5TH ANNUAL AMERICAN INDIAN SYMPOSIUM
Building Bridges, Transforming Perceptions towards American Indian People: Changing Tomorrow, Cherishing and Honoring Our Past
November 17, 2008, 8 am-5 pm, Pierson Auditorium -- University Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5100 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Missouri.
Call to Register: Contact the Kansas City AMerican Indian Council at 816-471-4898 or 800-546-4898 or e-mail a8cvicky@kc.rr.com and RSVP by 11/7/08.
Symposium Goals: The symposium will provide a forum where American Indians can share their strategies, models and tools with individuals and organizations that provide services to urban American Indians to help resolve common health, mental health, education, and law issues to create effective partnerships to deliver care in the urban community setting and to access the resources needed to create programs that will benefit alll American Indian populations.
Symposium Objectives: Symposium participants will learn innovative strategies to address and improve the Health, Mental Health, Education and Legal Disparities that negatively impact the wellness of the urban American Indian population and have opportunities for networking and learning from others.
Highly Recommended based on last year's symposium!
First Americans for Obama Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBjnLu06HQY
(Thanks to M.S. for a reminder of this video)
BARACK OBAMA’S PRINCIPLES FOR STRONGER TRIBAL COMMUNITIES
The hundreds of Indian tribes in America face a unique set of challenges. Issues like sovereignty, health care, and education—issues that are central to tribes’ future prosperity and embedded in the federal government’s responsibility—are often neglected. Barack Obama is committed to tribal nation building and enforcing the federal government’s obligations to Indian people.
Read More:
http://nativevote.org/images/docs/obama.pdf
Check Your Voter Resigtration Status, Register to Vote, Find You Polling Place:
www.VoteForChange.com
Obama '08
North Dakota U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley delivered that message to frustrated senators at a hearing Thursday, saying that releasing the information could compromise the safety and privacy of victims and witnesses.
Federal statistics have shown American Indians are the victims of violent crime at 2.5 times the national rate, with rates of homicide and domestic violence much higher than national averages. [North Dakota Sen. Byron] Dorgan has asked the federal government to elaborate on statistics released by Syracuse University that say the Justice Department declined to prosecute 62 percent of Indian Country crimes between 2004 and 2007. That includes 50 percent of reservation murders, 72 percent of child sex crimes, and 76 percent of adult rapes.
Federal statistics have shown American Indians are the victims of violent crime at 2.5 times the national rate, with rates of homicide and domestic violence much higher than national averages.
[North Dakota Sen. Byron] Dorgan has asked the federal government to elaborate on statistics released by Syracuse University that say the Justice Department declined to prosecute 62 percent of Indian Country crimes between 2004 and 2007. That includes 50 percent of reservation murders, 72 percent of child sex crimes, and 76 percent of adult rapes.
First Americans: less equal under the law than everyone else. Except maybe the mentally interesting. We're rather less equal as well. My mentally interesting Muscogee Creek girlfriend is really on the bottom of the Abu Gharib naked dogpile when it comes to dealing with the legal system.
Although Senator Obama has been meeting with tribal leaders, he hasn't had a rally, town hall meeting or the like on a reservation since the primaries. I'm optimistic that he'll live up to his promise of having greater input from First American leaders in his administration and the BIA will get cleaned up. But Senator McCain has a long record of actually being a friend to First Americans. Endorsements from tribal leaders will, at best, help sway the tribal members who voted for those leaders. Going to reservations in person will go a lot further to garner votes in key states like Nevada, New Mexico, Iowa, Montana, Minnesota. Maybe even the Dakotas could be in play.
Chicago, Illinois (ICC) The Obama campaign announced the addition of senior Native American staff hires in the battleground states of Montana, New Mexico and North Dakota. The additions include Gyasi Ross, Montana Constituency Director; Amber Carrillo, New Mexico Native American Vote Director; and Jodi Gillette, North Dakota Native American Vote Coordinator.
The new hires join Chicago based Wizipan Garriott (Sicangu Lakota), First Americans Vote Director, and Nicole Willis (Cayuse/Nez Perce/Yakama/Oglala Lakota), First Americans Vote Deputy Director. Wizipan Garriott, Obama campaign First Americans Vote Director said, "Each one of these members of our team brings a great set of skills and expertise to the campaign. Senator Obama has the most progressive and detailed American Indian platform in recent history, and he is committed to bringing real change to Indian Country.
As a community organizer, Senator Obama brought people together and empowered them to strengthen their communities, and he brings that philosophy to his plan for our tribal communities across the country.
Vanishing Prayer is a video about human rights violatons against First Americans which, according to the sources below, were made possible by John McCain's legislative assistance to The Peabody Coal Company:
View the video here:
http://www.cain2008.org/
Learn more about the John McCain that was not included in the RNC's slide tribute to the Republican Presidential Nominee that preceded his accepatance speech at last night's convention:
http://www.acsa2000.net/cain2004.org/home.html
"Perhaps more than anyone else, the Native American community faces huge challenges that have been ignored by Washington for too long. It is time to empower Native Americans in the development of the national policy agenda." --Barack Obama
Remembering Lori Piestewa today...
Spc. Lori PiestewaSelf-sacrificing soldier
On March 23, 2003, Private First Class Lori Ann Piestewa became the first American woman soldier killed in the Iraq war, and the first Native American woman to die in combat in the service of the United States.Lori Piestewa didn't have to be in Iraq.Because of a shoulder injury, Piestewa had medical clearance to stay home, but chose to deploy because of her friendship with Jessica Lynch.
The two women had roomed together at Fort Bliss, Texas, where they joined the 507th Maintenance Company. The 507th is responsible for repairing trucks, heavy equipment, and missile systems; their motto is "Just Fix It."
I am part Native-American myself. I thought it would be important to post this list.
Chief J. Allan, Chairman, Coeur d'Alene Tribe
David Z. Bean, Councilman, Puyallup Tribe of Indians
Harriett Becenti, Council Delegate, Navajo Nation
Elmer Begay, Council Delegate, Navajo Nation
Theresa Bridges, Chairwoman, Franks’ Landing Indian Community
Joe Brings Plenty, Chairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Diana Buckner, Chairwoman, Ely Shoshone Tribe
Gerald L. Danforth, Chairman, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
Ian Erlich (Native Village of Kotzebue) – Vice Chairman, Alaska Inter-Tribal Council
Jerry Freddie, Council Delegate, Navajo Nation
Alison Gottfriedson, Councilmember, Franks’ Landing Indian Community
Michael Jandreau, Chair, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Michael Marchand, Chairman, Conf. Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Robert McGhee, Councilman, Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Christopher Mercier, Councilman and former Chairman, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Kenneth Meshigaud, Tribal Chairperson, Hannahville Potawatomi
James V. Miles, Councilman Puyallup Tribe of Indians
John Miller, Chairman, Pokagon Band of Pottawatomi
Robert Moore, Councilman, Rosebud Sioux
Ned Norris, Chairman, Tohono O'odham Nation
Jennifer Porter, Chair, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
Gloria Ramirez, Councilwoman, Tohono O’odham Nation
Kenny Reels, Vice-Chair, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Sarah Riggs, Vice-Chair, Dilkon Chapter, Navajo Nation
Michael Thomas, Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Leonard Tsosie, Council Delegate, Navajo Nation
Lee Juan Tyler, Vice-Chairman, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
John Warren, Councilman, Pokagon Band of Pottawatomi
Mike Williams, Chairman, Alaska Inter-Tribal Council
Mervin Wright, Jr. Chairman, Pyramid Lake Paiute
The announcement appeared on Sam Graham-Felsen's Blog on May 5, 2008:
Kalyn Free, an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee announced that she supports Senator Barack Obama for the party's presidential nomination. As a DNC member, Free will serve as a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is the founder and President of INDN'S LIST (The Indigenous Democratic Network).
Learn more about the impressive work of Kalyn Free and INDN'S LIST here:
http://indnslist.org/Kalyn_Free
Here is video of Chief Allen, Chairman of the Coeur d'Alene talking about why he supports Barack Obama for President of the UNITED States:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT3XnINF_8g
Nation to Nation
"OUR TIME IS NOW"
OBAMA'08
South Dakota is ready for CHANGE.
Read INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY, April 11, 2008 to learn about important endorsements from South Dakota and the reasons given for them:
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096417012
THANK YOU to Oglala Sioux Tribe President John Yellowbird Steele; Oglala Sioux Tribe Vice-President, William "Shorty" Brewer; Rosebud Sioux Tribe President, Rodney Bordeaux; Rosebud Sioux Tribe Councilman, Robert Moore; Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Chairman, Michael Jandreau; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman, Joseph Brings Plenty.
Native American Public Telecommunications Newsletter April 2008 www.nativetelecom.org/
NAPT-Funded DOCS Accepted into New NM Green Film Festival
Seven NAPT-funded documentaries have been accepted into the Inaugural Global Green Indigenous Film Festival in Santa Fe, NM April 18-20, 2008.
These films include:
In the Light of Reverence, Mauna Kea: Temple Under Seige, March Point, Standing Silent Nation, The Creek Runs Red, Waterbuster and Weaving Worlds.
The festival sponsor, National Tribal Environmental Council, created the event to bring global innovative ideas together to aid in protecting the environment. The organization will also host its 15th annual conference, One People, One Earth, One Environment during this time.
For more information on the festival go to www.globalgreenfilmfestival.com
Tired of the hype, the sound-bite loops of trivia, propoganda, etc. from the typical media outlets? If the Obama for America Blog is any indication of our collective fatigue, then its time for a change.
Try these alternatives:
Native American Public Telecommunications http://www.nativetelecom.org
VisionMaker Video http://www.visionmaker.org
AIROS Native Radio Network http://www.airos.org
Native American Times http://www.nativetimes.com
Film, "Modern Day Warriors" Native American Rights Fund (NARF) http://www.narf.org/events/yearend.htm
It seems all the Presidential candidates are promoting us as a "nation of immigrants" as a way of promoting unity and understanding among all the various racial and ethnic groups that make up these United States. The quilt of America that Jesse Jackson described in his campaigns of '84 and '88. However, this glosses over two hard truths about our history. Native Americans, while technically immigrants over the land bridge from Asia, were well established by the time European immigrants showed up on the shores of Virginia. The colonial response to them was either to enslave them for labor on the plantations or annilate them through military conquest, infectious disease, starvation, or forced migration. They were not immigrants but forced emigrants.
The other reality that is quietly overlooked is the history of slavery. While it is true many blacks have immigrated to the US from the Caribbean or Africa in recent years, in the early days of colonization they were captured as slaves in Africa and forced to endure the horrendous Middle Passage to the New World. Many did not make it and those that survived faced the brutal institution of the plantation. There was no melting pot or golden shore awaiting them. It is important that we not only remember but openly acknowledge that African Americans suffered greatly for the benefit of our ancestors. Not just in providing the labor source that produced much of the needed revenue from Europe for cotton and tobacco, but in ensuring that the white minority of Southerners maintained their "fair" representation in Congress with the 3/5 clause in the US Constitution. Thus African Americans not only provided the economic foundation for the society freed of British tryrany but also the political life blood for the Royalists of the South. Speaking of them as "immigrants" ignores this essential history and makes them once again as invisible as Ralph Ellison so poignantly wrote about.
We need to encourage (if not demand) all candidates to speak of the US as a nation of immigrants, slaves, and natives. To do otherwise tells only 3/5s of our history.
Suggested readings:
Langston Hughes, anything but especially "I Too Sing America" and The Ways of White Folks
There is a River, The struggle for Freedom in America, Vincent Harding, Vintage Press, 1981
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, Dee Brown,Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1970
A Little Matter of Genocide, Ward Churchill, City Lights, 1996
Black Majority, Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion, Peter H. Wood, Norton , 1974
An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, Charles A. Beard, Dover Publications, 2004
Middle Passage, Charles Johnson, Scribner Paperback, 1990
The Crisis of Color and Democracy, Manning Marable, Common Courage Press, 1992
The Debt, What America Owes to Blacks, Randall Robinson, Plume Books, 2000
The Miner's Canary, Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres, Harvard University Press, 2002
