A Repository for Eagles Finds Itself In Demand  By Dan Frosch, The New York Times

Eagle in flight. Photo credit: John Sather Series.

O’siyo. For centuries American Indians have used Eagle feathers in their sacred ceremonies.  Today, because eagles are an endangered species, federal law protects all eagles, including their feathers. Unauthorized possession or distribution  of eagle feathers is illegal.

Excerpt:

“Miles from downtown Denver, in a small warehouse on the city’s edge, Bernadette Atencio watched as two men methodically bundled piles of dead eagles into boxes, careful to include enough frozen gel packs so the remains would not thaw…Despite appearances, this was not some surreptitious animal-smuggling ring. It was a typical Wednesday at the National Eagle Repository, the only place where American Indians can legally obtain bald and golden eagles from the federal government for traditional ceremonies.

Zuni Eagle Sanctuary. Photo credit:Knau-Earth Notes

Through a series of federal acts dating to the 1940s, bald and golden eagles have been fiercely protected. It is illegal to hunt the birds and also to collect feathers or eagle parts without the proper permit.

And so, for more than 30 years, this United States Fish and Wildlife Service program has been shipping thousands of eagle carcasses and parts to American Indians, who view the animals as sacred.

But a growing backlog of applications, and a slew of recent court battles over when American Indians can lawfully obtain eagles on their own, has raised questions about whether the repository is sufficient.

Lee Plenty Wolf held a fan made of eagle feathers. Photo credit: Matthew Staver The New York Times

More and more of our young people are going back to our spiritual way of life, and we can’t do our ceremonies without the eagles,” said Lee Plenty Wolf, a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe who lives in Fort Collins, Colo., and received a bald eagle on April 26 after waiting almost three years…

This is an issue across all tribal nations,” said Myron Pourier [executive board member for the Oglala Sioux tribe in South Dakota] All of them are going through the same federal red tape when they shouldn’t be. Especially when this is a part of our way of life.”

Read the article in its entirety and share your thoughts.

 

“The day is done, and the darkness, Falls from the wings of Night, As a feather is wafted downward, From an eagle in his flight”  

 ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~ (1807 – 1882)

Legend of the Talking Feather: Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei Bestow the Gift of The Talking Feather

There are many legends about how the Indians learned about the Talking Feather”. Here is one of them…

Long years ago, when gods walked this earth and the land beyond, Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei, were together enjoying the warm summer day. It was a day when the crickets chirrupted in the waving, green grass,when they noticed a figure moving towards them.

As the figure approached closer Kanati said “Look, that woman is crying, what could be the matter?” “I can not imagine why anyone would cry on such a glorious day.” Replied Asgaya Gigagei. “Let’s ask her.”

As the woman drew nearer, they could see her buckskin was decorated with beautiful designs and colors. She carried a bundle filled with leaves, sage, and colorful stones and feathers. They knew immediately this woman was a holy being.

Kanati asked her “Holy mother, why are you crying so?” The woman looked up in wonder, because she had been walking with her head down. “I’m crying because the men of my village are fighting constantly! Each thinks his ideas for leading the tribe is the best!” Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei glanced at one another, in perplexity. “Why, if there are so many good ideas for leading your tribe, why are the men fighting? And why aren’t you and the other members happy!” The poor woman shook her head sadly and replied, “Yes, you are right, the men do have very good ideas, but every man wants to speak his own ideas, and not listen to anyone else. They all shout and scream at one another so loudly, that it frightens the children who run and hide behind their mothers. The women are sad because their husbands come to the house upset and angry. Furthermore, the tribe is suffering, because no one can seem to make a decision.”  Just then a beautiful Eagle was soaring overhead, Kanati called out “Brother Eagle, may I have one of your feathers, there are poor humans in desperate need!”

Bother Eagle replied “Yes” and shook himself until a single iridescent, large feather fell to the ground. “Many thanks and Blessings on you” said Kanati. Kanati made secret signs and prayers over the Feather. Asgaya Gigagei helped him with the blessings. Kanati then said to the woman “This is the sacred Talking Father, it holds great power for the one who holds it. Go back to your people, hold this feather up in the air, all who see it will fall silent, and listen to what you have to say. Tell all who listen that from now on, who ever holds this feather, all present within the Circle Council must listen to his words. The feather must then be passed on to the next speaker.”

The woman thanked Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei and hurried back to her village where there was total chaos!. Everyone was talking at once, children were crying, men were screaming at each other. As soon as she held the feather over her head, all became quiet! No one could utter a sound! the holy woman proceeded to give the directions given to her by the gods. She then passed the feather to the first man. He called the Talking Circle together, and each man had his say as he held the feather. From that time on that tribe flourished because they now had direction, and each person could hear and understand what their peers said. The people worked together, to build a great nation. Along the way, they shared the wonders of the Talking Feather with other tribes they met. “And that my friends is the true story of  how the Talking Feather came to be!”

 

 

As Bison Return to Prairie, Some Rejoice, Others Worry  By Nate Schweber, The New York times

American Buffalo- Spirit of a Nation-Photo credit- PBS, Nature Episodes

“America’s Great Plains in the early 1800s,…the rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance, though no storm clouds could be seen. Then the ground would begin to tremble, and suddenly the astonished newcomers would be surrounded by a thundering herd of hulking animals that stretched further than the eye could see…the buffalo nation — a land where tens of million of American Bison held sway.”-American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation

O’siyo. These words conjure up a beautiful, almost surreal image of a world long ago forgotten, and one that unfortunately, will probably never really exist again. This is due to the fact that although the buffalo are returning to the plains, not everyone is pleased about their coming. For many American Indians the return of the Buffalo signal  joy and hope, but for others, their return triggers trepidation and anger.

Excerpt:

“WOLF POINT, Mont. — Sioux and Assiniboine tribe members wailed a welcome song last month as around 60 bison from Yellowstone National Park stormed onto a prairie pasture that had not felt a bison’s hoof for almost 140 years. That historic homecoming came just 11 days after 71 pureblood bison, descended from one of Montana’s last wild herds, were released nearby onto untilled grassland owned by a charity with a vision of building a haven for prairie wildlife. Some hunters and conservationists are now calling for bison to be reintroduced to a million-acre wildlife refuge spanning this remote region.

Bison. Photo credit- Lynn Donaldson for The New York Times

“Populations of all native Montana wildlife have been allowed to rebound except bison; it’s time to take care of them like they once took care of us,” said Robert Magnan, 58, director of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation’s Fish and Game Department, who will oversee the transplanted Yellowstone bison program. Many farmers and ranchers fear that bison, particularly those from Yellowstone, might be mismanaged and damage private property, and worry that they would compete for grass with their own herds. “Bison are a romantic notion, but they don’t belong today,” said Curt McCann, 46, a Chinook rancher… Scientists estimate that tens of millions of bison once roamed America, but by 1902 there were only 23 known survivors in the wild, all hiding from poachers in a remote Yellowstone valley. For decades, attempts to transplant bison from the rebounding Yellowstone herd were thwarted, despite requests from tribes to steward some of the animals.

“I call them my brothers and sisters because they are a genetic link to the same ones my ancestors hunted,” said Tote Gray Hawk, 54, a Sioux who has brought the Fort Peck bison hay and water each day since their arrival. Their meat, lower in cholesterol than beef, will feed elderly tribe members and their skulls will be used in traditional sun dance ceremonies, he said.

The last hunt for indigenous bison on the Fort Peck reservation happened in 1873… The arrival of Yellowstone bison was welcome news around the troubled Fort Peck reservation…“These bison represent healing,” said Iris Greybull, 62, of Poplar. The bison debate has dredged up old tensions between tribes and their neighbors…“I took a lot of arrows for this, but it was the right thing to do,” Mr. Schweitzer said. “If you want to get into a fistfight in Montana, go into a bar and share your opinion about bison or wolves.”

Read the article in its entirety and share your thoughts with us. Also, view the video below Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison to see some beautiful  footage of Bison, and to find out where they are today in 2012.

Video clip curtesy- PBS Independent Lens, Facing the Storm- Story of the American Bison

 

 

 

 

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The American Indian is of the soil, whether it  be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into  the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his  surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged….”  ~Luther Standing Bear~ Oglala Sioux, 1868-1937

Legend of the Talking Feather: Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei Bestow the Gift of The Talking Feather

Foxwoods Is Fighting for Its Life, By Michael Sokolove, The New York Times

The Pequot Tribal Council. Photo credit Tribal Home

The Pequot tribe, owners of the famous Foxwoods Resort Casino, are proud people. The tribal members built Foxwoods  through hard work, keeping their population low (there are only 900 members)  and by smart planning. It is amazing how this tribe almost driven to extinction, has turned itself into one of the largest American Indian conglomerates known throughout the western hemisphere. Although it appears that the tribe is in debt, they are hardly going “under”. In fact, in many ways they have gained valuable insight from this experience which will make them stronger.

Excerpt:

Nearly everything about the Foxwoods Resort Casino is improbable, beginning with its scale. It is the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere — a gigantic, labyrinthine wonderland set down in a cedar forest and swamp in an otherwise sleepy corner of southeastern Connecticut. Forty thousand patrons pack into Foxwoods on weekend days. The place has 6,300 slot machines. Ten thousand employees. If you include everything — hotel space, bars and restaurants, theaters and ballrooms, spa, bowling alley — Foxwoods measures about 6.7 million square feet, more than the Pentagon. The owner of this enterprise is the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Once powerful and even feared, the Pequots were nearly extinguished in one day — in fact, in just one hour — when English colonists and their Indian allies attacked and torched the main Pequot village near Mystic in the spring of 1637. The survivors were sold into slavery or given over to neighboring tribes…

Foxwoods Resort Casino. Google images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the early 1970s, just one resident remained on a Pequot reservation in Ledyard, now the site of Foxwoods — an elderly woman named Elizabeth George. Her grandson was Richard Hayward (known as Skip), a pipe welder and a former short-order cook with an audacious vision, innate political skills and a flair for dealmaking. Through his efforts, the tribe won federal recognition in 1983. In 1986, it opened a high-stakes bingo hall. Full-blown casino gambling came to Foxwoods in 1992 and in the two decades since has produced not millions but billions of dollars of revenue. Not surprisingly, the casino and its largess rejuvenated the tribe, whose population is now about 900…[In the beginning] $100,000 was given to each adult member of the tribe…they built new housing, a child-development center, ballfields and tennis courts, a spacious community building with a health club and an indoor-outdoor pool…The pièce de résistance was a $225 million museum to commemorate the Pequots’ tragic history and stunning resurrection… Children began getting the disbursements when they turned 18. Luxury automobiles abounded… The payments stopped… in late 2010, and more Pequots have been going to work at Foxwoods. You had this big moneymaking enterprise with a limited amount of mouths to feed…But everything’s about austerity now. It’s no different than what a family would do. You’ve got to get rid of the cable TV. You’ve got to get rid of the Cadillac. You’re not going to go out to eat anymore.. [With strategic guidance and planning] the casino’s profits have been increasing… Foxwoods had been an early mover, built to stand astride a huge geographic area — much like the Pequot tribe once dominated a big swath of New England… Foxwoods will expand…”

The Pequot Museum and Research Center at Foxwoods.

A good article about the tribe, and about the casino industry in general. Kudos to the Pequots for holding their own, and for taking care of their tribal members, especially their young. They have demonstrated true leadership and sovereignty.

It was a vision that would not die, one that endured through years of hardship and loss. It was the dream of a small group of Mashantucket Pequot Indians to rebuild their nation and to bring its members home. That was the legacy of Elizabeth George, who protected the Pequots’ right to live on the Mashantucket reservation and who instilled in those around her a love for and desire to keep their land, at any cost…~Pequots Museum~

Tags: Foxwoods, The Pequot Nation

Osiyo. In previous posts we have written about Indian Women who have accomplished good works for others. Some  were wives and mothers, some were  known by the public. They come from all walks of  life, with one common goal: to make a better life for people. We have  acknowledged some of  them here, in honor of Women’s History Month. This list is by no means complete. There are so many wonderful Native Indian women who deserve recognition that we can’t possibly list them all. If you’d like to add a name, please contact us!

Wilma Mankiller-(November 18, 1945 – April 6, 2010) photo credit: Community Heroes

First Female Chief of The Cherokee Nation

“I want to be remembered as the person who helped us restore faith in ourselves.”

~Wilma Mankiller~

 

Navajo First Lady Martha Shelly. Photo credit: Native News Network

First Lady of The Navajo Nation

“Conquer high school. Then higher education, but always remember, you are reaching your goals now for the future of your child.”     ~Navajo First Lady Martha Shelly~

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Agnes Dill- Isleta /Laguna -She  spent over 70 years working with American Indian tribes. She received an honorary degree from the University of New Mexico, at the age of 96!

“I really never expected something like this to happen, but I am proud of all of the work we have been able to do over the years to better the conditions in our Indian communities.”

~Mrs. Agnes Dill~

 

Mioshia Wagoner. Photo credit: Nick Krug

Mioshia Wagoner-Navajo- Olympic Silver Medal in Boxing. She plans on returning to the reservation in New Mexico after finishing her degree at Baker University and later hanging up her gloves.

“I have family there, and they’ve helped me so much…There are problems there. And I have been given the opportunity to learn things so that I can go back and help. That’s what I have to do.” ~Mioshia Wagoner~

Native Women:

Paula Gunn Allen – Laguna /Sioux- Poet, literary critic.

Jessie Little Doe Baird- Wampanoag- Was instrumental in reviving the Wampanoag language.

Mary Brave Bird-Brule Lakota-Writer and activist in the American Indian Movement.

Sophia Renville Brown-A domestic survivor manages a women’s shelter on the Sisseton-Wahpeton reservation.

Radmilla Cody – Navajo Nation- Singer, domestic violence activist.

Amber Crotty and Nikke Alex- Navajo-Started the Navajo Girl Scouts club in their area.

Ramona Emerson -  Navajo Filmmaker, her movie Opal is about females growing up on the Navajo rez.

Joy Harjo – Creek Indian – Poet, writer.

Elizabeth Cook-Lynn -Crow Creek and Sioux-Poet, novelist and scholar.

Buffy St. Marie- Cree Indian-Singer, activist for women, and education.

Martha Redbone-Cherokee-Shawne-Choctaw -Singer,works with the children of  United Houma Nation.

Leslie Marmon Silko- Laguna Pueblo Tribe- Award winning Writer.

Carletta Tilousi- The Havasupai Nation-writer- Instrumental  in winning a law suit ($700,000) for her tribe.

The land is sacred. These words are at the core of your being. The land is our mother, the rivers our blood. Take our land away and we die. That is, the Indian in us dies.
~Mary Brave Bird~

The secret of our success is that we never, never give up.~Wilma Mankiller~

Legend of the Talking Feather: Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei Bestow the Gift of The Talking Feather

There are many legends about how the Indians learned about the Talking Feather”. Here is one of them…

Long years ago, when gods walked this earth and the land beyond, Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei, were together enjoying the warm summer day. It was a day when the crickets chirrupted in the waving, green grass,when they noticed a figure moving towards them.

As the figure approached closer Kanati said “Look, that woman is crying, what could be the matter?” “I can not imagine why anyone would cry on such a glorious day.” Replied Asgaya Gigagei. “Let’s ask her.”

As the woman drew nearer, they could see her buckskin was decorated with beautiful designs and colors. She carried a bundle filled with leaves, sage, and colorful stones and feathers. They knew immediately this woman was a holy being.

Kanati asked her “Holy mother, why are you crying so?” The woman looked up in wonder, because she had been walking with her head down. “I’m crying because the men of my village are fighting constantly! Each thinks his ideas for leading the tribe is the best!” Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei glanced at one another, in perplexity. “Why, if there are so many good ideas for leading your tribe, why are the men fighting? And why aren’t you and the other members happy!” The poor woman shook her head sadly and replied, “Yes, you are right, the men do have very good ideas, but every man wants to speak his own ideas, and not listen to anyone else. They all shout and scream at one another so loudly, that it frightens the children who run and hide behind their mothers. The women are sad because their husbands come to the house upset and angry. Furthermore, the tribe is suffering, because no one can seem to make a decision.”  Just then a beautiful Eagle was soaring overhead, Kanati called out “Brother Eagle, may I have one of your feathers, there are poor humans in desperate need!”

Bother Eagle replied “Yes” and shook himself until a single iridescent, large feather fell to the ground. “Many thanks and Blessings on you” said Kanati. Kanati made secret signs and prayers over the Feather. Asgaya Gigagei helped him with the blessings. Kanati then said to the woman “This is the sacred Talking Father, it holds great power for the one who holds it. Go back to your people, hold this feather up in the air, all who see it will fall silent, and listen to what you have to say. Tell all who listen that from now on, who ever holds this feather, all present within the Circle Council must listen to his words. The feather must then be passed on to the next speaker.”

The woman thanked Kanati and Asgaya Gigagei and hurried back to her village where there was total chaos!. Everyone was talking at once, children were crying, men were screaming at each other. As soon as she held the feather over her head, all became quiet! No one could utter a sound! the holy woman proceeded to give the directions given to her by the gods. She then passed the feather to the first man. He called the Talking Circle together, and each man had his say as he held the feather. From that time on that tribe flourished because they now had direction, and each person could hear and understand what their peers said. The people worked together, to build a great nation. Along the way, they shared the wonders of the Talking Feather with other tribes they met. “And that my friends is the true story of  how the Talking Feather came to be!”

A Native American Student Responds to a Times Article About His Home, By Katherine Schulten,The New York Times Learning Network

Willow Pingree a student at Fort Washakie Charter High

Osiyo: Willow Pingree  is a student at Fort Washakie Charter High School, located on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. He has an intense love and pride for his community, and wrote an essay that proves it.  His  essay was in response to an article he read written by journalist Timothy Williams.

Mr. Williams wrote an article published in The New York Times, February 3, 2012 entitled, “Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation,”

In his article, Mr. Williams described the  usual, drug addictions, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and suicides that occurred on the Wind River Reservation.  He referred to the “long history” of homicides that has plagued the community, which is composed primarily of the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho, making it one the country’s most dangerous areas. The only “bright” note was at the beginning of the article where Mr. Williams wrote about the school’s basketball team.

Wyoming Indian High Basketball Team-photo credit WIHS

 

 

 

 

 

“At a boys’ basketball game here last month, Wyoming Indian High School, a perennial state power, was trading baskets with a local rival. The players, long-limbed and athletic, are among the area’s undisputed stars, and their games one of its few diversions. On this night, more than 2,500 cheering, stomping people came to watch…”

In response to this article the principal of  Fort Washakie Charter High School Shad Hamilton, invited the journalist  Mr. Williams, to learn more about the school and about the community.  There was a meeting via conference call between the students, faculty members, and Mr. Williams. English teacher  Michael L. Read  was also involved in helping the students, among them Willow Pingree. The following is an excerpt from the essay:

A student from Wyoming Indian High School, dignity and pride prevails.

“I have lived on the reservation since I was born. I will be only twenty in July, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve seen my share of good and bad things on this reservation. Not EVERTHING about this reservation is bad. Sure there is a huge problem with domestic violence and alcoholism, but we try to work together as a community to fight it. We have not given up. …The tribal councils grant funding to different programs to help the people overcome addiction…Education is an important aspect of our culture. Long before the white education system, Native people all across the continent learned education from the teachings of their elders. Young people were taught to respect everything and everyone around them and to have a positive attitude to maintain balance and harmony in their lives…The Wind River Reservation has a youth council called United National Indian Tribal Youth, or Unity, Its motive is to encourage kids and young adults to step up to be the voice for all young people. ”

We encourage everyone to read this beautiful essay by Willow Pingree, and the original article by Timothy Williams.

Kudos to Willow, his schoolmates, Shad Hamilton,  and to the faculty in all of the schools in this area keeping up the fight against the negative elements!

We’d like to also acknowledge journalists Katherine Schulten, Timothy Williams, and The New York Times Learning Network .

“No matter what negative things we face every day, nothing can break our spirit. We will not give up the war to save our culture or our languages, the war that all Native people in America have been fighting for since 1492. I will fight to ensure the survival of our cultures and languages for the rest of my days on this Earth.  Ha’ho! Hoo-wee-hoo! (Thank you!)”

~Willow Pingree~ Fort Washakie Charter High School

We at Talking-Feather wish to thank our readers for their continued support. We also wish to thank our new readers. Our numbers have increased in 2012 — we do appreciate all of you! -Wado-

Tags: New York Times, Willow Pingree, Wind River Indian Reservation

At Diné Bi Olta, Girl Scouting is a Hit By Alastair Lee Bitsoi, Navajo Times

Tiajia Gamble and Alena Crotty sell Girl Scouts cookies with handmade posters. Photo Credit: Amber Crotty

Osiyo!  It is always a pleasure to pass along information about positive environments for Native children, and the wonderful adults who serve as strong role-models for these youngsters.  In this article, the adults are Amber Crotty and Nikke Alex, and the good work they and others are doing for the Cactus Pine Troop No. 3053.

Excerpt:

“When Amber Crotty decided to establish a Brownie troop at Tséhootsooí Diné Bi Olta, little did she foresee the response: Over 50 girls – about 20 percent of the student body – signed up to become members of the newly formed Arizona Cactus Pine Troop No. 3053… If you build, they will come, Crotty said during a Feb. 9 troop meeting, while simultaneously teaching a group of Daisies and Brownies how to sell cookies for the year’s big fundraiser…Crotty, who together with co-leader Nikki Alex started organizing the troop in November, said the strong response indicates a need for after-school programs not just at the Navajo language immersion school, but in most other schools as well…Before the DBI Girl Scout troop was organized, most of the girls said they either went home after school or to the local Boy’s and Girl’s Club, where they only did homework…

We’re learning the First Aid badge, said Yazzie, who is Tó áhání (Near to Water Clan), born for áshiihí (Salt Clan). The badges represent what we accomplish and what we can do… Amber supports us and encourages us to do this,” added Yazzie.  It feels a lot better because she didn’t abandon us and leave us out in the cold…

Brownie Megan Sells, …sold 150 boxes during the pre-order period. Sells said she enjoys the range of activities scouting offers such as arts and crafts and singing. I’m learning you have to respect yourself and others, and to help people, not just yourself,  she said.

Crotty also said the troop has been lucky this year to get support from the Navajo United Way and other sponsors, which helped finance uniforms for the troop…The girls plan to use of their earnings to attend horse and art camps this summer, and some to buy gloves and scarves for local elders next winter…”

For Information Contact: Amber Crotty, 505-567-0069, or Nikke Alex, 505-399-8650.

We encourage everyone to read this uplifting article and to offer what you can to help make their young dreams happen!  Kudos to Amber Crotty, Nikke Alex, The Navajo United Way, and to all of the good souls who help to make life better for children…

“These girls are our future business entrepreneurs…This cookie sale is planting the seed and your support has strengthened their confidence to dream big, plan goals,… If you build, they will come… ” ~Amber Crotty~

American Indian Christmas, by Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand

Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand-photo:Manataka American Indian Council

Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand is a member of the Oglala Sioux, and a spiritual leader, and an artist. He has also written a book entitled, Learning Journey on the Red Road. In addition, he has written one of the best essays about American Indians and the Christmas celebration that we have ever read. Here is an excerpt from his essay:

Painting by Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand

“Traditional American Indians are raised to respect the Christian Star and the birth of the first Indian Spiritual Leader… His name was Jesus. He was a Hebrew, a Red Man. He received his education from the wilderness. ..
“Everyday is our Christmas. Every meal is our Christmas. At every meal we take a little portion of the food we are eating, and we offer it to the spirit world on behalf of the four legged, and the winged, and the two legged. We pray–not the way most Christians pray– but we thank the Grandfathers, the Spirit, and the Guardian Angel… The life-ways of Roving Angels are actually the way Indian People live. They hold out their hands and help the sick and the needy. They feed and clothe the poor…

Everyday is Christmas in Indian Country. Daily living is centered around the spirit of giving and walking the Red Road. Walking the Red Road means making everything you do a spiritual act. If your neighbor, John Running Deer, needs a potato masher; and you have one that you are not using, you offer him yours in the spirit of giving. It doesn’t matter if it is Christmas or not.”

Please read this wonderful and informative piece in its entirety.

We wish to thank all of our readers, especially those who sent encouraging comments, and valuable information.

Our hope is that in return, we  have  pointed the way to new insights, and information about Natives, their lives, and the people involved with them.

Art by Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand

Talking Feather wishes you: A Blessed Holiday, and A Prosperous New Year!

Tags: Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand, Indian Christmas, Oglala Sioux

Indian ‘Shadow Wolves’ stalk smugglers on Arizona reservation, By Brian Bennett, Los Angeles Times

Kevin Carlos,Tohono O'odham "Shadow Wolf" photo- Brian Bennett LATimes

Osiyo,

Members of the Tohono O’odham Nation have always had trouble with their borders that separate the United States and Mexico. Now, members of the tribe are taking steps to protect their lands themselves. Excerpt:  ”They work for the federal government — and also to protect sacred lands of the Tohono O’odham Nation along the border with Mexico. Reporting from the Tohono O’odham Nation,— Kevin Carlos hates how the drug runners tramp through the ancient cemeteries and holy places he holds dear.

That peak up there, he says, speeding toward the reservation’s border with Mexico. That’s where the creator lives. His name is I’itoi, the elder brother. He created the tribe out of wet clay after a summer rain. Tribe members still bring him offerings — shell bracelets, beargrass baskets and family photos — and leave them in his

Kevin Carlos photo Brian Bennett, LA Times

cave scooped out of the peak. But the drug smugglers don’t know that. On their way to supply America’s drug markets, they use these sacred hilltops as lookouts, water holes as toilets and the desert as a trash can. So Carlos hunts them.   The Shadow Wolves use GPS locaters, high-powered radios and other modern tools, but it is their tracking skills and their feel for the hidden box canyons, caves and seasonal watering holes that make them formidable counter-narcotics agents…”It takes patience. These guys think they are out in the middle of nowhere, scot-free,” Carlos says. “Then we find them.” Read this article for more information.

“…Question: How does the boy become a dancer?  He just knows. His mother said he had dreams when he was just a little boy…He has made many sacrifices for his dancing even for just a young boy. The people concur, “Yes, you can see it in his face.

~ Ofelia Zepeda ~ (Tohono O’odham  member) “Deer Dance Exhibiton”

Note: Re: Tribalpedia. In keeping with Talking Feather’s ESL teaching orientation, we will be adding Questions for Comprehension and Discussion to each of the tribal entries; the questions will mostly be drawn from the histories of the tribes. This will provide teachers with additional material for the classroom to help students.

The Tribes with questions thus far:  Acoma, Anasazi, Apache, Arapaho, Blackfeet, Catawba, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Comanche, Crow, Delaware/Lenape, Hawaii, Hopi, Inuit, Iroquois,  Laguna, Navajo,  Seneca, Shawnee,  Sioux,  Zuni,

 

Tags: drug smuggling, Mexico, Shadow Wolves', Tohono O'odham Nation, U.S.

Osiyo,

November is American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month . This is the time for songs, dances, and reflections. Talking Feather features Lesson plans (with teachers’ guide and Answer Keys) Tribalpedia,  featuring the Inuit and Alaskan Nations. Be sure to visit and feel free to utilize the material, especially if you are a teacher.

President Obama at 2010 White House Tribal Nations Conference.

There are many wonderful events taking place. To begin  the celebrations, an article from Domestic Policy Council,  by Kimberly Teehee, the White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs. She discusses the upcoming Tribal Nations Conference  2011. Excerpt: …”As you may have already heard, the President, along with members of the Cabinet, Senior Administration officials, and tribal leaders will gather at the 2011 White House Tribal Nations Conference on December 2nd. As part of President Obama’s ongoing outreach to the American people…”

We encourage everyone to read the entire article to learn more about the conference.

Artist James Luna: "Take a picture with a real Indian" exhibit.

Another site of interest is the Smithsonian “Infinity of Nations” The review of the exhibition by  Jess Righthand, explores thousands of years of artwork from the Native nations of North, Central and South America… One “very interesting” artist in the program is James Luna: “Standing at a podium wearing an outfit, I announce: “Take a picture with a real Indian. Take a picture here, in Washington, D.C. on this beautiful Monday morning, on this holiday called Columbus Day…And then I just stand there. Eventually, one person will pose with me. After that they just start lining up. I’ll do that for a while until I get mad enough or humiliated enough….”

Inuit woman's Tuilli, or Parka NMAI.

Another beautiful exhibit are the artifacts and clothing representing the various tribal Nations, such as this Inuit woman’s Tuilli.

R.C. Gorman painting

Included are the wonderful paintings, and drawings of  Navajo artist R.C. Gorman.

The N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh, will hold its celebration Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are FREE.

There are many up-coming events, and we will enjoy presenting as many as we can!

If you would like your celebration to be announced on Talking Feather send us an email (see below).  In the meantime, love who you are, and enjoy your life!

“What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences…Life is plurality, death is uniformity…Every culture that disappears, diminishes a possibility of life.” ~Octavio Paz~ Mexican poet and writer (1914-1998)
 

Native Foster Care: Lost Children and Shattered Families, NPR, by L. Sullivan and A. Walters

Derrin Yellow Robe-3- Crow Creek Reservation- photo: John Poole:NPR

Osiyo,

Recently NPR has been conducting an investigation into the removal of Native American children from their families and into foster care.  The result of their findings were shocking…

The following is an excerpt from the overview:

“Nearly 700 Native American children in South Dakota are being removed from their homes every year, sometimes under questionable circumstances. An NPR News investigation has found that the state is largely failing to place them according to the law. The vast majority of native kids in foster care in South Dakota are in nonnative homes or group homes, according to an NPR analysis of state records. Years ago, thousands of Native American children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to boarding schools…Many suffered horrible abuse, leaving entire generations missing from the one place whose future depended on them —their tribes

In 1978, Congress tried to put a stop to it. They passed the Indian Child Welfare Act, which says except in the rarest circumstances, Native American children must be placed with their relatives or tribes. It also says states must do everything it can to keep native families together.

But 32 states are failing to abide by the act in one way or another, and, an NPR investigation has found, nowhere is that more apparent than in South Dakota. “Cousins are disappearing; family members are disappearing,” said Peter Lengkeek, a Crow Creek Tribal Council member. “It’s kidnapping. That’s how we see it.” State officials say they have to do what’s in the best interest of the child, but the state does have a financial incentive to remove the children. The state receives thousands of dollars from the federal government for every child it takes from a family, and in some cases the state gets even more money if the child is Native American. The result is that South Dakota is now removing children at a rate higher than the vast majority of other states in the country…”

We urge you to read (or listen to) the entire NPR series..

Our “heart-felt” thanks to our reader LJ!

Part 1: Incentives And Cultural Bias Fuel Foster System-

Part 2: Tribes Question Foster Group’s Power And Influence

Part 3: Native Survivors Of Foster Care Return Home

Suzanne Crow photo:John Poole/NPR

A Fight For Her Grandchildren Mirrors A Native Past- by Nathan Rott

Grown men can learn from very little children, for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.~Black Elk~

(1863-1950-Holy Man of the Oglala Lakota Sioux)