Native Village
Youth and Education News
October 5, 2005 Issue 158 Volume 4
"What we have is because someone stood up before us. What our Seventh Generation will have is a consequence of our actions today." Winona LaDuke, Annishnabe
House Votes for New Limits
on Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON, DC: By a vote of 229 to 193, the House of Representatives
moved to undo many central provisions of the 32-year-old Endangered Species Act. They also required agencies
enforcing the law to reimburse property owners if the law reduces property value.
Environmental group are dismayed. If enacted, the changes would represent one of the most
far-reaching reversals of environmental policy in more than a decade.
Leading House Democrats say it creates an unlimited financial entitlement for landowners.
Jamie Rappoport Clark, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service in the Clinton
administration, said the measures are a deadly blow to the protections of the Endangered Species Act. "This is an
irresponsible developer's dream [and] makes it easier to use deadly pesticides like those which caused previous declines
of the bald eagle and peregrine falcon."
Representative Nick J. Rahall II, a West Virginia Democrat and ranking minority member on
the House Resources Committee, said the $10,000,000 estimate for the bill's compensation funding is a significant
underestimate. "Who knows how high it will reach?" Mr. Rahall said.
http://www.nytimes.com/
New York Skyscrapers Dim Lights to Save Birds
New York: After midnight, New York will turn off all lights on buildings
above the 40th floor to protect birds during their fall and spring migrations. Since 1997, more than 4,000 migratory
birds have been killed or injured from colliding into skyscrapers. "New York City is this nexus of ancient
migratory flyways, and the parks have become these havens for these birds, but ... the buildings with their light draw
birds to them, sort of like moths to a flame," said E.J. McAdams of the Audubon society. "Lights Out New
York" expects 95%-100% cooperation among building owners. It is modeled after programs in Chicago and
Toronto.
Reuters
First Nation Upset After
Regulator Approves Oil Drilling on Land Claim
Alberta: The Lubicon Nation is considering its options after Alberta
regulators ignored their protests and granted permission for Surge Global Energy to drill a well on the band's land
claim. Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak had written to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board against the
application, which the band considers to be only the first stage of a 500-well project. He argued the well shouldn't be
granted without an assessment of the overall impact of the entire plan. The utilities board sent a letter to
the band rejecting their concerns.
H-Amindian Listserv
First Nations Want The
Province To Fund Their Pine Beetle Plan
British Columbia: Some 69 First Nations and representatives for 85
communities gathered for an emergency forum about the mountain pine-beetle infestation. First Nations want financial
help to manage beetles on their lands and to be included in the province's plan to address the beetles' devastating
impact on pine trees. Ed John, grand chief of the B.C. First Nations Summit, said the pine beetle infestation is
as important to First Nations communities as the fisheries crises and residential school issues. "Issues
arise and people rally around them," John said. "This [the pine beetle] is very important, and we don't
want to be left on the sidelines while big corporations get access to more timber than they need, and [the] crumbs fall
off the table for communities. We can't allow that to happen."
The Vancouver Sun
Wild rice sales are booming; threat of contamination looms
Minnesota: Observers say Minnesota's 2005 wild rice harvest is spotty. On
some lakes, the harvest is down significantly. One exception is Big Rice Lake on the White Earth Indian Reservation
where tribal members have harvested thousands of pounds of rice. Hand-harvesting wild rice by canoe is a lot of
work, but John Shimek's family has been ricing for as long as he can remember. He says a couple of experienced ricers
can earn hundreds of dollars in just a few hours' work. "They establish a rhythm and they just bring it over
the side," said Shimek, 22, who uses wooden sticks to knock the rice from tall plants into the bottom of the boat.
He says for many Native American people, wild rice is an important source of income. "The economy around here
does depend on it," he said "My dad, he put me through school with the wild rice. That's what we would do to
make our money to get through the year." But for many, the threat of genetically contaminated rice is a major
concern. Wild rice carries enormous cultural and spiritual importance for the Ojibwe people. Tribal Elder Earl Hoagland
says the Ojibwe tradition teaches that it was the rice that led them centuries ago from the East Coast to their home in
Minnesota. He worries genetic contamination might destroy what they cherish so much. "We consider the wild
rice to be a sacred gift from the Creator and it's always been here for us," said Hoagland. "Now, if the rice
is altered genetically, it may be a strain that will take over the wild rice, and we will lose what was given to us by
the Creator."
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/09/19_robertsont_wildrice/
Wild Gorillas Seen Using
Tools for First Time
Congo: Two female gorillas have been photographed using sticks as tools to
get through swampy areas, the first time the apes have been seen doing so in the wild. "This is a truly astounding
discovery," said Thomas Breuer of the Wildlife Conservation Society who observed the gorillas in the Republic of
Congo's northern rain forests. All great apes use tools in captivity, but scientists have worried this does not reflect
natural behavior, just something copied from humans. "We first observed an adult female gorilla using a
branch as a walking stick to test water deepness and to aid in her attempt to cross a pool of water at Mbeli Bai, a
swampy forest clearing in northern Congo," Bueur and his colleagues wrote in their report. In the second
case, they saw another pull up a dead shrub. "She forcefully pushed it into the ground with both hands and held the
tool for support with her left hand over her head for two minutes while dredging food with the other hand. Efi [the
gorilla's name] then took the trunk with both hands and placed it on the swampy ground in front of her, crossed
bipedally on this self-made bridge, and walked quadrupedally towards the middle of the clearing." The findings can
also help shed light on how human beings came to use tools and broaden the understanding of how animals use them.
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050929133509990021&_ccc=6&cid=842
American Indian hero joins
historical figures at Capitol
Washington, DC For the next six months, statues of George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and others will share the Capitol Rotunda with Po'Pay, a Pueblo medicine
man. Po'Pay is different from the 99 other historical figures represented in the Statuary Hall Collection -- in
1680, he led a revolt in New Mexico that killed 400 Spanish, including 21 priests. His is the only statue that
represents resistance to European invasion. But Po'Pay's statue will also stand in front of four large
paintings whose sentiments he would not have shared -- Columbus stepping foot in the "New World;" the Pilgrims
embarking from Holland; DeSoto's "discovery" of the Mississippi River; and the Baptism of Pocahontas. Even the
four other American Indians who join tPo'Pay
in the collection collaborated with the United States to some extent.
tSakakawea
(North Dakota) was the Shoshone girl who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition.
tSequoyah (Oklahoma)
created the Cherokee alphabet and was an envoy to Washington after President Andrew Jackson ordered the Cherokees
removed from their Southeast homelands to Oklahoma.
tWashakie (Wyoming),
a Shoshone chief and father-in-law to mountain man Jim Bridger, negotiated with the United States for rights to the Wind
River lands, where the Eastern Shosone still reside.
tSarah Winnemucca
(Nevada) was a Paiute who helped the U.S. Army during its war with the Bannocks.
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=MEDICINEMAN-09-22-05&cat=WW
Native basketball tourney to seek NCAA certification
The organizers of the Native American Basketball Invitational are trying
to have the event certified by the NCAA. “Our goal has always been looking out for the best interest of the
athletes and taking this next step to be certified opens more doors for the players to be showcased to Division I &
II colleges. Will it change some of how NABI is organized? Yes, but change is good when it creates higher levels of
opportunities, professionalism, accountability and the creditability NABI is striving for as a national tournament,”
says GinaMarie Scarpa-Mabry, Managing Partner of NABI. Last year's tournament drew 64 teams composed solely of Native
high school players. They played in reservation gyms near Phoenix with the final four teams playing at America West
Arena, the home of the Phoenix Suns.
For more information about NABI and the tournament, visit http://www.nabihoops.com/.
Native American Time
NMSU student to do
play-by-play in Navajo
New Mexico: New Mexico State University student Cuyler Frank broadcast the
recent football game against Cal in his native Navajo language. He teamed up with Lanell Pahe for the game broadcast on
the university's website. Frank appreciates the opportunity to share the experiences and accomplishments of NMSU
students with the Navajo Nation. Several stations broadcast high school football games in the Navajo language, but
Franks was the first to share a college football game speaking Dine.
The Associated Press
Creek rapper raises $12K
for Choctaws hit by Katrina
Florida: Shadowyze, a Creek hip-hop artist,, raised $12,000 for a Choctaw
community in Mississippi hit by Hurricane Katrina. With the help of his fans, he raised the money to buy food and
supplies for 200 Mississippi Choctaws living in the rural community of Bogue Homa.
IndigenousNews@yahoogroups.com
Encyclopedia of Native
Music
The
Book:
Written by Brian Wright-McLeod (Dakota-Anishnabe), "The Encyclopedia of Native Music [More Than a Century of
Recordings from Wax Cylinder to the Internet)" is a guide to the sounds of Native North America. Containing
more than 1,800 entries categorized into traditional and contemporary music sections, the ENM provides an overview of
the music and its historical value. It also includes film soundtracks and compilation albums that have helped
bring many artists to popular attention. In addition to music recordings, listings include spoken-word projects, audio
books, comedy albums, interview discs and poetry collections.
The
CD Box Set:
CD 1 examines the traditional and folk roots.
"Many traditional people of the First Nations believe that songs come from dreams, spirits, visions, and the land
itself and, in turn, are handed down orally to future generations – some personal songs, however, live and leave with
the individual. The music serves a crucial purpose in ceremonies, healing, hunting, family use, in essence, all aspects
of daily life"
CD
2 examines Powwow Roots and Flute. "The powwow represents a continual change within a living and vibrant culture.
The songs, dances and groups featured on this CD profile the roots of the modern powwow repertoire and how those origins
have been maintained. The opening track dates back to the 1800s. Symbolically, the opening vocal call of a powwow singer
represents the first cry of the newborn, while the drum is the heartbeat.
CD
3 highlights contemporary music. " Since the first wax cylinders, there has been a strong Native presence in the
recording field. Historically speaking, there were more archival and research recordings of North American Native music
than of any other cultural group in the world. CD 3, which features several influential artists, takes a
decade-by-decade approach, beginning in 1920 and continuing on to the jazz of the 1940s and '50s. The explosion of rock
music through the electric guitar in the 1950s created a movement of Native musicians who began to express their culture
in their songs. New styles, such as techno, dub, reggae and spoken word, became increasingly popular in the 1980s and
1990s as more powerful vehicles of expression. The CD comes full circle with modern jazz of the new millennium. "
The Encyclopedia of Native Music: http://www.encyclopediaofnativemusic.com
http://gatheringplacefirstnationscanews.ca/PressReleases/050930_01.htm
Volume 3
Native
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