NATIVE AMERICAN INFO

Brother to the Eagle (LE)
Steve Devenyns
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My name is Matthew Cordes and my Spirit name is Black Eagle Man.
I was born on Long Plain Indian Reserve in Manitoba, Canada and I am a full blooded Dakota Ojibwe.
I was adopted at the age of 9 and raised here in the states.
I became a naturalized citizen in 1980.
Like many Native children that were taken away from their people, I grew up trapped in the white society and was forbidden to seek out my traditional ways.
I was even beaten when my biological mother tried to contact me, forbidden to speak my own language and was made to cut my hair and keep it short.
I was told anything I needed to know could be found in the history books.
I believe that in order for any person to reach their full potential they must first know and understand where they came from, especially where your roots are.
These are issues that I have dealt with in my life and these issues have made me stronger and have helped to prepare me for the fight ahead of me.
I am being charged with a federal crime for picking up a dead Great Horned Owl that Creator put into my path.
I found it on the side of the road last July 2004 on my way to ceremony.
The owl is a symbol of change. A lot of people believe that change to mean death and though death is change, it is not the only change that it presents.
This owl still had a mouse in its talons and the message given to me was that my family would always be taken care of.
The owl itself is a night watcher and I knew that he would always protect and watch over my alter while my family and I slept.
This was the message I received when I found it and this is consistent with messages I received while on Vision Quest and during other ceremonial times.
I found the owl in Knox Co. Indiana, but I live in Kentucky.
I wanted to honor the governments' law by applying for a permit because I knew that if I tried to take the feathers back home to Canada for ceremony, I would have a hard time coming back into the states without a permit for them.
I was 100 miles away from home, so I took the owl to the nearest taxidermist so it would not spoil, showed him my treaty card and he had me fill out paper work for it.
He was delighted that I had a treaty card, otherwise he would not be able to touch it, he said. He also said he would have to notify Fish and Wildlife Services and I encouraged him to do so because I wanted to apply for a permit anyway.
About 6 weeks later, around Sept. 2, I got a phone call from an agent named Paul Baringer.
He told me he had to check out my status and verify the details of who I was, where I was born, what my tribal affiliation was and what my reasons for wanting the owl were.
Then he told me that he saw no reason why I would not be issued a permit for the owl.
On December 1, 2004, I got a FedEx package delivered to me from Fish and Wildlife. I thought I had finally gotten my permit only to open it up and find a citation for the amount of $1000.00 for possession of a Great Horned Owl.
The agent that wrote the ticket is named Buddy Shapp. I called him up right then and asked him what the deal was.
He said that because I was born in Canada and because I am not a member of a federally recognized tribe, I have no rights here in the states.
He then told me that he thought my reasons for wanting the owl were bogus because he is part Cherokee and they don't want anything to do with the owl. I told him I was not going to pay the fine and that I would see him in court.
My court date is set for January 20, 2005 at Crane Naval Base in Crane, Indiana.
This is a maximum security naval base and I am limited as to who I can bring. They have told me that I can't bring any more than 5 people. My attorney spoke to the prosecutor and he said he is going full force with prosecuting me; that I broke the law by even touching that owl.
This hearing on the 20th will only be a few minutes long with me entering a not guilty plea. The trial date will be set for mid March and is also to be held at Crane Naval Base.
Again, I am limited to who can come with me. My attorney is going to ask for a change of venue, but if we can't get it, whoever comes to the trial is at risk of being arrested outside the gates of this high security compound.
I feel the government is holding my hearing and trial here on purpose because they don't want hundreds of Indians flooding the courtroom.
It would look bad on them.
So all I can do now is to try to get this out to the media as far and wide as I can.
The United States government is still dictating our spiritual way of life by making us get a permit for something that is supposed to be a given and received as an honor.
Eagle feathers, hawk feathers, owl feathers, and any part thereof, crow feathers, blue jay feathers, the list goes on and on.
I have the backing of several Spiritual Leaders, Medicine Men, and Chiefs from all over the U.S. and Canada who are willing to testify for me.
We are going to have to soepena all of them just for them to be able to come to court.
My family and I are outraged and ask any of you reading this to please spread this story far and wide. I am including my phone number if anyone wants to check the validity of this story.
The U.S. government has no right to dictate our religious beliefs or our sacred items and I should not have to wait on any kind of permit from a government that is trying to kick God out of every school and public building across this land.
How can they continue to cry and scream separation of church and state?
This is OUR church that is being controlled and dictated and I say it's time to put a stop to it.
Mitakuye Oyasin,
Matthew Cordes
270-351-6398

THE MEDICINE WALK

Iron Horse
David C. Behrens
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20'th CENTURY WARRIORS: American Indians have participated with distinction in United States military actions for more than 200 years.

BEING INDIAN IS....
Being Indian Is-feeding anyone and everyone who comes to your door hungry, with whatever you have.
Being Indian Is-having every third person you meet tell you about his great grandmother who was a real Cherokee princess.
Being Indian Is-being broke all summer long because you try to make every pow wow.
Being Indian Is-loving frybread and dry meat.
Being Indian Is-masking your emotions in times of stress.
Being Indian Is-respecting your elders who have earned it.
Being Indian Is-never giving up the struggle for survival.
Being Indian Is-trading your surplus commodities for something you are in more need of.
Being Indian Is-being known for your great sense of humour and having the ability to make jokes and laughter out of the worse situation.
Being Indian Is-not rioting in the streets but occupying godforsaken places like Alcatraz, Mount ushmore, the New York-Canadian bridge, etc.and Whiteclay, Nebraska!!! (And Gallatin/Owen Counties in KY & being *content* with it)
Being Indian Is-owning land and not being able to rent, lease, sell or even farm it yourself without BIA pproval.
Being Indian Is-feeling Red Eagle, Medicine Cloud, and Pretty Bear are more beautiful names than Smith, Johnson, or Jones.
Being Indian Is-watching your daughter give away her only pair of overshoes to somebody who needs them more than her.
Being Indian Is-having your all-Indian school team playing against 7 men on the basketball court.
Being Indian Is-playing basketball at the outdoor courts on the rez til 3:00 am.
Being Indian Is-either borrowing or lending money to your skin brothers and sisters at least once a week.
Being Indian Is-having people ask if they can touch your hair or take your picture.
Being Indian Is-worrying about diabetes.
Being Indian Is-knowing why the rez car in "Smoke Signals" was funny! Why of course its funny...I drive one of those..hehe (I had one ~ it went up in flames)
Being Indian Is-having more cousins than trees have leaves.
Being Indian Is-cutting the mold off the commodity cheese so you can eat it anyway.
Being Indian Is-having to explain *again* why you dont like the mascot. (So don't explain more than once, more than likely, they will abuse your words anyway)
Being Indian Is-cursing F.A.S.
Being Indian Is-fighting the likes of Slade Gordon
Being Indian Is-knowing the Reservation of Education.
Being Indian Is-eating salmon for the 6th meal in a row.
Being Indian Is-knowing too many people that have died of cirrhosis, exposure, or "accident"
Being Indian Is-knowing history started before 1492.
Being Indian Is-laughing with your friends so much your facial muscles hurt.
Being Indian Is-singing 49 songs using a garbage can for a drum.
Being Indian Is-road trips cross country . . . just because . . .
Being Indian is having the strength to move your family at any given moment, for any given reason of another...and making it . .
Being Indian Is-reading about your ancestors and relations in an anthropologist paper.
Being Indian Is-knowing someone in Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, San Fran, Minneapolis or any other relocation center.
Being Indian Is-losing your job after the grant ends.
Being Indian is losing your job because you're different.
Being Indian Is-having a song come to you at the oddest times. Aho!
Being Indian Is-counting the number of brown people photographed in magazine advertisements.
Being Indian Is-celebrating the whale hunt.
Being Indian Is-full of acronyms that affect your world (BIA, IHS, CSBG, ANA, FEMA, CCDBG, JTPA, WIA, SYEP, JOM, NIEA, UNITY.......
Being Indian is grieving for your ancestors
Being Indian Is - PRIDE.
Being Indian Is - BEAUTIFUL
Being Indian Is - FOREVER......
~Author unknown~

Found this on the site called "THE DRUM"
http://groups.msn.com/THEDRUM/welcome.msnw

I am now a member of "The Drum". Lots of good info on what's happening in the Native's World, as well as the environment.

Drums Within

Artist Perickson

The Native American Drum
A deep and Sacred part of Native American culture is the drum. Indian people know the beat of the drum to be the heartbeat of GrandMother Earth.
It is the healing rhythm that we hear when singing, dancing, or walking through this world.
The round form of the drum represents the circle of life and the whole universe. Its steady strong beat is the pulse, or the heartbeat, throbbing at the center of our world.
The sound of drumming moves our Spirit and helps us to know and understand the Natural world, and our place within it.
Drum music gives patience and understanding about the mystery and power of all things.

THE DRUM
Taken from the CD, "Drum Medicine"
by David and Steve Gordon
The Drum speaks
The Drum listens
The Drum is the center
The Drum is the circle
The Drum is the heart
The Drum binds us together
The Drum frees us
The Drum is the path
The Drum is the journey
The Drum is the medicine
The Drum is the healing
The Drum is the silence within the sound

"THE DRUM"
"Traditional teaching is as relevant today as it was in the time of my Ancestors. It is a blueprint for human behaviour - it connects us to the teachers of the natural and supernatural worlds, celestial beings, plants, animals, earth, air, fire, water -- respected equals, in other words, whose unique traits provide models for living in a "good way." There are lessons to be learned from both the seen and unseen worlds -- to be passed down from generation to generation through songs, drumming, stories, sharing, caring, medicine wheel teachings and ceremony."
(S. Thunderbird)
THE PERFECT HARMONY OF THE DRUM AND THE EARTH MOTHER
The magic of the Drum and its relation to Mother Earth's heartbeat moves one's consciousness into the inner worlds of vision, experience, and learning. It is often a time and place for Medicine Wheel teachings, of power animals and spirit guides of inner reflection and connection or re-connection to those things that really matter. The Drum takes us to that special place where we can reconnect to those things that truly matter to our spirits, minds, emotions and body. In other words, Spiritual and Physical integrity follows nerve, blood flows according to deepest cell needs, our spirits are fed, we are in rhythm with the Earth Mother.
THE DRUM IS FEMALE AND HUMAN
For Native people, the drum represents the universal heartbeat of Noo Halidzoks (Mother Earth) - the universal goddess and mother to us all. Her heartbeat on the drum can be done in a variety of ways, here are two suggestions:
• Tsimshian: Four steady beats, followed for two quick beats - one, two three, four, one/two, two three four, one/two, two, three, four.....)
• Anishinabe - two rhythmic beats - one/two - one/two - one/two.....
The first sound that was heard in the world was the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Native people manifest this heart beat through playing a special rhythm on the drum. This rhythm facilitates healing and realignment of the four realms of human existence (Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, Physical) because the Creator revolves around the rhythm. The drum when combined with the voice, creates a hum that rests between the voice and the drum and is thought to be the spirits of the Ancestors.
Therefore, Native hand drums are not percussion instruments per se or a toy, they are considered female and human because of their direct tie to the earth.
When playing a drum, it should never be hammered in an aggressive way, this suggests giving it a 'beating' and one must never 'hit' a woman! The teaching goes even further by stating that the drum mallet should not be referred to as a 'beater' because of the suggestion of aggression contained in the word. Ms Thunderbird refers to all her drum mallets as 'Feather Joe'.
The Big Drum was a gift from the women to the men a very long time ago, so that men could experience a resonant connection to the Earth Mother that naturally occurs with women. Therefore, it has been tribal custom for the most part, that women not sit at the big drum or play it.
As Native history has evolved, this practice has changed from tribe to tribe, and there are more and more instances where women are taking back the big drum, and raising their voices in joy. Also, this in some part has been borne out of the fact that many families who had only girl children, continued to pass down the important teachings.
THE DESTRUCTION OF MOTHER EARTH
One of the reasons that the earth is being destroyed at such an alarming rate, is the disconnect that humans have with her. We no longer hear her heartbeat. We lose ourselves in our quest for security through the acquisition of material possessions, paying little heed to the devastating cost to the environment in our zeal to have stuff, and look good. The drum is a constant reminder of the responsibility humans have toward the preservation and health of the Earth Mother
WOMEN PLAYING THE BIG DRUM
In the twenty-first century, as Indigenous cultures continued to adapt, evolve and move forward, and given the fact that women are taking back the drum which is their right to do because of the lack of leadership shown by Native men, it is becoming more common to see women big drum groups at powwows. This is a slow evolution because of the fierce patrilineal protection of turf (unfortunately learned behaviour by Native Men).
There has been much animosity and outright refusal to allow women drum groups to participate at certain powwows and other events.
If women think they are "offending" men by playing the big drum, Thunderbird suggests that those men who are offended are hanging onto territory which they do not own and, therefore, have no right to claim ownership, for the simple reason that the drum (no matter the size) is a universal symbol of healing, harmony, dignity, honour and wisdom.
Wherein, it is true that women, a long time ago, gave the big drum to men so they could feel the resonant connection to the Earth Mother that women, naturally feel, the gift did come with some strings attached.
That is, men were to respect women, and women's leadership role in the community; they were never to raise their voices or hands against women or children, they were to protect the "giver of life" at all costs.
Alas, this has not come to pass, and the prophecy that states, "when the maple trees start dying from the top, women will take back the drum" is starting to happen. Men have not fulfilled their promises, and women must now re-assert themselves in order to save themselves, their children and the Earth Mother.
OWNERSHIP OF THE DRUM AND DRUM ETIQUETTE
The drum is the exclusive property of the person who made it; or purchased it; or traded for it; or had it given to them as a gift OR prayed for it. It is not community property unless that is its purpose. If the drum belongs to an individual, then permission must be given by that individual for anyone else to even touch it much less play it. In other words, look but do not touch unless permission has been given. Keep reminding yourself that the drum is human and one does not fondle other humans without permission! Accord the drum the same respect.
THE VOICE OF THE DRUM
Just like humans, each drum has its own very unique voice and vibration. Each animal from which the drum is made has its own unique medicine; its spirit is part of the drum. In order to give a drum its voice it needs to 'woken' in sacred ceremony. Until the ceremony takes place the drum should not be played.
During ceremony the drum is first dedicated to the Original Creator.
The drum is a sacred object, therefore, when not in use it should be shrouded in its own bag made of natural materials, i.e. 100% cotton, animal hide). Hanging the drum on a wall as an art piece diminishes its voice and purpose. You wouldn't hang a human on a wall to be admired, and as the drum is human, it should not be put there either. The drum should always be placed skin-side up as a sign of respect.
PLAYING THE DRUM
"The drum is the Great Spirit's favorite instrument. That's why we were all given a heartbeat." --Mano, Navajo Elder
• Prayers are said each time the drum is used. • Prayers that ask Original Creator for the ability to sing in a good way. • Prayers that thank the Creator for the animal that gave it's life to become the hide for the drum. • Prayers for the people who hear, that they would be blessed and feel good when they hear the songs played. • In other words the drum is prayed for before it comes to the person, dedicated in prayer before it is used and prayed for before each use.
THE MAGIC OF DRUMMING CIRCLES
People from many different backgrounds are getting together to create connections through the sheer joy of drum rhythms. Drumming circles are the ultimate stress reducer, the prozac of the natural world if you will. It is a time for everyone to get together and just be. Natural biochemicals in the body are released which help boost the immune system, among other things. Inner chatter is instantly quieted, and a peaceful meditative state is often the result, as the drum connects with your own heartbeat. Adults re-learn how to play and have fun because remember, the drum is the ear of the Great Mystery. Peace on earth becomes a reality.
MESSAGES FROM THE DRUM
• I am Mother Earth's heartbeat and the sacred gift of Creation. • I am the universal heartbeat of the seen and unseen worlds. • I put the drummer in touch with creation itself. • I speak to all people equally and peacefully. • I fulfill and create spiritual, mental, emotional and physical balance. • I am a powerful non-verbal form of peaceful communication. • I am the practice of peace. • I am renewal, re-growth and fulfillment. • I am the pulse of the Universe. • I am alert, alive and ready to move the drummer to another state of consciousness. • My top represents the sky. • My bottom represents the earth • My stitching represents the warriors for peace who play me. • I am the ancient wisdom of the Ancestors. • The hand of the drummer is never raised in anger. • The hand of the drummer should not be raised above the heart, for I am peace. • I release tension, emotional stress and mental fatigue. • I reconnect with the natural rhythms of the drummer. • I remind you that Creation is alive and sacred. • I take you to the dream world to let your unconscious speak with your conscious in safety and harmony. • When you play with me there is a synchronization of energy, a unity and a common purpose. • When you hear the rhythm of the group drumming and contribute your beat, you are listening and playing , receptive and creative at the same time.
All My Relations,
Shannon Thunderbird

PROTECT THE WOLVES

THE ANIMAL RESCUE SITE--FEED AN ANIMAL SIMPLY BY CLICKING--NO COST TO YOU

The Circle
A poem by John Lame Deer
The Indian's symbol is the circle, the hoop.
Nature wants things to be round.
The bodies of Human beings and Animals have no corners.
With us the circle stands for the togetherness
of people who sit with one another
around the campfire,
relatives and friends united in peace
while the Pipe passes from hand to hand.
The camp in which every tipi had it's place
was also in a ring.
The tipi was a ring in which people sat in a circle
and all the families in the village
were in turn circles
within a larger circle,
part of the larger hoop
which was the seven campfires of the Sioux,
representing one Nation.
The Nation was only part of the Universe,
in itself circular and made of the Earth,which is
Round,
of the Sun,which is round,
of the Stars,which is round.
The Moon, the Horizon, the Rainbow--
Circles within Circles,
with no beginning and no end.
John Lame Deer
From the book,"Meditations With The Lakota"
Title Unknown
A poem by John Lame Deer
I'm an Indian.
I think about common things like this pot.
The bubbling water comes from the rain cloud.
It represents the sky.
The fire comes from the sun.
which warms us all, men, animals, trees.
The meat stands for the four legged creatures,
our animal brothers,
who gave themselves so that we should live.
The steam is living breath.
It was water, now it goes up to the sky,
becomes a cloud again.
These things are Sacred.
Looking at that pot of good soup,
I am thinking how in this simple manner,
the Great Spirit takes care of me.
John Lame Deer
From the book,"Meditations With The Lakota" by Paul Steinmetz

"Ancient Voices"
Did you listen today?
What did your hear?
The ancient ones call and we feel them around us, but we do not listen.
We no longer hear the voices in the wind as the leaves and branches tell us stories.
The moon brings us messages and we do not see them.
We are to busy with the world created by man.
Take your children back to the times when the voices were heard and the signs were given.
Go back before the importance of Creation leaves us forever.
The voices of the ancestors may have been silenced by the death call but they are only a whisper away.
Their music may have faded from our ears but must we let the delicate sounds of our past go with them?
Our children need the teachings that are leaving us forever.
Sing the words in a lullaby,
whisper to them so they hear, lead them and they will follow.
Never let our traditions die.
Respected and revered the old ones still walk with us.
They hold our hand to help us see.
They still lead us and we must follow. We need not let the dreams they had for the future depart this life. This is why they honored us with their wisdom.
When they leave us one by one, they take the book with them, leaving a patchwork of dreams on the web of life.
What we do with the patches will help us to grow in wisdom.
The Earth Mother is bountiful enough for all her children.
Working together we can bring back the unique and powerful voice of our past.
Grasp the insights and perceptions in the wind.
The future of our children depends on our actions today.
Do not let the voices of the ancestors or the echoes of their songs fade away.
October 29, 2000
~ Momfeather
Found on the "United Native America".com site.
URL:http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/main.html

WORKING WITH ANIMAL SPIRITS----LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR ANIMAL SPIRIT

Cairn of the Medicine Seeker
Blackbear Bosin
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Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth Teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep in the rain.
Ute, North American

Fighting "For" an "Offical" National Native American Holiday.
Fighting "Against" the Unfair treatment of the Native American.
To learn more,please go to:
http;//www.unitednativeamerica.com/main.html

Indian Buffalo Hunt
Charles M. Russell
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Columbus Day is "Child Abuse Day" in Americas schools and your tax dollars are paying for it! Americas school children are being physically punished with whippings, detentions, scolding, suspension, made to stand in the corner of the class room plus put down in front of class mates for telling the truth about Columbus.
This is an outrage for Americas children being treated this way for knowing and saying the truth about Christopher Columbus in our nations schools. It's a fact our children are being treated in this manner by teachers around the nation, Columbus Day is a federal tax paid national holiday.
It's a national sick joke for our tax dollars to pay for this man's holiday, our children are taught he is a hero, a person to be looked up to. The true history of Columbus cannot be taught to our school children because it's to disturbing, parents are telling their children he is no hero, they are finding out he was an Indian slave trader, tortured Indians, destroyed their homes and communities.
Seventeen states have drooped Columbus Day as a state holiday, the state of South Dakota has changed it to Native American Day, this should happen nation wide, the Italian community should drop Columbus Day and have Italian Heritage Day. Columbus is the Hitler of the Americas!
Mike L. Graham
Founder United Native America

www.UnitedNativeAmerica.co,

"Columbus, The Exploiter"
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, in search of new lands, gold and the wealth that it would bring. He "discovered" the already inhabited islands of the Caribbean where millions of Taino people had lived for 1,000's of years.
Columbus wrote in his journal that they were strong, well-built people & so generous you had to see it to believe it.
He also wrote that with his weapons and 50 men he could enslave the entire population.
The Taino were forced to mine for gold for him. Those who refused were killed, those who did not meet their quota had their hands cut off and were left to bleed to death.
Women and children were raped.
The people were tortured, starved, worked to death and killed in despicable ways; hung in groups of 13 representing the Savior and the Apostles, roasted alive and cut in half with swords.
Shiploads of Tainos were taken to Spain to be sold for profit at the slave market, those who died enroute were thrown overboard. Millions died as greed and brutality brought death and destruction to the Taino population.
Columbus was the very first to engage in the slave trade in the Americas.
In spite of his actions and the devastating consequences for all Native peoples, and although 17 states refuse to celebrate it, our country still honors him as a hero by giving him one of our 8 federal holidays.

Morning Glory (LE)
Sheila Hill
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TO VIEW AND SIGN A PETITION TO ABOLISH "THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS",PLEASE GO TO:

http://www.petitiononline.com/rdmr3/petition.html

HASN'T THE UNITED STATES GOV.CAUSED ENOUGH INTERFERANCE AND INTERRUPTION IN THE LIVES OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS?
ARE THEY AS CHILDREN,THAT THEY CANNOT GOVERN THEMSELVES?

During the 1950's there was an officially adopted policy toward the Native population of Termination of Tribal Self-Rule and Tribal Government.In 1968,another bill was passed that REQUIRED Native Americans TO GIVE THEIR CONSENT TO SUCH CONTROL. During this DARK PERIOD, some 61 Tribes LOST THEIR FEDERAL SUPPORT.

http://www.petitiononline.com/BigMount/petition.html

"PEACE AND HARMONY FOR THE DINEH,HOPI,AND MOTHER EARTH" PETITION.

THESE TRADITIONAL PEOPLE(S) ARE BEING DRIVEN OFF OF THEIR LAND,AND OUT OF THEIR HOMES, (THAT THEY HAVE HAD IN THEIR FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS), AND ALL IN THE NAME OF "PROGRESS".
PLEASE SIGN THE PETION TO HELP.YOUR VOICE DOES HELP AND WILL BE HEARD.

http://www.petitiononline.com/na60min/petition.html

"GENOCIDE OF NATIVE AMERICANS" PETITION.

PLEASE GO TO THIS SITE TO VIEW AND SIGN THIS PETITION.

THERE HAS BEEN A DELIBERATE CAMPAIGN OF HATE AND PREJUDISM AGAINST THE NATIVE AMERICANS,BY THE UNITED STATES GOV.,FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
EVEN THOUGH WE LIVE IN A "SUPPOSED"ENLIGHTENED SOCIETY AND WORLD,THE DELIBERATE CAMPAIGN TO EXTERMINATE THE NATIVE AMERICAN STILL GOES ON.

The 1920's marked a PARTICULARLY DARK PERIOD in the History of Native American people.The DEATH RATE during that period,FAR EXCEEDED THE BIRTH RATE.

When Columbus first visited America,there was an estimated population of Native Americans at upwards of 15 MILLION. According to a 1990 CENSUS,the Total population of Native Americans in this country NOW, has FALLEN TO A MERE 2 MILLION.

ALSO,PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT PETION,WHICH ADDRESSES THIS EXACT ISSUE,IN MUCH MORE DETAIL.

http://www.petitiononline.com/0001/petition.html

IT IS CALLED"BLOOD QUANTUM DOES NOT DETERMINE IDENTITY".

To read this petition,please scan below.I have included it ,because this is an issue I Personally feel Very Strongly about.

White Mans Mocassins
Lee Marmon
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Petition:"Blood Quantum Does Not Determine Identity"
Native America does not believe that the "BIA" or any other government organization has the right to determine who is or is not Native American by degree of blood.
There is no other group in America that is ever asked who they are by how much blood.
This archaic process began in 1705 in Virginia as a way of denying civil rights to blacks and Indians who at that time were assumed to be inferior races.
Many states instituted these laws as a way of deciding who had equal rights to whites and encouraged people of color to relinquish their identities so as to be able to enjoy the rights freely given to others.
In this way, it was assumed that Native people would eventually become extinct through assimilation and intermarriage. But this did not, and will not, happen.
Native people, even through intermarriage and assimilation will not disappear. Even through intermarriage and assimilation, Native people still hold tightly to their culture and their lineage and must be honored and recognized by their own determination alone, not by degree of blood.
The idea that any government can identify who is Native and who is not by blood quantum is an out dated and unnecessary ideology that is held today because of the governments unwillingness to provide services to people with certain degrees of blood.
It is time to do away entirely with this process. Blood quantum does not determine who and what Indians are.
Only Native societies and /or communities have the sovereign right to determine who is and who isn't a part of their nation, tribe, clan, or community.
Because it has always been an Indian value to be inclusive, high numbers of black Indians, Hispanics and Anglos have been accepted through various means into many Indian communities, in addition to those who are Indian, with mixed ancestry.
Every indigenous nation had and has a process for accepting, or adopting outsiders into the fold. From mixed blood Indians through intermarriage, to like-minded people of other races, indigenous communities and nations must determine "who is Indian".
It is no mystery that America has financial obligations to its Indian nations and "certified" Indian people, but these are doled out intermittently and begrudgingly.
Simply put, the fewer indigenous citizens, the less money will be paid out. And the more difficult it is to be legally certified "Indian", the less Indians there will be.
Not only is this "Racist Economics" in action but it is also blood quantum genocide.
By allowing America to determine who is Indian, simply because the government does'nt want to be held accountable, to their word, by meeting their obligations, we allow the US government to legislate Indians out of existence.
No other group including African Americans, Asians, Latinos need a card to prove who they are.
With this petition, we are declaring that the only recognition necessary is that of community acceptance and involvement.
This is the right of our sovereignty and self determination. As with all other people in all other social programs in this country, the people that should be the recipients of Indian government programs should be determined solely by need, not by blood quantum and not by association with reservations.
Submitted by:
Christine Rose/STAR
www.egroups.com/group/STAR-STAR
Lawrence Sampson/SETAim
www.setaim.com
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
This is something I personally feel Very Strongly about,(being of mixed blood,myself)
and therefore I have included the entire petition here.
You STILL Must go to the site to sign it.

http://www.petitiononline.com/Clemency/petition.html
Clemency for Leonard Peltier :
LEONARD HAS BEEN WRONGLY IMPRISONED FOR 23 YEARS.HE HAS BEEN A SCAPEGOAT FOR THE F.B.I. AND THE U.S. GOVERMENT,TO COVER UP THEIR WRONG-DOING.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO FREE THIS INNOCENT MAN.

"Gold, Greed & Genocide"
Over 150,000 Native Americans lived sustainably in California prior to the gold rush. They had existed for many centuries, supporting themselves mostly by hunting, gathering and fishing.
This life changed drastically in 1848 when James Marshall discovered the yellow metal in the American River at Coloma, in Northern California.
By 1870, there was an estimated native population of only 31,000 Californian Indians left.
Over 60 percent of these indigenous people died from disease introduced by hundreds of thousands of so-called 49ers.
However, local tribes were also systematically chased off their lands, marched to missions and reservations, enslaved and brutally massacred.
In 1851, the California State government paid $1 million for scalping missions. You could still get $5 for a severed Indian head in Shasta in 1855, and twenty five cents for a scalp in Honey Lake in 1863.
Over 4,000 Native American children were sold - prices ranged from $60 for a boy to $200 for a girl.
The gold miners dug up 12 billion tons of earth - excavating river beds and blasting apart hillsides in their greed.
In addition, they used mercury to extract gold from the ore, losing 7,600 tons of the toxic chemical into local rivers and lakes. The amount of mercury required to violate federal health standards today would be equivalent to one gram in a small lake.
Although this gold rush ended in the late 19th century, a new gold rush began in the 1960s.
In California, Nevada and around the globe, multinational companies have begun to use giant earth movers and new technology using deadly cyanide to extract gold from Indigenous lands.
For More Information (or) to order a copy of the "Gold, Greed and Genocide" Video and Curriculum,
contact the IITC San Francisco Office,
(415) 641-4482,
e-mail iitc@igc.apc.org
Gold, Greed and Genocide web page: www.1849.org

We had no churches, no religious organizations, no sabbath day, no holidays, and yet we worshiped.
Sometimes the whole tribe would assemble and sing and pray.
The singer would occasionally put in such words as he wished instead of the usual tone sound.
Sometimes we prayed in silence; sometimes an aged person prayed for all of us.
At other times one would rise and speak to us of our duties to each other.
Our services were short.

Geronimo.....Apache Chief

Geronimo is said to have had magical powers.
He could see into the future, walk without creating footprints, and even hold off the dawn to protect his own.
This Apache Indian Chief and Warrior, and his band of followers defied federal authority for more than 25 years."

GERONIMO -- APACHE

ARTIST JAMES L. VLASATY

TRAIL OF TEARS

BY ROBERT LIDNEUX

"Legend of the Cherokee Rose"
When the Trail of Tears started in 1838, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much, they were unable to help their children survive the journey.
The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother’s spirits to give them strength.
The next day a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother’s tears fell.
The rose is white for their tears;
a gold center represents the gold taken from Cherokee lands,
and seven leaves on each stem for the seven Cherokee clans.
The wild Cherokee Rose grows along the route of the "Trail of Tears" into eastern Oklahoma today.

"Seven Clans of the Cherokee Society" by Marcelina Reed;
Illustrated by William Taylor (available from Cherokee Publications http://www.cherokeepub.com/ )
1. Blue (A ni sa ho ni) They made a medicine from a bluish colored plant to keep the children well. Sometimes known also as the Panther or Wild Cat clan.
2. Long Hair (A ni gi lo hi) also known as The Twister, Hair Hanging Down, or Wind clan. They wore their hair in elaborate hairdos, walked in a proud and vain manner twisting their shoulders. The Peace Chief was usually from this clan.
3. Bird (A ni tsi s kwa) They were the keepers of the birds, skilled in using blowguns and snares for bird hunting.
4. Paint (A ni wo di) They made red paint and were the sorcerers and medicine men.
5. Deer (A ni ka wi) They were the keepers of the deer and were known as fast runners and deer hunters.
6. Wild Potato (A ni ga to ge wi) They gathered the wild potato in swamps along the streams for food. They were also known as the Bear, Raccoon, or Blind Savannah clan.
7. Wolf (Ani wa yah) This was the largest and most prominent clan providing most of the tribe's war chiefs. They were the keepers of the wolf and were the only clan who could kill a wolf.
Seven Clans of the Cherokee Society
From ancient times the number seven was sacred to the Cherokee. Consequently, as nomadic tribes wandering the North American continent began to settle down and take on distinctive characteristics of place, name, language, and customs, it was only natural and logical that the basic arrangement of Cherokee social, religious and political life would develop into a structure of seven clans.
The seven-clan system, along with many other developments around the number seven, contributed to making the Cherokee distinctive from the many other Native American tribes.
The sacred number seven permeates Cherokee legends, beliefs, and customs including the seven sided council house, the sacred fire which was kindled with seven different kinds of wood, the seven directions and the seven Cherokee Festivals.
The Cherokees had a matrilineal society, a social system in which their descent was traced strictly though their mother's side of the family. In the Cherokee's matrilineal kinship system, a person received his mother's clan at birth and retained this clan for life, and his only kinsmen were those who could be traced through her, that is her mother's mother, mother's sisters, the children of mother's sisters and, the most important and powerful man in a child's life, the mother's brother. This social structure baffled whites.
The primary responsibility for discipline and instruction in hunting and warfare rested not with the child's father but with his maternal uncle. Not even the right of the father to stay in the home was certain because Cherokee women owned the dwellings.
If the husband was ousted from the home, he simply returned to the residence of his clan until he married again. His children, however, remained with their mother and kinsmen.
It is sometimes said that the Cherokees wore feathers of different colors to indicate their clan membership. In early literature, reference is made to a total of fourteen clans, but was reduced to seven by either combining some clans or eliminating some over time.
The seven clans are frequently mentioned in the sacred formulas used by the Cherokee Indians and in some of the laws issued within the last one hundred (100) years.

"CHEROKEE WORDS--BASIC GREETINGS"

Hello ... O-si-yo
How are you? ... (t)do-`hi-tsu
I am fine ... (t)`o-si-gwu
Are you fine? ... to-hi-ju
All right ... o-si-gwu
Fine ... o-s-di
Good ... o-s-da
No good ... tla-o-s-da
Okay ... ho wa
Bad ... u-yo-i
Yes, I'm fine ... (t)do`hi-qu-u
And you? ... ni-na
Good morning ... o-s-da sunalei
Good evening ... o-s-da sv-hi-ye-yi
Good night ... o-s-da sv-no-i
Please ... ho-wa-tsu
Thank you, thanks ... wa-do
You're welcome ... gv-li-e-li-ga
Welcome ... tsi-lu -gi
Goodbye(speaking to one person) ... do-na-da-`go-v-i
Goodbye(speaking to a group) ... do-`da-ga-g`hv-i

Equa (great)
Adanvdo (spirit)
adadolisdi (bless)
nigadv (all)
gago (who)
ayvsdi (enter)
ahan (here)
Blessing of God>>> Unelanvhi udadolisdi
Blessing >>> Adadoligi
Blessed>>> Vdadilvquotanv

Lakota Words:
vwaste' lake = love
tiwahe = family
pilamyaye = thankyou
hau = hi,hello
huka = ancestor
sunmanitu = coyote
sawana = shawnee tribe
wanagiyata = spiritland
wetu = spring
bloketu = summer
pta yetu = fall(autumn)
waniyetu = winter
thank you....'pilamia'...(pec-la-mie-ay)
Grandfather...Tunkasila....(tune-kaw-she-la)
how are you...'do nkte.tuka.wo ...(doe-neek-two-caw-woe)
good....'waste'...(wash-tay)

"More Lakota Words"

Yes ~ Han
OK ~ o han
by the way ~ lot kunk `sni
I suppose ~ na `ce `ce
what's wrong? ~ to ka ho?
Look! ~ wan la wa!
Look! ~ wa yan ka!
Don’t do that! ~ he `cu sni ye
Don’t do that! ~ he `cu sni yo
to find interesting ~ i ska
I'm hungry ~ lo wa `cin

"The Creek"
The "Creek Nation" was originally located in the Southeastern United States,and was a union made up of several smaller tribes who joined together and formed a confederacy.
The Creeks are one of the tribes included in what people refer to as "The Five Civilized Tribes".
They were also among the Tribes that were "relocated" west of the Mississippi River in the early to mid 1800's.
The "Creek Nation of Oklahoma" is made up of decendants of those members of the tribe that survived the journey west.
The "Eastern" Creek are surviving members that stayed in the east and either hid or were overlooked by the government.
There is a list of the different "Tribes" of the Creek Nation available online.
http://ngeorgia.com/history/creek.html is concerned with the Creek Nation in Georgia
http://www.muscogeenation-nsn.gov/ is concerned with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma

Quanah Parker

Quanah Parker was the last Chief of the Commanches and never lost a battle to the white man. His tribe roamed over the area where Pampas stands.
He was never captured by the Army, but decided to surrender and lead his tribe into the white man's culture, only when he saw that there was no alternative.
His was the last tribe in the Staked Plains to come into the reservation system.

Quanah, meaning "Fragrant," was born about 1850, son of Comanche Chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, a white girl taken captive during the 1836 raid on Parker's Fort, Texas.
Cynthia Ann Parker was recaptured, along with her daughter, during an 1860 raid on the Pease River in northwest Texas. She had spent 24 years among the Comanche, however, and thus never readjusted to living with the whites again.

She died in Anderson County, Texas, in 1864 shortly after the death of her daughter, Prairie Flower. Ironically, Cynthia Ann's son,Quanah, would adjust remarkably well to living among the white men. But first he would lead a bloody war against them.

"The white man made us many promises,more than I can remember,but they never kept but one.They promised to take our land,and they took it".

Chief Red Cloud--Dakota Sioux

Red Cloud did not come from a ruling family.He became Chief by virtue of his forceful character and his heroic deeds.
As a member of the Snake Clan,and because of his many outstanding virtues,he became a Principal Chief of the Oglala Teton Sioux,the largest band in the Sioux nation.He was probably the most famous and powerful chief in the history of the tribe.

Red Cloud became bitter enemies with the white man because he could see the white man's disregard for the Native American and his way of life.Red Cloud could envision nothing but disaster and destruction for his people if white settlers were allowed access to his people's lands.

His father died of Alcholism,introduced to the tribes by early settlers.This personal disaster showed Red Cloud clearly the harm done to his people by the white man.

He was successful in stopping the occupation of Fort Phil Kearney,along the Piney Creek near the Bighorn Mountains,and kept the Bozeman Trail to Montana closed for several years.

At Fort Laramie on Nov.6,1868,Red Cloud finally signed an agreement for peace,but not until Fort Phil Kearney was abandononed.This kept his people free of the invaders FOR THE TIME BEING.

After signing the treaty,Red Cloud never took to the Warpath again.He had won one victory for his people,but knew he could not win another.

He died a feeble and partially blind man on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota on Dec.10,1909.

CHIEF RED CLOUD

ARTIST JAMES L. VLASATY

NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HOLIDAY PETITION

"THE SHAWNEE"
Originally the Shawnee were believed to be located in Southern Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.
In the mid 1600s the Iroguois, from the north, drove them from their homes and they were scattered to the Carolinas, Tennessee, Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern Illinois.
Later, just before the mid 1700s, they manage to return to their homelands only to be driven out again. This time by the European invaders who were bent on settling this new land and claiming it as their own.
Shawnee comes from the Algonquin word "Shawun," meaning "Southerner."
Shawnee usually call themselves the Shawano, Shawanoe, or Shawanese.
Currently there are more than 14,000 Shawnee located on reservations in four distinct groups: The Absentee Shawnee, the Eastern Shawnee and the Cherokee Shawnee, with the Cherokee Nation, all of which are in Oklahoma.
The largest of these groups is what is called the Loyal Shawnee who were incorporated into the Cherokee in the 1860s. They received the name "Loyal" for having served the union during the Civil War.
The fourth is called the Shawnee Nation Remnant Band which is said to have descended from the Ohio Shawnee. Although not recognized by the federal government nor accepted by the other three groups of Shawnee, they were officially recognized by the State of Ohio in 1980 and purchased close to 200 acres near Urbana and Chillicothe.
This group appears to have managed to avoid removal during the 1830s.
(The following is excerpted from The Life of a Shawnee by W. L. Mundell:)
"Shawnee children grew up as free as the animals that roamed the forests around them.
Young boys were encouraged by elders to engage in sports of running, swimming and jumping in order to strengthen muscles and build stamina, and to practice archery to develop their skills as hunters and warriors.
The young girls busied themselves imitating their mothers, making mud pies, and particularly developing their skills in molding vessels of clay.
Shawnee men were hunters and warriors.
The women of the tribe did the domestic labor. They built the lodges, dressed the game, cooked, planted and cultivated the gardens, scraped and tinned hides, made clothing and blankets, wove baskets and made vessels of clay.
The women also cared for the ailments within a tribe, and were extremely skillful at mixing herbs and setting fractured bones.
The Shawnee believed in Moneto, a supreme being who ruled the entire universe and distributed blessings upon all who earned his favor, and desperate sorrow upon those who merited his disfavor.
The Great Spirit of the Shawnee was a grandmother who ruled the destinies of her children. She eternally wove a great net which, when finished, would be dropped over the world.
She would then draw the net back up to the heavens. Those who had proven themselves worthy would be caught up in the net and taken to a better life, those who fell back through the net would suffer an unspeakable fate as the world came to an end.
Each Shawnee was judge of his own conduct and was held accountable for it. They lived by their own standards, and shrugged off value judgments placed among them by people outside of their tribe.
The "Golden Rule" of the Shawnees was: "Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not him that you injure, you injure yourself. But do good to him, therefore add to his days of happiness as you add to your own. Do not wrong or hate your neighbor, for it is not him that you wrong, you wrong yourself. But love him, for Moneto loves him also as he loves you."
Training in history, codes of conduct, and traditions were carried on by the elders, who memorized the creeds and passed them on from generation to generation.
Additionally, every father was a teacher of his sons; every mother taught her daughters.
The men enjoyed communal hunts greatly. These were usually followed by long and friendly talks around the glowing embers of a campfire. The talks covered everything from national history and current events to the light wit of bantering about someone's umsoma, or a bad shot taken during a hunt. The women and children sat quietly and respectfully nearby, listening intently to the conversation.
An Indian tribe consisted of the entire body of a nation. A clan represented a group within the tribe. The principal chief of the Shawnee could be compared with the President of the United States, with the clan chiefs as governors.
Of the original twelve clans of the Shawnee tribe, history finds them with only five clans left in existence: the Thawegila, Peckuwe and Kispokotha, who generally stood together on tribal matters; and the Chalahgawtha and Maykujay, who were likewise closely related in their activities. Each clan had its duties to the tribe.
The Peckuwes were responsible for warfare and the training of warriors for battle.
The Maykujays answered for matters pertaining to food, health and medicine.
The two most powerful clans, the Thawegilas and Chalahgawthas, were responsible for overall tribal government and politics…"
Well known leaders in the Shawnee Nation were Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (The Prophet), Cornstalk, Blackfish, Black Hoof, and Bluejacket.

Ten Indian Commandments
Buy American Indians Posters At AllPosters.com

"NATIVE AMERICAN CODE OF ETHICS"

1.Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

2.Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3.Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4.Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5.Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6.Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it be people or plant.

7.Honor other people's thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

8.Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

9.All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.

10.Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

11. Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us. They are part of your worldly family.

12. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life's lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.

13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.

14. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of ones will within this universe.

15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self - all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.

16. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions.

17. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others - especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.

18. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.

19. Respect others religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others.

20. Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity.

~Thank you, SpiritTurtle~

I've seen and read this on quite a few Native American sites,however,this copy came from "The Drum" http://groups.msn.com/THEDRUM/millionnativesmarch.msnw. Go to the website to learn all about them,and what they are trying to accomplish.

"THE BLACKFOOT"

People are sometimes confused about the names, Blackfoot and Blackfeet. Many think that Blackfeet is just the plural of Blackfoot. This is not true.
They are two different tribes of Native Americans. The Blackfeet are a small Sioux tribe from Dakota territory.
The Blackfoot, are descendants of a large and powerful Algonquian tribe, located in Montana and Canada.
The Blackfoot migrated west from the great forestlands of the northeast. Researchers know this because the Blackfoot language