'Cache Girl Saves The World' - A Novel In Visions

"Cache Girl" DVD To Be Released September, 2010
"Bold, provocative, and highly experimental, Cache Girl Saves the World introduces a new medium for literary fiction: the 'novel in visions,' which combines audio of the novel's text with still photographs of some of its action, packaged in DVD format.

“The novel tells the story of Ta'li, a young runaway whose Cherokee ancestors died on the Trail of Tears. Searching for peace for herself and the world, Ta'li finds herself in the swamps of Southern Illinois' Cache River, where, with the help of the Swamp Asp and the legendary Big Muddy Monster, she embarks on a daring quest to bring her vision of empathy, empowerment, unity, social justice and ecological wisdom to a humanity seemingly bent on self-destruction.

"Shot predominately on location in Southern Illinois by principal photographer Sarah Dalby, Cache Girl Saves the World features stunning photographs–both abstract and concrete–of the area's natural beauty, and of Grammy Award-winning musician, American Indian Film Award-nominated actress, storyteller, and renowned dancer Thirza Defoe, of the Ojibwe and Oneida Nations, who portrays Ta'li.

“Ms. Defoe co-produced the novel with the author, Adam E. Stone, whose previous novels are Xamon Song, Kingston Fugue, and The New Harmonies."

Here is a link to the Internet Movie Database, where you can view 3 short excerpts from the project:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1684623/

More information about Thirza is available at:
http://www.thirzadefoe.com/

More information about me is available at:
http://www.adamestone.com/

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Navajo Nation: Two New Casinos

Casinos To Offer Electronic Bingo
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent

WINDOW ROCK – Class II casinos in Chinle and Tse Daa K'aan are just a few spins away following the signing of loan documents last week by Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., Controller Mark Grant and Navajo Gaming Enterprise CEO Robert Winter.

“This is a historical moment for the Nation,” Shirley said. The president also signed documents that would extend the loan initially put up for the Navajo Nation's first casino, Fire Rock, located in Churchrock.

The $5.3 million loan includes $3.5 million for the Tse Daa K'aan gaming facility, to be located about 25 miles from Farmington in a modular building near the chapter house; and $2 million to fund the Chinle casino, which will be located in the shopping center.

The two Class II casinos will offer electronic bingo. “It's like a slot machine but it's run on the same odds basis as a bingo game is run,” Winter said Monday.

“Fire Rock Casino has been refinanced which, based on its profitability, has freed up a substantial amount of money. Combined with the four loans that the Investment Committee has supported and the Budget and Finance Committee has approved, it allows for the financing of four additional projects,” he said.

The combined loan plus equity from Fire Rock allows for $110 million to be allocated to build Twin Arrows. The first phase includes the casino, a four-star hotel and conference center.

“It also allows for $40 million to be spent to build a casino in Upper Fruitland outside of Farmington, and allows for the two small Class II casinos,” he said.

The Tse Daa K'aan casino is expected to open Oct. 1, followed by Chinle around Oct. 15 or Nov. 1. Groundbreaking also is expected in November at both Twin Arrows and Upper Fruitland, he said. Upper Fruitland is expected to be completed in November or December 2011, followed by Twin Arrows in early spring 2012.

“There will be small eating establishments in both Class II's. At the Twin Arrows there will be a 24-hour restaurant, an upscale steak house, a sports bar, a cabaret, and a food court,” Winter said, adding that they hope to build a European mineral bath spa shortly after completion of the hotel.

“I'm very happy to be part of this. This is a very big accomplishment by the Navajo Nation. It's all self-financed. There's no fees going to banks. All the interest goes back to the Nation, all the jobs are for the Nation. It's one of the largest self-financed projects undertaken by any tribe in the nation.”

Budget and Finance Committee Chairman LoRenzo Bates said that when the committee initially passed legislation to develop the casinos, a feasibility study conducted by gaming officials showed that all the casinos would be profitable. However, all parties agreed to conduct another feasibility study with regard to Upper Fruitland and Twin Arrows.

When that was done, in light of the economic downturn, the results showed that the two casinos were not expected to be as profitable as originally determined. A concern arose that in the event one of the two casinos was not profitable, where would the money come from to subsidize those losses.

“Based on that question, it was determined that all the other casinos that were up and running, including Fire Rock, could help subsidize the losses. That was a concern – a major concern,” Bates said Monday. “So you had two possibilities: One is to not do it, or figure out a way to do it. So the decision was that each of the facilities would downsize.”

Adding to the mix was getting the land for Twin Arrows into trust. “Usually it takes up to two years if not longer,” Bates said. The Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act and its requirements came into play, along with the ultimate decision to use $3.7 million of Navajo-Hopi money to buy the land.

Under the act, any land acquired must benefit Navajo relocatees who resided on Hopi Partitioned Land as of Dec. 22, 1974. Once selected, the land becomes a mandatory acquisition and the Secretary of the Interior does not have the discretion to deny the request for trust status, speeding up the process.

Another part of the fee-to-trust process requires the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, or ONHIR, which oversees relocation and has a trust responsibility to the relocatees, to approve selection of the lands which will be used to benefit the relocatees.

In 1980 Congress created the Rehabilitation Trust Fund, to be used for various purposes, including education and economic development. Oversight of the fund was given to the Navajo-Hopi Land Commission. Because under Title 12, gaming revenues cannot be distributed as per capita payments, rental revenues from the casino business will be given to the relocatees for their use and will be deposited into the fund.

During negotiations on use of the $3.7 million, the Navajo-Hopi Land Commission had its idea of terms and ONHIR had its idea, Bates said. “When those ideas came forward and you applied those ideas in terms of dollars to the overall cost of Twin Arrows, it didn't pencil out. It went into a loss.”

Language which mentioned payments “in perpetuity” caused financial problems in relation to whether Twin Arrows would be profitable. That put everything on hold, because if it wasn't profitable it would have put the burden on all the other casinos to subsidize the losses.

All parties involved sat back down and worked out the terms. “Everybody's happy at this point,” Bates said, and Twin Arrows now is expected to show a profit.

“I want to make it clear that Budget and Finance Committee and the Investment Committee stood back during this time because it was not within our authority to get into those negotiations,” he said. “It was the Navajo-Hopi Land Commission, ONHIR, and Gaming that had to work out those details.”

New legislation came forward and was approved by Budget and Finance, basically reducing the loan amounts for Twin Arrows and Upper Fruitland. Resolutions approved by the committee in May called for $125 million for Twin Arrows and $50 million for Upper Fruitland, compared to the reduced funding amounts of $110 million and $40 million, respectively.

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Illinois Group Has Eco-Friendly Vision for Arizona Snowbowl

No Artificial Snow For San Fransicso Peaks
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent

WINDOW ROCK – A Glen Ellyn, Ill., organization has presented “a new vision” for the Arizona Snowbowl to Flagstaff city officials which includes a non-snow-making alternative that could lead to creation of “the most eco-friendly ski resort in the world.”

“We were asked to sponsor and facilitate the formation of a non-profit partnership that would purchase the permit and assets of Snowbowl and manage it as an eco-friendly ski resort, which means no snow-making in the process,” Drew Glassford, a founding member of Tribal Wisdom Foundation, said Tuesday.

The USDA Forest Service, which leases the land to the Arizona Snowbowl, granted permission for the use of reclaimed wastewater to make artificial snow at the ski resort, located on the San Francisco Peaks. The mountain is considered sacred by 13 Arizona Indian tribes.

The Flagstaff City Council will vote Aug. 30 on whether to amend a contract to sell either potable water or reclaimed wastewater to the Snowbowl for artificial snow-making. The foundation wants the city council to consider its no snow-making option as well.

Glassford said the new non-profit group that would be established would have an advisory board made up of traditional indigenous elders who would have significant input in the decision-making process on how the mountain would be used. “They would have the final authority. That's the intent of the partnership,” he said.

The group has not yet approached Snowbowl owner Eric Borowsky with an offer, according to Glassford. “We are in the process of acquiring commitments from the different tribes and conservation organizations in order to be able to fund it. At the point that we feel that we have the funding secured, then we will approach Mr. Borowsky's group.”

Glassford said the foundation has had discussions with both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the Navajo Nation regarding the proposal. “I can't yet release the form of commitment that we have received from them, but we will shortly,” he said. “We wouldn't have gone public if we didn't feel that we had significant support that was needed.”

George Hardeen, communications director for President Joe Shirley Jr., said, “Nobody's mentioned it to me. That idea has been floated around, but the Navajo Nation is facing a $22 million deficit. I don't know where we'd come up with any money.”

Former Hopi Tribal Chairman Ben Nuvamsa, who is on the foundation's list of potential advisers for the project, said he believes both Hopi and Navajo should study the merits of the proposal and see whether an agreement can be reached.

“The Peaks are our sacred mountain where the Katsinas live. It's really essential to our culture, our way of life. In a perfect world there shouldn't be any skiing. The purity and the sanctity of the mountain has been interrupted already, so what's a middle ground or a compromise? I think that's what this is about.

“The Hopi perspective is we oppose any form of artificial snow,” Nuvamsa said, adding that the Tribal Wisdom Foundation is offering to continue the ski resort, but allow the snow to come naturally. “I think there is a fair middle ground that can be reached if the city would listen, if the Forest Service would listen, and if Borowsky would listen.”

He said the Hopi have some real issues with any kind of artificial snow, not only based on their culture and beliefs, but health-wise and environmentally as well.

“I'm sure there are a number of people that live in the Flagstaff area that are concerned about their domestic water source,” he said, adding that he lived in Flagstaff a number of years and there was always concern about the dwindling water supply.

“The part I have a problem with is paying for a permit. It's kind of like buying our sacred mountain back. I don't know where the money would come from,” he said, but added that if there is any way to preserve the sacredness of the mountain while protecting the water supply for Flagstaff, “I think it would be a good thing.”

According to the foundation, the “no snow-making” alternative involves creating a collaborative effort between the city, indigenous nations, conservation organizations, the ski industry, and the USDA to protect water sources, cultural resources, and the natural environment.

In an Aug. 2 letter addressed to the Flagstaff mayor, city council and Flagstaff residents, Beth Huss, secretary, said the Tribal Wisdom Foundation has financially supported indigenous people at local, regional and national levels to
have their voices heard.

One meeting was held April 16 with President Obama as he signed the America’s Great Outdoors Presidential Memorandum to encourage local and state governments, tribes, and private groups to come together in the spirit of collaboration to be more responsible stewards of both tax dollars and natural world, Huss said.

“We invite you to consider this non-profit alternative and its benefits to the Flagstaff residents in-depth prior to your decision to allow the use of potable water, reclaimed water, or recovered-reclaimed water for snow-making at Snowbowl.”

According to the foundation, if a non-profit group is created to manage the Snowbowl, making a profit would no longer be an issue and artificial snow would not be used. Flagstaff would maintain its potable water for its own use and potentially hazardous reclaimed wastewater would not be introduced into the mountain’s eco-system.

“We feel this proposal offers the opportunity for the mayor and city council of Flagstaff to create a legacy of significant future benefit, rather than one of perpetual controversy and potential future liability,” Huss said.

Citizens would have a model resort to enjoy outdoor activities, the cultural resources of indigenous peoples would be protected, tourists would be intrigued, and Flagstaff would be seen as a city looking toward a positive future for all its citizens by protecting their water resources, the environment and cultural needs, according to the foundation.

Kevin Ordean, chair of the Northern Arizona University Student Environmental Caucus and President of the NAU Campus Climate Challenge, voiced his support for the alternative.

“With the global trend toward sustainability, and the many majors and focus areas at Northern Arizona University, an eco-friendly ski resort in close proximity to the campus would allow for an active engagement between the resort and the university,” he said.

Glassford said members of the foundation have talked to the mayor and vice mayor about the proposal and will have a representative at the Aug. 30 meeting to answer questions. The public meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Sinagua High School, 3950 E. Butler Ave.

Tribal Wisdom Foundation, a not-for-profit organization supporting traditional indigenous lifeways and the natural environment, was established by a group of non-native adult students enrolled in the Native American Studies Program at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. The foundation is comprised of teachers, administrators, therapists and business professionals.

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Can A Woman Lead The Navajo Nation? - Mary Kim Titla To Run For San Carlos Apache Chairman

Many Tales Are Being Told
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent

WINDOW ROCK – Depending on who you talk to, Lynda Lovejoy's landslide victory, coupled with a tornado in Many Farms and dams bursting in the Tsaile/Wheatfields area, either herald the end of civilization as we know it, or it is a sign that Navajos are on the right path to restoring balance to the Nation.

Lovejoy won the most votes in the August 3rd Primary and will face Ben Shelley, incumbent Nation vice-president, in the November 2nd General Election.

As results of the presidential primary election poured in Tuesday evening at the Sports Center and it became evident that Lovejoy was going to be the top vote-getter, the whispers began.

“A woman don't belong in office as a leader. The world will come to an end,” one medicine man said he was taught. He viewed the tornado sighting and days of torrential rain and flooding as a warning.

But Delegate Ralph Bennett of Crystal said Wednesday, “The leadership song gives credit to the earth, Mother Earth, a woman. She's a leader opposite to the Sky, the father. ... You have male leaders, you have female leaders, and these are songs brought by the Holy People.” You can't exclude women as leaders, he said.

One man who watched the election night results and listened to the talk at the Sports Center said there are many stories about First Man and First Woman, and their child, Changing Woman, whose sons Monster Slayer and Born for Water rid the land between the four sacred mountains of dangerous monsters.

One of those monsters was a tornado. Here is the story he shared:

Monster Slayer and Born for Water went to their dad, the Sun, and were given tools to fight off all the monsters. They were able to successfully kill most of the monsters, but one of them – the tornado – was coming from the south and they couldn't kill it using the weapons the Sun gave them, so they had to go back into the house to their mother.

They said, “Mom, we cannot kill this monster. It's too much for us. Even with the weapons that were given to us, it's not doing the job.”

Their mother said, “OK.” She didn't even look outside. She got her spindle and her tools that she was using to weave a rug and she made a bow. Next, she used her stirring sticks. There are seven of them, and she gave three to one son and three to the other and said, “I'm going to keep this one, just in case.”

The stirring sticks became arrows; her big grinding stone a shield. With those tools they were able to fight off the tornado.

“The male and the female are equal,” he said. “The male warrior is given the right to be out there to fight off the enemies and the woman will stay behind. That is the Beauty Way side of it. But that tells you that even on the Beauty Way side they have weapons. The end result is that they need each other.”

One story foretells of chaotic times when the Navajo male leaders go the wrong way and a woman has to come in and use her weapon to straighten things up. That is the time when there will be tornadoes and earthquakes, he said.

“But there's no story that says the woman continued to be the leader. So this next four years might be the time for a woman to come in and do this, and then relinquish that leadership and give it back to the male folk while she returns to the Beauty Way side again.”

Another interpretation of present events, he said, is that the Holy Ones are actually acknowledging that Navajo is moving in the right direction, saying, “Listen, we told you so. Now we're letting you know that you're going the right way.”

When Lovejoy ran for president four years ago, some said that if she really wanted to lead the way, she should get endorsement by the Diné Medicine Man Association and the Diné Hataalii Association, he said.

“Another man said that if she is going to be the leader, she should stay home here and let the vice president – who should be a male – do everything outside the four sacred mountains.

“There are different versions,” he said.

Titla: It's Time To Take A Stand!
San Carlos, AZ—Mary Kim Titla, San Carlos Apache, has announced she will run for Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

Titla, who was born and raised on the San Carlos reservation, moved back to her hometown a few years ago and is employed there. “Numerous people encouraged me to run. They don’t like what they’ve seen in the last four years. They want change. A lot of thought and prayer went into my decision. I understand where the people are coming from. I’ve lived in similar conditions.

“The San Carlos Apache Reservation is my home. It always has been and always will be. I care deeply about the people, especially the youth, and I’ll work hard to make improvements. It's time to take a stand,” said Titla, who is of the Te’nolzhage’ (Descending into water in peaks) clan, born into the K’ainchiidn (Red Willow) clan.

Running for public office is nothing new for Titla. In 2008 she came in a strong 2nd to Ann Kirkpatrick out of four candidates in the primary race for Congressional District 1.

The former TV News Reporter has worked over the past two years as a substitute teacher and now as Communications Officer for the San Carlos Unified School District.

She also serves as Tribal Liaison for the Gila County Board of Supervisors. In addition, Titla is publisher of Native Youth Magazine online, a website focusing on the talents and lifestyles of Native youth.

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

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'Walking Into The Unknown' - Overcoming Health Risks

"Walking Into The Unknown", an Influential Documentary about Overcoming Health Risks, Comes to Public Television in Fall 2010
Conract: Jessica Kinser
(402) 472-8607
jkinser2@unl.edu

Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) proudly announces the release of a new, Emmy-nominated documentary that brings you into the personal life and medical chart records of an Ojibwe man upon his impending 50th birthday.

Walking into the Unknown traces the intimate journey of a middle-aged American Indian male through the health care system as he gains a deeper understanding of himself and the health risks he faces.

A graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School-Duluth, Dr. Arne Vainio--a physician and national health columnist--works on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northern Minnesota. Frustrated by middle-aged Native men not coming in for health screenings, Dr. Vainio came to the realization that he was also avoiding the necessary screenings to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Co-produced by Ivy Vainio, Visumm Media and presented by Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT), Walking into the Unknown will have viewers building a personal connection with Dr. Arne Vainio--feeling the health risk burdens and analyzing thought-provoking questions that are faced in the most critical turning point of one's life.

"My husband knew that he needed to make a change. He had avoided it for some time, but came to realize that he needed to be here for his child, myself and to fulfill his destiny and life-long mission to help others. He was not going to let himself become a statistic," said Ivy Vainio, Producer of Walking into the Unknown and wife of Dr. Vainio.

The hour-long documentary addresses five main topics--diabetes, heart disease, stroke, suicide and alcoholism. This documentary film took two years to make and it has been shown to a number of Native American audiences throughout the United States with Dr. Arne Vainio being on hand to answer questions about health care issues and about the film.

"Our sincere hope is that we can spread the word that it's never too late to begin caring about your well-being. The breadth of resources and informational health facts stated in the film are purely to educate, engage and inspire men and women to take action regarding their futures," said Nate Maydole, Director and Editor for Walking into the Unknown.

In addition to the up-close footage of Dr. Vainio's physical and emotional journey, the documentary also showcases several powerful testimonials from community members who have experienced pre-mature loss of Native men in their families, as well as descriptions of several diagnostic tests from the patient's perspective.

"Arne did a courageous thing--he led by example. He did what all Native Americans should do-he looked in the mirror and started to fix what he saw," said Sam Maday, a member of the Bad River Band of Ojibwe.

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Homestake Gets Temporary Permit to Irrigate With Contaminated Water

Bluewater Group Asks Sens. Udall And Bingaman To Intercede
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent

MILAN, N.M. – Homestake/Barrick Gold Corp.'s plan to resume irrigating fields with contaminated water associated with cleanup activities at the former uranium mill has not been met with favorably by a local community group, especially in light of monsoon rains, recent flooding and the breach of a tailings wall at the site.

Members of the Bluewater Valley Downstream Alliance have asked Sens. Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico to intercede on their behalf.

Homestake received temporary permission Aug. 4 from the New Mexico Environment Department's Ground Water Quality Bureau to apply approximately 1,026 gallons per minute of water with elevated levels of uranium, selenium, sulfate, and total dissolved solids on a parcel of land known as Section 34.

The land is located about a mile southwest of Homestake, in and south of the Felice Acres subdivision. Alan D. Cox, Homestake Mining Co. project manager, stated in a letter to NMED that the temporary authorization is necessary to assure the company continues to make progress on required groundwater remediation in the Section 3 area, where cleanup activities have been ongoing for several years. Cox did not return a phone call from the Independent.

Candace Head-Dylla sent a letter to the senators on behalf of the Bluewater group stating, “With no input from our community – or even notice of the process – the New Mexico Environment Department has agreed to allow Homestake/Barrick Gold Corp. to discharge contaminated water in their fields located in our community.

“This multi-billion dollar company needs this permission because they are too cheap to invest in enough reverse osmosis equipment to actually clean the contaminated water and remove it to safe, permanent storage,” she said. “This would be unbelievable if it were not the same thing that has been going on for over 30 years here.”

Head-Dylla said she has not yet had a response from the congressmen.

William Olsen, chief of the Ground Water Quality Bureau, said Wednesday that Homestake has permission to discharge the contaminated water for 120 days from the date of first application. The company had been discharging contaminated water for a number of years to four parcels of land it owns, but last year NMED directed Homestake to cease irrigation activities.

In 2007, a more stringent standard of .03 milligrams per liter for uranium in groundwater was adopted by the state, from a previous high of 5 milligrams per liter, and preexisting facilities such as Homestake were given a temporary exemption to come into compliance. That recently ended.

“The discharge out there in the past was determined to not need a permit because the discharge they were doing was below standards. but with the change in the standards it now requires a permit,” Olsen said. “They have a much higher standard they now have to achieve for protection of groundwater quality.”

Homestake was given temporary approval for irrigation activities because NMED believes it is necessary in order for them to maintain the hydraulic containment of the southern plume. “If they don't pump from that area, those contaminated waters are going to migrate,” he said.

“They need to be able to operate portions of that remediation system and this is where they need to be able to put that water out because they can't handle it through the rest of their system. So as far as we know, nothing has happened yet on any irrigation out there. I would expect that if the ground is saturated, there's not really a reason to be putting water out there.”

Jerry Schoeppner of the Ground Water Quality Bureau said the only difference from previous years is that this year Homestake is not pumping the alluvial southern and western plumes because they don't have a disposal method for the water.

“They're not able to irrigate, following our letter to them last year, so they're trying to figure out how to deal with that component of reclamation. The rest of the remediation system is operating as it has in the past.”

Asked whether he thought there might be an impact from irrigating with water which exceeds the maximum contaminant level, Schoeppner said, “If you did that for a very long period of time, yes, you potentially could impact groundwater. Based on 120 days and the historical application from 2000 and 2008, we don't see any impacts to groundwater.

“The concentrations in the irrigated water are going to be below background standards so we don't anticipate that that temporary permission is going to be a problem. We still have to look at that long-term,” he said.

According to Head-Dylla, the background standard allowed for Homestake/Barrick Gold is based on the idea that the company is only partly responsible for the contamination and that other polluters also contributed.

“It is wrong – morally, ethically, and technically – to say that just because Homestake/Barrick Gold is only held partly responsible for the contamination, they can continue contributing to the problem. We had clean water before,” she said.

Water removed predominantly from 18 wells in the southern alluvial plume, five in the Chinle plume and one well in the San Andreas will be blended and applied to the Section 34 land where selenium and uranium are limited to the upper 5 feet of soil. Depth to water is about 35 feet.

“The water they were putting out before was actually higher in concentration and we didn't see impacts in groundwater from that. Now they're going to be putting out better quality water,” Olsen said.

Homestake has applied to the state to continue the irrigation process on a long-term basis, however, Schoeppner said they still have a long way to go before they can evaluate all four parcels.

“The other three parcels are more sandy and we've seen vertical migration to a much greater degree, so those are going to be much more problematic for continued operation,” he said.

Head-Dylla said the bottom line is very simple. “The New Mexico Environment Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should force this multi-billion dollar corporation to commit the resources needed to actually clean our water and move the existing piles to safe permanent storage so we are no longer subjected to high radon doses.

“Homestake/Barrick Gold's money scares these regulators to death because the regulators are afraid of this giant corporation. Our community has suffered for more than 30 years and continues to suffer. Homestake/Barrick Gold is a bully no one – at least no one in the state or federal government – has the nerve to stand up to,”

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

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'Growing Native', New NAPT TV Series

Tulalip Tribes Of Washington Support NAPT's New TV Series With A Major Underwriting Gift
Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) proudly announces the major support of its newest upcoming television series, "Growing Native", by the Tulalip Tribes (pronounced Tuh'-lay-lup) of Washington.

In August 2010, the Tulalip Tribes gave a $35,000 Charity Fund Award in support of the KCTS Television-Seattle and NAPT's pilot for Growing Native, an exciting, new 13-part television series. Growing Native is a cultural travelogue that explores Native America, its peoples, cultures, foods and Tribal traditions.

The 13 half-hour episodes will take viewers on adventures throughout Indian Country. The series will explore Tribal communities, the Native people who live there and spotlight some of the major cultural events that bring tourism and world travelers to Indian Country.

"We are thrilled to partner with NAPT and our PBS affiliate to promote modern Native American culture," said Mel Sheldon, Chairman of the Tulalip Tribes. "Native American Tribes are an economic, cultural and environmental force in this country. Our own efforts to restore fishing, hunting and gathering in the Northwest have led to innovative programs that benefit the Tribes, the region and the economy. We look forward to sharing this and other Native American accomplishments through this important series," said Sheldon.

In addition to the upcoming broadcast series, NAPT is developing an abundance of educational resources to be available on their soon-to-be-launched educational microsite. NAPT plans to deliver certified, educational content that meets national curriculum standards for the classroom.

"Our goal is to promote accurate information about Native people within public, private and Tribal school systems, in addition to higher education entities," said Brendan McCauley, Project Coordinator for NAPT.

Growing Native will visit places and people who are practicing sustainable aquaculture and agriculture while reclaiming indigenous foods. The series will also showcase the increasing the use of renewable energy. Viewers will be taken on an intimate journey through the beauty of the land--following ancient trade routes across county from the East Coast to the Great Plains and onward into the Southwest and Pacific Northwest--while enriching their lives through the cultural exploration of the footage documented in this new series.

"Growing Native is a fascinating look at how Native Americans have maintained their cultures while borrowing elements of modern society. NAPT is so thankful to the Tulalip Tribes of Washington for their generous support to bring this educational and informative series into living rooms and classrooms everywhere," said Shirley K. Sneve, Executive Director for NAPT.

The benefits of Growing Native are numerous. The series will promote tourism, raise the profile of Indian Country and most importantly, promote accurate stories utilizing Tribal museums and other educational institutions.

To request additional information about how you can become a sponsor for Growing Native, please email native@unl.edu. To find out more information regarding the Tulalip Tribes of Washington and their initiatives pertaining to environmental protection, economic development, and restoring history and culture to benefit the community and Tribes, please visit www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

About KCTSLocated in Seattle, Washington, PBS member station KCTS 9 brings quality public television programming to 2.4 million viewers each week in Washington state, British Columbia and across Canada. To watch or learn more about any of our programs, visit KCTS9.org.

About NAPT:
Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) shares Native stories with the world through support of the creation, promotion and distribution of Native media. Founded in 1977, through various media--public television, public radio and the Internet--NAPT brings awareness of Indian and Alaska Native issues. NAPT operates the AIROS Native Network, a 24/7 Internet radio station that features music, news, interviews, documentaries and audio theater. AIROS also features downloadable podcasts with Native filmmakers, musicians and Tribal leaders.

VisionMaker Video is the premier source for quality Native American educational and home videos. All aspects of our programs encourage the involvement of young people to learn more about careers in the media--to be the next generation of storytellers. NAPT is located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. NAPT offers student employment, internships and fellowships. Reaching the general public and the global market is the ultimate goal for the dissemination of Native-produced media.

About The Tulalip Tribes:
The Tulalip Tribes of Washington state is a federally recognized Indian Tribe and the successors in interest to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish and other allied Tribes and bands who were signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott. The 22,000 acre Tulalip Indian Reservation is located north of Everett and the Snohomish River, and west of Marysville, Washington.

Tribal government provides health and dental clinics, family and senior housing, utilities, cultural and history activities, schools, childcare, higher education assistance and recreation activities. The Tribes maintain an aggressive environmental preservation program, both on and off of the Reservation, to protect the Snohomish region's natural resources: marine waters, tidelands, fresh water rivers and lakes, wetlands and forests.

Developable land and an economic development zone along the I-5 corridor provide revenue and services for these efforts and for Tribal members. This economic development is managed through Quil Ceda Village, the first tribally chartered city in the United States.

The Tribes have approximately 4,100 members, with 2,600 members living on the Reservation. The governing body is the seven-member Tulalip Board of Directors. For more information on our responsible environmental protection, restoring area history and culture, and economic development to benefit the community and Tribes, visit www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

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SMSC Endowed Scholarship Recipients Announced

Sixteen Scholarships For 2010-2011
Tessa Lehto
Communications Specialist
tessa.lehto@shakopeedakota.org

Monday, August 16, 2010
Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today announced 16 recipients of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Endowed Scholarship for the 2010-2011 school year.

This is the second group of students to receive the scholarship at the University of Minnesota. Ten of the first group of 13 students will continue to receive the scholarships they were originally awarded for the 2009-2010 school year. Continuation of the scholarships is based on grades and financial need.

“In today’s society, an education is essential, but most especially for our Indian people. We need Indian doctors and dentists, lawyers and engineers. We need Indian teachers and counselors, managers and builders, and journalists. We need to educate our young people to be prepared to better meet the opportunities that will be available to them. We need our young people to protect our tribal sovereignty,” said SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks.

The SMSC Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 through a $2.5 million gift from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community into a matching endowment fund, creating a $5 million endowment to provide scholarships for American Indian students.

The SMSC scholarship program is designed to recruit and retain talented American Indian students with demonstrated financial need to the University of Minnesota. The SMSC scholarship program is administered by the University's Office for Equity and Diversity. To date, 29 students have received the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Endowed Scholarship.

The primary goal of the SMSC scholarship program is to support incoming University of Minnesota freshmen and transfer students with demonstrated financial need. A smaller number of scholarships may also be awarded to newly-admitted graduate and professional students in specific disciplines.

For undergraduates scholarships are renewable for up to four years or until graduation (whichever comes first) contingent upon academic performance. For graduate and professional students, the length of funding is contingent upon academic performance, the school of enrollment, and degree program and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The 16 scholarship recipients come from across the country and from a number of different tribes. They come from as far as New York, Utah, and Colorado. Eight of them are from Minnesota; four from Wisconsin. Four of the students are majoring in Medicine, two of them at the Duluth Campus and two at the Twin Cities campus. Other recipients have majors as diverse as Forensic Science to Music to Biochemistry to Dentistry.

For each cycle applications materials received by March 1 are given preference. The final deadline is May 1. For more information go to http://www.shakopeedakota.org/scholarships.html.

The 16 Scholarship Recipients Are:
Melvina Bissonette
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Medicine Major,
Graduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Ashley Duffy
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas
Clinical Laboratory Sciences,
Undergraduate Studies
Morris Campus

Michelle Huyser
Navajo Nation
Medicine Major,
Graduate Studies
Duluth Campus

Tyler Kelley
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Chemistry/Pre-Med Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Misty Keoke
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate
Forensic Science Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Morris Campus

Jenny Mayotte
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Music Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Duluth Campus

Alexandra Myhal
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Biology Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Morris Campus

Casey Newton
White Earth Mississippi Band of Chippewa Indians
Dentistry Major,
Graduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Larissa Anne Oakgrove
Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Education Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Bobbi Jo Potter
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Social Work Major,
Graduate Studies
Duluth Campus

Deanna Shoup
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Medicine Major,
Graduate Studies
Duluth Campus

Maria Smith
Seneca Nation of Indians
Undecided Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Richard St. Germaine
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma/LCO
Biochemistry Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Andrew Steinfeldt
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
Pre-Physical Therapy,
Undergraduate Studies
Crookston Campus

Jeremiah Strong
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Pre-Pharmacy Major,
Undergraduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

Noah Wride
HopiMedicine Major,
Graduate Studies
Twin Cities Campus

About The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community:
The SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for all of the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its Tribal members in education, health, and welfare.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has a charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need. Over the past 13 years, the SMSC has donated more than $180.8 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes. Since 1996 the SMSC paid more than $6.6 million for shared local road construction projects and an additional $5 million for road projects on the reservation.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota, is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities.

This press release and other information may be downloaded from the SMSC website at www.shakopeedakota.org.

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

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'Forgotten People' Fight For Rights - Red Cliff Band Benefits From Loan

Relocation Victims Tired Of Status Quo.
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Galup Independent

WINDOW ROCK – It's election time on the Navajo Nation and everywhere, people are talking change. Politicians promise better times ahead, but the Forgotten People say they have been hearing the same stories for more than 40 years. They are tired of the talk. They want action.

John Benally is the Water Flows Together Clan, born for Water Edge People Clan. He was raised in a remote area of Black Mesa known as Big Mountain.

He traveled to Window Rock Wednesday for the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of the Forgotten People against the Navajo Hopi Land Commission, the Navajo Nation and others regarding an accounting of the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund of 1974.

Trust fund monies were supposed to help Navajos displaced by the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute, but Benally, a resister still living on Hopi Partitioned Land, said, “It's been many years now that we hear the same story.

“I feel for the people that have relocated. I feel for the people that have been displaced through various towns and are walking the street to panhandle. They gave up their way of life which was once Beauty. ... They had ceremonies, they had kinship, and they had a land base.

“It's a lot of suffering – mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. What it does to you as a human being, it messes with your mind and you give up hope.”

Benally wants to know what happened to the money that was to be used to provide housing, economic and educational improvements. “If people are honest ... they would bring it to say, 'This is what the fund was used for.' If they're honest enough, they say, 'I misused it.' What's wrong with telling the truth?”

Robert Begay is Towering House Clan born for Red House People Clan. Originally from Coppermine, he found himself displaced because of the Bennett Freeze. His story is similar to that of the relocatees – uprooted from his homeland by government politics.

“I was compelled to go serve in the Korean Conflict because the draft law was in place then. I tried dodging the draft and I was threatened by the draft board that they would send FBI after me and I would sit in jail. So I decided, 'Well, if I go and survive, I will get the FBI off my back,' he said.

“When I came back, the Bennett Freeze took place. I built a hogan at Coppermine. When my hogan was halfway completed, I had a visit from the Hopi, and they said, 'You're in the Bennett Freeze, you can't do that.' So we left there and we went to Bodaway and we built a stone house there.”

Just as that house was completed and they were digging a water line, they had another visitor who told them the same thing: “You're in the Bennett Freeze.” But at that time, he said, the boundary was not carved in stone and no one really knew where the line of demarcation was.

“Everybody just said, 'Well, we think it's over there,' or 'We think it's this way.' We always selected an area that we thought we were outside, but both times we ended up in the Bennett Freeze.'” By that time, he and his wife had a family and moved to Page, where they rented a house from the city, and later Kayenta, where they also rented.

“I had children that were going to school and they had to have a place to live,” he said. They also stayed for awhile in Moenave near Tuba City. “We lived in a tent. We hauled our water and we built a fire for our cooking. We used to haul water so our little ones could take a bath and go to school and do their laundry by hand.”

They ended up in Tuba City at Rare Metals, a former uranium mill site, and then learned that it was contaminated. Eventually they bought a used trailer and put it south of Tuba City, where they live now.

“My children do not have a piece of land. They do not have a home of their own,” he said. “When I went to the Korean war I was told that I was fighting for my country and my right and religious right and all that. But that was denied because of the Bennett Freeze.”

Glenna Begay is Red Running into Water People Clan, born for Red House People Clan. She was born in Black Mesa where her family has lived for eight generations. She grew up as a sheepherder and farmer, living in an area now known as Hopi Partitioned Land. Even though she lives near Peabody Western Coal Co., she said she has no running water and no electricity.

“We were taught by our elders if we have our sheep we will always be taken care of and live a good life. ... Our family used to have 400 to 500 head of sheep,” she said, and migrated throughout their customary use area. From 1963 to 1974, Begay's family raised cattle. They had about 70 head of white-faced cattle and three horses.

In 1974 the land was partitioned with barbed wire and Hopi Rangers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs began monitoring the livestock. They were forced to reduce their herd.

“Everything I built came out of my pocket,” she said. My roads are not graded and my water wells are capped off. ... I want water and housing for me and my children that are living near me.” She said the government only recognizes her residency. Her children and grandchildren are not included.

Due to the political situation, families that have remained together and tried to endure the conditions, are cramped because they can't expand or build new homes, Begay said.

But no matter what happens, she's not going to leave her homeland. “I'm not going to leave no matter who comes around and tells me to leave,” she said, speaking through interpreter Don Yellowman, president of Forgotten People. “I would love for them to pack up and leave.”

Begay told Yellowman she is inspired by the fact that the Forgotten People are questioning the Relocation money.

“She's tired of hearing 'you can't do this, you can't do that,' and looking over her left shoulder to see if somebody's checking on her. She just wants to build and get on with life like anybody else,” he said.

Betty Scott, 75, lives in a small cinder block house about 20 miles east of Flagstaff and about 2-1/2 miles from the Navajo Nation's proposed Twin Arrows casino site. Scott is Red House Clan born for Edgewater Clan. She was raised in Canyon Diablo where her family has lived for five generations.

She believes the Navajo Nation is using monies from the Navajo-Hopi Land Commission and Office of Navajo and Hopi Relocation to get the casino under way. “I do not know how this use of money is supposed to help people,” she said through Yellowman.

“She does not view the casino as a positive energy and she is very disappointed for the fact that it is going to be right in her back yard,” he said.

Norma Scott, the seventh of Scott's eight children, said her mother advocates for many people across the Navajo Nation who are in dire need, especially with housing.

“People should be given the basic amenities of housing, water and electricity. We need to see that and we need to have it visible. She wants to make sure the monies are accounted for and returned and used to improve the lives of the people,” Norma said.

Red Cliff Band To Benefit From $23.5 Million SMSC Loan
by Tessa Lehto,
Communications specialist
tessa.lehto@shakopeeDakota.org

Prior Lake, MN – A $23.5 million loan to the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will enable development and upgrades to a new casino/hotel/entertainment and conference center.

This development, which will be located on the shores of Lake Superior and adjacent to the Apostle Islands, is being designed to fit into the pristine environment of the area. Financing for the Isle Vista Casino and Hotel near Bayfield, Wisconsin, project is to be provided through the loan to support improvements and upgrades to the existing marina/campground.

The new facility will provide 300 slot machines, eight table games, a 60 seat bar and restaurant, a 24 seat snack bar, a 50 room hotel with a swimming pool, and an entertainment and conference center with a banquet capacity of 300 seats.

Construction of this new facility is expected to commence this late summer/early fall with completion and opening approximately 12 months from then. The complex will create up to 110 construction jobs. The operation of the complex will add 50 new jobs to an existing casino staff of 90.

“This development is extremely important to the Red Cliff community and to the surrounding area. It will provide a major tourist destination in an area which relies heavily on tourism to support its economy”, said Rose Gurnoe-Soulier, Chairperson of the Red Cliff Band. She further, “The Red Cliff community has been waiting for this for some 30 years. We are very grateful to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community for providing us the financial and other supportive resources to help us develop and manage this complex. It will create needed jobs and revenue to this tribal community.”

“We support this economic development project because it will help improve services for the Red Cliff Band and its members, which is the purpose of Indian Gaming,” said SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks.

In fiscal year 2008 the SMSC gave the Red Cliff Band a grant for $966,000 which funded debt consolidation and community development.

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation is located on the southern shores of Lake Superior, in northwest Wisconsin. It is immediately adjacent to Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The exterior boundaries of the Red Cliff Reservation spans approximately 14,093 acres. The tribal enrollment is approximately 6,247 members.

For more information about the SMSC’s charitable giving program, go to www.shakopeedakota.org/donations/html.

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

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Pascua Yaqui Issues First Enhanced Tribal Card - Shirley Endorses Jason WillIams

Tribe Gets Historic Enhanced Tribal Card
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent

WINDOW ROCK – While the Navajo Nation's Intergovernmental Relations Transition Task Force will be charged with looking at a Navajo Nationwide identification card, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe on Friday became the first tribe in the country to issue an Enhanced Tribal Card.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the tribe jointly announced production of the first ever Enhanced Tribal Card, or ETC, which is designed as a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant document that formally recognizes tribal membership and U.S. citizenship for the purpose of entering the United States through a land or sea port of entry.

“We look forward to continuing to build close partnerships with tribal nations across the country as we work together to make the border crossing process more secure and efficient,” said Secretary Janet Napolitano, former governor of Arizona.

“The Pascua Yaqui Tribe hopes that such a program will enhance the facilitation of ceremonial, family and business travel for our Yaqui members,” said Chairman Peter Yucupicio.

Arizona has come under fire recently for its controversial new immigration law, Senate Bill 1070. Some members of the Navajo Nation Council have expressed fear that Navajos will be arrested on suspicion of being illegal aliens when traveling in the southern end of the state.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe became the first tribe in Arizona to sign a memorandum of agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for development of an ETC last May. The tribe's enrollment office began issuing the cards to its membership July 26.

The Pascua Yaqui ETC has document security features and radio frequency identification technology to meet the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The card will be available to qualifying Pascua Yaqui Tribe members on a voluntary basis, and will include technology enabling the electronic verification of the member’s identity, tribal membership, and U.S. citizenship.

Designation of the ETC as a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant document for entry into the United States by land or sea will be published by Customs and Border Protection through a notice in the Federal Register in the coming months.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe, located approximately 60 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, has more than 17,000 members, many of whom have relatives residing on both sides of the border. Both the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and its Yaqui cousins in Mexico regularly visit each other for religious, cultural, and tribal purposes.

Since 2009, Customs and Border Protection also has signed memorandums of agreement with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, the Seneca of New York, the Tohono O’odham of Arizona, and the Coquille of Oregon to develop Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant ETCs.

Customs and Border Protection currently is working with approximately 15 other tribes across the country on the ETC initiative.

Information: http://www.getyouhome.gov/ or http://www.cbp.gov/

Navajo Nation President Endorses Jason Williams
Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr. has endorsed Jason Williams for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction.

I am honored to have the support of such a great and nationally-respected leader. President Shirley was inaugurated as President of the Navajo Nation in January 2003. On November 7, 2006, he became the first Navajo president re-elected in 28 years. He is in his 42nd year of public service.

Throughout his administration, Dr. Shirley has tirelessly championed the need for the Navajo Nation to regain the autonomy it once knew as a "proud, fierce and independent" people through education, employment, financial strength and accountability, and the preservation of the Navajo language, culture and way of life. To learn more about President Shirley please visit The Navajo Nation website here.

I look forward to working with President Shirley and all of the leaders and people of the Navajo Nation to ensure all children in Arizona, including our Navajo children, have the educational opportunities they deserve. Together, in accordance with Diné Education Philospohy, we will ensure "our children [are able to] go forth in life endowed with what is required to achieve their ultimate aspirations."

Once again, I thank President Shirley for his support and confidence in my ability to move all of Arizona's children forward. I ask for your support and your vote in the August 24th Democratic primary election. To learn more about my campaign, please visit my website here.

With hope and determination,
Jason Williams

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

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First Tribal Leaders Dialogue On America's Great Outdoors

SMSC Hosts Historic Tribal Leaders Dialogue
by Tessa Lehto,
Communications Specialist
tessa.lehto@shakopeedakota.org
Thursday. August 5th

Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community hosted the first Tribal Leaders’ Dialogue on America’s Great Outdoors on Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

Senior Obama Administration official Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, along with undersecretaries from the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Council on Environmental Quality gathered to listen to tribal leaders from around the region at a meeting hosted by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Chairman Stanley R. Crooks welcomed everyone to this historic meeting, held at the Playworks LINK Event Center on the SMSC reservation.

President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum April 16, 2010, establishing the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect Americans to the outdoors.

The Presidential Memorandum calls on the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to lead the Initiative, in coordination with the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, Education, and the Office of Management and Budget.

The Initiative will support a 21st century conservation agenda that builds on successes in communities across the country, and will start a national dialogue about conservation that supports the efforts of private citizens and local communities.

“Listening sessions are being held all around the country, but this is the first time they have talked and listened to tribal leaders on this topic. President Obama has said that he would deal with tribes on a nation to nation basis, and this meeting was a good example of that. We appreciate that he is keeping his word. We need to be consulted on programs and policies that impact Indian Country,” said Chairman Crooks after the meeting.

Nancy Sutley (Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality), Will Shafroth (Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Fish, Wildlife, and Parks), and Harris Sherman (Under Secretary of Agriculture) joined Jackson participating in the meeting. Del Laverdure, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Indian Affairs, was the moderator for the discussion which featured leaders and representatives from 13 Midwestern tribes. Staff members from each of the government offices also participated.

After introductions of each tribal leader and government official, brief opening remarks were made by each of the senior government staff.

Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA, said, “We have to protect our water, our land, and our air. Strengthening tribal leadership is a priority of consultation. Let us know how we can do better.”

Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley said, “The President has made it very clear to all of us the importance of this government to government relationship with tribes.” She continued, “The outdoors are important for our rest, enjoyment, and spiritual fulfillment. We are pleased to be here to hear from you.”

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Will Shafroth sent greetings from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar who was in Houston, Texas, overseeing the BP oil spill capping efforts. Shafroth said, “We’re here to listen.”

Under Secretary of Agriculture Harris Sherman representing Secretary Tom Vilsack talked about the expectation President Obama has of the group to prepare a report on the listening sessions with recommendations. “We anticipate significant changes in how we do things (in the future),” he said.

The tribal leaders then were invited to talk about the challenges and solutions that surround land and cultural management issues in Indian Country. They talked about some of their programs which have been successful and some of the challenges they face.

Chairman Crooks talked about some of the “green” initiatives that the SMSC has currently underway: the wind turbine, the Water Reclamation Facility, prairie restoration, and water monitoring, to name a few, as the SMSC continues to shepherd the land.

The consensus among tribal leaders was that maintaining natural resources is important to the preservation of culture and that tribes know what they need to do. They just need resources, infrastructure, and support to carry out these ideas. Effective partnerships between tribal, federal, and state officials is instrumental to protecting tribal lands for future generations, many of them said.

Tribal leaders talked about conservation efforts; cultural preservation and sacred sites; water rights issues and conservation; identification, management, and protection of natural resources; land trust issues; tourism; and hunting/fishing.

Specific successes mentioned included Community gardening projects, stocking lakes, planting trees, capacity development of staff, and the support of the EPA Region 5 office. Challenges mentioned included vandalism, law enforcement issues, impacts of global warming, infrastructure, impediments put in place by federal law, and funding.

“Our natural resources are tied to our cultural resources. We’re doing our part, but we expect help. We can’t survive budget cuts,” said Fond du Lac Chairwoman Karen Diver.

Tribal representatives were from the SMSC, the Red Lake Nation, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, St. Croix Chippewa Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Ho-Chunk Nation, Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Tribe, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Lac Courte Oreilles, Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks had the final words. “You need to listen to Indian Country. We appreciate that you’re out here. For true self-determination, Tribes need land bases, traditions, culture, and economic resources. Indian Country expects the U.S. government to live up to its treaty obligations for the health, education, and welfare of Indian people. And there was nothing about ‘if there’s room in the budget’ in those treaties. President Obama has told us that Indian Country has always been underfunded. We hold him to that acknowledgement.”

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux CommunityThe SMSC utilizes its financial resources from gaming and non-gaming enterprises to pay for all of the internal infrastructure of the Tribe, including but not limited to roads, water and sewer systems, emergency services, and essential services to its Tribal members in education, health, and welfare. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has a charitable giving program which comes from a cultural and social tradition to assist those in need.

Over the past 13 years, the SMSC has donated more than $180.8 million to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes and Native American organizations. Since 1996 the SMSC paid more than $6.6 million for shared local road construction projects and an additional $5 million for road projects on the reservation.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota, is the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Playworks, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on a reservation south of the Twin Cities.

This press release and other information may be downloaded from the SMSC website at http://www.shakopeedakota.org/.

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.

Native Unity Digest stories are now appearing on the BeforeIt'sNews.com site under the Native American News category. Check them out!!!!

News Blog - American Indian Report - AIR BLOG
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THE BUFFALO POST - Missoulian Montana's Native News Blog about Native People And The World We Live In.
http://buffalopost.net/

Check Out NATIVE PRIDE- It's a great site!
http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/

NATIVE AMERICA, DISCOVERED AND CONQUERED
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PATHOLOGY.ORG - Up-to-date informmational database on general health and disease information, medical schools and medical resources.
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Storm Erodes Cover Of Uranium Tailings Pile In Navajo Country - SMSC Sets Blood Drive

State Reassures Residents Near Homestake After Flood Incident
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent

MILAN – An isolated rain storm that eroded the cover of the smaller of two uranium tailings piles at the Homestake/Barrick Gold former mill site sent a flood of water 80 to 100 feet wide coursing through neighboring fields and yards before basically coming to rest at 27 Malapais Road, home of Wanda and Michael Gregory.

“We've had heavy rains before and it's never done this,” Wanda said Wednesday. “You couldn't see ground anywhere. After the rain subsided, we had mud puddles, but then all of the sudden we had a flood coming down the road and it just stopped here. I think it's destroyed my septic tank. My whole house smells like sewer.”

Michael, who spent six years delivering sulfuric acid to local uranium mines and mills and now suffers from neuropathy and sarcoidosis – a potentially fatal inflammatory disease that has attacked almost every organ in his body – went out and tried to dig holes where the water could drain.

“We got about a foot and a half of water at the edge of our property,” he said. The bar ditches were full and the culverts were plugged. Inside the fence that surrounds their home, the water was swirling.

“There was no water in the field next door – it was all pooling here. I went over and asked permission to cut dike holes in their furrows so the water would run out there. That helped a little bit but not much, but that was all I could do. I couldn't stop it. It just kept coming,” he said.

Their grandchildren played outside in the knee-deep water for nearly two hours while they were trying to get it diverted. They didn't know the rain had carved a big gash from top to bottom in the clay cover of the tailings pile.

“We thought it was just rain,” said Candace Head-Dylla, whose family had come to help. On Monday, she notified New Mexico Environment Department of the damage.

David Mayerson, a geologist with NMED, just happened to be in the area Monday checking out the Johnny M Mine. He went by the Homestake site and observed some erosion of the tailings pile cover.

Mayerson was back again Wednesday with a Geiger counter, taking gamma readings at the site and throughout the impacted neighborhood, as well as water and soil samples.

Bill Olsen, bureau chief for NMED's Groundwater Quality Bureau, said Head-Dylla had raised some concerns about ponding of the water and potential runoff, but from what Mayerson was seeing, “there didn't appear to be anything happening other than to the cover itself.”

Olsen said whenever there is erosion, it's a concern. “The cover is supposed to maintain itself through these types of events. It will take repair,” he said, but key for the bureau is to address citizen concerns about potential contamination, “and we won't know until we get the results back.”

Dana Bahar, manager of the Superfund oversight section, said though she had not been on-site, based on what was reported by the company and Mayerson's observations, “what we observed was nothing had breached, but to assure the citizens, he was taking readings.”

During a walk-thru of Malapais Road, those readings ranged from around 2,000 to 3,100 counts per minute, or close to what a regional background level would be, and are consistent with what NMED sees in the Grants Uranium Belt, according to Bahar.

“There is no standard. Every site will be different. But we do have regional ideas of what you would see. In other words, it's not at a level that we think additional contributions had occurred.

“We don't think any of the materials that were impounded were released. The material on top of the pile is not contaminated material so we don't feel there's any risk of that material. It's clean material. It's what would be in somebody's yard.”

She said the main concern would be if the liner was threatened. “I think Homestake was out there immediately, very soon after the breach occurred and my understanding is they are working toward inspecting the cap and trying to avoid it from happening again.

“They're reinforcing areas that they think might have been weakened by the rain. But that's why there is a liner under the cover. If that had been breached or broken or anything, then we would be a little more concerned.”

Linda Evers, who lives on Sundowner directly across the field from the small tailings pile, estimated the wash-out at “about 5 to 6 feet wide and easily that deep.”

“Where the equipment is sitting on top of the evaporative pond over there,” she said, pointing toward the tailings pile, “that whole side just gave away. They've assured us that there are berms over there to contain that, but it was just too much water in a short amount of time and there was just absolutely no way to contain it or control it.

“I'm not sure how they justify having a breached tailings pond wall is an OK thing. To us here in the community it wasn't OK,” she said.

Valentin and Josie Lopez live on Thunderbird Road, just west of the Homestake/Barrick Gold site.

“We started noticing vehicles coming down the road and they were going through water. It was like, 'Wait a minute. Our property is lower than across the street, which is Homestake, so that water is coming into our place.' That's when we got a little bit concerned.

“I went out there and saw there was little to nothing I could do but let the water run on through from the Homestake property on out. ... Unfortunately, I still have at least an acre under water right now with 3 or 4 inches in our back property. I have all that standing water and who knows what's in it.”

Josie said her greatest fear at the time was that the water would come into the house. “I would go outside every once in a while. I had my little umbrella. I would see a lot of people stopped, not realizing how much water was there. I told my kids, 'Do you want to go out and swim?' because they needed to get back into town and they couldn't even make it out the driveway.”

Now, with all the standing water, she is worried it is going to create a lot of mosquitoes. “That's one of our concerns also, especially with this West Nile stuff.”

Head-Dylla said that based on Mayerson's preliminary findings, it sounds like they were lucky this time. “But what's to protect us from next time?”

Bahar said they hope to have some test results back from the lab in about three weeks.

SMSC To Hold Summer Blood Drives, August 10th
By Tess Lehto
tessa.lehto@shakopeedakota.org
Prior Lake, MN – The SMSC will sponsor two blood drives on August 10, 2010, to better accommodate Community members,staff, and the general public who wish to help save lives by donating blood. The entire donation process takes less than an hour; with the whole blood collection portion taking only 10 minutes.

On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, one Summer Blood Drive open to the public will take place in a bloodmobile in the parking lot of Dakotah! Sport and Fitness from noon – 7:00 p.m. That same day, a mobile blood center bus at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel will offer the opportunity to give blood for employees between the hours of noon and 5:00 p.m.

If you would like to make an appointment to give blood during the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's Summer Blood Drive, call SMSC Wellness Coordinators Angela Mostrom or Stacy McNabb at 952-233-2965. A limited number of walk-ins will be accepted.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, as an active participant in the local community, holds several blood drives each year to help save lives. The SMSC has sponsored blood drives for more than 22 years.

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.

Native Unity Digest stories are now appearing on the BeforeIt'sNews.com site under the Native American News category. Check them out!!!!

News Blog - American Indian Report - AIR BLOG
http://falmouth-air.blogspot.com/

THE BUFFALO POST - Missoulian Montana's Native News Blog about Native People And The World We Live In.
http://buffalopost.net/

Check Out NATIVE PRIDE- It's a great site!
http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/

NATIVE AMERICA, DISCOVERED AND CONQUERED
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/

PATHOLOGY.ORG - Up-to-date informmational database on general health and disease information, medical schools and medical resources.
http://www.pathology.org/

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

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