Entertainment News - BCDS Review Finds Shiprock Company $4.7 Million In Debt

Robert Greygrass will be performing at the Eagles Nest on Tuesday, June 3rd.
Doors open at 5 PM
Show starts at 6 PM
Live DJ

From Robert:
"Hello my relatives,
We are having a fundraiser for the short film, "Walking on Turtle Island", which is scheduled to shoot in July. You are invited to the show at Pechanga. There is no cover as we are inviting everyone to make a donation - any size donation is welcome and if you can't or won't or don't - that's alright - come to the show anyway".
Website: http://www.greygrass.org

Pechanga Casino,
45000 Pechanga Parkway,
Temecula, CA 92592
Phone: 951-693-1819
Link: http://www.pechanga.com/Entertainment/
Driving Directions
Link: http://www.pechanga.com/contact/index.asp#

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

BCDS Review Finds Shiprock Company $4.7 Million In Debt
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
SHIPROCK – A special review of BCDS (Biochemical Decontamination Systems) Manufacturing Inc.-Shiprock by the Navajo Office of the Auditor General has found that BCDS is in debt approximately $4.7 million, and that by guaranteeing $2.2 million of the corporate debt with JP Morgan Chase Bank, the Navajo Nation is at risk of losing its personal liability protection.

Alfreda Lee, senior auditor and Angela Witherspoon, associate auditor, presented the special review Tuesday during a meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee in Shiprock.

“Basically we have four findings,” Lee said. The Navajo Nation is the only stockholder that contributed capital; personal funds were intermingled with corporate funds; BCDS is in debt for approximately $4.7 million; and due diligence investigation was not done.

The review evaluated BCDS' financial activities from the opening of the company's bank account on Dec. 26, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2007, when the company depleted its funds.

According to the Finding I, BCDS is authorized to issue 50,000 no-par shares. No-par value stock means there was no nominal dollar amount assigned to the stock at the time of issue.

BCDS has on record four stockholders. The Navajo Nation was issued 25,500, or 51 percent shares in exchange for its $311,290 investment. The Navajo Nation is the only stockholder that contributed capital to BCDS.

Division of Economic Development Executive Director Allan Begay told auditors that the other three stockholders were issued shares of stock in exchange for their business expertise and connections, rather than monetary investments.

Between December 2003 and October 2007, BCDS opened three checking accounts, according to Finding II. BCDS bank transactions revealed that of the $300,000 initial investment by the Nation, only $261,817.50 was deposited into BCDS' checking account; $38,182.50 was either cashed out or deposited into another bank account unrelated to BCDS.

“Furthermore, our analysis of bank activities found BCDS stockholder and former CEO (Hak Ghun) intermingled his personal funds with corporate funds,” Lee said. BCDS board of directors is charged with settling the compensation of its CEO, yet analysis of bank transactions found the former CEO did not get a fixed salary.

“Based on our interviews with the former CEO, he acknowledged treating the corporate bank accounts as his own personal checking account. Over the four year-period, we identified over $3 million of personal expenses paid out of the BCDS checking accounts.

“Personal expenses include casino, golf, vehicles, cash, over-the- counter withdrawals, personal loans repaid, checks issued to relatives, and unknown payees for a total of $3,085,017,” she said.

On Aug. 10, 2006, the Navajo Dam Review and Selection Committee approved the collateralization of $2.2 million from the Navajo Dam Escrow Fund for BCDS. On Aug. 15, the 20th Navajo Nation Council's Budget and Finance Committee chaired by Benny Shelly – now Navajo Vice President – approved the plan. The money was to finance expansion of BCDS.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. signed a pledge agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank on Sept.. 29, 2006, authorizing collateralization of the $2.2 million loan. That same day, BCDS and JP Morgan signed the loan agreement. The loan will mature on Sept. 29, 2008.

On Oct. 1, 2006, one day after receipt of the JP Morgan loan proceeds, BCDS purchased a reverse osmosis machine costing $900,000 from a vendor in North Carolina. BCDS wire transferred $700,000 into the vendor's bank account, leaving an unpaid balance of $200,000.

BCDS employees stated that the vendor did not deliver the reverse osmosis machine and claim that the machine is in North Carolina. The current BCDS chief financial officer has the machine posted for sale on the Internet, according to the review.

The $2.2 million loan agreement between BCDS and JP Morgan prohibits BCDS from engaging in any business other than manufacturing. Lee said the vendor also submitted an invoice dated Nov. 15, 2007, requesting payment from BCDS for goods and services provided, amounting to $1,414,266.

BCDS also owes the Internal Revenue Service $307,114 in unpaid payroll taxes. Although BCDS has been deducting its employees' federal withholding and their portion of Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, the company did not remit those taxes along with its employer share to the IRS.

On Jan. 22, 2008, the IRS placed a lien on BCDS for non-payment of $142,442 in payroll taxes. The lien covers the quarters ending December 2006 through June 2007.

On Oct. 25, 2007, the Division of Economic Development, or DED, advanced BCDS $150,000 as an additional investment by opening a checking account on behalf of the company using the Business Industrial Development Fund. The funds were provided to cover BCDS payroll and to bail the company out of paying the interest due on the $2.2 million JP Morgan loan.

Non-payment would result in a default of the loan collateralized by the Navajo Dam Escrow Account.

As a corporation, BCDS is a distinct legal entity and its stockholders are not personally liable for the debts and liabilities of the corporation.

On Oct. 19, 2007, DED hired an appraiser to appraise the property leased to BCDS to obtain an opinion on the market value of BCDS leasehold improvements. The appraiser valued leasehold improvements at $275,000 for real estate only. Overall, the appraised value of the property leased to BCDS was $1 million.

Given the appraised value, the fair market value of the rent was estimated at $112,500. The appraiser compared the estimated fair market value of the rent to BCDS' lease rental agreement and noted it was below market value. The agreement provides that the company pay no rent for the first two years; $11,250 per year in years three to five; and $22,500 per year in years six to 10.

The review found that DED did not conduct due diligence investigation on BCDS before investing into the company and that the Navajo Dam Review and Selection Committee and Budget and Finance Committee did not ensure due diligence investigation report was included in the loan proposal package before approving the loan for BCDS.

Further the administrative reviewers of the pledge agreement between the Navajo Nation President and JP Morgan did not ensure that due diligence investigation report was included in the Signature Approval Sheet package presented for their review.

The Navajo Nation underestimated the risk of guaranteeing a $2.2 million loan and investing more than $300,000 into BCDS by failing to ensure due diligence was conducted on the company and its owner.The Navajo Nation Department of Justice instructed DED to conduct due diligence before investing $300,000 to BCDS. Begay acknowledged he conducted “cursory review” because “he did not want to offend a potential corporation that wanted to bring business and jobs to the Navajo Nation by conducting due diligence.”

“You should have offended,” B&F Chairman LoRenzo Bates told Begay. “The report pretty much speaks for itself. It's disappointing, depressing. ...We didn't protect our assets, we didn't protect the money of the Navajo people.”

The review states that had DED performed due diligence on BCDS, they would have learned that BCDS owner and CEO was one of seven individuals convicted of defrauding 1,200 investors out of $11 million by promising big profits in 1984.

“This information is readily available on the Internet,” Lee said.

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

NATIVE UNITY - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.

'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.

1st Nation Leaders Released From Prison - Rez School Atrocity - Apology is Wrong

First Nations Leaders To Be Released From Prison
Attorney-GeneralCanwest News Service
Published: Friday, May 23, 2008
http://www.%20nationalpost.%20com/rss/story.%20html?id=535888

Toronto-- Six First Nations leaders will be released from prison today after serving more than two months for ignoring a court order to allow a mining company to drill on their traditional territory, a spokesman for Ontario's Attorney General confirmed Friday.

Six members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation will be back home by this evening after a court granted a motion for a stay pending the appeal of their six-month sentence for contempt, said KI spokeswoman Susan Nanokeesic.

"We are so happy, it's overwhelming," Ms. Nanokeesic said. "This is good news."

The appeal is to be heard Wednesday in Toronto.The jailing of the leaders in March for disobeying a court order allowing Platinex Inc. to conduct exploratory drilling has drawn harsh criticism from Canadian authors and activists.Most recently Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty a letter decrying their incarceration as "appalling.

"Earlier this week, Platinex announced it has launched a $70-million lawsuit against the province. The company said it has suffered "substantial wasted expenditures" because it has been unable to gain access to the land near Big Trout Lake in northern Ontario because of actions by KI.Platinex claims the Ontario government failed in its duty to consult with KI and also failed to warn the company it would not enforce its mining claims.

Residential School Atrocity - Why An Apology Is Wrong
Why an Apology is Wrong, and Deceptive:
Bringing Humanity to Bear on the Residential School Atrocity
by Rev. Kevin Annett
Submitted by Monica Davis
This article has been edited for length and content -BHO

Rend your hearts, and not your garmentsJoel 2:17

Imagine for a moment that your own child goes missing and never comes home. Years pass,
and one day, the person responsible for your child's death is identified, but he evades arrest and imprisonment simply by issuing to you an "apology" for your loss. He even speaks of
seeking "reconciliation" with you.

How would you feel?Hold on to that feeling, and now multiply your loss by many thousands of children, and make the guilty person the government and churches
of Canada. Do so, and you will have arrived in a human way at the Indian Residential Schools
atrocity.

One of my former parishioners put it another way:"What we did to those native children was an
abomination, and abominations aren't resolved with words and money. We need to have our
hearts torn in two and be changed. We've got to stand, ourselves, under the judgment of God."

I doubt that Stephen Harper would be satisfied with an apology if his own kids were hauled off and killed for being practicing Christians. Yet on June 11, 2008, he will stand up on our behalf and try to apologize to other nations for having exterminated their children.The whole effort seems more than ludicrous, or obscene.

One cannot, after all, apologize to the dead. But the truth is, the government's planned
"apology" to native people is an enormous exercise in deception - primarily self-deception.Do we even know the meaning of that easily uttered term, "apologize"?

It actually has a double meaning, according to the internet Dictionary: a) "an acknowledgment of
regret for a fault or offense" and b) "a formal justification, defense or excuse for one's actions".

That is, in our vernacular understanding of the term, an "apology" can be a genuine regret for one's acts; but it can equally be a way to evade responsibility
for one's acts, by justifying oneself before one's victim.

The legal understanding of the word, however, is more specific, and has nothing to do with regret: "apology" is defined simply as "a disclaimer of intentional error or offense".

Regardless of this, there are things that can be done to overcome the genocidal residential schools legacy, and do justice, for once, to the survivors.

Rather than issuing verbal and self-serving "apologies" which change nothing, or staging a sham "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" that has no power even to subpoena evidence, the government and all of us could take these kind of bold measures:

1. Declare an Official Nation-wide Day of Mourning for Residential School Victims, dead and living.

2. Fully disclose what happened in the residential schools - naming the crimes, the perpetrators, and the cover-up - by launching an International War Crimes Tribunal with the power to subpoena, arrest and prosecute those responsible.

3. Bring home the remains of all children who died in these schools for a proper burial, and establish public memorial sites for them.

4. Create National Aboriginal Holocaust Museums.

5. End federal tax exemption for the Catholic, Anglican and United Church of Canada, in accordance with the Nuremburg Legal Principles concerning organizations complicit in crimes
against humanity.

6. Abolish the Indian Act and Indian and Northern Affairs.

7. Recognize indigenous sovereignty and return all stolen lands and resources to indigenous nations.

An Irish relative once told me that the way her country is evolving away from eight centuries of warfare is through a simple formula:"First you remember; then you grieve; then you heal".

Instead of skipping the first two steps, as Mr. Harper and too many of our people are trying to do "apologetically", it is time that Canadians found the courage to truly remember and admit to the world what we did to the first peoples of this land, and grieve our actions in the manner of people who truly rend their own hearts and want to change.

Perhaps then "healing and reconciliation" can become something more than an overworked political catch-phrase.

Rev. Kevin D. Annett
260 Kennedy St.
Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2H8
250-753-3345
email: hiddenfromhistory@yahoo.ca
website: http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/

Kevin Annett is a community minister in Vancouver who is the author of two books on Indian Residential Schools and an award-winning film maker.

Posted by MNN Mohawk Nation News http://www.mohawknationnews.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.

Uranium Link To Kidney Ailments In 'Navajo Uranium Assessment'

By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
CHURCHROCK – Preliminary modeling and statistical analysis of the first 400 people participating in the Navajo Uranium Assessment and Kidney Health Project has shown two significant factors linking environmental exposure to uranium and kidney disease.

Chris Shuey of Southwest Information Research Center in Albuquerque said the study, which is evaluating kidney health in 20 chapters of the Navajo Nation, is something of a replication of studies done in Canada, Finland and Russia, however, the Navajo project is by far the largest.

“There's none that have come close to 1,300 in the pool of people,” he said. So far, information from the first 400 people surveyed, coupled with soil and water data, has turned up six factors that are seen as statistically significant.

“A couple of them are pretty easy to explain – existing disease status and body mass index. But two of them are environmental. One of them is living within .8 kilometers of a waste dump, which we are here,” Shuey said, speaking in front of the home of Teddy Nez in Northeast Churchrock, “and having a history of coming in contact with uranium waste.”

Shuey spoke of the survey results during a tour of former uranium mine sites Friday with New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.

This is the first time that any population-based epidemiological study has shown a relationship between environmental exposures and kidney disease, according to Shuey. “We can separate the damage caused by heavy metals like uranium from the damage caused by lifestyles.”

The first results were discussed in an American Public Health Association meeting last November. There are two papers awaiting publication in peer-review journals. “This is all going to come out sometime later this year,” Shuey said.

Johnnye L. Lewis, Ph.D., director of the Community Environmental Health Program, University of New Mexico, is the lead investigator on the project. Shuey and Thomas Manning Sr. of DiNEH Project, Eastern Navajo Health Board, are co-principal investigators.

Uranium mining operations in Eastern Agency have left a legacy of environmental exposures that, when coupled with naturally occurring uranium, has raised concerns that significant exposures may be occurring through the use of unregulated drinking water.

The prevalence of kidney disease in the region is substantially greater than nationally and occurs in younger members of the community than expected nationally, according to information presented to APHA.

Shuey told Denish that the Northeast Churchrock community was used as a pilot, with SRIC Navajo community liaison Sarah Adeky, and cancer survivor and community resident Teddy Nez among those administering the 10-page survey.

Questions asked included where they got their water, where they worked, how often had they been in contact with waste dumps such as the one approximately 500 feet from Nez's residence, did they eat sheep or animals that had gone across waste dumps, and do they have anything in their homes that came from the mines.

“We tested waters, we used soil data that we've gathered to put into a sophisticated exposure assessment,” Shuey said. Out of the 1,300 people to be surveyed, roughly 450 will be invited to participate in the full-scale blood and urine medical portion. Participation in the kidney study, which extends to 2011, is voluntary.

Soil sampling at the Nez residence turned up a high concentration of Radium-226, the most radio-toxic of all the uranium decay products, Shuey said. “It is a bone-seeker, causes leukemia and bone cancer in people.”

Before U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came in under the “imminent and substantial endangerment clause of the Superfund law” to remove the soil, Shey said, “concentrations of this contaminant in soils throughout this mine site and over here where we're standing now ... if it had been down at the tailings site, it would have been a violation of federal law.”

Edith Hood, a community member who testified last October before U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman's committee in Washington at a hearing on legacy waste, told Denish she is a survivor of lymphoma. “I've already gone through chemo, and I don't want to go through it again.

“A lot of our children of the miners – I'm talking about young kids – they have a lot of asthma problems with the lungs that we think may be linked to this (exposure),” Hood said.

Adeky told Denish that the children living in the area today feel they are being punished. “The kids told us that they are deprived of playing outside like their parents did and being able to do these things that their parents did before. When their parents were younger, they did everything outside. If livestock got lost, they'd be up there walking the mines.”

But now parents are concerned and cautious, she said. “There are some families that have moved out from here and other participating chapters. They're very concerned about the health of their relatives up here and they just don't want to move back in here because of the high contamination that is within this area.

“There are a lot of concerns and a lot of education that still needs to be done,” said Adeky, who has been involved in her grassroots advocacy role for the last three years.

She said it's difficult to translate the scientific language of the study, but “it's very important that we translate this into our Navajo language for the people, and that there's accuracy, and we are on the same page when we are communicating this information.

“All they know is that they have suffered from the previous mining and that the cleanup has not happened to their satisfaction. I don't think it will ever be to where cleanup is going to show that everything has been returned back to normal.”_

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.

NM Lt Gov's 'First Hand Look' At Uranium's Pros & Cons!

Breaking News -
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Questions Premier McGuinty over outdated Mining Law and Jailed First Nations' Leaders

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joins Margaret Attwood, Sarah Harmer, Ian Tamblyn, Cathy Jones and seventeen other celebrities in support of Bob Lovelace and the KI Six, calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty to halt mineral exploration in the lands of two Aboriginal communities in Ontario so that the imprisonment of seven Aboriginal leaders can be brought to an end.
Read his letter here.


NM's Lt.Gov. Gets Reality Check on Uranium Mining
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
CHURCHROCK – New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane Denish went away from a tour of former uranium mine sites Friday better educated on what it means to live in a home wedged between two waste piles, or to grow up playing on a hill that you found out in later years was actually mine waste.

It's an education she shared with “Flat Eddie,” a hand-colored cutout of a little boy, about 8-inches tall – the school project of Roderigo Vargas of Agua Fria Elementary.

“A little boy in Santa Fe, this is his project,” Denish said, holding “Flat Eddie” in front of her for all to see. “He wanted me to take this little boy around with me for a day in my life as Lieutenant Governor. So we picked today to bring him and take pictures. We mail it back in and we tell him about the day.”

Among the things Denish will be able to relate to Vargas is the tale of a young boy from another time.

“You know, when you're a little kid herding sheep, you always try to find something to play with,” Larry King told Denish. He recalled a windmill near what is now his grazing area where people used to line up with their vehicles to haul water for drinking and livestock.

After the uranium mine came in, in the 1960s, “there used to be huge piles of dirt,” said King, now an adult. “That's where I used to play, not knowing what it was. A nice bluish hill. Come to find out it was a waste pile that I had been playing on all along.”

King was one of more than a dozen people taking the Churchrock Uranium Mine Tour, sponsored by Churchrock Chapter and Red Water Pond Road Community in collaboration with Southwest Research and Information Center and Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency.

Denish toured the Old Churchrock Mine, now a Hydro Resources Inc. proposed in-situ leach mine site, the United Nuclear Corp. mill tailings Superfund site, and a residential area on Red Water Pond Road where U.S. EPA last year conducted emergency soil removal due to the extent of radioactive contamination.Denish saw first-hand the site of the July 16, 1979, tailings dam break that released more than 94 million gallons of contaminated waste through the Rio Puerco wash, the largest release of radioactive waste in the United States.

Scotty Begay, a former uranium worker, told Denish about how the lives of his family members were threatened after he began reporting concerns in the 1990s to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That made him push even harder to try to keep mining industries away from communities such as Churchrock where families use and are part of the land.

The uranium company he worked for, “they never cared about us,” he said. “After we started the reclamation and decommissioning, and surveying was being done, a lot of the radiological surveys were done under alcohol. There was a lot of shady dealings, a lot of things that were told: 'Don't pick that up. Cut it at ground level. Don't disturb the soil'.

"They just covered over it and that was it. They even asked me to go out to the different chapters and offer them buildings that they might want, and sign off on the papers,” Begay said. To this day, the waste remains.

Chris Shuey, SRIC uranium mining technical adviser, enlightened Denish about the disagreement between some community residents and HRI over the company's proposed ISL mining.

“We have this ongoing argument with both the federal government and with the company over this contention that the water is already contaminated with uranium,” Shuey said, adding that the overall quality of the water supports nine different public water supplies from the area that tap into the aquifer.

"The utilities can't deliver contaminated water to people. The overall quality of water is very high and supports drinking water to, we estimate, 15,000 people on a daily basis,” he said.

The home of Teddy Nez and his family is approximately 500 feet from an unreclaimed mine waste dump on one side and Quivera Mine on the other side.

Background radiation at the home, where EPA removed soil last year, is zero, he said. About 100 feet away, the radiation is 20 times background. At a nearby arroyo where the children like to play, the radiation readings are 50 times background level.

“That's how we're living. My wife's clan has been here for four or five generations. They want to stay here. That's why I'm staying too,” Nez told Denish. “This cleanup that they had is a temporary Band-Aid. We want a bigger Band-Aid. We want off-site removal.”

Following the tour, Denish told the group that she has had a request to meet with representatives from the uranium industry.

“I will meet with GE, HRI, whoever the mining interests are. The important thing for me is to hear what they have to say. But one reason I'm here is I need to know the right questions to ask,” about the land, about relocation, and about what they're going to do, she said.

“One of the best things you can do is continue to educate people. Of the 112 people in our Legislature, you've probably had 25 of them out here.

“My feeling is you can't start something new without taking care of the things that have been created,” she said. “In terms of water use, I think it would be very irresponsible to pass anything that would contaminate the water. ... In my view, water is precious – I call it the 'new gold.'

“We have to conserve it, we have to recycle it, we have to desalinate it to make sure we have the water resources for the people.” She said she believes the state of New Mexico has done a good job trying to recruit industry that is non-water draining, including alternative energy. “I certainly want to try to stay on that road.”

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.

Obama Joins Crow Nation, Eyes Policy Change - 15th Mother Earth Conference - Free Leonard Peltier

Obama Joins American Indian Tribe
Mon May 19, 2008 7:18pm EDT
By Jeff Mason

CROW AGENCY, Mont., May 19 (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama became an honorary member of an American Indian tribe on Monday and promised a proactive policy to help tribal people if he wins the White House in November.

The Illinois senator who is leading rival Hillary Clinton in their race for the party's presidential nomination, joined the Crow Nation, a tribe of some 12,100 members in Montana, taking on a native name and honorary parents in a traditional ceremony.

Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, was "adopted" by Hartford and Mary Black Eagle and given a name which means "one who helps all people of this land."

"I was just adopted into the tribe, so I'm still working on my pronunciation," Obama told a crowd after stumbling over some of the native names.

"I like my new name, Barack Black Eagle," he said. "That is a good name."

Many in the audience wore traditional feather headdresses and some banged drums ahead of Obama's visit, the first by a presidential candidate to the Crow Nation.

Obama held rallies throughout Montana, which holds its primary election on June 3.

The state is home to some 60,000 American Indians, making them a key swing vote, according to Dale Old Horn, 62, a spokesman for the Crow Nation.

Obama said he would appoint a Native American adviser to his senior White House staff if he wins and would work on providing better health care and education to reservations across the country.

"Few have been ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans, the first Americans," Obama said.Old Horn said the tribal members related to Obama because of his background.

"His heritage of being poor, of being an outsider, you know those two things are the commonalities that he has with us," he said. "We've always been treated like outsiders when it comes to government policy. In addition to that, we all grew up poor."
(editing by Philip Barbara)

© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only.

15th Indigenous Environmental Network Protecting Mother Earth Conference
Answering Mother Earth’s Call For Healing!!!

Reaffirming Our Roots – July 17th – 20th, 2008

Neme Sogohe (Western Shosone ) Territories
So Ho Bee - Southfork Pow-Wow Grounds in Lee, Nevada

Traditional Gathering – Camping style
Topics to include Traditional LAWS (Land, Air, Water, Sun) Energy, Global Warming and Climate Change, Rescinding the Doctrine of Discovery and Youth & Elders.

Hosted by the Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP)
Sponsored by Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)

For more information contact IEN at 218-751-4967, ien@igc,org
Or WSPD – 775 468 –0230 – wsdp@igc.org.

Sign up early to attend the 15th Protecting Mother Earth Conference, July 17-20th, 2008. International Indigenous Gathering in Western Shoshone Territory (Nevada) –.
.
The conference form pages are up BOTH English and Spanish versions Here is the main link:
http://www.ienearth.org/ienaqua/test/IENWeb/registration.html

Free Leonard Peltier!
www.whoisleonardpeltier.info
Submitted by Havey Arden

Hey --check out this powerful prayer for Leonard from the daily meditation sent out by my good friend Chi at chioceansuns@peoplepc.com . It seems to me the Christian community in this country, and ALL of us, following Chi's example, might successfully appeal to President Bush for Executive Clemency for Leonard Peltier as a sacred political act, symbolically taking Leonard down from his Cross.

Leonard has an official parole hearing in December 2008--last month of Pres. Bush's presidency. His next such hearing, should this one fail, will not be until 2017--when Leonard will be 73 years old (he's been in prison since he was 31). It's time for all of us--and EACH of us--to ACT NOW-TODAY! to free our Brother.

I fondly imagine the nationwide Christian community gently imploring the President to free this martyr of his People. This can be done by simply FWDing this email prayer to president@whitehouse.gov with a KINDLY personal request from YOU that he release Leonard, followed by this short and wondrous prayer by Chi. If the lawyers and judges can't free Leonard, I believe this prayer by millions of us in unison could and would. If your heart tells you to take this simple prayerful act of FWDing this email to the President, please CC me at harveyarden@starpower.net so I can keep vague track of what's happening. Please CC or FWD this message to friends and family and whomever you know with a good heart.

Become part of One Great Universal Prayer for Leonard!
Your brother & Leonard's,
Harvey Arden

And Lord, comfort our brother Leonard this morning.
Hold Him in Your Loving Arms and grant him peace.
And then free our brother Father.
Free him and send him home to his family and to his people.

Oh Lord Jesus, You alone know the heart of a man. You alone see the tears of each human being held in bondage, each prisoner unjustly and unfairly accused.
Ease all their burdens this morning, Oh Great Lover of a Wounded Heart.
Ease not only their hurts this morning, but heal the hurts and wounds of their loved ones.

Today we feel freed by the Loving and Comforting Prayers of Christ Jesus.
Walk in peace today family,
~~Chi'

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.

Actor Beach Has Plan To Back First Nation Film & TV - Bison Can Make Comeback

Submitted by Roscoe Pond
One of Canada's most prominent First Nations film stars has a plan to get more aboriginal stories into movie theatres and onto the airwaves.

Adam Beach, the Manitoba-born actor most recently known for his role on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, has announced he is setting up a new film company and will take a high-profile role in a new internet cable company.

He announced details Wednesday at an aboriginal economic development conference in Winnipeg.

His new company will produce feature films created by First Nations filmmakers.

He has also been hired by a new internet cable company to head its aboriginal division and will start reviewing proposals for the network in January.

"The content will be delivered by [everything from] an individual on the corner of a street telling us his life to the biggest politician we have complaining about the government, but the world will now hear our voice," he said.

Beach also has teamed up with rapper Ice-T, who also starred in Law and Order: SVU, to get more coverage for First Nations music.

"We're going to make the first native American pop star," he said, drawing whistling and clapping from the crowd of nearly 700.

Hebron Sinclair, a 19-year-old from Pinaymootang, in the Interlake area of Manitoba, was excited about the prospect of working with Beach.

"Holy Cow! Now I've got to get involved in this," he told CBC News. Sinclair creates hip hop music under the name Junebug.

"I've got to do something … that's like another open door for me."

Beach plans to leave Law and Order: SVU at the end of the season to concentrate on these projects.

Beach is also known for his recent performances in films such as Flags of Our Fathers, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Windtalkers.

Bison Can Thrive Again, Study Says
Submitted by WSDP
ScienceDaily - Bison can repopulate large areas from Alaska to Mexico over the next 100 years provided a series of conservation and restoration measures are taken, according to continental assessment of this iconic species by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups.

The assessment was authored by a diverse group of conservationists, scientists, ranchers, and Native Americans/First Nations peoples, and appears in the April issue of the journal Conservation Biology.

The authors say that ecological restoration of bison, a keystone species in American natural history, could occur where conservationists and others see potential for large, unfettered landscapes over the next century. The general sites identified in the paper range from grasslands and prairies in the southwestern U.S., to Arctic lowland taiga in Alaska where the sub-species wood bison could once again roam. Large swaths of mountain forests and grasslands are identified as prime locations across Canada and the U.S., while parts of the desert in Mexico could also again support herds that oncelived there.

The researchers assessed the restoration potential of these areas by creating a "conservation scorecard" that evaluated the availability of existing habitat, potential for interaction with other nativespecies, such as elk, carnivores, prairie dogs, and grassland birds, and a variety of other factors, including the socio-economic climate of the regions and the potential for cultural re-connection with bison. The higher the score of these factors, the more likely restoration could take place over time.

"The bison is one of the great living symbols of North America," said the paper's lead author, Dr. Eric Sanderson of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "This assessment shows us what is possible; that with hard work and ambitious goals, we can restore this iconic species to a surprising amount of its former range over the next century."

Bison once numbered in the tens of millions but were wiped out by commercial hunting and habitat loss. By 1889 fewer than 1,100 animals survived. In 1905 the American Bison Society (ABS) formed at WCS'sBronx Zoo headquarters and began efforts to re-populate reserves on the Great Plains with animals from the zoo's herd and other sources (bison continue to be exhibited at the Bronx Zoo and Queens Zoo). Of the estimated 500,000 bison existing today, 20,000 are considered wild; the rest live on private ranches.

"The bison is an important part of the heritage of not only the Wildlife Conservation Society but the United States." said Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, President and CEO of WCS. "One hundred years ago, through our efforts and the efforts of others, the bison was saved from extinction. We are now looking 100 years from now, because we believe there is an ecological future for the bison in the North American landscape."

The assessment is part of a long-term effort launched in 2006 by the new American Bison Society, led by WCS and including other conservation groups, Native Americans, agencies and private ranchers, to restore the "ecological role" of the bison. According to the groups, ecological restoration would occur when large herds of plains and wood bison can move freely across extensive landscapes within major habitats of their historic ranges. It would also include bison interacting with the fullest possible set of other native species, as well as inspiring, sustaining and connecting human cultures.

Ecological restoration will likely take a century, says WCS, and will only be realized through collaboration with a broad range of public, private and indigenous partners.

Adapted from materials provided by Wildlife Conservation Society, viaEurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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.

Educational Opportunities for Native Americans - May 16th

Disney/ABC Television Group
Institute of American Indian Arts/Disney/ABC Summer Television & Film Workshop Writers' Track

Disney·ABC Television Group, in partnership with The Walt Disney Studios, has developed a program for Native American writers, directors, and actors who aspire to work in the entertainment industry. The workshop, held on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus, was designed to assist novice and experienced Native American screenwriters, filmmakers, directors and actors.

This six-week intensive workshop develops scriptwriting skills for American Indians preparing for a career as a professional writer in television and film, and runs mid-June through July. For information on how to apply to this program, please contact Marcella Ernest at (505) 424-5796 - http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/

7th Annual Fox American Indian Summer Institute
Deadline June 1, 2008

The FOX Entertainment Group Diversity Development Department and the Native Media and Technology Network (NMTN) would like to announce the seventh annual FOX-2008 American Indian Summer Institute in Los Angeles, CA.

The American Indian Summer Institute is an opportunity for some twenty-five American Indian participants to experience behind-the-scenes of the entertainment industry in an intensive six-day hands-on production related workshop, lecture series and field trips held in Los Angeles from June 22 to June 28.

The desired age range for participants is 18 to 28. Returning participants may be accepted. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2008. For information on how to participate in, or sponsor, the event, visit: www.nacdi.org/nmtn.html

Summer Institute Scholarships
NAPT will offer a limited number of scholarships for The American Indian Summer Institute, June 22-28, 2008 at UCLA.

Aspiring documentary filmmakers ages 18-25 are encouraged to apply. Most expenses are covered between Fox and NAPT, including lodging, meals and transportation. Last year Sara Parker, Jesse Shortbull and Marty Two Bulls (Oglala) went along with Tristan Ahtone (Kiowa) and Nicole Auginash (Ojibway).

The deadline for applications is May 26, 2008. E-mail native@unl.edu if you're interested in applying.

Native Arts At NEFA/Native Arts Exchange
National Travel Fund

The Native Artist Exchange provides support for Native artists residing in any of the 50 United States to travel to different regions of the country so that they may exchange artistic knowledge and skills. This fund is designed to encourage and assist American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian artists, and provides an opportunity for Native artists to teach, learn, and collaborate in traditional or contemporary Native art forms through travel from one region to another across the nation.

Travel grants will be awarded up to $1500 based on review of detailed requests and budgets appropriate to the scope of travel. Applicants may receive one travel grant per fiscal year. Requests must be received by NEFA no later than two calendar months prior to the departure date of the proposed trip.

For more information about the National Travel Fund, email dspears@nefa.org or call NEFA at (617) 951-0010 ext. 525.

Program application guidelines can be found at:
www.nefa.org/grantprog/nativeartistexchange.html

P.O.V. Open Call For the 2009 Broadcast Season
Deadline June 27, 2008
Submit your film for consideration for the 2009 broadcast season.

P.O.V., public television's premier showcase for independent nonfiction film and video, is seeking programs from all perspectives to showcase in its annual national PBS series. Each year, P.O.V. brings 12 to 16 new films to public television viewers. Their summer series and year-round specials push the boundaries of nonfiction television with work from emerging and established filmmakers that reflect the range and diversity of American voices.

If your non-fiction film has a strong perspective, a dedication to quality, contemporary relevance and a passion for your topic, then the P.O.V. series is the best place for a national television broadcast. If you believe the entire country should see your film, P.O.V. is for you.

The submission arrival deadline is June 27, 2008. All subjects, styles and lengths are welcome. Unfinished films may be eligible for completion funds. Guidelines are available for review at www.pbs.org/pov/forproducers.

Questions? Call P.O.V. at (800) 756-3300 ext. 380.

NAJA Members -
USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program
Fellowship Opportunity
Apply Now!
Los Angeles, CA
November 1-22, 2008

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: http://annenberg.usc.edu/getty
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and The Getty Foundation are pleased to announce the 7th annual USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellowship.

Formerly held during the spring, the program for 2008 will be offered in the fall (November 1 to 22), in order to coincide with USC`s academic year and take advantage of the resources available through the University, including its new Master`s Program in arts journalism.

Six to seven arts journalists who bring distinction to the field will be chosen from the applicant pool. This is an international program for mid-career arts editors, critics and reporters from print, radio, television and online who cover the performing and visual arts, architecture, literature, entertainment and pop culture.

They can be generalists or specialists. Staff writers, editors and freelancers and self-employed Web journalists alike are welcome to apply.

Based in Los Angeles, the fellowship is a total immersion experience that includes attending as many as 23 performances, art exhibitions and architectural sites. Participants will visit private studios, rehearsal rooms, architectural firms and art schools providing many behind-the-scene opportunities to meet renowned artists, arts administrators and accomplished journalists face-to-face.

Important Details
-- Institute dates: November 1-22, 2008
--How to apply: Email an application request to uscgetty@usc.edu. Include your name, media affiliation(s), number of years you have been practicingarts journalism and your contact information. In addition, please note ifyou have applied in the past and for what year.
--Application Deadline: June 16, 2008 (postmarked no later than this date)
--Notification of Acceptance: August 8, 2008
--Location: Los Angeles, CA
--Cost: The program covers most expenses, including: roundtrip travel to and from Los Angeles, hotel, most meals, reading materials, Internet access in your hotel room and transportation within Los Angeles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:
http://annenberg.usc.edu/getty
Jeff HarjoExecutive Director NAJA
405 325-1649 (office) 405 436-3744 (cell)
jharjo@ou.edu

Don't miss the world's largest gathering of journalists of color at the UNITY '08 Convention in Chicago, Illinois, July 23-27, 2008!
Visit http://www.2008unity.org/ to register today!

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.

Candidates Plan S. D. Visits, Target Native Americans - Native Journalist On Campaign Trail

Obama, Clintons, Kennedy Plan South Dakota Visits
From Indian Country Today
By Journal staff and wire reports

South Dakota Democrats have a lot to look forward to this week, starting Wednesday with former President Bill Clinton's return visit to Pine Ridge, and continuing Thursday with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's second visit to South Dakota in a week.

On Friday, Sen. Barack Obama plans stops in Watertown, Sioux Falls and possibly Aberdeen, and members of the Kennedy family plan to visit western South Dakota on Obama's behalf.

Bill Clinton, who addressed 1,500 people in Rapid City on Saturday in support of his wife's presidential candidacy, plans to speak at Pine Ridge High School at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Clinton campaign said Tuesday.

Details and the location of Hillary Clinton's Thursday visit were not released as of Tuesday evening.

Democratic front-runner Obama is scheduled to make his first campaign stops in South Dakota as both he and Clinton battle for delegates in the state's June 3 primary.

He is scheduled visit the Watertown area Friday morning and Sioux Falls in the evening. Details were still being worked out Tuesday, his campaign said.

Earlier, Aberdeen Mayor Mike Levsen said the Obama campaign had been in contact about a potential visit to Aberdeen, the home of former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, an Obama supporter.

Also on Friday, Ethel Kennedy, 80, widow of the late U.S. senator and 1968 presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy, and Max Kennedy, 43, the ninth of Ethel Kennedy's 11 children, were scheduled to appear in western South Dakota in support of Obama's candidacy.

They plan to attend a community coffee at The Journey Museum in Rapid City on Friday morning and two events in Pine Ridge on Friday afternoon, the Obama campaign said in a news release.

Kiowa Journalist Will Spend Next Six Months Covering Presidential Campaign
Tristan Ahtone, a journalist with PBS "Newshour" and member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, will spend the next six months covering the 2008 Presidential Election from an Indian Country perspective.

He will be covering many key issues affecting Natives, including past campaign promises to tribes, what Natives are looking for in candidates, and other issues facing tribes with the election of a new president.He is looking for Native voices on many issues, including, but not limited to, environment, education, healthcare, and energy.

He is also seeking tribal members who have been contacted by the campaigns, know someone who works for a campaign, or are aware of anyone on their tribal council who has publicly endorsed a candidate.

Tristan is currently working in Montana and South Dakota covering the upcoming Democratic primaries. Anyone interested in participating in this unique opportunity to help represent Native voices in politics is welcome to contact him at (917) 622-4799, or via his e-mail tahtone@gmail.com.

For information on Tristan's work, visit his website at
www.tristanahtone.com.
-------------------------------------
Submitted by Christine Yazzie
E: krystyn_media@yahoo.com
W: http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.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.

J.D. Colbert, Native American Bank CEO Placed On Leave

Bank CEO Placed On Administrative Leave
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Submitted by Alyssa Macy

By JODI RAVE of the Missoulian
The CEO and president of the Native American Bank, the only multi-tribe-owned national bank in the country, has been placed on administrative leave.

”I'm shocked and surprised,” said J.D. Colbert on Wednesday. The NAB board of directors will meet Friday in Denver and is expected to release a statement the same day about the management shakeup.

"We're continuing on with a solid financial institution, probably more successful than any other bank in the country,” said Elouise Cobell, Native American Bank co-chair. “We're entering into a new phase. We want to continue a successful expert management team to take us into additional phases of the bank.”

News of the management showdown left one of the bank's largest depositors in disbelief.”

As a customer of the bank, this caused me great concern for two reasons,” Don Kelin, president of CADDO Solutions, a multimillion-dollar office supply company in Denver, said in a letter sent Wednesday to Cristina Danforth, chairwoman of the bank's holding company.

"This action immediately sent out an alarm to stakeholders (customers) using the bank - either the bank was in financial trouble or Mr. Colbert had done something wrong and caused severe damage,” said Kelin.

Colbert was put on administrative leave last Thursday.

The week before his removal, examiners from the Office of Comptroller of the Currency - which does on-site reviews of national banks - arrived at the bank's Denver headquarters for a scheduled audit. Colbert was removed from his duties before the OCC had completed a draft report.

"We don't speculate until we make a public enforcement action," said Kevin Mukri, a spokesman for the OCC. If the audit warrants attention, it will be posted on the OCC Web site, he said.

The last time the OCC took enforcement action against the NAB was in April 2003 when the bank was based in Browning. The bank achieved OCC compliance in March 2007.

The NAB posted a net income of $1.4 million in 2007. The bank's return on average assets, or profitability, was rated at 1.54 percent compared to bank peer group ratings of 0.94 percent, according to the company's 2007 fourth-quarter report. The bank's assets reached $99 million, a 20 percent increase compared to 2006.

Last August, the Democratic National Convention Committee announced the organization had made a $2 million deposit with the NAB in Denver, the host city for the 2008 Democratic convention.

Meanwhile, Kelin said he was assured by Bill Snider, NAB board chairman, that the bank remained financially sound and there was no concern for any wrongdoing by Colbert. �The decision to remove Colbert was made based on management issues."

Colbert, who became the bank's president and CEO in 2006, has been temporarily replaced by Donald H. McLean, who was given a 90-day contract to see the bank through its management transition, said Kelin.

The bank's board of directors also rehired Tracie Davis, the bank's former chief financial officer who resigned in February. She returned to the bank the same day the NAB board placed Colbert on leave.

Kelin said he's concerned about the apparent lack of consultation with tribal investors.

The Native American Bank was created in 2001 and is now owned by 26 federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations across the United States. The bank promotes economic development in Native communities, which have been historically underserved by mainstream banks. More than 85 percent of the bank's loans are made to Native people, including commercial, home mortgages, real estate and consumer loans.

The recent decision to remove Colbert, a Chickasaw and Creek, is being driven by non-Native executive board members, Kelin said.

It raises “very troubling questions about just who is running the bank and its future direction as to whether it will truly continue to serve Native peoples,” Kelin said. “Indeed all of the foregoing appear to point more toward power plays, personal vendettas and jealousies and an overall struggle for the soul of the Native American Bank.”

Kelin said Colbert does not appear to be receiving due process, but was removed in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

”Last month, the bank released statements to the press and shareholders about the success of the bank since J.D. Colbert has taken over as the president,” Kelin said. ”How can they issue a positive statement one month and then the next month do a 180-degree turn and place the Native American president on leave?”

He was a hero for the last 12 months and now he is being replaced.”
Alyssa Macy
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon
Indigenius Media
http://www.indigeniusmedia.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.

Crow Tribe Member Stumps For Obama - Native American Outreach In Montana

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) A member of the Crow Tribe will lead Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign efforts to enlist American Indian voters in Montana, a campaign spokesman said Friday.

Samuel Kohn is scheduled to begin his new job Monday as the state campaign team’s Native American coordinator, Obama spokesman Matt Chandler said.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time for a presidential candidate who listens to Native Americans, because our issues and concerns are rarely heard,” Kohn said in a statement. “Senator Obama is committed to giving Native Americans a voice so we can finally make real progress on issues that impact our tribes, and I’m proud to be a part of this grass roots movement for change.”

Kohn is a junior at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, majoring in Native American Studies and computer science. He will work in the Helena office, one of five Obama campaign posts in Montana. He said he would reach out to American Indians and voters on all seven reservations in the state.

Native American Outreach In Montana
From the Democratic Underground Forum
By Caitlin Harvey - May 10th, 2008
Last week, Samuel Kohn, a member of the Crow tribe and our campaign's Native American outreach coordinator in Montana, met with members of the "Rocky Boy for Obama" and "Blackfeet for Obama" groups in the Hi-Line region of Montana.

The meeting with the "Rocky Boy" for Obama" group took place on April 29 at Stone Child College. Samuel reports:

It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of that group. There were about 30-35 people at the meeting. It was really amazing to see the support, care, and interest that everyone had in Senator Obama's campaign. This was clearly expressed in one gentleman's, a well-respected elder on the reservation, statement about why he supported Senator Obama. He told me that he was 72 years old and had never voted before, but that he wanted to vote for Senator Obama because of everything he can do for us .

Samuel met with the "Blackfeet for Obama" campaign at the Blackfeet Tribal Council office in Browning on May 1.

He said: "There was a lot of excitement and interest in Senator Obama's campaign at this meeting, particularly his strategies to bring about real and lasting change for everyone on every reservation across the United States. There were about 30 people at the meeting, and many want to remain closely involved with the campaign."

You can read about Barack's principles for stronger tribal communities here.

If you live in Montana, make sure that you vote early!
You can find your early vote location here.

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.

Sithe Meeting A 'Significant Step' To A Cleaner Environment - BLM Asked To Withdraw Proposed Energy Leases

By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
WINDOW ROCK – A meeting in New York between Navajo grassroots Dine Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment and Sithe Global Power LLC top executives regarding the proposed Desert Rock power plant stretched into two days and was a “small but significant step,” according to Dine CARE's Dailan Long.

The group met with Bruce Wrobel, chief executive officer, and Thomas DeLeo, chief operating officer. Representatives of The Blackstone Group, financial backers for the 1,500 megawatt coal-fired plant did not attend. In addition to Long, Dine CARE was represented by Anna Frazier, Lori Goodman and Earl Tulley.

“We had a very good meeting. I don't think Sithe understood how much opposition there is to the project. Yesterday, they were so interested in the information that we had that they invited us back for the second meeting, and we honored their request,” Long said.

The group met about one and a half hours on Wednesday and then again Thursday to talk about Dine CARE's renewable energy report, “Economic and Energy Alternatives to the Desert Rock Energy Project.”

“They said they have money to invest in renewable energy and that if we can develop a plan for them, that they would be willing to invest resources into renewable energy on the Navajo Nation,” Long said.

But Frank Maisano, media liaison for Sithe, said, “I think probably they're a little overly optimistic on how well it went, from their perspective. I mean, look, the reality is it did go well, it was a very valuable meeting.

“But it was no different really from the meetings we've had with Dine CARE in the past where we've talked strongly about how important the project is, not only in our minds – because it's a good project – but in the minds of the Navajo Nation.”

The previous Navajo Nation Council “overwhelmingly supported the project, as evidenced by the tribal council vote,” and President Joe Shirley Jr. used it in his re-election, Maisano said. “Frankly, there has not really been a groundswell of opposition from anyone beyond their group.”

Long said he believes Sithe executives didn't understand existing conditions in the Four Corners region and how citizens' opposition speaks strongly. The group presented statements from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Colorado Rep. John Salazar, New Mexico Environment Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and newspaper articles since 2003.

In July 2007 Gov. Richardson issued a statement, saying, “ I am gravely concerned about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Desert Rock Energy Facility. I firmly believe, as currently proposed, the Desert Rock EnergyFacility would be a step in the wrong direction.”

Two months ago, NMED Secretary Ron Curry said that as planned, Desert Rock “will adversely impact air quality, exacerbate existing environment problems, and negatively impact scarce surface and ground water resources.” Fish & Wildlife has submitted 22 pages of comments and concerns on the Environmental Impact Statement.

Rep. Salazar expressed his opposition last October, saying, “Resolutions opposing Desert Rock have been passed by the counties of La Plata and San Miguel as well as the towns of Mancos, Cortez, Durango, and Dolores, in addition to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe and the Western Caucus of Colorado Counties Incorporated.

“I share their concerns and oppose the plant as it is currently proposed. I believe that the Four Corners air shed is already overloaded with significant pollutants due largely to the two existing coal-fired power plants in Northern New Mexico. A major new source of emissions as proposed by Desert Rock is simply unacceptable.”

Dine CARE's Long said Sithe officials want to continue the dialog with them. “We invited them out to my community (Burnham) and they agreed. So, it's a small but significant step.” He said they didn't discuss a date.

“They see Desert Rock in a global context. They tried to gear the conversation toward climate change and CO2 issues, but we had to bring them back to how the Navajo residents are impacted and what we have to say about that. We already have two power plants, natural gas and oil wells, and 125 million tons of coal combustion waste, so putting Desert Rock into the Four Corners region is adding insult to injury.

“They needed to know what they were up against. We made it very clear to them that Desert Rock is not going anywhere, and that their investment interests are better put into renewable energy development. They spoke proudly of their reputation in renewable energy,” Long said.

Maisano said Sithe does support renewables. “We're active and aggressive in promoting renewables – I know. We think renewables have to be a big part of this. What they seem to not understand though, is the coal project and the renewables can work together, and they don't seem to think so.

“They seem to think it's one or the other and we absolutely feel that it must be both – and that's not just because Sithe says so. That's what the Navajo Nation wants to pursue. We are just a helper for the Navajo Nation here. The Navajo Nation sought this project out, they sought us out to help them with it.”

There have been 450 public meetings, Maisano said. “Everybody has always had an open mic – an opportunity to speak their mind whether they agree with us or not. But you can't change the fact that the Navajo Nation is promoting this project, that it's all about for the Navajo Nation, and the Navajo Nation is going to be the major beneficiary.”

Salazars Ask BLM To Withdraw Proposed Energy Leases
Submitted by WSDP
Associated Press - May 2, 2008

DENVER (AP) - Rep. John Salazar and his brother, Sen. Ken Salazar, are asking federal officials to withdraw some of the oil and gas leases up for sale in a May 8 auction.

The Democrats wrote a letter Friday to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management after Rio Grande and Saguache (suh-WAHCH') counties and the towns of DelNorte and Crestone raised concerns.

About 140,000 acres of the 175,430 acres on the block are in the two counties. Local governments want time to review their oil and gas regulations because there hasn't been much development in the area.

Some of the land proposed for leasing is in parts of the Rio Grande National Forest classified as roadless under a 2001 road-building ban.

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.

INDNs List Supports Obama - Canadian Province Bans Uraniun Exploration - Another Take On Columbus Day - Something To Celebrate!

Kalyn Free Endorses Obama
CHICAGO IL5/5/2008
Kalyn Free, Oklahoma Choctaw and at-large member of the Democratic National Committee, today announced that she supports Illinois Senator Barack Obama for the party's presidential nomination. As a DNC member, Free will serve as a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention. Free is also founder and President of INDN's List, an organization dedicated to recruiting and training American Indian candidates.

This brings the total number of super delegates to endorse Barack Obama to 258. Senator Obama is 276 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination. Free said she was excited to see two qualified candidates emerge from the field of Democratic contenders.

"Today, I am casting my support for a new kind of leadership and a new possibility of what America can be. Barack Obama is a once-in-a-generation kind of leader and the best hope the American people have to rebuild the erosion our collective foundation has endured the last eight years. In 2008, we must elect a President who will restore our faith in the possibilities of each and every American, including the First Americans.

"As a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, I am proud of what it means to be an American Indian. I am proud Barack Obama is committed to our unique issues and willing to tackle our toughest problems, from historical inequities and injustices to contemporary issues, like protection of our right to tribal self-determination, access to health care for our elders, and education for our children.

Despite the threats that have faced our culture and our people, hope has lifted Indian people through the most difficult times. Because we remain connected to our past, our culture and our communities, we never gave up that hope.

"American Indians need not just progressive ideas but new and visionary leadership that inspire us to build a better future for all Americans. No President alone can rebuild the American public after eight years of George Bush's disastrous policies and poisonous politics. I support Senator Obama because I believe the only way to rebuild America is to rebuild what makes us great - the hope and drive of the American people.

"Senator Obama is committed to bringing American Indians into the national discussion and into the political process as voters, organizers, and leaders. He will start a two-way dialogue with Tribes by coming to Indian Country to seek solutions for our unique issues and by bringing Indians into his administration.

"For centuries the First Americans have had politicians talk to them, not with them. That kind of politics-as-usual leadership hasn't worked for Indian Country, and it isn't working for America. Senator Obama will forge a new era for the First Americans by looking for answers in Indian Country, not from Washington lobbyists. "I am proud to stand in solidarity with another DNC Indian superdelegate Frank LaMere (Winnebago) in support of America's best hope for a better tomorrow, Senator Barack Obama."

Senator Obama said, "Kalyn is an effective and compassionate leader in the Native American community, and I'm proud to have her support. I admire the work she has done to build a grassroots movement, elect Native Americans to public office, and mobilize voters in tribal communities to become part of the political process.

"And as President, I will work with tribal leaders and Kalyn to ensure that they have a true partner in the White House. With Kalyn's support, we're going to bring about real change not just for the Native American community, but for all Americans."
NTN Article#: 9478

REUTERS Canada
Thomson Reuters
Canadian Province Bans Uranium Exploration
Submitted by WSDP
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - British Columbia shut the door on exploring for radioactive minerals on Thursday, saying companies cannot claim rights to them even if the discovery is by accident.

The western Canadian province does not have uranium mines, but several companies have been doing exploration work and the mineral can be found when looking for other resources. The country's only active uranium mines are in the Prairie province of Saskatchewan.

British Columbia said has revised its mining rules to prohibit companies from staking claims for uranium and thorium even when it is discovered as part of a broader project.

The province has already prohibited the building of nuclear power plants.
(Reporting Allan Dowd, editing by Rob Wilson)

Another Take On Columbus Day
By Kathy Narvaez, Helium

How can we as human beings continue to condone the celebration of a European bent on genocidal domination? When Columbus encountered the Taino peoples of the Caribbean his own papers report that the Taino were a kind, generous and handsome people. Yet he slaughtered, enslaved and treated them with utter contempt.

As children we are taught that Christopher Columbus was a heroic founder of the Americas. Who has the authority to write off the people who were here before he arrived? For that matter, what about the Norse, shipwrecked African slaves and Polynesians who most assuredly preceded him? Is it honorable to raise such a person on a pedestal?

Let us not forget just how contemptuous many American Indians feel regarding Columbus. I consider it an affront to basic humanity to offer up even one day of celebration to this murderous, greedy fanatic. To do so is to in fact 'celebrate' the devastation and enslavement of the indigenous Taino, and the theft of their land.

Much of what is written read and, taught in our public school system is rife with Eurocentric blather. Academic history books tell precious little of the whole truth. To shield our children from the entire truth is to ignore the depredations exacted upon the original people of the land he encountered. History does tend to repeat itself; especially when one is left ignorant.

Why is it that this country celebrates a man who decimated a people and purportedly 'founded' a land that was already inhabited by hundreds of thousands? Why is it that 'we' cannot find it within ourselves to correct this omission and teach our children the truth? Is it so that we can get a good deal on furniture, autos or other sundry items? Or is it to perpetuate the myth that Euro centrism is dead?

Perhaps instead of celebrating 'Columbus Day'; we could come together and embrace 'All Peoples Day'. Over 500 years later let us celebrate a day of sharing cultures and healing wounds that have never fully closed. I often wonder what this land would've been like had our predecessors behaved with humanity. A land of truly shared cultures could have been their legacy. We can't go back and erase the atrocities committed by Columbus and others after him. But we can move forward, learn from the past, and create a new tomorrow for those who will be here after us.

SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE!
Submitted by WSDP
BLM Withdraws Proposed Energy Leases In Southern Colorado
The Associated Press -Article Last Updated: 05/02/2008

DENVER- Federal officials are withdrawing most of the proposed oil and gas leases up for sale in a May 8th auction.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said Friday that it will defer offering leases on 144,000 acres out of the original 175,430 acres. The parcels withdrawn are in the Rio National Grande Forest in southern Colorado.

BLM officials say the parcels could be auctioned later. They'll go over the analysis of the sites with the Forest Service.

The decision comes on the heels of a request by Rep. John Salazar and his brother, Sen. Ken Salazar, to defer consideration of the leases. Rio Grande and Saguache (suh-WAHCH') counties and the towns of Del Norte and Crestone had raised concerns about the areas eyed for energy development.

Salazar Asks BLM To Withdraw Proposed Energy Leases!
Associated Press - May 2, 2008
DENVER (AP) - Rep. John Salazar and his brother, Sen. Ken Salazar, are asking federal officials to withdraw some of the oil and gas leases up for sale in a May 8 auction.

The Democrats wrote a letter Friday to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management after Rio Grande and Saguache (suh-WAHCH') counties and the towns of Del Norte and Crestone raised concerns.

About 140,000 acres of the 175,430 acres on the block are in the two counties. Local governments want time to review their oil and gas regulations because there hasn't been much development in the area.

Some of the land proposed for leasing is in parts of the Rio Grande National Forest classified as roadless under a 2001 road-building ban..


"If I can't dance, it's not my revolution." -Emma Goldman

Storm Waters Rising Tide North America
risingtidenorthamerica.org
stormf5@riseup.net

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.

Titla Gains Political Endorsements - NAPT Opportunity

Titla Gains Endorsements From National Indian Leaders
Globe, Arizona - Mary Kim Titla's historic campaign to become the nation's first Native American Woman elected to Congress continues to gain momentum by garnering more endorsements among members of various tribes.

Congressional District 1 has one of the largest American Indian populations (at 22 percent) among districts in the country.

"This race is all about Arizona's congressional District One and its challenges for the future. These endorsements are significant because it demonstrates our campaign is no longer a campaign; it's a movement. These statements attest to the respect Mary Kim has earned through her years of service. They are people who know Mary Kim and what she stands for," said Randy Camacho, Titla's Campaign Manager.

Endorsement Quotes
"I fully support Mary Kim Titla's efforts and I trust that she will provide guidance, leadership and support for not only Indian people but the general population of this country."
Joe GarciaOhkay
Owingey (NM)
President, National Congress of American Indians
Chairman, All Indian Pueblo Council

"It's time for a change! Mary Kim Titla fits that change needed for District 1. We're in need of integrity, compassion, knowledge and honest leadership."
Allen Tsinigine
Navajo (Page, AZ)
Former President of the National Indian Education Association

"Mary Kim Titla is a woman of impeccable character and integrity with a profound knowledge of the issues affecting the people of Arizona and will prove an exceptional advocate for Arizona and the United States Congress."
Pete Homer Jr., Colorado River Indian Tribes (AZ/Washington, DC)
President, National Indian Business Association

"I believe that Mary Kim Titla is the best candidate for Arizona's 1st district. The district is very diverse and needs a leader that reflects the traditional values and rural history of the district. I believe that Mary Kim Titla is that leader."
Ron Andrade, La Jolla Tribe (CA)
Former Executive Director,
National Congress of American Indians

"Arizona would be extremely well represented in the US House of Representatives by electing Mary Kim Titla. She is knowledgeable about all the issues. Mary Kim Titla possesses the courage and experience to be a champion for Arizona in the US Congress."
Gay Kingman, Cheyenne River Sioux (SD)
Executive Director, Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association
Former Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians

"Mary Titla's experience and education give her a unique insight to the needs and issues facing her constituents. This knowledge will prove invaluable for the people of Arizona as she will be a powerful voice in the halls of congress."
Sue MastenYurok Tribe (CA)
Founder/Co-President, WEWIN Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations
Former President National Congress of American Indians

"Mary Kim is the best possible candidate to represent the people of Arizona's First District. She brings an authentic message of change backed by a real western upbringing, strong communication skills, and a career dedicated to changing the lives of the less fortunate."
Tex HallMandan-Hidatsa-Arikara (ND)
Former President of the National Congress of American Indians

"Mary Kim possesses the qualities needed for being an effective servant leader (or representative) for the citizens of District One. Not only will she be an agent of change, but she will make it possible for those she represents to have a voice in Congress."
J.R. CookCherokee (OK)
Executive Director, United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.

Others who have endorsed or support Mary Kim Titla for Congress include:
Ernie Stevens, Jr.
Oneida Tribe (WI)
Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association

S. Timothy Wapato, Colville Confederated Tribes (SD)
Retired
Former Commissioner Administration for Native Americans
Former Executive Director, National Indian Gaming Association
Retired: Lieutenant, Los Angeles Police Dept.

Ryan Wilson
Oglala Lakota (WA)
President, National Alliance to Save Native Languages
Former President ofthe National Indian Education Association

Jim Warne
Oglala Lakota (CA)
Director, Center for American Indian Rehabilitation

Titla said, "We need someone who can be a real voice for all people. I intend to reach out and better serve all citizens of District 1 no matter what their background. It's important to elect a candidate who can relate to people on a personal, cultural and spiritual level. I believe I'm that person."

After receiving her Associate of Arts Degree at Eastern Arizona College, Titla earned a B. A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a Master's Degree in Mass Communication from Arizona State University.

Widely known through her 20 years as a TV news reporter in Arizona, Titla is the publisher of Native Youth Magazine online. She is a member of the Point of Pines Cattle Association and Gibson Wash District Economic Enterprise Board.

Her priorities include land and water issues, growth, improve infrastructure, quality education and programs that strengthen families.

For more information about Titla's campaign, visit http://www.marykimtitla.com/
For interview requests, please call Patsy Cohoe at (928) 475-5272 or (928) 475-3670.

NAPT - 3rd Annual Creative Spirit Call For Submissions - Green Vs Grindhouse
Deadline June 17, 2008

If you are a new, emerging, or established American Indian, Alaska Native, or Hawaiian Native writer over the age of 18 from the United States, Creative Spirit invites you to submit a 9-11 page screenplay in either or both of these categories: Green (environmental and ecological themes) and Grindhouse (stories of any genre-horror, action, comedy, etc.-that reflect the fun, rebellious spirit of B-movie genres).

If your screenplay is selected, a cast and crew will be put together and you'll be brought to Los Angeles, September 20-28, 2008, where you'll participate in the making of the film with three other Native filmmakers and industry professionals for an intensive week of shooting and editing, culminating with a world premiere screening in Hollywood.

Go to www.nativefilm.com
download the guidelines and submission form.

You can listen to an interview with James Lujan, Director of InterTribal Entertainment, about the 2008 Creative Spirit Call for Short Scripts by clicking here.

The deadline is June 17, 2008. More questions?
E-mail jameslujan@nativefilm.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.

U.S. Spends $3.9 Billion On Water - But, Not For Navajo Nation

By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau

Fed's Commitment To Indian Water Rights Settlements Questioned
WINDOW ROCK - In the past four years, the Bush administration spent $2.3 billion on water infrastructure in Iraq, $1.6 billion on water-related issues in other countries, and $2.5 billion on water rights claims in the West outside Indian Country.

On April 19, 2005, the Navajo Nation and the state of New Mexico executed a settlement agreement to Navajo claims of water rights in the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico.

Last year, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman introduced H.R. 1970 “the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act: which is currently pending in Congress and would authorize the settlement and the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project to provide safe drinking water to the Navajo Nation and Gallup.

The Department of the Interior has testified against the bill, and the Office of Management and Budget has opposed funding despite the critical lack of drinking water infrastructure on the Navajo Nation. Gallup may run out of water in less than 10 years.

The federal government is expected to be an aggressive trustee of Indian water rights, according to Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., however, Navajo is concerned that the feds’ current application of Criteria and Procedures in settlement negotiations creates incentives for the United States to oppose the interests of Indian tribes.

The Navajo Nation has considerable experience with water rights settlements.

“We are currently involved in finalizing a settlement with the state of New Mexico, and we are in discussions with the states of Arizona and Utah to quantify our water rights through negotiated settlements, rather than through the litigation process,” Shirley said.

The president explained how the United States has neglected the Navajo Nation’s water rights claims to the Colorado River, and has instead pursued a wide variety of activities concerning the management and allocation of the river without consideration of the needs of Navajo.

John Echohawk, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund of Boulder, Colo., has worked on Indian water issues for more than 38 years. In the last three decades, he said NARF has encountered one consistent challenge: the federal government’s inability to commit adequate financial and human resources to resolving tribal water rights claims.

“For centuries, the federal government has promoted and subsidized non-Indian water rights to the detriment of vested tribal water rights,” he said. “The lack of federal commitment to developing tribal water rights is especially troubling considering the conditions we see across Indian Country.

“It is not uncommon for tribal members to drive over 50 miles to haul water for their homes, many which still have no access to electricity. It is as if Native Americans fell through the web of the federal system that is charged with ensuring our well-being under the trust responsibility.”

The federal commitment to Indian water rights settlements remains inconsistent, and the lack of federal funding plagues the settlement process, Echohawk said.

U.S. Sens. Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman have proposed creating a permanent funding mechanism for Indian water rights settlements by using the Reclamation Fund. Though the Bureau of Reclamation has adamantly opposed this move, Echohawk and others testifying before the House subcommittee urged their support.

“The federal government has an obligation as trustee to assist in the development of tribal water rights and Congress must look to create a permanent funding mechanism for tribal water settlements. ... Indian Country can no longer tolerate the lack of water and water infrastructure that has inhibited them from developing their communities,” he said.

John F. Sullivan of Salt River Project said SRP has worked with numerous tribes and stakeholders to resolve water rights disputes in a manner that benefits both Indian communities and their non-Indian neighbors.

“We are continuing to work diligently towards the completion of the settlement of the claims of the White Mountain Apache Tribe to surface water and ground water from the Gila and Little Colorado River Basins, as well as the claims of the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe to surface water and ground water from the Little Colorado River Basin and to water from the Lower Colorado River.”

Sullivan said many water basins in the West are already over-appropriated. “As growth and drought persist, constructing water budgets for future settlements that are operable for all the parties involved becomes increasingly complex.”

In addition, the inability to fully fund projects prolongs construction and raises the total price. “Non-traditional funding sources may be needed to meet the financial need,’ he said.

The objective of the Navajo Nation “is to obtain a water supply that meets the needs of future generations of Navajos to live and thrive on the Navajo Nation as their permanent homeland. These efforts, whether through litigation or negotiation, require the expenditure of significant resources for attorneys and experts,” according to President Shirley.

“With the reduction in federal funds available for tribes to pursue these claims, we can no longer rely on the United States to fund the tribal efforts. We believe that Congress must set aside funds to be used exclusively for Indian water rights settlements. In the absence of such set asides, funding for water rights settlements will compete with funding for other programs out of the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget.”

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.