to reach the small patch of federal trust land that housed the tribal complex.

We soon found the last speaker of the Wichitas sitting in a small prefab building where she had just made egg sandwiches for tribal employees. The sunlight poured through the blackjack trees that fall day.

She was an elder, meaning she attained that status by having a long life. Dressed in an apron much like my grandma used to wear, her voice rang clear as a bell. Something began to work in me.

I would ask a question, but I heard something besides the answers. Like a faraway radio station one can get only in certain conditions, I picked up a signal on my internal frequency.

I wrote the story, but the low humming inside me was rising. I can speak a smattering of my language and sing our hymns, and I know basics like counting, but I will never be fluent.

It dawned on me that I was feeling grief. The feeling was both tangible and empty.

Defined, grief is a cause of keen distress or sorrow from loss. Bingo.

The story was not happening to some third party that I would leave in my rear view mirror. Doris Lamar, the last fluent Wichita speaker, belonged to me and every one of our 2,300 tribal members.

I interviewed her in the same kitchen used by our tribe for various events. My own family had cooked breakfast there for a visiting tribe a few years ago to honor my late grandfather.

This elder had sat under the same grass arbor I used during our annual powwows in summers past. She had kinfolk listed on the tribal veterans memorial right beside my family members' names.

A Different Kind Of Ownership:For me, it was ownership of a story that I had never encountered. I knew I would carry it with me a long time.

After the story ran, I went to a dinner where female tribal leaders were honored at a banquet. One of the female recipients complimented me on the last speaker story. It resonated with her because she tried hard to maintain her traditions, including language.

I thanked her with a smile but felt a tug in my heart. The story left me with mixed feelings. I was glad for the assignment, but not for the realization that tribal languages are slowly being depleted. My own tribe would soon have no more fluent speakers. Like it or not, I was a part of this story.

And it had nothing to do with the byline.

S.E. Ruckman
se.ruckman@tulsaworld.com
By S.E. RUCKMAN World Staff Writer

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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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Zah Supports Clinton - Native Unity Updates - Obama And Super Tuesday - Hillary's Remarks To The NCAI

Breaking News
Phoenix, AZ - Former Chairman and President of the Navajo Nation, Peterson Zah, announced today that he will be supporting Senator Hillary Clinton for President."Senator Clinton is a leader who has the experience to turn this country around," said President Zah.

"She has proposed an economic stimulus plan aimed to help the Navajo Nation and across America by taking steps to stop predatory lenders, provide tax relief for families and create new good paying jobs. She will work to strengthen all communities, including Native Americans - all of our voices will be heard."

Zah and his family attended Clinton’s visit to Caesar Chavez High School in Laveen, AZ this past Tuesday evening. He said he was interested to see and hear her on the issues. After the rally, Senator Clinton talked and met with Arizona residents including President Zah."I am impressed with her commitment to addressing the serious challenges facing Native American communities.

She is clearly dedicated to honoring Tribal Sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship between tribes and the federal government, appointing Native Americans to key positions in her administration, improving health care, housing, and support of Indian education issues," said Zah.

"Hillary has experience moving legislation and being effective. Throughout her years as First Lady, in the Senate, and as a candidate for President, she has reached out to the Native American Community, and her detailed, comprehensive Native American agenda reflects her deep understanding of our challenges and her appreciation of our cultures."

President Zah previously worked with Senator Clinton when she was involved in the Legal Aid Services Program in the 1970’s. After becoming president, Bill Clinton attended a meeting in Shiprock, NM focused on eliminating the digital divide where he addressed more than 10,000 Navajos outside the Boys and Girls Club on the Navajo Nation.

Hillary visited the Navajo Nation during the Navajo Nation Fair of September 1992. The trip included cultural events and a ride in the annual fair parade. "President Zah has an incredible record of working on behalf of Navajo Nation, and I am honored to have his support," said Senator Clinton.

"Unfortunately, President Bush’s fiscal policies have left many Navajos with a crushing financial burden. As President, I am committed to a government-to-government relationship with the Navajo Nation, and I will work with President Zah and other Tribal leaders throughout Indian Country so that our first Nations and the country as a whole will have a brighter and more prosperous future."

Native Unity Updates
Nicole Nelson, the Native lady with aplastic anemia, will be interviewed by Dr. OZ on the Oprah & Friends show on XM Satellite Radio on Channel 156, Friday, February 1st..

Great News For Nicole
Would like to thank you for posting this to your website. I am a Native American woman from upstate NY, now registering with hopes that I may be a match for Nicole Nelson. If not maybe another native in the registry. This is great that you post this type of thing!!! THANKS

Kerry L. Jacobs
Housing Services Specialist
Akwesasne, NY 13655

Jeanne Has A New Venture
Dr. Jeanne Bedell, Phd – native activist, actress, writer, has a new venture – music - here is the site:
http://www.myspace.com/jiiniikwe

Indian Country Could Back Obama On Super Tuesday
Submitted by Monica Davis
New America Media, News Analysis, Ketaki Gokhale, Posted: Jan 24, 2008

Editor's Note: Barack Obama is doing well with Native American voters, but - perhaps more significantly - the exciting race is having an empowering effect on Native communities across the country. Ketaki Gokhale is an editor with New America Media.

Barack Obama is big in Indian Country, even though he’s done everything wrong.

He hasn’t attended the annual National Congress of American Indians meet, or rolled out a comprehensive Native American agenda, or even addressed the rumors of his own Native heritage—but he has still, somehow, managed to capture the imagination of Indian Country, say Native American commentators and community activists.

Whether that wave of goodwill is enough to carry him to “Super Tuesday” primary victories in the states of Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Arizona, remains to be seen.

“Obama represents a break from the old—something fresh and new,” says Paul DeMain, managing editor of the Northern Wisconsin-based newspaper News from Indian Country. “Native people are looking at him as someone who can empathize with other people of color.”

DeMain has a hunch that those coming out in support of Obama are the young and the highly educated. The younger generation is trying to define itself in new political terms, he explains. “When I looked at who’s on his list, I saw lots of family names I recognized,” he says. For example, the daughter of LaDonna Harris, an outspoken Comanche leader who donated to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign last year, is now involved with the Obama campaign, says DeMain.

Over in Nebraska, Kevin Abourezk, a reporter with the Lincoln Journal Star and a prominent Native affairs blogger, agrees. “Obama is appealing to younger voters across the ethnic spectrum. He’s just exciting, and he harkens back to people like John F. Kennedy.”

DeMain has been watching the polls on his newspaper’s website for the past few months, and has seen a recent spike in the number of people selecting Obama as their preferred Democratic Party candidate.

Over 140 readers have weighed in on the candidates since the poll was launched, and Obama has captured the lead with 30 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton has 22.1 percent of the vote. But a significant portion of Indian Country, DeMain says, remains uncommitted.

Among Republican-leaning Native Americans, who experts say are in the minority, Sen. John McCain is a perennial favorite. He was the only candidate to attend the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) convention in the 2000 election and has proved that he has a firm grasp on Native issues from the many years he’s served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

Hillary Clinton is the default choice for many, as over 30 tribal leaders—most of them women—paid homage to former President Bill Clinton’s Native-friendly agenda and policies, by endorsing her campaign early in the race. “The fact is, many people trust that Hillary will do the right thing; they see her as part of the old guard,” DeMain says.

Bill Clinton created a much-touted tribal government liaison position in the White House during his presidency, which President George W. Bush later eliminated, and Hillary Clinton, in her address at the NCAI convention last November, vowed to resurrect the post.

The very fact that she made a telecast appearance at the NCAI meet last year, when none of the other White House aspirants did, made Native Americans sit up and take notice, Abourezk explains.

Last September, Obama met with Eastern Band of Cherokee leaders and won the support of several members, but Sundust Martinez, of the San Jose, Calif.-based Native Voice TV, says that Obama needs to meet with more groups and come up with a clear Indian Country agenda.

“There’s just nothing out there,” he says. “[Obama] hasn’t really taken a stance on a lot of issues.” Every Native American nation has its own treaties and policies with the government, he explains, and Obama needs to address the specific interests of many tribes, rather than meeting with just one, or speaking broadly about Indian issues.

“Most people have seemed more supportive of Hillary,” Abourezk concedes, “but it’s not a cut and dried issue. There are a lot of Native people who want to believe in Obama.” Many in Indian Country are testing the national winds, to see if Obama has what it takes to be a viable candidate in the general election. “They want to be on the winning side of this,” Abourzek says.

A recent column in Indian Country Today, however, argued that Obama is reaching out to Native Americans, and that he is the only candidate to have a page on his website dedicated to his Native American supporters. The site, First Americans for Obama, includes a post on a bill Obama cosponsored last year that aims to improve the Indian Health Service, a federal program that operates medical clinics and hospitals on Indian reservations.

The close race between Clinton and Obama—they’ve beaten each other by mere percentage points in the Iowa and New Hampshire—has, according to several observers, had an empowering effect on Native communities across the country.

In states like Alaska, where 16 percent of the population is Native Alaskan, New Mexico, where 10.2 percent of the population is Native, and Oklahoma, where is 8.1 percent of the population is Native, the way Indian Country votes, if it votes as a bloc, could influence the Democratic Party pick for a presidential nominee.

Compounding the political strength of Indian Country is the strong Democratic streak that runs through it. Denny McAuliffe, a University of Montana journalism professor and the director of Reznet, an online journalism program for Native American college students, says South Dakota, which won’t hold its Democratic primary until June 3, is a state in which Natives have a real shot at swaying the election.

He recalls another close contest—the 2002 congressional face-off between the Democratic incumbent Rep. Tim Johnson and John Thune, in which Johnson won by 524 votes, because of late returns from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Over 90 percent of the votes cast there were for the Democrat.

“The balance of power rests in their hands,” DeMain says. “In Northern Wisconsin, we know that we can impact the presidential candidate. It’s a good position to be in politically."

Flexing its newfound muscle, the Navajo Nation has for the first time called on its members to participate in the Feb. 5 primaries. “I’ve never see that before,” DeMain notes. “There’s been a lot of get-out-the-vote efforts made in the past, but this is the first time I’ve seen people encouraging their people to participate in the primary process.”


November 13, 2007
Hillary 's Remarks To The National Congress Of American Indians National Convention
Hello everyone. I am so sorry I can not be with you in person today. But I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk with you via satellite on the first day of your 64th annual convention.

I especially want to thank Joe Garcia and the Executive Board for their outstanding leadership. And I'd like to recognize Arlan Melendez, one of my campaign co-chairs, and Melanie Benjamin, for their tremendous support and friendship.

Finally, I want to honor all of you gathered here today for your leadership and service in your nations -- and for your contributions to our shared future. Your commitment to our environment, to the ties of family and community that bind us to each other, to making decisions based not on just their impact today -- but on generations to come -- is important for all of us to remember.

Unfortunately, the United States has not always honored its obligations to Native Americans -- and Indian Country still feels the effects every single day. During the past seven years, the situation has only gotten worse. We've seen funding cuts and failures to honor tribal sovereignty. President Bush has discontinued the tribal government liaison position within the White House and Intergovernmental Affairs Office -- a position started by my husband. Five of the eight U.S. Attorneys fired by Attorney General Gonzales were leaders in prosecuting violence on Indian lands.

Well, I believe it's time for a new beginning. It's time for our government to work together as partners again, like we used to. I'm proud of what we accomplished together during the 1990s.

I was honored to visit reservations during my time as First Lady and to work with tribal leaders to support my husband's initiative to train and fund 1,000 new Native American teachers. And as President, I will restore that partnership and renew our shared mission to lift up our families and build the future our children and grandchildren and future generations deserve.

I will start by fully supporting tribal sovereignty and honoring the government to government relationship between tribes and the federal government -- not just with talk, but with action. I'll sign an Executive Order that commits our government to regular and meaningful collaboration with tribal governments. And I will always honor our federal trust responsibility -- it's not just a law, it is a fundamental moral obligation, nothing less.

Second, as President, I will appoint Native Americans to key positions throughout the federal government. I'll restore the senior position in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. This person will serve as my liaison to Native American communities. And I'll work to appoint Native American judges and others who truly understand tribal sovereignty and respect the needs of Native communities.

Third, improving healthcare in Indian Country will be at the top of my national agenda. It is unacceptable that the average life expectancy for American Indians is nearly five years less than the rest of the population. It is unacceptable that Native Americans are more than four times as likely to die from diabetes and more than 50% more likely to die from pneumonia or influenza. It is unacceptable that while the federal government spends nearly $6,000 for each Medicare recipient -- it spends only $2,000 per person for Indian Health Service medical care.

I was proud to co-sponsor the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendment. This bill will expand coverage for qualified Native Americans in the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a program I helped to create as First Lady. It will also elevate the Indian Health Services Director to the Assistant secretary level.

When I'm President, Indian healthcare will be a national priority along with quality, affordable care for every single Native American family. I won't rest until I get it done.

Fourth, I will work every day to ensure that every child in Indian Country has the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential. I'll start right at the beginning, by increasing funding for the Indian Head Start program. A National Geographic study from last September revealed that tribal languages are the most vulnerable to extinction in the entire world. That's one of the many reasons why Head Start is critical. It provides a foundation for the continuation of native languages and support for tribal cultures. In fact, more than 80 different languages are spoken in Indian Head Start programs.

I've also proposed universal pre-Kindergarten for all Native American children, because studies show that providing four-year olds with a high-quality early education leads to higher achievement and graduation rates and higher-earning jobs.

I'll increase support for Tribal Colleges and institutions serving Native American students. These institutions play a critical role, providing culturally-relevant teaching, community outreach, and research services to tribal communities. So it's time the federal government gave them the resources they deserve.

Fifth, as President, I'll work to improve housing for Native American families. Today, roughly 90,000 Native American families are homeless or under-housed, and an estimated 200,000 housing units are needed immediately in Indian Country. So when I'm President, we'll invest in building and rehabilitating affordable housing on Indian lands. That means both increasing funding for the Native American Housing Block Grant and modernizing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act.

Sixth, I'll work to support energy efficient development in Indian Country. I fully support the rights of tribal governments to shape their own environmental policies. I'll support your efforts by creating and expanding federal-tribal partnerships to promote solar, wind, and other renewable sources of energy.

As part of a national weatherization initiative, I'll work to weatherize every low-income home in Indian country. Last winter, the average fuel bill for our families was nearly $900 -- it's expected to jump to $1,000 this winter. So weatherizing homes is a win-win proposition: good for the environment and for our budgets.

Seventh, we need a renewed focus on law enforcement efforts on Native lands. It's simply outrageous that when American Indians are twice as likely to be victims of violent crimes, there are fewer than half as many police on tribal lands as non-tribal lands. And with the methamphetamine crisis affecting so many communities, the need for law enforcement resources in Indian Country is greater than ever.

I'll start by improving the collection of data on crime in Indian country. We can't truly fix the problem unless we truly understand it. I'll also make the investments we need to step up law enforcement in Indian Country and promote state-tribal cooperative agreements to reduce crime and keep our families safe.

Finally, on this observation of Veterans Day, I want you to know that as President, I will stand up for our veterans every day. As you know, Native Americans have one of the highest rates of service of any group in America. At the end of the twentieth century, we had nearly 200,000 Native American veterans in America. I believe one of the most fundamental obligations of the next President is to keep faith with these veterans -- to provide the healthcare and benefits they've earned and the respect and gratitude they deserve. So I'll fully fund the VA, I'll cut the red tape, I'll create a new GI Bill for a new generation of veterans. I will never back down and never stop fighting for those who fought for us.

In closing, I want again to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today -- it means a great deal to me. And I urge you to do everything you can to make your voices heard in this election. Your votes can make the difference in electing a President who is a true partner with Indian Country. If you give me the honor of being elected, I will be that partner.
Thank you all very much.
Click here to read Hillary's Native American agenda.

FYI - I am a registered Democrat BUT have not made my choice, as yet, as to whom I am going to support for the presidency - Bobbie

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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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

FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.

Jan. 25th NAJA & NAPT News And Opportunities

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE SIDNEY HILLMAN FOUNDATION JOURNALISM AWARDS DUE JANUARY 31 -
Annual awards honor journalism that highlights issues of social and economic justice (New York, NY) - The Sidney Hillman Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2008 Sidney Hillman Foundation Journalism Awards, honoring journalism that explores the issues of social and economic justice. The deadline is January 31st.

The award categories for 2008 will include Books (non-fiction), Newspaper Reporting, Magazine Reporting, Broadcast Reporting (television and radio), Photojournalism, and Blogs.The 2008 awards are given for work produced, published or exhibited in 2007.

Editors, photo editors, producers, reporters and authors are urged to submit nominations immediately. Submissions must be postmarked by January 31, 2008

There is no submission fee or form. A cover letter and three copies of the nominated material are the only requirements. For photojournalism color or black and white photocopies are acceptable.

Winners will be announced at an award ceremony in May 2008. Each winner is awarded travel to New York City to receive a statuette and a $5,000 prize. The 2007 ceremony celebrated the activist work of Danny Glover and HarryBelafonte.

Submissions will be judged by a distinguished panel including HendrikHertzberg, senior editor, The New Yorker; Susan Meiselas, independent photojournalist; Harold Meyerson, columnist, Washington Post, Katrina vandenHeuvel, editor, The Nation, and Rose Arce, an award-winning producer at CNN.

Past award winners include author Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News correspondent Ed Bradley, NPR, Business Week, and Time magazine.Since 1950, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has recognized journalists,writers and public figures whose work promotes social and economic justice.

Sidney Hillman was the founding president of the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers of America, a predecessor union of UNITE HERE, which sponsors the awards and the foundation.
Hillman, an architect of the New Deal, fought to build a vibrant union movement extending beyond the shop floor to all aspects of workers' lives.

All submissions should be mailed to:
Amanda Cooper, The Sidney HillmanFoundation,
275 Seventh Avenue, 11th Floor,
New York, NY 10001;
phone:212-265-7000;
e-mail: info@hillmanfoundation.org
visit the website: http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/.

NAJA Members:
We have two slots available for a two day Digital Media Workshop. All expenses will be paid by CNN and a brief outline of the agenda for the workshop is below. If you are interested, send a short bio within an email message to NAJA at jharjo@ou.edu or contact the NAJA office at 405 325-9008 for additional information.

January 18, 2008
TO: National Leadership for AAJA, NAHJ, NABJ, NAJA, SAJA, NLGJA
RE: Digital Media Workshop at CNN's Headquarters
FROM: Sent on behalf of Johnita Due, Senior Legal Counsel & CNN Diversity Council Chair

On behalf of CNN, I am pleased to extend an opportunity to a select group of membership from your respective organizations to attend a two-day Digital Media Workshop at our CNN headquarters in Atlanta, GA this April 24th and 25th, 2008.This inaugural session is a first of its kind for CNN and therefore, we'd like to extend the invitation to all of our minority journalism partners: NABJ, AAJA, NAHJ, NAJA, SAJA, NLGJA.

The attached document will give you a good idea about the program while you'll find a more detailed outline of the agenda below. Selection criteria is something CNN would like to define with your input. Our emphasis will be to attract intermediate journalists with on-line/digital platform experience or a proven interest in digital media.

The slides note how many from each organization (20 total) which we hope you agree is comparable to the size of your organizations. Importantly, CNN has agreed to pay for the flight, hotel (2 nights @ Omni Hotel/CNN Center), meals and any group activities planned around the workshop for attendees.

Digital Workshop Agenda
Day One: Thursday, April 24th

9 a.m.: Overview and Tour of CNN.com Newsroom: Editorial Focus
· The departments within CNN.com
· How a story comes together
· How live video is produced
· Where user generated content fits in

10:30 a.m.: Meet in a Conference Room - Assign the story: A local news story that has to be covered [Split the group up into teams that mirror the structure of the CNN.com newsroom]
. Interactive Group
. User Participation Group
. News Production Group
. Site Production Group
. Live and Video Clip Group
. Other TBD ·

Each group will have one representative from CNN.com in that area, who will be the "coach"
· Each group will get to know the production tools at hand
· Each group will get their part of the story assigned to them

12 - 1:30: Lunch with your group

1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.: The Fundamentals
· Digital Media is based on the same foundation as any reporting
· Who, What, Where, Why, When and How
· There is nothing to fear - easy as learning how to use a Blackberry

2 p.m. to 5 p.m. : Reporting the Story
· Teams report the story
· Some are on phone
· Some are out on the street
· Some are in the studio
· Some are coordinating from either the Omni set up or a corner of the CNN.com newsroom set up for them (TBD)

Braves Game (TBD)

Day 2: Friday, April 25th

9 a.m.: Telling the Story
· Teams assemble with the facts and the assets
· A Mosaic and a Live coverage plan are mapped out

10 a.m. to Noon: Putting it Together
· As the first parts of the coverage are put together, some of the reporters gather final details

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Publishing the Story
· Story publishes on CNN.com
· Full Mosaic with text, video, interactive graphic, photo gallery
· One of the Team Members appears on CNN.com Live
· I-Reports are solicited

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Selling the Story
· The foundation of a good news media business is good journalism
· How ad sales works: Sales and Operations
· How contextual links and search and business development deals work
· How editorial and business work together to develop long term plans
· How diverse perspectives contribute to the health of the business

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Developing the Service
· What is User Experience and Web Design? How a project gets done
· What is Product Development? How are new initiatives created
· The interdependency of technology, editorial and business

Dinner (TBD)

MBL Science Journalism Fellowship Program
NAJA members, the MBL Science Journalism Fellowship Program is offering two fellowships.

The MBL Science Journalism Program, now in its 23rd year, provides professional science journalists, editors, and broadcast journalists with a chance to forget about story deadlines and the latest breakthroughs, and instead immerse themselves in the process of basic biomedical and environmental research.

Our program offers science journalists the choice between two introductory, intensive courses: the Biomedical Hands-On Laboratory Course which is designed to introduce journalists to some of the research techniques used throughout basic biomedical science; and our new Polar Science Fellowship which will give science journalists the unparalleled opportunity to travel to the ends of the Earth (to both Alaska and Antarctica) to be a part of some of today's most cutting-edge ecological polar research.

The deadline for applications for these fellowships is March 1, 2008. More information can be found at www.mbl.edu/sjp.

The MBL would like to inform NAJA members who are science journalists about the program and invite them to apply.

For more information contact:
Gina Hebert,
Associate Director of Communications
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Tel: 508-289-7725
Fax: 508-289-7934
E-mail: ghebert@mbl.edu
Web: http://www.mbl.edu/

Native American Public Telecommunications
Newsletter

Composer Grants Available
The Minneapolis-based First Nations Composer Initiative has announced a new grant program to support activities that boost traditional and contemporary Indigenous creative music. Common Ground was created help musicians in commissions, residencies, performance and production, travel or study, in addition to outreach. Go to www.fnci.org for more information. Deadline is April 1.

Call or email Georgia Wettlin-Larsen of the FNCI for assistance in putting together an application at 651-251-2825
or mailto:gwettlinlarsen@composersforum.org

Moondance Film Festival
Organizers of the Moondance International Film Festival are accepting submissions. Deadline is April 1 (early-bird is Feb. 1).

Submission Categories List
Competition Rules & Regulations
Official Entry Form
Awards Descriptions
Submit via www.withoutabox.com

Urban Film Series Seeking Films
The Next Generation Awareness Foundation seeks notable films and participants for its 2008 Urban Film Series. The program is comprised of several film-related projects that enhance awareness and provide exposure of the arts, independent cinema, media and the motion picture industry to underserved communities across America. To volunteer, speak, become a vendor affiliate or sponsor, or to offer a poet or author a piece or bring the series to your area, go to Deadlines range from Feb. 25-Sept. 1.

Montral Native Film Showcase
The 18th Montreal First Peoples' Festival 2008: Montreal Native Film & Video Showcase
Organizers of the annual festival are calling on you to submit your audiovisual work for this years showcase June 12-22. Deadline is March 7.

The festival features works by Native directors and films by non-Native directors about Aboriginal topics. Click here for more information.

Media Reform Conference
The National Conference for Media ReformJune 6-8 - Minneapolis
Join fellow activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens in calling for real and lasting changes to our nation's media system.

The deadline to submit papers is Jan. 25.

IMA Public Media Conference
Feb. 21-23 (Pre-conference Feb. 19-20)
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, keynotes this year's Integrated Media Association conference in Los Angeles.

Sessions include online video, social media, metrics, emergency planning and cross-platform production. Invitation only CEO session starts Feb. 19.

Job Openings
Please look on our Web site for various job openings in public radio and television.

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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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

FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.

Nicole Nelson Update - In The Spirit Of Leonard Peltier: - 1st Native Bank Opens In N.D.

Nicole Nelson Update From Rick
NH WOMAN SUFFERS FROM APLASTIC ANEMIA

(NECN) - Ten years ago this month, mutual friends introduced Rick, a Peterboro, NH police officer, and Nicole, a physician's assistant at Concord Hospital. They have been married for five years and welcomed curly-haired Katie in September of 2006. Their life hasn't been the same since.

Just week's after her daughter's first birthday, a bone marrow biopsy revealed Nicole has aplastic anemia, a near absence of stem cells in her bone marrow. Her body doesn't produce enough of its own red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets. The diagnosis brought shock, and then intense focus for this young family.

They post drive after drive on the website www.marrow.org and even though the Nelsons have registered some 2,000 potential donors, not one has been able to help Nicole. Her Native American ancestry makes for a difficult tissue match, yet time is precious.

A transfusion is a whole-day and exhausting process for Nicole. She barely leaves the house as it is, wears a mask in public to shield against infections and keeps little Katie out of daycare.
Aplastic anemia can lead Nicole's body to reject its own stem cells so she is on immunosuppressant drugs. The common cold could prove a fatal threat. The regular blood transfusions maintain the few defenses she still has.

Both Rick and Nicole were regular blood donors before she got sick. Now, they encourage everyone to give blood and take the swab test to see if they can be bone marrow donors too. In the meantime, the family hopes, waits and looks forward to a life after she is cured. NECN's Lauren Collins has the story.

Also I have gotten word that we have two more drives coming up:
February 11, 2008
University of New England
Multipurpose RM. Campus Center
11 Hills Beach Road
Biddeford, ME
3pm to 7pm

February 16, 2008
Allen Motors
19 Manchester Street
Derry, NH
10am to 2pm

IN THE SPIRIT OF LEONARD PELTIER : VISIONS OF US PRISONER #89637-132
Thursday, January 31st, 7:00 pm
El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe,
615 B Paseo de Peralta,
phone: 505-992-0591

info@ElMuseoCultural.org,
Directions and info for El Museo: http://elmuseocultural.org/

Saturday, February 2nd, 7:00 pm
Railyard Performance Center
1611 B Paseo de Peralta,
505-982-8309

Author/Editor/Spoken-Word Performer Harvey Arden along with guest performers.
Mark Holtzman [aka Silent Bear] will honor the gathering with his music on the Jan 31 venue only. These and other dedicated and talented people will offer their personal thoughts of Leonard Peltier.

Harvey Arden with the passion and spirit in the words of Leonard Peltier will make the event something not to be missed. This passionate spoken word performance is based on the Leonard Peltier book-Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance.

Prison Writings was written in 1999 by the Native American political prisoner, Leonard Peltier, whose words were adapted into a powerful stage-play by his editor, Harvey Arden. Leonard's words are just as poignant today as when the book first appeared and deserves the attention of the entire nation.

Leonard's parole hearing is scheduled for December, 2008. Prison Writings is a collection of Peltier's essays and poems, reflecting his life and his work from within the prison walls.
Defending his People and being Indian is his only crime.

The cultural traditions of his people connect Leonard and each of us to Wakan Tanka--The Great Mystery. This spiritual connection and his personal sacrifice to the Creator keeps him strong and unbroken. His life is connected to each of us. Each day this innocent man suffers for his people; in fact, now that you know his truth, he also suffers for you. What will you do now?

During the horrific early 1970's Reign of Terror on the Lakota (Sioux) reservation at Pine Ridge South Dakota, an infamous time of violence and corruption existed. Complicit tribal officials hired local thugs known as GOONS --'Guardians of the Oglala Nation', who--with the blessing of the U.S. Government--carried out an unprovoked series of assaults on the traditional people on the Pine Ridge reservation. SD.

Behind these attacks was Big Energy's desire for uranium under Sioux lands, then being secretly negotiated between the U.S. government and compliant Tribal officials.

Two FBI agents were killed on June 26, 1975 during a gun battle on The Jumping Bull Property. Leonard Peltier was falsely framed for the murder of the two FBI agents. The other defendants charged with the same crime had been acquitted by a jury. They were defending their people from an unprovoked attack. Self defense--a basic human right--was denied Leonard Peltier and his legal team.

Following the discovery of new evidence obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Mr. Peltier demanded a new trial. The Eighth Circuit court ruled, "There is a possibility that the jury would have acquitted Leonard Peltier had the records and data improperly withheld from the defense been made available to him." Yet, the court denied Mr. Peltier a new trial. The jury sentenced Mr. Peltier to two consecutive life terms.

Judge Heaney, who authored the decision denying a new trial, has since voiced firm support for Mr. Peltier's release, stating that: "The FBI used improper tactics to convict Mr. Peltier".

Judge Heaney also stated that: "The FBI was equally responsible for the shoot-out, and that Mr.
Peltier's release would promote healing with Native Americans". So why is this story of Judicial Racism hidden from the public eye?

The late Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, Amnesty International, International Indian Treaty Council, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Coretta Scott King, Mikhail Gorbachev, Gloria Steinem, Wilma Mankiller, Peter Matthiessen, Robert Redford, the European Parliament, and a host of other notables all have worked, petitioned, and pleaded for Leonard Peltier's release.

For the American Indian Nations as well as the world at large, the continued imprisonment of Leonard Peltier is Americas Judicial embarrassment.

The spirit of the Sun-dancer who is Leonard Peltier confronted with the treachery and ugliness of life has transcended and has become the message of hope, courage, and integrity for his People for his family and each of us.

Peltier has been behind prison bars for more than half of his life (he turned 63 this past September). He remains a model prisoner, establishing numerous humanitarian projects within the prison system as well as back on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Petitions will be available at both performances appealing for Leonard's release in his upcoming December 2008 parole hearing (scheduled the last month of the Bush presidency).

If Mr. Peltier is denied release at this hearing or not granted Presidential clemency-he will not receive another opportunity for freedom until the 2017 parole hearing. His official release date is 2041.

For further information:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Release/petition.html

First Native Native American Bank Opens In North Dakota
It is a proud day for Native Americans and the state of North Dakota as January 17th marked the official opening of the first Native American bank in the state, and the first of its kind in the nation.

The Turtle Mountain State Bank was standing room only as Native American community and business leaders, North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad and Governor John Hoeven cut the ribbon, signifying the bank`s official opening.

Turtle Mountain State Bank is the first Native American owned bank in the state and the first privately owned Native American bank in the United States to be located on reservation land."

This bank will help other entrepreneurs step up and pursue their dream. The dream of owning your own business and building your own business. It is a first in many ways and a source of inspiration for the community, for the reservation, for the state," says Governor Hoeven.

The bank will bring important services to the region including personal banking, insurance and loans for business and homes.

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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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

FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.

Nicole Nelson Update - Fuel On The Fire: Adding More War Vets To The Nation's PTSD Population

UPDATE:
Nicole Nelson, the Native lady who has aplastic amemia and desperately needs a bone marrow donor, was on MSNBC last Thursday, January 17th. Check it out
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22711547#22711547

Fuel On The Fire
by Monica Davis - Thursday Jan 17th, 2008
The military has always been a way for minorities to escape the lack of opportunity in the civilian workforce and now, many minority vets are paying a heavy price.

Victims of violent crime, catastrophic events and war, children in particular, have a high incidence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as noted by several major research investigations. War, and its civilian counterpart, violence, are hell, and both leave psychological scars, which may affect generations of veterans, civilians and their families.

Children who experience sexual molestation, physical or psychological abuse, are at greater risk for suicide, drug/alcohol abuse, and self-destructive behavior that other children.

According to a fact sheet on PTSD:
· In the United States, about 8% of the population will have PTSD symptoms at some point in their lives.
· About 5.2 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have experienced a traumatic event.
· Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD. About 10% of women develop PTSD compared with 5% of men (Veteran's Administration)

Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD for all types of traumatic events, except sexual assault or abuse. When these traumas occur, men are just as likely as women to get PTSD (National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet, VA) Ethnic vets, blacks, Native Americans and Hispanic soldiers bear PTSD disproportionately.

One study found that Native American veterans were more likely to have been treated for alcohol-related disorders than other veterans, but they were no more likely than other veterans to have been treated for drug or psychiatric problems. (Ibid)

Native American vets often have additional exposure to PTSD, the main reason of which is their probable exposure to the aftereffects of the often-abusive church run "Indian Schools," whereby Native American children between the ages of 5 and 15 were indoctrinated in the residential school system for more than 140 years.

Many of the students were tortured, physically and sexually abused, murdered and/or used for medical experimentation, a situation which has generated a multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit in Canada.

For many survivors of these schools, the sight of a nun, even as an adult, was a traumatic experience. One such survivor told an interviewer, "A little while ago, I was supposed to attend a Halloween party. I decided to dress as a nun because nuns were the scariest things I ever saw," says Willetta Dolphus, 54, a Cheyenne River Lakota. The source of her fear, still vivid decades later, was her childhood experience at American Indian boarding schools in South Dakota. (Amnesty International)

Either as students, or grandchildren/children of students of residential schools, many Native American soldiers, like their black and hispanic counterparts, often went to war carrying a load of psychological trauma from childhood, problems which had a high probability of being exacerbated by additional war-related trauma and stress.

The additional burden of war and violence added to an already volatile mix. Hence, for the veteran as a whole, if he or she came from an ethnic background—Native American, black, or Hispanic, additional risk factors for PTSD exist.

For many veterans, VA facilities are far away. Distance from a facility increases problems with transportation to and treatment for PTSD, particularly for Native American veterans who live on reservations in the Great Plains.

Northern Plains American Indian Veterans expressed a high degree of satisfaction and comfort with a weekly telepsychiatric treatment program for rural, isolated, American Indians with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (VA)

However, depite the satisfaction level expressed by Native vets regarding their "distance counseling," Native Americans are over-represented in the nation's homeless population, and present a challenge to the VA in designing culturally sound treatment programs, as this article from the Boston Globe notes:
Mental health workers are looking for new ways to help Native American service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In some parts of the United States, specialists are combining modern treatments with traditional healing methods, employing medicine men, participating in sweat lodges, and asking tribal elders to encourage veterans to seek professional medical help. (Boston Globe, 9-17-07)

Nearly three-quarters of Native Americans in uniform have been deployed to the Middle East in the last six years. The Globe notes that, At least 18,000 of the 22,000 Native Americans currently in uniform had been deployed at least once to Iraq or Afghanistan as of July, according to the US Department of Defense.

Recent Army studies have found that up to 30 percent of soldiers coming home from Iraq suffer from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. The studies did not include other branches of the military. (Ibid)

Like their Native American counterparts, black vets are over-represented in homeless, drug and alcohol abuse, prison and other at risk populations. Native American and African Americans have a long history of distrust of the federal government and its agencies. Reports coming from several sources note that many Native vets have little trust and less faith in the federal Veteran's Administration. They distrust the government so much that they will not seek help from the VA, even where that help is close at hand, which it often is not.

But the efforts fall short of reaching most Native American veterans because many of them do not trust the federal government and the services it offers, say some Indian veterans and mental health workers who work for the VA. (Ibid)

An undersecretary in the VA testified that Native American veterans were four times less likely than other vets to seek and receive VA health care. (Ibid) Moreover, as we discussed earlier, with regard to 'culturally inherited risk factors', problems associated with racism increase risk factors for veterans' PTSD.

Race-related stressors and personal experiences of racial prejudice or stigmatization are potent risk factors for PTSD, as is bicultural identification and conflict when one ethnically identifies with civilians who suffered from the impact or abuses of war. (Ibid)

Race related stressors, combined with exposure to violence, physical, mental, or sexual abuse, have already laid the groundwork for dysfunction in many minority populations. Adding war related stressors to the mix has generated an increase in the homeless and substance abuse population as a whole, particularly within the Native-American and African-American community.

In one piece of literature directed toward minority veterans, the Veteran's Administration put it this way:
Being an ethnic minority in the military can expose you to certain traumatic experiences. In such cases, seeking appropriate professional assistance can help you understand and treat your symptoms or other problems. Also, your race or ethnicity may influence your rate of exposure to, and/or reaction to, traumatic events. (Ibid)

The over-exposure to ethnic minorities to PTSD in civilian life, combined with war experience has generated new populations of homelessness. More than half of all homeless veterans are African American. Women veterans of the Iraq war have begun showing up in the nation's homeless population.

"On any given day, as many as 200,000 veterans (male and female) are living on the streets or in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year," according to the Department of Veterans Affairs website. The Interagency Council on Homelessness estimates that about 47 percent of the homeless veterans served in Vietnam. (CNN)

What many of these reports can not predict is what will happen when the war ends. We have had more than 1 million US service personnel serve in Afghanistan and Iraq in the last six years. Historically, veterans comprise 13% of the nation's population as a whole, but are 33% of the American homeless population. What happens when the war ends? What happens when they all come home?

Even if they are declared "disabled," they still face an uphill climb to survive, both psychologically and economically. The "pension" often isn't enough to live on, as one veteran told a New York reporter. More than a million disabled veterans receive less than $400 a month from their VA disability pensions, and the application process is often too complicated for many dysfunctional veterans to complete.

Almost half of America's 2.7 million disabled veterans receive $337 or less a month in benefits, according to the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. Fewer than one-tenth of them are rated 100 percent disabled, meaning they get $2,393 a month, tax free." And only those who receive that 100 percent benefit rating can survive in New York," said J.B. White Jr., a 36-year-old former Marine who served with a National Guard unit in Iraq.
(New York Daily News, 6-25-06)

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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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

FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.

The Voice Of Leonard Peltier - Akwesasne's Fears - Natives Want Children's Remains Returned

Peltier's Writings
Submitted by Harvey Arden

An Eagle's Cry
Listen to me!
Listen!
I am the Indian voice.
Hear me crying out of the wind,
Hear me crying out of the silence.
I am the Indian voice.
Listen to me!

I speak for our ancestors.
They cry out to you from the unstill grave.
I speak for the children yet unborn.
They cry out to you from the unspoken silence.

I am the Indian voice.
Listen to me !
I am a chorus of millions.
Hear us !
Our eagle's cry will not be stilled !

We are your own conscience calling to you.
We are you yourself
crying unheard within you.

Let my unheard voice be heard.
Let me speak in my heart and the words be heard
whispering on the wind to millions,
to all who care,
to all with ears to hear
and hearts to beat as one
with mine.

Put your ear to the earth,
and hear my heart beating there.
Put your ear to the wind
and hear me speaking there.

We are the voice of the earth,
of the future,
of the Mystery.

Hear us!

--from Leonard Peltier's PRISON WRITINGS: MY LIFE IS MY SUN DANCE
http://www.amazon.com/Prison-Writings-Life-Sun-Dance/dp/0312263805/ref=sr_1_2/002-2151140-2027237?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183932409&sr=1-2

Akwasasne Fears Census Data Could Be Used Against Its Citizens
Submitted by Monica Davis
The Cornwall Standard Freeholder
With files from Canadian Press
mpeeling@standard-freeholder.com

Grand Chief Tim Thompson recalls Statistics Canada collecting census data as a young child in
Akwesasne First Nation, but those memories date back more than 40 years.

The aboriginal territory refused, like 21 other reserves across the country, to participate in the 2006 census performed by Statistics Canada because its people feel the information could be used against them.

"It has a lot to do with ownership, access and control," Thompson said. "Because of the questions they are asking in the census, we will not have ownership of the information. With that, we will not have control over how the information is used. Our community is very protective of that information because it could be used against us."

Thompson said the community is concerned because the numbers are often used by the federal government to make funding allocations to the First Nations, just one formula he believes could work against the First Nation, particularly because it is a multi-jurisdictional reserve that crosses the borders of the U.S. and Canada, Ontario, Quebec and New York State.

Jane Badets, director of social and aboriginal statistics at Statistics Canada, said the census takers attempted to do their job on the reserve, but were denied.

"Akwesasne didn't participate, but you'll have to talk to the community as to why it didn't," Badets said. "We do ask permission to go on (reserves). Sometimes that permission is refused."

Thompson said census takers asked permission to be allowed into the territory on several occasions, but were turned away each time.

Badets said First Nations sometimes take the approach not to co-operate with census takers because they believe the federal government gets the information necessary through other means, such as membership numbers collected by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

Those numbers can't be used as points of comparison with the census, said Badets, because they are collected at different times.

"They sometimes don't see the reasons why we collect the information, so we try to work with them to build a positive relationship and show them the importance of the census," Badets said. "We have an outreach program to work with them and show them how the information can be used positively."

Akwesasne worked out an arrangement with INAC years ago to collect its own membership data, the closest thing it has to a census.

"We work so closely with INAC," Thompson said. "Although there may be some discrepancies in our numbers, they are very close."

The community held a referendum to vote on instituting an internal membership census at the time, proving its members were overwhelmingly in favour of counting themselves.

Shortly before the 2001 census was taken, Akwesasne rejected the idea of collecting the data on behalf of Statistics Canada for much the same reasons it refused admission of the 2006 census takers into the reserve: ownership and control, but identity was also a factor. Like the Mohawk community Kanesatake, Thompson says his people would rather be known as North American Indians than Canadian citizens, but he pointed out the problem created when they want to travel outside the country or any other activity requiring they identify their national citizenship.

"When it comes to applying for a passport, they have to make that decision," Thompson said. "Otherwise, they might not get one."

Refusal to fill out census forms can be met with a $500-fine or a three-month jail term, but Badets said Statistics Canada prefers to take a more positive approach to encouraging participation through the outreach program.

"It has worked and that's how we deal with these cases," Badets said. "We've done it for 20 years. We're having more and more communities participate."

The number of Canadians who identified themselves as aboriginal broke the one million mark in 2006, bringing their total percentage of the population to 3.8 per cent, an increase of 0.5 per cent since the 2001 census and one per cent since 1996. The number of people calling themselves North American Indian (or First Nation), Metis or Inuit now amounts to 1,172,790.

Natives Want Children's Remains Returned
Submitted by Monica Lewis
Protestors Claim As Many As 50,000 Died Over A Century
Lora Grindlay, TheVancouver Province

A Vancouver Catholic priest was confronted yesterday by natives demanding the repatriation of the remains of children they say are buried at former residential schools.

About 20 protesters, members of a group called Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared, rallied at Holy Rosary Cathedral and delivered a letter to Archbishop Raymond Roussin, asking that the cause of death and whereabouts of the children's remains be disclosed.

The group wants the remains returned to their families for proper burial and memorials erected.

Organizer and documentary filmmaker Kevin Annett estimates there are at least half a dozen burial sites at former B.C. residential schools run by the Catholic Church.

"We know that there's mass graves behind the school in Port Alberni, in Alert Bay, in Mission, right next to the grounds of the Mission Folk Fest," said Annett, a former United Church minister who is the author of a book and a film on the subject.

Annett said he has heard many tales of kids who simply disappeared from the more than 100 residential schools that operated in Canada from the 1870s to the early 1980s and were attended by more than 100,000 natives.

Former students have told him they helped with burials. Many died from tuberculosis, and others from violence and abuse. Documents showing a death rate of 50 per cent have been made public in recent years, he said.

"It's about genocide. It's about murder," Annett said.

"If you do a conservative estimate, then you are talking at least 50,000 children across Canada over a century. Every year, you would only need 10 deaths a year in every residential school for that level to be reached."

After mass at Holy Rosary, Father Glenn Dion greeted the protesters outside and cast doubt on the allegations of burial sites.

"It's kind of an emotional issue that is more emotional than it is factual," Dion told reporters. "This is a bit of a fuss made for maybe the sake of some notoriety.

"But I would say . . . anybody who knows any truth to this should bring it to the authorities and it will be dealt with. There is nothing in hiding here."

Annett called Dion's reaction to the protest "totally glib" and said he was appalled.
lgrindlay@png.canwest.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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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

FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.

Native American Public Telecommunications Newsletter - Nicole Nelson MSNBC Interview

Breaking News – Nicole Nelson Interview Tomorrow – Thursday - On MSNBC.

Nicole has a life threatening disease (Aplastic Anemia) and has a year to find a bone match donor or she will die. She has a very rare tissue type – Native American/French-Abenaki ancestry and will be doing a live interview with MSNBC tomorrow at 2:30 pm Eastern Standard Time in the hopes of finding a matching bone marrow donor.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/14802651/index.html

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/FRONTPAGE/710260383

http://www.thecountycourier.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=4327

Nicole was featured on Native Unity, December 15th, 2007, ‘Native Woman Needs Our Help’

NAPT - BAVC Opportunities
Bay Area VideoCoalition Producers Institute for New Media Technologies - Request For Proposals - Deadline February 1, 2008

The Producers Institute for New Media Technologies is a ten-day intensive program for eight creative teams to develop, prototype, and pitch cross-platform projects related to their documentary programs currently in production. The 2008 Producers Institute takes place from May 30-June 8 in San Francisco, CA. Teams will adapt their media for new modes of delivery and new ways of engagement, including educational game prototypes, interactive web portals, locative or mobile experiences, multi-user virtual communities, and more.

The Producers Institute is a project of the Bay Area Video Coalition, presented with generous support from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

For complete information, or to submit an on-line application, please go to: www.bavc.org/producersinstitute

The Mediamaker Award is a BAVC grant that offers $8,000 worth of services and classes for media projects in the postproduction or web development phase. The award is divided into $6,000 toward postproduction suites and services and $2,000 toward BAVC classes.

For complete information, please visit the website at: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001taBQklR77ht4sRiTDSm8

ITVS Deadlines
ITVS funds, distributes and promotes new programs produced by independent producers primarily for public television and beyond. ITVS is looking for proposals that increase diversity on public television and present a range of subjects, viewpoints and forms that complement and challenge existing public television offerings.

ITVS INTERNATIONAL CALL
Deadline: Friday, February 1, 2008
The ITVS International Call enables independent producers from outside the United States to create documentaries for U.S. television. Through the ITVS International Call, storytellers from other countries introduce U.S. audiences to their global neighbors, opening a window into unfamiliar lives, experiences and perspectives
More Info: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001taBQklR77htkbzFMg_2lepCJmAXorh0l

Global Green Film Festival
The National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC) and the New Mexico Tourism Department, will take the global stage, April 18-20, 2008, launching its inaugural Global Green Indigenous Film Festival.

The film festival will be held in conjunction with NTEC's 15th Environmental Conference April 15-18, 2008. Formats accepted: DVD, VHS, Beta SP.

Film entries should be mailed to:
ATTN: Global Green Indigenous Film Festival2501 Rio Grande Boulevard, NWAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87104
Deadline for entries is February 1, 2008.Visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001taBQklR77htUEuNnpL4EqUzjcw-6b8NjdOAu0ATPbGaTQfFo-hUdfwzuD0vBcQGagefLcE-BaP3CuupoUdG2XnipOs9ly-XcmJzw

Pangea Day
Pangea Day is looking for short films that will make people laugh, pause and think. They can be fiction, nonfiction, real life or animation. Above all, they should tell a story that someone else on the other side of the world will be able to relate to.

Pangea Day will be offering a $3,000 licensing fee to every featured Pangea Day filmmaker. You could also win $20,000 to develop a treatment and a nonbinding first look with Participant Productions

Register at www.pangeaday.org

Need music for your Pangea Day film? Elias Arts has created a Pangea Day Music Library. This music is a gift to Pangea Day filmmakers in appreciation for their efforts -- and because powerful images and themes deserve music to match. Go to http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001taBQklR77hudePIUAYhv-uN6mxEs72iGRiUVf to register and request a password to access the music library.

Submissions close February 15, 2008

Station Equipment Grants - PTFP
PTFP, the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program at the Department of Commerce will be giving out $16.8 million in grants this year (a slight cut from last year). The deadline for applications will be February 22, 2007.

These applications are for equipment for new stations or for replacement of failing equipment but they are not easy to do-so start now! They also will fund digital conversion for stations not eligible for CPB digital funding and will also fund emergency generators.
More info: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001taBQklR77hsqCri1DGWduFptO-qUu7xyI_RJ32HTatl9Orlu6CFQGguSXobIIi9BCy_uQhV

Urban Film Series
Next Generation Awareness Foundation (NGAF) seeks notable films and participants for its 2008 Urban Film Series programs. Urban Film Series is comprised of several highly-acclaimed film-related programs that enhance awareness and provide exposure of the arts, independent cinema, media, and the motion picture industry to underserved communities across America.

Be a part of NGAF's historic programs. Be a volunteer, speaker, vendor affiliate, sponsor, poet or author. Submit your film or your proposal to bring one of the Series to your area. Deadlines range from February 25, 2008 - September 1, 2008 go to for a complete listing.


Montreal Native Film Showcase
The 18th Montreal First Peoples' Festival 2008: Montreal Native Film & Video ShowcaseCall for Submissions - Deadline March 7, 2008

The 18th Montreal First Peoples Festival is calling on you to submit your audiovisual works for this years showcase, taking place June 12th to June 22nd. As always, the showcase features works by Native directors and films by non-Native directors about Aboriginal topics.
Complete details can be found on their submission form

First Nations Composers
Deadline April 1, 2008

The goals of Common Ground is to support activities that boost traditional and contemporary Indigenous creative musicians, such as commissions, residencies, performance and production, travel/study, and outreach.

Click on one of the following links for the application or for examples of projects that may be funded.FNCI Common Ground Guidelines (doc.)FNCI Common Ground Guidelines (pdf.)Click here for examples of possible application scenarios (pdf.)

Please feel free to call or email First Nations Composer Initiative (FNCI) for assistance in putting together a grant application. Georgia Wettlin-Larsen: 651-251-2825 gwettlinlarsen@composersforum.org

From The Director
Happy New Year! 2008 has all the signs of being an exciting and productive year. I want to thank all of you who have supported the work of NAPT, bought videos from VisionMaker Video, and listened to AIROS and the Native Radio Theater programs.

And of course, a big wopila to all the Native producers--you make me proud!Staff sightings: I thought I'd start letting ya'll know (I can say ya'll: I'm from SOUTH Dakota) when we might be coming to a town near you.

I'll be in San Francisco, Jan. 13-16 for the PBS Summit, and Jan. 22-25 in Columbus, OH for NETA. Marketing Director Kim Baca will be at the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 22-25. She'll be at the Outreach Table in the Filmmaker Lodge Jan. 24-10:30-2. Kim will go to APTS Capitol Hill Days, Feb. 11-13. Eric Martin, AIROS, will go to IMA in LA, Feb. 19-23 and John Gregg goes to a National Audio Theatre Festivals Board meeting in St. Louis in February.

You'll also notice that we have a new mission statement: NAPT Shares Native Stories with the World. It's important work we do!Pilamaye--

Thanks
Shirley K. Sneve
NAPT Executive Director

Quick Links:
Palm Beach Film Festival
Palm Beach International Film Festival - Submission Deadline January 21, 2008
Festival Dates: April 10-1

Jackson Hole Film Festival
Jackson Hole Film Festival - Submission Deadline January 31, 2008
Festival Dates: June 5 -

Moondance Film Festival
Moondace International Film Festival - Submission Deadline April 1, 2008 (Early-Bird: February 1)
Submission Categories List
Competition Rules & Regulations
Official Entry Form
Awards Descriptions
Submit via www.withoutabox.com
Early-Bird Deadline: Feb 1Regular Deadline: April 1Late Deadline: May 1

Media Reform Conference
The National Conference for Media Reform - Minneapolis, June 6-8, 2008
Join fellow activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens in calling for real and lasting changes to our nation's media system.
A pre-conference is scheduled for June 5th.
The deadline to submit papers is January 25, 2008.

Job Openings
Development Director - Native Public Media
Business Manager - Free Speech TV
Chief Executive Officer - Free Speech TV
KNBA Membership Director - Koahnic Broadcast Corporation
ITVS - VP of Production

Programs funded by NAPT are available through VisionMaker VideoVisionMaker Video

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.

'MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR HYPOCRISY' By Joe Perez
http://www.mtwsfh.blogspot.com

NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

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

FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com

CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.