Hopi/HavasupaiNV News Articles

[Below are several articles selected from Native Village News publications housed in our archives. The Grandmothers say that in the Spirit World, all time exists at once. To remind us of this, each article's publication date is omitted.]
For more information about these and other news articles, please visit: News Archives.]

Ancient Chewing Gum Yields DNA
Massachusetts: One day, Harvard archaeologist Steven LeBlanc was staring at drawers full of quids--wads of plant material chewed by ancient Native Americans--when he realized, "Quid ... saliva ... DNA ... DING! Since that brainstorm, LeBlanc and others have recovered DNA from 2000-year-old quidsfrom a vanished tribe called the Western Basketmakers. They lived from 500 B.C.E.- 500 C.E. in caves and rock shelters in today's Utah and Arizona. Nearly 14% of their DNA samples contained haplogroup A, which is extremely rare in the Southwest,. However, it occurs in about half of the population of Central America. This fits with the idea that Western Basketmakers migrated from central Mexico, bringing agriculture into the turf of foragers. The results were confirmed by a second laboratory.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/822/4

Hualapai youth learn language and customs of their culture
Attracting teachers where need is greatest
Arizona: A House committee has endorsed two bills that seek to put more qualified teachers on American Indian reservations and in math and science classrooms:
HB 2331 would offer loans that students could repay by teaching at a school on one of Arizona's Indian reservations. The bill was introduced by Rep. Albert Tom whose district includes most of the Navajo, Hopi, Hualapai and Havasupai reservations.
HB 2206 would offer similar benefits to those who teach math, science or special education in communities facing teacher shortages.
The loan is for students pursuing teaching degrees at Arizona's public universities and community colleges. In both bills, each year of full-time teaching would pay off one year's worth of loans.
Cronkite News ServiceArizona: The 7th Annual Pai Language Immersion Camp was held in Hualapai Mountain Park for tribal youth. Each day, children woke at 5:30 a.m. to hike to the camp's highest point, greet the sun, and say the morning prayers. The girls sang a morning girls' song, and the boys sang their own. After breakfast, the children received language instruction and in the afternoon, learned about native plants, wilderness survival, and traditional arts and crafts. Throughout the lessons, language and history were stressed. Holding this year's immersion camp in the Hualapai Mountains was poignant for the tribe because the mountains are sacred ground. Elder Delores Honga said their ancestors grew up and lived off this land until the Calvary came and killed many before forcing the Hualapai off their land.

Navajos, Hopis speak against Snowbowl plan
To Klee Benally, the Coconino National Forest's proposal to use reclaimed water to make snow at the Arizona Snowbowl is a desecration of Doko'oo'sliid, or the San Francisco Peaks. "When I talk with the medicine people, they say they are never consulted," Benally said. "Their opposition is pretty strong." Benally, 27, said the 777-acre permit granted to the forest service "doesn't make it any less sacred to some so-called improvements." Adair Klopfestein, a Tuba City High School teacher, said, "That is where the Holy Ones emerged to this world. The soil guides our people, it affects how we treat them, it's how we treat ourselves." The San Francisco peaks are sacred to the Acoma, Fort McDowell Mohave Apache, San Carlos Apache, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Navajo, San Juan Southern Paiute, Yavapai-Apache, Yavapai-Prescott, Tonto Apache, White Mountain Apache and Zuni.

Mesa Verde's Mystery of the Cliff Dwellers
In 1300 A.D., as many as 5,000 Anasazi lived at Mesa Verde, NM where they grew corn, beans, and squash on the mesas. They also erected massive sandstone apartments on the forbidding land. The term "Anasazi" is no longer politically correct--it's a Navajo word meaning "ancient ones" or "ancient enemies." Today, those cliff dwellers are called the "ancestral Puebloans," and many tribes like the Hopi, Zuni and Laguna trace their lineage to these once-nomadic people. Mesa Verde is protected as a National Park and is accessible to any robust hiker who doesn't mind heights or thin air. Mesa Verde is 7,000 feet high

Hopi High School seeks food for elders
The annual Hopi High School National Honor Society Food Drive for the elderly is underway. “Were off to our best start ever," said Thomas Mentzer, NHS sponsor. He emphasized how much this means to the school and community. “It’s so tangible. It’s not the teachers telling the students what to do, but their idea of taking on something for somebody else. The elders get tears in their eyes. It means so much to the elders to see the kids from the high school caring for the elders.” The Hopi High NHS is accepting canned and boxed food until Dec. 17. Last year Hopi High NHS delivered a record 195 food boxes to Hopi elders.

Tuba City District adopts Hopi Lavayi Project
For the first time, the Hopi Tribe have partnered with a school board outside the reservation to bring the Hopi language into school curriculum. A student petition, signed by Natives and non-natives, supports the Hopi Lavayi Project. It states that Tuba City's Navajo and Hopi high school students recognize the importance of the tribal languages and culture. Students also wish to support the interaction of natives and non-natives who live and work alongside each other in the School District. “Although we recognize that the Hopi language should be taught in the home and in the village, we also recognize that this is not a real or practical approach,” Chairman Taylor said. “It is through our language, and our culture that we learn about our values, our heritage and our responsibilities in this world. Students are a large part of this world responsibility and they will need to be able to speak Hopi to understand and carry out those obligations.”
84% of students surveyed saw a need for a Hopi language class at the TC High School level;
79% believes reading and writing Hopi is important;
Students becoming proficient in the Hopi and English languages;
Improving and enhancing academic performance;
Increased community and parental involvement;
Meeting State foreign language requirements;
Reversing the trend in language loss.
Continue and resuming “Kyaptsi” (respect), “Nami’nangwa” (communal spirit), “Sumi’nangwa” (togetherness) and “Hita’nangwa” (unselfishness, generosity and cooperation).

City doc gives boy from Ariz. new ear
Nature blessed little Edmund Hobbs with a right ear. Recently, medical science took care of the left. Curly-haired Edmund from the Hopi tribe in Arizona was born with microtia, a small flap of skin in place of his left ear. His plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas Romo 3rd, pioneered synthetic ears, an alternative to using rib bones. He has performed the surgery some 300 times but noted that Edmund weighs just 41 pounds. "He's one of the tiniest we've ever had," he said. After sculpting the ear, Romo used stitches and staples to attach it to Edmund's head. Minutes after the surgery, the boy awoke to his mother's voice: "Mama's here." Edmund's expenses were covered by Romo's Little Baby Face Foundation. The operation was performed free of charge

Havasupai Tribal Members File $25 million Lawsuit Against ASU
In Flagstaff, Arizona, members of the Havasupai Tribe have filed a $25,000,000, lawsuit against Arizona State University, three ASU professors and the State Board of Regents. The 52 tribal members claim they were told more than 400 blood samples taken from them between 1990--1994 would be used to study diabetes. ASU has used some of the blood to study inbreeding, schizophrenia and theories about ancient human population migrations to North America

Map may show that the Aztecs once lived north of Hopi tribe
16th-19th maps currently on display at UCLA indicate an ancient Mesoamerican presence and their migration routes in today's United States. The exhibit, “Aztlanahuac: Mesoamerica In North America,” also includes chronicles, codices, annals and interviews regarding oral traditions that address ancient connections between peoples of the North and South. “It’s a project that began when a Hopi elder passed a map at a summit in, I believe, 1981,” said Roberto Rodriguez. “For some reason all this information was never made public.” Rodriguez and Patrisia Gonzales spent years exploring the possibilities of the Mesoamerican's living north of the Hopi. After researching archives, rare books, listening to oral histories, and studying diets, the two are convinced of an ancient Mesoamerican presence. Rodriguez will be the first to admit that all this might not hold up to science, but he’s not worried about that. “We couldn't care less what an archaeologist might think,” he said

Hopi High sets pace
ARIZONA: Hopi High School, which is graduating another large group of seniors, is setting an example for all Native schools and students. Nearly 87% of students graduate within five years of starting Hopi High, which tops the state's Native Average of 63% and overall graduation rate of 76%. What makes the school a standout? Along with the usual high school classes, Hopi High:
incorporates cultural teachings;
offers Hopi and Navajo language classes;
maintains a 90% teacher retention rate;
incorporates native traditions into its curriculum.
students attend regular meetings with counselors;
provides an after-school tutoring program with bus service;
offers a Second Chance catch-up program for kids who don't complete English classes the first time around;
includes programs to encourage college attendance:
transition program allows students to earn college credits in high school.
"Hopi High School can prepare students well enough to go to Ivy League schools. It can produce top-class students," said one student who plans to attend Dartmouth. Hopi High School has about 750 students. Almost 80% are Hopi and the rest mostly Navajo.

Heard Museum expanding
NEW YORK: The Heard Museum in New York City is expanding and reinstalling it's world-renowned collection. A $7,600,000 project will be titled Home: Native Peoples in the Southwest, and will showcase more than 2,000 objects in innovative displays. Displays will include:
a traditional eight-sided Navajo Hogan;
a Hopi piki room (designed for baking the traditional flat bread);
a Yoeme, or Yaqui, ramada;
a courtyard garden filled with plants used in traditional Native arts.
The new addition is scheduled to open in the spring of 2005. The Heard was founded in 1929 by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard to house the couple's personal collection of Native American artifacts gathered from traders, galleries and art dealers.

Choosing customs over cash, Hopi Indian tribe votes down casino
Hopi voters have rejected plans to build a casino in northeastern Arizona. The referendum, which called for up to 500 slot machines on tribal trust land, was defeated 1,051 to 784. Some tribal members believe gambling goes against Hopi cultural customs and would add another social ill to a community already plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse. "Gaming is making money off other people's bad habits and the Hopi way says we should not use other people's bad habits to benefit," said tribal Vice Chairman Caleb Johnson. But other Hopis said gaming money is needed to offset expected losses from declining coal revenues.

Advocate for Apache language
Arizona: "We're losing our language. And when we do that, we become a lost tribe. We become a white man, just like you." The words belong to Edgar Perry, a White Mountain Apache who is striving to save his people's language -- and way of life. Years ago, Perry began working on an Apache-language dictionary. "We would take a tape recorder out and record the old people. But when we went to translate them, we didn't know how to phonetically write the Apache language," Perry says. "All those beautiful, taped stories -- we decided to write a dictionary." He's not alone. Hopi Emory Sekaquaptewa, a University of Arizona research anthropologist, has helped create a Hopi dictionary. And Ofelia Zepeda, a UA linguistics professor, has written the first grammar book of the Tohono O'odham language, her native tongue.
AZ Daily Star

Hopi High students at Harvard
At Harvard University, Hopi High School students received rave reviews for a substance abuse presentation given after completing a June 12-July 5-summer medical program. “I had tears in my eyes for a half hour," said Dr. David Potter from Harvard. "Several of the Harvard people who work with Native Americans said they never had seen anything like it. Hopi covered itself with glory. The performances were very strong.” Dr. Potter and Dr. Edward Furschpan had taught the Hopi students about substance abuse and how it affects the nervous system. The students had morning and afternoon lectures each day, with a patient-case tutorials in between. The courses, which were as academically demanding as first year medical school courses, also included hours of homework. On most days, students left for classes at 8 a.m. and did not return until 6 p.m. During the final days of the three-week session, students worked until 10:00 p.m. and didn't eat dinner until midnight. The 10 students attending this past summer were seniors Vanissa Van Winkle, Stacy Myron, Nicole Lomatska, Marissa Leslie, Faelynn Zah, Dione Naha, Travis Sahneyah and juniors Erynne Zahne, Justin Lee and Joel Melvin.

Astronomy outreach for Navajo and Hopi students
Arizona: Lowell Observatory has received funding from Honeywell to support an astronomy outreach program for American Indian students. The program pairs Lowell Observatory astronomers with Hopi and Navajo students and their teachers. Each astronomer works with one teacher for a year and visits the teacher's classroom to work with students. Teachers and students also attend an astronomy workshop and spend a night observing at the astronomical research facility. "Honeywell’s sponsorship of the Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Educational Outreach Program supports science and math instruction on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northern Arizona," said Pam Ross from Honeywell. "These creative programs are having a significant impact by encouraging students to pursue math/science-related careers through participation in hands-on science and astronomy activities."

Hopi High Jr. ROTC at DC native museum opening
Arizona: Five cadets from the Hopi High School Junior ROTC drew considerable attention at the grand opening of the National Museum of the American Indian Sept. 22 in Washington D.C. ROTC Major Phillip Taylor said the students stood out because they were the only Native American high school cadets who attended the event and marched through the procession in their uniforms. “Our cadets drew a lot of attention from the media—from reporters and photographers,” he said. Although the students didn't have tickets to enter the museum, the trip itself was a learning experience.
Lt. Commander Sekayumptewa, 17, was glad to learn about other tribes while making Hopi High popular. She said the airplane ride was scary, but the trip was fun.
Leon Poleheptewa Jr., 17, enjoyed meeting people from other tribes and marching in the parade, but found it unfortunate that they didn’t get to go inside the museum.
Dwight Armstrong, 18, observed that not all tribes are alike. “All tribes are not all brown people. Some are white, black, yellow and other races,” he said.
Dione Naha, 17, described the trip’s unforgettable memories. “We visited museums, national monuments and we were involved in a special recognition of Native Americans,” she said. “The trip was full of laughs and falls.”
Luvette Sheppard, 16, enjoyed seeing the many large buildings in the nation’s capital and said the cadets, as tourists, had to walk everywhere. “But it was fun,” she said. “The museum was nice from the outside. I really wanted to go in and look at the museum, but we couldn’t. Other than that, I thought it was pretty neat to have a museum for Native Americans.”

Tribes May Be Close To Settling Decades-Old Land Dispute
The Navajo and Hopi tribes may soon settle a decades-long dispute over 700,000 acres land in northern Arizona. The Navajos contend the land is theirs and they have used it for generations.   But the Hopis say the land is part of their aboriginal homelands used for thousands of years before the Navajos arrived in the mid-1800s. The Hopis also say the land contains sacred springs, eagle nesting sites and shrines vital to their religion. Officials hope to reach a settlement within the next few months, but also caution that nothing is final and there are still issues to be resolved.   "We want to resolve all of these matters to the best interests and welfare of the two tribes so we have the ability to focus our time and energy on nation building issues,’’ said Hopi chairman Wayne Taylor.

Casper's brave underground sound
Casper Lomayesva's reggae sound on his new compact disc, ''Honor the People," examines the imprisonment of Leonard Peltier and the root of war in Iraq. The Hopi artist from Third Mesa questions who won the last presidential election and how long before the voices of truth are silenced in America.   ''There are things that need to be addressed at all cost. My biggest concern was that I might be jeopardizing my freedom, but somebody's got to do it,'' Casper said. ''We're living in pretty rough times and it is going to get rougher. People all over the world doing this music are under a lot of scrutiny." Casper's message is respect for Indian sovereignty, human rights, honor for women and respect for all races of mankind. He sends a special message to Native youths: Stay in school and question everything. ''Question authority,'' he said, urging Natives to use their senses to determine truth. ''Don't listen to the crap the government is trying to push down your throats; believe what your elders told you.''

Sacred peaks to be defiled by wastewater in the name of tourism
Coconino National Forest Supervisor Nora Rasure announced her decision to use reclaimed wastewater to make recreational snow on the San Francisco Peaks. The plan has long been protested by 14 American Indian tribes: the Hopi, Hualapai, Havasupai, Navajo, Kaibab-Paiute, Yavapai-Apache, Salt River, San Carlos Apache, Zuni Pueblo and Acoma
Pueblo. These tribes hold the San Francisco Peaks sacred and carry out ceremonies and collect healing herbs on the high peaks.
''At the very moment that the Hopi Katsina spirits have answered our prayers for rain and happiness, Coconino has placed a dagger in the Hopi's spirituality.'' Leigh J. Kuwanwisiwma, Hopi Cultural Preservation Office.
''[Rasure] chose to break our hearts by choosing to enrich the pockets of a few over enriching the souls of the indigenous people of this land." Joe Shirley, Navajo.
''With her decision, Rasure is deepening an unhealthy division between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in the Southwest. ... In order to build healthy relationships, cultural and religious traditions need to be respected.'' Kelvin Long, Educating Communities while Healing and Offering Environmental Support.
''The Forest Service's own documents prove that snowmaking will not impact Flagstaff's economy in a significant way, will not allow more skiers to use Snowbowl and, without adequate natural snow, not improve skiing conditions.'' Andy Bessler, Sierra Club
      ''Unfortunately, we are not surprised by this. The Forest Service has repeatedly favored Snowbowl's commercial goals over spiritual and environmental values, despite vigorous longstanding opposition from tribes and environmentalists.'' Michael Wolcott

Cloud people run for the rain
Arizona: In March, 2006, American Indian runners will carry the sacred message of water to the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City. Their journey will begin in the Hopi village of Moencopi. ''Every person represents a cloud and the more people that come, the more clouds will come to make it rain,'' said Hopi run organizer Ruben Saufkie, Sr. Hopi from each of the 13 villages will join members of other Indian nations to carry their water message 2,000 miles. On their journey south, runners will accept water samples that will be poured into a lake at the end of the run. Runners will also carry water from Mount Fuji in Japan in celebration of Black Mesa Trust's ''Decade of Water.'' ''We Hopis run not only for the Hopi people, but for all of humankind and all living things. We all need water. We need renewing and healing of ourselves, our villages and our world,'' Saufkie said.

Tribe Suing University Researcher Over Misused Blood Samples
Arizona: The Havasupai Tribe is suing Therese Markow and other university researchers, claiming that blood samples taken from tribal members for diabetes testing were misused. Tribal members say those samples were later used to learn about schizophrenia and genetics among tribal members. Markow, who now directs the University of Arizona's Center for Insect Science, said she was only trying to understand "the biological underpinnings of the health issues of the Havasupai." The tribe and 72 tribal members are including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the Arizona Board of Regents and Stanford University in the suit. Combined, the suits are asking for $60,000,000 in damages

Lori's dream
Arizona: The ABC television program, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," has built a 4,300-square-foot home for the family of Lori Piestewa. Lori, a Hopi Indian, was killed in Iraq in April 2003 and is the first Native American woman to die in combat Jessica Lynch, the former Iraq prisoner of war and Lori's best friend, had nominated the family for the program. Through a joint effort by Lynch, Shea Homes of Phoenix, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the National Congress of American Indians and Extreme Makeover, the Piestewa family's new home includes six bedrooms, a three-car garage, patio, playground, and a solar panel on the roof. It's located on a six-acre plot near the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff. Extreme Makeover will air the Piestewa's segment as the season's 2-hour finale on May 22

Top 10 drives in Indian Country
On the Arizona roads of the Hopi and Navajo reservations, one finds rosy sandstone, mint-green sagebrush and the turquoise skies of American dreams. But the reservations are more than the scenery: what you really find are the people who live there.
Top 10 rides:
1. U.S. 89 and 89A from Flagstaff to Marble Canyon
2. Indian 59 from U.S. 160 to Many Farms
3. New Mexico 134 over Narbona Pass
4. Indian 7 from Fort Defiance to Chinle
5. Indian 13 from U.S. 666 to Lukachukai
6. U.S. 163 from Kayenta to Mexican Hat, Utah
7. Indian 27 from Ganado to Chinle
8. Indian 30 from Narbona Pass to Mexican Springs, N.M.
9. Indian 12 from Round Rock to Window Rock
10. Indian 65 from Whippoorwill Springs to Keams Canyon

Native People in the Southwest
information, photographs, video footage and stunning artifacts. Included is an outdoor native garden filled with traditional food and medicine plants. Visitors learn that during this month -- October -- Southwestern tribes used vegetation in these ways:
Apaches gather piñon nuts ripen before they fall off the tree and eat them both raw and roasted.
Apaches gather, boil and use hops to flavor a variety of dishes including mesquite bean flour, wheat flour and wild potatoes.
Tohono O’odham plant only once a year, and in October their women harvest corn, pumpkins, tepary beans, watermelons, and muskmelons.
Pima plant twice a year, and in October the women harvest corn, pumpkins, tepary beans, watermelons, muskmelons. They preserve watermelons for use in January by burying them in the sand next to the river. Pumpkins, squashes and muskmelons are cut into strips and dried for winter use.
The Tohono O’odham gather left-over fruits, acorns and tubers for winter food supply.
The Navajo traditionally considered October the beginning of the new year. They harvested pinon nuts. Preparations for winter are made.
The Havasupai move winter camps to the plateau to hunt deer, antelope and rabbit, and to gather piñon nuts, mescal and other wild foods.
The Hualapai harvest black walnuts, wash them 2-3 times, then store them for winter.
The Hualapa begin their new year at the end of October and the beginning of November. Their year, based upon the seasons and the thirteen moon cycles, are named for three seasons and three constellations. October-November is named for a constellation they identified as “hand.”
Yavapai gather sunflower seeds and piñon nuts. Yucca fruit is collected, the seeds are removed, and the fruit baked in the coals.
The Quechan and Mohave harvest corn and hunt rabbits and birds.
The Quechan hold a harvest festival.
The Mohave plant wheat (introduced by the Spanish).
The Cocopah harvest crowfoot grass seeds and gather ironwood tree pods.

Voices on Canvas
Texas: Michael Kabotie, a member of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona, is Texas Tech University's Artist-in-Residency. Kabotie, an internationally recognized Hopi artist, said he does much more than Hopi art. His Native American heritage is the root of his creativity. "I've gone beyond the label Hopi," he said. "It's things that all human beings recognize." To further his artistry and honor his heritage, Kabote is working on the Hopi Mural Project. The Museum of Northern Arizona, the Peabody Museum of Harvard University and the Hopi tribe have combined efforts to create a mural telling a story of the Hopi tribe. Kabotie said pre-European Kiva murals, which were located in the underground religious chambers of the Hopi people, inspired the painting. The mural has modern elements, but it is mostly about the Hopi tribe's early traditions.

Hopi Foundation's visionary projects recognized
The Hopi Foundation is one of 17 organizations picked to receive Leadership for a Changing World awards. As one of the first independent foundations in Indian country, the group preserves its villages and traditions, encourages solar energy, and promotes a torture free-world. Ford Foundation officials say that with a deep belief in the Hopi concept of “Itam naap yani” (doing the work ourselves), Barbara Poley and Loris Ann Taylor merge Hopi tradition with community activism to address local needs. “These leaders are a welcome reminder that people can make a difference,” said Susan V. Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation. “They have brought not only concrete gains to their communities but a determination to stand for justice that builds hope and inspires others. It's never been more important to listen to them.” The Hopi Foundation will get $115,000 to continue its work and supporting activities.

Leaders of feuding tribes break bread together
Arizona: In an historical appearance, the leaders of two tribes with long-standing disagreements say unity is important for the future. Hopi Tribal Chairman Wayne Taylor joined Navajo leaders, including President Joe Shirley, during the 37th Annual Western Navajo Fair in Arizona. Saying that hundreds of people may have both Hopi and Navajo ancestry, Taylor and Shirley said they would shoulder any criticism for their joint appearance. But no one criticized; instead, both received cheers and applause when they showed up, on horseback, to travel the parade route together. The two tribal leaders also attended a luncheon together and later went to the 4th Annual Tuuvi Gathering in Moencopi Village. The primary source of friction has been the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute. The disagreement began in 1882 when President Chester A. Arthur issued the Executive Order giving 2,400,000 acres to the Hopi "and other such Indians as the Secretary of the Interior may see fit to settle upon.” The Navajo had interpreted the phrase "other such Indians" as including them. But the Hopi believe the phrase dies not specifically mean the Navajo. The recent meeting between Taylor and Shirley was the first time since the early 1980s that Navajo and Hopi leaders spent time together socially.

Harvard honors tribal governments' work
Massachusetts: Fourteen tribal government initiatives were recently singled out by Honoring Nations, a program administered by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The Honoring Nations program recognizes tribes that adhere to self-governance principles, a belief that tribes "hold the key to positive social, political, cultural and economic prosperity." "We have to become self-sufficient," said Oren Lyons, chairman of the Honoring Nations advisory board. "We can't depend on anyone anymore." Of the 14 programs awarded honors, seven were given high honor recognition and $10,000 cash prizes during an awards presentation at the National Congress of American Indians in Tulsa. High honors, $10,000
1. Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, Fairbanks, Alaska
2. Oneida Nation Farms, Seymour, Wis.
3. Flandreau Police Department, Flandreau, S.D.
4. Professional Empowerment Program, Sisseton, S.D.
5. Tribal Monitors Program, Fort Yates, N.D.
6. Siyeh Corp., Browning, MT.
7. Akwesasne Freedom School, Rooseveltown, N.Y.
Honors, $2,000
1. The Cherokee Nation Language Revitalization Project, Tahlequah, Okla.
2. Choctaw Tribal Court System, Choctaw, Miss.
3. The Hopi Land Team, Kykotsmovi, Ariz.
4. Miccosukee Tribe Section 404 Permitting Program, Miami.
5. Migizi Business Camp, Manistee, Mich.
6. Navajo Nation Sales Tax, Window Rock, Ariz.
7. ONABEN's Innovative Models for Enterprise Development, Tigard, Ore.

Woman gives advice about solar power to people on Indian reservations
Arizona: Debby Tewa spent her first 10 years living without electricity, water, or a telephone in a small remote house on the Hopi Reservation. Since the cost of installing electricity was so high ($27,000 per square mile grid), electric companies refused to invest in expansion. Debby and other remote residents depended upon firewood, kerosene, and generators. Today, Debby is a contractor for the Sandia Tribal Energy Program. She provides technical advice about maintaining photovoltaic (PV) units to people on Indian reservations who live remotely like she did. For many, it’s the first time they’ve had electricity in their homes. “I can identify with the people I’m helping,” Tewa says. “Many live the way I grew up, and I fully appreciate their excitement in having electricity and light at night.” Currently, photovoltaic units have been installed at more than 300 homes on the Navajo Nation. “There is still a long way to go,” Tewa says. “It’s estimated there are 18,000 families in the Navajo Nation without electricity.”
www.newswise.com/articles/view/516768

Running down through the centuries: The Hopi way
Arizona: Today Hopi runners are traveling 2,000 miles to the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City this month. They carry jubilant messages about Black Mesa Trust forcing the worlds' largest coal company to stop pumping and polluting Hopi Water for their business. They are also honoring 19 Hopi leaders imprisoned at Alcatraz in 1895. The Hopi had refused to let the government take their children to schools for the "civilizing" process.
History of Hopi Runners
For centuries Hopi men and boys have run back and forth from mesa-top pueblos to their cornfields 500 feet below;
Running is a part of many Hopi ceremonies; it is connected with bringing life-giving rain to the land;
Before horses, Hopi hunters ran great distances at great speeds to capture game;
Running was also a way to carry messages long distances. In 1903, Charlie Talawepi ran a message from Orabi to Keams Canyon. The round-trip distance was 72 miles. He ran it in 36 hours.
At the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, Hopi runners carried messages to nearby pueblos that called all warriors to battle. The pueblos defeated the Spanish Missionaries;
In 1912, Louis Tewanima won an Olympic silver medal for distance running;
In 1927, Hopi runner Nicholas Quamawahu won the Long Beach - New York marathon.

House Calls
Arizona: The village of Oraibi is the oldest, continuously inhabited village in North America. Oraibi has no electricity or running water, but it does have KUYI-FM, a Hopi-owned radio station serving the 12,000 Hopi living on the reservation's three mesas and 12 villages. Through battery-operated radios, tribal members can stay connected. Especially popular is KUYI's House Calls which focuses on Hopi Elders. Balancing the modern with age-old ways has not been easy for the Hopi elders, who carry the tribes cultural traditions and serve as wisdom-keepers. House Calls listens to elders' questions, provides answers, and makes their concerns a priority. The program has also partnered with these Elders to share messages about tribal health, traditions, and obligations that help Hopi seniors enhance their later years.

Indigenous Peoples Oppose National Geographic & IBM Genetic Research Project
Nevada: The National Geographic Society and IBM have launched the Genographic Project to "help people better understand their ancient history." However, the Indigenous Peoples' Council on Biocolonialism is alarmed by the global project that plans to collect 100,000 DNA samples from Indigenous peoples around the world. "This is a recurrent nightmare. It's essentially the same project we defeated years ago," said Debra Harry, speaking about 1993's Human Genome Diversity Projects. The HGDP faced world-wide opposition by Indigenous peoples who considered it an attempt to pirate Indigenous peoples' DNA. Their case in point: The Havasupai Tribe filed a lawsuit in 2004 against Arizona State University for taking and misusing their genetic samples. The tribe authorized diabetes research, but later discovered their samples were used for schizophrenia, inbreeding and migration theories. Among comments about the new Genographic Project:
"It's interesting how in the past racist scientists, such as those in the eugenics movement, did studies asserting that we are biologically inferior to them; and now, they are saying their research will show that we're all related to each other and share common origins. Both ventures are based on racist science and produce invalid, yet damaging conclusions about Indigenous cultures." Le'a Kanehe, Native Hawaiian, IPCB's Legal Analyst.
"Indigenous peoples are holding scientists accountable for use of their genetic material without prior informed consent, which is the accepted legal standard." Le'a Kanehe, Native Hawaiian, IPCB's Legal Analyst.
"Indigenous groups around the world are much more aware of biopiracy, and our own human and collective rights in research. In the past ten years, we have developed extensive networks of Indigenous peoples who are knowledgeable and active in defense of their rights." Cherryl Smith, Maori bioethicist, New Zealand.
"Our creation stories and languages carry information about our genealogy and ancestors. We don't need genetic testing to tell us where we come from. We will not stand by while our ancestors are desecrated in the name of scientific discovery." Marla Big Boy, Lakota attorney and IPCB member.
"Somehow, the Genographic Project has led its Indigenous participants to believe its work will insure their people's cultural preservation. There is a huge disconnect between genetic research and cultural preservation. If they really want to help promote Indigenous peoples cultures there are more productive ways and methods for doing so." Cherryl Smith, Maori bioethicist, New Zealand.
The IPCB invites Indigenous peoples, friends and colleagues to join an international boycott of IBM, Gateway Computers, and National Geographic until the project is abandoned.
http://www.ipcb.org/issues/human_genetics/htmls/geno_pr.html

Six Tribes Receive Federal Wildlife Funds
The U.S. Department of the Interior has granted environmental funding to six tribes:
The Laguna, Santa Clara, Ohkay Ohwingeh and Taos pueblos -- funding to help manage, conserve and protect fish and wildlife on their lands;
The Navajo Nation -- funding to analyze the distribution of the Gunnison prairie dog on Navajo and Hopi lands;
Santo Domingo Pueblo -- funding for a restoration program on the Rio Galisteo.

Ex-POW Jessica Lynch Names Baby For Fallen Comrade
West Virginia: Former POW Jessica Lynch has named her newborn girl in honor of Army Specialist Lori Piestewa, a Hopi tribal member from Tuba City, Arizona. Piestewa, who was the first female American soldier to die in Iraq, served with Lynch in the 507th Maintenance Company. Piestewa died and Lynch was captured when their unit was ambushed in March, 2003, near Nasiriyah. Lynch and her boyfriend, Wes Robinson, named their daughter Ann (Lori's middle name), and Dakota (which can mean "friend" or "ally.") Ann Dakota Robinson weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

Attracting teachers where need is greatest
Arizona: A House committee has endorsed two bills that seek to put more qualified teachers on American Indian reservations and in math and science classrooms:
HB 2331 would offer loans that students could repay by teaching at a school on one of Arizona's Indian reservations. The bill was introduced by Rep. Albert Tom whose district includes most of the Navajo, Hopi, Hualapai and Havasupai reservations.
HB 2206 would offer similar benefits to those who teach math, science or special education in communities facing teacher shortages.
The loan is for students pursuing teaching degrees at Arizona's public universities and community colleges. In both bills, each year of full-time teaching would pay off one year's worth of loans.

Hopi Runners to Carry the Gift of Water Communities
Arizona: In April, runners from the Hopi villages atop Black Mesa will run from the "center of the universe" to Sedona, Arizona. The 130-mile, three-day journey is to raise awareness of human impact on the earth's very limited supply of fresh water. The athletes, who range in age from 12-85, will be "Carrying the Gift of Water" in a traditional Hopi gourd, the ancestral water vessel. The water was gathered from sources on tribal lands. Vernon Masayesva, Hopi, recently described a Hopi view of water:
"Within this living system, water from each of the four terrestrial directions-from rivers and springs, from great aquifers and tiny seeps-bring life, give life, sustain life among all life. And when its work is done, the waters are re-gathered in the celestial sea, the home of the cloud ancestors. There it is renewed and rejuvenated, and then transformed again into water, into rain and snow, sleet and hail, mists and fogs. It falls toward the earth, toward the depths of the great sea, and rises again to nourish the lakes, the ponds, and the streams upon which all beings, all brothers and sisters, depend. It returns and the great cycle of water is renewed bringing new energy to the universe."
Before the run, elementary-school students from Sedona and the Hopi Tribe will visit each other's communities as part of a "Student Exchange." The overnight event gives the children an opportunity to learn about each other through educational activities, art and family experiences.

Acoma kids return from New Zealand
ACOMA PUEBLO - Five members of the Acoma Boys and Girls Club have returned from New Zealand where they visited with the Maori tribe, the indigenous people of that island. The trip was part of the Boy's and Girls Club's international cultural exchange program. “We're excited about the program as it gives the members an excellent opportunity to see and experience other indigenous cultures ..." said Fred Vallo, Sr, director of the Acoma Boys and Girls Club. During these exchanges, Acoma youth welcome the opportunity to educate others about the Acoma Pueblo. “We want our young people to learn, know and understand their own language and their accurate history. Another goal is the understanding of the traditions, customs and mores of their tribe,” Vallo added. The New Zealand trip was the latest journey for the kids. Club members have visited several Native American nations including the Upper Sioux tribes (MN), the Seminole Nation, (FL) and other New Mexico pueblos including Taos, Teseque and Pojoaque. Future plans include trips to Ysleta, Zuni and Hopi Pueblos, Pacific coast tribes and Alaska native communities. “Mexico and Canada are also possible visits in the near future,” he remarked. The club has also hosted visits by the Maori and the Seminoles.

Keeping Native tongues out of the pickling jar
California: Linguist Leanne Hinton has made it her mission to keep the fires of California's Native languages burning. In 1964, Leanne hiked down the Grand Canyon to a Havasupai village to study their tribe's music. She learned the Havasupai's "sung and spoken language were very different from each other," a discovery that fascinated her. "There were all kinds of very interesting things going on in the texts of the music," such archaic words and sounds that conveyed meaning. "I was very interested in this whole notion of meaning versus words. What really got me into linguistics was my interest in that aspect of ethnomusicology." For more than 40 years, Leanne has worked closely with the state's tribal members to protect tribal languages and their diversity. She is also a faculty member at Berkeley's where she teaches language and leads language workshops with a focus on immersion. "When we lose languages we're losing knowledge," she said. "We're losing not just a set of words or a grammar — and of course that's very important to linguists -- but, more broadly, we're losing whole philosophical systems, oral-literature systems, ceremonial systems, and social systems along with the language." Leanne estimates that of the more than 100 languages indigenous to today's California, only half still have living speakers.

Spirit Prize for Southwest Children's Literature: 2007 Winner
Arizona: This month, the Lacapa Spirit Prizes will be awarded during the 10th Annual Northern Arizona Book Festival in Flagstaff.
The 2007 Lacapa Spirit Prize: Little Crow to the Rescue: El Cuervito Al Rescate, written by Victor Villasenor, illustrated by Filipe Ugalde Alcantara
The 2007 Lacapa Honor Prize for Narrative: Evangeline Parson Yazzie for Dzání Yázhí Naazbaa’: Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home: A Story of the Navajo Long Walk
The 2007 Lacapa Honor Prize for Illustration: Kendrick Bennaly for his illustrations for Frog Brings Rain
The awards are in remembrance of Michael Lacapa (Apache, Tewa and Hopi) who helped develop multicultural educational curricula for Native school-age children. Lacapa was an exceptional storyteller who used his gift as a teaching tool. His work includes The Magic Hummingbird, Spider Spins a Story, and The Good Rainbow Road. He is the author/illustrator of The Flute Player, Antelope Woman and Less Than Half, More Than Whole.

At 94, American Indian storyteller tells her last tale to children
New Mexico: Esther Martinez was born the year the Titanic sank and New Mexico became a state. Known as P'oe Tsawa, or Blue Water, Martinez, 94, is a renowned storyteller and Tewa language consultant. She also wrote the Tewa dictionary, still in use in Tewa speaking pueblos. Recently, Ester made her last public appearance as a storyteller and told the story of Coyote and the Rabbit -- a story full of mischief by the rabbit toward the poor coyote. Blue Water's daughter helped with the storytelling. She said her mother heard the stories while growing up and wanted to make save the stories for the future. Blue Water, who is from the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, is also the author of a book titled, "My Life in San Juan Pueblo," a collection of personal and cultural stories. Her book offers a glimpse of oral traditions passed from grandfather to granddaughter. It also includes a compact disc of Martinez telling the stories herself.
Among Blue Water's many recognitions:
A Living Treasure Award from the state of New Mexico;
The Indian Educational Award for Teacher of the Year from the National Council of American Indians;
An honorary Bachelor of Arts in early education by Northern Community College in Espanola;
Blue Water will be honored with the National Heritage Fellowship Award in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 12 for her work in preserving the Tewa language.
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/48431.html

A life of stories
New Mexico: In the streets of Ohkay Owinge, hundreds of people followed pallbearers carrying the body of Tewa linguist and storyteller, Esther Martinez. Martinez, 94, was on her way home after accepting a National Heritage Fellowship in Washington, D.C. when she died in a head-on crash. "It's very sad. She was almost home -- just a few miles to go," said Herman Ogoyo, 71. Martinez's two daughters survived the accident as did the driver of the other car, who was intoxicated. He was later arrested for vehicular homicide. Martinez had been a Tewa instructor at Ohkay Owingeh for more than 20 years. She published the San Juan Pueblo Tewa Dictionary which was later digitized into a CD-ROM for children to use in the classroom. She also published language-curriculum guides, served as a Native language consultant at other pueblos, and won countless awards. Among the tributes at her funeral.
"She might have been 94 years old, but she was 16 in her heart. The beauty of a story is the way it conveys something universal -- that was the beauty of Esther's stories. ...she was always so humble because she believed the awards were for everyone; they helped everyone." Reverend Terry Brennan.
"I've known her since I was a little boy ... Those lives she touched are here (at the grave site). Not only will her spirit be here with us but also the educational things she left behind as well." Herman Agoyo, 71.
"(My grandmother), my hero, died in a tragic manner. I hope her death will inspire people not to drink and drive." Anthony Martinez, grandson.
"Words and stories can't convey who she was or what she meant to our family." Matthew Martinez, grandson.
Those in attendance at Martinez's funeral included the pueblo's governor, Joe Garcia, and members of the National Endowment for the Arts.
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/49554.html

106-year-old's birthday gala stirs many memories
Oklahoma:- Martha Berryhill shared her 106th birthday with family and friends. The oldest living Creek Indian patiently listened to many of the same comments she heard on her 100th birthday party through the 105th party. But then a stranger sat down to wish her "happy birthday" in the Creek language. That stranger was Chanenna Davis, a fluent Tewa speaker from the tribe's higher education department. Hearing her native language, Martha began sharing stories. "Oh, she says she was in boarding school in Eufaula, but then her father, the minister, became ill," Davis said, interpreting Berryhill's native language. Berryhill wasn't finished and motioned to Davis that she had more to say. "She had to come home to take care of her father, and she never got to finish school," Davis translated. When a 100-year-old photo was produced, Martha excitedly pointed. "That's my sister, she went to the Haskell Institute. And that's me. My mother made me wear that," Berryhill said of the little girl, about age 4, with a cloth barrette in her hair. Berryhill was born July 12, 1900. She was 18 months old when she was added to the Dawes Rolls -- No. 9671 -- and allotted land from the federal government. Now Martha lives with her 85-year-old daughter, Ruby Mauk, in an Okmulgee home purchased for them by the Creek Nation. The tribe provides the women assistance with cleaning and errands, but breakfast remains Martha's domain. "She cooks her own breakfast almost every morning: scrambled eggs, toast and sausage gravy," Mauk said. "She eats real good. There's nothing wrong with her appetite."
http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=060713_Ne_A1_106ye

Havasupai Tribal Members File $25 million Lawsuit Against ASU
In Flagstaff, Arizona, members of the Havasupai Tribe have filed a $25,000,000, lawsuit against Arizona State University, three ASU professors and the State Board of Regents. The 52 tribal members claim they were told more than 400 blood samples taken from them between 1990--1994 would be used to study diabetes. ASU has used some of the blood to study inbreeding, schizophrenia and theories about ancient human population migrations to North America

Tribe Suing University Researcher Over Misused Blood Samples
Arizona: The Havasupai Tribe is suing Therese Markow and other university researchers, claiming that blood samples taken from tribal members for diabetes testing were misused. Tribal members say those samples were later used to learn about schizophrenia and genetics among tribal members. Markow, who now directs the University of Arizona's Center for Insect Science, said she was only trying to understand "the biological underpinnings of the health issues of the Havasupai." The tribe and 72 tribal members are including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the Arizona Board of Regents and Stanford University in the suit. Combined, the suits are asking for $60,000,000 in damages
Associated Press & Local Wire

Keeping Native tongues out of the pickling jar
California: Linguist Leanne Hinton has made it her mission to keep the fires of California's Native languages burning. In 1964, Leanne hiked down the Grand Canyon to a Havasupai village to study their tribe's music. She learned the Havasupai's "sung and spoken language were very different from each other," a discovery that fascinated her. "There were all kinds of very interesting things going on in the texts of the music," such archaic words and sounds that conveyed meaning. "I was very interested in this whole notion of meaning versus words. What really got me into linguistics was my interest in that aspect of ethnomusicology." For more than 40 years, Leanne has worked closely with the state's tribal members to protect tribal languages and their diversity. She is also a faculty member at Berkeley's where she teaches language and leads language workshops with a focus on immersion. "When we lose languages we're losing knowledge," she said. "We're losing not just a set of words or a grammar — and of course that's very important to linguists -- but, more broadly, we're losing whole philosophical systems, oral-literature systems, ceremonial systems, and social systems along with the language." Leanne estimates that of the more than 100 languages indigenous to today's California, only half still have living speakers.
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2007/03/07_Hinton.shtml