Manataka American Indian
Council Volume XIV Issue 02
FEBRUARY 2010
SMOKE SIGNAL NEWS
Manataka
- Preserving The Past Today
For Tomorrow\
Page 2 of 3 Pages
LEGENDS OF OLD:
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Crow-Head
A Chipewyan Story
 Soon
After Crow-Head's birth, his father died. Crow-Head knew nothing about him. Once
the other Indians were fishing, and there were several medicine men among them.
It was in the evening, and the setting sun presented a bloodshot appearance.
One medicine man pointed at it and asked the boy, "Do you see that red sky? That
is your father's blood."
This made Crow-head suspect that one of the medicine men had killed his father.
He went home, where he was living with his grandmother, and began to cry.
"Why are you crying?," grandmother asked.
"I heard those men talking about my father," said Crow-Head.
"There is no use crying, you will be a man some day," grandmother
consoled.
The next day the people were fishing. Crow-head punched a hole in the ice and
began angling with a hook. The Indians caught nothing, only Crow-head caught a
large trout. He pulled out its soft parts, and hid the bones under his deerskin
capote. He started towards the medicine man who had killed his father, pulled
out the fish spine, and broke it over him. When the people went home that
evening, they missed the medicine man. They did not know what was the matter
with him. One man went out and found him lying dead by his fishing rod. This was
the first time Crow-head ever killed anyone. By breaking the fish spine, he had
broken that of his enemy and thus killed him.
READ
MORE >>>
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ENTER
THE
WORLD
DRUM FLAG DESIGN CONTEST !!
Submit
your graphic design for the new World Drum Flag by April 30, 2010
for a
chance to win cash and other exciting prizes!
Do
you love to draw, color, paint, or design? Do you love the Mother Earth
and want peace throughout the world?
We want YOU to design a beautiful, colorful
flag to symbolize the World Drum Project. If you win, your design will be
made into a flag and it will fly on at every location worldwide where the World Drum is
presented. See your name and photo in media releases and videos worldwide,
plus get a chance to win $500 cash, plus
other great prizes!
Anyone can enter! No purchase is
necessary and there is no entry fee. It's free!
Read Official
“World
Drum Flag Design Contest" Rules and Enter Now!
FEATURE
STORY
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The Lakota Buffalo
Caretakers Cooperative (LBCC) is a 100% Native
American owned and operated cooperative association
on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Its
membership is made up of small family buffalo
caretakers who respect the buffalo and the land.
Members of the LBCC are committed to the restoration
of the northern plains ecology, self-sufficiency and
strengthening the sovereignty and self-determination
of the Oglala Lakota Nation and all indigenous
peoples.
LBCC Members:
Ed Iron Cloud (Knife Chief Buffalo
Nation), Henry Red Cloud (Lone
Buffalo), April Abril (friend of
co-op), John and Judy Black Feather
(Black
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Buffalo raised by
members:
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Live on open ranges,
never in feedlots (non-CAFO)
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Eat wild grasses
their entire lives
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Are Free from
antibiotics and hormones
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Are Respectfully
harvested in the field
Mission
The
mission of the Lakota Bison Caretakers Cooperative
is to come together to create unity amongst Lakota
Tiwahe bison ranchers. To be a common voice in
support of one another. To help develop and promote
the sales of buffalo meat as well as the care for
the animals. To develop markets and to help out and
encourage more Lakotas to raise buffalo on the
reservation. To expand the amount of acreage in
buffalo and land restoration. And to promote the
consumption of buffalo meat on the reservation. And
to strengthen the culture, language and ceremonies
of the Lakota nation.
READ MORE>>>
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...
SOUND OFF!
Manataka receives dozens of letters each week. Space does not allow us to
publish all letters but we make a concerted effort to print letters that are representative of a majority. Let us know if there is a
topic you feel needs to be addressed.
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Charge a Membership Fee?
Dear Manataka,
Hi, I was
interested in joining/becoming a member of Manataka but was hit by a ton
of bricks when I saw that there is required payment just to be a member.
I'm very sad by this. It is my hope that your group learn that money is
a corrupting force and that it should never be required for a seeker to
have to pay to become a member of a group. Charging money for material
items like books is one thing and that is perfectly fine, but to charge
money to be a member of an organization is not right. This is just my
opinion and I hope that you are always well. Love, ~Tim Reese
Thank you for asking Manataka.
-
The Manataka American Indian Council is a
100% all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. Yet, we
administer many programs and services, publish a 65-75 printed page
Smoke Signal News each month, conduct many seminars, host gatherings
and other events, and answer hundreds of emails, telephone calls and
letters each month. Many of our volunteers have been around for
more than 15 - 20 years.
-
Manataka does not accept federal, state
government or corporate funding. We do not do door-to-door,
mass-mailing, email or telephone fund raising. Many of our events
are free. We depend solely on our good members and a small online
trading post to support this work.
-
We are not aware of any full-time,
full-service nonprofit membership organization anywhere that does
not request dues. Do you? Every civic, state, or national
membership organizations we know request dues. Even churches ask
for tithes. There is nothing wrong with this.
-
A considerable amount of money is spent
each year for the direct benefit of individual members. The Smoke
Signal News requires over 200 hours to produce, hundreds of phone
calls, emails, etc. for research; tons of paper; and it sent to
every member each month. Some folks need emotional, career, school
or family counseling from time to time -- we provide it free of
charge with a dozen trained professionals. Many events are free to
members -- some events cost thousands of dollars to host. There are
many other ways members benefit from membership. How would you pay
for all these things?
-
Many of our members are unable to pay
their dues from time to time due to health or unemployment, but the
Elder Council does not expel the member for non-payment.
Tim, it is vital that our members take on
the responsibility of supporting the organization -- Just like in
the old days when all the members of a tribe pitched in a did the
work needed to be done to survive. Because our members are spread
across every state and in several foreign countries, there is no
practical way for them to "pitch in" in the daily work, therefore,
they send dues once a year. Not one single non-member or
member in over 20-years has ever complained about sending a small
amount of dues each year. We hope you now understand how
Manataka operates and why we ask our members to give of themselves
for the good of all. Thank you. ~Editor
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Cleaning A Steer Skull
Dear Editor:
I have a steers skull I would
like to have painted but I don't know how to
cure it or to clean the meat off it, or how to
clean it for that matter. Can you tell me how
to do this? ~Doris Geier
There are several ways
to clean a steer, buffalo or any animal
skull. Here are three easy ways --
there are more.
1. Securely tie a rope
on it, put it inside a plastic basket with
lots of holes and gently lower it into a
pond or lake. The fish will do the job.
2. Tie the skull to
the top of a roof. The weather and birds
will do the job.
3. Place the skull
inside a basket with a secure lid, weight
the basket down and put it on top of an ant
hill. The ants will do the job.
It is good to leave the
skull in a high secure place where the
animals will not get to it, so the sun will
bleach it out really well. We cannot tell
you how long each method will take -- it
depends on the fish, birds or ants. When
all the meat is completely gone, place it in
a bucket of bleach (to kill any parasites)
and then wash it with soap and water.
That's all there is to it. ~Editor
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Water Petition
Friends and Family of Manataka,
Please take a few minutes to sign this petition and
pass it on. The
petition respectfully calls upon the United Nations to add a
31st article to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
establishing access to clean water as a human right, not a
privilege. I hope you agree with me
that water is a right and not a privilege, and that this
addition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents
the first step toward the goal of water for all-- please join
me! Water is a right, not a privilege. See and sign the
petition to adopt Article 31:
http://freeflo.org/article31
~Angela Riley
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Weaver of Light
Something I want to share ....
I am working with a small Weave-It Loom ... probably one of
the original designs. I think it was my grandmother's. I've
been resisting the urge for a while, trying to put it out of
my mind. Tonight - I stopped resisting, when I found an old
skein of yarn. Unfortunately, the skein is red, white and
blue. I don't like "patriotic colors" - they annoy me. But,
it was the only yarn I could find. Then I realized - there
was a lesson involved in this. Oh well - okay, I'll bite. I
started working with it. I thought it would go quickly.
Nope. I
discovered that weaving is not a fast process. And I had to
learn to work with the colors, and to like them as they
are.
So I started to
reclaim them in a different way - apart from what America
has told me they should be together. The colors separated
for me, and became different. Through the weaving process,
the colors told a different story. Blue became the spirit
world, the blue light that appeared to me, and the blue
lights that flicker sometimes in the darkness. White became
the silent north, the winds I listen to, and silence itself
- my quiet nature that people give me a hard time about. Red
became heritage, the Good Red Road, and many good things,
and my red shirt from my dream. All the colors changed,
blended together, and became a new story.
Then I noticed
.... weaving itself is a long process. I was learning about
the yarn, the tension, the colors, and what I wanted it to
be. And it was telling me what it thought also.
I don't think
I'm there yet .... there is more to learn. And it is a small
loom - and I only did one square tonight (I took my time).
It seems to me
that weaving is a process that cannot be rushed. That's okay
- I'm not in a hurry. ~ Kim Summermoon
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To Friends Around The World
From Greenland
Greetings Manataka,
I am sending you my deep felt gratitude for all the
support we have received this past year.
In July 2009 an age old prophecy - so old, no one knows the
time - has been fulfilled, thanks to the many beautiful
contributions from every part of our Mother Earth.
Atsaarsuaq Hansiina kindled the Sacred Fire not only at
Aasivik in Greenland, but in hearts across the world.
Many prayed, many sent love, many offered financial support,
many sent Sacred Ashes, many sent letters of support, many
held Sacred Fire Ceremonies in their own communities, many
came and worked in the camp, many helped in the
organization, many chanted and sang songs, many are writing
articles, many are giving talks, others are writing books.
Let me express again to all of you, heartfelt gratitude for
the incredible difference you made for the local people on
The Top Of The World.
All of us are part of the Circle, Which Has No Beginning Nor
Ending, In Which We All Belong. In unity,
Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq
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Searching for Women
Dear Editor,
I am
interested in corresponding with mothers and women from all
cultures and countries who believe that families are foundation
and that liberty and peace are connected to principles and
precedence established in righteousness and in defense of the
rights and responsibilities of the people..
I am pleased to be able to receive of your Smoke Signal News
for I believe that Native Americans and others in communion to
commandments and order of constitution USA , can make a
difference in bringing peace to our land, and families.. as we
unite to learn and respect one another, and remember always the
power of the pen, prayer, and petition. May God bless abundantly
and protect and keep . I have a research organization
called S. Heritage International Consulting, Inc. that
encourages understanding of who we are , and the history of our
people and ancestry that we may be one in peace, principles and
precedence for order and honor , glory to God for life,
liberty and happiness.
http://www.orderforstar.com
http://www.sheritageinternationalconsultinginc.weebly.com
Thank you for your endeavors re publishing the Smoke Signal...
it is of much worth and appreciated, as inspirational. ~Camille
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Hey!
Get on the ball!
Sign me!
Feature Story
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Walk in Beauty
By Daniel Rearin
Horse Beatty
 It
was an evil south wind that caused the feathers of Hunka, the
young immature eagle to rise against the resistance. The edges
of each feather looked like the hair on the back of a wild hog.
Despite his unkempt appearance, Hunka flew higher and higher,
for he was on a mission. His job was to deliver a special and
important prayer to the Creator from the elders of the Osage
Tribe.
As he circled and
soured even higher, the air became lighter and lighter, and he
thought, what a strange cultural time those human beings live in
today. As he look downed he could see the ocean was not as blue
as it used to be, the smoke from the trees told him that the
forest was not as old and bold as it used to be, in fact from
this distance it looked frail and discolored.
The old ones of
the tribe felt sad to see such selfish changes on mother earth,
they had asked the eagle to fly as high as it could, because
they said…
READ MORE>>>
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The Manataka American
Indian Council supports:
 |
Why We Should All Eat More
Organic Food
 Organic
Food is More Nutritious
Organic foods, especially raw or
non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E,
health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fighting antioxidants, flavonoids that
help ward off heart disease, essential fatty acids, and essential minerals.
On the average, organic food is
25% more nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals than products derived
from industrial agriculture. Since on the average, organic food's shelf
price is only 20% higher than chemical food, this makes it actually cheaper,
gram for gram, than chemical food, even ignoring the astronomical hidden
costs (damage to health, climate, environment, and government subsidies) of
industrial food production. Levels of antioxidants in milk from organic
cattle are between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk. Organic wheat,
tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20% and 40%
more nutrients than non-organic foods.
Organic food contains
qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals (such as calcium,
magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods
grown on pesticide and nitrate fertilizer-abused soil. UK and US government
statistics indicate that levels of trace minerals in (non-organic) fruit and
vegetables fell by up to 76% between 1940 and 1991.
Organic Food is Pure Food, Free
of Chemical Additives
Organic food doesn't contain food
additives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like
aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury) or
preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems.
Eating organic has the potential
to lower the incidence of autism, learning disorders, diabetes, cancer,
coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis, migraines, dementia, and
hyperactivity.
 Organic
Food Is Safer
Organic food doesn't contain
pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in
conventional farming and residues remain on non-organic food even after
washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure. One class
of pesticides, endocrine disruptors, are likely responsible for early
puberty and breast cancer. Pesticides are linked to asthma and cancer.
Organic food isn't genetically
modified. Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and
ingredients are prohibited.
READ MORE>>> |
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ELDER'S MEDITATION
"Even the
seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to
where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood and
so it is everything where power moves." --Black Elk (Hehaka sapa),
Oglala Sioux
In these modern
times it is difficult to understand why we should think circles and seasons.
People and society are always moving, through distance, over yonder, going here
and going there-hurry up, grow up, be successful, climb the ladder of success,
etc. The Elders tell us to slow down, to be patient, pray and think circles.
Circle thinking applies to relationships, business and every area of our lives.
We need to teach our awareness to look for seasons and cycles.
My Creator,
teach me the seasons of growth
http://www.whitebison.org/meditation/index.php
Warrior Society News
Native American
Medal of Honor Monument
It
all began on New Year's Day 2006, when Reverend Bill Silaghi and his
wife Teresa looked to purchase a 40-acre tract of land on Crocket
Road, in Geneva County, Alabama.
Teresa sat on the ground and, with palms
down, patted the earth. "It felt like home," she said. She felt the
"land was saved for us."
"We came here with an idea," said Bill. "We want to give back to our
people." Bill is descended from the Miami Indian tribe and Teresa is
of Cherokee descent.
Immediately they began to plan the first
Falling Leaves Gathering and Powwow scheduled for the weekend of Oct.
10-13, 2008.
During
this time, the Silaghi's became aware of the American Indian Act of
1994 that called for the construction of a National Native American
Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. by the Smithsonian's National
Museum of the American Indian. The National Congress of American Indians
was given the responsibility for acceptance of contributions and
payment of the expenses of, the establishment of the memorial
because no federal funds could be used to pay any expense of the
establishment of the memorial.
"But after 14 years, nothing had been done to create this memorial.
Our veterans deserve to be recognized and honored so we took it upon
ourselves to donate our land for this purpose," said Bill Silaghi.
READ MORE>>>
EARTH MEDICINE...
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Medicine for the People
By Harvey Walks
With Hawks Doyle
Giving
Herbs to Pets
 I
have a wonderful friend and his name is Soma short for
(Soul-mate). He is a male Border Collie and I found him
in the local pound when I lived in Somerset, Kentucky
while attending college near Lake Cumberland. He is
unique in his own way since he is very intelligent and a
very loyal friend and companion. When you live alone;
animals are very helpful for your health and are great
friends and also are good to watch for people who wish
to take from you and also to harm your environment. I
have read that they can extend your life approximately
4-7 years. As you know, it can save you a large
veterinary bill. I treat him when he is sick as I treat
myself. The Creator wants us to use our herbal
intelligence to help our animal brother and sisters when
they are ill. We have to be careful with them since
their body chemistry and parts are different from us
humans.
 Words
of Caution
Aspirin and
aspirin derivatives (i.e. White Willow Bark and
salicylic acid), acetaminophen products (i.e. Tylenol),
ibuprofen and Motrin can be fatal to cats or dogs. Do
not use them. Do not give pets caffeine-containing herbs
either, that includes chocolate, which can be dangerous
for dogs even though they like it. For chocolate
flavored treats, try substituting with Carob. Also, the
use of anti-inflammatory remedies is inappropriate when
there is already prescription of strong
anti-inflammatory conventional medication, unless the
intention is to withdraw the conventional medications.
Pregnant and nursing pets should be treated like people.
Use caution, ask your veterinarian, do research, and do
not try any herb on a pregnant pet without complete
knowledge of its properties!
READ MORE >>> |
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FLUORIDE WATCH...
House Healthcare bill HR 3962
mentions fluoridation
The word
"fluoridation" is included as a definition for
"disease prevention" in HR 3962 and should be
removed.
I wonder
if organized dentistry, both inside and outside of
government, had a hand in making sure this was
included in this bill in exchange for legislators
taking a hands-off approach in what really needs to
be done - mandating that dentists treat more
low-income Americans. People in America are dying
from the consequences of untreated tooth decay. This
has been the subject of several Congressional
hearings held by Representative Kucinich.
Most
dentists refuse to treat Medicaid patients and 130
million Americans lack dental insurance.
A solution
exists - mid level dental professionals - which have
already proven successful in other first world
countries as well as rural Alaska. Minnesota just
passed a bill allowing Dental Therapists to provide
dental care. However, organized dentistry is
vehemently opposed to this. They like their
lucrative monopoly just the way it is. Dentists
routinely use their lobbying clout, with money
derived from corporations that profit from tooth
decay, to pass laws that benefit themselves - even
if Americans must suffer as a consequence. Then
they bash people who live in constant dental pain as
shiftless people who party with their money instead
of using it for dental care.
READ MORE>>>
FUNNY
BONES
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
This wagon train is heading across the
desert, when all of a sudden the wagon master notices that on all sides of the
valley, there are Indian guys. He quickly forms the wagons into the "Hollywood"
circle, to protect the families in the train. Nothing happens.
Soon, drums are heard pounding
out in the distance, BUM, bum, bum, bum, BUM, bum, bum, bum, BUM, bum,
bum, bum.......(the famous Hollywood drumbeat from the John Ford movies)
The wagon master tells the
train, "I don't like the sound of this...."
From out in the distance comes
another voice, saying, "We don't like the sound of it either. He's
not our regular drummer!
ANIMAL
RIGHTS... AND WRONGS
See an amazing film
about Austrailia's Aboriginal peoples.
Traditional Whale Dreamers
http://www.whaledreamers.com
SACRED SITES:
New evidence
points to Shawnee Lookout as
oldest continuously occupied
site
Science
Daily —
The discoveries
continue to
surprise for a
team of
University of
Cincinnati
students digging
in Ohio's
 Shawnee Lookout
Park, with a
major new mound
being located
and a rare kiln
used to fire
pottery
excavated in
recent weeks,
along with even
more evidence
emerging to
support the
theory that the
site could be
the largest
continuously
occupied hilltop
Native American
site in the
United States.
But perhaps most
importantly from
this year’s
work, evidence
was also found
to bolster the
theory that
Shawnee Lookout
was the largest
continuously
occupied hilltop
settlement
established by
any Native
American group.
The dating of
recent evidence
found argues for
cultural
continuity at
the site,
meaning the
Hopewell who
lived at Shawnee
Lookout up to
2,000 years ago
are showing
direct links to
the Shawnee
people who were
living on the
site less than
300 years ago.
READ MORE >>>
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Adults
Children
NEW!
Mothers and Babies
NEW!
Pets
100's of native herbal remedies!
Cure the Cause
Don't just treat the symptoms
100% Natural - Organic - No Side Effects
Manufactured under strict guidelines
60-day Money-back Guarantee
Read More...
|
Disclaimer, Trademark
and Copyright Information
Material appearing here is distributed without profit or
monetary
gain to those who have expressed an interest in viewing the
material for research and educational purposes.
This is in accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. section 107.
Reprinted under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright
law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
Non-profit/Teaching/Educational
©2008 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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