For Pictures go to> http://www.myspace.com/savethesacredsites/blog
HELP WESLEY BUILD A PLAYGROUND FOR ATTAWAPISKAT! - Pepsi GOOD IDEA!
HELP WESLEY BUILD A PLAYGROUND FOR ATTAWAPISKAT! - Pepsi GOOD IDEA!
Please take a few mins to vote for this cause.
11-year Wesley visited ATT in the winter of 2010 and delivered supplies/donations to this community. He noticed at the time, there was no playground where he and other children can play.
Wesley decided to contact Pepsi "Good Idea", and is currently at 3rd place for $25,000 for Wesly to build a Playground for Attawapiskat.
Since there is a playground already - perhaps another playground can be set up in a different part of town, or the equipment can be added to the existing playground - if Wesley should win.
Go to this site and VOTE DAILY until August 31st!
Let;s do this for Wes and the children of Attawapiskat
http://www.facebook.com/l/14c1ahC_LkaFHxrUyz5W1scriLg;www.refresheverything.ca/playgrounds
Help Wesley build a playground for kids in Attawapiskat | Pepsi Refresh Everything - Canada
http://www.facebook.com/l/14c1aK5yAmGqffCqWSd9tETYaHw;www.refresheverything.ca
Vote for the most refreshing ideas to win Pepsi Refresh Project grants for Neighbourhoods
Share
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NAMA NOMINEE SELECTION PROCESS BEGINS
Date:
Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:08:29 EDT
ATTENTION ALL NAMA MEMBERS
THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE 12TH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES HAS BEGUN!!
The 2010 Advisory Board Ballot has been finalized and all music players on our website have been uploaded with mp3s of all artists who have submitted material for nomination consideration for the 12th Annual Native American Music Awards. Advisory Board Members are now casting their votes and selecting five finalists in each category to become the nominees for the 12th Annual Awards program.
This year, N.A.M.A. is inviting previous Advisory members and individuals within our industry to partake in the process by logging into our website, visiting the VOTE NOW page, paying a $2.00 registration fee, and registering to vote. A special voting link will be sent directly to your email address upon registering.
The Nomination Selection process ends on September 3rd. 2010. We strongly urge everyone to listen to the music before casting their vote.
www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com
.
NOMINEES TO BE ANNOUNCED
During the week of September 7th, the 12th Annual Native American Music Awards' nominees will be announced and online public voting will commence and continue up until the Awards ceremony.
The Twelfth Annual Awards Show is tentatively scheduled for the second weekend in November to commemorate National Native American Heritage Month. Show details will be released upon the execution of a finalized agreement with the host venue.
Despite today’s difficult economic times, it appears that the Native American Music marketplace remains strong in its production stance, with only a slight decrease in national recordings being released this year than last year.
To date, top countries that are visiting the Awards website include; U.S., Canada, Ireland, Australia, France, United Kingdom, and Senegal. The most visited public categories include; Artist of the Year, Debut Artist of the Year, Best Male Artist, Flutist of the Year, Best Blues Recording and Best Pow Wow Recording.
Thank you for supporting the World's Leading Resource for Contemporary and Traditional Native American Music Initiatives! Good luck to all our artists!
_______________________________________________________
The Native American Music Awards would like to extend their appreciation to this year's sponsors:
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation
and
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
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Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah, Oklahoma September 3 - 5
CherokeeLink Newsletter
For The HTML Format of the Newsletter:
(Having Problems With The Links? Try this version instead.)http://www.cherokee.org/home.aspx?section=newsletter&Date=8/23/2010
AOL - 8/23/2010 Newsletter
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Osiyo,
The 58th Annual Cherokee National Holiday is getting closer! Join more than 100,000 visitors over the Labor Day weekend (September 3,4, and 5) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to celebrate Cherokee heritage with traditional entertainment including music, arts and crafts, traditional Cherokee food, games, a powwow and even a classic car show! Visit http://holiday.cherokee.org for all the details.
Plans are proceeding for the construction of the Cherokee Veterans Service Center. Construction site preparation has already begun on the tribal complex grounds near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. If you would like more information or would like to volunteer your time and talents to this project, visithttp://veteranscenter.cherokee.org for more information.
For those interested in learning the Cherokee language, the next “on-line” class offered by the Cherokee Nation is enrolling now! Go to http://signup.cherokee.org/LangClassInfo.aspx to get the details and sign up.
Wado! (Thank you)
Cherokee Nation
P.O.Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
918 453-5000
communications@cherokee.org
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***Cherokee Nation News***
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Stilwell Native Leads Cherokee Nation Health Center: 8/20/2010 10:18:00 AM
(C) Cherokee Nation
From 2000 until 2003, Stilwell native and Cherokee Nation citizen Christie Harris worked as a pharmacy technician at the Cherokee Nation Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center. She knew it was a special place, and when she had the opportunity to attend graduate school at the University of Arkansas, she told other employees at the center that some day she would be back.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3327
Cherokee National Holiday Reception Honors All Veterans : 8/20/2010 8:09:00 AM
(C) Cherokee Nation
To honor all service men and women, the Cherokee Nation will host a reception for veterans and their families from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 4, in conjunction with the 58th Annual Cherokee National Holiday. The event will be held in the reception room on the lower level of the Place Where They Play, located on the Sequoyah Schools campus.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3324
Little Miss and Mister Cherokee Ambassadors Represent Tribe: 8/20/2010
(C) Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation named its newest—and youngest—ambassadors during the annual Little Miss and Mister Cherokee Ambassador Competition. The competition is held annually in conjunction with the Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah. “The Cherokee Nation Ambassador programs are focused on building our future leaders by providing experiences that challenge and encourage our youth,” said Todd Enlow, Cherokee Nation group leader of Leadership. “The Little Cherokee Ambassadors program encourages all participants to learn more about their Cherokee and family history.”
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3325
Micro-loans Available Through Cherokee Nation Program: 8/20/2010
(C) Cherokee Nation
Sometimes a small boost is all that’s needed to get a business underway or to help get credit on the right track. That’s the premise behind some of the small business loan programs available now through the Cherokee Nation. The tribe’s Small Business Assistance Center, located at 17675 S. Muskogee Ave., in Room 105, is now taking applications for micro-loans to help start up a new small business or to improve an existing one, by adding new materials, work tools or merchandise.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3326
Tribal Council Approves Hastings Hospital Improvements: 8/19/2010 1:43:00 PM
(C) Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council approved a budget modification that included a $5.5 million facility fund for W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah and $6 million for a down payment on the construction of a new health center in Vinita during the General Council Meeting held Monday evening in Tahlequah.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3323
Tribal Council Approves Hastings Hospital Improvements: 8/19/2010
(C) Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council approved a budget modification that included a $5.5 million facility fund for W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah and $6 million for a down payment on the construction of a new health center in Vinita during the General Council Meeting held Monday evening in Tahlequah.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3322
Sequoyah Starts School Year with Message and Motivation : 8/18/2010 9:17:00 AM
(C) Cherokee Nation
Like most kids in the area, Sequoyah Schools’ students have begun loading buses and sharpening pencils in preparation for the school year that lies ahead of them. However, this school year at Sequoyah has started off a little differently. In addition to the usual things like meeting teachers and finding lockers, the first days at Sequoyah have been filled with motivational speakers, teambuilding exercises and Cherokee cultural events.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3320
Tribal Council Approves Hastings Hospital Improvements : 8/18/2010
(C) Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council approved a budget modification that included a $5.5 million facility fund for W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah and $6 million for a down payment on the construction of a new health center in Vinita during the General Council Meeting held Monday evening in Tahlequah.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3321
Candidates for Miss Cherokee 2010-11 Announced : 8/17/2010
(C) Cherokee Nation
Three young women will vie for the Miss Cherokee 2010-11 title but only one will be selected to wear the copper crown to represent the Cherokee Nation during the next 12 months. The annual Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition will take place Saturday, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at Cornerstone Fellowship Church, 718 Pendleton St., in Tahlequah.
http://www.cherokee.org/news.aspx?id=3319
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**** Other Links of Interest ****
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Games - http://www.cherokee.org/home.aspx?section=culture&culture=games
Community Calendar - http://www.cherokee.org/home.aspx?section=calendar
RSS Feed - http://rss.cherokee.org
Podcasts - http://podcasts.cherokee.org
E-Cards - http://ecards.cherokee.org
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**** Cultural Tidbits ****
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1975: Ross O. Swimmer elected to first of three terms as principal chief; first Cherokee Tribal Council elected; Congress passed Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
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40th Anniversary of the historic Reclaiming of Our Sacred Paha Sapa Sunday August 29th 2010
40th Anniversary of the historic Reclaiming of Our Sacred Paha Sapa (Black Hills of 1970) Sunday August 29th 2010
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204474149662&index=1
Time August 29 · 10:00am - 6:00pm
Location Mount Rushmore National Memorial
13000 Hwy 244 Bldg 31 Suite 1
You Tube Clip To Share With All:
Tribal Sovereignty Forum at Mount Rushmore 8-29-2010
http://www.facebook.com/l/bdf7eWFJE8AgB-fbKxJUXcFntmQ;www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yol4v7uMP_o
United Native Americans Invite You To Both Attend and Participate In Our Upcoming Tribal Sovereignty Forum at Mount Rushmore.
This Coming August 29, 2010 will mark the 40th Anniversary of the historic Reclaiming of Our Sacred Paha Sapa (Black Hills of 1970). On this day, we will gather at the Amphitheater at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota to reflect upon the 1970 occupation in a spiritual way, to renewing friendships and... bonds formed at that time. We come to pray, to educate The Youth about the Importance of Protecting Our Sacred Sites, and to use this opportunity for our people to be near the place of our origin, the Paha Sapa.
Additionally, we hope to coordinate Tribal Leaders who will discuss the needs of our People and move forward with real resolutions to The Issues Each Reservation Has. Such as Better Health Care on Our Reservations, Schools and Colleges, Red Road Teachings, Language Preservation, Suicide Prevention, Treaty Rights, Tribal Police Force, Water Preservation, Better Housing, Renewable energy's. Traditional dancers and Drums are Welcome to participate.
Confirmed to speak:
*Lehman L. Brightman-President of UNA-Leader of The Take Over of Mount Rushmore 1970.
*A.Gay Kingman-Executive Director of The Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association.
*Richie Richards-UC Berkeley
*Paul Robertson-Oglala Lakota College
*Kiera-Dawn Kolson-singer,songwriter,motivational speaker
We are extending open invitations to the Inter-Tribal Community and their families to join us, in this historic and educational event. Please RSVP at (605) 484-3036 or (510)672-7187
Our Event Is 100% Free. But, Persons Driving to and from Our Event Must Pay For Parking. There will be a car pool from the Mother Butler Community Center to Mt.Rushmore. Also there will be a community feed, for those of you who would like to car pool or donate food please contact:
Christy Ryan:(605)431-6358 or Cjryan07@yahoo.com
Parking Fee:
$10.00 - Annual Pass (Cars,Motorcycles and RV's)
$50.00 Commercial Bus - Day
For More Information On How To Donate, Sponsor, Present a Work Shop and or Be a Participate.
Please Contact:
A. Gay Kingman, M.Ed. Executive Director
Member, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association
1926 Stirling St.
Rapid City, SD 57702
Cell: (605)-484-3036
Fax: (605)-343-3074
E-mail: KingmanWapato@rushmore.com
or
Quanah Parker Brightman
VP of United Native Americans,Inc.
2434 Faria Ave
Pinole, CA 94564
Cell: (510)-672-7187
qbrightman75@hotmail.com
Historical Video On You Tube: UNA Reclaims Mount Rushmore-1970
http://www.facebook.com/l/bdf7eHUsymMVETAkoZ88N8_UzrA;www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wd1uLgV7mc
Black Hills FOX News - News Stories 29 Aug 2008Ceremony at Mt. Rushmore remembering Native American protest
http://www.facebook.com/l/bdf7ejy_nJriEmbAVw9jE-ghnzQ;www.kevn.com/NewsStories.aspx?StoryID=12280
40th Anniversary Commemorating The Takeover of Mount Rushmore Commemorating & Tribal Sovereignty Forum. Sunday August 29th,2010.http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=204474149662&index=1
My Space Web Page: http://www.facebook.com/l/bdf7eilya1SbpqjndnfcE8eCCzQ;www.myspace.com/thewashichustolethepahasa
Twitter http://www.facebook.com/l/bdf7eSjc7gpSAq1pxJdqYP7JKTQ;twitter.com/UNAINC
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Flag this message Breaking News Advisory from Kevin Annett: Further Attacks and Subterfuge from Co-op Radio staff - please post
Breaking News Advisory from Kevin Annett: August 23, 2010
3 pm PST Vancouver, Canada
Dear friends,
I was expelled from Vancouver Co-op radio two weeks ago and have never been given any evidence to justify my banning. I've requested that evidence twice now from station staff, and have not received it. I believe that's because the evidence does not exist, and I am being falsely framed.
On August 9, over the air, I repeated my belief that police and government officials are implicated in the disappearance and murder of native women in B.C. I was expelled from the station the same day. On August 20, a major news story was issued across Canada that revealed strong evidence of exactly what I claimed on August 9, concerning police complicity in the Picton serial killings.
I believe that my banning from Co-op radio is the result of a black ops campaign by the RCMP to prevent me from commenting on this latest expose - that the Mounties knew about Pictons' murdering of women for over two years and did nothing - and to publicly discredit me so that the evidence I have gathered showing RCMP involvement in these murders will not be believed.
I have already been approached twice by the RCMP and threatened because of my broadcasts on this topic. Co-op radio is funded and monitored by the federal government.
Today, as further proof of this campaign, the Co-op radio station staff engaged in classic smear and black ops tactics against me over the airwaves by relying on the standard "three D's" of a cover up: Deny, Distract, and Discredit.
The station staff's statement today denied their own actions against me, by describing my banning as an "internal disciplinary matter", while offering no proof of this; theydistracted listeners from their own improper behaviour of unilaterally banning me without due process or dialogue; and they discredited me by claiming that I am attacking the station staff, and that the problem is not my program but me.
To focus on attacking my character because of unnamed and unproven wrongdoing by me is the action of people who must distract attention away from the real matter, and that is, namely, the content of my broadcasts.
Today's announcement by station staff upheld my banning and yet claimed that my program is not under revue or threat of cancellation. This is outright duplicity. In truth, I have faced implied threats and direct demands from station program director Leela Chinnia to modify the content of my programs and even ban certain individuals, including fellow programmer Reg Argue, from my show.
Today's statement by station staff is designed to discredit and isolate me in the eyes of the world and distract people away from the real reason for my expulsion and censorship, which is because of what I have aired over my program.
In the coming weeks, over other public media and radio stations, I will be sharing more of the evidence of RCMP and government involvement in the murder and trafficking of women on the west coast of Canada. Please follow this work on my website www.hiddenfromhistory.org
I repeat again my demand to Co-op station staff: to give me the evidence behind their unilateral banning of me, to negotiate this problem with me, and to lift their improper banning of me from station premises.
I do not expect them to come clean about their real motives, and the identity of who is directing them: but I do expect and demand due process and hard evidence, and not rumour mongering and damaging innuendo.
Kevin D. Annett
cc: world media, legal counsel, The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State
“No matter what a man’s faculties otherwise might be, if he be willing to risk death, and still more, if he suffers it heroically, in the service he has chosen, that fact consecrates him forever.”
— William James
Read and Hear the truth of Genocide in Canada, past and present, at this website: www.hiddenfromhistory.org , and watch Kevin's award-winning documentary film UNREPENTANT on the same website.
UNREPENTANT: Kevin Annett and Canada's Genocide
- Winner, Best Foreign Documentary Film, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, March 2007, Best Director of a Foreign Documentary, New York Independent Film Festival, October 2006
- Winner, Best Canadian Film, Creation Aboriginal Film Festival, Edmonton, 2009
“Kevin is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than many who have received it in the past.”
- Dr. Noam Chomsky
Institute Professor Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"As a long time front line worker with the Elders' Council at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, I stand behind what Kevin Annett is trying to do for our people. The genocide that continues today and which stemmed from the residential schools needs to be exposed. Kevin Annett helps break the silence, and brings the voice of our people all over the world."
Carol Muree Martin - Spirit Tree Woman
Nisgaa Nation
"I gave Kevin Annett his Indian name, Eagle Strong Voice, in 2004 when I adopted him into our Anishinabe Nation. He carries that name proudly because he is doing the job he was sent to do, to tell his people of their wrongs. He speaks strongly and with truth. He speaks for our stolen and murdered children. I ask everyone to listen to him and welcome him."
Chief Louis Daniels - Whispers Wind
Elder, Turtle Clan, Anishinabe Nation
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Audio recording of today's message from Kevin Annett re: censorship - please broadcast on your programs and circulate
Hi everyone,
Please post and broadcast the message from me, attached on the mp3 file. It gives the bigger picture as to who and what is behind this latest silencing campaign.
More soon!
Kev
“No matter what a man’s faculties otherwise might be, if he be willing to risk death, and still more, if he suffers it heroically, in the service he has chosen, that fact consecrates him forever.”
— William James
Read and Hear the truth of Genocide in Canada, past and present, at this website: www.hiddenfromhistory.org , and watch Kevin's award-winning documentary film UNREPENTANT on the same website.
UNREPENTANT: Kevin Annett and Canada's Genocide
- Winner, Best Foreign Documentary Film, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, March 2007, Best Director of a Foreign Documentary, New York Independent Film Festival, October 2006
- Winner, Best Canadian Film, Creation Aboriginal Film Festival, Edmonton, 2009
“Kevin is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than many who have received it in the past.”
- Dr. Noam Chomsky
Institute Professor Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"As a long time front line worker with the Elders' Council at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, I stand behind what Kevin Annett is trying to do for our people. The genocide that continues today and which stemmed from the residential schools needs to be exposed. Kevin Annett helps break the silence, and brings the voice of our people all over the world."
Carol Muree Martin - Spirit Tree Woman
Nisgaa Nation
"I gave Kevin Annett his Indian name, Eagle Strong Voice, in 2004 when I adopted him into our Anishinabe Nation. He carries that name proudly because he is doing the job he was sent to do, to tell his people of their wrongs. He speaks strongly and with truth. He speaks for our stolen and murdered children. I ask everyone to listen to him and welcome him."
Chief Louis Daniels - Whispers Wind
Elder, Turtle Clan, Anishinabe Nation
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Carl Paladino Backs Welfare Prison Dorms, Hygiene Classes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/22/carl-paladino-backs-welfa_n_690284.html
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Subject: Respects and Condolences to Marcos Akiaten's family and Friends
It is with great sadness that we learned today of Marcos Akiaten's passing.
Marcos was a great man who stood up for what he believed in. He was a warrior and an activist, not just for our Native people, but also in social justice issues.
He will be missed, but never forgotten.
Respectfully,
AIM Santa Barbara
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Non-Snowmaking Initiative for Flagstaff Ski Resort
CONTACT: Drew Glassford or Beth Huss FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEL: 630/726-0001 630/205-3557
EMAIL: tribalwisdom@gmail.com
A NEW VISION FOR FLAGSTAFF
Create the most Eco-friendly Ski Resort in the World
The Tribal Wisdom Foundation (TWF) has presented a non-snowmaking alternative for the ski resort located on the San Francisco Peaks to the Mayor and City Council of Flagstaff. This no snowmaking alternative involves creating a collaborative effort between the City of Flagstaff, Indigenous Nations, conservation organizations and the USDA to protect water sources, cultural resources and the natural environment. The plan involves TWF facilitating the purchase of the permit and assets of Arizona Snowbowl and establishing a not-for-profit organization to manage the resort in a manner that is both environmentally and culturally sensitive creating the most eco-friendly ski resort in the world. This viable alternative has gained support from conservation groups, Indigenous Nations, Flagstaff citizen groups, and Northern Arizona University (NAU) student organizations. The Flagstaff City Council will vote on August 30, 2010 on whether to amend the reclaimed wastewater contact to include drinking water (recovered reclaimed wastewater) or support the no snowmaking option by not allowing any water to be sold for snowmaking. This vote will determine the City’s position on partnering with conservation organizations, Indigenous Nations, and Flagstaff Citizen Groups and the Presidential Memorandum - America’s Great Outdoors Initiative which was signed on April 16, 2010. This Presidential Memorandum encourages “people from all over the country to develop new partnerships and innovative programs to protect and restore our outdoor legacy”. The Flagstaff City Council’s support of this plan will redirect this environmental and cultural conflict into a more positive direction for all parties while protecting the City’s water resources.
By voting to not allow the sale of reclaimed wastewater or drinking water (recovered reclaimed wastewater) on August 30, 2010, the City Council will create the groundwork necessary to develop the most eco-friendly ski resort in the world. The City of Flagstaff can enjoy the following benefits by not supporting snowmaking:
• All of Flagstaff’s water resources and future water quality will be preserved.
• The delicate mountain environment will not be harmed or changed artificially.
• Citizens will have a model resort to enjoy outdoor activities.
• The cultural resources of Indigenous Peoples will be protected.
• NAU has access to the resort to let our next generation create a model resort for green technology.
• Tourists will be intrigued and want to support this one-of-a- kind resort.
• Flagstaff will be seen as a city that is looking toward a positive future for all its citizens by protecting their water resources, the environment and cultural needs.
Kevin Ordean, Chair of the NAU Student Environmental Caucus and President of the NAU Campus Climate Challenge, strongly supports this alternative and states, “With the global trend towards sustainability, and the many majors and focus areas at Northern Arizona University, an eco-friendly ski resort in close proximity to the campus would allow for an active engagement between the resort and the University. Since both NAU and the City of Flagstaff have made strides towards sustainability the next step would be to further pursue the sustainable option to this matter, which has gained national interest. Those of us that study sustainability and eco-friendly options, offer our support in any planning, implementation, or other needed capacity.”
The Tribal Wisdom Foundation based in Glen Ellyn, Illinois was established by a non-indigenous group of individuals comprised of teachers, administrators, therapists and business professionals who are committed to supporting the relationship between the Indigenous Peoples and the natural world in ways that are appropriate and welcomed. From their work with Indigenous Peoples, they have the understanding that our fate is intricately interwoven with the fate of the natural environment. They believe this perspective is crucial to sustaining life and strengthening community environmental stewardship. For more information please visit www.savenaturalsnow.com or www.tribalwisdomfoundation.org.
We like your support for this no snowmaking initiative. Your support can also be felt by sending an email to Mayor Sara Presler and the Flagstaff City Council indicating that you support the No Snowmaking Alternative proposed by Tribal Wisdom Foundation. To view this plan go to www.savenaturalsnow.com
###
http://savenaturalsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pressrelease_aug_24_2010.pdf
If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Drew Glassford at 630/726-0001 or Beth Huss at 630/205-3557 or e-mail Beth at tribalwisdom@gmail.com
http://www.tribalwisdomfoundation.org
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Native American Groups Demand Apology from Mayor for 'Racist' Remarks
August 24, 2010
http://dnainfo.com/20100823/downtown/native-american-groups-demand-apology-from-mayor-michael-bloomberg-for-racist-remarks (See photos in link)
The groups said Bloomberg used insensitive language about Native Americans.
CITY HALL — Native American leaders rallied at City Hall Monday to demand that Mayor MichaelBloomberg apologize for "racist" comments they described as "a promotion of violence" against their tribes.
On an August 13 radio show, the mayor joked that Gov. David Paterson should get himself "a cowboy hat and a shotgun" to prevent Native Americans from selling untaxed cigarettes from their reservations.
Bloomberg's word choice has drawn outrage from Native American groups who said the comments were deeply insensitive, especially at a time when the mayor has become a national symbol for tolerance for his stalwart defense of the controversial mosque and community center near Ground Zero.
"I think it's appalling. I think it's downright racist what this mayor has said," said Lance Gumbs, vice chairman of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and a vice president of the National Congress of American Indians.
"In one breath you're talking about social tolerance and the Muslims being able to do this at Ground Zero, and in the next he's attacking the native people," he added.
George Stonefish, 52, a Delaware Chippewa who grew up on the Upper East Side and now lives in Brooklyn, said that Bloomberg should follow Paterson's lead and sit down with the group to discuss their concerns.
"Mayor Bloomberg, you must smother the embers of violence and ignorance," he said.
The mayor's office declined to comment on the racism charges or offer an apology.
Instead, spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti said in a statement that "[t]he Supreme Court has ruled several times that Tribes simply have no right to hurt competing small businesses and taxpayers by ignoring taxes owed on cigarettes sold to others."
Hours before the rally, Bloomberg announced that a federal appeals court had denied a series of requests by the Long Island's Poospatuck Indian reservation to resume its cigarette sales.
While Native Americans are permitted to purchase and sell tax-free cigarettes for their own use on reservations, they are not permitted to sell them outside.
But Kandice Watson, 44, from Oneida, N.Y., said the rally had nothing to do with cigarettes or taxes.
"This is about our future," she said, as fellow protesters waved red and white signs reading "Respect Our People."
"It is about sovereignty, and we will stand to defend that."
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Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program Releases Navajo Language Software
Aug. 24, 2010
.....Rosetta Stone invites prospective learners to visit http://launch.rosettastone.com/en/demo/rs3?language_code=NAV for a free online trial of the Navajo-language software. You can also access the trial from our twitter (http://twitter.com/rosettastone) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/RosettaStone) pages......
For more information, visithttp://www.RosettaStone.com
Rosetta Stone Inc.
Media Contact:
Reilly Brennan, 703-387-5863
rbrennan@RosettaStone.com
or
Investor Contact:
Christopher Martin, 703-387-5927
cmartin@RosettaStone.com
Article: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rosetta-stone-endangered-language-program-releases-navajo-language-software-2010-08-24?reflink=MW_news_stmp
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Teresa Anahuy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FirstPeoplesNews
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Gulf Oil Spill Claims Transfer to Independent Fund
Aug. 24, 2010
An independent facility is now processing claims for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.
The administration of the $20 billion fund created by energy giant BP has been transferred to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility.
The claims money is being handled by attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who ran the U.S. government's compensation fund for the victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Feinberg says he plans to be more generous than any court would be in issuing payments. He says a claimant's proximity to the affected area will play a large role in eligibility.
Those who need immediate financial assistance can apply for emergency payments without waiving the right to further legal action.
Feinberg says final payments will only be made to those who agree to release BP from any further liability.
Individuals and businesses have three months to apply for emergency aid and three years to request final compensation.
BP has already issued $375 million in compensation for the spill.
Meanwhile, a fourth round of hearings started Monday in a federal probe into the cause of the deadly oil rig explosion.
Federal investigators are hearing testimony from executives from BP and oil rig-owner Transocean throughout the week in Houston, Texas.
An April 20 explosion on a BP-leased oil rig killed 11 workers, ruptured the well and sent oil gushing into the Gulf. Scientists estimate nearly 5 million barrels of oil leaked from the damaged well before it was capped in mid-July.
The BP disaster is the worst offshore oil spill in history and has severely affected the fishing and tourism industries of the Gulf Coast.
©1999-2010 The Emergency Email & Wireless Network, Enotem, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=586&z=34&ref=fem
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Gulf Coast Claims Facility: http://www.gulfcoastclaimsfacility.com/
Teresa Anahuy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FirstPeoplesNews
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Berenstain Bears help keep Lakota language beating
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100824/NEWS/8240316/1001/news
Berenstain Bears help keep Lakota language beating
Sarah Reinecke . sreinecke@argusleader.com . August 24, 2010
Soon, the popular Berenstain Bears cartoon characters will help bring the Lakota
anguage to life in homes across the region.
Twenty episodes of the animated cartoon series will be translated, recorded and
roadcast on South Dakota Public Television starting
n the fall of next year, with all dialogue in Lakota.
It's the first time in the United States that any cartoon series has been
ranslated to a Native American language and widely
istributed, said Wilhelm Meya, executive director of Lakota Language
onsortium, a nonprofit organization that partnered with the
tanding Rock Sioux Tribe to co-produce the Lakota version of the series.
A DVD and teacher's guide also will be released next summer to be used in area
chools.
"It's super exciting and such a powerful vehicle," Meya said. "We needed
omething that would work well to attract kids to a
anguage, and it's just magical to see it all come together."
Meya said less than 10 percent of the 125,000 Lakota people in the region, which
rimarily consists of South Dakota and North
akota, speak the ancient language. The goal is to use the modern cartoon as an
ducational tool to teach young people the language.
"When you see Lakota being used in a kitchen and a whole family interacting, it
ust makes the language so real and not so much of
n abstract concept that you learn in school," Meya said.
Meya said the Berenstain Bears cartoon series works well to educate kids on the
akota language because of the heavy use of hand
estures. That makes it easy for non-speakers to have a sense of what's
appening.
"There's so much context and gesturing that create hints," he said. "It will
elp kids understand."
Meya said the project is being paid for primarily through the Standing Rock
ioux Tribe. Mike Berenstain of Berenstain Enterprises
aived all licensing fees for the tribe to complete the educational series.
Sunshine Carlow, tribal education manager for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe,
aid students have about an hour a week of Lakota
anguage in school, but the tribe wanted the language to play a larger role in
he lives of children and their families.
The project "is a way of competing with the mainstream in a way that makes it
elevant to our youth today, but is a big part in
eeping our tradition and cultures alive," she said.
About 25 people have been working on the project for nine months, and 15 voice
ctors spent three weeks in July in Bismarck, N.D.,
ecording 10 episodes. Meya hopes to have the final 10 recorded by December.
Gov. Mike Rounds, who declared 2010 a Year of Unity in South Dakota, was
raveling Monday, but said in an e-mail that the Lakota
anguage is "an essential part of the rich Native American heritage," and he
ommends the efforts to ensure the language is not
ost.
"It's extremely important to pass along ancestral traditions and culture to
oung people so they can someday do likewise with
enerations to come," Rounds said.
Dainna Red Owl, who supplies the voice of Mama Bear, said the most difficult
art of the process was translating. Red Owl, who
eaches at Little Wound Middle School in Kyle, said the actors are from
ifferent communities and speak Lakota in varying dialects.
eciding which dialect to use was difficult.
Meya said it also was challenging to translate words such as "Halloween" that
ppear in episodes and are not part of the Lakota
anguage. Actors worked together to translate the lines in a way that would be
asiest for kids to understand.
Red Owl said kids are excited to see the show in Lakota on television.
"They keep asking me, 'When can we see it?'" she said. "This is like another
evel of learning the Lakota language as far as
echnology goes."
Reach reporter Sarah Reinecke at 331-2326.
Language Consortium
WHAT: A nonprofit organization composed of Native American community leaders,
inguists and volunteers that works to revitalize the
akota language.
SCOPE: The organization works with about 50 schools in the region, focusing on
arger Native American communities in South Dakota
nd North Dakota.
MISSION: Train teachers and develop Lakota language materials to assist in
ducating Lakota children and increase the number of
akota-speaking people.
LOCATION: The main office is in Bloomington, Ind., and the regional office is in
ierre.
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Winter Nightwolf Productions, LLC
Presents
“The American Indian’s Truths - The Most Dangerous Show on Radio”
WPFW – 89.3 FM – Pacifica Radio –www.WPFW.org
Friday Evening 7 – 8 PM - East Coast Time
Friday, August 27, 2010
“The Importance of Financial Literacy
In Indian Country”
With Special Guest
Brantley Chavis, Jr.
Member - The Lumbee Nation of North Carolina
Financial Advisor – Senior Management
Cambridge Financial Partners – Santa Ana, California
Also
Special Representation from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Dialogue & Questions
Financial Literacy Questions(FDIC Individual to speak too-----National Stats)
“Raising Our Financial Literacy Awareness” Putting our life saving plan into action.
Describe America’s relationship to financial literacy, and then break it down to overall Minority communities’ relationship.
What is Financial Literacy and why is it important?
When would the optimum time to start education individuals to financial concepts?
What are some of the societal effects or fall outs due to the lack of financial literacy in all of America?
Are there national statistics on Financial Literacy rates based on demographics and or race? If so what does the breakdown look like? i.e., White, Black, Spanish speaking western hemispheric people, Native American, Asian, etc.
The Affect on Native America
Describe the state of Native America’s financial reality—overview
Gaming communities: per cap, trust funds, renting everything, not owning anything, paying high interest, credit card debt, living one per cap payment by per cap payment every month…..the Lifestyle of Poverty.
What does the Culture of Poverty look like? How do we break the cycle?
1. Is Financial Literacy a viable topic for the Native community?
2. Is it more relevant for Gaming vs. Non Gaming?
3. When should it start?
4. What are the pros and cons to starting at age 13 vs. age 19?
5. Do adults need the same type of help?
Describe your program
Describe Models that work, i.e. ---why are they working????? Why have other communities not jumped on board and modeled them? What is stopping our communities?
What resources are out there to assist individuals, communities, tribal communities, states, corporations, organizations and so on?
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Five Years and Still Drowning
The New Orleans CNN Would Never Show You
It's been five years already. In New Orleans, more than half the original residents have not,cannot, return.
"They don't want no poor niggers back in - that's the bottom line."
And that's Malik Rahim, Director of Common Ground, who led the survivors who rebuilt their homes in the teeth of official resistance in "The City That Care Forgot."
You'll meet Malik and the people that everyone forgot in Big Easy to Big Empty: the Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans, chosen this week as Moviefone's top pick of Katrina documentaries.
We are offering our readers a Download of Big Easy FREE of charge during this week of commemoration. Or donate and get the signed DVD with added material, including Palast with Democracy Now's Amy Goodman.
Meet Patricia Thomas who was locked out of her home in the Lafitte housing project near the French Quarter. We go with her as she breaks into her blockaded apartment.
"Katrina didn't do this. Man did this."
- Ivor Van Heerden, Deputy Director of the Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center, reveals that the Bush White House knew the levees were breaking up and hid that information from the state.
"FEMA knew at eleven o'clock on Monday that the levees had breached, at 2 o'clock they flew over the 17th St. Canal and took video of the breaches, by midnight on Monday the White House knew, but none of us knew."
After revealing this to our film crew, and more, Van Heerden was fired.
- Brod Bagert, a former New Orleans City Councilman, takes us to a neighbor's house where 5 bodies were found. Standing inside the sticks that were once his own home, Bagert tells us,
"Old ladies watched as water came up to their nose, over their eyes, and they drowned in houses just like this, in this neighborhood because of reckless negligence that is unanswered for."
- Pamela Lewis, who had guns shoved in her face when she tried to evacuate with her 86 year old mother, was dumped over 100 miles from the city to one of FEMA's trailer parks fenced in with barbed-wire.
"It is a prison set-up. I've never been to the bottom of the barrel until I came here."
The trailer park is just a short breathing distance from the Exxon Oil Refinery. Big Easyfilmmakers Greg Palast and Matt Pascerella captured it - and were charged under the anti-terrorism laws by the Department of Homeland Security. (Thanks for the public ruckus that sprang us.)
- Stephen Smith tells us how he closed the eyes of an elderly man who died of dehydration while waiting with Stephen on a bridge for four days, while helicopters passed overhead.
Donations will fund our return to the Gulf to hunt down what may be the prime culprit in the drowning of New Orleans. We don't want to reveal names, but its initials are "BP." Click here: The Arctic to Amazon Investigation
*********
Greg Palast is an investigative reporter for BBC Newsnight and the author of Armed Madhouseand The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.
Subscribe to Palast's Newsletter and podcasts.
Follow Palast on Facebook and Twitter.
GregPalast.com
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Descendants sought to claim remains
The remains were in Native American graves at the Fewkes archaeological site on Moores Lane
August 25, 2010 http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100825/NEWS01/8250359/Descendants+sought+to+claim+remains
After completing an inventory of Native American graves at the Fewkes archaeological site on Moores Lane, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has launched one final push to find the descendants before reburial.
Human remains from 21 individuals along with funerary objects such as ceramic ear plugs, frog effigy jars and bone pins were excavated in 1998 during a road widening project.
Researchers have determined that this site dates to the Mississippian period, ranging from 1000 to 1475 A.D.
Those who believe they may have tribe ties to the group who inhabited the Fewkes site should contact Michael C. Moore at Tennessee Division of Archaeology, 1216 Foster Ave., Cole Building #3, Nashville, TN 37243 or by calling 615-741-1588 before Sept. 2.
If there are no objections from a related tribe, the State Division of Archaeology will determine a new site for reburial, approved by Brentwood
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Theft of car means loss of American Indian regalia
8/24/10
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/cicero/features/x2143018005/Theft-of-car-means-loss-of-American-Indian-regalia
Michael Pamonicutt, on the right wearing glasses, says he lost his American Indian ceremonial regalia last month when his car was stolen in Cicero. He wears the outfit at events throughout the year, including here at the American Indian Center's Annual Pow-Wow in Chicago in November.
In one night in July, Michael Pamonicutt was rear ended, robbed of his car and, according to police reports, shot at once.
But the worst of it all might have been when he realized the thieves also made off with a suitcase of his American Indian ceremonial regalia — including eagle feathers that are illegal for any non-American Indian to possess or sell.
Now, almost a month after the items were taken, Pamonicutt is still hoping against odds that his invaluable regalia will be returned intact.
The robbery happened at about midnight on July 21 in Cicero. According to police reports, Pamonicutt was driving west on Roosevelt Road when he was rear ended by another car. He turned off onto Cicero Avenue and stopped a block south near 13th Street. The other car's front-seat passenger stepped out and ordered Pamonicutt away at gunpoint. Pamonicutt ran away and heard a gunshot, he told police, before both cars drove off.
Almost immediately, he said later, Pamonicutt realized his ceremonial regalia was in a suitcase in the trunk. He wears the traditional outfit at ceremonies throughout the year and across the country, and he had left it in his car between events that week.
The collection included shirts, belts, a vest and moccasins as well as a dozen accessories, according to a list compiled for his insurance claim. There were also about 35 bald and golden eagle feathers. The car was recovered in Chicago a week later without the suitcase.
"First of all, I don't care about the car. What was in the trunk I could never replace," Pamonicutt said last week in an interview at the American Indian Center in Chicago, where he is commander of the veterans group. A resident of Chicago, Pamonicutt served as a Marine in Vietnam.
Although the bald eagle has not been on the endangered species list since 2007, it and its cousin are still off limits under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is a crime to possess the feathers without the proper certification, which includes proving membership in an American Indian tribe.
A felony charge for illegally possessing feathers could mean up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000, and a misdemeanor charge brings up to one year in jail and a $100,000 fine. The difference between the charges depends on facts of the case, such as whether there was an effort to sell the feathers, said Craig Tabor, a law enforcement agent with the Fish and Wildlife Service, which investigates illegal feather possession and sales.
In August 2009, an Arizona man pleaded guilty to selling feathers and received probation, community service and six months of home confinement. In 2008, a pawn shop owner in Mississippi was fined $5,050 after he tried to sell a dance bustle with feathers on it.
But Pamonicutt is not all that concerned with prosecution, he said. He would much rather see his ceremonial items returned, even anonymously.
"I hope the people who have it, they'd be honest enough," he said. "I'd like to see it returned. No questions asked."
As a member of Wisconsin's Menominee nation, Pamonicutt can get more eagle feathers and rebuild the regalia, but that process can take up to several years.
He would have to go through the National Eagle Repository in Colorado. The Fish and Wildlife Service collects eagles that have died in the wild and distributes them to American Indians at no charge.
Each whole eagle has about 60 prominent feathers on the tail and wings.
"Unfortunately, oftentimes there are simply not enough eagle feathers to go around," Tabor said.
The repository receives about 2,000 eagles each year, and there are some 6,000 names on the wait list. The wait is two and a half years for a whole bald eagle and four and a half years for a whole golden eagle, said repository spokeswoman Bernadette Atencio.
If Pamonicutt were to get the feathers, it would still take five or more months to build the outfit, according to the traditional, handmade process.
"There are certain things you have to do to prepare," he said. "It's going to be hard, really excessive to rebuild."
For Pamonicutt, the task of rebuilding the regalia is not as troublesome as losing the original, which was personally invaluable.
Some of the items were handed down to him, he said, and others had been gifts from his late wife.
"It's more sentimental," he said. "Stuff I had for years. I don't know if they know what they go into when they stole that suitcase."
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NRDC
Peace-Athabasca Delta Bird Nursery
Stop the Proposed Tar Sands Pipeline
In northeastern Alberta, the lush forests, sedge meadows and freshwater lakes of the Peace-Athabasca Delta attract more than a million birds every year. These undisturbed wetlands are critical nesting grounds for tundra swans, snow geese, whooping cranes and countless ducks, but they are slowly being poisoned by tar sands oil extraction taking place just south of the delta. Tar sands oil development has already contaminated rivers and lakes with toxic discharge, created vast waste ponds and worsened global warming pollution. Now, plans for a new trans-boundary pipeline that would bring tar sands oil from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast is moving forward, paving the way for additional mining and drilling in the boreal forest. Not only would the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline destroy even more habitat for millions of migratory birds, it would do nothing to lead the United States toward cleaner forms of energy production.
» Call on President Obama to oppose the tar sands pipeline.
http://www.nrdconline.org/site/R?i=ib43J_TiqnUUR9Avxni4BA..
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Restoring Pay to First Nations Veterans
01/01/2005
Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M.
Member,
House Veterans' Affairs Committee
Native Americans have the highest rate of military service of any ethnic group in the nation; how have we repaid them for their dedication? By illegally withholding state taxes from their paychecks.
I recently introduced a bill that will restore justice to many of our nation's Native American veterans, the American Indian Veterans Pay Restoration Act.
Prior to 2001, Native Americans who served their country in the armed forces had their active duty pay taxed by the state, despite claiming the reservation as their home. The law is now well established that this policy was wrong and, in keeping with tribal sovereignty, the policy of withholding states taxes on these soldiers' pay was changed.
This position is reflected in administrative opinions, Fatt v. Utah, 884 P2d 1233 (Utah 1994), a 2000 Department of Justice opinion, a Department of Defense policy instituted in 2001, and most recently, in Public Law 108-189, a law that passed this House unanimously.
However, while these changes stopped the improper practice of withholding taxes, the changes do not apply retroactively. Current federal law provides that statutes of limitations toll during a member's service, but the ability to recover withheld taxes is still limited by state statute of limitations on filing for refunds.
The result is that hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of tribal members whose state taxes were improperly withheld during their service to our country are unable to recover the money that is owed to them.
The American Indian Veterans Pay Restoration Act remedies this situation by creating a program within DoD to return these erroneously withheld taxes to qualifying Native American veterans.
This program will centralize and facilitate distribution of funds and recovery of funds from the states.
Veterans seeking to recover their money will submit an application to DoD providing evidence of military service, improper taxation, and domicile on a reservation.
In addition to veterans, the program will serve Native Americans who were on active duty prior to 2001 and who remain on active duty.
Nearly 16 percent of the native population 16 years and older are veterans. Native Americans have the highest rate of service to our country of any ethnic group in the U.S.
We are daily reminded of the sacrifice made by those who choose to don the uniform and serve our country, and this week we have also been reminded, of the importance of preserving and honoring Native American cultures and traditions.
The introduction of this bill serves as a timely effort to keep our promise to our nation's native American veterans, and I ask the support of my colleagues.
I would like to thank the original cosponsors of the bill – Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who led the effort to change the Pentagon's policy on withholding state taxes on Native American service members in 2000, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W. Va., the ranking member of the House Resources Committee, and Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., a co-chair of the Native American Caucus.
I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this common sense bill.
(Editor's note: Udall has represented the Third Congressional District of New Mexico since 1999.
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From: Abeartracks@aol.com
Subject: Opportunity and subject matter for next film
Sir I was watching the news on CBN this memorial day and saw a piece on your documentary of the black soldiers in the military. I spent 20 years in the army and am retired and made several black friends while in the military and I enjoyed the article about your documentary.
I write to you because I sent you some information about the struggles of the Native American Veterans of this country(Native American Indian Pay Restoration Act in particular) and would like to know if you would be interested in doing a similar documentary on us?
Thank You for your time
The man above declined my invitation ,because of his busy schedule,to take this subject and make a documentary on American Indian Veterans. I now ask if you know anyone who would be interested in this?
Association of the United States Army: Restoring Pay
Native American Veterans Deserve Equal Treatment
I am just a Native American retired army veteran who has a story to tell. It concerns the taxes that most states deducted from the military pay of Indian Veterans. The story is not new but very few know of it. All these veterans deserve this money be returned.
The SSCRA of 1940 was a federal law put in place to protect all servicemen and their property from unfair and shady mistreatment while they wee away from their homes serving in the military.
A section of this act specifically prohibited states from imposing an income tax on the military wages of Native American Indian veterans if these veterans claimed Indian Lands as there homes when they joined up. Everyone knows that if Indians work and live on the reservations or tribal trust lands that they do not pay state and local taxes. The SSCRA states that Tribal veterans will be taxed as if they were still on tribal trust lands.
Even though this federal law was enacted in 1940 our relatives who served in the armed forces were illegally taxed by the state their tribe was located in. The SSCRA mentioned double taxation but DD 2058 ( state of legal residence certificate to determine the correct state of legal residence for purposes of withholding state income tax from military pay) was not available until 1977. This means that states were not only taxing military pay but double taxing in some cases. State governments run off of income taxes. If a veteran happened to be stationed and earning wages in more than one state in a tax period they were undoubtedly taxed by all states involved. DD form 2058 was invented in 1977 to stop this illegal double taxation however their was no mention of the illegal taxation that states were deducting from the pay of Native American Indian veterans. These tribal veterans by law were exempt from any state income tax because they did not lose their tribal trust taxation status simply by leaving the tribal lands to comply with military orders. A separate form DD 2058-2(specifically for Native Americans), was not introduced by the department of defense until July of 2002. This form when signed exempted Indian veterans from state income taxes .
Native American Veterans were always exempt from state income taxes through countless treaties with the United States government and the SSCRA of 1940.
A bill HR 5275 ,The Native American veteran Pay restoration Act ,was introduced into the 108th congress to correct this mistreatment and repay these veterans but it went nowhere and was never heard of again.
Simply by introducing this bill the government admits to this broken promise and illegal act .Thousands of veterans deserve that this money be returned.
Potawatomi vet: Soldiers wrongly taxed
Written by JoKAY DOWELL
nativetimes.com
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – While browsing the Internet, Prairie Band Pottawatomi tribal citizen and U.S. Army veteran Richard Adame was surprised to find a news article about New Mexico legislation and subsequent negotiations with American Indian veterans in that state to restore state taxes wrongly deducted from their pay by the Department of Defense.
“This story concerns all Native Americans who ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces. We were unjustly and illegally taxed by our individual states while serving in uniform,” Richard Adame, shown here in his military portrait, said.
Adame immediately began to search for information on the law and contacted national media outlets, some veteran’s representatives and politicians. Adame said with the exception of Native American Times he was ignored because, he thinks, the law protecting American Indian military pay is virtually unknown by all.
“Two years after I retired, I found out that I and every other Native American who claimed the reservation as our homes were illegally taxed. But, no one seems to know. . . I contacted a few vet reps and they never heard of this. This injustice was not even known to us ground pounders. We were just doing our jobs. How were we supposed to know that we were being illegally taxed?” he said. “I grew up in Kansas on the reservation and joined the Army out of a sense of patriotism and pride in my country. Most of the men and women in my family served in the Armed Forces.
Deduction of state income taxes from the pay of American Indian veterans living on reservation land at the time of their entrance into active duty service was first prohibited by federal law under the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act of 1940, Section 514, and continued under the newer version of the law, the Service members Civil Relief Act of 2006, section 511e. Other laws and legal opinions uphold the protection of that pay.
But according to language in HR 5275 introduced to the United States 108th Congress in October 2004 by New Mexico Democratic Senator Tom Udall, the DoD withheld state income taxes anyway. HR 5275 intended to restore the pay of all American Indian veterans across the country from whose pay state taxes were wrongly deducted.
“The law is now well established that this policy was wrong and, in keeping with tribal sovereignty, the policy of withholding state taxes on these soldiers’ pay was changed. This position is reflected in administrative opinions, Fatt v. Utah, 884P2d 1233 (Utah 1994), a 2000 Department of Justice opinion, a Department of Defense policy instituted in 2001, and most recently, in Public Law 108-189, a law that passed this House unanimously,” Udall said in his introduction of HR 5275 to the House Armed Services Committee.
While the DoD stopped the improper taxation of those veterans in 2001, the changes did not apply retroactively for veterans whose pay was taxed prior to that year. A statute of limitations could present obstacles as well.
“The result is that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tribal members whose state taxes were improperly withheld during their service to our country are unable to recover the money that is owed to them,” Udall stated.
Sadly, HR 5275 faced immediate death in the 108th HASC for lack of support. Since then, no action has been taken to restore the pay of reservation-based American Indian veterans outside of New Mexico.
Adame has questioned whether restoration of the veterans’ pay might be settled legally with a class action lawsuit but would rather see Congress step up to reintroduce legislation like HR 5275 and bring justice to all American Indian veterans.
“This story concerns all Native Americans who ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces,” he said. “We were unjustly and illegally taxed by our individual states while serving in uniform.”
In Oklahoma, the topic of taxation of American Indians has always been controversial but was settled unanimously by the U.S Supreme Court in the 1993 case, “Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Sac and Fox,” filed by attorney William Rice, associate professor of law and co-director of the Native American Law Center, University of Tulsa College of Law.
“The state lost,” Rice said. “How the veterans’ case would play out is arguable. But obviously Oklahoma has no authority to levy the tax in the first place and the SSCRA should protect them in the second.”
Rice said the Court generally has ruled that the Constitution and federal law place the tribal relationship with the federal government and not states, at least in areas defined as Indian Country, a legal term applying to allotments, tribal lands, reservations and other categories of Indian-owned properties.
Oklahoma Tax Commission law now states active duty pay is exempt when:
“The income is compensation paid to an active member of the Armed Forces of the United States, if the member was residing within his tribe’s “Indian Country” at the time of entering the Armed Forces of the United States, and the member has not elected to abandon such residence.”
Rice thinks there would be even more affected veterans in Oklahoma than in New Mexico.
“I suggest many of them would be residents of Indian Country when they joined up,” he said.
Adame wants his pay and that of all other American Indian veterans restored and is hoping affected veterans will contact tribal, regional and national veterans’ organizations to make them aware of the law. He said veterans should also contact their Congressional representatives to request they reintroduce and support legislation like HR 5275. He also posted online a petition to restore the veterans’ pay..
Adame hopes the new Obama administration will walk its talk as it promised to respect Indian sovereignty and honor tribal nations’ government-to-government relationship.
First Lady Michelle Obama told employees at the Interior Department in February that American Indians have a “wonderful partner in the White House right now,” and her husband plans to improve that relationship even more, according to an Associated Press story.
Adame wants American Indians in political office to help rectify the wrongs against him and other veterans.
“These newly appointed government Native American politicians and advocates must also stand up for us, the cheated veterans.”
The stimulus bill resolves a six-decade dispute over their U.S. service
By Amanda Ruggeri
Posted March 13, 2009
Tucked between allocations of $150 million to states for nursing home construction and $90 million for passport agencies, one provision in the 1,079-page federalstimulus bill has nothing to do with creating jobs—but it does settle a 63-year-old battle.
The provision compensates Filipino veterans of World War II, survivors now in their 80s and 90s, with lump-sumpayments
of $15,000 if they are U.S. citizens or $9,000 if they are not. The cost, $198 million, doesn't add to the bill's total cost because the funds were appropriated last year. Still, some critics complain that this doesn't belong in a stimulus bill and that the funds should go elsewhere. One better use of the money could have been for underfunded veterans' programs, says Dennis Cullinan, legislative director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The issue dates back to 1941, when the Philippines was under U.S. control. President Roosevelt conscripted members of the Philippine Army into the U.S. military to fight Japan. By the end of the war, as many as 430,000 Filipinos had fought under Gen. Douglas MacArthur, including 60,000 in the 80,000-soldier Bataan death march. In 1942, Congress recognized Filipinos' service by promising them benefits equal to those of U.S. veterans. But that was reversed by the 1946 Rescission Act—some say for financial reasons, others say because of racism. "We made a promise, and then we did not carry it through," says Democratic Rep. Bob Filner, who has fought for the compensation for 17 years.
One sentence in the 1946 act especially smarted: the claim that their service wasn't "active." Tell that to Amadeo Urbano. "We were so active in harassing these Japanese," says the former guerrilla, now 85 and living in Arlington, Va. "But when victory was won, we were forgotten."
Bills to provide full benefits have been introduced since 1989. All were defeated, including one last year. The one "small victory," says Ben de Guzman of the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity, was that Congress appropriated the $198 million to be released at a later date. Some opponents objected to paying nonnationals while programs for American veterans went underfunded.
Some cited concerns that the measure could open the door to other claims. Advocates counter that, of the soldiers of 67 nationalities who fought for the U.S. military in World War II, all but the Filipinos have received equitable benefits. Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye, who sponsored the stimulus provision authorizing the funds' release, doesn't dispute one of the critics' points. "This is not a stimulus proposal. It does not create jobs," he said on the floor. "But the honor of the United States is what is involved."
Some sacrifices were made to win passage. One was a clause saying acceptance of the payment constitutes "a complete release of any claim against the United States." Another was disbursement as a lump sum, which totals far less than American-born counterparts received in monthly benefits over their lifetimes.
But more important, say many veterans, is at long last setting the historical record straight. The provision declares that their service time "is hereby recognized as active military service." Says Urbano, "What is most important is our recognition—we are now considered veterans of the Second World War."
Its okay and deserving that our brothers in arms get due recognition and compensation but what about our own Native American Indian Veterans
From: Abeartracks@aol.com
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:43:58 -0400
Subject: Re: [FirstPeoplesNews] The stimulus bill resolves a six-decade dispute over their U.S. service
To: FirstPeoplesNews-owner@yahoogroups.com
After reading this information Why has the US Government given back money to our Filipino brothers in arms but not to our very own Native American Indian Veterans whos military service dates back before WWI?
Maybe the Native American vote will be the difference in the upcoming senate elections
“Recently, H.R. 1, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (economic stimulus plan), was signed into law by President Obama. This plan included a $198 million dollar package that was meant to dole out a $15,000 dollar lump sum to Filipino veterans who are now citizens, and $9,000 to Filipino veterans who are not citizens. This plan is intended to provide “equity” for the Filipino veterans. Unfortunately, this does not provide full equity for them, and is rather, a shallow gesture.
In addition, the plan requires veterans to sign a “release” that is intended to “constitute a complete release of any claim against the United States by reason of any service,” which will affect their ability to seek further compensation from the government.
For over 63 years, Filipino veterans have fought for their rights. For over 60 years, Philippine Scouts, Guerillas, and members of the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines have been denied Veteran’s pensions, a sum that is exponentially larger than a paltry sum of $15,000. In previous years, veterans were granted the ability to come to the U.S. and obtain citizenship, but still to this day, they are still denied parity with other veterans in terms of overall benefits. They receive reduced social security pensions and only limited access to health care.”
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Contributed by Brother Richard Adame Abeartracks@aol.com
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Teresa Anahuy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FirstPeoplesNews
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Keep the Doors of Domestic Violence Shelters Open to Pets!
In homes where domestic violence occurs, animals are often harmed by the same cruel abusers who terrorize the people living with them. But when battered women and children flee to domestic violence shelters, only a small number of shelters throughout the entire country can house the families’ beloved pets.
These pet-friendly refuges are absolutely vital -- they can be the difference between life and death. And that’s why American Humane’s Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS)® Program needs your donation today!
http://site.americanhumane.org/site/R?i=xsqn17NzsKMQxXtz4CvKeg..
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Cage eggs make us sick -- here's why
Help Hens (and Your Health)
Dear David & Sharon,
With the largest egg recall in U.S. history under way, it's important to remember that the egg industry's cruel confinement of hens in tiny cages is not only inhumane; it can be hazardous to you and your family's health. An abundance of science shows that forcing hens to suffer inside cramped cages increases Salmonella risk compared to keeping hens in a cage-free environment.
And each of the nearly 280 million caged hens in this country can't even spread her wings, living with less space than a sheet of paper.
There's an easy way you can be healthier yourself and kinder to the animals: pledge to avoid eggs from caged hens.
http://action.humanesociety.org/site/R?i=5Td5RzYuGlzdJBuVF4Yr3w..
Thank you for all you do for animals.
Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO
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"Success is measured by happiness not wealth"
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