Manataka American Indian Council Volume XII Issue 12 December 2008
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Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
December Issue Page 1 of 3
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WANNA BECOME A MEMBER OF MANATAKA?
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO JOIN!
UPCOMING EVENTS
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-- Help Wanted -- |
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Web Page Creator - Microsoft Front Page Layouts The
Manataka American Indian Council needs a volunteer to construct web
pages at home. Must have Microsoft 'Front Page' program.
manataka@sbcglobal.net |
| Kids Fun Kit - Ages 4 - 12 |
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Explore the history and culture of the American Indian people with a variety of fun-filled activities!
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Makes
A Great Holiday Gift!
2009 Calendar. Stunning artwork by Cherokee Artists. Months and days in the Cherokee language. Important historical dates and ceremonies marked. Model: CAL-01. Shipping Weight: 1 lb.
22 units left in Stock.
GET YOURS BEFORE THEY ARE ALL GONE!
Maggie's
SOAP NUTS
THE SOAP THAT GROWS ON TREESTM
A Great NEW Gift IDEA for the Holidays
Maggie's Soap Nuts are the only laundry soap that grows on trees! Truly effective, 100% natural and safe for your most sensitive skin. Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree. They contain saponin, a natural cleaner used for thousands of years to clean clothes, just like the plants used by American Indians for washing.
Put a few Soap Nuts into a small cotton sack (included) and drop it in your washing machine. Your clothes will come out clean, vibrant, and soft. Replace your laboratory detergents and softeners with the soap made from nature. Your skin, clothes, family and your planet will thank you.
"One is not born a Tewa but rather
one is made a Tewa... once made, one has to work hard continuously throughout
one's
life to remain a Tewa." --Alfonso Ortiz, San Juan Pueblo
Being Indian is being spiritual. It is not the color of our skin. Being Indian is how we think. We need to learn our culture, our language, our dances, our traditions and customs. It is one thing to know these things, but another to live them. We need to spend time with the Elders and get their guidance. We need to go to the mountains, woods and desert to pray. Being spiritual is the way for us to think right. Walking the Red Road and thinking right is the greatest gift we can give to our children.
Grandfather,
help me to Walk the Talk.
American Indian Christmas
By Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand
The holiday we call Christmas has evolved into the biggest celebration in the world. Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. Many Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, which places Christmas around January 6.
Christmas was first added to the Roman Catholic Church calendar as a religious
feast day in the fourth century A.D. But Christmas is not the only celebration
held around this time of year. December 25 was a significant date for various
early cultures. The ancient Babylonians believed the son of the queen of heaven
was born on December 25. The Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of the
fertility goddess Isis on the same date, while ancient Arabs contended that the
moon was born on December 24. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a feast named
for Saturn, god of agriculture, on December 21.
Before European contact, the Indian tribes of North America did not celebrate
the birth of Jesus Christ, since they hadn't heard of him. However, many of the
American Indian people of North America have been Christianized for several
hundred years. Over this time, customs which were introduced to them by the
missionaries, have become adapted to the native cultures, and are an integral
part of their Christmas traditions today, just as they are in most American
homes.
Many Native American people found that the story of Christmas and Christ's birth
fulfilled tribal prophecies and found the message of Jesus to be consistent with
the truth that was handed down by their ancestors.
READ MORE...
RED
HAWK JEWELRY & CRAFTS
A Great NEW Gift IDEA for the Holidays
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Fringe Bags |
Totem Necklaces |
Pipe Bags |
Beautifully Handcrafted Jewelry |
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Great prices - Wonderful Craftsmanship
- Special Orders Accepted -
ELDER MOMFEATHER SPEAKS
Blues
Today I collected the blues. There are many ways to see the
blues… on the wings of a beautiful bird, on the top of the
mountain, looking down at the blue misty valley. The
crystal blue of the spring sky or the deepest blue of the
ocean.
I
remember the blue hills among the summer leaves and then a
different shade of blue in the winter. I can see the
exquisite shades of blue as the sea washes against the white
beaches.
The different shades of blue as you face the many mountain
ranges and the light and fluffy blue white shades of snow.
The blue haze of the prairies and the blue-purple hue of the
tiny cornflower.
Would you
like a handful of my blues?
CHRISTMAS
GREEN CHILI STEW
2 lbs. pork or lamb, well trimmed and cut
into small pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
5 roasted green chilies, peeled, seeded
and diced
3 ears of corn with kernels scraped from
cob
2 stalks celery, without leaves, diced
In a large pot, put in enough vegetable
oil to prevent the meat from sticking. You can also use
vegetable spray. Add meat and cook until it is lightly
browned. Add the rest of the ingredients, and water to
cover all. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour or
until done.
Momfeather
Buy ORGANIC Honey!
By
Strong
evidence is emerging that it is the bee-keeping practices in non-organic
commercialized hives that are largely responsible for the demise of the
honey bee in what is known as "Colony Collapse Syndrome".
Feral, or wild, bees are doing fine, as are bees from organic commercialized
hives.
Buy only ORGANIC honey and boycott non-organic honey to protest the
practices of using pesticides & antibiotics in non-organic hives.
Boycott Non-Organic Honey found in grocery stores!
Alternatives: Organic Honey can be expensive. I bought these two
products to have my kids taste-test as an alternative to commercialized,
non-organic honey. Both were given the "stamp of approval", are organic, and
are reasonable in price:
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The Traveling People
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Wells, Nevada |
The sky grew dark and heavy with gray clouds scurrying across it in layers. I watched as patches of blue faded and the Fall sun peeked out as if in a game of Peek-A-Boo. I tied my old wool scarf around my head and neck, and put on my brothers too big boot. Putting on my old sheep skin coat I headed for the barn to do my chores. As I passed the kitchen I took an apple to feed to my horse he expected it each time I came to clean out his stall. I looked for the most withered one in the basket and stuffed it into my jacket pocket.
As I opened the door the wind hit me full force pushing me back inside for a moment. Pulling the door shut behind with both hands, I walked into the wind. Dirt stung my eyes as I tried to shield them and bits of sage brush clung to my jacket.
I knew that the storm we had all been watching the skies for, was fast coming down. My Dad had listened to the radio that morning and said it was to hit us hard with lots of snow, in a few hours.
Winter in Wells, Nevada meant no food or provisions for up to three weeks. We had no power on the ranches, that was not an issue; but the one strand of phone line that served the valley was an issue. We did not have cell phones or cordless phones in those days. We relied on that single telephone party line to connect with the outside world all winter.
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
Noah' Ark -- 2008
In the year 2008, the Lord came unto
Noah, who was now living in the U.S., and said, "Once again, the earth has
become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me.
Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good
humans."
He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have 6 months to build the Ark before
I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."
Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard - but no
Ark.
"Noah!" He roared , "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark ?"
"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but
things have changed. I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the
inspector about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've
violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and
exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board
for a decision.
Then the Hydro One demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving
power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark 's
move to the sea.
I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of
it.
Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in
order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I
needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!
When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They
insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued
the accommodation was too restrictive , and it was cruel and inhumane to put so
many animals in a confined space.
Then the Environmental Protection Agency ruled that I couldn't build the Ark
until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.
I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how
many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.
Immigration and Naturalization are checking the Visa status of most of the
people who want to work.
The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union
workers with Ark-building experience.
To make matters worse, Revenue Canada seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying
to leave the country illegally with endangered species.
So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this
Ark. "
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched
across the sky.
Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the
world?"
"No," said the Lord. "The government beat me to it."
A Great NEW Gift IDEA for the Holidays
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| Code Talkers | ||||
| Cradleboards | ||||
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Lots More Videos - DVD and VHS - Fast Delivery |
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LEGENDS OF OLD
By Gram Selma, Ocali Nation
With the holidays fast approaching, it is a time of memories and family stories of times past, it is a time of honoring what has gone before us and the traditions of each family passed on .
Myths and legends are sacred stories form the past hat have withstood the test of time, that teach morals, explain universal events or truths, and often explain the origin of life or a vital tradition.
Most of these sacred myths are either ceremonial, religious, historical and or philosophical.
Legends
tend to be associated with a specific geographical area or location and are
therefore culturally related to a given climate, terrain, and weather
conditions.
In recent times, some of the legends and myths have been adopted so to speak, and become somewhat prominent in the dominant society. Some of them actually become " fads" even thou the entire story or origin is not known or not accurately represented.
A good example of this is the surge in popularity of Kokopelli.
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Magdala Rameriz |
Beautiful Ones,
Long time ago, one of my angel teachers told me the story of the Tree of Life, and he also told me that will be unfold over and over again….and it happened….
The Tree of Life Story
When
the realm of separation begun into this planet,
father and mother were
sad, so mama begun to cry and cry and from that cry the oceans were
created, that is why the water is salty
Father came and told mama, "you need to stop crying for you are going to drown your own children." So she did stop crying, but she could not stop crying from the inside. Then all the rivers, subterranean rivers, springs and creeks were all was created because of mama crying from the inside.
and Other Stuff
Lauren Liora Zack
"The Story of Stuff" video takes a humorous yet factual look at the
underside of our consumer-driven society, from production to disposal of
goods. The video focuses on the connections between environmental and social
issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.
Many people who have seen The Story of Stuff have asked what they can do to address the problems identified in the film.
Each
of us can promote sustainability and justice at multiple levels: as an
individual, as a teacher or parent, a community member, a national
citizen, and as a global citizen. As Annie says in the film, “the good
thing about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many
points of intervention.” That means that there are lots and lots of
places to plug in, to get involved, and to make a difference. There is
no single simple thing to do, because the set of problems we’re
addressing just isn’t simple. But everyone can make a difference, but
the bigger your action the bigger the difference you’ll make. Here are
some ideas:
Respect for the Elders*Submitted by Carol Perez Petersen
The word respect will be defined
and explained more clearly. This teaching will explain what
Elders are and how they are placed in Society by the Creator
God. |
A Great NEW Gift IDEA for the Holidays
On Cold Winter Nights Snuggle Up with These Great Indian Movies
Scoundrels and Scandals in the Interior Department:
A commentary from Colorado
by Paul Vandevelder
The Vail, Colorado Trail
As the last vestiges of laissez-faire capitalism were being
lowered into the ground on Wall Street last month, out on the western edge of
the high plains an administrative circus of a similar nature was unraveling. Its
center was the Minerals Management Services (MMS) division of the Interior
Department in Lakewood.
On Sept. 10, Earl Devaney, the Interior Department’s inspector general, released
a report to Congress that documented — in lurid and embarrassing detail — the
widespread use of sex, bribes and drugs by MMS employees to lubricate their
professional relationships with officials of the oil and mineral industries.
What, you may ask, is the Minerals Management Service?
This is the office responsible for collecting royalties from energy companies
that drill for oil and gas on public land owned by you and me. Last year alone,
more than $14 billion in royalties was collected by MMS and deposited in our
account. We cannot be sure of the real total, however, since MMS accounts are so
bungled that no one can be sure if the reckoning is close to correct.
Coincidentally, the MMS is also responsible for collecting royalties for
resources taken from more than 11 million acres of Indian land.
It's a shame the Devaney report didn't stop with the drugs and orgies, since
taxpayers deserve just a little vicarious entertainment along with all the bad
news. But while the story's entertainment value was mostly swamped by the
meltdown on Wall Street, few of its particulars were lost on the 400,000 plus
plaintiffs in a lawsuit known as Cobell vs. Interior.
Indian plaintiffs have been waiting patiently to be paid $47 billion in
royalties they allege were stolen from Indian trust lands by government and
industry officials since 1887, when Uncle Sam first began to manage Indian
resources. For those who have not been following the American saga of Elouise
Cobell, a community organizer for the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, Mont., and
the lead plaintiff in this case, here’s a recap of the highlights of her quest.
*In 1996, Cobell filed a lawsuit against the federal government for failing to
account for tens of billions of dollars in mineral royalties that were never
credited to Indian trust accounts. The suit quickly grew into the largest
class-action lawsuit in American history.
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
"Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
Life shall always come full circle and love is the ultimate forgiveness. So, walk gently on our Mother Earth and dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening and laugh until it hurts. Da naho Wi:yo:h
NOVEMBER WEBSITE UPDATES
| 18 NEW ARTICLES | ||
| Indian In The Living Room by Ed Hanson | Beautiful Words | |
| Crop Circle Lady - Magdala Rameriz | Elders Speak | |
| Coho Learns To Jump - Momfeather | Elders Speak | |
| Tree Of Life Reborn - Waynonaha | Elders Speak | |
| Healing With Love Part 4 - Gray Hawk Coke | Elders Speak | |
| Who Really is My Brother? - Hawk Eyes Hoffman | Elders Speak | |
| Bayer Pesticides Killing Honeybees | Environment | |
| Worm Composting A-Z | Environment | |
| Deconstructing Myths of the First Thanksgiving | Feature Story | |
| True Thanksgiving - A Day of Mourning | Feature Story | |
| Oaks Indian Mission | Feature Story | |
| Fluoride in tap water puts tea drinkers at risk | Health Watch | |
| Sweet Flag / Bitterroot | Herbal Medicine | |
| Kindling a New National Grand Council Fire | History | |
| Corn Mother - A Penobscot Legend | Legends | |
| Desecration of Hawaiian Gravesite | Sacred Sites | |
| Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers | Women's Council | |
| Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Rolls | Women's Council | |
| NEW TRADING POST ITEMS | ||
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HUNDREDS OF Great NEW Gift IDEAS for the Holidays
Flags
Authentic
Tribal Flags
Art Gallery
Jewelry Store
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100's To Choose
Furs, Hides, Robes
Gifts - Home Decor
Crafts
100's to Choose
Teepee Store
Drums
Video Store
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Disclaimer, Trademark and Copyright Information
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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