Monday, April 16, 2012

WOW….summer is getting here pretty fast!!! We went from cold winter right into hot summer. What about global warming?

Anyway, I am happy to see the warm weather, I need to get out to the picnic table to do crafts and things instead of being cooped up in the house…Spring fever is here!!!!!

Enjoy this months ‘late’ newsletter

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BlogTalkRadio…tune in with us!!!

Friday Night on the Rez, every Friday at 10.00 PM central time, and Sunday Rez Drive every Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. (2:00 here in the East) Central Time. Call in we would love to hear from you. Guests can call in at: (646) 727-1737 Lets hang out together. How are you and your family being treated, how are you getting by?? Let us speak about it with our international panel of down to earth people.

Thanks to the Internet, the Lakota viewpoints on both reservation life and national and international issues can be shared and discussed. In this way our different cultures can be better understood by all the particpants. When help is needed, the Rosebud rez show also allows people to connect and to try to find solutions. Guests are always welcome, both to call in or participate on/ in the chat room.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/rosebud-rez-/

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Blackfeet Nation mourning for soldier killed in Afghanistan

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Blackfeet Nation of Montana is the mourning the loss of a tribal member who was killed in Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Spc. Antonio C. Burnside was killed on April 6 when his unit was attacked. He is the second tribal member to die in the line of duty.



"All Blackfeet hearts are broken today as we learn we must bury one of our warriors whose life was tragically cut short on the far side of the world," Chairman T. J. Show said in a statement, The Great Falls Tribune reported.

Burnside's parents went to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to retrieve his body, the paper said. Funeral services are pending.

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Honor the sacred.

Honor the Earth, our Mother.

Honor the Elders.

Honor all with whom we

share the Earth:-

Four-leggeds, two-leggeds,

winged ones, Swimmers, crawlers,

and rock people.

Walk in balance and beauty.

Native American Elder

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Suspects in Oklahoma killings reportedly confess to crime

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The two suspects in the Oklahoma Good Friday killings have confessed, according to news reports.

Jacob C. England, 19, who is said to be Cherokee, allegedly shot and killed one African-American man. Two others he allegedly shot were wounded.

Alvin L. Watts, 32, who is said to be England's roommate, allegedly shot and killed two African-American men. A third was wounded.

The two men admitted they drove to a predominantly African-American neighborhood in north Tulsa to look for victims. England was reportedly motivated by the April 5, 2010, murder of his father -- the person of interest, who was never charged, is an African-American man.

England and Watts face charges of first-degree murder, shooting with intent to kill and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

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Vote on casino projects not binding on Wampanoag tribes

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Residents of at least three Massachusetts communities will go to the polls in May and June to show their support, or opposition, to hosting a tribal casino.

But the results of the elections won't be binding on the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe or the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Both tribes are hoping to open the first Indian gaming facility in the state.

"We’re taking this one step at a time," a spokesperson for Gov. Deval Patrick (D) said in a statement, GateHouse News Service reported. "If the town were to vote against it, we’d have to reevaluate."

H.3702, the state's gaming law, authorizes three casinos in the state. One is reserved for "a federally recognized tribe."

The law also authorizes Patrick to negotiate a Class III gaming compact. He has agreed to talks with the Mashpee Tribe but hasn't said anything about the Aquinnah Tribe.

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Herbal Remedy Ingredient Tied to Cancer, Kidney Failure



Study of Taiwanese patients found potential dangers in aristolochia

THURSDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- A toxic component of a plant used in certain types of herbal remedies can cause kidney failure and upper urinary tract cancer, researchers warn.

Aristolochic acid is found in Aristolochia herbal remedies, which have been used for centuries and still are used in many countries.

This study of 151 patients with upper urinary tract cancer in Taiwan concluded that aristolochic acid is a primary contributor to the incidence of this cancer in Taiwan, where the incidence is the highest reported anywhere in the world and where Aristolochia herbal remedies are widely used.

The researchers found that 83 percent of the patients had evidence in their kidneys of DNA changes that are related to the plant toxin and associated with the development of cancer.

"We believe our latest research highlights the importance of a long-overlooked disease that affects many individuals in Taiwan, and, by extension, in China and other countries worldwide, where Aristolochia herbal remedies traditionally have been used for medicinal purposes," Dr. Arthur Grollman, a professor of pharmacological sciences at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, in New York, said in a university news release.

In previous research, Grollman and his colleagues linked the ingestion of Aristolochia clematitis (commonly known as birthwort) to widespread kidney disease in the Balkans.

The findings of the studies show that public health officials need to take action to stop kidney damage and upper urinary tract cancer related to aristolochic acid, Grollman said.

The study was published online April 9 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Lakota activists launch hunger strike against Keystone

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

"In the Dakotas, members of the proud Lakota Nation rose in protest this week to join a 48-hour hunger strike in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline—and all tar sands pipelines—they say will destroy precious water resources and ancestral lands in the U.S and in Canada.

On Sunday, dozens of hunger strikers and supporters marched at a rally against tar sands oil mining operations and pipelines in Eagle Butte, SD, a impoverished community on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, close to TransCanada’s 1,700 mile proposed Keystone XL pipeline route to refineries in the Gulf.

Lakota tribal members and their children drove to a camp in the rugged hills near the Missouri River to fast in solidarity with a hunger strike at the Bella Bella Community School in British Columbia. Children at the school are protesting a plan to ship millions of barrels of oil through a potentially dangerous "Northern Gateway" pipeline that would pipe corrosive tar sands oil from Alberta to giant super tankers navigating Canada’s treacherous Pacific coast."

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Instructions for Living

Friend do it this way - that is,
whatever you do in life,
do the very best you can
with both your heart and mind.
And if you do it that way,
the Power Of The Universe
will come to your assistance,                                                          
if your heart and mind are in Unity.
When one sits in the Hoop Of The People,
one must be responsible because
All of Creation is related.
And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.
And the honor of one is the honor of all.
And whatever we do effects everything in the universe.
If you do it that way - that is,
if you truly join your heart and mind
as One - whatever you ask for,
that's the Way It's Going To Be.
passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman

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Standing Rock Sioux Reservation is least healthy place in US

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Sioux County, which is home to the North Dakota portion of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, is the least healthy place in the U.S., according to the County Health Rankings study.

The county ranks poorly in health indicators such as premature death, adult obesity, physical inactivity, excessive drinking, motor vehicle crash death rates and sexually transmitted diseases. It's the second year in a row that the North Dakota portion of the reservation has landed at the bottom of the list.

But Standing Rock isn't alone. Eight of the 10th least healthy places in the U.S. are in Indian Country, according to the rankings.

"We almost have a blind spot to the fact that we have counties, that represent all or part of Indian nations, that are some of the least healthy places certainly in each state and nationwide," Patrick Remington, a professor of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin in Madison who compiled the data used for the study, told Bloomberg News. "To me, that should be sort of a national disgrace."

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A TRUE WARRIOR'S FIGHT! ( by my brother David)

by David Anthony on Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 4:05pm •

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME , WARRIORS WERE THE ONES WHO SOLDIERED TRIBES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND SURVIVAL OF THE RACE!

IN EACH OF US MEN & WOMEN, EMBEDDED IN OUR HEARTS & SOULS, IS THAT WARRIOR QUALITY , JUST AS IN ANY OF THE CREATOR'S LIVING CREATURES! THIS RESPONSIBILITY IN ANIMALS OF THE LESSER CLASSES, IT IS MORE INSTINCTIVE THAN IN US HUMANS!

IN THE WORLD TODAY, THE DUTY OF ALL WARRIORS ARE NEEDED MORE THAN IN THE PAST AND IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO KEEP BREEDING MORE WARRIORS FOR SOME NATIONS TO SURVIVE THE NEXT CENTURY !

OUR WARRIOR'S FIGHT TODAY IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THEN, BUT THE OBJECTIVE REMAINS THE SAME.

THE ENEMY HAS CHANGED, BUT THE OUTCOME OF IT'S EFFECTS ARE EVEN MORE DETRIMENTAL THAN IN THE PAST!

OUR ENEMIES OF TODAY ARE MORE RUTHLESS & VICIOUS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO COLOR OR RACE & IT BEGINS WITH THE SELFISHNESS & GREED OF MEN FOR THE MATERIAL WEALTH!

THE COLD & HEARTLESS WAY OF HUMAN BEINGS TO HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO EAT , YET SIT BACK AND WATCH THEIR NEIGHBORS STARVE TO DEATH WITHOUT FEELING A MOMENT OF REMORSE!

THE UNFORGIVING NATURE OF MANY WHO LIVE WITHOUT SHOWING COMPASSION, LOVE OR A LITTLE CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN,OUR HOMELESS,THE HUNGRY, THE SICK & THE ELDERS OF THE WORLD!

THE EVIL IN SOME TO DISCOURAGE OTHERS FROM HELPING OTHERS!

WHEN WE COMBINE THE EFFECTS OF THESE ENEMIES, WE HAVE THE MOST DEADLY OUTCOME OF A WAR THAT IS UNSTOPPABLE!

HOWEVER, THIS CAN BE CONTAINED, BUT ONLY IF WE PUT "THE TRUE WARRIOR'S" QUALITY THAT WE POSSESS FORWARD & BEGIN TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE THAN WE ARE!

"A TRUE WARRIOR" WILL HELP FEED THE HUNGRY WITH A LITTLE OF WHAT WE HAVE FOR OURSELVES!

"TRUE WARRIORS" WILL WORK TOGETHER AND SEEK HELP FOR THE SICK & THE HOMELESS!

"A TRUE WARRIOR" WILL SHOW LOVE & CARE TO OUR CHILDREN & SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO OUR ELDERLY SO TOO GIVE THEM A REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS HOPE FOR A FUTURE!

"A TRUE WARRIOR" WILL NEVER SIT BACK AND IGNORE THE PAINS & SUFFERING OF ANOTHER!

"A TRUE WARRIOR" WILL FIGHT FOR THE SURVIVAL OF A PEOPLE!

NOW ASK YOURSELF : ARE YOU A "TRUE WARRIOR" IN THE WORLD TODAY, OR ARE YOU THE ENEMY?

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"Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind and spirit."

-- Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa), SANTEE SIOUX

Be still and know. All new learnings, all ideas about new things, creativity, daydreaming and mental effectiveness come to those who learn about silence. All warriors know about the power of silence. All Elders know about stillness. Be still and know God. Meditation is about the place of silence. This is the place to hear God's voice. We can find tremendous amounts of knowledge in the place of silence. This is the sacred place of God.

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Cherokee Nation criticizes bill to limit role of tribes in policies

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is coming out against SB 1050, a bill that limits the role of tribes in setting state environmental policies.

The bill removes the word "tribal" from state laws that otherwise take tribes into account. A Cherokee Nation attorney said the measure would harm tribal-state relations.

"By passing this law, Oklahoma risks damaging the cooperative relationship it has built with the tribes – a relationship that has produced a significant economic benefit for the state," Sara Hill, the tribe's senior assistant attorney general, told The Cherokee Phoenix.

Sen. Greg Treat (R), the sponsor of the bill, says tribes can still offer their views on state matters. But tribal laws won't carry any weight if the measure passes.

Under a rider that was tucked into a federal transportation bill, Oklahoma tribes are barred from obtaining treatment as state status from the Environmental Protection Agency unless they reach a "cooperative agreement" with the state. No other tribes are subject to such prohibitions.

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Affordable home units on Navajo Nation sit vacant for years

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Dozens of affordable housing units on the Navajo Nation have sat vacant for at least six years, The Farmington Daily Times reports.

Work on the 91-unit development in Shiprock, New Mexico, began in 2004. Construction stalled in 2006 due to litigation -- 53 were homes were partially built by that time.

Of those units, fifteen have burned, with 13 beyond repair, the paper reported. Most of the other homes have been vandalized, the paper said.

So far the tribe has spent an estimated $11 million on the project. The Navajo Nation Council is considering a proposal to spend another $17 million to finish the development in two phases.

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Group protests governor's visit to Fort Peck Tribes bison site

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A non-Indian group showed up to the Fort Peck Reservation on Monday to protest the transfer of bison from Yellowstone National Park.

Members of Citizens for Balanced Use criticized Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) for agreeing to allow the bison to be moved through the state to the reservation. But he said there was not reason to be alarmed amid fears that the bison carry brucellosis, a disease that causes death in cattle.

"These animals have been tested again and again and again and each test has come out negative for these animals carrying brucellosis," Schweitzer told The Great Falls Tribune.

The Fort Peck Tribes have accepted more than 60 bison from Yellowstone. Some of the animals are supposed to be transferred to the Fort Belknap Indian Community but a judge in the state has put the move on hold as part of a lawsuit filed by ranchers and property owners.

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Sitka Tribe signs agreement to manage sacred sites

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

"The Sitka Tribe of Alaska has reached a deal to manage sacred sites near Sitka. Five of the sites are already owned by Sealaska Corporation. And the deal for tribal management is one of a series of agreements signed or in negotiation throughout Southeast Alaska.

The deal covers six locations around Sitka, including village sites at Sealion Cove, Krugloi Point, Hoonah Sound and Point Craven. It also covers petroglyphs in Sinitsin Cove and Sitkoh Creek.

Those five sites already belong to the Native corporation. The sixth location is at Redoubt Falls. Acreage there has been selected by Sealaska, but is still in the conveyance process. The agreement won’t apply to that site until the land is conveyed. It’s effective immediately for the other five."

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Go Forward With Courage

When you are in doubt, be still, and wait;
when doubt no longer exists for you,
then go forward with courage.
So long as mists envelop you, be still;
be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists

-- as it surely will.

Then act with courage.

Ponca Chief White Eagle (1800's

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Investigation into chase, officer-involved shooting near Crow Agency continues

Monday, April 2, 2012 2:38 pm

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is continuing its investigation into a March 29 chase that ended with a woman being taken to a Billings hospital with what her family described as a gunshot wound to the face from a federal agent.

A St. Vincent Healthcare spokeswoman said that Frankie Kindness, identified as the victim by her half-brother, David R. Blaine, remained at the hospital and was listed in fair condition on Monday afternoon.

FBI spokesman Todd Palmer confirmed that the investigation was ongoing but said further details would not be released until agents finished their investigation.

Blaine said last week that a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer shot Kindness early Thursday outside of a home in Dunmore, a small town northwest of Crow Agency.

A BIA official said over the weekend that officers were involved in a vehicle chase with Kindness and referred questions to the FBI.

Palmer did not know if the agent alleged to be involved had been placed on leave after the incident and said that it was a BIA matter.

Phone calls to the BIA had not been returned as of 3 p.m.

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Tough call on Mashantucket slot machine tax case

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

"Like a poker player who has wagered a stack of chips on a hand only to have an opponent draw a pair of aces, the town of Ledyard has a tough call on its long, costly legal battle over taxing leased slot machines at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

After a federal judge ruled last week that the town could not collect taxes on such equipment, the town must weigh whether to cut its losses - legal bills have skyrocketed to more than $900,000 over the past six years - or to spend more money appealing the ruling to a higher court.

"I think we have a strong case for an appeal," Ledyard Mayor John Rodolico said Monday, noting that much more is at stake than simply tax revenues from slot machines. He said numerous other retail stores and restaurants do business at Foxwoods, and if they also were allowed to avoid paying municipal property taxes it would be a devastating loss to the town."

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Passamaquoddy Tribe reaches $11.4M trust fund settlement

Monday, April 2, 2012

The Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine has reached an $11.4 million trust fund settlement with the Obama administration.

The tribe sued the federal government over the management of a $13.5 million trust fund that was authorized by an act of Congress. The money came from the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act in 1980.

Tribal members are asking the council to distribute the settlement on a per capita basis, The Bangor Daily News reported. The tribe consists of the Indian Township and Pleasant Point.

The Obama administration has entered negotiations with an estimated 75 tribes to settle their trust management lawsuits.

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Cleanup of uranium mines on Navajo Nation poses huge cost

Monday, April 2, 2012

The federal government knows of at least 683 uranium sites on the Navajo Nation but there isn't enough money to clean them up.

Out of the hundreds, federal agencies have identified just 34 structures and 12 residential yards for cleanup, The New York Times reports. Some $60 million has been spent so far.

"The government can’t afford it; that’s a big reason why it hasn’t stepped in and done more," Bob Darr, a spokesman for the Department of Energy, told the paper. "The contamination problem is vast."

Uranium itself led to significant health risks for tribal members who worked at the mines. But new generations are being exposed to extremely radioactive sites due to the lack of cleanup.

Rancher Larry Gordy found one abandoned mine in Arizona where high radioactive levels could cause tumors and other health problems. But the site remains unprotected.

"If this level of radioactivity were found in a middle-class suburb, the response would be immediate and aggressive," Doug Brugge, a public health professor at Tufts University medical school, told the Times. "The site is remote, but there are obviously people spending time on it. Don’t they deserve some concern?"

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Famous South Dakotans: Maria Pearson, repatriation expert

Monday, April 2, 2012

"A woman born in Springfield became the primary catalyst for the creation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

WHO: Maria Pearson

BORN: July 12, 1932. She died May 23, 2003, in Ames, Iowa.

BACKGROUND: Darlene Elvira Drapeaux was given the Indian name Hai-Mecha Eunka (Running Moccasins). She married John Pearson, a civil engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation. They had six children. In the early 1970s, John told her a bulldozer crew preparing the site for a bridge had unearthed several burial sites. The remains of the white settlers were reburied; the bones of a Native American woman and baby were sent to the University of Iowa archaeology lab for research. Pearson went outside to pray and heard her grandmother’s voice telling her to be strong and fight for her people. The next day, Pearson put on a fringed buckskin dress and went to Des Moines to visit then-Iowa Gov. Robert Ray."

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Indian children Foster care used too often

For a hundred years, white people in America thought that the way to deal with Native Americans — those few who survived displacement — was to assimilate them, persuade them to abandon their cultural heritage and adopt European ways.

And even though that belief was officially rejected decades ago, too much of it apparently remains among child welfare agencies in Utah, where American Indian children are four times more likely to be in foster care than children of other backgrounds.

Few American Indian children are taken from their natural families because they are being abused. Two-thirds are removed, instead, due to case workers deciding they are being neglected. But how much of that determination is based on cultural differences?

Since a finding of neglect is subject to how the case worker perceives a normal, loving family, it’s more than possible that those children are loved, but their parents express emotion in a way the case worker doesn’t recognize.

It would be shameful if children were taken from their homes simply because their family life is different from what is considered by the dominant culture as usual or good.

Utah has a history of failed experiments in forced assimilation. Until 1996 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operated a program for 50 years in which American Indian children left their homes and were placed in Mormon homes or in a boarding school.

Their experience was often one of humiliation, rejection and lost identity. Research has found that American Indian children have a suicide rate 1.5 to 3 times higher than children of other ethnic groups. And American Indian children raised in non-Indian homes commit suicide six times more often than other American Indian children.

Prospects are bleak for those who reach the age of 18 while in foster care. Their often unhappy childhoods lead to mental disorders or post-traumatic stress syndrome, and many end up homeless, in prison or dead within two years.

There has got to be a better way.

One is outlined in the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. It states that American Indian extended families, other tribe members or other Indian families should be given priority when foster-care placements are made. Tribal courts, not state courts, should have authority over American Indian child welfare issues because they do more to keep relationships and cultural ties intact.

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If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace...

Treat all men alike. Give them all the
same law. Give them all an even chance
to live and grow.All men were made by
the same Great Spirit Chief.

They are all brothers.
The Earth is the mother of all people,
and all people should have equal rights upon it....

Let me be a free man,free to travel,
free to stop,
free to work,
free to trade where I choose
free to find my own teachers,
free to follow the religion of my fathers,
free to think and talk and act for myself,
and I will obey every law,
or submit to the penalty.

Heinmot Tooyalaket ( Chief Joseph), Nez Perce Leader

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Leslie Lohse named Woman of the Year by state lawmaker

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Leslie Lohse, the treasurer of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, has been named 2012 Woman of the Year for California's 2nd District by Assemblyman Jim Nielsen (R).

Lohse has served as treasurer for her tribe since 1994. She also serves as chair of the California Tribal Business Alliance and is active on other boards and commissions.

"Leslie is a passionate and dedicated citizen who ably serves her revered and historic Nomlaki tribe, her community and her state through her selfless leadership," Nielsen said in a press release. "Her energy and abilities have ensured a bright future for generations now and yet to be born in the north state." Lohse was presented with the award at a ceremony on Mond

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Wisdom from my sister Michelle. Thank you sis.

It costs nothing to take a little time to offer a kleenex and a kind smile, a pat on the shoulder, a kind murmur, a silent ear to hear with while the other talks, or a nod of sympathy. These things are often the little matches that light - or relight - the lamp we all need to find our way in this world. And none of these things makes anyone the poorer for the doing. I am humbled by this thought.

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Oklahoma tribal chief concerned about Keystone XL impact

Mar 26, 2012

Oklahoma City (AP) _ The chief of the Sac and Fox Nation plans to voice his concerns about the Keystone XL pipeline this week in Washington.

Chief George Thurman fears that workers would place the pipeline through the tribe's sacred ground in north-central Oklahoma. A spokesman for pipeline operator Transcanada says the company works closely with tribes whenever its operations have a potential impact on their lands.

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FUNNIES:

The day after visiting a fair, my wife was in agony. "You know you’re past your prime," she said, "when you hurt all over and all you rode was the massage chair."

*~~~~~~~~~~

"Everything’s starting to click for me!" said my father-in-law at dinner. "My knees, my elbows, my neck ..." We’d finally built our dream home, but the contractor had a concern: the placement of an atrium window for our walk-in shower. "I’m afraid your neighbors might have a good view of you au naturel," he said. My middle-aged wife put him at ease. "Don’t worry," she said. "They’ll only look once."

*~~~~~~~~~~

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

*~~~~~~~~~~

Two elderly ladies had been friends since their 30s. Now in their 80s, they still got together a couple of times a week to play cards. One day they were playing gin rummy and one of them said, "You know, we’ve been friends for many years and, please don't get mad, but for the life of me, I can't remember your name. Please tell me what it is." Her friend glared at her. She continued to glare and stare at her for at least three minutes. Finally, she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

*~~~~~~~~~~

My mother-in-law had a pain beneath her right breast. It turned out to be a trick knee.

*~~~~~~~~~~

You know you're old if they have discontinued your blood type.

*~~~~~~~~~~

Recently I went to the doctor for my annual physical. The nurse asked me how much I weighed. I told her 135 pounds. Then she weighed me and the scale said 160. She asked me how tall I was. I said, "5 feet, 5 inches." She measured me and I was only 5 feet, 3 inches. So she took my blood pressure and told me it was high. "Of course it's high," I said. "When I came in here I was tall and slender. Now I'm short and fat!

*~~~~~~~~~~

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met her at the gates and said, 'You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking.'

The cat thought for a minute and then said, 'All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on.'

God said, 'Say no more.' Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.

A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the gates with the same offer that He made to the cat

The mice said, 'Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again.'

God answered, 'It is done.' All the mice had beautiful little roller skates.

About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found her sound asleep on her fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, 'Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?'

The cat replied, 'Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!'

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Native American Prayer

Oh, Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my Spirit may come to you without shame.

translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887)

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Spirit Bear as a Native American Animal Symbol

In the light of day, the spirit bear is a special species of black bear known only to a select few that live in the British Columbia area as well as a handful of islands near Alaska. It is an all-white bear known as Kermode Bear. However, for the Native American culture, the Kermode bear is known as the Spirit Bear.

According to one of many Native American stories, the spirit bear was made white by the creator of the universe to remind its people the past period of time known as the ice age. It was said that the creator did this to remind the native people of the previous hardship living in all the snow and ice. In addition, in some tribes, the white spirit bear stands for harmony and peace.

It is thought that a spirit bear exists in about ten percent of all black bear births. In actuality, the existence of the spirit bear can be blamed on a recessive characteristic in their genes. The spirit bear really is not all white. In truth, it is more off-white or creamy in color. The spirit bear, also known as the Kermode bear, exists in British Columbia.

The number of sightings dwindled for years due to a lower spirit bear population. However, thanks to some protection from the Canadian government, the Kermode bear is slowly climbing in numbers. It is mostly found in the British Columbia area of Canada, specifically the islands of Prince Rupert or Princess Royal.

In recognition of the Native American’s culture in the role of the spirit bear as a significant Native American Animal Symbol, the government of British Columbia named the spirit bear as the province’s representative animal. Even with this bestowed title, the spirit bear will forever remain a prominent symbol in local British Columbia Indian mythology.

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KITCHEN MEDICINE:

Rosemary Family: Labiatae Genus: Rosmarinus Species: Officinalis

Also Known As: Rosemarine, Incensier

Rx: cooking, excellent tea, infusion, tincture

In ancient times people wrapped their meat with Rosemary to prevent spoilage. Rosemary is a natural preservative. Rosemary can prevent food poisoning, is a digestive aid, is a good decongestant and can kill bacteria. If you enjoy using Rosemary in your cooking, use more.

*****Warnings: do not ingest Rosemary oil, in large amounts, poisoning can occur

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Saffron Family: Iridaceae Genus: Crocus Species: Sativus

Also Known As: Spanish Saffron

Rx: 12 to 15 stigmas per cup of boiling water

Since it takes 75,000 flowers to make one pound of Saffron, this herb is very expensive. Heart attack patients may actually save money using this as it is much cheaper than some clot dissolving drugs injected to treat heart attack. It can help to control some risk factors for heart disease. It also reduces cholesterol, de-clogs the arteries, and lowers blood pressure.

*****Warnings: unless you are pregnant, just the high cost

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Sage Family: Labiatae Genus: Salvia Species:Officinalis

Also Known As: All types of Sage

Rx: crushed fresh leaves for cuts and wounds, infusion of dried leaves, tincture

Sage is the premiere anti-perspirant, cutting perspiration by up to 50 percent. It is a great fighter against infection, a good preservative, a digestive aid, can reduce blood sugar and helps a sore throat! And its flavor in meats and sausage is unrivaled.

*****Warnings: rare cases of inflammation of the lips and lining of the mouth. Sage oil should not be ingested.

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Savory Family: Labiatae Genus: Satureja Species: Hortensis, Montana

Also Known As: White Thyme, Bean Herb

A great culinary herb, Savory has great soothing properties for children, it is a great expectorant and digestive aid and is subtle enough for use with children.

Rx: infusion of leaves for childhood colds

*****Warnings: None

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Skullcap Family: Labiatae Genus: Scutellaria Species: Lateriflora

Also Known As: Quaker Bonnet, Mad Dog Weed, Hoodwort, Helmet Flower

Rx: use leaf infusion for tranquilizing effects

European medical experts now accept skullcap's potential usefulness as a tranquilizer and sedative, and it is used in many commercial sleep preparations that are widely available in Europe.

*****Warnings: large doses may result in confusion, giddiness, twitching, and possible convulsions

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Tarragon Family: Compositae Genus: Artemisia Species: Dracunculus

Also Known As: Dragon Herb, Estragon, French or Russian Tarragon

Rx: chew fresh leaves for toothache, apply fresh leaves to cuts and wounds, infusion of leaves, tincture

A wonderful treatment for toothache, Tarragon is a great anesthetic and prevents infections.

*****Warnings: those with history of Cancer should not use this herb

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Tea Family: Theaceae Genus: Camellia Species: Sinensis

Also Known As: Green Tea, Black Tea

Rx: typical leaf infusion

From the Orient, to the United Kingdom, Tea is widely used for its calming effects. Tea includes stimulants that help colds, congestion, asthma, diarrhea, tooth decay and helps prevent tissue damage from radiation therapy. Tea only grows in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia and is imported around the world. Green Tea is simply the dried leaf, Black Tea is dried and then fermented.

*****Warnings: Caffeine addiction, problems associated with Caffeine

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Thyme Family: Labiatae Genus: Thymus Species: Vulgaris, Serpyllum

Also Known As: Mother of Thyme, Common or Garden Thyme, Wild, Creeping or Mother Thyme

As well as a culinary delight, Thyme fights several disease causing bacteria and viruses. It is a good digestive aid, helps menstrual cramps and is a great cough remedy. Germany uses it today to treat whoop, whooping cough and emphysema.

Rx: fresh leaves for cuts and wounds, tincture for antiseptic, infusion of leaves for the stomach, cough or menstrual symptoms.

*****Warnings: Do not ingest Thyme oil, it can lead to headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, thyroid impairment, and heart and respiratory depression.

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Valerian Family: Valerianaceae Genus: Valeriana Species: Officinalis

Also Known As: Phu, Heal-all, Garden Valerian

Rx: infusion of root for sedative properties, tincture

The quite smelly and pungent Valerian is a powerful sedative that was even listed as a tranquilizer in the National Formulary until 1950. A great replacement for users of valium, Valerian can also reduce high blood pressure.

*****Warnings: large doses may cause headache, giddiness, blurred vision, restlessness, nausea, and morning grogginess.

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Vervain Family: Verbenaceae Genus: Verbena Species: Officinalis, Hastata

Also Known As: Indian Hyssop, Blue Vervain, Verbena, Enchanter's Herb

Rx: infusion of leaves for headache and arthritis, tincture

'Take two Vervain and call me in the morning' is how it should be said. Vervain is a great substitute for aspirin as it has similar effects. Vervain outside of being a very mild laxative is mainly used for mild pain relief.

*****Warnings: anyone with a history of heart problems should not use this herb

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Witch Hazel Family: Hamamelidaceae Genus: Hamamelis Species: Virginiana

Also Known As: Hamamelis, Snapping Hazelnut, Winterbloom

Rx: astringent decoction of leaves and twigs, astringent gargle

A primary astringent in the herbal world, Witch Hazel has antiseptic, anesthetic, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties. The clear, pungent extract is a standard for cuts, bruises, hemorrhoids, and sore muscles. It is one of this nation's most widely used healing herbs. It is much better to find fresh Witch Hazel than rely on commercial products containing it.

*****Warnings: may be used externally on anyone but dilute for children.

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Yarrow Family: Compositae Genus: Achillea Species: Millefolium

Also Known As: Bloodwort, Nose Bleed, Thousand Weed, Milfoil, Soldier's Woundwort

An excellent wound treatment, Yarrow has many healing properties, is a good digestive aid, helps menstrual cramps, and is a mild sedative.

Rx: use fresh leaves and flowers for cuts and scrapes, infusion for calming and menstrual easing effects, tincture

*****Warnings: large doses may turn urine brown. This is not harmful.



**********WARNING**********

Make sure to ask you doctor or health care person before you use any herbs. They can sometimes react badly with medications you are on.

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Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

SOVEREIGN INDIAN: This is the Chickens inherent right as he is indigenous to this land!!!

MILITANT INDIAN: That chicken should block the road, not cross the road!!!

GRASSROOT INDIAN: If the darn chickens need to get across the road, let 'em cross the darn road!

COLONIZED INDIAN: Chiggens should never cross the roads that white men built before the great white father crosses it first. If the white father crosses it, it is good. We must then follow.

AMERICANIZED INDIAN: We must have roads. We must cross the roads that the white man built for us. We have to be thankful to the white man for this. I don't know why you Indians are always complaining. You embarrass us. Chickens are good for us.

REPUBLICAN INDIAN: It's true that that white man built those roads for us. We are merely chickens. We will always be chickens until we learn to build those roads ourselves - for profit.

DEMOCRATIC INDIAN: The chicken crossed the road because he didn't have enough funding.

TRADITIONAL INDIAN: Those chiggens weren't traditional because they were supposed to be on it - not crossing it!

INDIAN GRANDPA: I think he was runnin' away from rezidential school.

URBAN INDIAN: That chicken crossed the road 'cause it was a city, man. You know what I mean?

NEW AGE INDIAN: It was basically because of Jungian dream therapy, drumming, sweatlodges, my shaman, and long walks on the beach, near my beach house.

POW WOW INDIAN That chicken must have been heading to a 49!

EDUCATED INDIAN: I think it has to do with Einstein's theory which basically posits: "Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken?"

REZ INDIAN: Whats a chicken?

IHS INDIAN: I really don't care why he crossed that road. We still aren't paying for no stinkin hospital bills.

BIA INDIAN: They crossed it because of CFR 49, Section 11299, gives them the authority to do so, under Department of Interior regulations, in the Executive Branch. They wrote a grant and we funded them. We are very proud of them.

KFC INDIAN: I'll take a leg, a thigh, with corn and potatoes. Extra Crispy, please.

And finally....................

TRIBAL INDIAN COUNCIL: The chicken crossed the road without our approval! Fire his family!!!

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You know it's time to lose weight when:

* You can't see your moccasin strings anymore

* You "duck" during the duck and dive and you can't get back up

* You find yourself bringing zip lock bags and a sack to the powwow feast

* You get in line twice at the powwow feast and lie by saying, "this plate is for my grandma who's sitting in the car," and you don't realize she just went through the line 10 people ahead of you.

* You can't fit your choker, because you no longer have a neck

* Your family has to stop half way to the powwow to replace the springs on your car

* The car naturally tilts downward on the side you always ride on

* The youngest kid with the shortest legs has to sit behind your seat, because you have to have the seat pulled all the way back to fit your beefy legs into the car

* You eat Indian Tacos like potato chips

* You don't even feel your mosquito bites

* You have to "rock" a few times to get up out of your chair

* People mistake you for a teepee when you wear a white tshirt

* You have to "lift" your stomach to show off your new beaded belt buckle

* You order a coke and the waitress asks, "Diet?"

* You almost pass out in the sweathouse using only one rock

* You get scared your belly button might come untied

* In a powwow crowd of 1,000 people, everyone stops you to ask your advice about the best food stands AND where's the best fry bread stand

* Other dancers use you for shade in grand entry line

* You lose a $1,000 dance contest because your excess didn't stop in time with the drum

* Your buckskin dress looks like you're still sitting down even if you're up walking around

* You have to have your parade horse backed up next the car so you can climb up on the hood of the car and get on

* Your parade horse is a "Clydesdale"

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RECIPES:

Banaha Choctaw Corn Shuck Bread

Yield: 1

6 c Corn meal
2 ts Baking soda
Boiling water Corn shucks


Pour enough boiling water over the meal and soda mixture to make a soft dough which can be handled with the hands. Prepare 4 to 6 handfuls of corn shucks by pouring boiling water over them to cover, then strip a few shucks to make strings. Tie 2 strips together at ends. Lay an oval shaped ball of dough on shucks. Fold carefully and tie in the middle with strings. Place in large stew pot and boil 30 to 45 minutes.

*~~~~~~~~~~

Wild Apple Cornbread

Yield: 1 loaf

2 c Yellow cornmeal 1 T Cold water
2 Eggs, beaten 2 c Buttermilk
1/4 c Granulated sugar
1 c Wild apples, peeled & grated
1 ts Baking soda
2 T Margarine, melted
1/2 ts Salt Honey


Mix together in top of double boiler the cornmeal, sugar, salt, milk and margarine. Set over hot water and cook for 10 minutes. Cool. Add eggs, soda (dissolved in water), and apples. Pour into greased baking dish and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with wild honey

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CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER

4 strips bacon
2 c. cubed potatoes
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1 (8 oz.) can cream style corn
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. chopped onions
2 c. chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) can corn
1 c. light cream
Chopped parsley to taste

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain, cool and crumble. Saute onions in bacon drippings until tender (8 to 10 minutes). In Dutch oven, combine onions, potatoes, chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. Add chicken, whole corn, cream corn, light cream and pepper. Heat thoroughly. Garnish each serving with parsley and crumbled bacon bits. Serves 4.

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Why Should We Keep Tribal Languages Alive?

By SONNY SKYHAWKApril 6, 2012

I can't stress enough the importance of retaining our tribal languages, when it comes to the core relevance or existence of our people. Our languages can teach us many things through daily use. Language can teach us respect, for ourselves and each other, our elders, women and most importantly, the things that allowed us to exist. Our children deserve nothing less than to have inherited their own language. You could argue that when a tribe loses its language, it loses a piece of its inner-most being, a part of its soul or spirit. That is how important and meaningful our languages are to us as the original inhabitants of this hemisphere.

Historically, our ancestors relied on our language to communicate with each other and sister tribes, and when we met other tribes, we utilized sign as an alternative language to communicate.

Symbols or icons were also a source of documenting our history on stone surfaces or skins, known as Winter Counts, but languages were our main source of communicating with each other. You could lay blame for the loss of some of our languages on the Boarding Schools, where we were severely punished for speaking them, but that seems a weak excuse.

The truth is, it is our own fault and no one else’s. Today, most tribal nations continue to struggle to retain their native tongues due to attrition, assimilation and lack of use, and sadly, some have lost them forever. Our tribal colleges and schools are our only line of defense or hope, when it comes to saving our languages at this point, because we have for the most part, refrained from speaking our languages fluently at home or amongst each other. Immersion classes have sprung up in some of our communities—but is it too late ?

We have no choice; we have to assume it is not too late, but it is an ongoing struggle to keep our languages alive. My personal hope is that our present efforts will set the template for tomorrow, and that we can save our languages for those present today and those yet to be born. We need to retain and pass our tribal languages on to the next generations if we are to remain relevant as a people. We can make the comparison of losing our language to an explorer having lost his compass—and we cannot afford to lose our cultural compass, that which so clearly defines us. Speak your language if you know it, or learn it if you can, but do not let it go due to neglect. That is not who we are, or what we do, as a people. Now is the crucial time to protect and embrace your mother(‘s) tongue.

When it comes to native languages, the situation is simple: Use it or lose it.

Aho.

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\Mon, 9 Apr 2012 14:42:36 -0400

Subject: Call to Action: Shower the White House with Your Calls

From: contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info

An excellent way for Peltier supporters to communicate with the White House is by telephone, i.e., the White House comment line at 202-456-1111.

On Friday, April 13 and April 20, please take time to call the White House to ask that President Obama free Leonard Peltier. If the lines are busy, try the White House switchboard at 202-456-1414. Ask for the comment line. You may be placed on hold until the next available staffer can take your call.

Remember that some 2,500 to 3,500 phone calls are received daily via the White House comment line. Peltier supporters often receive a busy signal simply because we're competing for phone time. Hit that redial button and try again. If you don't reach an operator in the morning, try again in the afternoon.

Each of us must place a call. Urge your colleagues, friends, and family members to call the White House, too. On April 13 and April 20, make your voices heard.

Supporters from around the world may participate in this effort by sending an e-mail to the White House:
www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments.

Thank you for all you do on Mr. Peltier's behalf.

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Hope we found you all well and doing good. 
Remember…if you have anything you would like to see in the newsletter you can e-mail me at: shiakoda@att.net put ‘newsletter’ in the subject line.

Thank you, have a wonderful early spring. Stay healthy, strong and safe.

Shiakoda Autumn Wolf Moon Q.