Native Village 

Youth and Education News

May 18, 2005 Issue 152 Volume 3

"Receiving your degree reflects a new beginning in your life – a life blessed with happiness, a strong intellect, self-discipline and many riches...  During your graduation ceremony, reflect back on the personal struggles you and your family have overcome to get to where you are today and the strength you are blessed with to overcome future endeavors. Remember your parents, relatives and friends who encouraged and supported you with their prayers. Remember and thank your role models and those who positively influenced your life. Listen and think about your elders' teachings that being  blessed with richness is not based on your salary or how many vehicles you own."  Leonard Chee, Navajo

Indians accept British invitation

  http://washingtontimes.com/ http://www.jamestown2007.org

Officials call for overhaul of tribal recognition process
Washington, DC:  State and federal officials recently told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that lucrative Indian casinos often taint the slow and costly tribal recognition process.  Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, seems willing to tackle reforms in the Bureau of Indian Affairs' recognition process.  "The role that gaming and its non-tribal backers have played in the recognition process has increased perceptions that it is unfair if not corrupt," said  McCain, who added that Congress must ensure the BIA is performing correctly. "I anticipate that, informed by this and past hearings, this committee will begin looking at ways to fix the process."  Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., said efforts to reform the process may be more successful this year because of McCain's new position as the panel's chairman.  "He has a history of being a reformer," Dodd said. "If you had to pick one senator who would be willing to take on entrenched interests, he may be as good as it gets."
http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/11622251.htm

Tohono O'odham Complains Of Being "Ignored" By Border Officials

Arizona: One of the busiest--and deadliest--stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border is on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. Tribal officials say this part of the border is being ignored by federal border enforcers.  Tohono O'odham Chairwoman Vivian Juan-Saunders is unhappy about Homeland Security's failure to work effectively with the tribe. In March, the Border Patrol announced it would send more agents to the reservation to help reduce deaths and stop illegal immigration  Juan-Saunders said she wasn't told or consulted about the effort beforehand. She heard about it on the radio on the way to work. "I'm tired of being ignored," she said.
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
Map: Expedia.com

Sen. Johnson says Fire-ravaged Crow Creek Dorm was not Insured
South Dakota: Sen. Tim Johnson wants to know why a fire-damaged Crow Creek School dormitory was not insured.  Johnson believes the Senate Indian Affairs Committee should "take a hard look" at Bureau of Indian Affairs procedures to insure school buildings. "When I get back to Washington, I will talk with Sen. (John) McCain (R-Ariz.) about whether we need to follow up with hearings on the status of these BIA-run facilities," he said.   After visiting the burned out dorm on the Crow Creek Reservation, Johnson said the BIA should find the money for a permanent replacement.  The senator also said he can't imagine a more pressing need than the one faced by the Crow Creek students.
H-Amindian Listserv

1675 Indian Ban Puts Convention Bid At Risk
Massachusetts: Boston is a finalist for hosting Unity's 2008 convention for minority journalists. However, a 1675 law requiring the arrest of Native Americans who enter the city could help Boston lose the bid. Considered by many as unconstitutional, the law angers some within the journalists' group, which represents Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans working in the news media.  "Our board members are very sensitive to each other, and we want to make sure that no one group is offended or feels excluded," said Unity's executive director, Anna M.  Lopez. Boston officials are meeting with Lopez to discuss repealing the law. 
The Boston Globe

First Nations say they're left out of royal visit
Alberta: The province's First Nations say they are being snubbed during Queen Elizabeth's visit later this month.  During the Queen's and Prince Philip's visit, First Nations have been invited to public events, but haven't been granted any special meetings. "The province expects us to stand on the sidelines in our headdresses and buckskins, like an exhibit that gets rolled out for special occasions and wrapped up and stored away when not needed,"  said Tsuu T'ina Chief Sandford Big Plume. "Our contribution should be more than symbolic."  Jason Goodstriker, regional chief with the Assembly of First Nations, said they will try to get a private audience with the royal couple. Aboriginal leaders would like to talk with her about treaties signed with royal agents years before Alberta became a province.
Learn more about the visit: http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/royalvisit2005/index_e.cfm
http://edmonton.cbc.ca/

Navajo Nation fights disease by "just moving it"
New Mexico: More than 700 people joined on Mother’s Day to improve their health and actively fight diabetes and heart disease on the Navajo Nation.  The “Just Move It” program, which asks participants to walk three kilometers or run five, is  the first of 112 events across the Navajo Nation this year. The goal  is to jump start an exercise program for each individual who participates. Shelly Frazier, program coordinator, noted the number of children present and urged parents and grandparents to not just walk with the children during the events, but to make a habit of it at home.  According to Frazie, walking 30 minutes a day is enough exercise to lower the risks of diabetes and heart disease,.  “We don’t want these kids to get diabetes or heart disease,” she said. “We can’t make you exercise; it’s going to be up to you.”
http://www.daily-times.com/

MLA asks gov't to keep idle teens busy
IQALUIT: Tagak Curley, MLA from Rankin Inlet, says students often have nothing to do after school, and with summer approaching, they'll soon have a lot of time on their hands. That can lead to alcohol abuse and kids getting into trouble. "Teenage people are getting so bored, they just start drinking, doing drugs for the fun of it because they have nothing to do," he says. Curley called on the education minister to make school buildings available, and for more volunteers to help with supervision.  "Many of students are asking for youth centres but I believe we have enough  local facilities if we could all work together to make schools a little more actively used for after school stuff."   Nunavut has one of the youngest populations in Canada with 60% under age 25.
CBC News

More than buffalo chili
WASHINGTON DC: Pumpkin soup with wild puffed rice.  Tortilla soup.  Jicama, orange and nopales salad.  Lobster roll.  Smoked turkey on wild rice bread with cranberry relish.  These and other dishes – rich in whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and lean meats – are drawing crowds at Mitsitam, the cafe at the National Museum of the American Indian. Planners worried that more exotic dishes like pork pibil or quinoa grain salad might not sell, but they aren't worried now.  Mitsitam is feeding twice as many visitors as anticipated. The 365-seat cafe has been divided into five stations representing geographical and culinary traditions.  The Great Plains station, for example, has buffalo chili and buffalo burgers.  The Northwest Coast serves cedar-planked, fire-roasted juniperand  Pacific salmon.  Main dishes cost from $5.95 (a sweet corn tamale with guave puree) to $14.95 (a smoked seafood platter).  A buffalo burger with trimmings is $6.05.
The Washington Post

Drug's Success in Fighting Cancer Stuns Doctors
Florida: No one was more surprised than the doctors who prescribed a new treatment, Revlimid, to patients with a deadly blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome. Instead of treating the symptoms, they ended up treating the disease itself. For nearly half of the people who took the experimental drug, the cancer became undetectable. ''It may be, if not eradicating the disease, putting it into what I would call deep remission,'' said Dr. David Johnson.  MDS refers to a group of disorders caused by the bone marrow not making enough healthy, mature blood cells. Each year, about 15,000 - 20,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S., and as many as 50,000 Americans have it now. They usually suffer anemia and fatigue and need blood transfusions about every eight weeks to stay alive. Revlimid ''is not yet on the market but almost certainly will be'' because of these findings, Dr. Johnson said.
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050516114909990001

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