Native Village
Youth and Education News
November 16, 2005 Issue 161 Volume 4
"Native American history is important to each and every one of us ... It’s important that we get to know and respect and honor. There is much wisdom for you to gain." Michael Rao, President, Central Michigan University
Haskell forum focuses on
sacred lands
Kansas: Recently a large audience of Haskell Indian Nations University
students, faculty and alumni took part in a forum on protecting sacred lands. A panel discussion was led by
Haskell's Dan Wildcat, an American Indian Studies professor, who joined Michael Yellow Bird (Kansas University's Center
for Indigenous Studies), and Lucia Orth (lawyer and adjunct professor at Haskell). They talked about ongoing
efforts to route the South Lawrence Trafficway through the Baker Wetlands, and clearing 100 acres of forest in Arizona's
San Francisco Peaks to expand ski runs. Both areas are considered sacred. Wildcat warned that national efforts to lower
the barriers between church and state will lead to a "very frontal attack on Indian sovereignty in
Congress" within five to 10 years. Yellow Bird compared similarities between the United States' presence in
Iraq to its efforts to eradicate Indians. "They're both what I call territorial colonialism," Yellow Bird
said. All three speakers said education, unity and mastering technology will provide the strength to fend off attacks on
Indian culture. "We are going to need some warriors and some lifetime volunteers to step up,"
Wildcat said.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/09/haskell_forum_focuses_sacred_lands/?
"Godzilla"
Fossils Reveal Real-Life Sea Monster
Argentina: Researchers have unearthed fossil evidence of a
135-million-year-old "sea monster" they're calling Godzilla. The animal's large skull was found in southern
Argentina in an area once part of the Pacific Ocean. Named Dakosaurus andiniensis, the creature is an entirely new
species of ancient crocodile, but unlike today's crocodiles, Dakosaurus andiensis lived entirely in the water. It
measures 13 feet (4 meters) from nose to tail, with a head like a dinosaur. Instead of legs, Dakosaurus had four
paddle-like limbs, used mostly for stability. A fish-like tail propelled the beast through the water. What made it
especially unusual was its snout and teeth. "It is more like a carnivorous dinosaur than like a marine
crocodilian," said James Clark, a dinosaur expert at George Washington University.
See pictures: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/1110_051110_sea_monster.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
The Grand Canyon Skywalk
The Glass Bridge Construction of the Grand Canyon Skywalk began March of 2004 and is scheduled to open Jan. 1, 2006.
Located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the bridge:
* Juts about 70 feet into the
canyon;
* Is 4000 ft. above the Colorado
Rive;
* Has 4-inch class bottoms and
sides;
* Will accommodate 120 people
comfortably;
* Built with more than a million
pounds of steel beams;
* Includes dampeners that minimize
the structure's vibration;
* Designed to hold 72,000,000
pounds, the same as 71 fully loaded Boeing 747 airplanes;
* Will withstand an 8.0 magnitude
earthquake 50 miles away;
* Will withstand winds in excess
of 100 mph from 8 different directions;
Passed engineering requirements by 400%.
Indian leaders hear
complaints about legislation
Oklahoma - At the recent National Congress of American Indian conference
in Washington, DC, tribal leaders from across the country learned that Oklahoma Indian tribes are subservient to
the state on environmental matters. Recently, a "midnight rider" was placed on a transportation bill after the
House and Senate had agreed on the bill's final version. Written by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, the rider
basically says a tribe can't receive "treatment as state" status unless Oklahoma officials consent. "It
allows the state to essentially set the environmental regulations for Indian land," said Jeannine Hale, assistant
general counsel for the Cherokee Nation. "I can't tell you how dangerous I think that is if we let it
go" without a fight, Hale said.
http://newsok.com/article/1661978/
Indigenous Peoples
Particularly Vulnerable to Disasters
Guatemala : In areas recently devastated by Hurricane Stan, indigenous
children play Kumatzin, a board game using Mayan illustrations and language that teaches how to prepare for, and
survive, natural disasters. The howl of the coyotes, the way certain birds fly, the "sound" of the Earth and
the position and shine of the moon are all signals of earth changes, according to the elders. However, Guatemalan
officials ignore these signs. "The tragedy wouldn't have been as serious if plans existed that took into
consideration the particularities of the indigenous communities and their cultures," said Ramiro Batzin from
Sotz'il, a Guatemalan indigenous organisation. "We weren't listened to. The governments must realise that we live
in more vulnerable areas, and that we have a different relationship with the Earth," said Nicaraguan Jorge
Fredrick. Together with the Red Cross, Sotz'il is now working to create a Maya Network for Disaster Prevention.
The plan is to create a network of indigenous communities to evaluate and define natural threats and take appropriate
action. The Kumatzin game is just one step towards a disaster prevention programme involving the region's
indigenous peoples, but "we hope it will ultimately reach all of the communities," said Batzin.
http://mytwobeadsworth.com/Indigdisasters11405.html
extinction threatens
800 Species in California
California: A report by UC Davis says more than 800 animal species in
California are imperiled by development, pollution, recreational activities, and invasive species. Of the species
in jeopardy, 481 of them are found nowhere else, ranging from the San Francisco fork-tail damselfly to the San Diego
black-tailed jackrabbit. This sobering assessment should guide development throughout the nation's most populous
state. "If done with thought and science, we can grow and still maintain a high quality of wildlife habitat
in California," said a UC Davis Wildlife representative.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20051114195209990014 ht
Montana Wildlife Officials Kill Nine Wolves
Montana: Federal wildlife managers killed nine wolves between Labor Day
and mid-October for allegedly attacking or killing livestock. The wolves were killed on orders of state wildlife
officials. Two wolves were killed off the grazing allotment where run-ins had been confirmed, and a radio-collared
female not involved in killing livestock was shot. The female's death means the group no longer counts as a breeding
pair, an important fact because breeding pairs are key to wolf recovery. Suzanne Asha Stone, of the Defenders of
Wildlife, said she would like to see nonlethal control and for the state to encourage more landowners to adapt to living
with wolves.
http://mytwobeadsworth.com/Montanawolves11405.html
The Fleecing of Navajo
Weavers
Arizona: 90% of indigenous peoples who live in America's Southwest
depend on crafts as their principal or secondary source of income. Yet, of the yearly $1,000,000,000 sales of American
Indian arts and crafts, more than 50% is “fake,” said Andy Abeita of the Council for Indigenous Arts and Culture.
Thousands of Diné (Navajo) weavers are finding their historic patterns copied abroad, then imported and sold in the
U.S. Imitation Navajo weaving is produced in Guatemala, Peru, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Japan, Egypt,
Hungary, Romania, northern Thailand and, in particular, Oaxaca, Mexico. In fact, a Google search for “Navajo rugs”
returned more than 140,000 hits. The first 100 sites were either those reselling historic Navajo textiles,
or dozens of firms advertising “Navajo-inspired” rugs. Navajo weavers say that their incomes have declined at
least 40% in the past 10 years. Only a handful of the 25,000 weavers make an adequate living. Many are
hoping anthropologists will help Navajo weavers by bringing this into discussion within the academic realm. Fair traders
can help by marketing cultural diversity and encouraging weavers to use their own designs.
Cultural Survival Quarterly
San Juan Pueblo Elder
Named 2005 Heard Museum 'Spirit Of The Heard' Winner
Arizona--Herman Agoyo, San Juan Pueblo, has been honored with the Heard
Museum's 2005 Spirit of the Heard Award. Created in 2004, the award recognizes a person's actions and work experience
and how it exemplifies the Heard mission: "To educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and art
of Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest." Committee members chose Agoyo because
he is a role model to Pueblo communities and and among the most respected Pueblo Indians of his time. Agoyo *
whose name means, "star" in the Tewa language * is 70 years old. During his lifetime, he:
Was a four sport, four year letterman, in football, basketball, track and
baseball;
Served on the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, the All Indian Pueblo Council
and as governor of San Juan Pueblo;
Remains active in traditional ceremonies;
continues to teach his traditional language to younger generations;
Dedicated to improving life in Pueblo communities by promoting economic and
self-sufficiency.
http://www.nativeyouthmagazine.com/news_view.php?ncid=1&nid=102#102
Rabbit and Bear Paws
The 18th century will never be the same. Little Spirit Bear Productions
has released a new comic strip called "Rabbit and Bear Paws." Created by Chad Solomon, Rabbit and
Bear Paws is set in 18th Century colonized North America. It follows the story of two Ojibwa brothers who play pranks
and have amazing adventures using traditional Ojibwa medicine that briefly transforms them into animals.
"I've always remembered what Alwyn Morris, Olympic Mohawk Athlete used to say: 'If you have it in you to dream, you
have it in you to succeed'. That is my personal motto and part of the message behind Rabbit and Bear Paws,"
Solomon said. Solomon has based his comic on the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers (wisdom from the Anishinabek
community) and is drawn with the guidance of his Community Elders and writer Christopher Meyer. The comic is printed
monthly in the community papers of "Anishinabek News" and "Niiji (Friends) Circle". The Rabbit and
Bear Paws graphic novel will be on sale in March 2006.
See the first comic: Rabbit and Bear Paws
For more information please contact chadsol@gmail.com
A true legend
MAINE Baseball fan Rebecca Cole-Will, curator of the Abbe Museum, has helped create an exhibition about Louis Sockalexis,
the first acknowledged American Indian to play major-league baseball. "We've been interested in Louis
Sockalexis for a very long time," said Cole-Will. With photo reproductions, newspaper clippings and wall
text, the Abbe exhibition tells about a young man with exceptional athletic abilities who left Maine in the 1890s to
play big-league baseball. For one remarkable half-season in 1897, his dream came true. Playing for the Cleveland
Spiders, Sockalexis, a Penobscot Indian, batted .338 in his first 60 games. He had the abilities of present-day Ichiro
Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners - a hot bat, fleet base-running skills and a rocket arm. Like the Japan-born Suzuki,
Sockalexis drew widespread curiosity among fans and the media, and in 1897 became coast-to-coast news. But his season
and career ground to a halt when he injured his ankle. Writer and historian Ed Rice, who wrote a book about Sockalexis
in 2003, has long crusaded for Sockalexis to be included in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as baseball's first
acknowledged Indian. "Sock went through a Jackie Robinson-type existence," said Rice, referring to the
Brooklyn Dodgers star who in 1947 broke down racial barriers as the first African-American ballplayer. "We could be
claiming a man that stood up to racial insults from fans, the media, other players, and for at least three months of his
first season he was spectacular." "Louis Sockalexis: Baseball's First Indian" remains on display through
Dec. 31 at the Abbe museum in Bar Harbor.
http://entertainment.mainetoday.com/news/051016sockalexis.shtml
For The Love Of Lacrosse
Oregon: Lacross is North America's first team sport -- European
accounts of the Native American game date back to 1636. In October, more than 40 aspiring players attended
open tryouts for Portland's new pro lacrosse franchise, the Portland LumberJax. Many athletes traveled from
lacrosse hot beds as far away as New York and Boston for a chance to make the team. For players like 25-year-old
Dave Lisi of New York, this is his chance to join the "big league. It's all I've ever dreamed about
doing," Lisi says with a broad smile. "If I get picked, I will move to Portland from New York, and I'd be
happy to do it in a minute." Lacrosse is surprisingly popular in parts of Portland where transplanted Ivy Leaguers
grew up with a game they describe as "exhilarating" and "rough and tumble." Youth
participation (ages 15 and under) has doubled since 1999 to more than 60,000 players nationwide. The LumberJax hope to
reach that market by attracting 10,000 or so fans to each Lumberjax game. The Portland LumberJax will begin play this
January in the National Lacrosse League
http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6894
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