Native Village
Youth and Education News
January 1, 2007 Issue 174 Volume 3
"In school, I learned that my people were savages. But now I see I come from
people who were beautiful and intelligent. I see the sacredness of being
Indian." Carol Welsh, Sisseton-Wahpeton
l
Crushing Stereotypes
Louisiana: Jim Warne recently spoke to students Pitkin High School.
Warne's message covered everything from healthy living to racial, religious and
cultural tolerance to the importance of education. “Do you want to soar with
the eagles or hoot with the owls?” was the question that summed up
Warne's message. Warne, who's 6-7 and 300-pounds, is a member of the Oglala
Lakota (Sioux) Tribe of Pine Ridge, S.D. He's been a college and professional
football player and actor. He also runs several successful businesses and is
currently pursuing his Doctorate at San Diego State. “I was able to build my
dream home on the beach in San Diego,” Warne said. “Did the NFL pay for that?
Did Hollywood pay for that? No, it was businesses that I run that paid for
that. Football ... paid for my education, and acting has proven to be a good
source of extra income, but it was my education that has carried me,”
he continued. “It wasn't Hollywood. If I left it up to Hollywood or the NFL
to decide what I was going to be, I would either be a bodyguard or a bouncer.
What a waste that would have been. What a waste of intellect,” Warne said.
www.leesvilledailyleader.com/articles/2006/11/08/news/news1.txt
Youthful reservations have great
potential
Montana:
Governor Brian Schweitzer says Indian Country could become the United States'
equivalent of the so-called "Irish miracle." Until a few years ago, he said
Ireland was among the poorest European countries. They had high unemployment and
one of the youngest populations on the continent. "Does that sound like any
opportunities we have in a situation in Montana?" Schweitzer asked, referring to
the state's seven reservations, which have the highest proportion of young
people in Montana, and a winter unemployment rate that can hit 80%. Ireland's
economy, thanks to a plentiful workforce channeled into high-tech jobs, is now
booming. In Indian Country, the governor suggested that "we can train the
population of young people to do the work, and then turn them loose."
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/NEWS01/612210303/1002
Pilots Drop Off Food,
Gifts and Supplies For Paiute Tribe
Utah: Santa
Claus gets a little help each year from pilots who donate their planes and time
for the Angel Flight West program. The pilots carried a ton of food, toys and
medical supplies to those in need from the Paiute Indian Tribe. Even Santa gave
his sleigh a break and hopped on a plane. Most items were donated by The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Toys for Tots and the Utah Food Bank.The
donations are especially important for the Paiute children, said Shivwits Band
of Paiutes Leader, Glenn Rogers. If not for Angel Flight West, many wouldn't
have had Christmas.
H-Amindian Listserve
Tiny
B.C. village loses Christmas hall to fire
British Columbia: It was a sad Christmas for the Nisga'a First Nations community
of Kincolith after fire destroyed their community centre. The loss is
devastating to the village which used the hall for feasts, weddings, and other
community events. "Our basketball players practise in there, starting at 6 a.m.
in the morning. The community building is used for the elders' walk; the women
do all their cooking in there for the community. It's used for memorial services
and big, big feast events like stone movings and it's [used] just for
celebrations," said Rose Oscar. The village of 350 held all of its Christmas
celebrations in the building. Luckily, the children's Christmas presents had not
been moved to the centre.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html
Hard Rock Cafe sold to Native Americans
Florida: The Seminoles of Florida have purchased the Hard Rock Cafe chain for
$490,000. Hard Rock is best known for its music memorabilia-inspired cafes,
hotels and casinos. The tribe plans to expand all three areas. The first Hard
Rock Cafe opened in London in 1971, beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar.
http://www.itv.com/news/index_270ce924577ed1d3a00120b21ef4eed7.html
Diabetes Breakthrough
Ontario: Scientists at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children have proof that the
body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes. Suspecting a link between the
nerves and diabetes, the doctors injected capsaicin, the active ingredient in
hot chili peppers, to kill malfunctioning sensory nerves in diabetic mice. The
mice became healthy virtually overnight. "I couldn't believe it," said
scientist Dr. Michael Salter. "Mice with diabetes suddenly didn't have diabetes
any more." Their conclusions upset conventional wisdom that Type 1 diabetes is
caused by the body's immune system turning on itself. They also conclude that
far more similarities exists between Type 1 and Type 2 than previously
thought. This new study opens "a novel, exciting door to address one of the
diseases with large societal impact," said Dr. Christian Stohler, a leading U.S.
pain specialist who reviewed the work. "The treatment and diagnosis of
neuropathic diseases is poised to take a dramatic leap forward because of the
impressive research." The researchers expect results from human studies within
a year or so. If the study is successful, this could open the door to a
potential near-cure of the disease
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a042812e-492c-4f07-8245-8a598ab5d1bf&k=63970&p=1
Stuck between two worlds, Indian foster
kids often seek identity
Washington: The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act gave tribes jurisdiction over
their own children. With a shortage of Native foster parents, however, social
workers frequently place American Indian children with non-Indian families
where, too often, kids lose their tribal connections. The children -- whom a
1998 study terms ''Split Feathers'' -- suffer both a loss of Native culture and
a more profound sense of isolation. Today's researchers say the key is to
educate non-Indian foster parents about Native culture and history. ''If the
child sees you becoming involved and interested, they will follow,'' said social
worker, Chryss James. For her, the exchange of ideas, as well as the
preservation of culture, is crucial. ''I'm half Native American, and I'm half
white,'' James said. ''I need both parts to be whole.''
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413848
Minister Will Abide By First Nation's
Ban
Ontario: The provincial minister for children and youth services is respecting
the Wahgoshig First Nation's decision to keep child welfare workers out of its
community. "I do agree with their desire to have their kids cared for according
to their traditions and culture and customs," said Mary Ann Chambers from Child
and Family Services of Timmins. "I'll leave it up to the chiefs and the
councils to determine who goes onto their reserves or who doesn't go on their
reserves." Wahgoshig Chief Dave Babin is grateful. He says the trend in many
Children's Aid Societies is to separate Aboriginal children from their parents
based only on the word of concerned citizens. "There's no investigation," Babin
said. "They take the word of other people. People don't even know the real
situation. Basically, Child and Family Services grabs the kid and the mother
never sees the child ... Our children are being kidnapped from our own
communities."
Northern News
Tobacco Use In Native Ceremonies To Be
Studied
Ontario: Researchers have received a $990,000 grant for a five-year project
aimed to reduce the number of First Nations youth abusing tobacco.
Researching the traditional use of tobacco in First Nations
religious
ceremonies will be an integral part of the project. "First Nations youth have a
rate of smoking
that is twice that of the general population of Canada," said Sheila Hardy from
Laurentian University. "We are looking at how we can work that tradition in to
promote tobacco use in a good way. " She believes advocating tobacco use for
spiritual purposes may decrease the number of youth who smoke socially. It's
been reported that very young children are involved with tobacco. "From some of
the calls I've had, they are talking about kids as young as five or six that are
socially smoking," said Dr. Peter Selby from the University of Toronto.
tobacco pouch: www.virtualmuseum.com
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=f35ee17b-9b0a-4206-84d3-3f16ea3f1988
Humor beats disease, researchers find
Norway: Scientists have new proof suggesting that having a sense of humor can
save your life. Scientists from the Norwegian University of Science and St.
Olav’s Hospital studied 41 chronically-ill patients. The results show that the
ability to laugh easily boosts survival chances. If the patient belonged in the
group that scored higher on a sense of humor tests, he or she "increased their
odds for survival by an average of 31%." Previous research has found that
laughter may also be good for the heart. In 2000, cardiologists in Maryland
found heart disease patients were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of
situations compared to people without heart disease. The Norwegian study is
published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/061212_humor.htm
Garden Project Brings Tribal Tradition
Back to Life
Arizona: Nearly a dozen Tohono O'odham children recently dropped pea seeds into
a freshly tilled and fertilized reservation garden. As tribal elders and
leaders watched, The children covered the seeds and patted down the soil just
before the irrigation system kicked in. These children were practicing age-old
tribal farming techniques for the new Cucklebur Garden and Landscape Project.
"We want this project to help our youth reconnect with the culture," said Nina
Jose, 61. Jose said that when she was a child, she and her family planted tepary
beans, squash and sugar cane, prayed for rain in special ceremonies, and then
harvested the crops. "I would go out and break out a watermelon and just eat it
right there in the field," she said. Bringing back homegrown crops also could
help make the O'odham be as healthy as their ancestors were, she noted, alluding
to the high rate of tribal members who, like Jose, suffer from diabetes. "In the
old days, our diet was a lot healthier. We didn't eat fast food." The Tohono
O'odham tribe lost their consistent supply of irrigation water after the Tat
Momolikot Dam, built in 1974, began controlling flood waters to create a
reservoir. The tribe also has faced irrigation-system failures because of old
equipment. "For too long, our spirit and identity has been taken away," said
tribal Chairwoman VivianJuan-Saunders. "This is one way to bring back the
spirit of the people."
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/153649
Tribes, Forest Service Agree on Plant
Gathering Rights
Michigan: The U.S. and four American Indian tribes have made an agreement that
allows tribal members access to national forests to gather plants. The four
tribes -- the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Grand Traverse Band of
Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians -- may now gather plants within
the Huron-Manistee National Forests and the Hiawatha National Forest. These
tribes had been promised fishing, hunting, and gathering rights in an 1836
treaty which ceded a huge swath of western and northern Michigan to the United
States. The agreement ends clashes and court battles between tribal members and
non-Indians who interpreted the treaty in different ways.
Amindian Listserve
Native Village is published with the generous help and support of friends, listserves, and online publications. Without you, Native Village would not exist. Megwich to you all.
To join our mailing list and receive news update
reminders, send email address to: NativeVillage500@aol.com
To contact Native Village staff, email: NativeVillage500@aol.com
Native Village Linking Policy
Our research, study and resource collections cover a lot of Internet territory! We do our best to screen all links and
select only those we designate "kidsafe" and appropriate. However, Native Village does not control the content
found on third-party sites, so we are not always aware when content changes. If you discover a link that contains
inappropriate information, please contact us immediately. In addition, please be aware that each linked site
maintains its own independent data collection, policies and procedures. If you visit a Web site linked
from Native
Village, you should consult that site's privacy policy before providing it with any personal information.
For more information about keeping kids safe online, please read about the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
(COPPA).In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment for
non-profit research, archival, news, and educational purposes only.
Native Village © Gina Boltz
All rights reserved
