Native American Resources

Long Hair

2012-02-11T10:27:00.001-05:00

Long hair has a long tradition among many Native American Nations. This song, Indian Drums, speaks to ways NA's have been forced to conform, including hair cutting.

Here is a story from among a nonNative community.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/jt-gaskins-cancer-survivo_n_1241873.html
A boy who is a cancer survivor is growing his hair to donate to Lock for Love. He was suspended for three days because it is against school policy.

Things People Say to Native Americans

2012-01-15T18:15:00.000-05:00

She is "on the mark" with the silly comments people makes, followed up with ignorant questions.

Native American Foods - BACKGROUND - listed alphabeticaly

2011-12-24T10:51:00.007-05:00

REFERENCE: While I knew the foods, compiled the list, and looked for specific things (Nation, Culture, History, Region) the words are not my own. Several resources helped me with the words, including Wikipedia, tribal links, recipes links, and others. Use "Google" with any selection of words to find the original site.

A very few of these foods existed simultaneously outside on the Americas (in other countries), but they might have been different species (ie: the sweet potato is American and the yam is African) or different varieties (ie: grapes, rice) or migratory with a "home" in the Americas (ie: lobster). I find these phrases help me to remember categories for Native American Foods:

Nuts & Berries
CBS - Corn, Beans & Squash
Tomatoes, Potatoes, & Peppers
Fish, Shellfish & Rice

Agave: Native to the southern and western United States and central and tropical South America, plants have a large rosette of thick fleshy leaves, each ending generally in a sharp point and with a spiny margin. Related to Yucca, not a cacti, closely related to Aloe whose leaves are similar in appearance. The name "century plant" refers to the time the plant takes to flower. The juice from many species of agave can cause acute contact dermatitis. Episodes of itching may recur up to a year thereafter, even though there is no longer a visible rash. Dried plants can be handled with bare hands with little or no effect.

Amaranth: The Amaranth plant is native to South and North America. It was once a staple and the preferred grain of the Aztec, Inca and Maya civilizations. Hermando Cortes was disturbed by the association of amaranth with the practice of human sacrifice among the Aztecs. He outlawed the broad-leafed amaranth grain plant and made its use by the native Indians punishable by death. On religious holidays, Aztec women ground the seed, mixed it with honey, and then shaped it into idols that were eaten ceremoniously. To the Spanish catholic fathers this looked like an apostate form of the catholic religion, so they decided the way to get rid of the sacrifices was to get rid of the amaranth. The fact that the Aztec were strong and healthy because they were eating the amaranth plant and amaranth seed was also likely a key factor in their decision to outlaw the use of amaranth.

Arrowroot: Mayan starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of the Cocoa bean (Nahuatl: cacaua). Archaeological studies show evidence of arrowroot cultivation as early as 7,000 years ago. The name may come from aru-aru (meal of meals) in the language of the Arawak people, for whom the plant is a staple. It has also been suggested that the name comes from arrowroot's use in treating poison arrow wounds, as it draws out the poison when applied to the site of the injury.

Avocado: The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico and classified in the flowering plant family along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. The oldest evidence of avocado use was found in a cave located in Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico, that dates to around 10,000 BC. The avocado tree also has a long history of cultivation in Central and South America; a water jar shaped like an avocado, dating to AD 900, was discovered in the pre-Incan city of Chan Chan.

Bell Peppers: Cultivated to produce different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green, native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America, Pepper seeds were carried to Spain in 1493 and spread to other European, African and Asian countries. China is the world's largest producer in the world, followed by Mexico.

Black Bean: One of over 500 varieties of kidney beans, black beans are also known as turtle beans, caviar criollo, and frijoles negros. These beans date back at least 7,000 years, when they were a staple food in the diets of Central and South Americans. Popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found in Cajun and Creole cuisines of south Louisiana.

Blueberries: Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium (a genus which also includes cranberries and bilberries). The dark-blue berries are perennial and native to North America. For centuries, blueberries were gathered from the forests and the bogs by Native Americans and consumed fresh and also preserved. The blossom end of each berry, the calyx, forms the shape of a perfect five-pointed star; the elders of the tribe would tell of how the Great Spirit sent "star berries" to relieve the children's hunger during a famine. A tea made from the leaves of the plant was thought to be good for the blood. Blueberry juice was used to treat coughs. The juice also made an excellent dye for baskets and cloth. The dried berries were also crushed into a powder and rubbed into meat for flavor. A beef jerky called Sautauthig (pronounced saw'-taw-teeg), was made with dried blueberries and meat and was consumed year round.

Cashew: Derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. While native to Northern South America, the Portuguese took the cashew plant to Goa, India, between the years of 1560 and 1565. From there it spread throughout Southeast Asia and eventually Africa.

Chia:
Cultivated or gathered by the Aztecs, Mayas, Tehuantapecs, and other Native American peoples, Chia seeds were a diet component and a basic survival ration of Aztec warriors. In most of these cultures, chia was a staple food considered to be sacred, and was consumed specifically for greater energy by runners, warriors, and athletes. Supposedly, 1 tablespoon of the seeds could sustain a person for 24 hours. A better source of omega-3 fatty acids than flaxseed (the fats protect against inflammation and heart disease), Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows in southern Mexico. The Aztecs also used chia medicinally to relieve joint pain and skin conditions. It was a major crop in central and southern Mexico well into the 16th century, but it was banned after the Spanish conquest because of its association with the Aztec "pagan" religion.

Chocolate: The cacao tree may have originated in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, current day Venezuela, where today, examples of wild cacao still can be found. The dried and fully fermented fatty seed is where cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted, and are the basis of chocolate. The Olmecs first cultivated it in at least 1500 BC. The cocoa bean was a common currency throughout Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquest. Moctezuma II, emperor of the Aztecs, took no other beverage than chocolate, served in a golden goblet, flavored with vanilla or other spices, and whipped into a froth that dissolved in the mouth.

Corn: From Taíno mahiz, domesticated in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times, it is the most widely grown crop in the Americas with 332 million metric tons grown annually in the U.S.A. Approximately 40% of the crop - 130 million tons - is used for corn ethanol. Outside the Americas, the common term for maize was "corn." This was originally the English term for any cereal crop, so even foods that were not maize were called “corn.” In North America, its meaning has been restricted since the 19th century to maize, as it was shortened from “Indian corn.” The term “Indian corn” now refers specifically to multi-colored “field corn.”

Cranberries: A group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines. Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, especially for pemmican, wound medicine and dye. Calling the red berries Sassamanash, Native Americans may have introduced cranberries to starving English settlers in Massachusetts who incorporated the berries into traditional feasts.

Goosefoot (Quinoa): Grown at 10,000 to 20,000 feet above sea level, quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, brought sustenance to the Inca people and allowed them to thrive in the harsh living conditions that prevail at such altitudes where oxygen is considerably reduced. Bolivian athletes combine coca leaves and ash from the quinoa plant to increase the body's oxygen because quinoa ash releases alkaloids in the coca. It is a pseudo-cereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. Originating in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, it was successfully domesticated 3000 to 4000 years ago. The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as chisaya mama or “mother of all grains,” and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using “golden implements.” During the European conquest of South America, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as “food for Indians.” Under Pizarro's rule in 1532, the Inca were forbidden to practice their ceremonial rituals that centered on quinoa. Fortunately, it still grew wild in the higher altitudes where it could be hidden from the Spaniards. Small amounts were consumed in secret.

Jalapeño Peppers: Commonly picked and consumed while still green, allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red, and cultivated from a species Capsicum annuum which originated in Mexico.

Lobster: In North America, the American lobster did not achieve popularity until the mid-19th century, when New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for it. Prior to this time, lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for indentured servants or lower members of society in Maine, Massachusetts and the Canadian Maritimes, and servants specified in employment agreements that they would not eat lobster more than twice per week. American lobster was initially deemed worthy only of being used as fertilizer or fish bait, and it was not until well into the twentieth century that it was viewed as more than a low-priced canned staple food. Their longevity allows them to reach impressive sizes. According to the Guinness World Records, the largest lobster was caught in Nova Scotia, Canada, and weighed 44.4 lb.

Maple Syrup: The Ojibwe first collected the sap called "sweet water" and processed it into syrup or Sinzibuckwud (Algonquin, literally "drawn from trees"). Syrups must be at least 66 percent sugar and be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup in Canada. In the United States, it must be made almost entirely from maple sap. One of the most popular stories involves maple sap being used in place of water to cook the venison served to a chief. Other stories credit the development of maple syrup production to Nanabozho, Glooskap, or the squirrel. Native People celebrate the Sugar Moon (the first full moon of spring) with a Maple Dance.

Oysters: The Wampanoags resided on Narragansett Bay and Wampum was made from shells, usually clam or oyster, middens testify to the prehistoric importance of oysters as food worldwide and in the early 19th century, oysters were cheap and mainly eaten by the working class. Throughout the 19th century, oyster beds in New York harbor became the largest source of oysters worldwide. On any day in the late 19th century, six million oysters could be found on barges tied up along the city’s waterfront.

Papaya: Originally from southern Mexico (particularly Chiapas and Veracruz), Central America, and northern South America, the papaya is now cultivated in most tropical countries. In cultivation, it grows rapidly, fruiting within 3 years. It is, however, highly frost sensitive, limiting papaya production to tropical lands.

Peanut: The peanut, or groundnut, is a species in the legume or "bean" family, so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. Archeologists have dated the oldest specimens to about 7,600 years. Cultivation spread as far as Mesoamerica where the Spanish conquistadors found the tlalcacahuatl (Nahuatl = peanut) being offered for sale in the marketplace of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City).
Pecans

Pecans: From an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. It is a species of hickory native to south-central North America and Mexico. Like fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, it is not a nut, but technically a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit surrounded by a husk that can provide 2 to 5 times more calories per unit weight than wild game and require no preparation. The fruit of the previous growing season is still edible when found on the ground.

Pineapple: Named for resemblance to the pine cone, Indigenous People of southern Brazil and Paraguay spread the pineapple throughout South America, it eventually reached the Caribbean where Columbus discovered it in 1493 and brought it back with him to Europe.

Potatoes: From the Andes, belongs to the nightshade family, first introduced outside the Andes region four centuries ago, and has become an integral part of much of the world's cuisine. It is the world's fourth-largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize. Following the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the second half of the 16th century and there are now over a thousand different types of potatoes.

Pumpkin: Native to North America. They typically have a thick, orange or yellow shell, creased from the stem to the bottom, containing the seeds and pulp. The version of Cinderella written by Charles Perrault in 1697 gained popularity with his additions of a pumpkin, fairy-godmother and the introduction of glass slippers.

Quinine: Developed Quechua Indians of Peru and Bolivia, has antipyretic (fever-reducing), antimalarial, analgesic (painkilling), and anti-inflammatory properties.

Raisin (Grapes): There are 15 varieties of wild native American grapes. In the year 1000 AD, Leif Ericsson the Lucky sailed from Norway across the North Atlantic Ocean and returned with stories about a new country he named Vinland because of the abundance of wild grapes found growing there. Historians agree that Vinland was the east coast of North America but they are not sure where he first set foot. Native purple grapes belonging to the Vitis genus proliferated in the wild across North America, and were a part of the diet of many North American Native Americans, but were considered by European colonists to be unsuitable for wine. Native Americans used the leaves to make a tea that treated a variety of illnesses or poultices to treat several painful conditions. Native Americans in Florida made a blue dye from the grapes. For centuries, grapes have been juiced to be drunk fresh or fermented. Raisins are rich in several nutrients including boron. Stuffed grapes leaves is a gourmet dish served in some cultures.

Raspberry: The North American red raspberry was first reported in 1607 by French lawyer Marc Lesarbot, when he and fellow members of his expedition to Canada "amused themselves by gathering raspberries." Edward Winslow of Plymouth Plantation fame in 1621 also listed raspberries among wild Massachusetts’ fruits. The Algonquin used the root for diarrhea while the Cherokee used the root for coughs and toothache. A tea was made for menstrual problems as well as parturition. Both the Chippewa and Pottawatomie used the root bark for the eyes. The Chippewa made a tea of the root bark and washed the eyes three times per day for cataracts. The Chippewa also used red raspberry for dysentery and measles. The Ojibwa used a decoction of the root for bowel complaints in children. The Iroquois had many uses for red raspberry. They made a tea of the young twigs. The leaves were for kidney complaints. Red raspberry was combined with snakeroot for “ladies who are run down because of sickness of period.” The root tips were boiled into a concentrated decoction to be used as a blood purifier and to lower or raise blood pressure.

Squash is loosely grouped into summer squash or winter squash, depending on whether they are harvested as immature squash: zucchini, pattypan and yellow crookneck) or mature fruit (butternut, Hubbard, buttercup, ambercup, acorn, spaghetti squash, pumpkin). Gourds are from the same family as squashes (pumpkin). First cultivated in Mesoamerica some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, Squash was one of the "Three Sisters" planted by Native Americans. The Three Sisters were the three main native crop plants: maize (corn), beans, and squash. These were usually planted together, with the cornstalk providing support for the climbing beans, and shade for the squash. The squash vines provided ground cover to limit weeds. Weeds can be detrimental to the growing conditions of the squash. The beans provided nitrogen fixing for all three crops. Butternut Squash: The most popular variety, the Waltham Butternut, originated in Waltham, Massachusetts, where it was developed at the Waltham Experiment Station by Robert E. Young.

Sunflower: It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, present day Mexico, by at least 2600 BC. It may have been domesticated a second time in the middle Mississippi Valley, or been introduced there from Mexico at an early date, as maize was. Many indigenous American peoples used the sunflower as the symbol of their solar deity, including the Aztecs and the Otomi of Mexico and the Incas in South America. Some researchers argue that the Spaniards tried to suppress cultivation of the sunflower because of its association with solar religion and warfare. The sunflower seed is the fruit of the sunflower, "seed" is actually a misnomer, when dehulled, the edible remainder is called the sunflower kernel.

Strawberry: The strawberry is a member of the rose family, with the most common varieties being a hybrid of the wild Virginia strawberry (native to North America) and a Chilean variety. Strawberries are social plants, requiring both a male and female to produce fruit. The word strawberry comes from the Old English streawberige, most likely because the plant sends out runners which could be likened to pieces of straw. Central and South American strawberries were called futilla by the conquistadors. Early Americans did not bother cultivating strawberries, because they were abundant in the wild.

Sweet Potato: Domestication of sweet potato is thought to be either in Central or South America at least 5,000 years ago, and brought to central Polynesia around 700 AD, possibly by Polynesians who had traveled to South America and back, and spread across Polynesia to Hawaii and New Zealand from there.

Tomato: Originates in South America, belongs to the nightshade family, botanically a fruit, and considered a vegetable for culinary purposes (as well as by the United States Supreme Court, see Nix v. Hedden).

Vanilla: The second most expensive spice after saffron because growing the vanilla seed pods is labor-intensive. The Totonac people, who inhabit the Mazatlan Valley on the Gulf Coast of Mexico in the present-day state of Veracruz, were the first to cultivate vanilla. According to Totonac stories, the tropical orchid was born when Princess Xanat, forbidden by her father from marrying a mortal, fled to the forest with her lover. The lovers were captured and beheaded. Where their blood touched the ground, the vine of the tropical orchid grew. In the fifteenth century, Aztecs invading from the central highlands of Mexico conquered the Totonacs and named the bean "tlilxochitl" or "black flower" after the mature bean, which shrivels and turns black shortly after it is picked. Subjugated by the Aztecs, the Totonacs paid tribute by sending vanilla beans to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. The flowers can be naturally pollinated only by a specific Melipone bee found in Mexico. This bee provided Mexico with a 300-year-long monopoly on vanilla production. The vines would grow, but would not fruit outside of Mexico. Growers tried to bring this bee into other growing locales, to no avail. The only way to produce fruits without the bees is artificial pollination. And today, even in Mexico, hand-pollination is used extensively.

Walnut (Black Walnut): While its primary native region is the Midwest and east-central United States, the black walnut was introduced into Europe in 1629. Black walnut is more resistant to frost than the English or Persian walnut. Nutritionally, it is similar to the milder-tasting English walnut, but the black walnut kernel is high in unsaturated fat and protein. The tree is prized for its wood, dye, and nut.

Wild Rice: This grain is harvested from a grass historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China. Wild rice is NOT directly related to Asian rice, although they are close cousins. Several Native American cultures, such as the Ojibwa, consider wild rice to be a sacred component in their culture. The rice is harvested with a canoe: one person vans (or "knocks") rice into the canoe with two small poles (called "knockers" or "flails") while the other paddles slowly or uses a push pole. For these groups, this harvest is an important cultural (and often economic) event. The Ojibwe named “manoomin” for the neighboring Omanoominii (Menominee, who refer to themselves Mamaceqtaw). Many places are named after this plant, including Mahnomen, Minnesota, Menomonie. The plants grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams; often, only the flowering head of wild rice rises above the water. Wild rice is high in protein, the amino acid lysine, dietary fiber, and low in fat.

I Am Not A Costume! Native American views on Halloween.

2011-11-30T19:56:00.001-05:00

An Open Letter to the PocaHotties and Indian Warriors this Halloween
I was going to write you an eloquent and well-reasoned post today about all the reasons why it’s not ok to dress up as a Native person for Halloween–talk about the history of “playing Indian” in our country, point to the dangers of stereotyping and placing of Native peoples as mythical, historical creatures, give you some articles to read, hope that I could change your mind by dazzling you with my wit and reason–but I can’t. I can’t, because I know you won’t listen, and I’m getting so tired of trying to get through to you.

Ceremonies in the News

2011-11-07T18:57:00.005-05:00

Censored News: This site is AWESOME
Current news about Indigenous People and human rights.

New Agers Need to Put Money Where Their Mouths Are to Free Leonard Peltier
By Corine Fairbanks in Native Condition

(Here is just 2 paragraphs from the article - link to it to find details about Leonard Peltier)
The American Indian Movement has been fighting the New Age movement for over 30 years now. This business supports a billion dollar industry. For all of the rhetoric that these New Age predators use, such as: "love and light," and "be the change you want the world to be," they execute strategic marketing plans to profits from selling and desecrating our ceremonies, sacred objects, and medicines.

Most of them claim to be Native or Indigenous, yet why have they not participated or demanded Peltier's release? Even one dollar from a thousand people could move mountains on some of these issues and help educate more people in who Leonard Peltier is. How many "Native" or "Indigenous People" have even ever heard of Leonard Peltier? How many know of the personal sacrifices this warrior and his family have made and the outcome of these sacrifices?

Arizona Sweat Lodge Deaths: Are Sweat Lodges Safe?
***UPDATE: A judge imposed two-year sentences for each of the three deaths Friday afternoon, but the sentences are to be served concurrently. Ray must serve at least 85 percent of the term before he will become eligible for release. He was also ordered to pay a total of $57,000 in restitution to the families of the victims.

Sweat lodges are typically harmless, and it's certainly possible to participate in them safely, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you try one out:

1: Know How Many People Will Be in the Sweat Lodge:
Typically, a sweat lodge houses eight to 12 people - but this can go up to 25 in a traditional lodge. The unusually large number of people in the Sedona sweat lodge (56 people) made it dangerous and difficult to monitor the participants. Similarly, make sure the lodge is built using only natural materials - not plastics. This allows for a natural absorption of excess moisture.

2. Know the Person Who "Pours the Waters"
According to Native American tradition, the person who "pours the waters" is the spiritual leader responsible for monitoring the mental and physical condition of the sweat lodge participants. Research the leader's background, experience, and who they learned from the same way you would with any other health treatment.

3. Make Sure a Sweat Lodge is Okay for You
Sweat lodges are not for everyone. Pregnant women and those with high blood pressure, epilepsy, or medical conditions like heart disease should not participate. A sweat lodge involves a high level of trust and you may be naked or wrapped in a towel with a group of others. According to Native American custom, someone should not charge money for a sweat lodge. However, "offerings" are traditionally accepted. Sexual overtures are a sure sign that something is amiss.

4. Use Precaution before Entering
Items like jewelry should not be worn in a sweat lodge as they may burn your skin. Also, eating a heavy meal before a sweat lodge experience will put a strain on your circulatory system. Eat light and drink lots of water before entering a sweat lodge.

5. Have an Exit Strategy
Everyone responds differently to heat. Make sure to listen to your body and step outside the sweat lodge to cool off or drink water if needed. Ray was accused of discouraging people to leave, but it is important that the person who "pours the waters" allows you feel comfortable enough to know when you need a break.

Talibah Begay

2011-10-31T09:23:00.000-04:00

She is amazing. One thing she does not mention, is that she also uses Native American sign language as she sings this song. Talibah Begay translates & performs a song from her new album with Canyon Records, "Walk in Beauty," that is sung in Diné (Navajo).

Oral Tradition

2011-10-20T07:12:00.002-04:00

There is an ancient Indian saying that something lives only as long as the last person who remembers it. My people have come to trust memory over history. Memory, like fire, is radiant and immutable while history serves only those who seek to control it, those who douse the flame of memory in order to put out the dangerous fire of truth. Beware these men for they are dangerous themselves and unwise. Their false history is written in the blood of those who might remember and of those who seek the truth.

~Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman

DNA Research

2011-10-15T18:39:00.003-04:00

This article (erroneously) says the Taino are extinct.
On average, the genomes of Puerto Ricans contain 10 to 15% Native American DNA, which is largely Taíno, says Bustamante.
* Comments from many of my friends, Robert, Licy, and Vanessa are on the bottom.
* This is SO EXCITING - the COMMENTS from UCTP and my friends CAUSED THE ARTICLE TO CHANGE

As a result of the feedback from community members, thetitle of the article in question has been changed from "Breathing life into an extinct ethnicity' to "Rebuilding the genome of a hidden ethnicity". All references to "extinction" have been removed. At the end of the article there is now a corrective statement that reads:

"Corrected: This article originally stated that the Taíno were extinct, which is incorrect. Nature apologizes for the offence caused, and has corrected the text to better explain the research project described."

The original article appeared on Oct. 14, 2011 and was corrected on Oct. 17, 2011. It took three days from the time of the first post to not only receive apologies from one of the scientists leading the project but also from the magazine itself.

While it is still not a "perfect article", I have left a message on the site to thank the editor Brian Owens and Professor Bustamante for the public apology and the corrections. I felt it was the Taino thing to do…

In achieving these corrections and apologies, I feel we accomplished something historic. Think about the alternative if we did nothing at all.

This site has some information on Native American DNA testing.
Over the past few weeks a number of agencies have contacted one or more editors of the Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink (http://www.centrelink.org/) with news and details concerning DNA testing services for those interested in verifying or documenting their Taino or other Amerindian biological parentage.

And this site talks about cultural survival - The Taino of the Caribbean: the People Who are Not Supposed to Exist

Here is another article, The Perils of Human Genomics (with a lot of sarcasm in the comments), about reclaiming/identifying as Taino. Scroll down to read these two comments:

16. Kolibri Carrillo Says:
October 26th, 2011 at 6:52 am

The more I read about this topic, the more I am compelled to address this issue of the so called Taino extinction. I am Taino by blood and culture. I do not need a DNA test nor recognition from any faction political or cultural. I am not from a poor or disadvantage life, I am educated and do not need any financial assistance from government as reparation. I am retired from a government agency in NYC and on full pension. I pay taxes like everyone else. Why do I identify myself to the indigenous culture of my home island called Boriken (Puerto Rico)? My mother’s birth certificate says so. Why do I claim to be of both indigenous culture of the Caribbean? I am Taino and Carib because my Mother told me so. I do not need the Smithsonian study or the speculations of scientist to tell me who I am. I do not need a card from my country’s government to tell me who I am. I am Taino and Caribe mixed with Spanish. Thus I am mestizo like my own Mother. My post here does not come from a need to have some form of identity, I am an American; born and raised in the United States of America. That is my citizenship. I am a Taino and Carib woman, that is my identity. I am not looking for any social or economic advantage at claiming my identity as Taino. I do not need anyone’s approval to know who I am. Mr. Onur whoever you are, I am not a Taino identity activist. I am Kolibri Carrillo daughter of a Taino/Carib woman. I am entitled to self identity.

17. Maurice Travers Says:
October 26th, 2011 at 7:14 am
Sirs
I am one of those so called “taino ” activists whose lies onur goes on about . I am a white anglo / saxon british male who is blessed to be friends with many of these “extinct ” people . Dr Bustamente and the authour of the article graciously admitted that they had made an error of Judgement when presented with facts that dispelled the Columbian myth of extinction . For the information of onur a study carried out over a wide spectrum of inhabitants of Boriken (Puerto Rico ) in a sample of 700 61% showed Mitrochrondial DNA indicating Amerindian (Taino ) decendency The reasearch was carried out by prof Vasesquez of the university there as to the fact that he claims greek origin he should read his history the Greeks are extinct as is every other race in this world .There is no pure anyone left today. I am minded to remind Everyone here of a greeting used by the Lakota soiux Tribe of North america .
Miyakuye Oyasin WE ARE ALL RELATED
Blessings to all
M

Rejoinder to Roberto Mucaro http://www.prdream.com/wordpress/?p=3376
Mr. Borrero is correct in pointing out that the number of people in Puerto Rico who self-identify as “Indian” has increased 49 percent from 13,336 in the year 2000 to 19,510 in 2010. But this is still only less than 1 percent of the total Island population of 3.7 million.

There are other NeoTaíno organizations and subgroups that are sometimes in conflict with each other, such as the Jatibonicu Taíno Tribal Nation of Boriken, the Taíno Turabo Aymaco Tribe of Puerto Rico, and the Consejo General de Taínos Borincanos, with the issue of purity coming up in statements on occasion. For example, the “Tribal Charter” of the Taíno Turabo Aymaco Tribe of Boriken states that their tribe “is made-up of: documented and non-documented, pure blood, and non-pure blood descendants of the Taíno Turabo and Aymaco Tribes,” and “pure and non-pure blood descendants of other various Taíno Tribes from the entire Caribbean.”

A little more to think about here: http://voxxi.com/2011/12/12/taino-ancestry-goes-beyond-dna-its-cultural/ Advocates for Taíno people say their culture is passed down through oral traditions, not solely DNA. Taíno supporters have a problem with academic scholar Dr. Gabriel Haslip-Viera’s recent paper where he says Taíno advocates are using a DNA study to claim “a pure indigenous pedigree.”

They say they never made that claim and have challenged Haslip-Viera to prove it. According to the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP) the concept of a “degree of Indian blood” was not set by them, but by those whose ultimate goal is to eliminate indigenous tribes. Taíno advocates say Haslip-Viera omits any reference to oral tradition as a form of community and national history.

Roberto “Múkaro” Borrero, president of UCTP said in a statement:
“It should be further noted that Taíno descendants do not require the approval of Dr. Haslip-Viera or others to be Taíno. This position is also affirmed by the world community as per the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

Should your ancestry be based on how you see yourself or how much DNA you have of that ethnicity?

Issues involving Native People…

2011-10-14T19:35:00.003-04:00

Urban Outfitters’ “Navajo Line” http://jezebel.com/5848715/urban-outfitters-navajo-problem-becomes-a-legal-issue
Selling a "Navajo Hipster Panty" may be cheesy and kind of offensive, but, more worrisomely perhaps for Urban Outfitters, it could also be illegal. In the U.S., under the terms of the Federal Indian Arts and Crafts act of 1990 and the Federal Trade Commission Act, it is prohibited to falsely claim, or even imply, that a product is Native American-made when it is not. The Department of the Interior says:
It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. If a business violates the Act, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000
"Navajo" isn't an aesthetic movement — it's a legal entity, a tribe of people, and an actual nation.
More information here: http://www.racialicious.com/2011/10/10/urban-outfitters-is-obsessed-with-navajos/

Native American tribe gets $380 million to end lawsuit

he United States reached a final settlement of $380 million Friday with a Native American tribe to resolve allegations of mismanagement of trust assets in a long-standing lawsuit. The agreement with the Osage Tribe capped a 12-year dispute over the Interior Department's accounting and management of trust funds and non-monetary trust assets belonging to the Oklahoma tribe, including its mineral estate. "This historic settlement resolves with finality long-standing trust accounting and trust management claims by the Osage Tribe," Assistant Attorney General Ignacia Moreno said after tribal officials celebrated the settlement during a ceremony at the Interior Department's Washington headquarters.

New Jasper totem pole angers area First Nations group

Parks Canada erected a striking new totem pole in Jasper on Saturday but the monument is causing frustration for a local First Nations group. The new pole was carved by two brothers from the Haida nation, which is hundreds of kilometres away, off the north coast of B.C. Chief Nathan Matthew of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council said there is no cultural significance for the Jasper region in the totem pole.

Abused by nun, native woman tells commission about Prince Edward Island boarding schools
P.E.I. survivors of Indian residential schools had an opportunity Tuesday to testify about their horrific treatment at the hands of the federal government and the church. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission held an all-day hearing at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. The commission gives people an opportunity to speak openly, or privately, about the residential school system that existed in Canada for more than 100 years. Marie Knockwood wrote a song about her time at the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia. She told the hearing about sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of a nun.

“We’re Rebuilding a Nation” Island’s First Nations movement strengthens with establishment of populated but landless Mi’kmaq band. After decades of negotiations between the island’s First Nation leaders and the federal and provincial governments, more than 20,000 of Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq population have been recognized as status Indians by the Government of Canada. On Sept. 26 the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI) and Canada’s Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development announced the establishment of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. The decades long struggle, initiated by a small group of Mi’kmaq visionaries in the late 1960s, abated in 2007 when the federal government and FNI negotiated an agreement-in-principle to form the landless band.

Ways to Think About the Bering Strait

2011-10-14T12:10:00.008-04:00

More information and video compilation here.

To use when presenting multiple perspectives and doing critical analysis.
* My personal favorites

Articles:
* The Bering Strait Myth by John Two Hawks
Letter I wrote

Books about Bering Strait and population of the world.

Dickason, Olive P. Canada's First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times, 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press. Toronto, 1997

Jones, Mary Ellen. Seeds of Change: Readings on Cultural Exchange After 1492. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. Reading, MA1993.

* Mann, Charles C. Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491. Antheneum Books. New York, 2009.

Waldman, Carl. Atlas of The North American Indian. Checkmark Books. New York , 2009.

Books Surrounding the 1492 Events

2011-10-14T12:07:00.006-04:00

To use when presenting multiple perspectives and doing critical analysis.
* My personal favorites

Traditional (Pro) Columbus Perspective
Pelta, Kathy. Discovering Christopher Columbus: How History is Invented. Lerner Publications Company. Minneapolis, 1991.

Scott, William. The Log of Christopher Columbus' First Voyage to America in the Year 1492 As Copied Out in Brief by Bartholomew Las Casas, One of His Companions. Linnet Book. Hamden, CT, 1989.

Ventura, Piero. 1492: The Year of the New World. G.P. Putnam's Sons. New York, 1991.

AMAZING CULTURE
Arawak/Taino Perspective & Culture
Alvarez, Julia. The Secret Footprints. Dell Dragonfly Books. New York 2000.

* Crespo, George. How the Sea Began. Clarion Books. New York, 1993.

Delacre, Lulu. Golden Tales. Scholastic, Inc. New York, 1996.

Danticat, Edwige. Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490. Scholastic, Inc. 2005.

Dorris, Michael. Morning Girl. Hyperion Books for Children. New York, 1992.

Fontanez, Edwin. On this Beautiful Island. Exit Studio. 2004.

Fontanez, Edwin. TAINO: Guanin's Story. Exit Studio. 1996.

Jacobs, Francine. The Tainos: The People Who Welcomed Columbus. G. P. Putnam's Sons. New York, 1992.

Jaffe, Nina. The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth From Puerto Rico. Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers. New York, 1996.

Lee, Alfonso. My Island and I/Mi Isla y Yo: The Nature of Puerto Rico. Pangaea. Saint Paul, MN, 2002.

Muckley, Robert. Stories from Puerto Rico. Passport Books. Chicago, IL, 1999.

Ramirez, Michael. The Legend of the Hummingbird. MONDO Publishing. New York, 1998.

Reid, Basil A. Myths and Realities of Caribbean History. The University of Alabama Press. Tuscaloosa, AL, 2009

Rohmer, Jesus, Rea, & Castillo. Atariba and Niguayona: A Story from the Taino People of Puerto Rico. Children's Book Press. 1987.

Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. New York, 1992.

DEVASTATED CULTURE & RESISTANCE
Alternative (Con/Against) Columbus Perspective
Chicago Religious Task Force. Dangerous Memories: Invasion and Resistance Since 1492. Chicago Religious Task Force. Chicago, IL, 1991

* De Las Cases, Bartolomé. The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account. The John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD, 1994.

* Hawke, Sharryl. Seeds of Change: The Story of Cultural Exchange After 1492. Addison-Wesley. Reading, MA, 1992.

* Loewen, James. The Truth About Columbus. New York Press. New York, 1992.

* Konig, Hans. Columbus: His Enterprise: Exploding the Myth. Monthly Review Press. New York, 1991.

Norman, Alma. The People Who Came, Book 1. Longman Group. United Kingdom, 1986.

Ricci, Michael. Was It Worth It? A Collection of International Cartoons About Columbus and His Trip to America. WittyWorld Publications. North Wales, PA, 1992.

Riley, Sandra. The Lycayans. MacMillan. Hong Kong, 1991.

Small, Deborah. 1492: What Is It Like to Be Discovered? Monthly Review Press. New York 1991.

The Pequot Massacre, May 26th, 1637

2011-10-09T19:33:00.000-04:00

Mystic Voices (Annawon and Tall Oak are in this)

Massacre at Mystic (trailer for documentary)

Visual representation (no narration)

Thanksgiving Videos

2011-10-09T18:43:00.003-04:00

Tisquantum, a young Patuxet man returns.

"Pluses" (+) in this video:

Uses correct name (Tisquantum)
Describes a plague (not just disease or small pox)
Mentions Tisquantum being captured and enslaved in England
Interviews Nanepashemet (a respected NA who has since passed into the spirit world) who talks about Massasoit
Interviews Tall Oak (a respected Narragansett, whose son is Annawon Weedon) who talks about giving thanks and its connected obligations among the NA community

"Minuses" (-) in this video:

Still talks about Pilgrims having a feast and inviting Massasoit (we now know that it was probably an impromptu diplomatic visit)

A Short Story

"Pluses" (+) in this video:

Talks a little about the Pilgrim's Dutch experience and ocean voyage
Mentions Capt. John Smith
Mentions Samoset as the first contact (doesn't start with Tisquantum)
Mentions all the knowledge that Tisquantum passed on to the Pilgrims

"Minuses" (-) in this video:

Calls Samoset and "Indian Brave"
Still talks about inviting Tisquantum to their celebration
Mentions the yearly Presidential Proclamation (which STILL happens)

A Quick Montage of The Thanksgiving Story (and connection of Pequot massacre)

History of Thanksgiving

"Pluses" (+) in this video:

Talks about Pilgrim's view of Thanksgiving as a religious holiday
Describes what was probably really eaten at that "first feast"

"Minuses" (-) in this video:

Leaves out other "Thanksgivings" that early settlers had for the massacre of NA people and villages
Too much talk about turkey!

Sara Hale's Petition (connection to Gettysburg and Lincoln)

500 Nations: Legacy of Thanksgiving. Massasoit's son, Metacom/King Philip's, interviews with today's Wampanoags, the Blue Laws.

Watch full episode of We Shall Remain online - After the Mayflower

Listed as a TOP BLOG in Native American Education

2011-09-29T14:11:00.003-04:00

OnlineCollegeClasses.net

Haverhill Pow Wow & Language Cards Educational Presentation

2011-09-29T12:21:00.003-04:00

Over the many years that I have been teaching about Native American culture and helping people unlearn stereotypes and misinformation, one thing has emerged - everyone is in different places with what they know, don't know, and want to know about. In addition, we can all improve in our ability to understand oppression and grow in activism and ally behavior. The challenge for me has been to meet people where they are and help them reach not only a new learning, but also a deeper understanding that they might be able to apply to their next encounter.

The MCNAA Haverhill workshop was a brief opportunity to discuss a sampling of topics through an activity involving cards with words and phrases related to Native Americans. When people arrive, I ask them to look at the cards and talk to their neighbor about what they know and/or don't know about the words and phrases in front of them. Then, I ask them to choose a few cards for me to elaborate on. In this way, the activity and conversation is different every time and geared toward interests of the group. It also builds a learning community emphasizing the power to language; words on paper and words on the tongue. In addition, a level of trust begins - It's okay to talk about this, I have something to contribute, and I might even learn something.
I have created these "language cards" with four sets of words and phrases. The "name cards" have words that are used to describe Native People, like "Indian," "First Nations," "Indigenous People of the Western Hemisphere Before 1492," "Wampanoag," and "Woodland." These words provide a point of departure for conversations about when one would use which word, or what words should be explained before being used (or not used at all), and why getting to the Nation's own name for themselves is a good idea.

The "text and media cards" have words that are "problematic." These words are seen and heard in textbooks, novels, movies, commercials, and cartoons, to name a few areas. They include words like "Tonto," "Westward Expansion," and "primitive." They can be a problem because of inaccurate information and also because of the emotions that may be triggered when the word is used. In Haverhill, the word "legend" came up for elaboration. The problem here is that our creation stories are called legends, but other people's creation stories are called names like the Bible, the Qur'an, and the Torah. Our oral stories passed on by ancestors through the generations are just a legitimate as the ones that were written down and deserve to be respected in the same way.

The "phrase cards" have expressions that one might read or hear like "low man on the totem pole" and "acting like a bunch of wild Indians." This conversation can be about the problems with the phrase, or it can also be about a piece of history that is captured in the phrase. In Haverhill, the phrase, "I'm part Indian," was selected for further explanation. This phrase is important because it reminds us that many/most Native Americans are multiracial and multicultural. Also, it reflects a part of history where identifying as Native American was dangerous or shameful, so families did not pass on their heritage, and now descendants are reclaiming their culture. The context of the expression can also yield varying responses from the people who hear it. Some people will laugh because it is said so often. Others might wonder if the person knows their nation or aspects of their culture. Some might even be offended that someone identifies as part Native, but doesn't interact. learn, or practice within the culture. Still others, might want to know why we hear, "I'm part Native," but never hear "I'm part African/Black," thereby reminding us that oppression of fellow humans continues and, for now, Native Americans are the group that is admired.

The "culture cards" have words that are meaningful to Native Americans, like AIM (American Indian Movement), smudge, Tisquantum (Squanto's name), regalia, and tobacco. If people know the meaning and significance of these words, then they are "in touch with the culture." I choose some words which are common across Native Nations, and others which are specific to a particular Nation, to give participants a taste of culturally relevant terminology. For example the word "Boriqua/en" is the indigenous word for the island of Puerto Rico and "Diné" is what the Navajo call themselves. In Haverhill, most people were familiar with the words on the culture cards, in most other situations, these are the cards which people know the least about. People who attended the workshop on Saturday or Sunday contributed their own perspectives and also had a chance to listen to each other's points of view, as well as mine.

The Many Native Nations

2011-09-29T09:56:00.000-04:00

Invisible Indian

History of Chocolate

2011-08-25T12:55:00.003-04:00

From Aztec cacao beans to African child labor and modern slavery,

Hershey and Nestle use beans harvested from the Ivory Coast of Africa where child labor kills 22,000 children in word related accidents per year - These children do not go to school, use dangerous tools, and are exposed to poisonous pesticides. Many are kidnapped and smuggled in.

Raise the Bar - Fair Trade Campaign. Also, see Trade Justice Website: http://www.tradejusticemovement.org.uk/

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann

2011-08-16T22:07:00.002-04:00

From Amazon.com
Timeline for 1493
200,000,000 B.C.: Geological forces begin to break up the world’s single giant continent, Pangaea, forever separating the hemispheres. After this, Eurasia and the Americas develop completely different suites of plants and animals.
1493 A.D.: Columbus sails on second voyage, establishing the first consequential European settlement in the Americas. Without intending to, he ends the long separation of the hemispheres—and sets off the ecological convulsion known as the Columbian Exchange.
1518: In the first environmental calamity of the modern era, accidentally imported African scale insects in Hispaniola lead to an explosion of fire ants. Spaniards flee the ant-infested island in droves; colonists in Santo Domingo hold procession in honor of St. Saturninus, praying for his aid against the insect plague.
1545: Spaniards discover the world’s biggest silver strike in Bolivia. In the next century, the world’s supply of this precious metal will more than double, giving Europe an economic edge that will help it colonize Africa, Asia and the Americas.
1549: Initial appearance of tobacco—the addictive American drug that becomes the first global commodity craze—in China. That same year, Hernán Cortés inaugurates the human part of the Columbian Exchange by signing the first contract to import large numbers of Africans to the American mainland.
1571: Miguel López de Legazpi colonizes Manila and establishes continual trade with China—Columbus’s life-long, never-fulfilled dream. Knitting the entire inhabited planet into a single web of trade, Legazpi’s actions are the beginning of today’s economic globalization.
~1615: Earthworms come to northern North America in English ship ballast. During the next three centuries, they will re-engineer forests from Ohio Valley to Hudson Bay.
1630-60: The gush of American silver finally causes its price to collapse, setting off a the world’s first global economic calamity.
1644: Collapse of Ming dynasty. Long struggle between remaining Ming in south and incoming Qing dynasty in north leads the latter to forcibly evacuate most of the southern coast; millions of dispossessed people pour into the mountains, where they grow maize and sweet potatoes, American crops first smuggled into China from Manila and other European bases.
1775: France’s Flour War, set off by high bread prices, persuades King Louis XVI to allow the pioneering nutritional chemist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier to stage a series of publicity stunts to persuade farmers to grow potatoes, a distrusted foreign species from Peru. Parmentier’s PR is so successful that broad swathes of northern Europe are soon covered with a monoculture of potatoes.
1781: Britain’s “southern strategy” pushes Gen. Cornwallis’s army into North America’s malaria zone, an area dominated by malaria parasites introduced from Europe and Africa. Defeated by malaria, the British army surrenders to a general it never fought: George Washington. This ends the Revolutionary War.
1845: Europe’s potato monoculture, which is unlike anything ever seen in Peru, turns out to be especially vulnerable to another Peruvian import, the potato blight. Ravaging the continent from Russia to Ireland, the blight causes a famine that kills an estimated two million people, half of them in Ireland.
~1867: Léopold Trouvelot, French amateur entomologist, smuggles gypsy moths to Medford, Mass., hoping to breed them with native silk-producing moths to produce a more robust silk-producer. Their almost immediate escape sets off an invasion that continues today. Trouvelot hurriedly returns to France before the dimensions of the problem can be known.
1880-1912: Industrializing nations, desperate for the elastic belts, pliable gaskets and the aborbent tires needed by steam engines and vehicles, buy every scrap of rubber they can get from the Amazon’s rubber trees, the sole source of high-quality latex. The ensuing rubber boom collapses after an Englishman smuggles rubber trees out of Brazil. Soon much of southeast Asia is covered with this foreign tree.
1979: The golden apple snail is sent from Brazil to Taiwan to launch an escargot industry there. It escapes, proliferates, and becomes a major menace to the island’s rice crop.

ANOTHER TIMELINE
Civilizations of North America

If You Were Planning to Make a NA Feast, What Would You Serve?

2011-08-11T09:43:00.000-04:00

Whether you are intentional or not, most snacks and full meals will include some food that is indigenous to North and South America. That food was domesticated, located, and sampled by Native Americans who created unique dishes and used local spices, too. If you are planning a "Feast," here are some ideas.

The word "Barbecue" is Arawak - that is, the idea that you rub seasoning on meat and smoke it over a fire pit (not the slathering of spicy sauce it has come to be known as).

Cassava is a traditional bread, and cassava is also known as arrowroot and tapioca. Pineapples are a traditional welcoming gift - and that tradition survives.

My suggestion would be to go a little more general in the Native American category:
* Corn, beans, squash, coffee, chocolate, potatoes, and tomatoes are all Native American in origin.
* Nuts and berries (plus most grapes) - 60% of what the world knows as edible - is Native American in origin.

Specific dishes might include:
* A bean chili with corn chips
* A succotash (corn and bean stew) with wild rice
* Guacamole (Central American) with corn chips or another flat cassava or corn bread
* GORP - good old raisin and peanuts - a trail mix
* Venison, turtle, or other North American wild game animal
* Buffalo (it is domesticated and available as a ground meat in a cryovac package in most grocery stores now)
* Shell fish from the local area (mussels, clams, lobster, etc)
* Cod fish, of course, (Cape Cod is named for their past abundance)

Enjoy!

Did Native Americans Discover Europe? A Closer Look at The Bering Strait Theory

2011-07-28T18:55:00.003-04:00

Before Columbus came to America? There is evidence that supports the idea that Native People circumnavigated the globe, or at least went out far on the ocean in their own "ships."

The Bering Strait Theory is also losing credibility. Native People could have come to the western hemisphere in many ways. First, listen to one of the "great flood" stories told by Native People. Then, read a summary of Red Earth, White Lies by Vine Deloria, Jr. where he offers evidence against this one theory.

"At the Ceno-Catastrophism convention in Portland a year ago, Deloria said that he had been researching a major project, a compendium of Indian oral traditions and folklore. He said that for many years, he had been out speaking with nearly every chief, shaman, medicine man, storyteller, and keeper of oral traditions of nearly every tribe in North America. He noted the extent to which virtually every one of these tribes retained descriptions of pliestocene megafauna and, more often than not, dinosaurs. If any of that is true, than much of what scientists think they know about the history of our Earth is certainly wrong." Ted Holden, The Emerging Science of Catastropism.

In case you don't know. The Bering Strait Theory proposes the idea that all Native Americans are descendant from people who crossed a "land bridge" following animal herds during the last ice age, approximately 18,000 years ago. The video below dramatizes where the land bridge was formed, and how it disappeared again under the water. The main problem with supporting this theory are:

It eliminates all other ways people came here and denies Native People their creation stories.
It negates the artifacts and evidence which support earlier settlement and denies the cultural/historical significance of those findings. Even if you believe the B.S. Theory, it denies that the land bridge opened 40,000 years ago, so people could have traveled at that time up until 12,000 years ago.
It supports oppressive political ideology by calling Native People "newcomers" who don't really have that much claim on the lands of the Americas.

What about the human-genome project? DNA? Evolution? Funny, you should ask. Here are some videos suggesting very different origins. The top one on the left shows how current research supports the "all humans came out of Africa" theory. The one on the right shows new DNA research which supports interbreeding with Neanderthals whose DNA is ABSENT from the African gene pool, meaning they originated (and stayed) outside of Africa. The next videos underneath shows a third human type that lived alongside Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal whose DNA was extracted from bones found in Siberian caves. The next videos discus what happens when archaeologist "dig deeper than Clovis" and find ice-age European explorers.

The Bering Land Bridge is just one part of the equation. DNA provides more information, but not all of it. Did European mitochondrial DNA emerge in the Native American gene pool because Native People traveled to Europe or because Europeans traveled to the Americas? There are so many points of view. There is so much controversy. There is so much we don't know. One thing we do know is that immediately preceding European contact, there were people in the Americas. These people developed complex societies, spoke over 200 languages, created roads, domesticated plants, established new technologies for hunting and farming, and used complex medicines and medical techniques (just to name a few things).

While there are many differences among Nations, there are also commonalities in culture related to the plants, animals, seasons, weather, and other ecological systems that only exist in the "Americas" and therefore influenced the unique culture that developed stories, traditions, foods, and technology in response to this eco-system and its resources, and no other eco-systems in the world. What is the "take-away" from this? Research is ongoing and we can't rule out that Native Americans are accurate when we say, "We've always been here."

The Climb by Kalolin Johnson

2011-07-22T14:53:00.004-04:00

10 year old, Kalolin Johnson sings The Climb by Miley Cyrus in TWO LANGUAGES - Mi'kmaq and English.

Traditional Songs by Diné (Navajo) Women in Diné Langauge

2011-07-21T17:51:00.007-04:00

A Beautiful Dawn by Radmilla Cody. More of her music at http://wn.com/A_Beautiful_Dawn_by_Radmilla_Cody.

Corn Pollen Boy by Sharon Burch

Touch the Sweet Earth by Sharon Burch

The New Book (Where I Contributed a Chapter on Native Americans)

2011-06-15T07:03:00.000-04:00

I write during the summer or other available times. I've had poetry (3 poems in process right now) and articles for magazines published, but this is my first book chapter. Actually, I wrote it about 5 years ago, when my life with kids was not so busy with 5 teenagers, and it took this long to get to print! I received the proofs in March (a very exciting moment!). This book will be a college text book that costs about $183 (no surprise there!).

The book is called Covert Racism: Theories, Institutions, and Experiences (Studies in Critical Social Sciences) and my chapter is "Aren't They All Dead: Passive Racism Against Native Americans." I use school examples mixed in with other stories to explain the issues.

Westward Migration by Claudia A. Fox Tree

2011-04-20T12:44:00.002-04:00

Clamoring for gold in California’s hills,
the forty-niners panned, raked, and shook the land
‘til what remained was only loose rocks and fill.

1 in 20 was dealt a richer hand
than what fed him in his previous home
That’s better odds than most could stand.

Though Sacagawea could walk the path alone,
Lewis and Clark used her because they knew that she
would know the people who needed to be known

Her “Oregon trail” went as far as the eye could see
“Land for the taking…
A new frontier,” said Manifest Destiny

The buffalo herds, once grand and racing
disappeared as the railroad ripped and filed
transcontinental tracks with steady pacing.

10 miles a day and 400 rails per mile
brought telegraph and visitors
through gaping holes blown into mountain sides.

The mountain views, the canyon floor,
and changes in the greenery
could not be stopped with this now open door.

Changes in the scenery
was nothing compared to destruction of people’s lives.
The Supreme Court could not even stop the thievery.

The Trail of Tears moved Native People 4,000 miles
away from whence they came.
Promises of a better life, land, and claim. All lies.

After all that, nothing was ever the same.

Question: What do you think about Christians hosting a Passover Sedar?

2011-04-20T12:41:00.000-04:00

Answer: I am not Jewish, but as a Native American I have an opinion on appropriating spiritual and religious practices from historically oppressed groups who many be struggling to keep their own cultural traditions accurate and authentic - it's not right to "borrow" especially if someone is a member of the dominant culture and then has the ability/power to "frame" the oppressed group's experience. Doing something jointly across cultures or participating in another culture's activities, when appropriate, is fine.

More Contributions

2011-04-12T15:29:00.010-04:00

FOODS (Wikipedia - food originating in the Americas)
More Lists Here
Specifics on Berries and Grapes
Detailed Food Explanations with Some History and Culture

Agave
Amaranth
Arrowroot
Avocado
Beans (14 varieties)
Chewing gum
Chocolate (Cacao)
Corn
Cotton
Cranberries
Jerky
Maple Sugar and Syrup
Papaya
Peanuts
Pecans
Pemmican
Pineapples
Popcorn
Potatoes (white and sweet)
Pumpkins
Quinoa
Quinine
Squash
Strawberries
Tapioca (Manioc/Cassava)
Tomatoes
Turkeys
Vanilla
Walnuts
Watermelon
Wild Rice

TECHNIQUES (PRACTICES) & INVENTIONS
Abacus
Barbecue
Baskets
Cataract surgery
Clam bakes
Clothing manufacture
Daily bathing
Farming methods
Hammocks
Irrigation systems
Medicines
Needle with “eye”
Plant dyes
Syringes
Vulcanization

INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXCELLED IN THEIR FIELDS
Jim Thorpe (athlete)
Billy Mills (athlete)
Johnny Bench (athlete)
Charles Curtis (vice president of U.S.)
Maria Tallchief (ballerina)
Johnny Cash (entertainer)
Buffy St. Marie (musician)
Will Rogers (entertainer)

OUR HEROES Fought for Native People to retain culture and land
Crazy Horse
Wovoka
Wilma Mankiller
Sitting Bull
Geronimo
Lone Wolf
Matacom (King Phillip)
Tecumseh
Sequoyah
Seathl
Nancy Ward
Red Jacket

PRODUCTS
Canoe
Cat’s Cradle
Cigars
Coonskin caps
Cradle boards (baby carriers)
Fringed buckskin jacket
Kayak
Lacrosse
Moccasins
Mukluks
Pipe smoking
Rubber
Shelters
Soaps & shampoos
Snowshoes
Tipi
Tobacco
Toboggan
Tomahawk

NATIVE AMERICAN WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Caribou
Chinook
Chipmunk
Cougar
Flathead
Hurricane - more information about the Zemis (gods and goddesses) here.
Mahogany
Miami
Milwaukee
Moccasin
Moose
Opossum
Ottawa
Pocatello
Seattle
Skunk
Spokane
Wichita
Woodchuck
Yakima

Websites with Symbols & Meanings

2011-03-07T17:47:00.001-05:00

Gemstones and Animals
Other Designs
Animals

Yesterday, You Were a Child – Today, You Are a Woman

2011-02-25T22:53:00.001-05:00

Eve Ensler wanted to bring a voice to women whose experiences have been silenced. Her interviews became “The Vagina Monologues.” The final selection presented tonight is from her perspective at one point in her life. Since then, she has acknowledged that there were some glaring absences and found ways to incorporate new monologues, occasionally, in order to be more inclusive of all women’s voices.

There is power in omission and power in inclusion. One silenced voice that is noticeably absent is the voice of the girl who experiences her first menarche. Another voice missing is that of the Native American woman trying to preserve her identity within a society that has historically allowed her ancestors to be raped, killed, and deculturalized. This destruction has created crises such as domestic violence and poverty in Native American communities and also stereotyped and miseducated the public about Native Nations. The impact of missing the experiences of the maiden who becomes a woman and the people who have lived on this land for over ten-thousand years gives pause to reflect, an opportunity to be inclusive, and, thanks to the Producer, a space to provide words to those silenced voices.

In many cultures, menarche is celebrated as an important rite of passage, as it is for Native Americans. The moon’s cycle is twenty-eight days, as is the average cycle for women. For many Native Americans, the Moon is our grandmother who gives life to the morning dew as a young woman can bring life to the Earth. The moment a girl becomes the “mother of Nations” is awe-inspiring. She is connected to the creator, all the generations of women who came before her, and the wisdom of the four directions.

For more information about the Indigenous People of the Americas and their effort to preserve the culture, spiritual, and traditional ways of Native Americans, see: http://mcnaa.org/

On the Road to Womanhood
~Ksenija Soster-Olmer (Originally from Slovenija)

Be free to be you
Be strong, yet gentle,
Be proud, yet loving.
May your body always be
A blessing to you,
A sacred grove of love and pleasure.
So care for your body
As you would for a beautiful garden.
Your womb can now bring forth new life
But remember yours is the power
To open or close the gates of life
In your garden.
Therefore yours is the responsibility
To be a conscious gardener.
Open to the embrace of love
When you find the one
Who is truly deserving

The Native American Drum

2011-02-14T12:08:00.002-05:00

The Drum is a deep and sacred part of Native American culture. The round form of the drum represents the circle of life and the whole universe as well as cycles like the seasons. Its steady, strong beat is the pulse, or heartbeat, throbbing at the center of “Mother Earth.” The sound of the Drum can move our Spirit and help us to know and understand the natural world and our place within it. It is the healing rhythm that we hear throughout this world, starting as an infant in our mother's womb. Many songs span hundreds of years, having been passed down from generation to generation, others are new. Drum music reminds us to be patient and understanding about the mystery and power of all things. The Drum amplifies what is brought to it, so with cleansed spirits we drum, sing and dance as a community.

What is the History of Thanksgiving?

2010-11-27T12:15:00.001-05:00

Check out this site (copied below)
The first Thanksgiving Days in New England were harvest festivals, or days for thanking God for plentiful crops. For this reason, the holiday still takes place late in the fall, after the crops have been gathered. For thousands of years, people in many parts of the world have held harvest festivals. The American Thanksgiving Day probably grew out of the harvest-home celebrations of England.

In the United States, Thanksgiving is usually a family day, celebrated with big dinners and joyous reunions. The very mention of Thanksgiving often calls up memories of kitchens and pantries crowded with good things to eat. Thanksgiving is also a time for serious religious thinking, church services, and prayer.

The first Thanksgiving observance in America was entirely religious and did not involve feasting. On Dec. 4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation, on the James River near what is now Charles City, Va. The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.

The first Thanksgiving in New England was celebrated in Plymouth less than a year after the Plymouth colonists had settled in America. The first dreadful winter in Massachusetts had killed about half the members of the colony. But new hope arose in the summer of 1621. The settlers expected a good corn harvest, despite poor crops of peas, wheat, and barley. Thus, in early autumn, governor William Bradford arranged a harvest festival to give thanks to God for the progress the colony had made.

The festival lasted three days. The men of Plymouth had shot ducks, geese, and turkeys. The menu also included clams, eel and other fish, wild plums and leeks, corn bread, and watercress. The women of the settlement supervised cooking over outdoor fires. About 90 Indians also attended the festival. They brought five deer to add to the feast. Everyone ate outdoors at large tables and enjoyed games and a military review. Similar harvest Thanksgivings were held in Plymouth during the next several years, but no traditional date was set.

Later Thanksgiving Days in the United States. The custom of Thanksgiving Day spread from Plymouth to other New England colonies. During the Revolutionary War, eight special days of thanks were observed for victories and for being saved from dangers. In 1789, President George Washington issued a general proclamation naming November 26 a day of national thanksgiving. In the same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church announced that the first Thursday in November would be a regular yearly day for giving thanks.

For many years, the country had no regular national Thanksgiving Day. But some states had a yearly Thanksgiving holiday. By 1830, New York had an official state Thanksgiving Day, and other Northern states soon followed its example. In 1855, Virginia became the nation's first Southern state to adopt the custom.

Who is responsible for the Thanksgiving Holiday?
Sarah Josepha Hale, pronounced joh SEE fuh (1788-1879), became one of the most famous magazine editors in the United States during the 1800's. As editor of the Ladies' Magazine and, later, of Godey's Lady's Book, she helped shape the taste and thought of thousands of women.

She worked many years to promote the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day. She received credit for persuading President Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Then President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November 1863, as "a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father." Each year afterward, for 75 years, the President formally proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day should be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. But in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier. He wanted to help business by lengthening the shopping period before Christmas. Congress ruled that after 1941 the fourth Thursday of November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and would be a legal federal holiday. Of her many writings, her major surviving work is the children's poem, "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Sarah Hale was born in Newport, New Hampshire.

The Thanksgiving Myth

2010-11-23T16:05:00.010-05:00

Let's start with a sample lesson plan about Thanksgiving (and then move to missing history, multiple sources, resources, and perspectives)

Videos about the first "Thanksgiving"
Books with Thanksgiving theme

What is the popularized History of Thanksgiving? And, what is missing (below)?
Quick history timeline
Tisquantum's Story (also known as Squanto)
Frank James Speech which was supposed to be delivered on the first National Day of Mourning
Thanksgiving celebrates the death of 700 Pequots
Thanksgiving - Thanks for what?

THANKSGIVING - We only have TWO (2) primary sources, and they aren't anything like the popularized story.
Original Source #1
Original Source #2

MULTIPLE & MISSING PERSPECTIVES - I use many of these articles to present multiple viewpoints on November as Native American Heritage Month
Thanksgiving Perspectives
Quick Summary by John Two Hawks
James Loewen's Thanksgiving Story - A really good (but long) summary
Myths - by OYATE

Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Thanksgiving - Robert Jensen
The Meaning of Thanksgiving 2010 - Robert Jensen
Day of Mourning
Plimouth Plantation
Connection to Columbus & Genocide

Today's Impact
Racist Balloons & other racist, inaccurate, and belittling images

A Thanksgiving Alternative

Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations

My thoughts -
On the day which everyone else celebrates "Thanksgiving," I have a dinner and see my kids, just like any other day of the week. I don't make turkey (although I might a week earlier, since the price is right and we all like turkey). With a football player and 2 cheerleaders, I DO go to the local football game in Concord. When I am not at a game, I go to Plymouth for the Day of Remembrance at Cole's Hill at noon, but I can't get there by noon when there is a game. I usually stay to break fast with the indigenous people who are there. We congregate in the hall of the Pilgrim Church.

The biggest issue for me is the (inaccurate) association between Native Americans and Pilgrims. The "pilgrim thanksgiving" was about prayer. I mean, they were really religious and would NEVER have prayed in company of the people who they called "heathen savages." In addition, each of the officially proclaimed Thanksgivings from Massachusetts Bay Coloney Governor Winthrop to United States Presidents, including Lincoln, were about being thankful for killing the "savages" (ie: Native Americans). For me to "celebrate" on this day is like picking Hitler's birthday as a holiday and then asking Germans to be thankful for their blessings, never mind that it was Hitler's birthday. Or, expecting Japanese-Americans to participate in a Veteran's Day scheduled on August 6, the day America bombed Hiroshima. I am making up these examples, but you get the picture. How can the events of the past be separated from the date of the present celebrations? The atrocities are intertwined with the day. They can't be pulled apart for me.

Then, there are other issues, like "everyone celebrates the harvest" and "our ancestors always had harvest festivals, no matter where they originated from, so I don't think about it being Native Americans and Pilgrims" - Well, that may be so, but those ancestors didn't do it "first" on this continent. The fact that the Native American "firsts" are not honored is an issue, too. It's not like somewhere else in the world Native Americans are creating and living their history, holidays, and festivals, like say Germans in Germany and Japanese in Japan. This IS our land. This is the ONLY place where it makes sense to honor and practice our history, culture, and traditions and the fact that we did things "first" and for thousands of years HERE.

Also, ancestors from other lands did not use these foods - corn, turkey, pecans, cranberry, sweet potato, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers, maple syrup, etc. since those are all native to the Americas. For me, it's hard to see a tradition (giving thanks), that was part of my ancestors' practices, be turned into something that honors the oppression of my people without giving much credit to them for all that they did to make it what it is today.

Pow Wow Activities - Sample Assignment

2010-11-07T12:22:00.004-05:00

Pow Wow Investigation Activity (This can be given to kids with the expectation that they will attend a weekend Pow Wow)

You can get this information by listening to the Announcer, reading the program, asking the vendors questions, speaking with dancers, and looking at tables and books.

1. After Grand Entry, there is a Veteran’s Dance, who is considered a veteran?

2. Why are circles important? Which direction does the dance area open toward? Why?

3. What is one special kind of dance?

4. How many Jingle Dress or Grass Dancers were there?

5. How many drums and drummers? Are they all women or men? Why?

6. Ask Native American people you see what Nation (tribe) they come from until you have three different tribes. List them.

7. What is the Announcer/emcee's name and nation?

8. What is the storyteller’s name and nation?

9. Why is storytelling important?

10. What story did you hear from the storyteller?

11. What does Intertribal mean?

12. Were there any special ceremonies that occurred?

13. Find someone selling dream catchers, what is a dream catcher and why is it important?

14. Find someone selling sage. What does sage smell like to you? Why is sage important?

15. Europeans traded glass bead with Native Americans, what are three *traditional* materials that Native Americans make their own beads from?

16. Name two instruments you can buy at Pow Wow.

17. Name three things made of leather that you see today.

18. What are three things you saw specifically for children today.

19. How many turtles did you see?

20. What is something you should NOT do at Pow Wow?

21. How many children do you see in regalia?

22. Do all Native Americans have black hair? feathers? live in a teepee? wear moccasins?

23. Introduce yourself to one Native American person in regalia. Tell your name, grades, school, and background. find out from them:

their name or names (they may have a Native name and an English name)
their nation
where they live
what they do for work
how they travel
any meanings about their regalia

Answer Key to Pow Wow In formation Gathering

1. A veteran may be anyone who put their life between their home and the enemy, or sent a child to war.

2. In this area of the country, circles open in the East. The East is where the sun rises and many nations in the East have this as part of the meaning of their name, ie: “People of the Morning Sun”. They are important because circles symbolize many things, including life, equality, and balance, etc.

3. Some specialty dances are Grass, Fancy, Traditional, Jingle, Hoop, etc.

5. Even though women are and have always been drummers, recent Eastern traditions exclude women from drumming at the “mother drum” due to how much “power” they have to “amplify”, they can sing and rattle at the drum and using hand drums is okay, but they would not be sitting and drumming.

7. What is the Announcer/emcee's name/nation? (Marvin Burnette/Sioux, Starr/Nipmuc, answers vary)

8. What is the storyteller’s name/nation? (Loril MoonDream/White Mountain Apache, answers may vary)

9. Stories teach behavior, tell the history, give role models, etc.

11. Intertribal means many nations have come together, many nations are sharing their dance and songs, guests are also invited to dance, etc.

12. Some special ceremonies are honor dances, eagle feather retrieval, etc.

13. Traditionally a piece of vine twisted in a loop, now sometimes made with wire, with a “web” made of sinew inside. It is put at the head of one’s bed to “catch” the bad dreams, while letting the good ones pass through. Objibway/Assinabe origins)

14. The smoke from burning sage is used to purify and cleanse the spirit, like water cleans the body.

15. Some *traditional* materials that Native Americans make their own beads are bone, wood, clay, shell, etc.

16. Some instruments you can buy at Pow Wow are drum, flute, rattle, etc.

17. Some things made of leather are regalia, pouches, purses, moccasins, etc.

18. Some things specifically for children could be cradle board, books, moccasins, etc.

19. Turtles could be in books, regalia, statues, jewelry.

EXTRA CREDIT (This activity is appropriate for Grades 6 and up, depending on curriculum)

We have been studying human origins, civilization, and culture. Attend the Native American Pow Wow this weekend and write a 500 word essay describing the culture you see. Remember culture includes the "human-made" part of the environment. It refers to elements such as values, social norms, beliefs, attitudes, world views, styles, traditions, and systems of meaning (beliefs, behavior, language) that are shared and transmitted by an identifiable group of people through learning and experience.

Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Indians

2010-11-06T21:51:00.009-04:00

by Dennis Banks

(I use these song lyrics by this this Native American activist to explain portions of the Racial Identity Development theory as originally put forth by William Cross and further developed by other researchers.)

A friend of mine sang a song called,

“Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”

and I began to think of a song for Indian people

But, you know, the more I though of good words,

the more I began to think of broken treaties and broken promises and broken homes.

Names like Shivington, Jackson and Custer started running through my mind.

and I said, “Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be Indians”

I thought of the long walk of the Navahos

The Trail of tears, 500 years of Columbus…

and I said, “Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be Indians”

Then I began to think of our ancestors

like Chief Joseph, Seattle, Crazy Horse and Geronimo

and their dreams and what they lived for…

and I said, “Mama let your babies grow up to be Indians”

And my heart began to swell with pride

As I saw Jim Thorpe and Billy Mills in the Olympics.

And in the distance I saw the longest walk across America

and I said, “Mama let your babies grow up to be Indians”

Then I felt the spirituality and strength of our people

In ceremonies, the elders, the women.

I saw the sun dance and the cottonwood tree.

I smelled the sweet grass and the sage that purifies our people.

I saw Leonard Peltier and freedom

I heard the many drums and singers

And watched the gracious beauty of our dancers…

and I said, “Mama make sure your babies grow up to be Indians…make sure”

Boarding Schools & Indian Drums

2010-11-06T21:29:00.008-04:00

Click here to see a local school's theatrical production about boarding schools, The Rememberer.

Some groups, like the Navajo, were recruited from NA boarding schools to serve as Code Talkers in WWII, after being chained to bedposts for refusing to stop speaking their Native language. See the Code Talker Dictionary. Carl Gorman (father of famous Navajo/Diné artist and painter, R.C. Gorman) was one of the Code Talkers.

IN THE NEWS
Abused by nun, native woman tells commission about Prince Edward Island boarding schools

P.E.I. survivors of Indian residential schools had an opportunity Tuesday to testify about their horrific treatment at the hands of the federal government and the church.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission held an all-day hearing at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. The commission gives people an opportunity to speak openly, or privately, about the residential school system that existed in Canada for more than 100 years.

Marie Knockwood wrote a song about her time at the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia. She told the hearing about sexual abuse she experienced at the hands of a nun.

MUSIC
This is a great song about Boarding Schools (deculturalization), Role Models, and Cultural Identity.

Johnny Cash Drums Lyrics:
From the Indian reservation to the governmental school
Well they're goin' to educate me to the white men's Golden Rule
And I'm learning very quickly for I've learned to be ashamed
And I come when they call Billy though I've got an Indian name

And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near

And when they think that they'd changed me cut my hair to meet their needs
Will they think I'm white or Indian quarter blood or just half breed
Let me tell you Mr teacher when you say you'll make me right
In five hundred years of fighting not one Indian turned white

And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near

Well you thought that I knew nothing when you brought me here to school
Just another empty Indian just America's first fool
But now I can tell you stories that are burnt and dried and old
But in the shadow of their telling walks the thunder proud and bold

And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near

Long Pine and Sequoia Handsome Lake and Sitting Bull
there's Magnus Colorado with his sleeves so red and full
Crazy Horse the legend those who bit off Custer's soul
They are dead yet they are living with the great Geronimo

And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near

Well you may teach me this land's hist'ry but we taught it to you first
We broke your hearts and bent your journeys broken treaties left us cursed
Even now you have to cheat us even though you think us tame
In our losing we found proudness in your winning you found shame

And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near

Pow Wow Etiquette

2010-11-05T20:46:00.009-04:00

The word Pow Wow comes from the Algonquin "pauau" and means a gathering of people to celebrate an important event. Most Pow Wows are non-profit and depend upon donations, raffles, blanket dances, etc. for support. Donations are encouraged as a way to honor someone. Any participant can drop money onto the blanket to aid in the powwow expenses.

We are always glad to see people attend pow wows, and learn more about our cultures and ways. If you have never been to a Pow Wow, here are a few rules that may help you feel more comfortable and know what to expect. Keep in mind that traditions vary from region to region and Pow Wow to Pow Wow. When in doubt, quietly wait until there is a break in the action and ask the folks near the drum(s) to point you towards the Arena Director (Master of Ceremonies /Announcer). Here are some general guidelines to follow:

The Arena:

The arena is considered a sacred ground and should be treated with respect. Profanity and unruly behavior should not be used. Never cut across it to get to the opposite side. Treat the arena as you would treat a church. Go in the "door" and out the same way, not under ropes.

Do not sit on the benches inside the circle around the dance area, these are for dancers in regalia. Seats with blankets, shawls or regalia items on them are “taken” and should not be bothered. Do NOT sit on someone else's blanket unless invited. Uncovered seats are considered available. Many Pow Wows don’t have seating, so, bring along a lawn chair or blanket and make yourself comfortable.

Pets should be left at home. The Arena is a sacred place from the time it is blessed until the Pow Wow is over. At no time should pets be allowed in the Arena, unless they are working service animals.

The formal part of a Pow Wow begins with Grand Entry around noon. When the Eagle Staff is brought into the arena, in the company of the American Flag, or when they are taken from the arena, it is respectful to stand and remove your hat in honor. The Flag Song, Honor Songs, Veterans Songs, and Indian National Anthem also require the respect of standing and hat removal (unless wearing an eagle feather or other powerful personal medicine). They are not songs for dancing. The Pow Wow ends with the closing ceremonies. In between, there is dancing, drumming, stories, and sometimes crafts for children, special demonstration, etc. The Announcer lets people know what is going to be happening.

Recording/Photos:

Photos of individual dancers should only be taken with their permission, and no commercial photography without first checking with the MC and Pow Wow staff. Tape recording of the drums should be done only after asking the drum group. Video recording should be only for personal use, unless by previous arrangement with the staff. Absolutely NO recording of any kind on Honor Songs, Flag Songs, Veterans Songs, Gourd Dancing, prayers, or at any other time the MC specifies. Obtaining an individual's permission is a respectful recognition of that person's dignity and rights of privacy.

Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs and Other Disrespectful Behaviors:

Pow wows have strict rules against alcohol and drug use in the entire area of the pow wow, and most prohibit smoking in or near the arena. Dress and act appropriately. Hot pants, halter tops, and swimwear are not appropriate in most dance arenas, consider bringing something to “cover up.” Pointing with the fingers is considered poor manners by some nations. If you must point, use your head and nod in the direction you wish to indicate.

Arts and Crafts:

At any given pow wow, you will find a wide array of Native arts, handmade crafts, and jewelry for sale. Often this is how these vendors make a living, and sell quality goods at a reasonable price. Most will not accept checks, so it is a good idea to have cash on hand. Please use care when handling merchandise.

The Regalia:

Dancers wear traditional regalia, not costumes, when they dance. If they are going to dance anything other than open Intertribals, they wear regalia. Every part of a dancer's regalia is very important to him or her for various reasons. Many hours go into the intricate beadwork and detailing, and a full set of regalia may take years to complete. The feathers or leather may be over 100 years old and very fragile. Never intentionally touch another dancer’s regalia, person or property without permission.

If you should discover a feather on the ground (this is really about Eagle feathers, but many children cannot tell the difference), please, do not pick it up! Rather, guard it and notify a Pow Wow official. There are ceremonies for the returning of a fallen eagle feather, which under no circumstances may be photographed or video taped. Certain items of religious significance should be worn only by those qualified to do so. Respect the traditions.

Dancing:

The Announcer will specify who is to dance and when, and when visitors may participate. Listen to the Director. S/He will announce who is to dance and when. Most Pow Wows conduct Intertribals in which the public may participate. Before dancing barefoot speak with the Arena Director. At some events this may only be done by Sundancers known to the organizers. In some places it is OK for adults to dance while carrying infants or small children. In other places this is considered contrary to local etiquette. Ask before doing so.

Respect the Head Man and Head Woman Dancers. Their role entitles them to start each song or set of songs. Please wait until they have started to dance before you join in. In some traditions, it is considered improper to pass the Head Man or Woman Dancer within the Arena.

Some songs require that you be familiar with the routine or have special eligibility rules in order to participate. Trot dances, snake, buffalo, etc. require particular steps or routines. Veterans dances may be restricted to Veterans, Combat Veterans or in some cases, War Mothers or the relations of Veterans. If you are not familiar with a particular dance, observe and learn. Watch the Head Dancers to learn the procedures.

Drumming:

Before sitting at a drum, ask permission from the Head singer. Do not touch a drum without permission. If you wish to ask for a special song from a drum, talk to the Area Director first and make sure the Master of Ceremonies is informed. It is traditional to make a gift (monetary, tobacco, or otherwise) to the Drum for special requests. More information about the Drum can be found here.

Giveaways:

Giveaways, attributes of Indian generosity, are held at many dances. They are acknowledgments of appreciation to recipients for honor or service given to the people. When receiving a gift, the recipient thanks everyone involved in the giving. They may be asked to dance in an Honor Song following the Giveaway.

Questions:

If you have a question, ask, just take time to get to know the person you are talking with, before asking a string of questions. Most dancers, singers, elders and staff are happy to help. It’s nice to offer a cold drink or other small, symbolic gift to those who help you.

John Trudell - Activist, Poet, Songwriter

2010-11-05T20:18:00.002-04:00

Archaeology & Current Research

2010-11-01T19:07:00.008-04:00

New Arawak/Taino site in Puerto Rico 2007

Woods Canyon Pueblo

Dominican Republic

Taino Artifacts Being Taken out of Puerto Rico and No One is Stopping It.

"Lost" petroglyphs recently found

Atalanta, GA artifacts are Taino in origin

We are not extinct or dead!

Sample Letters from 2010

2010-10-13T08:42:00.005-04:00

Dear Claudia,

I came across your blog somehow in my quest for more information on Columbus Day. I felt I needed to educate myself on the "holiday" and understand the true history behind this day. I have passed on all that I have found to my friends via Facebook.

Thank you for your information you have to generously made public and thank you for enlightening me about many things I was unaware of about your culture. I will continue to spread all that I know about the real truth about this day and hope that some day all will know the true meaning connected to the name Columbus and it will no longer be a holiday and one of celebration.

It is strange as I am not sure how to direct this or whom to direct this to, but as a white person, I feel somehow responsible for actions of those from the past. We seem to destroy all that is good. My 20 years old daughter asked me what I thought our country would be like today had the Native Americans been able to defend themselves against the white man or had the white man come in true peace. The thought leads me to so many thoughts as I do believe this was not the path your culture should have been forced to be on and most certainly not the path we should have been on either. Something is terribly wrong with how things are today and how they have been since stepping foot on your soil. Our "now", is the result of our past-this is a sad thought for me. For any responsibility that any of my ancestors had in the decimation of your culture I would like you to know that I feel apologetic and the same for all that continues to happen today. I am ashamed to call myself American, it seems so inappropriate.

I left the US 4 years ago and live in the Basque Country of Spain, another place where people fight to gain and maintain their freedom but have suffered greatly at the hands of the Spanish government. It has been difficult to understand their fight here as a non-Basque but somehow I have a better understanding relating it in some way to that of the Native American.

I am not sure my words are appropriate, but felt I wanted at least one Native American to read what I was thinking on this day.

Best regards,

Rhonda (name changed)

>:<>:<>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<

Hi Rhonda,

Thank you so much for emailing me! It really made my day. The issue of "re-educating" folks about Native American history, culture, contributions, and systematic genocide is near and dear to my heart.

This is what I always say: There is no other place in the world for us. This is our land. We are of the land. This is where we learned about life from the weather conditions of this country, from the land and from the sea around THESE lands, the indigenous plants that grow here, the indigenous animals that adapted to these conditions, and the conditions themselves, are us. This is our heritage and story. If you are an American who has ancestral heritage in Ireland, you can go to Ireland and still see people and traditions from that heritage. We can't. If we don't keep it alive here and teach others, then we will disappear all together.

We need allies who can help re-educate and inform others. You are doing just what you need to be doing right now! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

From time to time, I post emails I receive on the blog - do you feel comfortable having your message spread in that manner? May I repost it?

Yours,
--
Claudia

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Dear Claudia,

So nice to hear from you. I was not sure if my email was appropriate as I wanted to be sure my words were proper and fitting.

Your analogy of Irish Americans vs the Native American people is so true. Here in the Basque Country this is the fight of the people as well as I have mentioned. I am 48 years old, born and raised in United States. When growing up I must say, although I was taught some stereotypical things about "Indians", I have always looked upon your culture with great admiration and respect. Something deep down told me as a young child that Native Americans had something very special that we do not possess as we are so disconnected from the land and nature in most respects.

Consider my family allies with all of our sincerity. We will do our part to help re-educate and inform all who we know.

Please feel free to repost my message. I must go back into your blog and read more things, but if you know of anything specifically that I can pass on via my Facebook, do let me know-the ripple effect of the internet can be profound.

Best and warmest regards,

Rhonda

ps-I loved your letter to the teachers and the funny comment about the plastic egg usage! lol

Also-What are your thoughts about the documentary The Canary Effect? The gentleman whom they used for most of the information seems to have some controversy and not sure how he is viewed by Native Americans-I do not see anything on your blog with regard to this and I am just curious if this documentary has validity amongst your people-thank you.

>:<>:<>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<:>:<

Hi Rhonda,

I tried looking for you on Facebook, but there are several people with your name. Maybe I should have tried your email, but I don't have FB access at work. Please find me!

I can't speak for ALL Native Americana and don't know all the controversy around The Canary Effect, but I do use it and I have it posted on the blog. I like Ward Churchill (though I know he has received some bad press) and the video uses primary sources. Having said that, all media and information needs to be evaluated, questioned, and considered - however it is getting used.
--
Claudia

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Aay again Sister Claudia.....this is Tessa, over the past several years I've written, first was to ask your permission to post thru my group, the letter you wrote, "A Letter To A Teacher", which you granted.

It is sad that this letter is still relevant today, yet it is so. I cannot thank you enough for all you've done & do for our young ones, & those who have our young ones on a daily basis thru public ed.

Until truth is taught in all public schools, & required by home schoolers alike, we have this ongoing battle for our young ones. The only thing going to save them from much unrest is truth in education.

Many blessings to you & to all you hold dear,

Tessa (named changed)

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I'm so glad you are still spreading the word!

I will soon have a chapter in a book coming out about covert/passive racism. I will post information on the blog when it becomes a reality.

Sadly, writing a letter is a start, but not enough. I continue to have to follow up with schools about the very issues I outlined in the just-as-current-now-as-it-was-when-I-wrote-it letter!
--
Claudia

Columbus Day in the News

2010-10-11T09:34:00.021-04:00

5 Misconceptions about Columbus

IN THE NEWS (Activism & other Native American news stories)

The Bold Marauder
2007 Columbus Protest
On Not Celebrating Columbus Day
Why Does the U.S. Celebrate?
Homeland Security T-Shirt Controversy
Debating Columbus Day
Columbus Doesn't Deserve a National Holiday
Why AIM Opposes Columbus Day
Refusal to Pledge Allegiance Lands Lawyer in Jail
Columbus Day: True Legacy Cruelty & Slavery - this Huffington Post article has great links to sources supporting the truth
Stop Celebrating Columbus Day Similar information as above, written clearly for students
Columbus Day: U.S. Capitalism Built on Slavery & Genocide (reprinted from 2004)
Will America Ever Discover Columbus?
Lessons in the News
Embracing Mistruths
Why I don't say the "Pledge"
Shame of Columbus Day

OTHER TOPICS LINKED TO COLUMBUS
Looking a Genocide (and Thanksgiving)
Honoring Native Americans with "Civilization"
Did Native Americans "discover" Europe?
Columbus Day: A Real Education

What became of the Taino?
If you have ever paddled a canoe, napped in a hammock, savored a barbecue, smoked tobacco or tracked a hurricane across Cuba, you have paid tribute to the Taíno, the Indians who invented those words long before they welcomed Christopher Columbus to the New World in 1492…

In the News - Issues Involving Arawak & Columbus…

2010-10-08T12:15:00.013-04:00

Issues involving other Native People…

Why AIM Opposes Columbus Day - Care2 News Network
By Kat Yazzie
When Taino Indians saved Christopher Columbus from certain death on the fateful morning of Oct. 12, 1492, a glorious opportunity presented itself. The cultures Europe and the Americas could have merged, and the beauty of both races ...

Refusal to Pledge Allegiance Lands Lawyer in Jail
To some it could evoke a certain vision of American promise: a classroom full of towheaded youngsters standing beside their arched desks, left hands over their precious hearts and right ones raised in open-palmed salute, reciting in unison the vow popularized by a Baptist minister in a 19th-century edition of "The Youth's Companion."

Possible Pyramid in Puerto Plata
A local Dominican newspaper reported the discovery of a possible ancient pyramid. The so-called pyramid is in the form of a large pile of stones that was found by the property owner who is deciding to remain anonymous at this time. The owner also claims to have alerted local authorities who he feels are ignoring an important archeological find. Another community member, Vanessa Inarunikia said that “As Taino, we know exchanges took place with Mesoamerica but [if this claim is true] this would confirm our oral tradition as fact for the academics and others who usually tend doubt everything unless they say it was so.”

Reactions from the Taino community have been mixed as there is caution over the report which could turn out to be a hoax.

Taino community member Miguel “Sobaoko Koromo” Sague states “I am skeptical concerning the possibility that our ancestors were so influenced by Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures that they would have begun to build pyramids". Sague continued stating that in spite of the doubts “it is a little exciting to allow myself to imagine that maybe... this man is really saying the truth.”

Ghost of Taino by Mike Toner
Mystery and controversy haunt a pre-Columbian ceremonial site in Puerto Rico.

These images of Taíno gods, carved at least 500 years ago, have caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to radically alter dam construction plans on Puerto Rico's Portugues River. (Courtesy David Diener) Archaeologist Chris Espenshade's instructions were clear: excavate a marginally interesting settlement (designated only as PO 29) along Puerto Rico's Portugues River that had once been occupied by the Taíno people, recover artifacts, record useful data, and get out. The bulldozers were waiting. After more than 20 years of budget delays, escalating costs, and engineering challenges, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was finally ready to build the last phase of a $580-million flood-control project that would protect Ponce, the island's fifth-largest city, from the devastating floods that sweep down the valley after heavy rains.

Indigenous People of Suriname await land rights.

Legal rights and recognition for the diverse indigenous peoples of Suriname have lagged behind those in other South American countries. Despite pressure from the UN and binding judgments by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Suriname has yet to recognize indigenous and tribal land rights, a situation that has disconnected local communities from decisions regarding the land they have inhabited for centuries and in some cases millennia. A new report, Securing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Conservation in Suriname: A Review outlines how this lack of rights has alienated indigenous communities from conservation efforts in Suriname. Instead of having an active say in the creation of conservation reserves, as well as their management, decisions on indigenous lands have traditionally been imposed from the 'top-down' either by government officials or NGOs.

U.S. Embassy returns Taino artifacts seized by agents
NEW YORK.- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) agents in Florida, Puerto Rico and Memphis confiscated 66 pre-Columbian Taino artifacts, many dating back 2,000 years, arrested the smugglers, and returned to Dominican Republic authorities. NEW YORK.- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) agents in Florida, Puerto Rico and Memphis confiscated 66 pre-Columbian Taino artifacts, many dating back 2,000 years, arrested the smugglers, and returned to Dominican Republic authorities.

Taino Burial
Interesting forum on artifacts and burial among the Taino.

Kiskeia/Dom. Republic

2010-10-06T10:17:00.003-04:00

Kiskeia/Dom. Republic (UCTP Taino News) – A local Dominican newspaper reported the discovery of a possible ancient pyramid in the Puerto Plata district on Friday. The so-called pyramid is in the form of a large pile of stones that was found by the property owner who is deciding to remain anonymous at this time. The owner also claims to have alerted local authorities who he feels are ignoring an important archeological find.

Transforming Curriculum

2010-10-06T09:19:00.007-04:00

Below are some websites which offer lesson plans and ideas for curriculum transformation, in general, not specifically NA. Using activities from these sites are a good way to open your heart and mind to including the multiple perspectives of many oppressed groups while gaining skills/techniques to do so…

RaceBridges for Schools (www.racebridgesforschools.com) offers resources to help teachers and administrators create a school climate that fosters knowledge of and respect for diversity. The lesson plans on this site will assist teachers in building community in their classrooms while honoring the wide range of differences among their students.

Teaching Tolerance (http://www.tolerance.org/) offers lessons on social justice across different oppression (sexism, racism, environment, poverty, family/homophobia, etc.)
Quiz on Native Americans

Ed Change (http://www.edchange.org) free handouts for a variety of differnet workshops, trainings, and classes. Professional development, research, and resources for diversity, multiculturalism, and cultural competency.

Some of Claudia's THINKING on Teaching (in general).

Thanksgiving lesson plans and ideas

Lyrics/Vocables to Songs I Use in Classes

2010-10-05T10:05:00.006-04:00

River Song
Brooke Medicine Eagle (Seneca)
(Straight Beat)

Wishi ta, do ya, do ya, do ya
Wishi ta, do ya, do ya, hay
(Repeat Verse)

Wash a, ta nay ya, hay ya, hay ya
Wash a, ta nay ya, hay ya hay
(Repeat Verse)

(Start over at the top)

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Crow Hop
(Straight Beat with a sideways rock to it)
(You can do this with the lead, or everyone just sings it all together once they get it)

LEAD - Way yo, way yo, way yo; way yo, way yo, way yo
ANSWER - Way yo, way yo, way yo; way yo, way yo , way yo

Way yo, way yo, way yo; way yo, way yo, way yo
Way ya, way ya, way hi yo BEAT
(Repeat Chorus)

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Call of the Sea Turtle
Roberto Borrero (Taino)
(Best with just rattles, no drum)
(Call/Lead and Response/Answer, Repeat each pair for total of 2 calls and 2 responses)

hi hey lay lay (call)
hi hey lay lay (response)

warico carey (call)
warico carey (response)

bo ma tome carey (call)
bo ma tome carey (response)

Primary Documents with References to NA's

2010-10-05T09:55:00.002-04:00

“A Declaration of The State of The Colony and Affairs in VIRGINIA... sets policy: Because the way of conquering them (Indians) is much more easie then of civilizing them by faire meanes, for they are a rude, barbarous, and naked people.”

~ Edward Waterhouse, 1622

“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

~John Hancock, the Declaration of Independence

“And I do believe we shall continue to grow, to multiply and prosper until we exhibit an association, powerful; wise and happy, beyond what has yet been seen by men. As for France and England, with all their preeminence in science, the one is a den of robbers, and the other of pirates. And if science produces no better fruits than tyranny, murder, rapine and destitution of national morality, I would rather wish our country to be ignorant, honest and estimable, as our neighboring savages are.”

~Thomas Jefferson in Letter to Ticknor, 1816 N. Y. Pub. Lib., MS, IV, 338

Then there was the question of land: “A wild Indian requires a thousand acres to roam over, while an intelligent man will find a comfortable support for his family on a very small tract... Barbarism is costly, wasteful and extravagant. Intelligence promotes thrift and increases prosperity.” (Adams, p.20).

~David Wallace Adams, Education for Extinction - American Indians and the Boarding School Experience 1875-1928, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1995.

Get a Good Map!

2010-10-02T17:20:00.000-04:00

When choosing a map to use:

Be aware of who is included and who is excluded on each map (Hawaii? Alaska? Central America? South America? Canada?)
Consider how the map is grouping Native Americans (Region? Language? Confederacy? Tribe/Nation?)
Are Tribes/Nations being referred to by common/mainstream names or their own tribal names?

Here are some Internet map resources to use as starting points.

North American Nations - somewhat by region, includes Central America and Caribbean

North American Nations - more of Canada and more details of continental United States (nothing below Florida and Texas)

Aztec Empire (then), (1519) and (now), (details)

South American Nations - includes Caribbean

North America - by regions, includes Arctic

How many Nations are there? Click here for an alphabetical list.

What Can a Pow Wow Do for A Community?

2010-09-03T09:35:00.004-04:00

Here's my thoughts on some questions which I frequently get in various forms. I notice my answers are somewhat the same each time, but threads or themes get emphasized more or less each time I see the questions - just depends on where my mind is at the moment! Here are my thoughts today…

How accurately are Native American traditions portrayed?

In what? Music, movies, video games, literature, advertisements, cartoons, in educational curriculum, by anthropologists? The list goes on. If you ask a child (and many adults), "What does a Native American look like?" You will get a visual of a person with feathers holding a weapon, sometimes he/she will have long hair. That image is so ingrained in the United States psyche that it is difficult to unravel because alongside the image is the teaching that most Native people are dead and that we all lived in the past. Movies and literature written by Native people have made many strides forward in accurate portrayals, however, generally are not as popular as writing and movies by nonNative people about Native Americans.

In sports, caricatures of Native people and stereotypical acts (tomahawk chop) exist and are accepted in ways portraying any other ethnic group would be seen as an obvious stereotype and eliminated. There are things about us that are true for some of us, but they are blown out of proportion and applied to everyone. Yes, many of us are spiritual, but not to the exclusion of other ways to be. Yes, we protect the land, don't we all want clean water and not chemically treated food? Yes, we complain about stereotypes and inaccuracies of us as a people, but that's because change for our community is coming at such a slow pace. There are many more things about us that are false: we don't all live in tipis, we don't all ride horses, we don't all wear leather or feathers or moccasins or head dresses…

What is meaningful about these types of gatherings? How does it affect those who attend them?

Gatherings, such as Pow Wows, are meaningful in multiple ways. For the public, in the most simple way, they offer a place to see a "real Indian," not the storybook stereotype, but a living Native person who is blending traditional and contemporary traditions and culture in today's world - just like everybody else. In a more complex way, visitors to a Pow Wow get to see (and sometimes experience) the original "American" culture, that of the indigenous people of the Americas. I refer to all indigenous people of the Western hemisphere because the United States political boundaries are much newer than the Nations who spread out and lived upon this land from Canada to South America. Visitors can also learn more in depth information by listening to the emcee and asking questions of dancers and vendors.

For us, a Pow Wow is a social gathering where we can see and interact and dance with other Native Americans in ways that our ancestors have been getting together for generations. It's like "FaceBook live." While we come from all over and have diverse backgrounds, we also share our common Native American heritage. We don't have churches or community centers in every town where we can get together, or even a radio station or television show where we can hear/see ourselves accurately represented. Pow Wow is a place to bring our families, be ourselves, and see some the diversity of the Native American experience.

What more could be done to integrate Native American traditions and ways of thinking into a town's day-to-day life?

Acknowledging that Native Americans lived on the very land that the town now lies on is a beginning. There are probably roads and lakes with Native American names. These road were probably once the trails and paths which Native people walked. The fields were probably clear cut by indigenous people. The balance that existed between living on the land and keeping the land healthy is another value that people in Haverhill can take into day-to-day life. And finally, gaining perspective on how we all share the world with many ethnic groups who have different practices and beliefs, that no one way is the only (or the "right") way to be. That perspective is a gift to everyone who thinks they are "just like everybody else."

My Great-great-great-great Grandmother was a real European Princess!

2010-08-19T09:29:00.004-04:00

My friend, Don, made a joke about this real issue when he posted it as his status on FaceBook. It's funny to Native People. We live it. Here is the serious side (in no particular order, and just what I can think of on the top of my head):

1. People are proud of one drop of NA blood, but not typically one drop of African blood. This is a cultural issue because NA's are often "idealized," while AA's are "demonized."

2. It *IS* sad when NA's can't document their heritage, but it is more important that we focus on being a "practicing" NA because we want/need our culture to survive for the next 7 generations. So when we hear that phrase, the questions to ask are, "Is that person "practicing"? Are they also experiencing the attached prejudice and racism? Are we in solidarity together?

3. It's a HUGE problem that we need to prove who we are in the first place. People have had to prove who they aren't (ie: Jews in Nazi Germany) and people have to prove their nationality (country connection through passport, etc.), but proving one's ethnicity (especially in the United States) is reserved for the reservation people!

4. Unfortunately, the way racism works in this country (and other places in the world at this point), is that lighter skinned folks have more privileges/advantages than darker-skinned folks (see Peggy McIntosh). So that means the person with the NA GGGGrand mother probably isn't experiencing the same oppression (racism, prejudice, discrimination, assumptions, etc.) that the person with the NA parent is!

5. Why is it always a GGGGrand mother? What about those GGGGrant fathers? Well, sometimes we hear, "…was an Indian chief." Same issues apply.

6. And, finally, there weren't enough princesses to go around and there wasn't "one" havin' all those dang babies!

Note: If you got down to this part and still don't know what I'm talking about… This is a response to the comment that we, Native Americans, get from folks who look like they are white, European Americans. The comment is, "Oh! I have a great, great, great, great grandmother who was a Native American princess."

The Islands of the Arawak & Taino

2010-08-19T08:47:00.011-04:00

Aruba
Caves

Bahamas
Fountain of Youth
Mayaguana

Dominican Republic
Life

Guyana
Independence Day Project

Puerto Rico
Facts

Saint Lucia
Holy land?

Saint Vincent
Identity

Lesson Plans

2010-08-15T11:16:00.006-04:00

Whether book, movie, lesson plan, or other media source, my comment stands - Educate yourself and talk about the controversies/issues - there is NO PERFECT SOURCE, only really good questions to get to deeper understanding. Having said that, these links are great beginnings for the novice teacher or to enhance the lessons of the experienced teacher!

This is such an awesome NA Lesson plan website I can't even describe it! I don't like the Cowboy/Indian game, but everything else looks great (and, yes, I reviewed every downloadable lesson, through I didn't review every on line resource link).

Preserving cultural artifacts.

My "Language Cards" and how I use them at Pow Wow.

GENERAL CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION LESSONS HERE

Lacrosse

2010-07-15T22:51:00.003-04:00

In case you didn't know, Lacrosse is a sport invented by the Iroquois. In 2010, their team was 4th and denied access to Great Britain because their Nation wasn't recognized as a Nation. That's after the U.S. didn't recognize them either. One more case of lack of Nation to Nation recognition.

U.K. Won't let Iroquois Go To Tourney
Hoping for ID Resolution

Arawak, huh? Where are you from? Yurumein

2010-06-03T11:40:00.007-04:00

My family history goes back to the island of Saint Vincent. I haven't been able to trace my specific lineage any further back. My friend, Roberto says the following:

What we know is that there are folks on St. Vincent called "Red Carib, Yellow Carib, and Black Carib (or Garifuna). The "Red and Yellow" consider themselves different from the Garifuna. I have heard this first hand.

To be a "Carib" in the islands is really to be part of the Arawak family - the so-called "island-carib" spoke/speak an Arawakan language related very closely to the Lokono language of Guyana/Venezuela/Suriname. Garifuna is primarily an Arawak language because their African ancestors learned this language from local Arawakan peoples.

So, Yurumein is an Arawakan word for the island of Saint Vincent said to mean "the beauty of the rainbows in the valleys." I don't know if that is the correct translation but Yurumein as a word for the island can be used by "Red Carib, Yellow Carib, and Black Carib (or Garifuna) as well as Arawaks and Taino.

. is a geographic location not an ethnicity. If you were Garifuna your tribal identity card would say "Garifuna, Yurumein." When people ask "What kind of Arawak are you?" the response is "Arawak from Yurumein" (meaning St. Vincent) in the regional indigenous language.

It is like me saying I am a Boriken Taino which means a Taino from Puerto Rico as compared to a Kiskeya Taino meaning one from the Dominican Republic.

Here is more information.

Arawak Settlement

Lokono Arawak Language

What’s in a name - Arawak or Taíno? This is an editorial written by my friend, Robert.

There is widespread confusion concerning the application of the term Arawak on Caribbean Indigenous Peoples. This is not surprising given our disparate state across the islands and into the Diaspora. As descendants of the first Indigenous Peoples in the Western Hemisphere to be labeled Indians, our communities are dealing with over 500 years of colonization and misinformation via educational institutions promoting ideologies that were established by the colonizers.

Even non-indigenous academics have been struggling with the application of the term Arawak in the Caribbean. By the 20th century the term “Island Arawak” become preferable for use by some historians, anthropologist, archeologists, and linguists to highlight significant differences between mainland and island communities.

The application of the term Arawak stems from the fact that Indigenous Peoples identified by the colonizers as Aruac, Aroaquis, Aroacos, Arawaks, etc. traditionally lived in the coastal areas of northern South America. As a result of their location they were among the first Indigenous Peoples to be encountered by Europeans on the continent. These peoples however - at least the some of the communities encountered in British and French Guiana as well as Suriname - did not call themselves Arawak. These peoples called themselves Lukkunu or Lokono.

As for Arawak, there are many contemporary indigenous groups that now identify themselves as Arawak or at least part of the “Arawakan family”. Affiliation extends from the northern to the southern areas of the continent. This can be compared to the use of the term Sioux among the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Peoples or the use of Navajo among the Dineh Peoples in North America. Sioux and Navajo were not the original names of these peoples yet many have incorporated these terms into their contemporary identity.

In the Caribbean, a similar practice occurs among indigenous islanders who identify as “Carib”. Local oral tradition affirms that at least some of these communities identified themselves traditionally as Kalinago. To reveal the complexity of the identity issue, Kalinago and other Island Caribs are more linguistically and culturally related to “Arawakan peoples” than to mainland “true Carib” (Karina Peoples).

Another point to consider is that while the Lokono Arawak and the Kalinago are among our closest cousins for Taíno to identify strictly as Arawak does not take into account our verifiable ancestral relations with other Indigenous Peoples from the region such as our Meso-American relatives.

There are many contemporary Taíno who are comfortable identifying themselves as Arawak or even Carib. In my view, there is nothing wrong with this practice as long as it does not seek to hinder the aspirations of those identifying themselves as Taíno.

In the end it is all a matter of self-determination.

Roberto Múkaro Borrero is a Borikén Taíno historian, artist, and activist who currently serves as President of the United Confederation of Taíno People. He can be contacted at mukaro@uctp.orgEsta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesita tener Javascript activado para poder verla or at www.uctp.org.

Source: http://www.uctp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=654&Itemid=2

Fountain of Youth

2010-02-10T10:14:00.003-05:00

Summarized from a few sources:
“The native stories about the curative spring were related to the mythical land of Bimini or Beniny (hence Bimini), a land of wealth and prosperity. The spring was purportedly located on an island called Boinca. Although subsequent interpretations suggested the land was located in the vicinity of the Bahamas, the natives were referring to a location in the Gulf of Honduras. The islands of Bimini in the Bahamas were known as La Vieja during the Ponce expedition. According to legend, the Spanish heard of Bimini from the Arawaks in Hispaniola, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Sequene, an Arawak chief from Cuba, had purportedly been unable to resist the lure of Bimini and its restorative fountain. He gathered a troupe of adventurers and sailed north, never to return. Word spread among Sequene’s more optimistic tribesmen that he and his followers had located the Fountain of Youth and were living in luxury in Bimini. Bimini and its curative waters were widespread subjects in the Caribbean.”

More information here.

Myths and Misconceptions in downloadable pdf here.

Facts About Puerto Rico

2010-02-04T19:13:00.005-05:00

From my friend Evelyn, "I LOVE Puerto Rico! I can attest to the beauty of the rain forest at El Yunque, the beaches, especially the gorgeous coconut tree lined beach, Luquillo, the horrendous traffic, the fabulous mall, the marvelous pina coladas, the shark pinchos (shark shishkabob), the music, the rum, the food, the fruits, the flowers, the people, the mountains, the bioluminescent waters, the weather and more...."

Here's some facts about Puerto Rico, formerly known by the Taino people as BORIKEN.
Puerto Rico is the country with the most cars per square mile in the world: 146 vehicles per street mile and 4,300 vehicles per square mile.
Plaza Las Americas mall in San Juan is the most profitable mall per square foot in the world.
The highest grossing Borders book store in US territory is located in Puerto Rico.
Busiest Toys "R" Us in the world is in Puerto Rico.
The highest grossing Sears store in the World is in Puerto Rico.
The highest selling Kmart in the US is in San Juan.
The Radio Shack store in Plaza Las Americas mall is the busiest and highest grossing Radio Shack in the world.
The largest JC Penney store in the world (a full 4 stories) is located at Plaza Las Americas mall.
The Port of San Juan is the fourth busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere.
San Juan is the oldest city in US territory (Older than the city of St. Augustine, FL) and was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de Leon.
Piña Colada was "born" in PR in 1954.
The legal drinking age is 18.
Puerto Rico has won the Miss Universe pageant a record five times.
Puerto Rico has the only rain forest in the US- El Yunque.
The place in the world with more pharmaceutical companies per square mile is Puerto Rico.
There are about 1,100 people per square mile, a ratio higher than within any of the 50 states in the United States. Puerto Rico's population density per square miles is among the world's highest - only Bangladesh, The Maldives, Barbados, Taiwan, South Korea and the city-states of Hong Kong and Singapore are more crowded.
Puerto Rico is the third country in the world with more physicians in proportion to its population.
The Camuy river in Puerto Rico is among the top three longest underground rivers in the world.
Puerto Rico has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world.
The longest pool in the world is located in a hotel in Dorado, PR.
It is estimated that there is more Nickel in the mountains of Puerto Rico than the whole United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
There are more Puerto Ricans living in the rest of the United States than in the island of Puerto Rico itself.
La Fortaleza in San Juan is the oldest executive mansion in the New World.
The state of Florida was discovered by Puerto Rico's first governor, Don Juan Ponce de Leon.
The first shot fired by the United States in World War I was in Puerto Rico by Lt. Teofilo Marxuach.
86% of the rum drunk in the U.S. is from Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has one of the world's highest productivity ratios.
The world's highest concentrations of bioluminescent waters are in Puerto Rico.
Coffee grown and brewed in Puerto Rico is the official coffee of the Vatican.
Puerto Rico ranks 6th in the world when it comes to college graduates.
Puerto Ricans are the only people in the world who regularly applaud when a plane lands and when it reaches the gate.
Puerto Rico has more Gas Stations, Churches, Cars, Roads, and Walgreens per square mile than any other country in the world.
World biggest and largest radio telescope is in Puerto Rico.
Telemundo, the second largest Spanish language television station in the United States, was founded in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has more rivers per square mile than any other place in the world.
The second radio station to be inaugurated in the US was in PR.
The longest running TV program was in Puerto Rico.
The first Emmy went to a Puerto Rican... Jose Ferrer. He also got the Academy award for the same role.
Rita Moreno got those two and one for Best Actress in a Broadway show. No one elso has matched that.
The most outstanding soldier in Europe at the end of the Second WW was chosen from the Pueto Rican 66th Infantry.
One of the three still living WWI veterans is a Puerto Rican.

NOT TOO BAD FOR A 100 X 35 MILES ISLAND...

Brief History of Puerto Rico

Avatar as a Parable for Naumkeag Prehistory

2010-01-14T21:52:00.009-05:00

This movie's similarity to some Native American histories can hardly be overlooked. Here is a website which makes an explicit link to Haiti. Below is another analysis of Avatar (reposted with permission from the author).

Avatar as a Parable for Naumkeag Prehistory By John Goff

Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 6:43pm for Salem Gazette 1-22-10

In late December, a few friends of mine started discussing James Cameron’s new movie “Avatar” quite enthusiastically. Critics have called it “Glorious.” I developed a desire to see it, and managed to watch it on January 1st. On its face “Avatar” is a futuristic science fiction flick that portrays events in a distant galaxy about the year 2150AD. A military conflict between two civilizations, an abundance of space and planetary images, and images of heavily armed flying gunships and walking robotic fighting machines remind us of older sci-fi classics, like Star Wars, and Dune.

Yet “Avatar” hit me much more deeply than those other science fiction movies. Why? Normally I do not relate well to novels or fantasy stories, and have always preferred true histories instead. What made Avatar strike me as it did?

One factor that makes Avatar resonate strongly with American audiences is that fundamentally it is a story of Indigenous-vs-Non Indigeneous conflicts, and racial struggles. It brings to mind past chapters of American history involving Native American battles for sacred sites preservation and tribal survival. In “Avatar”, Non-Natives propose to relocate Natives from their ancestral homeland so that valuable mineral resources can be mined. Natives who resist containment and relocation are called “Hostiles” and “Savages.” Battle scenes are fundamentally mis-matched because Native warriors are armed with body paint and bows and arrows, while Non-Native invaders possess heavy armament, gunpowder, guns and explosives. One Native American friend of mine commented, “This is not entertainment. We already lived through this.”

Some reviewers, noting Native American parallels, have discussed similarities with “Dances With Wolves” and “Pocahontas.” Similar to DWW, our Non-Native hero in “Avatar” gets adopted into a Native population, and begins seeing the world in much deeper ways. Similar to the “Pocahontas” legend and movie, a Native chief’s daughter’s love and sympathies for our Non-Native hero facilitates his being adopted, and his not being killed.

Other elements in “Avatar” make it a good tool to introduce some Native American history, and world views to non-Native audiences. For example, the world in which most of the movie takes place is a true natural paradise, complete with old growth forests, footpaths, waterfalls, and mountains. It could easily be South America, and an intact rain forest, in places. Nature is overwhelmingly magnificent and beautiful as well as a source of Native wisdom, power and strength.

The notion of ancestral spirits being alive, and communicating with living Natives harmonizes with much old Native belief, and suggests American historical influences. The film’s artful play with the question of which is “real”—waking state or dream state experiences—also brings to mind past studies of dreaming in Native traditions, such as Robert Moss’s “Dreamways of the Iroquois: Honoring the Secret Wishes of the Soul.”

Perhaps one reason the film hit me so deeply, is because it is archetypal. On one level, it crystallizes and references many true Native struggles. It is tragic because it reminds us of the degree of needless human slaughter and suffering and environmental mega-destruction that have occurred time and time again when “Western” concepts of reality have been imposed on older, Indigenous and more Natural societies. “Avatar” reminds us of Spanish conquistadores who brutalized, tortured, enslaved, and slaughtered Indigenous American populations after 1492. It reminds us of the series of horrible 19th century “Indian Wars” in the American West that were chronicled by Dee Brown in “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” It brings to mind the military mis-match that characterized the Tarratine Wars and invasions here in Native Naumkeag in Massachusetts between the years 1607 and 1619. Fundamentally, it paints a picture of sharp territorial conflicts and misunderstandings between those-who-live-simply and see more holistically versus those-who-do-not live-simply, and who see little at all.

“Avatar” in addition to being a futuristic film can be seen as a parable. It can also be used as a prelude when teaching about life and worldviews in ancient Naumkeag after the development of the French Fur Trade in 1603 opened new floodgates of human greed and destruction. The film also reminds us of current global struggles and the necessity to adopt sustainable resources utilization practices as our 21st century advances.

“Avatar” is more than futuristic science fiction. Parts of it can be seen here: http://www.avatarmovie.com/index.html

It took 4.5 years to craft, consumed a production budget of $250 million dollars, and each showing is over two hours long. What do you think of “Avatar?”

AS AN ASIDE
Here is a "new interpretation" of what the "Disney princesses" would have looked like in authentic period clothing.

Storytelling

2010-01-11T15:03:00.005-05:00

This is a great story about the White Deer of Wisconsin and speaks to the long history of Native American beliefs about these deer.

Sustainability

2010-01-09T22:20:00.002-05:00

We used to talk about sovereignty, but now it's all about sustainability. The difference is that now it's not just about getting recognition and rights to be a Nation, it is about protecting the Earth and her resources and being able to be independent in food production.

Here is a great website about Taino protection of the Earth.

Arawak & Taino Symbols and Meanings

2009-12-26T12:29:00.013-05:00

These are handouts I have about Taino and Arawak symbols. Here is a website that uses a lot of the same information grouped in categories and also a site with more detailed explanations. Photographs of artifacts can be found in this book and of rock carvings at this website. These Taino tattos also have clear images and descent explanations.

Here are links to other websites with symbols for many diverse Native American Nations.

Below are photos my friends posted on Facebook:

Here is a video of some of the original sites.

Twilight Myths of Stephanie Meyers

2009-12-22T17:41:00.002-05:00

Here is where you can read about the Quileute by the Quileute, instead of by the author of the Twilight series.

and a teaser…
Though the legends about the origins of the Quileute people in the best-selling vampire books set in Forks and LaPush have some resemblance to the real stories -- they both involve wolves -- the tribe wants to make sure fans are aware of the rich reality of their true culture.

Some of My Thoughts on Teaching Critical Thinking Skills

2009-11-23T12:15:00.002-05:00

Help students use research and reasoning to arrive at conclusions. You don’t have to know/give the “answer” when you can help kids interpret the evidence (that is, whatever we have now for data and whatever new data is uncovered). Teach the skills.

1491 by Charles Mann’s is one of my most recent favorite authors at the moment on the topic of Native Americans because he includes the social experience – it wasn’t just “physical equipment” like writing and weapons that came with Europeans into the Americas, but also ideas about who should be subservient to whom. I don't like his book, 1493, as much because he "doesn't know what he doesn't know" when it comes to the story of Columbus.

Teachers can guide students to ask questions like, “Is this a stereotype?” and “Is this the whole story?” These questions will serve students well as they move through life and learn about many different cultures and multiple perspectives on history.

Pledge of Allegiance

2009-11-21T22:34:00.003-05:00

Why I don't say "The Pledge."
Francis Bellamy wanted students to say the pledge on Columbus Day in 1892. This day celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus. Bellamy mailed copies of the Pledge of Allegiance to schools around the country. As Socratic thinking has taught us:
Columbus killed my ancestors (and modeled to interact with Indigenous People)
The Pledge was written in his honor
Therefore I don't say the Pledge

Then there are some other reasons:
The Right to Remain Silent
ACLU says it is freedom of speech
Religious beliefs
Refusal to Pledge Allegiance Lands Lawyer in Jail

Navajo (Dine) Code Talkers

2009-11-21T22:32:00.002-05:00

Code Talkers article.

Explore “Native Words, Native Warriors,” an educational website about the American languages and the code talkers of World Wars I and II. This is an offering of The National Museum of the American Indian.

Native American Heritage Month Articles

2009-11-16T21:36:00.004-05:00

John Goff: Explorations During Native Heritage Month

Need to Write a Letter?

2009-11-07T11:48:00.003-05:00

Here are samples of letters I send and receive.

Positive letters from teachers.
Dakota
Savannah

Letters I send.
1999 annual letter to teacher
2007 annual letter to teacher
About Equinox
Racist math riddle
About selling pies on Thanksgiving
About sports mascots
About tracking a child

Questions from the public.
2007
2008
Bering Strait
2010
About Pow Wow

Hummingbirds

2009-06-05T11:31:00.018-04:00

Snipped from a short article on hummingbirds…

…moths are often mistaken for hummingbirds, or hummingbirds mistaken for insects. A Taino Native American legend held that hummingbirds were originally flies, but the Sun Father transformed them into birds. This Caribbean tribe considered the hummingbird the spreader of life on the planet, owing to the hummingbirds’ role as pollinators as they drink from one flower, inadvertently collect and deliver pollen as they poke their bills into blossoms to feed.

To bring more hummingbirds to your garden, consider the following flower facts: Hummingbirds eat insects, but also feed on flower nectar. In seeking nectar, hummingbirds don’t rely on their sense of smell, but instead, their vision. When their immovable eyes spot the color red, they make a bee line. As any hiker who has worn a red bandana or hat knows, hummingbirds investigate anything red . That’s why hummingbird feeders are usually made of red plastic and some hummingbird nectar is dyed red.

Even hanging red ribbons front trees and shrubs or running a mister can also lure hummingbirds. Naturally, red flowers attract hummingbirds. According to Sunset Western Gardens, the following plants can bring hummingbirds to your landscape:

Alcea rosea (hollyhock)
Aquilegia (columbine)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Clarkia (annual)
Cleome hasslerana (spider flower/annual)
Digitalis (foxglove)
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower)
Monarda (bee balm)
Veronica (speedwell)
Zinnia (annual)
Buddleia (butterfly bush)

More information here.

Native American Recipes and Foods

2009-05-26T08:45:00.012-04:00

Here are some of my favorite Native American cooking sites.

General information about Native Foods and Food Gathering

RECIPES
Cookin' with Three Sisters
Basic Tortillas and other Breads
Cherokee Fry Bread

ARAWAK RECIPES
Barbecue Sauce
Pepperpot
Cassava Bread
Chicken Spice Rub

HISTORY
Soul Food - African and Indian influence on Caribbean food
Pineapple - Origin history and social history

OTHER THINGS
Planning a "Feast"? - What should you think about?

High Expectations Letter

2009-05-19T11:51:00.001-04:00

Dear Teacher,

I'm glad you emailed me. Here are my thoughts. I believe students should be challenged to meet high expectations, especially when they are requesting it and especially when they are from historically oppressed groups. The nature of historical oppression means that it is really, really hard to prove you are not what everyone thinks you are. My son has made so many gains in the last two years that he is no longer eligible for special education services with a processing disability affecting executive functioning. His re-evaluation meeting was two weeks ago. However, he will still register for the two academic intervention classes and for two of the organizational classes through the general education program at the high school, giving up all but one elective (chorus). He is very talented and creative, so this is a huge trade off (to not be able to take electives).

I have no reason to believe he will not continue to grow and improve as he matures and his brain continues to develop, particularly in the executive functioning areas. I do not trust the middle school recommendations. They practically let him fail and wanted to have him repeat 6th grade, never offering an intervention until I referred him for an evaluation. I also have no reason to believe that their judgment as to his placement is accurate. One of my children was placed too low in high school, spent the first month moving up in every level that was possible, and being tracked for the remainder of high school into lower levels for the classes she could not change. The other was placed in lower level classes with kids who were unmotivated, not at all my child's issues. The interest he had in doing "that little bit more" has waned, and now as a junior, it is too late to move up in levels, as he is just as unmotivated as his peers!

I respectfully expect my son to be placed in the level 4 English class. Your proposal is unacceptable. He wants to be in level 4, he recognizes that there will be an adjustment and that he will be responsible for taking on work which will not be easy. Even knowing that, he still wants to prove that he can do it. He believes in himself, I believe in him, and what he needs is for his teachers to believe in him as well. This decision is not risk free and there is the possibility that it won't be successful. In that case my son can be moved to level 3. There is always the option to move down but if he doesn't take the chance to start at the level he believes he is capable of, he will never be able to prove that he can do it.

Regards,

Claudia

How could the Romans use corn? It's American!

2009-04-28T20:44:00.006-04:00

Check out The Straight Dope for the answer (a portion is pasted below)…

"Corn" comes from the Latin word for grain (granum), and through the ages it's been used indiscriminately for whatever grain happens to predominate in a particular region.

Maize is, of course, a product of the New World. No historical evidence suggests that any European had encountered it before Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba. According to Columbus's journal for that fateful day, November 5, 1492, two Spanish scouts he had sent to explore the interior of the island came back with wild tales of "a sort of grain . . . which was well tasted, baked, dried, and made into flour." The natives, in their Taino dialect, called it mahiz, which Columbus promptly corrupted into maiz or maize.

Religion and Christian Privilege - Short Compilation of Thoughts by Leaders in the Field…

2009-04-17T07:51:00.006-04:00

Most of the religious hegemony evident in this country is Christian hegemony. The concept of "hegemony" (Gramsci, 1971) describes the ways in which the dominant group, in this case Christians in general and predominantly Protestants, successfully disseminate dominant social realities and social visions in a manner accepted as common sense, as "normal," as universal. The dominant group (in this instance, Christians) reiterates its values and practices while marginalizing and subordinating those who do not adhere to Christian faith traditions.

Based on Peggy McIntosh's (1988) pioneering investigations of white and male privilege, we can, by analogy, understand Christian privilege as constituting a seemingly invisible, unearned, and largely unacknowledged array of benefits accorded to Christians, with which they often unconsciously walk through life as if effortlessly carrying a knapsack tossed over their shoulders. This system of benefits confers dominance on Christians while subordinating members of other faith communities as well as non-believers. These systemic inequities are pervasive throughout the society. They are encoded into the individual's consciousness and woven into the fabric of our social institutions, resulting in a stratified social order privileging dominant ("agent") groups while restricting and disempowering subordinate ("target") groups.

Religion and spirituality are private matters between individuals and families. Religion and religious practices should not be imposed upon those who do not as members of dominant groups may believe. We truly need to separate religion from government, and religion from the public square.

Warren Blumenfeld
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Iowa State University

Co-editor of Investigating Christian Privilege and Religious
Oppression in the United States, 2009, Sense Publishers

I think asking people who are religiously oppressed or forced to live under Christian hegemony when they are, say, Muslim, to "enjoy the celebration of" Christianity (the privileged religion--as part of a celebration of all faiths) is a lot like asking women to enjoy the celebration of patriarchy or asking people of color to enjoy the celebration of white supremacy. The point is that in our society ONLY Christianity is "officially" celebrated. Anything outside of that hegemonic norm is repressed immediately and harshly, systemically speaking.

This reminds me of doing some work at a school in the New England area. I was doing focus groups as part of an equity assessment. I first met with students of color and asked them what their experience of "diversity" was at the school. They said things like "I feel like a visitor in my own school" and "there's racism here and nobody's doing anything about it." Then, moving from the group with the LEAST amount of power in the school to the one with the MOST power, I met with the upper-level administrators, and asked them the same question. The head of the school responded, "We need to celebrate the joys of diversity." Should we not work, first, on making a society which is just and equitable, so that we can "celebrate" more authentically? And isn't the elimination of the privileged and oppressive religion from the public sphere (just as the elimination of white supremacy or patriarchy from the same institutions) a reasonable point of departure?

I'd be more open to the idea of celebrating all faiths if we could first pay serious attentions to the concerns Warren raised. But the idea of focusing on celebrating all faiths in a sociopolitical climate in which that's nowhere near a reality seems, to me, to be another layer of hegemony.

Paul C. Gorski

Founder, EdChange - http://www.EdChange.org
Board of Directors, International Assoc. for Intercultural
Education - http://www.iaie.org

We Shall Remain (A PBS American Experience production on Native Americans)

2009-04-10T07:55:00.002-04:00

I went to the screening of the first episode of We Shall Remain (After the Mayflower). I was very impressed. It is the first time that a film has done a respectable job at portraying the King Philip (First Thanksgiving) story, taking into account all perspectives. The visual representation offers a lot for discussion of similarities and differences between the Pilgrims and Wampanoags (that is not explained in the dialogue), like clothing, health, and cleanliness.

The first episode airs on Monday at 9pm on PBS (ch 2) and continues for five nights. The next day, the previous night's episode will be available in streaming video on the WGBH website. They also have another series ReelNative on their website with 27 film shorts (some won awards) made by indigenous people which allows Native Americans to give voice to their heritage.

It's all very cool and exciting.

Some reviews:

A Truer Picture of Native America
http://www.reznetnews.org/article/truer-picture-native-america-32710

Utah's 5 tribes getting their due, too
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705297509/Utahs-5-tribes-getting-their-due-too.html

We Shall Remain: From Plymouth to Wounded Knee, a Tale of Survival
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/12/AR2009041202539.html

American Experience: We Shall Remain
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-we-shall-remain13-2009apr13,0,7652873.story

Centuries of American Indian Valor, Celebrated and Recreated
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/arts/television/13rema.html?_r=1

A Native Perspective on U.S. History
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/02/AR2009040202285.html

Seeing History Through Indians’ Eyes
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/arts/television/12jens.html

We Shall Remain Tells Native American History, With Native Americans
At The Helm
http://www.courant.com/entertainment/tv/hc-remain.artapr12,0,6767784.story

PBS miniseries captures heart of Native American voice
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20090411/LIFE/904110319/1052/OPINION01

Racism Against NA's - A Brief Overview

2009-04-08T11:38:00.004-04:00

White Authors Who Write about Native American Topics
Racist Mylar Balloons
Mascot Images
Click here for "What to tell you children about racism"

Thoughts on Making Space for Non Mainstream Holidays

2009-04-03T10:25:00.003-04:00

Why don't you just call the school when you have a religious holiday on a day school is in session?

Every year, I send an email (it used to be a hard copy letter) to all the teachers, principals, secretaries, and to the superintendent during the first week of school and list the "religious" holidays my children and I will be celebrating. I put "religious" into quotes because honoring the Earth through Native American spiritual ceremonies isn't really a "religion" but that is the best English word to use when relaying the importance of what I am doing. I helps people sort my tradition into the appropriate context "box." On these days my children and I stay home from school and celebrate according to our belief system with ceremony, family, friends, food, music, and gifts (this should sound somewhat familiar to the way people all over the United States and the world celebrate important religious and cultural events). I expect to be treated in a similar way as others who honor non mainstream holidays. This year, I even met with one principal at the beginning of the school year and explained my perspective on the religious holidays in person. Here it is, summed up, for you…

Why I don't just call them in and remind folks that it's a holiday? I feel it is then the SCHOOL's responsibility to make sure all necessary personnel are reminded to follow holiday protocols. This is my form of nonviolent resistance. Other people don't have to call in for Easter or Christmas because the calendar already accommodates them and validates their holidays. I deserve the same respect, especially since I have given written notice before the first holiday. In addition, if I am out with my kids doing ceremonial activities (or sleeping late, or out with family, whatever) I don't want to have to consider calling the school, too. It's not right on a holiday and I want to keep the day special in that way. It's the same respect that is given to mainstream religion. In addition, Jewish holidays, Chinese New Year, Muslim prayer rugs/space, etc. should be treated with the same respect, too. Once a school knows which of its students celebrates, prays, or pariticipates in something non mainstream, then accommodations should be made without further notification and explanation.

UPDATE - let's see what happens…

2011 Taino Summer Solstice Ceremony

20th Anniversary of MCNAA

2009-03-31T13:52:00.005-04:00

The Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA) celebrated twenty successful years on March 29, 2009. How do we mark time? Birth, marriage, divorce, special events, tragedies, educational degrees, jobs, and deaths are just some of the ways. Through it all we have friends, family, and community. We are all connected and our community supports us as we pass through days and nights, weeks, months, and years. Twenty years ago, most of us did not have an email address and there was no affordable Internet! Can you even remember that time? It was also a few years before 1992, the 500-year anniversary of that lost sailor named Columbus. No one really knew about my nation (I had not even seen the word in print until I entered college). Twenty years ago, I had just finished college, recently been married (now divorced), had no children, and had very little connection to other Arawak people (the people who helped that sailor survive). Now I can connect with Arawak and Taino people all over the country. My indigenous community is only a keyboard click away. Life has surely changed! These are great times in which we are living.

Anniversaries bring out thoughts and memories, and they also bring out faces. That is how I remember the twentieth anniversary of the birth of MCNAA. Young faces and the elder faces, familiar and new faces sitting in groups of ten around tables lined in rows, filling the entire space. What a wonderful way to honor the MCNAA. Faces all around us… in person, on photo displays, in an electronic slide show, and in the program booklet.

Dr. Bert Waters said in his keynote that success is all around us. The fact that we as Native Americans have our ceremonies, a Repatriation Act, and laws to protect our Native children is due to a long line of visionaries who include Metacom, Wovoka, Big Foot, and our own visionary, Slow Turtle. His vision is embodied in what we were celebrating. Dr. Waters went on to mention many visionaries. Nanepashemet inspired us just by being and doing. He was an urban Indian who showed us a way in this modern world. Frank James was an Aquinnah Wampanoag who wrote a speech in the early seventies to be read on Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth. He submitted it ahead of time and was denied permission to give the speech, but that did not stop it from being shared over and over in the years ahead and establishing the “National Day of Mourning.” For twenty years, the head of the visionary Metacom was displayed on a stake, but it took 350 years for a plaque explaining the story to be placed on the same spot. Thankfully, things change and people can learn the more accurate story.

Dr. Waters pointed out that visionaries lead by example and actions. Chief Lopez, Barrack Obama, and Cedric Cromwell are all examples. Jim Peters is the executive director for Native American affairs. Throughout it all, Native Americans are dancing at Pow Wow, staying connected to traditions and leading by example. Annawon, the Edmund brothers, Eastern Sun, Linda Coombs, and Mother Bear have all been integral in keeping the spirit of our ancestors alive and educating the public about our strength as a traditional and contemporary people. He closed by reminding us that Burne Stanley-Peters is the reason we are here, her organization, and the events it sponsors give us the opportunity to be our whole selves. Dr. Waters ended his talk by challenging the Massachusetts Natives to form a federation.

For me, just hearing all those names (I apologize for missing some in this retelling) brought their image and stories to my mind. It brought their power, their good medicine, and their vision into the present and reminded me of the adáge: We’re not where we want to be, but we sure are not where we were!

I agree with Dr. Waters that we’ve lost the lands of our ancestors, the language of our elders, many lessons from our culture, but we can live, love, and relearn what is in our blood and our roots as we stand on the soft, spring soil of our Earth Mother. We all hold a vision for the next seven generations.

The Advisory Board was looking good (Anne, Len, Sly Fox, Autoquay, and Eva).

Anne Foxx was honored for her many years of contributing to the organization.

Spring (Vernal) Equinox

2009-03-21T21:35:00.001-04:00

Flowers and fiddleheads, seeds, eggs, fertility,
rebirth and strawberries, sprouts, stalks and salad greens.
These are a few of my favorite things…
-cft

The Sun was directly over the Equator at 7:44 am today, equal daylight and nightime. From now on, we get more and more light (it's reverse in the southern hemisphere, Autumn Equinox moving into winter). This day has been celebrated since recorded history as the beginning of a New Year by many cultures such as Persians, Native Americans, countries in Asia and in the Middle East. It is also a holiday for Zoroastrians. Many countries in the Middle East also celebrate Mother’s Day on this date.

When the western world employed the Julian calendar, years began on March 25. Festivals marking the start of the New Year were celebrated anytime from March 20 to the first day of April. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar during the 1500s moved New Year's Day to January 1. We see the remnants of this move in the names for the months: April the 2nd month, May the 3rd, June the 4th, July the 5th, August the 6th, SEPTember the 7th month, OCTober the 8th, NOVember the 9th, and DECIember the 10th. See the pattern? That makes January the 11th month and February the 12th… and that will bring us back to March as the first month of the year. When the Gregorian calendar took over from the Julian, those who forgot the change and attempted to celebrate New Year's Day on the "wrong" date (end of March) were teased as "April fools."

Other theories around April Fools Day are:
• The timing of this day of pranks seems to be related to the arrival of spring, when nature "fools" mankind with fickle weather, according to the Encyclopedia of Religion and the Encyclopedia Britannica.
• The Country Diary of Garden Lore, which chronicles the goings-on in an English garden, says that April Fools' Day "is thought to commemorate the fruitless mission of the rook (the European crow), who was sent out in search of land from Noah's flood-encircled ark."
• Others theorize it may have something to do with the Vernal Equinox (this relates to Native Americans).
• Some think to tie in with the Romans' end-of-winter celebration, Hilaria, and the end of the Celtic new year festival.

The UN has also declared March 20 as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and UNESCO’s World Poetry Day.

From a Celebrating Spring Website: In many traditions, this is the start of the new year. The Roman year began on the ides of March (15th). The astrological year begins on the equinox when the moon moves into the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Ram. The Greek God Ares is equivalent to the Roman Mars for whom the month of March is named. Between the 12th century and 1752, March 25th was the day the year changed in England and Ireland. March 25, 1212 was the day after March 24, 1211.

Some folks celebrate the festival of Nawruz, the Persian New Year, which falls on the Spring Equinox. They fix a special dinner of seven food dishes that begin with ‘S.’ Since many don't know the Arabic names for food, they use English words and eat salad, salami, soup, squash, etc. The table is decorated with a mirror, a bowl of water with one freshly-picked green leaf floating in it, a candleabra containing a candle for every child in the house, a copy of the Koran (or other sacred text), rose water, sweets, fruit, a fish, yogurt and colored eggs.

We celebrated the New Year with drumming and dinner beginning at 4:30 pm with a special activity highlighting the season. Each person planted seeds (green salad or humming bird attraction plants) or bulbs (gladiolas this year). They also wrote out a wish, intention, or word(s) to consider for the season and buried it in the earth of the pot.

After drumming, we shared a dinner. I made Thai SPRING rolls, marinaded SPRING chicken, and rice. Folks also brought great compliments to our Spring Feast, including brussel sprouts (out with the Winter and in with the Spring), fresh green beans, apple cake, and lots and lots of strawberries (fresh, with lady fingers and cream, and in rhubarb pie). It was fantastic!

Here are some additional/repeat comments on New Year's Day from my Taino friend, Vanessainaru Metztli Pastrano:
Many countries celebrate New Years Day at different times of the calendar year. The definition of New Years is the custom of celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of another. It marks the closing and the start of a measurement of daily time.

A calender year for modern day time, in the western world, was first started by the Romans in 713 BC. However, they used a ten month rotation. The first official start date was moved to January 1 in 153 BC. Julius Caesar moved the calender to 12 full months in 53 BC. It was called the Julian Calendar

The custom of New Years is different to different nations and even religions. The Christan Liturgical or Ecclesiastical Calendar starts with Advent.

The Chinese New Year is also referred to as the Lunar New Year. It can start anywhere between January 21 and February 21. The Islamic New Year is based on 12 lunar months.

The Iranian New Year begins with the Vemal Equinox (spring). The Assyrian New Year begins on April 1. The Punjabi begins on April 13th. The Thai and Cambodian begin their New Years between April 13th and 15th. The Eastern Orthodox Church starts their Civil New Years on January 14th.

Lastly the Gregorian Calendar is our actual modern day Calendar that is commonly accepted.It was named after Pope Gregory the 13th. It was started in 1582. It used the initials of AD and CE. CE stands for Christan Era and AD stands for the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus to Mary.

In the modern Western World, it took quite sometime to get one particular start day of a Calendar year. It took from 1522 to 1752 for the date of January 1st to be recognized as the official date for the New Year.

There are many different customs with the start of the New Year. Many regard it as a Holy Day for different religions. However, in almost every country and nation, it is a day of celebration. People party and happily look at the exchange of years.

So which ever New year's day you celebrate… Bohio Atabei wishes you ALL the very best… Have a happy, Stay well.

By the way the oldest known measurement of a calender year is by the Mayans…

Posted By Taino Women's Bohio de Atabex to Bohio Atabei, Caribbean Indigenous Women's Circle at 12/31/2009 09:55:00 AM

Indian? Native American? American Indian? or Something Else? What word should one use?

2009-02-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

This article has a decent explanation of the problem and offers a solution with which I agree.

Winter Solstice

2008-12-31T18:57:00.006-05:00

Sun., Dec. 21, 2008, 7:04 AM EST (12:04 UT), marked the solstice—the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. I didn't get all this information from my own research, I compiled it from a couple of useful websites: The Farmer's Almanac and Info Please.
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the end of the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. The origin of the word solstice, comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, we welcome back the light as the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

For our family, and many Native Americans, the Medicine Wheel (not perfect, but pretty good Medicine Wheel explanation) teaches us that the beginning of winter marks time spent in the “North.” This is the place of white buffalo, Moose and Bear. These animals prepared themselves and have a layer of fat to sustain them through the winter. They rest and take things slow, not wasting energy, and with the understanding of what winter brings. They have also been the primary source of meat during the wintertime for people. We learn from them that through experience and age we gain wisdom.
Now we take the time to rest and contemplate the lessons. North is a great place of healing. This is the time after midnight, a dream time. The time to be grounded within yourself and deep within, like a bear in a cave. We wrote the prayers and wishes we had for ourselves in wax on to candles and then burned them, releasing the prayers into the spiritual realm.

Click here for "What to tell you children about racism."

An important component of this time of year is thanking the animals and taking care of them. Here's a great book called Thanks to the Animals.

Winter Solstice ceremony in Miami

Bering Strait Letter, 2008

2008-10-19T19:53:00.005-04:00

Dear Ms. Fox Tree,

My name is Clarissa (name changed), and I'm in 8th grade. This week I have a short essay due on three origin ideas of Native Americans. I just read your piece on the Ice Bridge theory. I would really love to use some of your perspectives in my essay, but I need to know how many Native Americans actually agree with you. While you piece really brought me some new perspectives I can't really discuss it unless its on a larger scale of agreement.

Thank you for your time,
Clarissa

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Hi Clarissa,

Thanks for reading my blog. It's not really about how many Native Americans agree with me, not that I could tell you the answer to that questions anyway, it is about research and facts, whether folks believe it or not. Some people don't believe the Holocaust happened to Jews in Germany, but that doesn't make it not true.

Another lie to consider is the Native American population in the Americas. The Smithsonian Institute has stated that the Native American population in 1492 was not more than one million. Under repeated challenges, they have revised that figure upwards to two million. The original figure is based heavily on the interpretations of anthropologists like James Mooney, whose work was filled with racial bias. For example, he refers repeatedly to "half-negro mongrels" and people who have "fairly healthy blood." Using dubious field surveys, he came up with a figure of 1.1 million.

Anthropologist Henry Dobyns, estimated in 1983 that the aboriginal population of North America was 18 million and the present territory of the United States was about 10 million.

The population number now accepted by impartial demographers is that there were 120 million people in both North and South America. Consider that recent scholarship describes Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital city, as the third largest in the WORLD at the time of Columbus.

A society built by hiding the truth is invested in continuing to hide truths. When you write your essay, you don't have to agree with all the facts, you really just need to be able to bring up reasonable doubt and ask questions that make folks think about other perspectives. The book, Red Earth, White Lies by Vine Deloria cites more research and evidence than I put on my blog.

The other thing about Native American creation stories is that our stories are not really about the Bering Strait, they are about being born from spirits, caves, or clay, depending on the Nation.

Let me know what you decide,
Claudia

What's the problem with teaching about Native American myths and legends?

2008-10-19T19:41:00.005-04:00

In a nutshell, what if I asked you to explain the "Myth of Abraham" in The Torah or the "Legend of Jesus" in The Bible. Does that sound offensive?

When you substitute another better-known group into the equation, then the absurdity becomes apparent. As activists, our lenses need to be cleared so that we can understand that Native American creation stories deserve a similar respect. Just because they have not been written into a "sacred text," does not mean that they are less valuable.

How will you address this controversy when you open a legend book?

Last of the Mohicans Movie Letter, 2008

2008-09-19T08:32:00.007-04:00

Dear Claudia,

What do you think about using the film, The Last of the Mohicans, to educate students? Would you consider this film inappropriate or personally offensive?

From,
George (name changed)

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Dear George,

In general, I think almost all resources can be used as a teaching tool, if the appropriate teaching is going on. That would mean stereotypes are being dismantled, critical thinking skills are being applied, omissions are pointed out, misinformation is being addressed, and such.

Having said that, I might give a more specific response depending on the reason a particular resource is chosen. So, why is the movie being shown?

Is it to learn about the Mohicans/Mahicans? (It would be important to connect with the Mohican nation via web or newsletters - obviously interesting since this book/movie is a fictional account about "the last" and the nation still exists, which is an important point to make, see here).

Is it to learn about the time period? (The preceeding events and subsequent events would need to be explained so that kids knew the NA perspective and impact)

Is it to learn about Native Americans of long ago? (It's important to always bring NA's into the present and to realize that this is a fictional account - therefore how accurate can it be?)

Is it to learn about current Native Americans? (The Mohicans left New York and came down to CT, where they split into the Mohegan and Pequot Nations)

Once questions like these are answered, the next question, "Is there a better choice?" arises. If not, then it would be important to discuss the issues I've mentioned.

Off the top of my head, things that come to my mind about this movie are:

The stereotype of the "noble savage" which appears in this movie. It would be important to dismantle all the stereotypes.

Non Native actors playing Native roles - Why is this? Who has respect in the acting field and who doesn't, how does this relate to the mythology of "playing Indian", etc. Who is making the money by telling the Native story? (NAs or non NAs). These questions go for novels about NAs, as well. Tony Hillerman (non NA) has made more money from one book about the Navajo than every other NA author put together (according to Sherman Alexi, a NA author).

It's a fiction. Which means the history, ceremonies, etc. are probably made up. I'm not a Mahican expert, so I couldn't be exactly sure.

There is a critique here.

And this website said: "When James Fenimore Cooper wrote Last of the Mohicans in 1826, he made the Mahican famous. Unfortunately, he also made them extinct in the minds of many people and also confused their name and history with the Mohegan from eastern Connecticut. Unfortunately, this misconception has persisted, and most Americans today would be surprised to learn the Mahican are very much alive and living in Wisconsin under an assumed name ...Stockbridge Indians. With a similar language and name, the Mahican (Mohican) and the Mohegan may have been members of the same tribe before contact. The Mohegan, however, migrated east as part of the Pequot and settled in eastern Connecticut sometime around 1500, while the Mahican stayed in the Hudson Valley. Afterwards, these two tribes followed separate paths.

Although culturally similar to other woodland Algonquin, the Mahican were shaped by their constant warfare with the neighboring Iroquois. Politically, the Mahican were a confederacy of five tribes with as many 40 villages. In keeping with other eastern Algonkin, civil authority was not strong. Mahican villages were governed by hereditary sachems (matrilineal descent) advised by a council of the clan leaders. The Mahican had three clans: bear, wolf, and turtle. However, warfare required a higher degree of organization. A general council of sachems met regularly at their capital of Shodac (east of present-day Albany) to decide important matters affecting the entire confederacy. In times of war, the Mahican council passed its authority to a war chief chosen for his proven ability. For the duration of the conflict, the war leader exercised almost dictatorial power.

Mahican villages were fairly large. Usually consisting of 20 to 30 mid-sized longhouses, they were located on hills and heavily fortified. Large cornfields were located nearby. Agriculture provided most of their diet but was supplemented by game, fish, and wild foods. For reasons of safety, the Mahican did to move to scattered hunting camps during the winter like other Algonquin and usually spent the colder months inside their "castles" (fortified villages). Copper, gotten from the Great Lakes through trade, was used extensively for ornaments and some of their arrowheads. Once they began trade with the Dutch, the Mahican abandoned many of their traditional weapons and quickly became very expert with their new firearms. Contrary to the usual stereotype, most Mahican warriors were deadly marksmen. The mother of the famous Miami chief Little Turtle was a Mahican."

I could say more if I had more specifics about how the movie was being used, but I hope this helps.

Yours,
Claudia

An Open Letter from Leonard Peltier

2008-09-14T19:01:00.000-04:00

AUGUST 24, 2008

Greetings my friends and relatives,

First of all, I can't express to you, near as much as I'd like to. The sincere appreciation I have that you would gather together remembering all the political prisoners, hostages and myself the way you have.

Gatherings like this are extremely important because it reminds people of the sacrifices that are made daily through out the world for freedom, justice, and a clean and sane environment for our future generations. The powers that exploit our resources and people will always be there, generation after generation.

And the creator will always call upon people to stand against that exploitation. Even if the creator does not call. Any just man or woman, with any semblance of justice, be it spiritual, social or environmental, He will find cause to take issue with those enemies of humanity and nature.

One of the reasons I am so appreciative is because I want you to know, from where I stand the gatherings that you do mean so very very much to the other political prisoners, other hostages and myself. It is an extreme importance that political prisoners and hostages not be forgotten. Not necessarily for the sake of the prisoners and hostages themselves, but for the sake of future generations. To appreciate and protect and jealously guard the freedoms they possess; that was paid for with someone's life. I think the most difficult times for a political prisoner or hostage, is when people start to forget what their sacrifice was about, when people become complacent because of some economic level they have attained, and forget the sacrifices that were made and the danger of them losing those gains is imminent. And I know from personal experience, the joy I feel when I receive letters of appreciations or visitors and that is second to the joy I feel when I know that my efforts were not in vain. And there are young people taking up the cause and responsibility of regaining our lost freedoms and resources.

I dearly miss the touch of friends, I dearly miss walking through a forest or across a meadow or even through the traffic of a busy street, or feeling the wind blowing against my skin, directly, rather than a window or some chain link fence.

But with all this, I can't express to you how at a great loss I would feel if the reason and cause of the many political prisoners and hostages throughout the world was forgotten. Swept aside, because people become too comfortable with their status quo.

I have been here for 33 years that is more than half of my life. I would give almost anything to go home. But I won't give up,

I would give almost anything to be with my family. But I won't be quiet.

I would give almost anything to say goodbye to this place, but I won't say goodbye to my beliefs and our struggle.

I would give almost anything to walk out this door and never return. But I will never walk away from the love of my people.

When I think of the things that I hear and see in the media, about how many different special interest groups, speak of various subjects, like the right to live, or pro-life, I cant help but think, of the children around the world, who never get a chance to live because of the exploitation of their resources of their country and their people.

All of the destruction that is taking place here and abroad is a direct result of people, special interest groups, whose interest is primarily wealth and taking more than they need.

The religious people or should I say The spiritual people of America, and anywhere else for that matter, should seek to aggressively band together to stop the unjust wars that truly impact primarily the common man, the common man who in his village or farm, city or anywhere else is destroyed, by bombs, from the various governments. Governments; Who in the name of nationalism and patriotism seek to gain political power and control over someone else's resource and political system. They should actively band together and identify the things they have in common rather than dwelling on their differences. Perhaps I am rambling too much in my statement, after 33 years in prison and 63 years upon this earth, much of this time spent thinking, praying, analyzing, and mediating, on the information that I gather from various forms of writings, books and observations, I somehow feel I have a little bit of a right, to say what I think and feel.

I love you all and I am so honored that I would be invited to make a statement to you. And if I could hug each one of you individually, I guarantee you would damn well be hugged!

I have never given up in my struggle for freedom.

Freedom is a natural inclination of all living creatures up on the earth. Even a newborn will struggle when held too tightly.

I deeply regret being in prison I deeply regret losing family members while in here, I deeply regret all the wonderful things in life that I have missed, but I will never regret standing up for my people for as long as I can draw my breath. My heart is with them always, and my heart is with you today.

So long for now; I will remember you in my prayers and until next time.

Keep the faith.

Your relative always

In the spirit of crazy horse,

Leonard Peltier

HTTP://WWW.WHOISLEONARDPELTIER.INFO

If not for the existence of the impossible, there would be no miracles!
spinbird_oma@yahoo.com

Salem Witch Trials

2008-08-24T20:53:00.002-04:00

March 1 - This Date in History - This was actually a pretty busy day in history. Here are some of the best bits, but a quick trip to Wikipedia for the rest wouldn't be a terrible way to spend a few minutes, either.

1692: Sarah Good, Sarah Osbourne, and an Arawak Indian woman named Tituba were brought before magistrates on charges of Witchcraft, beginning the Salem Witch Trials
Tituba was an Arawak woman.
And Tituba was a slave (which doesn't automatically mean "Black")

PEACE & DIGNITY JOURNEY

2008-06-18T11:42:00.001-04:00

Their website

Peace and Dignity Journeys are spiritual runs that embody the prophecy of the Eagle and Condor. This prophecy mandates that at this time all Indigenous Peoples in the Western Hemisphere shall be reunited in a spiritual way in order to heal our nations so we can begin to work towards a better future for our children and generations to come. Through the Journeys, participant runners and supporters work to accomplish this goal by helping each other reconnect to their respective spiritual practices and traditions; by helping each other relearn our role in the world as Indigenous Peoples; and by reminding each other of our responsibilities to Mother Earth, Father Sky, our communities, and ourselves.

Peace and Dignity Journeys occur every four years and start with Indigenous runners on opposite ends of the continents (Chickaloon, Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina). They run for six months through hundreds of Indigenous communities where they participate in their respective spiritual practices and traditions; spark dialogue on the issue of peace and dignity for Indigenous Peoples; model their responsibility to Mother Earth, Father Sky, communities, and themselves; and receive the community's prayers. These prayers and conversations are then carried to proceeding communities until the runners reach the center of the hemisphere. When the runners meet at the Kuna Nation in Panama City, Panama, it will symbolize all Indigenous Peoples joining together in a spiritual way to manifest the prophecy of the Eagle
and Condor.

Sports Mascot Letter, 2008

2008-03-26T11:35:00.002-04:00

Dear Sports Administrator,

I'm not sure to whom to direct this request. This was the email address I found on your site. Apologies if it is misdirected, I hope you can forward it to the correct person. I'm disappointed to see that the team names of Braves and Indians are still being borrowed from Major League to be used as Little League team names. Their accompanying racist logos which are put on the team shirts and caps are a problem as well. Many national sports leagues and colleges are moving towards changing these stereotypical names and symbols which has long been associated with Native Americans.

As a Native American, I respectfully request that my daughter and son not be placed on a Little League team which borrows its name from the Braves or the Indians.

Thank you,
Claudia

Letter About Racist Math Riddle, 2008

2008-03-24T22:26:00.006-04:00

Dear Administrator,

Why did the Indian wear feathers in his hair?
Because he wanted to keep his wigwam.

Shocked? I am.

Do you think this is funny? Do you think this is appropriate? I don't. Hair has spiritual significance and so do feathers, they are certainly not things to make fun off, just as a crucifix and Star of David would never be used in a joke. So why was this question written on a homework assignment for a math class? And how can one think it is enough to just "cross it out" and move on to only "doing the problems and ignoring the words"?

If the joke had been "Why did the Jew cross the road" and the answer was "Because he didn't want to pay for a bus token" would telling students to "cross it out" and only focus on the math problems be good enough? When you change the question to an extreme and substitute another oppressed group, the offensiveness is clear. Why is it tolerated when Native Americans are the subject?

Words cannot even express how upset I am that my child just told me this was a math assignment last week, particularly after several racist incidents have already occurred earlier this year targeting him and limiting his willingness to continue the conversation about the racism he experiences or wants to know about. I asked my son to bring the math sheet home, so I could verify it for myself, but I believe him when he says this was his experience. And why do you think he is telling me? Because it bothered him, too.

As is just about always the case, I am writing to you because this is not the first time for my son this year. For some reason, teachers seem to think that if they pull aside my child and apologize to him or say to the child who is harassing "stop making that woo-woo sound" that it is enough. I'm so disgusted with this mentality. Truly unbelievable. My child was put on the spot, again. What will happen when he begins to act out and possibly become physical because this happens over and over again? Who will end up with the detention?

How could a teacher actually think it is okay to just "cross it out." Why doesn't any other child speak up? Why hasn't another parent said anything about this homework assignment?

If teachers receive anti-racist training, why aren't any of them ever assigned to my children????? This is a problem. There is more racism out there than just the black/white achievement gap.

I'm at a loss and exasperated.

Yours Truly,
Claudia

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I ended up going into the school and explaining the issue to a small group of administrators and staff. However, I ask you, would a Jewish person have been asked to come in and explain their point of view if that substitute question had been on the math paper?

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I received back two thank you emails and here is my response…

Thank you both for asking me to come in and listening to my concerns. Again, I want to reiterate that I see this as a systemic/community issue in terms of understanding various cultures and recognizing the relevant issues, in particular, to oppressed group (whichever group it is).

I appreciate you consciousness.

Yours,
Claudia

Equinox Letter, 2008

2008-03-21T08:44:00.004-04:00

As has happened several times over the years, I received a call from one of the schools my children attend. It call reminded me to "please call when my child is absent." It was Equinox, a holiday for me. Here is my response.

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As you know, I send a note the first day of school to all the teachers and administrators of all the schools my children attend with the days they will be absent due to our holidays. This year, only one day fell on a school day - Today.

This week, one of my children was absent on Monday and Tuesday due to illness. On Tuesday, when I called him in sick, I took the moment to remind the staff that my children would be absent from school on Thursday due to the Equinox. I don't usually call at all. And, I certainly don't expect to be interrupted on the morning of the event by a phone call from this same school which I have already notified (along with the other schools) in writing on day one. It sends a message to my children that I (or they) are doing something "wrong."

I am emailing you because I see this as an institutional issue. It's a privilege to have one's holidays known, observed, understood, recognized, and scheduled as "off." I don't have that privilege, and yet I expect our days to be treated with the respect they deserve.

I would love to have a year where all the professional staff (including office personnel) respond knowingly and positively to the days set aside by all people (not just me) who celebrate holidays at different times than the mainstream, typical person. Jewish holidays are considered when testing and homework is scheduled, so someone is keeping track of something. I've been writing this letter and taking these holidays for 11 years now. Why is this so difficult year after year after year? It just seems that some kind of staff training needs to happen.

The other two schools did not contact me. I am assuming they knew what was going on and marked my children with a personal/religious or something absence. I hope so, particularly at the high school level.

How can education become equitable, when inequities are not recognized and actions are not taken to level the playing field?

Thanks for listening,
Claudia

Taino Ceremony

2008-02-23T10:18:00.017-05:00

New Sacred Site found! - issues of repatriation and sovereignty emerge. The site has been reburied, but this site below may still be viewed and visited.

Photos below by Cheyenne Fox Tree McGrath
Ceremonial Ball Park

Cemi - "three pointers"

Cohoba Spirit

MORE RESOURCES:
Taino Gallery
Taino Cultural Definitions: Explanations, etc.
Cacibajagua Cultural Society

Taino Homes

2008-02-23T10:10:00.023-05:00

Photos by Cheyenne Fox Tree McGrath

These are photos from Puerto Rico.

How Did Syphilis Spread?

2008-02-01T08:40:00.004-05:00

UCTP Blogspot - About Syphilis

Excerpt - "The debate about the origins of syphilis has continued for nearly 500 years," noted Borrero who added "In a climate that glorifies Columbus and attempts to justify the genocide of indigenous peoples by denigrating the lifestyle of our ancestors as savage and immoral, one important aspect of this research is that it suggests the disease may not have been transmitted through sex until it adapted to the environment in Europe."

More information on syphilis testing

Arawak/Taino Videos

2008-01-21T20:18:00.008-05:00

I Am the Tribe Called Arawak

Cacibajagua Taino Dance Group

Identity, Culture, and Political Power

First People of Suriname

Cherokee Fry Bread

2007-12-23T11:52:00.001-05:00

ga-do di-gv-tsa-la- nv-hi a-yv-wi-ya

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add warm water in small amounts and knead dough until soft but not sticky. Adjust flour or water as needed. Cover bowl and let stand about 15 minutes.

Pull off large egg-sized balls of dough and roll out into fairly thin rounds. Fry rounds in hot oil until bubbles appear on the dough, turn over and fry on the other side until golden.

Serve hot. Try brushing on honey, or making into an Indian Taco.

Alternative:
Buttermilk Fry Bread
Substitute buttermilk for water. Follow the same recipe.

From: blue_panther@otelco.net

Another Positive Letter

2007-12-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

Dear Claudia,

As you know, your daughter and I meet every Friday morning to work on writing skills. Today I suggested that she write a non-fiction piece about the Winter Solstice Holiday. I want Savannah to recall information, research information, and write an paper detailing her holiday celebration. Depending on our progress and research, I am hoping to include a bibliography and graphics with her research paper.

Today, while Savannah was brainstorming ideas and creating a graphic organizer, I did a bit of research on the computer to learn more about the Winter Solstice. I happen to come across your website, and Savannah was so proud to see your picture and website. We did not read the information together as I wanted to read it first myself, and check with you for the appropriateness of both my topic and the website. I believe, with your permission, I will print the "Holidays and Celebrations" quick link for Savannah and me to read together. Please know that any website we use will be previewed by me to assess the validity (to the best of my ability) and appropriateness relative to Savannah's age and the project. If you agree to this project and have any books or websites you would recommend, I would appreciate any suggestions. Savannah and I are both very excited by this project.

Thank you for your consideration,
Her Teacher

It's Nice to Get a Positive Letter Back from a Teacher

2007-12-07T21:40:00.003-05:00

Hi Claudia-

I just wanted to pass along a little note to you about your son's performance in social studies class. Over the past week, we have been talking about world religions, especially as they pertain to Africa. Today, we spent some time talking about what indigenous peoples were and what some of the religious belief systems of indigenous peoples in Africa were.

I spoke with Dakota previously about sharing any of his beliefs and experiences, as they would probably be more similar to these than any of the other three we were discussing. He was very engaged in class and did not shy away at all from talking about his experiences as Pow-Wows, respect for elders, etc. It was a great opportunity for thte other kids in the class to see that these beliefs are real and still in practice in many cultures today. I think it also made Dakota feel good to share his ideas. Given how he felt singled-out recently, I think it took some courage for him to speak up. I am very proud of his participation and thought you would appreciate knowing.

Sincerely,
His Teacher

Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations

2007-11-25T18:19:00.002-05:00

Kid version

1676 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being persuaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and souls as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State