Manataka American Indian Council Volume XII Issue 5 MAY 2008
Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
PAGE 2
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Contents: |
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| Legends of Old: | The Corn Mill Coyote | |
| Feature Story: | Legends of Bigfoot-like Beings | |
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Letters to the Editor: |
Great Ideas, Chills and Thrills | |
| Organic Consumers: | Put Organic Back into "Organic" | |
| Elder's Meditations: | Wallace Black Elk, Lakota | |
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Indian Opinion: |
Black Kettle Museum | |
| Health: | Ritalin Turns Kids into Zombies | |
| Plant Medicine: | arsley Tea - for Urinary Infections | |
| Fluoride: | CDC against giving babies fluoride | |
| Animal Rights and Wrongs: | A | WhaleDreamers |
| Endangered Sacred Sites: | ||
The Corn Mill Coyote
A Caddo Legend
A woman pounded corn in a favorite corn mill made from a tree trunk. Smooth
with age, it was about two feet wide and three or four feet tall. She
dropped corn inside and pounded it with a pole into fine meal.
As she pounded she noticed the corn disappeared faster than meal was ground.
She pounded harder and faster, but she still lost more corn than she made
meal. After pounding all her corn, she gathered her small portion of meal.
She waited for the next woman to pound her corn to see if the same thing
happened. This woman pounded her corn but made very little meal. Now both
were suspicious. They waited for the next woman. She pounded her corn, then
gathered a small amount too. Now three women waited to watch the next one.
This woman pounded and pounded, but the corn disappeared and little meal
replaced it.
They discussed the situation, then decided something must be wrong with the
corn mill. They turned the mill this way and that, and then realized it was
not the same old mill they always used.
One woman called for an axe to split the mill in half so they could see
inside. As a woman ran to get it, the mill fell on its side and rolled
around on the ground. The women jumped back in astonishment.
Coyote leaped up from what had been the corn mill and ran away. All the
women laughed. Now they understood that Coyote had hidden the old corn mill
and then turned into a mill to eat all their corn.
From Texas Indian Myths and Legends by Jane Archer
Submitted by Blue Panther Keeper of Stories
Originally printed in the Western Bigfoot Society Newsletter "The Track Record". Excerpted from "Legends Beyond Psychology", by Henry James Franzoni III. Reprinted with permission from all parties.
"Here
in the Northwest, and west of the Rockies generally, Indian people regard
Bigfoot with great respect. He is seen as a special kind of being, because
of his obvious close relationship with humans. Some elders regard him as
standing on the "border" between animal-style consciousness and human-style
consciousness, which gives him a special kind of power. (It is not that
Bigfoot's relationship to make him "superior" to other animals; in Indian
culture, unlike western culture, animals are not regarded as "inferior" to
humans but rather as "elder brothers" and "teachers" of humans. But tribal
cultures everywhere are based on relationship and kinship; the closer the
kinship, the stronger the bond. Man Indian elders in the Northwest refuse to
eat bear meat because of the bear's similarity to humans, and Bigfoot is
obviously much more similar to humans than is the bear. As beings who blend
the "natural knowledge" of animals with something of the distinctive type of
consciousness called "intelligence" that humans have, Bigfoot is regarded as
a special type of being."
"But, special being as he is, I have never heard anyone from a Northwestern tribe suggest that Bigfoot is anything other than a physical being, living in the same physical dimensions as humans and other animals. He eats, he sleeps, he poops, he cares for his family members. However, among many Indians elsewhere in North America... as widely separated at the Hopi, the Sioux, the Iroquois, and the Northern Athabascan -- Bigfoot is seen more as a sort of supernatural or spirit being, whose appearance to humans is always meant to convey some kind of message."
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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Full of Great Ideas Hello Manataka,
"Slaughterhouse" will probably be very
difficult to read, as it exposes the graphic abuses and attitudes
that permeate slaughterhouses nationwide. The Humane Slaughter Act
is "supposed" to protect slaughterhouse animals from these horrific
deaths, but it is not enforced, and money/power win out over efforts
to enforce the act through the USDA. And chickens and turkeys are
exempt from humane slaughtering regulations. Reading these books,
you'll learn where food poisoning comes from. (Humane Society of the United States. Research farm animal life and fight against factory farming. ~Kim Summer Moon |
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Hee Haw Manataka,
I just want to personally thank you for making some rather heavy subjects funny, and understandable for us common folk. Thanks and keep on trucking @ $3.49.9 per gal! ~Justin Driscoll
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CITGO Oil is good to Indians Manataka,
I was really disappointed to read the piece about oil in the April Smoke Signal news. Dissing Venezuela and Citgo by Manataka is an incredible and bizarre irony. First off, Hugo Chavez is no dictator. He is a Native (South) American who was elected a lot more legally than Bush. And he doesn't hate the US, he despises Bush as do the majority of US citizens. Read below to see why the comment about Citgo was so blind. Sincerely, Roger Nehring
Roger,
You are correct. We erred in including Citgo in a list of 'bad oil companies" and corrected it before too many people read it. "CITGO is the only oil company that responded to the call by US Senators to use part of their windfall profits to help low income citizens in the US. A dozen U.S. senators asked 10 major oil companies to donate a portion of their record profits to help the poor. Citgo helped poor Mohawk and other tribal people in a big way. ~Manataka See Related Story
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Chills and Thrills Manataka,
What a wonderful newsletter. I've been in and out of it many times this month. How very, very beautiful about the Bear Dance. Reading of it sent chills up and down my spine. Many thanks for all you do for all of us! ~Valerie Eagle Heart
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Hunting for Game Manataka Style
You bless the animal that has fallen. I respect that. I am 42 years old and just started hunting for meat. I always believe in thanking a animal. I respect nature and what it has to offer. Manataka will get my support. I am not a trophy hunter and I am looking for ways to use all parts of the animal any more ways please let me know. I am trying to learn how to use the skin fur when I can afford it. Thank you. Blessing to all Gods speed. ~James P Montgomery
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YEP, WE ARE FAMILY
Manataka, Thank you Manataka for helping my family thru this hard time. Please ask the Manataka family to pray hard for a good outcome for all of my family. Also I want to remind you that if we are not able to make it to the gathering. I think of the family very often, and I feel that we are close no matter how far apart we are. We are all family. Many blessings. Your little sister. ~Shannon One Bear Who Walks Riehle
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BUG EATERS UNITE!
Hi Aletheia at Manataka, I saw your "Eating Bugs" web page several year ago, and I thought that was probably one of the most unusual hobbies I have ever heard of! I also remember seeing websites about anime, karate, something for catholic home schooled teens, etc - but about the time I found all these websites, they disappeared! I really loved your humor pieces - Anyway, good to see you are still online! ~Jennifer Samson
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Brought to you by ORGANIC BYTES, from Organic Consumers Assoc. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ |
"So I prayed, but
I had to pray from my heart. All of my concentration and thoughts went
from my head to my heart. All of my senses - hearing, smell, taste, and
feeling - were connected to my heart." -Wallace Black Elk, Lakota
The heart is the gateway to the Unseen
World,the Spirit World. It takes real concentration to do this. To
connect to our own heart is also a mental state. It starts in the head
and transitions to the heart. This mental state is our inner stillness.
Be still and know. This place of the heart is very joyous and peaceful.
It is this place that we become one with God, our Creator.
Great Spirit,
teach me to be
a heart
warrior.
BLACK KETTLE MUSEUM
I wish to respectively take exception to the recommendation of Mr. Hill regarding the Black Kettle Museum as presented as "Letter from a Student of History" at the bottom of that web page. I suppose I should first point out that the museum is no longer in existence. The federally maintained Washita Battlefield National Historic Site and Cultural Center that opened in the latter part of 2007 has essentially replaced it, and the Black Kettle museum has closed.
While this makes the balance of this correspondence somewhat mute, I would like to suggest that this small, state-funded museum was essentially a collection of artifacts. I toured the museum numerous times and felt no particular bias in either direction. True, there was little there outlining the plight of this magnificent People, and the elements leading up to that terrible encounter. However, it was a point of interest. A place that housed the famed 7th Cavalry sandstone, the Cheyenne implements, rifles, etc.
READ MORE.... Counter Point Opinion:
Ritalin Turns Kids into Mental Zombies
Submitted by Dr. Wayne Garland, ND/TCM
Kids everywhere have played “Simon Says” for generations, without the slightest inkling that such games may be preparing them for great success in the classroom and the work-world later on.
Psychology researchers tell us that the “Simon Says’ game is one of the most important “mind game-exercises” that draw on the crucial capacity to restrain impulses and exert self-control.
Until recently, many experts believed that teachers could do little to foster these skills in our children, thinking that kids would either develop the knack over time, or required medication such as Ritalin to correct attention disorders.
“Simon Says,” Ritalin is Rubbish......
But new research suggests that ordinary children can benefit from “mind play” that gives a mental workout to their faculties of “executive control,” as psychologists call it.
P
ARSLEY TEAFOR URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS AND KIDNEY STONES
By Dr. James
Howenstine, MD.
A
superb clinician and herbalist placed his wife on parsley tea when she
developed a urinary tract infection on a trip. This therapy has been
100% effective in his experience. in curing urinary infections. She was
known to have large kidney stones in both kidneys. By the fourth day of
therapy the infection was cleared and her kidney stones had dissolved..
This clinician has never seen parsley tea fail to cure a urinary
infection after many years of use.
Parsley tea is made by placing one ounce of first voided morning urine and a handful of fresh parsley into a quart of water which is simmered for an hour. The tea is strained and one quart is drunk hot or cold throughout each day. A follow up urine specimen can be obtained on the 4th or 5 th day of tea to prove that white cells, indicating infection, are no longer in the urine sediment..
There is a long history of successful use of parsley tea in Asia and among native Americans. The urine specimen must be the patients own urine which has beneficial immunologic properties.
CDC warns against giving babies
fluoride-tainted drinking water
From Crystal Harvey, MAIC Correspondent
Fluoride Action Network
New York -- January 19, 2007
-- Without fanfare or public announcement, the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) posted a new fluoride caution on their website - avoid
mixing fluoridated water into concentrated infant formula to prevent
discoloring babies' new teeth. (1)
There is no dispute that too
much fluoride causes dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow or
brown and sometimes pitted enamel. The CDC now admits that babies
can ingest too much fluoride when fluoridated water is mixed into
their concentrated infant formula and foods. Fluoride is added
to 2/3 of public water supplies based on a disproved theory that
fluoride ingestion prevents cavities.
"Where's the media alert so
that the parents, caregivers, healthcare workers and
legislators know about this," asks lawyer Paul Beeber, President,
New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
Heaven
An
old Indian man died peacefully and found himself walking down the
middle of a long country road. Suddenly, running toward him was his
favorite dog! He knelt and embraced his long lost pet in tearful
reunion. After some time, the dog seemed anxious to walk the road
in what seemed to be the direction of the rising sun. So they began
to walk.
Before long, they came to a fence of wrought gold, behind which stood sparkling mansions in the distance, as far as the eye could see. At the pearl-encrusted gates stood a gatekeeper, a tall man in flowing white robes of the finest silk.
"What is this place?" said the old man.
"This is Heaven," said the gatekeeper.
Through the gates, the old Indian man could see beautiful flowing fountains of cool water. He asked the gatekeeper, "May my dog and I have a drink from the fountain? We're both kind of thirsty."
"You're welcome to a drink," said the gatekeeper. "But your dog can't come in. We have a strict no-pets policy."
The man stood in confusion for a moment. His face became grim. "No thanks," he said. "We'll just keep walking, I guess."
For a long time, the old man and his dog wandered down the road. At last they came to an old farm with no fences or gates of any kind. A man dressed like a farmer in a flannel shirt and overalls was leaning against a tree, reading a book. Near him was an old-fashioned water pump. The dog ran up to the man, who petted him happily, then gave him some water from the pump.
"What is this place?" asked the old man.
"This is Heaven," came the reply.
"But that fellow back yonder at those pearly gates said that place was Heaven!" said the man.
"Nah, that's Hell," replied the farmer. "We leave the entrance there to weed out the riff-raff who'd leave their best friend behind."
WhaleDreamers
WhaleDreamers, a film over ten years in the making, produced by Kim Kindersley & Julian Lennon, documents the historic coming together of 85 indigenous elders from around the world to share the stories of their peoples and their love of, respect for, and hopes for our Earth Mother.
http://whaledreamers.com/members.php
http://whaledreamers.com/index.php
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=196096007
The film producers are looking for distribution of the film
in the U.S., hopefully to be shown nationwide sometime in
2008.
"Ten years in the making, this full-length 'eco-feature'
documentary is an experiential film for our times. It is a
story of Dreaming and interwoven Dreams… taking us on a deep
global journey into a forgotten magic that connects us all.
The wisdom of Indigenous Elders
from around the world permeate the film, offering up the all
too familiar warnings of where humanity seems to be going…
but it also reflects back to us that we collectively can
also come back from the edge of extinction… it is not too
late. People around the world are waking up.
For the first time on film Aboriginal Whale Calling
ceremonies are shared.
WhaleDreamers is an invitation for us all to come
back to the Fire... the Dreaming... and the Natural World.
Awards:
2007 Ibiza International Film Festival Best Environmental
Documentary
2006 MONACO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Best Film
2006 ANGEL AWARDS Independents Spirit Award & Angel Award
for Best Film
2006 WAIROA MAORI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, NEW ZEALAND
Best Documentary Film
2006 TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL, USA Best Film
2006 BYRON BAY FILM FESTIVAL, AUSTRALIA Best Film
2006 TAHOE/RENO INT'L FILM FESTIVAL, USA Best Music / Song"
SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL
AT
BIG MOUNTAIN, BLACK MESA, AZ.
On
behalf of their peoples, their ancestral lands, and future generations, more
than 350 Dineh residents of Black Mesa continue their staunch resistance to the
efforts of the US Government-- acting in the interests of the Peabody Coal
Company-to relocate the Dineh and destroy their homelands. This land is the
basis for the Black
Mesa peoples' traditions, livelihoods, and spirituality.
At this moment the decision makers in Washington D.C. are planning ways to seize
tribal lands to extract mineral resources. The coal companies are funding both
the Republican and Democratic parties because they have huge interests at stake.
Presidential candidate John McCain recently sponsored forced-relocation
legislation targeting these Dineh families; Peabody Coal, the world's largest
coal company, currently has plans to expand its strip mine operations and to
seize more deep aquifers beneath these indigenous lands.
Peabody Coal Company has completely dug up burials, sacred sites, and shrines
designated specifically for offerings, preventing religious practices. Not only
were the principal concerns of the communities directly affected by the
legislation never addressed, those communities were not even notified.
"The Big Mountain matriarchal leaders always believed that resisting forced
relocation will eventually benefit all ecological systems, including the human
race." Bahe Keediniihii, Dineh organizer and translator states. "Continued
residency by families throughout the Big Mountain region has a significant role
in the intervention of Peabody's future plan for Black Mesa coal to be the major
source of unsustainable energy, the growing dependency on fossil fuel, and
escalating green house gas emissions. We will continue to fight to defend our
homelands."
READ MORE...
SOUNDS OF MANATAKA
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MAY 2008 SMOKE SIGNAL - PAGE 1
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