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SMOKE SIGNAL NEWS Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
OCTOBER Issue Page 1 of 3 Pages
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Manataka American Indian
Council Volume XIII Issue 10
OCTOBER 2009
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SMOKE SIGNAL NEWS Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
OCTOBER Issue Page 1 of 3 Pages
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Contents:
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Contents of Page 1 |
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| Elders Meditation: | Harriet Starleaf Gumbs, Shinnecock | |
| Upcoming Events: | ||
| Feature Story 1: | Celebrate Columbus Day? | |
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Feature Story 2: |
The Shores Within - Chapter 6 - Knowing | |
| Ecological Notes: |
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Grandfather King Coke Speaks: Grandfather Seven Hawk Eyes Hoffman: |
What is Truth II? | |
| Mother Earth Watch: | RAWkathon Online Video Event | |
| Tribal News: | A | Comanche Nation Marks Graves |
| Education: | Teaching About American Indians | |
| Inspiration Thoughts: | You can tell more about a person | |
| Website Updates: | 21 New Stories and Articles in September | |
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Contents of Page 2 |
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| Legends of Old: |
Children of the Wind |
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| Feature Story 3: | Native Against Native Racism | |
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Letters to the Editor: |
Sounding Off In A Good Way | |
| Organic Consumers: | Swine Flu and Vaccine Nation | |
| Elder's Meditations: | Frank Fools Crow, Lakota | |
| Plant Medicine: | Herbal Properties and Actions | |
| Fluoride: | Tap Water vs. Bottled Water: Differences | |
| Animal Rights and Wrongs: | A | Fight Nevada Wild Horse Roundup |
| Sacred Sites: | Keeping Burial Sites Sacred | |
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Contents of Page 3 |
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| History: | Little Bighorn Reborn | |
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Grandmother L. Cota Nupah Makah Speaks: Grandmother Magdala Rameriz: |
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Feature Story 4:: |
Hiawatha Insane Asylum | |
| Elder's Meditations: | Frank Fools Crow, Lakota | |
| Women's Circle: | ||
| Food & Nutrition: |
American Indian Foods
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| Book Reviews: |
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| Poetry Circle: |
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| Healing Prayer Basket: | Prayer Really Does Work! | |
| Manataka Business: | September Reports | |
"A bit of sunshine, a drop of rain, a puff of life from the Great Spirit as He gently breathed upon that spot, created the Native Americans. They were well formed and agile, copper colored and proud. --Harriet Starleaf Gumbs, Shinnecock
We are made in the image of the Great Spirit. A long time ago He breathed life into our ancestors. He made the Indian strong. He created a Warrior. Our ancestors created more warriors. We have been tested throughout the seasons and we are still here, stronger than ever. It is good to be Indian. We are proud of ourselves and our ancestors. Mostly we are proud the Great Spirit has never forsaken us, and continues to guide us.
My Creator, let me live my life today in a way that would make my ancestors proud.
Let me remember each month that I am here to serve You.
Today let me conduct my life in a way that also would make You proud.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Gatherings, Meetings, Conventions, Seminars
2009 Summer Gathering - Thank you!
 BRAND NEW! |
FLY IT HIGH! |
WANNA BE A MEMBER OF MANATAKA?
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO JOIN!
Celebrate Columbus Day?
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"Columbus started off not knowing where he was going and upon his arrival, did not know where he was. When he returned to Europe, he did not know where he had been -- and, he did it all on borrowed money." ~Author Unknown |
Was Christopher Columbus the first to 'discover' North America? Absolutely not. There were millions of indigenous people here eons before Europeans
stumbled on this continent. Asians, Africans and people from the Middle East probably came centuries before Erickson or Columbus. Contrary to almost every school textbook, Columbus did not prove the world is round. This fact was proved centuries before Columbus was born.
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"...Now the Indians. I call them “Indians” because that's what they are. They're Indians. There's nothing wrong with the word Indian. First of all, it's important to know that the word Indian does not derive from Columbus mistakenly believing he had reached “India.” India was not even called by that name in 1492 - it was known as Hindustan. The word Indian comes from Columbus' description of the people he found here. He was an Italian, and did not speak or write very good Spanish, so in his written accounts he called the Indians, “Una gente in Dios.” “A people in God.” In God. In Dios. Indians. It's a perfectly noble and respectable word..." ~George Carlin |
A short time after Columbus' arrival in the Caribbean, he began enslaving and slaughtering thousands indigenous people. In the name of God, church and greed so that millions of people needless died during the ensuing period of 'discovery' and colonization. The Roman Catholic Church issued the Papal Bull of 1493 giving permission to the kings of Europe to rape, pillage, slaughter and steal property. The Papal Bull became a legal precedent known as the The Doctrine of Discovery the spawned hundreds of new laws used by discoverers, colonists and the U.S. government to justify forced confiscation of personal property. (see Native America, Discovered and Conquered)
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"50,000 Native People... died within months of the establishment of the first Spanish colony on the island of Espanola. The soldiers held contests to see who could cut the most heads off with one blow. Women's breasts were cut off for sport while their babies were fed to the Mastiffs; The 24 million people perished at the hands of the Conquistadors in Central Mexico... [the Conquistadors] held contests to see whose dogs could tear apart the most people. Babies were thrown into the air for the dogs to fight over; The 95% of the People in Western and Central Honduras who perished in less than 50 years; In Western Nicaragua the population fell from more than a million to less than 10,000 in only 60 years; In Peru, Chile and Brazil the population decreased from 14 million to 500,000 in less than a century. The soldiers, it was written, kept "the quarters of Indians hanging on porches to feed to the dogs." While many of the deaths were from diseases spread from the filth which permeated the "Old World" many of our People were simply worked to death. It was cheaper to work the slaves until they died than to feed them. There were always more slaves to be had. These are but a few of the atrocities that led to the development of The New World...." Susan Bates, Hill and Holler column, October 2006 |
Why does the U.S. government and schools continue to celebrate the farce and atrocities of Columbus? Why does this lie continue to be taught in schools? Why is Columbus Day a legal holiday?
The “Columbus Day” holiday is the only national holiday that insults millions of Americans. Columbus Day celebrates the opening of slave trade and the most hideous periods of genocide in human history.
We encourage you to help stop this ridiculous farce that continues to be rammed down the throats of school children and all American citizens. Sign the petition to: Abolish Columbus Day and Re-name it "First Americans Day" http://www.petitiononline.com/fadoct/petition.html
Also Read: Miller: Will others follow Episcopal Church’s lead? Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery
Examining the reputation of
Christopher Columbus
By Jack Weatherford
Christopher Columbus' reputation has not survived the scrutiny of history, and
today we know that he was no more the discoverer of America than Pocahontas was
the discoverer of Great Britain. Native Americans had built great civilizations
with many millions of people long before Columbus wandered lost into the
Caribbean.
Columbus' voyage has even less meaning for North Americans than for South
Americans because Columbus never set foot on our continent, nor did he open it
to European trade. Scandinavian Vikings already had settlements here in the
eleventh century, and British fisherman probably fished the shores of Canada for
decades before Columbus. The first European explorer to thoroughly document his
visit to North America was the Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto, who sailed for
England's King Henry VII and became known by his anglicized name, John Cabot.
Caboto arrived in 1497 and claimed North America for the English sovereign while
Columbus was still searching for India in the Caribbean. After three voyages to
America and more than a decade of study, Columbus still believed that Cuba was a
part of the continent of Asia, South America was only an island, and the coast
of Central America was close to the Ganges River.
READ MORE>>>
WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY 2008 Big Water Film Festival
Sacred Ceremonies for a Price?
by Takatoka, Manataka Correspondent
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Grandfather Watches Over Us |
We believe American Indian spiritual beliefs and practice cannot be bartered or sold at any price.
It costs nothing to enter the Sacred Circle because it does not belong to anyone, it is a gift of the Creator. There is no admission fee to a Purification Lodge because the messages, visions and teachings of the lodge are not owned by a human, but come directly from the Great Mystery. There is no monetary price to pay for the honor of going on a Vision Quest because the Spirit of God is there. When money and greed are present, the Spirit of the Creator is absent and thus there cannot be a Vision. The spiritual connection has been broken.
Several years ago, this Manataka member wrote in the article False Shamans
"...Our ceremonies, dances, songs and symbols are sacred. They must be protected from theft, exploitation and desecration. We should encourage all people to seek their own ways of spiritual expression, the ways of their ancestors, and not to use American Indian ways to find spirituality within themselves..."
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The Shores Within By Boe Glasschild & Laughing Dog Red Feather
Free Online Lessons on the Medicine Way Eight lessons plus a glossary, bibliographic notes and more.
The Medicine Way has been exclusively an oral tradition for centuries. Now, Choctaw Spiritual Elder Boe Many Knives Glasschild, Bvshpo Lawa, puts these teachings in writing for all to read and understand. This is the fifth installment of ten monthly installments of the book entitled, "The Shores Within" covering the entire book from April to December 2009. Each chapter contains links to a glossary of definitions to various Medicine Way terminology.
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We offer a great selection of buckskin colors and sizes for any craft project from buckskin moccasins to buckskin shirts, dresses or leggings. From our economical Garment Buckskin, to our premium natural, white and smoked buckskins, you'll find the buckskin you need at great values. Take a tour now!
Buying
Organic is Well Worth the Cost even When Times are ToughBy Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor
(NaturalNews) Organic food is now the fastest growing segment of U.S.
agriculture. In 2007, the value of retail sales from organic food was estimated
at more than $20 billion. According to the Food Marketing Institute, more than
half of Americans now buy some organic food product at least once a month. The
industry is expected to grow at a rate of 18 percent per year until 2010, making
organic food sales one of the fastest growing sectors in the generally sagging
U.S. economy. Cutting organic food from their budgets is just not an option for
many people who are struggling to make ends meet.
What does it mean to be organic?
According to the National Organic Standards Board:
"Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes
and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is
based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that
restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.
"The word organic is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the
authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for
organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the
ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the
farming system into an ecological whole.
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
Never Trust A
Little Old Indian Woman
A little old Indian woman went into Republic National Bank with a sack full of
money. She plopped it onto the desk of the Bank president as she had wrangled
her way into his office. He was an Indian man.
"Where did you get money like
this?" he asked her.
"Well, you see." She answered him.
"I make bets."
"Bets?" He wanted to know.
"Yes." She replied. "For instance,
I'll bet you 25,000. you are not brown all over." "I bet that under your shorts
you are white."
"The Indian president of the Bank told her, "Well, I will take that bet." "I am
brown all over."
"Okay," the wily old lady agreed.
"However, tomorrow when we close the bet, I want my attorney with me. He is
Indian too.
"Okay! Okay." The president of the
bank was agreeable. When he went home though he double checked to see if he was
brown all over. After all 25,000. was at stake.
The next day when the little old
Indian lady came in with her attorney, the president was ready for her.
The little old Indian woman told
him. "I am not going to take your word for it." "I want to see if you are brown
all over."
The president thought for a moment
and decided since it was, after all, 25,000 he would, indeed, drop his pants to
show the little old Indian woman he was brown all over, which he did. He looked
over at the Indian attorney who was banging his head against the wall.
"Why is he doing that?" The
president asked.
The little old Indian woman answered, "Because I bet him $100,000. that the President of the Republic National Bank would drop his pants for me.
What is Truth II?
~By Robert Gray Hawk, July 2008
“Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and the cement of all societies.” - John Dryden
“To know the truth is easy, but, ah, how difficult to follow it.” - Rahel
Truth is concerned with the great fundamental questions that have perplexed and, at the same time, engaged our humankind Since we have two types of truths, the absolute truth and the relative truth, there must be an understanding of truth. TRUTH has a special meaning. We do not mean “All the truths that exist.” Nor do we mean, “All the facts that are known.”
(NaturalNews) The raw food movement is sweeping the world, helping millions
of people lose weight, reverse cancer, eliminate heart disease and restore
vitality and enthusiasm to their lives. People are jumping onto to the raw
food movement for all the right reasons: For health, beauty, simplicity and
sustainability. Whether they're 50% raw, 70% raw or even 95% raw, they're
all experiencing tremendous benefits from the raw foods diet (I'm 80% raw
right now, by the way).
Now, one of the greatest content minds in the industry -- Kevin Gianni --
has put together a powerful collection of 14 video interviews with the top
personalities in the raw
foods movement. And get this... he's posting them all online for FREE
during this RAWkathon Online Video Event, which starts October 19.
Register here to view the videos for free:
http://www.rawkathon.com/naturalnews
The video interviews are all-new interviews, just filmed over the last few
weeks, and they include:
Dr. Gabriel Cousens, Victoria Boutenko, Dr. Doug Graham, David Wolfe (of
Sunfood.com), Viktora Kulvinskas, Nomi Shannan (of RawGourmet.com), Cherie
Soria, David Rainochek (creator of JuiceFeasting.com), Frederic Patenaude,
Dr. Rick Dina, Matt Monarch, Karen Knowler, Dr. Jameth Sheridan (of
HealthForce Nutritionals), Happy Oasis and even a segment with yours truly
(the Health Ranger).
You can watch 'em all for free by registering for the event with your name
and email address. Simply tune in with your web browser during the week of
October 19, and you'll be able to view each of the video interviews while
they're posted during a 24-hour window.
Want to watch the videos anytime? Or do you want to buy the
DVDs? Those options are
available, too, but they're not required. That's the revenue model for this
RAWkathon event, by the way: Give away the video content online for a
limited time, and some people will gladly purchase unlimited access to the
videos (or a full set of physical DVDs). The fact that it's optional means
you can choose to enjoy watching all these phenomenal video interviews in
whatever format suits you best! (NaturalNews receives a commission if you
choose to purchase one of the upgrades.)
Kevin Gianni was the co-creator of the hugely successful Raw Summit
event you may have joined in last year. It featured audio interview with top
people in the raw foods
industry, and hundreds of thousands of listeners tuned in to hear those
interviews.
This year, Gianni -- a constant innovator -- has created the world's first
raw foods VIDEO summit. Kevin Gianni is also a business partner of mine who
co-created the Health Book Summaries service (www.HealthBookSummaries.com),
which offers free downloadable PDF summaries of popular books on health and
nutrition. When you
register for the RAWkathon event, in fact, you get signed up for free access
to the Health Book Summaries, too!
So get started right now at:
http://www.rawkathon.com/naturalnews
GRANDFATHER
SEVEN HAWK EYES SPEAKS
Dandelion:
A Pesky Weed or a Beneficial Flower?
Many of are plagued with this pesky little flower each spring, but did you know that there are many uses for this bright yellow pest. It can be used, (as my grandfather did) to make strong liquor some call, ‘Dandelion Wine’. This little flower can be used as a salad when the plant is young and before it gets to strong. My grandmother used the dandelion for a medicine. There are also many uses for the dandelion flower itself by drying the plant and using it for her mild blood pressure when it seemed to high. The root of the dandelion has been said to help improve liver and gallbladder problems. The dandelion contains a good amount of nutrient that some medical doctors use to help with disorders with poor digestion and liver disorders.
The use of the complete dandelion, root leafs and yellow flower are generally safe but an allergic reaction may occur with some people. Many things such as, allergy to ragweed, marigold, daisies or iodine as well as many others may need to be considered prior to using it as a medication.
Peru tribes vow to continue protest
FIGHTING TO PROTECT PACHA MAMA!
Peruvian tribes have vowed to continue their protests against land laws six days
after at least 60 people were killed in clashes between protesters and police.
Thousands of people joined demonstrations across Peru on Thursday in support of
the indigenous people battling against laws making it easier for foreign
companies to explore for oil. On Wednesday, the Peruvian congress suspended one
of the most controversial land laws, which would have eased restrictions on
mining, oil drilling, logging and farming in the Peruvian Amazon. Al Jazeera's
Teresa Bo, reporting from Peru, said many protesters were demanding the
cancellation of the laws rather than their suspension and would keep fighting
until that happened. In Lima, the capital, riot police fired tear gas at several
hundred student protesters, some of whom threw rocks and petrol bombs.In Peru's
second largest city, Arequipa, demonstrators burnt a blood-smeared effigy of
Alan Garcia, the Peruvian president, who backed the laws as part of the free
trade deal with the US
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/06/200961211238603130.html
Mexico Zapatistas
ZAPATISTAS HAVE ERADICATED
ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ADDICTION
An indisputable achievement of the Zapatista communities in the field of health
is the eradication of alcoholism over the last 20 years, which is to say very
quickly. The differences this has made to everyday family and community life are
profound and result in less violence, which is in itself an indicator of better
health, even more so in indigenous communities knowing the destruction alcohol
causes in these, always bad for their health.
Indians Kept Quiet with Alcohol
Fernando Benitez visited these same people in Chiapas in the 70s and found them prostrate, humiliated, without dignity, in an epidemic of drinking. Today this is never seen in the communities in resistance. The numerous festivals which have taken place here over the last 15 years, visible or quiet, big or small, always involving dancing until dawn, take place without a drop of alcohol. On a national level this is absolutely exceptional, where carnivals and national holidays are ruined by posh (home-brewed spirit), aguardiente or synthetic brandy.
And without travelling far, this can be seen happening every weekend.
By not drinking, the campesinos, particularly the men, eliminate the risk of
illnesses common among indigenous peoples: ulcers, cirrhosis, malnutrition and
machete wounds resulting from alcohol-induced quarrels. These are not reflected
in the health indicators of government institutions, but their effects on public
health are spectacular, as can be clearly seen. In addition, there is a total
absence of consumption or sale of drugs, which are also not permitted in the
autonomous communities. A return to alcoholism accompanies people in divided
communities and has been a major instrument of counter-insurgency since 1995.
Source: La Jornada: 06/09
Mexico Indians Oppressed
CHIAPAS: MORE THAN 20 INJURED IN
CLASH BETWEEN INDIGENOUS AND POLICE
Fifteen police officers suffered head injuries and 12 Indians were beaten in a
clash with clubs and stones between the two groups in the southern Mexican state
of Chiapas, officials said. The fight started on the outskirts of the colonial
city of San Cristobal de las Casas when municipal police began burning down the
Indians' huts, and to stop them the Indians began hurling sticks and stones at
the cops. Besides the injuries caused, the clash left about 100 wooden huts
destroyed, seven patrol cars damaged and four Indians under arrest.
The police received orders to remove the Indians from premises they had occupied
illegally and where some 500 families were living. The mayor of San Cristobal de
Las Casas, Mariano Diaz Ochoa, said that he ordered the evacuation because 500
families had occupied 5 hectares (12 acres) owned by the National Commission for
the Development of Indigenous Peoples. He said that 260 unarmed municipal police
protecting themselves with anti-riot shields went to the premises to dismantle
the houses made of wood and cardboard, but the Indians resisted.
Men, women and children refused to leave the property as the cops set about
dismantling and burning the huts. After the first shock, the Indians took up
clubs and stones against the cops, who tried to respond the same way but finally
decided to withdraw without managing to expel the Indians. One Indian
representative said the police came with the idea of attacking them. "The said
nothing, they began to hit us and destroy things. They treated us like animals,"
one woman said, adding that her people had occupied this land because they had
nowhere to live.
The Indians warned that they will keep up their resistance. "We're not leaving,
because we have nowhere to live and even if we have to die, we're staying here,"
one of the Indians said.
Source: EFE News Service: 03/09
As Comanche children who
died around 1900 in the smallpox epidemic, their resting spots were known
for decades, but unmarked. Now, a neatly-lined row of 10 headstones reminds
the rest of the world that they belonged to the tribe.
The recently erected headstones are part of a program the Comanche Nation
has established to give markers to ancestors who are gone but not forgotten,
officials said.
“This is a way to love and honor our relatives,” said Program Coordinator
Sandra Toyekoyah. “People took care of these graves, but then they passed
on, too.”
READ MORE.>>>
BISMARCK, N.D. —
American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, imprisoned since 1977 for the
deaths of two FBI agents, has been denied parole after authorities
decided that releasing him would diminish the seriousness of his crime,
the Associated Press reported in mid-afternoon on Aug. 21.
Peltier had his first parole hearing in 16 years in July. He will not be
eligible for parole again until July 2024, when he will be 79 years old.
U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley announced the decision of the U.S. Parole
Commission.
Peltier is serving two life sentences for the deaths of FBI agents Jack
Coler and Ronald Williams during a June 26, 1975, shootout on South
Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He was convicted in Fargo, N.D.,
in 1977.
He has said the FBI framed him, which the agency denies. He has been
denied parole numerous times.
Thomas J. Harrington, Executive Assistant Director, FBI Criminal, Cyber,
Response, and Services Branch, issued the following statement:
“The FBI family has never forgotten the ultimate sacrifice made by FBI
Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, and we fully support the
decision of the United States Parole Commission to deny parole to
Leonard Peltier. His callous criminal acts demonstrated a complete
disrespect for human life and for the law. His time served in jail for
their 1975 murders has not diminished the brutality of his crimes or the
pain and sorrow felt by the families of his victims or the FBI family.”
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/global/canada/53962587.html
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TEACHING ABOUT AMERICAN INDIANS
Teaching Resources for Educators
Here are resources if you've ever wanted classroom-teaching activities on
American Indians beyond the Thanksgiving holiday or the history of American
Indian Education or best teaching practices addressing American Indian learners.
Resources include books, magazines, articles, bibliographies, maps, etc.
Although often times there is overlap, these resources are organized in four
categories:
Teaching About American Indians
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for American Indian Learners
Researching American Indian Education
Other Resources
You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can
by what others say about him.
How a man plays a game shows something of his character, how he loses shows
all of it.
And a man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.
It was a high counsel that I once
heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do."
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©2009 ManatakaTM American Indian Council. The word "Manataka" is a registered trademark exclusively owned by the Manataka American Indian Council. Use of this trademark without the expressed written permission of MAIC is prohibited and violators will be prosecuted. 15 U.S.C. Section 1051(a), (b). The Smoke Signal News is copyrighted in its entirety and no reproduction, republishing, copying, or distribution is permitted without the expressed written permission of MAIC is strictly prohibited and violations will be prosecuted.
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