Native Village
Youth and Education News
January 25, 2006 Issue 163 Volume 4
"We're still here. We still speak our language. We still hear the drum. We still dance." Melvin Francis, Passamaquoddy
The
Chestnut's Comeback
Ohio: At one time the tree known as the King of the Forest ranged from Maine to
Georgia and as far west as Indiana — an estimated
4,000,000,000 trees. A
mature chestnut tree averaged five feet in diameter and up to 100 feet
tall. But
in 1904, a Chinese chestnut tree imported from Asia carried with it an Asian
fungus blight. By the 1950s, the blight had spread across America, leaving dead
chestnut trees in it's wake. And it continues today, killing pure American
chestnut once they reach 8- 10 inches in diameter. In
1983, The American
Chestnut Foundation took up the restoration cause by trying to produce a blight
resistant tree. They have now reached their goal: hybrids that are 15/16th
American, 1/16th Chinese -- a chestnut tree closely matching the American
chestnut but highly blight resistant. In 2004, scientists planted
300 hybrid chestnut trees at a nursery in Marietta. Some will be replanted this
spring at abandoned Ohio strip mines with hopes of a chestnut rebirth. It
will take 5 years before these chestnuts produce nuts. "Chestnut is an
extremely rich seed, high in carbohydrates and the fat that large animals need
to over-winter adequately," said Brian McCarthy, professor of forest
ecology. "Deer, wild turkey, bear — these critters will pound down
chestnuts in winter. It could mean a lot in terms of survival and viability for
a whole variety of wildlife." It will take 5-10 years before
the 15/16th American chestnuts are sold commercially, McCarthy said. After
pockets of trees are planted throughout Ohio, it will take 100 years for the
American chestnut to again have the impact of a forest giant.
Dayton Daily News
Space junk continuing to accumulate
Washington DC: More than 9,000 pieces of space debris are orbiting the Earth,
and NASA says the hazard will only get worse in the next few years.
And currently there's no workable and economic way to clean up the mess.
Even if space launches were halted now, pieces of debris would continue growing
as items collide with one another and break into more pieces. As orbits decay,
items will fall back to Earth. "...we are not claiming the sky is
falling," said J.C. Liou. "We just need to understand what the risks
are." The most debris-crowded area is between 550 - 625 miles above
the Earth, Liou said. The international space station operates at about 250
miles altitude and space shuttle flights tend to range between 250 miles and 375
miles, he said. But the growing collection of junk can pose a risk to
commercial and research flights and other space activities.The pieces of space
junk measure 4 inches or more, totaling some 5,500 tons.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/01/20/spacejunk.ap/index.html
Researchers find new toxic threat to polar bears
Arctic: Researchers discovered traces of PBDEs in 139 bears captured and tested
at 10 locations around the Arctic. The chemicals were widely used as a flame
retardant during the 1990s in furniture, computers and other plastic products.
"We don't know exactly what [PBDE] does, but it may contribute overall to
their reproductive rate going down or their ability to fight disease,"
said scientist Derek Muir. Muir says while PBDEs are no longer used in
many countries, there's no way to reverse the damage already done to polar bears
and other Arctic animals. He says governments and manufacturers need to
continue to look for alternatives that won't have an impact on the environment
for years to come.
http://www.cbc.ca/north/story/bear-toxic-10012005.html
YELLOWSTONE SLAUGHTERS MORE WILD BISON
Montana: The National Park Service has captured more than 650 of America's last
wild buffalo since January 12, 2006. To date, Yellowstone National Park
officials have sent nearly 400 wild bison to slaughter. Included in the
slaughter were 41 bison calves and 100 bull bison who both pose 0% risk of
transmitting the livestock disease, brucellosis. "Wild bison migrate
and that's a natural fact. By staunching this phenomenon the Park Service
is harming, not protecting them," said Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field
Campaign. "The world's first national park should be celebrating and
defending bison migration. Instead they are punishing it, even knowing there's
never been a transmission of brucellosis from wild bison to cattle."
US Homeland Security agents have been escorting Yellowstone's bison to slaughter
facilities up to 500 miles away.
Buffalo Field Campaign (footage available): http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org.
photo:
Buffalo Field Campaign
Dog Virus May Be Killing Yellowstone Wolves
Montana: According to officials at Yellowstone National Park, 47 of the 69 wolf
pups born last year have died. And though there's no official word on the cause,
experts believe a dog disease called parvovirus is responsible. "We won't
know for sure until we can trap and test the animals this winter," said
biologist Dan Stahler. Parvovirus is carried by many wild animals,
including coyotes, foxes, and some wolves. It is highly contagious and is
usually spread through contact with the feces of infected animals. The
reason wolf pups die is because they are weaker. Once they are weaned, they lose
the protective elements from their mother's milk and are suddenly susceptible to
disease. "It's in the environment like fleas are in the environment,"
said Carolyn Sime, wolf program director for the Montana Department of Fish,
Wildlife and Parks. "It is just out there and they can pick it up."
Park officials are cautiously optimistic that this will be a temporary setback
for the wolves. "We are not alarmed, but definitely concerned,"
Stahler said. "Our prediction is we will rebound." In the
meantime, Yellowstone officials said they will closely monitor the park's
wolves.
Wallpaper photo: gray wolf at Ely:
http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/cgi-bin/pod/PhotoOfTheDay.cgi?month=02&day=18&year=04
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
Cherokees step up to the plate to protect endangered bat
Oklahoma: The Ozark Big-Eared bat is considered the second rarest animal in the
U.S., right behind the California Condor. Now the Cherokee Nation is
establishing conservation area to protect the miniature mammal. The move came
after a bat colony was discovered on a tribal citizen's property that lie within
tribal jurisdiction. “Some wildlife experts have claimed this to be the find
of the year,” said Natural Resource Specialist Pat Gwin. “Some people
study these bats their entire careers without ever seeing one in person.”
The colony was discovered by accident. The Cherokee citizen contacted the tribe
to appraise his land. During inspection, officials explored the
property's caves and found the bats living inside. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
officials recommended preserving a portion of land around the caves as a
conservation area. They believe only 2,000 Ozark Big-Eared Bats are
still in existence.
Native American Times. Copyright © 2005
Southeast Natives Protest Federal Restrictions on Eagle Parts
Alaska: Almost 3,000 names wait on a federal list to legally obtain eagle
feathers for religious observations. But in Juneau, the feathers are easily
found on beaches, in yards and in parking lots where thousands of eagle feathers
land after the birds' annual molt. The law, which makes it a crime to pick up
eagle feathers, is overlooked by many simply because people don't know a permit
is needed first. Only the National Eagle Repository near Denver can
legally grant eagle parts for use by Native Americans. Brad Fluetsch, a
Juneau resident and member of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, thinks the federal
permit program is a disgrace. Until he realized it was illegal, Fluetsch
gave bald eagle feathers to other Natives. Now the Sealaska Heritage
Institute has protested federal laws regarding bald eagles in Alaska. They
ask that Alaska Natives be exempt from the permit requirement because Alaska's
eagles are genetically distinct from birds found in the lower 48 states. They
are asking for Alaska's eagles to be taken off the endangered species list.
Associated Press
Native Film Festival explores contemporary pressures on indigenous people
If you were Native American, you were dispossessed. If you were
African-American, you were enslaved. And if you were a mixed-race
descendant of both minorities, it was possible to suffer the worst of both
worlds. So says "Black Indians," a one-hour documentary produced
by Steven Heape. Many distinguished Americans, including Frederick
Douglass, Langston Hughes, Jesse Owens, James Earl Jones, and Tina Turner are of
both heritages. Nearly everyone interviewed in "Black Indians"
(named Best Native American Film of the Year in 2001) expressed pride in
both black and Indian cultures. "My son was asked by a reporter
the other day why he was so good in basketball," said Phil Givens,
African-American and Cherokee. "And he told the reporter, 'If
you were black and Indian, you'd be good too.' ... So we're unique
and special, and my kids understand that."
http://www.adn.com/life/story/7353003p-7265197c.htmll
Creek singer readies for comeback
Oklahoma: For decades, Creek singer Linda Imperial has been recording music in
some of music’s most high-energy genres. Her hits include 1983’s
“Die Hard Lover,” as well as "Stranger,” "Fire," and a
cover of the Meatloaf classic "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad.” Linda has
just released a new single titled “Brand New Day,” and her new album will be
out soon. “My Native American heritage is something I am so proud
of,” Linda said. “I am extremely proud of the nobility of the culture. I
have lived on reservations and I am familiar with the issues and sensitive to
them.” Imperial is also a breast cancer survivor. “I had to go through
chemotherapy and radiation,” the Creek singer said. Imperial comes from
a distinguished family which includes Alexander Lawrence Posey, the
legendary Creek poet and journalist.
Linda Imperial: www.lindaimperial.com
Native American Times
"REACH THE REZ" RADIO SHOW GOES NATIONWIDE!
Reach The Rez Radio is hosted by well-known actor and rapper Litefoot
(Cherokee). Reach the Rez is a high energy, hip hop, R&B and talk
radio program with motivational and Drug and Alcohol Free messages. The
Reach the Rez Tour is headlined by Litefoot who now has speaking engagements and
concerts at over 200 reservations across Indian.
Reach the Rez Radio: http://www.reachtherezradio.com/
Senator finds defense funds for Arctic Games
Alaska: The 2006 Arctic Winter Games will be held this March in Kenai. Game
organizers have received a much needed $500,000 from Congress. Alaskan
senator Ted Stevens convinced Congress to allocate the money for security at the
Games. The money will come from defense funds set aside for
international sporting events held in the United States. Game organizers
are also holding fundraisers and searching for donations and state grants to
cover the remaining $300,000 shortfall.
2006
Arctic Games:
http://www.awg2006.org/
http://www.cbc.ca/north/story/awg-security-09012006.html
Volume 3
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