Manataka American Indian Council Volume XII Issue 8 AUGUST 2008
Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
PAGE 2
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Contents: |
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| Legends of Old: | The Aholi and Walpi Katcinas - Hopi | |
| Feature Story: | ||
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Letters to the Editor: |
Detergents, Teepees, Gossips | |
| Organic Consumers: | ||
| Elder's Meditations: | Willaru Huayta, Quechua Nation, Peru | |
| Health: | GE Sugar to Hit U.S. in 2008 | |
| Plant Medicine: | Return Of A Super-grain - Chia | |
| Fluoride: | Communities Rejecting Fluoride | |
| Animal Rights and Wrongs: | A | Nakota Wild Horses Find Homes |
| Endangered Sacred Sites: | Puerto Rico sites mired in politics | |
The Aholi and Other Walpi Katcinas - Hopi
Alíksai!
In Wálpi and Sitcómovi they were living, but not at the places where the
villages now are, but where they used to be. In Wálpi lived an old man, the
Ahö'li Katcina. He had with him a little maiden who was his sister, the
Katcín-mana.
As he was very old and feeble this maiden would always lead him. In the other
village, Sitcómovi, lived a youth with his old grandmother, and as she also was
very feeble he took care of her and used to lead her. One time the Ahö'li and
the little maiden went to their field 'south of Wálpi where they wanted to
plant. They carried with them little pouches containing seeds. In their field
was a báho shrine, and when they came to their field the Katcina first deposited
some prayer-offerings in the shrine, first some corn-meal and then also some
nakwákwosis which he drew forth from his corn-meal bag.
This bag he had tied around his neck. In this shrine lived Mû'yingwa and his
sister Nayâ'ngap Wuhti.
"Have you come?" Mû'yingwa said. "Yes, we have come," they replied. "Thanks,"
Nayâ'ngap Wuhti said, "thanks, our father, that you have come. You have
remembered us. No one has thought about us for a long time and brought some
offering here, but you have thought about us." And she began to cry.
Hereupon Ahö'li gave to each one a stick upon which some nakwákwosis were
strung, and also some cornmeal.
Hereupon Nayâ'ngap Wuhti was crying still more. "Yes, we have come here," the
Katcina said, "we are pitying our people because they have not had any crops for
a long time, and now we thought about you here and have brought these
prayer-offerings here. And now you pity them and let it rain now, and when it
rains then a crop will grow again and they will have something to eat, and they
will then be strengthened and revived, because they are only living a very
little now.
Read More...
Happy Birthday Leonard Peltier!
Leonard
will celebrate his 64th birthday on September 12. Please continue to lift
Leonard's spirits by letting him know he is not forgotten. Send
birthday cards and letters to: Leonard Peltier #89637-132, USP-Lewisburg, US
Penitentiary, PO Box 1000, Lewisburg, PA 17837-1000.
Manataka Making a Relative Ceremony,
Henbury Special School, Northern Territory, Australia
By Lynn Dream Dancer Guy
On June 20, 2008, at the time of the summer solstice, 151 students, teachers and staff gathered to be inducted as honorary members of Manataka.
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Students and teachers begin to gather |
A couple of months ago I got a big surprise when I opened an email from Bear telling me about a sacred ceremony that was going to be held in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia and asking if I’d consider going along to help. I was surprised and delighted to be given this opportunity to assist my beautiful Manataka family and to be there for the students and staff of Henbury Special School. I thought back to my time as an Art Teacher in the Northern Territory (also called the N.T. or ‘The Territory) from the late 80’s to late 90’s - how in my early years I’d written on behalf of my Aboriginal Students to another Native American tribe’s school to see if we could be ‘linked’ and share experiences. They never replied to my letter then and we’d been disappointed. Now the Circle had turned and here was my beloved Cherokee family offering to adopt a whole school: students and staff! How beautiful. Spirit always has wonderful gifts and surprises – here was one very special one!
SOUNDS OF MANATAKA
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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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Hi! My name is Louisa and I happened on your site while investigating owl information. You mentioned in your bio that you celebrate a monthly women's circle. I and a group of friends live in Nova Scotia, Canada. I have studied a little shamanism and am a Reiki practitioner and I am very interested in what you do. Would you mind letting me know? It's very difficult in this part of the world to find teachers and gain knowledge. Thanks a million. ~Louisa
Hello Louisa, We do not practice shamanism (Russian mysticism.) so we are not sure that we can help.
It may be in your favor that "teachers" are not plentiful in your part of the world. Teachers often lead us away from ourselves down paths for which we not intended and attempt to make us of their image.
All spiritual knowledge is found within ourselves. We need not be taught or told what is spiritual knowledge, but often we must be instructed how to "remember" what we already know. Remembering the knowledge of the ancients found within us is not easy. Interaction in the modern world constantly distract our attention from our inner being. We must find our own ways to calm ourselves and wipe away all the distraction, confusing messages, and 'learning' from others that all serve as roadblocks to achieving 'remembrance of self'. ~Takatoka, Manataka
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Dear Editor,
Hello Kim, 1. Do not not to pour them down the sink. 2. Make sure the containers are well sealed. 3. Put the containers in a box or paper bag. 4. Take them to your worst enemy.
Seriously, take them to your local landfill. They have a special handling and disposal protocol.
~Editor
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Hello Manataka, Hello Charles,
You do not say what kind of wood poles you are using. That information is vitally important. We use a species called "lodge pole pine". Light and flexible, but very sturdy and weathers good in wet and cold climates. We would advise against using thick poles. If you do use thick poles, the tripod bundle will become too large and the canvas will not sit right causing the bottom to be a foot or more from the ground.
The best answer to your problem is to disassemble the poles when not in use and stand them up straight up against a tree or some other pole that is planted in the ground (do not use a low power line pole). Do not ever lay poles directly on the ground when storing -- they will warp big time. Wrap a rot-proof rope around the poles. The water runs right off and warping is never a problem. When the teepee is up, rotate your poles regularly or as often as needed . ~Editor |
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Dear Manataka,
We are having a lot of trouble in our American Indian group with a person who gossips and 'bears false witness'. She is usually a nice person, helpful with many projects and events. But, the pain she causes has prompted several people to drop out. Many arguments have erupted over things this person has said and done. She is very sly with her comments, little barbs and lies told over a long period of time that brings division among us. When confronted about her behavior, she denies any wrong doing. She enjoys 'preaching' to others from the Bible about all their faults. Is she mentally ill? What do we do? ~Morning Dove Mitchell
Morning Dove,
Why does all this sound familiar? This is a common problem in our society - in workplaces, among friends, family and other groups. This person is not necessarily mentally ill to a point requiring hospitalization, but she does have a serious problem with low self-esteem and wants to control others -- regardless how it is done. When she cannot point a finger of guilt at someone, she will make up issues to justify her actions. You are fortunate to belong to an American Indian organization who strives to uphold traditional ways. In the old days, a person like your friend was placed in the center of the circle by elders and confronted publicly with their behavior. If the person reacts in a positive way and renounces their behavior, then the issue is resolved, and hopefully the same errors are not repeated. If the individual reacts negatively, then the person is banished or severely punished. End of problem.
Some tribes publicly whipped gossips, but we do not advise this as a solution. ~Takatoka
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"Also ask your heart to purify and cleanse this defect and harmful desire. Ask also the help of the inner father and mother. Every time we eliminate a defect, we build our soul, our inner temple. We ascend, like going up a stairway." -Willaru Huayta, Quechua Nation, Peru
The building blocks to knowledge and wisdom are constructed through the lessons of our character defects if we constructively review our conduct each day, asking where we are resentful, selfish, dishonest, or afraid. Remember, we need to review constructively, not destructively. Destructive review is when we ask, "what's the matter with me anyway," or, "how could I be so stupid?" These questions lead to morbid reflection or remorse and seriously affect our self esteem. In constructive review we ask, "what will I do next time?" With constructive review we progressively eliminate the defect and replace it with wisdom.
My Creator,
allow me to have my
defects because
through them I
gain in knowledge of
Your will.
ALERT: Genetically
Engineered Sugar to Hit U.S. in 2008
Background
Information: American Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company and several
other leading U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their
sugar from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and
arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products containing GE
sugar will not be labeled as such.
Since half of the granulated sugar
in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a
dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn
and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers will be
exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about every non-organic
multiple-ingredient product they purchase.
READ MORE....
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Seeds Of Wellness: Return Of A Super-grain
By Ted Kreiter, Saturday Evening Post
The Aztec civilization may never rise again, but part of its ancient legacy may be a gift of better health to those who have rediscovered the secret of its prized "running food."
In the annals of
nutrition history, the last half-century may well be considered the age of the
super-grains. Starting in the 1960s, Dr. Norman Borlaug developed
disease-resistant dwarf wheat and sparked the "Green Revolution" in Asia; Purdue
University researchers discovered opaque-2 maize, with the mutation that doubles
the protein value of corn; and Canadian researchers developed triticale, the
long-sought cross between barley and wheat. But what may be the most functional
of all the super-grains still remains virtually unknown. It is the tiny seed of
the Salvia Hispanica L. plant, better known as chia, the same plant family used
to grow furry foliage on those popular chia pets.
Submitted by:
Crystal Harvey, MAIC Correspondent
Fluoride Action Network
List of Communities Rejecting Fluoridation
Grows Larger
The number of communities rejecting fluoridation continues to grow. On April 1,
Quebec City in Canada terminated its fluoridation program after 36 years, thus
joining the ranks of other major Canadian cities - such as Montreal and
Vancouver - which do not fluoridate their water. Another major victory occurred
on the Isle of Man in Europe when the Health Ministry announced on June 12th
that it was abandoning its attempt to fluoridate water after a government survey
showed the public opposed to the plan. Other communities recently rejecting
fluoridation include Dryden, Ontario; Littleton, Massachusetts; and Yarmouth,
Massachusetts. In Dryden, voters rejected a fluoridation proposal by a 7-to-1
margin!
City that Gave Birth to Fluoridation is Having Second Thoughts
In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city to ever fluoridate its
water. Now, 63 years later, some city officials in this town are beginning to
wonder whether they should join the growing tide of cities and towns rejecting
fluoridation.
'the chemical widely credited with dramatically cutting cavities and promoting oral hygiene, is having its scientific credentials questioned in the city that literally swallowed it first... [T]he push here mirrors a spreading nationwide awareness and re-examination of the health impact of a wide variety of chemicals added to food, health-care products and water.' ~Chicago Tribune 06-23-08
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
Big Buck Wins
A group of Choctaw Indians friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck. "Where's Henry?" the others asked.
"Henry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail," the successful hunter replied.
"You left Henry laying out there and
carried the deer back?" they inquired.
"A tough call," nodded the hunter. "But I figured no one's gonna steal
Henry!"
North Dakota Wild Horses Find Homes
Eleven
years ago, Chatham's Hilary Goff first met wild Nokota horses from
the badlands of western North Dakota. Since then, about 70 of them
have come through her pasture on their way to adoptive homes locally
and up and down the East Coast. Some came to stay.
Goff, a nurse at University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, is
now on the board of directors of the Nokota Horse Conservancy and
has introduced the local and not-so-local horse community to the
gentle-tempered, athletic, sound and solidly built American Indian
horses. They are being used for just about all recreational equine
pursuits including foxhunting, trail riding, competitive endurance
riding, dressage, 4-H and as pets.
Nokotas are descendents of Sioux Indian and frontier ranch horses
that were used as war horses, buffalo runners and all-purpose saddle
horses. Generations after American Indians were made to settle in
reservations, the wild herds grew, living in the rugged Little
Missouri Badlands from 1880 until 1950. When the area became
Theodore Roosevelt National Park under the jurisdiction of the
National Park Service, most of the wild herds were culled. In the
1980s, brothers Leo and Frank Kuntz made it their business to save
as many of the original wild horses as they could manage. Ever
since, they have worked to preserve the breed that they named the
Nokota.
Puerto Rico archeological find mired in politics
SAN JUAN -- The lady carved on the ancient rock is squatting, with frog-like
legs sticking out to each side. Her decapitated head is dangling to the right.
That's how she had been, perfectly preserved, for up to 800 years, until the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers came upon her last year while building a $375
million dam to control flooding in southern Puerto Rico.
She was buried again last week with the hope that some day specialists will
study her and Puerto Rican children will visit and learn about the lives of the
Taino Indians who created her. But archaeologists and government officials first
had to settle a raging debate about who should have control over her and other
artifacts sent to Georgia for analysis.
The ancient petroglyph of the woman was found on a five-acre site in Jácana, a
spot along the Portugues River in the city of Ponce, on Puerto Rico's southern
coast. Among the largest and most significant ever unearthed in the Caribbean,
archaeologists said, the site includes plazas used for ceremony or sport, a
burial ground, residences and a midden mound -- a pile of ritual trash.
The finding sheds new light on the lifestyle and activities of a people extinct
for nearly 500 years.
READ MORE...
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AUGUST 2008 SMOKE SIGNAL - PAGE 1
While
U.S. consumers struggle to cope with
steadily rising food and energy costs, a
billion rural farmers and low-income
families are suffering from what can
only be described as a global food
crisis. The New York Times reported last
week that at least 29 countries have
sharply curbed or completely cut-off
grain exports to make sure their own
populations have enough to eat.
According to the article, "When it comes
to rice, India, Vietnam, China and 11
other countries have limited or banned
exports. Fifteen countries, including
Pakistan and Bolivia, have capped or
halted wheat exports. More than a dozen
have limited corn exports."
The
Organic Consumers Association's (OCA)
and allies are calling for a boycott of
all Kellogg's products after Kellogg's
refuses to source only GE-Free Sugar.
Monsanto's RoundUp Ready Genetically
Engineered Sugar is due to hit stores
this year, exposing millions of
consumers to untested and unlabeled
"Franken Foods" that threaten human
heath, the environment and farmers'
rights everywhere.
A
new report from the International
Monetary Fund estimates that biofuels
are responsible for as much as 30% of
the global food shortage. Despite this
fact, at the United Nation's emergency
food summit in Rome, USDA Secretary of
Agriculture, Edward Schafer, defended
the U.S. government's decision to spend
billions of dollars subsidizing corn and
soybean-based ethanol and biofuel,
falsely claiming that biofuels
contributed only 2% to 3% of the overall
increase in global food prices over the
past year. According to USDA spokesman,
Jim Brownlee, Mr. Schafer was unaware
that his statistics were off by nearly
90%. 
ORGANIC
FARMING CAN FEED THE WORLD
GENETICALLY
MODIFIED CROPS CANNOT FEED THE WORLD